Tag: New York Yankees

Nov 4: Tale of 2 franchises

NOVEMBER 4, 2016 | CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – The Chicago Cubs were welcomed home by millions on this date in 2016 after winning their first World Series Championship in 108 years.

How long is 108 years? Well, the last time the Cubs were the last team standing was 1908. The New York Yankees had yet to win their first World Series in 1908. In fact they weren’t even called the Yankees yet. They were known as the Highlanders.

Which shows how dominant the New York Yankees have been over the decades. Also on this date in 2009 the Yankees won their 27th World Series Championship.

Did you know the last time the Chicago Cubs won the World Series the Yankees had won none? In fact they weren’t even called the Yankees. They were the New York Highlanders in 1908.

CONTRIBUTING SOURCES:
http://www.baseball-reference.com/postseason/2009_WS.shtml
Cubs post-season results

Oct 18: Reggie! Reggie! Reggie!

OCTOBER 18, 1977 – THE BRONX, NEW YORK | Reggie Jackson forever became “Mr. October” on this date in 1977. It was game 6 of the World Series; Yankees against Dodgers; New York against Los Angeles; the biggest stage; the two biggest television markets.

In the fourth inning, Yankee right-fielder Reggie Jackson hit Los Angeles Dodgers’ pitcher Burt Hooton‘s 1st pitch into the right-field seats for a two-run homer. The next inning, Jackson hit Elias Sosa‘s 1st pitch to almost the same spot for 2 more runs. In the eighth inning, Jackson hit Dodger pitcher Charlie Hough‘s 1st pitch into the center-field bleachers.

Which was more amazing? Hitting 3 home runs in one World Series game? Hitting each one on the first pitch? Hitting each one off different pitchers? Or, hitting the third one 475 feet into the hitting-backdrop bleachers?

The Yankees won the game 8-4 and the Series 4 games to 2. The last player to hit 3 home runs in a World Series game before Jackson? Babe Ruth, who did it twice. Albert Pujols (2011) and Pablo Sandoval (2012) have done it since.

Contributing Sources:
1977 World Series game 6 box score/play-by-play
Reggie Jackson: Baseball Hall of Fame
Sports Illustrated Greatest Teams, By Tim Crothers, 1998

This baseball history story about Reggie Jackson is brought to you by TODAY in BASEBALL.

Oct 2: Bucky a 4-letter word

OCTOBER 2, 1978 | BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – Boston Red Sox killer Bucky Dent became a wanted man in New England on this date in 1978. The New York Yankees were down by 2 runs in a dramatic one-game playoff when Dent came to the plate against Mike Torrez, but not when he got back to the dugout.

It was a classic baseball rivalry, and the ultimate do-or-die situation in baseball, in a classic venue – Fenway Park. It had been an exciting American League East race. The Yankees made a remarkable comeback from 14 games behind to move 3 1/2 games ahead of the Red Sox with two weeks left in the season. Then the Red Sox won eight straight to end the season and tie the Yankees for first in the division, hence a one-game playoff.

In the top of the seventh, the Red Sox were ahead, 2-0. (Can you say “curse?”) The Yankees’ Chris Chambliss singled off of Mike Torrez. Roy White singled. Two on, two out.

Shortstop Bucky Dent, a .243 hitter, stepped up to the plate.

The count went to 1-1. Dent realized his bat was cracked, so he got a fresh piece of wood and returned to the batter’s box. The Savannah, Georgia native who hit 40 home runs in his 12-year career, hit the next pitch over the Green Monster, a three-run home run. The Yankees took the lead.

Torrez peppered his analysis of Dent’s homer with a few mild expletives: “I was so damn shocked. I thought maybe it was going to be off the wall. Damn, I did not think it was going to go out.” The Yanks extended their lead to 5-2. The Red Sox tried, valiantly as always, to come back. They almost did, but lost the game, 5-4. The Yankees went to the World Series in ‘78, beating the Los Angeles Dodgers 4 games to 2.

Contributing sources;
October 2, 1978 box score
Sports Illustrated Greatest Teams, by Tim Crothers, 1998

August 13: Rain, rules beat Yankees

AUGUST 13, 1978 | BALTIMORE, MARYLAND • Was the grounds-crew as swift as it could have been? Earl Weaver wouldn’t try to stall for rain would he? Either way, the New York Yankees were not pleased with the outcome of a game against the Baltimore Orioles on this date in baseball in 1978.

The O’s were leading the Yankees 3-0 after six innings. The Yankees scored five in the top of the seventh to take a 5-3 lead. The Orioles came to bat, and it started raining. The rain got heavier. Some think Orioles Manager Earl Weaver, one of the real characters of America’s pastime, saw the handwriting on the wall – or the raining falling on the ground – and stalled so the Orioles would not finish their time at bat. If the home team does not complete an inning because of rain, the score reverts back to the previous inning.

Some also think the Baltimore Memorial Stadium grounds crew was less than swift in getting the field covered. Needless to say, the game was called after 36 minutes. The umpires said the field was in bad shape because of so many rain delays, this only made it unplayable.

Rule 4.12 has since been changed (largely because of that game) so that the game is suspended should the visiting team take the lead when play stops because of rain before the home team has had a chance to complete the inning. The game is resumed from that point at a future date. Here’s the rule:

4.12 SUSPENDED GAMES.
(a) A game shall become a suspended game that must be completed at a future date if the game is terminated for any of the following reasons:
(5) Weather, if a regulation game is called while an inning is in progress and before the inning is completed, and the visiting team has scored one or more runs to take the lead, and the home team has not retaken the lead;

CONTRIBUTING SOURCES:
Game stats https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/BAL/BAL197808130.shtml
United Press International (UPI), Baltimore, Maryland, August 14, 1978
Official Rules http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/official_info/official_rules/foreword.jsp

Oct 20: Back from the brink

OCTOBER 20, 2004 | THE BRONX, NEW YORK | By defeating the New York Yankees 10-3 on this date in 2004, the Boston Red Sox became the first MLB team to win a best of seven playoff series after losing the first three games. Every game after the third was an elimination game for the Red Sox, and games four and five were not for the faint of heart.

It was the bottom of the ninth in game 4. The Red Sox were three outs from going home, down 4-3. Kevin Millar walked to lead off. Brian Roberts ran for Millar and proceeded to steal second. Roberts scored the tying run on a base hit by 3rd baseman Bill Mueller. The Red Sox were unable to bring the winning run around, so extra innings it went.

No one scored in the 10th or 11th. The Yankees went down in the 12th without scoring, but the Red Sox wasted little time putting the game away. Manny Ramirez singled to left and David Ortiz followed with a walk-off home run.

The Red Sox trailed late in game 5 too. They tied the Yankees in the bottom of the eighth. Again, it went into extra innings, and again, David Ortiz drove in the winning run with a walk-off single in the 14th.

The Red Sox had to win the next two in Yankee Stadium, which they did, 4-2 and 10-3. The next stop – the World Series. The Red Sox swept the St. Louis Cardinals in four games to win their first World Series since 1918.

CONTRIBUTING SOURCES:
Game 4 box score/play-by-play
Game 5 box score/play-by-play
MLB postseason