This Week in Yankees History
December 6th - December 12th
December 6th - December 12th
December 6th
1873 - Former Yankees 3B and Manager Harry Wolverton (1912) was born. The Yankees would go 50-102 in 1912 under Harry’s leadership. He would be replace dby former Cubs great INF Frank Chance in 1913. As a player, Harry appeared in 33 games for the 1912 Yankees, hitting .300.
1903 - Former Yankees HOF 2B Tony “Poosh 'Em Up Tony” Lazzeri (1926-1937) was born. (1903-1946). Tony Lazzeri set what were then organized baseball records with 60 HRs and 222 RBIs for the Salt Lake City Bees in 1925, not to mention a .355 batting average. On August 1, 1925, Tony was traded by the Salt Lake City Bees (PCL) to the Yankees for players to be named later and $50,000. The Yankees would send in March of 1926, Mack Hillis, Frank Zoellers and Curt Fullerton to the Salt Lake City (PCL) to complete the trade. Tony had a lifetime BA of .293 with Yankees. He appeared in 7 World Series hitting .262 with 4 HRs with 19 RBIs. His best Yankees season was in 1929, when he hit.354 with 18 HRs with 106 RBIs. Tony had seven 100 RBI Seasons: (1926-27, 1929-30, 1932-33 and in 1936). He was on the 1st AL All Star team in 1933. On October 15, 1937, Tony was released by the Yankees, upon his request to retire from MLB. Tony was elected to MLB’s Hall Of Fame in 1991.
1920 - Former Yankees reserve C Gus Niarhos (1946-1950) was born. In 1941, the Yankees signed Gus Niarhos, as an MLB amateur free agent. Gus played in 153 games for the Yankees, hitting .264. On June 27, 1950, Gus was selected off waivers by the White Sox from the Yankees for $10,000. He was another one of the young Yankee catchers, who were blocked by the presence of Yogi Berra, starting behind home plate.
1945 - Former Yankees MLB 3B Coach Larry Bowa (2005-2007) was born. Larry left the Yankees after the 2007 AL season to join former Yankees Manager Joe Torre, who took over the Dodgers manager’s job.
1946 - The Yankees obtained 2B Ray Mack and C Sherman Lollar from the Indians for P Al Gettel, P Gene Beardon and OF Hal Peck. Mack would be sent to the White Sox during the 1947 AL season. In 2 seasons with the Yankees, Lollar would catch 19 games as a reserve catcher, before being sent to the Browns in 1948.
1953 - Former Yankees OF/DH Gary Ward (1987-1989) was born. On December 24, 1986, Gary was signed as a MLB free agent with the Yankees. During with his stay with the Yankees, Gary never hit like he had done with the Twins earlier in his MLB career. On April 16, 1989, Gary was released by the Yankees.
1968 - The Yankees obtained INF Nate Oliver from the Giants for 3B Charlie Smith (A classic nothing for nothing trade that leaves nothing).
1971 - Former Yankees P Jose Contreras (2003-2004) was born. In 2003, the Yankees signed Jose as an MLB amateur free agent. A former pitching star in Cuba, Jose never really felt comfortable with the Yankees. In 2003, he posted a 7-2 record for the team. In 2004, Jose was 8-5 with the Yankees, when he was traded in July to the White Sox for P Esteban Loaiza.
1973 - The Yankees purchased shortstop Jim Mason from the Rangers for $100,000. Jim would hit .250 for the Yankees in 1975, before dropping off to .152 and .180, before being drafted by the Blue Jays from the Yankees as the 30th pick in the 1976 AL expansion team player draft (the Blue Jays and Mariners.)
1978 - Former Yankees reserve INF Chris Basask (2007) was born. Chris appeared in 5 games as a reserve INF with the 2007 Yankees with no hits.
1997 - Former Yankees OF Lou Clinton (1966-1967) passed away (1937-1997). On January 14, 1966, Lou was traded by the Indians to the Yankees for C Doc Edwards. Lou hit .220 in 80 games in 1966. He appeared in only 6 games for the Yankees in 1967. Lou originally came up to the MLB with the Red Sox.
December 7th
1930 - Former Yankees P Mark Freeman (1959) was born. In 1952, the Yankees signed Mark as an MLB amateur free agent. On April 8, 1959, Mark was traded by the Yankees to the A’s for P Jack Urban. On May 8, 1959, Mark Freeman was returned to the Yankees by the A’s. He appeared in only 1 game with no record with the Yankees during the 1959 AL season. On May 19, 1960, Mark was traded by the Yankees to the Cubs for P Art Ceccarelli.
1930 - Former Yankees minor league C Hal Smith was born. Hal Smith was signed by the Yankees in 1949, and was involved in a huge trade after the 1954 season whereby 17 players changed teams between the Yankees and Orioles. He came to the majors 1st in 1955 with the Orioles in their 2nd year in Baltimore. Smith immediately became a regular as a rookie, appearing in 135 games and hitting .271 on a team that hit .240. In August 1956, he was traded to the A’s, and the following year had one of his best seasons with the bat, hitting .303 and slugging .483, 101 points above the league slugging average. The following 2 years, Smith played a lot of 3B, as the A's tried to keep his bat in the lineup when he wasn't catching. He was traded after 1959 AL season to the Pirates, in time to be part of their 1960 World Series team. During the regular season he slugged .508, and during the World Series he hit a 3-run HR in Game 7 that keyed a Pirates comeback in the 8th inning. Smith's HR put the Pirates ahead by the score of 9-7 before the Yankees tied the game with 2 runs in the 9th. Bill Mazeroski’s memorable HR in the bottom of the 9th inning won the 1960 World Series for the Pirates. In 1962, Hal became one of the original Houston Colt .45s. In 1964 he finished out his MLB career on the 1964 Reds.
1933 - The Yankees released 2 veteran players: P Wilcy Moore and 2B Roy Schalk.
1942 - Former Yankees OF/DH Alex “The Bull” Johnson (1974-1975) was born. Outside of hitting a game winning grand slam HR at his 1st Yankee at bat in 1974, Alex performance with the Yankees was a major disappointment, hitting only .216 in 1974 and .261 in 1975. On September 4, 1975, Alex was released by the Yankees.
1949 - The Yankees released veteran OF Charlie “King Kong” Keller (1939-1949, 1952). Charlie finishes his Yankees career with a lifetime BA of .286 with 184 HRs with 723 RBIs in 1,066 games. He was named to the AL All Star team 4 times. Charlie appeared in 4 World Series with the Yankees, hitting .306 with 5 HRs and 18 RBIs. Charlie would sign with the Tigers for the 1950 AL season, playing as a part–time OF and pinch hitter. He would hit .316. In 1951, he hit .258 for the Tigers. Charlie has plagued by back problems at the end of his fine MLB career. He rejoined the Yankees in September of 1952, appearing in only 1 game before retiring from MLB.
1950 - Former Yankees OF Rich Coggins (1975-1976) was born. On June 20, 1975, Rich was purchased by the Yankees from the Expos. Rich didn’t hit much during his stay with the Yankees. On May 18, 1976, Rich was traded by the Yankees along with P Ken Brett to the White Sox for OF /DH Carlos May.
1962 - Former Yankees P Bobo Newsome (1947) passed away. On July 11, 1947, Bobo was purchased by the Yankees from the Senators. Bob went 7-5 in 17 games with 1 save in 1947. On February 6, 1948, he was released by the Yankees.
1967 - The Braves traded INF Bobby Cox to the Yankees for P Dale Roberts and C Bob Tillman. Dale Roberts had appeared in 2 games with the 1967 Yankees with no record. Bob Tillman was a reserve catcher, who hit .254 in 22 games for the Yankees. Bobby Cox would appear in 220 games as an INF for the Yankees, hitting just .225. Later he would become a 3B MLB coach with the Yankees, then moving on to managing the Blue Jays before moving to the Braves.
1967 - Former Yankees AL All Star 1B Tino Martinez (1996-2001, 2005) was born. On December 7, 1995, Tino was traded by the Mariners along with pitchers Jim Mecir and Jeff Nelson to the Yankees for INF Russ Davis and P Sterling Hitchcock. Coming to the Yankees, he was replacing All Star Don Mattingly at 1st base. His best Yankees season was in 1997, when Tino hit .296, 44 HRs with 141 RBIs. Tino played in 5 World Series with the Yankees, hitting .268, 3 HRs with 14 RBIs. In 2001, he left the Yankees as a MLB free agent to sign with the Cardinals. On January 1, 2005, Tino was signed as a free agent with the Yankees. He hit .241, 17 HRs, with 49 RBIs in 131 games, before retiring as a MLB active player.
1969 - Former Yankees P/OF Lefty O’Doul (1919-1922) passed away. Lefty appeared in 40 games as an OF for the Yankees hitting .243. Lefty would also appear in 11 games as a pitcher for the Yankees with no record. On July 23, 1922, Lefty was traded by the Yankees along with Chick Fewster, Elmer Miller, Johnny Mitchell, and $50,000 to the Red Sox for veteran 3B Joe Dugan and OF Elmer Smith. Lefty would switch from pitching to hitting in the NL. He would become a great hitter in NL, finishing with a lifetime MLB BA of .346, as an outfielder. He was a longtime manager in the Pacific Coast League, with the San Francisco Seals (1935-1951), the San Diego Padres (1952-1954), the Oakland Oaks (1955), the Vancouver Mounties (1956), and the Seattle Rainiers (1957). He compiled a record of 2,094-1,970 over 23 seasons in the minor leagues. He is a member of the Pacific Coast League Hall of Fame.
1973 - The Yankees obtained OF/DH/1B Lou Piniella and P Ken Wright from the Royals for veteran P Lindy McDaniel. Lou Piniella would become one of the key players of the great Yankees teams of the late 1970’s. Lindy McDaniel was at the end of his fine MLB career.
1973 - The Yankees purchased C Bill Sudakis from the Rangers for $40,000. Bill would hit .232 in 89 games for the Yankees in 1973.
1976 - Former Yankees minor league INF Kevin Hooper (2004) was born. On May 26, 2004, Kevin was selected off of waivers by the Yankees from Marlins. Kevin didn’t play for the Yankees at MLB level. On August 6, 2004, Kevin, who was playing at Columbus (AAA) was released by the Yankees.
1976 - Former Yankees P Duke Maas (1958-1961) passed away (1929-1976). Duke originally came up to the MLB with the Tigers, but he was traded to the A’s. On June 15, 1958, Duke was traded by the A’s along with veteran P Virgil Trucks to the Yankees for P Bob Grim and OF Harry Simpson. Duke would go 26-12 in 96 games with the Yankees. His best Yankees season was in 1959, when he posted a 14-8 mark for the Yankees. He appeared in 2 World Series games for the Yankees pitching in relief, in 1958 and 1960. The Yankees lost him to the LA Angels in the 1960 AL Expansion Player Draft in December of 1960. On April 4, 1961, Duke was traded back by the Angels to the Yankees for INF Fritz Brickell. Duke would only pitch in 1-game, before major arm problems shut him down for the rest of 1961 AL season. He never pitched in MLB again. Duke finished his MLB pitching career with a 45-44 record with a 4.19 ERA. Duke passed away at the age of 45 in 1976.
1983 - The Angels traded veteran shortstop Tim Foli Angels to the Yankees for P Curt Kaufman and cash. On July 10, 1979, Kurt was signed by the Yankees as an MLB amateur free agent. Kaufman had a 1-0 record in 11 games for the Yankees (1982-1983). Tim Foli would hit .262 in 61 games for the 1984 Yankees.
1995 - 1B Tino Martinez was traded by the Mariners along with pitchers Jim Mecir and Jeff Nelson to the Yankees for INF Russ Davis and P Sterling Hitchcock. Coming to the Yankees, Tino was replacing All Star Don Mattingly at 1B, who had retired from MLB, because of continuing back problems.
2000 - The Yankees signed veteran MLB starter Dwight Gooden and reserve INF Luis Sojo as MLB free agents. Doc Gooden would go 4-2 in 18 games for the 2000 Yankees. Luis Sojo will appear in 34 games, hitting .288 for the Yankees. He will hit .286 in 4 games of the 2000 World Series against the Mets.
2001 - The Yankees traded veteran OF Dave Justice to the Mets for 3B/1B Robin Ventura. Robin will hit .249 in 230 games for the Yankees before being traded on July 31, 2003, by the Yankees to the Dodgers for minor league players: OF Bubba Crosby and P Scott Proctor.
2002 - The Yankees signed MLB free agent reserve C Chris Widger. Chris would appear in 21 games for the 2002 Yankees, hitting .297.
2003 - Reliever Gabe White was signed as a MLB free agent with the Yankees. Gabe went 2-2 in 36 games for the Yankees during the 2003-2004 AL seasons. On June 18, 2004, the Yankees traded Gabe to the Reds for minor league P Charlie Manning and cash.
2006 - The Yankees drafted 1B Josh Phelps from the Orioles organization in the 2006 MLB Rule 5 player draft. Josh will hit .263 in 36 games for the 2007 Yankees, before being picked up on waivers by the Pirates.
2007 - Yankees reserve 1B/OF/DH Andy Phillips was granted free agency. On June 2, 1999, Andy was drafted by the Yankees in the 7th round of the 1999 MLB amateur player draft. Andy appeared in 203 games for the Yankees, hitting .253.
December 8th
1874 - Former Yankees C/1B Joseph Connor (1905) was born. In September of 1905, Joe was loaned to the Highlanders by Newark (Eastern League) He appeared in 8 games for the 1905 Yankees, hitting .227.
1879 - Former Yankees 3B James “Jim” Austin (1909-1910) was born. On September 1, 1908, Jim was drafted by the Highlanders from Omaha (Western) in the 1908 MLB Rule 5 player draft. He appeared in 269 games for the Yankees, hitting .224. On February 11,1911, Jim was traded by the Yankees along with 2B Frank LaPorte to the Browns for 3B Roy Hartzell and cash.
1880 - Former Yankees OF/3B Jack “Bullet Jack” Thoney (1904) was born. On May 8, 1904, he was purchased by the Highlanders from the Senators. He appeared in 36 games, hitting just .188 for the Yankees
1939 - At the December meeting of both MLB leagues in Cincinnati, Judge Landis votes against all amendments favorable to farm systems. The Rules committee, with an eye towards rising declining batting averages, votes to restore the “sacrifice fly” for the 1940 MLB season. Seven AL owners push through a new rule barring the AL champion from making any trades within the league. This rule was clearly aimed at the Yankees, winners of the last 4 World Series; the NL owners decline to vote it for their league.
1941 - Former Yankees reserve INF Ed Brinkman (1975) was born. Ed appeared in 44 games with the Yankees hitting only .175 during the 1975 AL season, before retiring as an active MLB player.
1950 - Former Yankees INF Tim Foli (1984) was born. On December 7, 1983, Tim was traded by the Angels to the Yankees for P Curt Kaufman and cash. Tim hit .262 in 61 games for the Yankees in 1984. On December 20, 1984, the Yankees traded Tim along with OF Steve Kemp and cash to the Pirates for INF Dale Berra, P Alfonso Pulido, and minor league OF Jay Buhner.
1966 - Five years after breaking Babe Ruth's single MLB season HR record, the Yankees traded former AL MVP OF Roger Maris to the Cardinals for journeyman 3B Charlie Smith. The trade was a salary dump made by CBS front office management. Roger Maris wanted to retire as a Yankee, but the trade made him want to continue to play for the next 2 seasons, with Roger going to the World Series with the Cardinals twice, while the Yankees dropped to the AL cellar.
1968 - Former Yankees P Mike “Moose” Mussina (2001-2008) was born. On November 30, 2000, Mike was signed as a free agent with the Yankees.Mike finished the 2008 AL season with 20 victories for the 1st time in his 18 year MLB career. Also he won the 2008 AL Golden Glove award for a pitcher, his 3rd was a Yankees, others in 2001-2003. Mike had a 108-72 record in 249 games with the Yankees. In 2 World Series with the Yankees, Mike went 1-2. In ALCS, Mike went 4-5 for the Yankees. Mike announced his retirement from MLB on November 20,
2008.
1978 - Former Yankees reserve OF Nick “Tomato Face” Cullop (1926) passed away. Nick appeared in 2 games with the 1926 Yankees, hitting .500. On October 19, 1926, Nick was sent by the Yankees to the Senators to complete an earlier deal made on August 27, 1926. The Yankees sent players to be named later to the Senators for veteran starter Dutch Ruether.
1983 - The AL club owners elected Dr. Robert “Bobby” Brown as President of the AL. He would hold the position from 1984-1994. Bobby Brown played 3B for the Yankees from 1946 to 1954 before embarking on a successful medical career, as a heart specialist. Bobby played 548 regular-season games for the Yankees, with a lifetime BA of .279 with 22 HRs. In addition, he appeared in 4 World Series (1947, 1949-1951) for the Yankees, batting .439 in 17 games, while participating in 4 World Championships. Also Bobby served 1½ years in the military during the Korean War.
1982 - Current Yankees P Alfredo Aceves (2008-2009) was born. Alfredo went 1-0 in 6 games with a 2.40 ERA. He had originally signed with the Blue Jays in 2001. The Yankees signed him as a free agent from the Mexican professional baseball leagues. Al went 10-1 in 43 games with 1 save for the 2009 Yankees.
1985 - Former Yankees P (1950) and Yankees MLB scout Dave Madison (1956-1958) passed away (1928-1985). The Yankees signed Dave as an MLB amateur free agent in 1947. Dave appeared in one game with the 1950 Yankees with no record. On April 7, 1952, Dave was purchased by the Browns from the Yankees.
1988 - The Yankees signed MLB free-agent former Padres starter Andy Hawkins (1988-1989). Andy went 20-19 for the Yankees before being released on May 9, 1991.
1998 - The Yankees traded minor league OF Chris Singleton to the White Sox for a player to be named later. The White Sox would send minor league player Rich Pratt on January 10, 1999 to the Yankees to complete the trade. Chris Singleton had been obtained by the Yankees in the Charlie Hayes trade with the Giants. He had never played for the Yankees at the MLB level.
2004 - The Yankees signed MLB free agent reliever Steve Karsay to a 4-year contract. Steve went 6-4 in 91 games with 12 saves, before being released by the Yankees on May 3, 2005. His best Yankees season was in 2004, going 6-4 with 12 saves in 78 games. After that 2004 AL season, he had problems with arm injuries.
2005 - The Yankees traded veteran INF/OF Tony Womack to the Reds for minor league players Ben Himes and Kevin Howard. Womack had appeared in 108 games for the 2005 Yankees, hitting just .249. Both players received by the Yankees, only played in the Yankees farm system for 2006 season then was released.
2006 - The Yankees signed veteran starter Andy Pettitte as a MLB free agent. Since returning to the Yankees in 2007, Andy has posted a 43-31 record.
2008 - Former Yankees 2B Joe “Flash” Gordon becomes the 1st player elected to the Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee since it was reconstituted. It had been 7 years since Pirates 2B Bill Mazeroski had been the most recent pick by the Committee. The new Committee had been criticized for not enshrining anyone in their 1st elections. Joe “Flash” Gordon had won the 1942 AL MVP Award with the Yankees. Also he played for the Indians from 1947-1950. Later he became a MLB manager with the Indians, Tigers, A’s and Royals.
December 9th
1902 - The AL announces purchase of grounds for a stadium in New York City. The next day the NL declares its readiness to make peace with the rival AL.
1923 - Traveling to Chicago for the MLB meetings, Wild Bill Donovan, New Haven manager is killed in a train wreck. Donovan was a pitcher for Tigers and MLB manager for the Yankees and Phillies. New Haven team president George Weiss had swapped berths with Donovan and escapes with a minor injury. Phillies owner William F. Baker is also on the train, but he is unhurt. George Weiss would later become the Yankees General Manager in 1949, holding the position until October of 1960. Under Yankees GM Ed Barrow, George Weiss will run the Yankees farm system. Wild Bill Donovan had managed the Yankees from 1915-1917.
1928 - Former Yankees reserve INF Joe “Oats” DeMaestri (1960-1961) was born. On December 11, 1959, Joe was part of the trade that sent OF Roger Maris and 1B Kent Hadley to the Yankees for P Don Larsen, OF Hank Bauer, OF/1BNorm Siebern and 1B/OF Marv Throneberry, who were sent to the A’s. In 1960, Joe got into only 49 games and hit .229, playing as a reserve for Tony Kubek. In game 2 of the 1960 World Series against the Pirates, Joe singled off the bench and scored a run in the Yankees' 16-3 rout over the Pirates. In game 7, Joe replaced Tony Kubek at shortstop in the 8th inning after Tony was hit in the throat by a ground ball of the bat of Bill Virdon. The 1961 AL season would be Joe DeMaestri’s final year in MLB. In his backup role, he appeared in only 30 games and hit for the lowest batting average of his career, a docile .146 in 41 at-bats. However he was around for one of baseball's most historic moments on October 1, 1961, when Roger Maris hit his 61st HR of the season to break Babe Ruth's single-season record of 60. "Oats", along with Tony Kubek and Bill Skowron pushed Roger Maris out of the Yankees dugout to make a curtain call, which at that time was an unusual practice.
1946 - Former Yankees reserve OF Rich Bladt (1975) was born. On January 6, 1970, Rich was sent by the Cubs to the Yankees to complete an earlier deal made on September 11, 1969. The Cubs sent a player to be named later, Terry Bongiovanni (minors), and cash to the Yankees for veteran OF Jimmie Hall. The Cubs would send OF Rick Bladt on January 6, 1970 to Yankees to complete the trade. Rich hit .222 in 52 games as a reserve OF in 1975. On January 20, 1977, Rich was traded by the Yankees along with OF Elliott Maddox to the Orioles for veteran OF Paul Blair.
1948 - Former Yankees P George "Doc" Medich (1972-1975) was born. The Yankees in the 30th round of the 1970 MLB amateur player draft drafted George. “Doc” will post a 49-40 record in 111 games, with the Yankees. The 1974 AL season will be his best Yankees season, when George posted a 19-15 mark. Doc was traded by the Yankees to the Pirates in the winter of 1975 for P Ken Brett, P Dock Ellis, and rookie 2B Willie Randolph.
1965 - While giving a speech in Columbus, MO, Branch Rickey collapses and dies a few days short of his 84th birthday. A MLB player, and manager, an extraordinary judge of baseball talent, and a shrewd trader, he became perhaps the game's most influential executive. He was the creator of the concept for a farm system for MLB teams, while running the Cardinals. Rickey was the Dodgers baseball executive, who was responsible for bring Jackie Robinson to MLB in 1947. As a former MLB catcher, Branch played for the Yankees in 1907, hitting just .182 in 52 games playing with a bad shoulder.
1965 - Former Yankees P Joe Ausanio (1994-1995) was born. On December 13, 1993, Joe was drafted by the Yankees from the Expos in the 1993 MLB minor league player draft. Joe went 4-1 in 41 games for the Yankees.
1970 - Former Yankees reserve OF Tony Tarasco (1999) was born. Tony appeared in 14 games, hitting .161 for the 1999 Yankees. Tony Tarasco is most famous for leaping to catch a Derek Jeter fly ball at the Yankee Stadium wall in the 1996 ALCS, when Jeffrey Maier hauled the ball over the fence for a HR. He was playing for the Orioles at the time.
1977 - Yankees signed free agent reliever Rawley Eastwick for more than 1 million dollars. Shane Rawley and Yankees Manager Billy Martin didn't get along, so by June of 1978, he was traded to the Phillies for OF Jay Johnstone and minor league OF Bobby Brown. The signing didn’t make much sense since the Yankees already had Sparky Lyle and Rich Gossage in their bullpen.
1981 - One day after announcing that Manager Bob Lemon will return for the 1982 AL season, the Yankees announce that former manager Gene Michael, whom Bob Lemon replaced on September 6th, will return as manager for the 1983 AL season. They won't wait that long.
1982 - In what will turn out to be a pair of unwise deals; the Yankees signed MLB free agent OF Steve Kemp to a 5-year contract. Then they traded OF Dave Collins, P Mike Morgan, and 19-year old minor league 1B Fred McGriff to the Blue Jays for P Dale Murray and minor leaguer OF Tom Dodd.
1988 - The Yankees signed a 12-year television contract with the Madison Square Garden Cable Network.
1993 - The Yankees traded INF Spike Owen and cash to the Angels for minor league player Jose Musset.
December 10th
1924 - The Yankees obtained INF/OF Howard Shanks from the Red Sox for INF Mike McNally. Howard appeared in 66 games, hitting .258 for the Yankees.
1930 - The Yankees purchased veteran C Ralph “Cy” Perkins from the A’s. Cy appeared in 16 games for the Yankees, hitting .255. In 1932-1933, Cy was a MLB coach for the Yankees. Also he was a MLB coach with the Tigers and the Phillies.
1940 - In Chicago, a curious rule that was designed to "break up the Yankees" is continued by the AL, a rule which prohibits the team winning the championship from trading with any other AL club. The rule was voted in at the 1939 December league winter meetings by the 7 other AL owners after the Yankees had won 4 straight World Series. The major and minor leagues agree that players taken into the military will not count against their team roster limits.
1946 - The Yankees signed veteran 1B George Mc Quinn, who was recently released by the A's. The 36-year-old 1B has 2 good seasons left in him. He will hit .304 with 80 RBIs for the 1947 Yankees.
1947 - The Indians send P Red Embree to the Yankees for OF Allie Clark. The Yankees almost took Red Embree instead of starter Allie Reynolds in a trade a year ago, that involved former AL 1942 MVP 2B Joe “Flash” Gordon.
1958 - Former Yankees 3B Alvin “Cozy’ Dolan (1911-1912) passed away. He appeared in 37 games for the Yankees, hitting .256. On May 31, 1912, Cozy was purchased by Rochester (International) from the Yankees.
1966 - The Pirates traded long-time starter Bob Friend to the Yankees for P Pete Mikkelsen and cash. Bob Friend was over the hill; he would be sold to the Mets in June of 1967. A very bad trade for the Yankees made by the CBS controlled front office. Pete Mikkelsen would have 5 successful seasons in the NL, after leaving the Yankees.
1966 - The Yankees traded veteran reliever Pedro Ramos to the Phillies for P Joe Verbanic and cash. Ramos helped the Yankees win the 1964 AL pennant by going 1-0 in 13 games with 8 saves in September of 1964. He was acquired after September 1, 1964, he wasn’t allowed to play in the 1964 World Series against the Cardinals. In 1965, he went 5-5 in 65 games with 19 saves. In 1966, Pedro slipped to a 3-9 mark in 52 games with 13 saves.
1972 - The MLB adopts the “save” as an official statistic. A pitcher shall be credited with a save if, when entering a game as a reliever, he finds the tying or winning run on base or at the plate, and he preserves the lead. Or he pitches 3 effective innings and preserves the lead.
1972 - The AL votes unanimously to adopt the designated-hitter rule for a 3-year experimental basis. The DH will replace the pitcher in the lineup unless otherwise noted before the start of the game. In the December 1975, meeting the AL will vote to permanently adopt the DH. The National League declines to go along with the AL.
1973 - The Yankees released veteran reserve INF Hal Lanier.
1988 - Former Yankees All Star 2B Free-agent Willie Randolph signs with the Dodgers. He will replace Steve Sax in the Dodgers lineup, who had earlier this month signed with Randolph's former club, the Yankees.
1991 - Admitted gambler Howard Spira is sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison for attempting to extort $110,000 from Yankees owner George Steinbrenner.
1992 - The Yankees signed MLB free agent starter Jimmy Key to a 4-year contract. Jim will go 48-33 in 93 games with the Yankees. In 1993, he posted his best Yankees season going 18-6 in 34 games.
1997 - The Yankees signed free agent DH/OF Chili Davis to a 2-year contract. Chilli would hit .280 in 181 games with the Yankees, before retiring from MLB.
1999 - Yankees HOF slugger Babe Ruth is voted Player of the Century by an Associated Press panel. The Giants future HOF CF Willie Mays comes in second in the voting.
1999 - Former Yankees C MLB free agent Joe Girardi is signed by the Cubs to a 3-year contract.
2008 - The Yankees reach an agreement with free agent hurler CC Sabathia for a seven-year, $161 million deal, a new record for a pitcher. Sabathia had gone 11-2 with a 1.65 ERA for the 2008 Brewers and had won the 2007 AL Cy Young Award.
December 11th
1900 - Former Yankees reserve OF Roy Carlyle (1926) was born. On June 15, 1926, Roy was selected off waivers by the Yankees from the Red Sox. Roy appeared in 35 games for the 1926 Yankees, hitting .385
1923 - Considered a team troublemaker by Yankees Manager Miller Higgins, the Yankees sell starter Carl “Sub” Mays to the Reds for $85,000. The submariner hurler will win 20 for the Reds in 1924. Carl went 56-36 with the Yankees including a 20-9 season in 1923.
1930 - The BBWAA votes to continue the custom of selecting an MVP for each league. Beginning in 1931 the annual vote of the BBWAA will designate a player for this honor in each league. Previous MVP winners will be able to repeat under the new rules, something that was prohibited by the AL in the 1920s.
1935 - The Yankees traded the hot-tempered P Johnny Allen to the Indians for pitchers Monte Pearson and Steve Sundra, a minor leaguer. Pearson would go 63-27 including a 19-7 mark in 1936. He had a 4-0 World Series record, while Sundra went 21-11 over 3 seasons for the Yankees. Monte Pearson threw the 1st no-hitter at Yankee Stadium in 1938.
1936 - Former Yankees reserve C Doc Edwards (1965) was born. On May 3, 1965, Doc was traded by the A’s to the Yankees for C/1B/OF Johnny Blanchard and P Rollie Sheldon. Doc appeared in 45 games for the 1965 Yankees hitting just .190. On January 14, 1966, Doc was traded by the Yankees to the Indians for OF Lou Clinton. After retiring as an active player, Doc was a minor league manager for the Yankees at West Haven (AA) in 1973-1974. He was the Indians MLB manager (1986-1988).
1951 - All Star CF Joe DiMaggio officially retires as a member of the Yankees, finishing with 361 MLB career HRs with a MLB career BA of .325 after 13 seasons. His 56-game, consecutive-game hitting streak in 1941 will stand as one of the all-time best MLB achievements. Joe will be elected to Baseball’s Hall Of Fame in 1955.
1956 - Long-time reserve C Charlie Silvera was traded by the Yankees along with cash and another player to be named to the Cubs for a player to be named later. The Cubs would send C Harry Chiti on December 14, 1956 to the Yankees to complete the trade. Chiti never plays for the Yankees at the MLB level.
1959 -The A's Owner Arnold Johnson gives the Yankees an early Christmas present, when he gift-wraps a young OF Roger Maris in pinstripes. The Yankees acquired the slugger in a 7-player deal that sends veterans P Don Larsen and RF Hank Bauer, young Yankees 1B/OF Marv Throneberry, and LF Norm Siebern to the A’s. It would be Yankees GM George Weiss, last major trade before leaving the team in October of 1960. Also the Yankees received veteran INF Joe DeMasteri and 1B/OF Kent Hadley in the Roger Maris trade. They would be reserve players for the 1960 Yankees bench.
1960 - Former Yankees P Paul Assenmacher (1993) was born. On July 30, 1993, Paul was traded as part of a 3-team trade by the Cubs to the Yankees. The Yankees sent P John Habyan to the Royals. The Royals sent OF Karl Rhodes to the Cubs. Paul went 2-2 in 26 games for the Yankees. On March 21, 1994, Paul was traded by the Yankees to the White Sox for P Brian Boehringer.
1973 - The Yankees released veteran OF Ron Swoboda. He had retired from MLB. Ron would become a sportscaster in NYC.
1975 - In a busy day of trading, the Yankees acquired hurlers Dock Ellis and Ken Brett, and 2B Willie Randolph from the Pirates for Yankees starter George “Doc “ Medich. In a separate deal with the Angels, the club trades All Star OF Bobby Bonds for OF Mickey Rivers and P Ed Figueroa. Both trades bring the Yankees key players that will help them win the AL flags in 1976-1978, World Series Championships in 1977-1978.
1987 - In the 1st trade ever between the Yankees and Mets that involves a MLB player, the Mets send shortstop Rafael Santana and a minor leaguer to the Bronx for C Phil Lombardi and minor leaguers players: OF Darren Reed and P Steve Frey.
1995 - The Yankees signed free agent INF Mariano Duncan to a 2-year contract. Mario hit .292 in 159 games for the Yankees, before being traded on July 29, 1997, along with cash to the Blue Jays for minor league player Angel Ramirez.
1996 - The Yankees signed free agent reliever Mike Stanton to a 3-year contract. Mike would work out of the Yankees bullpen from 1997-2002, posting a 30-12 record with 15 saves in 428 games. On December 3, 2004, the Mets traded Mike to the Yankees for P Felix Heredia. Mike had a 1-2 record in 28 games, before being released by the Yankees during the 2005 AL season.
2003 - Former Yankees starter Andy Pettitte inks a 3-year; $31.5 million deal with his “hometown” Astros. The 31 year old Texan, who compiled a 149-78 career record with a 3.94 ERA during his 9-year stint in pinstripes turned down better offers to stay with the Yankees or go to the AL east rival Red Sox. He will join former Yankees teammate starter Roger Clements on the Astros starting rotation.
December 12th
1902 - Former Yankees shortstop Pee-Wee Wanninger (1925) was born. Wanninger was the regular shortstop for the 1925 Yankees. He replaced Everett Scott at shortstop on May 6, 1925 to end Scott's then-record consecutive games streak at 1,307 games. Less than a month later, on June 1st, he would make way for another record-long consecutive streak to start, when a rookie named Lou Gehrig pinch-hit for him. He hit only .236 for the season, with 1 HR with 22 RBIs in 117 games. On December 16,1925, Wanninger was sent by the Yankees to St Paul (American Association) to complete an earlier deal made on August 30, 1925. The Yankees sent a player to be named later $25,000 and 3 players to be named to St Paul (American Association) for C Pat Collins.
1907 - The Yankees sell C Ira Thomas to the Tigers. On August 20, 1905, Ira was purchased by the Yankees from Providence (Eastern). He hit .195 in 124 games for the Yankees.
1917 - Former Yankees MLB scout and MLB player Clyde Kluttz was born. He was a Yankees MLB scout (1967-1975). He also spent time with the Yankees as Director of Player Development in 1971-1973 and Scouting Director in 1974. His close friendship with A’s starter Catfish Hunter helped the Yankees sign the free agent in December of 1974.
1922 - Yankees co-owner Jake Ruppert agrees to buy out his partner Colonel Huston, he gains full control of the Yankees. He would control the Yankees until his death in 1939. His estate would run the Yankees with long-time GM Ed Barrow in charge, until the sale of the team in 1945 to new co-owners Del Webb, Dan Topping and Larry MacPhail.
1924 - Former Yankees P Hal “Skinny” Brown (1962) was born. On September 7, 1962, Hal was purchased by the Yankees from the Orioles. Hal posted a 0-1 record in 2 games with the 1962 Yankees. On April 21, 1963, Hal was purchased by the Houston Colt .45's from the Yankees.
1924 - The Yankees obtained C Steve O’Neill from the Red Sox for the waiver price. Steve will hit .286 in 35 games for the 1925 Yankees.
1930 - The MLB Rules Committee issues a greatly revised code, reducing the number of rules by combining many. Not only is the “sacrifice rule” abolished but also the rule awarding HRs, when the ball bounces into the stands. "Bounce homers" will not be doubles. This had already been in effect in the AL, but not the in NL.
1936 - Former Yankees reserve INF Pedro Gonzalez (1963-1965) was born. Before the 1958 AL Season, the Yankees signed Pedro as an MLB amateur free agent. He was the winner of the 1963 James P. Dawson Award for best Yankees rookie in spring training camp. Pedro hit .266 in 101 games for the Yankees. In 1964, Pedro appeared in 80 games for the Yankees, hitting .277. He appeared in 1 game of the 1964 World Series. On May 10, 1965, Pedro was traded by the Yankees to the Indians for 1B Ray ”Buddy” Barker. He would hit .253 in a 116 games for the Tribe.
1949 - By a 7-1 vote, the AL rejects a proposal to bring back the legal spitball. The rules committee also alters the strike zone to the space between the armpits and the top of the knees. The new rule eliminates the batter's shoulders being within the strike zone.
1950 - The MLB team owners vote to drop the bonus and high school rule, which was designed to prevent the wealthier clubs from buying up all of the available talent. The rule required all “bonus” players had to stay on the MLB roster for 1 season in the minors.
1954 - Former Yankees P Bob Sykes was born. The Yankees were on the losing end of one of the worst deals in the 1980's. After the 1981 season, the Cardinals traded P Bob Sykes to the Yankees for OF Willie McGee. McGee went on to be a huge contributor for the Cards the next several years, winning the 1985 NL MVP award and making the All-Star team 4 times; Bob Sykes never played in the majors again. The Cardinals would send 2 players to the Yankees after the 1982 MLB season to replace Sykes.
1956 - Former Yankees reliever Steve Farr (1991-1993) was born. On November 26, 1990, Steve was signed as a MLB free agent with the Yankees. Steve posted a 9-9 record in 159 games with 78 saves for the Yankees. Steve pitched 27 consecutive scoreless innings on his way to 14 consecutive save successes in 1991 as a member of the Yankees. On October 29, 1993, Steve was granted free agency by the Yankees.
1963 - Former Yankees P Myles Thomas (1926-1929) passed away. On December 16, 1925, Myles was traded by Toronto Maple Leafs (International) to the Yankees for cash and players. He went 14-12 in 71 games for the Yankees. He appeared in 2 games of the 1926 World Series against the Cardinals with no record. On June 15, 1929, Myles was purchased by the Senators from the Yankees. After the 1930 AL season, Myles returned to the minors, playing for the Newark Bears (International), which became the Yankees top AAA team. On January 19, 1932, Myles was traded by the Yankees along with George Quellich and cash to Hollywood Stars (PCL) for OF Jesse Hill.
1970 - Former Yankees P Mike Buddie (1998-1999) was born. On June 1, 1992, Mike was drafted by the Yankees in the 4th round of the 1992 MLB amateur Player draft. Mike attended Wake Forest University in 1990-1992. He spent most of his minor league time in the Yankees farm system. In 1993, He went 13-10 for Greensboro (AA). He posted a 12-5 mark for Tampa (A) in 1994. Part of each season from 1997-2000 was spent in Columbus (AAA). He posted a 4-1 record in 26 games for the Yankees. On June 9, 2000, Mike was released by the Yankees; he would be picked up by the Brewers organization.
1975 - Former Yankees reserve INF Julie Wera (1927, 1929) passed away. He appeared in 43 games as a reserve INF for the Yankees, hitting .278. On November 25, 1930, he was purchased by the Yankees from Jersey City (International). Before the 1931 AL Season, he was sent by the Yankees to San Francisco (PCL) to complete an earlier deal made on August 23, 1930. The Yankees would send a player to be named later and 3 players to the San Francisco Seals (PCL) for INF Frankie Crosetti.
1978 - The Yankees obtained veteran 1B/DH Jim Spencer and pitchers Bob Polinsky and Tom Cruz from the White Sox for minor league pitcher Ed Ricks and P Stan Thomas, along with $100,000 cash. Spencer really never got on track with the Yankees, playing infrequently with starting 1B Chris Chambliss in front of him.
1978 - Yankees purchased starter Andy Messersmith from the Braves for $100,000. Andy suffered a dislocated shoulder in spring training after running into 1B Cliff Johnson that required surgery. He did very little with the Yankees. He would leave the team after the 1979 AL season, signing with the Dodgers.
1983 - Former Yankees P Jim Weaver (1931) passed away. On November 28, 1930, Jim was traded by Baltimore Orioles (International) along with Thomas Patten (minors) to the Yankees for Jack Hopkins (minors), Ken Holloway and cash. Jim posted a 2-1 record in 17 games for the 1931 Yankees. On September 10, 1933, Jim was purchased by the Browns from the Yankees. On May 15, 1934, Jim was returned to the Yankees by the Browns following previous purchase. On May 15, 1934, Jim was selected off waivers by the Cubs from the Yankees for $12,500.
1984 - Former Yankees reserve OF Gene Layden (1915) passed away. Gene appeared in 3 games, hitting .286 for the 1915 Yankees. He served in World War I.
1985 - The Yankees traded P Joe Cowley and C Ron Hassey to the White Sox for starter Britt Burns (1-11) and minor leaguers Mike Soper and Glen Braxton. Hassey will come back to the Yankees before the 1986 AL season started. A degenerative hip condition ends Burns' MLB career, before he has a chance to pitch for the Yankees. Yankee front office officials had advised Owner George Steinnbrenner to not make the deal because of Burns hip condition, but he refused to take their advice.
1986 - The Yankees traded DH/OF Mike Easler and minor leaguer INF Tom Barrett to the Phillies for P Charles Hudson and minor leaguer Jeff Knox. Also they re-signed free-agent OF/DH Claudell Washington to fill Mike Easler's DH position on the MLB roster.
1989 - The Yankees traded minor league players OF/1B Hal Morris and P Rodney Imes to the Reds for P Tim Leary and OF Van Snider.
1998 - After being given his last rites, former Yankees HOF CF Joe DiMaggio makes a miraculous recovery defying the doctor’s dire predictions.
(As always I'd like to thank Fw57Clipper51 for his great contribution.)
