Displayed is a 1939 World Series Crosley Field game program and scorecard, with the New York Yankees vs. the home team Cincinnati Reds. The Yankees had won the three previous World Championships, while Cincinnati was returning to the World Series for the first time since 1919, when they won a controversial World Series against the Chicago White Sox, known later as the Black Sox, for the eight players banned for life from baseball for consorting with gamblers who fixed the Series. In '39, New York swept the Series for a then-record four consecutive Series wins, topped later by the 1949-53 Yankees winning five consecutive Series. The Series' most memorable play occurred in the top of the 10th inning at Cincinnati's Crosley Field with the score tied at 4. With runners on first and third, Joe DiMaggio singled in a run and when the ball was misplayed in the outfield, Charlie Keller raced around the bases to score, inadvertently kicking the Reds' catcher, Ernie Lombardi, in the groin as the Yankee slid home. Lombardi was in great pain, and as he writhed in agony, Joe DiMaggio rounded third and then scored. The Yankees held onto their 7-4 lead and won the game. The newspapers, loath to discuss what really happened, reported that Lombardi "snoozed" while DiMaggio ran around the bases. The star of the '39 Series was the Yankees' Charlie Keller. The outfielder had three home runs, batted .438, scored eight runs, and had six RBIs. Hall of Famers listed in the program: Bill McGowan (umpire); Yankees: Joe McCarthy (manager), Bill Dickey, Joe DiMaggio, Lefty Gomez, Joe Gordon, and Red Ruffing. Hall of Famer Lou Gehrig is also listed in the program as a Yankee, even though he had not played since the early season because of the effects of the illness known as ALS. Reds: Bill McKechnie (manager), Ernie Lombardi, Al Simmons.
The offered program (scorecard) measures 8.5x11.5", and it has 78 pages, including covers. The scorecard section has not been scored. The program does exhibit some crinkling, paper loss, and tiny stains. Overall, these imperfections do not detract from the program in any significant way, and the program remains in nice condition.