Jim Leyritz

From SoSH

Contents 1 Overall Career 2 Leyritz's Moments in the Sun 3 Trivia 4 Transactions 5 External Links

Overall Career

Signed by the New York Yankees as an amateur free agent in 1985, the Ohio-born Leyritz made his Major League debut in 1990 at the age of 26. Leyritz went on to play six seasons in the Bronx, before being traded to the Anaheim Angels for minor leaguers Jeremy Blevins and Ryan Kane in the 1996 off-season. Leyritz played for Anaheim until July 29, 1997, when he was traded to Texas along with Ken Hill for Rob Sasser. Leyritz was then traded to Boston as a part of the Aaron Sele trade.

Leyritz did little to distinguish himself in Boston, batting a respectable .287 / .385 / .519 with eight home runs over 52 games. On June 20th, 1997, Leyritz was traded along with the unfortunately named minor leaguer Ethan Faggett to the San Diego Padres for Carlos Reyes, Mandy Romero, and Dario Veras. Leyritz went on to also play for the Los Angeles Dodgers before finishing his career where he started, with the New York Yankees.

Leyritz was an average baseball player, but managed to come up big in the playoffs with memorable hits. He appeared in three World Series, winning in 1996 and 1999 with the Yankees, and losing in 1998 with the Padres.

Leyritz's Moments in the Sun

Leyritz will likely be most remembered for his clutch late-inning home runs in the postseason.

In 1995, with his New York Yankees already holding a 1-0 game lead in the American League Division Series against the Seattle Mariners, Leyritz hit an opposite field, walk-off, 2-run home run in the 15th inning to win game 2. The Mariners would come back to win the next three games and defeat the Yankees.

In the 1996 World Series against the favored Atlanta Braves, Leyritz's Yankees squad had lost the first two games of the series at home. After the Yankees won Game 3, the Braves took a commanding 6-0 lead after the 5th inning of Game 4. With the score 6-3 in favor of Atlanta in the 8th inning, Leyritz hit a 3-run home run to left field to tie the game. The Yankees eventually won the game 8-6 in 10 innings, and would win the next two games, giving them their first World Series win since 1978.

In the 1998 NLDS, while playing for the San Diego Padres, Leyritz hit a home run in the top of the 9th inning that tied Game 2 against the Houston Astros. In game 3, Leyritz hit a home run in the bottom of the 7th inning that broke a 1-1 tie and proved to be the game-winner.

In 1999, Jim Leyritz hit the last home run of the 1990s. Leyritz hit an eight-inning shot solo shot in the Yankees 4-1 win over the Braves in Game 4 of the 1999 World Series, giving the Yankees a series sweep.

Trivia

• Won two World Series Rings with the New York Yankees (1996 & 1999)

Transactions

• August 24, 1985: Signed by the New York Yankees as an amateur free agent.

• December 5, 1996: Traded by the New York Yankees to the Anaheim Angels for players to be named later. The Anaheim Angels sent Jeremy Blevins (minors) (December 9, 1996) and Ryan Kane (minors) (December 9, 1996) to the New York Yankees to complete the trade.

• July 29, 1997: Traded by the Anaheim Angels with a player to be named later to the Texas Rangers for Ken Hill. The Anaheim Angels sent Rob Sasser (October 31, 1997) to the Texas Rangers to complete the trade.

• November 6, 1997: Traded by the Texas Rangers with Damon Buford to the Red Sox for Mark Brandenburg, Bill Haselman, and Aaron Sele.

• June 20, 1998: Traded by the Boston Red Sox with Ethan Faggett (minors) to the San Diego Padres for Carlos Reyes, Mandy Romero, and Dario Veras.

• July 31, 1999: Traded by the San Diego Padres to the New York Yankees for Geraldo Padua (minors).

• June 20, 2000: Traded by the New York Yankees to the Los Angeles Dodgers for Jose Vizcaino and cash.

• November 1, 2000: Granted Free Agency.

External Links

• Baseball-Reference.com - Career Statistics and Analysis