1974 New York Yankees: Close, But Not Quite There
The New York Yankees were in the midst of what was, by their standards, a dry spell, when the 1974 season began. The franchise’s last World Series title had been in 1962. They had not won the American League pennant since 1964. With the rise of divisional play in 1969, the Yankees were still searching for their first AL East crown. Over the previous nine seasons, they had been under .500 four times and only hit the 90-win threshold once.
A REVAMPED ROSTER & A TEMPORARY HOME
The Yankees moved aggressively to try and get better. A seven-player trade with the Cleveland Indians netted first baseman Chris Chambliss and versatile pitcher Dick Tidrow at minimal cost. After the season started, the Yanks acquired outfielder Lou Pinella and starting pitcher Rudy May.
It was going to be different kind of year this season no matter what the results. Yankee Stadium was undergoing a renovation and 1974 was the first of two seasons that the Yanks would share Shea Stadium in Queens with the crosstown Mets. And, as it turned out, it was also different on the field. The Yankees got into contention and coming down the stretch, it looked like they might finally get over the top, before coming up just short in the end.
A BALANCED PITCHING STAFF
Pitching was the key to the Yankee success. Pat Dobson and Doc Medich combined to make 77 starts, get 38 wins and each had ERAs in the 3s. Tidrow won 11 games and posted a 3.87 ERA. Mel Stottlemyre, later one of Joe Torre’s coaches in this franchise’s great run of the late 1990s/early 2000s, was a respectable spot starter. And May’s acquisition in mid-June was a big lift, as he made 15 starts in Pinstripes and delivered a 2.28 ERA.
Bullpen use wasn’t nearly as extensive then as it is now, but manager Bill Virdon had a good one. Sparky Lyle logged 114 innings and posted a dazzling 1.66 ERA. Cecil Upshaw and Mike Wallace were reliable relievers. New York’s staff finished third in the American League for composite ERA.
A MEDIOCRE OFFENSE
The Yankee lineup was led by a trio of .300 hitters in Pinella, centerfielder Elliott Maddox and DH Ron Blomberg. Graig Nettles supplied the power at third base, hitting 22 homers. Roy White was a versatile outfielder, playing multiple spots and finishing with an on-base percentage of .367.
But there were holes elsewhere and a lot of subpar seasons. Chambliss, 27-year-old catcher Thurman Munson, and rightfielder Bobby Murcer all had off-years. As a result, New York offense only finished sixth in a 12-team American League for runs scored.
AN UNEVEN START IN A PACKED AL EAST
The Baltimore Orioles were the gold standard in the early days of the AL East and had won the division in four of its first five years. The Boston Red Sox were a consistent contender. In April, New York split four games with the Birds and took two of three from the Sox. By early May, the Yankees were 17-12 and had nudged out to a two-game lead. But a disastrous stretch against divisional rivals saw them los e13 of 18 games. By Memorial Day, they were 22-25.
The good news is that no one in the AL East was separating themselves. Despite being in last place, New York was only three games off the pace. The bad news is that this was a very different era of Major League Baseball—you had to finish in first place to qualify for the postseason. Moreover, there was no Central Division, so the Yanks had to win a six-team AL East that also included the Detroit Tigers, Cleveland Indians, and Milwaukee Brewers (an American League franchise until 1998). New York needed to pick up the slack.
UP AND DOWN INTO THE BREAK
June saw more mediocre play, as the Yanks muddled along playing .500 ball, and they lost three of four in Detroit to open July. Staring at a seven-game hole, this was set to be another dry Yankee season in this dry era.
Then they got hot. A 17-game stretch against AL West opponents saw New York go 12-5. They nudged over .500 by the All-Star Break at 48-47. And this division was still wide open. Boston was in the lead, but everyone was within five games.
MAKING A MOVE AMIDST A NARROWING FIELD
A three-game series in Fenway Park to open the second half went badly and the Yanks were swept. Then they dropped a series in Milwaukee and were swept two straight in Cleveland. Once again, New York was on the ropes, 6 ½ games back.
But they got a needed series win when the Red Sox came to town, taking two of three. And playing the AL West was again a tonic. New York ripped off 19 wins in 27 games.
In the meantime, the division was slowly starting to separate itself. The Indians, Brewers, and Tigers fell by the wayside. The Red Sox still held the lead. On Labor Day, New York was 70-62, two games back of Boston with Baltimore still lingering at five back.
SEPTEMBER OPENS WITH OPPORTUNITY
The first week of September saw Milwaukee and Detroit come to Queens (doesn’t that sound strange to say in a Yankee context?). It went well enough and New York won four of the seven games. But playing weak competition, it was a missed opportunity. While the Yanks pulled even with the Red Sox, the surging Orioles were the big winner, pulling to within one game of both teams. The stage was set for New York to go on the road to face both rivals. The race was on.
CLUTCH PLAY IN BOSTON & BALTIMORE
Medich took the ball on Monday night in Fenway and pitched into the eighth inning. Five Yankee players had multi-hit games, including Chambliss who homered. New York won 6-3. On Tuesday night, Dobson was locked in a pitcher’s duel, but the Yanks trailed 1-0 in the ninth. They got an RBI double from Chambliss to tie it. Dobson worked 11 innings, allowing just four hits. A 12th-inning home run from Alex Johnson gave New York a 2-1 win. They left New England in first place.
Wednesday in Baltimore was a twilight doubleheader, an old-school concept that began around 5:30 PM with just a twenty-minute break between games. The opener went 17 innings. Lyle pitched 6 2/3 innings of shutout ball in relief. But the Yanks couldn’t break the 2-2 tie. When Lyle left, Upshaw gave up a run and New York took a disheartening 3-2 loss.
They still had to come back and play the second game, beginning after 10 PM. A young lefty, Larry Gura, had pressure on him to pitch well and he came through. Gura tossed a complete-game five-hitter, and the 5-1 win salvaged a split.
With a depleted staff, Wallace got a rare start in Thursday’s finale, one of just four he made his entire career. This one was against Oriole Hall of Famer Jim Palmer. In a career highlight, Wallace outpitched the Baltimore ace, going 7 2/3 innings and winning 3-0.
New York concluded this road trip in Detroit over the weekend and won two of three. The Yanks were 80-67, now 2 ½ games up on the Orioles and three on the Red Sox. With a little over two weeks to go, the AL East was New York’s for the taking.
MISSED CHANCES AT HOME
Baltimore’s return trip to the Big Apple the following week was an opportunity to create some space. Instead, it’s when the Yanks’ offensive shortcomings came home to roost. They lost three straight, being shut out twice. New York recovered by sweeping Cleveland four straight, and Boston was collapsing hard. But the lead over Baltimore was just a single game.
Then the Yanks missed another chance at home. They lost two games to the Red Sox and needed Medich to deliver a 10-inning shutout gem to get a 1-0 win and avoid the sweep. Playing the Indians again allowed for recovery and New York won three straight over the weekend. But as we entered the season’s final three days, the Yankees needed help. They were 88-72 and a half-game behind the Orioles.
THE DOOR CLOSES
Baltimore controlled the half-game and won on Monday while New York was idle. The gap was now a full game. The Orioles were in Detroit, while the Yanks were in Milwaukee.
On Tuesday night, New York held a 2-0 lead going into the eighth inning. In the meantime, Baltimore and Detroit were tied 6-6 in the ninth. There was an opportunity to pull even. But in the blink of an eye, it was gone. The Orioles pulled out the win. The Yankees coughed up the lead late and lost 3-2. The bid for the AL East was over.
A CONTENDER WITHOUT A PLAYOFF SPOT
New York finished the season 89-73, which was still the third-best record in the American League overall and the fifth-best in all of baseball. In our own day, the Yankees would have been preparing for the postseason. But in the world of 1974, they were going home.
Expectations were high in 1975, coming off this season and more aggressive offseason moves. But they weren’t fulfilled. Before the ’75 season was over, Virdon was fired and Billy Martin brought in. It took until 1976, with more trades and acquisitions, for the Yankees to finally return to the October stage.