The New York Yankees are Major League Baseball's most renowned and successful franchise. Baseball greats such as Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, and Derek Jeter have all worn the famous navy blue and white pinstripes. The Yankees have won twenty-seven World Series, and twenty-nine players who spent at least a year with the team have been inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. With so many Hall of Famers to choose from, selecting the best players in the history of the franchise might seem impossible; yet, that is exactly what Robert W. Cohen has done. This book carefully examines the careers of the players who made the greatest impact on the most successful franchise in the history of professional sports. The ranking was determined based on such factors as the extent to which each player added to the Yankees legacy, the degree to which he impacted the fortunes of his team, and the level of dominance he attained while wearing the Yankee uniform. Features of The 50 Greatest Players in New York Yankees History include ?Each player's notable achievements ?Recaps of the player's most memorable performances ?Summaries of each player's best season ?Quotes from opposing players and former teammates Yankees fans and baseball fans in general will find The 50 Greatest Players in New York Yankees History a fascinating collection of bios, stats, recaps, quotes, and more. And with such iconic figures as Yogi Berra, Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, Alex Rodriguez, and Andy Pettitte, this book is sure to inspire debate and controversy among true Yankees fans.
Robert W. Cohen is the author of four sports books: A Team for the Ages: Baseball's All-Time All-Star Team (2004), The Lean Years of the Yankees: 1965-1975 (2004), Baseball's Hall of Fame - Or Hall of Shame? (2009), and MVP (2010). Cohen currently writes for the website TheBaseballPage.com.
Introduction: The Yankee Pedigree Factors Used to Determine Rankings The Rankings: 1.Babe Ruth 2.Lou Gehrig 3.Joe DiMaggio 4.Mickey Mantle 5.Yogi Berra 6.Derek Jeter 7.Mariano Rivera 8.Bill Dickey 9.Whitey Ford 10.Don Mattingly 11.Bernie Williams 12.Alex Rodriguez 13.Red Ruffing 14.Lefty Gomez 15.Earle Combs 16.Dave Winfield 17.Joe Gordon 18.Tony Lazzeri 19.Ron Guidry 20.Graig Nettles 21.Paul O'Neill 22.Roger Maris 23.Jack Chesbro 24.Thurman Munson 25.Reggie Jackson 26.Herb Pennock 27.Waite Hoyt 28.Phil Rizzuto 29.Mel Stottlemyre 30.Bob Meusel 31.Elston Howard 32.Jorge Posada 33.Andy Pettitte 34.Bob Shawkey 35.Tommy Henrich 36.Rich Gossage 37.Charlie Keller 38.Bobby Murcer 39.Roy White 40.Rickey Henderson 41.Sparky Lyle 42.Allie Reynolds 43.Vic Raschi 44.Robinson Cano 45.Tino Martinez 46.Willie Randolph 47.Bill Skowron 48.Hideki Matsui 49.Mike Mussina 50.Dave Righetti Summary and Honorable Mentions (The Next 50) Glossary: Abbreviations and Statistical Terms Bibliography Index
Anybody interested in Yankee history will love this book. -- Paul O'Neill, Yankees great and 4-time A.L. All-Star and 5-time World Series champion If you want to really impress the baseball fan in your life with a great gift, The 50 Greatest Yankees will certainly be a home run for you. A detailed history of the 50 greatest players to ever put on a Yankees uniform? This is a subject that every baseball fan will want to cover in great detail. . . . Books such as the 50 Greatest Players in New York Yankees History keep baseball memories, like those of Babe Ruth, alive in the minds of baseball fans. They introduce great players of all generations to new fans. To love baseball is to appreciate its history, as much as it is about watching it in the present and projecting its future. Cohen clearly captured that idea in laying out this book. He started it off with a bang and continued strong from there. . . . You can't go wrong with the 50 Greatest Players in New York Yankees History. You will enjoy the stories and statistics. The book will make you think and love baseball. I guarantee that you will learn countless baseball facts that you never knew before. . . . A great job by Robert Cohen in adding another great volume to legacy of the New York Yankees. From Ruth to Righetti, and everyone in-between, The 50 Greatest Players in New York Yankees History is simply a must read. It's not complicated. It's just a great old fashioned baseball read. And that works for me just fine. -- Jonathan Hacohen, Founder & Lead Baseball Columnist for MLB reports The 50 Greatest Players in New York Yankees History lives up to its title with profiles of the most notable Yankees players, selected via assessment of how each contributed to the team's legacy and earnings, as well as the level personal stardom attained while playing. Brief biographies, statistics, recaps, famous quotes and more pepper this grand stroll down memory lane. An inset handful of black-and-white photographs illustrate this "must-read" for loyal Yankees fans! * Midwest Book Review * Yankees fans will love this book, but all baseball fans will appreciate it and should get it. * Sportsology *
