Had it not been for the ingenuity of an early twentieth-century journalist who wanted to save letters, the subway station at the corner of 161st Street and River Avenue could have been better known as Highlanders Stadium. Many believe that the Yankees changed their original name to the Highlanders in 1913, when they decided to leave the fragile Hilltop Park and move to Polo Grounds.
They shared the last stadium with the Giants until 1923, when the team moved to a state-of-the-art facility that featured the legendary Babe Ruth as its main attraction. But the first public reference of this franchise of the American League under the name “Yankees” took place on April 7, 1904, when the New York Evening Journal reported from the successful spring training entitled: “YANKEES TO TRAVEL HOME FROM THE SOUTH HOODAY”.
One week later, the same newspaper headline about the opening game was titled: “YANKEES BEAT BOSTON,” with the name that appears in the first paragraph of an article about New York’s 8-2 victory over a team that she was not yet known as the Red Sox. There are several references to the club as the Yankees before 1913, including a few advertising books and tobacco.
Historians believe that the name “Yankees” was born from journalists, who came up with a shorter alternative to “Highlanders” or “Hilltoppers”. The excellent story of Marty Appel’s franchise, “Pinstripe Empire,” unearthed a 1922 issue of Baseball magazine, in which reporter Fred Lieb reported the following:
“[Highlanders] it was an awkward name to use for heads. Finally, the sports editor of one of the New York nightclubs exclaimed, “Damn these Highlanders. I’ll call this team Yanks. This name will fit better in the titles.
An article about the franchise published in 1943 recognizes New York Press sports editor Jim Price for being the first to refer to the team as the Yankees.
The name Highlanders has never been popular with fans who, on the other hand, found the Yankees’ patriotic symbolism, which dates back to the Yankee Doodle days of the American Revolution, attractive.
Other names of the time included “Greater New Yorks”, “Invaders” and “Griffiths”. The latter referred to Clark Griffith, the club’s pilot from 1903 to 1908.
There was never an official announcement confirming the permanent adoption of the name, but until 1913, it was widely accepted that the team would forever bear the name Yankees. Joe DiMaggio’s famous proclamation – “Thank God he made me Highlander” – would never have transpired.
Bryan Hoch / MLB.com