Babe Ruth fans and New York Yankees fans, this one is for you. On this day in 1949, Babe Ruth was given a monument at Yankee Stadium.
"Today In 1949: Casey Stengel talks to the crowd before his first game as manager of the New York #Yankees. This was also the day that Babe Ruth's monument was dedicated at Yankee Stadium. #MLB #Baseball #History" - @ Baseball by BSmile
Legendary New York Yankees manager Casey Stengel also coached his first game on this date and addressed the crowd before its start.
Is Babe Ruth the Greatest New York Yankee?
The Yankees are aguably the greatest baseball team in the history of the game, so, of course, they have had a lot of stellar players move through their ranks. Some greats include Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, Derek Jeter, and Alex Rodriguez. Even though all those Hall of Famers played for the Yankees, I would have to give Babe Ruth the honor of the greatest New York Yankee.
Ruth played for the Boston Red Sox first and finished his career with a short stint for the Boston Braves (now Atlanta Braves) but played for the Yankees for the majority of his career.
"Babe Ruth watching his team play in the stands after getting suspended for 6 games for barnstorming, 1921" - @ Linzgaurider
Ruth played for the Yankees from 1920-1934 after being traded to them from the Boston Red Sox in a blockbuster trade. Ruth was a star in New York. In his 15 seasons, he received one American League MVP award, won four World Series, was the American League home run leader 10 times, and the American League RBI leader four times. His number was eventually retired by the Yankees.
I recognize that Ruth was playing in a time where there were fewer teams, but if you put all of his awards together, it is hard to argue that he is not the best New York Yankee of all time.
Who is Casey Stengel?
Casey Stengel played in the MLB from 1912-1925 but is best known for his time as the manager of the Yankees. Stengel managed the Brooklyn Dodgers from 1934-1936 and the Boston Braves from 1938-1943 but made his largest impact from 1949-1960 as the manager of the Yankees.
Stengel led the Yankees to six World Series and had his number retired by the Yankees. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1966.