April 10, 1998: Yankees, A’s combine for Yankee Stadium scoring record in home opener

The New York Yankees were set to play their first home game of 1998. Joe DiMaggio, 83 years old, strolled from the dugout to the pitcher’s mound, threw a strike to catcher Joe Girardi, waved with both hands to an adoring crowd, and walked off the field.1 It might have been the best pitching performance of the day; before the final out went in the scorebook, a Yankee Stadium-record 30 runners crossed home plate.

The Yankees began the season on the West Coast. After dropping two games in Anaheim, and another in Oakland, they toppled the Athletics 9-7 for their first win. It was on to Seattle, where an 8-0 thumping by the Mariners dropped New York to 1-4.

The Yankees won the final two games in Seattle, and headed home – burdened by a team ERA of 6.90 and the barbs of an unhappy owner. With the season barely underway, George Steinbrenner questioned the team’s focus and resolve,2 but assured manager Joe Torre his job was safe.3

Yankees fans did not share Steinbrenner’s gloom; they picked up tickets for the home opener. The attendance of 56,717 was the largest turnout at Yankee Stadium since it was remodeled in 1976.4

Both pitchers began well. David Cone (0-1) retired the first two Athletics on popups and, despite being tagged for two singles, held Oakland scoreless in the first. A’s starter Jimmy Haynes (1-0) – who had beaten the Yankees with six effective innings in Oakland – retired the three batters he faced. But, as soon became evident, this game would not prove to be a pitchers’ duel.

Cone began the second inning with a strikeout, but a walk and two singles produced Oakland’s first run. Cone fanned Rickey Henderson for the second out, then Ben Grieve singled, bringing home rookie A.J. Hinch and Rafael Bournigal to give Oakland a 3-0 lead. Matt Stairs doubled home two more, and the Athletics were up 5-0.

Cone, who had undergone shoulder surgery in December 1997, was enduring his second straight poor start. After the game, Cone admitted his pitching was awful, but denied that his rehabbed shoulder was the problem.5 Indeed, the shoulder was healthy; he won his next nine decisions, and completed the season 20-7. Cone was the Yankees’ biggest winner in 1998, and tied Toronto’s Roger Clemens and Rick Helling of Texas for the American League lead in wins.

Haynes faltered in the bottom of the second. A walk, single, and walk filled the bases, and Chad Curtis’s sacrifice fly to right put the Yankees on the board. Scott Brosius flied to center; Tino Martinez tagged up and sped home. It was 5-2, Oakland, after two.

Oakland did not score in the top of the third, and Haynes returned to the mound with a three-run advantage. Derek Jeter flied out; he was the last batter Haynes retired. Haynes walked the next two hitters and ran the count full to Martinez, who drilled the 3-and-2 pitch 355 feet – over the fence and just in front of the right-field bleachers. The game was tied, 5-5.

Haynes issued his fifth walk, and Oakland manager Art Howe took him out, later explaining to reporters, “[Haynes] just wasn’t showing me any signs of being able to throw strikes.”6 After the game, Haynes took full responsibility for blowing the five-run lead, admitting, “I was trying to be too fine.”7

Aaron Small came in from the bullpen, but supplied no relief. The next three New York hitters singled, bringing home two more runs. A double play ended the inning, but the Yankees were leading, 7-5.

The Athletics did not score in the fourth even though Henderson reached first on an error to start the inning. He went to second on a passed ball, and was sacrificed to third, only to be stranded there.

In the bottom of the fourth, New York appeared to put the game out of reach by adding five more runs. Small issued consecutive walks to Jeter, Bernie Williams, and Martinez, to load the bases. Daryl Strawberry doubled, scoring Jeter and Williams and sending Martinez to third. No one was out; the Yankees’ lead had grown to 9-5, and runners occupied second and third.

Howe ordered Small to intentionally walk Curtis to load the bases, then called upon Jim Dougherty to pitch. Brosius greeted Dougherty with a single to left, tallying Martinez and Strawberry and moving Curtis to second. An error reloaded the bases, and on a groundout, Curtis raced home. The inning ended with New York on top, 12-5.

Cone went to work in the fifth with a seven-run cushion, needing three outs to be eligible for his first win of the season. He never got those outs. Jason Giambi singled and Dave Magadan followed with a double, beginning an Oakland onslaught.

Oakland’s third batter, Scott Spiezio, grounded out, scoring Giambi. Hinch singled, bringing home Magadan, and cutting Oakland’s deficit to five runs.

Bournigal followed with another single, putting Athletics on first and second with only one out; Cone was done. Torre summoned free-agent acquisition Darren Holmes to the mound.

Henderson, the first batter facing Holmes, singled to load the bases. Jason McDonald slammed a hit to center and two more runners scored, slicing the Yankees’ lead to 12-9. Holmes then hit Grieve with a pitch, filling the bases.

With only one out, the bases loaded, and four runs in, Torre called to the bullpen, handing the ball to rookie Mike Buddie for the third time in eight games. Buddie had not pitched well on the West Coast, giving up five runs in 2⅔ innings, for a 16.88 ERA.

Stairs welcomed Buddie with a grounder to third that Brosius could not handle; Henderson scored on the error, and the bases remained full. Consecutive singles by Giambi and Magadan drove in two more, putting Oakland ahead, 13-12, before Buddie could record the final two outs. The Athletics had scored eight runs on eight hits, and sent 13 batters to the plate. Magadan later remarked, “It was one of those days. It was 13-12, and the game wasn’t even official yet.”8

With Dougherty still on the hill for Oakland, the Yankees responded with a game-winning rally. It began with a walk to Paul O’Neill. Williams then bunted in front of the plate, and when Hinch made an off-target throw to second, O’Neill took third and Williams second. Martinez doubled to center field, scoring both runners, and putting New York back on top, 14-13. Strawberry lined a single to center, scoring Martinez with the Yankees’15th run.

With Curtis batting, Hinch threw out Strawberry attempting to steal. That cleared the bases, but the rally continued. Curtis drew a walk, and after Brosius flied out, Curtis went to second on Girardi’s single. Dougherty was done.

The new Oakland hurler, T.J. Mathews, faced Chuck Knoblauch, who singled home Curtis, making it 16-13. That was the score when the fifth inning ended.

Over the last four innings Buddie, Graeme Lloyd, and Jeff Nelson held Oakland without a run, while New York scored one more.

In the seventh, Curtis legged out an infield single, stole second, went to third on a groundout, and sprinted home with his fourth run of the game when Giambi singled.

New York won, 17-13. The total of 30 runs made it the highest-scoring game in Yankee Stadium history, surpassing by two the 28 runs scored on June 3, 1933, when the Yankees clubbed the Philadelphia Athletics 17-11. Oakland stranded 11 runners, and New York 9, preventing the score from climbing higher.

Steinbrenner enjoyed the record attendance, as well as the game’s outcome, but The Boss had harsh words for Holmes, who in December inked a three-year deal worth $4.65 million. Holmes did not record an out, prompting Steinbrenner to say, “He has to start showing something. They say he was throwing 95 miles per hour all the time. I don’t see it.”9

Buddie logged his first major-league win; he added three more in 1998. Dougherty took the loss; in July – with an 0-2 record and a 8.25 ERA – Oakland sent him to the Pacific Coast League. 

Oakland pitchers gave up 16 hits, and walked 12, of whom 10 scored; New York pitchers surrendered 16 hits (14 singles, 2 doubles) and six walks. The Yankees’ team ERA jumped to 7.57.

Oakland’s Magadan made this frank assessment: “We didn’t play very good baseball.”10 Torre was more diplomatic, telling David Lennon of New York Newsday, “We haven’t reached our potential pitching-wise. But it’s nice to have an offense that can hold you until that happens.”11 

The win lifted the Yankees to 4-4; they were at .500 for the first time. New York rolled up five more wins before losing in Detroit, and by the end of April the Yankees’ record reached 17-6.

New York’s final 114-48 record – the greatest win total in franchise history – was followed by a World Series championship. The pitching staff did reach its potential, posting a 3.82 ERA – the AL’s best.

Sources 

In addition to the sources cited in the Notes, the author consulted Baseball-Reference.com and Retrosheet.org for pertinent information, including the box score. The author also relied on game coverage in the San Francisco Examiner, the New York Daily News, and New York Newsday, and SABR BioProject biographies for several players involved in the game.

https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1998/B04100NYA1998.htm

https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYA/NYA199804100.shtml

Photo credit: Trading Card Database.

Notes

1 Mike Lupica, “Yanks Open,” New York Daily News, April 11, 1998: 40.

2 Jon Heyman, “‘The Boss’ Is Already Hitting the Panic Button,” The Sporting News, April 13, 1998: 33.

3 Peter Botte, “Boss Lets Joe Know Job’s Safe,” New York Daily News, April 11, 1998: 46.

4 Frank Blackman, “Yanks Walk All Over the A’s,” San Francisco Examiner, April 11, 1998: 37.

5 Peter Botte, “Bombers Left Standing as Stadium Record Falls,” New York Daily News, April 11, 1998: 41.

6 Blackman.

7 David Lennon, “Pitching Almost Costs Win,” New York Newsday, April 11, 1998: 38.

8 “A’s Beat,” San Francisco Examiner, April 11, 1998: 42.

9 Peter Botte and Rafael Hermoso, “George: Holmes clueless,” New York Daily News, April 11,1998: 46.

10 “A’s Beat.”

11 Lennon.