• The 20 Worst Seasons By Yankees Center Fielders

    Posted by on January 28th, 2013 · Comments (3)

    It’s an interesting list:

    Rk Player WAR/pos Year Age Tm G PA R HR RBI BB SO SB BA OBP SLG
    1 Bernie Williams -1.8 2005 36 NYY 141 546 53 12 64 53 75 1 .249 .321 .367
    2 Joe Pepitone -0.2 1967 26 NYY 133 544 45 13 64 34 62 1 .251 .301 .377
    3 Dave Fultz -0.1 1905 30 NYY 129 482 49 0 42 39 47 44 .232 .308 .277
    4 Whitey Witt 0.2 1924 28 NYY 147 662 88 1 36 45 20 9 .297 .346 .362
    5 Danny Hoffman 0.3 1906 26 NYY 100 359 34 0 23 27 72 32 .256 .318 .325
    6 Bernie Williams 0.7 2003 34 NYY 119 521 77 15 64 71 61 5 .263 .367 .411
    7 Danny Hoffman 0.8 1907 27 NYY 136 583 81 5 46 42 99 30 .253 .325 .313
    8 Ping Bodie 0.9 1920 32 NYY 129 523 63 7 79 40 30 6 .295 .350 .446
    9 Melky Cabrera 1.2 2007 22 NYY 150 612 66 8 73 43 68 13 .273 .327 .391
    10 Lee Magee 1.3 1916 27 NYY 131 581 57 3 45 50 31 29 .257 .324 .325
    11 Harry Rice 1.5 1930 28 NYY 100 390 62 7 74 31 21 3 .298 .361 .436
    12 Harry Wolter 1.7 1913 28 NYY 127 521 53 2 43 80 50 13 .254 .377 .339
    13 Earle Combs 2.0 1926 27 NYY 145 670 113 8 55 47 23 8 .299 .352 .429
    14 Bernie Williams 2.2 1993 24 NYY 139 628 67 12 68 53 106 9 .268 .333 .400
    15 Ping Bodie 2.2 1919 31 NYY 134 533 45 6 59 36 46 15 .278 .334 .406
    16 Whitey Witt 2.3 1922 26 NYY 140 628 98 4 40 89 29 5 .297 .400 .364
    17 Dave Fultz 2.3 1904 29 NYY 97 382 39 2 32 24 29 17 .274 .324 .366
    18 Jerry Mumphrey 2.5 1982 29 NYY 123 533 76 9 68 50 66 11 .300 .364 .449
    19 Curtis Granderson 2.7 2012 31 NYY 160 684 102 43 106 75 195 10 .232 .319 .492
    20 Joe DiMaggio 2.7 1951 36 NYY 116 482 72 12 71 61 36 0 .263 .365 .422
    Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
    Generated 1/28/2013.

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    It’s not like the Yankees had “terrible” full-time center fielders very often, at all. And, clearly, the team waited one season too many to move Bernie out of there (in 2005).

    Filed under Yankees History · ·

    Comments on The 20 Worst Seasons By Yankees Center Fielders

    1. redbug
      January 28th, 2013 | 3:41 pm

      Bernie was a good CFer until his legs gave out. His legs (and the infielders moving out to catch his throws)made up for his weak arm until he got hurt.

      I thought the Yanks should’ve grabbed Johnny Damon in ’01 instead of the Red Sox. Not that he was a great fielder but he was better than Bernie.
    2. Steve L.
      January 28th, 2013 | 4:03 pm

      At the time, Cashman probably thought he had this covered with mega-prospect Kevin Thompson.
    3. Raf
      January 28th, 2013 | 9:41 pm

      By the time he was done, Bernie had knee and shoulder issues. He should’ve been done as a CF’er after 2003 (knee surgery). That was one of the reasons Kenny Lofton was signed. But it didn’t work out.

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