Of the hundreds of New York Yankee Players, only a few good ones have been from Jersey. Here are the Top 5 Yankees Born In New Jersey. Ruth? Nope, Maryland. Gehrig? Na, New York City. How about Mick? Oklahoma, sorry. Joe D? California.
No most of the all-time great Yankees have come from other parts of the country. However, that’s not to say other baseball greats haven’t hailed from New Jersey. Take for instance the great Mike Trout of the Angels. As for the Yankees, we had to do a little stretching to find the top 5 born in New Jersey. Some were raised here as well, however, we went with born, for reasons you will see very soon.
New Jersey And The Yankees
Besides having some quality ball players born in the Garden State, there are some other links between Jersey and the Bronx Bombers. First and foremost, over the years dozens of Yankees have made their in-season and sometimes off-season homes here. Back in the 1970’s, my hometown of Norwood, in Bergen County was in season home to the likes of Gene Michael, Catfish Hunter, Graig Nettles, and Yankee Captain Thurman Munson. The latter three all lived on the same street not far from my home. I’d see them from time to time and at the local convenience store or pizza place. Other in-season residents of Bergen County during that time included Willie Randolph, Lou Piniella, and Sparky Lyle.
Meanwhile, back in the 1950’s Hall Of Famers Phil Rizzuto and Yogi Berra owned a Bowl-A-Rama bowling alley in Clifton, New Jersey!
It’s no surprise that the Yankees of the past had ties to northern New Jersey, with the proximity to Yankee Stadium, lower state taxes, and a chance to have their families spend the summer in the burgeoning suburbs.
Now what about those notable Yankees that were born here in New Jersey? Here are 5 of the most accomplished!
Al Downing - Trenton
Downing was a journeyman pitcher who played for an impressive 17 seasons, and was on hand for, or had a hand in some remarkable moments. He played with Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris during their immortal 1961 season with the Yankees, leading to a his only World Series ring. However it is one moment in time Al Downing will be forever linked with. It came while he was pitching in the latter stages of his career with the Los Angeles Dodgers…
Todd Frazier - Toms River
Technically The Toddfather was born in Point Pleasant, but he is known as Toms River’s finest for many reason. In the majors he enjoyed All Star Game success with the Cincinnati Reds, winning the Home Run Derby, and even got to play for the Yankees and Mets before his career wound down a couple of years ago. He’s a pillar of the Toms River community, and is always seen at charitable functions, chatting with kids on the local sports fields, and even stopping by the Rat studios once in a while.
Oh yeah, and then there’s that other memory that will live forever…
