December 21st - December 27th
December 21st
1947 - Former Yankees OF Elliot Maddox (1974-1976) was born. On March 23, 1974, Elliot was purchased by the Yankees from the Rangers. Elliot played well for the Yankees in OF, replacing Bobby Mercer as the Yankees CF during the 1974 AL season. He hit .303 and .307 for the Yankees in 1974-75. He injured his leg on the outfield turf at Shea Stadium. With the arrival of Billy Martin as Yankees manager, Elliot's days as a Yankee player were numbered. On January 20, 1977, he was traded by the Yankees along with OF Rick Bladt to the Orioles for veteran OF Paul Blair.
1948 - Former Yankees DH/OF Dave Kingman (1977) was born. Dave appeared in 8 games for the Yankees hitting .250 before leaving for free agency signing with the Cubs.
1972 - Former Yankees reliever La Troy Hawkins (2008) was born. LaTroy went 1-1 in 11 games before being sent on July 30, 2008 by the Yankees along with cash to the Astros for minor league player Matthew Cusick.
1977 - Former Yankees INF D'Angelo Jimenez (1999) was born. D’Angelo was signed by the Yankees as an MLB amateur free agent in 1994. On June 23, 2001, he was traded by the Yankees to the Padres for reliever Jay Witasick.
1987 - The Yankees released veterans OF/1B/DH Mike Easler and OF/DH Ron Kittle. Also they signed veteran starter Tommy John as a free agent.
1995 - After considering an attractive offer from the Orioles, free agent starter David Cone re-signs with the Yankees for a 3-year deal worth $18 million.
1995 - The Yankees sold veteran hurler Rick Honeycutt to the Cardinals. Rick went 0-0 in 3 games with the Yankees after being purchased from the A’s on September 25,1995.
1997 - The Yankees signed free agent P Darren Holmes. He would post a 0-3 record in 34 games with 2 saves for the Yankees. On March 30, 1999, he as traded by the Yankees with cash to the Diamondbacks for P Ben Ford and Izzy Molina.
1998 - The Yankees grant OF/DH Daryl Strawberry free agency. Daryl had hit .247 with 24 HRs with 57 RBIs. He will re-sign with the Yankees in April of 1999.
2002 - The Yankees grant OF Spence Spencer and P Christian Parker free agency. Parker will resign with the team on December 30th.
2003 - The Yankees grant OF Karim Garcia and OF/DH Dave Dellucci, free agency.
2005 - Former Yankees reserve C (1976-77) and long time Orioles MLB Coach and player Elrod Hendricks passes away (1940-2005).
2005 - The Yankees grant reliever Wayne Franklin free agency. On April 4, 2005, Wayne was signed as a free agent with the Yankees. He posted a 0-1 record in 13 games.
December 22nd
1938 - Former Yankees OF/1B/DH Matty Alou (1973) was born. Matty was a major disappointment for the Yankees.
1940 - Former Yankees reserve C Elrod Hendricks (1976-1977) was born.
1953 - Former Yankees P Tommy Underwood (1980-81) was born. On November 1, 1979, Tom was traded by the Blue Jays along with C Rick Cerone and OF Ted Wilborn to the Yankees for 1B Chris Chambliss, INF Damaso Garcia, and P Paul Mirabella. Tom would go 13-9 in 1980, before slipping to 1-4 in 1981, before being traded on May 20,1981 by the Yankees along with 1B/DH Jim Spencer to the A’s for 1B Dave Revering, Mike Patterson, and Chuck Dougherty (minors). His brother Pat also played in MLB.
1968 - Former Yankees reserve C Benny Bengough (1923-1930) passed away (1898-1968). Benny hit .253 in 317 games for the Yankees.
1982 - Versatile OF/DH Lee Mazzilli is traded for the 3rd time this year. The Yankees send him to the Pirates for P Tim Burke and 4 minor league players: Don Aubin, John Holland and Jose Rivera.
1986 - The Yankees released reliever Mike Armstrong. He will resign with team in January of 1987.
1987 - The Yankees send P Steve Trout and OF Henry Cotto to the Mariners for pitchers Lee Guetterman, Clay Parker and minor leaguer P Wade Taylor.
1988 - The Yankees signed P Richard Noles as a free agent. Noles did not pitch for the Yankees at the MLB level.
1989 - The Yankees signed INF Damaso Garcia as a free agent. He will spend the 1990 season at Columbus.
1993 - The Yankees signed DH/1B Same Horn as a free agent. He will spend most of his time playing at Columbus (IL) in 1994.
1999 - The Expos obtained P Hideki Irabu from the Yankees in exchange for P Jake Westbrook and 2 players to be named. Pitcher Christian Parker will be one of those players named. The Expos will send P Ted Lilly to the Yankees on March 17, 2000 to complete the trade.
2005 - The Yankees agreed to terms with veteran AL All Star OF Bernie Williams on a one-year contract.
2006 - The Yankees signed former Cuban national team baseball player 1B Juan Miranda as an amateur free agent.
December 23rd
1929 - Former Yankees P AL “Bozo” Cicotte (1957) was born (1929-1982). Al was signed by the Yankees as an MLB amateur free agent in 1948. He went 2-2 in 20 games with 2 saves for the Yankees in 1957. On May 14, 1958, he was purchased by the Senators from the Yankees. Al was the great-nephew of HOF starter Eddie Cicotte.
1958 - Former Yankees P Tim Leary (1990-92) was born. Tim was a former 1 draft pick by the Mets in 1979. On December 12, 1989, he was traded by the Reds along with OF Van Snider to the Yankees for OF/1B Hal Morris and P Rodney Imes (minors). Tim went 9-19 in 31 games in 1990, then 4-10 in 28 games in 1991. He went 5-6 in 18 games before being traded by the Yankees on August 22, 1992, along with cash to the Mariners for minor league player Sean Twitty.
1969 - The Yankees signed OF/1B Otto Velez as an amateur MLB free agent. Otto will play for the Yankees from 1973-1976, appearing in 65 games hitting .255 with 6 HRs and 28 RBI’s. On November 5, 1976, Otto was drafted by the Blue Jays from the Yankees as the 53rd pick in the 1976 AL expansion player draft.
1981 - The Yankees signed free agent OF/1B Dave Collins for a reported $750,000 a year for at least 3 seasons. Collins, who stole 79 bases for the Reds in 1979, he will end up being a bust in pinstripes; he will be traded after 1 season to the Blue Jays.
1994 - The Yankees grant starter Jim Abbott and INF Randy Velarde free agency. Velarde will sign a 3 year deal with the Angels.
1996 - The Yankees signed free agent P Dave Eiland. He will spend the 1997 season at Columbus.
2005 - Former Red Sox AL All Star CF free agent Johnny Damon signs a 4-year contract with the Yankees.
December 24th
1978 - Former Yankees 1B George Mc Quinn (1947-48) passed away (1910-1978). In 1947, George hit .304 with 80 RBIs after being signed by Yankees after being released by the A’s. In 1948, he slipped to .248, but recorded a .421 slugging percentage. He retired after the 1948 AL season.
1986 - Free agent OF Gary Ward signs with the Yankees. Gary will hit .255 for the Yankees in 145 games, before being released by the team.
1996 - The Yankees signed free agent starter David “Boomer” Wells. David will go 34-14 in 62 games for the Yankees. On February 18, 1999, David was traded by the Yankees along with INF Homer Bush and P Graeme Lloyd to the Blue Jays for starter Roger Clemens.
2002 - In a deal which prompts a Red Sox official to call the Yankees an "evil empire", Cuban defector Jose Contreras agree to terms on a 4-year contract with Yankees. Contreras, who was considered the top pitcher on Cuba's national team, was declared a free agent after gaining residency in Nicaragua.
December 25th - Merry Christmas
1908 - Former Yankees AL All Star OF (1930-1936) and MLB Manager (Phillies 1945-1948) Ben Chapman was born. Ben was a .305 Lifetime hitter for the Yankees. He was a member of the AL All Star teams from 1933-35. On June 14, 1936, Ben was traded by the Yankees to the Senators for OF Jake Powell. Ben was the Phillies Manager, who gave Dodgers Jackie Robinson problems in 1947, Ben was a racist, is the reason the Yankees traded him during the 1936 AL season.
1919 - Red Sox owner Harry Frazee makes a secret agreement to sell OF Babe Ruth to the Yankees for $100,000 (one-fourth cash, plus $25,000 a year at 6 percent) plus guaranteeing a $300,000 loan with Fenway Park as collateral. The transaction will be announced publicly one week later.
1953 - Former Yankees minor league P Richard Anderson was born. Rick Anderson was the 1979 International League Pitcher of the Year. With the Yankees' Columbus farm club that season, he was 13-3 with a 1.63 ERA and 21 saves. He was unable to break into the Yankees bullpen with Rich Gossage and others around. After being traded to the Mariners, he was 6-0 with the Spokane Indians (PCL) in 1980. However, he developed arm problems and was released by the club in 1982. Anderson weighed over 400 pounds at the time of his death. He was found dead in his trailer with an autograph request in his hand.
1958 - Former Yankees AL All Star LF Rickey Henderson (1985-1988) was born. On December 5, 1984, Rickey was traded by the A’s along with Bert Bradley and cash to the Yankees for OF Stan Javier, Pitchers Jay Howell, Jose Rijo, Eric Plunk, and Tim Birtsas. As a Yankee, Rickey appeared on the 1985-1988 AL All Star teams. His best Yankees season was in 1985, when he hit .314 with 24 HRs and 72 RBIs. On June 21, 1989, Rickey was traded by the Yankees back to the A’s for P Greg Cadaret, P Eric Plunk, and OF/DH Luis Polonia.
1989 - Billy Martin, an AL All-Star INF with the Yankees (1950-1957) and former MLB manager of the Twins, Tigers, Rangers, Yankees and A’s, dies in a truck accident in Johnson City, NY, at the age of 61. Martin, a 5-time Yankees manager under Owner George Steinbrenner, was rumored to be a candidate to replace current Yankees skipper Lou Piniella. During his 18-year managerial career in the AL, Martin posted a 1253-1013 record, led his teams to 5- AL Championship titles and guided the Yankees to the 1977 World Championship. He will be buried in Gate of Heaven Cemetery in Westchester, NY, in a plot near Babe Ruth. The Yankees Owner George Steinbrenner, who had fired Billy Martin 4 times (he resigned the 5th time), purchases the burial plot for Martin.
1995 - The Associated Press selects Cal Ripken, Jr. as the top sports story of the 1995, followed by the death of Yankees Hall Of Fame CF Mickey Mantle.
December 26th
1948 - Former Yankees 1B and MLB Coach Chris Chambliss (1974-1979, 1988) was born. On April 26, 1974, Chris was traded by the Indians along with pitchers Richard Tidrow and Cecil Upshaw to the Yankees for pitchers Fritz Peterson, Steve Kline, Fred Beene, and Tom Buskey. Chris hit the game winning HR in the 1976 ALCS to bring the Yankees back into the World Series for the 1st time since 1964. He was an AL All Star 1B in 1976. In 1978, he won the AL Golden Glove for 1B. In the post season for the Yankees, Chris hit .281 with 3 HRs with 15 RBIs. He appeared in 3 World Series with the Yankees (1976-1978) hitting .275 with 1 HR, 5 RBIs. To get a replacement for the late Thurman Munson the Yankees traded Chris away after the 1979 AL season. On November 1, 1979, Chris was traded by the Yankees along with INF Damaso Garcia and P Paul Mirabella to the Blue Jays for P Tom Underwood, C Rick Cerone, and OF Ted Wilborn. During the 1988 AL season, Chris had a brief 1 game comeback with the Yankees.
1971 - Former Yankees P Jay Tessmer (1998-2000, 2002) was born. Jay was drafted by the Yankees in the 19th round of the 1995 MLB amateur player draft. Although he was very successful coming out the bullpen at Columbus, he couldn’t repeat that performance in pinstripes. He appeared in 22 games with 1-0 record. On January 3, 2001, Jay was traded by the Yankees along with Seth Taylor (minors) to the Rockies for David Lee. Jay would return to the Yankees as a free agent in 2002.
1974 - The Yankees signed C Juan Espino as an amateur free agent.On March 31, 1984; Juan was purchased by the Indians from the Yankees. On January 8, 1985, he was purchased by the Yankees from the Indians. Juan would appear with the Yankees in parts of the 1982-83, 1985-86 AL seasons appearing in only 49 games, hitting just .219.
1992 - Former Yankees P Tom Gorman (1952-54) passed away. Tom was signed by the Yankees as an amateur free agent in 1946. Tom went 10-7 in 75 games with 9 saves for the Yankees before being sold to the A’s in March of 1955. He appeared in 2 World Series (1952-53) with the Yankees with no record.
1994 - Former Yankees AL All Star pitcher Allie “Super Chief “Reynolds (1947-1954) passed away. Allie was obtained from the Indians, he went 19-8 .704 in 1947. He was one of the mainstays of the Yankee starting rotation that won 5 straight World Championships (1949-1953) with Eddie Lopat, Vic Raschi, and later Whitey Ford. His World Series pitching record was 7-2. Allie went 131-60 in 8 seasons with the Yankees, including a 20-8 with an ERA 2.06 in 1952. During the 1951 AL season, he pitched 2-no-hitters, including one against the Red Sox. A back injury during a team bus accident during the 1954 AL season forced Allie to retire at the end of the season. He later became the Baseball Commissioner of the American Association (AAA).
December 27th
1943 - Former Yankees OF and MLB Coach Roy White (1965-79) was born. Roy was signed by the Yankees as an amateur free agent in 1961. He was originally INF converted to OF. Roy played for 14 years for the Yankees finishing with a lifetime BA of .271 with 160 HRs and 758 RBIs in 1,881 games. He was a 2-time AL All Star team member (1969-70). His best Yankees season was in 1970, when Roy hit .292 with 22 HRS and 94 RBIs. He played in 3 World Series for the Yankees (1976-78) hitting .244. After leaving the Yankees in 1979, Roy played with the Tokyo Giants before retiring as a active player.
1963 - Former Yankees C/DH/INF Jim Leyritz (1990-96, 1999-2000) was born. Jim was signed by the Yankees as an MLB amateur free agent in 1985. With the arrival of C Joe Gairdi, Jim became expendable. On December 5, 1996, Jim was traded by the Yankees to the Angels for players to be named later. The Angels sent minor league players Jeremy Blevins and Ryan Kane on December 9, 1996 to the Yankees to complete the trade. On July 31, 1999, Jim was traded by the Padres to the Yankees for Geraldo Padua (minors). Jim only batted .213 in the post season, but that included 8 HRs with 20 RBIs. On June 20, 2000, Jim was traded by the Yankees to the Dodgers for INF Jose Vizcaino and cash.
1984 - Free agent starter Ed Whitson, who went 14-8 for the NL champion Padres, begins a nightmarish association with the Yankees by signing a 5-year, $4.4 million contract. By the middle of his 2nd year with the club, Whitson gets so rattled in Yankee Stadium that manager Lou Piniella will refused to use him in home games. He can only pitch for the team on the road. His Yankee pitching record will be 15-10 in 44 games. The Yankees shipped him back to the Padres, on July 9,1986, for P Tim Stoddard, where he will have 4 solid seasons.
1989 - The Yankees signed free agent INF Jim Walewander, he will spend the 1990 season at Columbus (AAA).
2001 - After 21 years being heard on WABC-AM radio, the Yankees will broadcast its spring training, regular-season and postseason games on all-news station WCBS-AM, which is owned by Infinity Broadcasting. The 5-year deal with the Yankees' YES Network, created earlier this year, is worth approximately about $50 million.
(As always I'd like to thank Fw57Clipper51 for his great contribution.)
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