The 1929 Yankees Managerial Succession

October 17, 1929. Twenty-two days after Miller Huggins died from blood poisoning in a Greenwich Village hospital, Jacob Ruppert stood in the New York Yankees' offices and announced that Bob Shawkey -- a former pitcher who'd spent 13 seasons in pinstripes -- would manage the club in 1930. The decision came after the most coveted job in baseball had been offered to one man who didn't want it, desired by another man the front office didn't trust, and ultimately handed to a loyal company man who'd last exactly one season. The Yankees' first managerial transition in over a decade played out like a cautionary tale about replacing the irreplaceable.

Fletcher Says No

The logical first choice was already in the dugout. Art Fletcher had coached under and managed the final 11 games of the season after the skipper's death, going 6-5. He'd been a major league shortstop for 13 years, mostly with the New York Giants, and had managed the Philadelphia Phillies for four seasons. He knew the players. He knew the organization. And when Ruppert offered him the permanent job, he said no.

The reasons were complicated. Fletcher reportedly preferred coaching to managing -- the difference between advising and deciding, between the dugout and the office. Following Huggins may have been part of it too. The man had built a dynasty from scratch, won six pennants, and died on the job at 51. Whoever took the chair would spend every day being measured against a ghost. Fletcher was honest enough to know he didn't want that weight.

(He stayed on as a Yankees coach through 1945 -- 19 years in the dugout, serving under four managers, never taking the big chair permanently. The man who wouldn't manage became one of the most enduring figures in the franchise's daily life.)

Ruth Wants the Job

Then there was . He wanted to manage. He'd made no secret of it, and Huggins' death created what Ruth saw as his chance. He was the most famous player in the sport, the man who'd driven the Yankees' success on the field for a decade. In Ruth's mind, managing the team he'd carried was a natural next step.

Ruppert and Ed Barrow didn't see it that way. Ruth's discipline was the issue -- not on the field, where he was still hitting 46 home runs at age 34, but off it. Managing meant handling personalities, enforcing rules, and maintaining organizational order. The front office had watched Huggins spend years trying to keep Ruth in line. They weren't about to hand Ruth the authority Huggins had used to restrain him.

The decision planted seeds that wouldn't fully sprout for years. Ruth's frustration over being passed over -- in 1929, and again when Joe McCarthy was hired in 1931 -- contributed to his eventual . The greatest hitter the franchise ever had left partly because the franchise never trusted him to lead.

Shawkey Gets the Nod

Bob Shawkey was the safe pick. He'd pitched for the Yankees from 1916 to 1927, winning 168 games. He'd started the first game at Yankee Stadium on April 18, 1923, beating the Red Sox 4-1 in the building that Ruth's fame had built and Huggins' teams had filled. Shawkey knew the culture, respected the history, and carried none of the baggage that came with the other candidates.

The announcement came on October 17. Twelve days later, the stock market crashed on Black Tuesday. The old world was collapsing in more ways than one, and Shawkey was about to manage a team in mourning through an economy in free fall.

One Season

Shawkey managed the 1930 Yankees to an 86-68 record, finishing third in the American League. The Athletics won the pennant again -- 102 wins, their second straight -- and repeated as World Series champions. Shawkey's record was respectable by any neutral standard. It wasn't enough for Ruppert.

After the season, Ruppert fired Shawkey and hired Joe McCarthy, who'd been managing the Chicago Cubs. McCarthy was everything the Yankees needed: a disciplinarian with organizational instincts, a builder who could take Huggins' foundation and construct the next era on top of it. He'd lead the Yankees to eight pennants and seven World Series titles between 1931 and 1946. The championship -- a sweep of McCarthy's former Cubs, which felt personal -- announced that the succession had finally been resolved.

Shawkey was the bridge. Fletcher was the man who wouldn't cross it. Ruth was the superstar left standing on the wrong side. McCarthy was the answer nobody had thought to ask about yet.

I pitched the first game at Yankee Stadium. I knew what the uniform meant.

played through the entire transition without missing a game. He'd played for Huggins, played for Fletcher, played for Shawkey, and he'd play for McCarthy -- the same first baseman, the same lineup spot, the same number on his back. Managers came and went. Gehrig's streak kept going. The franchise's continuity through its most turbulent transition wasn't found in the dugout. It was found at first base, wearing No. 4, showing up every single day.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who managed the Yankees after Miller Huggins died?

After Huggins' death on September 25, 1929, coach Art Fletcher managed the final 11 games (going 6-5) but declined the permanent job. Bob Shawkey, a former Yankees pitcher, was named manager on October 17, 1929. Shawkey lasted one season (86-68, third place in 1930) before being replaced by Joe McCarthy.

Did Babe Ruth want to manage the Yankees?

Ruth wanted the managerial job after Huggins died in 1929. Jacob Ruppert and Ed Barrow passed him over, concerned about Ruth's off-field discipline and organizational temperament. Ruth was passed over again when Joe McCarthy was hired in 1931. His frustration over never being offered a managerial role contributed to his departure from the Yankees in 1935.

Why did Art Fletcher turn down the Yankees manager job?

Fletcher reportedly preferred coaching to the pressures of managing. The weight of following Huggins -- who'd won six pennants and three World Series in 12 seasons -- may have also influenced his decision. Fletcher stayed on as a Yankees coach through 1945, serving 19 years in the dugout without ever taking the permanent managerial job.

Who was Bob Shawkey?

Bob Shawkey was a former Yankees pitcher (1916-1927) who won 168 games in pinstripes and started the first game at Yankee Stadium on April 18, 1923. He managed the Yankees for one season in 1930, going 86-68 and finishing third. He was replaced after the season by Joe McCarthy.