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Happy Birthday to Former Yankees Pitcher Lindy… |
Lindy McDaniel celebrated his 76th birthday this Dec. 13. Fans of the New York Yankees—such as me—remember Lindy McDaniel as a reliable reliever who toiled for some substandard Yankee teams in the late 1960s and early 1970s. However, his career before he arrived in New York took place in the National League, where he led the circuit in saves three separate times. McDaniel hails from Hollis, Okla.; he signed with the St. Louis Cardinals in August of 1955 at the age of 19. McDaniel was in the major leagues that September, and he managed to win 15 games with the Redbirds two years later. He was mostly a starting hurler the following season, but after 1958, Lindy McDaniel only made a spot start here and there for his clubs. He led the National League with his 15 and 26 saves in 1959 and 1960, respectively; those totals pale in comparison to today’s relievers and reflect just how different the game of baseball was back then. McDaniel came to the Yankees after a long stint in the National League. He was 32 at the time when he arrived in the Bronx in July of 1968. He went 4-1 with a sparkling 1.75 earned run average for the remainder of the campaign. His finest year in the pinstripes was 1970 when McDaniel went 9-5 and pitched to a 2.10 earned run average, accumulating his career high of 29 saves. While in New York, he started just three times in six seasons. Lindy recorded 58 saves and worked to a fine earned run average of 2.89 as a Yankee—the best mark he had for any of the five clubs for which he threw. McDaniel ceded the closer role to Sparky Lyle after a while in New York, but he was still an effective weapon out of the bullpen. During his first weeks when he initially came to the franchise, he got 32 consecutive hitters out. In the span was a stretch of seven perfect innings versus the eventual pennant-winning Detroit Tigers, a team full of imposing bats. McDaniel indirectly helped the Yankees when New York sent him to the Kansas City Royals in 1973 for Lou Piniella, an integral cog in their championship teams to come. He retired after going 5-1 for Kansas City in 1975. Sources: http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/mcdanli01.shtml http://www.lindymcdaniel.com/highlights.html Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content. Comment Below!. Posted in yankees-news | Comments Off
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New York Yankees: The Lowest Point in Mickey… |
It was the lowest point of Mickey Mantle’s career.
Mantle and his good friend Tom Molito were in the Yankee Stadium locker room prior to the shooting of the classic video, The 500 Home Run Club. Mickey was feeling great, especially since sportscaster Bob Costas, whom Mantle trusted implicitly, would be hosting the video. The conversation turned to some of Mantle’s most satisfying home runs. The two of them thought for a second or two, and Tom knew immediately that he had made a bad move the instant he blurted out, “How about the two home runs you hit off Walker and Wilhelm to beat the Baltimore Orioles, 4-3 in 1960? I was at that game.” Tom realized that there was too much baggage that went along with those two home runs that Mantle hit on Aug. 15, 1960, driving in all four New York Yankees runs to win a game the Yankees had to win. Mantle’s mood changed, but only for a second. Tom could see his face projected regret, but it quickly was transformed into a look of vindication. “The day before I hit those home runs was the low point of my career. Casey pulled me from the game after I hit into a double play. People think it was because I didn’t hustle running to first, but it was worse than that, if anything can be worse.” It was at that moment that Mickey told Tom something that he had said before but that everyone seemed to ignore. “I thought that there were two outs.” What is worse, not hustling or not having your head in the game? Maybe its the same thing. The Yankees had lost the first game of doubleheader to the Washington Senators and were tied 1-1 in the sixth inning of the night cap. Mantle came to the plate with Hector Lopez on first and one out. He hit a sharp ground ball to third base. Reno Bertoia fielded it cleanly and fired to second to force Lopez. Shortstop Jose Valdivielso made a good throw to first base that everyone in Yankee Stadium knew would be in vain until Mantle was called out. Casey Stengel sent Bob Cerv in to replace Mantle in center field in the seventh inning. The Senators won 6-3 in 15 innings. The next day, Mantle started in center field. Young Jerry Walker started for the Baltimore Orioles against right-hander Art Ditmar. Mantle hit a two-run home run, his first round-tripper in 16 games, in the fourth inning off Walker to tie the game at 2-2, but the Birds took the lead with a run in the eighth inning on a Jackie Brandt home run. In the Yankees half of the eighth inning, Hector Lopez drew a walk off Hoyt Wilhelm, bringing up Mantle. The crowd pleaded for another home run, but all Mantle could do against the knuckle baller was hit a high four pop fly behind home plate. Catcher Clint Courtney dropped it. Wilhelm checked Lopez at first, and delivered. Mickey took strike two. Courtney fired the ball back to the pitcher. Lopez took his lead off first, Wilhelm delivered and the crowd went wild. The ball landed in the lower deck in right field. Mantle actually tipped his cap after he touched home plate with the winning run. The two games defined Mantle for the rest of his career. He never forgot how many outs there were. References: Holbrook, B. (1960, Aug 17). Stengel magic: How it works. Boston Globe (1960-1979), pp. 17. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/250945274?accountid=46260 Pair of two-run homers by mantle shades O’s, 4-3. (1960, Aug 16). Boston Globe (1960-1979), pp. 25. Retrieved from What are your opinions. Posted in yankees-news | Comments Off
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Cookie Lavagetto and His Big Pinch Hit in the 1947… |
New York Yankees fans—such as I—who go back only as far as the early 1960s with their memories of the Bronx Bombers, are too young to have witnessed the exploits of Cookie Lavagetto and what he means to Yankees and Brooklyn Dodgers fans. Lavagetto passed away in 1990 at the age of 77; had he lived, Harry Arthur Lavagetto would have turned 99 years old on Dec. 1. Lavagetto, with one swing of his bat, brought the Yankees Universe of the time crashing to its knees in one of the oddest World Series games ever contested. Some of Lavagetto’s prime years were lost to World War II. He began his career with the Pirates in 1934. With the Dodgers from 1937 through 1941, and then again, after his time in the service, from 1945 through 1947, Cookie was a decent run producer, considering his lack of power. Lavagetto had a season during which he hit just a single round-tripper, but still collected 78 runs batted in. He was a four-time All-Star, but by 1947, when the Dodgers met the Yankees in the World Series, he was 34 years old and used mostly as a pinch hitter and a backup third baseman. In this particular series, the Yankees forged a two games to one advantage. In Game 4, New York sent talented, but erratic Bill Bevens to the mound. Bevens had been 7-13 in 1947, but he was a 16-game winner the previous season. Walks were often his undoing. In this game, he would issue a total of 10 free passes, but incredibly, as the ninth inning began, Bevens had not allowed a hit and New York led 2-1. After sandwiching a pair of pop outs around his ninth walk, Bevens and the Yankees intentionally walked Pete Reiser after pinch runner Al Gionfriddo stole second base. This questionable strategy would backfire when Cookie Lavagetto came in to pinch hit for Eddie Stanky. Lavagetto proceeded to hit a double off the right field wall, scoring both runners and winning the game. Bevens would pitch in Game 7 for two innings as New York won the Series, but he would never pitch in the big leagues again. Lavagetto also pinch hit in Game 7, making a harmless out. Like Bevens, his career was finished. The double was the last base hit he ever got in the major leagues. Sources: http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/l/lavagco01.shtml http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/bevenbi01.shtml http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/BRO/BRO194710030.shtml Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content. Feel free to leave your comments below. Posted in yankees-news | Comments Off
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Yankees turn to CC in finale with Blue Jays |
(Sports Network) – CC Sabathia tries to continue his domination of the Blue Jays as the big left-hander takes the mound this afternoon when the New York Yankees go for a three-game sweep. Coming off a 128-pitch effort Tuesday in a 5-2 win over the Red Sox, Sabathia is 2-0 over his last three outings — this despite allowing a total of 27 hits over those three games. In fact, he has allowed at least nine hits in five of his last six appearances. Sabathia is 11-3 with a 3.03 ERA in 14 career games against Toronto, but has won each of his last six starts vs. the Blue Jays dating to the start of the 2007 season. What’s also impressive about Sabathia is that he has held Toronto’s Jose Bautista hitless in 15 career at-bats has recorded seven strikeouts in the matchup. “Regardless of who we put out there, they’re going to do the job,” Yankees outfielder Nick Swisher said of the team’s starting pitchers. “I think that’s exactly what’s happened.” Mired in a six-start winless stretch, Brett Cecil takes the mound today for the Blue Jays. The lefty threw six innings in a no-decision at Baltimore on Tuesday. Toronto has lost in five of the last six games Cecil has started. He’s 0-3 in that stretch and hasn’t won since July 29 against Texas. Cecil has fashioned a 4-2 mark with a 4.82 ERA in eight games against the Yankees. His lone start against New York this year came April 20 when he allowed six hits and five runs over five innings. On Saturday, Robinson Cano’s two-run double put the Yankees ahead in a three- run seventh inning, lifting New York to a 6-4 victory. Francisco Cervelli belted a two-run homer for the Yankees, who have won three in a row and welcomed Alex Rodriguez back to the lineup. The star third baseman had missed the past six games with a jammed thumb and went 1-for-3 with a walk and a run scored while batting third instead of in his customary cleanup spot. Cano batted fourth and his lone hit of the game erased a 4-3 deficit after Curtis Granderson was hit by a pitch with two outs and Rodriguez drew a walk. Nick Swisher, playing first base for the second straight day in place of an ailing Mark Teixeira, singled home Cano for a two-run edge and David Robertson worked the final two innings for the save. Mariano Rivera and Rafael Soriano were both unavailable for New York after pitching each of the last two games. Robertson, who did not pitch in Friday’s 3-2 win, got the final six outs to notch his first save since August 12, 2010. The Yankees maintained their half-game lead on Boston in the AL East. Dewayne Wise tripled, homered and scored twice for Toronto, which has lost two straight after winning three of its previous four. Adam Lind also homered in defeat. Toronto starter Ricky Romero (13-10) worked 6 2/3 innings and was charged with five runs on eight hits, suffering his first loss since July 16 against New York. He had been 6-0 in has last eight starts. The Yanks are 9-5 versus Toronto this season, including wins in six of the eight matchups in the Bronx. © Copyright (c) The Sports Network If you like reading our blog, remember to bookmark it. Posted in yankees-news | Comments Off
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MLB all-stars complete sweep of Taiwanese… |
Robinson Cano of the New York Yankees and Ty Wigginton of the Colorado Rockies each hit solo home runs Sunday to lead an MLB All-Star team to a 6-4 win over Taiwan and a sweep of their five-game series. Cano’s blast in the third inning and Wigginton’s in the seventh helped seal the game in the southern city of Kaohsiung and added to the MLB power display. During the series Michael Morse of the Washington Nationals hit two home runs and the Yankees’ Curtis Granderson added a grand slam. Local hero Chien-Ming Wang of the Nationals was the starting pitcher for Taiwan but left in the third after throwing 45 pitches. He gave up three runs on four hits. After the game Wang said he was delighted that the MLB players had a chance to visit his native Taiwan. “I’m really happy,” he said. “It’s a lot of fun.” Leave any suggestions in the comment box. Posted in yankees-news | Comments Off
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TAIPEI, Taiwan — New York Yankees second baseman… |
TAIPEI, Taiwan — New York Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano doubled in a run in the seventh inning to help an MLB all-star team beat Taiwan’s national team 5-3 Thursday in the second game of a five-game series. Cano also singled and scored in the sixth inning in the game in Taichung. “They got a great team,” Cano said. “They played a pretty good game.” The Taiwanese went ahead 3-2 in the fifth, scoring twice on three hits and a walk. The MLB squad tied it in the sixth and added two more runs in the seventh. Relievers Rich Thompson of the Los Angeles Angels, Ramon Ramirez of the San Francisco Giants and Bill Bray of the Cincinnati Reds kept the Taiwanese scoreless from the sixth inning on. In the series opener Tuesday, the MLB team won 7-0 in a game halted in the sixth inning because of rain. The teams play in Taichung on Friday before closing the series with two weekend games in Kaohsiung. Thanks for visiting our blog =). Posted in yankees-news | Comments Off
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