Acquired in a trade with the Giants (for among other, starting shortstop Billy Jurges, and outfielder Frank Demaree), Dick Bartell was the starting shortstop for the Cubs in 1939.

Bartell was accustomed to the hardscrabble New York media, and that didn't serve him well during his time with the Cubs. His 1939 season started off badly in spring training when he made a blimp joke to a chubby sportswriter for the Chicago Tribune (Ed Burns).

Imagine Bartell's surprise when he discovered the Chicago media was a little more sensitive than New York's, and that Burns just happened to be the writer who also served as the official scorer for the Cubs. That season Burns got revenge by giving Bartell an error at every opportunity, and taking away all borderline hits.

Bartell hit only .238 for the Cubs after hitting over .300 seven times in the seasons before he joined the team. He also recorded the worst fielding percentage of his career. Ironically, Bartell was born in Chicago, and the worst season of his career was with the Cubs.

The Cubs traded him after the season to the Tigers. He was Detroit's starting shortstop in the 1940 World Series.