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Today’s Yankee birthday boy is a doozie, a member of the late ‘90s dynasty teams, a fierce and iconic competitor, and a downright good baseball player. Paul O’Neill, born on this day in 1963, may not have spent his entire career in New York, but he will be remembered for his time in pinstripes, and with good reason.
Between four All-Star selections, four World Series rings, a batting title, a Top 100 Yankee nod, a few decommissioned water coolers, and ultimately a retired number and a plaque in Monument Park, The Warrior’s tenure in the Bronx was a highly memorable and successful one.
Paul O’Neill
Born: Februrary 26, 1963 (Columbus, OH)
Yankees Tenure: 1993-2001
O’Neill was drafted by the Reds, and got his first call-up to the majors with his hometown team in September of 1985. He would appear in just five games that season, and only in three the next year, but things would get rolling in ‘87. Across 160 plate appearances, O’Neill had a 111 wRC+ and cemented himself in the starting lineup for the Reds going forward.
Paulie continued to be productive player through the late-’80s, and was a crucial part of the 1990 Reds team that won the World Series in an upset over the dynastic A’s. He fully broke out in 1991, hitting a career-high 28 homers with a 128 OPS+, and earning his first All-Star selection. 1992 would be his final year with the Reds, as in November of that year, O’Neill was traded to the Yankees on the heels of a fine but underwhelming season at the plate. Pressed by Cincy manager Lou Piniella to further bolster his power, he instead regressed and savvy Yankees GM Gene “Stick” Michael eyed him as someone in need of a fresh start. New York ultimately received a star for the better part of a decade.
O’Neill’s impact was apparent upon arrival, as he enjoyed perhaps his best big league season at the plate during his first year in the Bronx. He went 4-for-4 in his Bronx debut, got back over 20 homers once again, slugged over .500 for the first time, and reached a then-career-high 134 wRC+. His second season in the Bronx would be one for the ages, but one ultimately shadowed by what-ifs. The 1994 season was cut short by the player strike, but in his 103 games, O’Neill played the best baseball of his life. By the end of April, his average sat at .448, and didn’t drop below .400 until mid-June. The Yankees sat atop the league when play stopped, thanks in large part to O’Neill’s MVP-level play — 21 homers in just 103 games and a league-leading .359 batting average.
He continued to play terrific ball in 1995 and ‘96, earning a second straight All-Star selection in the former, and helping the Yankees win the first of their dynasty championships in the latter. The good times kept rolling in the following year for O’Neill — 21 homers, .324/.399/.514 slash line, 139 wRC+, and another All-Star nod; Paulie was as consistent as they come. The Yankees would lose in the ALDS, but it had nothing to do with him, as he was terrific in October. He homered twice and reached base in half of his plate appearances.
1998 was a year in which just about everything went right for the Yankees, and O’Neill was no exception. He once again put up his near-patented stat line, 24 homers and a 129 wRC+ in 152 games, in what was his most valuable season according to fWAR, with a figure of 5.4. He earned his fifth All-Star selection, and the Yankees won a then-record 114 games in the regular season. They swept the Rangers in the DS, and ultimately defeated Cleveland for the American League pennant. They would take on the Padres in that year’s Fall Classic, and sweep their way to their rightful spot atop the mountain. O’Neill was solid in the championship run, holding up an .806 OPS across 60 plate appearances with a homer in each of the first two series.
In 1999, O’Neill’s age-36 campaign, the outfielder showed his first signs of slowing down. An early-season slump, paired with an injury late in the year and the loss of his father during the World Series finale made for a difficult end of the century for O’Neill. Nonetheless, despite a step back in terms of performance, he was still a positive contributor, and did his part in the Yankees’ second consecutive World Series win.
Retirement was in question for the veteran following the tough year, but he ultimately elected to stick around. He was by no means bad, but his 92 wRC+ marked the first and only below average offensive season of his career. He was no hole in the lineup either, as he still slugged 18 homers and 100 RBI in the down year, and the Yankees went on to their third consecutive World Series. O’Neill hit .310 in the postseason, with a gutty 10-pitch battle against Mets closer Armando Benítez keying a ninth-inning rally in World Series Game 1. Even on those old legs, he tripled twice in the series while earning a fifth ring in his decorated career, and the Yanks took down the Amazins in the Fall Classic.
His status was up in the air again for 2001, but O’Neill ultimately returned for one more season in the Bronx. His regular season ended with injury trouble, but it was still a productive one. O’Neill oddly set a career high with 22 stole bases at 37-years-old, and became the oldest player to record a 20-homer/20-steal season.
Although that 2001 World Series run was a famously devastating one, O’Neill’s contributions were huge in their near-miss. He homered twice and managed a 123 wRC+ in the postseason, with his health likely less than 100 percent. The fans serenaded him in the ninth inning of his final appearance in the Bronx, the unforgettable World Series Game 5.
The heartbreaking Game 7 in Arizona would prove to be his last big-league game, putting a cap on what was a terrific 17-year Major League career.
There is a good argument to be made that he was at the center of the Yankees’ historic run from 1996-2000, which saw them win four championships. not only for his spirit on the field, but because he was an significant and consistent producer with the bat. This was certainly the case when October came around, and as a result, it is hard to picture that dominant run without Paul O’Neill in the middle of it.
A YES Network announcer for over two decades now, O’Neill’s tremendous impact on the Yankees would not go unrecognized, as he would have his No. 21 retired in Monument Park during the 2022 season, forever cementing his place in Yankee history.
Here’s to a happy 63rd to the ever-entertaining Paul O’Neill!
See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.