[ThePundit]

I'm reading "Birth of a Dynasty," by Joel Sherman, NY POST beat writer who has covered the Yankees for years. There's some unbelievable stuff in here about Jeter:

1. In Jeter's first year of Single A ball in Tampa, he was so bad and homesick that every night he used to go back to his hotel room and cry and call home to speak to his parents and rack up huge phone bills.

2. In Jeter's first game at SS when Andy Pettite pitched, he went 0 for 5 with 4 K's and 2 errors: Pettite said to himself "This is our first round pick? This is our best prospect? I didn't think he was worth flip."

3. Steinbrenner used to elicit opinions of his Tampa contingent (he still does which almost caused Joe Torre and Cashman to leave a couple of years ago), but anyway, Clyde King told Steinbrenner before 1996 started (Jeter's rookieyear),: "We can't win with Derek Jeter playing shortstop every day. He's not ready."

So Steinbrenner tells Bob Watson to look for shortstops and on March 26, 1996, the Yankees were mulling this offer: Felix Fermin from Seattle for Mariano Rivera. Steinbrenner calls a meeting of the Yankees most powerful executives about the shortstop situation. Gene Michael who was not even GM anymore stands up in this tension-filled meeting and basically says the King doesn't know what he's talking about and tells Steinbrener to avoid an impulse decision on Jeter and give him time. Steinbrenner relented.

It's funny how what seems like little decisions at the time can alter a franchises' destiny. One different decision and there's no Derek Jeter and no Mariano Rivera.

[mervinout]

its amazing to see how gene has been able to hold this organzation togther more then anyone in the last 20 years he is the reason for the latest dynasty , and for the people like mo, jeter, petite,bernie and posada

[ThePundit]

Very true Mervin. The book also explains how when Michael became GM in '92, he got rid of all the guys with low on base % like Alvaro Espnioza, Mel Hall, Bob Geren and brought in guys with higher on base % like Mike Gallego, Mike Stanley and a guy named PAUL O"NEILL. This was long before this type of thinking was made popular by Billy Beane and MoneyBall.

[mervinout]

hey how long of a book is this cause seems like a good read wen im taking a break from my school homework. (school sucks) But Paul Oneil was one of the yankees best pickups in awhile. Im young born in the eighties, but i always had the impression of Mel Hall being a peice of garbage from what i saw and wat i heard. But one of the players i loved watching when i was little was jessie barfield boy did he have a stroke, and it was amazing to see him get the ball out of the right field corner grab that ball and just fly it to home plate on the fly he had an arm better comparable to vlad of today

[MJHMarc]

The Yankees are one of the greatest dynasties to ever step foot onto the baseball diamond.

Derek Jeter was raw talent when the Yankees first discovered him. Derek Jeter went through the same process that Jose Reyes and David Wright and teammate, Robinson Cano, are going through now. They have to develop into All-Stars.

[ThePundit]

Originally Posted by mervinout

hey how long of a book is this cause seems like a good read wen im taking a break from my school homework. (school sucks) But Paul Oneil was one of the yankees best pickups in awhile. Im young born in the eighties, but i always had the impression of Mel Hall being a peice of garbage from what i saw and wat i heard. But one of the players i loved watching when i was little was jessie barfield boy did he have a stroke, and it was amazing to see him get the ball out of the right field corner grab that ball and just fly it to home plate on the fly he had an arm better comparable to vlad of today

The books is 320 pages. Regarding, Barfield, the best thing about him was his arm - he had a gun....BUT they traded a young lefty named Al Leiter to get him....As this trade and the Scott Kazmir trade show you: NEVER trade a young lefty who throws 95 MPH - especially for mediocre veterans.

[MJHMarc]

Al Leiter was never an amazing pitcher. His career average was a 13-11 season record with a 4.25 ERA that compared to his relatively-high 1.39 WHIP.

His best years were with the Florida Marlins in '96 and the 2000 New York Mets. To the best of my knowledge, he participated in two World Series ('97 with the Marlins and with the Mets in 2000).

Jessie Barfield had his best years with the Toronto Blue Jays, while he started to decline with the Yankees in the early '90s.

[EmpireWF]

Originally Posted by MJHMarc

Al Leiter was never an amazing pitcher. His career average was a 13-11 season record with a 4.25 ERA that compared to his relatively-high 1.39 WHIP.

His best years were with the Florida Marlins in '96 and the 2000 New York Mets. To the best of my knowledge, he participated in two World Series ('97 with the Marlins and with the Mets in 2000).

Leiter played in three World Series', 1994 with the Blue Jays, 1997 with the Marlins and 2000 with the Mets.

The best year of his career was his first with the Mets, in 1998. He went 17-6 with a sub 3 ERA. Of course he'll always be remembered for the complete game shutout of the Cincy Reds in the 1999 extra playoff game with the Reds.

[MJHMarc]

Thanks for checking out those important World Series Appearances with me.

I guess his best seasons really depends on your opinion which is based on your personality. I look at wins first and then his ERA because that is the type of statistical freak I am.

[Lefty Noob]

See, I've always thought wins were a poor indictator of a pitcher's performance. No matter how good a pitcher throws on any given night, he could lose a game because his teammates aren't hitting or because of a defensive error. I'd much rather look at stats that the pitcher himself has total control over.

[Gotham Dark Knight]

Originally Posted by MJHMarc

Thanks for checking out those important World Series Appearances with me.

I guess his best seasons really depends on your opinion which is based on your personality. I look at wins first and then his ERA because that is the type of statistical freak I am.

the problem is that 13-11 actually translate to a .551 winning percentage in lifetime which makes him a decent to pretty good pitcher...he was also 8-3 in post season play...His lifetime ERA also belies the fact that six times he had a top 10 finish for his league's ERA title...which again lends weight to him being a good pitcher.

sometimes you got to break down the numbers a bit to get a more complete picture.

[ThePundit]

Originally Posted by Lefty Noob

See, I've always thought wins were a poor indictator of a pitcher's performance. No matter how good a pitcher throws on any given night, he could lose a game because his teammates aren't hitting or because of a defensive error. I'd much rather look at stats that the pitcher himself has total control over.

Fair point, but good pitchers tend to find a way to win games.

[mervinout]

Originally Posted by ThePundit

The books is 320 pages. Regarding, Barfield, the best thing about him was his arm - he had a gun....BUT they traded a young lefty named Al Leiter to get him....As this trade and the Scott Kazmir trade show you: NEVER trade a young lefty who throws 95 MPH - especially for mediocre veterans.

ya but al leiter would of made us trade our young talent instead of getting rid of a has been like him

[legend]

Leiter never won more than 17 games, threw over 200 innings only four times, walked people by the bushel, and practically invented the term "high pitch count". He didn't even win ten in a season until he was thirty.The only distinguishing thing about his career IS his post-season record.

[MJHMarc]

Legend, some players are known for their performances in the post-season.

Alex Rodriguez is known to stumble, while Aaron Boone is remembered as a NY hero.

Kirk Gibson, Sandy Koufax, Randy Johnson (Arizona), Curt Schilling...