New York Yankees Did You Know & Fan Stories
The Streak Begins
On May 15, 1941, Joe DiMaggio singled off Chicago White Sox left-hander Eddie Smith in the first inning at Yankee Stadium. The Yankees lost the game 13-1. DiMaggio went 1-for-4. Nobody noticed. It was the first hit in a 56-game hitting streak that would consume the country for the next two months — and is still considered the most unbreakable record in baseball history. DiMaggio would hit safely in every game until July 17, when Cleveland's Al Smith and Jim Bagby (with two great defensive plays by third baseman Ken Keltner) finally shut him down. Across those 56 games he hit .408, scored 56 runs, drove in 55, and hit 15 home runs. The next day he started a 16-game streak, meaning he hit safely in 72 of 73 games. Pete Rose's 44-game streak in 1978 is the closest anyone has come in the 85 years since. Nobody else has cleared 40. "Joltin' Joe" remains the only player in MLB history with a streak even half as long.
Put It On The Mantle: Today In Sports History
On May 14th, 1967. It was Mother’s Day at Yankee Stadium and the Orioles were in town. Mickey Mantle stood at the plate sitting at 499 career home runs. As you could have guessed, he hit his 500th home run. Mantle would play for 18 season from 1951-1968. He was one of the most powerful hitters of his time and also was a switch hitter. He had 536 home runs, 372 from the left batters box and 162 from the right batters box. He received a Triple Crown in 1956 when he lead the league with 52 home runs.
Three from the Mick
On May 13, 1955, Mickey Mantle hit three home runs in a single game at Yankee Stadium — and did it from both sides of the plate. The 23-year-old switch-hitting center fielder homered batting right-handed against Detroit's Steve Gromek in the first, again right-handed in the fifth, then crushed a third one batting left-handed off Bob Miller in the eighth. Yankees won 5-2. It was the first time any switch-hitter in MLB history had homered from both sides of the plate three times in a single game. Mantle would do it 10 times total in his career — still the most ever, with no one else in double digits. 1955 was Mantle's first season carrying the offensive load post-DiMaggio. He'd hit 37 home runs that summer, the first of nine seasons with 30+. The Yankees would lose the World Series to the Brooklyn Dodgers — Brooklyn's only championship — but the Mick had announced himself as a transcendent star, and a May afternoon against the Tigers became Exhibit A.
Radio Legacy Forever
New York Yankees • Teambook
Overview
The New York Yankees are baseball's most storied and successful franchise, representing the sport's standard of excellence from Yankee Stadium in the Bronx with 27 World Series championships—more than any team in North American professional sports. The franchise's iconic pinstripes, interlocking 'NY' logo, and navy blue have become synonymous with baseball itself, with the Yankees commanding a global fanbase and unmatched media attention. Yankee Stadium's Monument Park, retired numbers, and championship banners create an atmosphere of history and expectation that few venues in sports can match. The organization's financial resources, brand appeal, and championship tradition make the Bronx the premier destination for players seeking to compete at the highest level. The Yankees' combination of past glory and perpetual championship aspirations defines an organization that measures success only in World Series rings.
History & Legacy
Founded in 1903 as the New York Highlanders, the franchise became the Yankees in 1913 and transformed into a dynasty when Babe Ruth arrived in 1920, winning four World Series in the 1920s. Lou Gehrig's consecutive games record and farewell speech, Joe DiMaggio's 56-game hit streak, and Mickey Mantle's switch-hitting power defined the golden age of Yankees baseball. The 1996-2000 dynasty under Joe Torre featured Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, and the Core Four, winning four championships in five years and reestablishing Yankees dominance. The 27 championships include Ruth's called shot, Don Larsen's perfect game, and Reggie Jackson's three homers in one World Series game. The Yankees-Red Sox rivalry ranks among sports' fiercest, with the 2004 ALCS collapse and the 1978 Bucky Dent game representing the emotional extremes that define this historic feud.
Source: Claude
Founded1903
Championships27
Home VenueYankee Stadium
Fan contributions
