2008 Old-Timers Day - 1990's nostalgia-fest!

There is one day each season that I can forgive Yankee fans for being ultra-nostalgic. That day is "Old-Timer's Day" at the Stadium, and it is a little over a week away.

To keep with the underlying theme of this blog, let me list the 1990's Yankee "heroes" that the Yankee fans in attendance will surely be screaming their heads off for:

Wade Boggs - That horse ride was a Yankee moment for the ages. Now he has a full head of hair thanks to Medical Hair Restoration. True Yankee 4 Lyfe

Homer Bush - Simply the best pinch runner ever. Yankee championships with Homer Bush on the roster = 1. Yankee championships with A-Rod on the roster = 0. True Yankee.

David Cone - I will say nothing negative about him. He was the glue that held the dynasty together. If I was there, I would give him a 15 minute standing ovation. Then I would ask him what he was thinking in the booth when he said that Ian Kennedy got jerked off and that Giambi was humpin'.

Tony Fernandez - He was a gateway Yankee. A link between the crappy and the great. I feel like he won't get a great reaction from the nostalgia-crowd. He had the nerve to play St. Jeter's position before him. There is something anti-Yankee about that. Now that I think about it, he may get booed.

Joe Girardi - Another example of Clutchy McClutch. Gritty, clutch triple in 1996 is in still at the forefront of every Yankee nostalgia freak's mind.

Jimmy Key - See Tony Fernandez. Left too early to be truly beloved by the types of fans that this day caters to.

Graeme Lloyd - Lloyd!!!! Never gave up a run for the Yankees in the playoffs. Pitching wins championships, people. I'll give him some props for getting it done when it mattered most.

Tino Martinez - Another key dynasty member. What most people forget about this Clutchy McClutch is that he had a sub - .700 OPS in his postseason career. Crowd will go wild, start Tino chant, scorboard operator will play nostalgic Tino at bat music (I can't put my finger on the name of the song right now, but you all know the song I am talking about). Fun for all

Ramiro Mendoza - Another guy who's legend is greater than his career as a whole. However, I won't fault anyone for giving him a good hand. He was a quality bullpen arm during the dynasty years, and we all know that pitching wins championships. His postseason numbers were very good, and in the mind of Yankee fans, only the postseason matter.

Jeff Nelson - Last year, the Yankees signed him to a one-day contract, so he could retire a Yankee. If that isn't a true Yankee, I don't know what is. I won't lie, he had some big moments for the Yankees, and I have fond memories. Pitching pitching pitching. He's no Buddy Groom, that's for sure!

Luis Sojo - Gritty, gutty, sucky, game-winning hit in the 2000 World Series. Hilarious that the people who sponsor his page on baseball-reference mention his "clutch" hitting, while directly below, his postseason OPS is right there for the viewing. That .601 OPS in his postseason career is the Yankee nostalgia freak's definition of clutch.

Darryl Strawberry - When he went after Armando Benitez in 1998, his true Yankee status was sealed. This guy is living large when he is off the crack. He does Spring Training with the Mets and Old-Timer's Day with the Yankees. He's a true Yank-met.

Hold on a second. Did I just finish that list without mentioning the grittiest, clutch-est Yankee ever? The legendary Scott ".245/.278/.418 in the postseason, but every bit of those numbers were clutch" Brosius. He was at the game last year, but I guess he couldn't make it this year.

Also conspicuously missing is Paul O'Neill. Apparently this is a good time of year for golf in Ohio. Another one of my favorite Yankees of all-time (its all about his grit and water-cooler bashing, not his career OPS+ of 120 or his .828 OPS in his postseason career).

Don't worry, Yankee fans - you will get to see these Yankee legends:

Jim Abbott
Pat Kelly
Al Leiter
Kevin Maas
Buck Showalter

Also, Ricky Henderson will be making his first Yankee Old-Timer's day appearance. Where's Neon Deion when you need him?!

I'm not making this up. Full list here. Good news - upon further review, that is only a partial list, so you folks may well get your Scotty Bro!

Talk about it in the NYYSI Forums!