Ranking the Plaques in Yankee Stadium's Monument Park - Part IV

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Last year I embarked on a journey to definitively rank the plaques that adorn the walls of Monument Park, lurking behind centerfield in Yankee Stadium. After a long pause, we're ready to bring you the thrilling conclusion and reveal the top eight pieces of bronze that thousands of Yankee fans flock to go see each year. I know the suspense has been killing you...

One thing I learned in doing this project is that there is no perfect plaque in Monument Park. Much like the plaques in the Baseball Hall of Fame, even the best ones have their flaws. Regardless, if you have the time to stroll through them during your next trip to Yankee Stadium, these are the can't-miss plaques you should tell your friends about.

A view inside Monument Park in New Yankee Stadium. Most of the plaques covered in this series sit behind the wall of retired numbers in the foreground.
PVSBond/Wikimedia Commons

As was the case previously, I won't share a picture of every plaque because they tend to run together and get redundant as you scan through them. For any that I don't have a picture of below, it's relatively easy to find via google.

8. Goose Gossage - dedicated on June 22, 2014

The first half of Goose's plaque is a perfect representation of what makes a great one in Monument Park. In one sentence, we get a vivid picture of a big, angry reliever who struck fear in hitters' hearts. The second half represents where these plaques can go astray, with a bunch of stats you could look up on your phone. At least they had the decency to keep it brief.

7. Billy Martin - dedicated on August 10, 1986

Any testament to Billy Martin's greatness should lean into two main ideas. 1) That he was among the great clutch players of all-time, and 2) That his win-at-all-cost attitude translated to his managerial career also. This one hits those notes, even if the last sentence could use some stylistic improvement. It's surprising to see "Casey's Boy" used here as a nickname since I've never seen it used anywhere else for Martin. All is forgiven, though, as the inclusion of his trademark cross pin on his cap shows a commitment to visual detail beyond any other plaque in Monument Park.

6. Allie Reynolds - dedicated on August 27, 1989

Much like the Bernie Williams plaque, this one does a great job of touting the accomplishments of an unsung hero. Reynolds anchored the Yankee pitching staff through their greatest run of championships and that point comes across clearly. Unlike Bernie's plaque, it doesn't ramble on unnecessarily. Speaking of unnecessary, while I generally find the inclusion of nicknames a good thing in Monument Park, here is the lone exception. Reynolds was a member of the Muscogee Native American tribe and was therefore given the nickname "chief" among his teammates. Finding it disrespectful to the true leaders of indigenous tribes, Reynolds hated the name. The tone-deaf Yankees included "Superchief" as a nickname on his plaque. A glaring eyesore on an otherwise great piece of bronze.

5. Lefty Gomez - dedicated on August 2, 1987

Gomez may have been the most colorful, charismatic character among the host of Yankee legends enshrined behind centerfield. He was also a damn good pitcher. Those two ideas are expressed wonderfully in a magical first sentence, the best bit of writing found in Monument Park. It doesn't even matter that the rest trails off into mundane accomplishments. This one's a gem, just like Lefty was.

4. Andy Pettitte - dedicated on August 23, 2015

At first glance Pettitte's plaque is way too wordy, but once you dig into the fine print it really gets to the crux of what makes him a Yankee legend. You'll walk away knowing that Pettitte was first and foremost a winner, especially in October when it mattered most. I'll also award bonus points for mentioning his world class pickoff move. Still, with all those words, it would have been nice if they mentioned is trademark mound stare from behind his glove. Oh well.

3. Roger Maris - dedicated on Juy 21, 1984

The entirety of this one is a beautifully concise description of Maris' record-breaking home run chase in 1961. A simple, dignified tribute to a simple, dignified man.

2. Elston Howard - dedicated on Juy 21, 1984

On a banner day for Monument Park, Howard's plaque was dedicated at the same time as Maris'. It recognizes his status as the first black player in Yankee history - as it should - and takes it a step further, using two great quotes to drive home the point that he was a great ballplayer, but an even better person. My only minor quibble is that it would be nice to see who uttered those quotes, especially the one at the end.

1. Reggie Jackson - dedicated on Juy 6, 2002

After doing the research for this project, my plea to Monument Park plaque writers is simple: 1) Tell us why this guy matters, and 2) get to that point quickly and efficiently. Within the first two sentences of this plaque, our eyes are drawn to "colorful", "exciting", "prolific", and "thrived in pressure situations". That's it! That's the perfect way to start a plaque. After a brief detour into searchable factoids, it wraps up by focusing on his home run heroics in the 1977 World Series, his crowning achievement in the Bronx. Well done Yankees, now make more plaques like Reggie's!

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