1919 New York Yankees

The final standing	3rd in AL (Did not qualify for World Series)
Regular season record	80-59 (.576)
Post-season record	(Not played)
AL rank	3rd
World Series record and opponent	(Not played)
Manager	Miller Huggins
Captain	Roger Peckinpaugh
Top batter	Home runs: Home Run Baker 10), Wally Pipp, Roger Peckinpaugh, Duffy Lewis (7), Ping Bodie (6) BA: Roger Peckinpaugh (.305), Home Run Baker (.293), Del Pratt (.292) Runs: Roger Peckinpaugh (89), Wally Pip (74), Home Run Baker (70) RBI: Duffy Lewis (89), Home Run Baker (83), Ping Bodie (59)
Top pitcher/ (W-L, ERA)	Bob Shawkey: 20-11, 2.72 Herb Thormahlen: 12-8, 2.62
Attendance record	619,164 (3rd of 8)

1919 New York Yankees season: A brief summary

The 1919 New York Yankees season, marking their 17th year, was a notable chapter in the early years of one of baseball’s most storied franchises. Finishing with a respectable 80-59 record, the Yankees demonstrated solid performance, though they fell short by 7½ games behind the American League champions, the Chicago White Sox.

Managed by the astute Miller Huggins, the team showcased a blend of emerging talent and seasoned veterans. The Polo Grounds, their home turf, was a historic venue that added to the grandeur of their games. The 1919 season was significant as it predated the arrival of Babe Ruth, who would join the team the following year and radically transform the Yankees’ fortunes.

While not the most triumphant in their history, the 1919 season was a stepping stone for the Yankees. It laid the groundwork for the incredible success that would follow in the ensuing decades, as they evolved into a baseball powerhouse. The team’s performance that year reflected a mix of promise and unfulfilled potential, characteristic of a squad on the cusp of greatness.

1919 New York Yankees: The year they captivated a nation

The remarkable surge in attendance for the New York Yankees during the 1919 season is a noteworthy aspect of their history. The team witnessed a dramatic increase, with attendance figures soaring to approximately 619,000, more than doubling from the previous year. This phenomenal growth in fan turnout is a testament to the growing popularity of the Yankees and baseball’s increasing appeal to the American public in the early 20th century.

Several factors might have contributed to this surge. The post-World War I era brought a renewed interest in leisure activities, and baseball, often referred to as “America’s Pastime,” was at the forefront of this movement. Additionally, the Yankees’ solid performance in the 1919 season likely heightened interest among fans, drawing larger crowds eager to witness the team’s competitive play.

The significant rise in attendance also underscored the burgeoning potential of the Yankees as a major draw in the sports world. It set the stage for the team’s future successes, both on the field and in their ability to attract fans in large numbers. This period marked the beginning of the Yankees’ journey toward becoming one of the most iconic and financially successful franchises in sports history.

Postseason result

(Did not qualify – Eliminated in Regular Season)

1919 New York Yankees roster

Name	Age	B	T	Ht	Wt	DoB	Yrs	G	GS	WAR	Salary
Home Run Baker	33	L	R	5′ 11″	173	Mar 13, 1886	11	141	141	4	$12,000
Ping Bodie	31	R	R	5′ 8″	195	Oct 8, 1887	7	134	134	2.4	$3,600
Chick Fewster	22	R	R	5′ 11″	160	Nov 10, 1896	3	81	64	1.9	$2,800
Frank Gleich	25	L	R	5′ 11″	175	Mar 7, 1894	1st	5	0	-0.1	$1,500
George Halas	24	B	R	6′ 0″	164	Feb 2, 1895	1st	13	4	-0.4	$2,400
Truck Hannah	30	R	R	6′ 1″	190	Jun 5, 1889	2	75	72	0.5	$3,000
Fred Hofmann	25	R	R	5′ 11″	175	Jun 10, 1894	1st	1	0	0	$1,650
Frank Kane	24	L	R	5′ 11″	175	Mar 9, 1895	2	1	0		$1,800
Bill Lamar	22	L	R	6′ 1″	185	Mar 21, 1897	3	11	1	-0.1	$2,100
Duffy Lewis	31	R	R	5′ 10″	165	Apr 18, 1888	9	141	141	0.4	$5,500
Carl Mays	27	L	R	5′ 11″	195	Nov 12, 1891	5	13	13	2.9	$8,000
Bob McGraw	24	R	R	6′ 2″	160	Apr 10, 1895	3	6	0	0.2	$2,000
George Mogridge	30	L	L	6′ 2″	165	Feb 18, 1889	7	35	18	1.4	$3,800
Luke Nelson	25	R	R	6′ 0″	180	Dec 4, 1893	1st	9	1	0.2
Lefty O’Doul	22	L	L	6′ 0″	180	Mar 4, 1897	1st	19	0	-0.2	$1,800
Roger Peckinpaugh	28	R	R	5′ 10″	165	Feb 5, 1891	9	122	119	6.3	$6,500
Wally Pipp	26	L	L	6′ 1″	180	Feb 17, 1893	6	138	138	2.6	$5,000
Del Pratt	31	R	R	5′ 11″	175	Jan 10, 1888	8	140	139	5.4	$6,500
Jack Quinn	35	R	R	6′ 0″	196	Jul 1, 1883	9	38	31	3.8
Muddy Ruel	23	R	R	5′ 9″	150	Feb 20, 1896	4	79	69	0.6	$2,400
Allen Russell	25	B	R	5′ 11″	165	Jul 31, 1893	5	23	9	-0.6	$2,800
Pete Schneider	23	R	R	6′ 1″	194	Aug 20, 1895	6	7	4	-0.2	$4,000
Bob Shawkey	28	R	R	5′ 11″	168	Dec 4, 1890	7	41	27	3.6	$5,000
Ernie Shore	28	R	R	6′ 4″	220	Mar 24, 1891	6	20	13	-0.6	$6,000
Walt Smallwood	26	R	R	6′ 2″	190	Apr 24, 1893	2	6	0	-0.1
Herb Thormahlen	22	L	L	6′ 0″	180	Jul 5, 1896	3	30	25	2.7	$3,000
Sammy Vick	24	R	R	5′ 10″	163	Apr 12, 1895	3	106	97	0.6	$2,000
Curt Walker	22	L	R	5′ 9″	170	Jul 3, 1896	1st	1	0
Aaron Ward	22	R	R	5′ 10″	160	Aug 28, 1896	3	29	3	0	$1,600
Al Wickland	31	L	L	5′ 7″	155	Jan 27, 1888	5	26	6	-0.8

1919 New York Yankees player additions, transactions, and trades

December 1918:

• December 9: Purchased Pete Schneider from the Cincinnati Reds.
• December 15: Signed Jack Quinn as a free agent. (League ruled player was New York Yankees property following procedural claim by the club). (Date given is approximate. Exact date is uncertain.)
• December 18: Signed George Halas as a free agent.
• December 18: Traded Ray Caldwell, Frank Gilhooley, Slim Love, Roxy Walters, and $15,000 to the Boston Red Sox. Received Dutch Leonard, Duffy Lewis, and Ernie Shore.

February 1919:

• Traded players to be named later to Vernon (PCL). Received Jack Quinn. The New York Yankees sent Joseph Finneran (February 1919), Sammy Ross (minors) (February 1919), and Zinn Beck (February 1919) to Vernon (PCL) to complete the trade.

March 1919:

• March: Returned Jack Fournier to Los Angeles (Pacific Coast) following previous purchase.
• March 6: Ray Keating player rights sold to the Boston Braves.
• March 15: Ray Fisher selected by the Cincinnati Reds off waivers.
• March 21: Cliff Markle player rights sold to Salt Lake City (PCL).

May 1919:

• May 17: Dutch Leonard player rights sold to the Detroit Tigers for $12,000.

June 1919:

• June 10: Traded a player to be named later to St. Paul (American Association). Received Al Wickland. The New York Yankees sent George Halas (July 11, 1919) to St. Paul (American Association) to complete the trade.
• June 13: Bill Lamar player rights sold to the Boston Red Sox.

July 1919:

• July 29: Traded Bob McGraw, Allen Russell, and $40,000 to the Boston Red Sox. Received a player to be named later. The Boston Red Sox sent Carl Mays (July 30, 1919) to the New York Yankees to complete the trade.

August 1919:

• August (approximate date): Received Curt Walker from Augusta (South Atlantic) as part of a conditional deal for $1,000.
• August 7: Purchased Frank Gleich from Saginaw (Michigan-Ontario).
• August 20: Purchased Rip Collins from Dallas (Texas).
• August 20: Traded a player to be named later to Vernon (PCL). Received Bob Meusel. The New York Yankees sent Red Smith (March 10, 1920) to Vernon (PCL) to complete the trade.

1919 New York Yankees player Debuts

• Frank Gleich – 09-17-1919 – 25 years old
• George Halas – 05-06-1919 – 24 years old
• Fred Hofmann – 09-26-1919 – 25 years old
• Luke Nelson – 05-25-1919 – 25 years old
• Lefty O’Doul – 04-29-1919 – 22 years old
• Curt Walker – 09-17-1919 – 23 years old

1919 New York Yankees team stats (batting)

Pos	Name	Age	G	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	BA
C	Muddy Ruel	23	79	275	233	18	56	6	0	0	31	4	34	26	0.24
1B	Wally Pipp	26	138	597	523	74	144	23	10	7	50	9	39	42	0.275
2B	Del Pratt	31	140	583	527	69	154	27	7	4	56	22	36	24	0.292
SS	Roger Peckinpaugh	28	122	539	453	89	138	20	2	7	33	10	59	37	0.305
3B	Home Run Baker	33	141	623	567	70	166	22	1	10	83	13	44	18	0.293
OF	Ping Bodie	31	134	533	475	45	132	27	8	6	59	15	36	46	0.278
OF	Duffy Lewis	31	141	602	559	67	152	23	4	7	89	8	17	42	0.272
OF	Sammy Vick	24	106	449	407	59	101	15	9	2	27	9	35	55	0.248
UT	Chick Fewster	22	81	295	244	38	69	9	3	1	15	8	34	36	0.283
C	Truck Hannah	30	75	260	227	14	54	8	3	1	20	0	22	19	0.238
OF	Al Wickland	31	26	49	46	2	7	1	0	0	1	0	2	10	0.152
UT	Aaron Ward	22	27	40	34	5	7	2	0	0	2	0	5	6	0.206
OF	George Halas	24	12	22	22	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	8	0.091
OF	Bill Lamar	22	11	18	16	1	3	1	0	0	0	1	2	1	0.188
OF	Frank Gleich	25	5	5	4	0	1	0	0	0	1	0	1	0	0.25
	Curt Walker	22	1	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
C	Fred Hofmann	25	1	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
	Frank Kane	24	1	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
P	Jack Quinn	35	38	105	91	7	19	1	0	0	4	0	10	17	0.209
P	Bob Shawkey	28	41	102	94	5	22	1	0	0	6	0	1	15	0.234
P	Herb Thormahlen	22	30	67	59	3	11	0	1	0	7	0	4	21	0.186
P	George Mogridge	30	35	55	48	4	6	1	1	0	1	1	4	13	0.125
P	Carl Mays	27	13	48	45	6	14	3	0	0	4	0	0	3	0.311
P	Ernie Shore	28	20	31	28	2	4	0	0	0	0	0	0	10	0.143
P	Allen Russell	25	23	31	30	1	7	2	0	0	1	0	0	17	0.233
P	Lefty O’Doul	22	19	17	16	2	4	0	0	0	1	1	1	2	0.25
P	Pete Schneider	23	7	9	9	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	0.111
P	Luke Nelson	25	9	7	7	1	1	1	0	0	2	0	0	4	0.143
P	Walt Smallwood	26	6	5	5	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	2	0
P	Bob McGraw	24	6	4	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	3	0
	Team Totals	28.5	141	5374	4775	582	1275	193	49	45	494	101	386	479	0.267
	Rank in 8 AL teams				1	4	3	4	7	1		7	7	6	4
	Non-Pitcher Totals	28.6	141	4893	4340	551	1186	184	47	45	467	99	366	370	0.273
	Pitcher Totals	28.3	141	481	435	31	89	9	2	0	27	2	20	109	0.205

1919 New York Yankees team stats (pitching)

Pos	Name	Age	W	L	W-L%	ERA	G	GS	GF	CG	SHO	SV	IP	H	R	ER
SP	Jack Quinn	35	15	14	0.517	2.61	38	31	6	18	4	0	266	242	96	77
SP	Bob Shawkey	28	20	11	0.645	2.72	41	27	11	22	3	5	261.1	218	94	79
SP	Herb Thormahlen	22	12	8	0.6	2.62	30	25	3	13	2	1	188.2	155	69	55
SP	George Mogridge	30	10	9	0.526	2.77	35	18	9	13	3	0	169	159	68	52
SP	Carl Mays	27	9	3	0.75	1.65	13	13	0	12	1	0	120	96	34	22
SP	Ernie Shore	28	5	8	0.385	4.17	20	13	3	3	0	0	95	105	50	44
RP	Allen Russell	25	5	5	0.5	3.47	23	9	9	4	1	1	90.2	89	48	35
RP	Luke Nelson	25	3	0	1	2.96	9	1	4	0	0	0	24.1	22	9	8
RP	Walt Smallwood	26	0	0		4.98	6	0	3	0	0	0	21.2	20	12	12
RP	Bob McGraw	24	1	0	1	3.31	6	0	4	0	0	0	16.1	11	6	6
	Pete Schneider	23	0	1	0	3.41	7	4	1	0	0	0	29	19	14	11
	Lefty O’Doul	22	0	0		3.6	3	0	2	0	0	0	5	7	6	2
	Team Totals	28.2	80	59	0.576	2.82	141	141	55	85	14	7	1287	1143	506	403
	Rank in 8 AL teams		3	6		1				3	2	4	1	1	1	1

1919 New York Yankees record vs. opponents/ Team splits

Opponent (Games)	Won	Lost	WP
Boston Red Sox (19)	9	10	0.474
Chicago White Sox (20)	8	12	0.400
Cleveland Indians (20)	7	13	0.350
Detroit Tigers (20)	12	8	0.600
Philadelphia Athletics (20)	18	2	0.900
St. Louis Browns (20)	12	8	0.600
Washington Senators (22)	14	6	0.700

1919 New York Yankees monthly Record

Month (Games)	Won	Lost	WP
April (4)	2	2	0.500
May (23)	13	8	0.619
June (28)	20	8	0.714
July (34)	13	21	0.382
August (28)	16	12	0.571
September (24)	16	8	0.667

George Halas and the Yankees: A unique chapter in early sports history

On December 18, 1918, an intriguing crossover in the world of sports occurred when George Halas, who would later achieve legendary status as the coach of the Chicago Bears in football, was signed as a free agent by the New York Yankees. This moment represents a fascinating intersection of baseball and football history, featuring a figure who would go on to be synonymous with the National Football League (NFL).

Halas’ signing with the Yankees is a testament to his athletic versatility and prowess. Before emerging as a titan in the football world, he showcased talent in baseball, enough to be recognized and signed by one of baseball’s most prominent franchises. His time with the Yankees, although not as celebrated or as impactful as his football career, is a noteworthy aspect of his early sports career.

This moment also reflects the multi-sport nature of athletes during this era, where specialization was less common than in modern times. Athletes like Halas often played multiple sports, sometimes switching between them seasonally.

George Halas’ signing with the Yankees is more than a historical footnote; it highlights the diverse athletic background of a man who would later revolutionize professional football. It’s a reminder of the interconnected history of American sports and the multifaceted nature of the athletes who played during this period.

How do you rate the 1919 New York Yankees?