Party like it's 1999, Sut

During last night's Yankee-Devil Rays game, old pal Rick Sutcliffe noted that the Yankees don't have many pitchers in their bullpen that Joe Torre can rely on. I'm paraphrasing here, but Sutcliffe said something like, "In years past, Torre could call on a Jeff Nelson and Mike Stanton in a situation like this."

The last year that Jeff Nelson and Mike Stanton were on the Yankees together was 2000. And it's interesting to note that the Yankees really weren't a great team that year. (Yes, they won the World Series, which is the whole point, but they also won just 87 regular season games, finishing only 2.5 ahead a Red Sox team comprised of Pedro, Nomar, Derek Lowe, Carl Everett and a box of Dunkin Donuts.)

Here are other things that were happening in the American League of Base-Ball Clubs in 2000:
- Four players won Gold Gloves who have since retired.
- Manny Ramirez was 28, and still playing for Cleveland.
- Jason Giambi was 29, and still playing for Oakland.
- The White Sox won the most regular season games with a starting rotation whose ace, Mike Sirotka, I'm not sure existed. And Keith Foulke was their closer.
- Johnny Damon, the Kansas City centerfielder, led the AL in stolen bases.

My point is this: get with the times, Rick.