This Week in Yankees History January 29th-February 4th Part One
January 29th
1885- Former Yankees INF George “Hack” Simmons (1912) was born. (1885-1942)
George “Hack” Simmons hit .239 with No HRs and 41 RBIs in 110 games for the 1912 Yankees. On November 23,1912, George waspurchased by AA Rochester Hustlers (IL) from the Yankees. He would play in the Federal League with the 1914-1915 Baltimore Terrapins, while appearing in 153 games with a .257 BA with 2 HRs and 52 RBIs.
1928- Former Yankees Minor League Catcher Jim Robertson was born. (1928-2015)
Before the start of the 1949 MLB season, Catcher Jim Robertson was signed by the Yankees; as an MLB Amateur Free Agent. He played in the Yankees Minor League system until 1953. In 1949, he played for the Grand Forks Chiefs, while hitting .248 in 153 at-bats. He played for the Quincy Gems in 1950, hitting .295 in 404 at-bats. With the 1951 Muskegon Reds, he would hit .288. Next, he played for the 1952 Binghamton Triplets (EL), where he hit .303. He split the 1953 Minor League season between the AA Kansas City Blues (AA) and AA Syracuse Chiefs (IL), hitting .278 with the Blues and .264 with the Chiefs. With AL MVP and All-Star Yogi Berra as the Yankees starting Catcher and the emergence of young Catcher Elston Howard in the Minors; Jim became one of the many Yankee farm system catchers, who would be traded away by the team during the 1950’s. On December 16,1953, Jim Robertson was traded by the Yankees along with INF Don Bollweg, OF Jim Finigan, P Johnny Gray, 1B/OF Vic Power and OF Bill Renna to the Philadelphia A’s for Starter Harry Byrd, veteran 1B Eddie Robinson, OF Tom Hamilton, OF Carmen Mauro and Reserve INF Loren Babe. On April 15,1954, he would make his MLB Player debut with the A’s. He would spend his entire 1954 AL season with the A’s hitting .184 in 63 games (147 at-bats). In 1955, he played in 6 games for the A’s, who are now in Kansas City, hitting .250 in 8 at-bats. He spent most of the 1955 baseball season with the AAA Portland Beavers (PCL), while hitting .229 in 319 at-bats. Robertson played his final MLB game on May 10,1955. Overall, he had played in 69 MLB games, while hitting .187 in 155 at-bats. Although his MLB playing career was over, he still played in the Minor Leagues until 1956.
1930- The Red Sox sell former AL HR King Ken Williams to their rivals the Yankees for the waiver price. Ken will be released by the Yankees prior to the start of the 1930 AL season. OF Ken Williams finishes his MLB Playing Career as a .319 lifetime hitter with 196 HRs and 916 RBIs, while playing for 14 MLB seasons. Yankees Manager Bob Shawkey was looking for a younger Yankees Outfield, he still had veterans Babe Ruth and Earl Combs as starters, with Bob Meusel being traded to the Reds. He will never again play in the MLB. Ken will play for the 1930-1931 AA Portland Beavers (PCL) before retiring from the game.
1943- The Yankees had traded INF Jerry Priddy and Minor League P Milo Candini to the Senators for P Bill Zuber and Cash consideration. Bill Zuber was classified 4-F in the War Draft, will not have a winning season pitching for the Yankees; while Milo Candini will go 11-7 for the 1943 Senators. Priddy was unable to hit consistently, while playing 2B for the Yankees, forcing Manager Joe McCarthy to move back veteran Joe “Flash” Gordon from 1B to 2B and using Johnny Sturm at 1B. Priddy will become a Reserve INF for the team. Jerry Priddy and Phil Rizzuto were supposed to be the new Yankees double-play combination. Both players had been All-Stars for their AA Kansas City Blues farm club (AA), before joining the team in 1941. In 2 seasons with the Bombers, he had appeared in 115 games, while hitting .248 with 3 HRs and 54 RBIs.
1948- MLB Commissioner Happy Chandler fines the Yankees, Cubs and the Phillies $500 each for signing High School players.
1951- Former Yankees Minor League INF Sergio Ferrer was born.
On March 26,1977, INF Sergio Ferrer was traded by the Phillies to the Yankees for Reserve OF Kerry Dineen. He never appears with the Yankees at the MLB level. Ferrer was assigned to the AAA Syracuse Chiefs (IL), appearing in 67 games, while hitting .281. On December 9,1977, he was traded by the Yankees to the Mets for INF Roy Staiger.
1955- John Williams Cox buys Yankee Stadium from the Dan Topping-Del Webb Team Owner Partnership. He immediately sells the grounds to the Knights of Columbus. In 1962, he will leave Yankee Stadium to Rice Univ.
1960- Former Yankees All-Star INF Steve Sax (1989-1991) was born.
Former Dodger NL All-Star 2B Steve Sax was signed as an MLB Free Agent replacing veteran AL All-Star Willie Randolph at 2B, who had signed with the Dodgers. He hit .315, .260 and .304 as a Yankees player, making the AL All-Star team in 1989-1990. Overall, as a Yankees player, Steve had appeared in 471 games for the team, while hitting .294 with 19 HRs and 161 RBIs. On January 10,1992, Steve was traded by the Yankees to the White Sox for 3 Pitchers: Melido Perez, Bob Wickman and Domingo Jean.
1961- Former Yankees Reserve OF/1B/DH Mike Aldrete (1996) was born.
On June 12,1996, OF/1B/DH Mike Aldrete was traded by the Angels to the Yankees for Reliever Rich Monteleone. Mike had played in 32 games for the 1996 Yankees, while hitting .250 with 3 HRs and 12 RBIs. He would appear in 2 games of the 1996 World Series against the Braves with no hits. On November 4,1996, Mike was granted MLB Free Agency by the Yankees.
1964- Former Yankees Pitcher John Habyan (1990-1993) was born.
On July 20,1989, Reliever John Habyan was traded by the Orioles to the Yankees for Reserve OF Stanley Jefferson. John will spend the rest of the 1989 season with the AAA Columbus Clippers (IL). He would post a 11-9 record with 3.16 ERA and 10 saves in 164 games for the Yankees, as the set-up man for Closer Steve Farr. On July 30,1993, John was traded as part of a 3-team trade by the Yankees to the Royals. The Cubs would send Reliever Paul Assenmacher to the Yankees. Then the Royals would send OF Karl Rhodes to the Cubs.
1966- The Yankees had drafted Darrell Evans in the 2nd Round of the 1966 MLB Amateur Player Draft (Secondary Phase), but they did not sign the player.
1982- The Yankees had named AL All-Star 3B Graig Nettles as their Team Captain for the 1982 AL season. Nettles, becomes the 1st Yankees Captain since the late Thurman Munson, who was killed in August of 1979 in jet crash in Canton, Ohio.
1992- The Yankees had signed MLB Free Agent P Allan Anderson. He comes to the Bronx, after pitching 6 seasons with the Twins, while posting a 49-54 record with a 4.11 ERA in 148 games. He would never appear in a game with the Yankees. Allan would pitch for their Class A 1992 Ft. Lauderdale Yankees (FSL), posting a 1-0 record with a 6.00 ERA in 1 game. He would be released by the Yankees.
1993- The Yankees had signed 1B Fernando Seguignol was an MLB Amateur Free Agent. He was assigned to the 1993 GCL Yankees and struggled, batting only .217 as an Outfielder. In 1994, the teenager improved to .289, though he struck out 61 times in 266 AB’s. He led the NYPL League with 9 triples that year. In 1995, he was traded by the Yankees to the Expos for veteran MLB Reliever John Wetteland. In 2003, Fernando returned from Japan to play in the USA, signing with the Yankees organization. He was 5 for 7 in limited appearances with the Yankees. He was 5 for 13 with the Class A Tampa Yankees (FSL). He spent most of 2003 season, producing at a .341 clip with 28 HRs in 402 ABs for the AAA Columbus Clippers (IL). He led the International League in HRs and BA, led all of full-season MiL baseball in slugging percentage. He was named the DH on the IL All-Star team and won the IL MVP Award. In 2004, he went back to play pro baseball in Japan.
2005- The Yankees had signed veteran MLB Free Agent OF Doug Glanville. The Veteran MLB OF had hit .21o with 2 HRs and 14 RBIs in 87 games for the 2004 Phillies. The Yankees will release him during their 2005 MLB Spring Training Camp.
2007- Former Yankees MLB Pitching Coach and MLB P Art Fowler passed away. (1922-2007)
Veteran MLB Reliever Art Fowler was Billy Martin’s longtime MLB Pitching Coach. As an MLB Pitcher from 1954-1964, Art had posted a 54-51 record with a 4.03 ERA and 32 saves in 362 games with the Reds, Dodgers and finishing up the 1961-1964 Angels. He pitched in Minor Leagues, until he was 43 years old with Billy Martin’s AAA Denver Bears (AA) in the Twins organization in the late 1960’s. Art became a member of theTwins MLB Coaching staff in 1969, when he first worked for Martin. He then had stints with the 1971-1973 Tigers and the 1973-1975 Rangers. He became the Yankees MLB Pitching Coach in 1977; he remained with the team through 1979. He followed Billy Martin to the A’s Coaching for him during the1980-1982 AL seasons. He returned to the Yankees as MLB Pitching Coach in 1983 and again in 1988. He joined the Yankees in 1977 as Billy Martin’s Pitching Coach, replacing Bob Lemon, who had taken the White Sox Manager’s job. As an MLB Pitching Coach, Art Fowler never believed in running for his MLB Pitchers, he is quoted as saying " If you pitched with your legs, Jesse Owens would have won 30 games."
2013- The Miami New Times reports that the names of at least 7 MLB players have turned up in an investigation of a recently closed clinic in Coral Gables, FL, Biogenesis Laboratories, which is suspected to have dealt in performance-enhancing drugs. Most prominent among those named is Yankees Superstar Alex Rodriguez. Three of those named - Bartolo Colon, Melky Cabrera and Yasmani Grandal - were suspended by the MLB for testing positive for banned substances during the past year, lending additional credence to the report.
January 30th
1923- The Yankees GM Edward Barrow raided his old team the Red Sox again, this time obtaining Starter Herb “The Knight of Kennett Square” Pennock exchange for INF Norm McMillan, P George Murray, OF Camp Skinner and $50,000 Cash. Herb Pennock would post a 162-90 record with a 3.54 ERA and 23 saves in 346 games as a Yankees Starter (1923-1933), finishing with an MLB career winning percentage of .643. Herb had 165 complete games along with 19 shutouts and 700 strikeouts in 346 games. In 1924, he would record a 21-9 record for the Yankees. Then in 1926, Herb would post a 23-11 mark. In the World Series for the Yankees, he had a 5-0 record with a 1.95 ERA in 9 games. He would later become a Baseball Executive working with the Phillies new team ownership as their team GM during the mid-1940’s. Herb would be elected to Baseball’s Hall of Fame in 1948.
1948- Former YankeesHall Of Fame Starter Herb Pennock (1923-1933) collapses and dies from a heart attack. (1894-1948)
Herb Pennock, who was only 53, had been serving as the General Manager of the Phillies since 1944. He had helped the Phillies new team ownership that took over the team in 1944, rebuild the team and their Minor League team organization. He brought over many former Yankees into the Phillies organization as Minor League Managers and Coaches, including 1950 Phillies Manager Eddie Sawyer and HOF OF Earl Coombs as an MLB Coach. He would be inducted into Baseball’s Hall of Fame in 1948. The results of his work would lead to the 1950 “Whiz Kids team,” who won the 1950 NL Championship, but lost the 1950 World Series to the Yankees. As a Yankees hurler for 11 seasons (1923-1933), Herb would a post a 162-90 record with a 3.54 ERA and 23 saves in 346 games. Overall, as an MLB Pitcher for 22 seasons (1912-1935), Bob would post a 241-162 record with a 3.60 ERA and 37 saves in 617 games, while pitching for the A’s, Red Sox (twice) and the Yankees. He will be elected to the Hall of Fame in 1948
1954- Former Yankees Reserve OF Dave Stegman (1982) was born.
On April 30,1981, OF Dave Stegman was sent by the Padres to the Yankees to complete an earlier deal made. The Padres would send a Player to be Named later to the Yankees for Minor League P Byron Ballard. He had appeared in 2 games for the 1982 Yankees with no hits, spending most of the 1982 season at AAA Columbus (IL). On November 22,1982, Dave was granted MLB Free Agency by the team.
1961- Former Yankees 2B Aaron Ward (1917-1926) passed away. (1896-1961)
Aaron Ward was the 2B for the Yankees in the days before the arrival of future 2B Tony Lazzeri. Coming up to the Yankees in 1917 at age 20, he was one of the youngest players in the AL. He became a Yankees regular in 1920. He was in the World Series of 1921,1922 and 1923 (he hit .417 in the 1923 World Series, which the Yankees won). Ward was one of several players who held out at the start of 1922 AL season for better contracts. He succeeded in getting a big raise. When Tony Lazzeri came up, Aaron was traded to the 1927 White Sox for a season, thus missing the great 1927 Yankees World Championship experience. On January 13,1927,Aaron was traded by the Yankees to the White Sox for Reserve C Johnny Grabowski and Reserve INF Ray Morehart. Ward’s final Yankees career status were a .268 BA with 45 HRs, 391 RBIs in 908 games. He would finish out his MLB Playing career with the 1928 Indians. "Babe Ruth was great, but then we expect Babe Ruth to be great. Let us give credit where credit is due, and give most of the credit to Wardie and [manager Huggins]." – New York Yankees Owner Jacob Ruppert after the 1923 Yankees World Series Victory over the Giants talking to NYC Sports Writers.
1964- Former Yankees Reliever Hipolito Pena (1988) was born.
On March 30,1988, P Hipolito Pena was traded by the Pirates to the Yankees for Minor League OF/1B Orestes Destrade. He would appear in 16 games for the 1988 Yankees, while posting a 1-1 record with a 3.14 ERA. Pena had spent part of the 1988 season with the AAA Columbus Clippers (IL) posting a 7-6 record with 3.87 ERA and 3 saves in 50 games. He would spend the 1989-1991 baseball seasons pitching in the Yankees Minor League system before joining the Tigers organization in 1992. He would never return to the MLB.
1978- Former Indians Starter Addie Joss and MLB Baseball Executive and MLB Team Owner Larry MacPhail are voted into the Hall of Fame by the Special Veteran’s Committee. Addie Joss posted a 160-97 record with a 1.88 lifetime ERA with the 1902-1910 Indians. He had passed away in 1914 from an illness. Larry MacPhail was one of the 3 Businessmen, who bought the Yankees in 1945 from the Jacob Ruppert Estate. Larry had previous work for the Reds and Dodgers, before joining the Yankees. He would be the Yankees President and General Manager from 1945-1947. In the fall of 1947, he would sell his share of the Yankees to team Co-Owners Del Webb and Dan Topping. MacPhail was very unpopular with the Yankee players, who were very happy to see him leave. Under his brief term as Yankees President/GM (1945-1947), MacPhail had started signing Black Baseball players to play in the Yankees organization, but his work was later undone by his replacement GM George Weiss, in his quest to find the perfect 1st Black MLB Yankee player, who would be Catcher/OF Elston Howard, who appears with the team in 1955.
January 31st
1891- Former Yankees OF Tim Hendryx (1915-1917) was born. (1891-1957)
On August 17,1915 the Yankees had purchase OF Tim Hendryx from the New Orleans Pelicans (SA). He was a good defensive outfielder and a strictly line-drive hitter. In 1911, he had entered the MLB with the 1911-1912 Indians. For the 1915-1917 Yankees, Tim would hit .251 with 5 HRs and 50 RBIs in 153 games. During the 1917 AL season for the Yankees, he had recorded 215 outs and 17 assists in a while appearing in an MLB career-high of 125 games, while hitting .249 with 5 HRs and 44 RBIs. On March 18,1918, Tim was traded as part of a 3-team deal by the Yankees to the Browns. The Reds would send a Player to be Named Later to the Yankees. The Browns would send veteran OF Lee Magee to the Reds, who would in return send Catcher Tommy Clarke on April 25,1918 to the Yankees to complete the trade. Tom would finish out his MLB playing career with the 1920-1921 Red Sox.
1893- Former Yankees Reserve 1B George “Tigoa” Burns (1928-1929) was born. (1893-1966)
On September 17,1928, the Yankees had purchased veteran 1B George Burns from the Indians. He would only report to the team after Manager Miller Huggins had told what his team player status would be for the 1929 AL season. He told him that he would be the team’s Reserve 1B for the 1929 Yankees, backing up 1B Lou Gehrig. He would appear in 13 games for the 1928-1929 Yankees going 2 for 13, hitting just .154 with No HRs and RBIs before being sent to Philadelphia in June of 1929. In 1926, George Burns had won the AL MVP Award, while hitting .358 with 4 HRs and 115 RBIs in 151 games, while playing for the Tribe. He had originally come up with the Tigers in 1915 as their regular 1B, traded to A’s for veteran OF Bing Bodie. Connie Mack would only trade Bodie to the Yankees, if they could send them a 1B; that’s is why the Yankees made the cash deal with the Tigers. George would play in the MLB for 16 seasons finishing with a lifetime .307 BA, while hitting 72 HRs and 954 RBIs in 1,866 games. He had played for the Tigers, A’s (twice), Indians (Twice), Red Sox and the Yankees during his long MLB playing career.
1895- Former Yankees Minor League Manager Jimmy Zinn (1937) was born. (1895-1991)
Pitcher Jimmy Zinn is the father of Jimmy Zinn Jr., a Minor League player from 1947-1953. Jimmy Zinn had pitched professionally from 1915 to 1939. He would appear in the MLB with the 1919 A’s, 1920-1922 Pirates and the 1929 Indians. His final MLB Pitching totals was a 13-16 record with a 4.30 ERA and 6 saves in 66 games. He had posted a Minor League Pitching record of 288-191 with a 3.52 ERA in 578 games. In July of 1952, Zinn was the 1st player named to the Kansas City Blues' Hall of Fame. He had pitched for the 1922-1928 AA Blues before they became a Yankees AA Farm team. Zinn spent 13 seasons pitching at the AA level. Later, Jim was Minor League Manager with the 1937 Yankees Minor League team, the El Paso Texans in the (AZ-TXL). Later, he would manage teams for the Tigers, Braves and the Senators Organizations.
1900- Former Yankees Reserve C John “Honey” Barnes (1926) was born. (1900-1981)
Reserve Catcher John “Honey” Barnes had appeared in 1 game with the 1926 Yankees with 1 at bat, while drawing a walk. In 1926, while playing in his 1st pro baseball season for the AA Buffalo Bisons (IL); John would appear in 42 games as a Catcher, while hitting .282. He had played college baseball, while attending Colgate Univ. He would spend the 1926-1929 baseball seasons, playing in the Minor Leagues with the AA Buffalo Bisons (IL). In 1930, he would spend with the season with the AA Louisville Colonels (AA) before retiring from baseball at the age of 30.
1929- Former Yankees Pitcher Duke Maas (1958-1961) was born. (1929-1976)
Before the start of the 1949 AL season, the Tigers had signed P Duke Maas as an MLB Amateur Player. In 1955, Duke came up to the Tigers. He would pitch for Detroit from 1955-1957, while posting a 15-27 record with a 4.22 ERA and 6 saves in 89 games. Then he was traded to the A’s, where he went 4-5 with 3.90 ERA and 1 save in 10 games for the team. On June 15,1958, Duke was traded by the A’s along with veteran Starter Virgil Trucks to the Yankees for veteran Reliever Bob Grim and OF/1B Harry “Suitcase” Simpson. His best Yankees Pitching season was in 1959; when he would post a 14-8 mark with a 4.43 ERA and 4 saves in 38 games. He would appear in 2 World Series with the Yankees in 1958 (Braves) and 1960 (Pirates) having no decisions. Overall, Duke would go 26-12 with a 4.21 ERA and 8 saves in 96 games with the 1958-1961 Yankees. In 1960, he post a 5-1 record with a 4.09 ERA and 4 saves in 35 games for the Yankees, being used mostly as a Reliever. In December of 1960, the Yankees lost him to the new LA Angels team for $75,000 Cash in the 1960 AL Expansion Team Player Draft. He didn’t make any pitching appearance with the 1961 Angels. On April 4,1961, Duke was traded by the Angels back to the Yankees for Reserve INF Fritz Brickell, who the Angels wanted to use as a starting Shortstop. Duke would only pitch in 1-game for the 1961 Yankees before arm problems shut him down for the season. It would eventually would cost him his MLB Pitching career, despite having arm surgery and making several come-back attempts in the Yankees Minor League system. Overall, as an MLB hurler, Duke Maas had posted a 45-44 record with a 4.19 ERA and 15 saves in 195 games for the Tigers, A’s and the Yankees.
1953- The Yankees, Indians and the Red Sox retaliate at St. Louis Browns Team Owner Bill Veeck, forcing the Browns to play afternoon games to avoid sharing TV revenues. Veeck takes his plan to the AL Office to make them pay. The AL Office rejects his plan. Eventually Bill Veeck will sell the St. Louis Browns to new Team Owners, who will move the team to Baltimore to become the Orioles in 1954.
1958- Former Yankees INF Rafael Santana (1988-1989) was born.
On December 11,1987, veteran MLB Shortstop Rafael Santana was traded by the Mets along with Minor League P Victor Garcia to the Yankees for 3 Minor League Players: OF Darren Reed, Catcher Phil Lombardi and P Steve Frey. Rafael will hit .240 in 148 games for the Yankees in 1988, before going down with right arm elbow injury in their 1998 MLB Spring Training Camp. The Yankees would later release him in August of 1989. Victor Garcia, who was a 1985 14th Round pick by the Mets, never appeared with the Yankees at the MLB level. Darren Reed had hit .319 in 107 games with the AA Albany Yankees (EL). Also, he would hit .329 in 21 games with the AAA Columbus Clippers (IL). Reserve Catcher Phil Lombardi had appeared in 25 games with the 1986-1987 Yankees with 11 hits in 44 at-bats. Hurler Steve Frey had split the 1987 Minor League season with AA Albany Yankees (EL) and the AAA Columbus Clippers (IL), while posting a 2-3 record with a 2.63 ERA in 37 games.
1963- Former MLB player, Manager and Yankees Minor League Manager Oscar Vitt passed away. (1890-1963)
Oscar Vitt had played in the MLB from 1912-1921 with the Tigers and the Red Sox. He was mainly a 3B and 2B, also he had played some outfield. He was a mediocre hitter, hitting only .238 for his MLB playing career, but he was tough to strike out and did have good speed, as witnessed by high totals of triples - he hit 13 in 1915 and 12 in 1916 - and stolen bases (a career-high of 26 in 1915 and 3 other seasons with more than 15. However, he only hit 4 HRs for his entire MLB playing career. He was 3rd in the AL in runs scored in 1915, when he was the Tigers' starting 3B and 2nd-place hitter; he also led the AL with 42 sacrifice hits that season. In the 1930’s, he became a successful Minor League Manager in the PCL with the AA Hollywood Stars and the AA Oakland Oaks. In 1935, he joined the Yankees organization, managing the AA Oakland Oaks (PCL) to a 3rd place finish. Next season, he was the Manager of the AA Newark Bears (IL) in the 1936-1937; when they were the top farm club of the Yankees. Oscar fielded one of the best Minor League teams ever seen in 1937, posting a 109-43 record and winning the 1937 International League Championship. His success with the 1937 AA Newark Bears lead to an MLB Manager’s job with the Indians, which he held from 1938-1940. After being let go by the Indians, he returned to manage in the PCL with the AA Hollywood Stars for the 1941-1942 seasons.
1971- The Special Veteran’s Committee selects 7 men for enshrinement in the Hall of Fame: Former Players Jake Beckley, Joe Kelley, Harry Hooper, Rube Marquard, Chick Hafey and Dave Bancroft, as well as long-time MLB Baseball Executive George Weiss, who was the Yankees GM (1948-1960). Also, he ran the Yankees Minor League system under Yankees GM Edward Barrow during the 1930-1940’s. In 1961, he was named the 1st President and GM for the NL Expansion Team, the Mets. Weiss brought over many former Yankees front office employees to the new Mets organization, including the Mets 1stManager Casey Stengel.
1977- Former Indians and Yankees INF Joe Sewell, MLB hurler Amos Rusie and MLB Catcher and Manager Al Lopez are elected to the Baseball’s Hall of Fame by the Special Veteran’s Committee. Joe Sewell had batted .312 over 14 seasons with the Indians and Yankees. He only struck out 113 times during his MLB playing career. Amos Rusie had won 246 games in over 9 MLB seasons from 1889 to 1898. As an MLB Catcher Al Lopez won 4 fielding titles in 19 years as player, but it was his .584 winning percentage in 17 seasons as an MLB Manager is what got him into Cooperstown. He was the only Manager to win AL pennants with the 1954 Indians and the 1959 White Sox during Manager Casey Stengel’s Yankees Dynasty run of 1949-1960.
1981- Former Yankees Reserve Shortstop John Dowd (1912) passed away. (1891-1981)
On July 2,1912, Shortstop John Dowd waspurchased by the Yankees from Brockton Shoemakers (NE). He had appeared in only 10 games for the team, while hitting only .194 with 1 double and No HRs or RBIs. From 1910-1912, he had been a college baseball player at the Univ. of Vermont. The regular shortstop for the 1912 Highlanders was Jack Martin, also a rookie player, who was not in the MLB the following season. He would return to the Minor Leagues playing until the 1921 season and retiring from baseball at the age of 30.
1987- Former Yankees Reserve OF Melky Mesa (2012-2013) was born.
The Yankees had signed OF Melky Mesa in 2003. He would spend 2004-2005 seasons playing in the Dominican Summer League (DSL). He hit a pitiful .146 with 67 strikeouts in 144 at-bats for the 2004 DSL Yankees then was just 7 for 23 with 3 walks, 2 doubles and 2 HRs for the 2005 DSL Yankees 1. He then came to the U.S. playing 2 seasons with the GCL Yankees, again following a weak 1st year (.207) with a stronger 2nd one hitting .235, albeit with 55 K in 153 AB and 8 errors. Moving on to the short season Class A Staten Island Yankees (NYPL) in 2008, he led the club with 7 HRs but he provided little other help; his batting line was .221 with just 4 walks in 46 games. He was then a South Atlantic League All-Star the following year with the Class A Charleston RiverDogs, hitting .225 with 20 HRs. His overall production was picking up as he also had 7 triples, 76 runs, 74 RBIs and 18 steals (in 24 tries) as well as 19 outfield assists. He was tied for 4th in the SAL in HRs and 5th in runs. He was named the SAL utility All-Star outfielder. Baseball America said he was the fastest base runner, the best athlete, that he had the best outfield arm in the Yankees chain. They had listed him as the League's #20 prospect. Mesa would remained a prospect with the 2010 Class A Tampa Yankees (FSL), hitting .260 with 9 triples, 19 HRs, 31 stolen bases in 40 tries, 81 runs and 74 RBIs. He was among the FSL leaders in runs (5th), triples, HRs; he was tied for 2nd with steals (6th), RBI (7th) and 2nd in slugging. Join the Melky was named the FSL Player of the Year. Among Yankee farmhands, he was tied for 3rd in HR (with Eric Bruntlett, behind Brandon Laird and Jesus Montero) and 3rd in steals. BA again listed him as the Yankees chain's best athlete and having the best outfield arm. They ranked him as the #19 FSL prospect. The Yankees added him to their 40-man MLB Roster. He spent most of the 2011 season with the AA Trenton Thunder (EL), hitting .251 with 9 HRs, despite missing a month of the season with a back injury. He was caught stealing 13 times in 31 steal attempts, for 5th place in the Eastern League. He began 2012 season back with AA Trenton, hitting .277 with 14 HRs and 17 steals in 20 tries before being promoted to the AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees (IL) in early August. He hit .230 with 9 HRs in 33 games, and then he earned a September call-up to the Bronx. Overall, he had 23 HRs, 22 stolen bases (caught 4 times) and 79 runs for his 2012 Minor League season. He made his MLB Player debut for the team on September 22ndagainst the A’s, as a Pinch-Runner for Eric Chavez in the 9th inning. He made it to 3B before being retired on a force at home hit into by Robinson Canó. On September 1, 2013, the Yankees would release Mesa. Overall, he had appeared in just 8 games for the team, while hitting .400 with No HRs and 2 RBI’s. On December 28, 2013, the Royals would sign him as an MLB Free Agent. In 2016, he was player with the Blue Jays organization. He never returned to play in the MLB again.
1992- Former Yankees Minor League P Evan Rutckyj was born.
Evan Rutckyj was drafted by the Yankees in the 16th round of the 2010 MLB June Amateur Player Draft from St. Joseph's Catholic HS (St. Thomas, ON). The tall Canadian tossed 1-shutout inning for the GCL Yankees that summer. In 2011, Rutckyj had a 5-3 record with a 4.76 ERA for the GCL Yankees. He tied for 4th in the GCL in wins. He had opened 2012 season with the Class A Charleston RiverDogs (SAL) posting a 3-2, record with a 4.50 ERA, but he was demoted to the Class A Staten Island Yankees: when the short-season leagues began play. He was 5-6 with a 3.72 ERA for Staten Island, finishing among the NYPL leaders in strikeouts (63, 8th), hits allowed (80, 4th), losses (tied for 7th) and walks (35, tied for 5th). He spent the 2013 season with Class A Charleston RiverDogs (SAL), going 10-9 with a 5.03 ERA. He tied for 4th in the SAL in wins, was 8th in walks (60) and was 2nd with 22 wild pitches. He was moved to the bullpen in 2014, where he showed a strong strikeout rate (58 in 49 2/3 IP) but Evan walked 37 batters. He pitched for Class A Charleston Riverdogs (SAL) with a 4-3, 3.86 ERA in 22 games and the Class A Tampa Yankees (FSL) posting a 1-0 record with a 3.65 ERA in 12 Games. He would open the 2015 season with Tampa and was doing well in relief; when he would join Team Canada for the 2015 Pan American Games. Evan had pitched 2 games (2 IP) with 3 strikeouts, 1 hit, 1 walk and no runs, while Canada won the Gold Medal, joining Cuba as the only country to win multiple Baseball Golds in the Pan American Games. From 2010 to 2017, he would pitch in the Yankees Minor League system. From 2017 to 2019, Evan would pitch in the Independent Leagues. He had appeared in the Australian Baseball League with the 2019 Adelaide team. He hasn’t pitched since the 2019 season had ended.
2002- Former Yankees Minor League Catcher and MLB player Harry Chiti passed away. (1932-2002)
On June 29,1950, Catcher Harry Chiti was signed by the Cubs as an MLB Amateur Free Agent. He became the youngest player in the NL; when he made it into 3 Cubs games at age 17. After a couple more stays in Chicago, while still a teenager and serving 2-years active duty in the Army; he became a semi-regular behind the plate for the Cubs before being traded to the Yankees on December 11,1956 for veteran Reserve Catcher Charlie Silvera. Harry never made it into Yankees pinstripes at the MLB level. Instead, he played for the Yankees AAA team, the Denver Bears (AA). The Athletics selected him in the 1957 MLB Rule 5 Player Draft from the Yankees organization. He would play with the A’s, Tigers, Indians (twice), Orioles and the 1962 Mets before leaving the MLB. Catcher Harry Chiti holds a special place in MLB history, becoming the 1st man to ever be traded for himself, the Player to be Named Later in a deal for himself in 1962. The Indians had sent him to the 1962 Mets for a Player to be Named Later. Mets Manager Casey Stengel was unhappy with Harry for his lack of hitting, .195 in 15 games with the team; so, he was sent back to the Tribe as the Player to be Named Later.
2006- The Yankees had signed veteran MLB Free Agent P Ramiro Mendoza. He has been with the Red Sox for 2 seasons, while posting a 5-6 record with a 5.73 ERA in 64 games. He will spend the 2006 baseball season with the AAA Columbus Clippers (IL) trying to comeback from his pitching arm problems. He had only appeared in 1 game (1 inning, no decision) with the 2005 Yankees. He had originally come up with the Yankees, before leaving the team for MLB Free Agency in the winter of 2003. He would be sign by the Red Sox. Overall, as Yankees Reliever from 1996 to 2003, Ramon had a 54-34 record with 4.10 ERA and 16 saves in 278 games.
2008- The Yankees had signed veteran MLB Free Agent OF/DH Morgan Ensberg. Veteran OF/DH Morgan Ensberg will appear in just 28 games for the 2008 Yankees, hitting only just .203 before being released by the team on June 7, 2008. He will be sign as an MLB Free Agent by the Indians, playing the rest of 2008 season with their AAA team, the Buffalo Bisons (IL).
2018- Former Yankees OF/DH Oscar Gamble (1976,1979-1984) had passed away. (1949-2018)
On November 22,1975, OF Oscar Gamble was traded by the Indians to the Yankees for veteran MLB Starter Pat Dobson. In 1976, Oscar hit will hit only .232 with 17 HRs and 57 RBIs. On April 5,1977, Gamble was traded by the Yankees along with Minor League Pitchers Bob Polinsky, La Marr Hoyt and $200,000 Cash to the White Sox for Shortstop Bucky Dent. On August 1,1979, Oscar was traded by the Rangers along with Players to be Named Later and Minor League OF Amos Lewis to the Yankees for Players to be Named Later and AL All-Star OF Mickey Rivers.
On October 8,1979, the Rangers would send hurlers Ray Fontenot and Gene Nelson to the Yankees to complete the trade. The Yankees will send Minor League Pitchers Bob Polinsky, Neal Mersch and Mark Softy on October 8,1979 to the Rangers to complete the trade. Oscar would hit well for the Yankees, until various injuries finally slowed him down. In 7 seasons with the Yankees, Gamble had appeared in 540 games, while hitting .259 with 87 HRs and 276 RBI’s. In the World Series with the Yankees, Oscar would hit .214 in 6 games. He would finish out his MLB playing career with the 1985 White Sox. The Cubs had originally signed him as an MLB Amateur Free Agent. He had played for the 1969 Cubs, 1970-1972 Phillies, 1976,1979-1984 Yankees,1977,1985 White Sox,1978 Padres and the 1979 Rangers.
2022- Former Yankee Minor INF Jerry Snyder passed away. (1921-2022)
In 1947, Infielder Jerry Snyder would start out in pro ball in the New York Yankees organization. He had 5 solid minor league seasons from 1947 to 1951. He would hit .302 for the Class B Quincy Gems (3-IL) in his 2nd season of pro ball. In 1951 with the Class B Beaumont Exporters (TXL) and the AA Kansas City Blues (AA), he had hit .290 in a combined season. On May 3, 1952 he was traded by the Yankees along with OF Jackie Jensen, P Spec Shea and OF Archie Wilson to the Senators for OF Irv Noren and OF Tom Upton. Snyder would spend his entire 7-year MLB playing career with the 1952-1958 Senators. He would hit for a .339 average in 1953, albeit in only 62 at-bats. He wound up his MLB run with a .230 average in 266 games. During the years he appeared in the majors, Jerry also spent considerable time in the Minors. He hit .307 for the 1953 AA Chattanooga Lookouts; with the same club in 1955, he hit at a .344 clip in 54 games. Also, in 1958, he managed a .312 average for the Miami Marlins (IL). After his MLB run, Jerry spent 3 more years in pro ball (1959-1961), all with AA and AAA teams and finished up his 12-season Minor League playing. career with a .289 average in 4,277 plate appearances. In 1961, Snyder tried his luck as Player-Manager with the Macon Peaches (SA). He was the 2nd of 2 managers and the Peaches finished up the season with a 75-79 record, for a 5th-place finish, 16 games back. Jerry played in 102 games and hit for a .309 BA.
February 1st
1891- Former Yankees Minor League Manager (1937-1942) and MLB Scout Elmer “Doc “Bennett was born. (1891-1974)
In 1937, Elmer “Doc” Bennett took over as Manager of the Norfolk Elks, a Yankees affiliate in the Nebraska State League (which became the Western League in 1939). Although he led the Elks to a losing record in 1937, he led them to a league championship in 1938 and a 1st place finish in 1939; however, the team lost in the 1st round of the league playoffs that season. The Elks became the Norfolk Yankees in 1940. Bennett led them to a 1st place finish, though the team lost in the 1st round of the playoffs. From 1941 to 1942, Bennett managed the Class C Joplin Miners (WA); another Yankees Minor League team affiliate. He led them to a 1st place finish and a league championship in 1941; however, they finished with a losing record and a 5th place finish in 1942. Thus, concluded his Minor League Managerial career. Later, Elmer was an MLB Scout for 1943-1949 Red Sox and the 1950-1969 White Sox organizations.
1901- Former Yankees and MLB Public Relations Director Arthur “Red” Patterson was born. (1909-1992)
A longtime baseball Public Relations official with the Yankees, Dodgers (both Brooklyn and Los Angeles) and the Angels, Red Patterson is best known for having introducing the term 'tape measure home run' into the baseball lexicon, when he paced off Mickey Mantle's legendary HR on April 17,1953, a Griffith Stadium 562 FT HR shot off of Washington Senators hurler Chuck Stobbs. Prior to starting his PR career, Patterson had spent 17 years writing for the New York Herald Tribune, initially while attending night school at NYU. Other innovations credited to Patterson – whose very hiring as Publicity Director by the 1946 Yankees was a MLB 1st in and of itself – included Old-Timers games, Cap Day and Team Yearbooks. Patterson also hired the late, lamented longtime Yankees PA Announcer, Bob Sheppard. After his temporary retirement from the Angels in 1985 (stepping down as President, but being promptly re-engaged as Publicity Consultant), Patterson made a partial return to his earliest profession, journalism, penning the occasional column for the Anaheim Bulletin.
1921- Former Yankees Pitcher (1950) and MLB Scout (1956-1958) Dave “The Squeakin’ Deacon” Madison was born.
Dave Madison was a pitcher for 10 years (1941-1954); 3 years in college (1941-1943); 3 seasons in the MLB (1950 and 1952-1953) and 10 seasons in the Minors (1947-1950 and 1953-1954), losing 3 years of playing time to the military. In 1941, he graduated from HS at age 18, where he starred in baseball. From 1941-1943, He had attended Louisiana St. Univ.; where he had starred in Baseball and Football. In 1943, he was drafted into the Army for WW II service; then in 1945, he was discharged from the Army. In 1947, the Yankees had signed P Dave Madison as an MLB Amateur Free Agent. Dave broke into Organized Baseball at age 26 with the Class A Denver Bears (WL.) He then he was with the 1948-1950 AA Kansas City Blues (AA.) On September 26,1950 at 29 years of age, he broke into the MLB with the Yankees. With 1 game and 3 innings of MLB under his belt, having remained in the Army Reserve; he was recalled as a 1st Lt. and was sent to Korea. On April 7,1952, Dave was purchased by the St. Louis Browns from the Yankees. After finishing his MLB active career with the 1953 Tigers, he would pitch briefly in the Minor Leagues until 1954, then he retired as an active player. Dave was a Yankees MLB Scout from 1956-1958. Also, he would be an MLB Scout for the 1965-1967 Orioles, 1968-1974 A’s and the 1974-1985 Mets organizations
1924- On January 31,1924, OF Nick Cullop was traded by Omaha (WL) to the Yankees for Minor League OF Henry Lavallie and $5,000 Cash. Nick had appeared only in 2 games in April of 1926 with the Yankees, before being sent down to the Minor Leagues by Manager Miller Huggins. On October 19,1926, the Yankees sent Reliever Garland Braxton and Reserve OF Nick Cullop to the Senators to complete an earlier deal made on August 27,1926, the Yankees would send Players to be Named Later to the Senators for veteran MLB Starter Dutch Ruether.
1943- Former Yankees OF Ron Woods (1967-1971) was born.
In 1961, OF Ron Woods was originally signed as an MLB Amateur Free Agent by the Pirates. In 1966, he was sold by the Pirates to the Tigers for Cash. On June 14,1969, OF Ron Woods was traded by the Tigers to the Yankees for veteran INF/OF Tom Tresh. He was a weak-hitting Outfielder. Overall, as a Yankees player, he had appeared in 192 games, while hitting .208 with 10 HRs and 36 RBIs. On June 25,1971, Ron was traded by the Yankees to the Expos for veteran MLB OF Ron Swoboda. He would play for the Expos from 1971-1974. He would finish pro baseball career in Japan, playing for the 1975-1976 Chunichi Dragons (JCPL.)
1944- Former Yankees Reserve OF Paul Blair (1977-1979.1980) was born. (1944-2013)
On January 20,1977, former AL Golden Glove Award Winner OF Paul Blair was traded by the Orioles to the Yankees for 2 Outfielders: Elliott Maddox and Rick Bladt. Paul was a late inning replacement for Reggie Jackson in the outfield. As a Yankees player, he had appeared in 172 games, while hitting .223 with 6 HRs and 38 RBIs. The Mets had originally signed him in 1961, but the Orioles in the MLB 1st year Player Draft selected Blair from the Mets Organization. His final MLB playing career stats were a .250 BA with 134 HRs with 620 RBIs in 1,947 games. After being released by the Yankees in 1979, the Reds would sign Paul. During the 1980 AL season, Paul rejoined the Yankees for 12 games.
1960- Former Yankees Reliever Cecilio Guante (1987-1988) was born.
On November 26,1986, Reliever Cecilio Guante was traded by the Pirates along with 2 hurlers: Pat Clements and Rick Rhoden to the Yankees for 3 Pitchers: Doug Drabek, Brian Fisher and Logan Easley. He would post an 8-8 record with a 3.93 ERA and 12 saves in 79 games. On August 30,1988, he was traded by the Yankees to the Rangers for veteran Reliever Dale Mohorcic.
1961- Former Yankees MLB Scout Jim Benedict (2001-2006) was born.
Jim Benedict had reached AA level as a Minor League Pitcher in the Royals organization, then he became a College Coach and MLB Scout. In 1987, Benedict served as the Head Coach of LA Valley Community College. He was a Pitching Coach for Loyola Marymount Univ. and Chapman College for the next 2 years. In 1990, he would join the Rangers organization, as an MLB Scout. He would serve as Minor League Pitching Coordinator for the 1994-1998 Royals and the 1998-2000 Dodgers. From 2001-2006, he was a Professional Scout for Yankees and Special Assistant to the General Manager Brian Cashman. In 2007-2008, he was an MLB Scout and Advance Scout for the Indians. In late 2008, he would join the Pirates as Special Assistant to the GM.
1966- Former Yankees Pitcher Darrin Chapin (1991) was born.
The Yankees in the 6th round of the 1986 MLB Amateur Player Draft had selected P Darrin Chapin. In 1991, Chapin had posted a 10-3 record in 55 relief appearances for the AAA Columbus Clippers (IL). He went 0-1 with a 5.09 ERA in 3 games as a Yankees Reliever, before being traded on January 8,1992 to the Phillies for a Player to be Named Later. Darren would appear in 1 game for the 1992 Phillies with no decisions, finishing his MLB Pitching career. The Phillies would send INF Charlie Hayes to the Yankees to complete the trade. Hayes would become the 1992 Yankees starting 3B, hitting .257 with 18 HRs and 66 RBIs, but the Yankees had failed to protect him in 1992 MLB Expansion Team Player Draft, when he was selected by the Rockies.
1967- CurrentYankees Baseball Executive and Former MLB Player Tim Naehring was born.
INF Tim Naehring would spend his entire MLB and Minor League playing career with the Red Sox. He was signed as an 8th round pick in the 1988 MLB Amateur Player Draft by Boston. In 1980, he came up to the MLB. He had played 8 seasons in Boston, twice hitting over .300. In 1995, as the regular 3rd baseman for the Red Sox, his .415 on-base percentage was 8th in the AL. A shoulder injury during the 1997 AL season had ended his MLB playing career. In 2001, he was the Farm Director for the Reds. In 2010, he was a Pro Scout for the Yankees. In 2015, Tim became the Vice President of Baseball Operations for the Yankees, succeeding Billy Eppler, who had left the team to join the Angels Front Office.
1970- The Veterans Committee selects former MLB Commissioner Ford Frick along with former MLB Players OF Earle Combs and P Jesse Haines to the Hall of Fame. Jessie Haines had won 210 games for the Cardinals; he had pitched in 4 World Series. Although he would play 100 games in a season just 9 times, Yankees CF Earl Combs would accumulate 1,866 MLB career hits along with lifetime BA of .325. Combs’ Yankees playing career was cut short by a serious injury in 1934. In 4 World Series with the Yankees, Combs had hit .350 with 1 HR and 9 RBIs. Ford Frick was the MLB Commissioner from 1951-1965, but he is best remembered for suggesting that an asterisk be placed next to the name of anyone who broke Babe Ruth's HR record during the 8 additional games on the 1961 AL schedule. The asterisk for Roger Maris 1961 season HR record never officially existed in the MLB record books.
1978- Former Yankees Reserve INF Erick Almonte (2001, 2003) was born.
The Yankees had signed INF Erick Almonte as an MLB Amateur Free Agent in 1996. During 2003 AL season, Erick filled in for the injured AL All-Star Derek Jeter at Shortstop, hitting .260 in 31 games. His final Yankee player totals were a .269 BA in 39 games with 1 HR and 11 RBIs. On March 26, 2004, the Yankees would release him. After retiring as an active player in 2011, he has worked in the Cardinals Minor League organization.
1978- Former Yankees INF (1932-1937) and Minor League Manager Jack Saltzgaver passed away. (1903-1978)
Otto Hamlin "Jack" Saltzgaver played 6 seasons in the MLB, mostly for the Yankees during one of their most dominant periods. He had played Minor League ball for many years before coming to the MLB. Appearing 1st in the outfield and then as a 2B. He had played for Ottumwa, Oklahoma City, AA St. Paul Saints and the AA Newark Bears during 1925-1934 seasons. On June 27,1931, Jack was traded by the AA St. Paul Saints (AA) along with P Johnny Murphy, Cash and 2 Players to be Named to the Yankees for a Player to be Named Later. The Yankees would send Reserve OF Jimmie Reese on November 12,1931 to the AA Saints to complete the trade. Jack made his MLB Player debut with the 1932 Yankees, while appearing in 20 games, while playing 2B. He came back in 1934 to be the Yankees regular 3B, appearing in 94 games. He continued to play some 3B during the 1935-1936 AL seasons, but he was in his 30's, while the new 3B Red Rolfe was much younger. Also, Jack played some 2B and 1B. In 1937, he had appeared in 17 games, his only time in the field was in 4 games at 1B. Then Jack would spend the 1938-1945 seasons in the Minor Leagues with the AA Kansas City Blues (AA), hitting as high as .348 at age 41 in 1944. Also, Jack managed the Blues as well that season, finishing in 8th place. He came back to the MLB for 52 games with the 1945 Pirates, hitting quite well, batting .325. At age 42, Jack was the oldest player on the team. Also, he would manage several seasons in the Minor Leagues with the Phillies organization at Wilmington (1946-1947) and with Little Rock (1948-1950) in the Tigers organization.
1979- Former Yankees Minor League OF Milt “Skippy” Byrnes passed away. (1916-1979)
On April 1,1946, Milt Byrnes was traded by the St. Louis Browns to the Yankees for Catcher Ken “Ziggy” Sears. Two weeks later, Byrnes was optioned by the Yankees to their top AA farm team, the Kansas City Blues (AA). He would never appear in the MLB again. Thus, Byrnes' only MLB experience came during the war years with the 1943-1945 St. Louis Browns. Milt Byrnes was nicknamed "Skippy" after a popular comic strip of the era. He had played in the Yankees Minor League organization from 1946-1948. Later, he would play in the Red Sox, Braves, Senators and the White Sox organizations before retiring as a player, after the 1951 season had ended.
1987- Former Yankees Minor League OF and MLB Player Austin Jackson was born.
Austin Jackson was a top outfield prospect for the Yankees before being included in the 3-team trade that brought CF Curtis Granderson from the Tigers to the Bronx after the 2009 MLB season had ended. The Yankees had signed Jackson, as an 8th-round pick in the 2005 MLB Amateur Player Draft. He made his pro player debut with the GCL Yankees that summer. Jackson made the South Atlantic League All-Star team with the 2006 Class A Charleston RiverDogs; he was the MVP of the Eastern League playoffs with the 2008 AA Trenton Thunder. Austin was the International League Rookie of the Year in 2009. He had made the 2009 International League All-Star team, while playing for the AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees.
1999- The Yankees had traded highly touted 3B prospect Mike Lowell to the Marlins for 3 Minor League Pitchers: Mark J. Johnson, Ed Yarnall and Todd Noel. Lowell was named Yankees Minor League Player-of-the-Year last season, he became expendable, after the Yankees 3B Scott Brosius' outstanding 1998 AL season performance. With the 3 young hurlers acquired, the Yankees were hoping to rebuild their pitching talent in their Minor League system. The 3 pitchers were not very successful in the MLB.
From 1936 to 1946, Jake Wade was an MLB hurler for the Tigers, White Sox, Red Sox, Yankees and the Senators. He had an MLB Pitching career record of a 27-40 with a 5.00 ERA and 3 saves in 171 games. On December 15,1944, Jake Wade was traded by the White Sox to the Yankees for P Johnny Johnson. In 1945, Jake was serving in the military. For the 1946 Yankees, he went 2-1 with 2.29 ERA and 1 save in 13 games. On August 5,1946, Jake Wade was acquired by the Senators from the Yankees.
2008- Former Yankees Minor League Player Tom Venditelli passed away. (1930-2008)
Tom Venditelli had played pro baseball for 10 seasons in the 1949-1955 Yankees and the 1955-1957 Kansas City A’s Minor League organizations. He later was Head Baseball Coach at Denison Univ. and longtime Assistant Coach at Columbus State Community College. He was an MLB Scout for the Pirates for over 40 years. Tom was the 1st Manager of the Zanesville Greys franchise (Independent Frontier League) in 1993-1994. In 1993, Tom’s Greys had won the Frontier League Championship. He was named the 1993 Frontier League Manager of the Year. In 1994, he resigned from the Greys, after finishing the FL season in 3rd place.
2013- More trouble for Yankees All-Star 3B Alex Rodriguez: in the wake of earlier reports of the superstar being a client of a clinic in Boca Raton, FL under investigation for supplying PEDs, ESPN reports today that he has been receiving weekly injections at home from the Director of the suspect clinic, Anthony Bosch.
2016- The Yankees suffer a blow as one of their best young hitters, 1B Greg Bird, who filled in very well when veteran AL All-Star 1B Mark Teixeira went down with a season-ending injury last August, needs to undergo surgery after re-aggravating a shoulder injury in off-season workouts. He will miss the entire 2016 AL season as a result of his injury.
This Week in Yankees History January 29th-February 4th Part Two
February 2nd
1894- Former Yankees OF Charles “Ray” Demmitt (1909) was born. (1894-1956)
As a Rookie Center Fielder for the 1909 Yankees, Ray Demmitt had hit .246 with 4 HRs and 30 RBIs in 123 games. He had played college baseball at the Univ. of Illinois before being signed by the Yankees. On December 16,1909, Ray was traded by the Yankees along with P Joe Lake to the St. Louis Browns for veteran MLB Catcher Lou Criger. Ray would play in the MLB for 6 seasons with the Yankees, Browns (twice), White Sox and the Tigers from 1909 to 1919. He finishes his MLB playing career with a .257 BA with 8 HRs and 165 RBIs in 498 games.
1895- Former Yankees Reserve OF (1919) and NFL Team Owner and Head Coach George Halas was born. (1895-1983)
Reserve OF George Halas, is better known as a legendary Football Coach and NFL Team Owner of the Chicago Bears. He played 1 season in the MLB. He had been a 3-Sport Athlete at the Univ. of Illinois. After playing Minor League ball, he came up to the MLB as a Reserve Outfielder in 1919 with the Yankees. The 1919 Yankees regular Outfield consisted of Ping Bodie, Sammy Vick and Duffy Lewis. In 22 at-bats, George Halas' MLB career BA was .091 (2 for 22). He was sent down to the Minor Leagues in 1919 to learn how to hit a curve ball by Yankees Manager Miller Huggins, he never returned to the Major Leagues again.
1908- Former Yankees Pitcher Wes Ferrell (1938-1939) was born. (1908-1976)
On August 14,1938, veteran MLB hurler Wes Ferrell was signed as an MLB Free Agent by the Yankees. On August 13,1939, he had been released by the Senators. Ferrell would post a 3-4 record with a 6.75 ERA in 8 games for the 1938-1939 Yankees. On May 28,1939, he was released by the club. In January of 1940, the Dodgers will sign the veteran MLB hurler as an MLB Free Agent.
1930- The Yankees had waived Reserve Shortstop Leo “The Lip” Durocher, who batted only .246 in 106 games in 1929. His final Yankees playing career totals were a .257 BA with No HRs and 63 RBIs in 210 games. Leo was the 1st Yankees player for wear Yankees Player Uniform No. 7. His Yankees Teammate Babe Ruth had nicknamed him the “All-American Out.” He was caught by his Yankees Roommate Ruth stealing from him, which resulted in a beating by the Slugger. Then Ruth reported the hotel theft incident to the Yankees GM Edward Barrow. In player contract talks with GM Barrow, Durocher was rude and loud to the veteran GM. He was waivered out of the AL; he was effectively was an “unofficial” banishment from the AL by the Yankees Front Office. The future Hall of Fame MLB Manager will be eventually sign to play with the 1930 Reds. Later, Leo would play for the Cardinals and Dodgers in the NL (1930-1945) before becoming a full-time MLB Manager in the NL.
1933- Former Yankees Reserve OF (1961-1963) and Minor League Manager (1965-1967) Jack Reed was born. (1933-2022)
In 1953, the Yankees had signed OF Jack Reed as an MLB Amateur Free Agent. He was a 3-Sports Star at Old Miss Univ., playing in the 1953 Sugar Bowl. Jack would play for the Yankees low-level Minor League teams in 1954-1955. He had missed the 1956-1957 baseball seasons, while serving in the military. In 1958, he would play for AA New Orleans Pelicans (SA). Then in 1959, Jack would move up to the Yankees AAA club, the Richmond Virginians (IL), staying with the team until 1961. At the age of 28, Jack Reed would join the Yankees at the MLB level in 1961, as a Reserve Outfielder, often filling in for All-Star CF Mickey Mantle. He had appeared in 3 games of the 1961 World Series against the Reds as a defensive replacement. His lone MLB Career HR was a big one at Tiger Stadium on June 24,1962. He would snap a 7-7 tie in the 22nd inning game with a 2-run HR blast off of veteran Reliever Phil Regan to give the Yankees a 9-7 win in the longest game in the history of the venerable Detroit ballpark. His best season as a Yankees Reserve player was in 1962, by hitting .302 with 1 HR and 6 RBIs in 88 games. Overall, as a Yankees player, Jack would appear in 222 games, while hitting .233 with 1 HR and 6 RBIs. In 1964, he played for the AAA Richmond Virginians (IL). After retiring as an active player in the fall of 1964, Jack Reed would manage in the Yankees Minor League system for 3 seasons. He would manage the 1965 Class A Fort Lauderdale Yankees (FSL), 1966 Columbus Confederate Yankees (SL) and the AA Binghamton Triplets (EL) his overall Yankees Minor League Manager record was 223-185 with a .556 PCT.
1936- The BWAA announces the results of the 1st Hall of Fame Player vote. Outfielders Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, Pitchers Walter Johnson, Christy Mathewson and Shortstop Honus Wagner comprise the inaugural class of HOF members at Cooperstown, NY. Several other former MLB Stars like hurler Cy Young fail to make the grade, but they will enter the Baseball Hall of Fame in later elections by 1939.
1941- Former Yankees MLB Executive and MLB Scout Gary Hughes (1978-1985) was born. (1941-2020)
Gary Hughes had spent over 45 years in baseball. His son, Sam Hughes has been a Scout, while another son, Michael Rock, worked for the Marlins as their Clubhouse Manager starting with the team's foundation in 1992; as of 2020, he was the team's longest-tenured employee. He was a HS teammate of Jim Fregosi and Tim Cullen, but he never played pro baseball. His 1st job in baseball was serving as Baseball Coach at Marin Catholic HS in Kentfield, CA from 1964 to 1972; while starting to work as an MLB Scout on the side. Hughes worked, as a Scout or Executive for the1967-1972 Giants, 1973-1976 Mets, 1977 Mariners, 1978-1985 Yankees, 1986-1991 Expos, 1992-1998 Marlins, 1999 Rockies and the 2000-2002 Reds. He was a Special Assistant to the GM of the Cubs from 2002-2011, then he moved to the Red Sox and finally to the 2019 Diamondbacks, after long-time friend David Dombrowski's departure in 2019. He was Scouting Director for the Yankees, Expos and Marlins and Assistant GM for the Marlins, Rockies and Reds. Baseball America named him 1 of the top 10 scouts of the 20th Century. He had signed future MLB Players Brad Arnsberg, Delino DeShields, John Elway, Kevin Millar, Mike Redmond, Greg Colbrunn, Cliff Floyd, Marquis Grissom, Rex Hudler and Rondell White among many others. He also scouted Tom Brady as a baseball player, getting the Expos to draft him, before Brady turned his attention full-time to football and completed the trifecta of future NFL stars by signing future Pro Bowler John Lynch as a pitcher, when he worked for the Marlins. He has been called "the greatest scout of all time" and was a founder of the Professional Baseball Scouting Foundation, helping those in the profession who had lost their jobs when many teams began to lay off scouts in the early 21st Century in order to devote more resources to analytics. He had long advocated for the Hall of Fame to dedicate a special wing to honor Scouts. Hughes was inducted in the Professional Baseball Scouts Hall of Fame in 2009. Also, he had received the Baseball America Lifetime Achievement Award in 2007. In June of 2020, Gary was diagnosed with Liver Cancer. On September 19, 2020, Gary died at his home at the age of 79.
1950- Former Yankees Reliever Dale Murray (1983-1985) was born.
On December 9,1982, veteran MLB Reliever Dale Murray was traded by the Blue Jays along with OF Tom Dodd to the Yankees for MLB OF/DH/1B Dave Collins, Class A Minor League 1B Fred McGriff, MLB P Mike Morgan and Cash. The Yankees had hope that veteran MLB Reliever Dale Murray would help out their bullpen, but he wasn’t the answer; going just 3-6 with a 4.73 ERA and only 1 save in 62 games. The Yankees would release Dale on April 29, 1985. He would pitch briefly for the 1985 Rangers before being released by the team. Overall, he had finished his 12-season MLB Pitching career with a 53-50 record and a 3.85 ERA and 60 saves in 518 games.
1958- Former Yankees Minor League INF Pat Tabler was born.
Infielder Pat Tabler was selected by the Yankees in the 1st round (16th selection) of the 1976 MLB Amateur Player Draft. With AL All-Star Willie Randolph entrenched at 2B for the Yankees, Pat’s future was blocked as a starter in the Yankees MLB Infield. Then Pat suffered a serious leg injury, while playing in the Yankees farm system, which slowed his progress and raised questions with the Yankees Management about what positions that he could play in the infield, especially at Shortstop. He will never appear with the Yankees at the MLB level. On August 19,1981, Pat was traded by the Yankees to the Cubs for 2 Players to be Named Later. On April 1,1982, the Cubs will send Reliever Bill Caudill. Later, P Jay Howell was sent on August 2,1982 to the Yankees to complete the trade. Pat will play in the MLB for 12 seasons with the Cubs, Indians, Royals, Mets and the Blue Jays.
1962- Former Yankees Reliever Pat Clements (1983-1985) was born.
On November 26,1986, Reliever Pat Clements was traded by the Pirates along with P Cecilio Guante and veteran MLB Starter Rick Rhoden to the Yankees for 3 Pitchers: Doug Drabek, Brian Fisher and Logan Easley. As a Yankees Reliever, Pat had posted a 3-3 record with a 5.09 ERA and 7 saves in 61 games. On October 24,1988, Pat was traded by the Yankees along with 1B Jack Clark to the Padres for 2 Pitchers Lance McCullers, Jimmy Jones and Reserve OF Stanley Jefferson.
1968- Former Yankees Pitcher Scott Erickson (2006) was born.
On February 16, 2006, P Scott Erickson was signed as an MLB Free Agent by the Yankees. He went 0-0 with a 7.94 ERA in 9 games for the Yankees. On June 11, 2006, he was released by the team.
1972- The Yankees had purchased veteran Reserve INF Hal Lanier from the Giants. Hal was a weak hitting, reserve Infielder, who would appear in 95 games for the 1972-1973 Yankees, while hitting only .212 with No HRs and 11 RBIs. He was the son of former 1940’s Cardinals All-Star Pitcher Max Lanier. On December 10,1973, the Yankees would release Hal; ending his 10-year MLB playing career that had started with the 1964 Giants. He would later become an MLB Manager in the NL with the 1986-1988 Astros.
1993- The Yankees had signed veteran P Neal Heaton as an MLB Free Agent. He made the team in the 1993 Yankees MLB Spring Training Camp. He had posted a 1-0 record with a 6.00 ERA in 18 games for the team. The Yankees would release him on June 27,1993, ending his MLB Pitching career.
2015- Former Yankees Reserve 1B/OF Dave Bergman passed away from Cancer. (1953-2015)
An outstanding fielder and tough hitter, Dave Bergman was arguably one of the best bench players in baseball during his 17 MLB seasons. Originally selected by the Cubs in the 12th round of the 1971 MLB Amateur Player Draft, Bergman did not sign, opting to attend Illinois State Univ. instead. He would hit .400 there as a Sophomore and .351 as a Junior, hitting .366 overall during his college baseball career. He was selected in the 2nd round of the 1974 MLB Amateur Player Draft by the Yankees. He made his pro debut that summer with the Class A Oneonta Yankees (NYPL), hitting .348 with 10 HRs. The following summer, he led the Eastern League with a .311 BA, while also hitting 11 HRs for the AA West Haven Yankees (EL). He earned a late-season call-up to the Bronx in 1975, but he went hitless in 17 at-bats. After playing for the AAA Syracuse Chiefs (IL) for the next 2 seasons, he earned another cup of coffee with the Yankees in September of 1977. Following the 1977 AL season, Bergman was sent to the Astros in the Cliff Johnson trade. He got into 104 games for Astros in 1978, but he spent most of 1979 season back in the Minors with the AAA Charleston Charlies (IL). In his brief MLB stay that year, he hit his 1st MLB HR off of future HOF Starter Phil Niekro. Early in the 1981 NL season, he was traded to the Giants. Then, Dave moved on to the Tigers prior to the start of 1984 AL season. He saw considerable playing time at 1B that season, while hitting .273 with 7 HRs, as the Tigers went on to win the 1984 World Series. His biggest game that season came on June 4thagainst the Blue Jays, when he hit a 3-run walk-off HR off of Reliever Roy Lee Jackson, after fouling off 9 pitches in the 10th inning; it was his 1st long ball as a member of the Tigers. Over the next several seasons, he saw most of his action coming off the Tigers bench, but he was again the team's regular 1B in 1989, hitting .268 with 7 HRs as a 36-year-old. He continued to play for Detroit through the 1992 AL season.
2016- The Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame names its Class of 2016: Pat Hentgen (1st Toronto Blue Jay to win the AL Cy Young Award), Dennis Martinez (only Montreal Expo to throw a Perfect game, 2nd in Expos franchise history in wins), Wayne Norton (former AAA player and noted International Scout as well as Team Canada Executive), Former Yankees INF/OF Tony Kubek (former Blue Jays TV Announcer), Howard Starkman (Blue Jays Executive) and William Shuttleworth (Canadian Baseball Pioneer)
2021- Former Yankees Reliever Grant Jackson (1976) passed away at age of 78 from the COVIDS-19 Virus. (1942-2021)
While pitching in relief for the Pirates, left-hander Grant Jackson would win Game 7 of the 1979 World Series against theOrioles in relief of Jim Bibby and Don Robinson. He came in with 2-outs in the 5th inning with the Pirates trailing by the score 1-0 and stayed on until the 8th, turning the ball over to Kent Tekulve with a 2-1 lead, following a 2-run HR by Willie Stargell. That season, Pirates Manager Chuck Tanner used his three top relievers, Jackson, Tekulve and Enrique Romo, in a way that was a presage to modern reliever usage, as all 3 often pitched in the same game in order to protect a lead, with Tekulve acting as the closer. Jackson pitched 75 times for the Pirates in 1979, going 8-5, with a 2.96 ERA, with a career-high 14 saves. His bullpen mates Tekulve and Romo pitched 94 and 84 times, respectively, that season. When he joined theExpos late in the 1981 NL season, broadcaster Claude Raymond called him "the cleanest man in baseball", because he had been declared washed-up so many times. Raymond remembered him as a foe in the 1960s, when he was a hard-throwing young starter for the Phillies (he struck out 180 batters and went 14-18 while making the All-Star team for a weak 1969 Phillies team), but seemed done when he had a record of 5-15, 5.29 ERA for those same Phillies in 1970. He re-emerged as a successful reliever for the 1971-1976 Orioles. In 1973, forming an excellent lefty-righty relief tandem with Bob Reynolds, he went 8-0, the most relief wins without any loss in MLB history. By the end of his tenure, he had become a junk-baller. Grant was a throw-in in the big 11-player trade between the Orioles and the Yankees made on June 15,1976; a trade whose big names at the time were hurlers Doyle Alexander, Ken Holtzman and Rudy May; but which also involved a number of players who went on to have long MLB careers, such as C&nbs**** Dempsey, P Tippy Martinez and P Scott McGregor.
He had a 5.12 ERA, when he was traded to the Bronx, but Grant pitched very well for the Yankees the rest of the 1976 AL season, posting a 6-0 record with 1.69 ERA and 1 save in 21 games and seeing action in the 1976 World Series. He had previously pitched in the MLB postseason with the 1971 Orioles in the World Series and the 1973 and 1974 ALCS. The Yankees were not confident that Jackson could continue to pitch effectively at age of 33. So they left him exposed in the 1977 expansion draft, when he was selected by the Mariners. The Mariners had little use for the aging relief pitcher and a month after the expansion player draft was held, they would trade him to the Pirates for 2 INF prospects, Craig Reynolds and Jimmy Sexton. He would pitch well for Pirates for 4 seasons from 1977 to 1980, but seemed to be running out of gas at the age of 38 in 1981; as he was down to being used as a LOOGY, logging only 32 1/3 innings in 35 outings for the Bucs. He still had a good ERA at 2.51, and the Pirates only asked for a sum of money in return; when the Expos acquired him for the pennant stretch that season. He had a 7.59 ERA in 10 games for Montreal, but he did pick up one very important win against his former team on September 23rd, when he came in with the Expos trailing 2-1 in the 8th and inherited the win when his teammates scored a run in the 8th and another in the 9th on a walk-off homer by pinch-hitter Jerry White, who was batting for him. Given the Expos won the 2nd half title by only half a game, that win was essential. He was traded to the Royals for Ken Phelps before the 1982 season but he was back with the Pirates before the end of the season, making 1 final appearance on September 8th. This time, he was truly done as an MLB pitcher, after 18 seasons. Following his playing career, Jackson was a MLB Pirates Coach from 1983 to 1985 and then a member of the 1994-1995 Reds MLB Coaching staff. Then he was Minor League Pitching Coach of the 1988 Pittsfield Cubs, 1989 Charlotte Knights, 1991 Iowa Cubs, 1993 Chattanooga Lookouts, 1996-1999 Indianapolis Indians, 2000-2001 Louisville RiverBats, 2002 Rochester Red Wings and the 2007 Chattanooga Lookouts. He was the 1st (and only, through 2008) African-American MLB Pitching Coach for the Pirates, when he held the role in 1985. Jackson also played for the Gold Coast Suns of the Senior Professional Baseball Association in 1989.
2022- Former Yankees Pitcher William “Bill” Short (1960) passed away. (1937-2022)
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.
February 3rd
1888- Former Yankees Hall Of Fame Co-Team Owner and General Manager Larry MacPhail (1945-1947) was born. (1888-1975)
Larry MacPhail is best remembered for having lights installed at Crosley Field in 1935 for night baseball games for the Reds. The Reds were also the 1st MLB team to fly to games. His son, Lee was a Hall of Fame Baseball Executive and the AL President in the 1970’s. Lee had worked as a Baseball Executive for the Yankees and the Orioles. They are the only Father-Son combination elected to the Hall of Fame. Larry was the President of AA Columbus Solons (AA) in 1930-1933. Then he was the General Manager for the 1933-1936 Reds. He would move to the Dodgers in 1938, where he was their General Manager from 1938-1942. He was part the Team Ownership Group (Del Webb and Dan Topping Sr.) that bought the Yankees from the Jacob Ruppert Estate in January of 1945. With the Yankees, he would succeed the long-time Yankees President and General Manager Edward Barrow (1920-1945). As the team’s GM, he had started signing black players for the Yankees organization, realizing the talent that was playing the Negro Leagues. After the 1947 World Series victory over the Dodgers, he would sell his team ownership shares of the Yankees to his fellow Co-Team Owners Del Webb and Dan Topping, who replaced him as Team President. He was not very unpopular with the Yankee players, who were very happy to see him leave the team. Yankees veteran Farm Director George Weiss became the Yankees new General Manager, who started releasing or trading away all of the black players that MacPhail had signed for the Yankees organization.
1896- Former Yankees Reserve Catcher Lou Criger (1910) was born. (1896-1934)
On December 16,1909,veteran CatcherLou Criger was traded by the Browns to the Yankees for Rookie OF Ray Demmitt, who had hit .246 with 4 HRs and 30 RBIs in 123 games and Starter Joe Lake, who had won 14 games with a 1.88 ERA for the 1909 Yankees. The veteran Catcher had been playing in the MLB since 1896. He had been MLB Starter Cy Young’s personal catcher for many seasons in the MLB. He was a member of the 1903 World Champion Red Sox. Lou had appeared in 27 games for the 1910 Yankees, while hitting just .188 with No HRs and 4 RBIs. He would finish his MLB playing career with the 1910 St. Louis Browns. He had played in 1,012 MLB games, while hitting .221 with 11 HRs and 342 RBIs.
1896- Former Yankees Reserve OF/1B Nelson “Chicken” Hawks (1921) was born. (1896-1973)
On July 27,1920, OF/1B Nelson “Chicken” Hawks was purchased by the Yankees from Class B Calgary (WCL). In 1921, he was briefly a Reserve Outfielder for the team, playing with fellow OF Babe Ruth. Hawks, although he had hit only 2 HRs, had a .479 slugging percentage, which was one of the highest on the 1921 Yankees team. Overall, as a Yankees reserve player, Chicken Hawks had appeared in 41 games, while hitting .288 with 2 HRs and 15 RBIs. He had played in the Minor Leagues from 1922-1924. He returned to the MLB with the 1925 Phillies for 1 season before returning to the Minor Leagues, playing until 1931.
1910- Former Yankees Catcher Mike Garbark (1944-1945) was born. (1910-1994)
In 1938, the Yankees had signed Catcher Mike Garbark as an MLB Amateur Free Agent. He had attended Villanova Univ. From 1938-1943, Mike would play in the Yankees Minor League system, reaching the AA Newark Bears (IL). He would hit .244 with 1 HR and 59 RBIs in 149 games with the 1944-1945 Yankees. In 1946, he returned to the AA Newark Bears as the regular MLB players had come back from military service in WWII. In 1947, he would play for the Senators organization. In 1948, he would split playing time between the Browns and Yankees Minor League organizations. Also, that 1948 season, he had managed the Yankees Augusta farm club (SA). In 1951, he was a Minor League Manager for 2 teams. He was elected to Villanova Univ.’s Hall of Fame for his Football play. He would retire as an active player in 1953.
1922- Former Yankees Minor League OF/INF Jim Dyck was born. (1922-1999)
Before the start of 1941 AL Season, INF/OF Jim Dyck was signed by the Yankees as an MLB Amateur Free Agent. He had never played for the Bombers at the MLB level. He would miss the 1944-1945 baseball seasons due to service time in the military. On December 5,1949, Jim was drafted by the St. Louis Browns from the Yankees organization in the 1949 Minor League Player Draft. Jim had played the 1949 Minor League season with the Yankees 2 AA clubs, the Kansas City Blues (AA), Newark Bears (IL) and the Class A Binghamton Triplets (EL), while hitting .261 with 11 HRs and 60 RBIs. He was the Browns regular 3B for their last 2 seasons in St. Louis (1952-1953). He had played in the MLB for the Browns, then the Orioles, Indians before finishing up his MLB playing career with the 1956 Reds. Jim would continue to play in the Minor Leagues before retiring as an active player in 1961. Overall, he had hit .246 with 26 HRs with 114 RBIs in 330 games.
1925- Former Yankees Pitcher Harry Byrd (1954) was born.(1925-1985)
On December 16,1953, Starter Harry Byrd was traded by the Philadelphia A’s along with 3B Loren Babe, OF Tom Hamilton, OF Carmen Mauro and Veteran 1B Eddie Robinson to the Yankees for 1B Don Bollweg, P Johnny Gray, C Jim Robertson, 3B Jim Finigan, Minor League All-Star 1B/OF Vic Power and OF Bill Renna. In 1952, Harry was named AL Rookie of the Year, after posting a 15-15 record along with a 3.31 ERA in 37 games for the 5th place A’s. In 1953, he dropped to a 11-20 record with a 5.51 ERA in 40 games. The Yankees were hoping that he could replace one of the aging starters on the Yankees starting rotation, which was the oldest staring pitching staffs in the AL. As a Yankees Starter in 1954, Harry had posted a 9-7 record with 2.99 ERA in 25 games along with 21 starts before being sent to the Orioles in the big 17-player trade that winter. Harry was also with theWhite Sox and Tigers from 1955-1957, before leaving the MLB with an overall career pitching record of 46-54 with a 4.35 ERA in 187 games.
1928- The Yankees had released Reserve INF Julie Wera (1927,1929).
INF Julie Wera had appeared in 43 games hitting .278 for the Yankees, playing parts of the 1927 and 1929 AL seasons with the team. In his 1927 Yankees rookie season, Julie had injured his knee while sliding in at home plate in a game against the White Sox. The knee injury left him with a “trick knee” for the rest of his pro baseball career. He didn’t appear in the 1927 World Series with the Yankees, yet he picked-up a World Series team winning share from the team. On November 25,1930, he was purchased by the Yankees from the AA Jersey City Skeeters (IL). Before the start of the 1931 AL season, he was sent by the Yankees to the AA San Francisco Seals (PCL) to complete an earlier deal made on August 23,1930. The Yankees would send a Player to be Named Later and 3 players to the Seals for INF Frankie Crosetti. The Yankees would send INF Julie Wera (1931) to the AA Seals to complete the trade. Julie would play in the Minor Leagues until 1937 before retiring from the game.
1944- Former Yankees INF/DH Celerino Sanchez (1972-1973) was born. (1944-1992)
On December 6,1971, INF Celeron Sanchez was traded by the AAA Mexico City Tigers (MXL) to the Yankees for Minor League Player INF/OF Ossie Chavarria. He would hit .242 with 1 HR and 30 RBIs in 105 games for the 1972-1973 Yankees. After the Yankees had acquired 3B Graig Nettles from the Indians in the winter of 1972, Celerino became a Reserve Infielder for the team. After the 1973 AL season had ended, he left the Yankees organization to return home to play in the Mexican Leagues, where he would play from 1974 to 1979 before retiring as active player at the age of 35. At the age 20, he had started playing pro baseball in Mexico in 1964. In 1992, Celerino had passed away from a fatal heart attack in his hometown of Mexico City, he was only 48 years-old. In 1994, Sanchez was elected to the Mexican League Hall of Fame.
1951- Former Yankees Pitcher Mike Wallace (1974-1975) was born.
On May 3,1974, P Mike Wallace was traded by the Phillies to the Yankees for veteran P Ken Wright. Mike would post a 6-0 record with a 3.34 ERA in 26 games for the 1974-1975 Yankees, before being sold to the Cardinals on June 13,1975. The Yankees had sold him to the Cardinals to make room for an MLB roster spot for the returning 1B/DH Ron Bloomberg.
1955- Former Yankees Minor League Manager Gary Allenson (1987-1988) was born.
A former MLB Reserve Catcher with the Red Sox and Blue Jays, Gary Allenson became a Minor League Manager. In 1987, he would join the Yankees organization. He would Manage the Class A Oneonta Yankees (NYPL) for 2 seasons. His 1988 team won the League championship. In 1990, Gary left the Yankees to work for the Red Sox organization. Gary has been a Minor League Manager for the Rangers, Astros, Brewers, Orioles, Marlins and the Blue Jays organizations.
1961- Former Yankees Minor League P Fred Toliver was born.
The Yankees in the 3rd round of the 1979 MLB Amateur Player Draft had selected P Freddie Toliver. He never appeared with the Yankees at the MLB level. In 1981, Fred was traded to the Reds along with Minor League P Brian Ryder in the Ken Griffey Sr. trade. He would return to the Yankees organization in September of 1989, but he would not make any appearances with the team at MLB level. Overall, Fred had posted a 10-16 record with a 4.73 ERA and 1 save in 78 MLB games. He had pitched in the MLB with the Reds, Phillies, Twins, Padres and the Pirates. He is now a College Pitching Coach in California.
1965- Former Yankees Minor League P Rich Scheid was born.
The Yankees in the 2nd round of the 1986 MLB Amateur Player Draft had selected P Rich Scheid. On July 13,1987, he was traded by the Yankees along with Pitchers Bob Tewksbury and Dean Wilkins to the Cubs for MLB Starter Steve Trout. Rich would pitch in the MLB with the Astros and Marlins, posting a 1-4 record with a 4.45 ERA in 21 games.
1975- Billy Herman, Earl Averill and Bucky Harris are selected for the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Special Veterans Committee. Billy Herman was a 10-time All-Star 2B; he batted .304 in 15 seasons and played in 4 World Series. He later was an MLB Manager with the Pirates and the Red Sox. Catcher Earl Averill batted .299 or better in 9 of his 1st 10 MLB seasons and finished as a .318 MLB career hitter. Bucky Harris had managed the 1924-1925 Senators to 2 AL pennants in his 1st 2 seasons as a MLB Player-Manager, earning him the nick-name “The Boy-Wonder.” Harris had led the 1947 Yankees to a World Championship and a 1948 3rd place finish, behind the Indians and Red Sox before being replaced by Yankees new GM George Weiss with Minor League and former NL Manager Casey Stengel in 1949. As an MLB Player for the Senators and Tigers, Harris was a .274 MLB career hitter.
1977- Former Yankees Minor League P Chi-Chi Olivo passed away. (1928-1977)
On November 29,1966, veteran P Chi-Chi Olivo was traded by the Braves along with Rookie OF Bill Robinson to the Yankees for veteran 3B Clete Boyer. He never pitched for the Yankees at the MLB level. He was sent to AAA Toledo Mud Hens (IL), he would leave the Yankees Organization after the 1967 Minor League season had ended. He later would pitch in the Mexican Leagues in 1971-1972, before retiring from the game. He had signed with the Braves in 1955, reaching the MLB in 1961, while posting a 7-6 pitching record with 3.96 ERA in 96 games (1961-1963).
1994- Former Yankees Pitcher Brooks Kriske (2021-2022) was born.
Brooks Kriske was selected by the Yankees in the 6th round of the 2016 MLB June Amateur Draft from Univ. of So. Ca. (Los Angeles, CA). On July 22, 2021, P Brooks Kriske of the Yankees tied a MLB record by unloading 4 wild pitches in the 10th inning of a 5-4 loss to the Red Sox at Fenway Park. The Sox had tied the game dramatically by scoring twice with 2-outs in the bottom of the 9th, then the Yankees had managed to cash in their designated runner in the top of the 10th. With Closer Aroldis Chapman unavailable and a few other relievers having already been used in the game, Kriske was tasked with closing out the win, but things did not go as planned as his 1st 2 wild offerings resulted in Rafael Devers scoring the tying run, after which Xander Bogaerts, who had reached on a walk, successively advanced to 2nd and 3rd base on 2 more wild pitches before being driven in by Hunter Renfroe on a sacrifice fly. The 4 wild pitches also set a new record for most thrown by a pitcher in extra innings. He would finish his Yankees pitching career with a 1-1 record with a 15.09 ERA in 12 games. On September 16, 2021, he was selected off waivers by the Orioles from the Yankees. With the Birds, he would post a 1-0 record along with a 12.27 ERA in 4 games. He was released by the Birds after the 2022 AL season had ended. Then he was signed by the Yokohama DeNA BayStars (Japan) for the 2022 baseball season.
1994- Former Yankees Reserve INF Roughed Odor (2021) was born.
On April 6, 2021, INF Rougned Odor was traded by the Rangers along with Cash to the Yankees for for 2 Minor League Players: Antonio Cabello and OF Josh Stowers. The Rangers were basically making a salary dump of his remaining 2-year MLB player contract. The Yankees were looking to him as a "depth player", if he could benefit from the "pinstripes bounce" that had extended the career of a number of other players who had completely lost their way before being rejuvenated in the Bronx. Moving to the Yankees meant that he had to shave the massive beard that had defined his look for the past few seasons, as the Yankees still had a policy banning facial hair. It was fair to say that he looked a full 10 years younger after his shave. In his 1st game in pinstripes on April 11th, he delivered the game-winning hit with 2 outs in the top of the 10th against Rays Reliever Collin McHugh to endear himself to his new Bronx fans. Given the Yankees' unending string of injuries that season, he turned out to be an important player, as a capable major leaguer able to play every day, at a number of positions, even if he still had issues with a low batting average and plentiful strikeouts. On August 21st, he cost himself a HR, when he called for time in the 7th inning of a game against the Twins; it was granted by home plate umpire Angel Hernandez a fraction of a second before Ralph Garza's pitch. Odor, not realizing the timeout had been granted, slammed the ball out of the park for an apparent 3-run HR, but it was ruled no pitch. Garza then proceeded to strike him out. He would appear in 102 games for the Yankees while hitting .202 with 15 HRs and 39 RBIs. He played both 2nd and 3rd base, depending on the need. In the 2021 ALWC game against the Red Sox played at Fenway Park on October 5th, he came in as a pinch-hitter for SS Andrew Velazquez in the 6th inning and stayed in the game at 3rd base, going 0 for 2. It turned out to be his final game as a Yankee Player. On November 23, 2021, he was released by the team. On November 30, 2021, he was signed as an MLB Free Agent by the Orioles, who looking to rebuild their infield.
1998- The Yankees had replaced recently resigned General Manager Bob Watson with young Yankees Baseball Executive named Brian Cashman.
2002- Yankees All-Star Catcher Jorge Posada signs a 5-year contract with the club. Terms are not announced, but Posada was asking for $7.75 million in arbitration, which would make the 30-year-old the 2nd best-paid Catcher in MLB history.
2014- The Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame announces 4 new members: Former 1983-1984 Yankees GM Murray Cook (the 2nd Canadian to be a GM for a MLB team), Jim Ridley (long-time Scout and Manager of the Canadian 1988 Olympic team), Dave Van Horne (Montréal Expos Announcer for over 30 years) and Tim Wallach (Expos NL All-Star 3rd Baseman).
2019- Former Yankees Pitcher Robert “Warrior” Friend (1966) passed away. (1930-2019) On December 10,1965, veteran NL All-Star Starter Bob Friend was traded by the Pirates to the Yankees for young P Pete Mikkelsen and Cash. It was another great trade for an over the hill MLB veteran for young player trade by Yankees GM Ralph Houk. Bob would post a 1-4 record with a 4.84 ERA in 12 games for the 1966 Yankees before being dumped to the Mets in June of 1966. Bob would finish his MLB Pitching career with a 197-200 record with a 3.58 ERA in 497 games; with the 1958 NL season as his best with a 22-14 mark with a 3.68 ERA in 38 games for the Pirates. He was named to the NL All-Star team 3 times as a member of the Pirates. In the 1960 World Series with the Pirates against the Yankees, Bob was 0-2 with a 13.50 ERA in 3 games.
2021- Former Yankees Minor League INF and Manager Wayne Terwilliger passed away. (1925-2021)
Wayne Terwilliger came to the Yankees from the Kansas City A’s during the 1960 AL season. He was assigned by the Yankees to their AAA Richmond Virginians team (IL), where he hit .206 in 93 games. In 1961, Wayne became a Minor League Manager for the Yankees organization at Greensboro (CL). Then in 1962, he would start to manage in the Senators-Rangers Minor League system for many seasons.
February 4th
1875- Former Yankees OF Alfonzo “Lefty” Davis (1903) was born.
Before the start of the 1903 MLB Season, OF Lefty Davis had jumped from the NL Pirates to play for the 1903 Yankees in the AL. He appeared in 104 games for the 1903 Yankees, while hitting .237 with No HRs and 25 RBIs. In 1904, he was back playing in the Minor Leagues
1877- Former Yankees Player/Coach Germany “Liberty” Schaefer (1916) was born. (1887-1919)
On January 21,1916, INF Germany Schaefer was purchased by the Yankees from the Newark Peppers (Federal League). The 39-yearold veteran MLB Player who had been in the MLB since 1901, appeared in 1 game for the team as a player, before becoming an MLB Coach for them. With WWI going on, he will change his nickname of “Germany” to “Liberty.”
1915- The Yankees had purchased Rookie 1B Wally Pipp and MLB OF Hugh High from the Tigers for a reported $5,000 each. Baseball Historian Lyle Spatz (Yankees Coming, Yankees Going) writes that this was the 1st of some promised funneling of ball players to the recently sold Yankees franchise to new Team Owners Ruppert and Houston. Wally Pipp would be the Yankees Regular 1B from 1915 until midseason of 1925, before being replaced by Rookie 1B Lou Gehrig. He would be sold to the Reds following the completion of the 1925 AL season. Outfielder Hugh High would play in 345 games for the 1915-1918 Yankees, while hitting .250 with 3 HRs and 90 RBIs.
1916- The Yankees had released veteran OF Birdie Cree (1908-1915). He had retired from MLB. He had played for the Yankees for 8 seasons, while hitting a career .292 with 761 hits, 11 HRs and 332 RBIs in 742 games. On February 19,1914, Birdie was purchased by the AA Baltimore Orioles (IL) from the Yankees for $2,500, his leg injuries had slowed him down as an MLB Outfielder. On July 8,1914, he was traded by the AA Baltimore Orioles (IL) back to the Yankees for OF Bill Holden and $5,000 Cash. His best Yankees season was in 1911, when he hit .348 with 4 HRs and 88 RBIs in 137 games for the team.
1937- Former Yankees Manager Harry Wolverton (1912) passed away. (1873-1937)
Harry Wolverton would manage the 1912 Yankees to a 50-102 record for a last place finish in the American League. He had replaced Player-Manager Hal Chase. The former veteran NL Infielder had appeared in 33 games a Pinch-Hitter and played 3B for the 1912 Yankees, while hitting .300. Former Cubs Manager Frank Chance would replace Harry Wolverton as Yankees Manager for the 1913 AL season. After leaving the Yankees, Harry would return to be a Minor League Manager in the Pacific Coast League. He had managed the AA Oakland Oaks (PCL) before joining the Yankees in 1912.
1957- Former Yankees, Cubs and Red Sox MLB Manager Joe McCarthy and OF Sam Crawford are elected to the Hall of Fame by the BWAA. Joe “Marsh” McCarthy, the winningest Manager in MLB history, who had won 9 pennants and 4 consecutive World Championships with the Yankees. He was the 1st MLB Manager to win league championships in NL (Cubs) and in the AL (Yankees and the Red Sox). Sam “Wahoo Sam” Crawford, one of the greatest MLB hitters of the Dead-Ball Era, finished his MLB playing career hitting 309 triples, 1st on the All-time MLB list. Overall, he had appeared in 2,517 games, while hitting .309 with 97 HRs and 1,525 RBIs. He would play for the 1899-1902 Reds and the 1903-1917 Tigers. He would appear in the 1907-1909 World Series with the Tigers, hitting .243 with 1 HR and 6 RBIs appearing in 17 games.
1961 – Former Yankees Minor League Executive and MLB General Manager Parker Carroll passed away. (1904-1961)
From 1958-1960, Parker Carroll was the GM of the Kansas City A’s. During those years, he engineered a few trades that sent key players to the Yankees, such as OF Hector Lopez, Pitchers Ralph Terry and Duke Maas, but his most notable deal came on December 11,1959 in which Carroll sent OF Roger Maris, 1B Kent Hadley and veteran Shortstop Joe DeMasteri to the Yankees for veteran P Don Larsen, Reserve 1B/OF Marv Throneberry, OF Hank Bauer and OF/1B Norm Siebern. With the aid of the short RF Porch in Yankee Stadium in 1961, Roger Maris set a single-season HR record with 61 HRs, just 2 seasons after leaving the A's. Only Norm Siebern would pay dividends for the A's however, as he was their Regular 1B from 1961-1963. Carroll's MLB Trade dealings with the Yankees were considered controversial because the A’s, under Team Owner Arnold Johnson had sent many top players to the Bronx in apparent 1-sided trades during the mid-to late-1950s. Johnson and the team's Director of Player Personnel George Selkirk had previously traded quality players such as veteran Starter Bobby Shantz, Bonus Baby INF Clete Boyer and Reliever Ryne Duren to the Yankees. Many people seem to forget that club did trade away many of the talented players that they had acquired from the Yankees, like INF/OF Woody Held, INF Billy Martin, OF/1BVic Power, Reliever Tom Morgan and other players to other AL teams that didn’t trade with the Yankees. Also, Johnson had previous business ties with Yankees Team Co-Owner Del Webb. He had owned Yankee Stadium in the Bronx prior to purchasing the Philadelphia club from the Connie Mack Family in the winter of 1954. All these factors led to charges from baseball fans, Sports Writers and other MLB teams that Johnson and Carroll operated the team as a Yankee Farm Team at the MLB level. Parker Carroll had come to the team directly, after working in the Yankees organization as a Minor League Business Manager for the Bombers' 2 top AA farm clubs, the Kansas City Blues (AA) and the Newark Bears (IL). A former Sportswriter, who served as Sports Editor of the Kansas City Journal Post, Carroll entered pro baseball, when that newspaper ceased publication during World War II. He joined the A's front office during their 1st MLB season in Kansas City in 1955 as Vice President and Business Manager. After the end of the 1958 AL season, Johnson will promote him to General Manager. He previously had not handed the GM title to a specific A’s Baseball Executive, preferring to divide the job responsibilities among himself, A’s Baseball Executive George Selkirk and Carroll. At the end of the 1960 AL season, new A’s Team Owner Charley O. Finley fired Parker Carroll replacing him with veteran MLB General Manager Frank “Trader” Lane.
1964- Former Yankees Minor League P Troy Evers was born.
Pitcher Troy Evers was selected by the Mets in the 10th round of the 1982 MLB Amateur Player Draft; but he did not sign with the club. He was then taken by the Yankees in the 2nd round of the MLB 1985 Amateur Player Draft. He made his pro debut that year with the Class A Oneonta Yankees (NYPL), going 10-1, leading the League with a 1.18 ERA. Late in the 1988 season, he was traded along with MLB OF Jay Buhner and P&nbs**** Balabon to the Mariners for veteran MLB 1B/DH Ken Phelps. He would play 2 seasons in the Mariners organization. After several years away from baseball, Evers was a strike replacement player for the Pirates in the spring of 1995. Then he played for the Independent Green Bay Sultans (PL), going 5-4 with a 2.08 ERA in 21 relief appearances.
1966- Former Yankees Shortstop Mike “Mollie” Milosevich (1944-1945) passed away. (1915-1966)
Shortstop Mike “Mollie” Milosevich hit .241 with 0 HRs and 39 RBIs in 124 games for the 1944-1945 Wartime Yankees. Mike had played in the Yankees Minor League system from 1935-1946. In 1947, Mollie moved to the Red Sox Minor League organization. Milosevich had managed the Baxley-Hazlehurst Red Socks for part of the 1949 Minor League baseball season. Also, he would manage a Class D team, the 1951 Americus Rebels.
1969- Attorney Bowie Kuhn is named MLB Commissioner, succeeding MLB Commissioner Spike Eckert. Kuhn receives a 1-year contract paying him $100,000. MLB Team Owners turned to Kuhn, after failing to agree on either of 2 other candidates; the Yankees President Michael Burke and the Giants Baseball Executive Chub Feeney. Kuhn was a close friend of Dodgers Team Owner Walter O’Malley. He had represented MLB during the 1950’s Congressional Anti-Trust hearings.
1984- The Yankees had obtained 3B Toby Harrah and a Player to be Named later from the Indians in exchange for OF Otis Nixon, Reliever George Frazier and a Player to be Named Later. The Indians will send Minor League P Rick Browne on February 8,1984 to the Yankees to complete the trade. The Yankees will send Minor League P Guy Elston on February 8,1984 to the Tribe to complete the trade. Toby Harrah was a major disappointment with the bat for the Yankees. He only managed to hit .217 with 1 HR with 26 RBIs in 88 games. On February 27,1985, he was traded by the Yankees to the Rangers for a Player to be Named Later and MLB OF Billy Sample. The Rangers will send Minor League P Eric Dersin on July 14,1985 to the Yankees to complete the trade.
1995- Current Yankees Pitcher Greg Weissert (2022) was born.
On June 11, 2016, Pitcher Greg Weissert was selected by the Yankees in the 18th round of the 2016. MLB Amateur Player Draft. He had pitched for Fordham Univ. (New York, NY). In 2022, he was called up to the Bronx to help out the Yankees pitching staff that was hit with injuries.
1994- Former Yankees 1B/PH Chris Gittens (2021) was born.
Chris Gittens was drafted by the Yankees in the 12th round of the 2014 MLB June Amateur Player Draft from Grayson College (Denison, TX). Gittens, 26, had re-signed with the Yankees, after batting .264 (370-for-1,399) with 202 R, 73 doubles, 2 triples, 71 HRs and 252 RBIs in 409 games in his 1st 6 Minor League seasons with the club. In 2020, the Sherman, Tx, native had attended the 2020 MLB Spring Training with the Yankees as a non-roster Invitee, after winning the 2019 Eastern League MVP award with AA Trenton Thunder, hitting .281/.393/.500 (112-for-398) with 58 R, 16 doubles, 23 HRs, 77 RBIs and 71 BB in 115 games in 2019. In 2021, he had appeared in just 16 games with the Bombers, hitting only .111 with 1 HR and 5 RBIs in 16 games. On November 30, 2021, the Yankees released Gittens to allow him a chance to sign with a pro team in Japan. On December 26, 2021, he would be signed by the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles.
2007- Former Yankees Pitcher Steve Barber (1967-1968) passed away. (1938-2007)
On July 4,1967, veteran AL Starter Steve Barber was traded by the Orioles to the Yankees for Players to be Named Later, MLB 1B Ray “Buddy” Barker and Cash. The Yankees will send 2-Minor League Players INF Chet Trail and OF Joe Brady to the Orioles to complete the trade. Steve had posted a 12-14 record with a 3.58 ERA in 37 games for the Yankees before being drafted by the Seattle Pilots in the 1968 AL Expansion Team Player Draft. He was still recovering from pitching arm problems that he had with the Orioles, never showing the great form that made him a very successful starter for the Birds during the early 1960’s.
2007- Former Yankees Reserve OF Jim Pisoni (1959-1960) passed away. (1929-2007)
On June 15,1957, OF Jim Pisoni came to Yankees from Kansas City in the Billy Martin trade. He would hit .144 in 32 games as a Reserve Yankees Outfielder.In 1949,Jim was signed as an MLB Amateur Player by the St. Louis Browns. He came up to the MLB in September of 1953, becoming the last MLB Rookie to debut with the Browns before they moved to Baltimore in 1954. On December 1,1958, Jim was drafted by the Braves from the Yankees organization in the 1958 MLB Rule 5 Player Draft. In May of 1959, the Braves returned him to the Yankees Organization. He would spend most his time with the Yankees, playing for the AAA Richmond Virginians (IL). He would finish his pro baseball career in 1962, after spending the season with the Reds AAA team, the San Diego Padres (PCL).
2011- Long-time Yankees Starter Andy Pettitte announces his MLB player retirement at a press conference, after hesitating all off-season about whether to return to play another year in the Bronx. The Yankees have signed 2 veteran MLB Pitchers Bartolo Colon and Freddy Garcia as potential replacements, but Pettitte's decision still leaves a gaping hole in the team's 2011 AL season starting rotation.
2011- The Yankees had signed MLB veteran 3B Eric Chavez, who will attempt a comeback after being plagued by back injuries for the past 4 seasons with the A’s and announcing his player retirement early last season. In 2 seasons with the Yankees, Eric will hit .274 with 18 HRs with 63 RBIs. He would finish his MLB playing career in 2014 with his MLB hometown team, the Diamondbacks.
