1935 Yankees

The 1935 New York Yankees went 89-60, finished second in the American League -- three games behind the Detroit Tigers -- and didn't play in October. On paper, that sounds like a disappointment. In practice, it was something closer to a miracle. The club opened the season without Babe Ruth for the first time since 1919, handed the captaincy to Lou Gehrig, and watched its pitching staff lead the league in ERA and strikeouts. Nobody won a ring. But the dynasty that would dominate 1936 through 1939 was built right here, in a season most fans have forgotten.

The Biggest Absence in Baseball

Ruth's release on February 26 didn't come as a shock -- the man was 40 and his skills had been slipping for two years. What surprised people was how it happened. Ruth wanted to manage the Yankees. Owner Jake Ruppert wouldn't give him the job while Joe McCarthy held it, and McCarthy wasn't going anywhere. So Ruth asked for his release and signed with the Boston Braves, chasing promises of a front-office role that turned out to be mostly smoke.

The Braves gambit lasted 28 games. Ruth hit .181 with six home runs before Boston cut him loose. The greatest player in the history of the sport finished his career in a uniform that didn't fit -- literally or figuratively. Back in the Bronx, the Yankees had already moved on.

Gehrig Steps Forward

Gehrig's captaincy was the organizational signal that the Ruth era was officially over. He'd spent 13 seasons standing next to the loudest personality in American sports, quietly putting up numbers that would've made him the biggest star on any other team. Now the stage belonged to him alone, and he responded with a .329 average, 30 home runs, and 119 RBI.

The walks told the real story. Gehrig drew 132 free passes that season -- a career high -- because opposing pitchers didn't have Ruth's bat lurking behind him anymore. They could pitch around Gehrig without consequence, and they did. That he still managed those numbers under constant avoidance made the season one of his finest. He led the American League in runs scored with 125 and carried an offense that had lost its most famous weapon.

George Selkirk's Impossible Job

Somebody had to play Ruth's right field. George Selkirk drew the assignment and handled it about as well as anyone could. He batted .312 with 11 home runs and 94 RBI in his first full season as a starter -- solid numbers that earned him respect, if not the adoration Ruth had commanded. Selkirk wasn't trying to be Ruth (nobody could be), and the clubhouse appreciated the lack of pretense.

The Arms Carry the Load

The pitching staff was the team's best-kept secret -- and the single most important reason the 1935 Yankees won 89 games instead of 75. The staff posted a 3.60 ERA, lowest in the American League, and struck out 594 batters, also tops in the circuit. Red Ruffing led the way with a 16-11 record and a 3.12 ERA, his first truly dominant season in pinstripes. Johnny Broaca went 15-7 at age 25. Johnny Allen chipped in at 13-6. Johnny Murphy and Vito Tamulis each finished 10-5.

McCarthy didn't get enough credit for what he did with the pitching that year. He built a rotation with genuine depth -- five pitchers who could give you quality innings on any given day. That wasn't common in 1935 baseball. It was the blueprint for what came next.

Three Games Short

The Tigers won the pennant, and the Yankees finished three games back. Detroit had Hank Greenberg driving in 170 runs and a roster built to win immediately. The Yankees' 89 wins would've taken the flag in most other seasons. Sometimes the other team is just better, and in 1935, Detroit was that team.

Home attendance told a grimmer story. Only 657,508 fans came through the Yankee Stadium turnstiles -- the Giants outdrew them for the first time in a decade. Ruth's departure had an immediate, measurable impact on the gate. People came to see the Babe, and when the Babe was gone, a lot of those people stayed home.

Seeds of a Dynasty

The 1935 season mattered because of what it built. Ruffing's emergence as a genuine ace. Gehrig's proof that he could carry a franchise. The pitching depth that Ruffing and Lefty Gomez would ride to four straight championships. McCarthy's quiet confidence that his system would produce winners regardless of who walked out the door.

One year later, a kid named Joe DiMaggio showed up from San Francisco, and the Yankees went 102-51 and won the World Series. They'd win four in a row. But the foundation wasn't poured in 1936. It was poured here, in a second-place season that nobody remembers -- and everybody should.

You don't replace a man like Ruth. You build around what you've got.

Frequently Asked Questions

What was the Yankees' record in 1935?

The Yankees went 89-60 in 1935, finishing second in the American League -- three games behind the pennant-winning Detroit Tigers. They didn't qualify for the postseason. The pitching staff led the AL in ERA (3.60) and strikeouts (594), while Lou Gehrig hit .329 with 30 home runs and 119 RBI.

Why did Babe Ruth leave the Yankees?

Ruth was released on February 26, 1935, after requesting his freedom from the club. He'd asked owner Jake Ruppert for the managerial job, but Ruppert refused to replace Joe McCarthy. Ruth signed with the Boston Braves, where he lasted just 28 games (.181 batting average, six home runs) before retiring.

Who replaced Babe Ruth on the 1935 Yankees?

George Selkirk took over Ruth's right field position and performed well in his first full season as a starter, batting .312 with 11 home runs and 94 RBI. Selkirk didn't try to replicate Ruth's star power -- he just played solid baseball and earned the respect of his teammates.

How did the 1935 season set up the Yankees dynasty?

The 1935 season established the pitching staff (led by Red Ruffing) and leadership structure (Gehrig as captain) that anchored four consecutive World Series championships from 1936 to 1939. The rotation's AL-leading ERA and Gehrig's dominant offensive season proved the franchise could thrive without Ruth, and the addition of Joe DiMaggio in 1936 provided the final piece.