1918 Major League Baseball season
Sports season
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 1918 major league baseball season began on April 15, 1918. The regular season ended earlier than originally scheduled, September 2, because of a reduced schedule due to American participation in World War I.[1] The National League and American League champions were the Chicago Cubs and Boston Red Sox, respectively. The postseason began with Game 1 of the 15th World Series on September 5 and ended with Game 6 on September 11. The Red Sox defeated the Cubs, four games to two, capturing their fifth championship in franchise history, since their previous in 1916. Going into the season, the defending World Series champions were the Chicago White Sox from the 1917 season.
National League (NL)
- April 15 â September 2, 1918 (AL)
- April 16 â September 2, 1918 (NL)
- September 5â11, 1918
123â131 (actual)
| 1918 MLB season | |
|---|---|
| League | American League (AL) National League (NL) |
| Sport | Baseball |
| Duration | Regular season:
|
| Games | 154 (scheduled) 123â131 (actual) |
| Teams | 16 (8 per league) |
| Pennant winners | |
| AL champions | Boston Red Sox |
| AL runners-up | Cleveland Indians |
| NL champions | Chicago Cubs |
| NL runners-up | New York Giants |
| World Series | |
| Champions | Boston Red Sox |
| Runners-up | Chicago Cubs |
Schedule
Scheduled start
American League Opening Day took place on April 15 with four American League teams playing, the Philadelphia Athletics at Boston Red Sox, and the New York Yankees at Washington Senators, while National League Opening Day saw all eight teams play the following day. It was the first season since 1906 which saw the two leagues open on different days.
Shortened season
With World War I ongoing, a "work or fight" mandate was issued by the government, requiring men with non-essential jobs to enlist or take war-related jobs by July 1, or else risk being drafted.[2] Secretary of War Newton D. Baker granted an extension to MLB players through Labor Day, September 2.[3] In early August, MLB clubs decided that the regular season would end at that time.[4] As a result, the number of regular-season games that each team played variedâ123 to 130 for AL teams and 124 to 131 for NL teams, including ties[5]âreduced from their original 154-game schedules. The final day of the regular season would see all teams but the Cleveland Indians and St. Louis Browns play. Later in August, Baker granted a further extension to allow for the World Series to be contested;[3] it began on September 5 and ended on September 11.[6] World War I would end two months later, with the Armistice of 11 November 1918.
Teams
Standings
American League
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB | Home | Road |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Red Sox | 75 | 51 | .595 | â | 49âââ21 | 26âââ30 |
| Cleveland Indians | 73 | 54 | .575 | 2½ | 38âââ22 | 35âââ32 |
| Washington Senators | 72 | 56 | .562 | 4 | 41âââ32 | 31âââ24 |
| New York Yankees | 60 | 63 | .488 | 13½ | 37âââ29 | 23âââ34 |
| St. Louis Browns | 58 | 64 | .475 | 15 | 23âââ30 | 35âââ34 |
| Chicago White Sox | 57 | 67 | .460 | 17 | 30âââ26 | 27âââ41 |
| Detroit Tigers | 55 | 71 | .437 | 20 | 28âââ29 | 27âââ42 |
| Philadelphia Athletics | 52 | 76 | .406 | 24 | 35âââ32 | 17âââ44 |
National League
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB | Home | Road |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago Cubs | 84 | 45 | .651 | â | 49âââ25 | 35âââ20 |
| New York Giants | 71 | 53 | .573 | 10½ | 35âââ21 | 36âââ32 |
| Cincinnati Reds | 68 | 60 | .531 | 15½ | 46âââ24 | 22âââ36 |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | 65 | 60 | .520 | 17 | 42âââ28 | 23âââ32 |
| Brooklyn Robins | 57 | 69 | .452 | 25½ | 33âââ21 | 24âââ48 |
| Philadelphia Phillies | 55 | 68 | .447 | 26 | 27âââ29 | 28âââ39 |
| Boston Braves | 53 | 71 | .427 | 28½ | 23âââ29 | 30âââ42 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 51 | 78 | .395 | 33 | 32âââ40 | 19âââ38 |
Tie games
10 tie games (6 in AL, 4 in NL), which are not factored into winning percentage or games behind (and were often replayed again) occurred throughout the season.
American League
- Cleveland Indians, 2
- Detroit Tigers, 2
- New York Yankees, 3
- Philadelphia Athletics, 2
- St. Louis Browns, 1
- Washington Senators, 2
National League
- Chicago Cubs, 2
- Cincinnati Reds, 1
- Philadelphia Phillies, 2
- Pittsburgh Pirates, 1
- St. Louis Cardinals, 2
Postseason
The postseason began on September 5 and ended on September 11 with the Boston Red Sox defeating the Chicago Cubs in the 1918 World Series in six games.
Bracket
| World Series | ||||
| AL | Boston Red Sox | 4 | ||
| NL | Chicago Cubs | 2 | ||
Managerial changes
Off-season
| Team | Former Manager | New Manager |
|---|---|---|
| Boston Red Sox | Jack Barry | Ed Barrow |
| New York Yankees | Bill Donovan | Miller Huggins |
| St. Louis Cardinals | Miller Huggins | Jack Hendricks |
In-season
| Team | Former Manager | New Manager |
|---|---|---|
| Cincinnati Reds | Christy Mathewson | Heinie Groh |
| St. Louis Browns | Fielder Jones | Jimmy Austin |
| Jimmy Austin | Jimmy Burke |
League leaders
Any team shown in small text indicates a previous team a player was on during the season.
American League
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| AVG | Ty Cobb (DET) | .382 |
| OPS | Babe Ruth (BOS) | .966 |
| HR | Babe Ruth (BOS) Tillie Walker (PHA) |
11 |
| RBI | Bobby Veach (DET) | 84 |
| R | Ray Chapman (CLE) | 84 |
| H | George Burns (PHA) | 178 |
| SB | George Sisler (SLB) | 45 |
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| W | Walter Johnson1 (WSH) | 23 |
| L | Eddie Cicotte (CWS) Scott Perry (PHA) |
19 |
| ERA | Walter Johnson1 (WSH) | 1.27 |
| K | Walter Johnson1 (WSH) | 162 |
| IP | Scott Perry (PHA) | 332.1 |
| SV | George Mogridge (NYY) | 7 |
| WHIP | Walter Johnson (WSH) | 0.954 |
1 American League Triple Crown pitching winner
National League
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| AVG | Zack Wheat (BRO) | .335 |
| OPS | Edd Roush (CIN) | .823 |
| HR | Gavvy Cravath (PHI) | 8 |
| RBI | Sherry Magee (CIN) | 76 |
| R | Heinie Groh (CIN) | 86 |
| H | Charlie Hollocher (CHC) | 161 |
| SB | Max Carey (PIT) | 58 |
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| W | Hippo Vaughn2 (CHC) | 22 |
| L | Rube Marquard (BRO) Joe Oeschger (PHI) |
18 |
| ERA | Hippo Vaughn2 (CHC) | 1.74 |
| K | Hippo Vaughn2 (CHC) | 148 |
| IP | Hippo Vaughn (CHC) | 290.1 |
| SV | Fred Anderson (NYG) Wilbur Cooper (PIT) Joe Oeschger (PHI) Fred Toney (NYG/CIN) |
3 |
| WHIP | Hippo Vaughn (CHC) | 1.006 |
2 National League Triple Crown pitching winner
Milestones
Batters
Cycles
- Cliff Heathcote (STL):
- Heathcote hit for his first cycle and fourth in franchise history, on June 13 against the Philadelphia Phillies.[12]
Pitchers
No-hitters
- Dutch Leonard (BOS):
- Dutch threw his second career no-hitter and ninth no-hitter in franchise history, by defeating the Detroit Tigers 5â0 on June 3. Leonard walked one and struck out four.[13]
Home field attendance
| Team name | Wins | %± | Home attendance | %± | Per game |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago Cubs[14] | 84 | 13.5% | 337,256 | â6.4% | 4,558 |
| Cleveland Indians[15] | 73 | â17.0% | 295,515 | â38.1% | 4,766 |
| New York Yankees[16] | 60 | â15.5% | 282,047 | â14.6% | 4,210 |
| New York Giants[17] | 71 | â27.6% | 256,618 | â48.7% | 4,582 |
| Boston Red Sox[18] | 75 | â16.7% | 249,513 | â35.7% | 3,564 |
| Pittsburgh Pirates[19] | 65 | 27.5% | 213,610 | 10.8% | 3,009 |
| Detroit Tigers[20] | 55 | â29.5% | 203,719 | â55.5% | 3,512 |
| Chicago White Sox[21] | 57 | â43.0% | 195,081 | â71.5% | 3,484 |
| Washington Senators[22] | 72 | â2.7% | 182,122 | 103.1% | 2,461 |
| Philadelphia Athletics[23] | 52 | â5.5% | 177,926 | â19.6% | 2,617 |
| Cincinnati Reds[24] | 68 | â12.8% | 163,009 | â39.4% | 2,296 |
| Philadelphia Phillies[25] | 55 | â36.8% | 122,266 | â65.5% | 2,145 |
| St. Louis Browns[26] | 58 | 1.8% | 122,076 | â42.0% | 2,303 |
| St. Louis Cardinals[27] | 51 | â37.8% | 110,599 | â61.7% | 1,515 |
| Boston Braves[28] | 53 | â26.4% | 84,938 | â51.3% | 1,633 |
| Brooklyn Robins[29] | 57 | â18.6% | 83,831 | â62.2% | 1,552 |
Venues
Robison Field of the St. Louis Cardinals is gradually referred to as Cardinal Field, after Helene Britton, daughter of the deceased former owner Frank Robison, sells her interest in the team following a deal in March 1917,[30][31] ending the association between the Cardinals and the Robison family. By 1918, Cardinal Field became the name widely used.[32]