1951 Major League Baseball season

Sports season
1951 MLB season
LeagueMajor League Baseball
SportBaseball
DurationApril 16 – October 12, 1951
Number of games154
Number of teams16
Regular season
Season MVPAL: Yogi Berra (NYY)
NL: Roy Campanella (BKN)
AL championsNew York Yankees
  AL runners-upCleveland Indians
NL championsNew York Giants
  NL runners-upBrooklyn Dodgers
World Series
ChampionsNew York Yankees
  Runners-upNew York Giants
Finals MVPPhil Rizzuto (NYY)
MLB seasons

The 1951 Major League Baseball season opened on April 16 and finished on October 12, 1951. Teams from both leagues played a 154-game regular season schedule. At the end of the regular season, the National League pennant was still undecided, resulting in a three-game playoff between the New York Giants and the Brooklyn Dodgers. 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 Giants lost the World Series to defending champion New York Yankees, who were in the midst of a 5-year World Series winning streak.

Awards and honors

Statistical leaders

  American League National League
Type Name Stat Name Stat
AVG Ferris Fain PHA .344 Stan Musial SLC .355
HR Gus Zernial CWS/PHA 33 Ralph Kiner PIT 42
RBIs Gus Zernial CWS/PHA 129 Monte Irvin NYG 121
Wins Bob Feller CLE 22 Larry Jansen NYG
Sal Maglie NYG		 23
ERA Saul Rogovin CWS 2.78 Chet Nichols Jr. BSB 2.88
SO Vic Raschi NYY 164 Don Newcombe BKN
Warren Spahn BSB		 164
SV Ellis Kinder BSR 14 Ted Wilks SLC/PIT 13
SB Minnie Miñoso CLE/CWS 31 Sam Jethroe BSB 35

Standings

American League

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American League 		W L Pct. GB Home Road
New York Yankees 98 56 0.636 — 56–22 42–34
Cleveland Indians 93 61 0.604 5 53–24 40–37
Boston Red Sox 87 67 0.565 11 50–25 37–42
Chicago White Sox 81 73 0.526 17 39–38 42–35
Detroit Tigers 73 81 0.474 25 36–41 37–40
Philadelphia Athletics 70 84 0.455 28 38–41 32–43
Washington Senators 62 92 0.403 36 32–44 30–48
St. Louis Browns 52 102 0.338 46 24–53 28–49

National League

  • v
  • t
  • e
National League 		W L Pct. GB Home Road
New York Giants 98 59 0.624 — 50–28 48–31
Brooklyn Dodgers 97 60 0.618 1 49–29 48–31
St. Louis Cardinals 81 73 0.526 15½ 44–34 37–39
Boston Braves 76 78 0.494 20½ 42–35 34–43
Philadelphia Phillies 73 81 0.474 23½ 38–39 35–42
Cincinnati Reds 68 86 0.442 28½ 35–42 33–44
Pittsburgh Pirates 64 90 0.416 32½ 32–45 32–45
Chicago Cubs 62 92 0.403 34½ 32–45 30–47

Postseason

Bracket

World Series
   
AL New York Yankees 4
NL New York Giants 2

Managers

American League

Team Manager Comments
Boston Red Sox Steve O'Neill Finished 3rd
Chicago White Sox Paul Richards
Cleveland Indians Al López Finished 2nd
Detroit Tigers Red Rolfe
New York Yankees Casey Stengel Won 3rd World Series in row
Philadelphia Athletics Connie Mack
St. Louis Browns Zack Taylor
Washington Senators Bucky Harris

National League

Team Manager Comments
Boston Braves Billy Southworth and Tommy Holmes
Brooklyn Dodgers Chuck Dressen Finished 2nd, lost playoff to NYG
Chicago Cubs Frankie Frisch and Phil Cavarretta
Cincinnati Reds Luke Sewell
New York Giants Leo Durocher Won Pennant in 3 game playoff with Brooklyn
Philadelphia Phillies Eddie Sawyer
Pittsburgh Pirates Billy Meyer
St. Louis Cardinals Marty Marion Finished 3rd

Home field attendance

Team name Wins %± Home attendance %± Per game
New York Yankees[1] 98 0.0% 1,950,107 -6.3% 25,001
Cleveland Indians[2] 93 1.1% 1,704,984 -1.3% 22,143
Chicago White Sox[3] 81 35.0% 1,328,234 70.0% 17,029
Boston Red Sox[4] 87 -7.4% 1,312,282 -2.4% 17,497
Brooklyn Dodgers[5] 97 9.0% 1,282,628 8.2% 16,444
Detroit Tigers[6] 73 -23.2% 1,132,641 -42.0% 14,710
New York Giants[7] 98 14.0% 1,059,539 5.0% 13,584
St. Louis Cardinals[8] 81 3.8% 1,013,429 -7.3% 12,828
Pittsburgh Pirates[9] 64 12.3% 980,590 -15.9% 12,572
Philadelphia Phillies[10] 73 -19.8% 937,658 -23.0% 12,177
Chicago Cubs[11] 62 -3.1% 894,415 -23.3% 11,616
Washington Senators[12] 62 -7.5% 695,167 -0.6% 9,147
Cincinnati Reds[13] 68 3.0% 588,268 9.2% 7,640
Boston Braves[14] 76 -8.4% 487,475 -48.4% 6,250
Philadelphia Athletics[10] 70 34.6% 465,469 50.2% 5,892
St. Louis Browns[15] 52 -10.3% 293,790 18.9% 3,815

Events

  • May 1 – Umpire Frank Dascoli banishes all 11 players on the Chicago Cubs bench during the fourth inning of the game against the New York Giants, after the Cubs players allegedly call Dascoli "Rabbit Ears". Bill Serena and Smoky Burgess are later allowed to return to the game to pinch hit for the Cubs.[16]
  • May 15 – At Fenway Park, the Boston Red Sox celebrated the franchise's 50th anniversary and honored members of the 1901 Boston Americans. Overall, 29 old-timers who played, managed, or umpired in the American League in that first year attended, including Bill Bradley, Tom Connolly, Wid Conroy, Hugh Duffy, Clark Griffith, Dummy Hoy, Connie Mack, Ollie Pickering, Billy Sullivan and Cy Young.[17][18] Eight of them participated in the first-ever game of the American League, played in Chicago on April 24, 1901. The regular game that followed the ceremony featured the 300th career home run of Ted Williams[17] in the 4th inning off Chicago White Sox pitcher Howie Judson. With the game tied at 7–7 in the top of the 11th inning, Nellie Fox hit the first homer of his six-year career[17] against reliever Ray Scarborough, to give the White Sox and reliever Harry Dorish a 9–7 victory.[19]
  • July 7 – The Cincinnati Reds defeat the Chicago Cubs 8–6 - every scoring half-inning featured two runs.[20]
  • September 13 – The St. Louis Cardinals become the first team in Major League history to play two different teams on the same day. Due to a rained out game, the Cardinals are forced to play the New York Giants in an afternoon game prior to their scheduled night game against the Boston Braves.[21]
  • September 14 – Bob Nieman of the St. Louis Browns becomes the first player to hit two home runs in his first two at-bats.[22]
  • October 1–3 – The Giants and Dodgers meet in a special three-game playoff to decide the National League pennant. Bobby Thomson's walk-off homerun at the bottom of the ninth in the third game becomes known as the "Shot Heard 'Round the World"

See also

References

  1. ^ "New York Yankees Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  2. ^ "Cleveland Indians Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  3. ^ "Chicago White Sox Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  4. ^ "Boston Red Sox Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  5. ^ "Los Angeles Dodgers Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  6. ^ "Detroit Tigers Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  7. ^ "San Francisco Giants Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  8. ^ "St. Louis Cardinals Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  9. ^ "Pittsburgh Pirates Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  10. ^ a b "Oakland Athletics Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  11. ^ "Chicago Cubs Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  12. ^ "Minnesota Twins Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  13. ^ "Cincinnati Reds Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  14. ^ "Atlanta Braves Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  15. ^ "Baltimore Orioles Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  16. ^ "Charlton's Baseball Chronology". www.baseballlibrary.com. Archived from the original on July 28, 2013. Retrieved April 4, 2013.
  17. ^ a b c May 15 in Baseball History[permanent dead link]. Know More About Baseball]. Retrieved on May 15, 2019.
  18. ^ Fenway Park Timeline. MLB.com. Retrieved on May 15, 2019.
  19. ^ Chicago White Sox at Boston Red Sox Box Score, May 15, 1951. Baseball Reference. Retrieved on May 15, 2019.
  20. ^ Firstman, Diane (May 16, 2016). "And all the Runs were Scored 2 by 2". valueoverreplacementgrit.com. Retrieved August 4, 2018.
  21. ^ "Strange and Unusual Plays". www.retrosheet.org. Retrieved June 13, 2012.
  22. ^ Mackin, Bob (2004). The Unofficial Guide to Baseball's Most Unusual Records. Canada: Greystone Books. p. 240. ISBN 9781553650386.

External links

  • 1951 Major League Baseball season schedule at Baseball Reference
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See also