While Corey Kluber held visiting Cleveland to four hits and no runs through six in the Yanks’ 8-0 win on September 17, 2021, the Bombers plated seven of those tallies on home runs from Aaron Judge, Brett Gardner, and Giancarlo Stanton, and two by Joey Gallo.
It was a bizarre night in a bizarro season on September 17, 2020, when the Yankees bashed five home runs in the fourth inning of a 10-7 victory over visiting Toronto. Following a flyout, a walk, and a double, Brett Gardner, DJ LeMahieu, and Luke Voit left the ballpark in succession. Then following a strike out, Giancarlo Stanton and Gleyber Torres joined in the carnage.
With a chance to sweep visiting Baltimore in a four-game set, new Yankee Sonny Gray came up short in a 6-4 loss on September 17, 2017. A Didi Gregorius homer and Matt Holliday‘s two-run double more than made up for the single runs the O’s scored in the second and the third, but not the three-run bomb Tim Beckham stroked in the top of the fourth.
OIn September 17, 2023, the Yankees sent righthander Frankie Montas on a rehab assignment to the AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders.
On September 17, 2022, the Yankees sent righthander Stephen Ridings on a rehab assignment to the Somerset Patriots.
On September 17, 2021, the Yankees placed righthander Sal Romano on the 10-day injured list, with a right index finger sprain.
In a September 17, 2007, 8-5 win over the Orioles in Yankee Stadium, Derek Jeter singled and doubled and passed Bernie Williams to take fourth place on the all-time Yankees hits list, roughly two years before he matched Lou Gehrig‘s all-time Pinstriped mark. After allowing three hits and two runs to the first three O’s batters, Phil Hughes went 5.67 innings with three more hits and no runs allowed for the win, and Baltimore’s Daniel Cabrera brought his usual game, hitting Jason Giambi and Robbie Cano back-to-back with pitches in the Yankee two-run second. Doug Mientkiewicz doubled them both in.
Phil Hughes left a 5-1 win over the White Sox in Yankee Stadium on September 17, 2008 down 1-0 after four innings, but Johnny Damon and Alex Rodriguez eighth-inning homers handed the win to Joba Chamberlain. Alex’s, his 35th and last of the season, gave him the mark as the only player to hit at least 35 home runs with 100-plus rbi’s for 11 straight seasons. Robbie Cano went 3-for-3 and drove in the first Yankee run, and I’m embarrassed to report that the distinction of moving the games counter in the old Stadium from five to four was bestowed upon yet another MetLife VP, even if the pain was somewhat mitigated by the guy in the Snoopy suit appearing at his side.
On September 17, 1961, Roger Maris tripled to give the Yanks a lead over the Tigers, but Detroit tied it. But when Roger homered in the 12th with Tony Kubek on, the home-standing Tigers couldn’t recover. The Yanks won 6-4.
Ten years earlier, Yankee Eddie Lopat earned his 20th win of the season over Bob Lemon and the Indians, 2-1, on a Phil Rizzuto ninth-inning squeeze bunt that scored Joe DiMaggio on September 16, 1951.
It was “Hank Aaron Day” in Milwaukee on September 17, 1976, but the Yanks won the game before 40,000-plus on Graig Nettles‘s homer in the 11th, 5-3. Ed Figueroa earned his 19th win.
When the Yanks beat the Angels 6-2 on September 17, 1964, they took over first place for good. Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle had three hits apiece, with the latter stroking the 1,999th, 2,000th, and 2,001st of his career. Among the three was Mickey’s 450th career home run.
The Yanks assured themselves the ’64 pennant with that win, but they lost games on September 17 in 1968 and in 1970 to clinch titles for rivals, the Tigers in the earlier year, and the Orioles in the latter. The 5-4 loss to Boston backed the Orioles into the ’70 flag, while the Tigers took the more proactive approach via a 2-1 win over New York in Tigers Stadium for the 1968 AL Pennant.
Once the Indians battered Denny Neagle for eight early runs on this day in 2000, the Yanks went with the kiddie korps. Lefty Randy Keisler struggled and allowed six more, but Craig Dingman and Ted Lilly did quite well. Cleveland took a 15-4 victory.
After a 19-4, 1927 rookie season with 13 saves, the Yanks were disappointed that righty Wilcy Moore had arm troubles and could not follow with another good season. On September 17, 1928, Moore went home with a sore arm after having thrown only 60 innings.
George Sisler of the Browns extended his 1922 hitting streak to 41 games against the Yankees on September 17. Despite a home run from Babe Ruth, who previously had whiffed nine of 10 times against southpaw Hub Pruett, the Yanks fell 5-1.
The Yanks got a taste of first place when Jack Chesbro bested Boston’s Bill Dineen 6-4 in the first of two on September 17, 1904, but it was short-lived as Cy Young beat them in the second game 4-2, edging the Red Sox back into the top spot.
As alluded to in yesterday’s history, the Yanks were closing in on the 2006 AL East title when they hosted Boston in back-to-back, day/night doubleheaders culminating on September 17. It was an implosion from overworked Ron Villone in the seventh inning of what had been a 2-2 tie in game one capped by a three-run Kevin Youkilis home run that led to a 6-3 Boston win. The Yanks fell in the Sunday night ESPN game two, 5-4, on a ninth-inning Mark Loretta sac fly.
On September 17, 1960, Mickey Mantle hit a two-run homer off Chuck Estrada of Baltimore to give the Bombers a 2-0 lead in the first. Yogi Berra homered for a third run and two were plated on a Bobby Richardson base hit as the Yanks prevailed, 5-3.
On September 17, 2019, the Yankees designated second baseman Breyvic Valera for assignment; and activated righthander Luis Severino from the 60-day injured list.
On September 17, 2017, the Yankees recalled righthander Domingo German from the AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders.
The big news on September 17, 2010 was that the Yankees activated southpaw starter Andy Pettitte from the 15-day disabled list, although we were to learn he was not as recovered as we hoped. Meanwhile, the Indians claimed Chad Huffman off waivers from New York, and the Yanks recalled Romulo Sanchez from AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
On the one hand, it was just September business as usual when the Yankees recalled first baseman Juan Miranda from AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on September 17, 2008. But the late-season numbers are good: 4-for-10 with a double, an rbi, and two runs scored in five games.
The Yankees recalled righthander Tyler Clippard and southpaw Chase Wright from AA Trenton on September 17, 2007.
If it seems long ago to you, imagine how it must feel to fans of the Blue Jays. On this day in 1990 Toronto set a major league attendance record in the Skydome as they beat the Yankees 6-4 in front of a crowd just a few souls short of 50,000. Their season number approached 3,900,000 in a season with 58 consecutive sellouts.
Bill Dickey‘s grand slam off George Blaeholder was the big blow as the Yankees and Red Ruffing leveled the Browns 17-0 in the first of two on September 17, 1931. The Bombers completed the sweep with a 6-1 Lefty Gomez three-hitter and Babe Ruth‘s 41st and 42nd home runs of the season.
Bernie Williams reached 100 runs scored for the seventh straight year in a 9-7 loss to the Devil Rays on September 17, 2002, and was the fourth Yankee to reach the century mark that year. And the record for teammates reaching that number in consecutive years was tied by Williams and Derek Jeter, who now had together bettered it for four straight.
It’s hard not to give some extra credit to Dodgers hurler Hideo Nomo for the 9-0 no-hitter he threw at the Rockies on September 17, 1996, as he did it in hitter-friendly Coors Field. Gaylord Perry also threw a no-no on September 17, beating the Cardinals for the Giants 1-0 back in 1968.
Breaking a string that had Yankee fans delirious and Red Sox fans in despair, Boston salvaged the third of three against the Yankees on September 17, 1978, with a 7-3 victory in Yankee Stadium one week after the Boston Massacre in Fenway.
It was many years before he would be known as the “Old Perfesser” when Casey Stengel debuted as a center fielder for the Dodgers on September 17, 1912 with four singles, a walk, two stolen bases, and two rbi’s in a 7-3 win over the Pirates.
The Yankees had visions of a pennant when they traded with the Mets for veteran hurler Frank Tanana on September 17, 1993. But the Pinstripers fell short, as did Frank down the stretch, 0-2.
Mickey Mantle blasted a 500-foot, two-run home run into a steady wind off Jim Bunning in Detroit on September 17, 1958, but that was the extent of the Yankee offense in a 5-2 loss.
Reggie Jackson stroked two taters in a 9-4 Yankee win in Detroit on September 17, 1977, and Dave Kingman kicked in with his first Bomber home run as well.
White Sox hurler Red Faber overcame the Yankees 6-4 on September 17, 1920. Eddie Collins, Joe Jackson, and Happy Flesch all delivered two-out triples in the first inning as Chicago totaled an AL record six three-baggers in the game.
Ex-Yankee Reggie Jackson was playing for the Angels when he drilled his 500th career home run off Bud Black of the Royals on September 17, 1984, though Kansas City won the game, 10-1. It was the same day future Pinstriper Doc Gooden tied the major-league record for strike outs over two games when he whiffed 16 for the second game in a row in a 2-1 Mets loss to the Phillies.
On that same September 1998 day recent Yankee reliever Tom “Flash” Gordon set an AL record when he picked up his 39th straight save, nailing a 3-2 victory over Baltimore for the Red Sox.
No stranger to lists of pitchers with 20-win seasons, Christy Mathewson was the first to notch that number on September 17, when he did it in 1906 in a 13-2 win over the Phillies. Ten years later an “obscure” lefty named Babe Ruth equaled the mark in his 6-2 win over the White Sox; and “Sudden” Sam McDowell won his 20th in a 6-2 Cleveland win over the Tigers on September 17, 1970.
The good years were not over for Yankee righty Johnny Allen after he debuted in the Bronx to a 50-19 mark from 1932-1935, as witnessed by his 12th straight win for Cleveland on September 17, 1937. It tied the record of one-time Yank Tom Zachary (12-0 in 1929) in a year where Allen would finish 15-1. And concluding our tribute to great September 17 performances by future or former Yankee players is the 17-0 laugher the Marlins had against the Rockies on this day in 1995, with recent Yankee right fielder Gary Sheffield leading the hit parade with five.
Players Who Have Died This Day
Former Yankee pitcher Chet Hoff, who lost his only two decisions with the 1911-1913 teams, passed way as the oldest major leaguer at 107 years of age on September 17, 1998. Hoff pitched in 12 games (two starts) for New York, and finished up with a 2-4 mark after pitching for the Browns in 1915. The only other Yankee player to die September 17 was lefty-hitting shortstop Herman Long (1909), who had 15 hits in 80 at bats good for eight rbi’s playing 22 games for the 1903 Highlanders. Long’s 1889-1904 career, during which he hit 91 home runs and drove in 1,055 runs, was dominated by a long stint with the Beaneaters.
Three of the four noteworthy nonYankee players who have died this day were position players. Outfielder Hack Miller (1971) hit 38 long balls and knocked in 205 runs from 1916-1925 with the Dodgers, the Red Sox, and the Cubs; infielder Chico Salmon (2000) homered 31 times good for 149 rbi’s with the Indians and the Orioles from 1964-1972; and 1969 Mets World Series hero and first baseman Donn Clendenon (2005) reached 159 fences and drove in 682 runs from 1961-1972, mostly with the Pirates. Righthander Roric Harrison (2023) pitched 140 games (exactly half, 70 of them, as a starter) with the 1972 Orioles, the 1973-1975 Braves, the 1975 Indians, and the 1978 Twins, to a 30-35 record with 10 saves.
Players Born This Day
None of the seven Yanks born on September 17 had (or in one case, has had) a very long tenure in the Bronx. First baseman Marshall Brant (1955) garnered no hits in six at bats in three games in 1980. Brant was acquired from the crosstown Mets in April 1980, and the Yankees traded him with Ben Callahan and cash to the Oakland Athletics for Matt Keough in June 1983. Third baseman/shortstop Tom Carroll (1936) rode the pines a lot and managed no hits nor rbi’s during 50 games in 1955 and 1956. A Yankee bonus baby amateur signing in 1955, Carroll was traded with Russ Snyder to the Kansas City Athletics for Mike Baxes and Bob Martyn in April 1959.
Al Gettel (1917) recorded both 15 wins and 15 losses for the 1955-56 Yanks; and lefty Nick Cullop (1887) posted an 18-15 mark with two saves in 1916 and 1917. Cullop jumped to the New Yorkers from the Federal League Kansas City Packers before the 1916 season, and the Yankees packaged him with Joe Gedeon, Fritz Maisel, Les Nunamaker, and Urban Shocker to the St. Louis Browns for Eddie Plank, Del Pratt, and cash in January 1918.
Switch-hitting catcher Roy Luebbe (1900) played all eight games of his big-league career with the 1925 Yankees. He managed no home runs but notched three rbi’s in 15 at bats. And although outfielder Ernie Koy (1909) played all his ball from 1938-1942 with the Dodgers, the Cardinals, and the Reds, he started with the Yanks until they sold his contract to Brooklyn in April 1938.
Following a handful of games with the 2008 Phillies and one with Texas in 2009, speedy outfielder Greg Golson (1985) was traded by the Rangers to the Yankees for minor leaguer Mitch Hilligoss in January 2010. Greg played in 33 games for the Yankees in 2010 and 2011, during which he had no home runs and two rbi’s; he made a beautiful throw from right field to nail a speedy Carl Crawford trying to cross from first to third on a single.
Although Zack Granite (1992) has played just 40 games in the bigs with the Twins in 2017, with one home run and 13 rbi’s, he spent both early Spring Training and Summer Camp with the Yankees in 2020 after having signed a free agent deal in November 2019.
Two Hall of Famers lead off the other birthdays: Power-hitting first baseman Orlando Cepeda (1937) spent just over half of his 17 seasons with the Giants with whom he debuted in 1958; and Rube Foster (1879) was famed as a manager and an exec aside from being a great player in the Negro Leagues. Five other birthdaying players of note: Bobby Wine (1938); Wayne Krenchiki (1954); John Franco (1960); Ryan Jensen (1975); Danny Haren (1980); Casey Janssen (1981); Sean Burnett (1982); Eric Hurley (1985); B.J. Rosenberg (1985); Casey Crosby (1988); Brady Rodgers (1990); Marcus Semien (1990); Jose Ramirez (1992); James Marvel (1993); Daniel Castano (1994); Anderson Severino (1994). who was actually signed by the Yankees as a free agent in 2013; Mike Shawaryn (1994); Óscar Colás (1998); Dillon Dingler (1998); Pedro Pages (1998); Jordan Balazovic (1998); Ben Joyce (2000); and James Wood (2002).
