Mike Mussina

New York Yankees History: The best Yankee acquisitions during the Winter Meetings (video)

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New York Yankees, Yankees, CC Sabathia

The New York Yankees, in their illustrious 107-year history, have made quite a few big-time purchases and trades. The biggest was the worst for the Boston Red Sox when their owner being money short for his other endeavors sold Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees, and we all know how that turned out. But in recent years, the Yankees have made some pretty impressive deals in the Winter Meetings. The first one was technically not during the meetings but a few days before at Dallas, Texas.

Mike Mussina (2000):

Just a few days before the Winter Meetings, The New York Yankees signed the Baltimore Orioles Mike Mussina. It turned out to be one of the best acquisitions of recent times. Mussina ended up spending eight highly successful years with the Yankees at the top of their pitching rotation. He had a 123-72 record with a 3.82 ERA.

From 1992 to 2008, Mussina never had a losing season. In fact, he is one of the only pitchers to ever have 17 consectutive seasons of winning 11 or more games a year. Mussina was a smart pitcher who pitched with amazing intensity. He also saved his greatest achievement for the very last game of his career. In his very last year, he became the oldest pitcher in baseball to achieve 20 wins in his last season.

I could insert a video here of his many strikeouts, but I would rather show you a video of his intensive pitching style. On May 31, 2006, Mussina held the Tigers in check for most of the night at Comerica Park, taking a shutout attempt into the ninth. After allowing a run, manager Joe Torre made motions toward emerging from the dugout to remove Mussina from the game. But “Moose” was not having it: Bellowing “No, stay there!” at your manager in the heat of the moment is a power move, for sure.
Mussina then buckled down, striking out Carlos Guillen to nail down the complete-game win on just 101 pitches.

CC Sabathia (2008)

The new Yankee Stadium was nearing completion, and the Yankees needed an ace to stabilize their rotation. Cashman and Sabathia met twice in Las Vegas, making some progress but unable to tune out distractions. With the rest of the baseball world preoccupied with slot machines and table games, Cashman slipped out of the Bellagio hotel and boarded a commercial jet to the San Francisco Bay Area, in hot pursuit of the game’s most prized free-agent pitcher.

Passing through Sabathia’s Vallejo, Calif., doorway, entering a sunken living room that he had previously seen on MTV Cribs, Cashman resolved to perform what he called his “best John Calipari impression,” intending to land the recruit. There, the GM and Sabathia hashed out the terms of a deal that would help produce the franchise’s 27th World Series title, agreeing to a seven-year, $161 million contract. Sabathia went 97-56 with a 3.73 ERA over the life of that original contract, then remained in New York for another four years.

Willie Randolph (1975)

In December of 1975, the Winter Meeting was held in Hollywood, Florida. The Yankees president Gabe Paul stepped to the plate with a pair of blockbuster moves, shipping outfielder Bobby Bonds to the Angels and right-hander Doc Medich to the Pirates. In return, the Yankees received five players. These three players would play key roles in helping the franchise reach the next three World Series.

The biggest pick up was Willie Randolph from the Pittsburgh Pirates. Randolph was surely one of the best second basemen in the baseball Minor Leagues at the time. They also picked up pitchers Ken Brett and Dock Ellis. California sent pitcher Ed Figueroa and outfielder Mickey Rivers to New York. The Brooklyn-born Randolph became a mainstay in the Yankees’ infield for 13 seasons, making five All-Star teams and winning an American League Silver Slugger Award in 1980. Ed Figueroa and speedy Mickey Rivers would also be big contributors to the New York Yankees.

Rickey Henderson (1984)

The 1984 Winter meetings were held at the Hyatt Regency in Houston, Texas. The New York Yankees, general manager Clyde King did no less than obtaining the services of Ricky Henderson, a four-time All-Star and the games’ number one leadoff hitter. The Oakland Athletics, just a few years away from being the Kansas City Athletics, felt that they would not be able to hold on to  Henderson long term, so the delt him the New York Yankees. The future Hall of Fame player was a Yankee.

The Yankees sent Jay Howell, plus four Minor Leaguers, and cash to get the Henderson deal done. Ricky Henderson was an All-Star in each of his four full seasons as a Yankee, and his 326 stolen bases were a franchise record until 2011. Henderson ended with the Yankees getting 78 home runs while batting .288 and with an OPS of .1048.

Curtis Granderson (2009)

The 2009 Winter Meetings were one of the coldest in recent memory, with temperatures in the single digits that week in snowy Indianapolis. The defending World Series champions added sizzle to the Hot Stove by participating with the Tigers and D-backs in a three-team trade, installing Granderson into the outfield as the Yankees prepared to move on from the Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui eras.

Left-hander Phil Coke, outfielder Austin Jackson and right-hander Ian Kennedy departed New York in the old-school swap, big names filling needs across the board. Coke, Jackson, Max Scherzer, and Daniel Schlereth went to Detroit, while Kennedy and Edwin Jackson went to Arizona. Granderson made two All-Star teams and won an AL Silver Slugger Award during his four years in pinstripes.

Giancarlo Stanton (2017)

The Marlins arrived at the Winter Meetings intending to rebuild, gauging trade interest in the reigning National League MVP Award winner. The Yankees already had Aaron Judge, a hulking slugger in right field, and the prospect of obtaining Stanton the 2017 National League MVP with 59 home runs was more than the Yankees could possibly resist.  The New York Yankees sent Starlin Castro, pitcher Jorge Guzman and Jose Dever to the Miami Marlins along with cash to make the deal happen, and Giancarlo Stanton was a New York Yankee.

Stanton’s blockbuster deal shook up the 2015 Winter Meetings at the Walt Disney World Swan & Dolphin Resort. Later the Yankees announced officially at Yankee Stadium that they acquired Stanton standing next to owner Hal Steinbrenner. It was the joyest occasion. In 2018 Stanton would hit 38 homers for the Yankees with 100 RBIs. But that would signal the end of the Joy. Stanton has had only 41 homers in the last two years and has been off the field with constant injuries as much as on the field. Only history will tell if this is one of the worst trades the Yankees have made, right next to Jacoby Ellsbury.

What moves the New York Yankees will make during these virtual Winter Meeting has yet to be seen.

EmpireSportsMedia.com’s Columnist William Parlee is a member of the Society for American Baseball Research. Follow me on Twitter @parleewilliam.

 

New York Yankees Top 10s: The best Yankee acquisitions in modern times

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In my New York Yankees top 10 series that has covered most aspects of Yankee baseball, today we take a look at the top 10 Yankee acquisitions in the modern era.  These acquisitions come from both signings and trades.  The Yankees have had many star players that were homegrown and had to look outside their farm system to fill various needs.  Owner George M. Steinbrenner was the first owner to make big moves and set the tone for acquisitions for the future.  This has been the most difficult to complete top 10s so far.  I am sure many will disagree with the placements, however, with the Yankees now looking to acquire players to improve the team, it seemed appropriate to examine these past acquisitions.

10. Ricky Henderson

Henderson was one of the longest-tenured players, playing for 25 years, 5 of them with the Yankees.  During his five years, he stole 326 bases, making him the all-time base stealer for the Yankees. He hit .288 and had 78 home runs during the span while having an excellent fielding percentage in all areas of the outfield.  He was an All-Star every year he was a New York Yankee.

9. CC Sabathia

CC Sabathia was instrumental in the Yankees winning their last World Series in 2009.  Sabathia came to the Yankees from the Milwaukee Brewers. In his eleven years with the Yankees, he had a record of 134 and 88.  During the Yankees’ years, he was a workhorse, always giving his best effort for a win.

8. Masahiro Tanaka

Brian Cashman brought Masahiro Tanaka to the Yankees from the Eagles of the Japanese league in 2013 in a seven-year contract that will end this season, whether there is one or not. During his time with the Yankees up to this year, he is 75-45 with a 3.75 ERA. Tanaka has never had a losing season with the Yankees.

7. David Wells

The highlight of David Wells’s career was his perfect game on May 17, 1998, the tenth no-hitter in Yankee history.  Wells for the Yankees was 34-14 in his two-year stint; that’s a .706 winning percentage, one of the best for the Yankees. Wells pitched 21 years all in the American League.

Wells was quite a character that didn’t care much for rules.  He has admitted he pitched his perfect game while nursing a bad hangover. In 1998 he would help the Yankees with his 18-4 record and propelled them to the World Series shut out of the San Diego Padres.

6. Reggie Jackson

Yankee owner George M. Steinbrenner made Reggie Jackson the highest-paid baseball player when he hired Jackson from the Baltimore Orioles. Jackson was a controversial player as he was a bit of a show-off, and Manager Billy Martin didn’t want the Yankees to hire him.  It didn’t help when he was quoted as saying, “I’m the straw that stirs the drink,” a phrase that he never said but caused a rift with Yankee catcher Thurmon Munson.

In his five years with the Yankees, Jackson had many memorable moments, including his three home runs that caused him to be called “Mr. October.” In 1977 in the sixth game of the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees outfielder Reggie Jackson hit three home runs off three consecutive pitches from three different pitchers. Jackson batted .284 with 144 home runs while a Yankee.

5. Mike Mussina

On this list, Mike Mussina is the one player that often flew under the radar. Mussina, after being a Baltimore Oriole star pitcher, became a New York Yankee.  He never had a losing season in his eight years with the Yankees, winning 10 or more games every year.  Mussina was not only an outstanding pitcher, but he was an excellent defender as any pitcher ever to grace the mound.

On some writer’s top 10 lists, they don’t even include Mussina.  For the Yankees, he was Mr. Steady is one of the Yankee’s most dependable pitchers during his time with the Yankees.  The brilliant Stanford grad, with a thinking pitcher that adjusted to every situation.  His performance never diminished with age. In the last year of his career, he had his first 20 win season, becoming the oldest pitcher to have a 20 win season.

For his pitching with both the Baltimore Orioles and the New York Yankees on January 22, 2019, he was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, receiving 76.71% of the vote.  Mike has the distinction of being the first American League pitcher to win ten or more games in each of 17 consecutive seasons.

4. Alex Rodriguez

Alex Rodriguez is a controversial New York Yankee, to say the least.  Many fans cite his performance-enhancing drugs while with the Texas Rangers and tend to ignore his performance with the Yankee club. But the facts are still the facts.  During his 22 years playing the game, he was one of the best in either league.

For his 12 years with the Yankees, he hit 30 home runs a year, with 1,100 RBIs while hitting .283. He was a seven-time All-Star and a seven-time MVP candidate, winning the prestigious award twice.  He would be a first-ballot inductee into the Baseball Hall of Fame if it were not for his drug use, which most likely will never come to fruition.

I have to admit that I am a writer that does not place as much importance on drug use as many writers do.  My stance is that dozens if not hundreds of other players, used some doping during that period that was never caught; thus, many stats may be in question.  In the case of Rodriguez, his career wouldn’t have been less impressive even if he hadn’t made the bad decision to break the rules.

3. Paul O’Neill

Paul O’Neil played for only two teams in his baseball career, nine years with the Yankees in the second half of his career.  At the end of the 1992 season, the Red traded O’Neill outright for Yankee outfielder Roberto Kelly. In his first year, he batted .311 with 20 home runs and 75 RBIs.  O’Neill played with such vigor that owner George M. Steinbrenner would give him the nickname the “Warrior,” which stuck.

In his second year, he got the AL batting title batting .359.  If O’Neill missed a hit he thought he should have gotten, batting racks and water coolers often felt his wrath.  Stick Michael made the trade that would change the face of the Yankees for years to come.  Paul made amazing plays in defending the right field. He played fiercely and hurt; he was the ultimate warrior the Yankee fans loved.

2. Roger Clemens

The acquisition of Roger Clemens was one of the best the New York Yankees ever made. In 1996 the Yankees sent Graeme Lloyd, David Wells, and Homer Bush to the Toronto Blue Jays for their ace pitcher Clemens. In his first year with the Yankees, he helped them win the 1999 World Series. In 2000 he almost single-handedly retook them to the World Series with his 20-3 season.  The Yankees would win that series as well. Clemens was never fully embraced by Yankee fans due to his long tenure with the Boston Red Sox.

Also, in 2000, Roger would win the prestigious Cy Young Award at the age of 38.  Roger is one of the longer-tenured pitchers in baseball, pitching for 24 years.  With the Yankees, he would win twice as many games as he lost.  He went 83-42 in his six years with the Yankees for a .664 winning percentage.  It is outrageous that this 3 time Cy Young Award isn’t in the Hall of Fame.  This year he received 72.5% of the votes compared to the 75% needed to be inducted.  He has two years left of eligibility.

1. Babe Ruth

Babe Ruth isn’t a modern era Yankee acquisition but must be included in the list as the best move the Yankees ever made in procuring him from the cash strapped Boston Red Sox.  Following Ruth becoming a Yankee, he transformed himself into a great hitting outfielder. He really made his name with the Yankees as one of the best if not the best player to ever play baseball.

Honorable mentions:

David Cone, Starky Lyle, Roger Maris, Tino Martinez, Scott Brosius, Curtis Granderson, and Nick Swisher.

Gerrit Cole could not be included for the Yankee top 10s as he hasn’t had a long enough time or games thrown to prove he belongs on this list. However, he has to be mentioned as he may be in the future proclaimed one of the best Yankee acquisitions in history; only time will tell.

EmpireSportsMedia.com’s Columnist William Parlee is a member of the Society for American Baseball Research.  Follow me on Twitter @parleewilliam.

New York Yankees Flashback: Stick, Rags, and Moose

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New York Yankees

Yankees “Stick” the Landing

Twelve home runs and 204 rbi’s over seven seasons for a position player are undoubtedly mediocre numbers. And if said player also had three managerial stretches with the New York Yankees that all netted positive results (34-22 prestrike in 1981; 14-12 post-strike; and 44-42 in 1982), they hardly merited many boldface declarations either. But few would dispute, despite those ordinary numbers, that the acquisition of Gene “Stick” Michael from the Dodgers on November 30, 1967, was a huge move for the Yankees in the latter years of the last century. It was bad news to all of Yankee land, and baseball, when Stick passed away in 2017.

Yankee lefthander Dave Righetti rode his 8-4, 2.06-era 1981 season to that year’s American League Rookie of the Year Award, granted to Rags on November 30. He posted a 74-61 record with 224 saves in the Bronx from 1979 through 1990. The southpaw led the league in saves in 1986, and won two AL Rolaids Relief Awards. He also came in fourth in the 1986 Cy Young voting and 10th in the MVP tally. Righetti led the American League in strike outs per nine innings in 1982.

The Yankees signed free agent righty Mike “Moose” Mussina to a six-year contract on November 30, 2000. The first of three highlights of his career in Pinstripes was a 1-0 win-or-go-home victory over Barry Zito and the A’s in Game Three of the 2001 ALDS, Second, his work in relief of Roger Clemens in Game Seven of the 2003 ALCS against the Red Sox ensured the game would continue to be played until Aaron Boone put his stamp on Yankee history. And his 20-win season in 2008 was the only one in his long career.

A Tale of Two Pitchers

Yankee November 30 birthdays are highlighted by two pitchers, good ones too, though the career of only one worked out well in the Bronx. Tall, lanky lefty reliever Steve Hamilton (1935) was famous for tossing a slow looping pitch which he called “the Folly Floater.” Steve had a taste of some good teams in his early years in the Bronx, and posted a fine 34-17 mark with 33 saves from 1963-1970. Righthander Bob Tewksbury (1960) debuted to a 10-9 record with the 1986-1987 Yankees. During his career Bob posted a 110-102 mark with the Cubs, the Rangers, the Padres, the Twins, but mostly five years with the Cardinals. A 19th-round Yankee amateur draft pick in June 1981, Tewksbury was traded away to the Cubs in July 1987 for a totally ineffective Steve Trout. This was one of many bad eighties trades in which the Bombers sent away young talent for veteran players.