I can lead off with nothing but the sad fact that it was on April 4, 1968, that Martin Luther King was assassinated.

There was a consolation to the Yanks’ 3-1 loss to Toronto in the Stadium on April 4, 2021, even if it meant that they lost their first series of the year. Domingo German was reached for all three runs over a three-batter barrage in the second, as Vlad Guerrero Jr. and Randal Grichuk home runs around a Lourdes Gurriel single did all the damage. Brett Gardner delivered the lone Yankee tally, knocking in Clint Frazier, who doubled leading off the home fifth. But the good news was righthander Michael King, who allowed just one hit and one walk pitching the last six innings. Following a 24-pitch fourth, he retired 15 straight on just 44 more tosses.

Bitter memories of the 2023 season are highlighted in one of its earliest games, as the third (of four total) Yankee hits on the day was the leadoff ninth-inning home run by DJ LeMahieu that denied the visiting Phillies a shutout in their 4-1 win on April 4. Early home runs by Kyle Schwarber and Justin Marsh off Domingo German were enough for the visitors to claim victory.

Two-run homers from both Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge highlighted the offense, but ace Luis Severino took home first star in the 7-2 win over visiting Tampa Bay on April 4, 2018. The hard-throwing righty surrendered an rbi double to C.J. Cron in the first, but held the Rays to five hits and a second run while striking out seven and walking just one, when Adam Warren relieved with one down in the seventh.

To the shock of absolutely no one, Andy Pettitte denied the Red Sox a sweep, and ended the brief two-game losing streak to start the 2013 season, with a 4-2 win in Yankee Stadium on April 4. Dandy Andy scattered eight hits, a walk, and one run over eight innings with an economical 99 pitches. Given the lateness of his signing, it can be said the Yankee runs scored in atypical ways: a two-run Lyle Overbay single in the second, followed by singleton jacks from Brett Gardner and Francisco Cervelli. Gardner and Eduardo Nunez had two hits apiece, and Mariano Rivera recorded the first of 44 saves in his farewell season.

The Yanks took their second straight exhibition victory over the NL Cubs to open the new Yankee Stadium on April 4, 10-1. Lefty Andy Pettitte and righty A.J. Burnett went four innings apiece for the Yanks, new Yankee first baseman Mark Teixeira foreshadowed his power season with with two home runs, and Derek Jeter and Shelley Duncan would go yard as well.

A two-run first-inning home run by Alex Rodriguez, and another in the second inning by DH Jorge Posada off Scott Baker, gave the Yanks just enough runs in an eventual 4-3 win over the Twins in Yankee Stadium on April 4, 2011. Ivan Nova went six innings to start a great season, and that Mariano Rivera closed for the save was hardly a surprise. But the seventh- and eight-inning setups, though turned in by the expected parties, would not be repeated often, as Joba Chamberlain and Rafael Soriano, respectively, would soon be spending extended stints on the DL.

The only highlight of the Yanks’ 13-4 loss to Tampa Bay in Yankee Stadium on April 4, 2008, was the fact that Hideki Matsui (home run), Jose Molina (double), Derek Jeter (triple), and Alex Rodriguez (single) combined for a team cycle in scoring four runs off Rays starter Andy Sonnanstine (the last scoring on Jason Giambi‘s following double) in the home third inning. Ian Kennedy‘s first season start had put the home team in a 6-0 hole by then, but any hope of the Yankees continuing their comeback disappeared when Latroy Hawkins gave up six runs in the eighth. John Flaherty advanced the home games left counter from 78 to 77 in the fifth inning.

The Yanks’ Tommy John tied a record by playing in his 26th season on April 4, 1989, while disappointing a full Opening Day house in Minnesota by beating their Twins, 4-2, for his 287th (and next-to-last) career win. Frank Viola took the loss, while Roberto Kelly went 4-for-4 with a home run.

David Justice crowned a two-inning, eight-run Yankee onslaught with a grand slam in an 8-1 win over the K.C. Royals on April 4, 2001, in the second game of the season. Andy Pettitte got the win with seven sharp innings, and Brian Boehringer and Todd Williams finished up.

It is a credit to Yankee fans that the team broke its Opening Day attendance record on April 4, 1994, by attracting a crowd of 56,706 to Yankee Stadium. True, they had scrapped to a second-place finish the previous season, but they were seven games back to the eventual World Champion Blue Jays, and had finished second often in the long unsuccessful eighties. The happy throng was treated to a 5-3 win over Texas, with Jimmy Key besting Kevin Brown, whose recent tour of duty in Pinstripes has thankfully come to an end.

That same 1994 day Mets starter Doc Gooden survived a 12-8 win over the Cubs on Opening Day in Wrigley. The only Cub he couldn’t get out was outfielder Tuffy Rhodes, who stroked three home runs. Rhodes went on to star for the Hanshin Tigers in the Japanese Leagues.

The Yanks had accepted $75,000 from the Cal Angels for hurler Duke Maas in the expansion draft, but changed their minds and reacquired him on April 4, 1961, for infielder Fritz Brickell. Maas would finish a four-year stint in Pinstripes that season with a fine 26-12 record with eight saves. Brickell, who had managed four rbi’s in 20 games over two seasons in the Bronx, drove in three runs in 21 contests for the Angels.

On April 4, 2022, the Rays traded righthander David McKay to the Yankees for cash. The Yankees also optioned righthanders Deivi Garcia and Luis Gil to the AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders; and signed free agent second baseman Derek Dietrich to a minor league contract. And finally, center fielders Jasson Dominguez and Alan Mejia; catchers Alex Guerrero, Ben Rice, and Anthony Seigler; shortstops Angel Rojas and Ronny Rojas; and righthanders Jack Neely, Kenlly Montas, and Carlos Gomez were assigned to the Yankees.

On April 4, 2021, the Yankees activated pitcher Aroldis Chapman.

On April 4, 2019, the Yankees placed shortstop Troy Tulowitzki on the 10-day injured list, with a left calf strain. They filled the spot by recalling Thairo Estrada from the AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders. Further, they created 40-man roster space for that move by transferring righthander Ben Heller, recovering from right elbow UCL surgery, from the 10-day injured list to the 60-day injured list. The team also claimed righty Jake Barrett off waivers from the Pirates, and optioned him to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Finally, the club also signed free agent shortstop Cliff Pennington to a minor league contract.

Cementing a temporary deal they made with lefty Ron Villone the day before, the Yanks signed him to a conditional minor league contract and assigned him to AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on April 4, 2007. Villone was free to leave if not promoted to the parent club in a given amount of time, a clause he would not be required to activate.

The Yankees beat the Mets 6-4 in Yankee Stadium on April 4, 1992 in the first game of the Mayor’s Challenge Series.

On April 4, 2018, the Yankees optioned outfielder Cody Asche to the AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders.

On April 4, 2015, the Yankees populated their ’15 disabled list, placing shortstop Brendan Ryan on the 15-day list retroactive to April 1, with a right calf strain; second baseman Jose Pirela on the 7-day list retroactive to April 2, with a concussion; righthander Ivan Nova on the 15-day list retroactive to March 27, as he continued to recover from April 2014 Tommy John surgery; and lefthander Chris Capuano on the 15-day list retroactive to March 27, with a right quad strain. The team also designated catcher Austin Romine for assignment; and selected the contract of Gregorio Petit from the AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders.

It was with an element of surprise and disappointment that the Yankees finally released righty reliever David Aardsma on April 4, 2013. David seemed he would be a lock and a solid addition to the 2013 pen — once the Yanks signed him a year earlier and paid him for a year of post-surgery rehab — maybe even a future closer in the post-Mariano Rivera era in the Bronx. But his disappointing Spring outings mounted, and David was released.

Initiating a ton of moves to solidify their 25 heading into the season, the Yankees activated lefty Clay Rapada and righthander David Phelps on April 4, 2012 after promoting both from AAA. Then the team assigned righty Michael Pineda to the 15-day disabled list retroactive to March 31 with right rotator cuff tendinitis; righthander Joba Chamberlain on the same list retroactive to March 26 with a dislocated right ankle; southpaw Cesar Cabral, also for 15 days retroactive to March 31 with a left elbow fracture; and catcher Austin Romine on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to March 26 with lower back strain. Far from done, the Bombers designated center fielder Justin Maxwell for assignment, released second baseman Bill Hall, optioned catcher Francisco Cervelli to AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, and traded righty George Kontos to the Giants for catcher Chris Stewart. Then the team signed free agent lefty Matthew Bashore; and outfielder Ramon Flores, third baseman Rob Segedin, catcher Hector Rabago, shortstop Jose Mojica, and Brad Meyers were assigned to the Yankees.

April 4, 2012 moves by other clubs having a Yankee angle include when the Pittsburgh Pirates placed righty starter A.J. Burnett on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to March 26 with a fractured right orbital bone; and the Cleveland Indians designated left fielder Thomas Neal for assignment. Burnett had just been traded to the Pirates by the Yanks, and Neal is in the mix for a backup outfield spot on the Yanks in 2013.

On April 4, 2010, the Yankees assigned lefthander Boone Logan to AAA Scranton. Former Yankees in the news that day include Chien-Ming Wang, who was placed on the 60-day disabled list by the Washington Nationals; and Chase Wright, who was assigned to the Nashville Sounds by the Milwaukee Brewers.

Hank Aaron hit his 714th homer this day in 1974, thereby tying Babe Ruth‘s all-time record.

In a bizarre story, 84-year-old Connie Mack challenged 78-year-old Clark Griffith to a race from home to first on April 4, 1948, a contest that ended in a tie. Mack was associated with the Philadelphia A’s for many years, and Griffith with the Washington Senators. But Griffith also served as the first ever manager of the New York Highlanders.

Eventual 2003 Yankee reliever Juan Acevedo was traded from Milwaukee to Colorado on this day back in 2001 for former Yank Mark Leiter, infielder Elvis Pena, and Mike DeJean, who was a 1992 Yankee draft choice. The Yanks dealt him to the Rockies in 1995 for catcher (and later Yankee manager) Joe Girardi. Also on April 4, 2001, Denny Neagle got the win in the Rockies’ 13-9 victory over the Cards in his first start after the middling 7-7 record he posted with the Yanks at the end of 2000.

One ex-Yank tied the record of another on this day in 1998. When Minnesota’s Mike Morgan took the mound against Kansas City, he tied the record shared by ex-Yank Ken Brett and Bob Miller by appearing in a game with his 10th team.

When Boston’s Hideo Nomo, who spent time working out for the 2005 Yankees in the minors, tossed a no-hitter in defeating the Orioles on April 4, 2001, he eclipsed the record for earliest no-no in a season. On that same day, the Indians’ consecutive sellout record at Jacobs Field came to an end in an 8-4 win over the White Sox. They had sold all their seats for 455 straight games, and had opened the park that same day in 1994.

 
Players Who Have Died This Day

The legendary Carl Mays (1971), who threw the only fatal pitch in major league history, is one of three Yankee players to have died on April 4. With a 79-39 mark with 11 saves playing in New York from 1919 through 1923, Mays’s overall mark grows to 207-126 with 31 saves when his four earlier years with the Red Sox and six years mostly spent with the Reds afterward are added in. Righty Mel Queen (1982) pitched the first four years of a a career that ended in 1952 with the Yanks to an 8-4 mark. After five-plus years with the Pirates the record was 27-40 with one save. Righthander Herb McQuaid (1966) threw 17 (10 starts) of 29 career games in ending his big-leagues experience with the 1926 Bombers with a 1-0-0 record, the same mark he posted with the 1923 Reds in the other 12 games.

Three (of seven) other noteworthy players to have passed on April 4 all played outfield, and all before the Yankee franchise came into existence. Dick Johnston (1934) collected 33 homers good for 286 rbi’s for the Beaneaters from 1884-1891; Pop Corkhill (1921) played in Boston too from 1883-1892, but with the Red Stockings, good for 31 long balls and 631 rbi’s; and George Wood (1924) reached 68 fences good for 601 runs driven in from 1880-1892, mostly playing for the Wolverines and then the Phillies. The final four April 4 deaths are led off by Hall of Famer Early Wynn (1999), who hung on to win 300 while losing 244 and saving 15 for the Senators, Indians, and White Sox from 1939-1962. Fellow righthander George Suggs (1949) posted most of his 99-91 record with 17 saves from 1908-1915 for the Reds; and outfielder Johnny Moore (1991) hit 73 long balls with 452 rbi’s from 1928-1937 and in 1945, mostly with the Cubs and the Phillies. And although George Bamberger (2004) pitched just 10 games to no record, he makes the list as the manager of the 1978-1980 Milwaukee Brewers that battled the Yanks, Red Sox, and Orioles gamely in those pivotal years.

 
Players Born This Day

John Hummel (1883), who played with Brooklyn from 1905-1915, leads off the birthday list because he played 22 games for the Yanks, mostly in the outfield, in 1918. Primarily a second baseman and outfielder, Hummel hit 29 homers with 390 rbi’s in Brooklyn and drove in an additional three runs with the Yanks.

New to the list in 2019 was outfielder Cameron Maybin (1987), who played a huge role on the Yankees filling in for injured players; he stroked 11 home runs with 32 rbi’s and nine stolen bases in 82 games. He homered in the ALDS win over Minnesota. The Yankees were Cameron’s ninth team in 13 years, and he spent four years each with Florida (now Miami) and San Diego. Signed in February 2020 for a return visit to Detroit, Maybin would play 32 games with the Tigers and the Cubs in 2020, leaving him with 72 home runs, 354 rbi’s with 186 stolen bases.

Neither Carlos Reyes (1969) nor Pedro Hernandez (1955) played for the Yanks but both were with the team in New York for a while. Righthander Reyes, who notched most of his 20-36 record and four saves with the A’s and the Padres from 1994-2003, signed with the Yanks in February 1997, and was among the last cuts going into that season. Utility infielder Hernandez played 11 games in 1979 and 1982 in Toronto. The Yanks purchased his contract in August 1982, but he never played in the majors again.

Of greater historical significance are the birthdays of Hall of Famer Tris Speaker (1888) and former commissioner A. Bartlett Giamatti (1938).

Other birthdays: Joe Vosmik (1910); Mickey Owen (1916), whose passed ball on Hugh Casey‘s strike-three pitch extended Game 4 of the 1941 World Series, until the Yanks staged a comeback for a 7-4 win (and another the following day to close out that Fall Classic); Gil Hodges (1924); Gary Geiger (1937); Eddie Watt (1941); Jim Fregosi (1942); Ray Fosse (1947); Tommy Herr (1956); Brad Komminsk (1961); Jeff Sparks (1972); Scott Rolen (1975); Eric Valent (1977); Jason Ellison (1978); Casey Daigle (1981); Louis Coleman (1986); Odrisomer Despaigne (1987); Martin Perez (1991); Miguel Almonte (1993); Renato Nunez (1994); Eduardo Jimenez (1995); Conner Greene (1995); Mitch Keller (1996); Beau Brieske (1998); Orion Kerkering (2001); and Ronny Mauricio (2001).