4/03 in Yankee History
The red-letter day:
2009: Yankee Stadium II opens for business with an exhibition game against the Chicago Cubs.
On other 3rds of April…
2005: In his first outing in pinstripes, Randy Johnson allows a run and
five hits in six innings as New York open the 2005 MLB season with a
9-2 triumph over the 2004 World Champion Boston Red Sox at Yankee
Stadium.
1984: After rain washed out yesterday’s opener at Royals Stadium, Yul
Brynner tosses out the first ball and Kansas City open with a 4-2 win
over the Yankees. The threat of snow holds the crowd to just 10,006.
Starter Bud Black, with relief help from Dan Quisenberry, tops Ron
Guidry, still winless in Openers. Onix Concepción hits Guidry’s first
pitch of the year for a home run, while Dave Winfield has a two-run
blast for the Yankees.
1969: Charley Stanceu (3rd from the right in the top row), a spot
starter on the Yankees’ 1941 championship club, dies of a heart attack
at the age of 53.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/stancch01.shtml
1923: One of the most bizarre off-the-field incidents in the history of
the Yankees (or any other club) occurs in Jacksonville, Florida. New
York outfielder Ping Bodie competes against an ostrich named Percy in a
spaghetti-eating contest. Bodie wins the competition when Percy passes
out after his 11th plate of pasta.
bennybengoughsmitt
