1983 New York Yankees season

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The New York Yankees' 1983 season was the 81st season for the Yankees. The team finished in third place in the American League Eastern Division with a record of 91-71, finishing 7 games behind the Baltimore Orioles. New York was managed by Billy Martin. The Yankees played at Yankee Stadium.

[edit] Awards and Honors

Ron Guidry and Dave Winfield represented the Yankees at the 1983 Major League Baseball All-Star Game.

Gold Gloves were awarded to pitcher, Guidry and outfielder, Winfield.

Winfield also won the Silver Slugger Award.

[edit] Offseason

• December 9, 1982: Fred McGriff was traded by the New York Yankees with Dave Collins, Mike Morgan, and cash to the Toronto Blue Jays for Dale Murray and Tom Dodd.
• December 22, 1982: Lee Mazzilli was traded by the New York Yankees to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Tim Burke, Don Aubin (minors), John Holland (minors), and Jose Rivera (minors).
• January 11, 1983: Ozzie Canseco was drafted by the New York Yankees in the 2nd round of the 1983 amateur draft. ^[1]

[edit] Regular Season

• July 4, 1983 – Dave Righetti threw a no-hitter versus the Boston Red Sox ^[2]

• On August 4, 1983, Winfield, while warming up before the 5th inning of a game at Toronto's Exhibition Stadium, accidentally killed a seagull with a thrown ball. He doffed his cap in mock sorrow. Fans responded by hurling obscenities and improvised missiles. After the game, he was brought to the Ontario Provincial Police station on charges of cruelty to animals and was forced to post a $500 bond before being released. Quipped Yankees manager Billy Martin, "It's the first time he's hit the cutoff man." The charges were dropped the following day.^[3]

For years afterward Winfield's appearances in Toronto were greeted with loud choruses of boos, but he later became a fan favorite.

[edit] Season standings

[edit] Roster

[edit] Pine Tar Game

The baseball bat used by Kansas City Royals third baseman George Brett in the Pine Tar Incident on July 24, 1983.

The Pine Tar Game refers to a controversial incident that took place in an American League baseball game played between the Kansas City Royals and New York Yankees on July 24, 1983.

Playing at New York's Yankee Stadium, the Royals were trailing 4-3 with two outs in the top of the ninth and U. L. Washington on first base. In the on deck circle, George Brett was heard remarking to a teammate, "Watch this baby fly" as he shook his bat. He then came to the plate and connected off Yankee reliever Rich "Goose" Gossage for a two-run home run and a 5-4 lead. As Brett crossed the plate, New York manager Billy Martin approached home plate umpire Tim McClelland and requested that Brett's bat be examined. Earlier in the season, Martin and other members (most notably, third baseman Graig Nettles, who as a member of the Minnesota Twins, recalled a similar incident involving Thurman Munson) of the Yankees had noticed the amount of pine tar used by Brett, but Martin had chosen not to say anything until the home run.

With Brett watching from the dugout, McClelland and the rest of the umpiring crew inspected the bat. Measuring the bat against the width of home plate (which is 17 inches), they determined that the amount of pine tar on the bat's handle exceeded that allowed by Rule 1.10(b) of the Major League Baseball rule book, which read that "a bat may not be covered by such a substance more than 18 inches from the tip of the handle."

[edit] Player stats

[edit] Batting

Note: G = Games played; AB = At Bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting Average; HR = Home Runs; RBI = Runs Batted In

[edit] Other batters

[edit] Starting pitchers

[edit] Other pitchers

[edit] Relief pitchers

[edit] References

1. ^ http://www.baseball-reference.com/c/canseoz01.shtml
2. ^ http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FCI/is_8_61/ai_88575159
3. ^ Jane, Gross. "Winfield charges will be dropped", The New York Times, 1983-08-06, p. 1.29. 

[edit] External links

• 1983 New York Yankees
• 1983 New York Yankees team page at www.baseball-almanac.com