Former Yankees: Five players you forgot were Yankees

The New York Yankees have been around as a franchise since the start of the 1901 season. When one thinks of the pinstripes there are numerous players over the years who immediately come to mind.

Since 1901 there have been 1,454 different players to suit up for the team in at least one game, thanks to the indispensable Baseball-Reference.com. There are bound to be men whose careers with the club were forgotten to time in that group. I took a look and found five notable people from baseball history whom you might not have realized were Yankees.

#5: INF Hal Lanier (1972-73)

Hal Lanier is best remembered for winning the 1986 National League Manager of the Year award for leading the Astros to the 1986 NL West title. His Houston club lost to the Mets in six games during that year’s NLCS.

His father, Max, pitched 14 seasons in the majors.  He won 108 games, posted a 3.01 ERA, and was a two-time All-Star and World Series champion with the Cardinals.  In fact, he defeated the Yankees in Game 4 of the 1942 Fall Classic. Lanier pitched three scoreless innings of relief in a 9-6 Cardinals’ victory.

Hal, on the other hand, was primarily a shortstop, who played ten seasons in the majors from 1964-73.  He spent the first eight years of his career with the Giants before his contract was purchased by the Yankees prior to the 1972 season.  Arguably his best game with New York came on July 29, 1972, at Yankee Stadium against the Red Sox. He recorded two hits and two RBI in an 8-1 victory.

Overall, Lanier’s tenure with New York wasn’t amazingly successful.  He hit just .212 with no homers and eleven RBI in 95 games with the team over two seasons.