It’s not easy but the Yankees stop their five-game losing streak with a 12 – 11 win over Detroit. The Yankees are led by Graig Nettles, with a three-run homer, and Reggie Jackson, who belts a two-run triple.
Carlos May and Graig Nettles hit back-to-back homers in the 6th as the Yankees come from behind to defeat the Red Sox‚ 6 – 5.
The Yankees dramatically win their 30th pennant on Chris Chambliss’ home run in the bottom of the ninth inning. The first baseman’s walk-off solo shot beats the Royals in Game Five and the deciding contest of the ALCS, 7-6.
At Milwaukee’s County Stadium, 40,383 fans are on hand to celebrate “Hank Aaron Day.” Among those gathered are commissioner Bowie Kuhn and Jack Ford, representing his father Gerald. Hank goes hitless in five at-bats, and the first-place Yankees spoil the night by winning, 5 – 3, in 11 innings. Graig Nettles hits a solo homer in the 11th for the game winner, and an insurance run scores on a suicide bunt. Ed Figueroa tallies his 19th win, and the Yanks pad their lead to 11 games.
A shoving match, after a home-plate collision between Lou Piniella and Red Sox catcher Carlton Fisk, escalates into an ugly bench-clearing brawl. Yankee third baseman Graig Nettles and Boston’s Bill Lee fight so fiercely that the ‘Spaceman’ suffers a separation of his left shoulder, significantly affecting the remainder of his pitching career.
Graig Nettles homers for the Yankees in the first inning, and brother Jim Nettles homers for the Tigers in the 2nd. This is the second time that the two brothers have homered in the same game for different teams, having done it on June 11, 1972, when Graig was with Cleveland and Jim with Minnesota. Graig’s team wins, 10 – 7.
In a game with the Tigers, Graig Nettles loses a single when it is discovered he is using a corked bat. The Yankees win 1 – 0 on Nettles’s earlier home run.
Graig Nettles will be suspended for ten days after stuffing his bat with six super balls, that are collected by Tigers catcher Bill Freehan when the piece of lumber is shattered on a disallowed infield hit. The Yankee third baseman, who said the doctored bat was given to him by a fan in Chicago, hit a home run in his first at bat for the game’s only run in the Yankees’ 1-0 victory over Detroit at Shea Stadium.
The New York Yankees defeat the Cleveland Indians, 6 – 1, at Shea Stadium. This is the Yanks’ first game of a two-year period at Shea while Yankee Stadium is being rebuilt. 12-year-old Teddy Kennedy‚ Jr.‚ flanked by his father and Mayor Abe Beame‚ tosses out the first ball. Missing from the ceremony is George Steinbrenner‚ indicted two days earlier for illegal campaign contributions. Graig Nettles’ two-run homer in the 4th off the Indians’ Gaylord Perry opens the scoring and the Yanks score 4 more times to win. Charlie Spikes scores the only Cleveland run in the 9th following a triple off starter and winner Mel Stottlemyre. Perry‚ who is warned once for an illegal pitch‚ is the loser today‚ but he will win his next 15 decisions.
1972 – The New York Yankees make one of their best trades ever, acquiring third baseman Graig Nettles from the Cleveland Indians for catcher John Ellis, infielder Jerry Kenney, and outfielders Charlie Spikes and Rusty Torres. Nettles will help the Yankees win the World Series in 1977 and 1978.
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