This Week in Yankees History July3rd-9th (cond.)

July 9th (cond.)

1932- Yankees OF Ben Chapman has 3 HRs in the 2nd game of a doubleheader with the Detroit Tigers at Yankee Stadium.  Two HRs are inside the park homers, as the Yankees win the game by a score of 14-9. He finished the game with 3-HRs and 6 RBIs. In the opener, the Yankees beat the Tigers by a score of 7-6, with HRs by Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig and Joe Swell.

1936 - The temperature is 106 degrees in Central Park, the hottest July 9th on record in New York City as the Indians take on the Yankees at the Stadium. The temperature at the ballpark is 102. The Yankees score 4 runs in the 1st inning, but the Indians come back to score 11 runs on 15 hits, including 5 HRs, to win the game by a score of 11-4. Hal Trosky, Roy Weatherly and Joe Vosmik, all homer in the 2nd inning to tie the MLB record. Trosky hits another HR to tie for the AL lead with 23 HRs.  Also the Yankees 1B Lou Gehrig and Indians Earl Averill each hit HRs in the game.

1937- New York Yankees CF Joe DiMaggio hits for the cycle, as he delivers 2-HRs, a triple, double and single helping the Yankees maul the Washington Senators by a score of 16-2. The “ Yankee Clipper “ will accomplish this feat only once again in his MLB career during the 1948 AL season.

1939- The Boston Red Sox win a doubleheader by scores of 4-3 and 5-3 to sweep a 5-game series at Yankee Stadium. The Yankees AL lead is now 6 1/2 games. Red Sox shortstop Joe Cronin drives in runs in both games, giving him 12 games in a row with RBI. 

1947- The New York Yankees sell veteran P Mel Queen Sr. (1942,1944,1946-1947) to the Pittsburgh Pirates for cash. Mel went 8-4 in 43 games for the Yankees before being sold to the Pirates. He is the father of former MLB player Mel Queen Jr.

1947- New York  Yankees relief ace Joe Page hits his 2^nd MLB game winning HR in the 9^th inning to beat the Browns by the score of 4-3 at St. Louis Sportmans Park.

1955- Bronx Bombers CF  slugger Mickey Mantle goes 5-for-5; as Yankees starter Bob Turley tosses a two-hitter in a 4-0 win over the Washington Senators.

1958- On Capitol Hill, New York Yankees Manager Casey Stengel and All Star CF Mickey Mantle appear in front of the Senate Anti-Trust and Monopoly Subcommittee which is investigating the baseball monopoly power in regards to sport's antitrust exemption. After “The Old Professor'” gives 45 minutes of rambling and confusing testimony, Senator Estes Kefauver laughs when Mickey Mantle's answers his inquiry about the topic with, "My views are just about the same as Casey's."

1959 – The Boston Red Sox club the New York Yankees by a score of 14-6 before 30,253 fans; the largest crowd at Fenway Park, so far this 1959 AL season. Red Sox starter Frank Sullivan is the winner. Red Sox sluggers Vic Wertz, Ted Williams, and Bobby Avila club HRs.  Williams and Avila, both drive in 6 runs in the game.

1960- New York Yankees starter Jim Coates suffers his 1st loss after 9 straight wins, and 14 straight wins over two seasons, as the Boston Red Sox beat the Yankees by a score of 6-5. The Red Sox are led by veteran 1B Vic Wertz, who slugs a HR, double and single to drive in 4 runs. Jim Coates' MLB career record is now 17-2.

1972- The Minnesota Twins lose to the New York Yankees by a score of 9-6, despite Rich Reese's pinch-hit grand slam HR. For Reese, it is his 3rd pinch grand slam, tying Ron Northey's MLB record. Yankees starter Steve Kline picks up his 8^th victory with relief help from Yankees closer Sparky Lyle, who gets his 19^th save of the 1972 AL season.

1985- New York Yankees starter Ron Guidry works 8 2/3 innings to win his 10th straight start, beating the Kansas City Royals by a score of 6-4. Guidry allows only 9 Royals hits and strikes out 1 Royals batter.

1986- The San Diego Padres traded reliever Tim Stoddard to the New York Yankees for P Ed Whitson, who had become the target of such fan abuse in New York City, that Yankees Manager Lou Piniella could no longer pitch him at Yankee Stadium.

1999- The New York Yankees home uniform Lou Gehrig wore when he made his famous "luckiest man on earth" speech on July 4,1939 is sold for $451,541 at auction. Leland's spokesman Marty Appel says the flannel pinstripe uniform worn by the Hall of Fame 1B was purchased by a south Florida man who did not want his name made public. The winning bid was made over the telephone.  

2000- The New York Yankees lose to the Mets starter Mike Hampton by the score of 2-0. Benitez closes for the Mets, while Yankees starter Andy Pettitte is the loser. The Yankees also lose regular LF Shane Spencer, who blows out his knee and the injury ends his 2000 AL season. The game at Shea Stadium draws 54,283 fans, the largest regular season crowd for the Mets since the 1970 NL season. Newly acquired OF/DH Dave Justice from the Cleveland Indians will take over the regular LF position for the Yankees.

2010- Former Yankees reserve  INF and minor league manager Frank Verdi (1953) passed away.

Before the 1946 American League Season, INF Frank Verdi was signed by the New York Yankees as an MLB amateur free agent. Frank Verdi only appeared in one MLB game as a defensive replacement for shortstop Phil Rizzuto on May 10,1953 at Fenway Park in Boston. He did not have a plate appearance in the game, nor did he handle a chance in the field, before being replaced in the lineup by Yankees manager Casey Stengel. As a minor league player, Verdi was famous for his ability to execute the hidden ball trick. In 1949, as a 2B for the Binghamton Triplets (Eastern League), he pulled off the hidden ball trick 7 times in 95 games.

Frank Verdi made a much larger mark as a minor league manager for 21 seasons (1961-1970,1972,1974,1977-1985) at the affiliated level. He spent much of that period in the New York Yankees minor league system, winning Triple-A International League championships in 1969-1970 with the Syracuse Chiefs. In 1981, he won IL championship with the Columbus Clippers. Also Frank managed teams in the Instructional League for the Yankees. Also he managed the New York Mets' Tidewater Tides AAA for 4 seasons (1977-1980). He managed the Baltimore Orioles' Rochester Red Wings AAA farm club from 1984 through June 16,1985. Also Frank spent brief managing stints in the Houston Astros, Minnesota Twins and Washington Senators organizations. His record as a minor league manager was 1,351 wins, 1,332 losses with a .504 WP.

Also Frank Verdi  survived a nearly tragic accident on July 25,1959, when as a player for the Rochester Red Wings (AAA), he was struck in the head by a stray bullet in Havana during a game against the Havana Sugar Kings. Verdi was standing in as the team's 3B coach after the ejection of Rochester manager Cot Deal when shooting broke out in the stands. Verdi was still wearing the plastic lining in his baseball cap in lieu of a batting helmet and the lining deflected the bullet, which eventually caused a minor shoulder wound. This incident led to the transfer of the Havana team to Jersey City by Cincinnati Reds. After his managerial career with affiliated minor league teams, Verdi managed in independent leagues during the 1990’s and for the Indios de Mayagüez of the Puerto Rico Baseball League from 1984-1985. Also his son, Mike Verdi was a minor league manager.