This Week in Yankees History
November 7th - November 13th
November 7th
1911 - Former Yankees reserve C Herbert “Workhorse” Crompton (1945) was born. On November 1, 1944, Herb was drafted by the New York Yankees from the Pittsburgh Pirates organization in the 1944 MLB Rule 5 player draft. He appeared in only 36 games, hitting just .192 for the Yankees.
1933 - Former Yankees reserve OF/1B Bob Hale (1961) was born. On July 28, 1961, Bob was purchased by the New York Yankees from the Cleveland Indians. He appeared in only 11 games for the Yankees, hitting .154, before retiring from MLB at the end of the 1961 AL season.
1938 - Former Yankees 3B/C Jake Gibbs (1962-1971) was born. The New York Yankees signed Jake for $100,000 as an MLB amateur free agent in 1961. Jake was originally signed as a 3B, but he was converted into a catcher. Jake hit .233 in 10 seasons with the Yankees. He helped Thurman Munson with his catching skills, when he first came up with the Yankees before retiring in 1971 as an MLB active player. Jake was an All-American quarterback at Old Miss, before deciding on a MLB career with the New York Yankees.
1938 - Former Yankees P and Broadcaster Jim Kaat (1979-1980) was born. On May 11,1979, Jim Kaat was purchased by the New York Yankees from the Philadelphia Phillies. Jim appeared in 44 games with the Yankees, posting a 2-4 record with 2 saves, before being sent to the St. Louis Cardinals in 1980.
1944 - Former Yankees P Joe Niekro (1985-1987) was born (1944-2006). On September 15,1985, Joe was traded by the Houston Astros to the Yankees for minor league players to be named later and P Jim Deshaies. The Yankees sent Neder Horta on September 24,1985 and Dody Rather on January 11,1986 to the Astros to complete the trade. Joe went 14-15 in 36 games for the Yankees. On June 7,1987, the Yankees traded Joe to the Minnesota Twins for C/1B/DH Mark Salas. Joe Niekro passed away in 2006.
1963 - New York Yankees All Star catcher Elston Howard becomes the 1st black player to win the AL MVP Award. Howard beats out Detroit Tigers RF Al Kaline by 248 votes to 148 votes in the AL MVP balloting. Ellie hit .287 with 28 HRs, 85 RBIs in 135 games for the 1963 AL Champion New York Yankees.
1968 - Former Yankees P Russ Springer (1992) was born. On June 5, 1989, Russ was drafted by the New York Yankees in the 7th round of the 1989 MLB amateur player draft. Russ appeared in 14 games with the Yankees with no record during the 1992 AL season. On December 6,1992, Russ was traded by the Yankees along with P Jerry Nielsen and 1B J.T. Snow to the California Angels for starter Jim Abbott.
1978 - In a controversial selection, Boston Red Sox OF Jim Rice is named AL MVP over New York Yankees P Ron Guidry. Jim Rice led the AL in HRs (46), RBI’s (139), hits (213), triples and slugging percentage (.600), and became the 1st AL player to accumulate 400 total bases in a season since Joe DiMaggio in 1937. While Ron Guidry, posted a 25-3 record with 248 strikeouts and a 1.74 ERA for the AL pennant-winning Yankees. Ron Guidry will win the American League Cy Young Award.
1997 - The New York Yankees traded veteran P Kenny Rogers to the Oakland A’s for a player to be named and cash considerations. The A’s will send 3B Scott Brosius to the Yankees on November 18,1997 to complete the trade.
2006 - Former Yankees pitcher (1951-1955) and MLB Pitching Coach (1961-1963) Johnny Sain passed away (1917-2006). Johnny Sain was obtained from the Boston Braves in August of 1951 for New York Yankees rookie P Lou Burdette and $50,000. John was 20-20, with 67 saves for the Yankees coming out of the bullpen and being an occasional spot starter. His best Yankees season was in 1953, posting a 14-7 mark with 19 saves. Johnny led the AL in saves in 22 in 1954, while going 6-6. He was traded during the 1955 AL season to the A’s along with veteran OF Enos Slaughter for Kansas City A’s P Sonny Dixon. John would later become a very successful MLB pitching coach with the Tigers, Yankees, Twins and the Braves. He was the Yankees pitching coach from 1961-1963. Whitey Ford won 25 games during Johnny Sain’s 1st year as Yankees pitching coach. Johnny left the Yankees after the 1963 AL season, when Yogi Berra was named the new Yankees manager.
November 8th
1896 - Former Hall Of Fame MLB Manager and Yankees Manager Bucky Harris (1947-1948) was born (1896-1977). Bucky Harris won the 1947 AL pennant and World Series, while managing the Yankees. Bucky was a 2nd baseman in the AL during the 1920-1930’s. He won AL pennants with the Washington Senators in 1924-1925 as a player-manager, earning him the nickname of “Boy Wonder.” After the 1948 AL season, finishing in 3rd place in the AL, veteran NL Manager Casey Stengel was named by New York Yankees management to replaced him.
1942 - Former Yankees OF William “Birdie” Cree (1908-1915) passed away (1882-1942). Birdie hit .292 in 8 seasons with the New York Yankees. His best season with the Yanks was in 1911, when he hit .348 in 137 games. In 1912, he injured his leg, only appearing in 50 games, never regaining his playing form of the 1911 AL season. He was sold to the Baltimore Orioles (IL) after a mediocre 1913 AL season with the Yankees. However, on July 6,1914 the Yankees sent OF Bill Holden and cash to the Baltimore Orioles to get him back. He retired from MLB after 1915 AL season, going into the banking industry.
1951 - The New York Yankees AL All Star C Yogi Berra wins the 1st of his three American League Most Valuable Player Awards. He hit .294 with 27 HRs, 88 RBI’s in 141 games for the 1951 World Champion Yankees. During the 1951 AL season, Yogi Berra caught Yankees starter Allie Reynolds 2 no-hitters against the Cleveland Indians and Boston Red Sox.
1961 - With only one Cy Young Award given for the two MLB leagues, Whitey Ford, the AL leader in wins (25) and innings pitched (283), won the honor ahead of the Braves Warren Spahn, who led the NL in wins (21) and ERA (3.02). In one of the closest votes in Cy Young Award history, future Hall Of Famers Whitey Ford and Warren Spahn totaled 9 and 6 points respectively.
1977 - Former Yankees Hall Of Fame Manager, MLB Scout, General Manager and MLB player Bucky Harris dies on his 81st birthday. Harris had won 2 World Championships (1924 and 1947) and 3 AL pennants over a 29-year MLB manager career, which included managing the Senators, Tigers, Red Sox, Phillies and the Yankees. He won AL pennants with the Washington Senators in 1924-1925 and with the New York Yankees in 1947. He was the General Manager of the Boston Red Sox in 1959-1960. He would later become a MLB scout for the Chicago White Sox. Bucky Harris was elected to Baseball’s Hall of Fame in 1975.
1979 - The New York Yankees sign veteran MLB free agents 1B/DH Bob Watson and P Rudy May to long-term contracts. The two MLB veterans will help the Yankees to an AL leading 103 victories in the 1980 AL season.
1990 - Former Yankees reserve 1B and MLB Coach Clifford “Earl of Snohomish” Torgeson (1961) passed away (1924-1990). On June 17, 1961, Earl was signed as a MLB free agent with the New York Yankees, after being released by the Chicago White Sox. He appeared in only 22 games, just hitting .111, before being released by the Yankees as a player, finishing the 1961 AL season as an MLB 1B coach for the Yankees.
2005 - The New York Yankees let All Star 1B Tino Martinez leave the team, declining their $3 million option on the popular 1st baseman. Tino Martinez will return to Yankees in 2005. He will hit .241 in part-time duty with the Yankees, hitting 17 HRs with 49 RBI’s. He was a staple in the starting Yankees' lineup from 1996-2001, helping the team to win 4 World Series Championships and 5 AL pennants with his clutch hitting and reliable defense at 1B.
November 9th
1889 - Former Yankees P Tommy Thompson (1912) was born. Tommy Thompson went 0-2 in 7 games for the Yankees in 1912.
1897 - Former Yankees reserve OF Harvey “Gink” Hendrick (1923-1924) was born. On January 3, 1923, Harvey was traded by the Boston Red Sox along with P George Pipgras to the New York Yankees for C Al DeVormer and cash. Harvey hit .282 in 77 games for the Yankees as a reserve OF. He appeared in one game of the 1923 World Series for the Yankees. He would play in MLB for 11 seasons (1923-1934) hitting .308 for 7 teams: Yankees, Indians, Dodgers, Reds, Cardinals, White sox and Phillies. On October 29,1941, Harvey committed suicide at the age of 43.
1912 - Veteran 1B Frank Chance is sold by the Chicago Cubs to the Cincinnati Reds. When all NL clubs waived claims to him in December, the Reds freed Frank Chance to manage the New York Yankees. Frank Chance will manage the Yankees in 1913-1914, going 118-170, before he is fired.
1919 - Former Yankees INF Jerry Priddy (1941-1942) was born (1919-1980). Before the 1937 AL season, the New York Yankees signed Jerry Priddy as an MLB amateur free agent. He appeared in 115 games for the Yankees, hitting .248. He appeared in 3 games of the 1942 World Series against the St. Louis Cardinals. Jerry was unable to unseat All Star Joe “Flash” Gordon as the Yankees starting 2B. On January 29,1943, Jerry was traded by the Yankees along with P Milo Candini to the Washington Senators for P Bill Zuber and cash.
1931 - Former Yankees minor league OF, MLB player/Manager Whitey Herzog was born. Before the 1949 AL Season, the New York Yankees signed Whitey Herzog as an MLB amateur free agent. He spent the 1953-1954 seasons in the US Army. Unable to crack the Yankees MLB starting outfield, Whitey never played for the Yankees at the MLB Level. On April 2,1956, Whitey was sent by the Yankees to the Washington Senators to complete, an earlier deal made on February 8,1956. The Yankees sent a player to be named later, C Lou Berberet, P Bob Wiesler, 2B Herb Plews, and OF Richard Tettelbach to the Senators for P Mickey McDermott and INF Bobby Kline. The Yankees would send OF Whitey Herzog on April 2,1956 to the Senators to completing the trade. After his 8-year MLB playing career was over, Whitey went into front office work with the New York Mets, later he would become a very successful MLB manager for 19 seasons.
1953 - Reaffirming its earlier position, the U.S. Supreme Court rules by a vote of 7-2, that MLB baseball is a sport and not a business and therefore not subject to federal government antitrust laws. The ruling is made in a case involving New York Yankees minor league player George Toolson, who refused to move from the Newark Bears Triple-A team to a Yankees Double-A team.
1953 - Former Yankees P Dave Wehrmiester (1981) was born. On June 15, 1979, Don was traded by the San Diego Padres to the Yankees for OF Jay Johnstone. On December 8, 1980, he was drafted by the Kansas City Royals from the Yankees in the 1980 MLB Rule 5 player draft. On April 3,1981, Dave was returned (earlier draft pick) by the Royals to the Yankees. Dave would appear in only 5 games for the 1981 Yankees, posting no record. On June 17,1983, Dave was traded by the New York Yankees to the Philadelphia Phillies for 2 minor league players: Jim Rasmussen and Kelly Faulk.
1962 - Former Yankees reserve OF/DH Dion James (1992-1996) was born. Dion’s best season for the Yankees was in 1993, when he hit .332.
1964 - Former Yankees P Kevin Mmahat (1989) was born. On June 20, 1988, Kevin Mmahat was purchased by the New York Yankees from the Texas Rangers. Kevin went 0-2 in 4 games for the Yankees during the 1989 AL season.
1998 - Former Yankees Hall of Fame P Jim "Catfish" Hunter announces that he is suffering from Lou Gehrig's disease. The fatal disease, known medically as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), attacks the nerves in the spinal cord and the brain and leads to a loss of motor skills. Hunter will succumb to the disease less than a year later.
November 10th
1895 - Former Yankees INF/OF Wilson “Chick” Fewster (1917-1922). Chick Fewster was reserve INF/OF for the Yankees. On July 23,1922, Chick was traded by the New York Yankees along with OF Elmer Miller, OF Johnny Mitchell, P Lefty O'Doul, and $50,000 to the Boston Red Sox for veteran INF Joe Dugan and OF Elmer Smith. Chick was the 1st MLB player to have an MLB official at bat in April 1923 opener at new Yankee Stadium.
1923 - Former Yankee Minor League Manager Cal Ermer (1961) was born. Cal was originally signed and played briefly with the Washington Senators. He was a longtime minor league Manager for the Washington Senator-Minnesota Twins organization. He managed the New York Yankees AAA team in the International League in 1961, the Richmond Virginians to a 6th place finished with a 71-83 record. Also Cal managed in the Pittsburgh Pirates and Detroit Tigers organizations. In 1967-1968, Cal did manage the Twins. He returned to minor league managing for the Twins in 1974 and held the job until 1985.
1926 - Former Yankees minor league OF Carmen Mauro was born. On December 16,1953, Carmen Mauro was traded by the Philadelphia A’s along with INF Loren Babe, P Harry Byrd, OF Tom Hamilton and 1B Eddie Robinson to the New York Yankees for 1B Don Bollweg, INF Jim Finigan, P Johnny Gray, 1B Vic Power, OF Bill Renna and C Jim Robertson. Carmen never played for the Yankees at the MLB level. He did play several seasons with the Yankees top AAA team, the Denver Bears.
1948- The Philadelphia Phillies drafted C Ken Silvestri out of the New York Yankees organization in the 1948 MLB Rule 5 Player Draft.
1951 - In Tokyo, Japan, 50,000 fans are on hand as an American All-Star team battles a Central League All-Star team. Yankees Clipper Joe DiMaggio hits a 400 ft. HR in the 8th inning to tie the game at 1-1, then his brother Dom laces an RBI-triple in the 9th inning and later scores to give the Americans, a 3-2 victory. The Americans have won 12 games and tied one on their 1951 Japan baseball tour.
1955 - Former Yankees DH/OF Jack Clark (1988) was born. On January 6, 1988, Jack was signed as a MLB free agent with the New York Yankees. Jack only hit .242 for the Yankees. On October 24,1988, Jack was traded by the Yankees along with P Pat Clements to the San Diego Padres for P Lance McCullers, P Jimmy Jones, and OF Stanley Jefferson.
1964 - Former Yankees P Kenny “Gambler” Rodgers (1996-1997) was born. Signed as a MLB free agent in December of 1995, Kenny went 18-15 in 61 games, 2 seasons for the Yankees before being traded to the Oakland A’s for INF/OF Scott Brosius in November of 1997. His best Yankees season was in 1996, when he posted a 12-8 record in 30 games. He made 2 postseason appearances for the 1996 Yankees with no record. In 1997, he slipped a 6-7 mark in 31 games.
1974 - Former Yankees reserve OF Ben Paschal (1924-1929) died. On September 9, 1924, Ben was purchased by the New York Yankees from Atlanta Crackers (Southern Association) for $20,000. Ben played in 346 games for the Yankees hitting .309. He appeared in 8 World Series games (1926 and 1928) hitting .214 for the Yankees. On April 12,1927 the opening game of the 1927 AL season, Ben Paschal became the last player to ever pinch hit for Yankees slugger Babe Ruth. The replacement came in the 6th inning, after Babe Ruth had gone 0 for 3, with 2 strikeouts; Ben Paschal hit a single. Ben’s best season with the Yankees was in 1925, when he hit .360 in 89 games.
1978 - In a major trade, the New York Yankees send former Cy Young Award winner closer Sparky Lyle along with P Dave Rajsich, P Larry McCall, C Mike Heath and INF Domingo Ramos to the Texas Rangers. In return, the Rangers packed up OF Juan Beniquez, OF Greg Jemison, pitchers Dave Righetti, Paul Mirabella and Mike Griffin to the Yankees. Dave Righetti was considered the top left handed prospect in the minor leagues, will win AL Rookie of the Year honors in 1981. The trade will come to haunt the Yankees during the 1979 AL season, when closer Rich Gossage is injured in a shower fight with teammate Cliff Johnson and the tragic airplane crash death of All Star catcher Munson. Mike Heath was being groomed to be Munson’s replacement behind the plate. Lyle would have replaced Goose as the Yankees closer during the time missed with his pitching hand injury.
1978 - Former Yankees P Jorge DePaula (2003-2005) was born. Jorge went 0-1 in 10 games for New York Yankees, before having arm injuries that ended his MLB career with the Yankees.
1992 - Former Yankees minor league 1B Chuck “The Rifleman” Connors” passed away. New York Yankees Super Scout Paul Krichell noted that Chuck was left unprotected by the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1941. He signed him to a minor league contract for the New York Yankees organization. Chuck replaced Joe Collins at first base with the Norfolk Tars (Piedmont League), Chuck hit .264 and slugged .408. His Tars teammate Bill Wight recalled that Connors often would recite Casey at the Bat, Shakespeare or other poetry. In 1942, Chuck was drafted into the US Army. Chuck related that he would write to Dodgers General Manager Branch Rickey in 1946, asking for the Brooklyn Dodgers to reacquire him. The Yankees waived him on April 23,1946, the Brooklyn Dodgers claimed their old prospect back. Chuck would appear in 67 games for the Dodgers and Chicago Cubs hitting. 238 before shoulder injuries ended his career and he became a full time actor in Hollywood.
November 11th - Veteran’s Day
1902 - Former Yankees P Owen Carroll (1930) was born. On May 30, 1930, Owen Carroll was traded by the Detroit Tigers along with OF Harry Rice and INF Yats Wuestling to the New York Yankees for veteran starter Waite Hoyt and INF Mark Koenig. Owen went 0-1 in 10 games with the Yankees. On September 13,1930, Owen was purchased by the Cincinnati Reds from the Yankees.
1943 - The 1943 MLB MVP Award winners for both major leagues are named. New York Yankees P Spud Chandler wins it in the AL, while St. Louis Cardinals OF Stan Musial wins it in the NL. Yankees starter Spud Chandler went 20-4 in 30 games with 20 complete games with an AL leading ERA of 1.64.
1948 - New York Yankees All Star CF Joe DiMaggio undergoes surgery for bone spurs on his right heel. DiMaggio will miss 65 games in the 1949 AL season because of continuing problems with his right heel.
1982 - Former Yankees 3B MLB Coach Joe Altobelli succeeds the retired Earl Weaver as the Baltimore Orioles manager. Altobelli is the 2nd Yankees MLB coach to take a managing job this month, and will be the Orioles 1st new pilot since 1968, when Earl Weaver replaced former Yankees star Hank Bauer during the 1968 AL season.
November 12th
1891 - Former Yankees P Carl “Submarine” Mays (1919-1923) was born. During the 1919 AL season Carl and the Boston Red Sox had a dispute, which resulted in him wanting to be traded from the team. On July 29,1919, Carl was traded by the Boston Red Sox to the New York Yankees for P Bob McGraw, Shortstop Allen Russell and $40,000. Carl would finish the 1919 AL season with a 9-3 record in 13 games for the Yankees. Carl Mays was the Yankee pitcher, who hit Cleveland Indians batter Ray Chapman with a pitch, which later resulted in his death during the 1920 AL season game. Carl’s best Yankee seasons were, when he went 26-11 in 1920 and 27-9 in 1921. As a Yankees starter, he had 79-39 career record for the team from 1919-1923. He never got along with Yankees Manager Miller Huggins, there several incidents, which included a fistfight on the sidewalks of New York City. He did appeared in 2 World Series for the Yankees posting a 1-3 mark against the Giants. His 1924 trade to the Cincinnati Reds was considered to be one of the worst in early Yankees team history. After being sold to the Reds for $85,000 in 1924, he went 20-9 for the Reds. After he joined the Reds, Carl posted a 56-36 mark in the NL. Carl would finish his MLB career with a 207-126 record with a 2.92 ERA, pitching for the Red Sox, Yankees, and Reds and finishing up with the New York Giants in 1929.
1926 - Former Yankees P Don Johnson (1947 & 1950) was born. Before the 1944 AL Season, the New York Yankees signed Don Johnson as an MLB amateur free agent. Don posted a 5-3 record in 23 games for the Yankees. On June 15,1950, Don was traded by the Yankees along with OF Jim Delsing, P Duane Pillette, INF George “Snuffy” Stirnweiss, and $50,000 to the St. Louis Browns for P Tom Ferrick, P Joe Ostrowski, and 3B Leo Thomas.
1958 - New York Yankees starter Bob Turley, who had 21 wins with 19 complete games during the 1958 AL regular season is named the 1958 Cy Young Award winner. With only 1 award given for the two major leagues, Bob Turley gathers 5 votes to 4 for last year's winner, the Milwaukee Braves veteran starter Warren Spahn.
1961 - Former Yankees minor leaguer INF Greg Gagne was born. On June 5,1979, Greg Gagne was drafted by the New York Yankees in the 5th round of the 1979 MLB amateur player draft. Greg never played for the Yankees at the MLB Level. On April 10,1982, Greg was traded by the Yankees along with P Paul Boris and P Ron Davis to the Minnesota Twins for Shortstop Roy Smalley. Yankees Owner George Steinbrenner wanted Smalley because the Orioles had Cal Ripken who was a HR hitting shortstop. The trading away of Ron Davis breaks up the Yankees bullpen duo of Rich Gossage and Ron Davis, who were the best 1-2 closer-holder combo in AL. Clippers note: The Yankees would have been better off not making this trade.
1965 - The New York Yankees obtained INF Ruben Amaro Sr. from the Philadelphia Phillies for INF Phil Linz. Amaro never hit more than .233 in a Yankees uniform. Although his infamous collision with Yankees star OF Tom Tresh, while chasing a pop fly may have accounted for his failure to live up to the Yankees expectations. The incident left Tom Tresh with 2 bad knees, robbing him of a promising MLB career. Ruben struggled with the bat, making the trade look even worst. The Yankees should have held on to Phil Linz, making him a OF, moving Tom Tresh back to shortstop. Ruben would be sold to the California Angels for cash in November of 1968.
1972 - Former Yankees reserve INF Homer Bush (1997-1998, 2004) was born. On April 22, 1997, Homer was traded by the San Diego Padres along with players to be named later and minor league player Gordon Amerson to the New York Yankees for Rafael Medina, OF Ruben Rivera, and $3. The Padres sent P Hideki Irabu on May 29,1997 and Vernon Maxwell (minors) on June 9,1997 to the Yankees to complete the trade. He appeared in 55 games for the Yankees hitting .372 during the 1997-1998 AL seasons. On February 18,1999, Homer was traded by the Yankees along with P Graeme Lloyd and P David Wells to the Toronto Blue Jays for starter Roger Clemens. In 2004, he played in 9 games for the Yankees before retiring from MLB. He really never fully recovered from his previous leg and hip injuries.
1978 - Former Yankees Minor League Manager Ralph “Buzz” Boyle (1941-1942) passed away. Buzz Boyle hit .316 on the great 1939 Kansas City Blues minor league team which won 107 games, and which featured Vince DiMaggio, Jerry Priddy, Phil Rizzuto, Sandy Vance, Tommy Holmes, and others. He managed two Yankees farm teams: the Akron Yankees in 1941 and the Norfolk Tars in 1942. He had played in the MLB with the Boston Braves and Brooklyn Dodgers from 1929-1934.
1978 - Former Yankees P George Shears (1912) passed away. George Shears appeared in 4 games with no record for the 1912 Yankees.
1992 - Arbitrator George Nicolau overturns the suspension of New York Yankees hurler Steve Howe for being too severe. The Yankees resign veteran reliever Steve Howe.
1993 - New York Yankees Hall Of Fame AL All Star Catcher, MLB Coach and Manager Bill Dickey (1928-1946) passed away (1907-1993). Bill was the 1st the great Yankee catchers. Bill was a tough as nails player. He had a lifetime BA of .313 for the Yankees. He hit .300 or better 10 times during his 13 years as a MLB player. His best Yankees season was in 1936, when he hit .362. Bill topped the 100 RBI’s mark for 4 seasons (1936-1939). He was AL All Star catcher in 1933-1943 and 1946. During WWII (1944-1946), he served in the US Navy. He led the AL in fielding as a catcher in 1931,1935,1937,1939 and 1941. During the 1946 AL season, Bill managed the Yankees to a 57-48 record after long time Yankee Manager Joe McCarthy had resigned. He served as a MLB coach for Yankees Managers Bucky Harris and Casey Stengel (1949-1957 and 1960). Bill was elected to the HOF in 1954. HOF catcher Yogi Berra credits Bill with teaching him the fundamentals of catching. He also taught Elston Howard and Johnny Blanchard in the 1950’s as well. Later he would come to the Yankees spring training camp as a special advisor and work with the team’s organizational catchers.
1996 - Toronto Blue Jays starter Pat Hentgen edges Andy Pettitte of the New York Yankees for the 1996 Cy Young Award in the closest AL voting since the 1972 voting, when Gaylord Perry topped Wilbur Wood by 6 points. Hentgen with a 20-10 mark, the MLB leader in complete games, outpoints Andy Pettitte (21-8) by the narrow margin of 110-104. New York Yankees closer Mariano Rivera finishes 3rd in the ballot and receives one 1st-place vote.
2007 - The New York Yankees re-signed AL All Star C Jorge Posada to a $52.4 million contract for four years. This contract makes Jorge Posada the highest-paid catcher in MLB history, edging out Mike Piazza’s $13 million average from 1999-2005 with the New York Mets.
November 13th
1882 - Former Yankees INF Ezra “Salt Rock” Midkiff (1912-1913) was born. Ezra hit .207 in 104 games for the Yankees.
1884 - Former Yankees OF Pete Daley (1914-1915) was born. On June 13, 1914, Pete was traded by the Philadelphia A’s to the New York Yankees for OF/INF Jimmy Walsh. Pete hit .250 in 79 games for the Yankees.
1925 - Former Yankees OF Jim Delsing (1949-1951) was born. On December 14, 1948, Jim was traded by the Chicago White Sox to the New York Yankees for OF Steve Souchock. He appeared in 21 games with the Yankees as a reserve outfielder. On June 15,1950, Jim was traded by the Yankees along with P Don Johnson, P Duane Pillette, INF George “Snuffy” Stirnweiss, and $50,000 to the St. Louis Browns for P Tom Ferrick, P Joe Ostrowski, and 3B Leo Thomas
1931 - New York Yankees owner Jacob Ruppert buys the Newark Bears International League franchise. The Newark Bears will be very successful and will send many players to the Yankees. The 1938-1939 Bears were considered to the best Yankee farm teams in the team’s minor league system history and in minor league baseball history as well. In 1950, the Yankees sell the team to the Chicago Cubs, who move to the team to Springfield, MA.
1934 - The New York Yankees sell P Dan MacFayden to the Cincinnati Reds on a conditional basis, the purchase price to be finalized if the Reds decide to keep him (They did not).
1941 - Former Yankees All Star P (1964-1974) and long time MLB Pitching Coach Mel Stottlemyre Sr. was born. Before the 1961 AL Season, the Yankees signed Mel Stottlemyre, as an MLB amateur free agent. Mel was called up from Richmond (AAA) during the 1964 AL season. He went 9-3 to help the Yankees win the 1964 AL flag. He went 1-1 in 3 games in the 1964 World Series against the Cardinals. Mel was a 20-game winner 3-times during his Yankees career. He finished with a 164-139 mark in 360 games with 40 shutouts and a career ERA of 2.97. Mel was a member of the AL All Star teams in 1965-1966 and 1968-1970. On March 29,1975, he was unable to recover from his arm injury from 1974 AL season, Mel was released by the Yankees. Mel had two sons, Mel Jr. and Todd, who pitch in the MLB.
1963 - Former Yankees catcher and MLB Manager Herold “Muddy” Ruel (1917-1920) passed away. On August 21,1917, Muddy was purchased by the New York Yankees from the St. Louis Browns. He appeared in 170 games for the Yankees, hitting .251. On December 15,1920, he was traded by the New York Yankees along with INF Del Pratt, P Hank Thormahlen and OF Sammy Vick to the Boston Red Sox for pitchers Harry Harper and Waite Hoyt, INF Mike McNally and C Wally Schang. Muddy was the MLB manager of the 1947 St. Louis Browns. Ruel was the farm director of the Cleveland Indians in 1951. He held the same job with the Detroit Tigers from 1952-1954. He was the General Manager of the Detroit Tigers (1954-1956).
1968 - The New York Yankees sell veteran INF John Kennedy to the new AL expansion team Seattle Pilots for cash. John had hit .196 in 78 games for the Yankees after being obtained from the Dodgers in April 1967 for OF John Miller, P Jack Cullen and temporary transfer of INF/OF Roy White to Dodgers AAA team in PCL. Roy White would return to the Yankees. The Yankees had hope that he could learn to become a 2B from the Dodgers organization, but it didn’t work out. Roy was switched to the OF.
1978 - The New York Yankees signed MLB free agent P Luis Tiant to a 2-year $875,000 contract. Tiant, formerly of the Boston Red Sox, becomes the 1st free agent to sign with a new club following the 1978 re-entry draft. Luis Tiant would go 21-17 in 55 games for the Yankees (1979-1980).
1997 - Former Yankees minor league C Moe Thacker passed away. Moe Thacker was another of the many players who began their careers in the New York Yankees minor league organization, who reached the MLB with a different team. In 1952, Moe was signed as an amateur MLB free agent by the Yankees. The young catcher would make it as high as the American Association with the Denver Bears (AAA) in 1956 and the New Orleans Pelicans of the Southern Association (AA) in 1957, where he hit .240 while catching 136 games. All that got him was being traded to the Chicago Cubs before the start of the 1958 AL season. Moe played for the Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals (1958,1960-1963) appearing in 158 games, hitting just .177.
1998 - The ball thrown by Boston Red Sox P Howard Ehmke and hit by Babe Ruth for 1st HR in Yankee Stadium history is sold at an auction for $126,500 (110,000 bid + 15% commission). Mark Scala found the 1923 historic Home Run ball ago in the attic of his grandmother's home several years ago.
2008 - The New York Yankees look to upgrade their offense by trading for OF1B/DH Nick Swisher. They also pick up minor league player Kaneoka Texeira in the deal with the Chicago White Sox while giving up prospect P Jeff Marquez, INF Wilson Betemit and P Jhonny Nunez.
2009 - Former Yankees P Ron Klimkowski (1969-1970, 1972) passed away. Ron Klimkowski came to the New York Yankees in 1967 in the Elston Howard trade with the Boston Red Sox. He appeared in 48 games for the Yankees, going 6-8 with 1 save before being traded to the Oakland A’s for veteran OF/DH Felipe Alou. On May 22,1972, Ron was released by the Oakland Athletics. On May 22,1972, he was signed as a MLB Free Agent with the New York Yankees. He posted a 0-3 record in 16 games with 1 save in his final season in the MLB.
(As always I'd like to thank Fw57Clipper51 for his great contribution.)
