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Getbig Main Boards => Gossip & Opinions => Topic started by: funk51 on October 09, 2020, 12:58:21 PM
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1961 New York Yankees Roster
American League (AL)
Team Record: 109-53
Finished 1st in the AL
Attendance: 1,747,726, Avg. 26,481
Ballpark: Yankee Stadium I
Won World Series
World Series - Defeated Cincinnati Reds 4-1
Manager: Ralph Houk (109-53)
Location: New York, New York
1961 New York Yankees Statistics
1961 New York Yankees Results
The New York Yankees of the American League ended the 1961 season with a record of 109 wins and 53 losses, finishing first in the AL. Ralph Houk coached the team. The 1961 New York Yankees won the World Series.
Click on column headings to sort.
Player Pos. Bats Throws Birth Date Height Weight Hometown
Luis Arroyo P L L February 18, 1927 5'8" 178 Penuelas, P.R.
Yogi Berra LF L R May 12, 1925 5'7" 185 St. Louis, MO USA
Johnny Blanchard C L R February 26, 1933 6'1" 193 Minneapolis, MN USA
Clete Boyer 3B R R February 9, 1937 6'0" 165 Cossville, MO USA
Bob Cerv LF R R May 5, 1925 6'0" 200 Weston, NE USA
Tex Clevenger P R R July 9, 1932 6'1" 180 Visalia, CA USA
Jim Coates P R R August 4, 1932 6'4" 192 Farnham, VA USA
Bud Daley P L L October 7, 1932 6'1" 185 Orange, CA USA
Joe DeMaestri SS R R December 9, 1928 6'0" 170 San Francisco, CA USA
Art Ditmar P R R April 3, 1929 6'2" 185 Winthrop, MA USA
Al Downing P R L June 28, 1941 5'11" 175 Trenton, NJ USA
Ryne Duren P R R February 22, 1929 6'2" 190 Cazenovia, WI USA
Whitey Ford P L L October 21, 1928 5'10" 178 New York, NY USA
Billy Gardner 3B R R July 19, 1927 6'0" 170 Waterford, CT USA
Jesse Gonder P L R January 20, 1936 5'10" 180 Monticello, AR USA
Bob Hale 1B L L November 7, 1933 5'10" 195 Sarasota, FL USA
Elston Howard C R R February 23, 1929 6'2" 196 St. Louis, MO USA
Johnny James P L R July 23, 1933 5'10" 160 Bonners Ferry, ID USA
Deron Johnson 3B R R July 17, 1938 6'2" 200 San Diego, CA USA
Tony Kubek SS L R October 12, 1935 6'3" 190 Milwaukee, WI USA
Hector Lopez LF R R July 8, 1929 5'11" 182 Colon, Co Panama
Duke Maas P R R January 31, 1929 5'10" 170 Utica, MI USA
Mickey Mantle CF B R October 20, 1931 5'11" 195 Spavinaw, OK USA
Roger Maris RF L R September 10, 1934 6'0" 197 Hibbing, MN USA
Danny McDevitt P L L November 18, 1932 5'10" 175 New York, NY USA
Jack Reed CF R R February 2, 1933 6'0" 185 Silver City, MS USA
Hal Reniff P R R July 2, 1938 6'0" 215 Warren, OH USA
Bobby Richardson 2B R R August 19, 1935 5'9" 170 Sumter, SC USA
Rollie Sheldon P R R December 17, 1936 6'4" 185 Putnam, CT USA
Bill Skowron 1B R R December 18, 1930 5'11" 195 Chicago, IL USA
Bill Stafford P R R August 13, 1938 6'1" 188 Catskill, NY USA
Ralph Terry P R R January 9, 1936 6'3" 195 Big Cabin, OK USA
Lee Thomas P L R February 5, 1936 6'2" 195 Peoria, IL USA
Earl Torgeson 1B L L January 1, 1924 6'3" 180 Snohomish, WA USA
Tom Tresh SS B R September 20, 1938 6'1" 180 Detroit, MI USA
Bob Turley P R R September 19, 1930 6'2" 215 Troy, IL USA
not many Yankees left from that great 1961 pennant winning team one of the GOAT
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1927 Yankees Vs. 1961 Yankees: Who's Better? A Position by Position Breakdown
STEPHEN MEYER
APRIL 6, 2011
Courtesy of: http://www.bestsportsphotos.com/product.php?productid=35299&cat=271&page=19
Courtesy of: http://www.bestsportsphotos.com/product.php?productid=35299&cat=271&page=19
Many consider the 1927 New York Yankees the greatest MLB team ever assembled.
Most of this credit is given to the heralded “Murderer’s Row” lineup including Hall of Fame inductees Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Tony Lazzeri, and Earle Combs—though having two Hall of Fame pitchers in Herb Pennock and Waite Hoyt certainly didn’t hurt.
Others would argue for the 1961 Yankees—a star-studded roster in its own right with Mickey Mantle, Roger Maris, Yogi Berra, Elston Howard, and Whitey Ford.
Though the latest generation of fans would fight to the death for their 1998 team, and rightfully so, I’m going to focus on the two immortal Yankees teams of the past—breaking them down position by position.
One player will be picked in each position battle, and a tally will then be made at the end to create an “on paper” favorite if the two were to play head-to-head in a World Series.
Without further ado, let’s get started with a look at catcher where you will not see Yogi’s name—he had since moved to the outfield at this point of his career. Here we go:
Catcher – Pat Collins/Johnny Grabowski ’27 Vs. Elston Howard ‘61
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Courtesy of: http://www.myyesnetwork.com
Courtesy of: http://www.myyesnetwork.com
The 1927 Yankees had a platoon situation at catcher which also included contributions from a third catcher named Benny Bengough.
While Collins was the best offensive threat—compiling a .407 OBP in 251 Abs—he and Grabowski combined for a 29 percent caught stealing rate (33 for 114).
The 1961 Yankees, on the other hand, had one of the best catchers in MLB at the time in Elston Howard. He hit .348 with a .387 OBP and .939 OPS that season, and added an exceptional 50 percent caught stealing rate (20 for 40).
The Decision: Elston Howard – ‘61
This is an easy one for me, as Howard was both a dynamic offensive and defensive player in 1961—beating out the less productive trio of the ’27 roster.
1B – Lou Gehrig ’27 Vs. Bill “Moose” Skowron ‘61
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Courtesy of: http://www.indyposted.com
Courtesy of: http://www.indyposted.com
Lou Gehrig, arguably the greatest first baseman in the league’s history, had an otherworldly season in 1927—hitting .373 with 47 HR, 175 RBI, 52 2B, .474 OBP, 1.240 OPS, and 149 R.
Yes, these are actual statistics…and you can throw in 18 triples while you’re at it.
“Moose” Skowron, meanwhile, put up decent power numbers with 28 HR and 89 RBI. His .318 OBP and .790 OPS at a power position at first base were far from his best years as a Yankee in 1956 and 1960.
The Decision: Lou Gehrig – ‘27
Remember when I said the decision at catcher was easy? Well this one is the equivalent of being asked whether you’d rather have a massage at the hands of Minka Kelly or a colonoscopy.
Lou Gehrig put up numbers that even gamers could not produce on Xbox 360, and had in my opinion one of the two to three greatest seasons in the history of the game in 1927.
2B – Tony Lazzeri ’27 Vs. Bobby Richardson ‘61
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Courtesy of: https://wiki-land.wikispaces.com/June,+1927
Courtesy of: https://wiki-land.wikispaces.com/June,+1927
Hall of Fame second baseman Tony Lazzeri was at it again in 1927, as he collected 18 HR, 102 RBI, a .383 OBP and .866 OPS for a position and time period that rarely witnessed years like these.
Richardson had his best MLB season the following year in 1962, and his best World Series in 1960—where he would have been the easy choice for MVP if not for Bill Mazeroski’s timeless Game Seven home run.
In 1961, however, Bobby could only muster a .295 OBP—not enough to prevent the defensive gap between the two to be overcome by Lazzeri’s offensive prowess.
The Decision: Tony Lazzeri – ’27
Richardson was the far superior defender, and put up some solid offensive years in his Yankees career, but 1961 was not one of them. Lazzeri takes this one in a landslide.
SS – Mark Koenig ’27 Vs. Tony Kubek ‘61
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Courtesy of: http://theyplayedthegame.tripod.com/id12.htm
Courtesy of: http://theyplayedthegame.tripod.com/id12.htm
Koenig had 62 RBI, 99 R, and 34 extra-base hits in 1927, which was a very representative offensive arsenal for any shortstop of the time period.
Kubek had an impressive 52 extra-base hits to go along with 84 R in 1961, as well as earning a reputation as one of the best double-play shortstops in the game (turning 107 of them that season).
The Decision: Tony Kubek – ’61
Offensively, the two are very similar in an overall side-by-side analysis. Defensively, however, I cannot ignore Koenig’s 47 errors in 1927.
Errors are not the end-all in determining defensive abilities in ballplayers, but 47? That makes Kubek’s 30 look like Ozzie Smith at his best.
3B – Joe Dugan ’27 Vs. Clete Boyer ‘61
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Courtesy of: http://www.ootpdevelopments.com
Courtesy of: http://www.ootpdevelopments.com
Dugan could not be considered much of an offensive threat in 1927—managing to gather 44 R, 2 HR, 43 RBI, and 29 extra-base hits.
Boyer, who like Richardson had his best year as a Yankee in 1962, did not fare much better than Dugan in 1961. He topped Dugan with 61 R, 11 HR, 55 RBI, and 35 extra-base hits, but he hit an anemic .224.
The Decision: Clete Boyer – ‘61
This explanation could be virtually copied verbatim from the shortstop debate, as offensively neither man separated himself with conviction.
Boyer was possibly the greatest defensive third baseman in Yankees history—some would argue Graig Nettles—which is what pushed him over the top in a close battle.
LF – Babe Ruth ’27 Vs. Yogi Berra ‘61
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Link to Media
First of all, let me acknowledge that Babe Ruth is viewed primarily as a RF.
Ruth played 56 games in left field in 1927, and it did not seem fair to completely wipe out Roger Maris’ record-breaking season by matching him up with the Sultan of Swat.
How could 61 home runs be crushed so easily? Well, Ruth had 60 of his own—adding 164 RBI, 158 R, a .356 AVG, .486 OBP and 1.258 OPS. What’s even more horrifying is that no one would consider this Ruth’s greatest year in pinstripes.
Berra was a 36-year-old in decline in 1961, but was still able to produce 22 HR to help chip in. It’s impossible not to respect Yogi, but this fight was over before the bell was rung.
The Decision: Babe Ruth – ’27
I will keep this short and sweet. Babe Ruth is the best hitter in MLB history, and 1927 was no different.
CF – Earle Combs ’27 Vs. Mickey Mantle ‘61
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Courtesy of: http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/mickey-mantle-hof.htm
Courtesy of: http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/mickey-mantle-hof.htm
Combs, an excellent player and offensive force in the Bronx, hit .356 with a stellar .414 OBP and .925 OPS in 1927. He also produced 65 extra-base hits—including 23 triples—and scored 137 runs as part of “Murderer’s Row”.
Mantle was at the epicenter of one of the most captivating seasons in Major League Baseball history, and would go on to have his best Yankees season since his back-to-back MVPs in ’56 and ’57.
“The Mick” would put together 54 HR, 128 RBI, 131 R, .317 AVG, .448 OBP, and 1.135 OPS—while leading MLB in walks and slugging percentage.
The Decision: Mickey Mantle – ‘61
Combs put up excellent numbers, and easily could have beaten out many others in a head-to-head battle.
The Yankees outfield is a crowded one in this debate, however, and Mantle had one of his immortal seasons.
RF – Bob Meusel ’27 Vs. Roger Maris ‘61
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Link to Media
Meusel had a rock solid 1927 season offensively, and did everything that could have been expected of him.
He drove in 103 runs, had a .393 OBP and .902 OPS, and stole 24 bases—all while only suiting up for 135 games.
Maris’ 1961 season needs absolutely no introduction. In many baseball fans’ eyes, it still represents the true pinnacle in single-season home run history—and I tend to agree with them.
Amidst unimaginable stress and torment, Maris slugged 61 HR while amassing 141 RBI, 132 R, and a nearly 1.000 OPS.
The Decision: Roger Maris – ‘61
This is yet another opportunity to keep it short and sweet, as there is truly no explanation needed. Maris had baseball’s greatest exhibition of power since Ruth’s 1927 season.
1927’s Pitching Staff
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Courtesy of: http://lesterslegends.com/cooperstown-chronicles-waite-hoyt/waite-hoyt/
Courtesy of: http://lesterslegends.com/cooperstown-chronicles-waite-hoyt/waite-hoyt/
I am only going to go over the key pitchers to each team's World Series Championship, as this is meant to be judged in a head-to-head scenario.
Neither team had anyone but those on their respective lists start or finish a World Series game, so this paints the clearest picture of how the 1927 and 1961 rosters match up.
1. Waite Hoyt: 22-7, 2.63 ERA, 256.1 IP, 1.16 WHIP, 23 CG
2. Herb Pennock: 19-8, 3.00 ERA, 209.2 IP, 1.30 WHIP, 18 CG
3. George Pipgras: 10-3, 4.11 ERA, 166.1 IP, 1.35 WHIP, 9 CG
CL - Wilcy Moore: 19-7, 2.28 ERA, 213 IP, 1.15 WHIP, 6 CG, 13 SV
1961’s Pitching Staff
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Courtesy of: http://articles.nydailynews.com
Courtesy of: http://articles.nydailynews.com
1. Whitey Ford: 25-4, 3.21 ERA, 283 IP, 1.18 WHIP, 11 CG, 209 K
2. Bill Stafford: 14-9, 2.68 ERA, 195 IP, 1.16 WHIP, 8 CG
3. Ralph Terry: 16-3, 3.15 ERA, 188.1 IP, 1.08 WHIP, 9 CG
CL – Luis Arroyo: 15-5, 2.19 ERA, 119 IP, 1.11 WHIP, 29 SV
The Pitching Staff Decision
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Courtesy of: http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/herb-pennock-hof.htm
Courtesy of: http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/herb-pennock-hof.htm
This call is about as tough as any that I’ve come across in this discussion, and is one that came down to the tiniest of details to separate the two from each other.
Both staffs are headed by big-time Hall of Fame arms in Hoyt and Ford—though Ford’s innings, strikeouts, and ability to dominate give him the edge.
Having a second Hall of Fame hurler in the No. 2 slot gives 1927 the edge back in their favor, though Stafford performed plenty well enough in 1961 to make it close here.
Pipgras was not 1927’s third starter entering the World Series, but he was given the start and performed admirably. Terry had an out-of-body season, however, which gave 1961 back the lead by a nose.
This brings us to the final call, and there was only one closer who could come out on top as difference-maker: Wilcy Moore.
Not only did Moore pitch 213 innings while only starting 12 games in 1927, but he threw a Game Four complete game to close out the World Series after saving a one-run contest in Game One.
Arroyo had about as good a year as you can have as a relief pitcher in the time period, but the determining factor was Moore’s versatility to both start and close with extreme efficiency.
The Decision: The 1927 Pitching Staff by the Slimmest of Margins
The Final Verdict: The 1927 Yankees Win in Seven Games
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:o :o :o :o
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I used to have multiples of his tops 1957 card.Rip Whitey Ford.
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good memories
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Notice how low those outfield fences were.
Whitey's glory days were before my time. I think I may have seen him in a few games on TV near the end.
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With a name like "Whitey" he must surely have died from shame... :) ;)
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With a name like "Whitey" he must surely have died from shame... :) ;)
He'd be cancelled today.
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He'd be cancelled today.
So true, brother. :-[