2007 was bad year for Yankees
BY ANTHONY McCARRON
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER
Sunday, December 30th 2007, 11:33 AM
Two of the stars from championship teams were fingered as drug cheats in the Mitchell Report, along with several teammates. An iconic manager, perhaps the greatest in team history, was forced out with a bungled lowball contract. The brawny designated hitter tacitly admitted past steroid use.
Those are only a few of the pockmarks of 2007, one of the most tumultuous years in the Yankees' storied history.
A calendar year that also saw the deaths of four cogs in past World Series victories, including Hall of Fame shortstop and team broadcaster Phil Rizzuto, is sure to take its place in pinstriped annals far from the glory years of Murderer's Row, of Ruth, Gehrig, DiMaggio and Mantle.
Find it tucked next to 1979, the year captain Thurman Munson died piloting his own plane, or the early 1990s, which George Steinbrenner marred by paying off gambler Howie Spira to dig up dirt on Dave Winfield, resulting in the Boss' ban from baseball.
Even in the final days of '07, a former Yankee hero was in the news — Jim Leyritz, who slugged a memorable home run in the 1996 World Series, was arrested on charges of driving under the influence and killing a driver after his car smashed into hers.
There were less heartbreaking but notable events in '07 — Alex Rodriguez's turbulent year was more folly than tragedy, and included his 500th homer, another MVP award and another huge contract.
Here's a look at the lowlights from the Yankees' karmic nightmare:
'ROID RAGE: When the Mitchell Report was released Dec. 13, two of the biggest names in it were Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte, thanks to interviews with their personal trainer, Brian McNamee. McNamee, who worked for the Yankees as an assistant strength coach early in Clemens' first tenure with the team, told former Sen.
George Mitchell that he injected Clemens with drugs.
Clemens has denied using steroids and human growth hormone and is set to go on "60 Minutes" to defend himself on Jan. 6. Clemens has also hired lawyers who have launched their own investigation of the Mitchell Report, bent on disproving the claims against the Rocket.
But Pettitte admitted he used HGH twice and apologized. They are among nine players mentioned in the report who played for the 2000 Yanks, who won the World Series. While some were bit players and some were accused of using before or after 2000 — Pettitte's use was in 2002 — Yankees were among the "stars" of the report, which shined some light on how dirty the rest of the game was, too.
Jason Giambi was in the report, and he was one of the few active players to agree to be interviewed by Mitchell. He did so under duress, acquiescing only when commissioner Bud Selig threatened him with discipline after Giambi had tacitly admitted past steroid use in an interview with USA Today.
Dan Naulty, who pitched in 33 games for the 1999 Yankees, detailed in dramatic fashion his own drug use during that season to the Daily News after the Mitchell Report came out.
SO LONG JOE: Joe Torre's job seemed in jeopardy during another poor Yankee start and the manager called last season the "toughest" in his 12 years. But the team rallied and went into the playoffs as a wild card, though George Steinbrenner made it clear early in the playoff series against the Indians that he would not tolerate another quick exit, threatening Torre again. Cleveland beat the Yankees in four games, leaving Torre in limbo. After a 10-day wait with rumors flying, he was offered a one-year deal for $5 million — a pay cut — with incentives attached for playoff success, a contract Torre deemed "an insult."
Asked if he'd return to Yankee Stadium in the near future, Torre said at a press conference a day after he became ex-manager, "That's a little premature right now." Torre had an assistant pack up his Stadium office. Two weeks later, Torre was hired by the Dodgers.
DONNIE BALL GONE: No one — not Torre, Derek Jeter, Reggie Jackson, anyone — heard more thunder from the Stadium stands during team introductions than Don Mattingly, the former Yankee all-star who was hitting coach and bench coach under Torre. But the franchise icon wasn't hired to replace Torre; Joe Girardi got the job. Now Mattingly is Torre's hitting coach in Los Angeles and while he didn't have the same kind of acrimonious parting with his old club as Torre did, the next time he comes back to the Stadium he'll be dressed in Dodger blue.
FINAL FAREWELL: The Yankees said goodbye in August to Phil Rizzuto, the shortstop who caught everything, hustled and got on base and the broadcaster who charmed millions of fans from behind the mike. In February, Hank Bauer, part slugger, part character, died and Clete Boyer, the third baseman on the great teams of the early 1960s died in June. Tommy Byrne, who was part of the Yankee dynasty in the 1940s and 1950s, died in December.
OH, ALEX: A-Rod had one of the biggest seasons in Yankee history, but he also created a firestorm when he was photographed squiring a stripper around Toronto while his wife was back home in New York. He barked "Ha!" at Blue Jays' infielder Howie Clark, trying to distract Clark from a pop fly, and earned derision around the game. It remains to be seen how his precious image recovers from opting-out of his big-bucks contract with the Yankees during Game 4 of the World Series. A-Rod blames Scott Boras, his agent, and their relationship has apparently suffered. The ploy also enraged everyone from Joe Fan to the commissioner.Ultimately, it didn't hurt Rodriguez with the Yankees, though. Despite team executives repeatedly saying A-Rod wouldn't be back if he opted-out, Rodriguez later re-ignited the dialogue and returned for a 10-year, $275-million deal, eclipsing his own record for the game's biggest contract.
ATTACK OF THE MIDGES: A swarm of midges — biblical references, anyone? — helped wreck the playoffs, sending the tradition-laden Yankees to another first-round exit, their third straight and fourth since 2002, starting the dominos to Torre's exit.
NEW BOSSES: Time will tell whether this will be just another part of a bad year or the beginning of something great, but it certainly was a significant event: Steinbrenner finally "let the young elephants into the tent."
His sons, Hank and Hal, took over the day-to-day operations of the team, ending the "Boss Era" in which the Yankees won six World Series since he bought the team in 1973 and dominated countless tabloid back pages. Hank was the public mouthpiece throughout negotiations with big-time free agents A-Rod, Jorge Posada and Mariano Rivera. The Yankees kept all three.
There were other bumps, too, from Kei Igawa's expensive and embarrassing flameout to another lost season for Carl Pavano, who started Opening Day but made only one more start before having season-ending surgery. The Yankees couldn't find a graceful way to say goodbye to Bernie Williams.
There was hope, too, on several fronts, from Bobby Murcer's return to the broadcast booth after cancer to the development of terrific young pitchers Phil Hughes, Joba Chamberlain and Ian Kennedy.
Some fans are outraged at the possibility the Yanks may give up some of that young pitching in a trade for Minnesota ace Johan Santana. They want to see what Hughes can do with a full year in the rotation.
Bring on 2008? Sounds like a mantra for everyone who wears the pinstripes.
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