| 18 December 2009
After winning three of the last four World Series to end the 90s, the New York Yankees continued their winning ways with the 2000 World Series title and a Game 7 loss in the 2001 series, but despite winning the ultra-competitive American League East for the first seven years of the decade, the Yankees only made one World Series appearance after 2001.
The Yanks then came in second in the East in 2007 and then didn't make the playoffs in 2008. After another huge spending spree, New York found redemption powering their way through the playoffs to win the World Series over the Phillies.
C - Jorge Posada
- Over the decade, Posada has averaged 130 games a season behind the plate and that includes missing over 100 games in 2008 and 50 in 2009. As far as catchers are concerned, he has been one of the best in Major League Baseball. His season averages over the 2000s are: .283 AVG, 20 HR, 81 RBI, 28 2B. He was a five-time All-Star and five-time Silver Slugger winner in the 2000s and finished in the top six in the AL MVP voting twice. In 2003, he became only the second Yankees' catcher to ever record a 30 HR, 100 RBI season joining Yogi Berra.
1B - Jason Giambi
- There was a lot of debate as to whether Mark Teixiera's fabulous season in 2009 was enough to get him on the All-Decade Team, but in the end, it wasn't enough to overcome the seven good years Jason Giambi spent in the Bronx. Giambi averaged 30 HR and 86 RBI despite missing half of the 2004 and 2007 seasons. A three-time All-Star with New York, Giambi's best season in pinstripes came in 2002, his first season with the Yanks. He batted .314 while posting 41 dingers, 34 doubles, 122 RBI, and an outstanding 1.034 OPS. There was also debate about whether Giambi was more of a first baseman or DH. Even though he wasn't the Gold Glover that Teixeira is, Giambi played the majority of his games at first base in five of the seven seasons. The "Giambino" was also a decidedly better hitter when he was playing first base hitting as much as 110 points higher (2005 - .319 in 77 games at first, .209 in 60 games as DH).
2B - Robinson Cano
- Robinson Cano has been one of the premier offensive middle infielders in the American League over the five years he has been manning second base. He finished second in the Rookie of the Year voting in 2005 behind Houston Street and was an All-Star and Silver Slugger award winner in 2006. He has hit over .300 three times and joined shortstop Derek Jeter in becoming the first middle infield tandem in over 100 years to both collect over 200 hits in the same season in 2009. In 2006, Cano and Jeter were also the first middle infield tandem to both hit over .340 in MLB history. Cano has hit .306 in his short career and has averaged 19 HR and 87 RBI.
SS - Derek Jeter
- An easy selection for the All-Decade Team, Derek Jeter has played over 148 games at SS for the Yankees every year since 1996 with the exception of an injury shortened 2003. In '09, Jeter passed Lou Gehrig for first on the all-time Yankees hit list and is approaching 3000 (2747) for his career. In the decade, Jeter was an All-Star eight times, won four Silver Slugger Awards, four Gold Gloves, and finished in the top ten in the AL MVP voting five times. Jeter hit .317 this decade, and averaged 194 hits per season. He collected over 200 hits five times in the 2000s and has recorded 7 such seasons in his career. In the postseason, Jeter excelled as well. He is the all-time postseason leader in hits, games, at bats, runs, and total bases. He is a sure fire first ballot Hall of Famer and easily the shortstop on the All-Decade team.
3B - Alex Rodriguez
- Since joining the Yankees in 2004, A-Rod has piled up some massive numbers in pinstripes. In six seasons as a Yankee, Rodriguez has been an All-Star five times, collected three Silver Slugger awards, a pair of AL MVPs, and averaged 40 HR and 119 RBI. A-Rod has had 12 consecutive 30 HR/100 RBI seasons even after needing 2 HR and 7 RBI in the final game in 2009 to get that mark after he missed the first 30 games of the season. He has hit .300 in a Yankee uniform and has played solid defense after making the switch to 3B.
LF - Johnny Damon
- In four seasons with the Yankees, Johnny Damon scored 410 runs, batted .285, hit 77 HR and drove in 296 runs, primarily from either the leadoff or second spot in the Yankee lineup. Damon averaged 23 SB in that time, and also hit 125 doubles and 15 triples to go along with his clutch performances in the 2009 ALCS and 2009 World Series where he hit .327 with five extra base hits, nine RBI, and three stolen bases.
CF - Bernie Williams
- A staple in centerfield for the Yankees for 16 seasons, Bernie Williams totaled 136 HR in seven seasons this decade, and drove in 576 runs. Williams was an All-Star twice in the 2000s and added a Silver Slugger in 2002. He hit over .300 three times this decade and eight times in a row, all from 1995-2002. Bernie had three seasons over 20 HR and 90 RBI this decade, and picked up four Gold Glove awards in that time. A career .297 hitter, he is the all-time postseason RBI leader with 80 and is second on the all-time postseason games played list to Derek Jeter.
RF - Bobby Abreu
- The toughest position to select on the all-decade team for the Yankees is right field. The Yankees got two years from Paul O’Neill, Raul Mondesi, Gary Sheffield, and two and a half from Bobby Abreu. Abreu’s HR production was down in pinstripes, but his ability to get on base was not. Abreu played 372 games for the Yankees reaching base 615 times, for an on base percentage of .378. In his career, Abreu has totaled over 100 RBI seven times, including both of his full seasons with the Yankees.
DH - Hideki Matsui
- Hideki Matsui joined the Yankees in 2003, and since then, he has averaged 25 HR and 106 RBI over his seven seasons with the Yankees. He was named MVP of the 2009 World Series. In 2003, he finished runner up in the AL Rookie of the Year voting to Angel Berroa and has been named an All-Star twice. He has hit .292 in his seven Major League seasons and has been a force in the Yankees lineup during that span.
SP (LH) - Andy Pettitte
- Andy Pettitte pitched seven season for the Yankees this decade, spending three years in Houston in the middle of that stretch. Pettitte won 111 games in seven years, losing just 63. He also was dominant in the playoffs going 11-4 for the Yankees in the postseason this decade. He took over as the all-time leader in postseason wins with 18 this past year. Pettitte fired over 200 innings five times for the Yankees this decade and has been a reliable starter in their rotation over that time. His ERA is 4.10 this decade, and he has the most wins in MLB since 2000 with 148.
SP (RH) - Mike Mussina
- Mike Mussina collected 123 wins in nine seasons with the Yankees and in 2008 became the oldest pitcher to record 20 wins for the first time in his career. Mussina, in his career, collected 270 wins, placing him 33rd on the all-time list. Mussina pitched to a 3.42 ERA in the post-season, just as impressive as his 3.68 ERA in his 18-year career pitching in the tough AL East. He is a seven-time Gold Glove award winner and placed in the top five in the AL Cy Young voting six times.
Reliever - Joba Chamberlain
- Despite the confusion over his role recently, Joba Chamberlain has shown that he can be electric out of the bullpen. After being called up in 2007, and with the then “Joba Rules” in effect, he threw 24.2 innings, allowed only one run, on a solo HR, and struck out 34 hitters. In 2008, he began the year in the pen and was just as dominant with 118 Ks in 100.1 IP. Some of that work was as a starter, and his ineffectiveness in 2009 as a starter forced the Yankees to go with a three man rotation for the postseason run putting Chamberlain back in the pen where he was again effective. Mariano Rivera will not pitch forever, and the closer of the future (even if that future doesn’t begin for 4 or 5 years) has not been decided, but Chamberlain's 1.50 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, and 11.9 K/9 suggest he'd be an excellent selection.
CL - Mariano Rivera
- Maybe the best closer of all-time, Mariano Rivera has been dominant since his career began in 1995. Rivera saved 397 games during the decade and has been named an AL All-Star eight times. "Mo" pitched to a 2.08 ERA in the 2000s and walked less than 12 men in a season seven times this decade, which is almost unbelievable. Even more unreal is the fact he has dominated hitter almost exclusively with one pitch -- a cut-fastball that has become legendary. Rivera finished in the top five in the AL Cy Young voting five times because in the words of Chipper Jones, “Rivera throws chainsaws up there.”
Scals
