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1938 Pittsburgh Pirates season

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This article is about the baseball team. For the NFL team, see 1938 Pittsburgh Pirates (NFL) season.

Major League Baseball team season
1938 Pittsburgh Pirates
LeagueNational League
BallparkForbes Field
CityPittsburgh, Pennsylvania
OwnersBill Benswanger
ManagersPie Traynor
RadioKDKA
WWSW
Rosey Rowswell
← 1937 Seasons 1939 →

The 1938 Pittsburgh Pirates season was the 57th season of the Pittsburgh Pirates franchise and their 52nd in the National League. The Pirates maintained a seven-game lead in the NL on September 1, but went 12–16–1 for the rest of the season and relinquished the lead to the Chicago Cubs on September 28, losing to the Cubs on Gabby Hartnett's "Homer in the Gloamin'". The Pirates finished second in the league with an 86–64 record.

Offseason

  • February 22, 1938: Tommy Thevenow was signed as a free agent by the Pirates.

Regular season

Season standings

National League
Team W L Pct. GB Home Road
Chicago Cubs 89 63 .586 — 44‍–‍33 45‍–‍30
Pittsburgh Pirates 86 64 .573 2 44‍–‍33 42‍–‍31
New York Giants 83 67 .553 5 43‍–‍30 40‍–‍37
Cincinnati Reds 82 68 .547 6 43‍–‍34 39‍–‍34
Boston Bees 77 75 .507 12 45‍–‍30 32‍–‍45
St. Louis Cardinals 71 80 .470 17½ 36‍–‍41 35‍–‍39
Brooklyn Dodgers 69 80 .463 18½ 31‍–‍41 38‍–‍39
Philadelphia Phillies 45 105 .300 43 26‍–‍48 19‍–‍57

Record vs. opponents

1938 National League record
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 —


Game log

1938 Game Log: 86–64 (Home: 44–33; Away: 42–31)
April: 8–3 (Home: 5–2; Away: 3–1)
# Date Opponent Score Win Loss Save Attendance Record
1 April 19 @ Cardinals 4–3 Klinger (1–0) Weiland — 19,865 1–0
2 April 20 @ Cardinals 9–4 Tobin (1–0) Johnson — 1,957 2–0
3 April 21 @ Cardinals 6–5 Brown (1–0) Bush — — 3–0
4 April 22 Reds 7–4 Lucas (1–0) Vander Meer Bauers (1) 20,500 4–0
5 April 23 Reds 6–2 Blanton (1–0) Schott — — 5–0
6 April 24 Reds 2–1 Tobin (2–0) Davis — 16,012 6–0
7 April 25 Cubs 8–6 Brown (2–0) Logan — 9,235 7–0
8 April 26 Cubs 3–5 (10) Carleton Swift (0–1) — 7,523 7–1
9 April 27 Cubs 6–5 Brown (3–0) French Klinger (1) 9,537 8–1
10 April 28 Cardinals 3–5 Weiland Tobin (2–1) McGee 8,033 8–2
11 April 30 @ Reds 0–2 Davis Bauers (0–1) — — 8–3
May: 9–15 (Home: 5–7; Away: 4–8)
# Date Opponent Score Win Loss Save Attendance Record
12 May 1 @ Reds 1–4 Hollingsworth Swift (0–2) Schott 14,439 8–4
13 May 2 @ Reds 6–8 Vander Meer Blanton (1–1) Benge — 8–5
14 May 3 Dodgers 2–7 Pressnell Tobin (2–2) — 2,266 8–6
15 May 4 Dodgers 9–5 Bowman (1–0) Posedel — 2,431 9–6
16 May 5 Dodgers 4–2 Lucas (2–0) Hoyt — 2,031 10–6
17 May 6 Giants 7–11 Melton Brown (3–1) Coffman 10,648 10–7
18 May 7 Giants 5–6 Brown Bowman (1–1) — 16,064 10–8
19 May 8 Bees 2–1 (12) Brown (4–1) Fette — 7,512 11–8
20 May 9 Bees 5–7 (10) Hutchinson Brandt (0–1) Shoffner 1,219 11–9
21 May 13 @ Cubs 4–1 (10) Brown (5–1) French — — 12–9
22 May 15 @ Cubs 4–3 (11) Swift (1–2) Root — 15,494 13–9
23 May 17 @ Bees 0–1 Shoffner Bauers (0–2) — 2,800 13–10
24 May 18 @ Bees 1–2 (14) Turner Brown (5–2) — 2,070 13–11
25 May 19 @ Bees 3–4 (11) Hutchinson Sewell (0–1) — 2,359 13–12
26 May 20 @ Dodgers 5–7 Mungo Lucas (2–1) Pressnell 4,749 13–13
27 May 21 @ Dodgers 5–4 Tobin (3–2) Hamlin — 14,610 14–13
28 May 22 @ Giants 2–18 Hubbell Brandt (0–2) — 30,343 14–14
29 May 23 @ Giants 4–3 Brown (6–2) Gumbert Bauers (2) 5,364 15–14
30 May 25 @ Phillies 1–2 Walters Tobin (3–3) — 1,000 15–15
31 May 27 Cubs 0–5 Lee Klinger (1–1) — 3,010 15–16
32 May 28 Cubs 3–9 Bryant Bauers (0–3) — 4,014 15–17
33 May 29 Cubs 2–1 Lucas (3–1) French — 7,050 16–17
34 May 30 Cardinals 5–4 (17) Klinger (2–1) McGee — — 17–17
35 May 30 Cardinals 6–9 Davis Bowman (1–2) — 20,000 17–18
June: 16–7 (Home: 9–4; Away: 7–3)
# Date Opponent Score Win Loss Save Attendance Record
36 June 1 Giants 4–1 Bauers (1–3) Melton — 4,001 18–18
37 June 3 Giants 6–5 Klinger (3–1) Gumbert — 8,513 19–18
38 June 4 Dodgers 4–3 (11) Swift (2–2) Pressnell — 4,168 20–18
39 June 5 Dodgers 5–10 Posedel Bowman (1–3) Tamulis 6,800 20–19
40 June 6 Dodgers 4–9 Butcher Lucas (3–2) — 1,594 20–20
41 June 8 Bees 4–1 Klinger (4–1) Fette — 2,765 21–20
42 June 9 Bees 5–3 Brown (7–2) Turner — 4,410 22–20
43 June 10 Phillies 2–3 Mulcahy Bauers (1–4) — 1,034 22–21
44 June 11 Phillies 4–3 Swift (3–2) Walters — 3,811 23–21
45 June 12 Phillies 11–5 Brown (8–2) Passeau — 4,826 24–21
46 June 14 @ Giants 3–5 Schumacher Bauers (1–5) — 5,334 24–22
47 June 15 @ Giants 2–0 Tobin (4–3) Melton — 5,874 25–22
48 June 16 @ Giants 10–2 Klinger (5–1) Hubbell — 6,880 26–22
49 June 17 @ Phillies 4–3 (10) Brown (9–2) Hollingsworth — 4,000 27–22
50 June 18 @ Phillies 3–5 Mulcahy Bauers (1–6) Passeau — 27–23
51 June 19 @ Phillies 14–4 Tobin (5–3) Sivess — — 28–23
52 June 19 @ Phillies 16–3 Blanton (2–1) LaMaster — 10,000 29–23
53 June 21 @ Dodgers 9–3 Bauers (2–6) Tamulis — 25,527 30–23
54 June 23 @ Dodgers 1–8 Pressnell Swift (3–3) — 3,258 30–24
55 June 25 @ Bees 8–7 Brown (10–2) Hutchinson Bauers (3) 5,614 31–24
56 June 28 Reds 2–5 Vander Meer Bauers (2–7) — — 31–25
57 June 29 Reds 5–4 Swift (4–3) Cascarella — 3,470 32–25
58 June 30 Reds 3–1 Blanton (3–1) Walters — 3,685 33–25
July: 24–7 (Home: 12–5; Away: 12–2)
# Date Opponent Score Win Loss Save Attendance Record
59 July 2 Cardinals 5–1 Klinger (6–1) McGee — 3,892 34–25
60 July 3 Cardinals 6–5 (12) Brown (11–2) Shoun — — 35–25
61 July 3 Cardinals 6–2 (8) Bauers (3–7) Henshaw — 20,000 36–25
62 July 4 @ Reds 2–1 Blanton (4–1) Davis — — 37–25
63 July 4 @ Reds 3–2 Swift (5–3) Walters — 22,400 38–25
64 July 8 @ Cardinals 6–2 Klinger (7–1) McGee — — 39–25
65 July 9 @ Cardinals 8–7 Brown (12–2) Lanier — 2,859 40–25
66 July 10 @ Cardinals 5–2 Blanton (5–1) Macon — — 41–25
67 July 10 @ Cardinals 4–3 Bauers (4–7) Weiland Bowman (1) — 42–25
68 July 11 @ Cubs 5–3 Tobin (6–3) French Brown (1) — 43–25
69 July 12 @ Cubs 14–6 Brandt (1–2) Carleton Sewell (1) — 44–25
70 July 13 Dodgers 5–10 Pressnell Brown (12–3) — 5,561 44–26
71 July 14 Dodgers 3–2 (11) Tobin (7–3) Fitzsimmons — 7,802 45–26
72 July 15 Dodgers 4–9 Hamlin Swift (5–4) — 4,512 45–27
73 July 16 Giants 7–3 Klinger (8–1) Melton — 15,197 46–27
74 July 17 Giants 1–2 Hubbell Tobin (7–4) — — 46–28
75 July 17 Giants 7–7 — 43,241 46–28
76 July 18 Giants 7–4 Blanton (6–1) Gumbert Swift (1) 8,638 47–28
77 July 19 Phillies 8–0 Brandt (2–2) Mulcahy — 2,472 48–28
78 July 20 Phillies 0–11 Hollingsworth Klinger (8–2) — — 48–29
79 July 20 Phillies 4–1 Bauers (5–7) Sivess — 6,000 49–29
80 July 21 Phillies 5–4 Brown (13–3) Smith — 10,535 50–29
81 July 22 Bees 4–3 Blanton (7–1) Turner — 4,749 51–29
82 July 23 Bees 2–4 MacFayden Bauers (5–8) Errickson — 51–30
83 July 24 Bees 5–4 (15) Tobin (8–4) Hutchinson — — 52–30
84 July 24 Bees 4–2 (6) Brandt (3–2) Lanning — — 53–30
85 July 26 @ Phillies 5–6 Sivess Brown (13–4) — 1,500 53–31
86 July 27 @ Phillies 4–2 Bauers (6–8) Hallahan — — 54–31
87 July 28 @ Phillies 9–2 Tobin (9–4) Hollingsworth — 2,000 55–31
88 July 29 @ Dodgers 7–6 Bowman (2–3) Pressnell Swift (2) 2,582 56–31
89 July 30 @ Dodgers 9–2 Blanton (8–1) Tamulis Brown (2) 8,523 57–31
90 July 31 @ Dodgers 3–4 Posedel Swift (5–5) — 27,719 57–32
August: 16–16 (Home: 9–10; Away: 7–6)
# Date Opponent Score Win Loss Save Attendance Record
91 August 2 @ Bees 1–3 Lanning Tobin (9–5) — 2,451 57–33
92 August 3 @ Bees 9–4 Blanton (9–1) Turner Brown (3) 7,844 58–33
93 August 3 @ Bees 5–3 Bowman (3–3) Reis — 7,844 59–33
94 August 4 @ Bees 3–4 MacFayden Brown (13–5) — 1,834 59–34
95 August 5 @ Giants 3–5 Brown Klinger (8–3) — 18,535 59–35
96 August 7 @ Giants 5–1 Tobin (10–5) Gumbert — — 60–35
97 August 7 @ Giants 13–3 Brandt (4–2) Hubbell — 50,468 61–35
98 August 9 Cardinals 1–0 Bauers (7–8) Henshaw — 5,000 62–35
99 August 10 Cardinals 0–5 (7) Warneke Klinger (8–4) — 14,000 62–36
100 August 12 Cubs 3–9 Lee Tobin (10–6) — 14,962 62–37
101 August 13 Cubs 5–11 Dean Blanton (9–2) Page 15,332 62–38
102 August 14 Cubs 2–0 Bauers (8–8) Root Brown (4) 24,193 63–38
103 August 15 Reds 2–6 Cascarella Brown (13–6) Davis 6,143 63–39
104 August 16 Reds 10–0 Blanton (10–2) Davis — 6,253 64–39
105 August 17 @ Cardinals 4–3 (10) Swift (6–5) Henshaw — 2,725 65–39
106 August 18 @ Cardinals 1–5 Weiland Bauers (8–9) — — 65–40
107 August 20 @ Cubs 5–2 Lucas (4–2) Dean Swift (3) — 66–40
108 August 21 @ Cubs 4–6 Lee Blanton (10–3) Russell — 66–41
109 August 21 @ Cubs 1–6 Carleton Bauers (8–10) — 40,402 66–42
110 August 22 @ Cubs 4–2 Tobin (11–6) Bryant — — 67–42
111 August 23 Bees 0–6 Lanning Klinger (8–5) — 12,294 67–43
112 August 23 Bees 4–3 (14) Brown (14–6) Errickson — 12,294 68–43
113 August 24 Bees 6–2 Bauers (9–10) Hutchinson — 4,040 69–43
114 August 25 Phillies 1–2 Butcher Blanton (10–4) — — 69–44
115 August 25 Phillies 1–2 (11) Hallahan Lucas (4–3) — 3,093 69–45
116 August 26 Phillies 4–6 Smith Tobin (11–7) Sivess — 69–46
117 August 27 Phillies 6–1 Brandt (5–2) Hollingsworth — 5,889 70–46
118 August 28 Dodgers 5–8 Pressnell Bauers (9–11) — 16,045 70–47
119 August 29 Dodgers 10–1 Blanton (11–4) Posedel — 3,425 71–47
120 August 30 Giants 7–1 Tobin (12–7) Coffman — — 72–47
121 August 31 Giants 5–6 Wittig Bauers (9–12) — — 72–48
122 August 31 Giants 12–3 Lucas (5–3) Melton — 43,586 73–48
September: 13–14 (Home: 4–5; Away: 9–9)
# Date Opponent Score Win Loss Save Attendance Record
123 September 1 Giants 6–0 Klinger (9–5) Schumacher — 28,839 74–48
124 September 2 Cardinals 10–11 Weiland Blanton (11–5) McGee 4,480 74–49
125 September 3 Cardinals 0–6 Macon Tobin (12–8) — 7,759 74–50
126 September 4 Cardinals 5–3 Bauers (10–12) Henshaw — 12,187 75–50
127 September 5 Cubs 0–3 Lee Brandt (5–3) — — 75–51
128 September 5 Cubs 3–4 Bryant Tobin (12–9) — 42,545 75–52
129 September 7 @ Reds 7–1 Klinger (10–5) Derringer — 8,839 76–52
130 September 8 @ Reds 3–5 Vander Meer Blanton (11–6) — 29,043 76–53
131 September 10 @ Cardinals 14–7 Brown (15–6) Macon — 3,632 77–53
132 September 11 @ Cardinals 4–6 Dean Bauers (10–13) — 15,739 77–54
133 September 14 @ Giants 0–3 Schumacher Blanton (11–7) — — 77–55
134 September 14 @ Giants 3–10 Gumbert Brandt (5–4) — 28,185 77–56
135 September 15 @ Giants 7–2 Tobin (13–9) Melton — 4,978 78–56
136 September 16 @ Bees 7–6 (11) Swift (7–5) MacFayden — 8,296 79–56
137 September 16 @ Bees 4–5 Errickson Bowman (3–4) — 8,296 79–57
138 September 17 @ Bees 2–1 Klinger (11–5) Shoffner — — 80–57
139 September 18 @ Phillies 1–0 Bauers (11–13) Hollingsworth — — 81–57
140 September 18 @ Phillies 1–1 (5) — 1,500 81–57
141 September 22 @ Dodgers 6–0 Tobin (14–9) Fitzsimmons — — 82–57
142 September 22 @ Dodgers 11–6 Klinger (12–5) Hamlin Brown (5) — 83–57
143 September 23 Reds 4–5 (12) Walters Brown (15–7) — 7,429 83–58
144 September 24 Reds 4–1 Bauers (12–13) Vander Meer — 11,318 84–58
145 September 25 Reds 5–3 Lucas (6–3) Derringer Swift (4) 27,147 85–58
146 September 27 @ Cubs 1–2 Dean Tobin (14–10) Lee 42,238 85–59
147 September 28 @ Cubs 5–6 Root Brown (15–8) — 34,465 85–60
148 September 29 @ Cubs 1–10 Lee Bauers (12–14) — — 85–61
149 September 30 @ Reds 1–7 Derringer Tobin (14–11) — — 85–62
150 September 30 @ Reds 4–2 Bauers (13–14) Moore — 8,361 86–62
October: 0–2 (Home: 0–0; Away: 0–2)
# Date Opponent Score Win Loss Save Attendance Record
151 October 1 @ Reds 6–9 Weaver Brown (15–9) — 6,351 86–63
152 October 2 @ Reds 4–5 Vander Meer Tobin (14–12) — 14,007 86–64
Legend:        = Win        = Loss        = Tie
Bold = Pirates team member

Opening Day lineup

Roster

1938 Pittsburgh Pirates
Roster
Pitchers Catchers

Infielders

Outfielders

Other batters

Manager

Coaches

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 Al Todd 133 491 130 .265 7 75
1B Gus Suhr 145 530 156 .294 3 64
2B Pep Young 149 562 156 .278 4 79
SS Arky Vaughan 148 541 174 .322 7 68
3B Lee Handley 139 570 153 .268 6 51
OF Johnny Rizzo 143 555 167 .301 23 111
OF Lloyd Waner 147 619 194 .313 5 57
OF Paul Waner 148 625 175 .280 6 69

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
Woody Jensen 68 125 25 .200 0 10
Bill Brubaker 45 112 33 .295 3 19
Ray Berres 40 100 23 .230 0 6
Johnny Dickshot 29 35 8 .229 0 4
Tommy Thevenow 15 25 5 .200 0 2
Heinie Manush 15 13 4 .308 0 4

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
Russ Bauers 40 243.0 13 14 3.07 117
Jim Tobin 40 241.1 14 12 3.47 70
Cy Blanton 29 172.2 11 7 3.70 80
Bob Klinger 28 159.1 12 5 2.99 58
Red Lucas 13 84.0 6 3 3.54 19

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
Bill Swift 36 150.0 7 5 3.24 77
Ed Brandt 24 96.1 5 4 3.46 38

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
Mace Brown 51 15 9 5 3.80 55
Joe Bowman 17 3 4 1 4.65 25
Rip Sewell 17 0 1 1 4.23 17
Ken Heintzelman 1 0 0 0 9.00 1

Farm system

See also: Minor League Baseball
Level Team League Manager
AA Montreal Royals International League Rabbit Maranville and Alex Hooks
A1 Knoxville Smokies Southern Association Neil Caldwell
B Savannah Indians Sally League Chick Autry
C Hutchinson Larks Western Association Hugh McMullen
D Carthage Pirates Arkansas–Missouri League Buzz Arlitt

LEAGUE CHAMPIONS: Carthage

Notes

  1. From 1882–1906, the team played in Allegheny, Pennsylvania, which became annexed by Pittsburgh as the North Side in 1907.
  2. Tommy Thevenow page at Baseball Reference

References

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