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1959 Major League Baseball season

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This article is about the 1959 Major League Baseball season only. For information on all of baseball, see 1959 in baseball.
1959 MLB season
LeagueMajor League Baseball
SportBaseball
DurationApril 9 – October 9, 1959
Number of games154
Number of teams16
TV partner(s)NBC, CBS
Regular season
Season MVPAL: Nellie Fox (CWS)
NL: Ernie Banks (CHC)
AL championsChicago White Sox
  AL runners-upCleveland Indians
NL championsLos Angeles Dodgers
  NL runners-upMilwaukee Braves
World Series
ChampionsLos Angeles Dodgers
  Runners-upChicago White Sox
World Series MVPLarry Sherry (LA)
MLB seasons
Locations of teams for the 1955–1960 American League seasons
American League
class=notpageimage|
Locations of teams for the 1959 National League season
National League
Yankees – Red Sox game in 1959.

The 1959 Major League Baseball season was played from April 9 to October 9, 1959. It saw the Los Angeles Dodgers, free of the strife produced by their move from Brooklyn the previous season, rebound to win the National League pennant after a two-game playoff against the Milwaukee Braves, who themselves had moved from Boston in 1953. The Dodgers won the World Series against a Chicago White Sox team that had not played in the "Fall Classic" since 1919 and was interrupting a Yankees' dynasty that dominated the American League between 1949 and 1964.

The season is notable as the only one between 1950 and 1981 where no pitcher pitched a no-hitter.[1][a]

Rule change

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The 1959 season saw the following rule change:[2]

  • 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.[3]

Awards and honors

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Statistical leaders

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  American League National League
Type Name Stat Name Stat
AVG Harvey Kuenn DET .353 Hank Aaron MIL .355
HR Rocky Colavito CLE
Harmon Killebrew WSH		 42 Eddie Mathews MIL 46
RBI Jackie Jensen BOS 112 Ernie Banks CHC 143
Wins Early Wynn CWS 22 Lew Burdette MIL
Sam Jones SF
Warren Spahn MIL		 21
ERA Hoyt Wilhelm BAL 2.19 Sam Jones SF 2.83
SO Jim Bunning DET 201 Don Drysdale LA 242
SV Turk Lown CWS 15 Lindy McDaniel STL
Don McMahon MIL		 15
SB Luis Aparicio CWS 56 Willie Mays SF 27

Standings

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American League

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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

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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

Postseason

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Bracket

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World Series
   
AL Chicago White Sox 2
NL Los Angeles Dodgers 4

Managers

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American League

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Team Manager Comments
Baltimore Orioles Paul Richards
Boston Red Sox Pinky Higgins, Rudy York and Billy Jurges
Chicago White Sox Al Lopez Won first pennant since 1919
Cleveland Indians Joe Gordon Finished 2nd
Detroit Tigers Bill Norman and Jimmy Dykes
Kansas City Athletics Harry Craft
New York Yankees Casey Stengel Finished 3rd
Washington Senators Cookie Lavagetto

National League

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Team Manager Comments
Chicago Cubs Bob Scheffing
Cincinnati Reds Mayo Smith and Fred Hutchinson
Los Angeles Dodgers Walter Alston Won World Series in second year in LA
Milwaukee Braves Fred Haney Finished second, lost playoff to Dodgers
Philadelphia Phillies Eddie Sawyer
Pittsburgh Pirates Danny Murtaugh
St. Louis Cardinals Solly Hemus
San Francisco Giants Bill Rigney Finished 3rd

Home field attendance

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Team name Wins %± Home attendance %± Per game
Los Angeles Dodgers[4] 88 23.9% 2,071,045 12.2% 26,552
Milwaukee Braves[5] 86 −6.5% 1,749,112 −11.3% 22,141
New York Yankees[6] 79 −14.1% 1,552,030 8.7% 20,156
Cleveland Indians[7] 89 15.6% 1,497,976 125.7% 19,454
Chicago White Sox[8] 94 14.6% 1,423,144 78.5% 18,245
San Francisco Giants[9] 83 3.8% 1,422,130 11.7% 18,469
Pittsburgh Pirates[10] 78 −7.1% 1,359,917 3.7% 17,661
Detroit Tigers[11] 76 −1.3% 1,221,221 11.1% 15,860
Boston Red Sox[12] 75 −5.1% 984,102 −8.6% 12,781
Kansas City Athletics[13] 66 −9.6% 963,683 4.2% 12,515
St. Louis Cardinals[14] 71 −1.4% 929,953 −12.6% 12,077
Baltimore Orioles[15] 74 0.0% 891,926 7.5% 11,435
Chicago Cubs[16] 74 2.8% 858,255 −12.4% 11,146
Philadelphia Phillies[17] 64 −7.2% 802,815 −13.8% 10,293
Cincinnati Reds[18] 74 −2.6% 801,298 1.6% 10,406
Washington Senators[19] 63 3.3% 615,372 29.5% 7,992

Highlights

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Events

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Television coverage

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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.[21][22]

See also

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Notes

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a Other Major League Baseball seasons since 1901 without a no-hitter pitched are 1909, 1913, 1921, 1927–1928, 1932–1933, 1936, 1939, 1942–1943, 1949, 1982, 1985, 1989, 2000 and 2005.

References

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  1. ^ No-Hitters in chronological Order by Retro Sheet
  2. ^ "MLB Rule Changes | Baseball Almanac". www.baseball-almanac.com. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
  3. ^ "A guide to rules changes in MLB (and sports) history". MLB.com. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
  4. ^ "Los Angeles Dodgers Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  5. ^ "Atlanta Braves Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  6. ^ "New York Yankees Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  7. ^ "Cleveland Indians Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  8. ^ "Chicago White Sox Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  9. ^ "San Francisco Giants Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  10. ^ "Pittsburgh Pirates Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  11. ^ "Detroit Tigers Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  12. ^ "Boston Red Sox Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  13. ^ "Oakland Athletics Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  14. ^ "St. Louis Cardinals Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  15. ^ "Baltimore Orioles Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  16. ^ "Chicago Cubs Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  17. ^ "Oakland Athletics Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  18. ^ "Cincinnati Reds Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  19. ^ "Minnesota Twins Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  20. ^ Wancho, Joseph (2014). Pitching to the Pennant: The 1954 Cleveland Indians. United States: University of Nebraska Press. p. 16. ISBN 978-0803245877.
  21. ^ Reichler, Joe (September 29, 1959). "Dodgers Confident of National Flag". Times Daily. Associated Press. p. 5.
  22. ^ Lowry, Cynthia (September 29, 1959). "Crosby Sings Plenty". Kentucky New Era. Associated Press. p. 18.
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