Hilltop Park was a ballpark in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. It was the home of the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball from 1903 to 1912 when they were known as the "Highlanders". It was also the temporary home of the New York Giants during a two-month period in 1911 while the Polo Grounds was being rebuilt after a fire.
118-615: The ballpark's formal name, as painted on its exterior walls, was American League Park . Because the park was located on top of a ridge of Manhattan Island, it was nicknamed Hilltop Park, and its team was most often called the New York Highlanders (as well as the Americans and the Yankees). This "Highland" connection contrasted with their intra-city rivals, the Giants, whose Polo Grounds was just
236-551: A no-hitter on July 4, 1983, but he was moved to the bullpen the next year where he helped to define the closer role. Despite the Yankees' lack of pitching success during the 1980s, they had three of the premier pitchers of the early 1990s on their roster during these years in Al Leiter , Doug Drabek and José Rijo . All were mismanaged and dealt away before they could reach their full potential, with only Rijo returning much value – he
354-479: A 162-game season, and Ruth (in 1927) had played in a 154-game season. They were considered two separate records for 30 years, until MLB reversed course and stated Maris held the record alone. His record would be broken by Mark McGwire , who hit 70 home runs in 1998. Maris held the American League record until 2022 when Aaron Judge hit 62. The Yankees won the pennant with a 109–53 record and went on to defeat
472-489: A bleacher section in deep center field, painted black to serve as a batter's eye screen. After two more seasons, the lease expired and the American Leaguers moved a few blocks east and south into the rebuilt Polo Grounds to sub-lease from the Giants. At that point the nickname Highlanders was dropped as the team was now strictly "the Yankees". The last big league game played at Hilltop Park was on October 5, 1912. Although
590-443: A clubhouse was located behind the center field fence. Single-deck bleachers that extended down both foul lines reached from the grandstand almost to the fences. The third base bleachers were not finished until June 1903. These first and third base bleachers angled towards the foul lines reducing the foul area at the fences to about 15 feet. A modest-sized scoreboard was in fair territory down the left field foul line. The main entrance to
708-618: A few blocks away, in the bottomland under Coogan's Bluff . Hilltop Park sat on the block bounded by Broadway , 165th Street, Fort Washington Avenue , and 168th Street. The structure consisted of a covered grandstand stretching from first base to third base and uncovered bleacher sections down the right and left field lines. Originally built in just six weeks, the park sat 16,000, with standing room for an additional 10,000 or so. The bleachers were covered in 1911, and also bleachers to seat an additional 5,000 fans were built in 1911 (partially to accommodate Giants fans, who were temporary tenants after
826-448: A fifth straight World Series , but were beaten 4–3 by the St. Louis Cardinals . It would be the Yankees' last World Series appearance until 1976. After the 1964 season, broadcasting company CBS purchased 80% of the Yankees from Topping and Webb for $ 11.2 million (equivalent to $ 110 million in 2023). With the new ownership, the team began to decline. The 1965 edition of the team posted
944-518: A home run and six RBI in the only postseason series of his career, his back problems led him to retire after the 1997 season after sitting out the 1996 season. Joe Torre had a mediocre run as a manager in the National League, and the choice was initially derided ("Clueless Joe" was a headline in the New York Daily News ). However, his calm demeanor proved to be a good fit, and his tenure
1062-637: A jail complex in Lower Manhattan that had specific cell block for murderers . That season, the Yankees became the first team in baseball to occupy first place every day of the season, winning 110 games. The team also swept the Pittsburgh Pirates in the World Series . Ruth's home run total of 60 in 1927 set a single-season home run record that stood until it was broken by Roger Maris in 1961, although Maris had eight additional games in which to break
1180-602: A major league. Johnson held that his league would operate on friendly terms with the National League, but the National League demanded concessions which Johnson did not agree with and he declared major league status for the AL in 1901 anyway. Plans to add an AL team in New York City were blocked by the NL's New York Giants . A team was instead placed in Baltimore , Maryland, in 1901 and named
1298-503: A mark on the game of baseball, some famous and some infamous. At least one of each happened at the Hilltop: The site where Hilltop Park once stood remained vacant until the land was purchased by Edward S. Harkness for the express purpose of building the world's first academic medical center. Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center opened in 1928 and is now called NewYork-Presbyterian / Columbia University Irving Medical Center . Some of
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#17330856606371416-576: A move that started the modern era of free agency , signing star pitcher Catfish Hunter away from Oakland. Midway through the 1975 season , the team hired former second baseman Billy Martin as manager. With Martin at the helm, the Yankees reached the 1976 World Series , but were swept by the Cincinnati Reds and their famed " Big Red Machine ." After the 1976 campaign, Steinbrenner added star Oakland outfielder Reggie Jackson —who had spent 1976 with
1534-406: A nationally televised and emotional game, Murcer used Munson's bat (which he gave to Munson's wife after the game), and drove in all five of the team's runs in a dramatic 5–4 walk-off victory. Before the game, Munson's locker sat empty except for his catching gear, a sad reminder for his teammates. His locker, labeled with his number 15, has remained empty in the Yankees clubhouse as a memorial. When
1652-689: A record of 77–85 — the Yankees' first losing record in 40 years. In 1966, the Yankees finished in last place in the AL for the first time since 1912. It also marked their first consecutive losing seasons since 1917 and 1918. The 1967 season was not much better; they finished only ahead of the Kansas City Athletics in the American League. While their fortunes improved somewhat in the late 1960s and early 1970s, they finished higher than fourth only once during CBS' ownership, in 1970 . The Yankees were not able to replace their aging superstars with promising young talent, as they had consistently done in
1770-516: A strike, making references to the day's games in the postseason would have been played. A year later, the team qualified for the playoffs in the new wild card slot in the strike-shortened 1995 season. In the memorable 1995 American League Division Series against the Seattle Mariners , the Yankees won the first two games at home and lost the next three in Seattle. Although Mattingly batted .417 with
1888-446: Is controlled by the family of the late George Steinbrenner . Steinbrenner purchased the team from CBS in 1973. Currently, Brian Cashman is the team's general manager, Aaron Boone is the team's field manager , and Aaron Judge is the team captain . The team's home games were played at the original Yankee Stadium in the Bronx from 1923 to 1973 and from 1976 to 2008. In 1974 and 1975,
2006-605: Is internationally known as a fashion item and an icon of New York City and the United States. From 1903 through the 2024 season, the Yankees' overall win–loss record is 10,778–8,148–88 (a .569 winning percentage ). In 1900, Ban Johnson , the president of a minor league known as the Western League (1894–1899), changed the Western League name to the American League (AL) and asked the National League to classify it as
2124-449: Is often known as a rock cut . Drilling and blasting currently utilizes many different varieties of explosives with different compositions and performance properties. Higher velocity explosives are used for relatively hard rock in order to shatter and break the rock, while low velocity explosives are used in soft rocks to generate more gas pressure and a greater heaving effect. For instance, an early 20th-century blasting manual compared
2242-476: Is still used in the construction of tunnels, such as in the construction of the Lötschberg Base Tunnel . The decision whether to construct a tunnel using a TBM or using a drill and blast method includes a number of factors. Tunnel length is a key issue that needs to be addressed because large TBMs for a rock tunnel have a high capital cost, but because they are usually quicker than a drill and blast tunnel
2360-559: The Baltimore Orioles —to his roster. During spring training of 1977, Jackson alienated his teammates with controversial remarks about the Yankees captain, catcher Thurman Munson . He had bad blood with manager Billy Martin, who had managed the Detroit Tigers when Jackson's Athletics defeated them in the 1972 playoffs . Jackson, Martin, and Steinbrenner repeatedly feuded with each other throughout Jackson's 5-year contract. Martin
2478-572: The Cincinnati Reds in the 1961 World Series . The team finished the year with 240 home runs, which was an MLB record until surpassed by the 1996 Baltimore Orioles team with 257 home runs. In 1962, the sports scene in New York changed when the National League added an expansion team, the New York Mets . The Mets played at the Giants' former home, the Polo Grounds , for two seasons while Shea Stadium
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#17330856606372596-564: The Harlem River from the Polo Grounds. In 1922, the Yankees returned to the World Series again and were dealt a second defeat at the hands of the Giants . Manager Miller Huggins and general manager Ed Barrow were important newcomers in this period. The hiring of Huggins by Ruppert in 1918 caused a rift between the owners that eventually led to Ruppert buying Huston out in 1923. In 1923,
2714-470: The National Baseball Hall of Fame , including many of the most iconic figures in the sport's history, such as Babe Ruth , Lou Gehrig , Joe DiMaggio , Mickey Mantle , Yogi Berra , Whitey Ford , and Reggie Jackson ; more recent inductees include Mariano Rivera and Derek Jeter , who received the two highest vote percentages of all Hall of Fame members. According to Forbes , the Yankees are
2832-688: The New York Yankees to commemorate the exact location of where home plate rested in Hilltop Park. The plaque is bronze and is the same size and shape as a regulation home plate. The text on the plaque reads, "Dedicated to Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center and the community of Washington Heights by the New York Yankees to mark the exact location of home plate in Hilltop Park, home of the New York Highlanders, from 1903 to 1912, later renamed
2950-609: The World Series , the Yankees won the first two games against the Los Angeles Dodgers. But the Dodgers fought back to win the next four games to claim the World Series title. This World Series would be the most recent between the Yankees and the Dodgers. Following the team's loss to the Dodgers in the 1981 World Series, the Yankees began their longest absence from the playoffs since 1921. Steinbrenner announced his plan to transform
3068-482: The Yankees had the worst record in the American League, and their fourth last-place finish in franchise history. During the 1990 season, Yankee fans started to chant " 1918! " to taunt the Red Sox, reminding them of the last time they won a World Series one weekend the Red Sox were there in 1990. Each time the Red Sox were at Yankee Stadium afterward, chants of "1918!" echoed through the stadium. Yankee fans also taunted
3186-575: The second-highest valued sports franchise in the world, after the NFL 's Dallas Cowboys , with an estimated value in 2023 of approximately $ 7.1 billion. The team has garnered enormous popularity and a dedicated fanbase, as well as widespread enmity from fans of other MLB teams. The team's rivalry with the Boston Red Sox is one of the most well-known rivalries in North American sports. The team's logo
3304-406: The "swing" signal on. Upon Jackson's return, Martin made a famous statement against both Jackson and owner Steinbrenner: "They deserve each other. One's a born liar; the other's convicted." Martin was forced to resign the next day and was replaced by Bob Lemon . This came while the team was winning five games in a row and Boston was losing five in a row. The Yankees continued to win games, and by
3422-530: The 1904 season, it was reported, "the rather deep hollow at right field has been nearly obliterated, which will increase the playing space of that portion of the park many feet." After the Polo Grounds burnt down in 1911, the Highlanders/Yankees offered to share their facility with the New York Giants, and the grateful National Leaguers took up temporary residence in Hilltop Park. The Highlanders added
3540-456: The 1913 season, to rent the Polo Grounds from the Giants. The Polo Grounds had a far larger seating capacity , and by that time was made of concrete due to the 1911 fire. Hilltop Park was demolished in 1914. American League baseball came to New York City in 1903 when gambler Frank J. Farrell and former New York City Police Chief William S. Devery bought the Baltimore Orioles franchise for $ 18,000, equal to $ 610,400 today. They established
3658-475: The 1948 pennant race, Harris was relieved of his duties and replaced by Casey Stengel , who had a reputation of being a clown and managing bad teams. His tenure as Yankees' field manager, however, was marked with success. The "underdog" Yankees came from behind to catch and surprise a powerful Red Sox team on the last two days of the 1949 season, a face-off that fueled the beginning of the modern Yankees–Red Sox rivalry . By this time, however, DiMaggio's career
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3776-466: The 1979 season. Former Cy Young Award-winning closer Sparky Lyle was traded to the Texas Rangers for several players, including Dave Righetti . Tommy John was acquired from the Dodgers and Luis Tiant from the Red Sox to bolster the pitching staff. During the season, Bob Lemon was replaced by Billy Martin, who was serving his second stint as Yankees manager. The 1970s ended on a tragic note for
3894-511: The Chicago Cubs in the 1932 World Series , and brought the team's streak of consecutive World Series game wins to 12. This series was made famous by Babe Ruth's " Called Shot " in game three of the series at Wrigley Field , in which Ruth pointed to center field before hitting a home run. In 1935, Ruth left the Yankees to join the NL's Boston Braves , and he made his last major league baseball appearance on May 30 of that year. After Ruth left
4012-466: The Dodgers, Mets, and Cardinals also objecting. While the Yankees usually drafted fairly early during this period due to their lackluster records, Thurman Munson was the only pick who lived up to his billing. On January 3, 1973, CBS announced they were selling the club to a group of investors, led by Cleveland -based shipbuilder George Steinbrenner (1930–2010), for $ 10 million (equivalent to $ 68.6 million in 2023). E. Michael Burke , who assumed
4130-479: The Highlanders shared the Polo Grounds with the Giants after their lease with Hilltop Park expired. While playing at the Polo Grounds, the name "Highlanders" fell into disuse among the press. In 1913 the team became officially known as the New York Yankees. In the mid‑1910s, the Yankees finished towards the bottom of the standings. The relationship between Farrell and Devery became strained due to money issues and
4248-410: The Highlanders, Phil Schenck , laid out the playing field . The ballpark consisted of a covered grandstand of three sections, although it was not actually roofed until June 1 that season. Two sections of the grandstand were parallel to the foul lines and the third section was a short intermediate diagonal, which formed the backstop. The grandstand extended a short way past both first and third bases, and
4366-468: The Hilltop hosting a doubleheader against Boston, who led by 1 1/2 games. A sweep by the home team would have won the league championship for New York. However, Boston won the first game by scoring a tie-breaking run in the top of the ninth inning. With a Boston runner on third, New York pitcher Jack Chesbro threw a spitball that got away and sailed over the catcher's head. The runner on third easily came across
4484-553: The National League flag, and they announced ahead of time that they had no intention of playing against their cross-town rivals in a post-season World Series. Although Boston prevailed in the American League race, the Giants stuck with their plan, and no Series was played. The resulting public outcry spurred the Giants' owner to organize a committee and establish rules for how future Series were to be conducted. Two Hall of Fame pitchers had good outings at Hilltop Park in 1908. Detroit outfielder Ty Cobb , "The Georgia Peach", made many
4602-706: The New York Yankees." New York Highlanders The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx . The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East Division . They are one of two major league clubs based in New York City alongside the National League (NL)'s New York Mets . The team
4720-457: The Orioles. The Orioles were managed by John McGraw , who was also a part owner. After many personal clashes with Johnson, during the 1902 season McGraw jumped to become the new manager of the Giants, taking many players with him. The Orioles limped through the remainder of the season under league control, using a roster of players loaned from the rest of the AL clubs. The Orioles were disbanded at
4838-400: The Polo Grounds fire) in center field. The field was initially huge by modern standards — 365 ft (111 m) to left field, 542 ft (165 m) to center field and 400 ft (120 m) to right field. An inner fence was soon constructed to create more realistic action. Both the park and the nickname "Highlanders" were abandoned when the American Leaguers left, at the beginning of
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4956-399: The Polo Grounds. After the 1922 season, the Yankees were told to move out of the Polo Grounds. Giants manager John McGraw became upset with the increase of Yankees attendance along with the number of home runs. He was said to have commented that the Yankees should "move to some out-of-the-way place, like Queens", but they instead broke ground for a new ballpark in the Bronx , right across
5074-513: The Red Sox with signs saying "CURSE OF THE BAMBINO", pictures of Babe Ruth, and wearing "1918!" T-shirts each time they were at the stadium. These fans came to be known as the Bleacher Creatures . The poor showings in the 1980s and early 1990s soon changed. Steinbrenner hired Howard Spira to uncover damaging information on Winfield and was subsequently suspended from day-to-day team operations by Commissioner Fay Vincent for two years when
5192-489: The Soviet Union was the leader in total volume with 2.7 billion kg of explosives consumed (13 m per capita), and Australia had the highest per capita explosives consumption that year with 45 m per capita. As the name suggests, drilling and blasting works as follows: The positions and depths of the holes (and the amount of explosive each hole receives) are determined by a carefully constructed pattern, which, together with
5310-589: The Yankees Lost the Pennant". The term was coined by writer Douglass Wallop , who wrote a novel of the same name . The novel was then adapted into a musical called Damn Yankees . In 1955 , the Dodgers finally beat the Yankees in the World Series, after five previous Series losses to them. The Yankees came back strong the next year. In Game 5 of the 1956 World Series against the Dodgers , pitcher Don Larsen threw
5428-551: The Yankees as New York's only baseball team. In the 1958 World Series , the Yankees got their revenge against the Braves and became the second team to win the Series after being down 3–1. For the decade, the Yankees won six World Series championships (1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1956, 1958) and eight American League pennants (those six plus 1955 and 1957). Led by Mantle, Ford, Berra, Elston Howard (the Yankees' first African-American player), and
5546-407: The Yankees following the 1934 season , Gehrig finally had a chance to take center stage, but it was only one year before a new star appeared, Joe DiMaggio . The team won an unprecedented four straight World Series titles from 1936 to 1939. For most of 1939, however, they had to do it without Gehrig, who took himself out of the lineup on May 2 and retired due to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis , which
5664-508: The Yankees from the "Bronx Bombers" into the "Bronx Burners", increasing the Yankees' ability to win games based on speed and defense instead of relying on home runs. As a first step towards this end, the Yankees signed Dave Collins from the Cincinnati Reds during the 1981 off-season. Collins was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays after the 1982 season in a deal that also included future All-Stars Fred McGriff and Mike Morgan . In return
5782-457: The Yankees got Dale Murray and Tom Dodd . The Yankees of the 1980s were led by All-Star first baseman Don Mattingly . In spite of accumulating the most total wins of any major league team, they failed to win a World Series (the 1980s were the first decade since the 1910s in which the Yankees did not win at least two Series) and had only two playoff appearances. They consistently had a powerful offense, with Mattingly and Winfield competing for
5900-462: The Yankees had already strengthened their supply of future prospects, which included a young outfielder named Roger Maris . In 1960, Maris led the league in slugging percentage, RBI, and extra-base hits. He finished second in home runs (one behind Mickey Mantle ) and total bases, and won a Gold Glove , which garnered enough votes for the American League MVP award. The year 1961 was one of
6018-453: The Yankees had the best record in the AL, but the season was cut short by a players' strike . Because the Yankees were last in a postseason in a season cut short by a strike , the news media constantly reminded the Yankees about the parallels between these two Yankees teams, which included both teams having division leads taken away by strike. Throughout October, the media continued to speculate about what might have been if there had not been
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#17330856606376136-453: The Yankees have won 21 American League East Division titles , 41 American League pennants , and 27 World Series championships , all of which are MLB records. The team has won more titles than any other franchise in the four major North American sports leagues, after briefly trailing the NHL 's Montreal Canadiens between 1993 and 1999. The Yankees have had 44 players and 11 managers inducted into
6254-571: The Yankees led the AL East before a strike hit in June 1981. The Yankees struggled under Bob Lemon , who replaced Michael for the second half of the season. Thanks to the split-season playoff format, the Yankees faced the second-half winner Milwaukee Brewers in the special 1981 American League Division Series . After defeating Milwaukee 3–2, they swept the Oakland Athletics in a three-game ALCS . In
6372-637: The Yankees manager. The 1950 title was the only one of those five championships not to be won against either the New York Giants or Brooklyn Dodgers ; it was won in four straight games against the Whiz Kids of the Philadelphia Phillies . In 1954, the Yankees won 103 games, but the Cleveland Indians took the pennant with a then-AL record 111 wins; 1954 was famously referred to as "The Year
6490-477: The Yankees moved across the street, Munson's locker was torn out and installed in the new stadium's museum. Immediately after Munson's death, the team announced his number 15 would be retired . The 1980 season brought more changes. Billy Martin was fired once again and Dick Howser took his place. Chris Chambliss was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays for catcher Rick Cerone . Reggie Jackson hit .300 for
6608-433: The Yankees moved to their new home, Yankee Stadium , which took 11 months to build and cost $ 2.5 million (equivalent to $ 40,000,000 in 2021). The team announced that 99,200 fans showed up on Opening Day and 25,000 were turned away. In the first game at Yankee Stadium, Ruth hit a home run. The stadium was nicknamed "The House That Ruth Built", due mainly to the fact that Ruth had doubled Yankees' attendance, which helped
6726-553: The Yankees shared Shea Stadium with the Mets, in addition to the New York Jets and the New York Giants . In 2009, they moved into a new ballpark of the same name that was constructed adjacent to the previous facility, which was closed and demolished. The team is perennially among the leaders in MLB attendance . Arguably the most successful professional sports franchise in the United States,
6844-470: The Yankees were done at the Hilltop, other events were staged there in the fall of 1912, including high school football and Auto polo . The park was demolished in 1913. The Highlanders / Yankees were not particularly successful during their stay at the Hilltop. There was no hint that the club would eventually become baseball's greatest dynasty. Their best season was 1904, when they were in a tight race with Boston all summer. The season ended on October 10, with
6962-533: The Yankees' favor, leading to accusations that the Athletics were little more than a Yankees farm team at the major league level. Kansas City had been home to the Yankees' top farm team, the Kansas City Blues , for almost 20 years before the Athletics moved there from Philadelphia in 1954. In 1960, Charles O. Finley purchased the Athletics and put an end to the trades with the Yankees. At that point, however,
7080-452: The Yankees. On August 2, 1979, catcher Thurman Munson died when his private plane crashed while he was practicing touch-and-go landings . Four days later, the entire team flew out to Canton , Ohio, for the funeral, despite having a game later that day against the Orioles . Bobby Murcer , a close friend of Munson's, along with Lou Piniella , were chosen to give the eulogy at his funeral. In
7198-435: The best average in the AL for the 1984 season . Despite their offense, the Yankees teams of the 1980s lacked sufficient starting pitching to win a championship in the 1980s. After posting a 22–6 record in 1985, arm problems caught up with Guidry, and his performance declined over the next three years. He retired after the 1988 season. Of the remaining mainstays of the Yankees' rotation, only Dave Righetti stood out, pitching
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#17330856606377316-490: The buildings visible in the background of ballpark photos still stand. They include a trio of six-story buildings at the northwest corner of Broadway and 168th (behind center field); and the Fort Washington Avenue Armory (behind left field), which was built in 1911. Those buildings also appear in pictures of the tabernacle built for Billy Sunday on the ballpark site. File:SundayNYCTabernacle.gif The site of
7434-463: The clubhouse was not completed. When Hilltop Park was finally completed, a single-tier wooden covered grandstand extended from the third base dugout to homeplate, and around to the first base dugout. Uncovered grandstands extended to both foul poles. From behind homeplate, fans could see scenic views of the Hudson River and New Jersey Palisades . The ball club continued work on the outfield. Prior to
7552-639: The construction of the South Eastern Railway . About 400,000 cubic yards of chalk was displaced in an exercise that it was estimated saved the company six months time and £7,000 in expense. While drilling and blasting saw limited use in pre-industrial times using gunpowder (such as with the Blue Ridge Tunnel in the United States, built in the 1850s), it was not until more powerful (and safer) explosives , such as dynamite (patented 1867), as well as powered drills were developed, that its potential
7670-400: The correct timing of the individual explosions, will guarantee that the tunnel will have an approximately circular cross-section. During operation, blasting mats may be used to contain the blast, suppress dust and noise, for fly rock prevention and sometimes to direct the blast. As a tunnel or excavation progresses the roof and side walls need to be supported to stop the rock falling into
7788-513: The current major league record and one often deemed unbreakable . Two months after the Yankees beat the Brooklyn Dodgers in the 1941 World Series , the first of seven October meetings between the two crosstown rivals before the Dodgers moved to Los Angeles. As a result of the mandatory draft following the attack on Pearl Harbor , more than 90 percent of the players, including DiMaggio, were forced to suspend their playing careers and enter
7906-399: The effects of black powder to that of a wedge, and dynamite to that of a hammer. The most commonly used explosives in mining today are ANFO based blends due to lower cost than dynamite . Before the advent of tunnel boring machines (TBMs), drilling and blasting was the only economical way of excavating long tunnels through hard rock, where digging is not possible. Even today, the method
8024-452: The end of the season. In early 1903, the two leagues decided to settle their disputes and try to coexist. At a conference, Johnson requested that an AL team be put in New York, to play alongside the NL's Giants. It was put to a vote, and 15 of the 16 major league owners agreed on it. The franchise was awarded to Frank J. Farrell and William S. Devery . The team's new ballpark, Hilltop Park (formally known as "American League Park"),
8142-484: The explosive. The first to use this method for underwater blasting was Charles Pasley who employed it in 1839 to break up the wreck of the British warship HMS Royal George which had become a shipping hazard at Spithead . An early major use of blasting to remove rock occurred in 1843 when the British civil engineer William Cubitt used 18,000 lbs of gunpowder to remove a 400-foot-high chalk cliff near Dover as part of
8260-690: The following inning sealed the eventual 5–4 win that gave the Yankees their one-hundredth win of the season and their third straight AL East title. Guidry earned his 25th win of the season. After defeating the Kansas City Royals for the third consecutive year in the ALCS , the Yankees faced the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series . They lost the first two games in Los Angeles, but won all three games at Yankee Stadium and Game 6 back in Los Angeles, winning their 22nd world championship. Changes occurred during
8378-405: The foul lines and between home plate and the backstop. Thus the effective overall capacity of the park was closer to 25,000, although even when stuffed to the gills, it fell well short of the normal capacity of the Polo Grounds. The original 1903 construction of Hilltop Park cost about $ 200,000, more than two-thirds of which was spent for rock blasting and excavations ; and the groundskeeper of
8496-683: The fourth, fifth and eighth innings of the sixth game of the World Series; earned the Series MVP Award ; and got the nickname "Mr. October." Throughout the late 1970s, the race for the pennant was often a close competition between the Yankees and the Red Sox. Despite that, during the 1978 season , the Red Sox were 14 + 1 ⁄ 2 games ahead of the Yankees in July. In late July, Martin suspended Reggie Jackson and fined him $ 9,000 (equivalent to $ 42,000 in 2023) for "defiance" after he bunted while Martin had
8614-456: The hearing-impaired institution to the southwest is now a parking lot for the Medical Center. Most of the other buildings visible in ballpark photos are gone, including the five-story Public School 169, behind right-center field. On September 30, 1993 a plaque was placed on the hospital grounds to mark the former location of home plate in Hilltop Park. The plaque was donated to the hospital by
8732-424: The hole during this process was then removed and replaced with a train of gunpowder. This train was ignited by a slow match , often consisting simply of brown paper smeared with grease, intended to burn long enough to allow the person who fires it enough time to reach a place of safety. The uncertainty of this method led to many accidents and various measures were introduced to improve safety for those involved. One
8850-511: The late 1960s. CBS initially suggested renovations, but the team needed to play elsewhere, and the Mets refused to open their home, Shea Stadium, to the Yankees. A new stadium in the Meadowlands , across the Hudson River in New Jersey , was suggested (and was eventually built, as Giants Stadium , specifically for football). Finally, in mid-1972, Mayor John Lindsay stepped in. The city bought
8968-467: The middle of 1989 , while back problems hampered both Winfield (who missed the entire 1989 season) and Mattingly (who missed almost the entire second half of 1990). Winfield's tenure with the team ended when he was dealt to the California Angels . From 1989 to 1992, the team had a losing record, spending significant money on free-agents and draft picks who did not live up to expectations. In 1990,
9086-529: The military. Despite losing many of their players, the Yankees still managed to pull out a win against the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1943 World Series . Following Jacob Ruppert's death in 1939, his heirs assumed control on the team. In 1945 construction and real estate magnate Del Webb along with partners Dan Topping and Larry MacPhail purchased the team from the Ruppert estate for $ 2.8 million (equivalent to roughly $ 47.8 million in 2023); MacPhail, who
9204-478: The most memorable in Yankees history. Mantle and Maris hit home runs at a fast pace and became known as the " M&M Boys ". Ultimately, a severe hip infection forced Mantle to leave the lineup at the end of the regular season. Maris continued though, and on October 1, the last day of the regular season, he hit home run number 61, surpassing Babe Ruth's single-season home run record of 60. However, MLB Commissioner Ford Frick decreed that since Maris had played in
9322-446: The newly acquired Roger Maris , the Yankees entered the 1960s seeking to replicate their success of the 1950s. Arnold Johnson , owner of the Kansas City Athletics , was a longtime business associate of Yankees co-owners Del Webb and Dan Topping . Because of this "special relationship" with the Yankees, he traded young players to them in exchange for cash and aging veterans. Invariably, these trades ended up being heavily tilted in
9440-571: The only perfect game in World Series history, which remains the only perfect game in postseason play and the only postseason no-hitter until 2010. The Yankees lost the 1957 World Series to the Milwaukee Braves when Lew Burdette won three games for the Braves and was awarded World Series MVP . Following the Series, the New York Giants and the Brooklyn Dodgers both left for San Francisco and Los Angeles , respectively. This left
9558-584: The only time in his career with 41 homers, and finished second in the MVP voting to Kansas City's George Brett . The Yankees won 103 games and the AL East by three games over the Baltimore Orioles , but were swept by the Royals in the ALCS . After the season ended, the Yankees signed Dave Winfield to a 10-year contract. A contract misunderstanding led to a feud between Winfield and Steinbrenner. The team fired Howser and replaced him with Gene Michael . Under Michael,
9676-589: The owners announced that the new ballpark was to be officially known as American League Park . Between that fact and the club president Joseph Gordon being fancifully linked by sportswriters to the Gordon Highlanders , the team nickname "Highlanders" followed logically. Opening Day came on April 30, 1903, when the New York Highlanders played the Washington Senators . The ballpark site was quite large for its time (9.6 acres (3.9 ha) or nearly double
9794-408: The park was on Broadway and a ramp led up to the top of the first base grandstand. Unlike many of the other contemporary wooden ballparks-this one never burned. Hilltop Park was not in good condition when it opened. There was a swamp in right field that had yet to be filled with rock, the outfield had no grass, the grandstand had not been completed, and players had to dress at their hotel rooms because
9912-483: The park) at more than 90°. The ballpark site was thus trapezoidal in shape and large for the Deadball Era . The seating capacity of 16,000 was also rather large for this time period. Capacity in the dead-ball Era was a flexible concept. In accordance with the practices of the day, overflow crowds were allowed to stand in the perimeter of the outfield. In addition, for "big" games, additional standees were allowed down
10030-463: The pennant by 10.5 games, but they scored only four runs in the series and were swept by the Los Angeles Dodgers and their ace pitcher, Sandy Koufax . The series was the first between the Yankees and the new Los Angeles Dodgers, after their move in 1958. After the season, Yogi Berra, who had just retired from playing, took over managerial duties. The aging Yankees returned the next year for
10148-402: The plate with what proved to be the pennant-clinching run.[ Boston Globe , October 11, 1904, p. 11] The Globe giddily called the game "The greatest victory ever won in outdoor sport." Although the Highlanders failed to win the league title, their unexpected presence in the pennant race ultimately led to the stabilization of the modern World Series . The Giants were on their way to winning
10266-558: The plot was revealed. This turn of events allowed management to implement a coherent acquisition and development program without owner interference. General Manager Gene Michael , along with manager Buck Showalter , shifted the club's emphasis from high-priced acquisitions to developing talent through the farm system . This new philosophy developed key players such as outfielder Bernie Williams , shortstop Derek Jeter , catcher Jorge Posada , and pitchers Andy Pettitte and Mariano Rivera . The first significant success came in 1994 , when
10384-491: The policy was to " instill a certain sense of order and discipline" in the players. The policy originated from Steinbrenner's service in the United States Air Force , which had a similar appearance policy. This rule is still in effect today, and enforced by his sons after George's passing. The Cincinnati Reds had the same personal appearance policy from 1967 until 1999. After the 1974 season , Steinbrenner made
10502-409: The previous five decades. As early as the 1961–62 off-season, longtime fans noticed that the pipeline of talent from the minor league affiliates had started to dry up. This was worsened by the introduction of the amateur draft that year, which meant that the Yankees could no longer sign any player they wanted. The Yankees were one of four teams who voted against the establishment of the draft, with
10620-402: The price per metre of tunnel is lower. This means that shorter tunnels tend to be less economical to construct with a TBM and are therefore usually constructed by drill and blast. Managing ground conditions can also have a significant effect on the choice with different methods suited to different hazards in the ground. The use of explosives in mining goes back to the year 1627, when gunpowder
10738-469: The record. Meanwhile, first baseman Lou Gehrig had his first big season, batting .373 with 47 home runs and 175 runs batted in (RBI), beating Ruth's single-season RBI mark which he had set in 1921. The Yankees won the World Series again in 1928. In 1931, Joe McCarthy , who was previously manager of the Chicago Cubs , was hired as manager and brought the Yankees back to the top of the AL. They swept
10856-490: The role of team president in 1966, resigned as president in April but stayed with the organization as a consultant to the owner. Within a year, Steinbrenner bought out most of his other partners and became the team's principal owner, although Burke continued to hold a minority share into the 1980s. One of Steinbrenner's major goals was to renovate Yankee Stadium. Both the stadium and the surrounding neighborhood had deteriorated by
10974-466: The season, the two clubs finished in a tie for first place in the AL East, and a tiebreaker game was held at Fenway Park. With Guidry pitching against former Yankee Mike Torrez , the Red Sox took an early 2–0 lead. In the seventh inning, light-hitting Yankee shortstop Bucky Dent drove a three-run home run over the Fenway Park's Green Monster , putting the Yankees up 3–2. Reggie Jackson's solo home run in
11092-516: The shore of the Harlem River in Washington Heights, was home to the New York Giants of the National League. The Giants were inter-city rivals with the Highlanders, dating back to when Giants manager John McGraw feuded with Ban Johnson after McGraw jumped from the Orioles to the Giants. Polo Grounds III burned down in 1911 and the Highlanders shared Hilltop Park with the Giants during a two-month renovation period. Later, from 1913 to 1922,
11210-609: The size of many ballpark sites of that era), and the south portion of the land plot was used for the parking of first carriages and later automobiles. The shape of the land plot was a large trapezoid with right angles at the site's northeast and southeast corners. The left field foul line ran mostly North to South and was parallel to Fort Washington Road (the western boundary of the park). The left field foul line would, if extended about 20 additional feet, have intersected 168th Street at less than 90°. The right field foul line would, if extended, have intersected Broadway (the eastern boundary of
11328-508: The stadium and began an extensive two-year renovation period. Since the city also owned Shea Stadium, the Mets were forced to allow the Yankees to play two seasons there. The renovations modernized the look of the stadium, significantly altered the dimensions, and reconfigured some of the seating. In 1973, Steinbrenner instituted a personal appearance policy that included being clean-shaven, with long hair slicked back or trimmed. In an interview with The New York Times , Steinbrenner stated
11446-708: The team at Hilltop Park, a hastily constructed wooden park seating about 16,000 fans, on the west side of Broadway between 165th and 168th streets. It was catty-corner to the New York School for the Deaf , which at that time was located at 99 Fort Washington. The land was acquired via a ten-year lease, arranged by the New York Institution for the Blind . The block was effectively parkland, with many trees to be cut down and an artificial lake to be drained and filled in. In mid-April,
11564-487: The team pay for the new stadium. At the end of the season, the Yankees faced the Giants in the World Series for the third straight year and won their first championship. In the 1927 season , the Yankees featured a lineup that became known as " Murderers' Row ", and some consider this team to be the best in the history of baseball (though similar claims have been made for other Yankee squads, notably those of 1939, 1961 and 1998). The name originated from The Tombs ,
11682-476: The team performance. At the start of 1915, the pair sold the team to Colonel Jacob Ruppert , a brewer, and Captain Tillinghast L'Hommedieu Huston , a contractor-engineer. Ruppert and Huston paid $ 350,000 (equivalent to $ 9,375,000 in 2021) with both men contributing half of the total price. After the purchase, Ruppert assumed the role of team president with Huston becoming team secretary and treasurer . In
11800-407: The time they met Boston for a pivotal four-game series at Fenway Park in early September, the Yankees were four games behind the Red Sox. The Yankees swept the Red Sox in what became known as the "Boston Massacre", winning the games 15–3, 13–2, 7–0, and 7–4. The third game was a shutout pitched by Ron Guidry , who led the majors with nine shutouts, a 25–3 record, and a 1.74 ERA. On the last day of
11918-465: The years around 1920, the Yankees, the Red Sox, and the Chicago White Sox had a détente . The trades between the three ball clubs antagonized Ban Johnson and garnered the teams the nickname "The Insurrectos ". This détente paid off well for the Yankees as they increased their payroll. Most new players who later contributed to the team's success came from the Red Sox, whose owner, Harry Frazee ,
12036-402: Was coined by writer Dan Shaughnessy in the 1990 book of the same name. Ruth's multitude of home runs proved so popular that the Yankees began drawing more people than their National League counterpart, the Giants. In 1921 — the year after acquiring Ruth — the Yankees played in their first World Series . They competed against the Giants , and all eight games of the series were played in
12154-544: Was constructed in one of Upper Manhattan 's highest points—between 165th and 168th Streets in the Washington Heights neighborhood. The team was named the New York Highlanders. Fans believed the name was chosen because of the team's elevated location in Upper Manhattan, or as a nod to team president Joseph Gordon's Scottish-Irish heritage (the Gordon Highlanders were a well known Scottish military unit). The land
12272-567: Was easier to fit in headlines. The Highlanders finished second in the AL in 1904, 1906, and 1910. In 1904, they lost the deciding game on a wild pitch to the Boston Americans , who later became the Boston Red Sox. That year, Highlander pitcher Jack Chesbro set the single-season wins record at 41. At this time there was no formal World Series agreement wherein the AL and NL winners would play each other. The Polo Grounds , located on
12390-572: Was first used in place of mechanical tools in the Hungarian (now Slovak ) town of Banská Štiavnica . The innovation spread quickly throughout Europe and the Americas. The standard method for blasting rocks was to drill a hole to a considerable depth and deposit a charge of gunpowder at the further end of the hole and then fill the remainder of the hole with clay or some other soft mineral substance, well rammed, to make it as tight as possible. A wire laid in
12508-414: Was founded in 1903 when Frank Farrell and Bill Devery purchased the franchise rights to the defunct Baltimore Orioles (no relation to the current team of the same name ) after it ceased operations and used them to establish the New York Highlanders . The Highlanders were officially renamed the Yankees in 1913 . The team is owned by Yankee Global Enterprises , a limited liability company that
12626-748: Was fully realised. Drilling and blasting was successfully used to construct tunnels throughout the world, notably the Fréjus Rail Tunnel , the Gotthard Rail Tunnel , the Simplon Tunnel , the Jungfraubahn and even the longest road tunnel in the world, Lærdalstunnelen , are constructed using this method. In 1990, 2.1 billion kg of commercial explosives were consumed in the United States (12 m per capita), representing an estimated expenditure of 3.5 to 4 billion 1993 dollars on blasting. In this year
12744-417: Was hired and fired by Steinbrenner five times over the next 13 years. This conflict, combined with the extremely rowdy Yankees fans of the late 1970s and the bad conditions of the Bronx, led to the Yankees organization and stadium being referred to as the " Bronx Zoo ". Despite the turmoil, Jackson hit four home runs in the 1977 World Series ; hit three of those home runs on the first pitch of his at bats in
12862-405: Was later known as "Lou Gehrig's Disease" in his memory. The Yankees declared July 4, 1939, to be "Lou Gehrig Day", on which they retired his number 4, the first retired number in baseball. Gehrig made a famous speech in which he declared himself to be "the luckiest man on the face of the earth." He died two years later on June 2, 1941. The acclaimed movie The Pride of the Yankees about Gehrig
12980-664: Was owned by the New York Institute for the Education of the Blind and was leased to the Highlanders for 10 years. Initially, the team was commonly referred to as the New York Americans. The team was also referred to as the "Invaders" in the Evening Journal and The Evening World . New York Press Sports Editor Jim Price coined the unofficial nickname Yankees (or "Yanks") for the club as early as 1904, because it
13098-448: Was released in 1942. The 1941 season was often described as the last year of the "Golden Era" before the United States entered World War II and other realities intervened. Numerous achievements were made in the early 1940s including Ted Williams of the Red Sox hitting for the elusive .400 batting average and Joe DiMaggio getting hits in consecutive ballgames. By the end of his hitting streak , DiMaggio hit in 56 consecutive games ,
13216-431: Was replacing the iron wire, by which the passage for the gunpowder is formed, with one of copper, to eliminate sparking that could ignite the powder prematurely. Another was the use of a safety fuse . This consisted of small train of gunpowder inserted in a water-proof cord, which burns at a steady and uniform rate. This in turn was later replaced by a long piece of wire that was used to deliver an electric charge to ignite
13334-505: Was the longest under George Steinbrenner's ownership. Torre was announced as the new Yankees manager in November 1995. Rock blasting Drilling and blasting is the controlled use of explosives and other methods, such as gas pressure blasting pyrotechnics, to break rock for excavation . It is practiced most often in mining , quarrying and civil engineering such as dam , tunnel or road construction. The result of rock blasting
13452-407: Was the team president, treasurer, and general manager, was bought out following the 1947 World Series . After a few slumping seasons, McCarthy left the organization in 1946. A few interim managers later, Bucky Harris took the job, righting the ship and taking the Yankees to a hard-fought series victory against the Dodgers . Despite finishing only three games behind the Cleveland Indians in
13570-511: Was traded to the Oakland A's in the deal that brought Henderson to New York. The team came close to winning the AL East in 1985 and 1986 , finishing second to the Toronto Blue Jays and Boston Red Sox, respectively, but fell to fourth place in 1987 and fifth in 1988 , despite having mid-season leads in the AL East both years. By the end of the decade, the Yankees' offense declined. Henderson and third baseman Mike Pagliarulo had departed by
13688-503: Was trading them for large sums of money to finance his theatrical productions. Pitcher-turned-outfielder Babe Ruth was the most talented of all the acquisitions from Boston, and the outcome of that trade would haunt the Red Sox for the next 86 years, a span in which the team did not win a single World Series championship. This phenomenon eventually became known as the Curse of the Bambino , which
13806-466: Was under construction in nearby Flushing, Queens . This restored New York as a city with more than one team, as it had been from the late 1800s until 1957. The Yankees won the 1962 World Series , their tenth in the past sixteen years, defeating the San Francisco Giants 4–3. It was the Yankees' last championship until 1977 . The Yankees easily reached the 1963 World Series when they won
13924-551: Was winding down, and the "Yankee Clipper" retired after the 1951 season after numerous injuries. That year marked the arrival of Mickey Mantle , who was one of several rookies to fill the gap. Bettering the clubs managed by Joe McCarthy, the Yankees won the World Series five consecutive times from 1949 to 1953 under Stengel, which remains an MLB record. Led by players like center fielder Mickey Mantle , pitcher Whitey Ford , and catcher Yogi Berra , Stengel's teams won ten pennants and seven World Series titles in his 12 seasons as
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