With 27 World Series Championships—far more than the St. Louis Cardinals, the second-place team (11)—the New York Yankees are the most decorated team in the history of baseball and, arguably, might even be the most celebrated sports franchise in world history. The team, once known as the New York Highlanders, has a long history of dominance and has called New York City home for nearly 120 years.
There are a lot of things that might come to mind when people think about the Yankees. In addition to their World Series wins, hearing the term “Yankees” might also cause you to think about some of the team’s most decorated players—Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, Derek Jeter, and countless more—as well as the team’s iconic stadiums, located in the Bronx. But somewhere along the line, you likely also think about the logo, one which—according to at least one recent survey—is the most recognized sports logo in the world.
Whether you are a diehard Yankee fan or are a fan of one of the other 29 admittedly less successful franchises, you might be wondering just how the Yankee logo actually came about. Below, we will discuss the history of the Yankee logo and how this logo has evolved over time.
Humble Origins
At the end of the 19th Century, baseball—a sport that loosely developed following the end of the Civil War—was beginning to take the United States by storm. The sport was particularly popular in the Midwest and the Northeast, two regions that were rapidly urbanizing in the post-war era.
The team now known as the New York Yankees were not the Big Apple’s first team, nor were they initially the most successful. In fact, thanks to objections from the New York Giants (now the San Francisco Giants), the original expansion team in the budding American League was placed in Baltimore. Eventually, the team’s owners, Frank Farrell and William Devery, were given permission to move their team from Baltimore to New York—a city that had recently claimed the title of being the largest in the world.
Following their move to New York, the team became known as the New York Highlanders, likely due to the location of their stadium—Hilltop Park—built at the highest point in Upper Manhattan. The Highlanders early uniforms included the letters “N. Y.”, though contrary to the current Yankee logo, the letters were separated, rather than interlocked.
The interlocking concept was initially introduced in 1905, though was eventually scrapped in favor of returning to the older, separated “N. Y.” But by 1909, owner William Devery pushed for the interlocking logo, believing it helped distinguish the Yankees from the other teams in New York at the time (the Giants and Dodgers). Devery, who was a former New York City police chief, recalled a similar design he admired in 1877 when Louis Tiffany (Tiffany and Co.) presented an engraved medal to another policeman.
Remarkable Consistency
After the introduction of the Yankee logo in 1909, it became the team’s “signature look.” The logo was included on the team’s baseball cap, something that only a fraction of the teams in the league actually did at the time. The classic pinstripe uniform, which remains largely unchanged over the past hundred years, helped solidify and distinguish the Yankees’ appearance even further.
During the 1920s and 1930s, the Yankees—who were somewhat mediocre during their first 15 years—eventually established themselves as a baseball powerhouse that would be the envy of the league. The team’s signing of Babe Ruth in 1920—considered by some to be the greatest player of all-time—combined with the building of the original and monumental Yankee Stadium in 1923 helped the team gain even further recognition, ultimately causing the Yankee logo to be recognized by baseball fans around the world.
While the dimensions and font of the Yankee logo have been slightly modified over time, it has remained remarkably unchanged over the past hundred years. The consistent use of pinstriped uniforms has helped establish a permanent, universally praised “Yankee look.”
The New York Yankees’ Alternative Logo
There is no doubt that the interlocking N and Y is the most iconic logo of the Yankees. However, for marketing and some other purposes, the team also utilizes another logo, as well. The alternative logo includes a red outline of a baseball, with “Yankees” written in cursive across the front. The “K” in “Yankees” is partially replaced with a baseball bat and at the end of the bat, there is a patriotic top hat, complete with classic American stars and stripes.
The alternative logo is not featured on any of the team’s primary uniforms but is still used during special games and other events. Nevertheless, when people think of the New York Yankees, or even New York City in general, the classic logo still prevails—and that was true long before Jay Z “made the Yankee hat more famous than a Yankee can.”
