#46 Greatest HR in Yankee History

Babe Ruth | Ultimate Grand Slam | Yankees vs. White Sox | 9/24/1925

It was just another mythic home run for the most legendary player in baseball history.

The Yankees were mired in a horrific season sitting in 7th place in the American League, trailing the first place Washington Senators by 30 games. The 5th place team, the Chicago White Sox, were in town and in the bottom of the 10th inning the Yanks trailed 5-2, three outs away from yet another defeat. However, one glimmer of hope remained for the men in pinstripes. With one out and the bases loaded the game’s most prolific hitter approached the batter’s box. With only 1,000 people in the stands of Yankee Stadium Ruth connected with a pitch from Sarge Connally and won the game on a walk-off grand slam, one of only two home runs Connally gave up in 1925 in 104.2 innings pitched. It was only the 2nd time ever that a game had ended on a grand slam with a team trailing by 3 runs. The first occured on 9/10/1881 when Roger Connor of the National League Troy Trojans single-handedly beat the Worcester Ruby Legs 8-7 (Team names today are so boring!). Connor’s shot also has the distinction of being the first grand slam in Major League History. The feat of an “Ultimate Grand Slam” is so rare that when Ruth passed away in 1948 only 3 men had accomplished it and since then only 19 others have joined ranks.

On This Day in Yankee History: 1981

Dave Righetti was named the American League Rookie of the Year, earning 91% of the vote over Boston’s Rich Gedman. On November 10, 1978 Righetti was traded to the Yankees from Texas, who had drafted him as their 10th overall pick the year before. In January 1979 he was very close to being sent to Minnesota as part of a deal that would have brought Rod Carew to the Bronx in exchange for Chris Chambliss, Juan Beniquez, Dámaso García and Righetti. The deal fell threw and Righetti returned to the minor leagues before being brought up in 1981 as a permanent starter. In 1981 he led the American League in ERA, hits per 9 innings, home runs per 9 innings and strikeouts per 9 innings while helping the Yankees reach the World Series.

Dave Righetti’s 1981 Statistics:

8-4 | 2.05 ERA | 2 CG | 24 ER | 1 HR | 38 BB | 89 SO | 1.073 WHIP | 6.4 H/9 | .1 HR/9 | 7.6 SO/9

Dave Righetti

Images: What Lies Beneath

1939 | Joe DiMaggio shows off the sliding pads he wore underneath his uniform.

Stat of the Day: .393

The highest season batting average by a Yankee was Babe Ruth’s .393 in 1923. Though the “Sultan of Swat” unanimously won the MVP award that season over Chicago’s Eddie Collins, he did not have the highest batting average in the league, falling short of Detroit’s Harry Heilmann who batted .403. Ruth would win the batting title the following year with .378.

The Great Bambino could hit for power and for average.

Famous Echoes: The Captain

Derek Jeter, the last Yankee that will ever wear #2.

“All I ever wanted to be was a Yankee. When I was a kid, I was always hoping there’d be a jersey left for me to wear with a single digit.” — Derek Jeter

On This Day in Yankee History: 1976

The Yankees signed free agent outfielder Reggie Jackson to a 5-year, $2.96 million contract. The number 9 he had worn in Oakland and Baltimore was already being used by Graig Nettles so he requested #42 in honor of Jackie Robinson, but Art Howler, the recently hired pitching coach had already taken the number. Jackson finally settled on #44 in honor of the recently retired Hank Aaron. Jackson arrived amid controversy when he was quoted as saying he was “the straw that stirs the drink” during a conversation with SPORT magazine writer Robert Ward during spring training, implying that he was now the most integral part of the Yankees. It was hard to argue with that statement when in the last game of the 1977 season Jackson homered on three consecutive pitches to seal a World Series clinching victory in Game 6 vs. the Dodgers. Jackson’s #44 was retired by the Yankees in 1993, the same year he was inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Reggie Jackson’s Yankee Statistics 1977-1981:

380 R | 661 H | 115 2B | 14 3B | 144 HR | 461 RBI | 41 SB | 326 BB | .281 BA | .371 OBP | .526 SLG

Images: Transcending the Game

9/28/1955 | Before Game 1 of the Subway Series between the Yankees and Dodgers a moment of silence is observed for President Eisenhower who was being hospotalized after a heart attack. The Yankees won the game 6-5.

#47 Greatest HR in Yankee History

Jason Giambi | Ultimate Grand Slam | Yankees vs. Twins | 5/17/2002

The Yankees celebrate after Giambi's walk-off Grand Slam.

In a 5 hour, 45 minute slugfest that saw each team amass 20 hits, the Yankees prevailed 13-12 in 14 innings in one of the most rare and thrilling finishes in Yankee History. Trailing the Twins 9-8 in the bottom of the 9th inning Bernie Williams tied the game with a solo blast. The Yankees were unable to win it in regulation and a scoreless 10th, 11th, 12th and 13th followed as Friday night turned into Saturday morning. In the top of the 14th the Twins were finally able to break through, tagging Sterling Hitchcock for 3 runs on 4 hits. The 39,470 that began to file out of Yankee Stadium had no idea what was about to unfold. With Mike Trombley on the mound the Twins were looking to wrap up their 26th victory. The inning began with a single by Shane Spencer, but any hope of a miraculous rally for those faithful few that remained was surely snuffed out when Alfonso Soriano hit a fly ball to the left fielder; however, Derek Jeter followed with a single and Bernie Williams walked on five pitches, bringing up Jason Giambi with the bases loaded and a steady rain falling on the Bronx. On the first pitch the Yankee first baseman saw from Trombley, the 492nd of the game, he rocketed a fly ball to right-center field, the Yankees sixth home run of the day, ending the marathon in electrifying fashion. It was the 22nd “Ultimate Grand Slam” (a game-ending grand slam with a team down by 3 runs) in Major League history, and only the 2nd in Yankee history. The only other time the Bombers saw such a finish was 77 years earlier on September 24, 1925 when Babe Ruth finished off the White Sox 6-5. Said Giambi after the game, “I was just trying to keep the rally going, hit a single. I just got a ball out over the plate.”

“We thought we had this one in the bag, but once again the Yankees showed they can come back and bite you.” — Torii Hunter

Stat of the Day: 34

Hall of Famer Red Ruffing is 4th on the all-time home run list for pitchers with 34, trailing only Wes Ferrell (38) and Hall of Famers Bob Lemon (37) and Warren Spahn (35). His best season offensively was 1936 when he had 5 home runs, 22 RBIs and an impressive .291 average.

Red Ruffing

Images: The Captain