May
With the team off to a slow start, the Yankees brought up Robinson Cano as part of a roster shakeup. Things got worse before they got better, bottoming out after an 11-19 start. Tino enjoyed a resurgence with homers in five straight games, while the Yankees rattled off a nine-game winning streak to breathe some life back into the Bronx. The Yanks beat the Mets and Pedro Martinez in the first Subway Series. With Jaret Wright and Kevin Brown on the disabled list, Chien-Ming Wang made an immediate impact in his first month with the club. After reflecting on the 10-year anniversary of his big-league debut, Derek Jeter began his second decade in the Majors. Rodriguez earned player of the month honors.

June
New York drafted C.J. Henry in the first round of the First-Year Player Draft, adding a young, energetic player to the system. A-Rod added to his impressive resume, becoming the youngest player in history to reach 400 home runs. Later in the week, Joe Torre chewed out his team, but the Yankees responded the following week with a six-game winning streak, including a sweep of the Cubs, as the two teams met in New York for the first time since 1938. It will be the last time they meet at the current ballpark in the Bronx, as the Bombers announced plans for a new Yankee Stadium. Jeter made some history of his own, hitting his first career grand slam after 135 career at-bats with the bases loaded. For the second time in 2005, the Yankees broke out for a 13-run inning against the Devil Rays, staging a remarkable comeback. George Steinbrenner ended speculation about the future of the club when he tabbed Steve Swindal as his successor.

July
Pavano’s first season in New York ended early, as he landed on the DL and didn’t pitch again for the Yankees. A-Rod, Rivera and Gary Sheffield represented the Yankees on the AL All-Star team, but there was no sign of Jeter in Detroit. The Yankees, still battling injuries in the rotation, traded for Al Leiter, who defeated the Red Sox in his first start for the Yanks. Aaron Small also pitched in, becoming an unlikely hero for the Yankees. Brown joined Pavano on the DL, ending his season — and tenure with the Yankees — in the process. With few options at the trade deadline, the Yankees acquired Shawn Chacon to bolster the rotation.

August
The Yankees got some good news on the injury front, as Wright returned to the rotation after four months on the DL. New York got a close-up look at the White Sox, as the Big Unit served up six homers to the eventual World Series champs. Giambi’s comeback heated up again with a pair of two-homer games that proved he was as dangerous as ever. With his 40th home run, A-Rod became the first right-handed Yankee since Joe DiMaggio to reach that mark. Rodriguez was named player of the month for the second time in 2005.