In 1976, the New York Yankees, once one of the most successful major league baseball organizations, broke out of an 11-year slump. The team made it into the World Series for the first time since 1964.

The 1976 Yankees, however, unlike some past squads, were not the feared home run sluggers that was once one of the franchise’s trademarks – although a Yankee led the American League in home runs that year.

Third baseman Graig Nettles was the league leader in home runs with 32 – a solid number but not comparable to the statistics some previous Yankees had registered. Moreover, the remainder of the...