1933 Yankees

The defending world champions opened 1933 with nine future Hall of Famers, the most feared lineup in baseball, and the memory of a four-game October sweep still fresh. The New York Yankees went 91-59, led the majors with 927 runs scored, and finished second. Seven games behind Washington. A team managed by a 26-year-old.

Same Roster, Different October

Joe McCarthy brought back nearly the identical club that had steamrolled through 1932. Babe Ruth was 38 and slowing down -- .301 with 34 home runs, still dangerous but no longer the force who'd hit .341 the year before. Lou Gehrig carried the lineup at .334 with 29 home runs and 139 RBI. Bill Dickey continued developing into the best catcher in the game. Tony Lazzeri and Earle Combs filled their usual roles. The talent hadn't gone anywhere.

The problem was Washington.

Cronin's Senators

Joe Cronin was 26 years old, playing shortstop and managing the Senators simultaneously. He hit .309 and drove his team to a 99-53 record -- the kind of season that makes you tip your cap even when you hate the result. Washington's pitching staff held opponents in check while the Yankees' arms couldn't quite match them. The Senators grabbed first place and held it with the quiet efficiency of a club that knew exactly what it was doing.

The Yankees' 51-23 record at the Stadium was dominant. Their 40-36 mark on the road told the real story. You don't win pennants by splitting road games, and Washington didn't give them any room to make up the difference.

A Debut for the Ages

The season's first signature moment arrived on April 25. Russ Van Atta, a rookie left-hander making his first major league start, shut out the Senators 16-0 and collected four hits at the plate. A complete-game shutout against the team that would win the pennant -- in his first game. Van Atta never came close to that level again (they rarely do), but for one afternoon he looked like the next great Yankee pitcher.

The Streak Survives

On June 14 at Fenway Park, Gehrig and McCarthy got tossed by umpire Larry Summers during a seventh-inning argument over a call at second base. McCarthy drew a three-game suspension. Gehrig's consecutive games streak -- then past 1,200 games -- survived because he'd already played seven innings before the ejection. The Iron Horse didn't talk much about the streak. He just showed up the next day, same as always.

Baseball Gets Its Midsummer Classic

July 6 at Comiskey Park. The first All-Star Game in baseball history, organized by Chicago Tribune sports editor Arch Ward as part of the World's Fair. Five Yankees made the American League squad -- Ruth, Gehrig, Dickey, Lazzeri, and Lefty Gomez. Ruth, 38 years old and in the twilight of his career, hit a two-run homer off Bill Hallahan in the third inning. The first home run in All-Star Game history. Gomez threw the game's first pitch and earned the win. The AL took it 4-2.

The game was supposed to be a one-time event. Ruth's swing made sure it wasn't.

Ruth's Last Turn on the Mound

On October 1, Ruth pitched a complete game against the Red Sox, winning 6-5. He was 38 years old, hadn't pitched regularly in over a decade, and still gutted out nine innings. It was his final appearance as a pitcher -- a quiet coda to a career that had started on the mound in Boston twenty years earlier. (The man contained multitudes, even at the end.)

The Gap Between Dynasties

The 1933 season sits in a space the franchise doesn't celebrate much. Between the Ruth-era titles of 1927-1928 and 1932, and the DiMaggio-era dynasty that would begin in 1936, there's a three-year stretch where the Yankees were very good and not quite good enough. Ruth's bat was fading. The pitching staff couldn't keep pace with Washington's. McCarthy's club still had the best collection of talent in baseball -- nine Hall of Famers, remember -- and it didn't matter.

Sometimes the other team is just better that year. Washington was.

One of the most remarkable batting orgies ever staged by the world's champions.

Frequently Asked Questions

How did the 1933 Yankees finish?

The 1933 Yankees went 91-59-2 (.607), finishing second in the American League, seven games behind the Washington Senators. Despite leading the majors with 927 runs scored and carrying nine future Hall of Famers, the Yankees couldn't overcome Washington's 99-53 season under 26-year-old player-manager Joe Cronin.

Did the 1933 Yankees make the World Series?

No. The Senators won the AL pennant with a 99-53 record and faced the New York Giants in the 1933 World Series (losing in five games). The Yankees' dominant home record (51-23) was undercut by a mediocre road mark (40-36), which proved the difference in the pennant race.

How many Yankees played in the first All-Star Game?

Five Yankees were selected for the inaugural All-Star Game on July 6, 1933: Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Bill Dickey, Tony Lazzeri, and Lefty Gomez. Ruth hit the first All-Star Game home run, and Gomez threw the first pitch and earned the win as the American League defeated the National League 4-2.

Who managed the 1933 Yankees?

Joe McCarthy managed the 1933 Yankees in his third season with the club. McCarthy had led the team to the 1932 World Series championship and would manage the Yankees through 1946, winning seven pennants and six World Series titles during his tenure.