New York Yankees History
An overview of the history of the New York Yankees!
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Some Yankee History...
The New York Yankees first played ball in 1903 and since that time over 1,200 ball players have had the privilege of putting on the Yankee pinstripes. Since their introduction to the game, the Yankees have dominated the sport and have won a total of 35 Pennants and 24 World Series. It all started in 1903 when Frank Farrell and Bill Devery purchased the Baltimore franchise for $18,000 and moved it to New York. The team first starting playing at the famous 10,000 seat Hilltop Park. The team was then called the Highlanders as the stadium sat on Broadway and 168th Street in Upper Manhattan. The Highlanders first coach was Clark Griffith, who was also a pitcher and won 14 games in 1903, who was hired away from the Chicago Whitesox. In the first year of existence, the highlanders finished in fourth place. The following year the great Jack Chesbro won an incredible 41 games, but the Highlanders still finished second behind Boston.
In 1913, the team changed its name to the Yankees. With the name change also came a move from Hilltop Park to the Polo Grounds. The Yankees were so popular that they outgrew Hilltop Park as fans gathered and overfilled the ballpark. Without much success and little money, Farrell and Devery sold the team to Colonels Tillinghast L'Hommedieu Huston and Jacob Ruppert for the sum of $460,000. At that time the new ownership wanted to change the name of team to the "Knickerbockers" after Ruppert's beer business as a part of a promotional plan. Major outcry from the fans and media caused Ruppert to change his mind and keep the name "Yankees". After three more years of more unsuccessful seasons, the Yankees decided to hire the great Miller Huggins. Huggins had an immediate impact on the team as they started moving up in the standings. But as we all know, they greatest player ever to play the game was about to make his impact on the sport. The only downside was that we would have to wait until 1920.
The day after Christmas in 1919, the greatest deal in the history of sports took place. Harry Frazee was to receive a total of $100,00 in return for George Herman Ruth. Col. Jacob Ruppert also agreed to loan the sum of $300,000 to Frazee to guarantee his mortgage on Fenway Park. Baseball, as we know it today, would forever be changed. The Yankees agreed to pay "The Babe" the sum of $20,000 for the 1920 season. That season Ruth hit an amazing 54 homeruns, more than any team in baseball except the Phillies. The Yankees hit an amazing 115 homeruns as a team. In 1920, Ruth hit .376 and had 137 RBIs, along with a record slugging percentage of .847. Ruth helped baseball overcome the scandal that hit baseball in 1919 called the "Black Sox Scandal" in which White Sox players were accused of throwing the World Series against the Cincinnati Reds. Also in 1920, the Yankees finally drew over 1 million fans to the ballpark with a total of 1,289,422. Ruth became the greatest sports hero of all-time surpassing the likes of Red Grange, Bobby Jones, Jack Johnson, and Jack Dempsey. He would change the game of baseball forever and be known by most as the greatest player ever to play the game. There is more great history to come....Check back soon.
The Yankee have amassed a total of 27 World Championships!
History of the Yankee Uniform
What would become the most recognizable insignia in sports—the interlocking "NY"—made its first appearance on the uniforms of the New York Highlanders in 1909. The design was actually created in 1877 by Louis B. Tiffany for a medal to be given by the New York City Police Department to Officer John McDowell, the first NYC policeman shot in the line of duty. Perhaps because one of the club’s owners, Bill Devery, was a former NYC police chief, the design was adopted by the Highlanders. It first appeared on both the cap and on the jersey’s left sleeve, replacing the separated "N" and "Y" which had appeared on the left and right breast each season since 1903 with the exception of 1905. For that season only, the "N" and "Y" were merged side by side into a monogram on the left breast—actually a forerunner of the now legendary emblem.
In 1912, their final season at Hilltop Park, the Yankees—as they were now commonly known—made a fashionable debut at their home opener on April 11. Their traditional white uniforms were now trimmed with black pinstripes, creating a look that would become the most famous uniform design in sports history. The Yankees, however, were not the first team with pinstripes and would actually abandon the look for the next two seasons. By 1915, though, the pinstripes were back for good and, with the exception of the cap, the uniform would remain relatively unchanged.
The Yankees utilized numerous cap designs—including pinstripes—from 1903 until 1922 when they finally settled on a solid navy cap with the interlocking "NY" insignia. Only one more element would now be needed to achieve a look that remains in place today. In 1917, the Yankees removed the "NY" monogram from the jersey and went with a plain, pinstripes-only look. The "NY" remained off the uniform—except for the cap—for the next 20 years until it was reinstated in 1936. The legendary Babe Ruth, therefore, actually played his entire Yankee career without ever wearing the club’s now-legendary insignia on his jersey. With the exception of minor alterations—including bolder pinstripes in the forties—the Yankee uniform has remained unchanged for more than 60 years and has, of course, grown into another of the team’s great traditions.
THE ORIGINALS:
#1 - Earle Combs
#2 - Mark Koenig
#3 - Babe Ruth
#4 - Lou Gehrig
#5 - Bob Meusel
#6 - Tony Lazzeri
#7 - Leo Durocher
#8 - Johnny Grabowski
#9 - Benny Bengough
#10 - Bill Dickey
YANKEES WERE FIRST TO MAKE UNIFORM NUMBERS PERMANENT
In 1929, the New York Yankees became the first team to make numbers a permanent part of the uniform. Other teams quickly adopted the idea and, by 1932, uniform numbers became standard for all teams. The initial distribution of numbers on the Yankees was made according to the player’s position in the batting order. Therefore, in 1929, leadoff hitter Earle Combs wore #1, Mark Koenig #2, Babe Ruth #3, Lou Gehrig #4, Bob Meusel #5, Tony Lazzeri #6, Leo Durocher #7, Johnny Grabowski #8, Benny Bengough #9, Bill Dickey #10 (Grabowski, Bengough and Dickey shared the catching duties).
WHY THE YANKEES?
When the American League moved the Baltimore Orioles to New York for the 1903 season, the club made its home at 168th Street and Broadway, one of the highest spots in Manhattan. The team would, therefore, be known as the "Highlanders" and their field "Hilltop Park." As early as 1905, however, the name "Yankees" began popping up in newspapers whose editors undoubtedly were searching for a shorter name for their headlines. By the time the franchise moved from decaying Hilltop Park to the Polo Grounds in 1913, it officially changed its name to the by then commonly-used "New York Yankees."
Important Dates in Yankee History
January 9, 1903
Frank Farrell and Bill Devery purchase the defunct Baltimore franchise of the American League for $18,000 and then move the team to Manhattan.
March 12, 1903
The New York franchise is approved as a member of the American League. The team will play in a hastily constructed, all-wood park at 168th Street and Broadway. Because the site is one of the highest spots in Manhattan, the club will be known as the "Highlanders" and their home field "Hilltop Park."
April 22, 1903
The Highlanders play their first game, a 3-1 loss at Washington.
April 23, 1903
The Highlanders record the first win in franchise history, a 7-2 decision at Washington. Harry Howell recorded the win.
April 30, 1903
The Highlanders notch a 6-2 win vs. Washington in their inaugural home opener at Hilltop Park.
April 11, 1912
Pinstripes first appear on Highlanders' uniforms, creating a look that would become the most famous uniform design in sports.
April, 1913
The Highlanders are officially renamed the "Yankees" after moving to the Polo Grounds, home of the National League's New York Giants.
January 11, 1915
Col. Jacob Ruppert and Col. Tillinghast L’Hommedieu Huston purchase the Yankees for $460,000.
April 24, 1917
George Mogridge becomes the first Yankee to throw a no-hitter in a 2-1 win at Fenway Park.
January 3, 1920
The Yankees purchase the contract of Babe Ruth from the Boston Red Sox for $125,000 and a $350,000 loan against the mortgage on Fenway Park.
September, 1921
The Yankees clinch the first of their 35 A.L. pennants.
May 5, 1922
Construction begins on Yankee Stadium.
May 21, 1922
Col. Ruppert buys out Col. Huston for $1,500,000.
April 18, 1923
Yankee Stadium opens with a 4-1 win over the Boston Red Sox before a reported crowd of 74,200. Babe Ruth hits the Stadium's first home run.
October 15, 1923
The Yankees defeat the New York Giants, after World Series losses to their cross-town rivals in 1921 and 1922, for the first of 25 World Championships.
June 1, 1925
Lou Gehrig begins his record streak of 2,130 consecutive games played, pinch-hitting for Pee Wee Wanniger.
September 30, 1927
Babe Ruth breaks his own Major-League record with his 60th home run on the season's final day.
April 20, 1928
The Yankee's sixth season at Yankee Stadium opens with the left-field stands enlarged to three decks.
April 16, 1929
The Yankees become the first team to make numbers a permanent part of the uniform (numbers would become standard for all teams by 1932).
September 25, 1929
Manager Miller Huggins, who guided the Yankees to their first six A.L. pennants and three World Championships, dies of blood poisoning.
June 3, 1932
Lou Gehrig becomes the first player to hit four home runs in a single game in the Yankees' 20-13 win at Philadelphia. He remains the only Yankee to hit four home runs in one game.
July 14, 1934
Babe Ruth hits the 700th home run of his career off Tommy Bridges in the second inning of a 4-2 Yankees' win at Detroit's Navin Field.
November 21, 1934
The Yankees purchase Joe DiMaggio from the San Francisco Seals of the Pacific Coast League for $50,000.
April 20, 1937
The Yankees' 15th season at Yankee Stadium opens with the right-field stands enlarged to three decks. The wooden bleachers are replaced by a concrete structure with the distance to center field dropping from 490 to 461 feet.
May 30, 1938
A franchise-record crowd of 81,841 attends a doubleheader sweep of the Boston Red Sox.
May 2, 1939
Lou Gehrig’s playing streak of 2,130 consecutive games ends when he does not make an appearance in a 22-2 Yankees' win at Detroit. Babe Dahlgren plays first base for the Yankees and contributes a double and a home run.
July 4, 1939
"Lou Gehrig Appreciation Day" is held at Yankee Stadium. His uniform number (4) is the first to be retired in Major League Baseball and Gehrig makes his famous "Today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth" speech.
May 15, 1941
Joe DiMaggio’s 56-game hitting streak begins with a single off Edgar Smith in a 13-1 loss vs. Chicago at Yankee Stadium.
June 2, 1941
Lou Gehrig dies of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis at the age of 37.
July 17, 1941
Joe DiMaggio’s consecutive-game hitting streak ends at 56 when he goes 0-for-3 in a 4-3 Yankees' win at Cleveland. Indians' third baseman Ken Keltner twice robs DiMaggio of hits with great fielding plays. DiMaggio then hits in the next 16 straight games to give him hits in 72 of 73 games.
January 25, 1945
Dan Topping, Del Webb and Larry MacPhail purchase the Yankees for $2,800,000 from the estate of the late Col. Jacob Ruppert. MacPhail replaces Ed Barrow as President and General Manager.
May 28, 1946
The first night game is played at Yankee Stadium and the Yankees suffer a 2-1 loss vs. Washington before 49,917 fans.
April 27, 1947
"Babe Ruth Day" is celebrated throughout Major League Baseball.
June 13, 1948
Babe Ruth’s uniform number (3) is retired at Yankee Stadium's 25th Anniversary celebration. The Babe makes his final Stadium appearance.
August 16, 1948
Babe Ruth dies in New York of throat cancer at age 53.
October 12, 1948
The Yankees announce that Casey Stengel will replace Bucky Harris as manager.
April 17, 1951
Mickey Mantle makes his Major-League debut, going 1-for-4 in a 4-0 win vs. Boston at Yankee Stadium.
September 28, 1951
In Game One of doubleheader vs. Boston at Yankee Stadium, Allie Reynolds tosses his second no-hitter of the season (he had previously no-hit the Indians at Municipal Stadium in Cleveland on July 12).
December 12, 1951
Joe DiMaggio officially announces his retirement.
April 17, 1953
Exactly two years after his Yankee debut, Mickey Mantle hits what is recognized as the game's first "tape-measure" home run, a 565-foot clout off the Senators' Chuck Stobbs at Washington's Griffith Stadium.
October 5, 1953
The Yankees win a record fifth consecutive World Championship.
October 8, 1956
Don Larsen hurls the only perfect game in World Series history, a 2-0 win over Brooklyn in Game Five at Yankees Stadium.
October 1, 1961
Roger Maris hits his 61st home run in the season's final game to establish a Major-League record.
June 24, 1962
Jack Reed’s two-run, 22nd-inning home run ends the longest game in Yankee history, a 9-7 win at Detroit.
November 2, 1964
CBS purchases 80% of Yankees for $11,200,000. The network later buys the remaining 20%.
June 8, 1969
"Mickey Mantle Day" is celebrated at Yankee Stadium and his uniform number (7) is retired.
August 8, 1972
The Yankees sign a 30-year lease to play in a remodeled Yankee Stadium to be completed in 1976.
January 3, 1973
A limited partnership, headed by George M. Steinbrenner III as its managing general partner, purchases the Yankees from CBS.
September 30, 1973
Ralph Houk resigns as manager.
April 6, 1974
The Yankees begin the first of two seasons at Shea Stadium, playing the first home game outside Yankee Stadium since 1922 (go 90-69 there in 1974-75).
December 31, 1974
Free agent Catfish Hunter signs a then-record five-year contract.
August 1, 1975
Billy Martin replaces Bill Virdon for his first of five stints as manager.
April 15, 1976
Remodeled Yankee Stadium opens with an 11-4 win over Minnesota Twins. The Twins' Dan Ford hits the first home run.
October 14, 1976
Chris Chambliss’ ninth-inning home run off Mark Littell in Game Five of the ALCS vs. Kansas City gives the Yankees their 30th pennant.
November 29, 1976
Free agent Reggie Jackson signs a five-year contract.
October 18, 1977
Reggie Jackson hits three home runs in Game Six of the World Series vs. the Los Angeles Dodgers at Yankee Stadium.
June 16, 1978
Ron Guidry establishes a franchise record by striking out 18 batters in the Yankees' 4-0 win vs. California at Yankee Stadium.
July 24, 1978
Billy Martin resigns as manager.
July 25, 1978
Bob Lemon is named manager, replacing Billy Martin.
July 29, 1978
On Old Timer's Day, the Yankees announce that Billy Martin will return as Yankee manager in 1980 and Bob Lemon will become general manager.
October 2, 1978
The Yankees, 14 games behind Boston at one point, defeat the Red Sox, 5-4, at Fenway Park in only the second playoff game in AL history.
June 18, 1979
Billy Martin returns as Yankee manager, replacing Bob Lemon.
August 2, 1979
Yankees Captain Thurman Munson dies in a plane crash in Canton, Ohio, at age 32 (his number "15" is immediately retired).
December 15, 1980
Free agent Dave Winfield signs a then-record 10-year contract.
September 6, 1981
Bob Lemon is named manager for second time, replacing Gene Michael.
April 26, 1982
Gene Michael becomes manager for second time, replacing Bob Lemon.
August 3, 1982
Clyde King is named Yankee manager, replacing Gene Michael.
July 4, 1983
Dave Righetti pitches only the sixth regular-season no-hitter in franchise history and the first since 1951, a 4-0 win vs. the Red Sox at Yankee Stadium.
July 24, 1983
The Yankees and Kansas City play the infamous "Pine Tar" game at Yankee Stadium as George Brett hits a two-out, ninth-inning home run off Goose Gossage to give the Royals an apparent 5-4 lead. The umpires nullify the homer because the pine tar on Brett's bat is above the allowable 18 inches and Brett is called out for using an illegal bat. The Yankees win 4-3 (see August 18, 1983). August 18, 1983
Kansas City's protest is upheld and the "Pine Tar" game concludes with the Royals winning 5-4. When play is resumed, Yankee pitcher Ron Guidry is in center field for the final out of the top of the ninth while left-handed first baseman Don Mattingly is at second. Royals' reliever Dan Quisenberry retires the Yankees in order in the bottom of the ninth.
April 28, 1985
Billy Martin is named manager for fourth time, replacing Yogi Berra.
October 17, 1985
Lou Piniella is named manager, replacing Billy Martin.
December 14, 1985
Roger Maris dies at age 51 in Houston, Texas.
July 18, 1987
Don Mattingly homers off Texas’ Jose Guzman to tie Dale Long’s Major-League record of hitting a home run in eight consecutive games (Mattingly hits 10 home runs during the streak).
September 29, 1987
Don Mattingly hits a grand slam off Boston’s Bruce Hurst, setting a Major-League record with six grand slams in a season.
June 23, 1988
Billy Martin is replaced as manager of the Yankees for the fifth and final time. Lou Piniella is named manager for the second time.
December 9, 1988
The Yankees sign a 12-year television contract with Madison Square Garden Network.
August 18, 1989
Bucky Dent replaces Dallas Green as Yankee manager.
December 25, 1989
Billy Martin dies in an automobile accident at age 61.
June 6, 1990
Stump Merrill replaces Bucky Dent as Yankee manager.
August 14, 1993
"Reggie Jackson Day," his uniform number (44) retired.
September 4, 1993
Jim Abbott pitches a 4-0, no-hit win over the Indians at Yankee Stadium.
May 30, 1995
Derek Jeter records his first career hit. He gets the hit against the Seattle Mariners in "The Kingdome" in front of only 10,079 fans.
August 13, 1995
Mickey Mantle dies of cancer at age 63 in Dallas, Texas.
September 6, 1995
Lou Gehrig's Major League record of 2,130 consecutive games played is broken when Baltimore's Cal Ripken, Jr. plays in his 2,131st.
May 14, 1996
Dwight Gooden hurls only the eighth regular-season no-hitter in Yankee history, a 2-0 blanking of the Seattle Mariners at Yankee Stadium.
June 16, 1996
Mel Allen, the legendary "Voice of the Yankees" from 1939-64, dies at age 83 in Greenwich, Connecticut.
August 25, 1996
A monument in honor of Mickey Mantle is unveiled in Yankee Stadium's Monument Park.
January 22, 1997
Don Mattingly officially announces his retirement at a media conference at Yankee Stadium.
May 17, 1998
David Wells tosses only the 14th regular-season perfect game in baseball history, the first ever by a Yankee.
September 25, 1998
The Yankees establish an American-League record with their 112th win of the season (a 6-1 win vs. Tampa Bay at Yankee Stadium), breaking the mark of 111 by the 1954 Cleveland Indians (they complete the season with an AL record 114th victory on September 27 vs. Tampa Bay).
October 21, 1998
The Yankees complete an incredible season with a four-game sweep of the San Diego Padres in the World Series to capture the franchise's 24th World Championship. Their 3-0 win gives the club a record of 125-50 (114-48 in the regular season, 11-2 in postseason).
March 8, 1999
Joe DiMaggio dies at age 84 in Hollywood, Florida.
April 25, 1999
A monument in honor of Joe DiMaggio is unveiled in Yankee Stadium's Monument Park.
July 18, 1999
On "Yogi Berra Day," David Cone tosses only the 15th regular-season perfect game in baseball history one season after David Wells accomplishes the feat. Ironically, Don Larsen--who tossed a perfect game in the 1956 World Series--throws out the ceremonial first pitch.
September 9 1999
Jim "Catfish" Hunter dies at age 53 in Hertford, North Carolina.
October 27, 1999
The Yankees play Baseball's last game of the century and complete a four-game sweep of the Atlanta Braves to capture their 25th World Championship. The 4-1 win is also the club's 12th straight in World-Series play, tying the record of the 1927, 1928 and 1932 Yankees.
September 21, 2008
The Yankees play their last home game at old Yankee Stadium.
April 16, 2009
The Yankees play their first game at New Yankee Stadium. C.C. Sabathia makes his Yankee debut in the loss to the Indians.
September 11, 2009
Derek Jeter becomes the All-Time Yankees hit leader with #2,722 off Orioles pitcher Chris Tillman.
November 4, 2009
The Yankees win their 27th World Series Title defeating the Philadelphia Phillies, four games to two at Yankee Stadium.
March 31, 2010
Historic Gate 2 at Old Yankee Stadium comes down, compliments of New York City and Turner Construction. The effort to preserve Gate 2 was lost.
August 9, 2011
Derek Jeter records his 3,000th hit for the Yankees. He connects off Rays pitcher David Price for a homerun and #3000!
September 26, 2014
Derek Jeter plays in his last game at Yankee Stadium. Jeter gets the game-winning hit in the 9th inning and the Yankees win 6-5 over the Orioles.
September 28, 2014
Derek Jeter plays in his last game against the Boston Red Sox. Jeter went 1-for-2 in the game.
September 30, 2017
Aaron Judge hits his 52nd Homerun and 33rd at Yankee Stadium in his rookie season.
More Important Dates in Yankees History
The First Twenty Years
January 9, 1903 - Frank Farrell and Bill Devery purchase Baltimore franchise of American League and move team to New York City. Cost is $18,000.
March 12, 1903 - New York Highlanders approved as members of American League.
April 22, 1903 - Highlanders lose opener at Washington, 3-1, under manager Clark Griffith.
April 30, 1903 - Highlanders win home opener at Hilltop Park (168th St. and Broad way), 6-2 over Washington.
April, 1913 - Highlanders change name to Yankees, move to share Polo Grounds with Giants.
January 11, 1915 - Col. Jacob Ruppert and Col. Tillinghast L'Hommedieu Huston purchase Yankees for $460,000.
April 22, 1915 - Pinstripes first appear on Yankee uniforms.
The 1920s
January 3, 1920 - Yankees purchase Babe Ruth from Red Sox.
October 29, 1920 - Ed Barrow is appointed general manager of the Yankees.
September, 1921 - Yankees clinch first American League pennant.
May 5, 1922 - Construction begins on Yankee Stadium.
May 21, 1922 - Ruppert buys out Huston for $1,500,000.
April 18, 1923 - Yankee Stadium opens, Ruth hits first home run.
October 15, 1923 - Yankees beat Giants for first World Championship.
June 1, 1925 - Lou Gehrig replaces Wally Pipp at first base.
September 30, 1927 - Ruth's record 60th home run caps off season for "Murderers' Row" Yankees.
April, 1928 - Season opens with left-field stands in Stadium enlarged.
April 16, 1929 - Yankees become the first team to wear uniform numbers.
September 25, 1929 - Manager Miller Huggins dies.
The 1930s
April 12, 1931 - Joe McCarthy debuts as Yankee manager.
July 14, 1934 - Ruth hits 700th career home run.
November 21, 1934 - Yankees buy Joe DiMaggio from San Francisco (Pacific Coast League).
April, 1937 - Season opens, right-field stands in Stadium enlarged.
May 30, 1938 - Record 81,841 attend doubleheader vs Boston.
January 13, 1939 - Col. Ruppert dies.
May 2, 1939 - Lou Gehrig's playing streak of 2,130 consecutive games ends.
July 4, 1939 - Lou Gehrig Day, his uniform is the first to be retired.
The 1940s
May 15, 1941 - DiMaggio's 56-game hitting streak begins.
June 2, 1941 - Lou Gehrig dies at age 37.
July 17, 1941 - DiMaggio's 56-game hitting streak ends in Cleveland.
January 25, 1945 - Dan Topping, Del Webb and Larry MacPhail purchase Yankees for $2,800,000.
May 28, 1946 - First night game played in Yankee Stadium.
April 27, 1947 - Babe Ruth Day.
June 13, 1948 - Ruth's uniform number is retired.
August 16, 1948 - Babe Ruth dies at age 53.
October 12, 1948 - George Weiss brings Casey Stengel to New York as manager.
The 1950s
April 17, 1951 - Mickey Mantle makes Yankee debut.
December 12, 1951 - Joe DiMaggio announces his retirement.
April, 1953 - Stadium sold to Earl and Arnold Johnson of Kansas City.
April 17, 1953 - Mantle hits 565-foot home run in Washington.
October 5, 1953 - Yankees win record fifth consecutive World Championship.
January 29, 1955 - John Williams Cox buys Yankee Stadium, sells grounds to Knights of Columbus, later leaves structure to Rice University (1962).
October 8, 1956 - Don Larsen hurls only perfect game in World Series history.
April, 1959 - First message scoreboard unveiled at Yankee Stadium.
The 1960s
October 1, 1961 - Roger Maris' 61st home run establishes new record.
June 24, 1962 - Jack Reed's 22nd-inning HR wins longest Yankee game in history.
November 2, 1964 - CBS purchases 80% of Yankees for $11,200,000, later buys remaining 20%.
Winter, 1966-67 - Yankee Stadium painted blue and white.
June 8, 1969 - Mickey Mantle's uniform number retired on Mickey Mantle Day.
The 1970s
August 8, 1972 - Yankees sign 30-year lease to play in remodeled Yankee Stadium, beginning in 1976.
January 3, 1973 - A limited partnership, headed by George Steinbrenner III as its managing general partner, purchases the Yankees from CBS.
September 30, 1973 - Yankees complete 50th Anniversary season at Stadium; Ralph Houk resigns as manager.
April 6, 1974 - Yankees begin first of two seasons at Shea Stadium, play first home game outside Yankee Stadium since 1922.
December 31, 1974 - Free agent Catfish Hunter signs record 5-year contract.
August 1, 1975 - Billy Martin replaces Bill Virdon as manager.
April 15, 1976 - Remodeled Yankee Stadium opens.
October 14, 1976 - Chris Chambliss' 9th-inning HR gives Yankees their 30th pennant.
November 29, 1976 - Yankees sign free agent Reggie Jackson to 5-year contract.
October 18, 1977 - The Yankees win their 21st World Championship, 4 games to 2, over the Los Angeles Dodgers - Reggie Jackson hits 3 HR.
January 13, 1978 - Joe McCarthy dies at age 90.
July 24, 1978 - Billy Martin resigns as Yankee manager.
July 25, 1978 - Yankees name Bob Lemon as manager.
July 29, 1978 - On Old Timer's Day, Yankees announce that Billy Martin will return as Yankee manager in 1980, when Bob Lemon will become general manager.
October 2, 1978 - Yankees, at one point in the season 14 games behind Boston, beat the Red Sox, 5-4 in Fenway Park, in only the second playoff game in American League history.
October 17, 1978 - Yankees beat Dodgers for their 22nd World Championship.
June 18, 1979 - Billy Martin returns as Yankee manager, replacing Bob Lemon.
August 2, 1979 - Thurman Munson dies in plane crash at age 32.
October 28, 1979 - Dick Howser is named Yankee manager, replacing Billy Martin.
The 1980s
September 20, 1980 - Bronze plaque for left field memorial park is dedicated to the memory of Thurman Munson.
October 5, 1980 - Yankees finish season with a then-American League attendance record of 2,627,417, breaking record set in 1948 by Cleveland Indians.
November 21, 1980 - Gene Michael is named 25th Yankee manager, replacing Dick Howser, who resigns.
December 15, 1980 - Free agent Dave Winfield signs record long-term contract.
September 6, 1981 - Bob Lemon named Yankee manager for second time.
October 15, 1981 - Yankees capture 33rd American League pennant, sweeping 3 games from the Oakland A's.
April 26, 1982 - Gene Michael becomes Yankee manager for second time.
August 3, 1982 - Clyde King named Yankee manager.
January 11, 1983 - Billy Martin named Yankee manager for third time.
June 20, 1983 - Bobby Murcer retires.
July 4, 1983 - Dave Righetti pitches no-hit win over Red Sox at Yankee Stadium.
August 7, 1983 - Bobby Murcer Day.
December 16, 1983 Ð Yogi Berra named Yankee manager for second time.
August 5, 1984 - Lou Piniella Day.
September 30, 1984 - Don Mattingly wins A.L. batting title with .343 BA.
April 28, 1985 - Billy Martin named Yankee manager for fourth time.
July 13, 1985 - Uniform numbers retired for Roger Maris (9) and Elston Howard (32).
August 4, 1985 - Phil Rizzuto Day, his uniform number 10 retired.
October 17, 1985 - Lou Piniella named Yankee manager.
December 14, 1985 - Roger Maris dies at age 51.
August 10, 1986 - Billy Martin Day, his uniform number 1 retired.
July 18, 1987 - Don Mattingly homers off Texas' Jose Guzman to tie Dale Long's Major League record of hitting a home run in 8 consecutive games.
September 29, 1987 - Don Mattingly hits a grand slam off Boston's Bruce Hurst, setting a Major League record with 6 grand slams in a season.
October 19, 1987 - Woody Woodward resigns as general manager, Lou Piniella is named general manager, and Billy Martin is named Yankee manager for fifth time.
October 7, 1988 - Dallas Green named Yankee manager.
December 9, 1988 - Yankees sign 12-year television contract with Madison Square Garden Network.
July 12, 1989 - Ron Guidry retires.
August 18, 1989 - Bucky Dent replaces Dallas Green as Yankee manager.
October 13, 1989 - Bob Quinn resigns as vice president and general manager. Harding Peterson named vice president and general manager.
December 25, 1989 - Billy Martin dies at age 61.
The 1990s
June 6, 1990 - Stump Merrill replaces Bucky Dent as Yankee manager.
July 1, 1990 - Andy Hawkins throws no-hitter in old Comiskey Park, losing 4-0.
August 20, 1990 - Gene Michael named vice president and general manager, replacing Harding Peterson.
September 13, 1990 - Robert E. Nederlander appointed managing general partner.
October 29, 1991 - Buck Showalter replaces Stump Merrill as Yankee manager.
December 31, 1991 - Daniel R. McCarthy elected managing general partner.
March 22, 1992 - Joseph A. Molloy elected general partner.
September 4, 1993 - Jim Abbott pitches 4-0, no-hit win over Indians at Yankee Stadium.
February 25, 1994 - Phil Rizzuto elected to Baseball Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee, inducted on July 31.
April 4, 1994 - Opening Day crowd of 56,706 is the largest Opening Day Crowd in Yankee history and the largest regular-season crowd at new Yankee Stadium.
August 9, 1994 - Phil Rizzuto Hall of Fame Night.
August 12, 1994 - Members of the Major League Baseball Players Association strike.
September 14, 1994 - Owners of the 28 Major League teams vote to cancel the remainder of the 1994 season, the Division Series, the League Championship Series and the World Series.
December 23, 1994 - Major League Baseball, at an impasse in labor negotiations with the players' union, implemented a revenue-sharing plan and salary cap proposal that would provide the players with 50 percent of baseball revenue.
Yankee Captains
Hal Chase, 1912
Roger Peckinpaugh, 1914-1921
Babe Ruth, 5/20/22-5/25/22
Everett Scott, 1922-1925
Lou Gehrig, 4/21/35-6/2/41
Thurman Munson, 4/17/76-8/2/79
Graig Nettles, 1/29/82-3/30/84
Willie Randolph, 3/4/86-10/2/89
Ron Guidry, 3/4/86-7/12/89
Don Mattingly, 2/28/91-1995
Derek Jeter, 6/3/2003-9/28/2014
Aaron Judge, Current Captain
No-Hitters By Yankee Pitchers
Regular Season (12)
YEAR PITCHER SCORE
1917 George Mogridge, at Boston, April 24 2-1*
1923 Sad Sam Jones, at Philadelphia, September 4 2-0
1938 Monte Pearson, vs. Cleveland, August 27 (2nd game) 13-0
1951 Allie Reynolds, at Cleveland, July 12 (night) 1-0
1951 Allie Reynolds, vs. Boston, September 28 (1st game) 8-0
1983 Dave Righetti, vs. Boston, July 4 4-0*
1993 Jim Abbott, vs. Cleveland, September 4 4-0*
1996 Dwight Gooden, vs. Seattle, May 14 2-0
1998 David Wells, vs. Minnesota, May 17 4-0*+ PERFECT GAME
1999 David Cone, vs. Montreal, July 18 6-0+ PERFECT GAME
2021 Corey Kluber, vs Texas, May 19 2-0+
2023 Domingo German, vs Oakland, June 28 11-0+ PERFECT GAME
Post Season (1)
YEAR PITCHER SCORE
1956 Don Larsen, vs. Brooklyn, October 8 (Game Five of 2-0+ the World Series; remains the only PERFECT GAME in Series history)
NO-HITTERS VS. YANKEES (6)
YEAR PITCHER SCORE 1908 Cy Young, for Boston at New York, June 30 8-0 1916 Rube Foster, for Boston at Boston, June 21 2-0 1919 Ray Caldwell, for Cleveland at New York, 3-0 September 10 (first game) 1946 Bob Feller, for Cleveland at New York, April 30 1-0 1952 Virgil Trucks, for Detroit at New York, August 25 1-0 1958 Hoyt Wilhelm, for Baltimore, September 20 1-0 2003 6 Different Pitchers, at NY for Astros June 11 8-0 * Left-handed pitcher + Perfect Game
About One-Hitters
Yankee pitchers have thrown 56 one-hitters, the most recent coming on 9/26/97 at Detroit, when four pitchers--Andy Pettitte, Brian Boehringer, Mariano Rivera and Jeff Nelson--combined to limit the Tigers to a third-inning single by Travis Fryman...the last 2 complete-game one-hitters were tossed by Jimmy Key on 4/27/93 at California in a 5-0 Yankee win and by Mike Mussina on September 2, 2001 against the Redsox. Mussina had 13 Ks that day against Boston.
Bob Turley and Whitey Ford each hurled three CG one-hitters for New York and both men participated in a fourth...Bob Shawkey, Rip Collins, Lefty Gomez, Vic Raschi and Floyd Bevens each threw two, with one of Bevens' coming in Game Four of the 1947 World Series...Bevens was one out from a no-hitter when the Dodgers' Cookie Lavagetto doubled in two runs to give Brooklyn a 3-2 victory...it was the last game Bevens and Lavagetto ever played in the Majors.
The Yankees have been held to one hit 50 times, the last on 9/10/99 by Boston's Pedro Martinez in a 3-1 Red Sox' win at Yankee Stadium...Chili Davis' solo HR in the second inning was the Yankee's only hit...it was only the third one-hitter vs. the Yankees in the decade of the 90s (also Oakland's Steve Ontiveros on 5/27/95 at Oakland and Greg Harris/Jeff Reardon on 6/7/90 at Boston)...Joe Wood, Earl Hamilton and Nolan Ryan are the only three men with a pair of one-hitters against the Yankees, with both of Hamilton's coming in 1913...Hoyt Wilhelm, who no-hit the Yankees in 1958, tossed a one-hitter against them in 1959.
Horace Clarke and Don Mattingly are the only Yankees to twice serve as no-hit spoilers...Clarke had the only hit in no-hit bids by Jim Palmer and Joe Niekro...in a single month in 1970, Clarke broke up three no-hitters in the 9th inning, two of which wound up being more than one-hitters...on 5/2/84 at Chicago, Mattingly ruined a perfect game for LaMarr Hoyt with a wind-blown single in the seventh inning, and on 6/29/85 vs. Milwaukee, he also broke up a no-hit bid by Moose Haas, again with a seventh-inning single...on 9/12/81 at Yankee Stadium, Boston LHP Bob Ojeda took a no-hitter into the ninth inning only to have Rick Cerone lead off with a double, followed by a Dave Winfield double.
Yankees in the Hall of Fame
According to the National Baseball Hall of Fame, the New York Yankees have better representation than any other club, with 23 members (the New York Giants have placed the most players in the Hall with 20)....for the purpose of their comparison, games played was the determining factor for position players who suited up for more than one club....for pitchers, games won was the yardstick used....based on the Hall of Fame's criteria, therefore, both Reggie Jackson and "Catfish" Hunter are not counted among the Yankees' 23 representatives as Jackson played more games for Oakland and Hunter won more games with the A's....both players, however, played five distinguished seasons for the Yankees....the former Yankee players, managers and executives in the Hall of Fame are (year of election in parenthesis):
Ed Barrow (1953) Waite Hoyt (1969) Joe McCarthy (1957) Yogi Berra (1972) Catfish Hunter (1987) Herb Pennock (1948) Jack Chesbro (1946) Miller Huggins (1964) Phil Rizzuto (1994) Earle Combs (1970) Reggie Jackson (1993) Red Ruffing (1967) Bill Dickey (1954) Willie Keeler (1939) Babe Ruth (1936) Joe DiMaggio (1955) Tony Lazzeri (1991) Casey Stengel (1966) Whitey Ford (1974) Larry MacPhail (1978) George Weiss (1970) Lou Gehrig (1939) Lee MacPhail (1998) Lefty Gomez (1972) Mickey Mantle (1974)
Other members of the Baseball Hall of Fame who also played for or managed for the Yankees are: Frank "Home Run" Baker" (1955), Frank Chance (1946), Stan Coveleskie (1969), Clark Griffith (1945), Burleigh Grimes (1964), Bucky Harris (1975), Bill McKechnie (1962), Johnny Mize (1981), Phil Niekro (1996), Gaylord Perry (1991), Branch Rickey (1967), Joe Sewell (1977), Enos Slaughter (1985), Dazzy Vance (1955), Paul Waner (1952) and Dave Winfield (2000).
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Yankees Advertisers/Sponsors
This section is new and will be dedicated to the advertisers and sponsors who have been a part of the Yankees over their history.
1.) Ballantine Beer - Continued with the Yankees through 1973 in the pubs and on the radio. Their ads made their debut on the back cover of the yearbook and in the scorecards. They also sponsored all of the radiocasts on WHN. The Yankees went to WMCA in 1971. By 1974, they were history with the Yankees. They went to the Mets in1974 after Rheingold went bust. (Credit: Paul Doherty)
2.) Schaefer Beer Advertising was used in Ebbet's Field and later, the company would become a sponsor of the New York Mets. Then they had the naming rights to Schaefer Stadium for the NE Patriot.
Below are coasters from Schaefer Beer made in 1970.
3.) Longines - The first picture below is of the clock that was in Old Yankee Stadium. It was auctioned off by LiveAuctioneers in 2008 with an Estimate of $20,000-$30,000 and a starting big of $10,000. The clock in 49 1/2" x 40 1/4". The clock was composed of metal and glass.