![]() |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
How did the NY Yankees get their name?
Photo Bill Stanton: Checkswing.com
Anonymous asked: How did the NY Yankees get their name? The "yankee" part in particular. As was common with all members of the American League, the team was called the New York Americans. New York Press Sports Editor Jim Price coined the unofficial nickname Yankees (or "Yanks") for the club as early as 1904, because it was easier to fit in headlines. The most success the Highlanders achieved was finishing second in 1904, 1906 and 1910; 1904 being the closest they would come to winning the AL pennant. That year they would lose the deciding game on the last day of the season to the Boston Americans, who would later become the Boston Red Sox. This had much historical significance, as the Highlander's role in the pennant race caused the Giants to announce they would not play in the World Series against the AL pennant winner. Owing to a business rivalry between the two leagues, especially in New York, and to personal animosity between Giants manager John McGraw and AL President Ban Johnson, the Giants declined to meet the champions of the "junior" or "minor" league. McGraw even said his Giants were already the World Champions since they were the champions of the "only real major league". The World Series would not be skipped again for another 90 years, when a strike threatened the entire 1994 season. It would be the last time Boston would beat New York in a pennnant-deciding game for a full century (2004). 1904 was the year that Jack Chesbro set the single season wins record for a pitcher with 41, which still stands today. The Polo Grounds burned down in 1911 and the Highlanders allowed the Giants to play in Hilltopper's Park during reconstruction. Relations between the two teams warmed, and the Highlanders would move into the newly built Polo Grounds in 1913. Now playing on the Harlem River, a far cry from their high altitude home, the name "Highlanders" no longer applied, and fell into disuse among the press. The media had already widely adopted the "Yankees" nickname, coined by the New York press, and in 1913 the team became officially known as the New York Yankees. The world of baseball has a widely diverse and interesting history, much of it goes well beyond the playing field and athletes. The start up of the American League is just one of those situations. Yours in baseball, Rick
|
![]() |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
![]() |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|