Bob Watson obit

Bob Watson, architect of the 1996 Yankees, battling kidney failure — and a forgotten legacy

He was not on the list.

"I can understand why Yankee fans are so upset because Buck (Showalter) was a very popular man," said Bob Watson in November 1995. "But Yankee fans also should give Joe Torre time to prove what he can do."

Watson, hired in October 1995 as the new Yankees general manager, then uttered an understatement for the Yankee ages:


"Believe me, he'll win them over."

In 1995, Yankee fans were upset at George Steinbrenner's firing of Showalter, and the selection of Torre, previously a losing manager with three teams, did not go over well. This very newspaper famously greeted Torre with a backpage headline that read:


"CLUELESS JOE"


Torre and the 1996 Yankee championship team was honored this weekend as the Yankees commemorated their 20th anniversary, but Watson was absent.


"I really wanted to be there," Watson, now 70, said over the phone, "but my health won't allow it. I am battling Stage 4 kidney failure. Not too many people know about it."

Not anymore.

Watson is currently on nocturnal dialysis, and sadly, the doctors say he only has a few years left.


After hearing the terrible news, my call to Watson to get his thoughts on the 1996 New York Yankees suddenly felt trivial as I wished him the best of health. On second thought, the matter of the 1996 Yankees did not seem trivial at all.

Watson deserves so much more than prayers and wishes, or a medical report in this space.

Watson, a former All-Star player, once made history in 1993 by becoming Major League Baseball's first African-American GM with the Houston Astros before joining the Yankees. He played for the Atalanta Braves and Boston Red Sox as well as the Yankee and Astros.


Joe Torre had a powerful advocate in his corner in Bob Watson, who played for the Yankees manager when the two were in Atlanta.

Watson also deserves his rightful place in Yankee history — while he is still alive.

While Torre, who managed the Yankees from 1996-2007, has been vindicated 100 times over, Watson's indispensable contributions to the unique 1996 championship team have been largely forgotten.

That team hadn't been to the World Series in 15 years, and unlike the more loaded, star-studded, and widely-hated title teams from well, 1923-2009, the 1996 Yankees were actually a likeable underdog (yes, by Yankee standards).

While the reigning champion Atlanta Braves, led by Hall-of-Famers, Greg Maddux, John Smoltz, and Tom Glavine, were more like the traditional Yankees, these 1996 Yankees were made more in the scrappy image of Bob Watson himself.

Without Bob Watson, there is no 1996 championship. Period.

It is easy to forget since Brian Cashman, his recommended successor in February 1998, has been the GM ever since.

It is easy to forget since his predecessor Gene Michael kept and developed the 1990's home-grown nucleus of Bernie Williams, Mariano Rivera, Andy Pettitte, Derek Jeter, and Jorge Posada that formed the foundation for future championships (Note: this author will never say "Core Four" — a phrase that erases Bernie for the mere cost of a cute rhyme).

It is easy to forget that the 1995 roster went through a massive overhaul in 1996 to replace six of their nine everyday starters, their captain, Don Mattingly, their previous year's ace, Jack McDowell, and their middle-infield due to season-long injuries (Tony Fernandez; Pat Kelly).

It is easy to forget that nearly every transaction Watson had his hand in during his two-year tenure turned to gold. (Note: While assessing the Yankee GM process in any individual trade is often muddled due to George's meddling and multiple front-office chefs, the costly busts of Kenny Rogers and Hideki Irabu were engineered almost unilaterally by Steinbrenner.)


In "Bob Watson Deserves a Thank You," here is what The New York Times' Dave Anderson wrote 20 years ago:


"Has the principal owner forgotten that Watson made the trade for Tino Martinez and Jeff Nelson; that Watson made the trade for Joe Girardi; that Watson signed the free agent Mariano Duncan; that Watson reinforced the roster during the season with deals for Cecil Fielder, Charlie Hayes, David Weathers, and Luis Sojo?"