Murderers' Row Season

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Lore & Background

The term 'Murderers' Row' mimicked the name applied to a section of the Tombs prison in New York City and was applied to several different baseball teams before it became associated with the Babe Ruth-era Yankees. It was first applied to the Yankees in 1918, two years before Ruth joined the team. Ruth used the term himself in 1920 referring to the Yankees lineup, in his book 'Playing the Game, My Early Years in Baseball.' Owner Jacob Ruppert is the man most often credited with building the team, although general manager Ed Barrow may have had as much to do with it. In a game of a July series against the Washington Senators the Yankees won 21–1, prompting Senators' first baseman Joe Judge to say, 'Those fellows not only beat you but they tear your heart out. I wish the season was over.'

In Their Own Story

The 1927 season was particularly spectacular by baseball standards for the Yankees. Center fielder Earle Combs had a career best year, batting .356 with 231 hits. Left fielder Bob Meusel batted .337 with 103 RBIs, and second baseman Tony Lazzeri drove in 102 runs. Gehrig batted .373, with 218 hits, 52 doubles, 18 triples, 47 home runs, a then record 175 RBIs, slugged at .765, and was voted A.L. MVP. Ruth amassed a .356 batting average, 164 RBIs, 158 runs scored, walked 137 times, and slugged .772. Most notably, his 60 home runs that year broke his own record and remained the Major League mark for 34 years until Roger Maris broke it by one with 61. The 1927 Yankees pitching staff led the league in ERA at 3.20, and included Waite Hoyt (22–7), tied for the league lead in wins, and Herb Pennock at 19–8. Wilcy Moore won 16 as a reliever, and three other Yankee pitchers had ERAs under 3.00 that season.

Reader's Guide

The 1927 Yankees would eventually send six players along with manager Miller Huggins and president Ed Barrow to the Baseball Hall of Fame: Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Hoyt, Lazzeri, Combs, and Pennock. Only the 1928 Yankees had more, with nine players (including infielder Leo Durocher, inducted based on his subsequent managerial accomplishments) along with Huggins and Barrow. The term 'Murderers' Row' is commonly used as a descriptor for teams with formidable talent. It has also been used outside of sports, an example being the Essex-class carriers anchored at Ulithi Atoll, which were also known as Murderer's Row. During the 2006 American League Division Series, Detroit Tigers manager Jim Leyland referred to the 2006 Yankees as 'Murderers' Row and Cano' since the entire lineup consisted of players such as Johnny Damon, Derek Jeter, Bobby Abreu, Gary Sheffield, Hideki Matsui, Alex Rodriguez, Jason Giambi, Jorge Posada and new second baseman Robinson Canó. Despite Leyland's nomenclature, the team did not have the success of the original 1927 team as they were defeated by the Tigers in that series.

Did You Know?

• The term 'Murderers' Row' was first applied to the Yankees in 1918, two years before Babe Ruth joined the team.
• Babe Ruth used the term himself in 1920 referring to the Yankees lineup, in his book 'Playing the Game, My Early Years in Baseball.'
• The 1927 Yankees outscored their opponents by 376 runs, though that mark has since been surpassed by the 1939 Yankees (411) and others.
• Lou Gehrig set a then-record with 173 RBIs in 1927.
• Only five teams have won more regular season games than the 1927 Yankees' 110: the 1906 Cubs and 2001 Mariners (116), the 1998 Yankees (114), and the 1954 Indians and 2022 Dodgers (111).