Five Yankees Pitchers that Never Fit In: A Fan's Take

Earlier this year when the New York Yankees acquired pitcher Michael Pineda, I was excited. Pineda was the young power pitcher I thought the team needed. Now that some time has passed I am not as jacked up as I was. I still think it is a solid deal, but I can't shake the memory of other pitchers that have come to New York and managed to somehow come up short. Here is a list of five pitchers that came to the Bronx, but never lived up to expectations.

Kevin Brown: The Yankees traded for the grumpy right-hander after the 2003 season. In two years Brown made just 35 starts and had an earned run average of 4.95. His time may have been short in New York, but it was memorable. He managed to break his left hand by punching a wall in 2004. Brown never appeared happy in New York and his teammates didn't seem to like him much either.

Randy Johnson: Undoubtedly one of the best left-handed pitchers of all time, but Johnson's stint in New York was forgettable. He did manage to win 17 games in each of his two seasons with the Bombers, but his ERA was 4.37. Johnson was shoving cameramen around even before he took the mound for the Yankees. Johnson proved he was much happier as a big fish in a small pond.

Kenny Rogers: The Gambler signed as a free agent with the Yankees before the 1996 season. The contract was for four years, but Rogers only lasted two years before the Yanks dealt him to the Oakland A's. Rogers went 18-15 with an ERA of 5.11. He was even worse in the playoffs managing just seven innings pitched in three starts in 1996. The only good thing that came from Rogers time with the team is Scott Brosius, whom the Yankees acquired in the deal with the A's.

Javier Vazquez: He has had two stints with the Yankees and neither one of them has ended well. In 2004 he went 14-10 and then proceeded to get hammered around in the playoffs by both the Minnesota Twins and Boston Red Sox. He returned in 2010 and proved his struggling in New York was no fluke. This time around his ERA was over 5.00 and he didn't even make the postseason roster,

Jeff Weaver: Maybe the ultimate example of a player melting under the New York lights. Weaver was considered a young stud pitcher when the Yankees traded for him in 2002. In less than two seasons it became clear to everyone that Weaver wouldn't flourish in the Big Apple. When he was on the mound he looked uncomfortable and lost. It was almost painful to watch him pitch. His ERA with the Yankees was 5.35. Weaver would go on to bounce around the majors the rest of his career, but he did help the St. Louis Cardinals win the World Series in 2006.