7/17 in Yankee History

The red-letter days -

1950: Whitey Ford wins his first Major League game‚ beating the visiting White Sox 4-3. Tom Ferrick closes for New York.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1950/B07170NYA1950.htm

1947: The Yankees sweep a doubleheader against Cleveland 3-1 and 7-2 to extend their winning streak to an AL record-tying 19 games. The streak matches that of the 1906 White Sox. New York began the streak on June 29‚ in game 2 of a doubleheader with the Senators‚ when they were 3 1/2 games in front; they now lead by 11 1/2.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1947/B07172CLE1947.htm

1941: In front of more than 60‚000 fans at Cleveland’s League Park‚ Joe DiMaggio’s hitting streak is ended at 56 games (94 hits). Indian
pitchers Al Smith and Jim Bagby‚ plus sensational plays by third baseman Ken Keltner‚ stop the Yankee Clipper. But New York edge the Indians 4-3‚ for their 17th win in 18 games to stretch their lead to 7 games.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1941/B07170CLE1941.htm

On other 17ths of July…

2003: Andy Pettitte gets the start, and gives up 4 runs and 7 hits, including a home run to former Yankee Shane Spencer, in 7 innings of work before handing the ball over to Chris Hammond. An Alfonso Soriano homer in the sixth pulls the Yanks even at 2, but reliever Hammond gives up up two in the seventh, before Derek Jeter’s two-run blast in the eighth ties things yet again. Hideki Matsui’s walk-off home run on the second pitch of the home ninth gives Mariano and the Yankees the win, 5-4.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/2003/B07170NYA2003.htm

1996: The Red Sox take a 9-2 lead over the Yankees into the 7th inning in Boston. New York score 3 in the 7th‚ 2 in the 8th‚ and 4 in the 9th to move ahead‚ 11-9. The Red Sox bounce back with 3 of their own in their last at bat to defeat NY by a score of 12-11 and end John Wetteland’s record save streak.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1996/B07170BOS1996.htm

1990: At the Stadium‚ Bo Jackson hits 3 straight homers, the third for career no. 100, then separates his shoulder in the 6th inning diving for a line drive off the bat of Yankee Deion Sanders. Sanders ends up with an inside-the-park homer run, but Kansas City take home a 10-7 win. Jackson will be out for 6 weeks. Mel Stottlemyre Jr. (shown below with his father) makes his ML debut‚ pitching an inning of relief against the Bronx Bombers.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1990/B07170NYA1990.htm

1989: In a 7-3 loss to the White Sox, Yankee hurler Dave LaPoint gives up Carlton Fisk’s 2,000th career hit.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1989/B07170CHA1989.htm

1978: In the latest incident in his ongoing feud with manager Billy Martin‚ Reggie Jackson ignores instructions and attempts to bunt in the 10th inning of a tie game with the Royals. Jackson pops up‚ the Yanks lose in the 11th by a final score of 9-7‚ and Martin serves Jackson with a 5-day suspension without pay. The Royals’ 3-game sweep at Yankee Stadium leaves New York in 4th place‚ 14 games behind the Red Sox.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1978/B07170NYA1978.htm

1977: The Royals complete a three-game sweep of the Yankees at home, with Ken Clay taking the loss. The Bombers have now dropped 7 of their last 9, and are 3 games in back
of the leading Orioles.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1977/B07170KCA1977.htm

1961: The Yankees top the O’s‚ 5-0‚ behind Whitey Ford’s 13th straight win. Mickey Mantle and Moose Skowron hit long home runs at
Baltimore. The nitecap goes into the 5th when‚ with 2 outs and the Yanks up 4-1‚ a thunderstorm strikes. The umps wait 65 minutes before calling the game‚ thus washing out homers by Mantle and Roger Maris.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1961/B07170BAL1961.htm

1959: Chicago’s Early Wynn and the Yankees’ Ralph Terry match zeroes for 8 innings at the Stadium‚ before Chicago’s Jim McAnany collects the first Sox hit in the 9th. Jim Landis adds a second hit to drive home two runs to give the Sox the 2-0 win. Wynn matched Terry by also allowing just two hits.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1959/B07170NYA1959.htm

1956: Johnny Kucks wins his 4th game in 10 days – 2 starts and 2 relief appearances – beating the Tigers 4-0. It extends the Yanks’ win streak to 11 games and gives Kucks his 14th win – high in the majors. The Yanks will lose a pair tomorrow.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1956/B07170NYA1956.htm

1953: The Yankees use a triple play and 4 DPs to stop the Browns 6-4. Center fielder Irv Noren starts the trip[le-killing with a tumbling catch in the 2nd inning. Gil McDougald scores 4 times on a single‚ double‚ triple and walk. Allie Reynolds gets the win in relief.

Irv Noren.jpg

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1953/B07170SLA1953.htm

1936: Red Rolfe, Lou Gehrig and Bill Dickey hit 3rd-inning homers against Detroit to tie the AL record‚ since topped. New York roll‚ 9-4‚ dropping the Bengals to 4th place.Goose Goslin has a pair of homers for Detroit.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1936/B07170NYA1936.htm

1934:Babe Ruth draws his 2‚000th base on balls at Cleveland‚ off Oral Hildebrand. He will retire with a still untopped walk record of
2‚056. The Indians jump on 3 pitchers for 17 hits to win 13-5, though.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1934/B07170CLE1934.htm

1923: Miller Huggins’ antipathy towards Carl Mays surfaces as the manager keeps the him in the entire game against Cleveland even though the hurler is having a disastrous outing. The Indians light up Mays for 20 hits in the 13-0 win behind George Uhle. Mays’ record over the campaign will be a decent 5-2 in 81 innings‚ but the Yankees will sell him at the end of the season. Teammates Everett Scott and Wally Pipp protest the Indian scalping of Mays by exiting the dugout.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1923/B07170CLE1923.htm

1920: The Yankees collect 21 hits‚ good for forty bases‚ to starch the White Sox 20-5. Aaron Ward shines in the field and collects a home run‚ a triple‚ and two singles. Ruth is held to a double and two singles‚ while Happy Felsch leads the Sox with four RBI. With the Indians sweeping two from Boston‚ the Yankees trail the Tribe by two games.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1920/B07170NYA1920.htm

1903: Cleveland knock Jack Chesbro out of the box in the 6th to easily beat the host New Yorkers‚ 11-4. Nap Lajoie‚ Elmer Flick have triples for Cleveland and Wid Conroy contributes one for the Highlanders. The Naps’ Bill Bradely connects for a home run. The drive over the left field fence is ‘the longest hit made at the new grounds’ according to the New York Herald. Harry Howell (shown below) pitches the last three innings for the home team‚ holding Cleveland without a run.

Howell.jpg.gif