What The Yankees Waited Nearly 50 Years To Do

New York Yankees News.  Welcome to This Week In Yankees Baseball. With Jorge Posada and Andy Pettitte receiving honors this week, we are reminded that the Yankees did something on August 25, 1996 that they had not done in nearly 50 years.

Quick, without touching google or reaching for your Yankees history book, tell me what that would be. Okay, here is your clue: Number 7.

That´s right. It was August 25, 1996 that the Yankees honored Mickey Mantle with a monument in Monument Park. Of course, The Mick´s number had long been retired, and he had already received a plaque. So just about a year after his passing his monument became the fourth. [related category]

And no Yankee was ever more deserving. Not just because of his three MVP awards, or his 536 home runs, or his Triple Crown in 1956. Mickey embodied everything that it means to be a Yankee. He never gave up, despite playing through pain for so long.

The first to receive a monument was manager Miller Huggins in 1932. Huggins was followed by Lou Gehrig in 1941. Babe Ruth came next in 1949.

That left about 47 years  until Mantle received his. Since then, the Yankees have added Joe DiMaggio and George Steinbrenner. Of course, there is also a very special 9/11 Remembrance monument.

So it is more than appropriate that Posada and Pettite should receive their plaques nearly to the day that Mickey was honored with a monument. Like Mickey, Jorge and Andy are true Yankees. Even though Pettitte took a brief hiatus, he ultimately realized where his heart is.

The week ends with the Bombers battling the pesky Toronto Blue Jays for first place in the American League East. Luis Severino picked up his first major league win after he allowed just one run on three hits to the Indians on Saturday. CC Sabathia left Sunday´s game early with knee pain. Stay tuned to Yanks Go Yard for the latest update.