NEW YORK YANKEES INFORMATION:
Founded: 1901
Location: Bronx, New York
Stadium: Yankee Stadium
Conference: American League
Division: East Division
Nicknames: Bronx Bombers, The Yanks
Rivals: Boston Red Sox, New York Mets
Notable Players: Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, Lou Gehrig, Derek Jeter
New York Yankees World Series Titles: 27 - Last World Series appearance, 2009
New York Yankees AL Championships: 40 - Last ALCS appearance, 2009
With 27 championships to their credit, the New York Yankees are the most successful franchise in the history of American professional sports and boast a proud history that dates back to the early days of Major League Baseball. The Yankees were originally known as the Baltimore Orioles of the early American League, but they soon moved to New York to share the spotlight with the New York Giants. The team was renamed the Highlanders, but sportswriters soon began to call them the Yanks or Yankees because it was much easier to type and fit in headlines. In 1913, the team permanently changed its name to the Yankees.
In the early years, they were a struggling team trying to navigate the competitive world of professional baseball, but a trade in 1920 changed the fortunes of the Yankees and their chief rival forever. The Boston Red Sox would sell the contract of Babe Ruth to the Yankees for $125,000. Some believe that this trade is a large reason why the Red Sox wouldn't win another World Series for 86 years and the Yankees would become one of the biggest dynasties in sports history.
Since the Babe Ruth trade, the Yankees have made 40 appearances in the World Series and won 27 of them in the process. The franchise has seen such all-time greats as Mickey Mantle, Lou Gehrig, Yogi Berra, Whitey Ford and many others. Fans constantly bicker over which team was the best, but arguably the most talented team was the Yankees squad that took the field during the 1950s. The Yankees won the World Series eight times during that decade and boasted talented players like Joe DiMaggio, Phil Rizzuto and Billy Martin.
The team went through a rebuilding process in the 1980s and came back with a vengeance in the late 90s. With a strong core of players featuring Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada, Mariano Rivera and many other talented role players, the Yankees would take the World Championship six times between 1996 and 2003, solidifying their status as the team to beat in the American League.
Coming off their most recent World Series title in 2010 and boasting one of the largest payrolls in baseball, the Yankees are looking to get faster and younger to contend in the ultra-competitive American League East. With a dedicated fanbase, a glittering new ballpark and rich history, the Yankees are truly Major League Baseball royalty.
See Also:
New York Yankees Playoff Tickets
New York Yankees Season Preview History