Tuesday, June 9, 2015

The 1990 Draft May Have Been Best Ever For New York


With the 2015 version of the Major League Baseball First Year Players Draft officially in the books prospect humpers (trademark pending) around the country are scrambling for as much information about the newest members of the Yankees family as they can. Hopes are never higher than they are the day after the draft because many fans are left to wonder if so-and-so is the next Derek Jeter or if this guy will be the next Bernie Williams or if the early comparisons to Dellin Betances are warranted or not. While the grade for the Yankees 2015, and probably their 2014 and 2013 drafts as well, draft is “I” for incomplete at this point one thing for certain is the 1990 Draft and International signing period may have been the best ever for the New York Yankees.

To start off that 1990 draft the Yankees drafted a lanky left hander named Andy Pettitte, a second basemen Jorge Posada that the team later moved to catcher after concerns with his defense and a pair of outfielders in Ricky Ledee and Shane Spencer. With those four players alone you have to tip your cap to the scouting directors and the team’s personnel but when you also learn that 1990 was the year the team signed a starting pitcher out of Panama named Mariano Rivera you really have to simply bow down and consider yourself not worthy.

Between these five men you have a total of 19 World Series rings, keep in mind that Posada did not get one in 1996, and 14 of the 19 rings alone are between three of the four members of the Core Four. Posada was a five time All Star and five time Silver Slugger Award winner at the catcher position while Pettitte is the Yankees all-time leader in strikeouts with 2,020 with the 1999 ALCS MVP Award hanging up in his shelf at home. Rivera was a 13 time All Star, all-time leader in saves in Major League history and a five Rolaids Relief Awards winner, now named the Mariano Rivera Award, in his illustrious career.

I guess you could say the Yankees did good for themselves in 1990 with the icing on the cake coming in 1992 when the team added that Jeter kid we alluded to earlier in the post. The rest, as they say Yankees family, is history.


6 comments:

  1. There can be no doubt about the 1990 draft and signings. 19 WS rings between four guys not bad at all but why did it take four guys to do that over 20 years?
    It took only 11 years for Yogi, Mickey and Whitey to get 19 WS rings and that's between three guys!

    Just ragging on you Daniel, what's with that tat-to? LOL
    I don't think we will ever see a year like 1990 ever again, a very stellar year.
    This draft isn't looking that great to me...at first glance anyhow, what say you?

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    1. Different game, lol. Tattoo?

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    2. Yup, only had to win the division to get to the WS.

      I ain't got no learn'ens, Tattoo, wasn't he a Little guy on a TV show?

      Mickey must have been a better player than I thought, they still try and compare players of to-day with him. Like he said once; "If I had known it was such a big deal I would have done it every year!"...speaking of the 40-40 club.
      Back in his day it was all about winning and the records were not the end all for a bigger contract.

      While Ells is gone they should move Flores to the number two spot...better speed and squares up the ball better. Putting Chase in the back 3rd gives more firepower and Flores will add speed to the front 3rd along with seeing much better pitches. Just a thought, why not?

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    3. Ellsbury has twice the speed as Flores, Flores is not considered to be a fast runner. Average at best but a smart runner. More speed then Headley though, problem is he was sent down to Triple-A today for Brendan Ryan.

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    4. Yup, Flores is a heady player, if he had the speed of Ells or Brett he would be in CF but he isn't a speed guy, but I do like his jumps off the ball in LF...can't teach that!
      I thought of putting a bit more hitting near the end of the line-up and also giving Flores better pitches to hit...but now that is only conjecture!

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    5. Doesn't matter now, Yankees called up Mason Williams for some reason. Another center fielder and weak hitting left handed outfielder is on the roster.

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Sorry for the Capatcha... Blame the Russians :)