This Week in Yankees History January 8th-14th Part One
January 8th
1913- The Yankees had signed former Cubs Manager Frank Chance to be their 1913 AL season Manager. Chance had previously won 2 World Series and 4 NL pennants as the Manager of the Cubs. He told the Yankees front office that he felt that Yankees 1B Hal Chase was suspected of cheating, which led to his trade to the White Sox. His Yankees managing record would be a 118-170 record (1913-1914). His 1913 team would finish in 7th in AL with a 59-74 record. He would improve the Yankees in 1914, to a 70-84 record with a 6th place in the AL. He would be replaced by former Tigers’ hurler “Wild Bill” Donovan. As an MLB player, Frank Chance was a 1B, who had a lifetime MLB .297 BA for the Cubs (1905-1912), he was part of the famous Cubs DP combo of “Evers-Tinker to Chance.” Frank Chance would play for the Yankees in 12 games, hitting just .208, these 12 games cost him his chance for a lifetime MLB .300 BA mark. He would be elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1946.
1941- The BWAA in The Sporting News poll names the 1940 MLB All-Star team: Hank Greenberg (LF), Yankees Joe DiMaggio (CF), Ted Williams (RF), Frank McCormick (1B), Yankees Joe Gordon (2B), Luke Appling (SS), Stan Hack (3B) and Harry Danning (C) are the position players, while Bob Feller, Bucky Walters and Paul Derringer are named the Pitchers.
1963- Former Yankees Minor League OF Shane Turner was born.
The Yankees in the 6th round of the 1985 MLB Amateur Player Draft had selected OF Shane Turner. He had never appeared with the Yankees at MLB level. On June 10,1987, Shane was traded by the Yankees along with Reserve OF Keith Hughes to the Phillies for veteran OF/1B Mike Easler. He had played professionally for 11 years as an OF in the Minor Leagues, while seeing MLB service with the Phillies, Orioles and Mariners, finishing with a lifetime .236 BA over a 56-game span from 1988 to 1992. Since 1996, Shane has work with the Giants organization as a Minor League Roving Batting Coach and Minor League Manager.
1969- Former Yankees Pitcher Brian Boehringer (1995-1997) was born.
On December 14, 2000, P Brian Boehringer was signed as an MLB Free Agent by the Yankees. He would post a 5-10 record with 4.97 ERA and 1 save in 78 games before being traded on July 4, 2001 to the Giants for Catcher Bobby Estalella and Minor League Player Joe Smith. In July of 2005, the Yankees had signed Brian as an MLB Free Agent, but he was released at the end of the month with no MLB appearances with the team. He had been pitching for the Yankees AAA team, the Columbus Clippers (IL).
1971- Former Yankees All-Star DH/1B Jason Giambi (2002-2008) was born.
Former AL MVP 1B Jason Giambi was signed as an MLB Free Agent by the Yankees in 2001. He originally came up to the MLB with the Oakland A’s. Jason’s best Yankees season was in 2002, when he hit .314 with 34 HRs and 122 RBIs. Jason was named to the 2002-2004 AL All-Star teams. He would appear in 897 games for the 2002-2008 Yankees, while hitting .260 with 209 HRs and 604 RBIs.
1976- The Yankees had purchased P Jim York from the Astros. He would split the 1976 season between the AAA Syracuse Chiefs (IL) going 6-1 with a 5.34 ERA and with the Yankees going 1-0 in 3 games for the team.
1976- Former Yankees Pitcher Carl Pavano (2005-2007) was born.
MLB Free Agent P Carl Pavano was 9-8 with a 5.00 ERA in limited action (26 games) for the 2005-2007 Yankees due to various pitching arms injuries during his stay with the team. He was granted MLB Free Agency by the team. He was signed by the Twins.
1981- Former Yankees Pitcher Jeff Francis (2014) was born.
On July 11, 2014, Reliever Jeff Francis was traded by the A’s along with Cash to the Yankees for Player to be Named Later. He had appeared in only 2 games for the team with a 1-0 record with a 5.40 ERA. On August 5, 2014, he was released by the Yankees. On October 31, 2014, Jeff was signed as an MLB Free Agent by the Blue Jays. In December of 2015, Jeff had announced retirement from the MLB.
1984- Former Yankees Pitcher Kevin Whelan (2011) was born.
The Tigers had originally signed P Kevin Whelan in 2005. On November 10, 2006, Kevin was traded by the Tigers along with Pitchers Anthony Claggett and Humberto Sanchez to Yankees for veteran MLB All-Star OF/DH Gary Sheffield. He had appeared in 2 games with no record for the 2011 Yankees. On November 3, 2012, Kevin was granted MLB Free Agency by the Yankees.
1985- The Yankees had reacquired Reserve Catcher Juan Espino from the Indians. He would spend the 1985 season with the AAA Columbus Clippers (IL).
1987- Former Yankees Pitcher Frank “Dutch” Hiller (1946,1948-1949) passed away. (1920-1987)
Before the start of the 1943 AL season, 22-yearold Frank Hiller was signed as an MLB Amateur Free Agent by the Yankees. "Dutch" as he was sometimes called, was out of Lafayette College in Pa, where he starred on the mound with a 22-2 record. Frank would start out his pro career with his hometown AA Newark Bears (IL). He would win 39 games for the AA Bears from 1943-1945. After a short trial with the 1946 Yankees, he went 0-2 with a 4.76 ERA in 3 games. "Dutch" was a 15-game winner with the 1947 AA Kansas City Blues (AA) before heading back to Yankee Stadium going 5-2 with a 4.04 ERA in 22 games for the 1948 Yankees. He was back in the Bronx in 1949, going 0-2 with a 5.87 ERA in 4 appearances. He would finish out the 1949 season with the AA Blues with an 11-8 record with a 5.79 ERA. Dutch will have a 5-6 record with 4.32 ERA and 1 save in 29 games for the Yankees. On February 10,1950, he was purchased by the Cubs from the Yankees. Frank would proceed to have his best MLB season going 12-5 for the Cubs in 1950, but he fell to a 6-12 record for the 1951 Cubs. On January 3,1952, he was traded to the Reds for Willie Ramsdell. Hiller would spend the 1952 NL season with the Reds, posting a 5-8 record with a 4.63 ERA. At the end of the 1952 NL season, the Reds would deal him to the Giants for Gail Henley. Frank Hiller would pitch 19 innings for the 1953 Giants, while posting a 2-1 record with a 6.15 ERA; this would be the end of his 7-season MLB Pitching career. He would finish out with a 30-32 record with a 4.42 ERA. "Dutch" at age 33 would give it one more chance with the 1954 AAA San Francisco Seals (PCL); he had an 11-8 record, but he had a high 5.79 ERA. He decided it was time to seek other avenues. He finished out his 8 seasons in the Minor Leagues with an 82-54 record and a 3.18 ERA
1987- Former Yankees Minor League INF Bobby De Jardin was born.
Infielder Bobby De Jardin played in the Minor Leagues from 1988 to 1995. He was selected by the Yankees in the 8th round of the 1988 MLB Amateur Player Draft. He possessed limited power, hitting just 13 HRs in 3,003 plate appearances - or 1 HR every 231 appearance. Bobby could steal bases, with a high of 38 for the 1989 Class A Prince William Cannons (CL). He would reach AAA level for the 1st time in 1992, he would remained there for almost the rest of his pro baseball career, which concluded in Orioles system in 1995. He had batted .268 with 112 stolen bases in 726 games. He later became a MLB Scout in the Anaheim Angels organization from 2000-2013, signing, among others: Hank Conger, Mike Kenney, Chris Pettit, Tyler Skaggs, Jake Woods and Jered Weaver. He then became a Scouting Supervisor for the Yankees.
1988- Faced with a Midnight deadline to re-sign with the Yankees, veteran starter Bill Gullickson agrees to a 2-year contract with the Yomiuri Giants (JBL) instead. Clippers Note: The Yankees front office really dropped the ball on Bill Gullickson; the team should have resigned him for their 1989 starting rotation.
1992- Former Yankees Reserve INF Breyvic Valera (2019) was born.
On May 12, 2019, Reserve INF Breyvic Valera was selected off waivers by the Yankees from the Giants. He was with the 2019 Yankees, appearing in 12 games, while hitting just .219 with No HRs and 3 RBIs before being sent down to AAA Scranton (IL). On September 20, 2019, he was selected off waivers by the Blue Jays from the Yankees.
1992- The Yankees had traded P Darrin Chapin to the Phillies for a Player to be Named Later, which would later be 3B Charlie Hayes. Chapin had appeared in 3 games for the 1991 Yankees, while posting a 0-1 record. He had been a Reliever posting a 10-3 record in 55 games for the 1991 AAA Columbus Clippers (IL).
1998- Former Yankees Minor League Pitcher Ken Waldichuk was born.
Ken Waldichuk was drafted by the Yankees in the 5th round of the 2019 MLB Amateur Player Draft out of St. Mary's College of California. He began his professional career that same year with the Pulaski Yankees (APL) by going 0-2, 3.68 ERA in 10 games as a starter. After sitting out the 2020 season when the minor leagues were shut down by the Coronavirus pandemic, he would return to action in 2021 with the AA Hudson Valley Renegades, then after 7 games of scoreless ball totaling 30 2/3 innings. Ken would earn a promotion to the AA Somerset Patriots. There, he posted a 4-3 record with a 4.20 ERA in 16 games, with 108 strikeouts in 79 1/3 innings. After the season, he was named an organizational All-Star. At the start of 2022 season, he was back at AA Somerset, going 4-0 with a 1.26 ERA in 6 starts to earn a promotion to the AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons. He continued to pitch well there, by going 2-3 with a 3.59 ERA in 11 starts and being named to play in the 2022 Futures Game with the American League team. In the game played at Dodger Stadium on July 16th, he earned the save by recording the final out in the bottom of the 7th, getting Jackson Chourio to fly out to RF Denzel Clarke. Two weeks later, on August 3rd, he was traded by the Yankees to the Athletics along with INF Cooper Bowman, Pitchers Luis Medina and JP Sears in return for starting Pitcher Frankie Montas. He was assigned to the AAA Las Vegas Aviators (PCL), where he went 0-1, 4.38 ERA in 4 starts. Ken was called up to the MLB on September 1, 2022, when teams were allowed to add 2 players to their MLB roster and made his debut that same day as the starting pitcher against the Washington Nationals. He did well, allowing 1 run in 4 2/3 innings before being replaced by Joel Payamps, but he was not involved in the final decision as Oakland lost the game by the score 7-5, in 10 innings.
2008- Former Yankees Closer Rich “Goose” Gossage is voted into the Hall of Fame by the BBWAA on his 9th try. Gossage had a 126 ERA+; he was a 9-time MLB All-Star while saving over 300 MLB games. He is the 5th Reliever voted into the Hall, but the 3rd in the past 5 years. He joins Hoyt Wilhelm, Rollie Fingers, Dennis Eckersley and Bruce Sutter as MLB Relief Pitchers enshrined in Cooperstown. As a Yankees Closer Rich Gossage (1978-1983,1989), he had posted a 42-28 record with a 2.14 ERA and 151 saves in 319 games.
2020- The Yankees had signed former MLB P Nick Tropeano to a Minor League contract with an invitation to their 2020 MLB Spring Training Camp. He has previously pitched in the MLB with the Astros and the Angels, while posting a 12-14 record with a 4.51 ERA in 42 games. He didn’t pitch for the team at the MLB level. On August 9, 2020, he was DFA by the Yankees. Nick would be claimed by the Pirates.
January 9th
1854- Former Yankees Team Co-Owner Bill Devery (1903-1914) was born. (1854-1919)
Frank Farrell and Bill Devery were the 1st team owners of the New York Highlanders - later to become the Yankees. They had purchased the AL Baltimore Orioles franchise on January 9,1903 for $18,000. They were allowed to purchase the team and move it to New York City because of their ties with the local politics. All previous attempts to move a team to Manhattan had been blocked by the Giants Ownership and Manager John McGraw, who had political connections in City Hall. Devery had been an openly corrupt N.Y. City Police Chief. He had been forced out of the Police Department shortly before purchasing the team. After the 1914 AL season, the duo will sell the team to 2 New York City Businessmen: Colonel Jacob Ruppert and Captain Tillinghast L'Hommedieu Houston for $460,000.
1876- Former Yankees Pitcher Barney Wolfe (1903-1904) was born. (1876-1953)
Barney Wolfe had appeared in 27 games for the Yankees, while posting a 6-12 record with 3.02 ERA. In his 1903 rookie season with the Yankees, he went 6-9 with a 2.97 ERA in 20 starts for the team. On July 20,1904, Barney Wolfe (0-3 in 7 games) was traded by the Yankees along with Starter Tom Hughes (7-11 with a 3.70 ERA) to the Senators for veteran MLB Starter Al Orth (3-4).
1903- The defunct AL Baltimore Orioles franchise is purchased by 2 New York City Businessmen Frank Farrell and Bill Devery for $18,000. Then the team is moved to Manhattan, where they will become known as the New York Highlanders, which marked the genesis of the Yankees. Despite attempts by John T. Brush and Andrew Freedman to use their political influence to prevent the American League from finding suitable grounds in New York, League President Ban Johnson, aided by baseball writer Joe Vila, finds new backers. Also, Johnson also finds a ballpark site at 165th Street and Broadway. They will build wooden grandstand seating 15,000 on the highest point of Manhattan. The team, logically, will be called the New York Highlanders. The team will play their AL season games at Hilltop Park from 1903 to 1912, before moving to the Polo Grounds in 1913, when their lease on the ballpark grounds wasn’t renewed by the land owners.
1919- Former Yankees Minor League Catcher and MLB Scout Ed Dunn was born. (1919-1990)
Ed Dunn was 7 for 31 as a Catcher for the 1940 Amsterdam Rugmakers (CANAM) in the Yankees Minor League organization. Later, he would an MLB Scout for the 1959-1990 Senators/Twins organization; signing future MLB Players Dave Boswell, Randy Bush, Lenny Webster and Willie Banks among others.
1936- Former Yankees Pitcher Ralph Terry (1956-1957,1959-1964) was born. (1936-2022)
In 1953, the Yankees had signed Pitcher Ralph Terry as an MLB Amateur Free Agent. He would pitch in 10 games for the 1956-1957 Yankees, going 2-3 before being traded on June 15,1957 to Kansas City in the Billy Martin trade. In 2 seasons with the A’s, Ralph would post an 17-28 record. On May 26,1959, Ralph would return to the Yankees being traded by the A’s along with INF/OF Hector Lopez for veteran Pitchers Johnny Kucks, Tom Sturdivant and Reserve INF Jerry Lumpe. Ralph would become a Yankees regular starter in 1960, posting a 10-8 record with a 3.40 ERA in 35 games. He gave up the 9thinning HR to Maz in Game #7 of the 1960 World Series loss to the Pirates. In 1961, he would post a 16-3 record with a 3.15 ERA in 31 games. The 1962 AL season was Ralph Terry best MLB pitching season by going 23-12 with a 3.19 ERA in 43 starts. He was named to the 1962 AL All-Star team. He won the AL Babe Ruth Award and MLB World Series MVP Award. Ralph went 2-1 in the 1962 World Series against the Giants. In 1963, he had a 17-13 record with a 3.22 ERA in 40 games. In 1964, he was slowed down by pitching arm injuries, slipping to a 7-11 mark with a 4.54 ERA in 27 games. He was pulled out of the Yankees starting rotation and was working out of the Yankees bullpen. Ralph had appeared in 5 World Series for the Yankees, while posting a 2-4 record along with a 2.93 ERA along with 31 Ks. His overall Yankees Pitching career record was 78-59 with .569 WP, along with a 3.44 ERA in 210 games with 615 strikeouts, 56 complete games and 16 shutouts. After the 1964 World Series, he was sent along with P Bud Daley to complete the Pedro Ramos September 1964 trade with the Indians. After playing for the Tribe, Ralph was briefly with the A’s again before he would be finishing his MLB Pitching career with the 1966-1967 Mets. Ralph Terry had finished his MLB Pitching career with an overall 107-99 record with a 3.62 ERA in 338 games. He had struck out 1,000 MLB batters. After baseball, Terry became a Professional Golfer. Based on his status as a PGA of America Sectional Champion, he qualified for and played in 4 PGA Tour events in 1981 and 1982. In 1986, he started playing on the Senior PGA Tour. His best finish was a tie for 10th at the 1989 Showdown Classic.
1953- Former Yankees Reserve INF Ivan De Jesus (1986) was born.
On May 1,1986, veteran MLB INF Ivan De Jesus was signed as an MLB Free Agent with the Yankees. He would only appear in 7 games with the Yankees before being released by the team on June 24,1986.
1959- Former Yankees Reserve OF Otis Nixon (1983) was born.
Otis Nixon was selected by the Yankees in the 1st round (3rd Pick) of the 1979 MLB Amateur Player Draft (Secondary Phase). He appeared in only 13 games for the 1983 Yankees as a Reserve Outfielder, while batting just .143. On February 5,1984, Otis was traded by the Yankees along with a Player to be Named Later (P Guy Elston) and MLB Reliever George Frazier to the Indians for a Player to be Named Later (Rick Browne) and MLB INF Toby Harrah.
1964- Former Yankees Reserve OF Stan Javier (1984) was born.
After being obtained from the Cardinals along with INF Bobby Meacham, Stan would hit .143 in 7 games in 1984 before being sent to Oakland in the Rickey Henderson trade. He was the son of former NL All-Star INF Juan Javier, who had played 2B for the 1960’s Cardinals.
1969- Former Yankees Pitcher Domingo Jean (1993) was born.
On January 10,1992, P Domingo Jean was traded by the White Sox along with Pitchers Melido Perez and Bob Wickman to the Yankees for AL All-Star INF Steve Sax. He would go 1-1 with a 4.46 ERA in 10 games for the Yankees before being traded on November 27,1993, along with Reserve INF Andy Stankiewicz to the Astros for veteran MLB Reliever Xavier Hernandez.
1973- Former Yankees INF Lynn “Broadway” Lary (1929-1934) passed away. (1906-1973)
In 1928, INF Lynn Lary was purchased from the AA Oakland Oaks (PCL). He had 3 good seasons with the Yankees, before slipping in 1932. He had appeared in 496 games for the team, while hitting .274 with 21 HRs and 237 RBIs. On May 15,1934, he would be traded to the Red Sox for INF Fred Muller and $20,000 Cash. He would later play for the Browns and Indians before retiring from MLB.
1990- Former Yankees AL MVP and All-Star Pitcher Spurgeon “Spud” Ferdinand Chandler (1937-1947) passed away. (1907-1990)
Spud Chandler had pitched for the Yankees from 1937-1947, finishing with a pitching career record of 109-43 (.717). His best Yankees season was in 1943, when he went 20-1 (.833 WP) with a 1.64 ERA. He was named to the 1943 AL All-Star team. Spud was the winner of the 1943 AL MVP and MLB MVP Awards. In April 1944, Chandler had entered the Army Air Corps. He was discharged from service in September 1945. He would appear in the 1941-1943 and 1947 World Series with the Yankees, posting a 2-2 record with 1.62 ERA. At the age of 38 in 1946, he went 20-8 for the Yankees. After the 1947 World Series, he retired as an MLB active player. After his MLB Pitching career had ended, Spud Chandler was a Kansas City A’s MLB Pitching Coach for the 1957-1958 AL seasons. Also, he was also a longtime MLB Scout for the Indians and Twins organizations.
1992- Former Yankees Minor League Reliever Joe Harvey (2019) was born.
Joe Harvey was drafted by the Yankees in the 19th round of the 2014 MLB June Amateur Draft from Univ. of Pittsburgh. On November 20, 2018, the Yankees added Minor League Reliever Joe Harvey to their 40-man MLB roster. The young Reliever has a 5-6 lifetime career record with 1.75 ERA with 25 saves in 102 games. He split the 2018 baseball season between the AA Trenton Thunder (EL) and AAA Scranton (IL), while posting a 3-2 record with a 1.67 ERA and 11 saves in 43 games. In 2019, he split playing between AAA Scranton and the Yankees. With the 2019 Yankees, he had appeared in 9 games, while posting a 1-0 record with a 4.50 ERA. On July 31, 2019, Joe was traded by the Yankees to the Rockies for Minor League P Alfredo Garcia.
1997- The Yankees had signed MLB Free Agent OF/DH/1B Mark Whiten. He would hit .265 with 5 HRs and 24 RBIs, while appearing in 67 games as a Reserve Player for the 1997 Yankees.
2007- Former Yankees Minor League Pitcher Ben Callahan passed away. (1957-2007)
The Yankees in the 31st round of the 1980 MLB Amateur Player Draft had selected P Ben Callahan. He never appears with the Yankees at the MLB level. On June 15,1983, Ben was traded by the Yankees along with 1B/DH Marshall Brant and Cash to Oakland for veteran Starter Matt Keough.
2020- The Yankees had signed former MLB veteran Catcher Chris Iannetta to a Minor League player contract with an invitation to their 2020 MLB Spring Training Camp. He had hit .222 with 6 HRs last season with the Rockies. Chris joins fellow veteran MLB Catcher Erik Katz in the completion to be a back-up Catcher to AL All-Star starting Catcher Gary Sanchez. He will retire from the MLB on August 8, 2020. At the time, he was playing at the 2020 Yankees Alternate Training Site at Scranton.
2020- Former Yankees Minor League Catcher Hal Smith passed away. (1930-2020)
In 1949, the Yankees had signed Catcher Hal Smith as an MLB Amateur Free Agent. He was blocked at starting catcher’s spot the presence by Yogi Berra and other Yankees Catching Minor League prospects. Hal would play in the Yankees Minor League system from 1949 to 1953, reaching the Class AA Birmingham Barons (SA). After the 1954 AL season, Hal was involved in a huge player trade made, whereby 17 players changed teams between the Yankees and the Orioles. He came up with to the MLB for 1st time in 1955 with the Orioles in their 2nd season in Baltimore. Smith immediately became a regular player as a Rookie, appearing in 135 games, while hitting .271 with 4 HRs and 52 RBIs. In August 1956, he was traded by the Orioles to the A’s. In 1957, Hal had one of his best MLB career seasons with the bat, hitting .303 and slugging .483, 101 points above the AL Slugging average. For the 1958-1959 AL seasons, Smith played a lot of 3B, as the A's tried to keep his bat in the regular lineup, when he wasn't catching. After the 1959 AL season, he was traded to the Pirates for 2 players in time to be part of their 1960 World Series team. During the regular season, he slugged .508. During the 1960 World Series, he hit a 3-run HR in Game 7 that keyed a Pirates comeback in the 8th inning. Smith's HR put the Pirates ahead by the score of 9-7 before the Yankees tied the game with 2 runs in the 9th inning. Bill Mazeroski’s Memorable HR in the bottom of the 9th inning won the 1960 World Series for the Pirates. In 1962, Hal became one of the original members of the new NL Expansion Team, the Houston Colt .45s. In 1964, he would finish out his MLB playing career with the Reds.
2021- Former Yankees Minor League Catcher George Pena passed away at age 76 from COVID-19 Virus. (1944-2021)
Catcher George Pena had played in 13 seasons in the Minor Leagues, reaching the AAA level for most of those years. After graduating from Montebello HS, Pena was signed by the Angels and began his pro career with the 1963 Quad Cities Angels, hitting .204 in 40 games with the club. After a stint in the Cubs farm system, he moved on to play for theYankees organization in 1970. That summer, he hit .246 with 15 HRs for the AAA Syracuse Chiefs (IL). Pena drove in the winning run in Game 6 of the 1970 Junior World Series. He had his best season in 1971, hitting .284 with 22 HRs for AAA Syracuse (IL) and earning a spot on the International League All-Star team, joining Johnny Oates as the catchers. On October 24,1972, the Yankees had traded George to the Padres INF Fred Stanley. The trade was done at the AAA level with the Syracuse Chiefs getting Stanley for the 1973 IL season. Pena would later played in the Tigers, Indians, Twins and the Astros organizations, never reaching the MLB level. Away from the diamond, Pena had served in the U.S. Marine Reserves. On January 9, 2021, he died of COVID-19 Virus at age 76.
2022- Rachel Balkovec was named the 1st female manager in affiliated professional baseball, after she was tabbed by the Yankees on Tuesday to manage the Low-A Tampa Tarpons this season. “On behalf of Major League Baseball, I congratulate Rachel on this historic milestone," Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement. "As manager of the Tampa Tarpons, she will continue to demonstrate her expertise and leadership in the Yankees’ organization. We wish Rachel well in this new capacity and appreciate her mentorship to the growing network of women in baseball operations and player development roles. “When Kim Ng was hired as the general manager of the Marlins prior to the 2021 season, it was a meaningful step forward. I am pleased to see the game continue to make important progress at various levels. Major League Baseball is committed to providing a supportive environment for women and girls to pursue our sport as players, coaches, umpires and executives. We are proud of Rachel, new director of player development Sara Goodrum of the Astros and all the women across our sport who are setting a positive example for our next generation of fans and proving, on and off the field, that Baseball is a game for everyone.” Rachel Balkovec, aged 34, was serving as a Hitting Coach in the Yankees organization's Rookie-level Florida Complex League. She has been a Coach in pro baseball for 10 years; becoming the 1st female full-time Hitting Coach in an MLB organization, when she took on her previous role in 2019.
January 10th
1888- Former Yankees 2B Del Pratt (1918-1920) was born. (1888-1977)
On January 22,1918, 2B Del Pratt was traded by the St. Louis Browns along with veteran P Eddie Plank to the Yankees for P Nick Cullop, INF Joe Gedeon, 2B Fritz Maisel, C Les Nunamaker, P Urban Shocker and $15,000 Cash. Del became the starting 2B for the 1918-1920 Yankees, replacing the recently traded 2B Fritz Maisel. His best Yankees season was in 1920, when he hit .314 with 4 HRs and 100 RBIs in 154 games. He led the AL in games played that season. Also, he had led the AL in games played in 1911-1914 and 1916, while playing with the Browns. With the Yankees, Del would appear in 420 games, while hitting .295 with 10 HRs and 219 RBIs. On December 15,1920, Del was traded by the Yankees along with Catcher Muddy Ruel, P Hank Thormahlen and OF Sammy Vick to the Red Sox for Pitchers Harry Harper, Waite Hoyt, INF Mike McNally and Catcher Wally Schang. He would finish his MLB playing career with the 1923-1924 Tigers. Overall, he had appeared in 1,836 MLB games, while hitting .292 with 43 HRs and 979 RBIs. Later, he would become a Minor League Manager in the Texas League.
1903- Despite attempts by Giants Management John T. Brush and Andrew Freedman to use their political influence to prevent the American League from finding suitable grounds for a club to play in New York City. AL Commissioner Ban Johnson is aided by Baseball Writer Joe Vila, who finds financial backers for a team. Also, Johnson finds a ballpark site at 165th Street and Broadway, they leased the land from the Owners. Frank Farrell and Bill Devery pay $18,000 for the Baltimore Orioles AL team franchise. They will build a wooden grandstand ballpark seating 15,000 people on the highest point of Manhattan. The team logically will be called the New York Highlanders. The new ballpark will be called Hill Top Park; it will be the team’s home field from 1903 to 1912. At the end of the 1912 AL season, the team will move to the Polo Grounds, when the landowners refused to renew the lease of the land, where the ballpark was located.
1924- The Yankees had released future Hall of Fame 3B Frank “Home Run” Baker, he had retired from MLB. On February 15,1916, 3B Frank Baker was purchased by the Yankees from Philadelphia Athletics for $37,500 Cash. Baker had sat out the 1915 AL season due to an MLB player contract dispute with A’s Owner/Manager Connie Mack. He would appear in 676 games for the 1916-1922 Yankees, while hitting .288 with 48 HRs and 375 RBIs. In 1920, he sat out the AL season due to death of his wife to take care of his 2 young children. He returned to the team in 1921. Frank “Home Run” Baker will be elected to the Hall of Fame in 1955.
1956- Former Yankees MLB Scout Phil Rossi (1997-2000) was born.
Phil Rossi has been a Minor League player (2 years) and a long-time MLB Scout (over 30 years). His twin brother, Bob Rossi has also scouted. The Cubs selected Rossi in the 36th round of the 1977 MLB Amateur Player Draft. The Infielder would split the summer between the GCL Cubs (12 for 29, 3B, 3 BB) and the Geneva Cubs (.274 in 43 G). He had stolen 10 bases in 11 tries for the summer and only struck out in 7 of 164 AB. In 1978, he was a utility man for the Pompano Beach Cubs, backing up 2B Dan Rohn and also seeing action at SS, 3B, C and OF. He hit .246 with only 4 strikeouts in 122 AB, but also only one extra-base hit (a double). In 156 minor league games, he had batted .276 with just 11 strikeouts in 286 at-bats. He had fielded .945 in 34 games at Shortstop, .932 in 34 in the OF, .974 in 18 at 2B, .917 in 5 at 3B and had 1 putout and no errors at Catcher. Rossi has scouted for several MLB teams; the Red Sox (1981-1997), Yankees (1997-2000), Indians (2000-2005) and the Marlins (2006- ). He had signed John Marzano and Frank Herrmann.
1959- Former Yankees Pitcher Richard Dotson (1988-1989) was born.
On November 12,1987, AL All-Star hurler Richard Dotson was traded by the White Sox along with P Scott Nielsen to the Yankees for OF Dan Pasqua, C/DH/1B Mark Salas and P Steve Rosenberg. Rich would go 14-14 with a 5.13 ERA in 43 games before being released by the team in 1989.
1960- Former Yankees Reserve OF Bob Brower (1989) was born.
On December 5,1988, OF Bob Brower was traded by the Rangers to the Yankees for Reserve INF Bobby Meacham. Bob would appear in 26 games as a Reserve OF for the 1989 Yankees, while hitting .232 with 2 HRs and 3 RBIs. It would his last active MLB season. Since 2000, he has been working for the Scott Boras Corporation.
1968- Yankees Minor League Manager Carlos Mota was born.
A former Minor League Catcher Carlos Mota had played in the Indians organization from 1987 until 1993. He finished active playing career with the 1994-1999 Independent League team, the St. Paul Saints. He had been a Player/Coach with the Saints in 1999. Then he joined the Diamondbacks organization working for them from 2000-2001. He left the Arizona Organization to join the Yankees Organization from 2002-2009 working as a Yankees Minor League Coach or Manager with the 2010 Manager DSL Yankees 1, 2012-2013 Manager DSL Yankees 2 and then he was the 2014-2015 Rehab Manager for the Yankees Latin Béisbol Academy.
1973- Pitcher Doug Heinold was selected by the Yankees in the 1st round of the 1973 MLB Amateur Player Draft. While he did not pan out for the Yankees, they did better later in the Amateur Player Draft with the selections of INF Mike Heath, P LaMarr Hoyt and INF Garth Iorg.
1983- A preliminary injunction is issued by New York Supreme Court barring the Yankees from playing their 1983 AL Opening Season games against the Tigers in Denver, Colorado. The Yankees sought to move their home games fearing the renovations to the Yankee Stadium would not be completed on time and be unsafe for the fans.
1989- The Yankees had traded veteran MLB Starter Rick Rhoden to the Astros for 3 Minor League players: OF John Fishel, Pitchers Pedro Deleon and Mike Hook. Rhoden had posted a 12-12 record with a 4.29 ERA in 30 games for the 1988 Yankees. In 2 seasons with the team, Rick had posted a 28-22 record with a 4.09 ERA in 60 games. Fishel was assigned to AAA Columbus (IL), while the 2 Pitchers were assigned to AA Albany (EL). All 3 players obtained in the trade never appeared with the Yankees at the MLB level.
1992- The Yankees had traded veteran All-Star 2B Steve Sax to the White Sox in exchange for 3 Pitchers: Melido Perez, Domingo Jean and Bob Wickman. Sax had appeared in 471 games for the Yankees, while hitting .294 with 19 HRs and 161 RBIs. He was named to the AL All Star team twice. The Yankees Front Office felt that young Pat Kelly should give a chance to play regularly at 2B. Perez was bothered by injuries during his stay with the 1993-1995 Yankees. He will post a 33-39 record with a 4.06 ERA in 93 games. Wickman and Jean were both Class A Minor League Pitchers, who were assigned to the Yankees Minor League system. Bob Wickman would go 31-14 with a 4.21 ERA and 11 saves in 223 games before being traded by the Yankees to the Brewers during the 1996 AL season. Jean would appear with the 1993 Yankees going 1-1 with a 4.46 ERA in 10 games before being traded to Astros in the winter of 1993.
2002- The Yankees had signed MLB Free Agent Starter David Wells to a 2-year, $7-million contract to re-join the team. After posting a 34-14 record including a Perfect Game from 1997-1998, David Wells and 2 other players were traded to the Blue Jays in exchange for AL All-Star Starter Roger Clemens. With the Blue Jays, Wells had his only 20-win season of his MLB Pitching career.
2014- MLB Reliever Matt Thornton completes his 2-year $7 million deal with the Yankees. To make room for him on their 40-Man MLB Roster, the Bronx Bombers designate veteran OF/DH Vernon Wells for assignment. With the 2014 Yankees, Matt would post a 0-3 record with a 2.55 ERA with no saves in 46 games. On August 5, 2014, he was selected off waivers by the Nationals from the Yankees.
2021- Former Yankees Reserve INF Pedro Gonzalez (1963-1965) passed away from lung disease. (1937-2021)
Before the start of 1958 AL Season, the Yankees had signed INF Pedro Gonzalez as an MLB Amateur Free Agent. He was the winner of the 1963 James P. Dawson Award for best Yankees Rookie in MLB Spring Training Camp. Pedro would hit .266 with No HRs and 6 RBIs in 101 games for the Yankees. In 1964, he had appeared in 80 games for the Yankees, while hitting .277. He had played in 1 game of the 1964 World Series against the Cardinals with no hits. On May 10,1965, Pedro was traded by the Yankees to the Indians for 1B Ray ”Buddy” Barker. Pedro would hit .240 with 8 HRs and 64 RBIs in a 116 games for the Tribe. Overall, as an MLB Player, Pedro would play in 407 games; while hitting .244 with 8 HRs and 70 RBIs.
January 11th
1911- Former Yankees Minor league INF Roy Hughes was born. (1911-1995)
On June 13,1939, INF Roy Hughes was traded by the Browns along with Cash to the Yankees for OF Joe Gallagher, who was hitting .244 with 2 HRs and 9 RBIs in 14 games with the Bombers. Roy never appeared with the Yankees at the MLB level. He was assigned to the AA Newark Bears (IL). On July 13,1939, Roy was traded by the Yankees to the Phillies for P Al Hollingsworth.
1915- Two New York Businessmen Jacob Ruppert and Tillinghast L'Hommedieu Huston buy the New York Yankees from current Team Owners Frank Farrell and Bill Devery for $460,000. Jacob Ruppert, who owns a local brewery, is thinking of renaming the team the “Knickerbockers” to promote his NYC Beer Brewery product, but he is dissuaded by local newspapermen to keep the “Yankees” name instead.
1928- Former Yankees Reserve INF (1952-1953) and MLB Coach (1967) Loren “Bee Bee” Babe was born. (1928-1984)
In 1945, INF Babe Loren was signed by the Yankees, as an MLB Amateur Free Agent. He would only appear in only 17 games, hitting .205 with 2 HRs and 26 RBIs for the 1952-1953 Yankees. He had been buried in the Yankees Minor League system with so many talented infielders around their organization. In the spring of 1953, he was sold to the Philadelphia A’s. With the A’s Babe would play 3B, while appearing in 103 games, while hitting .224 with No HRs and 20 RBIs. In December of 1953, the Yankees would reacquire Babe in the Vic Power trade. He remained in the Minor Leagues playing at the AAA level from 1954 until 1958, before retiring as an active player. From 1961-1966, he would manage in the Yankees Minor League system at different levels, reaching AAA in 1966 and again in 1976. In 1967, Loren was an MLB Coach for the Yankees. He moved on to the White Sox as a Special Assignment Scout in 1977-1979, then as a MLB Coach in 1979, 1980 and 1983. When it was found in April of 1983 that Babe was suffering from cancer, fellow White Sox Coach Charley Lau voluntarily gave up his spot on the MLB coaching staff, so that Babe could qualify for MLB pension benefits. Babe would pass away from cancer at age 56. Lau was diagnosed with cancer a month after Babe, and he would passed away 5 weeks after him.
1934- The Yankees had released Reserve INF Edward “Doc” Farrell. He had appeared in 70 games as a Reserve Infielder for the 1932-1933 Yankees, while hitting .231. Farrell had been part of the Joe DiMaggio trade with the AA San Francisco Seals (PCL), but he refused to go to the team, instead he will play briefly for the 1934 Red Sox before leaving the MLB.
1962- Former Yankees Reliever Don Pall (1994) was born.
On January 16,1994, Reliever Don Pall was signed as an MLB Free Agent by the Yankees. Don had posted a 1-2 record with a 3.60 ERA in 26 games for the Yankees before being released on July 29,1994. He would finish the 1994 MLB season with the Cubs.
1965- Former Yankees 1B Wally Pipp (1915-1925), the predecessor of Lou Gehrig at 1B for the Yankees dies in Grand Rapids, Michigan, he was 71 years old. (1893-1965)
Rookie 1B Wally Pip was acquired from the Tigers in 1915. He had been beaten out of the Tigers starting 1B job by Tigers teammate George “Tigoa” Burns. Pipp, who in 1925, he had asked out of the Yankees starting lineup with a headache, he had been hit by a ball in the head the previous day. After giving way to Rookie 1B Lou Gehrig, Pipp will never again played a game at 1B for the Yankees. In January of 1926, Wally was sold to the Reds for $7,500 Cash. He would finish up his fine MLB playing career with the 1926-1928 Reds. Wally had appeared in 3 World Series with the Yankees, while hitting .224 in 19 games. He hit over .300 in 3 seasons with the Yankees, with 1922 being his best Yankees player season with a .329 mark. He had appeared in 1,488 games for the Yankees, hitting .282 with 80 HRs and 826 RBIs. In 1916 and 1917, Wally Pipp led the AL in HRs with 12 and 9. He led the AL in fielding for 1B in 1915 and 1924.
1973- MLB Team Owners approve one of the game's most controversial rules: Designated Hitter. The team owners decide to allow AL teams to implement the rule on an experimental 3-year basis, but the DH Rule will become a permanent addition to the American League. The Yankees Ron Bloomberg will become the 1st DH in MLB History to appear in a game against the Red Sox in April of 1973.
1977- The Yankees had drafted OF Willie McGee in the 1st round (15th pick) of the 1977 MLB Amateur Player Draft (Secondary Phase). Willie will never play for the Yankees at the MLB level. On October 21,1981, Willie was traded by the Yankees to the Cardinals for P Bob Sykes.
1980- The Yankees had drafted OF/1B Tom Dodd in the 1st round (7th selection) of the1980 MLB Amateur Player Draft (Secondary Phase). Todd never played for the Yankees at the MLB level. On May 5,1982, he was traded by the Yankees along with 3B Jeff Reynolds (Minors) and 1B/DH Dave Revering to the Blue Jays for veteran 1B/DH John Mayberry. On December 9,1982, Tom was traded by the Blue Jays along with veteran Reliever Dale Murray to the Yankees for 1B/OF Dave Collins, Minor League Class A 1B Fred McGriff, P Mike Morgan and Cash.
1983- The Yankees named Billy Martin their Manager for the 3rd time in 8 years. Martin takes over for Clyde King, who is bumped upstairs to the Yankees front office. Billy Martin will lead the Yankees to a record of 91-71 in 1983 AL season.
1983- Ellis Burks is one of the few good players to be drafted and also signed in the January Free Agent Draft. Burks is picked on the 1st round by the Red Sox as the Yankees picked and signed Ozzie Canseco, who was a Pitcher with their 4th pick.
1989- Former Yankees Reserve OF Rico Noel (2015) was born.
Beginning in 2010, CF Rico Noel had played in the Padres organization. He was selected by the club in the 5th round of the 2010 MLB Amateur Player Draft. The owner of blazing speed, Noel stole 17 bases in 44 games his 1st season, and followed that with a 62-steal campaign in 126 games in 2011. Entering 2012, he was ranked the best defensive Outfielder in the Padres system by Baseball America. He stole 90 bases in 113 tries for the Lake Elsinore Storm that year. In 2013, he stole 59 bases in 131 games for the San Antonio Missions. He began 2014 season with the AAA El Paso Chihuahuas (PCL). He stole 32 bases while playing there. Back with El Paso in 2015 after being a non-roster invitee to the Padres' Spring Training Camp, the Padres released him on June 28th. On July 2nd, he was signed by the Yankees. He would spend time 1st with the AA Trenton Thunder (EL) and then with the AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (IL). He was called up to the Bronx, when team rosters expanded on September 1st. He made his Yankees player debut the next day as a late-game defensive replacement for RF Carlos Beltran, although he did not have a chance to bat in the game. He would appear in 15 games with the 2015 Yankees, while hitting .500. On October 16, 2015, he was granted MLB Free Agency by the team. On December 17, 2015, the Dodgers would sign him.
1995- Former Yankees Minor League INF Nick Solak was born.
Second baseman Nick Solak was drafted in the 2nd round of the 2016 MLB Amateur Player Draft by the Yankees, out of the Univ. of Louisville. He began his pro career that season with the Class A Staten Island Yankees (NYPL), hitting a solid .321 in 64 games. In 2017, he began the season in the Florida State League with the Class A Tampa Yankees, for whom he played 100 games, then he was promoted to the AA Trenton Thunder (EL ) for an additional 30 games. Between the 2 stops, his batting line was .297 with 72 runs, 26 doubles,12 HRs and 53 RBIs. On February 20, 2018, just after the opening of MLB Spring Training Camp, he was traded by the Yankees 1st to the Diamondbacks along with P Taylor Widener in return for MLB 2B/3B Brandon Drury, then immediately by the D-Backs to the Rays along with P Anthony Banda and 2 Players to be Named Later (Sam McWilliams and Colin Poche) in return for OF Steven Souza. The Rays had suddenly decided, as their MLB Spring Training Camp opened, to shed some salary and Souza was the 3rd veteran to be dealt by the team in the span of 4 days in return for prospects. Nick had played for the 2018 AA Montgomery Biscuits (SL).
1999- Former Yankees Minor League OF/INF Jim Dyck passed away. (1922-1999)
In 1941, the Yankees had signed INF/OF Jim Dyck as an MLB Amateur Free Agent. He played in the Yankees farm System from 1941-1942, (1943-1945 WWII Service time) and the 1946-1949 seasons. He would reach AA level with 1947 Newark Bears (IL) and the Kansas City Blues (AA). He never played for the Yankees at the MLB level. On December 5,1949, Jim was drafted by the St. Louis Browns from the Yankees organization in the 1949 Minor League Player Draft. In 1952-1953, he was the Browns starting 3B. From 1951-1956, he would play in the MLB with the Browns, Orioles, Indians and the Reds; while hitting .246 with 26 HRs and 114 RBIs in 350 games. He played in the Minor Leagues from 1957-1961, retiring as an active player at the age of 39.
2000- Former Hall of Fame MLB Pitcher and Yankee/ MLB Manager Bob Lemon died at the age of 79. (1922-2000)
Bob Lemon was a 7-time 20-game winner with the Indians. He teamed with Bob Feller, Early Wynn and Mike Garcia to form one of the game's greatest starting rotations. In 1954, Bob Lemon went 23-7 with a 2.72 ERA in 36 games with 21 complete games, helping the Indians to an AL record 111-win season. After retiring as an active player in 1958, he worked for the Indians organization as an MLB Scout and then as a Minor League Manager. In 1970, Lemon became an MLB Manager for the 1st time, when he assumed leadership of the Kansas City Royals, replacing Manager Joe Gordon. Later, he managed the White Sox before enjoying his greatest success with the Yankees. On July 25,1978, Bob Lemon replaced the fired Billy Martin and helped the Yankees orchestrate a miraculous 14 game comeback against the Red Sox. Under Bob Lemon's calming hand, the Yankees won their 2nd straight World Championship in 1978. He was elected to Baseball Hall of Fame in 1976.Midway through the 1979 season, Martin replaced him as Yankees Manager. In 1981, when the MLB Player strike split the season into 2 halfs, Gene Michael managed the Yankees to a 1st-half division lead, but when the team faltered in the 2nd half after the strike, Lemon returned as Manager. Even though the Yankees had a losing record under his helm, he took them to victory in the divisional playoff with 2nd-half winner Milwaukee Brewers and then to a 3-game sweep of the Oakland A’s in the ALCS. The Yankees lost the World Series to the Dodgers in 6 games, as Lemon was widely criticized for a managerial decision he made in the last game, when he called in Bobby Murcer to pinch hit for ace pitcher Tommy John with 2 on and 2 outs in the 4th inning; Murcer flied out to right field, and the bullpen imploded after John's departure, giving the game and the series away to the Dodgers. When the Bombers started slowly in 1982, Lemon was again replaced as Manager after 14 games only, this time by Gene Michael. He did not even get to manage the AL team in the 1982 MLB All-Star Game, a traditional perk of the previous year's World Series Manager, he was replaced by Billy Martin, whose A’s had been swept by Lemon's Yankees in the ALCS. Bob Lemon died at age 79 from a Heart Attack/Stroke after a long period of failing health at Palmcrest Convalescent Home in San Bernardino, CA. He was later cremated. Bob was survived by his wife, Jane and 2 sons. The hard-drinking, easygoing Lemon had been seriously ill and housebound, a virtual recluse in his native Long Beach, CA, but he was nevertheless still on the Yankees payroll as an MLB Scout. It was a "lifetime contract" reward from George Steinbrenner for winning the 1978 Yankee World Championship.
2001- Former Yankees Starter David Cone agrees to a 1-year contract with the Eastern Division rivals, the Red Sox. The former Cy Young Award winner could make between $4 million and $5 million with the Red Sox, compared to $500,000 guaranteed-offer made by the Yankees, if he makes the MLB 25-man Roster and pitches regularly during the 2001 season. He will win just 9 games in 25 starts for Boston during the 2001 AL season.
2005- The Diamondbacks had traded 5-time Cy Young Award Winner Randy Johnson to the Yankees in a 3-team deal that includes the Dodgers OF Shawn Green, P Javier Vazquez and Rookie Catcher Dioner Navarro, also move in the transaction. Arizona will receive MLB Starter Javier Vazquez, Catcher Dioner Navarro and Rookie Pitcher Brad Halsey from the Yankees. Then the D-Backs will send Catcher Dioner Navarro along with 3 Minor League Prospects to Dodgers for All-Star OF Shawn Green.
2012- The Yankees would sign OF Preston Mattingly, the son of franchise great Don Mattingly to a Minor League contract. Ironically, Preston was under employment of the Dodgers, the team his father is now managing. He never appears with the team at the MLB level.
2013- Former Yankees Pitcher Fred Talbot (1965-1969) passed away. (1941-2013)
On June 10,1966, P Fred Talbot was traded by the A’s along with Catcher Billy Bryan to the Yankees for P Gil Blanco, OF Roger Repoz and MLB P Bill Stafford. Fred would post a 14-24 record with a 3.99 ERA in 89 games for the 1965-1969 Yankees. On May 20,1969, Fred was traded by the Yankees to the Seattle Pilots for veteran Reliever Jack Aker. Fred had appeared in 8 games all in relief with no decisions for the 1969 Yankees. He would finish his MLB Pitching career with Oakland in 1970. In 1959, the White Sox had signed Fred Talbot as an MLB Amateur Free Agent. He would pitch for the White Sox, Indians, the A’s, Yankees, Pilots and the A’s again, who were now in Oakland; posting an overall MLB Pitching record of 38-56 record with a 4.12 ERA in 195 games. Former Yankees Pitcher Jim Bouton wrote about Fred in his famous baseball book “Ball Four.”
2014- Arbitrator Fredric Horowitz&nbs****ues his ruling on Alex Rodriguez's appeal of his 211-game suspension for PED use, originally issued on August 5th, reducing it to 162 games, or the entire 2014 MLB Season and Postseason, costing him $25 million in salary. Rodriguez says he will appeal the decision in federal court. For its part, the Players Association says it disagrees with the decision, but will respect it as it was reached through due process.
2019- The Yankees add another veteran MLB Infielder to their MLB Roster by signing MLB Free Agent INF D.J. LeMahieu for 2 years and $24 million. The former Rockies 2B D.J. will hit .327 with 26 HRs and 102 RBIs in 143 games for the 2019 Yankees. Also, he was on the 2019 AL All-Star team.
