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good read on how the Yanks slowly turned things around by building a better culture in the early 90s - fits in to what McBeane is doing here


Reed83HOF

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Was reading a Yankees article on The Athletic (while I should be working) and it just re-enforced what McD & Beane are working on here. I just pulled out a few things, but man it is a great read!

 

https://theathletic.com/1110218/2019/08/09/everybodys-kind-of-forgotten-for-the-94-yankees-whose-great-season-was-cut-short-by-a-strike-what-ifs-linger/

 

He also understood that the culture in the clubhouse couldn’t be cleaned up without Mattingly, whose presence gained importance as the Yankees began graduating their own homegrown players.

 

When a fledgling Bernie Williams was getting hazed by a salty veteran, it was Mattingly who pushed back. “Mel Hall or somebody called him Bernice,” Showalter said. “Donnie jumped in their sh__. So did I. He’s like, ‘This guy is going to be part of some really good baseball here. Let’s make his path easier instead of harder.’” When a young Jim Leyritz rubbed teammates the wrong way with his brashness — like the time he stormed out of the dugout because he was pinch-hit for — it was Mattingly who loudly let him know that the behavior was unacceptable. “Boys, Elvis has left the building,” Showalter said, recounting Mattingly’s retort as Leyritz left in a huff. “The whole f_cking dugout just cracked up. OK, Elvis, you can leave now. He goes, ‘Who the f_ck are you? Who the f_ck are you?’”

 

Those Yankees were not star-studded. This was not by design. In the winter of 1992, the free-agent market included Barry Bonds, Greg Maddux and David Cone. None would come to the Bronx. Slight improvement couldn’t erase the scars of the dark years. Undeterred, Michael stayed true to his vision, paying special attention to those who would shape the right culture. “Slowly,” Mattingly said, “we were getting guys.”

 

In signing lefty Jimmy Key and infielder Mike Gallego, the Yankees added seasoned professionals who had won a World Series championship. Wade Boggs arrived from the Red Sox, where he’d been labeled as selfish, though the Yankees believed he’d fold into their new culture. On the trade front, Michael sent Roberto Kelly to the Reds for the volatile O’Neill. To round out the rotation, the Yankees traded for Abbott, who had been an anchor with the Angels. The lefty’s initial reaction was typical for the time. “When I first received news that I had been traded to the Yankees, the connotation wasn’t great,” Abbott said. “It was not a destination. There was a lot of drama there.”

 

That would change quickly. In 1993, the Yankees finished with a winning record for the first time in years. They dueled with the defending world champion Blue Jays, making it a race until the final month of the season. But the biggest shift came within the walls of the clubhouse.

 

“I’d been through a few of those years — kind of what we’re doing now a little bit, where you’re struggling and struggling,” said Mattingly, now the manager of the Marlins. “At some point, that thing turns. They brought in the right guys, guys who played the game right, guys who didn’t accept losing.” Mattingly described a familiar dynamic. There would always be those in it for themselves and those in it for the team. The key, he said, was swaying those in the middle. That task became easier with the likes of Gallego, Stanley and, perhaps most noticeably, O’Neill. “Here’s a guy that was so competitive, it’s almost like he tipped the scales,” Mattingly said. “When you get enough guys going the right direction, then everybody kind of gets in line.”

 

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This is similar to how the Astros built the team they have now. They signed Carlos Beltran who was well past his prime as a player. But he served as an unofficial player/coach. Which is what I think Shady and Gore are there for. What Anderson was supposed to be. Even Kyle in the past year or two. Carlos had authentic wrestling belts made for the team. Handed them out after every game to the game MVP. Anybody who didn't show up to the "ceremony" was fined $500. As stupid as it seemed at the time, it brought them together as a team. 

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Yup, like it said in the article, if you don’t have everyone pulling in the same direction your not going anywhere.

 

Go Bills!!!

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Gene Michael and Buck Showalter did one hell of a job assembling that dynasty.  I'm glad George could see and enjoy all the glory before Alzheimer's took hold and his sons ruined the team.

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42 minutes ago, Gugny said:

Gene Michael and Buck Showalter did one hell of a job assembling that dynasty.  I'm glad George could see and enjoy all the glory before Alzheimer's took hold and his sons ruined the team.

I hate that they refuse to spend money. Last year Hal is supposedly pissed the Red Sux won the WS, but yet they wouldn't go the extra year for Corbin and didn't want to pay Kuechel an extra million so they could try to stay under the tax thresholds - Hal must be at least 1/2 Wilpon...

 

George would have thrown the money at the players to get them here (he also might have traded away all of the young talent)...

 

This reminded me of Kyle and what our players have even said:

 

The Yankees had not reached the postseason since 1981. Getting Mattingly there for the first time became the focus.

“That team fit him,” Showalter said. “That whole team was him. That ’94 team, that was a really fun team to manage because it was driven by Mattingly’s makeup and the charisma and just the aura he had around him. Everybody wanted to please him. You wanted to be accepted by him. You wanted to play the game like he played it, and the way he wanted to play it. There were a lot of people who were really starting to make their mark who went on to have great careers.”

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45 minutes ago, Magox said:

No such thing as culture.  It's a catch phrase for losers just trying to buy themselves more time.  

 

At least so I've been told.

Not really losers. Beane and McDermott are far from that. It is a brand that they are selling by appealing to your sensibility. A timeless and researched approach to reach a particular fan base. 

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1 hour ago, Gugny said:

Gene Michael and Buck Showalter did one hell of a job assembling that dynasty.  I'm glad George could see and enjoy all the glory before Alzheimer's took hold and his sons ruined the team.

Yes. The fact that Joe Girardi took what was supposed to be a rebuilding team to Game 7 of the ALCS, and lost to the eventual World Series champions, and fired him, was absolutely ridiculous. 

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1 minute ago, The Real Buffalo Joe said:

Yes. The fact that Joe Girardi took what was supposed to be a rebuilding team to Game 7 of the ALCS, and lost to the eventual World Series champions, and fired him, was absolutely ridiculous. 

 

Borderline criminal.  I hope he ends up with the Mets.

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Perhaps culture was a thing in MLB in the 90s but not anymore, MLB is all $....7 of the top 8 teams in 2019 MLB payroll are either in 1st place or a wild card spot. https://www.spotrac.com/mlb/payroll/

 

In the NFL, with a salary cap, perhaps there can be a differentiator. Be that coaching, GM/management, culture or some combination of these that pushes a team beyond the others. The Pats* have seemed to make superior personnel decisions and expert coaching besides the goat at qb to exceed all odds and surpass all others in a parity driven league. 

Hopefully, the Bills culture philosophy along with good coaching & personnel decisions will be the next model of success in a parity driven league.

 

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the guys who discount culture typically never played athletics. its real yes winning fuels it but winning for a year doesn't build  it. There is much more to it and that the part some guys don't get. Being accountable to each other, playing for  someone besides yourself- if you don't get there you will only practice and play to what your mood/motivation is that day. If you can get where you play for each other not letting the others down motivates you. Again if you haven't been around athletics at a descent level you won't get it. (This is Schopp- Howie and Jeremy not an athletic bone in any of them

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2 minutes ago, CardinalScotts said:

the guys who discount culture typically never played athletics. its real yes winning fuels it but winning for a year doesn't build  it. There is much more to it and that the part some guys don't get. Being accountable to each other, playing for  someone besides yourself- if you don't get there you will only practice and play to what your mood/motivation is that day. If you can get where you play for each other not letting the others down motivates you. Again if you haven't been around athletics at a descent level you won't get it. (This is Schopp- Howie and Jeremy not an athletic bone in any of them

So true. Accountablity to others, being selfless...placing an urgency on your own life as well as others.

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2 hours ago, QCity said:

That Yankee dynasty didn't win because of culture, they won because of talent. And no, I'm not discounting culture here. Those teams were was just damn good.

 

 

Yeah but it was also  like a precursor to "analytics" in that they were ahead of the curve in the on-base phenomenon.

 

The Yankees current string of consecutive winning seasons is by far the longest in the big 4 north american pro sports teams and is soon to be a ridiculous 27 straight........and is second only in MLB history to their own 39 straight winning seasons from 1926-1964.

 

Being a Bills and Yankees fan is about as big of a contrast as you can have.

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3 hours ago, row_33 said:

Steinbrenner returned from suspension and the Collusion against signing free agents ended.

 

No mystery there at all for the Yankees to suddenly dominate

 

 

But while Steinbrenner was suspended, they front office used that time to make smart moves to build the dynasty that George likely wouldn't have gone along with.

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3 hours ago, row_33 said:

Steinbrenner returned from suspension and the Collusion against signing free agents ended.

 

No mystery there at all for the Yankees to suddenly dominate

 

 

 

 

Don't complain...........if Big Stein wasn't complicit in collusion in the 80's then early 90''s Blue Jays never win a WS.    Broadly, not bidding on coveted pitchers cost the Yankees a lot of top pitching options.  Specifically the Yankees refusing to bid on Jack Morris multiple times is what fueled the investigation into collusion and the 1992 Jays don't win without Jack.

 

 

 

Edited by BADOLBILZ
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