The Yanks are coming and Army cadet Taylor Goucher is among those trying to stop them.
That would be the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball fame, while Goucher is a pitcher for the Army squad of West Point, N.Y. that will host them for a 2 p.m. game at Doubleday Field on Saturday, March 30.
Goucher is certainly excited about the prospect.
"Being able to say that I will be playing against the New York Yankees is a dream come true," said Goucher, a graduate of Mount Rainier High School in Des Moines. "I have been a Yankees fan for as long as I can remember, and playing against a team that has produced some of the greatest players in Major League Baseball is something that I never imagined I would be able to experience. This game really shows how great the New York Yankees organization is to take time out of their spring training schedule to come up to Doubleday Field for this game."
The matchup used to be a regular affair, with players like Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Mickey Mantle and Bobby Murcer coming to West Point to play the cadets, who go by the name of Black Knights for sports. But the two teams have not faced each other since April 19, 1976 when the Yankees won a tight 2-0 game.
"We are thrilled to bring the Yankees back to the United States Military Academy," Army director of athletics Boo Corrigan told the Army Black Knights newsletter. "There is a long-standing tradition between these two great institutions, and we thank the Steinbrenner family, Lonn Trost and Brian Cashman for their support in making this happen. This will truly be a unique experience for all the cadets and the entire West Point community."
The Yankees brass appears glad to make the trip and renew the rivalry as well.
"It's a tremendous honor for your organization to play at West Point, which is one of our country's most historically significant institutions," said New York Yankees managing partner Hal Steinbrenner. "The Yankees have always held the nation's servicemen and servicewomen in the highest regard. Playing in this game is our way of showing appreciation for their valor and the sacrifices made by all members of the United States armed forces."
Army played 85 exhibition games against Major League Baseball squads between 1914 and 1986, when they hosted the Houston Astros. Army faced the New York Yankees 21 times between 1927 and 1976. The first battle featured Ruth and Gehrig and the famous "Murderer's Row" Yankees on May 26, 1927.
The historic team that some argue was the best ever in baseball also only beat the Black Knights by a 2-0 score. New York has won all of the meetings, but the cadets were even closer to victory in 1966 when the Yankees edged them, 1-0, on a run scored on a Mantle ground out in the first inning.
Army's only wins against Major League Baseball teams came in 1945, when they won two of three games against the Brooklyn Dodgers.
The fact the Yankees are coming back to West Point created quite a stir in the box office.
"They sold out in a few minutes," said Goucher's father, Bob. "Each player received four tickets. It's a big deal with them coming to the military academy. We're going back to the game."
The older Goucher once played in a Major League exhibition game and knows how fun that can be.
"I played for the (University of Washington) Huskies 30 years ago," he said. "I threw against the Seattle Mariners in an exhibition game in 1985."
Taylor Goucher -- whose uncle and Bob's brother is former Minor League pitcher Steve Goucher -- is a busy sort like all of the cadets at West Point. He sent his comments to the Times/News by e-mail when he got a rare break.
"West Point is a very demanding but rewarding institution where I am challenged daily in my school work, but am also allowed o pursue my love for the game of baseball," he wrote. "I chose West Point because I wanted to be more than the average Division I baseball player and college student. The expectation that I have of myself to compete while I am here is to give back to not only the people of this country, but also to the amazing individuals in my life who have helped me reach every goal I have set for myself past and present."
Goucher likes the place even after he has gone there.
"I love West Point because it challenges me every day to constantly keep growing and working hard to be a better student, baseball player and person," he said. "West Point has given me a solid path for my future that I am very thankful and excited to work toward."
The Yankees won't be complete strangers to the Army team when they play, as they visited the Yankees' spring training camp in Tampa, Fla. earlier this year.
"Meeting some of the team in Florida and getting to tour their facility was an awesome way to spend a day during the invitational," Goucher said. "Being able to talk to Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada and Joe Girardi is something I know so many people would love to experience, and I am so fortunate to say that this is something I have done. Mariano Rivera is my idol, and I am hoping I get a chance to meet him when we play them."
Like Rivera, Goucher is a relief pitcher. He throws underhand submarine pitches and wrote that he topped out at 87 miles per hour in high school.
Goucher's best pitch is his slider, he said, and he is still working on his change-up.
Goucher hopes to be a force out of the bullpen if his velocity returns and he consistently throws strikes. He specializes in getting ground ball outs.
The sophomore appeared in 12 games out of the bullpen as a freshman in 2012, posting a 1-1 won-loss record and a 3.24 earned run average. He struck out six and walked 11. Goucher had nine scoreless innings and did not allow a run in his first four outings.
The Normandy Park resident, who is on a full scholarship and studying nuclear engineering, was named to the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll following his freshman season.
His younger sister Amanda of the Mount Rainier basketball team that took third in the state of Washington the last two seasons plans on following him into an Army career.
Taylor Goucher, meanwhile, has his focus on the upcoming game against the Yankees.
"I am certain this game will be an unforgettable experience," he said. "I am so incredibly lucky and blessed with the opportunity to participate in it."
