This Week in Yankees History September 10th-16th Part One

September 10th

1880- Former Yankees INF/OF Harry Niles (1908) was born. (1880-1953)

On November 5,1907, INF/OF Harry Niles was traded by the St. Louis Browns along with P Fred Glade and OF Charlie Hemphill to the Yankees for 2B Hobe Ferris, OF Danny Hoffman and 2B Jimmy Williams. For the 1908 Yankees, Harry would appear in 96 games, while hitting .249 with 4 HRs and 24 RBIs. On August 17,1908, Niles was traded by the Yankees to the Red Sox for 2B Frank LaPorte.

1910- Former Yankees Minor League OF and MLB Manager Eddie Sawyer was born. (1910-1997)

Yankees MLB Scout Paul Krichell had discovered OF Eddie Sawyer. In 1934, he would hit .361 for the Norfolk Tars for 3rdin hitting in the Piedmont League. The next season, Sawyer would hit .314 for the Tars; also, he would hit .325 for the Binghamton Triplets (EL). In 1936, he would hit .313 for the Triplets, while he drove in 98 runs, 8th-most in the NYPL. After starting the 1937 season at  Binghamton, hitting .345, he went moved up to the AA Oakland Oaks (PCL), hitting .284 there. After injuring his shoulder in 1938, Sawyer would return to Binghamton to hit .299 as an outfielder. In 1939, he would become a Player-Manager for the Amsterdam Rugmakers (CAML). He only struck out 7 times in 458 AB, as he led the Canadian-American League with 103 RBIs and batted .363. His team would win the CAML title. The next season, Sawyer  would hit .329 with 99 RBI in 120 games. Returning to old stomping grounds, Eddie would hit .277 for Norfolk Tars (PL) as their Player-Manager in 1941; he hit .267 and .280 the next 2 seasons in the same role with Binghamton to finish out his active playing career. Moving from the Yankees farm system, where he had been since 1939, he was hired by the Phillies GM Herb Pennock in 1944 to manage the Utica Blue Sox. In 1948, he would become the Phillies MLB Manager. In 1950, he would lead the Phillies to NL championship defeating the Dodgers, facing his old team in the World Series, the Yankees losing in 4 straight games. He would manage the Phillies during the 1950’s, returning to the team briefly in 1960, before quitting and being replaced by Gene Mauch after 1 game.

1919- At the Polo Grounds, Indian’s hurler Ray "Slim" Caldwell, who had been struck by lightning 2 weeks earlier, no-hits his former Yankees teammates by the score of 3-0.

1921- Yankees Catcher Wally Schang has 5 of the Yankees' 21 hits as the Bronx Bombers wallop Connie Mack’s Athletics by the score of 19-3. An MLB record-tying 5 Yankees collect 2 hits in the 9th inning: Wally Schang, Carl Mays, Elmer Miller, Roger Peckinpaugh and Babe Ruth. The Babe’s 2nd hit, a single, hits Peck for the 3rd out. Yankees Starter Carl Mays gives up 13 hits to the A’s in winning his 16th straight game over them. The Yankees outfield makes a record of 5 assists, with 4 of them made by OF Bob Meusel.

1922- The Yankees play their farewell home game in the Polo Grounds against the A’s. An estimated crowd of 40,000 fans overflow the ballpark with another 25,000 fans are turned away. Yankees Starter Joe Bush beats Philadelphia by the score of 10-3 in the Opener, while Waite Hoyt edges the Mackmen in the 2nd game by the score of 2-1. Plans are in the works to expand the Polo Grounds to a 56,000-seat capacity, but this is the last AL regular season game for the Yankees at the Polo Grounds. The Yankees will play their next 18 games on the road. Then in April of 1923, they will open the 1923 AL season at their new Yankee Stadium in the Bronx.

1925- Yankee Sluggers Bob Meusel, Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig would hit successive HRs in the 4th inning of Game 1 of a doubleheader with the Philadelphia A's, all off of P Sammy Gray, as the Yankees win the game by the score of 7-3. Then Babe Ruth and Ben Paschal will hit back-to-back HRs in the 4th inning in Game 2, but the Yankees still lose the game to the Mackmen by the score of 5-4. It was the 1^st game that Babe and Lou Gehrig have hit a HR in the same game.

1934- Former All-Star and AL MVP OF Roger Maris (1960-1966) was born. (1934-1985)

Before the start of the 1953 AL season, the Indians had signed Roger Maris as an MLB Amateur Free Agent. On June 15,1958, Roger was traded by the Indians along with P Dick Tomanek and INF Preston Ward to the Kansas City A’s for former Yankee Minor League players, who were traded to the A‘s: INF/OF Woodie Held and 1B Vic Power. On December 17,1959, Roger Maris was obtained by the Yankees in a trade with the A’s. The Yankees would send OF Norm Siebern, Pitcher Don Larsen, Reserve 1B/OF Marv Throneberry and veteran OF Hank Bauer to the A’s for OF Roger Maris, INF Joe DeMaestri and 1B Kent Hadley. In 1960-1961, he will win the AL MVP Award, as well establishing a new HR record for MLB in 1961 with 61 HRs. He was selected for the AL All-Star teams in 1960-1962. A fine defensive outfielder, Roger Maris won an AL Golden Glove for RF in 1960. Roger would appear with the Yankees in 5 World Series from 1960-1964. In  the winter of 1966, he was traded to the Cardinals for 3B Charley Smith. Overall, with the Yankees, he had appeared in 850 games, while hitting .265 with 203 HRs with 547 RBIs. Roger would appear in the 1967-1968 World Series with the Cardinals, before retiring as an active player. In World Series play with the 1960-1964 Yankees and the 1967-1968 Cardinals, Roger would hit with .217 with 6 HRs and 18 RBIs in 41 games. The Yankees would retire his Yankees No. 9 Uniform Number. On December 14,1985, Roger Maris would pass away from cancer at the age of 51. 

1950- Yankees CF Joe DiMaggio becomes the 1st player to hit 3 HRs in 1 game at spacious Griffith Stadium in Washington, D.C., as the Bombers beat the Senators by the score of 8-1. Also, Joe adds an RBI double to pass the 100-RBI mark for the 9th time in his MLB playing career. The Senators lead the 2nd game by the score of 6-2, when rain-washes it out in the 4th inning. Yankees are now a half-game in back of the Tigers with the Red Sox a half game behind the Yankees.

1955- Yankees veteran OF Hank Bauer, is pressed into emergency service as a Catcher by Yankees Manager Casey Stengel, permits a passed ball setting up the winning run in a 9-8 loss to the White Sox. It would be the only time that the veteran OF Hank Bauer would appear behind the plate for the Yankees. 

1957- The Yankees had obtained Reserve OF Bobby Del Greco (1957-1958) from the Cubs for the waiver price. Bobby would hit .429 for the remainder of the 1957 AL season. In 1958,  he would hit .200 in only 12 games for the Yankees, when he was sent down to AAA Richmond (IL). On April 13,1959, Bobby was purchased by the Phillies from the Yankees.

1958- At Cleveland’s Municipal Stadium, a crowd of 50,021 Tribe fans turn out for "Back the Indians" night. It is Cleveland's largest crowd since the 1955 AL season, but the Yankees dampen the Indian fans enthusiasm with an 8-3 victory over the Tribe. Yankees Rookie Starter Zack Monroe picks up his 4^th victory of the 1958 AL season with relief help from Relievers Ryne Duren and Art Ditmar, who gets his 3^rd save. Yankee hitters Hank Bauer, Elston Howard and Tony Kubek have 2 RBIs apiece in the game.

1959- Yankees Slugger Mickey Mantle goes 5-for-6; including a HR in a 12-1 romp over Kansas City played at Yankee Stadium. Bronx starter Ralph Terry picks up a complete game victory, his 5^th for the 1959 AL season by allowing only 1 run and 4 hits; while striking out 4 A’s batters. Ray Hebert takes the loss for the A’s, lasting only 2 innings in his start against the Yankees. He is now 10-11 for the 1959 AL season. Terry had started out the 1959 season with the A’s before being traded to the Yankees on May 26,1959.

1960- At Detroit, Mickey Mantle unloads a HR cannon shot for 3 runs in the 6th inning, the ball clearing the RF roof and landing in the Brooks Lumber Yard across Trumbull Avenue. Yankees pin a 5-1 loss on Tigers Starter Paul Foytack that moves them a half game in 1st place ahead of the Orioles, who are losers today. In June of 1985, Mantle's HR was retroactively measured at 643 feet; it will be listed in The ****ss Book of World Records at that distance.

1961- The Yankees would sweep the Tribe in a doubleheader by scores of 7-6 and 9-3, for their 12th win in a row at home and for the Indians; it’s their 20th loss in a row at Yankee Stadium. Mickey Mantle gets HR # 53 in the nightcap, while Roger Maris is homer-less, he stays at the 56 HR mark. The official scorecard credits Mantle with 2 runs scored: it will be discovered in 1995, that 1 of the 2 runs should go to Bill Skowron. In the 2nd game, Clete Boyer sends Jim Perry pitch into the LF corner that hits the lower deck of the Grand Stand and bounces back into play. While home plate Umpire Joe Linsalata calls it a HR, the other 2 umps agreed with Tribe CF Jimmy Piersall, who contends the ball is in play. Boyer's HR is interrupted at 3B with a tag out. Piersall’ contribution in Game 1 is fighting with a fan, who had climbed onto the Yankee Stadium playing field.

1962- Against Tigers veteran P Hank Aguirre, Mickey Mantle clouts a 4th inning HR, the 400th of his MLB playing career to tie the game at 1-1. The Yankees score 2 runs in the 9th inning off of Aguirre to beat the Tigers by the score of 3-1. The victory, combined with a Twins loss, gives the Yankees a 3 1/2 game lead over Minnesota. The surprising 2^nd  AL season Angels are in 3rd place in the AL, just 4 games back.

1963- Former Hall of Fame Yankees and MLB Pitcher Randy “The Big Unit” Johnson (2005-2006) was born.

The Diamondbacks had traded veteran starter Randy Johnson in the winter of 2004 to the Yankees for 2 hurlers: Javier Vazquez and Brad Halsey, Minor League Catcher Dioner Navarro and Cash. He pitched well in 2 seasons in Yankee pinstripes, going 17-8 (2005) and 17-11 (2006), but he was still considered a disappointment as the Bronx Bombers failed to return to the World Series. He personally failed to record a win in the postseason (running his  lifetime MLB postseason record to 7-9, 5 of the wins having come in 2001). The fact that his ERA reached an even 5.00 in that 2^nd Bronx season, also wore out his welcome in the NYC. On January 9, 2007, Randy was traded back by the Yankees along with Cash to theDiamondbacks for INF Alberto Gonzalez, 2 Pitchers: Steven Jackson and Ross Ohlendorf and MLB INF Luis Vizcaino. In 2007, he was 4-3 in 10 starts for the D-Backs as he was bothered by back problems. As a Yankees Starter, Randy had posted a 34-19 record with a 4.37 ERA in 67 games along with 6 complete games. In 2009, Randy would end his MLB pitching career with the Giants. His final MLB pitching totals was a 303-166 record with a 3.29 ERA in 618 games. In 2015, Randy was elected to the Hall of Fame.

1966- The Yankees had obtained P Thad Tillotson and Cash from the Dodgers for veteran MLB Shortstop Richard “Ducky” Schofield. Thad would post a 4-9 record in his 2 seasons with the Yankees. After being obtained from the Giants, Schofield had hit only .155 for the Yankees.

1973- Former Yankees Reserve OF Roy Johnson (1936-1937) had passed away. (1903-1973)

On January 17,1936, OF Roy Johnson was traded by the Senators along with P Bump Hadley to the Yankees for P Jimmie DeShong and OF Jesse Hill. He had appeared in 75 games for the 1936-1937 Yankees, while hitting .273 with 1 HR and 25 RBIs. Roy had played in 1 game of the 1936 World Series with the team with no hits. On May 11,1937, Roy was selected off waivers by the Boston Bees (aka Braves) from the Yankees. He had appeared in only 12 games for the 1937 Yankees, while hitting .294 with No HRs and 6 RBIs.

1974- Former AL Batting Champion Alex Johnson is purchased by the Yankees from the Rangers yesterday. He arrives in Boston during the Red Sox-Yankees game at Fenway Park. With the score tied 1-1 in the 12^th inning, Johnson socks a Pinch-hit HR to win it for the Yankees by the score of 2-1.

1977- At Yankee Stadium, Blue Jays 3B Roy Howell leads the way with 13 total bases (2 HRs, 2 doubles and a single) and 9 RBIs as the expansion Blue Jays rout the Yankees by the score of 19-3. Yankees Starter Jim “Catfish” Hunter takes the loss to finish the 1977 AL season at 9-9. He will not pitch again for the Yankees until the 1977 World Series starts against the Dodgers.

1978- The Red Sox throw 22-year-old Rookie P Bobby Sprague at the Yankees and the lefty last just two-thirds of an inning walking 3 batters and allowing 1 Yankees hit. The Yankees will take the lead and top the Red Sox by the score of 7-4 behind the pitching of Starter Ed Figueroa and Closer Rich Gossage. The Red Sox would collect just 5 hits, including Fred Lynn's 21st HR. The Yankees out-hit the Red Sox 67-21, and outscore them 42-9, in a sweep that will become known in “Yankee lore “ as the "Boston Massacre" that leaves the teams in a tie for 1st place in the AL East that caps a remarkable Yankees march to the top from 4th place, 14 games out.

1978- Former Yankees Reserve INF Nick Green (2006) was born.

 Nick Green was selected by the Braves in the 32nd round of the 1998 MLB Amateur Player Draft. On May 24, 2006, Nick was purchased by the Yankees from the Rays. On July 2, 2006, Green made his 1st start for the Yankees at 2nd base. He contributed at the plate and in the field, hitting his 1st Yankee HR and throwing out a runner at the plate on a strong relay throw. For the 2006 Yankees, Green would hit .240 with 2 HRs and 4 RBIs in 46 games as a Reserve INF In October of 2006, the Yankees would grant him MLB Free Agency. In 2007, he would resign with the Yankees organization, but he didn’t play with the team at the MLB level. 

1983- Former Yankees Pitcher Lance Pendleton (2011) was born.

The Yankees in the 4th round of the 2005 MLB Amateur Player Draft had selected Lance Pendleton. He was the 2nd pitcher taken by the Yankees that year, following J. Brent Cox. Lance had a 3.93 ERA as a college freshman, walking 19 in 18 1/3 IP. In his sophomore year, he allowed 2 runs (1 earned) in 3 2/3 IP, he was 1-0. He had pitched in the 2004 College World Serieswith Rice Univ. He was 5-3 with 2 saves and a 3.69 ERA his junior year. He would make his pro debut with the Class A 2005 Staten Island Yankees, going 1-0, with a 2.33 ERA in 9 games. Then he would have surgery on his right elbow and missing the entire 2006 season. Starting back at square one, he made 8 appearances with the 2007 GCL Yankees, the lowest rung in the Yankees' Minor League ladder, before being assigned to the 2008 Class A Charleston RiverDogs (SAL). With Charleston, he was 7-9, with a 3.52 ERA in 28 games, while striking out 119 batters in 128 innings. He had a very good 2009 season split between the Class A Tampa Yankees (FSL) and the AA Trenton Thunder (EL); in 28 games (26 starts), he was 12-8 with a 3.14 ERA in 149 innings, while striking out 130 batters, the highest total in the Yankees organization that year. He made the end-of-season FSL All-Star team. Pendleton continued to stake his place as one of the Yankees' top pitching prospects in 2010, reaching AAA on the strength of a combined 12-5 record and a 3.61 ERA between the AA Trenton (EL) and AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (IL). He struck out 111 batters while allowing only 95 hits at Trenton before his promotion to AAA. He tied Hector Noesi for the most starts (27) by a Yankee farmhand; Lance was 2 wins shy of Noesi, the leader. Pendleton finished 5th in the Eastern League in ERA. He had started the 2011 season at AAA, where his 1st 2 appearances were in long relief. The Houston native had given up only 1 run in 5 2/3 innings when the Yankees gave him the call to "The Show". In his MLB pitching debut with the Yankees on April 15, 2011, Pendleton would pitch 3 perfect innings in relief of Starter Ivan Nova against the Rangers; he had been called up from AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (IL) earlier in the day, when Phil Hugheswas placed on the DL. In all he had appeared in 11 games for the 2011 Yankees with a good 3.21 ERA; but he had more walks than strikeouts. The Yankees would place him on waivers in September in order to add some other prospects to their MLB roster, then the Astros would claim him once again. He would make 4 appearances for his hometown team, but he gave up 9 runs on 10 hits in 4 2/3 innings. After the 2011 AL season was over, he became an MLB Free Agent. On April 18, 2012, Lance was signed by the Rays as an MLB Free Agent.

1985- Former Yankees Reliever Anthony Swarzak (2016) was born.

In January of 2016, the Yankees had signed Anthony as an MLB Free Agent. He went 1-4 with a 3.86 ERA in 15 games for AAA Scranton (IL). The Yankees would use him in their 2016 bullpen. He would finish the 2016 AL season with the team with a 1-2 record with a 5.52 ERA in 26 games. In October of 2016, the Angels would claim him on waivers from the Yankees. 

1985- Former Yankees INF/OF Neil Walker (2018) was born.

In 2004, he was selected by the Pirates in the 1st round, with the 11th overall pick, with taking the local kid perhaps a key element as well in their decision-making process. In the Minors, the Bucs converted him from a catcher into an infielder. He had played the infield with the Pirates from 2010 to 2015. On December 9, 2015, he was traded by the team to the Mets in return for P Jonathon Niese. On August 12, 2017, he was traded by the Mets to Brewers in return for a Player to be Named Later. He had played 38 games for Brewers, hitting .267 with 4 HRs and 13 RBIs. After the 2017 season was finished the Brewers would grant him MLB Free Agency. On March 12, 2018, he would be signed a 1-year deal with the Yankees for $5 million, after having waited all winter for a long-term MLB contract that never materialized. The Yankees had gone into spring training camp with 2 raw rookies penciled in to start at 2B and 3B, but with a team otherwise expected to contend for a World Series title. They decided to hedge their bets by bringing on board a couple of veterans, who could start if required, 1st Brandon Drury and now Walker. Walker stayed with the team, while Dury was traded to the Blue Jays. For the 2018, Yankees Neil had played in the OF/INF, while hitting .219 with 11 HRs and 46 RBIs in 113 games. After the season had ended, he was granted MLB Free Agency by the team; he would be signed by the Marlins for 2019 NL season.

1989- Five days after hitting a HR for the Yankees in a 12-2 win over the Mariners, Deion Sanders returns a punt 68 yards for a touchdown in his NFL Player debut with the Atlanta Falcons. Sanders hit .234 in 14 games for New York this year in his 1st attempt at playing 2 sports professionally.

1999-The Red Sox trip the Yankees by the score of 3-1, as Starter Pedro Martinez hurls an impressive 1-hitter for his 21st victory of the 1999 AL season. Martinez strikes out 17 Yankee batters, the most Yankees ever fanned in a single game. DH Chili Davis' 2nd inning HR is Bronx Bombers only score. Chuck Knoblauch leading off the game gave the Yankees their only other base runner; he was caught stealing, so Martinez faces just 1 batter over the minimum of 27 batters.

2010- At Arlington, the Yankees and the Rangers set a MLB record by using a combined 19 pitchers in 13-inning game, won 6-5 by the Rangers. Scott Feldman, normally a Starter, records the win by pitching a scoreless 13th inning as the 11th hurler used by Texas, which itself ties  an MLB record. The Rangers win the game when Nelson Cruz leads off the bottom of the 13th inning with a HR off of Yankees Reliever Chad Gaudin.

2011- Angels Starter Dan Haren pitches a 4-hit shutout denying Yankees Ace CC Sabathia his bid for his 20th win of the 2011 MLB season, as the Angels blank the Yankees by the score of 6-0. The win moves the Halos to within 1 1/2 games of the AL West-leading Rangers. The Angels score their last 5 runs off of Yankee Rookie Pitchers Hector Noesi and George Kontos, after Sabathia departs after 6 innings of work, trailing 1-0. Veteran All Star Catcher Jorge Posada is pressed into service behind the plate for the 1st time this season for the Yankees after Catcher Russell Martin leaves the game with a bruised thumb in the 2nd inning.

September 11th

1905- The Highlanders would sell workhorse P Jack Powell (8-13) to the St. Louis Browns. In 1904, Powell had posted a 23-19 record with a 2.44 ERA in 47 games, while pitching 390 1/3 innings. He was 8-13 in 36 games for the 1905 team before the trade to the Browns was made. With the 1905 Browns, Powell will go 2-1 in 3 games.

1911- The Red Sox would claim on waivers on veteran Yankees Starter Happy Jack Chesbro (0-4). He will pitch 1 game for Boston, posting a 0-1 record. He will retire from the MLB at the end of the 1911 AL season.

1912- At Sportsman Park in St. Louis, veteran Browns Starter Jack Powell leaves after 7 innings, losing 3-0 to his former team the Yankees. Reliever George Baumgartner gives up 2 more runs in the 8^th inning, but the Browns would score 4 runs in the bottom of the 8^th inning to cut the losing margin to 5-4. The New York Times reports the loss to Baumgartner, who pitched poorly.

1923- After Yankees leadoff hitter Whitey Witt reaches 1B on a controversial infield hit that is ruled a single. Red Sox Starter Howard Ehmke retires the next 27 Bronx batters that he faces for a 3-0 win, his 20th of the 1923 AL season. The Yankees crowd exhorts the scorer Fred Lieb to reverse his call on the hard grounder that 3B Howard Shanks booted, but the 1 hit stood. Ehmke has now given up just 1 hit in his last 2 games.

1926- Bronx OF Bob Meusel ties an MLB record for sacrifice flies in 1 game; when he hits 3 during a 6-4 Yankees win at Cleveland. In the same game, Yankees Shortstop Mark Koenig handles 16 chances without an error, 1 short of the record set by the Browns Shortstop Bob Wallace in 1902.

1927- After losing 21 games in a row to the Yankees, the St. Louis Browns win their last meeting of the 1927 AL season by winning the game by the score of 6-2 behind Starter Milt Gaston's 5-hitter. No team has ever swept a 22-game season series. One NL team, the 1909 Chicago Cubs, went 21-1 against the Boston Braves.

1928- In a Yankees 5-3 win at the Stadium, veteran Ty Cobb makes his last appearance as an MLB batter; popping out against Yankees P Hank Johnson to Shortstop Mark Koenig as a Pinch-Hitter in the 9^th inning. Babe Ruth's 2-run HR clout off of A’s Starter Lefty Grove in the 8^th inning, seals the win for the Yankees. Also, the Bombers would seal the fate of  A's with their 4th straight win over the Quakers, leaving them in 2nd place in the AL, 2 1/2 games back.

1932- At Cleveland Stadium, the Bronx Bombers with their 100th victory of the 1932 AL season, have clinched the 1932 AL pennant with veteran Starter George Pipgras defeating the Indians by the score of 8-3. The Yankees Manager Joe McCarthy, who had captured a NL flag with the 1929 Cubs, he becomes the 1st MLB manager to win pennants in both major leagues. 

1936- Former Yankees OF Braggo Roth (1921) had passed away. (1892-1936)

On December 31,1920, OF Braggo Roth was traded by the Senators to the Yankees for OF Duffy Lewis and P George Mogridge. In his final MLB playing season, he had appeared in 43 games for the 1921 Yankees, while hitting .283 with 2 HRs and 10 RBIs. His Brother Frank Roth was the Yankees MLB pitching Coach that season.

1940- In a doubleheader with the Tribe, the Yankees' 1st-game win at Cleveland puts them in 1st place, the only time they reach that spot during the 1940 AL season. A 2nd game loss to the Tribe drops them out of 1st place. The 1940 Yankees will finish the AL season in 3^rd place with an 88-66 record, 2 games behind the 1^st place Tigers and 1 game behind the 2^nd place Indians.

1949- At Yankee Stadium, the Senators face the Yankees in Game #1 of a doubleheader showcasing the wildest pitching staffs in the AL. The Nats hurlers in the game would walk Yankees batters 17 times, as the Bombers win the game by the score 20-5.

1950- The Yankees move back in 1^st place with a twin bill sweep over the Senators by scores of 5-1 and 6-2. Yankee Rookie’s Starter Whitey Ford and OF Jackie Jensen lead the way in the Opener as Whitey wins his 6th straight game. Rookie OF Jackie Jensen has 3 hits including his 1st MLB career HR. In the 2nd game, Yankees veteran Starter Eddie Lopat wins his 16^th game of the 1950 AL season.

1955- Red Sox OF Ted Williams collects his 2,000th MLB career hit in a 5-3 loss to the Yankees.

1955- In a move to shore up their bullpen pitching down the 1955 AL pennant stretch; the Yankees would buy veteran P Gerry Staley from the Reds for the waiver price. He would post a 0-0 record in 3 games (1955-1956) before being sent to the White Sox on waivers during the 1956 AL season. 

1956- Yankees Yogi Berra ties the MLB career record for HRs by a Catcher in the Yankees' 9-5 victory over the A’s. His 236^thHR and the Yankees' 177th HR of the 1956 AL season to tie him with Cubs HOF Great Gabby Hartnett.

1958- Former Yankees Catcher Don “Sluggo” Slaught (1988-1989) was born.

On November 2,1987, Catcher Don Slaught was traded by the Rangers to the Yankees for a Player to be Named Later. The Yankees would send P Brad Arnsberg on November 10,1987 to the Rangers to complete the trade. Don would hit .266 with 14 HRs and 81 RBIs in 214 games for the Yankees before being traded to the Pirates for 2 hurlers: Jeff Robinson and Willie Smith.

1958- Former Yankees Minor League P Scott Patterson was born.

On April 23,1982, the Yankees had received Minor League P Scott Patterson from the Braves for veteran 1B Bob Watson. Scott never appeared with the Yankees at the MLB level. He would continue to pitch in the Minor Leagues until 1986. He had been with the Braves AAA team at Richmond (IL), the Yankees would assign him to their AAA team, the Columbus Clippers (IL).

1960- The Yankees would sweep the Indians in a double-header by scores of 5-0 and 3-2. In the 1st game, Yankee Starter Ralph Terry throws a complete game, a 5-0 shutout. Yankees RF Roger Maris hits his 38^th HR of the 1960 AL season. Hector Lopez hits a triple and HR. In the 2nd game, Mickey Mantle’s HR in the 11^th inning giving the Yankees a 3-2 victory. Eli Grba is the winner, while Yankees Closer Ryne Duren picks up his 8^th save of the 1960 AL season.

1963- At Municipal Stadium in Kansas City, Yankees Starter Whitey Ford defeats A's by the score of 8-2, as Mickey Mantle's HR in the 1st inning provides all the scoring that Whitey needs. Mantle is 3-for-4 at the plate for the Yankees, while collecting 4 RBIs in the game.

1966- At Fenway Park, Bronx Rookie 1B John Miller becomes the 1st Yankee player to ever hit a HR in his 1st MLB at bat. He contributes 2-runs in a 4-2 defeat of the Red Sox at Fenway Park. It will be Miller's only HR in Yankee pinstripes, but as a Dodger in 1969, he will hit a HR in his last MLB career at-bat.

1978- Former Yankees Reserve INF Mike Gazella (1923-1928) had passed away. (1895-1978). 

As a Reserve INF for the 1923-1928 Yankees, Mike Gazella would appear in 160 games, while hitting .241 with No HRs and 33 RBIs. He had played in 1 game of 1926 World Series against the Cardinals with no hits.  After leaving the Yankees in 1928, he would play in the Class AA Pacific Coast League for several seasons. Mike will continue to play in the Minor Leagues until 1939. From 1935-1939, he was a Player-Manager for several teams. 

1980- Former Yankees Pitcher Matt DeSalvo (2007) was born.

Matt DeSalvo was one of the greatest pitchers in NCAA Division III history. He debuted in the MLB in 2007. Matt graduated college with a degree in Environmental Science, but he went undrafted. He had a dazzling 5-year career in NCAA Division III(he was red-shirted 1 year) and set NCAA Division III records for career wins (53) and strikeouts (603). As a Senior in 2003, he went 13-2 with 1 save with a 1.31 ERA and led the Division with 157 strikeouts in 96 IP, allowing only 46 hits. He was an ABCA All-American for the 3rd time, won the ABCA Player of the Year Award for Division III and was picked as the Baseball America Small College Player of the Year and as a Small College All-American. Matt DeSalvo was signed by Yankees Scout Mike Gibbons as an undrafted free agent in May 2003. At the time, DeSalvo was still working on a circle change, which would later be cited as his best pitch. The 1st time he had thrown it was in a Division III College World Series game - he hit the batter. He would be the 2nd ABCA Player of the Year from Division III to make the majors, following Eric Owens. DeSalvo began his pro career with the Class A short season Staten Island Yankees (3-3, 1.84 ERA, 52 K in 49 IP) before he was promoted to the Class A Battle Creek Yankees (2-0, 0.82 ERA). If he would have qualified (he was 12 innings shy), he would have led the NYPL in ERA, beating out Yoann Torrealba's 2.04. Matt started 2004 season on an exceptional note, with a 6-3 record, with a 1.43 ERA for the Class A Tampa Yankees (FSL) In 75 1/3 IP, he allowed only 48 hits (a .176 BA) and fanned 80 batters, while walking 30 batters. Then he moved up to the AA Trenton Thunder (EL). Matt struggled with a 2-2 record with 6.59 ERA. In 2005, DeSalvo was named the Yankees Minor League Pitcher of the Year, beating out top pitching prospect Philip Hughes among others. He was 9-5 with a 3.02 ERA for AA Trenton (EL), allowing a .202 average, while striking out 151 batters in 149 IP. He would finish 3rd in the Eastern League in ERA. He failed to make the EL All-Star team as Joel Zumayawas selected as the top right-handed starter. 

DeSalvo had a rough 2006 season, he was dropped from the Yankees 40-man roster due to a personal issue that plagued him all year - it is unknown what it was, but it was known not to involve a woman, substance problems or his health. He would lead Yankee farmhands with 93 walks as he posted a 6-10 record with a 6.40 ERA. With the AA Trenton Thunder (EL), he was 5-4 with a 5.77 ERA and 59 BB in 78 IP. Then he would pitch for the AAA Columbus Clippers (IL), DeSalvo went 1-6 with a 7.68 ERA, while walking 34  batters and allowing a .303 BA in 38 2/3 IP. He was 3rd in the affiliated Minors in walks. In the off-season after 2006,  he would rediscovered the joy of baseball while playing whiffle ball with old friends. The Yankees had waived Matt that season, but no MLB team had claimed him. DeSalvo went 3-0 with a 1.05 ERA to begin 2007 season with the AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees (IL), allowing 15 hits in 25 2/3 IP. With the 2007 Yankees struggling for  pitching help, he was called up to replace a struggling P Kei Igawa. He would make his MLB Pitching debut by starting a May 7thgame against the Mariners, while giving up just 3 hits in 7 innings. He would post a 1-3 record with a 5.87 ERA in 6 games for the 2007 Yankees before being sent back down to AAA. He had helped the Yankees become the 1st team in MLB history to use 10 starters in the 1st 30 games of the MLB season, joining Kei Igawa, Chase Wright, Hughes, Andy Pettitte, Darrell Rasner, Chien-Ming Wang, Mike Mussina, Carl Pavano and Jeff Karstens. On December 12, 2007, the Yankees would grant Matt his MLB Free Agency. 

1983- Former Yankees OF Jacob Ellsbury (2014-2019) was born.

Jacob Ellsbury was selected in the 1st round of the 2005 MLB Amateur Player Draft by the Red Sox. He would play for the Red Sox from 2007 to 2013,  while appearing in 715 games, while hitting .297 with 65 HRs and 314 RBIs. He would leave the Red Sox for MLB Free Agency. On December 7, 2013, he was signed as an MLB Free Agent by the Yankees to a 7-year 153-million-dollar deal. He would only play in 520 games for the team, due to various injuries, costing him 2 seasons of playing time. He would finish out his Yankees playing career with a .264 BA with 39 HRs and 198 RBIs. On November 20, 2019, he was released by the team.

1985- The Brewers would beat the Yankees by a score of 4-3 to end the Yankees' winning streak at 11 games. The Yankees, now trail the 1st-place Blue Jays by 2 1/2 games in the AL East Division race.

 1987- Former Yankees Reserve INF Brandon Laird (2011) was born.

The brother of Gerald Laird, 3B Brandon Laird was selected by the Yankees in the 27th round of the 2007 MLB Amateur Player Draft. He would make his pro debut that summer with the GCL Yankees, hitting .339 with 8 HRs and 29 RBIs in 45 games, making the Gulf Coast League All-Star team. He was 5th in the GCL in BA, he was only 40 points behind slugging leader Michael Burgess. In the 2003 World Youth Championship, Brandon had batted .323 with 7 runs as a 3B-OF for the USA Team as they won Gold. Laird would hit .208 for the USA in the 2004 World Junior Championship as the starting 2B, forming a middle infield combo with Justin Upton. On July 22, 2011, Brandon made his MLB player debut at 3B for the Yankees, taking over for Shortstop Derek Jeter, while 3B Eduardo Nunez moved to Shortstop. He walked in his 1st plate MLB appearance, then he got a hit, would drove in a run and scored 1 in a 17-7 Yankees win over the A’s. On September 1, 2012, Brandon was selected off waivers by the Astros from the Yankees. He has been playing pro baseball with the Chiba Lotte Marines (JPPL).

1988- The Yankees would edge the Tigers by the score of 5-4 in 18 innings. Yankees Reliever Steve Shields gets the win in relief. Yankees OF Rickey Henderson ties a 1948 AL record for extra innings with 12 putouts in LF.

1989- Former Yankees Minor League P Nik Turley was born.

 Nik Turley would pitch in the Yankees farm system from 2008 through the 2014 season. He is a distant relative to former Yankees 1950’s hurler Bob Turley. He was taken by the club as the 3rd-to-last pick of the 2008 MLB Amateur Player Draft. He had turned down a scholarship to Brigham Young Univ. Turley would pitch for the 2008 GCL Yankees, by going 2-1 with a 1.12 ERA in 4 games (1 start). He also had 13 strikeouts in 8 innings. In 2009, he was 2-3 with a 2.82 ERA in 11 games (10 starts) for the 2009 GCL Yankees. On August 28, 2009, he would pitched the 1st part of a rain-shortened 8-inning no-hitter against the GCL Blue Jays. He was relieved by P Manny Barreda in the 7th, having allowed only 1 walk and 1 hit batsman. In 2010, he was 4-6 with a 3.86 ERA in 15 games (14 starts) split between the GCL squad (0-2, 7 R, 1 ER in 10 2/3 IP) and the Class A Staten Island Yankees (4-4 with a 4.38 ERA). In 2011, he was 4-6 with a 2.81 ERA in 17 starts split between the Class A Charleston RiverDogs (SAL) (4-6, 2.51 ERA) and the Class A Tampa Yankees (FSL) (8 R in 7 1/3 IP). Baseball America rated him as having the best control in the Yankees chain as he walked only 22 batters in 89 2/3 IP. He was a FSL All-Star in 2012, after going 9-5 with 116 strikeouts and a 2.89 ERA in 23 games (21 starts; 112 IP) for Tampa. He also started a game for the AA Trenton Thunder (EL) that season, allowing 3 runs in 5 innings. He had led the FSL in ERA; also, he tied for 8th in wins and was 4th in whiffs. Baseball America put him down as the #18 prospect in the loop, between Slade Heathcott and Wilmer Flores and as the Yankees' 14th-best prospect. Among Yankee farmhands, he had finished 2nd to Vidal Nuno in ERA, tied Nuno for 4th in wins. Nik was 5th in strikeouts. In 2013, he was 11-8 with a 3.88 ERA in 27 games (26 starts) for AA Trenton Thunder (EL). He also got his 1st taste of AAA action, making a start for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (IL), while allowing only 1 run in 6 innings. He tied Scottie Allen for 2nd in wins and the franchise's minor leaguers, 1 behind Shane Greene. Nik was also 2nd with 141 whiffs. Nik led the EL with 16 hit batsmen, he was 2nd with 73 walks, he was 5th in strikeouts and led with 6 balks. After spending the 2014 season with AAA Scranton, where he had posted a 5-3 record, Nik was released by the Yankees organization. 

1990- The Yankees would beat the Rangers by a score of 5-4 to snap Texas Starter Bobby Witt's personal 12-game winning streak. The Yankees score 2 runs in both the 7th and 8th innings to come from behind. Yankees Closer Dave Righetti saves his 31^st game of the 1990 AL season.

1995- At Jacobs Field in Cleveland, the Yankees record a rarity in their 4-0 win over the Indians with no assists. Bronx Starter ‘Black” Jack McDowell allows 4 hits, walks 4 and strikes out 8 Tribe batters in the 9 innings of work as the Yankees register the 3rd no-assist game in the AL this century. “Black Jack” retires the side in the 9^th inning on 3 pitches. The outfield makes 8 of the 27 putouts. It last happened in the MLB in a Mets-Phillies game on June 25,1989, the only time in the NL.

2001- In the wake of terrorist attacks on New York City's World Trade Center, Flight 93 and the Pentagon Building in Washington, D.C., MLB cancels all games for security reasons and for the deep mourning for all the lives that have been lost. Yankee Stadium is evacuated as a precautionary measure. MLB Games will not resume regular play until Monday September 17th.

2002- At Yankee Stadium, in a 50-minute pre-game ceremony, Yankees HOF legends Whitey Ford and Phil Rizzuto unveil a monument dedicated to the victims of the September 11th terrorist attacks. The team also has a ceremonial tree planting in Monument Park in honor of the heroes and victims of horrific events of a year ago. The Orioles wear 5-sided patches honoring the victims of the attack on the Pentagon. The game goes 11 innings, before Yankees Nick Johnson ends the game with an RBI single. The Yankees win the game by the score of 5-4, despite striking out 14 times. Bronx Starter Orlando Hernandez issues a walk in the 8^th inning, when he goes to his mouth on a 3-2 count while standing on the mound. It was the 1st walk in 6 full games (65 innings) by a Yankees Pitcher, the longest streak since WWII, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Yankees Reliever Steve Karsay, later hands out another walk.

2013- Yankees Manager Joe Girardi wins his 557^th game as a Manager of the team, passing former Yankees Manager Billy Martin for 6^th place on the team’s all-time list.

2014- Rays Starter Alex Cobb makes a bid for a no-hitter against the Yankees, keeping them hitless until Chris Youngdoubles with 1 out and Bombers trailing 4-0 in the 8th. Pinch-Hitter Martin Prado follows with a Pinch-Hit HR off of Rays Reliever Brad Boxberger that cuts the lead in half. Not content with having spoiled Cobb's big night, Young then hits a walk-off3-run HR off of Rays Reliever Jake McGee in the 9^th inning to give the Yankees a 5-4 win.

2017- In a game moved from Tropicana Field to Citi Field in Queens, NY because of Hurricane Irma, Yankees OF Jacoby Ellsbury breaks Pete Rose's career mark for reaching base on Catcher's Interference. It is the 30th time that Ellsbury has managed the otherwise rare manner of making it to 1st base. The Yankees would win the game by the score of 5-1 over the Rays thanks to a 3-run HR  hit by Todd Frazier.

2021- On the  20^th anniversary of the 9-11 Terrorist Attacks at the World Trade Center, the Yankees would play the Mets at Citi Field. A crowd of 43,144 fans would attend this night game. The Yankees will stage a comeback win to capture an 8-7 victory. Mets Starter Walker had held the Bronx Bombers in 6 innings to work to just 5 runs, 8 strikeouts and 1 walk, before the Yankees came back to win the game. Mets Reliever May is charged with a blown save (3^rd of season) in the loss. Yankees starter Corey Kluber goes 4 innings, while allowing 5 Mets hits, 4 runs 2 walks and 6 strikeouts. The Yankees bullpen would hold the Mets, with Reliever Clay Homes and Closer Chapman, who gets his 26^th save of the season. Yankees offensive is provided by Reserve Catcher Higashioka and RF Aaron Judge, each hitting 2 HRs and veteran CF Brett Gardner provided a solo HR.

This Week in Yankees History September 10th-16th Part Three

September 15^th

1881- Former Yankees Pitcher Judd “Slow Joe” Doyle (1906-1911) was born. (1881-1947) 

In August of 1906,  P Joe Doyle was purchased by the Highlanders from Wheeling (CL). Judd “Slow Joe” Doyle went 22-21 with a 2.70 ERA and 1 save in 77 games during his Yankees Pitching career. He was nicked–named “Slow Joe” because of long time that he took between his pitches. On May 31,1910, Joe was traded by the Yankees to the Reds for $2,000 Cash. He was 0-2 in 3 games for the 1910 Yankees. Joe would pitch in 5 games for the 1910 Reds with no decisions, ending his MLB Pitching career. Doyle would finish his MLB Pitching career with a 22-21 record with 2.86 ERA in 82 games.

1904- The Red Sox would edge the Yankees by the score of 3-2 to move back into 1st place in the AL. Red Sox Starter Jesse Tannehill only allows 9 Bronx hits in besting the Yankees Starter Al Orth. The nightcap is called after 9 innings with the score tied at 1-1.

1908- The Yankees Rookie Starter Pete Wilson makes his MLB Pitching debut by shutting out the Red Sox by the score of 1-0.

1917- At the Polo Grounds, Red Sox Starter Babe Ruth takes an 8-0 lead into the 9^th inning before allowing 3 Yankees runs. He finishes with a complete game with 8-3 win and slugs his 2nd and last HR of the 1917 AL season.

1921- At the Polo Grounds, Yankees Slugger Babe Ruth hits his HR # 55 of the 1921 AL season during the Yankees 10-6 win over the St. Louis Browns. Yankees Starter Carl Mays picks up his 24^th win of the AL season. Also, Outfielders Elmer Miller and Bob Meusel hit HRs for the Bronx Bombers. The Yankees take the 2nd game of the doubleheader by a score of 13-5. Bronx Starter Bill Piercy picks-up his 4^th win of the 1921 AL season. Yankees 1B Wally Pipp hits his 8^th HR of the campaign. Browns Slugger Ken Williams hits a HR in each game, bringing his 1921 season total to 23 HRs.

1924- Former Yankees Player/Manager and HOF Frank Chance (1913-1914) had passed away. (1898-1924) 

Frank Chance came to the Yankees at the end of his fine Hall of Fame MLB playing career. He was a Player/Manager during the 1913-1914 AL seasons. In 1913, Chance finished in 7^th place with a 57-94 record. In 1914, he was in 6^th place with a 60-74 record before being replaced by Yankees Shortstop Roger Peckinpaugh for the last 20 games of the 1914 AL season. Chance and the Team Owners had disagreements over player personnel matters. He was paid off for the remaining time left on his 3-year Managers contract. He appeared in 13 games for the Yankees as Player-Manager, hitting just .208. Playing for the Yankees, Frank Chance lost the chance of finishing with an MLB lifetime BA of .300; he finishes his MLB playing career with a .297 mark. Frank spent most of his MLB active career with the Cubs in the NL, Chance was part of the Cubs famous “Evers to Tinker to Chance” DP trio. He was a Player/ Manager of the Cubs from 1905 to 1912. His Cubs teams won the NL Pennants in 1906-1908 and 1910. His Cubs teams never finished below 3^rd place in the NL. Frank Chance was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1946.

1926- The Yankees would beat the Tribe by the score of 6-4. As veteran Yankees RF Bob Meusel drives home 3 runs with 3 sacrifice flies. This ties the MLB record set by Cubs Harry Steinfeldt in 1909. Veteran Bronx Starter Bob Shawkey is the winning pitcher for the Yankees.

1937- AL President Will Harridge would uphold Indian's protest of the August 6th Yankees win and the entire game is replayed as the 2nd game of a doubleheader. The protested game is called a tie with all game stats retained except those following the disputed call.

1937- Former Yankees 3B Charlie Smith (1967-1968) was born. (1937-1994) 

On December 6,1966, INF Charlie Smith came to the Yankees from the Cardinals in a trade for AL All-Star OF Roger Maris. He was going to be the Yankees new 3B for 1967 AL season, since the team had recently traded veteran 3B Clete Boyer to the Braves. This trade is considered to be one of the worst modern trades made in Yankees team history. Charlie would appear in 181 games for the Yankees, while hitting just .224 with 10 HRs and 45 RBIs. He was traded to the Giants for Reserve INF Nate Oliver in December of 1968. Smith had played in the MLB from 1960-1969 starting with the Dodgers, Phillies, White Sox, Mets, Cardinals, Yankees and the Cubs. He never appears with the Giants, who had traded him to the Cubs before the 1969 NL season had started. As an MLB player, Charlie would hit .239 with 69 HRs and 281 RBIs in 771 games.

1938- Former Yankees Pitcher Gaylord Perry (1980) was born. (1938-2022)

Veteran MLB Starter Gaylord Perry was obtained by the Yankees from the Rangers for Pitcher Ken Clay and a Minor League Player to be Named Later. Minor League INF Marvin Thompson would be sent to the Rangers in October of 1980 to complete the trade. Perry would post a 4-4 record with a 4.44 ERA in 10 games before leaving the Yankees as an MLB Free Agent in the fall of 1980. Gaylord would pitch in the MLB from 1962 to 1983.He would finish his MLB Pitching career with a 314-265 record with a 3.11 ERA and 10 saves in 777 games. He was elected to Baseball Hall of Fame in 1991.

1947- The Yankees would clinch their 15th AL pennant, when the White Sox beat the Red Sox by the score of 6-3, while the Yankees are idled by rain.

1949- Former Yankees Pitcher Dave Pagan (1973-1976) was born.

In 1970, the Yankees had signed P Dave Pagan as an MLB Free Agent. He had appeared in 40 games for the team, while posting a 2-4 record with 4.01 ERA and 1 save before being traded to the Orioles on June 15,1976, as part of the Doyle Alexander trade. He had been moving back and forth between the Yankees and their AAA club, the Syracuse Chiefs (IL) since 1973.

1949- Former Yankees Pitcher Ernest “Tiny” Bonham (1940-1946) passes away at the age of 36. (1913-1949) 

Tiny Bonham would join the Yankees in 1940, as a 26-year-old Rookie going 9-3 with a 1.93 ERA in 12 games. His best season for the Yankees was in 1942, when he went 21-5 with 2.27 ERA with 6 shutouts and 22 complete games. He was 1942 AL All-Star team member. Tiny finished his Yankees pitching career record with a 79-50 mark (WP.612). He had appeared in 3 World Series with the Yankees, going 1-2 with a 3.21 ERA in 4 games. In 1946, Bonham was dealing with injuries, he posted a 5-8 record with a 3.70 ERA for the 1946 Yankees. On October 24,1946, the team traded Tiny to the Pirates for P Cookie Cuccurullo. He went 11-8 and 6-10 for the 1947-1948 Pirates. After a 1-4 start in 1949, Tiny Bonham won 6 straight games for a floundering Pirates club, including an 8–2 victory over the Phillies on August 28th in his final MLB appearance. Eighteen days later, Bonham died in a Pittsburgh hospital at the age of 36, following an appendectomy and stomach surgery. Mrs. Bonham will receive the 1st benefits under the MLB Players Pension Plan, $90 a month for 10 years.

1950- For an MLB-record 6th time, veteran MLB Slugger Johnny Mize hits 3-HRs in 1 game, but the Yankees still lose the game by the score of a 9-7 in Detroit. Johnny Mize matches Babe Ruth's mark of doing it in both leagues, but the Babe only had 2 3-HR games. With the victory, the Tigers recapture 1st place in the AL from the Yankees.

1956- Former Yankees Pitcher John Pacella (1982) was born.

On March 31,1981, P John Pacella was traded by the Padres along with OF Jerry Mumphrey to the Yankees for OF Ruppert Jones, OF Joe Lefebvre, 2 Minor League hurlers: Tim Lollar and Chris Welch. John had appeared in 3 games for the 1982 Yankees, while posting a 0-1 record with a 7.20 ERA. On May 12,1982, John was traded by the Yankees along with P Pete Filson, Reserve INF Larry Milbourne and Cash to the Twins for P Roger Erickson and Catcher Butch Wynegar.

1958- Former 1945 AL Batting Champion and Yankees INF George “Snuffy” Stirnweiss (1943-1950) is killed in a train wreck in New Jersey. (1918-1958)

 Former Yankees INF George Stirnweiss was killed at age 39 when the passenger train that he was on plunged off the CRRNJ Newark Bay Bridge between Elizabethport and Bayonne, New Jersey.  He was a college football and baseball star at the Univ. of No. Carolina. The Chicago Cardinals of the NFL drafted him, but George chose to pursue baseball instead, signing with the Yankees in 1940. In the Yankees farm system, he would play with the Norfolk Tars (PL) in 1940 and then the Newark Bears (IL) from 1940 to 1942. Gastric ulcers and hay fever prevented him from serving in the military during World War II. He had played in the infield for the Yankees from 1943-1950. He did appear in the 1947 World Series with the Yankees, hitting .259 with 8 walks while playing in all 7 games. In 1949, he was also in the World Series, but he only appeared in 1 game with no at-bats. George had led the AL 2B in fielding in 1944 and 1948. He led the AL in hitting in 1945 with a .309 BA. As a Yankees player, George would hit .274 in 884 games with 27 HRs and 253 RBIs. On June 15,1950, he was traded to St. Louis Browns, along with OF Jim Delsing, Pitchers Don Johnson, Duane Pillette and $50,000 cash for 3 Browns’ Pitchers Tom Ferrick, Joe Ostrowski, Sid Schacht and 3B Leo Thomas. He would finish his MLB active playing career with the 1951-1952 Indians. As an MLB player, George would hit .268 with 29 HRs and 281 RBIs in 1,028 MLB games. After his playing days, he was a Manager for the 1954 Schenectady Blue Jays in the Phillies organization. In 1955, he was managed the Binghamton Triplets (EL) in the Yankees organization. At the 1956 Old Timer’s Day game, he took his close friend and Yankees teammate Phil Rizzuto home after his unconditional players release by the Yankees front office. He had told Phil, who was deeply trouble by his player release actions by Yankees GM George Weiss and Yankees Manager Casey Stengel to keep quiet about it to the NYC Sports Media. He then went into banking, but George had to temporarily retire when he had a heart attack in 1957. In 1958, he had begun to be involved in youth baseball. At the time of his death in 1958, George left a wife and 6 children. Two explanations are given for the nickname "Snuffy". First, it is said he had a football injury that affected his breathing. Second, he had sinus problems that he treated with snuff.

1959- At Yankee Stadium, veteran Starter Whitey Ford makes a rare relief appearance against the White Sox, going 1/3 inning giving up 2 runs in the 8^th inning as the White Sox score 2 in the 8^th inning and 1 in the 9^th inning to beat the Yankees by the score of 4-3. Mickey Mantle hits 2 HRs in the Bombers loss, a 2-run shot in 1^st inning off of veteran Starter Billy Pierce and a solo HR shot in the 9^th inning off of Reliever Bob Shaw, who gets his 3rd save of the 1959 AL season, while lefty Starter Billy Pierce picks up his 14^th victory of the season. Ralph Terry had started for the Yankees, going 7 innings, while giving up 8-Chicago hits and allowing only 1-run.

1960-The Orioles (83-58) and Yankees (82-57) open a crucial 4 games series with the Bird’s just .002 in back of New York. Yankees hitters Hector Lopez and Roger Maris crack HRs to back veteran Starter Whitey Ford's 4-2 win over the Birds. The 2 runs off of Starter Whitey Ford were the 1st the Birds have scored off him at Yankee Stadium in 33.2 innings. Veteran Bronx Reliever Bobby Shantz rescues Whitey Ford in the 9^th inning for his 10^th save of the 1960 AL season.

1961-The Yankees would set a new AL record for most HRs in a season (222), as they split a doubleheader in Detroit, winning the opener by the score of 11-1 and then losing the nightcap by the score of 4-2. Yankees HR blows by Bill Skowron and Yogi Berra in the Opener, help Starter Whitey Ford win his 24^th victory of the season and increase the 1961 Yankees HR total to 222. This breaks the old MLB HR mark set by the 1947 Giants and later tied by the 1956 Reds. Norm Cash and Steve Boros hit HRs in the nightcap to back Tigers Starter Ron Kline's 7-hitter.

1963- At Metropolitan Stadium, Yankees Ace Whitey Ford throws a 2-hitter defeating the Twins by the score of 2-1. Twins Starter Lee Stange takes the loss, giving up 8-Yankee hits, while allowing  the 2 Yankee runs. Clete Boyer gets the key hit of the game, scoring both Yankees runs. The victory is the 23^rd win of the 1963 AL season for Whitey Ford, who is now at 23-7 mark.

1969- At Yankees Stadium, Tigers Starter Denny McLain records his 9th shutout of the 1969 AL season, a Tiger club pitching record beating the Yankees by a score of 2-0. McLain picks-up his 23^rd win of the AL season, meanwhile Yankees Starter Stan Bahnsen drops to a 9-15 record for the 1969 season.

1976- Former Yankees Reliever Matt Thornton (2014) was born.

On January 10, 2014, Reliever Matt Thornton was signed as an MLB Free Agent by the Yankees. He went 0-3 with a 2.55 ERA in 46 games for the 2014 Yankees. On August 5, 2014, Matt was selected off waivers by the Nationals from the Yankees.

1978- The Yankees are now 1 1/2 games in front of the Red Sox; open a 3-game series in the Bronx with the Red Sox. Yankee Starter Ron Guidry again gives up only 2-Red Sox hits as he wins a 4-0 shutout. Chris Chambliss and Graig Nettles hit successive HRs off of Boston Starter Luis Tiant in the Yankees 4-run 4th inning.

1985- Yankees Team Owner George Steinbrenner calls All-Star OF Dave Winfield, “Mr. May,” after the Yankees lose 3 key games to the Blue Jays.

1985- The Yankees had traded Minor League P Jim Deshaies along with 2 other Minor Leaguer Players to be Named Later to the Astros for 40-year-old veteran MLB Starter Joe Niekro, who was 9-12 in 32 games for the 1985 Astros. Jim Deshaies had appeared in 2 games with the 1985 Yankees with a 0-1 record. This move reuniting the Niekro brothers as teammates for the 1st time since the 1974 NL season, when they were both with the Braves. Niekro will go 2-1 with a 4.58 ERA in 3 games for the 1985 Yankees. The Yankees would send 2 Minor League Players; INF Neder Horta and P Dody Rather to the Braves, neither player reached the MLB with the Braves.

1999- At the Sky Dome in Toronto, the Yankees would defeat the Blue Jays as Starter Andy Pettitte picks up his 13^th victory by going 8 innings, while Yankees Closer Mo Rivera gets his 41^st save of the 1999 AL season. Jays Starter Pat Hentgen takes the loss. The Yankees offensive is led by HRs by 1B Tino Martinez and CF Bernie Williams.

2002- At Yankee Stadium, the Yankees score 4 runs to break a 4-4 tie with the White Sox in the 6^th inning. The Yankees win the game by the final score of 8-4 with Starter Andy Pettitte picking up his 11^th victory of the 2002 AL season. The Bronx Bombers hitting attack is led by HRs by Jason Giambi with 1 on and solo HR shots by Bernie Williams and Alfonso Soriano.

2008- Yankees Closer Mo Rivera passes MLB Closer Lee Smith for 2^nd place on the All-Time MLB Save List behind Trevor Hoffman as the Yankees top the White Sox by the score of 4-2 to try to keep their 2008 AL Playoff hopes alive; The White Sox lead in the AL Central falls to a game and a half.

2010-  At Tropicana Field, the Rays will take back 1st place in their seesaw battle with the Yankees for top spot in the AL Eastwith a 4-3 win. Rays hitter Dan Johnson hits a pair of 2-run HRs off of Yankees Starter Phil Hughes to account for all of Tampa Bay's runs.

2012- In his return start from the DL, Yankees Starter Ivan Nova is a winner with a 5-3 victory over the Rays. Yankee hitters Curtis Granderson and Eduardo Nunez hit back-to-back HRs in the 2^nd inning to give the Yankees a 3-0 lead and they never look back. Out 3 weeks with a shoulder inflammation, Nova picks up his 12th win of the 2012 AL season as he puts the Bronx Bombers 1 game ahead of their main AL East Division rivals, the Orioles, who lose to the A's by the score of 5-2.

2021- Former Yankees DH/1B Bill “Suds” Sudakis (1974) had passed away. (1946-2021)

On December 9,1973, the Yankees had purchased veteran INF Bill Sudakis from the Rangers. He had hit .255 along with an MLB career high of 15 HRs for Texas. He had originally come up to the MLB with the Dodgers in 1969 as their starting 3B, hitting .234. He had played for the Dodgers and Mets before joining the Rangers. For the 1974 Yankees, Bill will hit. .232 with 7 HRs and 39 RBIs in 89 games. On December 3,1974, the Yankees will trade him to the Angels for Reliever Skip Lockwood.

September 16th

1877- Former Yankees Pitcher George McConnell (1909,1912-1913) was born. (1877-1964) 

George McConnell would post a 12-28 record with 2.97 ERA in 61 games for the Yankees. In September of 1913, the Yankees would send him to the Cubs for Cash. With the Cubs, he went 0-1 with 1.29 ERA. He would leave the Cubs to pitched for the 1915 Chicago Chi-Feds (Federal League), while posting a 25-10 record with 2.22 ERA in 44 games. In 1916, he would return to the Cubs, finishing up his MLB Pitching career with a 41-51 record with a 2.60 ERA in 133 games with the Yankees, Cubs and the Chi-Feds. 

1905- The Yankees find themselves a little short on infielders, so RF Willie Keeler, who is left-handed, plays 2B in both games of a twin bill. The talented Keeler had played 2 games at Shortstop for the Yankees in 1903.

1905- Former Yankees Pitcher Joseph “Sandy” Vance (1937-1938) was born. (1905-1978) 

For the 1937-1938 Yankees, Joseph “Sandy” Vance went 1-0 with a 4.78 ERA in 5 games. Before joining the Yankees, he had pitched for the 1936 Cubs, while posting a 2-2 record with a 6.68 ERA in 10 games. In August of 1938, Vance had pitched for the AA Kansas City Blues (AA), when he was called up to the Bronx. Joe had to have a season-ending appendectomy.

1908- Former Yankees Reserve OF Colonel “Buster” Mills (1940) was born. (1908-1991)

On December 26,1938, the Yankees had obtained OF Buster Mills and P Oral Hildebrand in a trade with the Browns for veteran OF Myril Hoag and Reserve Catcher Joe Glenn. He had played in 34 games with the 1940 Yankees, while hitting .397 (25 for 63). On April 3,1942, Buster was traded by the Yankees to the Indians for OF Larry Rosenthal.  He would later become an MLB Coach with 4 teams. In 1951, he would manage in the Minor Leagues for the White Sox organization.

1909- Former Yankees INF Herman Long (1903) had passed away. (1866-1909)

Veteran MLB Shortstop Herman Long joined the Yankees in 1903. At the age of 37, his best seasons were behind him. He would appear in only 22 games for the team, hitting just .188 with 3 HRs and 8 RBIs. On June 10,1903, he was traded to the Tigers in the team’s 1^st MLB Trade, which included Shortstop Ernie Courtney for Tigers Starting Shortstop “Kid” Elberfeld. Long had played in the MLB from 1889 to 1904. He would finish his MLB playing career by hitting .277 with 9 HRs and 1,055 RBIs, while playing in 1,875 games.

1914- At the age of 23, Shortstop Roger Peckinpaugh (1913-1921) is hired as the Manager of the Yankees to finish out the 1914 AL season. He would go 10-10 in the last 20 games of the 1914 AL season. The Yankees would finish in 6^th place.  Roger would return to playing Shortstop, as William “Wild Bill” Donovan would be named Yankees Manager for the 1915 AL season. In December of 1921, Roger was traded to the Red Sox, as part of the Joe Bush-Sam Jones Trade. Everett “Deacon” Scott, who was obtained in the trade, would replace him at Shortstop. Then the Red Sox would trade Roger to the Senators before the 1922 AL Season had started.

1920- At Chicago’s Comiskey Park, a crowd of 25,000 fans watch White Sox Starter Richard Kerr top the Yankees by the score of 8-3. Yankees Starter Jack Quinn takes the loss dropping his pitching record to 18-9 for the 1920 AL season. This loss drops Yankees to 2nd place behind the Indians in the 1920 AL Pennant race.

1922- AL Pennant fever rages in St. Louis, as the Yankees come to town with a half-game lead over the Browns. Veteran Bronx Starter Bob Shawkey beats former Yankees Starter Urban Shocker by the score of 2-1. The Browns’ George Sisler ties Ty Cobb's 1911 AL hitting record by hitting in his 40th straight game. While chasing a fly ball in the 9^th inning, Yankees OF Whitey Witt is hit in the head and knocked cold by a soda bottle thrown from the bleachers. AL League President Ban Johnson will initially offer a $1,000 reward for the name of the bottle-thrower. Then, to calm the crowds, the AL offers the theory that Witt stepped on the bottle and it flew up and hit him. The incident leads to a ban on the sale of bottled drinks in all AL ballparks.

1939- The Yankees would clinch their 4^th successive AL pennant with an 8-5 victory over the Tigers. Yankees Starter Marius Russo picks up the complete game victory, he is now 7-3 for the 1939 AL season. Tigers Starter Cotton Pippen takes the loss, allowing 8 Yankee runs in the game; dropping to his season record to a  4-12 mark. AL Sluggers Hank Greenberg and Joe DiMaggio, each hit HRs in the game for their teams. A crowd of 10,626 fans had watched this Saturday game played at Yankee Stadium. The Yankees will finish the 1939 AL season with a 106-45 record, 17 games ahead of the 2^nd place Red Sox (89-62).

1940- St. Louis Rookie Johnny Lucadello hits HRs from each side of the plate against the Yankees in a 16-4 Browns win. Only Catcher Wally Schang of  the 1916 Philadelphia A’s, had accomplished the same feat in the AL. Yankees CF Mickey Mantle in 1955, will be the next AL player to do it. These are the only HRs that Lucadello will hit all season for the 1940 Browns.

1944- Former Yankees Minor League C George Pena was born. (1944-2021)

Catcher George Pena would play in 13 seasons in the Minor Leagues, reaching the AAA level for most of those years. After graduating from Montebello HS, Pena was signed by the Angels and began his pro career with the 1963 Quad Cities Angels, hitting .204 in 40 games with the club. After a stint in the Cubs farm system, he would move on to play for theYankees organization in 1970. That summer, he would hit .246 with 15 HRs for the AAA Syracuse Chiefs (IL). Pena drove in the winning run in Game 6 of the 1970 Junior World Series. He had his best season in 1971, hitting .284 with 22 HRs for AAA Syracuse Chiefs and earning a spot on the International League All-Star team, joining Johnny Oates as the team catchers. On October 24,1972, the Yankees had traded George to the Padres INF Fred Stanley. The trade was done at the AAA level with the Syracuse Chiefs getting Stanley for the 1973 IL season. He would later played in the Tigers, Indians, Twins and the Astros organizations, never reaching the MLB level. Away from the diamond, Pena had served in the U.S. Marine Reserves. On January 9, 2021, he would pass away from COVID-19 at age 76.

1948- Joe DiMaggio hits his 300th MLB Career HR joining Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Mel Ott, Jimmie Foxx, Rogers Hornsby, Chuck Klein and Hank Greenberg, as the only MLB players to reach this MLB career hitting milestone. The Yankees lost the 1st game of a double header by the score of 2-1 with DiMaggio’s 36th HR of the season being the Yankees only run. Yankees Starter Vic Raschi (18-7) and Tigers Fred Hutchinson (12-9), both throw complete games. In the 2^nd game, the Yankees bounce back with an 8-4 victory behind the pitching of Starter Allie Reynolds and Closer Joe Page, who picks up his 5^th win; meanwhile the Tigers Starter Dizzy Trout takes the loss.

1950- Rookie Bronx Starter Whitey Ford tosses a 6-hitter to give the Yankees the rubber game in Detroit, winning by the score of 8-1 and move them back into 1st place. Joe DiMaggio hits his 30th HR of the 1950 AL season as the Yankees score 7 runs in the 9^th inning as Ford drives to his 7th win without a loss. The Red Sox will follow the Yankees into Detroit and sweep 3 games from the Tigers.

1951- At Yankee Stadium, Joe DiMaggio's long triple off of veteran Tribe Starter Bob Feller scores 2 runs in the 5^th inning, meanwhile Yankees Starter Allie Reynolds holds on for a 5-1 Yankees victory. The Yankees will take over 1st place in the AL for good by a margin of .003 points over the Indians.

1955- The Yankees open a key series with the Red Sox. The day starts with the Yankees trailing 1^st place Indians by 1/2 game with 11 games remaining in the 1955 AL season. The Indians supposedly had the easier schedule because they did not have to play the Red Sox. In Game #1 of the series, Yankees open with an early 3-0 lead. Only to fall behind by the score of 4-3 to the Sox in the 8^th inning. Addition to losing their lead, the Yankees lose 1B Bill “Moose” Skowron, after he breaks a toe kicking a water cooler in the dugout, after a close call out. Mickey Mantle gets hurt after running out a bunt. In the bottom of the 9^th inning with 1 out, RF Hank Bauer hits a HR off of Red Sox Reliever Ellis Kinder to tie the score at 4-4. One out later, Yankees Yogi Berra hits a game winning HR. Meanwhile the Indians would lose to the Tigers, the Yankees would be in 1^stplace for the rest of the 1955 AL season.

1955- Yankees Slugger Mickey Mantle pulls a hamstring muscle, while running out a bunt in a game against the Red Sox. He will make just 2 Pinch-Hit appearances for the Yankees in September of 1955. Mickey will go to bat in the 1955 World Series against the Dodgers, just 10 times including hitting a HR in Game 3.

1958- Yankee-Killer Frank Lary is the 3^rd AL Pitcher to beat them 7 times in the same AL season, as the Tiger star defeats them by the score of 4-2. Ed Walsh (9-1 in 1908) and Ed Cicotte (7-1 in 1916) were the other AL Pitchers to do this feat. Frank Lary would finish with an MLB lifetime pitching record of 28-13 (.683) against the Yankees, which would allow him to have an overall .500 MLB Pitching career winning percentage.

1959- Former Hall of Fame Yankees and MLB OF/DH Tim “Rock” Raines (1996-1998) was born.

On December 28,1995, OF Tim Raines was traded by the White Sox to the Yankees for a Player to be Named Later. On February 6,1996, the Yankees would send Minor League P/3B Blaise Kozeniewski to the White Sox to complete the deal. Tim would hit .299 with 18 HRs and 118 RBIs in 242 games with the Yankees, before leaving the team for MLB Free Agency. He would appear in the 1996 World Series against the Braves, hitting just .214.

1960- With Hall of Fame Ty Cobb among the 49,055 fans in attendance at Yankee Stadium, All-Star OF Mickey Mantle cracks a 2-run HR, his 35^th of the 1960 AL season off of Orioles’ Starter Chuck Estrada to give the Yankees, a 2-0 lead in the 1st inning. Bronx Catcher Yogi Berra adds a HR. In the last of the 8^th inning, 2B Bobby Richardson's hit off of Orioles hurler Chuck Estrada's glove drives in 2 runs for a 5-3 Yankees win.

1960- Former Yankees DH/OF Mel Hall (1989-1992) was born.

On March 19,1989, OF Mel Hall was traded by the Indians to the Yankees for Catcher Joel Skinner and OF/INF Turner Ward. He would hit .273 with 63 HRs and 265 RBIs in 519 games for the Yankees. In his best season with the Yankees was in 1991, when he hit .285 with 19 HRs. In 1992, he drove in an MLB career-high 81 runs. He would leave the Yankees for MLB Free Agency. Mel would go to Japan to play pro baseball for several seasons.

1961- At Briggs Stadium in Detroit, Yankees Roger Maris connects for HR #57 off of Yankee-Killer Tiger Starter Frank Lary to stay a game ahead of Babe Ruth's 1927 HR pace. Frank Lary wins his 21^st game of the 1961 AL season, a 10-4 victory over the Yankees Starting Pitcher Ralph Terry. 

1964- The White Sox move into a 1st-place tie (88-61) with the Orioles by besting the Tigers by the score of 4-1, while the Orioles lose to the Twins by the score of 2-1. The Yankees are 1 percentage point behind in the AL standings.

1966- Former Yankees Minor League P Mike Draper was born.

On June 1,1988, Mike Draper was selected by the Yankees in the 26th round of the 1988 MLB Amateur Player Draft. Mike never appeared in an MLB game with the team. On December 7,1992, Mike was drafted by the Mets from the Yankees organization in the 1992 MLB Rule 5 Player Draft. 

1967- Veteran Tigers 1B Norm Cash drives in 5 runs, while Bengals Starter John Hiller goes the distance, enabling Detroit to take the AL lead with a 9-1 win over the Yankees.

1972- The Yankees had purchased Reliever Steve Blateric from the Reds for waiver price. Steve  would appear in 1 game with the 1972 Yankees with no record. In March of 1973, he was returned by the Yankees to the Reds.

1975- Former Yankees Baseball Executive Billy Eppler (2011-2015) was born.

Billy Eppler worked in the Rockies Scouting Dept. from 2000-2004, signing Ryan Spilborghs. In November 2004, he would move to the Yankees as their Assistant Director of Baseball Operations. From 2006-2009, he was the Yankees' Director of Professional Scouting and then he was Senior Director of Professional Personnel from 2010-2011 before becoming an Assistant GM under Brian Cashman. On October 4, 2015, Eppler was named General Manager of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, replacing Bill Stoneman who had occupied the position on an interim basis since July. He had been a finalist for the same job in 2011, when the Angels had instead hired Jerry Dipoto. He was joining an organization with high expectations, after the team had missed the postseason by a single game in spite of Team Owner Arte Moreno's profligate spending. He also knew he had little margin of maneuver concerning Manager Mike Scioscia, whose return for a 17th season in 2016 had just been confirmed: Dipoto's early departure came about because he had lost a power struggle with the long-time Manager. Having worked for the Yankees all those, years, he explained that he was used to pressure and high expectations. Eppler was particularly active in the off-season following the 2017 AL season. He signed the most-prized Free Agent of the off-season, Japanese P/DH Shohei Ohtani, then followed that by orchestrating a trade to acquire 2B Ian Kinsler and signed Zack Cozart to play 3B, all in an 8-day span. He is currently the GM for the Mets.

1977- The Yankees would rally for 4 runs in the 8^th inning to come-from-behind win over the Tigers by the score of 5-4. Bronx Reserve OF Paul Blair’s 2-run HR provided the margin of victory. Yankees Starter Don Gullett went the distance for his 12^thwin of the 1977 AL season.

1977- The Yankees had sold OF/DH Carlos May to the Angels. He was hitting a disappointing .227 with 2 HRs and 16 RBIs for the 1977 Yankees. He had hit .278 in 87 games for the 1976 Yankees. May would finish his Yankees playing career with a .258 BA with 5 HRs and 62 RBIs in 152 games for the team.

1978- With 55,091 fans looking on, the Yankees would snap a 2-2 tie with a 9th inning triple by Willie Randolph and a sacrifice fly by Thurman Munson to beat the Red Sox by the score of 3-2. The Yankees, now lead the Red Sox by 3 1/2 games in the AL Eastern Division race. The Yankees 1st score on a Reggie Jackson 2-run HR blast in the 5^th inning. Both teams’ Starters, Catfish Hunter and former Yankees Pitcher Mike Torrez go the distance for their teams.

1979- At Yankee Stadium, the Bronx Bombers hold “Catfish Hunter Day” to honor their future HOF Pitcher, who will be retiring from baseball at the end of the 1979 AL season at the age of 33. A 20-year-old left-hander Rookie Pitcher named Dave Righetti makes his MLB Pitching Debut for the Yankees.

1980- At Yankee Stadium, the Yankees behind the pitching of Starter Ron Guidry and Closer Goose Gossage beat the Blue Jays by a score of 5-4. The Gator picks up his 14^th win of the 1980 AL season, while going 6-innings, allowing 8-Blue Jay hits, 4-runs and 4 strikeouts. Yankees Closer Rich Gossage gets his 28^th save of the 1980 AL season, pitching 2 innings allowing only 1-hit with 5 Toronto strikeouts.

1987- Former Yankees Minor League INF Kermit Wahl had passed away. (1922-1987)

On July 31,1951, INF Kermit Wahl was traded by the St. Louis Browns along with Pitchers Bobby Hogue, Lou Sleater, INF Tom Upton and $10,000 Cash to the Yankees for OF Cliff Mapes. Kermit had played for 1944-1947 Reds, he had briefly played in the Dodgers organization with the AA Montreal Royals (IL) then with the 1950-1951 Philadelphia A’s, before joining the Browns in 1951. Unfortunately, he never got a chance to wear the Yankees pinstripes. He was sent to their American Association affiliate, the AA Kansas City Blues. For the Blues, he would hit .275 with No HRs, 9 RBIs in 28 games. The for next 2 seasons, he was stuck at Kansas City. In 1952, he hit for his highest career batting average at .302 with 5 HRs and 43 RBIs. Had he been in another MLB organization, he would have had a much better chance at playing for the big club. In 1953, he spent another year on the "farm" hitting only .240 with 3 HRs and 17 RBIs. His pro career was obviously fading. In 1954, he would finally escape the Yankees farm system; he would play for the Braves' AAA team Toledo Sox. Kermit would hit well for a .305 BA, he had 5 HRs with 20 RBIs, ending his pro baseball career at age 31. As MLB player, Kermit had appeared in 226 games, while hitting .231 with 3 HRs and 50 RBIs.

1992- White Sox 1B Frank Thomas gets 5 hits, all singles in Chicago's 9-6 win over the Yankees. The Yankees Rookie Starter Sterling Hitchcock loses his 1st MLB pitching decision.

1996- Backed by 2, 3-run HRs from Tim Raines, who is celebrating his 37th birthday, Yankees Starter Jimmy Key stops the Blue Jays by the score of 10-0. Raines 2nd HR is a 457 FT blast to the Stadium CF, is the longest hit by a Yankee player this season. The Yankees are now 3 games up in the AL East Division.

1997- The Yankees would sweep a doubleheader from the Red Sox, winning by scores of 2-0 and 4-3. Bronx Starter Andy Pettitte pitches 8 innings in the Opener, while striking out career-high of 12 Red Sox batters. Willie Banks is the winner for the Yankees in the nightcap with 6 2/3 innings pitching performance.

2000- Before a crowd of 55,097 fans at Yankee Stadium, the Yankees would defeat the Indians by a score of 6-3. Yankees Starter Orlando “El Duque” Hernandez goes the distance to pick up his 12th victory of the 2000 AL season, giving up only 4-Tribe hits, while allowing 3-runs and 6-strikeouts. The Bronx Bombers hitting attack was led by solo HRs by Glenallen Hill and Jorge Posada.

2008- In the last home stand at Yankee Stadium II, Derek Jeter passes HOF Lou Gehrig for the most career hits at the storied stadium. He collects his 1,270th hit in the ballpark, a single past  INF Juan Uribe, while facing Chicago P Gavin Floyd. The Yankees still lose the game by the score of 6-2 to the White Sox.

2012- In the AL East race, 1st-place Yankees would beat the Rays by the score of 6-4 behind Starter Hiroki Kuroda and Closer Rafael Soriano's 40th save of the 2012 AL season. At the end of the day, the Bombers would lead the Orioles by 1 game and 5 games over the falling Rays in the AL East race.

2020- Trailing the Blue Jays by half a game at the start of a 3-game series at New Yankee Stadium, the Yankees would leapfrog over their rivals with a pair of drubbings, 20-6 yesterday and 13-2 today, hitting a team-record 13 HRs over the 2 games. Today, D.J. LeMahieu propels Tanner Roark's 1st pitch of the game over the fence and the Yankees will hit 6 more before the game ends, with LeMahieu hitting a 2nd one, Kyle Higashioka having the 1st 3-HR game of his MLB playing career and Luke Voit hitting his MLB-leading 19th long ball. Yankees Ace Gerrit Cole does not allow a hit over the 1st 5 innings before lifting his foot off the gas pedal and cruising to his 6th win of the year and the 100th of his MLB pitching career.