The Best Games Ever Played at Yankee Stadium
The New York Americans at first were known as the Highlanders, for the reason that they played on Washington Heights and because their first presidents was Joseph W. Gordon, whose name suggested the Gordon Highlanders, a famous Scotch regiment.
However, the name Highlanders was too long to fit in newspaper headlines, so Mark Roth, then with the New York Globe, but was the touring secretary in 1913, created the appellation of Yankees with the assistance of Sam Crane, who was writing baseball for the New York Journal.
April 18, 1923
The Yankees open their new ballpark, which stands across from the Harlem River from their old home, the Polo Grounds. Babe Ruth hits a three-run home run in the third inning against Boston's Howard Ehmke in New York's 4-1 win and the stadium is quickly dubbed The House That Ruth Built by Fred Lieb of New York's Evening Telegram.
October 10, 1926
With two out int he ninth inning of Game 7--Cardinals leading the Yankees 3-2--St. Louis second baseman Roger Hornsby applies the tag on an attempted steal of second base by Babe Ruth, the final out of the World Series.
July 4, 1939
Between games of a doubleheader in the Bronx, the Yankees honor their ailing captain, Lou Gehrig, who had received a diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in June. In thanking the crowd, Gehrig says, "Today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth."
October 8, 1956
Yankees right-hander Don Larsen retires all 27 Dodgers hitters in Game 5 of the World Series, a 2-0 New York win, completing the only perfect game (or even no-hitter) in postseason history.
October 4, 1955
Years of futility are washed away as "dem Bums," the Brooklyn Dodgers, beat the Yankees 2-0 in Game 7 behind a five-hitter by Johnny Podres--the first World Series title in franchise history.
October 1, 1961
The the fourth inning of New York's final game, reigning American League MVP Roger Maris hits his 61st home run of the season into the right-field stands off Tracy Stallard of the Red Sox to break Babe Ruth's 34-year-old single-season record.
October 18, 1977
New York right fielder Reggie Jackson earns the nickname Mr. October by hitting home runs on three consecutive at bats against Dodgers Burt Hooton, Elias Sosa and Charlie Hough in Game 6 of the World Series.
July 24, 1983
Royals third baseman George Brett hits a two-out, two-run ninth-inning home run off Yankees closer Goose Gossage to give Kansas City a 5-4 lead. But New York manager Billy Martin protests that Brett's bat is illegal because there's pine tar too far up the barrel. The umpires agree and call Brett out. American League president Andy McPhail subsequently overturns the ruling and orders the game completed on August 18. The Royals hold on to win 5-4.
October 16, 2003
The Yankees Aaron Boone hits a series-ending solo home run off Boston's Tim Wakefield to lead off the bottom of the 11th and send the Yankees to the World Series.