1927 Yankees.

AS and A Level Physical Education (Sport & Coaching)

Edmund

Jeremy R. Edmund

Professor Ellen Stowers

‘The Season’

March 10, 2004

1927 Yankees

Some teams have hit more home runs and others have won more games but no major league baseball team has ever fielded such a complete and dominating baseball team as the 1927 New York Yankees. Even, seventy-seven years later, Murderers' Row, as their lineup was nicknamed, is perhaps the most potent batting order the game has ever known and remains baseball's measuring stick for offensive prowess. Even though this team is remembered as a prolific offensive team, pitching, as most baseball people know, is the key to baseball success and the Yankees had a plethora of quality, durable arms. The Yankee pitchers, who were overshadowed by Murderers’ Row all year, would take control of the World Series and make it the quickest World Series ever played by overpowering the heavy-hitting Pittsburgh Pirates in four straight games.

The roots for the 1927 season were planted the previous October, when the Yankees lost a riveting best-of-seven game World Series to the St. Louis Cardinals. The last out came when Ruth, trying to get the tying run in scoring position, was thrown out attempting to steal second base. (“1926 World Series”) It was a galling way to lose the championship, their signature slugger cut down trying to steal a base, and the Yankees were committed to making up for it the next year. The roster remained mostly unchanged the following year with a couple of minor deals but the superstars that led the team the previous year would lead the Bronx Bombers to the World Series title in 1927. They were the first of many ‘Bronx Bombers’ teams, what their organization, the New York Yankees, were to become known as, that would garner a nickname specific to their squad. With ballgames starting at 3:30pm in those days and usually over by 6 o’clock, these Yankees achieved the nickname of “Five O’clock Lightning” for delivering fatal lead-changing blows in the late innings of their games, usually around the 5 o’clock hour. (Koppett, “1927”) They became the first club in major-league history to reach triple figures in doubles, triples and home runs, while leading the major leagues in these categories along with +374 run differential while 2nd was only +115 and they did it using just 25 players from start to finish. (“1927:Murderers’ Row”) Several of the 25 were anonymous, but the core of the team, however, is one of baseball's most memorable rosters.

Center-fielder Earle Combs and shortstop Mark Koenig set the table at the top of the line-up, right-fielder George ‘Babe’ Ruth and first-baseman Lou Gehrig batted third and fourth, left-fielder Bob Meusel and second-baseman Tony Lazzeri were behind them, and third-baseman Joe Dugan and catcher Pat Collins brought up the rear. (“1927 New York Yankees.”) The centerpiece, of course, was the flamboyant Ruth, the perfect exclamation point for the Golden Age of Sport, the 1920’s. What Jack Dempsey and Gene Tunney were to boxing, Red Grange and The Four Horsemen were to pro football and Bobby Jones was to ...

1927 Yankees.

1927 Yankees

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