Murderers' Row Season

Lore & Background

The term, which mimicked the name applied to a section of the Tombs prison in New York City, 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.' The 1927 season was particularly spectacular by baseball standards. After losing in the 1926 World Series to the St. Louis Cardinals, they went the next year, won the A.L. pennant by 19 games, and swept the Pittsburgh Pirates in the World Series. The 1927 Yankees batted .307, slugged .489, scored 975 runs, and outscored their opponents by a record 376 runs.

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. These were Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Hoyt, Lazzeri, Combs, and Pennock.

Did You Know?

• Lou 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.
• Babe Ruth amassed a .356 batting average, 164 RBIs, 158 runs scored, walked 137 times, and slugged .772.