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1951 Major League Baseball season
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| title | 1951 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: Yogi Berra (NYY) |
| NL: Roy Campanella (BRO) | |
| MVP_link | Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award |
| conf1 | AL |
| conf1_champ | [New York Yankees](1951-new-york-yankees-season) |
| conf1_runner-up | [Cleveland Indians](1951-cleveland-indians-season) |
| conf2 | NL |
| conf2_champ | [New York Giants](1951-new-york-giants-mlb-season) |
| conf2_runner-up | [Brooklyn Dodgers](1951-brooklyn-dodgers-season) |
| finals | World Series |
| finals_link | 1951 World Series |
| finals_champ | [New York Yankees](1951-new-york-yankees-season) |
| finals_runner-up | [New York Giants](1951-new-york-giants-mlb-season) |
| finals_MVP | Phil Rizzuto (NYY) |
| finals_MVP_link | Babe Ruth Award |
| seasonslist | List of MLB seasons |
| seasonslistnames | MLB |
| prevseason_link | 1950 Major League Baseball season |
| prevseason_year | 1950 |
| nextseason_link | 1952 Major League Baseball season |
| nextseason_year | 1952 |
National League (NL) | April 17 – September 30, 1951 (AL) | April 16 – October 3, 1951 (NL)}}World Series:{{Bulleted list | October 4–10, 1951}} NL: Roy Campanella (BRO) | conf1_runner-up = Cleveland Indians | conf2_runner-up = Brooklyn Dodgers | finals_runner-up = New York Giants
The 1951 major league baseball season began on April 16, 1951. The regular season ended on October 3, with the New York Giants and New York Yankees as the regular season champions of the National League and American League, respectively. The Giants 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. This was the third regular season tie-breaker, and saw a reversion from the single-game tie-breaker featured in 1948 to the three-game format featured in the 1946 tie-breaker series. After splitting the first two games, the stage was set for a decisive third game, won in dramatic fashion on a walk-off home run from the bat of Giant Bobby Thomson, one of the most famous moments in the history of baseball, commemorated as the "Shot Heard 'Round the World" and "The Miracle at Coogan's Bluff". The postseason began with Game 1 of the 48th World Series on October 4 and ended with Game 6 on October 10. In the sixth iteration of this Subway Series World Series matchup, the Yankees defeated the Giants, four games to two, capturing their 14th championship in franchise history, and their third in a five-run World Series. This would be the final Subway Series matchup between the two teams, as the next World Series between the two in would see a relocated Giants franchise in San Francisco, California.
The 18th Major League Baseball All-Star Game was held on July 10 at Briggs Stadium in Detroit, Michigan, home of the Detroit Tigers. The National League won, 8–3.
On May 1, the Chicago White Sox become the sixth team in professional baseball to break the color line when they fielded future Hall-of-Famer Minnie Miñoso.
This was Happy Chandler's last season of his 5½-tenure as Commissioner of Baseball, as he resigned on July 15, after team owner voted against renewing his contract which expired in April 1952. National League president Ford Frick would be elected as commissioner, officially taking the position September 20, just days before the end of the regular season.
Schedule
The 1951 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.
National League Opening Day took place on April 16, with a game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and Cincinnati Reds, while American League Opening Day took place the following day, featuring all eight teams. This was the first season since that both leagues opened on different days. The final day of the scheduled regular season was on September 30, which saw all sixteen teams play, continuing the trend from . Due to the Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants 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, and took place between October 1 and October 3. The World Series took place between October 4 and October 10.
Rule changes
The 1951 season saw the following rule changes:
- The bonus rule, which stated that any player signed to a contract greater than $4,000 () had to stay on the team's 25-man roster for two years, was abolished.
- In the event of a walk, hit by pitch, or other plays with the bases loaded which forces the runners to advance bases which wins the game for the team batting in the bottom of the final inning, the runner on third must touch home base and the hitter of the current at bat must reach first base.
- Following a dead ball, play shall resume only when the pitcher, with the current ball, takes his place on the pitcher's mound.
- If a pitcher must come into a game to relieve the previous pitcher with no opportunity to warm up, he is allowed to throw as many warmup pitches on the field until the umpire feels the pitcher is properly prepared to face batters.
- If interference occurs by the catcher or fielder, and if so a batter or baserunner is awarded their next base, the catcher or fielder is charged with an error.
- Caught stealing became a trackable statistic. Official rules surrounding caught stealing would not be codified until .
Teams
| 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 | 35,200 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chicago, Illinois | Comiskey Park | 47,400 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cleveland, Ohio | Cleveland Stadium | 73,811 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Detroit, Michigan | Briggs Stadium | 58,000 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| New York, New York | Yankee Stadium | 67,000 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Shibe Park | 33,166 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| St. Louis, Missouri | Sportsman's Park | 34,000 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Washington, D.C. | Griffith Stadium | 29,731 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Boston, Massachusetts | Braves Field | 37,106 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| New York, New York | Ebbets Field | 32,111 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chicago, Illinois | Wrigley Field | 36,755 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cincinnati, Ohio | Crosley Field | 29,980 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| New York, New York | Polo Grounds | 54,500 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Shibe Park | 33,166 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | Forbes Field | 33,730 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| St. Louis, Missouri | Sportsman's Park | 34,000 |
Standings
American League
National League
- The New York Giants defeated the Brooklyn Dodgers in best-of-three playoff series to earn the National League pennant.
Tie games
4 tie games (1 in AL, 3 in NL), which are not factored into winning percentage or games behind (and were often replayed again) occurred throughout the season.
American League
- Chicago White Sox, 1
- Cleveland Indians, 1
National League
- Boston Braves, 1
- Brooklyn Dodgers, 1
- Chicago Cubs, 1
- Cincinnati Reds, 1
- Pittsburgh Pirates, 1
- St. Louis Cardinals, 1
Postseason
The postseason began on October 4 and ended on October 10 with the New York Yankees defeating the New York Giants in the 1951 World Series in six games.
Bracket
| RD1-seed1=AL | RD1-team1=New York Yankees | RD1-score1-1=1 | RD1-score1-2=3 | RD1-score1-3=2 | RD1-score1-4=6 | RD1-score1-5=13 | RD1-score1-6=4 | RD1-seed2=NL | RD1-team2=New York Giants | RD1-score2-1=5 | RD1-score2-2=1 | RD1-score2-3=6 | RD1-score2-4=2 | RD1-score2-5=1 | RD1-score2-6=3
Managerial changes
Off-season
| Team | Former Manager | New Manager | Brooklyn Dodgers | Chicago White Sox | Cleveland Indians | Philadelphia Athletics | St. Louis Cardinals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burt Shotton | Chuck Dressen | ||||||
| Red Corriden | Paul Richards | ||||||
| Lou Boudreau | Al López | ||||||
| Connie Mack | Jimmy Dykes | ||||||
| Eddie Dyer | Marty Marion |
In-season
| Team | Former Manager | New Manager | Boston Braves | Chicago Cubs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Billy Southworth | Tommy Holmes | |||
| Frankie Frisch | Phil Cavarretta |
League leaders
Any team shown in small text indicates a previous team a player was on during the season.
American League
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| AVG | Ferris Fain (PHA) | .344 |
| OPS | Ted Williams (BOS) | 1.019 |
| HR | Gus Zernial (PHA/CWS) | 33 |
| RBI | Gus Zernial (PHA/CWS) | 129 |
| R | Dom DiMaggio (BOS) | 113 |
| H | George Kell (DET) | 191 |
| SB | Minnie Miñoso (CWS/CLE) | 31 |
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| W | Bob Feller (CLE) | 22 |
| L | Ted Gray (DET) | |
| Alex Kellner (PHA) | ||
| Bob Lemon (CLE) | ||
| Billy Pierce (CWS) | ||
| Duane Pillette (SLB) | ||
| Dizzy Trout (DET) | 14 | |
| ERA | Saul Rogovin (CWS/DET) | 2.78 |
| K | Vic Raschi (NYY) | 164 |
| IP | Early Wynn (CLE) | 274.1 |
| SV | Ellis Kinder (BOS) | 16 |
| WHIP | Eddie Lopat (NYY) | 1.193 |
National League
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| AVG | Stan Musial (STL) | .355 |
| OPS | Ralph Kiner (PIT) | 1.079 |
| HR | Ralph Kiner (PIT) | 42 |
| RBI | Monte Irvin (NYG) | 121 |
| R | Ralph Kiner (PIT) | |
| Stan Musial (STL) | 124 | |
| H | Richie Ashburn (PHI) | 221 |
| SB | Sam Jethroe (BSN) | 35 |
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| W | Larry Jansen (NYG) | |
| Sal Maglie (NYG) | 23 | |
| L | Paul Minner (CHC) | |
| Ken Raffensberger (CIN) | ||
| Willie Ramsdell (CIN) | 17 | |
| ERA | Chet Nichols Jr. (BSN) | 2.88 |
| K | Don Newcombe (BRO) | |
| Warren Spahn (BSN) | 164 | |
| IP | Robin Roberts (PHI) | 315.0 |
| SV | Ted Wilks (PIT/STL) | 13 |
| WHIP | Ken Raffensberger (CIN) | 1.086 |
Awards and honors
Regular season
| Baseball Writers' Association of America Awards | BBWAA Award | National League | American League |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rookie of the Year | Willie Mays (NYG) | Gil McDougald (NYY) | |
| Most Valuable Player | Roy Campanella (BRO) | Yogi Berra (NYY) | |
| Babe Ruth Award | |||
| (World Series MVP) | — | Phil Rizzuto (NYY) |
Other awards
| *The Sporting News* Awards | Award | National League | American League |
|---|---|---|---|
| Player of the Year | Stan Musial (STL) | — | |
| Pitcher of the Year | Preacher Roe (BRO) | Bob Feller (CLE) | |
| Rookie of the Year | Willie Mays (NYG) | Minnie Miñoso (CWS) | |
| Manager of the Year | Leo Durocher (NYG) | — | |
| Executive of the Year | — | George Weiss (NYY) |
Baseball Hall of Fame
Main article: National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
- Mel Ott
- Jimmie Foxx
Home field attendance
| Team name | Wins | %± | Home attendance | %± | Per game |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York Yankees | 98 | 0.0% | 1,950,107 | −6.3% | 25,001 |
| Cleveland Indians | 93 | 1.1% | 1,704,984 | −1.3% | 22,143 |
| Chicago White Sox | 81 | 35.0% | 1,328,234 | 70.0% | 17,029 |
| Boston Red Sox | 87 | −7.4% | 1,312,282 | −2.4% | 17,497 |
| Brooklyn Dodgers | 97 | 9.0% | 1,282,628 | 8.2% | 16,444 |
| Detroit Tigers | 73 | −23.2% | 1,132,641 | −42.0% | 14,710 |
| New York Giants | 98 | 14.0% | 1,059,539 | 5.0% | 13,584 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 81 | 3.8% | 1,013,429 | −7.3% | 12,828 |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | 64 | 12.3% | 980,590 | −15.9% | 12,572 |
| Philadelphia Phillies | 73 | −19.8% | 937,658 | −23.0% | 12,177 |
| Chicago Cubs | 62 | −3.1% | 894,415 | −23.3% | 11,616 |
| Washington Senators | 62 | −7.5% | 695,167 | −0.6% | 9,147 |
| Cincinnati Reds | 68 | 3.0% | 588,268 | 9.2% | 7,640 |
| Boston Braves | 76 | −8.4% | 487,475 | −48.4% | 6,250 |
| Philadelphia Athletics | 70 | 34.6% | 465,469 | 50.2% | 5,892 |
| St. Louis Browns | 52 | −10.3% | 293,790 | 18.9% | 3,815 |
References
References
- "These players integrated each MLB team".
- Klopsis, Nick. "1950 Winter Meetings: The Happy Dagger – Society for American Baseball Research".
- "Rules History".
- "1951 Major League Managers".
- "1951 American League Batting Leaders".
- "1951 American League Pitching Leaders".
- "1951 National League Batting Leaders".
- "1951 National League Pitching Leaders".
- "Major League Player of the Year Award by The Sporting News {{!}} Baseball Almanac".
- "Pitcher 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]].
- "Cleveland Indians Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "Chicago White Sox Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "Boston Red Sox 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]].
- "San Francisco Giants Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "St. Louis Cardinals Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "Pittsburgh Pirates Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "Philadelphia Phillies Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "Chicago Cubs Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "Minnesota Twins Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "Cincinnati Reds Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "Atlanta Braves 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]].
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