1922 Yankees

The 1922 New York Yankees won their second consecutive American League pennant with a 94-60 record, edging the St. Louis Browns by a single game in one of the tightest races of the decade. missed the first six weeks to a commissioner's suspension, got stripped of his captaincy five days after returning, and still hit .315 with 35 home runs in just 110 games. The Yankees then got swept by the Giants in the World Series -- Ruth batting .118 -- in what turned out to be the club's final October at the Polo Grounds.

A Season Born in Trouble

The trouble started before a single pitch was thrown. Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis suspended Ruth and Bob Meusel until May 20 for an unauthorized barnstorming tour following the 1921 World Series loss. The fine matched their World Series shares -- $3,362.26 each. Landis wasn't making a suggestion. He was making an example.

The front office didn't sit still. Ed Barrow raided the Red Sox again (Boston's ownership practically held the door open), sending Rip Collins, Roger Peckinpaugh, Bill Piercy, Jack Quinn, and $100,000 to acquire Bullet Joe Bush, Sad Sam Jones, and Everett Scott. Bush would win 26 games. In a pennant race decided by one game, that trade didn't just matter -- it was the difference.

Ruth's Captaincy -- Five Days and Done

Ruth and Meusel returned on May 20. The Yankees gave Ruth the captaincy -- a ceremonial title, but a meaningful gesture of trust. Five days later, on May 25 at Sportsman's Park, Ruth threw dust in umpire George Hildebrand's face during a game against the Browns, then climbed into the stands to go after a heckler.

American League President Ban Johnson fined Ruth $200, suspended him a game, and stripped the captaincy. The whole experiment lasted less than a week. Ruth's relationship with authority hadn't improved since his days at St. Mary's Industrial School in Baltimore -- and the 1922 season proved it with uncomfortable clarity.

The Pitching Staff Held the Line

While Ruth fought umpires and league officials, the pitching staff quietly carried the club. Bush anchored the rotation with his 26 wins. Bob Shawkey posted a 2.91 ERA and provided depth that Miller Huggins needed desperately during the months when the lineup was incomplete. Waite Hoyt built on his breakout.

The team allowed just 618 runs -- fewest in the majors. That run prevention kept the Yankees alive during a June swoon (11-15 for the month) and gave them the margin to survive a that came down to the final week.

The Browns Series

The decided everything. The Yankees traveled to Sportsman's Park for a three-game set with a half-game lead. In the opener on September 16, a fan hurled a pop bottle from the bleachers that struck centerfielder Whitey Witt in the head, knocking him unconscious. The incident nearly caused a riot.

The teams split the first two games. In the September 18 finale, a Yankees ninth-inning rally sealed it. Final margin: one game. The pennant belonged to New York -- barely.

October Humiliation

The at the Polo Grounds was a disaster. The Giants swept the Yankees 4-0-1, with one game called a 3-3 tie after 10 innings due to "darkness" -- despite reports that sunlight remained. Commissioner Landis, suspecting both teams of prolonging the series for gate money, ordered the $120,000 in Game 2 receipts donated to charity.

Ruth batted .118 with one RBI. John McGraw's Giants had beaten the Yankees in October for the second straight year, and this time it wasn't even close. McGraw's pitching staff made Ruth look lost at the plate.

What 1922 Set in Motion

The sweep at the Polo Grounds was the last straw. The Giants had already told the Yankees they weren't welcome as tenants anymore. Yankee Stadium -- under construction across the Harlem River throughout the 1922 season -- would open in April 1923. The Yankees would that fall, in their own building, against McGraw's Giants.

The 1922 season was the rock bottom that made the rise possible. Ruth's discipline problems peaked and would begin receding. The pitching staff proved it could carry the club when the lineup faltered. And the organization learned that playing in someone else's ballpark -- losing in someone else's ballpark -- wasn't acceptable anymore.

Two consecutive pennants. Two consecutive World Series losses to the Giants. Both played at the Polo Grounds. The third time would be different.

Frequently Asked Questions

What was the Yankees' record in the 1922 season?

The 1922 Yankees finished 94-60, winning the American League pennant by one game over the St. Louis Browns. Babe Ruth missed the first six weeks due to a commissioner's suspension for barnstorming and played only 110 games, hitting .315 with 35 home runs and 99 RBI. Bullet Joe Bush led the pitching staff with 26 wins. The Yankees lost the World Series to the Giants 4-0-1 (swept with one tie game).

Why was Babe Ruth suspended and stripped of his captaincy in 1922?

Ruth was suspended until May 20, 1922 by Commissioner Landis for an unauthorized barnstorming tour after the 1921 World Series. Five days after returning, on May 25, he was ejected from a game against the Browns for throwing dust in umpire George Hildebrand's face and climbing into the stands to confront a heckler. AL President Ban Johnson stripped Ruth of his captaincy, fined him $200, and suspended him an additional game.

How did the 1922 World Series end?

The Giants swept the Yankees 4-0-1 at the Polo Grounds. Game 2 ended in a 3-3 tie after 10 innings, called due to darkness -- though Commissioner Landis ordered the $120,000 in gate receipts donated to charity, suspecting the game was prolonged for financial gain. Ruth batted just .118 with 1 RBI in the series. It was the Yankees' final World Series at the Polo Grounds before moving to Yankee Stadium in 1923.

Who won the 1922 pennant race between the Yankees and Browns?

The Yankees won the 1922 American League pennant by one game over the St. Louis Browns (94-60 vs. 93-61). The race was decided during a September 16-18 series at Sportsman's Park in St. Louis, where a fan threw a pop bottle that knocked Yankees outfielder Whitey Witt unconscious. The Yankees won the decisive third game with a ninth-inning rally.