Ruth. Maris. Mantle. Gehrig. The list of greatest Yankees is longer than Ruthian moonshot. Indeed, their last names remain household names among anyone who follows action inside the diamond.
Whether you love them or are a Red Sox fan, the Yanks are indisputably the game’s greatest franchise. 27 titles and 40 pennants? Come on.
Needless to say, then, the task of filling out the lineup card for the all-time best Yankees is a tough one. Consider catcher: The singular Yogi Berra or the arguably better George Munson?
We’ll try to wade through these debates and others to bring you the New York Yankees ultimate starting lineup.
2017 Spring Split Heading Into Week Four
Source: Riot Games
1B. Lou Gehrig
The Iron Horse. Remembered in conjunction with the disease that bears his name, Lou Gehrig was an institution at first base for the Yankees in the 20s and 30s. He played a record 2,130 games, and played them well. Gehrig scored 100-plus runs and drove in more than 100 runs for 13 straight seasons, one of the key indicators of his brilliance. During his 1934 triple-crown season, Gehrig hit .363, pounded 49 home runs, and drove in 166 runs. (Photo source/Wikimedia)
2B. Wilie Randolph
13 years a Yankee, Randolph was the Yankees starting second baseman on their World Series winning teams on 1977 and 1978. He smacked more than 2,200 hits and batted .276 from the No. 2 spot. Randolph later won four World Series as a manager. (Photo source/Wikimedia)
P1 MIKEYEUNG
Week 3 Day 2 at 2017 NA LCS Summer Split in Los Angeles, California, USA on 17 June 2017.
LF. Mickey Mantle
While Mantle was a center fielder, he slides over to left in this lineup to make way for another legend. A 20-time All Star and seven-time World Series champion, Mickey Mantle batted .298 and belted 2,415 home runs during his 18-season career with the Yankees. Regarded as the greatest switch-hitter of all-time, Mantle belted 536 homers and drove in more than 1,500 runs. Compromised by injuries, the scary thing about Mantle is he never reached his true potential. (Photo source/Wikimedia)
CF. Joe DiMaggio
Owner of the longest hitting streak in MLB history (56 games), Joe DiMaggio played 13 storied seasons with the Yankees. And though it’s entirely immaterial to his baseball playing prowess, no mention of Joltin’ Joe is complete without also mentioning he married Marilyn Monroe. A brilliant all-around player, DiMaggio’s career batting average is .325 and he drilled 361 homers. Ted Williams recalled “DiMaggio was the greatest all-around player I ever saw. His career cannot be summed up in numbers and awards. It might sound corny, but he had a profound and lasting impact on the country.” (Photo source/Wikimedia)
RF. Babe Ruth
Undoubtedly the greatest Yankee of them all, Babe Ruth is the patron saint of the home run and the keystone of America’s love with the long ball. The 15-time World Series winner pounded 740 homers between Boston and New York. “It wasn’t that he hit more home runs than anybody else,” said writer Red Smith, “he hit them better, higher, farther, with more theatrical timing and a more flamboyant flourish.” (Photo source/Wikimedia)
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