We Remember - Luis Sojo

We will be running a segment called "We Remember" in an effort to honor old New York players, who may not have been the best, but were able to help their teams in different ways. Today, we remember Luis Sojo.

Game five. Top of the ninth. Two to two. Yankees have a three to one series lead. "Leiter has 141 pitches, this is gonna be number 142. The pitch...up the middle, base hit! They're gonna bring Posada to the plate. Payton's throw hits the runner. Brosius scores! Sojo goes to third. It's a two-run single by Luis Sojo and the Yankees take a 4-2 lead!" - Joe Buck

A better hitter than he was given credit for, Luis Sojo was described by Yankee announcer John Sterling as "The best .200 hitter ever". Sojo was a great utility player for the Yankees from 1996-2001. In one of the best moves of their dynasty, the Yankees claimed Sojo off waivers from the Mariners on August 22, 1996. Sojo, who was hitting only .211 in Seattle, hit .275 for the Yankees the rest of the season and .400 in the playoffs (.600 in the World Series). After only a few months as a Yankee, Sojo had already won a ring and established himself as a clutch and integral team player. The Yankees re-signed him before the 1997 season, a year Sojo did not disappoint hitting a career-high .307. 

Primarily a second baseman, Sojo was known most for his defense. He played every position in the infield along with left field. A versatile player, the Venezuelan native had soft hands, good range and a strong arm in the infield. But he could hit, too. Sojo is the proud owner of a walk-off hit against the Red Sox, a game-winning double down the right field line for a 7-6 victory in Yankee Stadium. In 2,571 career at-bats, he struck out only 198 times even though he used to hit in a lot of two-strike counts. With his short, compact swing, he was able to slap the ball through the infield often, making him a great hit-and-run guy.

The .261 career hitter would do anything for manager Joe Torre or his teammates. In fact, Sojo loved being a Yankee so much that when he was not re-signed after the 2000 season and was forced to sign with the Pirates, he would root for his former New York teammates every night, following the Yankee games daily. On August 7 of that year, the Yankees traded Chris Spurling to the Pirates for Sojo, who made a grand return to New York that night.  Sojo hit .288 the rest of the season in New York and contributed in the World Series, getting his famous series-winning hit at Shea Stadium off Al Leiter. 

Sojo will be remembered as a player who put everything on the line in order to win. As George Steinbrenner would put it, he was and always will be a true Yankee. He was one of the most relaxed and easy-going players I've ever seen, traits that are necessary in a guy who may not play everyday. They helped him become the best utility infielder of the 1990s.