9/09 in Yankee History

The red-letter day -

1936: The Yankees sweep the Indians 11-3 and 12-9 to clinch the pennant on the earliest date ever. Lou Gehrig smashes a grand slam as does Cleveland’s Bill Knickerbocker. Gehrig will hit a career high 49 homers this year‚ 14 against Cleveland‚ including six in 11 games at home. The Yanks will finish in front of the second-place Tigers by 19 1/2 games, the biggest margin in the club’s history.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1936/B09092CLE1936.htm

On other 9ths of September…

2001: Andy Pettitte rides a two-run homer by Nick Johnson off Hideo Nomo and a three-run blast from Tino Martinez against Rolando Arrojoto beat the Red Sox 6-2 at the Stadium.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1990/B09090NYA1990.htm

1999: Jim ‘Catfish’ Hunter dies after a long battle with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease).

1997: Boston lose to the Yankees 8-6‚ despite 2 RBI for Nomar Garciaparra. The RBI give Garciaparra 87 on the year‚ for a new major league record for leadoff men. Harvey Kuenn held the old mark with 85 in 1956 for Detroit.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1997/B09090BOS1997.htm

1990: The A’s beat the Yankees, 7-3, to complete a 12-game season sweep of the Yanks, the first time the Bombers have achieved this dubious distinction against any one team. Tim Leary takes the loss for New York.

TimLeary_92Score.jpg.png

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1990/B09090NYA1990.htm

1978: The Boston Massacre continues.

Ron Guidry (21-2) gives up two singles in the 1st inning and that’s it. New York send 12 runners to the plate and scores 7 runs in the 4th inning to win 7-0 against Dennis Eckersley and cut the Boston lead to a single game. For Guidry‚ it is his 7th shutout of the year‚ and the first lefty shutout in Fenway since 1974 (Ken Holtzman of theA’s tossed one on August 5th of that year). With the Brewers’ victory over the Twins‚ Milwaukee trail by just 4 1/2 games.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1978/B09090BOS1978.htm

1974: At Fenway‚ the Yankees beat the Red Sox‚ 6-3‚ for their first victory in Boston since July 31st of last year. George ‘Doc’ Medich gets the win for the tourists. The Yanks have won 2 of 24 games at Fenway since 1972.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1974/B09090BOS1974.htm

1961: On Whitey Ford Day at the Stadium, Roger Maris hits his 56th homer‚ off Cleveland’s Mudcat Grant‚ as the Yanks come from behind to win‚ 8-7. New York score 4 in the 9th to enable Luis Arroyo (below) to pick up his 12th relief win in a row.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1961/B09090NYA1961.htm

1954: The Yanks’ Enos Slaughter spoils a no-hitter by getting an 8th inning single off the Orioles’ Joe Coleman‚ who finishes with a one-hitter and a 1-0 shutout.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1954/B09090BAL1954.htm

1953: Mickey Mantle’s 2-run homer off Chicago’s Billy Pierce caps a 7-run 5th inning‚ as New York win 9-3 at Yankee Stadium.
Returning to center field after the 5th‚ Mantle is photographed blowing a huge bubble with a wad of gum. Manager Stengel will publicly rebuke the Mick‚ who will apologize for the indiscretion. However‚ Mantle does sign an endorsement deal with the Bowman Gum company.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1953/B09090NYA1953.htm

1951: The Yanks hit 5 homers – 4 off the Nats’ Dick Starr – to win 7-5. Mickey Mantle’s leadoff homer on the first pitch‚ which starts
the scoring‚ slams against the bottom of the flag holder on the top of the right field stands. Vic Raschi then wins the nitecap‚ 2-0‚ in a game called after the 6th inning because of ‘darkness.’ Though Yankee Stadium has lights‚ unlike in the NL these cannot be used on Sunday. The Yankees (88-49) remain virtually tied with the Indians (88-51).

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1951/B09092NYA1951.htm

1949: At the Stadium‚ Ellis Kinder notches his 19th victory and his 9th straight‚ as Boston win 7-1. The Yanks manage just 4 hits‚ while Johnny Pesky and Bobby Doerr launch homers off Ed Lopat. Pesky has hit two homers this season‚ both at Yankee Stadium. Hugh Casey makes his AL debut‚ allowing two unearned runs in two innings. The loss cuts the Yanks lead over the Sox to 1 1/2 games.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1949/B09090NYA1949.htm

1948: The Red Sox widen their lead over the Yankees to 3 1/2 games by defusing the Bombers at Fenway, 9-4‚ scoring 8 runs in the 3rd. Ted Williams (.367) has 2 hits to regain the AL batting lead over Lou Boudreau.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1948/B09090BOS1948.htm

1938: Lou Gehrig plays his 2‚100th consecutive game and has four hits to bring his average over .300. The Yanks trip the Senators 3-0 behind Bump Hadley.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1938/B09090WS11938.htm

1932: The Tigers beat the Yankees 14-13 in a 14-inning game in which Lou Gehrig hits a grand slam and drives in 8 runs. He has accomplished this RBI feat twice before. Frank Crosetti strikes out 4 times in the game‚ including twice in one inning. Detroit
also top the Yanks‚ 4-1‚ in 5 innings to finally complete the protested game of August 1st‚ and yesterday’s tie. The Yanks score their lone run in the 3rd inning off Buck Marrow with their only two hits of the game.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1932/B09091DET1932.htm

1931: To raise funds to help the unemployed in the Depression‚ the Yankees‚ Giants‚ and Robins (who will change their name next year to the Dodgers) agree to a series of benefit games. 60,000 fans‚ paying regular prices‚ raise $59‚000 in the first matchup‚ as Babe Ruth
homers and the Yankees beat the Giants 7-2. At Comiskey Park‚ a crowd of 34‚865 raise $45‚000 for Governor Emmerson’s unemployment relief fund and watch the Cubs trim the White Sox‚ 3-0‚ behind Charlie Root. Root twirls a 6-hitter and drives in all the runs.

1928: A total of 85‚265 jam the Stadium to watch the Yankees sweep a Sunday doubleheader from the A’s‚ 3-0 and 7-3‚ to move back into first place to stay. George Pipgras is the winner in the first game while the Yankee star of the nitecap is Bob Meusel‚ who takes an Ed Rommel knuckleball out of the park for a grand slam in the 8th. Waite Hoyt is the winner.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1928/B09092NYA1928.htm

Off the field, Yankee pitcher Urban Shocker, age 38, dies of pneumonia in Denver‚ where he had gone for his health. Only now
does it become known that he had suffered from an enlarged heart, and had been unable to sleep lying down for the past 2 years. Shocker‚ who never had a losing season‚ was 18-6 in 1927 but appeared in only one game in pinstripes in 1928.

1920: In the opener of a crucial 3-game series‚ Cleveland blast the Yanks 10-4 behind the pitching of Stan Coveleski and the hitting of Doc Johnston. Johnston has 4 hits‚ two of them triples‚ and a steal of home. Babe Ruth hits his 47th homer in the first‚ then receives 3 intentional walks.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1920/B09090CLE1920.htm

1914: At Washington‚ the Senators’ Jack Bentley shuts out the Yankees 1-0. Jack Warhop takes the loss‚ his 5th 1-0 loss of the year‚ which ties the AL record set by Bill Donovan in 1903. It won’t be topped by any pitcher. Also setting a record not topped‚ or tied is Warhop’s loss today to the Senators‚ the 3rd time this year they’ve beaten him 1-0.