Feel that? That’s spring in the air! And what better way to start celebrating than by the great American pastime: Baseball! Spring Training is right around the corner and we’re getting ready to show our hometown love with the WubbaNub MLB™ Collection!
The New York Yankees™
Fun Facts:
- The New York Yankees™ won their first World Series Championship in 1923 defeating the New York Giants™ 4 games to 2.
- In his 18 seasons with the New York Yankees™, Yogi Berra played in a total of 75 World Series™ games in 14 Seasons.
The Boston Red Sox™
Fun Facts:
- Red Sox player Ted Williams was the first American League™ hitter to hit three home runs in a game twice in the same season.
- Jason Varitek of the Boston Red Sox™ is the only catcher to catch 4 no-hitters.
The St. Louis Cardinals™
Fun Facts:
- There are 48 former Cardinals™ players, managers and executives enshrined in the National Baseball Hall of Fame Museum in Cooperstown, New York.
- When first starting in 1892 the original team name was the St. Louis Browns™.
The San Francisco Giants™
Fun Facts:
- At the end of the 1957 season in New York, the Giants™ packed up and moved to California, to continue their long-lasting rivalry with the Dodgers™.
- In the 1920s The Giants™ played in three consecutive World Series™ against The New York Yankees™.
The Kansas City Royals™
Fun Facts:
- The team held a contest in 1968 to name the franchise, and many of the top suggestions showcased the city’s deep ties to the livestock industry. “Royals” is in honor of the American Royal livestock show.
- Royals™ outfielder Bo Jackson was the first baseball player to make All-Star teams in two different professional sports (the other was football).
The New York Mets™
Fun Facts:
- Country music star Garth Brooks tried out for The Mets™ during spring training in 2000. The team declined to offer him a position.
- To help their on-field speed, the team hired Olympic track and field sensation Jesse Owens as their running coach in 1965.
The Houston Astros™
Fun Facts:
- The Houston Astros™ entered Major League Baseball™ in the National League™ as the Houston Colt .45s™. They changed their name to the Astros™ in 1965.
The Chicago Cubs™
Fun Facts:
- From 1921 to 1951 — with just a short break during World War II — the Cubs™ trained on Catalina Island off the coast of Los Angeles.
- Ronald Reagan did radio re-creations of Cubs™ games from teletype reports for an Iowa station in the 1930s.
The Los Angeles Dodgers™
Fun Facts:
- In 1952, the Dodgers™ were the first team to put players’ numbers on the front of their uniforms.
- Babe Ruth coached first base for the Dodgers™ in 1938, three years after he played in his last major league game as a member of the Boston Red Sox™.
Want a WubbaNub that shows off your family’s hometown spirit? Shop the MLB™ collection here and play ball!
Major League Baseball™ trademarks and copyrights are used with permission of Major League Baseball™. Visit MLB.com.