This Week in Yankees History
May 9th - May 15th
May 9th
1903 - The Boston Pilgrims top the visiting New York Highlanders by a score of 12-5, with a little help from Umpire Caruthers, who tosses out Highlanders P Jesse Tannehill and 2B Williams for a ball call at home.
1930 - The New York Yankees and the Detroit Tigers outfielders make only 2 putouts for an AL
1934 - The New York Yankees obtained INF Fred Mullen and $20,000 from the Boston Red Sox for INF Lyn Lary. Fred Mullen never plays for the Yankees at the MLB level.
1940 - The press reports the impending sale of the New York Yankees by the Jacob Ruppert estate to political bigwigs Jim Farley and Jesse Jones. The Sporting News declares the sale will be for $4 million. The imminent sale will resurface on the front page several times during the next year, but it never happens. The Yankees will be sold in 1945 by the Jacob Ruppert Estate to a group of buyers, Del Webb, Dan Topping and Larry MacPhail.
1944 - Joe McCarthy returns as New York Yankees manager after missing much of the Yankees 1944 spring training and the early 1944 AL
1949 - At Detroit
1953 - At Fenway Park
1954 - Philadelphia A’s C Wilmer (Billy) Shantz, brother of P Bobby Shantz, hits a grand slam HR, the 1st HR of his MLB career. It comes off former A's hurler Harry Byrd, who is now with the Yankees. Shantz will hit just 1 more MLB HR. Wilmer's slam is all the offense the A’s get as the Yankees win the game by a score of 7-4. The nightcap ends in a 1-1 tie, after 9 innings. Bobby and Billy Shantz will be teammates once again with the New York Yankees during the 1960 AL
1958 - After 6 straight home rainouts, the Yankees play their 1st home night game of the 1958 AL Washington New York
1959 - The New York Yankees sell back veteran hurler Murray Dickson to the Kansas City
1964 - At Cleveland, Tribe starter Pedro Ramos gives up 4 HRs to Yankees Tony Kubek, Mickey Mantle, Joe Pepitone, and Hector Lopez, as the Yankees win by a score of 6-2. Pedro Ramos would finish the 1964 AL
1966 - At Metropolitan Stadium in Minneapolis New York
1979 - The New York Yankees released veteran golden glove OF Paul Blair, who then signs with the Cincinnati Reds.
1981 - Tom Paciorek hits his 2nd game winning, bottom-of-the-9th inning HR in as many games, a 3-run blow giving the Seattle Mariners, a 6-5 victory over the Yankees. The previous night, Paciorek led off the 9th inning with a solo HR to give the Mariners, a 3-2 victory over the Yankees.
1990 - At Yankee Stadium, the Oakland
1997 - Against the Kansas City Royals in the 6th inning, the Yankees catch Jay Bell in a rundown when Bell AL
1999 - The New York Yankees defeat the Seattle Mariners by the score of 6-1. Reliever Mike Stanton makes his 1st MLB start for the Yankees, ending his MLB record streak of 552 consecutive relief appearances prior to his 1st start. The previous MLB record was 443 games, which was set by Gary Lavelle of the San Francisco Giants.
May 10th
1868 - Future MLB player, Manager and Hall Of Fame baseball executive Edward Barrow is born. Ed was the manager of 1918 World Champion Boston Red Sox. He was the manager who decided to make Babe Ruth, an everyday player because of his hitting. In 1920, Ed will leave the Red Sox to become the Yankees General Manager, who will through a series of trades with the Red Sox build the Yankees into a World Championship team. In 1931, he signed former NL manager Joe McCarthy to manage the Yankees. In 1932, He hired George Weiss to run the Yankees farm system. He will be with the Yankees front office until 1945, when the Jacob Ruppert Estate sells the team to Del Webb, Dan Topping and Larry MacPhail (1868-1953).
1911 - The Detroit Tigers lose their 1st home game of the 1911 AL season by a score of 6-2, as Yankees hands Tigers starter George Mullin his 1st loss. The Tigers have a 21-2 record and will lead the AL
1913 - The Yankees commit 8 errors, but still end up beating the Detroit
1926 - At Yankee Stadium, Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth hit back-to-back HRs off of Tigers' starter Sam Gibson, and the New York Yankees outscore the Detroit Tigers by the score of 13-9. Herb Pennock is the winning pitcher for the Yankees.
1934 - Lou Gehrig hits 2 HRs (including a grand slam) and a pair of doubles, tying the record with 4 long hits, and drives in 7 runs, but leaves the game after 5 innings with a severe cold. The New York Chicago
1936 - By beating the Philadelphia A's, by the score of 7-2 at Yankee Stadium, the New York Yankees move into 1st place and will remain there the rest of the 1936 AL season. Rookie OF Joe DiMaggio makes his belated home debut for the Yankees hitting his 1st MLB career HR, off of PGeorge Turbeville. Lou Gehrig has 4 hits with 2 RBIs with hurler Johnny Murphy, in his 1st start of the 1936 AL
1937 - New York Yankees starter Monte Pearson pitches a 1-hitter in stopping the Chicago
1946 - Before a Friday Ladies' Day crowd at Yankee Stadium of 64,183 fans, the 1st-place Boston Red Sox win their 15th straight game, a 5-4 win over the Yankees. Earl Johnson gets the win with 4 innings of scoreless relief. A Joe DiMaggio grand slam HR accounts for the entire Bombers' scoring.
1947 - Former Yankees P John Cumberland (1968-1970) was born. John went 3-4 in 18 games with the Yankees, who drafted him from the Philadelphia Phillies organization. John was traded to the San Francisco Giants for veteran starter Mike McCormick. He later became a MLB pitching coach, working for the Boston Red Sox, among other MLB teams.
1952 - The New York Yankees RF Hank Bauer goes 5-for-6 in an 18-3, romp over the Boston Red Sox. The Red Sox come away with a record-tying 10 assists in the 5th inning.
1953 - Veteran New York Yankees starter Vic Raschi makes his 1st relief appearance in 2 years, limiting the Boston Red Sox to 3 hits in 4 innings, as the Yankees win by the score of 7-4. Billy Goodman sustains a freak rib accident, which will keep him out of action for 3-weeks, whenJim Piersall picks him up and lugs him from the field to break up Goody's argument with umpire Jim Duffy. Del Wilber hits his 2nd consecutive pinch HR in the 8th inning; his 1st HR came on May 6th.
1956 - At Yankee Stadium, starter Bob Lemon gives the Cleveland Indians, a 7-2 victory over the Yankees. Mickey Mantle has a solo HR in the 6th inning for New York. For Mickey Mantle, it is his 20th HR of May, a new record. The slugger adds a double and 2 singles and is hitting .425 with 50 RBIs.
1959 - The Yankees sweep doubleheader from the Washington Senators at Yankee Stadium, winning by scores of 6-3 and 3-2 in 10 innings.Mickey Mantle's HR in the 3rd inning of the opener starts the Yankees scoring as they beat Nats starter Chuck Stobbs. Mantle singles and scores the winning run in the 10th inning of the nightcap. Yogi Berra has a HR in the 2nd game. Yogi sets a new MLB record for consecutive errorless games by a catcher with 148.
1965 - At Fenway Park, the 9th-place New York Yankees lose again to Boston Red Sox, by a score of 3-2, when Carl Yastrzemski out-hits a hobbling Mickey Mantle. Yaz hits a pair of HRs and sacrifice fly, while Mantle is 3-for-4 with a HR. After Mantle doubles with 2 outs in the 9thinning off of starter Jim Lonborg, who is lifted. Red Sox closer Richard “The Monster” Radatz gets the final out of the game. It is Jim Lonborg's 1st MLB career win.
1996 - New York Yankees veteran starter David Cone undergoes surgery to remove an aneurysm in his pitching arm.
May 11th
1903 - John Ganzel hits the 1st Highlanders Home Run. As they defeat the Detroit Tigers by a score of 8-2. Also his teammate, William “Wild” Conroy hit a homerun for the Highlanders.
1919 - Washington Senators Starter Walter Johnson, pitched 12 scoreless innings in a duel with Jack Quinn of the New York Yankees at the Polo Grounds. Johnson allowed only 2 hits and retired 28 batters in a row. Future NFL Bears owner George Halas, batting leadoff for the Yankees, went 0-for-5, striking out twice.
1928 - Former Yankees minor league player and MLB pitching coach Mel Wright (1974 - 1975) was born. Mel was part of the trade that brought OF Enos “Country” Slaughter to the Yankees in 1954. He was traded along with OF Bill Vidron to the St. Louis Cardinals. He would return to the Yankees in 1974 as new Yankees Manager Bill Vidron’s pitching coach.
1946 - New York Yankees P Tiny Bonham puts the brake on the Boston Red Sox’s 15-game winning streak, with a 2-0 shutout at Yankee Stadium.
1954 - The New York Yankees sell INF Jim Brideweser (1951-1953) to the Baltimore Orioles. In 1950, the Yankees signed Jim Brideweser as an MLB amateur free agent. Jim couldn’t break into the Yankee starting infield. He appeared in only 57 games for the Yankees hitting .546.
1955 - The New York Yankees obtained P Sonny Dixon from the Kansas City A’s for veteran OF Enos Slaughter and P Johnny Sain. Slaughter would return to the Yankees in 1956, his 1st stay was disappointing only hitting .249. Johnny Sain was at the end of his MLB playing career. Dixon would appear in 3 games for the Yankees, going 0-1, before leaving the MLB.
1955 - The New York Yankees sell P Art Schallock (1951-1954) to the Baltimore Orioles for cash. Art Schallock had been obtained from the Pittsburgh Pirates during the 1951 AL season; going 3-2 in 28 games with 1 save for the Yankees.
1958 - Former Yankees P Walt Terrell (1989) was born. On July 22, 1989, Walt was traded by the San Diego Padres with a player to be named later to the New York Yankees for INF Mike Pagliarulo and P Don Schulze. The Padres sent P Freddie Toliver on September 27, 1989 to the New York Yankees to complete the trade. He posted a 6-5 record in 13 games for the 1989 Yankees. On November 13, 1989, Walt was granted MLB free agency.
1966 - The New York Yankees purchased INF Richard “Ducky” Schofield from the San Francisco Giants. He didn’t solve the 1966 Yankee infield problems. Schofield was obtained to replace the injured Yankees regular shortstop Ruben Amaro Sr.
1981 - Former Yankees reserve OF Sammy “Babe Ruth’s legs” Byrd (1929-1934) passed away. Sammy was often used as Babe Ruth’s late inning defensive replacement, earning the nickname of “Babe Ruth’s legs”. He appeared in 565 games for the Yankees, hitting .281. Sam appeared in 1 game of the 1932 World Series for the Yankees with no hits. On December 19, 1934, Sam was purchased by the Cincinnati Reds from the New York Yankees. He later became a professional golfer who won 23 pro events.
1990 - AL All Star OF Dave Winfield rejected a trade that would have sent him from the Yankees to the California Angels in exchange for starter Mike Witt. A no-trade clause in Winfield's contract gave him the right to turn down the deal. Five days later, Winfield will reach an agreement with the Yankees and give his permission for the trade to take place.
2006 - Hideki Matsui of the New York Yankees broke his left wrist and his consecutive-games streak ended in the Boston Red Sox 5-3 victory at Yankee Stadium. Going back to his days in Nippon Pro Baseball, he appeared in 1,768 consecutive games. Matsui had played in 518 consecutive games (a record for the start of a career) since joining the Yankees in 2003 after playing in 1,250 straight for the Yomiuri Giants from August 22, 1993, through 2002.
May 12th
1897 - Former Yankee 3rd baseman Joseph “Jumping Joe” Dugan (1922-1928) was born. On July 23, 1922, Joe Dugan was traded by the Boston Red Sox along with Elmer Smith to the Yankees for Chick Fewster, Elmer Miller, Johnny Mitchell, Lefty O'Doul, and $50,000 cash. Joe replaced the aging Frank “Home Run” Baker at 3rd base in 1922. He had 6 good seasons with the Yankees, hitting more than .280 in 5 of them.
1915 - The New York Yankees beat the Cleveland Indians by the score of 4-2, despite hitting into a triple play.
1916 - Former Yankees P Henry “Hank” Borowy (1942-1945) was born. Hank went 66-30 with the Yankees, until he was sold to the Chicago Cubs during the 1945 season. At the time of trade he was 10-5 with the Yankees. The Cubs paid $97,000 for him.
Clippers Note: I have never read why he was traded away by the Yankees in mid-1945 season
1919 - For second straight day, the New York Yankees and Washington Senators battle into extra inning without a result. Today’s game ends in a 4-4 tie; the game is called because of darkness, after 15 innings are played.
1925 - Future Yankee HOF player, Coach and Manager Lawrence “Yogi” Berra was born (Player: 1946-1963, MLB Coach: 1976-1983, Manager: 1964, 1984.). Yogi Berra was one of the most beloved players to ever wear the Yankees pinstripes. He hit .285 in 18 years as a Yankee. Yogi played in 14 World Series for the Yankees with 10 World Championships with 71 World Series hits. Yogi was an AL All Star catcher and 3-time AL MVP winner. Yogi became one of the greatest catchers in the game through the help of former Yankees great Hall Of Fame catcher Bill Dickey. Yogi Berra is one of few MLB managers to win a pennant in each major league: Yankees (1964) and Mets (1973).
1930 - Former Yankees minor league OF Tom Umphlett was born. On June 12, 1962, Tom was traded by the Boston Red Sox along with cash to the New York Yankees for reserve INF Billy Gardner. Tom never played with the Yankees at MLB level. He spent the 1962 season with the Yankees AAA team in Richmond.
1935 - Former Yankees OF/DH Felipe Alou (1971-1973) was born. After being obtained from the Oakland A’s, Felipe Alou hit .289 in 1971, and .278 in 1972, before fading during the 1973 AL season, and then he was sold to the Montreal Expos in September.
1959 - At Yankee Stadium, Yogi Berra committed an error as his errorless streak of 148 games for a catcher came to an end in a 7-6 loss to Cleveland Indians.
1967 - Former Yankees minor league P Kenny Greer was born. On June 1, 1988, Kenny Greer was drafted by the New York Yankees in the 10th round of the 1988 amateur player draft. Kenny never appeared with the Yankees at the MLB level. On September 17,1993, Kenny was traded by the New York Yankees to the New York Mets for veteran P Frank Tanana.
1978 - Former Yankees reserve 1B/DH Josh Phelps (2007) was born. On December 7, 2006, Josh was drafted by the New York Yankees from the Baltimore Orioles organization in the 2006 MLB Rule 5 player draft. Josh appeared in 36 games for the 2007 Yankees, hitting .267. On June 22, 2007; Josh was selected off waivers by the Pittsburgh Pirates from the New York Yankees.
1978 - At Royals Stadium, a potential game-ending routine fly ball became an Amos Otis walk-off inside-the-park HR as Yankee outfielders Reggie Jackson and Mickey Rivers collided in the outfield. The misplay turned a sure Goose Gossage save into a sour loss for the current World Champions Yankees.
1979 - Former Yankees MLB Scout (1967-1975) and MLB catcher Clyde Kluttz passes away. As a MLB scout for the Yankees, he convinced MLB free agent pitcher Catfish Hunter to sign with the Yankees on December 31, 1974. He also spent time with the Yankees as Director of Player Development in 1971-1973 and Scouting Director in 1974. Clyde was catcher, who played in the MLB from 1942-1952 with the Boston Braves, New York Giants, St. Louis Cardinals and Browns, Pittsburgh Pirates, finishing up with the Washington Senators in the AL.
1999 - The California Angels shut out the New York Yankees by the score of 1-0, behind the combined 3-hit pitching of Chuck Finley and Troy Percival. Finley struck out 11 Yankees in his 8 innings of work, including 4 in the 3rd inning, to become the 33rd pitcher in history to strike out 4 in a single frame. It is possible when a batter with 2 strikes on him takes a swing at strike 3; however, the catcher does not field the ball cleanly, and instead of tagging the runner out, the runner reaches the 1st base. The strikeout is recorded, but not the out.
May 13th
1914 - The New York Yankees acquired C/1B Les Nunamaker from the Boston Red Sox. He would be the Yankees main catcher until 1918, when he was traded in the Urban Shocker trade with the St. Louis Browns. His best season was in 1916, when Les hit .296 in 91 games for the Yankees.
1929 - At Cleveland's League Park, the Indians defeated the Yankees, by a score of 4-3, in the 1st game in MLB history in which players from both teams wear numbers on the back of their jerseys.
1946 - The New York Yankees use air transport for travel as a MLB team for 1st time.
1948 - The New York Yankees obtained OF Leon Culberson and $20,000 in cash from the Washington Senators for OF Ed Stewart. Within a month, he would be returned to the Nats.
1950 - Former Yankees OF Juan Beniquez (1979) was born. On November 10, 1978, Juan was traded by the Texas Rangers along with minor league player Greg Jemison, pitchers Mike Griffin, Paul Mirabella and Dave Righetti to the New York Yankees for C Mike Heath, pitchers Sparky Lyle, Larry McCall, Dave Rajsich, and INF Domingo Ramos and cash. Juan appeared in 62 games for the Yankees, hitting .254. On November 1, 1979, Juan was traded by the New York Yankees along with pitchers Rick Anderson, Jim Beattie and C Jerry Narron to the Seattle Mariners for OF Ruppert Jones and P Jim Lewis.
1952 - The New York Yankees waived veteran P Frank "Stubby" Overmire to the St. Louis Browns. He went 1-1 in 15 games for the Yankees in 1951, after being obtained for Yankees P Tommy Byrne and $25,000 cash.
1953 - The New York Yankees waived P Johnny Schmitz to the Washington Senators. Johnny went 0-0 in 3 games with 1 save with the Yankees, before joining the Nats.
1955 - At Yankee Stadium, Mickey Mantle hit HR’s from both sides of the plate for the 1st time in his MLB career. The Yankees slugger finished the game with 3 HR’s - 2 left-handed and 1 right-handed - and drove in all of his team's runs in a 5-2 victory over the Detroit Tigers. Whitey Ford was the winning pitcher, while Steve Gromek was the loser for Tigers.
1965 - Former Yankees P Jose Rijo (1984) was born. Jose Rijo went 2-8 in 24 games for the New York Yankees in 1984. The Yankees rush him up to match the New York Mets young rookie pitcher Doc Gooden. In December of 1984, the Yankees traded him to the Oakland A’s in the Rickey Henderson trade. He would find success in the NL, pitching for the Cincinnati Reds.
1965 - Former Yankees P Jose Rijo (1984) was born. Jose Rijo went 2-8 in 24 games for the New York Yankees in 1984. The Yankees rush him up to match the New York Mets young rookie pitcher Doc Gooden. In December of 1984, the Yankees traded him to the Oakland A’s in the Rickey Henderson trade. He would find success in the NL, pitching for the Cincinnati Reds.
1966 - Former Yankees minor league P Chris Nichting was born. On December 15, 1998, Chris was signed as a MLB free agent with the New York Yankees. He did not appear with the Yankees at the MLB level. On October 15, 1999, he was granted MLB free agency by the Yankees.
1969 - Former Yankees minor league OF Lyle Mouton was born. On June 3, 1991, Lyle Mouton was drafted by the New York Yankees in the 5th round of the 1991 amateur player draft. Lyle never appeared with the Yankees at the MLB level. On April 22, 1995, Lyle was sent by the New York Yankees to the Chicago White Sox to complete an earlier deal made on December 14, 1994. The New York Yankees sent a player to be named later and Keith Heberling (minors) to the Chicago White Sox for veteran starter Jack McDowell.
1977 - New York Yankees starter Ed Figueroa wins his 4th straight complete game, beating his former teammates the California Angels by score of 3-0; Thurman Munson hit his 7th HR of the 1977 AL season.
1984 - Current Yankees minor league P J. Brent Cox was born. J. Brent Cox was taken in the 2nd round of the 2005 MLB amateur player draft by the New York Yankees, a pick that was compensation for the loss of Orlando Hernández to MLB free agency. He signed for a $550,000 bonus. At the University of Texas, he was the set-up man for closer Houston Street. Debuting professionally in high class A, Cox was 1-2 with a 2.60 ERA in 16 games for the Tampa Yankees, striking out 27 in 28 IP and allowing a .206 average. Cox had another fine year in 2006, going 6-2 with a 1.75 ERA and 3 saves in 41 games for the Trenton Thunder (AA). He allowed a .196 average. Baseball America rated him as having the best slider in the Yankee system and being the team's 8th-best prospect. Cox struck out 7 batters in 7 innings for Team USA in the American Qualifiers for the 2008 Olympics (held in 2006), allowing four runs and having no decisions or saves. He pitched scoreless ball against Brazil (2 IP, 3 H), Venezuela (1 2/3 IP) and Nicaragua (2 IP). He struggled, though, against Cuba in the finale. Relieving Kevin Slowey with a 5-1 lead in the bottom of the 6th inning, Cox was charged with 2 runs in that inning and 2 more in the 7th inning (though Jeff Ridgeway was on the hill when both runners scored) as Cuba tied it. Cox had elbow surgery in March of 2007 and did not pitch a game that season. On 2009, he appeared in 12 games for Scranton (AAA) and 5 games for the Trenton Thunder (AA).
May 14th
1899 - Future Yankees Hall of Fame CF Earle “The Kentucky Colonel” Combs (1924-1935) was born. Earl was a lifetime .325 hitter for the New York Yankees. His Yankees playing career was cut short by serious injuries that he suffered, while making desperation catch in 1933. He batted .340 in 4 World Series, 8th highest in MLB history. He was the 1st of the great Yankee centerfielders. He was elected to Baseball’s Hall of Fame in 1970.
1937 - Former Yankees INF (1967-1968), MLB Coach (1968-1978) and Manager (1980) Richard Howser was born (1937-1987). Richard Howser finished his MLB playing career with the New York Yankees in 1968, becoming a MLB coach for the Yankees. He would manage the Yankees in 1980, taking the team to a 103-59 record before losing to the Kansas City Royals in AL Title Playoffs. He would later manage the Royals, before he died from cancer in 1987.
1947 - Former Yankees P Richard “Dirt” Tidrow (1974-1979). Richard “Dirt” Tidrow came over to the New York Yankees in 1974 from the Cleveland Indians in the Chris Chambliss trade. He went 40-33 in 211 games, before being traded to Chicago Cubs for P Ray Burris during the 1979 MLB season.
1948 - Former Yankees P Dave LaRoche (1981-1983) was born. The New York Yankees signed Dave La Roche as a MLB free agent. He went 8-3 in 72 games for the Yankees.
1967 - Mickey Mantle of the New York Yankees joined the 500 HR MLB club, when he connected against Stu Miller of the Baltimore Orioles. Mantle became the 6th MLB player to reach the 500 HR career mark, joining Babe Ruth, Jimmie Foxx, Willie Mays, Mel Ott and Ted Williams. Mantle's HR helped New York to the 6-5 victory at Yankee Stadium.
1977 - New York Yankees starter Don Gullett hurls a 4-hitter and out-duels California Angels Ace Nolan Ryan by the score of 4-1 before a crowd of 41,000 fans in California.
1985 - Former Yankees P Harry Byrd (1954) passed away. He joined the New York Yankees in winter of 1953 coming over from the Philadelphia A’s trade that saw 1B Vic Power and other players go to the A’s. Harry went 9-7 in 25 games for the Yankees before being traded to Baltimore Orioles in the big 17-man trade in December of 1954.
1996 - Dwight Gooden became the 8th pitcher in New York Yankees team history to throw a no-hitter in the with a 2-0 victory over the SeattleMariners at Yankee Stadium.
2004 - Former Yankees P Rip Coleman (1955-1956) passes away. Rip went 5-6 in 39 games for the Yankees before being traded to the Kansas City A’s in 1957.
May 15th
1908 - The New York Yankees purchased P Hippo Vaughn (1908, 1910-1912) from Macon of the Georgia State League for undisclosed amount of cash. Hippo went 22-30 with the Yankees in 72 games.
1912 - The Tiger’s Ty Cobb charges into the stands at Hilltop Park in New York City, attacking a crippled heckler named Claude Lueker. Other Highlander fans and Tigers mix it up before order is restored, and AL President Ban Johnson suspends Ty Cobb indefinitely for the incident.
1922 - In a 4-1 win at New York, Ty Cobb beats out a grounder to Yankees Shortstop Everett Scott. Veteran writer Fred Lieb scores it a hit in the box score, he files with the Associated Press. But official scorer John Kieran of the New York Tribune gives an error to Scott. At the season's end, the AL official records, based on AP box scores, list Cobb at .401. New York writers complain unsuccessfully, claiming it should be .399, based on the official scorer's stats. Fred Lieb will reverse himself at the end of the year, but AL President Ban Johnson goes with the hit call.
1935 - Lou Gehrig steals home in a 4-0 New York Yankees win over the Detroit Tigers. It is his 15th and last steal of home, all of which were double steals.
1941 - New York Yankees CF Joe DiMaggio gets a single in 4 at bats against Eddie Smith of the Chicago White Sox to start his 56-game hitting streak. Joe D's hit goes unnoticed as the Yankees lose the game by the score of 13-1. Taffy Wright homers and drives in 4 White Sox runs, the 8th straight game he's driven in a run.
1955 - New York Yankees OF Irv Noren hits an inside-the-park grand slam HR in an 8-4 victory over the Kansas City A's. The Yankees win the nightcap to sweep the A's. Mickey Mantle is 4-for-9 for the afternoon and is hitting .311.
1963 - Down 4-0 to the Minnesota Twins, Mickey Mantle hits a 2-run HR off of P Pedro Ramos to put the Yankees on the board. Mantle later scores the winning run as New York wins the game by a score of 4-3.
1965 - At Baltimore’s Memorial Stadium, Mickey Mantle slices an opposite field HR in the 8th inning off of reliever Richard Hall to give Yankees, a 3-2 win over the Orioles.
1969 - Former Yankees P Hideki Irabu (1997-1999) was born. He went 29-20 in 74 games for the New York Yankees before being traded to Montreal Expos for minor league pitchers Ted Lilly and Christian Parker.
1996 - The Seattle Mariners spot the New York Yankees 4 runs, then hammer starter Jimmy Key and 5 other Yankee pitchers for 19 hits to win by the score of 10-5. Seven Mariners collect 2 or more hits, and Edgar Martinez drives in 4 runs. A wild Key takes his 5th straight loss, while Yankee reliever Mariano Rivera records 4 outs to stretch his scoreless innings to 21 2/3. The Yankees will place Jimmy Key on the 15-day DL.
1996 - The New York Yankees outbid 4 other MLB teams and sign Japanese P Katsuhiro Maeda to a $1.5 million contract. The Yankees obtained the fastball hurler from the Seibu Lions for more than $350,000. Maeda, who has his hair dyed orange, was 0-2 with the Lions from1993 through 1995, but refused to sign for the 1996 Japanese professional season, unless he was traded to a U.S. team. He will pitch in the Yankees minor league system from 1996 to 1999 only reaching Norwich in the Eastern League (AA). He will return to Japan after the 1999 minor league season.
2003 - The New York Yankees defeat the California Angels by the score of 10-4 at Yankee Stadium. As Yankees starter Jeff Weaver picks up his 3rd victory of the 2003 AL season with Yankees bullpen help from Chris Hammond and Mo Rivera. Alfonso Soriano and Todd Zeile hit HRs for the Yankees. The Angels’ starter Aaron Sele takes the lost.
2005 - The New York Yankees defeat the Oakland A’s by the score of 6-4 with Yankees starter Randy Johnson picking up his 4th victory of the 2005 AL season. The Yankees closer Mo Rivera picks-up his 6th save of the 2005 season. Yankees reserve 1B Tino Martinez hits 2 HRs off of A’s pitching to lead the Yankees to victory at Oakland.
(As always I'd like to thank Fw57Clipper51 for his great contribution.)
