New York Yankees have won 27 World Series Championships throughout their history. They appeared in 40 total, but won 27 of them. Here are a brief history of their first five.
1923-Yankees First Championship
Although the Yankees’ first appearance in the World Series occurred in 1921, they lost to the New York Giants. The same result came about the following year, losing to the Giants as well.
In 1923, the Yankees won their first World Series, again facing the Giants, but this time the Yankees earned the victory.
With the original Yankee Stadium now open, the Yankees had a home-field advantage. Unfortunately, the first game didn’t go in their favor as they lost 5-4, due to an inside-the-park home run by none other than Casey Stengel. Ironically, Stengel eventually became one of the most successful Yankee managers of all time. Not even Stephen King can make this stuff up.
Game two was all Babe Ruth, who hit two homers in the fourth and fifth innings, giving the Yankees a 4-2 victory. Apparently, home runs were the theme for game two as Stengel, once again, helped out the Giants, getting a HR for a 1-0 final.
With the Giants leading the series 2-1, the Yankees had their work cut out for them. Well, the Yankees did what they needed to do.
The Yankees won game the next three games, 8-4, 8-1 and 6-4. Whitey Witt, Joe Dugan, Babe Ruth, Bob Meusel, Everett Scott and Wally Pipp were key players in helping the Yankees win their first Championship. Pitchers Joe Bush, Bob Shawkey, Sam Jones and Herb Pennock contributed to the Yankees success as well.
1927-Best Team Ever?
Some say that the Yankees 1927 World Series Championship was the Yankees best ever maybe even the greatest team in the history of baseball. It could be because they had players like Bob Meusel, Babe Ruth, Tony Lazzeri, Earle Combs and Lou Gehrig. This could be why the Yankees swept the Pittsburgh Pirates 4-0 in the series.
The Yankees won 5-4, although it could’ve easily been the Pirates who celebrated the victory. There were a couple of crucial fielding errors on the Pirates part. The same occurred in game two in a Yankees 6-2 win.
The Pirates did make an error in game three, but between Ruth’s three-run HR, along with the help of Gehrig, Combs and Mark Koenig, the Yankees had this one in the bag.
Game four was anyone’s game as it was 3-3 going into the bottom of the ninth inning. With the Yankees up at bat, it was up to them to seal the deal. Combs walked and then advanced on Koenig’s bunt, which Koenig beat out. The runners advanced on a wild pitch as Ruth was up at bat. This left first base empty, which the Pirates intentionally walked Ruth. With the bases loaded and nobody out, Gehrig was due to come up. Uh oh! Amazingly, the pitcher, John Miljus struck him out, along with the next batter, but then threw another wild pitch. Combs scored and ended the game in wild fashion. Literally.
1928
The Yankees continued to win with this amazing team. The Yankees went on to sweep the St. Louis Cardinals winning 4-1, 9-3, 7-3 and 7-3.
The difference between this team and the one the previous year was that there were several injuries. For example, the Yankees pitcher Pennock had a sore arm. Combs had a broken finger and was only able to be used as a pinch-hitter. Lazzeri suffered a lame-throwing arm, while Ruth had a bad ankle, but both continued playing.
An injury didn’t stop Ruth as he had four RBIs in the series. Gehrig had nine RBIs and helped lead the team to another Championship, stepping up from the injury-plagued Yankees.
1932-Controversy
The Yankees swept the Chicago Cubs during the World Series. This was after some controversy came about in regards to Koenig. Ruth, as well as many others, felt as if Koenig was being cheated when he was offered only a half-share of the World Series payoff. Yes it is true that Koenig was a late addition to the Cubs, after playing with the Yankees and Detroit Tigers. Ruth ripped apart the Cubs in the press, sticking up for Koenig. Although Koenig was acquired late in the season, he was still in 33 games hitting .353.
The anger didn’t subside after Koenig. When Joe McCarthy returned as a Yankee manager after being fired by the Cubs, that didn’t sit too well. McCarthy led the Cubs to a pennant win in 1929 and a second place finish the following year, leading some to believe he was being treated unfairly.
McCarthy go the best of the Cubs when he and his team won. As a matter of fact, McCarthy went on to win a total of seven World Series Championships as a manager with the Yankees. What a way to rub it in.
As usual, Combs, Gehrig, Lazzeri and Ruth, along with Bill Dickey and Joe Sewell played their role and played it well.
This was the year that Ruth called his shot and ended up being the last HR he would hit in World Series play.
1936
It took the Yankees six games to beat their rival, the Giants, doing it without the greatest player, Ruth.
Ruth was released and ended up playing for the Boston Braves, retiring shortly after that. Since Ruth wasn’t involved in the Yankees offense, other players and their pitchers had to up their game, which they did.
The only thing in the way for the Yankees was the Giants pitcher Carl Hubbell, the best pitcher in baseball at the time. He went 26-6 with a 2.31 ERA this year. Hubbell showed why he was the best as he and his team beat the Yankees 6-1 in game one.
The Yankees came back with a vengeance as they demolished the Giants 18-4 in game two. Lefty Gomez got the win, as well as two RBIs, as he faced Hal Schumacher and several other pitchers.
Joe DiMaggio, Gehrig, Dickey and Lazzeri did their thing as the Yankees went on to win game two. Lazzeri got a grand slam, his second in World Series history.
Game three was much more subdued as the Yankee squeaked out a win by the score of 2-1 as Frankie Crosetti knocked in the game-winning run.
Hubbell came in for game four, hoping to do the damage he did to the Yankees in game one, but that didn’t happen. Instead, the Yankees scored four runs against him early on, bringing the series 3-1 in favor of the Yankees.
The Giants did manage to win game five in extras by a score of 5-4. They scored three runs in the first inning and one in the sixth, while Yankees chipped away at their lead, eventually tying it in the sixth.
Despite three errors by the Giants this game, the Giants got the win on a flyball to center field, bringing home the winning run. This victory was short lived as the Yankees won game six in epic fashion. Jake Powell, Lazzeri, DiMaggio and Red Rolfe each had three hits, with Powell getting four RBIs.
Just the Beginning
This is just the first five World Series Championships. There are still several more to come. See what happens in the next few Championships in the next part of this chapter, “New York Yankees World Series Championships History Part II.”
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