1979 New York Yankees Season
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1979 New York Yankees Season
The 1979 New York Yankees season was the 77th season for the franchise. The season was marked by the death of their starting catcher, Thurman Munson, on August 2. The team finished with a record of 89–71, finishing fourth in the American League East, 13.5 games behind the Baltimore Orioles, ending the Yankees' three-year domination of the AL East. New York was managed by Billy Martin, and Bob Lemon. The Yankees played at Yankee Stadium. As the Munson Era came to a tragic end within this season, a new era was about to unfold. 1979 marked the first time ever for the Yankees to broadcast their games on cable within New York City and surrounding areas, becoming the first ever MLB team to do so. Starting Opening Day that year, all Yankees games save for the nationally aired games were broadcast on the then 3-year old cable channel SportsChannel NY (aside from the usual WPIX telecast for free to air television viewers in the New York area and nationwide via satellite and cable). O ...
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American League East
The American League East is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. MLB consists of an East, Central, and West division for each of its two 15-team leagues, the American League (AL) and National League (NL). This division was created before the start of the season along with the American League West division. Before that time, each league consisted of 10 teams without any divisions. Four of the division's five teams are located in the Eastern United States, with the other team, the Toronto Blue Jays, in Eastern Canada. It is currently the only division that contains a non-American team. At the end of the MLB season, the team with the best record in the division earns one of the AL's six Major League Baseball postseason, playoff spots. The most recent team to win this division was the New York Yankees in . History Baseball writers have long posited that the American League East is the toughest division in MLB; during its 50-year existence, an AL East team has gone on to pla ...
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First Baseman
A first baseman, abbreviated 1B, is the player on a baseball or softball team who fields the area nearest first base, the first of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. The first baseman is responsible for the majority of plays made at that base. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the first baseman is assigned the number 3. Also called first sacker or cornerman, the first baseman is ideally a tall player who throws left-handed and possesses good flexibility and quick reflexes. Flexibility is needed because the first baseman receives throws from the other infielders, the catcher and the pitcher after they have fielded ground balls. In order for the runner to be called out, the first baseman must be able to ''stretch'' towards the throw and catch it before the runner reaches first base. First base is often referred to as "the other hot corner"—the "hot corner" being third baseman, third base—and therefore, like the third baseman ...
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Texas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are an American professional baseball team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Rangers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West division. In 2020, the Rangers moved to the new Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, Arlington after having played at Globe Life Park (now Choctaw Stadium) from 1994 to 2019. The team's name is shared with a Texas Ranger Division, law enforcement agency. The franchise was established in 1961, as the Washington Senators, an expansion team awarded to Washington, D.C., after the city's first AL ballclub, the History of the Washington Senators (1901–60), second Washington Senators, moved to Minnesota and became the Minnesota Twins, Twins (the Washington Senators (1891–99), original Washington Senators played primarily in the National League during the 1890s). After the season, the new Senators moved to Arlington, and debuted as the Rangers the followin ...
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Dave Rajsich
David Christopher Rajsich ( ; born September 28, 1951) is an American former professional baseball pitcher, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1978 to 1980 for the New York Yankees and Texas Rangers. He also played one season in Japan for the Hiroshima Toyo Carp in 1984. Rajsich, whose last name is pronounced "Ray-Sich", was a southpaw pitcher known as "The Blade" because he was so tall and thin (, 175). Rajsich is the brother of former Major League outfielder Gary Rajsich, with whom he played on the St. Petersburg Pelicans in the Senior Professional Baseball Association. He is currently the pitching coach for the Eugene Emeralds The Eugene Emeralds (nicknamed the Ems) are a Minor League Baseball team in the northwest United States, based in Eugene, Oregon. The Emeralds are members of the Northwest League and are affiliated with the San Francisco Giants. Eugene plays their .... References External links Major League Baseball pitchers New York Yankees player ...
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Larry McCall
Larry Stephen McCall (born September 8, 1952) is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played for the New York Yankees (–) and the Texas Rangers (baseball), Texas Rangers (). He bats left-handed and throws right-handed. Playing career McCall was signed by the Baltimore Orioles on February 27, 1971, as an amateur free agent. On September 16, 1974, he was purchased by the Los Angeles Angels, California Angels, but was returned to the Orioles by the Angels on October 25 of the year. On April 10, 1976, he was released by the Orioles, and on the same day, signed with the New York Yankees as a free agent. McCall made his Major League debut on September 10, 1977, with the Yankees against the Toronto Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium (1923), Yankee Stadium, with 20,296 people attending the game. McCall was called to replace Stan Thomas (baseball), Stan Thomas, and pitched the top of the seventh inning; the Yankees lost the game to the Blue Jays 19–4. On November 10, 1978, McCall w ...
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Mike Heath
Michael Thomas Heath (born February 5, 1955) is an American former professional baseball catcher. He played 14 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) with the New York Yankees (1978), Oakland Athletics (1979–1985), St. Louis Cardinals (1986), Detroit Tigers (1986–1990), and Atlanta Braves (1991). While Heath played most of his games as a catcher, he started his professional baseball career as a shortstop and played every position except pitcher during his major league career. He played 1,083 games at catcher, 142 games in right field, 79 games in left field, 39 games as a DH, 38 games at third base, four games each at first base and shortstop, and one game each at second base and center field. Drafted by the New York Yankees in the second round of the 1973 Major League Baseball draft, Heath made his major league debut with the New York Yankees on June 3, 1978, at the age of 23. He hit .228 in 33 games with the 1978 Yankees and appeared in one game of the 1978 World Series. ...
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Domingo Ramos
Domingo Antonio Ramos (born March 29, 1958) is a former professional baseball player who was an infielder in Major League Baseball from 1978 to 1990. In 1982 with the Seattle Mariners, he filled in at all four infield positions. Ramos hit over .200 just twice, .283 in 1983 and .311 in 1987, in 103 at-bats. Ramos earned his first career hit on May 23, 1980. On June 26, 1982, he recorded his first career RBI. His first career home run came on an April 17, 1983, in a 7–4 loss against the Oakland Athletics. His first career stolen base came two days later, in a 6–2 loss at the Minnesota Twins. His first career four-hit game came on September 8, 1987, in a 7–0 win over the Cleveland Indians. On November 10, 1978, he was traded by New York Yankees with Dave Rajsich, Larry McCall, Sparky Lyle, Mike Heath and Cash to Texas Rangers for Greg Jemison, Paul Mirabella, Mike Griffin, Juan Beniquez and Dave Righetti. In 1981, he was selected by the Seattle Mariners from the Toronto Blue ...
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Sparky Lyle
Albert Walter "Sparky" Lyle (born July 22, 1944) is an American former left-handed relief pitcher who spent sixteen seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1967 through 1982. He was a relief pitcher for the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, Texas Rangers, Philadelphia Phillies, and Chicago White Sox. A three-time All-Star, he won the Cy Young Award in 1977, the first American League reliever so honored. He led the AL in saves in 1972 and 1976. With the Yankees, Lyle was a member of the World Series champions in 1977 and 1978, both over the Los Angeles Dodgers. Lyle co-authored, with Peter Golenbock, ''The Bronx Zoo'', a 1979 tell-all book which chronicled the dissension within the Yankees in its World Series Championship seasons of 1977 and 1978. From 1998–2012, Lyle served as manager of the Somerset Patriots, an independent baseball team of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. Lyle is credited, alongside Rollie Fingers, with expanding the role and importan ...
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California Angels
The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. Since 1966, the team has played its home games at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California. The franchise was founded in Los Angeles in 1961 by Gene Autry as one of MLB's first two expansion teams and the first to originate in California. Deriving its name from an earlier Los Angeles Angels franchise that played in the Pacific Coast League (PCL), the team was based in Los Angeles until moving to Anaheim in 1966. Due to the move, the franchise was known as the California Angels from 1965 to 1996 and the Anaheim Angels from 1997 to 2004. "Los Angeles" was added back to the name in 2005, but because of a lease agreement with Anaheim that required the city to also be in the name, the franchise was known as the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim until 2015. The current Lo ...
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Dave Righetti
David Allan Righetti (born November 28, 1958), nicknamed "Rags", is an American professional baseball coach and former player. A left-handed pitcher, Righetti played in Major League Baseball from 1979 through 1995 for the New York Yankees, San Francisco Giants, Oakland Athletics, Toronto Blue Jays, and Chicago White Sox. He served as the pitching coach for the Giants from 2000 through 2017. Righetti began his career as a starting pitcher, but the Yankees converted him into a relief pitcher, using him as their closer, in 1984. He won the American League (AL) Rookie of the Year Award in 1981. As a starter, he threw a no-hitter on July 4, 1983. As a closer, he was twice named the AL Rolaids Relief Man of the Year and pitched in two MLB All-Star Games. He was the first player in history to both pitch a no-hitter and also lead the league in saves in his career. Dennis Eckersley later duplicated the feat, as did Derek Lowe. Early life Righetti was born in San Jose, California. His ...
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Dámaso García
Dámaso Domingo García Sánchez (7 February 1957 – 15 April 2020) was a Dominican professional baseball second baseman, best known for his time spent with the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball (MLB), in the 1980s. García was originally a footballer. In 1974, he was the club captain of Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra. That year, García also played as the captain for the Dominican Republic national football team at the 1974 Central American and Caribbean Games in Santo Domingo. Playing career García made his major league debut in 1978 with the New York Yankees. He played in 29 games over the following two seasons, before being traded with Chris Chambliss and Paul Mirabella to the Toronto Blue Jays for Tom Underwood, Rick Cerone, and Ted Wilborn, prior to the 1980 season. As Toronto's regular second baseman from 1980 through 1986, García batted over .300 twice (1982 and 1983), with his .310 mark placing him 6th in the American League (AL), in 1982. García ...
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Juan Beníquez
Juan José Beníquez Torres (born May 13, 1950) is a former center fielder in Major League Baseball who played for the Boston Red Sox, Texas Rangers, New York Yankees, Seattle Mariners, California Angels, Baltimore Orioles, Kansas City Royals and Toronto Blue Jays in all or parts of 17 seasons spanning 1971–1988. Listed at 5' 11" , 150 lb. , Beníquez batted and threw right-handed. He was born in San Sebastián, Puerto Rico. Career A valuable role player for a long time, Beníquez spent 17 years in the major leagues playing for eight different American League clubs. He started his career with the Red Sox in 1971, appearing at shortstop as a backup for Luis Aparicio in part of two seasons, and later was switched to center field. A Gold Glove Award winner with Texas in , Beníquez posted four consecutive .300 seasons with California and Baltimore from 1983 through 1986, with a career-high .336 in 1984, and also hit three home runs in a game for the Orioles in 1986. He appeared ...
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