We all enjoy it when our favorite team dispenses with the subtle tactics and simply signs a highly sought-after free agent. It becomes even more memorable when the player not only delivers with great individual performances, but plays a big role in turning the team into a championship-winning one. As a Yankee fan, it’s more than likely that either Reggie Jackson or CC Sabathia came to mind immediately (probably depending upon your age) when reading that last sentence.
Yet sometimes free agents are signed that aren’t metaphorical big splashes, and instead come with modest expectations. When those types of players become key contributors to World Series-winning teams, it doesn’t generate as much attention (and as time passes, folklore) as the big stars in their primes, but it certainly can be as gratifying.