Thursday, January 3, 2008
Happy Yankee Day!
So it’s almost over - so what?
You can still celebrate!
Curl up with a DVD or tattered dog-eared copy of the Bronx is Burning… Watch some YES network filler.
Eat, drink and Pinstriped today, for it is Yankee Day!
What is Yankee Day? As I wrote last year at my former (and sometimes current) corner of the Internets
What is Yankee Day? Well, two of the most significant events in the history of the franchise occurred on Jan. 3, so if there was going to be a national holiday celebrating the franchise, this would probably be it.
What are those events?
In 1973, George Steinbrenner bought the team from CBS for $10 million - a sum that astounds me, even with inflation, which is probably the most significant event of the modern era.
Moving back a bit, in
19191920, New York acquired LHP/OF George Herman Ruth for cash considerations from the Boston Red Sox - most definitely the most significant event of its time, not just for the franchise, probably for the game.
It looks like this Yankee Day will pass with no great news and pronouncements or trades, but there were two other lesser Yankee-related moves on this date in history:
1974 - The Yankees sign Bill Virdon as manager. Although the former Pirate skipper will manage for two years in New York, he will never win a game at Yankee Stadium (the Bronx Bombers will play home games at Shea due to renovations at the stadium).
2005 - Commissioner Bud Selig approves the potential trade of Diamondback southpaw Randy Johnson to the Yankees in exchange for Javier Vazquez, Dioner Navarro, Brad Halsey and $9 million dollars. Arizona will likely include Navarro and much of the cash to the Dodgers to obtained Shawn Green, another deal approved by the commissioner’s office.
There’s some conjecture over at WasWatching.com, with Lee Sinins acting as mythbuster saying the Jan. 3 date for the Ruth deal is bunk - I say subscribe to the Liberty Valance school of history here: “When the legend becomes fact, print the legend.”
Oh and Steve, some of us had work to do - sadly, Yankee Day is not yet recognized by the Federal government. 
Comments
Pardon me if I don’t celebrate. Maybe in a weird way it’s for the best though. What would my childhood have been like if the Red Sox were the game’s behemoth? Probably a lot like the Simpson’s episode where Lionel Hutz pauses to imagine a world without lawyers.
HAPPY YANKEE DAY!!!
I’m waiting for the Christmas Carol style story that must follow for this great day.
Every day is HYD. Mike K on the previous thread spells Jeters problem with the left right bias perfectly. He should always be 2 feet closer to 2nd.
From what I recall , Cal was pretty much shot as a good SS by 91 or so. Too big and slow. Mostly slow.
Hey SG—what does CAIRO say about the Republican field and the Democratic field? Are we just seeing small sample size effects for Huckabee and Obama? Could be worth a post.
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