This Week in Yankee History
July 17th - July 23rd
July 17th
1919 - The Yankees (21) and Browns (17) combined for 38 hits during the St. Louis Browns 7-6, 17-inning win. The Browns winning run was a scored on a squeeze play.
1923 - An un-sympatric Yankees Manager Miller Huggins refuses to remove Yankees starter Carl Mays as he allows the Cleveland Indians to batter Mays for 20 hits and 13 runs during a Tribe 13-0 victory. Yankees Manager Miller Huggins and Carl Mays never got along well, it will end with Carl Mays later being traded to the Cincinnati Reds after the 1923 AL season ends.
1930 - Former Yankees minor league OF Jerry Lynch was born. Before the start of the 1951 AL Season, Jerry Lynch was purchased by the New York Yankees from Greenville (Cotton States). Jerry never played for the Yankees at the MLB level. On November 30,1953, he was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates from the Yankees in the 1953 MLB Rule 5 player draft. Jerry Lynch became the greatest pinch-hitter of his era. One of the best pinch-hitters of all time. Although he appeared in 1,184 MLB games, only 710 of them were in the field (mostly as a left fielder). He had only one season with more than 400 at-bats, that being 1958 when he hit .312 with 16 HRs in 420 at-bats. He became more or less a regular outfielder (he appeared in 98 games) as a rookie with the 1954 Pittsburgh Pirates, making his debut at age 23 on a team, whose average age was 26. He would play in the NL with the Prates and the Cincinnati Reds finishing his 14-year MLB career with a lifetime BA of .277.
1934 - New York Yankees slugger Babe Ruth draws his 2,000th MLB base on balls at Cleveland. He will retire from MLB in 1935 with a MLB walk record of 2,062.
1936 - New York Yankees hitters Red Rolfe, Lou Gehrig, and Bill Dickey hit 3rd-inning HRs against the Detroit Tigers to tie the AL record, since topped. Yankees roll to a 9-4 victory, dropping the Bengals to 4th place in the AL. Goose Goslin has a pair of HRS for the Tigers.
1938 - Former Yankees OF/INF Deron Johnson (1960-1961) was born. (1938-1992)
In 1956, Deron Johnson was signed by the New York Yankees as an MLB amateur free agent. Deron was never able to find a regular position to play with the Yankees. At 3B, Clete Boyer blocked him and at 1B there was Bill Skowron. Plus Mickey Mantle (CF), Roger Maris (RF) and Yogi Berra-Hector Lopez (LF) filled the Yankees regular outfield. In June of 1961, he was traded along with veteran starter Art Ditmar to the Kansas City A’s for veteran hurler Bud Daley. After finishing his MLB playing career Deron was MLB coach for several teams in the 1980’s-early 1990’s. Deron Johnson died of lung cancer in 1992 at age 53.
1941 - In front of more than 60,000 fans at Cleveland, Joe DiMaggio's hitting streak is ended at 56 games. Cleveland Indian Pitchers Al Smith and Jim Bagby, Sr., plus sensational plays by 3B Ken Keltner, stop the Yankee Clipper’s hitting streak, but the Yankees edge the Indians by a score of 6-5.
1947 - The New York Yankees sweep a doubleheader against the Cleveland Indians by scores of 3-1 and 7-2 to extend their winning streak to an AL record 19 games. The streak matches that of the 1906 Chicago White Sox.
1948 - New York Yankees starter Ed Lopat scatters 11 hits to beat the St. Louis Browns by a score of 4-0. It is the Yankees hurler's 2nd shutout in a row and his 3rd this 1948 AL season.
1950 - New York Yankees rookie starter Whitey Ford wins his 1st MLB game, beating the visiting Chicago White Sox by the score of 4-3. Closer Tom Ferrick finished game for the Yankees.
1955 - Earl Torgeson of the Detroit Tigers steals home in the 10th inning to beat the Yankees by a score of 6-5.
1959 - Chicago White Sox veteran starter Early Wynn and the Yankees P Ralph Terry match zeros for 8 innings at Yankee Stadium. Before Chicago's Jim McAnany collects the 1st White Sox hit in the 9th inning. Jim Landis adds a 2nd hit to drive home 2 runs to give the White Sox, a 2-0 win. Early Wynn matched Ralph Terry by also allowing just 2 hits.
1961 - The New York Yankees top the Baltimore Orioles by a score of 5-0, behind Whitey Ford's 13th straight win. Mickey Mantle (#33) and Bill Skowron hit long HRs at Baltimore’s Memorial Stadium. The nightcap goes into the 5th inning when, with 2 outs and the Yankees up by the score of 4-1, when a thunderstorm strikes. The umpires wait 65 minutes before calling the game, thus washing out HRs by Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle.
1961 - MLB Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick decrees that Babe Ruth's record of 60 HRs in a 154-game schedule in 1927 "cannot be broken unless some batter hits 61 or more within his club's 1st 154 games." As the 1961 AL season with expansion of 2 new teams: Washington Senators and LA Angels, the AL goes to a 162 game schedule for the 1961 season.
1968 - Former Yankees reserve C Ken “Ziggy” Sears (1943) passed away. Ken Sears appeared in 60 games for the 1943 Yankees, hitting .278.
1977 - The New York Yankees lose by a score of 8-4, for their 3rd straight loss to the Kansas City Royals. The Yankees have now lost 7 of their last 9 games and are now 3 games in back of the AL eastern division leading Baltimore Orioles.
1978 - In the latest incident in his feud with Manager Billy Martin, the Yankees Reggie Jackson ignores instructions and attempts to bunt in the 10th inning of a tie game with the Kansas City Royals. Jackson pops up; the Yankees lose the game by the score of 9-7, in the 11th inning. Manager Billy Martin serves Jackson with a 5-day suspension without pay. The Royals' 3-game sweep at Yankee Stadium leaving Yankees in 4th place in the AL East, 14 games behind the Boston Red Sox.
1987 - New York Yankees' AL All Star 1st baseman Don Mattingly becomes the 1st AL player to hit a HR in seven consecutive games.
1989 - Chicago White Sox C Carlton Fisk gets his 2,000th MLB career hit in a 7-3 win over the New York Yankees.
1990 - At Yankee Stadium, Mel Stottlemyre, Jr. makes his MLB debut, pitching an inning of relief against the Yankees. He gives up 3 runs, but the Kansas City Royals unload on Yankees starter Andy Hawkins (1-8) to win the game by a score of 10-7.
1996 - The Boston Red Sox take a 9 -2 lead over the New York Yankees into the 7th inning in at Fenway Park. New York scores 3 runs in the 7th inning, 2 runs in the 8th inning, and 4 runs in the 9th inning to move ahead by a score of 11-9. The Red Sox bounce back with 3 runs of their own in their last at bat to defeat Yankees by a score of 12-11 ending Yankees closer John Wetteland's record save streak.
July 18th
1916 - Former Yankees OF/1B Johnny “Hippity” Hopp (1950-1952) was born. On September 5, 1950, Johnny Hopp was purchased by the New York Yankees from the Pittsburgh Pirates. He would hit .333 in 19 games for the Yankees. In 1951, he faded to a .206 mark. He was only hitting .160 in 1952, when the Yankees released him. The Detroit Tigers would pick him up finishing his MLB playing career with them.
1918 - Former Yankees pitcher AL Lyons (1944, 1946-1947) was born. Al Lyons went 1-1 in 19 games for the New York Yankees before being sold to the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1947.
1933 - The New York Yankees win their 9th straight game taking the AL lead from the Washington Senators by beating the Chicago White Sox by a score of 5-4.
1934 - Twenty-two players hit safely in the Cleveland Indians’s 15-14 win over the Yankees. Babe Ruth is hit in the leg by the ball and will be out for 10 days. It is the 2nd time an injury has sidelined him this 1934 AL season.
1940 - Former Yankees Manager Joe Torre (1996-2007) was born. Joe Torre served as the New York Yankees manager under the controversial owner George Steinbrenner, who was famous for frequently firing his team's managers. Torre lasted 12 full seasons, managing 1,942 regular season games (with a won-loss record of 1173–767). He took the team to the post-season playoffs every 1 of his 12 seasons with the club, winning 6 AL pennants and 4 World Series. This was by far the longest tenure for a New York Yankees skipper in the Steinbrenner era. Joe Torre's era was the 2nd-longest managerial tenure in the club's history: only Joe McCarthy lasted longer (1931-1946).
1944- Former Yankees P Rudy May (1974-1976, 1980-1983) was born. On June 15, 1974, Rudy May was purchased by the Yankees from the California Angels for cash. Rudy posted 26-19mark in 60 games with the Yankees. On June 15,1976, he was traded along with C Rick Dempsey, pitchers Tippy Martinez, Scott McGregor, and Dave Pagan to the Baltimore Orioles for pitchers Ken Holtzman, Doyle Alexander, Grant Jackson, P Jimmy Freeman and reserve C Ellie Hendricks. Rudy would return to the Yankees in 1980, posting a 15-5 mark with an AL leading ERA of 2.46. He will go 28-27 in 124 games with the Yankees from 1980-1983.
1947 - The New York Yankees 19-game winning streak comes to an end, when Detroit Tigers starter Fred Hutchinson shuts out the Yankees by a score of 2-0.
1954 - After winning 13 in a row, the Yankees lose the 2nd game of a doubleheader to the Detroit Tigers by the score of 8-6. They now trail the Cleveland Indians in the AL by 1/2 game.
1957 - In what will later be revealed as false testimony, Kansas City A's owner Arnold Johnson denies before the Celler Committee that he had any ties to the New York Yankees ownership or has favored them in any MLB baseball trades made by the A’s. This committee was looking into MLB legal activities including anti-trust laws and the MLB players reserve clause.
1960 - The Yankees score 5 runs in the 3rd inning off of Tribe starter Richard Stigman, as Whitey Ford coasts to a complete game 9-2 victory over the Cleveland Indians.
1961 - Yankees slugger Mickey Mantle poles 2 HRs, off of rookie P Joe McLain, to pace the Yankees to a 5-3 win over the expansion Washington Senators. In pre-game ceremonies, Mickey Mantle teamed with New York Congressman Eddie Dooley to win the HR-hitting contest against other Congressional-player duos.
1985 - Current Yankees reserve INF Ramiro Pena (2009-2011) was born. Ramiro Pena appeared in 46 games in 2009 AL season hitting .267 before being sent back to Scranton (AAA).
1987 - New York Yankees Don Mattingly hits a HR in his 8th consecutive game, tying the MLB record set by former NL slugger Dale Long in 1956, but the Yankees lose to the Texas Rangers by a score of 7-2. His streak will end tomorrow when he goes 2-for-4, but hits no HRs.
1995 - The Chicago White Sox blast New York Yankees starter Jack McDowell for 13 hits and 9-runs in 4 2/3 innings in their 11-4 win in the 2nd game of a doubleheader. McDowell makes an obscene gesture to the fans as he is booed walking off the field.
1999 - On “Yogi Berra Day” at Yankee Stadium, New York starter David Cone becomes the 16th pitcher in MLB history and the 3rd Yankees starter in team history to toss a perfect game beating the Montreal Expos by a score of 6-0. In pre-game ceremonies former Yankees P Don Larsen threw out the ceremonial 1st pitch to his former catcher Yogi Berra commemorating his 1956 World Series perfect game against the Brooklyn Dodgers at Yankee Stadium.
2008 - The New York Yankees signed MLB free agent 1B/DH Richie Sexton, who had been released by the Seattle Mariners. He would only appear in 22 games with the Yankees. He hit .250 before being released by the team in August of 2008.
July 19th
1887 - Former Yankees P Charles “Butch” Schmidt (1909) was born. On September 1, 1908, Butch Schmidt was drafted by the New York Highlanders from Baltimore Orioles (Eastern League) in the 1908 MLB Rule 5 player draft. Butch appeared in 1 game with the Yankees with no record.
1888 - Former Yankees C/1B/OF Eddie Sweeny (1908-1915) was born. Ed Sweeny appeared in 627 games with the New York Yankees, hitting .235.
1896 - Former Yankees OF Bob “Long Bob” Meusel (1920-1929) was born. Bob Meusel played in 1,294 games for the New York Yankees, finishing with a .311 BA. He was known for his strong throwing arm in the outfield. In 1925, he was the AL HR king with 33 HRs and RBI leader with 138. He played in 6 World Series for the Yankees, appearing 34 games with a .225 BA. During his Yankees playing career, he hit for the cycle 3 times. His brother Irish Meusel played for the NL cross-town rivals the New York Giants. On October 17,1929, Bob was purchased by the Cincinnati Reds from the Yankees.
1904 - Former Yankees INF Mark Koenig (1925-1930) was born. During May of 1925, Mark Koenig was traded by St. Paul (American Association) to the Yankees for Oscar Roettger and cash. The Yankees would send Fred Hofmann on May 15, 1925 and Ernie Johnson on October 28, 1925 to St. Paul to complete the trade. Mark was the starting shortstop for the 1927 World Champion Yankees. His best Yankees season was in 1928, when he hit .319 in 132 games. As a Yankees player, he appeared in 567 games, hitting .285. He appeared in 15 World Series games for the Yankees hitting .261. On May 30,1930, Mark was traded by the Yankees along with veteran starter Waite Hoyt to the Detroit Tigers for P Owens Carroll, OF Harry Rice and INF Yats Wuestling. In 12 MLB seasons, Mark played for the Yankees, Tigers, Cubs, Reds and finishing with the Giants in 1936. He appeared in the 1932 World Series with the Cubs and 1936 Series with the Giants, both times he faced his old Yankee teammates and lost.
1914 - Former Yankees P Marius Russo (1939-1943, 1946) was born. Marius Russo went 45-34 in 120 games for the New York Yankees. His best Yankees season was in 1941, when he posted a 14-10 mark and being named to the AL All Star team. He appeared in 2 World Series for the Yankees posting a 2-0 mark. In 1940 he posted a 14-8 mark for the Yankees.
1927- Former Yankees reserve INF and MLB Manager Billy Gardner (1961-1962) was born. On June 14, 1961, Billy Gardner was traded by the Minnesota Twins to the Yankees for veteran P Danny McDevitt. Billy appeared in 45 games for the Yankees, hitting just .210. On June 12,1962, Billy was traded by the Yankees to the Boston Red Sox for OF Tom Umphlett and cash. After retiring as MLB player, Billy became a MLB coach for the Boston Red Sox. Later he managed the Minnesota Twins and the Kansas City Royals.
1937 - New York Yankees hurler Johnny Broaca is fined $250 and suspended indefinitely by the team for jumping the club. He jumped the Yankees during the 1937 AL season and sat out the rest of the year, as well as all of 1938.
1940 – New York Yankees Catcher Buddy Rosar hits for the cycle; Red Sox shortstop Joe Cronin will do it on August 2nd, and the Yankees 2B Joe “Flash” Gordon, on September 8th.
1942 - The New York Yankees signed MLB free agent C Rollie Hemsley (1942-1944). Rollie Hemsley appeared in 174 games with the Yankees, hitting .262. On March 25,1946, Rollie was purchased by the Philadelphia Phillies from the Yankees.
1949 - Former Yankees OF/1B Gene Locklear (1976-1977) was born. On July 10, 1976, Gene Locklear was traded by the San Diego Padres to the New York Yankees for a player to be named later. Gene only appeared in 14 games with the Yankees, hitting .270. The Yankees would send P Rick Sawyer on July 31, 1976 to the Padres to complete the trade.
1950 - The New York Yankees obtained their 1st black players, OF Elston Howard and Pitcher Frank Barnes. They purchased them from the Kansas City Monarchs and assign them to Muskegon (Central League). The Yankees would release Frank Barnes. He would make it to MLB with the St. Louis Cardinals, while Elston Howard became the 1st black MLB Yankees player in 1955.
1950 - New York Yankees southpaw Eddie Lopat wins by the score of 16-1 over the St. Louis Browns, throwing a 2-hitter in the 1st game of a doubleheader.
1957 - Former Yankees P Kurt Kaufman (1982-1983) was born. The New York Yankees signed Kurt Kaufman as an MLB amateur free agent in 1979. He went 1-0 in 11 games for the Yankees. On December 7,1983, Kurt was traded by the Yankees along with cash to the California Angels for veteran INF Tim Foli.
1958 - The New York Yankees LF Norm Siebern has his second 5-hit game of the month, against the Kansas City A’s, as the Yankees lose the game by a score of 6-4.
1959 - Before 57,000 fans at Yankee Stadium, the Yankees sweep a pair from the visiting Chicago White Sox, winning the nightcap 6-4 on Mickey Mantle's HR off of reliever Turk Lown. In the 1st game, Yankees veteran OF Enos Slaughter belts a pair of HRs: at age 43, he is the oldest player this century to accomplish the feat. Carlton Fisk, a few months older, will top Enos Slaughter’s mark in 1991.
1960 - The New York Yankees out-slug the Cleveland Indians by a score of 13-11, behind the slugging of Bill “Moose” Skowron. “The Moose” follows, a Yogi Berra blast with his 2nd HR in the 8th inning, but the Tribe answers back with 2 runs in the bottom of the 8th inning for an 11-8 lead. Moose then hits a bases-loaded double in the 9th inning to win the game. Yankees RF Roger Maris hits his 30th HR, while CF Jimmy Piersall HRs for the Tribe.
1961 - MLB Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick, an old friend of Babe Ruth's, announces that should Ruth's record be beaten after 154 games, the record will carry an asterisk. When asked about the ruling, Yankees All Star slugger Roger Maris replies, "A season is a season." New York sportswriter Dick Young suggests an asterisk, which is later claimed to be Frick's idea. No such designation is ever used in the MLB record books, though, but the incident leads to a myth that an "official record book" lists Roger Maris HR record with an asterisk. The myth is still popularly believed over 45 years later.
1961 - The New York Yankees and Washington Senators split a doubleheader, with the Nats winning the nightcap by a score of 12-2. Nats veteran hurler Richard Donovan is the winner. Yankees CF Mickey Mantle belts a 500 FT HR in the 4th inning over the RF wall.
1962 - John W. Cox, owner of Yankee Stadium property, donates the facility to Rice University.
1964 - Tribe rookie starter Luis Tiant debuts with a 4-hit, 11-strikeout, 3-0 victory for the Indians at Yankee Stadium. The losing pitcher is Yankees ace Whitey Ford. Tiant was brought up yesterday after posting a 15-1 record at Portland (Pacific Coast League, AAA).
1975 - Yankees C Thurman Munson's 1st-inning single and RBI against the Minnesota Twins are nullified because the tar on his bat handle exceeds the 18-inch limit. Twins C Glenn Borgmann gets the credit for the putout. The Yankees lose the game by a score of 2-1.
1977 - At Yankee Stadium, the NL scores 4 times in the opening inning off of Baltimore Orioles starter Jim Palmer, en route to a 7-5 All-Star Game victory. The Dodgers hurler Don Sutton, throwing 3 scoreless innings, is named the game's MVP. A crowd of 56,683 fans attended the 1977 All Star game.
1978 - New York Yankees starter Ed Figueroa limits the Minnesota Twins to 6-hits, as the Yankees open a 5-game winning streak. This winning streak starts the remarkable comeback of the 1978 Yankees to catch the Boston Red Sox in the AL East and win the 1978 AL Championship.
1982 - Former Yankees reliever Phil Coke (2008-2009) was born. Phil Coke was drafted by the New York Yankees in the 26th round (786th overall) of 2002 MLB amateur player draft. He began his baseball career with the GCL Yankees in 2003. By 2007, Coke had also pitched for the short season Staten Island Yankees, Class-A Charleston RiverDogs, and Class-A Advanced Tampa Yankees. He made his Double-A debut with the Trenton Thunder in 2008, going 9–4 with a 2.54 ERA in 23 games (20 starts). Later that year in Triple-A with the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees, he pitched in 13 games (starting one) and went 2–2 with a 4.67 ERA. He made his MLB debut on September 1,2008, for the Yankees against the Detroit Tigers with a scoreless inning with strikeouts of Curtis Granderson and Miguel Cabrera. He finished the 2008 AL season with a 1-0 record in 12 games for the Yankees. In 2009, Phil went 4-3 in 72 games with 2 saves. On December 8, 2009, Phil was traded as part of a 3-team trade by the New York Yankees with minor league OF Austin Jackson to the Detroit Tigers. The Tigers sent OF Curtis Granderson to the New York Yankees. The Detroit Tigers sent P Edwin Jackson to the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Yankees sent P Ian Kennedy to the Diamondbacks. The Diamondbacks sent Max Scherzer and Daniel Schlereth to the Tigers.
1983 - Former Yankees reliever Joe Beggs (1938) passed away. Before coming to the majors, Joe Beggs had pitched for the 1937 Newark Bears team (AAA) that won 109 games. He came close to pitching a no-hitter, with the only hit being a smash that caromed off his leg. Beggs went 21-4 that year on a Bears team that also featured future Yankees OF Charlie Keller hitting .353. In 1938, Beggs pitched 12 more games for the Bears, going 6-3, but pitched 14 games at the MLB level with the Yankees. He was 27 years old that season; he went 3-2 for the Yankees. Joe Beggs did not appear in the 1938 World Series. On January 4,1940, Joe was traded by the Yankees to the Cincinnati Reds for P Lee Grissom.
1987 - The Texas Rangers win a 20-3 laugher over the New York Yankees. Steve Buechele has 2-HRs to pace the Rangers offense. In the 9th inning, Yankees C Rick Cerone takes the mound and walks 1, but allows no runs.
1998 - Former Yankees reserve OF Elmer Valo (1960) passed away (1921-1998). The veteran outfielder will appear in 8 games for the 1960 Yankees with no hits before being waived to the Washington Senators during the 1960 AL season. Elmer spent 20 seasons in MLB, starting out with the Philadelphia A’s and finishing up with the Phillies in 1961.
2002 - Former Yankees AL All Star starter Frank “Spec” Shea (1947-1951) passed away (1920-2002). In 1940, the New York Yankees signed Frank “Spec” Shea as an MLB amateur free agent. He went 29-21 with the Yankees. His best Yankees season was in 1947, when he went 14-5 for the Yankees. He was named to the 1947 AL All Star team. On May 3,1952, Spec was traded by the Yankees along with OF Jackie Jensen, INF Jerry Snyder, and OF Archie Wilson to the Washington Senators for outfielders Irv Noren and Tom Upton.
2007 - New York Yankees minor league OF Shelley Duncan hits his 25th HR for the Scranton Yankees (AAA) to break Wendell Magee's Scranton franchise record for HRs. Duncan will be called up to the Yankees, he will hit 3 HRs in his 1st three days in majors.
2008 - Confusion erupts in a New York-Penn League game between the Staten Island Yankees and Brooklyn Cyclones. Switch-hitting Brooklyn DH Ralph Henriquez Jr. steps to the plate from the right side against Pat Venditte, the minor leagues' first ambidextrous pitcher of the century. Henriquez then decided he would hit left-handed and Venditte promptly switched his glove to the right hand. Henriquez again called time and switched sides. The shuffle continued several times before the umpires and managers decided that the batter must declare first from which side he will bat and that players can only switch once per at-bat. Venditte, throwing from the right side, winds up whiffing Henriquez on 4 pitches.
July 20th
1904 - The New York Yankees traded pitchers Long Tom Hughes (7-11) and Barney Wolfe (0-3) to the Washington Senators for veteran starter Al Orth (3-4). Orth will regain his form in New York, going 11-6 this season. He will win 27 games for the Yankees in 1906.
1912 - Pitcher Ray Caldwell of the New York Highlanders, inserted as a pinch runner, steals home for the tying run in an eventual 4-3 win over the Cleveland Indians. He then pitches a 4-0 victory in the 2nd game.
1923 - The New York Yankees hit into a triple play, but still beat the Philadelphia A’s by the score of 9-2 behind starter Carl Mays, who threw a 4-hitter.
1936 - In an exhibition game in Pittsburgh, former Yankees starter Waite Hoyt stops his old New York teammates by a score of 7-2. Lou Gehrig's 6th inning HR is the 1st score for the Yankees. Ted Kleinhaus is cuffed in his 8-innings. While Hoyt wins, another old pitcher loses as the Pirates hand veteran hurler Guy Bush his release. The Bees (Boston Braves) will sign him.
1941 - The New York Yankees end a 17-inning game with the Detroit Tigers by scoring 6 runs in the last inning to win the game by a score of 12-6.
1956 - New York Yankees starter Whitey Ford ties an AL record for consecutive strikeouts by fanning 6 straight Kansas City A’s batters. Ford will finish the game with 8 strikeouts in a 6-3 win over the A’s.
1960 - Former Yankees P Mike Witt (1991-1993) was born. On May 11,1990, Mike Witt was traded by the California Angels to the Yankees for All Star OF Dave Winfield. Mike went 8-9 in 26 games for the Yankees.
1960 - At Municipal Stadium, with the Cleveland Indians in the lead by the score of 8-2, Mickey Mantle hits a Gary Bell pitch over the auxiliary scoreboard into the distant upper deck in RF, matching Luke Easter as the only MLB players to reach that spot. The Indians hold on for an 8-6 win.
1962 - Mickey Mantle HRs in the 1st inning off of Washington Senators starter Steve Hamilton to propel the Yankees to a 3-2 victory. Mantle goes 3-for-4 at the plate and his on-base percentage is now at .516.
1965 - Mel Stottlemyre of the New York Yankees becomes the 1st pitcher to hit an inside-the-park grand slam since Deacon Phillippe did it for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1910. Stottlemyre's bases-loaded drive in the 5th inning off of Boston starter Bill Monbouquette assures him a 6-3 victory over the Red Sox.
1970 - The New York Yankees obtained veteran starter Mike McCormick from the San Francisco Giants for P John Cumberland. Mike posted a 2-0 mark in 9 games for the Yankees before being released in March of 1971. John Cumberland appeared in 18 games for the Yankees, posting a
3-4 record.
1973 - Chicago White Sox starter Wilbur Wood starts and loses both games of a doubleheader against the New York Yankees by scores of 12-2 and 7-0.
1985 - Scattering 7-hits, Yankees starter Ron Guidry wins his 12th straight game, beating the Minnesota Twins by the score of 8-3. Don Mattingly has a 2-run HR and a 2-run double for the Yankees.
1987 - Don Mattingly ties another MLB record, this time in the field, as he makes 22 putouts in the Yankees 7-1 win over the Minnesota Twins. This fielding feat was last accomplished in the AL by 1B Hal Chase for the Highlanders in 1906.
1998 -The Detroit Tigers take the 1st game of a doubleheader against the Yankees by a 4-3 score in 17 innings. The Yankees bounce back to take the nightcap by the identical score. The doubleheader of 26 innings takes nearly 9 hours to play.
July 21st
1890 - Former Yankees INF/OF Howard “Hank” Shanks (1925) was born. On December 10, 1924, Hank Shanks was traded by the Boston Red Sox to the New York Yankees for INF Mike McNally. Hank appeared in 66 games for the 1925 Yankees, hitting .258.
1891 - Former Yankees P Ray Keating (1912-1916,1918) was born. Ray Keating went 23-40 for the New York Yankees in 108 games. On March 6,1919, Ray was purchased by the Boston Braves from the New York Yankees.
1910 - The Yankees take advantage of 8 Browns errors to down St. Louis by the score of 19-2.
1921 - The Cleveland Indians bang out 9 doubles, while the New York Yankees hit 7 doubles for an AL record 16 doubles in the Indian's 17-8 win. The Indians cling to a 2-game lead in the AL.
1941 - Former Yankees P Gary Waslewski (1970-1971) was born. On May 15, 1970, Gary Waslewski was traded by the Montreal Expos to the New York Yankees for 1B/OF Dave McDonald. Gary went 2-3 with 1 save in 50 games for the Yankees.
1942 - Former Yankees 1B/DH Mike Hegan (1964, 1966-1967,1973-1974) was born. The New York Yankees signed Mike Hegan as an MLB amateur free agent in 1961. He appeared in 5 games in 1964 with no hits. He appeared in 3 games in the 1964 World Series with 3 at bats with no-hits. Mike hit .205 in 13 games in 1966 and .136 in 68 games in 1967. On June 14,1968, he was purchased by the expansion Seattle Pilots from the Yankees. On August 18,1973, Mike was sent to the Yankees by the Oakland A’s as part of a conditional deal. Mike hit .275 in 37 games for the rest of the 1973 AL season. He was hitting only .226 in 18 games, when the Yankees sent him to the Milwaukee Brewers. With the arrival of 1B Chris Chambliss from the Cleveland Indians made Mike expendable. Mike’s Dad was former Yankees bullpen catcher and MLB player Jim Hegan. In 1964, they were the 1st MLB father and son combination to appear in a World Series together.
1947 - The Boston Braves edge the New York Yankees in the annual Baseball Hall of Fame game held at Doubleday Field at Cooperstown, NY by a score of 4-3.
1961 - All Star sluggers Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris slam back-to-back HRs in the 1st inning for the Yankees, but it takes a 2-out, 9th-inning pinch-hit grand slam by Johnny Blanchard to finally subdue the Boston Red Sox by a score of 11-8 at Fenway Park. The pinch slam is the AL 6th of the 1961 season, a new AL record.
1969 - A gala All-Star Game banquet in Washington, D.C. is one of baseball's great events. An all-time team and all-time living team are announced. Babe Ruth is selected as the Greatest All-Time MLB Player, and while the Yankees Hall Of Fame CF Joe DiMaggio, as the Greatest Living MLB Player.
1972 - The New York Yankees sweep doubleheader from the California Angels, winning by scores of 6-0 and 3-0 over the Angels. Yankees starters Fritz Peterson and Mel Stottlemyre apply the whitewash of the Angels.
1973 - Former Yankees minor league OF/1B Brian Buchanan was born OF/1B Brian Buchanan was drafted by the New York Yankees in the 1st round (24th pick) of the 1994 MLB amateur player draft. On February 6,1998, he was traded along with Yankee minor leaguers INF Cristian Guzman, Pitchers Eric Milton, and Danny Mota along with cash to the Minnesota Twins for 2B Chuck Knoblauch.
1976 - Former Yankees Hall Of Fame Earl “The Kentucky Colonel” Combs (1924-1935) passes away (1899-1976). Earl Combs was the 1st of the great New York Yankee center fielders. He was a lifetime .325 hitter, who hit in the leadoff spot for the Yankees lineup. Combs hit .380 for the Louisville Colonels of the American Association in 1923. He had his contract purchased by the Yankees prior to the following season for $50,000, a huge sum at the time. He quickly became the Yankees regular centerfielder, but a broken ankle caused him to miss most of his 1924 rookie season. He came back the next year and scored over 100 runs in each season from 1925-1932, also leading the AL in triples 3 times during that span. At the same time, he managed to hit under .300 in just once while playing fulltime in the MLB (and at that, he was just under, hitting .299 in 1926.
Earl Combs' best MLB season came with the 1927 Yankees, with whom he hit .356, scored 137 runs, and led the AL with 231 hits. He also starred in the postseason, hitting .350 over the course of four World Series from 1926-1932, with the Yankees winning 3 World Championships. A broken finger limited him to one plate appearance in the 1928 World Series, but he made the most of it, hitting a sacrifice fly that drove in a run. In 1934, Combs suffered a serious injury that could have cost him his life, fracturing his skull after running into the wall at Sportsman's Park in St. Louis. He was carried unconscious from the field and remained in the hospital for 2 months afterwards, but miraculously returned to the field in 1935. However, his MLB career was shortly thereafter ended by another injury, a broken collarbone. He was replaced in 1936 as the Yankees centerfielder by future another Hall of Famer, Joe DiMaggio. As a Yankees MLB coach, Earl taught Joe DiMaggio how to handle centerfield at Yankee Stadium. Although he was a very good player, Combs was famous for his weak-throwing arm. After his playing days were over, Combs was a Yankees MLB coach from 1936-1944. He was a member of the 1947 St. Louis Browns MLB coaching staff. He later coached for the Boston Red Sox from 1948-1952. He spent 1954 NL season with the Philadelphia Phillies.
1977 - Yankees starter Catfish Hunter tosses a 7-0 shut out against the Milwaukee Brewers to snap a Yankees three-game losing streak. The Brewers come back in the nightcap to win by a score of 5-4, in 10 innings.
1980 - Current Yankees starter C.C. Sabathia (2009-2011) was born. C. C. Sabathia was signed by the New York Yankees as a MLB free agent to a 7-year 161 million dollar contract in the winter of 2008. He posted a 19-8 record in 34 games for the 2009 Yankees. C.C. won the 2009 AL ALCS MVP Award. In 2010 he posted a 21-7 record in 34 games for the Yankees. He was named to the 2010 AL All Star team.
1988 - The Seattle Mariners send DH/1B Ken Phelps to the Yankees for OF Jay Buhner and minor leaguer pitchers Rich Balabon and Troy Evers. Phelps would hit .244 in 1988 and .249 for the Yankees before being traded on August 30,1989, to the Oakland A’s for minor league hurler Scott Holcomb.
1993 - Former Yankee, now a Seattle Mariner OF Jay Buhner collects 5 hits in Mariners 10-3 win over the Yankees. Mariners starter Erik Hanson goes all the allowing no earned runs to beat Yankees starter Jimmy Key (12-3).
1997 - Four days after the birth of his second child, Yankees' OF/DH Mark Whiten is arrested in Milwaukee, he is charged with second-degree sexual assault of a 31-year-old woman.
2000 - Wasting no time in his new capacity as General Manager, Chicago Cubs President Andy MacPhail sends the popular OF Glenallen Hill to the Yankees for minor league pitchers Ben Ford and Ozwaldo Mairena. Hill would hit .333 for the Yankees in 30 games, before being traded on March 28, 2001 to the California Angels for minor league P Darren Blakely.
2009 - Yankees P Sergio Mitre earns his 1st MLB win since 2007 as the New York Yankees beat Baltimore Orioles by the score of 6-4. Mitre underwent Tommy John surgery in 2008, then was suspended for 50 games after testing positive for a banned substance; he allows 4 runs in 5 2/3 innings in his 1st start after being called up from Scranton (AAA) to replace the injured Chien-Ming Wang. A 2-run homer by Robinson Cano off of P Rich Hill and a 2-run single by Alex Rodriguez are the big blows for the Bronx Bombers. Combined with Boston's 4-2 loss at Texas, the win gives the Yankees sole possession of 1st place in the AL East for the 1st time this season.
2010 - Former Yankees player, MLB Coach, Manager and General Manager Ralph Houk passed away (1919-2010). A catcher, Ralph Houk signed with the New York Yankees prior to the 1939 AL season. Following 3 years in the minors, he enlisted in the U.S. Army on February 22, 1942 at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. During World War II, he fought in the Battle of the Bulge and earned a Silver Star and Purple Heart, seeing combat under the command of General George S. Patton. On one occasion, he took a bullet through the helmet but was not seriously wounded. He left the Army with the rank of Major.
After the war, Houk returned to baseball in 1946. He reached the MLB in 1947 as the team's 3rd-string backstop behind Aaron Robinson and Yogi Berra. He hit .272 in a career-best 41 big league games that season. Ralph got a hit in Game 6 of 1947 World Series. He split the next 2 seasons between the Yankees and the Kansas City Blues (American Association). Then he spent the next 5 seasons with New York, seeing very limited playing time behind Yogi Berra and Charlie Silvera. Nevertheless, he was on the Yankees' World Series roster 4 times during his MLB playing career (1947-1954). Following his MLB playing days, Houk returned to the minors in 1955 as skipper of the Denver Bears. He spent 3 seasons managing the team, winning an American Association title in his final year. He then went on to spend 3 seasons on the Yankees MLB coaching staff before succeeding Casey Stengel at the helm of the club from 1961-1963. He took the team to the World Series all 3 years. The Yankees won the Fall Classic twice (1961-1962).
In October of 1963, Houk was then named the team's General Manager. Yankees Co-owner Dan Topping promoted Yogi Berra to manager. After the Yankees 1964 World Series lost to the St. Louis Cardinals, Houk fired Manager Yogi Berra, replacing him with former Cardinals Manager Johnny Keane. After the Yankees got off to a slow start in May of 1966 under skipper Johnny Keane, he stepped down as GM to manage the club again. After the team was sold by CBS, Inc. to a Cleveland based investment group that included George Steinbrenner in 1973, he resigned his post at the end of the 1973 AL season. Houk went on to manage the Detroit Tigers from 1974-1978, only once finishing above .500. He was skipper of the Boston Red Sox from 1981-1984, when he retired from baseball. Despite his success in the 1st three years of his managerial career with the New York Yankees, he never returned to the postseason again.
July 22nd
1918 - The New York Yankees and the St. Louis Browns battle to a 15-inning, 4-4 tie.
1925 - The New York Yankees purchased shortstop Leo “Lip” Durocher from Hartford (Eastern League) for $12,000. Leo appeared in 210 games with the Yankees, hitting .261. The Yankees waived him after the 1929 AL season, because he had a fight with his Yankee roommate, Babe Ruth for allegedly for stealing the Babe’s watch. Reports say that the Babe really smacked Leo around their hotel room. On February 5,1930, he was selected off waivers by the Cincinnati Reds from the Yankees.
1926 - The New York Yankees obtained veteran C Hank Severeid on waivers from the Washington Senators. Hank hit .268 in 41 games for the Yankees, before retiring as an active MLB player.
1928 - Chicago White Sox P Red Faber comes up to bat in the 8th inning with 2 runners on base and the game with the Yankees tied at 4-4. He swings twice right-handed against righty reliever Wilcy Moore and misses. He then switches to the left side of the plate and knocks in the winning runs with a single to centerfield.
1944 - Former Yankees Cy Young Award Winner reliever Sparky Lyle (1973-1978) was born. On March 22, 1972, Sparky Lyle was traded by the Boston Red Sox to the New York Yankees for a player to be named later and 1B Danny Cater. The Yankees would send INF Mario Guerrero on June 30,1972, to the Red Sox to complete the trade. Sparky won the 1977 Cy Young Award with a 13-5 record appearing in 72 games with 26 saves. He was a 3-time AL All Star team member. With the arrival of free agent closer Rich Goosage in 1978, Sparky was no longer the team’s closer. He would finish his Yankees career with a 57-40 record in 384 games with 151 saves. On November 10,1978, he was traded by the Yankees along with C Mike Heath, Pitchers Larry McCall and Dave Rajsich, INF Domingo Ramos, and cash to the Texas Rangers for P Dave Righetti, OF Juan Beniquez, Pitchers Mike Griffin and Paul Mirabella, and Greg Jemison (minors). In 1998, he became the manager of the Somerset Patriots, a minor league team based in Bridgewater, New Jersey. He managed the team to Atlantic League pennants in 2001, 2003, 2005 and 2008. He remains the only manager in club history.
1947 - Former Yankees C/DH/1B Clifford “Heathcliff” Johnson (1977-1979) was born. On June 15, 1977, Cliff Johnson was traded by the Houston Astros to the Yankees for a player to be named later, along with P Randy Niemann, and INF Mike Fischlin. The Yankees would send 1B/OF Dave Bergman on November 23,1977 to the Astros to complete the trade. Cliff was a power bat off the bench for the Yankees during his stay with the team. After a clubhouse fight with Yankees closer Rich Gossage, the team traded him. On June 15,1979, Cliff was traded by the Yankees to the Cleveland Indians for P Don Hood.
1948 - The New York Yankees take the rubber game of the series with the Cleveland Indians as Vic Raschi earns the 6-5 decision over Tribe’s Ace Bob Feller. Joe DiMaggio's grand slam is the big blow for the Bronx Bombers: he has hit 4 HRs and a triple in Feller's 4 starts against the Yankees. His 8 RBIs in the 3 games against the Indians gives him a league-leading 82.
1954 - In an attempt to put more pop in the Yankees starting lineup, New York skipper Casey Stengel inserts Mickey Mantle in the infield as the shortstop, while Phil Rizzuto plays 2B. The experiment works as the “Commerce Comet” HR’s in the 10th inning giving the Yankees a 3-2 victory over the Chicago White Sox.
1956 - Former Yankees P Scott Sanderson (1991-1992) was born. After being purchased from Oakland A’s, Scott Sanderson went 28-22 in 77 games for the Yankees. In 1991, Scott went 16-10 for the Yankees. In 1992, Sanderson went 12-11 for the team, before leaving the club for MLB free agency.
1960 - The New York Yankees purchased veteran 33-year-old P Luis Arroyo from Jersey City (IL). He will be a key to New York's 1960 pennant run and an AL All Star closer in 1961 with 15 wins with 29 saves. He will eventually replace Ryne Duren as the Yankees closer out off the bullpen in the spring of 1961.
1961 - The New York Yankees super-sub John Blanchard does it again with a solo pinch-hit HR to start a 3-run 9th-inning Bronx Bombers rally to tumble the Boston Red Sox by a score of 11-9.
1989 - The New York Yankees traded the popular 3B Mike “Pags” Pagliarulo and P Don Schulz to the San Diego Padres for pitchers Walt Terrell and Fred Toliver, who won't report to the Yankees until September 27th. Walt Terrell will sign with the Pittsburgh Pirates, as a MLB free agent after the 1989 AL season is over. Freddie Toliver was originally signed by the Yankees and was traded to the Cincinnati Reds in the Ken Griffey Sr. trade.
1998 - The New York Yankees deflate the Detroit Tigers by the score of 13-2, to run their record to 71-25, a MLB record percentage after 96 games.
July 23rd
1880 - Former Yankees P Lew Brockett (1907,1909, & 1911) was born. In August of 1906, Lew Brockett was purchased by the New York Yankees from Buffalo (Eastern League). He appeared in 50 games for the Yankees posting a13-14 pitching record.
1901 - Former Yankees 2B Malcolm “Mack” Hillis (1924) was born. Mack Hillis appeared in 1 game with the 1924 Yankees, coming up from the Atlanta Crackers. In 1925-1926, he was involved in a 2-part trade that sent INF Tony Lazzeri to the New York Yankees organization. Hillis was sent to Salt Lake City (PCL).
1917- Former Yankees P Ray Scarborough (1952-1953) was born. After being obtained from the Boston Red Sox, veteran hurler Ray Scarborough went 7-3 in 33 games for the Yankees during the 1952-1953 AL seasons.
1922 - The New York Yankees start planning for the 1922 World Series, when they pick up 3B Joe Dugan and one-time Indians World Series hero Elmer Smith from the Boston Red Sox, giving up OF Elmer Miller, Shortstops Chick Fewster and John Mitchell, and, later, Pitcher Lefty O'Doul. The contending St. Louis Browns and other western clubs howl in protest and this deal will lead to a rule barring non-waiver trades after June 15th by MLB Commissioner Judge Landis. Joe Dugan will replace the aging Frank Baker at 3B.
1925 - The New York Yankees 1B Lou Gehrig hits the 1st of his record 23 MLB career grand slams as Yankees beat the Washington Senators by the score of 11-7.
1933 - Former Yankees P Johnny James (1958, 1960-1961) was born. Johnny James went 5-1 in 67 games for the New York Yankees. On May 8,1961, he was traded by the Yankees along with veteran P Ryne Duren and rookie OF Lee Thomas for Angels veteran reliever Tex Clevenger and OF Bob Cerv. Johnny would injured his arm before the start of the 1962 AL season started and never pitch in the MLB again.
1950 - Detroit Tigers hurler Saul Rogovin hits a 2nd inning grand slam HR off of starter Eddie Lopat as the 1st-place Bengals nip onrushing Yankees by the score of 6-5.
1957 - New York Yankees All Star CF Mickey Mantle hits for the cycle, and adds a stolen base, against Chicago White Sox pitchers Bob Keegan, Paul LaPalme, Dixie Howell, Jack Harshman and Gary Staley. The Yankees win the game by a score of 10-6. Don Larsen started for the Yankees followed by Tommy Byrne, Art Ditmar picks up his 7th win of the 1957 AL season going 1.1 innings, when Bob Grim pitches 2 scoreless innings of relief gaining his 11th save of the 1957 AL season.
1966 - At Yankee Stadium, the Yankees celebrate Old-timers' Day but lose to the Angels by a score of 7-6, despite a grand slam HR from Mickey Mantle. The grand slam HR, off of P Marcelino Lopez, is Mickey's 9th. He ties Babe Ruth -- not in HRs, but in games played as a Yankee player.
1969 - The San Francisco Giants Willie McCovey hits 2 HRs as the NL squad beats the AL team by the score of 9-3 for its 7th straight All-Star Game win. Mel Stottlemyre Sr. of the New York Yankees starts for the AL, when Detroit Tigers starter Denny McLain is late arriving from a dental appointment.
1977 - Bronx Bombers veteran reserve OF Paul Blair hits a 9th inning 3-run HR to give the Yankees starter Ron Guidry a 3-1 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers.
1978 - Reggie Jackson returns to the team and the New York Yankees win their 5th game straight by the score of 3-1 over the Chicago White Sox. The next day, Yankees Manager Billy Martin will resign under pressure, giving way to veteran MLB manager Bob Lemon. At the Chicago airport, Martin, reacting to reporters' questions about Yankees star Reggie Jackson and Owner George Steinbrenner, he replies, "The two deserve each other. One's a born liar; the other's convicted." His public remarks to the sports news media will cost Billy his New York Yankees Manager’s job.