There probably isn’t a day that goes by that something in New York Yankee history hasn’t happened that is memorable in their 109-year history. Here is a look at this week’s happenings in that history.
1922 April 16th:
Babe Ruth signs a three year contract with the New York Yankees at $52,000 per year, which in 2021 money was worth $819,000. Quite a deal for the best baseball player the world has even known.
1923 April 18th:
The New York Yankees unveil their new 2.5 million dollar Stadium in the Bronx, New York. Babe Ruth hit the first home run in the new Stadium in front of 72,000 Yankee fans. The Stadium was the first to feature three decks. Ruth’s two-run homer defeated the Boston Red Sox 4-1.
1929 April 18th:
The Yankees become the second major league team to have numbers on their jerseys. Numbers were assigned by their place in the lineup. Earl Combs #1, Mark Koenig #2, Babe Ruth #3, Lou Gehrig #4, Bob Meusel #5, Tony Lazzeri #6, Leo Durocher #7, Johnny Grabowski #8, and Ben Bengough #9.
1972 April 18th:
For the first time in New York Yankee franchise history, the Yankees have an Opening Day game that was held at night at the Stadium in the Bronx. Steve Kline threw a three-hitter to beat the Brewers 3-0.
1949 April 19th:
It’s Opening Day at Yankees Stadium. The Yankees unveiled a monument honoring Babe Ruth eight months after his death. He joined Lou Gehrig and Miller Huggins with the honor. That area would later be called Monument Park and was actually on the playing field in the far center field.
1960 April 19th:
It’s Opening Day at Fenway Park in Boston. Newly acquired Roger Maris goes 4 for 5 on the day. Two homers,, a double,, and 11 runs scored. The Yankees beat the Boston Red Sox 8-4.
2019 April 19th:
For the first time ever in the Major Leagues,, two players wearing the number 0 faced each other in a game. Adam Ottavino vs. the Kansas City Royals Terrance Gore. The New York Yankees won the game 6-2.
2007 April 20th:
Alex Rodriguez becomes the first player in baseball history to hit 12 home runs in his first 15 games. He hit two long balls in vain in this game as the Yankees lost the game to the Boston Red Sox.
1956 April 22nd:
New York Yankee pitcher Don Larsen hits a Grand Slam causing a 13-6 win over the Boston Red Sox. Larsen, known for his pitching fame actually for a pitcher, was a pretty good hitter, hitting 14 home runs and having a .242 batting average in his career.
1959 April 22nd:
Yankee pitcher Whitey Ford strikes out 15 Senator batters.
1959 April 22nd:
It was the 14th inning of a game between the New York Yankees and the Washington Senators. Bill Skowron entered the 0-0 14th and hit a homer to deep left field, winning the game for the Yankees 1-0. Yankee pitcher Whitey Ford pitched all 14 innings.
1985 April 23rd:
New York Yankee Don Baylor collected his 999th and 1000th RBI when he hit a two run homer in the sixth inning of a game the Yankees would lose to the Red Sox. Baylor would finish his Yankee career with 1,276 RBI’s
2000 April 23rd:
At the Toronto Skydome (now Rogers Center) Bernie William and Jorge Posada would be come the first players to ever hit homers from each side of the plate in the same game. The feat was repeated in 2009 by Tony Clark and Felipe Lopez for the Arizona Diamondbackss
1977 April 21st:
After losing several games the New York Yankee manager Billy Martin pulls his lineup for the day out of a hat, and the Yankees win over the Toronto Blue Jays 8-6. Unbelivable yet true.
1987 April 24th:
At a Cleveland Indian game Yankee Ricky Henderson became the first player ever to homer off two different 300 game winners in the same game. The pitchers were Steve Carlton and Phil Niekro.
2008 April 24th:
A Red Sox David Ortiz jersey was secretly buried in cement at the under construction new Yankee Stadium. The secret wasn’t kept and the jersey retrieved. On this day in 2008 the jersey was auctioned off to benefit the Jimmy Fund. It sold for $175,100.
1988 April 20th:
New York Yankees score their 9,999th, 10,000th, and 10,000 home runs. Dave Winfield. Claudel Washington and Jack Clarke.