This Week in Yankees History (6/28-7/4)

This Week in Yankees History

June 28th - July 4th

June 28th

1907 - The last place Nationals steal a record 13 bases off catcher Branch Rickey in a 16-5 win over the Yankees. Rickey, acquired last February from the Browns, is pressed into service despite having a bad shoulder because of the injury to starting C Red Kleinow. Rickey's 1st throw to 2B ends up in RF and the subsequent tosses are not much better. He almost nips Jim Delahanty on a steal of 3B. In his 8 innings, reliever Lew Brockett helps the Nats with a deliberate windup. Only P Tom Hughes and 2B Nig Perrine are steal-less, while Hal Chase swipes 1 for the Yankees.

1915 - Yankees purchased P Bob Shawkey from the A’s for $8,500. Bob would pitch for the Yankees from 1915-1927. Bob would win 168 games for the Yankees, appearing in 415 games with 1,163 strikeouts in 2,489 innings. He would complete 161 games and have 26 shutouts. His Yankee career ERA was 3.10. He would manage the Yankees in 1930 finishing in 3rd place in the AL with an 86-68 record. He would be succeeded by former Cubs manager Joe McCarthy in 1931.

1916 - Yankees OF Lee Magee collects a record-tying 4 assists.

1919 - Red Sox submariner starter Carl Mays hurls 2 complete games beating the Yankees, by a score of 2-0, in the 1st game and losing the nightcap, by the score of 4-1.

1922 - Senators Ace Walter Johnson wins another 1-0 battle, this one over the Yankees, for his 3rd straight shutout and 97th in his MLB career. Johnson strikes out 9 batters. Waite Hoyt loses a tough one for the Yankees, just allowing just 2 hits in the 1st 8 innings. Earl Smith's double in the 9th inning drives home the winning run.

1928 - Yankees OF Babe Ruth slugs 2-HRs to lead the Yankees to a 10-4 victory over the A’s, as the A’s veteran OF Ty Cobb appears in his 3,000th MLB career game.

1939 - The Yankees hit 8 HRs in the 1st game of a doubleheader with the A's, and 5 more HRs in the nightcap. Both are MLB records, as is the 53 total bases in a doubleheader. Joe DiMaggio, Babe Dahlgren, and Joe Gordon each hit 3 HRs in the doubleheader. Other Yankee HRs were hit by Billy Dickey, George Selkirk, Tommy Henrich and Frank Crosetti. The Yankees win the opener by a score of 23-2 and take the nightcap by a score of 10-0.

1941 - Former Yankees P Al Downing (1961-69) was born. Al was the 1st black Yankees starter. In 1964, he led the AL in strikeouts with 217. His best Yankees season was in 1967, going 14-10 and making the AL All Star team. In 1968, he suffered an arm injury, just going 3-3. His last Yankees season was in 1969, he went 7-5. On December 5, 1969, Al was traded by the Yankees along with reserve C Frank Fernandez to the A’s for INF Danny Cater and C Ossie Chavarria.

1941 - Former Yankees P Fred Talbot (1966-69) was born. Fred Talbot went 14-24 for the Yankees after coming from the A’s during the 1966 AL season, before being unloaded to the Pilots in 1968. Jim Bouton wrote about him in his book “Ball Four.”

1941 - Former Yankees reserve OF Len Boehmer (1969,1971) was born. His best showing with the Yankees was in 1969, hitting .179.

1949 - After missing the 1st 69 games of the 1949 AL season because of an ailing heel, Joe DiMaggio wakes to find the pain has disappeared. He returns to the Yankee lineup with a single and a HR that help the Bombers beat the Red Sox by the score of 6-4 in a night game at Fenway Park. He will hit 4 HRs in a 3-game sweep of the Red Sox.

1958 - Former Yankees P Clay Christiansen (1984) was born. On June 3, 1980, Clay was drafted by the Yankees in the 15th round of the 1980 MLB amateur player draft. In 1984, Clay went 2-4 in 24 games for the Yankees.

1960 - Former Yankees minor league OF John Elway was born. John Elway was drafted by the Royals in the 1979 MLB amateur draft but did not sign with the club. He was again selected in the 1981 MLB amateur draft by the Yankees. He signed with the club and played right field for the Oneonta Yankees in 1982. He hit .318 in 42 games before giving up baseball for pro football.

1961 - Angels’ starter Ryne Duren goes 8 innings and strikes out 12 former Yankee teammates to give the Angels, a 5-3 victory over New York. Mickey Mantle drives in all 3 Yankee runs, including 2 runs on a HR.

1962 - Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle break a 0-0 tie in the 4th inning with back-to-back HRs to lead the Yankees to a 4-2 win over the Twins.

1963 - Former Yankees HOF 3B Frank “Homerun” Baker (1916-1919, 1921-1922) passes away (1886-1963). On February 15, 1916, Frank was purchased by the Yankees from the A’s for $37,500. He would play 3B for the Yankees. After his wife’s death, Frank had stayed home for during the 1920 AL season to care for his family. He came out of retirement in 1921 to help solidified the Yankee infield until the arrival of Joe Dugan. Frank would lead the Yankees in hitting in 1917-18 (.282 and .306) He would also lead the Yankees in hits from 1917-1919. He was originally signed with Connie Mack’s A’s.

1966 - At Fenway Park, the last place Red Sox cash in 5 Yankee errors to top the visitors, by a score of 5-3. All of New York's scoring comes from Mickey Mantle, who blasts a 2-run HR in the 1st inning and an opposite field HR on the LF screen in the 8th inning.

1976 - Tigers' rookie starting pitcher Mark 'the Bird' Fidrych amuses a national “Game of the Week” NBC-TV audience talking to the baseball, as he 1-hits the Yankees, in a 5-1 Tigers victory.

1987 - Red Sox DH Don Baylor moves ahead of Ron Hunt on the all-time hit-by-pitch list when the Yankees' Rick Rhoden plunks him during a 6-2 loss. It is the 244th time that Baylor has been hit by the pitch. He'll end with 267, putting him 3rd on the MLB career list behind turn-of-the-century star Hughie Jennings

1996 - Darryl Strawberry's 300th MLB career HR is a dramatic 9th inning, 2-run shot, which gives the Yankees a come-from-behind 3-2 victory over the Royals.

1997 - Yankees hurler David Wells starts the game against the Indians wearing Babe Ruth's autographed cap from the 1934 AL season. Yankees Manager Joe Torre makes him take it off after the 1st inning, since it doesn't conform to the team's current uniform. Without the cap, Wells blows a 3-0 lead as the Indians go on to a 12-8 victory. The Indians mount a 19-hit attack, as CF Marquis Grissom accounts for 5 of the hits, while 3B Matt Williams gets 4 hits, including a pair of HRs, and drives home 6 runs.

June 29th

1899 - Former Yankees OF Bobby Veach (1925) was born. On May 5, 1925, Bobby was traded by the Red Sox along with Alex Ferguson to the Yankees for Ray Francis and $9,000. As a Yankee, Bobby appeared in 56 games hitting .353. On August 17, 1925, Bobby was selected off waivers by the Senators from the Yankees.

1909 - While Pitching against the Highlanders, Senators starter Walter Johnson gives up a solo HR to Ray Demmitt in the 7th inning, the 1st HR, he's allowed since his debut in 1907. Demmitt's HR shot is the only score for New York, as Johnson beats them for the 2nd time in 10 days.

1912 - At Fenway Park, the Red Sox sweep 2 from the Yankees, winning by the scores of 13-6 and 6-0. Smoky Joe Wood wins the nightcap, his 2nd shutout in a row, allowing just 1 hit, in winning 6-0 in 7 innings. Dutch Sterrett's single is the lone hit. In the nightcap, Hick Cady makes 2 hits in one at bat. His single scores Jake Stahl from 3B, but umpire Silk O'Loughlin rules that Stahl was balked home. In Cady's 2nd chance, he doubles.

1915 - Led by Tris Speaker's 5-for-5, the Red Sox trip the Yankees, by the score of 4-3, in 10 innings. Red Sox starter Babe Ruth gets the win, going all the way before Sheriff Gainer hits for him in the 10th.

1932 - Yankees sign hurler Charles Devens straight out of Harvard University. Charles went 5-2 in 16 games for the Yankees (1932-1934).

1934 - Lou Gehrig is beaned in an exhibition game played in Norfolk, Virginia, and suffers a concussion.

1941 - In a doubleheader with the Senators, Joe DiMaggio ties and then breaks the AL consecutive game-hitting streak of 41 established by George Sisler. In the opener, he knots the record with a double off Dutch Leonard, and in the nightcap the 'Yankee Clipper' tops the record with a 7th inning single against Walt Masterson.

1947 - The Yankees began a 19-game winning streak by beating the Senators by a score of 3-1.

1950 - Yankees rookie lefty P Whitey Ford is called up by the Yankees from Kansas City Blues (AAA). He will go 9-1 with 1 save in 20 games with a 2.81 ERA; including a game four 1950 World Series start against the Phillies. Ford will throw pitching 8 2/3 innings of shutout ball until a dropped fly ball by Gene Woodling allows 2 Phillies runs to score. Allie Reynolds comes in and strikes out the next batter for the save and completes the 4 game World Series sweep of the Phillies.

1951 - Former Yankees minor league P Jimmy Freeman was born. Jimmy was originally signed by the Braves, later he was traded to the Orioles organization. On June 15, 1976, he was part of the trade that sent Doyle Alexander to the Yankees. He did not appear with the Yankees at the MLB level.

1958 - Former Yankees hurler Ralph Terry gets 12 run support from his A’s teammates to top the Yankees, by a score of 12-6. Mickey Mantle gets his 1st hit in his last 17 at bats against the A's, a 3rd inning HR.

1965 - The Yankees lose All Star RF Roger Maris for 49 games with bone chips in the heel of his right hand. The hand injury will affect Roger’s hitting for the rest of his MLB career.

1966 - At Fenway Park, Mickey Mantle opens the scoring in the 1st inning with a 3-run HR shot, then sandwiches a HR between round trippers by Yankee teammates Bobby Richardson and Joe Pepitone in the 3rd inning in New York's 6-5 win. The consecutive trifecta was last done for the Yankees in 1947, when Charlie Keller, Joe DiMaggio, and Johnny Lindell connected for HRs. Yankees 2B Bobby Richardson is 5 for 5 in the game. Mantle's 2 HRs today, are his 37th and 38th at Fenway Park, will be his last HR hit in Boston, and ties him with Babe Ruth for most homers hit by a Red Sox opponent.

1968 - In the 1st game of a doubleheader at Yankee Stadium, Mickey Mantle ties the score with a 2-run HR in the 6th inning, but A’s rookie OF Reggie Jackson breaks the tie in the 8th inning with his 9th HR of the year. The A's win the game, by a score of 5-2.

1972 - Jim Palmer's 8-game winning streak ends as the Yankees chase the Orioles ace in the 2nd inning of a 4-3 win. Mel Stottlemyre, with relief help from Yankees closer Sparky Lyle, gains his 7th win of the 1972 AL season.

1987 - Eight HRs are hit in Toronto as the Yankees outlast the Blue Jays, by a score of 15-14. Don Mattingly leads the Yankees power outage with a pair, while Dave Righetti gets the win.

1991 - The visiting Yankees score 3 runs in the 9th inning off of Brewers closer Dan Plesac to beat Milwaukee, in a 9-8 victory. Kevin Maas and Jesse Barfield hit HR for the Bombers. Teddy Higuera (3-2), in the 1st year of a $13 million, 4-year contract pitches 7 innings, allowing 3 runs. Higuera, who started the year on the DL, will go on the DL again, when a significant tear to his rotary cuff is discovered. This is his last MLB career appearance.

1997 - At Yankee Stadium, the Indians score 7 runs off the usually stingy David Cone, but the Yankees outlast the Indians, by a score of 11-10. With his 9th-inning single, Sandy Alomar extends his hitting streak to 26 games, 6th longest in Tribe club history.

2000 - In a prescient move, the Yankees obtained OF David Justice from the Indians for OF Ricky Ledee and 2 minor league players to be named. They were minor league pitchers Zach Day and Jake Westbrook. When Shane Spencer goes down with leg injury at Shea Stadium in 10 days, Justice will take over LF. The trade occurs minutes before the start of the game against Detroit, an 8-0 Yankee victory, Ricky Ledee is scratched from the Yankees starting lineup. The Yankees also tie a MLB record with 3 sac flies in one inning.

June 30th

1905 - At Hill Top Park in New York, Eddie Plank is removed with no outs in the 9th inning and the A's leading, the Highlanders by the score of 7-4. Rube Waddell comes in and retires the Highlanders to preserve the A's victory.

1908 - At New York's Hilltop Park, Red Sox legend Cy Young no-hits the Highlanders, by a score of 8-0. It the 3rd time that the 41-year old Cy Young has accomplished this feat in his long MLB career.

1924 - At Yankee Stadium, 2B Max Bishop and 3B Sammy Hale, the first 2 men in the A's batting order, draw 8 of the 9 walks issued by Yankee pitchers in the A's 10-3 win. A .271 hitter for 12 years, "Camera Eye" Bishop will draw 1,153 bases on balls, giving him a walk percentage of .204, which is higher than Babe Ruth's and just behind Ted Williams's .207.

1927 - A crowd of 3,000 fans at Yankee Stadium see the Yankees hand the Red Sox their 12th straight loss, beating the visitors, 13-6 on 19 safeties. Lou Gehrig takes over the HR lead when he clouts his 25th HR in the 1st inning, a bounce HR off of Slim Harriss, but Babe Ruth, back in the lineup, golfs his 25th HR of the season in the 4th inning, also off of Slim. Lou Gehrig has 3 hits and also swipes home. New York (49-20) wins its 5th straight game, while Red Sox loses its 12th straight game.

1928 - The Yankees win 2 from the Red Sox and close out the month of June 1928 having an 11 1/2 game lead in front of the A's. Yankees game attendance lags, as the 1928 AL race appears to be over. The 1928 Yankees will finish the AL season with a 101-53 record.

1934 - Lou Gehrig plays and hits 3 triples at Washington. However, the game is rained out after 4 1/2 innings, depriving Gehrig of a record.

1937 - Yankees starter Lefty Gomez has another no-hit bid foiled this time in the 5th inning with a HR by A’s Ron Johnson, as Gomez settles for a 1-hitter in an 5-1 win.

1944 - Former Yankees OF/1B/DH Ron “Rocky” Swoboda (1971-73) was born. On June 25, 1971, Ron was traded by the Expos to the Yankees for OF Ron Woods. Ron hit .208 in 152 games for the Yankees.

1945 - Former Yankees INF Jerry Kenney (1967, 1969-72) was born. Jerry was below average INF, who was packaged in the Graig Nettles trade with the Indians in the winter of 1972. He played in 460 games for the Yankees, finishing with a .237 BA.

1950 - Joe and Dom DiMaggio, both hit HR’s in the 10-2, Red Sox victory over Yankees in the nightcap of a doubleheader. It has been 15 years since the 2 brothers homered in the same game.

1954 - Tom Morgan of the Yankees hits 3 Red Sox batters in the 3rd inning of a 6-1 loss. Mickey Mantle's HR against Red Sox hurler Willard Nixon is the only Yankee run. Also the game was the last MLB game that INF Bobby Brown played as a Yankee, going 2 for 4, then retiring to practice medicine.

1960 - Yankees beat up on their cousins from Kansas City by banging out 5 HRs to win the game by a score of 10-5. Bill Skowron leads the Yankees attack with 2 HRs, with 1 each from Mickey Mantle, Roger Maris and Tony Kubek.

1961 - Whitey Ford (14-2) tops the expansion Senators by the score of 5-1 to give the 2nd place Yankees their 22nd win of the month. Roger Maris drives in 3 runs and Mickey Mantle lines shot over CF Willie Tasby's that rebounds for an inside-the-park HR. Whitey Ford becomes the 1st pitcher in AL history to win 8 games in 1 month.

1962 - Former Yankees shortstop Tony Fernandez (1995) was born. Tony was signed as a free agent, played in 108 games batting .245 in 1995.

1975 - Former Yankees minor league P Mike Judd was born. Mike was drafted by the Yankees in the 9th round of the 1995 MLB amateur player draft. He never appeared with the Yankees at the MLB Level. On June 22, 1996, he was traded by the Yankees to the Dodgers for P Billy Brewer.

1975 - The Brewers trip the Yankees, by the score of 5-4, by scoring 2 runs in the bottom of the 9th inning. Bobby Darwin's 8th HR of the year is the big blow. Bill Travers (4-0) takes the win. The Brewers, winners of 15 out of their last 21, is in 3rd place in the East.

1977 - Cliff Johnson becomes the 2nd player in 3 days to hit a pair of HRs in an inning. He hits 3 consecutive HRs, including 2 in the 8th inning, as the Yankees rout the Blue Jays by the score of 11-5. New York (42-33) is a half-game behind the Red Sox. That year Cliff would hit .381 with 6 HRs against the Blue Jays pitching staff.

1985 - Current Yankees minor league P Pat Venditte was born. As of 2009, Pat Venditte is professional baseball's only ambidextrous pitcher. A natural right-hander, Venditte threw with both arms since he was a child, and his father encouraged it. After attending Creighton University, he was selected by the Yankees in the 20th round of the 2008 MLB amateur draft and made his pro debut that summer with the Staten Island Yankees. With Staten Island, he allowed just 3 earned runs in 30 appearances, posting a 0.83 ERA, and led the New York-Penn League with 23 saves. Following the season, he was named MiLB.com Short-Season Relief Pitcher of the Year. He began 2009 with the Charleston Riverdogs and saved 13 games and gave up only 2 earned runs in his 1st 18 outings. Venditte uses a 6-fingered glove with 2 thumbs. In 2008, the Professional Baseball Umpire Corporation created a new rule pertaining the ambidextrous pitchers stating that a "pitcher must visually indicate to the umpire, batter and runner(s) which way he will begin pitching to the batter" because of Venditte.

1986 - The Yankees traded veteran OF Ken Griffey Sr. to the Braves for OF Claudell Washington and minor league shortstop Paul Zuvella.

2000 - The Yankees tie a MLB record when 3 players (Bernie Williams, Tino Martinez and Jose Vizcaino) each hit sacrifice flies in the 4th inning against the Tigers. The MLB record was set by the White Sox on July 1,1962, in the 2nd game of a doubleheader against the Indians.

July 1st

1915 - Yankees purchased P Dan Tipple from Indianapolis for undisclosed amount of cash. Dan went 1-1 in 3 games for the Yankees in 1915.

1935 - Yankees OF George Selkirk suggests a cinder path aka “warning track”, six feet wide, be installed in the outfield so a player knows when he is nearing the wall. MLB ignores his suggestion.

1938 - Yankees C Bill Dickey drives in 7 runs during an 8-0 victory over the Senators. Bill hits 3-HR in the 4th inning off of Nats starter Harry Kelly. In the 5th inning, he strikes again with a grand slam HR off of Kelly. The Yankees final run was score by a HR hit by Frank Crosetti.

1941 - Before 52,832 fans at Yankee Stadium, Joe DiMaggio leads a sweep of the Red Sox with scores of 7-2 and 9-2. The 2nd game is called after 5 innings. DiMaggio has 2 hits in the 1st game and 1 in the 2nd to tie Willie Keeler's MLB batting streak of 44 games. The Yankees have 25 hits in the 2 games, but fail to hit a HR in the 1st game, ending their AL streak of 25 consecutive games with at least one HR. The previous record, set by the Tigers in 1940, was 17 games.

1950 - At Fenway Park, starter Tommy Byrne takes the loss for the Yankees, but rookie reliever Whitey Ford does little to help out. In his MLB debut, Ford throws 4 2/3 innings, allowing 7 hits, 6 walks, and 5 earned runs. Boston rolls to a 13-4 win. Rookie 1B Walt Dropo hits a grand slam HR for the Red Sox to dump the Yankees into 3rd place in the AL.

1951 - Before 58,815 fans at Yankee Stadium, the Yankees top the Red Sox, by the score of 5-2, behind Eddie Lopat's 6-hitter. The victory moves the Yankees ahead of the White Sox by 4 percentage points. Jerry Coleman homers off of Mel Parnell, while Johnny Pesky connects for the Red Sox. Bobby Doerr singles for his 2,000th MLB career hit.

1952 - Former Yankees reserve OF Kerry Dineen (1975-76) was born. He appeared in 29 games for the Yankees in 1975-76, before being traded to the Phillies.

1956 - Mickey Mantle switch-hits HRs in the same game for the 4th time in his MLB career. The Yankees win by the score of 8-6 over the Senators.

1956 - Former Yankees Baseball Executive Brian Sabean (1987-1992) was born. Brian Sabean has been General Manager of the Giants since September 1996. He also served the Giants as a senior vice-president of player personnel in 1995 and assistant to the GM in scouting/player personnel in 1993-1995. Prior to joining the Giants, he worked in the Yankees organization as Scouting Director in 1987-1990 and director of player development in 1991-1992. Sabean was an assistant coach at Saint Leo University in 1979 and the University of Tampa in 1980-1982. He was the head coach at Tampa in 1983-1984.

1957 - Orioles' P George Zuverink and C Frank Zupo form the first 'Z' battery in MLB history as the Yankees still beat the Birds, by a score of 3-2.

1961 - The expansion Senators stake rookie Carl Mathias to a 3-0 lead over the Yankees, but a Mickey Mantle solo HR shot, a few feet left of the 456-ft sign in LF at Yankee Stadium, puts New York on the board. The Nats up the score to 5-1, but Mantle then bangs a 3-run HR to make it 5-4 and knock out Mathias, who in his 11 ML games will give up 3 HRs to Mantle. In the 9th inning, Roger Maris hits a 2-run HR, his 28th, to give the Yankees, a 7-6 victory.

1962 - Angels OF Albie Pearson becomes the 1st player to go hitless in 11 at bats in a doubleheader (both 9-inning games). The Angels split a doubleheader with the Yankees, losing 6-3 before winning by the score of 12-5. The Angels veteran reliever Art Fowler helps him to a win in the nightcap by driving in 4 runs on a pair of singles. The Yankees take over 1st place.

1964 - It's "Taxi Day" at Yankee Stadium with nearly 5,000 cabbies and their families are on hand as the A’s runs up the meter to win, a 5-4 victory over the Yankees.

1966 - At Washington, Mickey Mantle HRs in the 1st inning off of starter Phil Ortega, as Yankees edge the Senators, by a score of 8-6. Mickey scores another run, when Joe Pepitone cracks a 2-run HR.

1970 - The return of Denny McLain following his MLB suspension is witnessed by a gathering of 53,863 fans and 71 writers. He is knocked out of the box in the 6th inning, but the Tigers rally to beat the Yankees in the 11th inning by the score of 6-5.

1979 - The Yankees hit 5 HRs off of Red Sox starter Dennis Eckersley to win, by the score of 6-5. The Red Sox loses speedster Jerry Remy, batting .304 for the 1979 season, when he injures a knee sliding home. He will appear in only 7 more games all year. Remy will never swipe more than 16 bases, after averaging 35 steals his 1st 4 MLB seasons.

1982 - Former Yankees P Ray Scarborough (1952-53) passed away (1917-1982). On August 22, 1952, Ray was purchased by the Yankees from the Red Sox. Ray went 7-3 in 33 games for the Yankees in 1952-53. He appeared in 1 game in the 1952 World Series for the Yankees, On August 4, 1953, Ray was released by the Yankees. He would finish the 1953 AL season with the Tigers, retiring at the end of the season.

1990 - Yankees starter Andy Hawkins throws the 1990 AL season's 6th no-hitter, but still loses by the score of 4-0 to the White Sox. With 2 out in the bottom of the 8th inning, Yankees 3B Mike Blowers misplays Sammy Sosa's routine grounder for an error, and Hawkins walks 2 to load the bases. Yankee outfielders Jim Leyritz and Jesse Barfield drop back-to-back fly balls to allow all 4 runs to score. Barfield loses Ivan Calderon's fly ball in the sun and the ball bounces off his glove. A’s knuckleball starter Ken Johnson in 1964, was the last pitcher to lose a no-hitter.

1996 - At Yankee Stadium, the Key outguns the Rocket, as Yankees starter Jimmy Key beats Red Sox hurler Roger Clemens, by a score of 2-0. Mike Aldrete's solo HR in the 7th inning is the 1st score for the Yankees.

2003 - Former Yankees P Bill Miller (1952-1954) passed away. Bill was originally signed by the A’s, and then he went to the Giants organization. On August 1, 1951, Bill was purchased by the Yankees from the Syracuse (IL). Bill appeared in 36 games with the Yankees, going 6-7, before being traded to the Orioles in the big 17-player trade of December 1954. He went 0-1 for the 1954 Orioles before leaving the MLB as an active player.

2005 - In the game of the year, the Yankees beat the Red Sox 5-4 in 13 innings. The score was tied 3-3 after 9 innings and both teams had to wiggle their way out of many jams to keep it that way. In the 12th inning, the Red Sox had runners on second and third with 2 outs when Trot Nixon lifted a fly ball to shallow left field. Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter raced out and caught the ball before diving headfirst into the stands and bloodying his face, forcing him to leave the game. In the top of the 13th inning, Manny Ramirez homered to give the Red Sox the lead, but the Yankees staged a 2 out rally in the bottom half of the 13th inning. Ruben Sierra singled, then came around to score on Miguel Cairo's game-tying RBI double. Pinch hitter John Flaherty, the last man off the Yankees' bench, followed that up with a game-winning ground-rule single to score Cairo.

July 2nd

1912 - At Hill Top Park in New York City, Red Sox Larry Gardner legs out 2 inside-the-park HRs but the Red Sox still lose the game by the score of 9-7, to the Yankees.

1922 - The A’s OF Tilly Walker hits 2 HRs, giving him 4 in 2 days, as the A's lose to the Yankees by the score of 9-3. He will finish with 37 HRs for the season, 2 ahead of Yankees Babe Ruth. The A’s, with the AL's winningest pitcher in Eddie Rommel (27-13) and losingest in Slim Harriss (9-20) will lead the AL with 114 HRs and climb out of the cellar.

1931 - Babe Ruth homers to drive in a run for the 11th consecutive game as the Yankees drub the Tigers by a score of 12-1. Ruth has 18 RBI in the string.

1938 - Former Yankees reliever Hal Reniff (1961-67) was born (1938-2004). Hal was signed as free agent in 1956. He appeared in 247 games with Yankees posting an 18-20 record with 41 saves out of the Yankees bullpen, before being sold to the Mets in June of 1967. Hal would pitch for the Yankees AAA team in Syracuse in the early 1970’s, before retiring as an active player.

1941 - On sweltering day in front of 52,832 fans at Yankee Stadium, Joe DiMaggio breaks Wee Willie Keeler's 1897's MLB record consecutive game hit streak of 45 games with a 3-run HR off of Red Sox hurler Richard Newsome.

1946 - The Yankees nip the Red Sox by the score of 2-1, before a Yankee Stadium crowd of 69,107 fans. Yankees starter Spud Chandler walks 9 batters in the 1st 4 innings, but takes a no-hitter into the 9th inning, before Red Sox INF Bobby Doerr hits a 1-out single.

1948 - The Senators beat the Yankees, by the score of 2-1, in 12 innings as Walt Masterson allows only 3 hits and goes all the way for the win. Tom McBride makes 12 putouts to set the AL record for PO in LF in extra innings. The Yankees drop 2 games behind 1st-place Indians and 1 1/2 game behind the A's.

1951 - The Yankees gain a split of their 4-game series at Fenway Park by trouncing the Red Sox by a score of 15-9. Veteran Johnny Mize plays 1B for the Yankees; he contributes with a HR and a single.

1961 - The Yankees hit 5 HRs including HR #28 by Mickey Mantle and HRs #'s 29 and #30 by Roger Maris to easily beat the expansion Senators, by a score of 13-4.

1962 - At Yankee Stadium, Mickey Mantle deposits a 6th inning HR halfway up the 3rd tier in RF to lead the Yankees to a 8-4 win over the A's. Mick walks his other 3 times up.

1964 - Former Yankees DH Jose Canseco (2000) was born. Jose was claimed on waivers from the Devil Rays during the 2000 AL season. He appeared in 37 games with 6 HRS, 19 RBIs with .243 BA.

1964 - Former Yankees minor league P Ozzie Canseco was born. Ozzie was signed as a pitcher by the Yankees as a 2nd round draft choice in 1983 MLB player draft. He was released by the Yankees organization on July 4, 1986.

1966 - Frank Howard, Don Lock, and Ken McMullen hit consecutive HRs with 2 outs in the 6th inning, as Senators starter Mike McCormick pitches a complete game. The Senators defeat a winless Whitey Ford and the Yankees, by a score of 10-4. Mike McCormick is the winner for the Senators, giving up 5 hits including a Mickey Mantle HR, his 14th of the 1966 AL season, in the 9th inning.

1978 - Ron Guidry wins his 13th consecutive game, the best start in Yankees history, in beating the Tigers, by a score of 3-2. With the Yankees down 2-0, Mickey Rivers long drive to right is caught by a fan reaching down to take it away from Detroit's Mickey Stanley. The fan drops the ball and Stanley, waiting for an interference call, fails to retrieve the ball. “Mick the Quick” motors for an inside-the-park HR and the Yankees tie the game at 2-2, eventually winning it.

2002 - The Yankees obtained OF Raul Mondesi from the Blue Jays in exchange for minor league P Scott Wiggins.

July 3rd

1911 - At Philadelphia, the A's 3B Frank “Home Run” Baker hits for the cycle in a 5-1 victory over the Yankees in 2nd game of a doubleheader.

1912 - Walter Johnson picks up a win and is given a rare rest in the 6th inning as Senators coasts to a 10-2 win over the Highlanders. Johnson will rack up an AL record 16 straight wins before he is beaten.

1914 - A’s starters Chief Bender and Bob Shawkey whitewash the Yankees, by the scores of 2-0 and 1- 0, for an A's doubleheader sweep.

1914 - Former Yankees reserve C Buddy Rosar (1939-42) was born (1914-1994). 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.

1922 - Former Yankees pitching coach and MLB player Art Fowler (1975-78) was born. Art was longtime pitching coach for Manager Billy Martin.

1922 - Bob Meusel hits for the cycle for the 2nd time in his MLB career to pace the Yankees to a 12-1 whipping of the A’s. Meusel and Ruth go back-to-back in the 7th inning as Carl Mays cruises to his 22nd straight win over the A’s. As noted by baseball historian Ted Farmer, all of Carl Mays wins against the A’s have been complete games.

1923 - For the 2nd time of the 1923 AL season, Babe Ruth hits a 15th inning game-winning-HR, as Yankee starter Joe Bush going all 15 innings gets a 2-1 victory over the Senators.

1925 - Yankees released veteran OF Whitey Witt (1922-25). On April 17, 1922, Whitey was purchased by the Yankees from the A’s. He appeared in 464 games for the Yankees, hitting .300; Whitey appeared in the 1922 and 1923 World Series for the Yankees, hitting .233 in 11 games.

1932 - With a Boston law restricting games within 1000 feet of a church on Sundays no longer in effect, the 1st Sunday game is played at Fenway Park with the Red Sox losing to the Yankees, by a score of 13-2.

1940 - Former Yankee reserve INF Cesar Tovar (1976) was born. On September 1, 1976, he was signed as a free agent with the Yankees. He was only in 13 games for the Yankees, hitting just .154. On December 17, 1976, he was released by the Yankees.

1941 - Former Yankees reliever Casey Cox (1972-73) was born. On August 30, 1972, Casey was traded by the Rangers to the Yankees for P Jim Roland. Casey appeared in 6 games going 0-1 for the Yankees.

1950 - Yankees rookie 1B Joe Collins is not hitting well, with veteran OF/1B Tommy Henrich still injured. Yankees Co-Owner Dan Topping asks veteran CF Joe DiMaggio to play 1B in an experiment. In the 7-2 Yankees loss, he handles 13 plays cleanly but is clearly not happy with the move. He goes back into OF when RF Hank Bauer sprains his ankle. After this 1-game experiment, Joe returns to the outfield. Yankees Manager Casey Stengel was hoping the new position for Joe DiMaggio would extend his playing career with the Yankees. Joe never forgave Casey for not asking him to his face to play 1B for the team. Fortunately Tommy Henrich returns and plays an excellent 1B for the Yankees.

1951 - Former Yankees reliever Hugh Casey (1949) shoots himself in a hotel room in Atlanta, GA. He was 37 years old. At the time of his death, Casey was pitching for the Atlanta Crackers, a minor league team. Hugh Casey spent most of his MLB career with the Dodgers. On September 4, 1949, Hugh was signed as a free agent by the Yankees. He appeared in 4 games with 1-0 record. On October 13, 1949, Casey was released by the Yankees. He never appeared in the majors again.

1953 - Former Yankees P Frank Tanana (1993) was born. On September 17, 1993, Frank was traded by the Mets to the Yankees for minor league P Kenny Greer. Frank went 0-3 in 3 games for the Yankees.

1960 - Before 50,556 fans at Yankee Stadium, the Yankees sweep 2 games from the Tigers, winning by scores of 7-6 and 6-2. In the opener, Yankees closer Ryne Duren fans Tigers OF Charlie Maxwell with the bases loaded and 2 outs in the 9th inning. Detroit is ahead by the score of 2-1 in the night cap, when Norm Cash argues at length about a call at 1B, and he finally gets tossed from the game, when play resumes Tigers reliever Pete Burnside serves up a 3-run HR to Mickey Mantle, who is batting righty. The Yankees are 23-5 since June 5th, now lead the AL by 3 games.

1962 - The Yankees need all 5 HRs, 2 each by Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris, plus one by 2B Bobby Richardson to edge the A's by a score of 8-7. Mantle's 2nd HR, in the 8th inning, is the tiebreaker.

1966 - Mickey Mantle hits a 1st inning HR, and for the 2nd time this week has hit 3 HRs in consecutive times at bat. New York blows a 5 -0 lead in the 8th inning as the Senators storm back. Bobby Richardson HRs in the 11th inning to give New York, a 6-5 lead. In the bottom of the 9th inning, Paul Casanova goes is on 1B, when a sac bunt moves him to 2B. He overruns the bag and decides to head to 3B, where he knocks the ball away from INF Tom Tresh. He then continues to home where he is thrown out by a mile.

1967 - Current Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman was born. Brian Cashman has been General Manager of the Yankees since 1998. Under his leadership, the Yankees have won 3 World Series championships and 5 AL pennants. He previously served as Yankees assistant GM from 1995 to 1997. Brian replaced GM Bob Watson in 1998.

1975 - Former Yankees P Christian Parker (2001) was born. Christian went 0-1 with the Yankees in 2001. On March 22, 2000, he was sent by the Expos to the Yankees to complete an earlier deal made on December 22, 1999. The Expos sent players to be named later and P Jake Westbrook to the Yankees for P Hideki Irabu. The Expos will send P Ted Lilly on March 17, 2000 and P Christian Parker on March 22, 2000 to the Yankees to complete the trade.

1977 - Yankees starter Ron Guidry pitches his 2nd consecutive shutout of the 1977 AL season, a 6-hit, 2-0 win over the Tigers. Yankees Roy White broke up the scoreless duel with a run-scoring double in the 8th inning.

1978 - At Fenway Park, Carl Yastrzemski strokes a run-scoring double in the 3rd, his 2,800th MLB career hit, as the Red Sox pummel the Yankees, 9-5. Yaz adds 2 singles in Boston's 12-hit attack, as Dennis Eckersley (9-2) tops Ed Figueroa. The win moves Boston ahead of 2nd place Brewers by 7 1/2 games with the Yankees now trailing by 8 games.

1980 - The MLB's largest crowd in 7 years (73,096) watches Wayne Garland 2-hit the Yankees by the score of 7-0 at Cleveland Stadium.

1996 - The Yankees sign Venezuelan OF Jackson Melian, who had just turned 16, to a contract for $1.6 million. His bonus is a record for Latino ball players. He never reaches the MLB as a player.

July 4th

1884 - Former Yankees P John “Jack” Warhop (1908-1915) was born. Jack went 69-93 in 221 games for the Yankees.

1904 - Jack Chesbro, the Highlanders spit-ball starter, wins his 14th game in a row, an AL pitching record until the Senators Walter Johnson wins 16 straight in 1912. The A's lose both games today, as the Highlanders sweep the 3 game series.

1925 - The A’s Lefty Grove battles the Yankees' Herb Pennock 15 innings before taking a 1-0 loss. Herb Pennock is a model of control, issuing no walks and giving up only 4 hits.

1927 - The Yankees sweep the Senators in a doubleheader, winning by score of 12-1 in both games.

1930 - Current Yankees owner George Steinnbrenner was born in Cleveland, OH. The owner of the New York Yankees since 1973 when he bought them from CBS for $10 million, George Steinbrenner is well known for his love of firing managers. He hired and fired Billy Martin 5 times. In more recent times he has changed that reputation sticking with Joe Torre as manager from 1996 to 2007. Since he has owned the club, the Yankees have won the World Series 6 times. Steinbrenner was routinely parodied on the show Seinfeld. His voice was portrayed by the show's co-creator Larry David. He was also banned from baseball in 1990 by MLB Commissioner Fay Vincent for associating with gamblers to damage the reputation of former Yankees player Dave Winfield. He was re-instated by MLB in 1993. After the 2008 AL season, he stepped down and handed control of the team to his son Hal Steinbrenner. Steinbrenner was also a assistant football coach at both Northwestern University and Purdue University

1932 - Yankees All Star C Bill Dickey punches and breaks Carl Reynolds's jaw after the Senator OF collides with him on a close play at home plate. The AL suspends the Yankees catcher for 30 days and fines him $1,000 for his 1-punch fight.

1933 - The Senators widen their lead over the 2nd-place Yankees to 2 1/2 games with a double-bill victory before 77,365 holiday fans at Yankee Stadium, 6-5 in 10 innings and 3-2. The Yankees would finish in 2nd place in 1933 with a 90-59 record.

1934 - The 1934 AL pennant race has seesawed between the Yankees and Tigers with New York only 1 game ahead. The improved Red Sox are 6 1/2 games behind, and the Senators, last year's AL Champion, are 7 games back and dropping fast. The Yankees would finish in 2nd place in 1934 with a 94-60 record.

1937 - After the July 4th games are played, the Yankees have opened a 3 1/2 game lead over the White Sox in the AL.

1939 - It's “Lou Gehrig Appreciation Day” at Yankee Stadium with "The Iron Horse's” Yankees uniform number 4 will be the 1st uniform ever to be retired. After emcee Sid Mercer informs the sell-out crowd the man of the hour is too moved to speak, Lou Gehrig changes his mind, when Yankee Manager Joe McCarthy encourages him, and delivers the keynote address history describing himself as "the luckiest man on the face of the earth".

1942 - Former Yankees INF Hal Lanier (1972-73) was born. Hal was a good fielding INF with a weak bat. He was son of former NL pitching star Max Lanier.

1948 - Former Yankees minor league player OF/DH/C Wayne Nordhagen was born. On June 7, 1968, Wayne was drafted by the Yankees in the 7th round of the 1968 MLB amateur player draft. On June 7,1973, he was traded by the Yankees along with players to be named later and OF/1B Frank Tepedino to the Braves for starter Pat Dobson. The Yankees would send P Dave Cheadle on August 15, 1973 and P Al Closter on September 5,1973 to the Braves to complete the trade.

1954 - Yankees purchased P Marlin Stuart from the Orioles on waivers. Marlin went 3-0 in 10 games with 1 save for the Yankees in 1954.

1954 - Former Yankees P Jim Beattie (1978-79) was born. Jim was drafted by the Yankees in the 4th round of the 1975 MLB amateur player draft. Jim went 9-15 in 40 games with the Yankees (1978-79). On November 1, 1979, Jim was traded by the Yankees along with P Rick Anderson, OF Juan Beniquez, and C Jerry Narron to the Mariners for OF Ruppert Jones and minor league P Jim Lewis. His MLB pitching career would end with shoulder problems. Jim has worked in the front offices for the Expos and Orioles, as a General Manager.

1959 - Yankees starter Bob Turley turns in another 1-hit masterpiece at Washington’s Griffth Stadium. A lazy fly ball in the 9th inning by PH Julio Becquer drops in front of LF Norm Siebern for the only Senators hit. Yankees Shortstop Tony Kubek goes 8-for-10 in the doubleheader, as the Yankees sweep the Nats by scores of 10-6 and 7-0.

1960 - Mickey Mantle's 3-run 1st-inning HR off of P Hal Woodeshick is the 300th HR of his MLB career. Mantle becomes the 18th MLB player to join the 300 HR MLB club, but the Yankees drop a 9-8 decision to Senators.

1961 - Before 74,246 fans, the largest crowd at Yankee Stadium since 1947, the Yankees split a doubleheader with the Tigers, winning the opener 6-2, before losing the nightcap 4-3 in 10 innings.

1964 - At Yankee Stadium, the Twins are leading the Yankees by a score of 5-4, when Mickey Mantle parks a 3-run HR shot off of Twins reliever Al Worthington in the 8th inning to win it, by a score of 7-5.

1967 - At Metropolitan Stadium in Minnesota, Twins starter Jim “Mudcat” Grant stops the Yankees to give the Twins, an 8-3 victory. Mickey Mantle drives in all 3 Yankees runs with 2 HRs.

1967 - Yankees obtained veteran starter Steve Barber from the Orioles for 1B Ray “Buddy” Barker, minor league Outfielders Chet Trail and Joe Brody plus cash. Barber was washed up, never fully recovering from his arm problems. He went 12-14 in 37 games for the Yankees (1967-68) before being drafted by the Seattle Pilots in the 1968 AL expansion player draft. Steve passed way in February of 2007.

1974 - Former Yankees co-owner Del Webb (1945-1964) passed away (1899-1974). He became part owner of the New York Yankees in 1945, when he was part of a group that purchased the team from the estate of the late Jacob Ruppert. The group included Dan Topping and Larry MacPhail. Dan Topping and Del Webb bought out Larry McPhail after the 1947 World Series. Dan Topping and Del Webb sold the club to CBS, Inc. in November of 1964.

1977 - Yankees stay 1 game ahead of the Red Sox by edging the Indians, by a score of 7-5. The Yankees get HRs from Chris Chambliss, Roy White, Lou Piniella, and Graig Nettles.

1983 - Lefty starter Dave Righetti pitches the Yankees' 1st no-hitter since Don Larsen's perfect game in the 1956 World Series, handcuffing the Red Sox by a score of 4-0 before a holiday crowd of 41,077 fans at Yankee Stadium. It's the 1st no-hitter by a Yankee lefty starter since George Mogridge in 1917.

1984 - Yankees starter Phil Niekro strikes out 5 batters in the Yankees 5 -0 win over Rangers to become the 9th pitcher in MLB history to record 3,000 MLB career strikeouts.

1986 - At Comiskey Park, with the score 1-1 in the bottom of the 8th inning, White Sox OF John Cangelosi leads off with a drive to the RF corner. A fans leans out of the stands and appears to touch the ball as he tumbles onto the field. Anticipating an interference call, Yankees OF Claudell Washington slows down, while the speedy Cangelosi easily makes 3B. The umps don't see any interference and Cangelosi remains on 3B, and scores on a sac fly. White Sox win the game by a score of 2-1.

1988 - Rangers starter Charlie Hough strikes out 4 batters in the 1st inning of a 13-2 loss to the Yankees.

1996 - The Yankees provide the 4th of July fireworks, by signing free agent Darryl Strawberry. On June 24th, Yankee GM Bob Watson said 5 times that Strawberry "doesn't fit" with the Yankees. Strawberry will be assigned to the AAA Columbus Clippers (IL).

2002 - The Yankees defeat the Indians by a score of 7-1. Indians slugger Jim Thome has his streak of consecutive games hitting a HR stopped at 7 games, 1 short of the MLB record.

2003 - In a 10-3 victory over the Yankees, the Red Sox score all their runs with the long ball hitting a record 7 HR’s off the Yankee pitchers. Prior to today's Independence Day fireworks, the Bronx Bombers had given up 6 HRS in a game 4 times including 2 to Boston (1997 and 1977) and the Indians (1970).

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