New York's Favorite Past Time: Baseball

New York’s Favorite Past Time

"Take me out to the ball game,

Take me out with the crowd.

Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jack,

I don't care if I never get back,

Let me root, root, root for the home team,

If they don't win it's a shame.

For it's one, two, three strikes, you're out,

At the old ball game."

New York City is well known for being an attraction for tourists. Whether it is Broadway shows or the Times Square, people are always moving around. New York has also been known for playing the game of baseball. There are two teams that play in New York and they are the New York Mets and the New York Yankees. The New York Yankees have been the most consistent team in history to win the World Series. Since there first World Series Win in 1923, the New York Yankees have won 26 World Series Championships and 39 American League Pennant titles.

The Yankees were actually founded in Baltimore, Maryland in 1901 then called the Baltimore Orioles, and was bought by Frank Farrell and Bill Devery who moved the team to Manhattan. The team was bought for $18,000 and renamed the New York Highlanders because their new stadium “Hilltop Park” occupied one of the highest spots in Manhattan. The Highlanders first game resulted in a loss in Washington, but eventually they recorded their first win which was also in Washington. At their inaugural home game in Hilltop Park, the Highlanders won 6-2 versus Washington. In 1912, the Highlanders’ uniform presented a new look: pinstripes, which would become the most famous uniform design. In 1913, the Highlanders are renamed again, this time as the New York Yankees. The name change was due to playing in the Polo Grounds and the name Highlanders no longer applied. In 1915, the Yankees were bought by Jacob Ruppert and Col. Tillinghast L'Hommedieu Huston for $1.25 million. The hiring of manager Miller Huggins and general manager Ed Barrow would cause a break between owners and eventually led to Ruppert buying Huston out for $1.5 million. Miller Huggins, the manager, would lead the Yankees to six A.L pennants and three World Series Championships. In 1929, the Yankees would make numbers a part of their uniforms. Casey Stengel became the new Yankee manager and under him the Yankees won 10 pennants and seven World Series titles. After losing the World Series in 1957, the Yankees became the New York’s only team after the New York Giants and the Brooklyn Dodgers left for California.

In 1964, CBS purchases 80% of Yankees for $11.2 million and later buys the remaining 20%. George Steinbrenner, purchased the club from CBS for $8.7 million. Within a year, Steinbrenner bought out most of his other partners and became the team's principal owner. Yankee Stadium needed remodeling, but if renovations took place the team would have to play elsewhere, and the Mets refused to open their home, Shea Stadium, to the Yankees. The city bought the Stadium and thus began a two-year renovation period. Since the city also owned Shea, the Mets had to allow the Yankees to play at Shea Stadium during renovation. Throughout the late 1970s, the race for the pennant often came to a close competition between the Yankees and the Red Sox and every game between the two became important. In 1978, the Yankees were 14.5 games behind the Red Sox and miraculously when the pivotal four-game series at Fenway Park came, they were only four games out. The Yankees would sweep the Red Sox in what would become known as the "Boston Massacre". On the last day of the season, the two clubs finished in a tie for first place in the AL East. A one-game playoff between the two teams was held to decide who would go on to the playoffs, with the game being held at Boston's Fenway Park. The Red Sox took a 2-0 lead, but in the seventh inning, Bucky Dent drove a three-run home run over the "Green Monster", putting the Yankees up 3-2. At this specific moment in time, the Yankees drove a stake through the hearts of their rivals' fans. The Yankees won 5-4 giving them their 100th win and their third straight AL East title.

In 2000, the Yankees won their 26th World Series Championship vs. New York Mets. This was the first "Subway Series" since 1956 and the last time the Yankees would hold the title as World Champions. After this win, the Yankees joined the Yankee teams of 1936-1939 and 1949-1953 and the 1972-1974 Oakland Athletics as the only teams to win at least three consecutive World Series. After the losing the World Series to the Arizona Diamondback in 2001, the Yankees lost four key members of their 2000 championship team; Paul O'Neill, Scott Brosius, Tino Martinez and Chuck Knoblauch. In 2002, the Yankees had the best record, but lost the ALDS to the Anaheim Angels. In 2003, the Yankees again had the best league record. They defeated the Boston Red Sox in seven games. There was a series-ending walk-off home run by Aaron Boone in the bottom of the 11th inning of game seven. This mirrored Bucky Dent’s winning homerun in 1978. In the 2003 World Series the Yankees met with the Florida Marlins, but was shut down by them.

In 2004, the Yankees became the only team in history to lose best-of seven series after winning the first three games. They were beaten by their rivals the Boston Red Socks. In 2005, pitcher Randy Johnson comes to New York from the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Yankees recover from their 11-19 start by adding younger players to the rotation. They add Robinson Cano and pitcher Chien-Ming Wang. The Yankees sign center fielder Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui to help their offense. In 2006, The Yankees won their ninth consecutive AL East title, but still had an early playoff exit in the Division Series versus Detroit. Every game the Yankees win there signature ending song would be Frank Sinatra’s New York New York.

“Start spreading the news

I'm leaving today

I want to be a part of it, New York, New York

I'll make a brand new start of it

In old New York

If I can make it there

I'll make it anywhere

It's up to you, New York, New York.”

There are many historic baseball players who are known to be Yankees such as