The 1996 Yankees roster consisted of a mix of veteran stars and the emergence of the Core Four, powering the team to a World Series title. That group kept it loose and enjoyed strong camaraderie in the clubhouse.
Besides Brian Boehringer, that is, who gave off some chilling vibes.
“I tell people all the time, not only for the guys’ ability, but it was like the greatest team I ever played on,” Charlie Hayes said on the “Pinstripe Pod” Monday. “Everybody. You might see me, Graeme Lloyd, [Andy] Fox, or somebody hanging out in one area, and then there’s four more guys over there. Then we had Boehringer, who never talked, we didn’t know what he was. I thought he was a serial killer or something.”
Jeff Nelson, who co-hosts the podcast and was a reliever on that team, laughed in agreement.
Hayes, who notably caught the final out of that World Series win over the Braves, said Boehringer often was reading about Jeffrey Dahmer, a notorious serial killer dubbed “The Milwaukee Monster.” Hayes faked a trip to the bathroom to find the Dahmer books in Boehringer’s locker.
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It was a stark difference from a team that consisted of personalities like Darryl Strawberry, Cecil Fielder, Dwight Gooden and Tino Martinez.
“You remember that? I always noticed when I take ground balls, he would always be standing in left field,” Hayes said of Boehrniger’s unmatched intensity. “I would bend down and look down through my legs and he’d be standing right behind me. I asked Tim Raines and I would say ‘Rock, what’s up with that Boehringer guy?’ And he was like ‘he’s a serial killer bro.’”
Boehringer made 15 appearances that season mostly out of the bullpen, recording a 5.44 ERA. He pitched three seasons for the Yankees overall and his MLB career lasted until 2004.
“He was a different cat,” Hayes said.