This Week in Yankees History

March 9th - March 15th

March 9^th

1927 - Former Yankees OF Jackie Jensen (1950-1952) was born (1927-1982). Jackie was a former All American college football player. He was bought by the Yankees from Oakland Oaks (PCL) in the fall of 1949. Jackie appeared in 108 games with the Yankees, hitting .265 with 9 HRs and 32 RBIs. He was traded in 1952 to the Senators in the Irv Noren trade. He later played with the Red Sox, being the 1958 AL MVP. Jackie appeared in over 1,400 MLB games and finished with a lifetime BA .279. He stopped playing MLB because of his fear of flying. In 1982, Jackie died from a heart attack at the age of 55. He remains the only man to play in the Rose Bowl, East-West Shrine Game, the World Series (1950), and baseball's All-Star game.

1959 - Former Yankees Coach Brian Butterfield was born. He was originally played in the Yankees minor league system from 1980-1983, before becoming a member of the Yankees farm system management from 1984-1997 as a coach and manager. In 1999-2000, he joined the Diamondbacks organization. He rejoined the Yankees in 2001. Jack was fired as manager of the Columbus Clippers in May of 2002. He later joined the Blue Jays organization and now is their MLB 3rd Base Coach.

1966 - Former Yankees 3B Aaron “Home Run” Boone (2003) was born. He is the grandson of former MLB Ray Boone and son of ML Catcher/Manager Bob Boone. His brother was Bret Boone. Bob hit one of the most famous AL Yankee playoff-HR to beat the Red Sox in 2003. He later injured his leg playing basketball during the off-season and later was released by the Yankees. His injury led to the A-Rod trade by the Yankees.

1966 - Former Yankees All Star catcher(1946-1947) Aaron Robinson died (1915-1966). He hit .297 in 1946 and made the AL All Star team in 1947. With the arrival of Yogi Berra as a catcher in 1947, made Aaron expendable, he was traded to the White Sox for P Eddie Lopat.

1996 - Former Yankees P Jim Hardin (1971) died. Jim was recovering from arm injuries, when he joined the Yankees in 1971. He never was an effective pitcher for the Yanks, like he was with the Orioles during the mid 1960’s.

March 10^th

1958 - Former Yankees P (1991-96) Steve Howe was born (1958-2006). Steve went 12-6 with 31 saves as a relief pitcher with the Yankees from 1991-1996.

2005 - Former Yankees 1B/OF Kent Hadley (1960) passed away (1934-2005). Kent was part of the December 1959 trade that brought the Yankees OF Roger Maris from the A’s. In 1959, he was the A’s regular 1st baseman hitting .253. With the 1960 Yankees, he was a reserve player, appearing only in 55 games, just hitting .203. After his ML career was over he enjoyed success playing baseball in Japan, becoming one of the 1st American’s to hit a 100 HRs in Japan.

March 11^th

1945 - Former Yankee P Dock Ellis (1976-1977) was born. On December 11, 1975, Doc was traded by the Pirates along with P Ken Brett and 2B Willie Randolph to the Yankees for P Doc Medich. Dock went 18-9 in 35 games before being traded to the A’s in the Mike Torrez trade in 1977. Doc is well known for his June 12, 1970, no-hitter vs the Padres. A no-hitter that he claims, he threw while still tripping on LSD. Ellis also claimed he wasn't able to feel the ball or clearly see the batter or catcher.

1956 - At Al Lang Field in St. Petersburg, there are no maybes about it, as Mickey Mantle hits a Grapefruit League pitch from Larry Jackson over the LF wall into the bay. The Yankees top the Cardinals 4 -3. Stan Musial contends, "no HR has ever cleared my head by as much as long as I can remember." Mantle will hit another HR at Al Lang Field on March 20 off of pitcher Bob Mave, which also lands in the water, and will clock a 500-FT HR shot in Miami, 4 days later against the Dodgers.

1960 - All Star CF Mickey Mantle signs a 1-year contract worth $65,000. The new deal is a $7,000 cut in pay for Mantle, who batted .285 with 31 HRs and 75 RBIs for the 3rd place Yankees in 1959.

1981 - Former Yankees slugger Johnny Mize (1949-53) and Negro League‘s pioneer Rube Foster are voted to the HOF by the Special Veterans Committee. Mize hit .312 with 359 HRs during a 15-yr ML career, while Foster served as a pitcher, manager, and Negro League organizer in the 1st quarter of the 20th century.

2001 - The Yankees formally announce the signing of Cuban defector 3B Andy Morales, to a 4-yr contract. Morales will wash out and be waived from his minor league team by July. The Yankees will try and sidestep his contract with proof that his listed age of 26 years is really 29.

2002 - The Yankees released OF Ruben Rivera for stealing Derek Jeter's mitt out of his clubhouse locker, and selling it on the black market for $2,500. There are rumors that Rivera also took other memorabilia items, such as things belonging to Roger Clemens, but Clemens denies it. Rivera had been signed to a 1-year contract for $1 million.

March 12^th

1903 - The New York Highlanders, later to be called the Yankees, are officially approved to join the American League.

1937 - Former Yankees 1B Ray” Buddy” Barker (1965-1967) was born. On May 10, 1965, Buddy was traded by the Indians to the Yankees for INF Pedro Gonzalez. Buddy hit .172 in 176 games, before being sent to the Orioles in the Steve Barber trade.

1939 - Former Yankees DH/Outfielder Johnny Callison (1972-73) was born (1939-2006). Callison, acquired from the Chicago Cubs, hit .258 in 72 games in 1972. Then in 1973, he hit .176 in 45 games before being released by the team.

1943 - Former Yankees DH/OF Jim “Toy Canon” Wynn (1977) was born. Jim hit .143 in 30 games for the Yankees, before being released.

1955 - Former Yankees OF Ruppert Jones (1981) was born. After being obtained from Seattle, Ruppert played in 83 games, just hitting .223, before being sent to the Padres for OF Jerry Mumphrey.

1962 - Former Yankees OF/DH Darryl Strawberry (1995-1999) was born. Darryl hit .243 with 41 HRs and 114 RBIs in 242 games.

1971 - Former Yankees OF Raul Mondesi (2002-03) was born. Raul hit .249 in 169 games for the team before being traded to D-Backs.

1974 - Former Yankees reserve INF Felix Escalona (2004-05) was born. He appeared in 22 games for the Yanks.

1974 - Current Yankees RF Bobby Abreu (2006-Current) was born.

1978 - Former Yankees reserve OF Kevin Reese (2005-06) was born. On December 18, 2001, Kevin was traded by the Padres to the Yankees for Bernie Castro. He appeared in 12 games hitting .385 before being released
in 2007.

March 13^th

1886 - Future HOF Infielder Frank “Home Run” Baker (1916-1919, 1921-22) was born. A 3B and left-handed hitter, Baker will guide the Athletics to 3 World Series championships. Nicknamed "Home Run" during the 1911 WS, in which he hit a go-ahead HR off of Rube Marquard in Game 2 and a 9th-inning game-tying HR off of Christy Mathewson in Game 3. Baker will led the AL in HR’s for 4 consecutive seasons, twice led the league in RBI, and hit .363 in 6 World Series. Frank played 3B for the Yankees from 1916-1919, 1921-1922. He took the 1920 season off, after his wife passed away to take care of his family. Baker will earn HOF honors in 1955.

1922 - Former Yankees OF Cliff Mapes (1948-1951) was born. On November 1, 1946, Cliff was drafted by the Yankees from the Indians in the 1946 Rule 5 Player Draft. He was the last active Yankee player to wear Babe Ruth’s No. 3 uniform. Also he wore No. 7 in 1951; the number that rookie OF Mickey Mantle would get after returning from Kansas City Blues AAA. On July 31, 1951, Cliff was purchased by the Browns from the Yankees.

1937 - All Star 1B Lou Gehrig signs with the Yankees for $38,000 with a $750 signing bonus. Gehrig will play his 1st spring training game on March 20 collecting 2 runs batted in as the Yankees beat the Bees (Braves), 5-3.

1963 - Former Yankees INF Mariano Duncan (1996-97) was born. He was signed as free agent in 1996. He hit .340 in 109 games in 1996. Mario appeared in 50 games hitting .244, before being traded on July 29, 1997, to the Blue Jays for Angel Ramirez.

1994 - Former Yankees C Buddy Rosar (1939-1942) passed away. He was signed by the Yankees as an amateur free agent in 1934. Buddy was the back up catcher for the Yankees. In 1942, Buddy was selected to AL All Star team. On December 17, 1942, he was traded by the Yankees along with Roy Cullenbine to the Indians for Roy Weatherly and Oscar Grimes.

2000 - Former Yankees reserve INF Harry Bright (1963-1964) passed away. The Yankees acquired Harry to back up their INF off the bench. His addition to the Yankee 40 man roster cost the Yankees a young minor league OF named Curt Belfry, who was at Greensboro. He was immediately claimed by the Orioles. Harry was a good field, no-hit player, who could play a lot of positions including catcher. He hit .236 in 1963, only appeared in a few games in 1964, because of injuries.

March 14^th

1944 - Former Yankees OF /1B John Miller (1966) was born. John was signed by the Yankees as an amateur free agent in 1962. He appeared in 6 games hitting .087. He hit a HR at his 1st MLB with the Yankees. He would be traded Dodgers, he hit a HR in his last MLB at bat.

1969 - The Yankees purchased OF Jimmy Hall from the Indians for cash. He hit .236 in 80 games, before being sent to the Cubs.

2003 - Able to maintain the organization's "long standing philosophy," which lets Cablevision customers choose whether or not to receive paid programming, the cable giant agrees 1-year interim deal to offer YES Network to New York Yankees fans for a fee ending a bitter and costly yearlong feud. The arrangement makes YES a premium channel instead of basic cable channel which the new network had previously mandated and would have made every subscriber pay for the channel regardless of the viewer's choice.

March 15^th

1919 - The Yankees sell P Ray Fisher to the Reds for undisclosed amount of cash.

1944 - Former Yankees P Wayne Granger (1973) was born. He went in 0-1 in 7 games for the Yankees.

1946 - Former Yankees All Star OF Bobby Bonds (1975) was born. Bobby was traded by the Giants to Yankees for OF Bobby Mercer in 1974. Bobby hit .270 with 32 HRS, 85 RBIs in 145 games. On December 11, 1975, he was traded to the California Angels for OF Mickey Rivers and P Ed Figueroa.

1960 - Former Yankees 3B Mike Pagliarulo (1984-89) was born. Mike was drafted by the Yankees in the 6th round of the 1981 amateur player draft. Mike was Yankees regular 3B from 1985-1989, hitting 95 HRS, 337 RBIs in 703 games. On July 22, 1989, he was traded by the Yankees along with P Don Schulze to the Padres for P Walt Terell and a player to be named later, P Freddie Toliver. He is currently a baseball sportswriter, and blogger.

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(As always I'd like to thank Clipper51 for his great contributions.)