Orlando Hernandez came to the New York Yankees after defecting from his native country of Cuba and had an immediate impact on the Bronx Bombers. Hernandez burst onto the scene in 1998 and set a new Yankees rookie record on this day in 1998 when he struck out his 13th batter of the game. Hernandez broke a 30 year old Yankee rookie record when he struck out Mark McLemore to end the eight inning of a 2-0 victory of the Texas Rangers. Hernandez passed Stan Bahnsen's record of 12 strikeouts as a rookie in his 1968 Rookie of the Year season for the American League.
It is also interesting that Hernandez would only reach the 13 K mark one more time in his career.
Also on this day in 1995 the day turned somber as Mickey Mantle passed away at age 63. Mantle lost his battle with liver cancer and passed away at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas with his wife Merlyn at his side.
The Cleveland Indians were in town on this day in 1995 and their lead off hitter that year was Kenny Lofton. Lofton wore the #7 jersey so the entire pregame at Yankee Stadium the Yankees scoreboard ironically displayed "At Bat: 7."
Mantle's death....this fact has stuck with me for years.
ReplyDeleteThe Yankees were in Boston when Mantle passed. All the Mgmt, and those connected,
were going to the funeral. All except Phil Rizzuto. He had to stay, and do the game. Mgmt. says !
Because he was such a nice / easy guy.
Rizzuto is left in Boston, to do the game, with news writers helping with the play by play.
You could hear the ' why me ' sorrow in Phil's voice. Rizzuto played when Mantle broke in.
Phil helped Mantle along, and loved him. It was such a sad awful night. They demanded that the
most special person stay in Boston, and he was crushed. You could hear it all during the game.
I think it shortened Phil Rizzuto's live. That is how crushed he was.
He should have said...fuck-it, and flew to Oklahoma for the services on his own.
They never would have fired him, and I think he realized that after all was said, and done.
That is quite sad pat, thanks for sharing. I never knew that about Rizzuto having to miss the funeral arrangements.
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