Derek Jeter had his number retired with the New York Yankees on May 14, 2017 completing the list of all the single digits with the team. Here are the players and managers tied to those retired numbers.
Topping the list with number 1 was Billy Martin who captured the Yankee hearts as both player and manager. He played seven seasons with the Yankees from 1950 thru 1957 as a utility player who helped claim four World Series Championships (1951-1953, 1956). As a Yankee he played second base, shortstop, third base and a single game in the outfield while hitting .262/.313/.376 with 30 HR, 188 RBI, 220 R, 19 SB in 527 games. He was traded to the Kansas City Athletics in 1957 and also spent his final five MLB seasons with the Detroit Tigers, Cleveland Indians, Cincinnati Reds, Milwaukee Braves and Minnesota Twins. He later had five stints as manager with the Yankees (1975-1978, 1979, 1983. 1985, 1988) with his first being the most successful winning the World Series in 1977. Over his career he also served as manager with the Twins, Tigers, Texas Rangers and Oakland Athletics. The number was retired in 1986.
Number 2 was worn by Jeter who played his entire 20 season MLB career with the Yankees from 1995 thru 2014. The shortstop hit .310/.377/.440 with 260 HR, 1311 RBI, 1923 R, 358 SB in 2747 games. His games played and steals were among his all-time Yankee records which also included doubles (544) and hits (3465). He was a 14x All-Star and 5x World Series Champion (1996, 1998-2000, 2009).
Number 3 was worn by the iconic Babe Ruth who played 15 MLB seasons with the Yankees from 1920 thru 1934. The outfielder hit .349/.484/.711 with 659 HR, 1978 RBI, 2174 R, 123 SB in 2084 games as a Yankee. He had started his MLB career with six seasons with the Boston Red Sox and finished with a season with the Boston Braves. His home runs and runs are still all-time Yankee records along with walks (1852) while his RBI are still second. He was the AL MVP in 1923. His Yankees were 4x World Series Champions (1923, 1927, 1928, 1932) after he had won three with the Red Sox (1915, 1916, 1918). Ruth was inducted into the MLB Hall of Fame in 1936. The number was retired in 1948.
Number 4 belonged to "The Iron Horse" Lou Gehrig who played his entire 17 season MLB career with the Yankees from 1923 thru 1939. The first baseman hit .340/.447/.632 with 493 HR, 1995 RBI, 1888 R, 102 SB in 2164 games. That included his legendary 2130 consecutive games only surpassed once since. His RBI is still an all-time Yankee record along with triples (163) while he is still second in doubles (534), hits (2721) and batting average and third in home runs, runs and walks (1508). He was the AL MVP in 1927 and 1936 plus won the Triple Crown in 1934. He played on six Yankee World Series Champions (1927, 1928, 1932, 1936-1938). Gehrig was inducted into the MLB Hall of Fame in 1939. The number was retired in 1939.
Number 5 was showcased by Joe DiMaggio who played his entire 13 season MLB career with the Yankees from 1936 to 1951. That was interrupted by three years of military service during Word War II (1943-1945). The outfielder hit .325/.398/.579 with 361 HR, 1537 RBI, 1390 R, 30 SB in 1736 games. His 56 consecutive game batting streak in 1941 is still a MLB record. Even with his interrupted career he is still third all-time in RBI and triples (131), fourth in home runs, fifth in runs and sixth in hits (2214) and doubles (389). He was the AL MVP in 1939, 1941 and 1947. The Yankees won the World Series 9 of his 13 seasons (1936-1938, 1941, 1947, 1949-1951). DiMaggio was inducted into the MLB Hall of Fame in 1955. The number was retired in 1952.
Number 6 is associated with Joe Torre who guided the Yankees through their most recent glory years as manager. He was manager of the Yankees from 1996 to 2007 with a 1173-767 regular season record and 76-47 in the post season. Under Torre the Yankees claimed 10 division titles, six American League pennants and four World Series Championships (1996, 1998-2000). He earned the American League Manager of the Year award in 1996 and 1998. Over his career he was also manager with the New York Mets (1977-1981), Atlanta Braves (1982-1984), St Louis Cardinals (1990-1995) and Los Angeles Dodgers (2008-2010). Torre was inducted into the MLB Hall of Fame in 2014. The number was also retired in 2014.
Number 7 was famously worn by Mickey Mantle who played his entire 18 season MLB career with the Yankees from 1951 to 1968. "The Mick" was a speedy switch-hitting outfielder before his motor slowed and he parked at first base his final two seasons. He hit .298/.421/.557 with 536 HR, 1509 RBI, 1677 R, 153 SB in 2401 games. His HR total is still second All-time on the Yankees list along with his walks (1733). Plus he is also fourth in RBI, runs and hits (2415). He was the AL MVP in 1956, 1957 and 1962 while also winning the Triple Crown in 1956. He played on seven World Series Champions (1951-1953, 1956, 1958, 1961, 1962). Mantle was inducted into the MLB Hall of Fame in 1974. The number was retired in 1969.
Picking a pair to represent number 8 may help the Yankees gather positive energy.
The first was Yogi Berra who donned the Yankee uniform as both player and manager. The majority of his MLB playing career was with the Yankees from 1946 to 1963 before finishing his career with a handul of games with the New York Mets in 1965. Those would also be the two teams on his resume as manager with two stints with the Yankees (1964, 1984-1985) and one with the Mets (1972-1975). The C\OF hit .285/.348/.482 with 358 HR, 1430 RBI, 1175 R, 30 SB in 2120 games. His career caught stealing rate was 49%. His HR and RBI totals are still fifth All-Time on the Yankee list. He was the AL MVP in 1951, 1954 and 1955. As a player his Yankees made the World Series 14x and he has the MLB record of playing on 10 winners (1947, 1949-1953, 1956, 1958, 1961, 1962). Berra was inducted into the MLB Hall of Fame in 1972.
The second to rep the 8 was Bill Dickey who played his entire 17 season MLB career from 1928 to 1943 and then 1946 after World War II. He was the catcher that passed the torch to Berra and he hit .313/.382/.486 with 202 HR, 1209 RBI, 930 R, 36 SB in 1789 games. His career caught stealing rate was 47%. His RBI still rank eighth All-Time on the Yankee list while his hits (1969) are ninth. The Yankees won seven of the eight World Series he played in (1932, 1936-1939, 1941, 1943) plus won in 1928 although he didn't play. He was the Yankees manager in 1946 and was later the first base coach and catching instructor as the Yankees won the World Series in 1949 to 1953 and 1956. Dickey was inducted into the MLB Hall of Fame in 1954. The number was retired in 1972.
Finally there was Roger Maris with number 9 who spent seven of his 12 MLB seasons with the Yankees (1960 to 1966). The rest were spent with the Cleveland Indians, Kansas City Athletics and St Louis Cardinals. The outfielder hit .265/.356/.515 with 203 HR, 547 RBI, 520 R, 7 SB in 850 games with the Yankees. The highlight was 1961 when he surpassed Babe Ruth with both the MLB and Yankee record of 61 HR which still stands as the current American League mark. He was the AL MVP in 1960 and 1961. The Yankees won two World Series Championships (1961, 1962) and he later won one with the Cardinals (1967). The number was retired in 1984.
