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1946 Major League Baseball season
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| title | 1946 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: Ted Williams (BOS) |
| NL: Stan Musial (STL) | |
| MVP_link | Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award |
| conf1 | AL |
| conf1_champ | [Boston Red Sox](1946-boston-red-sox-season) |
| conf1_runner-up | [Detroit Tigers](1946-detroit-tigers-season) |
| conf2 | NL |
| conf2_champ | [St. Louis Cardinals](1946-st-louis-cardinals-season) |
| conf2_runner-up | [Brooklyn Dodgers](1946-brooklyn-dodgers-season) |
| finals | World Series |
| finals_link | 1946 World Series |
| finals_champ | [St. Louis Cardinals](1946-st-louis-cardinals-season) |
| finals_runner-up | [Boston Red Sox](1946-boston-red-sox-season) |
| seasonslist | List of MLB seasons |
| seasonslistnames | MLB |
| prevseason_link | 1945 Major League Baseball season |
| prevseason_year | 1945 |
| nextseason_link | 1947 Major League Baseball season |
| nextseason_year | 1947 |
National League (NL) | April 16 – September 29, 1946 (AL) | April 16 – October 3, 1946 (NL)}}World Series:{{Bulleted list | October 6–15, 1946}} NL: Stan Musial (STL) | conf1_runner-up = Detroit Tigers | conf2_runner-up = Brooklyn Dodgers | finals_runner-up = Boston Red Sox The 1946 major league baseball season began on April 16, 1946. The regular season ended on October 3, with the St. Louis Cardinals and Boston Red Sox as the regular season champions of the National League and American League, respectively. The Cardinals defeated the Brooklyn Dodgers in a regular season best-of-three tiebreaker, for the National League title, after both teams finished their 154-game schedules with identical 96–58 records. It was Major League Baseball's first-ever regular season tie-breaker. The postseason began with Game 1 of the 43rd World Series on October 6 and ended with Game 7 on October 15. The Cardinals defeated the Red Sox, four games to three, capturing their sixth championship in franchise history, since their previous in . Going into the season, the defending World Series champions were the Detroit Tigers from the season.
The 13th Major League Baseball All-Star Game was held on July 9 at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts, hosted by the Boston Red Sox. The American League won, 12–0.
Many notable ballplayers returned from their military service this season, following the end of World War II, such as Joe DiMaggio, Stan Musial, and Ted Williams.
This was the first season in which the minor-league baseball color line broke. With the support from then-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. Robinson would play for the Royals for the season.
This was the last National and American League seasons to be played under the color barrier, as in the following season, Jackie Robinson would make his debut with the NL's Brooklyn Dodgers to start and Larry Doby would make his debut with the AL's Cleveland Indians in July.
Schedule
The 1946 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 16, featuring all sixteen teams, continuing the trend from the previous season. The final day of the scheduled regular season was on September 29, which saw all sixteen teams play, the first time since . Due to the Brooklyn Dodgers and St. Louis Cardinals finishing with the same record of 96–58, a best-of-three tie-breaker was scheduled, to be considered an extension of the regular season. The Cardinals swept the series in two games, on October 1 & 3. The World Series took place between October 6 and October 15.
Rule changes
The 1946 season saw the following rule changes:
- Rules for unlimited night games for all teams (excluding holidays and Sundays) were confirmed to be permanent by commissioner Happy Chandler.
- Twilight-night doubleheaders were banned unless caused by postponements.
- The National League rule which permitted a 30-man roster until June 15 was expanded to the American League. Previously, the AL's rules permitted expanding the roster until 31 days after the commencement of the season.
- High-school players were prohibited from being signed by any major- or minor-league teams, until they were out of school for more than one year.
- As commissioner, Chandler did not retain the right to veto league rules that he believed were detrimental to baseball, as his predecessor, Kenesaw Mountain Landis did, though the major leagues acknowledged that the commissioner had the authority to determine when a rule or act was harmful to baseball and to block the implementation of such a rule.
- The Triple-A level was created as the new highest level of minor-league baseball, with the elevation of the American Association, International League, and Pacific Coast League, from Double-A.
- Restrictions were implemented on giving out large signing bonuses. If a player was signed for an annual salary and a bonus exceeding $6,000 (), the signing team could not send him to the minor leagues unless no other team claimed him on waivers. Moreover, if he was claimed by another team, his team could not withdraw the waivers. And if the "bonus baby" did end up going to the minors after all teams passed on him, he would be subject to the annual player draft. Any team violating the rule would lose the player, be unable to re-sign him for three years, and be fined $2,000 (). In addition, the individual transgressor for the team would be fined $500 ().
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 | 34,219 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 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
- The St. Louis Cardinals defeated the Brooklyn Dodgers in best-of-three playoff series to earn the National League pennant.
Tie games
9 tie games (5 in AL, 4 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
- Chicago White Sox, 1
- Cleveland Indians, 2
- Detroit Tigers, 1
- Philadelphia Athletics, 1
- St. Louis Browns, 2
- Washington Senators, 1
National League
- Boston Braves, 1
- Brooklyn Dodgers, 1
- Chicago Cubs, 2
- Cincinnati Reds, 2
- Philadelphia Phillies, 1
- Pittsburgh Pirates, 1
Postseason
The postseason began on October 6 and ended on October 15 with the St. Louis Cardinals defeating the Boston Red Sox in the 1946 World Series in seven games.
Bracket
| RD1-seed1=AL | RD1-team1=Boston Red Sox | RD1-score1=3 | RD1-seed2=NL | RD1-team2=St. Louis Cardinals | RD1-score2=4
Managerial changes
Off-season
| Team | Former Manager | New Manager | Boston Braves | St. Louis Cardinals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Del Bissonette | Billy Southworth | |||
| Billy Southworth | Eddie Dyer |
In-season
| Team | Former Manager | New Manager | Chicago White Sox | Cincinnati Reds | New York Yankees | Pittsburgh Pirates | St. Louis Browns |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jimmy Dykes | Ted Lyons | ||||||
| Bill McKechnie | Hank Gowdy | ||||||
| Joe McCarthy | Bill Dickey | ||||||
| Bill Dickey | Johnny Neun | ||||||
| Frankie Frisch | Spud Davis | ||||||
| Luke Sewell | Zack Taylor |
League leaders
American League
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| AVG | Mickey Vernon (WSH) | .353 |
| OPS | Ted Williams (BOS) | 1.164 |
| HR | Hank Greenberg (DET) | 44 |
| RBI | Hank Greenberg (DET) | 127 |
| R | Ted Williams (BOS) | 142 |
| H | Johnny Pesky (BOS) | 208 |
| SB | George Case (CLE) | 28 |
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| W | Bob Feller (CLE) | |
| Hal Newhouser (DET) | 26 | |
| L | Dick Fowler (PHA) | |
| Lou Knerr (PHA) | ||
| Phil Marchildon (PHA) | 16 | |
| ERA | Hal Newhouser (DET) | 1.94 |
| K | Bob Feller (CLE) | 348 |
| IP | Bob Feller (CLE) | 371.1 |
| SV | Bob Klinger (BOS) | 9 |
| WHIP | Hal Newhouser (DET) | 1.069 |
National League
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| AVG | Stan Musial (STL) | .365 |
| OPS | Stan Musial (STL) | 1.021 |
| HR | Ralph Kiner (PIT) | 23 |
| RBI | Enos Slaughter (STL) | 130 |
| R | Stan Musial (STL) | 124 |
| H | Stan Musial (STL) | 228 |
| SB | Pete Reiser (BRO) | 34 |
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| W | Howie Pollet (STL) | 21 |
| L | Dave Koslo (NYG) | 19 |
| ERA | Howie Pollet (STL) | 2.10 |
| K | Johnny Schmitz (CHC) | 135 |
| IP | Howie Pollet (STL) | 266.0 |
| SV | Ken Raffensberger (PHI) | 6 |
| WHIP | Mort Cooper (BSN) | 1.106 |
Awards and honors
Regular season
| Baseball Writers' Association of America Awards | BBWAA Award | National League | American League |
|---|---|---|---|
| Most Valuable Player | Stan Musial (STL) | Ted Williams (BSN) |
Other awards
| *The Sporting News* Awards | Award | National League | American League |
|---|---|---|---|
| Player of the Year | Stan Musial (STL) | — | |
| Rookie of the Year | Del Ennis (PHI) | — | |
| Manager of the Year | Eddie Dyer (STL) | — | |
| Executive of the Year | — | Tom Yawkey (BSN) |
Baseball Hall of Fame
Main article: National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
- Jesse Burkett
- Frank Chance
- Jack Chesbro
- Johnny Evers
- Tommy McCarthy
- Joe McGinnity
- Eddie Plank
- Joe Tinker
- Rube Waddell
- Ed Walsh
- Clark Griffith (executive/pioneer contributor)
Home field attendance
| Team name | Wins | %± | Home attendance | %± | Per game |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York Yankees | 87 | 7.4% | 2,265,512 | 156.9% | 29,422 |
| Brooklyn Dodgers | 96 | 10.3% | 1,796,824 | 69.6% | 22,745 |
| Detroit Tigers | 92 | 4.5% | 1,722,590 | 34.5% | 21,805 |
| Boston Red Sox | 104 | 46.5% | 1,416,944 | 134.7% | 18,166 |
| Chicago Cubs | 82 | −16.3% | 1,342,970 | 29.6% | 17,441 |
| New York Giants | 61 | −21.8% | 1,219,873 | 20.0% | 15,843 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 98 | 3.2% | 1,061,807 | 78.6% | 13,613 |
| Cleveland Indians | 68 | −6.8% | 1,057,289 | 89.4% | 13,731 |
| Philadelphia Phillies | 69 | 50.0% | 1,045,247 | 266.7% | 13,401 |
| Washington Senators | 76 | −12.6% | 1,027,216 | 57.4% | 13,516 |
| Chicago White Sox | 74 | 4.2% | 983,403 | 49.5% | 12,448 |
| Boston Braves | 81 | 20.9% | 969,673 | 159.1% | 12,593 |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | 63 | −23.2% | 749,962 | 24.0% | 9,615 |
| Cincinnati Reds | 67 | 9.8% | 715,751 | 146.8% | 9,295 |
| Philadelphia Athletics | 49 | −5.8% | 621,793 | 34.4% | 7,972 |
| St. Louis Browns | 66 | −18.5% | 526,435 | 9.0% | 6,837 |
Venues
The Cleveland Indians would play their last game at League Park on September 21 against the Detroit Tigers, permanently moving into Cleveland Stadium for the start of the season. Over 77 home games, the Indians played 41 games at Cleveland Stadium and 36 games at League Park. All Sunday home games took place at Cleveland Stadium. This would be the last of 12 seasons since that saw the Indians play at both venues.
References
References
- Bokser, Andy. "1945 Winter Meetings: Resuming Peacetime Baseball – Society for American Baseball Research".
- "1946 Major League Managers".
- "1946 American League Batting Leaders".
- "1946 American League Pitching Leaders".
- "1946 National League Batting Leaders".
- "1946 National League Pitching Leaders".
- "Major League Player of the Year Award by The Sporting News {{!}} Baseball Almanac".
- "Rookie 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".
- "New York Yankees Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "Los Angeles Dodgers Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "Detroit Tigers Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "Boston Red Sox Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "Chicago Cubs Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "San Francisco Giants Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "St. Louis Cardinals Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "Cleveland Indians Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "Philadelphia Phillies Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "Minnesota Twins Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "Chicago White Sox Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "Atlanta Braves Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "Pittsburgh Pirates Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "Cincinnati Reds Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "Oakland Athletics Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "Baltimore Orioles Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "Seamheads.com Ballparks Database — 1946 Season".
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