Last week, I posted a smattering of Yankee Where Are They Now? profiles, and the response was deafening. RAB comment regulars and lurkers clamored for more with copious lists of old Yankees.
Today, I present Part 2. As the names get more obscure, information gets harder to find. A lot of players leave the game and public spotlight behind when they walk away from the field. They spend more time with their families; they eschew the attention and bright lights of baseball. While the current generation of players should be financially set for life, many were not, and as we travel further back in time, retired baseball players emerge as regular workers like the rest of us.
So enjoy. I’ll try to keep running these as long as the list of names doesn’t run out.
Greg Cadaret: One season — 1992 I believe — a Greg Cadaret baseball card stood between me and a complete Topps Yankee team set. Cadaret threw in 188 games over three and a half seasons for the Yanks, compiling 22-23 record and a 4.12 ERA. He walked too many guys and struck out too few. He now relives his glory days as an instructor at A’s fantasy camp.
Andy Stankiewicz: Stankiewicz wasn’t very good at the plate or adept in the field, but he sure was a fan favorite. He arrived in the Bronx at the age of 27 in 1992 and departed from New York 461 plate appearances later. He is now an assistant coach for the ASU Sun Devils.
Hensley “Bam Bam” Meulens: Talk about overhyped prospect in the Yankees system, and Hensley Muelens’ name leads the pack. Meulens was the first Major Leaguer from Curaçao and was one great prospect who went down in a blaze of glory. He is now the hitting coach with the Indianapolis Indians.
Randy Velarde: When not appearing in the Mitchell Report, Velarde is reportedly retired and at home in Texas. The subject of a 2003 Associated Press profile, Velarde keeps a low profile these days.
Mel Hall: One of the leaders of the bad Yankees from the early 1990s, Hall was known for his less-than-savory antics off the field. His tale has a sad ending though; He currently facing allegations of sexual assault and could face a long prison sentence.
John Wetteland: John Wetteland ushered in a World Series and the Mariano Rivera Era. He was on the mound when the Yanks won in 1996 and then departed for Texas. In 2007, he was named bullpen coach of the Washington Nationals but was fired midseason in 2007. He now works at the Liberty Christian School in Washington state where he teaches Bible class and coaches baseball and football.
Jim Abbott: Jim Abbott compiled a 20-22 record for the Yanks during his two-season stint in New York, but he will be remembered in Yankee history for his Sept. 4, 1993, five-walk, three-strikeout no hitter of the Cleveland Indians. He is currently single-handedly changing the motivational speaking circuit. (Bah-dum-dum-clang. I’ll be here all week.)
Clay Bellinger: The man, the myth, the legend. Despite his .194/.258/.365 career line, the Yanks haven’t won a World Series since Bellinger was released. There may be a curse. He played in the 2004 Olympics as a member of the Greek baseball team and was an assistant coach with the 2007 Chandler Little League team. He works as a full-time firefighter as well.
Mike Stanley: Stanley will always be remembered for his unlucky tenure on the Yanks. He left the team after a few successful seasons following the 1995 campaign and then returned in time for the 1997 ALDS loss. He was a fan-favorite during the 1990s and managed to escape ever winning a World Series. He now coaches at the Lake Highland High School in Florida.
Mariano Duncan: Duncan had a career year in 1996 in New York. He shared second base time with Matt Howard, Andy Fox, Luis Sojo, Robert Eenhorn, Pat Kelly and Jim Leyritz. In 1997, he was traded to the Blue Jays for no one useful. He has since been reunited with his former manager; Duncan is the once and future first base coach for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.