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If you’re a Yankees fan, you probably know that their number 12 is retired in honor of Yogi Berra. But do you know who else wore that number for the team?
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The Yankees Number 12
The Yankees have had some great players wear the number 12 over the years. Some of the most notable Yankees to wear number 12 include: Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, Derek Jeter, and Alex Rodriguez. Each of these Yankees legends has their own unique story. Let’s take a look at the careers of each of these Yankees legends.
Who wore it first
The Yankees have had some great players wear the number 12 over the years. The first player to don the pinstripes with the number 12 was none other than “The Babe” himself, Babe Ruth. Ruth wore the number from 1915 to 1919 and again in 1928 and 1929. After Ruth, Lou Gehrig wore the number from 1920 until his retirement in 1939. Billy Martin wore the number 12 from 1950 to 1957, followed by Tony Kubek from 1957 to 1965. Kubek was the first Yankee player to wear the number 12 on their back for an entire season. The next player to make an impact wearing the number 12 was Thurman Munson, who wore it from 1969 until his untimely death in 1979. In Munson’s last season with the Yankees, he became the first and only Yankee captain to wear the number 12 on his uniform. Lastly, Don Mattingly wore the number from 1991 until his retirement in 1995. Mattingly is currently married to Mattingly’s daughter, Lori Mattingly- how sweet!
The New York Yankees have a long and storied history and some great players have donned the famous pinstripes over the years. The number 12 has been worn by some of baseball’s greatest players including Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Thurman Munson, and Don Mattingly. These players have left their mark on Yankees history and will always be remembered as some of the best to ever play the game.
Who wore it the longest
The legendary number 12 of the New York Yankees has been worn by some of the greatest players in the team’s history. These include Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Yogi Berra, and Bill Dickey. The number was retired in 1997 in honor of these players.
Who wore it the most recent
The most recent Yankee to wear number 12 was first baseman Greg Bird, who wore it from 2015 to 2019. Since Bird’s departure, the number has been worn by several players, including third baseman Gio Urshela, outfielder Clint Frazier and catcher Chris Iannetta.
The Yankees Number 12
The Yankees number 12 is outfielder Aaron Hicks. Hicks has been with the team since 2015 and helped them win the World Series in 2020. He is a key player in the Yankees lineup and is known for his defense.
Who wore it first
The Yankees have had some form of the number 12 since 1903, when they were known as the New York Highlanders. The number was first worn by first baseman Clark Griffith, who also managed the team from 1903-1908. He was followed by Lou Criger, a catcher who played eight seasons with the Highlanders/Yankees, from 1909-1916. In 1917, Criger was replaced by another catcher, Les Nunamaker, who played three seasons in New York before being traded to the Boston Red Sox prior to the 1920 season.
Who wore it the longest
Babe Ruth, who famously wore number 3 for the Yankees, originally had his number switched to 7 when he was traded to the Yankees in 1920. Lou Gehrig took over number 3 and Ruth took over number 7. In 1922, Ruth wanted to switch his number back to 3, but Gehrig, who had by then become one of the team’s stars, refused to give up the number and instead offered to let Ruth wear number 4, which Gehrig had worn as a rookie. Ruth accepted Gehrig’s offer and was issued number 4 for the 1922 season. In 1929, when Gehrig succeeded Walter Johnson as baseball’s all-time home run king, Ruth suggested that Gehrig be given number 3 in his honor; Gehrig again refused, citing his preference fornumber 4. As a result, Ruth continued to wear number 4 until he retired after the 1935 season.
Number 12 has been worn by some of the greatest players in Yankees history including Yogi Berra, Whitey Ford, Mickey Mantle and more recently by Alex Rodriguez. Babe Ruth actually started his Yankees career wearing number 12 before switching to his iconic number 3.
Who wore it the most recent
The most recent Yankee to wear number 12 was outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury, who wore it from 2014 to 2016. outfielder Brett Gardner currently wears number 12.
The Yankees Number 12
Derek Jeter, the Yankees’ shortstop, has worn the number two since his rookie year in 1996. Jeter is the only player to have worn the number for the Yankees. The number 12 was retired by the Yankees in honor of Yogi Berra.
Who wore it first
Lou Gehrig was the first player to wear #12 for the Yankees. He debuted with the team in 1923 and played his entire career with the Yankees, from 1923-1939. Gehrig is considered one of the greatest baseball players of all time and had his number retired by the Yankees in 1939.
Who wore it the longest
The Yankees have a long and storied history, and many great players have donned the iconic number 12. From Babe Ruth to Derek Jeter, the number 12 has been worn by some of the greatest players to ever play the game. But who wore it the longest?
Lou Gehrig wore the number 12 for 10 seasons, from 1929 to 1939. He was a Yankee legend, and is considered one of the greatest players in baseball history. He famously had his consecutive games played streak ended at 2,131 due to ALS, which now bears his name. He passed away in 1941 at the age of 37.
Derek Jeter wore the number 12 for 15 seasons, from 1995 to 2009. He is considered one of the greatest Yankees of all time, and is one of the most popular players in baseball. He helped lead the Yankees to five World Series titles, and was named MVP of the 2000 World Series. He retired in 2014 with a career batting average of .310.
Who wore it the most recent
The New York Yankees number 12 has been worn by some of the most iconic names in franchise history. It is currently being worn by third baseman, Miguel Andujar. Let’s take a look at the storied history of the Yankee number 12.
The Yankee number 12 was first worn by Hall of Famer, Roger Maris in 1960. Maris wore the number 12 for 11 seasons with the Bronx Bombers. In that time, Maris won two American League MVP awards (1960, 1961), and set the single-season home run record with 61 in 1961.
After Maris, the number 12 was worn by some other great Yankees including: Billy Martin (1972-1975), Graig Nettles (1984-1988), and Bernie Williams (1991-2006). Williams, an center fielder, is widely considered one of the best Yankees of all time. In his 16 seasons with the Bronx Bombers, Williams won four World Series titles and fiveGold Glove Awards.
Other notable Yankees who wore the number 12 include: Ron Blomberg (1969-1976), Chris Chambliss (1979-1988), Andy Pettitte (1995-2003, 2007-2010), Robinson Cano (2005-2013),and Mark Teixeira (2014-2016).
Miguel Andujar currently wears the Yankee number 12. Andujar made his MLB debut in 2018 and instantly became one of baseball’s brightest young stars. In his rookie season, Andujar finished 2nd in American League Rookie of the Year voting while hitting .297 with 27 home runs and 92 RBIs.
