# NY Yankees uniforms **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [August 31, 2009, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ny-yankees-uniforms/508303 "2009-08-31T00:54:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![audit1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@audit1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/audit1)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2009, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ny-yankees-uniforms/508303/1 "2009-08-31T00:54:24Z")
The New York Yankees do not have the names of the players on the uniforms. Is there any reason for this other than they have always done it that way? ---
**Author:** ![robardin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/43a26b/32.png) [@robardin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robardin)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2009, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ny-yankees-uniforms/508303/2 "2009-08-31T02:10:33Z")
The Yankees have won far and away the most championships in the history of professional baseball: 26, with the next winningest team, the St. Louis Cardinals, boasting 10 as of 2008. By way of comparison, the Yanks won their 10th title in _ **1943** _. With that rich a history, you need to find reasons to make changes, rather than to find reasons NOT to make changes. Though it may interest you to know that the Yankees were actually the innovators of putting numbers on the jerseys in the first place, in 1929, with the rest of MLB following suit by 1932. Before then, all baseball uniforms were identical in appearance. And I write this as someone who would like nothing better than to never see another Yankees championship in my lifetime. The team history is what it is: glorious, which shares many of the same letters as “odious” 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2009, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ny-yankees-uniforms/508303/3 "2009-08-31T04:22:15Z")
That’s just how they have always done it. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2009, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ny-yankees-uniforms/508303/4 "2009-08-31T04:25:38Z")
It should also be noted that the Red Sox don’t have names on their home uniforms, only their away ones. ---
**Author:** ![AppallingGael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9bd4f/32.png) [@AppallingGael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AppallingGael)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2009, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ny-yankees-uniforms/508303/5 "2009-08-31T05:14:16Z")
If you have numbers, why do you need names? ---
**Author:** ![Yookeroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yookeroo/32/323_2.png) [@Yookeroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yookeroo)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2009, 10:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ny-yankees-uniforms/508303/6 "2009-08-31T10:19:50Z")
> [@robardin](#): > > With that rich a history, you need to find reasons to make changes, I suspect the reason to make this change is the same reason almost every other team has made this change. > [@AppallingGael](#): > > If you have numbers, why do you need names? Do you really not know? ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2009, 10:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ny-yankees-uniforms/508303/7 "2009-08-31T10:34:23Z")
Baseball is a slow moving enough game that you don’t really need the names on the uniform. They announce the starting lineup and positions, announce every substitution, and each player plays a specific position on the field, it’s almost impossible to mix up who is who. You do have to pay attention, and having more than a passing knowledge of the roster is very helpful. It might be helpful for the TV broadcast, especially if you tune in late, but it’s not like anyone is going to change the channel because he’s not sure who is playing 2nd for the Yanks. ---
**Author:** ![Who\_me\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/958977/32.png) [@Who\_me\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Who_me_1)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2009, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ny-yankees-uniforms/508303/8 "2009-08-31T12:16:22Z")
> [@Yookeroo](#): > > Do you really not know? I don’t know about him, but I don’t know. Numbers are identifaction enough. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2009, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ny-yankees-uniforms/508303/9 "2009-08-31T12:18:47Z")
NFL requires names and I think the NBA and NHL do as well. But as mentioned above they are fast moving and there are a lot more subs. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2009, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ny-yankees-uniforms/508303/10 "2009-08-31T19:47:02Z")
The continuing lack of names on jerseys is based in the continuing Yankee arrogance that they’re such big stars that everybody _knows_ who they are, and so names are superfluous. Leaving the names off also saves money, which helps with paying those outrageous salaries 😃 ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Jeffrey\_Lebowski](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_jeffrey_lebowski/32/215_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Jeffrey\_Lebowski](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Jeffrey_Lebowski)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2009, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ny-yankees-uniforms/508303/11 "2009-08-31T19:59:26Z")
> [@Mister\_Rik](#): > > The continuing lack of names on jerseys is based in the continuing Yankee arrogance that they’re such big stars that everybody _knows_ who they are Well, that’s just like, _your_ opinion, man!! But you’re probably right and it doesn’t have anything to do with the fact that it’s a simple, classic design that looks better without the names; kind of like that college football team that has no names or even any logo on its helmet - those smug, arrogant bastards!!! ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2009, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ny-yankees-uniforms/508303/12 "2009-08-31T20:20:58Z")
> [@Mister\_Rik](#): > > The continuing lack of names on jerseys is based in the continuing Yankee arrogance that they’re such big stars that everybody _knows_ who they are, and so names are superfluous. > > Leaving the names off also saves money, which helps with paying those outrageous salaries 😃 Also, it allows fans the ability to say that you play for the name of the front of the jersey, not the back - so why is it important? ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2009, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ny-yankees-uniforms/508303/13 "2009-08-31T21:07:26Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Jeffrey\_Lebowski](#): > > Well, that’s just like, _your_ opinion, man!! No way, man! I heard it straight from the mouth of a sports radio talk show host! It must be true! ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Jeffrey\_Lebowski](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_jeffrey_lebowski/32/215_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Jeffrey\_Lebowski](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Jeffrey_Lebowski)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2009, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ny-yankees-uniforms/508303/14 "2009-08-31T21:50:39Z")
> [@Mister\_Rik](#): > > No way, man! I heard it straight from the mouth of a sports radio talk show host! It must be true! aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaannnndddd…whooooooosh!!! ---
**Author:** ![Ponch8](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponch8/32/9883_2.png) [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2009, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ny-yankees-uniforms/508303/15 "2009-09-01T02:28:29Z")
I once read that the Arizona Diamondbacks used more styles of uniforms in their first week of existence than the Yankees have used in their entire history. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2009, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ny-yankees-uniforms/508303/16 "2009-09-01T03:14:19Z")
They were pikers. The Pittsburgh Pirates in 1977 had mix-and-match uniforms: three different shirts and three different pants. I think they also had a couple of different hat styles, too. They changed the style every game. ---
**Author:** ![Yookeroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yookeroo/32/323_2.png) [@Yookeroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yookeroo)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2009, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ny-yankees-uniforms/508303/17 "2009-09-01T04:47:11Z")
> [@Cheesesteak](#): > > Baseball is a slow moving enough game that you don’t really need the names on the uniform. They announce the starting lineup and positions, announce every substitution, and each player plays a specific position on the field, it’s almost impossible to mix up who is who. You do have to pay attention, and having more than a passing knowledge of the roster is very helpful. > [@Who\_me\_1](#): > > I don’t know about him, but I don’t know. Numbers are identifaction enough. You guys do realize that there are plenty of casual fans who don’t have the roster memorized, don’t you? ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2009, 10:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ny-yankees-uniforms/508303/18 "2009-09-01T10:14:25Z")
> [@Yookeroo](#): > > You guys do realize that there are plenty of casual fans who don’t have the roster memorized, don’t you? Well, then, they can buy a program. After all, you can’t tell the players without a program. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2009, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ny-yankees-uniforms/508303/19 "2009-09-01T12:17:57Z")
To be fair, the Yankees are not the only ones that do this. Don’t the Giants also go without names on their home uniforms? What cracks me up are the Yankee fans (of which I am one) who buy the replica jerseys with their favorite player’s name on the back. Nothing screams “inauthentic” much louder than that. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2009, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ny-yankees-uniforms/508303/20 "2009-09-01T12:38:33Z")
> [@asterion](#): > > Well, then, they can buy a program. After all, you can’t tell the players without a program. The best is how the Cubs run their program/scoreboard system. While at a Cubs game this summer, I was looking at the other games going on in the league. Next to the team names, is a number to indicated to the left of who’s pitching: ```auto 11 Florida 4 23 Houston 5 ``` I lamented that I don’t know the numbers of players on other teams, and that the internet connection on my iphone was being overwhelmed by the stadium crowd. Didn’t matter, my friend told me. The pitcher’s number has NOTHING to do with his jersey. In fact, that number refers to how he’s listed in the Cubs program guide on his team roster! Ridiculous. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ny-yankees-uniforms/508303.md?page=2)