1977 New York Yankees season
| 1977 New York Yankees | |
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1977 AL East Champions 1977 AL Champions 1977 World Series Champions | |
| Major League affiliations | |
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| Location | |
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| Other information | |
| Owner(s) | George Steinbrenner |
| Manager(s) | Billy Martin |
| Local television | (Phil Rizzuto, Frank Messer, Bill White) |
| Local radio |
WMCA (Frank Messer, Phil Rizzuto, Bill White) |
| < Previous season Next season > | |
The 1977 New York Yankees season was the 75th season for the Yankees in New York and the 77th season overall for the franchise. It culminated in the 21st World Series championship in franchise history, and its first under the ownership of George Steinbrenner. The season was brought to life years later in the book, turned drama-documentary, The Bronx is Burning.
Offseason
The Yankees signed Reggie Jackson to a five-year contract, totaling $2.96 million, on November 29, 1976. Upon arriving in New York, Jackson asked for uniform number 9, which he had worn in Oakland and Baltimore. However, that number was being worn by third baseman Graig Nettles. So, noting that then-all-time home run leader Hank Aaron had just retired, Jackson asked for and received number 44, Aaron's number.
Notable transactions
- November 5, 1976: Jim Mason was drafted from the Yankees by the Toronto Blue Jays as the 30th pick in the 1976 MLB expansion draft.[1]
- January 11, 1977: Willie McGee was drafted by the Yankees in the 1st round (15th pick) of the 1977 Major League Baseball Draft (Secondary Phase). Player signed June 6, 1977.[2]
- January 20, 1977: Elliott Maddox and Rick Bladt were traded by the Yankees to the Baltimore Orioles for Paul Blair.[3]
- February 17, 1977: Sandy Alomar was traded by the Yankees to the Texas Rangers for Brian Doyle, Greg Pryor and cash.[4]
- March 26, 1977: Kerry Dineen was traded by the Yankees to the Philadelphia Phillies for Sergio Ferrer.[5]
Regular season
The team finished in first place in the American League East with a record of 100-62, finishing 2½ games ahead of the Baltimore Orioles to win their second AL East title. In the ALCS, they beat the Kansas City Royals in 5 games. In the World Series, they defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers in 6 games. New York was managed by Billy Martin. The Yankees played at Yankee Stadium.
Season standings
| AL East | W | L | GB | Pct. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York Yankees | 100 | 62 | -- | .617 |
| Baltimore Orioles | 97 | 64 | 2.5 | .602 |
| Boston Red Sox | 97 | 64 | 2.5 | .602 |
| Detroit Tigers | 74 | 88 | 26 | .457 |
| Cleveland Indians | 71 | 90 | 28.5 | .441 |
| Milwaukee Brewers | 67 | 95 | 33 | .414 |
| Toronto Blue Jays | 54 | 107 | 45.5 | .327 |
Notable transactions
- April 5, 1977: Oscar Gamble, LaMarr Hoyt, Bob Polinsky (minors) and $200,000 were traded by the Yankees to the Chicago White Sox for Bucky Dent.[6]
- April 27, 1977: Dock Ellis, Larry Murray and Marty Perez were traded by the Yankees to the Oakland Athletics for Mike Torrez.[7]
- August 2, 1977: The Yankees acquired Stan Thomas from the Seattle Mariners for future considerations.[8]
Draft picks
- June 7, 1977: 1977 Major League Baseball Draft
- Joe Lefebvre was drafted by the Yankees in the 3rd round. Player signed July 6, 1977.[9]
- Chuck Hensley was drafted by the Yankees in the 10th round.[10]
- Chris Welsh was drafted by the Yankees in the 21st round.[11]
All-Star game
In 1977, the New York Yankees also hosted the All-Star Game, held on July 19. Four Yankees were in the game: Willie Randolph and Reggie Jackson were in the starting lineup at second base and outfield, while pitcher Sparky Lyle and third baseman Graig Nettles were part of the roster as reserves. The National League defeated the American League 7-5.
Roster
| 1977 New York Yankees | |||||||||
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Pitchers
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Catchers
Infielders
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Outfielders
Other batters
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Manager
Coaches
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Characters
Reggie Jackson
Jackson's first season with the Yankees, 1977, was a difficult one. Although team owner George Steinbrenner and several players, most notably catcher and team captain Thurman Munson and outfielder Lou Piniella, were excited about his arrival, Martin was not. Martin had managed the Tigers in 1972 when Jackson's A's beat them in the playoffs. Jackson was once quoted as saying of Martin, "I hate him, but if I played for him, I'd probably love him."
The relationship between Jackson and his new teammates was strained due to an interview with SPORT magazine writer Robert Ward. During spring training at the Yankees' camp in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Jackson and Ward were having drinks at a nearby bar. Jackson's version of the story is that he noted that the Yankees had won the pennant the year before, but lost the World Series to the Reds, and suggested that they needed one thing more to win it all, and pointed out the various ingredients in his drink. Ward suggested that Jackson might be "the straw that stirs the drink." But when the story appeared in the May 1977 issue of SPORT, Ward quoted Jackson as saying, "This team, it all flows from me. I'm the straw that stirs the drink. Maybe I should say me and Munson, but he can only stir it bad."
Billy Martin
Billy Martin feuded publicly with both Yankee owner George Steinbrenner and star outfielder Reggie Jackson. In one especially infamous incident, on June 18, 1977, in the middle game of what would prove to be a three-game series sweep by the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park, Martin pulled Jackson off the field in mid-inning for failing to hustle on a ball hit to the outfield. The extremely angry and highly animated Martin had to be restrained by his coaches from getting into a fight with Jackson in the dugout during the nationally-televised Saturday afternoon game.
In popular culture
Jonathan Mahler wrote a bestselling book entitled Ladies and Gentlemen, The Bronx Is Burning about the turmoil in New York City in 1977, including the Son of Sam, the blackout, and how Yankees season rallied the people of New York. The book was adapted for an ESPN miniseries, The Bronx Is Burning
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 | Munson, ThurmanThurman Munson | 149 | 595 | 183 | .308 | 18 | 100 |
| 1B | Chambliss, ChrisChris Chambliss | 157 | 600 | 172 | .287 | 17 | 90 |
| 2B | Randolph, WillieWillie Randolph | 147 | 551 | 151 | .274 | 4 | 40 |
| 3B | Nettles, GraigGraig Nettles | 158 | 589 | 150 | .255 | 37 | 107 |
| SS | Dent, BuckyBucky Dent | 158 | 477 | 118 | .247 | 8 | 49 |
| LF | White, RoyRoy White | 143 | 519 | 139 | .268 | 14 | 52 |
| CF | Rivers, MickeyMickey Rivers | 138 | 565 | 184 | .326 | 12 | 69 |
| RF | Jackson, ReggieReggie Jackson | 146 | 525 | 150 | .286 | 32 | 110 |
| DH | May, CarlosCarlos May | 65 | 181 | 41 | .227 | 2 | 16 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Piniella, LouLou Piniella | 103 | 339 | 112 | .330 | 12 | 45 |
| Blair, PaulPaul Blair | 83 | 164 | 43 | .262 | 4 | 25 |
| Johnson, CliffCliff Johnson | 56 | 142 | 42 | .296 | 12 | 31 |
| Wynn, JimmyJimmy Wynn | 30 | 77 | 11 | .143 | 1 | 3 |
| Healy, FranFran Healy | 27 | 67 | 15 | .224 | 0 | 7 |
| Zeber, GeorgeGeorge Zeber | 25 | 65 | 21 | .323 | 3 | 10 |
| Stanley, FredFred Stanley | 48 | 46 | 12 | .261 | 1 | 7 |
| Alston, DellDell Alston | 22 | 40 | 13 | .325 | 1 | 4 |
| Kingman, DaveDave Kingman | 8 | 24 | 6 | .250 | 4 | 7 |
| Klutts, MickeyMickey Klutts | 5 | 15 | 4 | .267 | 1 | 4 |
| Hendricks, ElrodElrod Hendricks | 10 | 11 | 3 | .273 | 1 | 5 |
| Locklear, GeneGene Locklear | 1 | 5 | 3 | .600 | 0 | 2 |
| Bergman, DaveDave Bergman | 5 | 4 | 1 | .250 | 0 | 1 |
| Perez, MartyMarty Perez | 1 | 4 | 2 | .500 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Figueroa, EdEd Figueroa | 32 | 239.1 | 16 | 11 | 3.57 | 104 |
| Torrez, MikeMike Torrez | 31 | 217 | 14 | 12 | 3.82 | 90 |
| Guidry, RonRon Guidry | 31 | 210.2 | 16 | 7 | 2.82 | 176 |
| Gullett, DonDon Gullett | 22 | 158.1 | 14 | 4 | 3.58 | 116 |
| Hunter, CatfishCatfish Hunter | 22 | 143.1 | 9 | 9 | 4.71 | 52 |
| Ellis, DockDock Ellis | 3 | 19.2 | 1 | 1 | 1.83 | 5 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Holtzman, KenKen Holtzman | 18 | 71.2 | 2 | 3 | 5.78 | 14 |
| Patterson, GilGil Patterson | 10 | 33.1 | 1 | 2 | 5.40 | 29 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lyle, SparkySparky Lyle | 72 | 137 | 13 | 5 | 26 | 2.17 | 68 |
| Tidrow, DickDick Tidrow | 49 | 151 | 11 | 4 | 5 | 3.16 | 83 |
| Clay, KenKen Clay | 21 | 55.2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 4.37 | 20 |
| Thomas, StanStan Thomas | 3 | 6.1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 7.11 | 1 |
| McCall, LarryLarry McCall | 2 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7.50 | 0 |
ALCS
Game 1
October 5: Yankee Stadium, New York City, New York
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas City | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 9 | 0 |
| New York | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 0 |
| W: Paul Splittorff (1-0) L: Don Gullett (0-1) | ||||||||||||
| HRs: KC – Hal McRae (1), John Mayberry (1), Al Cowens (1) NYY – Thurman Munson (1) | ||||||||||||
Game 2
October 6: Yankee Stadium, New York City, New York
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas City | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| New York | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | - | 6 | 10 | 0 |
| W: Ron Guidry (1-0) L: Andy Hassler (0-1) | ||||||||||||
| HRs: KC – none; NYY – Cliff Johnson (1) | ||||||||||||
Game 3
October 7: Royals Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 1 |
| Kansas City | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | - | 6 | 12 | 1 |
| W: Dennis Leonard (1-0) L: Mike Torrez (0-1) | ||||||||||||
| HRs: NYY – none; KC – none | ||||||||||||
Game 4
October 8: Royals Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 13 | 0 |
| Kansas City | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 8 | 2 |
| W: Sparky Lyle (1-0) L: Larry Gura (0-1) | ||||||||||||
| HRs: Yanks – none; KC – none | ||||||||||||
Game 5
October 9: Royals Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 10 | 0 |
| Kansas City | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 10 | 1 |
| W: Sparky Lyle (2-0) L: Dennis Leonard (1-1) | ||||||||||||
| HRs: NYY – none; KC – none | ||||||||||||
World Series
AL New York Yankees (4) vs. NL Los Angeles Dodgers (2)
| Game | Score | Date | Location | Attendance | Time of Game |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dodgers – 3, Yankees – 4 (12 inns) | October 11 | Yankee Stadium | 56,668 | 3:24 |
| 2 | Dodgers – 6, Yankees – 1 | October 12 | Yankee Stadium | 56,691 | 2:27 |
| 3 | Yankees – 5, Dodgers – 3 | October 14 | Dodger Stadium | 55,992 | 2:31 |
| 4 | Yankees – 4, Dodgers – 2 | October 15 | Dodger Stadium | 55,995 | 2:07 |
| 5 | Yankees – 4, Dodgers – 10 | October 16 | Dodger Stadium | 55,995 | 2:29 |
| 6 | Dodgers – 4, Yankees – 8 | October 18 | Yankee Stadium | 56,407 | 2:18 |
Awards and honors
- Reggie Jackson, Babe Ruth Award
- Reggie Jackson, World Series MVP
- Sparky Lyle, Cy Young Award
- Graig Nettles, Gold Glove, third base
All-Stars
- Jackson, Lyle, Thurman Munson, Graig Nettles and Willie Randolph represented the Yankees at the 1977 Major League Baseball All-Star Game.
Farm system
| Level | Team | League | Manager |
|---|---|---|---|
| AAA | Syracuse Chiefs | International League | Pete Ward |
| AA | West Haven Yankees | Eastern League | Mike Ferraro |
| A | Fort Lauderdale Yankees | Florida State League | Ed Napoleon |
| Short-Season A | Oneonta Yankees | New York-Penn League | Art Mazmanian |
LEAGUE CHAMPIONS: West Haven, Oneonta[12]
Notes
- ↑ Jim Mason page at Baseball Reference
- ↑ Willie McGee page at Baseball Reference
- ↑ Paul Blair page at Baseball Reference
- ↑ Brian Doyle page at Baseball Reference
- ↑ Kerry Dineen page at Baseball Reference
- ↑ Oscar Gamble page at Baseball Reference
- ↑ Dock Ellis page at Baseball Reference
- ↑ Stan Thomas page at Baseball Reference
- ↑ Joe Lefebvre page at Baseball Reference
- ↑ Chuck Hensley page at Baseball Reference
- ↑ Chris Welsh page at Baseball Reference
- ↑ Johnson, Lloyd, and Wolff, Miles, ed., The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball, 2nd and 3rd editions. Durham, N.C.: Baseball America, 1997 and 2007
References
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