2017: All (Star) Rise: Judge captures Home Run Derby crown
The “Baby Bombers” steal the show at the Home Run Derby. In the first round, Gary Sanchez knocks off defending champion and hometown favorite Giancarlo Stanton, while another Marlin, Justin Bour, blasts 22 home runs to put the pressure on Aaron Judge. The Majors’ home run leader rises to the occasion, and advances to the finals with a mammoth home run that hits the glass wall of Marlins Park in left-center field. Judge bests Minnesota’s Miguel Sano in the finals with roughly two minutes remaining in his round to become the first rookie to win the Derby outright (the Angels’ Wally Joyner was a co-champion in 1986).
2014: I got hits, they’re multiplying!
Derek Jeter records his 1,000th career multi-hit game, becoming the sixth player all-time to do so. He joins Ty Cobb, Pete Rose, Tris Speaker, Stan Musial and Hank Aaron as part of that elite group, eventually finishing his career with 1,014 multi-hit games.
2004: Red gets his due
Ahead of Old-Timers’ Day, the Yankees posthumously dedicate a plaque in Monument Park to Red Ruffing, the fifth pitcher bestowed with the honor. Ruffing was acquired in a 1930 mid-season trade with the Boston Red Sox with a record of 39-96 but collected 231 wins in pinstripes and is the only player in team history to have four straight 20+ win seasons (1936-39). He was 7-2 in seven World Series appearances, starting Game 1 in six of them.
2001: Jeter’s All-Star Game home run
At Safeco Field in Seattle, Derek Jeter hits his first and only career All-Star Game home run; the first by a Yankee in the Midsummer Classic since Yogi Berra in 1959. After replacing Alex Rodriguez at shortstop in the top of the sixth, Jeter leads off the bottom of the frame with his blast to center field off Cubs pitcher (and future teammate) Jon Lieber to give the A.L. a 3-1 lead. The game was also notable as Cal Ripken, Jr.’s final All-Star game. He and A-Rod flip-flopped positions in the first inning to allow Ripken to start at short. Baseball’s “Iron Man” would be named the game’s MVP as well.
1936: Lou Gehrig reaches 400 home runs
Lou Gehrig hits a pair of home runs to take over the league lead with 23. More notably, the first one off Cleveland’s Lloyd Brown is the 400th of his career, at the time making him the only player other than Babe Ruth to reach that milestone.
1934: Five in a row
At the second installment of the All-Star game, this year held at the Polo Grounds, Giants pitcher Carl Hubbell famously strikes out five straight future Hall of Famers: Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Jimmie Foxx, Al Simmons and Joe Cronin. In fact, the entire American League starting lineup, rounded out by Charlie Gehringer, Heinie Manush, Bill Dickey and Lefty Gomez, will eventually make it to Cooperstown.