World Series champs four straight years, 1936-39, and again in 1941 and 1943, these Yankees were on a roll.
Joe DiMaggio (photo, New York Post)
1936 was an excellent year for the Yankees as they won 102 regular season games before defeating the New York Giants four games to two in the World Series. With Babe Ruth now retired, Lou Gehrig was the team’s best player. Gehrig batted .354 with 49 home runs and 152 RBIs, winning his second American League MVP award. Catcher Bill Dickey also had a great year, batting .362 with 22 home runs and 107 RBIs. Rookie centerfielder Joe DiMaggio belted 29 home runs, drove in 125 runs, and batted .323.
In 1937, the Yankees picked up right where they left off, again winning 102 regular season games and capturing their sixth World Series trophy. Lou Gehrig led the team in batting average at .351, while Joe DiMaggio led the team in home runs — 46 and RBIs — 167. Pitchers Lefty Gomez and Red Ruffing combined for 41 wins on the season.
New York kept on winning, sweeping the Chicago Cubs for their third World Series win in a row in 1938. That team was loaded with great players, including Bill Dickey, Lou Gehrig, and Joe DiMaggio. DiMaggio led the team in batting average at .324, home runs — 32, and RBIs — 140. Pitchers Red Ruffing and Lefty Gomez continued to lead a stellar pitching staff.
1939 would see the Yankees win an unprecedented fourth World Series in a row. Six players batted over .300, including pitcher Red Ruffing (who again won over 20 games). Joe DiMaggio led the team with 30 home runs, 126 RBIs, and a .381 batting average while also winning the AL MVP award.
But it was a bitter-sweet season for the Yankees. Legendary Lou Gehrig was diagnosed with ALDS, an incurable neuromuscular illness.
Phil Rizzuto, 1941 (photo, Baseball Hall of Fame)
After finishing 3rd in 1940 with a 88–66 record, the Yankees were back on top in 1941. Their 101–53 record was good enough to claim their 12th American League pennant, and they made short work of the Brooklyn Dodgers in the World Series, winning four games to one. Rookie shortstop Phil Rizzuto batted .307. Joe DiMaggio won his second MVP award in three years, and his 56-game hitting streak during that season has yet to be surpassed. But sadness came when Lou Gehrig succumbed to ALS on June 2nd, just 17 days before his 38th birthday.
In 1942 the Yankees won 103 games but lost in the World Series for the first time since 1926. Outfielder Charlie Keller led the team in home runs with 26. Joe DiMaggio was the leader in RBIs with 114. Second baseman Joe Gordon batted .322 and won the AL MVP award.
In 1943, Joe DiMaggio, Phil Rizzuto, and many other major league players served in World War II. However, the Yankees still managed to win their sixth World Series in eight years, avenging their previous loss to the St. Louis Cardinals. Charlie Keller again led the team in home runs with 31, while first baseman Nick Etten had 107 RBIs. Pitcher Spud Chandler won 20 games while losing only four and had a 1.64 ERA, earning him the AL MVP award.
How can you do any better than seven pennants and six World Series in eight years? Find the answer next week in Part III of my series on remembering the Yankees.
