1954 California League season
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| 1954 California League season | |
|---|---|
| League | California League |
| Sport | Baseball |
| Duration | April 23 – September 12 |
| Number of games | 140 |
| Number of teams | 8 |
| Regular season | |
| League champions | Modesto Reds |
| Season MVP | Bob Thorpe, Stockton Ports |
| Playoffs | |
| League champions | Modesto Reds |
| Runners-up | San Jose Red Sox |
The 1954 California League was a Class C baseball season played between April 23 and September 12. Eight teams played a 140-game schedule, as the top four teams qualified for the playoffs.
The Modesto Reds won the California League championship, defeating the San Jose Red Sox in the final round of the playoffs.
- The Santa Barbara Dodgers and Ventura Oilers combined into one team. The team was named the Channel Cities Oilers.
- The Salinas Packers join the league as an expansion team.
- The Bakersfield Indians ended their affiliation with the Detroit Tigers and began a new affiliation with the Brooklyn Dodgers.
- The Modesto Reds ended their affiliation with the Milwaukee Braves and began a new affiliation with the New York Yankees.
- The Visalia Stars are renamed to the Visalia Cubs.
Teams
Map of teams
Regular season
Summary
- The Modesto Reds finished with the best record in the regular season for the first time since in team history.
Standings
| California League | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | Win | Loss | % | GB |
| Modesto Reds | 88 | 52 | .629 | – |
| Bakersfield Indians | 80 | 60 | .571 | 8 |
| Stockton Ports | 80 | 60 | .571 | 8 |
| San Jose Red Sox | 78 | 62 | .557 | 10 |
| Fresno Cardinals | 73 | 67 | .521 | 15 |
| Channel Cities Oilers | 68 | 72 | .486 | 20 |
| Salinas Packers | 56 | 84 | .400 | 32 |
| Visalia Cubs | 37 | 103 | .264 | 26 |
League Leaders
Batting leaders
Pitching leaders
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| W | Bob Thorpe, Stockton Ports | 28 |
| ERA | Bob Thorpe, Stockton Ports | 2.28 |
| CG | Bob Thorpe, Stockton Ports | 32 |
| SHO | Bob Thorpe, Stockton Ports | 5 |
| IP | Bob Thorpe, Stockton Ports | 300.0 |
| SO | Rick Botelho, Modesto Reds | 234 |
Playoffs
- The Modesto Reds won their second California League championship, defeating the San Jose Red Sox in five games.
Playoff bracket
| Semi-finals | Finals | ||||||||
| 1 | Modesto | 3 | |||||||
| 3 | Stockton | 0 | |||||||
| 1 | Modesto | 4 | |||||||
| 4 | San Jose | 1 | |||||||
| 2 | Bakersfield | 0 | |||||||
| 4 | San Jose | 3 | |||||||
Awards
| California League awards | |
|---|---|
| Award name | Recipient |
| Most Valuable Player | Bob Thorpe, Stockton Ports |