We got through the round of 64 and cut it in half with only 3 upsets, with those 9 seeds taking over the 8's. With the field shortened, these matchups get real interesting and the voting should be fun to see how it shakes out. Click here to vote.
(1) Lou Gehrig vs. (8) Willie Randolph - The only 8 seed to make it out of the first round, Randolph may see his luck take a turn for the worse against enshrined Yankee legend Gehrig.
(2) Mariano Rivera vs. (7) Allie Reynolds - Rivera faces some competition here against the former Yankee hurler, who few remember has a plaque in his memory in Monument Park.
(3) Roger Maris vs. (6) Earl Combs - Combs squeaked out of the first round and is now pitted against the man who hit '61 home runs. You know all about Maris.
(4) Phil Rizzuto vs. - (5) Joe Gordon Gordon was actually traded for the previously mentioned Reynolds. Until 2001 Gordon held the single season record for HRs by a 2B, and still has the career record. He pitted against arguably the most beloved Yankee of all time.
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(1) Mickey Mantle vs. (9) Tino Martinez - The old versus the new. There were some seasons Tino just crushed the league, like that April where he put up 34 RBIs in a month. Tough to hold a candle to a guy who has his own restaurant named after him in Manhattan.
(2) Whitey Ford vs. (7) Bobby Murcer - Whitey had nearly 2,000 K's and a career ERA less than 3. Murcer not only was a terrific broadcaster and hit almost .300 vs. Hall of Fame pitchers.
(3) Reggie Jackson vs. (6) Bobby Richardson - Although his playing days as a Yankee weren't all that long, he made the most of it to be considered one of the top 15 Yankees of all time. Richardson is one of those Yankees' who is known by name with fans throughout generations.
(4) Lefty Gomez vs. (5) Elston Howard - Howard was an MVP winner and appeared in 10 World Series. Lefty has the name recognition, but played so long ago it may hurt him.
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(1) Babe Ruth vs. (9) Billy Martin - A matchup of two of the most self destructive people you could imagine. Ruth's love for food and tobacco cut his career and life short, while Martin's alcoholism and aggressive behavior did the same.
(2) Yogi Berra vs. (7) Paul O'Neill - Arguably one of the biggest dichotomies in personality you could arrange in terms of two different Yankees. Berra is the most outgoing and loveable Yankees ever, while O'Neill trashed water coolers after strikeouts.
(3) Bill Dickey vs. (6) Graig Nettles - Dickey most certainly was viewed that way in his day, although the name doesn't carry the weight of some of his contemporaries. Although his average wasn't much to look at, Nettles amassed an outstanding 390 home runs in his career.
(4) Ron Guidry vs. (5) Bernie Williams - Bernie may even be a bit underrated in terms of valuing the prime of his career. If you look at any other stars of teams that won several championships in an era, they are often viewed as superstars. The Gator put up one of the more dominant single game performances ever, striking out 18 batters.
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(1) Joe DiMaggio vs. (9) Andy Pettitte - One of the most amazing things about DiMaggio besides his career numbers is imagining how much higher they would have been if not for his selfless WWII hiatus. Pettitte is a consummate leader who is credited for Yankees success over 3 decades now.
(2) Derek Jeter vs. (7) Goose Gossage - Jeter's got a ring for each finger now and doesn't seem to be stopping anytime soon. Gossage didn't fare too bad himself, earning a trip to 9 different All-Star teams.
(3) Don Mattingly vs. (6) Jorge Posada - Mattingly's recent attempt at a managerial job and affiliation with Torre and L.A. may hurt him. It shouldn't, but it may. Posada is certainly top 5, maybe top 3 Yankees catchers all time. It's not his fault the Yankees have had an incredible history of back stops.
(4) Tony Lazzeri vs. (5) Thurman Munson - Lazzeri is arguably the best to play his position for the Yankees. Thurman, also one of the team's best catchers, was a generation of Yankees fans' favorite player and the team leader thru the 70's.
