Tag: Yankees

by Jacoby Nolnaho

Yankees Comeback

The Yankees came back in a big way on June 29. Losing 7-2 to the Texas Rangers in the bottom of the eighth inning, Brian McCann stepped up to the plate. He crushed a solo home run to decrease the Texas lead to 7-3. McCann then stepped up again in the ninth with the Yanks trailing 7-4. He hit a game tying three run home run. Later in the inning, Didi Gregorius hit a home run with a runner on base to walk the night off. The Yankees ended up winning to a final score off 7-9.

by Jacoby Nolnaho

Mickey Mantle

Mickey Mantle was arguably the best switch hitter of all time. He collected a plethora of honors and records during his 18 year career. In this article one will learn the basics on the great Mickey Mantle.

Mickey Charles Mantle was born in Oklahoma on October 20, 1931. He was named after future Hall of Famer Mickey Cochrane. His dad, Mutt Mantle, taught his son everything he knew about baseball so Mickey wouldn’t have to work in the coal mines like him. Mickey took batting practice from both sides of the plate at a young age. This would make him extremely famous later on. Mickey Mantle was signed young by the New York Yankees. He would play his entire career in pinstripes. He would make his Major League debut in 1951 at the age of 19. He was the backup for the retiring Joe DiMaggio. In the 1951 World Series, Casey Stengal told Mickey to cover Joe if he couldn’t get to any balls. When a ball was hit, Mantle charged to get it. DiMaggio called him off, and Mickey’s spike got stuck in a drain when he was trying to stop his momentum. This would mark the first of many injuries in Mantle’s career. Mickey truly became a household name in 1956. In that year, he won the American League Triple Crown award. He led the league in home runs with 52, runs batted in (RBIs) with 130, and batting average with .353. He also led the league in runs with 132, slugging percentage with .705, and wins above replacement (WAR) with 11.0. He went on to win the Most Valuable Player award, too. Mickey would go on to have a season with similar numbers in 1961. That year, he and Roger Maris engaged in a grueling battle to beat Babe Ruth’s home run record. Maris would break the record due to Mantle’s season ending with injuries. Before the injury, Mantle crushed 54 home runs, drove in 128 RBIs, scored 132 runs, and posted a .317 batting average.

When Mantle finished his career, he stood with a Major League record for World Series home runs with 18 and home runs by a switch hitter with 536. Also, Mantle drove in 1,509 RBIs, scored an outstanding 1,677 runs, walked 1,733 times, posted a .298 batting average, and collected 2,415 career hits in 2,401 career games. Mickey also won the MVP award three times; in 1956, 1957, and in 1962. He won his first and only Gold Glove award in 1962. Mickey was a part of seven World Series teams. In 1974, Mickey Mantle’s number 7 was retired by the New York Yankees. Also that year, he was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame alongside former teammate Whitey Ford. Mickey Mantle passed away in 1995 due to a drinking problem. Despite his death, many Yankee fans still love Mickey. As one can see, Mickey Mantle is one of the greatest players in the history of Major League Baseball.

by Jacoby Nolnaho

Mickey Mantle Triple Crown

Mickey Mantle was a legendary switch hitter who played for the Yankees. 1956 will be the subject of this article.

When Mickey Mantle stepped up to the plate during 1951, many knew he would create history. A young kid who came from Oklahoma working in the coal mines shocked everyone. He had speed, power, and fielding. But 1956 was when he really broke out.

In 1952, Mickey Mantle took over for Joe DiMaggio. 1956 matched some of DiMaggio’s great years. In 1956, Mickey Mantle won the American League Triple Crown award. The Triple Crown is when one leads the league in home runs, batting average, and RBIs.

by Jacoby Nolnaho

Clete Boyer

Clete Boyer was an infielder for the Yankees, Braves, and Kansas City Athletics. Clete had his best years with the Yankees. The Yankees picked him up in 1959. Boyer’s best season was in 1967 with the Braves when he hit 26 home runs with 96 runs batted in. He also won two World Series rings with the Yankees. One in 1961 and a second in 1962. Boyer’s main career highlight besides the World Series rings is the Gold Glove he picked up in 1969 with the Braves. Boyer played his last game in the Majors with the Braves. At the end of his career, Boyer had accumulated 162 home runs, 654 RBIs, 200 doubles, a .242 batting average, and 1,396 hits over 1,725 career games. Boyer sadly died in 2007 at the age of 70. Even though he is gone, his legacy lives on in die-hard Yankee fans’ hearts.

by Jacoby Nolnaho

1961: Mickey Mantle or Roger Maris

Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle had one of the greatest season baseball history. They were both chasing Babe Ruth’s home run record. Roger Maris hit 61 home runs while Mickey Mantle hit 54. Roger Maris won the Most Valuable Player award that year. Even though Roger Maris had more home runs, Mickey Mantle had a slugging percentage of .687 while Roger Maris had a slugging percentage of .620. In the end, Mickey Mantle had a WAR of 10.2. As you can see, both Micke Mantle and Roger Maris had an incredible season in 1961.

by Jacoby Nolnaho

Steal Facts: Yogi Berra

      Yogi Berra

  • Yogi Berra was a Yankee superstar. He won 10 World Series with them.
  • Yogi Berra won the Most Valuable Player award in 1951, 1954, and 1955.
  • Yogi Berra caught Don Larsen’s famous World Series perfect game. He jumped into Larsen’s arms after the feat.
  • Yogi made lots of iconic quotes such as “It ain’t over ‘til it’s over.”
  • Yogi managed both the Yankees and the Mets. Yogi’s number 8 is retired by the Yankees.

Berra sadly died a natural death at the age of 90 in 2015.