We could feature the 1-0 loss that A.J. Burnett (five hits, eight strike outs, one run, in eight) and the Yankees suffered at the hands of young Carlos Carrasco and the Indians in Yankee Stadium on June 13, 2011, in light of its haunting familiarity to some offensive woes the 2012 team had. Not ony did the Yanks fail to score with the bases loaded and nobody out in the first, no Yankee crossed home plate in the second either once the first two batters reached. But the greater significance of this game, really, was the sore right calf that sent Derek Jeter to the disabled list after it, just a few hits short of the magical 3,000-hits mark.
On June 13, 2021, the Yankees sent first baseman Luke Voit on a rehab assignment to the AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders.
One of the best things about being a Yankee fan is all the great days we have in the Stadium (like The annual Old Timers Game and the Ron Guidry day that was held a few summers back), though sometimes they’re bittersweet experiences, at best. On June 13, 1948, the Yanks retired Babe Ruth‘s No. 3 on what would be the Babe’s final visit to the “House That Ruth Built.” The Yanks would beat the Indians, 5-3, and the Sultan of Swat would pass away two months later.
Not only did the Yankees sweep the visiting Astros with a 9-5 victory on June 13, 2010, the win lifted young righty Phil Hughes‘s season record to a lofty 9-1 mark. Offensive honors go to catcher Jorge Posada, based on a grand slam home run, not to mention two walks and a second run scored. But Robinson Cano also gets into the act, because his fourth-inning home run not only tied the game 1-1, it was the 100th jack of his young career.
The Yankee fans and David Wells had a reunion among themselves on July 13, 2004, in a classic game when Boomer returned to the Stadium with the Padres on a gorgeous Sunday afternoon. Wells pitched brilliantly for seven, as did young Javy Vazquez through eight, but the Yankee righthander was on the hook down 2-0 to a Khalil Greene tater and a Terrence Long double. Then Hideki Matsui and Kenny Lofton (pinch hitting for Tony Clark) homered back-to-back with two down in the ninth to forge the improbable tie. Exciting enough for you? There’s plenty more. The visitors jumped on Brett Prinz for three in the top of the 12th, so it was with a lusty roar that the crowd greeted the emergence of 2001 Yankee culprit Jay Witasik from the San Diego pen in the bottom half. Ruben Sierra followed rbi’s by Alex Rodriguez, Jason Giambi, and Jorge Posada with a sac fly to close the stirring 6-5 Yankee victory.
On July 13, 1937, Joe DiMaggio homered in three straight at bats during a double dip in St. Louis against the Browns. The Yanks won Game One 16-9, and the second game would end in an 8-8 tie.
It was a crisply played game in Yankee Stadium on July 13, 2006, as Cleveland’s Paul Byrd allowed just six hits over seven while the excellent Chien-Ming Wang was reached for five. Wang’s 1-0 victory was due to the 14 ground ball outs he garnered, as one of the flies Byrd allowed became Robbie Cano‘s sixth inning home run.
Cardinals fans whom I met on the subway gave me an accurate (and less than glowing) scouting report on Jason Simontaachi before the Yankee June 13, 2003 interleague tilt with St. Louis. In the game that followed, Hideki Matsui, Ruben Sierra, and Raul Mondesi homered off the righthander in a 5-2 Yankee win. But the big news was that Roger Clemens finally notched his 300th win in his fourth try, and notched career strike out no. 4,000 in the process.
Following a promising 2007 season with the Yanks, outfielder and first baseman Shelley Duncan‘s 2008 was a disaster, punctuated by the club’s June 13 optioning of him to AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. They recalled infielder Alberto Gonzalez to fill Duncan’s roster spot.
The 1966 Orioles rode a young and dominant pitching staff to a World Championship. On June 13 of that year, rising star Jim Palmer and Eddie Watt combined to blank the Yankees, 8-0, moving into first place for good in the process.
Yankee fans were concerned that the Orioles had gotten the better of the 1997 free agent signings that saw David Wells come to New York with Jimmy Key heading south, but they couldn’t help but root for Key anyway when he faced Greg Maddux and the Braves in an interleague game on June 13. Key prevailed yet again, as he had in Game Six of the ’96 World Series, as the O’s plated four in the sixth for a 4-3 Baltimore win.
The Yanks overcame Jim Rice‘s 200th Fenway home run on this day in 1988 and beat the Red Sox, 12-6. Rice joined Ted Williams and Carl Yastrzemski in that feat.
Switch-hitting Yankee left fielder and recently the team’s first-base coach Roy White went yard from both sides of the plate in a 5-3 Bombers win over the A’s on July 13, 1978.
We follow with two ’70s highlights that reflect times were tough on the one hand, but we fans had fun in Yankee camp on the other. On June 13, 1975, a slip on the wet Shea Stadium turf claimed Yankee center fielder Elliott Maddox, who was hitting .305 at the time, to injury. It came in a 2-1 win over the White Sox, but the injury ended Maddox’s season with torn cartilage in his knee.
Crafty former Yankee shortstop Gene Michael brought smiles to the faces of the Yankee faithful on this day in 1970 as he successfully pulled off the hidden ball trick on the Royals’ Joe Keough, in an eventual 9-4 Yankee win.
The Phillies and Cardinals played a 19-inning, 8-8 tie on June 13, 1918.
The Yanks proved yet again that they had solved the puzzle that was Red Sox righty Brian Rose as Derek Jeter scored ahead of rbi doubles by Bernie Williams and Tino Martinez for a 3-3 tie with Boston after three innings on this day in 2000. But Hipolito Pichardo, Rich Garces, and Rheal Cormier stopped the Yanks right there, and Jason Varitek hit a two-run shot off Orlando “el duque” Hernandez in the sixth for a 5-3 Red Sox win.
The nine pinch-hitters the White Sox and Yankees used in a June 13, 1956 contest tied a major league record in a game Chicago went on to win, 7-5.
A thirty-minute brawl ended the Yankee 10-6 win over the Tigers on this day in 1924. Yankee pitcher Bob Meusel retaliated by throwing his bat at Bert Cole once the latter had drilled him in the back with a pitch, and then Meusel charged the mound. Ten-day suspensions ensued for Meusel and Cole, with Meusel ($100), Cole and Babe Ruth ($50 apiece) getting fined as well.
Babe Ruth only pitched five times once he became a Yankee, but one of the games took place on June 13, 1921, as he started, went five, and got the win. He also hit the first pitch he saw that day for the first homer ever into the Polo Grounds center field bleachers. He also homered again, and struck out Ty Cobb in a 13-8 Yankee victory.
On June 13, 2019, the Yankees placed DH Kendrys Morales on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to June 12, with a left calf strain; and recalled outfielder Mike Tauchman and lefthander Nestor Cortes Jr. from the AAAScranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders. Also, the Phillies traded cash to the Yankees for second baseman Brad Miller.
On June 13, 2018, the Yankees signed catchers Anthony Seigler and Josh Breaux; outfielders Ryder Green and Brandon Lockridge; righthanders Frank German, Daniel Bies, Connor Van Hoose, and Mick Vorhof; and lefthander Josh Maciejewski.
On June 13, 2017, the Yankees sent lefthanded closer Aroldis Chapman on a rehab assignment to the Tampa Yankees. The club also sent lefty Tommy Layne outright to the AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders.
On June 12, 2016, the Yankees sent lefty Chasen Shreve on a rehab assignment to the AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders.
With the situation around first base being in flux on June 11, 2016, the Yankees signed veteran free agent first sacker Ike Davis. To create space on both the 25-man and 40-man roster, the team optioned righthander Chad Green to the AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, and designated righty Layne Somsen for assignment. The club also signed outfielder Dom Thompson-Williams.
In another busy transaction day, the Yankees recalled righthander Jose Ramirez from the AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders; optioned southpaw Jacob Lindgren to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre; selected the contract of righty Sergio Santos from Yankees Extended Spring Training; and sent righthander Esmil Rogers outright to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on June 13, 2015. The team also signed righties Dustin Cook, Chad Martin, and Kolton Mahoney; and lefthander James Reeves.
Due to his early-career success, there was some buzz in Yankee land when the club signed free agent righthander Heath Bell to a minor league contract on June 13, 2014, but Bell did not wow them, and he would be released.
On June 13, 2013, the Yanks looked to fill future rosters by signing outfielders Michael O’Neill and Brandon Thomas; righthanded pitchers Dillon McNamara and David Palladino; and shortstops Tyler Wade, Eric Jagielo, and John Murphy.
Whether the reported quote or his later denial were true, the alleged John Wetteland assurance on June 13, 1996, that he would not play in the Bronx the following year turned out to be true.
Ben Paschal homered twice, doubled, and tripled in the Yanks’ 14-6 win over the Indians on June 13, 1927.
The Yankees’ 6-3 win over the first-place White Sox on this day in 1964 was keyed by Mickey Mantle‘s 3-for-3, including a homer.
And six years earlier Mickey Mantle homered off the Tigers’ lefty Billy Hoeft in a 4-2 Yankee victory on June 13, 1958.
Christy Mathewson threw the second no-hitter of his glorious career on this day in 1905, a 1-0 win over the Zephyrs (Cubs).
A little perspective: The Yanks won their 13th game of the year on June 13, 1913. You don’t have to be superstitious to agree that that’s troubling when you see the whole record: 13-36.
George Sisler‘s bases-loaded triple was the big blow when the Browns bashed the Yankees 13-4 behind the pitching of George Danforth on June 13, 1922.
On June 13, 2011, in the one move with major league implications, the Yankees assigned newly signed Cory Wade to AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. But the club also assigned Julian Nunez to the DSL Yankees2; assigned lefty Greg Smith to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre; and signed catcher Wes Wilson.
The Yankees assigned struggling righty reliever Brian Bruney to the AA Trenton Thunder on June 13, 2009.
In big-league June 13, 2010 news, the Yankees placed outfielder/DH Marcus Thames on the 15-day disabled list with a strained right hamstring, and replaced him on the roster by recalling outfielder Chad Hufffman from AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. On the minors side, the club assigned right-hander Conor Mullee and William Oliver to the GCL Yankees, and signed left-hander Trevor Johnson.
Former Yankee third baseman Mike Pagliarulo broke up Giants hurler Trevor Wilson‘s no-hitter with a ninth-inning single in a game in which Mike’s Padres were shut out 6-0 on June 13, 1990.
In other June 13 highlights involving future or former Yankee players, Frank Chance hit for the cycle in the 3-2 Cubs win over the Giants on June 13, 1904, that featured legendary starting pitching. Three Fingers Brown prevailed over Christy Mathewson in the game.
And there were two key future Yankee players and an ex-Bomber involved in a Cubs-Indians trade on June 13, 1984. Mel Hall was shipped with Joe Carter and a minor leaguer to Cleveland for Ron Guidry lookalike (but not pitch-alike) George Frazier, catcher Ron Hassey, and hurler Rick Sutcliffe.
Hall of Fame lefty Sandy Koufax picked on fellow Famer and southpaw Warren Spahn for his first home run (of two in his career) on June 13, 1962. It was the difference in the 2-1 Dodger win over Milwaukee.
Players Who Have Died This Day
Righthander Bobby Tiefenauer (2000) is the one of two Yankee players to have died on June 13. He won one, lost one, and saved two in 10 games (no starts) for the 1965 Yankees. In a career that spanned 1952-1968, Tiefenauer posted a 9-25 record with 23 saves, largely with the Cardinals, the Braves, and the Indians. Lefthander Mike McCormick (2020) joins the list by virtue of his nine games (four starts) pitched for the 1970 Yankees, earning him a 2-0 record. His most significant service came with the New York and later San Francisco Giants from 1956-1962, and 1967-1970, though he pitched two years each with the Orioles and Senators, with one other stop. Mike’s overall record is 134-128 with 12 saves.
Third baseman Doug Baird (1967), the first of two noteworthy nonYankee players to die this day, hit six home runs and drove in 191 runs with the Pirates, the Cardinals, and the Dodgers from 1915-1920. And righty Huck Betts (1987) won 61, lost 68, and saved 16 games for the Phillies and the Braves from 1920-1935.
Players Born This Day
I was down compiling history the last few years because the closest I could come to finding a June 13 Yankee birthday was that of Scott Coolbaugh (1966). The connection is a dubious one, as it was his brother Mike Coolbaugh who was actually a Yankee minor-league free agent for a couple of seasons. Both played third base then and in the bigs, Mike for Toronto and Texas, while Scott hit eight homers with 41 rbi’s for the Rangers, the Padres, and the Cardinals. Sadly, Mike died last year when a line drive struck him in the temple when he was coaching first base at a minor league game.
I should have been happy then, but in 2006 I was able to add a guy who actually played with the Pinstripes on his back. But it was not the happiest of marriages when Darrell May (1972) made one start and two appearances with the 2005 Bombers. May has posted a 26-43 career mark with six teams. One loss came with the Yanks, and a 16.71 era over seven frames too.
The other baseball birthdays of note: second baseman Marty Kavanaugh (1891), who hit 10 taters with 122 rbi’s for the Tigers during World War I; Emilio Palmero (1895); catcher Gene Desautels (1907), who knocked in 187 runs with the Tigers, the Red Sox, and the Indians from 1930-1946; Boston lefty Mel Parnell (1922), 123-75 from 1947-1956; Blue Jays lefty-hitting catcher and Yankee nemesis (in my mind, anyway) Ernie Whitt (1952); Bobby Clark (1955); Brian Sweeney (1974); Pedro Strop (1985); Jonathan Lucroy (1986); Justin Miller (1987); Drew Smyly (1989); James McCann (1990); Jordan Holloway (1996); and Tyler Holton (1996).
