This Week In Yankees History

December 30th- January 5th

December 30th

1927- Yankees released INF Ray Morehardt and P Joe Giard, they both retired.

1930- Former Yankees minor league INF Milt Graff was born. Graff was traded by the Yankees in February of 1957 in the Bobby Shantz trade with the A’s. He was unable to break into the crowded Yankee INF.

1940- The Yankees swap P Monte Pearson (1936-1940) to the Reds for INF Dan Lang and $20,000 cash. Lang will never play for the Yankees.

1995- Free agent P Kenny Rogers is signed by the Yankees to a 4-yr contract. The Gambler went 18-15 in 62 games for the Yankees. On November 7, 1997 he was traded by the Yankees, along with cash to the A’s for a player to be named later. The Oakland sent INF Scott Brosius to the Yankees to complete the trade in November.

2002- Citing this will probably be his last MLB season, 40-year old P Roger Clemens agrees to a $10.1 million, 1-yr deal with the Yankees. The 19-season veteran, who has won the Cy Young Award 6 times, is 7 victories shy of 300 career wins mark.

December 31st

1914- Ban Johnson's efforts to strengthen the Yankees succeed when he arranges the purchase of the team by Colonel Jacob Ruppert and Captain Tillinghast L'Hommedieu Houston for $460,000 from Bill Devery and Frank Farrell. After Detroit owner Frank Navin refuses to let manager Hugh Jennings go, the new Yankee owners will name longtime Detroit P William “Wild Bill” Donovan to managing the team. Under the new regime, the Yankees will make the most important trade in franchise history when they purchase Babe Ruth from the Red Sox in December of 1919.

1919- Former Yankee P Tommy Byrne (1943, 1946-1951, 1954-57) was born. (1919-2007) Before 1940 AL Season, Tommy was signed by the Yankees as an amateur free agent. Tommy went 73-50 in 249 games in 10 seasons with the Yankees. He won 15 games each in the1949 and 1950 seasons. He was named to the 1950 AL All Star team. On June 15, 1951, he was traded by the Yankees along with $25,000 to the Browns for P Stubby Overmire. Tommy was re-obtained by the Yanks in September, 1954 from Seattle (PCL). In 1955, he won the AL Comeback Player of the Year Award by going 16-5. He would pitch 2 seasons before retiring in 1957. He later became the Mayor and Owner of the Wake Forrest, NC Country Club. Tommy passed away on December 20, 2007.

1924- Former Yankee P Ted Gray (1955) was born. On June 30, 1955, Ted was signed as a free agent with the Yankees. He will appear in 1 game with no decisions before being released in July by the Yankees.

1940 -The Yankees send P Bump Hadley to the Giants for the waiver price and traded INF Bill Knickerbocker to the White Sox for C Ken Silvestri. The military will claim Silvestri for the next 4 years.

1974- Free agent P James “Catfish” Hunter, who posted a 25-12 record with the Athletics, signs with the Yankees ending an unprecedented bidding war when he inks a 5-year, $3.75 million dollar contract. This is triple the salary of any other MLB player. His Yankee pitching record was 63-53. He won 23 (1975) and 17 games (1976) for the Yankees. He will retire at the age of 33 in 1979 after a 15- year ML career. He will win election to the HOF in 1987.

1980- Former Yankee P and Manager (1930) Robert “Sailor Bob” Shawkey (1915-1927) passed away. (1890-1980) Bob Shawkey finished his Yankee pitching career with a record of 168-131, a 4-time 20 game winner after being obtained from the A’s for $85,000 in 1915. Bob will manage the Yankees in 1930 to 86-68 record before being replaced by veteran NL manager Joe McCarthy.

2004- After the Devil Rays decline his 2005 $8 million contract option, Free agent 1B Tino Martinez, who hit .262 with 23 HRs and 76 RBIs for the Tampa, signs a 1-yr, $3 million contract to rejoin the Yankees. Martinez played in New York from 1996 through 2001 and was replaced by Jason Giambi. This time, he is acquired as insurance in the event Giambi's fragile health due to steroid use continues to fail.

January 1^st, Happy New Year!!!

1874- Former Yankee P Ned Garvin (1904) was born. Ned appeared in 2 games with a 0-1 record in September 1904.

1910- Former Yankee P Charles Devens (1932-34) was born. Charlie went 5-3 in 16 games for the Yankees.

1923- Former Yankee HOF OF William “Wee Willie” Keeler dies in Brooklyn, NY, at age of 50. In 19 ML seasons, Keller hit .341, amassed 2,932 hits, and won consecutive batting titles in 1897-98. He played for the Yankees from 1903-09. He hit over .300, 3 times for the Yankees including .343 in 1904.

1924- Former Yankee 1B and Coach, Earl Torgeson (1961) was born. On June 17, 1961, Earl was signed as a free agent with the Yankees. He hit .111 in 22 games before becoming a coach on September 2, 1961.

1942- Former Yankee INF Bill Bethea was born. Bill was obtained from the Twins on waivers in 1965, but never played for the Yankees at the MLB level.

1955- Former Yankee farmhand P LaMarr Hoyt was born. He was drafted by the Yankees in the 5th round of the 1973 amateur player draft. Hoyt never played for the Yankees at the MLB level. On April 5, 1977, he was traded by the Yankees along with P Bob Polinsky, OF/DH Oscar Gamble, and $200,000 cash to the White Sox for Shortstop Bucky Dent.

2006- Former Yankees P Paul Linbald (1978) passed away. He appeared in 7 games with no decisions after being purchase from the Rangers. The Yanks will send him to Seattle after the 1978 season.

January 2nd

1963- Former Yankee P David Cone (1995-2000) was born. On July 28, 1995, Dave was traded by the Blue Jays to the Yankees for P Marty Janzen, Jason Jarvis and Mike Gordon. Dave went 64-40 as a Yankee starter. He was 2-0 in 4 World Series with the Yankees.

1973- Rumors appeared nationwide in the media that the Yankees were being purchased from CBS by a Cleveland group of investors.

1977- Former Yankees P Scott Proctor (2004-2007) was born. On July 31, 2003, Scott was traded by the Dodgers along with OF Bubba Crosby to the Yankees for INF Robin Ventura. Scott went 11-10 with 1 save in 190 games with the Yanks before being traded back to the Dodgers on July 31, 2007, for INF Wilson Betemit.

January 3rd

1920- The secret deal made on December 26 to sell Babe Ruth to the Yankees for $125,000 (twice the amount ever paid previously for a player) is announced publicly. Red Sox owner Harry Frazee also secures a $350,000 loan from the Yankees as part of the deal.

1923- The Yankees pluck 2 rookies from the Red Sox, P George Pipgras and OF Harvey Hendrick, in exchange for backup C Al DeVormer. George Pipgras would win 93 games for the Yankees.

1965- Former Yankees INF and Coach, Louis Sojo (1996-99, 2001, 2003) was born. On August 22, 1996, Louis was selected off waivers by the Yankees from the Mariners. He would prove to a valuable reserve INF for the Yankees. His best season was in 1997, when he hit .307 in 77 games. After leaving the Yankees thru free agency, he returned on August 7, 2000, when he was traded by the Pirates for P Chris Spurling. After retiring as an active player in 2003, he was minor league manager and later a ML coach for the Yankees.

1973- A group of investors, headed by Cleveland, Ohio shipbuilder George Steinbrenner, purchases the Yankees from CBS for $10 million. Mike Burke and Gabe Paul are among the limited partners in the group; Paul would replace Burke as President of the Yankees.

1974-The Yankees sign former farmhand OF Bill Virdon as manager. Although the former Pirates skipper will manage for 2 years in New York, he will never win a game at Yankee Stadium because the Yankees will play home games at Shea Stadium due to renovations of their stadium. Bill was originally signed by the Yankees but was traded to the Cardinals in the Enos Slaughter trade in 1954. Bill went 142-123 as Yankee Manager before being replaced by Billy Martin in 1975.

2003- Former Yankee P Joe “Professor” Ostrowski (1950-52) passed away (1916-2003) On June 15, 1950, Joe was traded by the Browns along with pitchers Tom Ferrick, Sid Schacht and 3B Leo Thomas to the Yankees for OF Jim Delsing, Pitchers Don Johnson, Duane Pillette, INF George “Snuffy” Stirnweiss, and $50,000. Joe went 9-7 in 75 games with 10 saves for the Yankees.

2005- Commissioner Bud Selig approves the potential trade of the Diamondbacks pitcher Randy Johnson to the Yankees in exchange for pitchers Javier Vazquez, Brad Halsey, Dioner Navarro, and $9 million dollars

January 4th

1904- The New York Highlanders announce plans to play on Sundays at Ridgewood Park in Queens, NY, but the Brooklyn Superbas objects. Sunday baseball games are legal in Detroit, St. Louis, Chicago and Cincinnati.

1908- Former Yankee All Star OF and MLB Executive George “Twinkle Toes” Selkirk (1908-1987) was born. Selkirk played for 9 seasons with the Yanks, and finished with lifetime BA of .290. He was a member of AL All Star team twice (1936 and 1939). George hit .265 in 6 World Series. He served in the military during WWII. He was released by the Yankees in May, 1946. He would become minor league manager. Then he would become the GM of new Washington Senators in 1961.

1910-Former Yankees President and GM, Gabe Paul (1973-1977) was born. (1910-1998) Gabe's trades in the mid 1970’s, helped rebuild the Yankees into championship teams.

1925- Former Yankees P Tom Gorman (1952-54) was born. (1925-1992) Tom went 10-7 in 75 games with 9 saves for the Yankees before being sold to the Kansas City A’s in 1955.

1928-The Yankees buy shortstop Lyn Lary and INF Jimmie Reese from the Oakland Oaks (PCL) for a reported $150,000 in cash. Lary would give the Yanks 3 strong seasons before slipping in 1934; Reese would be shipped off to Cardinals in 1931.

1940- In a trade of pitchers, the Reds send Lee Grissom to the Yankees for Joe Beggs, who had to clear waivers from all 7 AL teams. This is due to the new rule voted last month barring the AL

1943- A wartime tone for the 1943 season is set when Yankees P Red Ruffing, just months short of his 38th birthday, and minus 4 toes, is drafted into the Army Air Corps.

1966- Yankees obtain OF Lou Clinton from the Indians for C Doc Edwards. Lou batted .220 for the Yanks, as a reserve OF in 1966.

1976- Former Yankee P Ted Lilly (2000-01) was born. Ted came to the Yankees from Expos in the Hideki Irabu trade in the winter of 1999. He went 8-12 as a Yankee in 38 games. He had trouble throwing strikes. On July 5, 2002, he was traded as part of a 3-team trade by the Yankees along with P Jason Arnold and OF John-Ford Griffin to the Oakland. The A’s sent a player to be named later, 1B Carlos Pena, and P Franklyn German to the Detroit. The Tigers sent P Jeff Weaver to the Yankees. The Tigers sent cash to the Oakland. The Athletics sent P Jeremy Bonderman to the Tigers to complete the trade.
pennant winner from any trades within the league. Beggs will go 1 -3 for the Reds, while Grissom will be sold to the Dodgers on May 15.

January 5th

1914-The Yankees buy P Boardwalk Brown from the A’s for cash. He went 3-6 and was released.

1934- The Yankees released veteran P Herb Pennock and 3rd Baseman Joe Sewell. Their HOF MLB careers were over.

1943- MLB Teams agree to start the season later than usual and prepare to train in northern areas because of World War II. Resorts, armories, and university facilities are chosen for training sites. The New York Yankees will try the seashore resort city of Atlantic City, NJ.

1951- Former Yankees P Ed Ricks (1977) was born. Ed Ricks was drafted in the 6th round of the 1972 amateur draft by the Yankees. He led the 1972 Appalachian League with 97 IP, 100 H, 72 R, and 56 ER. Ricks spent 1975-1976 seasons with the Syracuse Chiefs (IL). He was on the Yankees 1977 spring roster, but never appeared in a game at the ML level. However, he appeared on the Yankees active ML roster in September of 1977.

1958- Former Yankee OF/DH Ron Kittle (1986-87) was born. On July 30, 1986, he was traded by White Sox along with C Joel Skinner and INF Wayne Tolleson to the Yankees for a player to be named later, C Ron Hassey, and OF Carlos Martinez. The Yankees sent C Bill Lindsey to the White Sox to complete the trade. Ron hit .277 in 1987 before leaving for free agency, signing with the Indians.

1961- Former Yankees reserve OF Henry Cotto (1985-87) was born. On December 4, 1984, Henry was traded by the Cubs with Pitchers Porfi Altamirano, Rich Bordi, and C Ron Hassey to the Yankees for P Ray Fontenot and OF/INF Brian Dayett. Henry would be a back up OF for the Yankees. On December 22, 1987, Henry was traded by the Yankees along with P Steve Trout to the Mariners for pitchers Lee Guetterman, Clay Parker, and Wade Taylor.

1984- The Yankees sign future Hall of Fame P Phil Niekro to a 2-yr contract. Niekro, who went 11-10 with a 3.97 ERA for the Braves in 1983, will fill a void in New York rotation and allow the team to move starter Dave Righetti to the bullpen to be a closer.

1993- Former Yankees OF Reggie Jackson is the lone player elected by the BWAA to the HOF. Jackson, whose .262 lifetime batting average is the lowest of any outfielder in the Hall, receives 93.6 percent of the vote. His 563 career HRs make him a hit with voters in his 1st year of eligibility.

1999- HOF Yankees catcher Yogi Berra received an apology from Yankees Owner George Steinbrenner about his dismissal as Yankees manager in 1985 after only 16 games. Berra says he will end his self-exile from Yankee Stadium and the Yankees organization. He is expected to
participate in future Opening Day and Old Timer's Day ceremonies.

previous week

(As always I'd like to thank Fw57Clipper51 for his great contributions)