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They had just won their third consecutive World Championship six months earlier. They were big, bold, and brash. They were the New York Yankees – Murderers’ Row.
The Boston Red Sox arrived at Pennsylvania Station to open the season at Yankee Stadium – just like they had six years earlier to open The Stadium. Yankees versus Red Sox in 1929 is NOT Yankees versus Red Sox in 2018. The Red Sox were doormats, the Yankees were not.
The once proud franchise sold the franchise player and fell flat on their collective faces. In eleven seasons from 1922-32, the Red Sox finished dead last in the American League nine out of eleven seasons. The first division teams would fatten their win columns when the Red Sox came to town.
When the Yankees took the field for Opening Day ceremonies, something looked different. Numbers! The Yankees had numbers on the backs of their jerseys. The players wore the numbers of their place in the batting order. Center fielder Earle Combs (1) was the lead-off hitter, third baseman Mark Koenig (2) batted second, followed by right fielder Babe Ruth (3), first baseman Lou Gehrig (4), and so on.
Much like he christened the new palace in 1923, the Sultan of Swat christened the new jerseys by launching a solo home run to deep right field in the bottom of the first inning. Needless to say, the Babe had a flair for the dramatic.
In the bottom of the fourth inning, Red Sox starter Red Ruffing – who lost 25 games in 1928 – walked Ruth and Gehrig to start the inning. Left fielder Bob Meusel doubled to right-center field, scoring Ruth (PHOTO) and sending Gehrig to third. Second baseman Tony Lazzeri (6), catcher Charlie Berry, Hall of Fame umpire Bill McGowan, Ruth, and Ruffing watch as the ball is thrown back to the infield. (Lazzeri would follow by striking out.)
The Yankees would add two more runs in the fourth and three more in the bottom of the sixth inning to down the Red Sox, 7-3. The Bronx Bombers were off to a good start in their quest for a fourth consecutive championship. It was not to be however, as the Yankees finished a distant second – 18 games back of the mighty Philadelphia Athletics.
– Alex Cheremeteff
For more baseball history and tidbits, follow me on Twitter: @AlexCheremeteff
