May 11th - May 17th
May 11th
1903 - John Ganzel hits the 1st Highlanders Home Run. As they defeat the Tigers by a score of 8-2. Also his teammate, William “Wid” Conroy hit a HR for the Highlanders.
1919 - Starter Walter Johnson of the Senators pitched 12 scoreless innings in a duel with Jack Quinn of the Yankees at the Polo Grounds. Johnson allowed only 2 hits and retired 28 batters in a row. Future football owner George Halas, batting leadoff for the Yankees, went 0-for-5, striking out twice
1928 - Former Yankees minor league player and MLB pitching coach Mel Wright (1974-1975) was born. Mel was part of the trade that brought OF Enos Slaughter to the Yankees in 1954. He was traded along with OF Bill Vidron to the Cardinals. He would return to the Yankees in 1974 as new Yankees Manager Bill Vidron’s pitching coach.
1946 - Yankees starter Tiny Bonham puts the brake on the Red Sox’s 15-game winning streak, with a 2-0, shutout at Yankee Stadium.
1954 - Yankees sell INF Jim Brideweser (1951-53) to the Orioles. Jim was signed by the Yankees as an amateur free agent in 1950. Jim couldn’t break into the Yankee starting infield. He appeared in only 57 games for the Yankees hitting .546.
1955 - Yankees obtained P Sonny Dixon from the A’s for OF Enos Slaughter and P Johnny Sain. Slaughter would return to the Yankees in 1956, his 1st stay was disappointing only hitting .249. Johnny Sain was at the end of his MLB career. Dixon would appear in 3 games for the Yankees, going 0-1 before leaving the MLB.
1955 - The Yankees sell P Art Schallock (1951-54) to the Orioles for cash. Art had been obtained from the Pirates during the 1951 season; going 3-2 in 28 games with 1 save for the Yankees.
1966 - The Yankees purchased veteran INF Richard “Ducky” Schofield from the Giants. He didn’t solve the 1966 Yankee infield problems.
1990 - Dave Winfield rejected a trade that would have sent him from the Yankees to the Angels in exchange for P Mike Witt. A no-trade clause in Winfield's contract gave him the right to turn down the deal. Five days later, Winfield will reach an agreement with the Yankees and give his permission for the trade to take place.
2006 - Hideki Matsui of the Yankees broke his left wrist and his consecutive-games streak ended in the Red Sox 5-3 victory at Yankee Stadium. Going back to his days in Nippon Pro Baseball, he appeared in 1,768 consecutive games. Matsui had played in 518 consecutive games (a record for the start of a career) since joining the Yankees in 2003 after playing in 1,250 straight for the Yomiuri Giants from August 22, 1993, through 2002.
May 12th
1897 - Former Yankee 3rd baseman Joseph “Jumping Joe” Dugan (1922-1928) was born. On July 23, 1922, Joe Dugan was traded by the Red Sox along with Elmer Smith to the Yankees for Chick Fewster, Elmer Miller, Johnny Mitchell, Lefty O'Doul, and $50,000 cash. Joe replaced the aging Frank “Home Run” Baker at 3rd base in 1922. He had 6 good seasons with the Yankees, hitting more than .280 in 5 of them.
1915 - The Yankees beat Indians 4-2, despite hitting into a triple play.
1916 - Former Yankees P Henry “Hank” Borowy (1942-1945) was born. Hank went 66-30 with the Yankees until he was sold to the Cubs during the 1945 season. At the time of trade he was 10-5. The Cubs paid $97,000 for him. I have never read why he was traded away by the Yankees in mid-1945 season
1919 - For second straight day, the Yankees and Senators battle into extra inning without a result. Today’s game ends in a 4-4 tie; the game is called because of darkness, after 15 innings are played.
1925 - Future Yankee HOF player, coach and Manager Lawrence “Yogi” Berra was born (Player: 1946-1963, Coach: 1976-1983, Manager: 1964, 1984.). One of the most beloved players to ever wear the Yankee pinstripes, Berra hit .285 in 18 years as a Yankee. Yogi played in 14 World Series for the Yankees with 10 World Championships with 71 World Series hits. Yogi was an AL All Star catcher and 3-time AL MVP winner. Yogi became one of the greatest catchers in the game through the help of former Yankees great HOF catcher Bill Dickey. Yogi is one of few MLB managers to win a pennant in each major league: Yankees (1964) and Mets (1973).
1935 - Former Yankees OF/DH Felipe Alou (1971-1973) was born. After being obtained from the A’s, Felipe Alou hit .289 in 1971, and .278 in 1972, before fading during the 1973 AL season, he was sold to the Expos.
1959 - At Yankee Stadium, Yogi Berra committed an error as his errorless streak of 148 games for a catcher came to an end in a 7-6 loss to Indians.
1978 - At Royals Stadium, a potential game-ending routine fly ball became an Amos Otis walk-off inside-the-park HR as Reggie Jackson and Mickey Rivers collided in the outfield. The misplay turned a sure Goose Gossage save into a sour loss for the current World Champions Yankees.
1979 - Former Yankees Scout (1967-1975) and MLB catcher Clyde Kluttz passes away.
As a scout for the Yankees, he convinced free agent pitcher Catfish Hunter to sign with the Yankees on December 31, 1974.
1999 - The Angels shuts out the Yankees, 1-0, behind the combined 3-hit pitching of Chuck Finley and Troy Percival. Finley struck out 11 Yankees in his 8 innings of work, including 4 in the 3rd inning, to become the 33rd pitcher in history to strike out 4 in a single frame. It is possible when a batter with 2 strikes on him takes a swing at strike 3; however, the catcher does not field the ball cleanly, and instead of tagging the runner out, the runner reaches the 1st base. The strikeout is recorded, but not the out.
May 13th
1929 - At Cleveland's League Park, the Indians defeated the Yankees, by a score of 4-3, in the 1st game in MLB history in which players from both teams wear numbers on the back of their jerseys.
1946 - The Yankees use air transport for travel as a team for 1st time.
1955 - At Yankee Stadium, Mickey Mantle hit HR’s from both sides of the plate for the 1st time in his MLB career. The Yankees slugger finished the game with 3 HR’s - 2 left-handed and 1 right-handed - and drove in all of his team's runs in a 5 - 2 victory over the Detroit Tigers. Whitey Ford is the winning pitcher while Steve Gromek was the loser for Tigers.
1965 - Former Yankees P Jose Rijo (1984) was born. Jose went 2-8 in 24 games in 1984. The Yankees rush him up to match the Mets young rookie pitcher Doc Gooden. In December 1984, the Yankees traded him to the A’s in the Rickey Henderson trade. He would find success in the NL, pitching for the Reds.
1977 - Yankees starter Ed Figueroa wins his 4th straight complete game, beating his former teammates the Angels, by score of 3-0, Thurman Munson hit his 7th HR of the 1977 AL season.
May 14th
1899 - Future Yankees HOF CF Earle “The Kentucky Colonel” Combs (1924-35) was born. Earl was a lifetime .325 hitter for the Yankees. His Yankee career was cut short by serious injuries that he suffered, while making desperation catch in 1933. He batted .340 in 4 World Series, 8th highest in MLB history. He was the 1st of the great Yankee centerfielders.
1937 - Former Yankees INF (1967-68), Coach (1968-1978) and Manager (1980) Richard Howser was born (1937-1987). Richard finished his MLB playing career with the Yankees in 1968, becoming a MLB coach for the Yankees. He would manage the Yankees in 1980, taking the team to a 103-59 record before losing to the Royals in AL Title Playoffs. He would later manage the Royals, before he died from cancer in 1987.
1947 - Former Yankees P Richard “Dirt” Tidrow (1974-1979) Dirt came over to the Yankees in 1974 from the Indians in the Chris Chambliss trade. He went 40-33 in 211 games, before being traded to Cubs for P Ray Burris during the 1979 season.
1948 - Former Yankees P Dave LaRoche (1981-83) was born. Dave was signed by the Yankees as a free agent. He went 8-3 in 72 games for the Yankees.
1967 - Mickey Mantle of the Yankees joined the 500 HR MLB club, when he connected against Stu Miller of the Orioles. Mantle became the 6th MLB player to reach the 500 HR career mark, joining Babe Ruth, Jimmie Foxx, Willie Mays, Mel Ott and Ted Williams. Mantle's HR helped New York to the 6 -5 victory at Yankee Stadium.
1977 - Yankees starter Don Gullett hurls a 4-hitter and out-duels Angels Ace Nolan Ryan, 4-1 before a crowd of 41,000 fans in California.
1985 - Former Yankees P Harry Byrd (1954) passed away. He joined the Yankees in winter of 1953 coming over from the A’s trade that saw 1B Vic Power and others go to the A’s. Harry went 9-7 in 25 games for the Yankees before being traded to Orioles in the big 17-man trade in December of 1954.
1996 - Dwight Gooden became the 8th pitcher in Yankees team history to throw a no-hitter in the with a 2-0 victory over the Mariners at Yankee Stadium.
2004 - Former Yankees P Rip Coleman (1955-56) passes away. Rip went 5-6 in 39 games for the Yankees before being traded to the A’s in 1957.
May 15th
1908 - The Yankees purchased P Hippo Vaughn (1908, 1910-12) from Macon of the Georgia State League for undisclosed amount of cash. Hippo went 22-30 with the Yankees in 72 games.
1912 - Ty Cobb charges into the stands at Hilltop Park in New York City, attacking a crippled heckler named Claude Lueker. Other Highlander fans and Tigers mix it up before order is restored, and AL President Ban Johnson suspends Cobb indefinitely for the incident.
1922 - In a 4-1 win at New York, Ty Cobb beats out a grounder to Yankees Shortstop Everett Scott. Veteran writer Fred Lieb scores it a hit in the box score he files with the Associated Press. But official scorer John Kieran of the New York Tribune gives an error to Scott. At the season's end, the AL official records, based on AP box scores, list Cobb at .401. New York writers complain unsuccessfully, claiming it should be .399, based on the official scorer's stats. Lieb will reverse himself at the end of the year, but AL President Ban Johnson goes with the hit call.
1935 - Lou Gehrig steals home in a 4 -0 Yankee win over the Tigers. It is his 15th and last steal of home, all of which were double steals
1941 - Joe DiMaggio gets a single in 4 at bats against Eddie Smith of the White Sox to start his 56-game hitting streak. Joe D's hit goes unnoticed as the Yankees lose, 13-1. Taffy Wright homers and drives in 4 White Sox runs, the 8th straight game he's driven in a run.
1955 - Yankees OF Irv Noren hits an inside-the-park grand slam homerun in an 8-4 victory over the A's. Yankees win the nightcap to sweep the A's. Mickey Mantle is 4-for-9 for the afternoon and is hitting .311.
1963 - Down 4-0 to the Twins, Mickey Mantle hits a 2-run HR off of P Pedro Ramos to put the Yankees on the board. Mantle later scores the winning run as New York wins the game by a score of 4-3.
1965 - At Baltimore’s Memorial Stadium, Mickey Mantle slices an opposite field HR in the 8th inning off of P Richard Hall to give Yankees, a 3-2 win over the Orioles.
1969 - Former Yankees P Hideki Irabu (1997-1999) was born. He went 29-20 in 74 games for the Yankees before being traded to Expos for minor league pitchers Ted Lilly and Christian Parker.
1996 - The Mariners spot the Yankees 4 runs, then hammer starter Jimmy Key and 5 other Yankee pitchers for 19 hits to win 10-5. Seven Mariners collect 2 or more hits, and Edgar Martinez drives in 4 runs. A wild Key takes his 5th straight loss, while Yankee reliever Mariano Rivera records 4 outs to stretch his scoreless innings to 21 2/3. The Yankees will place Key on the 15-day DL.
1996 - The Yankees outbid 4 other MLB teams and sign Japanese Pitcher Katsuhiro Maeda to a $1.5 million contract. The Yankees obtain the fastballer from the Seibu Lions for more than $350,000. Maeda, who has his hair dyed orange, was 0-2 with the Lions from 1993 through 1995, but refused to sign for the 1996 season, unless he was traded to a U.S. team.
May 16th
1907 - The Highlanders swap P Walter Clarkson and OF Frank Delahanty, both siblings of future HOFer’s to Cleveland for P Earl Moore. New York is hoping that Moore will return to the form, he showed before a Highlander line drive injured his foot last season, limiting him to 6 games.
1926 - Former Yankees INF (1950-1957) and Manager Billy Martin (1975-78, 1983, 1985, and 1988) was born (1926-1989). Billy was an AL All Star and World Series hero for the Yankees in 1953. He was Casey Stengel’s favorite Yankees player, who was hated by Yankees GM George Weiss, who traded him away on June 15, 1957 to the A’s, after the fight at the Copacabana Night Club. His Yankees Manager record was 941-556, with a WP of .591. He won AL flags in 1976 and 1977. His only World Series Championship was in 1977. He was fired during the 1978 AL season, being replaced by Bob Lemon.
1927 - Yankees OF Bob Meusel swipes 2B, 3B, and home in the 3rd inning as New York tops Detroit, 6-2. Lou Gehrig contributes a HR and 2 doubles to back Yankee starter Dutch Ruether's pitching.
1931 - At Detroit, Tigers starter Tommy Bridges gives up only 3 hits in stopping the Yankees, 3-1, dropping the Bombers to 2nd place, as they will not retake 1st place in AL.
1932 - The Yankees pitchers record their 4th straight shutout to equal the record set by Cleveland and Boston in 1903 and 1906. Johnny Allen, George Pipgras, Red Ruffing and Lefty Gomez were the Yankee hurlers. Lefty stops the Indians on 5 hits to win, 8-0; it is the Yankees 5th shutout in 7 games.
1941 - The Yankees Manager Joe McCarthy benches top infield prospects Phil Rizzuto and Jerry Priddy, putting back in veterans Joe Gordon and Frankie Crosetti into the Yankees lineup. New York then rallies in the 9th inning to beat the White Sox, 5-4.
1944 - The White Sox beat the Yankees 10-4 to stop Hank Borowy's 2-year winning streak at 11 games.
1949 - Former Yankees P Rick Reuschel (1981) was born. On June 12, 1981, Rick was traded by the Cubs to the Yankees for a player to be named later, Doug Bird, and $400,000. The Yankees sent P Mike Griffin on August 5, 1981 to the Cubs to complete the trade. Rick went 4-4- in 12 games for the Yankees before arm injury ended his season, he didn’t pitch in 1982. The Yankees would release him during the 1983 season.
1951 - At Yankee Stadium, Mickey Mantle drives in 4 runs and scores 3 as Yankees rout the Indians, by a score of 11-3. Mantle connects for the 1st of his 206 homers at the Stadium, the blast coming off of P Richard Rozek.
1953 - At Yankee Stadium, White Sox lefty P Tommy Byrne pinch-hits for slugger Vern Stephens and hits a grand slam off of Yankees reliever Ewell Blackwell to climax a 5-run 9th inning and give Chicago the 5-3 win. Stephens has 10 career grand slams: Byrne now has 2.
1953 - Former Yankees P Rick Rhoden (1987-88) was born. On November 26, 1986, Rick was traded by the Pirates along with pitchers Pat Clements and Cecilio Guante to the Yankees for pitchers Doug Drabek, Brian Fisher, and Logan Easley. Rick went 28-22 in 60 games for the Yankees before being sold to the Astros for 2 minor league pitchers.
1954 - The Orioles draw a record 46,796 fans at Memorial Stadium for a doubleheader with the Yankees. Allie Reynolds wins the opener for Yankees, 2-0 on a 3-hitter, before Orioles starter Don Larsen stops the Yankees, 6-2 in the nightcap.
1956 - On a blustery day in Cleveland, the Yankees top the Indians, 4-1. Mickey Mantle hits a HR, off of starter Bud Daley, while his pal Billy Martin is benched for the 1st time by Yankees Manager Casey Stengel. Bobby Richardson takes his place at 2B.
1957 - The Yankees top the A’s, 3-0 behind Bob Turley's 4-hit shutout. Mickey Mantle has a homer off of P Alex Kellner, the 11th time in his last 12 at bats he's reached base safely. That night a group of Yankees celebrate Billy Martin's 29th birthday in a raucous fashion. An ensuing fight at Manhattan's Copacabana Night Club leads to $5,500 in fines and the eventual trade of Billy to A’s on June 15th. Hank Bauer allegedly starts the fight by hitting a patron, although Bauer denies it. The Yankees fine Whitey Ford, Bauer, Yogi Berra, Mantle and Martin $1,000 each and rookie pitcher Johnny Kucks $500.
1965 - Oriole teenager starting pitcher Jim Palmer picks up his 1st MLB win, topping the Yankees, 7- 5. Palmer also bangs his 1st MLB homer, a 2-run drive off of P Jim Bouton, to give himself the margin of victory.
1970 - Former Yankees P Jim Mecir (1996-97) was born. Jim came to the Yankees from the Mariners in the Tino Martinez trade. He went 1-5 in 51 games before being traded to the Red Sox.
1976 - The Yankees send P Larry Gura to Royals for back-up C Fran Healy. Healy's best moment will come in the broadcast booth, while Gura will help the Royals to the 1976 AL playoffs with a 16-4 record. Gura did not get along with Yankees manager Billy Martin.
1983 - Former Yankees minor league P and Pitching Coach Mel Wright (1974-75) passes away.
Mel was traded to the Cardinals in 1954 as part of the Enos “Country” Slaughter trade. He would serve as Yankees Manager Bill Vidron’s pitching coach during the 1974-75 AL seasons.
1985 - Former Yankees P Johnny Broca (1933-37) passed away (1909-1985). Johnny went 39-23 in 99 games for the Yankees. On November 19, 1938, John was purchased by the Indians from the Yankees.
May 17th
1920 - Former Yankees P James “Hot Rod” McDonald (1952-54, 1955) was born. On November 23, 1951 Jim was traded by the Browns to the Yankees for C Clint Courtney. Jim went 16-12 in 69 games for the Yankees. In December of 1954, he was traded by the Yankees to the Orioles in the big 17-man trade. On July 30, 1955, he was traded by the Orioles to the Yankees for veteran starter Ed Lopat. He would go 4-1 in 16 games for the Yankees in 1955. Before the start of 1956 AL Season started, Jim was sent from the Yankees to the Orioles in an unknown transaction.
1961 - 1960 AL MVP Roger Maris hit his 1st HR of the 1961 AL season at Yankee Stadium (4th overall) on his way to a MLB season-record HR of 61.
1975 - Former Yankees INF Scott Seabol (2001) was born. Scott was drafted by the Yankees in the 88th round of the 1996 amateur player draft. He appeared in 1 game with 1 at bat and no hits. On October 15, 2002, Scott was granted free agency by the Yankees.
1977 - After dropping first two games to the A’s, Yankees starter Ron Guidry throws 9 innings, is relieved by Sparky Lyle, who hurls 6 scoreless innings as the Yankees win the game in 15th inning by a score of 5-2.
1982 - Former Yankees OF Dixie Walker (1931-36) passes away (1910-1982). Dixie was unable to break into the Yankees starting outfield of the 1930’s. He was waived to the White Sox. Later in the NL, he would have a successful MLB career with the Dodgers.
1998 - David Wells pitched the 13th perfect game in modern MLB history, as the Yankees beat the Twins, by a score of 4 -0. Wells, whose perfecto was the 1st by a Yankees pitcher since Don Larsen in the 1956 World Series, also set an A L record by retiring 37 batters in a row, dating back to his last start on May 12th against the Royals. The Twins shortstop Pat Meares flied out to RF Paul O'Neill to complete the perfect game afternoon at Yankee Stadium.
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