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Johnny Babich's
Revenge Against
The Yankees
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“Yankee Destroyer” might best describe Johnny Babich in 1940, pitching for last-place Philadelphia.
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Actually, Babich was once the property of the Yankees in 1939, a season in which he only pitched in the Yankees farm system, posting a 17-6 mark for Kansas City. That should’ve gotten someone’s attention in the Yankees organization, but it somehow slipped by.
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The Philadelphia A’s took notice and signed Babich, promptly using him to destroy the Yankees the following year.
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1940 was the year that the Detroit Tigers would cop the American League flag. But, it was a struggle with Cleveland finishing in second place, one game back and, the Yankees taking third place, two games back.
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Philadelphia finished dead last, winning only 54 games that season. But, they rejoiced in Babich’s outings against the Yankees. He faced them six times, winning five times with five game completions.
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The one thing Babich will always be remembered for was beating a team that didn’t want him, a team that needed only two more victories to finish in first place, a team he proudly defeated five times that season.
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