This Day in New York Yankees History 7/16: Exit Sandman

The 2014 season was mostly about the retirement of Derek Jeter if you’re a Yankees fan and in 2013 the year was all about saying goodbye to Mariano Rivera. On this day in 2013 in the first All Star Game played in Queens in 49 years the American League would beat the National League 3-0 by holding them to just three hits in the game. Rivera entered the game in the eighth inning to a standing ovation in front of 45,186 fans with no other players on the field. Rivera retired three consecutive NL batters and was named the game's MVP.

Also on this day in 2010 the Yankees and their fans honored the late Bob Sheppard in the Yankees first home game since his passing. The players wore patches on their left sleeve of their uniforms to pay tribute and no public address announcements were made in the empty Yankees booth.

Also on this day in 2006 Mariano Rivera notched his 400th career save becoming only the fourth major league pitcher to reach the milestone. The Yankees would beat the Chicago White Sox 6-4.

Finally the Yankees made a couple of not so notable trade acquisitions on this day in 2003 when they acquired Armando Benitez from the New York Mets and in 2005 when they acquired 39 year old left hander Al Leiter from the Florida Marlins. Benitez was quickly shipped to Seattle in less than a week and Leiter immediately held the Boston Red Sox to just one run and three hits in his first start in pinstripes.