July 19, 1940. A Friday afternoon at Yankee Stadium, 12,151 fans in the seats, and backup catcher Buddy Rosar -- a 25-year-old from Buffalo who spent most of his time watching Bill Dickey work -- went 4-for-4 with a single, double, triple, and home run against the Cleveland Indians. The New York Yankees won 15-6, and Rosar became the only catcher in franchise history to hit for the cycle. He's still the only one.
The Backup's Big Day
Rosar wasn't supposed to be the story. He was Dickey's understudy -- a solid defensive catcher with a decent bat who got into 73 games that season, mostly when McCarthy wanted to rest his 33-year-old starter. Rosar hit .298 in 1940, respectable numbers for a backup backstop, but nobody confused him with the Hall of Famer ahead of him on the depth chart.
Cleveland had left-hander Al Smith on the mound, and with Smith's breaking ball giving right-handed hitters something to pull, Rosar took full advantage. He scored four runs and drove in three, turning a routine late-July game against the Indians into something the record books would remember. The cycle was the fourth of six hit across the major leagues in 1940 -- a year that seemed to produce them in bunches.
A Week to Remember
The cycle was actually the crescendo of a remarkable series for Rosar. The day before, he'd launched a first-inning grand slam off Cleveland left-hander Al Milnar, powering the Yankees to a 9-6 victory that knocked the Indians out of first place. Two games, a grand slam and a cycle -- from a backup catcher. (Imagine explaining that one to a fantasy baseball league.)
Rosar's explosion captured something important about the 1940 Yankees. The team's problem was never offense. Joe DiMaggio was hitting .352 on his way to a . Joe Gordon would finish with 30 home runs. Even the backup catcher could go off for a cycle on any given Friday. The pitching staff was the issue -- Lefty Gomez's arm was shot, and nobody else could fill the void.
The Rarity of It
Hitting for the cycle is one of baseball's quirkiest achievements. It doesn't require the most power or the most speed -- it requires both, plus some luck, all in the same nine innings. The triple is almost always the hardest piece, especially for a catcher. Catchers aren't built for triples. Their knees protest, their legs cramp, and their managers wince. Rosar legged one out anyway.
The feat marked just the seventh time in major league history that a catcher had completed the cycle. Harry Danning of the New York Giants had done it barely a month earlier against Pittsburgh, so catchers were apparently having a moment in the summer of 1940. But Rosar's cycle carried a distinction that Danning's didn't -- it happened in pinstripes, and it hasn't happened again.
| Date | July 19, 1940 |
| Opponent | Cleveland Indians |
| Result | Yankees 15, Indians 6 |
| Rosar's Line | 4-for-4, HR, 3B, 2B, 1B, BB |
| Runs Scored | 4 |
| RBI | 3 |
| Rosar's 1940 AVG | .298 (73 games) |
| Franchise Note | Only Yankees catcher to hit for the cycle |
Two Cycles, One Season
Rosar wasn't even the only Yankee to hit for the cycle that year. On September 8, Gordon completed the feat at Fenway Park against the Red Sox in a 9-4 win. Two cycles by position players in a single season -- the could hit. The pitching just couldn't keep pace.
Gordon's cycle came at a moment when the pennant race was still alive, adding a bittersweet edge to the accomplishment. Rosar's came in the dog days, a July afternoon highlight that didn't move the standings but gave the crowd something to cheer about in a season that was already starting to feel like an uphill climb.
A Career in Dickey's Shadow
Rosar spent four seasons behind Dickey in New York before getting traded to Cleveland after the 1942 season. He was a career .261 hitter who never played more than 96 games in a season -- the permanent backup, the guy who kept the starter fresh. But on one July afternoon in 1940, with Al Smith serving up pitches and the Bronx crowd watching, the backup did something the starter never did.
Dickey hit .313 lifetime, made 11 All-Star teams, and went to the Hall of Fame. He never hit for the cycle. Rosar did. Baseball's a funny game that way.
The Warm-Up
Rosar hits a first-inning grand slam off Cleveland's Al Milnar, driving the Yankees to a 9-6 win that knocks the Indians out of first place.
The Cycle
Rosar goes 4-for-4 with a single, double, triple, and home run against Cleveland's Al Smith. He scores four runs and drives in three as the Yankees rout the Indians 15-6.
Gordon Joins the Club
Joe Gordon hits for the cycle at Fenway Park against the Red Sox, making it two Yankees cycles in a single season.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did Buddy Rosar hit for the cycle?
Buddy Rosar hit for the cycle on July 19, 1940, against the Cleveland Indians at Yankee Stadium. He went 4-for-4 with a single, double, triple, and home run, scoring four runs and driving in three as the Yankees won 15-6. He remains the only catcher in Yankees history to hit for the cycle.
Who was Buddy Rosar on the 1940 Yankees?
Warren "Buddy" Rosar was the backup catcher behind Bill Dickey on the 1940 Yankees. He appeared in 73 games that season and hit .298 with 4 home runs and 37 RBI. Despite his limited playing time, he produced one of the season's most memorable individual performances with his cycle against Cleveland.
Has any other Yankees catcher hit for the cycle?
No. Rosar's 1940 cycle is the only time a Yankees catcher has accomplished the feat. Despite a franchise history that includes Hall of Fame catchers like Bill Dickey, Yogi Berra, and Thurman Munson, the backup from Buffalo remains the only backstop in pinstripes to collect a single, double, triple, and home run in the same game.