Making his last career start, Wade Blasingame’s American League debut for the Yankees is an inauspicious one, as the Tigers go deep three consecutive times in the first frame. The opening inning home runs by Aurelio Rodriguez, Al Kaline, and Willie Horton power Detroit over New York, 5-2.
Sparky Lyle becomes the first reliever to come into a game with a signature entrance song when the Yankee Stadium PA system plays Pomp and Circumstance as the closer approaches the mound. Although the southpaw secures the last out of the team’s 3-2�victory over�Milwaukee,�the�New York�relief pitcher feels�the song, selected by PR man Marty Appel to signify the end of the game much as the Edward Elgar’s march signals the end of an�academic accomplishment, adds more pressure to his closer role and asks the public relations department to put the tradition on hold.
On March 22, 1972, the New York Yankees make one of the best trades in franchise history. The Yankees acquire reliever Sparky Lyle from the Boston Red Sox for infielder Danny Cater. In seven seasons with the Yankees, Lyle will post a 57-40 record with 141 saves and a 2.41 ERA, win a Cy Young…
The New York Yankees acquire outfielder Johnny Callison on a conditional basis from the Chicago Cubs. The Yankees will end up keeping him and completing the deal by shipping pitcher Jack Aker to the Cubs on May 17th.
April 13, 1971 – Thurman Munson addresses the crowd after receiving his “Rookie of the Year” award. the rookie catcher earned 23 of the 24 first-place ballot votes, topping Cleveland Indians outfielder Roy Foster. Munson posted a slash line of .302/.386/.415 while erasing 52% of would be base stealers.
On April 9, 1971, the Oakland A’s trade first baseman-outfielder Felipe Alou to the New York Yankees for pitchers Rob Gardner and Ron Klimkowski. In 1972, Alou’s younger brother, Matty, will join him in Yankee pinstripes. The Yankees will acquire him in another deal with the A’s…
Bill White becomes the first black play-by-play broadcaster in major league history
1970 – The Yankees’ Fritz Peterson wins his 20th, defeating the Red Sox, 4 – 3. Billy Conigliaro and Luis Alvarado, with his first ML homer, go deep for Boston.
June 24, 1970 In the Yankees’ fifth, with a runner at second base, New York pitcher Stan Bahnsen tried to bunt the baserunner to third but missed the ball. Fosse threw the baseball back to Indian pitcher Mike Paul. As Fosse stood behind home plate, waiting for Paul to go to the pitcher’s mound, a cherry bomb…
On June 24, 1970, ay Yankee Stadium, New York Yankees outfielder Bobby Murcer ties a major league record by hitting home runs in four straight at-bats of a doubleheader against the Cleveland Indians. Murcer ties Lou Gehrig’s record of four straight homers. The Yanks lose the opener, 7 – 2, despite Murcer’s 9th-inning home…
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