1927 New York Yankees season
Encyclopedia
The New York Yankees
season was their 25th season. The team finished with a record of 110-44, winning their fifth pennant
and finishing 19 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 Pittsburgh Pirates
. This Yankee team is known for their feared lineup, which was nicknamed "Murderers' Row
". This team is widely considered to be the best baseball team ever.
mark of 105 (set by the 1912 Boston Red Sox
) and would stand as the American League single-season record until it was broken by the Cleveland Indians
in 1954.
This was the first year the Yankees acknowledged their team nickname on their uniforms, albeit their road uniforms. Their home uniforms remained free of any kind of logo except for the "NY" on their caps.
's pursuit of his own home run mark of 59, set in . Early in the season, Ruth expressed doubts about his chances: "I don't suppose I'll ever break that 1921 record. To do that, you've got to start early, and the pitchers have got to pitch to you. I don't start early, and the pitchers haven't really pitched to me in four seasons. I get more bad balls to hit than any other five men...and fewer good ones." Ruth was also being challenged for his slugger's crown by teammate Lou Gehrig
, who nudged ahead of Ruth's total in midseason, prompting the New York World-Telegram
to anoint Gehrig the favorite. But Ruth caught Gehrig (who would finish with 47), and then had a remarkable last leg of the season, hitting 17 home runs in September. His 60th came on September 30, in the Yankees' next-to-last game. Ruth was exultant, shouting after the game, "Sixty, count 'em, sixty! Let's see some son-of-a-bitch match that!" In later years, he would give Gehrig some credit: "Pitchers began pitching to me because if they passed me they still had Lou to contend with." In addition to his career-high 60 home runs, Ruth batted .356, drove in 164 runs and slugged .772.
Since a voter could select only one player per team, two good candidates from the same team could find their votes split and both of their chances of winning hurt. In addition, the clause prohibiting repeat winners led to unusual results like Babe Ruth
's 1927 (one of the greatest offensive seasons of all time) not being eligible for the award. As the New York Times wrote in 1925, "[T]he purpose, of course, is to pass the honor around, but the effect is to pass an empty honor around."
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
season was their 25th season. The team finished with a record of 110-44, winning their fifth pennant
Pennant (sports)
A pennant is a commemorative flag typically used to show support for a particular athletic team. Pennants have been historically used in all types of athletic levels: high school, collegiate, professional etc. Traditionally, pennants were made of felt and fashioned in the official colors of a...
and finishing 19 games ahead of the Philadelphia Athletics
1927 Philadelphia Athletics season
The 1927 Philadelphia Athletics season involved the A's finishing 2nd in the American League with a record of 91 wins and 63 losses.- Offseason :* December 23, 1926: Eddie Collins was signed as a free agent by the Athletics....
. New York was managed by Miller Huggins
Miller Huggins
Miller James Huggins , nicknamed "Mighty Mite", was a baseball player and manager. He managed the powerhouse New York Yankee teams of the 1920s and won six American League pennants and three World Series championships....
. The Yankees played at Yankee Stadium. In the World Series
1927 World Series
In the 1927 World Series, the New York Yankees swept the Pittsburgh Pirates in four games. This was the first sweep of a National League team by an American League team....
, they swept the Pittsburgh Pirates
1927 Pittsburgh Pirates season
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...
. This Yankee team is known for their feared lineup, which was nicknamed "Murderers' Row
Murderers' Row
Murderers’ Row was the nickname given to the New York Yankees baseball team of the late 1920s, in particular the first six hitters in the 1927 team lineup: Earle Combs, Mark Koenig, Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Bob Meusel and Tony Lazzeri....
". This team is widely considered to be the best baseball team ever.
Regular season
The Yankees' 110 victories broke the previous American LeagueAmerican League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
mark of 105 (set by the 1912 Boston Red Sox
1912 Boston Red Sox season
The 1912 Boston Red Sox season involved the Red Sox finishing 1st in the American League with a record of 105 wins and 47 losses. Behind center fielder Tris Speaker and pitcher Smoky Joe Wood, they led the league in runs scored and fewest runs allowed. Speaker was third in batting and was voted...
) and would stand as the American League single-season record until it was broken by the Cleveland Indians
1954 Cleveland Indians season
The Cleveland Indians advanced to the World Series for the first time in six years. It was the team's third American League championship in franchise history...
in 1954.
This was the first year the Yankees acknowledged their team nickname on their uniforms, albeit their road uniforms. Their home uniforms remained free of any kind of logo except for the "NY" on their caps.
Babe Ruth
With the race long since decided, the nation's attention turned to Babe RuthBabe Ruth
George Herman Ruth, Jr. , best known as "Babe" Ruth and nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Sultan of Swat", was an American Major League baseball player from 1914–1935...
's pursuit of his own home run mark of 59, set in . Early in the season, Ruth expressed doubts about his chances: "I don't suppose I'll ever break that 1921 record. To do that, you've got to start early, and the pitchers have got to pitch to you. I don't start early, and the pitchers haven't really pitched to me in four seasons. I get more bad balls to hit than any other five men...and fewer good ones." Ruth was also being challenged for his slugger's crown by teammate Lou Gehrig
Lou Gehrig
Henry Louis "Lou" Gehrig , nicknamed "The Iron Horse" for his durability, was an American Major League Baseball first baseman. He played his entire 17-year baseball career for the New York Yankees . Gehrig set several major league records. He holds the record for most career grand slams...
, who nudged ahead of Ruth's total in midseason, prompting the New York World-Telegram
New York World-Telegram
The New York World-Telegram, later known as the New York World-Telegram and Sun, was a New York City newspaper from 1931 to 1966.-History:...
to anoint Gehrig the favorite. But Ruth caught Gehrig (who would finish with 47), and then had a remarkable last leg of the season, hitting 17 home runs in September. His 60th came on September 30, in the Yankees' next-to-last game. Ruth was exultant, shouting after the game, "Sixty, count 'em, sixty! Let's see some son-of-a-bitch match that!" In later years, he would give Gehrig some credit: "Pitchers began pitching to me because if they passed me they still had Lou to contend with." In addition to his career-high 60 home runs, Ruth batted .356, drove in 164 runs and slugged .772.
Babe Ruth’s 60 home runs
| Home Run | Date | Pitcher |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 04-15-1927 | Howard Ehmke Howard Ehmke Howard Jonathan Ehmke was a Major League Baseball pitcher. He is best known for being the surprise starter who won Game 1 of the 1929 World Series for the Philadelphia Athletics at the age of 35... |
| 2 | 04-23-1927 | Rube Walberg Rube Walberg George Elvin Walberg was a starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played from through for the New York Giants , Philadelphia Athletics and Boston Red Sox . Walberg batted and threw left-handed... |
| 3 | 04-24-1927 | Sloppy Thurston Sloppy Thurston Hollis John "Sloppy" Thurston was a starting pitcher in Major League Baseball.... |
| 4 | 04-29-1927 | Slim Harriss Slim Harriss William Jennings Bryan Harriss was a pitcher who played in Major League Baseball between the 1920 and 1928 seasons. Listed at 6'6", 180 lb., Harriss batted and threw right-handed... |
| 5 | 05-01-1927 | Jack Quinn Jack Quinn (baseball) John Picus "Jack" Quinn, born Joannes Pajkos , was a pitcher in Major League Baseball. Quinn pitched for eight teams in three major leagues and made his final appearance at the age of 50.-Biography:Born in Štefurov, Slovakia , Quinn emigrated to America as an... |
| 6 | 05-01-1927 | Rube Walberg |
| 7 | 05-10-1927 | Milt Gaston Milt Gaston Nathaniel Milton Gaston was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball from 1924-1934. Born in Ridgefield Park, New Jersey, he played for the St. Louis Browns, New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Washington Senators and Chicago White Sox. He died at age 100 in Barnstable, Massachusetts... |
| 8 | 05-11-1927 | Ernie Nevers |
| 9 | 05-17-1927 | Rip Collins Rip Collins Harry Warren Collins was a starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the New York Yankees , Boston Red Sox , Detroit Tigers and St. Louis Browns . Collins batted and threw right-handed... |
| 10 | 05-22-1927 | Benn Karr Benn Karr Benjamin Joyce Karr [Baldy] was a pitcher in Major League Baseball who played between 1920 and 1927 for the Boston Red Sox and Cleveland Indians . Listed at 6' 0", 175 lb., Karr batted left-handed and threw right-handed... |
| 11 | 05-23-1927 | Sloppy Thurston |
| 12 | 05-28-1927 | Sloppy Thurston |
| 13 | 05-29-1927 | Danny MacFayden Danny MacFayden Daniel Knowles MacFayden was an American starting and relief pitcher in Major League Baseball. From through , he played for the Boston Red Sox , New York Yankees , Cincinnati Reds , Boston Braves , Pittsburgh Pirates and Washington Senators... |
| 14 | 05-30-1927 | Rube Walberg |
| 15 | 05-31-1927 | Jack Quinn |
| 16 | 05-31-1927 | Howard Ehmke |
| 17 | 06-05-1927 | Earl Whitehill Earl Whitehill Earl Oliver Whitehill was a Major League Baseball pitcher. He played for the Detroit Tigers for the most significant portion of his career , and later with the Washington Senators , Cleveland Indians , and the Chicago Cubs... |
| 18 | 06-07-1927 | Tommy Thomas Tommy Thomas (baseball) Alphonse "Tommy" Thomas , was an American professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1926-1937. He would play for the Chicago White Sox, Washington Senators, Philadelphia Phillies, St. Louis Browns, and Boston Red Sox... |
| 19 | 06-11-1927 | Garland Buckeye Garland Buckeye Garland Maiers "Gob" Buckeye is a former professional football and baseball player.-Baseball:... |
| 20 | 06-11-1927 | Garland Buckeye |
| 21 | 06-12-1927 | George Uhle George Uhle George Ernest Uhle was a Major League Baseball pitcher. Born in Cleveland, Ohio, he began his playing career with his hometown Cleveland Indians... |
| 22 | 06-16-1927 | Tom Zachary Tom Zachary Jonathan Thompson Walton Zachary was a pitcher who had a 19-year career that lasted from 1918 to 1936. He played for the Philadelphia A's, Washington Senators, St... |
| 23 | 06-22-1927 | Hal Wiltse Hal Wiltse Harold James Wiltse [Whitey] was a pitcher in Major League Baseball who played from through for the Boston Red Sox , St. Louis Browns and Philadelphia Phillies . Listed at 5' 9", 168 lb., Wiltse batted and threw left-handed... |
| 24 | 06-22-1927 | Hal Wiltse |
| 25 | 06-30-1927 | Slim Harriss |
| 26 | 07-03-1927 | Hod Lisenbee |
| 27 | 07-08-1927 | Don Hankins Don Hankins Donald Wayne Hankins was a Major League Baseball pitcher who played for the Detroit Tigers in .-External links:... |
| 28 | 07-09-1927 | Ken Holloway Ken Holloway Kenneth Eugene Holloway was a pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for three different teams between and . Listed at 6' 0", 185 lb., Holloway batted and threw right-handed. He was born in Barwick, Georgia. It has been erroneously reported that he was born "Halloway" or “Hollaway” and... |
| 29 | 07-09-1927 | Ken Holloway |
| 30 | 07-12-1927 | Joe Shaute Joe Shaute Joseph Benjamin Shaute was a pitcher in Major League Baseball. He pitched from 1922 to 1934, and during his 13-year career, he played primarily for the Cleveland Indians... |
| 31 | 07-24-1927 | Tommy Thomas |
| 32 | 07-26-1927 | Milt Gaston |
| 33 | 07-27-1927 | Milt Gaston |
| 34 | 07-28-1927 | Lefty Stewart Lefty Stewart Walter Cleveland "Lefty" Stewart was a professional baseball pitcher. He played all or part of ten seasons in Major League Baseball between 1921 and 1935. He played for the Detroit Tigers, St. Louis Browns, Washington Senators, and Cleveland Indians.-External links:... |
| 35 | 08-05-1927 | George Smith George Smith (American League pitcher) George Shelby Smith was a middle relief pitcher in Major League Baseball who played from through for the Detroit Tigers and Boston Red Sox . Listed at 6' 1", 175 lb., Smith batted and threw right-handed... |
| 36 | 08-10-1927 | Tom Zachary |
| 37 | 08-16-1927 | Tommy Thomas |
| 38 | 08-17-1927 | Sarge Connally Sarge Connally George Walter "Sarge" Connally was a pitcher in Major League Baseball. He played for the Chicago White Sox and Cleveland Indians.-External links:... |
| 39 | 08-20-1927 | Jake Miller Jake Miller (pitcher) Walter "Jake" Miller , was a professional baseball player who played pitcher in the Major Leagues from -. He would play for the Cleveland Indians and Chicago White Sox.-External links:... |
| 40 | 08-22-1927 | Joe Shaute |
| 41 | 08-27-1927 | Ernie Nevers |
| 42 | 08-28-1927 | Ernie Wingard Ernie Wingard Ernest James Wingard was a major league pitcher for the St. Louis Browns. He started 77 games and relieved in 68 from 1924-27. In his rookie season, his 3.51 ERA was 10th best in the American League.He also played in the minor leagues through 1941.... |
| 43 | 08-31-1927 | Tony Welzer Tony Welzer Anton Frank Welzer was a pitcher in Major League Baseball who played from through for the Boston Red Sox. Listed at 5' 11", 160 lb., he batted and threw right-handed.... |
| 44 | 09-02-1927 | Rube Walberg |
| 45 | 09-06-1927 | Tony Welzer |
| 46 | 09-06-1927 | Tony Welzer |
| 47 | 09-06-1927 | Jack Russell |
| 48 | 09-07-1927 | Danny MacFayden |
| 49 | 09-07-1927 | Slim Harriss |
| 50 | 09-11-1927 | Milt Gaston |
| 51 | 09-13-1927 | Willis Hudlin Willis Hudlin George Willis Hudlin was born in Wagoner, Oklahoma and was a Major League Baseball pitcher for, most notably, the Cleveland Indians from to... |
| 52 | 09-13-1927 | Joe Shaute |
| 53 | 09-16-1927 | Ted Blankenship Ted Blankenship Theodore Blankenship was a pitcher in Major League Baseball. He played for the Chicago White Sox from 1922 to 1930. His key pitch was the fastball.-External links:... |
| 54 | 09-18-1927 | Ted Lyons |
| 55 | 09-21-1927 | Sam Gibson Sam Gibson Samuel Braxton Gibson was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who played five seasons with the Detroit Tigers , New York Yankees and New York Giants .... |
| 56 | 09-22-1927 | Ken Holloway |
| 57 | 09-27-1927 | Lefty Grove Lefty Grove Robert Moses "Lefty" Grove was a professional baseball pitcher. After having success in the minor leagues during the early 1920s, Grove became a star in Major League Baseball with the American League's Philadelphia Athletics and Boston Red Sox, winning 300 games in his 17-year MLB career... |
| 58 | 09-29-1927 | Hod Lisenbee |
| 59 | 09-29-1927 | Paul Hopkins Paul Hopkins Paul Henry Hopkins was a right-handed relief pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Washington Senators and St. Louis Browns .... |
| 60 | 09-30-1927 | Tom Zachary |
Roster
| 1927 New York Yankees | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roster | |||||||||
| valign="top" | Pitchers |
valign="top" | Catchers Infielders |
valign="top" | Outfielders |
valign="top" | Manager Coaches |
||||||
Starters by position
Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in| Pos | Player | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | 92 | 251 | 69 | .275 | 7 | 36 | |
| 1B | 155 | 584 | 218 | .373 | 47 | 175 | |
| 2B | 153 | 570 | 176 | .309 | 18 | 102 | |
| 3B | 112 | 387 | 104 | .269 | 2 | 43 | |
| SS | 123 | 526 | 150 | .285 | 3 | 62 | |
| OF | 152 | 648 | 231 | .356 | 6 | 64 | |
| OF | 151 | 540 | 192 | .356 | 60 | 164 | |
| OF | 135 | 516 | 174 | .337 | 8 | 103 |
Other batters
Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in| Player | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 70 | 195 | 54 | .277 | 0 | 25 | |
| 73 | 195 | 50 | .256 | 1 | 20 | |
| 65 | 129 | 32 | .248 | 0 | 25 | |
| 54 | 115 | 32 | .278 | 0 | 9 | |
| 31 | 85 | 21 | .247 | 0 | 10 | |
| 50 | 82 | 26 | .317 | 2 | 16 | |
| 38 | 42 | 10 | .238 | 1 | 8 |
Starting pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36 | 256.3 | 22 | 7 | 2.63 | 86 | |
| 31 | 200 | 18 | 6 | 2.84 | 35 | |
| 34 | 209.7 | 19 | 8 | 3.00 | 51 | |
| 27 | 184 | 13 | 6 | 3.38 | 45 | |
| 29 | 166.3 | 10 | 3 | 4.11 | 81 |
Other pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 | 213 | 19 | 7 | 2.28 | 75 | |
| 21 | 88.7 | 7 | 4 | 4.87 | 25 |
Relief pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts| Player | G | W | L | SV | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 2.89 | 23 | |
| 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8.00 | 10 | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9.00 | 0 |
1927 World Series
| Game | Date | Visitor | Score | Home | Score | Record (NYY-PIT) |
Attendance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | October 5 | New York Yankees | 5 | Pittsburgh Pirates 1927 Pittsburgh Pirates season 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... |
4 | 1-0 | 41,467 | |
| 2 | October 6 | New York Yankees | 6 | Pittsburgh Pirates 1927 Pittsburgh Pirates season 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... |
2 | 2-0 | 41,634 | |
| 3 | October 7 | Pittsburgh Pirates 1927 Pittsburgh Pirates season 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... |
1 | New York Yankees | 8 | 3-0 | 60,695 | |
| 4 | October 8 | Pittsburgh Pirates 1927 Pittsburgh Pirates season 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... |
3 | New York Yankees | 4 | 4-0 | 57,909 | |
| New York Yankees win 4-0 | ||||||||
Awards and honors
- Lou GehrigLou GehrigHenry Louis "Lou" Gehrig , nicknamed "The Iron Horse" for his durability, was an American Major League Baseball first baseman. He played his entire 17-year baseball career for the New York Yankees . Gehrig set several major league records. He holds the record for most career grand slams...
, AL MVP Award
Since a voter could select only one player per team, two good candidates from the same team could find their votes split and both of their chances of winning hurt. In addition, the clause prohibiting repeat winners led to unusual results like Babe Ruth
Babe Ruth
George Herman Ruth, Jr. , best known as "Babe" Ruth and nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Sultan of Swat", was an American Major League baseball player from 1914–1935...
's 1927 (one of the greatest offensive seasons of all time) not being eligible for the award. As the New York Times wrote in 1925, "[T]he purpose, of course, is to pass the honor around, but the effect is to pass an empty honor around."
League leaders
- Babe RuthBabe RuthGeorge Herman Ruth, Jr. , best known as "Babe" Ruth and nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Sultan of Swat", was an American Major League baseball player from 1914–1935...
, Major League Baseball home run champion (60) - Earle CombsEarle CombsEarle Bryan Combs was an American professional baseball player, who played his entire career for the New York Yankees . Combs batted leadoff and played center field on the Yankees' fabled 1927 team...
, American League leader, triples (23) - Lou GehrigLou GehrigHenry Louis "Lou" Gehrig , nicknamed "The Iron Horse" for his durability, was an American Major League Baseball first baseman. He played his entire 17-year baseball career for the New York Yankees . Gehrig set several major league records. He holds the record for most career grand slams...
, American League RBI champion, (175)