5/03 in Yankee History

The red-letter day:

1936: Playing in left field, Joe DiMaggio makes his regular-season debut with the Yankees and has 3 hits, one a triple as New York rout St. Louis 14-5 at the Stadium. Joe scores 3 runs and knocks in one. Lou Gehrig and Ben Chapman collect 4 hits each and Gehrig scores 5 runs. New York will win 5 of their next 6 games with DiMag in the lineup. To make room, the Yankees waive outfielder Dixie Walker, who is hitting .350, to the White Sox.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1936/B05030NYA1936.htm

On other 3rds of May…

2005: Robinson Cano makes his Major League debut. The rookie’s first appearance is a somewhat downbeat affair, though, as he goes hitless in three trips to the plate. Meanwhile, Kevin Brown has one of his most inglorious days as a Yankee, surrendering hits to 8 of the first 9 Rays batters he faces at Tropicana Field. Tampa Bay will jump out to a 6-0 lead, and then coast to an 11-4 win.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/2005/B05030TBA2005.htm

2000: The Major League Baseball Players Association again denies several major-leaguers, including Shane Spencer of the Yankees, admission to the union. The players crossed picket lines during the 1994-95 strike becoming replacement players. These players don’t pay union duesâ receive full pension benefitsâ and can to use the Association’s grievance procedure. Howeverâ they do not receive a share of royalties from the sale of baseball merchandise.

1990: Yankee rookie Mike Blowers, handed the starting job at third base, ties an AL record by committing 4 errors at the hot corner in the struggling Bombers’ 10-5 loss to the Indians.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1990/B05030NYA1990.htm

1986: Don Mattingly ties the ML record with 3 sacrifice flies in the Yankees’ 9-4 win over the Rangers.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/B05030NYA1986.htm

1965: The Yankees trade John Blanchard (.147) and pitcher Roland Sheldon to Kansas City for C John Edwards. Edwards will replace the injured Elston Howard.

1956: Before 45,308 at the Stadium, Mickey Mantle homers for the third day in a row, but Kansas City hold on to winâ 8-7. The Mick’s homer in the 5th is followed by blasts from Hank Bauer and Yogi Berra.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1956/B05030NYA1956.htm

1952: The Yankees send promising reserve outfielder Jackie Jensen along with outfielder Archie Wilson, pitcher Spec Shea, and shortstop Jerry Snyder to the Senators for slick-fielding outfielder Irv Noren and infielder Tommie Upton. Shea will have two fine seasons on the hill before going over it, while Jensen, the former heir to DiMaggio’s spot, will eventually emerge as a star with the Red Sox. Noren will have his best year in 1954, when the left fielder will be an all-star.

Irv Noren.jpg

1951: In St. Louis, Gil McDougald hits a grand slam and a triple in the 9th as the Yanks score 11 runs in the inning to rout St. Louis 17-3. McDougald, destined to be Rookie of the Year, racks up 6 RBIs in the frame. Jackie Jensen follows McDougald’s triple with one of his own, then homers after Gil’s GS. Allie Reynolds is the winner

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1951/B05030SLA1951.htm

1950: Yankee hurler Vic Raschi, troubled by the new rule that requires a one-second stop before delivery with men on base, balks 4 times in one game, a club record and 2 fewer than the single-season record. Nevertheless, he wins 4-3 over the White Sox. He’ll finish the season with 6 balks to tie the since-topped AL mark.

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http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1950/B05030NYA1950.htm

1922: New York mayor John F. Hylan orders extensive street closures in the south Bronx as construction of the future Yankee Stadium begins.

1915: Yankee pitcher Ray Fisher steals home in the 4th inning as New York double up the A’s 8-4.

1912: Trailing the A’s 18-5 going into the 9th at Shibe Park, the last place Highlanders come to life, unleashing a 10-run barrage against Philadelphia pitching. Future Hall of Famer Eddie Plank comes out off the bench to preserve the 18-15 win for the homesiders.

1907: In the ‘How times have changed…’ department: The dilatory tactics of the Highlanders’ Judd Doyle, whose well-earned
nickname is “Slow Joe”. lengthen a 10-inning game with the Athletics into the first modern major league game running over 3 hours (3 hours 7 minutes to be precise) New York win 4-3.