5. Doug Mientkiewicz
Then: The former Boston Red Sox first basemen jumped across the AL East to join the Yankees in 2007. Only there for one year, he missed three months of the season due to injury. Well, we all have seen that happen before, right?
Anyway, Mientkiewicz batted .277 in 72 games and boasted a .996 fielding percentage in 70 games at first base. Despite being a seasoned veteran, his performance with the Yankees went under-the-radar due to the star power on the Yankees.
Mientkiewicz wasn’t a first choice for the Yankees but he helped them out during their 2007 campaign. The well-traveled first basemen made a difference in New York but didn’t bring them closer to a ring.
Now: Now, Mientkiewicz is still in the game and mentoring the youth of the sport. After his retirement, Mientkiewicz lost out on being the manager of the Twins to Paul Molitor. However, he still managed to work in the Twins organization.
Currently, he serves as the manager for the Single-A affiliate the Fort Myers Miracle. Just like these other players, sometimes a true player just can’t leave the game behind.
Stay tuned for next week where I’ll cover forgotten players from 2000-2007 for the New York Yankees. Trust me, it will be even better.
