Yankees announce Old-Timers’ Day roster

Earlier today, the Yankees announced the roster for Old-Timers’ Day, set to take place prior to their 1:35pm ET game against the Brewers on September 9th in the Bronx.

The Yankees’ lineup consists largely of members of the 1998 championship team on the 25th anniversary of their World Series victory: 29 of 43 representatives played for or worked for that club in some capacity. Specifically, that group includes Old-Timers returnees such as YES analysts David Cone, Paul O’Neill, and Jeff Nelson, in addition to stalwarts such as Tino Martinez, Orlando “El Duque” Hernández, coach Willie Randolph, and Hall of Famers like Tim Raines and manager Joe Torre.

Another Cooperstown honoree is making his Old-Timers’ Day debut: Derek Jeter.

For the first time, the entire Core Four will be present for an Old-Timers Day, with Andy Pettitte (now a pitching advisor to Aaron Boone), Jorge Posada, and Mariano Rivera returning alongside Jeter as the former captain makes his first appearance. Since his retirement, Jeter has been focused on his business interests, a portfolio that included a four-percent ownership stake in the Miami Marlins from 2017-22, a nearly five-year span that also included a tenure as CEO of the team. He returned for his number retirement and a day in his honor following his Hall of Fame induction.

Aside from members of the ‘98 team, manager Aaron Boone will join fellow third baseman Charlie Hayes and another playoff hero-turned-skipper Bucky Dent. Further, Ron Guidry and Mickey Rivers will join Dent as other ‘70s icons, John Flaherty will serve as another YES representative, and four late Yankees legends — Whitey Ford, Billy Martin, Thurman Munson, and Bobby Murcer — will be represented by their widows.

2009 World Series MVP Hideki Matsui will also be in attendance, though it seems he won’t have a chance at another Old-Timers’ Day home run. The Old-Timers’ Game itself won’t happen this year. Instead, there will be a presser-like discussion of the former Yankees’ favorite memories. They skipped the game in 2022 as well, which was the first Old-Timers’ Day in three years, so 2019 might sadly stand as the final edition of this longtime tradition unless the team decides to resurrect it some year down the road.

For now, we’ll cherish memories of Godzilla’s blast off Cone in 2016.