Remembering Yankees of the Past: Scott Brosius

Scott Brosius was an integral part of the Yankees dynasty years in the early 90’s after being traded to New York for Kenny Rogers. Brosius hit .304 and belted 22 home runs in 1996 for the Oakland Athletics but struggled mightily in 1997 and finished last in the batting title race with the lowest batting average, on base percentage, and slugging out of all the players eligible for the batting title that season. Rogers was also struggling with the Yankees and a change of scenery was in order for both men and the rest, as you will read below, is history.

Brosius hit .300 and knocked in 19 home runs and 98 RBI’s in his first year in the Bronx as an integral part of possibly the greatest team of all time, the 1998 Yankees. Brosius would make his only All Star Game appearance this season and hit .471 with two home runs and six RBI’s in the 1998 World Series to capture his first ring. Brosius was named Most Valuable Player of the series after hitting two home runs in Game 3 of the World Series including one off the San Diego Padres closer Trevor Hoffman to give the Yankees a 3-0 series lead.

Brosius never matched his career year in 1998 statistically but was still always a fan favorite of the 1999-2001 teams. Brosius worked hard, played the game right, and was always on the field no matter what if humanly possible. Brosius was a part of three World Series championship teams and one more that lost the World Series in 2001 to the Arizona Diamondbacks, his final professional season. Brosius’ went out big time though as he hit a two out, two run home run in the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 5 of that World Series against Arizona to send the game to extra innings in an eventual Yankees victory, possibly his finest moment.

 Brosius has a Gold Glove Award from 1999 sitting in his trophy case in his home and also has a great story to tell about playing in the field in 1999. Brosius was at third base when the Montreal Expos Orlando Cabrera hit a foul popup that Brosius caught and sealed a perfect game for David Cone. Brosius will forever be known to many Yankees fans, and ESPN’s Chris Berman specifically, as Scott Supercalifragilisticexpiali-Brosius or Bosius the Ferocious, as John Sterling called him, but for me personally Brosius will forever be remembered as a Yankee.