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The New York Yankees have retired some of the greatest numbers in baseball history in honor of the most iconic players to don the pinstripes.
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Yankees History
The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Bronx, New York City. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one of two major league clubs based in New York City, the other being the New York Mets of the National League.
Babe Ruth
Babe Ruth, born in 1895, is considered by many to be the greatest baseball player of all time. He started his career with the Boston Red Sox, but was sold to the New York Yankees in 1919. He quickly became a legend with his home run hitting and larger-than-life persona. He helped the Yankees win their first World Series in 1923 and went on to win four more with them. In 1936, he was one of the first five players inducted into baseball’s Hall of Fame. The Yankees retired his uniform number 3 in 1948, and it remains one of the most revered numbers in all of sports.
Lou Gehrig
Gehrig was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1939, and he was the first player to have his uniform number (#4) retired by the Yankees. A strong and powerful left-handed hitter, Gehrig set several career batting records and is widely considered one of the greatest hitters in baseball history. He had a streak of 2,130 consecutive games played that stood until 1997 when it was broken by Cal Ripken Jr.
Yogi Berra
Yogi Berra was an American professional baseball catcher, who later took on the roles of manager and coach. He played 19 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), all for the New York Yankees. He was an 18-time All-Star and won 10 World Series championships as a player. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest catchers in baseball history, and was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1972.
Berra had a distinctive way of speaking, often making remarks that were cryptic or unintentionally humorous. He is remembered for his “Yogi-isms”, such as “It ain’t over till it’s over”, while speaking to reporters. During his playing days, he made several predictions, some of which came true and some of which did not.
Yankees Retire Numbers
The Yankees have retired 22 numbers in their history, the most of any team in baseball. The most recent number to be retired was #2, in honor of longtime shortstop Derek Jeter. The Yankees have also retired the numbers of some of their most legendary players, such as Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, and Yogi Berra.
Mariano Rivera
Mariano Rivera is widely regarded as the greatest relief pitcher in baseball history. He played his entire 19-year career with the New York Yankees, winning five World Series titles. An thirteen-time All-Star and five-time World Series champion, Rivera is the Yankees’ all-time leader in saves and games finished. He was also a five-time recipient of the Rolaids Relief Man Award and American League Championship Series Most Valuable Player. In 2019, Rivera became the first player unanimously elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
The Yankees retired Rivera’s number 42 in 2013, making him only the second player in franchise history to have his number retired without having previously been inducted into the Hall of Fame (the other being Yogi Berra). A plaque in honor of Rivera was unveiled in Monument Park at Yankee Stadium on September 22, 2013.
Derek Jeter
The New York Yankees have retired the numbers of some of the greatest players in baseball history. Among them is Derek Jeter, who was a key part of the Yankees’ dynasty from 1996 to 2000, winning four World Series titles. Jeter’s number, 2, was retired by the Yankees in 2017.
Bernie Williams
On May 24, 2015, the New York Yankees honored Bernie Williams by retiring his number 51. Williams played his entire 16-year career with the Yankees, winning four World Series titles. He was a five-time All-Star and won four gold glove awards.
Yankees Legacy
The Bronx Bombers have a long and storied history, dating back to their founding in 1901. Over the years, they’ve been home to some of the greatest players to ever play the game. In honor of those players, the Yankees have retired 22 numbers – more than any other team in MLB. Let’s take a look at the players who have been honored with this distinction.
Yankees fans
The New York Yankees have a long and storied history, dating back to their days as the New York Highlanders. Over the years, they’ve had some of the greatest players in baseball don their uniform – names like Babe Ruth, Reggie Jackson, Mickey Mantle, and Derek Jeter. To honor these legends, the Yankees have retired 22 numbers between them. Here’s a look at which numbers have been retired, and who they were retired for.
1 – Billy Martin
5 – Yogi Berra & Dick Howser
7 – Mickey Mantle
8 – Yogi Berra & Bill Dickey
9 – Roger Maris
10 – Phil Rizzuto
15 – Thurman Munson
16 – Whitey Ford
23 – Don Mattingly
32 – Elston Howard & Earl Combs (& Jackie Robinson) 33 – Clint Frazier (current player) 42 – Jackie Robinson (retired league-wide in 1997) 44 – Reggie Jackson 46 – Andy Pettitte 47- Ron Blomberg (1st DH in MLB history) 49- Jake Greenberg (1st Jewish Yankee) 52- Graig Nettles 53- Oscar Gamble 54- Hensley Meulens (current hitting coach) 55- Aaron Judge (current player) 56- Tony Kubek 61- Roger Maris (retired posthumously in 1984) 77- Bernie Williams 99- Mariano Rivera (retired league-wide in 2019) Employed by the team: 42 is worn by bullpen catcher Mike monetarily while 33 is worn by Frazier during spring training. 4 is worn by pitching coach Larry Rothschild.”
Yankees-Red Sox rivalry
No two Major League Baseball teams have a longer or more storied history than the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox. The “Yankee-Red Sox rivalry” is not just a competition between two baseball teams, it is a clash of two cities, two cultures, and two fan bases that are passionate about their respective teams.
The Yankees-Red Sox rivalry is often referred to as the “greatest rivalry in sports” and it is easy to see why. The two teams have been competing against each other for over 100 years and the games are always highly anticipated and hotly contested.
The rivalry started to heat up in the late 1800s when the Yankees began to establish themselves as one of the best teams in baseball. The Red Sox, who were then known as the “Boston Americans”, were not happy about this development and the two teams became bitter rivals.
The intensity of the rivalry reached new heights in the early 1900s when the Yankees signed Red Sox star player Babe Ruth. This move caused a great deal of anger and resentment among Red Sox fans and is often considered to be the beginning of the “curse of the Bambino”.
The curse refers to a supposed supernatural phenomenon whereby the Red Sox are cursed never to win another World Series. The curse was supposedly broken in 2004 when the Red Sox finally won their first World Series in 86 years.
Despite this apparent break in the curse, tensions between Yankees and Red Sox fans are still running high. There is no love lost between these two rival fan bases and each team’s success is always overshadowed by their hatred for each other.
