Post by fwclipper51 on May 18, 2024 16:51:54 GMT -5
This Week in Yankees History May 19th-May 25th
May 19th
1891-Former Yankees Pitcher George Clark (1913) was born. (1891-1940)
For the 1913 Yankees, Pitcher George Clark went 0-1 with a 9.00 ERA in 11 games.
1903-Due to Sunday Baseball Restrictions in Cleveland, a MLB game is played in Columbus, Ohio with the “hometown” Naps (aka Indians) defeating the Highlanders by the score of 9-2.
1928-Former Yankees INF Gil McDougald (1951-1960) was born. (1928-2010)
In 1948, the Yankees had signed INF Gil McDougald, as an MLB Amateur Free Agent. Gil was a very versatile infielder for the Yankees. In 1951, he had won the AL Rookie of the Year Award. He would hit a Grand Slam HR in the 1951 World Series against the Giants. He would make AL All-Star team 5 times during his MLB playing career. In 1955, he led the AL 2B in fielding. In 1957, a tragic line drive hit by Gil off of Indians Starter Herb Score in the face affected the rest of his MLB playing career. Gil had lost his aggressive approach at the plate. In December of 1960, Gil had been drafted by the “new” Washington Senators in the 1960 AL Expansion Team Player Draft. He refused to go to the new club. Also, Gil turned down a $100,000 Player-Manager job offer from the other new AL Expansion Team, the Angels. His former Yankees Manager Casey Stengel had recommended him to the Angels Team Owner Gene Autry for the job. He would retire from the Yankees. Gil would finish his fine Yankees playing career with a lifetime BA of .276, while hitting 112 HRs with 576 RBIs in 1,336 games. He had appeared in 8 World Series with the Yankees, while hitting .237 with 7 HRs and 24 RBIs. After his playing days were over, Gil was a College Baseball Coach at Fordham University for 7 years. Away from the diamond, he ran a NJ Maintenance Com. As he got older, Gil had suffered a progressive hearing loss, the result of being struck by a line drive hit by Bomber teammate OF Bob Cerv during batting practice many years earlier. He eventually went deaf, which was repaired by cochlear implant surgery in 1995.
1929-During the 5th inning of a Sunday afternoon game between the Red Sox and Yankees at Yankee Stadium, a sudden heavy rain-storm causes the crowd of 9,000 bleacher fans in right-field known as “Ruthville” stampede to the bleacher exits to get out of the rainstorm. The fan stampede to the exits results in 2 deaths with 62 people are injured. A truck driver named Joseph T. Carter, age 59 and 17- year-old Hunter College student named Eleanor Price were the fatal victims of the fan stampede to the RF Bleacher exits. The game ended at 5 innings with the Yankees winning by the score of 3-1. With back-to-back HRs in the 3rd inning by Bronx Bombers Sluggers Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth provide the Yankees winning lead. Yankees Starter Fred Heimach picks up his 3rd victory of the 1929 AL season, while Red Sox Starter Jack Russell drops to a 2-4 record. A crowd of 50,00 fans had attended the storm shorten game.
1941-Former Yankees Reserve 2B Joe Gedeon (1916-1917) had passed away. (1893-1941)
The Yankees had purchased 2B Joe Gedeon from his Newark (Federal League) player contract for $7,500 Cash a considerable sum for an unproven player in those days. He had sign with Newark, but the Federal League had folded up. His old AL team, the Senators protested vehemently over his purchase, but AL President Ban Johnson ruled against them. He directed Joe Gedeon to report to Yankees, where he played as a Reserve Infielder in 1916 and 1917. Joe appeared in 155 game for the Yankees, while hitting just .215. The New York Evening Journal noted the week of September 1, 1916 that the Yankees had pulled off a double squeeze play against the Red Sox at the Polo Grounds. In that game, the batter Gedeon was retired bunting while 2 runners scored. They repeated the feat 2 weeks later, with Gedeon at the center of the action once again. The normally staid and dry New York Times, of September 15, 1916, stated "The Yankees put the game right into the bag in the 7th inning, and called the double squeeze, one of the most spectacular of all scoring plays, into use. With one out Elmer Miller singled, and dashed to 3rd when Gedeon doubled to left field. Roxy Walters tipped the sign for the squeeze play when he came up, and Willie Mitchell, pitching for the Tigers, was of invaluable assistance when he took a half wind up, and as he started his motion the runners hit the trail. Miller was almost home by the time the ball got to the plate, and Gedeon was a few feet from 3rd. Walters rolled a slow teaser to Pep Young, and Miller slid over the plate. His dust had only risen, it seemed, when a fresh cloud gestured into the air, hurled up as Gedeon hit the dirt and slid over the plate safely. The play was brought to the perfect ending, for Walters beat the hit out." On January 22 1918, Gedeon was traded to the St. Louis Browns in a blockbuster deal. The Yankees received Star 2B Del Pratt and veteran southpaw (and future HOF) Eddie Plank in exchange for Gedeon, INF Fritz Maisel, P Nick Cullop, Catcher Les Nunamaker and a young right-hander named Urban Shocker. The trade worked out well for the Browns, despite the fact that Maisel, Cullop and Nunamaker were soon gone. Gedeon settled into the Browns' regular 2B job. Urban Shocker eventually became the ace of the Browns pitching staff. Pratt had 3 solid seasons with the Yankees, but the 42-year-old Eddie Plank refused to report to the Yankees. He took his 326 MLB lifetime victories into retirement. Joe Gedeon was also the "Ninth Man Out" in the Black Sox Scandal. He was an old friend of White Sox player Swede Risberg from their California days, he bet on the Reds in the 1919 World Series, placing him at a meeting with gamblers, as they were discussing the plot to throw the World Series. He would testify to a Grand Jury after the 1920 MLB season. He was dropped from the St. Louis Browns MLB team roster. On November 3,1921, Judge Landis would banned him permanently for "having guilty knowledge" of the 1919 World Series fix and for not reporting it to the proper authorities.
1954-Former Yankees Catcher Rick Cerone (1980, 1985, 1987, 1990) was born.
Catcher Rick Cerone won Gold with the USA at the 1974 Amateur World Series. He was a 1st-round pick in 1975 MLB Amateur Player Draft by the Indians. He came to the MLB that same year for 7 games. His only time in the Minor Leagues was at the AAA level. He was traded by the Indians to the Blue Jays before the start of the 1977 AL season, he gradually got more playing time with the Jays until 1979, when he was the team's primary Catcher, but he never hit as high as .240. During the winter of 1979, the Yankees in the Chris Chambliss trade with the Blue Jays had obtained the young Catcher. He never lived up to his potential as hitting catcher, after replacing Thurman Munson as the Yankees regular catcher in 1980; following Munson’s tragic death in August of 1979. He had his best MLB Player career season in that 1980 AL season, hitting .277 with 14 HRs and 30 doubles on a Yankees team that won 103 games. He finished #7 in the AL MVP voting. For the next 4 seasons with the Yankees, he never hit over .244 (he suffered from various injuries), began to share playing time with veteran Catchers like Butch Wynegar and others. Then he was traded to the Braves for 1 season, where he hit .216. He was their starter during the 1981 MLB Postseason, hitting .333 with a HR in the ALDS, but falling to .100 in the ALCS and .190 in the World Series, although he did hit another HR. In 1987, the Yankees used him twice as a Pitcher, he gave up no hits or runs in 2 innings of work. Overall, Rick Cerone had appeared in 587 games for the Yankees, while hitting .241 with 31 HRs and 203 RBIs.
1955-Former Yankees Pitcher Ed Whitson (1985-1986) was born.
Starter Ed Whitson went 15-10 with a 5.38 ERA in 44 games for the 1985-1986 Yankees. Ed had signed a 5-year MLB Free Agent contract with the Yankees worth $4.4 million with a 6th-year option. Whitson got off to a terrible start in the Bronx, going 1-6 with a 6.23 ERA in his 1st 11 starts of the 1985 AL season. Soon he became a focal point for heckling Yankee fans. He began receiving verbal abuse and hate mail; he refused to let his wife, Kathleen attend home games at Yankee Stadium. On June 11,1985, after giving up 5 hits and 1 run against the Blue Jays in Yankee Stadium, Whitson retired the next 19 batters that he faced. Fans began to cheer Whitson during the game, although the game was lost by the Yankees bullpen in extra innings, Whitson left the game to a standing ovation in the 10th inning. From there, Whitson turned his 1985 AL season around, by posting a 9-1 record with a 2.27 ERA over his next 16 starts. The Yankees were just 2.5 games back of the 1st place Blue Jays in the AL East. When Toronto came to the Bronx for a crucial 4 game series on September 12th. With the Blue Jays taking 2 of the 1st 3 games, Yankees Manager Billy Martin handed Whitson the ball for the 4th game. Whitson gave up 4 earned runs in just 2 innings as the Jays won the game by the score of 8-5 to take a 4.5 game lead in the Eastern AL Division race. Billy Martin would lift Whitson from his next scheduled start on September 20th. On September 22nd, while at a hotel bar in Baltimore, Whitson and Manager Martin got into a heated argument that spread to other parts of the hotel that resulted in a broken ulna in Martin's right arm and a bruised right side. Meanwhile Whitson had suffered a cracked rib and a split lip; he did not pitch again for the remainder of the 1985 AL season, finishing up with a 10-8 record along with a 4.88 ERA. After the 1985 AL season, Billy Martin was fired by the Yankees front office, which many Yankee fans suspected was because of his altercation with Whitson. During the 1986 AL season, Ed was used both as a Starter and Reliever by new Yankees Manager Lou Piniella. He was 4-0 despite having a high 7.36 ERA out of the bullpen and a 1-2 record with an 8.71 ERA as a Starter. Knowing that Whitson wanted out of the Bronx, the Yankees would trade Ed back to the Padres for veteran MLB Reliever Tim Stoddard on July 9,1986.
1957-Former Yankees Minor League P Ben Callahan was born. (1957-2007)
On June 3,1980, P Ben Callahan was selected by the Yankees in the 31st round of the 1980 MLB Amateur Player Draft. Ben would never appear with the Yankees at MLB level. On June 15,1983, Ben was traded by the Yankees along with DH/1B Marshall Brant and Cash to the A’s for veteran MLB Starter Matt Keough. Ben would post a 1-2 record with Oakland in his only MLB pitching career season. The Athletics would send him back to the Minor Leagues.
1960-The Yankees had traded P Mark Freeman to the Cubs for P Art Ceccarelli. The Yankees had traded Freeman to Kansas City on April 8,1959, but after 3 games with the team; they sold him back to the Yankees on May 8,1959. He was sent by the team to AAA Seattle (PCL). He did pitch 1 game for the Yankees with no decision. Ceccarelli was 9-18 with 5 MLB seasons with the A’s, Orioles and the Cubs. The Yankees would send him to their AAA club at Richmond (IL). He would never pitch in the MLB again.
1960-On May 19,1960, the Yankees had re-obtained veteran OF Bob Cerv from Kansas City A's for veteran 3B Andy Carey. Andy had lost his Yankees 3B starting job to Clete Boyer. Veteran OF Bob Cerv will provide power off the bench and outfield defense for the Yankees for the rest of 1960 AL season, before being lost to the new LA Angels team in the AL Expansion Team Player Draft in December of 1960. He would hit .250 with 8 HRs and 28 RBIs for the 1960 Yankees. Bob would hit .357 in the 1960 World Series against the Pirates before getting hurt and missing the critical Game 7. He would be re-obtained by the Yankees from the Angels on May 8,1961 in the Ryne Duren trade.
1969-The Yankees had obtained OF Jose Vidal from the Seattle Pilots for Reserve OF/1B Richard Simpson. Jose would never play for the Yankees at MLB level. The team would send Jose to their AAA club, the Syracuse Chiefs (IL). Simpson had gone 3 for 11 in 6 games for the 1969 Yankees, before being send down to AAA Syracuse (IL).
1975-Former Yankees Minor League Manager Josh Paul was born.
Former MLB Catcher Josh Paul had managed the 2009-2010 Class A short-season Staten Island Yankees (NYPL). In 2018, Josh Paul was named the MLB Bench Coach of the Los Angeles Angels. He had previously been a Minor League Manager in the Yankees' organization, as well as the team's Minor League Catching Instructor. When Angels Manager Mike Scioscia retired after the 2018 NL season, Paul retained his job under his successor Brad Ausmus in 2019.
1977-Former Yankees Reliever Dan Giese (2008) was born.
On November 24, 2007, Reliever Dan Giese was signed as an MLB Free Agent by the Yankees. He will appear in 20 games for the 2008 Yankees, while posting a 1-3 record with a 3.53 ERA. On April 8, 2009, Dan was selected off waivers by the Oakland A’s from the Yankees.
1991-Former Yankees Reserve 1B/DH Ji-Man Choi (2017) was born.
Before the start of the 2017 AL season, Choi had signed with the Yankees as a MLB Free Agent, although he was far down the depth chart for 1B/DH, as the Yankees had already veteran players Chris Carter and Matt Holliday and youngsters Greg Bird and Tyler Austin already on hand. He would start the season with the AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (IL), where he did quite well, hitting .289 with 8 HRs and 43 RBIs in 56 games. With Bird and Austin both injured and Carter not producing with the bat, Ji-Man was called up to the Bronx on July 5th and homered and drove in 2 runs in each of his 1st 2 games with the team. Those were his only 2 hits before the MLB All-Star break, but on July 10th, the Yankees decided to release Carter, who was hitting .201 with a ton of strikeouts. It seemed like Choi was going to start at 1B until 1 of the 2 youngsters were ready to come back, or they acquired someone else in a trade, but the team did acquire someone, Minor League Slugger Garrett Cooper, who filled in the gap until a trading deadline deal brought in Todd Frazier to play 3B, freeing veteran INF Chase Headley to play 1st. The fallout for Ji-man was that he spent the rest of the season in AAA, finishing the season at .287 with 25 doubles, 15 HRs and 69 RBIs in 87 games. After the 2017 AL season ended, Choi became an MLB Free Agent. He was signed with the Brewers, who would trade him to the Rays during the 2018 MLB season. He has obtained MLB player success, while playing for the Rays.
1993-Former Yankees Reserve INF Oscar Grimes Jr. (1943-1946) had passed away.(1915-1993)
On December 17,1942, veteran INF Oscar Grimes was traded by the Indians along with OF Roy Weatherly to the Yankees for OF Roy Cullenbine and AL All-Star Catcher Buddy Rosar. Oscar would appear in 281 games for the Yankees, while hitting .266 with 9 HRs and 96 RBIs. On July 11,1946, Oscar was purchased by the Philadelphia Athletics from the Yankees.
1999-Former Yankees Minor League P Deivi Garcia (2020-2023) was born.
Before start of the 2016 AL season, Pitcher Deivi Garcia was signed by the Yankees as an Amateur Free Agent from the Dominican Republic. He began his pro career with the DSL Yankees 2, while posting a 1-5 record with a 2.61 ERA in 12 starts. Then in 2017, he pitched for the 3 different teams. He was with the DSL Yankees for 3 games, then earned successive promotions to the GCL Yankees and Class A Pulaski Yankees. Combined, he went 6-2, with a 3.30 ERA in 30 games, with 85 strikeouts in 60 innings. In 2018, he made 8 starts for the Class A Charleston RiverDogs (SAL), where he was 2-4 with a 3.76 ERA, before earning a promotion to the Class A Tampa Tarpons (FSL). On August 6th, he pitched an absolute gem in the 2nd game of a doubleheader against the Clearwater Threshers, with 7 perfect innings during which he struck out 12 opponents. Unfortunately for him, his teammates were unable to score as Tampa lost the game, when Reliever Christian Morris allowed a run without giving up a hit in the 8th. In 2020, he appeared at the MLB level for the 1st time, Devi had appeared in 6 games for the Yankees, while posting a 3-2 record with a 4.98 ERA. In 2021, he was at AAA Scranton (IL), he was called up by the Yankees for 1 start, he went 0-1 with a 4.50 ERA. In 2022, he pitched at AA and AAA levels with a 4-5 record with a 6.89 ERA in 20 games. In 2023, he is at AAA, but he has 1 game with the Yankees, with 3 scoreless innings of relief before being sent back to Scranton. On August 10, 2023, he was selected off waivers by the White Sox from the Yankees. His final Yankees pitching totals were a 3-3 record with a 4.84 ERA with 1 save in 10 games.
2006-In a MLB Inter-League play game, Mets 3B David Wright wins the 1st Subway Series game of the 2006 MLB season between the 2 New York City teams, when he hits a 2-out RBI single off of Yankees Closer Mario Mariano Rivera in the bottom of the 9th inning to give the Mets a 7-6 victory over the Yankees.
2010-The Yankees learn that Catcher Jorge Posada has a broken bone in his right foot, he will be out of action for 3 to 4 weeks. Francisco Cervelli has already assumed the bulk of the playing time behind the plate this 2010 AL season. Posada joins teammate DH/1B Nick Johnson who is also out with a wrist injury, CF Curtis Granderson who is on the DL, while OF Marcus Thames and Nick Swisher are both day-to-day because of a sprained ankle and a sore biceps, respectively. The Rays take advantage of their banged-up Eastern Division rivals beating them by the score of 10-6 increasing their lead in the AL East to 4 games.
2015-Nationals hitter Ryan Zimmerman connects for a walk-off HR off Yankees Closer Andrew Miller in the 10th inning to give Washington an 8-6 win and put them into a tie for 1st place in the NL East with the Mets, after starting the 2015 NL season with a 7-13 record. For Ryan Zimmerman, it is the 10th such HR of his MLB playing career; for Miller, it's a 1st blown save after converting his 1st 13 save chances of the 2015 AL season.
2016-Former Yankees DH Jim Ray Hart (1973-1974) had passed away. (1941-2016)
On April 17,1973, veteran INF/OF Jim Ray Hart was purchased by the Yankees from the Giants. He was slowed down by injuries during his MLB playing career with the Giants in the NL. Jim had appeared in 124 games for the Yankees, hitting just .243 with 13 HRs and 52 RBIs. On June 7, 1974, Jim was released by the Yankees, ending his MLB playing career that had lasted 12 seasons, finishing with a .278 BA with 170 HRs and 578 RBIs in 1,125 MLB games with the Giants and the Yankees.
2017-Former Yankees 1B/PH Dave McDonald (1969) had passed away. (1943-2017)
Before the start of the 1962 AL season, 1B Dave McDonald was signed by the Yankees as an MLB Amateur Free Agent. Dave played in the Yankees organization from 1962 to 1970. In 1969, he appeared at the MLB level with the team for 9 games in September, hitting just .217 with No HRs and 2 RBIs as a 1B/PH. On May 15,1970, Dave was traded by the Yankees to the Montreal Expos for veteran MLB Reliever Gary Waslewski. With the 1971 Expos, he would appear in 24 games, while hitting just .103. From 1971-1974, he played in AAA level with the Expos and Mets organizations before ending his pro playing career.
2021-Yankees Starter Corey Kluber is the latest pitcher to join this season's no-hitter parade, pulling off the feat with a 2-0 win over the Rangers at Globe Life Field. It is already the 6th 9-inning no-hitter this season, and comes 1 day after Spencer Turnbull of the Tigers had pitched one.
2023-The Yankees have agreed to a minor league contract with Reliever Michael Feliz, the Leones de Yucatán (Mexican League) announced yesterday. According to the MLB.com transaction tracker, Feliz has first been assigned to the organization’s Tampa, Florida training complex. After some time there building up, he’s likely to head up to AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Feliz had signed with Yucatán over the offseason. He had pitched 9 times and tallied 8 1/3 innings in the Mexican League, allowing just 1 run with an excellent 13:2 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Along the way, the 29-year-old impressed Yankees’ Scouts to get another look in the affiliated ranks. On July 24, 2023, he was released by the Yankees.
2023-The Yankees had acquired veteran MLB OF Greg Allen from the Red Sox for Minor League P Diego Hernandez. Hernandez, an 18-year-old native of Mexico, had signed with New York as an undrafted free agent last year. He had spent 2022 in the Dominican Summer League, starting 5 of 12 games. Once official, it’ll be Allen’s 2nd stint as a Yankee. The switch-hitting outfielder had appeared in 15 games for New York 2 years ago. He played well, hitting .270 over 48 trips to the plate. Allen’s modest pre-2021 track record led the Yankees to place him on waivers despite that small-sample production. The Pirates had claimed him and kept him on the roster for the majority of 2022 season, but then he slumped to a .186 BA with a 31.3% strikeout rate in 134 trips to the plate. The Pirates ran Allen through waivers at the end of the season. He caught on with the Red Sox on an offseason minor league pact and has impressed over 37 games for their AAA affiliate in Worcester. He was hitting .250 in 151 trips to the plate.
May 20th
1890-Former Yankees Pitcher Jesse ‘Jim” Buckles (1916) was born. (1890-1975)
For the 1916 Yankees, Pitcher Jim Buckles had appeared in 2 games with no record along with a 2.25 ERA.
1893-Former Yankees Pitcher Walter Bernhardt (1918) was born. (1893-1958)
For the 1918 Yankees, Pitcher Walt Bernhardt had appeared in 1 game with no record.
1897-Former Yankees Closer William Wilcy “Cy” Moore (1927-1929,1932-1933) was born. (1897-1963)
Wilcy “Cy” Moore was the Relief Ace of the 1927 Yankees, posting a 13-7 record with 13 saves. Overall, in 1927, Cy finished the season with a 19-7 record and a 2.28 ERA in 50 games. Wilcy Moore is now considered to have won the 1927 American League ERA title, with a 2.28 figure as a Rookie in 1927. However, under the rules of the time, he was not considered eligible for the title in spite of his 213 innings pitched, as he had only compiled 6 complete games - in 12 starts - fewer than the minimum 10 required at the time. His Yankees teammate, veteran Starter Waite Hoyt, who posted a 2.64 ERA for the Yankees, is therefore credited with the title in many reference sources. Wilcy was also the Yankees' pitching hero in the 1927 World Series, saving a 5-4 win in Game 1, and pitching a complete game victory in Game 4 to put the finishing touch on a 4-game sweep of the Pirates. His Yankees Pitching career totals was a 36-21 record with a 3.31 ERA and 37 saves in 171 games. His World Series pitching record for the Yankees was a 2-0 mark with a 0.56 ERA and 1 save in 3 games. Wilcy Moore is considered to be the 1st of the great Yankees Closers in the team’s history. In 1930, the Yankees would send him to the AA St. Paul Saints (AA). He was drafted by the Red Sox in the 1931 MLB Rule 5 Player Draft. He pitched for the 1931-1932 Red Sox, while posting a 15-23 record with a 4.31 ERA and 12 saves in 90 games. On August 1,1932, the Yankees would trade P Gordon Rhodes to Boston for P Wilcy Moore. Moore had led the AL in saves in 1927 and the 1931 Red Sox (10). At the end of the 1933 AL season, the 37-year-old Moore was released by the Yankees. As an MLB Pitcher, he would finish his pitching career with a 51-44 record with a 3.70 ERA and 49 saves in 261 games.
1904-Former Yankees Pitcher Peter Appleton (also known as Peter Jablonski) (1933) was born. (1904-1974)
Pitcher Peter Appleton had appeared in 1 game with 1933 Yankees, while posting no record. The Yankees would send him back to their AA team, the 1934 Newark Bears (IL). Pete had originally come up with 1927 Reds. Also, he would pitch for the Indians, White Sox, Senators (twice), Browns and the Red Sox in his 14-season MLB Pitching career finishing with an overall 57-67 record with a 4.30 ERA in 341 games.
1913-The Yankees had obtained Shortstop Roger Peckinpaugh from the Indians for 2 Players: INF Bill Stumpf and OF Jack Lelivelt. Roger would help stabilized the 1913 Yankees infield, while hitting .268 in 95 games. He would be the starting Shortstop for the Yankees for 8 seasons, while playing in 1,219 games, hitting .257 with 36 HRs and 428 RBIs for the team. He would be the Yankees Team Captain from 1914 to 1921. On December 20,1921, he was traded by the Yankees to the Red Sox for Shortstop Everett “Deacon” Scott, Pitchers Sam Jones and Joe Bush. Boston would trade him to the Senators that winter.
1922-Yankees Slugger Babe Ruth is named Yankees Team Captain. He will lose his Team Captain position on May 25,1922. Ruth will be replaced by Shortstop Everette “Deacon” Scott, who will hold the position from 1922-1925. The next Yankees Team Captain will be 1B Lou Gehrig, who will hold the Team Captain Title from 1935-1939.
1923-Yankees Slugger Babe Ruth’s 15th inning 2-run HR gives Yankees Starter Herb Pennock, a 3-1 victory over the White Sox. Pennock goes the distance for the Yankees, while allowing only 4 White Sox hits and 1 run in 15 innings.
1925-The Indians scored 6 runs in the bottom of the 9th inning to beat the Yankees by a score of 10-9. Indians OF Tris Speaker scored the winning run from 1st base on a single.
1929-Former Yankees Minor League Player, MLB Scout and Manager Lamar North was born. (1929-2011)
Catcher Lamar North spent 13 seasons playing in the Minor Leagues. In 1948, North debuted with the Eastman Dodgers, hitting .271. In 1949, he batted .322 and slugged .420 for Eastman. He was among the Georgia State League's top 10 in batting average. North moved up to the Portsmouth Cubs in 1950, hitting .262. He had missed 1951-1952 seasons, presumably due to military service. North returned to Portsmouth in 1953, he batted only .216, showing rust. He did lead all catchers in the Piedmont League with 73 assists. In 1954, Lamar hit .249 for Portsmouth, followed by .258 in 1955. In 1956, he moved from the Cubs to the Yankees organization. The veteran backstop batted .256 for the Binghamton Triplets (EL). With Binghamton again in 1957, he hit .260. He hit .256 with a career-high 18 HRs, while slugging .424 for the 1958 New Orleans Pelicans (SA) and played 1 game with AAA Richmond. Lamar hit .247 in 60 games for 1959 Binghamton, also North spent time with the AAA Houston Buffs (7 for 47) and the AAA Richmond Virginians (4 for 20), getting his longest looks at AAA. He batted .235 for 2 Texas League clubs in 1960. He was 6 for 33 for the 1962 Class A Fort Lauderdale Yankees and was 0 for 1 for the 1963 AAA Richmond club to end his active playing career. Now a Minor League Manager for the Yankees, he would managed the 1962 Harlan Smokies, 1964 Johnson City Yankees, 1965 Greensboro Yankees and the Fort Lauderdale Yankees in 1966 and 1970. He would later become MLB Scout for the Yankees (1968-1971), Dodgers (1973-1975) and the Orioles (1977-?), signing future MLB players Ken Gerhart, Gregg Olson and Nick Markakis among others.
1930-Former Yankees Reliever and MLB Pitching Coach Tom “Plowboy” Morgan (1951-1952,1954-1956) was born. (1930-1987).
Before the start of the 1949 AL season, the Yankees had signed Pitcher Tom Morgan as an MLB Amateur Free Agent. He would miss time from the Yankees during the 1952-1953 AL seasons due to military service. Tom was a Relief Pitcher for the Yankees during the early 1950’s. His Yankee pitching career totals were a 38-22 record with 26 saves in 156 games. Tom was traded to Kansas City in February of 1957 as part of the Bobby Shantz trade. He had appeared in 3 World Series with the Yankees, while posting a 0-1 mark in 5 games. He would pitch for the 1957 A’s, 1958-1960 Tigers,1960 Senators before being drafted by the Angles in the 1960 AL Expansion Team Player Draft. He would end his MLB Pitching career in 1963 with the Angels with an overall 67-47 record with a 3.61 ERA and 64 saves in 443 games. After retiring, Morgan was a Minor League Pitching Instructor for the Angels organization in 1964 and 1965. He would manage the Idaho Falls Angels for part of 1966 season, then he returned to his Coaching duties in 1967 and 1968. Later, Morgan would manage the San Jose Bees for part of 1969 season. Then he was an MLB Scout for the Yankees in 1971. He returned to the Angels as a Coach on the MLB Coaching staff from 1972 to 1974. He was a MLB Pitching Coach for the Padres in 1975, the 1979 Yankees and the Angels yet again from 1981 to 1983.
1943-Former Yankees Reserve 1B/PH David McDonald (1969) was born. (1943-2017)
Before the start of the 1962 AL season, 1B Dave McDonald was signed by the Yankees as an MLB Amateur Free Agent. Dave had played in the Yankees organization from 1962 to 1970. In 1969, he had appeared at the MLB level with the team for 9 games in September, hitting just .217 with No HRs and 2 RBIs as a 1B/PH. On May 15,1970, Dave was traded by the Yankees to the Expos for MLB Reliever Gary Waslewski. With the 1971 Expos, he would appear in 24 games, while hitting just .103. From 1971-1974, he would play at the AAA level with the Expos and Mets organizations before ending his pro playing career.
1945-St. Louis Browns One-armed OF Pete Gray enjoyed an incredible day against the Yankees. Pete Gray made 3 outstanding catches, collected 4 hits with 2 RBIs and scored the winning run during the Browns doubleheader sweep of the Yankees.
1946-Former Yankees INF/DH/OF, MLB Coach and Yankees Broadcast Announcer Robert “Bobby “Murcer (1965-1966,1969-1974,1979-1983) was born. (1946-2008)
Bobby Murcer was groomed to be the next Mickey Mantle, but it didn’t work out that way, he still had a very good playing career with the Yankees. He played briefly with the team as an infielder in 1965-1966, before being drafted into the Army, missing the 1967-1967 AL seasons. In 1969, the Yankees would switch Bobby from the INF to the OF. He made the AL All-Star team in 1971-1974. He won AL Golden Glove in 1972. His best season with the bat as a Yankees player was in 1971, when he hit .331 with 25 HRs and 94 RBIs. In the winter of 1974, he was traded to the Giants for NL All-Star OF Bobby Bonds. The trade was unpopular with both team’s fans. Bobby was upset that Yankees Team Owner George Steinbrenner broke his promise to him, that long as he owned the team, Bobby would remain a Yankees player. He would play 2 seasons for the Giants before being traded him to the Cubs in the winter of 1976. Bobby would return to the Yankees from the Cubs during the 1979 AL season, hitting .273 in 74 games. In 1980, Bobby would play in 100 games as a Regular OF, while hitting .269 with 13 HRs and 57 RBIs. Injuries would slow him down during the 1981-1983 AL seasons. Bobby would play in his only World Series for the 1981 Yankees, while appearing in 4 games with no hits. Finishing out his Yankees playing career in 1983, Bobby would become a Yankees Broadcasting Announcer, until the date of his passing on July 12, 2008, except for the1989 season when he was an Assistant General Manager for the club. He also served as Chairman of the Baseball Assistance Team.
1946-Former Yankees OF Jim Lyttle (1969-1971) was born.
In 1966, OF Jim Lyttle was selected by the Yankees in the 1st round (10th selection) of the MLB Amateur Player Draft. Jim’s best Yankees’ season was in 1970, when he hit .310 in 87 games. In 1971, he missed most of the season being sick with mono, only appearing in 49 games, while hitting just .198. On October 13,1971, Jim was traded by the Yankees to the White Sox for P Rich Hinton. Overall, as a Yankees player, he had appeared in 164 games for the team, while hitting .241 with 4 HRs and 25 RBIs. He would play in the MLB for the Yankees, White Sox, Expos and the Dodgers in an MLB playing career spanning from 1969 through 1976. Then he would play pro baseball in Japan for 2 teams: the Hiroshima Carp and the Hankia Hawks from 1977 through 1983. He had a 472 consecutive games played streak in Japan at one point. He had played on 2 Nippon Series championship teams with Hiroshima in 1979 and 1980. He was a teammate of Adrian Garrett on the 1979 Nippon Series Championship team. The Hiroshima Toyo Carp (led by Garrett, Lyttle, Koji Yamamoto and Sachio Kinugasa), became the 1st Japanese team to hit 200 HRs in a season that year. He was then named MVP of the 1980 Nippon Series, after he hit 3 HRs and drove in 6 runs while batting .400 to defeat Charlie Manuel and the Kintetsu Buffaloes. He was voted to 1 All-Star Team while in Japan, in 1981. He put up spectacular stats that year: Jim led the Central League with 157 hits, hit 33 HRs, collected 100 RBIs, hitting .318 and had an OPS of .940 in only 128 games. He would hit 166 HRs, had 945 hits and have a career OPS mark of .816 during his pro playing career in Japan; also he won 4 Diamond Gloves. Later, Jim Lyttle was the Head Baseball for the College of Boca Raton in 1987-1988.
1948-Yankees CF Joe DiMaggio hits for the cycle and collected 6 RBIs in the 13-2 Yankees victory over the White Sox. DiMaggio hit 2 HRs, a triple, a double and a single and narrowly missed another extra-base hit, when White Sox LF Ralph Hodgin made a spectacular catch at the outfield wall.
1959-Tigers would beat the Yankees by a score of 13-6 to place the Bronx Bombers in last place in the AL for the 1st time in 19 years, since May of 1940. The team was plagued by injuries to virtually every starting player in the Yankees regular starting line-up, plus the pitching staff had several key arm injuries, including 1958 Cy Young Award Winner Bob Turley. The 1959 Yankees would finish in 3rd place in the AL with a 79-75 record, behind the 2nd place Indians and the 1959 AL Champion’s White Sox.
1960-Former Yankees Catcher Pat Collins (1926-1928) had passed away. (1896-1960)
On August 30,1925, Catcher Pat Collins was traded by the AA St. Paul Saints (AA) to the Yankees for a Player to be Named Later, $25,000 Cash and 3 Players to be Named Later. On December 16,1925, the Yankees would send veteran MLB Shortstop Pee-Wee Wanninger to the AA St. Paul Saints to complete the trade. Pat had been a Catcher with the 1919-1924 St. Louis Browns. He would appear in 264 games for the Yankees, while hitting .269 with 20 HRs and 85 RBIs. Pat had appeared in 11 World Series games for the Yankees (1926-1928), while hitting .500. On December 13,1928, Pat was purchased by the Braves from the Yankees.
1963-Former Yankees Pitcher David “Boomer” Wells (1997-1998,2002-2003) was born.
On December 24,1996, Veteran Starter David Wells was signed as an MLB Free Agent with the Yankees. On May 17, 1998, David Wells pitched the 13th perfect game in modern MLB history, as the Yankees beat the Twins by a score of 4-0. His Perfect Game against the Twins was the 1st by a Yankees Pitcher since Don Larsen in the 1956 World Series, also set an AL record by retiring 37 batters in a row, dating back to his last start on May 12th against the Royals. Dave’s best Yankees Pitching season was in 2002, when he went 19-7 with a 3.75 ERA in 31 games. In 1998, he went 18-4 with a 3.49 ERA in 30 games; He won the ALCS MVP Award. Dave was named to the 1998 AL All-Star team. His Yankees World Series pitching record was 1-1. In ALCS play, he went 6-1 for the Yankees. On February 18,1999, Dave was traded by the Yankees along with Reserve INF Homer Bush and Reliever Graeme Lloyd to the Blue Jays for AL All-Star Starter Roger Clemens. In 2002, he would return to the Yankees as an MLB Free Agent. David would post a 19-7 record for the 2002 Yankees. In 2003, he went 15-7 with a 4.14 ERA in 31 games for the Yankees. At the end of the 2003 MLB post season, David left the Yankees for MLB Free Agency. His final Yankees Pitching career record was 68-28 with a 3.90 ERA in 124 games. At the end of the 2003 MLB post season, David would leave the Yankees for MLB Free Agency He would sign with his hometown MLB team, the San Diego Padres. Wells would finish his MLB Pitching career with a 239-157 record with a 4.13 ERA and 13 saves in 660 games.
1969-The Yankees had acquired veteran Reliever Jack Aker (1969-1972) from the Seattle Pilots for Yankees Starter Fred Talbot. Jack Aker, Steve Hamilton and Lindy McDaniel would help stabilized the Yankees bullpen for 4 seasons. Aker would post at 16-10 record with a 2.23 ERA and 31 saves in 124 games for the team. On May 17,1972, the Yankees would send P Jack Aker to the Cubs to complete an earlier deal that was made on January 20,1972. The Yankees had traded for Cubs veteran NL All-Star OF Johnny Callison for a Player to be Named Later. As a 1966-1969 Yankees Pitcher, Fred Talbot had posted a 14-24 record with a 3.99 ERA in 89 games.
1976-Another Yankees-Red Sox brawl took place at Yankee Stadium. Which pile-on fights resulting in Red Sox Starter Bill “Spaceman” Lee seriously injuring his left pitching arm. It all started when Yankees OF Lou Piniella, crashed into Red Sox Catcher Carlton Fisk, while trying to score from 2B on a single by Graig Nettles. Red Sox RF Dwight Evans throw had Lou out at the plate, but he barreled into Fisk resulting in a fight between them, which emptied both team benches.
1980-Former Yankees Reserve OF Austin Kearns (2010) was born.
On July 30, 2010, OF Austin Kearns was traded by the Indians to the Yankees for a Player to be Named Later. The Yankees would send Minor League P Zach McAllister on August 20, 2010 to the Indians to complete the trade. Austin had appeared in 36 games for the Yankees, while hitting just .234 with 2 HRs and 7 RBIs. On November 1, 2010, Austin was granted MLB Free Agency by the team. He would resign with the Indians for 2011 AL season.
1981-The Yankees had traded Starter Tom Underwood and 1B/DH Jim Spencer to the Oakland A’s for 1B Dave Revering, OF Mike Patterson and Minor League P Chuck Dougherty. Underwood had gone 13-9 with a 3.66 ERA and 1 save in 25 games in 1980, but in 1981, he was 1-4 with a 4.41 ERA in 5 games for the team. The Yankees would replace him in the starting rotation with lefty Rookie Starter Dave Righetti, who was 5-0 with 1.00 ERA with AAA Columbus (IL). Spencer had dropped in his hitting from .288 with 23 HRs in 1979 to .236 with 13 HRs in 1980 to .143 in 25 games in 1981. Dave Revering would platoon at 1B with veteran 1B Bob Watson. Patterson and Dougherty were sent by the team to the Minor Leagues. They never would appear with the Yankees at the MLB level
2006-A New York Yankees uniform worn by Joe DiMaggio in his final World Series (1951) was sold for $195,500 during the 2nd day of an auction of his memorabilia. Yesterday, DiMaggio's 1947 AL MVP Award plaque was sold for $281,750, which included a 15 % buyer's premium. It was his 3rd AL MVP award, but it was the only plaque. The 2-day auction featured more than 1,000 items of Joe DiMaggio memorabilia also included a leather-bound album featuring autographs from DiMaggio's Yankees teammates and members of the Red Sox, a typed note signed by entertainer Frank Sinatra, an a signed photograph of DiMaggio's one-time wife, Actress Marilyn Monroe. Joe DiMaggio memorabilia auction was held by Hunt's Auctions Inc., located in New York City. A portion of the auction proceeds will benefit the Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital in Hollywood, Florida.
2014-Bronx Starter Masahiro Tanaka suffers his 1st loss in the MLB, when the Cubs beat the Yankees by the score of 6-1, behind Starter Jason Hammel. Tanaka was unbeaten in 42 straight regular season starts, since August 19, 2012; including a perfect 24-0 season in Nippon Pro Baseball in 2013, although he had lost a postseason start during the streak.
2021-Former Yankees Reserve Catcher Phil Lombardi (1986-1987) had passed away.
(1963-2021)
The Yankees in the 3rd round of the 1981 MLB Amateur Player Draft had selected Catcher Phil Lombardi. He would hit .250 with 2 HRs and 6 RBIs in 25 games for the 1986-1987 Yankees. On December 11,1987, he was traded by the Yankees along with Minor League P Steve Frey and OF Darren Reed to the Mets for MLB Shortstop Rafael Santana and Minor League Player Victor Garcia. After leaving pro baseball, he became a successful Real Estate Broker.
2023-The Yankees have DFA veteran OF Aaron Hicks, who had been struggling with the bat. So far this season, he is hitting just .188 with a 1 HR in 76 plate appearances. It’ll be a costly move for the Yankees, with Hicks still owed $19.57MM by way of $9.8MM salaries in 2024-2025, and a $1MM buyout on a $12.5MM club option for 2026. He’ll also be owed the remainder of his $10.8MM salary in 2023. He will be picked up by the Orioles.
May 21st
1906-Former Yankees Pitcher Henry ‘Hank” Johnson (1925-1926,1928-1932) was born. (1906-1982)
When he first came up to the MLB, Johnson was the youngest player on the 1925 Yankees. He would pitched in 24 games that season posting a 1-3, record with a 6.85 ERA, but then he would spent virtually all of 1926 and 1927 in the Minor Leagues, missing a chance to pitch in 2 World Series with the Yankees. His best Yankees Pitching season was in 1928, when he posted a 14-9 record with a 4.30 ERA with 10 complete games in 31 starts. During the 1928 season, Hank would defeat A’s Ace Lefty Grove 4 times. Hank Johnson had posted a 47-34 record with a 4.84 ERA and 7 saves in 157 games for the team. On June 5,1932, he was traded by the Yankees along with P Ivy Andrews and $50,000 Cash to the Red Sox for P Danny MacFayden. With the 1932 Yankees, he was 2-2 with a 4.88 ERA in 5 games. As an MLB Pitcher, Hank would finish his MLB pitching career in 1939 with an overall 63-56 record with a 4.75 ERA and 11 saves in 249 games.
1912-Former Yankees Reserve OF Larry Rosenthal (1944) was born. (1912-1992)
On April 3,1942, OF Larry Rosenthal was traded by the Indians to the Yankees for OF Buster Mills. He had appeared in only 36 games for the 1944 Yankees, while just hitting .198 with No HRs and 9 RBIs. On July 6,1944, Larry was purchased by the Philadelphia A’s from the Yankees.
1923-The formal transfer of T.L. Huston's interest in the New York Yankees Team Ownership to his Business Partner, Jacob Ruppert is completed for $1.5 million. Ten days later, Ruppert buys 2 more sets of uniforms so his players can wear a clean outfit every day, an unprecedented move.
1926-It is “George Burns Day” in Cleveland as he is presented with a diploma as the 1926 American League MVP winner, a silver bat containing $1,150 in cash and a new automobile. Tribe 1B Burns has a pair of doubles in the game, but the visiting Yankees will win the game by the score of 6-4 in 12 innings.
1930-Yankees Slugger Babe Ruth hits 3 consecutive HRs in the 1st game of a doubleheader against the Philadelphia A's, then batting against veteran P Jack Quinn in the 9th inning. Ruth decides to hit right-handed. After 2 strikes, he switches to lefty, but he strikes out. This is the 1st of 2 career 3-HR games for the Babe. Max Bishop draws 5 walks for the 2nd time in his MLB Playing career (he is the only player to do this twice). Slugger Jimmie Foxx hits HR to help the Mackmen to a 15-7 victory. Ruth is homer-less in the 2nd game, a 4-1 Yankee loss, but Max Bishop has 3 more walks. Bishop will also walk 8 times in a doubleheader in 1934, the only MLB player to collect more than 6 walks in an afternoon.
1932-Before a crowd of 60,000 fans at Yankee Stadium, the Yankees roll over the Senators by scores of 14-2 and 8-0 in a doubleheader sweep. Washington batters collect just 11 hits off of Yankees Starters Herb Pennock and Johnny Allen. In the Opener, Babe Ruth homers in the 5th inning off of Nats hurler Lloyd Brown. Bronx Bomber sluggers Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig connect with HR in the 6th inning off of Reliever Frank Ragland. Yankees 2B Tony Lazzeri is 6-for-7 on the afternoon, including a HR, 2 doubles and a triple.
1934-Former Yankees Minor League C Moe Thacker was born. (1934-1997)
Moe Thacker was another of the many young players who began their pro careers in the Yankees organization, who reached the MLB with a different team. In 1952, the Yankees had signed Moe as an MLB Amateur Free Agent. The young catcher would make it as high as the American Association with the 1956 AAA Denver Bears. In 1957, he would play for the AA New Orleans Pelicans (SA), where he hit .240, while catching 136 games. All that got him was being traded to the Cubs before the start of the 1958 AL season in an unknown transaction by the Yankees. He would finish MLB playing career with the 1963 Cardinals as a Reserve Catcher.
1938-The power-laden Yankees give little hitting or run support to their Starter Spud Chandler, but he makes up the difference, when he hits a HR in the 8th inning to gain a 1-0 victory over White Sox Starter Thornton Lee.
1941-Former Yankees INF (1968-1969), Minor League Manager and MLB Coach (1977) and Long-time HOF MLB Manager Bobby Cox was born.
On December 7,1967, INF Bobby Cox was traded by the Braves to the Yankees for Catcher Bob Tillman and Pitcher Dale Roberts. Bobby Cox would play 2 seasons as a 3B with the Yankees. He was named to the 1968 Topps All-Star Rookie Team. After bad knees ended his MLB playing career at age 30, he became an extremely successful manager. Some consider him to be among the greatest managers of all time. In 1959, the Dodgers had signed Bobby Cox for a $40,000 bonus. He spent 7 seasons in the Dodgers Minor League system. He would spend the 1967 season with the Braves top farm club, the AAA Richmond Braves (IL). With the 1968 Yankees, he had replaced veteran Charley Smith, the 1967 3B, who was traded to the Giants. People have disparaged Cox's .229 BA that year, but it was the heart of the 2nd dead-ball era and his BA was actually 15 points higher than the team average of .214. In 1969, the team average went up to .235, while Cox went down to .215. Jerry Kenney became the regular 3B for the Yankees. After his MLB playing career, Cox played 1 season for the AAA Syracuse Chiefs (IL). He was a Player-Manager for the Class A Ft. Lauderdale Yankees (FSL) in 1971 (even appearing in 3 games as a Pitcher). Then he would manage 1 season with the AA West Haven Yankees (EL) and 4 seasons with the AAA Syracuse Chiefs (IL) before coming to the MLB as an MLB Coach. Bobby Cox was a member of the 1977 Yankee MLB Coaching staff. He was more successful as an MLB Manager with the Braves and Blue Jays than as an MLB player, which would earn him Hall of Fame honors as an MLB Manager.
1947-AL All-Star CF Joe DiMaggio and 5 other Bronx players are slapped with $100 fines for not fulfilling their MLB player contract requirements to do promotional duties for the Yankees.
1948-Yankees All-Star CF Joe DiMaggio hits for the cycle as he delivers 2 HRs, a triple, double and single helping the Yankees beat the White Sox by the score of 13-2.
1954-At Yankee Stadium, Red Sox Rookie Starter Frank Sullivan makes his 1st MLB start beating the Yankees by a score of 6-3. Sullivan strikes out Bronx Slugger Mickey Mantle 3 times, before Mickey clocks a HR over the auxiliary scoreboard into the RF-CF bleachers.
1956-At Kansas City’s Municipal Stadium, Yankees Slugger Mickey Mantle clouts a drive over the 2nd and more distance fence in right field to help the Yankees win the game by the score of 8-5. The HR drive off of A’s P Moe Burtschy, matches HRs to that spot hit by AL hitters Larry Doby and Harry “Suitcase” Simpson.
1962-The Orioles had signed veteran MLB Starter Robin Roberts, who was released by the Yankees on April 30th. Roberts will go on to win 42 games for Orioles before going to Astros and then finishing his long MLB Pitching career with the Cubs. The Yankees front office had decided that veteran Bob Turley was better choice than Robin Roberts; it proved to be a big mistake. Many feel that Robin Roberts would have made the 300 wins MLB career mark, if he had stayed as a Yankees Pitcher. Turley was 3-3 in 24 games for the 1962 Yankees, before finishing up his MLB Pitching career in 1963, splitting time with Angels and the Red Sox.
1967-Tigers Starter Earl Wilson gives the Bengals their 3rd straight win over the Yankees with a 9-4 victory. Mickey Mantle hits his 5th HR in 6 games, but it's not enough for Yankees Starter Whitey Ford, who appears in his last MLB game for the Yankees.
1970-A generous Yankees Starter Mel Stottlemyre hands out 11 walks to Washington batters in 8 1/3 innings, but the Senators are unable to score. Reliever Steve Hamilton gets the last 2 outs of the game to preserve the Yankees 2-0 win. The 11 walks in the shutout tied former Yankees Starter Lefty Gomez, who did complete his 1941 AL shutout. Danny Cater‘s 2-run HR in the 5th inning accounts for the scoring off of Nats P Richard Such, who was making his 1st MLB Pitching start.
1971-Former Yankees Reserve Catcher Chris Widger (2002) was born.
In 2002, Chris Widger would hit .297 in 24 games as a Reserve Catcher with the Yankees. He would hit .244 for the 2002 AAA Columbus Clippers (IL). On April 7, 2003, Widger was released by the team at the end of their 2003 MLB Spring Training Camp. Manager Joe Torre, who had chosen veteran MLB Catcher John Flaherty over Widger as the 2003 Yankees Reserve Catcher. Chris would play for several other MLB teams. In 2005, he played as a Reserve Catcher for the White Sox, he would make a World Series appearance with the team.
1985-Former Yankees Closer Andrew Miller (2015-2016) was born.
After his dominating 2014 AL season with the Orioles and Red Sox, Andrew Miller became one of the most sought-after MLB Free Agents of the off-season. On December 5th, he signed a 4-year deal for $36 million with the Yankees, a record for a Middle Reliever. However, only 3 days later, incumbent Yankees Closer David Robertson moved to the White Sox as a MLB Free Agent, leading to immediate speculation that Miller would not be a Set-Up Man deluxe, but potentially the team's new Closer, although the young Dellin Betances, coming off a tremendous rookie season, was also in the running for the job. Heading into 2015 MLB Spring Training Camp, Yankees Manager Joe Girardi hinted that he was leaning towards sharing the role between the 2 pitchers. In fact, though, Miller pitched very well in the early going, and when he recorded his 13th save on May 8th, Girardi announced that he was in fact his full-time Closer, with Betances also doing very well as his Set-up Man. In fact, neither pitcher had allowed an earned run by that point, and the Yankees were in 1st place in the AL East as a result. He was placed on the DL on June 10th with a strained forearm muscle and came back a month later, on July 8th without skipping a beat. He ended the 2015 AL season with a 3-2 record with a 2.04 ERA and 36 saves. He was named the winner of the Mariano Rivera Award as the Top Relief Pitcher in the AL. Before the start of the 2016 AL season, the Yankees had bolstered their bullpen even further by acquiring NL Closer Aroldis Chapman in a trade with the Reds. GM Brian Cashman indicated that Chapman would be the Closer, although he first had to serve a 30-game suspension from the start of the season as punishment for an off-season domestic violence incident, meaning Miller was slated to be the Closer for the that period at least. However, just as the MLB spring training camp was winding down, he suffered a chip fracture in the wrist in his non-pitching arm when struck by a ball in a Grapefruit League game on March 30th. His plan was not to take any time off and to work around the injury. Miller would begin the season as the Yankees' Closer, then he would cede the job to Chapman, when he returned to action as slated, but the change of role did not affect him. In 44 games through the end of July, he was 6-1 with a 1.39 ERA with 9 saves and 77 strikeouts in 45 1/3 innings. By then it had become clear that having 3 of the best late-game relievers on the planet in the same bullpen was not a brilliant strategy by the Yankees that would have them tame into submission any opponent that could not take an early lead, but instead was simply a case of overkill when the line-up featured a number of holes and aging players. Yankees GM Brian Cashman saw the writing on the wall in late July and in the span of a few days traded 1st Chapman to the Cubs for Minor League prospects and MLB P Adam Warren; then Miller was sent to the Indians, both deals netting the Yankees 4 young players. In Miller's case, he was sent to the Indians on July 31st in return for 4 Minor League Players: OF Clint Frazier, Pitchers J.P. Feyereisen, Ben Heller and Justus Sheffield. Andrew Miller would finish his Yankees Pitching career with a 9-3 record with a 1.77 ERA and 45 saves in 104 games. In the spring of 2022, Andrew would announce his MLB player retirement. He would finish his MLB pitching career with a 55-55 record with a 4.03 ERA and 63 saves in 612 games.
1986-Yankees Former Minor League OF/1B Luke Morton was born.
The Yankees had selected OF Luke Morton in the 40th round of the 2007 MLB Amateur Player Draft, but he did not sign with the team. As a returning Jr., he would hit .332. His 25 doubles tied for the 3rd-best total in Georgia Tech history. The Diamondbacks had picked him in the 33rd round of the 2008 MLB Amateur Player Draft. He would return to Ga. Tech for his Sr. year. Luke produced with a .354 BA with 20 HRs, 64 runs and 63 RBIs in 58 games. He would make the All-ACC outfield. The Yankees had picked him in the 19th round of the 2009 MLB Amateur Player Draft. Luke Murton would hit .295 in his pro debut with the short-season Class A Staten Island Yankees (NYPL). He led the NYPL 1B in putouts (613) and assists (61), while tying Lance Durham for the lead with 9 errors. In 2010, Luke would hit .282 with 32 doubles for the Class A Charleston RiverDogs (SAL). In 2011, he was with Class A Tampa Yankees (FSL) playing in 116 games, while hitting .274 with 8 HRs with 62 RBIs. For the 2012 season, he would be with the AA Trenton Thunder (EL) appearing in 126 games, while hitting .249 with 25 HRs and 68 RBIs. After the 2013 AL season had ended, he would leave the Yankees organization. In 2014, he would play for 2 Independent League teams before retiring.
1997-Blue Jays veteran Starter Roger Clemens fires past the Yankees by the score of 4-1 for his 8th win of the 1997 AL season against no losses. The Rocket wins his 200 MLB career game, becoming the 94th MLB Pitcher to reach 200 wins’ mark.
2004-At The Ballpark in Arlington, in his 1st return visit to Texas, former AL All-Star Ranger Shortstop, now a Yankees 3B, Alex Rodriguez is roundly booed by Ranger fans. The fans continue to show their displeasure as the Yankees' 3B drives a 2-1 pitch over the fence for a HR during his 1st inning at-bat.
2005-As Dae-Sung Koo stands in against Yankees Starter Randy Johnson, Mike Piazza confides to David Wright in the dugout, "If he gets a hit, I'll donate a million dollars to charity." The Korean Reliever, batting lefty off the Yankee fire-balling southpaw, was afraid to stand in the batter box in a previous game, but promptly hits a 91-mph fastball to the wall in center for a double causing the Mets Catcher to say he will be making a significant donation to a charity over the next 20 years.
2009-Yankees Starter Joba Chamberlain is knocked out of the game in the 1st inning with a bruised right knee, after being hit by a line drive off the bat of Orioles batter Adam Jones. The Yankees still defeat the Orioles by the score of 7-4, as 2B Robinson Cano drives in 3 runs. Alfredo Aceves pitches 3 ⅓ scoreless innings in relief of Yankees Starter Joba Chamberlain to earn the Bronx Bombers' 9th straight win.
2022-Former Yankees Reserve OF Gordon Windhorn (1959) had passed way. (1930-2022)
On March 14,1957, OF Gordon Windhorn was traded along with Pitcher Eli Grba by the Red Sox to the Yankees for Reserve OF Bill Renna. In 1952, he had originally been signed by the Giants. The Yankees would send him to Minor Leagues for the 1957 season. In 1958, Gordon was playing for the AAA Denver Bears (AA), where he won the League’s Batting Crown with a .328 BA along with 10 HRs and 72 RBIs. Gordon was selected as the 1959 James P. Dawson Award for being the best Yankees Rookie in their 1959 MLB Spring Training Camp. Gordon would appear in only 7 games going 0 for 11 for the 1959 Yankees, before he was sent down to AAA Richmond (IL). On April 5,1960, Gordon was traded by the Yankees along with Minor League INF Richard Sanders to the Dodgers for veteran lefty P Fred Kipp. After being with the Dodgers, Gordon would play in the AL for the A’s and Angels, before going to Japan in 1964 to play for Hankyu (JPL) for 5 seasons. Overall, he had appeared in 95 MLB games, while hitting only .176 with 2 HRs and 8 RBIs.
2013-Former Yankees MLB Pitching Coach Cot Deal (1965) had passed away. (1923-2013)
Cot Deal had pitched 4 seasons in the MLB with the Red Sox and Cardinals. Also, he had pitched for 8 seasons with the AAA Rochester Red Wings (IL), winning 61 games during that time. He went on to manage the club for a time before becoming an MLB Pitching Coach. Deal was a member of the 1959-1960 Reds MLB Coaching staff before spending 1961 season as the skipper of the AAA Indianapolis Indians (AA.) He was a MLB Coach with the expansion Houston Colt .45s from 1962-1964. In 1965 , he was with the 1965 Yankees working for Manager Johnny Keane. The following the 1965 AL season, he began a 2-season stint with the Kansas City A’s. Deal was a member of the 1970-1971 Indians MLB Coaching staff. He would spent 1973-1974 seasons with the Tigers. His last MLB Coaching position was with the Astros from 1983-1985. Also, he had coached in the Minor Leagues for several teams, including for the AAA Oklahoma City 89ers (AA).
2014-What does the Cubs' Jeff Samardzija have to do to get a win? Today, the MLB’s ERA leader pitches 7 scoreless innings, but Cubs Reliever Hector Rondon blows a 2-0, 9th-inning lead against the Yankees to send the game into extra innings. In the 13th inning, Yankees Pitcher Preston Claiborne lays down a perfect sacrifice bunt in his 1st MLB plate appearance as part of a 2-run rally, Cubs Reliever Jose Veras throws a wild pitch to let in a 1st run then Reserve Catcher John Ryan Murphy drives in another with a single as the Bronx Bombers end up on top by the score of 4-2. Cubs Starter Samardzija is now 0-4 for the 2014 NL season, in spite having a 1.46 ERA.
2014-Former Yankees Minor League P Johnny Gray had passed away. (1926-2014)
Before the start of the 1950 AL season, the Yankees had signed P Johnny Gray as an MLB Amateur Free Agent. The 6'4" right-hander was assigned to the Amsterdam Rugmakers (CAM). He would appear in 19 games, while posting a 10-4 record with a 3.86 ERA. He would spend 3 more seasons in the Yankees farm system (1951-1953) before the team traded him as part of the player package in the Vic Power trade to the Philadelphia A’s on December 16,1953. He would reach the MLB with the A's in 1954, during their final season in Philadelphia; where he would put up a 3-12 record. Johnny was also with the team for their 1st season in Kansas City in 1955, but he was then he was sold to the Indians on October 13th. In 1956, he was with the AAA Indianapolis Indians (AA), where he was the roommate of young OF named Roger Maris. He had posted the best ERA in the American Association with a 2.72 mark, while having a 10-7 pitching record. His ERA was 1.84 with the 1957 AAA San Diego Padres (PCL), when he was called up to the Indians after Starter Herb Score was hit by Yankees Gil McDougald's line drive, putting him on the DL. His only victory for the Tribe was a shutout, which turned out to be his final win of his MLB career. On December 2,1957, he was drafted by the Phillies from the Indians in the 1957 MLB Rule 5 Player Draft. Johnny would finish up his MLB playing time with the 1958 Phillies with an MLB Pitching career record of 4-18 along with a 6.18 ERA. Gray would spend 2 more years pitching in the Minor Leagues, with very little luck, going 3-11 with 5 different clubs. After 11 seasons in pro baseball (1950-1960), the 33-year-old pitcher decided to retire. He would finish up his Minor League career with 274 appearances, while posting a 71-75 record with a 3.59 ERA.
2023-The Yankees have activated right-hander Luis Severino from the 15-day IL, the team has announced. This roster move corresponds with last night’s announcement that right-hander Jhony Brito had been optioned to Triple-A Scranton. Severino is set to start against the Reds today.
May 22nd
1913-St. Louis Browns Rookie Starter Dwight Stone gives up 6 Yankees hits, 7 walks and plunks 3 Bronx batters, but he still beats the Yankees by the score of 7-0. The visiting Yankees strand a modern-MLB record of 15 runners in the shutout by Stone, who will win just 1 more game in 1913. Ed Klepfer is the losing pitcher in his only decision of the 1913 AL season. The record will be matched 3 times and finally topped in 1994. The NL record of 14 runners stranded in a shutout was set less than 2 weeks ago by Pirates against the Phillies.
1922-The Yankees, who have been sharing the Polo Grounds with the Giants since 1913, begin construction on their own stadium in the Bronx.
1923-Bronx Bomber Slugger Babe Ruth breaks a 1-1 tie between the Yankees and the White Sox by clouting a 2-run HR in the 15th inning. The blow breaks up a tense pitching duel between Chicago’s little Mike Cvengros and Yankees Starter Herb Pennock, who goes all the way giving up just 4 Chicago hits. The Yankees have now won 12 of 13 contests in their western road trip.
1930-At Shibe Park in Philadelphia, the Yankees and the A’s continue the HR barrage as the Yankees take both games of a 2nd straight doubleheader by the scores of 10-1 and 20-13. Babe Ruth hits a pair of HRs in the opener, as does Ben Chapman and winning pitcher George Pipgras. The Yankees score 9 runs in the 1st 2 innings of the 2nd game, but the A's come back to tie it at 12 apiece. The Yankees win the assault by the score of 20-13 as Tony Lazzeri is 4-for-4, scores 5 runs and knocks in 4 runs. Babe Ruth hits another HR in the 2nd game, while Lou Gehrig powers 3 HRs to drive in 8 runs. On the A's side, Jimmie Foxx has 2-HRs to drive in 6 runs. For the afternoon, the teams would combine to hit 14 HRs, a then record 10 HRs in Game 2.
1933-Yankees INF Joe Sewell fans for the 1st time for the 1933 AL season during a 3-0 Yankees victory, behind starter Lefty Gomez over the Indians. Sewell will strike out only 3 more times in 524 at bats during the 1933 AL season. He will finish his MLB playing career with a total 114 strikeouts, the fewest for any MLB Player to be voted into the Hall of Fame.
1934-The Indians stop the Yankees by the score of 5-1 with 1B Lou Gehrig driving in the lone run for Bronx Bombers. For the 2nd time in his MLB playing career, Lou has driven in at least 1-run a game for 10 straight games.
1944-Former Yankees Pitcher Tommy John (1979-1982,1986-1989) was born.
On November 21,1978, veteran Starter Tommy John was signed as an MLB Free Agent by the Yankees. Tommy won 21 games in 1979 and then 20 games in 1980 for the Yankees. On August 31,1982, Tommy was traded by the Yankees to the Angels for a Player to be Named Later. The Angels would send P Dennis Rasmussen on November 24,1982 to the Yankees to complete the trade. John would return to the Yankees in 1986, he pitched for the team until 1989. He appeared in the 1981 World Series with the Yankees, posting a 1-0 record with a 0.69 ERA in 3 games. His final Yankees Pitching career record was a 91-60 mark with a 3.59 ERA in 214 games. Overall, as a Pitcher for 26 MLB seasons, he had posted a 288-231 record with a 3.34 ERA in 760 games. Tommy later became a Minor League Manager for the short-season Class A 2004 Staten Island Yankees (NYPL). Then in 2007-2009, he was with the Independent team, the Bridgeport Blue Fish (Atlantic League).
1946-At Briggs Stadium in Detroit, the Yankees would turn a triple play during a 5-3 win. The Tigers had runners on 1st and 3rd, when Richard Wakefield hit a ground ball to Yankees 1B Nick Etten, who threw home to get the lead runner. Yankees Catcher Bill Dickey chased that lead runner back towards 3B and then he threw to 3B George “Snuffy” Stirnweiss, who made the tag. Meanwhile, the Tigers runner on 1B had foolishly strayed beyond 2B, apparently undecided whether or not to attempt to advance to 3B during the rundown. A throw to the Shortstop trapped this runner between 2B and 3B, Phil Rizzuto, eventually tagged him out. During this rundown, Wakefield attempted to reach 2B, Phil Rizzuto’s quick flip to 2B Joe “Flash” Gordon, completed the triple play.
1947-The Yankees would beat the Red Sox by the score of 9-0 as Starter Allie Reynolds fires his 2nd 2-hit shutout over Boston in a month. Red Sox Starter Harry Dorish is the loser.
1947-Former Yankees Pitcher Rich Hinton (1972) was born.
On October 13,1971, Rich Hinton was traded by the White Sox to the Yankees for Reserve OF Jim Lyttle. He had appeared in 7 games for the 1972 Yankees, while posting a 1-0 record. On September 7,1972, Rich was purchased by the Rangers from the Yankees.
1953-Yankees' OF Irv Noren ends the game by lining back to Nats P Bob Porterfield, who starts a triple play, as the Senators beat the Yankees by a score of 12-4. The Senators scored 5-runs in the 1st inning off of Yankees veteran Starter Allie Reynolds. Washington tallies for 18 hits, including a 3-run HR and 2-run double by Clyde Vollmer. Yankees veteran Johnny Mize hits pinch-hit single in the 9th inning, his 5th pinch-hit single in a row, breaking a mark set by Cleveland's Les Fleming in 1947. Johnny Mize has had a walk and been hit by a pitch in his last 7 pinch-hitting appearances.
1954-At Yankee Stadium, Veteran Starter Allie Reynolds tosses a 7-hit shutout over the Red Sox for a 7-0 victory. Mickey Mantle is the Yankees main offense, going 4-for-5 with 4 RBIs. Mickey will knock in 10 runs in the 3-game series against the Red Sox.
1954-Former Yankees Minor League P Mark Softy was born.
Mark Softy is a former Minor League baseball pitcher, who had played in the Yankees and Rangers farm systems. The Yankees had selected him in the 18th round of the 1976 MLB Amateur Player Draft. Mark never appears with the Yankees at the MLB level. He is perhaps most known for being part of a trade involving MLB Outfielders Mickey Rivers, Oscar Gamble and others. The Yankees had traded Players to be Named Later and MLB OF Mickey Rivers to the Rangers for Players to be Named Later, MLB OF Oscar Gamble and Minor League OF Amos Lewis. On October 8,1979, the Rangers would send Pitchers Ray Fontenot and Gene Nelson to the Yankees to complete the deal. On October 8,1979, the Yankees would send Minor League Players: Bob Polinsky, Neal Mersch and Mark Softy to the Rangers to complete the trade.
1956-Former Yankees Pitcher Harry Howell (1903) had passed away. (1876-1956)
For the 1903 Yankees, hurler Harry Howell went 9-6 with a 3.53 ERA in 26 games for the 1903 Yankees. On March 6,1904, he was traded by the Yankees along with Cash to the St. Louis Browns for P Jack Powell. He would pitch in the MLB from 1898-1910, while posting a 131-146 record with a 2.74 ERA in 340 games.
1956-Detroit's Red Wilson belts a 2-run HR in the bottom of the 9th inning to give the Tigers a 3-2 win against the Yankees. The loss goes to Yankees Starter Whitey Ford, his 1st loss following 6 straight wins. Ford had given up just 5 earned runs through 54 innings before today’s game.
1959-Orioles' Starter Hoyt Wilhelm 1-hits the Yankees winning the game by the score of 1-0 with Yankees INF Jerry Lumpe's single in the 8th inning as the spoiler. Yankees All-Star switch-hitter Mickey Mantle hits righty against Wilhelm and does no better than he has been lefty. On May 28th, Hoyt Wilhelm, who is a veteran knuckleball pitcher, will beat the Yankees again this time by a score of 5-0.
1962-The Yankees RF Roger Maris, who went all of the 1961 AL season without receiving an intentional walk, collects 4 walks in a 12-inning 2-1 win against the Angels to set an AL record. Maris receives 5 walks in all. Four Yankee pitchers (Whitey Ford, Jim Coates, Bud Daley and Bob Turley) combine to give up just 1 Angel hit in 12 innings. Yankees Starter Whitey Ford leaves after 7 innings because of back spasms, Reliever Jim Coates gives up the lone Angels hit, a 1-out 9th-inning single to Rookie Catcher Buck Rodgers.
1963-At Yankee Stadium, Yankees blow a 7-0 lead that allows the Kansas City A’s to tie the game and send it into extra innings. Mickey Mantle, leading off the 11th inning, is fooled by A’s Reliever Bill Fischer on a slow curve, then cannons a 2-2 pitch that almost clears the Yankee Stadium RF roof. "The hardest ball I ever hit," Mantle later comments, a ball that, by some accounts, was still rising when it struck a foot below the top. It I s conservatively estimated by a physicist Dr. James McDonald, who studies long-ball trajectories, that the ball would have traveled 620 feet, if it had not struck the Yankee Stadium facade. "That was the only homer I ever hit that the bat actually bent in my hands," Mantle tells his Yankees teammate veteran Dale Long, from whom he borrowed the bat.
1974-Former Yankees MLB Catching Coach Jason Brown (2018-2019) was born.
Catcher Jason Brown had played 12 seasons in the Minor Leagues, with parts of 5 seasons played at the AAA level. He was Assistant Coach at Palos Verdes HS in 2009. He was at USC in 2012. In 2016, Jason was the Minor League Bullpen Coach for the Yankees AAA team, the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (IL). From 2018-2019, he was the MLB Catching Coach for the Yankees. In the winter of 2019, he left the Yankees to become a 2020 MLB Bullpen Coach for the Angels.
1977-After 3 straight losses to the Orioles, the Yankees give the starting assignment to a young lefthander named Ron Guidry, who throws a 4-hitter defeating the Birds by a score of 8-2.
1996-At Yankee Stadium, the visiting Oakland A’s spoiled “Dwight Gooden Day” by hitting 5 solo HRs, including 3 by Yankees-killer Geronimo Berroa to beat the Bombers by the score of 5-1. The A’s 5 runs, all-coming on HRs, tie the MLB mark.
1997-The visiting Red Sox collect 19 hits, but they strand 16 base runners, while beating the Yankees by the score of 8-2. Former Yankees Catcher/DH Mike Stanley hits a 3-run HR and Wil Cordero adds 5 hits; Tim Naehring has 4 hits and Mo Vaughn belts his 10th HR of the 1997 AL season in the 8th inning.
1999-The Yankees defeat the White Sox by the score of 10-2 in the 1st game of a double header. Roger Clemens gets the win for the Yankees, giving him an AL record 19 consecutive victories over the course of 2 MLB seasons; he will extend the streak by 1 game before losing. This win was delayed by a stint on the DL and a rainout. The White Sox come back to take the nightcap by a score of 2-1.
1999-Former Yankees Minor League INF Ezequiel Duran was born.
Ezequiel Duran, 22, had hit .290 with 42 R, 15 doubles, 6 triples, 12 HRs, 48 RBIs, 28 BB and 12 stolen bases in 67 games with High-A Hudson Valley. In over 4 Minor League seasons with the Yankees organization (2017-2019, 2021), he hit .262 with 137 R, 40 doubles, 16 triples, 32 HRs, 116 RBIs and 34 stolen bases in 201 games. On July 2, 2017, the San Juan de la Maguana, D.R., native was signed by the Yankees as a Non-Drafted Free Agent. On July 29, 2021, he was traded by the Yankees as part of the 4 Minor League Prospects player package to the Rangers for OF Joey Gallo and Reliever Joely Rodriguez.
2014-White Sox Ace Chris Sale is sparkling in his return from the DL, as he retires 18 of 19 Yankees batters, that he faces over 6 innings to lead the Sox to a 3-2 win. Bronx batter Zoilo Almonte soils the no-hit bid with a 2-out single in the 6th inning as Sale improves his 2014 AL season record to 4-0.
May 23rd
1901-Former Yankees (1940) and Long-time Senators Broadcasting Announcer Arch McDonald was born. (1901-1960)
Arch McDonald was a longtime broadcaster for the Washington Senators (1934-1939,1941-1959). Also, he would broadcast games for New York Yankees in 1940. McDonald is remembered for his recreations. “The Ol' Pine Tree” died on a train coming home from a 1960 Washington Redskins-New York Giants football game in New York City.
1919-At Comiskey Park in Chicago, White Sox Starter Eddie Cicotte overwhelms the Yankees as the he wins the complete game by the score of 5-0. Yankees Starter Bob Shawkey takes the complete game loss, he is now 3-3 for the 1919 AL season. Cicotte is now at a 7-1 mark for the 1919 AL Season.
1920-After a week in bed with an illness‚ Yankees Slugger Babe Ruth returns the Yankees line-up to belt a 2-run HR in the 6th inning‚ off of Browns P Carl Weilman to give the Yankees a 3-2 win over the visiting St. Louis Browns. Baby Doll Jacobson's 2-run HR in the 4th inning is the only Browns scoring off of Yankees Starter Bob Shawkey.
1922-George Sisler and Frank Baker match HRs as the Browns and the Yankees go into the 7th inning tied at 3-3. Browns Slugger Ken Williams hits his 12th HR of the 1922 AL season with 2 men on‚ giving St. Louis, a 6-3 lead. The Browns add 5 runs more off of Yankees Reliever Lefty O'Doul to win the game by the score of 11-3. Former Yankees Starter Urban Shocker is the winner for the Browns.
1923-Former Yankees Reserve Catcher William “Dutch” Drescher (1944-1946) was born. (1923-1968)
From 1942-1954, Catcher Bill “Dutch” Drescher spent 11 seasons in pro baseball. He spent parts of 3 seasons, 1944, 1945 and 1946 in the MLB playing for the Yankees. He had appeared in 57 games during his 3 short tours with the Yankees, hitting .266 with no HRs and 16 RBIs. Bill broke into baseball in 1942 with the Class C Amsterdam Rugmakers (CAML). He appeared in 102 games, hitting at a .301 clip and in his only season in a league that wasn't Class A or better. During his pro playing career, Bill played 8 seasons of AAA ball, 2 of AA and in 1943, he had a split season of AA and A. Dutch had only 2 seasons above the .300 mark in his 11-year run, his 1st in 1942 and probably his best hitting year came in 1948 with the AAA Kansas City Blues (AA), when he hit .319 with a career-high 7 HRs and 52 RBIs. Drescher wound up his Minor League career in 1954 with the AAA Syracuse Chiefs (IL), while appearing in 875 Minor League contests with 2,492 at-bats and 679 base hits; that included 28 HRs with a .272 BA. He also fielded the Catcher's spot at a .987 percentage.
1924-Former Yankees MLB Coach, Manager and General Manager Clyde King was born. (1924-2010)
Clyde King was a Yankees MLB Pitching Coach in 1978 and 1981. King had managed the team for part of the turbulent 1982 AL season. Then he would serve as the Yankees General Manager in 1985-1986. He was a member of the team's MLB Coaching staff again in 1988. From 1998 to 2005, he was a Special Assistant to the General Manager of the Yankees. As an MLB Pitcher from 1949 to 1953 with the Dodgers and the Reds, he had posted a 32-25 record with 4.14 ERA and 11 saves in 200 games.
1927-Despite 1st inning back-to-back HRs by Yankee Sluggers Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig off of Nats Starter Sloppy Thurston‚ the Senators edge the Yankees by the score of 3-2.
1936-Yankees INF Tony Lazzeri hits 3 HRs; 2 HRs in the nightcap‚ good for 4 RBI’s as the visiting Bronx Bombers pound the Philadelphia A’s by the scores of 12-6 and 15-1. The crowd of 24‚240 fans‚ one of the largest in several seasons‚ pelts the Shibe Park playing field with cushions‚ bottles and other articles‚ making play difficult. Bill Dickey‚ Ben Chapman‚ Red Rolfe and Frank Crosetti also hit HRs for the Yankees.
1946-Three Yankee batters CF Joe DiMaggio, 1B Nick Etten and 2B Joe “Flash” Gordon would hit consecutive HRs during the Yankees 8-run, 5th inning rally against the Tigers. Detroit Starter Virgil Trucks gave up the 1st–2 HR shots, then Reliever Hal White gives up Joe Gordon’s HR shot. The Yankees would win the game by a score of 12-6.
1946-Former Yankees Reserve Catcher Johnny “Nig” Grabowski (1927-1929) had passed away from fatal injuries suffered in a house fire. (1900-1946)
Catcher John Grabowski would spend all of the 1925-1926 AL seasons with the White Sox, hitting .304 in 1925 and then .262 in 1926. The unexpected came about on January 13,1927, when he was traded along with Reserve INF Ray Morehart to the Bronx for veteran INF Aaron Ward. With the Yankees, Johnny became a Reserve Catcher for the duo of Pat Collins and Benny Bengough. Known more for his defense then his hitting, Johnny did have 25 RBIs in 70 games in 1927 along with a .277 batting mark. In 1928, he got into 75 games for the Yankees, but his BA dropped off to .238 with 21 RBI's. In 1929, Grabowski was not used much by the Yankees, getting into only 22 games, while hitting just .203. Bill Dickey had just become the Yankees new starting catcher. When his MLB playing stint with the Yankees was over, he would play for the 1930 AA St. Paul Saints (AA), Grabowski got into 102 games with 339 at bats, while hitting.289.
1948-Yankees All-Star CF Joe DiMaggio hits 3 consecutive HRs in a 6-5, 1st game of a doubleheader victory over the Indians. Two of his HRs came off of Tribe’s veteran Starter Bob Feller. The 3rd HR came off of Tribe Reliever Bob Muncreif, which proved to be the game-winner. The Tribe would bounce back in the nightcap with a 5-1 win over the Yankees.
1954-At Yankee Stadium‚ Mickey Mantle's 3-run HR in the 3rd inning ties the game for the Yankees‚ but Mickey strikes out for the final out of the game‚ as the Red Sox win the game by the score of 10-9.
1956-Former Yankees Minor League player, MLB Coach and Manager, Yankees Manager Buck Showalter (1992-1995) was born.
1B/OF Buck Showalter was an All-American outfielder in 1977. In the 5th round of the 1977 MLB Amateur player draft, he was selected by the Yankees. Buck would spend 7 seasons as a player in the Yankees farm system, hitting .324 for the 1980 Nashville Sounds while leading the Southern League with 178 hits. During his playing days, he picked up the nickname "Buck" from a minor league manager's comment on his tendency to walk around the clubhouse "buck naked.” He retired as an active player after the 1983 season. He became a Minor League Coach in the Yankees farm system. From 1985 to 1989, he was a Manager in their organization. When he took over the Oneonta Yankees in 1985, he was only 28 years old. In his 2 seasons with the O-Yanks, he set new league records for wins each season. It is also where he began his long working relationship with Pitching Coach Monk Meyer. In 1990, he became a Yankees MLB Coach, and 2 years later, he took over as the club's manager. He led the 1995 Yankees to the AL post-season, but they lost to the Mariners in the ALCS. After 4 seasons as their skipper, he left the team. Buck joined the new NL expansion Arizona Diamondbacks as their 1st MLB Manager. He spent 2001 and 2002 MLB seasons as an ESPN Broadcaster before returning to the MLB dugout in 2003 as Manager of the Rangers. After 4 seasons at the helm of the team, he was fired on October 4, 2006. Only in 2004 MLB season, did he lead the Rangers to a winning record. Since being fired by Texas, Showalter has worked in the Indians front office. On July 29, 2010, he was hired by the Orioles to be their new Manager, replacing interim skipper Juan Samuel. On May 1, 2012, he won his 1,000th game as a MLB Skipper; his record at that point was 1,000-958, rather remarkable given that he had regularly taken the helm of losing MLB teams, or even an MLB expansion team. In the spring of 2022, he was named the new Mets Manager. He would be fired in 2023.
1957-At Ebbets Field‚ the Yankees top the Dodgers by the score of 10-7 in the 1957 Mayor's Trophy Game. Yankees Starter Al Cicotte allows only 2 Dodger hits in 6 innings of work‚ while at the plate, he smacks 2 hits himself. Hurler Ken Lehman took the loss for the Dodgers. Yankees All-Star Slugger Mickey Mantle is 4 for 5 in the game. A HR derby preceded the night game, in which Mickey Mantle homered and had 3 singles.
1960-The Yankees had released Veteran MLB OF Elmer Valo. He was at the end of his long MLB playing career. On December 11,1959, Elmer Valo was signed as an MLB Free Agent with the Yankees. He appeared in only 8 games for the 1960 Yankees with no hits. With the return of veteran OF Bob Cerv from the A’s, Elmer became expendable. The Senators would pick him up for the rest of the 1960 AL season.
1962-Yankees Rookie OF/1B Joe Pepitone hits 2 HRs in the 9-run 8th-inning of the Yankees' 13-7 triumph over the Kansas City A’s. With his 2 HRs, Joe becomes the only other Yankee Player besides Joe DiMaggio to hit 2 HRs in 1 inning. Pepitone led off the 8th inning with a HR off of A’s Starter Dan Pfister, later he hit a HR 3-run HR off of A’s Closer John Wyatt. Also, Yankees Rookie INF Phil Linz gets his 1st MLB career hit, a HR.
1964-At Yankee Stadium‚ the Angels score 4 runs in the 1st inning‚ and the Yankees counter with 5 in the bottom of the inning off of Halos lefty Starter Bo Belinsky. That's all the scoring for the Bronx Bombers as the Angels win the game by the score of 9-5. This is the only 2nd game of the 1964 AL season that the injury-plagued Yankees have started their regular outfield of LF Mickey Mantle‚ RF Rogers Maris and CF Tom Tresh. Mantle will pull a muscle on the 26th‚ which will keep him out of the Yankees starting lineup for 2 weeks.
1967-Former Yankees Minor League INF Neder Horta was born.
Neder Horta has been a player, Manager, Coach, General Manager and Scout in the baseball world. Horta would make his pro baseball debuted with the 1985 GCL Yankees, hitting .245 with 42 runs in 53 games. He was the starting shortstop for the 1985 Gulf Coast League champions. In the off-season, he was traded with Pitchers Jim Deshaies and Dody Rather to Astros for veteran starter Joe Niekro. He would play in the Astros Minor League system from 1986 to 1988.
1979-The Yankees had traded pitchers with the Cubs‚ sending veteran hurler Richard “Dirt” Tidrow to Chicago for veteran Starter Ray Burris. Tidrow was 2-1 with a 7.94 ERA in 14 games at the time of his trade, he will regain his pitching form in the Windy City. Ray Burris had no decisions with a 6.23 ERA in 14 games for the 1979 Cubs. Burris would go just 1-3 with a 6.18 ERA in 15 games as a Reliever in Yankees pinstripes before being banished to the Mets on August 20,1979.
1985-Former Yankees Pitcher Mike Dunn (2009) was born.
On June 7, 2004, P Mike Dunn was selected by the Yankees in the 33rd round of the 2004 MLB Amateur Player Draft. He would appear in 4 games for the 2009 Yankees with no record. On December 22, 2009, Mike was traded by the Yankees along with Minor League P Arodys Vizcaino, MLB OF Melky Cabrera and Cash to the Braves for 2 MLB Pitchers: Reliever Boone Logan and veteran Starter Javier Vazquez.
1990-Former Yankees All-Star OF (1939-1949,1952) and MLB Coach (1957, 1959) Charles “King Kong” Keller had passed away. (1916-1990).
Charlie’s Keller’s successful Yankees’ playing career was cut short by bad back injuries. He would finish his Yankees career with a lifetime BA of .285 hitting 184 HR’s and 723 RBI’s. He was on the AL All-Star team in 1940-1941,1943,1946-1947. He appeared in 4 World Series with the Yankees hitting .306 with 7 HRs and 11 RBIs in 19 games. Keller was a standout player in a short time in the Minor Leagues. He began his pro career by winning the Minor League Player of the Year Award from The Sporting News, after hitting .353 with 13 HRs and 88 RBI’s for the 1937 AA Newark Bears (IL), helping the Bears become one of the greatest Minor League teams ever. He led the International League in BA average, 120 runs, 14 triples and 189 hits. A season later, with no openings in the Yankees starting outfield of Joe DiMaggio, Tommy Henrich and George Selkirk; King Kong was returned to Newark, he did even better, hitting .365 and paced the IL in hits (211), runs (149), walks (108) and OBP. He was 2nd to Buddy Rosar in BA, 2nd to Ollie Carnegie in RBI’s with 129, he struck out just 56 times, was 3rd in the league in HRs with 22. Charlie had 15 outfield assists. Keller appeared in 111 games as an MLB Rookie with the 1939 Yankees, hitting .334 with 81 walks, giving him an on-base percentage of .447 and had a slugging percentage of .500. As a rookie, his BA was 5th in the AL; his Yankees teammate Joe DiMaggio was 1st. His on-base percentage was 4th in the AL (1 point behind DiMaggio's .448). In 1940, he hit .286 with 106 walks, giving him a .411 on-base percentage. He had 21 HRs along with 15 triples. He was named to the AL All-Star team, led the AL in walks and was 2nd in the league in triples. In 1941, Keller had 33 HRs (his MLB career high), with 10 triples and 122 RBIs. He had a .298 BA with 102 walks, for a .416 on-base percentage and a .580 slugging percentage. On the AL All-Star team again, he was 5th in the AL in the MVP voting. He was in the top 5 in both on-base percentage and slugging percentage. He was 2nd in the AL in HRs and 3rd in the league in RBIs. He would continue to hit during the war years, although the league averages went down. In 1942, he had 26 HRs with 108 RBIs, 114 walks and a .417 on-base percentage. He was 2nd in the AL in on-base percentage, also in slugging percentage. He was 3rd in the AL in HRs and RBIs. In 1943, he had hit 31 HRs with 106 walks.
Charlie was again in the top 3 in on-base percentage and slugging percentage. He was in the top 3 in the AL with runs scored, total bases, HRs, triples and walks. He would miss the 1944 and much of 1945 MLB seasons, as he served in the U.S. Merchant Marines in World War II, entering in January of 1944 and being released from active duty in August of 1945. Coming back for 44 games in 1945, he would hit 10 HRs with a .301 BA, a .412 on-base percentage with a .577 slugging average. Both the on-base percentage and the slugging percentage would have led the AL, if he had had enough plate appearances to qualify. In 1946, as the AL resumed play after the war, Keller would hit 30 HRs with 101 RBIs. He added 10 triples and 101 walks. Charlie was named to the All-Star team once more. He was again in the top 3 in the AL in on-base percentage and slugging percentage, as well as in triples, HRs, and walks. It was, unfortunately, to be his last full Yankee season. He was only 29 years old. In 1947, he had appeared in only 45 games for the Yankees with a .238 BA. However, he produced value with a .404 on-base percentage and a .550 slugging percentage. Those percentages would have been in the top 3 in the AL, if he had had enough plate appearances to qualify. In 1947, he was named as part of the inaugural class of the International League Hall of Fame. In 1948, he would appear in 83 games for the Yankees: his hitting slipped to a .267 mark with just 6 HRs and 44 RBIs. In 1949, he appeared in only 60 games for the Bombers, hitting just .250 with 3 HRs and 16 RBIs. He didn’t appear in the 1949 World Series for the Yankees against the Dodgers. That winter, the team would release Charlie. He would join the 1950 Tigers playing for his former Yankees teammate 3B Red Rolfe, who was now the Detroit Manager, as a bench player. He would appear in 50 games with 51 at-bats hitting .314, 2 HRs and 16 RBIs with a .453 on-base percentage with a .569 slugging percentage. Those great numbers represented his last hurrah in the MLB. The next season, he didn't perform as well for the 1951 Tigers in 62 at-bats, hitting just .258 with 3 HRs and 21 RBIs, he was released by the team. He came back to the Yankees in September of 1952 for 1 final at-bat (a strikeout); his MLB active playing career was over. After retiring from the MLB, Charlie Keller was a Yankees MLB Coach in 1957 and 1959. He was also a successful horse breeder in Maryland. His younger Brother, Hal was an MLB Catcher (1949-1950,1952 Senators), his son and Grandson played in the Minor Leagues. His Grandson, Charlie Keller III was signed by the Yankees in 1959, he would play outfield in the Yankees Minor League system until 1962.
1995-Yankees Rookie Starter Mario Rivera makes his MLB Pitching debut for the team, starting against the Angels. Mo only lasts 3 ½ innings, while giving up 8 hits, 3 walks in a 10-0 loss to the Angels.
2001-The Yankees would defeat the Red Sox by the score of 7-3 as Shortstop Derek Jeter gets 5 hits‚ including a double and HR. Former Yankees Starter now with the Red Sox, David Cone takes the loss by going 5 innings and giving up 3 Yankee runs. Bronx veteran Starter Andy Pettitte is the winner.
2010-The Mets win their 1st subway series against the cross-town Yankees since 1998 with a 6-4 victory. Jason Bay homers twice - only his 2nd and 3rd HRs of the 2010 NL season-against Yankees Ace C.C. Sabathia. Johan Santana is the winner for the Mets, meanwhile Mets Closer Francisco Rodriguez picks up the save by striking out Yankees 3B Alex Rodriguez with 2 men on to end the game.
2023-Gerrit Cole records the 2,000th strikeout of his career, when he fans Jorge Mateo of the Orioles in the 2nd inning, becoming the 3rd-fastest pitcher to the mark in terms of both games pitched (278) and innings pitched (1,714 2/3). It's not his best start, however, as he gives up 5 runs in as many innings, and is briefly overshadowed by a courageous squirrel that captures the fans' attention at New Yankee Stadium by running along the top of the outfield fence before taking an epic fall into the playing area (the squirrel is unhurt). Trailing 5 - 4 entering the bottom of the 9th, the Yankees tie the game on a HR by Aaron Judge off of Orioles Closer Felix Bautista, and win it in the 10th, 6-5, on a sacrifice fly by Rookie Anthony Volpe.
May 24th
1876-Former Yankees Catcher Fred Jacklitsch (1905) was born. (1876-1937)
On September 15,1905, Catcher Fred Jacklitsch was sent from the AA Providence (EL) to the Highlanders in an unknown transaction. He had appeared in 1 game for the 1905 Yankees. Before the start of 1906 AL Season, he was sent by the Highlanders to the York (TSL) in an unknown transaction.
1900-Former Yankees Pitcher Al Shealy (1928) was born. (1900-1967)
The Yankees had acquired P Al Shealy from the 1927 AA St. Paul Saints (AA). He would post an 8-6 record with a 5.06 ERA and 2 saves in 23 games for the 1928 Yankees. The Yankees would send him back to the St. Paul Saints in 1929. On October 7,1929, Al was drafted by the Cubs from the St Paul Saints in the 1929 MLB Rule 5 Player Draft. He would appear in 24 games with the 1930 Cubs with no decisions and an 8.00 ERA in his last active MLB season. Shealy would continue to pitch in the Minor Leagues from 1931 to 1939, before retiring from baseball.
1918-Indians Starter Stan Coveleski pitches a 19-inning, complete game to defeat the Yankees by the score of 3-2. Former Starter Joe Wood hits a HR in the 19th inning - his 2nd of the game - to end the 3:45 marathon. For the Yankees‚ 3B Frank “Home Run” Baker’s 11 assists tie the AL record for a 3B in an extra-inning game.
1924-It is “Babe Ruth Day” and the Sultan of Swat receives the AL Most Valuable Player Award for his playing performance in 1923. Babe Ruth had hit .393 with 41 HRs and 170 RBIs in 152 games for the 1923 Yankees. Due to the current AL MVP Award rules, Ruth can’t win the MVP Award again; repeat winners were not allowed during the 1920’s, the AL MVP Award rules would be later changed in the 1930’s.
1926-Former Yankees Reserve INF Willie Miranda (1953-1954) was born. (1926-1996)
On June 12,1953, INF Willie Miranda was purchased by the Yankees from the St. Louis Browns. Willie was a slick fielding Reserve Infielder for the team, who would appear in 130 games; while hitting .241 with 2 HRs and 17 RBIs for the club before being sent to the Orioles in the big 17-man trade in December of 1954. He did not appear in the 1953 World Series for the team against the Dodgers. He was originally signed an MLB Amateur Free Agent by the Senators. Willy Miranda would hit .250 for the Cuban National team in the 1946 Central American and Caribbean Games. He was known as a superb glove man, but a very weak hitter; Phil Rizzuto, whom Willy backed up with the Yankees, called Willie Miranda as one of the best fielders that he had ever seen.
1928-In the 1st game of a doubleheader at Shibe Park in Philadelphia, a record 12 future Hall of Famers played in the Yankees 9-7 win over the A’s. This number does not include non-playing Hall of Famers Pitchers Herb Pennock and Stan Coveleski, Managers Miller Huggins and Connie Mack, nor AL umpire Tom Connolly. The A’s comeback in the 2nd game beating the Yankees by the score of 5-2 behind the complete game by their Starter Ossie Orwoll, who gives up solo HRs to Babe Ruth and Tony Lazzeri. Yankees Starter George Pipgras takes the complete game loss, dropping his pitching record to 7-1 for the 1928 AL season.
1930-Yankees Slugger Babe Ruth hits HRs in both games of a doubleheader played at Yankee Stadium, giving him 9 HRs in 1 week. New York sweeps the Mackmen in doubleheader by scores of 10-6 and 11-1. In the Opener, Veteran Starter Herb Pennock throws a complete game win, he is now 2-1 for the season. Veteran Starter Jack Quinn takes the loss for the A’s; he is now 3-3 for the season. Newly acquired Starter Charles “Red” Ruffing from the Red Sox is the easy winner for the Yankees in the 11-1 nightcap win. Red is now 2-3 for the 1930 season, it’s his 2nd win for his new team, he will finish the 1930 AL season with a 15-5 record as a Yankees Starter.
1932-At Yankee Stadium, Bronx Starter Lefty Gomez allows only 3 A’s hits while he strikes out 13 batters as the Yankees stop Philadelphia by the score of 3-1. Babe Ruth hit a solo HR in the game.
1936-Yankees INF Tony Lazzeri, batting 8th in the Yankees lineup, posted an AL record with 11 runs batted in, while hitting 3 HRs -2 of them Grand Slams - and a triple in a 25-2 rout of the Philadelphia A’s. His Yankees teammate, OF Ben Chapman sets the modern MLB record of reaching 1B safely, 7 times in a 9-inning game. Chapman receives 5 walks as the Yankees are handed a total of 16 walks by A’s hurlers in the game. Also, Yankees INF Frank Crosetti hits 2-HRs and Rookie OF Joe DiMaggio has a solo HR shot. Yankees 1B Lou Gehrig exits the game early, he is replaced by his favorite sub‚ Jack Saltzgaver. Yankees Starter Monte Pearson is the winner over A’s Starter George Turbeville in the laugher.
1946-The Yankees have announced the resignation of long-time Manager Joe “Marsh” McCarthy (1931-1946); his replacement was 39 year-old veteran AL All-Star Catcher Bill Dickey, who is named as the team’s Interim Manager. McCarthy had resigned because of reported gall bladder health troubles. Also, there were rumors that long-time Manager McCarthy and the new Co-Team Yankees Owner/President Larry MacPhail didn’t get along about Yankees personnel decisions being made, since as Team President MacPhail stuck in nose into everything with the team. Previous Yankees GM Edward Barrow (1920-1945) had left Manager Joe McCarthy alone to handle issues concerning the team on the field. During his 15-season run with the 1931-1946 Yankees, he had guided the team to 8 AL pennants (1932,1936-1939,1941-1943) and 7 World Series Championship titles (1932,1936-1939,1941,1943). His final Yankees Manager record was 1,460-867 with a .627 WP. His 1,460 wins still leads the Yankees Managers all-time victory list. He had previously managed the 1926-1930 Cubs, appearing in the 1929 World Series against the A’s before joining the Bombers in 1931. Joe McCarthy will return to the MLB dugout with the 1948-1950 Red Sox. Overall, Joe posted a 2,126-1,335 record with a .614 WP in 3,489 MLB games. His overall World Series Manager’s record was 30-13 in 43 games with a .698 WP with the 1929 Cubs and his Yankees teams. He was elected to Hall of Fame in 1964.
1946-Former Yankees Reserve Catcher Ellie Rodriguez (1968) was born.
On November 30,1964, Catcher Ellie Rodriguez was selected by the Yankees from the Kansas City A’s organization in the 1964 1st Year MLB Player Draft. Ellie played for the 1968 Yankees appearing only in 9 games, while batting .208 with No HRs and 1 RBI before going in the 1968 AL Expansion Team Player Draft to the Kansas City Royals. His 67 assists in 1971 were tied for 2nd with Yankees Catcher Thurman Munson among AL backstops. He was a member of the 1969 and 1971 AL All-Star teams. The former MLB Catcher is now a consultant for the Independent Atlantic League.
1947-Matching teammate Allie Reynolds' game the day before‚ veteran Bronx Starter Spud Chandler gives the Yankees a 5-0 win over the Red Sox, allowing only 2 Boston hits. A crowd of 42,219 fans had attended this Saturday game played at Yankee Stadium.
1951-Yankees Rookie OF Mickey Mantle is 0 for 5, but he reaches base twice, after striking out on a wild pitch. The 2nd time‚ in the 6th inning‚ he reaches 2B before Tigers Catcher Joe Ginsberg can retrieve the ball‚ Joe DiMaggio follows with a HR to deep left field. Yankees win the game by the score of 11-1 behind pitching of P Joe Ostrowski, who is now 2-1 for the season. A crowd of 9,048 fans watched this Thursday day game played at Yankee Stadium.
1952-Red Sox OF Jimmy Piersall and Yankees 2B Billy Martin 1st exchange insults before a game in Boston‚ then they exchange punches in the tunnel under the Fenway Park stands. It takes MLB Coaches Bill Dickey (Yankees) and Oscar Melillo (Red Sox)‚ along with Red Sox Starter Ellis Kinder to break up the fight. Piersall goes to the Red Sox clubhouse to change his bloody uniform shirt and gets into another brawl with teammate hurler Mickey McDermott. He sits as Ellis Kinder stops the Yankees by the score of 5-2.
1954-Former Yankees Reserve OF Bobby Brown (1979-1981) was born.
On June 14,1978, OF Bobby Brown was traded by the Phillies along with OF Jay Johnstone to the Yankees for P Rawly Eastwick. Bobby’s best season with the Yankees was in 1980, when he hit .260 with 14 HRs and 47 RBIs in 137 games. Overall, Bobby Brown would hit .245 with 14 HRs and 56 RBIs in 198 games for the Yankees. On April 6,1982, he was sent by the team to the Mariners to complete an earlier deal made on April 1,1982. The Yankees would send a Player to be Named Later, Pitchers Bill Caudill and Gene Nelson to the Mariners for P Shane Rawley. The Yankees would send Reserve OF Bobby Brown on April 6,1982 to Seattle to complete the trade.
1956-Yankees Slugger Mickey Mantle goes 5 for 5 with an intentional walk in an 11-4 victory against the Tigers. Mantle is now hitting .421 for the 1956 AL season. He combines with Yankees’ teammate 1B Joe Collins for back-to-back HRs off of Tigers hurler Duke Maas.
1958-The Tigers snap a 9-game losing streak while breaking the Yankees' 10-game win streak with a 3-2 win behind Starter Frank Lary. Lary is now has an 11-4 MLB Pitching career record against the Bronx Bombers. His victories against the Yankees will allow him to have MLB Pitching career mark of over .500, finishing with a 128-116 mark. He will finish with a 28-13 MLB Pitching career record against the Yankees.
1964-Yankees Slugger Mickey Mantle hits his 2nd HR in 2 days off of Angels Starter Fred Newman to start the scoring for the Bronx Bombers. The Yankees would top the Angels by the score of 8-5.
1967-The Yankees beat the Orioles by the score of 2-0. Bronx Slugger Mickey Mantle’s 3rd-inning drive to the outfield wall is caught by Orioles OF Frank Robinson, but the ball pops out of Robinson’s glove and over the outfield fence for a HR.
1970-Tribe Slugger Tony Horton hits 3 HRs against the Yankees‚ but the Bombers win the game anyway by the score of 8-7 in 11 innings.
1970-Former Yankees Reserve OF William “Goodtime Bill” Lamar (1917-1919) had passed away. (1897-1970)
On August 14,1917, 20-year old OF Bill Lamar was purchased along with INF Chick Fewster and P Hank Thormahlen by the Yankees from the AA Baltimore Orioles (IL) for $20,000 Cash. As a Reserve LF for the 1917-1919 Yankees, he would hit .228 with 0 HRs and 5 RBIs in 50 games, before being sold to the Red Sox on June 13,1919. From 1917-1921 and from 1924-1927, he played the outfield in 550 MLB games for the Yankees, Red Sox, Brooklyn Robins (aka Dodgers) and the Philadelphia A’s, while hitting .310 with 19 HRs and 245 RBIs. He had pinched-hit in 3 games for the Robins in the 1920 World Series against the Indians.
1973-Former Yankees Pitcher Bartolo Colon (2011) was born.
After being out of the MLB for the entire 2010 season, Colon impressed Yankees MLB Bench Coach Tony Pena during the 2010-2011 Dominican League season. He was offered an invitation to the team's 2011 MLB Spring Training Camp. He earned a spot in the bullpen and made his 1st 3 appearances of 2011 in relief of a struggling starter Phil Hughes, doing a solid job in long relief. When Hughes was placed on the DL on April 15th, after 3 ineffective starts, Colon took his place in the Yankees starting rotation. Colon's remarkable return to form prompted questions about the experimental surgery that was performed on his shoulder and elbow in 2010 particularly rumors that human growth hormone, which is banned by the MLB, was used as part of the procedure. Surgeon Joseph Purita, who performed the surgery, which also involves the use of stem cells, denied that HGH had been used or that there was anything wrong with a procedure that he described as "the future of sports medicine". On May 30th, he pitched his 1st MLB shutout in almost 5 seasons, blanking the A's by the score of 5-0. However, Colon was placed on the DL on June 11th after leaving a start against the Indians with a strained right hamstring. He was 5-3 with a 3.10 ERA at the time. He returned in winning form on July 2nd by beating the Mets by the score of 5-2. He would finish the 2010 season with an 8-10 record, with a 4.00 ERA in 29 games (26 starts), having pitched 164 1/3 innings for the Yankees and making an important contribution to an AL Eastern Division title. He did not play in the AL postseason however. After the season, it was clear that the Yankees, while happy that Colon and fellow MLB veteran Freddy Garcia had bailed them out in 2011, were looking to build a younger and more reliable starting rotation for the future. As a result, they did not seriously pursue re-signing Bartolo. On January 15, 2012, he would move to the Oakland A’s as a MLB Free Agent, signing a 1-year deal worth $2 million.
1974-Former Yankees Pitcher Cliff Markle (1915-1916,1924) had passed away. (1894-1974)
Cliff Markle had pitched for the 1915-1916 Yankees. On March 21,1919, Cliff was purchased by AA Salt Lake City (PCL) from the Yankees. He would pitch for the 1921-1922 Reds. Then in 1923, he would join the AA St. Paul Saints (AA). On June 16,1924, Cliff was traded by the Saints to the Yankees for P Oscar Roettger. On July 22,1924, Cliff was purchased by St. Paul from the Yankees. Cliff went 25-12 with a 3.36 ERA, while leading the American Association with 184 strikeouts. He would pitch briefly for the 1924 Yankees again, before returning to the Saints. Overall, he went 211-144 with a 3.69 ERA during his Minor League pitching career. His Yankees Pitching career totals were a 6-6 record with a 4.60 ERA in 21 games. Overall, as an MLB Pitcher, he would post a 12-17 record with a 4.10 ERA in 56 games.
1977-At Fenway Park, Bronx Bomber hitters 3B Graig Nettles and OF Carlos May slam back-to-back HRs in the 7th inning during the Yankees 6-5 come-back victory over the Red Sox.
1981-Yankees Team Owner George Steinbrenner rips into Bombers AL All-Star OF/DH Reggie Jackson, after the Indians had defeated the Yankees by a score of 12-5. Reggie was mired in a 4 for 28 batting slump that has dropped his 1981 AL season batting average to .197.
1989-Yankees Reliever Lee Guetterman gave up 5 runs in the 9th inning of a Bronx 11-4 loss to the Angels, ending his consecutive scoreless inning streak at 30 2/3 innings. It is the longest season-opening streak in the MLB since Harry Brecheen's in 1948 and the longest season-opening streak ever by a Reliever.
1991-Former Yankees Pitcher Chad Green (2016-2022) was born.
Chad Green was originally selected by the Blue Jays in the 37th round of the 2010 MLB Amateur Player Draft, He did not sign (though he was the 1st draftee from that round to make the MLB). He was next selected by the Tigers in the 11th round of the 2013 MLB Amateur Player Draft. He inked a contract and was also the 1st player from that round to make the MLB. Green pitched for the GCL Tigers and Lakeland Flying Tigers in 2013, going 4-0 with a 3.54 ERA in 20 1/3 innings. In 2014, with the West Michigan Whitecaps, he went 6-4 with a 3.11 ERA in 23 starts, while striking out 125 batters. He allowed only 121 hits and 28 walks in 130 1/3 innings. With the Erie SeaWolves in 2015, Green went 5-14 with a 3.93 ERA in 27 starts, averaging 8.3 strikeouts per 9 innings. On December 9, 2015, he was traded along with Pitcher Luis Cessa to the Yankees for MLB Reliever Justin Wilson. After going 2-3 with a 1.22 ERA in 7 starts for the AA A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders to begin the 2016 season, the he was promoted to the MLB to make a spot start. Facing the Diamondbacks on May 16th, he went 4 innings, allowing 4 earned runs (6 total) on 8 hits and 1 walk, while striking out 5 batters. He would surrender 2 HRs, to Paul Goldschmidt and Jake Lamb, respectively. He was relieved by Nick Goody, who was then relieved by Conor Mullee, who was also making his MLB Pitching debut that day. He was on a shuttle between the Bronx and Scranton over the next few months, making 3 more trips back and forth, then on August 15th was called up to make another spot start, this time against the Blue Jays. It turned out to be the best game of his young MLB Pitching career as he went 6 innings during which he did not allow a run and struck out 11 Blue Jay batters, getting credit for a 1-0 win over Jays Starter R.A. Dickey. He finished the 2016 AL season with a 2-4 record with a 4.73 ERA and 1 save in 12 games. He started the 2017 season with AAA Scranton as a Starter. He finished that 1st season with a record of 2-4, 4.73 ERA and 1 save in 12 MLB games, including 8 starts. Given his mediocre rookie season, Green was not considered a major element of the Yankees' pitching staff coming into 2017, and it was expected that he would continue to move between AAA and the Majors, filling out where needed. But that is not how things turned out. He made only 1 start in the MLB after being called up to the Bronx in May, and then never went back down. In 40 appearances, he put up excellent numbers as he progressively assumed a more and more important role out of the Yankees' bullpen. He went 5-0 with an excellent ERA of 1.83 and an amazing 103 strikeouts in 69 innings, against a mere 34 hits and 17 walks. By the time the 2017 AL Postseason rolled around, he was commonly referred to as the Yankees' "secret weapon" out of the bullpen and a potential difference maker. That is exactly what happened in the AL Wild Card Game against the Twins, as he was called in to relieve Starter Luis Severino with only 1 out in the 1st, 3 runs already in, and runners on 2nd and 3rd. He probably saved the Yankees' season by quickly striking out Byron Buxton and Jason Castro, stranding the 2 runners and keeping his team within striking distance. Indeed, his teammates rallied for 3 runs in the bottom of the 1st, and he followed that with an overpowering 1-2-3 2nd inning, before the Yankees took their 1st lead of the game in the bottom of the 2nd. While he had experience as a starter and was seen as a potential long man out of the bullpen, his recent experience had been in short outings, and he began to show signs of fatigue in the 3rd, loading the bases before ceding the ball to David Robertson. The Twins managed to score the tying run on a ground ball, but he had done the job: the Yankees scored in the bottom of the inning to take the lead again and never looked back after that, going on to an 8-4 win. In 2018, Chad went 8-3 with a 2.50 ERA in 63 games. In 2019, Chad posted a 4-4 record with a 4.17 ERA and 2 saves in 54 games. In 2020, he posted a 3-3 record with a 3.51 ERA and 1 save in 22 games. In 2021, he would post a 10-7 record with a 3.12 ERA and 6 saves in 67 games. He started the 2022 season with 15 innings pitched, giving up 6 runs and registering 1 save to go with a 1-1 record and an ERA of 3.00. During the 6th inning on May 19th in a game against the Orioles, Green called out his trainer and catcher and was removed from the game. It was later announced that he would need Tommy John surgery, and that he would miss the rest of the season. This was his 1st career stint on the IL in the MLB, dating all the way back to 2016. His loss was a big blow to the Yankees, especially as Closer Aroldis Chapman was struggling, and another important reliever from the previous few season, Jonathan Loaisiga, was also not at his best, putting additional pressure on relatively untested members of the pitching staff. At the end of the season, the Yankees Front Office decided to let Chad become an MLB Free Agent. On January 31, 2023, he would sign a 2-year contract with the Blue Jays.
1996-In Seattle‚ Ken Griffey‚ Jr would sink the Yankees by hitting 3 HRs‚ while scoring 5 runs and driving in 6 runs as the Mariners win the game by the score of 10-4. It is the 1st 3-HR game for Griffey in his MLB playing career. Bronx Starter Scott Kamieniecki takes the loss; this would be his last MLB game with the Yankees. His 1996 season will end in a month, when he goes on the AAA disabled list, while with the Columbus Clippers (IL).
2011-The Yankees end an AL record run of 341 games without a complete game, when veteran Starter CC Sabathia goes the distance in a 5-4 victory over the Blue Jays.
2013-Just 10 days after coming back from a broken arm sustained in a spring training game, Yankees OF Curtis Granderson breaks a bone in his hand when hit by a pitch by Tampa Bay's Cesar Ramos in the 5th inning. He will be out for another month. The Yankees still win the game beating the Rays by the score of 9-4.
2015-On the day they retire Bernie Williams' Uniform No. 51 and unveil a plaque in his honor in Monument Park, the Yankees suffer their 10th loss in 11 games to fall to .500 mark. The Rangers' 5-2 win completes a 3-game sweep, as a 2-run HR by Adam Rosales off of Bronx P Chris Capuano and 2 RBIs by Prince Fielder, account for the bulk of the Rangers damage.
May 25th
1922-After being thrown out at 2B, trying to stretch a single, Yankees Slugger Babe Ruth throws dirt in the face of AL Umpire George Hildebrand, then he goes after a fan. Ruth is ejected from the game. He is eventually fined $500 and suspended for 1 game by AL President Ban Johnson.
1937-Detroit Tigers future HOF Catcher Mickey Cochran’s MLB Playing career is brought to a jarring premature end, when he is struck in the side of the head by a Yankees Pitcher Bump Hadley fastball at Yankee Stadium. Mickey Cochrane suffered a bad head concussion and probable fracture and never really came back to the form that made him an AL All-Star Catcher for the Tigers and the A’s.
1941-Veteran Boston hurler Lefty Grove yields a single to Bronx CF Joe DiMaggio as he becomes the 1st pitcher to take part in 2 of the greatest records in MLB history. Joltin Joe’s single locks Grove into Joe DiMaggio’s 56 game hitting streak. Fourteen years earlier, Grove had also given up 1 of the 60 HRs hit by Yankees Slugger Babe Ruth during the 1927 AL HR record breaking season.
1950-Former Yankees Pitcher John “The Count” Montefusco (1983-1986) was born.
John Montefusco went 10-3 with a 3.75 ERA in 24 games with the Yankees, before serious hip problems ended his MLB Pitching career. On August 26,1983, John was traded by the Padres to the Yankees for Players to be Named Later and $200,000 cash. On September 12,1983, the Yankees would send 2 hurlers: Dennis Rasmussen and Edwin Rodriguez to the Padres to complete the trade.
1961-At Yankee Stadium, a crowd of 13,0879 fans watched the Yankees beat the Red Sox by the score of 6-4. Whitey Ford gains his 6th victory of the season with relief help from Closer Luis Arroyo, who earns his 7th save. Boston Starter Billy Buffett takes the loss, he is now 0-4 for the 1961 AL season. Veteran OF Jackie Jensen hits a HR for the Red Sox. The Yankees get HRs from Catcher Johnny Blanchard and Shortstop Tony Kubek. The Yankees are now 20-15-1 for the 1961 AL season.
1974-The Yankees had obtained Pitcher Larry Gura from the Rangers for Reserve C/DH Duke Simms. Larry would post a 5-1 record with a 2.41 ERA in 8 games for the Yankees in 1974, before being traded away to the Royals for Catcher Fran Haley by Yankees Manager Billy Martin during the 1976 AL season. His overall Yankees Pitching record was 12-9 with a 3.21 ERA in 34 games. Larry Gura and Yankees Manager Billy Martin did not get along, as a Royals Starter he would give the Yankees constant trouble.
1978-Former Yankees Reserve OF Mike Vento (2005) was born.
The Yankees had selected OF Mike Vento In the 40th round of the 1997 MLB Amateur Player Draft. In 2005, he would appear in 2 games with the Yankees with no BA. The Yankees would grant him MLB Free Agency in the winter of 2005. He would be signed by the Nationals for the 2006 NL season.
1982-At Yankee Stadium, a crowd of 20,127 fans watched the Yankees shutout the Blue Jays by the score of 8-0. Yankees Veteran Starter Tommy John throws a complete game shutout, improving his 1982 AL season record to 4-4. Blue Hays Starter Jim Gott takes the loss, he is now 0-2. Yankee hitters Shortstop Roy Smalley and OF Oscar Gamble hit HRs for the Bronx Bombers. Gamble’s HR shot is good for 3 Yankee runs. The Yankees are now at the 21-19 mark for the 1982 AL season.
1994-Yankees Former Minor League INF Kyle Holder was born.
Infielder Kyle Holder was the 30th overall pick in the 2015 MLB Amateur Player Draft, having been selected by the Yankees. He slashed .213 with No HRs and 12 RBIs in 56 games for the Class A Staten Island Yankees (NYPL) in his 1st pro baseball campaign, then he hit .290 for the Class A Charleston RiverDogs (SAL) in 2016. He played the 2017 season with the Tampa Yankees (FSL), he hit .271 in 104 games with 4 HRs and 44 RBIs. In 2019, he played for AA Trenton Thunder (EL), playing in 112 games, while hitting .265 with 9 HRs and 40 RBIs. He received an invitation to the Yankees 2020 MLB Spring Training Camp. The Yankees had lost him to the Reds in 2020 MLB Rule 5 Player Draft, but he was returned to the team by the Reds during 2021 MLB spring training camp. After the 2021 season, the Yankees would grant him MLB Free Agency. Kyle would sign a minor league deal with the Rockies, he is playing for their AAA club for the 2022 Season.
1995-Former Yankees Pitcher Mike King (2019-2023) was born.
Mike King was the 261st and last player to make his MLB player debut during the 2019 MLB season, when he pitched 2 innings for the Yankees on September 27th in a 14-7 win over the Rangers. It was his only MLB pitching appearance of the year. His 1st MLB appearance came after 4 years pitching in the Miami Marlins and the Yankees organizations. Most notably, in 2018 he had a record of 11-5 largely as a starter with an ERA of 1.79. In 2019, he appeared in only 11 games at 4 Minor League levels before coming to the MLB, as he was injured for much of the season. After the 2017 MLB season had ended, he was acquired by the Yankees in return for Reserve 1B Garrett Cooper and Pitcher Caleb Smith. In 2020, Mike went 1-2 with a 7.76 ERA in 9 games for the Yankees. In 2021, he would post a 2-4 record with a 3.55 ERA in 22 games. Mike continued to climb up the Yankee pitching ladder in 2022, by securing a job a set-up man in the bullpen on the Opening Day roster. On April 14th, he had another memorable outing against the Blue Jays, coming in to bail out Closer Aroldis Chapman in the 9th, after he had loaded the bases without retiring anyone, putting in peril a Yankees 3-0 lead. Michael came in at this point and needed just 5 pitches to extinguish the fire; striking out George Springer on 3 pitches, then getting Bo Bichette to pop-up into a double play in shallow right field. It was his 1st MLB career save. On April 22nd, he had another great outing, as he would strike out 8 batters, including 7 in a row, in just 3 innings of relief work in a 4-1 win over the Guardians. King would finish the 2022 AL season with a record of 6-3 along with a 2.29 ERA and 1 save in 34 games. In 2023, King would post a 4-8 record with a 2.75 ERA and 6 saves in 49 games for the team. On December 7, 2023, King was traded by the Yankees with Pitching Prospect Drew Thorpe (minors), P Jhony Brito, Catcher Kyle Higashioka and P Randy Vásquez to the Padres for Outfielders Trent Grisham and Juan Soto. King’s final Yankees pitching career was a 13-17 record with a 3.38 ERA and 7 saves in 115 games.
2011-Royals Starter Jo-Jo Reyes puts his name in the MLB record books with his 28th consecutive winless start, tying Cliff Curtis and Matt Keough, when the Blue Jays lose to the Yankees by the score of 7-3. Reyes is now at 0-4 this season, but he has pitched well: his ERA was 3.06 over his last 6 starts prior to last night's effort, yet wins have proved elusive. His last victory came on June 13, 2008, while a member of the Braves, his record since is 0-13. Also in the game, Closer Mariano Rivera makes his 1000th pitching appearance for the Yankees; he is the 15th MLB player to reach the mark, and the 1st pitcher to do it with only 1 team.
May 19th
1891-Former Yankees Pitcher George Clark (1913) was born. (1891-1940)
For the 1913 Yankees, Pitcher George Clark went 0-1 with a 9.00 ERA in 11 games.
1903-Due to Sunday Baseball Restrictions in Cleveland, a MLB game is played in Columbus, Ohio with the “hometown” Naps (aka Indians) defeating the Highlanders by the score of 9-2.
1928-Former Yankees INF Gil McDougald (1951-1960) was born. (1928-2010)
In 1948, the Yankees had signed INF Gil McDougald, as an MLB Amateur Free Agent. Gil was a very versatile infielder for the Yankees. In 1951, he had won the AL Rookie of the Year Award. He would hit a Grand Slam HR in the 1951 World Series against the Giants. He would make AL All-Star team 5 times during his MLB playing career. In 1955, he led the AL 2B in fielding. In 1957, a tragic line drive hit by Gil off of Indians Starter Herb Score in the face affected the rest of his MLB playing career. Gil had lost his aggressive approach at the plate. In December of 1960, Gil had been drafted by the “new” Washington Senators in the 1960 AL Expansion Team Player Draft. He refused to go to the new club. Also, Gil turned down a $100,000 Player-Manager job offer from the other new AL Expansion Team, the Angels. His former Yankees Manager Casey Stengel had recommended him to the Angels Team Owner Gene Autry for the job. He would retire from the Yankees. Gil would finish his fine Yankees playing career with a lifetime BA of .276, while hitting 112 HRs with 576 RBIs in 1,336 games. He had appeared in 8 World Series with the Yankees, while hitting .237 with 7 HRs and 24 RBIs. After his playing days were over, Gil was a College Baseball Coach at Fordham University for 7 years. Away from the diamond, he ran a NJ Maintenance Com. As he got older, Gil had suffered a progressive hearing loss, the result of being struck by a line drive hit by Bomber teammate OF Bob Cerv during batting practice many years earlier. He eventually went deaf, which was repaired by cochlear implant surgery in 1995.
1929-During the 5th inning of a Sunday afternoon game between the Red Sox and Yankees at Yankee Stadium, a sudden heavy rain-storm causes the crowd of 9,000 bleacher fans in right-field known as “Ruthville” stampede to the bleacher exits to get out of the rainstorm. The fan stampede to the exits results in 2 deaths with 62 people are injured. A truck driver named Joseph T. Carter, age 59 and 17- year-old Hunter College student named Eleanor Price were the fatal victims of the fan stampede to the RF Bleacher exits. The game ended at 5 innings with the Yankees winning by the score of 3-1. With back-to-back HRs in the 3rd inning by Bronx Bombers Sluggers Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth provide the Yankees winning lead. Yankees Starter Fred Heimach picks up his 3rd victory of the 1929 AL season, while Red Sox Starter Jack Russell drops to a 2-4 record. A crowd of 50,00 fans had attended the storm shorten game.
1941-Former Yankees Reserve 2B Joe Gedeon (1916-1917) had passed away. (1893-1941)
The Yankees had purchased 2B Joe Gedeon from his Newark (Federal League) player contract for $7,500 Cash a considerable sum for an unproven player in those days. He had sign with Newark, but the Federal League had folded up. His old AL team, the Senators protested vehemently over his purchase, but AL President Ban Johnson ruled against them. He directed Joe Gedeon to report to Yankees, where he played as a Reserve Infielder in 1916 and 1917. Joe appeared in 155 game for the Yankees, while hitting just .215. The New York Evening Journal noted the week of September 1, 1916 that the Yankees had pulled off a double squeeze play against the Red Sox at the Polo Grounds. In that game, the batter Gedeon was retired bunting while 2 runners scored. They repeated the feat 2 weeks later, with Gedeon at the center of the action once again. The normally staid and dry New York Times, of September 15, 1916, stated "The Yankees put the game right into the bag in the 7th inning, and called the double squeeze, one of the most spectacular of all scoring plays, into use. With one out Elmer Miller singled, and dashed to 3rd when Gedeon doubled to left field. Roxy Walters tipped the sign for the squeeze play when he came up, and Willie Mitchell, pitching for the Tigers, was of invaluable assistance when he took a half wind up, and as he started his motion the runners hit the trail. Miller was almost home by the time the ball got to the plate, and Gedeon was a few feet from 3rd. Walters rolled a slow teaser to Pep Young, and Miller slid over the plate. His dust had only risen, it seemed, when a fresh cloud gestured into the air, hurled up as Gedeon hit the dirt and slid over the plate safely. The play was brought to the perfect ending, for Walters beat the hit out." On January 22 1918, Gedeon was traded to the St. Louis Browns in a blockbuster deal. The Yankees received Star 2B Del Pratt and veteran southpaw (and future HOF) Eddie Plank in exchange for Gedeon, INF Fritz Maisel, P Nick Cullop, Catcher Les Nunamaker and a young right-hander named Urban Shocker. The trade worked out well for the Browns, despite the fact that Maisel, Cullop and Nunamaker were soon gone. Gedeon settled into the Browns' regular 2B job. Urban Shocker eventually became the ace of the Browns pitching staff. Pratt had 3 solid seasons with the Yankees, but the 42-year-old Eddie Plank refused to report to the Yankees. He took his 326 MLB lifetime victories into retirement. Joe Gedeon was also the "Ninth Man Out" in the Black Sox Scandal. He was an old friend of White Sox player Swede Risberg from their California days, he bet on the Reds in the 1919 World Series, placing him at a meeting with gamblers, as they were discussing the plot to throw the World Series. He would testify to a Grand Jury after the 1920 MLB season. He was dropped from the St. Louis Browns MLB team roster. On November 3,1921, Judge Landis would banned him permanently for "having guilty knowledge" of the 1919 World Series fix and for not reporting it to the proper authorities.
1954-Former Yankees Catcher Rick Cerone (1980, 1985, 1987, 1990) was born.
Catcher Rick Cerone won Gold with the USA at the 1974 Amateur World Series. He was a 1st-round pick in 1975 MLB Amateur Player Draft by the Indians. He came to the MLB that same year for 7 games. His only time in the Minor Leagues was at the AAA level. He was traded by the Indians to the Blue Jays before the start of the 1977 AL season, he gradually got more playing time with the Jays until 1979, when he was the team's primary Catcher, but he never hit as high as .240. During the winter of 1979, the Yankees in the Chris Chambliss trade with the Blue Jays had obtained the young Catcher. He never lived up to his potential as hitting catcher, after replacing Thurman Munson as the Yankees regular catcher in 1980; following Munson’s tragic death in August of 1979. He had his best MLB Player career season in that 1980 AL season, hitting .277 with 14 HRs and 30 doubles on a Yankees team that won 103 games. He finished #7 in the AL MVP voting. For the next 4 seasons with the Yankees, he never hit over .244 (he suffered from various injuries), began to share playing time with veteran Catchers like Butch Wynegar and others. Then he was traded to the Braves for 1 season, where he hit .216. He was their starter during the 1981 MLB Postseason, hitting .333 with a HR in the ALDS, but falling to .100 in the ALCS and .190 in the World Series, although he did hit another HR. In 1987, the Yankees used him twice as a Pitcher, he gave up no hits or runs in 2 innings of work. Overall, Rick Cerone had appeared in 587 games for the Yankees, while hitting .241 with 31 HRs and 203 RBIs.
1955-Former Yankees Pitcher Ed Whitson (1985-1986) was born.
Starter Ed Whitson went 15-10 with a 5.38 ERA in 44 games for the 1985-1986 Yankees. Ed had signed a 5-year MLB Free Agent contract with the Yankees worth $4.4 million with a 6th-year option. Whitson got off to a terrible start in the Bronx, going 1-6 with a 6.23 ERA in his 1st 11 starts of the 1985 AL season. Soon he became a focal point for heckling Yankee fans. He began receiving verbal abuse and hate mail; he refused to let his wife, Kathleen attend home games at Yankee Stadium. On June 11,1985, after giving up 5 hits and 1 run against the Blue Jays in Yankee Stadium, Whitson retired the next 19 batters that he faced. Fans began to cheer Whitson during the game, although the game was lost by the Yankees bullpen in extra innings, Whitson left the game to a standing ovation in the 10th inning. From there, Whitson turned his 1985 AL season around, by posting a 9-1 record with a 2.27 ERA over his next 16 starts. The Yankees were just 2.5 games back of the 1st place Blue Jays in the AL East. When Toronto came to the Bronx for a crucial 4 game series on September 12th. With the Blue Jays taking 2 of the 1st 3 games, Yankees Manager Billy Martin handed Whitson the ball for the 4th game. Whitson gave up 4 earned runs in just 2 innings as the Jays won the game by the score of 8-5 to take a 4.5 game lead in the Eastern AL Division race. Billy Martin would lift Whitson from his next scheduled start on September 20th. On September 22nd, while at a hotel bar in Baltimore, Whitson and Manager Martin got into a heated argument that spread to other parts of the hotel that resulted in a broken ulna in Martin's right arm and a bruised right side. Meanwhile Whitson had suffered a cracked rib and a split lip; he did not pitch again for the remainder of the 1985 AL season, finishing up with a 10-8 record along with a 4.88 ERA. After the 1985 AL season, Billy Martin was fired by the Yankees front office, which many Yankee fans suspected was because of his altercation with Whitson. During the 1986 AL season, Ed was used both as a Starter and Reliever by new Yankees Manager Lou Piniella. He was 4-0 despite having a high 7.36 ERA out of the bullpen and a 1-2 record with an 8.71 ERA as a Starter. Knowing that Whitson wanted out of the Bronx, the Yankees would trade Ed back to the Padres for veteran MLB Reliever Tim Stoddard on July 9,1986.
1957-Former Yankees Minor League P Ben Callahan was born. (1957-2007)
On June 3,1980, P Ben Callahan was selected by the Yankees in the 31st round of the 1980 MLB Amateur Player Draft. Ben would never appear with the Yankees at MLB level. On June 15,1983, Ben was traded by the Yankees along with DH/1B Marshall Brant and Cash to the A’s for veteran MLB Starter Matt Keough. Ben would post a 1-2 record with Oakland in his only MLB pitching career season. The Athletics would send him back to the Minor Leagues.
1960-The Yankees had traded P Mark Freeman to the Cubs for P Art Ceccarelli. The Yankees had traded Freeman to Kansas City on April 8,1959, but after 3 games with the team; they sold him back to the Yankees on May 8,1959. He was sent by the team to AAA Seattle (PCL). He did pitch 1 game for the Yankees with no decision. Ceccarelli was 9-18 with 5 MLB seasons with the A’s, Orioles and the Cubs. The Yankees would send him to their AAA club at Richmond (IL). He would never pitch in the MLB again.
1960-On May 19,1960, the Yankees had re-obtained veteran OF Bob Cerv from Kansas City A's for veteran 3B Andy Carey. Andy had lost his Yankees 3B starting job to Clete Boyer. Veteran OF Bob Cerv will provide power off the bench and outfield defense for the Yankees for the rest of 1960 AL season, before being lost to the new LA Angels team in the AL Expansion Team Player Draft in December of 1960. He would hit .250 with 8 HRs and 28 RBIs for the 1960 Yankees. Bob would hit .357 in the 1960 World Series against the Pirates before getting hurt and missing the critical Game 7. He would be re-obtained by the Yankees from the Angels on May 8,1961 in the Ryne Duren trade.
1969-The Yankees had obtained OF Jose Vidal from the Seattle Pilots for Reserve OF/1B Richard Simpson. Jose would never play for the Yankees at MLB level. The team would send Jose to their AAA club, the Syracuse Chiefs (IL). Simpson had gone 3 for 11 in 6 games for the 1969 Yankees, before being send down to AAA Syracuse (IL).
1975-Former Yankees Minor League Manager Josh Paul was born.
Former MLB Catcher Josh Paul had managed the 2009-2010 Class A short-season Staten Island Yankees (NYPL). In 2018, Josh Paul was named the MLB Bench Coach of the Los Angeles Angels. He had previously been a Minor League Manager in the Yankees' organization, as well as the team's Minor League Catching Instructor. When Angels Manager Mike Scioscia retired after the 2018 NL season, Paul retained his job under his successor Brad Ausmus in 2019.
1977-Former Yankees Reliever Dan Giese (2008) was born.
On November 24, 2007, Reliever Dan Giese was signed as an MLB Free Agent by the Yankees. He will appear in 20 games for the 2008 Yankees, while posting a 1-3 record with a 3.53 ERA. On April 8, 2009, Dan was selected off waivers by the Oakland A’s from the Yankees.
1991-Former Yankees Reserve 1B/DH Ji-Man Choi (2017) was born.
Before the start of the 2017 AL season, Choi had signed with the Yankees as a MLB Free Agent, although he was far down the depth chart for 1B/DH, as the Yankees had already veteran players Chris Carter and Matt Holliday and youngsters Greg Bird and Tyler Austin already on hand. He would start the season with the AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (IL), where he did quite well, hitting .289 with 8 HRs and 43 RBIs in 56 games. With Bird and Austin both injured and Carter not producing with the bat, Ji-Man was called up to the Bronx on July 5th and homered and drove in 2 runs in each of his 1st 2 games with the team. Those were his only 2 hits before the MLB All-Star break, but on July 10th, the Yankees decided to release Carter, who was hitting .201 with a ton of strikeouts. It seemed like Choi was going to start at 1B until 1 of the 2 youngsters were ready to come back, or they acquired someone else in a trade, but the team did acquire someone, Minor League Slugger Garrett Cooper, who filled in the gap until a trading deadline deal brought in Todd Frazier to play 3B, freeing veteran INF Chase Headley to play 1st. The fallout for Ji-man was that he spent the rest of the season in AAA, finishing the season at .287 with 25 doubles, 15 HRs and 69 RBIs in 87 games. After the 2017 AL season ended, Choi became an MLB Free Agent. He was signed with the Brewers, who would trade him to the Rays during the 2018 MLB season. He has obtained MLB player success, while playing for the Rays.
1993-Former Yankees Reserve INF Oscar Grimes Jr. (1943-1946) had passed away.(1915-1993)
On December 17,1942, veteran INF Oscar Grimes was traded by the Indians along with OF Roy Weatherly to the Yankees for OF Roy Cullenbine and AL All-Star Catcher Buddy Rosar. Oscar would appear in 281 games for the Yankees, while hitting .266 with 9 HRs and 96 RBIs. On July 11,1946, Oscar was purchased by the Philadelphia Athletics from the Yankees.
1999-Former Yankees Minor League P Deivi Garcia (2020-2023) was born.
Before start of the 2016 AL season, Pitcher Deivi Garcia was signed by the Yankees as an Amateur Free Agent from the Dominican Republic. He began his pro career with the DSL Yankees 2, while posting a 1-5 record with a 2.61 ERA in 12 starts. Then in 2017, he pitched for the 3 different teams. He was with the DSL Yankees for 3 games, then earned successive promotions to the GCL Yankees and Class A Pulaski Yankees. Combined, he went 6-2, with a 3.30 ERA in 30 games, with 85 strikeouts in 60 innings. In 2018, he made 8 starts for the Class A Charleston RiverDogs (SAL), where he was 2-4 with a 3.76 ERA, before earning a promotion to the Class A Tampa Tarpons (FSL). On August 6th, he pitched an absolute gem in the 2nd game of a doubleheader against the Clearwater Threshers, with 7 perfect innings during which he struck out 12 opponents. Unfortunately for him, his teammates were unable to score as Tampa lost the game, when Reliever Christian Morris allowed a run without giving up a hit in the 8th. In 2020, he appeared at the MLB level for the 1st time, Devi had appeared in 6 games for the Yankees, while posting a 3-2 record with a 4.98 ERA. In 2021, he was at AAA Scranton (IL), he was called up by the Yankees for 1 start, he went 0-1 with a 4.50 ERA. In 2022, he pitched at AA and AAA levels with a 4-5 record with a 6.89 ERA in 20 games. In 2023, he is at AAA, but he has 1 game with the Yankees, with 3 scoreless innings of relief before being sent back to Scranton. On August 10, 2023, he was selected off waivers by the White Sox from the Yankees. His final Yankees pitching totals were a 3-3 record with a 4.84 ERA with 1 save in 10 games.
2006-In a MLB Inter-League play game, Mets 3B David Wright wins the 1st Subway Series game of the 2006 MLB season between the 2 New York City teams, when he hits a 2-out RBI single off of Yankees Closer Mario Mariano Rivera in the bottom of the 9th inning to give the Mets a 7-6 victory over the Yankees.
2010-The Yankees learn that Catcher Jorge Posada has a broken bone in his right foot, he will be out of action for 3 to 4 weeks. Francisco Cervelli has already assumed the bulk of the playing time behind the plate this 2010 AL season. Posada joins teammate DH/1B Nick Johnson who is also out with a wrist injury, CF Curtis Granderson who is on the DL, while OF Marcus Thames and Nick Swisher are both day-to-day because of a sprained ankle and a sore biceps, respectively. The Rays take advantage of their banged-up Eastern Division rivals beating them by the score of 10-6 increasing their lead in the AL East to 4 games.
2015-Nationals hitter Ryan Zimmerman connects for a walk-off HR off Yankees Closer Andrew Miller in the 10th inning to give Washington an 8-6 win and put them into a tie for 1st place in the NL East with the Mets, after starting the 2015 NL season with a 7-13 record. For Ryan Zimmerman, it is the 10th such HR of his MLB playing career; for Miller, it's a 1st blown save after converting his 1st 13 save chances of the 2015 AL season.
2016-Former Yankees DH Jim Ray Hart (1973-1974) had passed away. (1941-2016)
On April 17,1973, veteran INF/OF Jim Ray Hart was purchased by the Yankees from the Giants. He was slowed down by injuries during his MLB playing career with the Giants in the NL. Jim had appeared in 124 games for the Yankees, hitting just .243 with 13 HRs and 52 RBIs. On June 7, 1974, Jim was released by the Yankees, ending his MLB playing career that had lasted 12 seasons, finishing with a .278 BA with 170 HRs and 578 RBIs in 1,125 MLB games with the Giants and the Yankees.
2017-Former Yankees 1B/PH Dave McDonald (1969) had passed away. (1943-2017)
Before the start of the 1962 AL season, 1B Dave McDonald was signed by the Yankees as an MLB Amateur Free Agent. Dave played in the Yankees organization from 1962 to 1970. In 1969, he appeared at the MLB level with the team for 9 games in September, hitting just .217 with No HRs and 2 RBIs as a 1B/PH. On May 15,1970, Dave was traded by the Yankees to the Montreal Expos for veteran MLB Reliever Gary Waslewski. With the 1971 Expos, he would appear in 24 games, while hitting just .103. From 1971-1974, he played in AAA level with the Expos and Mets organizations before ending his pro playing career.
2021-Yankees Starter Corey Kluber is the latest pitcher to join this season's no-hitter parade, pulling off the feat with a 2-0 win over the Rangers at Globe Life Field. It is already the 6th 9-inning no-hitter this season, and comes 1 day after Spencer Turnbull of the Tigers had pitched one.
2023-The Yankees have agreed to a minor league contract with Reliever Michael Feliz, the Leones de Yucatán (Mexican League) announced yesterday. According to the MLB.com transaction tracker, Feliz has first been assigned to the organization’s Tampa, Florida training complex. After some time there building up, he’s likely to head up to AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Feliz had signed with Yucatán over the offseason. He had pitched 9 times and tallied 8 1/3 innings in the Mexican League, allowing just 1 run with an excellent 13:2 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Along the way, the 29-year-old impressed Yankees’ Scouts to get another look in the affiliated ranks. On July 24, 2023, he was released by the Yankees.
2023-The Yankees had acquired veteran MLB OF Greg Allen from the Red Sox for Minor League P Diego Hernandez. Hernandez, an 18-year-old native of Mexico, had signed with New York as an undrafted free agent last year. He had spent 2022 in the Dominican Summer League, starting 5 of 12 games. Once official, it’ll be Allen’s 2nd stint as a Yankee. The switch-hitting outfielder had appeared in 15 games for New York 2 years ago. He played well, hitting .270 over 48 trips to the plate. Allen’s modest pre-2021 track record led the Yankees to place him on waivers despite that small-sample production. The Pirates had claimed him and kept him on the roster for the majority of 2022 season, but then he slumped to a .186 BA with a 31.3% strikeout rate in 134 trips to the plate. The Pirates ran Allen through waivers at the end of the season. He caught on with the Red Sox on an offseason minor league pact and has impressed over 37 games for their AAA affiliate in Worcester. He was hitting .250 in 151 trips to the plate.
May 20th
1890-Former Yankees Pitcher Jesse ‘Jim” Buckles (1916) was born. (1890-1975)
For the 1916 Yankees, Pitcher Jim Buckles had appeared in 2 games with no record along with a 2.25 ERA.
1893-Former Yankees Pitcher Walter Bernhardt (1918) was born. (1893-1958)
For the 1918 Yankees, Pitcher Walt Bernhardt had appeared in 1 game with no record.
1897-Former Yankees Closer William Wilcy “Cy” Moore (1927-1929,1932-1933) was born. (1897-1963)
Wilcy “Cy” Moore was the Relief Ace of the 1927 Yankees, posting a 13-7 record with 13 saves. Overall, in 1927, Cy finished the season with a 19-7 record and a 2.28 ERA in 50 games. Wilcy Moore is now considered to have won the 1927 American League ERA title, with a 2.28 figure as a Rookie in 1927. However, under the rules of the time, he was not considered eligible for the title in spite of his 213 innings pitched, as he had only compiled 6 complete games - in 12 starts - fewer than the minimum 10 required at the time. His Yankees teammate, veteran Starter Waite Hoyt, who posted a 2.64 ERA for the Yankees, is therefore credited with the title in many reference sources. Wilcy was also the Yankees' pitching hero in the 1927 World Series, saving a 5-4 win in Game 1, and pitching a complete game victory in Game 4 to put the finishing touch on a 4-game sweep of the Pirates. His Yankees Pitching career totals was a 36-21 record with a 3.31 ERA and 37 saves in 171 games. His World Series pitching record for the Yankees was a 2-0 mark with a 0.56 ERA and 1 save in 3 games. Wilcy Moore is considered to be the 1st of the great Yankees Closers in the team’s history. In 1930, the Yankees would send him to the AA St. Paul Saints (AA). He was drafted by the Red Sox in the 1931 MLB Rule 5 Player Draft. He pitched for the 1931-1932 Red Sox, while posting a 15-23 record with a 4.31 ERA and 12 saves in 90 games. On August 1,1932, the Yankees would trade P Gordon Rhodes to Boston for P Wilcy Moore. Moore had led the AL in saves in 1927 and the 1931 Red Sox (10). At the end of the 1933 AL season, the 37-year-old Moore was released by the Yankees. As an MLB Pitcher, he would finish his pitching career with a 51-44 record with a 3.70 ERA and 49 saves in 261 games.
1904-Former Yankees Pitcher Peter Appleton (also known as Peter Jablonski) (1933) was born. (1904-1974)
Pitcher Peter Appleton had appeared in 1 game with 1933 Yankees, while posting no record. The Yankees would send him back to their AA team, the 1934 Newark Bears (IL). Pete had originally come up with 1927 Reds. Also, he would pitch for the Indians, White Sox, Senators (twice), Browns and the Red Sox in his 14-season MLB Pitching career finishing with an overall 57-67 record with a 4.30 ERA in 341 games.
1913-The Yankees had obtained Shortstop Roger Peckinpaugh from the Indians for 2 Players: INF Bill Stumpf and OF Jack Lelivelt. Roger would help stabilized the 1913 Yankees infield, while hitting .268 in 95 games. He would be the starting Shortstop for the Yankees for 8 seasons, while playing in 1,219 games, hitting .257 with 36 HRs and 428 RBIs for the team. He would be the Yankees Team Captain from 1914 to 1921. On December 20,1921, he was traded by the Yankees to the Red Sox for Shortstop Everett “Deacon” Scott, Pitchers Sam Jones and Joe Bush. Boston would trade him to the Senators that winter.
1922-Yankees Slugger Babe Ruth is named Yankees Team Captain. He will lose his Team Captain position on May 25,1922. Ruth will be replaced by Shortstop Everette “Deacon” Scott, who will hold the position from 1922-1925. The next Yankees Team Captain will be 1B Lou Gehrig, who will hold the Team Captain Title from 1935-1939.
1923-Yankees Slugger Babe Ruth’s 15th inning 2-run HR gives Yankees Starter Herb Pennock, a 3-1 victory over the White Sox. Pennock goes the distance for the Yankees, while allowing only 4 White Sox hits and 1 run in 15 innings.
1925-The Indians scored 6 runs in the bottom of the 9th inning to beat the Yankees by a score of 10-9. Indians OF Tris Speaker scored the winning run from 1st base on a single.
1929-Former Yankees Minor League Player, MLB Scout and Manager Lamar North was born. (1929-2011)
Catcher Lamar North spent 13 seasons playing in the Minor Leagues. In 1948, North debuted with the Eastman Dodgers, hitting .271. In 1949, he batted .322 and slugged .420 for Eastman. He was among the Georgia State League's top 10 in batting average. North moved up to the Portsmouth Cubs in 1950, hitting .262. He had missed 1951-1952 seasons, presumably due to military service. North returned to Portsmouth in 1953, he batted only .216, showing rust. He did lead all catchers in the Piedmont League with 73 assists. In 1954, Lamar hit .249 for Portsmouth, followed by .258 in 1955. In 1956, he moved from the Cubs to the Yankees organization. The veteran backstop batted .256 for the Binghamton Triplets (EL). With Binghamton again in 1957, he hit .260. He hit .256 with a career-high 18 HRs, while slugging .424 for the 1958 New Orleans Pelicans (SA) and played 1 game with AAA Richmond. Lamar hit .247 in 60 games for 1959 Binghamton, also North spent time with the AAA Houston Buffs (7 for 47) and the AAA Richmond Virginians (4 for 20), getting his longest looks at AAA. He batted .235 for 2 Texas League clubs in 1960. He was 6 for 33 for the 1962 Class A Fort Lauderdale Yankees and was 0 for 1 for the 1963 AAA Richmond club to end his active playing career. Now a Minor League Manager for the Yankees, he would managed the 1962 Harlan Smokies, 1964 Johnson City Yankees, 1965 Greensboro Yankees and the Fort Lauderdale Yankees in 1966 and 1970. He would later become MLB Scout for the Yankees (1968-1971), Dodgers (1973-1975) and the Orioles (1977-?), signing future MLB players Ken Gerhart, Gregg Olson and Nick Markakis among others.
1930-Former Yankees Reliever and MLB Pitching Coach Tom “Plowboy” Morgan (1951-1952,1954-1956) was born. (1930-1987).
Before the start of the 1949 AL season, the Yankees had signed Pitcher Tom Morgan as an MLB Amateur Free Agent. He would miss time from the Yankees during the 1952-1953 AL seasons due to military service. Tom was a Relief Pitcher for the Yankees during the early 1950’s. His Yankee pitching career totals were a 38-22 record with 26 saves in 156 games. Tom was traded to Kansas City in February of 1957 as part of the Bobby Shantz trade. He had appeared in 3 World Series with the Yankees, while posting a 0-1 mark in 5 games. He would pitch for the 1957 A’s, 1958-1960 Tigers,1960 Senators before being drafted by the Angles in the 1960 AL Expansion Team Player Draft. He would end his MLB Pitching career in 1963 with the Angels with an overall 67-47 record with a 3.61 ERA and 64 saves in 443 games. After retiring, Morgan was a Minor League Pitching Instructor for the Angels organization in 1964 and 1965. He would manage the Idaho Falls Angels for part of 1966 season, then he returned to his Coaching duties in 1967 and 1968. Later, Morgan would manage the San Jose Bees for part of 1969 season. Then he was an MLB Scout for the Yankees in 1971. He returned to the Angels as a Coach on the MLB Coaching staff from 1972 to 1974. He was a MLB Pitching Coach for the Padres in 1975, the 1979 Yankees and the Angels yet again from 1981 to 1983.
1943-Former Yankees Reserve 1B/PH David McDonald (1969) was born. (1943-2017)
Before the start of the 1962 AL season, 1B Dave McDonald was signed by the Yankees as an MLB Amateur Free Agent. Dave had played in the Yankees organization from 1962 to 1970. In 1969, he had appeared at the MLB level with the team for 9 games in September, hitting just .217 with No HRs and 2 RBIs as a 1B/PH. On May 15,1970, Dave was traded by the Yankees to the Expos for MLB Reliever Gary Waslewski. With the 1971 Expos, he would appear in 24 games, while hitting just .103. From 1971-1974, he would play at the AAA level with the Expos and Mets organizations before ending his pro playing career.
1945-St. Louis Browns One-armed OF Pete Gray enjoyed an incredible day against the Yankees. Pete Gray made 3 outstanding catches, collected 4 hits with 2 RBIs and scored the winning run during the Browns doubleheader sweep of the Yankees.
1946-Former Yankees INF/DH/OF, MLB Coach and Yankees Broadcast Announcer Robert “Bobby “Murcer (1965-1966,1969-1974,1979-1983) was born. (1946-2008)
Bobby Murcer was groomed to be the next Mickey Mantle, but it didn’t work out that way, he still had a very good playing career with the Yankees. He played briefly with the team as an infielder in 1965-1966, before being drafted into the Army, missing the 1967-1967 AL seasons. In 1969, the Yankees would switch Bobby from the INF to the OF. He made the AL All-Star team in 1971-1974. He won AL Golden Glove in 1972. His best season with the bat as a Yankees player was in 1971, when he hit .331 with 25 HRs and 94 RBIs. In the winter of 1974, he was traded to the Giants for NL All-Star OF Bobby Bonds. The trade was unpopular with both team’s fans. Bobby was upset that Yankees Team Owner George Steinbrenner broke his promise to him, that long as he owned the team, Bobby would remain a Yankees player. He would play 2 seasons for the Giants before being traded him to the Cubs in the winter of 1976. Bobby would return to the Yankees from the Cubs during the 1979 AL season, hitting .273 in 74 games. In 1980, Bobby would play in 100 games as a Regular OF, while hitting .269 with 13 HRs and 57 RBIs. Injuries would slow him down during the 1981-1983 AL seasons. Bobby would play in his only World Series for the 1981 Yankees, while appearing in 4 games with no hits. Finishing out his Yankees playing career in 1983, Bobby would become a Yankees Broadcasting Announcer, until the date of his passing on July 12, 2008, except for the1989 season when he was an Assistant General Manager for the club. He also served as Chairman of the Baseball Assistance Team.
1946-Former Yankees OF Jim Lyttle (1969-1971) was born.
In 1966, OF Jim Lyttle was selected by the Yankees in the 1st round (10th selection) of the MLB Amateur Player Draft. Jim’s best Yankees’ season was in 1970, when he hit .310 in 87 games. In 1971, he missed most of the season being sick with mono, only appearing in 49 games, while hitting just .198. On October 13,1971, Jim was traded by the Yankees to the White Sox for P Rich Hinton. Overall, as a Yankees player, he had appeared in 164 games for the team, while hitting .241 with 4 HRs and 25 RBIs. He would play in the MLB for the Yankees, White Sox, Expos and the Dodgers in an MLB playing career spanning from 1969 through 1976. Then he would play pro baseball in Japan for 2 teams: the Hiroshima Carp and the Hankia Hawks from 1977 through 1983. He had a 472 consecutive games played streak in Japan at one point. He had played on 2 Nippon Series championship teams with Hiroshima in 1979 and 1980. He was a teammate of Adrian Garrett on the 1979 Nippon Series Championship team. The Hiroshima Toyo Carp (led by Garrett, Lyttle, Koji Yamamoto and Sachio Kinugasa), became the 1st Japanese team to hit 200 HRs in a season that year. He was then named MVP of the 1980 Nippon Series, after he hit 3 HRs and drove in 6 runs while batting .400 to defeat Charlie Manuel and the Kintetsu Buffaloes. He was voted to 1 All-Star Team while in Japan, in 1981. He put up spectacular stats that year: Jim led the Central League with 157 hits, hit 33 HRs, collected 100 RBIs, hitting .318 and had an OPS of .940 in only 128 games. He would hit 166 HRs, had 945 hits and have a career OPS mark of .816 during his pro playing career in Japan; also he won 4 Diamond Gloves. Later, Jim Lyttle was the Head Baseball for the College of Boca Raton in 1987-1988.
1948-Yankees CF Joe DiMaggio hits for the cycle and collected 6 RBIs in the 13-2 Yankees victory over the White Sox. DiMaggio hit 2 HRs, a triple, a double and a single and narrowly missed another extra-base hit, when White Sox LF Ralph Hodgin made a spectacular catch at the outfield wall.
1959-Tigers would beat the Yankees by a score of 13-6 to place the Bronx Bombers in last place in the AL for the 1st time in 19 years, since May of 1940. The team was plagued by injuries to virtually every starting player in the Yankees regular starting line-up, plus the pitching staff had several key arm injuries, including 1958 Cy Young Award Winner Bob Turley. The 1959 Yankees would finish in 3rd place in the AL with a 79-75 record, behind the 2nd place Indians and the 1959 AL Champion’s White Sox.
1960-Former Yankees Catcher Pat Collins (1926-1928) had passed away. (1896-1960)
On August 30,1925, Catcher Pat Collins was traded by the AA St. Paul Saints (AA) to the Yankees for a Player to be Named Later, $25,000 Cash and 3 Players to be Named Later. On December 16,1925, the Yankees would send veteran MLB Shortstop Pee-Wee Wanninger to the AA St. Paul Saints to complete the trade. Pat had been a Catcher with the 1919-1924 St. Louis Browns. He would appear in 264 games for the Yankees, while hitting .269 with 20 HRs and 85 RBIs. Pat had appeared in 11 World Series games for the Yankees (1926-1928), while hitting .500. On December 13,1928, Pat was purchased by the Braves from the Yankees.
1963-Former Yankees Pitcher David “Boomer” Wells (1997-1998,2002-2003) was born.
On December 24,1996, Veteran Starter David Wells was signed as an MLB Free Agent with the Yankees. On May 17, 1998, David Wells pitched the 13th perfect game in modern MLB history, as the Yankees beat the Twins by a score of 4-0. His Perfect Game against the Twins was the 1st by a Yankees Pitcher since Don Larsen in the 1956 World Series, also set an AL record by retiring 37 batters in a row, dating back to his last start on May 12th against the Royals. Dave’s best Yankees Pitching season was in 2002, when he went 19-7 with a 3.75 ERA in 31 games. In 1998, he went 18-4 with a 3.49 ERA in 30 games; He won the ALCS MVP Award. Dave was named to the 1998 AL All-Star team. His Yankees World Series pitching record was 1-1. In ALCS play, he went 6-1 for the Yankees. On February 18,1999, Dave was traded by the Yankees along with Reserve INF Homer Bush and Reliever Graeme Lloyd to the Blue Jays for AL All-Star Starter Roger Clemens. In 2002, he would return to the Yankees as an MLB Free Agent. David would post a 19-7 record for the 2002 Yankees. In 2003, he went 15-7 with a 4.14 ERA in 31 games for the Yankees. At the end of the 2003 MLB post season, David left the Yankees for MLB Free Agency. His final Yankees Pitching career record was 68-28 with a 3.90 ERA in 124 games. At the end of the 2003 MLB post season, David would leave the Yankees for MLB Free Agency He would sign with his hometown MLB team, the San Diego Padres. Wells would finish his MLB Pitching career with a 239-157 record with a 4.13 ERA and 13 saves in 660 games.
1969-The Yankees had acquired veteran Reliever Jack Aker (1969-1972) from the Seattle Pilots for Yankees Starter Fred Talbot. Jack Aker, Steve Hamilton and Lindy McDaniel would help stabilized the Yankees bullpen for 4 seasons. Aker would post at 16-10 record with a 2.23 ERA and 31 saves in 124 games for the team. On May 17,1972, the Yankees would send P Jack Aker to the Cubs to complete an earlier deal that was made on January 20,1972. The Yankees had traded for Cubs veteran NL All-Star OF Johnny Callison for a Player to be Named Later. As a 1966-1969 Yankees Pitcher, Fred Talbot had posted a 14-24 record with a 3.99 ERA in 89 games.
1976-Another Yankees-Red Sox brawl took place at Yankee Stadium. Which pile-on fights resulting in Red Sox Starter Bill “Spaceman” Lee seriously injuring his left pitching arm. It all started when Yankees OF Lou Piniella, crashed into Red Sox Catcher Carlton Fisk, while trying to score from 2B on a single by Graig Nettles. Red Sox RF Dwight Evans throw had Lou out at the plate, but he barreled into Fisk resulting in a fight between them, which emptied both team benches.
1980-Former Yankees Reserve OF Austin Kearns (2010) was born.
On July 30, 2010, OF Austin Kearns was traded by the Indians to the Yankees for a Player to be Named Later. The Yankees would send Minor League P Zach McAllister on August 20, 2010 to the Indians to complete the trade. Austin had appeared in 36 games for the Yankees, while hitting just .234 with 2 HRs and 7 RBIs. On November 1, 2010, Austin was granted MLB Free Agency by the team. He would resign with the Indians for 2011 AL season.
1981-The Yankees had traded Starter Tom Underwood and 1B/DH Jim Spencer to the Oakland A’s for 1B Dave Revering, OF Mike Patterson and Minor League P Chuck Dougherty. Underwood had gone 13-9 with a 3.66 ERA and 1 save in 25 games in 1980, but in 1981, he was 1-4 with a 4.41 ERA in 5 games for the team. The Yankees would replace him in the starting rotation with lefty Rookie Starter Dave Righetti, who was 5-0 with 1.00 ERA with AAA Columbus (IL). Spencer had dropped in his hitting from .288 with 23 HRs in 1979 to .236 with 13 HRs in 1980 to .143 in 25 games in 1981. Dave Revering would platoon at 1B with veteran 1B Bob Watson. Patterson and Dougherty were sent by the team to the Minor Leagues. They never would appear with the Yankees at the MLB level
2006-A New York Yankees uniform worn by Joe DiMaggio in his final World Series (1951) was sold for $195,500 during the 2nd day of an auction of his memorabilia. Yesterday, DiMaggio's 1947 AL MVP Award plaque was sold for $281,750, which included a 15 % buyer's premium. It was his 3rd AL MVP award, but it was the only plaque. The 2-day auction featured more than 1,000 items of Joe DiMaggio memorabilia also included a leather-bound album featuring autographs from DiMaggio's Yankees teammates and members of the Red Sox, a typed note signed by entertainer Frank Sinatra, an a signed photograph of DiMaggio's one-time wife, Actress Marilyn Monroe. Joe DiMaggio memorabilia auction was held by Hunt's Auctions Inc., located in New York City. A portion of the auction proceeds will benefit the Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital in Hollywood, Florida.
2014-Bronx Starter Masahiro Tanaka suffers his 1st loss in the MLB, when the Cubs beat the Yankees by the score of 6-1, behind Starter Jason Hammel. Tanaka was unbeaten in 42 straight regular season starts, since August 19, 2012; including a perfect 24-0 season in Nippon Pro Baseball in 2013, although he had lost a postseason start during the streak.
2021-Former Yankees Reserve Catcher Phil Lombardi (1986-1987) had passed away.
(1963-2021)
The Yankees in the 3rd round of the 1981 MLB Amateur Player Draft had selected Catcher Phil Lombardi. He would hit .250 with 2 HRs and 6 RBIs in 25 games for the 1986-1987 Yankees. On December 11,1987, he was traded by the Yankees along with Minor League P Steve Frey and OF Darren Reed to the Mets for MLB Shortstop Rafael Santana and Minor League Player Victor Garcia. After leaving pro baseball, he became a successful Real Estate Broker.
2023-The Yankees have DFA veteran OF Aaron Hicks, who had been struggling with the bat. So far this season, he is hitting just .188 with a 1 HR in 76 plate appearances. It’ll be a costly move for the Yankees, with Hicks still owed $19.57MM by way of $9.8MM salaries in 2024-2025, and a $1MM buyout on a $12.5MM club option for 2026. He’ll also be owed the remainder of his $10.8MM salary in 2023. He will be picked up by the Orioles.
May 21st
1906-Former Yankees Pitcher Henry ‘Hank” Johnson (1925-1926,1928-1932) was born. (1906-1982)
When he first came up to the MLB, Johnson was the youngest player on the 1925 Yankees. He would pitched in 24 games that season posting a 1-3, record with a 6.85 ERA, but then he would spent virtually all of 1926 and 1927 in the Minor Leagues, missing a chance to pitch in 2 World Series with the Yankees. His best Yankees Pitching season was in 1928, when he posted a 14-9 record with a 4.30 ERA with 10 complete games in 31 starts. During the 1928 season, Hank would defeat A’s Ace Lefty Grove 4 times. Hank Johnson had posted a 47-34 record with a 4.84 ERA and 7 saves in 157 games for the team. On June 5,1932, he was traded by the Yankees along with P Ivy Andrews and $50,000 Cash to the Red Sox for P Danny MacFayden. With the 1932 Yankees, he was 2-2 with a 4.88 ERA in 5 games. As an MLB Pitcher, Hank would finish his MLB pitching career in 1939 with an overall 63-56 record with a 4.75 ERA and 11 saves in 249 games.
1912-Former Yankees Reserve OF Larry Rosenthal (1944) was born. (1912-1992)
On April 3,1942, OF Larry Rosenthal was traded by the Indians to the Yankees for OF Buster Mills. He had appeared in only 36 games for the 1944 Yankees, while just hitting .198 with No HRs and 9 RBIs. On July 6,1944, Larry was purchased by the Philadelphia A’s from the Yankees.
1923-The formal transfer of T.L. Huston's interest in the New York Yankees Team Ownership to his Business Partner, Jacob Ruppert is completed for $1.5 million. Ten days later, Ruppert buys 2 more sets of uniforms so his players can wear a clean outfit every day, an unprecedented move.
1926-It is “George Burns Day” in Cleveland as he is presented with a diploma as the 1926 American League MVP winner, a silver bat containing $1,150 in cash and a new automobile. Tribe 1B Burns has a pair of doubles in the game, but the visiting Yankees will win the game by the score of 6-4 in 12 innings.
1930-Yankees Slugger Babe Ruth hits 3 consecutive HRs in the 1st game of a doubleheader against the Philadelphia A's, then batting against veteran P Jack Quinn in the 9th inning. Ruth decides to hit right-handed. After 2 strikes, he switches to lefty, but he strikes out. This is the 1st of 2 career 3-HR games for the Babe. Max Bishop draws 5 walks for the 2nd time in his MLB Playing career (he is the only player to do this twice). Slugger Jimmie Foxx hits HR to help the Mackmen to a 15-7 victory. Ruth is homer-less in the 2nd game, a 4-1 Yankee loss, but Max Bishop has 3 more walks. Bishop will also walk 8 times in a doubleheader in 1934, the only MLB player to collect more than 6 walks in an afternoon.
1932-Before a crowd of 60,000 fans at Yankee Stadium, the Yankees roll over the Senators by scores of 14-2 and 8-0 in a doubleheader sweep. Washington batters collect just 11 hits off of Yankees Starters Herb Pennock and Johnny Allen. In the Opener, Babe Ruth homers in the 5th inning off of Nats hurler Lloyd Brown. Bronx Bomber sluggers Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig connect with HR in the 6th inning off of Reliever Frank Ragland. Yankees 2B Tony Lazzeri is 6-for-7 on the afternoon, including a HR, 2 doubles and a triple.
1934-Former Yankees Minor League C Moe Thacker was born. (1934-1997)
Moe Thacker was another of the many young players who began their pro careers in the Yankees organization, who reached the MLB with a different team. In 1952, the Yankees had signed Moe as an MLB Amateur Free Agent. The young catcher would make it as high as the American Association with the 1956 AAA Denver Bears. In 1957, he would play for the AA New Orleans Pelicans (SA), where he hit .240, while catching 136 games. All that got him was being traded to the Cubs before the start of the 1958 AL season in an unknown transaction by the Yankees. He would finish MLB playing career with the 1963 Cardinals as a Reserve Catcher.
1938-The power-laden Yankees give little hitting or run support to their Starter Spud Chandler, but he makes up the difference, when he hits a HR in the 8th inning to gain a 1-0 victory over White Sox Starter Thornton Lee.
1941-Former Yankees INF (1968-1969), Minor League Manager and MLB Coach (1977) and Long-time HOF MLB Manager Bobby Cox was born.
On December 7,1967, INF Bobby Cox was traded by the Braves to the Yankees for Catcher Bob Tillman and Pitcher Dale Roberts. Bobby Cox would play 2 seasons as a 3B with the Yankees. He was named to the 1968 Topps All-Star Rookie Team. After bad knees ended his MLB playing career at age 30, he became an extremely successful manager. Some consider him to be among the greatest managers of all time. In 1959, the Dodgers had signed Bobby Cox for a $40,000 bonus. He spent 7 seasons in the Dodgers Minor League system. He would spend the 1967 season with the Braves top farm club, the AAA Richmond Braves (IL). With the 1968 Yankees, he had replaced veteran Charley Smith, the 1967 3B, who was traded to the Giants. People have disparaged Cox's .229 BA that year, but it was the heart of the 2nd dead-ball era and his BA was actually 15 points higher than the team average of .214. In 1969, the team average went up to .235, while Cox went down to .215. Jerry Kenney became the regular 3B for the Yankees. After his MLB playing career, Cox played 1 season for the AAA Syracuse Chiefs (IL). He was a Player-Manager for the Class A Ft. Lauderdale Yankees (FSL) in 1971 (even appearing in 3 games as a Pitcher). Then he would manage 1 season with the AA West Haven Yankees (EL) and 4 seasons with the AAA Syracuse Chiefs (IL) before coming to the MLB as an MLB Coach. Bobby Cox was a member of the 1977 Yankee MLB Coaching staff. He was more successful as an MLB Manager with the Braves and Blue Jays than as an MLB player, which would earn him Hall of Fame honors as an MLB Manager.
1947-AL All-Star CF Joe DiMaggio and 5 other Bronx players are slapped with $100 fines for not fulfilling their MLB player contract requirements to do promotional duties for the Yankees.
1948-Yankees All-Star CF Joe DiMaggio hits for the cycle as he delivers 2 HRs, a triple, double and single helping the Yankees beat the White Sox by the score of 13-2.
1954-At Yankee Stadium, Red Sox Rookie Starter Frank Sullivan makes his 1st MLB start beating the Yankees by a score of 6-3. Sullivan strikes out Bronx Slugger Mickey Mantle 3 times, before Mickey clocks a HR over the auxiliary scoreboard into the RF-CF bleachers.
1956-At Kansas City’s Municipal Stadium, Yankees Slugger Mickey Mantle clouts a drive over the 2nd and more distance fence in right field to help the Yankees win the game by the score of 8-5. The HR drive off of A’s P Moe Burtschy, matches HRs to that spot hit by AL hitters Larry Doby and Harry “Suitcase” Simpson.
1962-The Orioles had signed veteran MLB Starter Robin Roberts, who was released by the Yankees on April 30th. Roberts will go on to win 42 games for Orioles before going to Astros and then finishing his long MLB Pitching career with the Cubs. The Yankees front office had decided that veteran Bob Turley was better choice than Robin Roberts; it proved to be a big mistake. Many feel that Robin Roberts would have made the 300 wins MLB career mark, if he had stayed as a Yankees Pitcher. Turley was 3-3 in 24 games for the 1962 Yankees, before finishing up his MLB Pitching career in 1963, splitting time with Angels and the Red Sox.
1967-Tigers Starter Earl Wilson gives the Bengals their 3rd straight win over the Yankees with a 9-4 victory. Mickey Mantle hits his 5th HR in 6 games, but it's not enough for Yankees Starter Whitey Ford, who appears in his last MLB game for the Yankees.
1970-A generous Yankees Starter Mel Stottlemyre hands out 11 walks to Washington batters in 8 1/3 innings, but the Senators are unable to score. Reliever Steve Hamilton gets the last 2 outs of the game to preserve the Yankees 2-0 win. The 11 walks in the shutout tied former Yankees Starter Lefty Gomez, who did complete his 1941 AL shutout. Danny Cater‘s 2-run HR in the 5th inning accounts for the scoring off of Nats P Richard Such, who was making his 1st MLB Pitching start.
1971-Former Yankees Reserve Catcher Chris Widger (2002) was born.
In 2002, Chris Widger would hit .297 in 24 games as a Reserve Catcher with the Yankees. He would hit .244 for the 2002 AAA Columbus Clippers (IL). On April 7, 2003, Widger was released by the team at the end of their 2003 MLB Spring Training Camp. Manager Joe Torre, who had chosen veteran MLB Catcher John Flaherty over Widger as the 2003 Yankees Reserve Catcher. Chris would play for several other MLB teams. In 2005, he played as a Reserve Catcher for the White Sox, he would make a World Series appearance with the team.
1985-Former Yankees Closer Andrew Miller (2015-2016) was born.
After his dominating 2014 AL season with the Orioles and Red Sox, Andrew Miller became one of the most sought-after MLB Free Agents of the off-season. On December 5th, he signed a 4-year deal for $36 million with the Yankees, a record for a Middle Reliever. However, only 3 days later, incumbent Yankees Closer David Robertson moved to the White Sox as a MLB Free Agent, leading to immediate speculation that Miller would not be a Set-Up Man deluxe, but potentially the team's new Closer, although the young Dellin Betances, coming off a tremendous rookie season, was also in the running for the job. Heading into 2015 MLB Spring Training Camp, Yankees Manager Joe Girardi hinted that he was leaning towards sharing the role between the 2 pitchers. In fact, though, Miller pitched very well in the early going, and when he recorded his 13th save on May 8th, Girardi announced that he was in fact his full-time Closer, with Betances also doing very well as his Set-up Man. In fact, neither pitcher had allowed an earned run by that point, and the Yankees were in 1st place in the AL East as a result. He was placed on the DL on June 10th with a strained forearm muscle and came back a month later, on July 8th without skipping a beat. He ended the 2015 AL season with a 3-2 record with a 2.04 ERA and 36 saves. He was named the winner of the Mariano Rivera Award as the Top Relief Pitcher in the AL. Before the start of the 2016 AL season, the Yankees had bolstered their bullpen even further by acquiring NL Closer Aroldis Chapman in a trade with the Reds. GM Brian Cashman indicated that Chapman would be the Closer, although he first had to serve a 30-game suspension from the start of the season as punishment for an off-season domestic violence incident, meaning Miller was slated to be the Closer for the that period at least. However, just as the MLB spring training camp was winding down, he suffered a chip fracture in the wrist in his non-pitching arm when struck by a ball in a Grapefruit League game on March 30th. His plan was not to take any time off and to work around the injury. Miller would begin the season as the Yankees' Closer, then he would cede the job to Chapman, when he returned to action as slated, but the change of role did not affect him. In 44 games through the end of July, he was 6-1 with a 1.39 ERA with 9 saves and 77 strikeouts in 45 1/3 innings. By then it had become clear that having 3 of the best late-game relievers on the planet in the same bullpen was not a brilliant strategy by the Yankees that would have them tame into submission any opponent that could not take an early lead, but instead was simply a case of overkill when the line-up featured a number of holes and aging players. Yankees GM Brian Cashman saw the writing on the wall in late July and in the span of a few days traded 1st Chapman to the Cubs for Minor League prospects and MLB P Adam Warren; then Miller was sent to the Indians, both deals netting the Yankees 4 young players. In Miller's case, he was sent to the Indians on July 31st in return for 4 Minor League Players: OF Clint Frazier, Pitchers J.P. Feyereisen, Ben Heller and Justus Sheffield. Andrew Miller would finish his Yankees Pitching career with a 9-3 record with a 1.77 ERA and 45 saves in 104 games. In the spring of 2022, Andrew would announce his MLB player retirement. He would finish his MLB pitching career with a 55-55 record with a 4.03 ERA and 63 saves in 612 games.
1986-Yankees Former Minor League OF/1B Luke Morton was born.
The Yankees had selected OF Luke Morton in the 40th round of the 2007 MLB Amateur Player Draft, but he did not sign with the team. As a returning Jr., he would hit .332. His 25 doubles tied for the 3rd-best total in Georgia Tech history. The Diamondbacks had picked him in the 33rd round of the 2008 MLB Amateur Player Draft. He would return to Ga. Tech for his Sr. year. Luke produced with a .354 BA with 20 HRs, 64 runs and 63 RBIs in 58 games. He would make the All-ACC outfield. The Yankees had picked him in the 19th round of the 2009 MLB Amateur Player Draft. Luke Murton would hit .295 in his pro debut with the short-season Class A Staten Island Yankees (NYPL). He led the NYPL 1B in putouts (613) and assists (61), while tying Lance Durham for the lead with 9 errors. In 2010, Luke would hit .282 with 32 doubles for the Class A Charleston RiverDogs (SAL). In 2011, he was with Class A Tampa Yankees (FSL) playing in 116 games, while hitting .274 with 8 HRs with 62 RBIs. For the 2012 season, he would be with the AA Trenton Thunder (EL) appearing in 126 games, while hitting .249 with 25 HRs and 68 RBIs. After the 2013 AL season had ended, he would leave the Yankees organization. In 2014, he would play for 2 Independent League teams before retiring.
1997-Blue Jays veteran Starter Roger Clemens fires past the Yankees by the score of 4-1 for his 8th win of the 1997 AL season against no losses. The Rocket wins his 200 MLB career game, becoming the 94th MLB Pitcher to reach 200 wins’ mark.
2004-At The Ballpark in Arlington, in his 1st return visit to Texas, former AL All-Star Ranger Shortstop, now a Yankees 3B, Alex Rodriguez is roundly booed by Ranger fans. The fans continue to show their displeasure as the Yankees' 3B drives a 2-1 pitch over the fence for a HR during his 1st inning at-bat.
2005-As Dae-Sung Koo stands in against Yankees Starter Randy Johnson, Mike Piazza confides to David Wright in the dugout, "If he gets a hit, I'll donate a million dollars to charity." The Korean Reliever, batting lefty off the Yankee fire-balling southpaw, was afraid to stand in the batter box in a previous game, but promptly hits a 91-mph fastball to the wall in center for a double causing the Mets Catcher to say he will be making a significant donation to a charity over the next 20 years.
2009-Yankees Starter Joba Chamberlain is knocked out of the game in the 1st inning with a bruised right knee, after being hit by a line drive off the bat of Orioles batter Adam Jones. The Yankees still defeat the Orioles by the score of 7-4, as 2B Robinson Cano drives in 3 runs. Alfredo Aceves pitches 3 ⅓ scoreless innings in relief of Yankees Starter Joba Chamberlain to earn the Bronx Bombers' 9th straight win.
2022-Former Yankees Reserve OF Gordon Windhorn (1959) had passed way. (1930-2022)
On March 14,1957, OF Gordon Windhorn was traded along with Pitcher Eli Grba by the Red Sox to the Yankees for Reserve OF Bill Renna. In 1952, he had originally been signed by the Giants. The Yankees would send him to Minor Leagues for the 1957 season. In 1958, Gordon was playing for the AAA Denver Bears (AA), where he won the League’s Batting Crown with a .328 BA along with 10 HRs and 72 RBIs. Gordon was selected as the 1959 James P. Dawson Award for being the best Yankees Rookie in their 1959 MLB Spring Training Camp. Gordon would appear in only 7 games going 0 for 11 for the 1959 Yankees, before he was sent down to AAA Richmond (IL). On April 5,1960, Gordon was traded by the Yankees along with Minor League INF Richard Sanders to the Dodgers for veteran lefty P Fred Kipp. After being with the Dodgers, Gordon would play in the AL for the A’s and Angels, before going to Japan in 1964 to play for Hankyu (JPL) for 5 seasons. Overall, he had appeared in 95 MLB games, while hitting only .176 with 2 HRs and 8 RBIs.
2013-Former Yankees MLB Pitching Coach Cot Deal (1965) had passed away. (1923-2013)
Cot Deal had pitched 4 seasons in the MLB with the Red Sox and Cardinals. Also, he had pitched for 8 seasons with the AAA Rochester Red Wings (IL), winning 61 games during that time. He went on to manage the club for a time before becoming an MLB Pitching Coach. Deal was a member of the 1959-1960 Reds MLB Coaching staff before spending 1961 season as the skipper of the AAA Indianapolis Indians (AA.) He was a MLB Coach with the expansion Houston Colt .45s from 1962-1964. In 1965 , he was with the 1965 Yankees working for Manager Johnny Keane. The following the 1965 AL season, he began a 2-season stint with the Kansas City A’s. Deal was a member of the 1970-1971 Indians MLB Coaching staff. He would spent 1973-1974 seasons with the Tigers. His last MLB Coaching position was with the Astros from 1983-1985. Also, he had coached in the Minor Leagues for several teams, including for the AAA Oklahoma City 89ers (AA).
2014-What does the Cubs' Jeff Samardzija have to do to get a win? Today, the MLB’s ERA leader pitches 7 scoreless innings, but Cubs Reliever Hector Rondon blows a 2-0, 9th-inning lead against the Yankees to send the game into extra innings. In the 13th inning, Yankees Pitcher Preston Claiborne lays down a perfect sacrifice bunt in his 1st MLB plate appearance as part of a 2-run rally, Cubs Reliever Jose Veras throws a wild pitch to let in a 1st run then Reserve Catcher John Ryan Murphy drives in another with a single as the Bronx Bombers end up on top by the score of 4-2. Cubs Starter Samardzija is now 0-4 for the 2014 NL season, in spite having a 1.46 ERA.
2014-Former Yankees Minor League P Johnny Gray had passed away. (1926-2014)
Before the start of the 1950 AL season, the Yankees had signed P Johnny Gray as an MLB Amateur Free Agent. The 6'4" right-hander was assigned to the Amsterdam Rugmakers (CAM). He would appear in 19 games, while posting a 10-4 record with a 3.86 ERA. He would spend 3 more seasons in the Yankees farm system (1951-1953) before the team traded him as part of the player package in the Vic Power trade to the Philadelphia A’s on December 16,1953. He would reach the MLB with the A's in 1954, during their final season in Philadelphia; where he would put up a 3-12 record. Johnny was also with the team for their 1st season in Kansas City in 1955, but he was then he was sold to the Indians on October 13th. In 1956, he was with the AAA Indianapolis Indians (AA), where he was the roommate of young OF named Roger Maris. He had posted the best ERA in the American Association with a 2.72 mark, while having a 10-7 pitching record. His ERA was 1.84 with the 1957 AAA San Diego Padres (PCL), when he was called up to the Indians after Starter Herb Score was hit by Yankees Gil McDougald's line drive, putting him on the DL. His only victory for the Tribe was a shutout, which turned out to be his final win of his MLB career. On December 2,1957, he was drafted by the Phillies from the Indians in the 1957 MLB Rule 5 Player Draft. Johnny would finish up his MLB playing time with the 1958 Phillies with an MLB Pitching career record of 4-18 along with a 6.18 ERA. Gray would spend 2 more years pitching in the Minor Leagues, with very little luck, going 3-11 with 5 different clubs. After 11 seasons in pro baseball (1950-1960), the 33-year-old pitcher decided to retire. He would finish up his Minor League career with 274 appearances, while posting a 71-75 record with a 3.59 ERA.
2023-The Yankees have activated right-hander Luis Severino from the 15-day IL, the team has announced. This roster move corresponds with last night’s announcement that right-hander Jhony Brito had been optioned to Triple-A Scranton. Severino is set to start against the Reds today.
May 22nd
1913-St. Louis Browns Rookie Starter Dwight Stone gives up 6 Yankees hits, 7 walks and plunks 3 Bronx batters, but he still beats the Yankees by the score of 7-0. The visiting Yankees strand a modern-MLB record of 15 runners in the shutout by Stone, who will win just 1 more game in 1913. Ed Klepfer is the losing pitcher in his only decision of the 1913 AL season. The record will be matched 3 times and finally topped in 1994. The NL record of 14 runners stranded in a shutout was set less than 2 weeks ago by Pirates against the Phillies.
1922-The Yankees, who have been sharing the Polo Grounds with the Giants since 1913, begin construction on their own stadium in the Bronx.
1923-Bronx Bomber Slugger Babe Ruth breaks a 1-1 tie between the Yankees and the White Sox by clouting a 2-run HR in the 15th inning. The blow breaks up a tense pitching duel between Chicago’s little Mike Cvengros and Yankees Starter Herb Pennock, who goes all the way giving up just 4 Chicago hits. The Yankees have now won 12 of 13 contests in their western road trip.
1930-At Shibe Park in Philadelphia, the Yankees and the A’s continue the HR barrage as the Yankees take both games of a 2nd straight doubleheader by the scores of 10-1 and 20-13. Babe Ruth hits a pair of HRs in the opener, as does Ben Chapman and winning pitcher George Pipgras. The Yankees score 9 runs in the 1st 2 innings of the 2nd game, but the A's come back to tie it at 12 apiece. The Yankees win the assault by the score of 20-13 as Tony Lazzeri is 4-for-4, scores 5 runs and knocks in 4 runs. Babe Ruth hits another HR in the 2nd game, while Lou Gehrig powers 3 HRs to drive in 8 runs. On the A's side, Jimmie Foxx has 2-HRs to drive in 6 runs. For the afternoon, the teams would combine to hit 14 HRs, a then record 10 HRs in Game 2.
1933-Yankees INF Joe Sewell fans for the 1st time for the 1933 AL season during a 3-0 Yankees victory, behind starter Lefty Gomez over the Indians. Sewell will strike out only 3 more times in 524 at bats during the 1933 AL season. He will finish his MLB playing career with a total 114 strikeouts, the fewest for any MLB Player to be voted into the Hall of Fame.
1934-The Indians stop the Yankees by the score of 5-1 with 1B Lou Gehrig driving in the lone run for Bronx Bombers. For the 2nd time in his MLB playing career, Lou has driven in at least 1-run a game for 10 straight games.
1944-Former Yankees Pitcher Tommy John (1979-1982,1986-1989) was born.
On November 21,1978, veteran Starter Tommy John was signed as an MLB Free Agent by the Yankees. Tommy won 21 games in 1979 and then 20 games in 1980 for the Yankees. On August 31,1982, Tommy was traded by the Yankees to the Angels for a Player to be Named Later. The Angels would send P Dennis Rasmussen on November 24,1982 to the Yankees to complete the trade. John would return to the Yankees in 1986, he pitched for the team until 1989. He appeared in the 1981 World Series with the Yankees, posting a 1-0 record with a 0.69 ERA in 3 games. His final Yankees Pitching career record was a 91-60 mark with a 3.59 ERA in 214 games. Overall, as a Pitcher for 26 MLB seasons, he had posted a 288-231 record with a 3.34 ERA in 760 games. Tommy later became a Minor League Manager for the short-season Class A 2004 Staten Island Yankees (NYPL). Then in 2007-2009, he was with the Independent team, the Bridgeport Blue Fish (Atlantic League).
1946-At Briggs Stadium in Detroit, the Yankees would turn a triple play during a 5-3 win. The Tigers had runners on 1st and 3rd, when Richard Wakefield hit a ground ball to Yankees 1B Nick Etten, who threw home to get the lead runner. Yankees Catcher Bill Dickey chased that lead runner back towards 3B and then he threw to 3B George “Snuffy” Stirnweiss, who made the tag. Meanwhile, the Tigers runner on 1B had foolishly strayed beyond 2B, apparently undecided whether or not to attempt to advance to 3B during the rundown. A throw to the Shortstop trapped this runner between 2B and 3B, Phil Rizzuto, eventually tagged him out. During this rundown, Wakefield attempted to reach 2B, Phil Rizzuto’s quick flip to 2B Joe “Flash” Gordon, completed the triple play.
1947-The Yankees would beat the Red Sox by the score of 9-0 as Starter Allie Reynolds fires his 2nd 2-hit shutout over Boston in a month. Red Sox Starter Harry Dorish is the loser.
1947-Former Yankees Pitcher Rich Hinton (1972) was born.
On October 13,1971, Rich Hinton was traded by the White Sox to the Yankees for Reserve OF Jim Lyttle. He had appeared in 7 games for the 1972 Yankees, while posting a 1-0 record. On September 7,1972, Rich was purchased by the Rangers from the Yankees.
1953-Yankees' OF Irv Noren ends the game by lining back to Nats P Bob Porterfield, who starts a triple play, as the Senators beat the Yankees by a score of 12-4. The Senators scored 5-runs in the 1st inning off of Yankees veteran Starter Allie Reynolds. Washington tallies for 18 hits, including a 3-run HR and 2-run double by Clyde Vollmer. Yankees veteran Johnny Mize hits pinch-hit single in the 9th inning, his 5th pinch-hit single in a row, breaking a mark set by Cleveland's Les Fleming in 1947. Johnny Mize has had a walk and been hit by a pitch in his last 7 pinch-hitting appearances.
1954-At Yankee Stadium, Veteran Starter Allie Reynolds tosses a 7-hit shutout over the Red Sox for a 7-0 victory. Mickey Mantle is the Yankees main offense, going 4-for-5 with 4 RBIs. Mickey will knock in 10 runs in the 3-game series against the Red Sox.
1954-Former Yankees Minor League P Mark Softy was born.
Mark Softy is a former Minor League baseball pitcher, who had played in the Yankees and Rangers farm systems. The Yankees had selected him in the 18th round of the 1976 MLB Amateur Player Draft. Mark never appears with the Yankees at the MLB level. He is perhaps most known for being part of a trade involving MLB Outfielders Mickey Rivers, Oscar Gamble and others. The Yankees had traded Players to be Named Later and MLB OF Mickey Rivers to the Rangers for Players to be Named Later, MLB OF Oscar Gamble and Minor League OF Amos Lewis. On October 8,1979, the Rangers would send Pitchers Ray Fontenot and Gene Nelson to the Yankees to complete the deal. On October 8,1979, the Yankees would send Minor League Players: Bob Polinsky, Neal Mersch and Mark Softy to the Rangers to complete the trade.
1956-Former Yankees Pitcher Harry Howell (1903) had passed away. (1876-1956)
For the 1903 Yankees, hurler Harry Howell went 9-6 with a 3.53 ERA in 26 games for the 1903 Yankees. On March 6,1904, he was traded by the Yankees along with Cash to the St. Louis Browns for P Jack Powell. He would pitch in the MLB from 1898-1910, while posting a 131-146 record with a 2.74 ERA in 340 games.
1956-Detroit's Red Wilson belts a 2-run HR in the bottom of the 9th inning to give the Tigers a 3-2 win against the Yankees. The loss goes to Yankees Starter Whitey Ford, his 1st loss following 6 straight wins. Ford had given up just 5 earned runs through 54 innings before today’s game.
1959-Orioles' Starter Hoyt Wilhelm 1-hits the Yankees winning the game by the score of 1-0 with Yankees INF Jerry Lumpe's single in the 8th inning as the spoiler. Yankees All-Star switch-hitter Mickey Mantle hits righty against Wilhelm and does no better than he has been lefty. On May 28th, Hoyt Wilhelm, who is a veteran knuckleball pitcher, will beat the Yankees again this time by a score of 5-0.
1962-The Yankees RF Roger Maris, who went all of the 1961 AL season without receiving an intentional walk, collects 4 walks in a 12-inning 2-1 win against the Angels to set an AL record. Maris receives 5 walks in all. Four Yankee pitchers (Whitey Ford, Jim Coates, Bud Daley and Bob Turley) combine to give up just 1 Angel hit in 12 innings. Yankees Starter Whitey Ford leaves after 7 innings because of back spasms, Reliever Jim Coates gives up the lone Angels hit, a 1-out 9th-inning single to Rookie Catcher Buck Rodgers.
1963-At Yankee Stadium, Yankees blow a 7-0 lead that allows the Kansas City A’s to tie the game and send it into extra innings. Mickey Mantle, leading off the 11th inning, is fooled by A’s Reliever Bill Fischer on a slow curve, then cannons a 2-2 pitch that almost clears the Yankee Stadium RF roof. "The hardest ball I ever hit," Mantle later comments, a ball that, by some accounts, was still rising when it struck a foot below the top. It I s conservatively estimated by a physicist Dr. James McDonald, who studies long-ball trajectories, that the ball would have traveled 620 feet, if it had not struck the Yankee Stadium facade. "That was the only homer I ever hit that the bat actually bent in my hands," Mantle tells his Yankees teammate veteran Dale Long, from whom he borrowed the bat.
1974-Former Yankees MLB Catching Coach Jason Brown (2018-2019) was born.
Catcher Jason Brown had played 12 seasons in the Minor Leagues, with parts of 5 seasons played at the AAA level. He was Assistant Coach at Palos Verdes HS in 2009. He was at USC in 2012. In 2016, Jason was the Minor League Bullpen Coach for the Yankees AAA team, the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (IL). From 2018-2019, he was the MLB Catching Coach for the Yankees. In the winter of 2019, he left the Yankees to become a 2020 MLB Bullpen Coach for the Angels.
1977-After 3 straight losses to the Orioles, the Yankees give the starting assignment to a young lefthander named Ron Guidry, who throws a 4-hitter defeating the Birds by a score of 8-2.
1996-At Yankee Stadium, the visiting Oakland A’s spoiled “Dwight Gooden Day” by hitting 5 solo HRs, including 3 by Yankees-killer Geronimo Berroa to beat the Bombers by the score of 5-1. The A’s 5 runs, all-coming on HRs, tie the MLB mark.
1997-The visiting Red Sox collect 19 hits, but they strand 16 base runners, while beating the Yankees by the score of 8-2. Former Yankees Catcher/DH Mike Stanley hits a 3-run HR and Wil Cordero adds 5 hits; Tim Naehring has 4 hits and Mo Vaughn belts his 10th HR of the 1997 AL season in the 8th inning.
1999-The Yankees defeat the White Sox by the score of 10-2 in the 1st game of a double header. Roger Clemens gets the win for the Yankees, giving him an AL record 19 consecutive victories over the course of 2 MLB seasons; he will extend the streak by 1 game before losing. This win was delayed by a stint on the DL and a rainout. The White Sox come back to take the nightcap by a score of 2-1.
1999-Former Yankees Minor League INF Ezequiel Duran was born.
Ezequiel Duran, 22, had hit .290 with 42 R, 15 doubles, 6 triples, 12 HRs, 48 RBIs, 28 BB and 12 stolen bases in 67 games with High-A Hudson Valley. In over 4 Minor League seasons with the Yankees organization (2017-2019, 2021), he hit .262 with 137 R, 40 doubles, 16 triples, 32 HRs, 116 RBIs and 34 stolen bases in 201 games. On July 2, 2017, the San Juan de la Maguana, D.R., native was signed by the Yankees as a Non-Drafted Free Agent. On July 29, 2021, he was traded by the Yankees as part of the 4 Minor League Prospects player package to the Rangers for OF Joey Gallo and Reliever Joely Rodriguez.
2014-White Sox Ace Chris Sale is sparkling in his return from the DL, as he retires 18 of 19 Yankees batters, that he faces over 6 innings to lead the Sox to a 3-2 win. Bronx batter Zoilo Almonte soils the no-hit bid with a 2-out single in the 6th inning as Sale improves his 2014 AL season record to 4-0.
May 23rd
1901-Former Yankees (1940) and Long-time Senators Broadcasting Announcer Arch McDonald was born. (1901-1960)
Arch McDonald was a longtime broadcaster for the Washington Senators (1934-1939,1941-1959). Also, he would broadcast games for New York Yankees in 1940. McDonald is remembered for his recreations. “The Ol' Pine Tree” died on a train coming home from a 1960 Washington Redskins-New York Giants football game in New York City.
1919-At Comiskey Park in Chicago, White Sox Starter Eddie Cicotte overwhelms the Yankees as the he wins the complete game by the score of 5-0. Yankees Starter Bob Shawkey takes the complete game loss, he is now 3-3 for the 1919 AL season. Cicotte is now at a 7-1 mark for the 1919 AL Season.
1920-After a week in bed with an illness‚ Yankees Slugger Babe Ruth returns the Yankees line-up to belt a 2-run HR in the 6th inning‚ off of Browns P Carl Weilman to give the Yankees a 3-2 win over the visiting St. Louis Browns. Baby Doll Jacobson's 2-run HR in the 4th inning is the only Browns scoring off of Yankees Starter Bob Shawkey.
1922-George Sisler and Frank Baker match HRs as the Browns and the Yankees go into the 7th inning tied at 3-3. Browns Slugger Ken Williams hits his 12th HR of the 1922 AL season with 2 men on‚ giving St. Louis, a 6-3 lead. The Browns add 5 runs more off of Yankees Reliever Lefty O'Doul to win the game by the score of 11-3. Former Yankees Starter Urban Shocker is the winner for the Browns.
1923-Former Yankees Reserve Catcher William “Dutch” Drescher (1944-1946) was born. (1923-1968)
From 1942-1954, Catcher Bill “Dutch” Drescher spent 11 seasons in pro baseball. He spent parts of 3 seasons, 1944, 1945 and 1946 in the MLB playing for the Yankees. He had appeared in 57 games during his 3 short tours with the Yankees, hitting .266 with no HRs and 16 RBIs. Bill broke into baseball in 1942 with the Class C Amsterdam Rugmakers (CAML). He appeared in 102 games, hitting at a .301 clip and in his only season in a league that wasn't Class A or better. During his pro playing career, Bill played 8 seasons of AAA ball, 2 of AA and in 1943, he had a split season of AA and A. Dutch had only 2 seasons above the .300 mark in his 11-year run, his 1st in 1942 and probably his best hitting year came in 1948 with the AAA Kansas City Blues (AA), when he hit .319 with a career-high 7 HRs and 52 RBIs. Drescher wound up his Minor League career in 1954 with the AAA Syracuse Chiefs (IL), while appearing in 875 Minor League contests with 2,492 at-bats and 679 base hits; that included 28 HRs with a .272 BA. He also fielded the Catcher's spot at a .987 percentage.
1924-Former Yankees MLB Coach, Manager and General Manager Clyde King was born. (1924-2010)
Clyde King was a Yankees MLB Pitching Coach in 1978 and 1981. King had managed the team for part of the turbulent 1982 AL season. Then he would serve as the Yankees General Manager in 1985-1986. He was a member of the team's MLB Coaching staff again in 1988. From 1998 to 2005, he was a Special Assistant to the General Manager of the Yankees. As an MLB Pitcher from 1949 to 1953 with the Dodgers and the Reds, he had posted a 32-25 record with 4.14 ERA and 11 saves in 200 games.
1927-Despite 1st inning back-to-back HRs by Yankee Sluggers Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig off of Nats Starter Sloppy Thurston‚ the Senators edge the Yankees by the score of 3-2.
1936-Yankees INF Tony Lazzeri hits 3 HRs; 2 HRs in the nightcap‚ good for 4 RBI’s as the visiting Bronx Bombers pound the Philadelphia A’s by the scores of 12-6 and 15-1. The crowd of 24‚240 fans‚ one of the largest in several seasons‚ pelts the Shibe Park playing field with cushions‚ bottles and other articles‚ making play difficult. Bill Dickey‚ Ben Chapman‚ Red Rolfe and Frank Crosetti also hit HRs for the Yankees.
1946-Three Yankee batters CF Joe DiMaggio, 1B Nick Etten and 2B Joe “Flash” Gordon would hit consecutive HRs during the Yankees 8-run, 5th inning rally against the Tigers. Detroit Starter Virgil Trucks gave up the 1st–2 HR shots, then Reliever Hal White gives up Joe Gordon’s HR shot. The Yankees would win the game by a score of 12-6.
1946-Former Yankees Reserve Catcher Johnny “Nig” Grabowski (1927-1929) had passed away from fatal injuries suffered in a house fire. (1900-1946)
Catcher John Grabowski would spend all of the 1925-1926 AL seasons with the White Sox, hitting .304 in 1925 and then .262 in 1926. The unexpected came about on January 13,1927, when he was traded along with Reserve INF Ray Morehart to the Bronx for veteran INF Aaron Ward. With the Yankees, Johnny became a Reserve Catcher for the duo of Pat Collins and Benny Bengough. Known more for his defense then his hitting, Johnny did have 25 RBIs in 70 games in 1927 along with a .277 batting mark. In 1928, he got into 75 games for the Yankees, but his BA dropped off to .238 with 21 RBI's. In 1929, Grabowski was not used much by the Yankees, getting into only 22 games, while hitting just .203. Bill Dickey had just become the Yankees new starting catcher. When his MLB playing stint with the Yankees was over, he would play for the 1930 AA St. Paul Saints (AA), Grabowski got into 102 games with 339 at bats, while hitting.289.
1948-Yankees All-Star CF Joe DiMaggio hits 3 consecutive HRs in a 6-5, 1st game of a doubleheader victory over the Indians. Two of his HRs came off of Tribe’s veteran Starter Bob Feller. The 3rd HR came off of Tribe Reliever Bob Muncreif, which proved to be the game-winner. The Tribe would bounce back in the nightcap with a 5-1 win over the Yankees.
1954-At Yankee Stadium‚ Mickey Mantle's 3-run HR in the 3rd inning ties the game for the Yankees‚ but Mickey strikes out for the final out of the game‚ as the Red Sox win the game by the score of 10-9.
1956-Former Yankees Minor League player, MLB Coach and Manager, Yankees Manager Buck Showalter (1992-1995) was born.
1B/OF Buck Showalter was an All-American outfielder in 1977. In the 5th round of the 1977 MLB Amateur player draft, he was selected by the Yankees. Buck would spend 7 seasons as a player in the Yankees farm system, hitting .324 for the 1980 Nashville Sounds while leading the Southern League with 178 hits. During his playing days, he picked up the nickname "Buck" from a minor league manager's comment on his tendency to walk around the clubhouse "buck naked.” He retired as an active player after the 1983 season. He became a Minor League Coach in the Yankees farm system. From 1985 to 1989, he was a Manager in their organization. When he took over the Oneonta Yankees in 1985, he was only 28 years old. In his 2 seasons with the O-Yanks, he set new league records for wins each season. It is also where he began his long working relationship with Pitching Coach Monk Meyer. In 1990, he became a Yankees MLB Coach, and 2 years later, he took over as the club's manager. He led the 1995 Yankees to the AL post-season, but they lost to the Mariners in the ALCS. After 4 seasons as their skipper, he left the team. Buck joined the new NL expansion Arizona Diamondbacks as their 1st MLB Manager. He spent 2001 and 2002 MLB seasons as an ESPN Broadcaster before returning to the MLB dugout in 2003 as Manager of the Rangers. After 4 seasons at the helm of the team, he was fired on October 4, 2006. Only in 2004 MLB season, did he lead the Rangers to a winning record. Since being fired by Texas, Showalter has worked in the Indians front office. On July 29, 2010, he was hired by the Orioles to be their new Manager, replacing interim skipper Juan Samuel. On May 1, 2012, he won his 1,000th game as a MLB Skipper; his record at that point was 1,000-958, rather remarkable given that he had regularly taken the helm of losing MLB teams, or even an MLB expansion team. In the spring of 2022, he was named the new Mets Manager. He would be fired in 2023.
1957-At Ebbets Field‚ the Yankees top the Dodgers by the score of 10-7 in the 1957 Mayor's Trophy Game. Yankees Starter Al Cicotte allows only 2 Dodger hits in 6 innings of work‚ while at the plate, he smacks 2 hits himself. Hurler Ken Lehman took the loss for the Dodgers. Yankees All-Star Slugger Mickey Mantle is 4 for 5 in the game. A HR derby preceded the night game, in which Mickey Mantle homered and had 3 singles.
1960-The Yankees had released Veteran MLB OF Elmer Valo. He was at the end of his long MLB playing career. On December 11,1959, Elmer Valo was signed as an MLB Free Agent with the Yankees. He appeared in only 8 games for the 1960 Yankees with no hits. With the return of veteran OF Bob Cerv from the A’s, Elmer became expendable. The Senators would pick him up for the rest of the 1960 AL season.
1962-Yankees Rookie OF/1B Joe Pepitone hits 2 HRs in the 9-run 8th-inning of the Yankees' 13-7 triumph over the Kansas City A’s. With his 2 HRs, Joe becomes the only other Yankee Player besides Joe DiMaggio to hit 2 HRs in 1 inning. Pepitone led off the 8th inning with a HR off of A’s Starter Dan Pfister, later he hit a HR 3-run HR off of A’s Closer John Wyatt. Also, Yankees Rookie INF Phil Linz gets his 1st MLB career hit, a HR.
1964-At Yankee Stadium‚ the Angels score 4 runs in the 1st inning‚ and the Yankees counter with 5 in the bottom of the inning off of Halos lefty Starter Bo Belinsky. That's all the scoring for the Bronx Bombers as the Angels win the game by the score of 9-5. This is the only 2nd game of the 1964 AL season that the injury-plagued Yankees have started their regular outfield of LF Mickey Mantle‚ RF Rogers Maris and CF Tom Tresh. Mantle will pull a muscle on the 26th‚ which will keep him out of the Yankees starting lineup for 2 weeks.
1967-Former Yankees Minor League INF Neder Horta was born.
Neder Horta has been a player, Manager, Coach, General Manager and Scout in the baseball world. Horta would make his pro baseball debuted with the 1985 GCL Yankees, hitting .245 with 42 runs in 53 games. He was the starting shortstop for the 1985 Gulf Coast League champions. In the off-season, he was traded with Pitchers Jim Deshaies and Dody Rather to Astros for veteran starter Joe Niekro. He would play in the Astros Minor League system from 1986 to 1988.
1979-The Yankees had traded pitchers with the Cubs‚ sending veteran hurler Richard “Dirt” Tidrow to Chicago for veteran Starter Ray Burris. Tidrow was 2-1 with a 7.94 ERA in 14 games at the time of his trade, he will regain his pitching form in the Windy City. Ray Burris had no decisions with a 6.23 ERA in 14 games for the 1979 Cubs. Burris would go just 1-3 with a 6.18 ERA in 15 games as a Reliever in Yankees pinstripes before being banished to the Mets on August 20,1979.
1985-Former Yankees Pitcher Mike Dunn (2009) was born.
On June 7, 2004, P Mike Dunn was selected by the Yankees in the 33rd round of the 2004 MLB Amateur Player Draft. He would appear in 4 games for the 2009 Yankees with no record. On December 22, 2009, Mike was traded by the Yankees along with Minor League P Arodys Vizcaino, MLB OF Melky Cabrera and Cash to the Braves for 2 MLB Pitchers: Reliever Boone Logan and veteran Starter Javier Vazquez.
1990-Former Yankees All-Star OF (1939-1949,1952) and MLB Coach (1957, 1959) Charles “King Kong” Keller had passed away. (1916-1990).
Charlie’s Keller’s successful Yankees’ playing career was cut short by bad back injuries. He would finish his Yankees career with a lifetime BA of .285 hitting 184 HR’s and 723 RBI’s. He was on the AL All-Star team in 1940-1941,1943,1946-1947. He appeared in 4 World Series with the Yankees hitting .306 with 7 HRs and 11 RBIs in 19 games. Keller was a standout player in a short time in the Minor Leagues. He began his pro career by winning the Minor League Player of the Year Award from The Sporting News, after hitting .353 with 13 HRs and 88 RBI’s for the 1937 AA Newark Bears (IL), helping the Bears become one of the greatest Minor League teams ever. He led the International League in BA average, 120 runs, 14 triples and 189 hits. A season later, with no openings in the Yankees starting outfield of Joe DiMaggio, Tommy Henrich and George Selkirk; King Kong was returned to Newark, he did even better, hitting .365 and paced the IL in hits (211), runs (149), walks (108) and OBP. He was 2nd to Buddy Rosar in BA, 2nd to Ollie Carnegie in RBI’s with 129, he struck out just 56 times, was 3rd in the league in HRs with 22. Charlie had 15 outfield assists. Keller appeared in 111 games as an MLB Rookie with the 1939 Yankees, hitting .334 with 81 walks, giving him an on-base percentage of .447 and had a slugging percentage of .500. As a rookie, his BA was 5th in the AL; his Yankees teammate Joe DiMaggio was 1st. His on-base percentage was 4th in the AL (1 point behind DiMaggio's .448). In 1940, he hit .286 with 106 walks, giving him a .411 on-base percentage. He had 21 HRs along with 15 triples. He was named to the AL All-Star team, led the AL in walks and was 2nd in the league in triples. In 1941, Keller had 33 HRs (his MLB career high), with 10 triples and 122 RBIs. He had a .298 BA with 102 walks, for a .416 on-base percentage and a .580 slugging percentage. On the AL All-Star team again, he was 5th in the AL in the MVP voting. He was in the top 5 in both on-base percentage and slugging percentage. He was 2nd in the AL in HRs and 3rd in the league in RBIs. He would continue to hit during the war years, although the league averages went down. In 1942, he had 26 HRs with 108 RBIs, 114 walks and a .417 on-base percentage. He was 2nd in the AL in on-base percentage, also in slugging percentage. He was 3rd in the AL in HRs and RBIs. In 1943, he had hit 31 HRs with 106 walks.
Charlie was again in the top 3 in on-base percentage and slugging percentage. He was in the top 3 in the AL with runs scored, total bases, HRs, triples and walks. He would miss the 1944 and much of 1945 MLB seasons, as he served in the U.S. Merchant Marines in World War II, entering in January of 1944 and being released from active duty in August of 1945. Coming back for 44 games in 1945, he would hit 10 HRs with a .301 BA, a .412 on-base percentage with a .577 slugging average. Both the on-base percentage and the slugging percentage would have led the AL, if he had had enough plate appearances to qualify. In 1946, as the AL resumed play after the war, Keller would hit 30 HRs with 101 RBIs. He added 10 triples and 101 walks. Charlie was named to the All-Star team once more. He was again in the top 3 in the AL in on-base percentage and slugging percentage, as well as in triples, HRs, and walks. It was, unfortunately, to be his last full Yankee season. He was only 29 years old. In 1947, he had appeared in only 45 games for the Yankees with a .238 BA. However, he produced value with a .404 on-base percentage and a .550 slugging percentage. Those percentages would have been in the top 3 in the AL, if he had had enough plate appearances to qualify. In 1947, he was named as part of the inaugural class of the International League Hall of Fame. In 1948, he would appear in 83 games for the Yankees: his hitting slipped to a .267 mark with just 6 HRs and 44 RBIs. In 1949, he appeared in only 60 games for the Bombers, hitting just .250 with 3 HRs and 16 RBIs. He didn’t appear in the 1949 World Series for the Yankees against the Dodgers. That winter, the team would release Charlie. He would join the 1950 Tigers playing for his former Yankees teammate 3B Red Rolfe, who was now the Detroit Manager, as a bench player. He would appear in 50 games with 51 at-bats hitting .314, 2 HRs and 16 RBIs with a .453 on-base percentage with a .569 slugging percentage. Those great numbers represented his last hurrah in the MLB. The next season, he didn't perform as well for the 1951 Tigers in 62 at-bats, hitting just .258 with 3 HRs and 21 RBIs, he was released by the team. He came back to the Yankees in September of 1952 for 1 final at-bat (a strikeout); his MLB active playing career was over. After retiring from the MLB, Charlie Keller was a Yankees MLB Coach in 1957 and 1959. He was also a successful horse breeder in Maryland. His younger Brother, Hal was an MLB Catcher (1949-1950,1952 Senators), his son and Grandson played in the Minor Leagues. His Grandson, Charlie Keller III was signed by the Yankees in 1959, he would play outfield in the Yankees Minor League system until 1962.
1995-Yankees Rookie Starter Mario Rivera makes his MLB Pitching debut for the team, starting against the Angels. Mo only lasts 3 ½ innings, while giving up 8 hits, 3 walks in a 10-0 loss to the Angels.
2001-The Yankees would defeat the Red Sox by the score of 7-3 as Shortstop Derek Jeter gets 5 hits‚ including a double and HR. Former Yankees Starter now with the Red Sox, David Cone takes the loss by going 5 innings and giving up 3 Yankee runs. Bronx veteran Starter Andy Pettitte is the winner.
2010-The Mets win their 1st subway series against the cross-town Yankees since 1998 with a 6-4 victory. Jason Bay homers twice - only his 2nd and 3rd HRs of the 2010 NL season-against Yankees Ace C.C. Sabathia. Johan Santana is the winner for the Mets, meanwhile Mets Closer Francisco Rodriguez picks up the save by striking out Yankees 3B Alex Rodriguez with 2 men on to end the game.
2023-Gerrit Cole records the 2,000th strikeout of his career, when he fans Jorge Mateo of the Orioles in the 2nd inning, becoming the 3rd-fastest pitcher to the mark in terms of both games pitched (278) and innings pitched (1,714 2/3). It's not his best start, however, as he gives up 5 runs in as many innings, and is briefly overshadowed by a courageous squirrel that captures the fans' attention at New Yankee Stadium by running along the top of the outfield fence before taking an epic fall into the playing area (the squirrel is unhurt). Trailing 5 - 4 entering the bottom of the 9th, the Yankees tie the game on a HR by Aaron Judge off of Orioles Closer Felix Bautista, and win it in the 10th, 6-5, on a sacrifice fly by Rookie Anthony Volpe.
May 24th
1876-Former Yankees Catcher Fred Jacklitsch (1905) was born. (1876-1937)
On September 15,1905, Catcher Fred Jacklitsch was sent from the AA Providence (EL) to the Highlanders in an unknown transaction. He had appeared in 1 game for the 1905 Yankees. Before the start of 1906 AL Season, he was sent by the Highlanders to the York (TSL) in an unknown transaction.
1900-Former Yankees Pitcher Al Shealy (1928) was born. (1900-1967)
The Yankees had acquired P Al Shealy from the 1927 AA St. Paul Saints (AA). He would post an 8-6 record with a 5.06 ERA and 2 saves in 23 games for the 1928 Yankees. The Yankees would send him back to the St. Paul Saints in 1929. On October 7,1929, Al was drafted by the Cubs from the St Paul Saints in the 1929 MLB Rule 5 Player Draft. He would appear in 24 games with the 1930 Cubs with no decisions and an 8.00 ERA in his last active MLB season. Shealy would continue to pitch in the Minor Leagues from 1931 to 1939, before retiring from baseball.
1918-Indians Starter Stan Coveleski pitches a 19-inning, complete game to defeat the Yankees by the score of 3-2. Former Starter Joe Wood hits a HR in the 19th inning - his 2nd of the game - to end the 3:45 marathon. For the Yankees‚ 3B Frank “Home Run” Baker’s 11 assists tie the AL record for a 3B in an extra-inning game.
1924-It is “Babe Ruth Day” and the Sultan of Swat receives the AL Most Valuable Player Award for his playing performance in 1923. Babe Ruth had hit .393 with 41 HRs and 170 RBIs in 152 games for the 1923 Yankees. Due to the current AL MVP Award rules, Ruth can’t win the MVP Award again; repeat winners were not allowed during the 1920’s, the AL MVP Award rules would be later changed in the 1930’s.
1926-Former Yankees Reserve INF Willie Miranda (1953-1954) was born. (1926-1996)
On June 12,1953, INF Willie Miranda was purchased by the Yankees from the St. Louis Browns. Willie was a slick fielding Reserve Infielder for the team, who would appear in 130 games; while hitting .241 with 2 HRs and 17 RBIs for the club before being sent to the Orioles in the big 17-man trade in December of 1954. He did not appear in the 1953 World Series for the team against the Dodgers. He was originally signed an MLB Amateur Free Agent by the Senators. Willy Miranda would hit .250 for the Cuban National team in the 1946 Central American and Caribbean Games. He was known as a superb glove man, but a very weak hitter; Phil Rizzuto, whom Willy backed up with the Yankees, called Willie Miranda as one of the best fielders that he had ever seen.
1928-In the 1st game of a doubleheader at Shibe Park in Philadelphia, a record 12 future Hall of Famers played in the Yankees 9-7 win over the A’s. This number does not include non-playing Hall of Famers Pitchers Herb Pennock and Stan Coveleski, Managers Miller Huggins and Connie Mack, nor AL umpire Tom Connolly. The A’s comeback in the 2nd game beating the Yankees by the score of 5-2 behind the complete game by their Starter Ossie Orwoll, who gives up solo HRs to Babe Ruth and Tony Lazzeri. Yankees Starter George Pipgras takes the complete game loss, dropping his pitching record to 7-1 for the 1928 AL season.
1930-Yankees Slugger Babe Ruth hits HRs in both games of a doubleheader played at Yankee Stadium, giving him 9 HRs in 1 week. New York sweeps the Mackmen in doubleheader by scores of 10-6 and 11-1. In the Opener, Veteran Starter Herb Pennock throws a complete game win, he is now 2-1 for the season. Veteran Starter Jack Quinn takes the loss for the A’s; he is now 3-3 for the season. Newly acquired Starter Charles “Red” Ruffing from the Red Sox is the easy winner for the Yankees in the 11-1 nightcap win. Red is now 2-3 for the 1930 season, it’s his 2nd win for his new team, he will finish the 1930 AL season with a 15-5 record as a Yankees Starter.
1932-At Yankee Stadium, Bronx Starter Lefty Gomez allows only 3 A’s hits while he strikes out 13 batters as the Yankees stop Philadelphia by the score of 3-1. Babe Ruth hit a solo HR in the game.
1936-Yankees INF Tony Lazzeri, batting 8th in the Yankees lineup, posted an AL record with 11 runs batted in, while hitting 3 HRs -2 of them Grand Slams - and a triple in a 25-2 rout of the Philadelphia A’s. His Yankees teammate, OF Ben Chapman sets the modern MLB record of reaching 1B safely, 7 times in a 9-inning game. Chapman receives 5 walks as the Yankees are handed a total of 16 walks by A’s hurlers in the game. Also, Yankees INF Frank Crosetti hits 2-HRs and Rookie OF Joe DiMaggio has a solo HR shot. Yankees 1B Lou Gehrig exits the game early, he is replaced by his favorite sub‚ Jack Saltzgaver. Yankees Starter Monte Pearson is the winner over A’s Starter George Turbeville in the laugher.
1946-The Yankees have announced the resignation of long-time Manager Joe “Marsh” McCarthy (1931-1946); his replacement was 39 year-old veteran AL All-Star Catcher Bill Dickey, who is named as the team’s Interim Manager. McCarthy had resigned because of reported gall bladder health troubles. Also, there were rumors that long-time Manager McCarthy and the new Co-Team Yankees Owner/President Larry MacPhail didn’t get along about Yankees personnel decisions being made, since as Team President MacPhail stuck in nose into everything with the team. Previous Yankees GM Edward Barrow (1920-1945) had left Manager Joe McCarthy alone to handle issues concerning the team on the field. During his 15-season run with the 1931-1946 Yankees, he had guided the team to 8 AL pennants (1932,1936-1939,1941-1943) and 7 World Series Championship titles (1932,1936-1939,1941,1943). His final Yankees Manager record was 1,460-867 with a .627 WP. His 1,460 wins still leads the Yankees Managers all-time victory list. He had previously managed the 1926-1930 Cubs, appearing in the 1929 World Series against the A’s before joining the Bombers in 1931. Joe McCarthy will return to the MLB dugout with the 1948-1950 Red Sox. Overall, Joe posted a 2,126-1,335 record with a .614 WP in 3,489 MLB games. His overall World Series Manager’s record was 30-13 in 43 games with a .698 WP with the 1929 Cubs and his Yankees teams. He was elected to Hall of Fame in 1964.
1946-Former Yankees Reserve Catcher Ellie Rodriguez (1968) was born.
On November 30,1964, Catcher Ellie Rodriguez was selected by the Yankees from the Kansas City A’s organization in the 1964 1st Year MLB Player Draft. Ellie played for the 1968 Yankees appearing only in 9 games, while batting .208 with No HRs and 1 RBI before going in the 1968 AL Expansion Team Player Draft to the Kansas City Royals. His 67 assists in 1971 were tied for 2nd with Yankees Catcher Thurman Munson among AL backstops. He was a member of the 1969 and 1971 AL All-Star teams. The former MLB Catcher is now a consultant for the Independent Atlantic League.
1947-Matching teammate Allie Reynolds' game the day before‚ veteran Bronx Starter Spud Chandler gives the Yankees a 5-0 win over the Red Sox, allowing only 2 Boston hits. A crowd of 42,219 fans had attended this Saturday game played at Yankee Stadium.
1951-Yankees Rookie OF Mickey Mantle is 0 for 5, but he reaches base twice, after striking out on a wild pitch. The 2nd time‚ in the 6th inning‚ he reaches 2B before Tigers Catcher Joe Ginsberg can retrieve the ball‚ Joe DiMaggio follows with a HR to deep left field. Yankees win the game by the score of 11-1 behind pitching of P Joe Ostrowski, who is now 2-1 for the season. A crowd of 9,048 fans watched this Thursday day game played at Yankee Stadium.
1952-Red Sox OF Jimmy Piersall and Yankees 2B Billy Martin 1st exchange insults before a game in Boston‚ then they exchange punches in the tunnel under the Fenway Park stands. It takes MLB Coaches Bill Dickey (Yankees) and Oscar Melillo (Red Sox)‚ along with Red Sox Starter Ellis Kinder to break up the fight. Piersall goes to the Red Sox clubhouse to change his bloody uniform shirt and gets into another brawl with teammate hurler Mickey McDermott. He sits as Ellis Kinder stops the Yankees by the score of 5-2.
1954-Former Yankees Reserve OF Bobby Brown (1979-1981) was born.
On June 14,1978, OF Bobby Brown was traded by the Phillies along with OF Jay Johnstone to the Yankees for P Rawly Eastwick. Bobby’s best season with the Yankees was in 1980, when he hit .260 with 14 HRs and 47 RBIs in 137 games. Overall, Bobby Brown would hit .245 with 14 HRs and 56 RBIs in 198 games for the Yankees. On April 6,1982, he was sent by the team to the Mariners to complete an earlier deal made on April 1,1982. The Yankees would send a Player to be Named Later, Pitchers Bill Caudill and Gene Nelson to the Mariners for P Shane Rawley. The Yankees would send Reserve OF Bobby Brown on April 6,1982 to Seattle to complete the trade.
1956-Yankees Slugger Mickey Mantle goes 5 for 5 with an intentional walk in an 11-4 victory against the Tigers. Mantle is now hitting .421 for the 1956 AL season. He combines with Yankees’ teammate 1B Joe Collins for back-to-back HRs off of Tigers hurler Duke Maas.
1958-The Tigers snap a 9-game losing streak while breaking the Yankees' 10-game win streak with a 3-2 win behind Starter Frank Lary. Lary is now has an 11-4 MLB Pitching career record against the Bronx Bombers. His victories against the Yankees will allow him to have MLB Pitching career mark of over .500, finishing with a 128-116 mark. He will finish with a 28-13 MLB Pitching career record against the Yankees.
1964-Yankees Slugger Mickey Mantle hits his 2nd HR in 2 days off of Angels Starter Fred Newman to start the scoring for the Bronx Bombers. The Yankees would top the Angels by the score of 8-5.
1967-The Yankees beat the Orioles by the score of 2-0. Bronx Slugger Mickey Mantle’s 3rd-inning drive to the outfield wall is caught by Orioles OF Frank Robinson, but the ball pops out of Robinson’s glove and over the outfield fence for a HR.
1970-Tribe Slugger Tony Horton hits 3 HRs against the Yankees‚ but the Bombers win the game anyway by the score of 8-7 in 11 innings.
1970-Former Yankees Reserve OF William “Goodtime Bill” Lamar (1917-1919) had passed away. (1897-1970)
On August 14,1917, 20-year old OF Bill Lamar was purchased along with INF Chick Fewster and P Hank Thormahlen by the Yankees from the AA Baltimore Orioles (IL) for $20,000 Cash. As a Reserve LF for the 1917-1919 Yankees, he would hit .228 with 0 HRs and 5 RBIs in 50 games, before being sold to the Red Sox on June 13,1919. From 1917-1921 and from 1924-1927, he played the outfield in 550 MLB games for the Yankees, Red Sox, Brooklyn Robins (aka Dodgers) and the Philadelphia A’s, while hitting .310 with 19 HRs and 245 RBIs. He had pinched-hit in 3 games for the Robins in the 1920 World Series against the Indians.
1973-Former Yankees Pitcher Bartolo Colon (2011) was born.
After being out of the MLB for the entire 2010 season, Colon impressed Yankees MLB Bench Coach Tony Pena during the 2010-2011 Dominican League season. He was offered an invitation to the team's 2011 MLB Spring Training Camp. He earned a spot in the bullpen and made his 1st 3 appearances of 2011 in relief of a struggling starter Phil Hughes, doing a solid job in long relief. When Hughes was placed on the DL on April 15th, after 3 ineffective starts, Colon took his place in the Yankees starting rotation. Colon's remarkable return to form prompted questions about the experimental surgery that was performed on his shoulder and elbow in 2010 particularly rumors that human growth hormone, which is banned by the MLB, was used as part of the procedure. Surgeon Joseph Purita, who performed the surgery, which also involves the use of stem cells, denied that HGH had been used or that there was anything wrong with a procedure that he described as "the future of sports medicine". On May 30th, he pitched his 1st MLB shutout in almost 5 seasons, blanking the A's by the score of 5-0. However, Colon was placed on the DL on June 11th after leaving a start against the Indians with a strained right hamstring. He was 5-3 with a 3.10 ERA at the time. He returned in winning form on July 2nd by beating the Mets by the score of 5-2. He would finish the 2010 season with an 8-10 record, with a 4.00 ERA in 29 games (26 starts), having pitched 164 1/3 innings for the Yankees and making an important contribution to an AL Eastern Division title. He did not play in the AL postseason however. After the season, it was clear that the Yankees, while happy that Colon and fellow MLB veteran Freddy Garcia had bailed them out in 2011, were looking to build a younger and more reliable starting rotation for the future. As a result, they did not seriously pursue re-signing Bartolo. On January 15, 2012, he would move to the Oakland A’s as a MLB Free Agent, signing a 1-year deal worth $2 million.
1974-Former Yankees Pitcher Cliff Markle (1915-1916,1924) had passed away. (1894-1974)
Cliff Markle had pitched for the 1915-1916 Yankees. On March 21,1919, Cliff was purchased by AA Salt Lake City (PCL) from the Yankees. He would pitch for the 1921-1922 Reds. Then in 1923, he would join the AA St. Paul Saints (AA). On June 16,1924, Cliff was traded by the Saints to the Yankees for P Oscar Roettger. On July 22,1924, Cliff was purchased by St. Paul from the Yankees. Cliff went 25-12 with a 3.36 ERA, while leading the American Association with 184 strikeouts. He would pitch briefly for the 1924 Yankees again, before returning to the Saints. Overall, he went 211-144 with a 3.69 ERA during his Minor League pitching career. His Yankees Pitching career totals were a 6-6 record with a 4.60 ERA in 21 games. Overall, as an MLB Pitcher, he would post a 12-17 record with a 4.10 ERA in 56 games.
1977-At Fenway Park, Bronx Bomber hitters 3B Graig Nettles and OF Carlos May slam back-to-back HRs in the 7th inning during the Yankees 6-5 come-back victory over the Red Sox.
1981-Yankees Team Owner George Steinbrenner rips into Bombers AL All-Star OF/DH Reggie Jackson, after the Indians had defeated the Yankees by a score of 12-5. Reggie was mired in a 4 for 28 batting slump that has dropped his 1981 AL season batting average to .197.
1989-Yankees Reliever Lee Guetterman gave up 5 runs in the 9th inning of a Bronx 11-4 loss to the Angels, ending his consecutive scoreless inning streak at 30 2/3 innings. It is the longest season-opening streak in the MLB since Harry Brecheen's in 1948 and the longest season-opening streak ever by a Reliever.
1991-Former Yankees Pitcher Chad Green (2016-2022) was born.
Chad Green was originally selected by the Blue Jays in the 37th round of the 2010 MLB Amateur Player Draft, He did not sign (though he was the 1st draftee from that round to make the MLB). He was next selected by the Tigers in the 11th round of the 2013 MLB Amateur Player Draft. He inked a contract and was also the 1st player from that round to make the MLB. Green pitched for the GCL Tigers and Lakeland Flying Tigers in 2013, going 4-0 with a 3.54 ERA in 20 1/3 innings. In 2014, with the West Michigan Whitecaps, he went 6-4 with a 3.11 ERA in 23 starts, while striking out 125 batters. He allowed only 121 hits and 28 walks in 130 1/3 innings. With the Erie SeaWolves in 2015, Green went 5-14 with a 3.93 ERA in 27 starts, averaging 8.3 strikeouts per 9 innings. On December 9, 2015, he was traded along with Pitcher Luis Cessa to the Yankees for MLB Reliever Justin Wilson. After going 2-3 with a 1.22 ERA in 7 starts for the AA A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders to begin the 2016 season, the he was promoted to the MLB to make a spot start. Facing the Diamondbacks on May 16th, he went 4 innings, allowing 4 earned runs (6 total) on 8 hits and 1 walk, while striking out 5 batters. He would surrender 2 HRs, to Paul Goldschmidt and Jake Lamb, respectively. He was relieved by Nick Goody, who was then relieved by Conor Mullee, who was also making his MLB Pitching debut that day. He was on a shuttle between the Bronx and Scranton over the next few months, making 3 more trips back and forth, then on August 15th was called up to make another spot start, this time against the Blue Jays. It turned out to be the best game of his young MLB Pitching career as he went 6 innings during which he did not allow a run and struck out 11 Blue Jay batters, getting credit for a 1-0 win over Jays Starter R.A. Dickey. He finished the 2016 AL season with a 2-4 record with a 4.73 ERA and 1 save in 12 games. He started the 2017 season with AAA Scranton as a Starter. He finished that 1st season with a record of 2-4, 4.73 ERA and 1 save in 12 MLB games, including 8 starts. Given his mediocre rookie season, Green was not considered a major element of the Yankees' pitching staff coming into 2017, and it was expected that he would continue to move between AAA and the Majors, filling out where needed. But that is not how things turned out. He made only 1 start in the MLB after being called up to the Bronx in May, and then never went back down. In 40 appearances, he put up excellent numbers as he progressively assumed a more and more important role out of the Yankees' bullpen. He went 5-0 with an excellent ERA of 1.83 and an amazing 103 strikeouts in 69 innings, against a mere 34 hits and 17 walks. By the time the 2017 AL Postseason rolled around, he was commonly referred to as the Yankees' "secret weapon" out of the bullpen and a potential difference maker. That is exactly what happened in the AL Wild Card Game against the Twins, as he was called in to relieve Starter Luis Severino with only 1 out in the 1st, 3 runs already in, and runners on 2nd and 3rd. He probably saved the Yankees' season by quickly striking out Byron Buxton and Jason Castro, stranding the 2 runners and keeping his team within striking distance. Indeed, his teammates rallied for 3 runs in the bottom of the 1st, and he followed that with an overpowering 1-2-3 2nd inning, before the Yankees took their 1st lead of the game in the bottom of the 2nd. While he had experience as a starter and was seen as a potential long man out of the bullpen, his recent experience had been in short outings, and he began to show signs of fatigue in the 3rd, loading the bases before ceding the ball to David Robertson. The Twins managed to score the tying run on a ground ball, but he had done the job: the Yankees scored in the bottom of the inning to take the lead again and never looked back after that, going on to an 8-4 win. In 2018, Chad went 8-3 with a 2.50 ERA in 63 games. In 2019, Chad posted a 4-4 record with a 4.17 ERA and 2 saves in 54 games. In 2020, he posted a 3-3 record with a 3.51 ERA and 1 save in 22 games. In 2021, he would post a 10-7 record with a 3.12 ERA and 6 saves in 67 games. He started the 2022 season with 15 innings pitched, giving up 6 runs and registering 1 save to go with a 1-1 record and an ERA of 3.00. During the 6th inning on May 19th in a game against the Orioles, Green called out his trainer and catcher and was removed from the game. It was later announced that he would need Tommy John surgery, and that he would miss the rest of the season. This was his 1st career stint on the IL in the MLB, dating all the way back to 2016. His loss was a big blow to the Yankees, especially as Closer Aroldis Chapman was struggling, and another important reliever from the previous few season, Jonathan Loaisiga, was also not at his best, putting additional pressure on relatively untested members of the pitching staff. At the end of the season, the Yankees Front Office decided to let Chad become an MLB Free Agent. On January 31, 2023, he would sign a 2-year contract with the Blue Jays.
1996-In Seattle‚ Ken Griffey‚ Jr would sink the Yankees by hitting 3 HRs‚ while scoring 5 runs and driving in 6 runs as the Mariners win the game by the score of 10-4. It is the 1st 3-HR game for Griffey in his MLB playing career. Bronx Starter Scott Kamieniecki takes the loss; this would be his last MLB game with the Yankees. His 1996 season will end in a month, when he goes on the AAA disabled list, while with the Columbus Clippers (IL).
2011-The Yankees end an AL record run of 341 games without a complete game, when veteran Starter CC Sabathia goes the distance in a 5-4 victory over the Blue Jays.
2013-Just 10 days after coming back from a broken arm sustained in a spring training game, Yankees OF Curtis Granderson breaks a bone in his hand when hit by a pitch by Tampa Bay's Cesar Ramos in the 5th inning. He will be out for another month. The Yankees still win the game beating the Rays by the score of 9-4.
2015-On the day they retire Bernie Williams' Uniform No. 51 and unveil a plaque in his honor in Monument Park, the Yankees suffer their 10th loss in 11 games to fall to .500 mark. The Rangers' 5-2 win completes a 3-game sweep, as a 2-run HR by Adam Rosales off of Bronx P Chris Capuano and 2 RBIs by Prince Fielder, account for the bulk of the Rangers damage.
May 25th
1922-After being thrown out at 2B, trying to stretch a single, Yankees Slugger Babe Ruth throws dirt in the face of AL Umpire George Hildebrand, then he goes after a fan. Ruth is ejected from the game. He is eventually fined $500 and suspended for 1 game by AL President Ban Johnson.
1937-Detroit Tigers future HOF Catcher Mickey Cochran’s MLB Playing career is brought to a jarring premature end, when he is struck in the side of the head by a Yankees Pitcher Bump Hadley fastball at Yankee Stadium. Mickey Cochrane suffered a bad head concussion and probable fracture and never really came back to the form that made him an AL All-Star Catcher for the Tigers and the A’s.
1941-Veteran Boston hurler Lefty Grove yields a single to Bronx CF Joe DiMaggio as he becomes the 1st pitcher to take part in 2 of the greatest records in MLB history. Joltin Joe’s single locks Grove into Joe DiMaggio’s 56 game hitting streak. Fourteen years earlier, Grove had also given up 1 of the 60 HRs hit by Yankees Slugger Babe Ruth during the 1927 AL HR record breaking season.
1950-Former Yankees Pitcher John “The Count” Montefusco (1983-1986) was born.
John Montefusco went 10-3 with a 3.75 ERA in 24 games with the Yankees, before serious hip problems ended his MLB Pitching career. On August 26,1983, John was traded by the Padres to the Yankees for Players to be Named Later and $200,000 cash. On September 12,1983, the Yankees would send 2 hurlers: Dennis Rasmussen and Edwin Rodriguez to the Padres to complete the trade.
1961-At Yankee Stadium, a crowd of 13,0879 fans watched the Yankees beat the Red Sox by the score of 6-4. Whitey Ford gains his 6th victory of the season with relief help from Closer Luis Arroyo, who earns his 7th save. Boston Starter Billy Buffett takes the loss, he is now 0-4 for the 1961 AL season. Veteran OF Jackie Jensen hits a HR for the Red Sox. The Yankees get HRs from Catcher Johnny Blanchard and Shortstop Tony Kubek. The Yankees are now 20-15-1 for the 1961 AL season.
1974-The Yankees had obtained Pitcher Larry Gura from the Rangers for Reserve C/DH Duke Simms. Larry would post a 5-1 record with a 2.41 ERA in 8 games for the Yankees in 1974, before being traded away to the Royals for Catcher Fran Haley by Yankees Manager Billy Martin during the 1976 AL season. His overall Yankees Pitching record was 12-9 with a 3.21 ERA in 34 games. Larry Gura and Yankees Manager Billy Martin did not get along, as a Royals Starter he would give the Yankees constant trouble.
1978-Former Yankees Reserve OF Mike Vento (2005) was born.
The Yankees had selected OF Mike Vento In the 40th round of the 1997 MLB Amateur Player Draft. In 2005, he would appear in 2 games with the Yankees with no BA. The Yankees would grant him MLB Free Agency in the winter of 2005. He would be signed by the Nationals for the 2006 NL season.
1982-At Yankee Stadium, a crowd of 20,127 fans watched the Yankees shutout the Blue Jays by the score of 8-0. Yankees Veteran Starter Tommy John throws a complete game shutout, improving his 1982 AL season record to 4-4. Blue Hays Starter Jim Gott takes the loss, he is now 0-2. Yankee hitters Shortstop Roy Smalley and OF Oscar Gamble hit HRs for the Bronx Bombers. Gamble’s HR shot is good for 3 Yankee runs. The Yankees are now at the 21-19 mark for the 1982 AL season.
1994-Yankees Former Minor League INF Kyle Holder was born.
Infielder Kyle Holder was the 30th overall pick in the 2015 MLB Amateur Player Draft, having been selected by the Yankees. He slashed .213 with No HRs and 12 RBIs in 56 games for the Class A Staten Island Yankees (NYPL) in his 1st pro baseball campaign, then he hit .290 for the Class A Charleston RiverDogs (SAL) in 2016. He played the 2017 season with the Tampa Yankees (FSL), he hit .271 in 104 games with 4 HRs and 44 RBIs. In 2019, he played for AA Trenton Thunder (EL), playing in 112 games, while hitting .265 with 9 HRs and 40 RBIs. He received an invitation to the Yankees 2020 MLB Spring Training Camp. The Yankees had lost him to the Reds in 2020 MLB Rule 5 Player Draft, but he was returned to the team by the Reds during 2021 MLB spring training camp. After the 2021 season, the Yankees would grant him MLB Free Agency. Kyle would sign a minor league deal with the Rockies, he is playing for their AAA club for the 2022 Season.
1995-Former Yankees Pitcher Mike King (2019-2023) was born.
Mike King was the 261st and last player to make his MLB player debut during the 2019 MLB season, when he pitched 2 innings for the Yankees on September 27th in a 14-7 win over the Rangers. It was his only MLB pitching appearance of the year. His 1st MLB appearance came after 4 years pitching in the Miami Marlins and the Yankees organizations. Most notably, in 2018 he had a record of 11-5 largely as a starter with an ERA of 1.79. In 2019, he appeared in only 11 games at 4 Minor League levels before coming to the MLB, as he was injured for much of the season. After the 2017 MLB season had ended, he was acquired by the Yankees in return for Reserve 1B Garrett Cooper and Pitcher Caleb Smith. In 2020, Mike went 1-2 with a 7.76 ERA in 9 games for the Yankees. In 2021, he would post a 2-4 record with a 3.55 ERA in 22 games. Mike continued to climb up the Yankee pitching ladder in 2022, by securing a job a set-up man in the bullpen on the Opening Day roster. On April 14th, he had another memorable outing against the Blue Jays, coming in to bail out Closer Aroldis Chapman in the 9th, after he had loaded the bases without retiring anyone, putting in peril a Yankees 3-0 lead. Michael came in at this point and needed just 5 pitches to extinguish the fire; striking out George Springer on 3 pitches, then getting Bo Bichette to pop-up into a double play in shallow right field. It was his 1st MLB career save. On April 22nd, he had another great outing, as he would strike out 8 batters, including 7 in a row, in just 3 innings of relief work in a 4-1 win over the Guardians. King would finish the 2022 AL season with a record of 6-3 along with a 2.29 ERA and 1 save in 34 games. In 2023, King would post a 4-8 record with a 2.75 ERA and 6 saves in 49 games for the team. On December 7, 2023, King was traded by the Yankees with Pitching Prospect Drew Thorpe (minors), P Jhony Brito, Catcher Kyle Higashioka and P Randy Vásquez to the Padres for Outfielders Trent Grisham and Juan Soto. King’s final Yankees pitching career was a 13-17 record with a 3.38 ERA and 7 saves in 115 games.
2011-Royals Starter Jo-Jo Reyes puts his name in the MLB record books with his 28th consecutive winless start, tying Cliff Curtis and Matt Keough, when the Blue Jays lose to the Yankees by the score of 7-3. Reyes is now at 0-4 this season, but he has pitched well: his ERA was 3.06 over his last 6 starts prior to last night's effort, yet wins have proved elusive. His last victory came on June 13, 2008, while a member of the Braves, his record since is 0-13. Also in the game, Closer Mariano Rivera makes his 1000th pitching appearance for the Yankees; he is the 15th MLB player to reach the mark, and the 1st pitcher to do it with only 1 team.