When the New York Yankees opened Spring Training in February of 1996, the bitter taste of their 1995 ALDS loss to the Seattle Mariners was still burning in the mouth of the proud franchise and their followers.
Up 2-0 in the series, New York would lose three straight road games and be sent home for the winter. During the offseason, they parted ways with manager Buck Showalter, shifted Gene Michael into a role as the team’s VP and director of scouting, and hired Bob Watson as GM.
On the heels of owner George Steinbrenner’s suspension from baseball, Watson and Michael had been slowly rebuilding the team with a mixture of homegrown talent, trades and modest free agent signings.
New York won 88 games in 1993, had the AL’s best record when the 1994 players’ strike hit in August and used a 26-8 finish to claim the AL’s first-ever wild-card berth in 1995.
One of Watson’s first moves was to hire Joe Torre as Showalter’s replacement. Dubbed “Clueless Joe” by the media at the time of his hire, the move would later be looked at as one of the many right buttons Watson pushed while becoming the club’s first black GM.
The early remnants of the “Core Four” were already on the roster and making contributions. Outfielder Bernie Williams, along with pitchers Andy Pettitte and Mariano Rivera had become stalwarts.
But there was one other piece added to the roster as well.
The team’s No. 1 draft pick from 1992, shortstop Derek Jeter was brought up at the end of the 1995 season. A year later, the sixth overall pick became the team’s starting shortstop when incumbent Tony Fernandez fractured his right elbow during spring training.
Other key acquisitions during the off season were first baseman Tino Martinez from Seattle to replace the retired Don Mattingly, outfielder Tim Raines from the Chicago White Sox, and former Cy Young Award winner Dwight Gooden.
The former Met was suspended for the 1995 season after a positive drug test while serving a prior suspension. After pitching poorly in April and nearly getting released, he was sent down to the minors where he worked on his mechanics and soon returned with a shortened wind-up.
Gooden’s early woes were reflective of New York’s struggles as well. While New York won on Opening Day in Cleveland behind Jeter’s first MLB homer, the Yankees started slowly, winning just 11 of their first 21 games.
However, they won nine of 10 as April turned to May and moved into first place for good.
One of the biggest wins came on May 14th when Gooden no-hit the Seattle Mariners 2-0 at Yankee Stadium. It was the first by a Yankee right-hander since Don Larsen’s perfect game in the 1956 World Series and the first by a Yankee right-hander during the regular season since Allie Reynolds’ second no-hitter in 1951.
As soon as the calendar flipped over to June, though, things really started clicking for New York. Ripping off three wins in a row to start the month – and four in a row dating back to May – the Yankees would ride their hot offense to an 18-11 record.
The Yankees then carried that success into July, as they started the month by winning nine out of ten games leading up to the All-Star break. However, Watson did not stand pat with the roster during the month.
Another former Met, outfielder/DH Darryl Strawberry was signed as a free agent on July 4th while toiling for the minor league independent St. Paul Saints. Slugging first baseman Cecil Fielder was acquired on July 31st from Detroit for outfielder Ruben Sierra and a minor leaguer.
They also reacquired third baseman Charlie Hayes from the Pirates on August 30th for a player to be named later. Even though the club struggled during the month (13-17), New York rebounded in a huge way in September going 16-11 with a +55 run differential for the month.
The Bronx Bombers were keyed by Fielder combined with a resurgent Strawberry to provide serious second-half pop at DH. Eventually, they would win the AL East by four games over the second-place Baltimore Orioles.
New York rolled over the Texas Rangers in a four-game Division Series, then beat the Orioles in a five-game ALCS, aided by 12-year-old fan Jefftey Maier snagging Jeter’s game-tying home run in the eighth inning of the opener.
The ALCS triumph was even more meaningful for manager Torre as it was his first Fall Classic after 4,110 games between his playing and managerial careers. He would also go against his former team, the Braves in the World Series.
The defending World Champions’ bats came out guns blazing to start the series, dropping a combined 16 runs on the Yankees in Games 1 and 2. The Hall of Fame duo of John Smoltz and Greg Maddux were just as good as their team’s bats, throwing 14 innings of one-run ball.
Despite being down 0-2 and going on the road to Atlanta, the Yankees stunned the baseball world to take four straight games. In keeping with their trend of playing close games throughout the playoffs, the margins of victory for the Yankees during the World Series were three runs, two runs, one run, and one run respectively.
In the clinching victory back in the Bronx, it was one of the acquired MLBbros that put an end to the Series. Atlanta fought to the end, stroking three singles off John Wetteland to cut New York’s lead to 3-2.
Mark Lemke stepped in, aiming to drive home Rafael Belliard from second base with the potential tying run. Lemke ran the count full, and the sixth pitch of the at-bat drifted foul, sending Charlie Hayes tumbling into the visiting dugout.
Hayes dislocated a finger but told no one, jogging back to his position. Lemke lofted the seventh pitch in a similar area, but this time it remained in play, soon to become October lore.
The series win – their 23rd World Series title and their first since 1978 – proved to be a prelude to a budding dynasty as the Yankees would start one of the most magical stretches in the franchise’s storied history.
And it was a group of prominent MLBbros that were right in the middle of it for the Pinstripes.
To say that things haven’t worked out for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Ke’Bryan Hayes is pretty much a foregone conclusion. The Bucs are battling it out with the Oakland A’s for the worst record in the majors and the number one pick in next year’s MLB Draft.
Both teams are experiencing losses in bunches. But prior to Sunday’s game against the Philadelphia Phillies, a cool moment happened between two generation players.
Ke’Bryan Hayes got to catch the ceremonial first pitch from his father, former Phillies third baseman and Yankees World Series contributor Charlie Hayes.
“To be able to follow in his footsteps and then be on the field together, get a first pitch – that was the first time we’ve ever did that. It was pretty cool.”
It might not be the last. According to MLB.com, Ke’Bryan stated that there might be another opportunity to link up for another first pitch in New York when the Pirates play the Yankees in September. This moment might be even more special considering that it was the elder Hayes that closed out the 1996 World Series with a catch that started the franchise’s last dynasty of championship success.
The injury bug has bitten Ke’Bryan Hayes since his rookie season. His latest trip to the IL was a 10-day stint with a mid-back muscle strain. He had been held out of three games prior, trying to rest the injury to no avail. Since coming back, the Pirates hope that he can keep trending upward at the plate.
In the ten games before being injured, Hayes had slashes of .297/.350/.405 which is an improvement during a season in which he’s been up and down at the plate.
After getting off to a solid start through May 15th, the combination of his already elite defense and batting slashes of .301/.398/.381 with a .350 wOBA (weighted on base average) and 125 wRC+ (weighted Runs Created plus), had him positioned as one of the more valuable third basemen in the game based on the advanced stats.
Then Hayes went into a massive slump dropping slashes of just .222/.274/.346 with a .274 wOBA and 74 wRC+. The longer that slump continued, the more fans started to criticize the Pirates’ decision to give Hayes the biggest contract extension in franchise history at eight years and $70 million, which runs through at least 2029.
MLBbro.com believes that Hayes’ improvement will come with certain changes in his mechanics and discipline. The power that he has hitting the ball is still unquestioned as his numbers such as exit velocity, hard hit rate and chase rate can attest. But what is exactly the issue with a believed power hitter that is not hitting home runs? It’s in the swing.
Ke’Bryan’s launch angle on his swing is at 4.7 degrees. This leads to ground balls that take away from power numbers. Up until this point in the season, Hayes has a ground ball rate of over 50 percent. With a reputation of hitting for power, this leads to a lot of frustration for everyone involved.
Hayes also hasn’t consistently pulled the ball due to the issues with his swing listed above. He pulls the ball less than 30 percent of the time while hitting the ball in the middle of the field at a higher rate (40 percent).
With an increase in pull rate to 40 percent and an adjustment in his launch angle a few degrees, if Hayes can keep his hard hit rate and exit velocity at the same levels, more balls could be deposited in the seats.
Can this happen? Sure it can. MLBbro.com covered the same issues with current San Diego Padres player, Josh Bell when he was with the Washington Nationals. His launch angle and ability to guide the ball led to great results this season. Much of the analysis from Mark Dero of the MLB Network can apply to Ke’Bryan Hayes going forward.
It’s hard to see a player get blamed for scoring a huge contract and get caught up in struggles that are surrounding his team. But in sports, that’s why players get the big bucks. But he does have the potential to be a f30-homer guy? He doesn’t strike out a lot and is patient enough to draw walks.
But with plausible evidence of his power based on how the ball jumps off the bat, if Hayes can make a few tweaks in his swing, this MLBbro will be a monster throughout his contract.
Ke’Bryan Hayes is expected to return to action on Saturday.
And when the Pittsburgh Pirates’ star third baseman does return from his left foreman spasm that knocked him out of the opener, Hayes will have a big bag with him.
The MLBbro reportedly has reached an agreement for a long-term contract extension that’ll be the richest in the organizations’ history, according to Robert Murray of Fansided. The contract extension is for eight years and will pay Hayes’ $70 million with the Pirates having the club option for Hayes’ ninth-year. Hayes can remain with the Pirates through the 2030 season.
Today was surreal for the Hayes family! 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾💯💯💯
Congratulations @KeBryanHayes you deserve everything that you’ve accomplished. Keep climbing up the ladder, if they mad make ‘em madder!
Hayes spoke to the media about Opening Day and what the contract meant to him, “I’m just thankful for this opportunity, for them believing in me for a long-term deal,” said Hayes before the Pirates took on the St. Louis Cardinals. “I’m very committed, as I’m sure they’re committed for this partnership. I’m excited to get back to work this year….It shows how much they believe in me. With the little time that I have in the big leagues, it’s a huge confidence boost, showing they want me to be a guy who’s here for a long time and helps lead the way. It’s very humbling.”
This new deal surpasses the Pirates’ previous largest deal ever with Jason Kendall’s six-year, $60-million guaranteed deal contract back in 2000.
Hayes, 25, struck out in the first inning of Thursday’s game against the Cards and then sustained an injury in the bottom of the inning.
It was called a cramp or spasm around his left wrist going up into his forearm. The Pirates and Hayes are pleased to hear that it wasn’t anything too serious as he’s listed day-to-day on the injury report, and should be good to go for the second game of this series against the Cardinals on Saturday.
“I knew it wasn’t an injury….I knew it was a cramp,” said Hayes, son of former MLB third baseman Charlie Hayes. “I was trying my best. There were like two or three pitches I didn’t even have my glove on. I was trying my best to get that thing to loosen back up. I just didn’t have the time to do it.”
Hayes, who played in only 96 games in the MLB’s 2021 season due to a lingering left wrist injury, scored 49 runs and had 38 RBI in that time. In his 2020 campaign, Hayes was on fire in 24 games, Hayes hit .376 with a 1.124 OPS and instantly thrust himself into the National League Rookie of the Year conversation.
In the offseason, Hayes tried to change up his batting mechanics, specifically his follow-through swing to help not aggregate the same injury again. That’s why when he sustained the scare during the opening game, it made his teammates worrisome.
“We were all holding our breath a little bit,” Pirates’ shortstop Cole Tucker told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “Very up-and-down day for him. We were just kind of confused. Glad to know that it sounds like it’s nothing major.”
The Pirates finally paid the MLBbro what he rightfully deserved and locked up Hayes for the long-term, giving him the keys to leading the franchise going forward. He’s their future no doubt about it. The organization has had its share of Black talented players who’ve played for them, including Dave Parker, Willie Stargell, and last but least, the great Barry Bonds.
It was said that Parker was the first “Richest Man in Team Sports” as the Pirates gave him a $1 million per year contract that actually never came to fruition as the franchise pushed back payments over years as he played there after its World Series win in 1979 over the Baltimore Orioles. Stargell, the 1979 World Series MVP, played his entire career with the Pirates. But players didn’t make the kind of money they make now.
Bonds won the NL MVP Award in 1990, but was frustrated with the organization as he was one of the lowest-paid players in the majors during this time. Ultimately, he left for San Francisco.
The Pirates didn’t make the same mistake this time around with our MLBbro. Hayes deserved to get paid and will endure some tough times as the team goes through the rebuild phase. But there’s one thing for certain, he can AFFORD mostly anything through these times.
Rob Parker reflects on the core of Black players known as “The Soul Patrol.” Darryl Strawberry, Cecil Fielder and Charlie Hayes helped propel the 1996 Yankees to the franchise’s first World Series championship since 1978.
Ke’Bryan Hayes’ season started with a bang as he hit a home run on Opening Day to commemorate the launch of MLbbro.com. Not really, but that would have been something. He did become just the second Pirates rookie to homer on Opening Day, joining Johnny Ray who did it in 1982.
The baseball world anxiously anticipated seeing Hayes, who tore it up, hitting .367 with 6 homers in 90 at-bats during the COVID season, carry the Black and Yellow on his talented back in 2021.
The Son of Charlie is the only thing worth watching in Pittsburgh as the Pirates attempt to rebuild.
The town was in a frenzy when he set off the season with fireworks. Then went into a total funk just as quickly, when the young third baseman suffered a wrist injury and had to leave the game.
That was 17 games ago and the 9-10 Pirates have actually done a decent job treading water in his absence. The team’s success has heightened the enthusiasm around Bryant’s return even more. Pittsburgh is a franchise that some could say is cursed in many ways. Hard to argue that. But they’ve been able to accumulate some solid talent in the minors that they hope will pay dividends in the future.
The Pirates don’t suck, but I wouldn’t say that they are on a streak of good luck either because just as soon as Hayes was supposed to return, the 24-year-old reaggravated his wrist injury when taking swings as part of his rehab work. He’s headed back to Pittsburgh to have the injury re-evaluated.
This means that Hayes won’t return anytime soon and that’s a bummer for Pittsburgh who was actually overachieving so far this season and needed their best player to return now.
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