The New York Yankees really knew how to pluck talent away from the Red Sox for a time didn’t they?

Earl Combs played with New York for all of his twelve seasons in Major League Baseball and he was one of the sweetest hitters in the game.  Combs would bat over .300 eight years in a row and had a very impressive career average of .325.  He also had excellent plate discipline with an On Base Percentage of .397 and six campaigns exceeding the .400 mark six times.

A four-time All-Star who spent all eleven of his Major League seasons with the New York Yankees, Spud Chandler posted a very impressive career record of 109 and 43.  Twice a 20 Game winner, Chandler would have his best season in 1943 where he went 20 and 4 while winning the ERA and WHIP Title while winning the American League MVP Title.  Chandler would also help New York win three World Series Titles.

Hmmm.

This is another tricky one.

In regards to pure talent Snuffy Stirnweiss doesn’t belong here and his greatest seasons took place during World War II when the Majors were depleted.  He won his infield job when Joe Gordon served his country and lost it when he came back. 

In 1965 Bobby Mercer played his first game for New York at age 19 and after bouncing back and forth from the minors and a one-year stint in the army, he would become a fixture in the Yankees lineup in 1969 and would become a popular and productive member of the team.

Playing his entire career with the New York Yankees, Tommy Henrich had one of the best nicknames in sports, “The Clutch”.  This stemmed from his World Series exploits most significantly hitting the first ever walk off Home Run in World Series history (Game 1 in 1949).  Basically, while there may have been bigger stars around Henrich, this was the guy you wanted at the plate when it counted the most.

Mike Mussina won more games and played more seasons as a Baltimore Oriole.  He also was never named an All-Star as a New York Yankee.  Still, there is no doubt in our minds that Mussina belongs on this list.

A New York Yankee for all fifteen of his seasons of Major League Baseball career, Roy White provided solid service over that time.  White was a two-time All-Star who put up a decent On Base Percentage and would lead the AL in Walks in 1972.  He would also finish in the top ten in Power/Speed seven times and had 160 Home Runs with 223 Stolen Bases.

Yet another player that the Yankees fleeced from the Boston Red Sox, Herb Pennock would prove to be an incredibly more productive player in pinstripes than in crimson stockings.

One of the most highly regarded defensive Third Baseman in the game’s history Graig Nettles also brought some pop to the New York Yankees when he arrived prior to the 1973 season.  Nettles would provide New York with eight seasons of twenty plus Home Runs (including seven in a row) one of which was enough to win the American League Home Run title (1976).  The year after, he would actually hit more Home Runs (though would not win the title) and would finish 5th in MVP voting.  The season after Nettles would finish 6th.

A New York Yankee for all seventeen of his MLB seasons, Jorge Posada was a very good Catcher who was a member of New York’s “Core Four” along with Andy Pettitte, Derek Jeter, and Mariano Rivera.  Posada and the other three assisted the Yankees to win four World Series Championships in that time frame.

Holy Cow!

Before Phil Rizzuto became known to a generation for his broadcasting, “Scooter” was the star Shortstop who played his entire career for the New York Yankees.

Honestly, this was a bit of a surprise as when you think of the career of Rickey Henderson it is the Oakland A’s that you think of as this is where he played in four separate stints and won the American League MVP.   He was however an excellent player for the New York Yankees for and half seasons during his prime, where he put up individual numbers good enough to land him here.

You know the story of Roger Maris.

If you don’t, why are you here?

One of the greatest all-around athletes as a teenager, the sport of baseball was fortunate that Dave Winfield chose it instead of the many other choices he had.

Posthumously inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame via the Veterans Committee in 1991, Tony Lazzeri was a very popular member of the famed Murderers Row lineup that the Yankees had in the late ’20s and early ’30s.  Over a twelve-year stint with New York, Lazzeri accumulated 169 Home Runs with 1,784 Hits and a .294 Batting Average and was a major part of assisting New York to win five World Series Championships. 

Bob Shawkey is an underappreciated member of Yankees history, but when you play alongside the likes of Babe Ruth, that is easy to see why.

The ace of the Yankees staff that would win four World Series Championships in five seasons Andy Pettitte did not just help New York win those titles, he was instrumental in those championships.  Pettitte holds the record of the most-post season wins (19) and 18 of those were as a Yankee.

A member of the back-to-back Yankees World Series Champions in 1977 and 1978, Willie Randolph could be one of the most underrated baseball players ever. 

One of the most recognized Catchers in the 1970’s, Thurman Munson was called by many of his teammates as the heart and soul of the New York Yankees.  This is very high praise considering how good the team they were in the last half of the 1970’s.