The red-letter days -

2008: Almost exactly 74 years to the day since Myril Hoag became the first, Johnny Damon becomes the second player in Yankee history to go 6 for 6 in a 9 inning-game. In a wild contest at the Stadium that sees the Bombers come back from four runs down twice, Damon delivers a walkoff ground rule double for his sixth safety as the home side prevail over Kansas City, 12-11

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/2008/B06070NYA2008.htm

2007: With a 10-3 triumph over the White Sox at Chicago, Joe Torre becomes the first man in Major League history to have collected both 2,000 hits as a player and 2,000 wins as a manager.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/2007/B06070CHA2007.htm

On other 7ths of June…

2009: It’s not a walkoff, and the eventual game-winning run scores on a less than borough-shaking Hideki Matsui groundout, but the 4-3 Yankee win over the Rays at the new Stadium is part and parcel of the new venue’s magic all the same. Johnny Damon and Mark Teixeira’s singles leading off the 8th spark the three-run come-from-behind rally, Teixeira saves an estimated 5 runs runs with a series of sparkling defensive plays, Alfredo Aceves strikes out four straight in gaining the win, and Mariano Rivera’s 10-pitch, one-two-three, 9th-inning save is true to form.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/2009/B06070NYA2009.htm

2003: Against the Cubs, Roger Clemens makes his third try at winning his 300th game. Chicago are without the services of slugger Sammy Sosa, who has been suspended for 8 games for using a corked bat in a 3-2 win over the Devil Ray. They’ll also have to get along without Hee Seop Choi‚ who suffers a concussion in the 4th when he collides with pitcher Kerry Wood. The Chicago first baseman is knocked out for 17 minutes. His replacement Eric Karros hits a 3-run homer in the 7th as the Cubs beat Clemens and the Yankees 5-2.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/2003/B06070CHN2003.htm

2002: Bob Sheppard makes a rare slip of the tongue in the 1st inning of an interleague battle between the Yankees and the Giants, as he announces Jason Giambi as ‘Giambini.’ But perhaps not, as Jason drives in Alfonso Soriano with the game’s first run, and just misses with a foul homer in a tight 2-1 Yankee victory. Mike Mussina outduels Livan Hernandez, and Barry Bonds singles twice, walks and strikes out.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/2002/B06070NYA2002.htm

1982: The Yankees select high school shortstop Bo Jackson in the 2nd round of the amateur draft‚ but the future Heisman trophy winner opts for Auburn instead.

1980: Yankee pitcher Tommy John posts his 200th victory‚ a two-hit‚ 1-0 win over Seattle.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1980/B06070SEA1980.htm

1973: The Yankees trade 3 players – first baseman Frank Tepedino‚ outfielder  Wayne Nordhagen and a player to be named – to the Atlanta Braves for pitcher Pat Dobson.

Dobson had struggled in his one year in Atlanta after the Braves had acquired him from the Orioles. The player to be named will turn out to be 2 – Alan Closter and Dave Cheadle. The Yanks also purchase 30-year-old Sam McDowell (1-2) from the San Francisco Giants for $100‚000+. McDowell‚ who will later admit to a drinking problem (teammate Dick Radatz later remarked‚ “We thought he was just stupid. It turned out he was never sober.”) will pitch 2 seasons in New York before being released.

1968: On his 21st birthday, Thurman Munson is selected by the Yankees as the fourth pick in the first round of the amateur draft.

1967: Having finished in last place the previous year, the Yankees have the first pick in the amateur draft, and use it to
take Ron Blomberg, who will eventually become the club’s first designated hitter (in 1973).

1961: The Twins lose to the Yankees‚ 5-1‚ for their 13th straight loss. They’ll win tomorrow but will reach 14 losses in a row in 1982. Ralph Terry allows the Twins a run in the 1st on 2 hits‚ then pitches hitless ball for the next 8 innings. Yogi Berra and Mickey Mantle homer off Camilo Pascual in the 3rd; it is a record setting 31 homers in the last 16 consecutive games.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1961/B06070NYA1961.htm

1947: Thurman Munson is born.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thurman_Munson

1941: The Yankees score 5 in the 9th to beat host St. Louis 11-7. Joe DiMaggio has 3 hits and Charlie ‘King Kong’ Keller
belts a grand slam to back reliever Charley Stanceau.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1941/B06070SLA1941.htm

1939: With Joe DiMaggio back in center field after an absence of 35 games because of a foot injury‚ the Yankees roll to a 5-2 win over the White Sox. DiMag knocks in the Yankees’ first run with a triple and scores another in a  three-run 5th. Yankee nemesis Thornton Lee leaves the game with a torn muscle in his left shoulder after 5 1/3 innings‚ while New York’s starter Lefty Gomez goes 7 innings before wilting in the heat. New York’s lead over the idle Red Sox is now 9 games

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1939/TNYA01939.htm

1936: George Selkirk’s homer in the 16th gives the Yankees’ Red Ruffing a 5-4 win over Oral Hildebrand of the Indians. Ruffing has 3 hits‚ including a home run. Both starters finish the game but neither record a strikeout‚ an American League record.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1936/B06070NYA1936.htm

1929: Babe Ruth enters New York’s St. Vincent’s Hospital for treatment for a cold‚ and a heart murmur is discovered. The Babe is ordered to rest and will be out of action for two weeks. Without Ruth‚ the Indians cuff the Yankees‚ 7-3‚ sending them into third place. Joe Sewell hits a 3-run homer in the 1st and Ed Morgan follows with a round-tripper.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1929/B06060NYA1929.htm

1928: At Cleveland‚ Joe Shaute pitches credible ball‚ allowing an early homer to Tony Lazzeri‚ but in the 8th he gives up 4 unearned runs. Then in the 9th he serves up back-to-back homers to Ruth (No.20 on the year) and Lou Gehrig (No. 12). The Babe’s is a 3-run shot. Cleveland lose‚ 8-2‚ with George Pipgras winning his 10th.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1928/B06060CLE1928.htm

1927: At New York‚ babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig clout back-to-back homers in the 4th inning‚ off Al ‘Tommy’ homas‚ to beat the White Sox 4-1 and increase the Yanks lead over Chicago to 2 games. Pat Collins also homers for the Yanks, while Bud Clancy matches for Chicago.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1927/B06070NYA1927.htm

1913: Facing the White Sox at the Polo Grounds‚ the Yankees finally win one‚ 3-2‚ behind the pitching of Ray Keating (below). The Yanks are now 10-34, 24 1/2 games out of first place.

The red-letter day ~

1934: In the first game of a doubleheader with the Red Sox at Fenway, Myril Hoag‚ substituting for Babe Ruth‚ becomes the first Yankee to go 6 for 6 in a 9-inning game, tying an AL record in the process. All of Hoag’s safeties are signles, as the Yanks rout Lefty Grove and roll to a 15-3 win. Boston win the nitecap‚ 7-3‚ to drop the Yanks to second place.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1934/B06061BOS1934.htm

On other 6ths of June,,,

2006: Melky Cabrera has one of his greatest defensive moments of his Yankee tenure. Chien-Ming Wang pitches the Yanks to a 2-1 lead over Boston through seven. David Ortiz had homered for the lone Red Sox run in the third, and Manny Ramirez blasts a two-out, eighth-inning fastball from Kyle Farnsworth toward the visiting bullpen, with Cabrera and Johnny Damon in hot pursuit. Damon’s unbridled jump for joy confirms the great catch to one and all, as the Scoreboard celebrated the Yankee rookie’s transcendent moment by flashing: :The Melky Way!

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/2006/B06060NYA2006.htm

Off the field, the Yankees, along with every other club in the majors, pass on Jeffrey Maier in the amateur draft. Maier will remain best known as the 12-year-old who interfered with a Derek Jeter fly ball in game 1 of the 1996 ALCS, in spite of having hit .403 in Division 3.

2004: Mike Mussina and Texas righty Ryan Drese face off in a pitchers’ duel on a damp Sunday afternoon in the Bronx. Moose allows only two fly balls and three hits through eight innings, but Drese matches him. When Jason Giambi doubles 1-0 lead the Yanks had taken on a Bernie Williams fourth-inning homer with a two-out long ball of his own in the 8th, it looks like the home team wouldn’t need it. But catcher Rod Barajas chases Mussina with a lead-off ninth-inning triple, and Mariano Rivera closes out the 2-1 Yankee win.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/2004/B06060NYA2004.htm

2001: Baltimore’s first two hitters‚ Jerry Hairston‚ Jr and Mike Bordick‚ hit homers against New York. Despite a second round-tripper by Bordick‚ the Yankees win‚ 7-4‚ going ahead on an 8th inning grand slam by Jorge Posada.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/2001/B06060NYA2001.htm

1999: The Mets defeat the Yankees‚ 7-2 to end Roger Clemens’ 20-game winning streak. Also ended is Derek Jeter’s streak of reaching base in 53 consecutive games, as the orange and blue snap an 8-game losing streak of their own.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1999/B06060NYA1999.htm

1997:  Less than 24 hours after announcing one of the stranger promotions in baseball history  for Father’s Day‚ Mike Veeck, owner of the Charleston RiverDogs, the Yankees’ class A affiliate, cancels plans to give free vasectomies on June 13th. Roman Catholic bishop David Thompson‚ a season ticket holder‚ led the complaints about the scheme. Veeck‚ who bought the RiverDogs this season‚ is the son of the legendary Bill Veeck

2010: The surprising Blue Jays keep giving their main rivals trouble. In tonight’s game against the Yankees, the Jays’ bullpen pitches 6 scoreless innings and Aaron Hill drives in Edwin Encarnacion with a single against Chad Gaudin in the 14th inning for a 3 – 2 win. Vernon Wells and Alex Gonzalez  hit solo homers, bringing Toronto’s major league-leading home run total to 96. For the Yankees, the struggling Mark Teixera goes 0 for 6 with 5 strikeouts to see his batting average fall to .215.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/2010/B06050TOR2010.htm

2006: At the Stadium, the Bombers administer a 13-5 pounding to Josh Beckett and the Red Sox. The six straight safeties to start the home second feature a 3-run Andy Phillips home run to left. Jason Giambi follows with another three-run dinger after the string was broken by a fielder’s choice ground ball. Mike Mussina, celebrating his 57th career complete game in a 6-1 victory in Detroit the week before, benefits from all the offense and goes six innings for the win.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/2006/B06050NYA2006.htm

1998: Andy Pettitte goes the distance in beating the Marlins 5-1, with Todd Zeile scoring the only Florida run on a Chuck Knoblauch error in the seventh. Knoblauch redeems himself by knocking in two, however, including plating Joe Girardi after the backstop’s double in the inning’s bottom half. In a preview of the kind of performance he would give later in the Bronx, future Yankee bullpen staffer Felix Heredia teams with Brian Edmondson to issue the Yanks four walks and a bases-loaded hit batsman (Knoblauch, for his second rbi) to hand the opposition two tallies in the 8th.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1998/B06050NYA1998.htm

1977: The Yankees hit 6 home runs‚ their most in three years‚ and barely edge the White Sox‚ 8-6. Bucky Dent‚ Reggie Jackson‚ Thurman Munson‚ Carlos May‚ Graig Nettles and rookie George Zeber connect. Zeber’s clout‚ his first ML homer‚ comes off Dave Hamilton‚ and is the game winner.

1967: Playing his first game for the Senators‚ Mike Epstein hits a 200 foot drive down the left field line for an inside the park homer off New York rookie Thad Tillotson (below). Mickey Mantle breaks a 2-2 tie in the 8th with a homer off Darold Knowles‚ and New York win 4-2.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1967/B06050NYA1967.htm

1965: At the Stadium‚ Mel Stottlemyre goes 10 innings to win 4-3 over the White Sox. Stottlemyre also connects for a 4th inning homer‚ off Gary Peters‚ for the first Yankee score in 24 innings. Mickey Mantle adds a homer in the 6th off Peters‚ and Elston Howard‚ recovering from elbow surgery a month ago‚ wins the game with a single in the 10th.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYA/NYA196506050.shtml

1963: Mickey Mantle fractures a bone in his left foot and suffers ligament and cartilage damage to the left knee running into the chain link fence at Baltimore chasing down a Brooks Robinson drive. The Mick will be out for 61 games. Whitey Ford beats Milt Pappas 4-3‚ as the Yankees return to first place.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1963/B06050BAL1963.htm

1961:In the first of two games at the Stadium‚ Mickey Mantle hits an 8th inning homer to help New York top the Twins 6-2. Mantle‚ Maris‚ and Colavito each have hit 15.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1961/B06051NYA1961.htm

1960: The Yankees sweep two from the Red Sox‚ taking the opener on homers by Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris. Roger’s blow is a 3 run shot to give New York a 5-4 victory. Art Ditmar goes the distance for the win in the nitecap‚ winning 8-3.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1960/B06052NYA1960.htm

1958: In the opener of two‚ the Yanks rout Sox starter Early Wynn for a 12-5 win at the Stadium. In the 3rd‚ Mickey Mantle legs out his 3rd inside-the-park homer in a month. The Sox take the nitecap‚ edging New York‚ 3-2.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYA/NYA195806051.shtml

1957: Behind Gil McDougald’s two homers and Mickey Mantle’s solo shot‚ the second-place Yankees storm by the Indians‚ 13-3 in Cleveland.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1957/B06050CLE1957.htm

1956: A’s manager Lou Boudreau comes up with the ‘Mantle Shift’ – moving the infielders around when Mickey Mantle bats lefty with the bases empty (left fielder backs up third, shortstop takes over second‚ and the second baseman moves to shallow right field). Mantle fans twice trying to bunt‚ and hits a 2-run homer when the shift is not on‚ as KC win 7-4.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1956/B06050NYA1956.htm

1955: The Yankees split today’s doubleheader with Chicago‚ winning nitecap 3-2 in 10 innings. Facing Billy Pierce in the 4th inning‚ Mickey Mantle clouts a tape measure shot to left the clears the roof and‚ according to the Tribune tomorrow‚ ‘bounced on 34th Street to shatter the windshield of a car’. Eyewitnesses say the ball does not hit the roof‚ but clears it on the fly‚ some 550 feet‚ and compare it to the shot that Jimmie Foxx launched on June 16‚ 1936. The Yankees now lead the AL‚ four games in front of Cleveland.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1955/B06052CH

1953: The Yankees beat up on rookie Bobo Holloman‚ beating the Browns 5-0. Mantle’s two-run centerfield homer at Sportsman’s Park is the big blow for New York‚ and extends Mickey’s hitting streak to ten games.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1953/B06050SLA1953.htm

1948: Appearing at Yale Field, a terminally ill Babe Ruth presents an autographed copy of his biography to Yale first baseman and team captain George Bush Sr.

1947: The second-place Yankees slice the Tigers’ lead to one game by beating Detroit‚ 7-0. Spud Chandler tosses a three-hitter while Tommy Henrich paces the drive with two homers. Ralph Houk and Fred Hutchinson are tossed after a punch-up in the 4th inning involving 5 players.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1947/B06050DET1947.htm

1937: At Detroit‚ the Yankees bang four homers – two by Lou Gehrig‚ one by Joe DiMaggio and a pinch homer by Red Ruffing – to edge the Tigers‚ 6-5. Reliever Pat Malone stops Gee Walker‚ who already had three hits‚ in the 9th inning with the winning run on second.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1937/B06050DET1937.htm

1936: Lou Gehrig plays in his 1‚700th consecutive game‚ as the Yankees beat Cleveland‚ 4-3.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1936/B06050NYA1936.htm

1932: The Red Sox sell pitcher Danny MacFayden to the Yankees for $50‚000 and pitcher Ivy Andrews and Henry Johnson. The Yanks will option Jack Saltzgaver to Newark to get down to the 23 player limit by June 15th.

1920: Today’s doubleheader between the A’s and Yankees is rained out‚ but A’s vice president Thomas Shibe (below, with Ty Cobb and Connie Mack) denies charges that the baseballs currently being used are livelier. Shibe‚ a member of the firm that manufactures the balls‚ cites the abolition of the spitball and other ‘freak’ pitches as the reason for the increase in home runs this season. In the past seven games‚ New York have collected 39 extra-base hits‚ including 13 homers.

1919: Eddie Collins’ 8th inning grand slam breaks up a pitching duel between Ernie Shore and Ed Cicotte and gives the White Sox a 7-5 win over the Yankees.

1874: Early Yankee ace and Hall of Famer Jack Chesbro is born.

http://www.baseballlibrary.com/ballplayers/player.php?name=Jack_Chesbro_1874

2008: In a 5-1 win over Toronto at the Stadium, Derek Jeter’s third-inning RBI single off Jesse Litsch moves the captain past Mickey Mantle into third place on the all-time Yankees hits list.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/2008/B06040NYA2008.htm

2007: Clete Boyer, starting Yankee third baseman for the 1961 and 1962 championship clubs, dies at the age of 70.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Clete_Boyer

2002: The Yankees come up with an 8 runs in the 6th to pull away from Baltimore, going on to win 13-5. Scott Erickson, who spent time in the New York bullpen in 2006, fans Rondell White (below) on three pitches to start the frame, but after the Yanks bat around, White caps it with a homer off Calvin Maduro. Shane Spencer, Alfonso Soriano, Derek Jeter, and Bernie Williams single in the inning, and Jason Giambi and Robin Ventura homer as well.

Rondell White

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/2002/B06040NYA2002.htm

2000: The Yankees edge the Braves‚ 7-6. Prior to the game‚ Atlanta pitcher John Rocker confronts Jeff Pearlman‚ the reporter who wrote the infamous article about him in Sports Illustrated. Rocker reportedly threatens Pearlman‚ although there is no physical contact between the two.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/2000/B06040ATL2000.htm

1997: For the second straight night‚ Rafael Palmeiro knocks in the winning run to beat the stumbling Bombers‚ as the Orioles win 9-7. The Yanks had tied the game at 7 on Charlie Hayes’ pinch grand slam. The O’s Chris Hoiles has two RBIs and Cal Ripken‚ showing no effects from signing (a Major League  record?) 2200 copies of his new book after last night’s game‚ hits a homer. Ripken did not get through with the autographing until 3 AM. The Orioles extend their winning streak to seven games and move 9 1/2 games ahead of the second-place Yankees in the AL East.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1997/B06040BAL1997.htm

1990:After selecting Carl Everett with the 10th overall pick in the amateur draft‚ the Yankees pull 3 winners out of the low rounds: Andy Pettitte in the 20th round‚ Jorge Posada in the 24th‚ and Shane Spencer in the 25th.

1988: Rickey Henderson steals 2 bases in New York’s 7-6‚ 14-inning loss to the Orioles‚ giving him a club-record 249 as a Yankee.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1988/B06040BAL1988.htm

1986: Yankee hurler Joe Niekro no-hits the Angels for 7 2/3 innings, until Gary Pettis doubles.

Niekro and Al Holland finish an 11-0 one-hitter, and Dave Winfield homers twice.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1986/B06040CAL1986.htm

1980: The Yankees‚ with no picks in rounds one and two‚ select 18-year-old Billy Cannon Jr. with their 3rd round pick. After protests from at least two other teams‚ Bowie Kuhn rules that all the teams but the Yankees had been misled by a telegram sent by Bill Cannon‚ Sr.‚ saying his son was going to play football. A special draft (excluding the Yanks) in August is won by the Indians‚ who offer the young gun $275‚000. But Cannon elects to play football at Texas A&M. Following in the footsteps of his Heisman dad‚ Cannon will be the number 1 pick of the Cowboys in 1984‚ but a neck injury curtails his career.

1958: After 32 scoreless innings, the Chicago White Sox score in the 3rd, and go on to win 7-4 over the first place New York Yankees. Billy Pierce is the winner, despite giving up a moon shot to Mickey Mantle that lands in the left-center field bleachers. The drive is measured at 478 feet.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1958/B06040NYA1958.htm

1953: At Chicago‚ Mickey Mantle’s homer in the 4th‚ off Billy Pierce‚ gives the Yankees a 5-0 lead‚ but Chicago come back to tie. The Mick’s leadoff single in the 10th inning ignites a New York rally‚ and they win 9-5.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1953/B06040CHA1953.htm

1951: In Cleveland‚ in an effort to defeat their Yankee nemeses‚ the Indians distribute 15‚000 lucky rabbits feet for Beat Eddie Lopat Night. Lopat recalled later‚ “While I was warming up‚ before the game‚ a drunk came on the field and threw a black cat at me and it clung to my uniform jersey.” It works‚ as Cleveland plates five runs in the first inning-three on a Bob Kennedy homer-on the way to an 8-2 win. It is Lopat’s first defeat to the Indians after 11 straight wins.

1939: Phil Linz is born. Happy 74th to the harmonica man!

http://www.travel-watch.com/harmonica.htm

1929: Former Red Sox owner Harry Frazee dies. Frazee is forever remembered as the man who sold Babe Ruth to the Yankees.

1922: At the Polo Grounds‚ Carl Mays collects 3 hits and beats the A’s for the 21st straight time. The Yanks win 8-3. Babe Ruth belts a 3-run homer over the right field fence for the Bombers.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1922/B06040NYA1922.htm

1915: Ty Cobb steals home in the 9th inning of 3-0 Detroit win over New York‚ the only steal of home that late in a game in his career. Yankee pitcher Ray Caldwell is so angry at the safe call he throws his mitt in the air and is promptly ejected by umpire Silk O’Loughlin. It is Cobb’s second steal of home while Caldwell is on the mound (the first was on May 12th‚ 1911).

The red-letter days -

2003:Derek Jeter is named the 11th captain in Yankee history.

1932: In Philadelphia‚ Lou Gehrig hits 4 consecutive home runs and narrowly misses a fifth in a Yanks-A’s slugfest won by New York 20-13. Tony Lazzeri hits for the cycle‚ including a grand slam‚ and the teams set a still-standing record for extra bases on long hits in a single game (41). Gehrig’s 5th inning homer – his 3rd of the game – comes off A’s starter George Earnshaw and follows a blast by Babe Ruth‚ his 15th. Lou’s last homer‚ in the 7th‚ is served up by Roy Mahaffey. Earl Combs adds another for New York to help the Yanks set a total base record of 50. Jimmie Foxx has a triple as he and Mickey Cochrane connect for the A’s‚

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1932/B06030PHA1932.htm

On other 3rds of June…

2008: Step one of a long, gradual evolution occurs when Joba Chamberlain makes his first major-league start, against the Blue Jays at the Stadium. His  pitch count (62) will match his number. He leaves with a 2-1 lead after 2.3 innings, though an unearned tally ties matters before the inning is through. Dan Geise, whose contract the Yankees purchased from AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre before the game, allows one more run through the sixth, but Toronto batter Jose Veras and Edwar Ramirez for 6 runs in the seventh on the way to a 9-3 win. The club optioned righthander Scott Patterson to AAA to clear a roster spot for Geise, and ex-NFL quarterback and current native New Yorker Boomer Esiason reduces the games-left counter to 54 in Yankee Stadium I in the bottom of the 5th.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/2008/B06030NYA2008.htm

2007: First baseman Doug Mientkiewicz is sent to the DL following a game against Boston in which he broke his wrist.

2000: Brian Jordan has 4 RBIs to lead the Braves to a 11-7 win over the Yankees. Greg Maddux (5 2/3 IP‚ 13 H‚ 7 ER‚ 3 BB‚ 5 SO) allows hits to the first 4 batters he faces for the first time in his career. Roger Clemens (5 IP‚ 6 H‚ 6 R‚ 4 ER‚ 4 BB‚ 7 SO) is equally ineffective, and neither gets a decision. Derek Jeter has 4 hits and 2 walks‚ just the 6th player to get 4 hits in a game off Maddux.

1998: Orlando Hernandez makes his debut in pinstripes in a 7-1 victory over Tampa Bay at the Stadium. El Duque scatters 5 hits over 7 innings before giving way to Mike Stanton. Scott Brosius paces the Yankee offense with 2 two-run doubles.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1998/B06030NYA1998.htm

1991: Left-handed pitcher  Brien Taylor of East Carteret HS in Beaufort‚ NC‚ is selected by the Yankees as the 1st pick in the major league draft. The Yanks will sign him for $1.55 million-three times the previous high.

Travis Hafner was born today in 1977. Happy 36th birthday to the Pronk Bomber!

1968; The Yankees turn their last triple play of the 20th century, in the 8th inning against Minnesota, but still lose 4-3. Reliever John Wyatt, acquired from the Red Sox three weeks previously, takes the loss for the Bombers.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1968/B06030NYA1968.htm

1959:At Detroit‚ Mickey Mantle homers off Ray Narleski in the 9th to give the Yankees a 6-5 win. New York chase nemesis Frank Lary with 5 runs in the 3rd.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1959/B06030DET1959.htm

1958: Led by Mickey Mantle’s 3-run homer in the first‚ the Yanks jump on Dick Donovan‚ who does not retire a batter. New York roll to a 13-0 win over the White Sox.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1958/B06030NYA1958.htm

1937: Josh Gibson is credited with a drive that hits just 2 feet below the rim of Yankee Stadium‚ about 580 feet from home plate. It is estimated by some that the ball would have traveled nearly 700 feet.

1933: Against the Yankees at the Stadium,  the A’s score 11 runs in the 3rd inning‚ then watch the home side score 10 in the 5th. Ben Chapman and Tony Lazzeri hit homers in the inning‚ and Lazzeri‚ Arndt Jorgens and Frank Crosetti all have 2 hits in the frame. Babe Ruth clouts his 10th of the year in the 8th. The A’s fail to score after the 3rd‚ as pitcher Jumbo Brown strikes out 12 A’s in 6 1/3 innings of relief. The Yanks win 17-11. Not until the Red Sox in 1998 will another opponent tally eleven runs in an inning at Yankee Stadium.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1933/B06030NYA1933.htm

1929: Blink and you’ll miss it ~ at the Stadium, the Yankees take just 1 hour and 20 minutes to edge the White Sox 1-0.  Ed Wells (below) allows 2 hits in beating Ted Lyons.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1929/B06030NYA1929.htm

1921: Playing under the name Lou Lewis‚ Lou Gehrig makes his professional debut at first base for the Hartford Senators. The 17-year-old Lou is 0-for-3 as Hartford loses to the Pittsfield Hillies‚ 2-1. He’ll get his first hit-a triple-in tomorrow’s 5-3 win over the Waterbury Brasscos‚ and then play just 10 more games.

1920: Ping Bodie hits a 6th inning grand slam to lift the Yankees to an 5-4 win over the Athletics. Bob Shawkey‚ whose indefinite suspension was lifted today‚ gives up homers to Tillie Walker and Jimmy Dykes but settles down and pitches a complete game win.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1920/B06030NYA1920.htm

1910: Jack Warhop throws a one-hitter for the Highlanders, but loses to the White Sox‚ 3-1. Chicago hurler Ed Walsh allows 4 singles‚ drives in 2 runs with a double‚ and scores the last run.

The red-letter day (bordered in black) -

1941: Lou Gehrig dies of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis at age 37 in New York. Gehrig
passed away at his home in the Bronx. Since then, his illness has been known
primarily as Lou Gehrig’s Disease.

On other 2nds of June…

2005: The Yankees have been swept by the team with the worst record in the majors (16-37), falling 5-2 to the Royals for their first five-game losing streak in more than two years. Kansas City pitchers allowed just six runs in the series. It was the third time in their storied history the Yankees had been swept in three games by the team with the worst record in major leagues. The other times were in 2000, by the Detroit Tigers, and 1937 by the Philadelphia Athletics. The Royals had gone 78 series without sweeping anyone, the longest drought in the majors since the Phillies went 79 series without a sweep in 1996-97.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/2005/B06020KCA2005.htm

2001: Gene Woodling, mainstay of the Yankees’ late ’40s and early ’50s outfield platoon, dies at the age of 78.

http://sabr.org/bioproj/person/5c632957

1996: At Oakland‚ the Yankees win 11-4 and do it the old-fashioned way-by stealing 8 bases. Gerald Williams‚ with 10 career steals‚ has 4 steals to tie a club record‚ and rookie Derek Jeter adds 2. Kenny Rogers (4-1) is the benefactor‚ pitching 6 1/3 innings for the win‚ as the Yankees stay 1 1/2 games ahead of the O’s.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1996/B06020OAK1996.htm

1972: Raul Ibanez is born. Happy birthday, Raul, and thanks for the memories last season!

1958: Whitey Ford fans 6 in a row to tie an AL record as he shuts out the White Sox 3-0. Sox pitcher Jim Wilson allows just 6 hits but three – 2 by Hank Bauer and one by Mickey Mantle – are out of the park.  On a botched hit-and-run attempt‚ Luis Aparicio is thrown out at second, ending his streak of 26 consecutive steals.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1958/B06020NYA1958.htm

1957: In the first inning of the nitecap of a doubleheader with Baltimore at the Stadium, Mickey Mantle and Yogi Berra‚ homer back to back off Skinny Brown‚ and Elston Howard goes deep as well, for a 4-0 lead. The fans could have headed for the exits then, because there will be no more scoring on either side the rest of the way.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1957/B06022NYA1957.htm

1954: At the Stadium‚ the Yanks tag Early Wynn for seven runs in the first inning without the righty recording an out. Don Mossi relieves and starting in the 2nd inning‚ the Yanks are held hitless by Mossi and four more relievers. Cleveland peck away‚ eventually tying the game before winning in the 10th‚ 8-7. Hal Newhouser‚ who tosses the last three hitless innings‚ is the winner.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1954/B06020NYA1954.htm

1948: At Detroit‚ the Yankees open the series with a 1-0 win behind Vic Raschi‚ but lose left fielder Charlie Keller who breaks his hand. Johnny Lindell will move in as the regular left fielder.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1948/B06020NYA1948.htm

1940: Horace Clarke, starting Yankee second baseman from 1967 until 1974, is born. Happy 73rd, Hoss!

http://bioproj.sabr.org/bioproj.cfm?a=v&v=l&bid=1647&pid=2517

1938: Gene Michael, starting Yankee shortstop from 1969 to 1974 and later general manager, is born. Happy 75th, Stick!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gene_Michael

1931: Marshall Bridges, early ’60s Yankee pitcher and member of the 1962 Championship team, is born.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Marshall_Bridges

1925: Yankee first baseman Wally Pipp is beaned during batting practice‚ resulting in a severe headache. Things will only get worse for him as Lou Gehrig takes over at first and goes 3-for-5 against the Senators – it will be nearly 14 years before he is out of the lineup again. Reliever Alex Ferguson gets the win for New York in the 8-5 victory‚ with Allan Russell taking the loss.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1925/B06020NYA1925.htm

1920: The Yankees stretch their win streak to 10 games by beating the Senators 8-1 behind Jack Quinn. Babe Ruth hits a two-run shot in the opener of the doubleheader‚ connecting off Tom Zachary and Leon Carlson. The Babe bangs out another‚ his 14th‚ in the nitecap off Bill Snyder‚ but the Senators win 7-6. Clyde Milan homers in the first game‚ while Bob Meusel‚ Howie Shanks‚ Muddy Ruel‚ and Braggo Roth all homer in game 2. The New York Times notes that ‘Ruth is the only player in the game who has the handle of his bat wound with tape. It gives him a better grip.’

The 1920 Yankees

The red-letter day -

1925: Lou Gehrig begins his streak of 2,130 consecutive games played.

In a Monday game at the Stadium‚ 18‚000 are on hand to see the Babe make his first appearance of the season. He goes 0-2 with a walk against Washington’s Walter Johnson before leaving in the 6th inning. The Senators  win 5-3. In the 9th inning‚ Gehrig pinch-hits for Pee Wee Wanninger‚ launching the streak that will eventually surpass the record held by Everett Scott, the shortstop whom Wanninger replaced in the Yankees lineup.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1925/B06010NYA1925.htm

On other 1sts of June…

2009: The Yankees play their 18th straight game without an error, breaking the record held by the 2006 Red Sox. Joba Chamberlain, in starter mode, goes 8 strong innings to get the 5-2 win against Cleveland, and Mariano River picks up his 11th save.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/2009/B06010CLE2009.htm

2008: Another spring training hope goes by the wayside: the Yankees designate infielder Morgan Ensberg for assignment on June 1. Right-hander Scott Patterson is recalled from AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to fill the spot.

2003: The Yankees defeat the Tigers in 17 innings by a score of 10-9. New York takes a 7-1 lead as Roger Clemens starts in pursuit of his 300th win‚ but Detroit tie the game in the 7th. David Wells, who contributes 5 2/3 innings of relief, will get the win.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/2003/B06010DET2003.htm

2001: The Stadium witnesses a rarity, as Cleveland starter C.C. Sabathia earns a win despite pitching only 4 innings. The game is called because of rain after 5 innings with the Tribe ahead‚ 7-2. The rules state that in a 5-inning game‚ a starter need not go the full 5 to earn a victory‚ There have been just 5 other cases since 1970 to match C.C’s.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/2001/B06010NYA2001.htm

1999: At the Stadium‚ Roger Clemens and New York overpower the Indians 11-5. Derek Jeter has 2 hits‚ 3 runs‚ and has now reached base in all 50 Yankee games (a record going back to 1961). Reliever Steve Reed plunks Jeter in the 8th‚ then Paul O’Neill hits a 2-run homer.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1999/B06010NYA1999.htm

1992: The Yankees select Derek Jeter as their first-round pick in the amateur draft, and the sixth pick overall.

1988: The Yankees take football all American Deion Sanders in the 30th round of the amateur draft.

1973: Fred Heimach, pitcher and pinch hitter for the Yankees in the late ’20s (and member of the 1928 championship team), dies at the age of 72.

http://www.dvrbs.com/People/CamdenPeople-FredHeimach.htm

1961: Bob Turley gives up Vic Wertz’s first triple in 6 years as the veteran slugger leads the Red Sox to a 7-5 win over the Yankees. Since June 14‚ 1955‚ Wertz has played in 596 games and collected 537 hits‚ but no 3-baggers.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1961/B06010BOS1961.htm

1960: Mickey Mantle hits a one-out home run in the first inning‚ a 400-foot blow on an 0-2 pitch‚ for the only Yankee hit against Baltimore’s Hal Brown. The  Birds win 4-1 and sweep the three game series with the Yankees to move into first place (27-15). New York leave Baltimore in 4th place (19-19).

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1960/B06160KC11960.htm

1958: In Boston‚ Bob Turley wins his 8th‚ 10-4‚ for the first-place Yanks. He allows 5 Red Sox hits‚ 3 by Billy Klaus‚ as Andy Carey helps with 5 straight hits.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1958/B06010BOS1958.htm

1947: Joe DiMaggio has a single‚ double‚ and 2 homers to drive in 5 runs and lead New York to an 11-9 win over Cleveland. Al Lyons wins his only decision for New York this year‚ beating Bob Lemon.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1947/B06010CLE1947.htm

1936: In an exhibition game at West Point‚ the Yankees easily subdue the cadets‚ 6-2. Lefty Gomez pitches the first 3 innings and allows 2 runs.

1920: At the Polo Grounds, Babe Ruth makes his first start on the mound this season‚ pitches 4 innings‚ then goes to right field after the Yankees take a 10-run lead. Roger Peckinpaugh’s inside-the-park homer and Ping Bodie’s homer off Erickson are the big blows. New York roll to a 14-7 win over the Senators‚ the 9th win in a row for the Yankees‚ as they move into second place behind the Indians.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1920/B06010NYA1920.htm

1918: Losing at home 5-3 against the Yankees‚ the White Sox load the bases in the bottom of the 9th with no outs. Chick Gandil lines a shot to third baseman Frank Baker‚ who turns it into a game-ending triple play. The Yankees win 6-3.

1910: Still in his playing days, batting leadoff for the Cardinals, future Yankee manager Miller Huggins becomes the first player in modern major league history to make six plate appearances in a game without recording a single official at bat. In a game against the Phillies, Huggins walks his first three times up, follows with a sac fly and a sac bunt, then draws another free pass to force the lead run across in the eighth inning. The Redbirds win, 10-5.

1908: The first-place Highlanders trip Ed Cicotte and the visiting Red Sox‚ 2-0. Jack Chesbro (below) allows just 4 hits in the victory. But the Highlanders‚ 20-15‚ will win just 31 more games the rest of the way for the first of the four last-place finishes in franchise history to date, with a 51-103 record.

2010: Alex Rodriguez may not be his usual superhuman self this season, but it’s still a bad idea to issue an intentional walk to face him with the bases loaded. The Indians find this out the hard way, as A-Rod connects for a grand slam in the 7th inning, turning a 2-1 Yankees lead into an eventual 11-2 rout. The slam is the 20th of his career, placing him third on the all-time list, behind Lou Gehrig (23) and Manny Ramirez (21).

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/2010/B05310NYA2010.htm

1998: The Yankee machine hits a bump in the road, as Andy Pettitte suddenly can’t get anyone out in the third inning of a game with Boston, leaving with six across and two outs. But reliever Darren Holmes throws gas on the fire, as he fails to record the third out until five more Red Sox players reach safely, and 11 have scored. The Yanks fall 13-7.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1998/B05310NYA1998.htm

1989: At the Stadium‚ New York rookie Deion Sanders makes his debut. He throws out one Seattle runner‚ drives in a run‚ and triggers a 5-run rally in the 7th with a single. Don Mattingly completes the scoring with a 2-run homer-his 4th hit of the game-in the 8th following a single and 2 steals by Steve Sax. New York win 9-5‚ with the decision going to Andy Hawkins.

1988: Yankee starter Al Leiter makes one pitch before leaving the game. Oakland leadoff batter Carney Lansford lines the pitcher’s first offering to left for a clean single, and Billy Martin replaces Leiter with reliever Neil Allen. Allen gives up just 3 hits in 9 innings to record a 5-0 shutout for New York Allen will have a shutout and no starts this year. Mike Pagliarulo hits a 2-run HR off Steve Ontiveros to supply Allen with all the runs he needs.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1988/B05310OAK1988.htm

1983: AL President Lee MacPhail suspends George Steinbrenner for one week‚ citing ‘repeated problems’ with the outspoken owner’s
public criticism of umpires. Steinbrenner‚ who had been fined $50‚000 by Commissioner Kuhn during spring training for berating some NL umpires‚ cannot attend games or be in his Yankee Stadium office during the suspension.

1975: Cesar Tovar gets the only hit for Texas‚ the fifth time in his career he has had his team’s lone hit in a game. Catfish Hunter hurls the one-hit 6-0 Yankee victory.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1975/B05310TEX1975.htm

1967: Kenny Lofton is born. Happy 46th, Kenny!

1961: Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris again homer as New York edge Boston‚ 7-6. Mantle’s is no.14‚ two ahead of Roger. In the 8th inning‚ Carroll Hardy pinch hits for rookie Carl Yastrzemski; last year he pinch hit for Ted Williams‚ making him the only player to go in for both future Hall of Famers.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1961/B05310BOS1961.htm

1959: At Washington‚ the Yankees beat the Senators‚ 3-0‚ on Bob Turley’s two-hitter. Moose Skowron accounts for the scoring with a three-run homer. Mickey Mantle almost homers‚ but his 438-foot drive is caught by center fielder Bob Allison.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1959/B05310WS11959.htm

1948: The Senators‚ fresh from four wins over the Red Sox‚ drop a pair to the host Yankees before 62‚626. Spec Shea allows just two hits in coasting in the opener‚ 10-0. The Yanks collect 16 hits‚ including homers by Tommy Henrich and George McQuinn. The Yanks take the nitecap‚ 5-4‚ as Red Embree makes a rare start. Bobby Brown makes 7 straight hits in the two games‚ making out his first and last at-bats.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1948/B05311NYA1948.htm

1938: In action against the A’s at the Stadium, Lou Gehrig plays his 2‚000th consecutive game and has an RBI single in a 12-5 win. Jimmie Foxx hits a grand slam off Yankee pitcher Joe Beggs‚ the first of three salamis he will hit this season, all of them courtesy of the Yankee hurler.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1938/B05310NYA1938.htm

1931: Earle Combs’ hitting streak ends at 29‚ although the Yankees beat Washington‚ 4-2‚ in a rain-shortened 7-inning game.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1931/B05310WS11931.htm

1928: At the Stadium‚ Herb Pennock tosses his second shutout of the year‚ beating Washington 4-0 for his 8th win. Irv Hadley is the loser‚ giving up a home run to Cedric Durst and another to Babe Ruth‚ his 19th. The Babe almost adds his 20th when he blasts a long high fly with two on‚ but Leo Durocher‚ the runner on first‚ holds up to see if the ball will be caught. Durocher scores but the Babe is cut down at the plate.

The Yankee outfielders of 1928: (L to R) Cedric Durst, Earle Combs,
Ben Paschal, Babe Ruth, Bob Meusel)

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1928/B05310NYA1928.htm

1927: The Yankees pound the third-place Athletics into submission‚ winning 10-3 and 18-5. Babe Ruth homers in each contest to run his string to 4 straight games. He finishes the month with 12 homers‚ and 16 altogether. Rookie strongboy Jimmie Foxx belts his first Major League homer‚ off Urban Shocker‚ in game 2. Tony Lazzeri and Mark Koenig homer in game 2‚ while Lou Gehrig has two singles to go along with his double‚ triple and homer in the opener.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1927/B05312PHA1927.htm

1920: At the Polo Grounds‚ the Yankees outslug Washington‚ winning 7-6 in the morning game and 10-7 in the afternoon match. New York win the opener with three runs in the 9th to pin the loss on reliever Al Schacht. George Mogridge (below) is the winner. New York score 5 in the 6th when Duffy Lewis and Truck Hannah hit back-to-back homers‚ and the Yanks get a single and two triples to knock out Jim Shaw.

In the afternoon game before 38‚000 fans‚ Walter Johnson pitches 4 2/3 innings of ineffective relief for the Nats and gives up a tremendous home run by Babe Ruth in the 8th that hits the facade on the upper deck in right. A bright spot for Washington is Braggo Roth‚ who swipes four bases‚ including second and third in the 4th inning‚‚ then swiping home on the front end of a double steal: Braggo will swipe another 4 on June 12. Roger Peckinpaugh has four hits in game 2‚ including a pair of doubles and a triple.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1920/B05311NYA1920.htm

1913: Accusing Hal Chase of playing below his capability‚ Yankees manager Frank Chance sends him to the White Sox for light-hitting infielder Rollie Zeider and first baseman Babe Borton. Borton hit .371 last year. Despite his uncertain character and questionable honesty‚ Chase will be on the scene for another 6 years. Zeider‚ who set the AL rookie record for stolen bases in 1910 with 49‚ is suffering from foot problems. When Borton hits .133 in 39 games‚ writer Mark Roth remarks‚ ‘Hal Chase was traded to the White Sox for an onion and a bunion’.

1910: The Highlanders sell Slow Joe Doyle to the Reds. Doyle set a Major League record by winning his first 2 decisions in 1906 by shutouts.

1907: The Highlanders beat Boston‚ 4-1‚ behind Frank Kitson‚ making his first appearance for New York. Kitson was 0-3 for the Nationals this year‚ but will go 4-0 in New York. Kid Elberfeld of the Highlanders has a steal of home‚ and Hal Chase has 2 steals.

2011: Bartolo Colon pitches his first shutout since 2006 in blanking the thletics 5-0.  The 38-year-old Yankees pitcher has made a remarkable comeback after being out of the majors all of last year.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/2011/B05300OAK2011.htm

1992: By beating the Milwaukee Brewers‚ 8-1‚ Scott Sanderson of the Yankees becomes the 9th pitcher to beat all 26 major league teams in his career. He joins Nolan Ryan‚ Tommy John‚ Don Sutton‚ Mike Torrez‚ Rick Wise‚ Gaylord Perry‚ Doyle Alexander and Rich Gossage as the only pitchers to accomplish the feat.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1992/B05300MIL1992.htm

1986: The Yanks and Sox complete a six-player swap with Ron Kittle‚ along with Wayne Tolleson and catcher Joel Skinner coming to New York. The White Sox receive-again-Ron Hassey‚ along with Carlos Martinez and a player to be named later (Bill Lindsey). Hassey was traded from the Cubs to the Yanks in December‚ 1984‚ back to Chicago (Sox) in December‚ 1985‚ back to the Bronx in February‚ and now to Chicago.

1979: New York’s Cliff Johnson crashes into home plate umpire Lou DiMuro in the 11th inning in a game against Milwaukee. DiMuro‚ unconscious for 32 minutes‚ is taken to the hospital. Johnson scores the 2nd of 3 runs for the Yanks in their 11-inning‚ 5-2 win.

The red-letter day ~

1995: Derek Jeter makes his Yankee debut. The much-heralded prospect makes a less than stellar impression, however, going 0 for 5 in a 12-inning, 8-7 loss at Seattle.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SEA/SEA199505290.shtml

On other 29ths of May…

2009: On the road, the Yankees top the Indians 3-1. Mariano Rivera saves an Andy Pettitte win for the 58th time, setting a new record for a pitcher duo; the old mark had been held by Dennis Eckersley and Bob Welch.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/2009/B05290CLE2009.htm

2000: At the Stadium, the Yankees defeat the A’s Omar Olivares 4-1 on Andy Pettitte’s 2-hitter. In the 6th inning‚ Oakland second baseman (and former Yankee) Randy Velarde turns an unassisted triple play‚ just the 11th in history‚ on a line drive by Shane Spencer. With runners on first and second running with the pitch‚ Velarde tags Jorge Posada as he nears second‚ then touches the bag to retire Tino Martinez. In 1995‚ while with the Bombers‚ Velarde turned a UATP against the Dodgers in spring training following the strike.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/2000/B05290NYA2000.htm

1997: In Toronto‚ Tino Martinez hits his 20th homer – his third in three games-and David Cone strikes out 12 to lead New York over Toronto‚ 4-0. Jeff Nelson strikes out 3 Jays in relief. Martinez raised his RBI total to 56 with a single in the first off Woody Williams (1-5) and a solo shot in the third.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1997/B05290TOR1997.htm

Off the field, the Yankees finally agree to terms with Japanese pitcher Hideki Irabu‚ signing the fireballer to a 4-year contract worth $12.8 million. The deal includes a signing bonus of $8.5 million.

1982: At Minnesota‚ the Yanks put runners on first (Graig Nettles) and second (Bobby Murcer) with no outs. When Roy Smalley strikes out on a ball 4 pitch from Terry Felton‚ Murcer attempts to steal third. But Sal Butera’s throw beats him so badly that he retreats to second, only to find Nettles there. Gary Gaetti tags Murcer who is standing safely alone on the base‚ and then throws to Kent Hrbek to catch Nettles heading back to first. Murcer then tries for third again, and Hrbek’s throw to Felton covering completes the bizarre triple play. Alas‚ Felton‚ 0-8 coming into the game gets a no-decision‚ and will lose another 5 to finish his career with an 0-16 record.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1982/B05290MIN1982.htm

1978: During a 2-0 Yankee victory at Cleveland, Billy Martin flies into a rage and heaves 2 handfuls of dirt on home plate umpire Terry Cooney’s back after being ejected for arguing ball and strike calls. He will be suspended by AL president Lee MacPhail for a week.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1978/B05290CLE1978.htm

1976: Former Yankee Jerry Hairston jr. is born. Happy 37th, Jerry!

1965: Mike McNally, utility infielder for the first three Yankee pennant winners, and the first man to start at third base for the team in a World Series game, dies at the age of 72.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/mcnalmi01.shtml

1961: At Fenway‚ Ike Delock outduels Whitey Ford to beat the Yankees‚ 2-1. New York’s only tally is provided by Mickey Mantle’s first homer in two weeks.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1961/B05290BOS1961.htm

1956:  At the Stadium‚ Mickey Mantle’s becomes t he first Yankee base runner in the 7th when he draws a walk off Willard Nixon‚ and the Mick’s 2-out 9th inning homer deprives the Boston righty of a shutout. Boston win 7-3 in the Bronx.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1956/B05290NYA1956.htm

1942: Lefty Gomez‚ self-described as the worst-hitting pitcher in baseball‚ bangs out 4 hits in pitching a 4-hit‚ 16-1 victory over Washington. They are his last Major League safeties. Buddy Hassett adds 4 hits to the Yankee cause as well.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1942/B05290NYA1942.htm

1934: The Yankees purchase – some would say rent – veteran spitballer Burleigh Grimes from the Pittsburgh Pirates. After 10 appearances with the Yankees, the Yanks will release Grimes and the Pirates will reobtain him.

1928: At the Stadium‚ the Yankees sweep a pair from Washington‚ 3-2 and 12-3. A bases-loaded triple by leo Durocher (below) in the opener gives George Pipgras (8-1) the win.

Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth both slug a pair of homers in the nitecap: Lou hits his 9th in the 3rd‚ off Washington starter Milt Gaston‚ then Ruth and Gehrig hit back-to-back dingers in the 4th off Lloyd Brown. Ruth adds his 18th off Brown in the 7th. Earle Combs also goes long.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1928/B05291NYA1928.htm

1927: In a loosely played game in the Bronx, the Yanks swamp the Red Sox‚ 15-7‚ plating 7 runs in the 8th inning. Babe Ruth launches his 13th homer‚ off Danny MacFayden‚ while catcher Johnny Grabowski is 4-for-4 with a walk. Dutch Reuther is ineffective‚ serving up gopher balls to Bosox backstop Grover Hartley in the 2nd and to Fred Haney in the 3rd. The Sox give it back in the 4th with 3 walks‚ 2 errors‚ a single by Bob Meusel and a double by Mark Koenig‚ to make 4 runs. Ted Wingfield‚ pitching 2/3 of the 4th‚ takes the loss.

Johnny Grabowski

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1927/B05290NYA1927.htm

1922: Against Philadelphia‚ the Yankees tally 7 runs in the 7th to beat the Athletics‚ 7-4. Carl Mays is the winner‚ notching his 20th straight victory over the A’s.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1922/B05290NYA1922.htm

1910: George McQuinn, starting first baseman on the Yankees’ 1947 championship team, is born .

http://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/George_McQuinn