The New York Yankees hold the greatest history and tradition in all of sports. They have influenced baseball and their loyal fans in many ways.

There are many reasons why the Yankees have so much tradition. They play in one of the four oldest ball parks, the first to have a third level and to be called a stadium. Even their uniforms hold tradition. The Yankees have worn classic pinstripes on their blue and white uniforms since 1915. They're known for having many of the greatest players of all time such as Ruth, DiMaggio, and Mantle, just to name a few. The Yankees have over 30 Hall Of Famers, and have 15 numbers retired. They have a great tradition of winning and being the best. The Yankees have played in 35 World Series' and have won 24 World Championships. No other team has come close to that record, and they probably never will. St. Louis Cardinals are the closest behind the Yankees, with only 9 World Championships. The Yankees have played in at least one World Series in each decade since the 1920s, which no other team has done.

It all started when Frank Farrell and Bill Devery purchased the Baltimore Orioles franchise of the American League for $18,000 and moved the team to New York City renamed as the New York Highlanders. In 1913, the name was changed to the New York Yankees, and they moved to share the Polo Grounds with the Giants. In 1923, they moved to the "House That Ruth Built" in the Bronx, Yankee Stadium.

In the 1920s, there was the power hitting of Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig, and the unstoppable pitching of Waite Hoyt and Herb Pennock. There was the famous "Murderers' Row" 1927 Yankee team. They won their first 3 World Championships in the 1920s, and the legacy began.

Then came the 1930s along with DiMaggio, Dickey, Gomez, Ruffing, and the return of Gehrig and Ruth. Babe Ruth hit his 700th home run in the summer of '34. In 1938, the Yankees had a crowd 81,841, the largest ever, in a game vs. their long time rival, the Boston Red Sox. 1939 marked the end of Lou Gehrig's "untouchable" playing streak of 2,130 games due to the disease later named after him. His number was the first to be retired in baseball. Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig were the first Yankees to be inducted into the Hall Of Fame. The Yankees won 4 consecutive World Championships, and 5 total championships in the 1930s.

The 1940s highlighted many of the same star players along with new ones. Joe DiMaggio began his famous 56-game hitting streak in 1941. Jack Chesbro and Herb Pennock were inducted into the Hall and the Babe's number was retired. Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth died. In 1949, Casey Stengel came to the Bronx as the new manager. They won 3 consecutive World Championships and a total of 5.

The 1950s may have been their greatest decade ever. Mickey Mantle, Whitey Ford, Phil Rizzuto, Yogi Berra, and Billy Martin were just some of the Yankee greats. In 1953, "The Mick" hit that 565-foot home run, and the Yankees won their fifth straight World Championship. There were those memorable World Series games against the rival Brooklyn Dodgers. Don Larson threw the only perfect game in World Series history in 1956. Joe DiMaggio's number was retired, and he and Bill Dickey were inducted into the Hall Of Fame. The Yankees won 8 AL Pennants, and 6 World Championships in the 1950s.

Mantle, Maris, and Ford stared again in the 1960s. In 1961, Roger Maris hit 61 Home Runs breaking Babe Ruth's amazing record of 60 Home Runs in a single season. The Yankees won their fifth straight AL Pennant in 1964. Yankee Stadium was painted blue and white in the winter of '66-'67. Mickey Mantle's number was retired, and Casey Stengel, Red Ruffing, and Waite Hoyt were added to the Hall. The Yankees won two World Championships in the 1960s.

Then came the 1970s. In 1973, George Steinbrenner bought the Yankees from CBS and the "Steinbrenner Era" began. The same year, the Yanks celebrated their 50th season at Yankee Stadium. The Yankees had more outstanding players such as Reggie Jackson, Thurman Munson, Willie Randolph, Ron Guidry, and Catfish Hunter. Yankee Stadium was remodeled during the '74 and '75 seasons. The Yankees faced the Dodgers once again in the Octobers of '77 and '78 in which Reggie Jackson lead the Yankees to victory, being crowned "Mr. October". In 1979, Thurman Munson died in a tragic plane crash, and his number was retired. Owner, George Steinbrenner changed managers five times in the 1970s. Casey Stengel, Whitey Ford, Bill Dickey and Yogi Berra also had their numbers retired. Earle Combs, Yogi Berra, Lefty Gomez, Mickey Mantle, and Whitey Ford were inducted into the Hall Of Fame.

With the 1980s came new players and new challenges. Some of the most memorable players are Don Mattingly, Rickey Henderson, Dave Winfield, and Dave Righetti. The Yankees finished the 1980 season with a then-American League attendance record of 2,627,417, breaking the record set in 1948 by Cleveland Indians. In 1981, the Yankees won their 33rd AL Pennant, but lost the Series to the Dodgers. In 1983, Dave Righetti pitched a no-hitter against the rival Boston Red Sox. Don Mattingly won the batting title in 1984, and led the AL in many categories throughout the mid-80s. In 1987, Don Mattingly set records for hitting Home Runs in 8 consecutive games, and hitting 6 grand slams in a single season. Roger Maris died in 1985. Roger Maris, Elston Howard, Phil Rizzuto, and Billy Martin had numbers retired. George Steinbrenner went through several more Yankee managers.

1990 marked the start of a new era, and a new generation of Yankees. Don Mattingly, Bernie Williams, Wade Boggs, and Paul O'Neill have been some of the greatest Yankees of the 1990s. Reggie Jackson and Phil Rizzuto have had their numbers retired. Both of them and Tony Lazzeri were inducted into the Hall Of Fame. In 1991, Buck Showalter became the Yankee manager, and managed through the 1995 season. He managed longer than anyone else under George Steinbrenner. Andy Hawkins and Jim Abbott both threw no-hitters in the early 1990s. In 1993, the Yankees finished in 2nd place, just behind the Toronto Bluejays. Major League Baseball celebrated its 125th anniversary in 1994. In 1994, the Yankees had an Opening Day crowd of 56,706, which broke the record for the largest Opening Day crowd in Yankee history and the largest regular-season crowd at new Yankee Stadium. In 1994, the Yankees had the best record in baseball before the players' strike which wiped out all of the play offs and World Series. Doc Gooden threw an amazing no-hitter in 1994. In 1995, the Yankees won the AL Wild Card, but lost to the Seattle Mariners in the first round of the playoffs. Don Mattingly retired before the '96 season. In 1996 with Joe Torre as the new manager, the Yankees had a story-book season. They beat one of the greatest teams of the 90s, the Atlanta Braves, in a come-from-behind victory to bring the World Championship back to the Bronx. On August 31, Don Mattingly's #23 was retired at Yankee Stadium. In 1997, the Yanks won their second Wild Card. They returned to the playoffs, but lost to the Cleveland Indians. In 1998, the Yankees broke records all season long as they became the winningest team in league history. David Wells threw a stunning perfect game and led the pitching staff and the team through the season. The Yankees finished 114-48 and returned to the post-season for the 4th consecutive season. In the ALCS, they faced the Indians who had eliminated the them only a year earlier. The Yankees beat the Cleveland Indians in a competitive series and won their 35th AL Pennant. The Yankees then swept the San Diego Padres in 4 games and won their 24th World Series Championship. This team was not a team of superstar-players, but their performance as a group was incredible. Scott Brosius was the World Series MVP, but it could have been any player. Everyone one the team was an imporatant peice in the puzzle, especially Joe Torre who won the Manager of The Year Award. The 1998 Yankees are arguably the best team in baseball history.

--Nathan Brown, June 7, 1997
-revised December 23, 1998

Yankees Championships

	World Championships	AL Pennants	Division Titles	Wild Cards
Y e a r s	1923, 1927, 1928, 1932, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1941, 1943, 1947, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1956, 1958, 1961, 1962 1977, 1978, 1996, 1998	1921, 1922, 1923, 1926, 1927, 1928, 1932, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1941, 1942, 1943, 1947, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1981, 1996, 1998	1976, 1977, 1978, 1980, 1981, 1996, 1998	1995, 1997
Total	24	35	7	2

Yankee World Series MVP's

Year*	Player	Opponent
1956	Don Larson	Brooklyn Dodgers
1958	Bob Turley	Milwaukee Braves
1960	Bobby Richardson	Pittsburgh Pirates
1961	Whitey Ford	Cincinnati Reds
1962	Ralph Terry	San Francisco Giants
1977	Reggie Jackson	Los Angeles Dodgers
1978	Bucky Dent	Los Angeles Dodgers
1996	John Wetteland	Atlanta Braves
1998	Scott Brosius	San Diego Padres

*The Yankees won 16 World Series Championships before the WS MVP was first awarded in 1955.

Yankees Team Info.

Team Names	Team Stadiums
Baltimore Orioles 1901-02 New York Highlanders 1903-12 New York Yankees 1913-	Oriole Park 1901-02 Hiltop Park 1903-12 Polo Grounds 1913-22 Yankee Stadium 1923-73 Shea Stadium 1974-75 Yankee Stadium 1976-

Yankees Award Winners

American League MVP Award *The AL MVP was first awarded in 1931 Year Player 1936 Lou Gehrig 1939 Joe DiMaggio 1941 Joe Dimaggio 1942 Joe Gordon 1943 Spud Chandler 1947 Joe Dimaggio 1950 Phil Rizzuto 1951 Yogi Berra 1954 Yogi Berra 1955 Yogi Berra 1956 Mickey Mantle 1957 Mickey Mantle 1960 Roger Maris 1961 Roger Maris 1962 Mickey Mantle 1963 Elston Howard 1976 Thurman Munson 1985 Don Mattingly

American League Cy Young Award *The Cy Young wasn't first awarded until 1956. Note that from 1956-1966 the Cy Young was only awarded to one player. In 1967 they started awarding it to a player from each league. Year Player 1958 Bob Turley 1961 Whitey Ford 1977 Sparky Lyle 1978 Ron Guidry American League Manager of The Year Award *The MOY wasn't first awarded until 1983. Year Manager 1994 Buck Showalter 1996 Joe Torre 1998 Joe Torre

American League Rookie of The Year Award *The ROY wasn't first awarded until 1947. Note that in 1947 and 1948 the ROY was only awarded to one player. In 1949 they started awarding it to a player from each league. Year Player 1951 Gil McDougald 1954 Bob Grim 1957 Tony Kubek 1962 Tom Tresh 1968 Stan Bahnsen 1970 Thurman Munson 1981 Dave Righetti 1996 Derek Jeter

American League Gold Glove Award *The Gold Glove was first awarded in 1957

Year Position Player 1957 P Bobby Shantz 1958 P Bobby Shantz 1959 P Bobby Shantz 1960 P Bobby Shantz 1963 C Elston Howard 1964 C Elston Howard 1973 C Thurman Munson 1974 C Thurman Munson 1975 C Thurman Munson 1965 1B Joe Pepitone 1966 1B Joe Pepitone 1978 1B Chris Chambliss 1985 1B Don Mattingly 1986 1B Don Mattingly 1987 1B Don Mattingly 1988 1B Don Mattingly 1989 1B Don Mattingly 1991 1B Don Mattingly 1992 1B Don Mattingly 1993 1B Don Mattingly 1994 1B Don Mattingly

Year Position Player 1961 2B Bobby Richardson 1962 2B Bobby Richardson 1963 2B Bobby Richardson 1964 2B Bobby Richardson 1965 2B Bobby Richardson 1977 3B Graig Nettles 1978 3B Graig Nettles 1994 3B Wade Boggs 1995 3B Wade Boggs 1958 OF Norm Siebern 1960 OF Roger Maris 1962 OF Mickey Mantle 1965 OF Tom Tresh 1972 OF Bobby Murcer 1982 OF Dave Winfield 1983 OF Dave Winfield 1984 OF Dave Winfield 1985 OF Dave Winfield 1987 OF Dave Winfield

Yankees Retired Numbers

No.	Player	Year Retired	Years Played w/ NYY
#1	Billy Martin	1986	1950-53, 1955-57 (7)
#3	Babe Ruth	1948	1920-34 (15)
#4	Lou Gehrig	1939	1923-39 (17)
#5	Joe DiMaggio	1952	1936-42, 1946-51 (13)
#7	Mickey Mantle	1969	1951-68 (18)
#8	Bill Dickey	1972	1928-43, 46 (17)
#8	Yogi Berra	1972	1946-63 (18)
#9	Roger Maris	1984	1960-66 (7)
#10	Phil Rizzuto	1985	1941-42, 1946-56 (13)
#15	Thurman Munson	1979	1969-79 (11)
#16	Whitey Ford	1974	1950, 1953-67 (16)
#23	Don Mattingly	1997	1982-95 (14)
#32	Elston Howard	1984	1955-67(13)
#37	Casey Stengel	1970	-
#44	Reggie Jackson	1993	1977-81 (5)

Yankees MLB Hall Of Fame Members

Player	Year Inducted	Years Played w/ NYY
Babe Ruth	1936	1920-34 (15)
Lou Gehrig	1939	1923-39 (17)
Jack Chesbro	1946	1903-09 (7)
Herb Pennock	1948	1923-33 (11)
Bill Dickey	1954	1928-43, 46 (17)
Joe DiMaggio	1955	1936-42, 1946-51 (13)
Casey Stengel	1966	-
Red Ruffing	1967	1930-42, 1945-46 (15)
Waite Hoyt	1969	1921-30 (10)
Earle Combs	1970	1924-35 (12)
Yogi Berra	1972	1946-63 (18)
Lefty Gomez	1972	1930-42 (13)
Whitey Ford	1974	1950, 1953-67 (16)
Mickey Mantle	1974	1951-68 (18)
Tony Lazzeri	1991	1926-37 (12)
Reggie Jackson	1993	1977-81 (5)
Phil Rizzuto	1994	1941-42, 1946-56 (13)

* Note: These are not all of the Yankee Hall of Famers. There are actually almost 40 past Yanks in the Hall of Fame. These are some of the more famous ones.

Yankees All-Time Leaders

	C A R E E R		S E A S O N		year
Hits	Lou Gehrig	2721	Don Mattingly	238	1986
Runs	Babe Ruth	1959	Babe Ruth	177	1921
HR	Babe Ruth	659	Roger Maris	61	1961
RBI	Lou Gehrig	1995	Lou Gehrig	184	1931
BA	Babe Ruth	.349	Babe Ruth	.393	1923
SLG	Babe Ruth	.711	Babe Ruth	.847	1920
2B	Lou Gehrig	534	Don Mattingly	53	1986
3B	Lou Gehrig	163	Earle Combs	23	1927
BB	Babe Ruth	1847	Babe Ruth	170	1923
SB	Rickey Henderson	326	Rickey Henderson	93	1988
W	Whitey Ford	236	Jack Chesbro	41	1904
PCT	Johnny Allen	.725	Ron Guidry	.893	1978
ERA	Russ Ford	2.54	Spud Chandler	1.64	1943
K	Whitey Ford	1956	Ron Guidry	248	1978
ShO	Whitey Ford	45	Ron Guidry	9	1978
SV	Dave Righetti	245	Dave Righetti	46	1986

Statistics from Baseball StatWeb.

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