1959 Major League Baseball season
Sports season
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 1959 major league baseball season began on April 9, 1959. The regular season ended on September 29, with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago White Sox as the regular season champions of the National League and American League, respectively. The Dodgers swept the Milwaukee Braves in a regular season best-of-three tiebreaker, for the National League title, after both teams finished their 154-game schedules with identical 86–68 records. This was the fourth regular season tie-breaker. The postseason began with Game 1 of the 56th World Series on October 1 and ended with Game 6 on October 8. The Dodgers defeated the White Sox, four games to two, capturing their second championship in franchise history, their first since in 1955, and first in Los Angeles. This was the first appearance of the White Sox in the "Fall Classic" since the infamous Black Sox Scandal of the 1919 World Series and interrupted a Yankees' dynasty that dominated the American League between 1949 and 1964. Going into the season, the defending World Series champions were the New York Yankees from the 1958 season.
National League (NL)
- April 9 – September 27, 1959 (AL)
- April 9 – September 29, 1959 (NL)
- October 1–8, 1959
| 1959 MLB season | |
|---|---|
| League | American League (AL) National League (NL) |
| Sport | Baseball |
| Duration | Regular season:
|
| Games | 154 |
| Teams | 16 (8 per league) |
| TV partner(s) | NBC, CBS |
| Regular season | |
| Season MVP | AL: Nellie Fox (CWS) NL: Ernie Banks (CHC) |
| AL champions | Chicago White Sox |
| AL runners-up | Cleveland Indians |
| NL champions | Los Angeles Dodgers |
| NL runners-up | Milwaukee Braves |
| World Series | |
| Venue | |
| Champions | Los Angeles Dodgers |
| Runners-up | Chicago White Sox |
| World Series MVP | Larry Sherry (LAD) |
For the first time in professional baseball history, there were two separate All-Star Games played. The first, the 26th All-Star Game, was held on July 7 at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, home of the Pittsburgh Pirates. The National League won, 5–1. The second, the 27th All-Star Game, was held on August 3 at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, California, home of the Los Angeles Dodgers. The American League won, 5–3.
In the National League, the Cincinnati Redlegs reverted to their 1890–1952 name, the Cincinnati Reds.
On July 21, the Boston Red Sox became the 16th and final team in professional baseball to break the color line when they fielded Pumpsie Green, 12 years after Jackie Robinson of the Brooklyn Dodgers broke the professional baseball color line in 1947.[1] The Red Sox were notably resistant to integration due to team owner Tom Yawkey, and only did so following a lawsuit charging Yawkey and general manager Bucky Harris with discrimination and the deliberate barring of black players from the Red Sox.[2] The NAACP issued charges of "following an anti-Negro policy", and the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination announced a public hearing on racial bias against the Red Sox.[3]
The season is notable as the only one between 1950 and 1981 where no pitcher pitched a no-hitter.[4][a]
Schedule
The 1959 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 9, featuring four teams. The final day of the scheduled regular season was on September 27, which saw all sixteen teams play, the first time since 1957. Due to the Los Angeles Dodgers and Milwaukee Braves finishing with the same record of 86–68, a best-of-three tie-breaker was scheduled, to be considered an extension of the regular season. The World Series took place between October 1 and October 8.
Rule changes
The 1959 season saw the following rule changes:
- The minimum outfield dimensions for all new ballparks are to be 325 feet down the left and right field foul lines, and 400 feet in center field.[5][6]
- Traditional waivers are to now be suspended from November 21 to December 15 every year. This was to enable trades between the American and National Leagues, without the usual requirement that players were to be waived out of their respective leagues.[7]
- Though not approved in time for the fall 1958 draft, the selection prices for players drafted by major-league team was reduced from $25,000 (equivalent to $276,000 in 2025) to $15,000 (equivalent to $166,000 in 2025).[7]
- Rule 5 drafts were amended to allow teams to draft first year pro players, who were not on a team's 40-man major-league roster.[8]
- Given that a player was drafted under the now ceased bonus rule, the team which originally drafted a player must still cover the bonus money. For the entire season, the team that drafted said player must keep said player in the majors, or else be forced to return the player to his pre-Rule 5 draft team at the cost of $7,500 (equivalent to $82,800 in 2025).[8]
Teams
Standings
American League
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB | Home | Road |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago White Sox | 94 | 60 | .610 | — | 47–30 | 47–30 |
| Cleveland Indians | 89 | 65 | .578 | 5 | 43–34 | 46–31 |
| New York Yankees | 79 | 75 | .513 | 15 | 40–37 | 39–38 |
| Detroit Tigers | 76 | 78 | .494 | 18 | 41–36 | 35–42 |
| Boston Red Sox | 75 | 79 | .487 | 19 | 43–34 | 32–45 |
| Baltimore Orioles | 74 | 80 | .481 | 20 | 38–39 | 36–41 |
| Kansas City Athletics | 66 | 88 | .429 | 28 | 37–40 | 29–48 |
| Washington Senators | 63 | 91 | .409 | 31 | 34–43 | 29–48 |
National League
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB | Home | Road |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles Dodgers | 88 | 68 | .564 | — | 46–32 | 42–36 |
| Milwaukee Braves | 86 | 70 | .551 | 2 | 49–29 | 37–41 |
| San Francisco Giants | 83 | 71 | .539 | 4 | 42–35 | 41–36 |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | 78 | 76 | .506 | 9 | 47–30 | 31–46 |
| Chicago Cubs | 74 | 80 | .481 | 13 | 38–39 | 36–41 |
| Cincinnati Reds | 74 | 80 | .481 | 13 | 43–34 | 31–46 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 71 | 83 | .461 | 16 | 42–35 | 29–48 |
| Philadelphia Phillies | 64 | 90 | .416 | 23 | 37–40 | 27–50 |
- The Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Milwaukee Braves in a regular season best-of-three tie-breaker series to earn the National League pennant.
Tie games
4 tie games (2 in AL, 2 in NL), which are not factored into winning percentage or games behind (and were often replayed again) occurred throughout the season.
American League
The Chicago White Sox had two tie games. The Baltimore Orioles and New York Yankees had one each.
- July 29, Chicago White Sox vs. New York Yankees, tied at 4 after a shortened six innings due to rain.[10]
- August 6, Baltimore Orioles vs. Chicago White Sox, tied at 1 after 18 innings on account of curfew.[11]
National League
The Chicago Cubs, Milwaukee Braves, Philadelphia Phillies, and Pittsburgh Pirates had one each.
- April 17, Milwaukee Braves vs. Pittsburgh Pirates, tied at 2 after nine innings. Two pitches were thrown in the top of the 10th inning before a one hour rain delay at 4:03 p.m. lead to the 10th inning to be negated and game ended due to rain and made up entirely at a later date.[12]
- August 19 (game 2), Philadelphia Phillies vs. Chicago Cubs, tied at 7 after five plate appearances and two outs in the bottom of the 12th inning on account of curfew.[13]
Postseason
The postseason began on September 28 and ended on October 8 with the Los Angeles Dodgers defeating the Chicago White Sox in the 1959 World Series in six games.
Bracket
| National League playoff | World Series | ||||||||
| AL | Chicago White Sox | 2 | |||||||
| NL | Los Angeles | 2 | NL | Los Angeles | 4 | ||||
| NL | Milwaukee | 0 | |||||||
Managerial changes
Off-season
| Team | Former Manager | New Manager |
|---|---|---|
| Cincinnati Reds | Jimmy Dykes | Mayo Smith |
| St. Louis Cardinals | Stan Hack | Solly Hemus |
In-season
| Team | Former Manager | New Manager |
|---|---|---|
| Boston Red Sox | Pinky Higgins | Rudy York |
| Rudy York | Billy Jurges | |
| Cincinnati Reds | Mayo Smith | Fred Hutchinson |
| Detroit Tigers | Bill Norman | Jimmy Dykes |
League leaders
American League
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| AVG | Harvey Kuenn (DET) | .353 |
| OPS | Al Kaline (DET) | .940 |
| HR | Rocky Colavito (CLE) Harmon Killebrew (WSH) |
42 |
| RBI | Jackie Jensen (BOS) | 112 |
| R | Eddie Yost (DET) | 115 |
| H | Harvey Kuenn (DET) | 198 |
| SB | Luis Aparicio (CWS) | 56 |
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| W | Early Wynn (CWS) | 22 |
| L | Pedro Ramos (WSH) | 19 |
| ERA | Hoyt Wilhelm (BAL) | 2.19 |
| K | Jim Bunning (DET) | 201 |
| IP | Early Wynn (CWS) | 255.2 |
| SV | Turk Lown (CWS) Gerry Staley (CWS) |
15 |
| WHIP | Art Ditmar (NYY) | 1.030 |
National League
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| AVG | Hank Aaron (MIL) | .355 |
| OPS | Hank Aaron (MIL) | 1.037 |
| HR | Eddie Mathews (MIL) | 46 |
| RBI | Ernie Banks (CHC) | 143 |
| R | Vada Pinson (CIN) | 131 |
| H | Hank Aaron (MIL) | 223 |
| SB | Willie Mays (SF) | 27 |
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| W | Lew Burdette (MIL) Sam Jones (SF) Warren Spahn (MIL) |
21 |
| L | Bob Friend (PIT) | 19 |
| ERA | Sam Jones (SF) | 2.83 |
| K | Don Drysdale (LAD) | 242 |
| IP | Warren Spahn (MIL) | 292.0 |
| SV | Lindy McDaniel (STL) | 16 |
| WHIP | Harvey Haddix (PIT) | 1.061 |
Milestones
Batters
Four home runs in one game
- Rocky Colavito (CLE):
- Became the eighth player to hit four home runs in one game in a 11–8 win against the Baltimore Orioles on June 10.[18][19]
Cycles
- Frank Robinson (CIN):
- Robinson hit for his first cycle and eighth in franchise history, on May 2 against the Los Angeles Dodgers.[20]
Other batting accomplishments
- Stan Musial (STL):
- Became the sixth player in Major League history to hit 400 home runs in the ninth inning in a walk-off against the Chicago Cubs on May 7.[21][22]
Pitchers
- Sandy Koufax (LAD):
- Set a modern National League record and became the second modern Major League player to strike out batters in a single game in a 5–2 win against the San Francisco Giants on August 31.[23]
Awards and honors
Regular season
| Baseball Writers' Association of America Awards | ||
|---|---|---|
| BBWAA Award | National League | American League |
| Rookie of the Year | Willie McCovey (SF) | Bob Allison (WSH) |
| Cy Young Award | — | Early Wynn (CWS) |
| Most Valuable Player | Ernie Banks (CHC) | Nellie Fox (CWS) |
| Babe Ruth Award (World Series MVP) |
Larry Sherry (LAD) | — |
| Gold Glove Awards | ||
| Position | National League | American League |
| Pitcher | Harvey Haddix (PIT) | Bobby Shantz (NYY) |
| Catcher | Del Crandall (MIL) | Sherm Lollar (CWS) |
| 1st Base | Gil Hodges (LAD) | Vic Power (CLE) |
| 2nd Base | Charlie Neal (LAD) | Nellie Fox (CWS) |
| 3rd Base | Ken Boyer (STL) | Frank Malzone (BOS) |
| Shortstop | Roy McMillan (CIN) | Luis Aparicio (CWS) |
| Left field | Jackie Brandt (SF) | Minnie Miñoso (CLE) |
| Center field | Willie Mays (SF) | Al Kaline (DET) |
| Right field | Hank Aaron (MIL) | Jackie Jensen (BOS) |
Other awards
| The Sporting News Awards | ||
|---|---|---|
| Award | National League | American League |
| Player of the Year[24] | — | Early Wynn (CWS) |
| Pitcher of the Year[25] | Sam Jones (SF) | Early Wynn (CWS) |
| Rookie of the Year[26] | Willie McCovey (SF) | Bob Allison (WSH) |
| Manager of the Year[27] | Walter Alston (LAD) | — |
| Executive of the Year[28] | Buzzie Bavasi (LAD) | — |
Monthly awards
Player of the Month
| Month | National League |
|---|---|
| May | Hank Aaron (MIL) Harvey Haddix (PIT) |
| June | Roy Face (PIT) |
| July | Don Drysdale (LAD) |
| August | Vern Law (PIT) Willie McCovey (SF) |
| September | Eddie Mathews (MIL) |
Baseball Hall of Fame
Home field attendance
| Team name | Wins | %± | Home attendance | %± | Per game |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles Dodgers[29] | 88 | 23.9% | 2,071,045 | 12.2% | 26,552 |
| Milwaukee Braves[30] | 86 | −6.5% | 1,749,112 | −11.3% | 22,141 |
| New York Yankees[31] | 79 | −14.1% | 1,552,030 | 8.7% | 20,156 |
| Cleveland Indians[32] | 89 | 15.6% | 1,497,976 | 125.7% | 19,454 |
| Chicago White Sox[33] | 94 | 14.6% | 1,423,144 | 78.5% | 18,245 |
| San Francisco Giants[34] | 83 | 3.8% | 1,422,130 | 11.7% | 18,469 |
| Pittsburgh Pirates[35] | 78 | −7.1% | 1,359,917 | 3.7% | 17,661 |
| Detroit Tigers[36] | 76 | −1.3% | 1,221,221 | 11.1% | 15,860 |
| Boston Red Sox[37] | 75 | −5.1% | 984,102 | −8.6% | 12,781 |
| Kansas City Athletics[38] | 66 | −9.6% | 963,683 | 4.2% | 12,515 |
| St. Louis Cardinals[39] | 71 | −1.4% | 929,953 | −12.6% | 12,077 |
| Baltimore Orioles[40] | 74 | 0.0% | 891,926 | 7.5% | 11,435 |
| Chicago Cubs[41] | 74 | 2.8% | 858,255 | −12.4% | 11,146 |
| Philadelphia Phillies[42] | 64 | −7.2% | 802,815 | −13.8% | 10,293 |
| Cincinnati Reds[43] | 74 | −2.6% | 801,298 | 1.6% | 10,406 |
| Washington Senators[44] | 63 | 3.3% | 615,372 | 29.5% | 7,992 |
Venues
The San Francisco Giants would play their final game at Seals Stadium on September 20 against the Los Angeles Dodgers, moving into Candlestick Park for the start of the 1960 season.
Media
Television
CBS and NBC aired weekend Game of the Week broadcasts. The All-Star Game and World Series also aired on NBC. The rights to air the 1959 National League tie-breaker series were awarded to ABC.[45][46]
