This Week in Yankees History
November 27th - December 3rd
November 27th
1892 - Former Yankees P Leslie “Bullet Joe” Bush (1922-1924) was born. On December 20, 1921, “Bullet Joe” Bush was traded by the Boston Red Sox along with P Sam Jones and INF Everett Scott to the New York Yankees for INF Roger Peckinpaugh, P Jack Quinn, P Harry Collins, and Bill Piercy. “Bullet Joe” would go 62-38 in 115 games with 61 complete games and six shutouts for the Yankees, before he was traded on December 17,1924, along with pitchers Milt Gaston and Joe Giard to the St. Louis Browns for veteran starter Urban Shocker.
1920 - Former Yankees P John ”Bear Tracks“ Schmitz (1952-1953) was born. On August 1, 1952, he was selected off waivers by the New York Yankees from the Brooklyn Dodgers. John went 1-1 in 8 games with 2 saves for the Yankees during the 1952-1953 AL seasons. On August 28,1952, Johnny was traded by the Yankees along with outfielders Jim Greengrass, Bob Marquis, P Ernie Nevel, and $35,000 to the Cincinnati Reds for veteran P Ewell “The Whip” Blackwell. On February 16,1953, John was purchased by the Yankees from the Reds. After appearing in 3 games with 1 save and a 0-0 record; John Schmitz was selected off waivers by the Washington Senators from the Yankees on May 12,1953.
1937 - Former Yankees P William “Bill” Short (1960) was born. Before the 1955 American League Season, the New York Yankees signed Bill Short as an MLB amateur free agent. In 1959, Bill was named the Pitcher of the Year for International League, with a 17-6 record in 27 games with a 2.48 ERA, while playing with the Richmond Virginians (AAA). In 1960, Bill went 3-5 in 10 starts for the Yankees. On November 27,1961, Bill was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles from the New York Yankees organization in the 1961 MLB Rule 5 player draft.
Bill would pitch for the New York Yankees, Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, Pittsburgh Pirates and Cincinnati Reds finishing with a 5-11 career record in 73 games (1960,1962,1966-1969).
1941 - New York Yankees CF Joe DiMaggio is named 1941 American League Most Valuable Player. His 56-game hitting streak edges out Boston Red Sox OF Ted Williams and his .406 BA for the AL MVP award (votes: 291 for Joe DiMaggio and 254 for Ted Williams).
1947 - The 1947 American League Triple Crown winner Red Sox OF Ted Williams (.343 BA, 32 HRs, 162 RBIs) is edged out by Yankees CF Joe DiMaggio (.315 BA, 20 HRs, 97 RBIs) for the 1947 American League Most Valuable Player Award by 1 point. One BBWAA member, Mel Webb, fails to include Ted Williams, anywhere on his 1947 AL MVP players voting ballot.
1961 - Bill Short was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles from the New York Yankees organization in the 1961 MLB Rule 5 Player draft. Bill Short had appeared in 10 games for the 1960 New York Yankees posting a 3-5 record. He spent the 1961 season with the Yankees AAA club, the Richmond Virginians (International League).
1971 - Former Yankees C/DH/1B Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez (2008) was born. On July 30, 2008, Ivan Rodriguez was traded to the Yankees by the Detroit Tigers in return for hard-throwing reliever Kyle Farnsworth; the trade came on the same day on which the Yankees announced that regular Catcher Jorge Posada would miss the remainder of the 2008 AL season after undergoing surgery on his throwing shoulder. He ended up sharing catching duties with Jose Molina during the remainder of the 2008 AL season. He appeared in 39 games for the Yankees, just hitting .219 with only 2 HRs and 3 RBIs. After the 2008 AL season, he became a MLB free agent.
1972 - The New York Yankees make one of their best trades in the team’s history by acquiring 3B Graig Nettles from the Cleveland Indians for C/1B/3B John Ellis, INF Jerry Kenney, and outfielders Charlie Spikes and Rusty Torres. Also the Yankees received C Jerry Moses from the Detroit Tigers. Graig Nettles will help the Yankees win the World Series in 1977-1978. The Yankees 3B problem will finally be solved 6 years after the 1966 trade of Clete Boyer to the Atlanta Braves. Johnny Ellis couldn’t beat out Thurman Munson behind the plate, Jerry Kennedy, Charlie Spikes and Rusty Torres were supposed to be the next generation of young Yankees stars, but they weren’t.
1973 - Former Yankees minor league P Jason Beverlin was born. On July 28, 1995, Jason Beverlin was traded by the Oakland A’s along with OF/DH Ruben Sierra to the Yankees for OF/DH Danny Tartabull. Jason never played for the Yankees at the MLB level.
1974 - MLB Commissioner Bowie Kuhn suspends New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner for two years as a result of Steinbrenner's federal conviction for illegal campaign contributions to Richard Nixon and others. His suspension will be reduced to one year.
1984 - Yankees starter Ron Guidry is named to the American League Golden Glove team. He is the only New York Yankees player to be named to the 1984 AL Golden Glove squad.
November 28th
1884 - Former Yankees INF/OF Wilbur “Roxy” Roach (1910-1911) was born. In August of 1909, the New York Yankees purchased Roxy Roach from Lancaster (Tri-State) for $2,500. He appeared in 83 games for the Yankees hitting just .219. On June 15, 1911, he was purchased by Jersey City (Eastern) from the Yankees.
1927 - The New York Yankees released veteran pitchers Bob Shawkey and Dutch Ruether, who both have retired from MLB. Bob Shawkey finished his New York Yankees pitching career with a record of 168-131. He was a 4-time, 20 game winner (1915-1927) after being obtained from the Philadelphia A’s for $85,000 in 1915. Bob will manage the Yankees in 1930 to an 86-68 record, before being replaced by veteran NL manager Joe McCarthy. Dutch Ruether finished out his long MLB career by going 12-6 in 1927 after being obtained from the Washington Senators.
1958 - Former Yankees P Dave “Rags” Righetti (1979-1990) was born. On January 11, 1977, Dave Righetti was drafted by the Texas Rangers in the 1st round (10th pick) of the 1977 MLB amateur player draft (January). On November 10, 1978, Dave was traded by the Rangers along with Greg Jemison (minors), OF Juan Beniquez, P Mike Griffin and P Paul Mirabella to the Yankees for C Mike Heath, pitchers Sparky Lyle, Larry McCall, Dave Rajsich, INF Domingo Ramos and cash. Dave won the American League Rookie Of Year award in 1981. The highlight of his efforts as a starting pitcher occurred on the Fourth of July, 1983, when he threw a 4-0 no-hitter against the Boston Red Sox. It was the 1st Yankee no-hitter since Don Larsen's perfect game in the 1956 World Series, and the 1st by a Yankee left-hander since 1917. In 1984, Dave was converted from a starter to a closer by the Yankees, replacing veteran closer Rich Gossage, who left the Yankees for MLB free agency.
On October 4, 1986, he saved both games of a doubleheader against the Red Sox, finishing the 1986 AL season with 46 saves, breaking the MLB record shared by Dan Quisenberry and Bruce Sutter. The record would stand until Bobby Thigpen saved 57 games for the White Sox in 1990, which would also be Righetti's last season with the Yankees. Righetti retained the single-season record for left-handers until 1993, when Randy Myers saved 53 games for the Cubs; Righetti still owns the AL record for left-handers. He posted a 74-61career record for the Yankees in 522 games with 224 saves and a 3.11 ERA. He was 3-0 in AL playoffs. He went 0-1 in the 1981 World Series for the Yankees. In 1986-1987, Dave won the American League Rolaids Relief award. He was on the 1986-1987 AL All Star teams. He left the Yankees after the 1990 AL season, signing with the San Francisco Giants. He is currently the MLB pitching coach for the Giants.
1960 - The new expansion team, the Washington Senators drafted Yankees P John Gabler in the 1960 MLB Rule 5 player draft. John had posted a 4-4 record in 24 games with 1 save during the 1959-1960 AL seasons for the Yankees.
1967 - On November 28,1967, C/1B Bill Bryant was drafted by the Washington Senators from the Yankees organization in the 1967 MLB Rule 5 player draft. On June 10,1966, Bill was traded by the Kansas City A’s along with P Fred Talbot to the Yankees for OF Roger Repoz, Pitchers Gil Blanco and Bill Stafford. Bill had hit .217 and .166 for the Yankees.
1977 - Former Yankees OF Bob Meusel (1920-1929) dies at the age of 81. Bob Meusel batted over .300 seven times, including a career-high mark of .337 in 1927. He also participated in 6 World Series with the Yankees. In 1925, Bob led the AL with 33 HRs and 133 RBIs. Bob had a lifetime BA of .311, hitting 146 HRS, with 1,005 RBIs with the Yankees (1920-1929). He finished his MLB playing career with Cincinnati Reds in 1930, hitting .289 in 113 games. His older brother Irish Meusel played in NL (1914-1927).
1989 - Current reserve Yankees C Jesus Montero (2011) was born. Jesus Montero originally signed with the Yankees in October 2006 for a $2 million bonus. He hit .280 for the 2007 GCL Yankees in his pro debut in 2007. He hit the game-tying HR in game 3 of the Gulf Coast League finals. Baseball America rated him the Yankees' #6 prospect, the best power prospect. He was also named the #2 prospect in the GCL. In 2008, Jesus came to MLB camp as a non-roster invitee, hitting a HR in his only at-bat. He then showed major strides with the Charleston River Dogs, hitting .326 with 34 doubles, 17 HRs with 87 RBIs. He led Yankee minor league players in BA, runs (86), hits (171), total bases (258) and RBIs. Jesus was named their Minor League Player of the Year. He led the South Atlantic League in hits, catcher’s fielding percentage (.993) and was 2nd in average. He was named the All-Star catcher. Baseball America ranked him as the #7 SAL prospect, right ahead of another Charleston backstop, Andrew Romine, as the #2 Yankee prospect. Montero continued to shine in 2009, hitting .356 for the Tampa Yankees, .317 for the Trenton Thunder with 70 RBIs in 92 games before a fractured middle finger ended his 2009 season in early August. He had played in the 2009 Futures Game. Baseball America rated him as the #2 prospect in the FSL. He was ranked #5 in the Eastern League Baseball America rated the 20-year-old the #5 prospect in all of baseball entering 2010. Starting that year with the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees (AAA), he was batting only .247 in his 1st 73 games but then got a hot finish ending the season at .289 in 123 games. His power output included 34 doubles with 21 HRs. He led Yankee farmhands in slugging, though he was over 100 points behind IL leader Dan Johnson. He led IL backstops in putouts (703), assists (76) and passed balls (15). He made both the IL's mid-season and post-season All-Star teams. Baseball America ranked him as the 4th-best IL prospect. Entering 2011, his prospect ranking had moved up to #3. There was some speculation in spring training that he could win a job with the Yankees, as it was clear that Jorge Posada's days as the regular catcher were over, but Russell Martin's excellent play put a stop to that, Montero returned to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to start the season. In his second season in AAA, he hit .288 in 109 games, with 19 doubles and 18 HRs. He was again a mid-season IL All-Star. He was called up to the Yankees when rosters expanded on September 1st. Jesus made his debut that day in the midst of a crucial series with the Red Sox at Fenway Park. He was immediately inserted into the starting line-up as the DH in order to take advantage of his excellent numbers against left-handed pitching as the Yankees pitching opponent was veteran Jon Lester. He struck out with the bases loaded to end the 1st inning, and went 0 for 4 overall, but reached base on a hit-by-pitch in the 7th inning, later scored the go-ahead run in his team's 4-2 victory. On September 5th, he hit his 1st two MLB HRs in the same game. He finished the 2011 AL season with a .328 BA in 18 games, with 4 doubles and 4 HRs. The Yankees put him on their postseason roster. In his only game against the Detroit Tigers in the 2011 ALDS, he went 2 for 2 with a run scored and an RBI.
2007 - Former Yankees minor league OF Robert “Bob” Marquis passed away. Bob Marquis began his professional career in 1947 with the Lufkin Foresters, hitting .346 with 22 doubles with 16 triples in 140 games. He was sent to the Beaumont Exporters in the New York Yankees farm system, and with them he played in 4 games, going 0-for-1 at the plate. His 145 runs tied Lew Morton for the Lone Star League lead; no player scored more runs in the league's history. In 1948, he played for Beaumont (2 games) and the Quincy Gems (126 games), hitting a combined .333 with 15 HRs, 18 triples and 21 doubles. He led the Three-I League with 108 runs and 164 hits. Marquis split the 1949 minor league season between Beaumont (20 games) and the Binghamton Triplets (106 games), hitting a combined .236 in 453 at-bats. He hit .293 in 151 games for Beaumont in 1950. In 1951, he played with the Kansas City Blues (AAA). Bob hit .278 for the Blues in 123 games. He played for the Blues again in 1952, hitting .246 in 97 games. On August 28,1952, he was traded to the Cincinnati Reds by the Yankees along with OF Jim Greengrass, pitchers Ernie Nevel, Johnny Schmitz and $35,000 for veteran P Ewell Blackwell. In his only MLB season, he appeared in 40 games with the Reds in 1953, hitting .278.
2010 - Former Yankees INF Gil McDougald (1951-1960) passes away. In 1948, INF Gil McDougald was signed by the New York Yankees, as an amateur MLB free agent. Gil was a versatile infielder for the Yankees. In 1951, he won the AL Rookie Of the Year award. He would hit a Grand Slam HR in the 1951 World Series against the Giants. Gil would make AL All Star team several times during the 1950’s. In 1957, a tragic line drive hit by Gil off of Cleveland Indians starter Herb Score in the face affected the rest of his MLB career. Gil had lost his aggressive approach at the plate. In December of 1960, Gil had been drafted by the “new” Washington Senators in the AL team expansion player draft. He refused to go to the new club. Also Gil turned down a $100,000 player-manager job offer from the new LA Angels team. His former Yankees Manager Casey Stengel had recommended him to the Angels Owner Gene Autry for the job. He retired from the Yankees. Gil finished his fine Yankees career with a lifetime BA of .276, 112 HRs with 576 RBI’s in 1,336 games. He appeared in 8 World Series with the Yankees, hitting .237 with 7 HRs and 24 RBIs. After his playing days, McDougald was a coach at Fordham University for 7 years. Away from the diamond, he ran a New Jersey maintenance company. He suffered progressive hearing loss, as he got older, the result of being struck by a line drive hit by Yankees teammate Bob Cerv during batting practice years earlier. He eventually went deaf, which was repaired by cochlear implant surgery in 1995.
November 29th
1887 - Former Yankees P “Long Tom” Hughes (1904) was born (1887-1956). On December 20, 1903, Tom Hughes was traded by the Boston Americans to the New York Yankees for P Jesse Tannehill. Tom went 7-11 in 19 games for the 1904 Yankees. On July 20,1904, Tom was traded by the Yankees along with P Barney Wolfe to the Washington Senators for veteran P Al Orth.
1924 - Former Yankees All Star OF Irv Noren (1952-1956) was born. Irv Noren had 3 good out of 4 seasons with the Yankees, including hitting .314 in 1954, despite being plagued with bad knees. He appeared in 3 World Series with the Bombers. With the 1952 World Series being his best performance, hitting .300 against the Dodgers. Irv was on the 1954 AL All Star team. On May 3,1952, Irv was traded by the Washington Senators along with OF Tom Upton to the Yankees for OF Jackie Jensen, P Spec Shea, INF Jerry Snyder, and OF Archie Wilson. On February 12,1957, after hitting just .216 in 1956, Irv was traded by the Yankees along with a player to be named later, P Rip Coleman, INF Milt Graff, INF Billy Hunter, Pitchers Mickey McDermott, and Tom Morgan to the Kansas City A’s for players to be named later, Pitchers Art Ditmar, Bobby Shantz, Jack McMahan, and Wayne Belardi. Yankees would send P Jack Urban on April 5, 1957 to the A’s to complete the trade. The A’s sent INF Curt Roberts on April 4,1957, followed by INF Clete Boyer on June 4,1957 to the Yankees to complete the trade. Irv would finish out his MLB career with a .279 BA in 1,093 games, while playing for the Senators, Yankees, A’s, Cardinals, Cubs and finishing out with the 1960 Dodgers.
1950 - Former Yankees DH/OF/1B Otto Velez (1973-1976) was born. In 1969, the New York Yankees signed Otto Velez as an MLB amateur free agent. Otto appeared in a total of 105 games with the Yankees He hit .266 in 49 games in 1976 AL season playing 1B,OF and DH. Otto appeared in the 1976 AL Playoffs and World Series with 4 at bats and no hits. On November 5,1976, Otto was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays from the New York Yankees as the 53rd pick in the 1976 AL Player Expansion Team draft (Blue Jays and Mariners).
1965 - The Yankees trade utility player Phil Linz to the Philadelphia Phillies for shortstop Ruben Amaro. Ruben was a major disappointment with the Yankees never hitting more than .223. The Yankees should have held on to Linz and brought Tommy Tresh in from the outfield to play shortstop.
1966 - The New York Yankees traded veteran 3B Clete Boyer to the Atlanta Braves for rookie OF Bill Robinson and 39-year-old P Chi-Chi Olivo. The trade of Clete Boyer will leaves a defensive gap at 3B for the Yankees, which will not be solved until the arrival of Graig Nettles from the Indians in winter of 1972. Rookie OF Bill Robinson was a failure for the Yankees, but later he reappeared in the NL, having successful seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Philadelphia Phillies, meanwhile Boyer would have 5 more good MLB seasons with the Braves, before going to Japan to play baseball.
1969 - Current Yankees Closer Mariano “Mo” Rivera (1995-current) was born. Mo Rivera is the greatest MLB closer and the Yankees closer in the team’s history (1903-2010). He took over the Yankees closer job in 1997, replacing John Wetteland who left the team for MLB free agency. Mo Rivera Yankees career stats are currently at 75-57 with 2.23 ERA in 1,042 games. He holds the MLB record of 603 saves. Mariano has been named to the All-Star team 12 times. He has 5 times won the American League Rolaids Relief Award. He has twice won the Delivery Man of the Year Award. In 2009, Rivera saved an Andy Pettitte win for the 58th time, setting a new MLB mark; the old record had been held by Oakland A’s Starter Bob Welch and Closer Dennis Eckersley. Mariano Rivera was the last pitcher ever used in Yankee Stadium on September 21, 2008, closing out a 7-3 victory over the Baltimore Orioles; he retired the side in order, getting Brian Roberts to ground out to 1st base in the last at-bat in the famed ballpark's history. Mario’s AL All Star record is 0-0 in 6 games with 3 saves. His AL Divisional series record is 2-0 in 39 games with 18 saves. His ALCS record is 4-0 in 29 games and 10 saves. His World Series record is 2-1 in 19 games with 11 saves.
1976 - The New York Yankees signed MLB All Star free agent OF Reggie Jackson to 5-year, $3.5 million dollar contract. During Mr. October's tenure, the Bronx Bombers will win 4 AL East divisions, 3- AL pennants and 2 World Series Championships, before leaving in 1981 as a free agent signing with the California Angels.
1979 - MLB Commissioner Kuhn lets Billy Martin off with a warning, following the October 23rd incident in which he is involved in a barroom altercation with Joseph Cooper, a Minnesota marshmallow salesman. Cooper requires 15 stitches to close a gash in his lip.
1982 - Former Yankees P Al Cicotte (1957) passed away (1929-1982). Before the 1948 AL Season, Al Cicotte was signed by the New York Yankees as an MLB amateur free agent. Al went 2-2 in 20 games with 2 saves with the 1957 Yankees. On May 14,1958, Al was purchased by the Washington Senators from the Yankees. He was the nephew of HOF P Ed Cicotte.
1992 - Former Yankees OF George “Tuck” Stainback (1942-1945) passed away (1910-1992). Veteran reserve OF George “Tuck” Stainback was purchased on December 4,1941 by the New York Yankees from the Detroit Tigers. His best Yankees season was in 1943, hitting .260 in 71 games. His final Yankees totals were a 252 BA in 211 games with 5 HRs with 47 RBIs. He appeared in the 1942-1943 World Series against the St. Louis Cardinals with the Yankees only hitting .179 in 9 games. He was sold to the Philadelphia A’s in 1946, where he finished his 13-season MLB career.
1995 - Former 3B Charlie Smith, the player traded to New York Yankees from the St. Louis Cardinals for former AL MVP and All Star OF Roger Maris in 1966, dies at age 57. Charley Smith hit .224 (1967) and .229 (1968) for the Yankees before being traded to the San Francisco Giants. While Roger Maris hit .261 and .255 for the St. Louis Cardinals and playing in the 1967-1968 World Series, while the New York Yankees finished 9th and 5th place in the AL.
1998 - Former Yankees pitcher and long time MLB Pitching Coach Jim “The Milkman” Turner passed away (1903-1998). As a reliever, Jim Turner went 11-9 in 88 games with 19 saves for the New York Yankees. He led the American League in 1945 with 10 saves. He would be Casey Stengel’s pitching coach during the 1949-1959 dynasty seasons. He was replaced by former Yankees teammate Eddie Lopat after the 1959 3rd place AL finish. Jim would work with the Cincinnati Reds organization from 1960-1965. He would return to the Yankees in 1966, being their MLB pitching coach until 1973, under Manager Ralph Houk.
2005 - Former Yankees minor league 1B Vic Power passed away (1927-2005). Before 1951 AL Season, Vic Power was purchased by the New York Yankees from the Drummondville (Provincial League). On December 16,1953, Vic was traded by the Yankees along with INF Don Bollweg, 3B Jim Finigan, P Johnny Gray, OF Bill Renna, and C Jim Robertson to the Philadelphia A’s for P Harry Byrd, 1B Eddie Robinson, outfielders Tom Hamilton and Carmen Mauro, and INF Loren Babe. Vic Power was considered to be too flashy by Yankees General Manager George Weiss to be the 1st black Yankee MLB player. GM Weiss traded away the black players in the Yankees farm system, keeping only C Elston Howard. Vic Power was a better 1B than Bill “Moose” Skowron, who admitted that Vic Power was the best 1st Baseman that he had ever played against during his MLB career. Vic Power won AL Golden Glove 1B Award in the AL from 1958-1964.
2006- Former Yankees P Pete Mikkelsen (1964-1965) passed away (1939-2006). Before the 1958 AL Season, Pete Mikkelsen was signed by the New York Yankees, as an MLB amateur free agent. Primarily used as a reliever by Manager Yogi Berra, he reached the World Series in 1964, his rookie season with the Yankees. His rookie season bullpen work for the Bronx Bombers was instrumental in helping the team squeeze out an AL pennant, the last for the old Yankees dynasty (1949-1964). In 1964, He went 7-4 in 50 games with 12 saves. In 1965, he slipped to a 4-9 mark with 41 games with only 1 save. On December 10,1965, Pete was traded by the Yankees to the Pittsburgh Pirates and cash for veteran starter Bob Friend. His trade was another bad deal done by the Yankees front office along with the deals of Clete Boyer and Roger Maris, which in all truth were salary dumps made by CBS management.
2007 - The New York Yankees officially announced that catcher Jorge Posada's 4-year, $52.4-million deal that will most likely keep him in pinstripes for the remainder of his MLB baseball career or at least through 2011.
November 30th
1909 - Former Yankees P Jimmy DeShong (1934-1935) was born. Jimmy DeShong went 10-8 in 60 games with the New York Yankees. On January 17,1936, Jim was traded by the Yankees along with OF Jesse Hill to the Washington Senators for P Bump Hadley and OF Roy Johnson.
1936 - Former Yankees reliever Steve Hamilton (1963-1970) was born (1936-1997). Steve Hamilton was obtained from the Washington Senators for veteran P Jim Coates in April of 1963. Steve worked out of the Yankees bullpen until 1970, going 34-20 in 312 games with 36 saves. On September 9,1970, Steve was selected off waivers by the Chicago White Sox from the Yankees. After his major league career ended, he was a Detroit Tigers MLB coach in 1975. He was the head coach at his alma mater, Morehead State University from 1976 to 1989. Also Steve served as athletic director at MSU. Hamilton died of cancer at age 62.
1942 - Former Yankees P Slim Love (1916-1918) passed away (1890-1942). Slim Love pitched 6 seasons in the MLB, mostly with the New York Yankees from 1916-1918. He never had a losing season, going 28-21. The pitcher stood 6’7”, his nickname became “Slim.” In 1914-1915, he had led the PCL in ERA. He had an ERA of 2.35 in 1916. Then in 1917, Slim won 13 games, 2nd-highest total on the Yankees pitching staff. He was traded to the Detroit Tigers in 1919; he had an ERA lower than most of the Tiger starters, although he was used more often as a reliever than a starter. He went 6-4 with 1 save on a team that went 80-60. He had played for the Washington Senators in 1914 appearing in 5 games, while posting a 1-0 record. Slim Love was with the Yankees from 1916-1918, appearing in 91 games, posting a 21-17 record with 2 saves. On December 18,1918, Slim Love was traded by the New York Yankees along with Ray Caldwell, Frank Gilhooley, Roxy Walters and $15,000 to the Boston Red Sox for Dutch Leonard, Duffy Lewis and Ernie Shore. He continued to pitch in the minor leagues through 1930, 7 times winning in double digits from 1922-1930, including 21 in 1926. He spent 6 seasons from 1922-1930 in the Texas League. He passed away in 1942, from injuries after being hit by a car.
1952 - On a local TV program, Brooklyn Dodger Jackie Robinson charges that the New York Yankees management is racist for its failure to bring up a black player. General Manager George Weiss of the Yankees denies the allegations. Weiss will release or trade away all minority players except for catcher Elston Howard, who will become the 1st black Yankee MLB player in 1955. Among those minority players who were traded away were future AL All Star 1B Vic Power and P Ruben Gomez.
1960 - Former Yankees P Bob Tewksbury (1986-1987) was born. The New York Yankees in the 19th round of the 1981 MLB amateur player draft drafted Bob Tewksbury. Bob went 9-5 in 23 games with 2 complete games in 1986. In 1987, Bob was 1-4 in 8 games, when on July 13,1987, he was traded by the Yankees along with minor league pitchers Rich Scheid and Dean Wilkins to the Chicago Cubs for starter Steve Trout.
1967 - The Yankees purchased shortstop Gene “Stick” Michael from the Dodgers for cash. He will be the Yankees shortstop until the 1975 AL season. After retiring as a MLB player, he will return to the Yankees organization to be a coach, Manager (MLB and minor leagues), General Manager. He is now a Special Consultant in the front office.
1976 - The Yankees purchased OF/DH Jimmy “Toy Cannon” Wynn from the Atlanta Braves for $100,000. He hit .133 in 43 games for the Yankees before being released on July 14,1977.
1976 - Former Yankees reserve 1B/OF Craig Wilson (2006) was born. After being traded by the Pittsburgh Pirates for P Shawn Chacon, Craig only hit .212 in 40 games in New York. He left the Yankees for MLB free agency in the fall of 2006, signing with the Atlanta Braves.
1981 - Yankees P Dave Righetti with a record of 8-4, 2.06 ERA in 1981, wins the 1981 American League Rookie of the Year Award.
2000 - MLB free agent P Mike Mussina inks an $88.5 million, 6-year contract with the New York Yankees. The 10-year MLB veteran compiled a 147-81 record with a 3.53 ERA as a Baltimore Orioles hurler. Mussina says a deciding factor was a telephone call from Yankees Manager Joe Torre.
December 1st
1940 - Former Yankees P Cecil Perkins (1967) was born. Cecil Perkins went 0-1 in 2 games with the 1967 New York Yankees.
1949 - Attendance in the major leagues is 20.2 million, down from 20.9 in 1948. The New York Yankees and the Cleveland Indians each finish with over 2.2 million
1951 - The New York Yankees released former player Tommy Henrich as a MLB Coach.
1954 - The New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles completed the largest trade in MLB history as 17 players, including MLB players Don Larsen, Gene Woodling, and Bob Turley change teams. The 1st phase of the transaction began on November 18th, and will be concluded today after the major league draft. The Yankees obtained 1B Richard Kryhoski, P Mike Blayzka, C Darrell Johnson, outfielders Jim Fridley and Ted Del Guercio from the Orioles sending them P Bill Miller, 3B Kal Segrist, 2B Don Leppert and 2 minor leaguers to be named later. Only C Darrell Johnson remained with the Yankees as a back-up catcher for Yogi Berra in 1958-1959, before he was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals organization after the 1959 AL season. The rest were traded away or never played for the Yankees at the MLB level. Ted Del Guercio will be the only player involved in the 17-player trade that never appears in a MLB game.
1956 - Former Yankees minor league P Tom Filer was born. In 1978, the New York Yankees signed Tom Filer as an MLB amateur free agent. On December 8,1980, Tom was drafted by the Oakland A’s from the Yankees in the 1980 Rule 5 Player Draft. On April 9,1981,Tom was returned (earlier draft pick) by the A’s to the Yankees. On April 27,1981, Tom Filer was traded by the Yankees along with cash to the Chicago Cubs for veteran C Barry Foote.
1971 - The New York Yankees obtained veteran INF Bernie Allen from the Texas Rangers for pitchers Terry Ley and Gary Jones. Bernie Allen would be a successful pinch hitter for the Yankees in 1972.
1978 - The New York Yankees assigned the contract of veteran left-handed reliever Paul Linblad to the Seattle Mariners for future considerations. Paul went 0-0 in 7 games with the 1978 Yankees after joining the team in August.
1982 - The New York Yankees sign onetime AL MVP Don Baylor to a MLB free agent contract. Baylor. Who had won the 1979 AL MVP Award; when he hit 24 HRs and 93 RBI’s for the Angels in 1982. He signs a reported 5-year, $5 million contract. After hitting .303 with 21 HRs and 85 RBIs in 1982, Don dropped off the next 2 seasons by hitting only .262 and .231. On March 28,1986, Don was traded by the Yankees to the Red Sox for OF/DH Mike Easler.
1991 - Former Yankees reserve OF (1940) and MLB Manager Buster Mills passed away (1908-1991). On October 26, 1938, veteran OF Buster Mills and P Oral Hildebrand were obtained by the Yankees from the St. Louis Browns for veteran OF Myril Hoag and reserve C Joe Glenn. Buster Mills hit .397 in 14 games for the Yankees in 1940. In 1953, Buster managed the Cincinnati Reds for 8 games posting a 4-4 record.
2009 - Former Yankees OF/1B and MLB Tommy “Old Reliable” Henrich (1937-1942, 1946-1950) passed away. Originally signed by the Cleveland Indians, Tommy Henrich never hit below .300 in the. He showed power at the plate. After batting .346 for the New Orleans Pelicans (Southern Association) in 1936, he appeared in line to join the Tribe. However, the Indians instead sold his contract to the Milwaukee Brewers (American Association), allegedly because the club regarded Jeff Heath as a better prospect. Rather than go to Milwaukee, he and his father wrote to MLB Commissioner Kenesaw Landis, stating their belief that the Indians were denying him a chance to reach the majors. Landis ruled in his favor and declared Henrich a free agent. He ultimately signed with the Yankees for a $25,000 bonus. In 1937, he became part of the Yankees power-hitting outfield of Joe DiMaggio and Charlie Keller. He played 11 seasons with Yankees finishing with a lifetime BA of .282. He appeared in 4 World Series, hitting .262 for the Yankees. After missing 3 seasons while serving in the US Coast Guard during World War II, Tommy Henrich returned to the Yankees in 1946. In the 1949 World Series against the Dodgers that fall, he hit a game-winning home run off Don Newcombe in the ninth inning of Game One, the 1st walk-off shot in Fall Classic history. He was named to the AL All Star teams in 1942,1947-1950. After retiring as an active player, he became a Yankees MLB Coach in 1951. He was a New York Giants MLB coach in 1957, and a member of the Detroit Tigers MLB Coaching staff in 1958 and 1959. In 2009, Tommy Henrich passed away at the age of 96. He had suffered a series of strokes. "Tommy was a terrific player. What made him so special was that he always played well in big games. It seemed like he never made any mistakes in the outfield. He was a true professional and an ultimate Yankee."- Bobby Brown.
December 2nd
1889 - Former Yankees reserve INF Ray Morehart (1927) was born. On January 13, 1927, Ray Morehart was traded by the Chicago White Sox along with C Johnny Grabowski to the New York Yankees for INF Aaron Ward. Ray was a reserve INF on the 1927 Yankees bench, appearing in 73 games and hitting .256. He retired from MLB after the 1927 World Series.
1903 - Former Yankees P Don Brennan (1933) was born. Don Brennan went 5-1 in 18 games with 3 saves for the Yankees in 1933. On March 5, 1934, the Cincinnati Reds purchased Don from the Yankees.
1950 - Former Yankees P Robert “ Bob” Kammeyer (1978-1979) was born (1950-2003). The New York Yankees in the 21st round of the 1972 MLB amateur player draft drafted Bob Kammeyer. He attended Dartmouth University, majoring in Economics. Bob went 0-0 in 8 games for the Yankees during the 1978-1979 AL seasons. In 1980, Bob was named International League Pitcher of the Year, while pitching with the Columbus Clippers. Bob passed away in 2003.
1952 - Brooklyn Dodgers executive Buzzie Bavasi dismisses the Yankees front office’s reaction to Jackie Robinson's charges of racism. MLB Commissioner Ford Frick plans to take no action against Jackie Robinson for his remarks to the NYC media. Two days earlier Jackie Robinson had called the Yankees, a racist organization for its failure to promote a black player to the parent club. The 1st black Yankees MLB player would be C Elston Howard in 1955.
1967 - The Yankees purchased C John Boccabella from Chicago Cubs for cash. He never played for the Yankees at the MLB level. He would be sold to the Montreal Expos.
1971 - The Yankees traded former AL Rookie Of Year P Stan Bahnsen to the Chicago White Sox for INF Rich McKinney. This deal failed for the Yankees, when McKinney couldn’t handle the transition from 2B to 3B. Meanwhile Bahnsen would win 20 games for the White Sox in 1972. McKinney’s failure at 3B, would lead to the Yankees acquiring 3B Graig Nettles in a trade with the Cleveland Indians in the fall of 1972.
1974 - The Yankees purchased OF/1B/DH Bob Oliver from the Baltimore Orioles for cash. Bob hit only .132 in 18 games before being released by the team on July 15,1975.
1997 - Former Yankees reliever Steve Hamilton (1963-1970) passed away (1936-1997). Steve Hamilton was obtained from the Washington Senators for veteran P Jim Coates in April of 1963. Steve worked out of the Yankees bullpen until 1970, going 34-20 in 312 games with 36 saves. On September 9,1970, Steve was selected off waivers by the Chicago White Sox from the Yankees. After his MLB career ended, he was a Detroit Tigers MLB coach in 1975. He was the head coach at his alma mater, Morehead State University from 1976 to 1989. Also Steve served as athletic director at MSU. Steve Hamilton died of cancer at age 62.
December 3rd
1915 - Former Yankees P Charles “Butch” Wensloff (1943, 1947) was born. Butch Wensloff pitched for 3 seasons in the majors. All 3-years were on a World Series championship teams. He was a star with the Yankees as a rookie in 1943, going 13-11. Then after missing several years of a career due to World War II. He came back to win again with the Yankees in 1947, going 3-1. His ERA was well under 3.00 both years. In the 1947 World Series, which the Yankees won, Wensloff pitched a couple scoreless innings in the 6th game. He pitched 1 game for the 1948 Cleveland Indians, who went on to win the 1948 World Series. He led the American Association in 1942 with 21 victories. On March 27,1948, he was sent to the Philadelphia Phillies by the Yankees as part of a conditional deal. On April 10,1948, he was returned by the Phillies to the Yankees as part of a conditional deal. On April 12,1948, he was purchased by the Cleveland Indians from the Yankees.
1922 - Former Yankees 1B/OF Joe Collins (1948-1957) was born. Before 1939 AL Season, Joe was signed by the New York Yankees as an MLB amateur free agent. In ten seasons with the Yankees, Joe hit .256, never really living up to the hitting promise that the Yankees had hoped for. Joe appeared in seven World Series with the Yankees. During the 1957 AL season Joe was replaced by Bill Skowron as the regular Yankees 1B. On March 20,1958, Joe was purchased by the Philadelphia Phillies from the Yankees. Joe retired from MLB, turning down a $100,000 player contract offer from the Phillies. He told the NYC media that he wanted to be remembered as a Yankee.
1925 - Former Yankees OF Harry “The Suitcase” Simpson was born (1925-1979). On June 15,1957, Harry Simpson was traded by the Kansas City A’s along with P Ryne Duren and OF Jim Pisoni to the New York Yankees for INF Billy Martin, P Ralph Terry, INF/OF Woodie Held, and OF Bob Martyn. In 1957, Harry hit .270 in 75 games for the Yankees. In 1958, he hit only .216 in 24 games, before being traded back to the A’s along with P Bob Grim for A’s P Duke Maas and P Virgil Trucks.
1947 - Former Yankees minor league P Gerry Pirtle was born. Gerry Pirtle was drafted by the New York Yankees in the 7th round of the 1967 MLB amateur player draft (June Secondary). He never played for the Yankees at the MLB level. On January 23,1976, he was traded by the Yankees to the Chicago Cubs for C Rick Stelmaszek.
1951 - Minor League Pitcher Rubén Gómez was drafted by the New York Yankees from the St. Jean Canadians in the 1951 MLB minor league player draft. Ruben will be released by the Yankees organization in June of 1952. He will be signed by the New York Giants, making his MLB debut in 1953, posting a 13-11 mark. In 1954, he will have his best MLB season posting a 17-9 record for the NL Champion Giants. He won 1 game for the Giants in the 1954 World Series. He will pitch in the MLB for 10 seasons, posting a 76-86 record with the New York Giants, Philadelphia Phillies, Cleveland Indians, and the Minnesota Twins.
1960 - Former Yankees P Gene Nelson (1981) was born. On October 8, 1979, Gene Nelson was sent to the New York Yankees by the Texas Rangers to complete the Oscar Gamble-Mickey Rivers trade made earlier in August of 1979. Gene would go 3-1 in 8 games in 1981. In 1982 spring training camp, he made the Yankees starting rotation, but once again the Yankees front office decided to bring in a veteran pitcher rather than go with a young pitcher. On April 1,1982, Gene was traded by the Yankees along with a player to be named later, P Bill Caudill to the Seattle Mariners for starter Shane Rawley. At 1st report of the trade, the Mariners inform Nelson that he would be pitching for their AAA team. Nelson balks telling them that he had just made the New York Yankees starting rotation, he will not report to their AAA team, finally both sides reached an agreement. The Yankees would later send reserve OF Bobby Brown on April 6,1982, to the Mariners to complete the trade. Gene would go 6-9 in 22 starts for the Mariners during the 1982 AL season.
1962 - Former MLB players Frank Crosetti (Yankees) and Johnny Schulte (Cubs and Phillies) file suit to halt any increased MLB pension benefits that fail to include old-time MLB players.
1968 - The MLB Rules Committee adopts a series of changes designed to increase the amount of offensive run production in both leagues. In the most significant alterations, the committee agrees to decrease the size of the strike zone and lower the height of the pitcher's mound from 15 inches to 10 inches. The rules changes will result in increased run scoring in 1969.
1974 - The New York Yankees obtained P Skip Lockwood from the California Angels for C/INF Bill Sudakis. The Yankees would release Skip Lockwood during spring training camp, he would sign on with the New York Mets.
1988 - MLB free agent P Dave LaPoint signs a 3-year contract with the Yankees. Dave would go 14-19 in 48 games with the Yankees. On February 17,1991, Dave was released by the Yankees.
2005 - Former Yankees set-up man Tom “Flash” Gordon agreed to terms with the Philadelphia Phillies on a 3-year contract.
