Category: Story Book

by Jacoby Nolnaho

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.

by Jacoby Nolnaho

The Bambino

     Babe Ruth is one of baseball’s best players of all time.  He started out as a pitcher for the Boston Red Sox.  He then moved to the outfield and collected a then record of 714 home runs.  Let’s go on a journey and explore the Babe’s life.

Childhood on the streets

Babe Ruth was born on February 6,  1895. His real name was George Herman Ruth.  He was a trouble maker.  He was one of the pranksters on the block.  His parents were getting stressed out on how bad he was.  So with some hesitation,  they sent him to St.  Mary’s School and Orphanage.  He was there until he was drafted!  The purpose of the school was to teach kids to behave themselves and to find jobs.  One time he tried to escape and run away from the school.  The fence stopped him.  One of the Brother’s stopped him( The Brother’s were like the principals.  They were in charge).

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At St. Mary’s, he got his nickname ”Babe”.  He got it because he was with Brother Herman so long and went everywhere with him.  They called him Herman’s baby. Sadly,  he only got to see his parents once every two months.

Before he went to St. Mary’s,  George didn’t know how to play baseball.  He saw that the kids were playing,  so he decided to play too.  They assigned him to play catcher.  He always wanted to hit like the brothers there, but he would find out he could hit further then all of them combined.

Draft Time

The Babe was playing so well at St. Mary’s that he even attracted Major League scouts.  The Baltimore Orioles drafted him to play.  The young Babe was shocked to hear that he could play and get paid just to play ball.           

Babe the Rookie.

Even though Ruth signed with the Orioles they traded him to the Boston Red Sox.  Babe was a good south pawed pitcher for the Sox.  In his career as a pitcher,  the Babe would go 94-46. He would then move to the outfield.  At that time, the team was in debt.   The Red Sox would then trade ”The Sultan of Swat” to the New York Yankees for money.  That was a mistake by Boston.

Pride of the Yankees

Ruth would become the pride of the Yankees.  He would smack 659 homers with New York.  After Boston traded Ruth,  they went through a depressing era.  They would never win the World Series again until 2004.  This depressing time for Red Sox fans was called the ” Curse of the Bambino”.

   Legendary Moments

One of the Babe’s most known legendary moment was his ”Called Shot”.  In the World Series at Wrigley Field,  he pointed to center field.

He then got two strikes and two balls.  He put two fingers up on each hand.  The next thing he did was crush a home run to center field.  Moments before that he pointed there.  Did Babe Ruth really know that this home run was coming?  Or was he just pointing towards the fans?  That is a mystery that nobody will ever know.

Another one of Babe’s famous moments was when he visited a kid in a hospital.  The kid asked him if he could promise to hit a home run for him.  Yep,  the old Babe did that too.

      Bye, Bye Babe

At the age of 40,  having an amazing  career,  the Babe set  to retire.  Although the Yankees didn’t sign him,  he played a bad year of baseball with the Boston Braves. In his final at bat, he hit a home run.

         Epilogue

Today,  Yankee,  Red Sox,  Oriole, and Braves fans will remember Babe’s legacy forever.  Babe died because of several reasons.  He drank a lot.  He also smoked and chewed tobacco.  Babe Ruth died of throat cancer in 1948, at the age of 53.

Today,  there are monuments everywhere to remember Babe Ruth.  At Oriole Park at Camden Yards,  they have a statue of him. The Yankees retired his number in Monument park.  The Yankees also gave him a plaque in Monument Park.  Plus,  they named the front of Yankee Stadium Babe Ruth Plaza.  So, Babe Ruth’s memory continues.

Bibliography

The book used was:

Riper,  Guernsey Van.  Babe Ruth:  One

        of Baseball’s Greatest. Indianapolis:  Aladdin Paperbacks, 1959.  Print.

by Jacoby Nolnaho

Story Book: Trevor’s Historic Rookie Month

For the month of April, baseball fans became familiar with an iconic phrase by the experienced Drew Goodman. “Take a good look; you won’t see it for long! Another home run for Trevor Story!” Trevor Story became a household name overnight.

For Trevor Story, who was drafted in 2011, was held back from making his Major League debut for a number of years. When the face of the franchise Troy Tulowitzki was traded, the doors for Story finally opened. The scouts knew he could field, but the question was can he hit? Analysts found Story’s defense exceptional but thought he would need to bat to stay at shortstop.  The debate would continue until he made his MLB debut, and wrote another chapter to his story.

As Trevor Story stepped up against Zack Greinke on Opening Day, no one was prepared for what would happened next. He hit a home run, which was the first of many. Over the course of the next three days, Trevor would hit six bombs, proving his spot in the lineup. He set a record for the most home runs in a rookie week.

Trevor would continue to tear throughout April. At the end of the month, Trevor piled up 10 homers. This total amount of jacks tied a rookie record for the most home runs in a month. Jose Abreu is the only other player to accomplish this record doing so in 2014.

Trevor has also shown signs of great glove work. He was seen flashing the leather making all three outs on May 7. Trevor also made a diving stop in April to punch a runner out at first.

With his hot bat and brilliant glove work, Story can join Nolan Arenado and Carlos Gonzalez as the elite hitters not only in the Rockies lineup, but in the entire league. In 2015, Nolan Arenado and Carlos Gonzalez hit 40 home runs back to back in the lineup. Arenado tied the National League home run lead with 42 and lead Major League Baseball with 130 RBIs. Nolan also received his third Gold Glove in as many years. He supported Story by hitting 10 home runs of his own in April. Carlos Gonzalez hit 40 home runs in 2015 and looks to have a repeat of 2015 in 2016.

Despite Story’s success with the long ball, he has struggled with the strikeout. As of May 7, Trevor has a league leading 45 strikeouts. If he stays on this pace, he will strike out a predicted 251 times! That would be a Major League record!

Will Story be able to keep up his playing time? He was called up because Jose Reyes was suspended 80 games due to abusing his wife at a hotel in Hawaii. The Rockies owe Reyes $22 million dollars while owing Story only $300,000. When Reyes returns, Story will have to fight for his job or be benched. So far, it is looking like he is doing a good job subbing for Jose.

Now as it stands, Trevor Story’s short career have set a plethora of records. Can he field? Can he hit to stay at his position? These questions have been answered in his short stint. As he leads the new class of young shortstops including Carlos Correa, Corey Seager, and Francisco Lindor, he also leads his team.

Opponents fear when #27 comes up to bat. They already know that if they make a tiny mistake, they could co-write another chapter of his story.

So when you are flipping through the channels on the TV, stop at the Colorado Rockies game. But when Trevor Story’s at-bat comes around, you have to take a good look because you won’t see it for long!