Yanks Repeated Old Script Under New Pilot
A NEW LOOK at season's start-featuring an expanded ten-club circuit and an enlarged 162-game schedule—gave way to an old familiar script as the 1961 American League pennant race unfolded. When the final curtain fell, the New York Yankees once again reigned as champions. For the perennial kingpins, it was their twelfth flag in the last 15 years and No. 26 in club history.
The Yankees' success, although repetitious of an old, old story, bore the stamp of completely new leadership. Ralph Houk was at the helm and Roy Hamey pulled the strings as front-office boss. Houk, formerly a coach under Casev Stengel, had succeeded tha Ol' Perfessor as skipper following the '60 campaign, while Hamey replaced George M. Weiss as general manager.
Houk capped his spectacular Big Time managerial debut by leading the Yankees to victory in the World's Series. In trimming the Cincinnati Reds, four games to one, the Bombers gave Houk the distinction of being only the third freshman pilot to win the blue-ribbon classic. Stanley (Bucky) Harris turned the trick with the Washington Senators in 1924 and Eddie Dyer duplicated the feat with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1946.
Boasting the game's most potent home-run punch, plus strong pitching and a sharp defense, the New Yorkers finished eight full games ahead of runner-up Detroit. With the help of the longer schedule, the Yankees posted 109 victories — third highest total in American League annals — as compared to 53 defeats. Their .673 winning percentage was the circuit's best since Cleveland hung up a .721 percentage with a record 111 triumphs and 43 losses in 1954.
The Yankees entered the race as topheavy favorites to repeat. In The Sporting News' annual pre-season poll of members of the Baseball Writers' Association, 122 of the 234 who participated selected New York for the pennant. Baltimore was accorded 64 first-place votes to rank second, while Chicago received 34 and Cleveland 12. The two other flag votes went to Detroit and Minnesota, which rated fifth and sixth, respectively, in the poll. They were followed by Boston and Kansas City, while the new Los Angeles and Washington clubs were tabbed to bring up the rear.
Detroit proved to be the league's big surprise and the only real threat to Yankee domination. Bob Scheffing's club set the pace during most of the first half of the campaign. After bowing to Cleveland in the season opener, April 11, the Tigers proceeded to win their next eight games. Another victory skein of six early in May catapulted the Bengals to a 17-5 record, and they held the lead throughout the month.
Cleveland enjoyed a brief flurry of flag excitement early in June. Buried in fifth place with a 12-13 mark on May 13, the Indians suddenly went on the war path. Jimmie Dykes' warriors won 22 of their next 26 games to climb into contention. On June 6 they seized the lead from Detroit during a ten-game victory binge. The Tribe clung to the top rung for nine days.
Like the Indians, the Yankees experienced rough going during the opening month. They found themselves a mere two games over .500 at 17-15 through May 21 before making their move. Houk's crew fairly sizzled during the first part of June with 11 victories in a 12-game stretch. The Bombers finally grabbed first place for one day, June 15, replacing Cleveland when Ralph Terry beat the Indians in 11 innings, 3 to 2. The following night Detroit regained the top spot.
Following the Indians' ouster from first place, they faded from the pennant picture almost as quickly as they had soared to the top. Tribe hopes evaporated late in June in a string of seven straight defeats and ten in 12 games. From that point on it was strictly a two-team race between Detroit and New York.
The Tigers still were in the van when the first All-Star break arrived, July 10-12. They boasted a 55-30 record. The Yankees occupied second place with a 53-29 mark. Baltimore was third, seven games back, and Cleveland fourth, eight and one-half behind. They were followed in order by Chicago, Boston, Washington, Los Angeles, Minnesota and Kansas City.
During the next 12 days the Yankees and Tigers alternated in the lead. On July 25 the Yankees launched a home stand by beating the White Sox twice. Wheeling out their big guns for eight homers, including two in each game by Roger Maris, the Bombers routed the Pale Hose, 5 to 1 and 12 to 0,
