On August 1, 2020, the Yankees activated righthander Masahiro Tanaka from the 10-day injured list to make a start against Boston, and the pinstripers came out blazing, up 5-0 after two on an Aaron Judge solo blast in the first and a grand slam off the bat of Gio Urshela in the second. The just activated Tanaka was removed after surrendering two (one unearned) runs in the third. The biggest news in the 5-2 final is that, making his major league debut, righty Nick Nelson was awarded the victory after he retired nine of 11 from the fifth through the seventh, and struck out four.
You could say that the August 1, 2022, Yankee 7-2 win over Seattle in the Stadium was over quick, as Anthony Rizzo and Aaron Judge home runs in the first two frames had the Bombers up 5-0, but that would deny catcher Jose Trevino a pretty big moment,as the sixth and seventh runs came via his bombs in the home fourth and eighth innings. Domingo German recorded nine ground ball outs and just one whiff in going five for the win.
It was a Tale of Two Outcomes in Yankee Stadium when visiting Baltimore overcame the home team 7-5 on August 1, 2018. First, Sonny Gray put his team in a 7-1 hole two outs into the third inning. It was a number the Yanks failed to match, but not for a lack of production from Gleyber Torres, who homered for one in the second, and then again for three in the bottom of the ninth.
On August 1, 2022, the Cubs traded righthander Scott Effross to the Yankees for righty Hayden Wesneski; and Oakland traded righthanders Frankie Montas and Lou Trivino to the Yankees for lefthanders Ken Waldichuk and JP Sears, righty Luis Medina, and second baseman Cooper Bowman. In a paper move, Effross and Trivino were reassigned to the minors. Also that day, the Yankees transferred righthanders Luis Severino and Miguel Castro from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day injured list, Severino with a low grade right lat strain, and Castro with a right shoulder strain. Then the team optioned righty Clarke Schmidt to the AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, and selected the contract of righthander Carlos Espinal from Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
A three-run, second-inning home run off the bat of Detroit first baseman John Hicks surprised both CC Sabathia and the 43,000 in attendance and, although CC allowed just six hits in six innings, the Yanks fell 4-3 on August 1, 2017. Didi Gregorius drove in three with a homer and a single, but a Justin Upton jolt in the top of the third was the difference.
On August 1, 2021, the Yankees placed righthander Domingo German on the 10-day injured list, with right shoulder inflammation. And the team recalled righty Albert Abreu from the AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders.
Returning the favor from the night before, the Yankees jumped on Baltimore lefty Zach Britton for seven third-inning runs in Yankee Stadium on August 1, 2012, just as the Orioles had done the earlier night against Ivan Nova in the second. Robinson Cano‘s grand slam and the singleton shot from Curtis Granderson in the first were the big blows in the 12-3 Yankee win.
On August 1, 1993, Reggie Jackson was inducted into the Hall of Fame. Reggie made an impression in several cities, but the three home runs for the Yankees in Game Six of the 1977 World Series is his most memorable achievement, and the one that guaranteed him the first-time vote. It got his number retired in the Bronx as well.
The Yanks shut out the Red Sox 1-0 on August 1, 1968, behind Stan Bahnsen, whose 12 strike outs stood as a Yankee rookie record until Orlando el duque Hernandez notched 13 two decades later. Tom Tresh‘s bunt single and stolen base set up Bill Robinson‘s rbi single for the only run of the game.
The second time Lou Gehrig hit for the cycle in his career occurred during a 14-5 win over the Browns on August 1, 1937.
The Yankees lost a heartbreaker in perhaps Sidney Ponson‘s best 2008 start when he held the Angels scoreless on two hits through seven in the Stadium on August 1. Unfortunately, Ervin Santana just about matched him, allowing just five hits and no runs through eight. In a great year for saves, Mariano Rivera failed yet again when entering a tie game, as the tally the Halos scratched off him in the top of the ninth was the game winner, 1-0.
The 2006 Yankee season of Bernie Williams was doubly special. First, he contributed many big hits in a year he was expected to be a minor cog coming off the bench, but was pressed into service with two outfield starters hurt most of the year. On the other hand, he seemingly climbed several all-time Yankee lists with each time at bat. On August 1, he managed to do both, stroking a three-run double off Toronto’s A.J. Burnett in the fourth inning of a 5-1 win. It was his 442nd career double, which tied him with Don Mattingly for second all-time on the Yankee list. It was a stiflingly hot day during a heat wave, with many Scoreboard features not working in keeping with New York’s stretched power grid.
Despite surrendering 11 walks, Lefty Gomez shut out the St. Louis Browns 9-0 on August 1, 1941. It was the highest number of walks in a shutout.
Thurman Munson and Carlton Fisk came to blows in Fenway Park on August 1, 1973. In a 2-2 tie, the Yankee catcher, trying to score from third in the ninth inning on a missed bunt by Gene Michael, crashed into Fisk and they both came up swinging. The Yanks failed to score, and the Red Sox won it 3-2 in the inning’s bottom half.
Righthander Orlando “el duque” Hernandez was the lucky recipient of all the offense when the Yanks piled nine runs into the fourth and fifth innings against the Orioles in Yankee Stadium on August 1, 2004. The Yanks won the game 9-7 on Tony Clark, Kenny Lofton, and Alex Rodriguez home runs.
On August 1, 2018, the Yankees activated newly acquired righthander Lance Lynn, and optioned southpaw Ryan Bollinger to the AA Trenton Thunder. The team also signed free agent shortstop Alexander Vargas to a minor league contract.
On August 1, 2017, the Yankees activated both righthander Sonny Gray and lefty Jaime Garcia, creating roster space for the two by optioning first baseman Garrett Cooper and righty Jonathan Holder to the AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders.
On August 1, 2016, the Yankees activated righthander Tyler Clippard, reacquired by trade the day before. The team also recalled outfielder Ben Gamel from the AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders; traded righthander Ivan Nova to Pittsburgh for two Players To Be Named Later; and traded DH Carlos Beltran and cash to Texas for righties Nick Green, Erik Swanson, and Dillon Tate.
In a routine bullpen shuffle, the Yankees optioned righthander Nick Goody to the AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders on August 1, 2015, filling the spot by recalling righty Nick Rumbelow from Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
Prepping for what would be a failed stretch run, the Yankees activated third baseman Martin Prado; second baseman Stephen Drew; and righthander Esmil Rogers on August 1, 2014. Designating second baseman Brian Roberts for assignment; and optioning left fielder Zoilo Almonte and third baseman Zelous Wheeler to the AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders were complementary moves. Also,
second baseman Ezequiel Rodriguez was assigned to the Yankees.
On August 1, 2013, the Yankees signed free agent righthander Jaron Long to a minor league contract.
On August 1, 2012, the Yankees activated first baseman Casey McGehee, and designated shortstop Ramiro Pena for assignment to create roster room.
The rites of Spring[?] Training games in Florida and Arizona for a whole month. Rite of August 1? Players brought in at the July 31 trade deadline with others moved to create space. On this date in 2009, utility player Jerry Hairston Jr. was assigned to the Yankees, with Shelley Duncan optioned to AAA Scranton-Wilkes Barre. The Yankees also assigned newly signed draft pick and righthanded pitcher Brett Gerritse to the GCL Yankees.
The Yankees activated righthander Brian Bruney from the 60-day disabled list on August 1, 2008, optioning reliever Chris Britton to AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to create roster room.
The Yankees added a necessary long man to their pen when they activated righthander Jeff Karstens from the 60-day disabled list and optioned infielder Chris Basak to AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on August 1, 2007. Karstens was returning after a several-month recovery from a broken bone in his knee that he had suffered in the season’s first month.
Kansas City righty Dan Reichert allowed just six singles in six-plus frames in a Tuesday night contest in the Bronx on August 1, 2000, but the seven walks proved his undoing. Three of them scored, giving Doc Gooden the 5-4 win, and Scott Brosius capped the Yankee scoring with an eighth-inning home run.
Pitching achievements that happened on August 1 include Boston’s Bill Monbouquette tossing a 1-0 no-hitter over Early Wynn and the White Sox in 1962; and Minnesota’s Bert Blyleven becoming the 10th pitcher to amass 3,000 strike outs during a 10-1 two-hitter over the A’s in 1986.
In a 12-1 win over the Browns on August 1, 1928, Babe Ruth hit his 42nd home run of the season, well ahead of his 1927 pace.
Babe Ruth actually started off an at bat against Indians southpaw Sherrod Smith hitting righthanded in the ninth inning of an August 1, 1923 game. After taking a strike, the Babe switched to his natural side and slugged his 25th tater of the season, but the Yanks came up short in a 5-3 defeat.
Members of the Yankee team caused a minor scandal when they photographed the bare behind of a young woman who boarded the team bus after they had defeated the White Sox 9-1 in Comiskey Park on August 1, 1979.
The Yanks purchased the contract of Tony Lazzeri from the PCL on August 1, 1925, though they didn’t introduce him to the parent club until the next spring.
The Texas Rangers sent Oscar Gamble and three minor leaguers to the Yankees for Mickey Rivers and three minor leaguers on August 1, 1979.
Cal Ripken, Jr., became the second player to appear in his 2,000th straight game in a 1-0 shutout of the Twins on August 1, 1994. Obviously, The Yankees’ Iron Horse Lou Gehrig had been the first.
Hank Aaron, Frank Robinson, Travis Jackson, and Happy Chandler were inducted into the Hall of Fame on this day in 1982.
Mel Ott hit the 500th home run of his career on August 1, 1945, in a 9-2 Giants win over the Braves.
Rube Waddell no-hit all the Highlanders except for Kid Elberfeld, who had four singles, on August 1, 1903. But those hits, combined with six walks, led the New Yorkers to a 3-2 win over the A’s.
Nate Colbert of the Padres hit five home runs with 13 rbi’s in a San Diego doubleheader sweep of the Braves on August 1, 1972. The scores: 9-0 and 11-7.
We’ll headline a section detailing August 1 items featuring future or former Yanks with the day recent third-base coach Larry Bowa had in a 9-8 Cubs victory over St. Louis on this day in 1985. After earlier having tripled with the bases loaded, Bowa knocked in the game-winner with a bases-full squeeze bunt in the 14th inning.
In the same category, one-time Yankee Dazzy Vance struck out seven Cubs in a row in a Dodgers 4-0 win on August 1, 1924. And recently retired Pinstriped starter Mike Mussina was denied a no-hitter by another one-time Yank as Ron Coomer stroked a seventh-inning single in Baltimore’s 10-0 win over the Twins on this day in 2000.
A birthdaying Glen Gorbous (see below) threw a baseball a record 445 feet, 10 inches, on this day in 1957.
Players Who Have Died This Day
The only Yankee player who has died on August 1 is second baseman Don Heffner (1989), who drove in 62 runs and hit no home runs while debuting with the 1934-1937 Yankees. In the next seven years, played mostly with the Browns, Don increased his numbers to six long balls and 248 rbi’s.
Of the four noteworthy nonYankee players to have died this day, there is a lefthanded and a righthanded pitcher, and two position players. Southpaw Chris Short (1991) compiled most of his 135-132 record with 18 saves from 1959-1973 with the Phillies; and righty Phil Douglas (1952) won 94, lost 93, and saved eight games from 1912-1922 with the Cubs and the Giants, with a short stop in Cincinnati at the end. Lefty-hitting outfielder Ike Boone (1958) played mostly with the Red Sox and Dodgers from 1922-1932, during which time he hit 26 long balls good for 194 rbi’s; and catcher Hank Gowdy (1966) hit most of his 21 roundtrippers with 322 runs driven in from 1910-1930 with the Braves.
Players Born This Day
The wonderfully named lefty Slim Love (1890) is one of the only three August 1 Yankee birthdays. Slim pitched one year for Washington and two years for Detroit, with his three years (1916-18) in New York occurring in between. He got 39 starts playing for the Yankees, posted a 21-17 win-loss record, and also notched two saves. The Yanks traded Love with Ray Caldwell, Frank Gilhooley, Roxy Walters, and cash to the Boston Red Sox for Ernie Shore and Duffy Lewis in December 1918.
Righthander Clem Llewellyn (1895) threw only one inning in one game in the majors, allowing one hit while getting three outs for the 1922 Yankees.
The third player on this list became lefty Nick Ramirez (1989) when he was signed in December 2022. A fourth round Brewer signing in 2011, Nick had posted a 6-5 record with no saves for the Tigers and Padres in 2019-2021 in 64 games (no starts); and has lost two with no wins or saves in New York in 22 games (again, no starts) as of this writing.
Other birthdays: Milt May (1950); Greg Gross (1952); Glen Gorbous (1957); Gregg Jefferies (1967); Shigetosi Hasegawa (1968); Brian Bohanon (1968); Kevin Jarvis (1969); Travis Driskill (1971); Freddy Garcia (1972), a Pirates third baseman in the 1990s and not the Yankee starting pitcher of recent years; Brandon Kintzler (1984); Cole Kimball (1985); Adam Jones (1985); Roenis Elias (1988); Madison Bumgarner (1989); Aledmys Diaz (1990); Kennys Vargas (1990); Dylan Lee (1994); T.J. Zeuch (1995); and Ezequiel Tovar (2001).
