Opening day of Major League Baseball was last week so we’re kicking off a theme week on Baseball Team Name Origins! As a lifelong fan, we’re obviously starting with the New York Yankees!
The original Baltimore Orioles moved to New York in 1903, where they became known as the Highlanders. Fans believed this name came from the team’s elevated location in Upper Manhattan, or as a nod to the team president’s Scottish-Irish heritage. Various newspapers also called them the Hilltoppers, the Invaders, and the New York Americans. The sports editor at the New York Press coined the unofficial name “Yankees” or “Yanks” as early as 1904 because it was easier to fit in headlines than Highlanders or Hilltoppers! Highlanders had never been popular with fans anyway, and they found the patriotic symbolism of Yankees more appealing. By 1913, the team was officially known as the Yankees. The Yankees are arguably the most successful professional sports franchise in the U.S. with 21 AL East Division titles, 41 AL pennants, and 27 World Series championships, which are all MLB records. Learn more in the audio below!