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.