I’ve used Kevin Brown as my whipping boy for the past two seasons, and this was not undeserved. Each time a batter got the better of him, I groaned, because Brown never seemed to be able to get it back together after a slipup. I always felt like he was giving up after the first hit to go by him. Seeing his surly face on the mound reminded me of his fist-smashing roid-fueled rampage, and I’m convinced his bad attitude in the field was bringing the Yankees down. His performance with the Yankees was abysmal; he finished 2004 with a 4.09 ERA and left 2005 at 6.50. And who can forget his contribution to the 2004 ALCS vs. Boston?! Grrrrr…..

The truth, though, is that before Kevin Brown was a Yankee, he had proved himself to be a very dominating and capable pitcher. Even with his hideous numbers in New York, Kevin is retiring from a nineteen-year career with a 211-144 record and a 3.28 ERA. He was a 6-time all-star, has pitched 17 shut-outs and 72 complete games, and was impressive enough to be the highest paid player in the MLB at one point. I don’t know why that Kevin Brown didn’t show up in New York, but I’m glad he’s retiring before he can do any more damage to the Yankees or his own stats.