April 21st

 On this day in Yankee history... 

 
1887: Joe McCarthy is born. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_McCarthy_(manager)

1912: The New York Highlanders and the New York Giants play an exhibition game to benefit the survivors of the RMS Titanic. The Giants win 11-2. 

 


2009: Andy Pettitte  picks up the win and Mariano Rivera gets the save as New York defeat Oakland 5-3 in the first night game played at the new Yankee Stadium. It is the 57th time that Rivera has saved a Pettitte win, tying the A's duo of Bob Welch and Dennis Eckersley of the late 1980s and early '90s for the highest total in major league history. 

                        http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/2009/B04210NYA2009.htm

April 20th

 On this day in Yankee history... 


1912: The New York Highlanders are the visitors in the first game ever played at Fenway Park. Red Sox star (and future Hall of Famer) Tris Speaker delivers the walkoff base hit in the 11th inning of the 7-6 Boston win. 

                    http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1912/B04200BOS1912.htm 





1932: The Yankees draw the largest paid attendance, 55,452, for any Yankee Stadium opener. Babe Ruth homers as Lefty Gomez bests Lefty Grove in the 8-3 win over the Philadelphia A's. 

                          http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1932/B04200NYA1932.htm  





 1939: The Red Sox show off their prize rookie Ted Williams in front of 30,278 on Opening Day at Yankee Stadium, delayed two days because of rain. After striking out twice, Williams collects a double off Yankees starter Red Ruffing, will get the win in the 2-0 result. Lou Gehrig makes an error, goes hitless, and lines into two double plays in the only game featuring the two great sluggers. Other notables in what will become an historic box score include Joe DiMaggio, Bill Dickey, Jimmie Foxx, Joe Cronin, Bobby Doerr, Red Rolfe, and losing pitcher Lefty Grove. New York score their first run on a home run by Dickey and their second tally on an error by Foxx. Boston has baserunners in each inning, but Ruffing tosses just the second opening day shutout in Yankee history. Four umpires work the game including third base ump George Pipgras, the starting pitcher for the Yankees in the 1929 opener against Boston. Curiously, his opponent for that day was Ruffing. 

                http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1939/B04200NYA1939.htm  





1961: Don Mattingly is born. 

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






1990: Kyle Higashioka is born. 

                      
                          https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/higasky01.shtml

April 19th

 On this day in Yankee history...  


 

1928: The Yankees  are out of first place for the first time since May 1926 as they lose 7-6 to the Red Sox in the morning Patriots Day game at Fenway Park. 

    
                             
                               http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1928/B04191BOS1928.htm 





 

1949: The Yankees unveil a granite monument to Babe Ruth. Monument Park, located in the deep center field area of Yankee Stadium, also includes monuments to Lou Gehrig and Miller Huggins. 

1960: Roger Maris makes his Yankee debut, collecting 4 hits, including 2 home runs, in an 8-4 win over the Red Sox at Fenway. 

                         http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1960/B04190BOS1960.htm 



 

1979: Rich 'Goose' Gossange and Cliff Johnson brawl in the Yankee clubhouse after a 6-3 loss to the Orioles. Gossage suffers a sprained ligament in his thumb, which will keep him out of action until July 12th. As 'punishment' for injuring the team's ace reliever, the Yankees will trade Johnson to the Indians later in the summer. 

2012: Curtis Granderson  has the first three-homer game of his career, and the first of this major league season, as the Yankees defeat the Twins 7-6. The Grandy Man homers in his first three at-bats and then collects a pair of singles to help New York overcome a four-run 1st inning by Minnesota. Phil Hughes is credited with his first win of the year and Mark Teixeira also homers for the Bronx Bombers. 

                         http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/2012/B04190NYA2012.htm 

April 18th

 On this day in Yankee history... 


1923: The debut of Yankee Stadium is a huge success with an announced attendance of 74,217, including NY Governor Al Smith, who throws out the first ball. Yankee starter Bob Shawkey, aided by a three-run home run by Babe Ruth, beats Howard Ehmke and the Red Sox 4-1.  

                           http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1923/B04180NYA1923.htm  


 

1929: At Yankee Stadium, Babe Ruth hits a home run in his first at-bat since his marriage the day before. As he rounds second base tips his hat to his new bride, Claire Merritt Hodgson. The home side go on to beat the Red Sox 7-3. 

 
                   http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1929/B04180NYA1929.htm 

  




1950: At Fenway Park, Commissioner Happy Chandler gives Ted Williams his AL MVP award, and then MA Governor Paul Dever tosses out the first ball. To the delight of 31,822 fans, Boston rip Yankee starter Allie Reynolds for a five-run 4th inning to drive him from the game and take a 9-0 lead. But the Yankees score four runs in the 6th off Mel Parnell, and then, down 10-4, unload for nine runs in the 8th. Billy Martin becomes the first player in major league history to get two base hits in one inning in his first game. He doubles against Parnell in his first at-bat in the 8th inning, and then singles off Al Papai. Walt Masterson gives up Tommy Henrich's second triple of the game before giving way to four more Boston pitchers. Boo Ferris, pitching in his last game, allows the last two runs in the 9th inning as the Yankees chalk up a 15-10 victory, the biggest blown lead the Red Sox have ever had at Fenway; on June 4, 1989, they'll blow a 10-run lead at home. Joe DiMaggio, Yogi Berra, Vern Stephens and Bobby Doerr have three hits each. Don Johnson is the winning pitcher, his last victory for New York, with Joe Page turning in a perfect 8th and 9th innings in relief. 

 

                     http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1950/B04180BOS1950.htm  





2005: The Yankees score 13 runs in the 2nd inning of a 19-8 romp over Tampa Bay, Alex Rodriguez contributing to the fusillade with a home run and a double. The last time New York scored 13 runs in an inning was on June 21, 1945, in the 5th inning of a 14-4 victory against the Red Sox.  

                    http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/2005/B04180NYA2005.htm 





2013: The Yankees get some bad news when they learn that Derek Jeter will not be back until the second half of the year after x-rays reveal a small fracture in the surgically-repaired ankle he broke in last year's ALCS.  

 

April 17th

 On this day in Yankee history... 


1929: Babe Ruth marries actress and model Claire Merritt Hodgson. The ceremony is held at five o'clock in the morning on Opening Day to avoid crowds. 

1939: On the morning of Opening Day in Washington DC, U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt and the Yankees visit Abner Doubleday's grave at Arlington National Cemetery. Roosevelt is also scheduled to throw out the first pitch at Griffith Stadium, but the game is rained out,  and Vice President John Nance Garner will do the honors four days later. 

1951: Mickey Mantle plays his first major league game. With Joe DiMaggio still ensconced in center field, the rookie touted as the Commerce Comet makes his Yankee debut in right. Mantle will single and drive in a run as the Yankees blank the Red Sox 5-0. 

                 http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1951/B04170NYA1951.htm  


1953: Mickey Mantle clears the bleachers at Griffith Stadium with a 565-foot home run off Chuck Stobbs. The shot comes in the 5th inning of a 7-3 Yankees victory over the Washington Senators. It is believed to have been the longest home run in Griffith Stadium history. 

                     http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1953/B04170WS11953.htm  

April 16th

 On this day in Yankee history... 


1929: The Yankees become the first team in major league baseball to permanently feature numbers on the backs of their uniforms. The numbers correspond to each player's position in the batting order. The numbers also allow fans and broadcasters to identify the players more easily. 

2014: The Yankees sweep a doubleheader from the Cubs behind strong performances from two newcomers. In the opener, Masahiro Tanaka strikes out 10 and allows only two singles on bunts in 8 innings in a 3-0 win, and in the nitecap Michael Pineda gives up four hits over 6 innings for a 2-0 win that completes the double blanking. It is the first time a team has two shutouts in one day since June 26, 1988. 

 

                 
                     http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/2014/B04161NYA2014.htm

                    http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/2014/B04162NYA2014.htm 

April 15th

 On this day in Yankee history... 



1886: Pitcher Leonard 'King' Cole is born. 

                              https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/coleki01.shtml
                           




1976: The Yankees defeat the Twins 11-4 in the first game at the newly-renovated Yankee Stadium. Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, Whitey Ford, and the widows of Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig take part in pre-game ceremonies at the Stadium, which had been closed for the 1974 and 1975 seasons. 

                         http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1976/B04150NYA1976.htm  



 



1998: The first-ever AL-NL doubleheader ends up a good day for New York. The Yankees are forced to come to Shea Stadium after a beam fell into the stands at the ballpark in the Bronx on April 13th. They earn their first victory in Queens in 22 years as they defeat the Angels 6-3. Former Mets star Darryl Strawberry, the all-time home run leader at Shea, adds to his total with a shot into the left field bleachers. In the regularly-scheduled night game, the Mets beat the Cubs 2-1. The Yankees draw a crowd of 40,743, a dramatic contrast to the gathering of 16,012 who show up for the Mets game at night. 

                    http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1998/B04150NYA1998.htm