The Yankees got the bizarro 2020 season off to a successful start on July 24, 2020, when they won a rain-shortened battle in Washington 4-1 behind a Giancarlo Stanton home run and an Aaron Judge rbi hit. Having missed so much of the season following the two weeks of pre-pandemic Spring Training we did attend, I started by scoring even road games on the TV from home, though shortly would switch to just the home-standing ones I generally keep track of on my scorecard.

Home runs by Carlos Beltran and Mark Teixeira off San Francisco’s Jeff Samardzija in the first two innings got the Yanks off to a good start, and the three-run sixth-inning rally keyed by Starlin Castro and Didi Gregorius rbi’s put on the finishing touch to the Yanks’ 5-2 victory on Sunday, July 24, 2016. Nate Eovaldi got the win, as the home team took the rubber match of their three-game set with the visiting Giants.

On July 24, 2021, the Yankees sent righthander Asher Wojciechowski outright to the AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders.

The Yanks took the third of a four-game set vs Texas 4-2 in Yankee Stadium on July 24, 2014, behind the continued strong pitching of recently acquired Brandon McCarthy, who went six for the win. J.P. Arencibia‘s home run off Adam Warren, his second of the series, was the only long ball, but the home team persevered on rbi’s from Brett Gardner, Brian McCann, Chase Headley, and Francisco Cervelli.

The stars of the Broadway show “Priscilla Queen of the Desert” sang the national anthem before the Yankees, behind Bartolo Colon, beat the A’s 7-5 on July 24, 2011, a hot steamy Sunday afternoon in the Bronx. Two rbi’s apiece from Curtis Granderson, Andruw Jones, and Brandon Laird supplied enough offense despite the day ex-Yank Hideki Matsui had, going 5-for-5 with two doubles.

My nephew and in-laws were in from Philly for the July 24, 1999, tilt against the Indians, and we were all hoping for a win, but we must have hoped too hard. The Yanks spanked Mark Langston for nine runs on 10 hits into the fifth, and finished up with a 21-1 victory. Hideki Irabu was masterful on one evening he didn’t need to be. It was the most runs the Yanks had scored since 1962, as Chili Davis went 5-for-6 with six rbi’s. Jorge Posada had four hits as well.

On July 24, 1992, Commissioner Fay Vincent announced that George Steinbrenner could once again take active control of the team effective March 1, 1993.

I guess it was a good day on July 24, 1983, or at least so we thought when we retired for the evening after an apparent Yankee win over the Royals in the “Pine Tar Game.” George Brett was called out for having too much pine tar on his bat, negating the home run off Goose Gossage that the Royals thought had given them the lead. Later, American League President Lee MacPhail broke all precedent by overruling his umpires and reinstating the home run in a review of the game (not that I’m bitter about it, no, really). Mr. MacPhail apparently decided to ignore the precedent set when Yankee catcher Thurman Munson was called out on the same ruling about a decade earlier (not that I’m claiming that the team benefiting from the rulebook had any bearing on the ruling or anything, oh no, not that at all — wink, wink).

It was the day in 2004 that I found most trying to be a Yankee fan (until October anyway), when Boston catcher Jason Varitek‘s cowardly mask-protected attack on Alex Rodriguez spurred his teammates onto victory, as Bill Mueller homered for three runs off Mariano Rivera in the bottom of the ninth for an 11-10 Red Sox win in Fenway Park. Alex was verbally objecting on his way to first after being hit by a pitch by righthander “Brandon” Arroyo when Varitek launched his assault while conveniently forgetting to shed any of his catcher’s gear.

The Yankees fell 4-1 to the Giants in an exhibition game in front of 50,000 fans in Yankee Stadium on July 24, 1961. New Yorkers delighted in the return of Willie Mays, who delivered a two-run single, but they saved some of their cheers for the Mickey Mantle home run that was the only Yankee score.

Thankfully the Yanks and Ramiro Mendoza prevailed over the Tigers on this day in 2001, 6-5, despite the fact that Juan Encarnacion hit perhaps the only home run to reach the left center field bleachers adjacent to Monument Park since the Stadium was reopened in 1976, a feat that has been equaled in 2008. Andy Pettitte got the win, Bernie Williams homered, and Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada, and Paul O’Neill doubles contributed to the scoring.

The Ol’ Perfesser Casey Stengel was trying to stir up some offense yet again on this day in 1954, as he pinch hit for Phil Rizzuto in the eighth and brought Mickey Mantle in to play middle infield with Willie Miranda. Against lefties Miranda played second with The Mick at short, and they would swap positions when a righthanded batter came up. But the Indians prevailed anyway, 5-4.

Some believe that the name Bronx Bombers described the Yankee team in the twenties to a tee, but not always. On July 24, 1926, Lou Gehrig scored when he and Babe Ruth pulled a double steal in a 7-4 win over the Red Sox in Yankee Stadium.

The Yankees got three doses of bad news on July 24, 1934. The least of it was the 4-2 loss to the Browns in Sportsman’s Park in St. Louis, but the fractured skull starting center fielder Earle Combs suffered when he crashed into the wall was worse. But bad news comes in threes, as they learned when they called up George Selkirk from Newark to take Earle’s place. That was when they discovered that Selkirk had broken his arm playing earlier the same day.

When the White Sox won their eighth straight game in a 6-3 Game One victory over the Yankees behind Billy Pierce in New York on July 24, 1960, it was also their third consecutive win in Yankee Stadium. But Eli Grba bested Herb Score 8-2 in the nightcap to stop the Chisox and give the Bombers the split.

The Yanks reached Detroit’s Hank Aguirre for five runs and three homers in the first four innings of a July 24, 1964 game, but it fell apart from there, and the Tigers stormed back from a 5-2 deficit to a 10-5 win.

Billy Martin resigned his job as Yankee manager on July 24, 1978, in the wake of his statement to the Press calling owner George Steinbrenner and right fielder Reggie Jackson “liars.” Dick Howser was named interim field boss, and the Yankees lost to the Royals, 5-2. Happier days were coming when Bob Lemon stepped in.

Orioles second baseman Brian Roberts reached Roger Clemens and Sterling Hitchcock for four singles, a double, and two rbi’s in a 5-3 Baltimore win in Yankee Stadium on July 24, 2003. B.J. Surhoff and Jeff Conine provided the Orioles’ thunder with home runs.

The “Bombers” scored three runs on a comebacker to the pitcher on July 24, 1991, in a 10-2 win over the Mariners. Playing third, Edgar Martinez had Kevin Maas trapped between third and home but hit him with the throw. When catcher Dave Cochrane picked up the carom and threw it into the visiting dugout, Alvaro Espinoza scored. And by rule, the batter, Pat Kelly, was awarded the regulation two bases on the ball thrown into the dugout, scoring him as well. Jeff Johnson got the win, over Erik Hanson.

In a statistical anomaly, the Tigers’ 4-2 victory over the Yankees on July 24, 1935, moved them one-half game ahead of the Bombers, though their winning percentage placed them a fraction of a point behind New York.

Mickey Mantle tied Lou Gehrig for sixth on the all-time home run list (at the time) when he hit his 493rd in the first of two in a 9-1 win over the Angels on this day in 1966. The home-standing Yanks completed the sweep with a 4-1 win in the nightcap.

On July 24, 2019, the Yankees placed catcher Gary Sanchez on the 10-day injured list, with a left groin strain; and recalled Kyle Higashioka from the AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders. The team also optioned righthander Jonathan Holder to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre; and recalled lefthander Nestor Cortes Jr. from Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

On July 24, 2018, the Yankees placed catcher Gary Sanchez on the 10-day disabled list, with a right groin strain. The team recalled catcher Kyle Higashioka from the AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders to fill his spot.

On July 24, 2015, the Yankees sent center fielder Slade Heathcott on a rehab assignment to the Tampa Yankees.

On July 24, 2014, the Yankees signed free agent shortstop Graham Ramos to a minor league contract.

The 2013 infield comings and goings continued apace on July 24, as the Yankees sent third baseman Jayson Nix on a rehab assignment; placed third sacker Luis Alfonso Cruz on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to July 23, with a light knee sprain; and recalled third baseman David Adams from the AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders.

The Yankees activated righthander Sergio Mitre from the 15-day DL on July 24, 2010, sending Jonathan Albaladejo to AAA Scranton Wilkes-Barre to make room.

Some bad days for the franchise in Flushing on July 24. First, Casey Stengel resigned as their first manager on this day in 1965.

Then on July 24, 1993, the Mets thought they had hit rock-bottom when Anthony Young set the all-time record for consecutive losses with his 27th straight, falling to the Dodgers, 5-4. But things got worse after the game, as Flushing outfielder Vince Coleman injured three when he tossed a firecracker into the crowd from his car, an act for which he would be charged with a felony.

In the first of two July 24 highlights involving future or former Yankee players, Jesse Tannehill was pitching for the Reds on this day in 1901 when the Pirates pulled off a rarity and scored in every inning of an 11-2 win. And second, Rondell White of the Expos drove in all seven runs when the Expos beat the Dodgers 7-4 on July 24, 1994.

 
Players Who Have Died This Day

Southpaw Ted Kleinhans (1985) is the only Yankee player to have died on July 24. In 19 games (0 starts) for the 1936 club, Ted won one, lost one, and saved one. The games total went up to 56, the starts to 12, the wins to four, the losses to nine, while the saves remained at one following a stop with the Phillies and a 1934, 1937, 1938 stay with the Reds. Although ‘s (2018) major league pitching career resulted in a 113-97 record with six saves from 1961 through 1968 with Milwaukee, and 1968 through 1971 with Cinncy (1972 with St. Louis), he spent significant years as the bullpen coach under Joe Torre. Famous for having hit two grand slams in the same game once, Tony hot 11 long balls with 67 rbi’s in his career.

Righthander Virgil Barnes (1958) is the first of five significant nonYankee players to have passed this day. He won 61, lost 59, and saved 11 games with the 1919-1928 Giants, and a few months with the Braves in 1928. Second baseman Pete Coscarat (2002) hit 28 home runs with 269 rbi’s between 1938-1946 in a career roughly equally divided between stints with the Dodgers and the Pirates. And southpaw Vaughn Eshelman (2018) did all of his big league pitching with the rival Red Sox from 1995 through 1997; he posted a 15-9 record in 83 games, 30 of them starts. Additional ex-Red Sox players joined this list recently: righthander Wim Remmerswaal (2022) and switch-hitting righty throwing shortstop Julio Valdez (2022). Remmerswaal pitched 22 games (no starts) for the 1979-1980 Red Sox to a 3-1 record with no saves. And Valdez hit one home run and drove in eight runs in 87 at bats in 65 games with Boston in 1980-1983.

 
Players Born This Day

Backup catcher for the first half of the 2001 season, Joe Oliver (1965) is the first of two Yanks whose birthday is July 24. In a 12-year career in which he amassed 102 homers and 476 rbi’s, Joe managed one dinger and drove in two runs for the Bombers in 12 games. The Yanks signed him to a free agent deal in November 2000, and released him the following June.

Righty Duane Pillette (1922) went 2-4 for the 1949-1950 Yanks at the beginning of his eight-year career. He was traded in June 1950 with Jim Delsing, Don Johnson, Snuffy Stirnweiss, and cash to the St. Louis Browns for Tom Ferrick, Joe Ostrowski, Leo Thomas, and Sid Schacht.

Other birthdays: Hall of Fame outfielder Tommy McCarthy (1863), who played most of his ball from 1884-1896 with St. Louis and Boston, with 44 home runs and 735 rbi’s. Also, home run hitting phenomenon (and the battling Bobby’s son) Barry Bonds (1964), currently looking for work; Washington Senator (for the most part) righthander Alex Carasquel (1912), who won 50 games while losing 39 in the 10 years following 1939; Jerry Augustine (1952); Shawn Wooten (1972); Nate Bump (1976); Jason Smith (1977); Ryan Speier (1979); Miguel Socolovich (1986); Scott Van Slyke (1986); Connor Overton (1993); and Cooper Criswell (1996).