New York Yankees: 10 Most Memorable Opening Day Moments
7. Apr. 10, 1962
The Yankees took home their 20th World Championship in 1962, and their home opener set the tone for what would be an epic season for the bombers.
New York played host to the Baltimore Orioles at Yankee Stadium and defeated them 7-6.
Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle lived up to their nickname, the “M & M Boys,” and each hit a home run in the contest.
Trailing 3-2 in the seventh, Maris cranked a three-run shot into the seats in right field to give the Yankees a 5-3 lead. New York pitching would be unable to hold on, and the Bombers trailed 6-5 in the bottom of the eighth.
Mantle led the inning, and hit a game-tying solo home run to straightaway center to knot the ballgame up at six. The Yankees would later take the lead on a Bill Skowron single.
This would be the start of an epic season for the M&M boys, despite the year prior being the year they chased Babe Ruth’s home run record.
They would finish with 63 home runs and 189 RBIs combined and a World Series ring.
Christian Kouroupakis covers the New York Yankees and is the Editorial Director for ESNY. Interact with him and view his daily work by “liking” his facebook page and follow him on Twitter. All statistics are courtesy of Baseball Reference.com unless otherwise noted. Don’t hesitate to shoot him an email with any questions, criticisms, or concerns.
