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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 26 World Championships!

Year Manager

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.

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.

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.