The All "Welcome Back!" Sentimental Yankee Team - A 25 Man Roster

The Yankees love to bring stars to the Bronx, but do you know what they love more?
Bringing back Yankees!

As I wrote before, the Yankees are underrated in their gooey sentimentality and nostalgia. But I wondered about the Steinbrenner era and how many former Yankees came back for a second tour of duty.

How many times have the Yankees got fans cheering by bringing back a hero of old with the implied promise of "It's Going To Be Just Like Before!"

George kept triumphantly bringing back old heroes. Hank and Hal seem ready to continue the tradition.

And I created a 25 man roster of Yankee heroes who had an encore... often times an anticlimactic one.

As always, my 25 man roster will have a starter at each position, 5 starting pitchers, 5 relievers, 2 reserve infielders, 2 reserve outfielders, a backup catcher and a 25th player.

The All "Welcome Back!" Sentimental Yankee Team

Starting Catcher – MIKE STANLEY

First Tour (1992-1995) Became an All Star and Silver Slugger Award winner when he crushed 26 homers, batted .305 and posted a .923 OPS in 1993. He was a key part of the 1994 team whose Division Title hopes were dashed by the strike. In the 1995 Division Series he homered, batted .313 and slugged .500. Super popular, he was passed over for Joe Girardi and headed to Boston.

Second Tour (1997) For the August stretch run, the Yankees traded Tony Armas Jr. to the Red Sox to bring Stanley back. He played 28 games with the 1997 Yankees, the only team between 1996 and 2000 to NOT win the World Series! What rotten luck.


Starting First Baseman – TINO MARTINEZ

First Tour (1996-2001) Took over for Don Mattingly and became one of the best big game players on the Yankees. The AL MVP runner up in 1997, he slugged a game turning grand slam in Game 1 of the 1998 World Series and homered off of Tom Glavine in the Yankees come from behind Game 3 victory in the 1999 World Series. But most famously launched a 2 out 2 run Game Tying homer in Game 4 of the 2001 World Series. When the Yankees let him walk to St. Louis to make room for Jason Giambi, many Yankee fans were disgusted.

Second Tour (2005) In the wake of the 2004 ALCS collapse and Giambi being linked to steroids, the Yankees needed some positive old time Yankee feeling in the clubhouse. Fans cheered the return of Tino Martinez. He had some pop left in his bat but he was no longer the elite first baseman. He was hitless in the 2005 Division Series and retired.


Starting Second Baseman – LUIS SOJO

First Tour (1996-1999) Picked up on waivers for the stretch run, Sojo contributed to the 1996 World Series title, collecting 3 hits in 5 at bats. He was a fan favorite, batting .307 as a part time player in 1997. He looked like a regular guy, played every position and embodied the selflessness image of the Joe Torre Yankees.

Second Tour (2000-2001) Sojo went to the Pirates for the start of the 2000 season but was rescued by his old team when the Yankees dealt for him in the stretch run. With Chuck Knoblauch's fielding woes regulating him to DH, Sojo started Game 5 of the 2000 World Series and with 2 outs in the top of the 9th, drove in the winning run. He also played in the 2001 World Series and came out of retirement to play in 3 games in 2003.


Starting Shortstop – RANDY VELARDE

First Tour (1987-1995) Velarde played through some of the lean years in the Bronx. He played all over the infield and wasn't flashy but steady. In the 1995 Division Series, he drove in the 11th iining go ahead run in the decisive Game 5 off of Randy Johnson. Alas, Edgar Martinez drove in the winning runs, negating Velarde's heroism. He left the team for the Angels in the off season.

Second Tour (2001) The Yankees traded for Velarde in August in a deal with Texas. He finally got to play in the World Series. He went 1-9 in the post season and played 2002 with the "Moneyball" Oakland A's. He has become a key witness in the Bonds trial as Velarde was evidently a juicer. That would explain his 100 career homers over 16 seasons.


Starting Third Baseman – CHARLIE HAYES

First Tour (1992) In the last truly rotten year in Yankee history, Hayes gave New York some stability and pop at third base and played hard for an also ran team and in front of small crowds.

Second Tour (1996-1997) Even though the Yankees had future Hall of Famer Wade Boggs at third, they dealt for Charlie Hayes for the 1996 stretch run. In the World Series, he started 3 games and caught the final out of the Game 6 clincher.


Starting Left Fielder - OSCAR GAMBLE

First Tour (1976) The left handed slugger with a huge afro (but reduced in the Bronx) was a favorite of manager Billy Martin. He slugged 17 homers and helped the Yankees reach the World Series for the first time since 1964. But the arrival of Reggie Jackson made his spot on the roster unnecessary and was dealt to the White Sox for Bucky Dent during spring training 1977.

Second Tour (1979-1984) Gamble returned to the Bronx in a trade that sent Mickey Rivers to Texas. Reunited with Martin, he batted .358 with a 1.065 OPS in 1979. He would have won the batting title if he had enough at bats. He powered the Yankees past the Brewers in the Divisional Playoff Series of 1981.


Starting Center Fielder - ROBERTO KELLY

First Tour (1987-1992) In the Yankees last horrible stretch, Kelly was the hope of the future. He seemed like he was going to be a multiple tool star. He had power. He had speed. He had defense. And he represented the Yankees at the All Star Game. His numbers were good, but not great. But what else did the Yankees have? Suddenly they dealt him to the Reds for Paul O'Neill. And we all know how THAT ended up.

Second Tour (2000) The two time defending World Champion Yankees brought back their one time star in 2000. He played 10 games in April but that was it. He was done for the year and never played in the bigs again.


Starting Right Fielder – JIM LEYRITZ

First Tour (1990-1996) The King toiled on the wretched early 1990s Yankees squads to become an outspoken and unusually clutch post season hitter. He never played more than 95 games in a season and always was a platoon or part time player, he smashed two of the most dramatic homers in recent Yankee history. His 2 run 14th inning walk off shot ended Game 2 of the 1995 Division Series against Seattle. But it was his 3 run shot off of Mark Wohlers in Game 4 that turned the tide of the 1996 World Series for the Yankees. The Braves never led again in the series.

Second Tour (1999-2000) After stops in Anaheim, Boston, Texas and San Diego (where he continued to club post season homers) Leyritz returned to the Bronx for the 1999 stretch run. Surprise! He picked up another World Series homer in Game 4 against the Braves. He was traded to the Dodgers the next year and retired. He was mainly a catcher but that position was plentiful in creating this roster.

Designated Hitter – BOBBY MURCER

First Tour (1965-1966, 1969-1974) When Murcer was first called up from the minor leagues, the Yankees were still the defending AL Champs and on a run stretching back to the late 1940s. His teammates were Whitey Ford, Elston Howard, Tony Kubek, Bobby Richardson, Roger Maris and another slugger from Oklahoma named Mickey Mantle. By 1969, Murcer was the new face of the franchise and put up All Star numbers toiling for some truly bad teams. He had the AL's highest on base percentage in 1971 (and had the best OPS and OPS+, but nobody knew that.) The next year he had the most total bases in the league. But after 1974 he was sent packing to San Francisco for Bobby Bonds, a trade that helped neither player.

Second Tour (1979-1983) Murcer returned to the Yankees, missing the two World Championship seasons of 1977 and 1978. He famously delivered the eulogy for Thurman Munson and then hit a 3 run homer and 2 run walk off single to lead the Yankees that night against the Orioles. A connection to past Yankee glory, he finally played in a World Series when the Yankees lost to the Dodgers in 1981. He retired in 1983 and became an announcer until he passed away in July of 2008. He was mourned as one of the most beloved figures in Yankee history.

Starting Rotation

ROGER CLEMENS

First Tour (1999-2003) The fading former Red Sox ace magically became great again with back to back Cy Young seasons in Toronto and found himself in the Bronx. Yankee fans were slow to embrace him, especially after a pair of subpar seasons in 1999 and 2000. But he helped win a pair of World Series, getting the victory in 1999 clincher and firing a bat at Piazza during his Game 2 win in 2000. He won another Cy Young Award in 2001 and won a critical game against the Diamondbacks in the World Series and pitched well in the Game 7 finale. He won his 300th game as a Yankee and walked off the mound in Game 4 of the 2003 World Series, presumably the last game of his career.

Second Tour (2007) Surprise! He stuck around and went to Houston, picking up yet another Cy Young Award and pitched in another World Series. Then, with the Yankees in desperate need for pitching in 2007, made a mid game announcement from the Steinbrenner box that he was returning with the assumption he still had his Cy Young stuff. Suzyn Waldman loved it. But alas the magic was gone. He went 6-6 and lasted only 2 1/3 innings in his last ever start in the 2007 Division Series. His retirement has been one ugly scandal after another.


ORLANDO “EL DUQUE” HERNANDEZ

First Tour (1998-2002) The mysterious and ageless Cuban star joined the Yankees during the 1998 season. He was good in the regular season but special in the post season. He won his first 8 post season decisions, usually posting a sub 2.00 ERA and won the 1999 ALCS MVP against the Red Sox. He would finish 9-3 over 102 post season innings with the Yankees.

Second Tour (2004) El Duque was traded first to the White Sox and then the Expos but played for neither team in 2003 as injuries wiped out his season. The pitching strapped Yankees brought him back for 2004. When healthy he pitched well and Joe Torre gave him the ball for Game 4 of the ALCS. If Rivera had held onto the lead, El Duque would have been credited with the victory, no doubt adding to his legend. He joined the White Sox the next year and helped them win a World Series.


ANDY PETTITTE

First Tour (1995-2003) The 22nd round draft pick skyrocketed through the Yankees system and was one of the top rookies in 1995. By 1996 he was a Cy Young contender and won a critical World Series game when he outdueled John Smoltz 1-0 in Game 5. He piled up wins and continued to perform well in the post season, winning the 2001 ALCS MVP and winning three games in the 2003 post season after a Yankee loss. But the Yankees nickle and dimed him after the 2003 World Series and he left for Houston.

Second Tour (2007-2010) After experimenting with one flop pitcher after another, the Yankees corrected their past mistake and brought Pettitte (and Clemens) back for the 2007 season. He continued to win games and log innings, even though his mediocre ERA indicated that he benefited from the Yankees explosive offense. He was so loved by the fans that even his PED use didn't dent their affection for him. He won the 2009 World Series clincher and retired an All Star after the 2010 season. He is the best home grown Yankee starter since Ron Guidry.


DAVID WELLS

First Tour (1997-1998) Signed to replace his former Blue Jays teammate Jimmy Key, the larger than life Wells embraced the Yankees from the start and the fans loved him. And in those two years he showed he was more than a boisterous beer guzzling chicken wing eating lovable lug. He threw 5 complete game shutouts in 1998 including a perfect game. He had the best winning percentage and WHIP that year as well, finishing third in the Cy Young vote. In the post season, he went 5-0 and won the 1998 ALCS MVP. But after the season he was sent back to Toronto in the Roger Clemens trade.

Second Tour (2002-2003) Wells returned to the Yankees for 2002 and continued to pile up wins, winning 19 in 2002 and 15 the next year. But his overgrown frat boy image was losing its charm in the dugout and he alienated himself from the team with his over the top biography published in 2003. But his biggest sin was his two post season failures. The Angels bombarded him in the clinching game of the 2002 Division Series. And his conditioning finally caught up with him when he could only throw a single inning in the critical Game 5 of the 2003 World Series. It was his last game as a member of the Yankees.


DWIGHT GOODEN

First Tour (1996-1997) George Steinbrenner pulled his Father Flanagan act by bringing the Mets biggest but most troubled stars from the 1986 title over to the Bronx. Gooden's drug problems cost him the 1995 season and his Mets career. But he rebounded with the Yankees, throwing a no hitter on May 14, 1996. He started the season 10-2 but faltered down the stretch and was left off of the post season roster. He wound up going 20-12 in the two seasons in the Bronx.

Second Tour (2000) After a few years in Cleveland and quick stops in Tampa Bay and Houston, Gooden returned to the Yankees and pitched well as a spot starter and middle reliever. He pitched in the playoffs for that Yankee squad and finished his career as a World Champion. Sadly his retirement has been one drug related scandal after another.

Bullpen

RICH GOSSAGE

First Tour (1978-1983) Gossage was already a 3 time All Star before he arrived in New York. The Yankees already had a Cy Young Award winning reliever in Sparky Lyle, but the idea of a Lyle and Gossage bullpen would make the defending World Champs unstoppable. Lyle tailed off but Gossage responded to new manager Bob Lemon and became the best reliever in the league. He closed out the Bucky Dent Game, the ALCS and the World Series to clinch the repeat. Goose had three top 5 Cy Young finishes and won the 1978 Rolaids Relief Award. He built the bulk of his Hall of Fame career in the Bronx but left for San Diego after the 1983 season.

Second Tour (1989) Gossage was on the eventual National League champion Giants in 1989 and pitching rather well, but the Yankees claimed him off of Waivers. He finished the season in the Bronx with a truly mediocre Yankee squad. On August 21st, he struck out Red Sox centerfielder Ellis Burks to record his final save in a Yankee uniform. The Yankees manager? Bucky Dent.


JEFF NELSON

First Tour (1996-2000) Nelson came over with Tino Martinez from Seattle after Buck Showalter was not retained. He provided a reliable arm in middle relief as Torre created a bridge first to John Wetteland and later to Mariano Rivera. Nelson was an often overlooked but vital member to four World Series titles. When he returned to Seattle for the 2001 season, Torre named him to the All Star team.


Second Tour (2003) The Yankees were so desperate for middle relief in 2003 that they actually traded for Armando Benitez. They needed a Jeff Nelson type and decided to go for the real McCoy, sending Benitez packing for Nelson. At age 36 his All Star stuff was no longer there. He did throw 4 shutout innings in the 2003 World Series, but he was gone the next season.


RAMIRO MENDOZA

First Tour (1996-2002) The ultimate Jack of All Trades pitcher, Mendoza could start, close or throw long relief. In 1998 he won 10 games and threw both a shutout and saved a game. And his durable arm was vital in the post season. He should have won the ALCS MVP in 1999 as he shut down the Red Sox in two key rallies and picked up the pennant winning save.


Second Tour (2005) Mendoza played for the 2004 World Champion Red Sox and picked up his ring wearing a Sox uniform on opening day... then turned around and went back into the Yankees dugout. He recovered from shoulder surgery all year and pitched one game in September. Despite many comeback attempts, he never pitched in the big leagues again.


MIKE STANTON

First Tour (1997-2002) A veteran of many Bobby Cox Braves playoff teams, Stanton joined the Yankees for the World Series defense in 1997. He gave Joe Torre depth in the pen and an unstoppable bridge to Mariano Rivera and made the All Star team in 2001. He wound up being the winning pitcher in two games in the 2000 World Series.

Second Tour (2005) The Yankees needed bullpen depth after the 2004 ALCS collapse. They brought Stanton back to be a old reliable arm to link to Mariano. Unfortunately he was only old. His 7.07 ERA wasn't going to cut it and was cut by July. By the end of the year, he was with the Red Sox.


STERLING HITCHCOCK

First Tour (1992-1995) Hitchcock was one of the Yankees top pitching prospects during their lean years. In 1994, his Columbus teammates included Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Andy Pettitte and Jorge Posada. Who knows? If he wasn't included in the Tino Martinez trade, he might have been an all time beloved Yankee as well!

Second Tour (2001-2003) Hitchcock was part of the 1998 Padres who were swept by the Yankees in the World Series. He returned to the Bronx in 2001 to add depth to the rotation. He was the winning pitcher out of the bullpen for Game 5 of the 2001 World Series. He was dealt to the Cardinals midway through 2003.


The Bench

Reserve Infielder – MIGUEL CAIRO

First Tour (2004) Cairo was brought in from St. Louis to give the Yankees infield depth. He provided a surprisingly potent bat, batting .292 and only striking out 49 times in 408 plate appearances. He also got a key walk to start the Yankees come from behind rally in Game 2 of the 2004 Division Series.

Second Tour (2006-2007) Cairo spent 2005 with the Mets and came back to the Yankees for 2006. There was no pop in his bat this time. He was let go by the Yankees midway through the 2007 season.



Reserve Infielder – REY SANCHEZ

First Tour (1997) When Luis Sojo couldn't play second base during the stretch of 1997, the Yankees dealt with the Cubs for Sanchez. He responded by batting .312 and helping the Yankees get back into the post season. In the off season, the Yankees dealt for Chuck Knoblauch and made Sanchez expendable.

Second Tour (2005) In the wake of the 2004 collapse, the Yankees assembled a strange combination of former Yankees and players who had once beaten the Yankees. Sanchez returned but was not a factor in his 23 games.


Reserve Outfielder – LUIS POLONIA

First Tour (1989-1990) The Yankees dealt Rickey Henderson back to the A's back when New York had the crappy team and Oakland had the juggernaut. The Yankees were thinking long term and Polonia was the spark plug for the future. That is until they dealt him a year later for veteran Claudell Washington.

Second Tour (1994-1995) OK... We're serious. THIS time, the Yankees were going to have Polonia be their long term solution in the outfield. A commitment that lasted a year and a half.

Third Tour (2000) The Tigers cut Polonia who was an awful defensive outfielder and got caught stealing a lot. So naturally the Yankees brought him back to be a defensive replacement and pinch runner. This time he played for a World Champion. He made his final big league appearance in the 2000 World Series.


Reserve Outfielder – RUBEN SIERRA
First Tour (1995-1996) The Yankees swapped surly DH's with the A's when Danny Tartabull was sent packing for Ruben Sierra. He homered twice in the 1995 Division Series and hit a 2 out game tying double in the bottom of the 12th inning to save Game 2. But he famously clashed with Joe Torre in 1996 and was traded for Cecil Fielder. When leaving he tried to insult the Yankees by saying "All they care about is winning."
Second Tour (2003-2005) Sierra returned to the Yankees as a humble former star who realized he may have squandered a Hall of Fame career. He mended his fences with Torre and became a stable veteran in the clubhouse and a productive part time player. He hit a dramatic 3 run game tying home run in the 8th inning of Game 4 of the 2004 Division Series that set up the extra innings clincher.

Reserve Catcher – RICK CERONE

First Tour (1980-1984) The Yankees dealt Chris Chambliss to Toronto for Cerone, a New Jersey native and Seton Hall Graduate. He had the impossible task of becoming the Yankees full time catcher after the death of Thurman Munson. He did well his first season, playing in 147 games and finishing 7th in the MVP vote. He would pass the 100 game mark as a Yankee only one more time as the team went on to employ a Merry Go Round of part time catchers.

Second Tour (1987) The Yankees catching situation was a mess in 1986. Butch Wynegar, Ron Hassey, Joel Skinner and Juan Espino all split time behind the plate. Manager Lou Piniella had played with Cerone and brought him back for 1987. He started 86 games behind the plate and even pitched 2 innings.

Third Tour (1990) Bucky Dent, another former teammate turned manager, brought Cerone back in 1990, presumably to mentor the young and inept Yankees. If he provided any leadership, it wasn't reflected in the standings. The Yankees lost 95 games and he only played in 49 of them. To be fair, he hit .302 as a part time player that year. After his retirement, he was one of the founders of the independent Newark Bears.


25th Man – TOMMY JOHN

First Tour (1979-1982) By 1979, John was already a Cy Young contender and a pioneer in receiving the experimental surgery that bears his name. The Yankees signed him as a free agent before the 1979 season and he continued his winning ways in the Bronx. He won 21 games in 1979 was the Cy Young runner up. He won 22 in 1980 and led the league in shutouts. He was traded back to Southern California when the Yankees and Angels worked out a deal during the 1982 season.

Second Tour (1986-1989) With the Yankees desperately in need for young pitchers, they brought back the 43 year old John in 1986. In 1987 he had his last solid year, logging 13 wins and throwing 187 2/3 innings. In his final season, he was teammates with many players who weren't born when he made his big league debut.



Doesn’t even include Chris Chambliss’ bizarre “coming out of retirement pinch hit appearance” in 1998, nor the return of Nick Johnson Claudell Washington and Javier Vazquez

So when people call the Yankees "The Evil Empire" don't believe it!
They are a gooey and sentimental.

A quick question for whomever designed this Sports Illustrated cover

Looking for a pic of Steinbrenner for another post, I stumbled across this Sports Illustrated cover from 2003.

And the premise is clear for the 2003 Baseball preview... pitching wins and George Steinbrenner has paid to make sure he has the best staff.

Pettite, Mussina and Clemens all belong. (David Wells who was also on the team just released his book and I guess was persona non grata.)

And you have Contreras and Weaver... who would turn out to be busts in New York only to lead other teams to the World Series title soon after their Yankee stay ended.

That's all fine and good.
Quick question: WHERE THE HELL IS MARIANO RIVERA?

Remember him? The Hall of Famer in the bullpen? The lynchpin of championships?

Seriously, at no point during the photo shoot did Andy Pettite look around and say "Jeff, Jose... nice to see you. Um where the hell is Mo?"

It struck me as odd.

Miller and Steinbrenner fell short of the Hall... this can't be shocking

Neither Marvin Miller nor George Steinbrenner are going to the Hall of Fame... at least not this year. And no disrespect intended towards Pat Gillick (who I believe deserves his selection) but he didn't have 1/10th the impact on the game that Miller and Steinbrenner had.



But it makes sense, their omission. It is like those years when there is a truly daring and fabulous movie that doesn't win the Best Picture Oscar and a safer film does. (Think Dances with Wolves winning over GoodFellas or Forrest Gump winning over Pulp Fiction and The Shawshank Redemption and Quiz Show.)



Miller changed the power of the game from owners who could cut and lowball players left and right to the era of free agency.



And Steinbrenner embraced free agency when no other owner would and helped bring the Yankees back to glory.



And there's the rub. As important as both of the contributions were, there are plenty of people who think that they damaged baseball much more than they helped it.



Between the free agency meat market, collusion, the strikes and not even mentioning Steinbrenners two suspensions, it doesn't surprise me that they won't be in. They deserve to be in the Hall.



And GoodFellas deserved the Oscar.

Hank... you are no George

I never want to hear Hank Steinbrenner try to talk tough about the players ever again.
It's like hearing Julian Lennon. You kind of look like your dad and sound like him... but you aren't the real thing.

He tried to talk tough about Jeter and his contract and how they don't owe him anything.
And guess what? The Yankees caved.

Was ANYONE ELSE offering Jeter a contract remotely close to what he signed? Of course not.
Does the contract make sense in terms of his market value? Not a chance.
Was he already generously paid over a 10 year contract as an elite player? You bet.

But the Yankees, bidding against nobody and holding all sorts of contract leverage folded like a tent.

You think George in his hey day would have stood for this?

Hank is all bark.
Jeter knew this from the start and knew that he was going to get a sweetheart deal even if nobody else in baseball would offer him HALF of that contract.

Now the love fest will begin and Jeter is indeed a great Yankee... and like any great Yankee, he squeezed every last dime out of the franchise while people praised his loyalty.

The ghost of George visits Hank and Hal

(Hank and Hal Steinbrenner sit in their Tampa offices. The TV is on showing the Giants and Rangers playing in the World Series. Each are reading over details of Joe Girardi's contract offer. They both look up when they hear a strange rattling.)

HANK:
What the hell was that?

HAL:
Who's there?

(The ghost of their father, George M. Steinbrenner III, appears.)

GHOST:
I am thy father's spirit,
Doom'd for a certain term to walk the night.
But this eternal blazon must not be
To ears of flesh and blood. List, list, O, list!
If thou didst ever thy dear father love--

HANK:
That doesn't sound like you, dad.

HAL:
You never spoke in iambic pentameter.

GHOST:
What? Your old man didn't have a flair for the dramatic?
I ought to fire you both.

HANK:
Now THAT'S dad.

HAL:
What are you doing here?

GHOST:
(Pointing to the TV.)
First of all, I want that turned off. There's no World Series being played
this year. Not as far as we are concerned. Now for the last few years my
body has slowed me down a little. But let me tell you... I am charged up
and ready to be the old George again.

(Ghost sees they are reviewing papers.)

GHOST:
What are you working on? I assume the apology to the fans of New York
for such a poor showing this October?

HAL:
Um... no dad. We're not issuing a statement like that.

GHOST:
Why not? What are you satisfied with this showing? Did you break camp
in April saying "Ooooo. I hope this rag tag bunch of misfits scrapes together 95 wins and gets the Wild Card?" You think New Yorkers want that? You see those "Wild Card" hats and shirts flying off the racks? We should donate the whole damn line to Goodwill. It's a disgrace. What are you working on?

HANK:
These are about Girardi.

GHOST:
Ah. Good work. Get him out of here.

HAL:
Actually it's a three year extension. We're bringing him back.

GHOST:
WHAT?

HANK:
We believe in Joe.

GHOST:
Oh I believe in him too... I believe he just cost us a trip to the World Series. Did you see how he managed that ALCS? He wouldn't bring in Mariano Rivera with the season on the line, but in every big spot out came David Robertson. I read the box scores and kept thinking "Why the hell are they listing his social security number?" Then I realized THAT WAS HIS PLAYOFF E.R.A.!

HAL:
The Rangers were tough.

GHOST:
Tough? We used to beat them and they'd score only one run all series. And those were the Rangers who were all on steroids. But it's easy to score runs I guess when you don't use your Hall of Famers and keep throwing the Robertsons and Mitres of the world. Where the hell was Sabathia when the season was on the line in Game 4?

HANK:
Joe didn't want to wear down his arm.

GHOST:
Wear down his arm? He threw 10 innings over 2 weeks. Billy Martin used to throw Sparky Lyle 10 innings every other day out of the bullpen. Does Sabathia look like a guy who is going to wither away? He's built like a brontosaurus. But I guess Joe got his wish. He'll be well rested for spring training!

HAL:
Burnett actually pitched well.

GHOST:
6 innings and 5 runs for the loss. That's a 7.50 ERA.
For $16 million I'd expect a little more than that.
Catfish Hunter could throw better than that and he's as dead as me!

HANK:
That's not fair, dad. Burnett pitched well for the first 5 innings.

GHOST:
Well unless they shortened the game to 5 innings since I've been gone,
those other 4 innings count too! And going into that game, every Yankee fan out there would ask a GENIE for 5 innings from Burnett... then 2 from Wood and 2 from Rivera. But Clueless Joe kept Burnett out there until his arm fell off. Which reminds me, when the hell did we start letting players wear tattoos on their arm?

HAL:
Molina hit a fluke homer right after the intentional walk.

GHOST:
That's another thing. Why was every other batter intentionally walked?
David Murphy was walked? Did David Murphy become Joe DiMaggio since
I went away? And what's he doing walking Josh Hamilton twice early in
Game 6?

HANK:
Well, best face Guerrero. He didn't do anything all series.

GHOST:
He got 4 hits in one of the games! What happened to going after the hitters?

HAL:
Joe likes to go "By the book."

GHOST:
Let me give you the Cliff Notes for that book. "I have the biggest payroll in baseball and I spit the bit 2 out of 3 seasons." I've read it. Let me spoil the ending for you. It ends with the words "You're fired."

HANK:
He has Cashman's vote of approval.

GHOST:
There's another one. This guy has Monopoly money to play with. He can just keep building Hotels on Park Place and Boardwalk... and we don't have a #4 starter? We don't have a decent pen? That poor shmuck Joba kept being shifted back and forth that Girardi tried to bring him into the game as a reliever but forgot he was starting. Get rid of Cashman.

HAL:
We can't do that!

GHOST:
Why not? There's good GMs floating around out there. Let's see how
they'd feel about working with blank checks. They might even put a Division
Winner on the field... something we've only done ONCE since 2006. And get a
manager in here with some guts.

HANK:
Like who?

GHOST:
Why not Bobby Valentine? I liked that whole "disguise" thing he pulled in
Queens. Very clever. Or hell, Joe Torre's available. Get the author back in here and have him write a sequel.

HAL:
Torre? We've already parted ways. There's too many bad feeling there.

GHOST:
Like Billy Martin and me were singing Kumbaya. I'd bring Billy back sometimes WHILE I was firing him. Let's go. Let's shake things up. I can only do so much from the other world.

HANK:
What should we do first?

GHOST:
Can you shake up the coaching staff?

HAL:
We already let Dave Eiland go.

GHOST:
That's my boy! And by the way. I saw my monument at the Stadium.
It's nice. Understated.

HANK:
Thanks dad.

GHOST:
Fare thee well at once!
The glow-worm shows the matin to be near,
And 'gins to pale his uneffectual fire:
Adieu, adieu! Hank and Hal, remember me.

(Hank and Hal look confused.)

GHOST:
That's Billy Shakespeare. Good guy. Turns out he has a wicked curve ball.
Lived in the wrong century. I would have paid him Kei Igawa money.

(Exit Ghost. Hank and Hal exhale, look at Girardi's extension, and then search for Joe Torre's number.)

HANK:
(Into Phone)
Joe. It's Hank Steinbrenner. You won't BELIEVE why I am calling you.

IT'S THE MONOLITH!

When I saw the Gigantic block that suddenly appeared at Yankee Stadium and saw all the people walking up to touch it, I immediately thought of the Dawn of Man in 2001.

Come on! I can't be the only one who thought of that!

I love how George's monument dwarfs that of Mickey Mantle, Joe DiMaggio, Miller Huggins, Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth's.

Were we expecting something SUBTLE?
Don't complain folks. Steinbrenner wasn't a subtle guy. He's a guy who saw Yankee Stadium and said "I can do better"... TWICE!

Before anyone writes in saying I am not being respectful, remember I am a Red Sox fan who practically wrote a love letter to Steinbrenner after he died.

But look at that picture of David Wells and tell me he isn't going to throw a bone in the air and have it turn into a spaceship!

(Hey, we're talking about the Monolith and it is 2010! Eeerie. OK, not really.)

Say what you want about Derek Jeter... he gets it

He's a guy who understands exactly who he is and what his role is with the team.

He knows that he represents the link to Gehrig, DiMaggio, Mantle, Berra and Ford.
He knows that when there is a tremendous shift in Yankeedom, they don't turn to A-Rod or the latest superstar.

Losing Steinbrenner AND Bob Sheppard back to back? That's a double punch that nobody could have imagined.

He is self aware of his role and knows that someday he'll have a monument out there.

He's entered that territory for Boston fans that Magic Johnson eventually entered:
You couldn't stand to face him, but you have to respect him.

And to think the Marlins almost got him for Bryan Harvey!

Why this Red Sox fan thinks George Steinbrenner was good for baseball

George Steinbrenner, a unintentionally a showman to the end, died on the morning of the All Star Game. Nobody knows how sick he has been over the last few years as his public appearances have been more and more seldom and his sons Hal and Hank have been running the show.

But now the Boss is gone. And so is a baseball era.

I know I am a Red Sox fan and my blogpost title might have some people think I am going to write a snarky sarcastic piece... or that I am going to try and say something polite out of respect for the recently departed.

But I'm not. I am 100% sincere when I say that when George Steinbrenner took over the Yankees in the 1970s, it was a great moment for baseball in terms of popularity, passion and making the game more fun.

Think about it... for Yankee fans, the franchise turned around twice under his leadership. When he took over the team in 1973 from CBS, the Yankees were just another team. They were 9 years removed from their last pennant and they lagged far behind the Orioles, the Tigers and the mighty Oakland A's in the American League... and the great Yankee Stadium was crumbling.

By the time of his death, the Yankees once again were the gold standard of baseball, winning titles in the 70s, 90s and 2000s with superstars both homegrown and acquired.

Yeah, George had his bad qualities as an owner. His insane merry go round of managers in the 1980s, his gobbling up of free agents from Catfish Hunter to CC Sabathia, and his treatment of Billy Martin, Yogi Berra, Dave Winfield and Joe Torre inexcusable.

But wasn't that part of what made the Yankees of the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s and 2000s fun?

And for the rest of us... it was made the Yankees fun to HATE!

For whatever reason, Yankee fans have never seemed to embrace that they are the bad guys in baseball... the villains. But do you know who DID?

George M. Steinbrenner.

He got it. He understood that role the Yankees play in baseball. As I wrote before, the resentment for the Yankees started long before Steinbrenner took over the team. There's no musical called "Damn Orioles."

But with Steinbrenner the Yankees assumed the role of the monolithic team that everyone wanted to see and beat.

First with the Bronx Zoo, then with the efficient Torre Years and now with the star studded Jeter/Rivera/A-Rod teams, people love to root AGAINST them.

Don't believe me? Check out the Yankees road attendance. Look at places like Oakland or Kansas City or Seattle or Cleveland when the Yankees come to town. There is always a spike in attendance. The teams charge more for tickets because they know that fans want to see their team beat the Yankees.

The Dodgers wouldn't sell single game tickets for the Yankee series... you also had to buy tickets for a less desirable match up.

Like any James Bond film, the better the bad guy, the more exciting it is. And Steinbrenner was always the one to absorb the blows as the Oil Can Harry figure of the team. Whether it was in his crazy press releases, hosting SNL or getting a kick out of being a character on Seinfeld, he understood his role.

It was tough to hate quiet professional stars like Jorge Posada, Andy Pettite, Mariano Rivera and Bernie Williams (although I found ways to)... but George was always a punching bag and he seemed to relish it.

The biggest dips in baseball's popularity were in the late 1960s and the early 1990s... and in both times the Yankees were lousy. Is that a coincidence?

It's tough to get worked up when the bad guy is the Oakland A's or the Baltimore Orioles.

As for the biggest complaint about him... the fact that he spends the most on free agents on payroll, let's not sidestep that.

Yeah, the payroll of the Yankees is obscenely high. Even more obscenely high than my beloved Red Sox who are as gluttonous as John Belushi circa 1981.

Let me ask you something though... do you think Steinbrenner is the richest owner in the game? For years that was Carl Pohlad of the Twins who let his players jump ship left and right and threatened to contract the team.

Who is a bigger disgrace to the game? George Steinbrenner for making every off season somewhat of a circus? Or the Pirates management pocketing revenue sharing and playing in a tax funded stadium while putting an unwatchable product on the field for nearly 2 decades?

And if you think that just playing in New York makes you a winner, then you should have some conversations with some Mets fans... or Knick fans... or Ranger fans... or Jet fans.... (Imagine if you were a Met/Knick/Ranger/Jet fan... Lord help you.)

As with most of the Yankee resentment, there comes a certain amount of jealousy. I know this as a Red Sox fan... I wanted the Yankee titles and all the Yankee stars to come to Boston. And when people started saying the Red Sox were evil like the Yankees I LOVED it.

Let's face it, Sox fans... Steinbrenner and the Yankees raised the interest level for the Red Sox as well.

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the Sox main rivals were the Toronto Blue Jays. Yeah those pennant races were fun (especially the wild down to the last Brunansky catch season of 1990) but they were a mere sparkler compared to the fireworks of the late 1990s and 2000s clash with the Yankees.

The Red Sox became a national brand and the passion went through the roof. Part of that was the new ownership who sold the team to the public better than the moronic Yawkeys ever could. But they also had the perfect bad guy for Red Sox Nation.

Would 2004 have been as sweet if the Red Sox came back from 0-3 against the Twins?

Now of course I am heaping a lot of praise on how Steinbrenner ran the team over the years when of course he made many mistakes and often times was the benefactor of other people's work that he disagreed with.

Lest we forget if he had his way Ron Guidry would have been traded to the Blue Jays.

Bernie Williams would have been dealt countless times.

Jeter was almost dealt for Bryan Harvey!

As I wrote before the Yankees of the 1980s were a comedy of insanely bad decisions.

And Yankee managers Dick Howser, Billy Martin, Lou Piniella, Buck Showalter and Joe Torre all led other teams to the post season after getting fired by George.

But that was one of the things that made George fun as well... pointing out the mistakes and the BAD signings. The Hideki Irabus and Ed Whitsons... the Randy Johnsons and Carl Pavanos.

It's going to be different now. With the Yankees as a conglomerate and most owners being anonymous, you aren't going to see a lightning rod owner like this for a long time.

Who knows how interested Hank and Hal will be in running the Yankees?

Who knows what kind of passion there will be in the front office in the Bronx?

The Boss is gone.

Whether you loved him or hated him... feared him or mocked him... he made the game more fun.

I know I am going to miss him.

I covered a lot of this when I compared Steinbrenner to the Weinstein Brothers a few years ago... it is still applicable.

I don't know if there is an afterlife or not. There may be... there may not be... but if there is, I hope someone up there is recording the George Steinbrenner-Billy Martin reunion.

It would be a sight to behold.

Rest in peace, Mr. Steinbrenner.

Sully Basebal Presents THE 1980s YANKEE DYNASTY THAT COULD HAVE BEEN!

The Yankees have been the dominating force in baseball since the 1920s and look like they are going to be the team to beat as we begin the 2010s.

They've won 27 World Series titles... and if you forgot how many they won, just start a conversation with a Yankee fan and they will remind you

They won multiple World Series titles in every decade since the 1920s... with one exception:
The 1980s.

The 1980s were a strange era in Yankee history.

The managerial merry go round became comical. In the 18 years between the 1978 and 1996 World Series, the Yankees changed the manager 17 times. And constantly brought in free agents and traded for veterans, whether they fit the team's need or not.

And year in and year out, the Yankees were overpaid, bloated, old and with glaring holes.

All the while, a lot of the young talent they traded away blossomed elsewhere... creating an interesting "What if...?" for Yankee fans.

What if they held on to some of the young talent? Could there have been a championship (or two) in the 1980s?

Steinbrenner in the late 1970s and through the 1980s, Steinbrenner dealt away two future World Series MVPs, a future two time home run champ, two future Cy Young Award winners and the man who would win the 1985 NL MVP.

While the Yankees struggled to find a steady shortstop, a former farm hand was the starting shortstop for two World Series winners.

While the Yankees lacked pitching depth, former Yankee minor leaguers filled the rotations and bullpens of championship teams.

When the Yankees were in turmoil in 1983, the World Series ended with a complete game by one former Yankee and the Series MVP was won by another.

We Yankee haters never had it so good. So this is Sully Baseball and we do more than just wonder about hypothetical rosters. WE MAKE HYPOTHETICAL ROSTERS.

The staff at Sully Baseball has been working round the clock for our latest entry...
THE 1980s YANKEE DYNASTY THAT COULD HAVE BEEN!

As with other rosters on this blog, there are 25 spots to fill.
A starter at each position, 5 starting pitchers, 5 relievers, 2 reserve infielders, 2 reserve outfielders, a reserve catcher and a 25th man.

Bust out the piano key tie... we're going to the 80s!


Starting Catcher - RICK DEMPSEY

In the wake of Thurman Munson's death, the Yankees wheeled out Rick Cerone, Butch Wynegar, Ron Hassey, Barry Foote, Joel Skinner and Don Slaught at catcher.

Meanwhile Dempsey, who was traded by the Yankees to the Orioles in 1976, was a rock solid defensive catcher for nearly a decade. He caught some of the best pitchers in baseball while in Baltimore and started in two World Series for the Birds. He let his bat do the talking in the 1983 World Series where his .385 average and 1.390 OPS earned his Series MVP honors.

Later while subbing for an injured Mike Scioscia, he caught the 1988 World Series clincher for the Dodgers. He would have been loved by Yankee fans as a gritty and smart catcher and master of handling pitchers.

Starting 1st Baseman - FRED McGRIFF

Can you imagine the Crime Dog taking aim at the short right field of Yankee Stadium?

One of the truly steady power hitters of the late 80s, 1990s and early 2000s, McGriff led both the AL and NL in homers. He was a consistent 30 home run threat. And his 10 homers in 50 career playoff games with a .303 average and .917 OPS in October.

His 493 career homers would make him a Cooperstown bound slugger with the aura of Yankee Stadium around him. Alas he was dealt within the Division as a throw in in the Dale Murray for Dave Collins trade.

Some throw in.

2nd Base - DAMASO GARCIA

When the Yankees dealt playoff hero Chris Chambliss to Toronto after the 1979 season in a trade for Rick Cerone, they were trying to fill the catching void left by Thurman Munson's death. A toss in in the trade was Garcia.

The two time All Star became a solid fielding and Silver Slugger winning second baseman as the Blue Jays transformed from a 95 loss team to a Division winner in 1985 (when they edged out the Yankees.)



Starting Shortstop - GREG GAGNE

Between Bucky Dent and the arrival of Derek Jeter, the shortstop position was a revolving door in the Bronx. They tried Bobby Meachem, Rafael Santana, Wayne Tolleson, Mike Gallego, Andy Stankiewicz and Spike Owen with little luck.

When the Yanks traded for Roy Smalley, they sent Gagne packing to Minnesota. For 8 seasons, Gagne was a steady shortstop in Minnesota. Along the way he hit 4 post season homers and started for two World Series winners.


Starting 3rd Baseman - REX HUDLER

The wonder dog was a former first round pick by the Yankees who was sent packing to Baltimore in the dealfor Gary Roenicke after the 1985 season.

While he was never a star, his hustle and versatility would have made him a loved Yankee. He stole 29 bases as a part time player in 1988 and hit 16 homers in only 92 games for the 1996 Angels. Roenicke was long retired by then.

Today, Hudler would be a staple on the YES Network.


Starting Left Fielder - RUPPERT JONES

Jones was actually a former All Star with Seattle when he arrived in New York in a multi player deal before the 1980 season. His one season in New York was a bust and the Yankees gave up on him, trading him to San Diego in the Jerry Mumphrey trade.

He regained his left handed swing in Southern California, becoming an All Star again in 1982 and contributed to the Tigers' 1984 World Championship and the Angels 1986 AL West title.



Starting Center Fielder - WILLIE McGEE

Arguably the worst move the Yankees made in the 1980s was trading McGee to the Cardinals for Bob Sykes, who never played a game in the Bronx. McGee exploded onto the scene in 1982, becoming a defensive and offensive hero in the World Series for the Cardinals.

He would win a pair of batting titles, be a stolen base threat, a Gold Glover in center field and the Most Valuable Player in the National League for 1985. And year in and year out be a steady switch hitting .300 hitter.

He retired in 1999 at the age of 40 as a member of the Cardinals. Not sure what Bob Sykes was doing then.

Starting Right Fielder - JAY BUHNER

Some trades are easy to destroy in retrospect. The Jay Buhner for Ken Phelps trade made NO SENSE from the first day.

The Yankees, desperately in need for an infusion of youth in 1988, had the young brash right handed slugging Buhner. But for whatever reason, the Yankees lusted after Seattle slugger Ken Phelps, who couldn't play the field. They had an expensive DH in Jack Clark, an expensive first baseman in Don Mattingly, an expensive right fielder in Dave Winfield and an expensive left fielder in Rickey Henderson. In other words, there was no room for Phelps. And Phelps had power, but he wasn't a pull hitter so he wasn't suited for Yankee Stadium.

So naturally the Yankees made the trade. The addition of Phelps made the Yankees play Clark, Henderson and Mattingly out of position as they faded from contention. The next year, Phelps was in Oakland.

Buhner went on to be a fan favorite in Seattle, smacking 25-40 homers a year and protecting Ken Griffey Jr in the order.

The trade had no bigger critic than Frank Costanza.


Starting Designated Hitter - HAL MORRIS

When injuries starting catching up to Don Mattingly, the Yankees could have used a new swing swinging left handed hitting first baseman. What they had was Kevin Maas.

Who they could have used was Hal Morris, who the Yankees shipped off to Cincinnati in a deal for the broken down arm of Tim Leary. While Leary lost 19 games for the 1990 Yankees, Morris batted .340 in the regular season and .417 with an OPS of 1.000 in the NLCS, helping lead the Reds to the World Series title. He would later bat .500 with an OPS of 1.215 in the 1995 playoffs for the Reds.

Leary's career was long over by then.

Starting Rotation

DOUG DRABEK

The Yankees could always hit during the 1980s, but their starting rotation was always in shambles as they kept bringing in veterans on their last legs. One such veteran was Rick Rhoden, who finished 5th in the 1986 Cy Young voting with the Pirates.

The Yankees sent some youth to Pittsburgh, including Drabek, and Rhoden came to the Bronx for 1987. By 1989 he was retiring as a member of the Astros. The next year Drabek won the Cy Young award as he was the ace for the first of three Division winners in Pittsburgh.

JOSE RIJO

The 1990 post season must have been rough to watch for Yankee fans. While Doug Drabek pitched like an ace for the Pirates, another former Yankee, Jose Rijo, helped pitch the Reds all the way to the World Series title. He would win a critical Game 4 of the NLCS for the Reds and go on to be the World Series MVP with his Games 1 and 4 victories against Dave Stewart and the heavily favored A's.

Rijo was part of the deal to bring Rickey Henderson to the Bronx. Of course by the time the 1990 World Series came around, Rijo was facing Henderson... who was back in Oakland.

Bad bad times for Yankee fans.


SCOTT McGREGOR

While former Yankee Rick Dempsey was winning the MVP of the 1983 World Series for the Orioles, another former Yankee was the pitching hero. McGregor pitched a complete game victory to clinch the series against the Phillies.

Twice McGregor finished in the top ten for Cy Young voting. He was a 20 game winner in 1980 and one of the most consistent left handed pitchers in the American League for seven seasons. Safe to say the Yankees could have used his arm. He was part of the same deal that sent Dempsey to Baltimore for Doyle Alexander, Elrod hendricks, Ken Holtzman and Grant Jackson.

There is one more player who got away because of this trade... read on.

AL LEITER

The Yankees hoped the New Jersey native Leiter would add youth to their late 80s rotation. Instead he was dealt to the Blue Jays for Jesse Barfield after Dave Winfield was lost for the 1989 season. At first the deal looked like a bust for Toronto as Leiter only pitched 9 games total in Toronto between 1989 and 1992. But he contributed to the 1993 World Series champions as a reliever, threw a no hitter for the 1996 Marlins and helped the fish win the 1997 World Series.

As a long time Met, he threw the complete game 1 hitter than won the 1999 Wild Card. The Yankees would get to him in the 2000 World Series, making him the hard luck loser in the final Game 5. Leiter would ultimately end his career as a Yankee in 2005, 16 years after he was dealt away.


LaMARR HOYT

The 1983 Yankees finished 7 games out of first place. They lacked pitching depth in their rotation behind Ron Guidry and Dave Righetti. They could have used Hoyt that year, whose 24-10 season earned him the Cy Young award and propelled the White Sox to a division title they won with a 20 game margin.

Hoyt led the AL in wins for 1982 and 1983 and won 16 games for the 1985 Padres before drug busts derailed his career.

Hoyt was a toss in when the Yankees traded Oscar Gamble to the White Sox for Bucky Dent. You've got to watch those toss ins pretty closely.

The Bullpen

TIPPY MARTINEZ

Yet another player from the 1976 trade that cost the Yankees Rick Dempsey and Scott McGregor.

Like Dempsey and McGregor, Martinez had a highlight in 1983 that probably made Steinbrenner's blood boil. He closed out the ALCS that year with 4 shutout relief innings, including the clinching bottom of the 10th in Chicago.

He pitched 11 seasons in Baltimore, saving 21 and winning 9 over 103 relief innings during his All Star campaign of 1983...all while the Yankees lack of pitching depth sunk their pennant hopes year after year.


TIM BURKE

As the Yankees thin pitching staffs were their undoing in the late 1980s, Tim Burke quietly put up tremendous seasons in Montreal. No season was better than his 1987 campaign. He went 7-0 and 18 saves with an ERA of 1.19 over 91 innings. He made the All Star team in 1989 and consistently kept his ERA under 3.00.

The former Yankee farm hand was dealt away to Montreal for Pat Rooney, who never played a game in a Yankee uniform.

Burke returned to the Yankees in 1992 but retired to do Missionary work.


JAY HOWELL

Dave Righetti could have used some solid set up men during the mid to late 1980s. Meanwhile former Yankee Jay Howell made three All Star teams as a closer.

Part of the Rickey Henderson trade before the 1985 season, he saved 29 games and won 9 for a sub .500 A's team that year. Somewhat maligned because of his suspension in the 1988 playoffs and letting up a walk off shot to Mark McGwire in the 1988 World Series, he returned to throw nearly three innings of clutch relief to win Game 4 of the '88 series.

In 1989 he made his third All Star team by saving 28 games for the Dodgers and posting a 1.58 ERA. Not bad for a maligned pitcher.

JIM DESHAIES

A native of New York state and a left hander, Deshaies was exactly the kind of young pitcher the Yankees of the mid 1980s needed. So naturally the Yankees traded him for the ancient Joe Niekro.

He won 12 games as a rookie for the 1986 Astros and set a big league record when he struck out the first 8 batters of a game that September.

As the Yankees collapsed in the 1989 season, Deshaies won 15 games with a 2.91 ERA in Houston.


BOB TEWKSBURY

Tewksbury was a young, hungry and talented pitcher on the 1986 Yankee squad. You know what THAT means?

TRADE BAIT!

Tewksbury was dealt to the Cubs for Steve Trout. They could have traded for an actual trout and it couldn't have gone any worse for the Yankees. Trout was a complete bust.

Meanwhile as a Cardinal, Tewksbury became an All Star, going 16-5 in 1992 and winning 17 in 1993... both years that the Yankees could have used a starting pitcher other than Steve Trout.



The Bench


Reserve Infielder - JOE LEFEBVRE

The versatile utility man could play the infield and the outfield, and batted .310 for the 1983 National League Champion Phillies.

The former Yankee farm hand was included in the deal with Ruppert Jones (and Tim Lollar) to the Padres for Jerry Mumphrey.





Reserve Infielder - JOSE URIBE

As the Yankee merry go round of shortstops continued in the 1980s, the late Jose Uribe was a steady glove for the Giants. He got a key hit in the 1987 NLCS and was the starting shortstop for the 1989 National League champions and was loved by the fans who chanted "Oooo-Re-Bay!"

Nobody was chanting "Bobby Mea-CHEM!"

He was cut by the Yankees minor league system during the 1977 season.



Reserve Outfielder - STAN JAVIER

Along with Rijo and Howell, the A's also picked up Stan Javier in the Rickey Henderson trade.

While never a star, he was a super reliable outfielder and steady veteran for 17 seasons.

He played in 6 different post seasons including the 1989 World Champion A's and was a switch professional hitter with speed.



Reserve Outfielder - OTIS NIXON

The need to trade for Rickey Henderson wouldn't have been so great had Otis Nixon been allowed to develop in New York.

A switch hitter with dazzling defensie skills, he became a 40-50 stolen base threat in Montreal and a post season hero in Atlanta.

His cocaine problems kept him from being a superstar, but he would have been electric in the Bronx.


Reserve Catcher - MIKE HEATH

Like Rick Dempsey, Heath was not a spectacular player. Just a steady leader behind the plate which is what you need from a catcher. He had some pop in his bat, but mainly was a solid receiver.

He caught the A's deep rotation under Billy Ball in 1981 and platooned with Matt Nokes for the Tigers 1987 Division Title.

He was shipped off to the Rangers in the Sparky Lyle for Dave Righetti deal.

25th Man - STEVE BALBONI

With all due respect to Willie Upshaw who was probably a better all around hitter, you had to love "Bye Bye Balboni." He was what slugger looked like before everyone started juicing. Big with a belly, striking out a ton but when he got a hold of one, it was long gone.

He was a product of the Yankee farm system but was shipped off to Kansas City after the 1983 season for Mike Armstrong.

He hit 36 homers for the 1985 World Champion Royals and is the answer to a fascinating trivia question. Who is the only person to hit 35 or more homers for a World Series winner between 1981 and 2000? You can look it up... during the peak of the steroid era, no World Series champ had a 35 homer guy.

Tell me the Yankee fans with beer bellies wouldn't fall in love with this guy!


So that's an interesting team. And it would even be better when you consider some of the mainstays of the 1980 Yankee teams could be inserted into the line up... Don Mattingly at first, Willie Randolph at second, Dave Righetti in the closer role, Dave Winfield in the outfield, Mike Pagliarulo at third.

The best thing that ever happened to the Yankee franchise was Steinbrenner's suspension in the early 1990s.

(Remember the "George must go!" chants? He wasn't the beloved figurehead that he is now.)

With George gone, the Yankees developed some young players like Bernie Williams, Mariano Rivera, Andy Pettitte, Derek Jeter and Jorge Posada and didn't deal them away.

Although remember when George came back, he wanted to deal Jeter for Bryan Harvey. Old habits die hard.

Oh what could have been... a Yankees dynasty in the 1980s.
Yankee fans have to live with the consolation that they dominated EVERY OTHER decade since Warren G. Harding was president.