Baseball Almanac presents a comprehensive & chronological list of Team Captains for the New York Yankees franchise — a truly historic franchise that author David Voigt once described with, "In a tough age which called for tough men in baseball, the Yankees were the toughest." Research by Baseball Almanac.
"This is a great honor. Captain of the Yankees is not a title that is thrown around lightly. It is a huge responsibility and one that I take very seriously. I thank Mr. Steinbrenner for having such confidence in me." - Jeter, Derek. Press Conference. 3 June 2003. Yankee Stadium.
New York Yankees Team CaptainsYankee Team Captains Appear in Chronological Order |
|||
Captain # | Dates | Yankee Captains | Pos |
1st | 1903 to 1905 | Clark Griffith | P |
2nd | 1906 to 1908 | Kid Elberfeld | SS |
3rd | 1909 to 1909 | Willie Keeler | RF |
4th | 1910 to 1911 | Hal Chase | 1B |
5th | First Half of 1913 Season | Frank Chance | 1B |
6th | Last Half of 1913 Season | Rollie Zeider | IF |
7th | 1914 to 1921 | Roger Peckinpaugh | SS |
8th | 05-20-1922 to 05-25-1922 | Babe Ruth | OF |
9th | 04-21-1935 to 06-02-1941 | Lou Gehrig | 1B |
10th | 04-17-1976 to 08-02-1979 | Thurman Munson | C |
11th | 01-29-1982 to 03-30-1984 | Graig Nettles | 3B |
12th | 03-04-1986 to 10-02-1989 | Willie Randolph | 2B |
13th | 03-04-1986 to 07-12-1989 | Ron Guidry | P |
14th | 02-28-1991 to 10-08-1995 | Don Mattingly | 1B |
15th | 06-03-2003 to 09-28-2014 | Derek Jeter | SS |
16th | 12-21-2022 to Active | Aaron Judge | RF |
17th | -- | -- | -- |
Captain # | Dates | Yankee Captains | Pos |
Team Captains of the New York Yankees | Bold = HOF |
Thurman Munson once said, "Maybe they made me captain because I've been here so long. If I'm supposed to be captain by example, then I'll be a terrible captain." This quote, as well as the research above, came from various newspapers in the Baseball Almanac Research Library. The Yankees, however, now include the following hanady research list in their annual Media Guide.
New York Yankees Captains | New York Yankees Official Media Guide | Feb. 2022
Baseball Almanac Research Library
On May 25, 1922, Babe Ruth lost the captaincy of the Yankees, was suspended from the game, and fined $200 by Ban Johnson. During the game, which was played versus the Senators at the Polo Grounds, Ruth was thrown out at second base by an outfielder. Ruth disagreed with the call and threw dirt into the face of umpire George Hildebrand who promptly ejected Ruth. On the way to the dugout, a fan called Ruth, "a lowdown bum and other names that got me mad" — so he attacked the fan in the stands as well.
George Steinbrenner said, "I have always been very, very careful about giving such a responsibility (Captain of the New York Yankees) to one of my players, but I can not think of a single player that I have ever had who is more deserving of this honor than Derek Jeter. He is a young man of great character and has shown great leadership qualities. He believes, as I do, what General (Douglas) MacArthur said, that 'there is no substitute for victory.' To him, and to me, it's second only to breathing."