That year, the Yankees led the American League in runs scored, hits, triples, home runs, base on balls, batting average, slugging average and on-base percentage. It featured legends Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig at their peaks. The team won a then-league record 110 games, finished with a 19-game lead over second place, and are considered by many to be the greatest team in the history of baseball.
The 1927 New York Yankees had perhaps the most feared line-up in the history of baseball. Nicknamed "Murderers Row," with Babe Ruth at the peak of his considerable powers, hitting .356 with a then-record 60 home runs and 164 RBI that year. He was complemented by future Hall of FamersLou Gehrig at first base, who hit .373 with 47 home runs and a league-leading 175 RBI, Tony Lazzeri at second base who drove in 102 runs with a .309 average, and center fielder Earle Combs, who hit .356 and scored 137 runs as the team's leadoff hitter. Left fielder Bob Meusel also drove in over 100 runs, with a .337 average.
The team's pitching staff was led by another Hall of Famer, Waite Hoyt, who had his best season with a 22–7 record and a league-leading 2.63 ERA to add to his league-leading wins total. Three more pitchers won 18 or more games, rookie Wilcy Moore (19–7, 2.28), Herb Pennock (19–8, 3.00) and Urban Shocker (18–6, 2.84). Moore would have won the ERA title under current rules, but in those days qualification was based on the number of complete games pitched, and he made only 12 starts all year: 13 of his wins and a league-leading 13 saves (figured retroactively) came during his 38 relief appearances. Rounding out the staff were veteran Dutch Ruether (13–6, 3.38), George Pipgras (10–3, 4.11) and swingman Myles Thomas (7–4, 4.87).
To no one's surprise, the Yankees ran away with the pennant under the leadership of manager Miller Huggins. They finished with a record of 110–44, 19 games in front of the second-place Philadelphia Athletics. They were overwhelming favorites to win the World Series.
Pittsburgh Pirates
The 1927 Pittsburgh Pirates were by no means a weak team, but they certainly suffer in comparison with their American League rivals. The Pirates went 94–60 for manager Donie Bush during the regular season, finishing 1+1⁄2 games ahead of the defending World Champions St. Louis Cardinals.
The Pirates also had their share of future Hall of Famers, but they were not quite of the caliber of those of the Yankees. The team's best hitter was right fielder Paul "Big Poison" Waner, who hit a league-leading .380 and drove in 131 runs, also a league-leading total. His brother, rookie center fielder Lloyd "Little Poison" Waner hit .355 and scored a league-leading 133 runs, in spite of his almost complete lack of power (he collected just 25 extra-base hits in over 650 plate appearances). Third baseman Pie Traynor hit .342 and drove in over 100 runs, joining shortstop Glenn Wright who also topped the century mark. However, Wright and Paul Waner also led the team in home runs with 9 each, underscoring the huge difference in power with their rivals: the Pirates hit 54 home runs as a team, fewer than Babe Ruth by himself, and barely a third as many as the Yankees' 158.
Other solid hitters for the Pirates included first baseman Joe Harris, who hit .326 with 73 RBI, second baseman George Grantham (.305) and left fielder Clyde Barnhart (.319). In fact, catcher Johnny Gooch, who hit .258, was the only regular besides Wright to hit below .300, and back-up outfielder Kiki Cuyler added his own .309 average in 285 at-bats to the parade, as the Pirates batted .305 as a team—pitchers included.
The Pirates' pitching was not as dominant. Two veterans of the 1925 World Championship team, Lee Meadows and Ray Kremer both posted 19 wins, with Kremer leading the league with a 2.47 ERA. Carmen Hill had pitched part of six seasons in the majors before 1927, never winning more than three games. In 1927, he put everything together, winning a team-leading 22 games against 11 losses, with a 3.24 ERA at age 31. Vic Aldridge went 15–10 as the fourth starter, but his 4.25 ERA was well over the league average. In the bullpen, Johnny Miljus put together a good season, posting a 1.90 ERA in 76 innings, with an 8–3 record.
The 1927 World Series opened under sunny skies and balmy weather at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on Wednesday, October 5. The crowd of 41,467 saw Yankee right-hander Waite Hoyt (22–6, 2.64 ERA) and Pirate ace Ray Kremer (19–8, 2.47 ERA) oppose each other in Game1.
The Governor of Pennsylvania, John S. Fisher was at Forbes Field, as well as New York City Mayor Jimmy Walker. Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis was seated near the Yankees' dugout. National League President John A. Heydler was in another field box.
Adding to the festivities was a brass band in red coats that paraded around the field before the game. The photographers took pictures of Pirates' Manager Donie Bush and the Yankees' Miller Huggins shaking hands. The Babe was photographed with Huggins, Bush, Mayor Walker, Lou Gehrig, and the Waners.
When the game started, Earle Combs hit the first ball Kremer threw and drove it deep to left field, where Clyde Barnhart caught it. After Mark Koenig struck out swinging, Babe Ruth came up. He swung at the first ball and singled to right field for the first hit of the series. Then on a count of three and two, Gehrig hit a short fly to right field. Paul Waner tried to make a shoestring catch, but the ball got through him for a triple and Ruth scored.
In the bottom of the first, the Pirates tied the game at one. Lloyd Waner was hit by a pitch, moved to third on his brother's double, and tagged up on Glenn Wright's sacrifice fly. With one out in the third, second baseman George Grantham kicked Koenig's grounder behind first base for an error. Ruth again hit Kremer's first pitch and smashed a single to right, sending Koenig to third. Gehrig walked.
With the bases loaded, Kremer walked Bob Meusel, forcing home Koenig. Tony Lazzeri then grounded to Wright, who got the ball to second in time to force Meusel, but Grantham could not get rid of it in time to complete a double play. Ruth scored. With Gehrig on third and Lazzeri on first, a double steal was attempted. Catcher Earl Smith made a bluff throw to second and then threw to Pie Traynor at third, catching Gehrig halfway between the bases, but Smith let Traynor's return throw to the plate get past him for an error. Gehrig scored. The Yankees led 4–1.
The Pirates picked up one run in the bottom of the third on Kremer's double and Paul Waner's single, making the score 4–2. After Hoyt developed a blister on a finger of his pitching hand in the fourth, Huggins watched him carefully. Koenig doubled to center in the fifth and went to third when Ruth grounded out to Grantham. Gehrig's sacrifice fly to Paul Waner scored Koenig.
The Pirates came back with one run in the bottom of the inning on Lloyd Waner's double and Barnhart's single to left. After Lazzeri doubled in the sixth, Pirates Manager Donie Bush lifted Kremer and brought in right-hander Johnny Miljus, who retired the side.
Pittsburgh came up in the eighth trailing 5–3. Wright lined a single over Lazzeri's head. Then Traynor lined a single to center. Wright stopped at second. Huggins decided that Hoyt had had enough and called for Wilcy Moore.
Grantham grounded to Gehrig who threw to Koenig in time to force Traynor at second. On the play, Koenig was bowled over and had the air knocked out of him. Wright went to third on the play and scored on Joe Harris's single to center, making the score 5–4. On a daring run and long slide, Grantham beat Combs's throw to third. Smith then grounded to Gehrig, who stepped on first to end the inning. Moore retired the Pirates in order in the ninth. The Yankees won Game1 of the World Series, 5–4.
Game 2
October 6, 1927 1:30pm (ET) at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
The Pirates opened the scoring in the bottom of the first. Lloyd Waner tripled down the left field foul line, and Clyde Barnhart drove Ruth up against the concrete wall in right on his sacrifice fly scoring Waner. The Pirates led 1–0.
In the top of the third, Combs singled between Harris and Grantham and raced to third on Koenig's line single over second, scoring on Lloyd Waner's fumble sending Koenig around to third. Ruth's high sacrifice fly to Lloyd Waner scored Koenig. Gehrig doubled to the exit gate in right-center. Wright then made an acrobatic diving stop of Meusel's drive headed for left field but couldn't regain his balance in time to throw Meusel out, Gehrig reaching third base and scoring on Lazzeri's sacrifice fly to Paul Waner. The Yankees led 3–1.
Pipgras pitched beautifully, with a blazing fastball and a sharp-breaking curve, scattering six hits over seven innings. In the top of the eighth, Meusel singled over second. On a hit-and-run play, Lazzeri singled to right, Meusel racing to third. When Aldridge's wild pitch almost knocked Dugan down, Meusel scored and Lazzeri went to second. Dugan attempted a sacrifice bunt, but catcher Johnny Gooch pounced on the ball and threw to third base to get Lazzeri sliding in. Aldridge then walked Benny Bengough and Pipgras, and southpaw Mike Cvengros relieved him. He hit Combs forcing in Dugan, and gave up a single to Koenig scoring Bengough. The Yankees led 6–1, and held on to win 6–2.
The Series moved to New York for Game3 without a travel day off.
Starter Herb Pennock retired leadoff hitter Lloyd Waner on an easy roller to Koenig. Rhyne and Paul Waner both flied to Meusel in left. With the Yankees up in the first, on a count of two and two, leadoff hitter Combs slapped a single over second. Koenig got an infield hit on a ground ball that bounced off starter Lee Meadows' glove and was kicked around by Rhyne, Combs reaching second. After Ruth popped to Wright behind second, Gehrig got hold of a fastball and drove it to the warning track in left-center for a triple scoring both Combs and Koenig, but was thrown out at the plate trying for an inside-the-park home run. The Yankees led 2–0.
Pennock was in total control. He retired the Pirates in order without a hit over the first seven innings. Lazzeri opened the home half of the seventh with a single into short center, only the fifth hit of the game, all by the Yanks. Dugan bunted him to second and beat the throw to first. Huggins sent up Cedric Durst to bat for Grabowski. His grounder moved Lazzeri to third and Dugan to second. Rhyne fielded Pennock's slow grounder but threw to the plate too late to get Lazzeri, Dugan taking third and Pennock reaching first. Koenig's deep double to right wall scored Pennock and put Combs on third. Lefthander Mike Cvengros relieved Meadows, but Ruth crushed a home run high into the right-field bleachers, the crowd cheering wildly as he trotted around the bases behind Combs and Koenig. The inning finally ended when Cvengros struck out Gehrig and Meusel. The Yankees led 8–0, and held on for an 8–1 win. Pennock finished with a three-hitter, walking none.
Game 4
October 8, 1927 1:30pm (ET) at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New York
Looking to become the manager of the first American League club to sweep a World Series in four straight games, Huggins sent Wilcy Moore to the mound against the Pirates' Carmen Hill for Game4.
Lloyd Waner led off the game with a drive off Moore's glove and beat it out for a hit. Koenig threw out Barnhart, sending Little Poison to second. Wright singled to right, scoring Waner. The Yanks tied the game at one in the bottom of the first when the first three hitters, Combs, Koenig and Ruth, all singled to right.
In the bottom of the fifth inning, Combs singled to short center. Koenig struck out swinging but Ruth hit his second home run of the Series, to deep center. The Yankees led 3–1.
In the top of the seventh inning, Smith would have grounded out third to first base, but Moore dropped Gehrig's toss for an error. Pitcher Emil Yde ran for Smith, and Fred Brickell batted for Hill. Lazzeri, in his haste to make a double play on Brickell's grounder, bobbled the ball and both runners reached, Yde taking second and Brickell making it to first. Lloyd Waner's sacrifice bunt moved them up. Barnhart's single over second scored Yde and sent Brickell to third. Paul Waner's sacrifice fly to center scored Brickell, tying the score at three apiece.
There was a new battery for the Pirates in the bottom of the seventh, Johnny Miljus and catcher Johnny Gooch. The score remained tied through the seventh, the eighth and the top of the ninth, bringing the Yanks up in their half of the ninth with a chance to win the game and the series. Miljus opened with a walk to Combs. Koenig beat out a bunt down the third base line for a single, bringing Ruth up. Miljus' wild pitch sent Combs to third and Koenig to second, and manager Bush ordered Miljus to walk Ruth, loading the bases for Gehrig, who struck out swinging as did Meusel looking. Lazzeri fouled deep into the left field bleachers for strike one, but on the next pitch Miljus uncorked another wild pitch. Combs raced home with the winning run, and the Series was over with the Yankees winning 4–3. To date, this is the only World Series to end with a runner scoring on a wild pitch.[5]
Walter Clement Pipp was an American professional baseball player. A first baseman, Pipp played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Detroit Tigers, New York Yankees, and Cincinnati Reds between 1913 and 1928.
Murderers' Row were the baseball teams of the New York Yankees in the late 1920s, widely considered some of the best teams in history. The nickname is in particular describing the first six hitters in the 1927 team lineup: Earle Combs, Mark Koenig, Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Bob Meusel, and Tony Lazzeri.
Earle Bryan Combs was an American professional baseball player who played his entire career for the New York Yankees (1924–1935). Combs batted leadoff and played center field on the Yankees' fabled 1927 team. He is one of six players on that team who have been inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame; the other five are Waite Hoyt, Herb Pennock, Tony Lazzeri, Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth.
Miller James Huggins was an American professional baseball player and manager. Huggins played second base for the Cincinnati Reds (1904–1909) and St. Louis Cardinals (1910–1916). He managed the Cardinals (1913–1917) and New York Yankees (1918–1929), including the Murderers' Row teams of the 1920s that won six American League (AL) pennants and three World Series championships.
Anthony Michael Lazzeri was an American professional baseball second baseman during the 1920s and 1930s, predominantly with the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball. He was part of the famed "Murderers' Row" Yankee batting lineup of the late 1920s, along with Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, and Bob Meusel.
Herbert Jefferis Pennock was an American professional baseball pitcher and front-office executive. He played in Major League Baseball from 1912 through 1933, and is best known for his time spent with the star-studded New York Yankee teams of the mid to late 1920s and early 1930s.
The 1923 World Series was the championship series in Major League Baseball for the 1923 season. The 20th edition of the World Series, it matched the American League champion New York Yankees against the National League champion New York Giants. The Yankees beat the Giants in six games. This would be the first of the Yankees' 27 World Series championships. The series was not played in a 2–3–2 format: as with the previous two Series the home field alternated each game, though this time it involved switching ballparks, as the first Yankee Stadium had opened this season.
The 1926 World Series was the championship series of the 1926 Major League Baseball season. The 23rd edition of the Series, it pitted the National League champion St. Louis Cardinals against the American League champion New York Yankees. The Cardinals defeated the Yankees four games to three in the best-of-seven series, which took place from October 2 to 10, 1926, at Yankee Stadium and Sportsman's Park.
The 1928 World Series was the championship series in Major League Baseball for the 1928 season. The 25th edition of the World Series, it matched the American League champion New York Yankees versus the National League champion St. Louis Cardinals. The Yankees beat the Cardinals in four games to win their third championship and become the first team to do back-to-back sweeps.
The 1932 World Series was the championship series in Major League Baseball for the 1932 season. The 29th edition of the World Series, it matched the American League champion New York Yankees versus the National League champions Chicago Cubs. The Yankees won in a four-game sweep. By far its most noteworthy moment was Babe Ruth's "called shot" home run, in his 10th and last World Series. It was punctuated by fiery arguments between the two teams, heating up the atmosphere before the World Series even began. A record 13 future Hall of Famers played in this World Series, with three other future Hall of Famers also participating: umpire Bill Klem, Yankees manager Joe McCarthy, and Cubs manager Rogers Hornsby. It was also the first World Series in which both teams wore uniforms with numbers on the backs of the shirts.
Robert William Meusel was an American baseball left and right fielder who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for eleven seasons from 1920 through 1930, all but the last for the New York Yankees. He was best known as a member of the Yankees' championship teams of the 1920s, nicknamed the "Murderers' Row", during which time the team won its first six American League (AL) pennants and first three World Series titles.
The following are the baseball events of the year 1927 throughout the world.
The following are the baseball events of the year 1926 throughout the world.
Benjamin Edwin Paschal was an American baseball outfielder who played eight seasons in Major League Baseball from 1915 to 1929, mostly for the New York Yankees. After two "cup of coffee" stints with the Cleveland Indians in 1915 and the Boston Red Sox in 1920, Paschal spent most of his career as the fourth outfielder and right-handed pinch hitter of the Yankees' Murderers' Row championship teams of the late 1920s. Paschal is best known for hitting .360 in the 1925 season while standing in for Babe Ruth, who missed the first 40 games with a stomach ailment.
John Kenneth (Johnny) Miljus nicknamed "Big Serb" and "Jovo", was a Serbian-American baseball player who pitched in Major League Baseball between 1915 and 1929. Miljus was most likely the first Serbian-American to play in professional baseball.
Mark Anthony Koenig was an American baseball shortstop who played twelve seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played with the New York Yankees, Detroit Tigers, Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds and New York Giants from 1925 to 1936. A switch hitter who threw right-handed, he was listed at 6 feet 0 inches (1.83 m) and 180 pounds (82 kg). Although primarily playing as a shortstop, Koenig was utilized at both second base and third base as well.
The 1927 New York Yankees season was the 25th season of the New York Yankees of the American League. The team finished with a record of 110–44–1, winning their fifth pennant and finishing 19 games ahead of the Philadelphia Athletics and were tied for first or better for the whole season. New York was managed by Miller Huggins, and played at Yankee Stadium. They won the 1927 World Series, sweeping the Pittsburgh Pirates. This Yankees team was known for its feared lineup, which was nicknamed "Murderers' Row", and is widely considered to be the greatest baseball team in MLB history.
The 1928 New York Yankees season was their 26th season. The team finished with a record of 101–53, winning their sixth pennant, finishing 2.5 games ahead of the Philadelphia Athletics. New York was managed by Miller Huggins. The Yankees played at Yankee Stadium. In the World Series, they swept the St. Louis Cardinals. Pitcher Urban Shocker died in September due to complications from pneumonia.
The 1932 New York Yankees season was the team's 30th season. The team finished with a record of 107–47, winning their seventh pennant, finishing 13 games ahead of the Philadelphia Athletics. New York was managed by future Hall of Famer Joe McCarthy. A record nine future Hall of Famers played on the team.
The 1927 Pittsburgh Pirates season was a season in American baseball. That year, the Pirates won the National League pennant, which was their second in three years and their last until 1960. The team included five future Hall of Famers: Paul Waner, Lloyd Waner, Pie Traynor, Kiki Cuyler, and 20-year-old rookie Joe Cronin.
References
Cohen, Richard M.; Neft, David S. (1990). The World Series: Complete Play-By-Play of Every Game, 1903–1989. New York: St. Martin's Press. pp.120–123. ISBN0-312-03960-3.
Reichler, Joseph (1982). The Baseball Encyclopedia (5thed.). Macmillan Publishing. p.2135. ISBN0-02-579010-2.
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