from the New York Post
By LENN ROBBINS
July 23, 2001 -- This never gets old. It's like opening presents Christmas morning. Whether you're seven or 70, the excitement dances up your spine. Before the Yankees bombed the Blue Jays 7-3 yesterday at the Stadium, they received their 2000 World Series championship rings. This is becoming an annual tradition in the House that Ruth Built, the fourth ring ceremony in five years, including the last three.
"It's not the ring," said Joe Torre. "It's what it represents. It represents that you're the best."
No Yankee knows that feeling better than Yogi Berra, who stood in front of the pitcher's mound and presented each Yankee with his ring. Berra has a World Series ring for each finger.
One look at the player's reaction to the three carat ring which weighs more than an ounce, told each of the 51,132 fans that the thrill is not gone. Like most of his teammates, Derek Jeter, who now owns four championships rings, beamed at his latest piece of finger candy, which was housed in a cherry wood casing.
Ironically, the only significant contributor to this year's championship quest who doesn't have a World Series ring was on the mound for the Bombers.
Mike Mussina played the role of Roger Clemens in 1999. That was the Rocket's first season in pinstripes and he was relegated to the role of spectator when the Yankees received their 1998 rings.
"[Mussina's] mouth was watering," said Torre.
Torre said each of the rings carries its own 14 carat golden memory. He said '96 was special because it was his first. The '98 ring capped a 114-win regular season. The '99 ring marked a rare repeat, although Torre said the 2000 championship relegated the 1999 ring to middle-child status.
And 2000 was special because of the Subway Series. On one side of the ring, three subway cars are etched above the facade of the stadium.
"If we didn't win last year nobody would really care that we won two years before that," said Torre. "Meanwhile the Mets could enjoy the success they had last year but if it had been reversed, we couldn't enjoy the success of just being in the World Series playing against the Mets."
