Aaron Judge got his first walk off game winning hit yesterday: infield single. Mickey Mantle's first: April 23, 1953: three run home run against Red Sox.

The Yankees needed to beat the first place Tampa Rays yesterday in the final game of the regular season to avoid a tie and 163rd game today in Toronto. Aaron Judge broke a scoreless tie with an infield single in the bottom of the 9th inning. Now the Yankees play the wild card game against the Red Sox in Boston tomorrow night with their best pitcher, Gerrit Cole, starting on full rest plus a day. The winner plays a best of five series against the Rays starting in Tampa two days later.

Aaron Judge

Position: Rightfielder

Bats: Right  •  Throws: Right

6-7, 282lb 

Sunday, October 3, 2021

Start Time: 3:05 p.m. Local

Attendance: 40,409

Venue: Yankee Stadium III

Game Duration: 3:03

Day Game, on grass

Yankees 1, Rays 0

Bottom of the 9th, Yankees Batting, Tied 0-0, Rays' Josh Fleming facing 9-1-2:
One out, runners on second and third; infield in.
Andrew Kittredge replaces Josh Fleming pitching.
Aaron Judge against Andrew Kittredge: Single to P (Ground Ball to Weak SS-2B); Wade Scores; Rizzo to 3B
1 run, 3 hits, 0 errors, 2 LOB. Rays 0, Yankees 1.

It seemed surprising that it was the first walk off hit of any kind by Judge in 2,465 plate appearances (PA) and 2,068 at bats (AB). I wondered about others but found it difficult to find the data. I was finally able to get general data in stathead.com and looked for the first walk off hit by Mickey Mantle. I had to search by year for all players and then search in there for Mantle: 1951, 1952, 1953. Ah, it was in 1953 ... and it was a home run ... against the Red Sox who sunk to 3-5 on their way to 84-69 and fourth place in the American League. The 1953 Yankees beat the Brooklyn Dodgers to win the World Series, their fifth consecutive World Series championship, including three against Brooklyn: 1949, 1952, 1953.

Thursday, April 23, 1953

Attendance: 10,045

Venue: Yankee Stadium I

Game Duration: 2:12

Day Game, on grass

Yankees 6, Red Sox 3

Tied 1-1 through 7.

HR: Yogi Berra (1, off Sid Hudson, 8th inn, 1 on, 1 out)

Boston then scored two in the 9th to tie 3-3.

Bottom of the 9th, Yankees Batting, Tied 3-3, Red Sox' Bill Werle facing 9-1-2
Two out, two on.
Mickey Mantle against Ellis Kinder: Home Run; Brideweser Scores/unER; Rizzuto Scores/unER; Mantle Scores/unER
3 runs, 1 hit, 1 error, 0 LOB. Red Sox 3, Yankees 6.

HR: Mickey Mantle (2, off Ellis Kinder, 9th inn, 2 on, 2 outs).

Reminded me of my first Yankee game September 3, 1958 but the homers were reversed:

HR: Mickey Mantle (39, off Frank Sullivan, 8th inn, 0 on, 0 outs to RF); Yogi Berra (22, off Leo Kiely, 9th inn, 2 on, 1 out to RF). Yankees 8, Red Sox 5

Game times:
1953: 2:12
1958: 2:28
2021: 3:03

Ah, those faster games of yesteryear!