1947 Major League Baseball season

Integration: Breaking the color line

On April 15, Opening Day for the National League's Brooklyn Dodgers, Jackie Robinson was in the Dodgers' lineup, playing first base against the Boston Braves at Ebbets Field. His appearance in a major league game broke the baseball color line, the practice of excluding players of black African descent. Though he endured epithets and death threats, as well as a slow start, his skill would earn him the first ever Rookie of the Year award, named in Robinson's honor 40 years later.

Halfway through the season on July 5, the American League's Cleveland Indians debuted Larry Doby, becoming the first black player in the American League and breaking the AL color line. Doby was a more low-key figure, suffered many of the same indignities that Robinson did, albeit with less press coverage.

Kansas City Monarchs star Willard Brown and teammate Hank Thompson briefly played for the St. Louis Browns, becoming the third and fourth Black players in either the NL or AL, and made the St. Louis Browns the first of either the NL or AL to field two Black players on one roster. Brown was the first black player to hit a home run in the American League.

Schedule

The 1947 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 15, featuring all sixteen teams, continuing the trend from . The final day of the regular season was on September 28, which also saw all sixteen teams play, continuing the trend from the previous season. This was the first time since that all sixteen teams played their first and last games on the same days. The World Series took place between September 30 and October 6.

Rule changes

The 1947 season saw the following rule changes:

• Regarding salaries and pensions, major-league players would be guaranteed:
  • A minimum salary of $5,000 ().
  • A limitation on pay cuts to a maximum of 25%
  • $25 per week () in living expenses during spring training
  • The creation of a pension plan. Said plan was to be funded by each player contributing $250 per year (), a sum that would be matched by his owner.
    • Proceeds from the World Series broadcasting and the All-Star Game would go to the pension plan.
• A team claiming a player through waiver calls on the third call would get said player. Previously, owners had been able to retain players put on waivers, regardless of whether another team claimed them or not.
• The Commissioner of Baseball could no longer unilaterally rule on items "detrimental" to baseball on minor-leagues, and now followed the major-league rule that was implemented the previous season, 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.
• A new Major-Minor League Agreement established a classification labeled Bonus Players for both the major and minors. The designation was assigned to newly signed players who were paid bonus money above defined amounts. The fixed minimum amount that would trigger a bonus classification ranged from $600 () in Class D to $6,000 () in the majors. A Bonus Player would retain the label for his career. If he was optioned to a lower classification or playing level, he would be subject to an unrestricted draft.

Teams

Standings

American League

National League

Tie games

11 tie games (7 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, 3
• Chicago White Sox, 1
• Cleveland Indians, 3
• Detroit Tigers, 4
• New York Yankees, 1
• Philadelphia Athletics, 2

National League

• Brooklyn Dodgers, 1
• Chicago Cubs, 1
• New York Giants, 1
• Philadelphia Phillies, 1
• Pittsburgh Pirates, 2
• St. Louis Cardinals, 2

Postseason

The postseason began on September 30 and ended on October 6 with the New York Yankees defeating the Brooklyn Dodgers in the 1947 World Series in seven games.

Bracket

| RD1-seed1=AL | RD1-team1=New York Yankees | RD1-score1=4 | RD1-seed2=NL | RD1-team2=Brooklyn Dodgers | RD1-score2=3

Managerial changes

Off-season

In-season

League leaders

American League

1 American League Triple Crown batting winner

National League

Awards and honors

Regular season

Other awards

Baseball Hall of Fame

Main article: National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum

• Carl Hubbell
• Frankie Frisch
• Mickey Cochrane
• Lefty Grove

Home field attendance

Venues

After playing at both League Park (where they played 45 seasons in part or in full) and Cleveland Stadium (where they played 13 season in part or in full) since (sans through ), the Cleveland Indians permanently move into Cleveland Stadium leaving their inaugural park, having played at League Park for 45 seasons (every season since excluding 1933). Previously, the Indians would typically play home games at League Park on weekdays and Cleveland Stadium on weekends. They would go on to play at Cleveland Stadium for a total of 60 seasons through .

References

References

1. Spatz, Lyle. "April 15, 1947: Jackie Robinson's major league debut".
2. (July 14, 1987). "Sports News".
3. McMurray, John. "Larry Doby".
4. Nechal, Jerry. "1946 Winter Meetings: Tranquility and Turbulence – Society for American Baseball Research".
5. "1947 Major League Managers".
6. "1947 American League Batting Leaders".
7. "1947 American League Pitching Leaders".
8. "1947 National League Batting Leaders".
9. "1947 National League Pitching Leaders".
10. "Major League Player of the Year Award by The Sporting News {{!}} Baseball Almanac".
11. "Rookie of the Year Award by The Sporting News {{!}} Baseball Almanac".
12. "Manager of the Year Award by The Sporting News {{!}} Baseball Almanac".
13. "MLB Executive of the Year Award {{!}} Baseball Almanac".
14. "New York Yankees Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
15. "Los Angeles Dodgers Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
16. "San Francisco Giants Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
17. "Cleveland Indians Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
18. "Boston Red Sox Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
19. "Detroit Tigers Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
20. "Chicago Cubs Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
21. "Pittsburgh Pirates Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
22. "Atlanta Braves Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
23. "St. Louis Cardinals Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
24. "Oakland Athletics Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
25. "Philadelphia Phillies Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
26. "Cincinnati Reds Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
27. "Chicago White Sox Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
28. "Minnesota Twins Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
29. "Baltimore Orioles Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].