Sponsoring Ramiro Mendoza, the Yankees' Witch Doctor

When you think of the Yankees MVP from the championship teams of 1996-2000, you think of names like Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, and Bernie Williams. But anyone who watched the Yankees during that dynasty era will know that one of the most important Yankees of the time was Ramiro Mendoza. Mendoza, whose nickname was "El Brujo" which is Spanish for "witch doctor" (as Tyler Kepner notes, his favorite Yankees nickname ever), was a jack-of-all-trades pitcher whose sinking fastball “disappeared” over the plate. And as the most versatile pitcher on those Yankees teams, he magically plugged holes wherever they existed and proved to be one of the most valuable players on those Yankees teams.

Mendoza (who, by the way, looks like he could be Ramiro Pena's long-lost brother), was a tall, lanky player. He's listed at 6'2" and 154 pounds. Many think Mariano Rivera looks totally unlike what you think of a pitcher, but nothing compares to what Mendoza looked like on the mound.

As Joel Sherman wrote recently (in reference to Alfredo Aceves who the Yankees--and I--hope can replicate Mendoza's success), "Ramiro Mendoza was not the most valuable Yankee during the Joe Torre dynasty. But he was an under-the-radar MVP. The Yanks were always pondering trades for him. But from 1997-2002, Mendoza was a vital jack-of-all-trades. He started 46 games. He had 16 saves. He did long relief, short relief, match-up relief. It feels like he constantly came into games the Yanks trailed and held the opponent for two or three innings to give the Yankee offense a chance to rally. He went 50-29 with a 3.86 ERA in those six years. The New York Yankees never really replaced his versatility."

And River Ave Blues wrote: "Mendoza’s number will never be retired by the Yankees and only hard core fans beyond our generation will ever know his name. But I’m not entirely sure the Yankees win three straight, and four of six over all from 1996-2001, without him."

And I couldn't agree more. Jeff Nelson, Graeme Lloyd and Mike Stanton get all the glory, but Ramiro Mendoza was truly the MVP of that bullpen's bridge to Mo. Overall, Mendoza was 54-34 with the Yankees and had an adjusted ERA (ERA+) of 112 which is very good. In 1998, when the Yankees broke all types of records for wins, Mendoza was 10-2 with a 3.25 ERA in 130.1 innings. In that season, he started 14 games, relieved in 27, finished 6 games, saved one, threw a complete game shutout, induced 17 GIDPs with his sinking fastball, and didn't give up a run in 4.1 innings of the ALCS.

Mendoza left the Yankees in 2003 when, worried about the toll these seasons had put on his arm (he pitched an average of 134 innings per 162 games in various roles), the Yankees failed to resign him. He signed on with the arch-rival Red Sox and promptly became known as "The Mole" in Boston because of his horrendous first year there. He settled down his second year with the Red Sox and helped them win the 2004 World Series, his fifth World Series ring. He would return to the Yankees the following season but he never really was an effective pitcher for the rest of his career. But despite this, Yankees fans will always remember what he did for those dynasty teams.

And for that reason, I have decided to sponsor Ramiro Mendoza's Baseball-Reference page in tribute to one of the greatest, yet most underappreciated Yankees of the dynasty era.