In the words of Senators first baseman Joe Judge, “Those fellows not only beat you, but they tear your heart out.” Many teams have dominated their respective leagues over the course of baseball history, but few have been able to totally demoralize their competition like the New York Yankees did in 1927. Their iconic batting lineup -- CF Earle Combs leading off, SS Mark Koenig batting second, RF Babe Ruth in the three-hole, 1B Lou Gehrig in the cleanup spot, LF Bob Meusel hitting sixth and 2B Tony Lazzeri sixth -- was appropriately dubbed "Murderer's Row" as it featured five .300 hitters and four 100-RBI guys. As a team, the Bronx Bombers batted .307, slugged .489 and hit 100 more home runs than the next closest ballclub. The 1927 Yanks finished with a 110-44 record to run away with the AL pennant. Their sweep of the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 1927 Fall Classic was a fitting culmination of the most prolific season played by any team in baseball history.
There was a sixth .300 hitter on this prestigious '27 squad. And although he didn't start, Ben Paschal played an instrumental role as the fourth outfielder and #1 pinch hitter for skipper Miller Huggins' club that year and throughout his entire Yankees tenure (1924-29). The Univ. of Alabama alum appeared in 65 games and batted .317 with nine doubles and 16 RBI, plugging in at a corner outfield spot to give Ruth and Meusel the occasional breather. In one of those starts, Pascal hit two homers, a triple just feet from clearing the fence, and a double -- coming up a single short of the cycle. Considered one of the best bench players and pinch hitters in all of baseball during his career, sportswriters noted how he would have started for almost every other American League team. His best MLB season came in 1925 when he batted .360 and slugged .611 with 12 homers and 55 ribbies (all career highs), starting the first 40 games for the Bambino hospitalized with an intestinal abcess.
Featured here is Ben Paschal's 1927 New York Yankees World Series Championship ring. The 14-karat gold ring with a classy, vintage design boasts a large central diamond surrounded by “NEW YORK YANKEES WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP” on the face. Identical left and right shanks read “NEW YORK” and “1927” with the patriotic Great Seal of the United States in relief. The inner band of the ring has been stamped with “D&C14K” for Dieges & Clust and the 14k gold metal composition. “B.E. Paschal” [Ben Edwin Paschal] has been engraved in cursive on the inner band as well and remains perfectly legible. 1927 marked the first year that New York Yankee players received rings for their championship efforts designating this example as the original New York Yankees championship ring. An iconic masterpiece, the likes of which comes to auction maybe a couple times every five years if we're lucky. Size is 11.5 and weight is 27 grams. While it does shows a lot of wear, the gold shine and design details still stand out beautifully. Includes a full LOA from renowned ring expert T.J. Kaye who has confirmed its authenticity.