The Yankees were a force to be reckoned with.
The Yankees became a professional baseball team in 1903 but weren’t named the Yankees until 1913. For their first eleven years, they were the New York Highlanders, and from 1903 to 1920, the Highlanders/Yankees didn’t have much success, with only seven winning seasons and zero pennants in eighteen years of play.
1921–1925
Babe Ruth (photo, Parade)
That changed in 1921 when the Yankees went 98–55 and won their first American League pennant. Babe Ruth, who the Yankees acquired from the Boston Red Sox in 1920, was a big reason for the team’s sudden success. The former pitcher belted 59 home runs and drove in an astounding 171 runs.
In 1923, the Yankees won their third pennant in a row and defeated the Giants in the World Series to bring home their first World Championship. The team was again in the World Series the following year but lost to the New York Giants. Ruth had another great year smashing 41 home runs, driving in 131 runs, and coming very close to having a .400 batting average, finishing at .393. He also won the American League MVP award.
The Yankees finished the 1924 season two games out of first place. But in 1925, they had their worst season since 1913, finishing the season 16 games below 500. Part of the reason for the disappointment was an aging pitching staff. Another reason was that the Babe missed 56 games, 40 due to an ulcer operation. One bright spot for the Yankees was a young first baseman named Lou Gehrig, who hit 20 home runs and batted .295.
Murderers Row
New York bounced back strong in 1926, winning their fourth pennant in six years, but the Yankees lost the World Series to the St. Louis Cardinals four games to three. 1927 proved the Yankee’s best year. The team put together one of the best seasons in MLB history, winning 114 games, including a four-game sweep of the Pittsburgh Pirates in the World Series. NYY lost only 44 times that year.
Lou Gehrig (photo, lougehrig.com)
History-wise, the Yankees were the first team in MLB history to reach triple figures in doubles, triples, and home runs. Ruth led the team with 60 home runs, followed by Gehrig’s 47. Six players had a batting average of over .300, with Gehrig’s .373 leading the way. Four players had over 100 RBIs. Gehrig had 175, Ruth 164, Bob Meusel 103, and Tony Lazerri had 102. Gehrig won the American League MVP.
The Yankees pitching was every bit as good as their hitting. Waite Hoyt went 22–7 with a 2.63 ERA, while Wilcy Moore went 19–7 with a 2.28 ERA. Urban Shocker went 18–6 with a 2.84 ERA, and Herb Pennock went 19–8 with a 3.00 ERA.
The 1928 Yankees were almost as good as the 1927 team, winning 101 regular season games before sweeping the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series. Gehrig and Ruth continued to dominate. Ruth smashed 54 home runs and had 142 RBIs, while Gehrig hit .374 while driving in 142 runs. Pitchers Waite Hoyt and George Pipgras won a combined 47 games.
The Yankees had 88 wins in 1929, 86 in 1930, and 94 in 1931, but those results weren’t good enough to win pennants. The Philadelphia Athletics had over 100 wins in all three seasons and captured three consecutive AL crowns. Despite not being the best team, the Yankees still had some of the best players in the league. In 1932 Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig led the team in hitting, while Lefty Gomez and Red Ruffing led a top-notch pitching staff.
The Yankees were back on top in 1932, winning 107 regular season games and sweeping the Chicago Cubs in the World Series. It was the team’s fourth World Championship, and plenty more were to come.
Coming next at TSC: Yankees, 1936-1943
