1994 New York Yankees: What If

1994 New York Yankees: What If

Baseball in the Bronx had seen a sharp decline in quality ever since the New York Yankees’ 1981 World Series appearance, and throughout the latter part of the 1980s and the beginning of the 1990s, many Yankees fans wondered what it would take to get the Bronx Bombers back to relevance. Truth be told, the Yankees were developing a strong nucleus of talent by the mid-1990s, and the results were starting to favor the club — especially the 1994 New York Yankees.

Yankees Standings and Head-to-Head Play Through Mid-1994

By August 12, 1994, the New York Yankees had climbed to 70-43 and held a 6.5-game lead over the Baltimore Orioles in the American League East. The Yankees went 6-4 against the Orioles in head-to-head play. New York was 33-24 at home and an impressive 37-19 on the road, staying steady all season: 15-8 in April, 18-7 in May, 14-13 in June, 17-10 in July, and 6-5 in August before play stopped. In blowout games decided by five or more runs, the Yankees went 23-14.

A Lineup Loaded With Talent

Top of the Order

Right fielder Paul O’Neill had one of the best seasons of his career, batting .359 with 21 home runs and 83 RBIs off 132 hits and 25 doubles in 103 games. Third baseman Wade Boggs batted .342 with 11 home runs, 125 hits and 19 doubles in 97 games. Left fielder Luis Polonia batted .311 with 109 hits, 21 doubles, 6 triples and 20 stolen bases in 95 games. First baseman Don Mattingly was a sentimental favorite among Yankees fans, especially toward the end of his playing career, as he had yet to make a postseason appearance. Mattingly batted .304 with 113 hits and 20 doubles in 97 games.

Depth Throughout the Lineup

Catcher Mike Stanley batted .300 with 17 home runs, 87 hits and 20 doubles in 82 games. Center fielder Bernie Williams batted .289 with 12 home runs, 118 hits, 29 doubles and 16 stolen bases in 108 games. Second baseman Pat Kelly batted .280 with 80 hits and 21 doubles in 93 games. Infielder Randy Velarde batted .279 with 9 home runs, 78 hits and 15 doubles in 77 games. Utility player Jim Leyritz had 17 home runs, 66 hits and 12 doubles in 75 games. Designated hitter Danny Tartabull had 19 home runs and 67 RBIs off 102 hits and 24 doubles in 104 games. Shortstop Mike Gallego, who conveniently wore the #2 jersey before a certain “Captain” broke onto the scene, had 73 hits and 17 doubles in 89 games.

A Pitching Staff Built for October

Starting Rotation

By mid-August the Yankees appeared to have their starting rotation set for a deep postseason run. Starting pitcher Jimmy Key went 17-4 with 97 strikeouts and a 3.27 ERA, recording 1 complete game. Melido Perez went 9-4 with 109 strikeouts and 1 complete game. Jim Abbott, one of the most famous one-handed pitchers in baseball history, went 9-8 with 90 strikeouts and 2 complete games. Scott Kamieniecki went 8-6 with 71 strikeouts and a 3.76 ERA, recording 1 complete game. Terry Mulholland had 72 strikeouts and recorded 2 complete games despite going 6-7. Sterling Hitchcock went 4-1 with 1 complete game and 2 saves as a bullpen option.

Bullpen Depth

Closer Steve Howe went 3-0 with 15 saves and a 1.80 ERA. Relief pitcher Bob Wickman went 5-4 with 6 saves and a 3.09 ERA. Xavier Hernandez went 4-4 with 6 saves. Joe Ausanio went 2-1 from the bullpen.

The Ten-Game Winning Streak

How the Streak Unfolded

Early in the season, the Yankees appeared to be on their way to doing great things, riding a 10-game winning streak that started with a 3-1 win over the fierce rival Boston Red Sox on May 6 and ended with a 12-1 pounding of the Milwaukee Brewers on May 15.

A Signature Rout in Milwaukee

Speaking of that game at Milwaukee County Stadium, it was certainly one of the best highlights of a season that was ultimately cut short for the Yankees. Scott Kamieniecki pitched 8 innings and gave up 5 hits, 4 walks and 1 run while striking out 1 batter. In the top of the 3rd inning, the Yankees quickly burst onto the scene with the bats. Wade Boggs had an RBI double, and then Don Mattingly followed with an RBI single. In the top of the 4th, Randy Velarde had an RBI single, Mike Gallego had an RBI double, Luis Polonia had a 2-run triple, and then Boggs had a sacrifice fly to score Polonia. In the bottom of the 6th, the Brewers got their only run of the ballgame when catcher Brian Harper had an RBI double. In the top of the 7th, Mattingly hit a solo home run, Jim Leyritz had an RBI double, and then Bernie Williams belted a 2-run home run. Boggs put the cherry on top of this 11-run rout by hitting his own solo home run in the top of the 8th.

The 1994 Strike and Its Aftermath

For Yankees fans, the 1994 New York Yankees season has left them forever asking “what if,” since the rest of the regular season and the entire postseason were never played due to the infamous players’ strike. The strike officially began on August 12 and remained unresolved for 232 days, until it finally ended on March 28, 1995. The stoppage ultimately cost Don Mattingly, the captain of the pinstripes before shortstop Derek Jeter took that title, his best chance of finally making the postseason. Following the 1995 season, Mattingly announced his retirement from baseball. Manager of the Year Buck Showalter and General Manager Gene Michael, both of whom would be fired after 1995, were quoted as saying they felt bad about Mattingly’s situation and that he deserved a postseason opportunity. Owner George Steinbrenner echoed those sentiments.

Setting the Stage for a Yankees Dynasty

Having the second-best record in Major League Baseball in 1994, trailing only the Montreal Expos’ 74-40 mark, the 1994 New York Yankees showed signs of the improvement that would carry them through the rest of the 1990s — some of the best years in franchise history. One year after Mattingly retired, 1996 marked the start of the “Modern Yankee Dynasty,” when the team won four World Series titles in a five-year span.