Fall of an Empire?: The State of the Yankees, Part One

"The Pinstripers." "The Bronx Bombers." "The Evil Empire."

Or, simply, the New York Yankees.

Originally founded in 1901 as the Baltimore Orioles (not to be confused with the current Baltimore Orioles, who were the Milwaukee Brewers at the time), the club played two seasons in Oriole Park before moving to New York and becoming the Highlanders in 1903.

The Highlanders played in Hilltop Park as the "junior team" under the New York Giants, then moved into the new Polo Grounds in 1911. The move made "Highlanders" nonsensical, and there was a scramble to find a new name.

The media ultimately came up with "Yankees."

With an established handle and a definite home, the Yankees were ready to make their mark on the baseball world.

But how were they going to do it?

The Yankees weren't always successful. They struggled early, managing only one second-place run finish in their first 12 years—at a time when there were only eight teams in the American League.

The club's fortunes began to turn when brewery magnate Jacob Ruppert took over as owner. Ruppert wasn't afraid to spend money, and in 1919 bought Babe Ruth from Boston Red Sox owner Harry Frazee.

Thus was born the Curse Of The Bambino.

Ruth led the Yankees to the 1921 World Series, which they lost to the Giants. The Giants forced the Yanks out of the Polo Grounds before the 1922—but instead of moving somewhere "out of the way," as Giants manager John McGraw had suggested, the club broke ground for a new ballpark right across the Harlem River.

It was time for the Yankees to drop that notion of being the "junior team" in New York City.

The Yankees moved into Yankee Stadium in 1923. The first triple-deck stadium in baseball was dubbed "The House That Ruth Built," because it was Babe whose star power brought fans to the games.

The Yankees beat the Giants in the 1923 World Series, then went on to win championships in 1927 and '28. Ruth led the famous "Murderer's Row" lineup, swatting a then-record 60 home runs in 1927.

Ruth retired in 1936, handing the reigns to a young center fielder by the name of Joe DiMaggio. The Yankees won four World Series titles in a row from 1936 to 1939, and then six of seven from 1947-1953.

By 1973, the Yankees had a total of 21 World Series rings. However, the success didn't come without its turmoil.

Cleveland-based shipbuilder George Steinbrenner bought the team from CBS in 1973, and hired manager Billy Martin in 1976. Steinbrenner was another owner who wasn't afraid to spend money—and he proved it by signing star players like Catfish Hunter and Reggie Jackson.

The investment in Jackson paid off eventually, but the sailing wasn't exactly smooth. Martin, Jackson, and Steinbrenner regularly feuded in 1977, and the team and stadium were nicknamed "The Bronx Zoo" because of it.

Drama aside, the Yankees went on to win the 1977 World Series, and Jackson earned the nickname Mr. October for his performance.

The Yankees lived up to their tradition of excellence during the Joe Torre and Derek Jeter Era, and won their 26th World Series title in 2000. After so long at the top, though, one has to wonder if the Bombers are perhaps bound for a fall...

Keep an eye out for Part Two of the series.