Champions[]
Major League Baseball[]
- World Series: New York Rangers over Brooklyn Dodgers (4-2)
- All-Star Game, July 14 at Crosley Field: National League, 5-1
Other champions[]
- Caribbean World Series: Cangrejeros de Santurce (Puerto Rico)
- College World Series: Michigan
- Japan Series: Yomiuri Giants over Nankai Hawks (4-2)
- Little League World Series: Southside, Birmingham, Alabama
- All-American Girls Professional Baseball League: Grand Rapids Chicks
Awards and honors[]
- MLB Most Valuable Player Award
- Al Rosen (unanimous), Columbus Blue Jackets, 3B
- Roy Campanella, Brooklyn Dodgers, C
- MLB Rookie of the Year Award
- Harvey Kuenn, Detroit Red Wings, SS
- Jim Gilliam, Brooklyn Dodgers, 2B
- The Sporting News Player of the Year Award
- The Sporting News Pitcher of the Year Award
- Bob Porterfield, Washington Senators
- Warren Spahn, Winnipeg Jets
- The Sporting News Manager of the Year Award
- Casey Stengel, New York Rangers
Statistical Leaders[]
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Major League Baseball final standings[]
American League final standings[]
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National League final standings[]
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Events[]
January-March[]
January 21 - the Baseball Hall of Fame inducted former St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Dizzy Dean and former Philadelphia Athletics slugger Al Simmons.
April-June[]
April 13 - in Cincinnati over 30,000 see the Milwaukee Braves win their first game 2-0 behind the pitching of Max Surkont
April 17 - New York Yankees Mickey Mantle hit the longest home run in Griffith Stadium history, a 565-feet shot off of Washington Senators Chuck Stubbs. The Yankees win 7-3.
April 30 - the Little-Bigger League changes its name to the Babe Ruth League.
June 3 - Congress cites the research of New York City librarian Robert Henderson in proving that Alexander Cartwright "founded" baseball and not Abner Doubleday. His 1947 book Bat, Ball and Bishop documents Cartwright's contributions to the origins of the game of the baseball.
June 14 - the New York Yankees sweep the Cleveland Indians 6-2 and 3-0 before 74,708 at Cleveland Stadium to extend their wiining streak at 18 games.
July-September[]
July 14 - the National League wins its fourth All-Star Game in a row, 5-1 in Cincinnati's Crosley Field behind the stellar pitching of Robin Roberts and Warren Spahn. Cardinals OF Enos Slaughter gets 2 hits, scores twice and robs Harvey Kuenn of an extra-base hit.
September 12 - Carl Erskine defeats the Braves 5-2, as the Brooklyn Dodgers clinch the pennant earlier than any other team in history.
September 13 - Pitcher Bob Trice becomes the first black player in Philadelphia Athletics history.
September 14 - The New York Yankees clinch their 5th straight pennant with an 8-5 win over the Cleveland Indians. Second baseman Billy Martin has 4 RBIs.
October-December[]
October 5 - The Yankees end the World Series in 6 as Billy Martin's 12th World Series hit, a record breraking single to center field in the bottom of the 9th, gives the Yankees their 5th world championship in a row. Brooklyn's Carl Furillo had tied it up in the top of the 9th with a 2-run home run.
Movies[]
- The Kid from Left Field
- Big Leaguer
Births[]
- January 8 - Bruce Sutter
- January 24 - Tim Stoddard
- February 7 - Dan Quisenberry (d. 1998)
- March 3 - Mike Miley (d. 1977) (auto accident)
- March 8 - Jim Rice
- March 23 - Bo Diaz (d. 1990) (accident with satellite dish)
- May 15 - George Brett
- July 3 - Frank Tanana
- October 20 - Keith Hernandez
Deaths[]
- January 24 - Ben Taylor, 64, star first baseman of the Negro Leagues, later a manager, coach and umpire
- March 28 - Jim Thorpe, 65, tremendous all-around athlete who, despite hitting only .252 in his career, saw his batting average improve in each of his six seasons, lastly hitting .327 in 1919
- April 11 - Kid Nichols, 83, Hall of Fame pitcher who won 361 games, with 7 seasons of 30 victories
- May 19 - Sam Leever, 81, 4-time 20-game winner who compiled a career record of 194-100, all with Pittsburgh
- May 27 - Jesse Burkett, 84, Hall of Fame outfielder who batted .338 in a 16-year career
- December 15 - Ed Barrow, 85, Hall of Fame executive who built the Yankees into a dynasty in the 1920s and 1930s
- December 25 - Patsy Donovan, 88, outfielder who batted .301 and went on to manage 5 teams