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The Yankees are only sending two players to the 2013 All-Star Game, their lowest number of representatives since 1993. But with those representatives being Robinson Cano and Mariano Rivera, the quality of the players unquestionable. Looking through the annals of Yankees history, I was surprised by some of the names that appeared as prior selections to All-Star teams when with the Yankees. This is by no means a definitive list of the stranger selections, but just some that stood out to yours truly.
Javier Vazquez (2004)
At the break: 10-5, 3.56 ERA
It's easy to forget that a player maligned for his two unsuccessful campaigns in the Bronx was selected for the All-Star game in his first tour of duty. And he was having a good season up until The Midsummer Classic. It was after the All-Star break that the wheels fell off for Vazquez, as his ERA would balloon up to 4.91 by season's end.
Bucky Dent (1980)
At the break: .251 AVG, .674 OPS, 0 HR
It's pretty impressive that a player most famous for his inability to hit made three All-Star teams (two with the Yankees), but that was a testament more to Dent's defense than anything else. And hitting a certain home run probably didn't hurt, as it always helps your chances to be selected to be known around the league. Dent was a selection despite finishing up the season with a paltry wRC+ of 92, the best of his career to that point. He would also be selected in the strike-shortened season of 1981.
Jim Coates (1960)
At the break: 9-1, 4.26 ERA
Coates had a great winning percentage and that's just about it. He won his first nine decisions in '60 despite an ERA that was pretty poor when considering the era that he was pitching in (an ERA+ of 84). He was actually worth negative WAR in his only All-Star season (-0.6).
Johnny Kucks (1956)
At the break: 11-4. 3.26 ERA
Kucks was a pretty ordinary pitcher in 1956, but his lone All-Star appearance was also likely due in large part to his lovely record. He generated only 0.1 WAR in '56 with an ERA+ of 101. But his record remained his best attribute, as he went on to win 18 games, the only year in his six season career in which he broke double-digits.
Unsurprisingly, a lot of the names here benefitted greatly by being on successful Yankees teams. Considering that Hiroki Kuroda is not an All-Star, it's quite clear win-loss records are impacting the selection process just as much today as in the past.