For over a century The New York Yankees have been the symbol of dominance in professional sports. The Yankees have won 27 World Series Championships which is more than any other Major League Baseball team by far. The Yankees have a long list of Baseball Hall of Famers that have worn the pinstripes which includes Lou Gehrig, Mickey Mantle, Babe Ruth, and Reggie Jackson just to name a few. Aside from baseball royalty that has worn The Yankee uniform, the pinstripes seem to do something to players that appear to be finished. From 1996 to 2000, The Yankees won four World Series Titles and it always appeared to be a different player who stepped up. Infielder Chuck Knoblauch hit a career high 18 home runs in 1999 as he helped The Yanks win The World Series. In 2000 outfielder David Justice hit 20 homers as he helped The Yankees win their third straight World Series Championship. In the early stages of 2013 the mantra of Yankee reclamation project has been attached to Yankees outfielder Vernon Wells.
In spring training when Yankees general manager Brian Cashman acquired Vernon Wells from The Los Angeles Angels people laughed. In 77 games with The Angels last season, Wells only managed to hit 11 homers with a paltry .230 batting average. Through 18 games played this season Wells is almost halfway to that number as he has gone yard five times on the season. Defensively, Wells failed to record an outfield assist last year, but he has already notched four this season.
Once upon a time Wells was expected to be the next big thing for The Toronto Blue Jays. Wells began his MLB career in 1999 with The Jays as he was in the shadow of Carlos Delgado and Shawn Green. By 2006, Wells posted a .303 batting average with 32 homers and 106 runs batted in as he appeared to be a star in the making. After the season Wells was rewarded with a seven-year, $126 million extension and he has seen a steady decline in his game since. Wells also represented The Blue Jays three times at The MLB All-Star Game. After the 2010 season, The Blue Jays traded Wells to The Angels, but after two abysmal seasons they have also given up on him.
Cashman and The Yankees could come out of this smelling like a rose. Of the $21 million that Wells is earning this season, The Angels are on the bump for $9.5 million of it this year while they will pay $18.6 million of the $21 million owed to him in 2014. Coming into the season The Yankees appeared to be decimated by injuries which has left them without All-Star infielders Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, and Mark Teixeira while All-Star center fielder Curtis Granderson remains sidelined while he is recovering from a broken arm. The Yankees are and will continue to remain relevant in the ultra-tough American League East this season as long as players such as Wells remain on the course that he is currently on.
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