"The Gang of Four," "The Four Amigos," "The Core Four."
When the Yankees' hoisted their 27th World Series Championship trophy the focus was on the four Yankee stalwarts; Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada, Mariano Rivera, and Andy Pettitte. There were numerous other storylines, from Matsui's historically prolific performance to Girardi's return to the World Series joining Billy Martin and Ralph Houk as the only Yankees in history to win a championship with the team as both a player and manager.
But at the core of the 2009 championship team — in both an emotional and a tangible sense — were those four players. These men, all of whom have been the stabilizing mechanism that has held the recently volatile organization together throughout the many recent disappointments, have now served as the inspiration behind the World Series triumph of 2009. While players like Kevin Brown, Randy Johnson, Rondell White, Kenny Lofton, and Raul Mondesi came and went those four "true" Yankees (with the exception of Pettitte's short hiatus) have been the stalwarts, the pillars, the keepers of the Yankee legacy. And their commitment, loyalty, and devotion to a baseball institution greater than themselves gave Brian Cashman the consistent base he needed to finally get the formula correct once again, and bring home the long awaited 27th world championship in the franchise's 106-year history.
The last time around when the "Core Four" won a championship together (2000) things were different in the Bronx. Derek Jeter was 26, had just finished his third straight 200-hit season and was emerging as one of the greatest players in the game, with four World Series championships in his first five full seasons in the show.
28-year-old Jorge Posada finally escaped the shadow (and platoon) of his now manager Joe Girardi, officially becoming the Yankees regular starting catcher. That season Posada showed the first evidence that he would continue a proud Yankee lineage of catchers that spans from Wally Schang in the 20s to Thurman Munson in the 70s, ripping out 28 home runs and 86 RBIs — both career highs — and establishing himself as one of the premier offensive catchers in the game.
Andy Pettitte — also 28 — put in another solid season in the Yankees' rotation, winning 19 games and turning in one of the best postseason performances of his career.
And Mariano Rivera — the eldest of the four at 30 — was in the midst of his utter dominance of the American League and establishment as the greatest closer of all-time, once again tearing through the regular season and turning it up to astronomical levels in the postseason.
Article comments
1 - New York Yankeez
I believe this article is way too harsh on all the yankees players of this decade who have come and gone. Especially those like Clemens and Mussina, who really did give a solid effort for a number of years do not deserve to be dismissed so abruptly. We cannot forget that those supposedly 'heartless' players did go to 2 world series and 5 or so other playoff appearances.
This is shameful
2 - Tony
The information about those players' commitment to the team has come out pretty clearly, between Torre's book and other news sources.
Clemens secluded himself from the team and barely showed up to games on his off days. Mussina ripped Mariano Rivera publicly and had a horrible attitude. Kevin Brown punched a wall broke his hand.
I'm not sure how you can be a Yankees fan and not see the difference in cohesiveness and attitude of this team compared to hired guns of the past.
3 - Tony
*and broke his hand.
4 - JimmyTwoTimes
"Like whores dressed for the corner." Wow. What an enormous loser you are. Also...I just want to get something straight: The precious "core four" were all there for the Yankees nine years without championships, but the failure to win wasn't their fault, it was all the other guys' faults, but the 2009 title was a victory for the Core Four, even though the team had to sign half a billion dollars worth of free agents to supplement the Core Four enough to win a title...Got it.
5 - Tony
Very interesting Mr. Im-a-little-too-obsessed-with-goodfellas-for-my-own-good.
I'm pretty sure they spent the money in those nine years when they lost also. They just spent it on the wrong people, like Kevin Brown, Randy Johnson, Giambi, ect. But they didn't win with them, they won this year. So there must have been some difference.
Four players can't win a championship by themselves and this article doesn't state that. It simply illustrates how this "core four" of player, after all these years, played as well as they ever have, and won.
And those extra players were whores. They came to NY just to win and didn't care about the team. These new players like Swisher, Teixeira, and Sabathia players bought into the message.
The money argument is so old. They spend money on their on-the-field product. What an absurd idea. Spending money to make money, crazy. Fans should just fork over their money to watch a budget conscious team that loses (like the Pirates)to help out those poor, old millionaire owners and corporations that own these teams....Got it.
6 - Tony
By the way, if you don't think it was the "other guys fault" why not check into Alfonso Soriano's postseason numbers. Or how about Kevin Brown, or Randy Johnson, or Jason Giambi, or Tom Gordon, and on and on.
7 - Tony
*oh and check them against the postseason stats of greatest postseason closer in history, the starter with the most wins, Posada and Jeter, in those 9 year....got it?
8 - Tony
*starter with the most wins in postseason history (and clinches)