In the never to be forgotten season of 1956, immortals would rise from the crowd. A 25 year old from Oklahoma would make headlines. A young but experienced pitcher would do the unspeakable in October. The Yankees were the home to many superstars that season. A switch hitting slugger named Mickey Mantle would lead the American League in home runs, RBIs, and batting average all in that same year for a Triple Crown. It was also good for the League MVP award, too. Meanwhile, downtown in Brooklyn, an iconic player who would not only change baseball but the nation would enter his final year in Major League Baseball. Jackie Robinson, the man who Rickey Branch signed to break the color barrier, would enter the final year of his legendary 10 season career. The year before, in 1955, Jackie Robinson and the rest of the Brooklyn Dodgers would beat out the Yankees in a great series. The 1956 World Series, as Mickey Mantle would say in one of his autobiographies, My Favorite Summer 1956, ‘’It would be a rematch of 1955.’’ But both teams didn’t get there just like that. They had to put up a fight.
Day: May 14, 2016
1961
1961. The year history would be rewritten. The year before, in 1960, the Yankees had come of a devastating lost in Game 7 of the World Series when a Pittsburgh Pirate would hit a home run over the ivy to walk of the World Series. One of the most memorable long shots in baseball history. Mickey Mantle was crying on the plane ride home. Another one of his teammates said that it was just a game. Mickey Mantle would explain in his autobiography that it wasn’t ‘’Yankee Type.’’ But 1961 had high hopes for the Yankees. Five years earlier Mickey Mantle won the Triple Crown and the MVP award. Also in the offseason of 1959, the Yankees acquired Roger Maris in a trade with the Kansas City Athletics.
Winning a World Series with the New York Yankees
The Yankees are baseball’s greatest team. They have 40 pennants ( meaning that they’ve gone to the World Series) and are 27 world champions. Now let’s go into the rich history of my favorite sport team.
A Birth in Baltimore
They Yankees were founded in 1903 as the Baltimore Orioles. After a year in Baltimore, the Orioles moved to New York City. After the move, they switched their name to the New York Highlanders. They shared the famous Polo Grounds with the New York Giants.
The Highlanders weren’t a famous team. They didn’t have the big name players such as Ty Cobb and Cy Young. But soon, the Yankees would strike it rich with some of the best players of all time.
Fiery Mangers
Every team needs a good manager. The Yankees have had a lot of managers, some good and some bad. They have come and gone. Some Hall of Fame managers, such as Joe Torre and Jake Ruppert, were some of the best managers of all time.
Joe Torre has won four World Series. You can’t forget about present day manager Joe Giradi. He is a manager who stands up for his players no matter what.
The Bambino
In 1914, Babe Ruth debuted for the Boston Red Sox. He was absolutely crushing home runs. Once the Yankees noticed the Babe, they wanted him to play for them. The Yankees offered a cash trade. The Red Sox agreed and the Babe was off to New York. With the Yankees, he would hit 60 home runs. He would become the franchise leader in home runs and RBIs.
The Iron Horse
Babe Ruth wasn’t the only big name player in the Golden Age. There was also Lou Gehrig. Lou Gehrig played in 2,130 games. He had 1,995 RBIs. He would have had more if only his career wouldn’t have been shortened by ALS. He led the team during the ’20’s and ’30’s.
Yankee/Red Sox Rivalry
After the trade of the Babe, the Red Sox would never win a World Series again until 2004. They called this time ”The Curse of the Bambino”. Now, the Red Sox don’t trade anybody to the Yankees. Plus, fights have broken out during the years between the teams. The Yankees are really sore with the Red Sox.
Foundations
Over the years, the Yankees have donated lots of money to different charities such as ALS, Derek Jeter’s Turn 2 and Hope Week.
ALS Foundation
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is the disease that took Lou Gehrig’s life. After he died, they renamed it Lou Gehrig disease. They have a foundation which helps raise money to find a cure for this deadly disease. The Yankees wore special hats to raise money and remember the great heroics of Lou Gehrig. Plus, they showed a clip to remember the great Lou Gehrig.
Derek Jeter’s Turn 2
Derek Jeter’s foundation is Turn 2. It is to teach kids and young adults to stay off drugs. In his farewell tour, he gets checks along with gifts for his foundation.
Hope Week
Hope Week is where the Yankees recognize people with disabilities. They do concerts and other special things such as letting disabled people throw the first pitch. For the kids, they get to be a Yankee for a day. Bernie Williams, former Yankee and guitar player, had a musical at a hospital.
The Yankees players take time out of their lives for people who can’t experience things that others can. They even had a real press conference for kids! The Yankees even help put on their jerseys!
The Most Known Logo
The Yankees logo was originally supposed to be an award for a police officer that died. But the Yankees wanted it. They were able to get it and they still wear the logo today. The Yankees aren’t the only team with the interlocking N Y.
Farewell Tours
As some of the greats and future Hall of Famers go, some teams honor them. In the last two years, greats such as Mariano Rivera and Derek Jeter have retired. Every team has presented gifts and checks for them. Derek Jeter donates his to the Turn 2 foundation. Mariano donated his to the church he was building. Plus, they got some pretty cool gifts to keep for themselves. Mariano even got Metallica to perform his entrance music, Enter Sandman.
Also, both Mariano and Jeter both got cool patches to remember their retirements. Every player on the Yankees had to wear patches on their shoulders and hats.
Team Captains
The Yankees have had very few team captains. A team captain is the leader of the team. You have to be really good and be with the Yankees to be a team captain. From Lou Gehrig to Derek Jeter, the team captains have led the team. After Jeter, there might not be a team captain for a long time.
Lou Gehrig
Lou Gehrig was a lefty slugger that had a-then record of playing in 2,130 games. His career and life were both cut short due to a deadly disease which is now known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease. Lou Gehrig would never brag and was quiet. He was named team captain because he was a great five tool player. If he hadn’t stopped playing, he would have been the greatest player ever. In his speech, known as ”The Luckiest Man Speech,” he didn’t complain. He was thankful for the life he had. Today, Lou Gehrig is in the Hall of Fame.
Thurman Munson
Thurman Munson was a catcher for the New York Yankees. He was really good. He would be a captain until he died in a plane crash. It was a sad day for the Yankees. To remember him, they retired his number.
Ron Guidry
Ron Guidry was also a captain. He was a captain because he was an amazing pitcher. He struck out 18 batters in a single game! He also had a season where he went 25-3! He was an amazing pitcher. Because of his shortened career, he wouldn’t be able to go into the Hall of Fame. He did get his number retired in Monument Park.
Don Mattingly
Don Mattingly was a first baseman. He was a good player. He hit a lot of home runs. He was a role model to Mark Teixeira. Now he manages the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Derek Jeter
Derek Jeter was a shortstop. He might be one of the best shortstops ever. Having five World Series rings and five Gold Gloves, nobody knows what will come from him. In his 20 year career, Derek has racked up over 3,000 hits, 500 doubles, and 157 postseason appearances. He is the Yankees franchise leader in hits, doubles, and steals. He also is the longest playing Yankee. He also is the last Yankee to wear a single digit on the back of their jersey. Jeter’s number will be retired. He has been a All-Star fourteen times. Derek Jeter is a captain because he has so many hits and is such a good player.
Monument Park
Monument Park is in center field. It honors all of the Yankee greats. It has plaques and numbers of the Yankees.
Principal Owner
Every team needs a principal owner, who owns the team and approves trades made by the general manager. The most famous owner was George Steinbrenner. He was known for saying that he didn’t want his players to have long hair and facial hair. He also fired lots of managers, especially Billy Martin.
World Series Magic
The Yankees are the best team in baseball. They have won the World Series 27 times. They also have had 40 appearances in the Fall Classic. Let’s look at some of the World Series heroes.
Mickey Mantle
Mickey Mantle has 18 home runs in the World Series. That is the most by any Yankee player. He has the most runs and was an amazing player.
Don Larsen
Don Larsen is also a World Series hero. He pitched a perfect game in the 1956 World Series. He is the only pitcher to do that.
Yogi Berra
Yogi Berra is famous for his World Series magic. He has the most World Series appearances by any player. He is famous for jumping into the arms of Don Larsen during the perfect game.
Reggie Jackson
Reggie Jackson is known for slugging three home runs on three pitches in one game. To finish up the series, he had five home runs tying Babe Ruth for the most.
Babe Ruth
Babe Ruth is known for the called shot at Wrigley Field. He also shares a record with Reggie Jackson for most World Series home runs.
Derek Jeter
When the Fall Classic went into November, Derek Jeter hit a lot of home runs.
Tino Martinez
Tino Martinez hits a grand slam in the World Series.
Broadcasters
Every team needs somebody to tell what’s happening in a game. The Yankees have Michael Kay, Ken Singleton, and Paul O’Neil.
ALCS Heroes
The ALCS is where the two best teams in the American league square off in a big game. Through the decades, there have been heroes which the Yankees needed.
Bucky Dent
Bucky Dent is the last name you would want to say at Fenway Park. In the 1978 ALCS, he hit a home run over the towering Green Monster in left field. That homer would send them to the World Series where they would win.
Derek Jeter
Derek Jeter cut off a throw and flipped it to Jorge Posada to get Jeremy Giambi out.
Aaron Boone
Aaron Boone hit a home run to walk off the 2003 ALCS.
Yankee Networks
Like every team, the Yankees needed a network where they could put their games on. They Yankees bought a TV station called Yes. When they are not showing their games, they could be found showing the Yankees Classics or Yankeeography.
The Yankees also needed a radio station for their games. They then took away the radio station WFAN away from the New York Mets.
Rookies of the Future
Masahiro Tanaka hopes he can lead the Yankees to another title. The young rookie from Japan needs to lead the Yankees after Derek Jeter retires. Catcher Austin Romine has to become a good backup for Brian McCann. Strikeout king Dellin Betances has to play a role in the bullpen.
Epilogue
It’s hard to be the best team in baseball. Having to honor and retire all these numbers. Also having all these fierce managers. From the old team captain power slugging rich history Lou Gehrig to the unbelievable plays of Derek Jeter, the Yankees are by far the greatest sports franchise ever.
Bibliography
Here are some books that are good…
Mark, Vancil and Mark Mandrake.
One Hundred Years New York Yankees The Official Retrospective. Chicago: Random House Books, 2002. Print
Krantz, Les. Yankee Classics: World Series Magic
from the Bronx Bombers. Minneapolis: MBI Publishing Company, 2010. Print.
Claus, Santa. Stocking Stumpers: New York
Yankees. Saddle River: Red-Letter Press, Inc., 2012. Print.
Joe Panik
Joe Panik is the young second baseman for the San Francisco Giants. We now analyze this youngster.
Joe Panik is the superstar second baseman for the San Francisco Giants. He had a great year in 2014 for them. Although he only played in 73 games, he did some pretty good things. In those 73 games, he got 82 hits. That is a lot of hits for only 73 games. Joe also hit 2 triples and ten doubles. All those triples and doubles would get him a .305 batting average. That is very good. Not many players get an average over .300. He is also a very good defender.
When the 2014 World Series went into Game 7, Joe certainly did his share. The ball was hit to him and he made a diving play. Without having a second to think, he flipped the ball out of his glove to the shortstop Brandon Crawford. Crawford received it and fired the ball to Brandon Belt at first. Brandon Belt scooped it out of the dirt. The umpire originally called the hitter out. But thanks to instant replay, the umpire in New York was able to review it and overturn it. It was called a double play. That play was courtesy of Joe Panik. For that play, Joe was awarded with a Gibby Award for the most outstanding postseason defensive play. Joe wanted to show his appreciation for the team he first played on. Back in his days in Mohegan Lake, NY Joe Panik played with the Shrub Oak Athletic Club. Joe surprised many by showing up at his old school, George Washington Elementary School. He also held a free autograph session for all the members of the current Shrub Oak Athletic Club and their families. As you can see, Joe Panik is a really good baseball player and gives back to his community.
Buster Posey
Buster Posey is one of the best players in the game today. We now will look into his history.
Buster Posey, in my opinion, is the best catcher in the game. He is probably the strongest built player in the world. In 2011, he took a massive blow to the head and body which almost killed him. Thankfully he survived that with only a broken ankle. He has been in three World Series as of 2014. He also was the 2010 NL rookie of the year.
On top of that, he was the 2012 NL MVP. He also was a candidate for the 2014 NL MVP Award. Plus, he caught multiple time Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw in the all-star game. The Giants would be nothing without their face of the franchise.
Pablo Sandoval
Pablo Sandoval is a great postseason performer. We now look into his current legacy.
Pablo Sandoval is the amazing third baseman who plays for the San Francisco Giants. He has been on the team longer than the great Buster Posey. ‘’The Panda’’, as some baseball analysts call him, is most known for his postseason skills. He is also one of the best fielders at the hot corner in both the postseason and the regular season. Pablo Sandoval has added himself to the list of hard to beat World Series records. He plays best in the World Series. Since 2010 he has helped his team win three World Series rings. His favorite World Series is probably in the 2012 series. It started off like any Fall Classic. But after one game, he put himself on a list with Babe Ruth and Reggie Jackson. In one game, Pablo was up to bat 3+ times. Three of the at-bats were really special. In those three at-bats ‘’The Panda’’ homered! He became the only person to do that except Babe Ruth and Reggie Jackson. Because of his heroics, he would help his team win that World Series. It would also not be a surprise when he won the World Series MVP, too.
Besides the famous 2012 series, he also helped his team win the 2010 and 2014 Fall Classics. This all happened when Pablo had his 2009 breakout season. That year he hit .330 with 25 homers and stole 5 bags. He also made some pretty cool plays not just that year. ‘’The Panda’’ also caught the last out of the 2014 World Series in style. As you can see, Pablo Sandoval is one of the best postseason performers of all time.
Madison Bumgarner
Madison Bumgarner is one of the most dominant (overpowering) pitchers right now. We now look at one of the best pitchers today.
Madison Bumgarner had a terrific breakout season with the San Francisco Giants in the 2014 season. He pitched 217 innings with 219 strikeouts and had an 18-10 record in 2014. Madison Bumgarner had been with the Giants, his only organization, since 2010. Since then, he has gained three World Series rings and numerous all-star appearances. 2014 was Bumgarner’s time to shine in the postseason. He won the NLCS Most Valuable Player Award. He was absolutely perfect in the Fall Classic. He had a 2-0 record in three games and also recorded a save in game seven. In one game, Bumgarner pitched a shut-out over the Kansas City Royals.
Since ‘’MadBum’’ became the ace of the Giants the old one lost his job and had to move to the bullpen. The former ace has multiple no-hitters and Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum. ‘’MadBum’’ was a candidate for the 2014 Cy Young Award competing against Clayton Kershaw of the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was also not that far from being the National League strikeout leader. A key to Bumgarner’s success could be that he has one of the best catchers in the game catching him. The great Buster Posey and Madison Bumgarner go perfectly together.
Hunter Pence
Hunter Pence is one of the greatest characters in baseball today. We now look at his profile.
Hunter Pence has always been a great baseball player. It was not until he would sign with the San Francisco Giants where he would be recognized for his greatness. Hunter Pence is an offense and defense combo. He is one of the best hitters in the National League. He has also makes some incredible plays. He always cranks up his teammates and the fans in many ways. In the NLCS, Hunter Pence made a great catch while smashing up into the wall for the final out of the game. Hunter Pence also has an amazing arm, too. He has thrown out some important runners. But Pence is not just known for his defensive skills, he is also known for his tricks at the plate. He has one of the weirdest stances in all of baseball. Somehow it confuses the other team and he always seems to get hits.
Hunter has also been in the postseason multiple times with the Giants. In the first game of the 2014 World Series, Hunter Pence hit a home run. That homer helped the Giants win that game. He helped lead his team to another World Championship. It was the Giants third in five years. All of his great skills helped him get a place on the 2014 National League all-star club.
Part of Pence’s success is the fans. At every stadium there are fans with Hunter Pence signs. Some of them are funny. So when Pence and his teammates see them they get pumped up. As you can see, Hunter Pence has lots of success and the Giants would have trouble winning without him.