Monday, November 4, 2013

All Time New York Yankees Team - The Rotation


 Andy Pettitte
Whitey Ford
 Ron Guidry
 Red Ruffing
 Lefty Gomez

The New York Yankees have surprisingly not had as many huge starters in their history as you would think. After 27 World Series championships you would think that this would be a tough list to make but it really wasn't. Andy Pettitte leads the Yankees in strike outs, wins, and a ton of other stats and definitely has a place on this team. Andy passed Whitey Ford in many of those stats as Whitey has long been thought of as the greatest Yankees starter of all time so he was also an easy pick. Ron Guidry was a co captain along with Willie Randolph for the 1986-1988 seasons and was our one bright spot in the rotation for those long and terrible years in the 80's. After that the list got tough.

I originally had Jack Chesbro on the list as he enjoyed a 41 win season once but it was early in the 1900's and was for the Highlanders, not the Yankees, so I chose to leave him off. I also had Allie Reynolds on the list but he was versatile with him jumping back and forth between the rotation and the bullpen. I settled, for lack of a better word, for Red Ruffing and Lefty Gomez to finish out the rotation. Interesting fact is Red Ruffing currently has the highest ERA of any player in the Hall of Fame with a 3.80 ERA but he is in the hall nonetheless.

Here is my list, what's yours?

34 comments:

  1. I think an argument could be made for both Don Larsen (perfect game in the World Series), Herb Pennock, and Allie Reynolds...each of whom is a lesser known commodity, but deserving of a mention. I see nothing wrong with your list.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Don Larsen's body of work outside of the perfect game in the World Series was not enough to take any of the guys I listed. Maybe I am wrong but that's why it's an opinion piece :)

      Like I said I originally had Allie Reynolds but, spoiler alert, I was coming up short in the bullpen so his versatility landed him there.

      Delete
    2. I have just made the starters into a six man rotation, sorry about that but, Mel has to be on the starting list.
      Heck, everyone is cheating, so I will too.
      My six man rotation is ;;;;;;
      Andy Pettitte
      Whitey Ford
      Ron Guidry
      Red Ruffing
      Lefty Gomez
      Mel Stottlemyre
      There would be a problem with this line-up...three of the guys pitched every 4days of rest...big deal, I'll take them anyhow, wouldn't you?

      Delete
  2. Replies
    1. I guess I could have included Roger's six seasons in the Bronx, I like my list though. Like I said this is my list, what's yours?

      Delete
  3. Replies
    1. Agree with Mel as a choice!
      He played on one of the worse teams (of 10 years or more) in the history of the Yankees. Still ended up with an ERA of 2.97.
      Next question is, who would he replace?

      Delete
    2. I think I would have to add Mel and take Guidry out of there, only because Ron pitched on much better teams and even with a Cy Young to his name he had a lot of help in the late innings to win games he could have lost.
      Whereas, Mel lost games in the late innings because he had a bad defence behind him and NO run support at all. Guidry was a more dominant pitcher at times, but Mel was a steady as it goes type.
      I know Andy has many of the Yankee records etc., but, just remember how many games he won on a power house team, the same for Whitey. It's a tough call on the 5 best starters, this is one time when stats can't be the only guide...more a subjective choice I would say!
      Must add a caveat: Both Andy and Whitey cheated, one with drugs one with the baseball. Back in Whiteys' day, a lot of pitchers cheated....slimball, scuffedball, gresseball you name it!

      Delete
  4. I have no idea who Red Ruffing and Lefty Gomez are.....never saw them pitch.... so I will build a staff of more modern NYY pitchers

    Whitey Ford
    Mel Stottlemyre
    Ron Guidry (3 WS appearances 1977,1978,2001)
    Roger Clemens (4 WS appearances 1999,2000,2001,2003)
    David Wells
    David Cone

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. My staff would kill your team!

      Delete
    2. I get that his team behind him was not all that great but Stottlemyre wasn't too far above .500 in his career including leading the league in losses twice. He did have a nice WHIP, WAR, etc though so I could see the beef with him being snubbed.

      Delete
    3. I guess I tried to stick with lifetime Yankees, minus Andy obviously, which is why Cone, Wells, and Clemens are not listed. Not a great reason but like I said, it's my list and it is what it is.

      Delete
    4. Oldranger.... your pitching staff is too old .... Ruffing and Gomez are ghosts....dust in the wind.....were they real? or just faded memories in old mens heads?

      Delete
  5. I agree with the OldRanger that you cant evaluate Mel by wins losses. The teams that Mel pitched for were the worst Yankee teams ever. With a good team he would have been a perennial 20 game winner. He had a great sinker and later became the Yankee pitching coach.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Like I said I pointed out he had a nice WHIP, WAR, etc... so I was agreeing with you.

      Delete
    2. Yes, you were being fair in your analysis .... and open minded....very rarely found on internet blogs.

      Delete
  6. I don't disagree with your list Daniel. Many people that construct All Time yankee lists dont like to include players that came over for a few years and were successful. Rickey Henderson had some great years for the Yankees but does anyone think of him as an All Time Yankee best? Gary Sheffield, Daryl strawberry, Wade Bogs, Dwight Gooden.... would never be seen as All time Yankees.


    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's just one of those things. I think a lot of it may have to do with the fact that Sheffield never got a ring here and only spent three years here. Boggs won the 1996 World Series here, etc. The hired mercenaries do not tend to end up on these lists its the ones with the longevity, and sometimes just World Series rings, are enough for ppl making these lists.

      Delete
  7. Yeah, I think Cone is an interesting example. I think most fans think of Cone as a Met as opposed to a Yankee. But Cone pitched 7 seasons with the Mets and 6 seasons with the Yankees. With the Yankees he got 4 WS rings with the Mets none.

    What counts more longevity or success? Clemens and Cone were successful here but spent most of their careers elsewhere. I can see where an All Time Yankee list could exclude them,.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I would think it has to be a case by case situation. Don't see any formula you could use, you know?

      Delete
  8. yeah, no formula would cover the bases. I tend to like to put players on the list that I saw play.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. If we're doing the players we saw play that may be a little different for me lol I started watching in 1994...

      Delete
    2. Kids, try 1944!
      Fritz peterson was another one on those all worst teams.
      Guys we all forgot; Mike Mussina, David Cone. Mike is rated number 28 on the HoF charts and David is at 60 while Andy is number 86, just below Koufax.
      The best of the Best is; #1 Walter Johnson, #2 Cy Young and #7 Christy Mathewson.

      Delete
    3. Wake Up Ken.......TWASP did not forget Cone....I put him on my list of starters.

      Delete
    4. Ken...loosen the TP velcro straps, 1944?

      Delete
    5. Again, Ranger, I tried to go as close to "career" Yankees as I could get. Thats why I left Cone and Mussina off with Clemens, Wells, etc.

      Delete
  9. 1994 you should have been watching the Knicks steamroll to the Finals with Ewing, Starks and Oakley. 1994 you should have been watching the Rangers win the stanley Cup led by Messier, Leetch and Richter.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I watched the Knicks in the finals, Spurs right? I could never get into hockey I don't know why

      Delete
  10. Finals were against Houston Rockets ...they lost in seven. Heartbreaker.

    Hockey was the last sport I got into after football, baseball and basketball. And now I believe that hockey's sudden death overtime, when you are rooting for your team to win, is the most exciting thing to watch in sports.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Ken.....lets see if you know your stuff.

    What scandal was Fritz Peterson and Mike Kekich involved in when they pitched for thebYankees?

    ReplyDelete
  12. Daniel..... interesting career for Mussina.....he pitched 8 seasons for the Yankees and eas quite successful but the team never won a championship with him on it.

    He was on the losing 2001 WS team to Arizona, the losing 2003 WS team to Florida, and the losing 2004!team to the Red Sox.

    Then to top it off , he wins 20 games in 2008 with a 3.3 ERA and RETIRES.....right before they finally win a championship in 2009.

    What a dope.....no wonder he is bitter....and made those comments about Mo.

    ReplyDelete
  13. JuJu, bad JuJu....its been many years since I heard the phrase...JuJu.
    The last time, in some grade C movie, as a witch doctor ran into the jungle screaming it. Funny.
    These days, America is reeling from the...... JuJu.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Patrick-

    Do you think Olddentures07 will get my quiz question correct about the pitcher he brought up Fritz Peterson?

    ReplyDelete

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