Let's face it, playing for for the Yankees is like being promoted into a whole new level of baseball. Only the truly great ones can still excell. So, if a player never plays for them, how do we know?
2006-12-08 10:53:07 · 43 answers · asked by Anonymous in Sports ➔ Baseball
DE-REK!!! JE-TER!!!
2006-12-08 10:56:03 · update #1
maybe they should have another section in the HOF for guys that played great while with the Yanks and call it THE PROVEN HALL OF FAMERS
2006-12-08 11:01:24 · update #2
yes look at Hank Aaron
Ernie Banks
Milke Schmidt
ROBERTO CLEMENTE
i can go on and on
Nolan Ryan
Johnny Bench
Steve Garvey
2006-12-08 11:04:34 · answer #1 · answered by nas88car300 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Ok I am a Yankees fan but what your saying is that Hank Aaron isn't a true great, Willie Mays is not a true great, Ty Cobb is not a true great, Ted Williams is not a true great, and etc. That is a ridiculous statement. I mean Yankees are the most storied franchise but to say if you never played for them they should not be considered great is just an overstatement. If you can excel in New York like Babe Ruth, Micky Mantle, Joe D, Don Mattingly, Mariano Rivera, and Derek Jeter then all hands to you. But, being a great isn't about the team you are on it's about how you affected the game in a positive way. Bonds and Mcgwire have affected the game in a negative way and should never be considered great. Clemente brought interest from the latino community to baseball which has since developed some of the best players in baseball, he is a great. Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier and gave an opportunity for African-Americans to play the game at the highest level. I don't know how you can not consider these guys great along as the other players mentioned just because they didn't wear the pinstripes.
2006-12-08 11:01:30 · answer #2 · answered by Andrew B 4 · 2⤊ 2⤋
There are a lot of great players who never donned the Yankees pinstripes and made it to the Hall of Fame but many players have been able to get more of the recognition that they did get from their old teams or deserved by playing on the Yankees! Since the Yankees are (usually) perennial winners, a player is usually more recognized for his accomplishments...
Some can have outstanding stats, like Ryan Howard of Philadelphia, and people wonder how come the Phillies did not do better with someone with the offensive numbers like Howard put up? It is unfortunate that Howard played for a losing team...
2006-12-09 09:42:16 · answer #3 · answered by ToadysFroggy 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm one of the biggest Yankee fans there is, but there are LOTS of outstanding players who never wore pinstripes. Among those that immediately come to mind are Jackie Robinson, Hank Aaron, Cal Ripken, and Kirby Puckett. All were exceptional players and also great human beings. The fact that they didn't play their home games in the Bronx doesn't lessen that one bit. Nor does it diminish the wonderful things the Yankees have accomplished over the years that there are great players on other teams.
2006-12-08 14:46:37 · answer #4 · answered by dmb 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You can absolutely be a great without playing for the Yankees. I am the biggest Yankees fan in the world and I can say that there are pleanty of fantastic players out there that have never and will never be a Yankee. Albert Pujols, Barry Bonds, Mark MacGuire, and not to metion the old school...Ted Williams, Pete Rose, and Hank Aaron.
2006-12-08 11:25:56 · answer #5 · answered by Dan s 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
There have more greats than the yankees have produced, the only thing that the yankee name does for anyone is makes a overrated played get a name just because he is a yankee(look at jeter(he sucks big time overrated) I think that there are way more greats than being a yankee.
2006-12-09 01:56:30 · answer #6 · answered by mystic red knight 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Of course they can. One of my favorite all time players was a Boston Red Sox great - Ted Williams. Your only seeing the current era of Yankee players. I agree its a great venue to play for but some other great cities have had there moments in the sun as well.
2006-12-08 23:22:30 · answer #7 · answered by Oz 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Im a Mets fan but I do recognize the history of great players for the Skankees. However, Ted Williams, Pete Rose, Mike Schmidt, Johnny Bench, Hank Aaron, Frank Robinson, etc., etc., never played for the Skankees. So, to answer your question: YES!
2006-12-08 14:46:08 · answer #8 · answered by metsfan61401 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
who did you play,,,boston great ted williams i say was because he faced the Yankees and mostly the same teams. But,,,,really hank arron faced crap teams from the national league. willy mays also played sad teams in the national league. lets see how great arron or mays would be facing the Yankees and boston every other day and always in the playoffs. Play and do well in the pinstripes is like the key to immortality,,not just the hall of fame. Babe Ruth,Micky Mantle,etc...
2006-12-10 18:33:50 · answer #9 · answered by Yankee Bill 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Pete Rose never played for the Yankees.
2006-12-08 23:16:35 · answer #10 · answered by Bob N 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Reggie Jackson was great BEFORE he played for New York. He didn't the Yankees to win the Series, but boy, did they need him.
2006-12-08 14:19:40 · answer #11 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋