Mike Fox on “The Africa Project,” 1966
In the fall of 1984, my brother, sister and I met Mike Fox, one of my dad’s old friends. My sister and I were thirteen. A few months later, Mike and I started a correspondence that continues to this day. Here’s his first letter to me.
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It was all set up. Freddy Garcia pitched a wonderful game and the Yanks led 2-1 going to the bottom of the ninth on a wet afternoon in Queens. Enter Sandman and the Great Mariano retired the first two batters.
That’s a wrap, right? The fans headed for the parking lot. But it’s not always that easy, even for the best. Jason Bay walked, Luke Duda singled and with two strikes Ronny Paulino slapped a cutter that didn’t cut far enough into right field and the game was tied.
Then, a ground ball went through Ramiro Pena’s legs:
Brett Gardner came up firing…
…and nailed Duda at the plate to send the game into extra innings.
But that was it for Mo and it came as no surprise with him gone, Jason Bay drove home the winning run for the home team in the bottom of the 10th. So the Yanks blow a chance for the sweep and the Mets head out to Los Angeles feeling better about themselves.
Final Score: Mets 3, Yanks 2.
As the Dude says, “That’s a bummer, man.” But these things happen, even to Rivera. So let’s not get un-Dude about anything. It was still a good weekend even if the Yanks couldn’t put the cherry on top. Tomorrow is another day.
Let’s Go Yank-ees!
Three-quarters of the Yankees’ infield have been voted to start the All-Star Game (Mark Teixeira will have to settle for finishing behind Adrian Gonzalez who is the best player in the American League). Curtis Granderson has also been voted as a starter. Russell Martin and Mariano Rivera are also in. Meanwhile, Ivan Nova has been sent down to the minors. Looks as if Phil Hughes is back and they want to keep Nova pitching regularly.
It is rainy in New York so the game might take a while. Here’s the line-up:
Brett Gardner LF
Curtis Ganderson CF
Mark Teixeira 1B
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Robinson Cano 2B
Nick Swisher RF
Russell Martin C
Ramiro Pena SS
Freddy Garcia RHP
Never mind the hangover:
Let’s Go Yank-ees!
Yeah, that’s Reggie Noble on the front cover of the New York Times today.
Go. Figure.
[Photo Credit: Rich Schultz]
The wife and I went to Citifield yesterday and were fortunate enough to sit in some cushy seats where we thoroughly enjoyed watching the Yankees beat the Mets to the tune of 5-2.
Bartolo Colon didn’t skip a beat in his return from the D.L. He threw hard, in the mid-90s, and froze the Mets’ hitters with his two-seam fastball–he struck out six batters in the first four innings, five looking. Some of the juice went out of the building early one when Jose Reyes was removed because he tweaked his hamstring, a disheartening development for sure.
There was no score in the bottom of the fifth when Jason Bay worked the count full against Colon with one out. Bay hit a little squibber down the third base line and Colon didn’t bother sprinting for it. He smiled instead. No man, no sudden moves for me, Papi. Lucas Duda, a hulk of a man, singled softly to right, Josh Tole hit a hard line drive to left and the bases were loaded. When Colon fell behind 2-0 to the pitcher Dillion Gee, the Mets looked to be in business. But Colon worked the count even and then Gee hit a soft ground ball to Alex Rodriguez who stepped on third and threw to first to complete the double play.
And then things turned. Brett Gardner led off the top of the sixth and lined out to center field. Gee had matched Colon with six strikeouts through the first five innings, all swinging, and all but one swinging through a nifty change-up. But now, the third time through the order, the Yanks had him figured out. Curtis Granderson followed Gardner and hit a change up high over the wall in right center field. Mark Teixeira singled and then Alex Rodriguez had a good swing at a first pitch fastball, fouled it right back to the screen. He swung through a curve ball and I figured there was no way he was going to see another fastball. But he did and singled to right. Robinson Cano looked at a pitch for a ball and then hit a triple into the right field corner; he scored on a sacrifice fly by Nick Swisher.
That outburst proved to be enough. Eduardo Nunez doubled in his first two at bats, was robbed on a sensational catch by second baseman Justin Turner, and then hit a solo home run in the 9th. He made be a constant adventure in the field but it is nice to see Nunez hitting well. One thing I’ve noticed is that he can take some wild hacks in an at bat but then recover to square a ball up and hit it hard.
Cory Wade allowed a couple of hits but nothing more in two innings of work and the newly reacquired Serge Meatray pitched the ninth and gave up a couple of runs. Banter commenter, “The Hawk” put it best when he said “Ah, Mitre, making sure there’s no case of mistaken identity.”
Otherwise, it was a fine day for the Yankees who have now won seven straight.
It was a swell outing for the wife and me. We even stopped by Sripraphai for Thai food on the way home and when we finally returned to the Bronx we were tired but very heppy kets.
The Mets look to cool off the Yanks on a hot summer day in New York. The Bombers have won six straight will try to keep it rollin’ with Bartolo Colon back in action. The game is on Fox.
Brett Gardner LF
Curtis Granderson CF
Mark Teixeira 1B
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Robinson Cano 2B
Nick Swisher RF
Russell Martin C
Eduardo Nunez SS
Bartolo Colon RHP
Don’t forget the sunscreen, never mind the announcers, and:
Let’s Go Yank-ees!
[Photography by Ondie]
Blowin’ up the Spot like Fred did to Rollo.
Former Twins president Howard Fox died this week at the age of 90. Ordinarily, this might not be a major story for Yankee fans, but the name of Howard Fox should ring a bell for fans and followers of the late Billy Martin. During the 1966 season, when Martin was serving the Twins as a coach, he brawled with Fox, who was the team’s traveling secretary at the time. It might have marked the first time in history that a coach actually punched out his own team’s traveling secretary.
So what led to the fight between Fox and Martin? As the Twins were taking a charter flight to Washington, Martin became intoxicated and began using foul language. Fox took offense because his wife Yvonne was on the plane, well within earshot of Martin’s choice words. Fox, a no-nonsense type, was furious with Martin over his lack of delicacy.
After the Twins arrived at the hotel, Martin became one of the last members of the team’s party to receive his room key. Martin felt that Fox, who was also in the lobby, had intentionally delayed his room key. The two men started screaming at each other. Within a few minutes, fists began flying. Both combatants came away with bruises, but hotel witnesses gave Martin the win by decision.
The incident initiated a long feud between Martin and Fox, who never forgave Billy the Kid. In fact, Fox would play a role in firing Martin only three years later.
The fight with Fox marked only the first major tussle of Martin’s tenure in Minnesota. By 1969, Martin was the Twins’ manager; that August, he tangled with pitcher Dave Boswell in an alley behind a Detroit bar. (Imagine that, Billy in a bar.) The incident’s roots might have been planted at the ballpark, when Boswell refused Billy’s order to run 20 warm-up laps along with the rest of the Twins’ pitchers. Outside of the bar, Boswell began sparring with veteran Twins outfielder Bob Allison. Hearing about the fight, Martin ran outside, ostensibly to break up the altercation, with pitching coach Art Fowler joining him to offer moral support. Well, Billy’s notion of breaking up the fight involved hitting Boswell in the face with his fist. Again and again. Martin won by knockout, though it hardly seemed like a fair fight given the presence of both Fowler and Allison.
The pummeling left Boswell unconscious, and in need of 20 stitches. Yet, Boswell held no grudges. Many years later, when asked about Martin for a 1988 magazine article, Boswell said: “I love Billy.”
Fox did not. Spurred on by the embarrassment caused by the Boswell brawl, Fox convinced Twins owner Calvin Griffith to fire Martin after the Twins were swept by the Orioles in the first ever American League Championship Series. And thus began the long string of firings that involved Alfred Manuel “Billy” Martin.
***
Speaking of Martin, he once employed a seven-man rotation during the tumultuous 1988 season. Now there is talk of the Yankees adopting a six-man rotation once Bartolo Colon and Phil Hughes emerge from the disabled list. Colon, who is expected to start on Saturday against the Mets, will take the place of journeyman right-hander Brian Gordon. With regard to Hughes, who may come off the DL next week, there is no logical candidate to be sent out to Scranton/Wilkes Barre or to be demoted to the back of the bullpen. At the moment, A.J. Burnett, Freddy Garcia, and Ivan Nova are all pitching well.
It’s a pleasant problem to have, but the talk of a six-man rotation is silly. By going to a six-man rotation, the Yankees would be tinkering with the rhythm of their starters, all of whom are accustomed to five days rest. They would also be limiting the use of CC Sabathia, their best pitcher and one of the game’s few legitimate aces. Can the Yankees really afford to shrink the number of starts that Sabathia makes, particularly in a season when it looks like they will be in a dogfight with the Red Sox and the Rays? No. The more sensible approach would be to move either Nova or Garcia to the bullpen as a long reliever, with the ability to spot start of the situation mandates. And please, no more talk of keeping Nova or Garcia “stretched out.” Nova and Garcia have been fully prepared to start for half a season now; they’re capable of going to the bullpen for awhile and then returning to the rotation sometime in August or September.
***
Although I was never a big fan of Sergio Mitre during his first stint in pinstripes, I have no problem with his return to Yankeeland. Whenever you can acquire a pitcher who was putting up respectable numbers, as Mitre was doing in Milwaukee, without giving up anything more than money, it’s a good deal.
Pitching out of the Milwaukee bullpen, Mitre posted a 3.27 ERA and allowed 30 hits in only 33 innings. His strikeout-to-walk ratio (14 to 10) was unimpressive, but you can’t have everything when it comes to a 12th man on a pitching staff. Mitre is certainly better than Buddy Carlyle, the journeyman reliever who was designated for assignment to make room on both the 25 and 40-man rosters. Mitre has actually pitched decently in relief for the Yankees. The sinkerballer also has the ability to go three or four innings a time, an ability that escapes most of the Yankee relievers. As long as Joe Girardi keeps him out of the starting rotation, Mitre should be able to help in a small role.
As an added bonus, the Yankees now have both Mitre and Chris Dickerson, who was acquired from the Brewers in the original Mitre deal, without having surrendered any actual talent in exchange. In contrast, Milwaukee has only a small amount of money–and you can’t play money .
Bruce Markusen writes “Cooperstown Confidential” for The Hardball Times.
Before Jonathan Niese started to locate his curveball, a sharp, breaking hook that he can throw on the black, the Yanks scored three first inning runs. Then Niese composed himself and didn’t allow another run through six. Ivan Nova, on the other hand, couldn’t get his fastball down, and wasn’t getting the Mets to hit harmless ground balls.
Both teams got hits and had runners on base but the score was 3-1 by the time the starters were done. They had help from their fielders–Alex Rodriguez made a sensational play, fielding a ball to his right and then throwing Ruben Tejada out at first; Robinson Cano made a difficult short hop look easy as he turned a double play, Daniel Murphy fielded a hard line drive by Cano, Brett Gardner made a lovely running catch, and Mark Teixeira saved Rodriguez from throwing errors with slick scoops in the sixth and ninth.
The most exciting play of the game involved Jose Reyes who led off the seventh inning with his second base hit of the game. Justin Turner flew out to deep center field before Reyes had a chance to swipe second, but the shortstop tagged up and advanced to second anyway. Granderson’s throw came in on a bounce to Eduardo Nunez, the cut-off man. Nunez fumbled the ball and Reyes kept running. Nunez went after the ball, picked it up and threw it on a bounce to third. Everything happened so fast. The third base ump was caught in the outfield, running back to third, while the home plate ump rushed to the bag too. Rodriguez caught the ball and made a swipe tag at Reyes. The home plate ump, shielded by Rodriguez’s body signaled that Reyes was out. Then, as Rodriguez shook his fist, Reyes was yelling and soon Terry Collins was yelling too, and he said enough to get himself kicked out of the game.
David Robertson pitched a scoreless eighth, the Yanks tacked on a few insurance runs and Mariano Rivera, in a non-save situation, came in to get the final two outs in the ninth.
Final Score: Yanks 5, Mets 1.
A satisfying win. Nunez had four hits. The last one was off a high fastball and he hacked at it like a lumber jack chopping wood. It made that crisp, hard crack that is as true a sound as you ever want to hear in baseball, and it was good enough to drive in a run. Nunez is a work-in-progress in the field and I hold my breath on every ball that is hit his way, but he’s hanging in there and contributing.
[Photo Credit: Chris (archi3d) and Nick Laham, Getty Images]
The Subway Serious starts again tonight with a little more juice than usual because both teams are playing well. The Yanks want to avoid getting swept and winning two-of-three would be great, of course.
The boys at SNY break it down:
And Cliff has the preview over at PB:
Since starting the season 5-13, the Mets have gone 36-27 (.571), a winning percentage that, over the full season, would put them in first place in the Central and Western divisions of either league and in second-place in either Wild Card race. Prior to running into Justin Verlander Thursday afternoon, the Mets had won six of their last seven, four of those coming against first-place American League teams, and in the four games prior to facing Verlander they scored 52 runs (an average of 13 per game).
So the Mets, despite recent appearances, are no laughing matter. Jose Reyes is having an MVP-quality season. Carlos Beltran has come all the way back, at least at the plate. Angel Pagan has hit .325/.398/.444 since coming off the disabled list in late May. Ronny Paulino has put up similar numbers in wrestling the catching job away from sophomore Josh Thole. Jason Bay has hit .327/.389/.490 over the last two weeks and has become a Russell Martin-like stealth threat on the bases having stolen eight bases in nine attempts this season, including four in as many tries in those last two weeks. As you’ll see below, the three starting pitchers the Yankees will face in this series, Jonathan Niese, Dillon Gee, and R.A. Dickey, have all been pitching well of late.
Never mind the hub-bub:
Let’s Go Yank-ees!
[Photo Credit: Joseph O. Holmes]
I watched some of the Orioles-Cardinals game last night and saw our old pal Lance Berkman hit two long home runs, one righty, the other lefty. Man, they were both crushed. Made him dream “What If?” for a second. I know there wasn’t a place for him in the Bronx, and he would have cost more than Nick Swisher, who is also younger, so I’m not saying they should have kept him. But I’ve always enjoyed watching “The Big Puma” and wished he could have stayed around longer.
Regardless–or irregardless, as they like to say in the Bronx– I’m happy to see him playing so well.
Banana pudding is the reason to go to Magnolia Bakery. Turns me into a fat f***apotamus, man. For real.
Saveur offers a Carolina Banana Pudding recipe. Dig in.
[Photo Credit: Serious Eats]
When I finished reading “Blindsided: The Jerry Joseph Basketball Scandal” by Michael J. Mooney my first thought was how nice it will be to see the piece in the next edition of “The Best American Sports Writing.” The story features good reporting and is well-constructed. It is also written in the kind of clean, succinct prose that I love. Best of all, it took me somewhere unexpected, all without drawing attention to writing style. It is top-notch storytelling. I am a newcomer to Mooney’s work but he’s been around and is accomplished. Check out his website for more, and do yourself a favor: read this story.
[Photo Credit: AP]
Favorite rap group in the world is EPMD.
Hardcore but not rough enough to bleep it.
With the Milwaukee Brewers having left town after their first visit to the Bronx in 14 years, I can’t help but think of the 1980s. Something about the team’s light blue home pinstripes and cartoonish ball-in-glove logo must have made an indelible mark on a young fan growing up in the decade.
Unfortunately, the 1980s isn’t the best period for a Yankees fan to take a trip down memory lane. After starting off with consecutive division titles and an A.L. pennant, the team began a gradual descent into one of the darkest periods in franchise history. As a result, when the decade ended, the Yankees were without a World Series championship for the first time since moving to the Bronx.
Even though the team failed to win a ring during the 1980s, things really weren’t all that bad. As George Steinbrenner was fond of reminding everyone, the Yankees actually won more games than any other team over those 10 years (the Brewers were the only team against which the Yankees had a losing record). What’s more, the team also played host to Hall of Famers like Reggie Jackson, Goose Gossage, Dave Winfield and Rickey Henderson, not to mention a beloved fan favorite like Don Mattingly. However, each year, there always seemed to be at least one other team that was better.
During the 1980s, 11 of the 14 teams in the American League finished in first place at least once, an impressive level of parity in the two-division format. Perhaps that’s why a sentimental journey back to the era evokes just as many memories about opposing players as heroes in pinstripes. So, in honor of the decade and its many great players, listed below is an all-1980s team selected on the basis of how well they performed against the Yankees (all stats were compiled at the designated positions). I apologize in advance if any of these names cause the 30-somethings among the Yankees’ fan base to cringe a bit.
C – Ernie Whitt, Toronto Blue Jays: 1980-1989
| PA | AB | H | HR | RBI | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS |
| 252 | 226 | 70 | 13 | 37 | 0.31 | 0.368 | 0.540 | 0.908 |
Although one of the more beloved players in Blue Jays history, Whitt was never really a star…except when he played the Yankees. In fact, the only team against which he posted better numbers was the Minnesota Twins.
Honorable Mention: Regardless of what color Sox he was wearing, Carlton Fisk was always productive (.804 OPS with 15 home runs and 48 RBIs) against the Yankees. Perhaps that’s why the Yankees tried to acquire him from Chicago after the 1985 season. Unfortunately for the Bronx Bombers, the heavily rumored trade fell through and Fisk finished the decade hitting .295/.357/.534 against them.
1B – Darrell Evans, Detroit Tigers: 1984-1988
| PA | AB | H | HR | RBI | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS |
| 130 | 107 | 34 | 11 | 23 | 0.318 | 0.431 | 0.654 | 1.085 |
Evans spent most of his career in the National League with the Braves and Giants, but a resurgent 1983 season made him one of the hottest free agent commodities on the market that off season. Seventeen teams, including the Yankees, put in a claim for Evans in the free agent re-entry draft, but the Tigers came away the winners. Despite being 37 in 1984, Evans continued to produce throughout his time in Detroit, and the Yankees were one of the teams he most enjoyed facing.
Honorable Mention: No first baseman had more plate appearances against the Yankees during the 1980s than Eddie Murray, but despite posting solid numbers, the future Hall of Famer never seemed to really torment the team. For example, despite ranking in the top-10 in all-time RBIs, Murray never knocked in more than three in one game against the Bombers.
2B – Bobby Grich, California Angels: 1980-1986
| PA | AB | H | HR | RBI | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS |
| 236 | 197 | 60 | 10 | 30 | 0.305 | 0.401 | 0.523 | 0.924 |
Continuing a theme, when Bobby Grich became a free agent after the 1976 season, Yankees’ manager Billy Martin implored the team to acquire the second baseman. George Steinbrenner overruled him, however, and the Yankees opted to sign Reggie Jackson. Mr. October contributed to three pennants and two championships during his tenure, so the Yankees had to be happy with that decision. However, throughout the 1980s, Grich reminded the team of what they missed out on.
3B – George Brett, Kansas City Royals: 1980-1989
| PA | AB | H | HR | RBI | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS |
| 277 | 248 | 74 | 12 | 45 | 0.298 | 0.368 | 0.524 | 0.892 |
When you think 1980s and the Yankees, George Brett is one of the first opposition players to come to mind. Just ask Goose Gossage. Their epic battles were a thing of legend, sometimes quite literally, as the Pine Tar Game will attest. Ultimately, however, Brett’s bat is what left the biggest mark on the rivalry between the two teams. With his plate appearances as a first baseman and DH include, Brett ranks third during the decade in home runs (23) and RBIs (75) against the Yankees. His combined OPS of .920 also ranks fourth among players with at least 150 plate appearances.
Honorable Mention: If it seemed like the Yankees never got Wade Boggs out, well, that’s because they rarely did. In over 400 plate appearance, Boggs had an outstanding OBP of .431, not to mention a .503 rate at Fenway Park. Fortunately, most Yankees’ fans now remember Boggs riding atop a horse instead of lining balls off the Green Monster.
SS – Scott Fletcher, Chicago White Sox: 1983-1985, 1989; Texas Rangers: 1986-1989
| PA | AB | H | HR | RBI | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS |
| 268 | 238 | 79 | 0 | 27 | 0.332 | 0.385 | 0.416 | 0.801 |
Considering the caliber of short stops who played in the 1980s, Fletcher’s name might strike some as a surprise, but not if you grew up watching the Yankees during the decade. Whether with Texas or Chicago, the scrappy short stop always seemed to get a hit against the Yankees. Among players with at least 150 appearances, only Boggs topped Fletcher’s batting average of .332.
Honorable Mention: Alan Trammell knocked in 66 runs against the Yankees during the decade, while Cal Ripken Jr. belted 12 home runs. The highest OPS belonged to Robin Yount. Nonetheless, those Hall of Famers (Trammell’s current exclusion notwithstanding) still take a back seat to the unheralded Fletcher.
LF – Jim Rice, Boston Red Sox: 1980-1989
| PA | AB | H | HR | RBI | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS |
| 351 | 317 | 102 | 19 | 69 | 0.322 | 0.382 | 0.587 | 0.969 |
Contrary to popular main stream media opinion, particularly emanating from Boston, Jim Rice wasn’t the most feared hitter in American League…unless you happened to be wearing a Yankee uniform. During the 1980s, when Rice’s skills were in a steady decline, the powerful right handed hitter still managed to haunt the Yankees. Including his games as DH, Rice’s line improves to .324/.392/.607, while his home run and RBI increase to 24 and 82, respectively, totals surpassed only by teammate Dwight Evans (who had over 100 more plate appearances). Without question, Rice was the Yankees’ chief tormenter during the 1980s.
CF – Lloyd Moseby, Toronto Blue Jays: 1980-1989
| PA | AB | H | HR | RBI | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS |
| 398 | 347 | 101 | 13 | 45 | 0.291 | 0.374 | 0.478 | 0.853 |
In the middle of the decade, Lloyd Moseby was often the forgotten man in the Blue Jays heralded outfield that included sluggers Jesse Barfield and George Bell. Perhaps that’s why, of all the players on this list, Moseby’s inclusion surprises me the most. Nonetheless, Moseby’s impressive output in almost 400 plate appearances is undeniable.
Honorable Mention: Had Robin Yount not split the decade between short stop and center field, he would have earned the nod at either position. Combined, Yount’s 141 hits against the Yankees trails only Paul Molitor and Willie Wilson, who each had 142, while his 75 RBIs are tied with Brett for third. In other words, Yount’s honorable mention at two positions is well deserved.
RF – Larry Parrish, Texas Rangers: 1982-1988; Boston Red Sox: 1988
| PA | AB | H | HR | RBI | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS |
| 154 | 142 | 45 | 10 | 31 | 0.317 | 0.357 | 0.585 | 0.942 |
How many fans during the 1980s confused Larry Parrish with Tigers’ catcher Lance Parrish? When it came time to preparing a scouting report, maybe the Yankees did as well? In his 36 games as a right fielder against the Yankees, Parrish had prolific power and RBI numbers, which look even more impressive (17 and 61 respectively) when combined with his totals from other positions.
Honorable Mention: Dwight Evans had the most home runs (26) and RBIs (90) against the Yankees in the 1980s. However, he also had the most plate appearances, over 100 of which came at a position other than right field. Of all the candidates for this all-decade opposition team, Evans probably has the best case for being promoted to starter, but Parrish’s short-term dominance seemed a better selection. Or, maybe I just didn’t want two Red Sox in the starting lineup.
DH: Harold Baines,Chicago White Sox: 1980-1989; Texas Rangers: 1989
| PA | AB | H | HR | RBI | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS |
| 120 | 103 | 31 | 6 | 22 | 0.301 | 0.392 | 0.573 | 0.964 |
Harold Baines actually had over 300 plate appearances against the Yankees as a right fielder, but he saved his best hitting against them for when he was the DH. Combined, Baines’ 15 home runs and 65 RBIs rank among the top-10 of all Yankees’ opponents during the 1980s.
Honorable Mention: Hal McRae was a Yankees tormenter long before the 1980s, but he continued to do damage (.310/.368/.490) to the Bronx Bombers throughout that decade as well.
Starting Pitcher: Teddy Higuera, Milwaukee Brewers: 1985-1989
| W | L | W% | ERA | GS | IP | H | HR | SO | WHIP |
| 12 | 2 | 0.857 | 2.45 | 17 | 136 | 108 | 9 | 101 | 1.07 |
The term Yankee killer is often overused, but during the 1980s, no one embodied that moniker more than Brewers’ left hander Teddy Higuera. Whenever the two teams would meet, you can be certain that every Yankees’ hitter scoured the box scores to see if the lefty was on target to pitch in the series. During the decade, Higuera not only tallied the most wins (tied with Floyd Banister, who had nine more starts) against the Bronx Bombers, but he also posted the highest winning percentage and lowest ERA (among all pitchers with at least 65 innings).
Honorable Mention: Despite posting an 8-9 record, Blue Jays’ right hander Dave Steib had a 2.93 ERA in more than 208 innings against the Yankees, including nine complete games and three shutouts. What’s more, on August 4, 1989, Steib almost made history by tossing a perfect game against them, but his attempt at immortality was thwarted by a Roberto Kelly double with two outs in the ninth.
Relief Pitcher: Dan Quisenberry, Kansas City Royals: 1980-1988
| W | L | W% | ERA | SV | H | IP | SO | WHIP |
| 4 | 2 | 0.667 | 1.61 | 16 | 64 | 61.2 | 24 | 1.23 |
Dan Quisenberry was one of the most dominant relievers during the 1980s, and his outings against the Yankees were no exception. During the decade, no other reliever had more saves against the Bronx Bombers than the side-arming righty, who also recorded the lowest ERA among all relievers with at least 35 innings.
Honorable Mention: In 34 1/3 innings covering 17 games in the early 1980s, the Yankees only scored two earned runs off the Angels’ Andy Hassler. However, the Angels only won five of the games in which he pitched.
