Oh What an Exciting Time to Be a New York Yankees Fan

This is an exciting time to be a Yankees fan, isn’t it? That is if you like the unpredictability of baseball.

The Yankees of 2017 are going to be anything but boring. While some believe the Yankees are at least two years away from seriously competing for a World Series title, the current team has other goals. Moral victories. Young players developing. The nucleus of a winning club being put together as we watch it unfold.

The last time I remember the Yankees going through a similar transition was the early 1990s. Gene Michael, then general manager, made a series of moves that ended up as the basis of a dynasty. However, it didn’t happen overnight. In fact, some of the trades he made weren’t very popular at first.

One that stands out, in particular, was his trading of left fielder Roberto Kelly to the Cincinnati Reds for outfielder Paul O’Neill. Kelly had originally been the Yankees’ starting centerfielder. He was recently moved to left field to make room for some kid named Bernie Williams. He had also been one of the most productive players on those awful Yankee teams. Now he was being sent off to Cincy for Paul O’Neill? A guy who’d been reduced to a part-time player? What was Michael thinking?

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History, however, has shown what a genius trade this was. As was signing Mike Stanley, a weak-hitting backup catcher from the Texas Rangers. Stanley as a Yankee was anything but light hitting. In fact, along with O’Neill, Stanley was one of the Yankees best hitters before departing after the 1995 season.

Of course, there were times Michael was able to fleece clubs, like the trade in which he was able to unload an unwanted Steve Sax on the White Sox for Melido Perez, Bob Wickman, and Domingo Jean. Michael was able to grab a starting pitcher, a setup man and a prospect all for an overpaid second baseman. One that was no longer in their plans.

While Michael was busy making these moves, several players who would form the core of the Yankees Dynasty of the late 90s were quietly developing. Players such as Andy Pettitte, Mariano Rivera, Derek Jeter and Jorge Posada were wisely held onto. Others, such as Russ Davis and Sterling Hitchcock, were later used in deals that brought back the likes of Tino Martinez and Jeff Nelson.

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Looking back on those days, it was an amazingly exciting time to be a Yankees fan. Just like now. While the building of a championship team takes time, there is some credence to the phrase “getting there is half the fun.” Watching young players develop is something us Yankee fans have been deprived of for a while. But thanks to the deadline deals of this past season, which brought back a truckload of young talent, there is now hope. Hope in the likes of Clint Frazier, Gleyber Torres, and Justus Sheffield, just to name a few. It’s exciting just to think about what they can become.