New York Yankees by the Numbers:  6-10

                   By Harvey Frommer

 

Reactions to Numbers 1-5 were wonderful.

 So new edition here.

  All kinds of incredible “numbers” have been put up by those who have worn pinstripes through the many decades the team from the Bronx has been playing baseball. Some of these numbers spark memories, controversy, wonder.  Enjoy. Send along your own suggestions.

                                                6 

Playing field for franchise:  Hilltop Park 1903-1912, Polo Grounds 1913-1922, Yankee Stadium 1923-1973, Shea Stadium 1974-1975, Yankee Stadium 1976-2008, New Yankee Stadium 2009 -

On June 6, 1934 - Yankee outfielder Myril Hoag tied an American League record with six singles in six at-bats. 

Second baseman Joe Gordon, who played mostly in the 1940s, wore No. 6. He was inducted posthumously into Cooperstown in 2009.

Number of Yankee starters: Bill Dickey, Joe DiMaggio, Joe Gordon, Red Rolfe, Red Ruffing, and George Selkirk in the 1939 All-Star game at Yankee Stadium.  

 Mickey Mantle's rookie uniform number, changed by equipment manager Pete Sheehy to #7 after Mantle was recalled from Kansas City.

Number of times Billy Martin had a tour of duty as manager.

Don Mattingly hits a grand slam off Boston's Bruce Hurst at Yankee Stadium on September 29, 1987, setting a Major-League record with six grand slams in a season.

Joe Torre's Number

6.4

      The 1939 Yankees led  by 24-year-old Joe DiMaggio averaged an amazing 6.4 runs per game as a team.

7 

Hall of Fame manager Leo Durocher, an infielder in 1929, was the first Yankee to wear No. 7.

              Bob Costas was seven years old when he went to the Stadium for the first time. He saw Yankees play the Orioles. He visited the monuments to Ruth and Gehrig in centerfield. He claimed he cried, thinking old Yankee greats were buried there.

Mickey Mantle's number, retired June 8, 1969. He wore it from 1951 on.     

Mel Allen was the first announcer to broadcast Major League Baseball games over seven decades. His tenure ran from Lou Gehrig to Don Mattingly.     

In 1982, Graig Nettles became seventh Captain in Yankee history.

8

Record held by Lou Gehrig, most seasons leading league games played.      

Only number to be retired twice by the same team is Number 8 of the Yankees. It was retired in 1972 for catchers Bill Dickey and Yogi Berra. Berra took number 8 in 1948 after Dickey retired but before he was a coach.

Dwight Gooden's no-hitter on May 14, 1996, the eighth in Stadium history.

                                                       9

Joe DiMaggio's rookie number.

Roger Maris' number, retired, July 13, 1985.

        The 1990 Yankees had but one starting pitcher who won more than seven games, nine-game winner Tim Leary;  he also lost 19.

Most hits in an inning given up by Roger Clemens, August 2, 2007

The most .300 hitters in the 1930 season.

 The most shutouts in a season: Ron Guidry, 1978. 

Graig Nettles was the last Yankee to wear No. 9 before it was retired.

Shutouts in one season, Ron Guildry, 1978

10

 Of Babe Ruth's 714 career home runs, 10 were inside-the-parkers.   Ruth hit 10 career home runs off the great Walter Johnson. No other player hit more than 5  the star hurler in his 21-year career. With the Yankees from 1920 to 1934, the “Colussus of Clout” won 10 home run titles.

The record number of pinch hitters on September 6, 1954 Yankees used in  doubleheader against the Boston Red Sox.

  Casey Stengel managed in a record 10 World Seriesm winning 7 of them

The Yanks used a record 10 pinch hitters on September 6, 1954 in a doubleheader against the Boston Red Sox. They won the opener 6-5, and the BoSox took the second game, 8-7.

Wins by Whitey Ford in World Series.

 Phil Rizzuto's number 10 retired August 4, 1985.

Yogi Berra leads all with 10 World Series rings. Joe DiMaggio was second with 9.

Alex Rodriguez in 2007 became the first player in major league history with 10 straight seasons of at least 35 homers, 100 RBIs and 100 runs scored.

 

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Some of the material in this article was excerpted from Frommer’s The Ultimate Yankee Book http://www.frommerbooks.com/ultimate-yankees.html

One of the most prolific and respected sports journalists and oral historians in the United States, author of the autobiographies of legends Nolan Ryan , Tony Dorsett, and Red Holzman, Dr. Harvey Frommer is an expert on the New York Yankees and has arguably written more books, articles and reviews on the New York Yankees than anyone. In 2010, he was honored by the City of New York to serve as historical consultant for the re-imagined old Yankee Stadium site, Heritage Field

 A professor for more than two decades in the MALS program at Dartmouth College, Frommer was dubbed “Dartmouth’s Mr. Baseball” by their alumni magazine. He’s also the founder of www.HarveyFrommerSports.com.