Looking Back: 1927 Yankees Play In Sulphur Dell
The 1926 World Series was played between the "Murderer's Row" of the New York Yankees and "Alex the Great's" (Grover Cleveland Alexander) St. Louis Cardinals. Alexander pitched two complete games for wins (Game 2 and Game 6) while the great Babe Ruth collected four home runs. The Series was determined in Game 7.
A tired Alexander was called into the seventh inning in relief to save a Cardinals 3-2 victory and the Series. You might remember actor Ronald Regan portraying Alexander in a recreation of Game 7 of the 1926 World Series in the movie "The Winning Team."
A rematch was staged six months later in Nashville, Tenn. on April 7, 1927 as an exhibition that was arranged between the two clubs. This was the finale of an eight game series, which began in Southern spring training sites.
Nashvillians would witness the play of several future Hall of Famers in Sulphur Dell. These 1927 New York Yankees have arguably been proclaimed as the greatest baseball team of all time.
The Yankees were managed by Miller Huggins while Bob O' Farrell led the Cardinals. A Nashville citizen (and pure baseball enthusiast) wrote a letter that appeared in The Tennessean taking a jab at Yankees pitcher Bob Shawkey who was in his 15th and final season as a major league player:
I think you two boys ought to get straighten out concerning these Cardinals and Yankees who are coming to town today. These Cardinals have nothing to do with the church Father. Nothing on earth. They are not that kind of cardinal.
Neither are these Yanks connected to the Grand Army of the Republic. Bob Shawkey is old enough to have toted a musket in the Civil War at that. Bob's going on 38. And going on 38 might fast. He's closer to 38 than Harry Lauder is to tuppence. Harry wouldn't give you the right time if he were a watchmaker.
It seems like these Cards and Yanks are baseballers. They are in this municipality today for two reasons. One is to sweep up all the sheckels the incoming tax vacuum cleaner missed. The other reason is to wind up and argument which has been seething on since last October between them.
Harry Lauder was a Scottish vaudeville entertainer while a tuppence is a former United Kingdom coin worth two pennies. The old gentleman that wrote those comments was trying to have some fun.
The Tennessean also ran on their front page a photo of Alexander advertising that he would pitch at the three o'clock game. Alexander did not appear in the game. At this time of his life he was 40 years old in his 16th year of a 20-year baseball career. Alexander was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1938 with a 373-208 record.
St. Louis smashed the Yankees that cool spring afternoon in Nashville, 10-8. With all the famous ball players in Sulphur Dell, the mighty Babe Ruth was still the one that grabbed the attention.
Blinkey Horn of The Tennessean wrote in part:
Well Mr. George Herman Ruth has come and gone. So has the baseball which he sent sizzling over the palings the first time he waved the wagon tongue yesterday in the Dell. But the welkin still rebounds with the thundering tumult which acclaimed Mr. George Herman Ruth.
There are nearabouts ten thousand kids in this municipality who haven't the vaguest idea about the final figures in the Yankee-Card conflict. But they do know that Babe Ruth, the idol of Boydom, after two former fruitless visits to Sulphur Dell finally brought to their kid ears. The sweetest mace melody that can be sung.
Frank Frisch sent George Herman Ruth into a slugging eclipse with four blistering totaling a dozen bases and which, transported five Cardinal counters into the run warehouse. But you are not likely to hear a group of excited urchins on the street corners chattering about that.
They will be buzzing over the four-bagger which Babe Ruth sent buzzing over the palisades two seconds after the apple had left the paw of Jimmy Ring. Thereafter, Babe Ruth hit more home runs. For James Ring and Arthur Reinhart were careful enough to keep the agate from colliding with the cross tie which G. H. Ruth uses for a bat.
In the lineup for the Yankees were:
Earle Combes, center field; Cedric Durst, first base; Mark Koenig, shortstop; Babe Ruth, right field; Lou Gehrig, first base; Paschal, centerfield; Bob Meusel, left field; Tony Lazzeri, second base; Joe Dugan, third base; Mike Gazella, third base; Pat Collins, catcher; Bob Shawkey, pitcher; Morehart, pitcher; Myles Thomas, pitcher.
In the lineup that day for the Cardinals were:
Taylor Douthit, centerfield; Billy Southworth, right field; Frank Frisch, second base; Jim Bottomley, first base; Les Bell, third base; Chuck Hafey, left field; Abbott, catcher; Tommy Thevenow, shortstop; James Ring, pitcher, Arthur Reinhart, pitcher.
Waite Hoyt was a Yankee pitcher that did not appear in the exhibition game. The newspapers reported that Hoyt was a former Nashville Vol making a homecoming. Hoyt pitched for the Vols in 1918 where he appeared in 20 games recording a 5-10 record. His 16 complete games did lead the Southern Association that year. Hoyt pitched 21 years in the majors compiling a 237-182 record. In 1927, Hoyt led the American League in wins (22-7). Hoyt was enshrined into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1969.
Babe Ruth (1914-35) led the American League in home runs (60) in 1927. "The Bambino" batted .356 while driving in 164 runs. While being considered the greatest baseball player of all time, Ruth was the first to slug in a season 30, 40, 50 and 60 home runs. Ruth began his career as a Red Sox where he was one of the game's best pitchers. In 1916, he led the AL with a 1.75 ERA recording a 23-12 record for the World Series Champion Red Sox. Ruth was in the inaugural Hall of Fame class in 1936.
Lou Gehrig (1923-39) batted .373 in 155 games for the Yankees in 1927. "The Iron Horse" collected 47 home runs with 175 league-leading RBI's. Gehrig would play in 2, 130 consecutive games a record that lasted until 1995 when Baltimore Orioles' shortstop Cal Ripken, Jr. passed him. In 1931, Gehrig drove in 184 runs, which established an AL record. He topped 150 RBI's seven times and collected 23 Grand Slams. Gehrig was selected to the Hall of Fame in 1939.
Earl Combes (1924-35) was the Yankees dependable lead-off batter. He led the AL in hits (231) and triples (23) in 1927 and batted .356. "The Kentucky Colonel's" career ended in 1934 when the outfielder slammed into the wall in St. Louis' Sportsman Park. This was before warning tracks were installed and he fractured his skull. Combe's comeback failed the next year, but he was enshrined into the Hall of Fame in 1970.
Tony Lazzeri (1926-39) batted .309 with 18 home runs and 102 RBI's for the 1927 Yankees. Lazzeri was an excellent fielder with a .292 lifetime average and drove in at least 100 runs seven different seasons. In the 1926 World Series, Lazzeri came to the plate with the Yankees trailing 3-2 in the crucial Game 7. Alexander stuck out the second baseman. After that Lazzeri would gain an unfair reputation of not being a clutch batter. He earned his Hall of Fame plaque in 1991.
Jim Bottomley (1922-37) batted .303 with 19 home runs and 124 RBI's for the 1927 Cardinals. The big first baseman recorded a .310 lifetime average and in 1928 led the NL in home runs (31) and RBI's (136). Bottomley's 1928 performance earned him the league's MVP award. He narrowly lost the 1931 batting title to Chick Hafey (.3489) and Bill Terry (.3486). Bottomley batted .3482. His Hall of Fame induction came in 1974.
Frankie Frisch (1919-37) batted .337 with 10 home runs and 78 runs batted in 1927. Frisch was a star athlete at Fordham University making the major leagues in 1919 without playing a single minor league game. Only twice did he strike out more than 18 times a year in 17 full seasons. Before joining the Cardinals, the switch-hitter batted .369 in the Giants four straight World Series (1921-24). Frisch was enshrined into the Hall of Fame in 1947.
Chuck Hafey (1924-37) in 1927 hit .329 with 18 home runs and 63 RBI's. Hafey's vision was affected by a chronic sinus condition that required many operations. He would wear three types of glasses and was one of the first bespectacled outfielders. Hafey tied an NL record with ten consecutive hits in 1929. Hafey won the 1931 NL batting title in 1932 averaging .349. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1971
O' Farrell was a player/manager for the Cards that finished in second place (92-61) in 1927 one-and-a-half games behind Pittsburgh in the NL pennant race. As a catcher for the Cards in 1926, O' Farrell threw out Babe Ruth who was attempting to steal second base in the ninth inning. That play ended the 1926 World Series. This was his lone season as a manager for St. Louis. O' Farrell played baseball from 1915-35.
Huggins' Bronx Bombers (110-44) won the AL pennant over Connie Mack's Athletics (91-63). The Yankees continued on to sweep the Pirates, 4-0 in the 1927 World Series. Huggins began his managerial career with the Cardinals (1913-17) then joined the Yankees (1918-29). In his 17 years as a manager, Huggins was 1,413-1,134 with six World Series appearances winning three. He died 1n 1929 at age 50 of an infectious skin disease. Huggins was enshrined into the Hall of Fame in 1964.
And for one day, Nashville had the opportunity to witness one of the greatest baseball teams in the history of baseball - the 1927 New York Yankees.
Traughber's Tidbit: Wait Hoyt and Hazen "Kiki" Cuyler are the only Nashville Vols to have been enshrined into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY. Cuyler was selected in 1968 by the Veteran's Committee and played outfield for the Vols in 1923. As a Vol, Cuyler stole a league leading 68 stolen bases while batting .340 in 149 games with108 RBIs. Cuyler played 18 seasons with Pittsburgh, Cubs, Cincinnati and Brooklyn. His career numbers include 1, 879 games, 128 home runs, 1,065 RBIs and a .321 batting average. After retiring as a player in 1938, Cuyler became a manager in the Southern Association with Chattanooga, Memphis and Atlanta.
If you have any comments or suggestions contact Bill Traughber via email [email protected].