great yankee year....

best record in baseball followed by their 27th world title...
the only team of the decade with a hundred or more wins and a world title the same year...
derek jeter,from reaching base in EVERY post season game..to the S.I.sportsman of the year...he is what it is all about...

close them out andy...

NEW YORK -- Game 6 of the 2009 American League Championship Series will be played, weather permitting, today at 8:20 p.m. ET.

complete postseason coverage PostSeason.tv

This should come as a big relief to baseball fans who watched helplessly as steady rains starting Friday night, and persisting through Saturday night, made this crucial game a victim instead of a sporting event. The postponement of Game 6 was made official at 6:05 p.m. on Saturday when it became apparent that between the previous rainfall and the expectation of heavier rain to come, conditions would not allow this game to be played as scheduled at Yankee Stadium.

The weather forecast for tonight is just fine for New York in October, and more to the point, just fine for baseball in New York in October.

Both managers are sticking with their scheduled Game 6 left-handers -- Andy Pettitte for the Yankees, Joe Saunders for the Angels.

Pettitte is tied for the all-time lead in postseason victories, but he had a 7.88 ERA in three regular-season starts against the Angels this year. Because of the rainout, CC Sabathia would be available to pitch on regular rest in Game 6, but manager Joe Girardi said, "We like the guy going tomorrow. CC has been great. But Andy will pitch tomorrow. ... We're going to stick with Andy."

Saunders has been exceptionally good over the past two months. In his last eight regular-season starts, he was 7-0 with a 2.62 ERA. In his Game 2 start against the Yankees, he gave up only two runs in seven innings.

The rainout could allow the Angels to bring back their ace, John Lackey, on short rest for a Game 7. But when Lackey was asked about that possibility, he responded, "We're getting a little bit ahead of ourselves, fellas. We have to win [Game 6] first."

Even before the rainout, it could have been argued that the October climate already had a significant impact on the series. When this ALCS has been played in the cold and damp, the New York Yankees are 2-0. When this series has been played under fair skies in pleasant temperatures, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are 2-1.

AL Championship Series
Gm. 1 NYY 4, LAA 1 Wrap Video
Gm. 2 NYY 4, LAA 3 Wrap Video
Gm. 3 LAA 5, NYY 4 Wrap Video
Gm. 4 NY 10, LAA 1 Wrap Video
Gm. 5 LAA 7, NYY 6 Wrap Video
Gm. 6 LAA@NYY Sun., Oct. 25 8:20 ET
Gm. 7* LAA@NYY Mon., Oct. 26 7:57 ET

*If necessary
All games on FOX

The Yankees would appear to have the built-in advantages in dealing with less-than-ideal meteorological conditions. But the conditions change for everybody. It's a long way from those calm, moderate California nights, to "Oh, no, the forecast is getting worse," when the temperature is falling, the wind chill is falling and the only thing that is rising is the price of a decent parka.

When this series resumes, the question will be whether the Angels' Game 5 victory changed the course of baseball history or just added a night or two in the Bronx to the autumn schedule.

Only 50 percent of the participants will be happy about the eventual outcome, but everyone will be happy to see this series resume and resume in reasonable conditions.

The mood was falling along with the rain as Saturday afternoon turned to Saturday night. The theme music for this one was "Rainin' in My Heart," by Slim Harpo. You always wonder: "What names did the other Harpo children have?" But this is not the time for that.

The only thing worse than a rained-out baseball game is a rained-out postseason baseball game. Especially when a series is down to crunch time, as the 2009 ALCS now is. The Angels staged a remarkable revival in Game 5. But the Yankees are only one victory away from the World Series. Game 6 beckons. And then, it doesn't.

Everyone on hand had the Yankees/Angels Postponement Blues, from their heads down to their shoes. Millions upon millions of people across the length and breadth of the North American continent wanted to see this baseball game played on this Saturday night. Now, with any luck, this baseball game will be played on tonight, starting at its scheduled time of 8:20 p.m.

But there was all this momentum and anticipation building toward this game on this Saturday night. And then, no game.

POSTSEASON POSTPONEMENTS
Since Wild Card era began in 1995
Year Game Matchup
1996 ALCS, Gm. 1 BAL at NYY
WS, Gm. 1 ATL at NYY
2003 ALCS, Gm. 4 NYY at BOS
2004 ALCS, Gm. 3 NYY at BOS
2005 ALCS, Gm. 4 LAA at NYY
2006 ALDS, Gm. 2 DET at NYY
NLCS, Gm. 1 STL at NYM
NLCS, Gm. 5 NYM at STL
2008 WS, Gm. 5* TB at PHI
2009 NLDS, Gm. 3 PHI at COL
2009 ALCS, Gm. 6 LAA at NYY
*- Rain forced the suspension of Game 5 of the 2008 World Series. The game was completed two days later.

"It [stinks] to have a rainout right now," said Angels center fielder Torii Hunter. "That's all I can tell you. We just want to play this game. That's all we want to do."

Everybody was looking for a reason for this game to be played as scheduled. Angels manager Mike Scioscia said before the game was postponed that the infielders could expect that any ground ball they fielded would have some water on it. But that was OK, Scioscia said, because the Angels had worked out on Friday morning at Angel Stadium with morning dew on the ground. The Halos had not planned on this moisture, but there it was, as close as they could come to practice for playing in the rain in Southern California.

But tonight, the outlook is for baseball with no more rain rationalizations needed. The jury is still out on which team will prevail here, but this much is clear:

The weather is more complex in New York than it is in Anaheim. And the situation with this series isn't getting any simpler, either. We will see shortly which club can best roll with the changes.

Have we mentioned that today's forecast is really, really good? There will be sunshine and moderate temperatures during the day, and the overnight forecast includes a zero percent chance of precipitation. Hey, Ernie, let's play two! All right, two wouldn't be needed if the Yankees win Game 6, but you'd like to see these two teams playing some baseball in the sunshine. As a matter of fact, right now, you'd like to see these two teams playing some baseball, period.

Mike Bauman is a national columnist for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs

francisco cervelli

glad to see him in the majors....youth be served..

2009 roster

Active Roster for 2009 season

Active Roster
Pitchers B/T Ht Wt DOB
63 Jonathan Albaladejo R/R 6-5 260 10/30/82
38 Brian Bruney R/R 6-3 235 02/17/82
34 A.J. Burnett R/R 6-4 230 01/03/77
62 Joba Chamberlain R/R 6-2 230 09/23/85
48 Phil Coke L/L 6-1 210 07/19/82
43 Damaso Marte L/L 6-2 215 02/14/75
46 Andy Pettitte L/L 6-5 225 06/15/72
36 Edwar Ramirez R/R 6-3 165 03/28/81
42 Mariano Rivera R/R 6-2 185 11/29/69
52 CC Sabathia L/L 6-7 290 07/21/80
41 Jose Veras R/R 6-5 235 10/20/80
40 Chien-Ming Wang R/R 6-3 230 03/31/80

Catchers B/T Ht Wt DOB
26 Jose Molina R/R 6-2 235 06/03/75
20 Jorge Posada S/R 6-2 215 08/17/71

Infielders B/T Ht Wt DOB
24 Robinson Cano L/R 6-0 205 10/22/82
2 Derek Jeter R/R 6-3 195 06/26/74
19 Ramiro Pena S/R 5-11 165 07/18/85
12 Cody Ransom R/R 6-2 190 02/17/76
25 Mark Teixeira S/R 6-3 220 04/11/80

Outfielders B/T Ht Wt DOB
53 Melky Cabrera S/L 5-11 200 08/11/84
18 Johnny Damon L/L 6-2 205 11/05/73
11 Brett Gardner L/L 5-10 185 08/24/83
22 Xavier Nady R/R 6-1 185 11/14/78
33 Nick Swisher S/L 5-11 210 11/25/80

Designated Hitters B/T Ht Wt DOB
55 Hideki Matsui L/R 6-2 210 06/12/74

johnny blanchard passes away....Rest In Peace

The former Minneapolis Central High School star played in five World Series with the New York Yankees.

Johnny Blanchard could have stayed in his hometown and played professional basketball with the Minneapolis Lakers, but his passion for baseball led him to the New York Yankees.

Blanchard, a 1951 graduate of Minneapolis Central High School, appeared in five World Series and won two championship rings as a member of the Bronx Bombers. A highlight of his career was hitting two home runs in the 1961 World Series against the Cincinnati Reds. The Yankees won the series in five games.

Blanchard's professional career spanned 516 games in the major leagues. In addition to the Yankees, he played with the Kansas City Athletics, the Milwaukee Braves and the Atlanta Braves. He had a career batting average of .239, with 67 home runs and 285 hits.

He played 694 games in the minor leagues, where he had a batting average of .282 and 122 home runs.

"The biggest thrill was putting on that uniform and taking the field [at Yankee Stadium]," said his son Tim of Chanhassen.

Blanchard was to be at the new Yankee Stadium on Opening Day in April, but he died of a heart attack early Wednesday at North Memorial Medical Center in Robbinsdale. The Wayzata resident was 76.

Blanchard's high school sweetheart and wife, Nancy, said "it was quite a day" when he signed a contract with the Yankees for $20,000 in 1951. He spent four years in the minor leagues and served in the Army during the Korean War before getting called up to the Yankees in 1955. He appeared in one game that season before permanently joining the roster in 1959.

Blanchard, an outfielder turned catcher, played alongside Yankee greats such as Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra and Roger Maris. His best year was 1961, when he had a batting average of .305, hit home runs in four consecutive at-bats (a record that still stands) and finished second in voting for the Fall Classic's MVP.

In the off-season, Blanchard was part of a team that practiced against the NBA's Minneapolis Lakers. He averaged 18 points per game and the team wanted to sign him to a contract, but the Yankees nixed the deal, Tim said.

After his baseball playing days were over, Blanchard sold machines for railroads and worked in the printing business. He also coached amateur baseball teams in Hamel, and several of his teams made it to state tournaments. He participated in baseball fantasy camps for adults put on by the Yankees and frequently appeared at baseball card shows on the East Coast.

"Baseball was in his blood," his son said. "He loved the card shows. He'd shake people's hand, ask their name and talk with people. He was the king of storytelling; that was his strength."

Blanchard enjoyed golf and was looking forward to seeing the new Yankee Stadium and participating in an old-timers' game this year.

"He lived a life people would dream of living," Tim said.

In addition to his wife and son Tim, Blanchard is survived by two other sons, Paul, the head baseball coach at Southwest Minnesota State University in Marshall, and Johnny of Minnetonka, and six grandchildren.

Services will be held at 11 a.m. Monday at St. Mary of the Lake Church, 105 N. Forestview Lane, Plymouth. Visitation will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Sunday at the David Lee Funeral Home, 1220 E. Wayzata Blvd., Wayzata.

brian bruney

*

TAMPA, Fla. -- Go ahead and declare that the Yankees have no reliable way to get the ball to Mariano Rivera in the ninth inning. It's actually what Brian Bruney wants to hear.

Reporting to camp nearly 20 pounds lighter this spring, the suddenly svelte right-hander says that he is more motivated than ever and has his mind set on claiming the Bombers' eighth-inning role for the upcoming campaign.

"I like people that doubt me," Bruney said. "I would rather somebody doubt me than call me the best. Tell me I can't do something, and I'll do it. That's how I look at it. Now it's my goal to prove all the doubters wrong."

The Yankees have not set their late-game plans in stone -- at least not yet -- but manager Joe Girardi anticipates that the bridge to the closer will be paved by both the 27-year-old Bruney and left-hander Damaso Marte to begin the year.

Nothing against Marte, of course, but Bruney said that he wants to be that guy.

"I look at it like it's mine," Bruney said. "I've got to prepare for the eighth inning. Until somebody tells me what I'm throwing, my goal is the eighth inning. That's what I'm mentally preparing for."

Coming off an injury-shortened campaign that featured a 1.83 ERA in 32 games, Bruney has done little to hurt his chances, having made a positive impression from the minute he reported to Tampa.

The Yankees had heard rumors of a new-look Bruney making the rounds, but it wasn't completely understood until Girardi actually saw his reliever in person.

"When people had seen him here in camp a little bit earlier, they said, 'Boy, Bruney sure looks great. He's skinny,'" Girardi said. "I was thinking, 'Gosh, what does he weigh, 180 pounds?' I'm thinking he's going to look like Edwar Ramirez when he comes in."

No, Bruney won't be confused for his fellow bullpen mate Ramirez, whom Joe Torre once nicknamed "The Thermometer." But Bruney reported to camp weighing 217 pounds, meaning he had lost another 18 pounds over the winter.

The last time Bruney had tipped the scales under 220, he was a high school junior.

"I look at it like it's mine. I've got to prepare for the eighth inning. Until somebody tells me what I'm throwing, my goal is the eighth inning. That's what I'm mentally preparing for."
-- Brian Bruney

"Every decision that I make now, if it's not helping me in some baseball form, it's not worth my time," Bruney said. "Food, sleep, drink, all that stuff is tailored for baseball. I put the best stuff into my body."

The metamorphosis began after the 2007 season, when Bruney began to shed the first of what would be approximately 40 pounds. No longer satisfied with simply having a spot in the big leagues, Bruney said he rededicated his focus to becoming the best pitcher he could.

"He came in last year in great shape, and a lot of people said, 'Let's see if he maintains that,'" Yankees pitching coach Dave Eiland said. "Well, he did. We had a lot of long heart-to-heart conversations."

Eiland summarized his underlying theme: players like Bruney are blessed with great talent to get where they are, and that he would be doing a disservice to himself and his family if he didn't take advantage.

"He doesn't complain about work and doesn't complain about running," Eiland said. "He used to. Not anymore."

Well, depending on the situation. A good portion of Bruney's weight loss can be credited to distance running, though he won't be registering for the New York City Marathon anytime soon. That cardio work is a major reason why Bruney has been able to keep his diet in check.

"I can tell you exactly how many miles everything is," Bruney said. "I'm too careful now. There's no reason for me to have six beers or a double cheeseburger. It's absurd to me. I can make healthier choices."

It beats paying the price. Bruney actually says he hates running and needs to trick his mind into thinking he can go further -- first, just a mile, then to 10 minutes, then just five more minutes on to 15. The most important thing is that, at the end of the day, the work gets done.

"I'm not running thinking that it's going to make me a better player," Bruney said. "I don't run the ball to the plate. I just think that I'm getting into better shape. I'm thinking about everybody in the room -- coaches, players -- and that my job this year is pretty important. I know I can't watch TV and sit on the couch and feed my face all day."

Since he now showcases more energy, Eiland said that he has to fight Bruney back at times when the hurler tinkers with other pitches in the bullpen, assuring him that what he has is enough. That confidence tells Eiland that more success could be around the bend for Bruney.

"His mind is in the right place and he's figured some things out for the better," Eiland said. "It's a great thing. I give him a lot of credit for what he's done, and he's going to play a big part for

brett gardner

Brett M. Gardner (born August 24, 1983 in Holly Hill, South Carolina) is an American Major League Baseball outfielder for the New York Yankees.

Gardner, who is 5' 10", plays center field and bats and throws left-handed. In 2007, he was the 10th rated prospect in the Yankees minor league system according to Base America


College

Gardner was a walk-on and three-year starter at the College of Charleston (CofC). In 2004, he was a Southern Conference All Star. His .447 batting average was third in the nation in 2005, and his 122 hits tied for the most hits in the country. His 85 runs in 2005 is the all-time record at CofC, and his 38 stolen bases led the Southern Conference. He wrapped up his Cougar career as a third team All-American and Southern Conference all-star, sporting a .382/.456/.508 career line, mostly from the lead-off spot.

Draft

He was drafted in the 3rd round in 2005 by the Yankees after his junior year, and received a $210,000 bonus.

Minor leagues

Gardner adjusted well to wood bats in 2005, and finished the season in the New York-Penn League season ranking 5th in at bats (with 282), 2nd in runs (62), and 5th in stolen bases (19).

He was a Florida State League all star in 2006, batting .323 in 63 games with 22 RBIs with the Tampa Yankees. He was 3rd in the Florida State League in batting average, and led the league in stolen bases with 30. Gardner also was second in the league in walks with 47.[2]

In 2007, he played 54 games for the Double-A Trenton Thunder, though he missed time with a broken bone in his hand. In 203 at bats, he stole 18 bases (tied for 5th in the league; while being caught 4 times), hit 5 triples, and batted .300 with a .392 OBP, before being promoted to Scranton/Wilkes Barre. There, in 45 games he batted .260 with a .343 OBP, and stole 21 bases while being caught only 3 times.[3]

Through 2007 in the minor leagues, he has a .288 batting average, .381 obp, and .374 slugging percentage. He has stolen 114 bases, and been caught 22 times.

In the fall of 2007, he played in 26 games in the Arizona Fall League, leading it runs (27) and in stolen bases with 16, while being caught only once. He batted .343 (5th in the league) with a .433 obp (3rd), and was 3rd in the league in walks (17).[4]

Playing for the Triple-A Scranton Wilkes Barre Yankees in 2008, in 94 games Gardner was 2nd in the International League with a .414 on base percentage, 70 walks, and 11 triples, and 6th in the IL with 37 stolen bases while being caught only 9 times.

Major leagues

New York Yankees (2008-present)

On June 30, 2008, Gardner was called up and made his major league debut,[5] batting lead-off and going 0 for 3 with a stolen base. On July 2, he got both his first hit and first RBI off fellow rookie, Texas Rangers relief pitcher Warner Madrigal, in the seventh inning. Gardner went on to steal second and eventually score in that inning. On July 6, 2008, Gardner started in left field in place of the injured Johnny Damon. He went 2 for 5, including a two-out, game-winning single up the middle off of Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon.

On July 26, 2008, Gardner was optioned back to AAA after the acquisition of Xavier Nady, in order to continue to receive playing time.

On August 15, 2008, Gardner was called back up to the big leagues

On August 16, 2008, Gardner in his second game after being called up went 3-5 with a double and two singles, including a game-winning single with which he knocked in Robinson Cano in the bottom of the 13th against the Kansas City Royals. It was Gardner's second walk-off hit as a Yankee. His first was on July 6, 2008 against the Boston Red Sox again scoring Robinson Cano in the bottom of the 10th.

On September 21, 2008, Gardner scored the final run of Major League Baseball in Yankee Stadium history as a pinch runner for Jason Giambi, scoring on a sacrifice fly by Cano in the seventh inning of an eventual 7-3 win for the Yankees over the Baltimore Orioles.

On February 25, 2009 he hit the first home run of spring training. He was leading off and hit it his first at bat.

Tools

Gardner's legs are his strength. He's the fastest baserunner in the organization,[6] has 80 speed on a 20-80 scale, and has solid baserunning instincts. He's adept at picking spots, knowing when it's more valuable to the team for him to use the threat of a stolen base to get the pitcher to throw fastballs to the heart of the order.

He has outstanding plate discipline, draws a good number of walks, and uses the whole field while making consistent, hard contact. Baseball America rated him as having the best strike zone discipline in the Yankees minor league system after the close of the 2006 season.

His speed and excellent sense in the outfield translate to an outstanding defensive game, among the best in the Yankee farm system. His arm is average, though fairly accurate.

On March 14, 2008, Yankee Manager Joe Girardi said of Gardner: “He’s an exciting player. He creates havoc.”[7]

Personal life

Brett and his wife Jessica had their first son, Thomas Hunter, on November 21st, 2008.[8]

mark melancon

Pitcher Mark Melancon springs up the charts at Yankees camp

February 23
New York Daily News


"Mark Melancon looked at the workout schedule Sunday morning, a daily ritual for virtually every player in camp. He knew he was penciled in for live batting practice, but when the 23-year-old saw Derek Jeter and Robinson Cano were in the group hitting against him, he texted his father back in Colorado.

"He said, 'Just picture your mom standing in there,'" Melancon said. "I said, 'No thanks. I'll be fine.'"

Melancon was right. He threw 30 pitches during his session, getting Jeter to swing and miss a couple times and breaking Cano's bat with a filthy four-seam fastball.

With Joe Girardi and Brian Cashman watching the pitcher many think could be Mariano Rivera's successor, Melancon took advantage of an opportunity to impress, something he hopes to do every time he takes the mound this spring.

"I think I'm ready," Melancon said when asked if he feels he belongs in the majors. "I still think I have a lot of learning to do. I'm definitely not at the level I want to be at."

Confident words from a pitcher with just 12 games of experience at the Triple-A level. But having worked his way back from reconstructive elbow surgery, Melancon doesn't come off as arrogant. It's more a case of ... he's good, and he knows it.

With Joba Chamberlain's future seemingly locked in as a starter, there are those - both inside and outside the organization - who believe Melancon will be Rivera's successor when the Hall of Fame closer finally hangs up his spikes.

While Girardi tried to quell any talk about Melancon succeeding Rivera, the topic didn't seem to faze the youngster.

"It's not overwhelming, because I know it's not true unless I make it true," Melancon said. "I think it's able to be done, so I'm excited for that. I'm excited that people are throwing that out there, but I know it's not true until I make it true.""

clete boyer

The Yankee years

Boyer became the Yankees' regular third baseman in 1960, beating out three others (including Gil McDougald, who in spring training had announced that this, his 10th season in the majors, would be his last) for the starting job. He batted .242 with 14 home runs and 46 RBIs as the Yankees won the pennant. However, he had a humbling moment in the first game of the World Series against the Pittsburgh Pirates. With two runners on base and the Yankees trailing 3-1 in the second inning, manager Casey Stengel, never confident in Boyer's hitting, replaced him with a pinch-hitter, Dale Long, who flied out to right fielder Roberto Clemente. The Yankees didn’t score in the inning and lost 6-4, ultimately losing the Series in Game 7 on Bill Mazeroski’s home run off Ralph Terry in the bottom of the ninth. Boyer didn't play in the Series again until Game Six.

After the Series, the Yankees fired Stengel. Ralph Houk replaced him as manager and restored some of the confidence in Boyer that Stengel had taken away. Whereas Stengel preferred other players at third base over Boyer, Houk saw something special in Boyer's defensive prowess and gave him the opportunity to play every day.

The 1961 team (with Mickey Mantle, Roger Maris, Elston Howard, Yogi Berra and Moose Skowron), which defeated the Cincinnati Reds in the World Series, was considered by many as the best ever, with sluggers Mantle and Maris chasing Babe Ruth's 1927 record of 60 home runs (Maris eventually broke the record on the final day) and pitcher Whitey Ford winning 25 games and losing four. What Boyer did not do with the bat (he hit .224 during the regular season), he more than made up for defensively, in an infield that also featured the double play duo of Tony Kubek at shortstop and Bobby Richardson at second base.

During each of Houk's three seasons as Yankee manager (1961–1963), Boyer led American League third basemen in putouts, assists and double plays, finishing ahead of even rival Brooks Robinson—yet Robinson, not Boyer, won the Gold Glove Award each year. In the first game of that 1961 World Series, Boyer displayed his defense by making two spectacular plays—one on a Gene Freese ground ball in the second inning, in which Boyer stopped the ball backhanded and threw Freese out from his knees, and another on a Dick Gernert ground ball in which Boyer dove to his left and threw Gernert out, also from his knees.

Boyer's offensive numbers improved in 1962: career bests in batting average .272, home runs (18) and runs batted in (68). He also came within nine assists of the third base record of 405 set by Harlond Clift of the 1937 St. Louis Browns. Once again, the Yankees won the World Series, this time in seven games over the San Francisco Giants. The Series ended with Bobby Richardson catching Willie McCovey's line drive with runners on second and third. Just a few feet to either side, and Richardson could not have gotten his hands on it, and the Giants would have scored two runs and won the Series. In 1963 Boyer batted .251 with 12 home runs and 54 RBIs as the Yankees won another pennant, however, they were swept in the World Series by the Los Angeles Dodgers, the first time this had ever been done to a Yankee team in a World Series. Dodger ace Sandy Koufax won the first and fourth games, striking out a series record 15 batters in the opener. Boyer was the only Yankee regular not to strike out against Koufax.

After the 1963 season Houk was promoted to general manager and Berra replaced him as field manager. Early on, the 1964 team slumped under Berra, especially Boyer who batted .218 on the season. As Berra's managing improved, the team improved with it and won its fifth straight pennant by one game over the Chicago White Sox and two over the third place Baltimore Orioles. The Yankees faced the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series with Clete playing against his brother Ken. The Yankees lost in seven games, but not before Ken and Clete became the first brothers to hit home runs on opposing teams in a World Series game.[2] In the 7th inning of that seventh game, Ken homered off Yankee pitcher Steve Hamilton and exchanged nods with Clete. Clete returned the favor in the 9th after homering off Cardinal ace Bob Gibson.

After the 1964 Series, Houk unceremoniously fired Berra (in mid-season the management, dissatisfied with Berra's work, made up their mind to fire him at the end of the season no matter what the Yankees did) and replaced him with Johnny Keane, who had managed the Cardinals to the World Series victory over the Yankees. In spring training of 1965 Boyer was involved in a fight in a Fort Lauderdale bar with a male model, Jerome Modzelewski, while in spring training.[3] During the season, he did bat .251 with a career-tying 18 home runs, but the Yankees slumped to sixth place, their lowest finish in 40 years. In 1966 the Yankees fired Keane two weeks into the season, and Houk returned as manager. However, Houk's second managerial stint was far less successful than his first. Their talent and farm system both depleted, the Yankees finished dead last—the first time they had done so since 1912. After a season in which he hit .240 with 14 home runs, Lee MacPhail, who replaced Houk as general manager, traded Boyer to the Atlanta Braves for Bill Robinson, that year's Minor League Player of the Year.

alfredo aceves

Aceves pitched in the Mexican League for six seasons, including for the Yucatán Leones and Sultanes de Monterrey.

Aceves signed with the Yankees that next offseason, beginning 2008 with the Single-A Advanced Tampa Yankees. He was promoted to the Double-A Trenton Thunder and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees. He was named Eastern League pitcher of the week for the week ending May 25, 2008 [2].

After going a combined 8-6 with a 2.62 ERA on the three Yankee farm teams, Aceves was called up to the Yankees on August 28, 2008. On August 31, Aceves made his Yankee and major league debut, becoming the 106th major-league player to have been born in México, pitching two scoreless innings in relief.

After pitching effectively through his first few relief appearances, Aceves was moved to the rotation in replacement of Darrell Rasner.[3] In his first career start, he pitched seven innings of one-run ball with two strikeouts against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, earning the win.


His nicknames in México are Shely and Patón, this last one means Large Feet in Spanish.

He wears # 91 because growing up, he and his friends were huge Chicago Bulls fans. While they admired Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen, his favorite player was Dennis Rodman.

He got married in November, 2008.[4]

andrew brackman

Big day for Brackman


list of pitchers in the bullpen today:feb 15th,2009

1: Aceves, Hughes, Pettitte, Wang

2: Coke, Marte, Ramirez, Tomko

3: Brackman, Jackson, Melancon

4: Claggett, De La Rosa, Hacker, Texeira

This will be the first time Brackman will be able to show the Yankees what he can do. He was rehabbing while in camp last season and never threw off the mound. Since being picked in the first round in 2007, he has thrown only 31.2 innings. Those came in the Hawaiian Winter League last fall.

“Today is a big day for me,” he said. “I just need to get out there and pitch.”

Brackman was 270 when he came to camp last year. He is 232 now.

charlie hayes

i will never forget hayes catching the final out in 1996...one of my best memories as a yankee fan...

Charles Dewayne Hayes (born May 23, 1965 in Hattiesburg, Mississippi) is a former third baseman in Major League Baseball who played for the San Francisco Giants (1988-1989, 1998-1999), Philadelphia Phillies (1989-1991, 1995), New York Yankees (1992, 1996-1997), Colorado Rockies (1993-1994), Pittsburgh Pirates (1996), Milwaukee Brewers (2000) and Houston Astros (2001). He batted and threw right-handed.

In a 14-season career, Hayes posted a .262 batting average with 144 home runs and 740 RBI in 1547 games played.

He caught the final out of the New York Yankees' 1996 World Series victory.

chris chambliss..

what a homerun that was in the alcs!!...
In the 1976 American League Championship Series, his first-pitch, walk off home run off Mark Littell of the Kansas City Royals gave the Yankees their first trip to the World Series since 1964.

"Mark Littell delivers . . . High drive hit to right-center field . . . It could be . . . it is . . . gone!" -- Keith Jackson, ABC-TV.

"Chris Chambliss has won the American League pennant for the New York Yankees. . . . A thrilling, dramatic game. . . . What a way for the American League season to end!" -- Howard Cosell, ABC-TV.

"My first thought was that I hit a home run. Then I realized it was the ninth inning, the game was over and we'd won the championship. Then I thought, 'Oh no, the people are on the field.' I was in the middle of a mass of people and when I fell to the ground, it was scary." -- Chambliss.

"I never felt like it was fun to celebrate that home run with the fans. They didn't belong on the field. I wanted to meet my teammates at home plate and I couldn't." -- Chris Chambliss.

bill dickey...

William Malcolm Dickey (June 5, 1907 – November 12, 1993) was a Major League Baseball player and manager. One of the most famous catchers in major league history, he played his entire career with the New York Yankees, with whom he appeared in eight World Series and won seven World Series championships.

Dickey was born in Bastrop, Louisiana. He broke into the majors in 1928 and played his first full season in 1929. It was his first of ten seasons out of eleven with a .300+ batting average. Although his offensive production was overshadowed by Yankees greats Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig and Joe DiMaggio, in the late 1930s Dickey posted some of the finest offensive seasons ever by a catcher, hitting over 20 home runs with 100 RBI in four consecutive seasons (1936 - 1939). His 1936 batting average of .362 is the highest single-season average ever recorded by a catcher (tied with Mike Piazza of L.A. Dodgers in 1997). Dickey was also noted for his ability to handle pitchers and his strong throwing arm. He was also known for his relentlessly competitive nature. In 1932. Dickey broke the jaw of an opposing player with one punch in a 1932 game after the man collided with him at home plate. Dickey received a 30-day suspension and $1,000 fine as punishment.

His mentor was Albert Edwin Dickey. Ed Dickey often sat in the dugout with Bill as his personal coach. It has been said that Ed lost his index finger in a bench clearing brawl when Ty Cobb bit his finger off at the knuckle.

In 1942, while still an active player, Dickey appeared as himself in the film The Pride of the Yankees, which starred Gary Cooper as the late Yankee captain and first baseman Lou Gehrig. Late in the movie, when Gehrig was fading due to the disease that would eventually take his life, a younger Yankee grumbled, in the locker room, "the old man on first needs crutches to get around!"--and Dickey, following the script, belted the younger player, after which he said the kid "talked out of turn."

Dickey had been regarded as Gehrig's best friend on the team, and while the title of Yankee captain remained officially vacant until it was awarded to Thurman Munson in 1976, Dickey was seen by many as the Yankees' new leader on the field.

After several seasons of offensive stagnation and time off during World War II, Dickey became the manager of the Yankees in middle of the 1946 season and led the team to 3rd place in the American League. He retired after the season, having compiled 202 home runs, 1209 RBI and a .313 batting average over his career.

In 1949, Dickey returned to the Yankees as a coach, as first base coach and as catching instructor, to aid Yogi Berra in playing the position. In his trademark fractured English, Berra said, "Bill Dickey is learning me all of his experiences." Already a good hitter, Berra became an excellent defensive catcher. With Berra having inherited his uniform number 8, Dickey wore number 33 until the 1960 season.

Dickey was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1954. In 1972, when Berra was elected to the Hall of Fame, the Yankees retired uniform number 8 for both men. On August 22, 1988, the Yankees honored both catchers with plaques to be hung in Monument Park at Yankee Stadium. Dickey's calls him "An elementary Yankee" who "is considered the greatest catcher of all time." This is in dispute, as there have been many fine catchers in baseball history (including, but not limited to, Berra, Johnny Bench and Roy Campanella). Like Berra, Dickey was named in 1999 to The Sporting News list of Baseball's Greatest Players, ranking number 57, trailing Bench (16), Josh Gibson (18), Berra (40) and Campanella (50) among catchers. Also like those catchers, Dickey was a nominee for the Major League Baseball All-Century Team, but the fan balloting chose Berra and Bench as the two catchers on the team.

Dickey is currently the only Yankee with a retired number not yet featured on the YES Network series Yankeeography.

In 2007, Dickey-Stephens Park opened in North Little Rock, Arkansas. The ballpark was named after Bill; his brother, former baseball player, Skeeter Dickey; and two famous Arkansas business men, Jack and Witt Stephens.

He died in Little Rock, Arkansas.

jimmy key..

he was money for the yanks in 1996 and 1997 playoffs

1996 ALDS NYY TEX W 1 1 3.60 0 0 0 0 5 5 2 1 3
ALCS NYY BAL W 1 1 2.25 1 0 0 0 8 3 2 1 5
WS NYY ATL W 2 2 3.97 1 1 0 0 11.1 15 5 5 1
1997 ALDS BAL SEA W 1 1 3.86 0 1 0 0 4.2 8 2 0 4
ALCS BAL CLE L 2 1 2.57 0 0 0 0 7 5 2 3 7


Key was one of the most popular Blue Jays until his departure in 1993 to play for the rival New York Yankees (signed as a free agent on December 10, 1992) and was paid US$16.8 million over four years. He posted a 49–23 record in 94 games over three seasons with the Yankees. He had his career high of 173 strikeouts in the first year with the Yankees in 1993, and he led the majors with 17 wins in the strike-shortened season of 1994. He continued to wear his number 22 with the Yankees.

He spent time with the Gulf Coast Yankees (1–0 and 0.00 ERA) and Tampa (0–0 and 2.77 ERA) of the Florida State League during rehab assignments during his last season with New York in 1996. In his final start as a Yankee, he outdueled Greg Maddux of the Atlanta Braves in the deciding game of the World Series

thurman munson should be in the hall of fame..carlton fisk and jim rice should not

another case of anti yankees bias...


Life and career

Born in Akron, Ohio to Darrell Vernon Munson and Ruth Myrna Smylie, Thurman grew up in nearby Canton. He graduated from Lehman High School in Canton, where he earned scholarship offers from various colleges due to his standout performances in football, basketball, as well as baseball. [1] Munson opted to attend nearby Kent State University on scholarship, where he was a teammate of pitcher and broadcaster Steve Stone. At Kent, Munson joined the Delta Upsilon fraternity. In September 1968 he married Diane Dominick at St. Paul's Parish, Canton.

In the summer of 1967, Munson joined the prestigious Cape Cod Baseball League leading his Chatham A's to their first ever league title. In the process Munson hit an amazing .420. To recognize this achievement and his subsequent MLB career, the Thurman Munson Batting award is given each season to the CCBL's best hitter.

Munson was selected by the Yankees with the fourth pick in the first round of the 1968 amateur draft. In the minor leagues, he caught for the Binghamton Triplets in their final (1968) season. He was named the American League Rookie of the Year in 1970 after batting .302 with seven home runs and 57 RBI, and making 80 assists. In 1976, he was voted the American League MVP after batting .302 with 17 home runs and 105 RBI, and stealing 14 bases. He is the only Yankee ever to win both the Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player awards.

An outstanding fielder, Munson made only one error while behind the plate in 1971 (he was knocked unconscious by a runner, dislodging the ball). He went on to win three straight Gold Glove Awards starting in 1973. A seven-time All-Star, Munson hit 113 home runs, batted in 701 runners, and had a career batting average of .292 over his 10-year career. He was also the first captain named by the Yankees since Lou Gehrig. Munson helped lead his team to three consecutive World Series (1976–78), where he batted a remarkable .373 overall (.339 in the American League Championship Series). From 1975-77, Munson hit .300 or better with 100 or more RBI each year, becoming the first catcher to accomplish the feat in three consecutive years since Yankee Hall of Famer Bill Dickey did it four straight seasons from 1936-39. Since Munson's run, Mike Piazza has also accomplished it (1996-98).

In the 1976 World Series, Munson batted .529 and collected six consecutive hits to tie a World Series record set by Goose Goslin of the Washington Senators in 1925, (also in a losing effort). After this hitting performance, which included a 4-for-4 night in the final game at Yankee Stadium, Reds manager Sparky Anderson was asked by a reporter to compare Munson with his catcher, Johnny Bench. Anderson's comment at the post-World Series press conference — "Don't ever embarrass nobody by comparing him to Johnny Bench" — may have been a tribute to his great player, but it angered Munson.[2]

Munson batted .320 with a home run in the 1977 World Series, in which the Yankees defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers four games to two. In Game 3 of the 1978 American League Championship Series, with the Yankees tied a game apiece with the Kansas City Royals and trailing 5-4 in the bottom of the eighth inning, he hit the longest home run of his career, a 475-foot (145 m) shot off Doug Bird over Yankee Stadium's Monument Park in left-center field, to give the Yankees a 6-5 win. They won the pennant the next day, and in the World Series against the Dodgers, Munson caught a pop-up by Ron Cey for the final out.

[edit] Death and legacy
Thurman Munson's number 15 was retired by the New York Yankees in 1979

Munson was frequently homesick, and took flying lessons so that he could fly home to his family in Canton on off-days[citation needed]. On August 2, 1979, he was practicing takeoffs and landings in his new Cessna Citation I/SP jet at the Akron-Canton Regional Airport. On the third touch-and-go, Munson failed to lower the flaps for landing and allowed the aircraft to sink too low before increasing engine power, causing the jet to clip a tree and fall short of the runway. The plane then hit a tree stump and burst into flames, killing Munson (who was trapped inside) and injuring two other companions, Jerry Hall and Jerry Anderson of Canton[3]. It is believed that the inability to get out of the plane, and the ensuing asphyxiation, is what killed Munson, rather than injuries sustained on impact or burns. Munson's friends in the aircraft survived the accident. He was 32 years old.[4] The crash was attributed to pilot error, according to the National Transportation Safety Board. [5]

Munson's sudden death was major news across the nation and especially within the baseball community. Munson was survived by his wife, Diana, and their three children. The day after his death, before the start of the Yankees' four-game set with the Baltimore Orioles in the Bronx, the Yankees paid tribute to their deceased captain in a pre-game ceremony during which the starters stood at their defensive positions, save for the catcher's box, which remained empty. At the conclusion of Robert Merrill's musical selection, the fans (announced attendance 51,151) burst into a 10-minute standing ovation.

Four days later, on August 6, the entire Yankee team attended his funeral in Canton, Ohio. Lou Piniella and Bobby Murcer, who were Munson's best friends as well as teammates, gave eulogies. That night (in front of a national viewing audience on ABC's Monday Night Baseball) the Yankees beat the Orioles 5-4 in New York, with Murcer driving in all five runs with a three-run home run in the seventh inning and a two-run single in the bottom of the ninth.[6]

On August 1, 1980, the day before the one year anniversary of the accident, the Yankees filed a $4.5 million lawsuit against Cessna Aircraft Co. and Flight Safety International, Inc. (the company who was training Munson to fly) with team spokesman John J. McCarty saying "we asked for $4.5 million because that is what Munson would be worth if the Yankees traded him"[7].

Immediately following Munson's death, Yankee owner George Steinbrenner announced that his uniform number 15 was being retired. On September 20, 1980, a plaque was dedicated in Munson's memory and placed in Monument Park. The plaque bears excerpts from an inscription composed by Steinbrenner and flashed on the Stadium scoreboard the day after his death:
“ Our captain and leader has not left us, today, tomorrow, this year, next ... Our endeavors will reflect our love and admiration for him. ”


To this day, despite a packed clubhouse, an empty locker next to current Yankee team captain Derek Jeter's, with Munson's number 15 on it, remains as a tribute to the Yankees' lost catcher. The original locker that Munson used, along with a bronzed set of his catching equipment, was donated to the Baseball Hall of Fame (Munson himself is not in the Hall, generally considered by most sportswriters to be a "borderline" candidate at best due to the brevity of his career). His number 15 is also displayed on the center field wall at Thurman Munson Stadium, a minor-league ballpark in Canton. Munson is buried at Canton's Sunset Hills Burial Park. In January of 2008 Munson's youngest son, Michael, opened a baseball-themed sports bar in Canton called Munson's Home Plate Sports Pub. The pub is decorated in baseball memorabilia and photographs from throughout Munson's career.

Thurman is one of three Yankees who died in aviation accidents, including pitchers Jim Hardin in 1991 and Cory Lidle in 2006.

dandy andy

NEW YORK -- Andy Pettitte never needed to hear the offers that might have awaited him in free agency. He had decided that by the time winter turned to spring, he would have somehow wound up back with the Yankees.

It took longer than expected, but Pettitte has finally crossed the finish line. The veteran left-hander agreed Monday to a one-year, $5.5 million contract with the Yankees, with incentives that could push the total value of the deal to $12 million.

"There was no other team ever brought into the equation," Pettitte said. "My mind never changed. I wanted to come back to the Yankees, and in my mind, I was going to be back."

Discussions between Pettitte's representatives and general manager Brian Cashman had continued for weeks, with both sides insistent that they wanted to work out a deal. But, as Cashman said at one point, it had grown more complicated.

"Andy said every step of the way that he wanted to be a Yankee," Cashman said. "I remember him telling me at one point in this process, 'Cash, if you guys want me back, we will find a way to get this thing done.' He honored that."

While the negotiations were described as cordial, the two sides had one major stumbling block to get past. The 36-year-old's agents, Randy and Alan Hendricks, advised Pettitte that the Yankees' initial offer -- one year at $10.5 million -- represented too large of a pay cut it represents from the $16 million he earned in each of the last two seasons.

Pettitte said that he believed Cashman's word that the Yankees wanted him back, and once he had decided to pitch in November, he decided that it would only be for the Yankees.

He did check in with Joe Torre at one point about possible relocation out west, but even the Dodgers manager expected Pettitte would eventually hammer something out in New York.

"I felt quite sure that one way or the other, we were going to get something worked out," Pettitte said. "I'd be lying if I didn't say, 'Heck, is this going to ever get done?' It was taking so long. I was very impatient, and it tried my patience. But I just trusted that things would work out."

Though Randy Hendricks said that he was certain Pettitte could have found more money in free agency, he was tethered to his client's wishes of pitching for only the Yankees. Pettitte isn't thrilled about the pay cut, but the end destination is what he was more concerned with.

"I guess it does take a shot at your pride a little bit," Pettitte said. "But when you put all that aside, I wanted to play for the New York Yankees. That was the bottom line. I wanted to be there and play in that new stadium."

The Yankees remained unwilling to budge from the neighborhood of their original offer, exhibiting tight wallets in harsh contrast to the $423.5 million in combined commitments that wooed CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett and Mark Teixeira.

Hot Stove
After the Yankees inked Teixeira to an eight-year, $180 million deal two days before Christmas, even Pettitte began to wonder if there would be anything left in the organization's coffers for him.

Had Pettitte not agreed to get creative with the structure of his deal, there might not have been. After completing business at the Winter Meetings in Las Vegas, Cashman met with Pettitte face-to-face in Houston on Dec. 11, a detour that set the negotiations back on track.

There, Pettitte informed Cashman that he had "absolutely no problem" with the idea of an incentive-based contract, a concept that the Steinbrenners signed off on. With less than three weeks remaining before Yankees pitchers and catchers report to Tampa, Fla., Hendricks called Pettitte and informed him that the club had made its last offer.

"I think Cash and I both knew that if we don't get it done now, we'll probably never get it done, and time will pass this by," Hendricks said. "We just made a committed effort to roll up our sleeves and put a pencil to everything."

Pettitte said that, having heard the final parameters, his response did not require much thought.

"We were at the end of the line and I needed to make a decision," Pettitte said. "I'm extremely happy to be coming back."

Hendricks was asked if his camp had any regrets in not taking the original flat offer of $10.5 million, which would have represented a $5.5 million cut. Instead, Pettitte is taking a gamble by decreasing his base pay by $10.5 million.

"I think time will tell," Hendricks said. "If in fact Andy does in 2009 what he's done before, he'll actually make more money, so in that case we'll have no regrets. If things go wrong, we might be in a position to say we should have taken the left fork in the road."

If Pettitte remains healthy and performs to caliber, an increase should be reachable. Last season, Pettitte was 14-14 with a 4.54 ERA in 33 starts last season and has logged at least 200 innings in four straight seasons.

But he was hampered by a shoulder injury that forced him to falter down the stretch last year, going 2-7 with a 6.23 ERA over his last 11 starts. The Yankees ordered a medical exam on Pettitte late in September and were pleasantly surprised when it came back clean, with only rest needed to restore Pettitte's strength.

Pettitte slots in as the likely fourth starter in a rotation that will be headlined by Sabathia and Burnett. Chien-Ming Wang is expected to serve as the No. 3 starter, coming back from his season-ending foot injury, and Joba Chamberlain rounds out the rotation as the No. 5 starter.

"I'm very excited about it," Pettitte said. "With every signing that we did, for me, it was, 'OK, I'm coming back. I want to be part of this.' I just think that we're going to have an unbelievable staff."

hector lopez..

Héctor Headley López Swainson

(born July 9, 1929 (possibly April 8, 1932) in Colón, Panama) is a former left fielder and third baseman in Major League Baseball who played for the Kansas City Athletics and New York Yankees from 1955 to 1966.[1] He is notable as the first black manager at the AAA baseball level, as the third outfielder on the Maris/Mantle Yankees, and as the Kansas City Athletics franchise hitting streak record holder. López was on World Series Championship teams for the Yankees in 1961 and 1962. In various seasons, he finished among the top 10 American League hitters in hits, runs batted in, runs scored, doubles, triples, slugging percentage, sacrifice flies, sacrifice hits, games played, times hit by pitch and at bats. He was also known for his hustle and his clutch hitting.

López was the second Panamanian-born major league baseball player and continues to be one of the country's most revered world champion athletes. Although Humberto Robinson (102 games played/5 seasons) debuted in the major leagues 22 days earlier than López, López (1,450 games played/12 seasons) was the first of the 49 major leaguers born in Panama to have an extensive career.[3] He was the first Panamanian-born major leaguer to finish in the top 10 in any official statistical category (sacrifice hits, 1956); first to lead his league in any official statistic (sacrifice flies, 1958); first to play in the World Series (with the 1960 Yankees); and the first to win a World Championship (with the 1961 Yankees).

He was an infielder for the Athletics, and later was often the third outfielder on the Maris/Mantle Yankees of the early and mid-1960s. López had his most successful season in 1959, but continued to contribute effectively during the early 60s during their pennant successes. The utility player divided his career almost equally between infield and outfield positions. After retiring from baseball, he went on to become a groundbreaking manager in minor league baseball as the first to break the baseball color line as a black manager at the AAA level for the Buffalo Bisons and then served in various international managerial and coaching positions.

robbie cano....don'tcha know!

January 26, 2009

Maybe Robinson Cano's 2008 struggles were the best thing to happen to the 26-year-old second baseman.

Cano's bat heated up with the weather again last season, but not enough after he hit a woeful .151 in April. He ended the season at a pedestrian .271 with 14 home runs and 72 RBIs.

Cano played winter ball in the Dominican Republic, his home country, and he will play on their World Baseball Classic team.

"It's motivation for me this year," Cano told MLB.com. "Now I know I have to start from the beginning this year, in April, not in June. I have to start early now."

Most would consider that common sense, but with the way Cano was performing in the dog days of summer it was tough to complain about his work ethic. In December, The Post's Joel Sherman spoke with a scout who had watched Cano play in the Dominican Republic and was impressed with his performance.

"Cano looked good," the scout said. "He is playing for the worst team in the (Dominican) league, but his at-bats looked like the old Robinson Cano Robinson Cano to me. He was swinging the bat with authority."

Though Cano's numbers did improve as the major-league season progressed last season, it was nowhere near the production he put forward in the first three years of his career. Cano hit .301 after July, August and September in 2008, compared to a career .330 average during those three months in his first three seasons. Cano's off-year led to speculation he might be traded this offseason.

"I heard a lot of rumors, but I never pay attention," Cano said. "I've been through that the last four years, every year they say I'm going to get traded. If it happens, I have to keep playing."

andy carey

Andy Carey is one of the least-remembered regulars on the great New York Yankees teams of the 1950's that often won the World Series. Carey was the regular third baseman from 1954-58. He led the American League with 11 triples in 1955. The Yankees won the World Series four times while he was with them.

He closed out his major league career with the 1962 Los Angeles Dodgers who won 102 games.

Gil McDougald was the third baseman when Carey came up, but by 1954 Gil had moved over to second base to accomidate Carey.

He married actress Lucy Marlow in 1955. His hobby was photography. After baseball he went into the brokerage business in California. Source: Glamor Girl Lucy Marlow.
[edit] Notable Achievements

* AL Triples Leader (1955)
* Won two World Series with the New York Yankees (1956 and 1958)

tom tresh...

Tom Tresh: What Might Have Been
The Yankees' Switch Hitter Was Similar to His Idol, Mickey Mantle.

© Harold Friend

Jan 17, 2008
After winning the 1962 Rookie of the Year Award, it was expected that Tresh would join the other Yankees greats. It was not to be.

Tom Tresh batted .315 at Richmond, the top Yankees’ farm team, in 1961. He became a Yankee in 1962 and after hitting .286 with 20 home runs and 93 RBIs, the Yankees’ switch hitting shortstop won the Rookie of the Year Award. At the age of twenty-five, it was expected that he would go on to be one of the all time great Yankees, but that didn’t happen.
World Series Hero

Tresh took over for Tony Kubek at shortstop in 1962 because Tony had to serve in the army. When Tony returned at the end of the season, Tresh moved to left field and helped to defeat the Giants in the 1962 World Series by hitting a three run home run to win pivotal Game 5 and making a great catch of a wind blown Willie McCovey line drive to preserve a 1 run Yankees’ lead in Game 7.
Sub-Par Seasons

But Tresh would match his rookie year in only one other season. His home run total increased to 25 in his 1963, but his RBI total dropped to 71 and he hit only .269 as an outfielder, since Kubek returned from the army. In 1964, Tom’s batting average dipped to .246 with only 16 home runs. He made a comeback in 1965, hitting .279 with 26 home runs, but the Yankees had been sold to CBS and they entered the Mike Burke era of disingenuousness. Burke was in charge when the Yankees traded Roger Maris to the Cardinals for Charlie Smith and Clete Boyer to the Braves for Bill Robinson. He kept telling the fans that they were important, but he really meant that their money was what was important.
The Yankees Finished Tenth

In 1966 the Yankees finished last in the ten team American League. Tresh hit .233 with 27 home runs. Some attributed his poor season to the fact that he tried to play third base for ten weeks but he followed his .233 with seasons in which he hit .219, .195, and .182 before he was traded to the Tigers on June 14, 1969.
Tresh's Bad Right Knee

Part of the problem was that Tresh had a bad right knee. Tresh hurt the knee when he made a quick stop and throw and caught his right knee in the grass along the left field foul line in a 1967 exhibition game. Tresh said that “It felt like the bottom part of the leg had separated from the top part.” There was cartilage damage and the knee was never the same.
Mantle Was His Idol

It is ironic that Tresh suffered similar injuries as his idol, Mickey Mantle. Both were switch-hitting shortstops who were moved to the outfield and whose careers were affected by knee problems. When Mickey retired, Tresh was affected greatly, not knowing that he too would soon no longer be playing for the Yankees. In March, when it was apparent that Mickey would not play, Tresh told reporters that “I don’t think anybody misses Mickey right now because we haven’t seen him in five months. But in a couple of months, that’s when it’ll sink in. I know it will for me. Mickey’s locker is next to mine at the Stadium. After every game, I’d go and get a beer for both of us and we’d sit and discuss the game. And I used to ride up to the ballpark with Mickey when we stayed at the same hotel. I’ll miss him as a friend.” Three months later, Tresh was traded to the Tigers for Ron Woods. He retired after the season.

ed figueroa

in 1978 easy ed had an era of 2.99 and was the first puerto rican pitcher to win 20 games...
* 15 Wins Seasons: 4 (1975-1978)
* 20 Wins Seasons: 1 (1978)
* 200 Innings Pitched Seasons: 4 (1975-1978)
* Won two World Series with the New York Yankees (1977 & 1978; he did not play in the 1977 World Series)

on todd drew's passing

todd was a fellow yankee blogger and an excellent writer...if you love or have loved baseball you need to read this,his last column...

Baseball and Me

By Todd Drew

I went to a baseball game after my father’s funeral. I also went to one after finding out about my mother’s brain cancer.

It was selfish and heartless. I felt guilty before and embarrassed after, but for nine innings I felt only the game. That’s the way it’s always been between baseball and me.

It was my friend when I didn’t have any others. And it has always been there to talk or listen or simply to watch.

Baseball helps me forget and it makes me remember. That’s why it was exactly what I needed on the worst days of my life.

But there were no games when a doctor told me that I had cancer. The neighborhood was out of baseball on that cold November day. No one was playing at Franz Sigel Park or John Mullaly Park. And there wasn’t even a game of catch in Joyce Kilmer Park. The last game at the old Yankee Stadium was long gone and Opening Day at the new Yankee Stadium was long off.

So I went home and wished for one of those summer days when I was a kid and my mother would send me to the ballpark with a paper sack stuffed with her famous tuna-fish sandwiches. That was back when you could slip through a delivery gate with the beer kegs and watch batting practice. And it was always okay to come home late with a beat-up scorecard and popcorn stuck between your teeth.

The doctor told me that tomorrow’s surgery and chemotherapy treatment might keep me in the hospital for 10 days.

“At least it’s December,” I said. “There aren’t any ballgames to miss.”

And I will be ready to slip through a delivery gate with the beer kegs when the new Yankee Stadium opens. I’ll watch batting practice with one of my mother’s famous tuna-fish sandwiches and come home late with a beat-up scorecard and popcorn stuck between my teeth.

Cancer can’t change the way it will always be between baseball and me.

trades....

keep swisher and nady, the yanks need gamers,guys that get dirty, start or come off the bench,play hard and stay fairly healthy
these guys do that.

managers cards...

always a little disappointed when one of the cards from the pack was a manager...unless it was the yanks...you felt like he was your manager as well...
click title above to go to a cool card site...
below is a 1967 ralph houk...topps # 468