Similiar Yankees' Problems
Casey Stengel and Joe Torre Worried About Pitching
The 1959 Yankees and the 2007 team had pitching staffs that could have great -- or that could have cost them the pennant.
"As the Yankees' pitching shapes up at the moment, it is an imposing staff of great possibilities and one that could have tremendous depth. But it is also a cast with an awful lot of if's." This statement was made by the Yankees' manager during spring training. No, it wasn't Joe Torre in 2007. It was Casey Stengel in 1959. The Yankees were entering the 1959 season after a great comeback World Series victory and their fourth consecutive American League pennant, but their pitching staff had some potential problems.
Two Dependables and Many Questions
Bob Turley won the major league's Cy Young award in 1958. Art Ditmar, who had been acquired from Kansas City after having lost 22 games in 1956, was becoming a dependable pitcher who could start or relieve, but then there were questions. Whitey Ford and Don Larsen were returning from arm injuries. Ford, with his new contract, was sticking to a rigid diet that the team hoped would prevent the gout in his shoulder from recurring. Larsen seemed to be in great shape but he loved the night life.
Johnny Kucks and Tom Sturdivant
Youngsters Johnny Kucks and Tom Sturdivant were the other question marks. Kucks had been an 18 game winner in 1956. He pitched Game 7 against Brooklyn at Ebbets Field that season and shut out the power hitting Dodgers, but in both 1957 and 1958, he won only 8 games. Sturdivant dropped to 3 victories in 1958 after winning 16 each of the two previous seasons. If at least one of them could return to form, the Yankees would be set, but one never knows with pitchers. Another concern was that ace relief pitcher Ryne Duren had a knee operation during the winter, but it was believed that he would be ready for the season.
Today's Yankees Have Pitching Problems
The above illustrates why baseball is fascinating. The more things change, the more they remain the same. There is predictability, there is uncertainty, and there is hope. In 2007, the Yankees entered the season with five starters. If things fell into place, they would have a an imposing staff of great possibilities and one that could have tremendous depth.
The 2007 Yankees' Starters
Chien-Ming Wong won 19 games in 2006. Andy Pettitte returned to the Bronx after three good seasons in Houston. Mike Mussina was coming off a 15-7 season in which he had a great (for Arena Baseball) 3.51 ERA. Carl Pavano, the $40 million man, claimed he was healthy and ready to pitch, while Kei Igawa, an expensive Japanese import who had been quite successful on the other side of the Pacific Ocean, was expected fill the fifth starter's role. Youngsters Darrell Rasner and Jeff Karstens were waiting in the wings, and the specter of the return of Roger Clemens in June hung over the rest of the American League.
The 2007 Yankees and the 1959 Team are Similar
Things didn't work out for the 1959 Yankees. Bob Turley suffered a sore arm and was only 8-11. Neither Kucks nor Sturdivant won a single game, and Larsen went 6-7. The Yankees finished a distant third to Chicago's Go Go Sox.
At about the midpoint in 2007, Carl Pavano's bad arm ended his season after appearing in only 2 games. Darrell Rasner broke his finger and Jeff Karstens broke his leg. Kei Igawa has won 2 games and pitched to a 7.14 ERA, which is a wonderful number when referring to Babe Ruth but one that is not too good when it is an ERA. The 2007 Yankees trail the Red Sox by 11 1/2 games and the wild card leading Tigers by a full 9 games. In 1959, there were many "if" about the pitchers. In 2007, there are even more.
References:
Drebinger, John. "Pitching Prospects of Yankees Enigma Wrapped in Stenglese; Turley, Ditmar Only Reliables." New York Times. 2 March 1959, p.33.
The 1959 Yankees on Baseball-Reference
The 2007 Yankees on New York Yankees.com
