1938 Brooklyn Dodgers season

1938 Brooklyn Dodgers
Major League affiliations
National League (since 1890)
Location
Ebbets Field (since 1913)
Brooklyn, New York (since 1883)
Other information
Owner(s)	James & Dearie Mulvey, Brooklyn Trust Company
General manager(s)	Larry MacPhail
Manager(s)	Burleigh Grimes
< Previous season     Next season  >

The 1938 Brooklyn Dodgers season was their 55th season. The team finished with a record of 69–80, finishing in seventh place in the National League. The 1938 season saw Babe Ruth hired as the first base coach,^[1] and lights installed by the team at Ebbets Field on June 15.^[2]

Offseason

• March 6, 1938: Eddie Morgan and cash were traded by the Dodgers to the Philadelphia Phillies for Dolph Camilli.^[3]

Regular season

• June 15, 1938: Leo Durocher was the final out of the ninth inning as Johnny Vander Meer of the Cincinnati Reds threw the second of his two consecutive no hitters.^[4]

Season standings

National League	W	L	GB	Pct.
Chicago Cubs	89	63	--	.586
Pittsburgh Pirates	86	64	2	.573
New York Giants	83	67	5	.553
Cincinnati Reds	82	68	6	.547
Boston Bees	77	75	12	.507
St. Louis Cardinals	71	80	17.5	.470
Brooklyn Dodgers	69	80	18.5	.463
Philadelphia Phillies	45	105	43	.300

Record vs. opponents

1938 National League Records Sources:
Team	BOS	BR	CHC	CIN	NYG	PHI	PIT	STL
Boston	—	10–12	12–10	11–9	8–14	14–8	9–13	13–9–1
Brooklyn	10–12	—	9–11–1	9–13	8–14	15–7	9–11	9–12–1
Chicago	12–10	11–9–1	—	11–11	12–10	18–4	12–10	13–9–1
Cincinnati	9–11	13–9	11–11	—	12–9	14–7	10–12	13–9–1
New York	14–8	14–8	10–12	9–12	—	16–5	9–13–1	11–9–1
Philadelphia	8–14	7–15	4–18	7–14	5–16	—	8–12–1	6–16
Pittsburgh	13–9	11–9	10–12	12–10	13–9–1	12–8–1	—	15–7
St. Louis	9–13–1	12–9–1	9–13–1	9–13–1	9–11–1	16–6	7–15	—

Notable transactions

• April 15, 1938: Ernie Koy was purchased by the Dodgers from the New York Yankees.^[5]
• May 2, 1938: Tom Winsett was purchased from the Dodgers by the New York Giants.^[6]
• July 9, 1938: Buck Marrow was purchased from the Dodgers by the Cleveland Indians.^[7]
• July 11, 1938: Whit Wyatt was purchased by the Dodgers from the Cleveland Indians.^[8]
• July 11, 1938: Gibby Brack was traded by the Dodgers to the Philadelphia Phillies for Tuck Stainback.^[9]
• July 19, 1938: Johnnie Chambers was purchased by the Dodgers from the St. Louis Cardinals.^[10]
• August 8, 1938: Max Butcher was traded by the Dodgers to the Philadelphia Phillies for Wayne LaMaster.^[11]
• August 12, 1938: Johnnie Chambers was traded by the Dodgers to the Boston Red Sox for Lee Rogers.^[10]
• August 23, 1938: The Dodgers traded cash and a player to be named later to the Washington Senators for Fred Sington. The Dodgers completed the deal by sending Johnnie Chambers to the Red Sox on January 5, 1939.^[10]
• September 9, 1938: Jimmy Outlaw was purchased by the Dodgers from the Cincinnati Reds. The purchase was voided on September 14.^[12]
• September 14, 1938: Don Ross was purchased by the Dodgers from the Detroit Tigers.^[13]

Roster

1938 Brooklyn Dodgers
Roster
Pitchers 17 Max Butcher 14 Freddie Fitzsimmons 11 Fred Frankhouse -- John Gaddy 12 Luke Hamlin 15 Waite Hoyt 23 Wayne LaMaster 24 Buck Marrow -- Sam Nahem 16 Van Mungo 21 Bill Posedel 23 Dykes Potter 21 Tot Pressnell 24 Lee Rogers 15 Vito Tamulis -- Jim Winford		Catchers -- Gilly Campbell  8 Paul Chervinko -- Greek George -- Ray Hayworth  9 Babe Phelps 26,28 Merv Shea 10 Roy Spencer  7 Ray Thomas Infielders  4 Dolph Camilli  3 Pete Coscarart  2 Leo Durocher  1 Woody English  6 Johnny Hudson  5 Cookie Lavagetto 1,7 Packy Rogers  7 Woody Williams		Outfielders 30 Gibby Brack 25 Kiki Cuyler 22 Buddy Hassett 17 Oris Hockett 20,33 Ernie Koy 26 Heinie Manush 27 Goody Rosen 37 Fred Sington 30 Tuck Stainback 29 Tom Winsett Other batters 28 Bert Haas		Manager 13 Burleigh Grimes Coaches 31 Jesse Haines 32 Andy High 35 Babe Ruth

Player stats

Batting

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
C	Phelps, BabeBabe Phelps	66	208	54	.308	5	46
1B	Camilli, DolphDolph Camilli	146	509	128	.251	24	100
2B	Hudson, JohnnyJohnny Hudson	135	498	130	.261	2	37
3B	Lavagetto, CookieCookie Lavagetto	137	487	133	.273	6	79
SS	Durocher, LeoLeo Durocher	141	479	105	.219	1	56
OF	Koy, ErnieErnie Koy	142	521	156	.299	11	76
OF	Rosen, GoodyGoody Rosen
OF	Hassett, BuddyBuddy Hassett

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
Cuyler, KikiKiki Cuyler
Campbell, GillyGilly Campbell
Shea, MervMerv Shea
Stainback, TuckTuck Stainback
Coscarart, PetePete Coscarart
English, WoodyWoody English
Hockett, OrisOris Hockett
Brack, GibbyGibby Brack
Sington, FredFred Sington
Manush, HeinieHeinie Manush
Williams, WoodyWoody Williams
Spencer, RoyRoy Spencer
Rogers, PackyPacky Rogers
Winsett, TomTom Winsett
Chervinko, PaulPaul Chervinko
George, GreekGreek George
Hayworth, RayRay Hayworth
Thomas, RayRay Thomas
Haas, BertBert Haas

Pitching

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
Hamlin, LukeLuke Hamlin
Fitzsimmons, FreddieFreddie Fitzsimmons	27	202.2	11	8	3.02	38
Mungo, VanVan Mungo
Gaddy, JohnJohn Gaddy
Nahem, SamSam Nahem

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
Pressnell, TotTot Pressnell
Tamulis, VitoVito Tamulis
Posedel, BillBill Posedel
Frankhouse, FredFred Frankhouse	30	93.2	3	5	4.04	32
Butcher, MaxMax Butcher	24	72.2	5	4	6.56	21
Rogers, LeeLee Rogers
Hoyt, WaiteWaite Hoyt
Winford, JimJim Winford

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
Marrow, BuckBuck Marrow
LaMaster, WayneWayne LaMaster
Potter, DykesDykes Potter

Awards and honors

• 1938 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
  • Leo Durocher starting shortstop
  • Cookie Lavagetto
  • Babe Phelps

Farm system

Level	Team	League	Manager
A1	Nashville Vols	Southern Association	Chuck Dressen
A	Elmira Pioneers	Eastern League	Clyde Sukeforth
B	Winston-Salem Twins	Piedmont League	Walt Van Grofski Joe Prerost
B	Pensacola Pilots	Southeastern League	Wally Dashiell
B	Clinton Owls	Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League	Oliver Marquardt
C	Greenwood Crackers	Cotton States League	Elmer Yoter
C	Dayton Ducks	Middle Atlantic League	Red Rollings Howard Holmes Jim Lindsey
D	Tallahassee Capitols	Georgia–Florida League	Tim Muchison
D	Beatrice Blues	Nebraska State League	Leon Riley
D	Cooleemee Weavers	North Carolina State League	Joe Bird
D	Superior Blues	Northern League	George Treadwell

LEAGUE CHAMPIONS: Elmira, Pensacola, Superior

Notes

1. http://www.brainyhistory.com/events/1938/june_18_1938_96519.html
2. McGee, Bob. The Greatest Ballpark Ever: Ebbets Field and the Story of the Brooklyn Dodgers. Rutgers UP, 2005. 137. Google Book Search link
3. Eddie Morgan at Baseball-Reference
4. Baseball's Top 100: The Game's Greatest Records, p. 55, Kerry Banks, 2010, Greystone Books, Vancouver, BC, ISBN 978-1-55365-507-7
5. Ernie Koy at Baseball-Reference
6. Tom Winsett at Baseball-Reference
7. Buck Marrow at Baseball-Reference
8. Whit Wyatt at Baseball-Reference
9. Gibby Brack at Baseball-Reference
10. Johnnie Chambers at Baseball-Reference
11. Max Butcher at Baseball-Reference
12. Jimmy Outlaw at Baseball-Reference
13. Don Ross at Baseball-Reference

References

• Baseball-Reference season page
• Baseball Almanac season page

External links

• 1938 Brooklyn Dodgers uniform
• Brooklyn Dodgers reference site
• Acme Dodgers page
• Retrosheet