Yankees All-Time Most Underrated Players, Part One

When you look at a team like the Yankees and all the championships they have won during their storied franchise, you would expect to find a wealth of perennial All-Stars and members of the Hall Of Fame. 

But as we know, baseball is played as a team sport and seldom do we see, if ever, a winning team that does not have contributions from each player on the 25-man roster. So it is with that in mind that we take a look at some of the underrated players who have ever worn the Yankees pinstripes.

First, let’s establish some ground rules.
1) The player must have played with the Yankees for a minimum of seven years.
2) The player can only have played with the Yankees from 1950-2015.
3) The player cannot be in the Baseball Hall Of Fame.

Although there are undoubtedly much more, in this first installment, I am going to select only two players to profile.

I will be counting on you to send in your selection(s) that will be added in future episodes. Just identify the player you want to include along with a brief explanation as to why you believe he is worthy, and send it to me via Twitter (the button above) or by email to stevecontursi@gmail.com.

Now, what kinds of players are we looking to find? Typically, they are going to be the ones who flew under the radar so to speak. They may or may not have done anything that could be characterized as remarkable. And yet, without their contributions, the Yankees would have been a different team. For example, while other players on the Yankees team may have been up and down from season to season, these players set a tone of consistency to where they could be counted on to produce the same or similar numbers from year to year.

Not to be discounted as well is their prowess in the field. The old saying rings true that pitching and defense win baseball games. Leadership in the clubhouse might be another qualifier, as would almost any intangible that is away from the ordinary judge of players – the numbers.

So, let’s get underway with a selection which is a personal favorite of mine, not only for what he did on the field for the Yankees but also for what he was able to accomplish off the field as well from the late 1950’s and early 1960’s.