Everything is warmups for the New York Yankees until they get to the World Series

NEW YORK (AP) — For the New York Yankees, the real opening day is World Series Game 1.

A little bubbly for a playoff berth, the AL East, the Division Series and their 41st pennant were just warmups.

World Series rings are the only numbers that count when you are measured not among the living but against the ghosts: Yogi, Joltin’ Joe, the Iron Horse, the Babe and the Mick.

“That’s why we’re here. That’s why I get up every single day. That’s why I put in the work not only at the field but in the offseason, is to just bring a championship home back to the city and back to this team,” Yankees captain Aaron Judge said when spring training started in February.

“It’s been quite a long time since we’ve got to that finish line," he added, "but I think a lot of the guys and pieces that we’ve added into this room, especially a couple of changes we made in approaches, guys we brought in, it’s all going to push us towards the right direction, which is ultimately being the last team standing.”

The Yankees are in the World Series for the first time since winning title No. 27 in 2009, starting Friday at the Los Angeles Dodgers or in the Bronx against the New York Mets.

A core in its 30s covets a championship as validation as much as accomplishment. Giancarlo Stanton is in his 15th major league season, Gerrit Cole his 12th and Judge his ninth.

Stanton has been restrained in his assessment.

“As far as I’m concerned, we haven’t done nothing,” he said after Game 4 against the Guardians.

Stanton's edge was visible during Saturday night's celebration when Gleyber Torres handed him the AL championship trophy, saying “Take the baby. Take the baby.” Stanton cradled the prize and rocked it back and forth — an apparent reference to Josh Naylor's home run celebration when he connected against Cole in the 2022 ALDS.

Baseball's winningest tradition is in the players’ faces from the day they arrive at Yankee Stadium. Oversized photos of pinstriped greats line the tunnel leading to the clubhouse. The walls of the locker room corridor are filled with paintings of recent luminaries.

Players don’t have to be reminded that Yogi Berra won 10 titles, Joe DiMaggio nine, Babe Ruth and Mickey Mantle seven each (though only four of Ruth's were with the Yankees), and Lou Gehrig six. Hall of Famers Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera, both five-time champions, mingled with the current players in August when the 2009 champions were honored on Old-Timers’ Day.

“What makes the Yankees the Yankees is winning and winning a World Series” said Anthony Volpe, a 23-year-old shortstop who is in his second big league season.

The Yankees missed the playoffs last year for the first time since 2016, skidding to an 82-80 record and narrowly avoiding their first losing season since 1992.

Expectations soared after they obtained Juan Soto from San Diego in December, and he set an attitude when he arrived at spring training wearing a T-shirt that proclaimed: “The Generational Juan Soto.” The free-agent-to-be turned to the dugout and pounded his chest after the Yankees' signature shot of the postseason thus far, his 10th-inning, three-run homer that won their 41st pennant.

A 50-22 start raised confidence but a 10-23 slide from mid-June through late July sparked skepticism. The acquisition of Jazz Chisholm Jr. from Miami ahead of the trade deadline injected some energy, and New York finished an AL-best 94-68, clinching a playoff berth in Game No. 152 and the AL East in No. 159.

Stanton (.294, five homers, 11 RBIs in the postseason), Soto (.333, three, eight), Judge (two homers, six RBIs despite a .161 average) have provided key hits and Torres has reached leading off in eight of nine postseason games.

Bullpen contributors include Tim Hill (signed in June after he was released by the woeful Chicago White Sox), Jake Cousins (purchased from the White Sox in late March), Tim Mayza (signed in July after he was released by Toronto) and Mark Leiter Jr. (a trade-deadline arrival added to the active roster Friday after Ian Hamilton got hurt).

Aaron Boone reminded players in February to be ready no matter their depth chart status.

“I talked to those guys first day of camp,” the manager recalled Saturday. ”'You're sitting in here right now, you think, ah, I probably won’t be with the big club this year or whatever.' I'm like, 'You might find yourself in the batter’s box or on the mound in the biggest moment of the year, so try and prepare that.'

"And then there’s always the X factors of the trade deadline that happens, but even the other moves like getting Tim Hill and Jake Cousins that have become really significant parts of our bullpen that were in a way cast-offs from other organizations. So you never know how it’s all going to shape up."

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

New York Yankees' Juan Soto, left, and Giancarlo Stanton celebrate after Game 5 of the baseball AL Championship Series against the Cleveland Guardians Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024, in Cleveland. The Yankees won 5-2 to advance to the World Series. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez )

New York Yankees' Aaron Judge celebrates in the clubhouse after Game 5 of the baseball AL Championship Series against the Cleveland Guardians Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024, in Cleveland. The Yankees won 5-2 to advance to the World Series. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez )

New York Yankees' Tommy Kahnle celebrates in the clubhouse after Game 5 of the baseball AL Championship Series against the Cleveland Guardians Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024, in Cleveland. The Yankees won 5-2 to advance to the World Series. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez )

New York Yankees players pose for a team picture after Game 5 of the baseball AL Championship Series against the Cleveland Guardians Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024, in Cleveland. The Yankees won 5-2 to advance to the World Series. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

New York Yankees' Aaron Judge holds the American League Championship trophy after Game 5 of the baseball AL Championship Series against the Cleveland Guardians Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024, in Cleveland. The Yankees won 5-2 to advance to the World Series. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

New York Yankees' Giancarlo Stanton holds up the MVP trophy after Game 5 of the baseball AL Championship Series Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024, in Cleveland. The Yankees won 5-2 to advance to the World Series. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez )

New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone holds up the American League Championship trophy after Game 5 of the baseball AL Championship Series against the Cleveland Guardians Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024, in Cleveland. The Yankees won 5-2 to advance to the World Series. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

JONESBORO, Ga. (AP) — Kamala Harris on Sunday summoned Black churchgoers to turn out at the polls and got a big assist from music legend Stevie Wonder, who rallied congregants with a rendition of Bob Marley’s “Redemption Song."

Harris visited two Atlanta area churches as part of a nationwide push known as “souls to the polls." It's a mobilization effort led by the National Advisory Board of Black Faith Leaders, which is sending representatives across battleground states to encourage early voting.

After services, buses took congregants straight to early polling places.

At both churches, Harris delivered a message about kindness and lifting people up rather than insulting them, trying to set up an implicit contrast with Republican Donald Trump's brash style. With just 16 days left until Election Day, Harris is running out of time to get across her message to a public still getting to know her after a truncated campaign.

“There is so much at stake right now,” she said at the Divine Faith Ministries International in Jonesboro. “We understand for us to do good works, it means to do it in the spirit of understanding that our strength is not based on who we beat down, as some would try to suggest. Our strength is based on who we lift up. And that spirit is very much at stake in these next 16 days.”

Wonder led the crowd in singing his version of “Happy Birthday" to the vice president, who turned 60 on Sunday. When he was done, she appeared to choke up, saying, “I love you so much.”

Wonder grinned and said “don’t cry" before telling the crowd how important it was for people to get out and vote.

“We’re going to make the difference between yesterday and tomorrow,” he said.

Harris later said that she “had to check off a whole big one” on her bucket list because of Wonder singing her a birthday song, which prompted the singer to spring up and lead the congregation in a quick verse of ”Higher Ground."

Pastor Donald Battle said of the election: “Georgia's gonna be the state that turns it for the vice president.”

“Souls to the Polls” as an idea traces back to the Civil Rights Movement. The Rev. George Lee, a Black entrepreneur from Mississippi, was killed by white supremacists in 1955 after he helped nearly 100 Black residents register to vote in the town of Belzoni. The cemetery where Lee is buried has served as a polling place.

Black church congregations across the country have undertaken get-out-the-vote campaigns for years. In part to counteract voter suppression tactics that date back to the Jim Crow era, early voting in the Black community is stressed from pulpits nearly as much as it is by candidates.

In Georgia, early voting began on Tuesday, and more than 310,000 people voted on that day, more than doubling the first-day total in 2020. A record 5 million people voted in the 2020 presidential election in Georgia.

Earlier Sunday, the Democratic presidential nominee attended New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Stonecrest, where the congregation also sang “Happy Birthday.”

New Birth Pastor Jamal Bryant called the vice president “an American hero, the voice of the future” and “our fearless leader.” He also used his sermon to welcome the idea of America electing its first woman president, saying, “It takes a real man to support a real woman.”

“When Black women roll up their sleeves, then society has got to change,” Bryant said.

Harris referenced scripture as she promoted the importance of loving one's neighbor, and then drew a contrast to the current political environment.

“In this moment, across our nation, what we do see are some who try to deepen division among us, spread hate, sow fear and cause chaos,” Harris told the congregation. “The true measure of the strength of a leader is based on who you lift up.”

One congregant who got a hug from Harris was 98-year-old Opal Lee, an activist who pushed to make Juneteenth a federally recognized holiday.

Harris is a Baptist. Her husband, Doug Emhoff, is Jewish. She has said she’s inspired by the work of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., and influenced by the religious traditions of her mother’s native India as well as the Black Church. Harris sang in the choir as a child at Twenty-Third Avenue Church of God in Oakland.

Her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, attended church in Saginaw, Michigan, and his wife, Gwen, headed to a service in Las Vegas.

Also Sunday, Harris sat for an interview with the Rev. Al Sharpton and was asked about the idea that she might see her support slipping among Black men — some of whom might be reluctant to vote for a woman for president. Former President Barack Obama suggested that might be an issue during a recent campaign stop for Harris in Pittsburgh.

Harris said she had garnered support from many key Black male leaders, adding, “there’s this narrative about what kind of support we are receiving from Black men that is just not panning out in reality.”

On Monday, she will campaign with former U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., in the suburbs of Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin.

Attendees sing "Happy Birthday" as Stevie Wonder performs for Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris' birthday during a church service and early vote event at Divine Faith Ministries International, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024, in Jonesboro, Ga. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

An attendee holds a campaign fan before Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris arrives to speak during a church service and early vote event at Divine Faith Ministries International, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024, in Jonesboro, Ga. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Attendees listen as Stevie Wonder performs "Redemption Song" during a church service and early vote event with Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris at Divine Faith Ministries International, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024, in Jonesboro, Ga. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

An attendee holds a campaign fan before Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris arrives to speak during a church service and early vote event at Divine Faith Ministries International, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024, in Jonesboro, Ga. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris looks on as Stevie Wonder sings "Happy Birthday" to Harris during a church service and early vote event at Divine Faith Ministries International, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024, in Jonesboro, Ga. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Attendees listen as Stevie Wonder performs "Redemption Song" during a church service and early vote event with Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris at Divine Faith Ministries International, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024, in Jonesboro, Ga. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris reacts as she is surprised by campaign staff with birthday decorations on Air Force Two before departing Hartsfield Jackson International Airport in Atlanta, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024, en route to Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn, Martin, Pool)

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, left, speaks with Stevie Wonder after he sang "Happy Birthday" to Harris during a church service and early vote event at Divine Faith Ministries International, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024, in Jonesboro, Ga. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris listens as Stevie Wonder performs "Redemption Song" during a church service and early vote event at Divine Faith Ministries International, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024, in Jonesboro, Ga. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at a church service at New Birth Baptist Church in Stonecrest, Ga., Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

The congregation prays for Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, top center, at a church service at New Birth Baptist Church in Stonecrest, Ga., Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris arrives to speak at a church service at New Birth Baptist Church in Stonecrest, Ga., Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at a church service at New Birth Baptist Church in Stonecrest, Ga., Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at a church service at New Birth Baptist Church in Stonecrest, Ga., Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris attends a church service New Birth Baptist Church in Stonecrest, Ga., Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

The congregation prays for Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, top center, at a church service at New Birth Baptist Church in Stonecrest, Ga., Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Attendees clap as Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris arrives at a church service at New Birth Baptist Church in Stonecrest, Ga., Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

The congregation prays for Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, top center, at a church service at New Birth Baptist Church in Stonecrest, Ga., Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris waves to the congregation as she arrives to speak at a church service at New Birth Baptist Church in Stonecrest, Ga., Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

A protester, center, demonstrates as Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at a church service at New Birth Baptist Church in Stonecrest, Ga., Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at a church service at New Birth Baptist Church in Stonecrest, Ga., Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at a church service at New Birth Baptist Church in Stonecrest, Ga., Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Attendees listen during a church service at New Birth Baptist Church before Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks in Stonecrest, Ga., Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, left, and pastor Jamal Bryant arrive at a church service at New Birth Baptist Church in Stonecrest, Ga., Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at a church service at New Birth Baptist Church in Stonecrest, Ga., Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, right, greets attendees as she arrives at a church service at New Birth Baptist Church in Stonecrest, Ga., Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at a church service at New Birth Baptist Church in Stonecrest, Ga., Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Attendees sit during a church service at New Birth Baptist Church before Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks, in Stonecrest, Ga., Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Attendees sing during a service at New Birth Baptist Church before democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks, in Stonecrest, Ga., Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris high-fives people in the crowd after speaking at a campaign event at Lakewood Amphitheatre, Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris arrives to speak at a campaign event at Lakewood Amphitheatre, Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a campaign event at Lakewood Amphitheatre, Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a campaign event at Lakewood Amphitheatre, Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)