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Lesson learned from 2000 world champions

Lesson learned from 2000 world champions

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NEW YORK – There’s something this current, wobbling Yankees team might find comforting about the 2000 Yanks.

A two-time defending world championship, that 2000 club stumbled into October having played as badly – or worse- than any also-ran, with 15 losses in their final 18 games.

As their manager recalled during Saturday’s Old-Timer’s Day at Yankee Stadium, celebrating the 25^th anniversary of that eventual World Series-winning team, the pressure was building daily.

In a late-season meeting, Joe Torre told his team: “I think we may have to drink this champagne before the game,’’ instead of waiting for the clinching party.

Torre’s 2000 club arrived in the playoffs on a seven-game losing streak, out-scored 68-15.

“We didn’t finish the way we wanted to,” said Jorge Posada. “But once we got in, we knew what it took” to run October’s table, concluding with a five-game Subway Series win against the Mets.

Is that brand of resolve part of the DNA of these defending AL champion Yankees, with 30 losses in their last 49 games entering Saturday against the Houston Astros?

“It’s got to come from within,’’ said Posada, taking the manager and front office out of the equation. “Once we got in (postseason) and everybody’s 0-0, we knew we had enough to win.”

Andy Pettitte: You’d better embrace the Bronx

Since May 28, the 2025 Yankees had dropped from a seven-game division lead to 6.5-games behind the AL East-leading Toronto Blue Jays entering Saturday, and clinging to the last AL wild card.

They lost six of seven games since the MLB trade deadline after importing NL closers David Bednar and Camilo Doval, while watching two-time All-Star closer Devin Williams unravel again.

Watching a dejected Williams exit the mound Friday amid an avalanche of boos and hearing him quietly say “I stink right now’’ marked another low, following a 10-inning loss to Houston.

“That’s the way it is playing in New York,’’ said Andy Pettitte, speaking generally. “And if you’re going to play here, I hope you love it. Because that’s how it is.’’

Before the Yankees’ alumni – sans Derek Jeter, citing a prior engagement – resumed playing the first Old Timer’s Day game since 2019, Hall of Fame closer Mariano Rivera told reporters he planned to seek out Williams.

And you can bet that conversation would be designed to boost Williams’ self-described flagging confidence.

How the Yankees can forge an October path

The core of that 2000 team could “lean back on the success you had in the past,’’ said Pettitte, who would come to know every October experience – tons of it – pitching on eight pennant winners.

“It all comes down to making big pitches and big plays in big moments. And you know the momentum can swing like that,’’ said Pettitte, snapping his fingers.

That 2000 Yankees team extended its losing streak to Game 1 of Division Series before finding a way past the Oakland Athletics, going the full five games.

But “once you get into postseason, it really is a new beginning,’’ said Mike Stanton, the valuable lefty reliever on ’98, ’99 and ’00 Yanks title teams.

“We’re good. This is where we’re supposed to be. Now let’s get to work,’’ Stanton said of finally flipping the calendar to October. “It wasn’t pretty, but you got there.’’

As a Yankees pitching advisor, Pettitte is actively trying to help this stumbling team into October, with a chance at something no pinstriped team has accomplished since the lefty’s 2009 club.

“New York is not for the faint of heart if things are not going well,’’ said Pettitte. “We’ve got the team in place to try and make a run at this thing. I really believe that.

“We’ve just got to get it going.’’