Jimmy Scott's Team History- New York Veterans

New York Veterans Team History

Jimmy Scott plays for the New York Veterans, named in 1962 in honor of those who gave their lives in America’s wars. Fans generally shorten the name to Vets, the New York Vets.

The team has won four championships, two before a 1994 trade that brought over Jimmy Scott from Chicago (1969, 1986) and two since the Jimmy Scott acquisition (1999, 2000). In 2000, the Vets beat the Athletics in a Subway Series.

In 2007, the Vets went through a horrendous season, losing aging ace Jimmy Scott on opening day and many other key players to injury. Joan Delaney led a group that purchased the team in February, 2007 from a major media company for $850 million. Her purchase included the team, the stadium (but not the land around the stadium, which is owned by New York City), and a fledgling regional sports network called New York Sports (NYS).

In September, 2007, manager Larry Picketts went on a rampage while doing a phone interview with New York’s top sports radio station (and the Vets’ flagship radio station), WTEM (The Team!). Knowing he was on the outs, Picketts swore and slandered most members of the Veterans organization. (The rant is “viewed” on YouTube over 800,000 times during the first two weeks after it was posted.) Picketts was fired the following day and replaced by 80 year old Gums Murphy on an interim basis. NYS broadcaster Rick Churches was chosen as full-time field manager in October.