Category Archives: Classic Yankees

Classic Yankees: Orlando Hernandez

Posted on August 8, 2011 by Mike Sommer
el-duque

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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Classic Yankees: Joe Torre

Posted on July 23, 2011 by Mike Sommer

Soon, we should see the #6 retired. Joe Torre is right up there with Miller Huggins, Joe McCarthy (neither of whom wore a number) and Casey Stengel (#37 retired).  I’m not one who thinks Billy Martin’s #1 should be retired (compare his numbers to Ralph Houk’s for example, and no, I’m not saying Houk was ...

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Don’t Miss Our Epic Classic Yankees Series

Posted on July 19, 2011 by Rob Abruzzese

Mike Sommer, formerly of The Sommer Frieze, has been nice enough to contribute to our site with one of our most popular regular features ever, the Classic Yankees series. So far he has written 31 parts of this series. Be sure to check them out: Jacob Ruppert (as owner 1914-1936) Miller Huggins (1918-1929) Bob Meusel (1920-1929) Earle Combs (1924-1935) Lefty ...

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Classic Yankees: Lou Piniella

Posted on July 17, 2011 by Mike Sommer

At the recent Old-Timer’s Day, Yankees fans got a true treat in the return of “Sweet” Lou Piniella to the Stadium wearing Yankees’ pinstripes. Piniella has been around the majors in his career as a player and manager. He has worn many hats. But the colorful, passionate, outspoken, and hotheaded Piniella was a perfect fit for ...

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Classic Yankees: Allie Reynolds

Posted on July 3, 2011 by Mike Sommer

He was a natural at anything he wanted to do; track, bowling, poker playing, playing pool, football.  In David Halberstam’s Summer of ’49, Allie Pierce Reynolds, or simply, Allie Reynolds was described as probably the best all-around natural athlete on the team. He could start or relieve, and do both jobs well. Perhaps he did ...

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Classic Yankees: Gil McDougald

Posted on July 2, 2011 by Mike Sommer

Players come and players go. Time waits for no one. Sooner or later, everyone must retire. It helps a team immensely when you have a versatile player who can fill in where needed, and if that player is so good that he becomes an All-Star at three different positions, well you can see how valuable ...

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Classic Yankees: Bernie Williams

Posted on July 1, 2011 by Mike Sommer

It seems strange to call him an Old-Timer, but he did show up as an Old-Timer at the recent Yankees’ Old-Timer’s Day, even though he has never officially announced his retirement. But Bernie Williams, whether he makes the HOF or not, is clearly a Classic Yankee. I remember seeing Bernie for the first time when, ...

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Classic Yankees: Joe Pepitone

Posted on June 26, 2011 by Mike Sommer

He was born October 9, 1940, the same day as John Lennon. While Lennon was something different to the music world in the 1960s, Joe Pepitone was something different to the New York Yankees. The corporate, GM like Yanks changed a lot in the 1960s, with guys like Fritz Peterson, Pepitone, Jim Bouton, Phil Linz, etc. ...

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Classic Yankees: Vic Raschi

Posted on June 19, 2011 by Mike Sommer

He was only in the majors from 1946-1955, and did not become a rotation mainstay until he was 29 years old. He won “only” 132 games in his career. But Victor John Angelo Raschi or just Vic Raschi, the “Springfield Rifle,” made his mark as the middle name of the “Big Three” of Reynolds, Raschi ...

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Classic Yankees: Eddie Lopat

Posted on May 20, 2011 by Mike Sommer

With all the talk recently about decreased velocity, I thought it might be a good time to remember a Yankee known for his lack of velocity; one who was Jamie Moyer-like and who had a nickname of “The Junkman,” as well as “Steady Eddie” and others that are unprintable (given to him by frustrated hitters). ...

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