By the time the 1962 season rolled around, the Yankees were the undisputed rulers at the center of the baseball universe. Fans around the country were captivated by the historic home run chase between Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle the prior season — a campaign which saw the organization capture its 19th championship in a 39-year span. And though some of the key contributors of the team — Mantle, Maris, and Elston Howard chief among them — were entering the second acts of their careers, there was no reason to believe the Bombers could not continue their run of dominance.
The Next-Most Surprising Seasons in Yankees History: 1962 Tom Tresh
