Yankees by the Numbers (Part One)

16

In their first 16 years Highlanders/Yankees didn’t win a single pennant and had 10 losing seasons.

Number of career grand slams for Babe Ruth

Whitey Ford’s Number retired in 1974. The slick southpaw wore number 19 as a rookie. Returning from the army in 1953, he wore number 16 for the rest of his career.

I loved Yankee Stadium because I was left-handed. I usually faced mostly right-handed hitting teams.  The centerfield fence was 461 feet away, and left centerfield was 457 feet. As long as you kept hitters from hitting the ball down the line, it was a great park to pitch in.” –Whitey Ford

Dallas Green, George Steinbrenner’s 16th manager to be fired.

17

Monthly home run best: Babe Ruth September 1927. 
Number of career homers Babe Ruth’s hit off Rube Walberg, most off any pitcher.

Late in his career, Gehrig’s hands were x-rayed and doctors spotted 17 fractures that had “healed” while he continued to play. 
Bill Dickey played his entire 17 season career as a Yankee.

In 16 All Star games Mickey Mantle struck out a record 17 times.

Roy White, franchise record for sacrifice flies in a season, 1971.

In his first 17 years Steinbrenner changed managers 17 times.

         On his 17th birthday in 1985, Bernie Williams signed a contract to play professional baseball for the Yankees. 
        Number of years Jorge Posada played for Yankees.

18       

Since their first title in 1923, the Yankees have not gone longer than 18 years without a world championship.

Most years with the Yankees: Yogi Berra (1946-1963), Mickey Mantle (1951-1968). 

Most World Series home runs, Mickey Mantle. 
     Joe DiMaggio’s original uniform, number given to him by equipment manager Pete Sheehy and later changed to Number 5.        

Number of years Frank Messer and Bill White were Yankee announcers   

19

    Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig in a decade of playing together homered in the same inning 19 times

The 1927 Yankees won the pennant by 19 games, using only twenty-five players. Not one roster change was made that season.

       Longest winning streak, 1947.

Whitey Ford’s rookie uniform number.

Dave Righetti began with Yankees with Jim Bouton’s old number, 56, but he became famous wearing #19.

Number of managerial changes Steinbrenner made in eighteen years, before Buck Showalter came along and lasted four years as manager.        

Derek Jeter set a five game World Series record with 19 total bases in 2000.

20

Jorge Posada Number retired

20/20

In 2001, Paul O’Neill at age 38 became the oldest player to have a 20/20 season.     

21

Babe Ruth hit 21 of his 60 homers in 1927 with the same bat. Whenever he homered, he’d carve a notch around the trademark. 
     Yogi Berra had an incredible total of 21 World Series appearances as a player, coach or manager.

Since Paul O’Neill’s retirement after the 2001 World Series, no Yankee has worn that number. Although Latroy Hawkins actually briefly wore #21 to honor Roberto Clemente in 2008. Yankee fans were not happy.

22

Allie Reynolds number 22, not retired, but he earned a plaque out in Monument Park.

Most hits recorded in a World Series sixth game, 2001.           

Yogi Berra on June 24, 1962, age 37, caught all 22 innings of a Yankees game with the Tigers in Detroit. The Yanks won, 9-7, in the seven hour game.

23

The 1909 Highlanders improved upon their previous seasons win total by               

23 games, largest such increase in franchise history.

Lou Gehrig, MLB record for grand slams

Don Mattingly’s number retired, August 31, 1997.

24

In 1927, 24 of Lou Gehrig’s 47 home runs were hit at the Stadium.

Yankee record – most times hit by pitch in a season, Don Baylor, 1985

25

Gene Michael, 25th Yankee manager in history.

Fewest total players used in a season, 1923, and 1927. 
         Most consecutive games with a home run, 1941. 
Mel Allen spent 25 years as Yankee broadcaster in his first term as Yankee broadcaster (1939-1964).

26

No Yankee pitcher has won 26 games in a regular season since Lefty Gomez in 1934.

Only Joe DiMaggio and Mickey Mantle recorded more hits by age 26 than Derek Jeter.

27

      

Number of General Managers that worked during George Steinbrenner’s tenure. 

27.6

Average age of what was arguably the best team of all time, the 1927 Yankees.     

28

Of the 60 record-setting home runs hit by Babe Ruth in 1927, 28 were at Yankee Stadium.

29

Joe DiMaggio, most homers by a Yankee rookie, 1939.

Mel Allen was a Yankee broadcaster for 29 seasons, television and radio.   

Whitey Ford over a 16 year career allowed but 29 bases to be stolen off him.  

Paul O’Neill was awarded the 29th plaque in Monument Park.

30

Wee Willie Keeler’s bat length, measured in inches, shortest ever.

Yogi Berra, most home runs in a season by a Yankee catcher, 1952, and 1956

     Eddie Lopat, Mel Stottlemyre, Willie Randolph all wore #30.                                                     

Roger Maris, of his 61 home runs in 1961, 30 were hit at Yankee Stadium.