100 Years Ago Today at the Polo Grounds:
New York Giants & New York Yankees
1921 Season Revisited
In their last season at Hilltop Park, the now formerly known New York Highlanders lose 102 games. Rebranded in 1913 as the Yankees, they move just a few blocks away into the Polo Grounds as tenants of the Senior Circuit's New York Giants. To the chagrin of Giants manager John McGraw, the Americans proceed to lose another 94 games.
Known to hold a grudge, McGraw two full decades later still harbors much animosity not only towards Ban Johnson and his rebel circuit (unkept promises included) but more so towards the Yankees. As they were founded at the expense of his rendered defunct Baltimore Orioles.
As long as the Yankees paid their rent, the tenant/landlord relationship with the Giants remains amicably strained. Mainly because the middling Americans, except for one season in 1916, never elevated themselves above the ranks of Junior Circuit also-rans. But that changed in 1919 when they briefly vied for the pennant but tuckered out down the stretch to finish third. A franchise record of 619,164 fans showed up to root for the American League contenders. However, the Yankees' burgeoning success was not yet a pressing issue, per se, for the Giants, who were coming off a second-place finish and their best season at the turnstile in a decade.
Then, in 1920, baseball's tectonic plates shift along the New York/New England fault. The Yankees' purchase of George Herman "Babe" Ruth from the Boston Red Sox sends seismic waves reverberating throughout the baseball world but none more intense than in Washington Heights.
Ruth's earth-shattering record of 54 home runs was something never experienced before in the history of baseball. However, it was an accomplishment for which John McGraw had little appreciation. He believes players work too hard and earnestly to have their skills disrespected by some miscreant's lone swing of the bat.
Gotham's citizenry never before descended from Coogan's Bluff in such quantity and spectacle as in 1920 as the Giants would set a franchise record with 929,609 reported attendance. However, the New York Nationals faced an economic dilemma of Ruthian proportions. McGraw's disdain for his tenants was heightened when the Yankees outdrew the host Giants in their own home for the first time in each franchise's history. Headlined by Babe Ruth, the Yankees seized the city's attention, evidenced by an all-time major league record of 1,289,422 in attendance.
In 1921, over two million fans would again pack the Polo Grounds. Babe Ruth would continue accomplishing the unimaginable - if the preceding season wasn't surreal enough, he proceeds to top it. All the while, with each passing day, John McGraw grows more incensed. Lest we forget, New York City is still Little Napoleon's empire.
Sharing a ballpark is becoming an insufferable condition—the Giants attempt to evict the Yankees before the 1921 season to no avail. But a solution lies not too far away ...
Until then, two major league titans charge headlong into a season-ending October clash at the Polo Grounds. It is New York City's first-ever World's Championship Subway Series. All games are played at the Polo Grounds, making Coogan's Bluff the center of the baseball universe.
This is my replay of that season. Of course, I'll be exercising my creative license whenever and wherever ever possible. But, more than anything, this is about having fun and celebrating New York City's baseball history.
- Stats: BASEBALL REFERENCE
Enjoy the games ... PLAY BALL!
GAME #121
POLO GROUNDS
Make-Up: 5/25/1921
Art Nehf and High Pockets Kelly Lead McGrawmen in Rout of Pirates
The great National League showdown begins. Facing southpaw Art Nehf, shortstop Rabbit Maranville leads off the game with a double. He advances to third on Carson Bigbee's grounder to second, then scores on Max Carey's sacrifice fly to left field. Far from a portent of things to come, starting for Pittsburgh, two-time 20-game winner Babe Adams surrenders a home run to Irish Meusel with High Pockets Kelly on base. In the fourth, Earl Smith then singles home Irish Meusel, giving the Giants a 3-1 lead. Babe Adams must aid his own cause doubling home Charlie Grimm in the sixth because that would be all for Pirate batters. Art Nehf surrenders just one hit the rest of the way. Not yet done, the Giants continue making their opening statement with an eight-run margin of victory. High Pockets Kelly punctuates the game with his 22nd home run this season with one out in the sixth, and Earl Smith once again drives home Irish Meusel for a 5-2 lead. High Pockets Kelly then delivers home Ross Youngs in the seventh. Facing Whitey Glazner pitching in relief of Adams, the Giants post four more runs en route to a 10-2 victory. Irish Meusel steals home, Frankie Frisch singles home two, and Ross Youngs drives in Dave Bancroft with the Giants' tenth and final run.
- FINAL: PITT 2; NYG 10
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GAME #122
POLO GROUNDS
Phil Douglas Outperforms 20-Game Winner Wilbur Cooper; Giants Sweep Twin Bill
John McGraw, throughout the season, has always believed his pitching staff is the National League's best. Following Art Nehf's performance, Phil Douglas in game two further reinforces that notion with a pure gem. Outdueling Pittsburgh's 20-game winner Wilbur Cooper, Douglas allows just five hits and no walks with four strikeouts in a complete-game shutout victory. After four scoreless frames, George Burns drive home a run in the fifth. The Giants then knock Wilbur Cooper out of the box with five more runs in the sixth. Johnny Rawlings kicks off the rally with a run batted in, Phil Douglas pushes across another, and George Burns highlights the inning with a three-run inside-the-park home run. Facing reliever Lyle Bigbee in the seventh, Irish Meusel triples home High Pockets Kelly for a 7-0 final margin of victory. The Giants complete the twin bill sweep of the Pirates and gain two full games in the standings.
- FINAL: PITT 0; NYG 7
- RECORD: 72-50 (.590); seond place, 5.5 GB of Pittsburgh
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GAME #115
Dunn Field
Cleveland Surrenders First Place to Yankees; Two Infield Errors Are Indians Undoing
Let Miller Huggins revel at this moment. This season's head-to-head series against Cleveland has levied a great tax upon the Yankee skipper. In May, the Yankees took 3 of 4 from the Indians and departed Cleveland tied for first place. Since then, the Indians have resided in first-place every day except for three. The defending champions simply refused to yield ground. When you consider that players, during this time, openly said they do not appreciate Miller Huggins' managerial style and that Col. Jacob Ruppert came very close to trading for Chicago's Eddie Collins as his replacement, well, then let him have his day. The Brooklynite Waite Hoyt and 20-game winner Stan Coveleski duel to a two-all tie through eight. In the first inning, Bob Meusel singles home Babe Ruth. In the second, Mike McNally then plates Wally Pipp. Shortstop Joe Sewell and first baseman Doc Johnston each drive in a run during the fourth. After which, the score remains unchanged. That is until the visitor's ninth. Elmer Miller reaches safely on Joe Sewell's misplay at short. Roger Peckinpaugh bunts Miller over, who advances to third base on second baseman Bill Wambsganss' errant throw to first. Miller then tags up on Wally Pipp's flyball to left field, giving the Yankees a 3-2 lead and the final margin of victory. Since May 16, the Yankees own sole possession of first place in the American League for only the third time.
- FINAL: NYY 3; CLE 2
- RECORD: 71-44 (.617); first place, 0.5 GA of Cleveland
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