This Day in Yankees History: London Calling

Welcome to the relaunched This Day in Yankees History. With the start of the 2020 season delayed for the foreseeable future for the next few weeks, 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!

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This Day in Yankees History (June 29)

79 Years Ago

Joe DiMaggio both ties and breaks the American League hitting streak record on the same day, thanks to a doubleheader against the Washington Senators. In the first game, a double off Dutch Leonard ties George Sisler’s previous record of 41 games, while a single in the seventh off Walt Masterson in the nightcap gives him the record.

20 Years Ago

After failing to acquire both Jose Gonzalez and Sammy Sosa, the Yankees acquire David Justice from the Cleveland Indians in exchange for Ricky Ledee and two players to be named later. Unrelated, the Yankees tie the major league record for sacrifice flies in one inning, recording three in the fourth inning, due to an error by the left fielder.

3 Years Ago

On June 29, 1905, Moonlight Graham made his major league debut for the New York Giants, playing the outfield but never going to the plate; he never played again after that day. That same night 112 years later, Yankees outfielder Dustin Fowler, starting in right field in his major league debut, crashes into the right field wall, rupturing a tendon in his knee on a small exposed electrical box built into the short fence. Fowler, who was supposed to record his first career at-bat leading off the top of the second inning, was carted off the field, and to this date, has yet to play a game in pinstripes, as the Yankees traded him for Sonny Gray later that year. It was horrific to watch, and I’m still angry about it.

The court case against the White Sox, in which Fowler claims negligence because the electrical box was unpadded, is still pending.

1 Year Ago

The Yankees and Red Sox make an immense amount of history as the greatest rivalry in sports goes across the pond in the first major league game ever played in Europe. The Yankees outlast their foes in a pitchers’ nightmare by the score of 17-13 in a game that would set numerous records, and come close to many others.

• DJ LeMahieu had the first hit in Europe, with a leadoff single to right field in the first; he would also be the first to cross the plate.
• Luke Voit would record the first RBI, driving in LeMahieu with a double to left.
• Edwin Encarnacion, the Yankees’ DH, played on three continents in one season, since he started the season with the Seattle Mariners, who began the year in Japan.
• Aaron Hicks recorded the first home run in Europe, with a first-inning two-run shot.
• Both Voit and LeMahieu would have four-hit days.
• The game would last 4 hours and 42 minutes, the third longest nine-inning game in baseball history, which also happens to be the third-longest nine-inning game in Yankee-Red Sox history.

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