1976 New York Yankees: Steinbrenner & Martin Bring The Yanks Back

Baseball in the Bronx was on hard times in the early-to-mid 1970s. At least hard times by the lofty standards the New York Yankees had set in winning twenty World Series titles coming into the 1976 season. But it had been 1964 since the Yanks were last even in the Fall Classic, 1962 since they won it, and over the preceding ten years, they broke the 90-win barrier just once. In fact, since Major League Baseball had split its leagues into divisions, the Yankees had yet to win the AL East.

George Steinbrenner bought the team in 1973 and towards the end of the 1975 season, he hired Billy Martin as manager. The 1976 New York Yankees would be George & Billy’s first run together, and they returned this proud franchise to prominence, reaching the World Series. 

In the late 1970s, Steinbrenner’s Yankees become synonymous with the phrase “The Best Team Money Can Buy”, for their use of the financial wealth generated by the New York market to overcome poor decisions in player development, a trend that continues this day. But it would not be fair to put that tag on the 1976 team. A series of smart trades took a decent team and made it into a bona fide contender. 

THE ART OF THE DEAL

New York dealt pitcher Doc Medich, a good, but not great starter, to the Pittsburgh Pirates for three players—they got back starting pitcher Dock Ellis in return, who won 17 games with 3.19 ERA for the Yanks in 1976. New York also got Willie Randolph, who would become a fixture at second base, reliable defensively, a base stealer and consistently on base.

A bigger move came when the Yanks shipped out Bobby Bonds (father of the infamous slugger Barry) to California and got Ed Figueroa and Mickey Rivers back. Figueroa won 19 games in ’76 and was Martin’s best starter. Rivers, a speedy centerfielder, hit .312 and stole 43 bases. New York also made a modest move to add rightfielder Oscar Gamble and beef up the lineup, with Gamble’s 17 home runs.

Not every trade made proved to be inspired—a nine-player deal with the Baltimore Orioles in June, got the Yanks starting pitcher Ken Holtzman, a young Doyle Alexander and lefty reliever Grant Jackson. But Holtzman, an excellent starter on the Oakland A’s championship teams from 1972-74, made only 21 starts and had a 4.17 ERA. And Alexander would be moved out of town before fulfilling his potential, although he did pitch well for New York in 1976. The Yankees gave up starting pitcher Scott McGregor, catcher Rick Dempsey and relief pitcher Tippy Martinez, all of whom would be instrumental for the Orioles in coming years.

Another June deal, this one with Kansas City, got the Yankees a backup catcher in Fran Healy in exchange for lefty Larry Gura, who became a reliable starter, and developed a reputation as a Yankee killer.

But when make you a lot of moves, some will blow up on you. Stepping back and looking at the larger picture makes it plain that whatever missteps were made, New York still made themselves better for 1976.

A WELL-BALANCED LINEUP

Figueroa and Ellis were the best starting pitchers in 1976, while Catfish Hunter—the big acquisition prior to the 1975 season—won 17 games himself, with a 3.53 ERA. Sparky Lyle anchored the bullpen, saving 23 games with a 2.26 ERA, and Dick Tidrow was a reliable #2 reliever, with ten saves and a 2.63 ERA. Yankee pitching was the best in the American League.

The offense was almost as good, ranking second in the AL in runs scored, and effective at all facets of offensive play. New York was second in batting average, second in steals, second in slugging percentage and second in home runs. The only thing the Yanks didn’t do was take walks, where they ranked near the bottom of the league. But they hit so well, that it didn’t affect the final team on-base percentage, which was still second in the league.

Martin liked to play aggressively, and Randolph, Rivers and left fielder Roy White combined to steal 111 bases. Graig Nettles cleaned up, hitting 32 home runs. First baseman Chris Chambliss popped 17 home runs and had 96 RBIs. Carlos May, the designated hitter, had a solid .358 on-base percentage.

And have we mentioned the catcher? Thurman Munson was the Yankee captain, and he batted .302 and drove in 105 runs. His offense, along with his leadership and work behind the plate got Thurman the American League MVP award.

SETTING THE EARLY PACE

New York started fast, winning 10 of their first 13. This included taking two straight in Baltimore behind Hunter and Ellis, and knocking around Jim Palmer, who had won the Cy Young Award in 1975 and would do so again in 1976.

The Yanks only led the AL East by a half-game, but that margin was on the Milwaukee Brewers, a lowly team that no one took seriously as a contender, and who would quickly live down to expectations. The real contenders—the Orioles, and the defending AL champs, the Boston Red Sox, were slow out of the gate and below .500 at the end of April.

New York went to the west coast and took five of six from the Oakland A’s and California Angels. The Yanks slowed a bit when they returned to play their AL East rivals, losing series to the Orioles and Detroit Tigers, and splitting four at home with the Red Sox. But New York was still setting in the pace in the division when they went to Fenway Park for a three-game set that began on Memorial Day.

A STATEMENT IN FENWAY

The Yanks came out swinging on Monday evening. Chambliss and Gamble had three hits apiece, Munson homered and Catfish went the distance in a 8-3 win. In the middle game, a five-run second inning staked Figueroa to the early lead and he delivered a four-hitter, winning 7-2. While New York dropped the finale 8-2, they were sitting on a record of 27-16, 4 ½ games ahead of Baltimore and plus-7 on Boston as the schedule moved into early summer.

TAKING CONTROL

Losing three of four to Oakland—the five-time defending AL West champion, although they would finish second this season—slowed Yankee momentum and started a 4-6 stretch. But they ripped off seven straight wins over the Twins and White Sox. Later in June, New York swept Milwaukee four straight at home.

Moreover, neither the Red Sox or the Orioles could play with any consistency. At the All-Star break, the Yankees were 50-31 with  a 9 ½ game lead on Baltimore and up 10 ½ on Boston. They were in command.

SWEEPING THE RED SOX & SLAMMING THE DOOR

Winning seven of nine out of the break pushed the lead out to eleven games. The Red Sox were coming into the Bronx. Blood was in the water, as New York looked to deliver a dagger blow.

Alexander was dominant on Friday, tossing a three-hitter. Nettles and Rivers each homered, and the Yankees cruised to a 9-1 win. The following afternoon, Figueroa again got an early lead against Boston. This time it was three runs in the second on a rally started by a Munson double. Figueroa went the distance and won 4-1.

On Sunday, the Yanks trailed 5-3 in the ninth inning and were down to their final out. They had two men aboard and Chambliss at the plate. In an ending that foreshadowed October, Chambliss hit a walkoff blast. New York had completed the sweep.

Even though the Yanks then lost three straight in Baltimore and three of four on the return trip to Boston, the damage was done. While the lead dipped to a 8 ½ games, winning two of three over eventual the AL West champ Kansas City Royals triggered an 8-2 stretch. By Labor Day, New York was 81-52 and 10 ½ games up.

COASTING HOME

It was a stress-free September in the Bronx—at least as stress-free as any experience involving George Steinbrenner and Billy Martin would ever be. On Saturday afternoon, September 25, with a little over a week to do, the magic number to clinch was down to one. Alexander was facing the mediocre Detroit Tigers. The Yanks came out swinging and dropped a six-spot in the first inning. Munson homered in the second. The 10-6 win ended when Tidrow induced a groundball out to Randolph. For the first time ever, the New York Yankees were AL East champs.

THE CHAMBLISS BLAST & THE AFTERMATH

New York’s final record of 97-62 was the best in the American League and third-best in the major leagues. They were headed for an epic American League Championship Series battle with Kansas City, one that ended when Chambliss hit a historic walkoff homer in the decisive game to break a 6-6 tie in the bottom of the ninth.

READ THE GAME-BY-GAME NARRATIVE OF THE 1976 ALCS

In the World Series, this Yankee season ran out of steam. Cincinnati’s Big Red Machine was too good, and they were at the peak of their power. The Reds swept the Yanks in four straight.

READ THE GAME-BY-GAME NARRATIVE OF THE 1976 WORLD SERIES

Even with the World Series loss, championship baseball had returned to the Bronx. In 1977, they made it back to the Fall Classic, and this time they won it. In 1978, they did it again.