August 17th

On this day in Yankee history... 


1923: After 111 games, Babe Ruth is hitting .401 with 31 homers. He will wind up the season with his career high batting average of .393. With 205 hits, a major league record 170 walks, and 4 times hit by pitches, Ruth will reach base a record 379 times. 

 
1929: The Yankees buy Lefty Gomez from San Francisco of the Pacific Coast League for transfer in September of next year. 

1933: On his way to establishing a mark of playing in 2,130 consecutive games, Lou Gehrig quietly surpasses Everett Scott's previous record of 1,308 games. However, the first baseman's single and triple don't prevent the last-place Browns from beating the Yankees 7-6 in ten innings at Sportsman's Park. 

                         https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1933/B08170SLA1933.htm   









1944: Johnny Lindell, converted from a pitcher the year before, contributes to a 10-3 Yankee drubbing of the Indians by hitting four straight doubles to tie a major league mark. 

     

                       https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1944/B08170NYA1944.htm  








1948: An estimated crowd of 100,000 fans pass by the body of Babe Ruth, which is lying in state in the rotunda at Yankee Stadium. Those who stay for the game will see Tommy Henrich hit his fourth grand slam of the season, off the Senators' Sid Hudson, tying one of the Bambino's records.  Henrich, who broke in with the Yankees in 1937, had never hit a grand slam before this season. Bob Porterfield wins for New York, 8-1. 

                          https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1948/B08170WS11948.htm     








1953: Bob Kuzava surrenders 11 hits to the Philadelphia A's, but still manages to pitch a complete game shutout. 

                        https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1953/B08172PHA1953.htm      








1967: Ray Caldwell dies at the age of 79. 

                                       https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Caldwell 






1971: Jorge Posada is born. 

  








2002: With a homer in the 7th inning off Mariners' starter James Baldwin, Yankees Alfonso Soriano becomes the first 2nd baseman to hit 30 HRs and steal 30 bases in the same season. Bobby Bonds was the only other Yankees player to post a 30/30 season, accomplishing the feat in 1975.  

    
                      https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/2002/B08170SEA2002.htm