WGN (Bob Elson) WBBM (Charlie Grimm, Pat Flanagan, Val Sherman) WCFL (Hal Totten) WIND (Russ Hodges, Jimmy Dudley) WJJD (John Harrington, Jack Drees)
← 1937
Seasons
1939 →
The 1938 Chicago Cubs season was the 67th season of the Chicago Cubs franchise, the 63rd in the National League and the 23rd at Wrigley Field. The Cubs finished first in the National League with a record of 89–63. The team was swept four games to none by the New York Yankees in the World Series.
The team is known for the season of pitcher Dizzy Dean. While pitching for the NL in the 1937 All-Star Game, Dean suffered a big toe fracture. Coming back too soon from the injury, Dean changed his pitching motion to avoid landing too hard on his sore toe enough to affect his mechanics. As a result, he hurt his arm, losing his great fastball.[1] By 1938, Dean's arm was largely gone. Cubs scout Clarence "Pants" Rowland was tasked with the unenviable job of obeying owner Philip K. Wrigley's direct order to buy a washed-up Dean's contract at any cost. Rowland signed the ragged righty for $185,000, one of the most expensive loss-leader contracts in baseball history. Dean still helped the Cubs win the 1938 pennant.
On July 20, Wrigley named 37-year-old Gabby Hartnett as the team's player-manager, replacing Charlie Grimm.[2] When Hartnett took over, the Cubs were in third place, six games behind the first place Pittsburgh Pirates who were led by Pie Traynor.[3] By September 27, with one week left in the season, the Cubs had battled back to within a game and a half game of the Pirates in the National League standings as the two teams met for a crucial three-game series.[3] Dean pitched the opening game of the series and with his ailing arm, relied more on his experience and grit to defeat the Pirates by a score of 2 to 1. Dean would later call it the greatest outing of his career.[1] The Cubs cut the Pirates' lead to a half game and set the stage for one of baseball's most memorable moments.[4]
On September 28, the two teams met for the second game of the series, where Hartnett experienced the highlight of his career. With darkness descending on the lightless Wrigley Field and the score tied at 5 runs apiece, the umpires ruled that the ninth inning would be the last to be played. The entire game would have to be replayed the following day if the score remained tied. Hartnett came to bat with two out in the bottom of the ninth inning. With a count of 0 balls and 2 strikes, Hartnett connected on a Mace Brown pitch, launching the ball into the darkness, before it eventually landed in the left-center field bleachers. The stadium erupted into pandemonium as players and fans stormed the field to escort Hartnett around the bases.[5] Hartnett's walk-off home run became immortalized as the Homer in the Gloamin'.[4] The Cubs were now in first place, culminating an impressive 19–3–1 record in September, and the pennant would be clinched three days later.[3]
It would be 50 years before lights were installed at Wrigley Field.[6]
^ ab"1938: A Rockier Road". thisgreatgame.com. Retrieved January 4, 2012.
^"Gabby Hartnett Succeeds Grimm As Cub Manager". The Daily Times. July 21, 1938. p. 9. Retrieved February 12, 2011.
^ abc"1938 Chicago Cubs Schedule". Baseball Reference. Retrieved February 12, 2011.
^ ab"Homer In The Gloamin'". mlb.com. Archived from the original on November 4, 2013. Retrieved February 12, 2011.
^Carmichael, John (October 1978). When Gabby Hartnett Hit His Homer In The Gloamin'. Retrieved February 16, 2011. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)[permanent dead link]
^Vettel, Phil (August 8, 1988). "The Cubs Get Lights at Wrigley Field". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved September 19, 2011.
and 25 Related for: 1938 Chicago Cubs season information
1938ChicagoCubsseason was the 67th season of the ChicagoCubs franchise, the 63rd in the National League and the 23rd at Wrigley Field. The Cubs finished...
The following lists the results of every season of the ChicagoCubs baseball club of Major League Baseball beginning in 1870 and continuing to 1876 as...
the ChicagoCubs of Major League Baseball, a charter member of the National League who started play in the National Association in 1870 as the Chicago White...
(4) vs. NL ChicagoCubs (0) Game 1 of the Series matched the Yankees' Red Ruffing, who had won 21 games during the season, against the Cubs' 22-game winner...
ChicagoCubs Iowa Cubs Tennessee Smokies Myrtle Beach Pelicans South Bend Cubs ACL Cubs The ChicagoCubs farm system consists of seven Minor League Baseball...
The following is a list of ChicagoCubs broadcasters: Names in bold are recipients of the Ford C. Frick Award, presented annually by the National Baseball...
The 1938 Major League Baseball season was contested from April 18 to October 15, 1938. The ChicagoCubs and New York Yankees were the regular season champions...
ChicagoCubs professional baseball club of Major League Baseball. The records list the top 5 players in each category since the inception of the Cubs...
The ChicagoCubs are a professional baseball team based in Chicago, Illinois. The Cubs are members of the National League (NL) Central Division in Major...
1939 ChicagoCubsseason was the 68th season of the ChicagoCubs franchise, the 64th in the National League and the 24th at Wrigley Field. The Cubs finished...
The ChicagoCubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as part of the National League...
the Billy Goat was a sports curse that was supposedly placed on the ChicagoCubs Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise in 1945, by Billy Goat Tavern owner...
1937 ChicagoCubsseason was the 66th season of the ChicagoCubs franchise, the 62nd in the National League and the 22nd at Wrigley Field. The Cubs finished...
The Cubs Win Flag is a victory flag that is flown at Wrigley Field after every ChicagoCubs home win. The flag is variously referred to by approximately...
pitcher for the ChicagoCubs of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut in 2014, and led MLB in earned run average for the 2016 season. Hendricks...
Park for Charles Weeghman's Chicago Whales of the Federal League, which folded after the 1915 baseball season. The Cubs played their first home game...
played in Major League Baseball as a first baseman, most notably for the ChicagoCubs; he was also a sometime radio sports commentator, and a popular goodwill...
bestowed by Cubs manager Charlie Grimm. Cavarretta had a 22-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career, spending 20 seasons with the ChicagoCubs before spending...
1938 World Series, they beat the ChicagoCubs in 4 games. This marked the first time any team had won three consecutive World Series. Prior to 1938 season:...
stretch. The Burly Cubs were affiliated with four Major League Baseball teams over their 10-year run in Greeneville: the ChicagoCubs (1938 and 1940), Cleveland...
Baseball for the 1908 season. The fifth edition of the World Series, it matched the defending National League champion ChicagoCubs against the American...
He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Baltimore Orioles, ChicagoCubs, Philadelphia Phillies, and San Diego Padres. Arrieta played college...
During the 1930s, he was central to three (1932, 1935 and 1938) National League champion ChicagoCubs teams. In July 1932, Jurges recovered from gunshot wounds—suffered...
The ChicagoCubs are a Major League Baseball franchise based in Chicago that plays in the National League Central division. In the history of the franchise...
Field, located on Chicago's South Side. They are one of two MLB teams based in Chicago, alongside the National League (NL)’s ChicagoCubs. The White Sox...
Global Information