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Brooklyn Dodgers- 1937
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Woody, along with pitcher, Roy Henshaw, was traded to the Dodgers for infielder, Lonny Frey. Woody stepped into the starting short stop position and played in 129 games getting 90 hits and 65 walks to acquire a batting average of .238. But the Dodgers were not so good finishing with 62 win and 91 losses. They were 33.5 games behind first placed NY Giants.
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The highlight of the 1937 season for Woody was when he won a suit from Abe Stark. The right field was short and had a sign below the scoreboard that said, "Hit This Sign Win Suit, ABE STARK." The right fielder usually played right in front of the sign so it was nearly impossible to hit it. But on one occasion, Paul Waner of the Pirates slipped in the mud and the ball got by him and hit the sign. At the end of the season, Woody when down to the Abe Stark store and was greeted by Abe and 99 photographers. Stark got a lot of publicity out of it and Woody got a new suit.
Fielders:
Cookie Lavagetto, 2F
Buddy Hassett, 1B
Heinie Manush, OF
Babe Phelps, C
Gibby Brack, OF
Johnny Cooney, 3B
Joe Stripp, 3B
Woody English, SS
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Starting Pitchers:
Fred Frankhouse
Luke Hamlin
Max Butcher
Von Mungo
Waite Hoyt
Freddie Fitzsimmons
Relievers:
Roy Henshaw
Jim Lendsey
George Jeffcoat
Ben Cantwell
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Brooklyn Dodgers/Chicago Cubs - 1938
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Woody started the season with the Dodgers, but Leo Durocher who had been picked up over the off-season stepped into the short stop position. Woody only played in 34 games and was waived by the Dodgers in July and was picked up by his old team. His ankle had again began to give him trouble and he never played for the Cubs that year. Gabby Hartnett had replaced Charlie Grimm as manager and Woody, feeling frustrated about not playing, talked it over with Hartnett one Saturday evening after dropping two games to the Pirates. Gabby said, "Don't worry about a thing, you'll be on this club as long as I am manager." The following Monday, Gabby came down to practice and said they wanted to see Woody in the office. When Woody went to see what they wanted him for, he was told he had been sold to the St. Louis Cardinals.
Woody had heard some negative things about the Cardinals manager, Branch Rickey and did not want to play for St. Louis. Woody turned down the opportunity to play for the Cardinals and that ended Woody's professional baseball career.
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