1976 Yankees

The 1976 New York Yankees went 97-62, won their first pennant in 12 years, and got swept out of the World Series by the Big Red Machine -- all in a season that doubled as a homecoming. After two years of exile at Shea Stadium, the Yankees returned to a renovated Yankee Stadium, named their first captain since Lou Gehrig, and reminded the American League that the Bronx was open for business again.

It wasn't a perfect season. The Reds made sure of that in October. But everything that came after -- the back-to-back titles in 1977 and 1978, the Bronx Zoo chaos, Reggie and Billy and George -- started right here.

Coming Home

The Stadium reopened on April 15 with an 11-4 thumping of Minnesota in front of 52,613 fans who hadn't seen a home game in the Bronx since September 1973. Bob Shawkey -- winner of the first game at the original Yankee Stadium in 1923 -- threw out the ceremonial first pitch, connecting 53 years of franchise history in a single toss. Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, Whitey Ford, and Yogi Berra were all on hand.

The place looked different. The obstructing columns were gone, the center field seats had been removed, and the iconic frieze had been relocated above the outfield wall. (Purists complained. Purists always complain.) It cost $160 million -- roughly $905 million in today's dollars -- but the Yankees finally had a modern ballpark to match their ambitions.

The Captain

Thurman Munson was named team captain before the season -- the first man to carry that title since Gehrig retired in 1939. Thirty-seven years without a captain, and they handed it to a 28-year-old catcher from Canton, Ohio, who played like he was angry at everything and everyone. It fit.

Munson hit .302 with 17 homers and 105 RBI, won the AL MVP award, and caught every big game down the stretch. He wasn't flashy. He didn't care about being flashy. He just showed up, called the pitches, threw out runners, and hit line drives into the gaps. The kind of player you didn't fully appreciate until he was gone.

Billy's Roster

Billy Martin managed the way Billy Martin always managed -- aggressively, confrontationally, and with results. The offseason trade that sent Bobby Bonds to California for Mickey Rivers and Ed Figueroa turned out to be highway robbery. Rivers hit .312 and ran wild at the top of the lineup. Figueroa won 19 games. The Doc Medich deal with Pittsburgh brought Dock Ellis and a young second baseman named Willie Randolph who'd anchor the position for years.

Graig Nettles played Gold Glove defense at third. Roy White provided veteran stability in left. Chris Chambliss was steady and professional at first base -- a guy nobody talked about until October, when everybody had to.

The pitching staff had Catfish Hunter headlining the rotation, Figueroa providing workhorse innings, and Sparky Lyle closing games with that nasty slider. Martin pushed every button available and the club responded, pulling away from Baltimore to win the AL East by 10.5 games.

October -- The Pennant

The ALCS against Kansas City went five games, and every one of them felt like a street fight. The Yankees took the first two in KC, the Royals punched back with two straight at the Stadium, and suddenly the 12-year drought came down to a single game.

Game 5 is the one you remember. Bottom of the ninth, tied 6-6, Chambliss leading off against Mark Littell. First pitch. Gone. Over the right field wall. Fans poured onto the field like a dam breaking -- thousands of them between Chambliss and home plate. He couldn't even touch the bag. (He had to come back later and do it officially, which led MLB to change the rulebook. Only the Yankees could accidentally create a new rule while winning a pennant.)

Chambliss hit .524 for the series. Munson hit .435. The drought was over.

October -- The Sweep

Then the Reds happened.

Cincinnati's Big Red Machine was the best team in baseball -- and it wasn't particularly close. Johnny Bench, Pete Rose, Joe Morgan, Tony Perez. They swept the Yankees in four games, outscoring them 22-8 across the series. Bench hit .533 and won Series MVP. The Yankees competed in Game 2, losing 4-3, but the other three games weren't in doubt.

It stung. After 12 years of waiting, getting swept felt like a cold shower after a party. But the roster that reached the World Series in 1976 was young, hungry, and coming back. Martin knew it. Steinbrenner knew it. And the free agent who'd change everything -- Reggie Jackson -- signed that November.

Key Moments

Frequently Asked Questions

What was the 1976 Yankees' final record?

The Yankees went 97-62 and won the AL East by 10.5 games over Baltimore. They beat Kansas City 3-2 in the ALCS for their first pennant since 1964, then were swept by the Cincinnati Reds in the World Series.

Who was the 1976 AL MVP?

Thurman Munson won the American League MVP award after hitting .302 with 17 home runs and 105 RBI. He was also named the first Yankees captain since Lou Gehrig, who retired in 1939.

When did Yankee Stadium reopen after the renovation?

Yankee Stadium reopened on April 15, 1976, after a 2.5-year, $160 million renovation. The Yankees had played their home games at Shea Stadium during the 1974 and 1975 seasons.

How did the 1976 World Series end?

The Cincinnati Reds swept the Yankees in four games, outscoring them 22-8. Johnny Bench hit .533 with 2 home runs and 6 RBI to win World Series MVP. It was only the second time the Yankees had been swept in the Fall Classic (the first was 1963 against the Dodgers).

The sweep hurt. No getting around that. But the 1976 season gave the Yankees something they hadn't had in over a decade -- proof that they belonged. The captain was in place. The roster was built. The Stadium was open. Everything that came next started with this team, in this season, in the Bronx.