The story of the 1997 Yankees was largely that of disappointment. They finished second in the AL East despite winning 96 games, and traveled to Cleveland for the ALDS, where they would take a 2-1 series lead in short order. And they went home just two nights later, suffering a couple of one-run losses on the road. I remember that series (and the playoffs as a whole) more vividly than I’d like to; but I digress.
One of the scapegoats for the “failed” 1997 season was a pitcher that didn’t even appear on the playoff roster – Kenny Rogers.