1938 in baseball

The following are the baseball events of the year 1938 throughout the world.  

Champions

Major League Baseball

• World Series: New York Yankees over Chicago Cubs (4-0)
• All-Star Game, July 6 at Crosley Field: National League, 4-1

Other champions

• Negro League Baseball All-Star Game: West, 5-4

Awards and honors

• Most Valuable Player
  • Jimmie Foxx, Boston Red Sox, 1B (AL)
  • Ernie Lombardi, Cincinnati Reds, C (NL)

• The Sporting News Player of the Year Award
  • Johnny Vander Meer, Cincinnati Reds, P

• The Sporting News Manager of the Year Award
  • Joe McCarthy, New York Yankees

MLB Statistical Leaders

Major League Baseball final standings

American League final standings

National League final standings

Negro League Baseball final standings

Negro National League final standings

Events

• May 6 - OF Bob Seeds of the Newark Bears (IL) hits four home runs in four successive innings and drives in 12 runs against Buffalo. Tomorrow he will slam three more. His seven homers in the two-day barrage account for 17 RBI and 30 total bases. In his first 59 games‚ Seeds will clout 28 HR and drive in 95 runs.

• June 11 - Cincinnati Reds pitcher Johnny Vander Meer tosses a no-hitter against the Boston Braves, leading his team to a 3–0 win.

• June 15 - Johnny Vander Meer becomes the first, and, to date, only pitcher in Major League history to pitch two consecutive no-hitter's as the Reds blank the Brooklyn Dodgers, 6–0.

• June 26 - Carl Hubbell wins his 200th game‚ as the New York Giants beat the visiting Cubs 5–1 and stretch their lead over the second-place Reds to two games. Larry French takes the loss. Newly acquired Bob Seeds‚ up from Newark‚ leads the way with a 470-foot inside the park home run.

• July 6 - At Crosley Field, home of the Cincinnati Reds, the National League defeats the American League, 4–1, in the All-Star Game.

• August 2 - The Brooklyn Dodgers and the St. Louis Cardinals used a yellow baseball in the first game of a doubleheader as an experiment. The two teams went back to the white ball in the second game as the Dodgers swept the doubleheader 6–2 and 9–3.

• August 27 - In the second game of a doubleheader, Monte Pearson pitches a no-hitter as the New York Yankees crush the Cleveland Indians, 13–0.

• October 9 - The New York Yankees defeat the Chicago Cubs, 8–3, in Game 4 of the World Series to win a record third consecutive World Championship, and seventh overall, four games to none.

• November 1 - National League batting champ Ernie Lombardi of the Cincinnati Reds is named the Most Valuable Player. Chicago Cubs pitcher Bill Lee is the runner-up.

• November 2 - Boston Red Sox first baseman Jimmie Foxx is voted Most Valuable Player of the American League for the third time, with New York Yankees catcher Bill Dickey second in the voting.

• November 26 - National League president Ford Frick steps in and pays $350 for funeral services, including the cost of a coffin, for the unclaimed body of Hack Wilson. The former slugger, who had died probably of alcohol abuse a few days earlier in a Baltimore hospital, is identified only as a white male.

• November 28 - The Chicago White Sox 25-year-old pitching star Monty Stratton has his right leg amputated as a result of a hunting accident. Stratton attempted comeback is chronicled in the The Stratton Story, with James Stewart in the title role.

Births

January-March

• January 7 - Fred Whitfield
• January 10 - Willie McCovey
• January 16 - Ron Herbel
• January 18 - Curt Flood
• February 2 - Max Alvis
• February 13 - Dick Hughes
• February 18 - Manny Mota
• February 19 - Bob Sadowski
• February 22 - Steve Barber
• March 7 - Jimmie Hall
• March 15 - Bob Locker

April-June

• April 2 - Al Weis
• April 4 - A. Bartlett Giamatti
• April 5 - Ron Hansen
• April 16 - Rich Rollins
• April 22 - John Orsino
• May 3 - Chris Cannizzaro
• May 15 - Al McBean
• May 27 - Fred Bruckbauer
• May 29 - Fay Vincent
• May 31 - Ray Washburn
• June 2 - Gene Michael
• June 4 - Art Mahaffey
• June 10 - Johnny Edwards
• July 10 - Mike Brumley
• June 15 - Billy Williams
• June 19 - Bob Aspromonte
• June 24 - Don Mincher
• June 28 - Orlando McFarlane

July-September

• July 2 - Hal Reniff
• July 12 - Ron Fairly
• July 17 - Deron Johnson
• July 19 - Gordie Richardson
• July 20 - Tony Oliva
• July 27 - Harry Wendelstedt
• July 29 - Don Wert
• August 4 - Ray Oyler
• August 11 - Vada Pinson
• August 16 - Buck Rodgers
• August 28 - Billy Cowan
• September 1 - Merlin Nippert
• September 9 - Dick Midkiff
• September 15 - Gaylord Perry
• September 17 - Bobby Wine
• September 29 - Mike McCormick

October-December

• October 13 - Ron Moeller
• October 18 - Bobby Knoop
• November 6 - Mack Jones
• November 7 - Jake Gibbs
• November 7 - Jim Kaat
• November 19 - Ted Turner
• November 27 - José Tartabull
• December 14 - Ken Hunt
• December 17 - Leo Cardenas
• December 22 - Matty Alou
• December 25 - Jack Hamilton

Deaths

• January 12 - Dupee Shaw, 78, pitcher who played six seasons. Won 30 games and struck out 451 batters in 1884.
• January 24 - Jim Mutrie, 86, manager who led New York Metropolitans to the American Association title in 1884, then won pennants in 1888-89 after moving to NY's NL franchise - which he renamed by marveling over his "Giants"; career .611 winning percentage was best of 19th century
• January 28 - Pop Rising, 56, outfielder for the 1905 Boston Americans
• January 31 - Charlie Chech, 59, pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Naps and Boston Red Sox between 1905 and 1909
• February 22 - Mert Hackett, 78, catcher for five seasons, including the 1883 National League champions, the Boston Beaneaters.
• February 26 - Tex Jones, 53, played nine games for the Chicago White Sox in 1911
• March 18 - Hobe Ferris, 60, lowest ever career on base percentage; committed first ever error in a World Series game
• March 30 - Dasher Troy, 81, second baseman for five seasons, most notably for the 1884 American Association champs, the New York Metropolitans.
• April 3 - Count Campau, 74, outfielder for three seasons, and one-time manager for the St. Louis Browns in 1890.
• April 11 - Cristóbal Torriente, 44, All-Star Cuban right fielder in the Negro Leagues who batted .339 lifetime
• May 21 - Silver King, 70, pitcher who had three 30-win seasons for the 1887-89 St. Louis Browns, and another for the 1890 Chicago team in the Players League; first sidearm pitcher
• July 4 - Chief Roseman, 82, outfielder for seven seasons, from 1882-1890.
• October 3 - Morgan Murphy, 71, catcher and noted sign stealer for 11 seasons, from 1890 to 1901.
• October 16 - Joe Knight, 79, Canadian-born outfielder who finished sixth in the 1890 National League batting race with a .312 average