9 must-see Yankees artifacts on display at Hall

The Yankees are an extraordinary team with a rich history. After all, they have won a Major League-leading 27 World Series titles and fans will have no trouble finding that history represented at The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.

The Hall's collection of more than 40,000 three-dimensional pieces contains artifacts that tell the story of the game’s legendary players, moments and triumphs.

The Yankees have a wealth of history from the greatness of Babe Ruth to Derek Jeter’s presence on the field, so one can imagine how long it took for the curators to pick the best artifacts to feature as part of this program.

Whether you’ve visited before or you’ve always wanted to check it out, there's always a great reason to plan a visit to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum -- the spiritual home of America’s Pastime in beautiful Cooperstown, N.Y.

1. Yogi’s mitt
Fun facts: In Game 5 of the 1956 World Series, Yankees legend Yogi Berra used this mitt to catch Don Larsen’s 2-0 perfect game over the Dodgers. It is the only perfect game in postseason history.

2. Aaron Boone’s bat
Fun facts: In the 11th inning of Game 7 of the 2003 American League Championship Series against the Red Sox, Yankees third baseman Aaron Boone swung at the first pitch he saw from knuckleballer Tim Wakefield and hit the ball into the left-field stands, giving the Yankees a 6-5 victory and a trip to the World Series. The blast remains one of the most dramatic walk-off victories in club history.

3. Joe DiMaggio’s jersey
Fun facts: On April 18, 1952, the Yankees retired Joe DiMaggio’s famed uniform number 5 by presenting him with this jersey, one that “The Yankee Clipper” had worn the year before. At the time, the only Yankees numbers to have previously been retired were those of Lou Gehrig (4) and Babe Ruth (3).

4. Lou Gehrig’s locker
Fun facts: On April 30, 1939, Yankees first baseman Lou Gehrig sat in front of this locker at Yankee Stadium following his final Major League game, the 2,130th straight game in which he played. A decade later, the Yankees donated this locker, as well as Babe Ruth’s, to the Hall of Fame in memory of the beloved Yankees legends.

5. Derek Jeter’s jersey
Fun facts: Rookie shortstop Derek Jeter wore this home jersey during the 1996 World Series, the first of five World Series Championships captured by the Yankees during Jeter's 20-year career with the club.

6. Aaron Judge’s jersey
Fun facts: Wearing this pinstriped jersey on Sept. 18, 2017, Yankees rookie Aaron Judge hit his 33rd home run at Yankee Stadium (44th overall), breaking Babe Ruth’s season mark at home. It was a first-inning shot to right-center field against the Blue Jays. Judge went on to set a rookie record with 52 homers and ultimately earned American League Rookie of the Year honors.

7. Mickey Mantle’s baseball card
Fun facts: This 1952 Topps baseball card of a young Mickey Mantle is a much sought after rarity. Eight years after the company issued its 407 card set, hundreds of surplus cases were dumped in the Atlantic Ocean, including an unknown number of Mantle cards. Highly-graded examples of this popular card now sell in excess of seven figures.

8. Mariano Rivera’s hat
Fun facts: Yankees closer Mariano Rivera wore this cap in the 2009 World Series, his seventh and final Fall Classic. After 19 big league seasons with the Yankees, Rivera retired with career save records for the World Series (11), the postseason (42) and the regular season (652).

9. Babe Ruth’s crown
Fun facts: Following the 1921 World Series, admiring fans presented Yankees slugger Babe Ruth with this silver crown, adorned with 59 baseballs, one for each home run he hit that season. Six years later, Ruth broke that record by clouting 60 homers, a single-season mark not surpassed until Roger Maris blasted 61 in 1961.