Friday, March 05, 2004
BLACK JACK AND DONNIE BIZZLE
Jack McDowell, who threw 250+ innings three years in a row, and won the 1992 AL Cy Young Award, was on the Mitch Levy show this morning promoting his Yahoo Sports gig.
He said that he thought Buck Showalter took him out a little too early back in '95 when he'd pitched against Randy Johnson (he was replaced by Steve Howe, who gave up some runs). Buck was hoping to have Jack for relief later in the series, and was apparently managing for later instead of managing in the now. However, the Yankees did have three chances to win one game and blew them all.
Jack's funny Steinbrenner anecdote: when he first came to the Yankees, the players on the team reminded him that the goatee was against team policy. However, Wade Boggs and Don Mattingly were really pushing him to stand up to the policy. Jack figured, what the hay, since he had no prior ties or anything. He asked Buck about the team wanting to sport goats. Buck said, "that's not my rule, that's George's rule." Jack went to George Steinbrenner, and George said, "that's not my rule, that's the manager's rule." End result is that they did wear goatees for six weeks. Apparently during the six week span, the Yankees went 1-9 on a west coast road trip (with some other brutal showings, I'm sure), and George reinstituted the ban.
Mitch brought up how it was a shame that Don Mattingly wasn't around for any of the Yankees' playoff success. Jack brought up something I didn't know. Mattingly had some sort of eye infection for most of the early part of '95, and it was healing for most of the season. Mattingly hit 10-for-24 (.417) in the 1995 ALDS, with four doubles, a homer, and six RBI. Jack suggested that Mattingly was more than capable of playing past 1995, but that they'd basically run Mattingly out of town, Tino Martinez was going to play first base in 1996, and it was set in stone. Mattingly was only 34 years of age on opening day of 1996. But he'd retired.
He said that he thought Buck Showalter took him out a little too early back in '95 when he'd pitched against Randy Johnson (he was replaced by Steve Howe, who gave up some runs). Buck was hoping to have Jack for relief later in the series, and was apparently managing for later instead of managing in the now. However, the Yankees did have three chances to win one game and blew them all.
Jack's funny Steinbrenner anecdote: when he first came to the Yankees, the players on the team reminded him that the goatee was against team policy. However, Wade Boggs and Don Mattingly were really pushing him to stand up to the policy. Jack figured, what the hay, since he had no prior ties or anything. He asked Buck about the team wanting to sport goats. Buck said, "that's not my rule, that's George's rule." Jack went to George Steinbrenner, and George said, "that's not my rule, that's the manager's rule." End result is that they did wear goatees for six weeks. Apparently during the six week span, the Yankees went 1-9 on a west coast road trip (with some other brutal showings, I'm sure), and George reinstituted the ban.
Mitch brought up how it was a shame that Don Mattingly wasn't around for any of the Yankees' playoff success. Jack brought up something I didn't know. Mattingly had some sort of eye infection for most of the early part of '95, and it was healing for most of the season. Mattingly hit 10-for-24 (.417) in the 1995 ALDS, with four doubles, a homer, and six RBI. Jack suggested that Mattingly was more than capable of playing past 1995, but that they'd basically run Mattingly out of town, Tino Martinez was going to play first base in 1996, and it was set in stone. Mattingly was only 34 years of age on opening day of 1996. But he'd retired.
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