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1938 Major League Baseball season
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| title | 1938 MLB season |
| league | American League (AL) |
| National League (NL) | |
| sport | Baseball |
| duration | Regular season:{{Bulleted list |
| no_of_games | 154 |
| no_of_teams | 16 (8 per league) |
| season | Regular season |
| MVP | AL: Jimmie Foxx (BOS) |
| NL: Ernie Lombardi (CIN) | |
| MVP_link | Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award |
| conf1 | AL |
| conf1_champ | [New York Yankees](1938-new-york-yankees-season) |
| conf1_runner-up | [Boston Red Sox](1938-boston-red-sox-season) |
| conf2 | NL |
| conf2_champ | [Chicago Cubs](1938-chicago-cubs-season) |
| conf2_runner-up | [Pittsburgh Pirates](1938-pittsburgh-pirates-season) |
| finals | World Series |
| finals_link | 1938 World Series |
| finals_champ | [New York Yankees](1938-new-york-yankees-season) |
| finals_runner-up | [Chicago Cubs](1938-chicago-cubs-season) |
| seasonslist | List of MLB seasons |
| seasonslistnames | MLB |
| prevseason_link | 1937 Major League Baseball season |
| prevseason_year | 1937 |
| nextseason_link | 1939 Major League Baseball season |
| nextseason_year | 1939 |
National League (NL) | April 18 – October 2, 1938 (AL) | April 19 – October 2, 1938 (NL)}}World Series:{{Bulleted list | October 5–9, 1938}} NL: Ernie Lombardi (CIN) | conf1_runner-up = Boston Red Sox | conf2_runner-up = Pittsburgh Pirates | finals_runner-up = Chicago Cubs The 1938 major league baseball season began on April 18, 1938. The regular season ended on October 2, with the Chicago Cubs 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 35th World Series on October 5 and ended with Game 4 on October 9. In the second iteration of this World Series matchup, the Yankees swept the Cubs in four games, capturing their seventh championship in franchise history, and their third in a four-World Series run, becoming the first team to win three consecutive World Series.
The sixth Major League Baseball All-Star Game was held on July 6 at Crosley Field in Cincinnati, Ohio, home of the Cincinnati Reds. The National League won, 4–1.
Schedule
The 1938 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 season (except for ) and would be used until in the American League and in the National League.
American League Opening Day took place on April 18 with four teams playing, while National League Opening Day took place the following day, featuring all eight teams. This was the first season since that both leagues opened on different days. The final day of the regular season was on October 2 and featured all sixteen teams, continuing the trend since the previous season. The World Series took place between October 5 and October 9.
Teams
An asterisk () denotes the ballpark a team played the minority of their home games at*
| League | Team | City | Stadium | Capacity | Manager | American League}};" | Boston Red Sox | Chicago White Sox | Cleveland Indians | Detroit Tigers | New York Yankees | Philadelphia Athletics | St. Louis Browns | Washington Senators | National League}};" | Boston Bees | Brooklyn Dodgers | Chicago Cubs | Cincinnati Reds | New York Giants | Philadelphia Phillies | Pittsburgh Pirates | St. Louis Cardinals | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston, Massachusetts | Fenway Park | 33,817 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chicago, Illinois | Comiskey Park | 50,000 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cleveland, Ohio | League Park | 22,500 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cleveland Stadium* | 78,811* | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Detroit, Michigan | Briggs Stadium | 58,000 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| New York, New York | Yankee Stadium | 71,699 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Shibe Park | 33,000 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| St. Louis, Missouri | Sportsman's Park | 34,023 | Gabby Street | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Washington, D.C. | Griffith Stadium | 32,000 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Boston, Massachusetts | National League Park | 41,700 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| New York, New York | Ebbets Field | 35,000 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chicago, Illinois | Wrigley Field | 38,396 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cincinnati, Ohio | Crosley Field | 29,401 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| New York, New York | Polo Grounds | 51,856 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Baker Bowl* | 18,800* | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Shibe Park | 33,000 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | Forbes Field | 40,000 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| St. Louis, Missouri | Sportsman's Park | 34,023 |
Standings
American League
National League
Tie games
16 tie games (8 in AL, 8 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
- Cleveland Indians, 1
- Detroit Tigers, 1
- New York Yankees, 5
- Philadelphia Athletics, 2
- St. Louis Browns, 4
- Washington Senators, 1
National League
- Boston Bees, 1
- Brooklyn Dodgers, 2
- Chicago Cubs, 2
- Cincinnati Reds, 1
- New York Giants, 2
- Philadelphia Phillies, 1
- Pittsburgh Pirates, 2
- St. Louis Cardinals, 5
Postseason
The postseason began on October 5 and ended on October 9 with the New York Yankees sweeping the Chicago Cubs in the 1938 World Series in four games.
Bracket
| RD1-seed1=AL | RD1-team1=New York Yankees | RD1-score1=4 | RD1-seed2=NL | RD1-team2=Chicago Cubs | RD1-score2=0
Managerial changes
Off-season
| Team | Former Manager | New Manager | [Boston Bees](1938-boston-bees-season) | [Cincinnati Reds](1938-cincinnati-reds-season) | [Cleveland Indians](1938-cleveland-indians-season) | [Detroit Tigers](1938-detroit-tigers-season) | [Philadelphia Athletics](1938-philadelphia-athletics-season) | [St. Louis Browns](1938-st-louis-browns-season) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bill McKechnie | Casey Stengel | |||||||
| Bobby Wallace | Bill McKechnie | |||||||
| Steve O'Neill | Ossie Vitt | |||||||
| Cy Perkins | Mickey Cochrane | |||||||
| Earle Mack | Connie Mack | |||||||
| Jim Bottomley | Gabby Street |
In-season
| Team | Former Manager | New Manager | [Chicago Cubs](1938-chicago-cubs-season) | [Detroit Tigers](1938-detroit-tigers-season) | [Philadelphia Phillies](1938-philadelphia-phillies-season) | [St. Louis Browns](1938-st-louis-browns-season) | [St. Louis Cardinals](1938-st-louis-cardinals-season) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charlie Grimm | Gabby Hartnett | ||||||
| Mickey Cochrane | Del Baker | ||||||
| Jimmie Wilson | Hans Lobert | ||||||
| Gabby Street | Oscar Melillo | ||||||
| Frankie Frisch | Mike González |
League leaders
American League
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| AVG | Jimmie Foxx (BOS) | .349 |
| OPS | Jimmie Foxx (BOS) | 1.166 |
| HR | Hank Greenberg (DET) | 58 |
| RBI | Jimmie Foxx (BOS) | 175 |
| R | Hank Greenberg (DET) | 143 |
| H | Joe Vosmik (BOS) | 201 |
| SB | Frankie Crosetti (NYY) | 27 |
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| W | Red Ruffing (NYY) | 21 |
| L | George Caster (PHA) | 20 |
| ERA | Lefty Grove (BOS) | 3.08 |
| K | Bob Feller (CLE) | 240 |
| IP | Bobo Newsom (SLB) | 329.2 |
| SV | Johnny Murphy (NYY) | 11 |
| WHIP | Dutch Leonard (WSH) | 1.227 |
National League
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| AVG | Ernie Lombardi (CIN) | .342 |
| OPS | Johnny Mize (STL) | 1.036 |
| HR | Mel Ott (NYG) | 36 |
| RBI | Joe Medwick (STL) | 122 |
| R | Mel Ott (NYG) | 116 |
| H | Frank McCormick (CIN) | 237 |
| SB | Stan Hack (CHC) | 16 |
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| W | Bill Lee (CHC) | 22 |
| L | Hugh Mulcahy (PHI) | 20 |
| ERA | Bill Lee (CHC) | 2.66 |
| K | Clay Bryant (CHC) | 135 |
| IP | Paul Derringer (CIN) | 307.0 |
| SV | Dick Coffman (NYG) | 12 |
| WHIP | Carl Hubbell (NYG) | 1.140 |
Awards and honors
Regular season
| Baseball Writers' Association of America Awards | BBWAA Award | National League | American League |
|---|---|---|---|
| Most Valuable Player | Ernie Lombardi (CIN) | Jimmie Foxx (BSN) |
Other awards
| *The Sporting News* Awards | Award | National League | American League |
|---|---|---|---|
| Most Valuable Player | Ernie Lombardi (CIN) | Jimmie Foxx (BSN) | |
| Player of the Year | Johnny Vander Meer (CIN) | — | |
| Manager of the Year | — | Joe McCarthy (NYY) | |
| Executive of the Year | Warren Giles (CIN) | — |
Baseball Hall of Fame
Main article: National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
- Grover Cleveland Alexander
- Alexander Cartwright (pioneer contributor)
- Henry Chadwick (pioneer contributor)
Home field attendance
| Team name | Wins | %± | Home attendance | %± | Per game |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York Yankees | 99 | −2.9% | 970,916 | −2.7% | 12,290 |
| Chicago Cubs | 89 | −4.3% | 951,640 | 6.3% | 12,359 |
| New York Giants | 83 | −12.6% | 799,633 | −13.7% | 10,954 |
| Detroit Tigers | 84 | −5.6% | 799,557 | −25.4% | 10,121 |
| Cincinnati Reds | 82 | 46.4% | 706,756 | 71.9% | 9,179 |
| Brooklyn Dodgers | 69 | 11.3% | 663,087 | 37.4% | 8,961 |
| Cleveland Indians | 86 | 3.6% | 652,006 | 15.4% | 8,579 |
| Boston Red Sox | 88 | 10.0% | 646,459 | 15.5% | 8,619 |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | 86 | 0.0% | 641,033 | 39.5% | 8,218 |
| Washington Senators | 75 | 2.7% | 522,694 | 31.4% | 6,701 |
| Philadelphia Athletics | 53 | −1.9% | 385,357 | −10.5% | 5,070 |
| Boston Bees | 77 | −2.5% | 341,149 | −11.5% | 4,549 |
| Chicago White Sox | 65 | −24.4% | 338,278 | −42.6% | 4,634 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 71 | −12.3% | 291,418 | −32.4% | 3,598 |
| Philadelphia Phillies | 45 | −26.2% | 166,111 | −21.9% | 2,215 |
| St. Louis Browns | 55 | 19.6% | 130,417 | 5.9% | 1,694 |
Venues
Over 76 home games, the Cleveland Indians played 58 games at League Park and 18 games at Cleveland Stadium. All Thursday games took place at League Park. This would be the 4th of 12 seasons since that saw the Indians play at both venues.
The Detroit Tigers' venue, Navin Field, named after former owner Frank Navin, was renamed to Briggs Stadium, named after new owner Walter Briggs Sr., prior to the season's start.
The Philadelphia Phillies would play their last game at the Baker Bowl on June 30 after 28 home games, having played 52 seasons there going back to , and moved into the Philadelphia Athletics' home at Shibe Park, where they would go on to play for 33 seasons through .
References
References
- "1938 Major League Managers".
- "1938 American League Batting Leaders".
- "1938 American League Pitching Leaders".
- "1938 National League Batting Leaders".
- "1938 National League Pitching Leaders".
- "Most Valuable Player Award by The Sporting News {{!}} Baseball Almanac".
- "Major League Player of the Year Award by The Sporting News {{!}} Baseball Almanac".
- "Manager of the Year Award by The Sporting News {{!}} Baseball Almanac".
- "MLB Executive of the Year Award {{!}} Baseball Almanac".
- "New York Yankees Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "Chicago Cubs Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "San Francisco Giants Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "Detroit Tigers Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "Cincinnati Reds Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "Los Angeles Dodgers Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "Cleveland Indians Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "Boston Red Sox Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "Pittsburgh Pirates Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "Minnesota Twins Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "Oakland Athletics Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "Atlanta Braves Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "Chicago White Sox Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "St. Louis Cardinals Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "Philadelphia Phillies Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "Baltimore Orioles Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "Seamheads.com Ballparks Database — 1938 Season".
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