1959 Major League Baseball season
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.
1959 MLB season | |
---|---|
League | Major League Baseball |
Sport | Baseball |
Duration | April 9 – October 9, 1959 |
Regular season | |
Season MVP | AL: Nellie Fox (CHW) NL: Ernie Banks (CHC) |
Postseason | |
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 |
Finals MVP | Larry Sherry (LA) |
The season is notable as the only one between 1950 and 1981 where no pitcher pitched a no-hitter.[1][a]
Awards and honors
- Baseball Hall of Fame
- Most Valuable Player
- Nellie Fox, Chicago White Sox (AL)
- Ernie Banks, Chicago Cubs (NL)
- Cy Young Award
- Early Wynn, Chicago White Sox (AL)
- Rookie of the Year
- Bob Allison, Washington Senators (AL)
- Willie McCovey, San Francisco Giants (NL)
- Gold Glove Award
- Bobby Shantz (P) New York Yankees (AL)
- Sherm Lollar (C) Chicago White Sox (AL)
- Vic Power (1B) Cleveland Indians (AL)
- Nellie Fox (2B) Chicago White Sox (AL)
- Frank Malzone (3B) Boston Red Sox (AL)
- Luis Aparicio (SS) Chicago White Sox (AL)
- Minnie Miñoso (OF) Cleveland Indians (AL)
- Al Kaline (OF) Detroit Tigers (AL)
- Jackie Jensen (OF) Boston Red Sox (AL)
Statistical leaders
|
Major league baseball final standings
American League final standings
American League | W | L | Pct. | GB | Home | Road |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Chicago White Sox | 94 | 60 | 0.610 | — | 47–30 | 47–30 |
Cleveland Indians | 89 | 65 | 0.578 | 5 | 43–34 | 46–31 |
New York Yankees | 79 | 75 | 0.513 | 15 | 40–37 | 39–38 |
Detroit Tigers | 76 | 78 | 0.494 | 18 | 41–36 | 35–42 |
Boston Red Sox | 75 | 79 | 0.487 | 19 | 43–34 | 32–45 |
Baltimore Orioles | 74 | 80 | 0.481 | 20 | 38–39 | 36–41 |
Kansas City Athletics | 66 | 88 | 0.429 | 28 | 37–40 | 29–48 |
Washington Senators | 63 | 91 | 0.409 | 31 | 34–43 | 29–48 |
National League final standings
National League | W | L | Pct. | GB | Home | Road |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Los Angeles Dodgers | 88 | 68 | 0.564 | — | 46–32 | 42–36 |
Milwaukee Braves | 86 | 70 | 0.551 | 2 | 49–29 | 37–41 |
San Francisco Giants | 83 | 71 | 0.539 | 4 | 42–35 | 41–36 |
Pittsburgh Pirates | 78 | 76 | 0.506 | 9 | 47–30 | 31–46 |
Chicago Cubs | 74 | 80 | 0.481 | 13 | 38–39 | 36–41 |
Cincinnati Reds | 74 | 80 | 0.481 | 13 | 43–34 | 31–46 |
St. Louis Cardinals | 71 | 83 | 0.461 | 16 | 42–35 | 29–48 |
Philadelphia Phillies | 64 | 90 | 0.416 | 23 | 37–40 | 27–50 |
Managers
American League
Team | Manager | Comments |
---|---|---|
Baltimore Orioles | Paul Richards | |
Boston Red Sox | Pinky Higgins, Rudy York and Billy Jurges | |
Chicago White Sox | Al Lopez | |
Cleveland Indians | Joe Gordon | |
Detroit Tigers | Bill Norman and Jimmy Dykes | |
Kansas City Athletics | Harry Craft | |
New York Yankees | Casey Stengel | |
Washington Senators | Cookie Lavagetto |
National League
Highlights
- April 22 - In the course of a 20-6 victory over the Kansas City Athletics, the Chicago White Sox scored 11 runs in the seventh inning on ten walks, a hit batter, three errors and just one hit.[2]
Events
- 1959 Major League Baseball All-Star Game (first game)
- 1959 Major League Baseball All-Star Game (second game)
- Baseball Hall of Fame balloting, 1959
- 1959 National League tie-breaker series
- 1959 World Series
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.
External links
References
- No-Hitters in chronological Order by Retro Sheet
- Wancho, Joseph (2014). Pitching to the Pennant: The 1954 Cleveland Indians. United States: University of Nebraska Press. p. 16. ISBN 978-0803245877.