Joe Dimaggio (Photo Credit: AP) and Aaron Judge (Photo credit: ESPN)
In a comparison of eras, the New York Yankees’ nickname “The Bronx Bombers” echoes loudly through history. It happens even when you whisper it.
Max Schmeling vs. Joe Louis
The Yankees’ nickname was coined out of the excitement caused by a 1936 boxing match. It was a title fight held at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx between Max Schmeling and Joe Louis.
Louis’s nickname was the Brown Bomber. He had walked into the ring having knocked out 20 of 24 opponents and was undefeated. Schmeling knocked him out in the 12th round, however, in what was later recognized as the fight of the year. Louis went on to win every fight he was in after that until 1950, including the rematch against Schmeling where he won by knockout in the same stadium.
1936 Yankees
The Yankees of 1936 had some easily recognizable names amongst them. The power hitters were Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, and Bill Dickey. They also hit for average.
Dickey
Bill Dickey was one of the best catchers of his era, yet he was always standing in another player’s shadow. He was outshined by either Ruth, Gehrig, or DiMaggio for the entirety of his career. In 1936, he was in his prime. He hit for a .362 average which happened to be the highest single season average ever recorded by a catcher. It was a record that held on for over 70 years and wasn’t broken until 2009.
DiMaggio
Joe DiMaggio was a hit machine who was just 21 years old with 1936 being his rookie season. The gifted rookie hit ahead of Gehrig in the lineup and smashed 29 home runs in just 138 games, a franchise record that laughed at some of the league’s most important rookies for 80 years. He also led the team in hits.
Gehrig
Lou Gehrig was the heart and soul of the Yankees when Babe Ruth left. While DiMaggio was a highly tuned rookie, Gehrig was a 33-year-old veteran. The hawk-eyed slugger held onto an unbelievable .354 average through 155 games and slaughtered the ball for 49 PED-free home runs.
The Yankees won the World Series in 1936 in six games against the New York Giants.
2023 Yankees
The Yankees of 2023 are a powerhouse of their own, and they’re drawing early comparisons to the 1936 team.
Judge
Aaron Judge is the rookie who broke Joe DiMaggio’s 29 home run record. He didn’t just break it, he obliterated it. Judge hit for 52 his rookie season in 2017. Last season he hit 62 more. An injury held him back for a bit early in 2023, but he has lit himself into a blazing inferno upon his return. It’s obviously a different era, but all indications show that the he’s one of best players the Yankees have ever had, without question.
Rizzo
Anthony Rizzo is a former Chicago Cubs first baseman and baseball shredder extraordinaire. He left Chicago due to the owner’s refusal to offer up contracts to their star players. He’s already up to 11 home runs on the season and it’s warming hearts all over New York. Rizzo follows Judge in the lineup and it creates a devastating duo that nobody in their right mind wants to face.
Stanton
Gioncarlo Stanton is a player like Bill Dickey in that he is always overshadowed by bigger stars. Nonetheless, Stanton flexes his muscles at the plate. He’s hit for 382 career home runs. Last season with a down average he hit 31 knocks in just 110 games. Stanton has been injured in the early goings of the 2023 season, but when he comes back the comparison of bat kings within their respectable eras can finally come full-circle.
