Yankees Claim To title "Greatest Franchise In Sports" Is Simply Untrue

[Philly-brownsfan]

The Yankees Publicity Department Has made the claim that the Yankees are the most successful sports franchise in history irks me - because it's simply not true.
That title goes to the NBA's Boston Celtics. There may be an English or Brazilian soccer team that has been more successful somewhere, but for the purposes of this topic let's stick to American-Canadian professional team sports.
The Celtics have won 17 NBA titles in 63 years of NBA history, which began with the 1946-47 season and it was originally known as the NBL (National Basketball League) until 1950. The Celtics have won 27 percent of their league's titles (.2698).
The Yankees franchise goes back to 1903 when they were originally known as the NY Highlanders. To the present day that's a 107 year span and let's not forget to throw out the two years the World Series was not played (1904 & 1994) so the Yankees have won titles 27 years in 105 possible seasons. Thats's a bit over a 25 and one-half percent success rate. (.2571)
If you want to compare the two franchises at their apexs (the very highest success rate at any time from dating from the inception of their franchises in their histories) then go no further than this fact:
The Boston Celtics won 16 titles in the first 40 years of NBA history (from the NBA's inception and the league's first title for the '46-'47 season through the '85-'86 season). The Celtics success rate for those years is exactly 40 percent. I probably shouldn't even figure out what the Yankees highwater mark is, because it's not going to be very close to the Celtics mark of 40 %.
- Actually, for the record, in the period 1903 to 1962, minus a year where the World Series was not played (1904), the Yankees had a 20 World's titles in 59 years for 33.8%, and from 1903 to 1953 they were at 16 titles in 50 years a World Series was played - 32%. Both are excellent marks but they are still considerably below the Celtics' success rate of 40 percent for 40 seasons.
Either the Yankees publicity department either thought thaat no one would catch them in a lie, so they dubbed themselves "The most successful franchise in Sports History" or else they didn't check their facts closely enough in their zeal to promote the Yankees.
Either way, the Yankees claim that they are the most successful franchise in the history of Sports in North America is ERRONEOUS! - and I wish they'd stop promoting themselves as such.

by Dennis Orlandini (Philly-brownsfan).

[Ace Venom]

I would certainly say they're the most successful franchise in MLB. Winning the ultimate prize in 27 postseasons will earn you that title. They have more league championships than any other team in MLB. They have twice as many AL pennants as the closest counterpart in the NL when it comes to pennants (SFG with 20) and 17 more World Series titles than the NL leading St. Louis Cardinals. No other team in MLB comes close to the success that the Yankees have had and it's a younger franchise than the Giants and the Cardinals.

[Milt on Tilt]

My vote goes to Real Madrid.

[EdTarbusz]

Originally Posted by Ace Venom

No other team in MLB comes close to the success that the Yankees have had and it's a younger franchise than the Giants and the Cardinals.

Especially when you consider that it took them 19 years to win their first pennant, and that they lost three of the first four World Series that they appeared in.

[AstrosFan]

Yankees won in:

1936-39, 1941, 1943, 1947, 1949-53, 1956, 1958, 1961-62

So, 4+3+5+2+2=16

Time span = 27 years

High-water mark: 59.3%

Covering a 40 year span, add 1923, 1927-28, and 1932. That's 20 in 40 years, or 50%.

First 63 years of World Series play: 1903, 1905-66. Yankees won 20, all of which, as established, came in a 40 year time frame.

[Philly-brownsfan]

Originally Posted by AstrosFan

Yankees won in:

1936-39, 1941, 1943, 1947, 1949-53, 1956, 1958, 1961-62

So, 4+3+5+2+2=16

Time span = 27 years

High-water mark: 59.3%

Covering a 40 year span, add 1923, 1927-28, and 1932. That's 20 in 40 years, or 50%.

First 63 years of World Series play: 1903, 1905-66. Yankees won 20, all of which, as established, came in a 40 year time frame.

I was speaking of the highwater mark from the inception of the franchise, not any specific ultra-successful period - but since you bring it up - the Yankees can not touch the Celtics record of 8 Consecutive World's Titles from 1958-59 to 1965-66, and for a hot streak of more than a decade, the Celts won 11 titles in 13 years between 1956-57 and 1968-69, an awesome .846 winning percentage for those years. The Yankees can't match that in a period of ten years or longer even if you include 1936-39 or the 1949-53 streaks as part of the 10+ year hot period.

Thanks for pointing out that my intent and language was a little unclear. I've added a phrase in the original post to clarify what I meant.

[Philly-brownsfan]

Originally Posted by EdTarbusz

Especially when you consider that it took them 19 years to win their first pennant, and that they lost three of the first four World Series that they appeared in.

The Celtics history is similar. It took them 11 years to win their first NBA title.

[Captain Cold Nose]

Is this really anything more than Yankee-bashing for the sake of Yankee-bashing?

[DodgerBlue8188]

Originally Posted by Ace Venom

I would certainly say they're the most successful franchise in MLB. Winning the ultimate prize in 27 postseasons will earn you that title. They have more league championships than any other team in MLB. They have twice as many AL pennants as the closest counterpart in the NL when it comes to pennants (SFG with 20) and 17 more World Series titles than the NL leading St. Louis Cardinals. No other team in MLB comes close to the success that the Yankees have had and it's a younger franchise than the Giants and the Cardinals.

Dodgers lead the NL with pennants at 22, followed by the Cardinals with 21 then the Giants with 20.

[Philly-brownsfan]

Originally Posted by Captain Cold Nose

Is this really anything more than Yankee-bashing for the sake of Yankee-bashing?

Not Really. The Yankees publicity department personnel throughout history have been self-promoters and Myth/Legend Makers.
It seems like they conveniently forgot the Celtics when they made their claims to preeminence.

[Ace Venom]

Originally Posted by DodgerBlue8188

Dodgers lead the NL with pennants at 22, followed by the Cardinals with 21 then the Giants with 20.

Four of the Cardinals 21 pennants were won when they were in the AA. One of the Dodgers 22 pennants was won in 1889, while they were still in the AA. I forgot about one of the NL pennants for the Dodgers, so there you go.

[Captain Cold Nose]

Originally Posted by Philly-brownsfan

Not Really. The Yankees publicity department personnel throughout history have been self-promoters and Myth/Legend Makers.
It seems like they conveniently forgot the Celtics when they made their claims to preeminence.

That's what publicity departments do.
Do you think the Celtics and Canadiens bother with teams from other sports when declaring their supremacy? The Celtics had one of the biggest self-promoters there ever was in Red Auerbach. Was all his posturing at the expense of other teams ok? All he ever talked about was how much he accomplished and how great his teams were. I am a Celtics fan, and he was way over the top.

Really, like so much we've seen the last few days, this just smacks of Yankee-hating for the sake of.

[ipitch]

Originally Posted by Philly-brownsfan

The Yankees Publicity Department Has made the claim that the Yankees are the most successful sports franchise in history irks me - because it's simply not true.

Well, they've never said they were the most successful sports franchise by percentage of championships, have they?

[Philly-brownsfan]

Originally Posted by ipitch

Well, they've never said they were the most successful sports franchise by percentage of championships, have they?

Perhaps they never said by percentage, but that's the only fair way to do it since the four major team sports leagues came into existence at greatly varying times.

[Philly-brownsfan]

Originally Posted by Captain Cold Nose

Is this really anything more than Yankee-bashing for the sake of Yankee-bashing?

No, I'm presenting a facts-based and statistics-based argument to prove a point. Yankees bashing would be to say, I think the Phillies are still better and I think the Yankees still suck even though they just won the '09 championship over Philadelphia. (which I am definitely not saying).

[Philly-brownsfan]

Originally Posted by Philly-brownsfan

No, I'm presenting a facts-based and statistics-based argument to prove a point. Yankees bashing would be to say, I think the Phillies are still better and I think the Yankees still suck even though they just won the '09 championship over Philadelphia. (which I am definitely not saying).

(Or am I?)

[STLCards2]

One thing to keep in mind: the Canadians won a huge chunk of their titles in an 8 team league with no European players. They have won very little since the Soviet/European LQ explosion of the late 80's.

The Celtics won a lot in a small league prior to the ABA merger. They have been more successful than the Canadians at winning throughout the recent decades.

The Yankees have won multiple championships in every decade from the 1920's (20 something years before the Celtics are invented and back when the NHL was a joke 8 team league) to the 00's, with the exception of the 80's - and they had winning records most of those seasons too.

Not only do the Yankees have the most hardweare, but it seems they have done it against any quality opponent, in any era, expansion or not, integration or not, etc. I think the Celtics are in the same ballpark, but the Yankees are definitely the greatest N.A. pro spots franchise. As far as % of championships - the further the Celtics get away from the Russell/Cousey dynasty, the lesser % of championsips they will win. It is much harder to win 25% of 100 championships than 27% of 50 championships.

And it just isn't the overwhelming number of titles - the AL pennants, the W%, the number of HOF players - everything indicates they are the best.

And I hate the Yankees and love the Celtics (by far my favorite NBA team) - but you gotta give credit where it is due.

[Honus Wagner Rules]

An FYI. Since 1950 the Yomiuri Giants have won 33 Central League pennants and 20 Japanese World Series titles, including nine in a row from 1965-73.

[Richard]

I am not a Yankees fan, but the Celtics are not even close to the Yanks.

[Philly-brownsfan]

Originally Posted by Richard

I am not a Yankees fan, but the Celtics are not even close to the Yanks.

Granted the Celtics history is shorter. College basketball was always popular before World War Two but attempts at establishing pro leagues all failed.
Finally a bit more than a year after the war ended the NBA (then called the NBL) was established playing it's first game on Nov. 1, 1946 and deciding its first championship in the Spring of 1947. Finally the country was ready to support Pro Basketball. Like the Yankees the first years for the Celtics, a charter member of the league, were not successful. When they started winning championships in 1957, however, there was no stopping them.
NBA History is in its 64th year with the 2009-2010 season. Shorter than the history of major league baseball, obviously , but there is no disputing that statistically the Celtics have won a higher percentage of all possible championships than the Yankees or any other team in the four major team leagues in American and Canadian Sports History. They also top everybody in consecutive championships with eight and for the hottest period in team history of over ten years, with 11 titles in 13 years. Them's the facts, Jack!

*Philly-brownsfan*

[dabigyankeeman]

No team is as popular all around the country as the Yankees. Whatever city you go to, you can find people walking around wearing Yankee hats and rooting for the Yankees, either as their main team or as a second team after their home team.

They also have more people that hate them too then any other team, another sign of being at the top.

Live with it.

[Captain Cold Nose]

I'll be visiting Gettysburg, Pennsylvania in a few days. Lots of Yankee hats. And Yankee haters.

[9RoyHobbsRF]

as has been posted

the Celtics won a ton of championships in a little dinky 6 or 8 team league

and basketball has been proven to be able to be dominated by a few key players, only 5 players x 48 minutes

1 or 2 players can easily make up 35-38% of a teams minutes

that is why you have teams like the Bulls win 6 championships in a row (taking out the years MJ did not play) or decades like the 80s where basically 1-2 teams dominated the league

the Yankees performance is better

[9RoyHobbsRF]

Originally Posted by dabigyankeeman

No team is as popular all around the country as the Yankees. Whatever city you go to, you can find people walking around wearing Yankee hats and rooting for the Yankees, either as their main team or as a second team after their home team.

They also have more people that hate them too then any other team, another sign of being at the top.

Live with it.

they are also typically Dallas Cowboys or Notre Dame fans (in the past more so)

they are called front runners

live with it

[The Korean]

^When was the last time Cowboys even won a SuperBowl? When was the last time Notre Dame actually did anything?

Wow. You dont really pay attnetion to anything do you. Front runners support winning teams. Notre Dame and Cowboys has not won anything for a while.