The 1927 New York Yankees are baseballs greatest team ever produced. This is true, despite the efforts of the so-called experts to prove otherwise. Could "The Duke of Flatbush's" 1955 Brooklyn Dodgers beat them? What about the 1961 Yankees or the 1975 "Big Red Machine?" What about the experts pick of New York's own 1998 Yankees? None of these teams would have defeated Ruth, Gehrig and "Murderer's Row."
Up until 1920 baseball was considered to be a game played by vagrants and ex-cons. The sport paid the players next to nothing, and a big crowd was considered any attendance over 50 people. Around 1921 the sport began to take hold of the fans. Because of figures like Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig the sport was viewed as a battle of gladiators in breathtaking coliseums. This was the beginning of "The golden age of sports." People began embracing baseball as the sport of titans, placing players on pedestals like Greek gods. Other athletes emerged like tennis star Bill Tilden, football player Red Grange, and golfer Bobby Jones. But, baseball became "Americas pastime." Colonel Jacob Ruppert bought the New York Yankees in 1915 and began building the club through a series of trades and purchases. In 1920 he purchased a young slugger from the Boston Red Sox, George Herman "Babe" Ruth. Ruth revolutionized baseball with his prodigious home run blasts. He re--wrote the record books and led the Yankees to American League pennants in 1921 and 1922.
In 1923 the Yanks reached the pinnacle of sports by winning the World Series in their new battlefield, Yankee Stadium. In 1927 Ruth was rewarded with a never before seen, $70,000, three year contract. The second highest contract on the Yankees was $17,500 per year. The 1927 version of the Yankees were very young, with inexperienced pitching. Most experts saw them as a long shot to win the title. The Philadelphia Athletics under Connie Mack's tutelage were considered the favorite. From the first pitch to the last, the Yankees were absolutely dominating. They remained in first place for every single day of the 155 game season!
Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig played home run derby with each other all season long. Ruth ended up with a record 60, while Gehrig tallied 54. The Yankees won 110 games with a .714 winning percentage (an ominous number if there were ever one), and a winning margin of 19 games over their closest rival. They hit 158 home runs and scored 908 runs in 155 games! They were simply, an offensive nightmare for opposing teams. Ruth and Gehrig literally broke every Yankee record in the book. They combined for 107 home runs, 339 runs batted in, 214 extra base hits, 397 runs scored, 867 total bases and a .769 slugging percentage. They were the greatest two combined hitters in baseball history. The "Bronx Bombers" pitching staff had dominating numbers too. The likes of Bob Shawkey, Urban Shocker, Waite Hoyt, Wiley Moore, Herb Pennock, and others dominated their opposition. They posted a team ERA of 3.20, won 110 games, 20 saves, 11 shutouts, 431 strikeouts and 82 complete games.
The 1927 World Series pitted the favorite Yankees against a formidable foe...the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Pirates hit .305 as a team, with four starting players hitting .325 or better. Paul Waner hit .380, while brother Paul hit .355. Pie Traynor followed with a.342 batting average. The Buc's led the National League in hits (1,648), and runs scored (817). Their pitching staff was led by Ray Kremer (2.47 ERA) and Carmen Hill (22 wins). Even with solid offense and pitching, Ruth's Yankees sent the team from Pittsburgh packing in a four game sweep. This was the first time that an American League team swept a National League team in the "Fall Classic." The 1927 Yankees had earned the title of, The Greatest Team Ever.
Baseball teams of today have many advantages over teams of the past. Equipment advances have allowed for maple wood bats creating quicker bat speed. Livelier baseballs jump out of the park. Better-made gloves are position and player specific. Lighter rayon jerseys allow players to be faster and more comfortable. Batting helmets prevent injuries and keep players healthy. Batting gloves provide for better grip. Arm and leg guards prevent injury. Better fitting and gripping cleats create speed and cutting ability. These and a host of other technological innovations give today's players the advantage. Nutritional information has increased player physical and emotional wellness. The advent of artificial turf surfaces have allowed for more ball speed, leading to an increase in hits. Drugs and supplements (legal and illegal) have allowed players to fine tune their bodies into lean, muscle bound, quick machines. Advanced medical technology has kept players on the field more by avoiding injuries.
The greatest advantage is the watered down pitching of today compared to the past. The rosters are larger (40) compared to yesterday's (23), and the amount of teams in the league has grown. Here is your comparative analysis between the 1927 Yankees and the 1998 Yankeesyou can plainly see, the '27 team had the advantage in most categories. Home runs were higher for the 1998 Yanks because of the watered down pitching. In 1998 there were six more teams in the league with 36 more pitchers. Despite playing seven less games than the 1998 team, the 1927 Yankees were better in eight of the 11 categories listed above. Although they had all of the technological, medicinal, and nutritional advantages, the 1998 Yankees pale in comparison to the 1927 Yankees.
Since 1975 author Bill Philp has been involved in the sports industry. He began setting up at local venues, selling sports cards. This evolved into becoming a full time card dealer in his hometown of Farmington, MI.
He has worked as a sports writer for a city newspaper in Detroit, MI. He has been published in the USA Today's Baseball Weekly, and currently contributes to many sports websites as a columnist.
He was a Director for the largest sports memorabilia retailer in the country. He is credited for opening six company stores, and overseeing eleven stores stretching from Boston, MA to Los Angeles, CA.
He has played and won fantasy leagues involving baseball, football, basketball, hockey, golf and college football for many years.
The long-time sports addict now presents this website to feed your sports appetite. This, in response to his many conversations with athletes, sportswriters, and fans.
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