New York Yankees Mickey Mantle Retires

On March 1, 1969, New York Yankee great, Mickey Mantle announces his retirement from baseball. Mantle was the greatest sluggers in Major League history.

New York Yankees outfielder Mickey Mantle.

Mantle retired with 536 home runs, the third most all time behind Babe Ruth and Willie Mays at the time of his retirement, now Mantle is 16^th, behind Barry Bonds, Hank Aaron, Ruth, Mays, Ken Griffey Jr., Alex Rodriguez, Sammy Sosa, Jim Thome, Frank Robinson, Mark McGwire, Harmon Killebrew, Rafael Palmiero, Reggie Jackson, Manny Ramirez and Mike Schmidt.

Mantle also earned three MVP awards while playing and won the AL Triple Crown in 1956, a season in which he batted .353 with 52 home runs and 130 RBIs.

Mantle still holds the record for most home runs in the World Series with 18, most RBIs with 40, most runs with 42, walks with 43, extra-base hits with 26 and total bases with 123.

Mantle also is the career leader in walk-off home runs with a combined 13 in his career, 12 in regular season and one in the post-season play.

Yankees Name Mattingly Captain

On Feb. 28, 1991 that first baseman Don Mattingly was named captain of the New York Yankees.  Mattingly became the thirteenth captain in Yankees’ history.

Donnie Baseball earned the honor prior to his tenth year with the team.  He began his career with the Yankees in 1982, playing for them his entire career before retiring in 1995. He stepped in to fill the roll after the position had been vacant during the previous two seasons.

New York Yankees first baseman and captain Don Mattingly.

Since Mattingly’s departure, Derek Jeter is the only member of the Yankees to serve as captain. He was awarded the position in 2003, and has served it well over the course of the past nine seasons. It appeared as though Jeter’s tenure as captain would come to an end last off-season when he became a free agent, but the Yanks were able to reach an agreement with their All-Star shortstop, signing him to a three-year deal with an option for a fourth year.

Before Mattingly was the Yankees captain 12 others preceded him including in chronological order; Clark Griffith, Kid Elberfeld, Hal Chase, Frank Chance, Roger Peckinpaugh, Babe Ruth, Everett Scott, Lou Gehrig, Thurman Munson, Graig Nettles, Willie Randolph and Ron Guidry.

Mattingly would have a great career on the Yankees putting up a .307 batting average, 222 home runs, 1,099 RBI’s. He would earn six consecutive All-Star appearances, win the Gold Glove at first base nine times, win the Silver Slugger Award three times. He won the 1984 American league Batting Title and was crowned the 1985 American League RBI Champion as well the 1985 American League MVP.

The Yankees retired “Donny Baseball’s” no. 23 jersey on Aug. 31 1997.

Since his retirement, Mattingly got back into baseball, wearing a uniform, but playing a new position. He began coaching with the New York Yankees from 2004-2007, then moved to the West Coast to coach with the Los Angeles Dodgers from 2008-2010. Currently Mattingly is managing the Dodgers, and entering his third season at that position. In his three plus years of managing he has accumulated a 260 wins and 225 losses, good enough for a .536 win percentage. This could potentially be Mattingly's breakout season as the Dodgers are once again touted as a World Series contender, in part to the fact the franchise has spent a lot of money on such players as Clayton Kershaw, Matt Kemp, Yasiel Puig and Adrian Gonzalez.

New York Yankees Dawn Pinstripes

On Feb. 27, 1912, the New York Yankees dawned pinstripes for the first time in franchise history.

The 1912 New York Yankees uniforms, which are still very similar to the uniforms the team wears today.

The Yankees have won 27 World Series titles, starting in 1923 with the first in the franchises history. The 27 titles are the most of any team in Major League Baseball.

The Yankees also are owners of a World Series record, winning four consecutive World Series titles from 1936-1939, a feat which has never been broken or tied. 

It must all be in the pinstripes.

Yankees Beat Mets In All New York World Series

On Oct. 26, 2000, the New York Yankees defeat the New York Mets four games to one to win their third straight World Series championship. Making them one of only two teams to win the World Series three consecutive times. The other only other team besides the Yankees to do complete the feat was the Oakland Athletics from 1972-1974. The MVP of the World Series was New York Yankees shortstop, Derek Jeter.

The Yankees would go on to do the unthinkable and make the World Series in 2001, bidding for the firs time in Major League history that a team would win four consecutive World Series trophies. But it was the Arizona Diamondbacks who would win the World Series, keeping the record for most consecutive World Series championships at three.

The World Series championship in 2000 was the Yankees twenty-sixth and last until they won No. 27, in 2009.

For the Mets, it was the last time they visited the World Series, and the last time the team won a Wild Card berth.

Since 2000, the Mets have made the playoffs just once, in 2006, when they won the East Division Title and won their NLDS matchup. However, for the Mets they were eliminated from the playoffs after losing to the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 7 of the NLCS.