THE 20th ANNIVERSARY OF A BITTERSWEET SEASON

It is hard to believe that it has been 20 years since the most recent Yankees dynasty began its incredible ride. The 1994 season was the first season for the Yankees in recent memory when they finished first in their division after a terrible stretch of years where they struggled even to be competitive.

Buck Showalter, in the third season of his tenure as the Yankees manager, was finally realizing success with his rebuilding efforts with the Yankees. Working with GM Gene Michael, they traded for talent like Paul O'Neill and Jim Abbott the year before. They acquired veteran talent like Jimmy Key, Wade Boggs, and Steve Howe through free agency. They also recognized the value in their farm system, developing rookies like Bernie Williams, Scott Kamieniecki, and Gerald Williams.

Jimmy Key was the outstanding ace of the pitching rotation. Through 113 games, he posted a record of 17-4 with a 3.27 ERA. He came in second in the Cy Young voting, and sixth in the A.L. MVP voting. He had 18 quality starts out of 25. He was the most significant contributor to the success of this team.

Paul O’Neill, at age 31, provided the most firepower from the lineup. He led the league with a .359 batting average. He led the team in home runs (21), RBI (83), and tied for the lead in runs scored with Danny Tartabull (68). The team had five everyday players hitting .300 or better, which included Paul O’Neill, Wade Boggs (.342), Don Mattingly (.304), Luis Polonia (.311), and Mike Stanley (.300). All this helped the team come in first in the league in OPS (.836) and second in the league in runs scored (670) and batting average (.290).

It is hard to appreciate, in retrospect, how much excitement this team generated for the fans. New York Yankees baseball had fallen into major disrepute, and the fans stopped coming to the games. Through the second week of August, Yankee Stadium attendance was just less than 1.7 million. To put that in context, this year Yankee Stadium attendance passed 1.7 million in attendance on July 2. Nevertheless, this was the first time that the Yankees would finish first in the division for the first time in 14 years. It was only the second time in those 14 years that they finished with a W/L percentage above .600.

There was also heartbreak that year. In spite of their success, the season tragically ended on August 11 due to the baseball players’ union strike. Compounding the tragedy was the fact that for the first time in a long time, the Yankees were legitimate contenders. They had a division lead of 6.5 games, and were a virtual lock for the playoffs. The AL West leading Texas Rangers were 10 games below .500. Hard to believe, but true. The expected wildcard would have been the Cleveland Indians, against whom the Yankees had swept all nine games. They were 2-4 against the AL Central leading Chicago White Sox, but they had only faced the Jimmy Key once (which the Yankees won) and they drew the bottom of the rotation in both series. A World Series was within their grasp.

As I said earlier, it is hard to believe that it has been 20 years since the recent magic started. Despite the strike and the frustration, they proved to themselves and to the world that they had a strong team and they could win. They would eventually win it all in 2 years, and would start the storybook dynasty of the late 90’s. Good times.

--Ike Dimitriadis, BYB Senior Staff Writer
Twitter: @KingAgamemnon
My blog is: Shots from Murderer's Row

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!

REMEMBERING WHEN BOB WICKMAN WAS A "THING"

During the early 1990’s, the Yankees struggled mightily. Because of George Steinbrenner’s suspension for baseball, the Yankees high-spending days went on pause. As such, they were not competitive, except for the fact that they had some high-value rookies coming up through their farm system. Since they were not after high-priced stars, they were able to hold on to their rookies. 

By 1992, the Baby Bombers – as they were affectionately called – started coming up through the ranks. It was this batch of rookies that would later include names like Andy Pettitte, Mariano Rivera, Derek Jeter, and JorgePosada. Nevertheless, in 1992, one of their rookies began paying immediate dividends – pitcher Bob Wickman.

Bob Wickman, who suffered an accident as a child and lost part of his index finger on what would be his pitching hand, found success in pitching in part due to his injury. It turned out that the short finger allowed his to generate strong sinking action on his pitches. He spent two years in the minors before he was traded to the Yankees in exchange for second baseman SteveSax. He spent the majority of 1992 playing for the Columbus Clippers, compiling a 12-5 record with a 2.92 ERA before being called up to the majors. From his major league debut on August 24 through the end of the season, he had a 6-1 record over eight starts, and finished the season with three consecutive wins. That would matter next year, when he started the season winning his first 8 decisions. The only Yankee ever to have a better start to a pitching career than Wickman, with his 14-1 record, was Whitey Ford – who started with a 16-1 record. He also held an 11-game win streak that was the best at the time since Ron Guidry’s 12 consecutive wins back in 1985. In 1992, those stats were important. Wins were hard to come by, and a Yankees pitcher that could do that was a much-needed sign of hope.

(In Photo with CC Sabathia: Bob Wickman)

Wickman finished the season with a 14-4 win-loss record and a 4.63 ERA that included 19 starts and 22 relief appearances. From mid-July of that year on, he worked primarily out of the bullpen as a middle reliever and a backup closer to Steve Farr and Steve Howe. He continued in this role through the middle of 1996, when the Yankees traded him to the Milwaukee Brewers as part of a package the brought lefty specialist and Braves-killer Graeme Lloyd to the Yankees. Having been on the active roster in 1996, the Yankees awarded him a World Series ring. He went on to pitch 11 more seasons for the Brewers, Indians, Braves, and Diamondbacks. He became a full-time closer in 1998 for the Brewers, compiling 267 career saves, including a league-leading 45 in 2005. He only appeared in five post-season games, for the 1995 Yankees and the 2001 Indians, never advancing past the first round but also never charged with a run. He appeared in two All-Star games – in 2000 and 2005. He finished out his career at the end of the 2007 season with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

After his major league career, Bob Wickman went on to do some local high school baseball coaching for the River Valley High School baseball team in Madison, Wisconsin. While he was with the Yankees, he was a stalwart in the bullpen at a time when we sorely needed pitching. He was part of the construction crew that included Mike Stanley, Jim Abbott, Pat Kelly, and Scott Kamieniecki, which helped build the dynasty of the 1990’s. Though he never played in a World Series with us, his contributions are still greatly appreciated.

 
--Ike Dimitriadis, BYB Writer
Twitter: @KingAgamemnon
My blog is: Shots from Murderer's Row

The Bleeding Yankee Blue store is opened! CLICK HERE TO START SHOPPING! Also, follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and join the group Bleeding Yankee Blue (Official) on Facebook, just type it in.

THE FIGHT FOR YANKEE CATCHER IS ON!

The race for the starting catcher role of the Yankees is on, and this is going to be a pivotal role for the team. After the loss of Russell Martin, the Yankees had to scramble to fill this role with blowing the budget, and they are in camp with four contenders. Francisco Cervelli, who was the backup to Jorge Posada and Russell Martin from 2008 through 2011, fell off the pace in 2012 and is looking to make a comeback in 2013. Chris Stewart, a career journeyman and Martin's backup last year, is looking for his first starter role at the age of 31. Austin Romine, at age 24 with little major league experience, is the bright future star who is viewed as a serious contender for the starting catcher in a few years. Finally, there is Bobby Wilson, who the Yankees signed for insurance and is getting a look this spring.

Most people underestimate this aspect of the game, but the catcher is involved in almost every play of every game. They call every pitch, they hold every runner, and they block the plate on every close scoring play. It is a tough physical position, usually requiring more off-days than other field positions. Therefore, Joe Girardi is right to focus on the defense aspect of the role.

Still, this is a departure from the function that Yankee catchers have played for the last two decades, having been spoiled by the offensive productivity of the likes of Russell Martin, Jorge Posada, Joe Girardi, Jim Leyritz, and Mike Stanley. In fact, most Yankees World Series teams had strong bats at the backstop (think Thurman Munson, Yogi Berra, Elston Howard, and Bill Dickey).

When thinking about catching defense, you think primarily about three things. First, how well do they call a game? Second, how well do they handle difficult pitches? Finally, how well do they stop the runner on first from taking second? So how do the current contenders stack up?

Francisco Cervelli can call a decent game. Pitchers had an ERA of 3.50 when he caught them in 2011 and 4.04 in 2010. For the most part, it will be the same pitchers this year, so it looks like he can handle the current roster of pitchers. This is good news for him. As far as handling difficult pitches, he only has five passed balls in his entire career (over 1300.1 innings). It makes him a reliable backstop. However, throwing runners out runners at second is where he fails significantly. Since he had hardly any major league experience in 2012, I am looking at 2011 and 2010. In 2011, he allowed 24 stolen bases out of 28 attempts. In 2011, he allowed 55 stolen bases out of 64 attempts. If I am an opposing manager, and I have a few good base runners, I am sending the runner from first as often as I can. This can create a real liability on defense, and if Cervelli wants to make a run for the starting catcher spot, he needs to improve his arm strength and mechanics.

Chris Stewart is known as a primarily defense catcher. In 2012, Yankee pitchers had an ERA of 3.42 when he was catching, which is comparable to Cervelli. In 2011, for the Giants, his pitchers' ERA was 2.74. Having to face American League hitting can probably account for the increase in 2012, but you can see that he calls a good game. He allowed eight passed balls over 395 innings in 2012, which is above average, but not terribly off the charts. He may have had an off-year in that category, as he came into the season with 5 passed balls over about 600 innings in his career coming into last season. Therefore, the expectation is that he will be able to handle pitches. He threw out about a third of the base runners attempting to steal, which is above the American League average for qualified catchers. The conclusion is that he is a very good defensive catcher. The problem is his bat. Can Joe Girardi swallow having a career .217 hitter in the lineup every day? Granted, he did improve his average last year to .244, but you have to wonder how Joe will handle him in a lineup that is clearly lower on power and higher on contact and speed.

Austin Romine is a great rookie coming up through the system, known for his defense skills much more than his hitting skills. At 24 years of age, he has some time to build his game-calling skills and his hitting. He has a great opportunity this spring to show off his progress and create a good impression to Yankee management. At the same time, he is probably only getting this opportunity because the catching spot is so fluid right now. He got some looks last September, and his defense was very good in some spots, but it is obvious that he is not yet ready for the majors. Bobby Wilson is another career journeyman who is getting a look this spring. He will be turning 30 this April, he has never hit .230 for any season, and he has never started 60 games in a season. If the Yankees had only one option at catcher, he might be able to fill a backup role. Nevertheless, on this team, at best he is the backup to the backup, and is unlikely to get serious consideration for a spot on the 25-man roster.

I do not pretend to have the ability to read Joe Girardi's mind, but if it were I, I would carry both Cervelli and Stewart and mix/match as the season goes on. Realistically, Stewart is the one who will probably get more of the starts and be pinch-hit for in close games with runners on. Then the Yankees will need another reliable backstop on the bench - probably Cervelli. Both have an opportunity to make a case for themselves. Stewart needs to improve his hitting enough that he is not an automatic out. Cervelli will need to improve his arm strength and his mind-set towards the game. By his own admission, he went into a tailspin last year with is approach, and he is looking to make a better showing this year. Personally, I am rooting for Cervelli, because I liked how he played with fire in his belly in 2011. However, both of them fighting for that spot by improving their respective weak points will be great for the Yankees. The Yankees will surely need that this year.

--Ike Dimitriadis, BYB Writer
Twitter: @KingAgamemnon

My blog is: Shots from Murderer's Row

Please comment, we have DISQUS, it's easier than ever. Let me know what you think and follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and join the group Bleeding Yankee Blue on Facebook, just type it in.

WHY I'M WAXING NOSTALGIC 1993 STYLE

Like I've told you many times, I am a true Yankee fan, I love the history and the players, Ron Guidry, Don Mattingly, Rickey Henderson... Even Andy Stankiewicz... I'm not kidding.

In 1993 I was almost finished with college and we'd watch the Yankees afternoon games on chairs outside of out apartments and pull the TV out and watch with a bucket of beer. That's how we rolled.
(In Photo: Mike Stanley)
Back then, I edited this video, and I recently just found it, ON VHS. Again, it was 1993 and it was the Showalter era and there were guys on the Yankees that you all remember... Danny Tartabull, Bob Wickman, Steve Farr, Paul O'Neill, Mike Stanley, Bernie Williams, Spike Owen, Wade Boggs, Dion James and of course, Don Mattingly.



I came across the video the other day and realized I needed to post it. Sure, It's not perfect, there's a terrible hum in the audio and the video is alittle muddy, but these are our New York Yankees, in another time. The 1993 Yankees finished in second place that year behind the Toronto Blue Jays. Standing are HERE.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy it. If you like it, share it and comment. It's kind of fun.

Please comment, we have DISQUS, it's easier than ever. Let me know what you think and follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and join the group Bleeding Yankee Blue on Facebook, just type it in.