Although smarting from the 1961 Yanks whipping at the hands of the 1976 Cincinnati Reds, which backed Bill James’ theories about the relative merits of the two teams… I still had massive fun. Being a lifetime fan of Yankees past and present, I decided to pit historical matchups of the great Yankee teams against great squads of yesteryear. The opponents were usually world or league champs, or also-rans who won 100 games or boasted lots of stars. The opponents thus far have ranged from 1894 to 2002. The Yankee teams have thus far been from 1921 to 1937, plus the ’61 M&M boys.
All games are played using Sim League Baseball by What If Sports. A full 154 game slate is played. The teams alternate five game series at each team’s respective home parks… during each team’s respective home era. When the 1927 Yanks visit the 1894 Phillies, they not only have to deal with facing four .400 hitters in the tiny Baker Bowl, they have to deal with gaslamps, wooden ballparks and horse buggies. And when Big Ed Delahanty comes to 1927 Yankee Stadium, he experiences 70,000 crowds, steel-and-concrete stadiums and car-sickness for the first time.
Every effort is made to use the players the way they were used back in the day. For example, when the ’61 Yanks lost to the ’76 Reds, I couldn’t start Whitey Ford every day – or 60 games a season. On the other hand, Big Six Mathewson, Iron Man McGinnity and Kid Nichols all started every 3rd day AND came in out of the bullpen – er, I mean from the sidelines, where relievers loosened up back in the day.
Sometimes I varied things a little, but usually it wasn’t to give either team an edge, but rather to see how an unheralded scrub might perform if given a chance… a Ben Paschal here, a Johnny Blanchard there… but I did it for everybody. I let Dusty Rhodes (’54 Giants) play a lot more than Leo Durocher did, and while he was no Say Hey Kid in the field, he looked like the Sultan of Swat with the lumber in his hands.
The Sim League Baseball simulator makes all substitutions, both pitching and pinch-hitting. And the game seems to honor whatever era. When Ruth, Gehrig or DiMaggio visit the dead-ball era, the home runs become harder to come by. When Mordecai ‘Three-Finger’ Brown comes to 1927 Yankee Stadium, he still pitches brilliantly, but he leaves his 1.04 ERA home.
Here is how they fared. The records in parentheses are the Yankees’.
1921 Yanks
1905 NY Giants (77-77) tied!
1921 NY Giants (79-75) won!
1921 STL Browns (71-79) lost!
2002 SF Giants (94-60) won!
1923 Yanks
2001 SF Giants (80-74) won!
1927 Yanks
17 teams up, 17 teams down!
2602 games: 1666-936 (.640)
1894 Baltimore Orioles 89-65 .578 (4th)
1894 Philadelphia Phils 95-59 .617 (6th tied)
1894 Boston Bean-eaters 121-33 .786 (17th)
1904 NY Giants 95-55 .633 (10th)
1906 Chicago Cubs 81-69 .540 (1st)
1915 Detroit Tigers 92-62 .597 (5th)
1920 Chicago Black Sox 104-50 .675
1922 STL Browns 85-65 .566 (2nd)
1929 Chicago Cubs 111-51 .685 (15th)
1930 Chicago Cubs 124-26 .685 (18th)
1930 Phila Athletics 104-50 .675 (13th)
1931 Phila Athletics 94-56 .626 (9th)
1953 Bklyn Dodgers 95-59 .617 (6th tied)
1953 Bklyn Dodgers rematch! 99-51 .660 (11th)
1962 LA Dodgers 88-66 .571 (3rd)
1962 SF Giants 103-51 .668 (12th)
1963 LA Dodgers 114-36 .760 (16th)
1975 Cincinnati Reds 96-58 .623 (8th)
1928 Yanks
1975 Cincinnati Reds 69-85 lost!
1932 Yanks
1976 Cincinnati Reds beat 1932 New York Yankees 83-71!
N. Y..........…BA/SA……HR…RBI
Chapman..308/.491 17 112
Ruth……….330/.660 59 176
Gehrig…… .365/.631 38 169
Lazzeri…....307/.498 21 124
Dickey……..318/.452 16 136
Cin. ..........…BA/SA……HR…RBI
Griffey…… .305/.444 10 80
Morgan…....370/.684 32 146
Foster……. .311/.560 30 204
Perez…….. .264/.541 36 166
1932 Yanks
1954 New York Giants 93-61 Yanks win!
PLAYER……………HR…RBI…BA/SA
Ben Chapman…….15...97.... .304/.454
Babe Ruth………….48...149...291/.588
Lou Gehrig…………36...174....330/.591
Tony Lazzeri……….10... 99....277/.411
Bill Dickey………….12... 119.. .319/.448
Willie Mays………...35... 123... .343/.625
Dusty Rhodes……..44... 151... .336/.609
Don Mueller……….. 6... 60.... .346/.462
Mays 395 total bases (overall leader)
Hank Thompson 25hr 109rbi
PITCHERS……..W-L…Inn…ERA
John Antonelli 15-10 246…3.98
Lefty Gomez……8-13…210…5.04
Red Ruffing……14-7…224…5.62
Johnny Allen….15-4… 165…4.41
Herb Pennock… 7-3… 127…4.87
1936 Yanks
1915 Red Sox 82-72 won!
1937 Yanks
1916 Red Sox 99-55 won!
1946 Red Sox 87-67 won!
1962 Dodgers 82-72 won!
1970 Baltimore 91-63 won!
1961 Yanks
1976 Cincinnati Reds 77-85 lost!
1976 Cincinnati Reds 75-87 rematch lost!
Showing posts with label Brooklyn Dodgers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Brooklyn Dodgers. Show all posts
Monday, September 19, 2011
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
27 Yanks - 53 Bklyns Final!
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.
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.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
27Yanks-53Bklyns... Yanks Clinch Season!
It took 126 games.
The 1927 Yanks are indeed all they are cracked up to be. They travelled forward throught time and visted 1953 Brooklyn. And in a 154 game match-up, the Murderers' Row boys proved murderous and merciless. The Brooklyn Dodgers fought hard and acquitted themselves nobly.
Game number 126, a hard fought contest in the Bronx, saw each of Brooklyn's Big Four come through... each with an rbi, trying to stave off defeat and elimination.
But they did neither. The Yankees of 1927 are simply too much. Babe Ruth did not homer in this contest. He did not hit or score. But his understudy, Ben Paschal drove one out instead. And six other Yankees had at least one run driven in as their attack sealed the season with a 9-4 victory.
130 games:
1927 Yanks 80-50
1953 Bklyn 50-80
Ruth 93hr 196rbi
Gehrig 69hr 160
Meusel 10hr 84
Lazzeri 31hr 95rbi
Pipgras 18-1
Shocker 15-7
Thomas 10-3
Robinson 7hr 102rbi
Snider 9hr 113rbi
Campanella 25hr 114rbi
Hodges 10hr 85rbi
Erskine 9-9
Loes 11-11
Labine 7-6
This is how the season has gone thus far:
After 4 games: Bklyn 4-0
After 30 games: NY 16-14
After 70 games: NY 39-31
After 100 games: NY 61-39
After 130 games: NY 80-50
As you can see, the Dodgers started off great. They won the first four at Ebbets Field. The fourth game was a sign of things to come... Bklyn prevailing in a 16-13 slugfest. The Yanks got homers from the Babe (2), Lou, Lazzeri and Dugan, but it wasn't enough.
After the Yanks finally won one, the teams shifted to Yankee stadium... the boy's played five game series in each park, alternating... and the Dodgers won the Yankee home opener as well, 8-7. As amother sign of things to come, Clem Labine, the Dodger reliever, picked up his his fourth victory! He was 4-0 after six games!
I remember thinking myself, "This could get very interesting." But then the 1-5 Yanks ripped off 8 straight. Then the Dodgers answered with another four straight. And I settled into my chair. Two heavyweights were going to slug it out. No backpedaling. No dancing. Just toe-to-toe, center of the ring brawling.
This was going to be real good, and real bloody.
After only 30 games the Yankees had scored ten or more three separate times... and lost all three. They'd also scored eleven or more four other times... and won all four.
It was games 41-50 where New Yourk first began to assert their dominance, winning 9 0f ten. But then, once again, Brooklyn bounced back taking 8 0f ten themselves. It was about this time that I decided to sit down the Babe, Meusel, and Dugan, and give some of the scrubs a chance to play. Babe had 45 0r 46 homers in the first 45 games, and was making a mockery of things. But with the scrubs in place, the Bronx steamroller kept right on going.
Game 61 proved to be the apex of the Yankee season... a 23-1 thrashing of the Dodgers at the Stadium. Ruth was still riding the pines. But his sub, Ben Paschal in RF, was himself in the middle of an incredible run. He drove in three, Earle Combs knocked in five, Mike Gazella plated three more (playing for Jumpin Joe Dugan at third), and Cedric Durst added another ribbie (in LF for Meusel). George Pipgras, the Yankees' fifth starter, improved to 8-0.
That HAD to shake the Brooks at least a litlle, getting knocked around by scrubs like that. But there was no dog in these Dodgers. They hung in there until game 70, when the Yanks first stringers all returned after a 25 game rest.
And that proved to be it.
The Bombers have gone 41-19 since then to put the thing away.
I will study the stats more intensely at the season's end. I know it lookks way out of whack for the Babe and Lou. I am also wondering why the Dodgers home run totals are low. But except for the Babe and Lou, everybody else's run production pretty much is in line with their actual seasons. I may go back and tabulate Carl Furillo's numbers. As I have already said, he might be the best seventh-place hitter in baseball history. And I will look at Gilliam's stolen bases... he seems to have swiped a lot. Speaking of stolen bases, here's an anomaly: Jackie has none. Zip. Bagels! (Damn, I'd love bagels right now!). I have no explanation. I though he'd go wild, since none of the three Yankee receivers had the defensive reputation of a Johnny Bench. I would blame it on the big scoring, but Pee Wee Reese and Gilliam are running. For that matter, so is Tony Lazzeri... he must have 20 or 30. But no Jackie. Jackie is batting third, right in front of the Duke. And since they are both having fine years, maybe Jackie is just content to rattle the pitchers and let Snider get his hacks in.
But as far as Babe and Lou, maybe that guy that wrote that book. "The Year Babe Ruth hit 104 Home Runs" was right. THe parks in Ruths times wer mostly much, much bigger. I have diagrammed a couple... even Yankee Stadium was 429 to deep RIGHT-center. That had to be tough on Ruth and Gehrig. Ruth played in the Polo Grounds from 1920-22. In either stadium, if you didn't pull it right down the line, it wasn't going out. Most parks were simply bigger in those days, including Ebbets, as the Babe pointed out.
So perhaps we are finding out what Ruth and Lou can do with modern day power alleys. Maybe I'll pit these guys against the modern day Reds. Unfortunately, the computer simulation game does not give you Yankee Stadium in the twenties, with the 429 deep right center, the 495 center, and the 460-470 left center. Heck, it was 415 straight-away left to the bull-pen! But it does give you the classic YS of 1947-73, with 461 to dead center... so teams still have to muscle up when they come to visit.
We'll see how the season goes. I'll probably give Babe a shot at 100 homers and 200 ribbies, then sit him down. I'll probaby give Lou a crack at 200 ribbies too. I want to put Paschal back in. He's good! And I want to see how far fifth-starter George Pipgras can take his season. If he has a shot at 30 wins, I might go to a four-man rotation to give him his chance... 18-1!
See you at the end!
The 1927 Yanks are indeed all they are cracked up to be. They travelled forward throught time and visted 1953 Brooklyn. And in a 154 game match-up, the Murderers' Row boys proved murderous and merciless. The Brooklyn Dodgers fought hard and acquitted themselves nobly.
Game number 126, a hard fought contest in the Bronx, saw each of Brooklyn's Big Four come through... each with an rbi, trying to stave off defeat and elimination.
But they did neither. The Yankees of 1927 are simply too much. Babe Ruth did not homer in this contest. He did not hit or score. But his understudy, Ben Paschal drove one out instead. And six other Yankees had at least one run driven in as their attack sealed the season with a 9-4 victory.
130 games:
1927 Yanks 80-50
1953 Bklyn 50-80
Ruth 93hr 196rbi
Gehrig 69hr 160
Meusel 10hr 84
Lazzeri 31hr 95rbi
Pipgras 18-1
Shocker 15-7
Thomas 10-3
Robinson 7hr 102rbi
Snider 9hr 113rbi
Campanella 25hr 114rbi
Hodges 10hr 85rbi
Erskine 9-9
Loes 11-11
Labine 7-6
This is how the season has gone thus far:
After 4 games: Bklyn 4-0
After 30 games: NY 16-14
After 70 games: NY 39-31
After 100 games: NY 61-39
After 130 games: NY 80-50
As you can see, the Dodgers started off great. They won the first four at Ebbets Field. The fourth game was a sign of things to come... Bklyn prevailing in a 16-13 slugfest. The Yanks got homers from the Babe (2), Lou, Lazzeri and Dugan, but it wasn't enough.
After the Yanks finally won one, the teams shifted to Yankee stadium... the boy's played five game series in each park, alternating... and the Dodgers won the Yankee home opener as well, 8-7. As amother sign of things to come, Clem Labine, the Dodger reliever, picked up his his fourth victory! He was 4-0 after six games!
I remember thinking myself, "This could get very interesting." But then the 1-5 Yanks ripped off 8 straight. Then the Dodgers answered with another four straight. And I settled into my chair. Two heavyweights were going to slug it out. No backpedaling. No dancing. Just toe-to-toe, center of the ring brawling.
This was going to be real good, and real bloody.
After only 30 games the Yankees had scored ten or more three separate times... and lost all three. They'd also scored eleven or more four other times... and won all four.
It was games 41-50 where New Yourk first began to assert their dominance, winning 9 0f ten. But then, once again, Brooklyn bounced back taking 8 0f ten themselves. It was about this time that I decided to sit down the Babe, Meusel, and Dugan, and give some of the scrubs a chance to play. Babe had 45 0r 46 homers in the first 45 games, and was making a mockery of things. But with the scrubs in place, the Bronx steamroller kept right on going.
Game 61 proved to be the apex of the Yankee season... a 23-1 thrashing of the Dodgers at the Stadium. Ruth was still riding the pines. But his sub, Ben Paschal in RF, was himself in the middle of an incredible run. He drove in three, Earle Combs knocked in five, Mike Gazella plated three more (playing for Jumpin Joe Dugan at third), and Cedric Durst added another ribbie (in LF for Meusel). George Pipgras, the Yankees' fifth starter, improved to 8-0.
That HAD to shake the Brooks at least a litlle, getting knocked around by scrubs like that. But there was no dog in these Dodgers. They hung in there until game 70, when the Yanks first stringers all returned after a 25 game rest.
And that proved to be it.
The Bombers have gone 41-19 since then to put the thing away.
I will study the stats more intensely at the season's end. I know it lookks way out of whack for the Babe and Lou. I am also wondering why the Dodgers home run totals are low. But except for the Babe and Lou, everybody else's run production pretty much is in line with their actual seasons. I may go back and tabulate Carl Furillo's numbers. As I have already said, he might be the best seventh-place hitter in baseball history. And I will look at Gilliam's stolen bases... he seems to have swiped a lot. Speaking of stolen bases, here's an anomaly: Jackie has none. Zip. Bagels! (Damn, I'd love bagels right now!). I have no explanation. I though he'd go wild, since none of the three Yankee receivers had the defensive reputation of a Johnny Bench. I would blame it on the big scoring, but Pee Wee Reese and Gilliam are running. For that matter, so is Tony Lazzeri... he must have 20 or 30. But no Jackie. Jackie is batting third, right in front of the Duke. And since they are both having fine years, maybe Jackie is just content to rattle the pitchers and let Snider get his hacks in.
But as far as Babe and Lou, maybe that guy that wrote that book. "The Year Babe Ruth hit 104 Home Runs" was right. THe parks in Ruths times wer mostly much, much bigger. I have diagrammed a couple... even Yankee Stadium was 429 to deep RIGHT-center. That had to be tough on Ruth and Gehrig. Ruth played in the Polo Grounds from 1920-22. In either stadium, if you didn't pull it right down the line, it wasn't going out. Most parks were simply bigger in those days, including Ebbets, as the Babe pointed out.
So perhaps we are finding out what Ruth and Lou can do with modern day power alleys. Maybe I'll pit these guys against the modern day Reds. Unfortunately, the computer simulation game does not give you Yankee Stadium in the twenties, with the 429 deep right center, the 495 center, and the 460-470 left center. Heck, it was 415 straight-away left to the bull-pen! But it does give you the classic YS of 1947-73, with 461 to dead center... so teams still have to muscle up when they come to visit.
We'll see how the season goes. I'll probably give Babe a shot at 100 homers and 200 ribbies, then sit him down. I'll probaby give Lou a crack at 200 ribbies too. I want to put Paschal back in. He's good! And I want to see how far fifth-starter George Pipgras can take his season. If he has a shot at 30 wins, I might go to a four-man rotation to give him his chance... 18-1!
See you at the end!
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