New York Yankees Firsts

The ultimate alphabet book for every young New York Yankees fan.

In the nearly 120-year history of the New York Yankees, fans have been treated to countless firsts—the first Yankee to hit a home run in the original Yankee Stadium (Babe Ruth), the first to hit a homer in the current stadium (Jorge Posada), the first Cy Young Award winner (Bob Turley), the first to hit for the Triple Crown (Lou Gehrig), and the first to amass 3,000 hits (Derek Jeter). The list goes on. In New York Yankees Firsts, Howie Karpin presents the stories behind the firsts in Yankees history in question-and-answer format. More than a mere trivia book, Karpin’s collection includes substantive answers to the question of “who was the first . . . ?” on a variety of topics, many of which will surprise even seasoned fans of the Bronx Bombers.

Information and background on baseball and the New York Yankees.

Photographs and essays help chronicle one hundred years of history for the New York Yankees professional baseball team, profiling key players, coaches, and moments in the team's history.

Calling all Yankees fans! The Ultimate New York Yankees Trivia Book is a staple for anyone who loves baseball, sports trivia, and the Bronx Bombers. You will be tested on your knowledge of mind-blowing facts from the early days when Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio, and Lou Gehrig owned New York, as well as the current era of Bronx baseball led by the likes of Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton. Within these pages, you will find answers to over 350 trivia questions as well as hundreds of interesting facts, including: How many times was Billy Martin hired and fired as Yankees manager? (More times than you'd think.) In Derek Jeter's junior high yearbook, students were asked to write what they planned to be doing in 10 years. Jeter answered, "Playing shortstop for the New York Yankees." In a high school football game, former Yankee Johnny Damon suffered his first sports concussion at the hands of which NFL star? Back in 1998, former Yankee Alex Rodriguez was asked by a reporter who his dream date would be with. His answer? Jennifer Lopez. And 22 years later, J-Lo and A-Rod are currently engaged to be married. Who threw the Yankees' very first no-hitter in 1917? Whether you're a lifelong Yanks fan or are simply looking to hit one out of the park on MLB Trivia Night at your local bar, The Ultimate New York Yankees Trivia Book is a grand slam.

The untold story of Babe Ruth's Yankees, John McGraw's Giants, and the extraordinary baseball season of 1923. Before the 27 World Series titles -- before Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, and Derek Jeter -- the Yankees were New York's shadow franchise. They hadn't won a championship, and they didn't even have their own field, renting the Polo Grounds from their cross-town rivals the New York Giants. In 1921 and 1922, they lost to the Giants when it mattered most: in October. But in 1923, the Yankees played their first season on their own field, the newly-built, state of the art baseball palace in the Bronx called "the Yankee Stadium." The stadium was a gamble, erected in relative outerborough obscurity, and Babe Ruth was coming off the most disappointing season of his career, a season that saw his struggles on and off the field threaten his standing as a bona fide superstar. It only took Ruth two at-bats to signal a new era. He stepped up to the plate in the 1923 season opener and cracked a home run to deep right field, the first homer in his park, and a sign of what lay ahead. It was the initial blow in a season that saw the new stadium christened "The House That Ruth Built," signaled the triumph of the power game, and established the Yankees as New York's -- and the sport's -- team to beat. From that first home run of 1923 to the storybook World Series matchup that pitted the Yankees against their nemesis from across the Harlem River -- one so acrimonious that John McGraw forced his Giants to get to the Bronx in uniform rather than suit up at the Stadium -- Robert Weintraub vividly illuminates the singular year that built a classic stadium, catalyzed a franchise, cemented Ruth's legend, and forever changed the sport of baseball.