Playing for visiting Baltimore, ex-pinstriper Rougned Odor came back to haunt the Yankees in a May 24, 2022, game, as his three-run, seventh-inning home run wiped out a lead the Yanks had held all day since Anthony Rizzo homered in the first. But a Gleyber Torres home run and Jose Trevino rbi single tied things at 5-5. The Orioles were able to push across a run in the 11th, but rbi hits from Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Trevino, again, plated two in the bottom of the frame, for a 7-6 Yankee win.

Continuing to establish himself as the potential ace that he has now become, righthander Luis Severino dominated the Royals in Yankee Stadium on May 24, 2017, blanking them through eight on four hits and one walk in a 3-0 victory. Helping Luis early to his solid outing, Jacoby Ellsbury ran hard into the center field wall retiring Alcides Escobar for the game’s first out, and landing on the Disabled List for an extended stay for his trouble. Didi Gregorius scored the game’s first run with his third-inning homer, and scored run No. three after leading off the home seventh with a grounds rule double.

Nate Eovaldi and three relievers blanked the visiting Blue Jays 6-0 on May 24, 2016. With rocker Jon Bon Jovi in the house, Carlos Beltran led the way, scoring twice and knocking in two; he hit the game’s only home run. It was a nice moment seeing one-time Yankee Pat Venditte, the ambidextrous reliever, record the last two outs for Toronto in the home eighth.

I’d like to report that on Bernie Williams night in the Bronx the team played a crisp game, and delivered a hard-earned victory to their fans, who after all had trudged out to yet another ESPN Sunday night game on May 24, 2015. Honoring the beloved center fielder were Gene Michael, Roy White, Willie Randolph, David Cone, Tino Martinez, Paul O’Neill, Joe Torre, Andy Pettitte, Jorge Posada, Mariano Rivera, and the newly retired ex-captain Derek Jeter in a pregame ceremony. But the game was started by southpaw Chris Capuano, recently returned from the disabled list, and Chris fell behind to a Prince Fielder rbi double in the first and an Adam Rosales two-run homer in the second (Rosales reached three fences in 55 games in ’15), and Yovani Gallardo made it stand up in a Texas 5-2 win.

In a day packed with one historic Yankee highlight after another, we’ll lead off with a classic pitcher’s duel from the recent past. On May 24, 2001, Yankee Mike Mussina faced off against Pedro Martinez and the Red Sox in a day game at the Stadium. Boston grabbed a 1-0 lead on a Jose Offerman home run. But Bernie Williams tied it with one of his own in the fourth, and the Yanks prevailed 2-1 when Scott Brosius and Paul O’Neill fifth-inning singles sandwiched around a Chuck Knoblauch walk plated the winner.

The 2009 season was the year of the walkoff in the Bronx, but the Yanks used back-to-back two-run rallies to convert one against the Blue Jays in the Bronx on May 24, 2011. Trailing 4-1 on just a Russell Martin home run, Curtis Granderson keyed the first onslaught in the eighth with a leadoff double. Pinch hitter Jorge Posada‘s one-out double got the trouble started in the ninth, with Granderson and Mark Teixeira providing the tying and winning tallies with rbi singles.

Frank Robinson initially hauled in Mickey Mantle‘s long drive to the wall on May 24, 1967, but it popped out of his glove as he hit the fence, landing in the stands for a homer in a 2-0 Yankee win. It was about time, as Frank had leaped over fences and robbed potential game-winning clouts off both Roy White and Clete Boyer the season before.

The Yankees doubled up the Mariners 12-6 for Mike Mussina in Yankee Stadium on May 24, 2008. Jason Giambi‘s three hits, including a home run, drove in three, and three of Robbie Cano‘s four hits were doubles. In pregame ceremonies, Cano accepted the 2007 Citizen of the Year Award as part of the Latino Achievement Awards.

It seemed the newly established 2009 come-from-behind magic in new Yankee Stadium was back again on May 24, when Melky Cabrera tied the game 3-3 by driving in Robinson Cano off Brad Lidge in the bottom of the ninth, but alas, it was not to be. Two frames later Carlos Ruiz knocked in the game winner off Brett Tomko in a 4-3 Phillies win.

As it turned out, the cold and threatening skies hovering over Yankee Stadium on May 24, 2005, presented more danger to the visiting Tigers than the home-standing Yanks. Mike Mussina rode two homers each by Alex Rodriguez and Jorge Posada (one from each side of the plate), and single shots from Gary Sheffield and Robinson Cano to a 12-3 victory. One-time Yankee Rondell White went 4-for-4 including a three-run, eighth-inning dinger off Paul Quantrill.

Back-to-back homers from Carlos May and Graig Nettles keyed a come-from-behind Yankee victory over the Red Sox, 6-5, on this day in 1977.

The entire Yankee offense had a great game on this day in 1936 (tying a league record when nine different guys scored two or more runs), but none better than Tony Lazzeri, who enjoyed a third dinger and a triple to go with his two grand slams in a 25-2 shellacking of the Athletics in Shibe Park.

Babe Ruth went deep in both halves of a doubleheader sweep of the A’s on May 24, 1930, 10-6 and 11-1. Ruth’s two clouts gave him eight homers in the last six days, nine in a week.

But two years earlier on May 24, 1928, the Yanks and A’s played and split a more memorable double dip, the Yanks taking the first, 9-7, and bowing in the second, 5-2. Nineteen future Hall of Famers were in the park, including nonplayers (that day) Herb Pennock and Stan Coveleski; managers Miller Huggins and Connie Mack; and umpires Tom Connally and Bill McGowan. Six of the 13 who played in the lidlifter were Yanks: Earle Combs, Leo Durocher, Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Tony Lazzeri, and Waite Hoyt. They overcame a Philly nine that included the following seven: Ty Cobb, Tris Speaker, Mickey Cochrane, Al Simmons, Eddie Collins, Lefty Grove, and Jimmie Foxx.

The problem with a scoreless-inning streak is that it can’t be defined until it’s broken. Yankee lefty reliever Lee Guetterman‘s 30.7 continuous innings of allowing no runs from the beginning of the season came to an end on May 24, 1989, as he surrendered five tallies in the ninth inning of an 11-4 loss to the Angels. Lee had the longest such streak beginning a year since 1948, and the longest ever for a reliever.

The Yankees bombed Boston, 17-2, on May 24, 1947, as George Stirnweiss scored five runs and King Kong Keller four. Joe DiMaggio chipped in with four hits and three runs.

Mickey Mantle figured in the scoring of an 11-1 whipping of Detroit on May 24, 1951, even though he went 0-for-5. He reached base on a wild pitch twice after striking out, the second time just before Joe DiMaggio‘s long homer to left.

Above you read that Tony Lazzeri reached the fences three times on this day in 1936. On May 24, 1996, the Yanks were the victims as Seattle’s Ken Griffey, Jr., scored five runs while driving in six on a night where he went yard three times in a 10-4 Mariners win. It would be loser (and original Pinstriped draftee) Scott Kamieniecki‘s last Yankee game.

And even three-home-run games come in threes? Thankfully, it’s not too painful to report as the Yanks eked out a win. The Yankees took it on the chin but recovered on this day in 1970 as Tony Horton of the Indians stroked three taters off them, but the Bombers hung in there and beat Cleveland 8-7 in 11 innings.

Yankee fans grew both happy and nervous at the same time during an impressive Bombers comeback on this day in 1992. On the one hand, they were delighted that the home team rallied to tie after trailing 7-1, but on the other, no one wanted a fifth consecutive extra-inning game. Thankfully, the Bombers pushed across a run in the bottm of the ninth, making reliever John Habyan the 8-7 winner.

Frank “Home Run” Baker tied the record for assists playing third base in an extra-inning game when he notched 11 on May 24, 1918. Alas, former pitcher Joe Wood homered for Cleveland in the 19th inning, carrying the day in a 3-2 win over the Yanks.

I know what you’re thinking. “Sure, that’s a lot of highlights for one day, but surely you have more on Mickey Mantle‘s exploits, don’t you?” How well you know me. After going 5-for-5 with an intentional walk in a May 24, 1956, 11-4 clobbering of Detroit, Mickey’s average registered at a red-hot .421. He and Joe Collins combined on back-to-back jacks off Duke Maas.

Angels hurler Fred Newman served up the gopher ball that Mickey Mantle blasted out of the park on May 24, 1964, his second home run in two days. The Yankees emerged victorious by an 8-5 margin.

The Red Sox jumped to a 6-1 lead over Roger Clemens and the Yankees in Fenway on this day in 2002, and then hung on for the 9-8 win after a furious Yankee comeback fell short.

On May 24, 2022, the Yankees activated catcher Kyle Higashioka from the 10-day injured list, and also placed leftander Aroldis Chapman on the 15-day injured list, with left Achilles tendinitis.

On May 24, 2021, the Yankees signed two free agents to minor league contracts, outfielder Ramiro Altagracia and center fielder Willy Montero.

On May 24, 2018, the Yankees optioned lefthander Ryan Bollinger to the AA Trenton Thunder; and optioned outfielder Billy McKinney to the AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders.

On May 24, 2016, the Yankees sent DH Alex Rodriguez on a rehab assignment to the AA Trenton Thunder. Also on that day, the club claimed righthander Layne Somsen off waivers from Cincinnati Reds, and optioned him to the AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders.

On May 21, 2015, the Yankees sent righthander Masahiro Tanaka on a rehab assignment to the AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders.

The Yankees optioned righthander Branden Pinder to the AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders on May 24, 2015; they then transferred shortstop Brendan Ryan from the 15-day disabled list to the 60-day disabled list, with a right calf strain.

On May 24, 2013, in preparation for the return of righty starter Ivan Nova to the roster, the Yankees optioned reliever (now) Dellin Betances to the AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders.

Not only did 2004 Yankee starter Jon Lieber one-hit the Reds in a 3-0 win while pitching for the Cubs on May 24, 2001, he did it while throwing a mere 78 pitches.

Ticket to Ride and Get Back are the two Beatles songs the Stadium Scoreboard played all the time when Hideki Matsui strolled to the plate his first two years, although his tastes appear to be widening of late. We’re hopeful of a mostly pain-free year from Godzilla following his wrist break and two knee surgeries the last three seasons. It was on May 24, 1969, that the latter of the two Beatles singles became the number-one hit in the United States.

We reported two days ago that the record for men left on base in a nine-inning game while being shut out (15) was established when the Browns blanked the Yankees on May 22, 1913. That record was surpassed on May 24, 1994, when St. Louis’ NL team, the Cardinals, left 16 runners on while being whitewashed by the Phillies, 4-0.

New York’s Billy Martin and Boston’s Jimmy Piersall had words before a May 24, 1952 game, and the dispute came to blows in the tunnel under the stands. Piersall also battled teammate Mickey McDermott, but the Red Sox took the game behind Ellis Kinder, 5-2.

As part of an out-of-court settlement, Billy Martin apologized on May 24, 1979, to a Reno sportswriter with whom he had brawled during the off-season.

Yankee Manager Joe McCarthy was replaced with Bill Dickey by co-owner and GM Larry MacPhail on this day in 1946.

Longtime Yankee stalwart Lefty Gomez was released by the Braves, and he signed with Washington on May 24, 1943. He would make one start and lose it, and then retire. He pitched 367 games for the Yankees, and just this one other.

The ridiculous start of the Detroit Tigers in 1984 reached perhaps its greatest moment on May 24 as they beat California, 5-1, for their 17th consecutive win on the road. Seattle finally put a stop to it the next day.

Creepy highlight of this day, from several years ago: The pilot of a small plane attempted to drop the ashes of a deceased avid Mariners fan on Safeco Field, but he dropped the canister, which bounced off the roof and landed on the street.

 
Players Who Have Died This Day

Righthander Cliff Markle (1974), one of two Yankee players who have died on May 24, won six, lost six and saved none in 21 games (12 starts) playing with the Yankees in 1915-1916 and in ending his career with New York in 1924. The overall numbers of 12-17-0 include his 1921-1922 stint with the Reds. Lefty-hitting outfielder Bill Lamar (1970) hit no homers but knocked in five runs while debuting by playing 50 games for the 1917-1919 Yankees. Playing with the Dodgers for two years and the A’s for four, he accumulated 19 long balls and 245 rbi’s overall.

The noteworthy nonYankee players to have passed this day are two pitchers and a catcher. Righthander Barney Pelty (1939) won 92, lost 117, and saved four games for the Browns from 1903-1912. Backstop Biff Pocoroba (2020) did all his play from 1975 through 1984 with Atlanta, clearing 21 fences and driving in 172 during that time. Lefty throwing, righty hitting hurler Bob Miller (2022) pitched for the 1953-1956 Tigers, and the 1962 Reds and Mets. In 86 games (eight starts) Bob posted a 6-8 record with two saves.

 
Players Born This Day

The first of six May 24 Yankee birthdays belongs to former AL President Bobby Brown (1954), who patrolled the Bomber outfield for 198 games in 1979 through 1981; he collected 14 homers with 56 rbi’s, and finished up in San Diego from 1983-1985. The Yankees initially got Bobby from the Phillies with Jay Johnstone for Rawly Eastwick in June 1978, and lost him at the end of that year to the Mets in the rule-V draft. They purchased his contract from the Blue Jays in April 1979 and sent him as the player to be named later to Seattle for Shane Rawley three years later.

The most intimate moments Yankee fans had with Bartolo Colon (1973) before he joined the Bombers in 2011 was when Alex Rodriguez hit three home runs off him in one game a few years ago, and when they felt he unfairly won the Cy Young Award in 2005 over the more deserving Mariano Rivera. But was much welcomed into a needy rotation. He won eight and lost 10 in 29 games, 26 of them starts, for the 2011 Yankees. He subsequently pitched well starting for Oakland for two years, and the Mets for three, before signing as a free agent with the 2017 Braves.

Willy Miranda (1926) worked the Bomber infield in 1953 and 1954 and hit two dingers with 17 rbi’s. Purchased from the Browns, he was part of a huge package of players sent to Baltimore in November 1954 for Bob Turley, Don Larsen, and Billy Hunter, among others.

Catcher Ellie Rodriguez (1946) played nine games in Pinstripes in 1968, during which he recorded one rbi. They drafted him from the KC A’s in 1964, and lost him to the Royals from that same city in the 1968 expansion draft. Finally, catcher Fred Jacklitsch (1876) walked once in three at bats during one game for the 1903 Highlanders. Jacklitsch scored a run and drove one in, and also played in Philly, Brooklyn, Baltimore, and Boston until 1917.

After being drafted by Toronto, and later by Detroit, righthander Chad Green (1990) was acquired, along with fellow righty Luis Cessa, in a trade with the Tigers for Justin Wilson prior to the 2016 season. He would win two games, lose four, and save one in 12 games that year, eight of them starts. He toiled in AAA for a while, but became a bullpen stalwart for the parent club in 2017. In 103 games in 2017 and ’18, he won 13 games with 3 losses. After struggling early in 2019, following a demotion to AAA Chad bounced back strongly as the lead Yankee “opener.” He went 4-4 with two saves in 54 games, then 3-3 with a save in 2020. Chad won 10 and lost seven in 2021 with six saves. He was 1-1 with one save in 2022 in 14 games before suffering a serious arm injury. He signed a minor league deal with Toronto in January 2023.

Other birthdays: Rob Ducey (1965); Carlos Hernandez (1967); Jerry DiPoto (1968); Danny Bautista (1972); Masahide Kobayashi (1974); Carlos Febles (1976); Jae Weong Seo (1977); Brad Penny (1978); the recently sadly deceased while still in his playing years Joe Kennedy (1979); Kevin Frandsen (1982); Hector Ambriz (1984); Henry Villar (1987); Blake Tekotte (1987); Henry Villar (1987); Wilmer Font (1990); Aaron Wilkerson (1989); Adam Conley (1990); Damien Magnifico (1991); Andrew Toles (1992); Dan Slania (1992); Cam Hill (1994); and Aaron Ashby (1998).