Being a baseball fan is supposed to be an enjoyable and life-affirming endeavor, and despite the undeniable tension we suffer during tight games, pennant races, and playoff contests, it fills those requirements admirably. But “into each life a little rain must fall” the saying goes, and December 14 is a day dominated by poignant and sad moments for Yankee fans. We’ll begin the list with this: MVP Yankee catcher Elston Howard passed away on this day in 1980.
Owner of baseball’s single-season home-run record for more than 35 years, Roger Maris won two MVPs wearing the Yankee Pinstripes. But he, too, lost his battle with cancer on December 14, five years after Ellie, succumbing on this day in 1985. We’ll list years and stats for Elton and Roger below with the day’s player deaths.
The movies are one way kids become exposed to things they were unable to experience first-hand. My (and many young fans’) first exposure to the phenomenon that was Babe Ruth came in The Babe Ruth Story, in which the Sultan of Swat was portrayed by actor William Bendix. The part of “Two-Call Johnson” in the early baseball flick Kill the Umpire! was also played by Mr. Bendix. William passed away on December 14, 1964.
There is another Roger Maris moment to report on this day, as Yankee GM Roy Hamey refused Roger’s request for a $75,000 contract to play the ’62 season on December 14, 1961. “Rajah” would hit 33 homers, drive in 100 runs, and even steal a base anyway.
On December 14, 2023, the Yankees signed free agent righthander Duane Underwood Jr. to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training.
On December 14, 2022, the Yankees signed free agent right fielder Michael Hermosillo to a minor league contract.
On December 14, 2021, the Yankees signed free agent catcher David Freitas to a minor league contract.
On December 14, 2020, the Yankees signed both free agent righthander Matt Bowman and free agent catcher Kellin Deglan to minor league contracts, and invited the latter to Spring Training.
On December 14, 2019, the Yankees signed free agent righthander Justin O’Conner to a minor league contract.
On December 14, 2017, the Baltimore Orioles claimed righthander Jose Mesa Jr., son of veteran righty Jose Mesa, off waivers from Yankee AA affiliate, the Trenton Thunder. A 2012 Yankee amateur free agent draftee, Jose would be returned to the Yankees the following March, and reassigned to Trenton.
The Yankees traded for Jack McDowell on December 14, 1994, sending minor leaguer Keith Heberling and a player to be named later (who would become Lyle Mouton) to the White Sox for him. Jack would post a 15-10 mark in 1995, and would largely carry the team to the AL Wild Card in September along with David Cone. But then he would fail pretty dramatically when used in relief against the Mariners in the ALDS. (And by the way, the aforementioned Mr. Mouton would contribute 17 homers and 89 rbi’s in Chicago from 1995-1998.) Although a performer for the first Yankee playoff team in 13 years, McDowell is amazingly still most remembered for “flipping the bird” to the Yankee Stadium crowd while walking off the mound after being removed from a July 18 shellacking in an 11-4 loss to his old club, the White Sox.
A year to the day afterward, “Black Jack” McDowell signed a two year free-agent contract with the Indians, where he would go 13-9 with an elevated 5.11 era in 1996. Slowed by injury, he would finish his career with an 8-10 mark over the next three years.
Smarting from their abominable trade of Willie McGee to the Cardinals for flop righty Bob Sykes (a trade that would get worse and worse as McGee’s career went on) the year before, the Yanks sent three minor leaguers of no consequence to St. Louis on December 14, 1982, for shortstop Bobby Meacham and outfielder Stan Javier; they both would then have their big-league debuts in the Bronx. Javier would get one hit and strike out once in seven at bats before being sent to Oakland as part of the Rickey Henderson trade in 1984. Meacham would play his entire six-year career in the Bronx, but would never fire offensively, finishing with eight homers and 114 rbi’s in 457 games. Bobby had two bad moments too, being tagged out at the plate on the same play with teammate Dale Berra by Chicago’s Carlton Fisk on one occasion, and losing a home run when he ran past teammate Willie Randolph on the basepaths in an April 8, 1985 loss to Texas. And in a “six degrees of separation”-type moment, Mr. Javier would later be traded by the A’s to the Dodgers in exchange for the same Mr. Randolph in 1990. Meacham served on new Yankee manager Joe Girardi‘s coaching staff at third base in 2008, but he has now been replaced.
It wasn’t surprising necessarily, when the first roster move the Yankees made on December 14, 2012, didn’t have much residual effect, as they designated Josh Spence for assignment. But the club clearly expected more positive outcome than they got when they signed free agent third baseman Kevin Youkilis.
The “new” Washington Senators and California Angels were stocked in a draft of players on December 14, 1960. The Yanks would lose lefty thrower Bobby Shantz, who had posted a 30-18 mark with 19 saves in the Bronx from 1957-1960, to the Senators.
Yankee GM Del Webb was one of four appointed by major league baseball to find a replacement for Commissioner Albert “Happy” Chandler on December 14, 1950. Chandler was the second to hold the job, named after the death of Kenesaw Mountain Landis. Happy was supportive during the breaking of the color barrier by Jackie Robinson, and is also the man who originated using six umpires for World Series games, but some of his decisions were too pro-player for the owners, and his contract was not renewed.
The Dodgers signed standout lefty star Sandy Koufax on December 14, 1953.
CBS won the bidding to broadcast baseball games on network TV from 1990-1994 on December 14, 1988.
Harvey Kuenn of the Tigers was voted American League Rookie of the Year on December 14, 1953.
When the Mets turned around and sent David Justice to the A’s for lefty Mark Guthrie on December 14, 2001, it was the most recent transaction of note on that day involving former and future Yankee players (the Yanks had just shipped Justice to the Mets for Robin Ventura). Also on December 14, the Cubs traded Brant Brown to the Pirates for Jon Lieber in 1998; and three players with Pinstripes on their resumes were signed as free agents on that day in 1995 (in addition to the aforementioned Jack McDowell): Lance Johnson signed with the Mets, the Red Sox inked catcher Mike Stanley, and the Marlins got lefty Al Leiter‘s name on the dotted line.
Other one-time Yankees changing teams on December 14 include former draft pick Carl Everett going from Houston to the Red Sox in 1999 for Adam Everett and Greg Miller; Al Holland joining Hall of Famer Joe Morgan in a trade from San Fran to Philly in 1982 for Mike Krukow and Mark Davis; and the Cardinals sending Walt “No Neck” Williams to the White Sox with Don Dennis for John Romano and Lee White in 1966. We finish the category with the swap of Hank Borowy and Eddie Waitkus from the Cubs to the Phillies for Monk Dubiel and Dutch Leonard on December 14, 1948; and the sale by Connie Mack of Wally Schang, Joe Bush, and Amos Strunk from the A’s to the Red Sox for Vern Gregg, Melvin Kopp, Pinch Thomas, and cash on the same day back in 1917.
Players Who Have Died This Day
When you consider the fact that the Yanks have retired the (15) numbers of just 16 players (plus that of Jackie Robinson), the fact that we have lost two of these beloved players on this one day is truly tragic. The first African American to ever make the Yankee roster, catcher Elston Howard (1980) won one MVP and played on nine pennant winners and four World Championship teams. He homered 161 times and drove in 733 runs with the Yanks from 1955-1967, and added six long balls and 29 rbi’s when he was sent to Boston at the end. Lefty-hitting outfielder Roger Maris (1985) won two MVPs and played on five Yankee pennant winners and two Championship teams, and won two NL pennants and a World title with the Cardinals. He cleared 203 fences good for 548 rbi’s in New York, numbers that grow to 275 and 851 over his 1957-1968 career. Shortstop/third sacker Champ Osteen (1962), the last of the three Yanks to succumb this day, hit two home runs and knocked in nine runs on 21-for-107 hitting playing 28 games for the 1904 Highlanders. Brief stops with the Senators earlier and the Cardinals afterward bumped the rbi number up to 31.
The list of noteworthy nonYankee players who have died on November 22 includes three righthanded pitchers, a lefty-hitting outfielder, and a second baseman/outfielder. Chappie McFarland (1924) won 34 games, lost 61, and saved two from 1902-1906 throwing mostly for the Cardinals; while Jouett Meekin (1944) posted a 153-133-2 mark pitching mostly with the Colonels, the Senators, and the Giants from 1891-1899. Outfielder Frank Baumholtz (1997) cleared 25 fences good for 272 runs with the Reds, the Cubs, and the Phillies from 1947-1957; and second baseman/outfielder Hot Rod Kanehl (2004), an original Met, hit just six home runs and drove in 47 runs playing in Flushing from 1962-1964. Lefty-hitting, righty-throwing hurler Ken MacKenzie (2023) posted an 8-10 record with five saves in 129 games (one start) with the 1960-1961 Milwaukee Braves, the 1962-1963 Mets, plus in three other stops, through the 1965 season.
Players Born This Day
Lefty thrower Jim Roland (1942), the first Yank we’ll mention born on December 14, pitched 16 games for the Yankees, with an 0-1 record, in his last season (1972), though he would finish the year in Texas (after a trade for Casey Cox). He followed long stints in Minnesota (seven years) and Oakland (four) by playing briefly for the Yanks and Rangers.
Switch-hitting outfielder/first baseman John Anderson (1873) is the only other birthdaying player who played with the Yanks. The New York Highlanders got Anderson from the St. Louis Browns for Jack O’Connor in November, 1903. They lost him off waivers to the Senators in June 1905. He played six seasons in Washington, two in Brooklyn, and one in Baltimore before playing for the Highlanders; afterward he toiled for the Browns, the Senators, and the White Stockings. John hit three home runs with 96 rbi’s in New York, and 49 dingers with 976 driven in overall.
Although catcher Mitch Lyden (1964) never played for the Yankees, he was drafted by them in the fourth round of the 1983 amateur draft. Granted free agency by New York after the 1990 season, Mitch’s total big-league experience is 10 at bats in six games for the 1993 Marlins, but he did manage one home run and one rbi.
Other birthdays: Notorious Boston bumbler who tarnished a brilliant and long career in 1986, Bill Buckner (1949); Sam Jones (1925), who pitched to a 102-101 mark from 1951-1964; Ken Hill (1965); Craig Biggio (1965); Dave Nilsson (1969); Scott Hatteberg (1969); Billy Koch (1974); Rodrigo Lopez (1975); Dan Wright (1977); Shaun Marcum (1981); Angel Guzman (1981); Josh Fields (1982); Chris Heisey (1984); Matt Grace (1988); Donn Roach (1989); Mike Ohlman (1990); Adam Frazier (1991); Taylor Ward (1993); Ryan McMahon (1994); and Chuckie Robinson (1994).
