This Week in Yankees History (3/7-3/13)

This Week in Yankees History

March 7th - March13th


March 7th

1914 - Former Yankees reserve OF Joseph “Muscles” Gallagher (1939) was born. Joe appeared in 14 games, hitting .244, before being traded on June 13, 1939 by the Yankees to the St. Louis Browns for INF Roy Hughes and cash.

1930 - Former Yankees minor league P Tom Acker was born. In 1948, Tom had been signed by the New York Giants organization. He eventually came to the majors, hurling with the Reds from 1956-1959. Tom was traded by the Reds to the Kansa City A’s in the winter of 1959. Tom Acker spent his last season in professional baseball with the 1960 Richmond Virginians (IL), who were the Yankees AAA team. He appeared in 15 games for Richmond, closing out his pro career with a 0-2 won-loss record with a 5.06 ERA.

1954 - Former Yankees P Mike Armstrong (1983-1986) was born. Mike came to the Yankees in the trade that sent 1B Steve Balboni to the Kansas City Royals. Mike went 3-3 with the Yankees before finishing up his MLB career with the Indians.

1962 - Former Yankees minor leaguer P Jose Cano was born. He is the father of current Yankees 2B Robinson Cano. Jose appeared in the MLB with 1989 Astros going 1-1 in 6 games. He originally signed as an amateur free agent by the Yankees in 1980. The Yankees released Jose. In 1981, the Braves signed Jose as a free agent. Twice the Braves released him. Then Jose Cano was signed by the Astros organization. He also pitched for years in Mexico as well as in Taiwan.

1981 - Former Yankees shortstop Paul “Pee Wee” Wanninger (1925) passed away. “Pee-Wee” Wanninger was the regular shortstop for the 1925 Yankees. Paul hit .236 in 117 games for the Yankees. He had replaced Everett Scott at shortstop in May 1925 to end his then-record consecutive games streak at 1,307. Less than a month later, on June 1st, he would make way for another record-long consecutive streak to start, when a Yankee rookie named Lou Gehrig pinch-hit for him. After the 1925 AL season, the Yankees traded Wanninger to St. Paul (American Association) to complete the earlier trade made for C Pat Collins. He went on to play many years for St. Paul (1926-1932) and other teams, through 1940. Also he was a manager for 4 seasons in the minor leagues.

1998 - The Yankees signed former Cuban star hurler Orlando Hernandez, brother of the 1997 World Series hero Livan Hernandez, to a 4-year, $6.6 million contract. “El Duque” would go on to post a 61-40 record for the Yankees (1998-2004). He was 2-0 in World Series play and 7-2 in AL post-season games for the Yankees.

2006 - World Baseball Classic: Pool C Game: Yankees All Star CF Bernie Williams drove in a 6th-inning run to hand Puerto Rico, a 2-1 victory over Panama.

2006 - Former Yankees backup catcher, now with the Red Sox, John “Flash” Flaherty announces his MLB retirement, ending his 14-year MLB career with the team he started out with. He signed in December of 2005 as a MLB free agent after playing 3 seasons with the Yankees, as a reserve catcher to Jorge Posada. Also John had played for the Tigers, Padres, and Devil Rays, John posted a lifetime .252 BA, 80 HRs and 395 RBIs in 1,047 games played. John will go to work as an announcer for the Yes Network.

March 8th

1893 - Former Yankees P Ray Francis (1925) was born. Ray went 0-0 in 4 games for the 1925 Yankees. On May 5, 1925, Ray was traded by the Yankees along with $9,000 to the Red Sox for OF Bobby Veach and P Alex Ferguson.

1930 -The Yankees AL All Star OF Babe Ruth signs a 2-year contract for $160,000 with the Yankees. At $80,000 per year, he is the highest paid MLB player of all time as of 1930.

1930 - Former Yankees P Bob Grim (1954-1958) was born. (1930-1996). In 1954, Bob went 20-6 and was named the AL Rookie Of Year. Bob had made the Yankees MLB roster in spring training, after spending 2 years in the Army. He won 1 game in the 1955 World Series against the Dodgers. After injuring his pitching arm working in an off-season job, Bob became a reliever for the Yankees in 1956, posting 12 saves. In 1957, he led the AL with 18 saves and was named to 1957 AL All Star team. During the 1958 AL season, he was traded along with OF Harry “Suitcase” Simpson to the Kansas City A’s for Pitchers Duke Maas and Virgil Trucks.

1938 - The Yankees AL All Star 1B Lou Gehrig rejects the latest player contract offer from the Yankees to a 1-year deal worth $39,000. Four days later, Lou Gehrig will agree to the same Yankees offer and end his 1938 spring training holdout.

1939 - Former Yankees P and author Jim “Bull Dog” Bouton (1962-1968) was born. Jim was the winning pitcher of the 22-inning game against the Tigers in 1962. In 1963, Jim went 21–7 for the Yankees. In 1964, he was 18-13 for the Yankees. He appeared in 2 World Series, (1963 and 1964), going 2-1, winning 2 against the Cardinals (1964); losing a 1-0, 4-hitter to the Dodgers Don Drysdale in 1963. He injured his pitching arm in 1965, he was never was effective again for the Yankees. His Yankees career pitching record was 55-51. In October of 1968, he was sold to the new AL expansion team, the Seattle Pilots. Also Jim pitched for the Astros and Braves in the NL. After his MLB playing career was over, he wrote the best seller “Ball Four.” Also he worked as a TV sportscaster in New York City.

1942 - Former Yankees reserve INF Bert Campaneris (1983) was born. Bert appeared in 60 games for the 1983 Yankees, hitting .322. The Former AL All Star shortstop retired at the end of the 1983 AL season.

1947 - At the new Stadium del Cerro in Havana, Cuba, the Brooklyn Dodgers beat the New York Yankees by a score of 1-0.

1961 - Former Yankees C/DH/1B Mark Salas (1987) was born. On June 7, 1987, Mark was traded by the Twins to the Yankees for P Joe Niekro. Mark appeared in 50 games for the Yankees, hitting .200. On November 12, 1987, Mark was traded by the Yankees along with OF/1B Dan Pasqua and P Steve Rosenberg to the Chicago White Sox for pitchers Richard Dotson and Scott Nielsen.

1963 - Former Yankees P Terry Mulholland (1994) was born. On February 9, 1994, Terry was traded by the Phillies along with a player to be named later to the Yankees for P Bobby Munoz, P Ryan Karp, and INF Kevin Jordan. The Phillies would send Jeff Patterson on November 8, 1994 to the Yankees to complete the trade. Terry posted a 6-7 record in 24 games with the Yankees before the 1994 MLB strike took place. He left the Yankees for MLB free agency, signing with the Giants.

1964 - Former Yankees P Lance McCullers (1989-1990) was born. On October 24, 1988, Lance was traded by the Padres along with OF Stan Jefferson and P Jimmy Jones to the Yankees for OF/1B Jack Clark and P Pat Clements. Lance posted a 5-3 record in 63 games with 3 saves for the Yankees. On June 4, 1990, Lance was traded by the Yankees along with P Clay Parker to the Tigers for C/DH/1B Matt Nokes.

1966 - The Hall of Fame Special Veterans Committee waives one of its election rules and selects former Yankees and Mets Manager Casey Stengel as the newest member of the HOF. Stengel had managed the Mets for much of the 1965 NL season before falling and breaking his hip. The injury ended the elderly Stengel's MLB managing career. Given his age, the Veterans Committee decides to make him immediately eligible for the HOF. Casey Stengel managed the Yankees from 1949-1960, winning 5 straight World Championships from 1949-1953. He also won World Championships in 1956 and 1958. Also he managed the Boston Braves and Brooklyn Dodgers, before joining the Yankees in 1949.

1974 - Former Yankees P Wayne Franklin (2005) was born. Wayne appeared in 13 games posting a 0-1 record in 2005 AL Season.

1999 - Former Hall Of Fame Yankees CF Joe DiMaggio (1936-1941,1945-1951) dies of a lung cancer at age 84. Joe DiMaggio was born in Martinez, California; Joe DiMaggio arrived in the MLB at the age of 21 in 1936. He batted .323 in his 1st season and helped the Yankees to the 1936 World Championship. His rookie performance served as an indicator of future success, both for him and the Yankees. During his 13-year MLB career, Joe DiMaggio participated in 10 World Series, with his team winning the World Championship 9 times. In 1941, DiMaggio achieved his most famous MLB milestone, when he compiled a record 56-game hitting streak. His lifetime Yankees BA was .326. His older brother Vince played in the NL, while his younger brother Dom played for the Red Sox.

March 9th

1875 - Former Yankees P Elmer Bliss (1903-1904) was born. Elmer went 1-0 in 1 game for the Yankees.

1908 - Former Yankees OF Myril Hoag (1931-1938) was born. Myril Hoag played in 471 games for the Yankees, hitting .284 with 11 HRs and 185 RBIs. He appeared in 3 World Series with the Yankees (1932, 1937-1938) appearing in 8 games, hitting .320. On October 26, 1938, Myril was traded by the Yankees along with C Joe Glenn to the Browns for P Oral Hildebrand and OF Buster Mills. In 1939, he was named to the AL All Star team as a member of the St. Louis Browns. From 1946-1951, Myril was a minor league player-manager.

1927 - Former Yankees OF Jackie Jensen (1950-1952) was born (1927-1982). Jackie was a former All American college football player. He was bought by the Yankees from Oakland Oaks (PCL) in the fall of 1949. Jackie appeared in 108 games with the Yankees, hitting .265 with 9 HRs and 32 RBIs. He was traded in 1952 to the Senators in the Irv Noren trade. He later played with the Red Sox, being named the 1958 AL MVP. Jackie appeared in over 1,400 MLB games and finished with a lifetime BA .279. He stopped playing MLB because of his fear of flying. In 1982, Jackie died from a heart attack at the age of 55. He remains the only man to play in the Rose Bowl, East-West Shrine Game, the World Series (1950), and baseball's All-Star game.

1959 - Former Yankees Coach Brian Butterfield was born. Brian Butterfield is the son of Jack Butterfield, the former vice-president of player development and scouting for the New York Yankees. The younger Butterfield was a 2B in the Yankees minor league system (1980-1983) before joining the Yankees as a roving infield instructor in 1984. In 1999-2000, he joined the Diamondbacks organization. He rejoined the Yankees organization in 2001.

He became a minor league manager, helming the Bronx Bombers' Florida State League affiliate as well as the Columbus Clippers, the team's Triple-A club in the International League. Jack was fired as manager of the Columbus Clippers in May of 2002. Later he joined the Blue Jays organization and is currently their MLB 3rd Base Coach.

1966 - Former Yankees 3B Aaron “Home Run” Boone (2003) was born. He is the grandson of former MLB Ray Boone and son of MLB Catcher/Manager Bob Boone. His brother was All Star 2B Bret Boone. Aaron hit one of the most famous AL Yankee playoff-HR’s to beat the Red Sox in 2003. He later injured his leg playing basketball during the off-season and was released by the Yankees. His injury led to the A-Rod trade with the Rangers by the Yankees. Aaron recently retired from MLB. He had spent the 2009 season on the DL dealing with heart problems, while as a member of the Astros. In February 2010, Aaron announced his retirement from MLB. He is now working for ESPN.

1966 - Former Yankees All Star C Aaron Robinson (1946-1947) died. (1915-1966). Aaron was called up from the Newark Bears (AAA), and appeared in 1 game for the 1943 Yankees. He was 28 years old. He would join the Coast Guard in June of 1943, serving until July of 1945. Aaron appeared in 50 games for the 1945 Yankees, hitting .281. In 1946, he appeared in 100 games for the Yankees hitting .297 with 19 HRs with 64 RBIs. He made the AL All Star team in 1947, while hitting .270 for the Yankees. He appeared in 3 games of the 1947 World Series against the Dodgers. With the arrival of a 22-year old Yogi Berra as a catcher in 1947, Aaron became expendable. On February 24, 1948, Aaron was traded by the Yankees to the Chicago White Sox for starter Eddie Lopat. He would spend 1 season with the White Sox, before being traded to the Tigers for P Billy Pierce. He would finish out his MLB career in 1951, playing for the Red Sox.

1973 - Former Yankees P C. J. Nitkowski (2004) was born. C.J. was a graduate of St. Johns University, who was drafted in 1994 by the Reds. On July 19, 2004, he was signed as a free agent with the Yankees. He appeared in 19 games for the 2004 Yankees, posting a 1-1 record. On October 29, 2004, he was granted MLB free agency by the Yankees. After leaving the ML in 2005, he has pitched in Japan and Korea pro baseball leagues.

1996 - Former Yankees P Jim Hardin (1971) died. Jim was recovering from arm injuries, when he joined the Yankees in 1971. He never was an effective pitcher for the Yankees, like he was with the Orioles during the mid-1960’s.

March 10th

1880 - Former Yankees OF Danny Hoffman (1906-1907) was born. On April 29, 1906, Danny was traded by the A’s to the Yankees for Dave Fultz. He hit .254 in 236 games for the Yankees. On November 5, 1907, he was traded by the Yankees along with Hobe Ferris and Jimmy Williams to the Browns for Fred Glade, Charlie Hemphill, and Harry Niles.

1958 - Former Yankees P Steve Howe (1991-1996) was born (1958-2006). Steve went 12-6 with 31 saves as a Yankees relief pitcher from 1991-1996. Howe passed away in 2006 from injuries in a truck accident.

1994 - Former Yankees P Jim Brenneman (1965) passed away. Before the 1961 AL Season, the Yankees signed Jim as an MLB amateur free agent. He appeared in 3 games with the 1965 Yankees with no record.

2005 - Former Yankees 1B/OF Kent Hadley (1960) passed away (1934-2005). Kent was part of the December, 1959, trade that the Yankees received OF Roger Maris from the Kansas City A’s. In 1959, he was the Kansas City A’s regular 1B hitting .253. With the 1960 Yankees, he was a reserve player, appearing only in 55 games, just hitting .203. After his MLB career was over, he enjoyed success-playing pro baseball in Japan, becoming one of the 1st American players to hit a 100 HRs in Japan.

2009 - Former Yankees minor league OF/P Joe Pactwa passed away. On June 7, 1966, Joe was drafted by the Yankees in the 18th round of the 1966 MLB amateur player draft. Joe never appeared with the Yankees at the MLB level. Joe Pactwa hit 25 HRs in the 1970 Eastern League, tying for 4th in the circuit. Remaining at AA for the 1971 season, he hit 20 more HRs for the Charlotte Hornets, 5th in the Southern League. In 1973, Pactwa began pitching in addition to playing the outfield. He hit .378 for the West Haven Yankees. Joe went 12-6 on the mound with a 3.18 ERA. He was part of a 5-way tie for the Eastern League lead in victories, along with Kent Tekulve, Pat Zachary, Scott McGregor and Erskine Thomason. He led the Eastern League in ERA. Joe Pactwa was a full-time pitcher in 1974 for the Syracuse Chiefs (AAA), but he went just 4-9 with a 4.41 ERA. On December 3, 1974, Joe was purchased by Tampico (Mexican) from the Yankees. At the end of the 1975 Mexican League season, Joe received a brief tryout as a pitcher with the Angels. He pitched in 4 games, 3 of them starts, winning one with a 3.86 ERA; however, his K/W ratio was a very poor 3/10 in 16⅓ innings. Joe would return to play in Mexico from 1976-1982.

March 11th

1870 - Former Yankees OF Herman McFarland (1903) was born. He appeared in 103 games for the 1903 Yankees, hitting .243.

1945 - Former Yankees P Dock Ellis (1976-1977) was born (1945-2008). On December 11, 1975, Doc was traded by the Pirates along with P Ken Brett and 2B Willie Randolph to the Yankees for P George “Doc” Medich. Dock went 18-9 in 35 games, before being traded to the A’s in the Mike Torrez trade. Dock Ellis passed away in December of 2008.

1956 - At Al Lang Field in St. Petersburg, there are no maybe’s about it, as Mickey Mantle hits a Grapefruit League pitch from Larry Jackson over the LF wall into the bay. The Yankees top the Cardinals by the score of 4-3. Stan Musial contends, "No HR has ever cleared my head by as much as long as I can remember." Mantle will hit another HR at Al Lang Field on March 20th off of P Bob Mave that also lands in the water. He will clock a 500-FT HR shot in Miami, 4 days later against the Dodgers.

1960 - All Star CF Mickey Mantle of the Yankees signs a 1-year contract worth $65,000. The new deal is a $7,000 cut in pay for Mantle, who batted .285, 31 HRs and 75 RBIs for the 3rd place Yankees in 1959.

1981 - Former Yankees slugger Johnny Mize (1949-1953) and Negro League‘s pioneer Rube Foster are voted to the Hall Of Fame by the Special Veterans Committee. Mize hit .312 with 359 HRs during a 15-year MLB career, with Cardinals, Giants and Yankees. While Foster served as a pitcher, manager, and Negro League organizer in the 1st quarter of the 20th century.

1990 - Former Yankees reserve INF Ray Shalk (1932) passed away. Ray appeared in 3 games for the 1932 Yankees, hitting .250.

2001 - The Yankees formally announce the signing of Cuban defector 3B Andy Morales, to a 4-year contract. Morales will wash out and be waived from his minor league team by July. The Yankees will try and sidestep his contract with proof that his listed age of 26 years is really 29.

2002 -The Yankees released OF Ruben Rivera for stealing Derek Jeter's mitt out of his Yankee clubhouse locker, and selling it on the black market for $2,500. There are rumors that Rivera also took other memorabilia items, such as things belonging to Roger Clemens, but Clemens denies it. Rivera had been signed to a 1-year contract for $1 million dollars.

March 12th

1903 - The New York Highlanders, later to be called the Yankees, are officially approved to join the AL

1937 - Former Yankees 1B Ray “Buddy” Barker (1965-1967) was born. On May 10, 1965, Buddy was traded by the Indians to the Yankees for reserve INF Pedro Gonzalez. Buddy hit .172 in 176 games, before being sent to the Orioles in the Steve Barber trade during the 1967 AL season.

1939 - Former Yankees DH/Outfielder Johnny Callison (1972-1973) was born (1939-2006). Johnny was acquired from the Cubs. He hit .258 in 72 games in 1972. In 1973, he hit only .176 in 45 games before being released by the team. In 1964, Johnny hit the game hitting HR at the 1964 All Star game at Shea Stadium for the NL. He was a member of the Phillies in 1964.

1943 - Former Yankees DH/OF Jim “Toy Canon” Wynn (1977) was born. The former NL slugger, Jim hit .143 in 30 games for the 1977 Yankees, before being released.

1955 - Former Yankees OF Ruppert Jones (1981) was born. After being obtained from the Mariners, Ruppert played in 83 games for the Yankees, just hitting .223, before being sent to the Padres for OF Jerry Mumphrey.

1962 - Former Yankees OF/DH Darryl Strawberry (1995-1999) was born. Darryl hit .243 with 41 HRs and 114 RBIs in 242 games for the Yankees.

1971 - Former Yankees OF Raul Mondesi (2002-2003) was born. On July 1, 2002, he was traded by the Blue Jays to the Yankees for minor league player Scott Wiggins. Raul hit .249 in 169 games for the team before being traded. On July 29, 2003, Raul was traded by the Yankees along with cash to the Diamondbacks for OF David Dellucci, P Bret Prinz, and John Prowl (minors).

1971 - Former Yankees minor league P Greg Hansell was born. On March 24, 2003, Greg was signed as a MLB free agent by the Yankees. Greg spent the 2003 season at Columbus (AAA). On October 15, 2003, the Yankees granted him MLB free agency.

1974 - Former Yankees P Craig Dingman (2000) was born. On June 3, 1993, Craig was drafted by the Yankees in the 36th round of the 1993 MLB amateur player draft. Craig appeared in 10 games with no record for the 2000 Yankees. On March 30, 2001, Craig was traded by the Yankees to the Rockies for a player to be named later. The Rockies sent P Jorge De Paula on April 20, 2001 to the Yankees to complete the trade. On June 6, 2002, Craig was sent to the Yankees by the Reds, as part of a conditional deal. Craig does not appear with the Yankees at the MBL level, he becomes a free agent.

1974 - Former Yankees reserve INF Felix Escalona (2004-2005) was born. He appeared in 15 games for the Yankees, hitting just .182.

1974 - Former Yankees RF Bobby Abreu (2006-2008) was born. On July 30, 2006, Bobby was traded by the Phillies along with P Cory Lidle to the Yankees for P Matt Smith, and minor league players INF C. J. Henry, Carlos Monastrios, and Jesus Sanchez. Bobby hit .303 in 372 games for the Yankees, before leaving the team for free agency during the winter of 2008. The Angels signed him.

1978 - Former Yankees reserve OF Kevin Reese (2005-2006) was born. On December 18, 2001, Kevin was traded by the Padres to the Yankee for INF Bernie Castro. He appeared in 12 games for the Yankees hitting .385, before being released by the team in 2007.

March 13th

1886 - Future Yankees INF, (1916-1919, 1921-1922) and HOF’er, Frank “Home Run” Bakerwas born. A 3B and left handed hitter, Baker will guide the A’s to 3 World Series championships. Nicknamed "Home Run" during the 1911 World Series, in which he hit a go-ahead HR off of Giants starter Rube Marquard in Game 2. He would also hit a 9th-inning game-tying HR off of Christy Mathewson in Game 3. Baker will lead the AL in HR’s for 4 consecutive seasons, twice led the AL in RBI’s. Baker hit .363 in 6 World Series. Frank played 3B for the Yankees from 1916-1919, and 1921-1922. He took the 1920 AL season off, after his wife passed away to take care of his two children. Frank Baker will earn Hall Of Fame honors in 1955.

1922 - Former Yankees OF Cliff Mapes (1948-1951) was born On November 1, 1946, Cliff was drafted by the Yankees from the Indians organization in the 1946 MLB Rule 5 Player Draft. Cliff spent the 1947 season with the Kansas City Blues (AAA) of the American Association. 1947 was his best year in the minors. Cliff had 167 hits, 107 runs, 27 doubles, 11 triples, 21 HRs and 117 RBIs at .308 in 155 games. He led the American Association in RBI’s that season. He won a ML job with the 1948 Yankees in spring training. In 1948, Mapes had 11 doubles and only 9 singles, making him 1 of only 11 MLB players to ever have more doubles than singles (in 90 or more plate appearances).

On July 5, 1950, in a sloppy game that featured 18 walks, Mapes drove in 5 runs with a HR and single to pace the Yankees to a 12–8 win over the A’s. Mapes walked twice in the 3rd inning to tie a MLB record. He was also involved in a collision with at 2nd base with Eddie Joost in the 7th inning, in which Joost tore ligaments in his left knee. On August 11, 1950, Mapes replaced Joe DiMaggio in CF, who was benched for the 1st time in his MLB career. Cliff met the challenge of replacing the “Yankee Clipper” by hitting a 7th-inning HR to give the Yankees a 7–6 win over the A's.

In 1950, Cliff had his best year in the MLB; he had 88 hits, 60 runs, 14 doubles, 6 triples, 12 HRs, 61 RBIs and 1 stolen base for a batting line of .247 in 108 games. In the 1949 and 1950 World Series, he had 1 hit (but one that mattered), 3 runs, 1 double and 2 RBI while batting .071 in 5 games. He was the last active Yankees player to wear Babe Ruth’s No. 3 uniform. Also he wore Yankee uniform No. 7 in 1951, the number that rookie OF Mickey Mantle would get after returning from Kansas City Blues (AAA). On July 31, 1951, Cliff was purchased by the Browns from the Yankees.

1937 - All Star 1B Lou Gehrig signs with the Yankees for $38,000 with a $750 signing bonus. Gehrig will play his 1st spring training game on March 20th, collecting 2 runs batted in as the Yankees beat the Bees (the Braves), by the score of 5-3.

1963 - Former Yankees INF Mariano Duncan (1996-1997) was born. He was signed as a MLB free agent in 1996. He hit .340 in 109 games in 1996. Mariano appeared in 50 games hitting .244, before being traded on July 29,1997, to the Blue Jays for Angel Ramirez.

1994 - Former Yankees C Buddy Rosar (1939-1942) passed away. In 1934, the Yankees signed Buddy Rosar, as an MLB amateur free agent. He hit .387 with the Newark Bears in 1938 to win the International League batting crown despite missing several weeks after being hit on the head by a pitched ball. In 1939, he reached the ML with the Yankees. Buddy hit for the cycle in a July 19, 1940 game against the Indians. Buddy was the back-up catcher for Bill Dickey on the Yankees. In 1942, Buddy was selected to AL All Star team. On December 17, 1942, he was traded by the Yankees along with OF Roy Cullenbine to the Indians for OF Roy Weatherly and INF Oscar Grimes. Also he later played for the A’s and Red Sox in his 13 year MLB career.

2000 - Former Yankees reserve INF Harry Bright (1963-1964) passed away. In 1946, the Yankees signed Harry Bright as an MLB amateur free agent. In 1947, the Yankees in a minor league transaction sold him. The Yankees reacquired Harry from the Reds in April of 1963 to back up their INF off the bench. His addition to the Yankees 40 man roster cost the Yankees a young minor league OF named Curt Belfry, who was at Greensboro. Harry was immediately claimed by the Orioles. Harry was a good field, no-hit player, who could play a lot of positions, including catcher. He hit .236 in 1963, but missed most of the 1964 AL season due to injuries. On September 11,1964, Harry was released by the Yankees. Harry would finish his MLB career with the Cubs in 1965.

2008 - Longtime New York Yankees fan, Hollywood Actor and Comedian 59-year-old Billy Crystal makes an appearance in a spring training game, playing for the Yankees. He strikes out on a full count from hurler Paul Maholm after hitting one ball just foul.

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