YANKEES NEWS & TRANSACTIONS

Mussina Wins Gold Glove
November 6, 2008 New York Yankees pitcher Mike Mussina was awarded the Rawlings Gold Glove, an accolade give to the top fielder at each position. The Gold Glove is Mussina’s first since 1993, third as a Yankee and seventh for his career. Mussina ranked 11th in the league with 42 total chances and his fielding percentage of .976 ranked sixth among pitchers with at least 200 innings pitched. The award caps off one of the best years of Mussina’s career as he posted his first 20 win season and lowest ERA since 2001 (3.37).

Yankees Trade for All-Star Catcher Rodriguez
July 30, 2008 The New York Yankees acquired 14-time All-Star catcher Ivan Rodriguez from the Detroit Tigers, in exchange for relief pitcher Kyle Farnsworth. “Pudge,” as he is known throughout the baseball world, was brought in to replace Yankees’ catcher Jorge Posada, who will miss the remainder of season with a shoulder injury. The 36-year-old Rodriguez is hitting .295 this season with five home runs and 32 RBI and is seen as an upgrade over current catcher Jose Molina. Farnsworth never flourished as a relief pitcher in three seasons with the Yankees. His 2.19 ERA prior to joining the Yankees in 2006 skyrocketed to 4.36 and then 4.80 in his two seasons in the Bronx. In 45 relief appearances for the team this season, he was 1-2 with a 3.65 ERA.

Yankees Acquire Marte and Nady for Four Minor Leaguers
July 25, 2008 The New York Yankees shipped four minor leaguers to the Pittsburgh Pirates in return for relief pitcher Damaso Marte and outfielder Xavier Nady. Marte, 4-0 this season with a 3.47 ERA, is considered one of the top left-handed relievers in the major leagues and will be crucial to the Yankees’ success as the only lefty in the team’s bullpen. Nady is expected to start immediately in left field and will bring his .330 batting average, 13 home runs and 57 RBI to the heart of a fearsome Yankees lineup. In exchange for Marte and Nady, the Yankees gave up highly-touted outfield prospect Jose Tabata and three young pitchers—Ross Ohlendorf, Jeff Karstens and Dan McCutchen. Of the four players, only Ohlendorf made an appearance for the Yankees this season, going 1-1 with a 6.53 ERA out of the bullpen.

Girardi Asked to Serve as All-Star Coach
May 16, 2008 Manager Joe Girardi of the Yankees has been asked to serve as coach for the Major League Baseball All-Star game in New York. Yankee Stadium will host the game July 15 in its final season. Boston Red Sox manager Terry Francona will guide the AL team and Colorado Rockies manager Clint Hurdle will lead the NL side. Francona invited Girardi and Detroit Tigers manager Jim Leyland to be AL coaches.

Rich "Goose" Gossage Finally Selected for Baseball Hall of Fame
January 8, 2008 Former Yankee reliever Rich “Goose” Gossage was elected to the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame, receiving 466 votes (85.8%), surpassing the 75% required for election. Gossage will become only the fifth reliever to be inducted in Cooperstown. After 22 years as a major league pitcher, Gossage ranks 17th all-time in saves (310), 13th in games pitched (1,002) and sixth in games finished (681). Gossage was a nine-time All-Star who pitched for nine major league teams from 1972-94. Of his 310 saves, 52 needed seven or more outs. By comparison, Mariano Rivera has one and Trevor Hoffman two. He had two 30-plus save seasons (1980 and 1982) and led the American League in saves three times (1975, ’78, and ’80). As a member of the Yankees for six seasons, Goose anchored the pitching staff that led the 1978 Yankees to their 22nd World title. He earned a career record of 124-107 with 1,502 strikeouts and a 3.01 ERA and will enter the Hall of Fame as a Yankee.

A-Rod Signs 10-Year Contract with the Yankees
December 13, 2007 The New York Yankees signed Alex Rodriguez to a 10-year contract that will most likely ensure the slugger finishes his career in pinstripes. Rodriguez, 32, won the 2007 American League MVP after one of the greatest offensive seasons in baseball history where he was amongst the league leaders in almost every offensive category with a .314 batting average, 54 home runs and 154 RBI. Rodriguez has a career batting average of .306, 518 home runs, 1503 RBI, 1501 runs scored and 265 stolen bases in his 13-year career.

A-Rod Wins Americal League MVP
November 19, 2007 New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez was named 2007 American League MVP, tallying 26 of 28 first place and earning 382 total points. Detroit Tigers outfielder Magglio Ordonez finished second with 258 points. Rodriguez, 32, enjoyed one of the greatest offensive seasons in baseball history, ranking amongst the league leaders in almost every offensive category with a .314 batting average, 54 home runs, 154 RBI and 143 runs scored. He is the first Yankee to lead the league in home runs, RBI and runs since Roger Maris accomplished the feat in 1961. Rodriguez becomes the ninth player in history to win three MVP awards, joining Barry Bonds, Yogi Berra, Roy Campanella, Joe DiMaggio, Jimmie Foxx, Mickey Mantle, Stan Musial and Mike Schmidt. Bonds holds the record with seven. Rodriguez has a career batting average of .306, 518 home runs, 1503 RBI, 1501 runs scored and 265 stolen bases in his 13-year career.

Posada, Jeter and Rodriguez win American League Silver Slugger Awards
November 12, 2007 Three New York Yankees were rewarded with the American League Silver Slugger Awards, given annually to the top offensive performer at each position. Third baseman Alex Rodriguez collected his ninth Silver Slugger Award after leading all of baseball with 54 home runs, 156 RBI and 143 runs. Catcher Jorge Posada had a career year, in which he finished fourth in the American League in batting average (.338), belted 20 home runs and drove in 90 runs. Posada is the first Yankees catcher to finish in the top 10 in batting since Thurman Munson in 1978. The award is Posada’s fifth and his first since 2003. Derek Jeter earned his second Silver Slugger Award after compiling a .322 average and finished third in the AL in hits (206). It was the sixth time Jeter had 200 or more hits, a feat only matched in Yankees’ history by Lou Gehrig’s eight seasons of 200-plus hits.

Yankees Name Joe Girardi Manager
October 30, 2007 The New York Yankees have named Joe Girardi as the manager to replace the departed Joe Torre. Girardi is the 32nd manager of the Yankees and 17th former Yankees player to go on to manage the team, including the likes of Lou Pinella, Joe McCarthy, Billy Martin and Yogi Berra. Girardi, a 15 year Major League veteran, spent four years as a catcher with the Yankees (1996-1999) winning three World Series. Girardi also played for the Chicago Cubs, Colorado Rockies and St. Louis Cardinals in his playing career. In 2005 he returned to the dugout, working under Torre as his bench coach. Following the season, Girardi accepted the Florida Marlin’s managing position. The Marlins, thought by many to lose well over 100 games, exceeded expectations and competed for the National League Wild Card. The Marlins set a Major League Baseball record having six rookies in their opening day lineup and became the first team in history to exceed a .500 record after being 20 games below the mark. Girardi was named the 2006 National League Manager of the Year for his efforts. The Yankees interviewed Girardi, bench coach and Yankees legend Don Mattingly and first base coach Tony Pena before deciding on Girardi.

A-Rod Becomes Youngest to Hit 500 Home Runs
August 4, 2007 New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez hit his 500th home run in a victory over Kansas City, becoming the youngest player (32 years, eight days) in Major League Baseball history to reach the milestone. Rodriguez hit the first pitch he saw from the Royals' Kyle Davies just inside the left-field foul pole for a three-run homer in the bottom of the first inning at Yankee Stadium.

Three Yankees Named to American League All-Star Roster
July 2, 2007 The Yankees placed three players on the American League All-Star roster, including the top two overall vote leaders—third baseman Alex Rodriguez (3,890,515) and shortstop Derek Jeter (3,199,571). It’s the 11th appearance at the Midsummer Classic for Rodriguez, and eighth for Jeter. Catcher Jorge Posada, will make his fifth All-Star appearance after being voted onto the team as a reserve by his fellow players.

Roger Clemens Returns to the Bronx
May 6, 2007 Roger Clemens has decided to return to baseball after signing a one-year contract with the Yankees for the remainder of the 2007 season. Clemens, 45, will join a Yankees rotation that has seen its fair share of injuries and struggles this season. Clemens is a guaranteed lock to make the Hall of Fame as he has won 348 games, 7 Cy Young awards and is second on the all-time strikeout list with 4,604. He has also won 20 or more games in a season six times and holds a share of the record for most strikeouts (20) in one game. After starting his career with the Boston Red Sox, Clemens went on to play with the Toronto Blue Jays, Yankees and Houston Astros. With the addition of Clemens, the Yankees are poised to make that inevitable push towards another World Series title.

Yankees Trade Randy Johnson Back to the Arizona Diamondbacks
January 9, 2007 The New York Yankees traded four-time Cy Young Award winner Randy Johnson to the Arizona Diamondbacks for reliever Luis Vizcaino and minor leaguers Ross Ohlendorf, Steven Jackson, and Alberto Gonzalez. In two seasons with the Yankees, Johnson won 34 games and pitched 225 2/3 and 205 innings, respectively, while compiling a 4.36 ERA and striking out 383 batters. Vizcaino, who was 4-6 with a 3.58 ERA in 70 games last year for Arizona, could slot anywhere from the sixth to the eighth inning in the Yankees bullpen. Ohlendorf, 24, was 10-7 with a 3.29 ERA in 27 starts at Double-A, pitching 177 2/3 innings before moving up to Triple-A for one start. Jackson, 24, was 8-11 with a 2.65 ERA in 24 starts for Double-A Tennessee of the Southern League. Gonzalez, a 23-year-old infielder from Venezuela, has been reputed as an excellent defensive infielder who batted .290 with six home runs and 50 RBIs in 129 games for Double-A Tennessee of the Southern League last season.

Yankees Sign Japanese Pitcher Kei Igawa
December 27, 2006 The New York Yankees announced the signing of star Japanese pitcher Kei Igawa to a five-year contract. The Yankees won the exclusive rights to negotiate with Igawa, a 27-year-old left-hander, by posting the highest bid to the Hanshin Tigers. Igawa, who features a 90-mph fastball and an above-average curveball, went 14-9 with a 2.97 ERA last season, striking out 194 batters to tie for Japan's Central League lead. It was the third time he has won the league's strikeout title, also doing so in 2002 and 2004. Igawa ranked second in the league in wins and complete games (eight) and third in innings pitched (209). Igawa, a three-time Central League All-Star, was named league MVP in 2003 after going 20-5 with a league-leading 2.80 ERA in 29 games for Hanshin. He was also honored as the co-winner of the prestigious Sawamura Award in 2003, given to the top pitcher in Japanese baseball each year.

Yankees Re-Acquire Andy Pettitte
December 8, 2006 The New York Yankees and star left-handed pitcher Andy Pettitte reached an agreement on a one year deal with a player option for the 2008 season. Pettitte returns to the Yankees after a three year stint with the Houston Astros where he went 37-26 with a 3.38 ERA. Pettitte went 14-13 with a 4.20 ERA in 2006, leading the Majors with 35 starts. Pettitte threw 214 1/3 innings--the second consecutive season in which he has topped the 200-inning mark. Pettitte spent the first nine seasons of his career with the Yankees, going 149-78 in the regular-season and winning four World Series Championships.

Yankees Trade Jaret Wright to Baltimore
November 12, 2006 In an effort to improve a lagging middle-relief staff, the Yankees agreed to trade Jaret Wright to the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for pitcher Chris Britton. Wright, who will turn 31 later this year, went 11-7 with a 4.49 ERA in 2006 in his second season with the Yankees. Britton, who turns 24 on December 16, is an intimidating right-hander at 6-foot-3 and 278 pounds. He went 0-2 with one save and a 3.35 ERA in 52 games in 2006—his first year in the Majors.

Yanks Trade Gary Sheffield to Detroit
November 11, 2006 The Yankees traded Gary Sheffield to the Detroit Tigers in exchange for minor league pitchers Humberto Sanchez, Kevin Whelan and Anthony Claggett. Sanchez, a native of the Bronx, was 10-6 and ranked second among all Tigers’ minor league pitchers with a 2.63 ERA and 129 strikeouts in 20 starts for Triple-A Toledo and Double-A Erie. Whelan ranked third among all Tigers Minor League pitchers with 27 saves, went 4-1 with a 2.67 ERA in 51 games for Class-A Lakeland. Claggett posted a 7-2 record with a team-best 0.91 ERA and 14 saves in 51 games for Class-A West Michigan in 2006. Sheffield, who turns 38 on November 18, has 455 homers in 19 seasons but became superfluous in New York after the Yankees acquired Bobby Abreu from Philadelphia in late July. Sheffield topped 34 homers and 120 RBI in each of his first two seasons with the Yankees, but missed most of 2006 with a wrist injury from an April collision.

Yankees Clinch Postseason Berth
September 20, 2006 The New York Yankees clinched their ninth consecutive AL East division title despite losing to the Toronto Blue Jays (2-3). The Yankees got the help they needed to clinch the division when the Minnesota Twins defeated the Boston Red Sox by a score of 8-2. The Bronx Bombers look to capture the World Series trophy that has eluded them since winning the title in 2000. The Yankees have had a comfortable lead over their division-rival Boston Red Sox since they swept the Sox in a five game series played in mid-August. The Yankees, led by perennial all-stars Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, Jason Giambi and Mariano Rivera, are likely to face the Minnesota Twins, Detroit Tigers or Oakland Athletics in the American League Divisional Series which is slated to begin on October 3.

Yankees Trade For Wilson
July 31, 2006 In a trade that fortifies their bench, the Yankees added first baseman/outfielder Craig Wilson from the Pirates and shipped former All-Star pitcher Shawn Chacon to Pittsburgh. Wilson was hitting .267 with 13 home runs and 41 RBIs, making 40 starts at first base and 23 in right field for the Pirates. Chacon, 28, lost his spot in the Yankees rotation this season and pitched sporadically, going 5-3 with a 7.00 ERA in 17 games, 11 of them starts.

Yankees Trade for Abreu and Lidle
July 30, 2006 The New York Yankees acquired All-Star right fielder Bobby Abreu and starting pitcher Cory Lidle from the Philadelphia Phillies for four minor league prospects. Desperate for pitching and a productive bat in their depleted outfield, the Yankees took on Abreu's hefty contract, hoping he can help them catch first-place Boston in the AL East. A .301 career hitter, Abreu fills a major void in the lineup. New York has been without injured outfielders Gary Sheffield and Hideki Matsui for most of the season. In 2006, Abreu was batting .277 with eight homers and 65 RBIs. His 91 walks led the majors and his .427 on-base percentage was third in the National League. He has 198 home runs and 841 RBIs over 10 seasons. Lidle provides depth in a rotation that has struggled due to injuries and inconsistency. The 34-year-old right-hander is 8-7 with a 4.74 ERA in 21 starts this season. The Phillies get left-hander Matt Smith and Class-A shortstop C.J. Henry a first-round draft pick in 2005. They also landed rookie league catcher Jesus Sanchez and right-hander Carlos Monasterios.

Jeter, A-Rod, Damon and Leiter to Represent U.S. at WBC
March 2, 2006 The United States National Team that will compete in the World Baseball Classic will feature four stars from the New York Yankees. The tournament, which will be played March 3-20 in the U.S., Puerto Rico and Japan, will showcase the world’s finest baseball players competing for their home countries. The United States’ star-studded lineup will include Yankee captain Derek Jeter (SS), AL MVP Alex Rodriguez (3B), center fielder Johnny Damon and pitcher Al Leiter.

Other Yankees competing in the World Baseball Classic include Miguel Cairo (VEN), Robinson Cano (DOM), Ramiro Mendoza (PAN), Ron Villone (ITA) and Bernie Williams (PR).

Yankees Add Damon and Dotel
On December 20th, the Yankees signed center fielder and former Boston Red Sox Johnny Damon to a four-year contract and signed relief pitcher Octavio Dotel, who is recovering from Tommy John elbow surgery, to a one-year contract. Damon gives the Yankees their first big time leadoff hitter since Chuck Knoblauch was at the top of the order a half-decade ago—an era when New York won three straight World Series titles and four consecutive AL pennants. Damon, who turned 32 last month, led Boston with a .316 batting average, 197 hits 117 runs in 2005. Dotel had 36 saves for Houston and Oakland in 2004 but struggled in 2005 with Oakland, going 1-2 with seven saves and a 3.52 ERA before he went on the disabled list May 20. Dotel had reconstructive elbow surgery June 6th to repair a torn ligament but hopes to be pitching by midseason.

Yanks Sign Farnsworth
The Yankees agreed to a three-year contract with reliever Kyle Farnsworth on December 2nd, moving quickly to replace Tom Gordon as the primary setup man for Mariano Rivera. The hard-throwing righty, who turns 30 in April, split last season between the Detroit Tigers and Atlanta Braves. He combined to go 1-1 with a 2.19 ERA in 72 games, striking out 87 and walking 27 in 70 innings.

A-Rod Wins MVP
Alex Rodriguez was named the Most Valuable Player in the American League on November 14th. The vote for MVP, conducted by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, was held just prior to the start of postseason play. Rodriguez finished with 331 points, edging Boston Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz who received 307 points. A-Rod completed the 2005 season with a .321 batting average, 130 runs batted in, and an American League leading 48 homeruns. This is the second MVP award for Rodriguez; he was named MVP in 2003 while playing for the Texas Rangers, and he is the first Yankee to be named MVP since Don Mattingly won the award in 1985.

Yankees 2005 Postseason Awards
Five New York Yankees have been recognized with postseason awards following the 2005 season. Alex Rodriguez and Gary Sheffield were honored with Silver Slugger Awards—an award given to the best offensive player at each position in each league. Winners are picked by major league managers and coaches who are not allowed to vote for their own players. On his way to earning his eighth career Silver Slugger Award, Rodriguez finished the year with 48 home runs, 124 runs scored and a .321 average. Sheffield received his fourth Silver Slugger Award after hitting .291, with 34 home runs and 123 RBI’s.

Yankee shortstop Derek Jeter was awarded his second consecutive Golden Glove Award after being voted the American Leagues best defensive shortstop. Jeter finished the 2005 season with a fielding percentage of .979 and a total of 454 assists. After missing 82 games in 2004 with a pituitary tumor and an intestinal parasite, power hitting first baseman Jason Giambi has been awarded the American League Comeback Player of the Year Award and was named the Players Choice Award recipient of the 2005 AL Comeback Player of the Year. After a slow start in April and May, Giambi rebounded to post solid numbers, hitting .271 with 32 home runs and 87 RBIs for the Yankees in 2005. Closer Mariano Rivera was recognized as the DHL Delivery Man of the Year after a terrific season in which he recorded 43 saves while finishing with a 1.38 ERA and 80 strikeouts.

Yankees Trade Berg for Lawton
The New York Yankees acquired outfielder Matt Lawton from the Chicago Cubs on Saturday, August 27th. In exchange for Lawton, the Yankees sent minor league pitcher Justin Berg to the Cubs. Berg, 21, was 6-1 with a 3.07 ERA for Class A Staten Island. Lawton batted .268 with 11 home runs and 49 RBI over 120 games this season with Chicago and Pittsburgh. Lawton has played for five teams in parts of 11 major league seasons with a career batting average of .269, a .369 on-base percentage and 164 stolen bases.

Yankees Acquire Al Leiter
On July 15th, the New York Yankees acquired left-hander Al Leiter from the Florida Marlins for a player to be named later. The Marlins designated Leiter for assignment on June 14th after a disappointing season in which he went 3-7 with a 6.64 ERA. Leiter, 39, was originally drafted by the Yankees in 1984 and spent five years with the organization before being traded to Toronto in 1989. Leiter was 10-8 with a 3.21 ERA for the Mets in 2004. He is 158-127 with a 3.76 ERA in his career and 1-3 with a 4.50 ERA in 17 career postseason games.

Yanks Trade Quantrill for May and Redding
On Saturday, July 2nd, the New York Yankees traded relief pitcher Paul Quantrill to the San Diego Padres for starting pitchers Darrell May and Tim Redding. Quantrill, who was in his second season with the Yankees, had a record of 1-0 with a 6.75 ERA in 22 games. The veteran right hander gave up 48 hits and 24 runs in just 32 innings. May and Redding have both been very inconsistent for the Padres in 2005. May, 33, has pitched for six major-league teams and in Japan and was 1-3 with a 6.69 ERA in eight starts for the Padres. Redding, 27, was 0-5 with an 8.94 ERA. He has a career mark of 21-33 but was a 10-game winner for the Astros in 2003.

Randy Johnson Joins Yanks Rotation
After weeks of negotiations, the New York Yankees finally introduced veteran five-time Cy Young Award winner Randy Johnson to their staff on Tuesday, January 11th. The Yankees sent pitchers Javier Vasquez and Brad Halsey, catcher Dioner Navarro and cash to the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for the all-star pitcher. Johnson adds a powerful left-hander to the Yankees rotation and joins a pitching staff of Mike Mussina, Carl Pavano, Jaret Wright and Kevin Brown. The Big Unit, 41, went 16-14 with a 2.60 ERA last season. He ended the season second to Roger Clemens in the National League Cy Young vote. In addition, last season he finished first in the league in strikeouts (290), first in opponents’ batting average (.197), and second in overall innings pitched (245). Johnson’s history includes stops in Montreal, Seattle, Houston, and Phoenix where he has proved to be one of the most dominant pitchers in baseball.

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Last Updated On: Friday, November 8, 2008



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