In front of a crowd of almost 62,000 at Yankee Stadium on July 4, 1939, Gehrig bid farewell to baseball, calling himself, “the luckiest man on the face of the earth.”
Less than two weeks later, on July 16, the Jewish community of Philadelphia staged “Morrie Arnovich Day.” Jewish umpire Dolly Stark worked the doubleheader between the Phillies and Pittsburgh Pirates on Morrie’s day.
Among the 13,000 fans on hand was Morrie’s father, Charles, who traveled from Superior, Wisconsin, to see his son honored and play the outfield in the major leagues for the first time. Between games Morrie was presented with a complete fishing outfit and gear. After the doubleheader, which the teams split, Arnovich collected two hits in eight trips to the plate and remained the National League’s top hitter.
While Arnovich, Giants catcher Harry Dannning, and Tigers superstar Hank Greenberg were chosen to participate in the 1939 All-Star Game, Jewish doctors a world away were being barred from private practice by the Nazis. Some were permitted to serve only Jewish patients. Six years earlier the Nazis had decreed that Jewish doctors could not hold any position in German hospitals and clinics.
On September 1, 1939, Germany invaded Poland, and two days later England and France declared war on Germany. Poland surrendered to Germany on September 28.
On our side of the ocean, Eddie Feinberg, a backup infielder for the Philadelphia Phillies over parts of the ’38 and ’39 seasons, was released. Nicknamed “Itzy,” the Philadelphia native saw action in 16 games, batting only .184 in 38 at bats.
Milt Galatzer’s big league career also came to an end. The Chicagoan broke in with Cleveland in 1933, where he was a backup outfielder for parts of the next four seasons. Back in the minors in 1937 and 1938, he resurfaced with Cincinnati in 1939. Only 32 when he was released, Galatzer hit one home run in 717 at-bats and had a .268 career average.
The three Cohens, Alta and brothers Andy and Syd, who played in the majors earlier, closed out the decade at the minor league level. Morrie Arnovich leveled off and finished the season with a .324 batting average.
Dealt to Cleveland by the Tigers during the season, Harry Eisenstat compiled an 8-9 won loss record with an ERA of 4.12. Eisenstat’s friend Hank Greenberg slipped a bit in 1939 but still posted all-star numbers. The 28-year-old first baseman hit 33 home runs and batted .312, but Hank told the press he had a “sub-par year.”