Sunday, September 6, 2009

This Week in Yankees History (9/6-9/12)

This Week in Yankees History

September 6th - September 12th


September 6th

1912 - Former Yankees minor league OF Vince DiMaggio was born (1912-1986). Vince was the older brother of MLB stars Joe and Dom DiMaggio. Vince originally came up with the Braves in 1937. He had played in the minors with the San Francisco Seals (PCL). He was traded to the Yankees, Joe's team, in February of 1939, but never played in a MLB game for the team. Most of the 1939 season was spent in the minors, where he showed substantial power for the Kansas City Blues. He cranked out 46 HRs, the 2nd-highest total to that point by a right-handed hitter in the American Association, leading the AA by 13 over Phil Weintraub. As the top power threat on the most successful AA team ever (judging by total wins), Vince also led the league with 136 RBIs, 2 more than Ab Wright. He was traded to the Reds by the Yankees in August of 1939, he played 8 games for the Reds, hitting just .071.

1921 - Former Yankees 1B Jack “Stretch” Phillips (1947-1949) was born. The Yankees signed Jack as a free agent in 1943. He played in 63 games at 1B for the Yankees, before being sold to the Pirates in August of 1949. He was hitting .302 at the time of the trade. He appeared in the 1947 World Series with the Yankees, he had 2 at bats with no hits.

1946 - Former Yankees reserve C Fran Healy (1976-1978.) was born. Fran was obtained from the Royals for P Larry Gura. He was a back-up C for Thurman Munson (1976-78.) He appeared in 74 games, hitting .250, before being released by the Yankees in May of 1978. Also Fran became a close friend to Reggie Jackson. Fran would later, became a broadcaster for the Yankees after retiring as MLB active player.

1954 - The Yankees use a record 10 pinch hitters during a doubleheader against the Red Sox. The Yankees came from behind to capture the opener by the score of 6-5, thanks to a pinch hit HR by Joe Collins, but they dropped the 2nd game by the score of 7-6, after blowing a 6-0 lead.

1961 - Yankees RF Roger Maris hits his HR #54 off of Senators starter Tom Cheney as the Yankees win the game by a score of 8-0. Yankees starter Whitey Ford hurls a 5-hit shutout, striking out 7 Senator batters, while picking up his 23rd victory of the 1961 AL season. Yankees Johnny Blanchard hits 2 HRs, while Bill Skowron and Bob Hale each hit HRs.

1963 - In a lefty pitchers duel at Yankee Stadium, Yankees starter Whitey Ford beats the Tigers Hank Aguirre by a score of 2-1. Ford picks up his 21st victory in a complete game, giving up only 6 hits, 1 run, while striking out 4 Tiger batters. Harry Bright hits a HR in the 5th inning for the Yankees. The Yankees score a run in the 9th inning to win the game.

1964 - At Kansas City, the Yankees edge the A’s by a score of 3-2. Yankees starter Roland Sheldon picks up his 4th win. Newly acquired reliever Pedro Ramos makes his 1st relief appearance for the Yankees. He picks up his 1st save for his new team. Tony Kubek hits a HR for the Yankees.

1973 - The 2 older Alou brothers are sold to NL teams by the Yankees the same day. Felipe was sold to the Expos, while Matty was sent to the Cardinals. Felipe Alou hit .289 in 131 games in 1971, .278 in 120 games in 1972, but faded in 1973. Matty was a major disappointment for the Yankees hitting .296 in 123 games, but he only had 5 HRs and 28 RBI’s.

1977 - The Yankees rebound from a doubleheader loss the night before when they clobber the Indians, by the score of 8-3. The Yankees big hit of the game is Reggie Jackson’s 3-run HR. The victory keeps the Yankees 2 1/2 games ahead of the Red Sox in the AL East.

1978 - The Yankees defeat the Tigers by the score of 8-2 with Yankees starter Ed Figueroa picking up his 15th victory of the 1978 AL season. Mickey Rivers leads the Yankees hitting attack by going 3 for 4 and driving in 3 runs. After the game, the Yankees head up to Boston for an important AL East 4 game division series with the Red Sox at Fenway Park.

1980 - The Yankees defeat the Angels by the score of 7-4 behind the starting pitching of Tommy Underwood with relief help from Ron Guidry and Goose Gossage. Underwood picks up his 12th victory, while Rich Gossage records his 23rd save of the 1980 AL season. The Yankees hitting attack is led by HRs by Oscar Gamble and Bobby Brown.

1981 - Despite having won the 1st-half AL pennant, Yankees Manager Gene Michael is replaced by Bob Lemon, who managed the club in 1978-1979. The Yankees are under .500 in the second half of the 1981 AL season.

1996 - At Yankee Stadium, the Yankees edge the Blue Jays by the score of 4-3 on Cecil Fielder’s 8th inning HR off of Blue Jay reliever Risley. Jimmy Key starts the game for the Yankees, going 6 innings, giving up only 1 run. Yankees reliever Mo Rivera goes 3 innings in relief, picking up the victory.

2002 - At Yankee Stadium, Yankees starter David Wells picks up his 16th victory of the 2002 AL season, pitching a complete game defeating the Tigers by the score of 8-2. 1B Jason Giambi goes 3 for 4 with a HR, 2 RBI’s to lead the Yankees hitting attack.

2004 - The Yankees defeat the Devil Rays, by the score of 7-4 behind starter Orlando “El Duque” Hernandez, who gives up 2 hits, 2 runs with 5 strikeouts in 7 innings. Veteran reliever Paul Quantrill finishes up the game for the Yankees, picking up his 1st save of the 2004 AL season.

2008 - Former Yankees minor league OF Tommy Holmes passed away. A Brooklyn native, OF Tommy Holmes was the son of a boxer and boxed himself as a youngster. Following high school, he played semipro ball until he was signed by Yankees scout Paul Krichell in 1937. Holmes began his pro career in 1937 with the Norfolk Tars, hitting .320 with 25 HRs with 111 RBIs. The next summer, he hit .368 with the Binghamton Triplets to win the Eastern League batting crown. He then spent the next 3 seasons with the Newark Bears (AAA), hitting over .300 each year, but found his path to the MLB blocked by a talent-laden Yankees outfield that included Joe DiMaggio, Tommy Henrich, Charlie Keller, and George Selkirk. Following the 1941 MLB season, Holmes was traded to the Braves for 1B Buddy Hassett and OF Gene Moore. He soon became a regular in the outfield and spent the next decade playing for the Braves.

September 7th

1889 - Former Yankees OF William “Bill” Holden (1913-1914) was born. Bill hit .242 in 68 games for the Yankees, before moving on to the Reds in 1914.

1894 - Former Yankees reserve OF Joseph “Shags” Horan (1924) was born. Joe hit .290 in 22 games for the Yankees in 1924.

1908 - On Labor Day, Senators Manager Joe Cantillon starts “the Big Train” in place of one pitcher who is sick, and another who returned to Washington, D.C. to be with his sick wife. Only 3 Senators' pitchers made the trip to New York City. Walter Johnson shuts out the Highlanders for the 3rd time in 4 days, by the score of 4-0, topping Jack Chesbro and allowing just 2-hits and no walks. In the 3 games, Walter allows 12 hits, walks one, and strikes out 12 batters. Johnson will pitch 130 shutouts during his HOF MLB career, 23 more than runner-up HOF P Grover Alexander. This is one of a record (topped in 1972) 7 shutouts tossed today, out of 16 games.

1925 - After apologizing to his Yankee teammates yesterday, slugger Babe Ruth makes his 1st appearance in a week, collecting 1 hit in a 5-1 loss to the Red Sox.

1926 - The Red Sox lose their 17th game in a row, losing by the score of 4- 2 to the Yankees.

1927 - After blasting 3 HRs in a doubleheader split with the Red Sox the day before, Babe Ruth hits 2 more HRs in a 12-10 win, giving him a record-tying 5 HRs in 3 games. He leads his Yankees teammate Lou Gehrig with 49 HRs to 45 HRs.

1928 - The stumbling Yankees drop a pair to the Senators, losing by scores of 11-0 and 6-1. Nats starter Bump Hadley tosses the shutout and adds 3 singles. Fred Marberry wins the 2nd game over Waite Hoyt, for his 2nd win over the Yankees in 5 days. Yankees, which led the AL by 13 1/2 games on July 1st, are now tied with the A's.

1931 - In the morning game of a doubleheader in Philadelphia, the Yankees begin with 8 walks and score 8 times in the 1st inning on only 2 hits. Rommel, the 4th A’s hurler in the frame, retires Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, and Ben Chapman on strikes. The Yankees win the game by a score of 15-3. In the 2nd game, Ruth and Gehrig bang 6th-inning HRs off of former Yankees starter Waite Hoyt. Yankee slugger Babe Ruth adds another Hoyt HR blow in the 9th inning, his 40th HR. The Yankees roll to a 9-4 victory over the 1st place A's.

1932 - Yankees OF Babe Ruth is hospitalized with pains in his side. The Yankees slugger will be out of action for 5 days.

1934 - Yankees 1B Lou Gehrig and the A’s OF Jimmie Foxx, heirs to Babe Ruth's AL HR championship role, are in battle for the AL HR title. Lou Gehrig hits his 44th HR in Chicago, while Jimmy Foxx hits his 41st HR in Detroit.

1952 - At Griffith Stadium in Washington, D.C., Johnny Mize pinch-hits a grand slam HR giving the Yankees, a 5-1 victory over the Senators. Johnny Mize has now HR in all 15 MLB ballparks presently in use (Sportsman Park in St. Louis is used by both the Cardinals and Browns).

1955 - Whitey Ford continues his mastery with his 2nd consecutive 1-hitter by beating the A's by the score of 2-1. Jim Finigan hits a 2-out single in the 7th inning for the A' s only hit. Whitey Ford is the 5th MLB pitcher to throw consecutive 1-hitters.

1961 - Yankees RF Roger Maris lays down a bunt and also belts his 55th HR of the year in the 3rd inning as Yankees beats the Senators, by the score of 7-3. All of Washington's scores come in the 6th inning on an inside-the-park HR by Tito Francona, off of starter Ralph Terry. When asked by sports writers after the game why he bunted, a testy Maris replies, "Trying to win the game, you stupid cocksucker. Why do you think?”

1963 - With a 3 game lead, the Yankees purchased some pennant insurance by acquiring veteran righty hurler Hal “Skinny” Brown from the Orioles. Hal would go 0-1 in 2 games for the Yankees. In April of 1963, the Yankees will sell him to the Houston Colt 45s.

1969 - Former Yankees OF/DH Darren Bragg (2001) was born. On June 12,2001, Darren was selected off waivers by the Yankees from the Mets. He appeared in only 5 games with the Yankees, hitting .250.

1972 - Tommy Harper and Rico Petrocelli club 3-run HRs to lead the Red Sox to a 10-4 win over the Yankees and move into 1st place in the AL East ahead of the Tigers. Red Sox hurler Sonny Siebert adds a HR, as he wins his 12th game of the 1972 AL season.

1974 - In a game with the Tigers, Graig Nettles loses a single, when it is discovered he is using a corked bat. The Yankees win 1-0 on Nettles' earlier HR in the game. He had used a different bat for the HR.

1976 - The Yankees beat Red Sox by the score of 4-2 as Yankees starter Dock Ellis picks up his 15th victory of the 1976 AL season with Richard Tidrow gets his 8th save. Oscar Gamble’s 2-run HR is the difference in the game, as Yaz and Fisk each hit solo HR’s for the Red Sox off of Yankees starter Dock Ellis.

1977 - The Yankees edge the Indians in Cleveland by the score of 4-3 in 10th inning. Yankees starter Ron Guidry pitches 10 innings, giving up 3 runs, 10 hits, 4 walks, with 5 strikeouts, while picking up his 13 victory of the 1977 AL season.

1978 - The Yankees 4 games behind the Red Sox in the AL East arrive in Boston for a crucial 4-game series. The Yankees begin the "Boston Massacre" with a 15-3 rout as 2B Willie Randolph drives in 5 of the 15 runs. The Yankees collect 21 hits off 4 Sox pitchers, including 3 hits apiece by Willie Randolph, Thurman Munson and Roy White. Former Yankees, now Red Sox starter Mike Torrez, with 1 inning of work, takes the loss. Ken Clay, in relief of Yankee starter Catfish Hunter, is the winner.

1982 - Yankees Blogger Greg Cohen was born. :)

1985 - Dave Winfield steals home with the winning run in the Yankees 3-2 win over the A's. Following a pitchout in the 7th inning, Winfield gets hung up in a rundown, but he escapes to score.

1996 - Former Yankees reserve INF Willy Miranda (1953-54) passes away (1926-1996). Willy was the classic good fielder, no-hit infielder. Willy was purchased by the Yankees from the Browns in 1953. He appeared in 140 games for the Yankees, hitting .237. He was traded to the Orioles in the big 17-man trade after the 1954 AL season was over.

2001 - Yankees beat the Red Sox by a score of 3-2 as starter Orlando Hernandez goes 7 innings for his 2nd win, as closer Mo Rivera picks up save #45 of the 2001 AL season. Red Sox starter Pedro Martinez goes only 3 innings in his start for the Red Sox.

2002 - The Tigers defeat the Yankees by the score of 2-1. The Tigers rookie 1B Eric Munson hits a HR in his 1st MLB at bat.

2004 - At Kansas City, the Yankees score 7 runs in the 9th inning to beat the Royals by the score of 7-3. Yankees starter Danny Neagle picks up his 6th victory, going 8 innings as the Yankees closer Mo Rivera picks up his 33rd save of the 2004 AL season. David Justice leads the Yankee hitting attack in the 9th inning with a 2-run HR.

2004 - Former Yankees relief P Hal Reniff (1961-1966) passes away (1938-2004). Hal was signed as an MLB amateur free agent in 1956 by the Yankees. He went 18-20 in 247 games with 41 saves. His Yankees best season was in 1963, when Hal had 18 saves for the team. Hal appeared in the 1962-1963 World Series with the Yankees with no record. In June of 1967, Hal was purchased by the Mets. Hal went 3-3 and with 4 saves in 1967. He pitched in the minors for the Yankees AAA team in Syracuse until 1972 before retiring from baseball.

September 8th

1916 - In front the smallest crowd in AL history, A's C/OF Wally Schang, with 23 fans attending the game, becomes the 1st switch-hitter in MLB history to HR from both sides of the plate in the same game against the Yankees.

1917 - The Yankees trade shutouts with the Senators, winning 2-0 before losing, 5-0. Doc Ayers wins the nightcap, his 2nd shut out in a row over the Yankees and the 3rd time he's beaten them in 8 days. Nick Cullop takes the loss for New York. In the opening game, Yankees pitcher Ray Caldwell fires his only shut out of the 1917 AL season.

1919 - Red Sox slugger Babe Ruth hits HR #26 off of Yankees P Jack Quinn in New York, breaking Buck Freeman's 1899 MLB HR mark of 25.

1920 - On their way to Cleveland, the Yankees play an exhibition game against the Pirates and suffer injuries to starters, Muddy Ruel (split finger) and Ping Bodie (sprained ankle). With starter Carl Mays skipping the Indians series to avoid any scenes, The Yankees are short handed. Earlier in the 1920 AL season, Carl Mays had beaned Indians shortstop Ray Chapman in the head at the Polo Grounds, who would later die from his head injury the next day.

1922 - The Yankees go back on top of the AL, this time to stay beating the Senators, by a score of 8-1, behind starter Carl Mays, while the Browns lose to the Tigers by the score of 8-3. The Yankee win is triggered by Wally Pipp's 6th inning 3-run HR off of Nats starter Walter Johnson, the 2nd HR Wally has dinged off the Senator's ace in 9-days.

1925 - In the nightcap of a doubleheader at Fenway Park, Babe Ruth hits his 300th MLB career HR off of southpaw Buster Ross as the Yankees defeat the Red Sox by the score of 7-4.

1928 - Behind Babe Ruth's 3-run HR, the Yankees take the Senators by the score of 6-3, but it is not enough as the Yankees drop to 2nd place in AL.

1932 - The Yankees and Tigers replay protested August 1st game as the nightcap of a doubleheader, but end in a 7-7 tie. After the game, Babe Ruth experiences abdominal pains he believes are an appendicitis attack. He will be out of the Yankees starting lineup indefinitely. Yankees reserve OF Sammy Byrd, subbing for Babe Ruth in the opener, collects 5 hits for the Yankees including 2-HRs in a 5-4 win.

1937 - Trailing the Red Sox by the score of 6-1 in the 9th inning, the Yankees rally for 8 runs with 2 outs and down the Sox by the score of 9-6, in a 2nd game of a doubleheader. The rally started when Don Heffner tripled home 2 runs. PH Billy Dickey doubled Don Heffner home; Jack Saltzgaver (pinch running for Dickey) came home, when Red Sox shortstop Joe Cronin bobbled Frank Crosetti’s ground ball. Red Rolfe walked, and then Joe DiMaggio singled home Crosetti to kayo P Jack Wilson. Reliever Al Thomas threw 1-pitch to Lou Gehrig and watched it sail over the wall for a game-winning HR. In the 1st game, Myril Hoag’s 9th inning single scored the winning run in a 3-2 Yankees victory.

1939 - In another wild adventure with Boston, the Yankees take 4-1 lead into 7th inning, and they are declared the winners, when a terrible thunderstorm causes the umpires to declare the field unsafe. Contemporary sources said the lightning show was the best they’d ever seen.

1951 - At the 1951 Old Timer's Day at Yankee Stadium, former long time Yankees Manager Joe McCarthy (1931-1946) is honored. With the game scoreless in the 7th inning, Mickey Mantle belts a Bob Porterfield pitch into the last row of the RF bleachers, some 460 feet away to break the scoreless tie. Bob Porterfield had started the 1951 season with the Yankees, but was traded to the Senators. Yankees starter Ed Lopat shuts out the Senators for a 4-0 win.

1952 - Former Yankees P Larry McCall (1977-78) was born. Larry went 1-2 in 7 games for the Yankees before being traded to the Rangers.

1961 - The Yankees rout the Indians by a score of 9-1 as Mickey Mantle hits HR #52, off of Gary Bell. The Yankees win for their 9th straight game, while the Tigers lose their 8th game in a row to drop 10 games in back in the AL race. The Tigers purchased veteran 1B Vic Wertz from the Red Sox to shore up their offense.

1963 - Former Yankees INF William “Bill” Knickerbocker (1938-1940) passed away. (1911 - 1963). On February 15, 1938, Bill was traded by the Browns to the Yankees for reserve INF Don “Jeep” Heffner and $10,000. Bill appeared in 97 games, hitting .222 as a reserve INF for the Yankees. On December 31, 1940, Bill was traded by the Yankees to the White Sox for reserve C Ken Silvestri.

1973 - Light hitting reserve INF Fred “Chicken” Stanley hits the final grand slam HR in Old Yankee Stadium. A left field foul pole shot off of Brewers hurler Kevin Kobel during a 15-1 Yankees win.

1977 - Yankees 1B Chris Chambliss’ 5th inning sacrifice fly provides the margin of victory as the Yankees edge the Indians by the score of 4-3 behind starter Ed Figueroa. The victory opened a 3 1/2 game lead over the Red Sox in the AL East

1978 - Yankees continues its rampage of the Red Sox by scoring 2 runs in the 1st inning and 6 more in the 2nd inning. Boston makes 7 errors to ease the Yankees to a 13-2 romp. Reggie Jackson hits a 3-run HR and Lou Piniella adds a double, triple and HR to back Jim Beattie's pitching. Dwight Evans and Carlton Fisk both make a pair of errors. Yankees are now 2 games in back of the Red Sox in AL East.

1979 - Yankees 3B Greg Nettles hits an 8th inning HR to help the Yankees and starter Ron Guidry beat the Tigers by a score of 5-4. It is Guidry's 10th straight win of the 1979 AL season.

1983 - Yankees OF Steve Kemp will miss the rest of the 1983 AL season with a fractured cheekbone after being struck in the face by an Omar Moreno line drive during batting practice at County Stadium in Milwaukee. Kemp hit just .242 with 12 HRs and 49 RBI in the 1st year of his 5-year, $5.45 million contract. Yankees win the game, beating the Brewers by a score of 6-5.

1984 - The Yankees break a 4-4 tie with 2 runs in the 6th inning to roll over the Red Sox by the score of 12-6. Yankees 3B Toby Harrah paces the 15-hit attack with 4 hits, and Dave Winfield with one of the game's 12 doubles to extends his hitting streak to 20 games, which is and will be an MLB career high for him. Joe Cowley is the winner for the Yankees.

1992 - Yankees OF Danny Tartabull goes 5 for 5 with 2-HRs and a double, and drives in 9 runs as the Bronx Bombers defeat the Orioles by the score of 16-4. Scott Sanderson is the winner for the Yankees.

2000 - The Yankees defeat the Red Sox, by the score of 4-0, behind Roger Clemens. A scary moment occurs in the 9th inning when Red Sox hurler Bryce Florie is hit in the face with a line drive off the bat off of Yankees reserve OF Ryan Thompson. The Red Sox hurler never loses consciousness and leaves the field with blood streaming down his face. Florie suffers a fractured cheekbone and a fracture of the orbital socket, the bone that surrounds the eye, and retinal damage. He will undergo surgery.

2007 - Yankees 3B Alex Rodríguez continues to lead the Yankees in their 2007 AL playoff hopes. He homers twice off of hurler Brian Bannister. The 1st of the HRs is his 49th of the season and breaks the record for HRs by a 3rd baseman. Previously the Phillies Mike Schmidt with 48 HRs in 1980 and Rodriguez in 2005 had shared the record. The Yankees win, by the score of 11-5. Rodriguez had already held the single-season record for shortstops, giving him the high-water mark at 2 positions.

September 9th

1877 - Former Yankees 1B and Manager (1913-1914) Frank Chance (1913-1914) was born. On December 11, 1912, Frank was selected off waivers by the Highlanders from the Reds. He appeared in 13 games for the Yankees as player-manager, hitting just .208. He went 57-94 in 1913 for a 7th place finish. In 1914, Frank went 70-84 for a 6th place tie with the White Sox and was dismissed by the team owners.

1880 - Former Yankees P Ambrose Puttman (1903-1905) was born. In September of 1903, he was drafted by the Yankees from Helena (PCL) in the 1903 MLB Rule 5 Player draft. Ambrose appeared in 29 games for the Yankees, posting a 6-7 record. During the month of April of 1906, Ambrose was purchased by the Cardinals from the Yankees.

1895 - Former Yankees PH Daniel “Dashing Dan” Costello (1913) was born. Dan was signed as a free agent with the Yankees in 1913.He only appeared in 2 games for the Yankees, hitting .500. In January of 1914, Dan was selected off waivers by the Pirates from the Yankees.

1899 - Former HOF Yankees P Waite “School Boy” Hoyt (1921-1930) was born. (1899-1984). He was with the Yankees from 1921-1930, winning 157 games. His best Yankees season was in 1927, when he went 22-7, being the only 20 game winners on the 1927 World Championship team. He would appear in 5 World Series going 6-1 with the Yankees. After retiring as active MLB player, Hoyt would become a long time HOF broadcaster for the Reds.

1916 - Yankees released shortstop Rube Oldring (1905, 1916). Rube had played for the Yankees in 1905 appearing in 8 games, hitting .300. He joined the A’s the next year playing for them, until July of 1916. On July 13, 1916, Rube signed as a free agent with the Yankees. He appeared in 43 games for the Yankees, hitting .234.

1928 - A total of 85,265 fans jam Yankee Stadium to watch the Yankees sweep 2 games from the A's by the scores of 3-0 and 7-3, to move back into 1st place to stay. George Pipgras is the winner in the 1st game while the Yankee star of the nightcap is Bob Meusel, who takes an Ed Rommel knuckleball pitch out of the park for a Grand Slam HR in the 8th inning. Waite Hoyt was the winner for the Yankees.

1928 - At the age of 38, veteran Yankees Pitcher Urban Shocker dies of pneumonia in Denver, Co, where he had gone for his health. Only now does it become known that he had suffered from an enlarged heart and was unable to sleep lying down for 2 years. Shocker, who never had a losing season on his MLB career, was 18-6 in 1927, but appeared in only 1 game for the Yankees in 1928.

1931 - To raise funds to help the unemployed in the Depression, the Yankees, Giants, and Robins (aka the Dodgers) agree to a series of benefit games. 60,000 fans, paying regular prices, raise $59,000 in the 1st match-up, as Babe Ruth HRs and the Yankees beat the Giants by the score of 7-2.

1932 - The Tigers beat the Yankees by the score of 14-13 in a 14-inning game in which Lou Gehrig hits a grand slam HR and drives in 8-runs. He has reached this RBI feat twice before. Frankie Crosetti strikes out 4 times in the game, including twice in one inning. The Tigers also tops the Yankees, by the score of 4-1, in 5 innings to finally complete the protested game of August 1st, and the tie of yesterday. The Yankees score their lone run in the 3rd inning off of Buck Marrow with their only 2 hits of the game.

1936 - With a doubleheader sweep over the Indians, the Yankees clinch their 8th AL pennant. The Bronx Bombers will finish the 1936 AL season 19.5 games ahead of the 2nd place Tigers.

1938 - Lou Gehrig plays his 2,100th consecutive MLB game and has 4 hits to bring his batting average over .300.

1938 - Former Yankees minor league OF and MLB Coach (1987) Jay Ward was born. Jay was signed by the Yankees as an amateur MLB free agent in 1956. He never played for the Yankees at the MLB level. On December 2, 1958, Jay was drafted by the A’s from the Yankees in the 1958 minor league player draft. He was a MLB coach for the Yankees in 1987 for manager Lou Piniella. Recently he has been a manager in minors.

1951 - The Yankees hit 5 HRS, 4 off the Nats' hurler Richard Starr to win the game, by a score of 7-5. Mickey Mantle's leadoff HR on the 1st pitch, which starts the scoring, slams against the bottom of the flag holder on the top of the RF stands. Yankees starter Vic Raschi, then wins the nightcap by the score of 2-0, in a game called after the 6th inning because of "darkness." Though Yankee Stadium has lights, unlike the NL, these cannot be used on Sunday. The Yankees (88-49) remain virtually tied with the Indians (88-51).

1952 - Former Yankees OF Jerry Mumphrey (1981-1983) was born. On March 31, 1981, Jerry was traded by the Padres along with P John Pacella to the Yankees for OF Ruppert Jones, OF Joe Lefebvre, hurlers Tim Lollar and Chris Welsh. Jerry appeared in 286 games for the Yankees hitting .293. On August 10, 1983, Jerry was traded by the Yankees to the Astros for OF Omar Moreno.

1953 - Mickey Mantle's 2-run HR off of White Sox veteran starter Billy Pierce caps a 7-run 5th inning, as the Yankees win by the score of 9-3 at Yankee Stadium. Returning to CF after the 5th inning, Mantle is photographed blowing a huge bubble with a wad of gum. Yankees Manager Casey Stengel will publicly rebuke the Mick, who will apologize for the indiscretion. However, Mantle does get an endorsement fee from the Bowman Gum Company.

1961 - Former Yankees minor league P Jim Corsi was born. He was drafted by the Yankees in the 25th round of the 1982 MLB amateur player draft. He never appeared in a MLB game for the Yankees. On April 3, 1984, he was released by the Yankees.

1961 - Former Yankees shortstop Rube Oldring (1905, 1916) passed away.

1961 - On “Whitey Ford Day” at Yankee Stadium, Roger Maris hits his 56th HR, off of Indians' Jim “Mudcat” Grant, as the Yankees come from behind to win the game, by a score of 8-7. Yankees score 4 runs in the 9th inning to enable closer Luis Arroyo to pick up his 12th relief win in a row.

1962 - Red Sox OF Lou Clinton makes 4 stellar grabs in the outfield and adds a HR, triple and single as the Red Sox trip the Yankees by the score of 9-3 in 16 innings at Yankee Stadium. Richard “The Monster” Radatz takes over for Red Sox starter Hal Kolstad and pitches 9 innings of relief before leaving in the 16th inning for a pinch hitter.

1965 - Former Yankees DH/INF Todd Zeile (2003) was born. Todd hit .210 in 66 games before being released by the Yankees.

1970 - Former Yankees P Dan Micelli (2003) was born. On June 25, 2003, Dan was sent to the Yankees by the Indians, as part of a conditional deal. Dan went 0-0 in 7 games with 1 save for the Yankees, before being sent to the Astros.

1970 - Yankees placed veteran reliever Steve Hamilton (1963-1970) on waivers. He is claimed by the White Sox. Steve joined the Yankees in 1963, coming from the Senators for Yankees P Jim Coates. He went 34-20 as a Yankees reliever.

1974 - At Fenway Park, the Yankees beat the Red Sox by the score of 6-3, for their 1st win in Boston since July 31, 1973. The Yankees have won 2 of 24 games at Fenway Park since 1972.

1977 - Yankees starter Mike Torrez notches a 3-hitter, 2-0 victory over the Blue Jays. Cliff Johnson hits a HR for the Yankees, who maintain a 3 game lead over the Red Sox in the AL East.

1978 - Yankees starter Ron Guidry (21-2) gives up 2 singles in the 1st inning and that's it. The Yankees send 12 runners to the plate and score 7 runs in the 4th inning to win the game by a score of 7-0 against starter Dennis Eckersley cutting the Red Sox lead to a single game. For Ron Guidry, it is his 7th shutout of the 1978 AL season, and the 1st lefty shutout in Fenway Park since 1974 (Ken Holtzman of the A’s, August 5th). With the Brewers' victory over the Twins, the Brewers trail by just 4 1/2 games.

1990 - The A’s beat the Yankees by the score of 7-3 to complete a 12-game sweep of the Yankees this year. The season sweep is a 1st for the Yankees.

1997 - The Red Sox lose to the Yankees by the score of 8-6, despite 2 RBIs for Nomar Garciaparra. The RBI’s give Garciaparra a total of 87 on the season, which is a new MLB-record for a leadoff man. Former AL batting champion Harvey Kuenn held the old AL mark with 85 in 1956 with the Tigers.

1998 - With the Yankees defeating the Red Sox by a score of 7-5, the Yankees move 20.5 games ahead of 2nd-place Red Sox and clinch the AL East title. It is the earliest date in AL history in which a division title has been captured.

1999 - Yankees HOF P James “Catfish” Hunter (1975-1975) passes away (1946-1999). Jim was signed by the Yankees as a MLB free agent in 1974. His best Yankees season was in 1975, going 23-14 with 30 complete games and 7 shutouts. From 1975-1979, Jim went 63-33 as a Yankees pitcher. He was elected to the Baseball Hall Of Fame in 1987.

September 10th

1880 - Former Yankees INF/OF Harry Niles (1908) was born. On November 5, 1907, Harry was traded by the Browns along with Fred Glade and Charlie Hemphill to the Highlanders for Hobe Ferris, Danny Hoffman and Jimmy Williams. Harry appeared in 96 games, hitting .249 for the Yankees. On August 17, 1908, Harry was traded by the Highlanders to the Red Sox for Frank LaPorte.

1910 - Former Yankees minor OF and MLB Manager Eddie Sawyer was born. Eddie Sawyer was discovered by Yankees scout Paul Krichell. He hit .361 for the Norfolk Tars in 1934, 3rd in the Piedmont League. The next season, Sawyer hit .314 for Norfolk and .325 for the Binghamton Triplets. In 1936 he batted .313 for the Triplets and drove in 98 runs, 8th-most in the New York-Penn League. After starting the '37 season at .345 for Binghamton, he went up to the Oakland Oaks and hit .284 there. Injuring his shoulder, Sawyer returned to Binghamton to bat .299/~.330/.395 as an outfielder there in 1938. He became a player-manager for the Amsterdam Rugmakers in 1939. He only struck out 7 times in 458 AB, led the Canadian-American League with 103 RBI and batted .363. His team won the title. The next year, Sawyer hit .329 with 99 RBI in 120 games. Returning to old stomping grounds, Eddie hit .277 for Norfolk as player-manager in 1941 and hit .267 and .280 the next two years in the same role with Binghamton to finish his playing career. Moving from the Yankees farm system, where he had been since 1939, he was hired by the Phillies in 1944 to manage the Utica Blue Sox. In 1948, he became the Phillies MLB manager. In 1950, he would lead the Phillies to NL championship defeating the Dodgers, facing his old team in the World Series, the Yankees losing 4 straight games. He managed the Phillies during the 1950’s, returning to the team in 1960, before quitting and being replaced by Gene Mauch after 1 game.

1919 - The Indians P Ray "Slim" Caldwell struck by lightning 2 weeks earlier, no-hits his former Yankees teammates by the score of 3-0 at the Polo Grounds.

1921 - Catcher Wally Schang has 5 of the Yankees' 21 hits as the Bronx Bombers wallop the A's by the score of 19-3. A MLB record-tying 5 Yankees collect 2 hits in the 9th inning: Schang, Mays, Miller, Peckinpaugh, and Ruth. Babe Ruth's 2nd hit, a single, hits Peck for the 3rd out. Yankees starter Carl Mays gives up 13 hits to the A’s in winning his 16th straight game over them.

1922 - The Yankees play their farewell home game in the Polo Grounds. An estimated crowd of 40,000 fans overflow the stadium. Another 25,000 fans turned away. Joe Bush beats the A's, by the score of 10-3 in the opener, while Waite Hoyt edges the A's in the 2nd game, by the score of 2-1. Plans are in the works to expand the ballpark to a 56,000 seat capacity, but this is the last regular season AL game at the Polo Grounds. The Yankees will play their next 18 games on the road, and then open in Yankee Stadium in April of 1923.

1925 - Yankee sluggers Bob Meusel, Babe Ruth, and Lou Gehrig hit successive HRs in the 4th inning of Game 1 versus the A's, all off of P Sammy Gray, as the Yankees win by the score of 7-3. Then Babe Ruth and Ben Paschal hit back-to-back HRs in the 4th inning in game 2, but the Yankees still lose the game to the A’s by the score of 5-4.

1934 - Former All Star and AL MVP OF Roger Maris (1960-1966) was born (1934-1985). Roger was originally signed by the Indians, and then he was traded to the A’s in 1958. Then he was obtained by the Yankees in December of 1959 in a trade with the A’s. The Yankees sent OF Norm Seibern, P Don Larsen, 1B/OFMarv Throneberry and OF Hank Bauer for OF Roger Maris, reserve INF Joe DeMastri and 1B Kent Hadley. In 1960-1961, he won the AL MVP Award, as well establishing a new HR record for AL in 1961 with 61 HRs. Roger would appear with the Yankees in 5 World Series from 1960-1964. He was traded to the Cardinals in winter of 1966 for 3B Charley Smith. Roger would appear in the 1967-1968 World Series with the Cardinals, before retiring as a MLB player. The Yankees retired his No. 9 uniform number. Roger passed away in 1985 from cancer.

1939 - In the 1st game of a doubleheader with Cleveland, Indians starter Ray Caldwell no-hits the Yankees, winning by the game by score of 3-0.

1950 - Joe DiMaggio becomes the 1st player to hit 3 HRs in one game at spacious Griffith Stadium in Washington, D.C., as the Yankees beat the Senators by the score of 8-1. Also Joe adds an RBI double, to pass the 100-RBI mark for the 9th time in his MLB career. The Senators lead the 2nd game by the score of 6-2, when rainwashes it out in the 4th inning. Yankees are now a half-game in back of the leaders with the Red Sox a half game behind the Yankees.

1955 - Yankees OF Hank Bauer, pressed into emergency service as a catcher, permits a passed ball, setting up the winning run in a 9-8 loss to the White Sox. It would be the only time that Hank Bauer appeared behind the plate for the Yankees.

1957 - Yankees obtained reserve OF Bobby Del Greco (1957-58) from the Cubs for the waiver price. Bobby would hit .429 for the remainder of the 1957 AL season. He hit .200 in only 12 games in 1958 for the Yankees. On April 13,1959, Bobby was purchased by the Phillies from the Yankees.

1958 - At Cleveland, 50,021 fans turn out for "Back the Indians" night. It is Cleveland's largest crowd since the 1955 AL season, but the Yankees dampen the Indian fans enthusiasm with an 8-3 victory over the Tribe.

1959 - Yankees All Star CF Mickey Mantle goes 5-for-6, including a HR in a 12-1 romp over the A’s.

1960 - In Detroit, Mickey Mantle unloads a HR cannon shot for 3 runs in the 6th inning, the ball clearing the RF roof and landing in the Brooks Lumber Yard across Trumbull Avenue. Yankees pin a 5-1 loss on Tigers starter Paul Foytack that moves them a half game in 1st place ahead of the Orioles, losers today. In June of 1985, Mantle's HR was retroactively measured at 643 feet, and will be listed in The Guinness Book of World Records at that distance.

1961 - The Yankees sweep the Indians by scores of 7-6 and 9-3, their 12th win in a row at home and the Indians, their 20th loss in a row at Yankee Stadium. Mickey Mantle gets HR # 53 in the nightcap, while Roger Maris is homer-less, stays at the 56 HR mark. The official scorecard credits Mantle with 2 runs scored: it will be discovered in 1995, that 1 of the 2 runs should go to Bill Skowron. In the 2nd game, Clete Boyer sends a Jim Perry pitch into the LF corner that hits the lower deck of the grand stand and bounces back into play. While home plate Umpire Joe Linsalata calls it a HR, the other 2 umps agree with Tribe CF Jimmy Piersall who contends the ball is in play. Boyer's HR is interrupted at 3B with a tag out. Jimmy Piersall's contribution in Game 1 is fighting with a fan, who had climbed onto the Yankee Stadium playing field.
1962 - Against the Tigers veteran hurler Hank Aguirre, Mickey Mantle clouts a 4th inning HR, the 400th of his MLB career to tie the game at 1-1. The Yankees score 2 runs in the 9th inning off of Hank Aguirre to beat the Tigers by the score of 3-1. The victory, combined with a Twins loss, gives the Yankees a 3 1/2 game lead over the Twins. The surprising Angels are in 3rd place in the AL, just 4 games back.

1963 - Former Yankees P Randy “The Big Unit” Johnson (2005-06) was born. Randy Johnson was traded by the Diamondbacks in 2004 to the Yankees for Hurlers Javier Vazquez and Brad Halsey, minor league C Dioner Navarro, and cash. Randy went 34-19 in 67 games for the Yankees before returning to D-Backs in 2007.

1966 - Yankees obtained P Thad Tillotson and cash from the Dodgers for veteran shortstop Richard “Ducky” Schofield. Thad Tillotson went 4-9 in 2 seasons with the Yankees.

1974 - Former AL batting champion Alex Johnson purchased by the Yankees from the Rangers yesterday, arrives in Boston during the Red Sox-Yankees game. With the score tied 1-1 in the 12th inning, Johnson socks a pinch-HR to win it for the Yankees by the score of 2-1.

1977 - Blue Jays 3B Roy Howell leads the way with 13 total bases (2 home runs, 2 doubles and a single) and 9 RBIs as the Blue Jays rout the Yankees by the score of 19-3. Yankees starter Jim “Catfish” Hunter takes the loss to finish the 1977 AL season at 9-9. He will not pitch again for the Yankees until the 1977 World Series against the Dodgers.

1978 - The Red Sox throw 22-year-old rookie hurler Bobby Sprague at the Yankees and the lefty last just two-thirds of an inning walking 3 and allowing 1 hit. The Yankees take the lead and top the Red Sox by the score of 7-4 behind the pitching of starter Ed Figueroa and closer Rich Gossage. The Red Sox collects just 5 hits, including Fred Lynn's 21st HR. The Yankees out-hit the Red Sox 67-21, and outscore them 42-9, in a sweep that leaves the teams in a tie for 1st place in the AL East, and caps a remarkable march to the top from 4th place, 14 games out.

1978 - Former Yankees reserve INF Nick Green (2006) was born. Nick hit .240 in 46 games as a back-up INF for the Yankees in 2006. He is currently playing shortstop for the Red Sox.

1999 - The Red Sox trip the Yankees by the score of 3-1, as Pedro Martinez hurls an impressive 1-hitter for his 21st victory of the 1999 AL season. Martinez strikes out 17 Yankee batters, the most Yankees ever fanned in a single game. DH Chili Davis' 2nd inning HR is NY's only score. Chuck Knoblauch leading off the game gave the Yankees their only other base runner; he was caught stealing, so Martinez faces just 1 over the minimum of 27 batters.

September 11th

1905 - The Highlanders sell workhorse P Jack Powell (8-13) to the Browns. Powell won 23 games in 1904, pitching 390 1/3 innings.

1912 - In St. Louis, Browns starter Jack Powell leaves after 7 innings, losing 3-0 to his former teammates, the Highlanders. Reliever George Baumgartner gives up 2 more runs in the 8th inning, but the Browns score 4 runs in the bottom of the 8th inning to cut the losing margin to 5-4. The New York Times reports the loss to Baumgartner, who pitched poorly.

1923 - After Yankees leadoff hitter Whitey Witt reaches 1st base on a controversial infield hit that is ruled a single. Red Sox P Howard Ehmke retires the next 27 batters for a 3-0 win, his 20th of the 1923 AL season. The Yankees crowd exhorts the scorer Fred Lieb to reverse his call on the hard grounder that 3B Howard Shanks booted, but the 1 hit stood. Ehmke has now given up just 1 hit in his last 2 games.

1926 - Bob Meusel ties a MLB record for sacrifice flies in 1 game, when he hits 3 during a 6-4 win at Cleveland. In the same game, Yankees Shortstop Mark Koenig handles 16 chances without an error, 1 short of the record set by the Browns shortstop Bob Wallace in 1902.

1927 - After losing 21 straight games in a row to the Yankees, the Browns win their last meeting of the 1927 AL season, winning by the score of 6-2 behind Milt Gaston's 5-hitter. No team has ever swept a 22-game season series. One NL team, the 1909 Cubs, went 21-1 against the Braves.

1928 - In the Yankees 5-3 win at the Stadium, veteran Ty Cobb makes his last appearance as a MLB batter, popping out against Yankees P Hank Johnson to shortstop Mark Koenig as a pinch hitter in the 9th inning. Babe Ruth's 2 run HR clout, off of A’s starter Lefty Grove in the 8th inning, seals the win for the Yankees. The Yankees seal the fate of the A's with their 4th straight win over the Quakers, leaving them in 2nd place, in the AL, 2 1/2 games back.

1940 - In a doubleheader, the Yankees' 1st-game win at Cleveland puts them in 1st place, the only time they reach that spot. A 2nd game loss to the Tribe drops them out of 1st place.

1950 - The Yankees move back in 1st place with a twin bill win over the Senators by scores of 5-1 and 6-2. Yankee rookies; starter Whitey Ford and OF Jackie Jensen lead the way in the opener as Whitey wins his 6th straight game of the 1950 AL season. Jackie Jensen has 3 hits including his first MLB HR. Yankees starter Eddie Lopat wins his 16th game of the 1950 AL season in the 2nd game.

1955 - Red Sox OF Ted Williams collects his 2000th MLB career hit in a 5-3 loss to the Yankees.

1955 - In a move to shore up their pitching down the stretch, the Yankees buy veteran relief pitcher Gerry Staley from the Reds for the waiver price. He went 0-0 in 3 games (1955-56) before being sent to the White Sox on waivers during the 1956 AL season.

1956 - Yankees Yogi Berra ties the MLB career record for HRs by a catcher in the Yankees' 9-5 victory over the A’s. His 236th HR-- and the Yankees' 177th HR of the 1956 AL season -- tie him with Cubs HOF great Gabby Hartnett.

1958 - Former Yankees C Don “Sluggo” Slaught (1988-89) was born. On November 2, 1987, Don was traded by the Rangers to the Yankees for a player to be named later. The Yankees would send P Brad Arnsberg on November 10, 1987 to the Rangers to complete the trade. Don hit .286 and .261 for the Yankees before being traded to the Pirates for hurlers Jeff Robinson and Willie Smith.

1960 - The Yankees sweep the Indians in a double-header by scores of 5-0 and 3-2. In the 1st game, Yankees starter Ralph Terry throws a complete game, shutout winning by the score of 5-0. Yankees RF Roger Maris hits his 38th HR of the 1960 AL season. Hector Lopez hits a triple and HR. In the 2nd game Mickey Mantle’s HR in the 11th inning giving the Yankees a 3-2 victory. Yankees starter Eli Grba is the winner, while Yankees closer Ryne Duren picks up his 8th save of the 1960 AL season.

1963 - Yankees starter Whitey Ford tops the host the A's by the score of 8-2, as Mickey Mantle's HR in the 1st inning provides all the scoring Whitey needs. Mantle is 3-for-4 at the plate for the Yankees with 4 RBIs.

1966 - John Miller becomes the 1st Yankee to ever hit a HR in his 1st MLB at bat. He contributes 2-runs in a 4-2 defeat of the Red Sox at Fenway Park. It will be Miller's only HR in Yankee pinstripes, but as a Dodger in 1969, he will hit a HR in his last MLB at-bat.

1969 - The Yankees obtained Terry Bongiovanni and undisclosed amount of cash from the Cubs for veteran OF Jimmie Hall.

1978 - Former Yankees reserve INF Mike Gazella (1923-1928) passed away (1895-1978). Mike appeared in 160 games for the Yankees hitting .241 as a backup infielder.

1980 - Yankees P Matt DeSalvo (2007) was born. The Yankees signed him as an undrafted free agent. At the time, DeSalvo was still working on a circle change which would later be cited as his best pitch. The 1st time he had thrown it was in a Division III College World Series game - he hit the batter. He would be the 2nd ABCA Player of the Year from Division III to make the majors, following Eric Owens. DeSalvo began his professional career with the Staten Island Yankees (3-3, 1.84, 52 K in 49 IP) before he was promoted to the Battle Creek Yankees (2-0, 0.82). Had he qualified (he was 12 innings shy), he would have led the New York-Penn League in ERA, beating out Yoann Torrealba's 2.04.Matt started 2004 on an exceptional note, with a 6-3, 1.43 record for the Tampa Yankees. In 75 1/3 IP, he allowed only 48 hits (a .176 average) and fanned 80, walking 30. He move up to the Trenton Thunder and struggled, with a 2-2, 6.59 record. In 2005, DeSalvo was named the Yankees Minor League Pitcher of the Year, beating out top prospect Philip Hughes among others. He was 9-5 with a 3.02 ERA for Trenton, allowing a .202 average and striking out 151 in 149 IP. He finished third in the Eastern League in ERA, trailing Jon Lester and Yusmeiro Petit.

He failed to make the EL All-Star team as Joel Zumaya was selected as the top right-handed starter. DeSalvo had a rough 2006. He was dropped from the 40-man roster due to a personal issue that plagued him all year - it is unknown what it was, but it was known not to involve a woman, substance problems or health. He led Yankee farmhands with 93 walks and was 6-10 with a 6.40 ERA. With Trenton, he was 5-4 with a 5.77 ERA and 59 BB in 78 IP. With the Columbus Clippers, DeSalvo went 1-6 with a 7.68 ERA, walking 34 and allowing a .303 average in 38 2/3 IP. He was 3rd in the affiliated minors in walks. Mark DeSalvo rediscovered the joy of baseball while playing whiffle ball with old friends in the off-season after 2006.

The Yankees waived Matt that year but no one claimed him. DeSalvo went 3-0 with a 1.05 ERA to begin 2007 with the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees, allowing 15 hits in 25 2/3 IP. With the 2007 Yankees struggling for help, he was called up to replace a struggling Kei Igawa. He made his MLB debut by starting a May 7th game against the Mariners and giving up just 3 hits in 7 innings. He went 1-3 with a 5.87 ERA in 6 games before being sent back down to the minors. He helped the Yankees become the 1st team in MLB history to use 10 starters in the 1st 30 games of the 2007 AL season, joining Igawa, Chase Wright, Hughes, Andy Pettitte, Darrell Rasner, Chien-Ming Wang, Mike Mussina, Carl Pavano and Jeff Karstens. DeSalvo's repertoire includes a slider, curveball, splitter, circle change and fastball. Off the field, DeSalvo is known as a bibliophile, with the goal of reading 400 notable books (as of 2007, he was halfway done). DeSalvo, also wrote a book called Love's Travels around 2003-2004, but as of 2007, it had only been seen by Matt and an editor.

1985 - The Brewers beats the Yankees by a score of 4-3 to end the Yankees' winning streak at 11 games. The Yankees, now trail the 1st-place Blue Jays by 2 1/2 games in the AL East.

1988 - The Yankees edge the Tigers, by the score of 5-4 in 18 innings. Steve Shields gets the win in relief. Rickey Henderson ties a 1948 AL record for extra innings with 12 putouts in LF.

1990 - The Yankees beat the Rangers by a score of 5-4 to snap starter Bobby Witt's personal 12-game winning streak. The Yankees score 2 runs in both the 7th and 8th innings to come from behind. Yankees closer Dave Righetti saves his 31st game of the 1990 AL season.

1995 - At Jacobs Field in Cleveland, the Yankees record a rarity in their 4-0 win over the Indians with no assists. Jack McDowell allows 4 hits, walks 4 and strikes out 8 in the 9 innings as the Yankees register the 3rd no-assist game in the AL this century. “Black Jack” retires the side in the 9th inning on 3 pitches. The outfield makes 8 of the 27 putouts. It last happened in the MLB in a Mets-Phillies game on June 25, 1989, the only time in the NL.

2001 - In the wake of terrorist attacks on New York City's World Trade Center, Flight 93 and the Pentagon Building, MLB cancels all games for security reasons and for the deep mourning for all the lives that have been lost. Yankee Stadium is evacuated as a precautionary measure. MLB Games will not resume until Monday September 17.

2002 - At Yankee Stadium in a 50-minute pre-game ceremony. Yankee legends Whitey Ford and Phil Rizzzuto unveil a monument dedicated to the victims of the September 11th terrorist attacks. The team also has a ceremonial tree planting in Monument Park in honor of the heroes and victims of horrific events of a year ago. The Orioles wear 5-sided patches honoring the victims of the attack on the Pentagon. The game goes 11 innings, before Yankees Nick Johnson ends with an RBI single. The Yankees win the game, by the score of 5-4, despite striking out 14 times. Orlando Hernandez issues a walk in the 8th inning, when he goes to his mouth on a 3-2 count while standing on the mound. It was the 1st walk in 6 full games (65 innings) by a Yankees pitcher, the longest steak since WWII, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Yankees reliever Steve Karsay, later hands out another walk.

September 12th

1903 - Red Sox starter Tom Hughes defeats the Highlanders by the score of 10-1, for his 20th win of the 1903 AL season.

1907 - In a 2-0 win against the Yankees at Hilltop Park, Senators starter Walter Johnson strikes out 5 batters, though it'll be recorded as 4 K's. Researcher John Schwartz, in the 1990s, will find the extra K, resulting in Johnson's lifetime total of 3,509. The issue crops up again on Opening Day, 2001, when Roger Clemens ties (or beats) the mark.

1907 - Former Yankees P Spud Chandler (1937-1947) was born. (1907-1990). Spud Chandler pitched for the Yankees from 1937 to 1947, with a MLB pitching career record of 109-43 (.717). His best Yankees season was in 1943, when he went 20-1 (.833) with a 1.64 ERA. He was named to the AL All Star team and was the winner of the AL MVP and ML MVP awards. He appeared in the 1941-1943 and 1947 World Series with the Yankees going 2-2 with 1.62 ERA. At the age of 38 in 1946, he went 20-8 for the Yankees. He retired after the 1947 AL season.

1914 - Yankees Shortstop Roger Peckinpaugh, 23, replaces fired Manager Frank Chance and becomes the all-time youngest manager and the 7th in the club's 12-year existence. He will win 9 of 17 games. He will next manage in the AL with the Indians in 1928.

1916 - Former Yankees OF and MLB Coach Charlie “King Kong” Keller (1939-1949, 1952) was born (1916-1990). Charlie Keller was signed as a MLB amateur free agent by the Yankees in 1937. Charlie came up to the Yankees in 1939, at the age of 22. He hit .334 in 111 games with 11 HRs and 83 RBI’s. Charlie finished his Yankees career with a .285 BA, 184 HRs, 723 RBI’s and 69 Triples. Charlie appeared in 4 World Series for the Yankees (1939, 1941-43) hitting .306. He had a good career despite being troubled by back problems.

1932 - With their 100th victory of the 1932 AL season, the Yankees clinch the 1932 AL pennant with veteran starter George Pipqras beating the Indians at Cleveland Stadium by the score of 8-3. The Yankees Manager Joe McCarthy, who had captured a NL flag with Cubs in 1929, becomes the 1st MLB manager to win pennants in both major leagues.

1950 - The Yankees blow a 6-run lead, as the Indians scores 4 runs in the 9th inning off of Allie Reynolds to win the game by a score of 8-7. Luke Easter's 3-run HR his 2nd of the game is the big blow, as the Yankees skid to 2nd place, a half game behind the Tigers and a half game ahead of the Red Sox.

1954 - A standing-room-only crowd of 84,587 fans at Cleveland's Municipal Stadium, which establishes the record for the largest crowd to have ever watch a MLB game, witness the pennant-bound Indians sweep a doubleheader from the Yankees by scores of 4-1 and 3-2. On this bright sunny day, over 12,000 fans are without seats and stand 10-11 rows deep behind the outfield fences as well as 3-5 rows deep in walkways. The Yankees would finish in 2nd place in the AL with a 103-51 record, 8 games behind the Indians, who finished 1st with a 111-53 record.

1961 - In a rain shorten game; the Yankees edge the White Sox in Chicago. Yankees starter Ralph Terry picks up his 14th victory of the 1961 AL season, as the Yankees picked up their 100 victory of the 1961 AL season

1962 - At Cleveland, Whitey Ford and Mickey Mantle lead the way to a Yankee 5-2 win. Mickey Mantle hits a 3-run HR in the 5th inning off of Tribe hurler Pedro Ramos, his 2nd favorite all-time cousin (12 HRs allowed).

1963 - Former Yankees reserve OF Keith Hughes (1987) was born. On June 30,1984, he was traded by the Phillies along with P Marty Bystrom to the Yankees for P Shane Rawley. Keith would appear in 4 games with no hits in 1987, before being traded on June 10,1987 along with OF Shane Turner to the Phillies for veteran OF Mike Easler.

1979 - Red Sox OF Carl Yastrzemski reaches the 3,000 MLB hits milestone when he singles off of Yankees hurler Jim Beattie during a 9-2 Red Sox victory.

1981 - Red Sox rookie P Bob Ojeda no-hits the Yankees for 8-innings at Yankee Stadium before Rick Cerone and Dave Winfield lead off the 9th inning with back-to-back doubles. Red Sox reliever Mark Clear preserves a 2-1 win for the Red Sox.

1982 - For the 2nd time this season, the Brewers get 3 consecutive HRs from Cecil Cooper, Ted Simmons, and Ben Oglivie in a losing cause, as the Yankees win by the score of 9-8. Six HRs are hit in the game. Rookie starter Curt Kaufman wins his 1st MLB decision and his only win as a Yankee.

1988 - The Yankees edge the Tigers, by the score of 5-4 in 18 innings. Steve Shields gets the win in relief. Yankees OF Rickey Henderson ties a 1948 AL record for extra innings with 12 putouts in LF.

1990 - Yankees starter Steve Adkins doesn't allow a hit in his MLB debut, but he walks 8 batters in just 1 1/3 innings, as the Rangers wins the game by the score of 5-4. Adkins walks the 1st 3 batters, then he retires the side. After a fly out in the 2nd inning, he walks the next 5 batters before being lifted, 2 shy of Dolly Gray's consecutive walk record.

1996 - Yankees CF Bernie Williams drives home 8 runs in the Yankees 12-3 win over the Tigers. Bernie Williams hits 2 HR’s and a single.

1999 - Before a crowd of 50,027 fans, the Red Sox finish their 3-game series at Yankee Stadium with a 4-1 win for a sweep. It is the 1st 3-game sweep at Yankee Stadium for the Red Sox since the 1986 AL season.

2000 - The Yankees pound the Blue Jays by the score of 10-2 at Yankee Stadium as starter Danny Neagle picks up his 7th victory of 2000 AL season. Jose Canseco hits a HR for the Yankees to lead the Yankees hitting attack.

2000 - Suspended Yankees DH/OF Darryl Strawberry is sentenced to 2 years' house arrest after admitting he violated probation by driving under the influence of medication, and leaving the scene of an accident.

2002 - At Yankee Stadium, the Yankees beat the Orioles by the score of 7-3 behind starter David Wells 17th victory of the 2002 AL season. Yankees 1B Nick Johnson leads the Bombers hitting attack with a 3-run HR.

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(As always I'd like to thank Fw57Clipper51 for his great contribution.)

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