By Zane Miller
If you’re familiar with baseball history, or sports history in general, you likely already know about the story of the 1927 New York Yankees, otherwise known as the Murderer’s Row. This team specifically is regarded by most as the best MLB team of all time, as they collected 110 wins on the way to sweeping the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 1927 World Series. That year featured two of MLB’s most iconic hitters in Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig, with Ruth hitting a then-record 60 home runs and Gehrig knocking 218 hits, which, surprisingly, wasn’t even the most hits on the team. That honor belongs to outfielder Earle Combs, who had an eye-popping 231 hits to lead the American League. All three hitters mentioned were inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, with Ruth and Gehrig going in almost immediately upon retirement. However, the fourth Hall of Famer of the 1927 Yankees starting lineup, while not necessarily being a household name, was still an important contributor to the Murderer’s Row.
After building up his skillset in the minor leagues, second baseman Tony Lazzeri made his MLB debut in the Yankees’ opening game of the 1926 season. There would be no wading his way in once he was on the field, though, as Lazzeri played in all 155 games of his rookie campaign, getting 18 home runs, 117 RBIs and 162 hits. Unfortunately, there was no Rookie of the Year award in existence yet, otherwise it is very likely that he would have won. On top of his stellar individual stats, the Yankees finished with 91 wins, meaning they would be going to their fourth World Series of the decade. Just like that, Lazzeri had his opportunity to earn a World Series ring, though it would have to wait another year as the St. Louis Cardinals claimed the series win in seven games.
In 1927, Lazzeri would prove that there would be no sophomore slump. Playing alongside some of the most legendary players in the sport’s history, Lazzeri more than held his own, matching his total of 18 home runs from his rookie season while also driving in 102 RBIs with 176 hits in 153 games. The Yankees cruised to their second straight World Series appearance, going 110-44 to finish almost 20 wins ahead of the runner-up Philadelphia (now Oakland) Athletics for the American League pennant. Their opponent would be the Pittsburgh Pirates, who were still fresh off of a championship of their own in 1925. However, the Murderer’s Row remained true to their nickname, as they unceremoniously extinguished the Pirates in a four-game sweep. Lazzeri collected four hits and a pair of RBIs while starting at second base in all four games, officially becoming a World Series champion at just 23 years old.
Lazzeri only played in 116 games for the Yankees in 1928 due to injury, causing him to come up short of triple-digit RBIs for the first time in his career. However, he continued his outstanding play in the games he did make, ending the year with 10 home runs, 82 RBIs and 134 hits to tie for third in AL MVP voting with Washington Senators (now Minnesota Twins) first baseman Joe Judge. Although not winning the AL crown as handily as the year before, the Yankees still went 101-53 to hold off the Athletics by two and a half games for a World Series berth. They faced the St. Louis Cardinals and promptly enacted their revenge from the 1926 loss, sweeping the Cardinals while outscoring them by a combined 27-10. Although Lazzeri did not get a single RBI during the series, he still managed three hits to become one of the few players at the time to win back-to-back titles.
Lazzeri would suffer no injury woes in 1929, again hitting 18 home runs while returning to the 100-RBI club with 106 and earning what would be a career-high 193 hits in 147 games played. This allowed him to once again finish inside the top-five in the MVP race, though the Yankees themselves would be unable to seize the opportunity. Despite a successful 88-66 record, this time they were unable to hold off the Athletics, who went on to win that year’s World Series.
In 1930, the country was thrust into the Great Depression, though you’d never know it from looking at Lazzeri’s stats. In 143 games, the man now nicknamed “Poosh ‘Em Up Tony” drove in 121 RBIs on 173 hits, though his home run numbers took a noticeable dip with only nine on the season. Still, despite strong performances from Lazzeri along with Ruth and Gehrig, the Yankees failed to make the World Series with an 86-68 record. The team improved to 94-59 in 1931, but remained unable to surpass Philadelphia for the AL crown. Lazzeri had a rare off year by his standards, hitting only eight home runs, 83 RBIs and 129 hits in 135 games played.
In 1932, however, the Yankees would get back over the hump, dominating the American League for a 107-47 record, finishing 13 games ahead of the runner-up Athletics. Lazzeri recaptured his batting acumen, collecting 15 home runs, 113 RBIs and 153 hits in 142 games. On June 3rd of that year against the A’s, he became just the 47th player of the modern era to hit for the cycle, making it a natural cycle as well with a single, double, triple and home run in that order. In the World Series, New York would face the Chicago Cubs, who were seeking their first World Series title since the 1908 season. However, the Yankees proceeded to do what they did best, and swept the Cubs in four games, with their total of 37 runs scored still standing as the record for the most in a World Series sweep. As you can probably imagine, Lazzeri was no slouch during this series, nabbing five RBIs and five hits, including a spectacular performance in game four in which he hit two home runs on the way to his third career World Series title.
Lazzeri stayed on course through the 1933 campaign, bagging 104 RBIs on 154 hits in 139 games, while tying his career-high 18 home runs for a fourth and final time. Thanks to his outstanding output, he was named to the AL’s roster for the inaugural MLB All-Star Game, played on July 6th at Chicago’s Comiskey Park. Unfortunately for Lazzeri, he would not see the field as he was the alternate behind Detroit Tigers second baseman and fellow future Hall of Famer Charlie Gehringer, who played all nine innings of the exhibition. The Yankees were unable to defend their World Series title, finishing at 91-59 and seven games back of the AL-winning Senators.
1934 was Lazzeri’s age-30 season and a less-than-stellar one at that. In a year which also saw the end of the Babe Ruth era in New York, Lazzeri battled a nagging knee injury while playing just 123 games. His RBI totals took a nosedive to just 67 on the season, though he did manage an impressive 117 hits and 14 home runs given the circumstances. The Bronx Bombers again had to settle for second for the AL pennant, winding up at 94-60 to come up short to the 101-win Tigers. 1935 would be more of the same for the Yankees as they finished second to the Tigers in back-to-back years, this time at 89-60 to Detroit’s 93-58. However, Lazzeri improved slightly from 1934, getting 130 hits in 130 games played, to go along with 13 homers and 83 RBIs. At this point, it may have looked as though the Yankee superstar was unlikely to reach the same heights he had in years past. However, in 1936, the now-veteran player would prove that he had one more career-defining performance left up his sleeve.
On May 24th of that year in a road game against the Athletics, Lazzeri and company went on a scoring rampage, massacring Philadelphia by a final score of 25-2, leaving the reported crowd of 8,000 at Shibe Park thoroughly stunned as the Yankees scored at least five runs in four of the nine innings. When the dust settled, Lazzeri had amassed 11 RBIs, the bulk of which coming from his two grand slams on the afternoon. He also contributed a total of four hits while also drawing a walk. The 11-RBI game remains an American League record to this day. Just three days earlier, Lazzeri had collected his 1,000th career RBI on a two-run homer on the road in a 10-9 loss to Detroit.
Lazzeri finished the regular season with 14 home runs, 154 hits and 109 RBIs in 150 games, as this would be the final season of his career with triple-digit RBI totals. Thanks in no small part to Lazzeri’s contributions, the Yankees were able to reclaim the AL title and then some, manufacturing a 102-51 record to defeat the runner-up Tigers by nearly 20 games. In the World Series, they would face their crosstown counterparts in the New York (now San Francisco) Giants. The Giants proved to be more of a challenge that their three previous opponents, but ultimately the Yankees emerged victorious in six games. Despite his MLB career now being more than decade old, Lazzeri was electric in the batter’s box, tying with Gehrig for the team lead in RBIs during the series with seven apiece, as well as adding five hits and four walks for his fourth World Series victory.
As 1937 rolled around, Lazzeri played what would be his final season in a Yankees uniform and final full season altogether, playing in 126 games with 14 home runs, 70 RBIs and 109 hits. Despite his somewhat slowed production, Lazzeri was determined to end his time in the Bronx on a high note as the team went 102-52 to qualify for the World Series yet again. Just like a year ago, both championship hopefuls would not have to travel far as the Giants were back for revenge. However, after the Yankees put together back-to-back 8-1 wins, the Giants never recovered and the Pinstripes put them away in five games. Lazzeri struggled to find scoring opportunities during the series as he had only two RBIs, though he still found ways to get on base with a total of six hits and three walks as he now officially had an entire hand’s worth of World Series rings.
With the Yankees declining to resign Lazzeri for 1938, it didn’t take long for another team to jump on the chance to sign a veteran leader as he was swiftly picked up by the Chicago Cubs. While there, Lazzeri was moved from second base to shortstop and backed up longtime Cub Billy Jurges. He struggled in his new role, playing in only 54 games, with his offensive stats when he did play being nothing to write home about with five home runs, 23 RBIs and 32 hits. Be that as it may, there was something about teams that Tony Lazzeri played on and making the World Series, and the Cubs were no exception as they edged out the Pittsburgh Pirates for the National League crown despite a modest record of 89-63. The series itself would have a little bit of awkwardness for Lazzeri, as the Cubs were set to face none other than the New York Yankees.
The Yankees were more than happy to give Lazzeri a taste of his own medicine, as Chicago was promptly swept aside as New York won their third consecutive title. Lazzeri only appeared in two of the four games, but failed to reach base in either one, and was handed his first World Series loss since his 1926 rookie season.
By 1939, it was obvious that Lazzeri’s playing career was running out of gas, but he was nonetheless trying to make an impact in any way he could. He did, in fact, return to New York that season, only this time it would be for the Brooklyn (now Los Angeles) Dodgers as they were willing to give him his preferred role as starting second baseman. However, this stint did not last long, as Lazzeri played in just 14 games, securing three dingers, six RBIs and 11 hits in the process. After a disappointing 13-1 loss at home to the Cardinals, Lazzeri was cut from the team and would find himself completing the New York City team trifecta, signing with the Giants a couple of weeks later. The Giants then moved him over to play at third base, but this arrangement was even more brief than the one with the Dodgers. Lazzeri appeared in 13 games with the team and actually played quite well, nabbing 13 hits with eight RBIs and a home run. Nonetheless, the Giants decided to call up rookie Tom Haney to take over at third instead. Lazzeri was released by the club, bringing an unceremonious end to a legendary MLB career. “Poosh ‘Em Up Tony” played in 1,740 games, swatting a total of 178 home runs, 1,194 RBIs and 1,840 hits, not to mention his five World Series titles as one of just 16 players at the time to accomplish that feat.
Now, I had to choose my words carefully in that last paragraph as Lazzeri did not officially retire from playing after the 1939 season, as he played and/or managed for several minor league teams throughout the early 1940’s. Most notable among these would be the Portsmouth Cubs, which he led to a Piedmont League championship final appearance in 1942, though they would eventually lose to the Greensboro Red Sox four games to two. However, Lazzeri stepped away from baseball after the 1943 season, returning to his hometown of San Francisco to eventually operate his own bar in the city. Tragically, on August 6th, 1946, Lazzeri passed away suddenly at the far too young age of 42. Sources at the time stated that the cause of death was a heart attack, but it is also believed it may have been the result of a seizure as he had been diagnosed with epilepsy early in his life.
Given the variety of jersey numbers he wore during his Yankees career (though he most prominently wore #6) Lazzeri has not received an official jersey retirement, however, coincidentally, all four numbers he used were eventually retired by the team with #6 being retired for manager Joe Torre, #23 for first baseman Don Mattingly and numbers 5 and 7 for center fielders Joe DiMaggio and Mickey Mantle respectively. Though the push for him to join the National Baseball Hall of Fame in his initial run of eligibility was unsuccessful, his career would be reevaluated by the HoF’s Veteran’s Committee decades later. In 1991, Lazzeri’s widow, Maye, got the call from Cooperstown, and attended the Hall of Fame enshrinement on his behalf. Being born and raised in San Francisco, Lazzeri was also posthumously inducted into the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame in 1989.
List of sources:
https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/l/lazzeto01.shtml
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