Matsui - Yankee for 6 years
Jeter - Yankee for 13 years.
Posada - Yankee for 13 years.
Pettite - Yankee for 10 years.
Riveria - Yankee for 13 years.
Wang - Yankee for 3 years.
Before becoming a Yankee,
Wang was a aspring pitcher who was in Taiwan and pitched for teams in Taiwan. He pitched for a natianol Taiwan team as well.
Jeter was born in Pequannock, New Jersey and moved to Kalmazoo Michigan when he was 4. Jeter, idilozed the Yankees and believed he would one day become a Yankee player, his dreams came true when he was drafted by the Yankees in the 1st round in 1992.
Pettite was a Texan who was born in Baton Rouge louisiana and attended Deer Park Highschool in Texas. He was selected by the Yankees in 22nd round in the 1990 draft. Instead of signing in that year, he decided to attend San Jacinto College in Houston. In 1991 he signed with the Yanks as a free agent.
Rivera was born back in 1969 in Panama City, Panama. Rivera grew up in Panama frequently playing baseball with his friends, substituting milk cartons for gloves and tree branches for bats. Although his father was a fisherman, Rivera never dreamed of taking up the profession, calling the job "way too tough." As a 19-year old, Mariano had to abandon a capsizing 120-ton commercial boat he had been aboard, all but convincing him to give the job up
In 1990, a 20 year-old Rivera, then a shortstop, volunteered to pitch for his Panamá Oeste team. A scout for the New York Yankees, Herb Raybourn was in attendance at one his games. Although Rivera had no formal pitching training, he was throwing 85-87 MPH with a smooth delivery, prompting Raybourn to sign Rivera to a contract with a $3,000 signing bonus. Rivera rewarded Raybourn's faith by posting ERAs of 2.75 (with Greensboro) and 2.28 (with Ft. Lauderdale) in 1991 and 1992, respectively.
Rivera's minor league career was interrupted when he had Tommy John surgery in 1992 to fix nerve damage in his elbow. His rehabilitation coincided with the 1992 expansion draft for the Florida Marlins and Colorado Rockies; Rivera was left unprotected but was not drafted. Rivera successfully rehabilitated his arm in 1993 and resumed pitching that year. In 1994, he ascended from Class A to AA and then AAA, striking out 89 batters while issuing only 20 walks over the course of the year.
Mussina was born in 1968 in Williamsport Penssilvania.
During his high school years in Montoursville, Pennsylvania, he played three positions on the football team, setting records for field goals, extra points, and touchdown receptions. In addition, he scored a total of 1,455 points for the basketball team, while compiling a 24-4 record with a 0.87 ERA for his baseball team. As a high school senior, Mussina was just shy of being named valedictorian of his graduating class. According to some reports, he intentionally came up short academically to avoid delivering a commencement speech.
He graduated from Stanford University in 1990, where he earned a degree in economics and was a member of the Delta Tau Delta fraternity.
Mussina was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the 1st round (20th pick overall) of the 1990 amateur draft. In the minor leagues, he posted a 14-4 record with a 2.38 ERA.
Matsui was born in Neagari, Ishikawa, Japan (later merged into Nomi, Ishikawa). He started playing baseball when he was in elementary school. According to an interview on YES Network's "CenterStage," Matsui originally batted right-handed as a child. However, when he started playing with his older brother and his friends, Matsui was such a good batter that his embarrassed brother insisted that he bat left-handed or stop playing with them. Matsui soon enough became an overpowering left-handed batter, and stayed on that side of the plate from then on. Matsui's stance is somewhat eccentric because he does not move his bat.
Matsui participated in four National High School Baseball Tournaments at Koshien Stadium, once in the spring and three times in summer, during his high school years. In 1992, he drew five consecutive intentional walks in a game at Koshien and became a nationwide topic in Japan at that time (partly because intentionally walking batters was very uncommon in Japan at that time), even though the strategy worked and his team lost. Matsui graduated from Seiryo High School in Kanazawa, Ishikawa
Following high school Matsui was drafted by the Yomiuri Giants in the first round. Based in Tokyo, the Giants are Japan's most famous and, by far, most successful baseball franchise. Coincidentally, Yomiuri is often referred to by fans and detractors alike as the "New York Yankees of Japan."
A three-time MVP in the Japanese Central League (1996, 2000, and 2002), Matsui led his team into four Japan Series and winning three titles (1994, 2000 and 2002). He also made nine consecutive all-star games and led the league in home runs and RBIs three times (1998, 2000, and 2002). His single season mark for home runs was 50 in 2002, his final season in Japan. In the ten seasons he played in Japan, Matsui totalled 1268 games played, 4572 AB, 1390 hits, 901 runs, 332 home runs, 889 RBIs, a .304 batting average, and a .582 slugging percentage.
His first trip to the Japan Series became well-known. Because of the MLBPA Players' Strike in 1994, Matsui became known to the American media, as media outlets (including those in Minnesota, who was there covering two players with Minnesota ties, Philadelphia, and Washington) were covering the Series, which was referred in Sports Illustrated as "the" Fall Classic.
In Japan, Matsui earned the popular nickname "Godzilla." The origin of the name, however, is unflattering, as it is in reference as much to his coarse and pockmarked facial complexion as it is in his hitting power.[1] He even made a cameo in the film Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla
Matsui signed a three-year contract with the New York Yankees on January 14, 2003. A parade was held for him in Tokyo to celebrate his signing with the Yankees and many reporters and photographers followed him to MLB from his home in Tokyo. In his first ML at bat he hit an RBI single. His first game at Yankee Stadium was also very memorable. In the 2003 Yankee home opener, Matsui became the first Yankee to hit a grand slam in his first game at Yankee Stadium. Matsui went on to hit .287 with 16 home runs and 106 RBI. Matsui narrowly missed the Rookie of the Year Award to Angel Berroa.
Posada was born in Santurce, Puerto Rico in 1971. Posada attended the Alejandrino High School in San Juan, where he participated in basketball, volleyball, track, and baseball. As a baseball player in high school, he was named an All-Star player at shortstop in the 1988-89 season.
He went on to attend Calhoun Community College in Decatur, Alabama in 1991, where he received an Associate Degree. He was the valedictorian of the class[citation needed]. He was voted best hitter (1990), co-captain (1991), and selected all-conference (1991).
He was drafted by the Yankees in the 24th round of the 1990 amateur draft, and made his major league debut in 1995.
Answered By: #1 New York Yankees Fan - 10/11/2007 |