This Day In New York Yankees History 8/26: MLB TV is Born!

This day in Yankees history in 2002 was quite the day for New York players and fans as we were treated to a trio of historic events. First and foremost fans were finally able to watch the Yankees on their computers as MLBTV was born on MLB.com. Sixty three years after the first Major League Baseball game was televised the first live video streaming game took place on the internet. The New York Yankees and the Texas Rangers would face off in a game that approximately 30,000 fans saw on MLB.com and also 42,000 fans saw at Yankee Stadium.

In the Yankees 10-3 victory over Texas Alfonso Soriano hit a solo home run in the fourth inning to set a new team record for home runs by a second baseman. Soriano's 31st home runs passed Joe Gordon's previous mark of 30 home runs by a second baseman hit in 1940. Also on this day Derek Jeter became only the third player to score at least 100 runs in his first seven major league seasons. The Yankees captain joins Ted Williams (Red Sox) and Earle Combs (Yankees) as the only other two big leaguers to begin their careers with 100 runs scored in seven straight seasons.

What a day for Yankees fans and players alike.

Also on this day in 1991 the Yankees reluctantly agreed to a signing bonus with first overall pick Brien Taylor. Taylor agreed to a $1.55 million contract at age 19 at the dismay of suspended owner George Steinbrenner. This came two days after Steinbrenner told the media that "if they (Gene Michael) let him (Taylor) go, they ought to be shot."

Talk about bidding against yourself.

This Day In New York Yankees History 8/26: MLB TV is Born!

This day in Yankees history in 2002 was quite the day for New York players and fans as we were treated to a trio of historic events. First and foremost fans were finally able to watch the Yankees on their computers as MLBTV was born on MLB.com. Sixty three years after the first Major League Baseball game was televised the first live video streaming game took place on the internet. The New York Yankees and the Texas Rangers would face off in a game that approximately 30,000 fans saw on MLB.com and also 42,000 fans saw at Yankee Stadium.

In the Yankees 10-3 victory over Texas Alfonso Soriano hit a solo home run in the fourth inning to set a new team record for home runs by a second baseman. Soriano's 31st home runs passed Joe Gordon's previous mark of 30 home runs by a second baseman hit in 1940. Also on this day Derek Jeter became only the third player to score at least 100 runs in his first seven major league seasons. The Yankees captain joins Ted Williams (Red Sox) and Earle Combs (Yankees) as the only other two big leaguers to begin their careers with 100 runs scored in seven straight seasons.

What a day for Yankees fans and players alike.

Also on this day in 1991 the Yankees reluctantly agreed to a signing bonus with first overall pick Brien Taylor. Taylor agreed to a $1.55 million contract at age 19 at the dismay of suspended owner George Steinbrenner. This came two days after Steinbrenner told the media that "if they (Gene Michael) let him (Taylor) go, they ought to be shot."

Talk about bidding against yourself.

Yankees History w/ 18th Pick Overall in MLB Draft

With the announcement that the Baltimore Orioles signed former Texas Rangers ace Yovani Gallardo to a three year deal the New York Yankees became almost essentially locked into the #18 pick in the first round of the MLB First Year Players Draft. This got me thinking, what have the Yankees done in their storied history with the 18^th pick overall in the MLB Draft so I got to researching and found that he team has only had the #18 pick in the first round once in the franchise’s history. In 1978 the New York Yankees selected a shortstop out of Bullard High School in Fresno, California with the 18^th pick overall and his name was Rex Hudler.

Hudler went on to have a pretty decent MLB career posting .261/.296/.422 triple slash with 56 home runs in his 13 season career. Hudler was never the All Star or the guy to lead the team offensively but he still managed to produce a solid 6.5 career WAR with a career .972 fielding percentage. 

The Yankees have come close to taking a player 18^th overall in years past, the organization took Bill Burdach 19^th overall in the original MLB Draft in 1965 out of Wahlert High School. The team also took Terry Whitfield 19^th overall out of Palo Verde High School in 1971 before picking 19^th overall again in 1975 when they took Jim McDonald out of High School as well.

In 2005 the Yankees climbed one spot higher to the #17 position where they took shortstop C.J. Henry with their first pick. You may remember Henry being used as the center piece of the cash dump that was the Bobby Abreu trade with the Philadelphia Phillies and you may also remember that shortly after the trade the Yankees got Henry back after not hacking it in Philadelphia. Total win for Brian Cashman.

I find it amazing that the Yankees have drafted first overall, twice taking Ron Bloomberg and Brien Taylor, more times than they have at the #18 slot. Unless something goes down between now and then the 2016 MLB Draft will mark just the second time the Yankees take someone with the #18 slot and if he turns out to be half as solid as Rex Hudler was I think New York is in pretty good shape going forward. 

This Day In New York Yankees History 8/26: MLB TV is Born!

This day in Yankees history in 2002 was quite the day for New York players and fans as we were treated to a trio of historic events. First and foremost fans were finally able to watch the Yankees on their computers as MLBTV was born on MLB.com. Sixty three years after the first Major League Baseball game was televised the first live video streaming game took place on the internet. The New York Yankees and the Texas Rangers would face off in a game that approximately 30,000 fans saw on MLB.com and also 42,000 fans saw at Yankee Stadium.

In the Yankees 10-3 victory over Texas Alfonso Soriano hit a solo home run in the fourth inning to set a new team record for home runs by a second baseman. Soriano's 31st home runs passed Joe Gordon's previous mark of 30 home runs by a second baseman hit in 1940. Also on this day Derek Jeter became only the third player to score at least 100 runs in his first seven major league seasons. The Yankees captain joins Ted Williams (Red Sox) and Earle Combs (Yankees) as the only other two big leaguers to begin their careers with 100 runs scored in seven straight seasons.

What a day for Yankees fans and players alike.

Also on this day in 1991 the Yankees reluctantly agreed to a signing bonus with first overall pick Brien Taylor. Taylor agreed to a $1.55 million contract at age 19 at the dismay of suspended owner George Steinbrenner. This came two days after Steinbrenner told the media that "if they (Gene Michael) let him (Taylor) go, they ought to be shot."

Talk about bidding against yourself.

This Day In New York Yankees History 8/26: MLB TV is Born!

This day in Yankees history in 2002 was quite the day for New York players and fans as we were treated to a trio of historic events. First and foremost fans were finally able to watch the Yankees on their computers as MLB TV was born on MLB.com. Sixty three years after the first Major League Baseball game was televised the first live video streaming game took place on the internet. The New York Yankees and the Texas Rangers would face off in a game that approximately 30,000 fans saw on MLB.com and also 42,000 fans saw at Yankee Stadium.

In the Yankees 10-3 victory over Texas Alfonso Soriano hit a solo home run in the fourth inning to set a new team record for home runs by a second baseman. Soriano's 31st home runs passed Joe Gordon's previous mark of 30 home runs by a second baseman hit in 1940. Also on this day Derek Jeter became only the third player to score at least 100 runs in his first seven major league seasons. The Yankees captain joins Ted Williams (Red Sox) and Earle Combs (Yankees) as the only other two big leaguers to begin their careers with 100 runs scored in seven straight seasons.

What a day for Yankees fans and players alike.

Also on this day in 1991 the Yankees reluctantly agreed to a signing bonus with first overall pick Brien Taylor. Taylor agreed to a $1.55 million contract at age 19 at the dismay of suspended owner George Steinbrenner. This came two days after Steinbrenner told the media that "if they (Gene Michael) let him (Taylor) go, they ought to be shot."

Talk about bidding against yourself.

This Day In New York Yankees History 8/26

On this day in 1991 the Yankees signed  first overall pick Brien Taylor to a $1,550,000 contract just two days after suspended Yankees owner George Steinbrenner said that if Gene Michael let him go "he should be shot." In typical Steinbrenner fashion though when he heard about the money that Taylor received he was outraged so you cannot win for losing.

On this day in 2002 Alfonso Soriano hit his 31st home run of the season setting a new Yankees record by second basemen passing Joe Gordon. Gordon hit 30 home runs as a second basemen in 1940.

On this day in 2002 the first ever baseball game was live streamed over the internet as the Yankees beat the Rangers 10-3. Approximately 30,000 fans watched the game on MLB.com and essentially saw the birth of MLB TV on this day.

Baseball Draft Cards Brien Taylor

Today is day one of the MLB First Year Player's Draft and the Yankees have three picks in the first round which makes for an interesting day one. I wanted to take this opportunity to share arguably a baseball card of the biggest draft bust in Yankees history, Brien Taylor. Taylor was selected first overall in the 1991 draft by the Yankees and Taylor never really reached the majors or his potential before being released way back in 1998. Hopefully the Yankees do a little better with their three big picks this afternoon. Watch the draft live on MLB Network.

Remember 1st Overall Pick Brien Taylor?

Being reported originally by John Swartz

BEAUFORT -- Brien Taylor was once paid more than $1 million by the New York Yankees, but it was the cash that cops paid him that landed him behind bars.

A former baseball standout at East Carteret High School who was drafted by the New York Yankees was arrested on drug charges.

Taylor, 40, was arrested Thursday in Beaufort and now faces a host of cocaine charges after a joint effort between the Carteret County Sheriff's Office and the Morehead City Police Department. Investigators said they bought "a large quantity of cocaine and crack cocaine from Taylor over a period of several months."

The former No. 1 selection in the Major League Baseball draft now faces a slew of charges involving the possession of and the intent to sell and distribute cocaine.

Taylor was placed in the Carteret County Jail under a $275,000 bond and is scheduled for a court appearance Friday morning.

Taylor, a native of Beaufort, was selected No. 1 overall in the 1991 amateur draft, and signed his first contract for more than $1 million. Taylor, however, never made it to the Major League level. An arm injury he sustained in a fight cut the left-hander's career short.