1961 is my favorite New York Yankees baseball season, Mantle, Maris home run chase, and Detroit Tigers battling the Yankees for first place. I followed the 1998 Sosa, McQuire home run chase ending with McGuire hitting 70, and Bonds in 2001, hitting 73, home run seasons. Now we have Aaron Judge chasing all of them.
It’s August 1, the start of “The Dog Days.” On this day in 1961, the Yankees had played 102 games, and Roger Maris was sitting on 40 home runs.
July 31, 2022, the Yankees just played game 103, and Aaron Judge hit home run number 42.
The talk is whether Aaron Judge will match or surpass Roger Maris 61 in 61.
Today’s question: Is 61 in 61 the defacto home run record?
As the 2017 Major League Season winds down the race for first place in the AL East has tightened, and the WildCard race has gotten ‘Wilder.’
For the Yankees as of today September 4th after taking 3 of 4 vs. the first place AL East Red Sox are now 3.5 in back of them. They also have a slim two game lead on the first WildCard spot over the charging Twins.
Today they open a three game series vs. the surging Orioles in Baltimore.
As can be seen below the Yankees September Schedule (last regular season October 1st) puts their faith in their own hands.
MLB, scoreboard watching will be in full swing, starting today in the American League. Except for the AL West leading Houston Astros with a commanding 17 game lead over Seattle. The AL Central Cleveland Indians have a 1.5 game lead over the KC Royals, and the Red Sox hold a one game lead over the Yankees in the AL East. As for the Wildcard, it is up for grabs. Except for the White Sox 13.5 behind the Royals, every other team is under ten games.
July 27, 2017, 5:30 pm American League Wildcard Standings
In the Bronx tonight the Rays and Yankees open a 4-game series. Both teams have been playing well, with the Rays 1.5 behind the Yankees and 2.5 games behind the first place Red Sox.
Friday night the Red Sox open a 3-game series against the red hot rejuvenated Royals winners of their last 8-straight games. The Indians and their fans will be eyeing the scoreboard as they have a slim 2-game lead in the AL Central Division.
To make it even more fun for the fans on Monday, July 31st, besides the trading deadline the Indians play Boston and Royals play Houston in a 3-game set.
Baseball unlike the other major sports leagues with its championship season of 162 games played daily gives teams hope that even if they fall behind by a few games, they still can bounce back. So no matter the outcome of these games over the next seven days there’s still a lot of baseball scoreboard watching ahead.
When it comes to Yankees News that I read along with all the teams, it is always interesting how the same interview, in this case, GM Cashman on MLB Hot Stove can be viewed.
The New York Daily News posted this (link) article 16 hours ago
My real take away from this is the baseball off-season never stops entertaining the fan while waiting for Spring Training to begin in 44 days from today December 30.
February 19th Baseball Spring Training camps official open for most MLB teams, with full squads reporting the following week between 23rd and 25th. Today team equipment managers are going over their list checking off items and packing up trunks getting ready for some time around February 10th, when those big 18 wheelers will be pulling away from the ballparks on their way to the Florida and Arizona, for that other annual rite of Spring Training “Truck Day”.
Sitting on the Allegheny River, and the “New Pittsburgh” is beautiful PNC Park home to the rising Pittsburgh Pirates. This from a life long baseball fan who is also huge Yankees fan (grew-up in the shadow of Yankee Stadium) and is only haunted by one game, the 7th game of the 1960 World Series. If you are a Yankees fan, October 13, 1960 is nothing but heartache. No defeat for me hurts and stills hurts more than that one. Here are a few side notes, October 8th, 1960 was the first World Series game I attended, and for years sitting in an umbrella stand at my house was one of Bill Mazeroski’s game used bats from the 1960’s until I gave it to a neighbor who was from Pittsburgh.
BALLPARK PRINTS 