Bob Meusel
A powerful, quiet force in the Yankees' legendary Murderers' Row, whose clutch hitting and cannon arm fueled the franchise's first dynasty.
1896–1977 (age 81)·American baseball player·Birthday: July 19·The Lost Generation
Biography
Bob Meusel didn't seek the spotlight that found his more famous teammates, but his production was impossible to ignore. Nicknamed 'Long Bob' for his tall, lean frame, he joined the New York Yankees in 1920, just in time to become a cornerstone of the most fearsome lineup in baseball history. Batting behind Babe Ruth and alongside Lou Gehrig, Meusel was the cleanup hitter who made pitchers pay for walking the stars ahead of him. He was a model of consistent, powerful offense, driving in over 100 runs in seven of his eleven seasons. In the field, his throwing arm was a weapon of legend, one of the strongest and most accurate of his era, routinely cutting down runners from the outfield with cold efficiency. He played with a stoic, almost surly demeanor, a contrast to the boisterous Ruth, but his value was unquestioned as the Yankees captured six American League pennants and three World Series titles in the 1920s. Meusel’s career was the epitome of quiet excellence, a vital component of a machine built to dominate.
The Lost Generation
1883–1900
Came of age during World War I. Disillusioned by the carnage, they rejected the certainties of the Victorian era and built modernism from the wreckage — in art, literature, and politics.
Bob was born in 1896, placing them squarely in The Lost Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Bob Was Born
The biggest hits of 1896
Bob's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1896Born
First modern Olympic Games held in Athens
President: Grover Cleveland
1901Started school
Queen Victoria dies, ending the Victorian era
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1909Became a teenager
Robert Peary claims to reach the North Pole
President: William Howard Taft
1912Could drive
Titanic sinks on its maiden voyage
President: William Howard Taft
1914Could vote
World War I begins
President: Woodrow Wilson
1917Turned 21
Russian Revolution overthrows the tsar; US enters WWI
President: Woodrow Wilson
1926Turned 30
Robert Goddard launches the first liquid-fueled rocket
President: Calvin Coolidge"Baby Face" — Jan Garber
1936Turned 40
Jesse Owens wins four golds at the Berlin Olympics
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"The Way You Look Tonight" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: The Great Ziegfeld
1946Turned 50
United Nations holds its first General Assembly
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $5,150Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Prisoner of Love" — Perry ComoBest Picture: The Best Years of Our Lives
1956Turned 60
Elvis Presley appears on The Ed Sullivan Show
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $10,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Heartbreak Hotel" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: Around the World in 80 Days
1966Turned 70
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1976Turned 80
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1977Died at 81
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
Key Achievements
- Was a starting outfielder and key run producer for the New York Yankees' first three World Series championship teams (1923, 1927, 1928).
- Led the American League in home runs (33) and runs batted in (138) in the 1925 season.
- Recorded a .500 batting average (10-for-20) in the 1921 World Series, though the Yankees lost to the Giants.
- Finished his career with a .309 batting average and 1,007 RBIs over 11 seasons, primarily with the Yankees.
Did You Know?
He, Babe Ruth, and Lou Gehrig formed the heart of the 1927 Yankees' 'Murderers' Row' lineup, considered the greatest in baseball history.
Meusel was one of the last players to legally throw a spitball, as he was exempt from the rule banning it when it was enacted in 1920.
He and his brother, Irish Meusel, played against each other in the 1921 and 1922 World Series (Bob with Yankees, Irish with Giants).
He was known for having one of the strongest outfield arms of his generation, frequently leading the league in outfield assists.
“I just tried to hit the ball hard and get on base.”
