On This Date in Sports October 8, 1939: Yankees again
In collaboration with the Sportsecyclopedia.com
The New York Yankees become the first team to win four straight World Series, as they complete a four-game sweep of the Cincinnati Reds with a 7-4 win at Crosley Field. It is the eighth overall title for the Yankees and the fifth of the decade. The Yankees beat NL MVP Bucky Walters twice, including the finale, by scoring three runs in the tenth inning.
The Yankees had become the dominant team in baseball. It started with Babe Ruth and continued with Lou Gehrig and Joe DiMaggio. Having won three straight championships, the Yankees managed by Joe McCarthy face adversity early in the season. Captain Lou Gehrig was struggling physically and removed himself from the lineup ending his streak of 2,130 straight games. Upon examination, at the Mayo Clinic, the news could not have been worse, as Gehrig was diagnosed with ALS. A disease that would become commonly called Lou Gehrig’s disease as he passed away two years later. Without Gehrig, the Yankees again cruised to the American League Pennant, posting a record of 106-45 as Joe DiMaggio won the first of three MVP awards.
In the National League, it was the Cincinnati Reds managed by Bill McKechnie, winning their first pennant since 1919. The Reds posted a record of 97-57 during the season as Buck Walters won the National League MVP, winning 27 games and posting an ERA of 2.29.
In Game 1 of the World Series, McKechnie chose Paul Derringer to get the start against Red Ruffing at Yankee Stadium. The game was a true pitchers’ duel as both Derringer and Ruffing were the top of their game. In the fourth inning, Cincinnati scored on a single by Frank McCormick, while Babe Dahlgren tied the game with a double in the fifth. The game remained tied until the ninth when the Yankees walked it off with Bill Dickey singling home Charlie Keller.
In Game 2, the Reds called upon Bucky Walters to make the start against Monte Pearson. The Reds could not get anything going as Pearson allowed just two hits while striking out eight. The Yankees meanwhile got the lead with three runs in the third as Keller and Dicky again led the attack. The Yankees would add another run in the fourth as Dahlgren hit the first home run of the Fall Classic. The final score would see the Yankees winning again 4-0. It was the seventh straight win in a World Series game for the Yankees, who had swept the Cubs in 1938 and beaten the Giants in five in 1937.
Gene Thompson started for the Reds in Game 3, as the series moved to Crosley Field. The Yankees did not waste any time getting the lead as Charlie Keller homered with Frank Crosetti on base in the first inning. Lefty Gomez starter for New York and gave up a run on a single to Ernie Lombardi. He would be replaced on the mound by Bump Hadley, who gave up two runs, and the Reds took the lead in the second inning, 3-2. The lead would not last as Joe DiMaggio hit a two-run shot to put the Yankees back in front in the third. The Yankees would get a second home run from Keller, and one from Bill Dickey as Hadley did not allow another run in a 7-3 win.
The Yankees came into Game 4, looking to complete the sweep with Oral Hildenbrand opposing Paul Derringer. Neither starting pitcher allowed a run until the seventh inning when Charlie Keller and Bill Dickey homered to give New York a 2-0 lead. The Reds would not go down without a fight as they answered with three runs, chasing reliever Steve Sundra, who took over I the fifth. The Reds added a run in the eighth on an RBI single by Ernie Lombardi and had Bucky Walters on the mound, looking to close out a 4-2 win in the ninth. However, Keller and DiMaggio led off with single and scored the tying runs thanks to botched double play as Joe Gordon tied the game with a single. Johnny Murphy meanwhile kept the Reds off the board, as the game went to the tenth inning.
Walters caused trouble for himself in the tenth, walking leadoff hitter Frank Crosetti. Red Rolfe would bunt Crosetti over to second, while Keller reached on an error by Billy Myers. Joe DiMaggio came up and gave the Yankees the lead with a single to right. From there, the Reds imploded as they committed two errors allowing Keller and DiMaggio to come all the way around to score past a dazed Lombardi at home to make it 7-4, which would be the final score as Wally Berger made the last out, lining to Crosetti at short.