1939 in baseball

none 1939 Major League Baseball season 1939 1939 baseball sports Headline events of the year thumb|upright|250px|An emotional Lou Gehrig, at the "Appreciation Day" held in his honor at Yankee Stadium on July 4, 1939 The Gehrig saga turns tragic. Following a poor 1938 season—by his lofty standards—Lou Gehrig experiences ongoing losses of strength, mobility and balance over the winter. He struggles to hit, run, and field his position during spring training and the first ten days of the 1939 campaign. After playing in his 2,130th straight game on April 30, he takes himself out of the New York Yankees' starting lineup two days later, and will never play another MLB game. A weeklong exam at the Mayo Clinic in mid-June reveals that he is suffering from Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), an incurable and deadly neurodegenerative disease. On June 21, he ends his playing career at age 36, and on July 4, at a ceremony in his honor before 61,808 spectators at Yankee Stadium, he makes one of the most powerful and poignant speeches in American sporting history.Eig Jonathan 2005 Luckiest Man: The Life and Death of Lou Gehrig Simon & Schuster New York 0-7432-4591-1 233-319 https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Luckiest-Man/Jonathan-Eig/9780743268936 October 15, 2026 The History of ALS https://www.als.org/understanding-als/lou-gehrig als.org The ALS Association October 16, 2026 Luckiest Man https://baseballhall.org/discover-more/stories/baseball-history/lou-gehrig-luckiest-man baseballhall.org National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum October 16, 2026Attanasio Ed Gouldsberry Eric 1939: Farewell, Iron Horse https://thisgreatgame.com/1939-baseball-history/ thisgreatgame.com October 16, 2026 Later in 1939, he accepts a job as a member of the New York City parole commission. In early December, the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, which opened its doors on June 12, waives its waiting period for eligibility and admits Gehrig to Cooperstown. Lou Gehrig#Health Television comes to baseball. On May 17, Princeton University and Columbia University play the first televised baseball game. On August 26, the Cincinnati Reds and Brooklyn Dodgers play the first televised Major League Baseball game, with Red Barber at the microphone. Champions Major League Baseball World Series: New York Yankees over Cincinnati Reds (4–0) All-Star Game, July 11 at Yankee Stadium: American League, 3–1 Other champions Negro American League Champion: Kansas City Monarchs Negro National League Champion: Baltimore Elite Giants Amateur World Series: Cuba Negro League Baseball All-Star Game: West, 4–2 (first game, at Comiskey Park); East, 10–2 (second game, in New York City) Awards and honors Baseball Hall of Fame Cap Anson Eddie Collins Charles Comiskey Candy Cummings Buck Ewing Lou Gehrig Willie Keeler Charles Radbourn George Sisler Al Spalding 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 Any team shown in small text indicates a previous team a player was on during the season. American LeagueNational LeagueNegro American LeagueNegro National League Stat Player Total Player Total Player Total Player Total AVG Joe DiMaggio (NYY) .381 Johnny Mize (STL) .349 Henry Turner (CBR) .393 Josh Gibson (HOM) .402 HR Jimmie Foxx (BOS) 35 Johnny Mize (STL) 28 Turkey Stearnes (KCM) 7 Josh Gibson (HOM)Buck Leonard (HOM) 11 RBI Ted Williams (BOS) 145 Frank McCormick (CIN) 128 Willard Brown (KCM) 42 Buck Leonard (HOM) 48 W Bob Feller (CLE) 24 Bucky Walters1 (CIN) 27 Smoky Owens (CBR)George Walker (KCM) 8 Henry McHenry (PHS) 11 ERA Lefty Grove (BOS) 2.54 Bucky Walters1 (CIN) 2.29 Felix Evans (ATL) 1.86 Roy Partlow (HOM) 1.74 K Bob Feller (CLE) 246 Claude Passeau (CHC/PHI)Bucky Walters1 (CIN) 137 Hilton Smith (KCM) 85 Neck Stanley (NBY) 44 1 National League Triple Crown pitching winner Major league baseball final standings American League final standings New York Yankees National League final standings Cincinnati Reds Negro league baseball final standings All Negro leagues standings below are per MLB and Seamheads.1939 MLB Standings and Records: Regular Season https://www.mlb.com/standings/1939 2026-05-08 MLB.com en1939 Season- Seamheads Negro Leagues Database https://www.seamheads.com/NegroLgs/year.php?yearID=1939&lgID=All&tab=standings 2026-05-08 www.seamheads.com Negro American League final standings Negro American League postseason Kansas City Monarchs over St. Louis Stars (4–1)https://www.baseball-reference.com/postseason/1939_ALC.shtml 1939 NAL Championship Series - Kansas City Monarchs over St. Louis Stars (4-1) Baseball Reference Negro National League final standings Negro National League postseason The National League had four playoff teams compete against each other before the championship series. National League Playoff Series Homestead Grays over Philadelphia Stars (3–2)https://www.baseball-reference.com/postseason/1939_NLP2.shtml 1939 NN2 Playoffs - Homestead Grays over Philadelphia Stars (3-2) Baseball Reference Baltimore Elite Giants over Newark Eagles (3–1)https://www.baseball-reference.com/postseason/1939_NLP1.shtml 1939 NN2 Playoffs - Baltimore Elite Giants over Newark Eagles (3-1) Baseball Reference National League Championship Series Baltimore Elite Giants over Homestead Grays (3–1–1)https://www.baseball-reference.com/postseason/1939_NLC.shtml 1939 NN2 Championship Series - Baltimore Elite Giants over Homestead Grays (3-1-1) Baseball Reference Events thumb|upright|100px|George Sisler thumb|upright|100px|Eddie Collins thumb|upright|100px|Willie Keeler January January 5 – Proceeding on the then-prevalent assumption that Abner Doubleday invented the sport of baseball in a Cooperstown, New York, cow pasture in 1839, "Organized" professional baseball begins a year of centennial celebrations with a gala dinner in Philadelphia featuring honored guests Connie Mack, Clark Griffith and American League president Will Harridge. The celebrations will reach a high point with the June opening of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown. Baseball's 1839 "origin story" is largely based on the 1908 Mills Commission Report, and has been disputed since the document's publication; it will eventually be called the "Doubleday myth." Nevertheless, the myth takes root among Americans who, for patriotic reasons, reject ample evidence that the game evolved from common bat-and-ball games in Great Britain and Ireland.Salvatore Victor June 1983 The Man Who Didn't Invent Baseball https://www.americanheritage.com/man-who-didnt-invent-baseball amercanheritage.com American Heritage (Volume 34, Issue 4) September 27, 2026 January 8 – Righty Bobo Newsom, who accounted for 36 percent of the St. Louis Browns' entire win total in 1938, threatens to spend the 1939 baseball season "picking cotton" unless his salary exceeds $20,000.The Associated Press January 8, 1939 Newsom Returns Home https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1939/01/09/94662362.pdf?pdf_redirect=true&ip=0 timesmachine.nytimes.com September 27, 2026 Newsom went 20–16 for a penniless, 55–97–4 team that finished last in the AL in attendance last season, but the South Carolinian posted a poor 5.08 earned run average. January 14 – The 15-year MLB pitching career of right-hander Charles "Red" Lucas concludes when he's unconditionally released by the Pittsburgh Pirates. "The Nashville Narcissus" won 157 National League games, 109 with the Cincinnati Reds between 1926 and 1934, and led the NL in complete games three times. A skilled batsman, Lucas hit .281 lifetime (404 for 1,439) with three home runs and 190 runs batted in, was frequently used as a pinch hitter, and started 12 games as a position player."Red Lucas (Overview)" at Baseball Reference. January 17 – Ed Barrow, 70, since November 1920 the business manager of the New York Yankees, is elected to succeed the late Jacob Ruppert as club president; he will continue to serve as the Bombers' de facto general manager. Ruppert, who died four days ago, became co-owner of the Yankees in 1915 and sole owner in 1923; since 1921, the franchise has won ten pennants and seven World Series—including the last three Fall Classics in a row. January 24 – First baseman George Sisler (85.8% of ballots cast), second baseman Eddie Collins (77.7%) and the late outfielder Willie Keeler (75.5%) are elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers' Association of America. The trio represent the fourth annual class of inductees since the Hall was launched in 1936.Drebinger John January 24, 1939 Sisler, Collins and Keeler Are Chosen for Baseball Hall of Fame https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1939/01/25/94670121.pdf?pdf_redirect=true&ip=0 timesmachine.nytimes.com The New York Times September 27, 2026 January 25 Lou Gehrig signs his 1939 contract for a reported $4,000 pay cut after a subpar, for him, 1938 campaign. The New York Times reports him to be “supremely confident that he will stage a strong comeback this year” and pledging to report to the New York Yankees’ Saint Petersburg spring training camp a week earlier than customary.Drebinger John January 26, 1939 Gehrig Signs With Yanks at Estimated $35,000 Annual Salary https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1939/01/26/95756471.pdf?pdf_redirect=true&ip=0 timesmachine.nytimes.com The New York Times October 5, 2026 Reacting to the Brooklyn Dodgers' embargo-breaking decision to broadcast on radio station WOR all home and road games, the Yankees and New York Giants say they will air all their home games, except on Sundays, over WABC. Prior to this season, the three New York clubs had agreed not to broadcast any home or road game to protect each other's turnstile counts. February February 2 – Brooklyn Dodgers general manager Larry MacPhail brings Red Barber to New York City as the Dodgers' first-ever radio play-by-play announcer. Barber, 30, spent the past five seasons as the voice of the Cincinnati Reds—initially hired by MacPhail. He'll become a broadcasting legend in New York over the next 28 years, reporting Dodgers' and Yankees' games, and be honored in Cooperstown as one of the first two recipients of the Ford C. Frick Award.Corbett Warren Red Barber https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/red-barber/ Society for American Baseball Research Biography Project September 28, 2026 February 8 – Ignoring protests from neighborhood residents, Philadelphia's zoning board approves the installation of lights and the advent of night baseball at Shibe Park, home stadium of the Athletics and Phillies, in time for the 1939 season. Connie Mack's Athletics are poised to host the first night game in American League history. February 14 – The Chicago Cubs sign free-agent right-hander Earl Whitehill, released February 1 by the Cleveland Indians. Whitehill, 40, has won 214 games for three AL teams since his 1923 debut, including a 22-win campaign for the 1933 pennant-winning Washington Senators. March thumb|upright|Jeff Heath in 1942 March 1 – Outfielder Jeff Heath, whose 18 triples led the American League and .343 batting average was second among AL hitters last season, is banned from the Cleveland Indians' spring training camp in New Orleans because he's holding out for a higher salary. March 10 – First-year Brooklyn Dodgers player–manager Leo Durocher tells reporters he's "very 'high'" on another rookie, 19-year-old Hal "Pete" Reiser, a switch-hitting shortstop who played in the Class D Northern League in 1938 but has been impressing Durocher at bat and in the field during a spring training audition. "The boy is a wiz, I'm telling you," the manager, also a shortstop, says.McGowen Roscoe March 11, 1939 Spirit of Dodgers Pleases Durocher https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1939/03/11/94688142.pdf?pdf_redirect=true&ip=0 timesmachine.nytimes.com The New York Times September 29, 2026 When the youngster's stellar play continues—he goes eight for eight with three homers over a three-game stretch, March 22–24—Durocher will soon be battling his boss, Larry MacPhail, in a vain attempt to keep Reiser on Brooklyn's varsity roster.Stewart Mark Pete Reiser https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/Pete-Reiser/ sabr.org Society for American Baseball Research Biography Project September 29, 2026 March 15 – A Hall of Famer and a future Cooperstown inductee join the ranks of baseball broadcasters, when all-time pitching great Walter Johnson, 51, is named to the Washington Senators' announcing team, and former second baseman and manager Frankie Frisch, 41, becomes the voice of Boston's two MLB teams, the Bees and Red Sox. Johnson was one of the first five men elected to the Hall in 1936; Frisch will enter it in 1947. March 16 – The Cincinnati Reds purchase the contract of Billy Werber from the Philadelphia Athletics for a reported $25,000. In Werber, a 30-year-old American League veteran, the Reds gain their starting third baseman for their 1939 and 1940 NL pennant-winning teams. He had been squabbling with Connie Mack over his salary for the coming year. March 22 Batting only .132 (five-for-38) with five errors in the field in ten spring training games, Lou Gehrig is “given a day off” for a Haines City, Florida, exhibition game. The Gehrig of 1939, says The New York Times, “has not been even a reminder of the Gehrig that once was.”Dawson James P. March 23, 1939 Henrich in Game at Gehrig's Post; Barrow Observes Work Closely https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1939/03/23/94695679.pdf?pdf_redirect=true&ip=0 timesmachine.nytimes.com The New York Times October 16, 2026 In a lengthy interview with columnist John Kieran five days later, Gehrig concedes, “I look terrible now.” But he pushes back against speculation that his career is in jeopardy. “I’ll bet I’ve missed two dozen exhibition games, at least [over the years]. But ... this time they say the old Iron Horse is ready for the glue factory.”Kieran John March 27, 1939 SPORTS OF THE TIMES: One Man on a Horse https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1939/03/28/91557547.pdf?pdf_redirect=true&ip=0 timesmachine.nytimes.com The New York Times October 16, 2026 Chicago White Sox pitcher Vic Frazier hurls four innings and allows one hit in an exhibition game victory against the Pittsburgh Pirates in Los Angeles while pitching with an undiagnosed fractured skull, suffered the day before when he was struck in the back of the head by a thrown ball. Physicians expect the 34-year-old hurler to be hospitalized for five weeks; he'll make his 1939 debut on May 16. March 31 – The Boston Bees acquire right-hander "Barnacle Bill" Posedel from the Brooklyn Dodgers for catcher Al Todd. Posedel, 32, will lead Boston's pitchers with 15 victories in 1940, tied for seventh-best in the National League. April thumb|upright|Lon Warneke April 6 – An exhibition game between the northbound Boston Red Sox and Cincinnati Reds in Florence, South Carolina, is halted after eight innings with the score 18–18 because umpires run out of baseballs. The two teams combine for 46 hits under dusty, wind-blown conditions.Merron Jeff Called Because of Weirdness https://www.espn.com/espn/page2/story?page=list/050325/cancellations&num=0 espn.com ESPN October 1, 2026 April 17 A new Opening Day tradition begins when the National League season gets underway in the city that hosted baseball's first all-professional team, the 1869 Cincinnati Red Stockings. At Crosley Field, the Cincinnati Reds, 1939's likely NL pennant-winners according to an Associated Press poll, can't withstand a late-game rally by the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates and lose the contest, 7–5. The game is played amid fears that rising floodwaters from the Ohio River and local creeks will swamp the ballpark. Reds shortstop Billy Myers is knocked cold when he's struck behind the left ear by a thrown ball in the second inning."Pittsburgh Pirates 7, Cincinnati Reds 5." Retrosheet box score (April 17, 1939). Heavy rains postpone the American League's traditional "Presidential Opener" at Griffith Stadium, which would have pitted the Washington Senators against the consensus AL favorites, the three-time-defending World Series champion New York Yankees. April 18 – The Hall-of-Fame managerial career of playing skipper Leo Durocher gets off on the wrong foot when the rival New York Giants lash 13 hits—including a home run from AL refugee Zeke Bonura—and defeat Durocher's Brooklyn Dodgers, 7–3, at Ebbets Field before 25,496.Dawson James P. April 19, 1939 Giants Down Dodgers With 13 Hits in Brooklyn Inaugural https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1939/04/19/91569687.pdf?pdf_redirect=true&ip=0 timesmachine.nytimes.com The New York Times October 2, 2026 The game marks Red Barber's debut as Brooklyn's radio voice, and is the first game to be broadcast by one of New York City's three franchises. April 20 – On Opening Day at Yankee Stadium, in a game delayed by rain for two days and before 30,278 fans, the Bombers' Lou Gehrig plays in his 2,123rd consecutive game, extending his all-time record. He goes hitless in four at bats against Lefty Grove of the Boston Red Sox, hitting into two double plays, and makes an error in the field. The Yankees' Red Ruffing scatters seven Boston hits in a 2–0, complete-game victory and the second Opening Day shutout in franchise history. The Red Sox show off prize rookie Ted Williams. After Ruffing strikes him out in his maiden MLB at bat, Williams, 20, doubles in the fourth inning for his first hit; he goes one-for-four. The game features ten Hall of Famers, five on each side: Gehrig, Grove, Ruffing, Williams, Joe Cronin, Bill Dickey, Joe DiMaggio, Bobby Doerr, Jimmie Foxx and Joe Gordon. Today's game is the only one in which Williams and Gehrig will appear in the same box score. George Pipgras, today's third-base umpire, was the Yankees' starting pitcher in their 1929 opener. His opponent for the Red Sox that day was Ruffing.Retrosheet Boxscore: New York Yankees 2, Boston Red Sox 0 https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1939/B04200NYA1939.htm 2026-06-25 Retrosheet April 22 – The streaking Los Angeles Angels of the Pacific Coast League are stopped short of their 20th consecutive victory (and a PCL record) when the San Diego Padres hand them a 12–3 setback at LA's Wrigley Field. Nevertheless, the 19–3 Angels hold a 7½-game lead in the three-week-old Coast League season. April 23 – Rookie Ted Williams goes 4-for-5, including his first major-league home run, a three-run blast in the first inning off Bud Thomas, but the Boston Red Sox lose to the lowly Philadelphia Athletics, 12–8, at Fenway Park.Retrosheet Boxscore: Philadelphia Athletics 12, Boston Red Sox 8 https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1939/B04230BOS1939.htm 2026-06-25 Retrosheet April 29 In an MLB season that will lack a single no-hit game, Lon Warneke of the St. Louis Cardinals allows one safety, a seventh-inning infield single to Stan Hack, and shuts out his old team, the Chicago Cubs, 2–0, at Wrigley Field."Top Individual Performances of 1939." Retrosheet."St. Louis Cardinals 2, Chicago Cubs 0." Retrosheet box score (April 29, 1939). Warneke hurls his second straight complete-game shutout in two appearances, and his one-hitter is one of three to be posted in the NL this season. In his seventh game of 1939, New York Yankees center fielder Joe DiMaggio makes a sharp turn while trying to field a triple off the bat of Bobby Estalella of the Washington Senators, and tears muscles in his right calf. The Yankees lose, 3–1, and DiMaggio will be sidelined until May 27. He's batting .435 (10-for-23) on the young season. April 30 – At Yankee Stadium, Lou Gehrig appears in his 2,130th consecutive major league game, a record that will stand for the next 56 years. He goes hitless in four at bats in a 3–2 loss to the Senators, and is now hitting just .143 this season. In his last at bat, in the eighth facing Pete Appleton, he flies out to center and fails to advance two teammates who are on base. A crowd of 23,712 unknowingly witnesses the final official game of Gehrig's brilliant, 17-year career."Washington Senators 3, New York Yankees 2." Retrosheet box score (April 30, 1939). thumb|upright|1887 baseball card of "Old Hoss" Radbourn (standing) May May 2 Lou Gehrig voluntarily benches himself "for the good of the team" and ends his consecutive-game streak at 2,130. Ellsworth "Babe" Dahlgren replaces him in the line-up, and goes two-for-five with a home run. The New York Yankees bat around in three innings, collect 17 hits and 12 bases on balls, and trounce the host Detroit Tigers, 22–2, behind Red Ruffing."New York Yankees 22, Detroit Tigers 2." Retrosheet box score (May 2, 1939). The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum welcomes six "Old Timers" to its rolls: Cap Anson, Charles Comiskey, Candy Cummings, William "Buck" Ewing, Charles "Old Hoss" Radbourn, and Al Spalding. All played during the 19th century, and all are deceased. They are selected by Commissioner of Baseball Kenesaw Mountain Landis and the two league presidents. May 3 – The Brooklyn Dodgers purchase the contract of veteran American League shortstop Lyn Lary, 33, from the Cleveland Indians. May 4 – The Dodgers' board of directors extends the contract of general manager Larry MacPhail, and names him club president. Since MacPhail, 49, joined Brooklyn last year, he has been making major changes on and off the field in an attempt to revitalize the franchise. May 5 – Philadelphia Athletics outfielder Sam Chapman hits for cycle in his club's 10–5 triumph over the St. Louis Browns at Sportsman's Park.Huber Mike May 5, 1939: Athletics’ Sam Chapman Snaps 1-for-16 Start to Season by Hitting for the Cycle https://sabr.org/gamesproj/game/may-5-1939-athletics-sam-chapman-snaps-1-for-16-start-to-season-by-hitting-for-the-cycle/ sabr.org Society for American Baseball Research October 8, 2026 May 13 The official 100th anniversary day of baseball's Doubleday "origin story" is marked by a clash between two college teams, the Fordham Rams and Boston College Eagles, at Cooperstown's Doubleday Field. Fordham right-hander Hank Borowy, a future MLB All-Star, throws a 5–0 shutout before 3,000 spectators. May 14, 1939 Borowy of Fordham Blanks Boston College in Cooperstown Centennial Game https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1939/05/14/113348712.html?pdf_redirect=true&ip=0&pageNumber=76 timesmachine.nytimes.com The New York Times October 7, 2026 In a ten-player megatrade, the St. Louis Browns send pitchers Bobo Newsom and Jim Walkup, infielder Red Kress and outfielder Beau Bell to the Detroit Tigers for pitchers George Gill, Bob Harris, Vern Kennedy and Roxie Lawson, infielder Mark Christman and outfielder Chet Laabs. Newsom will win 21 games for the 1940 AL champion Tigers; Christman and Laabs will figure prominently in the Browns' pennant-winning 1944 season. May 14 The mother of 20-year-old Cleveland pitcher Bob Feller watches her son pitch in the majors for the first time. In the third inning, Marv Owen of the Chicago White Sox fouls a pitch into the stands which strikes her in the face and shatters her eyeglasses; she needs six stitches to close the wound and is briefly hospitalized. Her son fires a complete-game, 9–4 victory for his sixth win (against one loss) of 1939.Brief Record http://goldenrankings.com/baseballoddfacts5.htm goldenrankings.com 2014-11-29 Righty Lou Fette of the Boston Bees posts his fifth win and complete game of 1939, and his teammates push over a ninth-inning run, to defeat the visiting Brooklyn Dodgers, 1–0, and sweep a three-game series at National League Park. Casey Stengel's Bees, who finished fifth in 1938, improve their record to 12–9 and are only a half-game out of the NL lead. The New York Giants sign free-agent second baseman Tony Lazzeri, released yesterday by the Brooklyn Dodgers. The future Hall of Famer, and five-time World Series champion during his long tenure with the Yankees, is 35 and in his last big-league season. May 16 On a chilly spring evening, the Philadelphia Athletics host the first night game to be played in the American League, falling to the Indians, 8–3, before 15,109 at Shibe Park. Cleveland capitalizes on Roy Parmelee's wildness to salt away the game with five ninth-inning runs.Cuicci Richard May 16, 1939: A’s Fall in First Night Game at Shibe Park https://sabr.org/gamesproj/game/may-16-1939-as-fall-in-first-night-game-at-shibe-park/ sabr.org Society for American Baseball Research October 7, 2026 In the New York Yankees' first home game since Lou Gehrig left their lineup two weeks ago, his successor at first base, Babe Dahlgren, smashes an eighth-inning, inside-the-park home run to provide the ultimate winning margin in a 7–5 victory over the St. Louis Browns. Dahlgren also foils a Browns' rally with a dazzling defensive play.Effrat Louis May 17, 1939 Yankees Defeat Browns With Three Home Runs https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1939/05/17/93912521.html?pdf_redirect=true&ip=0&pageNumber=34 timesmachine.nytimes.com The New York Times October 8, 2026 May 17 Princeton defeats Columbia 2–1 in the first-ever baseball game to be televised. W2XBS, an experimental television station based in New York City and affiliated with NBC, broadcasts the game.Effrat Louis May 18, 1939 Columbia Loses Twice; Princeton Annexes League Twin Bill https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1939/05/18/91575762.pdf?pdf_redirect=true&ip=0 timesmachine.nytimes.com The New York Times October 9, 2026 In the second-longest game of 1939, the Chicago Cubs and the visiting Brooklyn Dodgers play 19 innings but cannot break a 9–9 tie before darkness descends on Wrigley Field."Top Team Performances of 1939." Retrosheet. The Dodgers' Vito Tamulis hurls 11 scoreless innings in relief but fails to gain a decision; the teams combine for nine errors, six by the Cubs. The game ends in a tie and will be replayed in its entirety, but individual statistics will count."Brooklyn Dodgers 9, Chicago Cubs 9 (19 innings)." Retrosheet box score (May 17, 1939). May 24 – The Detroit Tigers, behind Dizzy Trout, spoil the New York Yankees' 12-game winning streak, 6–1. Now 22–6, the Bombers gained a share of first place on May 7, and today are 4½ games in front in the AL standings. The streak, kept intact when a game in which they trailed was washed away by rain in the fifth inning two days ago, is the longest in Joe McCarthy's tenure at the Yankee helm, which began in 1931. The Yankees are in the midst of a torrid month of May that will see them win 24 of 28 games and outscore their opponents, 213–105, despite the absence of an injured Joe DiMaggio, who'll make only two pinch-hitting appearances all month, and Lou Gehrig. May 25 – Bob Feller fires the first of the two one-hitters he'll throw in the next 33 days, and his Cleveland Indians down the Boston Red Sox, 11–0, at Fenway Park. Bobby Doerr's second-inning single is Boston's only safety; Feller walks five and fans ten. May 27 The Cincinnati Reds complete a 12-game winning streak of their own that lands them in first place in the National League by two games over the St. Louis Cardinals. The Reds (23–10) will remain NL front-runners for the remainder of the season. Future Hall of Famer Charlie Gehringer of the Detroit Tigers, 36 and in his 16th season, registers what will be the only "cycle" of his illustrious career in a 12–5 drubbing of the St. Louis Browns at Briggs Stadium. His eighth-inning home run completes the achievement.Huber Mike May 27, 1939: Tigers’ Charlie Gehringer Hits for a Natural Cycle https://sabr.org/gamesproj/game/may-27-1939-tigers-charlie-gehringer-hits-for-a-natural-cycle/ sabr.org Society for American Baseball Research October 8, 2026 May 29 – The Chicago Cubs acquire right-hander Claude Passeau from the Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for pitchers Kirby Higbe and Ray Harrell and outfielder Joe Marty. June thumb|upright|Dizzy Dean in 1941 June 2 – The St. Louis Browns and Chicago White Sox exchange right-handed pitchers, with St. Louis obtaining John Whitehead for Johnny Marcum. June 4 The Browns sweep a doubleheader from the Washington Senators at Sportsman's Park to end an 11-game losing streak, then go on to lose their next six in a row. The 1939 Browns (who finish 43–111–2, eighth and last in the American League, 64½ games out of the lead) will never win more than two games in a row all season. Yankee Stadium hosts the first in a series of five Negro National League doubleheaders that will determine the winner of the "Jacob Ruppert Trophy," donated by the late Yankees owner in "tribute to Negro baseball." In today's games, ten thousand see the Baltimore Elite Giants and New York Black Yankees triumph over the New York Cubans and Philadelphia Stars. June 5, 1939 Black Yanks Take Stadium Game, 5–4 https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1939/06/05/93924566.pdf?pdf_redirect=true&ip=0 timesmachine.nytimes.com The New York Times October 12, 2026 June 5 – At Briggs Stadium, the American League Yankees are shut out for the only time in 1939, when the Detroit Tigers' Tommy Bridges holds them to just four hits in a 3–0 victory. Bridges improves his record to 7–1 (1.94). June 6 The sixth-place New York Giants break a 45-year-old National League record by smashing five home runs in one inning in a 17–3 thumping of the first-place Cincinnati Reds at the Polo Grounds. The fourth-inning assault features long balls from Harry Danning, Frank Demaree, Burgess Whitehead, pitcher Manny Salvo, and Jo-Jo Moore."New York Giants 17, Cincinnati Reds 3." Retrosheet box score (June 6, 1939). The previous mark of four home runs in a single frame was set by the 1894 Pirates. The first Little League game takes place in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Lundy Lumber defeats Lycoming Dairy, 23–8.http://www.littleleague.org/Learn_More/About_Our_Organization/historyandmission.htm History of Little League 2009-09-13 https://web.archive.org/web/20090504115256/http://www.littleleague.org/Learn_More/About_Our_Organization/historyandmission.htm 2009-05-04 dead June 7 After making three pinch-hitting appearances starting May 27, Joe DiMaggio returns as the New York Yankees' center fielder in a 5–2 victory at Comiskey Park over the Chicago White Sox. He had missed 32 games after severely injuring his right calf trying a make a catch in an April 29 game against the Washington Senators. The Pittsburgh Pirates sign free-agent, 34-year-old outfielder and 1932 NL Most Valuable Player Chuck Klein, released yesterday by the Philadelphia Phillies. Klein hit only .247 in 1938 and is batting a lowly .191 in 25 games for the Phils this season. June 12 In Cooperstown, New York, the official dedication of the National Baseball Hall of Fame takes place. Grover Cleveland Alexander, Ty Cobb, Eddie Collins, Walter Johnson, Nap Lajoie, Babe Ruth, George Sisler, Tris Speaker, Honus Wagner, Cy Young and Connie Mack are all present, and accept their plaques. Team captain Lou Gehrig appears in the New York Yankees' lineup for the first time since April 30 in an exhibition game at Kansas City's Ruppert Stadium against the Blues, one of the Bombers' two top farm teams. Before a record crowd of 23,864, he plays three innings in the field and, in his lone at bat, grounds out to first base. Afterwards, Gehrig departs for Minnesota for week-long medical tests at the Mayo Clinic to seek the cause of his declining health. June 13, 1939 Yankees Turn Back Kansas City, 4–1; Gehrig Back in Lineup https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1939/06/13/93928141.pdf?pdf_redirect=true&ip=0 timesmachine.nytimes.com The New York Times October 14, 2026 It's the last baseball game Gehrig will play. June 13 – The Yankees deal rookie outfielder Joe "Muscles" Gallagher, 25, to the St. Louis Browns for infielder Roy Hughes and cash. June 14 – The Cleveland Indians trade outfielder Earl Averill, 37, a future Hall of Famer, to the Detroit Tigers for 23-year-old left-handed pitcher Harry Eisenstat and cash. Averill is a six-time AL All-Star who has batted .322 with 1,154 hits and 226 homers in his 11 seasons in a Cleveland uniform. June 15 – The Pittsburgh Pirates acquire first baseman Elbie Fletcher from the Boston Bees for infielder Bill Schuster and cash. Fletcher, 23, will lead the NL in on-base percentage for three straight seasons (1940–1942) and be named a1943 All-Star. June 21 – The New York Yankees announce Lou Gehrig's playing retirement based on the Mayo Clinic's findings; a misreading of the clinic's report results in the mistaken notion among press and public that he is suffering from poliomyelitis, rather than ALS. June 22 Dizzy Dean goes the distance and his defending-NL-champion Chicago Cubs win their fifth straight, downing the Boston Bees, 7–1, at Wrigley Field. Dean is now 4–0 (1.25) with four complete games in eight games (five starts) in 1939. The Cubs improve to 30–28, eight games behind the Cincinnati Reds. Night baseball will come to Chicago's South Side later this season. White Sox owner J. Louis Comiskey approves the immediate installation of eight light towers in the 29-year-old stadium named for his father, founder of the franchise. The Pale Hose are poised to become the third AL franchise to adopt night ball, all in 1939. June 26 The New York Yankees play the first night game in franchise history and lose to the Philadelphia Athletics, 3–2, at Shibe Park. Cotton Pippen stifles the Yankees on four hits for the sixth-place Athletics before 33,074, Shibe's biggest crowd of the season to date.New York Yankees vs Philadelphia Athletics Box Score: June 26, 1939 https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/PHA/PHA193906260.shtml 2017-06-26 Baseball Reference en Yankee Stadium will not install lights until 1946. The Chicago Cubs purchase the contract of hard-swinging rookie outfielder Bill "Swish" Nicholson from Chattanooga of the Southern Association. Nicholson, 24, will become a four-time NL All-Star and lead the Senior Circuit in homers and RBI in both 1943 and 1944. June 27 In the first night game ever played in Cleveland, the 55,305 who throng to Municipal Stadium witness Bob Feller throw his second one-hitter of 1939, defeating the Detroit Tigers, 5–0. Ex-Indians star Earl Averill spoils the no-hitter with his sixth-inning single; Feller walks six and strikes out 13."Cleveland Indians 5, Detroit Tigers 0." Retrosheet box score (June 27, 1939). At light-less National League Park, the year's longest game by innings is halted by darkness after 23 frames (and five hours, 15 minutes) with the host Boston Bees knotted up with the visiting Brooklyn Dodgers, 2–2. Brooklyn starter Whit Wyatt goes 16 innings, hurling scoreless ball over the last 14. Statistics count, but the tie game—already the Dodgers' fourth deadlock of the season—will be replayed in its entirety at a later date."Brooklyn Dodgers 2, Boston Bees 2 (23 innings)." Retrosheet box score (June 27, 1939). June 28 – The New York Yankees humble the Philadelphia Athletics, 23–2 and 10–0, in a Shibe Park doubleheader. In the first game, the Bombers hit eight home runs, and follow that with five more in the second. Their 13 blasts and 53 total bases set a record for a doubleheader. Their 23 runs set the standard for most in a single game by a team in 1939. Three Yanks—Babe Dahlgren, Bill Dickey and Joe DiMaggio—each hit three home runs on the day.Larkin Kevin June 28, 1939: Yankees’ Juggernaut Continues With 23-2 Smashing of A’s https://sabr.org/gamesproj/game/june-28-1939-the-juggernaut-continues/ sabr.org Society for American Baseball Research October 15, 2026 July thumb|upright|Lou Gehrig in 1937 July 2 At Shibe Park, Casey Stengel, 48-year-old manager of the Boston Bees, exchanges punches with 28-year-old Philadelphia Phillies baserunner Pinky May in Boston's 9–7 victory after May's hard slide knocks down Stengel's shortstop, Eddie Miller, trying to break up a double play. Both Stengel and May are evicted from the game by umpire Dolly Stark; Stengel is fined $25 by the National League. At the Polo Grounds, Leo Durocher, 160 lb on shortstop–manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers, trades blows with the New York Giants' 200 lb on Zeke Bonura after Durocher steps on Bonura's foot during a play at first base in the Giants' 6–4 victory. Both are given the gate by umpire Babe Pinelli. In all, six players, two managers, and one player–manager are ejected from today's 15 MLB games. July 3 – In the St. Louis Cardinals' 5–3 victory over the Chicago Cubs, Johnny Mize goes four-for-four—a double, triple and two home runs—equaling a National League record for extra-base hits in a nine-inning game. July 4 Two weeks after his retirement, Lou Gehrig Appreciation Day is celebrated before 61,808 fans between games of a doubleheader at Yankee Stadium. Before the games begin, eight teammates from the famous "Murderers' Row" New York Yankees of 1927 and others from Gehrig's early career—Wally Pipp and previous "iron man" record-holder Everett Scott—visit him in an emotional clubhouse reunion. Babe Ruth arrives during the opening game, and at the formal ceremony between contests, he hugs Gehrig and joins political figures and manager Joe McCarthy in paying homage to the stricken slugger. The Yankees retire Gehrig's uniform #4—making him the first player in major league history to be afforded such an honor. He's showered with gifts from the Yankees and former foes. Then a reluctant Gehrig delivers an unscripted, 277-word speech whose opening two sentences become immortal: "Fans, for the past two weeks you have been reading about the bad break I got. Yet today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of this earth."Drebinger John July 5, 1939 61,808 Fans Roar Tribute to Gehrig https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1939/07/05/112698231.pdf?pdf_redirect=true&ip=0 timesmachine.nytimes.com The New York Times October 16, 2026Hofmann Paul July 4, 1939: Lou Gehrig Says Farewell to Baseball With ‘Luckiest Man’ Speech at Yankee Stadium https://sabr.org/gamesproj/game/july-4-1939-lou-gehrig-appreciation-day-ruth-and-gehrig-end-feud/ sabr.org Society for American Baseball Research October 16, 2026 Lou Gehrig#Retirement The Philadelphia Athletics, who surrendered 33 runs to the Yankees in a twin bill at Shibe Park last Sunday, cough up 35 in today's double bill against the visiting Boston Red Sox, who trounce them 17–7 and 18–12. The Bosox rack up 35 hits as well; Jim Tabor hits four homers on the day, three of them (two of those grand slams) in the nightcap."Boston Red Sox 18, Philadelphia Athletics 12." Retrosheet box score (July 4, 1939 (Game 2). July 8 – The Washington Senators' Mickey Vernon, who hails from nearby Marcus Hook, Pennsylvania, makes his major league debut as a pinch runner in the first game of a doubleheader at Shibe Park against the Philadelphia Athletics. In Game 2, the 21-year-old goes one-for-five and scores a run. By the time of Vernon's last game in 1960, he'll have become one of the few MLB players to appear in four different decades. July 9 The last-place Philadelphia Phillies defeat the host Boston Bees, 3–1, to snap an eleven-game losing streak; then, in the second game of today's doubleheader, the Phils win again, 7–6. The Phillies end the day 21–46–1, 21½ games out of first place, and 9½ lengths behind seventh-place Boston (32–38–1) in Senior Circuit. The league leaders at the All-Star break, the informal half-way point of the baseball season, are the Cincinnati Reds (44–26), 5½ games in front of the New York Giants in the National League, and the New York Yankees (53–22), who lead the Boston Red Sox (43–25) by 6½ lengths in the American League. July 11 – In the first of three times that the All-Star Game will be held at the original 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. The game is witnessed by 62,892 fans. July 16 – The Boston Red Sox sweep a double header from the Detroit Tigers that brings their winning streak to twelve games. July 18 – The Brooklyn Dodgers acquire young shortstop Pee Wee Reese from the Boston Red Sox' organization for $35,000 and two players to named later: pitcher Red Evans and outfielder Art Parks. Currently playing for the Bosox' Louisville farm team, Reese, 20, will report to the Dodgers in 1940 and begin his Hall-of-Fame career. July 19 – Arky Vaughan is 1939's only NL player to hit for the cycle in a 10–3 victory for his Pittsburgh Pirates over the New York Giants at the Polo Grounds. The future Hall of Famer goes five-for-five and scores four runs, and his "cycle" is in reverse order: homer, triple, double, single and single.Huber Mike July 19, 1939: Arky Vaughan Hits for Reverse Natural Cycle, Leads Pirates Past Crippled Giants https://sabr.org/gamesproj/game/july-19-1939-arky-vaughan-hits-for-reverse-natural-cycle-leads-pirates-past-crippled-giants/ sabr.org Society for American Baseball Research October 9, 2026 July 25 – New York Yankees pitcher Atley Donald sets an AL 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 Cuban Baseball Hall of Fame inducts its charter honorees, including José Méndez and Cristóbal Torriente. The Yankees tie a major league record by scoring in every inning. Bill Dickey belts three home runs in the 14–1 win over the St. Louis Browns. August August 5 – The New York Yankees trade Vince DiMaggio to the Cincinnati Reds. August 6 – Already behind 10–1 to the Detroit Tigers, Boston Red Sox manager Joe Cronin sends Jimmie Foxx to the mound to pitch the ninth inning. He records a perfect 1–2–3 inning. In The East/West Negro League All Star Game, Ted Radcliffe leads the West to a 4–2 win. The game is played at Comiskey Park, with a recorded attendance of 40,000 fans. 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. With a 5–3 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates, the St. Louis Cardinals complete a ten-game winning streak. They are still, however, eight games back of the first place Cincinnati Reds. The Reds snap the streak on August 12, however, the Cards take two of their three meetings at Sportsman's Park to move within 6.5 of first place. August 14 – Comiskey Park joins the "Charge of the Lights Brigade" when the Chicago White Sox host the Windy City's first MLB night game and defeat the St. Louis Browns, 5–2, before an official crowd of exactly 30,000 fans."Chicago White Sox 5, St. Louis Browns 2." Retrosheet box score (August 14, 1939).Huber Mike August 14, 1939: Chicago Native Johnny Rigney Pitches White Sox to Historic Win in First Night Game at Comiskey Park https://sabr.org/gamesproj/game/august-14-1939-chicago-native-johnny-rigney-pitches-white-sox-to-historic-first-night-game-victory/ sabr.org Society for American Baseball Research October 9, 2026 August 20 – The Pittsburgh Pirates and Chicago Cubs split a double header at Forbes Field. The victory in the second game snaps a twelve-game losing streak for the Bucs. August 22 – The New York Yankees defeat the Chicago White Sox 14–5 at Comiskey Park, with the Yankees winning their first night game in franchise history. 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.Pellowski Michael J The Little Giant Book of Baseball Facts 2007 Sterling Publishing Co United States 9781402742736 352 registration https://archive.org/details/littlegiantbooko0000pell/page/352 The two teams played a doubleheader that day, and the second game was also televised. September September 13 – Early Wynn loses his major league debut, 4–2 to the Chicago White Sox. September 18 – The St. Louis Browns lose their 100th game of the season, 6–2 to the New York Yankees. September 19 – The New York Yankees defeat the Chicago White Sox, 6–2, for their 100th victory of the season. September 23 – The Brooklyn Dodgers defeat the Philadelphia Phillies 22–4. The Dodgers go on to sweep the Phillies in the four game set at Shibe Park, handing them losses number 100 and 101 on the 24th. September 29 – The second game of the double header between the Cleveland Indians and Detroit Tigers at Briggs Stadium is called after five innings due to rain. Hal Newhouser pitches all five innings for Detroit, and is the losing pitcher in his major league debut. September 30 – In the second game of a double header with the Chicago Cubs, St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Murry Dickson makes his major league debut. He pitches 3.2 without giving up a run, and strikes out in his only at-bat. October October 4 – Bill Dickey's single in the bottom of the ninth wins game one of the 1939 World Series for the New York Yankees, 2–1. This is the first World Series appearance for the Cincinnati Reds in 20 years. October 5 – Monte Pearson holds the Cincinnati Reds to just two hits, as the Yankees take game two of the World Series, 4–0. October 7 – The Reds take a 3–2 lead in the second inning only to have Joe DiMaggio hit a two-run home run in the top of the third to put the Yankees on top for good on their way to a 7–3 victory. October 8 – An error by Billy Myers allows the Yankees to tie it in the ninth. Then, costly errors in the tenth inning by Myers, Ival Goodman and Bucky Walters lead to three runs as the New York Yankees defeat the Cincinnati Reds, 7–4, in Game Four of the World Series to win a record fourth consecutive World Championship, and eighth overall, four games to none. November November 12: Dom DiMaggio, the youngest of the three DiMaggio brothers, is acquired for $40,000 by the Boston Red Sox from the San Francisco Seals of the Pacific Coast League. DiMaggio will spend his entire Major League career with the Red Sox, hitting .298 in 1399 games and making seven All-Star AL teams. Pitcher Victor Starffin wins his 42nd game in a 96-game season of the Japanese Professional Baseball League, leading the Yomiuri Giants to the Championship title, while setting a post-1900 World Record for season victories that will be equaled by Kazuhisa Inao in 1961 but never broken. Starffin will follow his record performance with another 38 wins in 1940. Born in Russia, he moved to Asahikawa, Hokkaidō at a young age, and was selected as part of the national baseball team for an exhibition game against the United States in 1934. From 1936 through 1955 Starffin won 303 games, to become the first pitcher in Japanese baseball history to reach 300 victories. November 29 – Judge Landis fines the Brooklyn Dodgers, Detroit Tigers and the St. Louis Browns minor league club, Columbus, for manipulating player contracts. Landis frees seven farm hands. December December 6 – In a trade of veteran shortstops, or "worn-out shortstops", as one newspaper describes 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. December 9 – The Detroit Tigers trade Benny McCoy and George Coffman to the Philadelphia A's for Wally Moses. The trade is voided by Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis, and the players return to their original teams on January 14, 1940. The commissioner declared McCoy a free agent because he had been "hidden" from other teams. Judge Landis declares 87 more Tigers farmhands free agents due to their concealment in the minor leagues. December 29 – The Chicago White Sox sell the contracts of Norm Schlueter and Hank Steinbacher to the St. Louis Browns, then send Tony Rensa, Jesse Landrum and cash to Oklahoma City (Texas) for Don Kolloway. Births January January 9 – Guido Grilli January 14: Tim Talton Sandy Valdespino January 21 – Norm Bass January 29 – Bobby Bolin February February 7 – Frank Kreutzer February 8 – Harvey Branch February 11 – Willie Smith February 12: Jim Lawrence Jerry Walker February 18: Jesse Hickman Dal Maxvill Bob Miller February 19: Jackie Moore Jim Weaver February 25 – Denny Lemaster March March 4 – Jack Fisher March 6 – Cookie Rojas March 8 – Jim Bouton March 10 – Bill Heath March 12 – Johnny Callison March 13 – Al Luplow March 21 – Tommy Davis March 23 – Bobby Dews March 26 – Al Neiger April April 1: Phil Niekro Nick Peters April 3 – Hawk Taylor April 16 – Bernie Allen April 18 – Von McDaniel April 19 – Gustavo Gil April 23 – Chico Fernández April 30 – Bob Hendley May May 2 – Gates Brown May 6 – Russ Gibson May 9 – Herb Hippauf May 11: Héctor Martínez Milt Pappas Frank Quilici May 17 – Dick Smith May 24 – Jim Duckworth May 25 – Gene Budig June June 4 – Phil Linz June 9 Doug Clemens Julio Gotay June 11 – Jimmy Stewart June 15 – Ty Cline June 18 – Lou Brock July July 8 – Ed Keegan July 15 – Mike Shannon July 25 – Santiago Rosario July 31 – Vic Davalillo August August 4: Dennis Higgins Bob Meyer August 5 – Tommie Aaron August 9 – Claude Osteen August 10: Johnny Lewis Charlie Shoemaker August 13 – Bill Stafford August 18 – Joe Azcue August 21 – Jim Beauchamp August 22 – Carl Yastrzemski August 24 – Rick Joseph August 25 – Dooley Womack August 29: Dave Nicholson Frank Zupo September September 1 – Rico Carty September 13 – Tom Parsons September 17: Carl Bouldin Jim Woods September 22 – Stover McIlwain September 24 – Dick Nen September 28 – Bruce Froemming October October 2 – Paul Doyle October 4 – Ted Davidson October 5 – Dennis Bennett October 6 – Jack Cullen October 7: John O'Donoghue Phil Ortega October 9 – Mike Hershberger October 15 – Lou Klimchock October 21 – Ted Uhlaender October 23 – George Williams October 25 – Pete Mikkelsen October 29 – Pete Richert October 31 – Ed Stroud November November 13 – Wes Parker November 24 – Jim Northrup November 27 – Dave Giusti November 29: Jim Derrington Dick McAuliffe Joe Reliford December December 3: Ed Connolly Ron Stillwell December 10 – Bob Priddy December 18 – Zoilo Versalles December 22 – Al Ferrara December 25 – Chris Krug December 26 – John Braun Deaths January January 7 – Bert Weeden, 56, pinch-hitter for the 1911 Boston Rustlers and also a catcher/manager in the minors during 17 seasons spanning 1903–1923. January 9 – Louis Pelouze, 75, outfielder for the St. Louis Maroons in the 1886 season. January 13 – Jacob Ruppert, 71, brewery magnate who was co-owner (1915–1923), then sole owner (1923 until his death), of the New York Yankees; acquired Babe Ruth (1919), built Yankee Stadium (1923), and oversaw creation of a "Bronx Bombers" dynasty that would win ten American League pennants and seven World Series titles between 1921 and 1938; elected posthumously to Baseball Hall of Fame (2013). January 18 – Cliff Heathcote, 40, outfielder who hit .275 with 42 home runs and 448 RBI for the St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds and Philadelphia Phillies over 15 seasons from 1918 to 1932, and a member of the Cubs club that won the National League pennant in 1929. January 25 – Abner Dalrymple, 81, outfielder who played from 1878 through 1891 for the Milwaukee Grays, Chicago White Stockings, Pittsburgh Alleghenys, and Milwaukee Brewers, and also a prolific hitter who, at the time of his retirement, had collected several titles in batting average, home runs, hits, and runs scored. January 28 – Bill Cristall, 63, Ukrainian born pitcher who played briefly for the Cleveland Blues in 1901. February February 6 – Joe Crisp, 53, catcher who played from 1910 to 1911 for the St. Louis Browns. February 12 – George Fair, 83, second baseman who played briefly for the New York Mutuals in the 1876 season. February 22 – Frank Morrissey, 62, pitcher who played with the Boston Americans in 1901 and for the Chicago Orphans in 1902. March March 2 – Alex McFarlan, 59, outfielder for the 1892 Louisville Colonels. March 8 – Scott Stratton, 69, pitcher for three teams from 1888 to 1895, primarily with the Louisville Colonels, who posted 34 wins in 1890 which included 15 straight victories, while leading the American Association in winning percentage and ERA in the same season. March 15 – Cal Broughton, 78, catcher who played for six different American Association and National League teams in part of four seasons spanning 1883–1888. March 16 – Sam Dungan, 72, right fielder who hit .301 for three teams in a span of five seasons from 1892 to 1901, while posting a very solid 3.14 walk-to-strikeout ratio (116-to-37) in 382 games. March 17 – William Burke, 73, pitcher/outfielder for the 1887 Detroit Wolverines of the National League. March 18 – Ralph Miller, 43, third baseman who played from 1920 to 1921 with the Philadelphia Phillies and for the Washington Senators in 1924. March 25 – Tiny Chaplin, 33, pitcher who played for the New York Giants and the Boston Bees in four seasons between 1928 and 1936. March 28 – Fred Goldsmith, 82, pitcher for four different teams between 1875 and 1884, who steadfastly claimed that he had first thrown the curveball in 1870, six years earlier than Candy Cummings, who gained credit for the development of the pitch. April April 5 – Fred Curtis, 58, first baseman who played for the New York Highlanders in the 1905 season. April 27 – Chauncey Fisher, 67, pitcher for the Cleveland Spiders, Cincinnati Reds, Brooklyn Bridegrooms, New York Giants and St. Louis Cardinals in parts or all of 16 seasons from 1893 to 1901. May thumb|157px|Barney Pelty May 16 – Hal Kime, 41, pitcher who played with the St. Louis Cardinals during the 1920 season. May 22 – Fred Link, 53, pitcher who played for the Cleveland Naps and the St. Louis Browns in the 1910 season. May 24 – Barney Pelty, 58, pitcher for the St. Louis Browns from 1903 to 1912, as well as one of the first Jewish players to play in the American League. May 29 – Bill McCarthy, 57, pitcher for the 1906 Boston Beaneaters. June June 6 – Simmy Murch, 58, infielder who played for the St. Louis Cardinals and Brooklyn Superbas in part of three seasons spanning 1904–1908. June 8 – Pat Paige, 57, pitcher for the Cleveland Naps during the 1911 season. June 11 – John Henry, 75, outfielder/pitcher for the Cleveland Blues, Baltimore Orioles, Washington Nationals and New York Giants in a span of four seasons from 1884 to 1890. June 17 – Allen Sothoron, 46, spitball pitcher and a master of trick deliveries between the 1914 and 1926 seasons, who spent most of his career with the St. Louis Browns and the St. Louis Cardinals, and later coached and managed in the minors from 1928 to 1938. June 18 – Murphy Currie, 45, pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals in 1916. June 25 – Heinie Smith, 67, second baseman for the Louisville Colonels, Pittsburgh Pirates, New York Giants and Detroit Tigers between 1897 and 1903, who also managed the Giants in the 1902 season. July July 7 – Deacon White, 91, Hall of Fame catcher and third baseman who, despite playing without a glove, mask, chest protector and shin guards, caught more games (409) than any catcher during the 1870s and later became a member of the legendary Big Four infield with Dan Brouthers (1B), Hardy Richardson (2B) and Jack Rowe (SS), while being one of the game's most feared hitters – winning two batting titles (1875; 1877) and three RBI crowns (1873; 1876–1877) – as well as a major figure on five consecutive championship teams from 1873 through 1877.Hall inductees White, O'Day have intertwined history http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20130727&content_id=54968918 MLB.com July 15 – Ed Biecher, 63, outfielder who played from 1897 to 1898 with the St. Louis Browns and Cleveland Spiders, and remained active as a player/manager in the Minor Leagues through 1903. July 18 – J. Louis Comiskey, 53, son of Charles Comiskey and owner of the Chicago White Sox from October 26, 1931 until his death. July 20 – Jack Reis, 48, pitcher who played briefly for the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1911 season. July 26 – Peaches Graham, 62, catcher who played for the Cleveland Bronchos, Chicago Cubs, Boston Doves/Rustlers and Philadelphia Phillies over seven seasons spanning 1902–1912. July 29 – John Sowders, 72, pitcher who played with the Indianapolis Hoosiers in 1887 and for the Kansas City Cowboys and Brooklyn Ward's Wonders from 1889 to 1890. August August 12 – Jack Darragh, 73, first baseman for the 1891 Louisville Colonels of the National League. August 28 – Dave Oldfield, 74, catcher/outfielder who played with the Baltimore Orioles in 1883 and for the Brooklyn Grays and Washington Nationals from 1885 to 1886. September September 17 – Tom Hart, 70, catcher/outfielder for the 1891 Washington Statesmen. September 18 – Toots Coyne, 44, third baseman who played for the Philadelphia Athletics during the 1914 season. September 25 – Frank LaPorte, 59, infielder who posted four .300 seasons in an eleven-year career, led the Federal League for the most RBI in 1914, and was the first man to play both for the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox intense rivals.Players who played for Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees https://www.baseball-reference.com/friv/players-who-played-for-multiple-teams-franchises.fcgi 2026-06-25 Baseball Reference en September 27 – Sweetbread Bailey, 44, pitcher who played from 1919 through 1921 for the Chicago Cubs and Brooklyn Robins, and also served in the military during World War I conflict. October October 9 – Biff Schaller, 50, outfielder who played with the Detroit Tigers in 1911 and the Chicago White Sox in 1913. October 16 – Nick Allen, 51, catcher for the Buffalo Buffeds, Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds in a span of six seasons from 1914 to 1920, who later played and managed in the minor leagues through 1936 and earned the nickname "Roarin' Nick" for his notorious altercations with umpires.Nick Allen Society for American Baseball Research https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/nick-allen/ 2026-06-25 en-US October 17 – George Bristow, 69, outfielder for the 1899 Cleveland Spiders and later a long time player and manager in the minor leagues. October 19 – Red Downs, 56, second baseman for the Detroit Tigers, Brooklyn Dodgers and Chicago Cubs from 1907 through 1912, and also a member of the Tigers club that won the American League pennant in 1908, who gained notoriety later as an armed robber during the Great Depression. October 22 – Dale Williams, 84, pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds in the 1876 season. October 26 – Ed Lennox, 55, third baseman who played for the Philadelphia Athletics, Brooklyn Superbas, Chicago Cubs and Pittsburgh Rebels in parts of six seasons spanning 1906–1915. November November 4 – Pete Henning, 51, pitcher who played for the Kansas City Packers in the 1914 and 1915 seasons. November 11 – Frank Abercrombie, 88, shortstop for the 1871 Philadelphia Athletics. November 15 – Tom Richardson, 56, pinch-hitter in one game for the St. Louis Browns of the American League. November 18 – Horace Helmbold, 72, pitcher for the Philadelphia Athletics of the American Association in 1890. November 19 – Frank Mountain, 79, pitcher for six different teams in seven seasons from 1880 to 1886, who won 20 games twice and hurled a no-hitter in 1884. November 26 – Frank Harris, 81, pitcher who played with the Altoona Mountain City of the Union Association in 1884. November 27 – Jack Fifield, 68, pitcher who played from 1897 through 1899 for the Philadelphia Phillies and Washington Senators of the National League. December December 3 – Frank Killen, 69, pitcher for the Milwaukee Brewers, Washington Senators, Pittsburgh Pirates, Boston Beaneaters and Chicago Orphans, who won 164 games from 1891 to 1900, including two 30-win seasons and two 20-win seasons. December 11 – Dallas Bradshaw, 44, second baseman who played briefly for the Philadelphia Athletics in the 1917 season. December 18 – Heywood Broun, 51, sportswriter and editor in New York City since the early 1910s. December 26 – Clyde Engle, 55, valuable utility at all positions except pitcher and catcher for four teams from 1909 through 1916, who scored the tying run for the Boston Red Sox in the 10th inning of final Game 8 of the 1912 World Series after his earlier pop fly had been dropped, preserving the victory for the eventual champions Red Sox. References 1939