8/09 in Yankee History

2009: The Yankees complete a four-game sweep of the Red Sox at the Stadium, in a pitcher’s duel between Andy Pettitte and John Lester, a scoreless battle until A-Rod homers off the Boston lefty to lead off the bottom of the seventh. Victor Martinez, however, goes long off Phil Coke in the top of the eighth. In the home half of the inning, the Yanks mount 4-run rally with two out, starting with back-to-back home runs by Johnny Damon and Mark Teixeira off Daniel Bard. Mariano Rivera will close out the 5-2 Yankee victory.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/2009/B08090NYA2009.htm

2001: Yankee pitcher Ted Lilly (below) is suspended for 6 games for hitting Anaheim’s Scott Spiezio in the head with a pitch in a game last Sunday. Joe Torre rips into baseball’s dean of discipline Frank Robinson for the decision. Lilly was not thrown out of the game by the umpires when the incident occurred.

1999: Bernie Williams’ grand slam in a 12-8 victory over the A’s at Oakland is one of 5 salamis hit throughout the Majors on the day. This is the first time that so many have been hit on a single day in the 129-year history of Major League baseball.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1999/B08090OAK1999.htm

1997: The Yankees beat the Twins 4-1 at the Metrodome, with Luis Sojo’s two-run blast in the 8th as the big blow. Minnesota hurler Brad Radke sees his 12-game winning streak come to an end.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1997/B08090MIN1997.htm

1996: Coming home to roost… The Tigers defeat the Yankees 5-3 as DH Ruben Sierra, traded just over a week ago from New York, drives home all 5 Detroit runs with a double and a 3-run homer

.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1996/B08090NYA1996.htm

1992: Yankee rookie pitcher Sam Militello throws 7 innings of 1-hit shutout ball at the Red Sox on the way to a 6-0 win. Sadly, the promising youngster will fall victim to arm miseries, and will be out of baseball by the following year’s All Star break.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1992/B08090NYA1992.htm

1987: In a 15-4 Tiger mauling of the Yankees‚ New York catcher Rick Cerone takes the mound. Again‚ he walks one batter and allows no runs‚ the
second time in 3 weeks he has caught and pitched in the same game.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1987/B08090DET1987.htm

1978: The Yanks continue with their come-from-behind ways, rallying for 5 runs in the bottom of the 9th for a 8-7 victory over the visiting Brewers. Milwaukee catcher Buck Martinez is the goat, fielding a Lou Piniella bunt and then airmailing the throw to 1st, allowing Chris Chambliss to race home with the winning run.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1978/B08090NYA1978.htm

1958: Yankee Stadium draws its biggest crowd of the decade - 67‚916 – for Old Timers’
Day‚ but the throng are disappointed as Boston jump out to a 7-0 lead off Yankee starter Duke Maas, and hold on for a 9-6 win.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1958/B08090NYA1958.htm

1956: The Senators get a license to sell beer at Griffith Stadium for the first time, and the Yankees celebrate with a 15-7 drubbing of the Nats. Mickey Mantle is walked three times before he launches a two-run homer in the 7th.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1956/B08090WS11956.htm

1949: Dom DiMaggio’s 34-game hitting streak is on the line against Vic Raschi and the Yankees. Hitless in his first 4 at bats‚ Dom hits a sinking
line drive in the 8th that his brother Joe catches at his shoetops. Dom
had started his streak after going hitless against Raschi. The Red Sox
win 6-3 to move to within 5 1/2 games of the Yankees.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1949/B08090BOS1949.htm

1946: For the first time in Major League history, all games are played at night, 4 in each league. Attendance is close to 200‚000‚ with the Yankees topping the list as they draw 63‚040 to the Stadium. The Bombers lose to the Red Sox 4-3‚ as Boston’s Rudy York drills a 3-run homer off Bill Bevans in the 6th. Boo Ferris wins his 19th.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1946/B08090NYA1946.htm

1940: Steve Sundra (below) posts his first win of the year for the Yankees‚ beating the A’s and Johnny Babich‚
2-0. The Yankees‚ at 51-51‚ seem to be out of the running for their 5th
straight championship. However‚ they will go 37-15 the rest of the way
and actually take over first for one day, on September 11th. The Yanks
will ultimately finish 3rd‚ losing a critical three straight to the Browns on
September 15-16.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1940/B08090NYA1940.htm

1928: The Yankees whip the Red Sox 7-1‚ as lefty Fred Heimach, in his Yankee debut‚ tosses a complete-game 4-hitter. All the New York scoring comes in the 6th inning.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1928/B08090BOS1928.htm

1927: Lou Gehrig hits his 38th homer of year off the A’s Rube Walberg, but it is the only scoring for his side, finally putting the Bombers on the board in the 9th. The Mackmen roll at home, 8-1.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1927/B08090PHA1927.htm

1925: Babe Ruth is lifted for a pinch hitter for the only time in his career. Bobby Veach (below) bats for the Babe‚ who is suffering from a sore back‚ and flies out. New York lose 4-3 in 12 innings. The Yanks will waive Veach (.353)‚ along
with pitcher Alex Ferguson on August 17th‚ and the Senators will pick him up for pennant insurance.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1925/B08090NYA1925.htm

1920: In Cleveland‚ the Yankees top the Indians 6-3 to cut the Tribe’s lead to
3 1/2 games. Babe Ruth‚ coming into the game with 41 homers‚ is walked 3 times and strikes out twice.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1920/B08090CLE1920.htm

1919: Ralph Houk is born.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/managers/houkra01.shtml

1901: In the first game of a doubleheader at Boston‚ Baltimore Orioles’ third baseman Jack Dunn knocks himself out cold with a foul ball off his own bat. He will be out of action for a week.