As the most successful team in baseball history, it is understandable that the New York Yankees have had quite a few stars in their history. Which of those players comprise the franchise Mount Rushmore?
What can be said about the New York Yankees that has not been said already? They have easily been the most successful franchise in baseball history, winning 27 World Series titles, and reaching the Fall Classic 40 times. They have reached the postseason in 53 of their 115 seasons, a higher percentage than any other franchise. The Yankees, quite simply, are a franchise used to winning.
However, that was not always the case. Prior to the 1920 campaign, the Yankees were typically a second division team, with only two second place finishes. Then, that offseason, the fate of their franchise changed when they acquired Babe Ruth. They won over 90 games for the second time in franchise history, and in the following year, made their first World Series appearance.
That is not to say that everything has been wonderful for the Yankees since that fateful day in 1919. Indeed, New York has had some down years as well. The mid 1960s through the mid 1970s, when George Steinbrenner had truly put his fingerprints on the team after purchasing the franchise from CBS, were a difficult time.
Then came the chaos of the 1980s. Steinbrenner fired managers almost as often as he changed socks, turning the Yankees into the Bronx Zoo. Billy Martin was hired, and fired, as the Yankees manager five times. Steinbrenner publicly feuded with his players, and even paid a gambler to dig up dirt on Dave Winfield. Those actions led to a lifetime banishment from the game, although that was later reduced to a two year suspension.
These days, the future is bright in New York. Not only do they have two of the brightest young stars in the game with Aaron Judge and Gary Sanchez, but they have added Giancarlo Stanton. The Yankees offense will be fun to watch for years to come.
In the meantime, let us look back through the history of the franchise. Here is the New York Yankees Mount Rushmore.
Joe DiMaggio (1936-1942, 1946-1951)
Although he played for only 13 seasons, few players were as great as New York Yankees legend Joe DiMaggio.
Even though his career was interrupted by World War Two, DiMaggio packed an impressive resume into those 13 years. On the diamond, he is best remembered for his 56 game hitting streak, but he was far more than that performance. He was an All Star in every single one of his major league seasons, and won three MVP awards. In those 13 years, DiMaggio appeared in the World Series ten times, winning nine championships.
Yet, for as well known as he was on the field, we was equally famous away from the game. He is also remembered for his marriage to Marilyn Monroe, leading to his lifelong devotion to the starlet. DiMaggio became a pop culture icon, mentioned in Ernest Hemingway’s ‘Old Man and the Sea‘ as well as the Simon and Garfunkel song ‘Mrs. Robinson, amongst other references over the years.
It is easy to understand why he captured the imagination. DiMaggio was a star for the Yankees, the best player on the best team in the game at the time. He produced a lifetime .325/.398/.527 batting line, hitting 361 homers and 389 doubles. Dimaggio was incredibly difficult to strike out, whiffing only 369 times in his career. Understandably, he has the best strike out to home run rate in major league history.
Joe DiMaggio made an impact in virtually every facet of life. His prowess with with New York Yankees was only the beginning.
Mickey Mantle (1951-1968)
As great as Mickey Mantle was, the New York Yankees center fielder could have been even greater.
Considered one of the best center fielders in the history of the game, Mantle battled injuries throughout his career. In fact, in his 18 years, he only appeared in 150 or more games four times. Of those four seasons, he led the league in home runs three times, and was the runner up to Roger Maris in his historic 1961 campaign.
Yet, even with his injury woes, and battles with osteomylitis, Mantle remained a star throughout the 1950s and into the 1960s. Although his batting skills faded in his mid 30s, Mantle was still a feared power hitter. He was a 20 time All Star, due to the fact that multiple All Star Games were played for a time, and a three time MVP. In 1956, Mantle won the Triple Crown, the only year he would lead the league in either batting average or RBI.
Mantle was thought of as one of the top all around talents in the game during his prime. Overall, the Yankees star produced a .298/.421/.557 batting line, hitting 536 homers and 344 doubles. Mantle drove in 1509 runs and scored 1676 times, leading the league in runs five times. Although he had only 153 steals, his speed was obvious on the basepaths.
Mickey Mantle is considered to be one of the best players in the history of the game. Just imagine what his career would have been like if he stayed healthy.
Lou Gehrig (1923-1939)
Lou Gehrig is typically remembered for his impressive consecutive game streak, and the fatal disease which bears his name. However, the New York Yankees first baseman was far more than that.
It took some time for Gehrig to become a regular in the Yankees lineup. He had two brief stints in 1923 and 1924, before staying in the majors for good in 1925. Although the widely believed legend that Gehrig replaced Wally Pipp when the incumbent first baseman had migraines was untrue, New York had been looking for a way to get the obviously talented player into the lineup. A slow start for Pipp and the Yankees was all the motivation that manager Miller Huggins needed to make a move.
That decision turned out to be brilliant. Gehrig did not leave the lineup until he removed himself in 1939, as he was battling weakness. He was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, which would later be known as Lou Gehrig Disease. Until that point in time, Gehrig was a star, appearing in the first seven All Star Games, winning two MVP awards, and taking home the 1934 Triple Crown (he finished fifth in the MVP vote that year).
Until his medical issues ended his career, Gehrig showed no signs of slowing down. He produced an excellent .340/.447/.632 batting line, hitting 493 homers and 534 doubles. Gehrig also had a bit of speed, hitting 165 triples and stealing 102 bases. He led the league in homers three times, and RBI five times. Gehrig just missed out on the 2000 RBI and 3000 hit clubs, milestones that he would have accomplished if his career had not been cut short.
One of the greatest players of all time, Lou Gehrig was the perfect compliment to Babe Ruth in the New York Yankees lineup. Although overshadowed by the Babe, and the circumstances of his illness, he was still a tremendous player in his own right.
Babe Ruth (1920-1934)
To this day, New York Yankees legend Babe Ruth is the most recognized player in the history of the game.
It is easy to understand why. Ruth literally changed the game, changing home runs from a random occurrence to a viable offensive weapon. He set a single season home run record four times in his career, increasing that mark in 1919, 1920, 1921, and 1927, when he became the first player to his 60 homers in a year.
Although Ruth’s incredible power was beginning to manifest during his time with the Red Sox, ownership had grown tired of his salary demands. Thinking that home runs were more “spectacular than useful” and believing that Ruth’s hard lifestyle would hinder his long term ability, he was sold to New York. That move changed the fortunes of both franchises, as the Yankees became the dominant team from that point forward, while the Red Sox floundered.
Ruth’s power was a key part of the Yankees turnaround from 1920 onward. He was a legend with the bat, producing a .349/.484/.711 batting line in his 15 years with the Yankees. Ruth hit an incredible 659 homers, shattering the single season and career marks. He drove in 1979 runs and scored another 1959 in New York, providing the Yankees with an incredible weapon in the lineup.
Next: Yankees acquire Giancarlo Stanton
The most famous player in baseball history, Babe Ruth was the greatest player to put on a New York Yankees uniform. Ruth not only changed the game, but the Yankees fortunes as well.