``We play today.
``We win today.
``Das it.''
It became, in the words of third baseman Boggs, ``a little daily tension-breaker.'' Crusty, veteran ballplayers said it and giggled. For some, it became a superstition, a daily good-luck charm.
``You've got some country accents saying it,'' Boggs said. ``You've got some broken English. You've got me. Hell, just as long as someone said it, it worked.''
Soon, the shirts appeared. Boggs had the smarts to copyright the phrase. There was no controversy over who owned it.
They all did.
You want to sell ``Das it'' T-shirts? You go through the Yankees, pal.
``We play like a team,'' Duncan said. ``We share like a team . . .
``Das it,'' he said, laughing.
Das what has put the Yankees into the American League Championship Series for the first time in 15 seasons. The chemistry of their clubhouse, while heated by controversies at third base, starting pitcher and designated hitter, never has boiled over.
When the Yankees traded for Charlie Hayes in late August, Boggs said his piece and then welcomed his occasional replacement. When manager Joe Torre chose to leave Dwight Gooden off the postseason roster, the Doc took his medicine without a whimper. And when Torre hedged on naming his DH to start Game 1 of the playoffs, Cecil Fielder and Darryl Strawberry endorsed each other.
Strawberry started Game 1 and was hitless. Fielder homered in Game 2 and drove in four runs in the series. He will be the DH when the Yankees host Baltimore in Game 1 tomorrow night, Torre said, and probably for the other games as well.
``That's OK,'' Strawberry said. ``I just want to win.''
