For 16 years the Yankees had the biggest blessing in baseball. They only had to worry about eight innings of most games, because Mariano Rivera, relief pitcher nonpareil, was ready to slam the door in the ninth.
With Mo mowing down hitters with essentially one pitch - a cutter that shattered bats and left bewildered batters with a splintered knob in their fist - the Yankees could invest heavily in setup men.
At the peak of the Yankees' '90s dynasty, the opponent had six or seven innings, at the most, to take the lead, lest the Sandman jog to the mound. Before Mo, and after Mo, the Yankees have brought in some pricey free agents to relieve a tired starting pitcher.
Here's a list of the five best relief pitchers the Yanks have nabbed since MLB raised the curtain on free agency in the 1970s.
5. Mike Stanton
Setup men count, too. And Stanton was a key bullpen cog during the rise and apex of the Joe Torre dynasty. Stanton signed a three-year deal in December, 1996, and was first a setup man for the immortal Mariano Rivera.
After winning a World Series in 1998 and 1999, Stanton re-signed after the '99 season and was around for most of that Bombers behemoth that won four Fall Classics in five years, grabbing three of those rings. Only save men get the stats, ink, and awards, but Stanton was part of a lethal bullpen that also featured Jeff Nelson and Ramiro Mendoza. In a tribute to his longevity, Mike Stanton was selected to his first (and only) All-Star game in 2001, at age 34. Stanton pitched in an astonishing 19 MLB seasons, between 1989 and 2007.
4. Zack Britton
Though Britton signed a three-year, $39 million deal to be largely a bridge to Aroldis Chapman, he's no stranger to saves. While in Baltimore, he notched 120 saves in three years (2014-'16), and led the AL in saves in 2016, with 47. And now that Chapman has been on the shelf for the first third of this season, Britton has seamlessly assumed the closer's role.
In eight appearances, he's finished eight games, registered seven saves - both lead the majors - and carries a spiffy 1.23 ERA and 0.818 WHIP entering Friday night. Most teams lose their closer and their bullpen tanks while they rotate nervous setup men through the white heat of the final three outs. But having Zack Britton has basically given the Bombers two closers in the age of the bullpen.
3. Steve Farr
Remember him? Farr had some memorable seasons on some forgettable Yankees clubs. Few Yankees fans yell "Stump Merrill" with any fondness. But Farr was an effective closer for the Yanks after signing a three-year, $6.3 million free agent deal. In fact, Farr didn't want to pitch for the Bombers but they were the only club to offer him a three-year contract. And Farr came out firiting.
Back on Aug 4, 1991, when he was a young Yankees beat reporter for The New York Times, Jack Curry wrote a piece on Farr, noting how he hadn't surrendered a single run since May 25, with 14 saves in 14 chances over a span of 26 innings. Farr struck out 21 batters, walked just two, and gave up a mere 11 hits. Farr, whose Nickname was Beast, saved 78 games over three years with the Bombers, and sported a nifty 2.56 ERA. Pretty impressive for someone who posted these stats, in the Big Apple, between age 34 and 36.
2. Aroldis Chapman
This is a bit tricky since Chapman first came to New York via trade with the Cincinnati Reds. But since then, he has been traded to the Cubs for a key prospect named Gleyber Torres, and has since signed two more free agent deals with the Yanks, in 2016 and 2019.
The fireballing left-hander, according to some experts, threw the hardest fastball in baseball history, when he zipped a 105.1 mph pitch on Sept 24, 2010. Though Chapman has had some character issues - he was suspended 30 games by the Bombers in 2016 for violating the MLB domestic violence policy - no one doubts his talent. For years, Chapman routinely tickled triple-digits with the pitch Jim Kaat still says is the most important in baseball, the old heater. Chapman has not yet pitched in his fifth year in New York, but he has a sparkling four-year record with the Bombers. The six-time All-Star has notched 111 saves for the Yanks, with a nifty 2.51 ERA, and a 1.016 WHIP. Perhaps his most- eye-popping stat is his 291 strikeouts in just 190 innings.
1. Rich 'Goose' Gossage
Forever known as Goose, Gossage signed with the Bronx Zoo Bombers after the 1977 season. Gossage was a towering man with a handlebar mustache, violent delivery and a fastball with bad intentions. As long as he wasn't facing George Brett, Goose was the most feared closer in the majors. A force as soon as he stepped on the mound for the Yanks in '78, Goose led the AL with 27 saves, 55 games finished, and a sublime 2.01 ERA, all of which helped the Yanks leapfrog Boston in the final month.
He registered the save in the famous one-game playoff at Fenway, and didn't surrender a single run in three appearances in the Fall Classic against the Dodgers. Almost half of his 310 career saves came with the Yanks (150). The nine time All-Star spent seven years with the Bombers, with his best season coming in 1980, when he led MLB with 33 saves, had 103 strikeouts in 99 innings pitched, and finished third in the AL MVP and Cy Young votes. Goose was so durable he pitched for 22 years in the big leagues, which helped him end his career where it belongs - in the Hall of Fame.
Twitter: @JasonKeide