1937 in baseball

The following are the baseball events of the year 1937 throughout the world.  

Champions

Major League Baseball

• World Series: New York Yankees over New York Giants (4-1)
• All-Star Game, July 7 at Griffith Stadium: American League, 8-3

Other champions

• Negro League Baseball All-Star Game: East, 7-2

Awards and honors

• MLB Most Valuable Player Award
  • American League: Charlie Gehringer, Detroit Tigers, 2B
  • National League: Joe Medwick, St Louis Cardinals, OF
• The Sporting News Player of the Year Award
  • Johnny Allen Cleveland Indians

• The Sporting News Manager of the Year Award
  • Bill McKechnie Boston Braves

Statistical leaders

¹American League Triple Crown Pitching Winner

Major league baseball final standings

American League final standings

National League final standings

Negro league baseball final standings

Negro National League final standings

Events

January - June

• January 17 - The St. Louis Browns trade Ivy Andrews, Lyn Lary and Moose Solters to the Cleveland Indians for Oral Hildebrand, Bill Knickerbocker and Joe Vosmik.

• April 4 - The Washington Senators purchase Al Simmons' contract from the Detroit Tigers for $15,000.

• April 19 - Opening day, the Philadelphia Phillies sweep the Boston Bees in a double header, and the Philadelphia Athletics defeat the Washington Senators, 4-3, in the only games on the schedule.

• April 20 - In the Boston Red Sox's 11-5 victory over the Philadelphia A's, Bobby Doerr makes his major league debut at second base, going three-for-five with a run scored.

• May 3 - The New York Giants play an entire nine inning game with the Boston Bees without a single chance for their outfielders. The Bees outfield only had three chances themselves. Boston wins the game by a final score of 3-1.

• May 9 - In the Cincinnati Reds' 21-10 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies, Reds catcher Ernie Lombardi ties the modern Major League record with six hits in six consecutive times at bat.

• May 19 - In pitchers' duel between Dizzy Dean and Carl Hubbell, Dean is called for a balk in the sixth inning, resulting in a run for the Giants. Enraged, he begins throwing at New York batters, hitting Johnny McCarthy and inciting a bench-clearing brawl. Dean is fined $50.

• May 25 - Detroit Tigers player/manager Mickey Cochrane hits a third inning home run to tie the ballgame with the New York Yankees, 1-1. In his next at-bat, Yankees pitcher Bump Hadley srikes Cochrane on the left side of the head with a fastball, ending his playing career. Del Baker assumes managerial duties, as Cochrane does not return to the helm until 1938. The Yankees win the game, 4-3.

• May 27 - The New York Giants' Mel Ott's ninth-inning home run helps Carl Hubbell win a record 24th straight game in a 3-2 win over the Cincinnati Reds at Crosley Field.

• June 1 - Bill Dietrich pitches a no-hitter in an 8-0 Chicago White Sox victory over the St. Louis Browns.

• June 8 - The Chicago White Sox defeat the New York Yankees 5-4, completing a ten game winning streak, and moving into a first place tie with the Yankees.

• June 11 - The Boston Red Sox trade brothers Rick and Wes Ferrell, along with Mel Almada, to the Washington Senators for Ben Chapman and Bobo Newsom.

• June 12 - The Pittsburgh Pirates sell Waite Hoyt's contract to the Brooklyn Dodgers.

• June 15 - The New York Giants obtain Wally Berger from the Boston Bees for Frank Gabler and $35,000.

July - September

• July 7 - The American League defeats the National League, 8-3, in the All-Star Game, held at Griffith Stadium, home of the Washington Senators.

• July 15 - Philadelphia Athletics pitcher George Caster holds the Chicago White Sox to just four hits as the A's beat the ChiSox 2-1, snapping a fifteen game losing streak.

• July 25 - Washington Senators lead-off hitter Mel Almada ties a major league record by scoring five runs in the second game of a double header with the St. Louis Browns. He'd scored four runs in the first game, giving him nine for the day.

• August 3 - St. Louis Cardinals catcher Mickey Owen pulls off an unassisted double play in the Cards' 5-2 over the Boston Bees at Sportsman's Park.

• August 8 - John Whitehead and the Chicago White Sox shut out the Boston Red Sox 13-0 in the second game of a double header to end the BoSox twelve game winning streak (excluding one tie on August 1).

• August 14 - The Detroit Tigers score 34 runs in a double header with the St. Louis Browns.

• September 11 - The St. Louis Browns win the second game of a double header with the Cleveland Indians, 8-3, to snap a twelve game losing streak.

• September 22 - The St. Louis Browns lose 4-1 to the New York Yankees for their 100th loss of the season.

• September 29 - After scoring fifteen runs in the first game a double header, the New York Yankees manage just one hit off Philadelphia A's pitcher Eddie Smith in the second game, losing 3-0. It is only the second time all season the Yankees are shut out (May 8).

• September 30 - The Boston Bees sweep a double header from the Dodgers to bring Brooklyn's losing streak to fourteen games.

October - December

• October 3 - On the final day of the season, the Cincinnati Reds are swept in a double header by the Pittsburgh Pirates to end the season with a fourteen game losing streak.

• October 4 - The Brooklyn Dodgers trade Jim Bucher, Johnny Cooney, Roy Henshaw and Joe Stripp to the St. Louis Cardinals for Leo Durocher.

• October 6 - Having gotten just one hit, the New York Yankees finally get to Carl Hubbell in the sixth inning. Joe DiMaggio's single with the bases loaded drives in two, as the Yankees go on to score seven runs that inning. Lefty Gomez, meanwhile, gives up just one run to carry the Yankees to an 8-1 victory in Game one of the rematch of the 1936 World Series.

• October 7 - The Yankees win game two of the 1937 World Series by the same score, 8-1. Red Ruffing is the winning pitcher, and goes two-for-four with a double and three runs batted in.

• October 8 - For the third game in a row, Yankees pitching gives up just one run, as Monte Pearson pitches the Yankees to a 5-1 victory in game three.

• October 9 - On the brink of elimination, New York Giants bats finally erupt, as they score six runs in the second inning on their way to a 7-3 victory in game four of the World Series.

• October 10 - The New York Yankees defeat the New York Giants, 4-2, in Game five of the World Series to win their Major-League-record sixth World Championship, four game to one. The Yankees had been tied with the Philadelphia Athletics and Boston Red Sox for most championships (they each had five). By the time either of those teams won their next Series, the Yankees had far outdistanced them, with 20 wins as of 1972, and 26 wins as of 2004, respectively.

• October 28 - Tony Lazzeri joins the Chicago Cubs.

• November 2 - American League batting champion Charlie Gehringer of the Detroit Tigers is named Most Valuable Player, receiving 78 out of a possible 80 points. Joe DiMaggio of the New York Yankees is a close second four points behind while Gehringer teammate Hank Greenberg, who collected 183 RBI, is a distant third. Gehringer also becomes the third Detroit player in four years to receive MVP honors.

• November 9 - St. Louis Cardinals Triple Crown winner Joe Medwick is named National League Most Valuable Player by the Baseball Writers Association of America.

• December 2
  • The Detroit Tigers trade Marv Owen, Mike Tresh and Gee Walker to the Chicago White Sox for Vern Kennedy, Tony Piet and Dixie Walker.
  • The St. Louis Browns trade Joe Vosmik to the Boston Red Sox for Red Kress, Buster Mills and Bobo Newsom.

• December 6 - The Boston Red Sox acquired the contract of nineteen year-old Ted Williams.

Births

January-February

• January 8 - Don Dillard
• January 10 - Jim O'Toole
• January 11 - Jack Curtis
• January 12 - Stan Johnson
• January 12 - Phil Mudrock
• January 14 - Sonny Siebert
• January 15 - Bob Sadowski
• January 16 - Moe Morhardt
• January 21 - Bill Graham
• February 2 - Don Buford
• February 7 - Juan Pizarro
• February 9 - Clete Boyer
• February 12 - Stan Johnson
• February 21 - Ted Savage
• February 27 - Carl Warwick

March-April

• March 8 - Jim Small
• March 20 - Kenny Kuhn
• March 21 - Dave Thies
• March 24 - Dick Egan
• March 24 - Bob Tillman
• April 2 - Dick Radatz
• April 4 - Gary Geiger
• April 4 - Al Kenders
• April 5 - Roger Marquis
• April 6 - Phil Regan
• April 10 - Fritz Ackley
• April 17 - Roberto Peña
• April 21 - Bill Haywood
• April 21 - Gary Peters
• April 24 - Duke Carmel

May-June

• May 7 - Claude Raymond
• May 8 - Mike Cuellar
• May 8 - Art López
• May 10 - Jim Hickman
• May 18 - Brooks Robinson
• May 20 - Bob Giallombardo
• May 22 - George Spriggs
• June 3 - Phyllis Baker
• June 4 - Dolly Vanderlip
• June 8 - Joe Grzenda
• June 9 - Jake Jacobs
• June 14 - John Weekly
• June 19 - Larry Miller
• June 22 - Jim O'Rourke
• June 22 - Jake Wood
• June 23 - Tom Haller
• June 24 - Jim Campbell
• June 28 - Cal Emery
• June 28 - Ron Luciano

July-August

• July 1 - Ron Nischwitz
• July 4 - Gordon Seyfried
• July 7 - George Smith
• July 9 - Gordon Mackenzie
• July 9 - Marty Springstead
• July 10 - Larry Burright
• July 11 - Verle Tiefenthaler
• July 16 - Lee Elia
• July 23 - Dean Look
• July 26 - Pete Ward
• July 31 - Fred Van Dusen
• August 4 - Frank Kostro
• August 5 - Bill Pleis
• August 5 - Dwight Siebler
• August 6 - Cam Carreon
• August 6 - Joe Schaffernoth
• August 6 - Wayne Schurr
• August 9 - Ray Blemker
• August 14 - Bert Cueto
• August 14 - Joe Horlen
• August 17 - Diego Seguí
• August 19 - Jim Lehew
• August 21 - Jack Damaska
• August 25 - Choo-Choo Coleman
• August 28 - Bob Hartman
• August 29 - Jack Damaska
• August 31 - Tracy Stallard

September-October

• September 2 - Peter Ueberroth
• September 5 - Karl Kuehl
• September 15 - Charley Smith
• September 17 - Orlando Cepeda
• September 19 - Chris Short
• October 1 - Alan Brice
• October 10 - Gordie Sundin
• October 13 - Lou Clinton
• October 19 - Walt Bond
• October 20 - Juan Marichal
• October 23 - Bob Allen
• October 23 - Cecil Butler
• October 24 - John Goetz
• October 25 - Chuck Schilling
• October 31 - Dave Tyriver

November-December

• November 11 - Dave Hill
• November 14 - Jim Brewer
• November 15 - Bob Farley
• November 15 - Ray Webster
• November 21 - Tony Balsamo
• November 26 - Bob Lee
• November 27 - Bill Short
• November 28 - Purnal Goldy
• November 28 - Corky Withrow
• November 29 - George Thomas
• December 6 - Freddie Velázquez
• December 8 - Jim Pagliaroni
• December 12 - Pedro González
• December 13 - Ron Taylor
• December 22 - Tony Curry
• December 22 - Charlie James
• December 23 - Tim Harkness
• December 27 - Bobby Klaus
• December 29 - George Perez

Deaths

• January 18 - Michael Sexton, 73, president of the minor leagues from 1909 to 1931, during which time the minors expanded to record size and success, peaking with 47 leagues
• February 7 - Charlie Bell, 68, pitcher for two major league seasons, 1889 and 1891.
• April 14 - Ned Hanlon, 79, manager of the Baltimore Orioles teams which won NL pennants in 1894-95-96 with their aggressive play, then of the Brooklyn champions of 1899-1900; pioneer of various offensive tactics, previously a center fielder for Detroit Wolverines
• April 15 - Emmett McCann, 35, shortstop for the Philadelphia Athletics and Boston Red Sox in the 1920s; later a minor league manager from 1931 to 1935
• April 18 - Hick Carpenter, 81, third baseman who played in twelve seasons, eight with the Cincinnati Red Stockings of the American Association.
• May 23 - Danny Clark, 43, infielder for the Detroit Tigers, Boston Red Sox and St. Louis Cardinals, between 1922 and 1927
• May 27 - Frank Grant, 71, second baseman widely considered to have been the 19th century's greatest black player
• June 9 - Bill Watkins, 79, played one season in American Association, and managed another nine, including the 1887 NL champions Detroit Wolverines.
• August 16 - Bunk Congalton, 62, Canadian-born outfielder who finished fourth in the American League batting race with a .320 average
• August 21 - George Wright, 90, pioneer of the sport who starred as a shortstop on the first professional team in 1869, then as captain of the powerhouse Boston teams from 1871-78; managed Providence to NL pennant in 1879
• September 20 - Harry Stovey, 80, first baseman and outfielder who was among the American Association's leading hitters; won five home run titles, led league in slugging, runs and triples multiple times; first player to hit 100 home runs, was seventh all-time in hits and first in runs upon retirement
• October 1 - Mickey Devine, 45, catcher for the Philadelphia Phillies, Boston Red Sox and New York Giants between 1918 and 1925
• October 31 - Ed Walsh, Jr., 37, pitcher for the Chicago White Sox, and son of Hall of Famer Ed Walsh. Stopped Joe Dimaggio's 61 game minor league record hitting streak.
• November 12 - Peek-A-Boo Veach, 75, pitcher and first baseman for three seasons; 1884,1887, and 1890.
• November 16 - Dick Burns, 73, pitcher/outfielder for three seasons. Pitched no-hitter on August 26, 1884.
• November 19 - Cub Stricker, 78, second baseman from 1882 to 1893 who had 1106 hits in his 11 season career.
• November 21 - Al Pratt, 90, pitched two seasons for the Cleveland Forest Citys, later became the first manager in the Pittsburgh Pirates franchise history.
• November 23 - Welday Walker, 77, he and his brother Moses Fleetwood Walker are officially recognized as the first African-Americans to play Major League Baseball. He played in five games for the 1884 Toledo Blue Stockings.
• December 10 - Joe Battin, 85, infielder for 10 seasons during the time period of 1871 to 1890.