That's all, folks! Another mythical season is in the books!
154 Games:
1927 New York Yankees: 95-59
1953 Bklyn Dodgers: 59-95
Yanks Leaders
Babe Ruth 106hr 232rbi
Lou Gehrig 78hr 195rbi
Meusel 10hr 93rbi
Lazzeri 32hr 109rbi
George Pipgras 22-3
Urban Shocker 16-7
Myles Thomas 12-4
Dodgers Leaders
Robinson 7hr 118rbi
Snider 10hr 133rbi
Campanella 32hr 140rbi
Hodges 10hr 101rbi
Billy Loes 13-12
Carl Erskine 11-10
First 77: NY 44-33
Second 77: NY 51-26
After Game 130 the teams toured a little bit, visiting other classic ballparks of bygone days. They played five each in the Polo Grounds and the Baker Bowl (Philly). Then they hit Shibe Park (also Philly), Sportsman's Park (STL), Forbes Field (Pittsburgh) and Fenway Park. Then the two teams finished up the season by playing the final two at the brand new Yankee Stadium.
"This place is unbelievable!" Marveled the Babe. "The clubhouse is bigger than the field! Then again, they've shrunk the field." Then the Babe was a bit somber. "I see they've knocked down the old one across the street."
"Yeah Babe..." said Lou. "But before they did, that kid Jeter broke my record for hits as a Yankee. Class act."
"Him and you both, pal. And he wears number 2. Fits right into our lineup. When they retire his number, the Yanks will be out of single digits... except for 6."
"That should be Lazzeri." Said Lou. "Hey, Babe. I know you're sad about the old Stadium, but what do you think about the Yanks winning the World Series in their first year in the new one?"
"Just like us in '23." Said the Babe, brightening up again. "We should have brought you up sooner, kid. You hit .400-something when we did."
"You guys did fine." Lou answered. "I needed to work on my fielding."
"You'd have done fine, Lou." The Babe said back. "And you would have had the other teams shaking in their boots."
"We did okay in '27 and 28, Babe."
"Hey guys... can I ask you a few questions about the season you just finished?"
"Sure." Answered Gehrig.
"Shoot!" Said the Babe.
"You both exceeded your previous best totals by a long shot. Everyone else pretty much matched theirs. Any explanation?"
"The ballparks." Said Lou, right away. "They are a lot smaller."
"That's what I have been saying all along." Agreed the Babe.
"You both passed Hack Wilson's 191 RBIs."
"Hack was a great player." mused Lou.
"Yeah." Agreed the Babe. "Listen. I don't want to sound disrespectful to Hack, or anybody. Remember the 1932 Series?"
"Everybody does, Babe."
"That 'called shot?' Listen, if I hit that same ball in Yankee Stadium in '32, it ain't going out. Maybe it's a double... or a long out... or an inside-the-park job. Point is, if Lou and me play there all the time... or Ebbets in 1953... Ebbets was still 500 to dead center in '32... anyway, we would have hit a lot more homers. That goes for Jimmie Foxx, too. Shibe was 500 to center until 1930 and 468 afterwards."
"Lou..." I interjected. "They pulled in the fences at Shibe even more later on. That fifth ball you hit in 1932..."
"That one Al Simmons caught near the flagpole. I know what you're getting at. I would've had five homers that day."
"Yes sir!" Piped the Babe. "Lou, you were great!"
"Thanks, Babe. Remember?"
"Yep. McGraw retired that day after 30 years with the Giants. Pushed you off the front page."
"Listen..." Lou said quietly. "Yeah, maybe we would have hit more home runs. But we played when we played. Guys grow bigger these days. Who knows. I'm just proud that everyone still remembers us, and recognizes us. Our whole team was special. Our pitching... remember, we gave up the fewest runs that year."
"Yep..." the Babe nodded. "I think we we able to adjust to Ebbets better than Brooklyn was able to adjust to Yankee Stadium."
"It was like having a home field advantage for the entire season," added Lou."
"Okay guys. Let me ask you about the modern day sluggers..."
"They are great." The Babe said, immediately.
"Absolutely." Chimed in Gehrig.
"Who do you like?"
"Pujols." Said Lou. "He could push me off first."
"BULL!" Retorted the Babe.
"Thanks, Babe. But Pujols is great. Alex Rodriguez... Barry Bonds..."
"You like Barry?"
"Sure!" Interjected the Babe. "He would have been great in ANY era."
"But Babe, he even said 'we don't have to talk about the Babe no more'..."
"Hell, he's right!" Shot back the Babe. "Everyone knows about me. Lou and me and all the old greats... no one will forget us! Barry pushed himself and pushed himself. If he'd have had this guy here behind him..." And the Babe slapped Lou on the back. "Barry would have hit 100 homers the year he hit 73. And the next year when they walked him 200 times... think they'd have done that with Lou in the on deck circle? Hell... Barry would have hit 70 again!"
"And the Giants might have won a World Series or two." added Lou. "Another thing the Babe and Barry have in common that people might forget; Babe here took care of himself when he got older. Began working out in the winter of 1925, and never stopped... every winter."
"Thanks, Lou!" The Babe beamed. "At Artie McGovern's."
"The Babe hit 300 homers from '26 t0 '31. McGraw once said Hornsby was better. Rogers hit 302 in his entire career... in hitters parks." Lou continued slowly, for emphasis. "Babe here matched that in six years."
"Gee, Lou... thanks a lot. But the Rajah was great."
"Exactly, Babe. Exactly."
"Okay guys... let me throw out a couple names, and you give me your impressions."
"Go ahead." said Lou.
"Ty Cobb."
"Mean sumbitch." Said the Babe. "The greatest."
"Would have hit a lot more homers if he'd played in 1953." Said Lou. "People forget that. He hit 5 in two days in St. Louis."
"You guys both had your run-ins with Ty."
"Yeah, but we wound up okay later on." Smiled the Babe.
"Yep." Nodded Lou. "He said I was the best first-sacker he ever saw. How can you stay mad at a guy who says that about you?"
"Ted Williams."
"He could flat hit!" Lou said quickly. "Broke in my final year."
"And he loved it," added the Babe. "Like Lou and me."
"Willie Mays."
"How in the world did New York let the Giants go to Frisco with that kid?" Exclaimed the Babe.
"I was a Giant fan..." said Lou. "Used to watch them on Coogan's Bluff. But I would have paid to watch Willie play. He could go 0-for-4 and still beat you. But he didn't go 0-for-4 all that often."
"One final question. The 1976 Reds beat the 1961 Yankees, 85-77. Do you want to play them? Sort of get revenge?"
"I wanna play them." Said the Babe. "But not to get revenge. We don't have anything to prove. Neither do the '61 Yanks. The Reds were a great, great team."
"I agree." Said Lou. "I'm not going to run down either team. But I'll take the field against anybody with the '27 Yanks... or the '28 Yanks for that matter."
"We'll see what we can do, fellas. Thank you for your time."
"Whattaya kidding me, pal? Thank you!" Exclaimed the Babe.
"My sentiments exactly." Said Lou. "This has been a blast. Almost forgot how much fun this is. Joe Jackson is right. I'll play this game for nothing."
Highlights of Selected Games
Game 4: Ruth had 5 RBI, Gehrig two, and Lazzeri 4. But eight Dodgers drove in runs, and Brooklyn prevailed 16-13.
Game 15: The Babe hit three homers and knocked in seven. Yanks won 19-13.
Game 23: Ruth and Gehrig each knocked two out of the park. Ruth drove in six, Gehrig five, Meusel two, and Lazzeri one. Yanks 15-11. Carl Furillo had 4rbi for Bklyn.
Game 29: Ruth and Gehrig again hit two homers apiece. Ruth drove in five, Gehrig four as the Yanks won 15-6.
Game 38: The Yanks' Big Four ALL homer. Ruth leads the way with three. Lou has two. Ruth leads with 6 RBI... batters 2 thru 6 knock in 15 runs all told. in this game the Bombers trailed 6-5 after six. Then their famous 'Five O'clock Lightning strikes, scoring 2, 4 and 4 in the last three frames to win 15-6.
Game 39: For the second consecutive game the Babe hits 3 homers. He drives in 4 to pace a 9-2 New York win.
Game 87: Babe hits his sixtieth home run. Lou hits number 47. Thus both men match their actual 1927 HR totals in the 87th game of the season.
Game 92: The Babe Drives in seven. NY wins 16-8.
Game 98: Gehrig drives in eight, with three homers. Ruth chips in with 4rbi and two more bombs. Yanks win 14-7.
Game 99: The Yankees won 12-11. Every member of the starting line-up, including starting pitcher Dutch Ruether, drove in a run.
Game 100: Carl Furillo drives in 6 runs. TheDuke drivrs in 5 more. But with two out in the ninth, Gehrig hits a HR to tie the game 12-12. Pee Wee Reese wins it in the 11th for Brooklyn., 14-12, with a two run triple.
Game 101: Babe again hits three homers, and his 6 RBI pace the Yanks, who win 8-1.
Game 103: Gehrig hits his 60th homer. It's an inside the park, 3 run shot. Yanks win 8-5.
Game 106: Lou hits number 61. Robinson, Snider, Campy and Gil all drive runs in, as Brooklyn prevails 8-6.
Games 107 & 108: The Dodgers score 30 runs in two games, winning 13-6 and 17-6.
Game 124: Tony 'Poosh-em-up' Lazzeri pushes 6 runs across the plate, topping the combined efforts of Robinson, Campay and Hodges (5 RBI). But Junior Gilliam also knocks in 2, and Brooklyn edges the Yanks, 11-10.
Game 132: This game typifies the Dodgers season. The Dodgers trailed 7-0 after two innings. They fought back with 5 in the 3rd (7-5). But immediately th Yanks answered back with 5 of their own (10-5). Brooklyn again fought back doggedly; two each in the 5th and 6th (10-9). But the Yanks tacked on two more late to hang on, 12-9. The Dodgers were brave and great. The Yanks just always seemed to have an answer.
Game 144: With the season well in hand, the Babe hits three home runs for the 7th and final time of the season. He also drives in ten runs. The first of his home runs is number 100 on the season. Gehrig homers twice and drives in six. The Yanks win 17-3.
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