1946 San Francisco Seals season
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| 1946 San Francisco Seals | |
|---|---|
| League | Pacific Coast League |
| Ballpark | Seals Stadium |
| City | San Francisco |
| Record | 115–68 |
| League place | 1st |
| Managers | Lefty O'Doul |
The 1946 San Francisco Seals season was the 44th season in the history of the San Francisco Seals baseball team. The team compiled a 115–68 record and won the PCL pennant. Lefty O'Doul was in his 12th season as the team's manager.[1] Playing its home games at Seals Stadium, the Seals led the PCL in attendance with paid admissions of 670,563, an increase of more than 240,000 over the prior year.[2]
In the Governor's Cup semi-final playoffs, the Seals swept the Hollywood Stars, four games to zero.[3] In the finals, they defeated the Oakland Oaks, four games to two. With the victory over the Oaks, the Seals won their fourth consecutive Governor's Cup.[4]
Pitcher Larry Jansen, an Oregon native, led the PCL with 30 wins, a 1.57 earned run average (ERA), an .833 winning percentage, and 31 complete games. He also tallied 171 strikeouts.[1] Jansen joined the New York Giants in 1947 and remained with that club for eight seasons.
Cliff Melton was San Francisco's No. 2 pitcher, compiling a 17–12 record and a 2.83 ERA.[1]
Position players
First baseman Ferris Fain, who grew up across the Bay in Oakland, California, led the PCL with 112 RBIs, compiled a .301 batting average, and led the Seals with 11 home runs and 117 runs scored.[1] After the season, Fain was drafted by the Philadelphia Athletics.[5] Fain went on to play nine seasons in the majors from 1947 to 1955.
Second baseman Hugh Luby led the team in hits with 199.[1] Luby was one of the most durable players in PCL history. He set a PCL record playing in 866 consecutive games with the Oakland Oaks between 1939 and 1943.[6]
Vince DiMaggio, older brother of Joe DiMaggio who played 10 years in the majors from 1937 to 1946, appeared in 43 games for the Seals.[1]
1946 PCL standings
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco Seals | 115 | 68 | .628 | -- |
| Oakland Oaks | 111 | 72 | .607 | 4.0 |
| Hollywood Stars | 95 | 88 | .519 | 20.0 |
| Los Angeles Angels | 94 | 89 | .514 | 21.0 |
| Sacramento Solons | 94 | 92 | .505 | 22.5 |
| San Diego Padres | 78 | 108 | .419 | 38.5 |
| Seattle Rainiers | 74 | 109 | .404 | 41.0 |
| Portland Beavers | 74 | 109 | .404 | 41.0 |