The Greatest Yankees of All Time List

It's the time of the year when everyone is making their Christmas list: flat screen TV, Playstation 3, i-Phone. However, this is not that kind of list. The list before your eyes consists of the 10 greatest Yankees of all time.10. Red Ruffing. This right-handed pitcher played for the Yankees from 1930 to 1941 after the Red Sox traded him at the age of 25.

This is probably one of the must underrated trades in all of baseball, as Ruffing went on to win 231 games for the Yankees and helped them nab six word titles along the way. Currently, he's within five wins of Whitey Ford's franchise leading 236 on the all-time franchise list. Ruffing, who was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1967, won 20 or more games four years in a row and pitched 200 or more innings his first 10 years with the Yanks. He ranks second in innings pitched (3,168.7) and fourth in strikeouts (1,526) for the Yankees. The Illinois native was selected to six All-Star games (started two of them) and had a 7-2 record with a 2.63 ERA in 10 postseason starts. By the way, Ruffing smashed 36 home runs during his career and had a respectable .269 batting average.

9. Bernie Williams. He began his career in 1991 as a scrawny kid with glasses that were thicker than Elvis Costello's. While patrolling one of the toughest center fields in the majors, he earned comparisons to guys like Mickey Mantle and Joe DiMaggio, a couple of guys who'll be further down the list. Williams stands at the top of almost every category. He's fifth in hits (2,336), sixth in home runs (287), sixth in RBI's (1,257), sixth in runs (1,366), and second in doubles (449). The five-time All-Star won the batting title in 1998 with a .339 average. Williams is possibly most proud of his 22 home runs in the post-season. He was not just known for his bat, though. He also collected four straight Gold Gloves while playing center from 1997-2000. It's only a matter of time before number 51 finds himself in Monument Park.

8. Mariano Rivera. The greatest closer ever? Probably. The greatest closer in post-season history? Definitely. That means he is one of the best Yankees ever. He has appeared in more games than any other Yankee pitcher with 851. Of course, Rivera leads the Yankees in saves with 482. For a man that pitches at most two innings, he has racked up the strike-outs as he ranks 13th in franchise history with 934 and counting. He has nine All-Star appearances under his belt as he has led the AL in saves three times. Mo's bread and butter are the playoffs, where he has appeared in 76 games, has an 8-1 record with 34 saves and an ERA of 0.77. More importantly for Yankee fans, he has been standing on the mound in every playoff clinching game since 1997 when he took over as closer for the Yankees. Many think that without Rivera, the Yankees would not have been able to become the dynasty they did in the late nineties.

7. Yogi Berra. No one has ever won more World Series titles than this man, who has 10. He played with the Yankees from 1946 to 1963 and was one of the few men to play with both DiMaggio and Mantle. Oh, the stories he can tell. His numbers tell a story all by themselves, of a legend and a Hall of Famer who ranks in the top 10 in almost every offensive category: games played, hits, home runs, RBI's, runs, at-bats, total bases, and singles. Berra appeared in 15 straight All-Star games and won three AL MVP Awards. He was known for hitting bad pitches and became one of the most beloved Yankees of all time. He might be better known for his "Yogiisms" like, "Ninety percent of this game is half mental," or "You can observe a lot by just watching."

6. Derek Jeter. The current captain is already invading the top ten of all offensive categories, and his career is still a long way from over. The 1996 Rookie of the Year is second on the all-time hits list for the club with 2,535, and only Lou Gehrig is ahead of him. This season Jeter passed the "Iron Horse" for the most hits at Yankee Stadium and passed Williams for most singles in franchise history with 1,861. When his career is all said and done, Jeter will rank in the top five of every offensive category. The nine-time All-Star was named All-Star MVP in 2000, the first Yankee to ever receive that honor. Jeter would also take home the World Series MVP award that same year, something that has never been done in MLB history. Jeter won three Gold Gloves from 2004-2006 and has had 200 or more hits six times in his career. "Mr. November" has become a legend in October. No Yankee fan will ever forget his walk-off home run in game four of the 2001 World Series at Yankee Stadium.

5. Whitey Ford. Many consider him the best-starting pitcher to ever stand on the mound for the Yankees. "The Chairman of the Board" played his entire 16-year career with the Bronx Bombers from 1950-1967. He leads all Yankee pitchers in wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched. Ford led the AL in wins three times and had a career-winning percentage of .690. Many of his teammates believe he would have won a lot more games if manager Casey Stengel would have started the right hander more often. However, Stengel would skip Ford in the rotation so he could face the top pitchers on opposing teams. This didn't stop the eight-time All-Star from being elected to the Hall of Fame in 1974, however. He had one of his best years with a 25-4 record in 1961, which is still revered as one of the greatest pitching seasons ever.

4. Mickey Mantle. Every historian and baseball biographer has said if Mantle took better care of himself, he could have been the best baseball player ever. His party animal ways and hard drinking did take a toll on his body and robbed him of many playing years. He did, however, play 18 seasons with the Yankees and blasted 536 home runs, second to only Babe Ruth. Mantle has appeared in 2,401 games, the most by anyone who ever donned the pinstripes. The 16-time All-Star will forever be remembered for his historic home run chase in 1961 with teammate Roger Maris. The two garnered national headlines as they chased Babe Ruth's record of 60 home runs in a single season. Mantle dropped out of the chase with 54 home runs when he suffered a freak injury. Mantle was named the MVP twice and won the Triple Crown in 1956 as he led the league in home runs, RBI, and average.