Yankees Capture Championship
Tuesday, October 11, 1927 -- The New York Yankees held on to win Game Six of the World's Series yesterday, defeating the Pittsburgh Pirates 7-6. The victory gave New York the World's Championship for 1927, the Yankees winning four games to two for Pittsburgh.
Babe Ruth was selected the Most Valuable Player of the Series. The Babe hit an astounding five home runs in the six contests, including two each in Games Two and Four. He also drove in ten runs and hit .429.
It was Columbia Lou Gehrig, however, who got the ball rolling for the Yankees in yesterday's clinching game. Gehrig hit a two-run blast in the first inning to give Yankees the early lead.
From then on it was a thrilling exhibition of our national pastime. The Yankees took leads in the first, fourth, and fifth, but wasted additional opportunities to put the game totally out of reach. And then, each time the Yankees took the lead, the Buccaneers responded by putting together a string of singles and doubles off Yankees starter Urban Shocker to get back into the contest.
The Yankees collected fifteen hits and drew four walks against Pittsburgh starter Vic Aldridge, but New York stranded fifteen runners on the bases, and Earle Combs, speedy Yankee outfielder, was twice thrown out at the plate.
It ended up being an unearned run in the top of the eighth that gave the Yanks the narrow margin of victory. With the game tied at six, Ruth walked to begin the frame, and Gehrig singled to left, Ruth stopping at second. But Bob Meusel grounded into a double play, short to second to first, Ruth taking third. Vic Aldridge, Pirate starter, then purposely passed Tony Lazzeri to get to Joe Dugan. It looked like Aldridge would get out of the inning when Dugan bounced a routine ground ball to Glenn Wright at shortstop. But Wright let the ball play him. It bounced off his mitt into short center field, and Ruth scored the tie breaking run. The error proved fatal. The Pirates had two more chances to tie or go ahead but could not break through against Yank reliever Bob Shawkey.
In the bottom of the eighth, Johnny Gooch singled with one out. Pirate manager Donie Bush sent Kiki Cuyler in to run for Gooch, and called upon Sunday's hero, Fred Brickell, to pinch hit for Vic Aldridge. The crowd roared as Brickell strolled to the plate. After all, were it not for the Pittsburgh reserve's dramatic home run in the ninth on Sunday, the Series would already be over. But Cuyler, who has been in Bush's doghouse since mid-season, was cut down trying to steal. Brickell then lofted an easy fly ball caught by Ruth, and the Pirate eighth was over.
In the Yankee ninth, Earle Combs reached second on a muff by left fielder Clyde Barnhart, but was thrown out at the plate trying to score on Mark Koenig's single. Pirate reliever John Miljus struck out Ruth to end the inning, so the Yankees were retired without further increasing their lead.
The Forbes Field fans came to their feet once more as the bottom of the ninth began. Shawkey had to face the top of the Pittsburgh order. He quickly retired Lloyd Waner on a pop up and Clyde Barnhart on a strike out. Two were out, nobody on, Paul Waner at bat. Determined not to allow his great season to end, Waner laced a single into right field. Glenn Wright worked Shawkey for a walk, and now the stage was set. Pie Traynor up, two out, two on, Pittsburgh behind a run. Shawkey ran the count full, and then got Traynor to smash a ground ball right at Tony Lazzeri. The lithe Italian-American second baseman scooped it up flawlessly, threw to first, and the game and Series was over.
For the Yankees, a sense of vindication for themselves and for the American League following last season's embarrassing defeat to the St. Louis Cardinals. For the National Leaguers, a sense of disappointment at a battle fought well but lost. For both teams, a chance now to rest. The long season, beginning in the cool of spring, moving into full gear in early summer, then into the dog days of August, and ending in the chill of autumn, is over.
Last updated by Paul DeWitt Thursday, June 11, 1998