27' Yankees vs. 44' Browns (APBA Tourney)

It's literally baseball's version of David vs. Goliath, but David in this circumstances doesn't have a prayer. The 44' St. Louis Browns were a primary success only due to the fact that most of the league's star players at the time were off serving the country due to World War II.

The 1927 New York Yankees were led by Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig, while the Browns' only real star was SS-Vern Stephens. The odds are stacked against St. Louis's "second team" while they face off against what most baseball critics "the best team ever in baseball history".

GAME 1

at New York / Old Yankee Stadium

The St. Louis Browns sent Jack Kramer to the mound (who sported a 17-13 record with a 2.49 ERA in 1944) while the Yankees sent Waite Hoyt who led the American League in 1927 with 22 victories (while only losing 7 games), with a ERA of 2.63.

Bottom of the 1st

After Earle Combs lead-off fly-out to left, the Yankees strike quickly with back-to-back solo jacks off Kramer by Bobby Meusel and Babe Ruth. Yankees 2, Browns 0

P-Waite Hoyt (NYY) goes 2-for-4, with 2 RBI

Bottom of the 2nd

After back to back walks by Kramer, placing Pat Collins and Joe Dugan on first and second, Yankees' pitcher Waite Hoyt helps his cause by driving in Joe Dugan on a RBI single. Yankees 3, Browns 0

Bottom of the 5th

Earle Combs leads off the bottom of the inning with a double to left. Meusel would fly-out to advance Combs to third, as Babe Ruth scores in an insurance run, hitting into a ground out. 

Yankees 4, Browns 0

Bottom of the 6th

The bottom of the inning started with Browns' SS-Vern Stephens' off-centered throw pulled 1B-George McQuinn off the base (resulting in an error) on a ball hit by the Yankees' Tony Lazzeri. Yankees SS-Mark Koenig followed that play  up with a single that moved Lazzeri to second. 

With runners on first and second, Joe Dugan would drive in a 2-run double off of St.Louis reliever Denny Galehouse, while two batters later -- Yankees' Waite Hoyt helps contribute to his cause once again with another RBI single. Yankees 7, Browns 0

Bottom of the 8th

Earle Combs adds another run to the scoreboard with a RBI single off of Browns' reliever Al Hollingsworth. Yankees 8, Browns 0

FINAL SCORE:

27' YANKEES 8

44' BROWNS 0
WP - W.Hoyt (NYY) / LP - J.Kramer (STL-A)

POST-GAME:

• Babe Ruth (NYY) went 3-for-4, with a HR, double & 2 RBI.
• Waite Hoyt (NYY) pitched a 5-hit, compete game shutout, striking out 6 on the mound, while going 2 for 4 at the plate, with two RBI's; earning himself as the player of the game.
• Starting pitcher Jack Kramer (STL-A) allowed 5 hits and 4 runs, while walking two batters in five innings. The bullpen would allow 4 runs in 3 innings. The Browns' pitchers failed to strike out a single batter in Game 1.

GAME 2

at New York / Old Yankee Stadium

Just as predicted, the Browns were completely outmatched in Game 1. Their batters only managed five hitters, while their pitchers allowed 12 hits and 8 runs while failing to strike out any of the 1927 New York Yankees' batters.

The Browns send Nels Potter to the mound to see if he can have much better luck against the Yankees, he went 19-7 with a 2.83 ERA in 1944. He will face off against Herb Pennock of the Yankees, who was tied for second on the team with 19 wins (losing 8) and an ERA of 3.00.

Bottom of the 4th

With the game scoreless, with 2 outs, and the Yankees searching for their first hit, Babe Ruth smashes a solo shot to right field -- his second HR of the series. The very next batter, Lou Gehrig would hit to the right side of the pitcher Nels Potter, in which Potter hurries his throw and throws the ball over the first baseman's head.

Now with a runner on second, the Yankees' second baseman Tony Lazzeri will add to the lead with an RBI single to right field. The fourth inning would be all she wrote for Game 2.

FINAL SCORE:

27' YANKEES 2

44' BROWNS 0
WP - H.Pennock (NYY) / LP - N.Potter (STL-A)

Ruth hits second HR of the series.

POST-GAME:

• Babe Ruth (NYY) was the "Player of the Game" with a 2-for-4 performance, solo HR.
• Herb Pennock (NYY) allowed only two hits (1st & 3rd innings), 2 K's & 1 BB, as another Yankees starting pitcher pitches a complete game, shutout.
• Chet Laabs (STL-A), the left-fielder, has the most hits (2) in the first two games for the Browns, going 1-for-4 in Game 2, after a pinch-hit and stolen base in Game 1.
• Nels Potter (STL-A) would pitch good for being on the losing end of the match-up, allowing only 6 hits and 2 runs, pitching the entire game.

GAME 3

at St. Louis / Sportsman's Park III

The Browns knew it would not be easy, and find themselves in a 2-0 series hole in the best-of-five, first round match-up in the Ruth Bracket. Everything has gone as predicted as the 1944 St.Louis Browns (#16) face possible elimination from the top-seeded 1927 New York Yankees.

It will be the Browns' Bob Muncrief (13-8, 3.08 ERA, 88 K's in 219.1 IP) against the Yankees' starting pitcher Urban Shocker (18-6, 2.84 ERA, 35 K's in 200 IP). The funny thing is Shocker spent a considerable amount of his career playing for the Browns, so it's only fitting that he may send them home.

Top of the 1st

After a lead-off single by the Yankees' Earle Combs, Mark Koenig drives in Combs on an RBI double. After a Babe Ruth strikeout, Lou Gehrig would add to the early lead with an RBI triple.

Yankees 2, Browns 0

Top of the 3rd

Earle Combs leads off the third with a triple, in which Koenig failed to hit the flyball far enough to drive in Combs, setting the tables for Babe Ruth. Ruth would bash his 3rd HR of the series, with this two-run shot to left-field off of Muncrief. Yankees 4, Browns 0

Bottom of the 5th

Urban Shocker of the Yankees, who was pitching very effectively the first four innings (3 K's & only 1 hit allowed) starts to get himself into some trouble in the fifth, starting with a throwing error over Gehrig's head at first base-- allowing for the hitter George McQuinn to go to second. The Browns' Milt Byrnes would come up next and drive in McQuinn for the Browns' first run of the entire series, ending a 22-inning scoring drought! Third Baseman Mark Christman then followed with a single to left field to move Byrnes to second.

Shocker survives the bottom of the 5th for Yankees.

With runners on 1st and 2nd, and the Browns trailing 4-1, Shocker was throw a wild pitch that moves the runners to second and third. The Yankees SS-Mark Koening would keep the Browns' threat alive by booting a grounder hit by catcher Red Hayworth, but kept the ball in front of him enough to not allow Byrnes to score. Shocker, noticeably rattled would throw yet another wild pitch to the backstop, allowing for Byrnes to cut the lead in half.

With no outs, with runners on second and third, and the St. Louis fans getting really loud and excited in the home stands, Yankees manager Miller Huggins decides to make a mound visit to settle down Shocker. The mound visit would pay off, as Shocker strikes out pinch-hitter Al Zarilla (hitting for pitcher Muncrief), while Don Gutteridge (2B) and Mike Kreevich would hit back-to-back flyouts, failing to cut into the Yankees lead any further.
Yankees 4, Browns 2

Top of the 8th

The score would stay 4-2 going into the top of the 8th, the Browns' closer George Caster, who has already pitched in the 6th and 7th innings (trying to keep the Browns chances alive) would run out of gas in the 8th. After a lead-off double by Lou Gehrig and walks to Tony Lazzeri and catcher Pat Collins, pinch-hitter Benny Bengorgh (hitting for pitcher George Pipgras) would hit a 2-run single, to help add insurance runs for the Yankees. Yankees 6, Browns 2

Bottom of the 8th
The Browns' Floyd Baker pinch-hitting for the struggling Don Gutteridge, hits a one-out double, in which Mike Kreevich followed by hitting him in with his own double. Yankees 6, Browns 3


FINAL SCORE:
27' YANKEES 6
44' BROWNS 3
WP - U.Shocker (NYY) / LP - B.Muncrief (STL-A) / SV - W.Moore (NYY)


POST-GAME:

• Babe Ruth (NYY), once again was the hero, for his 3rd HR of the series, the 2-run shot in the top of the 3rd ends up being the deciding factor. Ruth would go 3-for-5, a triple short of the cycle.
• Earle Combs (NYY) would have another productive game going 2-for-4, triple, 2 runs & drawing a walk.
• Lou Gehrig (NYY) entered the game 1-for-8, but his bat woke up for Game 3 with a 2-for-4 performance in which he had a RBI triple in the 1st inning & a double in the 8th.
• Mark Christman (STL-A) entered the game hitless in 6 at-bats, and went 2-for-4 with a double.

Babe Ruth had a productive series, batting .615, with 3 HRs and 6 ribbies!

SERIES RECAP:   27' YANKEES sweep 44' BROWNS

• Babe Ruth (NYY) was the series' most valuable player, going 8-for-13, 3 HR & 5 RBI. His batting average was .615, while his OPS was through the roof at 2.077!
• Bobby Meusel (NYY) would go hitless in his next 11 at-bats for New York after his HR in the first inning of Game 1.
• Vern Stephens (STL-A), the Browns' star player, was noticeably absent with 1-for-10 performance in the series; while Mark Christman and Chet Laabs led the Browns with 2 hits, the team only had 12 hits all series. The Browns batted .128 during the series.
• Waite Hoyt (NYY) and Herb Pennock (NYY) pitched back-to-back shutouts in Games 1 & 2. The Browns would not score until the bottom of the 5th in Game 3, making it 22 consecutive scoreless innings.

Next Opponent: The winner of the 99'Arizona (8) / 41'Brooklyn (9) series.