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New York Yankees Editorial: The Franchise Four Was Perfect

By Jason Evans

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As a part of the All-Star Game festivities last night, each franchise got a Franchise Four. A Mount Rushmore of sorts as to the top four players in each team’s history as voted on by the fans. The New York Yankees four were Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Mickey Mantle and Joe DiMaggio. You know what? Nice job by the fans.

When this came out I expected Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera to find their way on it. Yogi Berra certainly had a chance as well. Obviously Jeter and Rivera are some of the greats of the game and won five rings and countless playoff games. Rivera is probably the greatest reliever ever and Jeter is probably top five ever shortstops. Berra is an icon not just on the field but as a person and for his sayings as well.  

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To me though, a list like this, you have to be iconic, especially with the history the Yankees have.

Ruth may be the greatest player ever and changed the game forever. He was hitting more homers than entire teams did. He changed the fortunes of not one, but two franchises. He did things with the bat no one could too and put baseball on the map when he played.

Gehrig is among the top first baseman ever. He held all sorts of records when he retired from grand slams to consecutive games played to home runs by a first baseman.

Dimaggio and Mantle were faces of the franchise in their primes. Dimaggio has an iconic streak record that hasn’t been broken and may never. He was fifth in homes and sixth in slugging when he retired.

Mantle was a 20 time All-Star and a seven time world champion. Those numbers by themselves are insane. He also holds six different world series records.

With all due respect to Jeter, Yogi and Mariano, the fans got it right. When you think of the Yankees, those four names should be first a foremost.

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