Before you jump down my throat and tell me I missed this guy or forgot that guy, try it yourself. It's almost impossible to put all the greats in a 25 man roster. Here's how I broke it down:
1B: Lou Gehrig: The Iron Horse. Of the All-Time Yankees, he and Babe are 1 and 2 for sure. A career .340 Hitter.
SS: Derek Jeter: How can you not choose him. He led the Yankees to 5 championships, is respected by everyone and will forever be known as the Captain.
3B: Graig Nettles: Based on pure grit. Nettles played third like no other, plus he had a bat. He didn't mind popping the opponent in the nose if they talked trash and always protected his teammates. Again, very close contest between he and A-Rod, but Alex made the team too and is a bench guy. Alex clearly has better career numbers, again, rough decision.
Outfield:Joe DiMaggio: Joe D hit better than anyone. .325 career average. He served his country from 1943-1945 and still managed to put up numbers like he was always there. A patriot and a hell of a ballplayer.
Rickey Henderson: Odd you're thinking, right? Not to me. This is based on speed and power and also because he was my idol growing up. 1406 stolen bases in his career. He set the tone every time, plus, his body was his temple for years. No one ran as well as Rickey and no one ever will.
Mickey Mantle: Could you imagine what he would have been if he was 100 percent. For years he was injured and had alcohol problems but functioned to become one of the greatest hitters in the game, because he loved baseball.
C: Yogi Berra: It's Yogi. He was small, ugly and shut up all the doubters with some amazing ballplaying, for 19 years. By far, one of the greatest catchers to ever play the game. A .285 career average and 358 home runs.
DH: Babe Ruth: An outfielder but there was no room on this team and lord knows the Babe wasn't a bench player. He was never a great outfielder, but one of the greatest hitters ever, so I'm utilizing his bat. If they had a DH back then, he may have been it. The hitting numbers are amazing for the Babe. A .342 Average and of course, 714 home runs.Bench:
Don Mattingly (1B): Leadership, leadership, leadership. There wasn't a man with more heart than Don Mattingly and to this day I am still disappointed he didn't win a championship with the Yankees as a player.
Thurman Munson (C): His life was cut short but he was on his way. Only 11 seasons in the bigs, imagine if that plane crash didn't happen. Thurman was tough as nails and part of the Bronx Zoo.Reggie Jackson (OF): Mr. October. Another Bronx Zoo member and no one had an audience bigger than Reggie. Anyone who has a candy bar named after him is kind of a big deal.
Alex Rodriguez (3B): It was a tough call between Nettles and A-Rod. Alex has the better numbers. Nettles has the better defense. I went with who I liked more to start at third, Nettles... but it's close.
Tony Lazzeri (2B): Probably the greatest Yankee second baseman ever. The problem is I can only go on numbers for Lazzeri and I see Cano play. I went with Cano starting at second base and anticipating a amazing career. It's probably not fair, but that's what I did. Dave Winfield (OF): Larger than life, had an exceptional career in New York. A .290 Average with 205 home runs and 818 RBIs in his 9 years with New York.
Starting Rotation:
1. Whitey Ford: Hands down the best. Just click on his name to see his numbers.
2.Ron Guidry: I wanted to be Guidry after he went 25-3 in 1978. I was lefty and small and I imitated his pitching style, he was great. He just chucked it. Overall he was a great Yankee pitcher and I feel as though he belongs right up there with Whitey.
3. Red Ruffing: 273-225 with a 3.80 ERA. Played 22 years, 15 years with the Yankees. even served time in the service. His best pitching days were with the Yanks and that's good enough for me.
4.CC Sabathia: CC is a new Yankee but I love the guys heart. He never let's you down and 2 years with the Yankees he's impressed me. I have to put him on the list even though it's only been a short time. Big things will continue to happen for CC and the Yanks marriage.
5. Andy Pettitte: Maybe it's just me giving Pettitte a proper dedication to greatness but I've always love Pettitte. Truly dominant in the post season with 19 wins...he leads all of baseball. Got to love Ol' Reliable.
6. Lefty Gomez: 14 years with the Yankees and was 189-102. If that's not a record I don't know what is.
Relief:
1. Ryne Duren: He played just 4 years on the Yankees but Duren was a bad ass relief pitcher. He was an intimidating pitcher. He walked slowly to the mound after jumping the bullpen fence. You knew you were about to get struck out.
2. Sparky Lyle: Normally a closer but you know the closer on this team. Lyle was good with the Red Sox but he became something better when he came to New York. He was Mariano before Mariano.
3. Rich Gossage: Goose... always number 54. If I hit against him, I'd crap myself. Arms and legs flying all over the place, the Goose brought heat. Here it is, try and hit it. Got to love that.
Closer: Mariano Rivera: The king. If he stays healthy, he will be the all-time saves leader ever. It doesn't get better than that. Currently has 559 Saves.
So, let me know what you think. Believe me, I wish I could have them all on this team. It was absolutely crazy. Give it a shot. Let me know how you do.
Please comment and let me know what you think and follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and join the group Bleeding Yankee Blue on Facebook, just type it in.
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