Books and articles about Rudy York

Always threatening at the plate, the 6'1" 210-lb York overcame defensive troubles and jibes at his ancestry (he was half American Indian) to become a productive ML first baseman. As MVP of the Texas League in 1935 and the American Association in 1936, York was trapped behind the Tigers' first baseman Hank Greenberg, who was AL MVP himself in '35. As a rookie in 1937, York put together one of the greatest months in baseball history, breaking Babe Ruth's record for home runs in one month with 18 in August, while driving in 49 runs, another ML one-month record. He finished at .307 with 35 HR and 103 RBI in only 375 at-bats while splitting time between catcher and third base. When Mickey Cochrane suffered a career-ending skull fracture, York became Detroit's everyday catcher, but by 1940 Tiger management realized York belonged at first base. They paid Greenberg a bonus to move to left field, and he hit 41 home runs that year. York added 33, and the Tigers won the pennant.

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Greenberg left for WWII in 1941, leaving York to supply the Tigers' power, but he slipped to 27 and 21 HR in 1941-42, although he hit three in one game on September 1, 1941. York rebounded in 1943 to lead the AL in both HR and RBI, but fell below 20 the next two years. When the Tigers switched Greenberg back to 1B at the end of his career, York was traded to the Red Sox. He hit only 17 HR for Boston in 1946, but added two in the WS, including a game-winner in the tenth inning of Game One.

York was never a defensive whiz, leading AL first basemen in errors three times and prompting one sportswriter to quip, "Rudy York is part Indian and part first baseman." He was, however, extremely dangerous with the bases loaded, belting 12 career grand slams, including two in one game July 27, 1946, a game in which he drove in ten runs. (JK)

FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY » September 30, 1927: With the score 2-2 in the eighth, Mark Koenig triples and Ruth hits No. 60 off Tom Zachary for a 4-2 win. In the ninth Walter Johnson makes his final appearance as a player. He pinch-hits for Zachary and flies out to Ruth. Ruth hits 17 HRs in September, the highest month's HR output till Rudy York's 18 in August 1937. » June 9, 1937: Mickey Cochrane is taken off Detroit's active-player roster. 3B Marv Owen is sidelined with a broken bone in his hand, and Rudy York is recalled from Toledo to replace him. » August 31, 1937: Detroit's rookie Rudy York sets a new record for HRs in a month, hitting his 17th and 18th to eclipse Babe Ruth's mark set in September 1927. He knocks in seven runs against Pete Appleton, as Detroit beats Washington 12-3. » October 2, 1937: Rudy York of Detroit hits his 35th HR, tying the 1934 AL record of Hal Trosky for rookies. » May 25, 1938: The Tigers use the long ball to defeat the Yankees, 7–3, at Detroit. Rudy York and Hank Greenberg hit back-to-back homers twice in the game. » May 30, 1938: Rudy York hits his 3rd grand slam of the month, as the Tigers beat the Browns 10–9 in the first game of a holiday pair. York will slam five this year. » June 21, 1938: Red Sox 3B Pinky Higgins extends his consecutive-hit string to 12, with eight hits in a doubleheader split with Detroit. He is 4-for-4 in each game, a Boston win in the opener, 8–3. Detroit wins the nitecap, 5–4. with Rudy York catching both games. Tomorrow, Pinky will strike out against Vern Kennedy in his first at bat ending the streak. » September 3, 1938: Rudy York of the Tigers hits his 4th grand slam, tying the ML season record. » February 15, 1940: The Tiger roster lists Hank Greenberg as an OF. The willingness of the team's leading power hitter to switch, at a contract boost, from 1B allows manager Del Baker to find a position for Rudy York. Also on the list are Dick Bartell, picked up from the Cubs for Billy Rogell, and Pinky Higgins, who had been shopped around. The four, along with Barney McCosky and Charlie Gehringer, produce the stuff that will move the Tigers from fifth to first, although its .588 mark will be as low as that of any pennant-winner yet. » August 24, 1940: At Fenway, LF Ted Williams of the Boston Red Sox pitches the last two innings in a 12–1 loss to the Detroit Tigers and Tommy Bridges. Williams allows three hits and one run scores when 3B Charlie Gelbert juggles a DP grounder. On three pitches Williams strikes out Tiger slugger Rudy York, who had driven in five Detroit runs. Joe Glenn, who caught Babe Ruth's last pitching appearance in 1933, is Williams' catcher. Pitcher Jim Bagby plays the OF for the Sox. » May 6, 1941: Playing in his last game before induction into the Army tomorrow, Hank Greenberg hits two home runs to lead Detroit to a 7–4 win over the Yankees. Each time he teams with Bruce Campbell to go back-to-back, the 2nd time in his career he's done it. Rudy York and he teamed up. A few days later OF Joe Gallagher of the Dodgers is drafted. No other regular ML player will be drafted during the season, but several others on training rosters will, as contemporary writers phrase it, "join the colors." » May 3, 1942: The Tigers edge the A's, 8–7 in Game One of a twinbill. Rudy York, who clouted two homers yesterday, hits two more in the opener, one short of Ty Cobb's American League record for two straight games. Phil Marchildon allows two hits in game two to stop the Tigers, 1–0. » July 6, 1942: First-inning HRs by Lou Boudreau and Rudy York off Mort Cooper lead the AL to a 3-1 triumph over the NL in the All-Star Game at the Polo Grounds. Mickey Owen also homers for the third run. He does not hit a single HR during the regular schedule. » June 18, 1943: Not a single putout will come the way of Detroit 1B Rudy York. » August 31, 1943: Detroit's Rudy York hits two HRs to bring his August home run total to 17, one less than his 1937 record for home runs in a single month, which he also set in August. » May 13, 1945: Rookie phenom Boo Ferriss reaches 22 shutout innings before allowing a run versus the Tigers in a 6–2 Red Sox win. This sets an American League record for scoreless innings at the start of a ML career. Ferriss strikes out 1B Rudy York four times, all on called 3rd strikes. » October 5, 1945: Claude Passeau of the Chicago Cubs pitches a one-hitter, beating the Detroit Tigers 3-0 in the 3rd game of the WS. Rudy York's 2nd-inning single spoils Passeau's no-hit bid. Bill Nicholson drives in the first run. » January 3, 1946: The Red Sox get Rudy York from Detroit in a trade for Eddie Lake. » July 27, 1946: Rudy York of Boston hits grand-slam HRs in the second and fifth innings off Tex Shirley of the St. Louis Browns, as the Red Sox win 13-6. Only Tony Lazzeri and Jim Tabor have accomplished this feat before York. York also has a 2-run double to knock in 10 runs. He had five RBI against the Browns the day before. » October 6, 1946: The World Series opens with a Red Sox 3–2 win as Rudy York hits a 10th-inning home run off Howie Pollet. The Sox tie the game in the 9th when an easy grounder to Marty Marion takes a freak bounce and goes through his legs. » October 9, 1946: Boo Ferriss records the 50th shutout in World Series history. He holds the opposition to only six hits, as the Boston Red Sox blank the St. Louis Cardinals 4–0. Rudy York's 3-run home run in the first is the big blow. » April 23, 1947: Rudy York's two hits are it for Boston as the Yankees Allie Reynolds shuts out the Hubmen, 3–0. Boo Ferriss is the loser. » July 3, 1959: Boston fires manager Pinky Higgins, replacing him tomorrow with Billy Jurges. Coach Rudy York takes over for today's game. » May 9, 1961: Jim Gentile becomes the 3rd player to hit grand slams in consecutive innings (Tony Lazzeri in 1936, Jim Tabor in 1939: Rudy York in 1946 also hit two grand slams, but not in consecutive innings) when he belts one off Pedro Ramos in the first and adds another off Paul Giel in the 2nd. His eight RBI in consecutive innings set a ML record. Gentile also tacks on a sacrifice fly to give him a club record nine RBI in the 13–5 drubbing of the Twins. » June 29, 1968: Jim Northrup's 3rd grand slam ties the major-league record for slams in a month (Rudy York, May 1938), and sets a major-league record for slams in a week. The Tigers win 5–2 over Chicago, as Denny McLain tallies his 14th victory. » June 25, 1998: Chicago's Sammy Sosa hits a home run in the Cubs' 6–4 loss to the Tigers, breaking Rudy York's major league record for home runs in a month with 19. He will end the month with 20 round–trippers. » July 19, 2001: The Rockies obtain IF Alex Ochoa from the Reds for 2B Todd Walker and minor league OF Robin Jennings. The Reds also call up top OF prospect Adam Dunn, who hit 32 homers in the minors this year. Dunn will clout 19 homers for the Reds including 12 in August, setting the NL rookie record for most home run in any month, with 12. The old mark of 11 was set by Frank Robinson, in August 1956. The only other rookies to hit more home run in a month were Rudy York (18--August 1937), Mark McGwire (May 1987) and Jimmie Hall (13--August 1963).