On February 23, 1954, the Yanks sold righty Vic Raschi to the Cards. Vic’s career winning percentage of .667 rises over .700 if his eight years in Pinstripes are isolated, and he played on six Yankee World Series teams, all winners, with four over the Dodgers, one the Giants, and the other the Phillies.
Watching the Yankees fall to 0-2 in their (first, as it turned out) 2020 preseason training session, this one the traditional “Spring Training,” to the Rays in Port Charlotte, Fla., on February 23, we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves nonetheless. First it was sunny in the 80s, and the 12 hits they collected in the 9-7 defeat quadrupled the total from their 2-1 loss at GMS Field the previous day. And Miguel Andujar, while playing impeccably for five innings at third base, homered to the opposite field in his third at bat after drilling a long shot just foul to left in the top of the first. A sloppily played game with walks and miscues on both sides, the “you don’t see that every day” moment in this one was when a young Yankee catcher made two throwing errors in an inning, both of them throwing back to the pitcher.
One of the Yankees’ earliest Spring Training Opening Days occurred on February 23, 2018, when the team bested the visiting Tigers 3-1. A sixth-inning three-run rally keyed by Tyler Wade, Jace Peterson, and Jorge Saez carried the home team to victory. Yankee celebrities announced pregame included Nick Swisher, Tino Martinez, Lee Mazzilli, Stump Merrill, Willie Randolph, and Ron Guidry. Luis Cessa allowed a first-inning run, but the action was successfully carried by him, Ben Heller, David Hale, Brady Lail, Cale Coshow, and Giovanny Gallegos.
Casey Stengel‘s February 23, 1934, ascendancy to the position of manager with the Dodgers is perhaps the most noteworthy of the transactions affecting former or future Yankee players on this day. Also, the Pirates traded for John Vander Wal in 2000; and the tragically stricken (from a brain tumor) Dick Howser abandoned his attempt to manage the Royals in 1987. Other February 23 events include Wade Boggs “losing” his arbitration bid and having to settle for $1.35 million in 1986; and the inclusion by the Phillies of catcher Barry Foote in a package to the Cubs for Manny Trillo and two others in 1979.
The Yankees signed free agent lefthander Justin Wilson on February 23, 2021, and then designated left fielder Greg Allen for assignment. Wilson would generally disappoint, posting a 1-1 record in 21 games before being sold in July to Cincinnati for a Player to Be Named, who would eventually become minor leaguer Jason Parker, a month later. Allen, on the other hand, who had been acquired from San Diego in trade, would return to the Bombers, and appear in 15 games, with a triple and two rbi’s, and then be drafted from New York by the Pirates that November. In 236 games since 2017, mostly with Cleveland, Allen has hit eight home runs, and driven in 59.
On February 23, 2020, righthanders Brian Keller, Daniel Alvarez, Brett Graves, and Kyle Zurak; lefthander James Reeves; shortstop Max Burt; and infielder Diego Castillo were assigned to the New York Yankees.
On February 23, 2019, the following players were assigned to the Yankees: righthanders David Sosebee and Greg Weissert; center fielder Jeff Hendrix; third baseman Angel Aguilar; second baseman Gosuke Katoh; and first baseman Ryan McBroom.
On February 23, 2016, the Yankees signed free agent first baseman Chris Parmelee to a minor league contract and invited him to Spring Training. When called upon, Parmalee would have a dynamic effect (two homers, four rbi’s in six games) in the upcoming season, but he quickly went down to a serious injury.
Taking care of some “minor” business, the Yankees signed free agent first baseman Nick Ebert on February 23, 2012.
It was an end of an era for baseball in New York when work began on the demolition of Ebbets Field on February 23, 1960. Professional singer Lucy Monroe sang the National Anthem and the crippled Hall of Fame ex-catcher Roy Campanella was given an urn of dirt from behind home plate.
In other Stadium news from this day, Cleveland Indians owner Richard Jacobs announced he would pay $10 million to name their new baseball stadium Jacobs Field.
Players Who Have Died This Day
Catcher Bubbles Hargrave (1969) is the lone Yankee player to have died on February 23. Hargrave accumulated most of his 29 dingers with 376 rbi’s playing for the Cubs from 1913 to 1915 and the Reds from 1921 to 1928, but he batted 30-for-108 good for 12 rbi’s in 45 games in ending his career with the 1930 Yankees.
Two hard-working righthanders and an outfielder comprise today’s list of noteworthy nonYankee player deaths. Bill Swift (1969) posted most of his 95-82 record with 20 saves from 1932-1943 with the Pirates; while a good percentage of Pete Donohue‘s (1988) 1921-1932 career, with 134 wins, 118 losses, and 12 saves, came playing with the Reds. Lefty-hitting but a righthanded fielder, outfielder Jim King (2015) played for the Senators and Cubs from 1955 to 1967, hitting 117 homers and driving in 401 runs during that time.
Players Born This Day
It’s an easy decision to lead off the February 23 birthday list in Yankee history with an acknowledgement of the late great Elston Howard (1929). Players from Ellie’s era run the danger of being overlooked in all the spectacular things the Yankees and their club were accomplishing in those days, but don’t be fooled. He was an All Star every year from 1957 through 1965, won the Gold Glove at catcher in ’63 and ’64 and was the AL MVP in 1963. Along with Ellie’s superb defense (which, according to at least one account included the ability to doctor a ball for his batterymate), he contributed 161 home runs, 733 rbi’s, and eight steals to the Yankee cause from his first game in 1955 until he was traded to Boston during the 1967 season for Pete Magrini and Ron Klimkowski. Although the MVP was a big accomplishment, to many of us rooting for a shockingly bad Yankee team at the time, his ninth-inning single to break up a no-hitter in Boston his last year in Pinstripes was just as big.
Talking Bomber Birthdays, the guy I’d mention after the great Howard because he has played so recently (2007) is Rondell White (1972), who disappointed with his bat in his 2002 stint with the Yankees, although his improved second half elevated his numbers to 14 homers, 62 rbi’s, and a stolen base. He played seven full years with Montreal, then the Cubs in 2001, and has played with the Padres, the Royals, and the Tigers since; 2007 was his second year in Minnesota.
Lefty-hitting outfielder Roy “Cleveland” Johnson (1903) was acquired with Bump Hadley from the Washington Senators in January 1936 for Jimmie DeShong and Jesse Hill. Roy hit a homer with 25 rbi’s and four steals for the 1936-1937 Yankees in 75 games; he split seven years evenly between the Tigers and the Red Sox before that stay. He finished up back in Boston with the Bees for two years.
And finally, switch-hitter Eddie Kearse (1916) played all 11 of his big league games with the 1942 Yankees. In 26 at bats, he had five hits, scored two runs, knocked in two, and stole a base.
Twelve consecutive years of New York Mets second basemen were born today too, with the good-glove/weak-stick Ron Hunt (1941), whose specialty was getting hit by pitches in his loose uniform, playing it from 1963-1966; and Ken Boswell (1946) of the ’69 Miracle team, carrying it on from 1967 through 1974. A less successful Mets stint is remembered with Bobby Bonilla‘s (1963) birth on this date too. Other birthdays: Mike Tresh (1914); John Shelby (1958); Juan Agosto (1958); John Morris (1961); Jason Boyd (1973); Scott Elarton (1976); Luke Prokopec (1978); Chris Aguila (1979); Edgar Gonzalez (1983); Wilin Rosario (1989); Jaff Decker (1990); and Joe McCarthy (1994).
As a member of the Rules Committee, the owner of the Pittsburgh Pirates Barney Dreyfus spearheaded a drive to outlaw the spitball on February 23, 1918. Dreyfus was also born on February 23 (in 1865).
