New York Yankees: Ranking Their All-Time Starting Rotation
The New York Yankees are the definition of success across sports.
With 27 championships, countless baseball records, MVPs and Cy Young winners...the Yankees'list of accomplishments could go on forever, literally.
Reading the names of great players who wore the Yankee pinstripes is actually very intimidating.
It only naturally lead me to imagine of all the Yankees players, what names would be inked on the ultimate All-Time Greatest Yankees Team roaster.
This list became an utterly burdensome task, really fast.
So, my thought was that since 2010 was deemed to be "The Year of the Pitcher" that I would focus on starting pitching.
Here are picks of Yankee pitchers that I would want on my baseball dream team.
As Hall of Fame Pitcher Waite Hoyt once said:
"The secret of success in pitching lies in getting a job with the Yankees."
Jack Chesbro
1 of 10Right-handed pitcher Jack Chesbro came to the New York Highlanders (now Yankees) in 1903 after spending his first three seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
In 1904 Chesbro, also known as "Happy Jack" in the clubhouse, had a record 41 wins in 51 starts, posting a 1.82 ERA, with 239 strikeouts and he threw 48 complete games over 454 innings pitched.
After six seasons in New York, Chesbro spent his final season in Boston as a Red Sox. He retired in 1909.
Over his 10-year career, Chesbro posted a 198-132 win-loss record, with 1265 strikeouts and a 2.68 ERA.
Red Ruffing
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Red Ruffing played for Yankees, Red Sox and White Sox over his 22-year career; he won a total of 273 games, with four straight seasons of 20 or more wins.
Ruffing was traded to the Yankees in 1930, where he spent 15 seasons in the pinstripes, pitching a total of 3168.2 innings with 1526 strikeouts, throwing 261 complete games and 40 shut outs.
Ruffing did all this with just one toe on his left foot; it makes you wonder if he had all his toes what would have gone on.
He still holds the Yankee record for most complete games thrown with 261.
Lefty Gomez
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A teammate of Red Ruffing, Lefty Gomez also made his Yankees debut in 1930 and spent 13 of his 14 career seasons in New York before retiring in 1943 after one season in Washington.
Gomez, a lefty and deemed the clubhouse comedian, was a seven-time All Star as he had one of the most effective fastballs ever thrown to this day.
Gomez led the Yankees to five World Series Championships and will forever be in the hearts of Yankee fans for not only his talent, but also his smile.
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Spud Chandler
4 of 10Spud Chandler came to the Yankees in 1937 and spent his entire, 11-season career in New York.
Chandler had so much success with a 109-43 win-loss record, six World Championships and never had a losing season winning 71.7 percent of his starts.
In 1943, Chandler won the the coveted MVP Award and he remains the only Yankees pitcher to ever win the this award.
Whitey Ford
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Whitey Ford debuted in 1950 and spent the next 18 seasons in the Yankee pinstripes.
As a Yankee, Ford posted a career record of 236-106 and in 1961 won the Cy Young Award, as well as being named the World Series MVP.
Ford still hold the Yankee records for most strikeouts with 1956, most career wins with 236, most career shut outs with 45, most starts with 438 and he has still pitched the most innings in Yankees history with 3170.1.
Ford is considered the best lefty the Yankees have ever housed, some would say the best pitcher overall.
Micky Mantle once said this about Ford:
"If the World Series was on the line and I could pick one pitcher to pitch the game, I'd choose Whitey Ford every time."
I think that descriptions from the great Mantle says it all right there.
Jim "Catfish" Hunter
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From 1965-1979, right-handed pitcher Catfish Hunter played for both the Oakland Athletics and the New York Yankees.
Hunter was so effective because he threw fast but with pinpoint accuracy. His career record sits at 224-166, with a 3.26 ERA in over 3449 innings pitched. Hunter threw 181 complete games and 42 shutouts.
In 1968, Hunter pitched a perfect game and in 1974 was named the CY Young Award Winner. Hunter was an eight-time All Star and won 21+ games five times in his 15-year career.
New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner had this to say about Hunter:
"Catfish Hunter brought respectability to the Yankees. Without him, we would never have been world champs. If he never pitches another ball, he has been worth every cent." - the Boss
Enough said...
CC Sabathia
7 of 10
Right-handed CC Sabathia is entering his third season in the pinstripes and in his first season he led the Yankees to their 27th World Championship and his second all the way to the ALCS.
Even if some people disagree with my choice of Sabathia, this decision came easily for me. Sabathia has the attitude and work ethic that any rotation would benefit from. He is a work horse, who eats innings and wins games.
Sabathia won the 2007 Cy Young Award as a Cleveland Indian and came in third in 2010 voting. A four- time All Star, three with the Indians and his first as a Yankees last year.
This is a guy I want on my team, as he has gone above and beyond expectations to help the Yankees win.
Ron Guidry
8 of 10
Lefty Ron Guidry played his entire career in New York from 1975-1988.
In that time he posted a 170-91 win-loss record with a 3.29 ERA, striking out a total of 1778, throwing 95 complete games and 26 shutouts.
Guidry won the 1978 Cy Young Award after winning 25 of his 35 starts, recording just three losses, with a 1.74 ERA and threw nine of his career 26 shutouts during this season. He also came in second in the MVP voting after this season.
Guidry was a four-time All Star, won five Gold Gloves and after his playing days ended he joined Joe Torre's coaching staff as the Yankees pitching coach for Torre's final two seasons. Guidry still comes down every Spring Training as a special adviser to the Bombers.
Andy Pettitte
9 of 10
Southpaw Andy Pettitte was a fan favorite who consistently performed with success in the toughest of situations.
In his 16-year career, Pettitte has 240 career wins, 203 of which were won during his 13 seasons in pinstripes.
He has made 42 playoff starts, winning 19 of them, giving Pettitte the most postseason wins in history.
Pettitte broke a lot of New York hearts when he announced his retirement from baseball prior to the 2011 season.
My New York Yankees All-Time Starting Rotation
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Here is my all-time Yankees starting pitching rotation:
- Jack Chesbro
- Whitey Ford
- Ron Guidry
- Andy Pettitte
- CC Sabathia
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