Aaron Judge joins the air of radiation.
After officially announcing Umpire’s new nine-year, $360 million contract, Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner announced that he will become the 16th captain in franchise history, the first since Derek Jeter retired.
The Yankees first named a captain in 1903, with pitcher Clark Griffith the first to hold the honor. Here’s a look at all 16 captains in Yankees history:
Clark Griffith
Griffith captained the Yankees in his first season as the New York Highlanders, a title he held until 1905 as a player-manager when the captains performed on-field managerial duties. He had a 2.66 ERA in five years as a player and a 419-370 record in five-plus seasons as a manager.
Norman “Kid” Elberfeld
Elberfeld captained the Yankees from 1906-08 and finished the 1908 season as their manager after Griffith was fired. The infielder hit .268 with four homers and 257 RBI over seven seasons with the team.
Willie Keeler
Keeler captained the Yankees for one season in 1909, the last of his seven years with the club. The outfielder hit .294 with 10 home runs and a team-high 206 RBIs.
Hal Chase
Chase was captain in the 1910 and ’11 seasons, when he also managed the team. Primarily a first baseman, he hit .284 with 20 home runs and 494 RBI for the Yankees.
Frank Chance
Chance joined the franchise in 1913 and was captain until midway through the season that year. He also managed the team for two seasons, during which he went 117-168 and played in 13 games as a player.
Rolly Zeider
Zeider captained the Yankees for the remainder of the 1913 season after being traded by the White Sox. He hit .233 with 12 RBI in 50 games and was traded to the Chicago Chi-Feds in 1914.
Roger Peckinpaugh
The shortstop was promoted to captain in 1914 and held the title for seven years. In nine seasons with the team, he hit .257 with 36 home runs and 428 RBI. He also finished the 1914 season as the team’s manager.
Grandfather Ruth
In early 1922, Babe Ruth became the franchise’s eighth captain, but he only held the title for two months. The Bambino certainly became one of the most popular athletes and drove in 714 career home runs, 659 of which came as a Yankee. He led the franchise to its first four World Series titles.
Lou Gehrig
Another franchise and sports legend, Gehrig was a captain from 1935-39 when he retired due to ALS. The Iron Horse streak was 2,130 until Cal Ripken broke it in 1995. In 17 seasons, the two-time MVP hit .340 with 493 home runs and 1,995 RBIs. His No. 4 was the first number retired in team history.
Thurman Munson
The Yankees went 37 years without a captain until Munson was honored in 1976. He then pitched and won the AL MVP award that season. He was a captain until his tragic death in a plane crash in 1979. Munson hit .292 with 113 home runs and 701 RBIs in 11 seasons.
Graig nettle
Nettles took over as captain in 1982 and held the title for two seasons before being traded to the Padres. The six-time All-Star spent 11 seasons with the Yankees, hitting 250 home runs with 834 RBI.
Willie Randolph
Randolph was captain for two seasons from 1986-88. A six-time All-Star and one-time World Series champion, the second baseman played 13 seasons with the Yankees, hitting .275 with 48 homers, 549 RBIs and 251 stolen bases. Randolph shared the captaincy during his career.
Ron Guidry
Guidry and Randolph were named co-captains in 1986, and Guidry’s tenure continued until his retirement in 1989. The Gator won two championships in his 14 seasons with the Yankees and won the AL Cy Young Award in 1978. He had a career ERA of 3.29 with 1,778 strikeouts.
Don Mattingly
Mattingly was a captain from 1991-95. He was the AL MVP in 1985, when he hit .324 with 35 home runs and 145 RBI. In 14 seasons, Mattingly hit 222 homers, 442 doubles and 1,099 RBI.
Derek Jeter
Jeter is the longest-serving captain in franchise history, holding the title from 2003 until his retirement in 2014. His impact on the Yankees culminated in his being known as “The Captain” – five World Series titles, 14 times. Star, Hall of Famer. He had a career .310 average with 1,923 runs batted in and 544 doubles, and he hit .308 in 158 career playoff games.
Judge Aaron
Judge was named Yankees captain after a dramatic free agency process that included meetings with the Giants, his boyhood team and the Padres. He remained in the Bronx after a record-breaking 2022 campaign in which he hit 62 home runs, surpassing Roger Maris’ AL and team record of 61. Through 2022, Judge has hit 220 home runs.
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