1974 California League season
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| 1974 California League season | |
|---|---|
| League | California League |
| Sport | Baseball |
| Duration | April 16 – September 2 |
| Games | 140 |
| Teams | 8 |
| Regular season | |
| League champions | Fresno Giants |
| Season MVP | Gary Alexander, Fresno Giants |
| Playoffs | |
| League champions | Fresno Giants |
| Runners-up | San Jose Bees |
The 1974 California League was a Class A baseball season played between April 16 and September 2. Eight teams played a 140-game schedule, as the winner of each half of the season qualified for the California League championship round.
The Fresno Giants won the California League championship, as they defeated the San Jose Bees in the final round of the playoffs.
- The Lodi Lions are renamed to the Lodi Orioles. The club remained affiliated with the Baltimore Orioles.
Teams
Map of teams
Regular season
Summary
- The Fresno Giants finished with the best record in the league for the first time since 1964.
Standings
| California League | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | Win | Loss | % | GB |
| Fresno Giants | 85 | 55 | .607 | – |
| San Jose Bees | 81 | 59 | .579 | 4 |
| Salinas Packers | 78 | 62 | .557 | 7 |
| Modesto Reds | 68 | 72 | .486 | 17 |
| Bakersfield Dodgers | 65 | 75 | .464 | 20 |
| Lodi Orioles | 61 | 79 | .436 | 24 |
| Reno Silver Sox | 61 | 79 | .436 | 24 |
| Visalia Mets | 61 | 79 | .436 | 24 |
League Leaders
Batting leaders
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| AVG | José Báez, Bakersfield Dodgers | .330 |
| H | José Báez, Bakersfield Dodgers | 167 |
| R | Craig Cacek, Visalia Mets | 112 |
| 2B | José Báez, Bakersfield Dodgers | 34 |
| 3B | Buck Darrow, Salinas Packers | 14 |
| HR | Gary Alexander, Fresno Giants | 27 |
| RBI | Jack Clark, Fresno Giants | 117 |
| SB | Sheldon Mallory, San Jose Bees | 72 |
Pitching leaders
Playoffs
- The finals were extended from a best-of-three series to a best-of-five series.
- The Fresno Giants won their seventh California League championship, defeating the San Jose Bees in five games.
Playoff bracket
| Finals | ||||
| 1 | Fresno | 3 | ||
| 2 | San Jose | 2 | ||
Awards
| California League awards | |
|---|---|
| Award name | Recipient |
| Most Valuable Player | Gary Alexander, Fresno Giants |