Author Archives: Mike Sommer

Classic Yankees: Tony Kubek

Posted on November 11, 2011 by Mike Sommer

Sometimes, in watching a game, I get tired of the bombastic announcers. You know the kind, the ones who are all “shtick,” no substance, who think that we are watching the game to see and hear them instead of the game itself. It’s times like those that I miss the old NBC “Game of the ...

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Classic Yankees: Graig Nettles

Posted on October 29, 2011 by Mike Sommer

If I asked you about a Yankee who once played for Cleveland, who wore #9 for the Yankees, who was brought to the Yankees because he was a dead pull hitter whose swing was perfect for Yankee Stadium, who didn’t hit much for average but instead hit for power, and who led the league in ...

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Classic Yankees: Joe “Flash” Gordon

Posted on October 9, 2011 by Mike Sommer

You wouldn’t think someone who hit .406 one year and who won two Triple Crowns would have NO MVP awards to show for those three years, but that is exactly what happened to Ted Williams. The “Splendid Splinter” did win the MVP award in 1946 and 1949, but he lost to DiMaggio and the streak ...

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Classic Yankees: Tony Lazzeri

Posted on September 17, 2011 by Mike Sommer

He was overshadowed by the likes of Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Bill Dickey and Joe DiMaggio and it took him far too long to make it to the Hall of Fame even after he died far too young at the age of 42 from a fall. Tony Lazzeri also was one of the best hitting second ...

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Classic Yankees: David Cone

Posted on September 16, 2011 by Mike Sommer

Known as a "hired gun" he had a 20-3 record one season, won a Cy Young, helped Canada win a World Series title, and helped another franchise to its first World Series title in 18 years. He also pitched a perfect game and now works as a broadcaster. David Cone started his career in 1986 for ...

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Classic Yankees: Paul O’Neill

Posted on September 4, 2011 by Mike Sommer

George Steinbrenner gave him the nickname “The Warrior.” His last game at Yankee Stadium, Game 5 of the 2001 WS, was marked by fans chanting his name, reducing Paul O’Neill to tears. His arrival, along with that of Jimmy Key and Wade Boggs in 1993, helped end a streak of four consecutive losing seasons. By bringing ...

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Classic Yankees: Herb Pennock

Posted on August 21, 2011 by Mike Sommer

He had nicknames that seemed to come out of Robin Hood---“The Squire” and “The Knight of Kennett Square.” Herb Pennock was one of the first, if not the first, of the great lefty mound artists in Yankee history. Pennock preceded Lefty Gomez, Ed Lopat, Whitey Ford, Ron Guidry, Andy Pettitte and CC Sabathia. He was a ...

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Classic Yankees: Waite Hoyt

Posted on August 20, 2011 by Mike Sommer

His nickname was “Schoolboy.” He came up to the majors at the age of 18 with the New York Giants, and in 1921, at the age of 21, he helped the Yankees to their first pennant. Two years later, he helped them to their first World Series Championship and in 1927, while in his prime ...

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Classic Yankees: Bill Dickey

Posted on August 9, 2011 by Mike Sommer

Is it possible for someone who is a Hall of Famer and who has his number retired by the team he labored for to be overlooked and underrated? It may be, if that individual was overshadowed by more flamboyant teammates such as Babe Ruth. Or if that individual had teammates like Lou Gehrig and Joe DiMaggio ...

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Classic Yankees: Orlando Hernandez

Posted on August 8, 2011 by Mike Sommer
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In baseball seasons’ past, and especially before the advent of the wild card, teams would win 100 games and not make the postseason. See the 1942 Dodgers (104-50), 1954 Yankees (103-51), 1961 Tigers (101-61) or 1993 Giants (103-59). It’s tough to take. Even when the Yanks made the postseason in 1980 or 2002 for instance, ...

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