On October 11, 2022, the Yankees won the opener of their ALDS Series vs the Guardians on a two-run home run from Anthony Rizzo, and a singleton shot from Harrison Bader, displaying a power surge that would show in the playoffs, but sadly not in 2023. Gerrit Cole struck out eight over seven, the only blemish being an early blast from Cleveland left fielder Steven Kwan.

The postseason would be the worst possible time for a team to experience a 21-inning scoreless streak, but the Yanks survived theirs when they exploded for seven runs in the eighth inning of a 7-1 win over the Mariners in the ALCS on October 11, 2000. Bernie Williams‘s rbi base hit broke the logjam, Jorge Posada homered, and Orlando “el duque” Hernandez extended his postseason record to 7-0. The Yanks evened the Series at a game apiece, as Derek Jeter also pounded a home run.

The 2012 ALDS battle with Baltimore continued in the Bronx on October 11, as the Yanks, up 2-1 in games, sought to polish the O’s off. But following up the 12-inning victory the night before, New York fell 2-1 in 13 this time. In what was a horrible postseason for him, Alex Rodriguez did tie Yogi Berra for 16th on the all-time postseason hits list with a fourth-inning single. Nate McLouth homered in the fifth, Robbie Cano drove Derek Jeter in in the sixth, but that was it until JJ Hardy knocked in Manny Machado off Derek Lowe, the eighth Yankee pitcher of the night.

On October 11, 2022, the Yankees activated DH Matt Carpenter from the 60-day injured list. The team also reassigned catcher Ben Rortvedt; center fielder Estevan Florial; outfielder Everson Pereira; second baseman DJ LeMahieu; shortstop Oswald Peraza; left fielder Andrew Benintendi; lefthander Aroldis Chapman; and righthanders Yoendrys Gomez, Deivi Garcia, Frankie Montas, Greg Weissert, Scott Effross, and Albert Abreu to the minor leagues.

On October 11, 2022, the Yankees activated second baseman DJ LeMahieu from the 10-day injured list.

In 2001, the Bombers were backed into an 0-2 corner after losing the first two at home in the best of five ALDS with Oakland. Tim Hudson beat them 2-0 in Game Two on October 11, and Ron Gant homered.

The Yanks scored a four-spot in the eighth inning to beat the Orioles in the ’96 ALCS in a come-from-behind win, 5-2 on October 11. The victory put the Yanks up in games, 2-1.

After extending the AL record for rbi’s with 175, Lou Gehrig was named MVP of the Junior Circuit on October 11, 1927. The formerly honored Babe Ruth was not considered because at the time it was an award one could only win once in a career.

Singleton home runs by Todd Walker and Trot Nixon off Mike Mussina on October 11, 2003, carried the Red Sox and Tim Wakefield to a 3-2, Game Four win over New York, and a 2-2 tie in games.

David Wells survived home runs by Jim Thome and Kenny Lofton with the help of one off the bat of Chili Davis on October 11, 1998, 5-3. The Yanks scored three in the first, and moved in front, three games to two, in that year’s ALCS.

The Yanks overcame the Brewers in the Division Series when they beat them 7-3 on October 11, 1981. The Bombers homered three times, one of them the second of the Series by Reggie Jackson.

Eleven days after resigning his post with the Yankees, Ralph Houk signed a three-year contract with the Detroit Tigers on this day in 1973. Unfortunately, “The Major” joined a list of Yankee luminaries to sign up to play in the “much higher leagues” during the 2010 season. Also, with Yankee management still in his future, Billy Martin was hired to pilot the Twins on October 11, 1968.

The Yanks swapped veteran Joe Gordon and Ed Bockman to the Indians for Superchief, Allie Reynolds, on this day in 1946. Though Gordon would have three good years in Cleveland, Reynolds became a mainstay of the Yanks’ wonderful Championship run that followed. Perhaps tiring of all his exploits afield, the great Joe DiMaggio made a great play off the field, as it was he who recommended Reynolds to Yankee management, helping the Bombers’ cause in another way.

Southpaw Phil Coke, whom the Yank had drafted in 2002, then traded as part of the Curtis Granderson acquisition from Detroit in December 2009, was selected in turn, and pitched three games in each city, by the Yanks then the Pirates in 2016, elected free agency on October 11, 2016.

On October 11, 2018, the Yankees signed free agent righthander Josue Panacual to a minor league contract.

On October 11, 2013, the Yankees activated southpaw Vidal Nuno from the 60-day disabled list.

On October 11, 2011, the Yankees activated catcher Francisco Cervelli from the 15-day disabled list. Despite his career being threatened by multiple collisions, Cisco continues to play, although he spent almost the entire 2012 season in AAA.

The controversial Phillies vs. Astros contest that took place in the 1980 NLCS on October 11 featured both a triple play on which the call was reversed while the ball was in play, causing maximum baserunner and fielder confusion, and a player being called out for leaving too early on a sac fly attempt. The Phillies took it 5-3 in 10 innings, tying that series at two games apiece.

And now, Yankee October 11 World Series highlights. Neither starter, the Yanks’ Harry Harper nor the Giants’ Fred Toney, lasted very long in the October 11, 1921 contest, but the Giants prevailed, 8-5.

Two years later the Yanks returned the favor, beating the Giants 4-2 in the Polo Grounds. Herb Pennock toed the mound, Babe Ruth went yard twice, and Aaron Ward hit one out too.

Spud Chandler allowed 10 hits to the Cards on this day in 1943, but he spread them out and held them scoreless while Bill Dickey was winning the game and the Championship with a two-run sixth-inning homer in a 2-0 Yankee win. It was the Bombers’ 10th world title.

One big blow off Al Downing and the Yanks cost the team on October 11, 1964, as Ken Boyer of the Cardinals hit a grand slam to edge the Bombers, 4-3.

One-time Yankee third-base coach and recently fired Mets Manager Willie Randolph was playing second base in the Bronx when he doubled in the 12th inning of Game One of the 1977 World Series against the Dodgers on October 11, and Paul Blair delivered him with a single in the 4-3 Yankee win.

Bob Welch struck Reggie Jackson out at the key late-game moment in the Dodgers’ 4-3 win in Game Two one year later, opening a two-to-nothing lead in games for the Dodgers on October 11, 1978.

Few knew it, but the early pre-history of the New York Yankees franchise took a step forward when the American League announced on October 11, 1900, their intention to field teams in Baltimore and Washington starting with the 1901 season. After two seasons in the city that now boasts a great ballpark, aquarium, and harbor, the former new franchise would move to New York in 1903, where they played as the Highlanders.

The last official spitball pitcher, Burleigh Grimes, was released by the Pirates on October 11, 1934. Grimes actually pitched for the Yankees that season too, going 1-2 in 10 games, before the last eight contests with Pittsburgh.

 
Players Who Have Died This Day

The Yankees’ unexpected loss to the Detroit Tigers in the 2006 ALDS was just a few days old when pitcher Cory Lidle was tragically lost to an airplane crash into a building in Manhattan on October 11. Lidle pitched 10 games (nine starts) for New York to a 4-3-0 record. His overall mark from a 1997-2006 career spent largely with the Phillies, the Rays, and the A’s was 82-72-2. Catcher Ira Thomas (1958), the only other Yankee player to have died on October 11, hit one long ball and drove in 39 runs on 63-for-323 hitting during 124 games with the 1906-1907 Highlanders. Stints with the 1908 Tigers and the 1910-1915 A’s increased the overall numbers to three and 155.

Before moving on to other nonYankee deaths on October 11, we’ll lead off with that of lefty hitting, righty throwing Hall of Fame second baseman Joe Morgan (2020), who, while playing with Houston from 1963-1971, plus 1980 (including two early years with the Colt 45s), from 1972 through 1979 with Cincinnati, and 1981-1982 with Philly and Oakland, with two other stops, hit 268 home runs with 1,133 rbi’s. Joe won the NL MVP Award in 1975 and 1976. Righthander Clay Kirby (1991) is one of two pitchers among the seven other noteworthy nonYankee players to have passed this day. He won 75, lost 104, and saved none throwing for the 1969-1973 Padres, the 1974-1975 Reds, and the 1976 Montreal Expos. Third baseman Red Smith (1966), who cleared 27 fences good for 514 rbi’s playing for Brooklyn from 1911-1914 and with the Braves from 1914-1919, rounds out the list along with the following three outfielders: Danny Taylor (1972) blasted 44 homers and knocked in 305 runs playing for the Senators, the Cubs, and the Dodgers from 1926-1936; Lee Walls (1993) homered 66 times with 284 rbi’s from 1952-1964 playing with the Pirates, the Cubs, the Phillies, the Dodgers, and the Reds; and Champ Summers (2012), a lefty hitter and righty thrower, cleared 54 fences good for 218 rbi’s from 1974-1984, mostly with the Reds, the Tigers, the Cubs, and the Giants. And most recently, a very good pitcher but very poor hitter on some not very good teams, Dean Chance (2015) spent the first six years of his 1961-71 career with the California Angels, and also spent significant time with the Minnesota Twins. He won 128, lost 115, and saved 23; Chance’s 33 shutouts is further testimony about how dominant he could be. And catcher and utility player Jay Porter (2020) played from 1952 to 1959, with a 1955-1957 stint in Detroit, plus four other stops. He hit eight long balls, and drove in 62.

 
Players Born This Day

Although some doubt has been expressed over the year reported for the birth of Orlando “el duque” Hernandez (1965), it is clear that he is one of the three Yankee players born October 11. Before his loss as a free agent to Montreal, The Duke went 53-38 for the Yanks with one save, and managed a 10-2 record in the postseason. He returned in time to give the Yanks a huge lift in 2004, and performed well on the south side of Chicago in 2005. The ageless one last pitched with the Mets, in 2007.

Little was expected expected backup defense when the Yankees signed infielder Giovanny Urshela (1991) off Toronto in early August 2018, but once the team lost Miguel Angujar in April, Urshela filled in spectacularly on the hot corner. After having hit eight long balls and driven in 39 runs subbing in Cleveland/Toronto for three years, Gio hit 21 home runs and drove in 74 for the 2019 Yankees. He added six long balls and drove in 30 in the 60-game 2020 season, and hit a grand slam in the two-game Wild Card sweep over Cleveland. Gio added 14 long balls and 49 rbi’s in a 2021 campaign marred by injury, and also by his late-season shift to shortstop for 28 games. Traded to Minnesota in the swap that also sent Gary Sanchez there, Gio had 12 home runs and 62 rbi’s in 144 games for the Twins in 2022. Subsequently traded to the Angels, Gio hit two home runs and drove in 24 runs in 62 games in LA in 2023. In 128 games with Detroit and Atlanta in 2024, he added nine homers and 52 rbi’s.

Righty Gary Blaylock (1931) only pitched in the bigs in 1959, posting a 4-5 mark with the Cardinals before losing one in 15 appearances with the Yanks. New York selected him off waivers from St. Louis that July. After being signed by the Yankees in January 2000, infielder Juan Melo (1976) opened some eyes in Spring Training two months later. But facing the possibility of losing Melo for nothing, the Yanks shipped him to San Francisco for Wilson Delgado a week before the season opener. Melo managed but one hit with the Giants serving mainly as a defensive replacement that year, and has spent seasons in the Independent Northern League.

Other birthdays: righty Charlie Williams (1947), who won 23 and lost 22 in seven seasons with the Giants and one with the Mets; Gregg Olson (1966); Joe Roa (1971); Dmitri Young (1973); Jesus Sanchez (1974); Ty Wigginton (1977); Shane Youman (1979); Jeff Larish (1982); Max Ramirez (1984); David Goforth (1988); Jenrry Mejia (1989); Josh D. Smith (1989); Grayson Greiner (1992); Mickey Gasper (1995); Josh Winder (1996); and J.B. Bukauskas (1996).