It was very sad to hear the news about Wetteland. He is both a central figure and a forgotten man in that '96 championship. Even though he was in fact very good for the Yankees, I also fretted when he was brought into the game because it meant Mariano was coming out. It wasn't because Wetteland didn't usually do the job...it was just that Mo made it look so easy, while Wetteland was the Zantac Kid.
Allowing Wetteland to leave for free agency was probably not that hard of a decision for the Yankees in retrospect, but at the time it seemed like a risky decision. Wetteland did wind up hacing two excellent and two pretty good seasons in Texas, so it's not like the Yankees would have suffered for keeping him. Still, one wonders what Yankee history would have been like had that he returned for four more years. Would Mariano had lasted as a setup man? Would Wetteland have blown some games in the 1998-2000 post season? We'll never know, but regardless, Wetteland has earned his place in Yankee history and I really wish him well.
I remember during the postgame after Game 6 in '96, after getting the MVP, when Wetteland refered to Jesus Christ as his "main man" or something to that effect. That always stuck in my head as being just weird, not that he would make a religious comment but "main man"??
There are, every year, stories that filter out about athletes dealing with 'the rest of their lives' with difficulty. In a way it is just normal life ... a lot of people have difficulty dealing with their lives, it just involve someone who was once 'known'. On the other hand, it is so hard to shift gears from from having applause and adulation (or even dealing with boos) to being invisible. It is a big part of all those coming-out-of-retirement attempts.
Coming off the high is difficult. It just adds to all the other things that are. Robert Frost: "No memory of having starred/Atones for later disregard/Or keeps the end from being hard."
It was very sad to hear the news about Wetteland. He is both a central figure and a forgotten man in that '96 championship. Even though he was in fact very good for the Yankees, I also fretted when he was brought into the game because it meant Mariano was coming out. It wasn't because Wetteland didn't usually do the job...it was just that Mo made it look so easy, while Wetteland was the Zantac Kid.
Allowing Wetteland to leave for free agency was probably not that hard of a decision for the Yankees in retrospect, but at the time it seemed like a risky decision. Wetteland did wind up hacing two excellent and two pretty good seasons in Texas, so it's not like the Yankees would have suffered for keeping him. Still, one wonders what Yankee history would have been like had that he returned for four more years. Would Mariano had lasted as a setup man? Would Wetteland have blown some games in the 1998-2000 post season? We'll never know, but regardless, Wetteland has earned his place in Yankee history and I really wish him well.
I remember during the postgame after Game 6 in '96, after getting the MVP, when Wetteland refered to Jesus Christ as his "main man" or something to that effect. That always stuck in my head as being just weird, not that he would make a religious comment but "main man"??
He said "I want to thank my point man, Jesus Christ."
[3] Yes! that was it. It was almost as uncomfortable as the George Steinbrenner/Andrew Giuliani high five on the podium.
Fun times back in '96.
I saw that last night. Good thing he realized he needed help.
God Wetteland gave me such anxiety in '96. Did he log even a single 1-2-3 save in the PS? It didn't seem so. I wish him well.
Hey so now that I've come down on the side of signing Matsui for 1+ an option if he'd take it, should I not also consider Thome and Guerrero?
There are, every year, stories that filter out about athletes dealing with 'the rest of their lives' with difficulty. In a way it is just normal life ... a lot of people have difficulty dealing with their lives, it just involve someone who was once 'known'. On the other hand, it is so hard to shift gears from from having applause and adulation (or even dealing with boos) to being invisible. It is a big part of all those coming-out-of-retirement attempts.
Coming off the high is difficult. It just adds to all the other things that are. Robert Frost: "No memory of having starred/Atones for later disregard/Or keeps the end from being hard."
There. The Banter poetry fix for the day.
Sorry ... 'DOESN'T involve someone who was..'