1939 St. Louis Cardinals season
Encyclopedia
The St. Louis Cardinals
season was the team's 58th season in St. Louis, Missouri
and the 48th season in the National League
. The Cardinals went 92-61 during the season and finished 2nd in the National League.
, owner Sam Breadon
appointed former reserve Cardinals outfielder Ray Blades
as manager. He had managed many of the organization's top young players in Columbus, Ohio
, and Rochester, New York
.
A feisty skipper, Blades guided the Cardinals back into the pennant race. The Cincinnati Reds
took over first place on May 26 and never fell back. The Cards seized second place at midseason and played at a .708 clip in the final 65 games-including a 29-6 record at home the second half-but never could catch the Reds.
The Redbirds made Cincinnati work down the stretch, though. They took two games from the Reds with the third of the three-game series washed out as a tie, and that pulled the Cards to only 3 and a half games back. Twice the Cardinals drew a game closer in September.
An old trade haunted the Cards: Paul Derringer
, a former St. Louis farmhand, went 25-7 for the Reds. That record included a 5-3 victory in September that clinched the pennant for the Reds.
The best offense in the league was at least partially responsible for the Cardinals' dramatic turn. They led the NL in runs and made the most of their speed to head the league in doubles and triples. Their .294 team batting average was 16 points higher than anyone else's.
The trade that sent Dizzy Dean
to the Chicago Cubs
actually paid some dividens. Curt Davis
, one of the two pitchers picked up in the deal, led the Redbirds' staff in almost every category. Clyde Shoun
, the other ex-Cub, worked a team-high 51 games out of the bullpen. With rookie Mort Cooper
winning 12 games and working more than 200 innings, the Cards pitchers posted the league's second-best ERA.
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
season was the team's 58th season in St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
and the 48th season in the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
. The Cardinals went 92-61 during the season and finished 2nd in the National League.
Season summary
Shortly after the end of the 1938 season1938 St. Louis Cardinals season
The St. Louis Cardinals season was the team's 57th season in St. Louis, Missouri, United States, and the 47th season in the National League. The Cardinals went 71-80 during the season and finished 6th in the National League.- Roster :...
, owner Sam Breadon
Sam Breadon
Samuel Breadon was an American executive who served as the president and majority owner of the St. Louis Cardinals of Major League Baseball from 1920 through 1947...
appointed former reserve Cardinals outfielder Ray Blades
Ray Blades
Francis Raymond Blades was an American left fielder, manager, coach and scout in Major League Baseball.A native of McLeansboro, Illinois, Blades was first scouted as a baseball player as a teenager in 1913. Branch Rickey, then the manager of the St. Louis Browns, spotted Blades during a sandlot...
as manager. He had managed many of the organization's top young players in Columbus, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
, and Rochester, New York
Rochester, New York
Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
.
A feisty skipper, Blades guided the Cardinals back into the pennant race. The Cincinnati Reds
1939 Cincinnati Reds season
The Cincinnati Reds season was a season in American baseball. The team finished first in the National League, winning the pennant by 4½ games over the St. Louis Cardinals with a record of 97-57...
took over first place on May 26 and never fell back. The Cards seized second place at midseason and played at a .708 clip in the final 65 games-including a 29-6 record at home the second half-but never could catch the Reds.
The Redbirds made Cincinnati work down the stretch, though. They took two games from the Reds with the third of the three-game series washed out as a tie, and that pulled the Cards to only 3 and a half games back. Twice the Cardinals drew a game closer in September.
An old trade haunted the Cards: Paul Derringer
Paul Derringer
Samuel Paul Derringer was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for three National League teams from 1931 to 1945, primarily the Cincinnati Reds....
, a former St. Louis farmhand, went 25-7 for the Reds. That record included a 5-3 victory in September that clinched the pennant for the Reds.
The best offense in the league was at least partially responsible for the Cardinals' dramatic turn. They led the NL in runs and made the most of their speed to head the league in doubles and triples. Their .294 team batting average was 16 points higher than anyone else's.
The trade that sent Dizzy Dean
Dizzy Dean
Jay Hanna "Dizzy" Dean was an American Major League Baseball pitcher. He was the last National League pitcher to win 30 games in one season. Dean was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1953....
to the Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
actually paid some dividens. Curt Davis
Curt Davis
Curtis Benton Davis was a Major League Baseball pitcher. On October 2, 1933 he was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies from the Pacific Coast League San Francisco Seals in the 1933 rule V draft. He played for the Phillies , Chicago Cubs , St. Louis Cardinals , and Brooklyn Dodgers...
, one of the two pitchers picked up in the deal, led the Redbirds' staff in almost every category. Clyde Shoun
Clyde Shoun
Clyde Mitchell Shoun was an American professional baseball player. A left-handed pitcher, he was born in Mountain City, Tennessee, and known as "Hardrock", due to his fastball....
, the other ex-Cub, worked a team-high 51 games out of the bullpen. With rookie Mort Cooper
Mort Cooper
Morton Cecil Cooper was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who played primarily for the St. Louis Cardinals...
winning 12 games and working more than 200 innings, the Cards pitchers posted the league's second-best ERA.
Roster
| 1939 St. Louis Cardinals | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roster | |||||||||
| Pitchers |
Catchers Infielders |
Outfielders Other batters |
Manager Coaches |
||||||
Starters by position
Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in| Pos | Player | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Other batters
Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in| Player | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Starting pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Other pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 49 | 248 | 22 | 16 | 3.63 | 70 | |
Relief pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts| Player | G | W | L | SV | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 53 | 3 | 1 | 9 | 3.76 | 50 | |
| 11 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 6.75 | 6 | |
Cardinals in the 1939 All-Star Game
- Pitcher Curt DavisCurt DavisCurtis Benton Davis was a Major League Baseball pitcher. On October 2, 1933 he was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies from the Pacific Coast League San Francisco Seals in the 1933 rule V draft. He played for the Phillies , Chicago Cubs , St. Louis Cardinals , and Brooklyn Dodgers...
- Outfielder Joe MedwickJoe MedwickJoseph Michael Medwick , nicknamed "Ducky", was an American Major League Baseball player. A left fielder for the St. Louis Cardinals during the "Gashouse Gang" era of the 1930s, he also played for the Brooklyn Dodgers , New York Giants , and Boston Braves...
- First baseman Johnny MizeJohnny MizeJohn Robert "Johnny" Mize was a baseball player who was a first baseman for the St. Louis Cardinals, New York Giants, and New York Yankees...
- Outfielder Terry MooreTerry Moore (baseball)Terry Bluford Moore was a Major League Baseball center fielder. He played for the St. Louis Cardinals from 1935–42 and 1946-48.-Playing career:...
- Pitcher Lon WarnekeLon WarnekeLonnie Warneke , nicknamed the "The Arkansas Hummingbird," was a Major League Baseball player, Major League umpire, county judge, U.S. Military serviceman, and businessman from Montgomery County, Arkansas whose career won-loss record as a pitcher for the Chicago Cubs and St...