Yankees: Looking Back at 7 of New York’s Cult Heroes

The most recent Yankees fan favorite, this reliever made his mark in one season.

Yankees: P Nestor Cortes Jr.

Last season, Nestor Cortes Jr. quickly became one of the most beloved Yankees. The unheralded relief pitcher had a strong stretch of appearances, and was one of the many players who stepped in after injuries decimated the 2019 roster.

For a month or so, Cortes was wildly effective. His ability to change arm slots and his windup fooled hitters for a few weeks. While his magic would run out rather quickly, Cortes was the talk of the town at one point.

His best stretch came in July when he posted a 2.31 ERA in 11.2 innings. He successfully followed Chad Green when he was in the opener role and performed well in a handful of key situations when the Yankees were desperate to limit their bullpen usage. Again, Cortes’ gimmick didn’t last long, as he ended his lone season in pinstripes with a 5.67 ERA in 33 appearances.

In today’s game, Cortes is so much different than any other reliever on the Yankees. New York features flamethrower after flamethrower in their bullpen. To see Cortes toe the rubber was fun to watch last season.

Cortes’ unique style on the mound was likely behind the fanfare last summer. With his struggles down the stretch, New York left Cortes off the postseason roster and traded him to Seattle after the season ended.

Still, Cortes’ run will endure, as he was one of the many players who were able to step up as the team was bitten viciously by the injury bug.

Yankees fans will remember ‘Toe’ as one of the most likable utility men in franchise history.

Yankees: UTIL Ronald Torreyes

One of the most beloved Yankees during the team’s transition into the “Baby Bombers” era, Ronald Torreyes quickly became a fan favorite in the Bronx. Nicknamed ‘Toe’, his short 5-foot-8-inch (which is a generous listing) stature was an easy target for some laughs, especially next to the towering body of Aaron Judge, who was in the middle of his Rookie of the Year campaign.

While Torreyes looked out of place due to his small frame, he made himself an important utility infielder in New York thanks to his ability to make contact and get on base. In three seasons with the Yankees, he posted a .281/.308/.374 line in 221 games. A solid slash line for a backup.

Although he didn’t hit for power and rarely walked (23 walks in 607 plate appearances), Torreyes found himself as one of the more beloved role players in recent memory.

In 2017 specifically, Torreyes exploded onto the scene, posting a .292 average and solidifying himself as the utility infielder for the entire season. He slapped hits all over the field, mixed in a walk-off hit, and etched his name alongside Luis Sojo and Enrique Wilson as popular backup infielders.

Out of all of these “cult heroes” I’m set to discuss, Torreyes may have produced the most on the field. He wasn’t just remembered for his physical traits — he was a key member of a team that was on the cusp of the World Series.

At one point, Refsnyder was the most hyped prospect in the Yankees organization

Yankees: UTIL Rob Refsnyder

Rob Refsnyder can be described as the first Baby Bomber onto the scene, or the last of a disappointing era of Yankees prospects.

Any way you look at it, Refsnyder’s popularity in New York lasted shorter than many imagined after he launched his first career home run against the Boston Red Sox in 2015.

Let’s take a quick trip back to 2015. Yankees fans may remember the brutal stretch of watching Stephen Drew man second base. As fans clamored for change at second, Refsnyder was mashing in the minor leagues, posting an impressive .359 on-base percentage in Triple-A. Questions about his glove, however, would delay his debut until the middle of the season.

Refsnyder would perform well in his brief appearance in the big leagues in 2015. He wasn’t able to match the hot start in the following season, as his .250/.328/.309 line was promising but not enough to guarantee a roster spot for a 25-year-old player. Unfortunately, Refsnyder would never be able to hold down a position due to his lackluster glove.

Only five years ago, Refsnyder was the team’s hottest prospect. He was the player the fanbase wanted to see out on the field as the team sat in mediocrity in the middle of the 2010s. However, in just two years, he would quickly fade out of the minds of Yankees fans, as Aaron Judge and company would take centerstage.

Here’s what I wrote about Refsnyder last month:

“Refsnyder was part of the last vestiges of an era for New York. Throughout the 2000s, there were a plethora of Yankees prospects that fans and the media crowned too soon and before the Baby Bombers were able to change the reputation of the Yanks farm system.”

The man who sparked the Yankees 2009 World Series run!

Yankees: C Francisco Cervelli

Out of the rest of the players on this list, Francisco Cervelli spent the most time in pinstripes by far. He spent seven years with major league playing time, but injuries limited him to just 250 total games with the Yankees.

The Venezuelan came onto the scene as long-time catcher Jorge Posada’s career was winding down. Cervelli saw his first significant stretch of action on the 2009 World Championship team and that is when his ‘hero status’ first took off.

In late June of the 2009 season, the Yankees were a mediocre 39-32, and the massive spending spree general manager Brian Cashman had embarked on in the offseason was not panning out. New York’s bats were cold, and the team was losing to the likes of the lowly Florida Marlins.

With the Yankees trailing 1-0 in the top of the sixth inning against Atlanta, Cervelli smashed his first career homer and, in turn, woke up the sleeping giant. New York would tack on seven more runs over the next four innings and it would kickstart their torrid second half (52-22) record. The rest was history.

Unfortunately, Cervelli could never truly take the reins as Posada’s career came to an end. He was oft-injured and was suspended for PED use in 2013. Still, throughout his career, Yankees fans were always hoping Cervelli could figure it out and become a key contributor to the team.

At the plate, Cervelli didn’t bring much power to the table, but his .280/.351/.384 line from 2009-2014 indicates that he was a threat at the plate. He would have a nice four-season run in Pittsburgh following his departure from the Yankees but was never able to truly be more than a “cult hero” in the Bronx.

Yankees fans will remember Duncan was always ready to stand up for his teammates

Yankees: OF Shelley Duncan

At a time when the Yankees were loaded with high-paid stars and displayed the persona of “business first,” slugger Shelley Duncan injected life into New York’s clubhouse.

To say Duncan played with his emotions on his sleeve is an understatement — he was involved in multiple brawls, including one during spring training  (see photo above). He never truly panned out as a legitimate option for the Yankees, but his personality shined on a team filled with highly-paid stars.

As Johnny Damon was attempting to loosen up the Yankees’ uptight roster in those days (Check out Bryan Hoch’s Mission 27 for more on how Damon, Nick Swisher and A.J. Burnett fared), Duncan was always turned up to 10 with a fun attitude, an enjoyable change of pace for fans who have witnessed a group of mercenaries take the field during the first decade of the millennium.

In three seasons in New York, Duncan hit .219/.290/.411, and while it was only a handful of games in each season, Duncan is certainly fondly remembered more so for his ability to stick up for his teammates in mid-season brawls and the intensity with which he played (remember those hulking elbow smashes?!).

On the field, Duncan was not necessarily a great option, but he did show promise in his rookie season. He posted a .883 OPS with seven homers in 34 games. Sadly, he never was able to embody that level of play again.

A miracle season in 2005 will live on in the minds of Yankees fans for ages

Yankees: P Aaron Small

From all indications, Aaron Small‘s MLB dreams were all but over in 2005. At 33 years old, Small was in the Yankees minor league system and would have needed a few breaks to land a spot in the starting rotation that season.

Thanks to a brutal injury bug, though, Small found himself as a Major League starter for the first time in nearly a decade. Although he made sporadic big-league stops in his career, he hadn’t started at the Major League level since 1996.

Well, Small had some magic left in his right arm. During the 2005 campaign, Small netted a 10-0 record with a 3.20 ERA. Alongside veteran Shawn Chacon, Small kept the Yankees atop the AL East.

About a month ago I described Small’s season as straight out of a Disney movie. He was an unknown and career minor-leaguer, and to see him succeed on the biggest stage and for a winning ballclub was an amazing feat to witness.

His 2005 campaign will never be forgotten for fans who kept close tabs on the team that season. Small would fall apart in 2006, only appearing in 11 games, but he will always be remembered in the Bronx for his heroic effort in ’05.

Aside from Don Mattingly, is there a better Yankees mustache?

Yankees: C Sal Fasano

What a memorable mustache. To this day, facial hair remains a conversation for Yankees fans, and while it may not be as iconic as Don Mattingly’s mustache, Sal Fasano may solely be remembered by the Yankees’ faithful for his glorious upper lip har.

Fasano spent one season in the Bronx, after being shipped from Philadelphia midway through the season. Known for his defense, Fasano played sparingly and didn’t make much of an impact on the field (.143/.222/.286), but he did give the fans someone to root for.

Fasano stuck out compared to the rest of the Yankees team. A roster of clean-cut players, Fasano, with his facial hair and seemingly unkempt exterior, was a sight to behold. He quickly became a fan favorite and to this day is one of the most memorable Yankees backup catchers.

Off the field, Fasano was a hit in the clubhouse and helped begin a wonderful trend of Yankees growing mustaches that season. Who can forget when slugger Jason Giambi rocked the ‘stache?

Back in 2006, David Puner of ESPN.com’s Page 2 put it well:

“Besides the ‘stache, there’s really no other reason to release Stinnett and sign a guy who’s been released more often than, as he put it, an animal going from zoo to zoo. Fasano is a mustache enabler which cannot be misconstrued for an initiator.”