There's No "I" in Leyritz

This is an article that was originally published on HardRockSports.com.  HardRock Sports columnist Scott A. Ham takes a look at the return to New York of the man who would be King.  Newspapers.  We read them every day.  Some are tabloid, like the New York Post, and some smell of prestige like the New York Times or the Washington Post.  It has been said, and probably accurately, that the standards of journalism decreased as more publications became available, making the all-important “scoop” an even larger financial enterprise.  Clever as they are, the media has averted the conflicts that come with printing unproven stories by labeling them “rumors.”  How often do you see the words “allegedly,” “ostensibly,” or “possibly” in today’s media when “supposedly” covering a story?  It used to be rags like the National Enquirer that stooped to that level, but as this summer proved once again, every paper is susceptible to the rumor at the trade deadline in hopes of being the first to report the big trade. Unfortunately, trying to predict trades at the end of July is about as easy as tying your shoes with your toes.  Practically none of the major rumors that were floating around until the deadline ever turned into reality.  The major players available, Chuck Finley, Andy Pettitte, Jeff Fassero, Vinny Castilla, Darryl Kile, Fred McGriff, and Roberto Hernandez all stayed exactly where they were despite weeks of media speculation and debate.  The only major names to move were Jose Hernandez and Juan Guzman, and they didn’t even go to their supposed suitors, the Braves and the Rangers. Where were the Yankees in all of this?  Well, the rumor-mill had the Yanks going after the Devil Ray’s Roberto Hernandez, a hard throwing reliever with a huge contract.  The Yanks were also supposedly in the hunt for Chuck Finley simply to block the Indians from getting the Yankee killer.  As it turned out, their “interest” spawned from a planted story in the New York Post by members of the Angels organization in an attempt to drive up the offer from Cleveland for the pitcher. The one move the Yankees did make in all this madness was bringing back Jim Leyritz for 22-year-old pitcher Geraldo Padua.  Leyritz was a longtime member of the New York Yankees before being traded to the Angels in the winter of ’96.  The move, while unexpected, certainly wasn’t surprising as Leyritz was one of owner George Steinbrenner’s favorite players, mostly for his strong post season performance.  There aren’t many Yankee fans that will forget Jim’s three-run homer against Mark Wohlers in Game Four of the 1996 World Series, a shot that many regard as the turning point of the series.   The move makes a lot of sense for the Yanks.  Leyritz isn’t playing at the level he was when he left, but he is still a legitimate power threat and a versatile infielder.  He doesn’t truly excel at any one position, but he is capable of playing first, third, outfield (corners), and catcher.  His strong right-handed bat will be a welcome addition to a weak Yankee bench that has carried the likes of Jeff Manto and Clay Bellinger.  With the return of Daryl Strawberry later this month and the probably demotion of Ricky Ledee, the Yanks bench will have Luis Sojo and Jim Leyritz covering the infield, Strawberry or Spencer/Curtis for the outfield with one of them starting, and either Girardi or Posada at catcher.  Five of those seven players are legitimate power threats and Curtis has been known to hit with some pop as well.  This is the kind of depth the Yankees have been lacking most of the season and they have two months of the season to fine-tune it for the playoffs. The return of Leyritz also spawned another interesting question: would he be able to right the sinking ship that is Andy Pettitte?  In case you didn’t know, Leyritz was Pettitte’s personal catcher during the 1996 season when Dandy Andy was runner-up to Pat Hentgen for the AL Cy Young award.  Personally, I would be very surprised if the mere presence of Leyritz could help Pettitte mentally.  Leyritz won’t be doing much catching with the team, at least not this season, with Girardi and Posada already covering duties and manager Joe Torre not wanting to rock the ship.  There is a chance, however, that with Girardi’s option year ending after this season, the Yanks may tie-up Leyritz for a couple seasons and make him the backup catcher behind Posada next season.  Further ammunition lies in Pettitte’s performance in 1997 after Leyritz left.  Andy’s ERA was a full run less in ’97, giving up 16 less home runs in 19 more innings. Clearly, Leyritz’s departure had little effect on Pettitte’s performance and can’t be expected to improve it now. In the meantime, Leyritz will have to accept the role of bench player, a position he should be familiar with in a Yankee uniform.  During his first tour of duty in pinstripes, Leyritz made waves publicly complaining about his playing-time and driving his managers nuts.  The outbursts became such an issue, it lead a member of the squad to post a sign on Leyritz’s locker that said, “There’s no ‘I’ in team.”  The Yanks weren’t convinced the message was fully received, trading him in ’96 to get him the playing time he felt he deserved. Torre is obviously concerned about Leyritz taking the same attitude upon his return, but Jimmy has seemed to be more than cooperative.  He was happy to tell reporters he had no plans on trying to become a starter on the Yanks and was happy to fill any role Torre felt him suitable for. Goodbye Rumors, Hello Andy After weeks and weeks of trade rumors surrounding Andy Pettitte, the Yankees made the right decision and held onto Andy at the deadline.  Pettitte’s had a difficult season, but the idea of trading the 27 year-old left-hander was simply ridiculous.  Pettitte has shown flashes of his old self throughout the season and clearly hasn’t lost any of the movement on his pitches. He’s won 67 games over the last four years and is the only lefty in the Yanks rotation.  If they had traded him, the Yanks would have found themselves looking for a left-handed starter this winter with probably less of a future than Pettitte has.