The Landmark Yankees Team For Each Decade
One definition of “landmark” is “the position of a prominent or well-known object in a particular landscape.” Working off that, if we were to look at the last 90 years of Yankees baseball, decade by decade, and pick the “landmark” Yankees team from each decade, I would offer that it should breakdown as follows:
1920′s: 1927 Yankees
1930′s: 1939 Yankees
1940′s: 1949 Yankees
1950′s: 1952 Yankees
1960′s: 1961 Yankees
1970′s: 1978 Yankees
1980′s: 1980 Yankees
1990′s: 1998 Yankees
2000′s: 2009 Yankees
For the record, I struggled coming up with a landmark team for the 1950′s – because there’s so much to pick from there. But, in the end, I took 1952 because it was Mantle’s first full season, it was a close pennant race, and the Yankees had to win Games Six and Seven to win the World Series.
When you look at the great Yankees teams this way, to me, it’s interesting to see the cluster around the the-end-to-the-beginning of the decades pattern here.
1927, 1939, 1949, 1978, 1998 and 2009 are all in the 7-8-9 range – towards the back-end of the decades. And, 1952, 1961 and 1980 are in the 0-1-2 range – towards the front-end of the decades. This all leads to that 7-8-9-0-1-2 “cluster” that I mentioned.
And, the “3-4-5-6″ range is sort of lonely here.
In any event, what do you think of these “landmark” picks? Would you choose any different ones?
Why the ’78 team over ’77?
clintfsu813 wrote:
The comeback, the 1 game playoff, then winning the WS
@ Raf:
Gotcha..I agree
I probably would’ve gone with the 1956 Yankees because Mickey Mantle won the triple crown and the MVP and Larsen pitched the perfect game. Hard to get any more “landmark” than the only perfect game in WS history and the last triple crown in pinstripes.
If I worked for mlb.com, I would suggest that they put up all the games from every season online for a fee, or perhaps subscription (my choice). They would make a ton of dough, with very little effort from their end.
Boy would I love to re-watch the entire 1998 season from the beginning these days.
@ Corey:
I have little doubt that this will happen one day
@ clintfsu813:
I feel like they are so behind the curve…I mean jeez, comparatively small TV shows like The Daily Show host all of their episodes online.
Back in 1961 Yogi Berra said the best team he ever played on was the 1953 Yankees. Looking over it, I’d have to agree. The ’53 squad was obviously the best Yankees team of the 1950′s. Consider:
Regular Season Record—-99-52 (.656)
Pythagorean Record——–101-50 (.669)
Led League in Runs, Hits, Total Bases, HRs, BA, OBP, SA.
Led League in ERA, ShO, Fewest Runs Allowed, Fewest Hits Allowed, finished second in Fewest Walks Allowed, and missed leading league in Fewest HRs Allowed by 2.
Was above Average in FA and DefEff.
Started out season 46-13 (.782), 11 games up, and basically cruised from there.
Defeated the greatest Dodger team ever in 6 thrilling games, with the winning rally in the bottom of the 9th in Game 6 classic Yankees:
Bauer leads off with a walk and, with one out, Mantle hits a slow grounder to Third. Cox comes swooping in, gloves the ball, and fires to First. Mantle beats the throw and Bauer moves to Second. Martin follows with a ground ball up the middle that eludes both Reese and Robinson. Snider comes charging in for the ball, Bauer chugs around Third—and beats the throw to the plate.
And it was 5 World Championships in a row.