Black History Month: New York Yankees Top African-American Players

As the calendar flips to February, not only do we celebrate the New York Yankees return to Spring Training, but we also celebrate Black History Month. A month in which we remember the triumph and accomplishments of African-American’s throughout U.S. History, including the great Martin Luther King Jr., Frederick Douglas, Jesse Owens and of course Mr. Jackie Robinson himself.

That said, the perfect way for Yanks Go Yard to kick off the month of February is by celebrating the top four African-American players to ever don the Yankee pinstripes!

Enjoy.

1. Elston Gene “Ellie” Howard

Hall of Famer Elston Howard played 13-years for the New York Yankees from 1955-1967. During his illustrious career with the Yankees, the backstop slashed .279/.324/.436 with a .749 OPS. He also notched 161 home runs and 733 RBI and represented the Yankees in nine different All-Star Games and won two gold glove awards.

Howard was the the American League Most Valuable Player in 1963 after batting .287 with 28 HR and 85 RBI. He also batted over .300 three different times and helped the Yankees to four World Series Titles in 1957, 1958, 1961 and 1962.

After he retired he went on to coach the Yankees for ten years from 1969-1979, becoming the first African-American coach in the American League and leading the Yankees to back-to-back World Series Titles in 1977 and 1978.

Unfortunately Howard became ill shortly after and died of myocarditis in 1980.

His number 32 was retired by the New York Yankees and he has a plaque dedicated to him out in Monument Park.

2. Reginald Martinez “Reggie” Jackson

Though Reggie Jackson only played for the New York Yankees from 1977 through 1981, he was one of the greatest Yankees to ever play the game. The Hall of Famer was named to the American League All-Star team in each of his five season in the Bronx. He also won a silver slugger award and finished second in MVP voting behind Hall of Famer George Brett in 1980. In his five seasons with the Yankees, Reggie slashed .281/.371/.526 with an .897 OPS, 144 home runs and 461 RBI.

His most famous Yankee achievement came during the 1977 World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers when he hit three home runs off three different pitchers in the series-clinching game six, helping the Yankees to their first World Series in 15 years and earning the nickname “Mr.October.”

Now-a-days, Reggie Jackson has a well-deserved plaque out in Monument Park in Yankee Stadium after the Yankees retired his number 44 in 1993. He also spends his time hanging out in Tampa, Florida during Spring Training and occasionally popping up at Yankee Stadium to give players advice.

3. Willie Larry Randolph

Aug 23, 2014; Bronx, NY, USA; Willie Randolph (left) shakes hands with Reggie Jackson during Joe Torre Day ceremony at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports

Over the course of his 18-year career, Willie Randolph played for six different major league clubs, but his 13-year stint with the New York Yankees from 1976-1988 is what he’s most known for.

As a member of the Yankees, “Little Willie” batted .275 with 48 home runs and 251 stolen bases. Similar to his former teammate Reggie Jackson, Randolph represented the Yankees five times in the MLB All-Star Game and earned one silver slugger award.

Randolph and his lightning speed helped the Yankees to back-to-back World Series’ titles in 1977 and 1978. He was even named co-captain of the Yankees from 1986-1988 alongside teammate Ron Guidry.

When all was said and done, Randolph was ranked fifth in major league history in games played at second base (2,152), ninth in putouts (4,859), seventh in assists (6,336), eighth in total chances (11,429), and third in double plays (1,547).

When his playing days were over, he joined the Yankees as a coach for eleven years and helped Joe Torre lead the Yankees to four World Series titles – one in 1996 and three in a row from 1998-2000.

Willie Randolph’s pinstripe accomplishments were recognized with a plaque out in Monument Park last June.

4. Dave Winfield

Hall of Famer Dave Winfield spent more time with the New York Yankees than any other team he played for over the course of his 22-year career.

He donned the pinstripes for nine years from 1981-1990, earning All-Star recognition in eight of his nine years in the Bronx. He also won five Gold Glove Awards and five Silver Slugger Awards, but never won a World Series Title with the Yankees.

During his nine-year career in the Bronx, he managed to slash an incredible .290/.356/.495 with an .851 OPS, 205 home runs and 818 RBI.

When all was said and done, Winfield compiled 3,110 total hits – good enough for 20 on the All-Time MLB Hit List with Alex Rodriguez closely trailing behind.

Winfield was elected into the MLB Hall of Fame in 2001 in his first-year of eligibility, but he chose to enter Cooperstown wearing a San Diego Padres hat. Still, he was certainly one of the greatest Yankees of all-time.

Honorable Mention:

CC Sabathia, Roy White and Al Downing.