Outfielder Dave Winfield became baseball’s highest-paid player when he signed a 10-year deal with the Yankees on December 15, 1980. Despite being eventually labeled “Mr. May” by an enraged George Steinbrenner, he would notch a World Series-winning hit with the Blue Jays later in his career. Dave contributed often and played hard in the Bronx. He smashed 205 homers with 818 rbi’s in eight-plus years, as he missed the 1989 campaign with back surgery and was traded to California for righthander Mike Witt 20 games into the 1990 season. Witt had been a front-line starter for years, and threw a Perfect Game in 1984, but he was way past his prime, and would go 8-9 during three seasons in the Bronx.
Facing free agency after the 1981 season, Ron Guidry re-signed with the Yankees, inking a four-year, $3.6 million deal on December 15, 1981. And he contributed big-time, to the tune of a 67-38 mark, over those years.
On December 15, 2021, the Yankees signed free agent catcher Rodolfo Duran; free agent center fielders Blake Perkins and Ender Inciarte; free agent shortstop Wilkerman Garcia; and free agent righthanders Jimmy Cordero and Vinny Nittoli to minor league contracts.
If there never had been a Babe Ruth, we might be hearing the name of Waite Hoyt a lot more often from disgruntled Boston fans, although business manager Ed Barrow was behind the acquisition of both once he moved to the Yankee front office. Barrow engineered a trade for future Hall of Fame starter Hoyt, along with catcher Wally Schang, lefthander Harry Harper, and infielder Mike McNally from the Red Sox for second baseman Del Pratt, catcher Muddy Ruel, pitcher Hank Thormahlen, and outfielder Sammy Vick and cash on December 15, 1920. Pratt gave Boston two good seasons (11 homers, 188 rbi’s), but Ruel (one homer/73 rbi’s in two years), Thormahlen (1-7 in 1921), and Vick (nine rbi’s in 44 1921 games) fared less well. And although Schang (16 homers/193 rbi’s/28 stolen bases from ’21-’25), Harper (4-3 in 1921), and McNally (one homer/45 rbi’s from ’21-’24) performed similarly in New York, Hoyt was superb. He posted a 147-98 mark with 28 saves in the next 10 years in the Bronx.
The Yankees snapped up a nemesis in the form of former Boston third baseman Wade Boggs on December 15, 1992. He would hit 24 homers, knock in 246 runs, steal four bases, and appear once as a knuckleball-throwing reliever by the time he left in 1997, once both he and the Yanks had achieved their goal, a Championship season. Minus a third baseman once they lost Charlie Hayes in the expansion draft that stocked Florida and Colorado, the Yanks filled the hot corner very well with hitter Boggs.
The biggest news for the Yankees on December 15, 2016, is that they signed free agent lefty closer Aroldis Chapman for the upcoming season. The club also signed free agent righthander Nick Rumbelow to a minor league contract; and they designated righty Nick Goody for assignment.
On December 15, 2014, the Yankees signed free agent third baseman Chase Headley, who had finished the last season with them after a trade, to a multiyear contract. The team aslo signed free agent second baseman Nick Noonan to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training.
On December 15, 2020, the Yankees signed old friend and veteran free agent righthander Adam Warren to a minor league contract and invited him to Spring Training. Alas, he would not make the club, and would be granted free agency in November 2021.
The Yankees filled a long-felt need when they signed lefty relief specialist Mike Myers to a two-year contract on December 15, 2005. He went 1-2 in 2006, but the 3.23 era primarily against lefty damage hitters was huge. Unfortunately, he did not approach that level of success in 2007. Don’t believe the 3-0 mark and the 2.66 era. It was largely attained against righties in mop-up appearances. He routinely failed to retire portsiders until he was released and picked up by the White Sox. His subsequent era in Chicago, 11.20, more accurately reflects his disappointing 2007 season.
After the Yanks had signed them to minor league contracts, left-handed pitchers Andrew Sisco and Neal Cotts and righthander Brian Anderson were assigned to the club on December 15, 2010. The Yanks also signed the following free agents: shortstop Doug Bernier; catcher Gustavo Molina; and right-handed pitchers Mark Prior and Buddy Carlyle. On the minus side of the ledger, free agent lefty starter Cliff Lee, whom the Yanks had vigorously pursued, signed with the Phillies.
Shortstop Kid Elberfeld solidified the Highlander (Yankee) defense and helped turn the franchise around from 1903 through 1909, and chipped in with four homers, 257 rbi’s, and 117 stolen bases too, but he was sold to Washington for $5,000 on December 15, 1909.
The Yankees signed shortstop Tony Fernandez to a free-agent contract on December 15, 1994. He hit for the cycle, homered five times, and drove in 45 runs, but the best contribution he made toward team success was getting injured in the spring of 1996, opening the position to one of the best postseason players in baseball history, Derek Jeter.
The Marlins’ trade of ace Kevin Brown to the Padres for three players on December 15, 1997, is the first of several transactions on this day involving former or future Yankee players. Also, minor-league hurler Jason Arnold, whom the Yanks sent to Oakland with Ted Lilly for Jeff Weaver (an unintentional tie-in to Mr. Brown there), was traded to the Blue Jays on this day in 2002; Billy Martin was sent from Cleveland to Cincinnati in 1959; the Red Sox traded Ben Chapman to the Indians for Denny Galehouse and Tom Irwin in 1938; and pitcher Dick Ruether was traded to the Dodgers from the Reds for Rube Marquard on December 15, 1920.
In light of the trouble Jason Giambi and other players have had with steroid abuse recently, it is worth noting that on December 15, 1983, Commissioner Bowie Kuhn suspended K.C. Royals Willie Wilson, Willie Aikens, and Jerry Martin, and Dodgers (and future Yankees) reliever Steve Howe for drug abuse.
A former Cardinals catcher and network baseball broadcaster, Joe Garagiola, who was a childhood friend of Yogi Berra, signed on to join NBC’s Today Show panel on December 15, 1967.
Players Who Have Died This Day
Of two Yankee players to have died on December 15, third baseman Andy Carey (2011) has the longer pinstriped resume. A 1950 free agent signing, Carey started at the hot corner from 1954 (after limited play the previous two seasons) until 1960 when he was traded for outfielder Bob Cerv. Carey lofted 47 home runs good for 259 rbi’s playing in the Bronx, numbers that grew to 64/350 after stints with the KC A’s, the Chisox, and the LA Dodgers. Lefty-hitting outfielder Bill Otis (1990), whose only big-leagues experience was playing four games for the 1912 Highlanders, is the only other Yankee player to have died on December 15. Although Otis struggled at the bat, managing just one hit in 17 at bats, he did not waste it, as he did deliver two rbi’s.
William “Dummy” Hoy passed away on December 15, 1961, but not until he had hung around long enough to toss out the ceremonial first pitch before Game Three of the ’61 World Series at the age of 99. An inspiration to us all, but particularly to similarly challenged players like Curtis Pride, he was a deaf-mute but played outfield from 1888-1902, much of it with the Cincinnati Reds. Hoy’s presence in the game led to the introduction of the visible umpiring “out,” “safe,” and “strike” calls that we all take as second nature now. He hit 40 home runs, and drove in 724 runs with the Reds, the Senators, and the Colonels. The list of other noteworthy nonYankee players who have died on December 15 includes a righthanded pitcher, a lefty-hitting third baseman, and the humorously nicknamed defense-challenged first baseman, Dick Stuart (2002), “Dr. Strangeglove.” Stuart played five years with the Pirates, two with the Red Sox, and some time with four other teams from 1958-1969, and he hit 228 homers and knocked in 743 runs. Righty Dick Newsome (1965) posted a 35-33-0 mark pitching with the 1941-1943 Red Sox; and third sacker Stan Hack (1979) hit 57 home runs and drove in 642 runs from 1932-1947 exclusively with the Cubs.
Players Born This Day
Righty 1968 Rookie of the Year Award winner Stan Bahnsen (1944) is the biggest of four Yankee names born on December 15. A hard thrower, he went 55-52 from 1966 through 1971 in the Bronx until the disastrous deal that sent him to the White Sox for third base flop Rich McKinney. Bahnsen was selected by the Yankees in the fourth round of the 1965 amateur draft.
Lefty-hitting first baseman Eddie Robinson (1920) followed years in Cleveland, Washington, Chicago, and Philly by blasting 24 homers with 80 rbi’s for the 1954-1956 Bombers; brief stints in K.C., Detroit, and Baltimore afterward left him with a nine-stop career in which he only played for American League clubs. Robinson arrived in New York in a big December 1953 trade from the Philadelphia Athletics along with Loren Babe, Harry Byrd, Tom Hamilton, and Carmen Mauro for Don Bollweg, Johnny Gray, Jim Robertson, Jim Finigan, Vic Power, and Bill Renna. Mr. Renna made the return trip in the June 1956 trade in which the New York Yankees sent Robinson back to the A’s (in Kansas City now) with Lou Skizas for Renna, Moe Burtschy, and cash.
Lefty Gil Blanco (1945) went 1-1 in 17 games (one start) for the 1965 Yankees after being signed the year before as a minor-league free agent. He finished up with a year in Kansas City after being traded there with Roger Repoz and Bill Stafford for Fred Talbot and Billy Bryan.
Hector Ramirez (1971) and Ken Crosby (1947), birthdaying this day, each spent time with the Yanks, though they never played for them. Ramirez’s connection is a bizarre one, as he was claimed off waivers by the Yanks from the Orioles on January 20, 1998. Ten days later Baltimore claimed him right back. Hector went 1-3 in 21 appearances for the 1999-2000 Milwaukee Brewers. A June 1969 Yankees 10th round amateur draft selection, Crosby was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals in September 1973 along with some cash for Wayne Granger. A righthander like Ramirez, Crosby won his only decision while pitching in 16 games (one start) for the 1975-1976 Chicago Cubs.
Outfielder Cole Garner (1984) has played in just four big-league games through 2012 (all with the 2011 Rockies, for whom he went 2-for-9), but he opened some eyes in Yankee Spring Training in 2012 once they signed him as a free agent. He starts the 2013 as a free agent yet again.
Other birthdays: Righty Ray Herbert (1929), who pitched to a 104-107 mark from 1950 through 1966 during years with Detroit (four), K.C. (five), Chicago (four); and Philly (two); one-time Pittsburgh Pirates and Detroit Tigers Manager Jim Leyland (1944); Art Howe (1946); Doug Rau (1948; Mo Vaughn (1967); Rick Helling (1970); Aaron Miles (1976); Michael Wuertz (1978); Kevin Cameron (1979); Andy Gonzalez (1981); Luis Montanez (1981); Nick Buss (1986); Scott Copeland (1987); Ryan Pressly (1988); Trevor Hildenberger (1990); Kyle Crockett (1991); Ryan Eades (1991); Johneshwy Fargas (1994); David MacKinnon (1994); Jonathan India (1996); Joey Bart (1996); and Drew Rom (1999).
