This Day in Yankees History: Joba gets sent to the bullpen

With the start of the 2020 season delayed for the foreseeable future, the Pinstripe Alley team decided to revive the program in a slightly different format. These daily posts will highlight two or three key moments in Yankees history on a given date, as well as recognize players born on the day. Hope you enjoy this trip down memory lane with us!

This Day in Yankees History (March 25)

106 years ago

Over a century ago, Babe Ruth made the first start of his professional career. It was an exhibition game, of course, and he took the mound for the Red Sox. The 19-year-old Ruth was still primarily a starting pitcher, but he went on to only throw 23 innings that season, to go along with 10 plate appearances as a hitter. The next season, though, he would toss over 200 innings with an ERA+ of 114 while also hitting .313, kicking off his tenure as a two-way star.

85 years ago

The Yankees purchased right-handed pitcher Pat Malone from the Chicago Cubs. This qualified as a major move just before the season, as the 32-year-old Malone had won over 100 games for the Cubs over the previous six years. Malone underwhelmed in New York, posting a 96 ERA+ in just 283 innings as a Yankee, spread across three seasons.

10 years ago

This one made me feel old! On this day, the Yankees apparently handed the fifth-starter job heading into the 2010 season to Phil Hughes, and officially sent Joba Chamberlain to the bullpen. You may recall Hughes was a crucial part of the team’s bullpen the year before, while Chamberlain had spent nearly the entire 2009 campaign as an average starter. This flip-flopping of roles was emblematic of the pair’s tenure in New York, as they progressed from top prospects, to young phenoms, to frustrating big leaguers.

Happy 33rd birthday to former Yankee legend Kirby Yates, who has had a career rebirth in San Diego since departing New York. Lee Mazzilli turns 64 today; Mazzilli played for the Yankees in 1982, and also coached for them for several seasons in the early-aughts.

We thank Baseball-Reference, Nationalpastime.com, and FanGraphs for providing background information for these posts.