Thursday, April 16, 2009

What could have been and other Yankee stuff

Saw this from Baseball Library.com

http://www.baseballlibrary.com/homepage/

Some notable items in Yankee History I found interesting

Jan 17 1970..

Major league teams select a record 357 players in the January phase of the annual free-agent draft. Some notable choices: Cleveland spends the top pick on first baseman Chris Chambliss‚ and San Francisco chooses shortstop Chris Speier. Both Chambliss and Speier will star in the major leagues in 1971. Chambliss will win the A.L. Rookie of the Year Award; the rangey (4.85 chances per game) Speier will help to stablize the infield for the N.L. Western division champion San Francisco Giants. In the first round, the Yankees pick one of the gems of the draft but Fred Lynn decides not to sign with them.

April 14 1967

At Yankee Stadium‚ Red Sox rookie Bill Rohr debuts and startles everyone by taking a no-hitter into the 9th inning. But Elston Howard lines a 3-2 pitch for a single to right-center with two outs. Carl Yastrzemski had kept the no-hitter alive with a spectacular grab of a Tom Tresh drive to deep LF to open the 9th. The Red Sox win 3-0‚ beating Whitey Ford‚ who allows a lead off homer to Reggie Smith and a two-run homer to Foy.

(I remember listening to the game) also Elston Howard ending up on the Red Sox that year on
August 3, 1967: Traded by the New York Yankees to the Boston Red Sox for Pete Magrini.

March 22 1972

Nick Mileti‚ owner of the NBA Cleveland Cavaliers‚ heads a group that purchases the Cleveland Indians from Vernon Stouffer for an estimated $9 million. Stouffer had turned down an offer from George Steinbrenner to buy the teambut when the AL owners reject his proposal to have the Indians play some of their games in the New Orleans Superdome‚ Stouffer decides to sell the team
(Just think. we would all be calling the Cleveland Indians the Evil Empire)

April 15 1976

Newly remodeled Yankee Stadium is jammed with 52‚613 fans for Opening Day ceremonies. The 1923 Yankee team is honored‚ and Bob Shawkey‚ winner of the 1923 Stadium opener‚ throws out the first ball. The Yankees beat the Twins 11-4 on 14 hits‚ but the only HR is hit by Minnesota's Dan Ford

(I was there) later I went with my buddy Dan from the stadium to Nassau Coliseum to see a playoff game (New York Islanders vs the Buffalo Sabres)

4 comments:

Lester's Legends said...

Intereseting bit about Steinbrenner.

nutballgazette said...

I never knew that till I read it today

Anonymous said...

I knew Steinbrenner had Cleveland roots, but didn't know that he pursed purchasing the Indians.

Interesting how Chambliss ended up in NYY ... but I didn't realize Fred Lynn said nada.

Great post!

3rdStoneFromTheSun said...

it is interesting seeing the Yankees struggle right now

I bet The Boss, in his frail state, is going nuts right now