1939 – The New York Giants obtain infielder Mickey Witek from the Newark Bears in exchange for infielder Alex Kampouris, catcher Tom Padden and $40,000 in cash. New York has high hopes for Witek, who was named the 1939 Most Valuable Player in the International League.
Major League Baseball Season Recap 1939 Off the field… “The Daughters of the American Revolution”, a colonial patriotic society in the United States open to women having one or more ancestors who aided the cause of the Revolution refused to allow Marian Anderson to perform at Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C. Anderson was the…
1939 – The Yomiuri Giants beat the Hanshin Tigers, 4 – 2, to clinch the Japanese league pennant. The Giants will win the pennant for the next four years.
1939 – Wally Moses is traded by the Philadelphia A’s to Detroit for Benny McCoy and George Coffman. The deal is later voided by Judge Landis, who declares McCoy a free agent because of a Tigers cover-up. He gets a $10,000 bonus to sign with the A’s.
At the December meeting of both leagues in Cincinnati, Judge Landis votes against all amendments favorable to farm systems. The Rules committee, with an eye towards raising declining batting averages, votes to restore the sacrifice fly for 1940. Seven American League owners push through a new rule barring the American League champion from making any trades within the league. Clearly aimed at the Yankees, winners of the last four World Series, the National League owners decline to vote it for their league.
The Bees trade veteran Danny MacFayden to the Pirates for Bill Swift and cash.
The White Sox trade Gee Walker to the Senators for Pete Appleton and Taffy Wright. The Sox also pick up OF Moose Solters from the Browns for OF Rip Radcliff, both sluggers coming off poor years. The Dodgers get Gus Mancuso and Newt Kimball from the Cubs for Al Todd.
Lou Gehrig gains election to the Hall of Fame
Lou Gehrig, who played in his last major league game on June 30 this season, is elected to the Hall of Fame. Due to the Yankees first baseman’s diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), the five-year waiting rule is waived.
At the urging of Senator owner Clark Griffith, the other American League owners enact a rule prohibiting the league’s pennant winner from buying, selling or trading players during the following season. The winter meeting decision appears to have the desired effect as the Yankees finish in third place.
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