| 2007 New York Yankees | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American League Wild Card winners | ||||
| League | American League | |||
| Division | East | |||
| Ballpark | Yankee Stadium | |||
| City | New York | |||
| Record | 94–68 (.580) | |||
| Divisional place | 2nd | |||
| Owners | George Steinbrenner | |||
| General managers | Brian Cashman | |||
| Managers | Joe Torre | |||
| Television | YES Network WWOR-TV (My 9) | |||
| Radio | WCBS (AM) WQBU-FM (Spanish) | |||
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The2007 New York Yankees season was the 105th season for theNew York Yankees franchise. The season started with the Yankees trying to win theAmerican League East championship, a title they had won every season since the 1998 season, but ultimately they came in second place to theBoston Red Sox. The Yankees instead won the American Leaguewild card, beating out theSeattle Mariners and theDetroit Tigers.
This wasJoe Torre's final season as Yankees manager.
The offseason started with news of the unexpected death ofCory Lidle, who was an occupant in his own planethat crashed into aManhattan high rise shortly after the Yankees were eliminated in the2006 ALDS.[1] The Yankees made news by tradingright fielderGary Sheffield to theDetroit Tigers in exchange for pitching prospects.[2] The Yankees also traded awaypitcherJaret Wright[3]to theBaltimore Orioles in exchange for relieverChris Britton.[4] On December 21, 2006, Andy Pettitte signed as a free agent with the Yankees.[5] However, no offseason move was bigger for the team than tradingRandy Johnson back to theArizona Diamondbacks, the team who he was with when he won the2001 World Series against the Yankees, for pitcherLuis Vizcaíno and three minor league prospects.[6]Joe Torremanaged the team for the 12th consecutive season.
Injuries sidelinedstarting pitchersMike Mussina,Carl Pavano, andChien-Ming Wang, leaving only original startersAndy Pettitte andKei Igawa active. The team set a major league record with 10 different starters in the first 30 games, including a record 6rookies. Even the rookiehurlers were not immune in the early going.Jeff Karstens was hit by aline drive off his first pitch on April 28,fracturing his rightfibula.Phil Hughes pitched a hitless6+1⁄3 innings against theRangers on May 1 before leaving the game with a pulledhamstring.CloserMariano Rivera blew 2 of his first 3save opportunities and struggled in other appearances.Kei Igawa, acquired during the off-season for$46 million from Japan'sHanshin Tigers, allowed 26earned runs in 6 appearances for anERA of 7.63. He was then sent to theTampa Yankees, the Single A affiliate of the Yankees.
Meanwhile, the offense led theAmerican League inhits,home runs, andruns scored.Alex Rodríguez tied a record (set byAlbert Pujols), by hitting 14 home runs in April. Nonetheless, the Yankees suffered a seven-game losing streak after sweeping theCleveland Indians atYankee Stadium and ended April with a record of 9–14, last place in theAL East and6+1⁄2 games behind theRed Sox.
By early May,Mike Mussina andChien-Ming Wang joinedAndy Pettitte with newcomersDarrell Rasner andMatt DeSalvo filling in the remaining two positions in the rotation.Alex Rodriguez's remarkable April had come to an end, but the bats kept up their pace and, with thebullpen getting some needed rest, the Yankees began May 7–2. However, at the end of the month, the Yankees were tied for last place with the Devil Rays and were 22–29,13+1⁄2 games behind theRed Sox in theAL East. On May 6,Roger Clemens announced his return to the Yankees after a three-year absence from the team.[7]
The Yankees began June with a strong 8–2 start. They opened with a series victory over theRed Sox in Boston, including a game-winning home run byAlex Rodriguez off closerJonathan Papelbon in the final game of the set with Boston. They were struck by injuries again that weekend, asDoug Mientkiewicz was injured in a collision at first withMike Lowell andRoger Clemens's first start was delayed by a groin injury. Nonetheless, the Yankees took 3 of 4 from the White Sox heading into aninterleague series with thePirates. Roger Clemens made his season debut on June 9 and earned the victory. The Yankees swept the Pirates and took a 9-game winning streak, their longest since May 2005, into asubway series with theMets.Roger Clemens pitched strongly in the series opener, but the Yankees wereshut out 2–0. The Yankees would rebound and take the next game 11–8. Later that day, the Yankees received news thatKei Igawa would be ready to return to the Major Leagues. On July 1, they were 11 games behind the division-leading Red Sox and 8 games behind theWild Card-leadingTigers.
The Yankees began the first week of July strongly. They lost the final game of a series with Oakland before taking 3 out of 4 from theMinnesota Twins and 2 of 3 from theLos Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Alex Rodriguez was injured during the series with Minnesota, suffering a strained left hamstring. He missed one game before returning to action that weekend against the Angels. After winning the weekend series with the Angels, the Yankees went into thebreak with a 42–43 record and a 10-game deficit in the division behind theBoston Red Sox. This is the first time since 1995 that theNew York Yankees were under .500 before the All Star Break.[8]After the break, the Yankees took three out of four games from the Toronto Blue Jays and the last place Tampa Bay Devil Rays, twice. In the month of July, the Yankees tradedScott Proctor forWilson Betemit of the Los Angeles Dodgers.[9] The Yankees also traded Jeff Kennard forJose Molina.[10]
The beginning of August saw the Yankees, along with all of Major League Baseball, eagerly awaiting home run number 500 fromAlex Rodriguez. During the home run milestone chase George Steinbrenner's health once again came into question when theNew York Post and theNew York Daily News each reported that Steinbrenner, during a recent interview, appeared to be suffering from dementia.
[Steinbrenner] repeats, "Great to see ya", each time McEwen, 84, asks different questions about the Boss' family members.After gruffly responding to the Condé Nast reporter's question about the Yankees, he continues to repeat "Great to see ya", to each of McEwen's questions.
On August 4, 2007, during the first inningAlex Rodriguez hit his 500th career home run. Rodriguez became the youngest player ever to do so at 32 years, 8 days. On August 6, 2007, the Yankees cut relief pitcherMike Myers and brought upJim Brower. They had just completed a season sweep of theCleveland Indians, winning all 6 games they played against them in 2007. This was a good start to the Yankees' upcoming tough schedule, where they played 17 games out of a 20-game span against playoff contenders. This included 8 games against theDetroit Tigers (4 at home, 4 at Detroit), 3 games against the Cleveland Indians, 3 games against theLos Angeles Angels of Anaheim, and 3 games against theBoston Red Sox.
August also saw rookie Phil Hughes rejoin the starting rotation, as well as the much anticipated debut ofJoba Chamberlain, a future starter who gave the Yankees' bullpen some much needed help during the pennant race (an 0.38 ERA in 23.2 innings).
Hall of Fame Yankee shortstopPhil Rizzuto, who was also the long-time voice of the Yankees on television and radio, died on August 13. The Yankees wore his number 10 on their left sleeves for the remainder of the season.
The Yankees swept Boston at Yankee Stadium after dropping to eight games back in AL East standings. Coupled with losses by the Seattle Mariners, the Yankees' wins put them on top of the AL Wild Card race.
The Yankees' first game of September showcased rookie pitcherIan Kennedy in his first career Major League start. Kennedy had replaced veteranMike Mussina after Mussina had struggled in his previous three starts. Over seven innings pitched, Kennedy was charged with three runs, only one of which was earned, and the Yankees' offense was led by Alex Rodriguez's 45th home run of the season on the way to a 9–6 victory over the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. The game against the Boston Red Sox on September 14 was 4 hours and 43 minutes, 2 minutes short of a nine inning game record, which is held by the Yankees and Red Sox.[11] While the Yankees lost the American League East title to the Boston Red Sox on September 27, the Yankees clinched the wild card berth and appeared in the postseason for a 13th straight year. They faced theAL Central champions, theCleveland Indians, in the ALDS, losing the series three games to one.
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB | Home | Road |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Red Sox | 96 | 66 | .593 | — | 51–30 | 45–36 |
| New York Yankees | 94 | 68 | .580 | 2 | 52–29 | 42–39 |
| Toronto Blue Jays | 83 | 79 | .512 | 13 | 49–32 | 34–47 |
| Baltimore Orioles | 69 | 93 | .426 | 27 | 35–46 | 34–47 |
| Tampa Bay Devil Rays | 66 | 96 | .407 | 30 | 37–44 | 29–52 |
| Team | BAL | BOS | CWS | CLE | DET | KC | LAA | MIN | NYY | OAK | SEA | TB | TEX | TOR | NL | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baltimore | — | 6–12 | 5–3 | 3–4 | 1–5 | 7–0 | 3–7 | 0–7 | 9–9 | 4–4 | 2–7 | 11–7 | 4–6 | 8–10 | 6–12 | ||
| Boston | 12–6 | — | 7–1 | 5–2 | 3–4 | 3–3 | 6–4 | 4–3 | 8–10 | 4–4 | 4–5 | 13–5 | 6–4 | 9–9 | 12–6 | ||
| Chicago | 3–5 | 1–7 | — | 7–11 | 11–7 | 12–6 | 5–4 | 9–9 | 4–6 | 4–5 | 1–7 | 6–1 | 2–4 | 3–4 | 4–14 | ||
| Cleveland | 4–3 | 2–5 | 11–7 | — | 12–6 | 11–7 | 5–5 | 14–4 | 0–6 | 6–4 | 4–3 | 8–2 | 6–3 | 4–2 | 9–9 | ||
| Detroit | 5–1 | 4–3 | 7–11 | 6–12 | — | 11–7 | 3–5 | 12–6 | 4–4 | 4–6 | 6–4 | 3–4 | 5–4 | 4–3 | 14–4 | ||
| Kansas City | 0–7 | 3–3 | 6–12 | 7–11 | 7–11 | — | 5–2 | 9–9 | 1–9 | 6–4 | 3–6 | 4–3 | 5–4 | 3–4 | 10–8 | ||
| Los Angeles | 7–3 | 4–6 | 4–5 | 5–5 | 5–3 | 2–5 | — | 6–3 | 6–3 | 9–10 | 13–6 | 6–2 | 10–9 | 3–4 | 14–4 | ||
| Minnesota | 7–0 | 3–4 | 9–9 | 4–14 | 6–12 | 9–9 | 3–6 | — | 2–5 | 5–2 | 6–3 | 3–4 | 7–2 | 4–6 | 11–7 | ||
| New York | 9–9 | 10–8 | 6–4 | 6–0 | 4–4 | 9–1 | 3–6 | 5–2 | — | 2–4 | 5–5 | 10–8 | 5–1 | 10–8 | 10–8 | ||
| Oakland | 4–4 | 4–4 | 5–4 | 4–6 | 6–4 | 4–6 | 10–9 | 2–5 | 4–2 | — | 5–14 | 4–6 | 9–10 | 5–4 | 10–8 | ||
| Seattle | 7–2 | 5–4 | 7–1 | 3–4 | 4–6 | 6–3 | 6–13 | 3–6 | 5–5 | 14–5 | — | 4–3 | 11–8 | 4–5 | 9–9 | ||
| Tampa Bay | 7–11 | 5–13 | 1–6 | 2–8 | 4–3 | 3–4 | 2–6 | 4–3 | 8–10 | 6–4 | 3–4 | — | 5–4 | 9–9 | 7–11 | ||
| Texas | 6–4 | 4–6 | 4–2 | 3–6 | 4–5 | 4–5 | 9–10 | 2–7 | 1–5 | 10–9 | 8–11 | 4–5 | — | 5–5 | 11–7 | ||
| Toronto | 10–8 | 9–9 | 4–3 | 2–4 | 3–4 | 4–3 | 4–3 | 6–4 | 8–10 | 4–5 | 5–4 | 9–9 | 5–5 | — | 10–8 | ||
| 2007 New York Yankees | |||||||||
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Pitchers
| Catchers Infielders | Outfielders | Manager Coaches
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April
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May
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June
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July
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August
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September
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2007 American League Division Series:
| Game | Score | Date | Starting Pitchers | Winning pitcher | Losing pitcher |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York 3 atCleveland 12 | October 4 | Chien-Ming Wang vs.CC Sabathia | CC Sabathia (1–0) | Chien-Ming Wang (0–1) |
| 2 | New York 1 atCleveland 2 | October 5 | Andy Pettitte vs.Fausto Carmona | Rafael Pérez (1–0) | Luis Vizcaíno (0–1) |
| 3 | Cleveland 4 atNew York 8 | October 7 | Jake Westbrook vs.Roger Clemens | Phil Hughes (1–0) | Jake Westbrook (0–1) |
| 4 | Cleveland 6 at New York 4 | October 8 | Paul Byrd vs.Chien-Ming Wang | Paul Byrd (1–0) | Chien-Ming Wang (0–2) |
On October 14, 2007, George Steinbrenner relinquished control of the Yankees to his two sons, Hank and Hal Steinbrenner. The brothers took on control not only of the Yankees but also the YES Network and the construction of the newYankee Stadium. "I'll pay more attention to the baseball part", Hank Steinbrenner said. "The stadium, that's more Hal. But basically everything will be decided jointly." Technically, the senior Steinbrenner was not completely gone. He had given himself a chairman-like position on the team. "George has taken on a role like the chairman of a major corporation", team president Randy Levine told theNew York Post. "He's been saying for years he's wanted to get his sons involved in the family business. Both of them have stepped up and are taking on the day-to-day duties of what's required to run the Yankees."
After the Yankees were eliminated from the postseason, the fate of Joe Torre, the Yankees' manager since 1996, was in question. The team mulled what to do while speculation grew that Torre would not be brought back as manager. The team eventually offered him a contract that had a reduced salary with incentives, but Torre, who felt he was being treated unfairly even after his long tenure with the team, rejected the offer. He subsequently was hired by theLos Angeles Dodgers. The Yankees went on to hireJoe Girardi as Torre's replacement.
For complete stats clickhere (external link)
Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; AVG = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in
| Player | G | AB | H | AVG | HR | RBI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bobby Abreu | 158 | 605 | 171 | .283 | 16 | 101 |
| Chris Başak | 5 | 1 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 0 |
| Wilson Betemit | 37 | 84 | 19 | .226 | 4 | 24 |
| Melky Cabrera | 150 | 545 | 149 | .273 | 8 | 73 |
| Miguel Cairo | 54 | 107 | 27 | .252 | 0 | 10 |
| Robinson Canó | 160 | 617 | 189 | .306 | 19 | 97 |
| Johnny Damon | 141 | 533 | 144 | .270 | 12 | 63 |
| Shelley Duncan | 34 | 74 | 19 | .257 | 7 | 17 |
| Jason Giambi | 83 | 254 | 60 | .236 | 14 | 39 |
| Alberto González | 12 | 14 | 1 | .071 | 0 | 1 |
| Derek Jeter | 156 | 639 | 206 | .322 | 12 | 73 |
| Hideki Matsui | 143 | 547 | 156 | .285 | 25 | 103 |
| Doug Mientkiewicz | 72 | 166 | 46 | .277 | 5 | 24 |
| José Molina | 29 | 66 | 21 | .318 | 1 | 9 |
| Wil Nieves | 26 | 61 | 10 | .164 | 0 | 8 |
| Josh Phelps | 36 | 80 | 21 | .263 | 2 | 12 |
| Andy Phillips | 61 | 185 | 54 | .292 | 2 | 25 |
| Jorge Posada | 144 | 506 | 171 | .338 | 20 | 90 |
| Alex Rodriguez | 158 | 583 | 183 | .314 | 54 | 156 |
| Bronson Sardinha | 10 | 9 | 3 | .333 | 0 | 2 |
| Kevin Thompson | 13 | 21 | 4 | .190 | 0 | 2 |
| Pitcher Totals | 162 | 20 | 2 | .100 | 0 | 0 |
| Team Totals | 162 | 5717 | 1656 | .290 | 201 | 929 |
Note: G = Game pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roger Clemens | 18 | 99.0 | 6 | 6 | 4.18 | 68 |
| *Tyler Clippard | 6 | 27.0 | 3 | 1 | 6.33 | 18 |
| Matt DeSalvo | 7 | 27.2 | 1 | 3 | 6.18 | 10 |
| Philip Hughes | 13 | 72.2 | 5 | 3 | 4.46 | 58 |
| Kei Igawa | 14 | 67.2 | 2 | 3 | 6.25 | 53 |
| Jeff Karstens | 7 | 14.2 | 1 | 4 | 11.05 | 5 |
| Ian Kennedy | 3 | 19.0 | 1 | 0 | 1.89 | 15 |
| Mike Mussina | 28 | 152.0 | 11 | 10 | 5.15 | 91 |
| *Carl Pavano | 2 | 11.1 | 1 | 0 | 4.76 | 4 |
| Andy Pettitte (1 HLD) | 36 | 215.1 | 15 | 9 | 4.05 | 141 |
| *Darrell Rasner | 6 | 24.2 | 1 | 3 | 4.01 | 11 |
| Chien-Ming Wang | 30 | 199.1 | 19 | 7 | 3.70 | 104 |
| *Chase Wright | 3 | 10.0 | 2 | 0 | 7.20 | 8 |
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; SV = Saves; W = Wins; L = Losses; H = Holds; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
| Player | G | IP | W | L | H | SV | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| *Colter Bean | 3 | 3.0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 12.00 | 2 |
| Chris Britton | 11 | 12.2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3.55 | 5 |
| *Jim Brower | 3 | 3.1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 13.50 | 1 |
| Brian Bruney | 58 | 50.0 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 4.68 | 39 |
| Joba Chamberlain | 19 | 24.0 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 0.38 | 34 |
| Kyle Farnsworth | 64 | 60.0 | 2 | 1 | 15 | 0 | 4.80 | 48 |
| Sean Henn | 29 | 36.2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 7.12 | 28 |
| +Mike Myers | 55 | 40.2 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2.66 | 21 |
| Ross Ohlendorf | 6 | 6.1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2.84 | 9 |
| +Scott Proctor | 52 | 54.1 | 2 | 5 | 11 | 0 | 3.81 | 37 |
| Edwar Ramírez | 21 | 21.0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 8.14 | 31 |
| Mariano Rivera | 67 | 71.1 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 30 | 3.15 | 74 |
| José Veras | 9 | 9.1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 5.79 | 7 |
| Ron Villone | 37 | 42.1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4.25 | 25 |
| Luis Vizcaíno | 77 | 75.1 | 8 | 2 | 13 | 0 | 4.30 | 62 |
| Team Pitching Totals | 162 | 1450.2 | 94 | 68 | 70 | 34 | 4.49 | 1009 |
*Ended season not on active roster
+ Ended season playing for different team
LEAGUE CHAMPIONS: GCL Yankees