New York Yankees: One Pennant Often Led to Another or Two Streaks of 5 in a Row

The New York Yankees have won 40 pennants and 27 World Series. Unlike most other franchises, the Yankees usually string their pennants together.

The Yankees won the first pennant in their history in 1921. They followed that with pennants in 1922 and 1923 for the first string of three consecutive American League championships.

The New York Giants matched the Yankees three pennants and won the 1921 and 1922 World Series before the Yankees discovered what it was like to be world champions in 1923.

After the Washington Senators won consecutive pennants in 1924 and 1925, the Yankees won three more consecutive pennants from 1926-28.

Grover Cleveland Alexander struck out Tony Lazzeri with the bases loaded and two outs in the seventh game in 1926 as the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Yankees, but as they often do, the Yankees beat them in 1928 after sweeping the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1927.

In 1932, the Yankees swept the Chicago Cubs in the Series that saw Babe Ruth allegedly call his home run, but for the first time, they failed to follow an initial pennant with another. They soon made amends.

From 1936-39, the Yankees won four pennants and four World Series. It was the first time a team won four consecutive world championships.

After a short break in 1940, the Yankees started another streak of three pennants from 1941-43. They beat the Dodgers in the 1941 World Series and the Cardinals in 1943 after the Cardinals had won in 1942.

Nineteen-forty seven was a warm up.

The Yankees won the pennant and beat the Brooklyn Dodgers in a hard-fought, seven game Series in which Bill Bevens lost a possible no-hitter and the game with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning on Cookie Lavagetto's two-run, pinch-hit double.

In 1949, the greatest streak in baseball history started. The Yankees won five consecutive pennants and five World Series before the 1954 team, which won more regular season games (103) than any of the world championship teams, was beaten out by the Cleveland Indians.

Then, another streak of four pennants started in 1955.

The Dodgers won their only championship in Brooklyn that year, but the Yankees beat them in 1956. The Milwaukee Braves beat the Yankees in 1957, but Bob Turley sacrificed his career to help the Yankees beat the Braves in 1958.

Turley pitched a shutout in Game 5, saved Game 6 and won Game 7. It put a "slight" strain on his arm.

The Chicago White Sox, managed by Al Lopez, who had skippered the 1954 Indians, won the 1959 pennant. The Yankees then, almost incredibly, started another skein of five consecutive pennants, but unlike 1949-53, the 1960-64 streak produced world championships in only 1961 and 1962.

The drought started after the 1964 World Series loss to the Cardinals. Finally, in 1976, another streak of three started, resulting in World Series wins against the Dodgers, no longer the Brooklyn Dodgers, in 1977 and 1978.

Then there were many regular season wins, but no pennants until 1996.

Joe Torre led the team to the 1996 pennant and world championship, but there was no celebration in 1997. The next three seasons were the best in the team's history in many ways.

The 1998 Yankees won 114 regular season games, seven in the playoffs and swept the Braves, now from Atlanta, in the World Series. They did the same thing in 1999.

The Yankees won only 87 regular season games in 2000, but got to the World Series where the New York Mets were waiting for them. The Yankees beat them in five grueling games.

I am going to confess right here. I never realized that the Yankees won four consecutive pennants from 1998-2001. I have repressed the 2001 Series to such an extent that winning the pennant doesn't register. 

The last two pennants were solos. The Yankees won the 2003 pennant thanks to Aaron Boone and after another lull, they beat the Philadelphia Phillies in 2009.

What a nice summary to write and how pleasant, at least mostly pleasant, to remember.