The Original Yankee Swap

This holiday season I was involved in a couple of Yankee swaps…and I got to thinking...(I’m always thinking…even during the holidays.) What claim do Yankees have on the swap? Does anyone know why it is called the Yankee swap and not the rebel swap? What is it about the Yankee mentality that makes them want to swap…is it some character flaw?? Do rebels have swaps? Questions, questions, questions.

We know northerners have the (un)earned reputation of being cold, unfriendly, pushy, rude, grumpy, fast-paced…I guess this is inline with what goes on at a Yankee swap…where gifts are opened and stealing is involved. We Yankees know stealing from each other is coming, so that makes it totally acceptable. It’s not like we’re stealing behind backs…Yankees are not that ruthless. So we grab, steal, take, bicker, name call … “Give me that…I want that….now.” Definitely not the rebel southern style…

The rebel swap would be a little different: “Ya’all are welcomed to come over, sit a spell, have a sweet tea…you can use my new handy dandy gadget anytime or maybe you want to borrow it…take as long as you need. What’s mine is yours.”

I think I just figured something BIG out…the reason the Yankees baseball team has been so good over the years. It’s because they are masters at the game of stealing and swapping. The original Yankee Swap. They recently swapped Cabrera for the Brewer’s Cameron. Heck, they stole pitcher A.J. Burnett from Toronto…but for 82.5 million…some would hardly call it a steal.

So if you’re playing the game…and your favorite player…or your favorite present…gets stolen. Remember, there's no crying in baseball or Yankee swaps. Whaa…whaa…whaa.