When Babe Ruth signed a three-year deal on March 6, 1922, he more than tripled the yearly salary of teammate Frank “Home Run” Baker, the second-highest on the team. But it was only fair. He had outhomered him in 1921 by better than 7-to-1; The Babe hit 59 to Baker’s eight. Continue reading →
In an underattended 2021 Spring Training game in Tampa on March 5, the Yanks almost beat visiting Detroit on Gleyber Torres‘s fourth-inning home run, but the Tigers tied in the eighth, a frame in which righty Addison Russ walked four guys and delivered a wild pitch as well, for a 1-1 final. Continue reading →
The Yankees bunched four singles into a three-run first inning that was barely enough to hold off the visiting Phillies 3-2 on March 4, 2020. A guy in Yankee camp in 2021, veteran outfielder Jay Bruce, plated both Philly runs with a two-run home run in the top of the sixth. Ex-Yankee infielder Ronald Torreyes stroked two of the five hits the Phillies scratched that evening. Continue reading →
The only good news from the Yanks’ 7-2 loss to the Tigers in Lakeland, Fla., on March 3, 2024, came early, in the form of newly acquired Juan Soto‘s first-inning home run. Most of the Detroit damage came late, in a four-run eighth inning. Continue reading →
The only good news about a 7-3 Yankee loss to the Orioles in Sarasota, Fla., on March 2, 2024, was that the youngsters saved them from the shutout by scoring all three runs in the top of the ninth. Continue reading →
The Yankees used an Everson Pereira two-run homer and an Anthony Rizzo grand slam (first pitch, following three consecutive walks) to take a 6-2 lead in an eventual 8-4 final over visiting Toronto on March 1, 2024, but this would not be a good day in Yankee camp. Ace Gerrit Cole allowed a single, home runs, triple with two down in the top of the first, and was removed, though in weird Spring Training fashion, Cole returned to pitch the second. But the tightness that he experienced in the first was not a minor matter, and he would spend much of the upcoming season on the Injured List. Continue reading →
Years ago, much of the Yankee controversy spun around the late George Steinbrenner and his criticism of Derek Jeter regarding his level of intensity and commitment to his game. It seemed a tempest in a teapot when they did a series of Visa commercials together lampooning the alleged late-night partying, and then suddenly, Jeter was named team captain. Although I’m sure no one knew that Alex Rodriguez would be joining him on the left side of the Yankee infield soon, the timing of Derek’s receipt of this honor before that trade was fortuitous. These musings flow from the fact that it was February 28 in 1991 that Don Mattingly became the 10th Yankee captain. Donnie, who served in that capacity through 1995, his last year in Pinstripes, arrived on the scene as hitting coach the same year Jeter began his first full season holding that title. Donnie served as Joe Torre‘s bench coach for the Dodgers in 2007-2009, then took over as manager, and joined the Marlins in that capacity in 2016. Continue reading →
The 2024 Yankees took their first Spring Training loss on February 27, in a 3-2 defeat at the hands of the Tampa Rays in Port Charlotte. A home run from First baseman Jose Rojas and Anthony Volpe‘s RBI double tied the game at two, but the Rays took it with a third tally in the sixth. Continue reading →
With the birthday of the Warrior Paul O’Neill just yesterday and Don Mattingly having become Joe Torre‘s bench coach after several seasons as the Yankees batting coach during this time in 2007, and his replacement as manager with LA in 2011, it would be easy to wax nostalgic about the day some of our favorite players wore the Pinstripes for the last time. The fact that Donnie was wearing Dodger Blue with Torre in 2008 and 2009, and continued to until recently, and was with Miami when he won Manager of the Year, adds to the reverie. But perhaps no day in Yankee history is as fraught with that form of bittersweet musing than February 26, 1935. That is the day the Yankees released the Sultan of Swat, Babe Ruth, so he could sign on with the Boston Braves of the National League. Of his 714 career homers and 2,213 rbi’s, the Bambino collected six and 12, respectively with the 1935 Braves.
The Juan Soto love fest carried into his second game when the right fielder chipped in with two, two-run doubles in the Yankees’ 9-2 victory over visiting Minnesota on February 26, 2024. Up 4-2, the Bombers put this one away with a five-run seventh, highlighted by Jorbit Vivas‘s three-run tater.
With Tino Martinez throwing out the ceremonial first pitch and Carlos Rodon and Aaron Judge wearing high sox with their pinstriped unis, the Yankees vanquished the visiting Blue Jays 12-6 in their Spring home opener on February 25, 2024. Surprisingly, Rodon pitched into the third inning, netting five punch outs before surrendering a home run to Alejandro Kirk, and Juan Soto drew early raves with a three-run bomb in the fourth. The home team scored in five frames, while Toronto did most of its damage with a five-run seventh. Continue reading →
