1939 Major League Baseball season
Sports season
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 1939 major league baseball season began on April 17, 1939. The regular season ended on October 1, with the Cincinnati Reds and New York Yankees as the regular season champions of the National League and American League, respectively. The postseason began with Game 1 of the 36th World Series on October 4 and ended with Game 4 on October 8. The Yankees swept the Reds in four games, capturing their eighth championship in franchise history, and their last in a four-World Series run, becoming the first team to win four consecutive World Series.
National League (NL)
- April 18 â October 1, 1939 (AL)
- April 17 â October 1, 1939 (NL)
- October 4â8, 1939
| 1939 MLB season | |
|---|---|
| League | American League (AL) National League (NL) |
| Sport | Baseball |
| Duration | Regular season:
|
| Games | 154 |
| Teams | 16 (8 per league) |
| Regular season | |
| Season MVP | AL: Joe DiMaggio (NYY) NL: Bucky Walters (CIN) |
| AL champions | New York Yankees |
| AL runners-up | Boston Red Sox |
| NL champions | Cincinnati Reds |
| NL runners-up | St. Louis Cardinals |
| World Series | |
| Champions | New York Yankees |
| Runners-up | Cincinnati Reds |
The seventh Major League Baseball All-Star Game was held on July 11 at Yankee Stadium in New York, New York, home of the New York Yankees. The American League won, 3â1.
Schedule
The 1939 schedule consisted of 154 games for all teams in the American League and National League, each of which had eight teams. Each team was scheduled to play 22 games against the other seven teams of their respective league. This continued the format put in place since the 1904 season (except for 1919) and would be used until 1961 in the American League and 1962 in the National League.
National League Opening Day took place on April 17 with a game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and Cincinnati Reds, while American League Opening Day took place on the following day, with a game between the Chicago White Sox and Detroit Tigers. This continued the trend from the previous season which saw both leagues opened on different days. It was the first season since 1901 that saw both leagues open with just one game each. The final day of the regular season was on October 1 and featured twelve teams. The World Series took place between October 4 and October 8.
Rule change
The 1939 season saw the following rule change:
- The scoring sacrifice fly, exempting a batter from a time at bat when a runner scored after the putout on a fly ball, was restored for the first time since its elimination in 1931. This would last only one season.[1]
- Similar to the infield fly rule, now an umpire could make a judgement about an outfield fly ball. If it is judged that an outfielder intentionally drops a fly ball or line drive, the umpire shall immediately rule the ball has been caught. Like the infield fly rule, this only applies when there are less than two outs, and runners occupying at least first and second base.[2]
- Pitchers can now start with only his pivot foot on or making contact in front of the pitching rubber.[2]
- In the American League:
- Night games were now approved, with up to seven night games allowed per team, though teams could not play at night on Saturdays, Sundays, holidays, nor could they start an inning after 11:50 p.m..[2]
- Baseballs would now match the National League's stitching.[2]
Teams
An asterisk (*) denotes the ballpark a team played the minority of their home games at
Standings
American League
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB | Home | Road |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York Yankees | 106 | 45 | .702 | â | 52âââ25 | 54âââ20 |
| Boston Red Sox | 89 | 62 | .589 | 17 | 42âââ32 | 47âââ30 |
| Cleveland Indians | 87 | 67 | .565 | 20½ | 44âââ33 | 43âââ34 |
| Chicago White Sox | 85 | 69 | .552 | 22½ | 50âââ27 | 35âââ42 |
| Detroit Tigers | 81 | 73 | .526 | 26½ | 42âââ35 | 39âââ38 |
| Washington Senators | 65 | 87 | .428 | 41½ | 37âââ39 | 28âââ48 |
| Philadelphia Athletics | 55 | 97 | .362 | 51½ | 28âââ48 | 27âââ49 |
| St. Louis Browns | 43 | 111 | .279 | 64½ | 18âââ59 | 25âââ52 |
National League
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB | Home | Road |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cincinnati Reds | 97 | 57 | .630 | â | 55âââ25 | 42âââ32 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 92 | 61 | .601 | 4½ | 51âââ27 | 41âââ34 |
| Brooklyn Dodgers | 84 | 69 | .549 | 12½ | 51âââ27 | 33âââ42 |
| Chicago Cubs | 84 | 70 | .545 | 13 | 44âââ34 | 40âââ36 |
| New York Giants | 77 | 74 | .510 | 18½ | 41âââ33 | 36âââ41 |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | 68 | 85 | .444 | 28½ | 35âââ42 | 33âââ43 |
| Boston Bees | 63 | 88 | .417 | 32½ | 37âââ35 | 26âââ53 |
| Philadelphia Phillies | 45 | 106 | .298 | 50½ | 29âââ44 | 16âââ62 |
Tie games
10 tie games (4 in AL, 6 in NL), which are not factored into winning percentage or games behind (and were often replayed again) occurred throughout the season.
American League
- Boston Red Sox, 1
- Chicago White Sox, 1
- Detroit Tigers, 1
- New York Yankees, 1
- Philadelphia Athletics, 1
- St. Louis Browns, 2
- Washington Senators, 1
National League
- Boston Bees, 1
- Brooklyn Dodgers, 4
- Chicago Cubs, 2
- Cincinnati Reds, 2
- Philadelphia Phillies, 1
- St. Louis Cardinals, 2
Postseason
The postseason began on October 4 and ended on October 8 with the New York Yankees sweeping the Cincinnati Reds in the 1939 World Series in four games.
Bracket
| World Series | ||||
| AL | New York Yankees | 4 | ||
| NL | Cincinnati Reds | 0 | ||
Managerial changes
Off-season
| Team | Former Manager | New Manager |
|---|---|---|
| St. Louis Browns | Oscar Melillo | Fred Haney |
| Brooklyn Dodgers | Burleigh Grimes | Leo Durocher |
| Philadelphia Phillies | Hans Lobert | Doc Prothro |
| St. Louis Cardinals | Mike González | Ray Blades |
In-season
| Team | Former Manager | New Manager |
|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia Athletics | Connie Mack | Earle Mack |
League leaders
American League
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| AVG | Joe DiMaggio (NYY) | .381 |
| OPS | Jimmie Foxx (BOS) | 1.158 |
| HR | Jimmie Foxx (BOS) | 35 |
| RBI | Ted Williams (BOS) | 145 |
| R | Red Rolfe (NYY) | 139 |
| H | Red Rolfe (NYY) | 213 |
| SB | George Case (WSH) | 51 |
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| W | Bob Feller (CLE) | 24 |
| L | Vern Kennedy (SLB/DET) | 20 |
| ERA | Lefty Grove (BOS) | 2.54 |
| K | Bob Feller (CLE) | 246 |
| IP | Bob Feller (CLE) | 296.2 |
| SV | Johnny Murphy (NYY) | 19 |
| WHIP | Ted Lyons (CWS) | 1.089 |
National League
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| AVG | Johnny Mize (STL) | .349 |
| OPS | Johnny Mize (STL) | 1.070 |
| HR | Johnny Mize (STL) | 28 |
| RBI | Frank McCormick (CIN) | 128 |
| R | Billy Werber (CIN) | 115 |
| H | Frank McCormick (CIN) | 209 |
| SB | Stan Hack (CHC) Lee Handley (PIT) |
17 |
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| W | Bucky Walters1 (CIN) | 27 |
| L | Max Butcher (PIT/PHI) Bob Klinger (PIT) |
17 |
| ERA | Bucky Walters1 (CIN) | 2.29 |
| K | Claude Passeau (CHC/PHI) Bucky Walters1 (CIN) |
137 |
| IP | Bucky Walters (CIN) | 319.0 |
| SV | Clyde Shoun (STL) | 9 |
| WHIP | Bucky Walters (CIN) | 1.125 |
1 National League Triple Crown pitching winner
Milestones
Batters
Cycles
- Sam Chapman (PHA):
- Chapman hit for his first cycle and ninth in franchise history, on May 5 against the St. Louis Browns.[8]
- Charlie Gehringer (DET):
- Gehringer hit for his first cycle, the fourth in franchise history, and fifth natural cycle in major league history on May 27 against the St. Louis Browns.[9]
- Arky Vaughan (PIT):
- Vaughan hit for his second cycle, the 11th in franchise history, and the fifth reverse cycle in major league history on July 19 against the New York Giants.[10]
Other batting accomplishments
- Jim Tabor (BOS):
- Became the second player to hit two grand slams in a single game, in an 18â12 win over the Philadelphia Athletics in game two of a doubleheader on July 4.[11]
Miscellaneous
- Lou Gehrig (NYY):
- Set a Major League record for most consecutive games at 2,130 on April 30. It would be the final game of his career.
Awards and honors
Regular season
| Baseball Writers' Association of America Awards | ||
|---|---|---|
| BBWAA Award | National League | American League |
| Most Valuable Player | Bucky Walters (CIN) | Joe DiMaggio (NYY) |
Other awards
| The Sporting News Awards | ||
|---|---|---|
| Award | National League | American League |
| Most Valuable Player[12] | Bucky Walters (CIN) | Joe DiMaggio (NYY) |
| Player of the Year[13] | â | Joe DiMaggio (NYY) |
| Manager of the Year[14] | Leo Durocher (BRO) | â |
| Executive of the Year[15] | Larry MacPhail (BRO) | â |
Baseball Hall of Fame
- George Sisler
- Lou Gehrig
- Eddie Collins
- Willie Keeler
- Cap Anson
- Buck Ewing
- Charles Radbourn
- Charles Comiskey (executive/pioneer contributor)
- Candy Cummings (executive/pioneer contributor)
- Albert Spalding (executive/pioneer contributor)
Home field attendance
| Team name | Wins | %± | Home attendance | %± | Per game |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cincinnati Reds[16] | 97 | 18.3% | 981,443 | 38.9% | 12,117 |
| Brooklyn Dodgers[17] | 84 | 21.7% | 955,668 | 44.1% | 12,252 |
| New York Yankees[18] | 106 | 7.1% | 859,785 | â11.4% | 11,166 |
| Detroit Tigers[19] | 81 | â3.6% | 836,279 | 4.6% | 10,722 |
| Chicago Cubs[20] | 84 | â5.6% | 726,663 | â23.6% | 9,083 |
| New York Giants[21] | 77 | â7.2% | 702,457 | â12.2% | 9,493 |
| Chicago White Sox[22] | 85 | 30.8% | 594,104 | 75.6% | 7,716 |
| Boston Red Sox[23] | 89 | 1.1% | 573,070 | â11.4% | 7,641 |
| Cleveland Indians[24] | 87 | 1.2% | 563,926 | â13.5% | 7,324 |
| St. Louis Cardinals[25] | 92 | 29.6% | 400,245 | 37.3% | 5,066 |
| Philadelphia Athletics[26] | 55 | 3.8% | 395,022 | 2.5% | 5,198 |
| Pittsburgh Pirates[27] | 68 | â20.9% | 376,734 | â41.2% | 4,893 |
| Washington Senators[28] | 65 | â13.3% | 339,257 | â35.1% | 4,406 |
| Boston Bees[29] | 63 | â18.2% | 285,994 | â16.2% | 3,918 |
| Philadelphia Phillies[30] | 45 | 0.0% | 277,973 | 67.3% | 3,756 |
| St. Louis Browns[31] | 43 | â21.8% | 109,159 | â16.3% | 1,399 |
Venues
Over 77 home games, the Cleveland Indians played 47 games at League Park and 30 games at Cleveland Stadium.[32] This would be the 5th of 12 seasons since 1932 that saw the Indians play at both venues.
Media
Television
The first Major League game is televised on August 26, when WXBS-TV broadcasts the game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Brooklyn Dodgers at Ebbets Field.[33] The two teams played a doubleheader that day, and the second game was also televised.
Retired numbers
- Lou Gehrig had his No. 4 retired by the New York Yankees on July 4. This was the first number retired by the team and first retired number in MLB history.