Yankee Acquisitions 1990-2004 Quiz | Yankees 1990s

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Don Mattingly, nicknamed "Donnie Baseball" and "The Hitman," played his final season in what year?

Answer: 1995

The Yankee Captain sat out the 1996 season, but didn't officially retire until after the '96 season was complete. Donnie baseball had been hired as the Yankees' hitting coach.

2. Prior to the 1996 season, the Yankees acquired which first baseman in a trade with the Seattle Mariners?

Answer: Tino Martinez

Martinez was brought in to replace Don Mattingly, with Mattingly's blessing. Tino went on to play for six years with the Yankees before leaving via Free Agency. Tino headed to the St. Louis Cardinals while the Yankees signed big-time free agent Jason Giambi of the Oakland A's.

3. In the trade that brought Tino Martinez to the Bronx, the Yankees gave up left-handed starting pitcher Sterling Hitchcock and third base prospect Russ Davis. Which relief pitcher did the Yankees get in that trade?

Answer: Jeff Nelson

The Yankees picked up Jeff Nelson to complete that trade. Nelson had several good years with the Yankees as a set-up man for closer Mariano Rivera. The Yankees later re-acquired Nelson during the 2003 season by dealing closer Armando Benitez to the Seattle Mariners. That year, the Yankees lost the World Series to the Florida Marlins in six games.

4. Rightfielder Paul O'Neill was acquired from the Cincinnati Reds in a 1993 trade involving what other outfielder?

Answer: Roberto Kelly

The Yankees were actually believed to be on the short end of that deal. Years later however, when Paul O'Neill played a large part in the Yankee dynasty, and it was clear that the Yankees made the better move in prying O'Neill away from manager Lou Piniella and the Reds.

5. In 2001, the Yankees had a highly-touted shortstop prospect named D'Angelo Jimenez. Who did the Yankees trade Jimenez for in 2001?

Answer: Jay Witasick

Although the Yankees acquired all of those players between 200 and the 2001 season, it was Witasick who was picked up in return for Jimenez.

6. How did the Yankees acquire pitcher Roger Clemens from the Toronto Blue Jays prior to the 1999 season?

Answer: Trade

Prior to the 1999 season, the Yankees acquired ace pitcher Roger Clemens from the Blue Jays in a trade that sent starting pitcher David Wells, reliever Graeme Lloyd, and infield prospect Homer Bush to Canada.

7. During and after the 2003 season when the Yankees lost the World Series to the Florida Marlins in six games, Roger Clemens announced his plans to retire. However, within a few months, before the 2004 season even began, Clemens decided to sign with the Houston Astros. This move was precipitated by another former Yankee pitcher signing a three-year contract with the Astros. Who was that pitcher?

Answer: Andy Pettitte

Andy Pettitte left the Yankees to sign a three-year deal with the Astros, in large part because of it's proximity to his Texas home. Clemens, who also made his home in Texas, also joined the 'Stros after his good friend Pettitte inked his deal.

8. On what day in 2001 did Yankees' owner George Steinbrenner sign David Wells to a contract?

Answer: Christmas Eve

The two agreed on a contract during lunch at a Tampa, FL, restaurant on December 24, 2001. The signing caused some controversy because Arizona Diamondbacks' owner Jerry Colangelo believed that he and Wells already had a handshake deal in place. Wells spent the 2002 and 2003 seasons in the Bronx before leaving via free agency to join his hometown San Diego Padres again, amidst controversy that a handshake deal was already in place, this time with the Yankees.

9. During the 1996 season, when the Yankees beat the Altanta Braves in six games, the Yankees traded outfielder Ruben Sierra for power-hitter Cecil Fielder. From which team did the Yankees acquire Fielder?

Answer: The Detroit Tigers

In fact, in the 1996 World Series, Fielder played first base for games 4, 5, and 6, in Atlanta while Tino Martinez was benched. Cecil's son, first baseman Prince Fielder, was in the Milwaukee Brewers' farm system in 2003.

10. Before the Yankees acquired free agent outfielder Gary Sheffield (prior to the 2004 season), which of these teams had Sheffield never played for?

Answer: The Boston Red Sox

Sheffield began his career with the Brewers, at that time in the American League, and in the late 1980s where he was a third baseman and a shortstop. In fact, Sheffield didn't play the outfield until 1994, when he was with the Florida Marlins, a franchise that came into existance in 1993.

Sheffield was traded from the Marlins to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the storied Mike Piazza trade. Piazza spent roughly two weeks with the Marlins before he was traded to the New York Mets. Sheffield's last stop before coming to the Bronx was Atlanta, where he played for the Braves in 2002 and 2003. Prior to the 2004 offseason, the Yankees were thought to be after free agent outfielder Vladimir Guerrero of the Montreal Expos, but instead signed Sheffield, whose uncle Dwight "Doc" Gooden was a favorite of Yankee Owner George Steinbrenner. Gooden's Yankee highlights include pitching a no-hitter for the Bombers in 1996.

11. Wade Boggs last Major League season was played as a member of the New York Yankees.

Answer: False

Boggs' last season with the Yankees was 1997. After that, he played for the expansion Tampa Bay Devil Rays for two seasons before retiring. After the 1997 season, the Yankees traded starting pitcher Kenny Rogers to the Oakland A's for utility man Scott Brosius to replace the thirdbase platoon of Boggs and Charlie Hayes. Brosius became a stabilizing force at the hot corner until he retired after the 2001 season.

12. Which of these players has not played third base for the Yankees during the 2000s?

Answer: Jay Bell

Brosius joined the Yankees prior to the 1998 season and stayed with the Yankees through the 2001 season before he retired. The Yankees then traded outfielder David Justice to the Mets for third baseman Robin Ventura. Then at the trading deadline in 2003, the Yankees traded highly-touted pitching prospect Brandon Claussen to the Cincinnati Reds for Aaron Boone and dealt Ventura to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

13. Which player did the Yankees trade to the Baltimore Orioles prior to the 2001 season to get pitcher Mike Mussina?

Answer: None, Mussina signed as a free agent

The Yankees signed Mike Mussina as a free agent before the 2001 season, passing up an opportunity to sign outfielder Manny Ramirez, who instead signed with the rival Boston Red Sox.

14. Prior to the 2004 season, the Yankees and third base propect Drew Henson finally broke ties, allowing Henson to pursue a career in professional football. The Yankees originally drafted Henson, but traded him and then re-acquired him. Which team was he traded to?

Answer: The Cincinnati Reds

The Yankees traded Henson to the Reds in a deal for starting pitcher Denny Neagle during the 2000 season. The Yankees later re-acquired him by trading outfield prospect Wily Mo Pena to the Reds. Neagle went on to sign a hefty contract with the Colorado Rockies during the following offseason. Henson stayed in the Yankee farm system.

15. Prior to the 2004 season, the Yankees acquired Alex Rodriguez. From which team did they acquire him?

Answer: The Texas Rangers

The club that traded A-Rod to the Yankees was the Texas Rangers, who had signed A-Rod to a record contract when he was a free agent.

Source: Author DiMaggio5CF

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor Nightmare before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

Yankee Acquisitions 1990-2004 Trivia Quiz

This is a quiz about the New York Yankees and their player acquisitions and departures from 1990 to 2004. Questions can pertain to players who have been acquired via trade, free agency, waivers, and players.

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