Shutting Out Murderers' Row, New York Yankees at Washington Senators, Aug 13, 1932 (Recreation)

The police are lined up around Griffith Stadium to keep the peace as the Washington Senators are visited by the New York Yankees. There’s little love between the two teams or their fans; the last meeting in July ended with the Yankees’ catcher Bill Dickey punching Carl Reynolds onto the injured list with a broken jaw. Dickey  Today’s game will be Reynolds first game back, and following a 30-game suspension, Bill Dickey is catching once more.

The 1932 Yankees are somewhat romanticised as a mythical and unstoppable force of nature; not every team can win 107 games and sweep the opposition in the World Series. Nor can most teams boast of nine future Hall of Fame players in the same roster, or go the entire season without being shut out.

Except today. Washington pitcher Tommy Thomas is carrying a long-standing locked elbow and bone bruises in an arm lacking stamina, but he’s ready to take the Yankees out. And take them out he does, shutting down both Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth in a combined 0-8 game.

The opposing pitcher, Red Ruffing, is on course to top the American League for strikeouts. The powerhouse right-hander is going to post one of the most statistically rare and dominant individual performances of the live-ball era, cementing the legend of the 1932 Yankees' march to the pennant.

One of them is going to be on the wrong side of the boxscore…

Ewan Spence and the Classic Baseball Radio team bring you this recreated radio broadcast from August 13, 1932. This should not be considered a complete or fully accurate historical record. Nevertheless, this is our story of the game.

We thank Retrosheet, Sports Reference, Sports Logos Net, Tom R Audio, and  Crafting The Call.

** Links **

You can find the boxscore here:

https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/WS1/WS1193208130.shtml 

The team that was never shut out, a look at the New York Yankees in 1932.

https://www.baseballhistorycomesalive.com/1932-new-york-yankees/ 

The unique career of Red Ruffing.

https://tht.fangraphs.com/the-unique-career-of-red-ruffing/

Red Ruffing’s route to Cooperstown.

https://www.cooperstowncred.com/hall-of-famer-red-ruffing-world-series-star/ 

Biography of Washingont Nationals pitcher Tommy Thomas.

https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/tommy-thomas/

The story of the Home Plate Punch on July 4th following a collision between Bill Dickey and Carl Reynolds, the resulting 30-game suspension, and the physical fallout.

https://sabr.org/gamesproj/game/july-4-1932-yankees-catcher-bill-dickey-punches-carl-reynolds-draws-30-game-suspension/ 

“He Called It,” Scott Pitoniak looks at the evidence of Babe Ruth's immortal at bat in Game Three of the 1932 World Series.

https://baseballhall.org/discover-more/stories/baseball-history/ruth-called-it 

Columbia Magazine's deep dive into Lou Gehrig’s early life in Yorkville, his parents' German immigrant background, and his rise to collegiate fame

https://magazine.columbia.edu/article/lou-gehrig-columbia-legend-and-american-hero 

The stars of the New York Yankees Murderers Row.

https://bronxpinstripes.com/yankees/eras/murderers-row 

The Senators' Griffith Park, nestled into its urban environment, including details about the famous wildcat bleachers.

https://www.loc.gov/exhibitions/baseball-americana/about-this-exhibition/at-the-ballpark/the-ballpark-community/baseball-on-the-map/