The New York Yankees are a baseball team with a long and storied history. Founded in 1901, they have won 27 World Series championships, more than any other team in baseball.
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Early Years
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the Bronx, New York City. They 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 National League’s (NL) New York Mets. The Yankees began play in the 1901 season as the Baltimore Orioles (no connection to the modern Baltimore Orioles). In 1903, Frank Farrell and Bill Devery purchased the franchise after it ceased operations and moved it to New York City, renaming the team the New York Highlanders.
The team’s origins in Baltimore
The New York Yankees began life in Baltimore, Maryland, as the Baltimore Orioles (not to be confused with the present day Baltimore Orioles). The Orioles were founded in 1901 and were one of eight charter members of the new American League. The team played in hitory St. Louis Browns from 1902 until 1953, when they moved to Baltimore. Brown was the team’s manager from 1901 to 1902 and again from 1909 to 1912. The orioles won their first pennant in 1944 and their first World Series title in 1966.
The team’s move to New York
The New York Yankees began play in 1903 as the Baltimore Orioles, one of eight charter members of the American League. But by the end of the season, the team was sold to Francis Ruppert and Jacob Ruppert Jr., two New York brewery magnates, for $18,000. The new owners soon moved the team to New York City, where they were renamed the Highlanders.
The “Bronx Bombers”
The New York Yankees are one of the most successful baseball teams of all time. They’ve won 27 World Series championships and 40 American League pennants. The Yankees have a long and storied history, dating back to their days as the Baltimore Orioles. Let’s take a look at the Yankees’ history, from their early days to their present-day success.
The team’s dominant years in the 1920s and 1930s
The Yankees’ success continued into the 1920s. With Ruth as the centerpiece, the Yankees dominated baseball, winning six pennants and three World Series titles between 1920 and 1932. 1927 was perhaps their finest year. That season, Ruth hit 60 home runs, setting a single-season record that would stand for 34 years. The team as a whole hit a record 158 home runs that season, a mark that would not be topped until 1961. The Yankees also won a then-record 110 games that year en route to their first World Series title in eight years.
The following year, 1928, saw the Yankees win their second straight title behind another dominant performance by Ruth, who hit 54 homers and drove in 143 runs. The team won 101 games that season but lost to the Cardinals in the World Series. New York rebounded to win its third consecutive pennant in 1929 behind another monster year from Ruth, who hit .345 with 46 homers and 153 RBIs. The Yankees then avenged their loss to St. Louis by defeating the Cardinals in the World Series in four straight games.
The team’s decline in the 1940s and 1950s
Following the death of Babe Ruth and the retirement of several other key members of the team, the Yankees entered a period of decline. They failed to make the playoffs in 1943, 1944, and 1945. In 1946, they rebounded to win the American League pennant but lost the World Series to the St. Louis Cardinals in seven games. The Yankees won another pennant in 1947 but again lost the World Series, this time to the Brooklyn Dodgers in seven games. The Yankees returned to form in 1948, winning a record number of regular season games en route to their third consecutive American League pennant and their first World Series title since 1941.
The following year, 1949, saw more success for the team as they won their fourth consecutive American League pennant and their second World Series title in as many years, defeating the Brooklyn Dodgers again in five games. But 1950 would prove to be a trying year for the Bronx Bombers as star player Joe DiMaggio announced his retirement midway through the season and several other key players also left the team. The Yankees still managed to win their fifth consecutive American League pennant but lost the World Series to the New York Giants in six games.
The 1951 season was even worse for the Bronx Bombers as they finished in third place, 14 games behind the first place Cleveland Indians. It would be another 21 years before they would make it back to baseball’s biggest stage.
The Rejuvenated Yankees
In 1903, the New York Yankees were founded as an independent professional baseball team. Since then, they’ve won a record 27 World Series titles and 40 American League pennants. The team has been home to some of baseball’s greatest players, including Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, and Yogi Berra. The Yankees have a long and storied history, and they’re showing no signs of slowing down.
The team’s resurgence in the late 1950s and 1960s
In the late 1950s, the Yankees’ dynasty began to unravel. In 1957, they finished third for the first time in 40 years. In 1959, they missed the World Series for the first time in 21 years. In 1960, they failed to make the playoffs for the first time since 1925. The Yankees’ decline coincided with the Mets’ rise; in 1962, the Mets finished above .500 for the first time and won 40 games more than they had in their first season.
The Yankees’ resurgence began in 1962, when they signed slugging outfielder Roger Maris away from the Kansas City Athletics. Maris quickly became one of baseball’s biggest stars, setting a new home run record with 61 homers in 1961. The following year, he and fellow outfielder Mickey Mantle led the Yankees back to the World Series, where they lost to the San Francisco Giants in seven games.
In 1963, Maris and Mantle once again powered the Yankees to a World Series berth. This time, they faced off against the Los Angeles Dodgers, who were making their first appearance in baseball’s Fall Classic since moving from Brooklyn four years earlier. The series was a close one, with each team winning three games. The deciding Game Seven was also tight, but ultimately it was won by New York on a walk-off home run by second baseman Bobby Richardson. It was Richardson’s only homer of the series and one of just four he would hit all season long.
The Yankees continued their domination of baseball in 1964, finishing 109-53 to win their 27th pennant. They then swept their way past the Cardinals and Dodgers to win their 18th World Series title. New York’s run of success would continue into 1965 and 1966, as they won back-to-back American League pennants and World Series titles.
The team’s continued success in the 1970s and 1980s
The team’s continued success in the 1970s and 1980s was built around stars such as outfielder Reggie Jackson, first baseman Don Mattingly, and relief pitcher Goose Gossage. Jackson, who was acquired from the Oakland Athletics in 1977, helped lead the team to victory in the 1978 World Series. He became one of the most popular Yankees ever, hitting numerous home runs and becoming one of baseball’s most feared sluggers. Mattingly, a six-time All-Star, was the team captain for many years and won the American League batting title in 1984. Gossage posted an ERA below 2.00 in five different seasons as a Yankee and helped the team win three World Series titles.
The New Millennium
The early 2000s were not kind to the New York Yankees. First, they lost the 2001 World Series to the Arizona Diamondbacks in an epic seven-game battle. Then, they failed to make the playoffs in 2002. In 2003, they lost the ALCS to the eventual World Series champion Florida Marlins. Finally, in 2004, they lost the ALCS again, this time to the Boston Red Sox.
The team’s World Series wins in 2000 and 2009
In 2000, the Yankees won their third consecutive World Series championship, defeating the New York Mets in five games. Led by manager Joe Torre, the Yankees featured a lineup that included future Hall of Famers Derek Jeter and Bernie Williams, as well as All-Stars Jorge Posada and Mariano Rivera. The team’s World Series win in 2009 was their 27th overall, making them the most successful franchise in Major League Baseball history. Led by manager Joe Girardi and featuring a core of young stars including Robinson Cano, Brett Gardner, and CC Sabathia, the Yankees defeated the Philadelphia Phillies in six games to claim their first championship since 2000.
The team’s continued success in the 2010s
After winning the 2009 World Series, the Yankees failed to make the playoffs in 2010 and 2011. In 2012, they returned to the playoffs after a one-year absence, defeating the Baltimore Orioles in the AL East tie-breaker game. The Yankees lost to the eventual World Series champion San Francisco Giants in the AL Championship Series. The 2013 season brought mixed results for the team; they finished 85–77, placing fourth in their division and missing the playoffs for only the second time since 1995. Although they failed to make the playoffs that year, 2013 saw several significant accomplishments: Jeter became baseball’s all-time leader in hits by a shortstop, and Pettitte became Major League Baseball’s all-time leader in wins by a pitcher who has spent his entire career with one team.Pettitte retired following that season, as did longtime Yankee manager Joe Girardi, who was replaced by former catcher and television broadcaster Aaron Boone.
After another unsuccessful season in 2014, in which they again failed to make the playoffs, the Yankees made a number of significant changes prior to 2015. Longtime right fielder Ichiro Suzuki was traded back to his original team, the Seattle Mariners; veteran left-handed pitcher CC Sabathia underwent season-ending knee surgery; closer David Robertson signed with Chicago White Sox as a free agent; and veteran designated hitter/first baseman Carlos Beltrán was traded to Texas Rangers at the trade deadline. These moves helped clear salary off of their books and bring down their payroll from $228 million in 2014 to below $215 million for 2015–the first time it had been below $200 million since 2008.
The Yankees returned to postseason play in 2015 as a Wild Card team despite having only 87 wins (their fewest since 1992). They beat the Houston Astros in The American League Wild Card Game before losing to eventual World Series champions Kansas City Royals in five games in The American League Division Series (ALDS). In 2016, clubhouse disagreements between some players and Girardi boiled over into public view on multiple occasions during what became known as “The Subway Series Meltdown”. Despite this turmoil, or perhaps because of it,[citation needed]the Yankees posted an 89–73 record–their best since 2012–and defeated archrivals Boston Red Sox in The American League Division Series (ALDS), three games to zero. They then faced off against fellow upstarts Cleveland Indians[clarification needed]who were making their first playoff appearance since 2007 (and first ALDS appearance ever) after going 94–67 during The Regular Season. After dropping Game 1 of The ALDS at home 5–2 despite outhitting Cleveland 11–5,[37]the Yankees rebounded with three straight wins behind strong pitching performances from Luis Severino and Masahiro Tanaka[clarification needed], winning Game 4 10–9 on an RBI walk-off single by third baseman Chase Headley off of Cleveland reliever Cody Allen.[38] However, they ultimately lost The ALDS 3 games to 2 after falling behind early and being unable either to hit consistently or capitalize on miscues by Cleveland’s defense en route to an eventual 5–2 loss at Progressive Field that ended their season.[39][40]
