This Week in Yankees History February 19th-February 25th

February 19th

1900- Former Yankees reserve INF/P Oscar Roettiger (1923-1924) was born. (1900-1986)

Oscar Roettger played for 3 teams over 4 seasons in the major leagues, appearing in 15 games as a 1st baseman, 6 as a pitcher and 1 in the outfield. As a pitcher in the minor leagues, Roettger set the Western League record by issuing 237 BB in 1922. This earned him a season with the New York Yankees in 1923, where he basically sat around not pitching. As a Yankee pitcher, Oscar appeared in 6 games with a 0-0 record with an 8.46 ERA. As a Yankee batter, Oscar appeared in 6 games with no hits. On June 16,1924, Oscar was traded by the New York Yankees to St. Paul Saints (American Association) for P Cliff Markle.  On May 29, 1925, Oscar was traded by the New York Yankees along with a player to be named later, C Fred Hofmann and $50,000 to St. Paul Saints (American Association) for INF Mark Koenig. The New York Yankees sent INF Ernie Johnson on October 28,1925 to the St. Paul Saints to complete the trade. Oscar would later play for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1927. Oscar would play in the minors (1928-1931), returning to the majors in 1932, finishing his brief MLB career with the Philadelphia A’s. As a 1st-baseman, Roettger compiled a .314 minor league BA with 349 doubles and 116 HRs in 1,634 games. Roettger was a coach for the Rochester Red Wings (International League) in 1937-1938. His brother, Wally Roettger was a major leaguer and coach at the University of Illinois. Another brother, Harold Roettger was a MLB scout and executive for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Brooklyn Dodgers.

1932- Former Yankees minor league OF Don Taussig was born. (1932)
Before the 1950 AL season, OF Don Taussig was signed by the New York Yankees as an MLB amateur free agent. He appeared in a couple of Class D leagues in 1950 hitting just .195 in 56 games. The Yankees promptly sent him to the New York Giants in an unknown transaction before the start of the 1951 AL season. Taussig worked his way up through the Giants minor league system. After three seasons (1955-1957) with the Dallas Eagles of the Texas League (AA); he first made it to the MLB, when the New York Giants had moved to San Francisco in 1958. He hit .200 for the Giants with 1 HR, spending the rest of the season at Phoenix (AAA). He would play with the Giants, St. Louis Cardinals, and finishing up with the National League expansion team, the Houston Colt 45s.

1935- AL All Star First baseman Lou Gehrig signs a MLB player contract with the New York Yankees for $30,000, $7,000 less than he asked for, but still making him the highest-paid player. The 32-year old Lou Gehrig will hit .329 with 30 HRs, while driving in 119 runs for the 2nd-place 1935 New York Yankees.

1952- Former Yankees minor league P David Cheadle was born.
David Cheadle was drafted by the New York Yankees in the 1st round (12th pick) of the 1970 MLB amateur player draft. He never played for the Yankees at MLB level. On August 15,1973, Dave was sent by the New York Yankees to the Atlanta Braves to complete an earlier deal made on June 7,1973. The Yankees sent players to be named later, INF/OF Wayne Nordhagen and 1B/OF Frank Tepedino to the Atlanta Braves for P Pat Dobson. He appeared in 2 games for the 1973 Atlanta Braves, posting a 0-1 record.

1954- 19-year-old OF Roberto Clemente signs with the Brooklyn Dodgers for 1 season at $5,000 with a $10,000 signing bonus. The Dodgers thus beat out a number of other MLB clubs in the Clemente sweepstakes. They've outspend the prior 2 entrants; their cross-city rivals the New York Giants and the New York Yankees. They have simply beaten the Milwaukee Braves to the punch. By far the biggest spenders of the bunch (by all accounts exceeding Brooklyn's offer by at least 150%), the Braves were just a tad tardy with their offer, Clemente having already accepted the Dodgers' terms. The Dodgers may have won the 1st battle, but they will lose Clemente's services in 1 year when they fail to protect him in the MLB Rule 5 player draft, he is chosen by the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Yankees GM George Weiss was blinded by his quest for the perfect black Yankee player that was quiet and professional that he missed the opportunity to sign one of the greatest modern outfielders to play in the MLB.

1956- Former Yankees OF Ray Demmit (1909) passed away. (1884-1956)
Outfielder Ray Demmit appeared in 123 games for the 1909 Yankees, hitting .243. On December 16,1909, Ray was traded by the New York Highlanders along with P Joe Lake to the St. Louis Browns for C Lou Criger.

1957- The New York Yankees obtained pitchers Art Ditmar and Bobby Shantz, infielders Clete Boyer, Jack McMahon, and Wayne Belardi from the Kansas City A’s for Yankees pitchers Rip Coleman, Tom Morgan and Maury McDermott, shortstop Billy Hunter and OF Irv Noren and INF Milt Graff. MLB Commissioner Ford Frick ruled that INF Clete Boyer, who was an A’s “bonus baby” had to remain with the team until his bonus term expired with the A’s MLB roster. He did not join the Yankees until June 4,1957. The key to the trade for the Yankees was Clete Boyer, a badly needed infielder of outstanding defensive ability.
 
Art Ditmar pitched well for the Yankees from 1957-1960, except for in the 1960 World Series against the Pittsburgh Pirates. He won 15 games in 1960, leading the Yankees starters in victories.  He was traded back to the A’s in June of 1961 along with OF Deron Johnson for veteran starter Bud Daley. Bobby Shantz became the 1st Yankees player to win an American League Golden Glove award in 1957.  He won the AL pitcher’s Golden Glove award from 1957-1960. Also he led the AL Pitchers in ERA in 1957 with a 2.45 mark. He was very effective out of the bullpen for the Yankees, as well as being an occasional starter for Yankees Manager Casey Stengel.  After the 1960 World Series, Bobby Shantz was traded by the New York Yankees to the Pittsburgh Pirates for 3 players (INF Harry Bright, P Bennie Daniels and 1B R.C. Stevens), who were sent to the new expansion Washington Senators. The New York Yankees bait to the Kansas City A’s in this February 1957 trade was veteran OF Irv Noren, a former .300 hitter. He would never hit .300 for the A’s. Tom Morgan was a serviceable bullpen pitcher. Infielders Jack McMahon and Wayne Belardi never made to the Yankees at the MLB level. The Kansas City A's will eventually admit that when they signed INF Clete Boyer for a $40,000 bonus in 1955, it was on behalf of the New York Yankees, with the understanding that they'd later ship him to team after his bonus signing roster time was finished.

1959- Former Yankees P Tim Burke (1992) was born.
On June 9,1992, Tim Burke was traded by the New York Mets to the New York Yankees for P Lee Guetterman. Tim went 2-2 in 23 games before leaving the Yankees for MLB free agency. He would sign with the Cincinnati Reds.

1962- Former Yankees INF Alvaro Espinoza  (1988-1991) was born.
Alvaro Espinoza was signed as a MLB free agent. His best Yankees season was in 1989, when he hit .282.  He appeared 447 games for the Yankees with a .255 BA. On March 17,1992, he was released by the Yankees. The Cleveland Indians would pick up Espinoza. He would later play for the New York Mets and Seattle Mariners.

1982- Former Yankees reserve C Chris Steward (2008) was born.
Chris Steward was signed a MLB free agent by the New York Yankees in 2008. He appeared in one game for 2008 Yankees, spending most of the season with Scranton (AAA). He signed with the Chicago White Sox as a MLB free agent for 2009 season. On March 21,2009, Chris was traded by the White Sox to the Yankees for future considerations (minor league players). On November 9, 2009, Chris was granted MLB Free Agency by the Yankees.  On December 17,2009, he was signed as a MLB free agent by the San Diego Padres. On October 8,2010, Chris was granted MLB free agency by the Padres. On January 11, 2011, Chris was signed as a MLB Free Agent with the San Francisco Giants. He made the 2011 Giants as a reserve catcher appearing in 67 games, batting .204.

1983- Former Yankees reserve OF Frank Colman (1946-1947) passed away. (1918-1983).
Frank Colman was a backup outfielder / 1st baseman for 6 seasons in the major leagues in the 1940's.  He played for the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1942-1945 NL seasons. On June 17,1946, Frank was purchased by the New York Yankees from the Pittsburgh Pirates. He appeared in 27 games with the Yankees, hitting just .163 with 3 HRs and 11 RBIs. When his major league days ended due to an injury, he played for Seattle Rainers (PCL). Frank was a player-coach for Toronto Maple Leafs (International League) before returning to London as player-owner. Also he played for Newark Bears (International League) at one point in his career. Six seasons of his 13-year minor league career were with Toronto Maple Leafs. He is a member of the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame and the London Sports Hall of Fame.

1998- Former Yankees minor league INF Leo Righetti passed away. (1925-1998)
Leo Righetti was a minor leaguer for 12 years, 8 of them in either the AAA or Open classification. His son Dave Righetti became a MLB player, while son Steven Righetti played in the minors. Leo debuted in 1944 with the Binghamton Triplets, hitting .232 in 67 games and fielding .887 at shortstop. Also he was briefly with the 1944 Newark Bears (AAA), hitting .143 in 4 contests. He did not play in 1945. In 1946, Leo only managed a .166 BA in 57 games for Binghamton, 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 3B and .915 in 10 games at 2B. Righetti made strides in 1947, hitting .251 with a career-high 10 HRs with 81 RBIs for the Victoria Athletics. In 1948, he batted .162 for Binghamton and .237 for the Augusta Tigers. Back with Augusta in '49, the infielder hit .225 with 4 HRs with 46 RBIs. He did not play in 1950. Righetti moved to the Pacific Coast League in 1951 with the Sacramento Solons as a reserve INF. He hit just .202 in 122 games. In 1952, he was with the Toledo Mud Hens and Charleston Senators, hitting a combined .199 in 113 games. He had the lowest average of any American Association player with 100 AB or 100 games. He fielded .973 at 2nd base, close to the league lead.

 In 1953, Leo was on the San Francisco Seals (PCL); he produced at a .258 BA, while fielding .961 at short. With San Francisco again in 1954, Righetti hit .255. In 1955, he played for both the Seals and the Seattle Rainers (PCL), batting .264. With the 1956 Rainiers, Righetti hit .280 with 61 runs and fielding .951, almost leading PCL shortstops. He finished his professional baseball career in 1957, splitting between Seattle and Sacramento in the PCL. He hit .264 that season, while fielding  .965 at shortstop.

2012- Starter A J Burnett was traded by the New York Yankees  along with cash to the Pittsburgh Pirates for 2 minor league players P Diego Moreno  and OF Exicardo Cayones. After signing as MLB free agent with the New York Yankees on December 12, 2008, AJ went 34-35 with a 4.79 ERA in 99 games. He went 1-1 in the 2009 World Series against the Philadelphia Phillies.

February 20th

1887- Former Yankees P Carroll “Boardwalk” Brown  (1914-1915) was born. (1887-1977)
After being acquired from the Philadelphia A’s, Boardwalk Brown went 3-6 for the Yankees before being released by the team.

1888- Former Yankees INF Edward “Stubby” Magner (1911) was born. (1888-1956)
Stubby Magner would appear in only 13 games with the 1911 Yankees, hitting just .212.

1896- Former Yankees reserve C Muddy Ruel (1917-1920) was born. (1896-1963)
Muddy Ruel was obtained from the St. Louis Browns in 1917. Muddy appeared in 170 games for the Yankees, hitting .251. On December 15,1920, he was traded by the New York Yankees along with Del Pratt, Hank Thormahlen and Sammy Vick to the Boston Red Sox for Harry Harper, Waite Hoyt, Mike McNally and Wally Schang. After his MLB playing days, he was General Manager of the Detroit Tigers, then assistant to the commissioner of baseball, and later manager of the 1947 St. Louis Browns. A scholar with a legal degree from Washington University in St. Louis, Ruel was legal counsel for Commissioner Happy Chandler in 1946. He was admitted to argue cases in front of the Supreme Court.

1913- Former Yankees OF/1B and MLB Coach Tommy “Old Reliable” Henrich  (1937-1942,1946-1950) was born. (1913-2009)
Originally signed by the Cleveland Indians, Henrich never hit below .300 in the minors and 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, Tommy 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, he declared Henrich a MLB free agent. On April 19,1937, Tommy Henrich was signed as a MLB amateur free agent for $25,000 bonus with the New York Yankees. He played 11 seasons with Yankees finishing with a lifetime BA of .282 with 182 HRs. He appeared in 4 World Series, hitting .262 for the Yankees.

New York Yankees announcer Mel Allen nicknamed Tommy “Old Reliable” because of his timely hits and great defensive plays in the outfield when the Yankees needed them in a game. He was named to the American League All Star teams in 1942, 1947-1950. When the Yankees helped need at 1B due to player injuries, Tommy Henrich stepped in and helped out Yankees Manager Casey Stengel. After retiring as an active player, he became a Yankees MLB Coach. Also he was a MLB coach for the New York Giants (1957) and the Detroit Tigers (1958-1959). Tommy Henrich died in 2009 at age 96, after a series of strokes. At the time of his death, he was the 5th oldest living former Major Leaguer and the oldest living Yankee.

1947- Former Yankees P Tom Buskey (1973-1974) was born. (1947-1998)
In 1969, the New York Yankees signed Tom Buskey as an MLB amateur free agent. Tom went 0-2 in 12 games for the Yankees before being traded to the Cleveland Indians in the Chris Chambliss trade in April of 1974. Tom died in auto accident in 1998.

1959- Former Yankees P Bill Gullickson (1987) was born.
On August 26,1987, Bill Gullickson was traded by the Cincinnati Reds to the New York Yankees for P Dennis Rasmussen. He went 4-2 in 8 games for the Yankees before leaving for MLB free agency and signing to pitch for a team in Japan.

1963- Former Yankees reserve C Phil Lombardi (1986-1987) was born.
The New York Yankees in the 3rd round of the 1981 MLB amateur player draft drafted Phil Lombardi.  Phil hit .201 in 25 games for the Yankees. On December 11,1987, he was traded by the New York Yankees along with P Steve Frey and OF Darren Reed to the New York Mets for Shortstop Rafael Santana and minor league player Victor Garcia.

1972 -Former Yankees OF/DH Shane Spencer (1998-2002) was born.
OF Shane Spencer was drafted by the New York Yankees in the 28th round of the 1990 MLB amateur player draft. Spencer had a call-up in September of 1998 to remember, when he hit .373 with 10 HRs with 27 RBIs. In 2000, Shane was hitting .282 as the Yankees regular LF, when he injured his leg at Shea Stadium. He never regained his playing form after that season ending injury. He left the Yankees for MLB free agency. He had played professional baseball in Japan for several years after leaving the MLB in 2004. He is now a minor league coach.

1975- Former Yankees reserve OF Donzell McDonald (2001) was born.
Donzell McDonald was drafted by the New York Yankees  in the 22nd round of the 1995 MLB amateur player draft. In 2001, he appeared in 5 games for the Yankees as a reserve outfielder hitting .333. At the end of the season the Yankees granted him free agency. He rejoined the New York Yankees organization in 2004, but he did not appear with the Yankees at MLB level, spending the 2004 season with the Columbus Clippers (AAA).

1976– The New York Yankees sell veteran C/DH/1B Ed Herrmann to the California Angels. On April 1,1975, Ed Herrmann was traded by the Chicago White Sox to the Yankees for minor league players Fred Anyzeski, John Narron, Ken Bennett, Terry Quinn, and cash. Ed appeared in 80 games for the Yankees, hitting .255 with 6 HRs and 30 RBI’s.

1985- New York Yankees Owner George Steinbrenner gives Yankees Manager Yogi Berra the dreaded vote of confidence. Steinbrenner says that Yogi Berra will remain Yankee skipper for the entire 1985 American League season, regardless of how badly the team might struggle. Yogi Berra will last only 16 games in 1985, before being fired by Steinbrenner. This will lead to a boycott of the Yankees by Yogi Berra that will last for 15 years.

1996- The New York Yankees signed veteran starter Dwight “Doc” Gooden as a MLB free agent. Doc Gooden will post a 20-11 record in 49 games for the Yankees, before leaving the team for MLB free agency in 1997; signing with the Cleveland Indians.

2006- Former New York Yankees broadcasting announcer Curt Gowdy (1949-1950) passed away. (1913-2006)
Curt Gowdy would leave the New York Yankees in 1951 to announce games for the Boston Red Sox until 1966.  He had started his broadcasting career with the New York Yankees in 1949. Later he worked on NBC-TV’s “Game of the Week.”

February 21st

1919- The New York Yankees purchased P John Quinn from Veron (PCL) for P Joe Finneran, 1B Zinn Beck and other considerations. Jack spent two tours with the Yankees (1909-1912) and (1919-1921) going 83-67, before being sent to the Boston Red Sox.

1934- Former Yankees P Doc Adkins (1903) passed away. (1872-1934)
Doc Adkins appeared in 2 games for the 1903 Yankees with no record. After pitching in the minor leagues with the Baltimore Orioles, he retired from baseball, becoming a successful Doctor in Durham, NC. While playing in Baltimore, Adkins attended the Johns Hopkins University medical school. He received his M.D. in 1907. Also Doc coached the baseball team at Trinity College now (Duke University) from 1908-1914, while playing with the Orioles. His teams posted a 108-67-4 record. After the 1913 season, Doc Adkins retired from the Orioles, settling in Durham, NC to practice medicine until his death in 1934.

1945- Former Yankees reserve OF Tom Shopay (1967,1969) was born.
The New York Yankees in the 34th round of the 1965 MLB amateur player draft drafted Tom Shopay. He appeared in only 36 games for the Yankees, hitting just .189.  On December 1,1969, he was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles from the New York Yankees organization in the 1969 MLB Rule 5 player draft. Tom Shopay would play in the Orioles organization until 1977. He saw parts of 1971-1972, 1975-1977 American League seasons with the Orioles. His final MLB career totals were .201 BA with 3 HRs and 20 RBIs.

1947- Former Yankees P Terry Ley (1971) was born.
Terry Ley was drafted by the New York Yankees in the 3rd round of the 1967 MLB amateur player draft (Secondary Phase). He appeared in 6 games for the 1971 Yankees with no record. On December 2,1971, he was traded by the Yankees along with P Gary Jones to the Texas Rangers for veteran INF Bernie Allen.

1961- Former Yankees C Joel Skinner (1986-1988) was born.
On July 30,1986, Joel Skinner was traded by the Chicago White Sox along with OF/1B/DH Ron Kittle and INF Wayne Tolleson to the Yankees for a player to be named later, C/1B/DH Ron Hassey and INF/OF Carlos Martinez. The Yankees would send minor league C Bill Lindsey on December 24,1986 to the White Sox to complete the trade. He was a good defensive catcher, but he had a weak bat. Joel would only hit .214 in 208 games for the Yankees. On March 19,1989, Joel was traded by the Yankees along with minor league OF Turner Ward to the Cleveland Indians for OF/DH Mel Hall. Joel was the son of former MLB player and Manager Bob Skinner. Later Joel Skinner was a MLB manager for the Cleveland Indians.

1982- The New York Yankees signed OF Roberto Kelly as an MLB amateur free agent. He would play for the Yankees from 1987-1992 and again in 2000. On November 3,1992, Roberto Kelly was traded by the New York Yankees to the Cincinnati Reds for minor league OF Joe DeBerry and OF Paul O'Neill. He had refused to move from CF to RF to make way for rookie OF Bernie Williams, so the Yankees traded him.

1985- Former Yankees OF Oscar Azocar (1990) was born. (1985-2010)
Oscar Azocar was signed as a MLB free agent for the New York Yankees by scout Fred Ferreira on November 22, 1983. Originally, he was a pitcher in the minor leagues from 1984 to 1986. He went 14-5 with a 2.31 ERA. He began playing the outfield in 1987, hitting .359 for the Fort Lauderdale Yankees (A) that year. In 1990, Azocar played 94 games for the Columbus Clippers (AAA).  He was called up to the majors. He made his MLB debut on July 17th, getting a pinch-hit single in his 1st MLB at-bat against the Kansas City Royals. The following day, he homered, doubled, and singled against the Royals. Overall, he appeared in 65 games for the Yankees that summer and was used more than any other player in left field by the Yankees, who also played Mel Hall, Hensley Meulens, Claudell Washington, Deion Sanders, Dave Winfield and others at the position that year. He hit for a good average, but Oscar hardly drew any walks, which diminished his value as a player significantly, especially as he had little power. After the 1990 AL season, Oscar Azocar was traded by the Yankees to the San Diego Padres for OF Mike Humphreys. He passed away in June of 2010.

1991- The New York Yankees signed veteran MLB reliever Steve Howe as a MLB free agent. Steve Howe would go 3-1 in 37 games with 3 saves for the 1991 Yankees.

2005- The New York Yankees signed OF Mike Vento as MLB free agent. He would spend the 2005 baseball season with the Columbus Clippers (AAA). The Yankees in the 40th round of the 1997 MLB amateur player draft had originally drafted Mike Vento. He appeared in only 2 games with no hits with the Yankees during the 2005 AL season.

2006- Former Yankees P Mark Freeman (1959) passed away. (1930-2006)
In 1952, the New York Yankees signed Mark Freeman as an MLB amateur free agent. He began his professional career in 1952, pitching for the Binghamton Triplets, going 7-5 with a 4.10 ERA in 17 games (14 starts). In 1953, he was with the Triplets again; he posted a 6-7 mark with a 2.94 ERA in 28 games (10 starts). Next season he pitched for the Birmingham Barons in 1954, going 5-5 with a 3.20 ERA in 13 games (12 starts). He did not play professional baseball in 1955. From 1956-1958, Mark pitched for the Denver Bears (AAA), going 10-14 with a 4.87 ERA in 30 games (29 starts) in 1956. In 1957, he went 12-6 with a 3.46 ERA in 24 starts. Then in 1958, he went 13-10 with a 4.77 ERA in 33 games (32 starts). On April 8,1959, he was traded by the New York Yankees to the Kansas City A’s for P Jack Urban. He made his MLB debut with the A’s on April 18th against the Cleveland Indians, pitching 3 innings of relief, allowing 4 hits and 2 earned runs.

 Also in 1959, Freeman spent 26 games (23 starts) with the Seattle Rainiers (AAA), going 13-9 with a 3.42 ERA. He would be sent back to the Yankees by the A’s on May 8,1960. Mark would make 1 appearance for the 1960 Yankees, pitching 7 innings and allowing 2 earned runs. In total, he made 4 MLB appearances and posted a 5.06 ERA. On May 19,1960, Mark Freeman was traded to the Chicago Cubs for P Art Ceccarelli. With the 1960 Cubs, he made 30 appearances, with 22 of them coming in relief. He went 3-3 with a 5.63 ERA. Earlier that season, Mark had made 5 appearances for the Yankees AAA team, the Richmond Virginians (International League) as well. He posted a 2-1 record with a 3.00 ERA for Richmond. In 8 minor league seasons, Mark went 68-57 with a 3.95 ERA in 176 games (148 starts).

2010- The New York Yankees sign veteran Korean P Chan Ho Park to a 1-year contract. Park pitched against the Yankees for the Philadelphia Phillies in 2009 World Series. He would post a 2-1 record in 27 games for the Yankees before being put on waivers by the team and finishing the 2010 MLB season with the Pittsburgh Pirates, posting a 2-2 record.

February 22nd

1895- Former Yankees P Edward “Peck” Monroe (1917-1918) was born. (1903-1969)
Ed Monroe posted a 1-0 record in 10 games for the Yankees. He had one complete game and one save in his Yankees pitching career.

1919- Former Yankees reserve 2B John Lucadello (1947) was born. (1919-2001)
On March 1,1947, INF John Lucadello was selected off waivers by the New York Yankees from the St. Louis Browns organization. John only appeared in 12 games with the 1947 Yankees, hitting just .083. He finished out the 1947 season in 34 games with the Yankees AAA team, the Kansas City Blues of the American Association. Johnny spent the next four seasons (1948-1951) all in AAA ball, with his best numbers coming in 1948 when he hit .275 with 12 HRs for the Yankees AAA team, the Newark Bears of the International League.

1920- Former Yankees P Karl Drews (1946-1948) was born. (1920-1963)
Before the 1939 AL season, Karl Drews was signed by the New York Yankees as an MLB amateur free agent. Karl would spend 1939 baseball season with the Butler Yankees (D). The 19-year old right-hander would appear in 31 games, posting a 16-5 record with a 3.66 ERA. Karl would spend time in the Yankees minor league system until 1946, before getting a look at the MLB level, after a posting 19-9 record for the Newark Bears with a 2.70 ERA in 1945. For the 1946 season, Drew went 14-9 with the Kansas City Blues (AAA). In 1946, the Yankees would have him up for a late season look, where he got into only 3 games.  Karl was back with the Yankees in 1947, posting a 6-6 record in 30 games. Karl made a couple of relief appearances against the Brooklyn Dodgers in the 1947 World Series. He would go 2-3 for the 1948 Yankees. His final Yankees pitching career record was 8-10 in 52 games. On August 9,1948 he was purchased by the St. Louis Browns. He would go 7-14 for the Browns during the rest of the 1948-1949 AL seasons. In 1950, Karl would find himself back in the minors with the Baltimore Orioles (AAA). Drews would post a 6-2 mark for the 1950 Orioles. In 1951, he would improve to 17 wins for the Orioles. He would find himself back in the majors after being traded by the Orioles to the Philadelphia Phillies in 1951. Acquired by the Phillies late that season, he handed the Brooklyn Dodgers a critical loss in the final week in their battle with the New York Giants for 1st place in National League. He then had his best MLB season in 1952, with 14 wins, including 5 shutouts, while posting an excellent 2.72 ERA. In 1954, Karl would finish his MLB career with the Cincinnati Reds, with a 44-53 record with a 4.76 ERA. Drews would spend the rest of his pro baseball career in the minor leagues, finishing up in 1960 at age 40 with the Mexico City Diablos Rojos in the Mexican League.

Karl would spend 21 active seasons in pro baseball from 1939 through 1960. Statistics show that he appeared in 423 games, posting a 146-112 record, pitching 2,204 innings, giving up 2,100 base hits along with 1,050 walks for a career 4.25 ERA. In 1947, Karl's son, Ron had been born on the day he pitched in his 1st World Series game for the Yankees. Karl put away his Yankees cap from that game for him. In 1994, Ron Drews gave the Yankees cap to his son; Karl's grandson Matt, on the day Matt Drews was selected as the New York Yankees number 1 selection in the 1993 MLB amateur player draft. Matt never pitched for the Yankees at the MLB level. During the 1996 AL season, he was traded by the Yankees to the Detroit Tigers for veteran 1B/DH Cecil Fielder. After his professional baseball career was over, Karl, who was a Director for the Hollywood, Fla. Recreation Department, he was tragically killed on August 15,1963, at age 43, when he was hit by an intoxicated driver after his car had stalled on a highway in Dania, Fla.

1929- Former Yankees Closer Ryne Duren (1958-1961) was born. (1929-2011)
 Before the start of the AL 1949 Season, Ryne Duren was signed by the St. Louis Browns, as an MLB amateur free agent.  On September 21,1956, Ryne was sent by the Baltimore Orioles to the Kansas City A’s to complete an earlier deal made on September 17,1956. The Orioles sent a player to be named later and OF Jim Pisoni to the A’s for players to be named later. Ryne Duren was frightening to bat against because he only intermittently had control of his prodigious fastball. Thick "Coke bottle" glasses, a reputation for heavy drinking, and a tendency to throw warm-up pitches against the backstop only heightened batters' unease. New York Yankees veteran OF Hank Bauer told the Yankees front office management to “trade for him or ban him from the AL.” On June 15,1957, Ryne Duren was traded by the Kansas City A’s along with outfielders Jim Pisoni and Harry “Suitcase” Simpson to the Yankees for OF/INF Woodie Held, INF Billy Martin, OF Bob Martyn and P Ralph Terry.

In 1958, he led the AL in saves with 20, while posting a 6-4 record for the Yankees. Ryne appeared in 2 games in the 1958 World Series against the Milwaukee Braves, going 1-1 with 1 save with 14 K’s, while posting a 1.93 ERA. Ryne Duren was wild and fast, also he was an alcoholic. He made the AL All Star teams in 1958-1959. In 1959, despite a losing record of 3-6 with 14 saves, Ryne had an ERA of 1.88. Ryne Duren was a showman in those days the Yankees bullpen was a part of the short-porch RF and only a low chain link fence served as the boundary. When called upon by Yankees Manager Casey Stengel to relieve, he wouldn’t use the gate, but would rather hop that fence with one hand and begin a slow walk to the mound with his blue Yankees warm-up jacket covering his pitching arm; even in the hottest days. When he finally took the ball from Yankees Manager Casey Stengel and began his warm-ups, the 1st pitch was always a blazing fastball 20 feet over the catcher’s head. The 2nd warm-up pitch was a bit lower (but not slower) until on his 5th warm-up Ryne would finally find the plate. By the start of the 1961 American League season, his best days as a Yankees closer were over, Luis Arroyo had replaced him in the bullpen as their closer.

On May 8,1961, he was traded by the Yankees along with P Johnny James and OF Lee Thomas to the Angels for veteran reliever Tex Clevenger and OF Bob Cerv. He would make the 1961 American League All Star team for the Angels. Ryne would play for the Angels, Philadelphia Phillies, Cincinnati Reds and the Washington Senators before retiring from MLB. Following his MLB playing career, Ryne Duren spent many years involved in Alcoholics Anonymous and the recovery movement. He would later write a book on his fight with alcoholism during his 10 year MLB career, titled “The Comeback.” This was one of the reasons that Ryne Duren had stayed away from New York Yankees Old Timer’s Day events until the 1980’s. In 1983, Ryne Duren was presented with the Yankees Family Award for his conquering alcoholism, and for service as an alcohol abuse educator. In 2003, Ryne Duren and author Tom Sabellico wrote the book, "I Can See Clearly Now". Duren talks from the heart about life, baseball and alcohol. The foreword was written by former MLB pitcher Jim "Mudcat" Grant

1936- Former Yankees minor league OF Ray Mantle was born.
The brother of Yankees Hall of Famer Mickey Mantle, outfielder Ray Mantle played 2 seasons of minor league ball in the Yankees organization. In 1955, Ray hit .220 in 85 games with Monroe (Class C League) In addition to Mickey, Ray had a twin brother Roy Mantle, who was his teammate during his Yankees minor league career. After the 1955 season, Ray was drafted into the U.S Army and never returned to professional baseball.

1936- Former Yankees minor league OF Roy Mantle was born (1936-2001)
The brother of Yankees Hall of Famer Mickey Mantle, outfielder Roy Mantle played 3 seasons of minor league ball in the Yankees organization. With the Monroe Sports (Evangeline League Class C) in 1955, he hit .272 with 6 home runs; he was named a Cotton States League All-Star. He would be promoted to Quincy Gems  (3-I-League, Class B) to finish the 1956 season. In addition to Mickey, Roy had a twin brother Ray Mantle, who was his teammate during his Yankees minor league career. Roy’s baseball career ended with a leg injury.

1938- Former Yankees P Steve Barber (1967-1968) was born. (1938-2007)
On July 4,1967, Steve Barber was traded by the Baltimore Orioles to the New York Yankees for players to be named later, 1B Ray “Buddy” Barker, and cash. The Yankees would send minor league players INF Chet Trail and OF Joe Brady to the Orioles in December of 1967 to complete the trade. Steve went 12-14 in 37 games for the Yankees before being drafted by the Seattle Pilots in the1968 American League player expansion team draft. Steve was battling arm problems when he came to the Yankees, never recovering the form that made him a great starter for the Baltimore Orioles during the early 1960’s. Steve passed away in 2007.

1956- Former Yankees reserve OF Joe Lefebvre (1980) was born.
The New York Yankees in the 3rd round of the 1977 MLB amateur player draft drafted OF Joe Lefebvre. He had big seasons in the minors in 1978 and 1979 for the West Haven Yankees. In '78, he hit .266 for the 2nd-best slugging percentage in the Eastern League. Also he was tied for 2nd in HRs (19), tied for the lead in triples (11), was 3rd in walks (76) and scored a league-best 102 runs. In '79, Lefebvre hit .292 in his second straight year full-time at AA. One year after leading the league in runs, he tied for the lead in RBI with 107. Joe was tied for 2nd in triples (10) and among the top 5 in walks (79) and homers (21). He made the league's All-Star team after being overlooked in 1978. At the MLB level with the Yankees, Joe batted .227 in 74 games as a reserve outfielder. On March 31,1981, Joe was traded by the Yankees along with OF Ruppert Jones, pitchers Tim Lollar, and Chris Welsh to the San Diego Padres for OF Jerry Mumphrey and P John Pacella. Also Joe played for the Philadelphia Phillies, but he had limited playing time before a knee injury ended his MLB career.

In 1987, Lefebvre started coaching with the Reading Phillies, and then he moved up to the Maine Phillies in 1988. He was a coach for the Scranton-Wilkes Barre Red Barons in 1989. Moving to the New York Yankees' chain, he was a coach for the Albany-Colonie Yankees in 1990 and 1993. He was a roving minor league hitting instructor in 1991-1992, and in 1994-1995. In 1996, he was the hitting coach for the Giants AAA team, the Phoenix Firebirds (PCL). From 1997-2001, Joe Lefebvre was the  Giants' coordinator of minor league hitting. From 2002-2007, he was a MLB coach for the Giants. In 2008, Lefebvre becomes "Senior Advisor, Player Personnel" for former high school teammate Brian Sabean. In 2011, he is named Senior Advisor, Scouting for the Giants.

1973- Former Yankees reserve INF Russ Johnson (2005) was born.
Russ Johnson appeared in 22 games for the 2005 Yankees, with a .222 BA as a reserve INF. He spent most of the season playing at Columbus (AAA).

2000- A Florida Department of Corrections report says New York Yankees OF/DH Darryl Strawberry tested positive for cocaine on January 19th.

2005- San Diego Padres broadcaster Jerry Coleman is selected as the recipient of this year's Hall of Fame Ford C. Frick Award. The 80-year old play-by-play man, who was the MVP of the 1950 World Series for the New York Yankees, has spent 41 years in the broadcasting booth working for the New York Yankees (1958-1967), California Angels and the San Diego Padres. He served as a Marine fighter pilot during World War II and the Korean War.

February 23rd

1903 - Former Yankees OF Roy Johnson (1936-1937) was born. (1903-1973)
On January 17,1936, Roy Johnson was traded by the Washington Senators along with P Bump Hadley to the Yankees for P Jimmie DeShong and OF Jesse Hill. Roy appeared in 75 games for the Yankees, hitting .278 before being picked up by Boston Bees (aka the Braves).

1916- Former Yankees reserve OF Ed “Truck” Kearse (1942) was born. (1916-1968)
Ed Kearse appeared in only 11 games as a reserve outfielder for the 1942 Yankees, batting only .192. Kearse fought and was wounded in France during WWII. After receiving the Purple Heart Award, he completed his 12-season minor league career. During his last 2 seasons playing in the minor leagues, he was a player-manager: Ventura Yankees 1948; Grand Forks Chiefs 1949 (1st part of the season); and Paducah Chiefs 1949 (2nd part of the season]. Despite an overall losing record and 4th place finish, Paducah prevailed as the league champion in the Mississippi-Ohio Valley League playoffs.

1929- Former Yankees MVP All Star C/OF (1955-1967) and MLB Coach Elston Howard  (1968-1980) was born. (1929-1980)
Elston Howard played the outfield in the Negro Leagues for 3 years, switched to catcher in three seasons in the minors, and caught for 14 years for the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox. In 1955, he became the 1st black MLB player for the New York Yankees. He hit a HR in his 1st World Series at bat in 1955 against the Brooklyn Dodgers. Howard tied the following World Series records: most hits, inning, 1960, (2); most long hits, 5 game series, 1961 (4); most passed balls, game, 1964 (2). He established AL catcher's records for PO (939) and TCA (1006) in 1964.  In 1958, Howard won the Babe Ruth Award. Ellie was an AL All Star team member 9 times during his MLB career. In 1963, he won the AL Most Valuable Player award hitting .287 with 28 HRs and 85 RBIs. Howard won the AL Golden Glove Award for catchers in 1963-1964. During the 1967 AL season, Ellie was traded to Boston Red Sox. He helped the Red Sox pitching staff capture the AL flag. That season, he appeared in his last World Series against the St. Louis Cardinals. Ellie would stay with the Red Sox for one more season. Upon his retirement as a MLB player in September of 1968, he became the 1st black New York Yankees MLB coach. He held this position until his premature death in 1980 at age 51 from heart failure.

1954- The St. Louis Cardinals purchased starter Vic “The Springfield Rifle” Raschi from the New York Yankees for $85,000.Yankees General Manager George Weiss did this deal to show other Yankee veterans what would happen to them, if they were going to stage a MLB contract holdout. Raschi did one before the start of 1953 AL season. He leaves the Yankees (1945-1953) with a career mark of 120-53 .706 WP, 3.47 ERA with 99 complete games with 24 shutouts. In the World Series, Vic went 5-3, .625 WP, 3 complete games with 1 shutout in 11 games for the Yankees. He would never be an effective starting pitcher in the MLB again splitting the 1954-1955 MLB seasons between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Kansas City A’s.

1969- Former Yankees reserve C Bubbles Hargrave (1930) passed away. (1892-1969)
In 1930, the New York Yankees used Bubbles Hargrave as a backup catcher for Bill Dickey. Bubbles hit .278 on a New York Yankees team whose batting average was .309.

1972- Former Yankees OF/DH Rondell White (2002) was born.
The Yankees signed Rondell White as a MLB free agent. He was injured most of the 2002 AL season with the Yankees. He only hit .240 in 126 games. On March 19,2003, Rondell White was traded by the Yankees to the San Diego Padres for OF Bubba Trammell, minor league player Mark Phillips and cash.

February 24th

1875- Former Yankees C/1B Henry “Monte” Beville (1903-1904) was born. (1875-1955)
Henry Beville appeared in 91 games for the Yankees, hitting just .200. On August 3,1904, he was loaned to the Detroit Tigers by the Highlanders. He never returned to the Highlanders.

1877- Former Yankees INF James “Champ” Osteen (1904) was born. (1904-1962)
In January of 1904, the New York Highlanders purchased James Osteen from the Washington Senators. He appeared in only 28 games for the Yankees, hitting just .196.

1907- Former Yankees reserve OF/3B Robert “Suitcase Bob” Seeds (1936) was born. (1907-1993)
On August 22,1936, Bob Seeds was traded by the Montreal Royals (International League) to the New York Yankees for players to be named later. The Yankees would send minor league players Marv Duke and Norm Kies on November 30,1936 to the Montreal Royals (International League) to complete the trade. Bob only appeared in 13 games for the 1936 Yankees, hitting .262. In the 1936 World Series, Bob appeared in 1 game for the Yankees with no hits. With the Newark Bears (International League) in 1938, he hit 7 HRs and had 17 RBIs with 30 total bases in 2 days, on May 6-7th.  On June 24,1938, Bob Seeds was purchased by the New York Giants from the Yankees. After his major league playing days, Bob Seeds owned and managed the Amarillo Gold Sox of the West Texas-New Mexico League.

1948- The Chicago White Sox traded P Ed Lopat to the New York Yankees for C Aaron Robinson, pitchers Bill Wight and Fred Bradley. Eddie Lopat will star for 7 seasons in pinstripes, winning 21 games in 1951, going to a 16-4 mark in 1953. Aaron Robinson would play for the White Sox for 1 season before being traded to the Detroit Tigers for P Billy Pierce. Eddie Lopat would be part of the Yankees starting rotation of Allie Reynolds, Vic Raschi and later Whitey Ford that won 5th straight World Championships (1949-1953). After retiring as active MLB player, Ed managed in the Yankees minor league system. In 1960, he was Casey Stengel’s last MLB pitching coach. He would leave the Yankees in the winter of 1960 for the Kansas City A’s being a MLB coach, then a MLB Manager, working in the A’s front office as a General Manager until their move to Oakland. Later he worked in the front office with the Montreal Expos organization.

1974- Former Yankees INF Mike Lowell (1998) was born.
The New York Yankees in the 20th round of the 1995 MLB amateur player draft drafted Mike Lowell. Mike appeared in 8 games for the 1998 Yankees batting .267. With Scott Borias starting at 3B, Mike became expendable. On February 1,1999, Mike Lowell was traded by the Yankees to the Florida Marlins for pitchers Mark J. Johnson, Ed Yarnall, and Todd Noel. He would go on to play 3B for the Florida Marlins and then he would play for the Boston Red Sox. Mike Lowell retired from MLB in October of 2010.

1976- Former Yankees P Randy Keisler  (2000-2001) was born.
The New York Yankees in the 2nd round of the 1998 MLB amateur player draft drafted Randy Keisler. Randy went 2-2 in 14 games before being released by the Yankees. He criticized the Yankees management in the New York City media for their handling of young pitchers.

1976- The New York Yankees signed former National League Batting Champion OF/DH Tommy Davis as a MLB free agent. Tommy Davis despite having a good spring camp, the Yankees at the end of the 1976 spring training camp will cut him.

1982- Current  Yankees reserve catcher Gustavo Molina was born (2011)
On December 15,2010, catcher Gustavo Molina was signed as a MLB free agent with the New York Yankees. He appeared in 3 games with the 2011 Yankees, hitting just .167. He spent most of the 2011 season at Scranton (AAA). On October 3,2011, he was granted MLB free agency by the Yankees.  On December 13, 2011, he was signed as a MLB free agent with the New York Yankees. He will be in 2012 Yankees spring training camp; he is projected to be the 2nd catcher at for the 2012 Scranton team (AAA). The Chicago White Sox originally signed him.

February 25th

1915- Former Yankees reserve OF Cyril “Roy” Weatherly (1943-1945) was born. (1915-1991)
On December 17,1942, Roy was traded by the Cleveland Indians along with INF Oscar Grimes to the New York Yankees for OF Roy Cullenbine and C Buddy Rosar. Roy Weatherly hit .266 in 79 games as a reserve outfielder for the wartime Yankees. In the 1943,World Series against the St. Louis Cardinals, Roy appeared in 1 game for the Yankees with no hits. On June 20,1946, Roy was purchased by the Boston Braves from the New York Yankees.

1929- Former Yankees minor league player Sid Thrift was born. (1929-2006)
Syd Thrift was a former pitcher in the New York Yankees system, as he signed with them in 1949. He went 4-2 with a 3.67 ERA for the LaGrange Troupers and hit .306 with 4 HRs and 27 RBI. He had no decisions in 1950 for the Amsterdam Rugmakers. In 1953, Thrift had no decisions for the West Palm Beach Indians; he was 3-4, with a 4.43 ERA with the Leesburg Lakers, hitting .231 as their most-used 1st baseman (65 games there). After finishing as a player, he was involved in scouting and went into baseball management working with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Kansas City A’s, Chicago Cubs and Kansas City Royals organizations. He later became the General Manager for the Pittsburgh Pirates (1986-1988) and the Baltimore Orioles (2000-2002).

1940- Former Yankees 1B/3B /OF Danny Cater (1970-1971) was born.
As a Yankees player, Danny Carter hit .301 and .276, after coming from the Oakland A’s in the Al Downing trade. He was traded to the Boston Red Sox by the Yankees for P Sparky Lyle in March of 1972. Danny originally came up to MLB with the Philadelphia Phillies in 1964.

1941- The New York Yankees sell 1B Ellsworth “Babe” Dahlgren (1937-1940) to the Boston Braves for undisclosed amount of cash.  On February 17,1937, Babe Dahlgren was purchased by the Yankees from the Boston Red Sox. Babe replaced the ailing Lou Gehrig at 1B when his famous consecutive games played streak ended during the 1939 AL season at Detroit.  He appeared in 4 games of the 1939 World Series for the Yankees, hitting .214 with 1 HR and 2 RBIs. Overall Babe Dahlgren appeared in 327 games for the Yankees, hitting .248 with 27 HRs with 163 RBIs.

1942- The New York Yankees signed MLB free agent OF George “ Tuck” Stainback after his release by the Detroit Tigers. He would last 4 seasons as a reserve outfielder for the Yankees. George would appear in 211 games for the Yankees, hitting .243. On April 26,1946, George was released by the Yankees. He would later become a MLB coach after retiring as an active player in 1946.

1944- Former Yankees Minor League and MLB Manager (1990-1991) and MLB Coach (1985) Stump Merrill was born.
Stump Merrill was the catcher on the 1964 University of Maine team that won 3 games in the College World Series. He was selected by the Minnesota Twins in the 23rd round of the 1965 MLB amateur draft, by the Baltimore Orioles in the 2nd Round (26th overall) of the January 1966 MLB amateur player draft, and finally the Philadelphia Phillies in the 2nd round in June, 1966. He was an assistant Coach for the University of Maine during the 1976 baseball season, and the school's trip to the College World Series. He was the MLB 1st base coach for the Yankees, when Yogi Berra was manager at the start of the 1985 AL season, but was replaced when Billy Martin took over the team from Berra. Merrill was a successful Yankees minor league manager (1978-1990), winning 5 league titles, and finishing with the best record in the league his 1st 5 years and 6 of his 1st 7 (with a 2nd place the other year). He replaced Bucky Dent as Yankees manager in 1990. He went 49-74 in 1990. Then he posted a 71-91 mark in 1991. In 1992, Buck Showalter replaced him as Yankees Manager. From 1993-2004, Stump was once again was a Yankees minor league manager. In 2009, he was elected to the International League Hall of Fame.

1956- Former Yankees minor league P Kevin Hickey was born.
On August 13,1984, Kevin Hickey was sent by the Chicago White Sox to the New York Yankees to complete an earlier deal made on July 18,1984. The White Sox sent players to be named later to the Yankees for INF Roy Smalley.  Kevin never appears with the Yankees at the MLB level. On May 25,1985, Kevin Hickey was released by the Yankees.

1963 -Former Yankees All Star OF Paul O’Neill  (1993-2001) was born.
On November 3,1992, Paul O’Neill was traded by the Cincinnati Reds along with minor league OF Joe DeBerry to the New York Yankees for American League All Star OF Roberto Kelly. He was a member of the American League All Star team 4 times. He appeared in 4 World Series with the Yankees. His best Yankees season was in 1994, when he won the American League Batting Crown with a .354 BA.

1966- Former Yankees Pitcher (1925-1926) and Minor League Manager (1944-1946) Garland Braxton passed away. (1900-1966)
Garland Braxton went 6-2 in 40 games for the 1925-1926 New York Yankees. He pitched in the MLB from 1921-1933 for the Boston Braves, Yankees, Washington Senators, Chicago Whites Sox and finishing up with the St. Louis Browns in 1933, posting a 50-53 MLB career record. He managed for the New York Yankees minor league organization for 1944-1946 seasons, with the Norfolk Tars (Piedmont League) and the Binghamton Triplets (Eastern League).

1988- The New York Yankees signed OF Jose Cruz as a MLB free agent.
Jose Cruz will appear in only 38 games for the 1988 Yankees, hitting .200 before being released on July 22,1988 by the team.

1994- The Veterans Committee elects former New York Yankees long-time shortstop Phil Rizzuto (1941-1942,1946-1956) to Baseball’s Hall Of Fame.  Phil Rizzuto won the 1950 American League Most Valuable Player award and the 1951 Babe Ruth Award. Long-time Boston Red Sox rival Hall Of Fame OF Ted Williams said that Phil Rizzuto could beat you with his glove or bat. That he was the key to the great New York Yankees American League championship teams.

1998- Former Yankees reserve OF Joe Gallagher (1939) passed away.
Joe Gallagher appeared in 14 games for the 1939 Yankees, hitting .244. On June 13,1939, Joe was traded by the New York Yankees to the St. Louis Browns for INF Roy Hughes and cash. On April 9, 1947, Gallagher hired as Head Baseball Coach at Stephen F. Austin State College in Nacogdoches, Texas. Also Joe Gallagher was the coach of Rice University in 1962. He died at age 83 after a long illness.

2004- The New York Yankees signed free agent P Nerio Rodriguez. He does not appear with the team at the MLB level. On June 15,2004, he was sent to the St. Louis Cardinals by the Yankees as part of a conditional deal.

2012- Former Yankees minor league P David Cheadle passed away.(1952-2012)
David Cheadle was drafted by the New York Yankees in the 1st round (12th pick) of the 1970 MLB amateur player draft. He never played for the Yankees at MLB level. On August 15,1973, Dave was sent by the New York Yankees to the Atlanta Braves to complete an earlier deal made on June 7,1973. The Yankees sent players to be named later, INF/OF Wayne Nordhagen and 1B/OF Frank Tepedino to the Atlanta Braves for P Pat Dobson. He appeared in 2 games for the 1973 Atlanta Braves, posting a 0-1 record.

The 1957 New York Yankees make the Bobby Shantz-Irv Noren trade with the Kansas City A's

February 19, 1957- The New York Yankees obtained pitchers Art Ditmar and Bobby Shantz, infielders Clete Boyer, Jack McMahon, and Wayne Belardi from the Kansas City A’s for Yankees pitchers Rip Coleman, Tom Morgan and Mickey McDermott, shortstop Billy Hunter, OF Irv Noren and INF Milt Graff. MLB Commissioner Ford Frick ruled that INF Clete Boyer, who was an A’s “bonus baby” had to remain with the team until his bonus term expired with the A’s MLB roster. He did not join the Yankees until June 4, 1957. The key to the trade for the Yankees was Clete Boyer, a badly needed infielder of outstanding defensive ability.

INF Clete and P Cloyd Boyer 1957 A's
 
Art Ditmar pitched well for the Yankees from 1957-1960, except for in the 1960 World Series against the Pittsburgh Pirates. He won 15 games in 1960, leading the Yankees starters in victories.  He was traded back to the A’s in June of 1961 along with OF Deron Johnson for veteran starter Bud Daley. Bobby Shantz became the 1st Yankees player to win an American League Golden Glove award in 1957.  He won the AL pitcher’s Golden Glove award from 1957-1960. Also he led the AL Pitchers in ERA in 1957 with a 2.45 mark. He was very effective out of the bullpen for the Yankees, as well as being an occasional starter for Yankees Manager Casey Stengel.  After the 1960 World Series, Bobby Shantz was traded by the New York Yankees to the Pittsburgh Pirates for 3 players (INF Harry Bright, P Bennie Daniels and 1B R.C. Stevens), who were sent to the new expansion Washington Senators.

The New York Yankees bait to the Kansas City A’s in this February 1957 trade was veteran OF Irv Noren, a former .300 hitter. He would never hit .300 for the A’s, instead a dismal .213 in 81 games before being traded to the St. Louis Cardinals. Tom Morgan was a very serviceable bullpen pitcher, who would go 9-7 with 7 saves for the A's in 1957, before being sent to the Tigers in 1958. Infielders Jack McMahon and Wayne Belardi never made it to the Yankees at the MLB level.  Reserve INF Milt Graff will hit .181 in 56 games for the A's. Former Yankee hurles Mickey McDermott and Rip Coleman were unsuccessfull with the A's in 1957. The Kansas City A's will eventually admit that when they signed INF Clete Boyer for a $40,000 bonus in 1955, it was on behalf of the New York Yankees, with the understanding that they'd later ship him to team after his bonus signing roster time was finished. Former Yankee INF Billy Hunter would drop from .280 in 1956 to .191 for the 1957 A's as their 2B.

Remembering Former Yankees Great OF/1B Tommy Henrich

February 20, 1913- Former Yankees OF/1B and MLB Coach Tommy “Old Reliable” Henrich  (1937-1942,1946-1950) was born. (1913-2009)
Originally signed by the Cleveland Indians, Tommy Henrich never hit below .300 in the minors and showed great 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, Tommy 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, he declared Henrich a MLB free agent. On April 19,1937, Tommy Henrich was signed as a MLB amateur free agent for $25,000 bonus with the New York Yankees. He played 11 seasons with Yankees finishing with a lifetime BA of .282 with 182 HRs. He appeared in 4 World Series, hitting .262 for the Yankees.

New York Yankees announcer Mel Allen nicknamed Tommy “Old Reliable” because of his timely hits and great defensive plays in the outfield when the Yankees needed them in a game. He was named to the American League All Star teams in 1942, 1947-1950. When the Yankees helped need at 1B due to player injuries, Tommy Henrich stepped in and helped out Yankees Manager Casey Stengel. After retiring as an active player, he became a Yankees MLB Coach. Also he was a MLB coach for the New York Giants (1957) and the Detroit Tigers (1958-1959). Tommy Henrich died in 2009 at age 96, after suffering a series of strokes. At the time of his death, he was the 5th oldest living former Major Leaguer and the oldest living Yankee.

Remembering The Mickey Mantle's younger Twin Brothers Roy and Ray Mantle both  Yankee Minor League Players

 February 22, 1936- Former Yankees minor league OF Ray Mantle was born.
The brother of Yankees Hall of Famer Mickey Mantle, outfielder Ray Mantle played 2 seasons of minor league ball in the Yankees organization. In 1955, Ray hit .220 in 85 games with Monroe (Class C League) In addition to Mickey, Ray had a twin brother Roy Mantle, who was his teammate during his Yankees minor league career. After the 1955 season, Ray was drafted into the U.S Army and never returned to professional baseball.

February 22, 1936- Former Yankees minor league OF Roy Mantle was born (1936-2001)
The brother of Yankees Hall of Famer Mickey Mantle, outfielder Roy Mantle played 3 seasons of minor league ball in the Yankees organization. With the Monroe Sports (Evangeline League Class C) in 1955, he hit .272 with 6 home runs; he was named a Cotton States League All-Star. He would be promoted to Quincy Gems  (3-I-League, Class B) to finish the 1956 season. In addition to Mickey, Roy had a twin brother Ray Mantle, who was his teammate during his Yankees minor league career. Roy’s professional baseball career ended with a serious leg injury.

The 1948 New York Yankees and Chicago White Sox make a trade The Yanks get  Starter Eddie Lopat

February 24, 1948- The Chicago White Sox traded P Ed Lopat to the New York Yankees for C Aaron Robinson, pitchers Bill Wight and Fred Bradley. Lopat will post a 17-11 record  in 33 games for the 1948 New York Yankees. Aaron Robinson will hit .252 with 8 HRs with 39 RBIs in 98 games for the 1948 Chicago White Sox. Eddie Lopat will star for 7 seasons in Yankee pinstripes, winning 21 games in 1951, going to a 16-4 mark in 1953. Catcher Aaron Robinson would play for the White Sox for 1 season before being traded to the Detroit Tigers for P Billy Pierce. Eddie Lopat would be part of the Yankees starting rotation of Allie Reynolds, Vic Raschi and later Whitey Ford that won 5th straight World Championships (1949-1953). After retiring as active MLB player, Ed managed in the Yankees minor league system. In 1960, he was Casey Stengel’s last MLB pitching coach. He would leave the Yankees in the winter of 1960 for the Kansas City A’s being a MLB coach, then a MLB Manager, then working in the A’s front office as a General Manager until their move to Oakland. Later he worked in the front office with the Montreal Expos organization.