Retired Numbers - New York Yankees

Jun 02, 2023

“Honestly, at one time I thought Babe Ruth was a cartoon character. I really did. I mean, I wasn’t born until 1961 and I grew up in Indiana.” ~ Don Mattingly

Back in April I explored the history of jersey numbers, if you missed it or want a refresher, click on this link: “Numbers on the Jerseys”. Today, let’s start looking at retired numbers.

The Yankees would have been the first team to sport numbers on their jerseys, but their opening day game was rained out, so the Cleveland Indians have that honour. However, the Yankees do have the most retired numbers of any MLB team and they were the first to retire a number.

Here are all the Yankee numbers that have been retired (so far):

Billy Martin, 2^nd Base / Manager, No. 1
Number retired: Aug. 10, 1986
(May 16, 1928 – December 25, 1989). Martin was a fiery player and manager. Billy played for 11 seasons, seven for the Yankees (1950-53 and 1955-57). He was a solid second baseman for the Yankees. He had a career batting average of .257, with 64 home runs and 333 runs batted in. He later was their manager five different times. He managed the Yankees in 941 regular season games with a 556-385 (.591 percentage) record and was 10-10 in (.500 percentage) post-season appearances. He loved the Yankees.

Derek Jeter, Shortstop, No. 2
Number retired: May 14, 2017
(June 26, 1974 - ). Jeter played for the Yankees for 20 seasons (1995-2014). He was a Yankee Captain. A 14-time All-Star, won five World Series Championship and finished his career with 3,465 hits with a .310 batting average. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2020 on his first ballot, receiving 99.75% of the vote.

Babe Ruth, Right Fielder / Pitcher, No. 3
Number retired: June 13, 1948
(February 6, 1895 – August 16, 1948). Ruth was a prolific home run hitter, having 60 round trippers in 1927 and finishing his career with 714 total. He also had a fine career batting average of .342. Ruth played in the World Series seven times, winning 4 titles. He was a member of the inaugural Hall of Fame class of 1936, receiving 99.13% of the vote.

Lou Gehrig, 1^st Base, No. 4
Number retired: Jan. 6, 1940
(June 19, 1903 – June 2, 1941). Gehrig was a power-hitting first baseman who played in 2,130 consecutive games (1925-39). He had a career .340 batting average and 493 home runs. He also had 1,995 runs batted in, while batting behind Ruth in the batting order for a good portion of his career. He died of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (know referred to as “Lou Gehrig’s Disease) at the age of 37 after playing for the Yankees for 17 seasons. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1939 in a special election. His number was the first ever retired by any baseball team. He played the game hard and lived a quiet, dignified life.

Joe DiMaggio, CF, No. 5
Number retired: April 18, 1952
(November 25, 1914 – March 8, 1999). DiMaggio was known as "The Yankee Clipper". He played all 13 years of his career for the Yankees. He had a career batting average of .325. He was a two-time batting champion and won the AL MVP Award three times. Joe’s 56-game hitting streak in 1941 may never be broken. The Yankees won nine World Series with Joe. He was a graceful centerfielder, had a great arm, hit for average and power. DiMaggio served in the military for three years (1943-45). Joe was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1955.

Joe Torre, Manager, No. 6
Number retired: Aug. 23, 2014
(July 18, 1940 - ). Torre was a fine catcher, third and first baseman during his playing career. He managed the Yankees to four World Series Championships in six trips during his 12 years (1996-2007) with the club. His regular season record was 1,173-767-2 (a .605 percentage), his post-season record was 76-48 (for a .618 percentage) with a 21-11 record in the World Series. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2014.

Mickey Mantle, CF, No. 7
Number retired: June 8, 1969
(October 20,1931 – August 13, 1995). Mantle played 18 (1951-1968) seasons for the Yankees. "The Mick" was one, if not the best power hitting switch-hitters ever to play. He finished with a .289 batting average, 2,415 hits, 536 home runs and 1,509 runs batted in. The Yankees went to 12 World Series, winning seven championships during his career. In 1956, Mantle won the Triple Crown hitting .353, 52 home runs and 130 RBIs, just an amazing year. Mickey also won three AL MVP Awards. Mantle was a fine centerfielder with a great throwing arm and despite multiple leg injuries was one of the fastest batters from home to first. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1974.

Yogi Berra, C/Manager, No. 8
Number retired: July 22, 1972
(May 12, 1925 – September 22,2015). Yogi was well known for his malapropisms but was a fine player as well. He played 18 of his 19 seasons with the Yankees (his last season he played for the NY Mets). In his career he had a .285 batting average, 2,150 hits, 358 home runs and 1,430 runs batted in. He is still rated as one of the best defensive catchers of all-time. Berra won three AL MVP Awards, played in 15 the All-Star games and on 14 AL pennant winners. Yogi earned 10 World Series rings and managed the Yankees in 1964 (99-33 record / .611 percentage) to the World Series losing to the St. Louis Cardinals in seven games. Yogi served in the US Navy from 1943-45, was a gunner in the D-Day invasion, earned a Purple heart, two battle stars, a European Theater of Operations ribbon, and a Distinguished Unit Citation. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1972. (If you’d like to read a past post on Yogi, CLICK HERE).

Bill Dickey, C, No. 8
Number retired: July 22, 1972
(June 6, 1907 – November 12, 1993). Dickey was an outstanding catcher and in a 13-year period (1929-41) caught over 100 games each season. He played for the Yankees for 19 (1928 – 1943 and 1946) seasons and was their player-manager in his last season, 1946. He was a good hitter, with a career batting average of .313 and 202 home runs. Dickey appeared in eight World Series, winning seven championships. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1954.

Roger Maris, RF, No. 9
Number retired: July 21, 1984
(September 10, 1934 – December 14, 1985). Maris played for the Yankees for seven seasons (1960 – 1966). He broke Babe Ruth’s single season home run mark of 60 on the last day of the 1961 season by hitting his 61^st. Roger won two AL MVP Awards (1961 and 1962) and a Gold Glove Award (1961). He had a career batting average of .260, 275 home runs and 850 runs batted in. He is considered to be one of the Yankee’s best defensive right fielders.

Phil Rizzuto, SS, No. 10
Number retired: Aug. 4, 1985
(September 25, 1917 – August 13, 2007). “The Scooter” played for the Yankees for 13 years (1941-42 and 1946-56). Rizzuto had a .273 batting average and was an outstanding bunter. He went to nine World Series and was a seven-time champion. He won the 1950 AL MVP Award. Phil the served as Yankees’ broadcaster for 40 years (1957-96). He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1994. ((If you’d like to read a past post on Yogi and Phil, CLICK HERE).

Thurman Munson, C, No. 15
Number retired: Aug. 3, 1979
(June 7, 1947 – August 2, 1979). Munson was an outstanding defensive catcher winning three straight Gold Glove Awards (1973-75). In eleven seasons for the Yankees (1969-79) he had a career .292 batting average, 113 home runs and 701 runs batted in. He won the AL MVP Award in 1976. Thurmond was the captain of the Yankees in every sense of the word, they won three consecutive AL pennants (1976-78) and two World Series Championships with him on the roster. Munson tragically died in a plane crash on August 2, 1979, at the age of 32. The Yankees honoured him the very next day by retiring his number.

Whitey Ford, LHP, No. 16
Number retired: Aug. 3, 1974
(October 21, 1928 – October 8, 2020). "The Chairman of the Board" as he was nicknamed had a career 236 wins / 106 losses for the Yankees in his 16 seasons (1950, 1953-67). Whitey won the 1961 Cy Young Award. He had 10 wins in the World Series, 33 consecutive scoreless innings and 94 strikeouts in 22 games. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1974.

Jorge Posada, C, No. 20
Number retired: Aug. 22, 2015
(August 17, 1970 - ). Posada spent 17 seasons with the Yankees (1995-2011). He was one of the best hitting catchers of his era and was a switch hitter. He retired with a .273 batting average, 379 doubles, 275 home runs, and 1,065 runs batted in. He was a five-time all-star and played on four Yankee World Series teams. He also won five Silver Slugger Awards.

Paul O’Neill, RF, No. 21
Number retired: Aug. 21, 2022
(February 25, 1963 - ). O’Neill spent nine years with the Yankees (1993-2001). He had a .303 batting average and 858 runs batted in for the Yankees. His overall career numbers were a .288 batting average, 2105 hits, 281 home runs and 1,269 runs batted in. He won the AL batting title with a .359 average in 1994. The Yankees won four World Series titles during his tenure. O’Neill has worked for the Yankees YES Network since 2002.

Don Mattingly, 1B, No. 23
Number retired: Aug. 31, 1997
(Born April 20, 1961 - ). “Donnie Baseball” played for the Yankees 14 seasons (1982-95). He was the premier first baseman of his era. He won nine Gold Glove Awards and the 1985 AL MVP. Don had a career .307 batting average, with 2,153 hits, 222 home runs and 1,099 runs batted in. He won the 1984 AL batting with a .343 average. He played the game with a high level of humility and professionalism.

Elston Howard, C, No. 32
Number retired: July 21, 1984
(February 23, 1929 – December 14, 1980). Howard played the bulk of his career with the Yankees (1955-67) after two years in the Negro Leagues with the Kansas City Monarchs (1948-50), spent two years in the US Army (1951-52) and ended his career as a player with the Boston Red Sox (1967-68). An outstanding catcher who also played the outfield due to the talent on the club in that era. Howard had a .274 career batting average, 167 home runs, and 762 runs batted in. He was the 1963 AL MVP and received two Gold Gloves (1963 and 64) behind the plate. He finished his career with a .993 fielding percentage at the catcher position. He had a competitive nature and a dignified manner.

Casey Stengel, Manager, No. 37
Number retired: Aug. 8, 1970
(July 30, 1890 – September 29, 1975). Stengel, known as "The Old Perfessor" spent 54-years in baseball. He had been a serviceable outfielder as a player before becoming a manager. He won 10 AL pennants and seven World Series titles in his 12-years with the Yankees (1949-60). With the Yankees, he managed 1,845 games with a 1,149 / 696 won-loss record (.623 percentage) in the regular season and a 37-26 in the World Series (.587 percentage). Casey could spin a yarn and spend quite a bit of time answering a question for reporters without truly answering it. He was a knowledgeable player, manager, a true character, and a great ambassador of the game. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1966.

Mariano Rivera, RHP, No. 42
Number retired: April 15, 1997, by MLB on all teams to honour Jackie Robinson. The Yankees recognized and retired it in honour of Rivera on Sept. 22, 2013.
(November 29, 1969 - ). “The Sandman” or “Mo” spent his entire 19-year career with the Yankees (1995-2013). His Won-Loss record is 82-60 with an Earned Run Average of 2.21, had 1,173 strikeouts and is the all-time saves leader with 652. As a relief pitcher in the post-season, he had no peers. In 96 appearances he set the MLB record with 42 saves, and a 0.70 ERA. A 13-time All-Star, 5-time World Series Champion and he won the 1999 World Series MVP. He was elected to the Hall of Fame on his first ballot (and the only unanimous selection ever) in 2019.

Reggie Jackson, RF, No. 44
Number retired: Aug. 14, 1993
(Born May 18, 1946 - ). "Mr. October", as he was known, had a career batting average of .262, 2,584 hits, 563 home runs and 1,702 runs batted in his 21-year career (1967-87) with five different organizations. He hit 144 home runs as a Yankee (1977-80). In game three of the 1977 World Series Jackson hit three home runs, all on the first pitch. In each of the five seasons he spent with the Yankees he was named to the All-Star team. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1993.

Andy Pettitte, LHP, No. 46
Number retired: Aug. 23, 2015
Born June 15, 1972 - ). Pettitte pitched 15 seasons (1995-2003) with the Yankees. His records was 219-127 with an ERA of 3.94. He is also the Yankees leading pitcher for strikeouts with 2,020. In 40 post-season starts with the Yankees, he went 18-10 with a 3.76 ERA. In 2009 he won all three series-clinching games. Overall, in his career he has a 256-153 win-loss record, an ERA of 3.85 and 2,448 strikeouts.

Ron Guidry, LHP, No. 49
Number retired: Aug. 23, 2003
(Born August 28, 1950 - ). Guidry was known as "Louisiana Lightning" and “Gator”. He spent his entire 14-year career (1975-88) with the Yankees. He amassed a 170-91 won-loss record with a 3.29 ERA while striking out 1,778 batters. In 1978 he won the AL Cy Young Award with a 25-3 record and a 1.74 ERA. Guidry served as a co-caption with Will Randolph from 1986 until his retirement. He then served as their pitching coach for two seasons (2006-07).

Bernie Williams, CF, No. 51
Number retired: May 24, 2015
(Born September 13, 1968 - ). Williams was an amazing centerfield who spent his entire 16-year career with the Yankees (1991-2006). He had a career batting average of .297, he hit 278 homes and had 1,257 runs batted in, he also had 449 doubles. Williams won the 1998 AL batting title with a .339 average. He is a four-time World Series champion and holds the Yankee post-season home run leader with 22. (He is also an accomplished classical guitarist.)

It’s quite a list, isn’t it? Thanks for reading.

~ Coach Mike

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