8/12 in Yankee History

1985: At Chicago‚ Phil Niekro goes the distance to pick up his 295th win as the Yankees beat the White Sox 10-4. New York push 7 runs across in the 7th to break the game open, with Ron Hassey delivering a 2-run homer and an RBI single to lead the scoring in the frame.

1974: Mickey Mantle and Whitey Ford are inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

1973: The A’s‚ 6 runs behind in the 7th inning‚ first chase Yankee starter Sam McDowell, and then continue the rally against relievers Sparky Lyle and Tom Buskey. They go on to win 13-12 moving within one game of the first-place Royals in the AL
West.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1973/B08120NYA1973.htm

1969: Citing ‘personal problems‚’ Yankee first baseman Joe Pepitone jumps the club, leaving bench player Len Boehmer to fill in for him. The Yanks beat the Twins 10-3 anyway.

1964: Mickey Mantle homers from each side of the plate in the same game for the 10th and
final time‚ a Major League record‚ and the Yankees beat Chicago 7-3 at Yankee
Stadium. Mel Stottlemyre‚ in his major league debut‚ is the winner‚ scattering 7 hits.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1964/B08120NYA1964.htm

1961: At Griffith Stadium, Roger Maris belts his 43rd homer‚ off Dick Donovan‚
but it is New York’s only score as they lose‚ 5-1. For the Bombers, it is their first loss in 10 games; for Washington, it is their first win in 8. Gene Green’s pinch grand slam off Luis Arroyo is the big blow for the Nats.

1958: The Bombers top the Orioles 7-2 in the Bronx. Mickey Mantle’s 33rd homer‚ off a ken Lehman knuckler‚ gives him the AL lead.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1958/B08120NYA1958.htm

1956: Mickey Mantle hits his 41st homer‚ and 7th in 8 days‚ to pace New York to 6-2 win and a doubleheader sweep of the Orioles, as the Yankees take the second game 4-2.

1953: Playing without the injured Mickey Mantle – out for 10 days with a sprained knee – the Yankees produce a barrage of 28 hits off Washington pitching‚ 2 hits shy of the
AL record.  New York roll to a 22-1 victory. Rookie Steve Kraly‚ relieving Whitey Ford, gives up a run to the Senators to avert the largest shutout defeat in ML history. Ford has 4 hits‚ and Yogi Berra and Billy Martin each have 5 RBIs. Hank Bauer scores 5 runs.

1951: The Yankees‚ tied for first place with Cleveland‚ lose a pair to the
A’s. The A’s  use 17 hits to win the opener‚ 9-5. and Pennsylvania’s Sunday Blue Law at 6:59 (AL Rule is 7:00 with no inning
starting after 6:44) to win the nitecap‚ 7-4. The Yanks start an 8th
inning 5-run rally at 6:37 and take a 9-7 lead‚ but the curfew wipes it
out before Pete Suder can hit. Beginning next year‚ the AL will adopt the 40-year-old suspended game policy of the NL.

1950: Allie Reynolds hits a bases loaded single and hurls the Yanks to a 7-2 win over the A’s. The loss goes to Carl Scheib‚ but Bobby Shantz pitches the last 6.2 innings and clouts his only career homer‚ off the Big Chief.

1939: At Shibe Park‚ the Yankees shell the feeble A’s 18-4 as Steve Sundra (6-0) coasts to the win. Babe Dahlgren (below) has 4 hits‚ including a solo homer in the 6th and a grand slam an inning later. He drives in 6 runs. Joe Gordon adds his 18th homer of the year.

1937: In the first of two with the Yankees‚ Jimmie Foxx hits one completely out of
Fenway to straightaway center‚ the ball leaving the park to the right of the flag pole. The
shot comes off New York’s Kemp Wicker and helps the Red Sox to overpower
the Yankees 16-10 and stop  New York’s win streak at 10. The
Yawkeymen overcome a 6 run deficit. Buck Newsom is credited with his
11th win. In game 2‚ Bump Hadley outpitches Archie McKain to push NY’s lead to 11 1/2 games over Boston.

1934: Making a farewell appearance at Fenway, Babe Ruth draws a record 46‚766 fans‚ with an estimated 20‚000 turned away at the venue where he began his career as a pitcher 20 years ago. The Babe singles and doubles in the first game‚ but the Yankees lose to Wes Ferrell 6-4. Walks hold him to one official at bat in the 2nd game‚ which the Yanks win 7-1‚ and he leaves the field to a standing ovation in the 8th inning.

1932: AL president William Harridge upholds Detroit’s protest of its August 1st
game against New York and orders it replayed on September 8. Detroit had
protested because the places of Tony Lazzeri and Ben Chapman in the batting order was orally reversed after the lineup cards were handed in before the game.

1918: At Fenway‚ the Yankees win their 10th of 15 games with the league leaders by beating Boston 2-1. Getting his opportunity because of the war‚ lefty Hank Robinson is
making his first Major League start since 1915. He allows just 3 hits in besting Babe Ruth‚ who gives up 4 safeties. Jack Fournier (below) scores the winning run on a squeeze bunt‚ while Ruth‚ hitless on the afternoon‚ pops out for the last out of the game.