Paul O'Neill (baseball)

3.3.1. Early Years and Batting Title (1993-1995)

On November 3, 1992, the Reds traded O'Neill and minor league player Joe DeBerry to the New York Yankees for center fielder Roberto Kelly. At the time, the trade created some buzz. Kelly had been a top young prospect since he first signed an amateur contract a decade earlier, and he had just completed a season where he made his first All-Star team. O'Neill was initially devastated by the news. He was being sent away from his hometown team, the only baseball team he had ever played for. However, within days of his arrival in New York, O'Neill's initial feelings changed. This world included Don Mattingly, the Yankees' first baseman, whom O'Neill met on the first day of spring training in 1993. O'Neill stated that Mattingly had a huge influence on him.

O'Neill's first season with the Yankees proved successful. In addition to his defense, he batted .311 with 20 home runs and 75 RBIs. It was also a good year for the Yankees, who won 88 games and finished second in the American League East, behind the eventual World Series champion Toronto Blue Jays. In just one season, O'Neill's intensity and production made him a fan favorite in New York and a leader on the team. His status only grew in 1994, in what would be the most frustrating season of his professional career. It started with an 8-game hitting streak, highlighted by a 2-home run, 5-RBI game against the White Sox on April 14. By the end of April, O'Neill was batting .448 with 6 home runs and 23 RBIs. He continued his hot hitting in May, batting .410 with 8 doubles, 4 home runs, and 12 RBIs. His batting average remained above .400 until June 17, and in July, he was named to his second All-Star team. O'Neill batted once in the game and popped out in the eighth inning against Giants reliever Rod Beck in the American League's 8-7 loss.

At that point, the Yankees were playing their best baseball since the 1970s, compiling a 70-43 record and holding a wide lead over the second-place Baltimore Orioles on August 12. However, instead of going for their 71st win that day, O'Neill and the rest of the Major League Baseball Players Association went on strike. Initially, O'Neill believed both sides would reach an agreement. But within weeks, it became clear that they would not reach an agreement in time to save the season. On September 14, Commissioner Bud Selig made it official, canceling the remainder of the regular season, the playoffs, and the World Series.

During the incomplete 1994 season, O'Neill's performance was outstanding. He led the American League in hitting with a career-high .359 average. It was the first batting title for a Yankee since Mattingly won in 1985. O'Neill also finished second in on-base percentage (.461), and fourth in slugging percentage (.603) and OPS (1.064). In roughly two-thirds of the season, he hit 21 home runs, collected 25 doubles, and drove in 83 runs. He finished fifth in the MVP voting. O'Neill capitalized on his stellar season, signing a four-year contract with the Yankees for 19.00 M USD. O'Neill's agent told The New York Times that the deal was announced.

The players' strike finally ended on April 2, 1995, and the truncated season eventually began on April 25. Due to the late start, the schedule was shortened from 162 to 144 games. Continuing on the heels of his outstanding 1994 campaign, O'Neill had a strong first half in 1995. In just 52 games before the All-Star break, he batted .346 with 11 home runs, 39 RBIs, and an OPS of 1.042. As the second half began, the former batting champion slumped badly. By August 30, his average had dropped to .303. Like O'Neill, the Yankees struggled in August and had fallen 15 games behind the first-place Boston Red Sox in the American League East. However, the team was only 2.5 games behind the Texas Rangers in the race for the American League wild card that year. In the late innings, O'Neill came up again with two runners on base. In the bottom of the fifth, O'Neill hit his third home run of the day. He later added an RBI single, ending the day with 8 RBIs in an 11-6 victory. It was the team's third consecutive win, and they won 25 of their last 31 games, clinching the American League wild card on the final day. For the year, O'Neill batted .300 with 22 home runs and 96 RBIs. He also led MLB by grounding into 25 double plays. The Yankees reached the postseason for the first time since 1981, but they lost to the Seattle Mariners in the division series despite winning the first two games.

3.3.2. Dynasty Era and World Series Championships (1996-2000)

The offseason brought several significant changes in New York. Plagued by long-standing back problems, Mattingly retired at age 34. The player who replaced him at first base was another Mariner, Tino Martinez, whom the Yankees acquired in an offseason trade. The team also changed managers, deciding not to renew Buck Showalter's contract despite his success, and hiring Joe Torre as his replacement. O'Neill liked Torre and quickly realized that he was the right-field captain for the Yankees.

The Yankees moved into first place in the American League East on April 30 and never relinquished the lead, eventually winning 92 games and their first full-season division title in 16 years. For his part, O'Neill had another strong season, batting .302 with 35 doubles, 19 home runs, and 91 RBIs. He also drew 102 walks. The free passes pushed his on-base percentage to .411. On April 30, 1996, O'Neill hit a long home run onto Eutaw Street off Arthur Rhodes while playing at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.

In the American League Division Series, the Yankees defeated the Rangers three games to one. O'Neill had a miserable time in the series, batting .133 with no RBIs or runs scored. The American League Championship Series pitted the Yankees against the Cleveland Indians, who had defeated the Orioles in their playoff series in four games. O'Neill went 0-for-3 in Game 1, a Yankees win that ended with a thrilling walk-off home run by Bernie Williams in the 11th inning. In Game 2, the Yankees lost, and O'Neill had a single in three plate appearances. He was benched for Game 3 but returned for Game 4, hitting a home run off Rocky Coppinger that eventually put the Yankees up 5-2 in an 8-4 victory. The Yankees also won Game 5, taking their first American League pennant since 1981.

In the World Series, their opponents were the Atlanta Braves, who had won 96 games and included three Cy Young Award winners: Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, and John Smoltz. Games 1 and 2 at home were a nightmare for the Yankees, who lost 12-1 and 4-0. But the Yankees hung tough, winning Games 3 and 4. O'Neill was benched in both contests in favor of Darryl Strawberry. In the deciding Game 6, O'Neill started and sparked a three-run Yankees rally in the bottom of the third inning with a line drive double to right. After one out, he scored on a single by Yankees catcher Joe Girardi. With two outs in the ninth inning, Mark Lemke popped out to third baseman Charlie Hayes, and for the first time in 18 years, the Yankees were champions of the baseball world.

O'Neill was famously his own toughest critic, seemingly never satisfied with his own performance and known for his emotion on the field. When disappointed with his performance or angry with an umpire's decision, he would attack water coolers or toss bats on the field. His tirades were both praised and criticized by the media and fans. O'Neill was also involved in a brawl with Seattle catcher John Marzano. O'Neill had complained to the umpire that the previous pitch was high and inside. Marzano then hit the much bigger Paul O'Neill with a haymaker. The two grappled, and the benches cleared. These displays of intense passion and competitiveness earned him the nickname "Warrior" from Yankees owner George Steinbrenner, and also "Heat and Soul" ヒート・アンド・ソウル_{Hīto ando Souru}^Japanese.

In 1997, the Yankees finished two games behind the Orioles in the American East but won the wild card. O'Neill had a great season, batting .324 with 42 doubles, 21 home runs, and 117 RBIs. He also made his fourth All-Star team and finished 12th in the voting for American League MVP. The Yankees won Game 1 of the American League Division Series 8-6 against the Indians, highlighted by back-to-back-to-back home runs by Tim Raines, Derek Jeter, and O'Neill in the fifth inning. The Yankees lost Game 2 by a score of 7-5. O'Neill came up big in Game 3. With the bases loaded and the Yankees leading 2-1 in the top of the fourth inning, O'Neill came to the plate against Indians reliever Chad Ogea. With the way Yankees starting pitcher David Wells had been pitching, a hit with the bases loaded would put the game out of reach. O'Neill fouled off two more pitches as the tension mounted. Then, on the eighth pitch of the at-bat, O'Neill drove Ogea's pitch for a grand slam. The Yankees took a 6-1 lead in what would end up being their eventual score. However, they lost the last two games. Despite O'Neill's outstanding performance, batting .421 with 2 doubles, 2 home runs, and 7 RBIs, the Yankees' year came to an end.

After a sluggish start at the beginning of the 1998 season, the Yankees won 8 consecutive games and then 26 of 31. By the morning of May 17, they had opened up a 3.5-game lead over the Red Sox. Things only got better on Sunday afternoon when David Wells pitched a perfect game against the Minnesota Twins. O'Neill went hitless in four at-bats, but he made the final out catch. It was the second perfect game O'Neill played in. The Yankees continued to roll through the summer, winning what was then an American League record of 114 games and winning the division by 22 games. O'Neill batted .317, his sixth consecutive season of batting at least .300. He also hit 24 home runs and collected 40 doubles. He led the AL by grounding into 22 double plays.

The Yankees swept the Rangers in the American League Division Series. In the American League Championship Series, they faced the Indians, seeking revenge against the team that had put them out of the playoffs a year earlier. In the bottom of the first inning of Game 1, O'Neill sparked a rally with an RBI single that scored Chuck Knoblauch. Two batters later, he scored on a wild pitch to put the Yankees up three. The Yankees never gave up the lead and eventually won 7-2. O'Neill added a double in the seventh inning, ending the day 2-for-5 with an RBI and 2 runs scored. Games 2 and 3 went to the Indians, setting up a critical Game 4 in Cleveland. Another Yankees loss would put them down 3 games to 1, a scenario O'Neill and the team desperately wanted to avoid. In the first inning, O'Neill set the tone when he ripped a line drive home run to right field that put the Yankees up 1-0. In the fourth inning, he stole a base and scored on a single by Chili Davis that eventually put the Yankees up 4-0 in a 4-0 victory. The Yankees fought back in Game 5 with a three-run rally in the first inning. O'Neill contributed with a double and a run scored. He added an RBI single in the second inning to put the team up 4-2 in a game the Yankees won 5-3. They also prevailed in Game 6, a 9-5 victory that sent the Yankees to the World Series for the second time in three years. For the series, O'Neill batted .280 with 2 doubles and 1 home run.

In the World Series, the Yankees faced the San Diego Padres. Game 1 was a thriller, with the Yankees winning a game highlighted by a seven-run rally in the bottom of the seventh inning that officially put the team in the lead for a 9-6 victory. Game 2 was a 9-3 blowout in which O'Neill went 0-for-5 with one run scored. In Game 3, the Yankees held a 3-0 lead through the top of the seventh inning. Scott Brosius's solo home run and a Padres error that allowed a run to score closed the gap to 3-2. In the eighth inning, O'Neill scored on Brosius's second home run of the game. The Yankees completed the sweep the next night, winning 3-0. O'Neill had a double, a single, and a run scored in the clincher. For the series, he had only 4 hits in 19 at-bats and did not hit a home run, but he scored 3 runs and played spectacular defense. For the third time in his career, O'Neill was a World Series champion.

O'Neill had a strong season in 1999, batting .297 with 4 home runs and 20 RBIs in April. He then slumped in May. By May 25, his average had dropped to .244. That day, he broke out of the slump with 3 hits in 4 at-bats, and the next day went 2-for-5. In June, he batted .334 and drove in 20 runs. In July, he continued his hot hitting, batting .305 with 10 doubles, 5 home runs, and 19 RBIs. On July 18, against the Montreal Expos, O'Neill played in his third career perfect game. He is the only player to have been part of three perfect game victories: Tom Browning in 1988, David Wells in 1998, and David Cone in 1999.

The Yankees finished the regular season with 98 wins, winning their third American League East title in four years. O'Neill ended the season at .285 with 39 doubles, 19 home runs, and 110 RBIs. However, on October 2, he sustained an injury. In the American League Division Series, the Yankees swept the Rangers, but O'Neill was limited due to a rib injury. He played two of the games, managing 2 doubles in 8 at-bats with no RBIs. In the American League Championship Series, they faced the Red Sox. O'Neill played a little better but clearly lacked power in his swing, batting .286 with just one RBI.

At the time, O'Neill was also dealing with more than a rib injury. His father had suffered a heart attack in June, and as the playoffs began, Chick O'Neill was in Lenox Hill Hospital in New York. When the Yankees returned home, O'Neill often slept in his father's hospital room. Just before the World Series began, his father's condition rapidly declined as he contracted pneumonia and a staph infection. It was on Paul O'Neill's mind as he began the 1999 World Series against the Braves. Game 1 was a pitching duel between Orlando Hernández and Greg Maddux. With the game tied at one, O'Neill came to the plate with the bases loaded. The Braves brought in left-handed closer John Rocker. O'Neill's hit gave the Yankees a 3-1 lead, and they went on to win 4-1.

When the team returned, O'Neill's father was near death. Paul O'Neill stayed at the hospital the night before Game 3, seeing his father until he had to leave for the stadium. He hit a game-tying single in the first inning. The Yankees eventually won 6-5 on Chad Curtis's 10th-inning walk-off home run. Hours after the game ended, O'Neill's father died of lung and kidney failure. O'Neill spent the day with his family to attend the funeral, and he considered not playing that night in Game 4. But as the Yankees took the field, an emotionally drained O'Neill, still in constant pain from his broken ribs, proudly took his usual position in right field. The Yankees won their third World Series title, and O'Neill's fourth career championship. After the World Series, O'Neill briefly considered retirement, but he decided to return when the Yankees picked up his 6.50 M USD option.

The Yankees won their division again in 2000. O'Neill had another good year, batting .283 with 18 home runs and 100 RBIs. After advancing through the first two rounds of the postseason against the Athletics and Mariners, the Yankees faced the New York Mets in the 2000 World Series. It was the first "Subway Series" in 44 years. In the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 1, the Yankees were up 3-2. With one out, O'Neill came to bat against Armando Benítez, a big, hard-throwing right-hander. After consecutive singles by Luis Polonia and José Vizcaíno, Chuck Knoblauch hit a sacrifice fly to left that scored O'Neill, tying the game at three. In the 10th inning, O'Neill came up with the bases loaded and one out, but he swung at the first pitch and grounded into a double play to end the inning. The Yankees won the game 4-3 in 12 innings.

The Yankees also won Game 2, with O'Neill going 3-for-4 with an RBI in a hard-fought 6-5 victory. He also started Game 3 and went 3-for-4. In the fourth inning of that game, with the score tied at one, O'Neill ripped an RBI triple to put the Yankees in the lead by a run. The Yankees lost 4-2. The loss snapped a 14-game World Series winning streak and pulled the Mets back into the series. In the second inning of Game 4, O'Neill hit a triple, and the Yankees lost 4-2. They also won Game 5, winning in the top of the ninth inning when Luis Sojo singled with two outs and two on. It was the Yankees' third consecutive title. O'Neill batted .474 with 2 doubles and 2 triples each. Notably, he had not hit a triple during the regular season.

3.3.3. Final Season and Retirement (2001)

As the 2000 season ended, O'Neill's status for the 2001 season was uncertain. His contract was expiring, and at 37 years old, he had a difficult second half and postseason due to a persistent hamstring injury he suffered in August. Once again, he considered retiring or playing for another team closer to his home. However, on November 16, 2000, O'Neill signed a one-year contract for 7.25 M USD. During the summer, he informed some Yankees reporters that he had decided to retire after this season but did not want to make a formal announcement until after the season, as he did not want his personal plans to be a distraction for the team.

On September 2, at Fenway Park, O'Neill came within one strike of playing in his fourth perfect game. Yankees starting pitcher Mike Mussina had shut down the Red Sox for 8 and two-thirds innings, striking out 13 batters. But with two strikes, Red Sox batter Carl Everett hit a single to center, breaking Mussina's bid for perfection. On September 7, O'Neill suffered a stress fracture in his left foot that placed him on the disabled list. Four days later, New York was attacked by terrorists who hijacked two commercial airplanes, crashing them into the World Trade Center. Members of the Yankees, including O'Neill, visited Ground Zero and the Armory, comforting workers and family members, and giving toys to children.

Baseball resumed on September 18, but O'Neill remained on the disabled list until October 3. When he returned to the lineup that day, he went 2-for-4 with 2 home runs and was named to the playoff roster. Despite missing 25 games, the 38-year-old O'Neill put up some solid statistics. He batted .267 with 33 doubles, 21 home runs, and 70 RBIs. He also had 22 stolen bases, making him the oldest player in history to have at least 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases in a single season. The Yankees won their fourth consecutive division championship.

In the American League Division Series, the Yankees lost the first two games to the Athletics. O'Neill failed to get a hit in those games in 8 at-bats. O'Neill only played in Game 4, a 9-2 victory, where he hit a double. In the American League Championship Series, the Yankees faced the Mariners, the team that had won 116 regular-season games, tying a record. O'Neill hit 2 home runs in Game 1, which the Yankees won 4-2. The Yankees also prevailed in Game 2, a 3-2 victory, where O'Neill singled once in three at-bats. The Mariners overwhelmingly defeated the Yankees in Game 3, but the Yankees took the next two contests. O'Neill hit a home run and a single in Game 5, a 12-3 Yankees victory. It was their fourth consecutive American League pennant. For the series, O'Neill batted .417 with 2 home runs and 3 RBIs.

The Arizona Diamondbacks won the National League pennant and were set to challenge the Yankees for the World Series. Although he had not officially announced it, word of O'Neill's planned retirement leaked to the media, and speculation throughout Yankee Stadium was that O'Neill was playing in his final few games. The Diamondbacks easily took Games 1 and 2, but the Yankees took Game 3. In Game 4, the Yankees largely dealt with Diamondbacks starting pitcher Curt Schilling, who held the team to one run in seven innings. In the eighth inning, reliever Byung-hyun Kim struck out the side in order. In the ninth inning, trailing 3-1 with one out, O'Neill singled to left. Then Bernie Williams struck out, bringing Tino Martinez to the plate with two outs. With one more out, the World Series looked out of reach for the Yankees. But Martinez did not make an out. He drove Kim's first pitch to the wall in center. O'Neill and 56,000 fans went wild as he and Martinez crossed the plate. One inning later, Jeter hit a walk-off home run to send the series to New York.

Game 5 was virtually a copy of Game 4. The Yankees were up 2-0 in the top of the ninth inning of that game. Fans at Yankee Stadium, knowing O'Neill was playing his final game, cheered him on. In the bottom of the ninth, Scott Brosius hit a home run with two outs, tying the game at three. The Yankees went on to win the game, taking a 3-2 lead in the series. They were now one game away from winning their fourth consecutive championship, but in Game 6, the Diamondbacks routed the Yankees, and in Game 7, they scored 2 runs off Mariano Rivera in the bottom of the ninth, winning 3-2. It was a brutal end to a rewarding career for O'Neill.