See the Plaques from Yankee Stadium ..
Monument Park - 1999 Memorial Day Trip
Beginning with Lou Gehrig’s number 4 in 1939,
the Yankees have retired 14 uniform
numbers to honor 15 players and managers.
1 Billy Martin
Born: May 16, 1928 in Berkeley, CA.
Died: December 25, 1989 in Binghamton, NY.
Height: 5-11, Weight: 165.
Threw and batted righthanded.
Number retired in 1986.
Had as much "Yankee Pride" as any player
manager to wear pinstripes and he
implanted his own fierce desire to win in teams.
Played an intrigal part in four World
Series in the 50's as a player, and added
ring managing the Yankees in 1977. His
.333 lifetime series batting average is with
at least 75 AB on the all-time series list.
Combative and daring, Martin was a
baseball strategist and a legend in Yankee history.
3 Babe Ruth
Born: February 6, 1895 in Baltimore, MD.
Died: August 16, 1948 in New York, NY.
Height: 6-2, Weight: 215.
Threw and batted lefthanded.
Number retired in 1948.
Baseball’s greatest slugger and the most
figure in the game’s history. Debuted as
a pitcher for the Boston Red Sox, winning 89
games over six seasons before being
coverted to the outfield because of his
tremendous power. Was sold to the Yankees for
$120,000 in 1920 and his 54 home runs that year
were more than any other American-League team.
En- route to 714 career home runs, won 12
home run titles, hitting 60 in 1927.
Added 15 home runs in World Series
competition as he led the Yankees to
seven Series appearances and four World titles.
A member of the inaugural class of Hall
of Fame inductees in 1936.
4 Lou Gehrig
Born: June 19, 1903 in New York, NY.
Died: June 2, 1941 in Riverdale, NY.
Height: 6-1, Weight: 212.
Threw and batted lefthanded.
Number retired in 1939.
Durable, powerhitting first baseman who played
in an amazing 2,130 consecutive games
between 1925 and 1939. Drove in at least 100
runs for 13 straight seasons (1926-38) and
established an American-League record with
184 RBI in 1931. Compiled a .340 lifetime
batting average and belted 493 home runs in
a career shortened by terminal illness. Was
honored at Yankee Stadium on July 4, 1939 and
made memorable "Today, I consider
myself the luckiest man on the face of
the earth" speech. Life was immortalized in
classic 1942 motion picture, The Pride of the Yankees,
starring Gary Cooper. Elected to the Hall of
Fame in 1939.
5 Joe DiMaggio
Born: November 25, 1914 in Martinez, CA.
Died: March 8, 1999 in Hollywood, FL.
Height: 6-2, Weight: 193.
Threw and batted righthanded.
Number retired in 1952.
The "Yankee Clipper" is considered by many
experts as the best all-around baseball
player in history. Was a sensational hitter
for average and power, a splendid, graceful,
ball-hawking center fielder with a powerfully
accurate arm and a daring and alert
baserunner. Compiled a .325 lifetime batting
average from 1936 to 1951. The two-time
batting champion and three-time MVP powered the
Yankees to the first of four consecutive
World Championships in his 1936 rookie season.
Many rate his 56-consecutive-game batting streak
in 1941 as the top baseball feat of all time.
Elected to the Hall of Fame in 1955.
7 Mickey Mantle
Born: October 20, 1931 in Spavinaw, OK.
Died: August 14, 1995 in Dallas, TX.
Height: 6-0, Weight: 201.
Threw right and switch hit.
Number retired in 1969. "The Mick" was the most
feared hitter on the most successful
team in history. In his best seasons, and there
were many, Mantle was simply a devastating player.
He could run like the wind and hit tape measure
homers, like his famous 565-footer in Washington
in 1953. He led the Yanks to 12 fall classics
in 14 years, and seven World Championships.
He still owns records for most homers, RBI, runs,
walks, and strikeouts in World Series play.
In 1956, Mantle had one of the greatest
seasons ever at the plate. He hit 52 homers
with 130 RBI and a .353 average to win the
Triple Crown. Mantle was elected to the
Hall of Fame in 1974.
8 Yogi Berra
Born: May 12, 1925 in St. Louis, MO.
Height 5-8, Weight: 191.
Threw righthanded and batted lefthanded.
Number retired in 1972.
A mainstay for the most dominating teams
in history, the Yankee that played from the end
of World War II until the early 1960's.
Although he never led the league in a single major
offensive category, he was just the third man to
win three Most Valuable Player awards.
Selected to play in 15 successive All-Star Games.
Played on 14 pennant winners and 10 World Champions,
more than anyone in history. Led Yankees to the 1964
pennant as manager. Elected to the Hall of Fame in 1972.
8 Bill Dickey
Born: June 6, 1907 in Bastrop, LA.
Died: November 12, 1993.
Height: 6-1, Weight: 185.
Threw righthanded and batted lefthanded.
Number retired in 1972.
Regarded as one of the greatest catchers of all-time.
A durable and tireless worker, he
caught more than 100 games in 13 consecutive seasons
(1929-41), an American-League record. He did not
allow a single passed ball in 125 games behind
the plate, another AL record. Dickey also excelled
at the plate, batting over .300 in 10 of his first
11 seasons while hitting 202 homers during his career.
He handled Yankee pitching staffs on eight
World Series teams, winning seven championships.
9 Roger Maris
Born: September 10, 1934 in Hibbing, MN.
Died: December 14, 1985 in Houston, TX.
Height: 6-0, Weight: 197.
Batted lefthanded and threw righthanded.
Number retired in 1984.
In one of the most dramatic assaults on a
baseball record, Maris caught, then surpassed
Babe Ruth's famous home run record of 60.
In 1961,Maris hit 61 home runs, a
Major-League record which stood until 1998.
The two-time American League MVP (1960-'61)
is also considered as one of the best
fielding right fielders in Yankee history.
10 Phil Rizzuto
Born: September 25, 1917 in New York, NY.
Height: 5-6, Weight 150.
Threw and batted righthanded.
Number retired in 1985.
Playing 13 years for the Yanks, "Scooter" went
to the World Series in 10 of those seasons.
That stat may best explain why the diminutive
shortstop is regarded as a true Yankee
legend. He was a durable, outstanding shortstop,
skilled bunter and enthusiastic baserunner with
a solid .273 lifetime batting average. In 1950
Rizzuto earned the A.L. MVP Award, batting .324 \
with 200 hits, 92 bases on balls, and 125 runs scored.
He batted .320 in the 1951 World Series and was named
Series’ MVP. Spent 40 years as a Yankee broadcaster
(1957-96). Elected to the Hall of Fame in 1994.
15 Thurman Munson
Born: June 7, 1947 in Akron, OH.
Died: August 2, 1979 in Canton, OH.
Height: 5-11, Weight: 190.
Batted and threw righthanded.
Number retired in 1979.
Was the undisputed leader and most respected man
on the Yankee teams that won three
AL pennants in a row (1976-78) and two World
Championships. Munson was a tremendous defensive
catcher, winning the Gold Glove Award in three
consecutive seasons (1973-75). From 1975-77,
Thurman drove in more than 100 runs and hit better
than .300 in each of those three seasons. He hit
the first Yankee home run in the "new"
Yankee Stadium. There is no more tragic date in
Yankee history than August 2, 1979. On
that date Munson passed away when the plane he
was flying crashed while landing.
16 Whitey Ford
Born: October 21, 1928 in New York, NY.
Height: 5-10, Weight: 181.
Threw and batted lefthanded.
Number retired in 1974.
"The Chairman of the Board" was the ace pitcher on
the great Yankee teams of the 1950’s and early 60’s.
The wily southpaw’s lifetime record of 236-106 gives
him the best percentage (.690) of any 20th century
pitcher. He paced the American League in victories
three times, and in ERA and shutouts twice.
The 1961 Cy Young Award winner still holds
many World Series records, including 10 wins,
33 consecutive scoreless innings and 94
strikeouts. Elected to the Hall of Fame in 1974.
23 Don Mattingly
Born: April 20, 1961 in Evansville, IN.
Height: 6-0, Weight: 185.
Batted and threw lefthanded.
Number retired in 1997.
"Donnie Baseball" was only the 10th captain to
be named by the Yankees in their storied
history. The premier first baseman of his era,
Mattingly was a nine-time Gold Glove winner.
The 1985 American League MVP set records for most
grand slams in a season (6), most home runs
in seven consecutive games (9) and eight
consecutive games (10). A humble man of grace
and dignity, Mattingly carried on the legacy of the
pinstripe tradition and dedicated his career to the
pursuit of excellence.
32 Elston Howard
Born: February 23, 1929 in St. Louis, MO.
Died: December 14, 1980 in New York, NY.
Height: 6-2, Weight: 196.
Batted and threw righthanded.
Number retired in 1984.
Became the first black player in Yankee history
when he made the club in the spring of
1955. The versatile two-time Gold Glove catcher
was an important member of the A.L.
pennant-winning Yankee teams in nine of his first
ten seasons with the club. The 1963
American League MVP, Howard was a clubhouse leader
who was respected as both a player and a man.
Howard’s dignified manner off the field and
competitive spirit on the field were
positive influences on the Yankee team.
37 Casey Stengel
Born: July 30, 1889 in Kansas City, MO.
Died: September 29, 1975 in Glendale, CA.
Number retired in 1970.
In a distinguished 54-year professional
career,"The Old Professor" emerged as one of the
game’s greatest managers. His feat of guiding the
Yankees to 10 pennants and seven world titles
in a 12-year span ranks as the top
managerial accomplishment of all time.
Simply put, Casey Stengel was one of the best
things to ever happen to the game of
baseball. He was an authentic baseball ambassador,
making the game fun for millions of
Americans. Elected to the Hall of Fame in 1966.
44 Reggie Jackson
Born: May 18, 1946 in Wyncote, PA.
Height: 5-10, Weight: 181.
Threw and batted lefthanded.
Number retired in 1993.
One of the game’s premier power hitters,
"Mr.October" blasted 563 career roundtrippers,
sixth all-time. In Game Six of the 1977 World
Series, Jackson hit three home runs, all on
the first pitch, as the Yankees beat the Dodgers
to wrap up the club’s first World Championship
since 1962. Jackson was an exciting clutch player
and an intimidating clean-up hitter with a
.490 career slugging percentage.
The 1973 American League MVP once said,
"Some people call October a time of pressure.
I call it a time of character."
Elected to the Hall of Fame in 1993.