Who’s Who in Major League Baseball 1933?
Who’s Who in Major League Baseball 1933 is a great reference book for baseball fans. It includes biographies of all the top players from that season.
Major League Baseball in 1933
The 1933 Major League Baseball season saw the New York Yankees win their sixth World Series championship. The season began on April 12 and ended on October 8. A total of 1,193 games were played by the 16 teams in the league. This was the first Major League season in which every team played each other the same number of times.
The American League
The American League (AL) is one of the two leagues that make up Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league baseball organization that was established in 1893. It is sometimes called the Junior Circuit because it was originally seen as a stepping-stone to the major leagues. The AL began play in 1901 with eight teams, and currently has 14 teams. The AL and the National League (NL) are considered the major leagues of MLB.
The AL Championship Series (ALCS) determines who goes to the World Series, MLB’s annual championship series. The winner of each league’s pennant advances to the best-of-seven ALCS. The ALCS winner then advances to play the winner of the NL Pennant in the best-of-seven World Series.
The National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world’s oldest still existing professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Base Ball Players (NABBP) after a rift developed between professional and amateur players, the NL is sometimes called the Senior Circuit, in contrast to MLB’s other league, the American League.
The 33rd edition of Who’s Who in Major League Baseball was published by The Sporting News in 1933. As with any reference book of this type, it is subject to a number of limitations. It includes only those players who were on active rosters during the 1932 season, so anyone who played that year but was not on a roster at the start of 1933 is not included. In addition, as with any reference book that relies heavily on statistics, it tends to undervalue players who did not have long careers or who did not play regularly.
With those qualifications in mind, here are some highlights from the 1933 edition of Who’s Who in Major League Baseball:
The teams
In the 1933 Major League Baseball season, a total of eight teams played in the two Major Leagues. Of these eight, three were in the National League and five in the American League. Each team played a schedule of 154 games, except for the Cincinnati Reds who played 155.
The New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the Bronx, New York City, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one of two major league clubs based in New York City, the other being the National League’s (NL) New York Mets. The Yankees began play in the 1901 season as the Baltimore Orioles (no relation to the modern Baltimore Orioles). In 1903, Frank Farrell and Bill Devery purchased the franchise after it ceased operations and moved it to New York City, renaming it the New York Highlanders. The Highlanders were officially renamed as the New York Yankees in 1913.
The Washington Senators
The Washington Senators baseball team was one of the American League’s eight original franchises. Now known as the Minnesota Twins, the club was founded in Washington, D.C., in 1901 as the Washington Senators. In 1905, the team changed its official name to the Washington Nationals. The name “Nationals” appeared on the uniforms for only two seasons, and was then replaced with the “W” logo for short. From 1910 to 1933, the Senators were usually referred to as The Senators or Sen-sational— occasionally shortened to The Sens— but were never again officially called Nationals until their move from D.C. after the 1960 season.
The Philadelphia Athletics
The Philadelphia Athletics were a professional baseball team that competed in the American League from 1901 to 1954. They were based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and played their home games at Shibe Park (later known as Connie Mack Stadium). The team was founded in 1901 by Connie Mack, and they won five World Series championships between 1910 and 1930. The Athletics were one of the eight charter members of the American League, and they won the AL pennant 14 times. They were also one of the most successful teams in baseball history, winning more than 3,000 games.
The team’s roster included some of the most talented players of their era, including Ty Cobb, Cy Young, Jimmie Foxx, Mickey Cochrane, Eddie Collins, Al Simmons, Lefty Grove, and Elmer Flick. The team’s owner and manager, Connie Mack, was considered one of the most innovative and successful executives in baseball history. Under his leadership, the Athletics became one of the most dominant teams in Major League Baseball.
The Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a professional Major League Baseball team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the American League Central Division, where they are currently in first place. The White Sox were one of eight American League teams that began play in 1901. The club was originally known as the Chicago White Stockings and played their home games at South Side Park. In 1910, they moved to Comiskey Park, which they would call home for the next 81 years.
The Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a professional baseball team based in Detroit, Michigan. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL’s eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit as a member of the minor league Western League in 1894 and is the only Western League team still in its original city. They are also one of four present-day Major League teams to have never won a World Series championship.
The Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball’s American League. The team plays its home games at Progressive Field. The Indians have won two World Series championships, in 1920 and 1948, and six American League pennants.
The Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. The team have won nine World Series championships, tied for the third-most of any MLB team, and they are one of the two franchises to win more than three trophies. The Sox began play in 1901 as one of the American League’s eight charter franchises. The franchise was founded by Chicago businessman Charles Comiskey, who owned the White Sox through 1900.
The players
The 1933 Major League Baseball season saw a lot of great players. Some of the names on this list might surprise you. These are the best players of 1933.
Babe Ruth
Babe Ruth, byname of George Herman Ruth, Jr. (born February 6, 1895, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.—died August 16, 1948, New York, New York), American professional baseball player. A famous slugger, he set batting (and sometimes home run) records that stood for many decades.
Ruth began his major league career as a left-handed pitcher with the Boston Red Sox in 1914. After returning from a brief stint in the minor leagues in 1915, he became one of the most dominant pitchers in baseball history; his 29 regular-season wins in 1916 were the most ever by a left-hander at that time. That year Ruth also batted .315—an unusually high average for a pitcher—with eight home runs and 94 runs batted in (RBIs). In 1918 he posted an ERA (earned run average) of 1.75 and an astounding 13 shutouts (a pitching stat meaning that the opposing team failed to score any runs). Following the 1918 season Ruth was sold to the New York Yankees for $125,000—a then considerable sum for a ballplayer—plus a loan of $350,000 to fund the purchase of Yankee Stadium.
Ruth quickly became not only the most popular player but also the most feared hitter in baseball. In 1920 he established single-season home run and RBI records that stood unbroken until 1961; his 54 homers that year were more than any other major league team hit collectively. He helped lead the Yankees to their first World Series title that year as well as seven more during his 15 seasons with the team. A large man (he stood 1.93 metres [6 feet 4 inches] tall and weighed 118 kilograms [260 pounds]), Ruth nonetheless was extraordinarily agile for his size and was able to run the bases quickly; he even stole 17 bases in 1921. Although best known as a power hitter who frequently cleared fences with prodigious home runs into distant bleachers or rooftops beyond outfield walls, Ruth actually was an excellent all-around player who excelled at fielding and base running as well as hitting.”
Babe Ruth is considered one of the greatest baseball players of all time. He started his career as a pitcher for the Boston Red Sox but was soon traded to the New York Yankees where he made a name for himself as a powerful hitter. Over his 15 seasons with the Yankees, Ruth helped them win seven World Series titles. He retired from baseball in 1935 with numerous records to his credit, including most home runs in a season and most career home runs.”
Lou Gehrig
Dominant first baseman who became one of the greatest sluggers in baseball history. One of Gehrig’s most amazing feats was playing in 2,130 consecutive games, a streak that stood until it was broken by Baltimore Orioles shortstop Cal Ripken, Jr. in 1995. Gehrig’s run of longevity was all the more remarkable because he played in an era when the schedule was shorter and there were no night games. A six-time All-Star and the league’s Most Valuable Player in 1927, 1931, and 1934, Gehrig helped lead the New York Yankees to six World Championships. He hit 493 home runs during his career, which led the American League four times. Gehrig’s .340 batting average is still the Yankee record for first basemen.
Jimmie Foxx
Jimmie Foxx, one of the game’s most feared sluggers, played for four teams during his 20-year MLB career. He was a three-time MVP and a member of the 500 home run club. A nine-time All-Star, Foxx hit 30 or more home runs 12 times.
Al Simmons
Al Simmons, outfielder for the Chicago White Sox, was one of the most feared sluggers of his era. Standing just 5’6″ tall, he didn’t look like much, but he could swing a mean bat. In 1933, Simmons hit .356 with 36 home runs and 156 RBIs. He was also one of the best defensive outfielders in the game, winning seven Gold Glove Awards during his career.
Hank Greenberg
Henry Benjamin Greenberg (born Hyman Aaron Greenberg; January 1, 1911 – September 4, 1986), nicknamed “Hammerin’ Hank”, “Hankus Pankus”, or “The Hebrew Hammer”, was an American professional baseball player and team executive. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB), primarily for the Detroit Tigers as a first baseman in the 1930s and 1940s. A member of the Baseball Hall of Fame and a two-time Most Valuable Player Award winner, he was one of the premier power hitters of his generation and is widely considered as one of the greatest sluggers in baseball history. Greenberg was the first major league player to hit 25 or more home runs in 10 consecutive seasons. Along with Ruth and Gehrig, Greenberg was one of only three American League (AL) players to average 40 home runs per season in the live-ball era. He had two hitting streaks over 20 games, including a career-best 23-game hitting streak during which he compiled a .688 batting average.
Charlie Gehringer
Charlie Gehringer was a second baseman who played his entire 20-year career with the Detroit Tigers. He was a six-time All-Star and he won the American League batting title in 1937 with a .371 average. Gehringer was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1949.
Dizzy Dean
Dizzy Dean was born in Lucas, Arkansas in 1910. He was one of the most famous and popular baseball players of his time and is considered one of the greatest pitchers of all time. He played for the St. Louis Cardinals and the Chicago Cubs, and he was a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Bill Dickey
Dickey was one of the premier catchers of his era and a nine-time All-Star. He played his entire 18-year career with the New York Yankees (1928–1946), winning 11 World Series championships. He was named to the MLB All-Star Game in eight consecutive seasons (1933–1940). A switch-hitter, Dickey had a career batting average of .313 and is one of only four major league catchers with at least 2,000 hits.
Lefty Grove
Lefty Grove was one of the most dominant pitchers in Major League Baseball history. He played for the Philadelphia Athletics from 1925 to 1933 and was a three-time MVP. He won 300 games and had a career ERA of 3.06. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1947.
Mel Ott
Left-handed slugger Mel Ott played his entire twenty-two year Major League career with the New York Giants, joining the team in 1926 at the age of seventeen. Ott was both a power hitter and an outstanding fielder, leading the National League in home runs six times and setting a then-record for most assists by a right fielder in 1932. A five-time All Star, Ott retired with 511 career home runs, a .304 batting average, and 2,876 hits. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1951.
