1947 Major League Baseball season
| 1947 MLB season | |
|---|---|
| League | American League (AL) National League (NL) |
| Sport | Baseball |
| Duration | Regular season:
|
| Number of games | 154 |
| Number of teams | 16 (8 per league) |
| Regular season | |
| Season MVP | AL: Joe DiMaggio (NYY) NL: Bob Elliott (BSB) |
| AL champions | New York Yankees |
| AL runners-up | Detroit Tigers |
| NL champions | Brooklyn Dodgers |
| NL runners-up | St. Louis Cardinals |
| World Series | |
| Champions | New York Yankees |
| Runners-up | Brooklyn Dodgers |
The 1947 major league baseball season began on April 15, 1947. The regular season ended on September 28, with the Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Yankees as the regular season champions of the National League and American League, respectively. The postseason began with Game 1 of the 44th World Series on September 30 and ended with Game 7 on October 6. The Yankees defeated the Dodgers, four games to three, capturing the 11th championship in franchise history.
The 14th Major League Baseball All-Star Game was played on July 8, hosted by the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois, with the American League winning, 2–1.
The 1947 season is most notable as the year that the baseball color line broke, thanks to the Brooklyn Dodgers starting Jackie Robinson on Opening Day.[1]
Integration: Breaking the color line
On April 15, Opening Day for the National League's Brooklyn Dodgers, Jackie Robinson was in the Dodgers' lineup, playing first base against the Boston Braves at Ebbets Field.[1] His appearance in a major league game broke the baseball color line, the practice of excluding players of black African descent. Though he endured epithets and death threats, as well as a slow start, his skill would earn him the first ever Rookie of the Year award, named in Robinson's honor 40 years later.[2]
Halfway through the season on July 5, the American League's Cleveland Indians debuted Larry Doby, becoming the first black player in the American League and breaking the AL color line. Doby was a more low-key figure, suffered many of the same indignities that Robinson did, albeit with less press coverage.[3]
Kansas City Monarchs star Willard Brown and teammate Hank Thompson briefly played for the St. Louis Browns, becoming the third and fourth Black players in either the NL or AL, and made the St. Louis Browns the first of either the NL or AL to field two Black players on one roster. Brown was the first black player to hit a home run in the American League.
Schedule
The 1947 schedule consisted of 154 games for all teams in the American League and National League, each of which had eight teams. Each team was scheduled to play 22 games against the other seven teams of their respective league. This continued the format put in place since the 1904 season (except for 1919) and would be used until 1961 in the American League and 1962 in the National League.
Opening Day took place on April 15, featuring all sixteen teams, continuing the trend from 1945. The final day of the regular season was on September 28, which also saw all sixteen teams play, continuing the trend from the previous season. This was the first time since 1940 that all sixteen teams that all sixteen teams played their first and last games on the same days. The World Series took place between September 30 and October 6.
Teams
Standings
American League
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB | Home | Road |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York Yankees | 97 | 57 | .630 | — | 55–22 | 42–35 |
| Detroit Tigers | 85 | 69 | .552 | 12 | 46–31 | 39–38 |
| Boston Red Sox | 83 | 71 | .539 | 14 | 49–30 | 34–41 |
| Cleveland Indians | 80 | 74 | .519 | 17 | 38–39 | 42–35 |
| Philadelphia Athletics | 78 | 76 | .506 | 19 | 39–38 | 39–38 |
| Chicago White Sox | 70 | 84 | .455 | 27 | 32–43 | 38–41 |
| Washington Senators | 64 | 90 | .416 | 33 | 36–41 | 28–49 |
| St. Louis Browns | 59 | 95 | .383 | 38 | 29–48 | 30–47 |
National League
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB | Home | Road |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brooklyn Dodgers | 94 | 60 | .610 | — | 52–25 | 42–35 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 89 | 65 | .578 | 5 | 46–31 | 43–34 |
| Boston Braves | 86 | 68 | .558 | 8 | 50–27 | 36–41 |
| New York Giants | 81 | 73 | .526 | 13 | 45–31 | 36–42 |
| Cincinnati Reds | 73 | 81 | .474 | 21 | 42–35 | 31–46 |
| Chicago Cubs | 69 | 85 | .448 | 25 | 36–43 | 33–42 |
| Philadelphia Phillies | 62 | 92 | .403 | 32 | 38–38 | 24–54 |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | 62 | 92 | .403 | 32 | 32–45 | 30–47 |
Postseason
Bracket
| World Series | ||||||||||
| AL | New York Yankees | 5 | 10 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 5 | ||
| NL | Brooklyn Dodgers | 3 | 3 | 9 | 3* | 1 | 8 | 2 | ||
*Denotes walk-off
Managerial changes
Off-season
In-season
| Team | Former Manager | New Manager |
|---|---|---|
| Brooklyn Dodgers | Clyde Sukeforth | Burt Shotton |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | Billy Herman | Bill Burwell |
League leaders
American League
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| AVG | Ted Williams1 (BRS) | .343 |
| HR | Ted Williams1 (BRS) | 32 |
| RBI | Ted Williams1 (BRS) | 114 |
| R | Ted Williams (BRS) | 125 |
| H | Johnny Pesky (BRS) | 207 |
| SB | Bob Dillinger (SLB) | 34 |
1 American League Triple Crown batting winner
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| W | Bob Feller (CLE) | 20 |
| L | Hal Newhouser (DET) | 17 |
| ERA | Joe Haynes (CWS) | 2.42 |
| K | Bob Feller (CLE) | 196 |
| IP | Bob Feller (CLE) | 299.0 |
| SV | Ed Klieman (CLE) Joe Page (NYY) |
17 |
National League
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| AVG | Harry Walker (PHP/SLC) | .363 |
| HR | Ralph Kiner (PIT) Johnny Mize (NYG) |
51 |
| RBI | Johnny Mize (NYG) | 138 |
| R | Johnny Mize (NYG) | 137 |
| H | Tommy Holmes (BSB) | 191 |
| SB | Jackie Robinson (BKN) | 29 |
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| W | Ewell Blackwell (CIN) | 22 |
| L | Johnny Schmitz (CHC) | 18 |
| ERA | Warren Spahn (BSB) | 2.33 |
| K | Ewell Blackwell (CIN) | 193 |
| IP | Warren Spahn (BSB) | 289.2 |
| SV | Hugh Casey (BKN) | 18 |
Awards and honors
Regular season
| Baseball Writers' Association of America Awards | ||
|---|---|---|
| BBWAA Award | National League | American League |
| Rookie of the Year | Jackie Robinson (BKN) | — |
| Most Valuable Player | Bob Elliott (BSB) | Joe DiMaggio (NYY) |
Other awards
- The Sporting News Player of the Year Award: Ted Williams (BRS)
- The Sporting News Rookie of the Year Award: Jackie Robinson (BKN)
- The Sporting News Manager of the Year Award: Bucky Harris (NYY)
Baseball Hall of Fame
Home field attendance
| Team name | Wins | %± | Home attendance | %± | Per game |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York Yankees[4] | 97 | 11.5% | 2,178,937 | −3.8% | 28,298 |
| Brooklyn Dodgers[5] | 94 | −2.1% | 1,807,526 | 0.6% | 23,173 |
| New York Giants[6] | 81 | 32.8% | 1,600,793 | 31.2% | 21,063 |
| Cleveland Indians[7] | 80 | 17.6% | 1,521,978 | 44.0% | 19,513 |
| Boston Red Sox[8] | 83 | −20.2% | 1,427,315 | 0.7% | 17,621 |
| Detroit Tigers[9] | 85 | −7.6% | 1,398,093 | −18.8% | 17,476 |
| Chicago Cubs[10] | 69 | −15.9% | 1,364,039 | 1.6% | 17,266 |
| Pittsburgh Pirates[11] | 62 | −1.6% | 1,283,531 | 71.1% | 16,247 |
| Boston Braves[12] | 86 | 6.2% | 1,277,361 | 31.7% | 16,589 |
| St. Louis Cardinals[13] | 89 | −9.2% | 1,247,913 | 17.5% | 16,207 |
| Philadelphia Athletics[14] | 78 | 59.2% | 911,566 | 46.6% | 11,687 |
| Philadelphia Phillies[15] | 62 | −10.1% | 907,332 | −13.2% | 11,784 |
| Cincinnati Reds[16] | 73 | 9.0% | 899,975 | 25.7% | 11,688 |
| Chicago White Sox[17] | 70 | −5.4% | 876,948 | −10.8% | 11,693 |
| Washington Senators[18] | 64 | −15.8% | 850,758 | −17.2% | 11,049 |
| St. Louis Browns[19] | 59 | −10.6% | 320,474 | −39.1% | 4,162 |
Events
April–June
- April 15 – Major League Baseball's color line is officially broken when Jackie Robinson makes his Major League debut for the Brooklyn Dodgers against the Boston Braves at Ebbets Field.
- April 27 – It is Babe Ruth Day at Yankee Stadium. Despite having throat cancer, he speaks to the packed house, proclaiming, "The only real game, I think, in the world is baseball."
- June 18 – Ewell Blackwell pitches a no-hitter, leading the Cincinnati Reds to a 6–0 win over the Boston Braves.
July–September
- July 5 – Larry Doby makes his debut for the Cleveland Indians, becoming the first black baseball player in the American League, and fully integrating Major League Baseball.
- July 8 – At Wrigley Field, home of the Chicago Cubs, the American League defeats the National League, 2–1, in the All-Star Game.
- July 10 – Cleveland Indians pitcher Don Black throws a no-hitter in a 3–0 win over the Philadelphia Athletics.
- July 19 – Hall of Fame Negro leagues player Willard Brown makes his major league debut with the St. Louis Browns. Brown would only appear in 21 games for St. Louis in his only major league season, batting .179 with one home run and six runs batted in.
- July 20 – With both Hank Thompson and Willard Brown in the starting line-up, the St. Louis Browns become the first major league club to field two black players at the same time. Both players play all nine innings of both games of a doubleheader with the Boston Red Sox.
- August 13 – The St. Louis Browns' Willard Brown clubs a pinch hit a two-run, inside-the-park homer against Detroit Tigers pitcher Hal Newhouser, to become the first African American player to hit a home run in American League history.
- August 20 – Washington Senators relief pitcher Tom Ferrick loses both games of a doubleheader with the Cleveland Indians. While pitching with the St. Louis Browns the previous season, Ferrick won both games of a doubleheader against the Philadelphia Athletics on August 4.
- August 26 – Brooklyn Dodgers' Dan Bankhead became the first black pitcher in the majors. He homered in his first major league plate appearance, but didn't fare well on the mound. In 3 1⁄3 innings of relief, he gave up 10 hits and six earned runs to the Pittsburgh Pirates, who won the game, 16–3.
- September 3 – Bill McCahan of the Philadelphia Athletics no-hits the Washington Senators in a 3–0 victory.
October–December
- October 6 – The New York Yankees defeat the Brooklyn Dodgers, 5–2, in Game 7 of the World Series to win their eleventh World Championship, four games to three. This was the first World Series involving a nonwhite player, as Dodgers first baseman Jackie Robinson had racially integrated Major League Baseball at the beginning of the season. It was also the first Series to be shown on television although coverage was limited to New York City and surrounding environs.
- November 27 – Triple Crown winner Ted Williams (.343 BA, 32 home runs, 114 RBI) is edged out by Joe DiMaggio (.315, 20, 97) for the American League MVP Award by one point. One BBWAA member fails to include Williams anywhere on his ballot.
See also
References
- ^ a b Spatz, Lyle. "April 15, 1947: Jackie Robinson's major league debut". SABR. Retrieved October 8, 2020.
- ^ "Sports News". Associated Press. July 14, 1987.
- ^ McMurray, John. "Larry Doby". SABR. Retrieved October 8, 2020.
- ^ "New York Yankees Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
- ^ "Los Angeles Dodgers Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
- ^ "San Francisco Giants Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
- ^ "Cleveland Indians Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
- ^ "Boston Red Sox Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
- ^ "Detroit Tigers Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
- ^ "Chicago Cubs Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
- ^ "Pittsburgh Pirates Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
- ^ "Atlanta Braves Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
- ^ "St. Louis Cardinals Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
- ^ "Oakland Athletics Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
- ^ "Oakland Athletics Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
- ^ "Cincinnati Reds Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
- ^ "Chicago White Sox Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
- ^ "Minnesota Twins Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
- ^ "Baltimore Orioles Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.