Yankees History

The Yankees entered the new century with same supremacy and vigor as it displayed in the previous one. But retaining its prominence was not an easy job for the Bronx Bombers. After losing Game 1 of the ALDS, it looked as if the Yankees will become the victims of failure. But the way they bounced they not only won the divisional playoffs, but also the ALCS and their 26th World Championship in 2000. In 2001, the Yankees win their 4th straight division title with a 95-65 record. In the World Series the Yankees faced the Arizona Diamondbacks, but lost the series. The loss in the 2001 World Series marked the end of the 1990s Yankee dynasty as the veteran players started retiring. In 2003, the Yankees became an international empire after signing Japanese All-Star Hideki Matsui. The Yankees bested their rival team, the Boston Red Sox in a seven-game ALCS, which featured a series-ending walk-off home run by Aaron Boone in the 11th inning of the final game. The Yanks entered the 2004 season with a line-up featuring Free Agent Gary Sheffield and AL MVP Alex Rodriguez. In the 2004 ALCS against the Red Sox, the Yankees after taking a 3-0 series lead lost a best of 7 series.

This incident is looked upon as "The Biggest Collapse in Sports History." Aware of their poor pitching skills, the Yankees focused on improving their pitching talent, and signed free agents Carl Pavano and Jarrett Wright and landing Randy Johnson in a blockbuster trade. The Yankees are undisputedly the most successful team in the history of baseball. They have won a record 26 World Series and 39 AL pennants. They have won more games than any franchise. In January 1903, Frank Farrell and Bill Devery bought the ownership of non-operational Baltimore Orioles of the AL for $18,000 and took the team to Manhattan. Farrell owned a casino and several pool halls, while Devery once served as a crooked chief of the New York City police, who was rusticated from the division due to his notorious activities. On 12th March 1903, the New York franchise became a pro baseball team rooted in the Bronx, New York City. Since the team played in the “Hilltop Park”, it was named after its site as the "Highlanders.” Griffith became the team’s first manager. The Highlanders were led by "Wee Willie" Keeler, who was adroit in at laying down a bunt, chopping the ball into the ground to beat it out for an infield hit, performing the suicide squeeze, and parlaying the double steal; and right-hander Jack Chesbro.

In its first the team posted mediocre records with second place finish in the American League in 1904 and 1910. The team in order to improve their performance signed manager Arthur Norman Elberfeld and a year later, changed their moniker to New York Yankees. With the segregation of Farrell and Devery segregated in 1910, the team’s economy also broke. In order to make up their losses they sold the team to Colonel Jacob Ruppert and Captain Tillinghast L'Hommedieu Huston, at which Rupert commented, "For $450,000 we got an orphan ball club, without a home of its own, without players of outstanding ability, without prestige." The Yankees strengthened their roster by tempting the players with a handsome payroll. Most of the newly acquired players belonged to the Boston Red Sox. At that time even the Sox’s owner was under a heavy debt. In order to free himself from the obligation, Frazee also traded off his star players The Yankees biggest achievement was the procurement of pitcher-turned-outfielder Babe Ruth in January 1920 in exchange for $125,000 hard cash and $300,000 finance on the Red Sox's Fenway. From 1913 to 1922 the Yankees played their home games in the Polo Grounds, which was also the home ballpark of their National League opponents, the San Francisco Giants. In 1920, Babe Ruth in his first year as a Yankee doubled the attendance of fans to 1.3 million. Ruth’s outstanding scores and increasing popularity irritated the Giants so much that they forced the Yankees to shift from their home ballpark. In 1923, the Yankees moved into Yankee Stadium also known as the "The House that Ruth Build". From 1921 to 1928, the Yankees registered their first phase of success with six American League pennants and three World Series titles.

The Yankees line-up of 1927 was probably the best. Also known as "Murderers' Row”, the team retained their position of being the unbeatable. Joseph Paul DiMaggio, Lefty Gomez and Red Ruffing also proved to be the promising players of the 1930s were the productive players of the team for the decad of 1930s since Babe Ruth was battling cancer. Babe Ruth died of cancer in 1948. From 1949 to 1953 the Yankees won 5 consecutive World Series titles. The Yankees of the 1950s allocated much of their success to Stengel's use of platooning and his aptitude to get the most out of average. Before the 1965 season CBS purchased the Yankees from Dan Topping and Del Webb for $11.2 million. Until the second half of the 1970s, the team’s fortune fluctuated, but the Yanks endeavored to stabilize themselves. In January 1973, George Steinbrenner took the possession of the team. He sponsored the renovation of the Yankee stadium, and hired and fired Billy Martin a number of times. This period also belongs to Jackson who hit three home runs in the sixth and final game of the 1977 World Series against three different Dodger pitchers. In 1978, the Yankees won the AL flag after a tie when Bucky Dent drove a game-winning home run over the "Green Monster". The Yankees entered the 1990s as a last-place team since their last appearance in the World Series in 1981. The next apparent indication of achievement came in 1994 when the Yankees registered the best record in the AL. The 1998-2000 Yankees became the first team after the Oakland Athletics to "three-peat" with World Series victories and the last MLB club to win consecutive Fall Classic title.