It really grinds my gears when people talk about how terrible the Yankees farm system is and has been for the last 30 or so years. This could not be farther from the truth, the difference between us and say the St. Louis Cardinals is that we trade our talent away. Usually, unfortunately, we trade that talent away far too soon only to see them dominate elsewhere for years. Most recently we have seen Jose Quintana pitch quite well for the Chicago White Sox and Jose Veras establish himself as a dominant middle reliever for the Houston Astros while both spent time in the Yankees system. The Yankees lack of talent evaluation has gone way back, some of you may remember the name Doug Drabek that won a Cy Young for the Pittsburgh Pirates that started out in the Yankees system as well only to be traded away. Here is a list of some guys you may or may not have known were members of the Yankees farm system at one point and time.
Brad Ausmus, the current manager for the Detroit Tigers, was a member of the Yankees farm system before being selected out of the expansion draft by the Colorado Rockies.
Carl Everett, the guy who ended Mike Mussina's perfect game in Boston with a two out and two strike single to left field, was also a member of the New York Yankees. He was plucked away from the Yankees in the same draft as Ausmus when the Marlins took Everett.
Three time World Series Champion Mike Lowell was a member of the New York Yankees in 1998 before winning a title in 2003 with the Florida Marlins and 2007 with the Boston Red Sox. Lowell was a September call up in 1998 and obviously was left off the postseason roster before being traded to Florida that winter.
Mr. 493 home runs in his career Fred McGriff was a member of the Yankees farm system and was traded to Toronto in 1982. Could you imagine that swing in Yankee Stadium? If you can't go Youtube the 1996 World Series Game 1 home run he hit off the right field foul poll that is probably still ringing.
The Yankees drafted Otis Nixon third overall in the 1979 draft and spent a whole 13 games in Yankees pinstripes. Nixon batted .271 in his career with 620 steals in 17 seasons but most of those were with the Atlanta Braves and the Cleveland Indians, not the Yankees.
Deion Sanders. Need I say more?
Robin Roberts was in a Michigan College, and passed up by the Tigers and the Yankees back in the day!
ReplyDeleteIn those days, each team had the rights to any talent in their state. He ended up in Philly and is now in the HoF.
Just a side note about "What could have been"....just think, Whitey Ford and Robin Roberts on the same team. They would have been hell for about ten years!