Gio Urshela‘s two-run fifth-inning shot off Houston’s Wade Miley on June 22, 2019, could be looked as a reverse game winner in the 7-5 Yankee victory, because each team then went on to score two, then three runs in the sixth and the seventh for all the scoring. Austin Romine homered, and oddly, Giancarlo Stanton caromed two-run singles off the body and glove of Yuli Gurriel at third base in back-to-back innings. Masahiro Tanaka went six innings for the win.
On June 22, 2021, th Yankees activated first baseman Luke Voit; and sent lefthander Justin Wilson and righthander Darren O’Day on rehab assignments to the AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders.
In a bash fest, the Yankees scored four runs in both the second and seventh innings in a game against Colorado on June 22, 2016, the first on a Chase Headley grand slam and the latter on Carlos Beltran‘s three-run jolt and an rbi single by Didi Gregorius. Still, this did no more than forge an 8-8 tie with the visiting Rockies, who rode Nick Hundley and Ryan Raburn homers and a Trevor Story rbi double to all their runs in the third, fourth, and fifth innings. The Yankee bullpen trio of Dellin Betances, Andrew Miller, and Aroldis Chapman retired nine straight Rockies, seven of them swinging, through the top of the ninth, and Starlin Castro sent the 40,000 in attendance home happy with a bottom-of-the-ninth walkoff on Jason Motte‘s second pitch, this on the latter’s 34th birthday (see below).
Things in the Stadium seemed to be going great on June 22, 2017, when the Yanks took a 5-1 lead on Jesse Chavez and the Angels through two, with an Aaron Judge three-run jolt providing most of the runs. But Anaheim battled Luis Severino back to a 5-4 deficit after six, and the home defense fell apart in the top of the seventh. Ruled a single, an easy ground ball got by Chris Carter to start the frame, and when Starlin Castro booted a following grounder, the rout was on. Following a sac fly, single, walk, wild pitch and double, the visitors had an 8-5 lead, and they tacked on two more for a 10-5 final.
The great year Michael Pineda was having in 2015 took a hit on June 22, as he was lifted in the fourth inning of an 11-8 loss to the visiting Phillies having surrendered eight runs, much of it due to third baseman Maikel Franco‘s early 3-for-3, including a home run; he would hit another later, and drive in five runs on the day. A Brett Gardner three-run homer, and rbi doubles from Carlos Beltran and Garrett Jones fueled a spirited but futile comeback. Yankee righty Diego Moreno made his major league debut coming out of the pen.
In an all too familiar feature of the 2013 Yankee season, ace CC Sabathia had a strong start suddenly deteriorate on him on June 22 after a three-hit, one-run game quickly morphed into a 5-3 deficit when rookie Wil Myers reached CC for a sixth-inning grand slam in Yankee Stadium. The only two walks Sabathia issued that day were on base, including Evan Longoria, who was issued a free pass in front of Myers. But the day had a happy ending, as the Bombers responded with four in the seventh, three on Vernon Wells‘s pinch-hit double. Zoilo Almonte drove in three, and Robinson Cano, reaching on four walks and a single, scored three times, as the Yanks prevailed, 7-5.
Tracking my indecipherable scorecard from the Old Timer’s Game in Yankee Stadium on June 22, 2014, Hideki Matsui appears to have both hit and pitched in the three-inning contest, with the Bombers pounding their way to a 7-1 win over the Clippers, spurred on by Rickey Henderson‘s leadoff double to start the game. Rickey had three hits, Willie Randolph stroked a double, and Goose Gossage was feted in honor of his recent enshrinement in Monument Park. Goose’s good day continued, as he threw out the first pitch in the game that followed, but few others enjoyed what came next, as the Yanks were shut out by Chris Tillman and two relievers 8-0, with five of those runs scoring after Masahiro Tanaka left the game after seven. My notation next to Brian McCann‘s fourth-inning first-pitch popup to third with Jacoby Ellsbury on third with one out, in a 1-0 game, says it all: “Dreadful.”
First baseman Jason Giambi was a one-man wrecking crew in the Yankees’ 4-1 win over Cincinnati on June 22, 2008. He reached base four straight times with a double, scored twice, and knocked in two to back Andy Pettitte‘s victory over young righthander Johnny Cueto. Ken Griffey, Jr. homered for the lone Reds run, and George Steinbrenner‘s grandson Robert Molloy moved the games-remaining in the old Stadium counter from 43 to 42.
After a rocky early tour with New York, the Yanks were glad to have the mature and destructive line drive bat a few years ago. Back in the magical 1996 season on June 22, Ruben Sierra and the Yankees made another claim on Jacobs Field being their own, as the Yanks prevailed, 11-9, largely on the strength of Sierra homers from each side of the plate. Albert Belle and Eddie Murray both went yard for the Tribe, but they couldn’t overcome the Yanks’ nine-run sixth inning.
The Yanks got another rude reminder that the 2005 Devil Rays were for real, and that Carl Pavano was in for a less than stellar debut season in the Bronx, when Tampa Bay came from behind twice to beat the Yanks in the Stadium 5-3 on June 22. Gary Sheffield gave Carl a first-inning lead with a two-run home run, but Jonny Gomes equaled it in the fourth. Then utility infielder Nick Green won the game for Tampa with a three-run homer in the seventh. Green would play backup in the 2006 Yankee infield.
Disappointing southpaw starter Kei Igawa was recalled from AAA Scranton on June 22, 2007, with lefty Sean Henn making the opposite trip to make room. Bullpenners would record victories in four of Igawa’s six ensuing starts, while he would take the loss in the other two. He would go back down in July and not return until September.
On June 22, 1990, the Yanks won the longest game in Toronto, besting the Blue Jays, 8-7, in 15 innings.
A five-game losing streak was ended, barely, on June 22, 1977, when the Yanks rode a three-run Graig Nettles homer and a two-run Reggie Jackson triple to a 12-11 win over the Tigers.
June 22, 1959, was another big day for Mickey Mantle, as he drove in six runs with two home runs and a triple in a 13-6 win over Kansas City.
It was Roger Maris‘s turn two years later (June 22, 1961). His four hits in an 8-3 win over the A’s included a home run and two doubles. The homer was his 20th in the last 30 days, tying the record set by Ralph Kiner in 1947.
The A’s sent a team that included Hall of Famers Ty Cobb, Mickey Cochrane, Al Simmons, Jimmie Foxx, Eddie Collins, Tris Speaker, and Lefty Grove out to play the Yanks on June 22, 1928, but journeyman starter Hank Johnson not only earned a win, he shut that lineup out 4-0, pitching for New York.
It was only a split with the Browns that the Yanks posted on this day in 1930 (5-4 win, 5-2 loss), but Lou Gehrig went yard three times in Game One and Babe Ruth chipped in with three on the day.
Following up a no-hitter by teammate Rube Foster over the Yankees the day before, Babe Ruth used his left arm to beat the New Yorkers 1-0 for Boston on June 22, 1916. The future Yankee megastar allowed only three singles, two by Frank Gilhooley.
It was Boston again on the same day four years earlier, as the Red Sox drubbed the Yankees 10-3 in the last game of a five-game sweep on June 22, 1920.
June 22, 1965, was a bad news/good news/bad news day in Yankee land. They lost the first of two to the A’s 6-2 despite a Mickey Mantle dinger and pinch-hitting pitcher Ray Barker‘s record-tying homer in a second consecutive game. The Bombers came back to win the nightcap 4-2, but lost The Mick for three weeks when he injured a hamstring trying to score from second on a wild pitch.
While the Yankees were falling to the Indians 4-1 on June 22, 1934, the Tigers were beating the Senators 11-3 to take over first place.
On June 22, 2022, the Yankees sent righthander Domingo German on a rehab assignment to the Tampa Tarpons. The team also signed free agent righty Ryan Weber to a minor league contract.
On June 22, 2020, the Yankees signed free agent lefthander Clay Aguilar to a minor league contract.
On June 22, 2019, the Yankees signed shortstop Javier Reynoso.
On June 22, 2018, the Yankees signed third baseman Max Burt; first baseman Mickey Gasper; and righthanders Tanner Myatt, Tyler Johnson, and Jackson Bertsch.
On June 22, 2017, the Yankees selected the contract of lefty Tyler Webb from the AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, and optioned first baseman Rob Refsnyder to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to make room. The club also signed catcher Ryan Lidge.
On June 22, 2016, the Yankees signed outfielders Joseph Burton and Evan Alexander; righthander Brian Keller; and lefties Tony Hernandez and Woody Bryson. The team also signed free agent catcher Charles Vazquez to a minor league contract.
On June 22, 2015, the Yankees made room on the 40-man roster by transferring righthander Sergio Santos from the 15-day disabled list to the 60-day disabled list, as he was having Tommy John surgery. Then they cleared two spots on the 25-man by optioning lefty Jose De Paula and righty Danny Burawa to the AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, and selected the contract of righthander Diego Moreno (who had not been on the 40-man) and righthander Nick Rumbelow from Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Finally, the club signed free agent righty Cody Hamlin to a minor league contract.
Having lost his 40-man spot, righthander Chris Bootcheck agreed to sign a minor league contract with New York on June 22, 2013.
On June 22, 2012, the Yankees signed outfielder Nathan Mikolas.
On June 22, 2011, the Yankees placed righthander Jeff Marquez on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to June 20, with right shoulder inflammation, and replaced him by recalling righty Buddy Carlyle from AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. The team also signed two free agent lefties: Steve Evarts and Aaron Dott.
The Yankees signed righthander Dustin Hobbs on June 21, 2010.
The Texas Longhorns won the 2002 College World Series with a 12-6 win over South Carolina on June 22 of that year, the first time Texas took it all in Omaha since Roger Clemens starred on the 1983 team.
Billy Joel performed a concert in Yankee Stadium on June 22, 1990. Meanwhile, the Yanks, who would finish last in the AL East that year, were beating the Blue Jays in Toronto, 8-7 in 15 innings, as reported above.
The Blue Jays were not as lucky as the Yanks (whose Stadium was empty when a beam fell down in left field in 1998) when two acoustic panels plunged from the Skydome ceiling on this day in 1995, as seven fans were injured during the 7-0 loss to the Brewers.
When Ken Griffey, Jr. hit his 31st home run of the season in a 12-3 Mariners win over California on June 22, 1994, he broke Babe Ruth‘s record for most home runs before the end of June.
Two future Yankees had big June 22 successes. Claudell Washington stroked his first three National League home runs in a 9-6 Mets romp over the Dodgers in 1980; and Wade Boggs stroked his first career home run to give Boston a 5-4 win over Detroit in 1982.
Back in his playing days, recent Yankee third base coach Larry Bowa rudely greeted hurler Joel Horner in his debut with the Reds on June 22, 1977. After an intentional pass, Bowa “made him pay” with a grand slam in the Phillies’ 15-9 victory.
Jim Tobin threw his second career no-hitter on June 22, 1944, in a five-inning game shortened by rain in Philadelphia. The under-nine-inning beaut would not be honored as a no-hitter today.
Players Who Have Died This Day
Lefthanded outfielder Charlie Hemphill (1953), who ended his career by hitting one home run with 90 rbi’s for the 1908-1911 Highlanders, is the only Yankee player to have died June 22. That stint crowned an 1899-1907 career largely spent with the Browns, leading to aggregate numbers of 22 long balls and 421 runs driven in.
It was June 22, 2002 that St. Louis starter Darryl Kile died in his hotel room from a misdiagnosed heart condition. Kile, who heads a list of six nonYankee players to have died this day, posted a 133-119 record from 1991 until he died in 2002 with the Astros, Cardinals, and Rockies. Righty Ron Kline, who died that same 2002 day, won 114, lost 144, and saved 108 for the Pirates and Senators from 1952-1970. Catcher Frankie Hayes (1955) cleared 119 fences and knocked in 628 runs with the A’s, with stops with the Brown and Indians too, from 1933-1948; and portsided outfielder Hank Edwards (1988) hit 51 long balls with 276 rbi’s with the Indians, the Cubs, and the Reds from 1941-1943 and 1946-1953. Third baseman Marv Owen (1991) hit 31 roundtrippers and drove in 497 runs from 1931-1940 mostly with Detroit; while fellow third baseman Bubba Phillips (1993), who spent significant time playing outfield as well, hit most of his 62 home runs with 356 rbi’s from 1955-1964 with the White Sox, the Indians, and the Tigers.
Players Born This Day
Jim Bronstad (1936), who posted an 0-3 record in 16 games for the 1959 Yankees, was born on June 22. He was signed by the club as an amateur free agent before the 1955 season, and his contract was sold to the Washington Senators in March 1963. After two years in Washington, Bronstad retired with a 1-7 record with three saves.
Outfielder Mike Fitzgerald (1890) contributed six rbi’s and four stolen bases in 16 games for the 1911 team. Jack Zaluskey (1879) spent six of his seven career major-league games at catcher, the other at first base, for the 1903 Highlanders, for whom he managed one rbi. And although he never played in Pinstripes, Russ Snyder (1934) was a Yankee amateur free agent signer before the 1953 season. He was traded with Tom Carroll to the Kansas City Athletics for Mike Baxes and Bob Martyn in April 1959. Russ played outfield, mostly for Baltimore, from 1959-1970, amassing 42 homers and 319 rbi’s.
Other June 22 baseball birthdays start with Hall of Fame Giants pitcher Carl Hubbell (1903), who posted a 253-154 record in New York. Also: Walt Masterson (1920); Roy Thomas (1953); Greg Booker (1960); Brant Brown (1971); Kensin Kawakami (1975); Esteban Yan (1975); Willie Harris (1978); Brad Hawpe (1979); Jason Motte (1982); Ian Kinsler (1982); Cesar Ramos (1984); Darrell Ceciliani (1990); Engelb Vielma (1994); Tyler O’Neill (1995); Matthew Batten (1995); Josh Naylor (1997); and Livan Soto (2000).
