Numerous players who toiled for the New York Yankees at some point over the last decade are still active in the major leagues. Some of these individuals played key roles in the Bronx before moving on to other clubs. Others are best described as bit players in the Yankees' scheme of things, but are now receiving more playing time with another franchise.
Duncan was a guy who Yankee fans, like me, rooted for, but a fellow who had little chance of making an impact with New York. He has hit 181 home runs in the minor leagues, but in the big time, he is a high strikeout-type of hitter who occasionally knocks one out of the park. After his Yankee tenure ended in 2009, Duncan signed as a free agent with the Indians. He plays the outfield, first base or is the designated hitter, with 25 homers and 93 runs batted in over 189 games with the Tribe in two-plus years. In 2012, Duncan has three homers and 10 runs batted in to go with a batting average of .200.
2. Jason Giambi
Most New York fans would rattle off plenty of names other than Giambi's when asked the question which Yankees hitter has the second best home run to at-bat ratio after Babe Ruth, but Jason is the answer. Giambi knocked in at least 87 runs for the Yanks five times, but now he is a backup first baseman for the Rockies, hitting .240 at age 41. Jason has one homer and six runs batted in; he has not exceeded 51 RBIs in one season with either the Athletics or Rockies.
Soriano has hit 341 major-league home runs, with the former Yankees second baseman having belted at least 20 a year over the last decade. Now in his sixth season with the Cubs, Alfonso recently hit his first dinger of the campaign. He is batting .258, and his days at second are long over. He roams the outfield for Chicago, and at age 36, Soriano has not stolen more than nine bases since 2008.
4. Johnny Damon
Since being a World Series hero for New York in 2009, Damon has played a season with the Tigers and one with the Rays. Without a home for 2012, he finally hooked on with the Indians, where he has started slowly. Damon is now 270 hits short of the coveted 3,000 standard, with only seven for Cleveland in his initial dozen contests with them. He is batting .149 as an outfielder and designated hitter.
5. Melky Cabrera
Melky hit .269 over five seasons in New York. He has taken on the role of a nomad since leaving New York, spending a year in Kansas City and one in Atlanta before settling in with the Giants for 2012. He hit .305 for the Royals in 2011, with 87 runs batted in. He is on pace for even better numbers this season, hitting .333 for San Francisco with 50 hits in 150 at-bats. Melky is only 27 years old, and he is a free agent at the end of this season.
I have been a fan of the New York Yankees since the middle of the 1960s.
Sources:
http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/d/duncash01.shtml
http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/g/giambja01.shtml
http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/soriaal01.shtml
