Elllsbury is gone... but no, Virginia, there is no Santa Claus

"Our long national nightmare is over." So commented Der Kaiser last night, after the tweet came down - (Note: When the world ends, we'll know by it trending on twitter) - that the Death Star has finally jettisoned Jacoby Ellsbury (and Greg Bird and Nestor Octavio-Cortes Jr.) 

Is it really over? No. It can't be. I cannot process such an emotion. (I'm still reeling from the notion that Hal Steinbrenner is holding up $400 million to the Yankiverse, until this website announces an investigation into Hunter Biden.) It feels like yesterday that our Commander-in-Cheap posed beside Ellsbury, giving a simultaneous poke in the eye to the Redsocks (who had just won the world series) and Joggy Cano (who was days from eloping to Seattle with Jay-Z and Beyonce.) 

Everything felt mighty grand that day... December 3, 2013, a day that will live in infamy.

So, where were you? I believe all Boomer Yank fans remember where they were when 1) JFK was shot, 2) the towers collapsed, 3) LT broke Joe Theisman's leg, and 4) the Yankees signed Ellsbury. So.. let's go to the Wayback. 

The night before, at 8:28 p.m., the Yankees anointed Mark Feinsand of the Daily News to tweet the scoop.

This unleashed the usual hordes from Hell. And some remarks proved to be painfully trenchant. 

Next morning, the Daily News trumpeted the joyous moment.

Soon, everybody was weighing in. Here's one from Sports Illustrated.

Like they always do: The Empire strikes back. The Yankees and Jacoby Ellsbury agreed to a seven-year, $153 million deal Tuesday, according to multiple reports. The deal, the third-richest contract ever for an outfielder, is pending a physical that is expected to take place Wednesday. The signing came on a breathless day that saw a flurry of moves in major league baseball, none bigger than the All-Star centerfielder’s move to New York, a move that significantly strengthens the Yankees in the short-term but will be a deal they regret years from now if Ellsbury’s injury history continues. (Yes, the Yankees have money, but just how easy has it been for them to unload A-Rod or Mark Teixeira?)

On that fateful day, here atop the IT IS HIGH News and Information Space Needle, we drunkenly staggered around naked, leaving various secretions on the shag carpeting. How could we not! We noted that the Globe's Dan Shaungnessy didn't like it. We encouraged Hal to keep the money flowing. Alphonso remained mopey. Mustang proposed new John Sterling Homer Hollers ("WE WILL BURY YOU!") And I shouted to the heavens...

And soon, I did this. I'm not proud. One of these days, I suppose it should be updated.

So, Ellsbury is gone. The nightmare is really over? 

I dunno. Ellsbury lives on in the tendons of Giancarlo Stanton, the loins of Aaron Hicks, the shoulder of Miguel Andujar. Some team will sign him - why not? we're paying his tab - and he'll be the media Soup of the Day when he reports in spring training. But the only guy I've ever seen recover from hip surgery was A-Rod, and he still was never the same. 

When Hal declines to spend his money, some Yank fans will wrongly blame Ellsbury. That's sad, but inevitable. (As the philosopher, Jason Giambi, once said, "When the fans boo, it's only because they want to cheer.")

So let me state this for the record, loud and clear...

I harbor no resentment of Jacoby Ellsbury. I hope he does well (except against the Yankees, of course.) It wasn't his fault. As fans, we have the right to be disappointed and - frankly - to yell anything we please. But it wasn't his fault. I wish him only the best.