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OPENING DAY: CC Sabathia and the Yankees
March 25, 2014 by Leave a Comment
Saggy baggy Sabathia
Starting his sixth Yankee OD breaks a tie with Red Ruffing, and ties Sabathia with Lefty Gomez, but still places him behind Mel Stottlemyre, the Gator – Ron Guidry, and the Chairman of the Board – Whitey Ford, who each started seven times. CC also made five Opening Day starts for the Indians.
Quick trivia question: Who was the last Yankee before Sabathia to start on the hill on Opening Day?
(answer below)
Nine to Know: Yankees on Opening Day
- There will be a new second baseman for the Yankees on Opening Day this season. Robinson Cano, who has started the previous eight openers, this year will be starting for the Mariners. Kudos to whomever remembered that in 2005 Tony Womack started for NY.
- For the sixth straight season, the Yankees will have a different DH on OD. In 2008 and 2009, the designated hitter was Hideki Matsui; in 2010 it was Nick Johnson; in 2011, it was Jorge Posada; in 2012, it was Raul Ibanez; and last season, it was Ben Francisco.
- Derek Jeter is expected to start for the Yankees at short in what can officially be called “the beginning of the end.” Since 1996, he has been the Yankees OD starter each season with the exceptions of 2001, when Luis Sojo started, and last season, when Eduardo Nunez filled in.
- Jeter’s 16 Opening Day starts are the most for any Yankee. The Yankee captain is followed by Bill Dickey who made 15 starts behind the plate, Lou Gehrig, who started 14 games at first, and Willie Randolph and Mickey Mantle who made 13 starts each at second and in center respectively.
- Yankee manager Joe Girardi is 2-4 in his Opening Day starts.
- Joe McCarthy managed the most Opening Days in Yankees history, with a 10-6 record in his 16 games. His 10 wins ties him with Casey Stengel who had a 10-2 OD record.
- The Yankees have hit 99 homers on Opening Day. Of the 66 players who have hit them, Babe Ruth leads with five, followed by Yogi Berra, Jorge Posada, and the Mick with four each.
- The last Yankee to have a multi-homer OD was Joe Pepitone, who put down his hair dryer and slammed a pair against the Atheletics on April 9, 1963 in Kansas City.
- All-time, the Yankees are 63-47-1 on Opening Day and have lost the last two and four-of-five. The 1910 opener against Boston (who else?) was called a tie because of darkness with the score tied 4-4 after 14 innings.
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