Yankees Rookies Bring '80's Music Stars and Bad Outfits Back to Life

It was a decade of one hit wonders and The Go Go's around Yankee Stadium.  No I'm not talking about Jack Clark or Billy Ball, but the '80's-- a decade the Yankees would rather mostly forget.

Yesterday,  seven rookie players dressed up as some of the end-of-that decade's most famous pop stars during the Yankees annual rookie hazing, and brought back memories of the only ten year-run the team didn't win a World Series.

Some of these players were too young-- or not even born-- to remember when skinny ties with a tee-shirt and big hair were the rage.  A man could actually wear pajama pants to a bar and be the toughest guy in the room. It was a time when MTV actually played music videos and Don Mattingly won an MVP.

Music had G & R's "The Spaghetti Incident" while the Yankees had the pine tar one.

There was Flock of Seagulls and Rickey Henderson, George Michael (before the public bathroom arrests) in Wham with that other guy while the Bronx had "Mr. May," Dave Winfield.

Sadly, people actually dressed like that.  Any John Hughes movie will attest to that.

Hope this photo brings back good memories, except for the duds. The players look like they're having fun parodying the new wave look.  If they only knew that this was considered cool back then until Kurt Cobain and Nirvana went grunge.

Taking their show to Danceteria are (from left) Andrew Brackman, Dellin Betances (Milli Vanilli), George Kontos (George Michael), Hector Noesi (Prince), Joe Girardi, Austin Romine (Madonna), Jesus Montero (MC Hammer), Brandon Laird (Slash).

Phil Hughes Might Have Only One Chance To Prove Himself

Derek Jeter's quest for 3,000 will, unrealistically, take a backseat to another New York Yankees moment tonight. This evening, all eyes of the Yankee Universe will be focused on Phil Hughes return to the mound when the Yankees meet the Cleveland Indians at Progressive Field.  Hughes' performance tonight might determine his chances of rejoining the Yankees starting rotation, permanently.

Hughes is returning from the disabled list and hopes to put his first three nightmarish starts of this season behind him.  What would have sounded like deja-vu in spring training is now a reality-- Hughes is once again fighting for a position on the over-stocked Yankees rotation.

Maybe the Yankees are hoping that the Jeter milestone will obscure their struggling starter's long-awaited return and take the pressure off.

After Hughes earned the starting spot last season in spectacular fashion, his "dead arm" issues early this season have transported him back to an uncertain future--for now.  A poor outing tonight could land him Yankees Limbo.