Friday, May 31, 2019

Ruth, Gehrig, DiMaggio, Mantle: first and last Home Runs.

Gehrig, DiMaggio, Mantle played their entire careers for the Yankees but Ruth first played for the Boston Red Sox and last played for the Boston Braves. Below are Ruth's first and last home runs for:
Red Sox
Yankees
Braves

Babe Ruth:
Thursday, May 6, 1915
Attendance: 5,000
Venue: Polo Grounds V
Game Duration: 2:35
Day Game, on grass
Yankees 4, Red Sox 3 

Remember, Ruth was the Red Sox starting and losing pitcher batting 9th; he pitched into the 13th inning.

HR: Babe Ruth (1) off righty Jack Warhop; top 3, Red Sox up 1-0

 Ruth hit his second career home run back at the Polo Grounds in New York June 2, 1915 against this same Yankee pitcher. Warhop was 30 and in his last of 8 seasons, all with the Yankees. He led the AL in homers allowed his last two seasons with 8 and 7.
Venue: Griffith Stadium
Day Game, on grass
First game of doubleheader, see Second game.
Senators 7, Red Sox 5

HR: Babe Ruth (29) off righty Rip Jordan top 3; part of a rally that put Red Sox up 5-0

 Ruth was playing left and batting 4th. OPS 1.116. Ruth extended his season home run record to 29. He would break it with the Yankees in 1920 (54), 1921 (59), 1927 (60). Rip Jordan was 29 and pitching in his only game of 1919 and the last of his brief career. Jordan pitched 12 innings in four non starts in 1912.

 Ruth started the second game of the doubleheader, went 0 for 1 and never played for the Red Sox again.
December 26, 1919: Purchased by the New York Yankees from the Boston Red Sox for $100,000.
Saturday, May 1, 1920
Attendance: 12,000
Venue: Polo Grounds V
Game Duration: 2:05
Day Game, on grass
Yankees 6 (5-7), Red Sox 0 (10-3)

 HR: Babe Ruth (1) off Herb Pennock bottom 6; 4-0 Yankees. Ruth was playing right and batting 4th.

 Pennock would join the Yankees 1923-1933 and be elected to the Hall of Fame. The winning pitcher in this Ruth's 10th Yankee game was Bob Shawkey, who pitched for the Yankees 1915-1927 and gave up Ruth's second from last Red Sox home run.

 Most career home runs by a Yankee through 1920:
RkPlayerHRABFromToAgeGPARH2B3BRBIBBIBBSOHBPSHSFGDPSBCSBAOBPSLGOPSPos
1Babe Ruth544581920192025-2514261615817236913515080351414.376.532.8471.379/*9783H1
2Wally Pipp4530931915192022-27824351744282513772393289359191126917.267.333.401.734*3/H
3Home Run Baker3219841916191930-335132196238573931026816688142954.289.348.394.742*5/H
4Roger Peckinpaugh2839781913192022-29107045685421004149463564244131415714141.252.327.334.661*6/H
5Hal Chase2041581905191322-30106144645511182165504941473671614524822.284.311.362.674*3/4876H15
6Ping Bodie1612701918192030-32354142714435465261821031007462714.279.336.409.745*8/79H
7Jimmy Williams1625361903190726-30685282129066312345358206266186159.261.321.364.686*4
8Wid Conroy1230051903190826-317963304356750111592661983061681184.250.299.338.637*576/8439

 In his first Yankee season Ruth had set the Yankee season and career home run records.

 Most career home runs through 1921:
RkPlayerHRABFromToAgeGPARH2B3BRBIBBIBBSOHBPSHSFGDPSBCSBAOBPSLGOPSPosTm
1Babe Ruth16221081914192119-2668526415377181625552748534515284427.341.467.7001.16771/98H3BOS-NYY
2Roger Connor13877971880189722-39199888471620246744123313231002455399244.316.397.486.883*35/4879TRO-NYG-NYI-PHI-STL
3Sam Thompson12659981885190625-46141065261261198834316113084522346313232.331.384.505.890*9/783DTN-PHI-DET
4Harry Stovey12261531880189323-36148968481495177534817691266445231509.288.361.462.8223798/1WOR-PHA-BOS-BLN-BSN-BRO
5Gavvy Cravath11939511908192027-3912204658575113423283719561578281058920.287.380.478.858*9H7/83BOS-WSH-CHW-PHI
6Jimmy Ryan11881721885190322-40201491241643251345115710938044918365419.308.375.444.820897/6145CHC-CHI-WSH
7Dan Brouthers10767261879190421-461676769115292303462206130184023810520257.342.423.520.943*3/7195TRO-BUF-DTN-BSN-BOS-BRO-LOU-BLN-PHI-NYG
8Hugh Duffy10670441888190621-391737784115542293325119130266426829104574.326.386.451.837879/64532CHC-CHI-BOS-BSN-MLA-PHI
9Mike Tiernan10659151887189920-3214786732131618382571628537483764128428.311.392.463.855*978/1NYG
10Honus Wagner101104391897191723-4327941174617393420643252173296373512522172326.328.391.467.858*6935/84H71LOU-PIT
11Ed Delahanty10175101888190320-35183784001600259752218614667424399454456.346.411.505.917*7384/695CLE-PHI-WSH

In his second Yankee season Ruth set the career home run record.

Attendance: 3,000
Venue: Fenway Park
Game Duration: 1:27
Day Game, on grass
Yankees 8 (95-50), Red Sox 3 (58-87)

Gehrig was playing first base and batting 4th.

HR: Lou Gehrig (1) off righty Bill Piercy top of 1; Yankees led 3-0.

This was Gehrig's 10th Yankee game of 1923 but the first in which he had multiple PA.

Piercy pitched a few innings for the Yankees 1917 (9) and 1921 (81), then for the Red Sox 1922-1924.

Ruth played left, batted third; in 5 PA: 2B, 3B, 2 BB.

Gehrig would not play for the Yankees in 1924 and would hit his second Yankee home run June 5, 1925. Thirty year old Wally Pipp was the regular Yankee first baseman 1915-1924, first half of 1925, and their first home run champion:
1916 12 led AL
1917 9 led AL
Yankee career until passed by Ruth in 1920.

Monday June 1, 1925 Gehrig pinch hit for the shortstop Pee-Wee Wanninger against Walter Johnson and flied out without playing the field; Pipp played the entire game at first base batting 6th.

Tuesday, June 2, 1925 Gehrig played the entire game at first base batting 6th; Pipp did not play. Gehrig would play 2,130 consecutive games.

 In 1925 Pipp played in another 20 games June 3 to Sept. 24 but none between June 29 and August 7 when he was hospitalized with a concussion. Pipp did not start any of those 20 games and had these PA:
0 - 4
1 - 15
2 - 1

Pipp had zero extra base hits in those 20 games and mostly PH.

Most home runs in a season through 1927:
RkPlayerHRABYearAgeTmLgGPARH2B3BRBIBBIBBSOHBPSHSFGDPSBCSBAOBPSLGOPSPos
1Babe Ruth60540192732NYYAL1516911581922981651378901476.356.486.7721.258*97
2Babe Ruth59540192126NYYAL152693177204441616814581441713.378.512.8461.359*78/13
3Babe Ruth54458192025NYYAL14261615817236913515080351414.376.532.8471.379*978/3H1
4Lou Gehrig47584192724NYYAL155717149218521817310984321108.373.474.7651.240*3
5Babe Ruth47495192631NYYAL15265213918430515314476310119.372.516.7371.253*79/H3

Babe Ruth:
Venue: Griffith Stadium
Game Duration: 1:53
Day Game, on grass
First game of doubleheader, see Second game.
Washington (65-85) 8, Yankees (93-59) 5

HR: Babe Ruth (22) (708 career) off lefty Syd Cohen, top 7, 3 RBI, final runs of the game; Cohen was a 28 year old rookie who threw only 18 innings in 1934 and 109 for his three year career.

 Ruth played right and batted 4th. Ruth played right the next day in his final Yankee game: 0 for 3, BB. Gehrig hit his 49th home run. Yankees (94-60) finished second to Detroit (101-53 lost WS to Cardinals 4-3).

February 26, 1935: Released by the New York Yankees.
February 26, 1935: Signed as a Free Agent with the Boston Braves.

Tuesday, April 16, 1935 opening day
Attendance: 20,000
Venue: Braves Field
Day Game, on grass
Braves 4, Giants 2

 In his first National League game Ruth played left for the Braves and batted third followed by Wally Berger CF. RBI single in first, SO, then:
HR: Babe Ruth (1, off Carl Hubbell, 5th inn, 1 on, 1 out to RF).

 King Carl Hubbell was 32 years old and the top NL pitcher in 1933, 1934, 1936, 1937. But Hubbell had an off year in 1935 and 40 year old Babe Ruth got Hubbell off to a bad start. Hubbell gave up the most home runs of his career (27) and the most in the NL. Hubbell threw 302 innings.
Saturday, May 25, 1935
Venue: Forbes Field
Day Game, on grass
Pirates 11, Braves 7

Ruth would play five more games after this one, which is legendary.

HR: Babe Ruth 3 (6, 2 off Guy Bush, 3rd inn, 1 on, 1 out to RF; 7th inn, 0 on, 1 out to RF, 1 off Red Lucas, 1st inn, 1 on, 1 out to RF).

 40 year old Babe Ruth hit THREE home runs off these two guys. They were career home runs 712, 713, 714.

Righty starter Red Lucas pitched 15 years, the final five with Pittsburgh. Guy Bush, another righty, pitched 17 years, the first 15 for the Cubs. For Pittsburgh in 1935 Bush would pitch in 41 games, starting 27. Lucas faced five batters and only retired batter two who sacrificed. Ruth was batter three and he hit a two run homer. Then two singles and Bush relieved Lucas in this game.

Ruth next batted in the third and hit another two run homer, this one off Bush: Braves 4, Pirates 0. Ruth batted in the 5th, game tied 4-4: RBI single off Bush.

Facing Bush again in the 7th but trailing 7-5, Ruth hit his third home run. The braves scored another run that inning: 7-7 mid 7.

Joe Mowry replaces Babe Ruth playing RF batting 3rd. Ruth was 4 for 4, 3 HR, 6 RBI.

 After 7 full: Pirates 10-7. After blowing the save Ruth's former Hall of Fame Yankee teammate Waite Hoyt (age 35) got credit for the win, retiring the final 8 Braves. Hoyt pitched for the Yankees 1921 into 1930 (157-98; 6 WS, 6-3) then:

May 30, 1930: Traded by the New York Yankees with Mark Koenig to the Detroit Tigers for Ownie Carroll, Harry Rice and Yats Wuestling.

 July 3, 1931: Selected off waivers by the Philadelphia Athletics from the Detroit Tigers.

 In the 1931 WS Hoyt was 0-1 for Philadelphia in its loss to the Cardinals.

 Mark Koenig wound up with the Cubs in 1932, replacing shortstop Billy Jurges, who had been shot by show girl Violet Popovich July 6, 1932 in Chicago. Read:

 https://sabr.org/research/show-girl-and-shortstop-strange-saga-violet-popovich-and-her-shooting-cub-billy-jurges

Jurges and and second baseman Billy Herman didn't want Koenig to get a full World Series share and this led to animosity in the 1932 WS between the Cubs and Yankees, especially Babe Ruth, which led to the "called shot" in WS game 3, i.e., Ruth predicting that he would homer off Charlie Root just before Ruth did it. Believe what you want.

Saturday, October 1, 1932
Attendance: 49,986
Venue: Wrigley Field
Game Duration: 2:11
Day Game, on grass
Yankee 7, Cubs 5

HR: Babe Ruth 2 (2, 2 off Charlie Root, 1st inn, 2 on, 0 outs to Deep CF-RF; 5th inn, 0 on, 1 out to Deep CF); Lou Gehrig 2 (3, 2 off Charlie Root, 3rd inn, 0 on, 0 outs to Deep RF; 5th inn, 0 on, 1 out to Deep RF).

Yankee home runs by inning:
1, Ruth
3. Gehrig
5. Ruth, Gehrig  back to back
____________________________________

DiMaggio:
Sunday, May 10, 1936
Attendance: 32,000
Venue: Yankee Stadium I
Game Duration: 2:15
Day Game, on grass
Yankees 7, Athletics 2

In his 7th game batting third, playing left, wearing number 9:

HR: Joe DiMaggio (1, off George Turbeville, 1st inn, 1 on, 1 out to RF)

21 year old righty starter Turbeville was in the second of three seasons: 15 starts, 47 relief. An opener? Yankee relief ace Johnny Murphy started and went 7.66 innings: in 1936 5 starts, 22 relief.
______________________________

Gehrig:
Attendance: 2,773
Venue: Yankee Stadium I
Game Duration: 1:32
Day Game, on grass
Yankees 5 (97-51), Senators 2 (73-74)

Ruth, Gehrig, DiMaggio, Mantle: no Home Runs against the same pitcher. Tuesday, May 28, 2019

There was no one pitcher who gave up home runs to the Yankees big four...

There was a lefty Dutch Leonard (1913-1921, 1924, 1925); Ruth hit five homers off him. Gehrig did not homer against him.

 Righty Dutch Leonard pitched 1933-1953 (not 1937) and gave up 158 home runs. Leonard only pitched for Washington in the AL 1938-1946 so he could not have given up home runs to Mantle and to Ruth only in 1935 when Ruth played for the Braves when Leonard was pitching for his original team, the Brooklyn Dodgers: 138 innings, 11 homers but none to Ruth. Leonard did allow three homers to DiMaggio and one to Gehrig while pitching for Washington. It was the final home run of Gehrig's career.

 September 27, 1938 in Yankee Stadium:

 HR: Lou Gehrig (29, off Dutch Leonard, 5th inn, 0 on, 1 out).

 Gehrig did not homer in 14 AB in the 1938 World Series sweep of the Chicago Cubs. In 1939 at age 36 Gehrig appeared in just 8 games, 33 PA, four singles in 28 AB.
__________________________

Gehrig played five more 1938 regular season games after that home run but did not homer in them. In the five inning second game of a doubleheader Sept. 29, 1938 Gehrig played the first two innings but did not bat: Babe Dahlgren PH-1B.

Gehrig hit all but his first home run in 1923 during his 2,130 consecutive games played streak, which would end in 1939 because of his illness.
______________________________

Mantle:
Tuesday, May 1, 1951
Attendance: 14,776
Venue: Comiskey Park I
Game Duration: 2:38
Day Game, on grass
Yankees 8, White Sox 3

Mantle was batting leadoff and playing right when he hit his first home run.

Ruth, Gehrig, DiMaggio, Mantle: no Home Runs against the same pitcher. Tuesday, May 28, 2019
August 15, 1936 in Shibe Park Philadelphia 18 year old rookie pitcher Randy Gumpert gave up the second home run of his career:

 HR: Lou Gehrig (36, off Randy Gumpert, 8th inn, 3 on, 1 out to RF); Crosetti Scores; Rolfe Scores; DiMaggio Scores

Obviously Gumpert never even pitched to Ruth but he did give up homers to DiMaggio and number one to Mantle May 1, 1951 in Comiskey Park Chicago:

Mickey Mantle (1, off Randy Gumpert, 6th inn, 1 on, 1 out to RF).

Gumpert's last home run allowed: August 30, 1952 Yankee Stadium:


HR: Mickey Mantle (19, off Randy Gumpert, 3rd inn, 0 on, 0 outs to RF)
________________________________

DiMaggio:
Friday, September 28, 1951
Attendance: 39,038
Venue: Yankee Stadium I
Game Duration: 2:33
Day Game, on grass
Second game of doubleheader, see First game.
Yankees 11 (95-56), Red Sox 3 (87-64)

DiMaggio was playing center and batting 4th. Mantle did not play. Corner OF were Woodling and Bauer.

HR: Joe DiMaggio (12, off Chuck Stobbs, 6th inn, 2 on, 2 outs to CF).

 Yes, DiMaggio's final home run was against lefty Chuck Stobbs 1947-1961. Mantle immortalized Stobbs in 1953 by hitting the first "tape measure" home run, i.e., a home run whose distance was supposedly measured by a Yankee publicity person as traveling 565 feet on a fly and out of Griffith Stadium in Washington, DC.

DiMaggio played one more regular season game and six more in the 1951 World Series against the New York Giants. Yanks won 4-2.

Of the Yankees big four DiMaggio is the only one who hit his final home run in the World Series (game 4). In the first three WS games:
0 for 4
0 for 3
0 for 4
Attendance: 49,010
Venue: Polo Grounds V
Game Duration: 2:57
Day Game, on grass
Yankees 6, Giants 2  WS tied 2-2

HR: Joe DiMaggio (1, off Sal Maglie, 5th inn, 1 on, 1 out to Deep LF).

 DiMaggio's two run homer in the 5th put the Yankees up 4-1. He had also singled in the 3rd. Maglie was 34 years old and in 1951: 23-6, ERA 2.93, ERA+ 134, innings 298, 37 starts, 5 relief, 22 complete games.

 DiMaggio in games 5 and 6:
3 for 5  double
1 for 2  double, 2 IW  DiMaggio's final game
______________________________

Mantle:
Attendance: 9,063
Venue: Tiger Stadium
Game Duration: 2:01
Day Game, on grass
Tigers 6 (99-54), Yankees 2 (80-73)

HR: Mickey Mantle (17, off Denny McLain, 8th inn, 0 on, 1 out to RF).
PitchingIPHRERBBSOHRERABFGScIRISWPAaLIRE24
Denny McLain, W (31-5)98223712.0138670.1801.101.5
Team Totals98223712.0038670.1801.101.5

Tiger righty Denny McLain had his 31st victory wrapped up leading 6-1 when he grooved one for Mantle to hit out in what was understood to be Mantle's final plate appearance in Detroit. It put Mantle one home run ahead of Jimmie Foxx 535 to 534.

The Tigers beat the Cardinals in the 1968 World Series 4-3.

Mantle played in eight more games and hit one more home run ... the very next day.

Start Time: 8:06 p.m. Local
Attendance: 15,737
Venue: Yankee Stadium I
Game Duration: 2:23
Night Game, on grass
Red Sox 4, Yankees 3

HR: Mickey Mantle (18, off Jim Lonborg, 3rd inn, 0 on, 2 outs to RF) Tied the game 1-1. Mantle had doubled in the first. He then made two outs: 2 for 4.

The Red Sox had won the 1967 AL pennant and Lonborg won the AL Cy Young award as best pitcher. After this 1968 complete game victory Lonborg was 6-8, ERA 4.18.

In his final seven games Mantle had one single and two BB in 21 PA. He did have over 100 BB in each of his final two seasons. His reputation preceded him. On Base average:
1967 AL  .391 (5th)
1968 AL  .385 (3rd)

And obviously that final home run off Lonborg put Mantle ahead of Foxx legitimately. Career home runs through 1968:

RkPlayerHRFromToAgeGPAABRH2B3BRBIBBIBBSOHBPSHSFGDPSBCSBAOBPSLGOPSPosTm
1Babe Ruth7141914193519-40250310623839921742873506136221420621330431132123117.342.474.6901.164971/H83BOS-NYY-BSN
2Willie Mays5871951196820-372446103869130176328124461291654113718711473377621229993.308.384.578.962*8/H96375NYG-SFG
3Mickey Mantle5361951196819-36240199078102167624153447215091733148171013144711315338.298.421.557.977*8397H/645NYY
4Jimmie Foxx5341925194517-3723179676813417512646458125192214521613111371698776.325.428.6091.038*3H52/7916PHA-BOS-CHC-PHI
5Ted Williams5211939196020-41229297887706179826545257118392021243709395201972417.344.482.6341.116*79H/1BOS
6Eddie Mathews5121952196820-36239110100853715092315354721453144414214872636581236839.271.376.509.885*53/H7BSN-MLN-ATL-HOU-DET
7Mel Ott5111926194717-3827301134894561859287648872186017083989664109828916.304.414.533.947*95H8/74NYG
8Hank Aaron5101954196820-342279988888891603279248488162786620099123199123921559.314.373.560.933*987/4H35MLN-ATL
9Lou Gehrig4931923193920-362164966580011888272153416319951508790451062102100.340.447.6321.080*3/H976NYY

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