3 Worst Moments In Yankee History
By Derek Bunker
In honor of the recent addition of Red Ruffing to the most obnoxious display in sports, Monument Park in Yankee Stadium, I decided to list what I consider the three worst moments ever experienced by our good friends in New York.
First, though, I would like to examine Ruffing. He was another example of what could happen to someone who left Boston and went south. He was with the Sox in 1928 and 1929. He went a combined 19-47 those two years. He then got shipped to New York and became the ace of their staff in the 1930’s, winning 20 games four times. And you thought Clemens was the only former Sox pitcher to do that sort of thing, didn’t you?
And now, here they are, third to first:
3. 1955: Game 7 vs. Brooklyn: The Yanks, after winning the first two at the Stadium, lost all three at Brooklyn. They then forced Game 7 and went up against Dodger lefthander Johnny Podres.
Podres, who went 9-10 that year, brought his A game with him and blanked the Yanks 2-0 on a complete game, 8 hit shutout. It was Brooklyn’s first Championship in five tries versus the Yankees.
2. 1960: Game 7 at Pittsburgh: The Yankees outscored the Pirates 55-27, they out hit them 91-60, and they out homered them 10-4 for the Series. Yet somehow, after winning Games 2, 3, and 6 by a combined score of 38-3, it came down to Game 7 for the Yankees. They had a 7-4 lead in the 8th inning that they blew and allowed the Pirates to take a 9-7 lead. The Yankees then tied it up in the top of the ninth. Ralph Terry was brought in to pitch. Bill Mazeroski led off for Pittsburgh. Terry threw a 1-0 pitch belt high that Maz lost over the leftfield wall to win it. It was only the 6th homer he had hit at Forbes Field that year. The Pirates were jubilant, the Yankees were shocked, and Casey Stengel was done as Yankee manager.
1. 1926: Game 7 vs. St. Louis: Jess Haines, the St. Louis starter, walked 3 batters with two outs in the seventh inning while leading 3-2. Rogers Hornsby went to the mound and signaled to the bullpen for Pete Alexander. Alexander was a known alcoholic. He had started and won Game 6 the day before. He was in the process of sleeping off the previous night in the bullpen when he was summoned by Hornsby to pitch. He went into the game to face Tony Lazzeri. Lazzeri hammered a 1-1 pitch down the left field line that hooked foul. Alexander bounced back to strike him out and end the inning. Alexander then pitched a 1-2-3 eighth. In the ninth, he retired the first 2 batters and then up to the plate came Babe Ruth. Alexander was a great control pitcher that rarely walked batters. I’m sure Ruth was confident he would get something to hit. Alexander decided instead to intentionally walk Ruth and this got him irate. With power hitter Bob Meusel up, Ruth decided, on his own, to steal second base. He was thrown out to end the game and the Series. It provided the Cardinals with their first Championship and an additional $2,166.76 per player for the winner’s share.
These are the 3 worst moments that did happen. If the Sox had won Game 7 last year, I would have ranked it Number 1. The whole Clemens/Pedro thing, along with the series itself would have justified it.
Granted, the listed moments above we can relate to as Sox fans. There are other moments that we can’t. The Yankees bounced back in 1927, 1956, and 1961 by winning the Series in those years. There is a word for that sort of thing. It’s called Greatness. To find anything like that with the Sox, you have to go back to 1903. That’s when the Sox, led by Cy Young, overcame a 3-1 deficit to win the Series 5 games to 3.
That was a long time ago. But, as they used to say in Brooklyn, there’s always next year.
Sources:
www.baseballlibray.com
www.baseballreference.com
Historical Baseball Abstract – Bill James
Dynasty – Peter Golenbock
