1959 Major League Baseball season

Last updated

1959 MLB season
League Major League Baseball
Sport Baseball
DurationApril 9 – October 9, 1959
Number of games154
Number of teams16
TV partner(s) NBC, CBS
Regular season
Season MVP AL: Nellie Fox (CWS)
NL: Ernie Banks (CHC)
AL champions Chicago White Sox
  AL runners-up Cleveland Indians
NL champions Los Angeles Dodgers
  NL runners-up Milwaukee Braves
World Series
Champions Los Angeles Dodgers
  Runners-up Chicago White Sox
World Series MVP Larry Sherry (LA)
MLB seasons
Yankees - Red Sox game in 1959. Yankee Stadium Color 1959.jpg
Yankees – Red Sox game in 1959.

The 1959 Major League Baseball season was played from April 9 to October 9, 1959. It saw the Los Angeles Dodgers, free of the strife produced by their move from Brooklyn the previous season, rebound to win the National League pennant after a two-game playoff against the Milwaukee Braves, who themselves had moved from Boston in 1953. The Dodgers won the World Series against a Chicago White Sox team that had not played in the "Fall Classic" since 1919 and was interrupting a Yankees' dynasty that dominated the American League between 1949 and 1964.

Contents

The season is notable as the only one between 1950 and 1981 where no pitcher pitched a no-hitter. [1] [a]

Rule change

The 1959 season saw the following rule change: [2]

Awards and honors

Statistical leaders

  American League National League
TypeNameStatNameStat
AVG Harvey Kuenn DET.353 Hank Aaron MIL.355
HR Rocky Colavito CLE
Harmon Killebrew WSH		42 Eddie Mathews MIL46
RBI Jackie Jensen BOS112 Ernie Banks CHC143
Wins Early Wynn CWS22 Lew Burdette MIL
Sam Jones SF
Warren Spahn MIL		21
ERA Hoyt Wilhelm BAL2.19 Sam Jones SF2.83
SO Jim Bunning DET201 Don Drysdale LA242
SV Turk Lown CWS15 Lindy McDaniel STL
Don McMahon MIL		15
SB Luis Aparicio CWS56 Willie Mays SF27

Standings

American League

American League
Team W L Pct. GB Home Road
Chicago White Sox 9460.610—47‍–‍3047‍–‍30
Cleveland Indians 8965.578543‍–‍3446‍–‍31
New York Yankees 7975.5131540‍–‍3739‍–‍38
Detroit Tigers 7678.4941841‍–‍3635‍–‍42
Boston Red Sox 7579.4871943‍–‍3432‍–‍45
Baltimore Orioles 7480.4812038‍–‍3936‍–‍41
Kansas City Athletics 6688.4292837‍–‍4029‍–‍48
Washington Senators 6391.4093134‍–‍4329‍–‍48

National League

National League
Team W L Pct. GB Home Road
Los Angeles Dodgers 8868.564—46‍–‍3242‍–‍36
Milwaukee Braves 8670.551249‍–‍2937‍–‍41
San Francisco Giants 8371.539442‍–‍3541‍–‍36
Pittsburgh Pirates 7876.506947‍–‍3031‍–‍46
Chicago Cubs 7480.4811338‍–‍3936‍–‍41
Cincinnati Reds 7480.4811343‍–‍3431‍–‍46
St. Louis Cardinals 7183.4611642‍–‍3529‍–‍48
Philadelphia Phillies 6490.4162337‍–‍4027‍–‍50

Postseason

Bracket

World Series
   
AL Chicago White Sox 2
NL Los Angeles Dodgers 4

Managers

American League

TeamManagerComments
Baltimore Orioles Paul Richards
Boston Red Sox Pinky Higgins, Rudy York and Billy Jurges
Chicago White Sox Al Lopez Won first pennant since 1919
Cleveland Indians Joe Gordon Finished 2nd
Detroit Tigers Bill Norman and Jimmy Dykes
Kansas City Athletics Harry Craft
New York Yankees Casey Stengel Finished 3rd
Washington Senators Cookie Lavagetto

National League

TeamManagerComments
Chicago Cubs Bob Scheffing
Cincinnati Reds Mayo Smith and Fred Hutchinson
Los Angeles Dodgers Walter Alston Won World Series in second year in LA
Milwaukee Braves Fred Haney Finished second, lost playoff to Dodgers
Philadelphia Phillies Eddie Sawyer
Pittsburgh Pirates Danny Murtaugh
St. Louis Cardinals Solly Hemus
San Francisco Giants Bill Rigney Finished 3rd

Home field attendance

Team nameWins%±Home attendance%±Per game
Los Angeles Dodgers [4] 8823.9%2,071,04512.2%26,552
Milwaukee Braves [5] 86-6.5%1,749,112-11.3%22,141
New York Yankees [6] 79-14.1%1,552,0308.7%20,156
Cleveland Indians [7] 8915.6%1,497,976125.7%19,454
Chicago White Sox [8] 9414.6%1,423,14478.5%18,245
San Francisco Giants [9] 833.8%1,422,13011.7%18,469
Pittsburgh Pirates [10] 78-7.1%1,359,9173.7%17,661
Detroit Tigers [11] 76-1.3%1,221,22111.1%15,860
Boston Red Sox [12] 75-5.1%984,102-8.6%12,781
Kansas City Athletics [13] 66-9.6%963,6834.2%12,515
St. Louis Cardinals [14] 71-1.4%929,953-12.6%12,077
Baltimore Orioles [15] 740.0%891,9267.5%11,435
Chicago Cubs [16] 742.8%858,255-12.4%11,146
Philadelphia Phillies [17] 64-7.2%802,815-13.8%10,293
Cincinnati Reds [18] 74-2.6%801,2981.6%10,406
Washington Senators [19] 633.3%615,37229.5%7,992

Highlights

Events

Television coverage

CBS and NBC aired weekend Game of the Week broadcasts. The All-Star Game and World Series also aired on NBC. The rights to air the 1959 National League tie-breaker series were awarded to ABC. [21] [22]

See also

Notes

a Other Major League Baseball seasons since 1901 without a no-hitter pitched are 1909, 1913, 1921, 1927 – 1928, 1932 – 1933, 1936, 1939, 1942 – 1943, 1949, 1982, 1985, 1989, 2000 and 2005.

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References

  1. ↑ No-Hitters in chronological Order by Retro Sheet
  2. ↑ "MLB Rule Changes | Baseball Almanac". www.baseball-almanac.com. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
  3. ↑ "A guide to rules changes in MLB (and sports) history". MLB.com. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
  4. ↑ "Los Angeles Dodgers Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com . Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  5. ↑ "Atlanta Braves Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com . Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  6. ↑ "New York Yankees Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com . Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  7. ↑ "Cleveland Indians Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com . Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  8. ↑ "Chicago White Sox Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com . Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  9. ↑ "San Francisco Giants Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com . Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  10. ↑ "Pittsburgh Pirates Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com . Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  11. ↑ "Detroit Tigers Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com . Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  12. ↑ "Boston Red Sox Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com . Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  13. ↑ "Oakland Athletics Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com . Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  14. ↑ "St. Louis Cardinals 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. ↑ "Chicago Cubs Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com . Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  17. ↑ "Oakland Athletics Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com . Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  18. ↑ "Cincinnati Reds Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com . Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  19. ↑ "Minnesota Twins Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com . Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  20. ↑ Wancho, Joseph (2014). Pitching to the Pennant: The 1954 Cleveland Indians. United States: University of Nebraska Press. p. 16. ISBN   978-0803245877.
  21. ↑ Reichler, Joe (September 29, 1959). "Dodgers Confident of National Flag". Times Daily. Associated Press. p. 5.
  22. ↑ Lowry, Cynthia (September 29, 1959). "Crosby Sings Plenty". Kentucky New Era. Associated Press. p. 18.
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