This Week in Yankees History
March 4th - March 10th
March 4th
1891 - Former Yankees and HOF P Arthur “ Dazzy” Vance (1915,1918) was born (1891-1961). Arthur “Dazzy” Vance was acquired by the New York Yankees from the Pittsburgh Pirates during the 1915 MLB season. He didn’t pitch for the Yankees in 1916 or 1917 AL seasons due to arm injuries. He went 0-3 in 10 games with the Yankees. He would recover, after being picked up by the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1922. He was named the National League Most Valuable Player in 1924. He pitched a no-hitter in 1925, led the National League in wins twice, in ERA 3 times. He is the only pitcher to top the NL in strikeouts 7 consecutive seasons. Dazzy Vance will be elected to the Hall of Fame by the BWAA in 1955 with 205 votes on 251 ballots. He posted a 197-140 record during a 16-year MLB career. He pitched for the Pirates, Yankees, Dodgers (twice), Cardinals and Reds before retiring, after the 1935 NL season. He appeared in 1 game of the 1934 World Series with the Cardinals with no record.
1897 - Former Yankees P/OF Lefty O’Doul (1919-1920, 1922) was born (1897-1969). Lefty O’Doul went 1-1 as pitcher for the New York Yankees before being sent the Boston Red Sox in a trade. In National League, he would become an outfielder, finishing his MLB career with a lifetime BA of .346. Later, he would become a successful minor league manager in the Pacific Coast League, most notably with the San Francisco Seals.
1897 - Former Yankees P Neal Brady (1915,1918) was born (1897-1947). Neal Brady went 1-0 in 4 games for the Yankees. He would play in the minors for several years, reappearing in the majors with the 1925 Cincinnati Reds for 20 games, posting a 1-3 record..
1913 - The Yankees become the 1st MLB team to conduct spring training outside of the United States, when they begin the spring training in Bermuda, where is projected a series of exhibition games.
1918 - Former Yankees P Mel Queen Sr. (1942, 1944,1946-1947) was born (1918-1982). In 1938, the New York Yankees signed Mel Queen, as an MLB amateur free agent. Mel went 8-4 in 33 games for the Yankees, before being sold to the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1947. His son, Mel Queen Jr. played for the Cincinnati Reds during the 1960’s.
1925 - Former Yankees minor league INF Leo Righetti was born (1925-1998). Leo Righetti was a minor league infielder for 12 years, 8 of them in either the AAA or Open classification. His son Dave Righetti became a major league pitcher for the New York Yankees, while son Steven Righetti played in the minors. Leo debuted in 1944 with the New York Yankees farm club, the Binghamton Triplets (Eastern League) hitting .232 in 67 games and fielding .887 at shortstop. He also was briefly with the Newark Bears, (International League) hitting .143 in four contests. He did not play in 1945. In 1946, Leo only managed a .166 batting line in 57 games for Binghamton Triplets, the lowest average that year by any Eastern League player with 100 at-bats, let alone 200 plate appearances. He fielded only .855 in 30 games at third base and .915 in 10 at second base. Righetti made strides in 1947, hitting .251 with a career-high 10 HR and 81 RBI for the Victoria Athletics. In 1948, he batted .162 for Binghamton Triplets and .237 for the Augusta Tigers. Back with Augusta in 1949, the infielder hit .225 with 4 HR and 46 RBI. He did not play in 1950. He would leave the Yankees organization and play baseball out in the Pacific Coast League before retiring from professional baseball.
1962 - Former Yankees P George Mogridge (1915-1920) passed away (1889-1962). In 1911-1912, George Mogridge pitched for the Chicago White, posting a 3-6 record in 21 games. The White Sox sent him to Minneapolis (American Association) in February of 1915. During the month of August 1915, P George Mogridge was purchased by the New York Yankees from Minneapolis. With the 1917 New York Yankees, he pitched a no-hitter against the Red Sox at Fenway Park on April 24, 1917. He had his Yankees career year in 1918, when he went 16-13, he had 7 saves. His final Yankees pitching record was 48-57 in 171 games, with 8 saves. George Mogridge's 2.73 ERA in his 6 seasons with the Yankees is one of the 5 best ERA's for a Yankees pitcher in the 20th century. On December 31,1920, George was traded by the New York Yankees with OF Duffy Lewis to the Washington Senators for OF Braggo Roth. On February 6,1926, George was traded by the St. Louis Browns along with cash to the New York Yankees for C Wally Schang. On February 15,1926, George was selected off waivers by the Boston Braves from the New York Yankees.
1974 - Former Yankees minor league P and Pitching Coach Tommy Phelps was born. Tommy Phelps pitched in the MLB from 2003-2005, with the Florida Marlins and the Milwaukee Brewers; posting a 4-5 record in 75 games. On April 20,2006, Tommy was signed as a MLB Free Agent with the New York Yankees. He did not appear with the 2006 Yankees at the MLB level. On October 15,2006, Tommy was granted MLB free agency by the Yankees. He was the pitching coach for the Yankees AA Trenton Thunder team (Eastern League) in 2010-2011.
1983 - Former Yankees reserve OF George “ Kiddo” Davis (1926) passed away (1902-1983). George "Kiddo" Davis made 8 stops during his 8-year MLB career as an outfielder. He hit .381 in the 2 World Series that he appeared in. Notably, in the 1933 World Series with the New York Giants, he batted 5th in the lineup behind Bill Terry and Mel Ott. George got his first taste of the MLB in 1926 appearing in one game with the New York Yankees at age 24. The Yankees won the 1926 AL pennant, but Davis did not appear in the 1926 World Series. After his 1 game with the Yankees in 1926, he disappeared from the MLB for 6-seasons until 1932, when he emerged as a regular outfielder for the Philadelphia Phillies hitting .309 at the age of 30. He was in the top ten in the NL in runs scored, in doubles, and in stolen bases. The .309 wasn't as impressive as it sounded, though, as the team hit .292 with 6 of the 8 regulars over .300. Fellow Phillies OF Chuck Klein hit .348. After one season with the Phillies, he was on to the New York Giants for 1 year, where he played in the outfield with Mel Ott. Davis hit only .258 on a team that hit .263, and he was on the move again. He started 1934 NL season with the St. Louis Cardinals, but the Phillies decided they wanted him back; he played the bulk of 1934 season for them. He hit .293 and in 1935, he was back with the New York Giants. Although he didn't play much, apparently being used often as a pinch hitter, he was with the Giants for 1935, 1936, and part of 1937 NL season. Managed by his former teammate, player/manager Bill Terry, the Giants were very competitive in 1935, won the NL pennant in 1936. In the 1936 World Series, Davis appeared in 4 games, getting only 2 at-bats. His 1 hit was a pinch-hit single off of Yankees starter Lefty Gomez in the 4th inning of the 2nd game of the World Series against his old team. In 1937, the Cincinnati Reds bought Davis in August from the Giants, who went on to win the NL pennant again. He finished out the 1937 NL season with Cincinnati Reds. Then he appeared in just 5 games with the Reds in 1938, before being released by the team on August 1, 1938.
1992 - Former Yankees reserve OF Larry Rosenthal (1944) passed away (1912-1992). On April 3, 1942, OF Larry Rosenthal was traded by the Cleveland Indians to the New York Yankees for OF Buster Mills. Larry appeared in 36 games for the 1944 Yankees as reserve outfielder hitting just .198. On July 6,1944, Larry was purchased by the Philadelphia Athletics from the New York Yankees.
2004 - The New York Yankees signed 2 free agents: Hansel Izuierdo and OF John Rodriguez. Neither player appeared with the Yankees at the MLB level in 2004.
March 5th
1891 - Former Yankees C Walter “Walt” Alexander (1915-1917) was born (1891-1978). On July 30, 1915, Walt Alexander was purchased by the New York Yankees from the St. Louis Browns. Alexander hit .221 in 81 games for the Yankees.
1903 - Former Yankees reserve C and Minor League Manager (1948-1949) Martin “Chick” Autry (1924) was born (1903-1951). Reserve C Martin Autry appeared in only 2 games for the 1924 Yankees with no hits. He spent 1925 season in the minor leagues. He played with the Cleveland Indians (1926-1928) and the Chicago White Sox (1929-1930). He was a minor league manager for the Pittsburgh Pirates organization. He was a Yankees Minor League Manager with the Beaumont Exporters (1948-1949) in the Texas League (AA).
1912 - Former Yankees MLB Coach Jimmy “Gee Gee” Gleeson was born (1912-1996). Jimmy Gleeson was a manager in the New York Yankee minor league system in the 1940-1950’s. He never played for the Yankees at MLB level. He was a member of the 1938 Newark Bears (International League) the Yankees top AAA team.
1919 - Former Yankees 3B/OF Don Savage (1944-1945) was born (1919-1961). New Jersey born Don Savage came out of Rutgers University and the minors to play 3rd base for the New York Yankees during the 1944-1945 AL Seasons. Although he is listed as being at Rutgers in 1938-1943, he was also in the Yankees minor league system during those years (except for 1942). In 1943, Don was with the Newark Bears (International League), before he came to the Yankees, and went he back in 1946. In 1944, he appeared in 60 games at 3rd base for the Yankees, while Oscar Grimes was in 97 games at 3rd. The following season, Grimes appeared much more often at 3B and Savage less often at the position. In 1945, Don Savage was in 14 games at 3rd base with 2 games in the outfield, but he had 34 total appearances, so he presumably did a lot of pinch-hitting for the team. Overall Don Savage hit .256 in 105 games for the Yankees during the 1944-1945 AL seasons. He was out organized baseball for 2 years. In 1949, he played for St. Jean Braves, an independent minor league team in Canada. Don Savage was the head coach at LeMoyne College in 1956-1957.
1921 - Former Yankees reserve OF Elmer Valo (1960) was born (1921-1998). Elmer Valo was signed as MLB free agent in December of 1959. Elmer only appeared in 8 games with the team before being released in May of 1960. Elmer was at the end of a very fine MLB career. The return of veteran OF Bob Cerv from the Kansas City A’s made him expendable. He retired in 1961 after finishing the season with the Philadelphia Phillies. He spent 2 seasons with the Cleveland Indians as a MLB coach. Elmer became a long-time MLB scout for the Philadelphia Phillies (1969-1982).
1922 - New York Yankees slugger Babe Ruth becomes the highest paid player in MLB history, when he signs a 3-year contract that will pay him over $50,000 per season. In 1921, Babe Ruth led the American League with 59 HRs and 171 RBIs. The next-highest-paid Yankees player is 3B Frank “Home Run” Baker, at $16,000.
1950 - Former Yankees P Doug Bird (1980-1981) was born. On April 29, 1980, Doug Bird was signed as a MLB free agent by the New York Yankees. He went 8-1 in 39 games with 1 save. On June 12,1981, Doug was traded by the Yankees along with a player to be named later and $400,000 to the Chicago Cubs for veteran starter Rick Reuschel. The Yankees would send P Mike Griffin on August 5,1981, to the Cubs to complete the trade.
1973 - New York Yankees Pitchers Mike Kekich and Fritz Peterson make a stunning declaration. The left-handers announce that they have traded wives, children, and the family dogs. The announcement sends shock waves through the MLB world. Both players will be traded away by the team by the next season. Both Peterson (1974) and Kekich (1973) will go the Cleveland Indians.
1975 - The New York Yankees released reserve INF Fernando Gonzalez. He appeared in 51 games for the 1974 Yankees hitting just .215.
1995 - Former Yankees reserve INF Roy Hughes (1939) passed away (1911-1995). On June 13, 1939, INF Roy Hughes was traded by the St. Louis Browns along with cash to the New York Yankees for OF Joe Gallagher. Roy never appears with the Yankees in a MLB game. On July 13,1939, INF Roy Hughes was traded by the New York Yankees to the Philadelphia Phillies for P Al Hollingsworth.
2003 - The New York Yankees signed P Ramon Ramirez as a MLB free agent. Ramon never played for the Yankees at the MLB level. On July 28,2005, he was traded by the Yankees along with minor league player Eduardo Sierra to the Colorado Rockies for P Shawn Chacon.
March 6th
1919 - The New York Yankees sell veteran P Ray Keating (1912-1916, 1918) to Boston Braves for cash. Ray Keating had a pitching career record of 23-40 in 108 games with the Yankees.
1965 - Former Yankees C Wally Schang (1921-1925) passed away (1889-1965). After being obtained from the Boston Red Sox in the Waite Hoyt trade, Wally Schang hit .316 and .319 for the New York Yankees, before being traded to the St. Louis Browns for P George Mogridge in 1926. He would hit .330 for the 1926 Browns. Wally would be the starting catcher for the Browns for the next 4 seasons. His trade was considered to be a rare mistake by Yankees GM Edward Barrow. The Yankees would not have a regular catcher until the arrival of Bill Dickey in 1928.
1965 - Former Yankees INF Jimmy Austin (1909-1910) passed away (1879-1965). On September 1, 1908, INF Jimmy Austin was drafted by the New York Highlanders from Omaha (Western League) in the 1908 MLB Rule 5 player draft. He appeared in 269 games for the Yankees, hitting .224. On February 11,1911, Jimmy was traded by the Yankees along with INF/OF Frank LaPorte to the St. Louis Browns for INF Roy Hartzell and cash. Austin would play for the Browns until 1929, retiring at the age of 45.
1977 - Former Yankees reserve OF Marcus Thames (2000, 2010) was born. The New York Yankees in the 30th round of the 1996 MLB amateur player draft drafted outfielder Marcus Thames. He appeared in 13 games with the 2000 Yankees, hitting .231. Marcus broke into the MLB by hitting a HR for the Yankees off of Arizona Diamondbacks starter Randy Johnson. On June 6, 2003, he was traded to the Texas Rangers for veteran OF/DH Ruben Rivera. In June of 2008, while Marcus Thames was playing for the Detroit Tigers, he had 8 HRs in a span of 8 hits. From 2006-2009, he had played for the Detroit Tigers. In 2010, Marcus hit .288 with 12 HRs and 33 RBIs for the Yankees as a DH/reserve outfielder. In the winter of 2010, Marcus became a MLB free agent. In January of 2011, he signed a 1-year deal with the Dodgers for the 2011 NL season. During the 2011 MLB season, the Dodgers released Marcus Thames. He rejoined the Yankees organization, finishing the season with Scranton (AAA).
1985 - Former Yankees and Cardinals OF Enos “Country” Slaughter (1954-1955,1956-1959) and Arky Vaughan are elected to the Baseball Hall Of Fame. Enos Slaughter, known for his hustling style of play with the St. Louis Cardinals and later with the New York Yankees, gained fame for his celebrated "Mad Dash" home during the 1946 World Series against the Boston Red Sox. With Yankees, Enos Slaughter appeared in 350 games with the Yankees, hitting.285, 6 HRs with 198 RBIs. He appeared in 5 World Series, with the Cardinals (2) and Yankees (3). As a Yankee Slaughter hit .285 in 3 World Series, overall .291 in 5 World Series. Arky Vaughan batted .318 over a 14-year MLB career in the National League with the Pittsburg Pirates and the Brooklyn Dodgers.
1986 - Current Yankees reserve C Francisco Cervelli was born. Catcher Francisco Cervelli was seriously injured in a collision at home plate during spring training 2008 in a game against the Tampa Bay Rays. He was a top Yankees prospect at that point after hitting .279 with an OBP 100 points higher for the Tampa Yankees (A) in 2007. However, the injury shortened his 2008 season to 27 games for 3 different minor league teams. Still, he showed that he remained on track for the MLB during his time with the Trenton Thunder (AA), where he put up a line of .315 in 21 games. That earned him a late-season call-up to the MLB in September. He went 0 for 5 in 3 games in his cup of coffee in pinstripes. The Yankees called him up early in the 2009 AL season, when regular MLB catchers Jorge Posada and Jose Molina were sidelined in turn by injuries. He appeared in 42 games for the Yankees hitting .298 with 1 HR with 11 RBI’s. He appeared in the AL playoffs in 1 game, but he did not play in the 2009 World Series against the Philadelphia Phillies.
1990 - Former Yankees and Hall Of Fame INF Joe Sewell (1931-1933) passed away (1898-1990). Joe Sewell spent most of his 14-season MLB career with the Cleveland Indians. He finished out with the New York Yankees in 1931-1933. In September of 1920, the Indians bought his minor league contract form New Orleans (Southern Association). In 1921, he became the Tribe’s regular 2nd baseman, the Indians had lost regular 2B Roy Chapman from a beaning death in 1920 by Yankees P Carl Mays. In 1931, he hit .302 playing 3rd base and played on the 1932 New York Yankees. His lifetime MLB BA mark was .312. He was the toughest player to fan in MLB history, only 114 times in his 14-year MLB career. Joe Sewell was elected to the Baseball’s Hall Of Fame in 1977.
2005 - Suzyn Waldman becomes the 1st woman to be a full-time color commentator in MLB history, making her debut with John Sterling on WCBS-AM 880, the radio flagship of the New York Yankees. The former radio-talk host on WFAN, the 1st all-sports radio station in US, was also the 1st female to broadcast on a nationally baseball telecast as well as the 1st to provide local TV (Yankees) MLB play-by-play.
2010 - Former Yankees P Jim Roland (1972) passed away (1942-2010). On April 28,1972, Jim Roland was purchased by the New York Yankees from the Oakland Athletics. He appeared in 16 games for the 1972 Yankees, posting a 0-1 record. On August 30,1972, Jim was traded by the New York Yankees to the Texas Rangers for veteran MLB reliever Casey Cox. Jim played in the MLB for 12 seasons, 6 seasons with the Minnesota Twins the team he originally signed with.
March 7th
1914 - Former Yankees reserve OF Joseph “Muscles” Gallagher (1939) was born (1914-1998). Joe Gallagher appeared in 14 games for the Yankees, hitting .244, before being traded on June 13, 1939 by the New York Yankees to the St. Louis Browns for INF Roy Hughes and cash.
1930 - Former Yankees minor league P Tom Acker was born. In 1948, Tom Acker had been signed by the New York Giants organization. He eventually came to the majors, hurling with the Cincinnati Reds from 1956-1959. Tom was traded by the Reds to the Kansa City A’s in the winter of 1959. Tom Acker spent his last season in professional baseball with the 1960 Richmond Virginians (International League), who were the New York Yankees AAA team. He appeared in 15 games for Richmond, closing out his professional baseball career with a 0-2 won-loss record with a 5.06 ERA.
1954 - Former Yankees P Mike Armstrong (1983-1986) was born. Mike Armstrong came to the New York Yankees in the trade that sent 1B Steve Balboni to the Kansas City Royals. Mike went 3-3 with the Yankees before finishing up his MLB career with the Cleveland Indians.
1962 - Former Yankees minor leaguer P Jose Cano was born. Jose Cano is the father of current Yankees 2B Robinson Cano. Jose appeared in the MLB with 1989 Houston Astros going 1-1 in 6 games. He originally signed as an amateur free agent by the New York Yankees in 1980. The Yankees released Jose. In 1981, the Atlanta Braves signed Jose as a free agent. Twice the Braves released him. Then Jose Cano was signed by the Houston Astros organization. Also he pitched for years in Mexico as well as in Taiwan.
1981 - Former Yankees shortstop Paul “Pee Wee” Wanninger (1925) passed away (1902-1981). “Pee-Wee” Wanninger was the regular shortstop for the 1925 New York Yankees. Paul hit .236 in 117 games for the Yankees. He had replaced Everett Scott at shortstop in May 1925 to end his then-record consecutive games streak at 1,307. Less than a month later, on June 1st, he would make way for another record-long consecutive streak to start, when a Yankee rookie named Lou Gehrig pinch-hit for him. After the 1925 AL season, the Yankees traded Wanninger to St. Paul Saints (American Association) to complete the earlier trade made for C Pat Collins. He went on to play many years for St. Paul (1926-1932) and other teams, through 1940. Also he was a manager for 4 seasons in the minor leagues.
1998 - The New York Yankees signed former Cuban baseball star hurler Orlando Hernandez, brother of the 1997 World Series hero Livan Hernandez, to a 4-year, $6.6 million contract. “El Duque” would go on to post a 61-40 record for the Yankees (1998-2004). He was 2-0 in World Series play and 7-2 in AL post-season games for the Yankees.
2006 - World Baseball Classic: Pool C Game: New York Yankees All Star CF Bernie Williams drove in a 6th-inning run to hand Puerto Rico, a 2-1 victory over Panama.
2006 - Former Yankees backup catcher, now with the Boston Red Sox, John “Flash” Flaherty announces his MLB retirement, ending his 14-year MLB career with the team he started out with. He signed in December of 2005 as a MLB free agent after playing three seasons with the New York Yankees, as a reserve catcher to Jorge Posada. Also John had played for the Detroit Tigers, San Diego Padres, and Tampa Bay Devil Rays, John posted a lifetime .252 BA, 80 HRs and 395 RBIs in 1,047 games played. John will go to work as an announcer for the Yes Network.
March 8th
1893 - Former Yankees P Ray Francis (1925) was born (1893-1934). Ray Francis went 0-0 in 4 games for the 1925 New York Yankees. On May 5,1925, Ray was traded by the Yankees along with $9,000 to the Boston Red Sox for OF Bobby Veach and P Alex Ferguson.
1930 –The Yankees slugger OF Babe Ruth signs a 2-year contract for $160,000 with the New York Yankees. At $80,000 per year, he is the highest paid MLB player of all time as of 1930.
1930 - Former Yankees P Bob Grim (1954-1958) was born. (1930-1996). In 1954, Bob Grim went 20-6 for the New York Yankees. He was named the American League Rookie Of Year. Bob had made the Yankees MLB roster in spring training, after spending 2-years in the U. S. Army. He won 1 game in the 1955 World Series against the Brooklyn Dodgers. After injuring his pitching arm working in an off-season job, Bob became a reliever for the Yankees in 1956, posting 12 saves. In 1957, he led the American League with 18 saves. Bob was named to 1957 AL All Star team. During the 1958 AL season, he was traded along with OF Harry “Suitcase” Simpson to the Kansas City A’s for Pitchers Duke Maas and Virgil Trucks.
1938 - The New York Yankees AL All Star 1B Lou Gehrig rejects the latest player contract offer from the Yankees front office to a 1-year deal worth $39,000. Four days later, Lou Gehrig will agree to the same Yankees offer and end his 1938 spring training holdout.
1939 - Former Yankees P and author Jim “Bull Dog” Bouton (1962-1968) was born. Jim Bouton was the winning pitcher of the 22-inning game against the Detroit Tigers in 1962. In 1963, Jim went 21–7 for the Yankees. In 1964, he posted an 18-13 record for the Yankees. He appeared in 2 World Series, (1963 and 1964), going 2-1, winning 2 games against the St. Louis Cardinals (1964); losing a 1-0, four-hitter to the Dodgers Don Drysdale in 1963. He injured his pitching arm in 1965, he was never was effective again for the Yankees. His Yankees career pitching record was 55-51. In October of 1968, he was sold to the new American League expansion team, the Seattle Pilots. Also Jim pitched for the Houston Astros and Atlanta Braves in the NL. After his MLB playing career was over, he wrote the best seller “Ball Four.” Also he worked as a sportscaster for WABC-TV in New York City.
1947 - At the new Stadium del Cerro in Havana, Cuba, the Brooklyn Dodgers beat the New York Yankees by a score of 1-0.
1961 - Former Yankees C/DH/1B Mark Salas (1987) was born. On June 7, 1987, Mark Salas was traded by the Minnesota Twins to the New York Yankees for veteran P Joe Niekro. Mark appeared in 50 games for the Yankees, hitting .200. On November 12,1987, Mark was traded by the Yankees along with OF/1B Dan Pasqua and P Steve Rosenberg to the Chicago White Sox for pitchers Richard Dotson and Scott Nielsen.
1963 - Former Yankees P Terry Mulholland (1994) was born. On February 9, 1994,Terry was traded by the Philadelphia Phillies along with a player to be named later to the New York Yankees for P Bobby Munoz, P Ryan Karp, and INF Kevin Jordan. The Phillies would send Jeff Patterson on November 8, 1994 to the Yankees to complete the trade. Terry posted a 6-7 record in 24 games with the Yankees before the 1994 MLB strike took place. He left the Yankees for MLB free agency, signing with the San Francisco Giants.
1964 - Former Yankees P Lance McCullers (1989-1990) was born. On October 24, 1988, Lance McCullers was traded by the San Diego Padres along with OF Stan Jefferson and P Jimmy Jones to the New York Yankees for OF/1B Jack Clark and P Pat Clements. Lance posted a 5-3 record in 63 games with 3 saves for the Yankees. On June 4,1990, Lance was traded by the Yankees along with P Clay Parker to the Detroit Tigers for C/DH/1B Matt Nokes.
1966 - The Hall of Fame Special Veterans Committee waives one of its election rules and selects former New York Yankees and Mets Manager Casey Stengel as the newest member of the HOF. Stengel had managed the Mets for much of the 1965 NL season before falling and breaking his hip. The injury ended the elderly Stengel's MLB managing career. Given his age, the Veterans Committee decides to make him immediately eligible for the Hall Of Fame. Casey Stengel managed the New York Yankees from 1949-1960, winning 5 straight World Championships from (1949-1953.) He also won World Championships with the Yankees in 1956 and 1958. Also he managed the Boston Braves (1938-1943) and Brooklyn Dodgers (1934-1936) without much success. He had been a long-time minor league manager with teams like the Toledo Mud Hens (1926-1931), Milwaukee Brewers (1944), Kansas City Blues (1945) and the Oakland Oaks (1946-1948) before joining the New York Yankees in 1949.
1999 - Former Hall Of Fame Yankees CF Joe DiMaggio (1936-1941,1945-1951) dies of a lung cancer at age 84 (1914-1999). Joe DiMaggio arrived in the MLB at the age of 21 in 1936. The New York Yankees had purchased him from the San Francisco Seals (Pacific Coast League). He batted .323 in his 1st MLB season and helped the Yankees to the 1936 World Championship. His rookie performance served as an indicator of future success, both for him and the Yankees. During his 13-year MLB career, Joe DiMaggio participated in 10 World Series, with his team winning the World Championship 9 times. In 1941, DiMaggio achieved his most famous MLB milestone, when he compiled a record 56-game hitting streak. His lifetime Yankees BA was .326. His older brother Vince played in the National League, with the Cincinnati Reds, Boston Braves and Pittsburgh Pirates, while his younger brother Dom played for the Boston Red Sox.
March 9th
1875 - Former Yankees P Elmer Bliss (1903-1904) was born (1875-1962). Elmer Bliss went 1-0 in 1 game for the Yankees.
1908 - Former Yankees OF Myril Hoag (1931-1938) was born (1908-1971). Myril Hoag played in 471 games for the New York Yankees, hitting .284 with 11 HRs and 185 RBIs. He appeared in three World Series with the Yankees (1932,1937-1938) appearing in 8 games, hitting .320. On October 26,1938, Myril Hoag was traded by the Yankees along with C Joe Glenn to the St. Louis Browns for P Oral Hildebrand and OF Buster Mills. In 1939, he was named to the AL All Star team as a member of the St. Louis Browns. From 1946-1951, Myril was a minor league player-manager.
1927 - Former Yankees OF Jackie Jensen (1950-1952) was born (1927-1982). Jackie Jensen was a former All American college football player. In the fall of 1949, the New York Yankees purchased him from Oakland Oaks (Pacific Coast League). Jackie appeared in 108 games with the New York Yankees, hitting .265 with 9 HRs and 32 RBIs. He was traded in 1952 to the Washington Senators in the Irv Noren trade. Later he played with the Boston Red Sox, being named the 1958 American League Most Valuable Player. Jackie appeared in over 1,400 MLB games and finished with a lifetime BA .279. He stopped playing MLB because of his fear of flying. In 1982, Jackie died from a heart attack at the age of 55. He remains the only man to play in the Rose Bowl, East-West Shrine Game, the World Series (1950), and baseball's All-Star game.
1942 - Former Yankees Reserve INF Bert Campaneris (1983) was born. On February 24, 1983, former AL All Star INF Burt Campaneris was signed as a MLB free agent with the New York Yankees. Bert had previously played for the Kansas City and Oakland A’s, then the Texas Rangers and the California Angels (1964-1981). Then he sat out the 1982 MLB season. Bert had appeared in 60 games with the 1983 Yankees as a reserve INF, hitting .322. On November 7,1983, Bert was granted MLB free agency by the Yankees. He retired from MLB.
1959 - Former Yankees Coach Brian Butterfield was born. Brian Butterfield is the son of Jack Butterfield, the former vice-president of player development and scouting for the New York Yankees. The younger Butterfield was a 2B in the Yankees minor league system (1980-1983) before joining the Yankees as a roving infield instructor in 1984. In 1999-2000, he joined the Arizona Diamondbacks organization. He rejoined the Yankees organization in 2001. He became a minor league manager, helming the Bronx Bombers' Florida State League affiliate as well as the Columbus Clippers, the team's Triple-A club in the International League. Jack was fired as manager of the Columbus Clippers in May of 2002. Later he joined the Toronto Blue Jays organization, were he has served as a 3B MLB and Bench Coach for the team.
1966 - Former Yankees 3B Aaron “Home Run” Boone (2003) was born. He is the grandson of former MLB player Ray Boone and son of MLB Catcher/Manager Bob Boone. His brother was AL All Star 2B Bret Boone. Aaron hit one of the most famous American League Yankee playoff-HR’s to beat the Boston Red Sox in 2003. He later injured his leg playing basketball during the off-season, he would be released by the Yankees. His injury led to the A-Rod trade with the Texas Rangers by the New York Yankees. He had spent the 2009 MLB season on the DL dealing with heart problems, while as a member of the Houston Astros. In February of 2010, Aaron Boone announced his retirement from MLB. He is now working for ESPN.
1966 - Former Yankees All Star C Aaron Robinson (1946-1947) died (1915-1966). Called up from the Newark Bears (International League), Aaron Robinson appeared in 1 game for the 1943 New York Yankees. He was 28 years old. He would join the U.S. Coast Guard in June of 1943, serving until July of 1945. Aaron appeared in 50 games for the 1945 Yankees, hitting .281. In 1946, he appeared in 100 games for the Yankees hitting .297 with 19 HRs with 64 RBIs. He made the 1947 AL All Star team, while hitting .270 for the Yankees. He appeared in 3 games of the 1947 World Series against the Brooklyn Dodgers. With the arrival of a 22-year old Yogi Berra as a catcher in 1947, Aaron became expendable. On February 24,1948, Aaron Robinson was traded by the Yankees to the Chicago White Sox for starter Eddie Lopat. He would spend 1 season with the White Sox, before being traded to the Detroit Tigers for P Billy Pierce. He would finish out his MLB career in 1951, playing for the Boston Red Sox.
1973 - Former Yankees P C. J. Nitkowski (2004) was born. C.J. Nitkowski was a graduate of St. Johns University, who was drafted in 1994 by the Cincinnati Reds. On July 19,2004, he was signed as a MLB free agent by the New York Yankees. He appeared in 19 games for the 2004 Yankees, posting a 1-1 record. On October 29,2004, he was granted MLB free agency by the Yankees. After leaving the MLB in 2005, he has pitched in Japan and Korea professional baseball leagues.
1974 - Former Yankees P Wayne Franklin (2005) was born. After appearing in 8 games with the San Francisco Giants in spring training camp in 2005, Franklin signed a minor league contract with the New York Yankees on April 4th. Franklin went 2-3 with 1 save in 46 games with a 3.61 ERA with the Columbus Clippers (AAA, International League). He appeared in 13 games with the 2005 Yankees going 0-1 with a 6.39 ERA in 13 games. At the end of 2005 MLB season, Wayne was granted MLB free agency by the Yankees.
1996 - Former Yankees P Jim Hardin (1971) died (1943-1996). Jim Hardin was recovering from arm injuries, when he joined the New York Yankees in 1971. He never was an effective pitcher for the Yankees, like he was with the Baltimore Orioles during the mid-1960’s.
March 10th
1950 - Yankees Minor League Pitching Coach Greg Pavlick was born. Greg Pavlick was former minor league player and pitching coach in the New York Mets organization. In 2002, he joined the Yankees farm system, as the pitching coach for the Tampa Yankees.
1958 - Former Yankees P Steve Howe (1991-1996) was born (1958-2006). Steve Howe went 12-6 with 31 saves as a Yankees relief pitcher from 1991-1996. His MLB career was plagued with his drug problems that led to MLB suspensions. Steve passed away in 2006 from injuries in a truck accident.
1977 - Former Yankees minor league C Ben Davis was born. The New York Yankees signed catcher Ben Davis as MLB free agent. He played at Scranton (International League) during the 2006-2007 baseball seasons, before becoming a free agent. He was recovering from elbow problems, when he was with the Yankees organization.
1985 - Former MLB player and Yankees MLB Scout Bob Neiman passed away (1927-1985). Outfielder Bob Neiman was MLB player for 12 seasons. He scouted for the New York Yankees from 1977-1984. Also he was a MLB scout for the Cleveland Indians, Oakland A’s and the Dodgers before joining the Yankees organization in 1977.
1994 - Former Yankees P Jim Brenneman (1965) passed away (1941-1994). Before the 1961 American League Season, the New York Yankees signed Jim Brenneman as an MLB amateur free agent. He appeared in 3 games with the 1965 Yankees with no record.
2005 - Former Yankees 1B/OF Kent Hadley (1960) passed away (1934-2005). Kent Hadley was part of the December 1959 player trade that the New York Yankees received OF Roger Maris from the Kansas City A’s. In 1956, the Detroit Tigers signed Kent, but he never appears with them at the MLB level. He had played college baseball at USC. He was traded to the Kansas City A’s. In 1959, he was the A’s regular 1st baseman hitting .253. With the 1960 Yankees, he was a reserve 1B for Bill Skowron, appearing only in 55 games, just hitting .203. Also he spent some playing time with Yankees AAA team Richmond Virginians (International League). The Yankees had acquired him in the Roger Maris trade, because Bill Skowron had broken his arm during the 1959 AL season they were not sure how the injury would affect him for the 1960 AL season. Leaving the Yankees organization, Hadley played for the San Diego Padres (Pacific Coast League) in 1961. Then he went to Japan to play baseball in 1962, playing for the Hankai Hawks (Japanese Pacific League) from 1962-1967. Hadley became the 1st foreigner player to hit a HR in his 1st at-bat in Japan. Kent enjoyed success-playing professional baseball in Japan, becoming one of the 1st American players to hit a 100 HRs in Japan.
2009 - Former Yankees minor league OF/P Joe Pactwa passed away (1948-2009). On June 7, 1966, Joe Pactwa was drafted by the New York Yankees in the 18th round of the 1966 MLB amateur player draft. Joe never appeared with the Yankees at the MLB level. Joe Pactwa hit 25 HRs in the 1970 Eastern League, tying for 4th in the circuit. Remaining at AA for the 1971 season, he hit 20 more HRs for the Charlotte Hornets, 5th in the Southern League. In 1973, Pactwa began pitching in addition to playing the outfield. He hit .378 for the West Haven Yankees. Joe went 12-6 on the mound with a 3.18 ERA. He was part of a 5-way tie for the Eastern League lead in victories. He led the Eastern League in ERA. Joe Pactwa was a full-time pitcher in 1974 for the Syracuse Chiefs (AAA), but he went just 4-9 with a 4.41 ERA. On December 3,1974, Joe was purchased by Tampico (Mexican League) from the Yankees. At the end of the 1975 Mexican League season, Joe received a brief tryout as a pitcher with the California Angels. He pitched in 4 games, 3 of them starts, winning 1 game with a 3.86 ERA; however, his K/W ratio was a very poor 3/10 in 16⅓ innings. Joe would return to play in Mexico League from 1976-1982.
