With this weekend’s reunion of the 1996 World Championship team looming, we thought it would be fitting to shine the spotlight on a key figure of this Yankees team that began the historic run of the late ’90s – closer John Wetteland.
For many Yankees fans today, Mariano Rivera is the man in regards to the closer role that he held from 1997 until his retirement after the 2013 season. There is no doubt that Mo is the greatest closer in the history of baseball, but diehard Yankees fans will remember that on the ’96 squad that won the World Series, Wetteland served as the team’s closer as a young Rivera was emerging as a premier setup man.