Six Weeks That Shook the World! How to Build a Champion

Some of us have been mulling over how little the Yankees have been doing since their big Gerrit Cole signing—something that might seem like the ultimate in Yankee fandom, "What have you done for me lately?" thinking.

But really, history shows us that it's the little things you do as well as the big ones, that bring pennants.

So I take you back now to the late fall of 1995.  The new Yankees dynasty is in serious danger of being stillborn, following a traumatic playoff loss in Seattle.  Mad George has already dismissed Manager Buck Showalter, demoted Gene Michael, and brought in Bob Watson as his 579th general manager.

But do Watson and Stick let this situation get them down?  No, they do not.  In just six weeks, they make the deals—the little deals, the finishing touches—that make the next Yankees dynasty possible.

How did it go down?  Like so:

November 20th, 1995—Yanks trade Triple-A closer Mike DeJean, a 24th-round draft pick in 1992, to the Colorado Rockies for catcher Joe Girardi.  In his ten-year, journeyman career in the majors, DeJean will go 30-33, 4.30, with 52 saves.

December 5, 1995—Yanks re-sign Wade Boggs at the last minute, for 2 years, $4.05 million.

December 7, 1995—A day that will live in infamy—for Seattle.  This is the blockbuster:  Yanks trade starter Sterling Hitchcock and highly touted third-base prospect Russ Davis to the Mariners, for Tino Martinez, Jeff Nelson, and reliever Jim Mecir.  Davis finishes an 8-year MLB career with 84 homers and a .257 batting average, while Hitchcock is 52-52 outside of NY.

December 11, 1995—Yanks sign Mariano Duncan to play second, for two years at $1.715 million.  Duncan in 1996 has his greatest offensive year in 12 major-league seasons, batting .340/.352/.500/.852.

December 21, 1995—Yanks re-sign David Cone at the last minute, for 5 years, $39.5 million.   

December 28th, 1995—Yanks acquire future Hall-of-Famer Tim Raines from the White Sox, for a player to be named later.  Raines will be an invaluable back-up for the next three seasons.  The player to be named later is Blaise Kozeniewski, a 16th-round draft pick as a third baseman in 1992, who switched to relief pitching, and had a good year that summer in Tampa.  He never plays organized ball again.

Okay, sure:  Mad George also made Watson and Stick sign Kenny Rogers as a free agent ("I got a hunch about this guy!").

But they will sign up Doc Gooden and Darryl over the months ahead, and make a terrific trade for Cecil Fielder and Graeme Lloyd, showing how so often it is the little deals that matter most.

Oh, and one other thing?

When Clyde King, one of George's "baseball people" tells George that Jeter is not ready and that the team should give in and trade Mariano Rivera to Seattle so they can acquire Felix Fermin, Michael manages to talk George out of it.

So often, too, it's the trades you DON'T make that save you.