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1944 Major League Baseball season
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| title | 1944 MLB season |
| league | American League (AL) |
| National League (NL) | |
| sport | Baseball |
| duration | Regular season:{{Bulleted list |
| no_of_games | 154 |
| no_of_teams | 16 (8 per league) |
| season | Regular season |
| MVP | AL: Hal Newhouser (DET) |
| NL: Marty Marion (STL) | |
| MVP_link | Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award |
| conf1 | AL |
| conf1_champ | [St. Louis Browns](1944-st-louis-browns-season) |
| conf1_runner-up | [Detroit Tigers](1944-detroit-tigers-season) |
| conf2 | NL |
| conf2_champ | [St. Louis Cardinals](1944-st-louis-cardinals-season) |
| conf2_runner-up | [Pittsburgh Pirates](1944-pittsburgh-pirates-season) |
| finals | World Series |
| finals_link | 1944 World Series |
| finals_champ | [St. Louis Cardinals](1944-st-louis-cardinals-season) |
| finals_runner-up | [St. Louis Browns](1944-st-louis-browns-season) |
| seasonslist | List of MLB seasons |
| seasonslistnames | MLB |
| prevseason_link | 1943 Major League Baseball season |
| prevseason_year | 1943 |
| nextseason_link | 1945 Major League Baseball season |
| nextseason_year | 1945 |
National League (NL) | April 18 – October 1, 1944}}World Series:{{Bulleted list | October 4–9, 1944}} NL: Marty Marion (STL) | conf1_runner-up = Detroit Tigers | conf2_runner-up = Pittsburgh Pirates | finals_runner-up = St. Louis Browns The 1944 major league baseball season began on April 18, 1944. The regular season ended on October 1, with the St. Louis Cardinals and St. Louis Browns as the regular season champions of the National League and American League, respectively. In an all-St. Louis postseason, the postseason began with Game 1 of the 41st World Series on October 4 and ended with Game 6 on October 9. The Cardinals defeated the Browns, four games to two, capturing their fifth championship in franchise history, since their previous in . Going into the season, the defending World Series champions were the New York Yankees from the season.
The 12th Major League Baseball All-Star Game was held on July 11 at the Forbes Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, home of the Pittsburgh Pirates. The National League won, 7–1.
The season is notable for greatly relaxing restrictions on night games.
This was Kenesaw Mountain Landis' last season of his 24-year tenure as commissioner, following his death in November. He would be succeeded by Happy Chandler.
Challenging the color line
During the final days of the 1943 Winter Meetings prior to the season's start, commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis (who, according to a number of baseball authors, has had racism ascribed to him for actively perpetuating the baseball color line) invited singer Paul Robeson, and three black journalists, Ira F. Lewis of the Pittsburgh Courier, John H. Sengstacke of The Chicago Defender, and Howard Murphy of the Baltimore Afro-American, to plead their case in favor of integration in baseball, marking the first time a black person had spoken directly with the leaders of Organized Baseball about this topic. In response, Landis read a joint American League-National League statement stating that "There is no rule, formal or informal, or any understanding — unwritten, subterranean or sub-anything — against the hiring of Negro players by the teams of organized baseball."
However, it would not be until after Landis' death in November 1944 that baseball would begin to move towards breaking the color line. With the support from incoming commissioner Happy Chandler, Brooklyn Dodgers general manager Branch Rickey signed Jackie Robinson in late-October to their top minor-league affiliate, the Montreal Royals, eventually breaking the major-league color barrier following his promotion to the majors in .
Schedule
The 1944 schedule consisted of 154 games for all teams in the American League and National League, each of which had eight teams. Each team was scheduled to play 22 games against the other seven teams of their respective league. This continued the format put in place since the season (except for ) and would be used until in the American League and in the National League.
Opening Day took place on April 18, featuring fourteen teams. The final day of the regular season was on October 1, which saw all sixteen teams play, continuing the trend since the previous season. The World Series took place between October 4 and October 9.
Rule change
The 1944 season saw the following rule change:
- During the July All-Star break, all teams were given permission to have unlimited weekday night games. Previously, all teams were allowed only 14 (except the Washington Senators, which were allowed 21).
Teams
An asterisk () denotes the ballpark a team played the minority of their home games at*
| League | Team | City | Stadium | Capacity | Manager | American League}};" | Boston Red Sox | Chicago White Sox | Cleveland Indians | Detroit Tigers | New York Yankees | Philadelphia Athletics | St. Louis Browns | Washington Senators | National League}};" | Boston Braves | Brooklyn Dodgers | Chicago Cubs | Cincinnati Reds | New York Giants | Philadelphia Phillies | Pittsburgh Pirates | St. Louis Cardinals | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston, Massachusetts | Fenway Park | 33,817 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chicago, Illinois | Comiskey Park | 50,000 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cleveland, Ohio | Cleveland Stadium | 78,811 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| League Park* | 22,500* | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Detroit, Michigan | Briggs Stadium | 58,000 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| New York, New York | Yankee Stadium | 70,000 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Shibe Park | 33,000 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| St. Louis, Missouri | Sportsman's Park | 34,023 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Washington, D.C. | Griffith Stadium | 32,000 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Boston, Massachusetts | Braves Field | 37,746 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| New York, New York | Ebbets Field | 35,000 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chicago, Illinois | Wrigley Field | 38,396 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cincinnati, Ohio | Crosley Field | 29,401 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| New York, New York | Polo Grounds | 56,000 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Shibe Park | 33,000 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | Forbes Field | 33,467 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| St. Louis, Missouri | Sportsman's Park | 34,023 |
Standings
American League
National League
Tie games
11 tie games (3 in AL, 8 in NL), which are not factored into winning percentage or games behind (and were often replayed again) occurred throughout the season.
American League
- Boston Red Sox, 2
- Cleveland Indians, 1
- Detroit Tigers, 2
- Philadelphia Athletics, 1
National League
- Boston Braves, 1
- Brooklyn Dodgers, 1
- Chicago Cubs, 3
- Cincinnati Reds, 1
- New York Giants, 1
- Philadelphia Phillies, 1
- Pittsburgh Pirates, 5
- St. Louis Cardinals, 3
Postseason
The postseason began on October 4 and ended on October 9 with the St. Louis Cardinals defeating the St. Louis Browns in the 1944 World Series in six games.
Bracket
| RD1-seed1=AL | RD1-team1=St. Louis Browns | RD1-score1=2 | RD1-seed2=NL | RD1-team2=St. Louis Cardinals | RD1-score2=4
Managerial changes
In-season
| Team | Former Manager | New Manager | Chicago Cubs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jimmie Wilson | Roy Johnson | ||
| Roy Johnson | Charlie Grimm |
League leaders
American League
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| AVG | Lou Boudreau (CLE) | .327 |
| OPS | Bob Johnson (BOS) | .959 |
| HR | Nick Etten (NYY) | 22 |
| RBI | Vern Stephens (SLB) | 109 |
| R | Snuffy Stirnweiss (NYY) | 125 |
| H | Snuffy Stirnweiss (NYY) | 205 |
| SB | Snuffy Stirnweiss (NYY) | 55 |
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| W | Hal Newhouser (DET) | 29 |
| L | Bill Dietrich (CWS) | |
| Early Wynn (WSH) | 17 | |
| ERA | Dizzy Trout (DET) | 2.12 |
| K | Hal Newhouser (DET) | 187 |
| IP | Dizzy Trout (DET) | 352.1 |
| SV | Joe Berry (PHA) | |
| George Caster (SLB) | ||
| Gordon Maltzberger (CWS) | 12 | |
| WHIP | Tex Hughson (BOS) | 1.048 |
National League
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| AVG | Dixie Walker (BRO) | .357 |
| OPS | Stan Musial (STL) | .990 |
| HR | Bill Nicholson (CHC) | 33 |
| RBI | Bill Nicholson (CHC) | 122 |
| R | Bill Nicholson (CHC) | 116 |
| H | Phil Cavarretta (CHC) | |
| Stan Musial (STL) | 197 | |
| SB | Johnny Barrett (PIT) | 28 |
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| W | Bucky Walters (CIN) | 23 |
| L | Ken Raffensberger (PHI) | 20 |
| ERA | Ed Heusser (CIN) | 2.38 |
| K | Bill Voiselle (NYG) | 161 |
| IP | Bill Voiselle (NYG) | 312.2 |
| SV | Ace Adams (NYG) | 13 |
| WHIP | Ted Wilks (STL) | 1.069 |
Awards and honors
Regular season
| Baseball Writers' Association of America Awards | BBWAA Award | National League | American League |
|---|---|---|---|
| Most Valuable Player | Marty Marion (STL) | Hal Newhouser (DET) |
Other awards
| *The Sporting News* Awards | Award | National League | American League |
|---|---|---|---|
| Most Valuable Player | Marty Marion (STL) | Bobby Doerr (BOS) | |
| Player of the Year | Marty Marion (STL) | — | |
| Pitcher of the Year | Bill Voiselle (NYG) | Hal Newhouser (DET) | |
| Manager of the Year | — | Luke Sewell (SLB) | |
| Executive of the Year | — | Bill DeWitt (SLB) |
Baseball Hall of Fame
Main article: National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
- Kenesaw Mountain Landis (executive)
Home field attendance
| Team name | Wins | %± | Home attendance | %± | Per game |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Detroit Tigers | 88 | 12.8% | 923,176 | 52.3% | 11,836 |
| New York Yankees | 83 | −15.3% | 789,995 | 27.8% | 10,128 |
| New York Giants | 67 | 21.8% | 674,483 | 44.7% | 8,993 |
| Chicago Cubs | 75 | 1.4% | 640,110 | 25.9% | 8,207 |
| Brooklyn Dodgers | 63 | −22.2% | 605,905 | −8.4% | 7,869 |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | 90 | 12.5% | 604,278 | 21.2% | 7,460 |
| Chicago White Sox | 71 | −13.4% | 563,539 | 10.7% | 7,319 |
| Washington Senators | 64 | −23.8% | 525,235 | −8.6% | 6,821 |
| St. Louis Browns | 89 | 23.6% | 508,644 | 137.2% | 6,606 |
| Boston Red Sox | 77 | 13.2% | 506,975 | 41.5% | 6,500 |
| Philadelphia Athletics | 72 | 46.9% | 505,322 | 34.1% | 6,649 |
| Cleveland Indians | 72 | −12.2% | 475,272 | 8.3% | 6,093 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 105 | 0.0% | 461,968 | −10.7% | 6,000 |
| Cincinnati Reds | 89 | 2.3% | 409,567 | 8.0% | 5,251 |
| Philadelphia Phillies | 61 | −4.7% | 369,586 | −20.9% | 4,678 |
| Boston Braves | 65 | −4.4% | 208,691 | −23.1% | 2,676 |
Venues
Over 78 home games, the Cleveland Indians played 43 games at Cleveland Stadium and 35 games at League Park. All Sunday home games took place at Cleveland Stadium. All Saturday home games took place at League Park. This would be the 10th of 12 seasons since that saw the Indians play at both venues.
Retired numbers
Carl Hubbell had his No. 11 retired by the New York Giants. This was the first number retired by the team.
References
References
- Moraski, Richard. "The Washington Senators in Wartime – Society for American Baseball Research".
- Pietrusza, David. (1998). "Judge and Jury: The Life and Times of Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis". Diamond Communications.
- Klopsis, Nick. "1943 Winter Meetings: War on the Home Front – Society for American Baseball Research".
- "1944 Major League Managers".
- "1944 American League Batting Leaders".
- "1944 American League Pitching Leaders".
- "1944 National League Batting Leaders".
- "1944 National League Pitching Leaders".
- "Most Valuable Player Award by The Sporting News {{!}} Baseball Almanac".
- "Major League Player of the Year Award by The Sporting News {{!}} Baseball Almanac".
- "Pitcher of the Year Award by The Sporting News {{!}} Baseball Almanac".
- "Manager of the Year Award by The Sporting News {{!}} Baseball Almanac".
- "MLB Executive of the Year Award {{!}} Baseball Almanac".
- "Detroit Tigers Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "New York Yankees Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "San Francisco Giants Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "Chicago Cubs Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "Los Angeles Dodgers Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "Pittsburgh Pirates Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "Chicago White Sox Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "Minnesota Twins Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "Baltimore Orioles Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "Boston Red Sox Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "Oakland Athletics Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "Cleveland Indians Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "St. Louis Cardinals Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "Cincinnati Reds Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "Philadelphia Phillies Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "Atlanta Braves Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "Seamheads.com Ballparks Database — 1944 Season".
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