Do you care about Big Papi? I certainly don't. I view the man as a selfish player, a guy that skated most of his Red Sox career under the cloud of PEDs. In short, I guess he kisses the right ass. Who really knows...
Now, I'm not sure how I missed this, but I did, and I wanted to bring it to your attention now at least so you can get as annoyed as I am.
Bleacher Report did a Big Papi All-Star Team of his era. You read that correctly... they actually took the time to ask Ortiz who he would put on his 'All-Star' team. Here's the Tweet:
I know, I threw up in my mouth too. He forgot to add Bud Selig as his commissioner... you know, the one who protected him all these years.
Any, I found the whole exercise to be ridiculous. Never mind the fact that he didn't choose his friend Alex Rodriguez. But the bigger question is why? Why should anyone care about this? NJ.com even expanded on it...
"Here's what the Red Sox star said about his Yankee picks:
Cano: "I thought Chuck Knoblauch was the one player who I thought
was going to dominate that position for a long time. But once you got
to see [Dustin] Pedroia and Robinson Cano play, they took that position
to another level. Looking at Cano, you're looking at a third baseman
playing second base with good range. He makes everything look like he's
not even trying."
Jeter: "The Captain was a champ. He was the guy you want to play
for your team at shortstop for the next 20 years. He had consistency
over the years. He may go down as the best shortstop of all time because
he won so many championships. Winner, winner, chicken dinner. That's
what it's about. To compete against Jeter was incredible. I played
against him tons of times. It was a competition. You wanted to beat him,
but you enjoyed watching him do his thing. There was respect."
Rivera: "He had one pitch [his cut fastball]. You knew it was coming, but it didn't make a difference."
Interestingly, Ortiz didn't select Alex Rodriguez at
either position that the the three-time AL MVP won the award at:
Shortstop or third base. While Jeter's longevity at the position makes
sense as the reason to pick him, Ortiz did admit that A-Rod was the
better player at shortstop before making the position switch when
landing in New York in 2004."
I also find it unbelievable that Papi picks Can over his own teammate Dustin Pedroia. Everyone knows that's wrong.
But let's be honest, this isn't Ortiz thinking hard and long about who should play were... this is Papi choosing his friends and once again getting unneeded press. Either I'm in the minority here... or this guy is a big teddy bear. Who knows, I just can't understand it.
Whatever the case, I missed it, I'm sorry... but now you see it. Carry on.
The fact that Chuck Knoblauch can make news for tweeting that Andy Pettitte took HGH, and taking a shot against him is mind-boggling to me. It must really be a slow, cold, nasty winter, because we're just hanging onto anything these days, aren't we? Look, there's a few things I need to get off my chest, and I'm not gonna take a lot of time about all this because the reality is, I don't get it, I don't care much about it. What I do understand is jealousy, sour grapes and making mistakes, and trust me, we have all made them in our lives. So, me telling you what's right from wrong isn't what the point of this article is. The point of this article is to merely say that honesty is part of what this "feud" is about. The other part is reputation. Once you figure that out, you can move on, not only from this ridiculous story, but in life.
Let me first state that I have zero hate toward Chuck Knoblauch. On a personal level with me, he's been nothing but courteous. We don't hang out. We don't take walks together or play golf or none of that. We talk on Twitter and he supports the BYB brand. That's it. I also know that Chuck has had his problems and it's been documented. I don't hate, so I'm not about to dive in to his life. It's not my place... it's also not my business.
Congrats to 46. Yankees retiring his number. Hopefully they don't retire it like his HGH testimony.
— Chuck Knoblauch (@chuckknoblauch) February 16, 2015
What Chuck Knoblauch said about Andy Pettitte on Twitter was an unnecessary cheap shot. That's my opinion. It was low and it was stupid. But guess what else it was... It was also honest.
Andy is a top notch athlete with a crap load of drive and determination and was a fierce competitor on the mound for the New York Yankees. He was our go-to guy for years and won 5 rings in his Yankee journey. I love the guy. I'm a fan, huge fan. And guess what else happened... He's also dabbled in HGH.
We were all there front and center when he admitted it at his press conference. Andy says he made a mistake and we never heard about him involved in it again. It was hard to see him have to admit that, and it was devastating to us when we heard it was true. It almost didn't make sense to many of us. But it was also very honest and soon after, he was back and pitching again. What I've seen between fans and Chuck Knoblauch the past 24 hours sickens me. I don't get it and I may never get it. Chuck made a statement, a dumb, but honest one from his own perspective, and he had to know he was about to get dragged into a hornet's nest... or maybe he didn't. But what Chuck said was very unpopular to many fans. Why? Well, because in our forum of public opinion, we appear to be more disappointed in the way Chuck has handled his life any Andy has in his. After all, Andy Pettitte apologized for what he did wrong and was forgiven. Maybe it was him being part of the Core Four that helped that along, who knows, but I'd like to think that we appreciated his honesty and sincerity and decided to move on.
For Chuck Knoblauch, well, it's much different. He came off as Sour Grapes, and with all that Chuck's been dealing with on a personal level, well, instead of his honesty about Andy being accepted, it's trashed, mainly because of his recent track record. I mean, I understand it, but I just didn't expect the backlash Chuck got the past few days. We could have ignored it, I mean, who cares? We didn't though... many fans went for the throat. Look, honesty can be a very hard pill to swallow. But reputation is very key as well. I've told you this story before, but it's worth repeating again. After a full night of partying in the city, a friend of mine and I came back home around 6am to my parents house. We were still buzzed and I was in college at the time. I walked in the door with my buddy Dan, only to see my tired father in his work suit standing in the kitchen. He was up all night waiting for me to get home safe. He sat my friend and I down and said this: “You can be a champion all your life, but
you miss 1 commitment, you lose trust in 1 person… and the rest of your life,
you lose.” That was it. He got up and went to work. It was about reputation and trust, and it's always stuck with me. If you looked at that sentence, it applies to both Chuck and Andy, but here's the difference that I guess fans are seeing; Andy apologized and worked toward a solution of success. Chuck's struggled, and so, in the end, fans don't appreciate Chuck's negative words toward Andy... they reject them, probably because he doesn't lead by example.
Now look, I'm not here to judge anyone. I'm just trying to understand it all. Life ain't always easy, but when you know you can better yourself, my advice is to do it, because when you're thrown into the forum of public opinion and you DON'T do it, you won't be looked at fondly... you may in fact be looked at rather ugly... Enjoy your Tuesday... keep it clean today. You've made BYB the fastest growing Yankees fan site in history. Now shop at the Bleeding Yankee Blue store!
Follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and LIKE Bleeding Yankee Blue on Facebook! Also, don't forget to check out the BYB Hub!
Once again this season, Yankee fans will have a chance to watch a pregame ceremony honoring a former Pinstriped Champion. Last season the Bronx was buzzing for Goose, Mr. T, Tino and Paulie. In the summer of 2015 we will have a chance to see our beloved “Lefty” enshrined in Monument Park as the Yanks retire number 46.
I am and always will be a big fan of Andy Pettitte. His trademark stare, eyes peering in just under the bill of his cap and above his glove said it all. He was a big game horse and could flat out deal. He is always one of the good guys in the sport. I had the chance to meet and talk with Andy and his wife a few years ago. What struck me first was the size of the guy. I am 6 foot 2 and he seemed to tower over me. What I noticed next was his “regular guy” demeanor. The three of us talked about baseball, vacation spots and movies. The Pettittes seemed like old friends. I had to stop for a second and realize that I was actually talking with one of my favorite players.
I was happy to hear the Bombers were going to hang up 46. I think he deserves it. He was a homegrown member of the Core 4. Yep, it bothered me to learn that Andy had used PEDs, but I’ll admit I instantly forgave him when he came clean about it.
It wasn’t a Ryan Braun or…what’s the other guy’s name? He plays for the Yankees…big guy…has a painting of himself as a Minotaur hanging in his home…no? Can’t place him?
It’ll come to me...
Anyway, I am happy for Andy, and although I am sure he won’t reach Cooperstown because of the HGH, I think Monument Park is a great place to put his plaque.
The thing that shocked me was seeing former Pettitte teammate Chuck Knoblauch taking to twitter to take a swipe and Andy.
Congrats to 46. Yankees retiring his number. Hopefully they don't retire it like his HGH testimony.
— Chuck Knoblauch (@chuckknoblauch) February 16, 2015
Apparently Chucky is not happy with the decision to retire Lefty’s number. I liked Knobby. He was also connected to PEDs and his departure from New York wasn’t nearly as grand as his arrival was, but he was good when he was here…despite that bonehead play against the Tribe and ’98…and the throwing issues.
Why take a shot at Pettitte now? What does it earn him? He comes off looking small and bitter. If his beef was that the Yankees are retiring too many numbers…well, he wouldn’t be wrong. They are. They have plans to retire Jeter there's a report that says Bernie and Jorge will be retired this season, read HERE. All of these guys deserve to be honored in my opinion; I just wish I didn’t feel it was the organization trying to bring out the fans tugging the heartstrings of yesteryear. They have to put a product on the field first, and then they can worry about who will and who will not get there day in the Park. But that’s a topic for another time. Chuck Knoblauch was a World Champion in New York. He played on one of the greatest teams ever to play the game in 1998. He hasn’t had much to brag about since, so why snipe at Andy?
Look, I think if I were Andy Pettitte I’d say something. I’d wait until Michael Kay finally gave up the mic to me at the podium and after a rousing speech thanking the Yanks, teammates, family, the fans and the Big Man Upstairs…I say, “And here’s to Chuck Knoblauch. He couldn’t be here today because he is at home, in his basement, fighting his person war with twitter muscles. I wish him the best.”
But we all know that’s not Andy. He is, was and always will be a class act. And this summer he will take his place among the greatest ever to wear the Pinstripes.
The Yankees are often referred to as the most storied sports franchise in history. They are definitely the most well-known and the one with the longest history of success. There are many moments in its history that defined the organization, flashpoints that many of us – both young and old – remember with fondness and excitement.
We decided that it would be worth taking a stroll down memory lane, and pick out some of the greatest moments in Yankees history. One thing is for sure – you are going to think we missed a few. That is one of the problems with going through such an exercise with such a wildly successful team – there are too many great moments. So, this is our view of the 12 greatest moments in Yankees history. We presented 12-7 to you in our last segment, and here is the top six.
6. Derek Jeter’s Last Game at Yankee Stadium
How can we not include this in our top 12? Is there anyone else in recent memory who had more flair for the dramatic than Derek Jeter did? He has been the iconic rally starter, the one guy you want at the plate when the game was on the line. He is sixth on the all-time list and leads the franchise in total hits with 3465. He has been in the middle of practically every major comeback the Yankees ever needed. Okay, I might be exaggerating a little. Nevertheless, it was only fitting that his last at-bat at Yankees Stadium with the game tied in the bottom of the ninth and a man on second. Seriously, did you think he WOULDN’T get a hit? It was an epic moment to cap off an epic career.
5. Chris Chambliss’ Walkoff Home Run, 1976 A.L. Championship
It was the first time the Yankees had made the playoffs in a dozen years. It was a back-and-forth battle for the entire 5-game series with the Royals. Just when the Yankees seemed to be on the brink of winning, George Brett hit a 3-run home run to tie it in the eighth. Chris Chambliss was on fire for the series, coming to the plate in the bottom of the ninth batting a solid .500. If it was me, I would have pitched around a .500 hitter. Instead, he got a fastball just over belt-high, and the rest is history.
4. The Thurman Munson Memorial Game
If you were a Yankee fan in 1979, there are two dates you will never forget. August 2 was the day we lost our Captain, Thurman Munson, to a tragic plane accident. The other was August 6, the day the Yankees buried the Captain, and went out and won one of the most dramatic games that I can remember. My memory of the game was that the announcers kept going back to stories about Munson. By the 6th inning, the Yankees were down 4-0 against the eventual American League Champion Baltimore Orioles, who had a tremendous team. In the bottom of the 7th, Bobby Murcer hit a 3-run home run on a line drive over the right field wall to bring the Yankees within one. Then, in heroic fashion, Murcer came up again in the bottom of the ninth to hit a walk off base hit and win the game. We didn’t win any championships that year, but this was a game that was deeply emotional for the Yankees and for the fans.
3. The 2001 World Series Walk-off Wins
A walk-off hit is always great. A walk-off hit in the World Series is epic. A walk-off hit in the World Series on consecutive nights is historic. The 2001 Yankees may not have been the greatest team in franchise history, but they were scrappy and they knew how to claw for a win. After dropping the first two in Arizona, they won the third game 2-1 in a hard-fought battle. Game 4 had the Diamondbacks up 3-1 in the bottom of the ninth with two outs when Tino Martinez hit a home run to tie it. In the bottom of the 10th, Mr. November – Derek Jeter – hit a homer over the right field wall to send the Stadium into hysteria and the Series into a 2-2 tie. The very next night, with the Yankees down 2-0 with 2 outs in the ninth, Scott Brosius hit a shot over the left field wall that sent the game into extras. In the 12th inning, with Chuck Knoblauch on second, Alfonso Soriano hit a base hit to right field to bring in the winning run.
2. The Night Louisiana Lightning Struck
Ron Guidry was having a tremendous season, and at that point in the season, he was 10-0. Looking for his 11th consecutive win, they were playing the California Angels. I remember this game quite well, as it was on a weekend and my dad let me stay up late to watch it with him. The Yankees jumped out to an early lead, but it was not the score that mattered. Batter after batter, Guidry was striking them out at a record pace. Every strikeout put up a new graphic with the strikeout count. When he passed the franchise record (it was 13 prior to the game), then the march began toward the MLB record. It was 19 at the time, and three pitchers had reached that pinnacle (Nolan Ryan, Steve Carlton, and Tom Seaver). He almost reached it, and even though there was a small sense of disappointment, we still follow the tradition established that night - standing up and cheering whenever one of our guys gets two strikes on a batter.
1. The Purchase of Babe Ruth’s Contract
Babe Ruth was the greatest hitter who ever lived, and who can argue that his joining the Yankees was probably the biggest contributor to the Yankees’ legacy. Following the 1919 season, the Red Sox owner ran into some financial pressure, and sold Ruth’s contract to the Yankees for $100,000. Aside from the Curse of the Bambino, this set off a chain of events that would establish the Yankees legacy of winning for decades later. Ruth’s manager in Boston was a man named Ed Barrow, who was quite bitter at losing Ruth. A year later, he joined the Yankees as the general manager, rejoining the phenom that he helped convert from pitcher to hitter. He quickly bought out contracts of strong players, brought them to the Yankees, and started the streak of World Series wins in the 1920’s. Barrow also brought over a man named Paul Krichell, who served as a coach and talent scout under him. Many consider Paul Krichell to be the greatest baseball scout who ever lived. His discoveries include Lou Gehrig, Tony Lazzeri, Phil Rizzuto, and Whitey Ford. When you think about the Yankees’ dominance from the 20’s through the early 60’s, a large part of it came from this.
So there you have it. I am sure there are some moments or accomplishments that you think should have been on the list. I will not argue with you – the Yankees make it tough to narrow down this kind of list. Nevertheless, I hope you enjoyed the trip down memory lane!
The Minnesota Twins have inducted Chuck Knoblauch into the Twins Hall of Fame. Good for him.
According to Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com, "The four-time All-Star and 1991 American League Rookie of the Year is
set to become the 27th member of the Twins Hall of Fame on Aug. 23,
when he is inducted during a special on-field pregame ceremony before
the Twins host the Detroit Tigers at Target Field.
It will mark Knoblauch's first return to the Twin Cities since his playing career ended in 2002...
'I am humbled and honored with the news of my election to the Minnesota
Twins Hall of Fame,' Knoblauch said. 'Thank you to the members of voting
committee -- especially the Twins Hall of Famers and Twins fans
everywhere -- for this unbelievable recognition. It was a privilege to
be part of the Twins' organization, and I'm incredibly grateful for the
opportunity the Pohlad family, Andy MacPhail, Terry Ryan, Tom Kelly and
so many others provided me. The time I spent in Minnesota will always
hold a special place in my heart, and my family and I are excited about
returning to the Twin Cities for the induction ceremony.'"
Good for Chuck.
As you know here, Chuck Knoblauch is part of the Bleeding Yankee Blue family as well. You can read a great interview with him... click EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: CHUCK KNOBLAUCH.
Maybe one day the Yankees will have Chuck Knoblauch back to Yankee stadium. I mean, he was part of some really terrific Yankee Championships in the past. To my knowledge, Knoblauch has never attended an Old Timers game in Yankee Stadium... It try and confirm that... and if I'm right, I'll try and get to the bottom of it for ya'll.
In the meantime, Congrats to Chuck, you had a great career and you deserve that honor.
Thank you to all the Bleeding Yankee Blue readers for continued
success. You've made BYB the fastest growing Yankees fan site in the
history of Yankees fandom. Thanks for reading, sharing and enjoying.
Follow me on Twitter@BleednYankeeBlu and join the group Bleeding Yankee Blue (Official) on Facebook, just type it in.
I got an email the other day and it was important. It was from an old friend, Luigi Squeegee, the author of the book Clubhouse Confidential and the former bat boy of the New York Yankees. Luigi supported Bleeding Yankee Blue back when it was literally 4 of us, and we always stayed in touch. But under the circumstances of Alex Rodriguez and he being a former bat boy in the clubhouse... I knew this message was different.
You see, Luigi is a father like me. We've talked alot about how our kids see these big baseball heroes doing big things and now, all of them are under the cloud of suspicion, all because a group of individuals over the years decided that cheating and using PEDs was the way to go.
In short, it's out of control and for Squeegee, a guy that stood in the same clubhouse with the likes of ARod, Derek Jeter, Roger Clemens and Chuck Knoblauch, it was clear... he had enough.
So I did my best prep work for an interview that needed to be done, but Squeegee was so fired up, I scratched my questions and let him go. This ladies and gentlemen is real. You want to talk about frustration as a parent who doesn't know how to explain PEDs and cheating to their son or daughter? You want to talk about the loss of integrity in this great game because of liars and cheaters in baseball? Squeegee had plenty to say about it. And before you think he irrelevant, understand this; Luigi Squeegee saw more stuff going on in that clubhouse than anyone I know. Now sure, I'm not about to taint the Yankees, I love my team. The point is, he knows things and he's frustrated all these years later with Alex Rodriguez and his steroids charade. So here's what Squeegee told me in his own words... and he's sharing it with my Bleeding Yankee Blue audience... Enjoy this, I did:
Luigi Squeegee: "I left the Yankees in 2005. Steroids in baseball were going on then and today, all these years later, it is all people talk about. No longer do people talk about just going to a game with their mother and father. Instead, they talk about who's using and who isn't. It's a terrible message these cheaters are sending and steroid use is slowly becoming a virus. It's disappointing."
BYB: This is clearly driven by you being a parent. You're pretty angry...
Luigi Squeegee:"Of course! I was in Yankees Spring Training sitting with guys like Derek Jeter watching Congress question Rafael Palmeiro and all those guys. I was 18 years old, a bat boy for the Yankees and I was skinny and I was thinking to myself then, how can I get big? Is this the way?"
BYB: Right, because you're seeing players getting bigger, but denying their usage.
Luigi Squeegee:"Yup and all these years later, those players have all used even though they denied it. Look, I have kids and they look up to guys like Derek Jeter. But they also looked up to ARod and Big Papi and when they see those players, they says
to me, 'those guys hit the ball far!' When they're on the field, my kids just want to hit it as far as them... when they can't, so they get upset. So I ask you, when my kids are old enough and they're in the same situation, are they gonna think about wanting to use? You see what I mean?"
BYB: I hear you. And when a player is playing well, my son will say, 'He's great... is he on drugs?'
Luigi Squeegee:"Right! Look at Ryan Braun. I
thought he was totally honest with me and America and he lied to my face and I'll never trust him again. I know I've made mistakes, but I admitted to my mistakes in my book. These people still deny."
BYB: I know, but Braun's disappeared now to serve his 65 games and he'll come back and continue racking up his numbers like nothing happened.
Luigi Squeegee: "And then you have all these players that play the game clean and now they are either accused or become frustrated because they can't compete with the cheaters.
Look at a guy like Enrique Wilson. He didn't make a lot of money but he was able to crush a guy like Pedro Martinez. He did it clean. People forget what baseball is all about. It's not about the mansions and the private jets, that's the wrong message. It's about loving the game. Baseball is no longer loved, it's tainted." BYB: Did you see physically see PEDs in the Yankee clubhouse?
Luigi Squeegee: "No... but I saw the size of these guys and how they got bigger from year to year, and even teams and owners know it's happening. Look at a guy like Jason Giambi.
He got real big in Oakland, but the Yankees still signed the guy. He ended up admitting to using something, but he's 41 years old and he's still playing. It's crazy to think about this, and this is where I defend ARod and the ONLY time I do; There are several guys that had admitted using and nothing happens to them. Like Andy Pettitte for example. Meanwhile, ARod gets 162 games. There were others, why just him? Major League Baseball needs to go after everyone equally. See, this is what I'm talking
about. Everyone is focused on steroids for over a decade and it's sending
the wrong message to our youth."
BYB: Yeah, Alex is the big fish. What was he like when you were the bat boy in 2004 and 2005?
Luigi Squeegee: "He's selfish. I wrote about it in my book! I remember in Spring Training 2004, I was assigned to be his personal assistant. But he didn't want the Yankees to give him an assistant. He wanted his own and he was trying to get the Yankees to give him someone from the Texas Rangers. The Yankees refused and so they eventually agreed on another guy. It was just this thing about him, he usually did things alone. You wouldn't see him and Jeter hanging out other than a "Hi". Same with Ruben Sierra, they weren't "friends", just teammates. ARod did hang out with Robinson Cano or Melky Cabrera or Luis Sojo a bit. But even in the plane, I remember we were flying home and Ruben (Sierra) and I were watching a movie and ARod was alone asking, 'Hey, what are you guys watching?' Always alone.
The worst though had to be in 2004. I remember we lost to the Red Sox. Alex was sitting in his locker wearing his pinstriped pants and his blue Yankee shirt... and he's smoking a cigar talking to reporters. WE JUST LOST TO THE SOX! I will never forget that. And now, years later he's banned for PEDs for the whole 2014 season."
BYB:I can tell you're pissed...
Luigi Squeegee: "That's because it's taking over baseball. I used to be known as the bat boy of the World Champion Yankees. Now I'm known at the bay boy of the steroid era. People have recognized me from my book Clubhouse Confidential and said to me, 'the Yankees cheated when you were with them.' I hate hearing that."
BYB: But what's the solution?
Luigi Squeegee: "One failed test and you're out of baseball. If you're going to cheat, you're going to cheat again. I'd rather you're banned from the game if you fail a test 1 time."
BYB: And what's your message to Alex Rodriguez?
Luigi Squeegee: "Just admit to what you did! That's my piece of advice. Alex, you’re already suspended so just come out an admit you cheated like you did back in 2009. Apologize... and maybe America will forgive you. Maybe God didn't actually put you on this earth to hit 800 home runs. Maybe God put you here to fix this wrong. You could actually be the baseball player that fixed the steroid era. You still can make a change. Maybe you can come out and educate kids on the dangers of PEDs. Maybe this is what God sent you here to do... Save baseball."
That's real. That's a conversation between 2 dads. I particularly like his closing quote to Alex. Fix the wrong, admit it. Educate kids. I like that.
More importantly, it is what Luigi is doing for kids that I also found very noble and I spoke to him about that too. Squeegee started a foundation called Squeegee’s Childrens Literacy Foundation. It's a not for profit foundation geared toward educating kids on the importance of education and reading. We have part 2 of our interview with Luigi coming soon. Look for it here on BYB.
Thank you to all the Bleeding Yankee Blue readers for continued
success. You've made BYB the fasted growing Yankees fan site in the
history of Yankees fandom. Thanks for reading, sharing and enjoying.
Follow me on Twitter@BleednYankeeBlu and join the group Bleeding Yankee Blue (Official) on Facebook, just type it in.
Sometimes you make decisions that make you cringe later. Decisions that leave you with deep regrets for the rest of your life. The second worst baseball decision I ever made was in July of 1999. My brother Steve and I were planning on going to a Yankee game with our wives, and it was a weird situation where the Yankees were playing two different teams on Saturday and Sunday. It went something like this – “Do you want to see the Yankees play the Braves or the Expos?” “The Expos? Who wants to see Expos?!? Let’s go to the Braves game”. It was a great game. I remember Pettitte pitched a gem, and we watched Bernie Williams and Chuck Knoblauch hit home runs in our general direction. The problem? On Sunday July 18, 1999, David Cone cemented his legendary status as a pitcher and as a Yankee, as he took the mound and threw a perfect game against the Montreal Expos.
You cannot see me now, but I am gritting my teeth and clenching my fists as I recall this. The worst decision, by the way, took place in September of 1993 when I changed my mind at the last minute about going to the game because of a heat warning. However, I will save that story for the Jim Abbott article. No, I’m not kidding.
The truth is that David Cone was already a legend with the team, having been a part of the run from 1995 to his perfect game and beyond to the 2000 postseason. He was the second piece of the starting rotation puzzle that the Yankees put together after a few dreadful years in the early 1990’s. The Yankees had signed Jimmy Key and they started to build around him. David Cone, who led the National League in strikeouts in 1990 and 1991, earned a World Series win in 1992 and a Cy Young Award in 1994, was a winner who would prove to be instrumental in the Yankees success in the late 1990’s. When Jimmy Key went down with an injury in 1995, David Cone inherited the ace role and was part of that late-season drive to an improbable playoff spot, having won eight of his last ten decisions and finishing the season at 18-8.
In 1996, tragedy struck as doctors found an aneurysm in his arm and he missed most of the season. As the Yankees started to falter in August, David rose to the occasion, coming back much sooner than expected. In his return game against the Oakland Athletics, he threw seven hitless innings for the win. In the process, he re-ignited the Yankees and got them to the playoffs. I will never forget Game 3 of that World Series.
With the Yankees down two games to none, and with the Braves having loaded the bases and Javy Lopez ready to give them the lead in the bottom of the sixth, Joe Torre comes out of the dugout. Famously, Joe put up his hands and the dialog was short and to the point. “Can you get him out?” “Yes I can!” That is what you expect from your leaders, your heroes. He had derailed the Atlanta Braves locomotive, and the Yankees went on to win the Series in six games.
He stayed with the Yankees through the 2000 season, and the fans’ love of Coney never abated. He was able to do some TV commercials, and he was hysterical. His competition with Orlando Hernandez’ El Duque dance move on an Adidas commercial, where a patron caught him trying a move that looked like a pitcher’s windup, showcased his sense of humor. In one of the funniest commercials I have ever seen (again for Adidas), he was with the ANSKY guys (remember them?) where they helped Cone rest his arm by doing everything for him that required the use of his hand. The look on his face when he came out of the men’s room after one of the guys apparently had “helped him” so he wouldn’t have to use his hand was priceless! We looked everywhere on YouTube for it, we couldn't find it, but here are the ANKSY guys:
David Cone is one of those rare finds among players. He is a man who can play at the highest levels and succeed. He is a man who can call a great game and give deep analysis into what a pitcher is thinking during a game. He is a man who has a great personality and sense of humor, who can be trusted to represent the organization. Personally, I am glad we found him.
OK... you read and voted; we listened and now we are
reporting back to you!
After we posted WHO'S THE BEST YANKEE LEAD-OFF GUY? last week, we welcomed your comments and
opened up a poll.We received 74 votes total
over the week and here’s what you said, loud and clear:
By the way, Shout
out to @pelavery18 for pointing out an oversight- Chuck Knoblauch received
fourteen write-in votes because we never put him in the poll. Hey, it happens, we're human. Luckily for us, many of you pointed it out and sent in emails.
@suzieprof Some quick calculations, looks like .365 out of leadoff spot in 2,448 PAs 1998-2001
— Patrick Lavery (@pelavery18) June 28, 2013
To Patrick and the rest of you
Knoblauch fans:You are right; he should
have been included.He added some spark
when we needed it at the top of the lineup and he set us up for some really
important wins, jump starting the 90s championship years.
Picking up Knobby from the Twins, Chuck
scored over 240 runs during his first two years with us.His career average .289 and OBP of .378 made
him a natural choice for lead-off.By
the way, we at Bleeding Yankee Blue wish Chuck Knoblauch a Happy 45th
birthday on July 7th!
Today, we have that kind of spark
again with Brett Gardner at the top of the order.With Robinson Cano so hot lately, I would personally
like to see Gardy get on base some more so we can jack up the runs and win more
ball games; the same way Knobby got us going in the late 90s.
Thank you to everyone who voted and
gave some input.As always, we
appreciate our fans and welcome your comments!
