Number 16 is one of the most iconic numbers in Yankees history. It was worn by some of the greatest players to ever don the pinstripes, including Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Elston Howard, and Bernie Williams. In this blog post, we take a look at the history of the number 16 in Yankees lore.
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Lou Gehrig
Lou Gehrig was a professional baseball player who played for the New York Yankees from 1923 to 1939. He is considered one of the greatest baseball players of all time. Gehrig was a six-time World Series champion, a seven-time All-Star, and a two-time American League MVP. He wore number 16 for the Yankees.
Born in 1903
Lou Gehrig was born in 1903 in New York City. His parents were German immigrants who had come to the United States in the late 1800s. Gehrig grew up in a tough neighborhood and had to fight for everything he got. He was a talented athlete, and he eventually attended Columbia University on a baseball scholarship.
Gehrig made his major league debut with the New York Yankees in 1923. He quickly established himself as one of the best players in baseball. He was a key member of the Yankees teams that won six World Series championships between 1927 and 1938.
Gehrig’s career came to an abrupt end in 1939 when he was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a progressive neurological disease. He was forced to retire from baseball, and he died just two years later, at the age of 37.
Debuted with the Yankees in 1923
He was a renowned first baseman who played his entire career with the New York Yankees (1923-1939). He debuted with the Yankees in 1923 and had a string of 2,130 consecutive games played, a record that stood for 56 years. Gehrig was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1939 and his number, 16, was retired by the Yankees the same year. He died from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as “Lou Gehrig’s disease,” in 1941 at the age of 37.
Played his entire career with the Yankees
Gehrig began his major league career with the New York Yankees in 1923. He played 2,130 consecutive games over the course of 14 seasons, a record that still stands today. Gehrig was a 7-time All-Star and won 6 World Series titles with the Yankees. He was also the American League MVP in 1927 and 1936.
Died in 1941
In 1941, Gehrig died of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), an incurable neuromuscular disease that would later become known as “Lou Gehrig’s disease” in his honor.
Billy Martin
Billy Martin was a right-handed second baseman and right-handed outfielder who played 16 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), including five seasons with the New York Yankees. Martin also managed the Yankees five times, winning the World Series in 1977. He also won the American League (AL) pennant with the Yankees in 1981.
Born in 1928
Billy Martin was born on May 16, 1928, in Berkeley, California. He was a second baseman and manager in Major League Baseball. He is best known for his stints as the manager of the New York Yankees, where he led the team to five American League championships.
Martin was born to a family of Irish and Hispanic descent. His father, Alfred Martin, was a semi-professional baseball player and his mother, Joan Salvini, was an immigrant from Italy.
Martin began his playing career in the minor leagues in 1945. He made his major league debut with the Oakland Oaks of the Pacific Coast League in 1950. He also played for the San Francisco Giants and Cleveland Indians before being traded to the Yankees in 1955.
Martin was an All-Star second baseman for the Yankees from 1956 to 1957. He helped lead the team to World Series championships in 1956 and 1958. He was named American League MVP in 1957.
Martin’s career as a manager began with the Minneapolis Millers of the American Association in 1969. He also managed the Detroit Tigers, Texas Rangers, and Milwaukee Brewers before returning to lead the Yankees from 1976 to 1978 and again from 1979 to 1983.
He died on December 25, 1989, of heart failure at the age of 61.
Debuted with the Yankees in 1950
Billy Martin (May 16, 1928 – December 25, 1989) was an American second baseman and manager in Major League Baseball (MLB). He is best known as the manager of the New York Yankees, a position he had five non-consecutive tenures at.
Martin had a fiery temper that often got him into trouble both on and off the field. As a player, he once started a fistfight with Jackie Robinson after Robinson bunted against him. Off the field he had multiple alcohol-related incidents, resulting in several suspensions by MLB.
In 1969,Martin was hired as the manager of the Minnesota Twins. He was fired after one season. In 1971, he was hired as the Yankees’ manager. In his second season with the team, Martin led them to their first World Series appearance in 12 years.
Billy Martin debut with the New York yankees in 1950 . He quickly became a fan favorite due to his aggressive style of play . After being traded to the Kansas City Athletics in 1957 , he was soon traded back to the Yankees in 1959 . Over his career he would be traded 5 times total . After his retirement from playing in 1961 , he became a coach for various teams before becoming a manager himself .
Played for the Yankees from 1950-1957
Billy Martin was an American second baseman and manager in Major League Baseball (MLB). He is best known as the manager of the New York Yankees, a position he held five times. As a player, he spent his entire career with the Yankees. He appeared in four World Series during his tenure as a Yankees player (1951, 1952, 1953, and 1956), winning two championships (1951 and 1952). During his years as a manager, he led the team to three additional World Series titles (1977, 1978, and 1981), for a total of five. Martin had a notorious relationship with Yankees owner George Steinbrenner.
Also played for the Milwaukee Braves, Detroit Tigers, and Cleveland Indians
Billy Martin (May 16, 1928 – December 25, 1989) was an American second baseman and manager in Major League Baseball (MLB). He is best known as the manager of the New York Yankees, a position he held five different times. As a player, he spent all or parts of 19 seasons with the Yankees, Indians and Tigers.
Martin had a history of altercations with authority figures during his playing career. As a minor league player, he was suspended twice by Major League Baseball (MLB) for altercations with umpires; he was also involved in several fights with other players. During the 1953 season, Martin’s career reached its nadir when he was involved in a drunken brawl at Yankee Stadium in which police intervened and tranquilized him with chlorine gas.
After retiring as a player, Martin worked as a coach and scout for various MLB teams before becoming manager of the Minneapolis Millers, an AAA affiliate of the Washington Senators. He was promoted to manage the Senators during the 1969 season but was fired after one season. After being hired and fired by several other MLB organizations over the next decade, he returned to managing the Yankees in 1975; he guided them to an American League East division title that year but was again fired after one season.
Died in 1989
Billy Martin was an American baseball player and manager. He is best known as the manager of the New York Yankees, a position he held five times. He also had notable tenures as the manager of theMinnesota Twins, Detroit Tigers, Texas Rangers and Oakland Athletics. Martin had a unique style of managing that earned him both loyal followers and intense criticism. During his managerial career, he was involved in several notable altercations and controversies.
Billy Martin was born on May 16, 1928 in Berkeley, California. He began his professional baseball career in 1946 with the minor league Missoula Timberjacks. Billy made his Major League debut with the New York Yankees in 1950. He played for the Yankees until 1957 when he was traded to the Kansas City Athletics. After one season with the A’s, he was traded back to the Yankees.
Billy’s time with the Yankees included several highs and lows. He was part of five World Series winning teams but was also involved in a number of controversies. In 1957, he was arrested for brawling in a Manhattan bar and ended up serving four days in jail. In 1969, he got into a physical altercation with marshmallow salesman Joseph Coletti at Yankee Stadium after Coletti pelted him with marshmallows during a game. In 1977, he was fired as Yankee manager after punching out two marshmallow salesmen at a hotel bar in Detroit following a loss to the Tigers.
Martin’s off-field antics often overshadowed his accomplishments on the field. He compiled a 1,253-1,013 record during his 17 seasons as a Major League manager. His best season came in 1978 when he led the Yankees to a 100-62 record and a World Series victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Billy Martin died on December 25, 1989 from injuries suffered in a car accident near Binghamton, New York
Whitey Ford
Whitey Ford, nicknamed “The Chairman of the Board”, is a former MLB pitcher who played his entire 18-year career with the New York Yankees. He was a 10-time All-Star and 6-time World Series champion. Ford is the Yankees’ all-time leader in wins (236), and he is also the leader in shutouts (45).
Born in 1928
George Thomas “Whitey” Ford (born October 21, 1928), nicknamed “The Chairman of the Board”, is an American former professional baseball pitcher who spent his entire 16-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career with the New York Yankees. He was a ten-time MLB All-Star and six-time World Series champion. Ford is ranked among the greatest pitchers of all time. Ford remains an active participant in Yankee alumni events and, through his public appearances and memorabilia sales, has been one of the team’s most recognizable public faces in recent decades.
Debuted with the Yankees in 1950
Whitey Ford was born on October 21, 1928 in Queens, New York. He was signed by the Yankees in 1947 and made his debut with the team in 1950. Over his 16-year career, Ford pitched for 10 World Championship teams and was named to 6 All-Star teams. He is considered one of the greatest pitchers in baseball history and he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974.
Played for the Yankees his entire career
Whitey Ford is a retired American baseball player who pitched for the New York Yankees his entire career. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974. Ford is a 10-time World Series champion, 6-time All-Star, and 2-time World Series MVP. He is considered one of the greatest pitchers in baseball history.
Died in 2019
Whitey Ford, a pitcher for the New York Yankees who was one of the most celebrated players in baseball history, died on Thursday at his home in Manhattan. He was 91.
His death was announced by the Yankees. No cause was given.
Mr. Ford, who was nicknamed the Chairman of the Board for his affable demeanor and big-game pitching performances, won a record 10 World Series games, including eight shutouts. He had a career earned run average of 2.75, the sixth best in Yankees history among pitchers with at least 1,000 innings pitched.
Over 16 seasons, all with the Yankees, he won 236 games and lost just 106. When he retired after the 1967 season, his .690 winning percentage was the best among 20th-century pitchers with at least 200 decisions. He was inducted into baseball’s Hall of Fame in 1974.
Elston Howard
Elston Howard was the first African American to don the pinstripes for the New York Yankees. He was an All-Star catcher who helped the Yankees win the World Series in 1961 and 1962. Howard was also the 1963 American League MVP. Let’s learn a little more about this Yankees legend.
Born in 1929
Elston Howard was born on February 23, 1929, in St. Louis, Missouri. He was the youngest of 11 children. His father, Elijah, was a groundskeeper for the St. Louis Cardinals, and his mother, Mollie, was a homemaker. When Howard was eight years old, his family moved to Detroit so that his father could take a job as a groundskeeper for the Detroit Tigers.
Howard began playing baseball at an early age and quickly became one of the best players in Detroit. In 1946, he signed a professional contract with the New York Yankees and made his major league debut in 1955.
Although he was one of the best hitters and defenders in baseball, Howard did not become a regular player for the Yankees until 1960. In 1961, he became the first African American to play in an All-Star Game. He also won the American League’s Most Valuable Player Award that year.
Howard played for the Yankees until 1967 when he was traded to the Boston Red Sox. He retired from baseball in 1968. After retiring from baseball, Howard worked as a coach and scout for the Yankees until his death in 1980.
Debuted with the Yankees in 1955
Elston Howard made his MLB debut with the New York Yankees in 1955, becoming one of the first African American players on the team. He played with the Yankees for his entire career, winning three World Series titles. Howard was also a member of the 1961 American League All-Star team. He retired from baseball in 1968.
Played for the Yankees until his retirement in 1968
Elston Howard played for the New York Yankees until his retirement in 1968. He was a World Series champion in 1961 and 1962, and an All-Star in 1963 and 1964. Howard was the first African American to be named MVP of the American League, winning the award in 1963.
Died in 1980
Elston Howard spent his entire Major League career with the New York Yankees, playing from 1955 to 1968. He played mostly as a catcher, but also saw time in the outfield and at first base. Howard is most remembered for being the first African American player on the Yankees, and he was also the AL MVP in 1963. Howard retired in 1968 and died in 1980.
