Library of Congress Spalding's official base ball guide, 1939 SPALDING'S OFFICIAL BASE BALL GUIDE 1939 I ,f -;1 , 1 : --. <1, -- -i . I , SPALDING'S OFFICIAL BASE BALL GUIDE SIXTY-THIRD YEAR 1939 I t I ~ 7; \P :. I. 411 rAni v CUl JV ! 'IVAI LA!\'Dll, (hicagoG Commissioner of Base Ball. Contents OFFICIAL BASE BALL RULES. With Explanatory Notes and "Knotty Problems" in convenient detachable pocket size. Photographs for major league groups by C. M. Conlonl Englewood, N.J.. and George Burke, 847 Belmont Avenue, Chicago, I11. boy' ,v- -- Club o "' J8 5. fa Editorial Comment ' t 1 . " ' , i _ : f, t- "it . - . 15 - - - -_ J - -~ WILLIAM HARRIDGE, President of the American League. Spalding's official base ball guide, 1939 http://www.loc.gov/resource/spalding.00179 Library of Congress 1004. 10 Spalding Official Base Ball Guidet McGraw was a dominant figure of the national game. In Truxton he got his start in the national pastime and there the population of 400 persons think - of McGraw as base ball itself. And so to honor the man who made truxton rank with Cooperstown and ~!.? - other base ball shrines, came the New York Giants with Manager Terry and other famous players who are now standard bearers of the McGraw tradition :; in the Polo Grounds. In all there were fifteen players in the Giants team. Also came Mrs. McGraw, widow of the famous manager; Horace C. Stoneham, young president of the Giants; Edward T. Brannick, popular secretary of the club: Lieut.- Gov. M. William Bray and a throng of other ardent admirers from Central New York. According to Chairman Wilfred E. Hoffman of the executive committee in charge of the memorial activities, 7,650 persons jammed the sandlot on the banks of the Tioughnioga to see the Giants defeat the determined but inex- perienced Truxton All-Stars, 8 to 1, in the feature event on the program. It was the largest crowd ever to gather in one place in Truxton township. It swelled out on bleachers lent by Syracuse and Cornell universities from home plate to center field on both sides. It jammed the small grand stand behind home plate and overflowed to the small concrete bridge over which one could go to see the field where McGraw played his first base ball. The Giants arrived in Ithaca by train in the forenoon and, accompanied by Wilfred Hoffman, Edmund Hoffman and William McCarthy, the welcoming com- mittee, drove to Truxton in the school bus. At the Giant bench also was Henry Fabian, famed groundkeeper of the Polo Grounds and the oldest such jobholder in either the National or American Leagues. Fabian had at one time played on a team with John McGraw, and is the accepted authority on all matters connected with his profession. Around Lieut. J. P. Ronan and Sgt. Charles Curtin.g At 2:15 St. Mary's band of Cortland played the national anthem, after which a half minute silence in memory of Manager McGraw was observed. Bob! Kenefick Jr. of Syracuse read a poem, "John J. McGraw Comes Home," written by Joseph Adams, Syracuse Post-Standard columnist, which ended with the ,- words: words: "And so these hills eternally shall claim The son Spalding's official base ball guide, 1939 http://www.loc.gov/resource/spalding.00179 Library of Congress they spawned for Destiny and Fame." A brief tribute then was paid the late Giant manager by George (Hooks) iltse of Syracuse. who won twelve straight games while pitching for the Giants in 1904, Mr. Wiltse umpired the memorial game on the bases with Bill Dinneen of Syracuse, retired big league umpire, at the plate. .Proceeds of the game will go toward a McGraw memorial in his native town. H z W ~~~~~~~~~--' S I.'" xn' ' , , , IMPORTANT TRADES IN OFF SEASON OF 1938-39 Oct. 4-James Thompson (Doc) Prothro signed two-year 'contract to manage Philadelphia N.L., succeeding Jimmy Wilson, who resigned Sept. 30 .... At the draft meeting in Chicago the following minor league players were drafted: By Philadelphia N.L.-From Indianapolis, outfielder LeGrant Scott; from Newark, third baseman Merrill May. By Philadelphia A.L.-rom Minneapolis, pitcher Bud Parmelee; from Sacramento, pitcher Henry Pippen; from Atlanta, pitcher Bill Beckman; from Toronto, third baseman Joe Gantenbein; from Baltimore, infielder Bill Nagel; from Pensacola, pitcher Leon Kyle. By Brooklyn-From Memphis, pitcher Hugh Casey; from Jersey City, pitcher Russell Evans. By -- St. Louis A.L.-From Seattle, catcher Hal Spindel. By St. Louis N.L.-From Syracuse, outfielder Jimmy Outlaw. By Chicago A.L.-From St. Paul, pitcher Art Herring. By Washington-From Toledo, infielder Charley Gelbert. By De- troit--From Columbus (Ohio), pitcher Jimmy Lynn. By Pittsburgh-From Louis- ville, outfielder Fern Bell; from Rochester, second baseman Jack Juelich. By -i-:. Boston A.L.-From Little Rock, pitcher Wayman Kerksieck. Oct. 11-Manager Prothro of the Phillies retained John B. Lobert as one of his coaches . Baltimore signed Rogers Hornsby as manager. asiiX i :; f t~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Spalding- Official Base Ball Guide 11 Oct. 12-Leo Durocher named manager of Brooklyn team, succeeding Bur- leigh Grimes, who was let go Oct. 10. Durocher named William Killefer and Charles Dressen as his coaches. Oct. 26-New York A.L. traded catcher Joe Glenn and outfielder Myril Hoag to the St. Louis Browns for pitcher Oral Hildebrand and outfielder Buster Mills. " ^ Nov. 5-Cleveland sold infielder Jack Kroner to Syracuse. Nov. 6-St. Louis N.L. appointed Ray Blades manager for 1939. Nov. 7-Fred Haney chosen manager of the St. Louis A.L. Nov. 18-Jimmy Wilson appointed coach of Cincinnati, Spalding's official base ball guide, 1939 http://www.loc.gov/resource/spalding.00179 Library of Congress succeeding Edd Roush. a ..St. Louis A.L. released coach Melillo and signs Frank Shellenback in his place. Nov. 19-New York A.L. sold pitcher Broaca to Cleveland at waiver price. Dec. 5-Burleigh Grimes signed two-year contract to manage Montreal . Albany signed Rabbit Maranville as manager . Cincinnati sold pitcher Cas- carella to Buffalo. Dec. 6-New York Giants swapped shortstop Dick Bartell, outfielder Henry Leiber and catcher Gus Mancuso to the Cubs for outfielder Frank Demaree, shortstop Bill Jurges and catcher Ken O'Dea . St. Louis A.L. swapped in- fielder Tom Carey to the Boston Red Sox for pitcher John Marcum . Wash- ington sold pitcher Hogsett to Minneapolis . Chattanooga named Kiki Cuyler manager . New York N.L. sold infielder Bill Cissell to Hollywood. Dec. 7-Phillies bought first baseman Leslie Powers from New York Giants and sold Phil Weintraub to Minneapolis . Giants sent Mickey Haslin to San Diego in part payment for pitcher Salvo. Dec. 8-St. Louis N.L. sold pitcher Harrell to Chicago Cubs . Cincinnati traded outfielder Dusty Cooke to Rochester for Stanley Bordagaray . George Haas signed to manage Oklahoma. Dec. 9-Harry Leibold named manager of Scranton club. Dec. 10-Cleveland signed Oscar Melillo as coach, replacing Wallie Schang . Tony Lazzeri, released by Chicago N.L., signed to play second base for Brooklyn . .Phillies sign Jennings Poindexter, lefthand pitcher of Little Rock. Dec. 11-New York N.L. bought first baseman Zeke Bonura for $20,000 cash, pitcher Tom Baker and first baseman James Carlin. Dec. 12-Detroit Tigers acquired pitcher Fred Hutchinson of Seattle for cash, outfielder Joyner White, infielder Tony Piet, first baseman George Archie and pitcher Ed Selway ... New York Giants released first baseman Sam Leslie to Jersey City. Dec. 13-Brooklyn acquired outfielder-infielder Outlaw from the St. Louis Cardinals for pitcher Lew Krausse and cash and then traded Outlaw and first baseman Hassett to the Boston Bees for outfielder Eugene Moore and pitcher Ira Hutchinson . Brooklyn swapped pitcher Frankhouse to the Bees for infielder Joe Stripp. Dec. 14-Boston A.L. traded outfielder Ben Chapman to Cleveland for pitcher Dennis Galehouse and infielder Irwin. Dec. 15-Boston A.L. traded third baseman Pinky Higgins and pitcher Archie MeKain to Detroit for pitchers Elden Auker and Jake Wade and outfielder Chester Morgan. Dec. 16-Boston Bees traded catcher Mueller to Pittsburgh for catcher Todd, outfielder Dickshot Spalding's official base ball guide, 1939 http://www.loc.gov/resource/spalding.00179 Library of Congress and cash. Dec. 20-Brooklyn purchased catcher Luke Sewell from the Chicago White Sox for the waiver price. Dec. 21-Boston A.L. traded infielder Eric McNair to the Chicago White Sox for infielder Berger. Dec. 29-Washington sold outfielder Al Simmons to the Boston Bees for $3,000. Feb. 6-Cincinnati signed Bill McKechnie for two more years as manager . Brooklyn purchased pitchers Kemp Wicker and Jack LaRocca and catcher Chris Hartje from Yankee organization for $50,000. Feb. 7-Wally Schang appointed manager of the Ottawa team of the Canadian- ! American League . John Myatt named trainer of the Brooklyn team, replac- ing Ed Froelich. Feb. 10-Brooklyn released third baseman Joe Stripp to Chattanooga. MAJUK GIENEKAL ABNER DOUBLEDAY, Inventor of Base Ball. Base Ball's First Century - . a Spalding Official Base Ball Guide 13 - .... e-* * * . .... j" BY JOHN B. FOSTER. The year 1939 marks the centennial of the game which was invented and christened by General Abner Doubleday. Base ball made its debut at Coopers- town, N.Y., a village which, from the very nature of its surroundings, may never grow to any appreciable size in the number of its inhabitants, although it has grown considerably since that first game was played. Abner Doubleday was not a general then; in fact, he was not even an officer. A hundred years ago he was a student at an academy in Cooperstown. : I< ri Some historians who were sufficiently interested to investigate the origin of base ball think it must have developed by stages from that most interesting : and deiightful game played by boys, known as "one old cat." One old cat was played a century ago-and more.