This Week in Yankees History November 27th- December 3rd Part One

November 27^th

1892- Former Yankees Pitcher Leslie “Bullet Joe” Bush (1922-1924) was born. (1892-1974)

On December 20,1921, Starter “Bullet Joe” Bush was traded by the Red Sox along with P Sam Jones and Shortstop Everett “Deacon” Scott to the Yankees for Shortstop Roger Peckinpaugh, Pitchers Jack Quinn, Harry Collins and Minor League P Bill Piercy. “Bullet Joe” would post a 62-38 record along with a 3.44 ERA and 4 saves in 115 games and 61 complete games, 6 shutouts for the Yankees, before he was traded on December 17,1924, along with Pitchers Milt Gaston and Joe Giard to the St. Louis Browns for veteran Starter Urban Shocker. He had appeared in 2 World Series with the Yankees, while posting a 1-3 record in 5 games, also he had appeared in the World Series with the A’s and Red Sox.

1920- Former Yankees Pitcher John “Bear Tracks” Schmitz (1952-1953) was born. (1920-2011)

On August 1,1952, hurler John Schmitz was selected off waivers by the Yankees from the Dodgers. For the 1952-1953 Yankees, John would post a 1-1 record with a 3.26 ERA and 2 saves in 8 games. On August 28,1952, Johnny was traded by the Yankees along with 2 Minor League Outfielders Jim Greengrass, Bob Marquis, MLB P Ernie Nevel along with $35,000 Cash to the Reds for veteran NL Starter Ewell “The Whip” Blackwell. On February 16,1953, John was purchased by the Yankees from the Reds. After appearing in 3 games with 1 save and a 0-0 record with a 2.08 ERA for the Yankees on May 12,1953, John was selected off waivers by the Senators from the Yankees.

1937- Former Yankees Pitcher William “Bill” Short (1960) was born.

Before the start of the 1955 AL season, the Yankees had signed hurler Bill Short as an MLB Amateur Free Agent. In 1959, Bill was named the Pitcher of the Year for International League with a 17-6 record with a 2.48 ERA in 27 games, while pitching for the AAA Richmond Virginians. During the 1960 AL season, Bill would post a 3-5 record with a 4.79 ERA in 10 starts for the Yankees. On November 27,1961, Billy was drafted by the Orioles from the Yankees organization in the MLB Rule 5 Player Draft. Bill would pitch for the Yankees, Orioles, Red Sox, Pirates, Mets and the Reds finishing his MLB pitching career with a 5-11 record with a 4.73 ERA in 73 games (1960,1962,1966-1969). In 2009, Bill Short was elected to the International League Hall of Fame.

1941- Yankees CF Joe DiMaggio is named 1941 AL Most Valuable Player. His 56-game hitting streak edges out Red Sox OF Ted Williams and his .406 BA for the AL MVP Award (votes: 291 for Joe DiMaggio and 254 for Ted Williams). Joe had hit .357 with 30 HRs and 125 RBIs in 139 games for the 1941 Yankees.

1947- The 1947 AL Triple Crown winner Red Sox Ted Williams (.343 BA, 32 HRs, 162 RBIs) is edged out by Yankees Joe DiMaggio (.315 BA, 20 HRs, 97 RBIs) for the 1947 AL Most Valuable Player Award voting by 1 point. One BBWAA member, Mel Webb fails to include Ted Williams, anywhere on his 1947 AL MVP players voting ballot.

1961- In the 1961 MLB Rule 5 Player Draft, Lefty pitcher Bill Short was selected by the Orioles from the Yankees organization. Bill had appeared in 10 games for the 1960 Yankees, while posting a 3-5 record with a 4.79 ERA. He had spent the 1961 season with the Yankees AAA club, the Richmond Virginians (IL).

1971- Former Yankees C/DH/1B Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez (2008) was born.

On July 30,2008, veteran All-Star Catcher Ivan Rodriguez was traded to the Yankees by the Tigers in return for hard-throwing Reliever Kyle Farnsworth; the trade came on the same day on which the Yankees announced that regular starting Catcher Jorge Posada would miss the remainder of the 2008 AL season, after undergoing surgery on his throwing shoulder. He would end up sharing the team’s catching duties with veteran Reserve C Jose Molina during the remainder of the 2008 AL season. He had appeared in 39 games for the Yankees, while hitting just .219 with only 2 HRs and 3 RBIs.  After the 2008 AL season, he would become an MLB Free Agent.

1972- The Yankees make one of their best trades in the team’s history by acquiring 3B Graig Nettles from the Indians for C/1B/3B John Ellis, INF Jerry Kenney, young Outfielders Charlie Spikes and Rusty Torres. Also, the Yankees would receive Catcher Jerry Moses from the Tigers. Graig Nettles will help the Yankees win the World Series in 1977-1978. The Yankees 3B problem will finally be solved 6 seasons after the 1966 winter trade of Clete Boyer to the Braves. Johnny Ellis couldn’t beat out Thurman Munson behind the plate for the starting catcher’s job. INF Jerry Kennedy, Outfielders Charlie Spikes and Rusty Torres were supposed to be the next generation of young Yankees stars, but they really were not. OF Charley Spikes was a promising power switch-hitter, who briefly appeared with the Yankees in September of 1972. INF Jerry Kennedy had played in 460 games with the Yankees, while hitting .237 with just 12 HRs. Johnny Ellis was a former 1970 James P. Dawson Award winner. With Munson being the team’s better catcher, Ellis had played 1B, 3B and Reserve Catcher for the team; while hitting .260 with 16 HRs in 235 games. Veteran Catcher Jerry Moses would take over the Reserve Catcher’s spot for the 1973 Yankees. Rusty Torres was another switch-hitting outfielder, who had hit just .211 in 80 games with the team. Both Spikes and Torres were expected to be in the 1973 Indians Opening Day starting line-up.

1973- Former Yankees Minor League P Jason Beverlin was born.

On July 28,1995, P Jason Beverlin was traded by the A’s along with veteran OF/DH Ruben Sierra to the Yankees for OF/DH Danny Tartabull. Jason would never pitch for the Yankees at the MLB level. He would later become a College Baseball Coach.

1974- MLB Commissioner Bowie Kuhn suspends Yankees Team Owner George Steinbrenner for 2 years as a result of Steinbrenner's federal conviction for illegal campaign contributions to President Richard Nixon and others. His MLB suspension will later be reduced to 1 year. He will later be pardon by President Ronald Regan.

1984- Yankees All-Star Pitcher Ron Guidry and OF Dave Winfield are named to the 1984 AL Golden Glove team. They are the only Yankee regular players to be named to the 1984 AL Golden Glove squad.

2013- Former Yankees 2013 Reserve INF Luis Cruz signs a deal with Japan’s Chiba Lotte Mariners. After he had refused to accept a Minor League reassignment to AAA Scranton (IL), the Yankees would grant him MLB Free Agency. After his player release by the Dodgers in August of 2013, the Yankees had sign him as an MLB Free Agent. Luis would appear in 45 games for the team, while hitting just .127. He had appeared in only 16 games for the Yankees, hitting just .182 before being released by the team. Then he was resigned by the Yankees to a Minor League deal, he was sent to AAA Scranton to finish out the 2013 season.

November 28^th

1882- Former Yankees INF/OF Wilbur “Roxy” Roach (1910-1911) was born. (1882-1947)

In August of 1909, the Yankees had purchased INF/OF Wilbur “Roxy” Roach from Lancaster (TSL) for $2,500 Cash. He would appear in 83 games for the Yankees, while hitting .219 with No HRs and 22 RBIs. On June 15,1911, he was purchased by the AA Jersey City Skeeters (EL) from the Yankees.

1893- Former Yankees Longtime MLB Scout (1952-1983) and MLB player (1912-1931) Frank O’Rourke was born. (1893-1983)

Frank O'Rourke was a good-field, little-hit infielder, who had played 14 seasons in the MLB, stretched out in the time period from 1912 to 1931. He was 17 years-old, when he had 1st played in the Majors, but then he didn't come back to the MLB for several seasons. His best season with the bat was in 1925, when he hit .293 with 40 doubles (the league hit .292 and his team hit .302). In 1927, when he hit .268 with the St. Louis Browns, who had lost 94 games, he was 13th in the MVP voting. As a Rookie in 1912, O'Rourke was the player most used at Shortstop by the Braves, but Rabbit Maranville came up as a 20-year-old Rookie that season, he won the starting job the next season with the team. O'Rourke had been the Tigers 2B in 1925, but he lost his job to the young Charlie Gehringer in 1926. After his playing days, O'Rourke was a Minor League Coach. Also, he had managed the 1931-1933 AA Milwaukee Brewers (AA), 1935 Charlotte Hornets (CSL), 1936-1939 El Dorado Lions (CSL) and the 1942 Cordele Reds (GA-FLL). Later, he was a MLB Scout with the Reds organization from 1941 to 1951.Then he was a longtime MLB Scout for the Yankees from 1952 to 1983.

1927- The Yankees have released 2 veteran Pitchers: Bob Shawkey and Dutch Ruether, who both have retired as MLB active players. Bob Shawkey’s Yankees Pitching career had lasted 13 seasons, as he posted a 168-131 record with a 3.12 ERA and 27 saves in 415 games. He had appeared in 4 World Series with the Yankees, while posting a 1-2 record in 7 games. After being obtained from the 1915 Philadelphia Athletics for $85,000 Cash; he was a 4-time, 20-game winner (1915-1927). In 1928, Shawkey will become the Yankees MLB Pitching Coach. In 1930, Bob will manage the Yankees to an 3^rd place finish with an 86-68 record, before being replaced by veteran NL Manager Joe McCarthy for the 1931 AL season. After being obtained from the Senators on waivers on August 27,1926, Dutch Ruether would go 2-3 for the Yankees in 1926; after he had a 12-6 record with the 1926 Senators. Dutch will finish out his long MLB Pitching career by going 13-6 with a 3.38 ERA in 27 games in 1927. Dutch had started 1 game for the Yankees in the 1926 World Series and lost his only decision to the Cardinals. He did not make any appearances for the Yankees in the 1927 World Series against the Pirates. Overall, as a Yankees hurler, he had posted a 15-9 record with a 3.40 ERA in 32 games. His final MLB Pitching career record was a 137-95 mark with a 3.50 ERA in 309 games.

1958- Former Yankees Pitcher and MLB Pitching Coach Dave “Rags” Righetti (1979-1990) was born. 
On January 11,1977, Pitcher Dave Righetti was selected by the Rangers in the 1st round (10th pick) of the 1977 MLB Amateur Player Draft (January). He was the son of long-time Minor League INF Leo Righetti. On November 10,1978, Dave was traded by the Rangers along with Greg Jemison (Minors), MLB OF Juan Beniquez, Pitchers Mike Griffin and Paul Mirabella to the Yankees for Reserve Catcher Mike Heath, Closer Sparky Lyle, Pitchers Larry McCall, Dave Rajsich and Rookie Reserve INF Domingo Ramos along with Cash. Dave would win the AL Rookie of Year Award in 1981. The highlight of his efforts as a starting pitcher occurred on the 4th of July 1983, when he threw a 4-0 No-Hitter against the Red Sox at Yankee Stadium. It was the 1st Yankee No-Hitter since Don Larsen's Perfect Game in the 1956 World Series and the 1st by a Yankee left-hander since the 1917 AL season. 

In 1984, Dave was converted from a Starter to a Closer by the Yankees, replacing veteran Closer Rich Gossage, who had left the Yankees for MLB Free Agency. On October 4,1986, he would save both games of a doubleheader against the Red Sox, finishing the 1986 AL season with 46 saves, breaking the MLB Record shared by MLB Closers: Dan Quisenberry (AL, Royals) and Bruce Sutter (NL, Cubs). This save record would stand until 1990, when White Sox Closer Bobby Thigpen would save 57 games, which would also be Righetti's last season with the Yankees. Righetti would retain the single-season record for left-handers until 1993, when Cubs Closer Randy Myers would save 53 games; Righetti still owns the AL Save record for left-handers. He would post a 74-61 career pitching record for the Yankees, along with 224 saves and a 3.11 ERA, while appearing in 522 games. For the Yankees, he had a 3-0 record in AL playoffs. He went 0-1 in the 1981 World Series for the Yankees against the Dodgers. In 1986-1987, Dave had won the AL Rolaids Relief Award. He was named to the 1986-1987 AL All-Star teams. After the 1990 AL season, he would leave the Yankees as an MLB Free Agent; signing with his hometown team, the San Francisco Giants. Currently, he is a Special Advisor for the Giants front office. He had been the team’s long-time MLB Pitching Coach.

1959- Former Yankees Reserve INF Blondy Ryan (1935) passed away. (1905-1959)

On August 6, 1935, veteran MLB Shortstop Blondy Ryan was purchased by the Yankees from the Phillies. Ryan had been hitting .264 for the 1935 Phillies before being sent down to the AA Baltimore Orioles (IL). He balked at being demoted to the Minor Leagues and threaten to quit baseball; then the Phillies would sell him to the Yankees. He will appear in 30 games for the 1935 Yankees, while hitting .238 with No HRs and 11 RBIs as a temporary replacement for injured Yankees starting Shortstop Frank Crosetti. On December 18,1935, Ryan was sold by the Yankees to the AA Minneapolis Millers (AA), who were the Indians top AA team. He would finish his MLB playing career with the 1937-1938 Giants, as a Reserve Infielder.

1960- The new AL Expansion Team, the Washington Senators had selected Yankees P John Gabler in the 1960 MLB Rule 5 Player Draft from the AAA Richmond Virginians (IL). John had posted a 4-4 record with a 3.79 ERA with 1 save in 24 games for the 1959-1960 Yankees. Between the 1960 AL Expansion Team Player Draft and the MLB Rule 5 Player Draft, the Yankees have lost their 2^nd line pitching with Bobby Shantz, Eli Grba and Duke Maas being selected by the 2 new AL teams. Also, Veteran Reserve MLB Players OF Bob Cerv and 1B Dale Long were selected in the plater draft. Also, they had lost 2 Minor League Players OF Ken Hunt and 1B Bud Zipfel. At the lower Minor League Levels, they have lost 2 pitchers in the draft, who will never appeared in the MLB.

1961- Former Yankees Pitcher Earl Moore (1906) passed away (1877-1961)

From 1901-1914, hurler Earl Moore had pitched in the MLB. In 1901, Moore had originally come up to the MLB with the Cleveland team. On May 16,1906, Earl was traded by the Cleveland Naps (aka Indians) to theHighlanders for Pitcher Walter Clarkson and OF Frank Delahanty. The Yankees were short on pitching, they were hoping that Moore would bounce back to his successful pitching form. Instead, he post a 1-4 record with a 4.84 ERA in 12 games for the 1906 Yankees. On August of 1907, Earl Moore was purchased by the AA Jersey City Skeeters (EL) from the Yankees. Earl would finish his MLB Pitching career with a 163-154 record along with a 2.78 ERA and 6 saves in 388 MLB games. He had pitched in the AL, NL and the Federal League during his 13 season MLB pitching career.

1967- On November 28,1967, C/1B Bill Bryan was selected by the Senators from the Yankees organization in the 1967 MLB Rule 5 Player Draft. On June 10,1966, Bill was traded by the Kansas City A’s along with P Fred Talbot to the Yankees for OF Roger Repoz, Pitchers Gil Blanco and Bill Stafford. As a Reserve Catcher/1B for the 1966-1967 Bronx Bombers, Bill had hit .210 with 5 HRs and 7 RBIs in 43 games. Also, he had spent time playing with the Yankees AAA Club, the Syracuse Chiefs (IL).

1977- Former Yankees OF Robert “Long Bob” Meusel (1920-1929) passes away at the age of 81. (1896-1977) 

On August 20,1919, OF/3B Bob Meusel was purchased by Yankees from AA Vernon Tigers (PCL). Bob had hit .337 with 14 HRs in 163 games for the 1919 AA Tigers (PCL).  Bob Meusel had played in 1,294 games for the 1920-1929 Yankees, finishing with an MLB career .311 BA with 146 HRs and 1,009 RBIs. He was the 1^stYankee player to wear Uniform #5. He was known for his strong throwing arm in the outfield. He led the Yankees in stolen bases in 5 seasons, finishing his Yankees playing career with a total of 131 stolen bases. In 1925, with his Yankees teammate Babe Ruth out for the season with stomach problems; he was the AL HR King, hitting 33 HRs, also the AL RBIs leader with 138. He had played in 6 World Series for the Yankees, appearing in 34 games with hitting .225 with 1 HR and 17 RBIs. During his Yankees playing career, he hit for the cycle 3 times. His older Brother OF Irish Meusel played for the NL cross-river rivals the Giants. They faced each other in 3 World Series (1921-1923). In 1929, he played in only 100 games for the team with his BA slipping down to a .261 mark with 3 HRs and 57 RBIs. On October 17,1929, Bob was purchased by the Reds from the Yankees. He will play in 113 games for the 1930 Reds, while hitting .289 with 10 HRs with 62 RBIs. After the 1930 NL season had ended, Bob retired as an active MLB player finishing his MLB playing career by hitting .309 BA in 11 MLB seasons (1920-1930). In 1931, he would play in the Minor Leagues with the AA Minneapolis Millers (AA), hitting .283 with 8 HRs in 59 games. In 1932, Bob finished his active baseball career playing for the AA Hollywood Stars (PCL) by hitting .329 with 4 HRs in 64 games.

1989- Former Yankees Catcher Jesus Montero (2011) was born.

In October 2006, Catcher Jesus Montero was originally signed by the Yankees for a $2 Million bonus. The bonus was renegotiated down to $1.65 million for undisclosed reasons. In 2007, he would hit .280 for the 2007 GCL Yankees in his pro player debut. He hit the game-tying HR in game 3 of the GCL finals. Baseball Americarated him the Yankees' #6 prospect and their best power prospect. He was also named the #2 prospect in the GCL by that publication. In 2008, Jesus came to the Yankees MLB Spring Training Camp as a non-roster invitee. He homered in his only at-bat. He then showed major strides with the Class A Charleston River Dogs(SAL), hitting .326 with 17 HRs, 34 doubles and 87 RBIs. He led Yankee farmhands in average, runs (86), hits (171), total bases (258) and RBIs. He was named Yankees Minor League Player of the Year. He also led the SAL in hits and Catcher fielding percentage (.993); he was 2nd in BA average, trailing Eric Fryer. He was named the All-Star catcher. Baseball America ranked him as the #7 SAL prospect, right ahead of another Charleston backstop, Andrew Romine and as the #2 Yankee prospect. In the 2008 Futures Game, he replaced Welington Castillo at Catcher for the World team. Montero continued to shine in 2009, hitting .356 for the Class A Tampa Yankees, then .317 for the AA Trenton Thunder with 70 RBIs in 92 games before a fractured middle finger ended his 2009 season in early August. He played in the 2009 Futures Game. BA rated him as the #2 prospect in the FSL and #5 in the Eastern League. BA rated the 20-year-old the #5 prospect in all of baseball entering 2010 season. Starting that season with the AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees, he was batting only .240 in his 1st 73 games at AAA; but then he got hot, finishing the season at .289 in 123 games. His power output included 21 HRs and 34 doubles. He led Yankee farmhands in slugging, though he was over 100 points behind IL leader Dan Johnson. He led IL backstops in putouts (703), assists (76) and passed balls (15). He made both the International League's Mid-Season and Post-Season All-Star teams. BA ranked him as the 4th-best IL prospect. Entering the 2011 season, his prospect ranking had moved up to #3. 

There was some speculation in spring training camp that he could win a job with the Yankees, as it was clear that Jorge Posada's days as the regular Catcher were over, but veteran Catcher Russell Martin's excellent play put a stop to that. Montero would return to AAA Scranton to start the 2011 IL season. In his 2nd season in AAA, he hit .288 with 18 HRs and 19 doubles in 109 games. He was again a Mid-season IL All-Star. When MLB Player Rosters expanded on September 1st; he was called up to the Bronx. Montero made his MLB Player debut that day in the midst of a crucial series with the Red Sox at Fenway Park. He was immediately inserted into the starting line-up as the DH in order to take advantage of his excellent numbers against left-handed pitching as the Yankees' opponent was veteran Starter Jon Lester. He struck out with the bases loaded to end the 1st inning, he went 0 for 4 overall, but he reached base on a hit-by-pitch in the 7th and scored the go-ahead run in his team's 4-2 win. He hit his 1st 2 MLB HRs in the same game on September 5th. He 1st HR was connected off of Orioles P Jim Johnson in the 5th inning to break an 8-8 tie, then again off of Johnson with a 2-run shot in the 7^th inning as the Yankees had defeated the Orioles by the score of 11-10. He would finish the 2011 AL season with a .328 average with 4 doubles and 4 HRs in 18 games. The Yankees put him on their 2011 AL Postseason roster, in his only game against the Tigers in the 2011 ALDS, he went 2 for 2 with a run scored and an RBI. Just when it seemed Montero would settle in as a long-time Yankee player, following Jorge Posada's retirement during the 2011 AL off-season; he was traded to the Mariners along with P Hector Noesi in return for 2 young Pitchers: Michael Pineda and Jose Campos. This trade confirmed that the Yankees did not think Montero could play Catcher on a regular basis in the MLB. That they would need to use the DH spot for some of their expensive and aging veterans on their MLB roster for the next few seasons. The trade was finalized on January 23, 2012. Montero was a major disappointment for the 2012-2015 Mariners. He would appear in 208 games, while hitting .247 with 24 HRs and 92 RBIs before being put on waivers during the 2016 AL season. Since then, he has played in the Blue Jays and Orioles Minor League organizations. Also, he has spent time playing for several teams in the Mexican Leagues. 

1992- Current Yankees Catcher Jose Trevino (2022) was born.

On April 2, 2022, the Rangers had traded Catcher Jose Trevino to the Yankees for MLB P Albert Abreu and Minor League P Robby Ahlstrom. Trevino will share starting catching duties with Kyle Higashioka. He had played college baseball at Oral Roberts Univ. On June 5, 2014, Jose Trevino was drafted by the Rangers in the 6th round of the 2014 MLB Amateur Player Draft. In 4 seasons with Texas, he has hit .245 with 9 HRs and 55 RBIs in 156 games. For the 2022 Yankees, he would hit .248 with 11 HRs and 43 RBIs in 115 games. Jose was named to the 2022 AL All-Star team. He will win the 2022 AL Golden Glove for Catchers.

1994- Current Yankees Minor League Reliever Kyle Zurak was born.

Pitcher Kyle Zurak was drafted by the Yankees in the 8th round of the 2017 MLB June Amateur Player Draft from Radford Univ. (Radford, VA). In 3 Minor League seasons with the Yankees, he has posted a 12-9 record with 2.87 ERA and 21 saves in 87 games. After posting a 6-4 record with a 2.93 ERA and 8 saves in 41 games with the 2019 Class A Tampa Tarpons (FSL), he received an invite to the 2020 Yankees MLB Spring Training camp. He did not pitch in 2020 due to the COVIDS outbreak. In 2021, he had appeared in only 1 game with the Yankees Rookie team, the Yankees (FCL) with no record.

2007- Former Yankees Minor League OF Bob Marquis passed away. (1924-2007)

In 1947, Bob Marquis began his pro baseball career with the Lufkin Foresters by hitting .346 with 22 doubles and 16 triples in 140 games. Next, he was sent to the Beaumont Exporters (TXL) in the Yankees Minor League system, where he played in 4 games, going 0-for-1 at the plate. His 145 runs tied Lew Morton for the Lone Star League lead; no player scored more runs in the league's history. In 1948, he had played for Beaumont (2 games) and then he was moved to the Quincy Gems (3-I League), hitting a combined .333 with 15 HRs, 18 triples and 21 doubles in 126 games. He led the league with 108 runs and 164 hits. Then Marquis would split the 1949 season between Beaumont (20 games) and the Binghamton Triplets (EL) playing in 106 games; hitting a combined .236 in 453 at-bats. In 1950, he hit .293 in 151 games for Beaumont (TXL).  Next, he played for the 1951 AAA Kansas City Blues (AA), while hitting .278 in 123 games. In 1952, Bob played for the AA Blues again, while hitting .246 in 97 games. On August 28,1952, he was traded to the Reds along with Minor League OF Jim Greengrass, MLB Pitchers Ernie Nevel, Johnny Schmitz and $35,000 for veteran Starter Ewell “The Whip” Blackwell. He would spend 61 games in the Minors in 1953 - with the AAA Portland Beavers (PCL), where he hit .271. He had hit .282 with 16 triples in 143 games for Beaumont (TXL). Bob will appear in 40 games for the 1953 Reds, while hitting .273 with 1 HR and 3 RBIs, it would be the only time that he played in the MLB in his pro baseball career.

2010- Former Yankees All-Star INF Gil McDougald (1951-1960) passed away from Prostate Cancer at age of 82. (1928-2010) 

In 1948, the Yankees had signed INF Gil McDougald, as an MLB Amateur Free Agent. Gil was a versatile Infielder for the Yankees. He joined the Bronx Bombers in 1951, splitting playing time between 2nd and 3B. On May 3rd of that season, he tied an AL record by recording 6 RBIs in 1 inning, hitting a Grand Slam HR and a triple against the St. Louis Browns. He ended the 1951 season with a .306 average (tops on the club), 14 HRs, 63 RBIs along with 14 steals. Gil went on to win the 1951 AL Rookie of the Year Award. He finished 9th in the AL MVP voting. In the World Series that October, he became only the 3rd player to hit a Grand Slam HR in the Fall Classic, connecting off the Giants Starter Larry Jansen in Game 5. Seeing most of his playing time at 3B in 1952, McDougald's average slipped to .263, but he made the AL All-Star team for the 1st time in his MLB playing career. After 3 more solid seasons, splitting time between 2nd and 3^rd base, he was moved to Shortstop in 1956 as Phil Rizzuto's Yankees playing career winded down. He responded by hitting a career-best .311 that season, finishing 7th in AL MVP voting. Gil led the AL with 9 triples in 1957, when he finished 5th in the MVPrace. However, he earned a different form of notoriety on May 7,1957, when he hit a line drive that struck Tribe Starter Herb Score in the right eye, ultimately ruining young star pitcher's MLB career. After the incident, Gil had lost his aggressiveness at the plate and almost retired from MLB that season. In 1958, he bounced back, McDougald had the finest World Series of his Yankees playing career in World Series against the Milwaukee Braves, hitting a game-winning 10th inning HR in Game 6 and ending the1958 World Series with a .321 average with 2 HRs, 4 RBIs and 5 runs scored. Gil retired at the relatively young age of 32, following the 1960 AL season. He was a 5-time AL All-Star, joining Pete Rose as the only players to be selected for the game at 3 different player positions. He had played in 8 World Series for the Yankees, while hitting .237 with 7 HRs with 24 RBIs and scoring 23 runs, as the Yankees won 5 World Championships. In December of 1960, the “new” Washington Senators in the 1960 AL Expansion Team Player Draft had selected Gil. He refused to go to the new club, using his 10 year with a same MLB club rights. Also, Gil would turn down a $100,000 Player-Manager job offer from the new Angels Expansion Team. His former Yankees Manager Casey Stengel, who was a Special Advisor for the Angels Team Owner Gene Autry had recommended him for the Manager’s job. Instead, he retired as an MLB active player from the Yankees. Gil would finish his fine Yankees playing career with a lifetime BA of .276, while hitting 112 HRs with 576 RBIs in 1,336 games. Following his MLB playing days, Gil McDougald was a College Baseball Coach at Fordham Univ.for 7 seasons. Away from the baseball diamond, he would run a NJ Maintenance Co. He had suffered progressive hearing loss, as he got older, as a result of being struck by a line drive hit by Yankees teammate OF Bob Cerv during batting practice years earlier. He eventually went deaf, which was repaired by cochlear implant surgery in 1995.

 "Gil was one tough ballplayer. He could also be hardheaded. I'll always remember that crazy stance of his and he didn't want to change. He was a great guy to have playing behind you. He played all of those positions and played them well." – Yankees HOF Teammate Whitey Ford

2010- The Marlins agree to terms with former Yankees Starter, now a MLB Free Agent Pitcher Javier Vazquezon a 1-year contract, pending a team physical. It will be the 7th team for the veteran MLB Starter and the 4^thteam in the last 4 MLB seasons. He was 10-10 with a 5.32 ERA for the 2010 Yankees. He has won 10 or more games every MLB season since 2000.

November 29^th

1878- Former Yankees Pitcher Tom “Long Tom” Hughes (1904) was born. (1878-1956)

On December 20,1903, Starter Tom Hughes was traded by the Boston Americans (aka Red Sox) to the Yankees for P Jesse Tannehill. With the 1903 Boston Americans, he had posted a 20-7 record with a 2.57 ERA in 33 games. Tom will post a 7-11 record with a 3.70 ERA in 19 games before being traded on July 20,1904 by the Yankees along with P Barney Wolfe (0-3 with a 3.21 ERA in 7 games) to the Senators for veteran MLB Starter Al Orth, who would be more successful than Hughes with the team. Jesse Tannehill will win 20 games for the Boston Americans in the 1904 and 1905 AL seasons. Tom Hughes will pitch for the Senators until 1913. He would finish his MLB Pitching career with a 132-174 record along with a 3.09 ERA and 15 saves in 399 games.

1916- Former Yankees Reserve INF and MLB Manager Robert “Bob” Unglaub (1904) was killed in a railroad accident. (1881-1916)

In 1894, INF Bob Unglaub began his pro baseball career, he would play in the Minor Leagues until 1904. As MLB Rookie INF in 1904, he had appeared in just 6 games for the Yankees, while hitting .211 with 4 hits (singles) in 19 at bats. On June 17,1904, Bob was traded by the Yankees to the Boston Americans (aka Red Sox) for OF Patsy Dougherty. In 1907, he was the Manager of the Red Sox.

1924- Former Yankees All-Star OF Irv Noren (1952-1956) was born. (1924-2019)

Outfielder Irv Noren was originally signed by the Dodgers, who later would trade him to the Senators. On May 3,1952, Irv was traded by the Senators along with OF Tom Upton to the Yankees for OF Jackie Jensen, veteran hurler Frank “Spec” Shea, INF Jerry Snyder and Reserve OF Archie Wilson. Irv could play all 3 outfield positions, which made him perfect for Yankees Manager Casey Stengel’s platoon system in the outfield. Irv Noren had 3 good out of 4 seasons with the 1952-1956 Yankees, including hitting .319 with 12 HRs and 66 RBIs in 1954; despite being troubled with 2 bad knees. He was on the 1954 AL All-Star team. He had appeared in 3 World Series (1952-1953 and 1955) with the team with the 1952 World Series being his best Fall Classic, by hitting .300 against the Dodgers. 

After hitting just .216 in 29 games in 1956 due to knee injuries that required surgery; on February 12,1957, Irv was traded by the Yankees along with a Player to be Named Later, Minor League 1B Milt Graff, MLB INF Billy Hunter, MLB Pitchers Mickey McDermott, Rip Coleman and Tom Morgan to the Kansas City for Players to be Named Later, Pitchers Art Ditmar, Bobby Shantz, Reserve Infielders Jack McMahan and Wayne Belardi. On April 5,1957, Yankees would send Minor League P Jack Urban to the Athletics to complete the trade. Then Kansas City would send Reserve INF Curt Roberts on April 4,1957. Next, on June 4,1957, the Athletics would send “Bonus Baby Rule” Rookie INF Clete Boyer to the Yankees to complete the trade. As a Yankees player, Irv had played in a total of 488 games, while hitting .272 with 31 HRs and 198 RBIs. Irv would finish his MLB playing career with the 1960 Dodgers, having an MLB lifetime BA of .275 along with 65 HRs and 453 RBIs. He had played in the MLB for the Senators, Yankees, A’s, Cardinals, Cubs and the Dodgers. Later, he was a AAA Minor League Manager for the Dodgers. Also, he would serve as an 3B MLB Coach for the 1972-1974 Oakland A’s.

1950- Former Yankees DH/1B/OF Mike Easler (1986-1987) was born.

On March 28,1986, DH/1B/OF Mike Easler was traded by the Red Sox to the Yankees for veteran DH/1B Don Baylor. As a Yankees player, Mike would hit .297 with 18 HRs and 99 RBIs in 211 games. On December 11,1986, Mike was traded by the Yankees along with Minor League INF Tom Barrett to the Phillies for Minor League INF Jeff Knox and P Charles Hudson. On June 10,1987, Mike was traded by the Phillies back to the Yankees for Reserve OF Keith Hughes and INF/OF Shane Turner. On December 21,1987, Mike was released by the Yankees. 

1950- Former Yankees DH/OF/1B Otto Velez (1973-1976) was born.

In 1969, the Yankees had signed OF Otto Velez as an MLB Amateur Free Agent. He had appeared in a total of 105 games in 3 seasons with the Yankees; while hitting .226 with 6 HRs and 28 RBIs. In 1976, he would hit .266 with 2 HRs and 10 RBIs in 49 games, while playing 1B, OF and DH for the team. Otto had appeared in the 1976 AL Playoffs and World Series with 4 at bats and no hits for the Yankees. On November 5,1976, Otto was selected by the Blue Jays from the Yankees as the 53rd pick in the 1976 AL Expansion Team Player Draft (the Blue Jays and the Mariners).

1955- Yankees MLB Scout Dale Tilleman was born.

Dale Tilleman had played for the Calgary Jimmies and Barrhead Blue Jays in Canada. He had played in the 1978 NAIA College World Series. He would play for Team Canada in the 1978 Amateur World Series, hitting .120 with 10 walks and 4 runs in 10 games. He led Canada in walks, 3 ahead of Ken Wiebe and Gary Picone. He was 2nd in OBP (.028 behind Ted Springenatic). He had tied Mike Labossiere for 2nd on Canada in runs, 1 behind Mike Teahen. He had fielded .980 as their starting 1st Baseman and had 1 putout at 3rd (where Springenatic started). He led the event in walks, 1 ahead of Mitsugu Kobayashi and Howie Shapiro. He also played for Canada in the 1979 Pan American Games. Later, he would coach youth baseball. Dale was a school teacher. Later, he was an MLB Scout for the Yankees. Dale is still currently active in Amateur Baseball activities in Alberta, Canada.

1965- The Yankees had traded utility player Phil “Super Sub” Linz to the Phillies for former 1964 NL Golden Glove winner Shortstop Ruben Amaro. The Yankees hoped that Ruben Amaro would replace the retiring Tony Kubek for the starting Shortstop job in the 1966 Yankees infield. He proved to be a major disappointment with the bat and getting injured on the field in a routine outfield play with OF Tom Tresh in 1966.  In the winter of 1968, the Yankees would sell Ruben Amaro to the Angels for Cash. Overall, as a Yankees player, he had appeared in 191 games, while hitting .214 with 1 HR and 20 RBIs. Phil “Super Sub” Linz had played in 354 games for the 1962-1965 Yankees, while hitting .246 with 10 HRs and 67 RBIs. He had appeared in 2 World Series with the team, playing in 10 games, while hitting .235 with 2 HRs and 2 RBIs. Also, Phil Linz would play as a Reserve INF for the 1966-1967 Phillies, hitting just .205 with 1 HR and 11 RBIs in 63 games before being traded during the mid-season of 1967 to the Mets. After the 1968 NL season had ended, he will retire from MLB, after hitting just .209 with No HRs and 18 RBIs in 102 games as a 2B for the Mets. Later, he would manage in the Orioles Minor League system for just 1 season.

1966- The Yankees had traded veteran 3B/Shortstop Clete Boyer to the Braves for Rookie OF Bill Robinson and 39-year-old veteran MLB Reliever Chi Chi Olivo (5-4 in 47 games).  Both players had been with the 1966 Braves AAA club, the Richmond Braves (IL) with Robinson hitting .312 with 20 HRs and 79 RBIs. The trade of Clete Boyer will leave a defensive gap at 3B for the Yankees, which will not be solved until the arrival of Graig Nettles from the Indians in winter of 1972. In 1966, Boyer had been moved over to Shortstop, while Tom Tresh came in from the Outfield took over 3B, now will be the Yankees new Shortstop for the 1967 AL season. Rookie INF Bobby Murcer was expected to be the Yankees new 3B, but he was called up for military service with the Army for 2 years. Clete Boyer leaves the Yankees with a .241 BA, while hitting 95 HRs and 393 RBIs in 1,068 games. Rookie OF Bill Robinson, who had hit .273 in 11 games for the 1966 Braves, was a failure at the plate for the Yankees, who would be eventually sent down to  their AAA club, the Syracuse Chiefs (IL) in 1970; after hitting under .240 at the MLB level for 3 seasons. His veteran Yankees teammate, Slugger Mickey Mantle tries to help him out; but Bill couldn’t relax because of all the NYC Sports Media pressure touting him as the “Black Mickey Mantle.” He would later re-appear in the MLB in 1972, having successful seasons with the 1972-1983 Pirates and the Phillies. Meanwhile, Clete Boyer would have 5 more good MLB seasons with the Braves, before going to Japan to play baseball to finish out his pro baseball career. The 39-yearold Olivo never appears with the Yankees at the MLB level, who had sent him down to their AAA team, the Syracuse Chiefs (IL).

1969- Former Yankees All-Star Closer Mariano “Mo” Rivera (1995-2013) was born.

In 1990, Panama Pitcher Mariano Rivera was signed as by the Yankees as an MLB Amateur Free Agent.Rivera had started out as a Starter for the team, then he was changed into a Reliever. In 1996, he became the Set-up man to Yankees Closer John Wetteland. Mo would become the greatest Yankees Closer in the team’s history. Mariano Rivera Yankees Pitching career stats, he would finish his MLB Pitching career with an 82-60 record with a .577 WP with a 2.21 ERA in 1,115 games. Mo holds the MLB Record for Saves with 652. His MLB All-Star game pitching record was 0-0 with 4 saves in 9 games. His ALDS record was 2-0 with a 0.32 ERA with 18 saves in 39 games. His ALCS pitching record was a 4-0 with 0.92 ERA with 12 saves in 33 games. Mo’s World Series Pitching record was 2-1 with a 0.99 ERA with 11 saves in 24 games. He has won the AL Rolaids Award for Relievers in 1999 and 2004-2005. He was selected for the 1999 AL Babe Ruth Award and MLB World Series Award. He has been named to the AL All-Star team 13 times during his MLB pitching career. In 2013, Rivera won the MLB All-Star Game MVP Award. In November of 2013, Mo won the 2013 AL Comeback Player of the Year Award, after posting a 6-2 record with a 2.11 ERA and 44 saves in 64 games. He had missed most of the 2012 AL season with a leg injury, appearing in only 9 games for the Yankees, while posting a 1-1 record with 5 saves. The Yankees paid tribute to his great MLB Pitching career during the 2014 MLB Spring Training Game season by visiting Mariano's home country, Panama, to play a couple of games against the Miami Marlins. That year, he would publish his autobiography. Meanwhile the MLB would paid him a tribute by naming its new award to be given to the best Reliever in the American League, the "Mariano Rivera Award", with Mariano one of 9 former Relievers, who get to choose the Award's winner (the National League Award was named for his contemporary, Trevor Hoffman, who is 2nd on the all-time MLB Saves list). In 2015, he was with the Yankees as a Guest Spring Training Camp Instructor. On August 14, 2016, the Yankees dedicated a plaque in his honor in Monument Park. In 2019, Marino Rivera was elected to Baseball’s Hall of Fame. Also in 2019, Mariano was honored by President Trump with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

1973- Former Yankee Minor League 1B/PH Tom Hamilton passed away. (1925-1973)

On March 9,1950, 1B Tom Hamilton was signed by the Philadelphia A’s as an MLB Amateur Free Agent. He would appear in the MLB with the 1952 Athletics for just 12 games, while hitting just .200. In 1953, he had played in 58 games for the team, while hitting just .196. On December 16,1953, Tom was traded by the A’s along with Starter Harry Byrd, veteran 1B/PH Eddie Robinson, Reserve INF Babe Loren and Outfielder Carmen Mauro to the Yankees for Minor League All-Star OF/1B Vic Power, INF Don Bollweg, 3B Jim Finigan, MLB P Johnny Gray, OF Bill Renna and Catcher Jim Robertson to the Philadelphia A’s. Tom would never appear with the Yankees at the MLB level. He was sent to their Yankees AAA Club, the Kansas City Blues (AA) for the 1954 season. Tom would continue play in the Yankees Minor League system from 1954 to 1960 before retiring from baseball.

1976- The Yankees had signed MLB Free-Agent Slugger Reggie Jackson to 5-year, $3.5 million-dollar contract. During Mr. October's tenure with the team, the Bronx Bombers will win 4 AL East divisions, 3-AL pennants and 2 World Series Championships, before leaving in 1981 as an MLB Free Agent signing with the Angels.

1979- MLB Commissioner Bowie Kuhn lets Yankees Manager Billy Martin off with a warning, following the October 23rd incident in which he is involved in a barroom altercation with Joseph Cooper, a Minnesota Marshmallow Salesman. Cooper requires 15 stitches to close a gash in his lip.

1982- Former Yankees Pitcher Al “Bozo” Cicotte (1957) passed away. (1929-1982)

Before the start of the 1948 AL season, the Yankees had signed P Al Cicotte as an MLB Amateur Free Agent. He had worked his way up in the Yankees Minor League system. In 1956, Al posted a 15-12 record with a 3.03 ERA in 33 games for the Yankees AAA team, the Richmond Virginians (IL). He made the club in the 1957 MLB Spring Training camp. Al would post a record 2-2  along with a 3.03 ERA along and 2 saves, while appearing in 20 games for the 1957 Yankees. He didn’t make any appearances for the team in the 1957 World Series against the Braves. On May 14,1958, Al was purchased by the Senators from the Yankees, he hadn’t made any appearances for the team in 1958. Al would pitch in MLB for only 5 seasons, while posting a 10-13 record with a 4.36 ERA and 5 saves in 102 games with the Yankees, Senators, Tigers, Indians, Cardinals and the new NL Expansion team, the 1962 Houston Colt 45’s. He was a Grandnephew of Hall of Fame Pitcher Eddie Cicotte.

1992- Former Yankees Reserve OF George “Tuck” Stainback (1942-1945) had passed away. (1910-1992)

OF George “Tuck” Stainback had played in MLB for 13 seasons with the 1934-1937 Cubs,1938 Cardinals, 1938 Phillies,1938-1939 Dodgers,1940-1941 Tigers,1942-1945 Yankees and finishing up with the 1946 A’s. On December 4,1941, the Tigers had sent INF Boyd Perry and OF Tuck Stainback to the Yankees to complete an earlier deal made on September 8,1941. The Tigers sent Players to be Named Later to the Yankees for Minor League INF Billy Hitchcock, who was with the Yankees AA team, the Kansas City Blues (AA). In August of 1942, he was called up from AA Newark Bears (IL) by the team to replace OF Tommy Henrich, who had joined the Coast Guard. Tuck would play in 211 games with the Wartime Yankees, appearing mostly as a Reserve OF. He would hit .252 with 5 HRs and 47 RBIs. George had appeared in 7 World Series games with the 1942-1943 Yankees, while hitting just .176. On April 26,1946, George was released by the Yankees as most of Yankees regular players were returning from their wartime service. On April 30,1946, Tuck was signed by the Philadelphia A’s. He would hit .244 in 91 games before leaving the MLB. He would spend 1947 season with the AA Los Angeles Angles (PCL), while playing in 87 games, hitting .279 with 2 HRs and 84 RBIs. In 1949, he would finish his pro baseball career with the Class B Spokane Indians (WIL) appearing in 101 games, while hitting .368. After the Dodgers had moved from Brooklyn to Los Angeles in 1958, Stainback, who had settled in the area after retiring from baseball, had approached the Dodgers' Red Patterson with his idea to develop ticket sales to Fraternal and Civic Organizations. He would develop group ticket plan sales during his 20-year career as a Dodgers Executive. He would supervise the Club's Knothole Program, which treated children to free games. 

1998- Former Yankees Reliever and long-time Yankees MLB Pitching Coach Jim “The Milkman” Turner (1942-1945) passed away. (1903-1998)

Before joining the Yankees in 1942, Jim Turner had pitched in the NL for the 1937-1939 Braves and the 1940-1942 Reds. As a 1937 Braves Rookie Starter, Jim had recorded a 20-11 record with a 2.38 ERA and 1 save in 33 games; which 24 of them were complete games. He was named NL’s Top Pitcher. In 1938, he was named to NL All-Star team. The Braves would trade him to the Reds in 1940. On July 16,1942, Jim was traded by theReds along with Minor League INF Joe Abreu and Cash to the Yankees for Minor League OF Frankie Kelleher. Both Abreu and Kelleher were playing for the Yankees AA team, the Newark Bears (IL). Jim “The Milkman” Turner went 11-9 with a 3.44 ERA and 19 saves in 88 games for the 1942-1945 Yankees. He had led the AL in 1945 with 10 saves. He appeared in 1 World Series with the team in 1942 against the Cardinals with no decisions. After his MLB Pitching career had ended in 1945, he would manage the following Yankees Minor League teams; the 1946 Beaumont Exporters (TXL) and the 1947-1948 AA Portland Beavers (PCL). He would be Casey Stengel’s MLB Pitching Coach during the 1949-1959 dynasty team seasons. After the 1959 AL 3rd place finish, Jim was replaced by former Yankees Pitcher Eddie Lopat as the 1960 Yankees MLB Pitching Coach. In 1960, he would manage the Reds AA Minor League team, the Nashville Vols (SA). Then Jim would spend the next 5 NL seasons as the Reds MLB Pitching Coach before returning to the Yankees as their MLB Pitching Coach for Manager Ralph Houk in May of 1966. His 1961 Reds Pitching staff helped the Reds win their 1st NL pennant since 1940, but they lost the 1961 World Series to the Yankees in 5 games. After spending 51 years in pro baseball, Jim would retire from the game after the 1973 AL season was completed. In addition to his 9-season MLB Pitching career, Jim Turner had compiled a 204-132 pitching record in the Minor Leagues along with a 3.85 ERA. Jim Turner earned his "Milkman" nickname because of his off-season job working as a Milkman.

1995- Former 3B Charlie Smith, who was the player traded to Yankees (1967-1968) from the Cardinals for former AL MVP OF Roger Maris in 1966, dies from cancer at age 57. (1937-1995)

Charley Smith had hit .224 with 10 HRs and 45 RBIs in 181 games for the 1967-1968 Yankees before being traded to the Giants, who in turn traded him to the Cubs during their 1969 MLB Spring Training camp. Meanwhile veteran OF Roger Maris hit .261 and .255 for the Cardinals, playing in the 1967-1968 World Series, while the Yankees finished 9^th and 5^th place in the AL. The Yankees were attracted to Charlie Smith, who had hit .266 with 10 HRs and 43 RBIs in 116 games for the 1966 Cardinals, as a replacement for the recently traded 3B Clete Boyer. The Dodgers had originally signed INF Charlie Smith in the late 1950’s. He came up to the team during the 1960 NL season. During his 10 season MLB playing career, Charlie had played for the Dodgers, Phillies, White Sox, Mets, Cardinals, Yankees before finishing up his MLB playing career with the 1969 Cubs. Smith had a .239 MLB career BA along with 69 HRs and 281 RBIs in 771 games.

2005- Former Yankees Minor League and MLB All-Star 1B/OF Vic Power passed away. (1927-2005)

Before the start of 1951 AL Season, 1B/OF Vic Power was purchased by the Yankees from the Drummondville (Provincial League, Canada). As a Yankees Minor League player, Vic would play for the 1951 AA Syracuse Chiefs (IL) and the 1952-1953 AA Kansas City Blues (AA). He would lead the League in batting with a .349 clip, while hitting 16 HRs and 93 RBIs in 149 games. He played in the Outfield, while Bill Skowron was the Blues regular starting 1B. Vic Power was considered to be too flashy and loud by Yankees GM George Weiss to become the 1st Black Yankees MLB player. On December 16,1953, Minor League Star 1B/OF Vic Power was traded by the Yankees along with Rookies: 1B Don Bollweg and OF Bill Renna, 3B Prospect Jim Finigan, MLB P Johnny Gray and Catching Prospect Jim Robertson to Philadelphia Athletics for MLB Starter Harry Byrd, veteran 1B/PH Eddie Robinson, INF Babe Loren, 1B Tom Hamilton and OF Carmen Mauro. Then GM Weiss would trade away the rest of the black players in the Yankees farm system, keeping only OF/Catcher Elston Howard, who would join the team in 1955. Vic Power was a better 1B than Yankees 1B Bill “Moose” Skowron, who admitted that Vic was the best 1B that he had ever played against during his long MLB playing career. Vic Power will win the AL Golden Glove 1B Award from 1958-1964. He was named to the AL All-Star team 6 times.He would play in the MLB for 12 seasons, finishing up with a .294 BA, while hitting 126 HRs with 658 RBIs in 1,627 games. He played in the MLB for the A’s, Indians, Twins, Angels (twice) and the Phillies. Vic Power had managed the Puerto Rican National team to a Silver Medal in the 1973 FIBA Amateur World Series. Also, he had scouted for the Angels in Puerto Rico.

2006- Former Yankees Reliever Pete Mikkelsen (1964-1965) passed away. (1939-2006)  

Before the start of 1958 AL season, the Yankees had signed P Pete Mikkelsen as an MLB Amateur Free Agent. He was primarily used as a Reliever by Manager Yogi Berra, during his 1964 Yankees Rookie season. His 1964 bullpen work for the Bronx Bombers was instrumental in helping the team squeeze out an AL pennant, the last one for the old Yankees team dynasty (1949-1964). In 1964, Pete had posted a 7-4 record with a 3.56 ERA and 12 saves in 50 games. He had appeared in 4 games of the 1964 World Series against the Cardinals, having a 0-1 record along with a 5.79 ERA. In 1965, he would slip to a 4-9 mark with a 3.28 ERA with only 1 save in 41 games. The 1965 Yankees, also had veteran MLB Closer Pedro Ramos in their bullpen. On December 10,1965, Pete was traded by the Yankees to the Pirates along with Cash for veteran NL All-Star Starter Bob Friend. His trade was another bad deal made by the Yankees GM Ralph Houk along with the deals of Clete Boyer and Roger Maris, which in all truth were salary dumps ordered by the CBS Inc. Management. Pete would finish his 9-season MLB pitching career having a 45-40 record with a 3.38 ERA and 48 saves in 364 games. He had pitched for the Yankees, Pirates, Cubs, Cardinals before finishing-up his pitching career with the 1968-1972 Dodgers.

2007- The Yankees officially announced that AL All-Star Catcher Jorge Posada's 4-year, $52.4-million deal that will most likely keep him in Yankees pinstripes for the remainder of his MLB baseball career or at least through 2011 AL season.

2012- The Pirates would outbid the Yankees to sign MLB Free Agent Catcher Russell Martin to a 2-year contract for $17 million, leaving the Yankees with a huge hole behind the plate. With the 2012 Yankees, Martin had hit just .211, while hitting 21 HRs and 53 RBIs in 133 games.

2018- The Yankees had traded Reserve INF Ronald Torreyes to the Cubs for Future Considerations (Player or Cash). Torreyes had played for the 2016-2018 Yankees, while appearing in 221 games, hitting .281 with 4 HRs and 55 RBIs. He had been DFA by the team, earlier in the week. For the 2018 Yankees, he had appeared in only 41 games, while hitting .280 with No HRs and 7 RBIs.

2021- Former Yankees Minor League P and MLB P La Marr Hoyt passed away. (1955-2021)

The Yankees in the 5th round of the 1973 MLB Amateur Player Draft  had selected P LaMarr Hoyt. He never played for the Yankees at the MLB level. On April 5,1977, he was traded by the Yankees along with P Bob Polinsky, MLB OF/DH Oscar Gamble and $200,000 Cash to the White Sox for Shortstop Bucky Dent. In 1978, he went 18-4 with a 2.90 ERA for the Appleton Foxes (MWL). Hoyt  would reach the MLB in 1979; he bounced between the rotation and the bullpen until 1982, when he became a regular starter for the White Sox. That season, he had won a league-best 19 games, and then the following season, he would captured the AL Cy Young Award winner with a record of 24-10. From 1980 to 1982, he won his 1st 16 career decisions at home, tying a record held by Johnny Allen. That number was not bested until Jose Fernandez won his 1st 17 home decisions in 2013-2015. Hoyt will pitched a 1-hitter on May 2,1984 against his former team the Yankees. The only hit was a 7th inning single by Yankees 1B Don Mattingly. Hoyt gave up no walks while striking out 8 Yankee batters in the game. He would face the minimum number of batters in the game as Don Mattingly was erased by a double play. However overall, he had struggled that season, going 13-18 with an ERA nearly a run per game higher than his previous average. After the 1984 AL season ended, Hoyt was traded by the White Sox to the Padres in a 7-player deal that brought INF Ozzie Guillen to the White Sox. He would return to form with the Padres, by going 16-8 and starting the 1985 All-Star Game for the NL team. However, his MLB Pitching career would end in 1986, after he was arrested 3 times on drug charges. He was suspended by MLB for the 1987 MLB season; this suspension  was later reduced, but he woold never return to the MLB. Overall, Hoyt had won 98 games in an 8-season MLB Pitching career. In his 1st years in the MLB, he was known as Dewey Hoyt.