October 5, 1938. Wrigley Field. Red Ruffing took the mound for Game 1 of the World Series against the Chicago Cubs and threw a complete game, scattering eight hits and allowing just one run in a 3-1 Yankees victory. Four days later, he came back on short rest at Yankee Stadium and did it again -- another complete game, another win, an 8-3 final that clinched the sweep and the first three-peat in modern baseball history. Two starts, two complete games, two wins. Ruffing didn't just anchor the 1938 championship. He carried it on his right arm.
The Regular Season Foundation
Ruffing arrived at the World Series having already put together the best year of his career. He'd gone 21-7 with a 3.31 ERA during the regular season, leading the American League in wins. He was the staff anchor all year, the guy McCarthy handed the ball to when the game mattered most. The October performances didn't come out of nowhere. They were the final chapters of a dominant season-long run.
The man had a strange career arc, too. Before the Yankees acquired him from the Red Sox in 1930, Ruffing had been one of the worst pitchers in baseball -- a 39-96 record in Boston, pitching for terrible teams with no run support. The trade to New York turned him into a Hall of Famer. Some guys just need the right uniform (and a lineup with DiMaggio, Gehrig, and Dickey in it).
Game 1: The Tone-Setter
Ruffing's Game 1 performance at Wrigley was the kind of outing that doesn't produce highlights -- it just quietly suffocates the other team. He scattered eight hits across nine innings, but the Cubs could never string anything together. One run. That's all Chicago could squeeze out of nine innings against Ruffing at full strength. The Yankees scored three, and the game felt over by the sixth inning.
The complete game sent a message the Cubs couldn't ignore. Their lineup -- which had scored enough runs to win the National League pennant -- looked overmatched against a pitcher who worked efficiently, hit his spots, and showed no interest in letting the bullpen handle his business. Ruffing finished what he started. That's what aces did in 1938.
Three Days Later
McCarthy brought Ruffing back for Game 4 on three days' rest. By modern standards, this would be borderline insanity -- today's pitchers get four or five days between starts, and even that feels aggressive in October. In 1938, it was just how the game worked. Your ace was your ace, and you rode him until his arm fell off or the Series ended, whichever came first.
Ruffing didn't just survive on short rest. He dominated again. Another complete game. The Yankees won 8-3, and the championship was over. The Yankee Stadium crowd watched their ace close out the three-peat with the same controlled efficiency he'd shown in Game 1. No drama. No late-inning bullpen scramble. Just Ruffing, throwing nine innings, finishing the job.
| Game 1 (Oct. 5, Wrigley) | CG W, 9 IP, 8 H, 1 R -- Yankees 3, Cubs 1 |
| Game 4 (Oct. 9, YS) | CG W, 9 IP -- Yankees 8, Cubs 3 |
| Series Line | 2-0, 2 complete games |
| 1938 Regular Season | 21-7, 3.31 ERA (led AL in wins) |
| Days Between Starts | 3 (Oct. 5 to Oct. 9) |
A Different Era's Demands
The two-complete-game World Series performance sits in a category of pitching dominance that's functionally extinct. Modern October baseball is built around bullpen management, pitch counts, and matchup optimization. The idea of a single pitcher throwing 18 innings across two starts in a four-game stretch -- and never being removed from either game -- belongs to a different sport.
Ruffing's performance wasn't unusual for its time. It was exceptional within its time, which is the more impressive distinction. Other pitchers in 1938 threw complete games regularly. Not many could do it twice in the World Series on short rest against a pennant-winning lineup and make it look routine. The era expected durability. Ruffing delivered something beyond durability -- he delivered dominance under the brightest lights baseball had to offer.
The Missing Award
No official World Series MVP existed in 1938 (the practice didn't start until 1955). If it had, Ruffing's selection would've been unanimous. He won half the games in a four-game sweep, threw every pitch himself, and allowed just four runs total across 18 innings. Gomez won Game 2. Pearson threw a gem in Game 3 with nine strikeouts. Ruffing's performance still towered over both.
The 1938 World Series was the crown of Ruffing's career -- the moment where everything came together. The command, the endurance, the big-game composure. He'd go on to pitch until 1947 (interrupted by military service in World War II), but October 1938 was the peak.
When you've got the best, you use the best.
Traded to the Yankees
Ruffing arrives from Boston with a 39-96 career record. The change of scenery -- and a championship lineup behind him -- transforms his career.
Career-Best Campaign
Ruffing goes 21-7 with a 3.31 ERA, leading the American League in wins.
World Series Game 1
At Wrigley Field, Ruffing throws a complete game, scattering eight hits in a 3-1 victory. He sets the tone for the entire Series.
World Series Game 4
Returning on three days' rest, Ruffing throws another complete game in an 8-3 win at Yankee Stadium, clinching the sweep and the three-peat.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many games did Red Ruffing win in the 1938 World Series?
Ruffing won two games in the 1938 World Series -- Game 1 (3-1 at Wrigley Field) and Game 4 (8-3 at Yankee Stadium). Both were complete-game victories, and he pitched Game 4 on just three days' rest. His performance anchored the Yankees' four-game sweep of the Cubs.
What was Red Ruffing's record in 1938?
Ruffing went 21-7 with a 3.31 ERA during the 1938 regular season, leading the American League in wins. He then added two complete-game wins in the World Series against the Cubs.
Was Red Ruffing the 1938 World Series MVP?
No official World Series MVP was awarded in 1938 -- the practice didn't begin until 1955. But Ruffing would have been the overwhelming choice, having won two games with two complete-game performances. He allowed just four total runs across his two starts.