Hardball Retrospective – The “Original” 1939 New York Yankees by DerekBain January 23, 2016 In “Hardball Retrospective: Evaluating Scouting and Development Outcomes for the Modern-Era Franchises”, I placed every ballplayer in the modern era (from 1901-present) on their original team. Consequently, Giancarlo Stanton is listed on the Marlins roster for the duration of his career while the Mets declare Ken Singleton and the Expos / Nationals claim Tim Raines. I calculated revised standings for every season based entirely on the performance of each team’s “original” players. I discuss every team’s “original” players and seasons at length along with organizational performance with respect to the Amateur Draft (or First-Year Player Draft), amateur free agent signings and other methods of player acquisition. Season standings, WAR and Win Shares totals for the “original” teams are compared against the “actual” team results to assess each franchise’s scouting, development and general management skills. Expanding on my research for the book, the following series of articles will reveal the finest single-season rosters for every Major League organization based on overall rankings in OWAR and OWS along with the general managers and scouting directors that constructed the teams. “Hardball Retrospective” is available in digital format on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, GooglePlay, iTunes and KoboBooks. The paperback edition is available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and CreateSpace. Supplemental Statistics, Charts and Graphs along with a discussion forum are offered at TuataraSoftware.com. Don Daglow (Intellivision World Series Major League Baseball, Earl Weaver Baseball, Tony LaRussa Baseball) contributed the foreword for Hardball Retrospective. The foreword and preview of my book are accessible here. Terminology OWAR – Wins Above Replacement for players on “original” teams OWS – Win Shares for players on “original” teams OPW% – Pythagorean Won-Loss record for the “original” teams Assessment The 1939 New York Yankees OWAR: 60.8 OWS: 345 OPW%: .607 Based on the revised standings the “Original” 1939 Yankees registered 94 victories and outlasted the Indians to secure the pennant by a 7-game margin. New York paced the American League in OWS and OWAR. GM Ed Barrow acquired all of the ballplayers on the 1939 Yankees roster. “Joltin’” Joe DiMaggio claimed his first batting title and the 1939 American League MVP Award. “The Yankee Clipper” produced a .381 BA with 30 four-baggers, 126 ribbies and 108 runs scored. Red Rolfe (.329/14/80) topped the leader boards with 213 safeties, 139 aces and 46 two-base knocks. Fellow third-sacker Billy Werber registered 115 runs scored and drilled 35 doubles. Bill Dickey belted 24 round-trippers and tallied 105 RBI along with a .302 BA. George “Twinkletoes” Selkirk (.306/21/101) posted career-bests in homers, runs scored (103) and bases on balls (103). Joe Gordon smashed 28 long balls and drove in 111 baserunners during his sophomore season. Charlie “King Kong” Keller supplied a .334 BA in his inaugural campaign. Lou Gehrig is listed as the top ballplayer in the All-Time First Baseman rankings according to Bill James in “The New Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract.” Teammates listed in the “NBJHBA” top 100 rankings include DiMaggio (5th-CF), Dickey (7th-C), Gordon (16th-2B), Keller (17th-LF), Tony Lazzeri (19th-2B), Dixie Walker (30th-RF), Rolfe (44th-3B), Ben Chapman (55th-CF), Frankie Crosetti (67th-SS), Lefty Gomez (67th-P), Werber (78th-3B) and Lyn Lary (80th-SS). LINEUP POS WAR WS Red Rolfe 3B 6.59 29.64 Joe Gordon 2B 7.1 24.83 Joe DiMaggio CF 8.71 34.04 Bill Dickey C 5.82 27.2 George Selkirk LF 5.58 25.02 Charlie Keller RF 5.49 21.47 George McQuinn 1B 3.11 18.15 Frankie Crosetti SS 1.58 16.52 BENCH POS WAR WS Billy Werber 3B 5.15 25.15 Pinky May 3B 2.51 12.54 Buddy Hassett 1B 1.91 13.83 Ben Chapman CF 1.23 18.88 Willard Hershberger C 1.09 6.93 Dixie Walker LF 0.99 10.84 Tony Lazzeri 2B 0.7 3.94 Joe Glenn C 0.6 5.05 Buddy Rosar C 0.35 3.4 Ernie Koy LF 0.31 13.53 Les Powers 1B 0.09 1.67 Arndt Jorgens C 0.01 0.02 Chris Hartje C 0 0.23 Joe Gallagher RF -0.01 5.64 Len Gabrielson 1B -0.06 0.07 Lyn Lary SS -0.08 2.55 Leo Durocher SS -0.29 10.99 Lou Gehrig 1B -0.4 0.08 Don Heffner SS -0.77 4.2 Myril Hoag RF -1.23 6.73 Lefty Gomez (12-8, 3.41) earned his seventh All-Star nomination. Atley Donald furnished a 13-3 mark with a 3.71 ERA. Marius Russo contributed an 8-3 record with a 2.41 ERA and a 1.095 WHIP in his freshman year. ROTATION POS WAR WS Lefty Gomez SP 3.34 14.06 Marius Russo SP 3.16 11.54 Johnny Allen SP 1.69 9.48 Atley Donald SP 1.54 10.46 BULLPEN POS WAR WS Vito Tamulis SP 1.21 8.9 Hank Johnson RP 0.48 2.88 Spud Chandler RP 0.32 2.32 Jim Tobin SP 0.26 6.64 Marv Breuer RP -0.06 0 Johnny Murphy RP -0.07 6.51 Russ Van Atta SP -0.4 0 Johnny Niggeling SP -0.8 0.1 Johnny Broaca RP -1.07 1.26 The “Original” 1939 New York Yankees roster NAME POS WAR WS General Manager Scouting Director Joe DiMaggio CF 8.71 34.04 Ed Barrow Joe Gordon 2B 7.1 24.83 Ed Barrow Red Rolfe 3B 6.59 29.64 Ed Barrow Bill Dickey C 5.82 27.2 Ed Barrow George Selkirk LF 5.58 25.02 Ed Barrow Charlie Keller RF 5.49 21.47 Ed Barrow Billy Werber 3B 5.15 25.15 Ed Barrow Lefty Gomez SP 3.34 14.06 Ed Barrow Marius Russo SP 3.16 11.54 Ed Barrow George McQuinn 1B 3.11 18.15 Ed Barrow Pinky May 3B 2.51 12.54 Ed Barrow Buddy Hassett 1B 1.91 13.83 Ed Barrow Johnny Allen SP 1.69 9.48 Ed Barrow Frankie Crosetti SS 1.58 16.52 Ed Barrow Atley Donald SP 1.54 10.46 Ed Barrow Ben Chapman CF 1.23 18.88 Ed Barrow Vito Tamulis SP 1.21 8.9 Ed Barrow Willard Hershberger C 1.09 6.93 Ed Barrow Dixie Walker LF 0.99 10.84 Ed Barrow Tony Lazzeri 2B 0.7 3.94 Ed Barrow Joe Glenn C 0.6 5.05 Ed Barrow Hank Johnson RP 0.48 2.88 Ed Barrow Buddy Rosar C 0.35 3.4 Ed Barrow Spud Chandler RP 0.32 2.32 Ed Barrow Ernie Koy LF 0.31 13.53 Ed Barrow Jim Tobin SP 0.26 6.64 Ed Barrow Les Powers 1B 0.09 1.67 Ed Barrow Arndt Jorgens C 0.01 0.02 Ed Barrow Chris Hartje C 0 0.23 Ed Barrow Joe Gallagher RF -0.01 5.64 Ed Barrow Len Gabrielson 1B -0.06 0.07 Ed Barrow Marv Breuer RP -0.06 0 Ed Barrow Johnny Murphy RP -0.07 6.51 Ed Barrow Lyn Lary SS -0.08 2.55 Ed Barrow Leo Durocher SS -0.29 10.99 Ed Barrow Lou Gehrig 1B -0.4 0.08 Ed Barrow Russ Van Atta SP -0.4 0 Ed Barrow Don Heffner SS -0.77 4.2 Ed Barrow Johnny Niggeling SP -0.8 0.1 Ed Barrow Johnny Broaca RP -1.07 1.26 Ed Barrow Myril Hoag RF -1.23 6.73 Ed Barrow Honorable Mention The “Original” 1932 Yankees OWAR: 52.6 OWS: 336 OPW%: .588 The Philadelphia Athletics ended the season in a virtual tie with the Bronx Bombers. The A’s edged the Yankees by a few percentage points to take the pennant while New York led the Junior Circuit in OWAR and OWS. Lou Gehrig pummeled opposition hurlers, belting 42 doubles and 34 round-trippers. “The Iron Horse” registered 138 tallies, 208 base knocks and 151 ribbies along with a .349 BA. Lefty O’Doul (.368/21/90) collected his second batting title and topped the 200-hit mark for the third time in four campaigns. Tony “Poosh ‘Em Up” Lazzeri supplied a .300 BA with 15 dingers and 113 RBI. Earle Combs aka “The Kentucky Colonel” scored 143 runs and posted a .321 BA as the Yankees’ primary leadoff hitter. Ben Chapman rapped 41 doubles, swiped a League-leading 38 bases and topped the century mark in runs scored (101) and RBI (107). Bill Dickey (.310/15/84) and Kiddo Davis (.309/5/57) bolstered the prolific lineup. Lefty Gomez (24-7, 4.21) anchored the starting rotation and finished fifth in the 1932 A.L. MVP balloting in spite of his high ERA and walk totals. Johnny Allen fashioned a 17-4 record with a 3.70 ERA in his rookie year. On Deck The “Original” 1906 Cubs References and Resources Baseball America – Executive Database Baseball-Reference James, Bill. The New Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract. New York, NY.: The Free Press, 2001. Print. James, Bill, with Jim Henzler. Win Shares. Morton Grove, Ill.: STATS, 2002. Print. Retrosheet – Transactions Database Seamheads – Baseball Gauge Sean Lahman Baseball Archive We hoped you liked reading Hardball Retrospective – The “Original” 1939 New York Yankees by DerekBain! Please support FanGraphs by becoming a member. We publish thousands of articles a year, host multiple podcasts, and have an ever growing database of baseball stats. FanGraphs does not have a paywall. With your membership, we can continue to offer the content you've come to rely on and add to our unique baseball coverage. Support FanGraphs