Now let's jump back into the past for a bit; let's say five or ten years. Who remembers utility outfielders Rondell White and Raul Mondesi, or infielders Tony Womack or Miguel Cairo? What if these knuckleheads were taking the roles of Jason Giambi or Bernie Williams a decade ago? The tides would have changed rather quickly, and we don't know any better but to assume the Yankees would not be the "evil empire" any longer if the scrubs took over the Bronx.
Okay, I've been spoiled by witnessing talented Yankee teams my whole entire lifetime. To those die-hard fans that struggled through the 80's and early 90's watching some horrendous baseball, well we solute you for commitment and loyalty. For those fans, it's probably not quite challenging to assemble their own "Worst Yankees Lineup". So here's what I'm going to do: I found eleven guys who played for the Yanks from 2003 until 2009 who I strongly consider as my "Worst Yankees Lineup of the 2000s". Some of these guys only played a few years in pinstripes, but I still felt they were recognized enough to be thought upon as the worst of the worst. This was a fun experiment, and it's fine to disagree with my decisions, but we can all agree at least that these players were the worst investments Brian Cashman ever made this past decade. Sadly enough, most of the worst Yankee players tend to show up at Old Timer's Day...some celebration that is.
WORST YANKEES LINEUP (2000-2009)
***All statistics given are with the Yankees
C- Sal Fasano (.143 AVG, .222 OBP, 28 G)
Alright, maybe I'm being a little unfair to this guy. He only played for the Yanks for a year, and only had 49 ABs, but who remembers this guy's ugly mustache? Fasano played in pinstripes in 2006 behind Jorge Posada and Kelly Stinnett (props to whom remember him), which resulted in less playing time. But there were not many catchers behind Posada who I recognized as more "fitting" than Sal here. Fasano went on to play another two years in the majors, but never made it big with any club. Why Cashman offered him money I don't know, but Sal Fasano is the worst catcher I could find.
1B- Tony Clark (.221 AVG, 92 SO, 106 G)
Who remembers Tony Clark? You mean the same Tony Clark who was an all-star with the Tigers in the 90s? Correctamundo. Cashman booked him for one year in 2004 to play as a utility first basemen behind Giambi. I remember watching this guy, looking at the TV screen wondering how old he was, considering that his hair was gone and his beard was grey (just as Jeter is now). Clark played an acceptable amount of games that year, but his numbers were lousy, hitting only 16 homers in 253 ABs. In 2005, the Yanks let him go to play for Arizona, and somehow, Clark hit 59 HR with 178 RBI during his five year run with the D-Backs until his retirement in '09. Clark seemed to be finished and worn out in pinstripes, but I guess the city life wasn't his cup of tea.2B- Homer Bush (.348 AVG, 21 SO, 64 G)
Now, you all may be wondering why Bush is my worst second basemen when he put up a +. 300 average as a Yankee. Here's why: Bush had only 89 AB in his three years in the Bronx ('97-'98, '04) and only put up 31 hits. The guy never played! What I believe is more an embarrassment is that he shows up to Old Timer's Day every year for contributing to jack! Michael Kay announces this guy to the crowd that he had a .348 average in pinstripes, but who actually knows Bush had a measly 97 plate appearances? Homer Bush was worthless. The greatest thing Bush ever did was give away his #22 to rookie Robbie Cano in '05. The rest is history. 3B- Robin Ventura (.249 AVG, 163 SO, 230 G)
If I could describe Ventura in one sentence, it would simply be this: This man had no heart. Ventura was considerably at the end of his career when he joined the Yanks in '02 and '03, but this guy showed sloppy play and couldn't hit if his life was on the line. His commitment was non-existent, and I assume he was just in the Bronx for the paycheck. I was so disgusted with him that I longed for him to leave, and the wish was granted when Cashman traded for A-Rod in '04 (now forget about A-Rod, he did bring us a ring). Now as a manager for the Chi Sox, Ventura belongs again with the team he wants to remembered for playing on. Robin Ventura defined trash as a third baseman during his brief time in New York.
SS- Enrique Wilson (.216 AVG, 70 SO, 264 G)
Wilson was Jeter's backup for four years ('01-'04), and not once did he contribute in any efficient way. Wilson played 60 games in 2002, due to Jeter's injury, and put up abysmal numbers (.181 AVG, 2 HR, 11 RBI). Now, I don't honestly remember if Wilson has shown up for Old Timer's Day, but he sure as hell doesn't qualify. If you look up the word "scrub" in the dictionary, you will see Enrique's face.
LF- Ruben Sierra (.254 AVG, 208 SO, 383 G)
Sierra played in pinstripes for 5 seasons, as he barely contributed in the lineup. By trade, he was an outfielder, but Ruben was placed in the DH spot by skipper Joe Torre from '03-'05. Sierra at the plate was "hit or miss", as he regularly struck out or juiced one over the fence. In over 1,200 ABs as a Yankee, he struck out 208 times and hit safely in only 311 ABs. Ruben Sierra was a liability in the Bronx, and happened to be long past his prime for Cashman to give him the big bucks. Sierra was an ugly fellow, who at times seemed intimidating, but we all know his potential was low when he joined the Bombers at age 38. He had nothing to offer. CF- Kenny Lofton (.275 AVG, 18 RBI, 83 G)
RF- Karim Garcia (.301 AVG, 33 SO, 156 AB)
Yes, this is the same Garcia who stirred up the huge Yanks/Sawx brawl during the 2003 ALCS. Honestly, I think this story is the only reason why people remember his playing days; I know this specific incident is the only explanation why he's in the discussion. The man was a head case; he climbed over the Fenway Park wall into the bullpen to stir up a fistfight, and is held responsible for the fight between Pedro Martinez. Don't let his batting average as a Yankee fool you (Garcia is the same as Homer Bush), as Garcia only had 6 homers in 54 games. Alright, maybe he isn't the worst rightfielder, but I find it slightly embarrassing that he played on the Mexican WBC club this winter. Ouch.
SP- Carl Pavano (W/L 9-8, 5.00 ERA, 26 G)
At no point in my life have I seen a better example of a talented pitcher who had bad luck. The Yankees offered Carl Pavano over $150M for 4 years to play in the Bronx, which goes down as one of the worst Yankee signings of all-time. Injuries after injuries struck Pavano, as he only received a total of 17 decisions in his 26 appearances. He gave up 182 hits in 145.2 IP, and also gave up a total of 23 homers to his opponents. I personally witnessed Carl pitch Opening Day in 2007 against Tampa, which resulted as a no decision (though a Yankee win). He went on to only win a single game that season, as he rejoined the DL once again. Carl Pavano is a name you can chuckle to, since the only damage he committed was to his body rather than opponents. This man has to be the worst Yankee pitcher of all-time. On the plus side, he ended with a winning record...awkward.RP- Kei Igawa (W/L 2-4, 6.66 ERA, 16 G)
Igawa entered New York as possibly one of the best Japanese prospects in baseball, but he only pitched 16 games as a Yank, with a 6.66 ERA. Igawa simply fell apart, as injuries struck his talent and potential. With only 71.2 IP under his belt, Igawa gave up 89 hits, 15 homers, and walked 37. It's rather difficult to judge this guy since we only witnessed so much of his talent. I'm not quite sure where he is at this moment, but I'm aware that he is somewhere in the minors rotting. All in all, Kei Igawa was an outstanding bust.
