Yankees Classics

Yankees Classics is a program on the YES Network which features classic New York Yankees games.

Each Yankees Classics episode is hosted by Yankees radio announcer John Sterling, who discusses the game's impact on Yankee history at the beginning and end of the telecast.^[1]

Network broadcast library

When it debuted in 2002 as one of the first series to air on YES, Yankees Classics consisted entirely of regular season games from the team's local broadcasts, via WPIX, MSG Network, and WNYW. In 2003, YES acquired rights to rebroadcast playoff games that aired nationally on Fox. In 2007, YES and Major League Baseball acquired rights to games that aired on ABC as part of MLB's then-TV deal with ESPN, including Bobby Murcer's five runs batted in during the game the night of Thurman Munson's funeral. Other games included in this transaction are Game 5 of the 1976 ALCS and Game 6 of the 1977 World Series. In 2008, YES and MLB gained the rights to NBC's telecasts of 1978 and 1999 World Series games.

Graphics and announcers used

The logos of the original broadcasters originally were covered by the YES Network logo; eventually, the logos were then replaced by the Yankees logo. The announcers used were a combination of the Yankees radio announcers and national broadcasters used during the telecast, with the audio feed constantly changing during the game from one announcing team to the other, possibly to prevent advertisements or station promos to be heard, or to include Yankee broadcasters Sterling and Michael Kay giving calls of a Yankee home run, or of Sterling's signature victory closing: "Ballgame over! Yankees win! The-e-e-e Yankees win!" Regular season games since YES' launch in 2002 simply take the TV broadcast, with most out-of-date sponsor plugs removed.

Typically scheduled air dates

A specific Yankees Classic often is shown on its anniversary or on a day when the current team is playing the same opponent. (For example, on October 2, or when the Yankees are scheduled to play the Boston Red Sox, the 1978 playoff game for the American League Eastern Division title, featuring the improbable home run by Bucky Dent, often is broadcast.) Other possibilities include honoring a Yankee on his birthday by showing a Yankees Classics in which he was the game's hero. (For example, on June 26, Derek Jeter's birthday, YES may broadcast Game 4 of the 2001 World Series, which Jeter won with an extra-inning home run; this was his "Mr. November" game.)^[2] Games featuring individual Yankee achievements, such as Ron Guidry's 18-strikeout game, no-hitters, and David Cone's 1999 perfect game often are shown, for example, to coincide with programs about Yankee pitchers.

As with other re-broadcast games, some innings are skipped due to time restrictions.

Criticism

Yankees Classics has been criticized for showing recent games, including those from the current MLB season, when there are many games which haven't been seen in decades. For example, although the memorable 1978 playoff game against Boston has frequently aired,^[3] YES has not shown any games from the 1978 ALCS. Also there have thus far been no shows featuring any of the games from the 1977 ALCS, 1981 ALDS or 1981 ALCS. Curiously, outside of Dave Righetti's July 4, 1983, no hit game, there have been no broadcasts of any Yankees games from the 1980s.^[4] It is not clear why this is but some have speculated that complete tapes of the games no longer exist or are technically unsuitable for broadcast.

It has also been observed that while episodes of the biographical program Yankeeography make reference to losing efforts in the careers of its subjects, the Yankee Classics series has yet to air anything but games won by the team. This meant that the game in which Derek Jeter surpassed Lou Gehrig's record for most hits as a Yankee, would never be aired as the Yankees lost the game to the Baltimore Orioles. However, this game was later aired on Yankees Classics, only edited until the point where Jeter got the hit).^[5] Also, the YES network has announced that 2 games honering Mariano Rivera (the day the yankees honored him and his final home game) will be aired as Yankees Classics despite resulting in Yankees losses, which subsequently removed them from the pennant race.

References

v t e New York Yankees Formerly the Baltimore Orioles and the New York Highlanders - Based in The Bronx, New York City, New York Franchise History Seasons Records No-hitters Awards Players Managers Coaches Owners and executives Broadcasters Opening Day starting pitchers Team captains Members of the Hall of Fame First-round picks YES Network Ballparks Oriole Park Hilltop Park Polo Grounds Yankee Stadium (opened 1923) (Events) Shea Stadium Yankee Stadium (opened 2009) Spring Training: West End Park Barrs Field Bader Field Al Lang Stadium Fort Lauderdale Stadium George M. Steinbrenner Field Lore Curse of the Bambino Johnny Sylvester Murderers' Row Babe Ruth's called shot Ed Lucas Don Larsen's perfect game M&M Boys Bucky "Bleeping" Dent Pine Tar Incident Jeffrey Maier The Yankee Years The Core Four David Wells' perfect game David Cone's perfect game Culture Monument Park New York Yankees Museum Old-Timers' Day Bleacher Creatures Yankees Universe Eddie Layton Logos, uniforms and dress code "Holy Cow!" Robert Merrill John Sterling/"Yankees win! Theeeeeee Yankees win!" Ronan Tynan "Here Come the Yankees" "Haya Doin'?" "New York, New York" "God Bless America" The Pride of the Yankees The Babe Ruth Story Damn Yankees musical film The Year the Yankees Lost the Pennant Safe at Home! 61* Joe Torre: Curveballs Along the Way The Bronx is Burning Ladies and Gentlemen, The Bronx Is Burning The Bronx Is Burning The Bronx Zoo The Scout For Love of the Game Bronx Bombers Gene Monahan Dandy Freddy Sez George Costanza Paul Olden Yankee Stadium Legacy Yankees HOPE Week Rivalries Boston Red Sox New York Mets Los Angeles Dodgers San Francisco Giants Subway Series Monument Park honorees Mel Allen Ed Barrow Yogi Berra Bill Dickey Joe DiMaggio Whitey Ford Lou Gehrig Lefty Gomez Ron Guidry Elston Howard Miller Huggins Reggie Jackson Mickey Mantle Roger Maris Billy Martin Don Mattingly Joe McCarthy Thurman Munson Allie Reynolds Mariano Rivera Phil Rizzuto Red Ruffing Jacob Ruppert Babe Ruth Bob Sheppard George Steinbrenner Casey Stengel Retired numbers 4 3 5 7 37 8 8 16 15 32 9 10 1 44 23 42 49 42 Key personnel Owners: Yankee Global Enterprises Hal Steinbrenner Hank Steinbrenner General Manager: Brian Cashman Manager: Joe Girardi Team Captain: Derek Jeter Championships (27) 1923 1927 1928 1932 1936 1937 1938 1939 1941 1943 1947 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1956 1958 1961 1962 1977 1978 1996 1998 1999 2000 2009 American League Pennants (40) 1921 1922 1923 1926 1927 1928 1932 1936 1937 1938 1939 1941 1942 1943 1947 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1955 1956 1957 1958 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1976 1977 1978 1981 1996 1998 1999 2000 2001 2003 2009 Other titles East Division: 1976 1977 1978 1980 1981 1996 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2009 2011 2012 Wild Card: 1995 1997 2007 2010 Minors AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders AA Trenton Thunder A Tampa Yankees Charleston RiverDogs Staten Island Yankees Rookie GCL Yankees1 GCL Yankees2 DSL Yankees1 DSL Yankees2   Seasons (113) 1900s-1910s 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920s-1930s 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940s-1950s 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960s-1970s 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980s-1990s 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000s-2010s 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 Book:New York Yankees