Old Yankees Never Die... Trivia Quiz

Answer: Billy Martin

Yes, it was the rambunctious Billy Martin (#1) who was part of that "managerial merry-go-round" as follows: Virdon, Martin, Howser, Lemon, Martin, Howser, Gene Michael, Lemon, Michael, Clyde King, Martin, Berra, Martin, Piniella, Martin, Piniella. Alfred Manuel 'Billy' Martin (1928-1989) was a 5 time manager of the Yankees and was known for arguing with the umpires and kicking dust at their feet.

He played second base with NY from 1950 to 1957, was an All-Star in 1956, and won 5 World Series Championships with the team (1951, 1952, 1953, 1956, 1977).

In 1986, the Yankees retired his uniform number, and in 2011 he was on the BHOF ballot.

Answer: Babe Ruth

I know this is just too easy, but his storied career is one of the most famous in all of baseball. George Herman 'Babe' Ruth (1895-1948) started out with the Boston Red Sox (BOO!) as a starting pitcher but, after he was traded to the Yankees in 1919 (invoking "the Curse of the Bambino"), he played in right field.

He retired in 1935 from the Boston Braves and, in 1936, he became one of the first five elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame (along with Ty Cobb, Walter Johnson, Christy Mathewson and Honus Wagner).

His statistics were unbelievable and his hitting legendary; the Yankees retired his number (#3) in 1948. He was the Wayne Gretzky and Michael Jordan of Baseball!

Answer: Lou Gehrig

Henry 'Lou' Gehrig (1903-1941) set records for hitting the most career grand slams (23) tied by Alex Rodriguez of the Yankees in 2012, and most consecutive games played (2,130) eclipsed by Cal Ripken on September 7, 1995. Known for his consistency and durability, it was especially ironic that this great player had to leave baseball at the age of 36 because of a condition called amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, now known as "Lou Gehrig's Disease".

In 1939 he was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame and, that same year, his number (#4) was retired by the Yankees.

In 1999 he was the leading vote-getter on the MLB All-Century Team chosen by the fans.

Answer: Joe DiMaggio

Joseph DiMaggio (1914-1999), nicknamed "Joltin' Joe" and "The Yankee Clipper", played centerfield for the Yankees for his entire thirteen season career from 1936 through 1951. He is probably most famous for his 56-game hitting streak from May 15th to July 16th, 1941, a record which was unsurpassed through the twentieth century.

He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1955 and the Yankees retired his number (#5) in 1952. In January of 1954, he eloped in San Francisco City Hall with his bride, the iconic Marilyn Monroe.

After her death, for 20 years he continued to have a half dozen red roses delivered to her crypt. He was also a spokesman for "Mr. Coffee" in the 1970s.

Answer: Mickey Mantle

Mickey Charles Mantle's baseball-loving father named him after Detroit Tigers catcher Mickey Cochrane. Mantle played his first game with the Yankees in 1951 and wound up replacing Joe Dimaggio in center field. Over the course of his career, he hit 536 homeruns, was voted Most Valuable Player 3 times (1956, 1957, 1962) and won the American League Triple Crown in 1956.

He was one of the greatest baseball players of all time, despite being plagued by osteomyelitis, and was voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame along with Whitey Ford in 1974.

The Yankees retired his uniform number (#7) in 1969. (In memory of Mantle, 'Seinfeld' character George Costanza wanted to name his future baby "Seven".)

Answer: Yogi Berra

While all the choices include famous Yankee catchers, the answer has to be Lawrence Peter 'Yogi' Berra who played almost his entire 19 year career, from 1946-1965, with the Yankees. He has also appeared in an incredible 21 World Series (as player, coach or manager), and is a 13 time Champion.

He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1972, the same year the Yankees retired his number (#8). He is said to have received his nickname for sitting with his arms and legs crossed like a Hindu yogi while waiting to bat.

He said "It ain't over 'til it's over" regarding the 1973 Mets whom he managed, and "It's deja vu all over again" about Mantle&Maris' back to back homeruns.

Answer: Bill Dickey

William Malcolm 'Bill' Dickey (1907-1993) played for the Yankees from 1928 through 1943, at which time he served in the US Navy in World War II. It was when he returned to the Yankees as a coach in 1949 that he mentored Yogi Berra. While he was with the Yankees, they went to the World Series nine times, winning an amazing eight championships and helping to further cement the Yankee dynasty.

He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1952, but it would take another twenty years, i.e., 1972, before the Yankees retired his number (#8)...yes, the same number as Yogi Berra and the same year: one retired number for two different Yankee catchers.

Answer: Roger Maris

If you knew the record was Babe Ruth's record of 60 homers in a season, set in 1927, then I'm sure you knew that it was Roger Maris who broke the record with 61 homers in 1961 (which is very convenient for remembering the event). Maris' record stood for 37 years until it was broken in 1998 by Mark McGwire (70) and Sammy Sosa (66) during baseball's "steroid era." In Maris' first year with the Yankees he led the league in "slugging percentage, runs batted in, extra base hits and finished second in home runs" (just one behind Mickey Mantle) - "deja vu, all over again".

His number (#9) was retired by the Yankees in 1984, who also dedicated a plaque in his honor at Monument Park.

Answer: Phil Rizzuto

Although all the choices are Yankee shortstops, no one was quite like Phil Rizzuto. Philip Frances Rizzuto (1917-2007) spent his entire career from 1941 through 1956 with the Yankees and went on to a 40 year career as a radio and tv announcer for...right...the Yankees.

He was known for his trademark "Holy Cow!" and his many anecdotal stories, e.g., when another broadcaster looked at his scorecard for the game, he saw a "WW" and asked Phil what that designation meant, to which Phil replied "Wasn't Watching"! Phil was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1994 and the Yankees retired his number 10 in 1985.

He also happened to be the announcer in 1961 when Maris broke Ruth's record.

Answer: Derek Jeter

It's Derek Jeter! This one was a little tricky because he is not an "Old Yankee" by Babe Ruth standards, but he is getting there. Derek Sanderson Jeter was born in 1974. The Yankee Captain is often called "Captain Clutch" because of his ability to do what needs to be done in "the big games".

In 1996 he became the starting shortstop for the Yankees, won Rookie of the Year and helped the Yankees win the World Series. While his offensive and defensive skills are astonishing, they do not compare with his demeanor and sportsmanship.

In 2009 he became the all-time Yankees hits leader and is, unquestionably, one of the greatest of all time!