Long Island native Vinny Caruso is no fair-weather fan. For Caruso, being a New York Yankee fan is about following family tradition.

“My father has always been a Yankees fan,” Caruso said. “Growing up in New York, people like either the Mets or the Yankees, and you like whoever your father likes.”

Caruso has been following baseball and the Yankees since Yankee shortstop Derek Jeter’s rookie year in 1995. Jeter is Caruso’s favorite player, and Caruso and his father always root for the athlete together. If you happen to catch them at Yankee Stadium, they will be sporting the baseball star’s gear.

“I usually wear my Derek Jeter shirt and my dad wears his Jeter jersey,” Caruso said.

Caruso has attended games at both the old and new Yankee Stadium. He saw the Yankees play the Boston Red Sox at the new stadium last fall.

“A decent amount of Boston fans come down to see the game…it’s the biggest rivalry in sports and it’s awesome to have that chance to watch,” Caruso said.

Caruso has witnessed firsthand how personal the rivalry between the Red Sox and Yankees becomes for fans.

“People get into fights, like yelling fights,” Caruso said.

Growing up on Long Island, Caruso had to hold his own against New York Mets fans.

“Most of my friends are Mets fans because Long Island people like the Mets. My dad is from Brooklyn and my Mom is from Brooklyn and that’s close to the Bronx, so it’s where your parents grow up,” Caruso said.

Caruso’s favorite Yankees memory is watching the cross-town rivalry between the Yankees and the Mets on television in 2000 when they played for the Major League Baseball World Series Championship.

“It was a Subway Series, and I remember arguing with my friend,” Caruso said. “I was like 10 years old.”

That year, the Yankees went on to win the series four games to one against the Mets, garnering the franchise’s 26th world series title.

“It was their third straight World Series [win] and their fourth in five years…they’ve won five in my life and it’s shame it took nine years between the last two,” Caruso said.

After witnessing the team’s success, Caruso dressed up as a “Crazed Yankee Fan” that Halloween.

Though he attends school far from home, Caruso still finds a way to follow his favorite team.

“It’s been hard to watch the Yankees since I came to Texas because we don’t get the games on TV, so I have to watch stat trackers on Yahoo,” Caruso said. “It just gives you updates and stuff, and there is no video or audio.”

When living in New York, Caruso and other fans in the New York Metro area had the advantage of watching the Yankees play on their own television network, Yankees Entertainment Sports (YES) Network.

He was able to watch the Yankees play the Twins in the playoff games on ESPN, though due to previous obligations, he couldn’t watch the first two games live.

He hopes to see the Yankees win their 28th series this year.

“It’s just such an exciting team to be a part of,” Caruso said.