Via Baseball-Reference.com’s Play Index Post-Season Game Finder, I now present a list of what could be considered as the best post-seasons by Yankees batters:

For those who cannot figure this out, this list is post-season games with reaching base at least twice, sorted by OPS in those total games, with at least five post-season games played that year.

Seeing this, which batter would you say was the king of all Yankees Octobers?

Of course, keep in mind that the denominator is not shown here. For example, A-Rod has 12 (reached 2+ times) games in 15 chances. And, the fifteen is not shown. And, Scott Brosius has 6 games here – but that came in 13 chances.

So, yeah, it’s not a perfect list…but, then again, it does make a case that Mark Teixeira was not as bad this post-season as many paint his picture to be…

In any event, you cannot say enough about Hideki Matsui’s post-season this year. It looks like he was 7 for 15 here. But, in reality, since he was a just a pinch-hitter in 3 of those games, you can make a case that he was 7 for 12 in this cut. Godzilla, indeed.

Watching the Yankees take the first two games of the 2009 ALCS from the Los Angeles Angels got me thinking about another time when a Yankees team faced a team from “Los Angeles” in the post-season…where the home-team took the first two games of the seven-game series…and that would be the 1978 World Series between the Yankees and Dodgers.

In the 1978 World Series, the Dodgers took Games 1 and 2, at home, over the Yankees…like the Yankees have taken Games 1 and 2 of the 2009 ALCS, at home, against the Angels. I seem to recall Thurman Munson being a tad upset with the Dodgers in the way they conducted themselves in those wins. If memory serves correct, Munson thought that Davey Lopes had showboated, too much, on some homeruns in those games, running the bases with one-finger up in the air. At least I think that’s what went down…but, I confess, all these years later, I might have mangled the facts a bit…

In any event, when the Yankees took that Series back “home” in 1978 for Game 3, it all turned around. Down two games to none, in Game 3, Ron Guidry and Graig Nettles saved the Yankees bacon. And, in Game 4, Reggie Jackson stuck out his hip in a key spot to aid another Yankees win. Next, in Game 5, the Yankees pounded the ball and Jim Beattie, of all people, pitched like he was Christy Mathewson. In the end, after returning home for three games, the Yankees now had a three-two lead in games, heading into Game 6 of the Series.

And, Game 6, out in L.A., was more Yankees magic. Catfish Hunter threw the ball like a man who made a deal with the devil. Brian Doyle and Bucky Dent sprayed hits all over the field. And, the Yankees won…the game…and the World Series. By the way, that Game 6 of the 1978 World Series was played on October 17, 1978…which was 31 years ago, yesterday. Maybe that’s why it was on my mind?

Let’s hope the 2009 Los Angeles Angels don’t pull a 1978 New York Yankees in this seven-game post-season series. Game 3 of the 2009 ALCS is tomorrow, at 4 pm ET. Then again, I don’t see Jered Weaver and Chone Figgins pulling a “Ron Guidry and Graig Nettles”…at least…I hope not…

Via Tonic.com

Given that his career took place before the age of television, almost no footage of The Bambino exists at all. Even though he played American League Baseball for 21 years, every last scrap of footage found of him hitting home runs, running bases, and mugging for cameras amounts to just one hour-long tape. The footage lives at Major League Baseball Productions, a collection of 150,000 hours of tape spaning more than 100 years of baseball’s history.

But now that collection includes a precious eight seconds more, thanks to a New Hampshire man who stumbled upon the 8-millimeter footage while digging around in his grandfather’s home movie collection, according to a story in The New York Times. The footage is part of a 90-second clip shot from the first-base stands at Yankee Stadium. It’s the archive’s only footage of Ruth playing in the outfield. In one sequence, he strikes out, looks unhappy about it and drags his bat through the dirt while Lou Gehrig watches from on deck.

Researchers haven’t yet nailed down when the footage was taken. They believe it’s from 1928, based on a series of clues. For starters, none of the players have numbers of their backs, which means it was recorded before 1929 when the Yankees started wearing them. It’s definitely from after 1925 when Gehrig took over as starter. Ads in the outfield match photos taken in 1928, further narrowing down the year.

What’s harder to determine is the actual day the footage was shot. It could be opening day or the World Searies because the seats are full and the shadows are long, suggesting it’s either late or early in the season. But it’s unclear what team the Yankees are playing (again, no numbers). One thing they do know: Ruth struck out, narrowing it down to Games 1 and 2 of the 1928 World Series, played at Yankee Stadium against the St. Louis Cardinals. Now that’s something.

Great find. Then again, today, it’s not as if everything is on-demand video. I’ve yet to see a clip of Dan Morogiello allowing a pinch-hit grand slam homer to John Wockenfuss, just for an example.

Andre Robertson, Nick Johnson and Jose Molina.

And, while that answer is technically correct, these three have something else in common: Starting a game at D.H. for the New York Yankees, while batting 9th.

Andre Robertson was the first ever to do it – on June 19, 1982…a game that the Yankees won in 16 innings.

Nick Johnson did it 27 times while he was with the Yankees – which, by the way, is the major league record for most times appearing in a starting line-up, as a D.H., while batting 9th.

And, Jose Molina was the most recent Yankee to turn this trick – doing it on October 2, 2009.

Here are all the Yankees to have this honor, before Molina joined the club this season:

                   Games Link to Individual Games
+-----------------+-----+-------------------------+
 Nick Johnson         27 Ind. Games
 Shelley Duncan        5 Ind. Games
 Bernie Williams       4 Ind. Games
 Todd Zeile            3 Ind. Games
 Rondell White         3 Ind. Games
 Bubba Trammell        3 Ind. Games
 John Vander Wal       1 Ind. Games
 Shane Spencer         1 Ind. Games
 Andre Robertson       1 Ind. Games
 Robert Perez          1 Ind. Games
 Kenny Lofton          1 Ind. Games

Oh, my, has it really been 31 years…

With his win yesterday, CC Sabathia became just the tenth left-handed pitcher in Yankees history to win 19+ games in a season. Here are the others:

                   From  To   Ages Seasons Link to Individual Seasons
+-----------------+----+----+-----+-------+------------------------------+
 Lefty Gomez       1931 1937 22-28       4 Ind. Seasons
 Herb Pennock      1923 1927 29-33       4 Ind. Seasons
 Andy Pettitte     1996 2003 24-31       3 Ind. Seasons
 Ron Guidry        1978 1985 27-34       3 Ind. Seasons
 Whitey Ford       1956 1963 27-34       3 Ind. Seasons
 Tommy John        1979 1980 36-37       2 Ind. Seasons
 C.C. Sabathia     2009 2009 28-28       1 Ind. Seasons
 David Wells       2002 2002 39-39       1 Ind. Seasons
 Fritz Peterson    1970 1970 28-28       1 Ind. Seasons
 Ed Lopat          1951 1951 33-33       1 Ind. Seasons

Seasons/Careers found: 10.

It would be great to see Sabathia get one more win this year – and join the 20-win club.

I think I’ve mentioned this opinion before…but…let me say it again. Yankeenumbers.com is the greates Yankees-related website that doesn’t get mentioned as often as it should…

For example: Where else can you quickly find a list of every Yankees player to ever wear the #29?

Maybe it’s just me…but, if you’re into Yankees uniform numbers, there’s no better resource for it out there.

Via the Seattle Times –

Lonny Frey, who played 14 seasons in the major leagues and in three All-Star games, died Sunday, in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. Frey, the oldest surviving Pacific Coast League baseball player and the second-oldest major-leaguer, was 99.

Frey, whose full name was Linus Reinhard Frey, finished his professional career with the Seattle Rainiers in 1950, then moved his family from St. Louis to Seattle after that season. The family settled in Bellevue, then Frey and his wife, Mary, moved to Snohomish in the late 1960s.

When Mary Frey died in 1982, Frey moved to Coeur d’Alene.

“He was a warm, very down-to-earth guy,” said Pacific Coast League historian Dave Eskenazi. “He shared a number of entertaining baseball anecdotes, mainly about his old teams and teammates. I remember him telling me that Ernie Lombardi hit the ball harder than anyone else he’d seen, and he’d seen them all.

“He was modest, but rightly proud of his terrific major-league career.”

For more on Frey, see this at Misc. Baseball (Gathering Assorted Items of Baseball History and Trivia).

This is just 8 months after Bill Werber’s death.

Tommy Henrich is now on the clock…

Via John Shea in the San Fran Gate –

Giants general manager Brian Sabean was the Yankees’ vice president of player development and scouting in ‘92 and had a hand in drafting Jeter. He saw Jeter play in high school and was on the same page with scouting director Bill Livesey and other inner-circle executives who were urged by area scout Dick Groch.

“It was a unanimous thing, much like here when we took (Buster) Posey and (Tim) Lincecum,” Sabean said. “You have a lot of hands up in the room.”

Jeter hit .210 his first minor-league season and made 56 errors his second. But the next year, he cut his E’s in half and topped .300 at three minor-league stops. He started the Yankees’ ‘96 opener, replacing Tony Fernandez, and never lost his job. He’s a 10-time All-Star.

Recalling Jeter in high school, Sabean said, “He didn’t run particularly well because he had an ankle issue, but you could see the athleticism and comfort in which he played the game and how easy the game came. Normally, a shortstop taken that high comes from a baseball state such as California, Florida or Texas. That’ll tell you how much his tools impressed us.

“It’s a testament to him that once he got there, he never looked back, never stopped working, never took anything for granted – one of the reasons for his staying power. He’ll go down as one of the best in history at his position, and to think it all was in a Yankee uniform is pretty amazing in this day and age.

“While it’s somewhat bold to pick a high school player because you can’t predict, we all knew he had a chance to be special. I don’t think any of us envisioned the type of career and longevity he’s had.”

You know, Jeter’s 1994 minor league season was amazing. As a 20-year old playing at A-AA-AAA combined he batted .344 with only 46 K’s in 592 PA. Can you imagine the hype, today, if a 20-year old Yankees prospect did something like that?

Nope, it’s not that crazy new math…it’s just an wonderful moment for an all-time Yankees great…and one of the best players to ever play the game.

Watch out Ted Williams, Bobby Doerr, Dom DiMaggio, and Johnny Pesky…

In Yankeeland, #’s 2, 20, 42 and 46 have been lockering together for a long time…via Joel Sherman -

Their navigation through the system is a starting point for a dynasty. In Jeter’s first full pro season, 1993 at Greensboro, he was joined by Mariano Rivera. The following season, Jeter, Rivera, Pettitte and Posada all were at Columbus together (although Posada was on the disabled list with a broken ankle when Jeter was promoted to Triple-A). For an 11-day period in May 1995, the four were all active and teammates for the Clippers.

It is possible that no minor league team has ever had that level of talent at one time, before or since. Think about this group: Jeter and Rivera are first-ballot Hall of Famers, Pettitte and, especially, Posada will generate Cooperstown support.

Not one other member of the 1995 Clippers is still active. Yet here are Jeter, Pettitte, Posada and Rivera not just active, but thriving — and still teammates. The odds of making it into the majors even from the minors are not good, the chance of doing it with a teammate lower yet. What are the odds that four teammates from one Triple-A team would still be together 15 years later and still be vital?

“I would put it like this: What are the odds that anyone in the minors for any team right now is going to have a 15-year career?” Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said. “So [having four together], that stuff just doesn’t happen.”

But it has happened for the Yankees. Tonight Pettitte (who took a three-year hiatus in Houston) will make his 372nd start a Yankee, Posada will start as a catcher for the Yankees for the 1,363rd time, Jeter will start his 2,097th game at shortstop and Rivera will await the call to appear in his 909th Yankees game.

Rivera signed in 1990. Posada and Pettitte signed in 1991. And, Jeter signed in 1992.

Stick Michael was calling the shots as G.M. during these signings. (Michael was G.M. from 8/90 through 1995.) Bill Livesey was the Scouting Director back then as well. Mitch Lukevics was the Farm Director.

Good job by Michael, Livesey and Lukevics on these four teammates…very good job, indeed.

Here are some of Derek Jeter’s milestone career hits, to date:

Hit#	Date	  Opp	Pitcher	 	 Inn	Play Desc.
1	05/30/95  @SEA	Tim Belcher	 T 5	Single to LF (GB thru SS-3B)
100	07/17/96  @BOS	Joe Hudson	 T 7	Single to CF (LD to Short CF-RF)
250	05/23/97   BOS	Heath. Slocumb	 B 9	Single to LF (GB thru SS-3B Hole)
500	07/20/98   DET	Bryce Florie	 B 6	Single to CF (Line Drive)
750	08/18/99   KCR	Dan Reichert	 B 1	Single to CF (LD to Deep SS-2B)
1000	09/25/00   DET	Steve Sparks	 B 5	Single (Ground Ball)
1500	08/16/03  @BAL	Pat Hentgen	 T 5	Single to CF (Ground Ball)
2000	05/26/06   KCR	Scott Elarton	 B 4	Single to C (GB Front HP Adv E2)
2500	08/22/08  @BAL	Radhames Liz	 T 1	Single to 2B (Pop Fly CF-RF)
2721	09/09/09   TBR	Jeff Niemann	 B 7	Single to RF (GB RF line)

Single, single, single…you know, you always hear about guys like Rod Carew, Tony Gwynn and Ichiro Suzuki being magicians with the bat because of their ability to make contact and place hits “where they ain’t.” How come we never hear that about Jeter? He does it, no? Maybe it’s a bias against right-handed batters or something?

An interesting question came up here yestersday regarding Derek Jeter and Joe DiMaggio – centering on who is the “greater” Yankee (in terms of their career with the team).

I’ve found Jeter and DiMaggio to be very alike – off the field – in terms of how they carry themselves, deal with fans, media, and fellow teammates as well as protect their “image.” But, what about on the field?

Here, it gets a little harder. “Joe D” was a center fielder who played in a home ballpark which was a killer for right-handed batters (such as he). And, DiMaggio missed three years of playing time due to World War II. “Jete” is a shortstop who has played in a more forgiving Yankee Stadium (for right-handed batters such as he). And, Jeter’s career is still unfolding.

Also, there’s the matter of each player’s defensive reputation. Reportedly, DiMaggio never had to dive for a ball in the outfield because his range and knack for tracking flies was so great. Whereas, Jeter’s range at shortstop, most seasons, has brought cause for the expression “Past-a-diving Jeter.” Then again, the Defensive Spectrum says that playing shortstop is more difficult than playing center field. And, we know there have been many failed shortstops who have converted to become pretty solid defensive center fielders. So, maybe a somewhat less than average defensive shortstop and a top-notch defensive center fielder are not as far apart, in terms of value to a team, as it may seem? To be candid, I have no idea. But, if someone wanted to make this point, I would not laugh at it, at first, knowing what little I do know on the subject – and, rather, would defer to see some more study on it before picking a side of the debate.

Moving past off-the-field conduct, clubhouse contributions, and the question of defensive value, we can focus on each player’s offensive statistics.

Thanks to applications like the Complete Baseball Encyclopedia (CBE) and wesites like Baseball-Reference.com (B-R.com) we have stats available that take playing era and ballpark factors and make them all relative – facilitating our comparison of Jeter’s and DiMaggio’s bat.

Joe DiMaggio had 7,671 big league Plate Appearances in his career. And, according to the CBE, he had 708 Runs Created Above Average (RCAA) in those appearances while, according to B-R.com, he posted an adjusted OPS (OPS+) of 155.

Derek Jeter, through yesterday’s game, has 9,703 big league Plate Appearances in his career. And, according to the CBE, he has 379 RCAA in those appearances while, according to B-R.com, he has an OPS+ of 121.

Doesn’t seem close, does it? But, let’s try something else here.

Let’s remember that Joe DiMaggio lost three years to the war. And, let’s remember that Derek Jeter is 35-years old and his career is still unfolding. Can we find two players, who are like “Joe D” and “Jete” that may provide another angle to examine in this debate?

I believe that Johnny Mize and Charlie Gehringer are those two players.

First, let’s look at Johnny Mize compared to Joe DiMaggio, in terms of relative offense:

BATTER		PA	RCAA	OPS+
Johnny Mize	7371	667	158
Joe DiMaggio	7671	708	155

Now, those marks are pretty close. And, the beauty here is that Mize lost three “prime” seasons to the war – just like DiMaggo did during his career. Granted, Mize was a first baseman and DiMaggio, again, was a center fielder. But, it terms of “just the sticks,” you can make a case that Mize’s relative numbers are not that far off from DiMaggio’s relative numbers.

Next, let’s look at Derek Jeter, compared to Charlie Gehringer, through age 35 (with Jeter’s stats through 9/5/09):

BATTER	 	  PA	RCAA	OPS+
Charlie Gehringer 8533	409	127
Derek Jeter	  9703	379	121

Now, these stats are not as close as the ones for Mize and DiMaggio. But, they’re somewhat close – and sort of convenient since both Jeter and Gehringer played the middle infield. (For the record, Gehringer would go on to total 10,237 PA in his career with 444 RCAA and an OPS+ of 124.)

Where am I going with this? Here: If I were to ask you which Hall-of-Famer had the better career, Johnny Mize and Charlie Gehringer, what would your answer be?

If you picked Mize, then, in the debate of DiMaggio versus Jeter, you should pick DiMaggio. But, if you picked Gehringer, then perhaps your answer in the DiMaggio/Jeter question should be Derek Jeter?

Yes, it’s the “complier” versus the superstar debate. It’s Pete Rose’s career against Mark McGwire’s career. Or, maybe it’s like Paul Molitor versus Dick Allen? At the end of the day, maybe there’s not a right-or-wrong answer or a clear winner and loser? That’s all I really want to say here…

…meaning…in the question of Derek Jeter and Joe DiMaggio, and who had the “greater” career…maybe the answer is not as slam-dunk as the stat totals suggest?

Go ahead and rank ‘em. Want to see my Top 20?

Continue reading »

Just noticed this over at the blog Misc. Baseball – Gathering Assorted Items of Baseball History and Trivia:

On May 27, 1995, exactly four days after Mariano Rivera’s debut, Andy Pettitte made his first big league start. (It’s funny to see that on May 16 ‘95 the Yankees optioned left-hander Andy Pettitte to Class AAA Columbus and to fill his roster spot, they recalled right-hander Mariano Rivera: these two were intertwined from the start in New York.)

It seems like 1995 was a million years ago, no? What were you doing back in May of 1995?

The more I watch this 2009 Yankees team, the more they’re starting to feel like the 1980 Yankees to me.

In 1980, then Yankees manager Dick Howser took a team that had been somewhat pissy and turned them into Camp Happy…just like Joe Girardi has done with this current Yankees squad. In 1980, the Yankees brought in a new first baseman, Bob Watson, to provide offense and leadership. This season, the Yankees brought in Mark Teixeira for the same reasons. In 1980, Reggie Jackson managed to avoid the media glare spotlight – at least more than he did in the past. You can say the same about Alex Rodriguez this season. The 1980 Yankees also had a lot of moving parts – in terms of many different players making positive contributions to the team. And, we know that’s happening now for the Yankees.

It’s little things like that which make this connection for me. Oh, that, and, the fact that the 1980 Yankees won 103 games and out-lasted a Baltimore Orioles team that won 100 games too that season in the A.L. East. (and it looks like the 2009 Yankees will win that many games too this season).

But, what happened in the post-season of 1980? Their ace, Ron Guidry, got banged around in the first game of the ALCS. (This was before the days of the ALDS.) And, then the Yankees lost two close games and were booted out of the playoffs. (This was also when the ALCS was the best three out of five.) In that last loss, the ‘80 Yanks blew a 2-1 lead in the 7th inning when George Brett took Goose Gossage deep for a three-run homer. New York lost that game, in the end, by a score of 4-2.

There’s a part of me who can see the same thing happening this October. I see CC Sabathia being too geeked-up and losing the first game of the ALDS. And, I could see A.J. Burnett and Andy Pettitte then pitching well enough to lose.

Also, in that 1980 ALCS, Bob Watson excelled for the Yankees – batting .500 in 12 ABs in the series. For what it’s worth, I could see Mark Teixeira doing the same for the Yankees this October – in a losing cause. And, in the 1980 ALCS, Reggie Jackson went 3 for 11, with 4 strikeouts, and only one extra base hit – a double. Doesn’t that sound like a typical Alex Rodriguez post-season series as a Yankee (since 2005)?

Anywho…maybe it’s just me? Or, is it? Anyone else out there worried about the 2009 “Camp Happy” Yankees getting into the post-season and then getting bounced, quickly, by someone – via some combination of bad performances by key players and a little bad luck?

Picking up on the conversation stemming from yesterday’s post on Claudell Washington, I thought I would share some of my personal all-time favorite non-star Yankees. (And, by “non-star” I mean they were not stars by the time they got to New York – in case they were stars once somewhere else.) Here goes – using the classic rotisserie roster format:

C: Mike Stanley, Ron Hassey
1B: Steve Balboni
2B: Andy Stankiewicz
SS: Wayne Tolleson
3B: Aurelio Rodriguez
CM: Eric Soderholm
MI: Bert Campaneris
OF: Jerry Mumphrey, Claudell Washington, Bobby Brown, Dion James, Joe Lefebvre
UT: Henry Cotto

Pitchers: Tom Underwood, Bob Shirley, Rudy May, Jon Lieber, Ray Fontenot, John Candelaria, Doug Bird, Rich Bordi and Dick Tidrow

This is a quick stab at it – there’s probably at least 9 more guys I would like to squeeze on to the team. How about you? If you had to pick a 23-man roster, how would you fill it?

A blast from the past via the New York Times on April 30, 1990:

When the season turns to September, Claudell Washington will turn 36 years old. But the newest Yankee, who is actually an old face returning to the Bronx, is still regarded as a capable hitter and outfielder.

Washington, acquired yesterday from the California Angels for Luis Polonia, is currently in his 17th season, with his seventh team. He began his career with the Oakland Athletics in 1974 but has also played for the Texas Rangers, the Chicago White Sox, the Mets, the Atlanta Braves, the Yankees and the Angels.

The Yankees, looking for a left-handed batter with punch, needed him now for his defense and his potential power. They have lost six of nine games in decisions against right-handed pitchers.

”Physically, the things he does will help us,” said Don Mattingly, the Yankee first baseman. ”He’s an excellent outfielder; he runs well; he has pop in his bat, and he’s a positive influence in the clubhouse. He’s a good guy to have around.”

Washington also owns a piece of Yankee history. On April 20, 1988, he hit the 10,000th home run in franchise history, a shot off the Minnesota Twins in the Metrodome.

”This is a different kind of homecoming,” he said yesterday after the trade was announced. ”A lot of the guys I played with are gone, so maybe this is not as big.”

Only a few former teammates remain: Mattingly, Dave Winfield, Dave Righetti, Lee Guetterman and Wayne Tolleson.

Washington is a .279 career hitter with 164 home runs, but he has been mired in a seasonlong slump with California. He went hitless in his first 12 times at bat but is 6 for 22 since. After yesterday’s game, he was batting .176.

The Yankees first picked up Washington in a trade with the Braves in June 1986, sending Ken Griffey to Atlanta. Washington batted .237 in 54 games with the Yankees that season, then hit .279 with 9 home runs in 1987 and .308 with 11 homers in 1988. Last year’s figures with the Angels were .273 with 13 home runs.

I’m sure to many fans of the team, Claudell Washington was a nondescript Yankee. But, personally, he was one of my favorite journeymen to have a stop in the Bronx. Who were some of your favorite ships to pass through Yankeeland in the night?

This time, last season, the Yankees were 11.5 games out of first place. And, in 2007, at this time, the Yankees were 5 games out of first place.

In fact, you have to go back to 2006 to find the last time the Yankees were in first place on August 30th.

So, how do you feel about this Yankees season, right now? Are you as excited as you were in 2006? More? Less? Why?

Me? I still have to see the Yankees play well in the ALDS before I start to get truly pumped. The fact that the Yankees sat at home last October hasn’t made me forget that they have lost 13 of their last 17 post-season games played. I want to see New York win a post-season series…and I want to see it in the 2009 ALDS. And, if the Yanks lose the 2009 ALDS, and win only one game, or less, in the process…well…boy…am I going to be ticked. And, to be honest, it will make this whole season – and all the comebacks and wins – not all that it should be…

…how about you? Feel the same?

Via the Complete Baseball Encyclopedia, here’s a fun way to look at the great sluggers in Yankees history. It’s the “All-Time Top 25″ for the Yankees, through last night’s game, in terms of HR/100 PA compared to the league average, with a minimum of 502 PA with the team:

	BATTER		DIFF  HR/100PA	LEAGUE	HR	PA
1	Babe Ruth	6.01	7.17	1.16	659	9197
2	Lou Gehrig	3.72	5.10	1.38	493	9660
3	Alex Rodriguez	3.30	6.10	2.80	229	3755
4	Roger Maris	3.29	5.84	2.55	203	3475
5	Reggie Jackson	3.19	5.32	2.13	144	2707
6	Mickey Mantle	3.16	5.41	2.24	536	9909
7	Bobby Bonds	3.13	5.11	1.99	32	626
8	Oscar Gamble	3.06	5.10	2.04	87	1707
9	Jim Spencer	3.04	5.18	2.14	45	869
10	Joe DiMaggio	3.01	4.71	1.70	361	7671
11	Mark Teixeira	2.87	5.84	2.96	30	514
12	Jason Giambi	2.86	5.66	2.80	209	3693
13	John Blanchard	2.72	5.30	2.57	64	1208
14	Steve Balboni	2.68	4.78	2.10	41	858
15	Charlie Keller	2.62	4.12	1.50	184	4466
16	Johnny Mize	2.59	4.52	1.93	44	973
17	Matt Nokes	2.49	4.70	2.21	71	1510
18	Kevin Maas	2.45	4.62	2.18	64	1384
19	Dar. Strawberry	2.36	5.26	2.91	41	779
20	Yogi Berra	2.19	4.29	2.09	358	8352
21	Jack Clark	2.18	4.38	2.21	27	616
22	Dan Pasqua	2.10	4.88	2.78	42	860
23	Gary Sheffield	2.10	4.98	2.89	76	1525
24	David Justice	2.09	5.03	2.94	38	756
25	Joe Gordon	2.04	3.63	1.59	153	4216

Hey, how ’bout that Jim Spencer?

You can count them on three fingers…

• June 6, 1964
• August 27, 1976
• August 7, 2009

Those are the three times since 1954 where the Yankees pitchers have allowed zero runs in a game of 15 innings or more…and the game from 2009 is the only time they’ve done it at home since ‘54.

August 6, 2009.

July 23, 1957.

What do these two dates have in common? Click here for the answer.

This is one of those dates in Yankees history that will always be hard to forget.

Sorta of strange, too, that the Yankees are playing the White Sox now – since the last game that Thurman Munson played was on August 1, 1979 – when the Yankees were in Chicago to play the White Sox.

If you haven’t read Marty Appel’s “Munson: The Life And Death Of A Yankee Captain” yet – what are you waiting for? Related, don’t forget that, today, from 3:00 pm until 5:00 pm, Marty Appel will be at the Yogi Berra Museum to discuss the influence of Munson – followed by a signing of his book. If you’re in the area, this is one that you might want to check out!

Did you know that, since 1956, 7 of the 13 perfect games thrown by a pitcher were by players who would also pitch for the Yankees at some point in their career?

Click here to see some great old Yankees photos that Sports Illustrated is featuring on their site. (Hat tap to WasWatching.com reader “MJ” for the link.)

I’ve never seen #16 before…but, it’s a classic, nonetheless.

Here’s the Yankees W-L record, after their first 69 games of the year, for every season since 2000:

Year	W	L	 GB
2009	38	31	 4.0
2008	36	33	 6.0
2007	35	34	10.0
2006	39	30	 2.0
2005	36	33	 5.0
2004	44	24	-4.5
2003	40	29	-0.5
2002	43	26	 1.5
2001	39	30	 2.5
2000	37	32	 1.0

It’s interesting that, from 2000 through 2008, New York’s average W-L mark is 39-30 – which is pretty much where the Yankees are this season after 69 games. And, only twice in the “2000’s” have the Yankees been in first place after their first 69 games of the season (2003 and 2004).

So, if the Yankees are where they are now, and that’s pretty much where they usually are after 69 games, why does it feel like things in Yankeeland are not going all that great now? Is it because a half-billion dollars worth of spending this off-season has led to higher expectations? Or, is it just because the Yankees have played so poorly in their last 12 games? What do you think?

Tomorrow, June 11, 2009, will be the 3,150th day since the Yankees beat the Mets to win the 2000 World Series.

Boy, eight years and seven and a half months flies when you’re having fun, huh?

So, here’s a fun exercise for today, a day advance of this 3,150 day anniversary, to try and take our Yankees minds off of the game with the Red Sox last night.

For you, what’s been your happiest moment as a Yankees fan in the last 3,149 days? Was it the Martinez or Brosius homers in the 2001 World Series? Was it the Boone homer in the 2003 ALCS? Was it the trade to get A-Rod? Was it A-Rod winning a MVP? (Heck, was it A-Rod getting busted for PEDs?) Was it Mussina finally winning 20? Was it Jeter diving into the stands after catching a pop-up? Was it the return of Roger Clemens? Was it the exit of Torre? Was it the final game at the old Yankee Stadium? Was it the opening of the new Stadium?

Me? It was probably the Boone homer. That was pure joy – especially since I saw it in person. But, sadly, that was over 2,000 days ago…which is a long time. How about you? If you had to pick your “happiest” moment since the 2000 World Series, what would it be?

I was just looking back at the Yankees 11th Round Pick in the June 1970 Draft – yes, I am a Yankees-fanatic, ain’t I? – and I saw that they selected Kevin Rusnak from OSU. However, the selection was voided.

This got me wondering as to what this was all about – and then I found this from the June 17, 1970 edition of the Spokane Daily Chronicle:

Is that crazy, or what? Oh, the days when everything was done with pen and paper…

[Click on thumbnail to enlarge image]

This one was an interesting look at a then 50-year old George Steinbrenner. So funny, and kinda/sorta sad, to look back at it now.

Jumping off from the Stat of the Day, I was curious as to which pitcher started off his “Yankees career” with the longest streak of 7+ inning games – since 1954.  The answer can be found via the link below.  I had forgotten that Ken Holtzman got off to such a hot start with the Yanks in 1976.  Too bad he had an ERA of 6.75 in the nine games that followed his blazing pinstripe debut…

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