For a few thousand season ticket holders, June 10, 2017, was already a great day in the Bronx, as they got to meet, speak, and take selfies with their favorite players in pregame ceremonies on photo day, but it got better from there. The Yanks pounded Baltimore’s Chris Tillman for nine runs into the second while he recorded all of four outs. Early long balls from Aaron Judge, Didi Gregorius, and Starlin Castro got the carnage started, and Matt Holliday and Gary Sanchez homers sealed the 16-3 annihilation. If there was a sad hometown note, it was that the superb Luis Severino was wasted on a day where I may have been able to pitch the Bombers to a win.

Gleyber Torres and Willie Calhoun home runs were enough to offset the one hit by Boston’s Rafael Devers in the sixth inning, the only blemish on Domingo German‘s 3-1 victory in the Stadium on June 10, 2023.

In one of the longer Yankee games following the institution of the “Manfred rule,” placing a runner on second base to start each extra inning, the Yankees prevailed 2-1 over the visiting Cubs in 13 innings on June 10, 2022. Gleyber Torres and Spencer Heyward jacked one-run jolts in the fourth and fifth innings respectively, then a pinch hitting Jose Trevino singled in the winner eight frames later.

Attempting, for the second straight day, to ride a four-run, seventh-inning rally to victory over Washington in Yankee Stadium on June 10, 2015, the Yanks were derailed when young southpaw Jacob Lindgren surrendered a game-tying, two-run homer to Clint Robinson in the eighth. A two-out infield single off the bat of Denard Span against Chris Capuano in the 11th scored Tyler Moore, sending the Yanks to a 5-4 loss.

You could call it “Mets Frustration Day in the Bronx,” or maybe “Russell Martin Day,” but either way the Yankee 5-4 win over their crosstown rivals on June 10, 2012, had to be disturbing. Riding a three-run second-inning rally crowned by a Jordany Valdespin double off Andy Pettitte, Jon Niese blanked the Yanks until Martin drilled a two-run home run in the seventh. The home team took a 4-3 lead in the eighth until Ike Davis tied it with an rbi double, but no matter. Martin homered again leading off the bottom of the ninth for the walkoff win.

Following a dispiriting three-game home-standing sweep at the hands of the Red Sox, the Yanks were picked up by a fine Ivan Nova start against Cleveland in an eventual 11-7 win on June 10, 2011. It was 6-0 through four as the Yanks pounded Fausto Carmona for nine hits, Robinson Cano and Jorge Posada each stroked three hits, Curtis Granderson scored three times with a home run, and Alex Rodriguez homered as well.

The only bad news in a Yankee 13-6 drubbing of the Pirates in the Stadium June 10, 2007, was the disappointing start out of Tyler Clippard, who gave all of an early 5-2 lead back by allowing six runs into the fourth. The big offensive explosions were courtesy of Bobby Abreu, who went 4-for-4 with a walk, three rbi’s, and four runs scored; and Alex Rodriguez, who walked twice, homered twice, knocked in five runs, and scored four. Things went so well that troubled relievers Sean Henn, Luis Vizcaino, Scott Proctor, and Mike Myers held the Buccos scoreless on three singles over the last 5.3 innings. We felt so good that we capped the night with a Steely Dan concert in the Beacon Theatre that evening. Mr. Clippard, by the way, has made quite a career for himself in Washington and elsewhere, including a return trip to the Bronx. He stands at 53-46 with 68 saves following the 2019 season.

A good and bad day for the Yankees on June 10, 1998. Veteran outfielder Tim Raines became the fifth player to steal 800 career bases against his old Montreal club during a Yankee 6-2 win, but the team also lost an awkwardly sliding center fielder Bernie Williams to the disabled list for more than three weeks.

Former Yankee outfield prospect Marcus Thames blasted the first pitch he saw in the majors, delivered by Randy Johnson, for a home run, in a 7-5 Yankee win, on June 10, 2002. Ramiro Mendoza took the ball from Sterling Hitchcock once a Steve Finley fourth-inning double and Junior Spivey and Luis Gonzalez fifth-inning singles had reclaimed a 4-2 lead for the visitors. Derek Jeter cut the lead in half immediately with a blast to right, and Shane Spencer hit a grand slam in the eighth off Bret Prinz to hand Johnson, a Yankee starter later in 2005-2006, the loss. Thames did well in a return engagement with the Yanks as a 2010 righty-hitting DH, except for the few unfortunate times he played the outfield. He is doing better as the 2018 hitting coach.

On June 10, 2003, Alfonso Soriano and Jason Giambi singles wrapped around a Derek Jeter fielder’s choice broke up a scoreless duel between Wade Miller of the Astros and Mike Mussina, and Jorge Posada capped the fifth-inning rally with a two-run jack in a 5-3 win over the Astros in their first ever game in Yankee Stadium.

Lefty Grove of the A’s struck out five times on June 10, 1933, a 20th-Century first, but the light-hitting hurler would get the 9-5 win over the Yanks.

On June 10, 2015, the Yankees placed lefty closer Andrew Miller on the 15-day disabled list, with a strained left forearm; optioned outfielder Ramon Flores to the AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders; and activated shortstop Brendan Ryan from the 60-day disabled list.

Recently retired as a Yankee, Kevin Brown blanked the Giants 9-0 on June 10, 1997, while throwing the season’s first no-hitter for the Marlins. The two-out eighth-inning pitch that nipped the leg of Marvin Benard denied him a Perfect Game. And on June 10, 1966, Sonny Siebert threw a no-no against the Senators as the Indians won, 2-0.

Paul O’Neill and Derek Jeter each had three hits with a home run, Tino Martinez had three safeties, and Jorge Posada went yard as well in an 11-5 Yankee victory over the Mets on June 10, 2000, in a hot, steamy Saturday in the Big Ballpark in the South Bronx.

Second baseman Willie Randolph‘s two-run double keyed the offense as Ron Guidry bested the Twins 4-1 this day in 1977.

It was only right that the Yanks made out very well when they traded Ken Holtzman away to the Cubs on June 10, 1978. In the earlier trade that sent the lefty north from Baltimore, the Orioles did great, and Holtzman fizzled in New York, but this time the Bombers got reliever Ron Davis in return. Ron’s 14-2 record in 1979 broke the record for victories by a rookie reliever, which had been the 13 held by former Yankee Wilcy Moore. And on this day in 1966, the Yanks sent pitcher Fred Talbot and catcher Billy Bryan to the Royals for pitchers Bill Stafford and Gil Blanco, but mostly for outfield prospect Roger Repoz. Repoz patrolled center in New York for a while, during which time he proved more capable with his glove than with his bat.

Mickey Mantle‘s third homer in three days on this day in 1960 was a game winner over the Indians, 4-3.

One year later, the Bombers weathered the trouble caused by former Yank Hank Bauer‘s inside-the-park homer over Mickey Mantle‘s head and around the Yankee Stadium monuments, as The Mick recovered to blast an eighth-inning jack off Kansas City’s Bill Kunkel in a 5-3 Yankee win.

Greg Maddux spread out seven hits over seven innings in a 4-1 Atlanta win over the Yankees in the Bronx on June 10, 2001. Backup catcher Joe Oliver‘s second-inning dinger provided the Yanks with their only run.

Yankee players aren’t the only ones who could be a bit off their game while the club had to play their home schedule in Shea Stadium in 1974 and 1975. In pre-game ceremonies in honor of Army Day on this day in 1975, the park filled with smoke during a 21-gun salute, part of the outfield wall was damaged, and another part caught on fire. The Yanks beat the Twins 5-1 in the game that followed.

Tigers hurler George Mullin extended his winning streak to 11 with a 2-1 win over the Highlanders on June 10, 1909.

The Yanks reached the Browns’ Urban Shocker for six runs in the third as Babe Ruth homered for two, and a sac fly following a hit-by-pitch, double, single, and two errors plated four more, in a 14-5 win over St. Louis on June 10, 1922.

The A’s Doc Cramer hit for the cycle on June 10, 1934, but the Yanks prevailed, 7-3, anyway, largely on the strength of Lou Gehrig‘s second grand slam of the year.

The Yankees optioned lefthander Nestor Cortes Jr. to the AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders on June 10, 2019, and activated righthander Masahiro Tanaka from the paternity list.

In a move made possible as mlb becomes a more caring place in this Millennium, the Yankees activated righthander Freddy Garcia from the bereavement list on June 10, 2012. To make room, the team optioned righty reliever Ryota Igarashi to AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

The Highlanders made their first-ever trade a good one when they sent infielders Herman Long and Ernie Courtney to Detroit for shortstop Kid Elberfeld on June 10, 1903.

The waiver wire language makes it sound so simple and dry, but when the Yankees placed first baseman Chris Parmelee on the 15-day disabled list, with a light hamstring strain, on June 10, 2016, the injury he had sustained ended his season, following a brief, but offensively explosive, stint in the Bronx. The team recalled righthander Chad Green from the AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders to fill the roster spot.

In roster moves made on June 10, 2011, the Yankees transferred righthander Joba Chamberlain from the 15-day disabled list to the 60-day disabled list; optioned outfielder Chris Dickerson to AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre; and called up righty Kevin Whelan from Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

When Pete Rose singled off Nolan Ryan on June 10, 1981, he moved into a tie with Stan Musial for total hits by an NL player with 3,630.

Joe Nuxhall became the youngest player in major league history when he threw .7 of an inning this day in 1944 for the Reds at the age of 15 years and 10 months.

How about a June 10 highlight featuring recent Pinstriped third base coach Larry Bowa, who played most of his career 100 some miles to the southwest in Philly? But Bowa was toward the end of his career and playing for the Cubs on this day in 1984 when he was the trailing runner on a triple steal that plated a ninth-inning insurance run in Chicago’s 2-0 win over St. Louis.

Rocky Colavito joined Lou Gehrig and Bobby Lowe as the only players to hit four consecutive homers on June 10, 1959.

 
Players Who Have Died This Day

Counting 1901 Baltimore third baseman/first baseman George Rohe (1957) as a Yankee because that team relocated to New York as the Highlanders in 1903, there are four Yankees who have died on June 10. Rohe’s 10 hits in 36 at bats during 14 games that year netted him four rbi’s, but no home runs. A 1905-1907 stint with the White Sox pushed his numbers to three long balls and 92 runs driven in. Listed as having played no position in his one major league game, Charlie Fallon (1960) had no at bats with the 1905 Highlanders either. A bigger name in baseball history is that of lefthanded outfielder Claudell Washington (2020), who along with his 26 home runs with 130 rbi’s playing in the Bronx from 1986 through 1988, and in 1990, also hit the 10,000th home run in Yankee history in 1988. His overall numbers following a 1981-1986 debut with Atlanta, and two-year stints with the KC A’s, the White Sox, and the Rangers compute to 164 long balls with 824 rbi’s. Lefthander Don Hood (2023) followed his 1975-1979 stint pitching in Cleveland with 27 games (six starts) pitching in the Bronx in 1979 to a 3-1 record with one save. Adding in his 1973-1974 debut with Baltimore and a few games with the 1980 Cardinals, Don’s overall mark was 34-35 with six saves in 297 games, 72 of them starts.

Noteworthy nonYankee players who have died this day include third baseman Joe Stripp (1989), who hit 24 home runs with 464 rbi’s for the Dodgers and the Reds from 1928-1938; and three righthanded pitchers. Turk Farrell (1977) posted most of his 106 wins, 111 losses, and 83 saves from 1956-1969 with the Phillies and the Astros; Jim Hearn (1998) won 109, lost 89, and saved eight with the Giants, the Cardinals, and the Phillies from 1947-1959; and Moe Drabowsky (2006), who enjoyed a great 1966 World Series with Baltimore, posted an 88-105 record with 55 saves from 1956-1972 with the Cubs, the A’s, the Royals, and the Cardinals, along with the Orioles.

 
Players Born This Day

Catcher Brad Gulden (1956), who spent time with the 1979 and 1980 Yanks, is joined by seven Yankee old-timers (all born 1905 or earlier — and one brand-new one) as teammates whose birthday is June 10. Brad hit one home run and knocked in eight runs with the Yanks once they got him from the Dodgers for Gary Thomasson in February 1979. The Yanks then sent him to the Seattle Mariners for a “player to be named later” and Larry Milbourne in November 1980. In May 1981, Gulden became that “player to be named” in his own trade when the Mariners sent him back. Finally, the Yankees shipped him to the Montreal Expos for Bobby Ramos the following April.

And now for the other seven: Pat McCauley (1870) notched one rbi while catching six games for the 1903 team. Frank Gilhooley (1892) spent six (1913-1919) of his nine big-league years in the Yankee outfield, contributing two homers and 53 rbi’s. He was purchased from the Cardinals in August 1913, and was traded with Ray Caldwell, Slim Love, Roxy Walters, and cash to the Red Sox for Ernie Shore and Duffy Lewis in December 1918.

Fred Hoffman (1894) filled several roles and hit seven homers with 57 rbi’s in the Bronx in the twenties. Hoffman finished up with two years in Boston, where he added 36 rbi’s but no homers to his totals. Lefty Garland Braxton (1900) went 6-2 with two saves in 1925-1926, and the Yanks sent him to Washington that October to complete an earlier deal for Dutch Ruether. Braxton would play through 1933 with the Senators, White Sox, and Browns, with a career mark of 50-53 with 32 saves.

Danny MacFayden (1905) went 14-10 in 64 games in New York in the early thirties. The Bombers got him from the Red Sox for Ivy Andrews, Hank Johnson, and cash in June 1932 and sold his contract to the Cincinnati Reds in November 1934. From 1926 to 1943 he won 132, lost 159, and saved nine games. Righty Roy Sanders (1894) appeared in six games (two starts) for the 1918 Yankees; he lost two games and won none, and went 1-1 for the Browns in 1920. Pitcher George Prentiss (1876) went 0-1 in two games for the 1902 Baltimore Orioles (who would relocate to New York as the Highlanders the following season) once he was acquired from the Boston Somersets in June 1902.

And finally, new to the Yankee fold is outfielder Zoilo Almonte (1989), a switch hitter who made it into the lineup of the very banged-up 2013 Yankee team for 34 games before he himself suffered an injury as well. Drafted by the Bombers in 2005, Zoilo hit a home run and drove in nine. Playing another 13 games in 2014, he upped the numbers to two and 12, but with the Yankees having signed both Jacoby Ellsbury and Carlos Beltran for 2014, Almonte was granted free agency that November.

Other birthdays lead off with a trio of old-time outfielders: Lefthanded Jack Graney (1886) hit all of his 18 home runs with 420 rbi’s with Cleveland from 1910-1922; Mike Creevitch (1908) spent most of his 1931-1945 career with the White Sox to the tune of 45 dingers with 514 driven in; and Frank Demaree (1910) stroked the greater part of his 72 long balls with 591 rbi’s with the crosstown Cubs from 1932-1944. Catcher Hank Foiles (1929) hit 46 homers with 166 rbi’s for Cleveland, Pittsburgh, and Cincinnati from 1953-1964, but he was originally drafted by the Yankees in 1948 and was lost to the Reds in the rule-V draft. Johnny Edwards (1938) caught too, for Cincinnati and Houston from 1961-1974.

Moving to more current times, current YES announcer and former switch-hitting outfielder Ken Singleton (1947) accumulated 246 taters with 1,065 rbi’s from 1970-1984, much of it with Baltimore. Elias Sosa (1950) won 59, lost 51, and saved 83 with the Giants, the Braves, and the Expos in the seventies; while Rick Camp (1953) posted a similar 56-49 with 57 saves for the Braves until 1985. Francisco Barrios (1953) both won and lost 38 with the White Sox from 1974-1981; and Floyd Bannister (1955) posted a 134-143 record with Seattle and the White Sox from 1977-1992. Current Kansas City starter Brian Bannister is Floyd’s son. Finally, there’s long-time Reds et al infielder Pokey Reese (1973); former Seattle starter Freddy Garcia (1976), later with the White Sox and now unclaimed but recovering from injury; Jeff Bennett (1980); Matt Chico (1983); Al Alburquerque (1986); Jay Flaa (1992); Patrick Murphy (1995); Jared Solomon (1997); and Cole Waites (1998).