Legendary Baseball: History of the New York Yankees

Author:Denise Perreault

The New York Yankees, formerly known as the Baltimore Orioles, became an iconographic representation of pre-WWII America. The team became a sensation after its relocation from Baltimore, Maryland to the Bronx, New York in 1903. The Baltimore Orioles belonged to the National League, one of two major leagues formed within the United States. The American League consisted of only three Eastern cities. It was formed by Ban Johnson at the end of 1900 in an attempt to outplay the National League. Once the American League reached a pivotal moment of fame, it seized the Baltimore Orioles and requested that it move to New York to play against the National League's New York Giants. Both major league owners agreed to relocate the team in a close vote of 15 to 16. The Oriole owners found a ballpark location outside of the Giants' political reign, effectively moving the team and changing its name to the New York Highlanders. The team would not reach success until 1920, when the Boston Red Sox traded Babe Ruth, a pitcher-turned outfielder, for large sums of money.

  • Yankees History: The official New York Yankees website presents an in-depth historical background on American's iconographic baseball team.
  • History of the New York Yankees: An educational overview of the New York Yankees, arguably the best baseball team of all time.
  • Courting the Yankees (PDF): An overview of how the New York Yankees franchise successfully dominated Major League Baseball (MLB) from start to finish.
  • New York Yankees: History: A culmination of historical events in New York Yankee history, including its establishment as a team, the Golden Era, the Post-Golden Era, and the Dynasty to Present.
  • A Brief History of the New York Yankees: ThinkQuest offers a brief introduction to the New York Yankees. It covers time periods extending from the 1900 to the Present. It also provides an overview of the team's World Series appearances.

Babe Ruth ushered in a new offensive approach to baseball. Ruth's aggressive nature literally turned American citizens into thriving baseball enthusiasts. The sluggers home run streak, and sensual lifestyle that consisted of fattening foods, drink, and women, garnered him the attention that propelled the New York Yankees to fame. In fact, his iconic image telegraphed to the rest of the world that the United States was on the rise as a superpower. He was the personification of the country's youth, strength, confidence, and optimism that Europe severely lacked. The team had never won the World Series before he came aboard; however, his contributions led to four World Series rings in 1923, 1927, 1928, and 1932. However, the New York Yankees refused to rescind their winning streak after the legend retired in 1934. The team continued to dominate the world of baseball by acquiring more legends, including thirty-four MLB Hall of Fame players.

The New York Yankees experienced pivotal moments in its long-winded dynasty. During its heyday, the Murder Rowe dominated major league baseball. The team's transition from the departure of Babe Ruth to Lou Gehrigh's farewell speech imparted a sense of honor and symbolism of the American dream. Don Larsen's perfect pitching streak during Game 5 of the World Series in 1956 also propelled the team to a respectable level. Larsen was the only pitcher to throw a perfect game in World Series history, which earned him the World Series MVP honors award. In 1988, Dave Wells pitched a perfect game against the Minnesota Twins. David Cone later repeated a perfect game against the Montreal Expose at Yankee Stadium. After the wake of the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center, Derek Jeter's “Flip Play” in Game 3 against the Oakland A's led to an incredible win. In 2003, Aaron Boone hits a walk-off home run in the ALCS Yankees versus the Boston Red Sox at the bottom of the 11th inning. Derek Jeter surpassed the 3,000 hit mark in July 19, 2011.

  • The New York Yankees: The Baseball Almanac provides an extensive overview of the New York Yankees, and their accomplishments over the past century.
  • Major League Baseball (MLB): The Major League Baseball (MLB) covers all of the World Series appearances by all of the league's teams, including the New York Yankees who has gone to the championship 27 times.
  • Reggie Jackson: A profile on Reggie Jackson, the first player to hit five home runs in the World Series.
  • MLB Team History - New York Yankees Awards: The New York Yankees offers an extensive history of its award-winning moments in history.
  • MLB's 10 Greatest Teams: The SportingNews provides an illustrated slideshow depicting the team's winning years.

Legendary New York Yankee Players

  • Babe Ruth: Babe Ruth was originally signed to the Boston Red Sox before the owner traded him for a large sum of money, a transaction that would literally haunt the organization for 86 years. He was only 19 years old when Jack Dunn signed him to a contract. He spent six years with the Red Sox, ranging between 1914 and 1919. Ruth attracted fans that originally built the Yankees to prominence. He hit 714 home runs in his career streak. Only two other players have exceeded this record: Hank Aaron and Barry Bonds.
    • The Babe Ruth Times: A website dedicated to the New York Yankee legend that literally transformed major league baseball, including news updates, culture, advertising, and other highlights in sports.
    • Babe Ruth: A brief profile with career statistics of the legendary Yankee.
  • Mickey Mantle: Mickey Mantle signed with the Yankees in 1948. After forty games in 1951, Mantle hit eleven home runs, nine doubles, and fifty RBIs. Mantle won the Triple Crown, AL MVP, and Player of the Year in 1956. He also won MVP in 1956 and the Gold Glove award in 1962. He currently holds the record for the most home runs during the World Series.
  • Bernie Williams: As a native of Puerto Rico, Bernie Williams grew up loving baseball and anything related to the sport. In 1985, he signed with the Yankees at only 17 years of age, although he struggled during his debut. He emerged to starting regular center fielder in 1992. He won the Gold Glove award in 1997 and 2000. He had a .297 batting average, 287 home runs, 2.336 hits, and 1,257 RBIs. He won four World Series titles, and the 1996 ALCS MVP award. In addition, the legendary Yankee became a 5 time All-Star Player.
    • Bernie Williams: The official website of Bernie Williams, including his biography, music contributions, photos, videos, and other related information about the Yankee center fielder.
    • Bernie Williams Fan Tribute: A fan tribute that includes a news section, articles, retirement information, history of #51, and interviews of Williams.
  • Jorge Posada: - Jorge Posada started his baseball streak in high school by becoming an All-Star player in 1988 and 1989. He was the co-captain of the college team selected to an All-Star Conference team in 1991. In 1991, Posada was drafted by the New York Yankees and debuted in 1995. He received the Thurman Munson Award in 2000 and the Silver Slugger award in 2000, 2003, and 2007. He tied Yogi Berra for the most home runs by a Yankee catcher in a single season. He recorded the most RBIs than any other catcher in baseball since 2000 with 880.
  • Lou Gehrig: Lou Gehrig signed to the New York Yankees in 1923. He played 2,130 consecutive games, despite having several injuries. He was nicked named the “Iron Horse,” because of his willingness to play regardless of his physical condition. He became the power hitter of the team with Babe Ruth. He earned the World Series MVP in 1927. He was the first American League player to hit four home runs in one game. He was one of seven players to hit over one hundred extra-base hits in one season. The legend was diagnosed with a debilitating disease that would later be coined Lou Gehrig's disease. His infamous speech about him becoming the “luckiest man on Earth,” garnered him recognition in the organization aside from his accomplishments as a player.
    • What is Lou Gehrig's Disease ?: A three-page description of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a disorder that was later coined Lou Gehrig's disease after the legendary player was diagnosed and forced to quit baseball.
    • o   Lou Gehrig’s Farewell Speech: A link to Lou Gehrig’s famous farewell speech.
  • Yogi Berra: In 1942, Yogi Berra signed with the Yankees. Berra was known as an elusive wild swinger. In fact, he was only struck out twelve times of 597 at-bat attempts in 1950. He was a fifteen time All-Star Player, and American League MVP in 1951, 1954, and 1955. Berra played in fourteen World Series, and currently possesses records for most games as a catcher, including 71 hits and ten times on a winning team. Berra managed the New York Yankees in 1964, 1984, and 1985. He led the Yankees to win the American League pennant in 1964. He also managed the New York Mets in 1972, 1973, 1974, and 1975. He led the Yankees to win the National League pennant. He was one of few MLB managers to win pennants in the American and National Leagues.
    • About Yogi Berra: The Yogi Berra Museum offers information about the legendary Yankee, including a biography and video section.
  • Derek Jeter: Derek Jeter started his career streak in high school with a .508 batting average, four home runs, twenty-three RBIs, and .831 slugging percentage. He only had one strikeout in twenty-three games. He won the Gatorade High School Athlete of the Year Award, and other relevant awards. He was drafted by the New York Yankees in 1992, and became the third short stop in Yankee history to be selected during the first round. He won the American League Rookie of the Year Award in 1996. Jeter's contributions helped the Yankees go to the postseason in thirteen straight seasons, and win four World Series titles. He won the MVP of the All-Star Game and World Series in 2000. He was awarded the Gold Glove Award between 2004 and 2006. Jeter is currently the third New York Yankee to exceed the 3,000 hit mark.
    • Derek Jeter Biography: An extensive biography of Derek Jeter, one of the few baseball players to exceed 3,000 hits in their career.
  • Mariano Rivera: Mariano Rivera signed with the New York Yankees in 1990. After struggling as a starter, Rivera was sent to the bullpen. He emerged as a set-up man for the Yankee closer, and achieved 130 strikeouts. He became the key pitcher in 1996, and helped push the Yankees to win the World Series. In 1997, he became the closer for the Yankees. He attended the All-Star Game in 1997, and became the first player to save a game in the American League during the All-Star Game. In 1999, Rivera earned a reputation as the top closer in national league baseball. He earned the MVP in the 1999 World Series. He has a post-season .38 ERA, which is the lowest in baseball history. In addition, he saved all games that he was given an opportunity to save.
    • Mariano Rivera: A webpage providing all of the necessary baseball statistics in relation to Mariano Rivera.

Cleaning Building Services LLC  |  

1133 Broadway, Suite 412  |   New York, NY 10010  |  
Phone: 212-419-0598    |    More

© Cleaning Service New York City .com   |   All rights reserved.
Cleaning Building Services, Janitorial Cleaning Services New York, and Busy Bee Cleaning Service are sister companies.