Before John Wetteland and Mariano Rivera arrived on the scene in the Bronx, the New York Yankees had a decent closer—Steve Farr. Although my one lasting memory of Farr with the Yankees is a horrible one, I would remiss as a Yankee fan to not properly acknowledge his contributions around his birthday, this Dec. 12.

The Cleveland Indians drafted Farr, and he debuted in 1984 as a starter, going 3-11. Cleveland promptly sent Farr to Kansas City, where the Royals converted him to a reliever in 1985. He helped the team to the playoffs, where they finally won their first and only world championship. He was mainly a set-up man until 1988, when he wound up saving 20 games. The Yankees acquired Steve Farr in 1991 as a free agent.

From 1991 through 1993, Steve Farr recorded 78 saves for some mediocre to bad New York Yankees teams. His earned run average in 1992 was 1.56, as he permitted just 10 runs all year long. Farr had 30 saves that campaign, which proved to be the best of his 11-season stay in the big leagues. He left the Yankees at the age of 36, and he had the uncommon decency to pitch quite poorly for Boston in 1994 before deciding to retire.

You would think that I would have some good recollections of Steve Farr with the Yankees, but his worst moment with the club was so awful, it wiped out any kind thoughts I could ever have toward him. In a contest at Yankee Stadium against his old club, the Royals, Farr came in to get some work in a mop-up role as the Yankees led by a substantial score. I vividly remember that Brian McRae made a circus catch against New York in the bottom of the eighth with the bases loaded to prevent even more runs from scoring. I never imagined that New York would need those runs when Farr and bullpen-mate Steve Howe had finished their days work.

The result was the worst regular season loss I ever saw the Yankees take, as they blew that huge lead. It sticks in my mind until this day, preventing me from ever thinking of Steve Farr in a good way.

Source:

http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/f/farrst01.shtml

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It was the lowest point of Mickey Mantle’s career.

Mantle and his good friend Tom Molito were in the Yankee Stadium locker room prior to the shooting of the classic video, The 500 Home Run Club. Mickey was feeling great, especially since sportscaster Bob Costas, whom Mantle trusted implicitly, would be hosting the video.

The conversation turned to some of Mantle’s most satisfying home runs. The two of them thought for a second or two, and Tom knew immediately that he had made a bad move the instant he blurted out,

“How about the two home runs you hit off Walker and Wilhelm to beat the Baltimore Orioles, 4-3 in 1960? I was at that game.”

Tom realized that there was too much baggage that went along with those two home runs that Mantle hit on Aug. 15, 1960, driving in all four New York Yankees runs to win a game the Yankees had to win.

Mantle’s mood changed, but only for a second. Tom could see his face projected regret, but it quickly was transformed into a look of vindication.

“The day before I hit those home runs was the low point of my career. Casey pulled me from the game after I hit into a double play. People think it was because I didn’t hustle running to first, but it was worse than that, if anything can be worse.”

It was at that moment that Mickey told Tom something that he had said before but that everyone seemed to ignore.

“I thought that there were two outs.”

What is worse, not hustling or not having your head in the game? Maybe its the same thing.

The Yankees had lost the first game of doubleheader to the Washington Senators and were tied 1-1 in the sixth inning of the night cap.

Mantle came to the plate with Hector Lopez on first and one out. He hit a sharp ground ball to third base. Reno Bertoia fielded it cleanly and fired to second to force Lopez.

Shortstop Jose Valdivielso made a good throw to first base that everyone in Yankee Stadium knew would be in vain until Mantle was called out.

Casey Stengel sent Bob Cerv in to replace Mantle in center field in the seventh inning. The Senators won 6-3 in 15 innings.

The next day, Mantle started in center field. Young Jerry Walker started for the Baltimore Orioles against right-hander Art Ditmar.

Mantle hit a two-run home run, his first round-tripper in 16 games, in the fourth inning off Walker to tie the game at 2-2, but the Birds took the lead with a run in the eighth inning on a Jackie Brandt home run.

In the Yankees half of the eighth inning, Hector Lopez drew a walk off Hoyt Wilhelm, bringing up Mantle. The crowd pleaded for another home run, but all Mantle could do against the knuckle baller was hit a high four pop fly behind home plate.

Catcher Clint Courtney dropped it.

Wilhelm checked Lopez at first, and delivered. Mickey took strike two.

Courtney fired the ball back to the pitcher. Lopez took his lead off first, Wilhelm delivered and the crowd went wild.

The ball landed in the lower deck in right field. Mantle actually tipped his cap after he touched home plate with the winning run.

The two games defined Mantle for the rest of his career. He never forgot how many outs there were.

References:

Holbrook, B. (1960, Aug 17). Stengel magic: How it works. Boston Globe (1960-1979), pp. 17. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/250945274?accountid=46260

Pair of two-run homers by mantle shades O’s, 4-3. (1960, Aug 16). Boston Globe (1960-1979), pp. 25. Retrieved from

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NEW YORK, NY - 

New York Yankees star closer Mariano Rivera will undergo surgery on Friday to remove polyps from his vocal cords.

Baseball’s all-time saves leader will be unable to speak for a week following the procedure, which will take place at New York Presbyterian Hospital.

Rivera said he should begin to recover roughly a week after the surgery.

Rivera, who turned 42 on Tuesday, enjoyed another stellar season in 2011. He finished with 44 saves — bringing his career total to 603 — and compiled a 1.91 earned run average en route to eclipsing Trevor Hoffman for the all-time saves mark.

It was his fourth conescutive season with an ERA below 2.00 and a WHIP under 1.00.

 

The New York Yankees aren’t taking any chances with rookie catcher Jesus Montero(notes), barring the 21-year-old from playing winter baseball as a safety precaution, the New York Post reports.

“He wanted to, but he doesn’t need the at-bats and with a catcher, you want to avoid risk,” Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said in Milwaukee, where baseball’s GM meetings are taking place. “We want to keep him healthy.”

After being called up to the big leagues in September, Montero, who turns 22 on Nov. 28, hit .328 with four home runs and 12 RBIs over 61 at-bats. He also had an impressive on-base percentage of .406 and went 2-for-2 with a run-scoring single against the Detroit Tigers in Game 4 of the 2011 American League Division Series.

While winter ball is out of the question, Montero, according to Cashman, will keep sharp this offseason by working out with three-time AL MVP Alex Rodriguez(notes) in January.

“Alex does a great job of taking players under his wing,” the GM said. “It can only help.”

One aspect of being in pinstripes Montero seems to have already mastered is taking advantage of Yankee Stadium’s dimensions in right field. From home plate, it’s 314 feet down the line, 385 feet to right-center.

Three of Montero’s four homers on the 2011 season were were hit at home and landed into the right field stands.

“All the time, my approach is thinking to right field, trying to hit the ball to right field all the time,” Montero told Yahoo! Contributor Network after driving in four runs on an RBI single, two-run double and solo homer in New York’s 9-1 win over the Boston Red Sox on Sept. 24. “Sometimes it’s not going to happen, but I was thinking that way because that’s the way I learned how to hit in the Yankees [minor league system]; that’s the way how they teach me.

“Every time I go to bat,” he added, “that’s the way that I think.”

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DETROIT, Oct. 5 (UPI) — Derek Jeter put New York ahead with a two-run third-inning double and the Yankees went on to beat Detroit 10-1 Tuesday and tie the AL Division Series 2-2.

Jeter also scored a run and Robinson Cano drove in two for the Yankees, who forced a fifth game in the best-of-five playoff at Yankee Stadium Thursday.

Brett Gardner drove in two runs and scored once, and Alex Rodriguez Jesus Montero each had one RBI and one run scored for New York.

A.J. Burnett (1-0) went 5 2/3 innings, holding the Tigers to four hits and one run — on a fourth-inning home run by Victor Martinez — and striking out three. Three relievers held the Tigers hitless the rest of the way and Yankees closer Mariano Rivera was able to take the night off.

Rick Porcello (0-1) took the loss for Detroit. He allowed four runs on five hits over six innings and struck out five. Three relievers were charged with six runs over the next 1 2/3 innings.

The Yankees led 4-1 heading into eighth, when they scored six runs.

By RICK FREEMAN
NEW YORK — Now that save No. 602 is behind him, Mariano Rivera is happy to step back out of the spotlight and work on another big number: six.

Despite five World Series championships in 17 seasons with the New York Yankees, Rivera has never come to enjoy individual attention.

“You know me, I’m not like that,” Rivera said. “I like to be under the radar, do my job.”

There was no chance of that Monday afternoon, when the smallest crowd in the three-year history of Yankee Stadium nearly drowned out Metallica’s “Enter Sandman” as Rivera came in for the ninth inning.

They hollered with every pitch — and there weren’t many of them. Rivera retired the Twins’ Trevor Plouffe, Michael Cuddyer and Chris Parmelee to end the Yankees’ 6-4 win over Minnesota and break Trevor Hoffman’s mark.

Rivera even broke a bat for good measure — sawing off Parmelee and sending the rookie back to the dugout for another piece of wood.

Parmelee lasted only one more pitch. Plate umpire John Hirschbeck rung him up, and catcher Russell Martin came out to the mound, gently placed the ball in Rivera’s glove, then gave him a big hug.

Rivera stayed and accepted congratulations — Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira and finally Derek Jeter came over before the bullpen and bench got there. The Twins watched from their dugout.

Rivera tried to walk off the field with the rest of the Yankees, but longtime teammate Jorge Posada pushed him, laughing, onto the mound, where fans cheered him once again.

Never comfortable in the spotlight, Rivera didn’t know quite what to do.

He proved equal to the moment yet again. Rivera smiled, blew a kiss to the crowd, and then doffed his cap as cheers washed over him.

“For the first time in my career, I’m on the mound alone,” Rivera said. “It was priceless. I didn’t know it could be like that.”

It was the second big moment at home for the Yankees and their fans. In July, Jeter got his 3,000th hit in the Bronx.

Rivera’s may have been the more remarkable achievement, considering the slender right-hander throws mostly one pitch. Opposing hitters have seen it for years, but still haven’t figured it out.

“It’s amazing,” Cuddyer said. “You’ve got a 99 percent chance of knowing what’s coming, and he still is able to go out there and dominate.”

He nearly did it outside the country. The 41-year-old Rivera tied Hoffman with save No. 601 on Saturday in Toronto. The AL East leaders lost Sunday, putting Rivera in line to get the milestone in the Yankees’ last homestand of the season.

And who would’ve thought it, at least back in 1995 when Rivera started out. He began his career as a starter, lasting only 3 1-3 innings and losing 10-0 to the Angels in his debut, before becoming a star in the bullpen.

Rivera’s 602 saves have come in 674 chances. Hoffman got his 601 in 677 tries.

Paid attendance was 40,045, less than the capacity crowd and attendant hullabaloo surrounding Jeter’s historic hit. STATS LLC said Monday’s makeup game drew the fewest fans since the new Yankee Stadium opened.

The Twins lost their ninth straight, tying a run in May as their worst of the season. The Yankees have been struggling, too — this was just their fifth win in 12 games.

Rivera has finished their last three victories, though. He earned his 600th save in Seattle on Sept. 13.

Now that the milestone is behind him, Rivera can focus on getting ready for his 16th October in 17 seasons — the time of year his reputation was made. Those 602 saves don’t count any of the 42 he locked down in the playoffs — in only 47 chances. The Yankees lead Boston by 5 games in the AL East with 10 to play.

A.J. Burnett didn’t make it past the fifth inning, but Cory Wade (6-1), Boone Logan, Rafael Soriano and David Robertson kept the Twins at bay until Rivera came on in the ninth, and Curtis Granderson hit his 41st homer of the year.

Granderson’s homer off Scott Diamond (1-5) came in the first after Jeter reached on an infield single, and Robinson Cano hit an RBI triple in the third followed by Nick Swisher’s single to make it 5-0. Rodriguez hit a two-out RBI single in the sixth — right around the time Rivera was realizing he could be called on in the ninth.

As he has been since he got his first save on May 17, 1996, Mo was ready in the ninth. Eventually, he will no longer be the Yankees’ closer. Rivera said he doesn’t know yet when he’ll call it a career, saying “it’s a decision that we have to make as a family.”

“I don’t know if I can pitch three more years, you guys. It’s hard out there. I don’t have any hair anymore.”

Just five pitchers who were primarily relievers are in the Hall of Fame: Hoyt Wilhelm (1985), Rollie Fingers (1992), Dennis Eckersley (2004), Bruce Sutter (2006) and Goose Gossage (2008). Rivera, who turns 42 in November, is set to be the sixth once he does retire.

“Baseball will remain without me,” Rivera said. “There will be other good guys closing games — and I will be watching.”