It’s always hard to take the temperature of an entire fan base. The internet is a great tool to accomplish this; however it’s hardly scientific. Talk radio? The cream of the crop usually doesn’t wait on hold during working hours. These tools are all I have to go by on a daily basis, so for the purposes of this analysis I will have to believe a majority of Yankees fans beliefs are presented throughout blogs, message boards, social media sites, and talk radio.

Yesterday, I wrote how Derek Jeter‘s injury is an opportunity for the team to look at Eduardo Nunez as the “shortstop of the future.” No one told me it was crazy, ranted how much Jeter would be missed, or reminisced about how important the Captain has been to the ballclub the last fifteen years. More people called in to WFAN believing that Jeter conspired to get hurt in order to get his 3,000th hit during the next home stand. I also know there was a large contingency who wouldn’t have been disappointed if he signed somewhere else during the offseason.

A month ago I said that Jorge Posada should be released for his refusal to bat ninth. He did get a standing ovation at Yankee Stadium that night, but you don’t get the sense the fans wouldn’t be unhappy to see Posada go if the team acquired a bat to replace him in the lineup. If the Yankees have the chance to acquire Carlos Beltran as their DH tomorrow, you can bet that Posada’s mini hot streak will quickly mean nothing to the masses.

Remember Andy Pettitte? The fans did for a while in spring training. They have since moved on, and I haven’t heard a single cry for Brian Cashman to coax him out of retirement, even though Phil Hughes and Bartolo Colon have been lost to injury. The Killer B’s down in Trenton get more mentions, despite never throwing a pitch about Double-A.

My point? Yankees fans are tired of the nineties. They are ready for the next phase of the team’s existence, and wouldn’t mind seeing Jeter get his 3,000th hit and walk off into the sunset. Perhaps he should bring Jorge Posada along with him. The only reason Mariano Rivera isn’t part of that equation is because of what lies after his retirement: reality. If not for the volatility of closers,  Heath Bell would be an object of their desire.

The divide between the media and fans when it comes to the Core Four, now Core Three, couldn’t be any wider. Members of the media love the Jeter narratives, and would do cartwheels if the clock was turned back to 1998. See what happens when you bring up any edition of the Joe Torre Yankees to fans. Usually, it revolves around what Torre didn’t do, versus the four titles he brought to New York.

Every good thing comes to an end. Perhaps, the nineties Yankees “jumped the shark” after the 2009 World Series. It was eight years between titles for Jeter, Rivera, Pettitte, and Posada. That year was the cherry on top of a great era in team history. Fans now want to talk about Montero, Banuelos, Betances, Brackman, Nunez, and whatever free agent in their prime is available. They look to Cano, Teixeira, Granderson, and A-Rod for their production. I have talked more about Joba Chamberlain the last four years than the man who is about to become the first member of the 3,000 hit club in team history.

Time will bring an appreciation for all the aforementioned Yankees. You really don’t know what you have until it’s gone. Mets fans will never admit it, but they really didn’t appreciate the eighties team until after the “worst team money can buy.” They love Darryl Strawberry now, but were ready to pack his bags for him when he left for Los Angeles. Ten years from now you might hear fans fondly remember Torre’s balanced leadership, instead of his atrocious bullpen management. They will forget Jeter’s poor range and late career anemic bat. They will remember Jorge Posada for his grit and leadership, not asking out of the lineup. It will take more than just one or two pitching prospect to fail for them to understand how good Andy Pettitte was. Right now, that is not the agenda. They prefer talking about the future, even though the past is still very much part of the equation. I believe many wish Jeter and Posada would disappear right now. With their performance this year, their wish may come true sooner, rather than later. That’s when reality will hit, and they will “believe in yesterday.”

Mike Silva is a freelance writer and radio host since March of 2007. This website is his own personal "digest" of New York Baseball He's also hosts NYBD Radio on Blog Talk Radio and 1240 AM WGBB. Check out his sports media commentary at www.sportsmediawatchdog.com. Check out his official website, www.mikesilvamedia.com

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Tags: Andy Pettitte, Derek Jeter, Eduardo Nunez, Joe Torre, Jorge Posada, Mariano Rivera, New York Yankees