Davey Johnson Takes Over As Washington Nationals Manager

When Jim Riggleman stunned the Washington Nationals universe Thursday by quitting on a red-hot team that just went over the .500 mark after a three-game sweep of the Seattle Mariners that was their ninth with in 10 games, it left the team without a manager heading into Chicago for a game the next night.

Washington solved that by naming bench coach John McLaren the interim manager. McLaren once managed the Mariners for almost an entire year and was replaced by Riggleman, who was his bench coach at that time.

What irked many Washingtonians was the perceived selfishness of Riggleman, who grew up in the area and knows of the city's struggles to maintain a baseball team the past 50 years. The Nationals, who have been here since 2005, are the third team since 1961.

Riggleman was upset at the series of three one-year contracts he signed in 2009.

He admitted he was no Casey Stengel shortly after he quit the Nationals, which is easily seen by his three previous managerial jobs. Late in 1992, he was hired by the San Diego Padres and had a .385 winning percentage in his three years.

After losing that job, he would get hired immediately by the Chicago Cubs. He lasted five years with them, posting a career best .472 winning percentage. Though the Cubs finished second in 1998, that would be the best a Riggleman-led team would ever fare.


He was hired again by the Mariners for 90 games in 2008 but won only 36 contests. Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo hired him to oversee a team beginning to grow up.

Current Cleveland Indians manager Manny Acta had been continuing the job inaugural manager and Hall of Famer Frank Robinson started but was fired midway through 2009.

Riggleman, who now says he will never sign a one-year contract again, was the bench coach and ultimately promoted. The young Nationals grew up under his watch as Rizzo deftly added key veterans into the mix.

Not every Rizzo move has been golden. This season alone has seen veterans Rick Ankiel spend most of his season injured while Adam LaRoche was hurt in spring training and was shelved for the year after gutting it out for 43 games. But the rest of the team has given every indication the future is bright.

Rookies like second baseman Danny Espinosa and catcher Wilson Ramos join second-year shortstop Ian Desmond to give the team a great middle in their defense that could rule baseball one day. Espinosa and Ramos are considered front-runners for this year's Rookie of the Year award.

They helped the team set a club record for most consecutive errorless innings this season already, which was accomplished with Gold Glove third baseman Ryan Zimmerman on injured reserve. Zimmerman is only 26 himself and is the face of the franchise.


Michael Morse, a former shortstop, has filled in seamlessly for LaRoche and is a full-time player for the first time in his career. Their play has helped a team that really has not hit the baseball as well as expected this year.

Jayson Werth came to Washington this year after signing a seven-year contract for $126 million but hasn't hit much and has had to help the team in other areas.

The pitching has been the key. The staff was the last in baseball to not go at least five innings, and the back end of the bullpen is one of the best in baseball thanks to Tyler Clippard, Todd Coffey and Drew Storen. Storen is just 23, and Clippard is 26 years old.

The staff is expected to get even better when phenom Stephen Strasburg returns from Tommy John surgery next year to help 25-year-old Jordan Zimmermann give the Nationals an exciting top of the rotation.

So Riggleman's act caught all by surprise. It was a move that could cost him future jobs after watching him bail on his hometown team. His loyalty will be questioned from now on, let alone his devotion and true priorities if another organization ever considers hiring him.

Rizzo said he wanted to hire someone immediately. The name most bandied about was Davey Johnson.


His winning percentage with the New York Mets is .588, putting Johnson among the city’s greatest managers: Joe McCarthy, Miller Huggins, John McGraw and Billy Martin are the only managers in New York with better winning percentages.

Johnson has seen and done it all as a player and manager since he arrived to the majors in 1965. He has won Gold Gloves, gone to All-Star games and won a pair of championships as a player.

As a manager, he has won a title and been to five League Championship Series while winning 1,148 games in 12 seasons. He joined the Nationals as an adviser in 2009 and has not managed since 2000.

Some are concerned if he is healthy enough to do the job, yet Johnson has not indicated yet what his interests are so far beyond this season.

His having spent many years in the area might have given reason for him to take the job. Johnson attended Johns Hopkins University and played eight years for the Baltimore Orioles. He also managed the Orioles for two years and was named Manager of the Year before resigning in 1997. The Nationals also have other men in their organization to consider.

Assistant General Manager and Vice President of Player Development Bob Boone managed both the Kansas City Royals and Cincinnati Reds after a playing career that accrued a world championship, four All-Star games and seven Gold Gloves over 19 years.


Then there is one of Johnson's best friends that may have been considered for the manager's job.

Ray Knight is a former player who also won a championship and appeared in All-Star games. He replaced Johnson as manager of the Reds in 1996 and had to deal with the team's eccentric ownership until leaving after 1997.

Knight has been a broadcaster for the Nationals since the team started in Washington and has had a front row seat on the teams growth. He often says Zimmermann is the best fielding third baseman since Hall of Famer Brooks Robinson, a position Knight knows expertly because he replaced Pete Rose at the position as a player in 1977.

Now that Johnson has the job, there will be the question if Knight will be lured to the bench to be by his friends side again like he was with the Reds in 1995.

Knight truly bleeds the Nationals red, white and blue, so he might be the perfect hire because he is familiar with the players and knows how to give the teams network the ultimate amount of access to the team without invading the players privacy.

It is a hot job to take right now. Not just because the team is on fire but because the young players future could one day bring Washington their first World Series title since 1924.

The team has also showed a toughness that belies their youth. Less than 24 hours after Riggleman left the organization, the team faced the White Sox and beat them 9-5 in 14 innings.

Business as usual for the Nats, something Johnson wants to keep going.

Washington Nationals Nab Respect by Outworking Others

Having completed an old fashioned double-header over the weekend, the Washington Nationals get set to complete three games in a 24-hour span.

Sitting at 9-8 right now, a record good enough to sit on top of the N.L. Central, few notice because the Philadelphia Phillies and Atlanta Braves dominate the N.L. East ink.

Yet the Nationals are playing a scrappy kind of baseball that is old school, where they aggressively outwork their opponents to scrape out wins.

Want to see a double steal? Going first to third? Hit and run play? Having guys you'd never expect much of on the basepaths stealing bags? The Nationals are doing that.

They are also the only team in the National League to have all of their starting pitchers go at least five innings every game thus far. Then a bullpen led by Tyler Clippard and Drew Storen comes on and is lights out.

They have been doing this without the best third baseman in baseball, their leader Ryan Zimmerman. He has been on injured reserve, but is expected to resume playing somewhere in the next 10 days.

The pitching, a nice surprise so far, has not had the services of staff ace Stephen Strasburg all year and it is likely they will not until 2012 because he is recovering from Tommy John surgery. Jordan Zimmermann, coming off his own Tommy John procedure, is showing great promise.

The youngsters are the big reason for the Nationals good start. Rookie catcher Wilson Ramos has quietly been pushing future Hall of Famer Ivan Rodriguez to the bench by batting .364 and showing off an excellent throwing arm.

But the big boost has come from rookie second baseman Danny Espinosa. Despite batting leadoff lately, he leads the team with 15 RBI's and has shown himself to have a very solid glove. Espinosa and second-year shortstop Ian Desmond are expected to lock up the middle of the Nationals defense for at least the next decade.

Espinosa leads all rookies in RBI's and is tied for the second most in the National League. He is also tied for the most triples in the National League. This all has been done despite the fact many of his teammates bats have not warmed up yet.

With two leading candidates for Rookie of the Year, solid starting pitching, and excellent work from the end of the bullpen, the Nationals are putting baseball on notice that they will not be an easy win this year.

With phenoms like Bryce Harper developing in the minors, the future looks real bright for the Nats. Zimmerman is the face of the franchise at just 26-years old, while flashing the best leather in the hot corner since the days of Brooks Robinson.

Five games in three days was not something Washington expected, but they have shown people that to no longer expect a doormat in the Nations Capitol anymore. They will take chances, but the Nationals will not stop working to get on top of their division after many years spent on the bottom.

Seeing Cardinal Red : St. Louis Treament of Albert Pujols Bewilders All

For a relatively small market team, the Saint Louis Cardinals have had many of the finest baseball players ever wear their jersey. Of the 42 Hall of Famers to pass through their dugout, perhaps the most famous thus far has been Stan "The Man" Musial.

Getting a player of Musial's caliber is an extremely rare occurrence in Major League Baseball. He collected 3,630 hits and 475 home runs in 22 years with the team. "The Man" was so good, he went to 24 All-Star Games and helped the Cardinals win three World Series.




The team never thought they'd ever see a player on his level in their uniform again, but all of that changed when they received a massive amount of good luck by drafting Albert Pujols in the 13th round of the 1999 draft. They had no idea how lucky they were to grab the 19-year old, but quickly found out when he made his Major League debut just two years later.

He has been named to the All-Star team every year but one since 2001. The only year he didn't, 2002, still saw him finish second in the vote for Most Valuable Player of the National League. Pujols has won the MVP Award three times while finishing second twice and third once. He has also won the Hank Aaron Award an award that goes to the top hitter, twice and N.L. Rookie of the Year Award

But the man who has won six Silver Slugger Awards and a batting title is not just great at the plate. Pujols has reeled in two Gold Gloves. He is also a philanthropist whose charitable work has garnered him a Roberto Clemente Award.

All of this ability helped Saint Louis win a World Series in 2008. He is often called the best player in baseball and Pujols already has 1900 hits, 408 home runs, and 1,230 runs batted in over his ten seasons. Numbers reserved for few players to ever don cleats on a diamond.

After winning the batting title in 2003, Saint Louis signed the 23-year old youngster to an eight-year contract for $111 million. Though a hefty deal for many, Alex Rodriguez would sign a 10-year contract for $275 million just four years later. Pujols contract seemed a huge bargain by comparison, and most observers considered him paid well below market value through most of the deal.

Pujols contract expires at the end up the upcoming season and he is just 31-years old. Prime baseball years for many player. He has been so loyal to his team and the Saint Louis community that he has not complained about the fact he is being paid less than many players extremely inferior to him.

Yet the Cardinals organization is playing a game with Pujols right now that could end up as shocking as Anheuser-Busch, who owned the Cardinals from 1953 to 1995, selling their beer factory to a Brazilian-Belgian company. A move that could cause Cardinals fans to spit out their formerly All-American Budweiser brew.


Baseball players meet at training camp on February 18th and Pujols told the Cardinals long ago he'd prefer a deal done beforehand so he could put all of his focus on the game. Since he has shown what he can do when just concentrating on baseball, one would think the Cardinals would have sealed the deal by now.

Yet this is not the case. The team is balking at Pujols request to paid at market value, something most every other team in baseball would gladly do to retain his services. While Pujols wants a deal better than Rodriguez, which would symbolize him as the top player in baseball, the Cardinals are using the stance they are not the big market club some other teams are.


If they let Pujols go to training camp without at least a verbal agreement, Saint Louis may likely lose more than the best player in baseball at the conclusion of this season. They will lose the face of their franchise and of all professional sports in their city as well as a first ballot Hall of Famer who appears to have at least a decade of baseball ahead of him.

America Needs The Miami Heat To Lose The NBA Championship

Arrogant. Lazy. Weak minded. Cop out. Traitor. Ignorant. Spoiled. Prima donna. False idol. Overrated.

These are just a few expressions millions of people across Earth have used to describe LeBron James after he egotistically announced he was "taking his talents" to the Miami Heat on July 9, 2010.

Critics immediately pointed to how he bailed on the Cleveland Cavaliers to band together with All-Stars like Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh to form a Miami Heat team expected to compete for NBA championships for several years to come. While some criticism came in unclassy form, like from Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert attacking the manner of James departure, others pointed out the obvious.

Michael Jordan, who James claims is his idol, said he would not have contacted his rivals to play with him. "I wanted to defeat those guys." Jordan stated.

Earvin "Magic" Johnson concurred those sentiments, and Charles Barkely has stated James departure of Cleveland has forever tarnished his image to the point he will never be mentioned in the same breath of the upper echelon NBA legends by his path and how he handled it.

"He grew up close to Cleveland. He put the city in the forefront by his mere presence. Now Cleveland is back to just being Cleveland again. He owed the city and organization the first word of his decision instead of the way he ultimately did it."

Barkely point of telling Cleveland first, instead of broadcasting "The Decision", has resounding truth. Some thought, since James is just 25-years old, he should have stayed in Cleveland and signed a short-term contract to try to bring the franchise their first title.

The Cavaliers bent over backwards trying to surround James with talent the past few years. Men like Antawn Jamison and Shaquille O'Neal were just a few All-Star players the Cav's grossly overpaid to desperately build talent around him in hopes of attaining a championship.

James responded to those dedicated efforts by saying, I'm going to take my talents to South Beach and join the Miami Heat. I feel like it's going to give me the best opportunity to win and to win for multiple years. I want to be able to win championships and I feel like I can compete down there."

When the backlash of his perceived cowardice led to many in Cleveland burning his jersey, destroying any reminder of his time there, and other outrageous methods to show disgust, James reportedly imtimated bigotry over the color of his skin was the real factor for the outcry. Sports writers like J.A. Adande and Jason Whitlock disagreed, pointing out his callous actions towards Cleveland, and "an excuse to avoid dealing with his own bad decision."

Now he is in Miami, where Wade already helped carry a team to a title in 2006. Wade is the heart and soul of the Heat, and his body has taken a pounding trying to win. Bosh, a shooting guard stuck in a 6'10" frame, also joined Miami after years of failing to get the Toronto Raptors anywhere significant.

Miami faces the same problem many NBA teams do these days. They have power forwards as their best post option, and the question of where consistent rebounding will come from is a quandary they will face all year. Dexter Pittman is a 290-lbs rookie who dropped almost 100 pounds in college. Miami will hope he can help, or if journeyman Jamaal Magloire can find a time machine to take him back to 2003.

Otherwise the Heat will depend on Wade to get the rebounds and take the clutch shots, much like he has been doing the past few seasons. That or James will have to adjust his game to banging in the blocks and passing more than shooting, if his ego allows it.

There was a time the New York Yankees could just buy a roster by overpaying for top-tier talent to get a title in Major League Baseball. It worked in 2009, but the formula has generally fallen short of expectations. The Dallas Cowboys have been trying the same thing in the NFL to no success, and most likely saw their 2010 season ruined by another loss recently.

The Miami Heat is another one of those bad examples of trying to buy a ring. The easy path as opposed to building something special. One of the big reasons why Jordan and Johnson are so adored and respected in NBA lore is how they built their once lowly teams into champions and upper echelon teams throughout their careers. They earned their rings without it being bought for them by hiring superstars from other teams.

Oscar Robertson says James needs to win a ring to define his career, like he did when he went to the Milwaukee Bucks in 1970, and considers James one of the best players in NBA history regardless of his switching teams.

"I can't say that's a bad thing. It's an opportunity these kids have today." Jordan said.

An opportunity perhaps not to respect full heartedly. Though it will take sweat to win, it will maybe almost anticlimatic if Miami actually does win it all. There will be few pins and needles from fans watching them get there, and the term "front runner" will come to mind.

Society today expects it handed to them, preferring to rest on laurels set by predecessors. It is an egotistical approach that has garnered more wrath than envy from the rest of the planet. The term 'achievement' no longer holds the same definition to the modern genre as it once did.

If Miami falls short during James stay, the city of Cleveland will not smile alone. There is a reason he is ranked sixth on a "Most Disliked Athlete" list put together recently. Some view him a follower with the false label as leader. Others find him uneducated, immature, and clueless.

Examples range from his having a video of his being dunked on confiscated by handlers per his instructions, his refusal to sign a petition regarding genocide in Sudan, or his belittling Stephon Marbury as a player by saying his cheap shoe was an indication of his worth. Marbury sold a shoe for $15 so kids could afford it, as opposed to the shoes James represents that get sold by Nike for $160 and get built by sweat shop slaves with less than $2 of materials.

But this is what LeBron James is some. An image with little substance nor depth. Much like how the Miami Heat roster appears to the naked eye. So root on the dime store squad, because it is bought and paid for. That is "The Decision" the leagues corporate headquarters desires, while the rest of the planet will quietly wait for failure.

A failure James tired of and is now clearly ready to join the ranks of champion so that in a few months all can hail the king finally.

ALCS Game 4: New York Yankees Cannot Cheat Their Way To Victory This Time

In 1996, a snot-nosed brat named Jeffrey Mair reached his hand into the field of play during the American League Championship Series. He grabbed a ball destined to be caught by Baltimore Orioles outfielder Tony Tarasco, thus allowing it to be called a home run hit by Derek Jeter because right field umpire Rich Garcia was out of position and uncertain of what exactly happened.

Instead of being ejected from Yankee Stadium, or vilified by the press, he was called a hero. Soon he was on televised talk shows and being given seats behind the Yankees dugout. The mayor even gave him a key to the city, telling the youth of New York City that cheating was heroic, acceptable, and rewarding.

The Yankees have spent most of the 2010 ALCS getting their butts kicked by the Texas Rangers. If not for a bullpen meltdown for an inning in Game One, the Rangers would have closed the series with a sweep tonight after their 10-3 win.

The Yankees and their fans are only like by them, but they are still respected because the team has won more World Series titles than any other team. Fans feel entitled by all this success, so actions considered barbaric by the rest of civilization are deemed acceptable by them.

In the second inning of Game Four, New York's Robinson Cano popped a lazy fly ball in right field. In the bandbox known as the new Yankee Stadium, lazy fly balls often reach the wall. This was the case of Cano's pop up. Rangers right fielder Nelson Cruz easily got to the wall in plenty of time, then timed his jump.

He encountered the ghost of Mair, because a group of idiotic fans figured they were Patrick Ewing and decided to block Cruz from having a shot at the ball. Again, the right field umpire was out of position, but now Major League Baseball has reply.

A replay that clearly showed interference, but it did not matter because the umpire's ruling made the use of replay is not allowed on such judgement call for some reason. Though replay is still being fine tuned by baseball, this play has given them an obvious impetus to refine this rule.

Now with Texas on the verge of knocking out a Yankees team most predicted to win it all, the Rangers need to realize they are still stuck in the Big Apple. A rotten apple of enabling media urging on fans to cheat for their team to keep tradition alive.

A tradition seen on National TV the past two games where 80 percent of Yankees Stadium was empty well before the game ended because these famous fans show themselves to be more fair-weathered than loyal. Leaving the field early cheats the team, but that seems to be the new Yankee Way thanks to their hero Jeffrey Mair.

Baltimore Orioles Need Experience And Brian Roberts In 2011

The Oriole Way


It had been missing in Baltimore since Peter Angelos bought the club in 1993. Angelos, named one of the five worst owners in all of sports by Sports Illustrated in 2009, quickly destroyed the team by trading away young players the team developed in exchange for old, expensive players nearing the end of their careers.


Things got so bad in Baltimore that even the old and expensive players decided to go elsewhere when they hit free agency. The Orioles then began a much too long run living in the basement of their division.


In 2007, Angelos hired Andy McPhail as the teams general manager and President of Baseball Operations. McPhail's father, Lee, was a general manager and club president of the Orioles from 1958 - 1965, and is one of the chief architects of the Oriole Way.


The Oriole Way is a simple philosophy of building your club through excellent drafts and a sound farm system. Lee McPhail, the oldest living Hall of Famer currently, came up with this as the farm system director of the New York Yankees from 1949 - 1958, as the Yankees won seven World Series in his time with them.


Baltimore began to show the promise of youth served in 2009, led by Adam Jones, Matt Wieters, Felix Pie, Brad Bergesen, David Hernandez, and All-Star Nick Markakis. They also had two-time All-Star Brian Roberts signed to a contract until 2014.


With young hurlers Brian Matusz, Chris Tillman, Brad Bergesen, and Jake Arrieta expecting to help veterans like Kevin Millwood, Mike Gonzales, and Jeremy Guthrie this season, the Orioles expected to build off the promise left from the season before.


Things did not work that way, as injuries soon dismantled the team along with underachievement. Roberts was only able to suit up for 59 games while Millwood, the expected ace of the staff, and Gonzales, the expected closer, played well under expectations.


Now Buck Showalter is the manager, having been hired July 30th because the club felt like a shake up might light a fire under the roster.

The team has gone nine games above .500 since then, and Showalter, who owns a .516 winning percentage in 1,769 games, promises more changes in what may be his fourth and final managerial job.


As the Orioles head home to host the Detroit Tigers for the final four games of their 2010 season, let us review the current rosters chances of sticking with the club next season.





Infielders


Brian Roberts : The Orioles really missed him in the leadoff spot this year. All of Baltimore hopes this doubles-hitting machine returns to full health next year.


Ty Wiggington : Wiggy got off to a fast start and made his first All-Star team. He tapered off as the year progressed and his contract has expired. He may return.


Julio Lugo : Once sought after in baseball, he doesn't field well and did not hit this year. Adios.


Robert Andino : A veteran utility player who doesn't hit much. A doubtful return.


Cesar Izturis : A veteran journeyman shortstop who won a Gold Glove in 2004 and was an All-Star the next year. He doesn't hit much and his contact has expired. He might not return.


Josh Bell : Baltimore got this 24-year old switch hitter from the Dodgers in 2009 for closer George Sherrill. The team is high on him, so next year will be a better gauge of his talents.


Brandon Snyder : Baltimore's first round pick in 2005, this 23-year old first baseman got only 17 at-bats over eight games this year. He will be given a chance to win the job in Spring training.





Catchers


Matt Wieters : He has shown steady improvement since his debut in August, 2010. A face of the team.


Jake Fox : A utility player without much of a bat. Long shot to return, but his versatility makes it possible.


Craig Tatum : He is a defensive specialist who spells Weiters, and batted .273. He sticks unless they upgrade.






Outfielders


Adam Jones : A Gold Glove center fielder, he is one of the faces of the franchise.


Nick Markakis : The best player on the team, and a major cornerstone of the franchise.


Felix Pie : He frustrated the Chicago Cubs, who waited on him to put all five of his tools together consistently. Injured much of this year, he still shows flashes. Time may be running out on Pie, who will be 26 next year. If he doesn't pick it up, it may be his last as an Oriole.


Luke Scott : He is frequently mentioned as trade bait, but he is the teams best power source and led them with 27 homers. He should stay on.


Corey Patterson : A journeyman with good speed and an erratic bat. He was solid as an extra outfielder this year, so he has a chance to return.


Nolan Reimold : After a solid rookie year, he suffered a sophomore slump this season and spent most of it in the minors. Baltimore would love him to return to his 2009 form. We'll see.





Pitchers


Kevin Millwood : Had a frustrating season, losing 16 games. His ERA was well over five, but he ate up 190 innings and was a huge victim of non-run support. He might be better off at the end of the rotation as opposed to being on top like this year. He returns unless beaten out in Spring training.


Jeremy Guthrie : He probably works best as a third or fourth starter, but he led the team in innings pitched, wins, and had the best ERA (3.98) amongst starters. He returns.


Brad Bergesen : Only 25-years old, he led the team with two complete games. He returns.


Chris Tillman : His Triple-A success has yet to translate in the bigs. He needs to step it up.


David Hernandez : Found himself in the pen, going 8-8 with two saves and a 4.31 ERA. He likely returns.


Brian Matusz : Went 9-12 on 31 starts in his rookie year. Counted on as the future ace.


Jake Arrieta : Went 6-6 in 18 starts in his rookie season. Will get a good shot next year.


Alfredo Simon : Leads the club with 17 saves, but blew four and fell out of favor. Long shot to return.


Matt Albers : He leads the team with 61 appearances. He probably stays.


Mark Hendrickson : The veteran 6'9" journeyman is a soft tosser who can start or come out the pen. The former second round pick of the Philadelphia 76ers will be 37 next year, so his return is tenuous.


Jim Johnson : "Nails" does well in the set-up role, but was bad as a closer. He stays.


Michael Gonzales : He will be 33-years next season, and in the last year of a two-year $12 million contract. He gave Baltimore one of his career 55 saves this year, but he might stick one last year.


Troy Patton : They got him for Miguel Tejada in 2007, and the lefty appeared in one game this year. A long shot perhaps.


Pedro Viola : A lefty with two appearances and 1.1 innings of work after being claimed off waivers in April. A long shot at best.


Koji Uehara : He went from an oft-injured starter to closer. He blew just two save opportunities and converted 10. The soon-to-be 36-year old might find a spot in the bullpen.


Rick VandenHurk : They traded veteran lefty Will Olman for him and the veteran swingman has not been impressive in his seven game. A long shot who may stick to justify the deal made to get him.






Free Agents In 2011 For Baltimore To Look At And Consider :


Huston Street : He battled nagging injuries this year, but still has 20 saves right now. He also has 149 in his career and is only 27. He would help a lot.


Jorge De la Rosa : Another Colorado Rockies pitcher who battled injuries this season. Still only 30-years old, this lefty could help.


Joe Blanton : He eats innings and has AL experience. His price tag might be too high, so the four-years older and underrated Javier Vazquez could be an option.


Carl Crawford : He will be a hot commodity because he is 29, very fast, has a good bat and glove. May be out of the Orioles price range.

Tampa Bay Rays Should Be Embarrassed By Their Embarrassment

This Longoria isn't the one married to a French basketball player while starring in a soap opera on television. That is Eva, not Evan the third baseman of the Tampa Bay Rays. One may be thrown off by the recent hissy fit the baseball Longoria had, and may be calling to cast this Longoria in "Desperate Housewives Of Florida".

After the Baltimore Orioles defeated the Rays in front of a sparse crowd of just over 12,000 paid attendance, Longoria cried to the media, hoping his tears would be wiped off by the paper they wrote on.

“We’re playing really good baseball, and it’s kind of like, ‘What else do we have to do to draw fans into this place?” he said. “It’s actually embarrassing for us.”

"It’s a tough situation,” Longoria continued. “We want to go out there and win every game. We come into a game like today where we have an opportunity to clinch a post-season berth, and there’s only eight teams that get an opportunity to do that. We feel like we should be out there and have a packed house. And it’s tough to see and it’s actually sometimes disheartening for us.

His tirade of tears continued, “We’re going to go out there and play the same, and we’ve pretty much been doing that from Day One here,” he said. “…but you would like to think that for a team in a playoff hunt, with the opportunity to clinch, that you could at least get 30,000 in here to cheer you on.

“Again, it’s disheartening and it’s something I’ve been wanting to say for a long time. It’s not a jab at the fans. It’s not a kick below the belt. But it’s something that we’d like to see, because obviously we want to bring a championship to Tampa Bay. And we’d like more than 12-to-15,000 to know about it.”

“Like I said, we’ve been playing great baseball all year, and since I’ve been here in ’06, the fans have wanted a good baseball team,” he said. “They’ve wanted to watch a contender. And for us to play good baseball for three years now, and to be in a spot to clinch again and go to the playoffs, I think we’re all confused as to why there’s only 15-to-20,000 in the building.”

We figured if we had a chance at the beginning of September, maybe the fans would come. Now it’s the end of September and it’s almost October and we’re still kind of looking up in the seats and going, ‘Where is everybody?’

“Again, we’ve still got some more time. So hopefully it starts to fill up. And if no other time, at least the post-season. It’s just tough to see and I feel like I was the right guy to be able to say that.”

His teammate, pitcher David Price, jumped on the Longoria bandwagon via Twitter. He tweeted, “Had a chance to clinch a post-season spot tonight with about 10,000 fans in the stands…embarrassing.”

What is the real embarrassment is spoiled brats in ivory towers who have no clue as to what is going on in their immediate communities.

First of all, the Rays play in Saint Petersburg, a city known for retired people. In case Longoria and Price have failed to notice, seniors have not gotten a cost of living raise in their SSI checks in over three years. It is hard to afford tickets when you need to decide between food, rent, and medicines first.

Perhaps the Rays want the elderly to live a stereotypical life of eating cat food so they can scrounge together enough pennies to buy a $17 ticket way out in right field while buying a juicy $10 hot dog that cost the team less than a penny to prepare.

Florida also is in hard financial times, holding an unemployment rate much higher than the national average. At last check, the Rays are not giving away free tickets or accepting food stamps and I.O.U.'s to pay for them.

If Evan Longoria decides to be the "right guy" again, perhaps he should start talking about things he has a clue about. Like hitting a fastball for example. Complaining to the poor that they are not feeding the rich enough just once again shows the gap between sports and reality.

The Baltimore Orioles Will Never Win With Peter Angelos

The Oriole Way

Peter Angelos, the Baltimore Orioles owner, has no idea what that means. It is a term every baseball fan in Charm City is well aware of, and a methodology that Angelos has seemed bent on destroying since he bought the ball club in 1993.

The Oriole Way had been very successful before he bought the club. For over three decades, from the 1960's to the 1980's, the Orioles had the highest winning percentage in all of sports, and the winningest team in all of baseball. They won six American League Pennants and three World Series over that time.

The first, and so far only, right move Angelos made to benefit the ball club in a positive manner occurred in 2007 when he hired Andy MacPhail as the teams General Manager and President of Baseball Operations.

MacPhail, a veteran baseball man, had oversaw the Minnesota Twins to two World Series titles when he was the teams General Manager from 1985 to 1994. He was named The Sporting News Major League Baseball Executive of the Year in 1991. He then left to join the Chicago Cubs, staying with them until 2006, but was unable to duplicate his previous successes.

His joining the Orioles is almost like a homecoming for him. His dad is former American League President Lee MacPhail, who is actually the man who started The Oriole Way as General Manager of the team until 1965. The American League Championship Most Valuable Player Award is named after him, and he is the oldest living member of the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Andy's grandfather is Larry MacPhail, the man who brought Major League Baseball innovations like night baseball, broadcasting regular season games, and teams flying from city to city to play baseball. He was even a racetrack president in Bowie, Maryland. Larry and Lee are the only father and son inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Andy has been following the similar blueprint of his father. The team is chock full of young talent that is very raw and attempting to learn on the fly. Though the team is losing more than it is winning at present time, most baseball experts agree the team has the talent to contend in a few years.

Cal Ripken Jr. is more than Major League Baseball's Iron Man, having played the most consecutive games in the history of all professional sports, he is also a Orioles Hall of Famer who truly knows what The Oriole Way means in every sense.

Not only did he stay with the franchise for over twenty years, his father spent 36 years with the team and his younger brother spent over seven years with them. Cal Ripken Sr. was once a manager of the Orioles, and both of his sons played under him. This is the only time that this has ever occurred in Major League Baseball history.

Since retiring as a player, the Ripken sons have been have served as ambassadors to baseball across the globe and bought a minor league baseball team close to Baltimore that is within the Orioles system. He has kept a keen interest on his beloved Orioles, and is trying to help develop players to bring the organization championships again.

He recently approached Angelos to offer his services to talk to some of the young Orioles stars, hoping to offer a mentorship in hopes to "finish off their development." He did not ask for a specific role, he only wanted to do what he was taught in The Oriole Way. To give back.

Angelos, widely considered the worst owner in Major League Baseball and one of the worst in all of professional sports, flatly refused the generous offer from a legend trying to help a team that has lost ten of the 11 games they have played this season thus far.

His reason was as moronic as his legacy of ownership. He did not want Ripken to receive any credit once the team became successful. What Angelos did yet again was put his ego ahead of his team or the Orioles fans who help keep his team from going under by paying money seeing a product not being afforded every opportunity possible to win.

Orioles fans since the 1990's have been pleading for Angelos to sell the team to someone who actually cares about the team, but the lawyer refuses to listen to his clients. Though he refutes the claim as to the reason why he turned away Ripken Jr., most fans believe the initial reports because the mans ego has caused the team to fall on hard times pretty much upon his arrival as owner.

Former Orioles owners like Jerold Hoffberger and Edward Bennett Williams never would have turned away perhaps the most famous Oriole of them all. They would welcome the wisdom of team legends to keep The Oriole Way strong.

With men like Ripken Jr., Jim Palmer, Frank and Brooks Robinson, Eddie Murray and others still alive, it would only be a move of intelligent design to ask these Hall of Famers to give back to the team whatever they desire. An intelligence Peter Angelos has never had, and the reason the Orioles will never be anything as long as he is associated with them.

The San Francisco Giants Spit On Tradition

The San Francisco Giants president Larry Baer just announced recently retired Rich Aurilia will be honored by retiring his No. 35 jersey and giving him a spot on the Giants' Wall of Fame outside the ballpark.

Every Giants fan must have said, "Huh"?

Aurilia was a good player, but hardly a legendary institution in San Francisco. He was with the team for 12 of his 15 seasons as a player. His best season was in 2001, while with the Giants. He earned his only All-Star selection and won his only Silver Slugger after setting career best marks of 206 hits, 37 home runs, scored 114 runs, five triples, and batter .324.

He got to see Barry Bonds hit 73 home runs that year on drugs, so who is to say Rich didn't pop a few of BALCO Barry's special vitamins in his mouth that year? With extra outfielder Marvin Bernard, a teammate on that team, recently admitting he was on steroids that year, it is more than fair to look at Aurilia's one big season of his career with scrutiny.

That is the legacy Barry Bonds left baseball with.

Though he never came close to those numbers again, Aurilia did set a record by hitting five home runs in the Giants 2002 post season. It helped them get to the World Series, where the Giants lost.


He ended his career with a batting average of .275 with 186 home runs and 756 runs batted in. He had 143 home runs and 574 runs batted with 1,226 hits in 12 years for the Giants.

Solid numbers, but is it a career worthy to have his number immortalized next to Hall of Famers like Christy Mathewson, John McGraw, Bill Terry, Mel Ott, Carl Hubbell, Willie Mays, Juan Marichal, Orlando Cepeda, Gaylord Perry, Willie McCovey, and even Jackie Robinson?

No.

If Aurilia is worthy by the Giants newly lowered standards, it makes one think who else should get this honor since they are perhaps more deserving.


Alvin Dark



You want to see how the Giants treat their greats? Look no further to Alvin Dark. In 1969, he was voted the greatest shortstop in franchise history.

Initially drafted by the football Philadelphia Eagles, of the NFL, in the third round of the 1945 draft, he elected to serve his country in World War Two, then decided to play baseball upon his return.

The Giants grabbed the 1948 Rookie of the Year from the Boston Braves at the end of the 1949 season, a year after leading them to an improbable World Series appearance. He stayed with the Giants as a player until 1956. He was a key component of their 1954 Word Series winning team, finishing fifth in the leagues MVP voting that year, and was a three time All-Star in 1951, '52, and '54. He also won the first Lou Gehrig Memorial Award in 1955, given to the player who best exemplified Gehrig's character and integrity both on and off the field.

He returned to the Giants in 1961 as a manager, piloting them to the 1962 World Series. After losing in seven games to the New York Yankees, he was misquoted by a reporter with a disparaging comment against black and Latino players. Willie Mays and Jackie Robinson quickly came to Dark's rescue, refuting the reporters story. He was still fired after that season.

Dark resurfaced across the San Francisco Bay in 1974 as the skipper of the Oakland Athletics. The A's would go on to win the World Series that year.

In seven years as a Giants player, he hit 98 home runs and drove in 429 runs on 1,101 hits. Very comparable numbers to Aurilia, minus the fact he played five less seasons and got a World Series title. After all of this, the Giants haven't even put Dark on their Wall of Fame, let alone retired his jersey.

When you see the Giants current Wall of Fame, which is full of mediocre players like Aurilia, it is bewildering that Dark is missing from it. Disgraceful, really.







Jo-Jo Moore



Yet another Giants great not even on the teams Wall of Fame, despite being ninth on the franchise hit list with 1,615.

He spent his entire 12 years as a player with the Giants, finishing with a .298 career batting average. He also helped them win the 1933 World Series, as well as appear in two others. He hit over .300 five times, and never struck out more than 37 times in a season. He was an All-Star six times.

If Rich Aurilia had a career worthy of having the Giants retire his number, then what about the vastly superior career of Jo-Jo Moore?









Larry Doyle



The greatest second baseman in Giants history is also not on the teams Wall of Fame. In 13 years with the club, he smacked 1,751 hits. It is the eight most in team history.

He helped the Giants win three pennants, and was named the MVP of the 1912 season. He is also the first man to ever hit a ball out of the Polo Grounds.

Doyle led the majors in hits twice, doubles, triples and batting average once. His 25 triples in 1911 is the seventh most for a season in MLB history.






Travis Jackson



Another Giants legend not on the Wall of Fame. 15 seasons and 1,768 hits. "Stonewall" is in Cooperstown as a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame, but this apparently is not good enough to be recognized by the team.




Jack Clark



"Jack the Ripper" spent ten years in the Giants uniform, getting 1,034 hits, 163 homers, and 595 RBI's and two All-Star games with them. Good enough to get the first ever recipient of the Willie Mac Award on the teams Wall of Fame, yet apparently his career with them apparently doesn't equal Aurilia's as far as getting his jersey retired.








Will Clark



The "Thrill" spent eight years with the Giants, collecting 1,278 hits, 176 dingers, and 709 ribbies. He also was a five time All Star, won a Gold Glove, two Silver Sluggers, a Golden Spikes, and was the 1989 NLCS MVP for them. Good enough for the Giants Wall of Fame, but apparently he falls short of getting his number retired by them.






Robby Thompson



Robby spent 11 years in a Giants jersey. He got 1,187 hits, 119 homers, and 458 RBI's. He also won a Gold Glove and Silver Slugger once, and went to the All-Star game twice. He also won the teams Willie Mac Award in 1991, honoring spirit and leadership. Good enough for the Giants Wall of Fame, yet deemed not as good a career as Aurilia to get his number retired.





How about Johnny LeMaster? He was with the Giants from 1975 to 1985. He retired after the 1987 season with a 222 batting average, 22 home runs and 229 runs batted in. One of his homers came off an inside the park job in his first career at bat, which is a MLB record. He was often booed by Giants fans, so he once wore a jersey replacing his last name on the back of the jersey with "BOO".




Some say Aurilia's organizational ties are the real reason he is getting this honor from the Giants. He has become a broadcaster. Well, if this is all it takes to get this honor, then the Giants may as well as retire the numbers of two other former players who now broadcast games for them.


Duane Kuiper batted .255 over four years for the Giants. He is the only MLB player to hit two bases-loaded triples in a game, and he once went 3,379 at bats before he hit the only home run of his career.

He broadcasts games with ex-Giants pitcher Mike Krukow. Krukow went 20-9 in 1986, finishing third in the Cy Young Award. In the 1987 NLCS, he went nine innings, giving up just two runs in the win. It was his only post season experience. He also hit three of his five career home runs for the Giants.

He won 66 games over seven years for the Giants, and is on the teams Wall of Fame.

Certainly the Giants should consider retiring his jersey if they are going to retire the jersey of Rich Aurilia.




There can be a longer list of former Giants who had careers comparable, yet will not get any honor or recognition by the franchise. The ownership group led by Sue Burns and Bill Neukom need to step in and stop Baer. They cannot allow this farce to take place.

The Giants need to better embrace their entire history, one that is full of much better baseball players than Rich Aurilia.

Past News, Present Stain, Future Shame

Like a birth certificate's legitimacy being ridiculed by a kid born with the umbilical chord wrapped around its neck, it is time for POINTLESS PONDERING. That dried up dingleberry residing in the stretch marks of journalism's taint.


Though there is some dysphoria after Brett Favre retired again, joviality reigns supreme.

Never again will the Hyckocrite be written in this blog. Let us go over a few myths with the fine comb of reality in honor of his departure.

There are people who say Favre is the greatest quarterback in football history. These are folks who haven't watched much football, or being paid to promote their media darling. I can think of at least 30 other quarterbacks that I feel are better players.

If you examine his character, it reeks of a self serving ego who put himself first at all turns. This was first seen in his rookie season, where Favre clashed with the Atlanta Falcons coaches and spent most of his time partying.

Other lowlights included his throwing a teammate under the bus for holding out for a pay raise. Favre, of course, had nothing to worry about. He had just signed a lifetime contract a few years earlier, and became the first NFL player to get 100 million dollars. The multiple retirements also showed his true persona.

If you want to talk about on the field, you first must understand how much easier it is to play his position compared to the years before him. He never had to call his own plays in an era where blockers could hold and receivers could only be chucked in the first five yards.

In these times where the quarterback could practically wear a dress as defenders feared the leagues wrath for tackling them too hard, Favre was considered an iron man.

He played 273 games in his 18 seasons, and has the NFL record for the most turnovers in league history with 427. This includes league records of 310 interceptions thrown and 117 fumbles lost. That is an average of 1.56 turnovers in every game he played.

Brett Favre was a player who you knew what you got with him. A egomaniac who loved the thrill of taking risks, even if he cost the team a victory. He infuriated and clashed with his teammates and coaches. He played to the media, who gave him an image that has endeared him to the millions of people who had forgotten or never paid attention to his antics.

Favre is a first ballot Hall Of Fame player who won a championship in a record setting career. He won't be soon lost from memory, but he is absolutely not even close to being one of the greatest ever at his position.

His ego has many saying good riddance to him now, while his fans will probably never let go of his image nor the hope of his return.






Is anyone really that shocked about the Redsox Roids scandal that Major League Baseball is currently trying to suffocate?

If you are, you really haven't paid any attention to the game the past twenty years.

The bogus Mitchell Report, in case you weren't aware, was written by part BoSox owner George Mitchell. Notice only one scrub middle reliever from his team made that list then?

If you think Roger Clemens didn't start using junk until after he left Beantown, I would like to sell you the Longfellow Bridge for a nice price.

Now we hear David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez are on it. My response is,"DUH!". Ortiz was a scrub on the bench in Minnesota before he hit Boston. ManRam's erratic behavior screams of a steroid user called "Roid Rage". Who else in their right mind would go urinate in the left field wall during a game other than a junkie?

Then there is the story where former player Jerry Remy's kid was recently fired for being on the stuff. Of course they don't know of any players who are on the stuff. Sounds like the ol' good soldier being a scapegoat. Taking one for the team, for his dad, and the faux legacy of the organization.

Now, I certainly am not saying just Boston was shooting up. It seems quite clear everyone was, and the list of non-users is going to be much shorter than the users.

Baseball was coming off a strike in 1994, and attendance was suffering in 1995. Owners had to do something, they thought, and this included George W. Bush. Bush owned the Texas Rangers at the time, and would become the President of the United States of America just five years later.

Baseball had already lowered the pitching mound and lowered and brought the outfield walls in closer to home plate. In order to bring in the fair weathered fan to fill seats, they decided to try other options to increase offense.

The first step was to wind the balls tighter, which is called "juicing" them. It makes the ball travel further, and this theory was proved by testing. Seemingly no one cared, because the media and MLB soon stifled this story.

Another way was to water down the talent pool through expansion. The Milwaukee Brewers moved to the National League in 1998. The Arizona Diamondbacks and Tampa Bay Devil Rays joined the league also that year in what is called "a magical season" by some. These teams, along with the defending champion Florida Marlins and Colorado Rockies franchise entering just their fifth years of existence, set the stage for a big public relations push.

Watering down the talent, shrinking the stadiums, and juicing the balls wasn't enough. For several years, many players already had begun to take steroids. The MLB owners chose to look the other way, especially in a lucrative 1998 season. Two of the poster children for steroids, Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa, began a binge on both drugs and home runs. The gloss of the home run shined over the steroids then, because the game and media were getting fat on these times.

Times were good to baseball. So good even guys with salami bats were going on home run tears in the 90's. In 1996, Kevin Elster hit 24 homers. He had 88 total in his 13 year career. Brady Anderson had ten career home runs in four years before 1992. He hit 50 in 1996 alone. Steroids were as common as a fastball down the heart of the plate from then on.

Now there seems some phony repent from the game. Long after they stole money from the fans. A repent that has been so untrue, we are seeing names casually trickle and fade quickly now. Players the game pushes into their spotlight like Ortiz, Ramirez, Alex Rodriguez, and others.

Can the players be blamed alone? The media slants it that way.

Imagine a teenager next door who is doing drugs and robbing your house daily. Does his parents deserve some of the blame? What if the parents supplied the drugs and served as a lookout as the kid did his dirt?

It is a sad time for the game, yet people seem to still attend as much as ever. Still, you cannot help but wonder if the Red Sox are a team that has not legitimately won a World Series since 1918.

Perhaps the "Curse of The Bambino" still exists?





Roger Goodell seemingly has the NFL off course, but there still may be a method to the madness by the owners puppet.

With the Pro Bowl being moved to the week before the Super Bowl, and is a moronic idea! All this proves is that Goodell is bad as hell for the NFL.

Let us imagine your favorite player on your favorite team having a spectacular year and leading the way to a Super Bowl appearance.

Only two scenarios can be played out. Obviously this first one is that the player skips the Pro Bowl entirely, which will be the most prevalent move by any Pro Bowlers on teams that make it to the Super Bowl.

The second option is what I call the "Robert Edwards" result. Edwards was a rookie who blew out his knee in a NFL event during the 1998 Pro Bowl week. He almost had to have his leg amputated, and did not return to the NFL again until 2002. No team in the Super Bowl is willing to risk this happening.

This move by Goodell takes away from the Pro Bowls legitimacy, because lesser players will have to fill in and make it more of an ALMOST Pro Bowl instead.

Why even bother playing this kind of game at all? The game already has been suffering from lackluster play by divas, now less talented and worthy ones will cause a deeper coma for viewers.

The last part is how the NFL is moving the game from Hawaii to Miami.

Cheap greed is the first thought that comes to my head. Miami is a nice city, but it ain't Hawaii. Players loved the trip to Honolulu, and brought family along. You really see this happening in Miami?

Then there is the sad reality the long shot player may be phased out of Goodell's NFL. Many players in the Hall Of Fame were not drafted early or at all.

With the NFL practically phasing out the preseason, you probably will see less of these types of long shots. The whole purpose for training camp and exhibition games is to get the best players possible on your roster. Now it can't happen.

Pretend the Jets try out an undrafted quarterback who easily outplays their first draft pick Mark Sanchez.There is just one roster spot open. With all the money invested into Sanchez, there is no way the undrafted kid beats him for the job nor has enough time to.

The UFL will be starting soon, and it could have the success of the last incarnation of the AFL if managed right. Some ex-NFL players, now coaching in the UFL, think the NFL wants the UFL to succeed. Some theories range from the UFL serving as a minor leagues for all the good players who fail an NFL job. Other think it could help the game eventually branch out to new cities then NFL would envelop the upstart league, much like they did with the AFL.

If this is true, and the NFL is using the UFL to grow, then it could be a win-win. There are many good players unable to make rosters each year. Some need time to develop and learn the game more.

Still, it is a bit sad and melancholy to think of all the possible future legends forced to go this route rather than doing it the way it has been done since the birth of the NFL.





Every few years, we get sports pages telling us about bike riding. Lance Armstrong brought it mainstream with his cancer battle, and his steroids cloud.

ESPN pushes the X Games yearly, and bikes are a big part of it.

The Olympics has bike riding events, though they seemingly get little air time.

One can appreciate the ability of the rider, but it seems amazing how much of a spectator sport it has become.

Not so much in the X Games, because they mix it up with other events like skating and skiing. The real surprise is how many people line up throughout the countryside of France. They line up deep and far to catch glimpses of the riders.

Though there is some history to this tour, as well as the bicycle itself, but is this a sport a great portion of Americans pine away for its arrival on television? Do even the highlights pump you up?

Why does it get so much publicity, yet women's sports get hardly any at all? Are you even aware the WNBA has played twenty games already?




Well, it's that time to make like a baby and head out. As they like to say in Ol' Mexico : AMF.

The All Time New York Yankees

For those of you looking for Ruth, Mantle, Jeter, ect....you have found the wrong story.

The article is a tribute to the FOOTBALL Yankees.

This franchise, like many in its time, had a journey that is fascinating and historical.

The first incarnation of the Yankees was founded in 1926 in the first incarnation of the American Football League. This AFL was founded by Hall Of Famer Red Grange's agent C.C. Pyle.

Pyle and Grange started the AFL for a few reasons.

The main reason is because the NFL refused Pyle's request to join the seven year old NFL, a move vehemently opposed by New York Giants owner Tim Mara.

Another big reason was due to a salary dispute between the Chicago Bears and Grange.

Grange had signed a contract with the Bears in 1925 for $100,000, a huge contract for that era. He took the Bears on a barnstorming tour, playing 19 games in 67 days. This moment is often credited for getting the NFL off of the ground and legitimized.

The other reason was how the 1925 NFL season ended, which left a bitter aftertaste for many of their fans.

The Pottsville Maroons were initially named champions after defeating the Chicago Cardinals. The Cardinals then scheduled some faux games, trouncing opponents that were mostly disbanded franchises.

After the Maroons played an exhibition game on the home field of the Frankford Yellow Jackets, the Yellow Jackets protested to NFL commissioner Joe Carr. Carr suspended the Maroons and fined them, then awarded the championship to the Cardinals. The Cardinals refused the award.

The AFL lasted one year, but has some noteworthy moments. One of the charter members of the NFL, the Rock Island Indepenents, joined their league for that season. Another team was called the Los Angeles Wildcats, a traveling team based out of Chicago and owned by Pyle and Grange.

The team, also called the Pacific Wildcats, was named after its star George "Wildcat" Wilson, and had Hall Of Famer Ray Flaherty. Wilson would later go on to lead the Providence Steam Roller to their lone NFL championship in the 1928 season.

Flaherty would join the Yankees in 1927, and stayed until they folded the next year. He then joined the Giants in 1928 and played for them for eight seasons, helping them win a championship in 1934.

Most of the AFL teams folded before Thanksgiving, leaving just four actually still playing football. One team, the Brooklyn Horseman, merged with the Brooklyn Lions of the NFL after playing just four games.

The Lions folded after their lone season in 1926 themselves, but the team was never officially withdrawn from the league. Mara bought the rights, then leased the franchise to Pyle so the Yankees could join the NFL.

The Yankees and Giants would share Yankee Stadium, but the Yankees were essentially a road team. They were only able to play four actual home games before they were forced to fold after the 1928 season, after the agreement between the two teams ended.

The AFL tried to come back in 1936, and another version of the Yankees was born. Both the team and league were not successful, and both folded after the 1937 season.

In 1940, the AFL tried again. The Yankees also tried again. They named themselves the Americans in the beginning of 1941 after a switch in ownership, but the league folded because of World War II.

The 1940 Yankees owner tried to bring back the franchise as a traveling team in 1941, with just four members of the original team. They folded after losing all six of their games.

Another new incarnation of the Yankees came back in 1946, and also played in Yankee Stadium. This Yankees team was part of the All American Football Conference. The Yankees were very popular at that time, and featured running back Spec Sanders.

The Yankees would go to the AAFC Championship Game in each of their first two seasons, but would lose both times to the Cleveland Browns.

The 1947 team also saw Buddy Young join the team. Known as "The Bronze Bullet", Young was considered one of the greatest football players of that era.

Standing just 5'4", Young was an All American in his freshman year at the University of Illinois. He, like many players, then joined the military to serve because of World War 2.

Young also was a trailblazer, being one of a few African American players to play professional football then. After leaving the franchise in 1952, he joined the Baltimore Colts and became the first Colt to ever have his jersey number retired.

Flaherty left the Yankees mid-way in the 1948 season, and would coach the AAFC Chicago Hornets the next season. After that season, the Brooklyn Dodgers of the AAFC folded and merged with the Yankees.

The Yankees would make the playoffs in 1949, but would lose to the San Francisco 49ers in the Division championship game. The AAFC then folded and was absorbed by the NFL.

The Boston Yanks were founded in the NFL in 1944, and stayed there until 1948. The team then moved to New York, renaming themselves the Bulldogs. Many of the AAFC Yankee players would join this team, and the team switched back to their Yanks name in the 1950 season. The team would last in New York until 1951, then announced they were moving to Dallas and be called the Texans.

Due to the prevalent bigotry that was throughout the South at that time, as well as the civil rights movement at that time, the team only lasted seven games in Dallas. They featured two African American stars in Young and George Taliaferro, as well as two future Hall Of Famers in Art Donovan and Gino Marchetti.

Another player on that team was Fritz Von Erich. Von Erich later became a very successful professional wrestler and promoter. His family is also known because five of his sons died young, four of which were professional wrestlers.

The Texans folded after that one season, and was bought by Carroll Rosenbloom. Rosenbloom then started the Baltimore Colts with this franchise, though the NFL does not officially recognize this lineage.

Without further delay, here is your All Time Yankees :
(Unfortunately, Not All Players Pictures Were Found)



QUARTERBACK : Clarence "Ace" Parker

Clarence was an All American at Duke University, and also was an excellent baseball player. He is a member of the Duke University Sports Hall of Fame, North Carolina and Virginia Sports Halls of Fame, Hampton Roads Sports Hall of Fame, College Football Hall of Fame, and the Pro Football Hall Of Fame.

Parker initially tried baseball, and joined the Philadelphia Athletics in 1936. He left the team after the 1938 season due to a lack of success.

Parker was drafted by the NFL Brooklyn Dodgers in 1937, the second quarterback taken in the draft behind Sammy Baugh. Though he only played four games that year, he led the team on passing.

Ace made his first All Pro team the next year, leading the league in passing attempts and yardage. After having a good 1939 season, leading the league in yards gained per pass completion, Ace had his best season as a player in 1940.

He led the NFL with 6 interceptions for 146 yards, and scored a touchdown. They were the first interceptions of his career. Parker also led the NFL in extra points attempted and made, and ran for a career best 306 yards on 86 attempts.

He was named to his last All Pro team, and was named the MVP of the NFL.

Ace had the last interception of his career in 1941, and left the NFL to join the Army because of the war.

He returned to the NFL in 1945, and joined the Boston Yanks. He served mainly as a reserve, then left the team at seasons end.

Parker joined the Yankees for one year in 1946. He helped lead the team to the AAFC Championship game, which they lost. He then retired for good, and became a baseball and football coach at Duke and a player-manager of the Durham Bulls of the Piedmont League in minor league baseball. Twice he was named manager of the year.

Clarence "Ace" Parker is the oldest living member of the Pro Football Hall Of Fame.

George Pease, of the first Yankees team, deserves mention. He led the AFL in touchdown passes, getting seven. He later played in the NFL with the Orange Tornadoes in 1929. He led the team in receiving, touchdowns, punt returns, and punt return yardage. He retired after that season.








RUNNING BACK : Orban "Spec" Sanders

Sanders was the Redskins first round draft pick in the 1942 draft, but went off to serve in the military because of WWII.

Spec came to the Yankees in 1946, and instantly became the face of the franchise, and was a major star of the league. He was named to the All AAFC First Team in his first two years, which is akin to being an All Pro.

He led the AAFC in rushing attempts, rushing yards, rushing yards per game, yards from scrimmage, all-purpose yards, touches, rushing touchdowns, and total touchdowns in his first two seasons.

He led the AAFC with a 103 yard kickoff return for a touchdown, the longest in franchise history, in his rookie year. It is still the 22nd longest return in professional football history.

Spec intercepted two passes that year, and took one for a 50 yard touchdown. It is the only defensive touchdown of his career. He also threw four touchdowns, punted 22 times that year, and caught a career best 17 balls for 259 yards and three TD's.

Spec really exploded in 1947. He had 1,432 yards rushing on 231 attempts, a 6.1 yards per carry average, and ran in a whopping 18 touchdowns. His yards rushed that year would stand as a record for over a decade. He also tossed a career best 14 scores, punted 46 times, and intercepted three balls that year.

Spec also led the AAFC with 22 kickoff returns, and scored on a 92 yard return.

The 1948 season was his last with the Yankees. He led the AAFC in rushing attempts again, and scored nine times via the ground. He also threw five more scores, punted 42 times, and picked off a pass.

Sanders was named the the All AAFC Second Team after that year, but did not play in 1949 because of a knee injury he suffered late in the previous season. He did join the Yanks for the 1950 season.

He led the NFL with 13 interceptions, which is the second most ever, and gained 199 yards. He also punted the ball a career high 71 times, and returned 6 punts for 93 yards. Though he rarely played offense that year, he did complete two of the three passes he attempted for 58 yards.

Spec was named to the NFL All Pro Team that year, then he retired from the game.

Spec Sanders is the Yankees all time leader in rushing attempts and yards, passing attempts, completions, touchdowns, and yards, total yards, total touchdowns, and scoring.








RUNNING BACK : Red Grange

Red is considered, by many, the greatest college football player ever. He is one of only two men to have their jersey retired by Illinois University.

He set several records in college, and was a three time All American. After leading his school to an undefeated season and the 1923 Helms Athletic Foundation national championship, he was dubbed "The Galloping Ghost" by Chicago sportswriter Warren Brown.

After college, Red signed a huge contract to play with the Chicago Bears, and helped make the NFL legitimate. This arrangement lasted one year.

Red, along with his agent C.C. Pyle, decided to start the Yankees and AFL the next year. After the league folded, the Yankees joined the NFL.

Red hurt his knee badly against the Bears that year, and had to miss the rest of the season and the entire 1928 season.

Red returned to Chicago in 1929, and the Bears had two Grange's on their roster from 1929 to 1931. Gardie was Red's older brother and had played with him in college.

Gardie caught three touchdown passes, and kicked two extra points in his career. Though both men were the same height, and Red outweighed Gardie by only seven pounds, most people forget that one of the things that brought Red back to the Bears was the signing of Gardie.

Though the NFL officially credits Red with 569 yards rushing, 16 pass receptions, 31 touchdowns, and ten more passing, it must be noted the stats from that era were poorly compiled.

In fact, the NFL says Red played only five games for the Bears in 1925, but it is known he played at least 19 that year. Then there is the fact Red has no defensive stats, but he was a fine defender. His true statistics may never be known.

What is known is that he was a key member of two Bears teams that won championships.

He is a member of the NFL's 1920's All Decade Team, the College Football Hall Of Fame, and the Pro Football Hall Of Fame.

His impact on the game is immeasurable, and hard to truly summarize.

The best quote, that I saw, was by Halas in an interview with Chris Berman in the late 1970's.

Halas was asked who was the greatest running back he ever saw. Halas said it was Grange. Halas was then asked how many yards would Grange get today. Halas said it would be close to 800 yards.

Berman responded, "Well, 800 yards is just okay."

Halas sat up in his chair and said, "Son, you must remember one thing. Red Grange is 75 years old."








WIDE RECEIVER : Morris Badgro

Badgro was inducted into Canton in 1981, and is the oldest player ever to be inducted. He joined the Yankees in 1927, and stayed with them until the end of that season. Though he was a good defensive player and blocker, he is noted for being a fine receiver.

After he left the Yankees, he went on to play baseball with the Saint Louis Browns for two years. He then decided to play football again, this time joining the Giants. He scored the first touchdown in a NFL Championship game in 1933, and helped the Giants win the 1934 championship. Morris then joined the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1936, and retired after that season.







WIDE RECEIVER : Bruce Alford

Bruce was an eighth round draft choice of the Philadelphia/ Pittsburgh Steagles in the 1943 NFL Draft. The Philadelphia Eagles and Pittsburgh Steelers had combined rosters because of the war.

Alford served in the Army, then joined the Yankees in 1946. He caught 13 balls, and returned one kickoff for 62 yards.

He made his only All Pro Team in 1947. Bruce caught 20 passes, and scored 5 times. Alford also took the only punt return of his career 34 yards for a score. Also, he returned two kickoffs for 90 yards. One of his returns was a 79 yard touchdown. Alford also intercepted the only pass of his career.

Bruce had a career high 32 receptions the next year, gaining 578 yards, and scored three times. Alford followed that up by getting 11 receptions in the 1949 season.

Alford was with the Yanks for the next two years, and grabbed five receptions. He scored the last touchdown of his career in 1950, off of a blocked kick. He retired after the 1951 season as the Yankees all time leader in receptions and reception yardage.








TIGHT END : Jack Russell

Jack was drafted by the Steagles in the third round of the 1943 NFL Draft. Instead of playing, he joined the Army with Alford.

Jack joined the Yankees in 1946, and caught 23 receptions with four touchdowns. He followed that up 20 catches and two TD's the next season, to go with an interception Russell returned 33 yards.

Russell then had a career high six touchdown receptions in 1948. He also had a career best 433 yards on 23 receptions, and intercepted a pass. The 1949 season saw Jack grab seven passes for a score, and intercept the last pass of his career.

Jack joined the Yanks in 1950, and caught ten passes, scoring twice. He also recovered three fumbles, and took one in for a touchdown. He retired after that year.

Jack is the Yankees franchise leader in touchdown receptions, and caught the longest past in franchise history. He is also second in receptions and reception yardage.

Al Rose also deserves mention. He was a member of the 1937 Yankees in the second AFL. He had spent most of his career in the NFL, playing with the Providence Steam Roller and the Packers for for seven seasons.









CENTER : Lou Sossamon

Lou was drafted by the Steagles in the sixth round in 1943, but had to serve in the military. He joined the Yankees in 1946, and soon was an important member of the team.

In 1947, Lou scored a touchdown on a blocked kick, and helped anchor the Yankees line on both sides of the ball. He was named to the All AAFC Second Team after that year.

Sossamon played the 1948 season with the Yankees, then retired.



Lou making a tackle!





GUARD : Mike Michalske

The first offensive guard inducted into the Hall Of Fame, and is a member of the NFL 1920's All Decade Team. Michalske joined the AFL Yankees in 1926, and stayed with them until 1928. He then joined the Green Bay Packers the following year, helping them win three straight championships between 1929 to 1931. He retired in 1935, but came back to play one season for the Packers in 1937.

He was called "Iron Mike", because he was noted for his toughness. He was a 60 minute man, and only missed nine games in his career despite playing with an inoperable abdominal hernia. He also wore nine different jersey numbers in his eight years with the Packers, the most ever in franchise history.







GUARD : Alex Drobnitch

Alex was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in 1937, but opted to join the Yankees in the second AFL instead. He is the only member of that team to be named an All Star. He went on to play with the Americans and Buffalo Indians of the third AFL, then retired to join the armed forces in the war.

He was an All American at the University of Denver, and was inducted in the inaugural class of the schools athletic Hall Of Fame in 1996.

Les Richter deserves mention, as he was a first round draft pick of the 1952 Yanks. He was in the Army at the time, and never played. The Yanks traded him to the Los Angeles Rams for 11 players, which is a record deal for a single player.




OFFENSIVE TACKLE : Mike McCormack

McCormack played one season for the Yanks in 1951, then joined the Cleveland Browns the next year. He became an important member of a Browns team that won back to back championships between 1954 to 1955. He stayed with the Browns until 1962, then retired.

He later came a successful coach several teams and a GM for the Carolina Panthers. Mike McCormack is a member of the Pro Football Hall Of Fame.








OFFENSIVE TACKLE : Frank "Bruiser" Kinard

Frank was drafted in the third round of the 1936 NFL Draft by the Brooklyn Dodgers. He was already a star player in college, having attended Mississippi University.

There, he was a two time All American player, the first in school history. He is a member of the Ole Miss Athletic Hall of Fame, Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame, Ole Miss Team of the Century, Helms Athletic Foundation Hall of Fame, College Football Hall Of Fame, and Pro Football Hall Of Fame.

Bruiser immediately had an impact on the NFL in his rookie year. He was named All Pro in all seven years with the Dodgers. He then joined the Yankees in 1946, and was named All Pro again. After playing the next year, he retired.

Kinard was a complete player. He kicked extra points, and made 27 out of 30 attempts. He also made the only field goal attempt of his career. Frank also got his hands on the ball in 1943. He caught five balls and scored a touchdown.

He was also excellent as a defensive tackle. In 1941, he returned a fumble for a touchdown. He also intercepted a pass in 1944, and returned it 26 yards.

After he retired, Bruiser returned to Ole Miss to coach football and serve as the Athletic Director until he retired in 1973.









DEFENSIVE TACKLE : Art Donovan

Art was drafted by the Giants in the 22nd round of the 1947 NFL Draft, but opted to stay in college after serving four years with the Marines.

He joined the AAFC Baltimore Colts in 1950, but the team and league folded at the end of the season. He then joined the Yanks for the 1951 season, and stayed with the franchise through several moves.

Now the team was known as the Baltimore Colts, and this is where Art became well known throughout the country. He was named an All Pro five times, and recorded a safety in the 1953 season.

The Colts soon became one of the most popular teams in all of sports, as they would win consecutive champions in the 1958 and 1959 seasons.

Art retired in 1961, and was inducted into Canton just seven years later.







DEFENSIVE TACKLE : Arnie Weinmeister

Arnie joined the Yankees when he was 25 years old, due to military obligations while in college. His impact was immediate, as he was named to the All-AAFC second team. The next year, he was named to the first team, which is akin to being an All Pro.

Arnie then joined the Giants in 1950, and was named to the All Pro team in all four years he played there.

He retired after the 1953 season, and is one of only three men to have been born in Saskatchewan, Canada and play in the NFL. In 1984, he was inducted into Canton.








DEFENSIVE END : Gerald "Red" Maloney

Red started his career with the Providence Steam Roller in the 1925 NFL season. He scored a touchdown off of a fumble recovery, and kicked three field goals and four extra points.

He was named Second Team All NFL by the Green Bay Post-Gazette.

He joined the Yankees for their inaugural season in 1926, and scored two touchdowns off of receptions. He stayed with the Yankees the next year in the NFL and caught the last touchdown pass of his career.

Maloney did not play in 1928, but he joined the Boston Bulldogs for the 1929 NFL season. He started in seven of the eight games he played, then retired.








DEFENSIVE END : Nate Johnson

Nate joined the Yankees in 1946, and started right away. He stayed with the team the following season as well. The 1947 season saw him named to the All-AAFC First Team, and the Daily News First Team All-AAFC.

Nate then joined the Chicago Rockets in 1948, then the Chicago Hornets the following year. In 1950, Nate joined the New York Yanks, then retired at the end of the season.

He played both ways as an offensive tackle and defensive tackle, and was excellent. I had to find a spot for him on the team.





LINEBACKER : Irv "King Kong" Klein

Besides being an All American football player in college, Irv was also a basketball star. He helped New York University win the Helms National Championship in 1935, as well as have a perfect season in 1934. He is a member of the NYU Hall Of Fame.

He played on the Yankees in the second AFL, so his records are irretrievable on the internet. I am putting him at LB because of his nickname.







LINEBACKER : Bob Sweiger

Bob joined the Yankees in 1946, and stayed with them until 1948. He was initially drafted by the Giants in the 3rd round of the 1942 NFL Draft, but had to serve in the Armed Services because of the war.

Bob ran and caught the ball as a rookie, scoring once off a reception. He also had a career best four interceptions for 82 yards, helping the Yankees reach the AAFC Championship game.

Sweiger scored the last receiving touchdown of his career the following season, and also scored another touchdown off of two interceptions.

His last year with the Yankees saw him have a career high 12 receptions, then he joined Flaherty on the Chicago Hornets for the 1949 season. He intercepted one pass and had 11 receptions, then retired.








LINEBACKER : Bob Kennedy

Bob was drafted in the third round by the Steagles in 1943, but had to serve in the military. He joined the Yankees in 1946, and picked off three passes. He also scored twice on 58 rushing attempts, returned a career high four kickoffs for 105 yards, caught a career best 11 passes, and punted seven times.

Bob had eight interceptions over the next three years, as well as running the ball 195 times for 838 yards and seven scores.

Kennedy played five games for the Yanks in 1950, intercepting a pass, then retired.

Bob Kennedy's 53 games played are the most in Yankees history.


photo courtesy of atticajailhouseballcaps.blogspot.com
This hat is for sale, according to the site






SAFETY : Otto Schnellbacher

Otto was a two sports star at Kansas University. He was the schools first All American football player, and one of only three Jayhawks to be named All Conference in four years. He held the school receptions and receiving yardage records for 22 years, and is a member of the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame, the University of Kansas Hall of Fame and the schools football Ring of Honor.

He joined the Yankees in 1948 and had the best season of his career. He led the league with 11 interceptions for 239 yards, and scored a touchdown. He even had five receptions and returned five punts.

After the season was over, Otto joined the Basketball Association of America. He played 43 games with two teams as a forward, and averaged over six points per game.

Otto returned to the Yankees in 1949, and picked off four balls. He also had the last reception of his career, and returned four punts.

He joined the Giants in the 1950 NFL season, and was named an All Pro. He had 8 interceptions for 99 yards, and returned three punts.

Otto played his last year in 1951, and was named All Pro again. He matched his career high of 11 interceptions, which also led the NFL. Schnellbacher also led the NFL with 194 yards and two touchdowns.

Otto Schnellbacher's 15 interceptions are the most in Yankees history.








SAFETY : Eddie Tryon

Eddie is a member of the original Yankees. It was Tryon, not Grange, who lit up the first AFL. He led the league in scoring and rushing touchdowns. He also was second in the league in touchdown receptions, behind Grange, and tied for fifth in field goals made.

He played one more season, when the Yankees joined the NFL. He had two touchdowns rushing and receiving., and made all eight of his extra points attempted. He was named to the Green Bay Press-Gazette Second Team All NFL, then retired.

I put Eddie on the team because of how he excelled on the first Yankees. He certainly was a two-way player, though NFL records list him as a running back in his only season in their league.

He was a star at Colgate University, scoring 111 points in his senior year, and had 360 points in his collegiate career.








CORNERBACK : Tom Landry

Tom started his career with the AAFC Yankees in 1949. He joined the Giants the next season, and made his only All Pro team in 1954. By then, he also was an assistant coach. He retired as a player after the 1955 season.

Tom was named the defensive coordinator in 1956, and stayed there until the end of the 1959 season. In 1960, he became the head coach of the expansion Dallas Cowboys and held that position until 1988.

Tom led the Cowboys to two Super Bowl wins, and won 270 games in his tenure. He was named NFL Coach of the Year twice, and is a member of the Pro Football Hall Of Fame.








CORNERBACK : Pete Layden

Pete was drafted by the Giants in the tenth round of the 1942 NFL Draft. He had to go serve in the Army.

In 1948, Pete played two sports. He was an outfielder for the Saint Louis Browns in Major League Baseball for 41 games, and also played for the AAFC Yankees.

He threw 105 passes that year, completed 43 of them, and had 816 yards thru the air. Nine went for scores. Layden also ran the ball 95 times for 576 yards and three scores.

Pete returned eight kickoffs for 211 yards, and punted the ball 21 times for an average of 42.1 yards per punt. All are career highs. He also intercepted three passes.

Layen only threw ten passes in 1949, and completed two. He also ran the ball 19 times for 96 yards, and had the only reception of his career.

Though Pete only returned one kickoff, he led the AAFC in punt returns with 29, gaining 287 yards. He also punted the ball the last fifteen times in his career, averaging 41.7 yards per attempt.

Layden also led the Yankees with seven interceptions, and gained 137 yards. He scored the last touchdown of his career off of one of those interceptions.

Layden joined the Yanks in 1950, and intercepted three passes. He also made the only three extra points he attempted in his career. He then retired from the game.







RETURN SPECIALIST : Buddy Young

Young was already a football legend before he went pro. Buddy went to Illinois University, and was often compared to fellow alumni Grange. Young equaled several of Grange's records, including touchdowns scored in a single seaon. He was an All American player his freshman year, but had to leave school to serve in the military because of the war.

When he fulfilled his obligations in 1946, he spurned offers to turn pro and returned to Illinois. Young then helped them win the Big Ten Championship and Rose Bowl. He was also an All American in track.

Buddy joined the Yankees in 1947, and formed one of the more electrifying tandems in pro football with Spec Sanders. He gained a carrer best 712 yards on 116 carries, a 6.1 yards per carry average, and scored three times.Buddy also caught 27 balls, scoring twice.

Young was also a superb return specialist. In his first year, he scored a touchdown on 8 punt return attempts, and took a 95 yard kickoff for a score on 12 attempts. He also completed the only pass of his career on two attempts.

He was fifth in the AAFC in total yards, and was named Second Team All AAFC.

The 1948 season saw Buddy carry the ball 70 times and catch 12 passes, scoring fives times. He also returned just two punts and 12 kickoffs.

He rebounded the next year, returning nine punts for 171 yards and 11 kickoffs for 316 yards. One kickoff return went 91 yards for a score.

He also ran for 495 yards on 76 carries, a 6.5 yards per carry average, caught 12 passes, and scored a career best five rushing touchdowns. His eight TD's that year are his career high, and he was named Second Team All AAFC. He was named First Team All AAFC by the UPI and the Daily News.

The Yankees became the Yanks in 1950, and Young stayed with the team. He returned 20 kickoffs and nine punts. He caught 20 balls for 302 yards, and ran the ball 76 times for 334 yards, and scored twice. He also lead the league in fumble recoveries. The UPI named him Second Team All AAFC.

In 1951, he had a career high 508 yards on 31 receptions, along with an additional 165 yards rushing and four scores. Young led the NFL with a 19.3 punt return average, returning 12 for 231 yards. He scored a touchdown on a 79 yard return. He also returned 14 kickoffs, scoring once on a 90 yard return.

The Yanks became the Dallas Texans in 1952, and Buddy stayed with the team. He ran for 243 yards, caught 22 balls, scored five times, and led the NFL with 23 kick returns for 643 yards.

The Texans became the Baltimore Colts the next year, and Buddy was still with the team. He returned 11 kicks for 378 yards, a career high 34.4 yards per return average, and scored on a 104 yard return. It was the second longest return at the time in NFL history, and is still the 13th longest ever.

Buddy made his lone All Pro squad in 1954. He averaged 18 yards per catch on 15 receptions, ran for 311 yards, and scored five times.

In his last season as a player in 1955, Young averaged a career high 22.4 yards per reception on 19 catches, and ran for 87 yards. He scored twice, and also returned nine kickoffs. He then retired and became the first Colt to have his jersey retired.

Buddy continued to break new ground after retirement. He became the first African-American to be hired as an executive by the NFL, and later was named Director of Player Relations.

He was a tough man who preferred to play without a facemask and hardly any pads. He was the fastest player in the NFL at one time, and once tied the 60-yard indoor dash record of 6.1 seconds. He even beat a horse in a 100 yard dash while with the Colts.

Buddy Young is a member of the The Pigskin Club of Washington, D.C. National Intercollegiate All-American Football Players Honor Roll and the College Football Hall Of Fame.









PUNTER : George "Fat" Tiliaferro

George was the first African-American drafted in the NFL, when the Bears drafted him in the 13th round in 1949. He opted to join the Los Angeles Dons in the AAFC instead.

He ran the ball 95 times for 472 yards and 5 TD's, as well as attempting a career high 124 passes with 4 more scores. George also punted the ball 27 times, and returned two punts. One return went 51 yards for a score. He also led the AAFC with five fumble recoveries.

George joined the Yankees the next year, and would stay with the team through many moves from New York, then thru Dallas, and ending in Baltimore. He then played in three games for the Philadelphia Eagles in 1955, then retired.

For a three year stretch from 1951 to 1953, Taliaferro was an All Pro. He was a jack of all trades, and his finest season may have been in 1951 with the Yanks. He led the NFL in kickoff returns, kickoff return yards, punts, and punt return yards.

Taliaferro is a noted legend from the state of Indiana. He went to Indiana University, and was an All American. George led the Hoosiers to their only undefeated Big Ten Championship in his senior year, and is a member of the College Football Hall Of Fame.








KICKER : Harvey Johnson

Harvery was a sixth round draft pick by the Brooklyn Dodgers in the 1943 NFL Draft, but had to serve in the military during the war. He would join the Yankees in 1946.

He carried the ball 16 times that year, the only rushing attempts of his career, and gained 63 yards. He also snatched 2 receptions, and had the only interception of his career.

Johnson was mainly used as the Yankees kicker. In his four years with the team, he made 178 out of 180 extra point attempts, and 22 of 38 field goal attempts.

He led the AAFC in extra points attempted and made in 1947, and field goals attempted and made in the 1949 season.

Harvey sat out the 1950 season, but suited up for the Yanks in 1951. He made all 31 of his extra points attempted, and six of his 14 attempted field goals. He retired as a player after that season.

He then became a coach and scout. He joined the expansion Buffalo Bills in inaugural 1960 season of the last version of the AFL. He served as their secondary coach, then as their director of player personnel.

The Bills fired their head coach, Joe Collier, one game into the 1968 season, and Harvey took his place. The Bills won one game that year, and he stepped down afterwards. He stayed with the team, and had to coach the Bills again in 1971. Buffalo won just one game, the worst record in the franchises history, and Harvey became a scout for the Bills until his death in 1983.


Harvey is on the far left in the second row





HEAD COACH : Ray Flaherty

Flaherty is best known as the man who invented the screen pass play, and was a long time player and coach. His coaching success came with the Washington Redskins, where he led the team to two championship wins.

After his seven years with the Redskins, he joined the Navy for one year. After serving, Flaherty returned to coach a new incarnation of the Yankees in 1946, and stayed there until mid-way into the 1948 season. He left mid-way in the 1948 season, and would coach the AAFC Chicago Hornets the next season.

Ray led the team to two AAFC title games, and his 22 wins are the most by any coach in Yankees history. He was inducted into Canton in 1976 for his contributions to the game.

Jack McBride coached two versions of the Yankees, and deserves mention as well.