The 1927 major league baseball season began on April 12, 1927. The regular season ended on October 2, with the Pittsburgh Pirates and New York Yankees as the regular season champions of the National League and American League, respectively. The postseason began with Game 1 of the 24th World Series on October 5 and ended with Game 4 on October 8. The Yankees swept the Pirates in four games, capturing their second championship in franchise history, since their previous in 1923. Going into the season, the defending World Series champions were the St. Louis Cardinals from the 1926 season.
| 1927 MLB season | |
|---|---|
| League | American League (AL) National League (NL) |
| Sport | Baseball |
| Duration | Regular season:
|
| Games | 154 |
| Teams | 16 (8 per league) |
| Regular Season | |
| Season MVP | AL: Lou Gehrig (NYY) NL: Paul Waner (PIT) |
| AL champions | New York Yankees |
| AL runners-up | Philadelphia Athletics |
| NL champions | Pittsburgh Pirates |
| NL runners-up | St. Louis Cardinals |
| World Series | |
| Venue | |
| Champions | New York Yankees |
| Runners-up | Pittsburgh Pirates |
The New York Yankees, whose lineup featured Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig of the famed "Murderers' Row," dominated the American League with 110 wins. No no-hitters were thrown during the season.[1][2]
This was the sixth of eight seasons that "League Awards", a precursor to the Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award (introduced in 1931), were issued.
Schedule
editThe 1927 schedule consisted of 154 games for all teams in the American League and National League, each of which had eight teams. Each team was scheduled to play 22 games against the other seven teams of their respective league. This continued the format put in place since the 1904 season (except for 1919) and would be used until 1961 in the American League and 1962 in the National League.
Opening Day took place on April 12 with all but all but the Detroit Tigers and St. Louis Browns playing. The final day of the regular season was on October 2. The World Series took place between October 5 and October 8.
Rule changes
editThe 1927 season saw the following rule changes:
- A statute of limitations in line with federal and state laws to prevent decades-old accusations of game fixing from surfacing.[3]
- One-year bans for players and managers found to have fixed games or to have bet on games in which the player or manager was not directly involved were implemented.[3]
- A lifetime ban for anyone who bet on a game in which he was directly involved was implemented.[3]
Teams
editAn asterisk (*) denotes the ballpark a team played the minority of their home games at
Standings
editAmerican League
edit| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB | Home | Road |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York Yankees | 110 | 44 | .714 | — | 57–19 | 53–25 |
| Philadelphia Athletics | 91 | 63 | .591 | 19 | 50–27 | 41–36 |
| Washington Senators | 85 | 69 | .552 | 25 | 51–28 | 34–41 |
| Detroit Tigers | 82 | 71 | .536 | 27½ | 44–32 | 38–39 |
| Chicago White Sox | 70 | 83 | .458 | 39½ | 38–37 | 32–46 |
| Cleveland Indians | 66 | 87 | .431 | 43½ | 35–42 | 31–45 |
| St. Louis Browns | 59 | 94 | .386 | 50½ | 38–38 | 21–56 |
| Boston Red Sox | 51 | 103 | .331 | 59 | 29–49 | 22–54 |
National League
edit| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB | Home | Road |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pittsburgh Pirates | 94 | 60 | .610 | — | 48–31 | 46–29 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 92 | 61 | .601 | 1½ | 55–25 | 37–36 |
| New York Giants | 92 | 62 | .597 | 2 | 49–25 | 43–37 |
| Chicago Cubs | 85 | 68 | .556 | 8½ | 50–28 | 35–40 |
| Cincinnati Reds | 75 | 78 | .490 | 18½ | 45–35 | 30–43 |
| Brooklyn Robins | 65 | 88 | .425 | 28½ | 34–39 | 31–49 |
| Boston Braves | 60 | 94 | .390 | 34 | 32–41 | 28–53 |
| Philadelphia Phillies | 51 | 103 | .331 | 43 | 34–43 | 17–60 |
Tie games
edit8 tie games 5 in AL, 3 in NL), which are not factored into winning percentage or games behind (and were often replayed again) occurred throughout the season.
Postseason
editThe postseason began on October 5 and ended on October 8 with the New York Yankees sweeping the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 1927 World Series in four games.
Bracket
edit| World Series | ||||
| AL | New York Yankees | 4 | ||
| NL | Pittsburgh Pirates | 0 | ||
Managerial changes
editOff-season
editLeague leaders
editAmerican League
edit| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| AVG | Harry Heilmann (DET) | .398 |
| OPS | Babe Ruth (NYY) | 1.258 |
| HR | Babe Ruth (NYY) | 60 |
| RBI | Lou Gehrig (NYY) | 173 |
| R | Babe Ruth (NYY) | 158 |
| H | Earle Combs (NYY) | 231 |
| SB | George Sisler (SLB) | 27 |
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| W | Waite Hoyt (NYY) Ted Lyons (CWS) |
22 |
| L | Slim Harriss (BOS) | 21 |
| ERA | Wilcy Moore (NYY) | 2.28 |
| K | Lefty Grove (PHA) | 174 |
| IP | Ted Lyons (CWS) Tommy Thomas (CWS) |
307.2 |
| SV | Wilcy Moore (NYY) | 13 |
| WHIP | Garland Braxton (WSH) | 1.139 |
National League
edit| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| AVG | Paul Waner (PIT) | .380 |
| OPS | Rogers Hornsby (NYG) | 1.035 |
| HR | Cy Williams (PHI) Hack Wilson (CHC) |
30 |
| RBI | Paul Waner (PIT) | 131 |
| R | Rogers Hornsby (NYG) Paul Waner (PIT) |
133 |
| H | Paul Waner (PIT) | 237 |
| SB | Frankie Frisch (STL) | 48 |
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| W | Charlie Root (CHC) | 26 |
| L | Jack Scott (PHI) | 21 |
| ERA | Ray Kremer (PIT) | 2.47 |
| K | Dazzy Vance (BRO) | 184 |
| IP | Charlie Root (CHC) | 309.0 |
| SV | Bill Sherdel (STL) | 6 |
| WHIP | Grover Alexander (STL) | 1.116 |
Milestones
editBatters
editCycles
edit- Jim Bottomley (STL):
- Bottomley hit for his first cycle and fifth in franchise history, on July 15 against the Philadelphia Phillies.[9]
- Cy Williams (PHI):
- Williams hit for his first cycle and third in franchise history, on August 5 against the Pittsburgh Pirates.[10]
Other batting accomplishments
edit- Ty Cobb (PHA):
- Became the first pitcher to hit home runs prior to turning 20 and after turning 40 years old on May 16, in a 10–8 against the St. Louis Browns.
- Recorded his 4,000th career hit with a double in the first inning against the Detroit Tigers on July 18. He became the first player to reach this mark.[11]
- Max Carey (BRO):
- Recorded his 700th career stolen base in the eighth inning against the Chicago Cubs on July 10. He became the sixth player to reach this mark.[12][13][14]
- Walter Johnson (BOS):
- Set an American League record for most career wins at 417 on July 28 in a 12–2 win over the Chicago White Sox in his last career win.[15]
- Babe Ruth (NYY):
- Became the first player in Major League history to hit 400 home runs in the first inning against the Philadelphia Athletics on September 2.[16][17]
- Set a new major-league and American League record for home runs in a season by hitting his 60th home run on September 30 against the Washington Senators. Ruth broke the previous record of 59 home runs set by himself in 1921.
Pitching
edit- Jesse Barnes (BRO) / Virgil Barnes (NYG):
- Became the first brothers in Major League history to pitch against each other on May 3. Virgil and the Giants defeated Jesse and the Robins, 7–6.
Miscellaneous
edit- New York Yankees:
- Played 155 games due to a tie game against the Philadelphia Athletics on April 14, which ended in a 9–9 tie due to darkness falling.[18]
- Chicago Cubs:
- Set a major league record for most runs scored in the 18th inning, by scoring five runs against the Boston Braves on May 14.[19]
- Philadelphia Phillies:
- Four pitchers were used as pinch hitters and pinch runners against the Pittsburgh Pirates on July 18. Jack Scott, Clarence Mitchell and Les Sweetland hit, while Tony Kaufmann ran for Scott.[20]
Awards and honors
edit- League Award: Paul Waner (PIT, National); Lou Gehrig (NYY, American)
Home field attendance
edit| Team name | Wins | %± | Home attendance | %± | Per game |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York Yankees[21] | 110 | 20.9% | 1,164,015 | 13.3% | 15,117 |
| Chicago Cubs[22] | 85 | 3.7% | 1,159,168 | 31.0% | 14,861 |
| Pittsburgh Pirates[23] | 94 | 11.9% | 869,720 | 8.9% | 11,009 |
| New York Giants[24] | 92 | 24.3% | 858,190 | 22.5% | 11,597 |
| Detroit Tigers[25] | 82 | 3.8% | 773,716 | 8.7% | 9,919 |
| St. Louis Cardinals[26] | 92 | 3.4% | 749,340 | 12.1% | 9,367 |
| Brooklyn Robins[27] | 65 | −8.5% | 637,230 | −2.1% | 8,611 |
| Chicago White Sox[28] | 70 | −13.6% | 614,423 | −13.5% | 8,192 |
| Philadelphia Athletics[29] | 91 | 9.6% | 605,529 | −15.3% | 7,864 |
| Washington Senators[30] | 85 | 4.9% | 528,976 | −4.1% | 6,696 |
| Cincinnati Reds[31] | 75 | −13.8% | 442,164 | −34.3% | 5,527 |
| Cleveland Indians[32] | 66 | −25.0% | 373,138 | −40.5% | 4,846 |
| Philadelphia Phillies[33] | 51 | −12.1% | 305,420 | 26.9% | 3,916 |
| Boston Red Sox[34] | 51 | 10.9% | 305,275 | 7.1% | 3,914 |
| Boston Braves[35] | 60 | −9.1% | 288,685 | −4.9% | 3,901 |
| St. Louis Browns[36] | 59 | −4.8% | 247,879 | −12.7% | 3,178 |
Venues
editIn November 1926, following the conclusion of the previous season, Chicago Cubs owner William Wrigley Jr. renamed Cubs Park to Wrigley Field.[37]
During a Philadelphia Phillies home game against the St. Louis Cardinals at the Baker Bowl on May 14, parts of two sections of the lower deck extension along the right-field line collapsed due to rotted shoring timbers, triggered by an oversize gathering of people, who were seeking shelter from rain. While no one died during the collapse, one individual died of heart failure in the subsequent stampede that injured 50. The game was cut short in the 7th inning following the collapse. In a similar situation to a partial collapse in 1903, the Phillies rented from the Philadelphia Athletics at Shibe Park while repairs were being made to the old structure. The Phillies played 12 home games at Shibe Park, from May 16 to May 28, before eventually returning to the Baker Bowl on June 24 after spending nearly a month on the road.[38][39]
See also
editReferences
edit- ↑ "American League No Hitters". Baseball Almanac. Retrieved October 28, 2012.
- ↑ "National League No Hitters". Baseball Almanac. Retrieved October 28, 2012.
- 1 2 3 Miskowiec, Abigail. "1926 Winter Meetings: Changing of the Guard". Society for American Baseball Research. Retrieved April 1, 2025.
- ↑ "1927 Major League Managers". Baseball Reference. Retrieved February 5, 2025.
- ↑ "1927 American League Batting Leaders". Baseball Reference. Retrieved February 5, 2025.
- ↑ "1927 American League Pitching Leaders". Baseball Reference. Retrieved February 5, 2025.
- ↑ "1927 National League Batting Leaders". Baseball Reference. Retrieved February 5, 2025.
- ↑ "1927 National League Pitching Leaders". Baseball Reference. Retrieved February 5, 2025.
- ↑ "St. Louis Cardinals 9, Philadelphia Phillies 7". Retrosheet. July 15, 1927. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved September 8, 2011.
- ↑ "Philadelphia Phillies 9, Pittsburgh Pirates 7". Retrosheet. August 5, 1927. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved September 8, 2011.
- ↑ "Ty Cobb Statistics and History". Baseball Reference. Sports Reference. Archived from the original on January 4, 2010. Retrieved July 4, 2010.
- ↑ "Max Carey Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More — Max Carey: Standard Batting (1910-1927)". Baseball Reference. Retrieved June 12, 2026.
- ↑ "Max Carey 1927 Batting Game Logs — Max Carey: Batting Stats Career Game 2196-2263". Baseball Reference. Retrieved June 12, 2026.
- ↑ "Retrosheet Boxscore: Chicago Cubs 1, Brooklyn Robins 0". Retrosheet. Retrieved June 12, 2026.
- ↑ "Walter Johnson 1927 Pitching Game Logs". Baseball Reference. Retrieved March 18, 2026.
- ↑ "Babe Ruth Career Home Runs". Baseball Reference. Retrieved March 24, 2026.
- ↑ Thosar, Deesha. "Every member of the 400-HR club". MLB.com. Retrieved May 4, 2026.
- ↑ Rosenberg, Howard. "April 14, 1927: A's stop Yankees' winning streak at start of season with 9-9 tie". Society for American Baseball Research. Retrieved April 16, 2026.
- ↑ DeRosa, Theo. "The most runs scored in each inning, from the 1st to the 26th(!)". MLB.com. Retrieved April 20, 2026.
- ↑ "Strange and Unusual Plays". Retrosheet. Retrieved June 13, 2012.
- ↑ "New York Yankees Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball Reference. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
- ↑ "Chicago Cubs Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball Reference. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
- ↑ "Pittsburgh Pirates Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball Reference. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
- ↑ "San Francisco Giants Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball Reference. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
- ↑ "Detroit Tigers Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball Reference. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
- ↑ "St. Louis Cardinals Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball Reference. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
- ↑ "Los Angeles Dodgers Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball Reference. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
- ↑ "Chicago White Sox Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball Reference. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
- ↑ "Oakland Athletics Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball Reference. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
- ↑ "Minnesota Twins Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball Reference. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
- ↑ "Cincinnati Reds Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball Reference. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
- ↑ "Cleveland Indians Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball Reference. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
- ↑ "Philadelphia Phillies Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball Reference. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
- ↑ "Boston Red Sox Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball Reference. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
- ↑ "Atlanta Braves Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball Reference. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
- ↑ "Baltimore Orioles Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball Reference. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
- ↑ Solomon, Burt (1997). The Baseball Timeline: The Day-By-Day History of Baseball from Valley Forge to the Present Day. p. 285.
- ↑ "Seamheads.com Ballparks Database — 1927 Season, 1-Year Park Factors". seamheads.com. Retrieved November 26, 2025.
- ↑ "1927 Philadelphia Phillies Schedule". Baseball Reference. Retrieved November 26, 2025.