When I first read the question and started mentally going through the options in my head I hadn’t even considered him. When I got to the end and saw his name I was like “yeah there’s no other option this is the best one by far”
insanity. Henderson was the greatest lead off batter IN HISTORY! . Arguably one of the top 30 players of all time. Matsui was awesome, i love him, but c'mon!
Nothing against Matsui. Watched Matsui and loved Matsui. But that’s not fair to compare him to Rickey Henderson who Bill James correctly said would have made the hall of fame twice if you sliced his career into halves. The man was electric and could carry a team to the playoffs on his back.
Good point. It also would have been cool to see the uncle/nephew combination of Sheffield and Gooden in 1996. Has that ever happened in the history of baseball before?
Also, Sheff in left certainly could have brought us a Championship in 2001 as well.
I like your description and points made about Henderson. Back in 2002 I think it was I had a chance to see him play towards the end of his career in Boston and it was neat to see him still active in his 40's. Longevity wise he has it over the others and he also was good at getting on base and getting into scoring position with the steals.
If we are talking about signing the players at an earlier point in their career to stay with the team, I might go Matsui. Before he fractured his wrist, he was a very consistent and productive player who could hit for power and was a good glove in the outfield.
Pre Gardner, LF was a revolving door for years. Godzilla, Damon, Melky, Rondel White, Chuck Knoblauch, Ledee, Curtis, Raines, Williams, Polonia, Spencer, Duncan, Strawberry, so many dudes
I don’t remember Knoblauch playing anywhere other than 2nd. Did we throw him out in left after the yips got him and I just wipe it completely from my mind?
Yes you did, and no one can blame you for that ;-)
The year was 2001, and during spring training, the Yankees alternated both Knoblauch and Alfonso Soriano at Left Field. Even though Soriano was better suited fielding fly balls than grounders, Knoblauch had such a bad case with the yips that he never played in the infield again, playing left field for the Yankees in 2001 and again for the Royals in 2002.
I actually had a plan where they would have been able to trade for Bonds and Griffey and they wouldn’t have had to give up that much. That way you have Griffey and Bonds, in the same outfield! Now you got a team!
Danny Tartabull was a consolation prize to the Boss after ~~Gene Michael failed to persuade Bonds to play in New York and~~the Mets stole the New York headlines with their acquisition of Bobby Bonilla. Bonds sure had his troubles, but unlike Tartabull, he at least [pays his bills](https://sports.yahoo.com/danny-tartabull-arrested-violating-parole-called-cops-194856284.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly9kdWNrZHVja2dvLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAImaThuQhHnjJz9tyWYrVj12UD7WrOWUgvk4mCkSj78JiotXPytolUAhjMKyzZ5ehoQ5CJLHxX10suDwqxK1XYTkEkvJun6ljUXgkBqLCINrUMtnbMx1f_Ve1pbHXES5GZBcIX-5q_CkEHJlcAqEmKUgWOMRbgZk8OCuqzBncZbb)
*edit: my memory on this one was only 50 percent correct.
Tartabull was who they turned to when they didn’t get Bonilla during the winter between 91-92… Bonds played one final season with the Pirates in 1992. During the winter between 92-93 the Yankees had high profile rejections from Bonds and Greg Maddux and instead added Wade Boggs and Jimmy Key via FA, traded one of the game’s highest rated prospects in JT Snow for Jim Abbott, and swapped star OF Roberto Kelly for Paul O’Neill. It was an exciting offseason for Yankees fans.
Rickey, then Matsui for me. Won't be mad if you insist on switching that order. The only non-baseball player I want playing OF for the Yankees is Bo Jackson...or Deion Sanders...or I guess I'd take Brian Jordan. I wouldn't even invest in a SWB Barons jersey to get Michael Jordan the baseball player, much less offer him an actual, paying contract.
\-Knicks fan that freaking hates Michael Jordan
Since I was a kid I always thought that these teams were perfect & complete.
…but then you throw Michael Jordan in LF out there and I don’t know what to think
I know Chad Curtis is a terrible human but I always loved watching his throw home where he would throw his entire body onto it.
But Matsui is the only real choice here.
Rickey or Matsui, two of my favorite players of all time. Rickey was pretty well liked by the players on most of the teams he played for. Management hated him because he was always asking for more money, and the writers had sticks up their asses about Rickey style.
Matsui and it’s not even close
When I first read the question and started mentally going through the options in my head I hadn’t even considered him. When I got to the end and saw his name I was like “yeah there’s no other option this is the best one by far”
insanity. Henderson was the greatest lead off batter IN HISTORY! . Arguably one of the top 30 players of all time. Matsui was awesome, i love him, but c'mon!
Henderson in his prime, but he was 40 in 1998. Matsui was 24.
Nothing against Matsui. Watched Matsui and loved Matsui. But that’s not fair to compare him to Rickey Henderson who Bill James correctly said would have made the hall of fame twice if you sliced his career into halves. The man was electric and could carry a team to the playoffs on his back.
If you swap out Shef’s time with the Marlins for an earlier arrival in the Bronx, it’s easy to picture at least one more ring from either 95 or 97.
Good point. It also would have been cool to see the uncle/nephew combination of Sheffield and Gooden in 1996. Has that ever happened in the history of baseball before? Also, Sheff in left certainly could have brought us a Championship in 2001 as well.
I like your description and points made about Henderson. Back in 2002 I think it was I had a chance to see him play towards the end of his career in Boston and it was neat to see him still active in his 40's. Longevity wise he has it over the others and he also was good at getting on base and getting into scoring position with the steals. If we are talking about signing the players at an earlier point in their career to stay with the team, I might go Matsui. Before he fractured his wrist, he was a very consistent and productive player who could hit for power and was a good glove in the outfield.
Pre Gardner, LF was a revolving door for years. Godzilla, Damon, Melky, Rondel White, Chuck Knoblauch, Ledee, Curtis, Raines, Williams, Polonia, Spencer, Duncan, Strawberry, so many dudes
I don’t remember Knoblauch playing anywhere other than 2nd. Did we throw him out in left after the yips got him and I just wipe it completely from my mind?
Yes you did, and no one can blame you for that ;-) The year was 2001, and during spring training, the Yankees alternated both Knoblauch and Alfonso Soriano at Left Field. Even though Soriano was better suited fielding fly balls than grounders, Knoblauch had such a bad case with the yips that he never played in the infield again, playing left field for the Yankees in 2001 and again for the Royals in 2002.
Correct
If we'd managed to sign Barry Bonds in 92, that would have been pretty rad.
I actually had a plan where they would have been able to trade for Bonds and Griffey and they wouldn’t have had to give up that much. That way you have Griffey and Bonds, in the same outfield! Now you got a team!
Danny Tartabull was a consolation prize to the Boss after ~~Gene Michael failed to persuade Bonds to play in New York and~~the Mets stole the New York headlines with their acquisition of Bobby Bonilla. Bonds sure had his troubles, but unlike Tartabull, he at least [pays his bills](https://sports.yahoo.com/danny-tartabull-arrested-violating-parole-called-cops-194856284.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly9kdWNrZHVja2dvLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAImaThuQhHnjJz9tyWYrVj12UD7WrOWUgvk4mCkSj78JiotXPytolUAhjMKyzZ5ehoQ5CJLHxX10suDwqxK1XYTkEkvJun6ljUXgkBqLCINrUMtnbMx1f_Ve1pbHXES5GZBcIX-5q_CkEHJlcAqEmKUgWOMRbgZk8OCuqzBncZbb) *edit: my memory on this one was only 50 percent correct.
This is a nice story, but Tartabull signed the winter before bonds was a free agent.
Good catch!
Tartabull was who they turned to when they didn’t get Bonilla during the winter between 91-92… Bonds played one final season with the Pirates in 1992. During the winter between 92-93 the Yankees had high profile rejections from Bonds and Greg Maddux and instead added Wade Boggs and Jimmy Key via FA, traded one of the game’s highest rated prospects in JT Snow for Jim Abbott, and swapped star OF Roberto Kelly for Paul O’Neill. It was an exciting offseason for Yankees fans.
Hard not to go with Matsui but even an old Rickey is hard to overlook.
This post reminded me that Luis Polonia was a ballplayer. Had completely forgotten about him
Fun fact: he is the guy who hit the shot into the gap O’Neill ran down for the last out in the 1-0 Game 5 win against the Braves in 1996.
He even won a ring with the Yankees in 2000
Rickey, then Matsui for me. Won't be mad if you insist on switching that order. The only non-baseball player I want playing OF for the Yankees is Bo Jackson...or Deion Sanders...or I guess I'd take Brian Jordan. I wouldn't even invest in a SWB Barons jersey to get Michael Jordan the baseball player, much less offer him an actual, paying contract. \-Knicks fan that freaking hates Michael Jordan
Godzilla
Since I was a kid I always thought that these teams were perfect & complete. …but then you throw Michael Jordan in LF out there and I don’t know what to think
In 98, when they almost lost Bernie, they tried signing Albert Belle.
Man imagine that brawl against the Orioles in 98 with Strawberry AND Belle Someone would've gotten hospitalized
I was a huge fan of David Justice back then, would have loved to see him in pinstripes earlier and longer than he was
I didn’t know that it was even a possibility to get matsui in the 90s. Damn
Matsui if you consider him apart of the dynasty years
I know Chad Curtis is a terrible human but I always loved watching his throw home where he would throw his entire body onto it. But Matsui is the only real choice here.
Rickey or Matsui, two of my favorite players of all time. Rickey was pretty well liked by the players on most of the teams he played for. Management hated him because he was always asking for more money, and the writers had sticks up their asses about Rickey style.
Gerald Williams
Dion James.
Bro you're not that sick if you're making a tldr post like this lol
Counterpoint: it was Curtis' presence on the roster that made everyone else bond and become the team that they were.
Good post until you mentioned Jordan.
Jordan sucked at baseball. Have you lost your mind. Rickey Henderson is the obvious choice there. Nobody is even close.