The Bronx is Boiling: Yankees Offseason Vol. II

Mandatory Credit: milb.com

LUIS SOJO

In August of 1996, the Yankees picked up a scrappy utility player off waivers from Seattle. What they wound up getting was a guy who would have a career .400 batting average over the next four World Series he won with the Yankees. Sojo became a guy that could sit on the bench for a week and come off and deliver a huge pinch hit single. He could also play under the pressures of a playoff run or even become the second baseman in the World Series when big money Chuck Knoblauch started his struggles.

Sojo was never the greatest Yankee, but he was always the first one off of the bench with a huge smile to welcome Derek Jeter, Bernie Williams, Tino Martinez, Scott Brosius or Paul O’Neill back to the dugout. He was so valuable that when they decided to go younger in the 2000 season and failed, they traded to get him back for the playoff run. This turned out to be a tremendous move because he played a key role in defeating the Mets in the 2000 Subway Series, including driving in the winning runs in the deciding Game 5 of that Series. John Sterling called Sojo, “The best .200 hitter ever.”