26 Bombers sweep 39 Tribe to head to World Series.

The ALCS between the 1926 Yankees and the 1939 Indians opened with high expectations. The Indians were the top seed and had just disposed of another Yankees team (the 1924 squad) with many of the same players.  The Yankees had also just beaten the 1940s Indians squad and had not lost a game in the postseason.

Game 1 at Cleveland: Pennock vs Harder

The Yankees got off to a solid start with a solo shot by Bob Muesel in the top of the second, but the Tribe stormed back in their half of the fourth with two runs on four singles by Campbell, Solters, Hale and Bouderau. The wheels came off for Mel Harder in the top of the sixth: consecutive RBI singles by Pat Collins and Joe Dugan led Yankee manager Michael Hopcroft to replace starter Herb Pennock with pinch hitter Ben Paschal, who grounded into an error at shortstop to load the bases.  This was immediately followed by a two-run single from Earle Combs to give the Yankees a 5-2 lead. Cleveland got one back on a Helmsley RBI single, but three Yankee relievers held serve the rest of the way. An insurance run in the ninth off a Tony Lazzeri RBI double sealed the win as the Yankees took Game 1 6-3. Pennock took the win, Harder got the lost, Braxton got the save.

Game 2 at Cleveland: Shocker vs Allen

Game 2 gave every indication from the very start that it would not be a pitching duel. It became clear in the top of the first, when Babe Ruth hit his first homerun of the postseason and Lou Gehrig followed up with his second, staking the Yankees to a three-run lead. But the Indians got all of it back when Heath hit a three-run shot off of Urban Shocker. Hal Trosky would drive in a run in the second and it was clear Herb Pennock would not last long. Tony Lazzeri hit a two-run shot in the top of the third to give the Yankees the lead back and Pennock held the Tribe off the board for two more innings. Then in the fifth the Yankees tacked on three more on three hits, a walk, and an error. With Pennock having been lifted for a pinch-hitter, Hopcroft handed the ball to Bob Shawkey, who allowed one run and one hit the rest of the way to claim the win and give New York am 8-5 win and a 2-0 series lead headed to Yankee Stadium.

Game 3 at New York: Feller vs Hoyt

The most effective pitchers on each side took the mound as the series traveled to Yankee Stadium, with Tribe ace Bob Feller squaring off against the Yankees’ Waite Hoyt. For five and a half innings the bats were quiet, until Feller got hammered in the sizth with Babe Ruth’s second postseason homerun and Bob Meusel’s second. Although Heath led off the seventh inning with a solo shot, Feller would give up two more runs in the bottom of the inning and matter had been settled. The Yankees took the win 7-2, with Hoyt taking the win on eight innings of two-run ball. Feller took the loss.

Game 4 at New York: Milnar vs Pennock

Looking to close out at home, the Yankees sent out Herb Pennock on three days rest. In the bottom of the fourth inning; the Yankees were able to load the bases, send nine men to the plate, and score three runs on two hits, three walks and an error. That was all Pennock would need. He pitched the entire game scorelessly, giving up four hits and no walks. The Yankees secured the pennant with a 5-0 win and send manager Hopcroft to his second World Series in three seasons against the 1938 Cubs, winners of the National League pennant.

Congratulations to Dovid Zaner on a great season!

--submitted by Michael Hopcroft--