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FOREWORD
"Fans, for the past two weeks you
have been reading about the bad break I got. Yet
today I consider myself the luckiest man on the
face of this earth." - Lou
Gehrig
On Lou Gehrig Day at Yankee Stadium
(July 4, 1939), with more than 62,000 fans in
attendance, the "Iron Horse" uttered his immortal
words of gratitude and delivered one of the most
emotional and heartfelt speeches ever given. Gehrig
opened his remarks with a celebrated line that
demonstrated his courage and selflessness. He said,
"Fans, for the past two weeks you have been reading
about the bad break I got. Yet today I consider
myself the luckiest man on the face of this earth."
As a devoted New York Yankees die-hard, I cannot
help but feel that I am one of the "luckiest fans
on the face of this earth" to have witnessed such a
glorious history, courtesy of the "Pinstripes" -
thus the title and sentiment behind this
website.
Each year, the primary focus in any
professional sport is the race for a championship.
Every sport has its pinnacle trophy, but none is as
coveted as that of baseball's World Series; a
best-of-seven contest that celebrates our national
pastime. An event as important as any holiday on
the calendar, it is as traditional as Thanksgiving,
as patriotic as the Fourth of July and as
anticipated as Christmas morning. Over the last
century, the World Series has been woven into the
fabric of America's culture. Evolving far beyond a
mere baseball tournament, it has become the game of
all games and has continued to provide us with an
endless highlight reel of magical moments, evoking
childhood memories of agony and ecstasy.
As the founding author of the
Pinstripe Press, it has been a longstanding goal of
mine to provide baseball fans with a concise
reference guide featuring New York's World Series
notables. The basic foundation for this website is
represented by a compilation of essays originally
written by myself for Baseball-Almanac.com and The
Highlander.
I have labored, to the best of my
abilities, to accurately research and present what
I feel are the major highlights of each New York
Classic. To put each time period in perspective, I
have outlined significant historical events,
referred to as "Pinstripe Perspectives," that took
place off of the field. And as a bonus, you will
find little-known gems referred as "Bomber Bytes"
that are quoted from the Fast Facts archives at
Baseball-Almanac.com.
However, it is virtually impossible
to incorporate everything; therefore, I have
included an extensive list of the reference
materials used in this project in the Bibliography
and recommend each and every one for those who are
interested in reading additional information. For
additional World Series game data, composite
statistics, individual box scores, and more
information on all things pertaining to baseball,
visit Baseball-Almanac.com - "THE
Official Baseball History Site."
Updates will be added here as the
legacy of the Bronx Bombers continues to grow. Feel
free to email any questions, comments and/or
corrections. Go Yankees! - Michael
Aubrecht
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