1939 Major League Baseball season

This article is about the 1939 Major League Baseball season only. For information on all of baseball, see 1939 in baseball.

1939 MLB season
League	Major League Baseball
Sport	Baseball
Duration	April 17 – October 8, 1939
Number of games	154
Number of teams	16
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
MLB seasons
← 1938 1940 →

The 1939 Major League Baseball season was contested from April 17 to October 8, 1939. The Cincinnati Reds and New York Yankees were the regular season champions of the National League and American League, respectively. The Yankees then defeated the Reds in the World Series, four games to zero. The Yankees became the first team to win the World Series four years in a row.

Awards and honors

• Baseball Hall of Fame
  • George Sisler
  • Lou Gehrig
  • Eddie Collins
  • Willie Keeler
• Most Valuable Player
  • Joe DiMaggio, New York Yankees, OF (AL)
  • Bucky Walters, Cincinnati Reds, P (NL)
• The Sporting News Player of the Year Award
  • Joe DiMaggio, New York Yankees, OF
• The Sporting News Most Valuable Player Award
  • Joe DiMaggio, New York Yankees, OF
  • Bucky Walters, Cincinnati Reds, P
• The Sporting News Manager of the Year Award
  • Leo Durocher, Brooklyn Dodgers

Statistical leaders

American League National League Type Name Stat Name Stat AVG Joe DiMaggio NYY .381 Johnny Mize SLC .349 HR Jimmie Foxx BSR 35 Johnny Mize SLC 28 RBIs Ted Williams BSR 145 Frank McCormick CIN 128 Wins Bob Feller CLE 24 Bucky Walters CIN 27 ERA Lefty Grove BSR 2.54 Bucky Walters CIN 2.29 SO Bob Feller CLE 246 Claude Passeau PHP/CHC Bucky Walters CIN 137 SV Johnny Murphy NYY 19 Bob Bowman SLC Clyde Shoun SLC 9 SB George Case WSH 51 Stan Hack CHC Lee Handley PIT 17

Standings

American League v t e American League W L Pct. GB Home Road New York Yankees 106 45 0.702 — 52–25 54–20 Boston Red Sox 89 62 0.589 17 42–32 47–30 Cleveland Indians 87 67 0.565 20½ 44–33 43–34 Chicago White Sox 86 69 0.555 22 50–27 36–42 Detroit Tigers 81 73 0.526 26½ 42–35 39–38 Washington Senators 65 87 0.428 41½ 37–39 28–48 Philadelphia Athletics 55 97 0.362 51½ 28–48 27–49 St. Louis Browns 43 111 0.279 64½ 18–59 25–52

National League v t e National League W L Pct. GB Home Road Cincinnati Reds 97 57 0.630 — 55–25 42–32 St. Louis Cardinals 92 61 0.601 4½ 51–27 41–34 Brooklyn Dodgers 84 69 0.549 12½ 51–27 33–42 Chicago Cubs 84 70 0.545 13 44–34 40–36 New York Giants 77 74 0.510 18½ 41–33 36–41 Pittsburgh Pirates 68 85 0.444 28½ 35–42 33–43 Boston Bees 63 88 0.417 32½ 37–35 26–53 Philadelphia Phillies 45 106 0.298 50½ 29–44 16–62

Postseason

Bracket

	World Series
	AL	New York Yankees	4
	NL	Cincinnati Reds	0

Managers

American League

Team	Manager	Comments
Boston Red Sox	Joe Cronin	Finished 2nd
Chicago White Sox	Jimmy Dykes
Cleveland Indians	Ossie Vitt	Finished 3rd
Detroit Tigers	Del Baker
New York Yankees	Joe McCarthy	Won 4th straight World Series
Philadelphia Athletics	Connie Mack
St. Louis Browns	Fred Haney
Washington Senators	Bucky Harris

National League

Team	Manager	Comments
Boston Braves	Casey Stengel
Brooklyn Dodgers	Leo Durocher	Finished 3rd
Chicago Cubs	Gabby Hartnett
Cincinnati Reds	Bill McKechnie	Won NL pennant
New York Giants	Bill Terry
Philadelphia Phillies	Doc Prothro
Pittsburgh Pirates	Pie Traynor
St. Louis Cardinals	Ray Blades	Finished 2nd

Home field attendance

Team name	Wins	%±	Home attendance	%±	Per game
Cincinnati Reds [1]	97	18.3%	981,443	38.9%	12,117
Brooklyn Dodgers [2]	84	21.7%	955,668	44.1%	12,252
New York Yankees [3]	106	7.1%	859,785	-11.4%	11,166
Detroit Tigers [4]	81	-3.6%	836,279	4.6%	10,722
Chicago Cubs [5]	84	-5.6%	726,663	-23.6%	9,083
New York Giants [6]	77	-7.2%	702,457	-12.2%	9,493
Chicago White Sox [7]	85	30.8%	594,104	75.6%	7,716
Boston Red Sox [8]	89	1.1%	573,070	-11.4%	7,641
Cleveland Indians [9]	87	1.2%	563,926	-13.5%	7,324
St. Louis Cardinals [10]	92	29.6%	400,245	37.3%	5,066
Philadelphia Athletics [11]	55	3.8%	395,022	2.5%	5,198
Pittsburgh Pirates [12]	68	-20.9%	376,734	-41.2%	4,893
Washington Senators [13]	65	-13.3%	339,257	-35.1%	4,406
Boston Bees [14]	63	-18.2%	285,994	-16.2%	3,918
Philadelphia Phillies [15]	45	0.0%	277,973	67.3%	3,756
St. Louis Browns [16]	43	-21.8%	109,159	-16.3%	1,399

Events

• January 24 – George Sisler, Eddie Collins and Willie Keeler are elected to the Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers' Association of America.
• April 20 – The Boston Red Sox show off their prize rookie Ted Williams before 30,278 in Opening Day at Yankee Stadium, delayed two days because of rain. After striking out twice, Williams collects a double off pitcher Red Ruffing, who wins 2–0. Yankees first baseman Lou Gehrig makes an error, goes hitless, and lines into two double plays in the only game featuring the two great sluggers. Other notables in what will become a historic box score include Joe DiMaggio, Bill Dickey, Jimmie Foxx, Joe Cronin, Bobby Doerr, Red Rolfe, and losing pitcher Lefty Grove. The Yankees score their first run on a home run by Dickey and their second tally on an error by Foxx. Boston has baserunners in each inning, but Ruffing tosses just the second opening day shutout in Yankees history. Four umpires work the game including third base umpire George Pipgras, the starting pitcher for the Yankees in the 1929 opener; his opponent for the Red Sox that day was Ruffing.
• April 21 – Ted Williams plays his first game at Fenway Park, scoring the first run for the Boston Red Sox on a Frankie Hayes passed ball, in a Boston 9–2 victory over the Philadelphia Athletics.
• April 23 – In a Philadelphia Athletics 12–8 win over the Boston Red Sox, Ted Williams connects his first major league home run against pitcher Bud Thomas while going 4-for-5.
• April 29 – In the seventh game of the season, New York Yankees center fielder Joe DiMaggio makes a sharp turn while fielding a liner facing the Washington Senators and tears muscles in his right foot. The Yankees lose the game and DiMaggio will miss the next 35 games.
• April 30 – Lou Gehrig goes hitless in four at-bats against the Washington Senators and is now hitting just .143 this season. He had just played his 2,130th consecutive major league game. No one knew it would be the last of his career.
• May 4 – The mother of Cleveland Indians pitcher Bob Feller watches her son pitch for the first time, against the Chicago White Sox. Chicago player Marv Owen fouled a pitch into the stands which knocked her out. She recovered, but would need stitches to close the wound. ^[17]
• July 4 – Lou Gehrig day was held at Yankee Stadium. Numerous people, including many from other major league teams, came forward to give Gehrig gifts and to shower praise on the dying slugger. The Yankees retired his uniform number 4; the first player in major league history to be afforded that honor. Babe Ruth even showed up and ended their long-standing feud by giving his old teammate a hug. After the presentations, Gehrig approached the microphone, and addressed the crowd: "Fans, for the past two weeks you have been reading about a bad break I got. Yet today, I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth. I have been to ballparks for seventeen years and I have never received anything but kindness and encouragement from you fans."
• July 11 – In the first of three times that the All-Star Game has been held at Yankee Stadium, the American League defeats the National League, 3–1, behind pitchers Red Ruffing, Tommy Bridges, and Bob Feller, and a home run by Joe DiMaggio.
• July 25 – Yankees pitcher Atley Donald sets a league record for consecutive wins by a rookie, bringing his record to 12–0 with a 5–1 victory over the St. Louis Browns.
• July 26 – The New York Yankees tied a major league record by scoring in every inning against the St. Louis Browns. Bill Dickey hit three home runs in the 14–1 win.
• August 9 – Red Rolfe of the New York Yankees started a streak of 18 consecutive games in which he scored at least one run. During those games, he scored a total of 30 runs.
• August 26 – The first Major League game to be televised occurs, when WXBS-TV broadcasts the game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Brooklyn Dodgers at Ebbets Field. ^[18]
• October 8 – The New York Yankees win Game Four of the World Series to clinch the four-game sweep against the Cincinnati Reds.
• December 6 – In a trade of veteran shortstops, or "worn-out shortstops", as one newspaper described it, the Chicago Cubs acquire Billy Rogell from the Detroit Tigers for Dick Bartell. Rogell, who injured his arm playing handball the previous year, hits just .136 before hanging up his spikes. The Tigers will release "Rowdy Richard" five games into the 1941 season, but he will stick with the New York Giants until 1946.

Deaths

Barney Pelty

• January 13 – Jacob Ruppert, 71, Yankees owner since 1914
• January 19 – Cliff Heathcote, 40, NL outfielder who batted .275 over 15 seasons
• January 25 – Abner Dalrymple, 81, star outfielder of the 1880s, leadoff hitter for five Chicago pennant winners
• March 8 – Scott Stratton, 69, pitcher, primarily with Louisville, who posted a 34-win season in 1890 which included 15 straight victories
• March 28 – Fred Goldsmith, 82, pitcher who steadfastly maintained that he had first thrown the curveball in 1870, six years earlier than Candy Cummings, who gained credit for the development
• May 24 – Barney Pelty, 58, pitcher for the St. Louis Browns and one of the first Jewish players in the AL
• June 17 – Allen Sothoron, 46, spitball pitcher who spent most of his career with the St. Louis Browns and Cardinals
• July 7 – Deacon White, 91, star bare-handed catcher and third baseman for six championship teams in the 1870s and 1880s, and the fourth player to collect 1000 hits
• September 25 – Frank LaPorte, 59, infielder who batted .300 three times and led the Federal League in RBIs in 1914
• December 3 – Frank Killen, 69, winner of 164 games from 1891 to 1900, including two 30-win seasons
• December 18 – Heywood Broun, 51, sportswriter and editor in New York City since the early 1910s
• December 26 – Clyde Engle, 55, utility player who scored the tying run for Boston in the 10th inning of Game 8 of the 1912 World Series, after his earlier pop fly had been dropped

References

1. "Cincinnati Reds Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com . Retrieved September 8, 2020.
2. "Los Angeles Dodgers Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com . Retrieved September 8, 2020.
3. "New York Yankees Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com . Retrieved September 8, 2020.
4. "Detroit Tigers Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com . Retrieved September 8, 2020.
5. "Chicago Cubs Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com . Retrieved September 8, 2020.
6. "San Francisco Giants Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com . Retrieved September 8, 2020.
7. "Chicago White Sox Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com . Retrieved September 8, 2020.
8. "Boston Red Sox Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com . Retrieved September 8, 2020.
9. "Cleveland Indians Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com . Retrieved September 8, 2020.
10. "St. Louis Cardinals Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com . Retrieved September 8, 2020.
11. "Oakland Athletics Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com . Retrieved September 8, 2020.
12. "Pittsburgh Pirates Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com . Retrieved September 8, 2020.
13. "Minnesota Twins Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com . Retrieved September 8, 2020.
14. "Atlanta Braves Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com . Retrieved September 8, 2020.
15. "Oakland Athletics Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com . Retrieved September 8, 2020.
16. "Baltimore Orioles Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com . Retrieved September 8, 2020.
17. "Brief Record". goldenrankings.com. Retrieved November 29, 2014.
18. Pellowski, Michael J (2007). The Little Giant Book of Baseball Facts . United States: Sterling Publishing Co. pp.  352. ISBN   9781402742736.

External links

• 1939 Major League Baseball season schedule at Baseball Reference