September is here so the 2015 regular season is coming to a close. In addition, September is when rosters expand, allowing players on the 40-man roster onto the major league roster. For the Yankees over the years, some players were meant to help the final push towards postseason baseball, others were simply getting their first taste of the big leagues as noteworthy prospects.
Here are some notable September call-ups:
Don Mattingly, 1982
In 1982, 21-year-old Don Mattingly made his major league debut, wearing #46 and coming in as a defensive replacement for Ken Griffey in the outfield. Little did we know the .167/.154/.167 hitting Mattingly was going to blossom into a .307/.358/.471 hitter with six All-Star appearances with 222 home runs and nearly 1,100 runs batted in, all while donning the pinstripes.
Shane Spencer, 1998
In 1998, a 26-year-old outfielder made his major league debut in April as a pinch-hitter but did not officially have an at-bat as Bernie Williams was picked off.
From April to August, Shane Spencer hit .310/.323/.655 with two home runs and six runs batted in over the course of 13 games, including a 5-for-5 game with two home runs. But no one looks to April to relive the legend of Shane Spencer.
From September 4 to September 27, Shane Spencer hit .421/.476/1.105 with eight home runs and 21 runs batted in. Shane Spencer had at least one hit in nine of his last 10 games and hit a home run in four of the last five. Shane Spencer was a lightning rod for the big swing and was a great story for a historically great New York Yankees team.
On September 18, Shane Spencer hit a grand slam. On September 24, Spencer hit a grand slam. And, if you can’t see where this is going…on September 27, Shane Spencer hit a grand slam.
He came up to the plate with the bases loaded four times in his first year in the majors and hit three grand slams.
The rest of his career following September 1998 was less than spectacular but Yankees fans will always look back at 1998 as a great championship season and Shane Spencer will forever be a part of that for his outstanding month.
Alfonso Soriano, 1999
On September 14, 1999, a thin #58 took the place of Darryl Strawberry on second base as a pinch-runner. The 23-year-old Alfonso Soriano made his major league debut on the bases and was hitless in his first at-bat in the same game.
In fact, through the first five games he appeared in primarily as a pinch-runner, but he was hitless in two at-bats.
Soriano took on his role as pinch-runner in the ninth inning of a home game against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays but did not come around to score. However, he got his first hit in the 11th inning, a solo home run to walk-off for the Yankees and send the fans home happy. To add a cherry on top of the whipped cream pie, (there was no whipped cream walk-off pie at the time though…) the first career hit/home run also clinched the American League East title for the Yankees. Have a Yankees moment, Alfonso.
Ultimately, he settled for a .125/.125/.500 slash line but can always lay claim to hitting a walk-off home run as his first hit in the majors.
Soriano spent the next four years with the team, including three full seasons from 2001-2003, where he hit .287/.326/.506 with 95 home runs as a two-time All-Star. He returned for the 2013 and 2014 season before announcing his retirement.
Jesus Montero, 2011
At the time, catcher Jesus Montero was a highly touted position prospect in the Yankees system. He made his major league debut as the designated hitter on September 1 in Boston but was hitless in five plate appearances. He got his first hit, a single to left field, on September 3 but his highlight game came on September 5, in Yankee Stadium.
In the fifth inning against the Baltimore Orioles, Jesus Montero took reliever Jim Johnson deep to right field, showing opposite field power made for Yankee Stadium for his first career home run. Montero continued flexing opposite field power when he took Johnson deep a second time, in the seventh inning; a two-run home run that gave him three runs batted in for the day.
He finished his debut year in the majors hitting .328/.406/.590 with four home runs and 12 runs batted in.
Matt Daley, 2013; Antoan Richardson, 2014
For those fond of baseball trivia regarding a couple of Yankees greats, reliever Matt Daley and outfielder Antoan Richardson will be notable names to remember.
In 2013, 31-year-old Matt Daley, a four-year veteran reliever was added to the Yankees bullpen as an additional arm meant to lighten the load for an already taxed bullpen. He appeared in seven games, allowing no runs while allowing two hits and striking out eight. But his notable appearance came on September 26. He entered the game with two outs in the ninth inning, in relief of the great Mariano Rivera. In the final home appearance for Mariano Rivera, Matt Daley came in as his replacement, striking out Ben Zobrist on three pitches.
In 2014, the 30-year-old Antoan Richardson was added to the roster in September primarily as a pinch-runner. He entered six of his 13 games as a pinch-runner but none more notable than pinch-running on September 24. After a hit by fellow September call-up Jose Pirela in a tie game in the ninth inning, Richardson took his place at first base. He advanced to second on a bunt and Derek Jeter came up to the plate.
In the final home game for the Captain, Jeter hit the first pitch from Evan Meek to right field, in vintage Jeter-style, scoring Richardson for a walk-off that sent the Yankee Stadium crowd into a frenzy for their Captain.
Did we name your favorite September call-up? Who did we forget? Comment below with your favorite September call-up.
