The only Hall of Famer born on May 12 is none other than our very own, now deceased, New York Yankees Lawrence Peter “Yogi†Berra (1925). Yogi blasted 358 homers and knocked in 1,430 runs from 1947-1963. In that time he played on 14 pennant winners and 10 of his clubs won it all. He managed the Yankees to the American League pennant in 1964, and the crosstown Mets to the NL title nine years later.
Birthdays, Continued for the New York Yankees
Other Yanks of note that share the day with Yogi include righthander Hank Borowy (1916), who went 56-30 in the Bronx during World War II from 1942 through 1945; third baseman Joe Dugan (1897), who played for the Yanks from 1922 through 1928, during which time he stroked 22 homers and collected 383 rbi’s; and Felipe Alou (1935), who actually played more first base than outfield in his 1971-1973 stay in the Bronx. Felipe hit 18 home runs and drove in 133 in that time.
Sanchy, Hicks, and Walker
Visiting Oakland jumped young Yankee righty Domingo German for five runs in the fourth, and six through five, largely on Khrys Davis‘s three-run bomb, but the Yanks tied it in the fifth behind Gary Sanchez and Aaaron Hicks home runs, on May 12, 2018. But five scoreless frames later, it was Neil Walker‘s base hit (his second rbi of the day) that won it, 7-6 Yanks in 11.
Wang the Wanderful
On May 12, 2006, Chien-Ming Wang had one of his best starts in besting Barry Zito and the Oakland A’s in Yankee Stadium 2-0. He got 20 of 24 outs through eight innings on ground balls and allowed just three singles before Mariano Rivera finished up. The Yankee scoring was on home runs, a fifth-inning shot by Alex Rodriguez with a Bernie Williams insurance blast in the eighth.
Chairman of the Board
On this day in 1953, Whitey Ford beat the Indians, 7-0, allowing only an infield single by Indians hurler Early Wynn.