1927 Yankees

Lore & Background

The Yankees' 110 victories broke the previous American League mark of 105 (set by the 1912 Boston Red Sox) and stood as the American League single-season record until it was broken by the Cleveland Indians in 1954. Counting their World Series sweep, the 1927 Yankees had a total record of 114–44, but their regular-season winning percentage was .714, not .721. The highest single-season winning percentage in AL history belongs to the 1906 Chicago White Sox at .763. The Yankees did not have the team nickname on their uniforms; they wore the 'NY' monogram, which first appeared in 1909 when the team was the Highlanders. The roster included nine future Hall of Famers: Pitchers Herb Pennock and Waite Hoyt, Infielders Lou Gehrig and Tony Lazzeri, outfielders Babe Ruth and Earle Combs, Manager Miller Huggins, Team President Ed Barrow and Owner Colonel Jacob Ruppert.

In Their Own Story

The air inside Yankee Stadium was thick with anticipation and cigar smoke. It was late September, and the pressure to close out another pennant hung heavy, yet the lineup card looked like a work of fiction. Babe Ruth stepped into the batter's box, his silhouette distinct against the afternoon sun. The crowd roared not just for a hit, but for history in the making. Lou Gehrig stood ready at first, a silent guardian to the King. As Ruth swung, the crack of the bat echoed like a starting pistol, sending another ball soaring into the bleachers where fans scrambled to catch the souvenir of an era that would never be repeated.

Reader's Guide

Babe Ruth hit a career-high 60 home runs, batting .356, driving in 165 runs and slugging .772. Lou Gehrig finished with 47 home runs and led the American League with 175 RBIs. Earle Combs led the American League in triples with 23, a Yankees single-season record. Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig finished the 1927 season with 12.6 and 11.9 Wins Above Replacement (WAR), respectively, among the top ten highest single-season WAR in MLB history.

Did You Know?

• The 1927 Yankees are widely considered the greatest baseball team in MLB history.
• Babe Ruth hit his 60th home run on September 30, 1927, off Tom Zachary at Yankee Stadium.
• The Yankees' 110 wins broke the previous American League record of 105 set by the 1912 Boston Red Sox.
• The roster included nine future Hall of Famers: Herb Pennock, Waite Hoyt, Lou Gehrig, Tony Lazzeri, Babe Ruth, Earle Combs, Miller Huggins, Ed Barrow, and Jacob Ruppert.
• Lou Gehrig won the AL MVP Award for the 1927 season.