The 1927 World Series - True or False

[1905 Giants]

OK, so for some reason this one never seems to die, even 89 years later.

The idea was that after watching the Yankees take batting practice, the Pirates were intimidated and beaten then and there.

Lloyd Waner denied it fervently, but for some reason I still see it crop up as "fact"

So do you guys think the Pirates were "intimidated" by the Yankees hitting prowess?

[BigRon]

I doubt that they were intimidated. The Pirates were very good- not quite as good as the Yankees, but.... Two of the games were decided by 1 run, and in the two others the Yankees scored late to blow close games open. I'm sure the Pirates were impressed with the Yankees' power, but I doubt that they were intimidated.

[westsidegrounds]

Just another legend.

singles/doubles/triples/HR totals for the four games:

Yankees - 28/6/2/2
Pirates - 22/6/1/0

In the NYY 6-2 win in Game 2, NYY blew it open in the top of the 8th by scoring on a WP, a HBP, and a single.
In the 3rd game, the Yanks blowout was pretty similar - in the seventh, NYY batters produced as follows: single; sac bunt; groundout; fielder's choice RBI; single RBI; double RBI; [pitching change] 3-run HR; K; K.

Basically, the Yankees won by out-smallballing the Pirates.

......................

Didn't somebody try to psych out an opposing team fairly recently (~1980s?) by having his team take BP using Japanese League baseballs? (smaller & livelier than MLB baseballs) I want to say Pete Rose, not sure though.

[ipitch]

At worst, being intimidated is merely going to hurt your chances of winning, and NY's bats it shouldn't have affected the Pirates offense.

[Death to Crawling Things]

I've always doubted it. HRs weren't that Pirates team's game. THey were a high BA, use Forbes Field to their advantage, and play stingy defense type team.

ANd of course, like previously shouldn't have mattered to their offense, and I would doubt it affected their pitching. Their top pitchers (Kremer, Hill, Meadows, and Aldridge) were "cagey" veteran types, one you wouldn't expect to crumble under pressure. THough, their style was solid, above average, but hittable. They weren't dominators.

[willshad]

Who wouldn't be intimidated by seeing Ruth and Gehrig back to back?

[Honus Wagner Rules]

OK, so for some reason this one never seems to die, even 89 years later.

The idea was that after watching the Yankees take batting practice, the Pirates were intimidated and beaten then and there.

Lloyd Waner denied it fervently, but for some reason I still see it crop up as "fact"

So do you guys think the Pirates were "intimidated" by the Yankees hitting prowess?

That's one of those baseball tall tales. The Pirates won the World Series just two years before so they had been there before. The Yankees just outplayed them, that's all.

[Bucketfoot]

Where and how did this story get started?

[stuarthouse]

I recall an account by one of the Waner brothers. He said that it was not true because the Pirates had already left the park before the Yankees started batting practice.