YanksBlog.com » Will the Yankees return to their roots of '96 team

01/07: Will the Yankees return to their roots of '96 team

Posted by: David

Although the 1998 Yankees team was my favorite, following closely behind in second place is the 1996 team. It was the first year for Joe Torre to manage and Derek Jeter started his career. When the season ended he was a World Series champion and AL Rookie of the Year.

This team was not especially big on power, but they played the game with the attitude that every run is important and with a total team concept. They used the hit and run and the steal at opportune times and moved runners into scoring position by making productive outs.

Tim Raines was great at leading off then Jeter knew from day one knew how to hit behind the runner and also how to hit and run effectively. This team did not have to wait for the three run homer. They manufactured runs. This is what I'm hoping for some ten years later with the 2006 version of the Bronx Bombers.

Johnny Damon is a great leadoff hitter with speed. Jeter will follow and as mentioned is a great hit and run type hitter. Then the big bats follow: A-Rod; Sheffield; Matsui; Giambi and Bernie. The bottom of the lineup will have Posada and Cano. When Cano leads off an inning he will have Damon to follow. This team should score a lot of runs and simply just bash teams to death.

The potential problems I see are still the quality of the starting pitching and overall defense. Randy Johnson will be 42, Mussina is in his late thirties, Pavano is a question mark, will Chacon and Small be as clutch as they were is '05? Jaret Wright is someone prone to injuries. I think one of these guys will be traded. Carl Pavano probably has the most value considering his age and past history. The Yankees outfield defense should be better with Damon. He can go get the ball and covers quite a bit of ground. His arm though is awful. Teams will continue to go from first to third on the Yankees. Sheffield is not a great right fielder other than his arm. Matsui makes most of the routine plays but is not great at going back on the ball either. Plus, his arm is probably average at best.

I think the Yankees are a lock for postseason but they have to get over the hump. Most postseason games are close and you have to have the ability to score one run when needed. This is why I hope Torre will go back to the '96 team style and use all facets of his talent laden team. The homerun will not always come when needed.

It looks like Andy Phillips and Miguel Cairo will be the backups for Jason Giambi unless a deal is pending. J.T. Snow just signed with the Red Sox. All in all it should be a very exciting year at the big ballpark in the South Bronx. Only 86 days until the start of the regular season and only 94 until opening day at the stadium. I can't wait!

Comments

Steve Lombardi wrote:

You might want to check retrosheet.org on 1996. Jeter started out the year batting 9th. Then he was either first or second - with Boggs in there most of the time, IIRC. But, then sometimes it was Bernie, or Girardi, or someone else. Torre really mixed around his line-up in those years. There was no set 1-2 batter.

01/07 14:01:24

Seamus wrote:

The current Yankee lineup still has a lot of pop in it, a lot more than the '96 team and not enough speed. I agree that the Yankees should at least try to put more emphasis on running the bases and try to play small ball a little more, but I'm not sure this team really resembles the '96 version. If anything I think it's kind of a mesh between the '04 team with all that power all the way down the lineup and the '98 team which had a great 1-2 start at the top of the order (Knoblauch and Jeter) and a supurb, deep bullpen.

01/07 16:31:21

Jon Levine wrote:

I like many of the points that you had brought up in your article. I belive though that each New York team has its own identity and this one will be no different. I believe this team is much stronger than last years version with the upgraded bullpen with farnsworth, dotel, myers. The with the addition of Johnny Damon the centerfield defense will be stronger as well it will add the much needed leadoff hitter. Derek Jeter is a great number 2 hitter, was once a great 1-2 punch with Chuck Knoblauch. Last year they needed a genuine base stealing threat and a run scoring machine. Last year one reason the Boston Red Sox David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez had many so many R.B.I.'s was having players like Damon that would constantly be on base.

This year's team we know will score an abundant amount of runs, but it will live and die in the playoffs according to pitching. The main concern we all have is there starting pitching. I believe Randy Johnson will even have a better year, after getting adjusted to playing in New York. Pavano will hopefully come back stronger, and maybe not his true form but better than what he provided last year. The Yankees will have a healthy Wang which will make a strong number 4-5 pitcher. The Yankees will also have have Shawn Chacon and Aaron Small the whole year barring any injury. Both of those pitchers proved pitching in New York was no problem for them. With injuries plagueing the Yankees last year, I feel that you never can have too many pitchers. With Wright and Mussina also in the rotation the Yankees definately have the ability to have a solid roation.

Though it's hard to say what will happen in the playoffs next year. We do know the Yankees roster will not be the same as the one we will see on opening roster. Each year during the trade deadline, the yankees may not make a big spash, but you know they will try to fix any holes they have in July. Yet I feel it is still exiciting talking about what can happen each year, and if this will be finally the year the Yankees bring back the championship.

01/16 22:05:43

Add Comment

READ BEFORE COMMENTING: Participation constitutes agreement to our User Guidelines, which are stricter than most other blogs', so please read them before commenting. No advertising (posting links to your site), inflammatory (flaming) remarks, vulgarities (any kind of profanity that you can imagine) or questions about our guidelines or comment deletions. We generally try to maintain a family friendly atmosphere here. Please keep this in mind. A few common examples:

Posting a link to your blog or to any site you are affiliated with will probably get your comment deleted, unless we asked for it or it acts as a TrackBack.
Asking why your comment was deleted will get your comment deleted. Please contact us instead.
Attacking a blogger or fellow commenter instead of attacking their point will probably get your comment deleted.

Treat our users and our guidelines with respect and you'll be fine. As long as you do that, we're happy to have you at the YanksBlog.com.

Please note that all comments made on entries that are at least 14 days old are moderated.

This item is closed, it's not possible to add new comments to it or to vote on it