Red Sox

White Sox  

Indians

Tigers

Athletics

Browns

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Locations of teams for the 1942–1953American League seasons
American League

Braves

Dodgers

Cubs

Reds

Giants

Phillies

Pirates

Cardinals

Locations of teams for the 1943–1952National League seasons
National League

The1951 major league baseball season began on April 16, 1951. The regular season ended on October 3, with theNew York Giants andNew York Yankees as the regular season champions of theNational League andAmerican League, respectively. The Giants defeated theBrooklyn Dodgers ina regular season best-of-three tiebreaker, for the National League title, after both teams finished their 154-game schedules with identical 96–58 records. This was the third regular season tie-breaker, and saw a reversion from the single-game tie-breaker featured in1948 to the three-game format featured in the1946 tie-breaker series. After splitting the first two games, the stage was set for a decisive third game, won in dramatic fashion on awalk-off home run from the bat of GiantBobby Thomson, one of the most famous moments in the history of baseball, commemorated as the "Shot Heard 'Round the World" and "The Miracle atCoogan's Bluff". The postseason began with Game 1 of the48th World Series on October 4 and ended with Game 6 on October 10. In the sixth iteration of thisSubway Series World Series matchup, the Yankees defeated the Giants, four games to two, capturing their 14th championship in franchise history, and their third in a five-run World Series. This would be the final Subway Series matchup between the two teams, as the next World Series between the two in1962 would see arelocated Giants franchise inSan Francisco, California.

The18th Major League Baseball All-Star Game was held on July 10 atBriggs Stadium inDetroit,Michigan, home of theDetroit Tigers. TheNational League won, 8–3.

On May 1, theChicago White Sox become the sixth team in professional baseball tobreak the color line when they fielded futureHall-of-FamerMinnie Miñoso.^[1]

This wasHappy Chandler's last season of his 5½-tenure asCommissioner of Baseball, as he resigned on July 15, after team owner voted against renewing his contract which expired in April 1952. National League presidentFord Frick would be elected as commissioner, officially taking the position September 20, just days before the end of the regular season.

The 1951 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 the1904 season (except for1919) and would be used until1961 in the American League and1962 in the National League.

National League Opening Day took place on April 16, with a game between thePittsburgh Pirates andCincinnati Reds, while American League Opening Day took place the following day, featuring all eight teams. This was the first season since1943 that both leagues opened on different days. The final day of the scheduled regular season was on September 30, which saw all sixteen teams play, continuing the trend from1946. Due to theBrooklyn Dodgers andNew York Giants finishing with the same record of 96–58, abest-of-three tie-breaker was scheduled, to be considered an extension of the regular season, and took place between October 1 and October 3. TheWorld Series took place between October 4 and October 10.

The 1951 season saw the following rule changes:

• Thebonus rule, which stated that any player signed to a contract greater than $4,000 (equivalent to $48,500 in 2024) had to stay on the team's 25-man roster for two years, was abolished.^[2]
• In the event of awalk,hit by pitch, or other plays with the bases loaded which forces the runners to advance bases which wins the game for the team batting in the bottom of the final inning, the runner on third must touchhome base and the hitter of the current at bat must reach first base.^[3]
• Following a dead ball, play shall resume only when thepitcher, with the current ball, takes his place on the pitcher's mound.^[3]
• If a pitcher must come into a game to relieve the previous pitcher with no opportunity to warm up, he is allowed to throw as many warmup pitches on the field until the umpire feels the pitcher is properly prepared to face batters.^[3]
• If interference occurs by the catcher or fielder, and if so abatter or baserunner is awarded their next base, the catcher or fielder is charged with anerror.^[3]
• Caught stealing became a trackable statistic. Official rules surrounding caught stealing would not be codified until1963.^[3]

• TheNew York Giants defeated theBrooklyn Dodgers inbest-of-three playoff series to earn the National League pennant.

4 tie games (1 in AL, 3 in NL), which are not factored intowinning percentage orgames behind (and were often replayed again) occurred throughout the season.

The postseason began on October 4 and ended on October 10 with theNew York Yankees defeating theNew York Giants in the1951 World Series in six games.

Any team shown insmall text indicates a previous team a player was on during the season.

• Mel Ott
• Jimmie Foxx

• 1951 in baseball (Events,Movies,Births,Deaths)
• 1951 All-American Girls Professional Baseball League season
• 1951 Nippon Professional Baseball season

Wikimedia Commons has media related to1951 in Major League Baseball.

• 1951 Major League Schedule atBaseball Reference

• 1951 Major League Baseball season
• Major League Baseball seasons
• 1951 in baseball

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