WHY I'VE ALWAYS LINKED CHRISTMAS TO THE YANKEES

You know who my favorite ballplayer of all time is… Rickey Henderson was the guy I wanted to be in little league and I would mimic his movement as he inched away from the bag and then darted to second base. Yes, it’s true, I was a huge Yankee fan and when he was on the Oakland Athletics, it didn’t matter much to me, baseball fans do that. They latch on to guys they love to watch and appreciate. For me, that was Rickey Henderson, the Man of Steel and there was no other.

Let me also mention that when it came to little, scrawny me, I didn’t even come close to muscle or appearance, but I nailed the impersonation of Rickey, or, at least I thought so. One season I stole something like 40 bases. I remember that not because little league tallied them for us, they really didn't. I remember that because I wrote my stats on an index card after every game. Pathetic I know, but when your a kid who has a hero, you tend to want to be them. No doubt, I wanted to be Rickey. I just remember that once I perfected how to bunt, I'd steal my way around the bases and do it the Rickey way. But enough about me being 10, there is actually a point to all of this.

 

On December 5, 1984, the New York Yankees did the unthinkable… They sent a bunch of guys, Jose Rijo, Eric Plunk, Jay Howell, Stan Javier and Tim Birtsas to Oakland for Rickey and Bert Bradley. I remember at the time, it was going to be the best Christmas and the best 1985 season EVER. Soon, I was able to replace my Henderson Oakland A’s 8x10 photo with a Yankee one. I snagged up all his cards and it clearly was one of the happiest times for me as a New York Yankees fan.

Christmas and Rickey Henderson for me, will always be connected and for some odd reason, at least once, even now in my adult years, I think about Rickey when it’s December. It’s not that I’m obsessed with the dude anymore. Instead, it’s just a fond memory, it just brings be back to 1984, just for a second.

To this day I try to teach my kids the importance of speed in baseball. My 9-year-old uses it to his advantage; he’s like an gazelle, although he takes a page from the Brett Gardner handbook, a slight lean toward second with his right hand pointing toward the dugout.

Yeah, we all have heroes, but mine happens to be one I had as a giddy Yankee fan back in 1984 and I’ll forever remember where I was when I found out Rickey was coming to New York. The next several years, I loved watching him in pinstripes… it was one of the greatest moments of my life, that’s for sure and it's all coming back to me again this Christmas...27 years later. Man, how time flies.

Merry Christmas everyone.

TOP 10 YANKEE TRADES OF ALL TIME: 10 TO 6

Everyone loves a good trade, right? All trades can be a risk, obviously, as anything can happen in the game of baseball. The player or players you trade for can totally flame out or get injured and never have a chance to shine with his new team. Or, the player(s) you give up in a trade can become a total superstar and you'd wish the deal was never made. But, BYB is going to rank the best trades every made in team history by looking how the individual or individuals did in regular and postseason play along with their accolades. Today's list is #10 to #6 and the #5 to #1 list will be featured later in the week.

#10. David Cone

• Traded by Toronto Blue Jays to Yankees for Jason Jarvis, Mike Gordon, and Marty Janzen on July 28, 1995. Yankee from July 28, 1995-2000.

Regular season stats: 64-40, 3.91 ERA, 2.23 K/BB
Postseason stats: 14 games, 12 starts, 6-1, 3.86 ERA, 1.7 K/BB
Accolades: Four World Series rings ('96, '98-'00), Two time All Star ('97, '99)

In 1995 the Yankees were making a push to the postseason for the first time since 1981. They needed an ace, as "Black Jack" McDowell couldn't cut it. The Yankees were able to strike a deal to pry ace David Cone away. Cone finished the 1995 season strong going 7-2 with a 2.88 ERA in 11 starts down the stretch for the Yanks. But, what Cone will be remembered most for is his start on July 18, 1999 at the Stadium against the Montreal Expos. Because that day Cone pitched a perfect game. Not only was it a perfect game, but it was on Yogi Berra day at the Stadium, as before the game Don Larsen threw out the first pitch to Yogi Berra. If that doesn't give you chills, I don't know what does.

#9. Roger Clemens

• Traded by Toronto Blue Jays to Yankees for Homer Bush, Graeme Lloyd, and David Wells on February 18, 1999. Yankee from 1999-2003, 2007.

Regular season stats: 83-42, 4.01 ERA, 2.55 K/BB
Postseason stats: 17 starts, 7-4, 3.24 ERA, 2.88 K/BB
Accolades: Two World Series rings ('99-'00), 2001 Cy Young Award winner, Two time All Star ('01, '03)

The Yankees were coming off a season in 1998 regarded as the greatest team ever, or at least right there with the 1927 Yankees. But as crazy as it seems, the Yankees believed that the team could get better. So, right before Spring Training in 1999, the Yankees struck a deal with the Toronto Blue Jays to acquire the back-to-back American League Cy Young winner. Clemens' first season was rocky, as he posted a 4.60 ERA, but he started and won Game 4 of the '99 World Series against the Atlanta Braves. But, one of Clemens' shining moments came on July 13, 2003 at the Stadium against the St. Louis Cardinals. That day Clemens picked up career win number 300, and career strikeout number 4,000. His strikeout came against Edgar Renteria as Clemens went 6.2 innings, allowing two runs while punching out 10 Red Birds. Clemens edges Cone by a hair in our rankings.

#8. Don Larsen

• Traded by Baltimore Orioles along with Billy Hunter and Bob Turley to Yankees for Harry Byrd, Jim McDonald, Willy Miranda, Hal Smith, and others on November 17, 1954. Yankee from 1955-1959

Regular season stats: 45-24, 3.50 ERA, 0.98 K/BB
Postseason stats: 7 games, 6 starts, 3-2, 2.67 ERA, 1.4 K/BB
Accolades: Two World Series rings ('56, '58)

Larsen was pretty good for the Yankees during his time, but not great. There's one reason why he's this high on the list. We all know what it is, his perfect game. Larsen pitched a perfect game against the Brooklyn Dodgers in Game 5 of the 1956 World Series on October 8. Larsen out-dueled Sal Maglie that day as he struck out seven Dodgers. To this day it's the only perfect game in postseason, let alone World Series play.

#7. Rickey Henderson

• Traded by Oakland Athletics with Bert Bradley and Cash to Yankees for Tim Birtsas, Jay Howell, Stan Javier, Eric Plunk, and Jose Rijo on December 5, 1984. A Yankee from 1985-June 21, 1989.

Regular season stats: .288 Avg, 78 Hrs, 255 RBI, 326 steals, 850 OPS
Postseason stats: N/A
Accolades: Four time All Star ('85-'88), One Silver Slugger ('85)

Rickey Henderson is the greatest lead-off hitter of all time. That cannot be debated. What also can't be debated, is that Henderson had a successful Yankee career, in terms of individual numbers. A personal favorite of Casey's, Henderson's speed and power made him a force in the lead-off spot for the Yankees in the mid-to-late '80s. Those Yankee lineups in those mid-to-late '80's teams were stacked, Ricky Henderson leading off, Willie Randolph, Don Mattingly, and Dave Winfield. It's too bad those teams didn't make the playoffs, they could have made some real noise in October, no doubt.

#6. Paul O'Neill

• Traded by Cincinnati Reds along with Joe DeBerry to Yankees for Roberto Kelly on November 3, 1992. A Yankee from 1993-2001.

Regular season stats: .303 Avg, 185 Hrs, 858 RBI, .869 OPS
Postseason stats: 304 PA's, .281 Avg, 10 Hrs, 34 RBI, .815 OPS
Accolades: Four World Series rings ('96, '98-'00), Four time All Star ('94-'95, '97-'98)

There's a reason why Paul O'Neill is nicknamed "The Warrior". It's because of his heart and determination for the game. He'd be willing to play hurt, just as long as he gets a chance to show what he's got. He's a fighter, and he's a winner. This trade was great for the New York Yankees, because every time out he'd give you a great at bat. In the strike shortened 1994 season, O'Neill won the batting title and finished fifth in the AL MVP voting. But in Game 5 of the 2001 World Series is when everyone got chills. It was his final home game at the Stadium and in the ninth the entire Stadium chanted his name in respect. Look at this video I found on YouTube:



Like David Cone's perfect game on Yogi Berra day, this too is just amazing.

OK, look for the final 5, #5 to #1 of the Yankees All-Time trades this week.




--Jesse Schindler, BYB Staff Writer




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