The New York Yankees won four World Series Championships between 1937-1941. Here is a brief history of their Championships during this time.
1937
Joe DiMaggio, Lou Gehrig and Bill Dickey all contributed to the Yankees success, leading them to another World Series victory.
DiMaggio had 167 RBIs, Gehrig, AKA “Iron Horse”, had 158 and Dickey had 133 before entering the World Series. Once again they had to face their rival the New York Giants.
The Giants had Mel Ott, who had 31 HR and 95 RBIs. They also had two 20-game winning pitchers, Carl Hubbell (22-8) and rookie Cliff Melton (20-9). However, the Yankees have the only American League 20-game winners, Lefty Gomez (21-11) and Red Ruffing (20-7).
Game one of the World Series started off with very little offense. It wasn’t until the top of the fifth inning that the Giants made it 1-0 on a double play by Gus Mancuso. Jimmy Ripple was on third at the time and ended up scoring.
The bottom of the sixth was when the Yankees poured it on, scoring seven runs. It started with a walk to Gomez. Yes, the pitcher walked. It went downhill from their for the Giants with the Yankees playing small ball. There were several singles and runs for the Yankees, along with a couple of errors for the Giants. This lead to a 8-1 final score for the Yankees.
Game two started out similarly as the Giants had a 1-0 lead, only for the Yankees to pull a repeat with a final score of 8-1.
Yankees won game three 5-1, but the Giants finally managed to win one in game four. The Yankees lost 7-3 as the Giants scored six runs in second inning. The Yankees couldn’t come back from this one.
Game five ended it for the Giants when their second baseman Burgess Whitehead had a fielding error. This occurred after Lazzeri lead off the fifth inning with a triple, but scored on the error with Gomez’s single. Later in the inning, Gomez scored on Gehrig’s double, for a 4-2 win.
1938
This World Series featured the Yankees vs Chicago Cubs. The Yankees swept the Cubs, winning their third consecutive World Series. This was the last Series that Gehrig played in as ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) began to take over.
It was the same old story for the Yankees, with the same players paving the way. This time, there were five players who had driven in at least 90 RBIs. Besides DiMaggio, Gehrig and Dickey, rookie Joe Gordon, along with Tommy Henrich were added to this list.
In game one, the Yankees scored early, in the top of the second inning. That was all they really needed as Dickey went 4-for-4 with a HR.
George Selkirk and Gordon sot a couple of RBIs of their own in a 3-1 victory for the Yankees. Stan Hack scored the only RBI for the Cubs on a single, allowing Ripper Collins to score.
Game two looked more hopeful for the Cubs, as they scored early. The Yankees went ahead in the second, 2-1, but the Cubs added two in the bottom of the third. Things were looking up for the Cubs, but this didn’t last as the Crosetti hit a stunner, scoring Hoag and making it 4-3.
The Yankees added two more runs in the ninth on another HR. This time, DiMaggio hit the homer, scoring Henrich. The final was 6-3 Yankees.
Gordon went 2-for-4 with three RBIs in game three as the Yankees win 5-2.
The Yankees did not let up in game four as they scored three in the second inning. Crosetti got four RBIs in this 8-3 win.
1939
The Yankees swept the Cincinnati Reds in this World Series. This was the first Series without the beloved Gehrig, so the Yankees were hoping other players helped out.
Game one was way to close for comfort as the Yankees won by a measly score of 2-1. This could’ve been anybody’s game.
The Reds started the scoring started in the top of the fourth on a single by Frank McCormick, scoring Ivan Goodman. The Yankees tied the score in the bottom of the fifth on a Babe Dahlgren double, scoring Gordon.
The winning run came in the bottom of the ninth as Dickey singled, scoring Charlie Keller.
Game two was a shutout, as the Yankees won 4-0.
Dahlgren, who replaced Gehrig, doubled and got a HR. Also, Corsetti got an RBI on a groundout., scoring Dahlgren. Rolfe scored shortly after on a double by Keller. During the same inning, DiMaggio scored on a Dickey single.
Monte Pearson only allowed two hits, singles by Ernie Lombardi and Billy Werber. The only other baserunner the Reds had was a walk to Werber.
Game three showed the Reds were ready to play as they out-hit the Yankees 10 to 5, although it is the score that counts.
The Yankees scored their runs on homers, hitting four of them. Keller got a two-run HR in the top of the first. DiMaggio hit a two-run HR in the top of the third to retake the lead 4-3 after Werber and Goodman hit singles took the lead in the bottom of the second.
Keller hit his second HR, scoring Rolfe and Dickey hit a solo HR to make it 7-3. This was the final score.
Game four was won by the Yankees 7-4, but not before going into extras. There was nothing on the scoreboard and very little happening offensively with only four total hits and one walk through six innings.
The Yankees did get things going in the top of the seventh inning on a Keller solo HR. Dickey also hit a solo HR, making it 2-0 entering the bottom of the seventh.
The Reds got their game on when Wally Berger grounded out, scoring McCormick. Al Simmons doubled and McCormick scored on a groundout by Berger. Billy Myers walked and Willard Hershberger singled, scoring Simmons. Werber drove in Myers after a single.
The Reds added to their lead in the bottom of the eight on a Lombardi single, scoring Goodman.
It was up to the Yankees to either tie it or go up on the Reds in the top of the ninth and they did just that. On a fielder’s choice by Dickey, DiMaggio was safe at second on an error. Gordon singled, allowing DiMaggio to score. This tied the game and Reds blew a two-run lead in the ninth. They didn’t score at the bottom of the ninth either and it went into the tenth inning.
All the Yankees needed was a run and they got it on a DiMaggio single, scoring Crosetti. Keller and DiMaggio also scored on an errors by the right fielder and catcher. It was too much for the Reds and Yankees won it 7-4.
1941
The Yankees faced the Brooklyn Dodgers and it took five games for the Yankees to win another World Series.
Although the Yankees won the Series, Gehrig had passed away earlier this year. With all the emotion the Yankees organization was going through, they had to fight through it and do their best to win.
The Yankees took game one in a close one 3-2. The Yankees scored first in the second on a homer by Gordon. Later in the game, Dickey brought Keller home on a double to make it 2-0.
The Dodgers cut the lead in half with a triple by Mickey Owen, scoring Pee Wee Reese.
Keller scored off a single by Gordon to make it 3-1. Lew Riggs singled to score Cookie Lavagetto, who reached earlier on a throwing error. The score was now 3-2 and was the final score for game one.
The Dodgers won game two by the same score of 3-2. The Yankees blew a 2-0 lead entering the fifth inning and then it was all Dodgers. They scored two runs in the fifth and one in the sixth. Dolph Camilli scored after walking on a Reese groundout. Owen brought home Joe Medwick on a single. Also, Camili singled to score Dixie Walker.
Game three was another close won with the Yankees winning 2-1. Scoring didn’t happen until the top of the eighth. DiMaggio singled, scoring Rolfe. Keller singled right after to score Henrich. The Dodgers scored a run in the bottom of the eighth when Walker scored on a single by Reese, making it 2-1 final.
In game four, Yankees took a 3-0 lead entering the bottom of the fourth inning on singles by Keller and Johnny Sturm. The Dodgers took the lead in the fourth after Jimmy Wasdell brought in Owen and Pete Coscarart, as well as Pete Reiser’s HR scoring Walker.
The Yankees took back the lead and won it in the top of the ninth on doubles by Keller and Gordon. Henrich, DiMaggio, Keller and Dickey scored to win the game by a final score of 7-4.
In game five, the Yankees scored first. Keller scored on a wild pitch, advancing Dickey. Gordon singled to score Dickey. Reiser got an RBI on a flyball, scoring Whit Wyatt, who doubled to start the inning. This made it 2-1.
Henrich got a HR to make it 3-1, which is the final score, bringing the Yankees another World Series win.
What to Look for Next
The Yankees have won 27 World Series. This piece referenced four of them, bringing a total of nine from the previous article. Take a look at what’s to come for “New York Yankees World Series Championships History Part III”, which will be about their next four, up until 1950.
Featured Image Courtesy of thedeadballera.com
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