My Top 10 Greatest Yankees

by Matt Minucci

Ruth and Gehrig, Sultans of Swat.

Yeah, I know. I'm a Yankee shill. At least I'm honest about it. Hey, look, if you want the top 10 greatest Red Sox or Indians, start your own website. Or ask Stemkovsky for a job. Either way, this is my party and I'll talk about the Yankees if I want to.

You want a job? You can't handle a job!

Seriously, though, this article is spurred by Derek Jeter recently breaking Lou Gehrig's career hits mark, to become the New York Yankees career hits leader. It is quite an accomplishment to be the hits leader for the storied New York franchise. It's also a bit of a fluke that 2722 (and counting) can be the Yankee career hit mark. The fact that the New York Yankees have never had a player reach 3000 hits is nothing short of astounding. But, basically, Ruth started as a pitcher (and Red Sock); DiMaggio went off to war, Mantle drank and Gehrig died. With the advent of modern baseball and free agency, it lessened the odds that a Yankee - or any player for that matter - will reach 3000 hits for only one team. For example, A-Rod has nearly as many hits as Jeter - but it's spread over the Rangers, Mariners and Yankees.

A great player yes. But a great Yankee?

So Derek Jeter is a unique figure in today's sport. A player that has spent his entire and productive career with the franchise that drafted him. And really, breaking Gehrig's mark was a mere inevitability as Jeter is assured of 3000 hits and more. He's even got an outside shot at 4000 hits. We won't discuss Pete Rose for quite some time. While some pundits will tell you that Jeter is ahead of Rose's pace (which he is), the fact remains that Rose had some ridiculously phenomenal seasons after the age of 40.  

Yeah, i know. But boy, could he hit.

So while we give Jeter props for being the Yankee hit leader, it got me to thinking. Love them or hate them, the Yankees are the premiere baseball franchise. They have 26 world championships and 39 AL pennants. By far the most of any baseball team, ever. No one is even close. The Dodgers have appeared in 18 World Series - 21 less than the Yankees, but have won only six times. The Cardinals have appeared in 17 world series and won 10 times. Those are the closest. So, given that the Yankees are such a prolific franchise, I wondered who I would pick as my "Top 10." It's no easy task. Well, the top 4 or 5 are fairly simple, but after that, it gets a little trickier. At the end of the day, it's a fairly subjective list. Some people might consider Alex Rodriguez, Reggie Jackson, Dave Winfield, Thurman Munson, Roger Maris, Bill Dickey and even Phil Rizzuto for their lists. For me, though, my list was a combination of players I saw as well as players I've vetted on a more historical level. Feel free to engage in a healthy debate with me here. There's been so many prolific Yankees, it's hard to narrow it down to only 10. However, here are my Top 10:  

10. Red Ruffing (1930-1947)  

Gotta love a guy named Red.

Ruffing pitched seven years for the Red Sox before becoming a Yankee, and in those seven years he did absolutely nothing to give any sort of indication he would become a Hall of Famer, compiling a wretched 39-96 mark, including losing 47 games in 1928 and '29 combined. However, Ruffing was traded to the Yankees in 1930 and offered a prelude of what was to come by ripping off a 15-5 mark with the Bombers after starting the year 0-3 for the Red Sox. But Ruffing really came into his own when he reached his early 30's, pitching for the '36-'39 Yankees, who won four straight world titles. Prior to '36, Ruffing won 15 or more games 5 times for the Yankees. And after '39, he'd win 15 twice more and 14 once. But from '36 to '39 there was none better than Red. Ruffing won 20 games ever year from '36 through '39, totaling 82 wins against only 33 defeats. In those four world series runs, which the Yankees won all of, Ruffing went 4-1 with a 2.34 ERA; and from 37-39, Ruffing was actually 4-0 with a 1.25 ERA, including winning 2 games in the '38 series vs. the Cubs.  Here are Ruffing's 4 most dominating seasons:

Year W L ERA

1936 20 12 3.85  

1937 20 7 2.98  

1938 21 7 3.31  

1939 21 7 2.93   

For his career, Ruffing was 273-225, but was an astounding 231-124 as a Yankee. His Yankee ERA was 3.47 and he compiled 261 CG and 40 shutouts. His post-season numbers were 7-2 with a 2.63 ERA, all with the Yankees, over 7 world series, 6 of them, Yankee series victories. It was a tough call for the 10th spot, with many deserving Yankees, but Ruffing gets the nod, mainly for his 4 consecutive 20 win seasons.  

9. Don Mattingly (1982-1995)

I had this poster as a kid. It was a big favorite. Shut up.

The Hitman is perhaps the only legendary Yankee to never make a name for himself in the postseason. Poor Donnie Baseball has the misfortune to play during the 'lean years', coming up for a cup of coffee in '82, after the 1981 World Series, but retiring in 1995, the year prior to the 1996 World Series. With so many Yankee post-season heroes, it almost feels like a requirement that post-season success be needed to be considered an all-time great. But Mattingly is the exception. I watched Donnie play every season from 82 through 95. I rooted for him, even when my dad wanted them to go with Steve Balboni. And from 1984 through 1989, Mattingly was the most feared hitter in the American League. No one came close, with his sweet left handed swing, he terrorized opponents for 6 straight seasons. Then his back went bad on him. Mattingly soldiered on for another six seasons, playing with a chronically awful back that sapped his power stroke. He still managed to hit around .290 and play gold glove caliber defense. But he was never the same. In his one taste of the post-season, however, in 1995 vs the Mariners, Mattingly gave us a glimpse of what we might have seen if he'd managed to get into the post season more often. Mattingly went 10-24, hitting .417 with 4 2B, 1 HR and 6 runs batted in over the five game series. The Yankees lost to the Mariners, but it wasn't Mattingly's fault. Here are his six phenomenal seasons:

Year BA HR RBI

1984 .343 23 110 207 hits; 44 2B  

1985 .325 35 145 211 hits; 48 2B WON MVP

1986 .352 31 113 238 hits; 53 2B  

1987 .327 30 115 186 hits; 38 2B  

1988 .311 18 88 186 hits; 37 2B  

1989 .303 23 113 191 hits; 37 2B   

The finally tally on Mattingly, in 14 seasons, all with the Yankees, Mattingly batted .307 with 222 homeruns, 1099 RBIs, 2153 hits; 1007 runs; 442 2Bs; he was a 6 time all-star, won 9 golden gloves and one MVP. Truly a great Yankee and worth of 9th place on my list.  

8. Whitey Ford (1950-1967)  

And Whitey. Gotta have a Red and a Whitey in your rotation.

The Chairman of the Board, Whitey Ford played 17 seasons for the Yankees and amassed a franchise record for wins and winning percentage. He led the Yankee world series pitching staff to victories in 1950, '53, '56, '58, '61 and '62.  His Yankee teams won six world titles and appeared in 11 total series. Ford was an eight time all-star and a Cy Young award winner. He won 17 or more games seven times, including two 20+ win seasons. He led the American league in wins three times, ERA twice, winning percentage three times and innings pitched twice. From 1950 through 1964, Ford had nine of the most dominating seasons for any Yankee starter, ever. In the post season, Ford won 10 world series game for his career, including 7 complete games and three shutouts. Here are his most dominating seasons:  

Year W L ERA  

1950 9 1 2.81 rookie  

1953 18 6 3.00  

1955 18 7 2.63 18 CG; led league in CG, wins  

1956 19 6 2.47 18 CG; .760 win pct.  

1958 14 7 2.01 15 CG; 7 shutouts; led league ERA

1961 25 4 3.21 11 CG; won Cy Young  

1962 17 8 2.90

1963 24 7 2.74 13 CG; .774 WP; led league wins  

1964 17 6 2.13 12 CG   

Truly one of the most dominating Yankee pitchers of all-time and a Hall of Famer. Ford comes in at number 8 on my list.  

7. Mariano Rivera (1995-present)  

The Great Mariano.

The Great Mariano has been one of, if not the, factor in the Yankees most recent dynasty. A dominant set-up man for closer John Wetteland in 1996, Rivera soon moved up to the closer's job in 1997 and never looked back. He's been the most dominant and most reliable closer in all of baseball from 97 right up through this year, 2009. During the regular season, when the Yankees hand the ball to Rivera, the game is pretty much over. But it has been in the post season where Rivera has truly shone. He's been the most dominating post-season pitcher in baseball history. Over 15 seasons, has gone to the post season 13 times (14 if you assume he's going this year); He's pitched in 6 world series and won 4 of them. With a 70-51 career mark, a 2.26 ERA and 521 career saves, Rivera has been not just the greatest Yankee closer of all time, but arguably the greatest closer of all time, period. He's been a 10-time all-star and reached the top 5 in Cy Young voting 5 times - which is a feat for a reliever. It's difficult to narrow Rivera's seasons to a few great ones, since he's never truly had a bad season. But here are the ones that stand out the most: 

Year W L ERA Saves  

1996 8 3 2.09   5  (130 K's; 107 IP)  

1997 6 4 1.88 43  

1999 4 3 1.83 45 led league  

2001 4 6 2.34 50 led league  

2003 5 2 1.66 40  

2004 4 2 1.94 53 led league  

2005 7 4 1.38 43  

2006 5 5 1.80 34 

2008 6 5 1.40 39

So far in 2009, with just under 20 games left, Rivera has a 2-2 record with a 1.72 ERA and 39 saves. He just stays as dominant as ever. And his post-season numbers are even better. Rivera is 8-1 overall in post season play with an 0.77 ERA, including 34 saves and a 0.75 WHiP. In the World Series, Rivera has gone 2-1 with a 1.16 ERA and 9 saves. Truly an impressive regular season and post season hero, Rivera comes in at number seven.  

6. Derek Jeter (1995-present)  

Cause, y'know...why not.

The current Yankee captain, Derek Jeter, the impetus for this article, makes it all the way to number 6 on this list. It was a difficult decision, putting Jeter 6th as I had wanted to get him into the top 5. But for reasons that will become clear later on in this article, it was just impossible to get him into the top 5. Who gets bumbed? Ruth? Gehrig? DiMaggio? Mantle? Ridiculous. So it came down to Jeter vs. Yogi. And it's close. Jeter is the heart and soul of the modern Yankee dynasty. From 1996-2009, Jeter has led them both on and off the field, being the epitomy of Yankee pride and dignity. He does all the little things that makes a ballplayer special. He's also one helluva hitter. In 15 seasons, Jeter has won 4 world series in six trips to the finals. He's been rookie of the year, World Series MVP and a 10-time all-star. He's also won 3 golden gloves. A .317 career hitter, Jeter has 1568 career runs; 2727 hits (the Yankee record); 438 doubles; 223 homeruns; 1065 RBIs and 301 stolen bases. Jeter can truly do it all. Though Jeter has been solid to dominant for his entire career, six seasons stand out:

Year BA HR RBI SB

1998 .324 19 84 30 203 hits; 127 runs

1999 .349 24 102 19 219 hits; 134 runs; 37 2B; 9 3B

2000 .339 15 73 22 201 hits; 119 runs

2005 .309 19 70 14 202 hits; 122 runs  

2006 .343 14 97 34 214 hits; 118 runs (2nd in MVP)

2007 .322 12 73 15 206 hits; 102 runs  

2009* .332 17 63 26 192 hits; 101 runs

In 2009, Jeter still has 18 games left, and it's highly likely he'll reach the 200 hit plateau once more. And as great as Jeter has been in the regular season, he's been even better in post-season play. In 25 playoff series, Jeter has hit .309 with 17 HR, 49 RBI and 16 stolen bases. He's amassed 153 post season hits and scored 85 runs. But if you break these numbers down by series, Jeter really shines. In the ALDS, Jeter has hit .354 with 9 HR, 21 RBI and 4 SB. In the ALCS, Jeter has hit just .262 but does has 5 HR, 20 RBI and 8 SB (and has never been caught stealing in the ALCS). In the World Series, Jeter has hit .302 with 3 HR, 8 RBI, 4 SB, 39 hits and 27 runs. And he has a chance to add to those totals this year. Derek Jeter, Yankee Captain and 6th greatest Yankee of all-time.  

So why wasn't he in the top 5? See for yourself. Where would you put him?  

5. Yogi Berra (1946-1963)  

He didn't say all the things he said.

It ain't over til it's over! Yogi Berra, the inventor of "Yogi-isms" and inspiration for cartoon bear, Yogi Bear, Berra was the Hall of Fame Yankee catcher (and sometimes left-fielder) for multiple Yankee dynasties, including the Yankee team that won 5 straight World Series from 49-53 as well as the Yankee dynasty that went to 5 straight World Series, winning 2 ('60-'64). Berra played 19 seasons for the Yankees, appearing in 14 world series, winning TEN of them. Berra was a 15 time all-star, won 3 MVPs and finished 2nd in the voting 2 other times. Berra was a .285 career hitter, with 1174 runs, 2148 hits, 321 2B, 358 HR and 1430 RBIs, Berra is truly one of the Yankee all-time greats. The fact that Berra served as Yankee catcher for such an incredible number of World Series is truly staggering. And it wasn't like Berra did it quietly. He had some truly amazing seasons:  

Year BA HR RBI  

1950 .322 28 124

1951 .294 27 88 won MVP

1952 .273 30 98  

1953 .296 27 108

1954 .307 22 125 won MVP  

1955 .272 27 108 won MVP  

1956 .298 30 105   

As Berra got older, his seasons got less dominant, but were still beyond solid. In 1957 and 1958, while his average dipped to .251 and .266 respectively, he still mashed 46 HR and 172 RBI combined over the two seasons. His last solid season was 1961, where he hit .271 and clubbed 22 HR and 61 RBI, though clearly he was past his prime and over-shadowed by Mantle and Maris. Still, Yogi was the center of many Yankee world series victories and produced solid post-season numbers in 14 World Series, Berra hit .274 with 12 homers and 39 RBIs, knocking out 71 hits and scoring 41 runs. Add to that the fact that Yogi himself was quite a character, with a long litany of famous quotes - some he did say and some are open to dispute - but what is not, in my mind, open to debate is that fact that Yogi slides in at number 5.  On to the top 4:  

4. Mickey Mantle (1951-1968)  

The Mick.

The Comerce Comet, Mickey Mantle was truly one of the greatest Yankees - and one of the greatest players - to ever grace a ballfield. Mantle went to 12 world series in 18 seasons, winning 7 of them. He was a 16 time all-star, won the MVP 3 times, finishing 2nd 3 times as well, including winning the triple crown in 1956 and he won a gold glove. Mantle's numbers are flat out staggering when you look at them. He was a career .298 hitter, scored 1677 runs, 2415 hits, 344 2B, 536 HR, 1509 RBIs and 153 stolen bases. A Hall of Famer, Mantle has some of the greatest single seasons ever on his resume - and it's not like he has 1 or 2. He's got like, 12 of them. In 1952, Mantle hit .311 with 23 HR and 87 RBI, in just his 2nd season in the bigs. He followed that up with two remarkable seasons: in 1954 when he went .300-27-102 and led the league in runs with 129 and then again in 1955 when he went .306-37-99 and led the league in homers. In 1960 Mantle again led the league in homers with 40. Age and his cavorting lifestyle, along with severe injuries began to catch up with Mantle in the 60's, yet he still managed some solid seasons, like 1962, when he hit .321 with 30 homers and 89 RBIs in only 377 at-bats! Had he got his usual 550 at bats, he easily would have hit 40+ homers, 100+ RBIs and had another legendary season. In 1963, an injury plagued affair, Mantle managed just 172 ABs and still hit 15 HRs. He also hit .314 and drove in 35. His last great year was '64 when he went .303-35-111. All of that alone would put Mantle in the top 10 of all-time Yankees...but I haven't even scratched the surface of Mantle's greatness. Those were his 'mediocre' seasons. What follows are his truly legendary years:

Year BA HR RBI  

1956 .353 52 130 Triple Crown (also 188 hits, 132 runs)

1957 .365 34 94 173 hits; 121 runs; 146 walks  

1958 .304 42 97 158 hits; 127 runs; led league in HR, BB

1961 .317 54 128 163 hits; 132 runs; 126 BB

Mantle was simple one of the most prolific sluggers that ever played. He frequently hit incredibly long home-runs and the term "tape-measure" homerun was coined to describe the measuring of Mantle's blasts. In the post season, Mantle was a monster, crushing 18 homeruns and driving in 40 runs over 65 world series games. Number 4 with a bullet, the Mick.  

3. Joe DiMaggio (1936-1951)  

Again...why not?

Joltin' Joe DiMaggio, one of the the epic big three. You can't discuss the Yankees without mentioning the big three. Ruth, Gehrig, DiMaggio. The stuff of legends. In fact, they are the legends. DiMaggio coined the phrase, "I thank the good lord for making me a Yankee." And so do the rest of us Joe. He played the game the way it was meant to be played. He went all out every play and when asked why he said, "There may be a kid out there seeing me play for the first time and I owe him my best." Truly an amazing player -and not just because he bagged Marilyn Monroe. The great DiMag led the Yankees to 10 World Series and saw to it they won NINE of them. Joe D's numbers are simply absurd. The first ballot Hall of Famer, he hit .325 with 1390 runs, 2214 hits, 389 2B, 131 3B, 361 HR, 1537 RBI and 369 career strikeouts. That's right. He struck out just 369 times for his entire career. I think Rob Deer struck out 369 times in June once. DiMaggio played 13 seasons and was an all-star in every single one of them. He was a 3-time MVP winner and simply put, was a living legend when he played. He also lost 3 years of his prime serving in World War II. I blame Stemkovsky for that.

Warmonger.

Here are DiMag's numbers - and pay attention to this - he had only two "down" years. In 1946, his first year back from the War, DiMaggio hit just .290 - though he still hit 25 homers and drove in 95 runs. And then in 1951, his last season, he slipped to .263-12-71. While this wasn't a bad season, it was to Joe D. He decided to simply walk away at the age of 36 because he felt he couldn't perform at the high level he expected. Here are the numbers:  

Year BA HR RBI 2B 3B Hits Runs  

1936 .323 29 125 44 15 206 132  

1937 .346 46 167 35 15 215 151   led league HR

1938 .324 32 140 32 13 194 129  

1939 .381 30 126 32 6 176 108   won MVP  

1940 .352 31 133 28 9 179 93  

1941 .357 30 125 43 11 193 122 won MVP

1942 .305 21 114 29 13 186 123  

1946 .290 25 95 20 8 146 81    

1947 .315 20 97 31 10 168 97 won MVP  

1948 .320 39 155 26 11 190 110    

1949 .346 14 67 14 6 94 58   (only 272 AB)

1950 .301 32 122 33 10 158 114  

1951 .263 12 71 22 4 109 72 (only 116 gms)

Looking at those stats, one question that comes to mind is, How the hell did he not win the MVP in 1948? He led the league in HR and RBI. Of course, Lou Boudreau, the great SS for the Cleveland Indians hit .355 and led the Indians past the Yanks for the AL title, so I guess that's how.

One more thing in discussing the Great DiMaggio - I haven't even touched on his cultural impact with the songs "Mrs. Robinson" and "Joltin' Joe DiMaggio", nor have a mentioned his 56-game hitting streak in 1941, a record that will probably never be broken.  Joe-D, one of the greats of all-time and number 3 on this list.  

So, if Joe-D is so great, how is he only 3rd? Well meet the top two:  

2. Henry Louis (Lou) Gehrig (1923-1939)  

The Iron Horse.

Lou Gehrig. The Yankee "Iron Horse". Also known by the lesser known nickname, "Biscuit Pants." Ol' Biscuit Pants is one of those legendary ball players. He held the consecutive games streak of 2130 until it was broken by Cal Ripken. He played 17 season for the Yankees, leading them to seven world series, winning 6 of them. He was a 7 time all-star and a two-time MVP winner - but that number is skewed as for part of his career, there was a rule in place that you couldn't win the MVP more than once. So he likely lost out on several more MVPs. Gehrig is a Hall of Famer and a tragic figure, as the only way the Yankees found to remove him from the lineup was that he was dying. In fact, he died of Lou Gehrig's disease, in an ironic twist of fate. But I digress. Gehrig's numbers are simply impossible to believe. He hit .340 for his career, knocking 493 homers, 1995 RBIs, 2721 hits, 1888 runs, 534 2Bs, 163 3Bs and 102 SB. From 1927 thru 1937, Gehrig:

* Led the league in homers 3 times

* Led the league in RBIs 6 times  

* Led the league in hits in 1931  

* Won the triple crown in 1934  

* Led the league in runs scored 3 times  

* Led the league in walks 3 times  

Here are his EIGHT most astonishing seasons: 

Year BA HR RBI 2B 3B Hits Runs  

1927 .373 47 175 52 18 218 149  

1928 .374 27 142 47 13 210 139  

1930 .379 41 174 42 17 220 143  

1931 .341 46 184 31 15 211 163 (AL RBI record)

1932 .349 34 151 42 9 208 138  

1934 .363 49 165 40 6 210 128 won Triple Crown

1936 .354 49 152 37 7 205 167  

1937 .351 37 159 37 9 200 138  

Obviously, those numbers are utterly insane. Gehrig was a monster. A true legend. Even in my fantasies, I'm not that good. I usually only hit .330 with 30 HR. In the post-season, Gehrig picked up right where he left off in the regular season. In 34 games, Gehrig hit .361 with 10 homeruns, 35 RBIs, 43 hits, 8 2Bs, 3 3B and 30 runs scored. He slugged .731. Just an absolute October stud.

There's been speculation that the disease - ALS - was affecting Gehrig as early as 1937. He hit .351 that year. If that's true, that just adds to his amazing legend. What's not in dispute is that the disease WAS affecting him in 1938. That year he hit .295 with 29 HR, 114 RBI, 170 hits and 115 runs. Guy hits .295 with 29 bombs while DYING. That's just unreal. Lou Gehrig, tragic yes, but wondefully poetic at the same time. He comes in at number 2, behind this guy:  

1. Babe Ruth (1920-1934)  

Well. That's a spirit-breaker.

The Bambino. The Sultan of Swat. The Wali of Wallop. The Rajah of Rap. The Caliph of Clout. The Wazir of Wham. The Colossus of Clout. The Maharajah of Mash. The Behemoth of Bust. The King of Clout. The Colossus Of Crash. The King Of Swing. The Terrible Titan. The Kid of Crash. Ol' Pepperoni Nipples.  Ok, I made that last one up. But c'mon, it's Babe Freakin' Ruth! Do I really need to give the details? Oh, all right. Ruth played for 22 seasons, with the Red Sox, Yankees and one miserable season with the Boston Braves. Ruth initially started as a pitcher - and he was one of the best. But the Yankees recognized that he was a potential LEGEND as a slugger and converted him to an outfielder. Over 22 seasons, Ruth went to 10 world series and won 7 of them - 3 as a pitcher for the Red Sox and 4 as a slugger for the Yankees.  

For his career, Ruth hit .342, with 714 HR (659 with the Yanks); 2217 RBIs (1975 as a Yankee); 2873 hits (again, 2518 as a Yankee); 2174 runs - 1959 with the Yanks; 506 2B; 136 3B; 123 SB and 2062 walks. But as a Yankee, Ruth's seasons are just out of this world. They're almost cartoonish. But they are very very real. In fact, they are the most legendary and greatest seasons of any hitter, ever. Take a look:  

Year BA HR RBI 2B 3B Runs Hits Walks  

1920 .376 54 137 36 9 158 172 150  

1921 .378 59 171 44 16 177 204 145  

1923 .393 41 131 45 13 151 205 170  

1924 .379 46 121 39 7 143 200 142  

1926 .372 47 150 30 5 139 184 144  

1927 .356 60 164 29 8 158 192 137  

1928 .323 54 142 29 8 163 173 137  

1929 .345 46 154 26 6 121 172 72  

1930 .359 49 153 28 9 150 186 136  

1931 .373 46 163 31 3 149 199 128  

1932 .341 41 137 13 5 120 156 130

Those numbers speak for themselves. What more can I add? Just look at them. Unreal. For the record, Ruth also led the Yankees to 7 world series, winning 4. In the post-season, Ruth was every bit the October hero, netting 41 hits in 118 at bats, good for a .330 average, 15 home runs, 30 RBI, 5 2Bs and 2 3Bs. Babe Ruth, the Man, the Myth, the Legend. And number 1 on my list of top 10 Yankees of all-time.  

It was a fun exercise and feel free to disagree. Leave me some comments and let me know some of your favorites Yankees.