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

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.