This Day in New York Yankees History 6/23: Cleveland ROCKED!

On this day in 1996 the Yankees showed how much of a "never count us out" team they really were when they behind early only to come back with nine runs in the sixth inning. The Yankees would win the game 11-9 at Jacobs Field over the Cleveland Indians and it would complete the first time the Yankees would sweep the Indians in Cleveland in a four game series since 1964.


Also on this day in 1950 the Detroit Tigers and the New York Yankees combined for 11 home runs in a nine inning game, a major league record for the most in a single game. Hoot Evers hit the historic home run as a walk off home to give the Tigers a very dramatic 10-9 victory over New York.



Finally on this day in 1915 the Philadelphia Athletics pitcher Bruno Hass made his major league debut against the New York Yankees at the very historic Shibe Park. The good news was the 24 year old southpaw, known as Boon, tossed a complete game in the contest and in the start established a post-1900 major league record. The bad news was the record was for issuing 16 walks during the nine inning game in a 15-7 loss to the Yankees.

What it Means to Be a Yankees Fan: Bryan Van Dusen

Yesterday evening before the game with the Blue Jays I personally tried to answer maybe one of the hardest questions I have ever been asked not only as a writer, but as a Yankees fan as well. What does being a Yankees fan mean to me? I mentioned in the article the fact that if you asked 100 different Yankees fans that same question that it was entirely possible that you would receive 100 different answers back, and I also stated that I sought out to prove that to be true leading to this post this morning. There’s one person I trust more than anyone when it comes to Yankees fandom, someone I have known for many years and someone who I started this blog with back in January of 2012. Bryan Van Dusen. What does Yankees fandom mean to Bryan? Keep reading.

What makes you a fan of the New York Yankees?

I don't remember a time in my life when I wasn't a Yankees fan. 

When I was 7 years old I was able to play organized baseball in my towns Pee Wee Baseball league. We were put on random teams, each named after various Major League teams. You're probably thinking "he was placed on the Yankees." Nope... I was on the Red Sox, and I was devastated. I wasn't devastated because I was on the team named after the Yankees hated rival. I didn't know the history of the Yankees and Red Sox at that point in my life. All I knew was that I wanted to be on the Yankees, but I wasn't. 

The fact is I don't remember how I became a Yankees fan. I don't remember the first game I saw. Perhaps it was because my father would watch Yankees games when I was an infant. Maybe it was the baby-size Yankees hat my dad got me. Or since I lived in New York (central... not the city), and really only had access to the Yankees and Mets, the chances were 50/50 that I would grow up a Yankees fan. On that note... thank God I'm not a Mets fan... yuck.

It may sound ridiculous and make you roll your eyes, but I honestly believe I was born into Yankee fandom. 

See, I was born shortly after 12:00am on October 19th, 1977. In case you don't know, hours before I was born the Yankees defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 6 of the World Series to win the championship. That was the same game in which Reggie Jackson hit three home runs, off of three pitches, and off of three different pitchers (Reggie walked in his first at bat of Game 6 but note that he hit a home run in his last at bat in Game 5 on the first pitch... also from a different pitcher).

In fact, simply calling me a Yankees "fan" is downplaying things. "Bryan Van Dusen" and "Yankees" go hand-in-hand. You can call me an Ohio State fan, you can call me Syracuse University fan, you can call me a San Francisco 49ers fan, etc. But when it comes to how I feel about the Yankees, and how they are a part of my life, simply calling me a "fan" is not enough. 

What is your earliest memory of the New York Yankees?

My first baseball glove. I don't mean the little ones I had, which were made of some type of plastic. You know, the ones no real player would ever think of using in a game. But my first real baseball glove made of leather (well, synthetic leather, but still...). 

While I saw the Yankees before that point, that glove is my clear memory involving the team. I'm sure you're wondering what they had to do with one another but remember that many pieces of sports equipment were signature models. Not necessarily what a player actually used, but something that an athlete allowed his name to be on. 

And whose name was on that baseball glove? Don Mattingly.

I don't remember exactly when I got it. Perhaps it was before joining that Pee Wee baseball team I mentioned earlier. But I was so proud of that glove. If only the greatness that was Donnie Baseball translated to me through that mitt. 

What is your fondest memory of the New York Yankees?

While I was born shortly after the Yankees won the World Series in 1977, I was 363 days old when they won the 1978 World Series, I was three years old when they lost the 1980 World Series, and I was four years old when they lost the World Series the following season, how many people truly remember things before they were five years old? 

By the time I really understood the game I only knew sadness. The Yankees would miss the playoffs year in and year out, even finishing under .500 a handful of times. My beloved Don Mattingly would garner American League Most Valuable Player votes, All Star game selections, Gold Gloves, but he didn't come close to winning a title. 

Hell, one of my earliest memories about Major League Baseball in general was watching the Mets win the World Series in 1986. I mean, at least they beat the Red Sox, but seeing the Mets celebrate a World Series championship wasn't a whole lot better.

I would read and hear about the great history of my beloved Yankees, but personally I was not able to feel it. Even in 1994, when the team looked like they would battle for a World Series title, the league went on strike. The following season was, up to that point, the best of my life, yet they lost to the Mariners in the AL Division series. But finally... on October 26th, 1996, it happened.

Mark Lemke popped a pitch from John Wetteland in foul territory down the third base line, where Charlie Hayes caught the final out of the World Series. I was in my sophomore year at the University of Dayton, and I remember running outside of my apartment screaming "WE'RE BACK, BABY!"

Strange, but I didn't scream "WE WON" or something like that. I screamed "WE'RE BACK". I guess I knew that that title was the start of what would be a dynasty, as the Yankees went on to win three more championships between 1998 and 2000. Not to mention going to the World Series in 2001 and 2003. And the Yankees would go on to be a powerhouse in Major League Baseball. Not necessarily championship material year in and year out, but they would always be there among the top. 

And here we sit today, quite possibly on the verge of another Yankees dynasty.

What do you think of when you see the interlocking NY of the Yankees?

My heart skips a beat. Seriously. I don't have kids, so I can't say for sure how it feels to watch them as a father, but I have a feeling it's sort of the same. A sense of pride, along with happiness and genuine love. Like I said... I'm not just a Yankees fan. The Yankees are a part of my life. That interlocking logo is a part of me. 

2016 Article Revisit: Is This 1995 All Over Again? It May Be!

This article was written right at one year ago to the date asking the question of whether the 2016 version of the New York Yankees were like the 1995 Yankees who not only made the postseason as the Wild Card but also helped sparked a dynasty. As we sit here in 2017 asking the question of whether this version of the Yankees can be like the 1996 Yankees I thought now would be a good time to revisit this article and see just how much of a fortune teller I really am. Enjoy the article and what's left of this long weekend.

Saturday, September 3, 2016

Is This 1995 All Over Again? It May Be!

The New York Yankees just got done celebrating and honoring the 1996 edition of the Bronx Bombers that defied the odds all the way to the World Series last month and this month they could do some more honoring if the cards fall in the right place. See that 1996 team would have been nothing, strong words I know but they are my opinion only, without that 1995 season that scrapped and clawed its way to the first ever Wild Card spot in MLB and the American League. It was the push, the drive, the experience and some kid named Derek Jeter (Andy Pettitte and Mariano Rivera were on the Yankees in 1995) that led the 1996 Yankees to the World Series championship. It was youth, hunger and fire and we are seeing a lot of similarities in the team we see on the field today to that 1995 team. Could it be de ja vu all over again?


The 1995 Yankees were under the .500 mark at the All-Star break and many had suspicions of their first baseman Don Mattingly hanging it up at seasons end. Now while the Yankees were doing well heading into the break and hovering around the .500 mark the team was not meeting or exceeding expectations which led to a sell off of veterans and a youth movement in the Bronx. Mark Teixeira announced his retirement at season’s end and Alex Rodriguez rode off into the sunset as well but despite all the roster moves and “losses” the Yankees have continued to get better as the season has gone along. Just like the 1995 Yankees did.


The 1995 Yankees entered September five games out of the Wild Card with 32 games remaining but Buck Showalter and company were up to the task. The Yankees won 25 of their remaining 32 games that month and clinched the Wild Card with 24-year old Andy Pettitte leading the pitching staff along with key veterans and an absolute ton of youth.

The Yankees probability of making the postseason were low that season and the team simply refused to quit and refused to lie down without a fight. They slugged their way, clawed their way and pitched their way to the postseason much like these Yankees today led by Gary Sanchez, Didi Gregorius and so many others are doing today. I’m not saying they will run the gauntlet and come out on the other side again in 2016 much like they did in 1995 but I have a feeling manager Joe Girardi and his crew won’t go down without at least letting the other 19 teams (slight exaggeration) in the AL East and 2nd Wild Card hunts know that they’ve been in a fight.


Let’s go boys, let’s get this done.

This Day in New York Yankees History 6/23: Cleveland ROCKED!

On this day in 1996 the Yankees showed how much of a "never count us out" team they really were when they behind early only to come back with nine runs in the sixth inning. The Yankees would win the game 11-9 at Jacobs Field over the Cleveland Indians and it would complete the first time the Yankees would sweep the Indians in Cleveland in a four game series since 1964.


Also on this day in 1950 the Detroit Tigers and the New York Yankees combined for 11 home runs in a nine inning game, a major league record for the most in a single game. Hoot Evers hit the historic home run as a walk off home to give the Tigers a very dramatic 10-9 victory over New York.



Finally on this day in 1915 the Philadelphia Athletics pitcher Bruno Hass made his major league debut against the New York Yankees at the very historic Shibe Park. The good news was the 24 year old southpaw, known as Boon, tossed a complete game in the contest and in the start established a post-1900 major league record. The bad news was the record was for issuing 16 walks during the nine inning game in a 15-7 loss to the Yankees.

Remembering Yankees of the Past: Tim Raines

This morning we discussed one of the newest members of the Hall of Fame Pudge Rodriguez’s short and rather uneventful time in Yankees pinstripes but there was a second former Yankees player to be elected to the Hall this week as well. His name was Tim “Rock” Raines and while he will likely be heading into Cooperstown with a Montreal Expos hat on his head he, and now we, will never forget his time spent here in the Bronx.

Raines was a career National League player before coming over to the American League in 1992 with the Chicago White Sox but he never found true success in the AL until his time with the Bronx Bombers. On December 28, 1995 the New York Yankees acquired Raines in a trade. Raines would be an integral part of the 1996 and 1998 World Series teams in the Bronx although his playing time was ultimately curtailed due to injury.

Raines was always considered to be a great clubhouse and chemistry type guy and he finished his Yankees tenure with a .299/.395/.429 triple slash in three seasons with 18 home runs and 118 RBI. Raines was the perfect example of what made these Yankees teams in the mid-90’s great. Raines played a position or three, he played a role and he played it well.

Now he’s playing that role in the Hall of Fame. Congratulations to him and to his family and friends. This one was a long time coming. 

What About Kurt Suzuki?

Brian McCann has been traded away to the Houston Astros and is gone for good. Austin Romine is here but he’s less than inspiring and Gary Sanchez is currently slated to be the Yankees starting catcher. The Yankees could, and more than likely should, look to upgrade behind the dish in my opinion this winter which brings me to one man, Kurt Suzuki.

I am looking merely at a candidate to be the Yankees backup catcher and mentor in case the young Sanchez goes through the growing pains that almost every young rookie goes through at the Major League level. In no way do I believe that Suzuki should be a starting catcher for the Yankees but it would make me feel better about the situation in 2017 if he were sitting on the bench on Opening Day instead of Romine. Don’t get me wrong, I love Austin Romine as he is a product of the Yankees farm system but his career .222/.256/.329 triple slash simply leaves me less than enthused about the entire situation.

Kurt Suzuki was an All-Star for the Minnesota Twins just two years ago in 2014 and truth be told he may be considered to be average at best defensively as recently as 2016 but his veteran presence and right-handed bat should not be slept on. Suzuki would provide some pop off the bench that Romine does not, and truth be told Romine isn’t winning a Gold Glove Award anytime soon either, and would provide a veteran leadership and insurance policy that the Yankees currently lack with Romine.

It is little moves like this that can make or break a season. Look back at the 1996 season and dynasty when the Yankees had Joe Girardi and Jim Leyritz behind the dish. Neither were All-Stars but both played a role and played it well while both played huge and integral parts in the postseason and World Series. I’m thinking along those lines for Suzuki and Sanchez in 2017.

Make it happen Cashman. Get something for Romine in a trade if you have to, although why not try and pass him through waivers before just to be sure. He’s passed through before and he may pass through again. 

This Day in New York Yankees History 11/5: Yeah Jete's Wins Rookie of the Year Award

It was on this day back in 1996 that Derek Jeter was unanimously selected by the Baseball Writers Association of American to be the American League Rookie of the Year. Jeter hit .314 with 10 home runs and 78 RBI in his rookie campaign as the 22 year old shortstop became only the 8th Yankees to win the award and the first since Dave Righetti in 1981. Congrats Jete, that kid is going to go far I think.

Is This 1995 All Over Again? It May Be!

The New York Yankees just got done celebrating and honoring the 1996 edition of the Bronx Bombers that defied the odds all the way to the World Series last month and this month they could do some more honoring if the cards fall in the right place. See that 1996 team would have been nothing, strong words I know but they are my opinion only, without that 1995 season that scrapped and clawed its way to the first ever Wild Card spot in MLB and the American League. It was the push, the drive, the experience and some kid named Derek Jeter (Andy Pettitte and Mariano Rivera were on the Yankees in 1995) that led the 1996 Yankees to the World Series championship. It was youth, hunger and fire and we are seeing a lot of similarities in the team we see on the field today to that 1995 team. Could it be de ja vu all over again?

The 1995 Yankees were under the .500 mark at the All-Star break and many had suspicions of their first baseman Don Mattingly hanging it up at seasons end. Now while the Yankees were doing well heading into the break and hovering around the .500 mark the team was not meeting or exceeding expectations which led to a sell off of veterans and a youth movement in the Bronx. Mark Teixeira announced his retirement at season’s end and Alex Rodriguez rode off into the sunset as well but despite all the roster moves and “losses” the Yankees have continued to get better as the season has gone along. Just like the 1995 Yankees did.

The 1995 Yankees entered September five games out of the Wild Card with 32 games remaining but Buck Showalter and company were up to the task. The Yankees won 25 of their remaining 32 games that month and clinched the Wild Card with 24-year old Andy Pettitte leading the pitching staff along with key veterans and an absolute ton of youth.

The Yankees probability of making the postseason were low that season and the team simply refused to quit and refused to lie down without a fight. They slugged their way, clawed their way and pitched their way to the postseason much like these Yankees today led by Gary Sanchez, Didi Gregorius and so many others are doing today. I’m not saying they will run the gauntlet and come out on the other side again in 2016 much like they did in 1995 but I have a feeling manager Joe Girardi and his crew won’t go down without at least letting the other 19 teams (slight exaggeration) in the AL East and 2^nd Wild Card hunts know that they’ve been in a fight.

Let’s go boys, let’s get this done.

While We Wait: Praying for Doc Gooden’s Health as Well

Last week I asked for you all to think and/or pray for Bob Watson as he revealed that he was fighting kidney failure that left him with just a few more years to live and tonight apparently we need that same focus and power for former Mets and Yankees pitcher Doc Gooden. Gooden was last seen inside Yankee Stadium during a ceremony in which the Yankees honored their 1996 World Series Championship squad and I have to admit that my first impressions of Doc was not a good one. Doc looked skinny, almost sickly, and of course my first thought went to him and his past struggles with cocaine addiction. It turns out I may have been right in my assumptions.

Dwight Gooden Jr. issued a statement on Sunday thanking former teammates including former Yankees and Mets teammate Daryl Strawberry for their concerns about his father’s health. It seems that Doc is still fighting his cocaine addiction and is in “horrible” condition per Strawberry in a statement made to the New York Daily News on Sunday.

Doc denied all allegations of use, and why wouldn’t he?, and says he is fine but I don’t buy it. Doc I highly doubt you are reading this but if you are pay attention and listen. I know what your son is going through because I too had a father who battled addiction to drugs his entire life. My father died because of his addiction to drugs and I always felt a little twinge of guilt because of it. Don’t do that to your son. Put the crap down and shape up or you may be shipping out and where you are going there is no coming back from. Let it sink it, please!

Prayers for Doc, his son Doc Jr., and the entire Gooden family and friends circle. You’re going to need it.

Praying for Bob Watson Open Thread

The Yankees game is over and the team is off tomorrow so I leave you with this open thread for the night. As bad as I feel about leaving the night on a somber note I feel like it has to be said because Bob Watson, former Yankees GM and the man that some call the architect along with Gene Michael for the 1996 World Series and subsequent Yankees dynasty to follow, is battling for his life and he needs our thoughts and prayers. Watson, who was hired in October of 1995 to be the GM under George Steinbrenner, is battling kidney failure.

Watson wanted to be at Yankee Stadium while the organization celebrated the 1996 World Series but his health would not allow it. Watson is in Stage 4 of his kidney failure and doctors give him a couple years to live, tops.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Watson and his family in this tough time. Keep fighting Bob!

Game Preview: New York Yankees vs. Tampa Bay Rays 8/14

What an exciting weekend here in the Bronx. Alex Rodriguez said goodbye to the Yankees and their faithful fans on Friday night, the team said hello to Aaron Judge and Tyler Austin on Saturday while looking back at the 1996 World Series championship team and this afternoon it's just a boring and lazy Sunday in the Bronx. Today the Rays and the Yankees finish this awesome series as the two teams return to a little bit of normalcy, if that's even possible in the Bronx. This afternoon the Yankees will send Luis Severino to the mound as he makes his return back to the Yankees rotation, again, while the Rays counter with Jake Odorizzi.


Severino was sent down to Triple-A after his last start but due to an elbow injury for Nathan Eovaldi the Yankees future ace is back in the Bronx armed with a refined pitching repertoire. The Yankees sent Severino down to work on his offpseed pitches, namely his changeup, in hopes of turning his season around.


Odorizzi had been pitching to the tune of a 20.2 innings scoreless streak before facing off with the Toronto Blue Jays last time out. Odorizzi did not have his best stuff in that start but he tends to bring his "A" game against the Yankees which is evident by his 1-1 record and 1.12 ERA against the Bronx Bombers this season.


The game will be played at 1:05 pm ET inside Yankee Stadium and can be seen on the YES Network and MLB TV. Again, what an exciting weekend here in the Bronx. It has also been a draining weekend here in the Bronx with the goodbye of a Yankees legend and the introduction of two potential future Yankees legends. If only every weekend were like this. Go Yankees!

JUDGEment Day Has Come In The Bronx

JUDGEment day has finally come in the Bronx and I am lucky enough to have been able to attend this glorious day. I bought these tickets about 2 months ago because I really wanted to see Jeter, Rivera, Posada, and Pettite again. Little did I know the treat that I would be in for....

My day started off pretty peaceful until I got to the stadium at around 10:50am because I wanted to make sure I got in way before the ceremonies were planned to start at around 12:00pm. The lines of people waiting outside of the stadium to go in were something that I have never seen before. I have been to numerous playoff games, subway series games, and Yankee/Red Sox games but I have never seen lines this long. Gate 8 had the longest line by far and Gate 6 was just as bad which left me waiting around 15 minutes to get in at Gate 4 because for some reason the line there was much shorter.

As I got into the stadium I went straight to my seats because by then it was around 11:30am but once I got to my seats I could only stay there for about 10 minutes because the sun was so strong and it was so hot that I had to go stand under the shade until the 1996 ceremony started.

Surprisingly the ceremony did not start until around 12:30 which was a half an hour past the scheduled time which left me standing under the shade for about an hour. I feel like they were pressed for time mostly because they had a delayed start to the ceremony and then Michael Kay and John Sterling kept and talking and talking, no offense to either of those guys but I feel like most people didn't really care what they were saying.

First guy out was Posada and then I really didn't know much of the guys until Jeter came out and it felt like the stadium was about to explode. Then when Rivera came out and he passed by Jeter it was weird because they almost look identical to each other with the same skin color and the bald shiny heads. I'm kind of disapointed that nobody had the opportunity to speak but it was really cool to see guys like Jeter, Rivera, Posada, Pettite, Wetteland, Leyritz, Cone, Gooden, O'Neil, etc once again.

As the game started all I was really hoping was that Austin and Judge were able to get at least one hit each so that I could say I was there when they made their debuts and got their first hits. Oh what little did I know.... 

Lets cut to the Bottom of the 2nd inning, Tyler Austin works himself into a 2-2 count with 2 outs and I honestly was not expecting much from him in this situation. But the next pitch was a high fly ball to right field and it cleared the wall by about a foot right next to the pole and bounced right back onto the field and the crowd was going bonkers for the young Austin.

Next batter up was the 6'7 Aaron Judge, as he was walking to the batters box he looked like he was hungry to murder a baseball.... And that he did! On a 1-2 count he launches a home run 447 feet off of the batters eye in center field. The only thing I remember saying as the ball left the bat was "OH. MY. GOD" That was one of the furthest home runs I have ever seen hit. These kids are the future and I think management are finally starting to realize it.

Tanaka was rolling up until the top of the 4th inning when Brad Miller hit a 3-run homer to left field which put the crowd in a lull because now the Yanks were losing 3-2 now. But the Yankees fired back in the bottom of the 4th inning when Starlin Castro hit a home run to center field tying up the game 3-3.

Then in the bottom of the 5th inning the unthinkable happens, Aaron Hicks hit a 3-run homer in the 2nd deck of right field. I was in pure shock because that was the last thing I would expect Aaron Hicks to do, especially with men on 1st and 2nd. This would give the Yankees a 6-3 lead on a day where 2 of their top prospects are debuting. But it would be very short lived with Brad Miller hitting his second home run of the day in the top of the 6th cutting the Yankee lead to 2 with the score 6-4.

The Yankees home run barrage would finally end after a 2-run homer by Didi Gregorious which led to Tyler Clippard pitching a scoreless 8th inning and Tommy Layne ending the game in the 9th by pitching a scoreless 9th. 

Aaron Judge and Tyler Austin ended their MLB Debut by both going 2-4 and hitting a solo home run each. I'm really hoping that these two have found a way into the Yankees everyday starting lineup because they have definitely proved today that they can provide a spark to this team that the current veterans do not provide.

I was very pleased with my experience today getting to see Judge and Austin's first MLB hits/home runs. 

What do you think about these new rookies? Let me know in the comments

Follow Me On Twitter- @YankeesFan0504

My Earliest Memories of the 1996 Yankees

The New York Yankees will honor and remember the 1996 New York Yankees World Series championship team today in the Bronx before their game with the Tampa Bay Rays and after the whole Alex Rodriguez retirement game last night and then this ceremony today I’m feeling nostalgic. I was just a child when the 1996 Yankees shocked the world and there were a lot of things I didn’t know, it was a simpler time for me, but there are quite a few things that I remember. I wanted to share those things with you today as a way to honor those warriors that brought home that World Series trophy back to the Bronx now 20 seasons ago.

Until November of 1996 I was just 10-years old so you can imagine that I didn’t get caught up too much in the whole “Clueless Joe” drama, the Derek Jeter shouldn’t be starting at shortstop questions and I didn’t know much about George Steinbrenner, why he had been suspended and how long he had been back. I didn’t know who Gene “Stick” Michaels was and I didn’t get too tore up when Buck Showalter was shown the door. I didn’t get into the stuff that now keeps my busy four-to-five hours a day, all I cared about was the game and who won. Like I said, a simpler time. I hadn’t been watching baseball long in 1996. I routinely watched growing up because my family watched but it was for a few innings at a time and then something else would grab my attention but I started watched religiously, 100+ games a season and 9 innings or more at a time, during the 1994 season when I was just 8-years old. I was completely heartbroken and confused when the World Series was cancelled but to be completely honest I didn’t know it at the time.

I can remember watching the 1995 Yankees and their trip to the playoffs and I hoped for more of the same in 1996. I can remember watching Derek Jeter make plays at shortstop and just go “wow” and I can remember seeing players like Paul O’Neill, Tino Martinez and Bernie Williams and wanting to be like them. I can also remember, as I played shortstop for my entire Little League career and throughout my entire amateur career, counting the years and seeing how old I would be when Jeter turned 40-years old to see if I could be the next Yankees shortstop. I was completely engulfed by the team and the team didn’t let me down often.

I can remember staying up far later than I should have and far later than I was allowed to watching and listening to games (that glare off the TV was a dead giveaway when I was supposed to be sleeping so I quickly switched to the radio with headphones route during the weekdays) throughout that postseason and all the way to the World Series. That World Series was kind of special for me because my mom had moved down to Metro Atlanta, Georgia a few years prior so as a 10-year old kid I thought it was awesome that the state I was living in and the state my mother was living in were facing off against each other in the World Series. When the Yankees fell down 2-0 to those same Atlanta Braves I was worried sick. I wasn’t always the eternal optimist that I am now but Andy Pettitte may have put that confidence back in me during this series, especially in his Game 5 duel with John Smoltz.

I can remember telling my family that the Yankees would sweep in Atlanta and that they only wanted to lose in New York so they could finish the series at home in front of their home crowd. Little did I know how right I would be. It wasn’t an easy trip to get there and it required some clutch hitting by Jim Leyritz, Derek Jeter and others but the point was we got there. I never predicted Wade Boggs riding around on horseback after winning the World Series but I always kind of took credit for that as a running joke in our household. I can remember the Yankees became my example of greatness and of winning and I can remember Joe Torre’s Yankees being my example growing up of class and dignity. I can remember that World Series shaping my fandom for years to come. I can remember that World Series making me the man and writer that I am today in a weird, roundabout way.

The dynasty started here and my need and will to win at any and all costs started 20 seasons ago. Now as I sit here a father and still a fan I want to share that with my children. I want my son to watch his first season of baseball watching Clint Frazier, Aaron Judge and Jorge Mateo leading a key cast of characters all the way to the World Series. I want him to feel like the good luck charm that I felt like as a 10-year old boy sitting in my living room watching the Yankees win game after game. I want another dynasty. That’s what I can remember from the 1996 Yankees, it was the beginning of everything for me. What can you remember?

The Cry For Homegrown Talent May Be Ill Advised: 1996

I am probably one of the wors tYankees fans there ever was for even thinking this let alone saying this but the thought of having a mostly homegrown team may not be the best thing for the Yankees. I got to thinking about how much homegrown talent the Yankees actually had when they won the World Series in 1996 and the results were shocking. The Yankees had a total of six regulars on that team that came from the farm system, six. Let's take a closer look at that 1996 Yankees roster and see if this current youth movement and push for youth can learn a thing or two from the team that Gene "Stick" Michael brought to us 20 seasons ago.

The Yankees infield wasn't exactly homegrown with catcher Joe Girardi (Cubs and Rockies), Tino Martinez (Mariners) filling the huge shoes of Don Mattingly at first base, Mariano Duncan (many NL teams) manning second base while Wade Boggs (Red Sox) manned the hot corner. Jim Leyrtiz did split time catching and Derek Jeter was named the Opening Day shortstop despite George Steinbrenner's best efforts to acquire someone else for the position.

From the infield to the outfield we saw much of the same story. Darryl Strawberry (Mets) and Tim Raines (Expos) played a lot of left field after home grown talent Gerald Williams was traded to Milwaukee midway through the season. Paul O'Neill (Reds) was the rock of the outfield after coming over from Cincinnati. The Yankees had Bernie Williams manning center field for the only Yankees homegrown talent in the outfield.

The designated hitter spot belonged to Ruben Sierra (Rangers) before he was traded to the Detroit Tigers for Cecil Fielder.

The Yankees rotation in 1996 was far from homegrown with Kenny Rogers (Rangers), Jimmy Key (Blue Jays), Dwight Gooden (Mets) and David Cone (Royals) joining the homegrown Andy Pettitte on the mound.

The Yankees bullpen, again, was far from homegrown with John Wetteland (Montreal) closing out games, Jeff Nelson (Mariners) pitching in middle relief, and had Jim Mecir (Mariners) and Steve Howe (Dodgers) making major appearances. The only homegrown Yankees in the bullpen that season were Bob Wickman and the great Mariano Rivera.

So as you can see the cry for the homegrown talent may be fun for us fans but it won't necessarily win us a World Series this year or any time in the future. The Yankees will still need free agency, they will still need international signings, and they will still need to make trades.

The Yankees Have Really Owned the Twins Lately

The New York Yankees are off today but they are staying home, watching video and preparing for the Minnesota Twins to invade the Bronx this weekend in a three-game set. At this point you have to wonder if the Yankees even read scouting reports or talk to coaches and managers about the upcoming series with the Twins because it feels like the Yankees have absolutely owned Minnesota over the past few years. So for the purposes of this post I wanted to go back an even 20 years, which coincidentally although not on purpose, dates back to the 1996 Yankees and the beginning of a dynasty to see just how bad New York has beat up on the men from the Great Lakes over the years.

1996: NYY won 7, MIN won 5

1997: NYY won 8, MIN won 3

1998: NYY won 7, MIN won 4

1999: NYY won 6, MIN won 4

2000: NYY won 5, MIN won 5

2001: NYY won 2, MIN won 4

2002: NYY won 6, MIN won 0

2003: NYY won 7, MIN won 0

2004: NYY won 4, MIN won 2

2005: NYY won 3, MIN won 3

2006: NYY won 3, MIN won 3

2007: NYY won 5, MIN won 2

2008: NYY won 6, MIN won 4

2009: NYY won 7, MIN won 0

2010: NYY won 4, MIN won 2

2011: NYY won 6, MIN won 2

2012: NYY won 4, MIN won 3

2013: NYY won 5, MIN won 2

2014: NYY won 4, MIN won 3

2015: NYY won 5, MIN won 1

2016: NYY won 3, MIN won 1

*All stats according to Baseball Reference

Bolded denotes a Yankees season series victory

So if you guys hear a collective chattering of teeth getting closer and closer to the Bronx this weekend it’s probably the entire Minnesota Twins team of players, coaches and managers. It may be another good weekend for baseball in the Bronx is history is any indicator of the future. And I hope that it is. 

This Day in New York Yankees History 6/23: Cleveland ROCKED!

On this day in 1996 the Yankees showed how much of a "never count us out" team they really were when they behind early only to come back with nine runs in the sixth inning. The Yankees would win the game 11-9 at Jacobs Field over the Cleveland Indians and it would complete the first time the Yankees would sweep the Indians in Cleveland in a four game series since 1964.


Also on this day in 1950 the Detroit Tigers and the New York Yankees combined for 11 home runs in a nine inning game, a major league record for the most in a single game. Hoot Evers hit the historic home run as a walk off home to give the Tigers a very dramatic 10-9 victory over New York.



Finally on this day in 1915 the Philadelphia Athletics pitcher Bruno Hass made his major league debut against the New York Yankees at the very historic Shibe Park. The good news was the 24 year old southpaw, known as Boon, tossed a complete game in the contest and in the start established a post-1900 major league record. The bad news was the record was for issuing 16 walks during the nine inning game in a 15-7 loss to the Yankees.

2016 the New 1996 for the New York Yankees?

As we inch closer towards the 2016 season and Opening Day optimism is running high on most every Major League team right now. That’s the greatest part of it being a whole new season, nobody knows what to expect and not many teams and their fan bases are down right now. This is especially true for the New York Yankees specifically because with all the new faces in the Bronx, whether acquired elsewhere or coming up through the farm system, and the question marks surrounding the starting rotation no one really knows what to expect. We have mentioned this a few times last season and already once or twice this season but the comparisons and parallels are just too much to ignore. If the Yankees stay healthy and if the Yankees can gel together like they presumably did in 2015 could this team defy the odds and shock the world in 2016 much like they did in 1996? 

Both teams were not expected to make the postseason in both 2015 and 1995 and both teams won the Wild Card before losing in the Wild Card Round. Things were a little different back then obviously as the Yankees lost technically in the ALDS to the Seattle Mariners in an epic five-game series while the Yankees lost a one-game playoff to the Houston Astros last season but the basic premises are the same. That’s just the beginning though, keep reading. 

In the early to mid-90’s the Toronto Blue Jays were at the top of the division and the top of the American League as their fans watched Joe Carter walk off a World Series like most of us have only dreamed about as a child and once again the Yankees seem to be looking up at the Blue Jays once again. In fact the last time the Blue Jays made the postseason before last season was during this dominant time with Carter in the middle of that lineup. To counteract the Blue Jays then the team acquired a National League player who had struggled and fallen out of favor with the team that drafted him, that NL player’s name was Paul O’Neill. This may be a stretch and I am in no way comparing the two but does this not sound a lot like the Starlin Castro acquisition for 2016? 

The 1995 Yankees had a staple of a first baseman entering presumably his last season with the club in Don Mattingly and had a struggling veteran with a ton of question marks in Mike Stanley also looking to hang on while this season boasts possibly the final years for Mark Teixeira and Carlos Beltran. The Core Four was just beginning to make some noise with short cameos from Andy Pettite (Luis Severino in 2016) and eventually Derek Jeter (Jorge Mateo, Didi Gregorius… take your pick), Jorge Posada (hello Gary Sanchez), Mariano Rivera (Dellin Betances and/or Jacob Lindgren) while Bernie Williams (Slade Heathcott, Mason Williams, Ben Gamel) was just beginning to establish himself. 

The team was young at the core and filled in where it needed to offensively while shutting down teams with a strong bullpen late. Sounds pretty familiar doesn’t it? I just hope the statistics and the end results are the same.

Will Ronald Torreyes Get a Shot This Time?

The New York Yankees have acquired infielder Ronald Torreyes twice already this offseason after being designated for assignment, once from the Los Angeles Dodgers and once from the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Will they designate him for assignment two different times in the same offseason or will Torreyes finally get a shot in a Yankees uniform this spring? 

Torreyes is no stranger to up and leaving a city and starting over fresh somewhere else as he played with the Houston Astros, the Toronto Blue Jays and the Dodgers during the 2015 season alone. What he isn’t used to is getting steady playing time and the feeling of security that comes along with being an established player. All told Torreyes hit .261/.308/.347 with four home runs and 36 RBI last season but more importantly for the Yankees he did that while playing second base, third base, shortstop and all over the outfield. Torreyes can play almost anywhere and the Yankees have needs at most of those positions, especially at third base and shortstop. I know Brian Cashman wants to leave the final bench spot wide open as a revolving door but when Torreyes can fill the shoes of three or four different guys I’m wondering why you even bother wasting those minor league options if you don’t have to.  

While Torreyes may never be the batter I think Robert Refsnyder is going to grow up to be he does show at least some promise with his bat and is not an automatic out at the major league level. Torreyes simply does not strike out, he’s only struck out 160 times in 2,758 professional plate appearances, and more importantly he makes good contact as well. He’s what the Yankees thought they were getting in Brendan Ryan except for the fact that the bat and his medical history are light years ahead of what Ryan’s are in these days and time. He’s a solid player and while he may not lead the team in jersey’s sold next season he can be a great depth piece to add to the club, the only question is whether the Yankees will utilize his versatility or not and watch him as he grows into a Major League player. 

Teams like the 1996 Yankees were not built on stars, they were built on depth and all players filling their roles and filling them well. The team didn’t have the best players or the highest payroll they just had a bunch of good players that molded together well and went on to win a championship. Torreyes won’t win the World Series on paper and alone he won’t win it for the team in reality but I truly think he can really help this team, he just has to be given the opportunity. 

Cashman, are you listening?

Age Is Just a Number

For years, the fans, columnists, and anyone under the sun has claimed the Yankees are too old to compete for a World Series. When Jason Heyward signed with the Chicago Cubs earlier this offseason and indicated that the Cardinals age was a reason he left many reporters took that as an indication that the Yankees had no shot at signing him either.

With the infusion of young talent like Nathan Eovaldi, Didi Gregorius, Starlin Castro, Luis Severino and Greg Bird on the roster I wanted to see how many older players the Yankees are using in comparison to their five most recent World Series victories and the two years they failed to make the postseason.

The results are not what I thought they were going to be. First off the Yankees last five World Series victories.

In 1996, the Yankees used 48 total players, 5 players were 35+. Older players made up 10.4% of the roster.
In 1998, the Yankees used 38 total players and 6 players were 35+. Older made up 15.8% of the roster.
In 1999, the Yankees used 39 total players and 7 players were 35+. Older players made up 17.9% of the roster.
In 2000, the Yankees used 34 total players, and 11 players were 35+. Older players made up 32.4% of the roster.
In 2009, the Yankees used 45 total players, and 7 players were 35+. Older players made up 15.56% of the roster.

Next up the last two times, the Yankees missed the playoffs as well as 2015 to bring it all together.

In 2013, the Yankees used 56 total players and 8 players were 35+. Older players made up 14.3% of the roster.
In 2014, the Yankees used 58 total players and 8 players were 35+. Older players made up 13.8% of the roster.
In 2015, the Yankees used 56 total players and 4 players were 35+. Older players made up 7.1% of the roster.

The Yankees have been using fewer players 35 and older as the years have gone on which would seem contradictory for a team described as "old." The key, however, is the overall usage of the older players. They are using fewer players, but they are relying on them more.  In 2000 when the Yankees used 11 35+ players only 3 of them were regular contributors, David Cone, Roger Clemens and Paul O'Neill. In 2013, the Yankees used eight 35+ players, and all of them were expected to be regular contributors. The 2000 team had older players play in a combined 487 appearances. The 2013 team had older players play in a combined 589 appearances.

That trend continued in 2015 as three of the four older players the Yankees used were regular contributors. The Yankees look to reverse this trend through the on the fly rebuild they have been going through. In 2016, I estimate the Yankees will again have four 35+ players but younger players like Greg Bird, Aaron Hicks will allow them to use Carlos Beltran, Mark Teixeira and Alex Rodriguez more effectively.

The Boring Winter Ahead: Watch the 1996 World Series Game Six HERE

Game Six of the 1996 World Series between the New York Yankees and the Atlanta Braves.