Russell Jaslow
Registered User
This is true, most MLB played around with the nicknames during the dead ball era.
The Yankees did start off as the Baltimore Orioles, New York was blocked from entering the American League thanks to John McGraw and the New York Giants. A deal was made before the 1903 to move the team to New York. As the Highlanders, they played at Hilltop Park which was the highest elevation in Manhattan. The media still referred to the team as the Yanks, because it was easier on the eyes than Highlanders. In 1913, the team moved to the Polo Grounds, hence the Highlander name was irrelevant and Yankees became official.
I thought newspapers used Yanks because the shorter name was easier for headlines.