April 4th

On this day in Yankee history... 

 

1971: Former Yankee pitcher Carl Mays dies at the age of 79. 

                                                                                                                                                                                  https://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Carl_Mays

     

 

 

 

1989: On Opening Day, Tommy John ties a major league record by playing in his 26th season. John beats the Twins 4-2 for his 287th win, putting him 19th overall in career victories. 

                       http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1989/B04040MIN1989.htm 



 

 

 

1994:  A total of 56,706 fans attend Opening Day in the Bronx, making it the largest crowd since Yankee Stadium was renovated. 

 

                   http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1994/B04040NYA1994.htm  



 

2010: The Yankees and the Red Sox stage a classic battle to open the major league season at Fenway Park, with the home side winning 9-7 after trailing 5-1 and 7-5. Jorge Posada and Curtis Granderson hit back-to-back homers in the 2nd and Brett Gardner steals home as the Yanks build an early lead against Josh Beckett, but a homer by Dustin Pedroia and three extra-base hits by Kevin Youkilis highlight the Sox's comeback. Chan Ho Park takes the loss in his Yankee debut, while Hideki Okajima is the winner. 

              http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/2010/B04040BOS2010.htm 



 

 

 

2013: The Yankees record their first win of the season by turning to their storied past. Andy Pettitte picks up the win and Mariano Rivera gets the save in his first appearance following a serious knee injury that almost ended his career as they defeat the Red Sox 4-2. It is Rivera's record 19th season as a Yankee, although Derek Jeter will join him when he is activated from the disabled list later this season. 

 

                         http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/2013/B04040NYA2013.htm    

 

 

2014: Masahiro Tanaka makes his much anticipated debut for the Yankees, defeating Toronto 7-3 in front of dozens of Japanese journalists on hand for the occasion. Tanaka gives up a homer to the first batter he faces, Melky Cabrera, but then settles down to pitch 7 solid innings. Mark Teixeira has to leave the game in the 2nd inning with a hamstring injury, a flashback to last year's plague of pinstriped injuries. 

                         http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/2014/B04040TOR2014.htm

April 3rd

On this day in Yankee history... 



1872: Willie Keeler is born in Brooklyn. A remarkable hitter, 'Wee Willie' will hit over .300 16 times in 19 seasons (7 of them with the NY Highlanders, his longest stint with any one club), hit over .400 once, and will finish with a .341 career BA, currently 14th on the all-time list. He will be elected to the Hall of Fame in 1939. 

 

1980: Jerry Priddy, a utility infielder for the 1941 championship team, dies in Los Angeles at the age of 60. 

1998: The Yankees offer the San Diego Padres  a choice of one from a list of players for the negotiating rights to Japanese pitcher Hideki Irabu. The list includes Brian Boehringer, David Weathers, Chris Cumberland, Andy Fox and Matt Luke. The Yankees also offer one player from a list of five minor leaguers, plus $3 million. The Padres are talking to several other teams beside the Yankees. 

April 2nd

On this day in Yankee history... 


 1918: The Yankees  purchase first baseman 'Tioga' George Burns from the Tigers and immediately trade him to the Philadelphia A's for Ping Bodie. 

1931:  At Engel Stadium in Chattanooga, TN, Miss Jackie Mitchell strikes out Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig in an exhibition game. The 17-year-old girl, a member of the Chattanooga Lookouts roster, also walks Tony Lazzeri in the local lub's 14-4 loss to the Yankees. In 1933, Mitchell will pitch for the House of David team. 

1957: Hank Steinbrenner is born. 

1997: Tino Martinez leads the Yankees to a 16-2 romp over the Mariners at the Kingdome. The former M's first baseman hits three home runs ~ a solo job, a two-run dinger and a three-run shot. With the game out of reach and the crowd chanting his name, he has two opportunities to hit a grand slam, but fails to become the first player to hit home runs for the cycle. He ends the game going 4 for 6 with seven RBI, a walk and five runs scored. 

                          http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1997/B04020SEA1997.htm  






2001: On Opening Day, Roger Clemens becomes the all-time American League career strikeout leader, passing Walter Johnson. Royals infielder Joe Randa is his 3,509th victim. Passing Johnson, Clemens now takes over the seventh spot in major league history. 

                     http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/2001/B04020NYA2001.htm 




2003: Todd Zeile hits a home run in his first at-bat for the Yankees, becoming the only major leaguer to hit round tripper for ten different teams. In addition to homering with the Yankees, Zeile had also gone deep for the Cardinals, Cubs, Phillies, Orioles, Dodgers, Marlins, Rangers, Mets and Rockies. He will add the Montreal Expos to the list before the end of the year. 

               http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/2003/B04020TOR2003.htm 

 

April 1st

On this day in Yankee history... 

 

1939: Phil Niekro is born. 

                           https://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Phil_Niekro




2001: Andy Pettitte breezes to a win as the Yankees rout the Blue Jays in Toronto 10-1 for their first April Fools Day victory in franchise history. 

                       http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/2003/B04010TOR2003.htm





2008: The Yankees set a major league record by winning their 11th straight home opener. Oddly, the record had been held by the 1945-54 Pittsburgh Pirates, a club which lost 100 or more games three times in that period. The Yankees beat the Blue Jays 3-2. Chien-MingWang allows two runs in 7 innings for the win over Roy Halladay. Derek Jeter also sets a record by starting his 12th consecutive Yankee opener at shortstop, surpassing the mark held previously by Phil Rizzuto. 

                  http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/2008/B04010NYA2008.htm 


 

2014: The Yankees and the Astros are the last two teams to open their season, meeting before a crowd of 42,117 at Minute Maid Park. The game does not follow the expected script as the Astros, coming off three straight 100-loss season and having lost their last 15 games in 2013, defeat the Bronx Bombers 6-2. Scott Feldman pitches 6 2/3 scoreless innings and Jesus Guzman and L.J. Hoes homer against Yankee starter C.C. Sabathia. 

                          http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/2014/04012014.htm

March 31st

On this day in Yankee history... 
   

1980: Chien-Ming Wang is born.  

 

1995: The longest strike action in American professional sports history ends ~ in a courtroom. A U.S. District court order handed down by future SCOTUS justice Sonia Sotomayor forbids owners from implementing new financial working conditions in the wake of the impasse in negotiations. The court decides that conditions will revert to the old rules from the previous season. Because of the timing of the court order, 18 games will have to be trimmed from the major league schedule. 

 

2011: The Yankees have a successful opening, beating Detroit 6-3 at home. Curtis Granderson, whose health was a concern before the start of the game because of a strained right oblique muscle, makes a diving catch of a line drive hit by Will Rhymes in the 1st, then breaks a 3-3 tie with a solo homer off Phil Coke in the 7th. Mark Teixera had earlier hit a three-run blast to tie the score in the 3rd. New Yankee starting catcher Russell Martin scores twice in his debut in pinstripes as Joba Chamberlain picks up the win and Mariano Rivera the save. 

March 30th

On this day in Yankee history... 



1955: The Yankees  sell pitcher Ewell Blackwell to the Kansas City A's. Blackwell, who was injured in 1954, will pitch in only two games for the Athletics this season before retiring. 

2001: Dwight Gooden announces his retirement. A four-time All-Star and Cy Young Award winner, Gooden posted a 194-112 record with a 3.51 ERA and 2293 strikeouts over a 16-season career. 

2013: 'Bullet' Bob Turley dies at the age of 82. 

                         https://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Bob_Turley

March 29th

On this day in Yankee history... 




1966: Former Yankee relief ace Wilcy Moore dies at the age of 65. 

                             https://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Wilcy_Moore 





1975: The Yankees release Mel Stottlemyre, who is suffering from a torn rotator cuff. The pitcher compiled a 164-139 record and a 2.97 ERA as well as 40 shutouts in an eleven-season major league career, all with New York. 

                         https://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Mel_Stottlemyre 






1984:  The Yankees trade one of the key members of their '70s World Championship teams when they dispatch Graig Nettles to the San Diego Padres for pitcher Dennis Rasmussen and a player to be named later. Nettles, who angered George Steinbrenner by criticizing him in his book 'Balls', will hit 20 home runs and help the Padres reach the 1984 World Series.