1927 in baseball

The following are the baseball events of the year 1927 throughout the world.

Headline Event of the Year

Murderers' Row lead New York Yankees to World Series victory.
Babe Ruth hits 60 home runs.

Champions

World Series: New York Yankees over Pittsburgh Pirates (4–0)
Negro League World Series: Chicago American Giants over Bacharach Giants (5–3–1)

Awards

League Award
- Lou Gehrig (AL)
- Paul Waner (NL)

Statistical leaders

	American League		National League
Type	Name	Stat	Name	Stat
AVG	Harry Heilmann DET	.398	Paul Waner PIT	.380
HR	Babe Ruth NYY	60	Hack Wilson CHC Cy Williams PHI	30
RBI	Lou Gehrig NYY	175	Paul Waner PIT	131
Wins	Waite Hoyt NYY	22	Charlie Root CHC	26
ERA	Wilcy Moore NYY	2.28	Ray Kremer PIT	2.47
Ks	Lefty Grove PHA	174	Dazzy Vance BRO	184

Major league baseball final standings

American League final standings

American League	W	L	Pct.	GB	Home	Road
New York Yankees	110	44	0.714	—	57–19	53–25
Philadelphia Athletics	91	63	0.591	19	50–27	41–36
Washington Senators	85	69	0.552	25	51–28	34–41
Detroit Tigers	82	71	0.536	27½	44–32	38–39
Chicago White Sox	70	83	0.458	39½	38–37	32–46
Cleveland Indians	66	87	0.431	43½	35–42	31–45
St. Louis Browns	59	94	0.386	50½	38–38	21–56
Boston Red Sox	51	103	0.331	59	29–49	22–54

National League final standings

National League	W	L	Pct.	GB	Home	Road
Pittsburgh Pirates	94	60	0.610	—	48–31	46–29
St. Louis Cardinals	92	61	0.601	1½	55–25	37–36
New York Giants	92	62	0.597	2	49–25	43–37
Chicago Cubs	85	68	0.556	8½	50–28	35–40
Cincinnati Reds	75	78	0.490	18½	45–35	30–43
Brooklyn Robins	65	88	0.425	28½	34–39	31–49
Boston Braves	60	94	0.390	34	32–41	28–53
Philadelphia Phillies	51	103	0.331	43	34–43	17–60

Negro League Baseball final standings

Negro National League final standings

Negro National League (West)
Club	Wins	Losses	Win %	GB
Chicago American Giants	54	28	.659
Kansas City Monarchs	58	33	.637
St. Louis Stars	60	35	.632
Detroit Stars	70	53	.569
Birmingham Black Barons	53	41	.564
Cuban Stars	21	40	.344
Cleveland Hornets	17	42	.288
Memphis Red Sox	28	74	.275

Chicago won the first half, Birmingham won the second half.
Chicago beat Birmingham 4 games to 0 games in a play-off.

Eastern Colored League final standings

Eastern Colored League (East)
Club	Wins	Losses	Win %	GB
Atlantic City Bacharach Giants/Bees	64	39	.621
Baltimore Black Sox	36	30	.545
Harrisburg Giants	45	31	.523
Newark Cuban Stars	28	28	.500
New York Lincoln Giants	21	22	.488
Hilldale	47	70	.402
Brooklyn Royal Giants	14	26	.350
Homestead Grays†	7	0	1.000

†Homestead was not in the league, but these games counted in the standings. Atlantic City won both first and second halves.

Events

January 27 – Accused of having fixed a game between the Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Indians during the 1919 season, Ty Cobb and Tris Speaker are forced to resign from their respective teams by Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis.
January 31 – Tris Speaker joins the Washington Senators.
February 8 – Ty Cobb joins the Philadelphia Athletics.
February 9 – The Cincinnati Reds trade Edd Roush to the New York Giants for High Pockets Kelly.
April 12
- President Calvin Coolidge throws out the first ball in Washington, D.C. as the Washington Senators lost to the Boston Red Sox 6–2.
- Future Hall of famer Lloyd Waner makes his major league debut in left field for the Pittsburgh Pirates. His brother, Paul, is in right field in the Pirates' 2–1 victory over the Cincinnati Reds.
April 15 – Babe Ruth hits a bases-empty homer against Howard Ehmke of the Philadelphia Athletics in the first inning. It is Babe's first of the year. The Yankees win, 6–3.
May 3
- Jesse & Virgil Barnes become the first big league brothers to pitch against each other. Virgil and the New York Giants defeat Jesse and the Brooklyn Robins, 7–6.
- The Pittsburgh Pirates score a run in the eighth and two in the ninth to come from behind and defeat the St. Louis Cardinals 11-10, and move into a tie for first place in the National League.
May 7 – Lou Gehrig christened the new right field pavilion at Chicago's Comiskey Park by parking a ninth inning grand slam as the New York Yankees beat the Chicago White Sox 8–0.
May 10 – In Detroit, it's Ty Cobb day and more than 30,000 pay to see the Detroit Tigers legend in his first appearance at Navin Field in a Philadelphia Athletics uniform. With Eddie Collins on base in the first inning, Cobb drives a double into the overflow crowd to send home Collins for the first run of the game as the Athletics would eventually beat the Tigers 6–3.
May 11 – For the second day in a row, a baseball legend faces his former team for the first time in his career. Rogers Hornsby leads the New York Giants to a 10–1 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals at the Polo Grounds with a home run and five RBIs.
May 14 – Tris Speaker is held hitless by George Uhle in four at-bats in his first game against the Cleveland Indians.
May 16 – At Sportsman's Park, 40-year-old Ty Cobb hits a home run in the seventh inning of the Philadelphia Athletics' 10-8 victory over the St. Louis Browns. Cobb, who as a Detroit Tiger had hit one home run in 1905 at age 18 and another in 1906 at age 19, becomes the first player in Major League history to hit a home run before his 20th birthday and after his 40th birthday.
May 22 – The Yankees are in high spirits in Cleveland as they beat the Indians, 7–2, with Babe Ruth hitting his 10th home run of the young season. Ruth's homer is described as a popup that goes over the fence. The Yankees, who wear Indian headdresses during the game, now lead the Al by four and a half games.
May 30 – In the first game of a doubleheader, Chicago Cubs shortstop Jimmy Cooney turns the sixth unassisted triple play in Major League history during the fourth inning of a 5–4 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates.
May 31 – For the first time in Major League history, an unassisted triple play is turned on consecutive days. This time the trick was turned by Detroit Tigers first baseman Johnny Neun, for the seventh time in history, in a 1–0 win over the Cleveland Indians.
- Babe Ruth homers for the fourth consecutive game in the fifth inning of the nightcap in Shibe Park. Ruth, who hits his 15th against Jack Quinn and 16th off Howard Ehmke, finishes May with 12 round-trippers. They lose the opener, 10–3. The Athletics' Jimmie Foxx hits his first major league homer; it comes off Urban Shocker.
June 11 – In Cleveland, Babe Ruth hits his 19th and 20th home runs against left-hander Garland Buckeye. The Yankees win, 6–4.
June 12 – For the second day in a row, the Brooklyn Robins defeat the Pittsburgh Pirates by a score of 11–10.
June 16 – The Chicago Cubs complete a twelve-game winning streak to move within a game of first place in the National League.
July 4 – The New York Yankees beat the Washington Senators 21–1, prompting Senators first baseman Joe Judge to say, "Those fellows not only beat you but they tear your heart out. I wish the season was over."
July 5 – The Boston Red Sox defeat the Philadelphia Athletics, 6–5, to end a fifteen-game losing streak.
July 9 – Johnny Neun steals five bases in the Detroit Tigers' 14–4 victory over the New York Yankees.
July 13 – The Detroit Tigers' Johnny Neun steals home in both games of a doubleheader with the Washington Senators.
July 24 – Babe Ruth hits his 31st home run of the season and his first of 1927 at Comiskey Park; he now has homered in every AL park. The homer, off Tommy Thomas, breaks a 12-day drought for the Bambino. The Yanks win the game, 3–2.
August 16 – At Comiskey Park, Babe Ruth hits a home run against Tommy Thomas. It is Ruth's 37th of the season, but he trails Lou Gehrig, who has 38. The Yankees win the game, 8–1.
September 3
- The New York Yankees are shut out for the only time all season by Lefty Grove and the Philadelphia Athletics.
- Tied for first, the Pittsburgh Pirates sweep a two-game series from the St. Louis Cardinals. They maintain sole possession of first place for the remainder of the season.
September 4 – At Shibe Park in Philadelphia, Babe Ruth hits his 400th career home run and his 44th of the year. The landmark homer comes against Rube Walberg in a 12–2 Yankees win.
September 5 – The Boston Red Sox beat the New York Yankees 12–11 in eighteen innings.
September 6 – Babe Ruth and the Yankees come to Fenway Park for a doubleheader. In game 1, Ruth hits his 45th and 46th home runs of the year against Tony Welzer, and the Yankees win, 14–2. One of Ruth's round-trippers clears the center-field fence and is reputedly the longest ever hit at Fenway. In game 2, the Red Sox win, 5–2, despite Ruth's 47th home run, hit against Jack Russell.
September 7 – Babe Ruth follows up on his three-homer day at Fenway Park with two more. Against Danny MacFayden, Ruth hits his 48th and later cracks number 49 against Slim Harriss. The Yankees win, 12–10, and Ruth now has 8 home runs at Fenway Park.
September 11 – Back At Yankee Stadium, Babe Ruth continues his home run barrage. He hits number 50, this one against Milt Gaston of the Browns; the Yankees lose nonetheless, 6–2.
September 13 – A big day for the Yankees and Babe Ruth. In a doubleheader against the Indians, Ruth hits his 51st home run against Willis Hudlin and his 52nd off Joe Shaute. The Yankees win both games by the score of 5–3 and clinch the AL pennant in their 139th game of the season. In addition, Waite Hoyt wins his 20th game.
September 18 – At Yankee Stadium, New York sweeps Chicago in a doubleheader, 2–1 and 5–1. In the nightcap, against Ted Lyons, Babe Ruth hits his 54th home run of the year. Lou Gehrig weighs in with his third grand slam home run of 1927.
September 22 – At Yankee Stadium, Babe Ruth homers against the Tigers Ken Holloway for his 56th of the season. Earl Combs hits three consecutive triples, and the Yankees win, 8-7.
September 27 – Babe Ruth homers with the bases loaded against Lefty Grove of the Athletics. it is Ruth's 57th of the season. The Yankees win, 7-4.
September 29 – Babe Ruth of the New York Yankees hits two home runs to tie his own 1921 record of 59 home runs as the Yankees beat the Washington Senators, 15–4.
September 30 – With the score tied 2–2 in the eighth inning, and a runner on third, Babe Ruth hits his 60th home run of the season off Washington Senators pitcher Tom Zachary for a Yankees 4–2 victory. Ruth's 60-HR season-record would not be broken for 34 years.
October 2 – Harry Heilmann goes seven-for-nine with a walk in a double header on the final day of the season to miss a .400 batting average for the season by .002.
October 5 – Two errors by the Pirates lead to three unearned runs as the New York Yankees take game one of the 1927 World Series, 5–4.
October 6 – Once again, sloppy play by the Pittsburgh Pirates helps the Yankees cruise to a game two victory as they score runs on an error, wild pitch and hit batsman.
October 7 – A three-run home run by Babe Ruth caps off a six-run seventh inning as the Yankees cruise to an 8–1 victory in game three of the World Series.
October 8 – The New York Yankees defeat the Pittsburgh Pirates, 4–3, in Game 4 of the World Series, to win their second World Championship, four games to none. This was the first sweep by an American League team over the National League. Babe Ruth's fifth-inning home run gives the Yankees a 3–1 lead, but Pittsburgh ties the game later. In the top of the ninth inning, Earle Combs walks, Mark Koenig beats out a bunt, and Ruth walks to fill the bases. Two outs later, a wild pitch rolls far enough away for Combs to score the winning run.
November 28 – Billy Evans quits as American League umpire to becomes business manager of the Cleveland Indians, following the purchase of the club by a group headed by Alva Bradley, to become the first General Manager in major league history. Evans, who worked as an AL umpire from 1906 to 1927, became, at age 22, the youngest umpire in major league history, and later became the youngest to officiate in the World Series at age 25.
December 2 – OF Heinie Manush is traded by the Detroit Tigers along with 1B Lu Blue to the St. Louis Browns in exchange for SS Chick Galloway, OF Harry Rice and P Elam Vangilder. Manush, who batted .298 for Detroit in the regular season, will explode in 1928 with the Browns, batting .378 with 104 runs, 90 extra bases, 108 RBI, and a league-leading 241 hits.

Births

January

January 1 – Carl Scheib
January 3 – Chris Van Cuyk
January 8 – Jim Busby
January 17 – Tom Cooper
January 21 – Danny O'Connell
January 26 – Bob Nieman
January 28 – Carlos Bernier
January 28 – Margaret Holgerson

February

February 2 – Doris Sams
February 2 – Fred Waters
February 6 – Smoky Burgess
February 7 – Joe Lonnett
February 7 – Al Richter
February 18 – Luis Arroyo
February 18 – Herm Wehmeier

March

March 9 – Jackie Jensen
March 16 – Clint Courtney
March 19 – Richie Ashburn
March 20 – Earlene Risinger
March 20 – Jim Willis
March 21 – Bernie Creger
March 21 – Owen Friend
March 22 – Paul Stuffel
March 23 – Johnny Logan
March 27 – Dick Rozek

April

April 2 – Billy Pierce
April 4 – Don Hasenmayer
April 6 – Jim Romano
April 8 – Charlie Maxwell
April 11 – Jack Faszholz
April 14 – Don Mueller
April 24 – Frank Lucchesi
April 26 – Granny Hamner
April 26 – Bob Zick

May

May 1 – Betty Luna
May 4 – Hal Hudson
May 9 – Ray Katt
May 9 – Audrey Haine
May 13 – Dusty Rhodes
May 17 – Jim McDonald
May 19 – Bill Antonello
May 21 – El Tappe
May 24 – Milt Jordan
May 26 – Dutch Romberger
May 26 – Elizabeth Wicken

June

June 6 – Bob Talbot
June 15 – Ben Flowers
June 18 – Irv Medlinger
June 21 – Jackie Collum
June 28 – Dick Lane
June 28 – Ellen Tronnier

July

July 7 – Hal Keller
July 7 – Sammy White
July 12 – Jack Harshman
July 13 – Rubén Gómez
July 19 – Billy Gardner
July 21 – Dick Smith
July 23 – Virgil Jester
July 24 – Preston Ward
July 26 – Bill Miller
July 31 – Al Aber
July 31 – Billy Shantz

August

August 3 – Dick Welteroth
August 5 – Rocky Krsnich
August 7 – Rocky Bridges
August 7 – Art Houtteman
August 8 – Johnny Temple
August 10 – Bob Chakales
August 12 – Charlie White
August 18 – Roger Bowman
August 25 – Jim Suchecki
August 30 – Gordon Goldsberry

September

September 1 – Cloyd Boyer
September 1 – Tom Burgess
September 1 – Bob DiPietro
September 2 – Milo Hamilton
September 10 – Brandy Davis
September 13 – Jenny Romatowski
September 14 – Jim Fanning
September 14 – Dave Hillman
September 15 – Duke Simpson
September 19 – Bill Sarni
September 21 – Jim Clark
September 22 – Tommy Lasorda
September 26 – Kathryn Vonderau
September 27 – Tom Kirk
September 30 – Ben Taylor

October

October 3 – Bill Harrington
October 4 – Bob Kelly
October 5 – Al Heist
October 6 – Bethany Goldsmith
October 12 – Doc Daugherty
October 12 – Peggy Fenton
October 15 – Bill Henry
October 17 – Johnny Klippstein
October 18 – Marv Rotblatt
October 24 – Jim Greengrass
October 24 – Cal Hogue
October 20 – Emilio Cueche
October 30 – Joe Adcock

November

November 1 – Vic Power
November 2 – Davey Williams
November 3 – Fred Richards
November 4 – Carl Sawatski
November 5 – Putsy Caballero
November 7 – Hiroshi Yamauchi
November 12 – Harry Hanebrink
November 17 – Dick Weik
November 26 – Pete Taylor
November 27 – Frank Quinn
November 28 – Carlos Paula
November 29 – Vin Scully

December

December 6 – Tommy Brown
December 7 – Dick Donovan
December 11 – Johnny Gray
December 21 – Jack Daniels
December 23 – Tony Roig
December 25 – Nellie Fox
December 26 – Stu Miller
December 26 – Danny Schell
December 27 – Audrey Wagner

Deaths