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1939 Major League Baseball season
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| title | 1939 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: Joe DiMaggio (NYY) |
| NL: Bucky Walters (CIN) | |
| MVP_link | Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award |
| conf1 | AL |
| conf1_champ | [New York Yankees](1939-new-york-yankees-season) |
| conf1_runner-up | [Boston Red Sox](1939-boston-red-sox-season) |
| conf2 | NL |
| conf2_champ | [Cincinnati Reds](1939-cincinnati-reds-season) |
| conf2_runner-up | [St. Louis Cardinals](1939-st-louis-cardinals-season) |
| finals | World Series |
| finals_link | 1939 World Series |
| finals_champ | [New York Yankees](1939-new-york-yankees-season) |
| finals_runner-up | [Cincinnati Reds](1939-cincinnati-reds-season) |
| seasonslist | List of MLB seasons |
| seasonslistnames | MLB |
| prevseason_link | 1938 Major League Baseball season |
| prevseason_year | 1938 |
| nextseason_link | 1940 Major League Baseball season |
| nextseason_year | 1940 |
National League (NL) | April 18 – October 1, 1939 (AL) | April 17 – October 1, 1939 (NL)}}World Series:{{Bulleted list | October 4–8, 1939}} NL: Bucky Walters (CIN) | conf1_runner-up = Boston Red Sox | conf2_runner-up = St. Louis Cardinals | finals_runner-up = Cincinnati Reds 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.
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, 3–1.
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 season (except for ) and would be used until in the American League and 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 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 . This would last only one season.
- 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.
- Pitchers can now start with only his pivot foot on or making contact in front of the pitching rubber.
- 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 11:50p.m..
- Baseballs would now match the National League's stitching.
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 | 51,000 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 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 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Washington, D.C. | Griffith Stadium | 32,000 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Boston, Massachusetts | National League Park | 45,000 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| New York, New York | Ebbets Field | 35,000 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chicago, Illinois | Wrigley Field | 38,000 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cincinnati, Ohio | Crosley Field | 29,401 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| New York, New York | Polo Grounds | 51,856 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Shibe Park | 33,000 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | Forbes Field | 33,537 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| St. Louis, Missouri | Sportsman's Park | 34,023 |
Standings
American League
National League
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
| RD1-seed1=AL | RD1-team1=New York Yankees | RD1-score1=4 | RD1-seed2=NL | RD1-team2=Cincinnati Reds | RD1-score2=0
Managerial changes
Off-season
| Team | Former Manager | New Manager | [St. Louis Browns](1939-st-louis-browns-season) | [Brooklyn Dodgers](1939-brooklyn-dodgers-season) | [Philadelphia Phillies](1939-philadelphia-phillies-season) | [St. Louis Cardinals](1939-st-louis-cardinals-season) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oscar Melillo | Fred Haney | |||||
| Burleigh Grimes | Leo Durocher | |||||
| Hans Lobert | Doc Prothro | |||||
| Mike González | Ray Blades |
In-season
| Team | Former Manager | New Manager | [Philadelphia Athletics](1939-philadelphia-athletics-season) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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
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 | Bucky Walters (CIN) | Joe DiMaggio (NYY) | |
| Player of the Year | — | Joe DiMaggio (NYY) | |
| Manager of the Year | Leo Durocher (BRO) | — | |
| Executive of the Year | Larry MacPhail (BRO) | — |
Baseball Hall of Fame
Main article: National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
- 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 | 97 | 18.3% | 981,443 | 38.9% | 12,117 |
| Brooklyn Dodgers | 84 | 21.7% | 955,668 | 44.1% | 12,252 |
| New York Yankees | 106 | 7.1% | 859,785 | −11.4% | 11,166 |
| Detroit Tigers | 81 | −3.6% | 836,279 | 4.6% | 10,722 |
| Chicago Cubs | 84 | −5.6% | 726,663 | −23.6% | 9,083 |
| New York Giants | 77 | −7.2% | 702,457 | −12.2% | 9,493 |
| Chicago White Sox | 85 | 30.8% | 594,104 | 75.6% | 7,716 |
| Boston Red Sox | 89 | 1.1% | 573,070 | −11.4% | 7,641 |
| Cleveland Indians | 87 | 1.2% | 563,926 | −13.5% | 7,324 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 92 | 29.6% | 400,245 | 37.3% | 5,066 |
| Philadelphia Athletics | 55 | 3.8% | 395,022 | 2.5% | 5,198 |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | 68 | −20.9% | 376,734 | −41.2% | 4,893 |
| Washington Senators | 65 | −13.3% | 339,257 | −35.1% | 4,406 |
| Boston Bees | 63 | −18.2% | 285,994 | −16.2% | 3,918 |
| Philadelphia Phillies | 45 | 0.0% | 277,973 | 67.3% | 3,756 |
| St. Louis Browns | 43 | −21.8% | 109,159 | −16.3% | 1,399 |
Venues
Over 77 home games, the Cleveland Indians played 47 games at League Park and 30 games at Cleveland Stadium. This would be the 5th of 12 seasons since that saw the Indians play at both venues.
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.
References
References
- Schwartz, John. "The Sacrifice Fly – Society for American Baseball Research".
- Long, Jason C.. "1938 Winter Meetings: Out of the Hat – Society for American Baseball Research".
- "1939 Major League Managers".
- "1939 American League Batting Leaders".
- "1939 American League Pitching Leaders".
- "1939 National League Batting Leaders".
- "1939 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".
- "Cincinnati Reds Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "Los Angeles Dodgers Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "New York Yankees Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "Detroit Tigers 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]].
- "Chicago White Sox Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "Boston Red Sox Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "Cleveland Indians Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "St. Louis Cardinals Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "Oakland Athletics 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]].
- "Atlanta Braves 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 — 1939 Season".
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