If Your Birthday is November 22nd...

...you share it with Austin Romine.  The longtime Yankees backup catcher spent parts of eight seasons in the Bronx, where one of his standout games took place in 2019 (same year I snapped this image) when he became the first Yank since 2012 to deliver both a tying-hit and a walk-off hit in the same game!  (He did it against the Royals on April 21st.)

And another ex-Yankee with an "A" first name is also a November 22nd baby.  Adam Ottavino was Romine's teammate in 2019, and returned to Aaron Boone's pen the following season.  Working mainly as a setup man, he posted an 8-8 record over two years, with two saves (including one on August 12th, 2019 against the Orioles, when I was on hand).   The native New Yorker also owns a unique place in Yankee history as the first player ever to wear the uniform number of 0.  He's also one of the 147 (at last count) to play for both the Yankees and Mets.

Interestingly, two others who've suited up for both New York teams are also in today's birthday circle:

  • Ricky Ledee, the lefty hitting outfielder who never quite lived up to expectations in the Bronx.  New York bookended his career -- a Yankee from 1998-2000, he finished up with the '06 and '07 Mets.
  • Lee  Guetterman, the 6'8 lefthander who came to the Yankees from the Mariners in 1988 and was sent to Flushing 4-1/2 years later for Tim Burke in a rare trade between the New York clubs.

Comments

Anonymous said…
Actually, there are now 163 players who played for both the Yankees and the Mets. The "147" number was as of the end of 2021. There have been 16 more since.
November 22, 2024 at 2:49 PM
Mike McCann said…
So much for trusting AI... thanks for the correction.
November 22, 2024 at 4:47 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Spring Training Flashbacks: Subway Series, Florida Style - 2016

Image
It's a return visit to the Mets' Florida home in Port St. Lucie, this time for a 2016 showdown with the Yankees. (Below), Joe Girardi and Brian Cashman chat during batting practice. Aaron Judge and Rob Refsnyder have their game faces on in the dugout... though neither would be in the starting lineup. (Above) A couple of Brooklyn natives that made their mark in New York baseball -- Lee Mazzilli and John Franco. (Below) Mets pitcher Josh Smoker makes friends by signing a few autographs. (Above) Mets reliever Jeurys Familia; (Below) 2nd baseman Neil Walker (Above) Curtis Granderson, one of the select few players to star for both the Yankees and Mets, getting ready for his third summer at Citi Field. (Below) Aaron Hicks came to the Yankees in a trade the previous November. 3rd baseman Chase Headley enjoying the Grapefruit League vibe, even against Mets ace Jacob deGrom. (Above) Mets slugger Yoenis Cespedes watches where he hit one... so does Joe Girardi from the visitor's dugou...
Read more

Hanging Up His Headphones

Image
The news spread quickly and stunningly on Monday afternoon: after 36 seasons, 5,420 regular season games -- 5060 consecutive -- and 211 more in the postseason, John Sterling was retiring as the radio voice of the Yankees.  The booming baritone, his energetic style and signature home run calls -- from "Bern, Baby, Bern" through "A Soto Photo" -- made the native New Yorker an enduring part of Yankee history.   Sterling narrated a remarkable era in Bronx baseball -- five World Championship clubs built around the Hall of Famers Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera.   But there's so much more on his resume.  After first making a name as the voice of the the NBA's Baltimore Bullets, John came to New York to host an evening radio sports talk show, that soon led to doing play by play for the Islanders and Nets... Then, after several years in Atlanta, calling Braves and Hawks games on TBS, he returned home after landed the Yankees radio job in 1989.  From Alvar...
Read more

Wayback Wednesday: Double Duty

Image
June 5th, 1965:    Mel Stottlemyre hits a home run -- and pitches all 10 innings, as the Yankees edge the White Sox 4-3 Yankees edge the White Sox 4-3 .  Mickey Mantle also homers, while Elton Howard wins it with a walk-off single, driving in Phil Linz.      
Read more