Yankees History

April 30, 1927 at Fenway Park

Red Sox 3, Yankees 2  (9-5)

Urban Shocker was crusing along and had a nice 2-0 lead heading into the ninth before things fell apart.  Three runs later and the Yankees and Shocker had lost the game.  He gave up three runs on eight hits and one walk with one strikeout.

Bob Meusel was pretty much the Yankees offense.  He went two for four with a double and he scored both Yankee runs.

April 29, 1927 at Fenway Park

Yankees 9, Red Sox 0  (9-4)

Babe Ruth had a big day at the plate and Dutch Ruether threw a six hit shutout as the Yankees topped the Red Sox.  Ruth went three for four with his fourth homerun and three runs. 

Ruether kept the Red Sox in check and held them to just the six hits.  He walked four and struck out one.

April 25, 1927 at Yankee Stadium

Senators 5, Yankees 4  (8-4)

The Yankees continued their dry spell with their fourth loss in six games.  Waite Hoyt lost his first game of the season and he gave up five runs on nine hits and five hits with five strikeouts.

Lou Gehrig doubled twice and he scored a run in the loss.  Mike Gazella doubled and scored two runs.

April 24, 1927 at Griffith Stadium

Yankees 6, Senators 2  (8-3)

Babe Ruth and Bob Meusel homered for the Yankees today while Cedric Durst drove in three with a bases loaded triple as the Yankees won yet again.  It was Ruth’s third homerun of the season and he finished the game with three hits.

Urban Shocker picked up the win.  He gave up two runs on eight hits and two walks with four strikeouts.

April 23, 1927 at Shibe Park

Athletics 4, Yankees 3  (7-3)

The Yankees lost for the third time in four games and lost their first series of the season at the hands of the A’s.  It wasn’t for lack of production from their big bats though.  Both Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig hit homeruns.  The A’s won the game in the bottom of the ninth on a throwing error by Mark Koenig.

Dutch Reuther got the start and he went seven innings but it was Wilcy Moore who took the loss in relief.

April 21, 1927 at Shibe Park

Yankees 13, Athletics 6  (7-2)

The Yankees ran up the score again behind the bat of Lou Gehrig.  The Iron Horse went two for five with a homerun, three runs.  Tony Lazzeri went yard with a three run shot while both Earle Combs and Bob Muesel had three hits and three runs.

Waite Hoyt had a tough time and he was bounced in the fifth inning.  Wilcy Moore did a nice job in relief and he picked up the win, giving up only one hit in 4 2/3 innings.

April 20, 1927 at Shibe Park

Athletics 8, Yankees 5  (6-2)

Urban Shocker was hit hard and he took the loss against the A’s.  He and Wilcy Moore combined to give up eight runs on twelve hits to the A’s. 

On offense, the Yankees got a bunch of hits but they were mostly by four players.  Lou Gehrig and Earle Combs each had three hits while Mark Koenig and Bob Meusel each had two.  The only other player with a hit was Grabowski, who had a lone single.

April 19, 1927 at Yankee Stadium

Red Sox 6, Yankees 3  (6-1)

It had to happen eventually, even to the 1927 Yankees but they finally lost a game to end their six game winning streak.  Lou Gehrig provided most of the offense for the Yanks.  He went two for five with a double and two of the three Yankees’ runs. 

Bob Shawkey was roughed up for five runs in six innings and he took the loss.  He walked two and struck out three.

April 18, 1927 at Yankee Stadium

Yankees 3, Red Sox 0  (6-0)

The Yankees improved to a perfect 6-0 behind the arm of Dutch Reuther.  The hurler gave up only three hits and three walks with three strikeouts in nine shutout innings.

Lou Gehrig  singled twice and he scored a run and Bob Meusel singled twice.

April 17, 1927 at Yankee Stadium

Yankees 14, Red Sox 2  (5-0)

The Yankees made it five straight with a fourteen run, eighteen hit attack in which Lou Gehrig led the way with two homeruns.  He finished the game with three hits, three runs while Pat Collins had three hits and two runs.  Every Yankee starter had a hit except for Waite Hoyt and seven players had at least two hits.

Hoyt threw a nice game and he gave up two runs on eight hits with five strikeouts.

April 16, 1927 at Yankee Stadium

Yankees 5, Red Sox 2  (4-0)

The Yankees benefited from nine walks today as Yankees won their fourth straight game to open up the season.  Babe Ruth scored two runs without getting a hit and Earle Combs singled and scored twice to lead the way for the Yankees at the plate.

Urban Shocker threw a nice game and he picked up the win. He gave up two runs on ten hits and three walks with two strikeouts.

April 15, 1927 at Yankee Stadium

Yankees 6, Athletics 3  (3-0)

The Yankees pulled out their sort of sweep as they doubled up the A’s today.  Babe Ruth hit his first homerun of the season and he finished the game with two hits and two runs.  Mike Gazella also had a solid day at the plate.  He went two for three with two runs.

Herb Pennock picked up the win and he held the A’s to three runs on seven hits and two walks.  Next up for the Yankees would be the Red Sox.

April 14, 1927 at Yankee Stadium

Yankees 9, Athletics 9  (2-0)

The Yankees winless streak remained intact today when they played the Athletics to a 9-9 ten inning tie.  At the plate, Bob Meusel had three hits and three runs while both Mark Koenig and Babe Ruth had a hit and two runs a piece. 

Bob Shawkey was bounced out of the game after getting just one out in a three run first inning by the A’s.  Wilcy Moore was knocked around as well and he gave up the rest of the runs. 

April 13, 1927 at Yankee Stadium

Yankees 10, Ahletics 4  (2-0)

The Yankees turned up the offense again as they racked up ten runs on sixteen hits.  Mark Koenig had a great game with a perfect five for five performance and he scored twice.  Babe Ruth bounced back after a poor game yesterday and he went two for four with two runs. 

Dutch Reuther gave up a bunch of hits but they were mostly singles and in different innings.  He did give up four runs on fourteen hits and three walks with six strikeouts.

April 12, 1927 at Yankee Stadium

Yankees 8, Athletics 3  (1-0)

The Yankees took care of the Athletics in grand fashion today in their opener, and it front of a record crowd of 65,000 no less.  Waite Hoyt threw a solid game and he picked up the win.  He gave up three runs on eight hits and three walks with three strikeouts.

Joe Dugan was three for four in the game and he scored once while leadoff man Earle Combs doubled and scored twice.  Babe Ruth had a tough game though.  He struck out twice and popped up to finish an unimpressive 0 for 3.

It must be nice to have a player on your team that finishes with a 221 OPS+ and doesn’t lead your team, but that’s what happened to the Yankees in 1927.  First baseman Lou Gehrig was only in his third season of his iron man streak but 1927 was probably his best season ever.  Whether it was having Ruth in his prime on the team or not, Gehrig broke out in a big way in 1927.

He set career highs with 52 doubles and a .765 slugging percentage.  It was his first of two MVP awards and he led the league in total bases (447), doubles (52) and RBIs (175).  He was second to Ruth with 47 homeruns and 18 triples and he was third in the league in hitting with a .373 batting average.  And his 1.239 OPS is the fourteenth best total ever and only four players have had a better single season OPS.

This is one of those historic seasons that was overshadowed because Ruth hit the 60 homeruns but it’s definitely one I’m interested in checking out one I start the diary.

Here are Gehrig’s numbers in 1927:

Games 155
AB 584
Runs 149
Hits 218
Doubles 52
Triples 18
Homeruns 47
RBIs 175
Walks 109
Strikeouts 84
Stolen Bases 10
Caught Stealing 8
BA .373
OBA .474
SLG% .765
OPS 1.240
RC 215
RCAA 136
RCAP 126
RC/G 14.15
ISO .392

The 1927 New York Yankees are regarded as the best team ever.  Amongst all of the great Yankee teams, the 1927 Yankees still have the best winning percentage of any of them (.714) and they were led by not one, but two of the greatest players of that era.  It’s hard to believe that anyone was even close to as good as Babe Ruth, but to have that player on the same team in Lou Gehrig just goes to show you how dominating this team really was.

Regardless, Babe Ruth was the best player on the best team ever.  If that doesn’t put to rest the naysayers who say guys like Ty Cobb (who never won a World Series) or even Barry Bonds (who I’d rate a close second to Ruth) were better then Ruth, then I don’t know what does.

1927 was special for Ruth.  Just six years removed from breaking his own single season homerun record with 59, Ruth set the standard with 60 homeruns in 1927.  He was the first to eclipse the 60 homerun mark and only one player would top that between 1927 and 1998 (Roger Maris).  At the time, it was truly an amazing feat.

To go along with the 60 homeruns, Ruth also led the league in OBP (.486), slugging percentage (.772), runs (158), walks (137), and oddly enough, strikeouts (89).  He was second in RBIs with 164 and sixth in hitting at .356.  And the only player who drove in more runs then Ruth was teammate Lou Gehrig.  Not too shabby for a converted pitcher who turned 32.

Here’s a look at Babe Ruth’s numbers

Games 151
AB 540
Runs 158
Hits 192
Doubles 29
Triples 8
Homeruns 60
RBIs 164
Walks 137
Strikeouts 89
Stolen Bases 7
Caught Stealing 6
BA .356
OBA .486
SLG% .772
OPS 1.258
RC 211
RCAA 138
RCAP 125
RC/G 14.91
ISO .417