Can't Predict Baseball: Pair Of Three Home Run Games

As Yankee fans we all remember the day that Reggie Jackson earned his pinstripes and had a three home run game in the clinching game of the World Series. Reggie's streak was albeit more impressive then this pair of Yankees three home run games because they were on three consecutive pitches but three home runs in a game is three home runs in a game regardless and very impressive.

On this day in 1973 Bobby Murcer hits three home runs off Gene Garber to account for all five of the Yankees runs in a 5-0 victory over the Kansas City Royals. This game was played on Friday the 13th at Yankee Stadium as it took only one hour and 51 minutes to play.

The other Yankee to hit three home runs on this day was Joe DiMaggio in 1940 in a double header against the St. Louis Browns. DiMaggio drove in nine runs as the Yankees sweep the Browns by the scores of 10-4 and 12-6.

You can't predict baseball unless your facing the Bronx Bombers.

This Day In New York Yankees History 7/3: Jim Thome Approaches Don Mattingly

I know we're going way back on this one but apparently there used to a crazy Boston law back in the day that restricted baseball games on Sunday within 1000 feet of a church. Okay.... I don't see the correlation between the two of them but I digress. On this day in 1932 the Boston Red Sox joined the 20th century by playing their first Sunday Game at Fenway Park. The Red Sox and Boston lawmakers immediately regretted the idea as the Red Sox would lose to the Yankees 13-2 on this day. Whoops.

Also on this day in 2002 against the same Yankees team Jim Thome, a member of the Cleveland Indians at the time, hit a home run off New York's David Wells giving him a home run in his seventh consecutive game. The home run would leave Thome just one game short of the major league record shared by Dale Long (1956 Pittsburgh Pirates), Don Mattingly (1987 New York Yankees), and Ken Griffey Jr. (1993 Seattle Mariners) who all had home runs in eight consecutive games.

Can't Predict Baseball: Reynolds Carves Up The Yankees

The Chicago White Sox and the New York Yankees have played a ton against each other over the years and we have been lucky enough to see many great and historic games between the two. A lot of the moments were great Yankees moments but on this day the White Sox and Carl Reynolds took center stage.

Reynolds became only the second player in major league history to hit a home run in three consecutive innings and he did it over the Yankees. Reynolds hit a home run in the first three innings of the 15-4 White Sox win, two of them the inside the park variety.

You know what they say Suzyn, you just can't predict baseball.

This Day In New York Yankees History 6/22

On this day in 1941 the New York Yankees established a new major league record for consecutive games with a home run when Joe DiMaggio hit a historic home run in the sixth inning of a 5-4 victory over the Detroit Tigers. In the game the Yankees passed the Tigers old record, which was ironic, and Joe D also extended his own consecutive game hitting streak to 35 games.

Can't Predict Baseball: Picking On A Pitcher

On this day in 1939 George Selkirk, over two successive games, hits four home runs in four at bats against the same pitcher. The Yankee outfielder hit the home runs off the A's starting pitcher Robert Joyce with two home runs yesterday and hit two more on this day when he came in as a reliever. Can't predict baseball.

On this day in 1941 before the first night game played in Washington D.C. and in Griffith Stadium the Senators Walter Johnson throws a strike through a beam of light triggering a switch that lights up the stadium. While that was a pretty awesome gesture and show the Senators would lose the game to the Yankees 6-5 for their tenth consecutive loss.

Quick Hit: Eight Consecutive Days w/ Home Runs

Today marks the day that the Pittsburgh Pirates first basemen Dale Long made history way back in 1956. Long would hit his eight home run in eight games establishing a new major league record. While this record would later be tied by New York Yankees first basemen Don Mattingly in 1987 and the Seattle Mariners outfielder Ken Griffey, Jr in 1993 the record has still yet to be broken.

Not that the two should matter or necessarily collate but two of the three men never got a World Series ring. Was this the Baseball Gods saying they could have their cake but not eat it too? The world may never know. Long got a World Series ring finally as a member of the New York Yankees in 1962 but was a part time player and only played in two games and had five at bats in the series against the San Francisco Giants.