April 8th

On this day in Yankee history... 



1909: While at Highlanders' spring training, Hal Chase is diagnosed with smallpox. The entire team will be vaccinated, and quarantined while traveling north. 

1946: Jim 'Catfish' Hunter is born.  

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





1975: The Yankees take the field on Opening Day at Cleveland Stadium, as Frank Robinson makes his debut for the Indians as the first black manager in the major leagues. Rachel Robinson, Jackie's widow, throws out the ceremonial first pitch before a crowd of 56,204. The new skipper, also a player, homer on his way to leading his team to a 5-3 victory. 

                      http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1975/B04080CLE1975.htm  





1985: At Fenway Park, 46-year-old Phil Niekro starts for the Yankees, becoming the second oldest pitcher ever to start on Opening Day. Only Jack Quinn, for the Brooklyn Robins in 1931, was older, at age 47. The Red Sox chase Niekro after four innings and, behind the pitching of Oil Can Boyd, coast to a 9 - 2 win.  

              
                http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1985/B04080BOS1985.htm  





1993: Yankee relievers Steve Howe and Steve Farr are the victims as Carlos Baerga of the Indians becomes the first man in major league history to switch hit home runs in the same inning, in the 7th frame of a game at Cleveland Stadium. Baerga achieves the feat on the way to a 15-5 Tribe win. 

                        http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1993/B04080CLE1993.htm  






2003:  At the Yankees' opener in the Bronx, with the fans chanting his name, Hideki Matsui hits his first major league home run,a grand slam, against the Twins. The shot leads the Bombers to a 7-3 victory, Andy Pettitte getting his second win of the year. 

                       http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/2003/B04080NYA2003.htm 

April 7th

On this day in Yankee history... 



1873: John McGraw, who was the manager of the 1901  Baltimore Orioles (the franchise which would become the New York Highlanders) before going on to a Hall of Fame career with the New York Giants, is born. 

1969: The Yankees beat the Washington Senators  8-4 as Ted Williams makes his managerial debut for the D.C. homesiders. 

2010: New arrival in center field Curtis Granderson quickly makes his presence felt with the Yankees. Already having homered in his first at-bat for the team on Opening Day, he hits a game-winning long ball off Boston closer Jonathan Papelbon in the 10th inning of today's contest, which started as a pitching duel between Andy Pettitte and John Lackey, giving the Yankees a 3-1 victory. Chan Ho Park redeems his poor opening day performance with three innings of one-hit ball in relief to earn his first win in pinstripes, while Mariano Rivera picks up his second save in as many days. 

                       http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/2010/B04070BOS2010.htm  

April 6th

On this day in Yankee history... 



1973: At Fenway Park, Ron Blomberg becomes the first designated hitter in major league history. In his first plate appearance, Blomberg walks with the bases loaded against Luis Tiant. He will end up with one hit in three at-bats. Meanwhile, Carlton Fisk hits two home runs (one a grand slam) to lead the Red Sox to a 15-5 victory over the Yankees.  

                     http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1973/B04060BOS1973.htm





1974: The Yankees defeat the Indians 6 - 1 at Shea Stadium. This is the Bombers' first game of a two-year period at Shea while Yankee Stadium is being rebuilt. 12-year-old Teddy Kennedy‚ Jr.‚ flanked by his father and Mayor Abe Beame‚ tosses out the first ball. Missing from the ceremony is George Steinbrenner, indicted two days earlier for illegal contributions to Richard Nixon's 1972 presidential re-election campaign. Graig Nettles' two-run homer in the 4th off Gaylord Perry opens the scoring and the Yanks tally 4 more times to win. Charlie Spikes scores the only Cleveland run in the 9th following a triple off starter and winner Mel Stottlemyre. Perry‚ who is warned once for an illegal pitch,  is the loser today‚ but he will win his next 15 decisions.  

                  http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1974/B04060NYA1974.htm 





2017: Bob Cerv dies at the age of 91. 

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

April 5th

On this day in Yankee history... 



1925:  At spring training, the Yankees whip the Brooklyn Robins 16-9, but the headlines are about Babe Ruth. The Bambino collapses in the railroad station in Asheville, NC, and winds up in a New York City hospital.  Ruth will undergo an operation for an ulcer on April 17th and will be bedridden until May 26th.  

1934: Babe Ruth, sponsored by Quaker Oats, agrees to do three 15-minute broadcasts a week over NBC. The total of $39,000 for 13 weeks is $4,000 more than his Yankees contract. 

1977:  The Yankees acquire shortstop Bucky Dent from the White Sox for outfielder Oscar Gamble, pitchers LaMarr Hoyt and Bob Polinsky, and an estimated $200,000. Dent will solidify New York's middle infield and help the Yankees reach the World Series in 1977 and 1978. 

1979: At Yankee Stadium, 52,719 fans see the Brewer jump on Ron Guidry for four runs in the 6th inning and beat New York 5-1. It's the most runs the Cy Young Award winner has allowed in a game since 1977. New York get singles from their first three hitters, but manage to score just one run in the 1st inning off Mike Caldwell. 

                     http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1979/B04050NYA1979.htm 


 

1995: The Yankees acquire closer John Wetteland from the Montreal Expos for Fernando Seguignol and cash, as the Expos are in full fire sale mode following the settlement of the strike. Wetteland will help his new club to their first World Championship in 18 years in 1996.  

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. 

 

 

1987: Jay Bruce is born. 

 

  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