YANKEE FANS KNOW THAT FEELING OF "BELIEVING" VERY WELL

Pete Alonso of the Mets couldn't hit himself out of a paper bag for weeks.  So you knew it was only a matter of time for him to get a big hit in a big moment last night... and good for him.

For me, I'm not a Mets fan. I don't have any feeling for them good or bad. For me, they are just the Mets.  That's how it's been for a long, long time.  When Derek Jeter made that remark about the team recently, it just made sense for me. They ARE just the Mets. I don't particularly root for them, I don't boo them... I just watch them.  And that's about it.  

Last night, I was leaning Brewers just because of the fact that I long for the 80's, the Robin Yount, Gorman Thomas, Paul Molitor days. It was nostalgic for me. Plus, my kid's a Christian Yelich fan so it just made sense.  But to be honest, I went to bed not really caring who won, but I do have to say, it was a good game.

But the moment that Alonso had made us all bring us to those great moments in baseball. It is what makes baseball truly great. A home run when a team needed it most, the moment, the feeling, the triumph, the defeat on the other side. It was baseball at its best.  Happily, as Yankee fans, we have had many of those and they all made us feel incredible... especially during big games.

CBS News writes:

"At least we didn't get swept."

Jim Leyritz remembers saying that out loud when the Yankees' sixth-inning rally in Game 4 of the 1996 World Series still left them trailing 6-3, only nine outs away from going down three games to one to the Atlanta Braves....Two innings later, Leyritz changed Yankees' fortunes and pinstriped history with one swing, a game-tying, three-run home run off Braves closer Mark Wohlers. The Bombers would go on to win the game in extra innings, tying the series."

And how about the true team effort of Yankees in 2001 when the Yanks needed them most. Cronkite News writes:

"Those three nights included President George W. Bush delivering a perfect strike for the first pitch before Game 3, Tino Martinez and Scott Brosius hitting two-run home runs in the 9th inning off Diamondbacks closer Byung-Hyun Kim in back-to-back games, Derek Jeter walking off Game 4 in the 12th, earning his title Mr. November, and the rookie Alfonso Soriano delivering a walk-off hit in Game 5 for the 3-2 New York series lead over Arizona."

The home runs when we need them most is vital to the fabric of the game of baseball and so great for the true baseball fan.  Last night was fantastic for Mets fans. It was important for Alonso, and we all felt it for a few minutes.  Life for the true Met fan was glorious.   But what happens next...

While the big home run is incredible, it depends on WHEN it takes place.  As all Yankee fans know, losing the 2001 World Series was a heartbreaker. The Yankee homers came at the right time and in bunches... but it wasn't enough.  In fact, a bigger moment came for the Diamondbacks against the greatest closer of all time when Luis Gonzalez hit that blooper to win the game.  Another moment in time that for the true baseball historian is just incredible.  For the Yankee fan, it was gut wrenching.  

For Leyritz, he would have several of those home run moments. The one in 1995 against the Mariners was incredible, but we didn't win that series.  Obviously 1998 Scott Brosius was on fire against the Padres, and in that World Series those moments were significant, we WON that.  But again... it's WHEN these moments happen that allow teams and their fans to truly love and appreciate being a fan.

 

Pete Alonso did something great last night. It should not be dismissed. But the Phillies are no slouch. The big question for the Mets is can the use that momentum to keep going, or was the highlight, as great as it was, only be a highlight that sits on a shelf, like Aaron Boone's homer against the Red Sox.  Something that we recall, but years later doesn't mean much.   It's a question every team clawing toward the World Series needs to think about.

I love big moments in baseball... we've had plenty as Yankee fans.  But it's how a team keeps going that is vital for the makeup of that team and what truly makes them a champion.  Mets fans are happy today. I respect that.  What I don't respect is the trash talk, rudeness, slapping down of Phillies fans before they even show up.   You are only as good as the game you played. When a new day comes, a new game comes.  The Phillies are not about the roll over. Mets fans need to take the homer, praise Pete, applaud the team, but then reset.  

Oh... and stop praising Grimace.  How about you root for your team instead of rooting for a false vibe?  That's the problem with Mets fans... they don't "believe in their team"... they believe in something fabricated to help them through the brutal fandom they've dealt with all these years.  That's no way to be a fan.

Big baseball weekend coming.  Go Yanks!  Let's get some.  Oh... and to the Mets, the Phillies... good luck.

A YANKEES WINTER IS COMING...

Yep, it's an overly done and now dated cliche' "Game of Throne" reference.  I'm just now binge watching... so cut me a break. 

Years ago I wrote a post for BYB where I described walking the cold, gray streets of Manhattan a week after the holidays had officially ended. Trudging lonely sidewalks and passing the dead, discarded Christmas trees. There was just a heavy sense of sadness. Well damn it if I don't feel that way again... AND IT'S NOT EVEN THANKSGIVING YET!!

The Yankee offseason feels like those lonely, cheerless streets of the Big Apple post-12 Days of Christmas. The skeleton Christmas trees symbolizing the Dynasty Years. A time when being a New York Yankee was on every player's wish list...EVEN YOU, VLAD JR!! Ya mutt.

Now it doesn't feel that way, does it? It seems the Yankees have finally put on the leather jacket, trunks and water-skis and JUMPED THE SHARK! (cliche' #2 for ya'll). 

We will most likely lose Aaron Judge to a west coast team willing to pay him. Do I think he take the money over the pinstripe glory? YUP! I think he wants every nickel. I think he is done with Cashman and Co. I think he KNOWS this ship was built with a hole in it.  And, most importantly, I think he symbolizes the new feeling about the Bronx Bombers... they ain't the place to be anymore.

Once that happens the rest will follow suit. Even Anthony "Guys don't stay in the same place anymore" Rizzo is outta here. Why? Aaron Judge pulls a lot more weight in that current clubhouse than Jeter, Paulie, Mo, Andy, Jorge...or whatever Throwback Honoree they can roll out to make us remember when the Boss was at the helm and the Bronx was Burning with excitement.

The best thing about being a Yankee Fan in the George Days was that the team may have been business like - short haircut, no facial hair, no alternate uniforms, etc... BUT there was a PUNK ROCK heart.

The Boss didn't give a rat's ass what the world thought. He went out to get everything and everyone he could... the YANKEES were the F&^#*? YANKEES!!  Now it's... the Corporate Clown Show with his own son Hal as the ring leader. 

It sucks... We are Starbucks. We are a chain restaurant like Outback Steakhouse. Sure, there's steak and a bloomin' onion to hold you over, but it ain't the Old Homestead over on the westside is it?

We are in for a long, cold, joyless haul, gang. The team will try to re-sell Boone and Cashman's plan...peppered with things like Jim "THE KING" Leyritz Day ...but it won't take. They'll push HERE COMES VOLPE...but it'll be a while before we can see if AV is anything like DJ.

No, we're screwed. The bill for seemingly automatic, endless post season appearances built on the Stick Michael Model as come due. Our Fall from Grace with God (of baseball) will be violent and swift. Is it the post Mickey Mantle 1960s bad? No, it'll be worse.

I'm sorry to dump this one on ya, I really am. I could be wrong! I have been (Greg Bird) and will be again. But my gut says batten down the hatches, all hands to their stations, trim the main sail... the black clouds come rolling, weather charging like a nightmare...and it will be. We ain't the place to be anymore, folks.

Fall From Grace may have been a better title than the cliche' crap I chose. I'll let Shane O and the lad redeem me...

 

--Mike O'Hara

BYB Contributor

Twitter: @mikeyoh21

BYB EXCLUSIVE: BRYAN HOCH, AUTHOR OF "THE BABY BOMBERS"

With every year Bleeding Yankee Blue is on this planet, we meet new and exciting people.  I've spoken fondly of the journalists that I grew up reading that I am now friends with.  Pete Caldera being one of them.  I've chatted with Yankees present and past and we as a unit here at BYB have met some amazing readers and fans as well.  It's been an incredible journey.

Recently I reached out to Yankees Beat writer Bryan Hoch.  We admire him here at BYB. We follow each other on Twitter, and... as nutty as it sounds... we read each other's stuff.  Yup, a Yankees Beat writer reads BYB.  Who would have thunk it... but it's true.  Bryan Hoch, a well established sports writer has an open mind, and while he rubs elbows with Yankees every day, even he enjoys the pages of BYB.  How flattering.

Hoch has a new book which will be released the beginning of March.  But he was nice enough to give us some time here at BYB and answer some of our questions.  We are happy to share  our interview with Hoch, and promote his upcoming book, The Baby Bombers.  Be sure to check it out. I loved this chat and I hope you do too.

BYB: You have been the guy that Yankee fans and baseball fans alike will come to when there's important news about our Bombers. How did you score the gig as Yankees beat writer for MLB.com in 2007, and is it everything you hoped it would be?

Bryan Hoch: Thank you very much! It has been a dream job. Long story short, I always loved baseball and writing, and was able to merge them into a career. I was freelancing for MLB.com in the mid-2000s, covering the Mets, Yankees and the road teams that came into New York. While covering the 2006 Winter Meetings, I heard that the Yankees beat was about to have an opening – Mark Feinsand, who is now back with MLB.com as my teammate, was leaving for a newspaper gig. I made sure that everyone knew that I would be extremely interested in taking that spot. They called me just after Christmas with an offer, and this is true: I accepted before even asking what the position would pay!

(Oct. 7, 2017 - Source: Mike Stobe/Getty Images North America)

BYB: You've seen the Yankees as a much older than they are today. What was the feeling in that clubhouse this season with guys like Judge, Sanchez, Clint Frazier and Luis Severino? What's the energy like?

Bryan Hoch: It was a fun group to be around, and I think that showed on the field. What you saw in the dugout with the thumbs-down and the Toe-Night Show stuff was the same kind of vibe we were seeing in the clubhouse. It's the Yankees, so there was a certain responsible atmosphere that still needed to be in place, but there was a much more youthful vibe. They laugh with each other and they pull for each other. Winning breeds that atmosphere, but so does the fact that many of them came through the system together. It was one of the more positive teams I've experienced.

Photo: SNY

BYB: I see a lot of similarities between Derek Jeter and Greg Bird with the way Bird speaks to the press. Who do you find to be the easiest to talk to in the clubhouse and the most accessible in the new Yankee clubhouse? How about when the Core Four was there... and why?

Bryan Hoch: Hmm. A few weeks before Joe Girardi said it in that press conference, I remember listening to Aaron Judge and thinking, "Wow, he's Jeter."

Not in physical stature or on the field, of course, but in terms of that cadence and thoughtful nature. Jeter played his entire career in New York without embarrassing himself and I won't be surprised if Judge does too. It's hard to pick just one for easiest, so I'll mention Brett Gardner and CC Sabathia since they've been around the longest. As far as the Core Four, I'll tell you a quick story. Sometime around 2012, the Yankees are in Kansas City and Mariano Rivera calls me over to his locker. Someone had told Mo that I had been dating the same girl for four years and didn't seem particularly close to popping the question.

Photo: New York Daily News

For 10 to 15 minutes, Mariano counseled me one-on-one about the importance of marriage and settling down. I've never forgotten that chat. And yes, we did eventually get married … we have a beautiful 1 ½ year old daughter (and another baby on the way this summer!).

BYB: Did you ever meet George Steinbrenner? If so, tell the BYB audience about the man.

Photo: New York Daily News

Bryan Hoch: Yes, but only briefly. By the time I came on the beat in 2007, Steinbrenner was already letting the young elephants into the tent, so I've dealt much more with his children – Hal, Hank, Jennifer and Jessica. They take a lot of pride in running the Yankees as a family business. I marvel at the stories that the newspaper writers from the 1970s and 1980s can tell about The Boss in his prime, and I can't imagine the stress those guys were under. It was an era without cell phones, so you'd leave a message for Steinbrenner first thing in the morning and then wait by that phone all day. You never knew what Steinbrenner was going to say, but if he called back, you'd better not miss it. That was your back page, and sometimes the front!

Photo: Newsday

BYB: This Spring Training is gearing up to be a bit of a circus with Giancarlo Stanton coming to the Yanks. You have the inside scoop about a lot of thing when it comes to Yankee rumors. If I would have told you last year that the Yanks would be getting Stanton, would you have believed me? 

Bryan Hoch: Nope. I'm not sure I would have believed you if you told me that a week before the trade. I didn't expect him to play for the Marlins in 2018, but for all the world, it looked like he was going to the Cardinals or the Giants. There was a point in time when even Brian Cashman thought that it wasn't going to happen. I wrote an offseason preview where I listed Stanton to the Yankees as a long-shot blockbuster deal that could happen, but no, I didn't expect to be covering that press conference in December. And let's all remember – Jim Leyritz broke the news on Twitter!

BYB: OK, I know you gotta work with all these baseball insiders, and I know you read BYB a lot and know how much I hate the term 'baseball insider". Tell me, who's one of your favorite insiders.

Bryan Hoch: Just one? People should understand the long hours those guys put in. If you ever get a chance, walk through the lobby at the GM Meetings or the Winter Meetings, those events where all 30 teams are in the same hotel. I guarantee that if you go through there at 2 a.m., the national guys like Ken Rosenthal, Jon Heyman, Tom Verducci and Joel Sherman are working the room, hammering away on their cell phones, breaking news. Sometimes I wonder if they sleep at all.

BYB: When you look at Yankee players these days, have you ever seen a guy like Judge in your lifetime watching this game? If so, who?

Bryan Hoch: In a Yankees uniform? I guess Dave Winfield would be the closest comparison, because he was a multi-sport athlete who played right field, but I think Judge's power already exceeds that – and I don't think Winfield would disagree. Around the majors, Stanton is the obvious choice. On the day Judge was drafted, he mentioned that Stanton was someone he modeled his game after. It's going to be a lot of fun to see them hit in the same lineup.

BYB: Growing up, was sports writing always a passion? Tell us about your journey.

Bryan Hoch: Absolutely. As I mentioned earlier, I loved baseball from a very young age, and also had interest in journalism. I can remember working up a newspaper for my fourth-grade class, not because anyone asked me to, but because I wanted to see if I could. Along those lines, in 1996 I launched what you'd today know as a fan blog. It was a Web site devoted to my favorite team at the time, the Mets, and it gained a fairly large following. Remember, this is the Wild West dial-up days of the Web; there wasn't even a Mets.com until 1999. That helped me get an internship with the Mets in 2000, right out of high school. Once I walked behind the scenes at a big league ballpark, I never wanted that door to close.

BYB: What's more fun, cover the Mets or Yanks? And why

Bryan Hoch: The great thing about New York baseball is that people care about both teams, and you know that your stories are going to be read. I made some great memories at Shea Stadium; I ran on the field as a photographer after they clinched the pennant in 2000, was there for Mike Piazza's homer after 9/11, the Game 7 vs. the Cardinals in 2006 (happiest, and saddest, I ever saw that ballpark), rubbed shoulders with Hall of Famers and legends. That said, I always thought there was something special about being in the press box at the old Yankee Stadium. Here's a story. My seat was next to the exit, so when there were two outs in the ninth inning, Bob Sheppard would stand right next to me – book in hand, ready to dash to the elevator. If the batter got on and the game continued, he'd sigh and walk back to the booth. "Catcher, Ken-ji Joh-ji-ma." Then Sheppard would be next to me again. Once that final out went on the board, I'd hear the opening bars of "New York, New York," then look to my right. He'd be gone.

BYB: What's the best quality about a pitcher like Sonny Gray?

Bryan Hoch: I guess I'd say that he's a battle-tested innings-eater who has shown flashes of brilliance. There was a lot of talk that the Yankees had picked up an ace; that wasn't exactly true. He was the A's ace, and he was pitching like one right before the trade, but most would agree that Gray is a solid No. 2 starter or a very good No. 3. Either way, his contract situation made that a smart move for Brian Cashman. Gray wasn't picked up just for 2017, but for '18 and '19 too.

BYB: The Yankees acquired QB Russell Wilson from the Rangers. It seemed to come out of nowhere? What’s your take on this move? Be honest.

Bryan Hoch: It should be a fun distraction for Spring Training. To me, it's no different than when the Yankees have had Nick Saban or Jason Garrett talk to teams in the spring. Wilson has played on the biggest stages in sports, and I'm sure there are valuable experiences in preparation or training that he can share. My understanding is that Wilson will be in uniform during games and workouts, but they aren't promising him much (if any) playing time. If he gets a few ninth-inning at-bats or plays an inning in the field, I don't see the harm. I mean, 60-year-old Billy Crystal got an at-bat once. The franchise survived.

Photo: SI.com

BYB: Looking at the 2009 season, it was a team where everything clicked. After seeing our season last year... what can you tell our audience about this upcoming season? What do you see as the Yankees strengths and weaknesses in 2018?

Bryan Hoch: I think there's a very good chance that we look back at the '17 Yankees as the weakest roster of the next five years or so, which is saying something. They're going to score a ton of runs as long as they can keep Judge, Stanton, Sanchez, Bird, Gregorius and Gardner reasonably healthy, and I won't be surprised if Torres and Andujar play a big role. The starting pitching has plenty of question marks, but that's not uncommon, and the bullpen is elite again. How often are they going to be asking guys to go seven or eight innings with that 'pen? I'd expect a lot of home runs, some quick hooks and a heavy workload for the relief crew.

BYB: OK. Free plug about your new book, The Baby Bombers. Why will people want to read your book?

Bryan Hoch: Thank you. I hope they will! The concept was pitched to me shortly after the Home Run Derby as a Judge biography, but over the next few weeks, I realized there was a deeper story to tell. The best way to describe "The Baby Bombers" is that it traces how the Derek Jeter Yankees successfully transitioned into the Aaron Judge Yankees, with many details that have not been reported previously. Who were the Yankees after the 'Core Four?' And how does a large-market team respond after years of missing the playoffs with an aging, expensive roster? To answer those questions and more, I spoke to many people both inside and outside the organization -- players, front-office executives, scouts, coaches, former players and other personnel. It also digs into the current roster. We go back to college with Judge, high school with Bird, the academies of the Dominican with Sanchez and Severino. Whether you're a casual Yankees fan or you watch every game, I wanted this to bring readers behind the scenes into the clubhouse and the front office to see how a Major League Baseball team operates in today's game. More than anything, I believe readers should come away with an understanding of how special this group could be.

BYB: Finally, so you read Bleeding Yankee Blue? What do you think?

Bryan Hoch: I do! I try to read everything out there as much as possible, and I've found that fan blogs like BYB are a great window into what Yankees fans are thinking at any given time. I love the passion and authenticity. You can tell that these are the die-hards whose evening revolves around nine innings, 162 games a year. As someone who landed on the Web in similar fashion, writing about something I loved without the expectation of making a dime, I completely understand and respect that dedication!

I want to thank Hoch for being a stand up guy and taking the time out of his incredibly busy schedule to answer some questions for the BYB audience.  Hope you all will check out Bryan's new book, The Baby Bombers, out officially March 6th, but you can pre-order on Amazon now.  CLICK HERE.

JETER'S MARLINS TRADE ANOTHER

Source: Norm Hall/Getty Images North America

And it's not Christian Yelich, but I gotta tell ya, if I'm him, I ask them to ship me out of Miami A.S.A.P.

The Marlins are stripping the franchise down to the studs, and when I say "studs", it's not the baseball term you're thinking of.  I mean they are stripping this team down to nothing, and then start building back up. 

(July 20, 2017 - Source: Joe Robbins/Getty Images North America)

And again, If I'm Yelich... if I'm Bour, I'm asking to be next, because you don't wanna be on that Marlins team right now... it's a loser.

Marcell Ozuna was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals today.  Another major piece gone, and Miami fans can be up in arms about it, and they should be.  ESPN writes:

Photo: Getty Images

"The disbandment of the Miami Marlins roster continues, as the team has traded All-Star left fielder Marcell Ozuna to the St. Louis Cardinals, a source confirmed to ESPN on Wednesday.

(Photo courtesy of Baseball America) 

The deal, first reported by SiriusXM, is pending a physical. It is unclear what the Marlins are getting in return, but right-handed pitching prospect Sandy Alcantara will be included in the deal, according to multiple reports."

Jeter and the rest of that Marlins team have a plan, and they don't care if they're hated.  Can they turn it around? I'm gonna say no.  Or, better yet... I'm gonna say not for a long, long time.  You need star power to build around, and they just don't have that anymore.

More soon... according to Jim Leyritz...

Rumor;;Look for Yankees to maybe have another deal with Marlins for a possible prospect or two for Blash. Or possibly some negotiable terms with Japan

— Jim Leyritz (@therealjleyritz) December 13, 2017

Nice Jim.

We will stay tuned.


EXTENDED: 35% OFF Green Week Sale at SteinerSports.com! Use code GM35 through midnight 12/13 to save on full-priced items!

1995

(GREG REEKIE/AFP/Getty Images) 

In 2007 I was given a great birthday gift by my then girlfriend/ now wife.  She got me two tickets to see the New York Giants play the New England Patriots at the old Giants Stadium.  It was cold as hell that night, but the electricity in the building kept the Big Blue Faithful warm.  The Football Giants took it on the chin that night by a small 3 point margin.  The amazing thing about the game was that EVERY New York Fan left the Meadowlands that night happy and truly excited.  I spoke to a handful of perfect strangers as we slogged out of the stadium.  We were in agreement.  That game brought the Giants to the next level.  

Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images

We all knew that if Big Blue saw the Pats again they'd knock those Massholes on their asses....ladies and gentlemen...THE 2007 NFL CHAMPION NEW YORK GIANTS!

As a Yankee fan that game in 07 reminded me of a feeling I hadn't felt since 1995.  Back then, as a student at Syracuse University, I saw the Bombers lose to the Mariners in a game for the ages...I wasn't sad, I was elated! 

Photo: Society for American Baseball 

The Yankees WOULD be back.  And, like Steve Austin, they'd be better, faster, stronger than they ever were before.  The kids (known now as the immortal Core 4) were progressing quicker than anyone could have foreseen.  The Bronx was back.  I couldn't wait for pitcher and catchers to report.  The league was on notice, whether they wanted to admit it or not.

Photo: New York Daily News

The other night, after Game 7 concluded, I had that old feeling again.  The Yankees were in a "Building Year" according to the experts like Olney and Heyman (By the way, can we take the "baseball insider", expert label away from those two knuckleheads?)  Bird, Judge, Sanchez, Sevy, Didi...they don't listen to experts.  They don't hear Joe Buck or John "I NEVER beat the Yankees" Smoltz.  These Yankees just play baseball...and they play it without fear.

Sure, they Yankees aren't going on to LA.  They lost to a really good team with 101 wins.  But the Yankees aren't heading home in shame, they are reloading for 2018. 

Photo: Getty Images

They have what they need and will add pieces.  Yankee fans, feel good.  Shake this one off.  The Baby Bombers have arrived....I absolutely guarantee it.  It's like 1995 again. 

Photo of Jimmy Leyritz

The Yankees are coming and coming faster than Baseball thought.  The league will watch the Astro and Dodgers and wonder what that rumbling is in the distance.  It's the coming storm of a team that is loaded and hungry. 

Photo: Getty Images

TIME TO FEED THE BABY BOMBERS.

** This was on EVERY pregame mix tape I'd ever made.  It is the song for the 2018 New York Yankees.  The Stadium will rock!  The Bombers will attack next season with a blood lust for the W!  I'm telling you.  Enjoy the off season!

 
  --Mike O'Hara
BYB Contributor
Follow me on Twitter: @mikeyoh21

LOVING WADE BOGGS

Every Yankees fan alive in 1996 will forever remember the Yankees first World Series win in almost two decades. Many will remember Jim Leyritz’s huge game tying home run in Game 4 in Atlanta. Many remember John Wetteland jumping into Joe Girardi’s arms following the final out.
 

But everyone surely remembers Wade Boggs riding on the back of the police horse as they did a victory lap around the perimeter of Yankee Stadium after he earned his much deserved, and only, World Series ring.

The YES Network and one of BYB’s favorites, Nancy Newman, recently did a story on Wade Boggs for Yankees Magazine and what he is currently up to with his life as part of their year-long 20th anniversary of the 1996 Championship.



Boggs is the baseball coach at Wharton High School in Tampa, Florida. As he said in the YES Network piece, he joined the coaching staff in 2002, leaving his job as the Tampa Bay Rays hitting coach, when his son entered high school and loved it so much he never left.

But what stands out to us Yankees fans is the undeniable contribution he had on the 1996 World Series team, and the years prior to that, as the Yankees went from bottom dwellers to champions.

We all know that Wade Boggs signed with the Yankees prior to the 1993 season after playing for the arch rival Boston Red Sox from 1982-1992. The Red Sox are honoring Boggs this summer by retiring his number, just the tenth number to be retired in Red Sox history. But don’t worry Wade, we don’t hold being on the Red Sox against you. You deserve the honor of having your number forever retired.

While with the Yankees, Boggs was one of the cornerstones of the lineup. While he never hit for a lot of power, Boggs was a hits and on base machine. He batted .311 with a .383 OBP during the Championship season and finished his career with .328 average and a .415 OBP while joining the exclusive 3,000 hit club. During his tenure with the Yankees, Boggs also won two gold gloves and made a diving stab I’ll always remember seeing in person during Jim Abbott’s no-hitter, keeping the no-no intact.

Beyond what he did on the field, one of his greatest attributes was what he did in the clubhouse. Boggs was revered for his leadership qualities and his approach at the plate was an everyday lesson for the younger Yankees as they began their climb to greatness. Boggs was named to his 12th-straight All-Star Game in 1996 as well.

I remember Boggs for his great, patience at-bats and terrific defense over the years. I was just a youngster when Boggs was with the Yankees, but as a fellow lefty, I always admired his ability to go deep into counts and hit the ball the other way. He and Tony Gwynn are two of the hitters that I remember being very controlled and simple with their approach. Boggs is a player you should want to emulate your game after.

Who knows if the Yankees would have achieved their late 1990’s success if it weren’t for Boggs being a clubhouse leader from 1993-1997. Luckily we never have to ask that question. Boggs was a great Yankee, a great Red Sox player and I’m sure a great baseball coach.

If it weren’t for him, Paul O’Neill, David Cone and the other vets, the Yankees may never have developed the team, from the clubhouse to the field, that won them four World Series Championships over just six seasons.

Wade Boggs was truly one of the great players and baseball people of his generation and watching him win the World Series while in pinstripes in something none of us will ever forget.



 --Dan Lucia
BYB Senior Writer
Twitter: @DManLucia


   




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