Jason Anderson – the first former Staten Island Yankees player to make it all the way to the NY Yankees roster, Anderson debuted in 2003 with the Bronx Bombers and has had brief stints in the majors during the past three seasons. Anderson was the centerpiece in a trade with the Mets that brought Armando Benitez to the Yankees. He has also played for the Mets and Indians. His #19 jersey was retired by the Staten Island Yankees on July 15, 2003 and was the first to have been officially retired by the team.
Wily Mo Pena – officially the first former Staten Island Yankees player to make the major leagues after his September call-up with the Reds in 2002. Pena was on the Reds roster for four years and showed flashes of power and his overall athletic ability. Pena was traded to the Red Sox after the 2005 season, where he now serves as the team’s fourth outfielder. Originally drafted by the Yankees in 1999, he was traded to the Reds in the deal that sent former Cowboys’ back-up QB Drew Henson to the Yankees.
Rosman Garcia – on the heels of Anderson making his debut in the Bronx came Garcia’s debut with the Texas Rangers. The hard throwing right hander pitched in parts of 2003 and 2004 with the Rangers and was one of the infamous “Players to be Named Later” in a 2001 deal that brought Randy Velarde back to the Yankees.
Chien-Ming Wang – Staten Island Yankees fans will remember Wang for his smooth delivery and sound demeanor that helped lead the 2000 and 2002 versions of the Staten Island Yankees to the NY-Penn League championship. New York Yankees fans will certainly remember Wang for his part in saving the 2005 pitching staff that was ravaged with injuries. Wang has played a major role for the New York Yankees in the past two seasons as one of the team’s most consistent starting pitchers. On July 27, 2006, Chien-Ming returned to Staten Island as we honored him for his great service with the team and we retired his #41 that he wore throughout the 2000 season with the Baby Bombers.
Robinson Cano – in 2002 Cano was a middle infielder with the Staten Island Yankees championship team. In 2005 he burst onto the big league scene when the struggling Yankees were looking to shake things up to get on track. Cano provided the remedy the Yanks needed while still learning more about the game. The 23-year old, showed excellent plate presence and hit .297 with 34 doubles and 14 homers in his rookie campaign. Cano has become a formidable player for the Yankees and became the first former Staten Island Yankee to make the MLB All-Star game in 2006. He is a second generation major leaguer – his father Jose appeared in 6 games with the Astros in 1989. On August 4, 2007, Robinson Cano returned to Staten Island as we retired his #17 that he wore with the Baby Bombers.
Melky Cabrera – Melky’s infamous two-week stay in the Bronx didn’t live up to the hype but the 21-year-old Dominican has rapidly climbed the Yankees’ ladder. Melky played a key role in 2006 when injuries to Hideki Matsui and Gary Sheffield left the Yankees short handed in the outfield. Melky’s defensive prowess and hot bat has served as a spark for the New York Yankees throughout the 2007 season.
Andy Phillips – long-time SI Yankees fans may remember Andy for his singing voice, as he filled in to sing the Star Spangled Banner before a game. It’s been a long road to the Bronx for Phillips but he has continually improved at the plate and has served as a back-up 1B/DH for the Yankees during the 2006 and 2007 season.
Jeff Karstens – Karstens made his debut with the Yankees during the 2006 season. Karstens looked to make a big impact with the Yankees in 2007, but a fractured fibula caused him to miss out on much of the season as he know tries to become a permanent fixture in the Yankees pitching staff.
Shelley Duncan – Duncan debuted with the Yankees in 2007, six years after playing on Staten Island. Duncan, most remembered for his power and large stature, started off his major league career with a bang as he homered three times in his first three games. He looks to provide the Yankees with some power off the bench for the remainder of the 2007 season.
Brad Halsey – Halsey was one of the ace pitchers that helped lead our 2002 team to victory – along with fellow major league SP Chien-Ming Wang. The young lefty made his MLB debut during the 2004 season, pitching in 8 games for the NY Yankees. He showed some promise in ’04 but it was mostly a rocky effort. He has since carved a niche in Arizona, having spent the 2005 season with the D’backs, after being the featured player in the deal that brought Randy Johnson to the Bronx. During the 2006 season, Brad became a key pitcher out of the Oakland A’s bullpen.
Sean Henn – Henn is a big lefty that made a few emergency starts during the 2005 campaign. He has been on the fast track in the Yankees system and in ’05 he made the leap to the Bronx from the AA Trenton Thunder. During the 2007 season, Henn alternated between the AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees and the New York Yankees, where he served as a left-handed arm in the bullpen.
Brandon Claussen – Claussen made a couple of starts with the Yankees back in 2003 but was traded to the Reds later that season in the deal that brought Aaron Boone to the Bronx. He started 29 games for the Reds in 2005 and posted a solid 4.21 ERA. The southpaw served on the Reds’ staff in 2006 but was troubled by injuries. Claussen will look to work his way back to the majors after signing with the Washington Nationals in 2007.
TJ Beam – made his major league debut with the New York Yankees in 2006 and continued to serve as a relief pitcher throughout the season. Currently is on the AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees as he tries to work his way back to the Bronx.
Chase Wright – was called up to the Yankees when Mike Mussina and Carl Pavano were placed on the DL in 2007. The promising left-hander is at AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre where he is trying to work his way back to the majors.
Matt DeSalvo – posted an impressive ERA of 1.84 while with the Staten Island Yankees in 2003. Debuted with the Yankees in 2007 and will try to use the several different pitches in his repertoire to return to the Yankees and gain a more significant role on the team’s pitching staff in the future.
Alex Graman – another young lefty that made his mark in Staten Island during our early years, Graman finally hit pay-dirt in the bigs, with the Yankees, in 2004. While his stay was brief and on the rocky side, he made it back in 2005 and in 2006 Graman signed with the Seibu Lions of Japan.
John-Ford Griffin – the former 1st round pick was steadily making his ascent in the Yankees system when he was traded in a deal that ultimately brought Jeff Weaver to the Bronx. Griffin has landed in the Blue Jays’ system and made his ML debut in September 2005.
Dave Parrish – never appeared in a game but was called up during the 2005 season if an emergency catcher was needed. He is the son of former major leaguer Lance Parrish.