Pettitte & Rivera Retiring A Good Thing For New York?

Crazy question I know but could it possibly be a good thing that Andy Pettitte and Mariano Rivera retired after the 2013 season? Hear me out before you delete your bookmark for the site, unfollow us on Twitter, and start a rally cry for my head. The Yankees have made it a habit lately of winning World Series the season after losing big time Yankees legends that are beloved by the fans.

 Don Mattingly started his Yankees career way back in the 1982 season back when the Yankees were still terrible. Mattingly played 14 seasons in New York including an MVP season in 1985, and garnering MVP votes in six other seasons including a second place finish in 1986, and was a six time All Star and nine time Gold Glove winner. What Mattingly missed out on most was the postseason as the first place Yankees 1994 season was cut short due to the strike and the World Series being cancelled following 12 seasons prior playing for one of the worst teams in baseball. Mattingly did see the postseason in 1995 as the Yankees were the first ever Wild Card team for the American League but ended up having his heart broken as the Seattle Mariners won the series in five games. Mattingly, fighting back injuries, retired after the 1995 season right before the fun got started.

Enter Tino Martinez who had the weight of the world on his shoulders having to replace the Yankees legend at first base on top of having to live up to a $20.25 million contract. Tino responded well with seven seasons total in New York if you include his one year deal in 2005 with, as you can see above, four World Series rings. Tino was never under consideration for the major awards much, although he did finish in second place in the MVP chase in 1997 and got votes in 2001 as well, but all he did was win and win on the big stage.

Mike Mussina was already an established veteran pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles before the Yankees lured him to the dark side in 2001 with an $88.5 million contract for six years. While Mike went to the World Series in 2001 and again in 2003 Mike would not win a ring in his time in pinstripes. Moose would finally get the 20 win season that has evaded him his entire career in 2008 before riding off into the sunset and retiring about a year too early.

Enter the offseason spending spree of 2009 where the Yankees brought in AJ Burnett, CC Sabathia, Mark Teixeira, and Nick Swisher among other pieces. As we all know and remember the three man pitching crew of CC, AJ, and Andy Pettitte pitched all the way through every team in it's way to win the 2009 World Series. While AJ has moved on to the Pittsburgh Pirates in a trade, and is currently a free agent Brian Cashman hint hint, CC is still toeing the rubber at the top of the Yankees rotation every Opening Day.

Now the Yankees are entering the 2014 season having lost two Yankees legends, two fan favorites, and two beloved men in pinstripes. Andy Pettitte and Mariano Rivera have retired from baseball so ....

Yankees in 2014?