New York Yankees - The Reagan Years (1980-1989)

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1980

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1983

Decade

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Championships

Top New York Players of the Eighties

1980 AL East Champs (Lost to Kansas City)

1981 AL Champs (Lost to Dodgers)

Pitchers:

Dave Righetti (22.35) - 71

BallPark:

Ron Guidry (27.34) - 66

Yankee Stadium

Goose Gossage (13.84) - 45

Tommy John (14.5) - 39

Team Name:

Rick Rhoden (4.24) - 18

Yankees

Dennis Rasmussen (5.71) - 17

Rudy May (6.75) - 14

Owner:

Shane Rawley (5.13) - 12

George Steinbrenner

Phil Niekro (6.4) - 11

Andy Hawkins (0.86) - 10

General Managers:

Ron Davis (3.85) - 8

Gene Michael (1980-1981)

Charles Hudson (4.15) - 8

Bill Bergesch (1982-1983)

John Candelaria (2.49) - 7

Murray Cook (1984)

Ray Fontenot (4.67) - 5

Clyde King (1985-1988)

Jay Howell (1.96) - 4

Woody Woodward (1987)

Ed Whitson (1.88) - 3

Lou Piniella (1988)

Mike Morgan (1.99) - 3

Bob Quinn (1988 - 1989)

Bob Tewksbury (1.91) - 3

George Frazier (4.36) - 3

Managers:

Doug Drabek (1.61) - 2

Dick Howser (1980)

Jim DeShaies (0) - 0

Gene Michael (1980-1981)

Jose Rijo (0.56) - 0

Bob Lemon (1981-1982)

Al Leiter (0.23) - 0

Clyde King (1982)

Billy Martin (1983, 1985, 1988)

Catchers:

Yogi Berra (1984-1985)

Butch Wynegar (10.74) - 27

Lou Piniella (1986-1988)

Rick Cerone (2.99) - 22

Dallas Green (1989)

Don Slaught (3.59) - 13

Bucky Dent (1989)

Mike Heath (0) - 0

Hall of Famers:

First Basemen:

Goose Gossage

Don Mattingly (33.35) - 61

Phil Niekro

Dave Winfield

Second Basemen:

Ricky Henderson

Willie Randolph (33.25) - 57

Reggie Jackson

Steve Sax (4.4) - 8

Rookie of the Year:

ShortStop:

Dave Righetti (1981)

Bucky Dent (4.74) - 19

Roy Smalley (5.98) - 15

MVP:

Don Mattingly (1985)

Third Base:

Graig Nettles (7.39) - 20

No Hitters:

Mike Pagliarulo (5.05) - 17

Dave Righetti (1983)

Outfield:

Cy Young

Ricky Henderson (30.88) - 78

None

Dave Winfield (27.49) - 55

Jerry Mumphrey (6.79) - 28

Notable Events

Ken Griffey (6.5) - 27

Reggie Jackson (5.7) - 17

1980 - A weird decade for the Yankees any way you look at it. It starts out with

Oscar Gamble (6.6) - 16

the Yankees at the top of the world despite the death of Thurman Munson

Claudell Washington (4.37) - 15

the previous season. They had lots of talent and lots of money and an owner

Don Baylor (7.13) - 13

willing to spend it. However, something happened. It was George's personality.

Roberto Kelly (3.94) - 12

He emerged as the boss everyone hates. The blowhard bully you go out of

Dan Pasqua (3.02) - 10

your way to avoid, not because you're afraid of him, but because who wants

Steve Kemp (1.66) - 10

to deal with him and his personality problems?

Jesse Barfield (4.1) - 6

By the end of the Eighties no free agent in his right mind was coming to the

Jack Clark (2.84) - 6

Yankees if there was any other alternative.

Jay Buhner (0.07) - 0

So there George was, all this money and nowhere to spend it.

Willie McGee (0) - 0

Therefore, George started doing the next best thing (in his mind). He continually

Pat Tabler (0) - 0

gutted whatever he had in his farm system for a quick fix veteran that he once

had been able to buy. And, as everybody except George seemed to learn,

Notable Events:

you need more than just money if you want to win.

The Eighties were a treadmill of not mediocrity, but not ever being able to get

1983 - Bad karma follows the Yankees around.

over the hump. New York ended up with the best won-lost record of any club,

Dave Winfield kills a seagull with a thrown ball and moronic Toronto

overall, during the Eighties, but it got them zilch for the final eight seasons

officials bring him up on animal cruelty charges.

of the decade regarding trips to the post season.

The Pine Tar incident.

This incident involved umpires correctly calling the Royals' George Brett out

1980 - Yankees win the Division but get swept by the Royals in the ALCS.

after hitting a home run with an illegal substance rubbed all over his bat.

George Steinbrenner apologizes to the Yankee fans for not winning the

Brett goes berserk when the call is made.

World Series and fires Dick Howser despite the fact that Howser's club won

The Royals protest is insanely upheld by the American League office.

103 games.

This all occurs under Commissioner Bowie Kuhn's watch where he was

George looked like an idiot.

pretty much on the wrong side of every issue. This decision undermined the

Steinbrenner's extremely bizarre behavior in this instance is the first serious

major league umpires. It was the first salvo by the owners and Commissioner's

indication that the Yankee organization is heading off the rails.

office against the umpires that culminated sixteen years later in an umpires strike.

It didn't help George's persona that in the not too distant future Howser would

Throughout the Eighties and Nineties, umpires slowly turned the ballfield into a

get a brain tumor and pass away from it.

battlefield in order to achieve the respect that they were no longer getting from

George couldn't look any more like an ogre after that.

the players, the owners and the Commissioner's office.

A number of umpires became intransigent and eventually had to be weeded

1981 - Steinbrenner signs outfielder Dave Winfield, 29, to a ten year deal.

out as their attitudes were poisoning the game.

Winfield has no idea what he's getting into.

It all started with the Brett incident and Bowie Kuhn's Reign of Error.

Kuhn was clueless that umpires need to be backed by management in order

1981 - Twenty two year old flame throwing lefty Dave Righetti joins the staff.

to survive out there with the players.

He had been acquired from Texas in a ten player deal two years earlier.

Kuhn's weakness was a real problem in this regard.

The Yanks had sent catcher Mike Heath and ace reliever Sparky Lyle

the other way in the deal.

1984 - Don Mattingly noses out Dave Winfield for the AL batting title

1981 - The season is interrupted by a player's strike.

1985 - The Yankees acquire outifleder Ricky Henderson, 26, in a seven

The Yankees, the first half east winner, beat the Brewers, the second half winner,

player trade with the Oakland A's.

in a playoff and then knock off the Billy Martin led A's in the ALCS.

The Yanks give up most of their top prospects in this hideous deal:

The Dodgers then whoop the Yankees in six in the World Series,

Jose Rijo; Jay Howell; Stan Javier; Tim Birtsas; and Eric Plunk.

only the third time in eleven tries that the Dodgers beat the Yankees

when they have met in the Series.

1985 - LHP Jim DeShaies, 25, is traded to Houston for Joe Niekro in

another dreadful deal

1982 - CF Willie McGee, 23, is dealt to the Cards for Bob Sykes in a horrific trade

1985 - Manager Billy Martin and pitcher Ed Whitson brawl in the team's

1982 - first baseman Don Mattingly, 21, is a rookie. He was a 19th round pick

hotel bar.

in 1979. Mattingly would have a Hall of Fame worthy six year run from

1984 thru 1989 where he averages 27 homers, 114 rbi and a .327 average.

1987 - RHP Bob Tewksbury, 26, is traded to the Cubs for Steve Trout in

Unfortunately, Don hurts his back and his days as a stud are over before the

yet another awful deal

nineties start. A couple of more years before he hurts his back and Don would

have been known as Hall of Famer Don Mattingly.

1987 - The Yankees acquire veteran righthander Rick Rhoden, 34,

Don was an unheralded prospect who hit much better in the big leagues than

from the Pirates in another dumb, impatient Steinbrenner trade.

he ever did in the minors. This was the only reason he stayed a Yankee.

Rhoden was a good pitcher, but the Yankees gave up stud

If Don was a big time prospect, he would have been dealt away before he ever

righty prospect Doug Drabek, 23, in return. No bueno.

came near the big club.

1987 - Don Mattingly homers in eight straight games and hits six grand slams

1983 - RHP Mike Morgan, 22, is dealt to the Expos for Dale Murray in a

for the season. The first feat tied a record, the second set a record.

terrible deal. Morgan had been picked up from the Cubs two years earlier

along with Bill Caudill for versatile twenty three year old Pat Tabler.

1987 - Centerfielder Roberto Kelly, 22, is a rookie. He was signed as an IFA

When you look at the Yankee farmhands that the New York could have had

five years earlier. Roberto never quite became the player he looked like he

playing for them in the Eighties and early Nineties. if they hadn't been

might be in '87

traded away, as a Yankee fan, you were sick:

Pitchers:

1988 - OF Jay Buhner, 23, is dealt to Seattle for Ken Phelps in still another

Doug Drabek, Jose Rijo, Bob Tewksbury, Jim DeShaies, Al Leiter,

cringe-worthy deal.

Jay Howell, Mike Morgan

Position Players:

1989 - LHP Al Leiter, 23, is dealt to Toronto for Jesse Barfield in one more

Willie McGee, Jay Buhner, Pat Tabler, Mike Heath

debacle of a deal

Particularly the pitchers, that was a group you could win titles with.

While George was in charge, the only way youngsters could make it to the

1989 - New York drops below .500, way below at 74-87.

Yankees was if they were unheralded in the minors such as Don Mattingly

With a barren farm system and no prospect of any decent free agents

or Robinson Cano or came up when George was in exile such as Derek

coming their way, the Yanks are in deep trouble.

Jeter, Bernie Williams, Andy Pettitte, Mariano Rivera or Jorge Posada.

1989 - Billy Martin dies in a Christmas Day car accident.