Five Former Yankees That Came to New York by Pulling a Tom Brady

Throwback to a legendary group of former Yankees that came to New York after spending their entire career and more than a decade with one team. Here's five Bronx Bombers that pulled a Tom Brady.

These days, it's tough to make baseball fans smile. If it wasn't for the novel coronavirus pandemic, Opening Day would be one week away. Instead, there's no baseball for the next eight-plus weeks.

On Tuesday, however, diehard New York sports fans were served a healthy dosage of good news. Quarterback Tom Brady announced on social media that he's played his final game in a New England Patriots uniform and will be taking his talents elsewhere in free agency.

Shortly after, reports surfaced of Brady's intentions to sign with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Tampa Bay is the expected landing spot for Tom Brady barring anything unforeseen, per @AdamSchefter and @JeffDarlington pic.twitter.com/gUgnvIVrtZ

— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) March 17, 2020

Yankees fans – those that, to put it lightly, don't get along with sports fans from the Boston area – rejoiced! Meanwhile, Bostonians – still mourning the departure of Red Sox star Mookie Betts to the Los Angeles Dodgers via trade this offseason – were heartbroken. After all, Brady had been a member of the Patriots since his NFL debut in 2000.

That brings us to this timely exercise, taking our minds off Major League Baseball's postponement:

Who are some former MLB players to end up in a Yankees uniform – usually for less than one season – after spending their entire career with one other franchise?

To clarify, there are plenty of baseball legends that have put on the pinstripes after establishing their careers with different teams. Only so many, however, went directly from a decade-plus tenure with one squad directly to the Bronx Bombers. 

Therefore, you won't see the likes of Bobby Abreu, Randy Johnson, Andruw Jones, Ivan Rodriguez and Gary Sheffield (to name a few) because they bounced around before their first appearance with New York. 

Plus, we're working with the last two decades here – to coincide with the timeframe since Brady made his debut with the Patriots. So, no, Babe Ruth doesn't count.

Got it? Alright. Let's kick things off with some honorable mentions that nearly made the cut.

Honorable mentions

Kevin Youkilis: 28 games with NYY

We just talked about the Red Sox, so what better player to start with than Kevin Youkilis. 

It's almost guaranteed that you'll think of Youkilis' iconic batting stance before recalling he spent a chunk of the 2013 season with the Bombers. In less than a month's worth of games, the corner infielder hit two home runs while posting a .219 batting average.

To give Youkilis some credit, earlier in his 10-year career he was a force to be reckoned with. In 2008 he finished third in the American League Most Valuable Player Award race. He was also a certifiable Yankee killer – in 104 games against New York throughout his career, Youkilis had a .300 batting average (105-for-350) with 72 runs scored.

Let's be honest – he's perfect for this exercise! Can't use him though because he spent the second half of 2012 with the Chicago White Sox after Boston traded him to bring his nine-year tenure with the Red Sox to an end.

READ: Finding some silver lining in MLB's decision to delay the regular season – how does the postponement affect the Yankees?

Vernon Wells: 130 games with NYY 

You think Youkilis was a Yankee killer? Try adding one more point to his career batting average against the Bombers.

Vernon Wells hit .301 against New York's pitchers in 169 contests while stroking 51 doubles and scoring 109 runs – the most of his career against any single team.

The outfielder started his career with the Toronto Blue Jays. 12 years later, however, he spent a pair of seasons with the Los Angeles Angels before putting on the pinstripes in 2013.

When it comes to picking out his most rewatchable highlight from his singular season with the Yankees, it's getting thrown out trying to stretch a double into a triple by a future Yankee...

Troy Tulowitzki: 5 games with NYY

Troy Tulowitzki doesn't apply here because he spent three seasons with Toronto after a decade with the Colorado Rockies. We'd be remiss, however, if he didn't get a shoutout.

Just last year – before Gleyber Torres took over as the full-time shortstop while Didi Gregorius was recovering from Tommy John surgery – Troy Tulowitzki was the Yankees' starting shortstop. He was the Yankees' ninth hitter on Opening Day last year!

Then, after just five games, a left calf strain was the decisive blow to end a solid big-league career – he ended up on the 60-day injured list before the five-time All Star announced his retirement last July. 

He went out with a bang. Before his injury, Tulo took advantage of the short porch in right field at Yankee Stadium one time – a short, but memorable, stint in the Big Apple. 

Troy Tulowitzki with his first home run as a New York Yankee! 💣 pic.twitter.com/JOiXoqMjcH

— YES Network (@YESNetwork) March 30, 2019

Okay, for real now. Here are five former Yankees that pulled a Tom Brady:

Lance Berkman: 37 games with NYY 

Back in 2010 – when the Astros were still in the National League – a deal at the trade deadline sent Lance Berkman from Houston to New York. Berkman had spent a dozen seasons with the Astros, appearing in five All-Star Games and posting a career .296 average. 

In 37 regular season games with the Bombers, the switch hitter had 27 base knocks and one long ball – he matched his home run count with the Yankees in the postseason, however with this go-ahead homer in the ALDS off former Yankee Carl Pavano.

New York went on to lose in the ALCS that year. Berkman, though, wouldn't be denied of his second World Series appearance of his career (after falling short in 2005 with Houston). In 2011, Berkman and the St. Louis Cardinals won it all – courtesy of some David Freese final-strike magic in Game 6.

Travis Hafner: 87 games with NYY

Since Travis Hafner went from 10 seasons with the Cleveland Indians directly to the Yankees (before promptly retiring), we'll turn a blind eye to 23 games played with the Texas Rangers in his rookie season.

Hafner hit exactly 200 long balls with Cleveland while driving in 731 runs. In 2013 (yup, same year as Youkilis and Wells) he spent the 12th and final season of his career in pinstripes. 

Strictly as a designated hitter, Hafner homered 12 times and logged 299 plate appearances in his new digs. It wasn't the kind of offensive showing he was notorious for in 2005 and 2006 (back-to-back finishes in the top-10 voting for AL MVP) but he did manage to crush a few balls at Yankee Stadium.

Brian Roberts: 91 games with NYY

Right around Hafner's heyday, a pesky second baseman in Baltimore was hitting his stride. 

Brian Roberts was a thorn in the Yankees side (and every team in the AL East, for that matter) during his 13-year stint with the Orioles. In that time, he accumulated 176 hits against New York across 152 games – good for a .288 batting average.

For his age-36 season, the final of his career, Roberts took his talents to the Bronx where he appeared in 91 contests. The switch hitter only managed a .237 average with the Bombers but did reach the 1,500 hit mark in a game against his former club at Yankee Stadium.

READ: Goodman – COVID-19 has forever changed my perspective on covering baseball

Eric Chavez: 171 games with NYY

In an almost identical circumstance as Roberts, just two years earlier, Eric Chavez came to New York for big-league season number 14.

After debuting in 1998, at 20 years old, Chavez played for the Oakland Athletics for 13 years. He flew under the radar on the west coast, never making an All-Star Game, but put together a solid career. Perhaps his most impressive feat was winning six-consecutive Gold Glove Awards – from 2001 to 2006 – at the hot corner.

Chavez stuck around in the Bronx for two seasons. In 2012, he played 113 games and hit .281 with 16 long balls – by far the best season of the back half of his career. 

As was consistent throughout his entire career, Chavez was always flashing the leather – or in this case, his bare hand.

Ichiro Suzuki: 360 games with NYY

This last player needs no introduction ... but we'll give him one anyway.

Ichiro Suzuki won the Rookie of the Year and MVP in his first big-league season – back in 2001 – earning 10 consecutive All-Star Game appearances to start his career. He led the league in hits seven times and is undoubtedly Cooperstown bound.

In 2012, after 14 prolific seasons with the Mariners, Suzuki was shipped from Seattle to the Bronx. The Japanese outfielder spent three seasons with the Yankees, adding 311 hits to his pursuit of 3,000, a historic plateau he surpassed in 2016 with the Miami Marlins.

Suzuki posted a .281 batting average in 360 games with New York, contributing to their World Series run in 2012 that fell just short. He wasn't known for his power across his 19-year career, but had his moments like this at Yankee Stadium (one of his 13 homers with the Yankees).

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