Detroit Tigers History: Kenny Rogers' Great Response to the New York Yankees

Andy Kwomow lives in New York City, but he's an avid Detroit Tigers fan.  Here he fondly recalls how Kenny Rogers "stuck it" to the team he loves to hate.

Kenny Rogers had a less than distinguished stint with the New York Yankees, but I always knew he could pitch.

With Rogers now in Detroit, he and the rest of my Tigers were surprising the American League's arrogant New York baseball team in the first round of the 2006 playoffs.

After losing the first game at Yankee Stadium, the Tigers won the next. Manager Jim Leyland told Rogers he would start the pivotal third game.

Yankees skipper Joe Torre gave the ball to Randy Johnson. Which was somewhat ironic, as Johnson had helped defeat Torre's highly favored team in the 2001 World Series.

Some Yankees fans will tell you that was the worst defeat in the team's history.

The Big Unit won three games in the 2001 World Series, joining the legendary Lew Burdette in the Yankees' haters Hall of Fame. Burdette started, completed, and won the second, fifth, and seventh games of the 1957 World Series.

Torre and the Yankees really believed that they would win the third game in 2006. They thought that they would have little trouble against Rogers.

The Yankees discounted Rogers' record, which was 17-8, with a 3.84 ERA and a 119 ERA+ during the regular season.

The last time Rogers beat the Yankees had been in 1993.

Torre respected Rogers as much as a fat kid respects fruits and vegetables.

As Torre wrote in his book Chasing the Dream in 1997, Kenny Rogers "was one of the most difficult players I ever managed."

Torre didn't put Rogers into the "Ed Whitson category," but he felt that Rogers lacked confidence.

"He was uncomfortable here," Torre said, according to The New York Times. "He had some really bad ideas that I didn't want him here. We talked about it at the time and I told him that, even if that was the case, it doesn't mean I'm not trying to have you do well."

Notice that Mr. Torre never denied Rogers' ideas.

The Tigers scored three runs in the second inning, added two in the sixth, and one in the seventh.

Rogers shut out the Yankees over seven and two-thirds innings. The bullpen completed the Yankees' humiliation, as the Tigers finished out a 6-0 victory.

Johnny Damon, whom the Yankees recently refused to sign for the 2010 season, allowing him to join the Tigers, summarized it best.

"Probably the game of his life right there," Damon told The Times. "He pitched with a lot of confidence today, pitched with a lot to prove. He sure proved himself to us."

Alex Rodriguez was even more impressed.

"Sandy Koufax. I've never seen Kenny throw so well," Rodriguez told The Times. "I don't care what lineup was out there, they weren't scoring a lot of runs tonight."

Torre was desperate. He started Jared Wright, who beat Torre's Yankees twice in the 1997 playoffs for the Cleveland Indians, against young Jeremy Bonderman. Torre had the struggling A-Rod bat eighth.

It was no contest. Bonderman didn't allow a base runner until Robinson Cano bounced a single leading off the sixth inning. By then, the Tigers held a 7-0 lead on the way to an 8-3 win.

I really enjoy it when a former Yankee beats them. Kenny Rogers in 2006, and more recently Austin Jackson, Phil Coke, and, of course, Johnny Damon. And who can forget how Jay Buhner used to love to play the Yankees?

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References

MAJOR LEAGUE ROUNDUP: Torre and Rogers, Act II. (2006, October 6). New York Times (1923-Current file),D2. Retrieved May 27, 2010, from ProQuest Historical Newspapers The New York Times (1851 - 2006). (Document ID: 1630594642).

TYLER KEPNER. (2006, October 7). BASEBALL PLAYOFFS DIVISION SERIES DET 6 NYY 0 OAK 8 MIN 3: Yankees, Looking Powerless, Face Elimination Offense Continues To Struggle; 18 Stranded. New York Times (1923-Current file),D1. Retrieved May 27, 2010, from ProQuest Historical Newspapers The New York Times (1851 - 2006). (Document ID: 1630598972).

JACK CURRY. (2006, October 8). Move to 8th Spot Fails to Wake Up Rodriguez or Shake Up His Teammates. New York Times (1923-Current file),G3. Retrieved May 27, 2010, from ProQuest Historical Newspapers The New York Times (1851 - 2006). (Document ID: 1630609212).