1948 New York Yankees season

1948 New York Yankees
Babe Ruth's Number is retired
Major League affiliations
American League (since 1901)
Location
Yankee Stadium (since 1923)
New York City (since 1903)
Other information
Owner(s)	Dan Topping and Del Webb
General manager(s)	George Weiss
Manager(s)	Bucky Harris
Local television	WABD (Mel Allen, Russ Hodges, Bill Slater)
Local radio	WINS (AM) (Mel Allen, Russ Hodges)
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The 1948 New York Yankees season was the team's 46th season in New York and its 48th overall. The team finished with a record of 94–60, finishing 2.5 games behind the Cleveland Indians and 1.5 games behind the second-place Boston Red Sox. New York was managed by Bucky Harris. The Yankees played their home games at Yankee Stadium.

The fractional games-behind came about due to the frenzied pennant race, which saw the Yankees, Red Sox and Indians all battling it out to the end. The Yankees fell just a little short, and the Red Sox and Indians finished in a tie for first at 96–58. They held a one-game playoff, which counted as part of the regular season, so the Indians' victory raised their record to 97–58, and dropped the Red Sox to 96–59.

The Yankees did not renew Bucky Harris' contract after the season, opting instead to hire Casey Stengel starting in 1949. This move raised some eyebrows, but Stengel had just led the Oakland Oaks to the Pacific Coast League pennant in 1948, demonstrating that with good talent, he had a good chance to succeed. The Yankees were about to begin the most dominating stretch of their long dynasty.

Babe Ruth's Death

Babe Ruth's number 3 was retired by the New York Yankees in 1948.

The grave of Babe Ruth

On July 26, 1948, Babe Ruth attended the premiere of the film The Babe Ruth Story, a biopic about his life. William Bendix portrayed Ruth. Shortly thereafter, Ruth returned to the hospital for the final time. He was barely able to speak. Ruth's condition gradually became worse, and in his last days, scores of reporters and photographers hovered around the hospital. Only a few visitors were allowed to see him, one of whom was National League president and future Commissioner of Baseball, Ford Frick. "Ruth was so thin it was unbelievable. He had been such a big man and his arms were just skinny little bones, and his face was so haggard", Frick said years later.

On August 16, the day after Frick's visit, Babe Ruth died at age 53. His body lay in repose in Yankee Stadium. His funeral was two days later at St. Patrick's Cathedral, New York. Ruth was then buried in the Cemetery of the Gate of Heaven in Hawthorne, New York.

At his death, the New York Times called Babe Ruth, "a figure unprecedented in American life. A born showman off the field and a marvelous performer on it, he had an amazing flair for doing the spectacular at the most dramatic moment."^[1]

Offseason

• February 24, 1948: Bill Wight, Fred Bradley, and Aaron Robinson were traded by the Yankees to the Chicago White Sox for Eddie Lopat.^[2]
• Prior to 1948 season: Al Cicotte and Gus Triandos were signed as an amateur free agents by the Yankees.^[3][4]

Regular season

Season standings

American League	W	L	Pct.	GB
Cleveland Indians	97	58	.626	--
Boston Red Sox	96	59	.619	1
New York Yankees	94	60	.610	2.5
Philadelphia Athletics	84	70	.545	12.5
Detroit Tigers	78	76	.506	18.5
St. Louis Browns	59	94	.386	37
Washington Senators	56	97	.366	40
Chicago White Sox	51	101	.336	44.5

Record vs. opponents

1948 American League Records Sources:
Team	BOS	CWS	CLE	DET	NYY	PHI	STL	WSH
Boston	—	14–8	11–12	15–7	14–8	12–10	15–7	15–7
Chicago	8–14	—	6–16	8–14	6–16	6–16	8–13–1	9–12–1
Cleveland	12–11	16–6	—	13–9	10–12	16–6	14–8–1	16–6
Detroit	7–15	14–8	9–13	—	9–13	12–10	11–11	16–6
New York	8–14	16–6	12–10	13–9	—	12–10	16–6	17–5
Philadelphia	10–12	16–6	6–16	10–12	10–12	—	18–4	14–8
St. Louis	7–15	13–8–1	8–14–1	11–11	6–16	4–18	—	10–12
Washington	7–15	12–9–1	6–16	6–16	5–17	8–14	12–10	—

Roster

1948 New York Yankees
Roster
Pitchers 28 Tommy Byrne 19 Karl Drews 35 Red Embree 18 Randy Gumpert 39 Frank Hiller 30 Eddie Lopat 21 Cuddles Marshall 11 Joe Page 18 Bob Porterfield 17 Vic Raschi 22 Allie Reynolds 20 Spec Shea 19,36 Dick Starr		Catchers  8 Yogi Berra 32 Ralph Houk 29 Sherm Lollar 38 Gus Niarhos 40,46 Charlie Silvera Infielders  6 Bobby Brown  2 Frankie Crosetti 24 Billy Johnson  9 George McQuinn 34,36 Jack Phillips 10 Phil Rizzuto 41 Steve Souchock  1 Snuffy Stirnweiss		Outfielders 25 Hank Bauer  5 Joe DiMaggio 15 Tommy Henrich 12 Charlie Keller 27 Johnny Lindell 3,13 Cliff Mapes Other batters 42 Joe Collins 14 Lonny Frey 42 Bud Stewart		Manager 37 Bucky Harris Coaches 31 Red Corriden  2 Frankie Crosetti  7 Chuck Dressen 33 Johnny Schulte

Player stats

= Indicates team leader

Batting

Starters by position

Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in

Pos	Player	G	AB	H	Avg.	HR	RBI
C	Niarhos, GusGus Niarhos	82	228	61	.268	0	19
1B	McQuinn, GeorgeGeorge McQuinn	94	302	75	.248	11	41
2B	Stirnweiss, SnuffySnuffy Stirnweiss	141	515	130	.252	3	32
3B	Johnson, BillyBilly Johnson	127	446	131	.294	12	64
SS	Rizzuto, PhilPhil Rizzuto	128	464	117	.252	6	50
OF	DiMaggio, JoeJoe DiMaggio	153	594	190	.320	39	155
OF	Lindell, JohnnyJohnny Lindell	88	309	138	.317	13	55
OF	Henrich, TommyTommy Henrich	146	598	181	.308	25	100

Other batters

Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in

Player	G	AB	H	Avg.	HR	RBI
Berra, YogiYogi Berra	125	469	143	.305	14	98
Brown, BobbyBobby Brown	113	363	109	.300	3	48
Keller, CharlieCharlie Keller	83	247	66	.267	6	44
Souchock, SteveSteve Souchock	44	118	24	.203	3	11
Mapes, CliffCliff Mapes	53	88	22	.250	1	12
Bauer, HankHank Bauer	19	50	9	.180	1	9
Lollar, ShermSherm Lollar	22	38	8	.211	0	4
Houk, RalphRalph Houk	14	29	8	.276	0	3
Silvera, CharlieCharlie Silvera	4	14	8	.571	0	1
Crosetti, FrankieFrankie Crosetti	17	14	4	.286	0	0
Collins, JoeJoe Collins	5	5	1	.200	0	2
Stewart, BudBud Stewart	6	5	1	.200	0	0
Phillips, JackJack Phillips	1	2	0	.000	0	0
Frey, LonnyLonny Frey	1	0	0	----	0	0

Pitching

Starting pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

Player	G	IP	W	L	ERA	SO
Reynolds, AllieAllie Reynolds	39	236.1	16	7	3.77	101
Lopat, EddieEddie Lopat	33	226.2	17	11	3.65	83
Raschi, VicVic Raschi	36	222.2	19	8	3.84	124
Shea, SpecSpec Shea	28	155.2	9	10	3.41	71
Porterfield, BobBob Porterfield	16	78	5	3	4.50	30

Other pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

Player	G	IP	W	L	ERA	SO
Byrne, TommyTommy Byrne	31	133.2	8	5	3.30	101
Embree, RedRed Embree	20	76.2	5	3	3.76	25
Hiller, FrankFrank Hiller	22	62.1	5	2	4.04	25

Relief pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

Player	G	IP	W	L	SV	ERA	SO
Page, JoeJoe Page	55	107.2	7	8	16	4.26	77
Drews, KarlKarl Drews	19	38	2	3	1	3.79	11
Gumpert, RandyRandy Gumpert	15	25	1	0	0	2.88	12
Starr, DickDick Starr	1	2	0	0	0	4.50	2
Marshall, CuddlesCuddles Marshall	1	1	0	0	0	0.00	0

Farm system

Level Team League Manager AAA Kansas City Blues American Association Dick Bartell AAA Newark Bears International League Bill Skiff AA Beaumont Exporters Texas League Chick Autry A Binghamton Triplets Eastern League Buddy Hassett A Augusta Tigers Sally League Carl Cooper, Mike Garbark and Lefty Jenkins B Quincy Gems Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League James Adlam B Manchester Yankees New England League Tom Padden B Norfolk Tars Piedmont League Earl Bolyard B Victoria Athletics Western International League Ted Norbert C Bisbee-Douglas Miners Arizona–Texas League Mel Steiner and Mitch Chetkovich C Ventura Yankees California League Eddie Kearse C Amsterdam Rugmakers Canadian–American League Jim McLeod C Longview Texans Lone Star League Dixie Parsons C Butler Yankees Middle Atlantic League Jack Farmer C Grand Forks Chiefs Northern League Gordie Hinkle C Twin Falls Cowboys Pioneer League Charlie Metro C Joplin Miners Western Association Johnny Sturm

Level Team League Manager D Easton Yankees Eastern Shore League Dallas Warren D LaGrange Troupers Georgia–Alabama League Jim Acton D Independence Yankees Kansas–Oklahoma–Missouri League Goldie Howard, Burleigh Grimes and Bones Sanders D Newark Yankees Ohio–Indiana League Bob Dill and Solly Mishkin D McAlester Rockets Sooner State League Vern Hoscheit D Blackstone Barristers Virginia League Paul Badgett D Fond du Lac Panthers Wisconsin State League Fred Collins LEAGUE CHAMPIONS: Grand Forks, Twin Falls, Independence, Blackstone[5]

Notes

1. "Babe Ruth, Baseball's Great Star and Idol of Children, Had a Career Both Dramatic and Bizarre". New York Times. August 17, 1948. Retrieved July 21, 2007. Probably nowhere in all the imaginative field of fiction could one find a career more dramatic and bizarre than that portrayed in real life by George Herman Ruth. Known the world over, even in foreign lands where baseball is never played, as the Babe, he was the boy who rose from the obscurity of a charitable institution in Baltimore to a position as the leading figure in professional baseball. He was also its greatest drawing-card, its highest salaried performer—at least of his day—and the idol of millions of youngsters throughout the land.
2. Eddie Lopat page at Baseball Reference
3. Al Cicotte page at Baseball Reference
4. Gus Triandos Trades and Transactions at Baseball Almanac
5. Johnson, Lloyd, and Wolff, Miles, ed., The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball, 2nd and 3rd editions. Durham, North Carolina: Baseball America, 1997 and 2007

References

• 1948 New York Yankees
• 1948 New York Yankees team page at www.baseball-almanac.com