1949 in baseball

Champions

Major League Baseball

Caribbean leagues

Caribbean World Series

Other champions

Winter Leagues

Awards and honors

MLB statistical leaders

American League National League
AVGGeorge Kell DET.343Jackie Robinson BKN.342
HRTed Williams BSR43Ralph Kiner PIT54
RBITed Williams BSR &
Vern Stephens BSR
159Ralph Kiner PIT127
WinsMel Parnell BSR25Warren Spahn BSB21
ERAMike Garcia CLE2.36Dave Koslo NYG2.50
KsVirgil Trucks DET153Warren Spahn BSB151

Major league baseball final standings

American League final standings

American League
RankClubWinsLossesWin %  GB
1stNew York Yankees97  57.630   --
2ndBoston Red Sox96  58.623  1.0
3rdCleveland Indians89  65.578  8.0
4thDetroit Tigers87  67.56510.0
5thPhiladelphia Athletics81  73.52616.0
6thChicago White Sox63  91.40934.0
7thSt. Louis Browns53101.34444.0
8thWashington Senators50104.32547.0

National League final standings

National League
RankClubWinsLossesWin %  GB
1stBrooklyn Dodgers97  57.630   --
2ndSt. Louis Cardinals96  58.623  1.0
3rdPhiladelphia Phillies81  73.52616.0
4thBoston Braves75  79.48722.0
5thNew York Giants73  81.47424.0
6thPittsburgh Pirates71  83.46126.0
7thCincinnati Reds62  92.40335.0
8thChicago Cubs61  93.39636.0

Events

January

  • January 12 – The New York Giants are fined $2,000, and manager Leo Durocher $500, for signing Freddie Fitzsimmons as a coach while he was still under contract to the Boston Braves. Fitzsimmons gets a $500 fine and a 30-day spring training suspension.
  • January 25 – Lou Boudreau is rewarded for the Cleveland Indians' championship with a two-year, $65,000 annual contract as player-manager.
  • January 27 – Fred Saigh buys out the interest of Robert Hannegan and now controls 90 percent of the St. Louis Cardinals stock. Saigh and Hannegan had swung the deal in 1947 with only $60,300 in cash in a $4 million deal. Hannegan came out with $866,000 profit in two years.
  • January 28 – The New York Giants sign their first black players, Negro leaguers Monte Irvin (OF) and Ford Smith (P). They are assigned to minor league Jersey City. Irvin will star for the Giants, but Smith never makes the major leagues.
  • January 29 – The Pittsburgh Pirates get Murry Dickson from the St. Louis Cardinals for $125,000.

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

  • August 6 – Luke Appling appears in his 2,154th game as a shortstop, surpassing the major league mark set by Rabbit Maranville. Appling will finish his career with 2,218 games at SS.
  • August 8 – Carl Furillo returns to the Brooklyn Dodgers lineup after an injury and hits .431 in the final eight weeks of the season. He will finish at .322, fourth best in the NL.
  • August 9 – Dom DiMaggio's 34-game hitting streak is on the line against Vic Raschi and the New York Yankees. Hitless in his first four at-bats, Dom hits a sinking line drive in the eighth inning that his brother Joe catches at his shoetops. The Boston Red Sox win 6–3 to move 5½ games behind the Yankees. Dom had started his streak after going hitless against Raschi.
  • August 15 – Reports of clubhouse troubles trail the Boston Braves all season. Owner Lou Perini prevails on manager Billy Southworth to take a leave of absence. The team spurts briefly under Johnny Cooney but finishes under .500, in fourth place. Braves players vote Southworth only a half-share of last year's World Series earnings but commissioner Happy Chandler restores the full share.
  • August 21 – A barrage of bottles from the Shibe Park stands as protest of a decision by umpire George Barr over a trapped fly ball results in the first forfeiture in the major leagues in seven years. The New York Giants, who receive this 4–0 forfeit over the Philadelphia Phillies, gave one away in 1942 when hordes of youngsters invaded the Polo Grounds field.
  • August 22 – The New York Giants sell veteran slugger Johnny Mize to the New York Yankees for $40,000.
  • August 27 – Former Mexican League jumpers Max Lanier and Fred Martin drop their $2.5 million suit against Major League Baseball.

September

October

November

December

Movies

Births

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

Deaths

January

  • January   1 – Hans Rasmussen, 53, pitcher who played for the Chicago Whales during the 1915 season.
  • January   4 – Joe Evers, 57, pinch-runner who appeared in just one game for the 1913 New York Giants.
  • January   5 – Ralph Edwards, 66, second baseman for the 1915 Philadelphia Athletics.
  • January   9 – Harry McIntire, 69, pitcher who played from 1905 through 13 for the Brooklyn Superbas, Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds, who posted a 13-9 record with a 3.07 ERA and 10 complete games in 1910, to help Chicago win the 1910 National League pennant.
  • January 21 – Russ Ennis, 51, catcher who played for the Washington Senators in the 1926 season.
  • January 23 – Walt Herrell, 69, pitcher for the 1911 Washington Senators.
  • January 26 − Hugh Bradley, 63, first baseman who played for the Boston Red Sox, Pittsburgh Rebels, Brooklyn Tip-Tops and Newark Pepper in a span of four seasons from 1910–1915, including the 1912 World Champion Red Sox.
  • January 28 – Frank Naleway, 46, shortstop who played with the Chicago White Sox in 1924.

February

  • February   4 – Pat Martin, 54, pitcher who played for the Philadelphia Athletics in the 1920 season.
  • February   8 – John Carden, 27, pitcher for the 1946 New York Giants.
  • February 10 – Johnny Bates, 66, outfielder who played from 1906 to 1914 for the Boston Beaneaters, Boston Doves, Philadelphia Phillies, Cincinnati Reds, Chicago Cubs and Baltimore Terrapins, as well is a member of the select list of players who hit a home run in their first MLB at bat.
  • February 15 – Tommy Raub, 78, backup catcher who played for the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals in part of two seasons spanning 1903–1906.
  • February 18 – Marty O'Toole, 60, pitcher who played with the Cincinnati Reds, Pittsburgh Pirates and New York Giants in a span of five seasons from 1908 to 1914.
  • February 20 – Norm Baker, 85, who pitched for the Pittsburgh Alleghenys, Louisville Colonels and Baltimore Orioles of the National League in three seasons between 1883 and 1890.
  • February 24 – Ted Scheffler, 84, outfielder who played in 1888 with the Detroit Wolverines and for the Rochester Broncos in 1890.

March

  • March 11 – Eric McNair, 39, shortstop who played with the Philadelphia Athletics, Boston Red Sox, Chicago White Sox and Detroit Tigers during 14 seasons from 1929 to 1942, was a member of the 1930 World Series Champion Athletics, led the American League in doubles with 47 in 1932, and also was a member of a 1934 All-American team that toured China, Japan and the Philippines, playing against teams in those countries.[1]
  • March 15 – Bill Cissell, 45, middle infielder who played for the Chicago White Sox, Cleveland Indians, Boston Red Sox, Philadelphia Athletics and New York Giants during 10 seasons spanning 1928–1938.
  • March 18 – Rudy Sommers, 61, pitcher who played for the Chicago Cubs, Brooklyn Tip-Tops and Boston Red Sox over four seasons between 1912 and 1927.
  • March 19 – Truck Eagan, 71, part-time infielder for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Cleveland Blues in the 1901 season.
  • March 22 – Jake Livingstone, 69, Russian pitcher who played in 1901 with the New York Giants.
  • March 25 – Jim Riley, 62, outfielder who appeared in just one game with the Boston Doves in 1910.
  • March 26 – Mike Jacobs, 72, shortstop who played five games for the Chicago Orphans in 1902.
  • March 27 – Frank Gleich, 55, backup outfielder for the 1919–1920 New York Yankees
  • March 30 – Bill Bernhard, 78, one of the first pitchers to jump from the National League to the American League, who posted a combined record of 116–82 with a 3.04 earned run average in 231 games for the Philadelphia Phillies, Philadelphia Athletics and the Cleveland Bronchos/Naps from 1899 to 1907, including 23 wins and a 2.13 ERA for Cleveland in the 1904 season.

April

  • April   4 – George Suggs, 66, pitcher whose career spanned from 1908 through 1915, compiling a 99–91 record with a 3.11 ERA in 245 games with the Detroit Tigers, Cincinnati Reds and Baltimore Terrapins, including 20 wins in 1910 and 24 in 1914.
  • April   6 – Gene Madden, 59, who appeared as a pinch-hitter in one game for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1916.
  • April 11 – Joe Buskey, 46, shortstop for the 1926 Philadelphia Phillies.
  • April 20 – John Murphy, 69, backup infielder who played from 1902 to 1903 for the St. Louis Cardinals and Detroit Tigers.
  • April 21 – Harry Morelock, 79, shortstop for the Philadelphia Phillies in the 1891 and 1892 seasons.
  • April 28 – Clay Touchstone, 46, pitcher who played for the Boston Braves and Chicago White Sox over parts of three seasons between 1928 and 1945.

May

  • May   6 – Charlie Hallstrom, 85, one of four big leaguers to have been born in Sweden. who pitched in just one game for the Providence Grays during the 1885 National League season.
  • May   6 – Speed Kelly, 64, third baseman who played for the Washington Senators in 1909.
  • May   7 – James Durham, 67, pitcher for the Chicago White Sox in 1902.
  • May   8 – Sam Breadon, 72, owner of the St. Louis Cardinals from 1920 to 1947.
  • May 14 – Mike Kahoe, 75, one of the first catchers to wear shin guards, who played for the Cincinnati Reds, Chicago Orphans, St. Louis Browns, Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs and Washington Senators in 10 seasons from 1895 to 1909.
  • May 17 – Bill Swarback, 81, for the 1887 New York Giants.
  • May 24 – Joe Callahan, 32, pitcher who played for the Boston Bees in the 1939 to 1940 seasons.
  • May 27 – Jim Canavan, 82, who played some outfield and infield utility positions with the Cincinnati Kelly's Killers, Milwaukee Brewers, Chicago Colts, Cincinnati Reds and Brooklyn Bridegrooms in a span of five seasons from 1891–1897.
  • May 29 – Doc Scanlan, 68, who pitched with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Brooklyn Superbas/Dodgers during seven seasons between 1903 and 1911.

June

  • June   7 – Hi Bell, 51, pitcher who played for the St. Louis Cardinals and New York Giants in a span of eight seasons from 1924–1934, as well as a member of the Cardinals teams that won the World Series in 1926 and 1933 and the National League pennant in 1930.
  • June 12 – Oliver Marcell, 53, African-American third baseman for a number of teams around the Negro leagues from 1918 through 1931, also a top-class hitter whose defensive skills took center stage by comparison.[2]
  • June 14 – Charley Moran, 71, who gained renown as both a catcher and umpire in Major League Baseball and as a collegiate and professional American football coach, while playing for the St. Louis Cardinals, umpiring in the National League from 1918 to 1939, working in four World Series, and coaching football at several colleges.
  • June 15 – Nig Clarke, 66, Canadian catcher who played with the Detroit Tigers, Cleveland Naps, St. Louis Browns, Philadelphia Phillies and Pittsburgh Pirates over part of nine seasons between 1905 and 1920.
  • June 15 – Jim Buchanan, pitcher for the 1905 St. Louis Browns of the American League.
  • June 16 – Jim Cook, 69, outfielder who played with the Chicago Cubs in the 1903 season.
  • June 16 – Jerry Kane, 87, backup catcher for the 1890 St. Louis Browns of the National League.
  • June 23 – John Godar, 84, outfielder for the 1892 Baltimore Orioles of the National League.
  • June 25 – Buck Freeman, 77, outfielder for the Washington Statesmen/Senators, Boston Beaneaters and Boston Americans in 10 seasons between 1891 and 1907, who led both the National League and American League in home runs, twice topped the American League in RBI, batted a .300 average four times, and was a member of the 1903 World Champion Boston Americans.[3]

July

  • July   6 – Ike Caveney, 54, shortstop who played with the Cincinnati Reds from 1922 to 1925, and later became a player-manager for the PCL San Francisco Seals from 1932–1934.
  • July 10 – Red Downey, 60, outfielder for the 1909 Brooklyn Superbas of the National League.
  • July 17 – Jack Slattery, 71, backup catcher who played for the Boston Americans, Cleveland Naps, Chicago White Sox, St. Louis Cardinals and Washington Senators in parts of four seasons from 1901–1909, and later managed the Boston Braves in 1928.
  • July 23 – John Anderson, 75, outfielder and first baseman and the first of only three big leaguers to have been born in Norway, who played for six teams in a 14 season-career between 1894 and 1908, slashing .290/.329/.405 through 1,636 games, while leading the National League with 22 triples and a .494 slugging average in 1898 and the American League with 39 stolen bases in 1906.

August

  • August 22 – Chief Zimmer, 88, catcher for 19 seasons, 13 with the Cleveland Spiders, batted .300 four times.
  • August 25 – Mule Watson, 52, who pitched from 1918 through 1924 for the Philadelphia Athletics, Boston Braves, Pittsburgh Pirates and New York Giants, as well as the last pitcher in Major League Baseball history to start both games of a doubleheader twice in the same season.[4]

September

  • September   1 – Larry McClure, 64, outfielder for the 1910 New York Highlanders.
  • September   9 – Len Madden, 59, pitcher for the 1912 Chicago Cubs.
  • September   9 – Hal Neubauer, 47, pitcher who played for the 1925 Boston Red Sox.
  • September 12 – Sherry Smith, 58, pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Brooklyn Robins and Cleveland Indians in a span of 14 season from 1911–1927, who is best known as the hard-luck loser in a pitching duel against Babe Ruth of the Boston Red Sox in the longest World Series game ever played — 14 innings in 1916 — when gave up an-out, RBI-single to Del Gainer that allowed Mike McNally to score the winning run in the eventual 2-1 loss.[5]
  • September 13 – Tim Jordan, 70, first baseman for the Washington Senators, New York Highlanders and Brooklyn Superbas over parts of ten seasons from 1901–1910, who led the National League in home runs in 1906 and 1908.
  • September 14 – Billy Martin, 75, shortstop for the Boston Braves in the 1914 season.
  • September 15 – Heinie Beckendorf, 65, catcher who played with the Detroit Tigers from 1909 to 1910 and for the Washington Senators in 1910.
  • September 15 – Tiny Bonham, 36, All-Star pitcher who played for the New York Yankees and Pittsburgh Pirates during 10 seasons between 1940 and 1949, as well as a member of the Yankees teams that won World Series titles in 1941 and 1943.
  • September 18 – Roger Denzer, 77, pitcher who played with the Chicago Colts in 1897 and for the New York Giants in 1901.
  • September 18 – Charlie Malay, 70, second baseman for the 1905 Brooklyn Superbas.
  • September 21 – Buck Danner, 58, shortstop who played for the Philadelphia Athletics during the 1915 season.
  • September 22 – Matty Fitzgerald, 69, catcher who played from 1906 to 1907 for the New York Giants.

October

November

  • November   4 – Larry Douglas, pitcher who played in 1915 for the Baltimore Terrapins of the outlaw Federal League.
  • November   6 – Bill Richardson, 71, first baseman for the 1901 St. Louis Cardinals.
  • November 11 – Brick Owens, 64, American League umpire from 1916 to 1937, who officiated in five World Series and the 1934 MLB All-Star Game.
  • November 14 – Artie Clarke, 89, utilityman whose main position was catcher, who appeared in 149 games for the New York Giants in the 1890 the 1891 seasons.
  • November 22 – Erv Brame, 48, pitcher who played from 1928 through 1932 for the Pittsburgh Pirates.
  • November 28 – Art Kruger, 68, backup outfielder who played with four teams in all or part of four seasons between 1907 and 1915, most prominently for the Kansas City Packers of the Federal League from 1914 to 1915.

December

  • December   1 – Hanson Horsey, 60, pitcher who played for the Cincinnati Reds in the 1912 season.
  • December   3 – Pete LePine, 73, Canadian outfielder and first baseman who appeared in 30 games for the Detroit Tigers in 1902.
  • December 13 – Orth Collins, 69, outfielder and pitcher who played with the New York Highlanders in the 1904 season and for the Washington Senators in 1909.
  • December 15 – Frank Hershey, 72, pitcher who appeared in just one game for the Boston Beaneaters in the 1905 season.
  • December 16 – Jack Himes, 71, outfielder who played for the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1905 and 1906 seasons.
  • December 19 – Robert Gibson, 80, pitcher for the Chicago Colts and Pittsburgh Alleghenys during the 1890 National League season, who later became a federal judge.
  • December 21 – Teddy Kearns, 49, backup infielder who played with the Philadelphia Athletics in the 1920 season and for the Chicago Cubs from 1924 to 1925.
  • December 30 – Doc Watson, 64, pitcher who played with the Chicago Cubs in 1913 before joining the Chicago Chi-Feds and St. Louis Terriers clubs of the Federal League from 1914 to 1915.

Sources

  1. Eric McNair regarded as key player in 1943 fortunes of Indians. The Indianapolis News. Article published on April 24, 1943. Retrieved on February 2, 2018.
  2. The talent and the temper of Oliver Marcelle. Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum website. Retrieved on February 3, 2018.
  3. Buck Freeman biography. SABR Biography Project. Retrieved on February 3, 2018,
  4. A thorough account of pitchers who have started both games of a doubleheader in the major leagues. The J.G. Preston Experience. Retrieved on February 5, 2018.
  5. 1916 World Series Game 2 – Brooklyn Robins at Boston Red Sox. Box score and history. Baseball Reference. Retrieved on February 5, 2018.
  6. Eddie Kolb. Article written by Peter Morris. SABR Biography Project. Retrieved on June 3, 2019.
  7. Frank Schulte. Article written by Scott Turner. SABR Biography Project. Retrieved on June 3, 2019.
  8. Dick Rudolph. Article written by Dick Leyden. SABR Biography Project. Retrieved on June 3, 2019.
  9. John Malarkey. Article written by David Nemec. SABR Biography Project. Retrieved on May 4, 2019.
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