1939 in the Negro Leagues

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1939 in the Negro Leagues


Standings[edit]

BOLD indicates League Champion

Negro National League[edit]

BR page

Rank Team G W L T WPCT GB
1 Homestead Grays 56 36 19 1 .654 --
2 Newark Eagles 56 33 22 1 .600 3.0
3 New York Black Yankees 41 19 18 4 .513 8.0
4 Toledo Crawfords 11 4 6 1 .400 9.5
5 Baltimore Elite Giants 44 20 24 0 .455 10.5
6 Philadelphia Stars 54 24 29 1 .453 11.0
7 New York Cubans 32 7 25 0 .219 17.5

Postseason:

  • 1st round: Baltimore Elite Giants defeated Newark Eagles, 3 games to 1; Homestead Grays defeated Philadelphia Stars, 3 games to 2
  • Negro National League Championship: Baltimore Elite Giants defeated Homestead Grays, 3 games to 1 with 1 tie

Negro American League[edit]

BR page

Rank Team G W L T WPCT GB
1 Kansas City Monarchs 71 46 25 0 .648 --
2 Chicago American Giants 74 40 34 0 .540 7.5
3 Cleveland Bears 41 20 21 0 .488 11.0
4 Toledo Crawfords 21 9 11 1 .450 11.5
5 Indianapolis ABCs/Atlanta Black Crackers 16 6 10 0 .375 12.5
6 St. Louis Stars 36 15 20 1 .429 13.0
7 Memphis Red Sox 53 19 34 0 .358 18.0
The Toledo Crawfords replaced the Indianapolis ABCs in the second half.

Postseason:

  • Negro American League Championship: Kansas City Monarchs defeated St. Louis Stars, 4 games to 1

Independent Teams[edit]

Source: Teams list from The Negro Leagues Book by Dick Clark and Larry Lester; records are from The Complete Book of Baseball's Negro Leagues, John Holway

Leading Players[edit]

Batters[edit]

Pitchers[edit]

Postseason[edit]

Kansas City won the first half of the NAL pennant, and the St. Louis Stars took the second half. A best of seven playoff was scheduled, but St. Louis was unable to secure home grounds, so the playoff was set back to a best of five. The Monarchs won in three straight games, though the remaining two games were played as exhibitions, the fifth game set as a benefit for local charities.

The Monarchs took the first game on August 31 at Oklahoma City's Holland Field, winning 4-1 before a crowd of 3,000 under the lights, Hilton Smith striking out 12. They won game two by a 7-2 count on September 1 at Muskogee, Oklahoma before a similar-sized crowd, manager-pitcher Andy Cooper striking out seven and center fielder Turkey Stearnes hitting a long home run.

The Monarchs clinched the series and pennant on Sunday, September 3, beating St. Louis 6-5 in the first game of a double-header, Hilton Smith beating Theo Smith. St. Louis won the second game 5-1 in seven innings, and also won the Labor Day benefit game the following day, but the series was over after three.

There was no Colored World Series that season.


Negro League Seasons

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Late Era
1946 · 1947 · 1948 · 1949 · 1950
1950s · 1960s