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1954 Major League Baseball season
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| title | 1954 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) |
| TV | ABC, NBC |
| season | Regular season |
| MVP | AL: Yogi Berra (NYY) |
| NL: Willie Mays (NYG) | |
| MVP_link | Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award |
| conf1 | AL |
| conf1_champ | [Cleveland Indians](1954-cleveland-indians-season) |
| conf1_runner-up | [New York Yankees](1954-new-york-yankees-season) |
| conf2 | NL |
| conf2_champ | [New York Giants](1954-new-york-giants-mlb-season) |
| conf2_runner-up | [Brooklyn Dodgers](1954-brooklyn-dodgers-season) |
| finals | World Series |
| finals_link | 1954 World Series |
| finals_champ | [New York Giants](1954-new-york-giants-mlb-season) |
| finals_runner-up | [Cleveland Indians](1954-cleveland-indians-season) |
| finals_MVP | Dusty Rhodes (NYG) |
| finals_MVP_link | Babe Ruth Award |
| seasonslist | List of MLB seasons |
| seasonslistnames | MLB |
| prevseason_link | 1953 Major League Baseball season |
| prevseason_year | 1953 |
| nextseason_link | 1955 Major League Baseball season |
| nextseason_year | 1955 |
National League (NL) | April 13 – September 26, 1954}}World Series:{{Bulleted list | September 29 – October 2, 1954}} NL: Willie Mays (NYG) | conf1_runner-up = New York Yankees | conf2_runner-up = Brooklyn Dodgers | finals_runner-up = Cleveland Indians The 1954 major league baseball season began on April 13, 1954. The regular season ended on September 26, with the New York Giants and Cleveland Indians as the regular season champions of the National League and American League, respectively. The postseason began with Game 1 of the 51st World Series on September 29 and ended with Game 4 on October 2. The Giants swept the Indians in four games, 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 21st Major League Baseball All-Star Game was held on July 13 at Cleveland Stadium in Cleveland, Ohio, home of the Cleveland Indians. The American League won, 11–9, ending the National League's four-win streak.
In a continuation of the relocation trend that began the previous season, the St. Louis Browns moved from St. Louis, Missouri to Baltimore, Maryland, leaving St. Louis a one-team city, and seeing the return of American League baseball to Baltimore after 52 seasons. The previous American League relocation involved the same franchise, when the Milwaukee Brewers moved to St. Louis as the Browns, 53 seasons earlier. The season would also prove to be the last season of the Athletics franchise in Philadelphia, moving to Kansas City, Missouri the following season as the Kansas City Athletics.
During the 1953 Winter Meetings, the National League relaxed requirements for relocation, changing the necessary votes from unanimous between the eight teams to 75% (effectively six). This eased the eventual relocation of the Giants and Dodgers to California in .
On Opening Day, April 13, the Pittsburgh Pirates and St. Louis Cardinals became the ninth and tenth teams in professional baseball to break the color line when they fielded Curt Roberts and Tom Alston, respectively; the Cincinnati Redlegs became the 11th team just four days later when they fielded future Nino Escalera and Chuck Harmon, while the Washington Senators became the 12th team on September 6 when they fielded Carlos Paula.
Schedule
The 1954 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 13, featuring all sixteen teams, the first time since . The final day of the regular season was on September 26, which saw fourteen teams play, and was the first time since that the scheduled regular season didn't end with all sixteen teams. The World Series took place between September 29 and October 2.
Rule changes
The 1954 season saw the following rule changes:
- During half innings where a team was batting, all players of that team must remove their gloves from the field. In addition, any equipment not on a player was to be removed from the field.
- Rules regarding a defensive interference offense expanded to include all fielders on the field, not just changed from a catcher.
- Fielders who were in the batter's vision could no longer deliberately distract the batter.
- The sacrifice fly rule was brought back, having been previously used in . This time, the rule was considered when a player scored after the catch only. Sacrifice bunts and flies were listed separately in official averages.
- Both leagues banned twilight-night doubleheaders and Spring night games.
- The American League banned night games on getaway days if either team had to play the next afternoon.
- If a balk occurs, and a batter hits the pitch on said balk call, the manager can choose between the two outcomes, either the balk, or the result of the results of the play by the batter hitting the ball in play.
Teams
| League | Team | City | Stadium | Capacity | Manager | American League}};" | Baltimore Orioles | Boston Red Sox | Chicago White Sox | Cleveland Indians | Detroit Tigers | New York Yankees | Philadelphia Athletics | Washington Senators | National League}};" | Brooklyn Dodgers | Chicago Cubs | Cincinnati Redlegs | Milwaukee Braves | New York Giants | Philadelphia Phillies | Pittsburgh Pirates | St. Louis Cardinals | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baltimore, Maryland | Baltimore Memorial Stadium | 47,866 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Boston, Massachusetts | Fenway Park | 34,824 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chicago, Illinois | Comiskey Park | 46,550 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cleveland, Ohio | Cleveland Stadium | 73,811 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Detroit, Michigan | Briggs Stadium | 58,000 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| New York, New York | Yankee Stadium | 67,000 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Connie Mack Stadium | 33,166 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Washington, D.C. | Griffith Stadium | 29,023 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| New York, New York | Ebbets Field | 32,111 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chicago, Illinois | Wrigley Field | 36,755 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cincinnati, Ohio | Crosley Field | 29,439 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Milwaukee, Wisconsin | Milwaukee County Stadium | 44,091 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| New York, New York | Polo Grounds | 54,500 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Connie Mack Stadium | 33,166 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | Forbes Field | 34,249 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| St. Louis, Missouri | Busch Stadium | 30,500 |
Standings
American League
National League
Tie games
5 tie games (5 in AL, 0 in NL), which are not factored into winning percentage or games behind (and were often replayed again) occurred throughout the season.
American League
The Boston Red Sox, Cleveland Indians, and Philadelphia Athletics had two tie games each, while the Chicago White Sox, Detroit Tigers, New York Yankees, and Washington Senators each had one each.
- May 9 (game 2), Detroit Tigers vs. Chicago White Sox, scoreless after 10 innings.
- May 9 (game 2), Philadelphia Athletics vs. New York Yankees, tied at 1 after 9 innings.
- July 20, Cleveland Indians vs. Boston Red Sox, tied at 5 after 16 innings.
- July 21, Cleveland Indians vs. Boston Red Sox, tied at 7 after only 8 innings.
- August 22 (game 2), Washington Senators vs. Philadelphia Athletics, tied at 4 after 9 innings.
Postseason
The postseason began on September 29 and ended on October 2 with the New York Giants sweeping the Cleveland Indians in the 1954 World Series in four games.
Bracket
| RD1-seed1=AL | RD1-team1=Cleveland Indians | RD1-score1=0 | RD1-seed2=NL | RD1-team2=New York Giants | RD1-score2=4
Managerial changes
Off-season
| Team | Former Manager | New Manager | Baltimore Orioles | Brooklyn Dodgers | Chicago Cubs | Cincinnati Redlegs | Philadelphia Athletics |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marty Marion | |||||||
| (St. Louis Browns) | Jimmy Dykes | ||||||
| Chuck Dressen | Walter Alston | ||||||
| Phil Cavarretta | Stan Hack | ||||||
| Buster Mills | Birdie Tebbetts | ||||||
| Jimmy Dykes | Eddie Joost |
In-season
| Team | Former Manager | New Manager | Chicago White Sox | Philadelphia Phillies |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paul Richards | Marty Marion | |||
| Steve O'Neill | Terry Moore |
League leaders
American League
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| AVG | Bobby Ávila (CLE) | .341 |
| OPS | Ted Williams (BOS) | 1.148 |
| HR | Larry Doby (CLE) | 32 |
| RBI | Larry Doby (CLE) | 126 |
| R | Mickey Mantle (NYY) | 129 |
| H | Nellie Fox (CWS) | |
| Harvey Kuenn (DET) | 201 | |
| SB | Jackie Jensen (BOS) | 22 |
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| W | Bob Lemon (CLE) | |
| Early Wynn (CLE) | 23 | |
| L | Don Larsen (BAL) | 21 |
| ERA | Mike Garcia (CLE) | 2.64 |
| K | Bob Turley (BAL) | 185 |
| IP | Early Wynn (CLE) | 270.2 |
| SV | Johnny Sain (NYY) | 26 |
| WHIP | Mike Garcia (CLE) | 1.125 |
National League
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| AVG | Willie Mays (NYG) | .345 |
| OPS | Willie Mays (NYG) | 1.078 |
| HR | Ted Kluszewski (CIN) | 49 |
| RBI | Ted Kluszewski (CIN) | 141 |
| R | Stan Musial (STL) | |
| Duke Snider (BRO) | 120 | |
| H | Don Mueller (NYG) | 212 |
| SB | Bill Bruton (MIL) | 34 |
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| W | Robin Roberts (PHI) | 23 |
| L | Murry Dickson (PHI) | 20 |
| ERA | Johnny Antonelli (NYG) | 2.30 |
| K | Robin Roberts (PHI) | 185 |
| IP | Robin Roberts (PHI) | 336.2 |
| SV | Jim Hughes (BRO) | 24 |
| WHIP | Robin Roberts (PHI) | 1.025 |
Milestones
- Umpire Bill McGowan set a Major League record by officiating in his 2,541st consecutive game.
Awards and honors
Regular season
| Baseball Writers' Association of America Awards | BBWAA Award | National League | American League |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rookie of the Year | Wally Moon (STL) | Billy Martin (NYY) | |
| Most Valuable Player | Willie Mays (NYG) | Yogi Berra (NYY) | |
| Babe Ruth Award | |||
| (World Series MVP) | Dusty Rhodes (NYG) | — |
Other awards
| *The Sporting News* Awards | Award | National League | American League |
|---|---|---|---|
| Player of the Year | Willie Mays (NYG) | — | |
| Pitcher of the Year | Johnny Antonelli (NYG) | Bob Lemon (CLE) | |
| Rookie of the Year | Wally Moon (STL) | Bob Grim (NYY) | |
| Manager of the Year | Leo Durocher (NYG) | — | |
| Executive of the Year | Horace Stoneham (NYG) | — |
Baseball Hall of Fame
Main article: National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
- Rabbit Maranville
- Bill Dickey
- Bill Terry
Home field attendance
| Team name | Wins | %± | Home attendance | %± | Per game |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee Braves | 89 | −3.3% | 2,131,388 | 16.7% | 27,680 |
| New York Yankees | 103 | 4.0% | 1,475,171 | −4.1% | 18,912 |
| Cleveland Indians | 111 | 20.7% | 1,335,472 | 24.9% | 17,344 |
| Chicago White Sox | 94 | 5.6% | 1,231,629 | 3.4% | 15,790 |
| New York Giants | 97 | 38.6% | 1,155,067 | 42.3% | 15,198 |
| Detroit Tigers | 68 | 13.3% | 1,079,847 | 22.1% | 14,024 |
| Baltimore Orioles | 54 | 0.0% | 1,060,910 | 256.9% | 13,778 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 72 | −13.3% | 1,039,698 | 18.1% | 13,503 |
| Brooklyn Dodgers | 92 | −12.4% | 1,020,531 | −12.3% | 13,254 |
| Boston Red Sox | 69 | −17.9% | 931,127 | −9.3% | 11,786 |
| Chicago Cubs | 64 | −1.5% | 748,183 | −2.0% | 9,717 |
| Philadelphia Phillies | 75 | −9.6% | 738,991 | −13.4% | 9,474 |
| Cincinnati Redlegs | 74 | 8.8% | 704,167 | 28.5% | 9,145 |
| Washington Senators | 66 | −13.2% | 503,542 | −15.5% | 6,456 |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | 53 | 6.0% | 475,494 | −17.0% | 6,175 |
| Philadelphia Athletics | 51 | −13.6% | 304,666 | −15.9% | 3,957 |
Venues
With the relocation of the St. Louis Browns from St. Louis, Missouri to Baltimore, Maryland as the Baltimore Orioles, they leave Busch Stadium (where they played 52 seasons) and move into Baltimore Memorial Stadium. They would go on to play there for 38 seasons through .
The Philadelphia Athletics would play their last game at Connie Mack Stadium on September 19 against the New York Yankees, relocating to Kansas City, Missouri at Municipal Stadium as the Kansas City Athletics for the start of the season.
Television coverage
ABC aired the Saturday Game of the Week for the second consecutive year. The All-Star Game and World Series aired exclusively on NBC.
Retired numbers
- Billy Meyer had his No. 1 retired by the Pittsburgh Pirates. This was the second number retired by the team.
Notes
References
References
- Miskowiec, Abigail. "1953 Winter Meetings: Pension Collision – Society for American Baseball Research".
- Guzzardi, Joe. (April 14, 2013). "Carlos Bernier, more than a footnote".
- "These players integrated each MLB team".
- "MLB Rule Changes {{!}} Baseball Almanac".
- Bass, Mike. "Mike Bass column: Hate MLB's changes? You ain't seen nothing yet ... I hope.".
- Schwartz, John. "The Sacrifice Fly – Society for American Baseball Research".
- "Rules History".
- "1954 Major League Managers".
- "Detroit Tigers vs Chicago White Sox Box Score: May 9, 1954".
- "Philadelphia Athletics vs New York Yankees Box Score: May 9, 1954".
- "Cleveland Indians vs Boston Red Sox Box Score: July 20, 1954".
- "Cleveland Indians vs Boston Red Sox Box Score: July 21, 1954".
- "Washington Nationals vs Philadelphia Athletics Box Score: August 22, 1954".
- "1954 American League Batting Leaders".
- "1954 American League Pitching Leaders".
- "1954 National League Batting Leaders".
- "1954 National League Pitching Leaders".
- ''Great Baseball Feats, Facts and Figures'', 2008 Edition, p.42, David Nemec and Scott Flatow, A Signet Book, Penguin Group, New York, {{ISBN. 978-0-451-22363-0
- "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".
- "Atlanta Braves Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "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]].
- "San Francisco Giants Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "Detroit Tigers Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "Baltimore Orioles Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "St. Louis Cardinals Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "Los Angeles Dodgers 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]].
- "Philadelphia Phillies Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "Cincinnati Reds Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "Minnesota Twins Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "Pittsburgh Pirates Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "Oakland Athletics Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
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