Babe Ruth hit 15 Home Runs in seven World Series between 1921 and 1932, all with the New York Yankees.
Ruth had been in World Series 1915, 1916, 1918 with the Boston Red Sox. In 1915 he did not pitch but pinch hit once and made out. In 1916 and 1918 he was a starting pitcher: 3 starts, 3-0, 29 consecutive scoreless innings.
World Series batting for the Red Sox: 12 PA, 11 AB, one triple in 1918 against the Cubs.
His 129 WS At Bats (AB) includes no Home Runs in 11 Red Sox AB.
His 15 WS HR came in 118 Yankee AB.
Ruth hit at least one HR in 6 of his 7 Yankee WS (not 1922).
Here are the batters with at least 2 WS HR through 1921, Ruth's first WS:
https://stathead.com/tiny/Fa2Ru
Rk | Player | HR | AB | From | To | Age | G | PA |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Home Run Baker | 3 | 90 | 1910 | 1921 | 24-35 | 24 | 96 |
2 | Larry Gardner | 3 | 86 | 1912 | 1920 | 26-34 | 25 | 98 |
3 | Fred Clarke | 2 | 53 | 1903 | 1909 | 30-36 | 15 | 65 |
4 | Patsy Dougherty | 2 | 54 | 1903 | 1906 | 26-29 | 14 | 60 |
5 | Harry Hooper | 2 | 92 | 1912 | 1918 | 24-30 | 24 | 108 |
6 | Benny Kauff | 2 | 25 | 1917 | 1917 | 27 | 6 | 25 |
Batters with at least 3 WS HR through 1923, Ruth's third consecutive:
https://stathead.com/tiny/iVViO
For combined seasons, from 1903 to 1923, Playing in the AL or NL, in the postseason, requiring Home Runs >= 3 and At Bats >= 0, sorted by descending Home Runs.
Rk | Player | HR | AB | From | To | Age | G | PA |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Babe Ruth | 4 | 63 | 1915 | 1923 | 20-28 | 22 | 81 |
2 | Home Run Baker | 3 | 91 | 1910 | 1922 | 24-36 | 25 | 97 |
3 | Larry Gardner | 3 | 86 | 1912 | 1920 | 26-34 | 25 | 98 |
4 | Irish Meusel | 3 | 74 | 1921 | 1923 | 28-30 | 19 | 76 |
5 | Aaron Ward | 3 | 63 | 1921 | 1923 | 24-26 | 19 | 73 |
Irish Meusel was the brother of Yankee Bob Meusel. Irish played for the New York Giants 1921 (68 games) - 1926. He played in 4 WS with these HR:
1921 v. Yankees 1
1922 v. Yankees 1
1923 v. Yankees 1 (game 2)
1924 v. Washington 0
Aaron Ward played for the Yankees 1917-1926 and was the starting second baseman 1921-1925. Ward's WS HR:
1921 v. Giants 0
1922 v. Giants 2
1923 v. Giants 1 (game 2)
Ruth's WS HR through 1923:
1921 v. Giants 1
1922 v. Giants 0
1923 v. Giants 3 (game 2: 2, game 6)
Ruth had three career WS HR through 1923, game 2:
HR: Aaron Ward (1, off Hugh McQuillan, 2nd inn, 0 on, 1 out to Deep LF); Babe Ruth 2 (2, 1 off Jack Bentley, 5th inn, 0 on, 1 out to Deep RF Line, 1 off Hugh McQuillan, 4th inn, 0 on, 0 outs to Deep RF).
HR: Irish Meusel (1, off Herb Pennock, 2nd inn, 0 on, 1 out to Deep LF).
After that game the WS HR record since 1903 should have been tied at 3 by Baker, Gardner, Ward, Meusel and Ruth.
Ruth broke the record in the 6th and final WS game in 1923:
HR: Babe Ruth (3, off Art Nehf, 1st inn, 0 on, 2 outs to Deep RF Line).
However, Ruth did not hold the record. Goose Goslin of the Washington Senators hit three HR in both the 1924 and 1925 WS to become the WS HR record holder. Goslin hit 12 and 18 HR in those regular seasons.
Joe Harris, Goslin's teammate in 1925, also hit three HR in the 1925 WS. Really.
https://stathead.com/tiny/fzcx1
For combined seasons, from 1903 to 1925, Playing in the AL or NL, in the postseason, requiring Home Runs >= 3 and At Bats >= 0, sorted by descending Home Runs.
Rk | Player | HR | AB | From | To | Age | G | PA |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Goose Goslin | 6 | 58 | 1924 | 1925 | 23-24 | 14 | 61 |
2 | Babe Ruth | 4 | 63 | 1915 | 1923 | 20-28 | 22 | 81 |
3 | Home Run Baker | 3 | 91 | 1910 | 1922 | 24-36 | 25 | 97 |
4 | Larry Gardner | 3 | 86 | 1912 | 1920 | 26-34 | 25 | 98 |
5 | Joe Harris | 3 | 25 | 1925 | 1925 | 34 | 7 | 28 |
6 | Irish Meusel | 3 | 87 | 1921 | 1924 | 28-31 | 23 | 92 |
7 | Aaron Ward | 3 | 63 | 1921 | 1923 | 24-26 | 19 | 73 |
https://stathead.com/tiny/FI6Ry
For combined seasons, from 1903 to 1926, Playing in the AL or NL, in the postseason, requiring Home Runs >= 3 and At Bats >= 0, sorted by descending Home Runs.
Rk | Player | HR | AB | From | To | Age | G | PA |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Babe Ruth | 8 | 83 | 1915 | 1926 | 20-31 | 29 | 112 |
2 | Goose Goslin | 6 | 58 | 1924 | 1925 | 23-24 | 14 | 61 |
3 | Home Run Baker | 3 | 91 | 1910 | 1922 | 24-36 | 25 | 97 |
4 | Larry Gardner | 3 | 86 | 1912 | 1920 | 26-34 | 25 | 98 |
5 | Joe Harris | 3 | 25 | 1925 | 1925 | 34 | 7 | 28 |
6 | Irish Meusel | 3 | 87 | 1921 | 1924 | 28-31 | 23 | 92 |
7 | Aaron Ward | 3 | 63 | 1921 | 1923 | 24-26 | 19 | 73 |
The Yankees lost the 1926 WS to the St. Louis Cardinals 4-3. But Ruth hit three HR in game 4 to pass Goslin:
HR: Babe Ruth 3 (3, 2 off Flint Rhem, 1st inn, 0 on, 2 outs to Deep RF Line; 3rd inn, 0 on, 2 outs to Deep CF-RF, 1 off Herman Bell, 6th inn, 1 on, 1 out to Deep CF).
Ruth hit a fourth HR in game 7 but the Cardinals won 3-2 in Yankee Stadium. Ruth walked with two out in the 9th but with Bob Meusel batting: B. Ruth Caught Stealing 2B (C-2B)
Through:
1927:
Rk | Player | HR | AB | From | To | Age | G | PA |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Babe Ruth | 10 | 98 | 1915 | 1927 | 20-32 | 33 | 130 |
2 | Goose Goslin | 6 | 58 | 1924 | 1925 | 23-24 | 14 | 61 |
1928:
Rk | Player | HR | AB | From | To | Age | G | PA |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Babe Ruth | 13 | 114 | 1915 | 1928 | 20-33 | 37 | 147 |
2 | Goose Goslin | 6 | 58 | 1924 | 1925 | 23-24 | 14 | 61 |
1929:
Rk | Player | HR | AB | From | To | Age | G | PA |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Babe Ruth | 13 | 114 | 1915 | 1928 | 20-33 | 37 | 147 |
2 | Goose Goslin | 6 | 58 | 1924 | 1925 | 23-24 | 14 | 61 |
1930:
Rk | Player | HR | AB | From | To | Age | G | PA |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Babe Ruth | 13 | 114 | 1915 | 1928 | 20-33 | 37 | 147 |
2 | Goose Goslin | 6 | 58 | 1924 | 1925 | 23-24 | 14 | 61 |
1931:
Rk | Player | HR | AB | From | To | Age | G | PA |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Babe Ruth | 13 | 114 | 1915 | 1928 | 20-33 | 37 | 147 |
2 | Goose Goslin | 6 | 58 | 1924 | 1925 | 23-24 | 14 | 61 |
3 | Al Simmons | 6 | 69 | 1929 | 1931 | 27-29 | 18 | 76 |
1932 (Ruth's final WS):
Rk | Player | HR | AB | From | To | Age | G | PA |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Babe Ruth | 15 | 129 | 1915 | 1932 | 20-37 | 41 | 167 |
2 | Lou Gehrig | 7 | 64 | 1926 | 1932 | 23-29 | 19 | 84 |
3 | Goose Goslin | 6 | 58 | 1924 | 1925 | 23-24 | 14 | 61 |
4 | Al Simmons | 6 | 69 | 1929 | 1931 | 27-29 | 18 | 76 |
1938 (Gehrig's final WS):
Rk | Player | HR | AB | From | To | Age | G | PA |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Babe Ruth | 15 | 129 | 1915 | 1932 | 20-37 | 41 | 167 |
2 | Lou Gehrig | 10 | 119 | 1926 | 1938 | 23-35 | 34 | 150 |
3 | Goose Goslin | 7 | 129 | 1924 | 1935 | 23-34 | 32 | 143 |
1963:
Rk | Player | HR | AB | From | To | Age | G | PA |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Mickey Mantle | 15 | 206 | 1951 | 1963 | 19-31 | 58 | 243 |
2 | Babe Ruth | 15 | 129 | 1915 | 1932 | 20-37 | 41 | 167 |
3 | Yogi Berra | 12 | 259 | 1947 | 1963 | 22-38 | 75 | 295 |
4 | Duke Snider | 11 | 133 | 1949 | 1959 | 22-32 | 36 | 149 |
5 | Lou Gehrig | 10 | 119 | 1926 | 1938 | 23-35 | 34 | 150 |
Mantle ties Ruth but in almost twice as many AB.
1963 WS: (LA Dodgers sweep Yankees 4-0)
Game 4:
HR: Mickey Mantle (1, off Sandy Koufax, 7th inn, 0 on, 1 out to Deep LF-CF).
1964 WS: (Cardinals beat Yankees 4-3)
Game 3 (Mantle breaks Ruth's record):
HR: Mickey Mantle (1, off Barney Schultz, 9th inn, 0 on, 0 outs to Deep RF).
Game 6: HR: Mickey Mantle (2, off Curt Simmons, 6th inn, 0 on, 1 out to Deep CF-RF)
Game 7:
HR: Mickey Mantle (3, off Bob Gibson, 6th inn, 2 on, 0 outs to Deep LF-CF); Clete Boyer (1, off Bob Gibson, 9th inn, 0 on, 1 out to Deep LF); Phil Linz (2, off Bob Gibson, 9th inn, 0 on, 2 outs to Deep LF Line).
Through 1968 the World Series games were the only post season games. Extra games to break a first place tie (Examples 1951 Dodgers - Giants; 1978 Yankees - Red Sox) were regular season games, NOT post season.
1982:
Rk | Player | HR | AB | From | To | Age | G | PA |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Reggie Jackson | 18 | 255 | 1971 | 1982 | 25-36 | 71 | 290 |
2 | Mickey Mantle | 18 | 230 | 1951 | 1964 | 19-32 | 65 | 273 |
3 | Babe Ruth | 15 | 129 | 1915 | 1932 | 20-37 | 41 | 167 |
Reggie tied the Mick in 1982 in his first season with the Angels after leaving the Yankees. In 1982 Reggie led the AL in HR for the fourth and final time with 39.
2003 (18 post season HR finally exceeded.)
Rk | Player | HR | AB | From | To | Age | G | PA |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Bernie Williams | 19 | 389 | 1995 | 2003 | 26-34 | 104 | 466 |
2 | Reggie Jackson | 18 | 281 | 1971 | 1986 | 25-40 | 77 | 318 |
3 | Mickey Mantle | 18 | 230 | 1951 | 1964 | 19-32 | 65 | 273 |
4 | Jim Thome | 17 | 188 | 1995 | 2001 | 24-30 | 55 | 216 |
5 | Manny Ramírez | 16 | 237 | 1995 | 2003 | 23-31 | 64 | 277 |
6 | Babe Ruth | 15 | 129 | 1915 | 1932 | 20-37 | 41 | 167 |
Williams took way more AB.
Now we'll look at the current list of post season HR >= 15, the Babe's final record 1926-1963.
October 9, 2024:
So, ...