The following are thebaseball events of the year1949 throughout the world.

• World Series:New York Yankees overBrooklyn Dodgers (4–1)
• All-Star Game, July 12 atEbbets Field: American League, 11–7

• Cuban League:Alacranes del Almendares
• Panamanian League:Refresqueros de Spur Cola
• Mexican Pacific League:Tacuarineros de Culiacán
• Puerto Rican League:Indios de Mayagüez
• Venezuelan League:Cervecería Caracas

• Caribbean Series:Alacranes del Almendares
• Interamerican Series:New York Stars

• All-American Girls Professional Baseball League:Rockford Peaches
• College World Series:Texas
• Little League World Series:Hammonton, New Jersey
• Negro League Baseball All-Star Game: East, 4–0

• Baseball Hall of Fame
  • Mordecai Brown
  • Charlie Gehringer
  • Kid Nichols
• Most Valuable Player
  • Ted Williams (AL)
  • Jackie Robinson (NL)
• Rookie of the Year
  • Roy Sievers (AL)
  • Don Newcombe (NL)
• The Sporting News Player of the Year Award
  • Ted Williams (AL) – OF,Boston Red Sox
• The Sporting News Manager of the Year Award
  • Casey Stengel (AL) –New York Yankees

v t e American League Team W L Pct. GB Home Road New York Yankees 97 57 .630 — 54‍–‍23 43‍–‍34 Boston Red Sox 96 58 .623 1 61‍–‍16 35‍–‍42 Cleveland Indians 89 65 .578 8 49‍–‍28 40‍–‍37 Detroit Tigers 87 67 .565 10 50‍–‍27 37‍–‍40 Philadelphia Athletics 81 73 .526 16 52‍–‍25 29‍–‍48 Chicago White Sox 63 91 .409 34 32‍–‍45 31‍–‍46 St. Louis Browns 53 101 .344 44 36‍–‍41 17‍–‍60 Washington Senators 50 104 .325 47 26‍–‍51 24‍–‍53

Red Sox White Sox   Indians Tigers Athletics Browns Yankees Senators Locations of teams for the 1942–1953American League seasons American League

v t e National League Team W L Pct. GB Home Road Brooklyn Dodgers 97 57 .630 — 48‍–‍29 49‍–‍28 St. Louis Cardinals 96 58 .623 1 51‍–‍26 45‍–‍32 Philadelphia Phillies 81 73 .526 16 40‍–‍37 41‍–‍36 Boston Braves 75 79 .487 22 43‍–‍34 32‍–‍45 New York Giants 73 81 .474 24 43‍–‍34 30‍–‍47 Pittsburgh Pirates 71 83 .461 26 36‍–‍41 35‍–‍42 Cincinnati Reds 62 92 .403 35 35‍–‍42 27‍–‍50 Chicago Cubs 61 93 .396 36 33‍–‍44 28‍–‍49

Braves Dodgers Cubs Reds Giants Phillies Pirates Cardinals Locations of teams for the 1943–1952National League seasons National League

• January 12 – TheNew York Giants are fined $2,000, and managerLeo Durocher $500, for signing coachFreddie Fitzsimmons while he was still under contract to theBoston Braves. Fitzsimmons gets a $500 fine and a 30-day spring training suspension.
• January 17 – TheNew York Yankees sell the contract of right-handerBill Bevens to theChicago White Sox. Bevens, 32, was one of the most talked-about players of the1947 World Series—starting Game 4 and holding theBrooklyn Dodgers hitless over 82⁄3 innings before surrendering a pinch double and the game itself toCookie Lavagetto's clutch hit. Bevens makes one more appearance in pinstripes, in a Game 7 victory, before a dead arm keeps on the sidelines for all of1948. In fact, Bevens never pitches another MLB game after the 1947 Fall Classic. The White Sox return him to the Bombers because of his sore arm on March 28 and Bevens sits out the 1949 campaign as well. He's able to hurl in the minors from 1950–1953 before leaving baseball.
• January 20 – TheDetroit Tigers purchase the contract of outfielderDon Lund from theSt. Louis Browns. Lund, 25, a former star athlete at theUniversity of Michigan, will go to coach theWolverines' baseball team to the1962College World Series championship and serve as key Tigers' executive.^[1]
• January 25 –Lou Boudreau is rewarded for theCleveland Indians' championship with a two-year, $65,000 annual contract as shortstop-manager.
• January 27 –Fred Saigh buys out the interest ofRobert Hannegan and now controls 90 percent of theSt. Louis Cardinals' stock. Saigh and Hannegan had swung the purchase in1947 with only $60,300 in cash in a $4 million deal. Hannegan comes out with $866,000 profit in two years.
• January 28 – TheNew York Giants sign their first black players, outfielderMonte Irvin and pitcherFord Smith. They are assigned to minor-leagueJersey City. Irvin will star for the Giants and be elected to theBaseball Hall of Fame, but Smith never makes theNational League.
• January 29 – ThePittsburgh Pirates acquire pitcherMurry Dickson from theSt. Louis Cardinals for $125,000.

• February 2 – BrothersBill DeWitt andCharlie DeWitt gain control of theSt. Louis Browns by acquiring 57 percent of the stock fromRichard Muckerman for $1 million.
• February 7 – PerennialAll-Star and three-time formerMost Valuable PlayerJoe DiMaggio signs with theNew York Yankees for $100,000, the first six-figure contract in Major League history.
• February 9 – A federal appeals court orders the $300,000 suit against Major League Baseball by formerNew York Giants outfielder andMexican League "contract jumper"Danny Gardella back to a lower court for trial.
• February 19 – The defending world championCleveland Indians signHomestead Grays sluggerLuke Easter to a free-agent contract and assign him toSan Diego of thePacific Coast League. Easter, 33, led the 1948Negro National League in home runs. Although hampered by knee miseries, he will hit 25 homers andbat .363 in 80 PCL games and be called up to Cleveland in August.^[2]
• February 20 – The firstCaribbean Series is inaugurated with a doubleheader atHavana. In the first game,Indios de Mayagüez ofPuerto Rico facesSpur Cola Colonites ofPanama, while theCuban host team,Alacranes del Almendares, takes onCervecería Caracas ofVenezuela in the nightcap. The Cuban club will win the best-of-six-days Series with a perfect 6–0 record, followed by Venezuela (3–3), Panama (2–4) and Puerto Rico (1–5).

• March 1 – TheSt. Louis Browns, owners ofSportsman's Park, move to evict theSt. Louis Cardinals in order to gain a rental increase.
• March 2 –Joe DiMaggio leaves theNew York Yankees' spring training camp to have an ailing right heel examined atJohns Hopkins Hospital. DiMaggio is assured that surgery is unnecessary and returns to the Yankees. The as yet undiagnosed heel ailment will continue to plague DiMaggio throughout the season. DiMaggio is hitting just 7-for-31 in theGrapefruit League.
• March 8 – FormerCardinals pitchersMax Lanier andFred Martin, late of theMexican League, file a $2.5 million suit against Major League Baseball. A federal judge on April 1 will deny their right to be reinstated.
• March 28 – ManagerLeo Durocher of theNew York Giants makes a deal with his former team, theBrooklyn Dodgers, acquiring right-handed hurlerHank Behrman, 27, in a straight-cash transaction.

• April 8 – Dissension rumors surround the defendingNational League-championBoston Braves after managerBilly Southworth calls a closed meeting of the club in a South Carolina hotel.
• April 12 –Joe DiMaggio returns toJohns Hopkins Hospital due to continuing pain in his right heel. The Yankeecenter fielder is diagnosed with abone spur, which will cause him to miss 65 games during the season.
• April 18 – On Opening Day, thePhiladelphia Phillies shut out theBoston Braves, 4–0, behindKen Heintzelman atBraves Field, and theWashington Senators defeat thePhiladelphia Athletics 3–2 atGriffith Stadium.
• April 19
  • At pregame ceremonies marking the season opener inYankee Stadium, a granite monument to the lateBabe Ruth is unveiled in center field. Plaques honoringLou Gehrig andMiller Huggins are also presented.MayorWilliam O'Dwyer,GovernorThomas E. Dewey, and Babe's widow,Claire Merritt Ruth, are in attendance. In the game—Casey Stengel's debut as manager of theYankees—the Bombers edge theSenators 3–2 onTommy Henrich's ninth-inning solo home run, what will later be termed a "walk-off homer."Gene Woodling plays center field in place of the injuredJoe DiMaggio.
  • In Brooklyn, theDodgers pay tribute to Jack "Shorty" Laurice, the club's "number one" fan and leader of theEbbets Field "Sym-phony" band. Laurice died in 1948.
  • Before 53,000 atBriggs Stadium,Detroit Tigers rookieJohnny Groth homers twice in his first three at-bats against theChicago White Sox.
• April 20 –Philadelphia Phillies third basemanWillie Jones hits four consecutive doubles, tying an NL mark withDick Bartell (1933) andErnie Lombardi (1935).
• April 24 –Lloyd Merriman of theCincinnati Reds hits a home run and a triple in his first major league game.
• April 28 – A New York fan chargesLeo Durocher with assault after theGiants lose 15–2 toBrooklyn. CommissionerHappy Chandler suspends Durocher but he is absolved on May 3. Chandler criticizes teams for relaxed security that allows fans on the field.
• April 26 –Brooklyn DodgersGene Hermanski,Jackie Robinson, andGil Hodges combine for a 7–4–3triple play during a 5–2 win over the visitingBoston Braves. It is the only triple play in Brooklyn Dodgers history.
• April 30 –Rocky Nelson hits an "inside-the-glove" two-run home run in short center-left field to turn a ninth inning 3–1Chicago Cubs lead into a 4–3St. Louis Cardinals victory. Cubs center fielderAndy Pafko's catch is ruled a trap by umpireAl Barlick, as Pafko races in, holding the ball high as runners circle the bases.

• May 1 –Elmer Valo becomes the firstAmerican League player to hit two bases-loaded triples in a game when he leads thePhiladelphia Athletics to a 15–9 win in the first of two games against theWashington Senators. Valo will hit a third bases-loaded triple on July 18, to tieShano Collins for the AL mark, set in1918. The A's take Game 2, 7–3, called after seven innings.
• May 3 – Taking advantage of the shortened fence installed byChicago White Soxgeneral managerFrank Lane, theWashington Senators belt seven home runs – and need them all – in beating Chicago, 14–12 in 10 innings. This is the first time in MLB history a team has collected seven homers in an extra-inning contest.Clyde Vollmer leads the long-ball parade with a pair, followed byMark Christman,Gil Coan,Al Evans,Eddie Robinson andBud Stewart. The Sox get homers fromJoe Tipton andGus Zernial.^[3]
• May 4:
  • Chicago White Sox infielderFloyd Baker, who will play 874 games in his 13-year major league career, hits his only career home run off pitcherSid Hudson, into "Home Run Lane", named for the new fence installed by Sox' GMFrank Lane, in an 8–7 loss to theWashington Senators.
  • A day after the two teams played to a 13-inning, 14–14 tie, theDetroit Tigers beat theBoston Red Sox 5–1 behindVirgil Trucks' three-hitter. The Tigers shell Boston pitcherMickey Harris for 14 hits in 52⁄3 innings.

• May 5:
  • Charlie Gehringer, star second baseman of theDetroit Tigers from 1925 though 1941, is selected for theBaseball Hall of Fame. Two days later, the Old-Timers committee will selectKid Nichols andMordecai Brown.
  • At thePolo Grounds,Johnny Mize pounds a tenth-inning home run and theNew York Giants beat thePittsburgh Pirates 3–2 to sweep their three-game series. The homer, offMurry Dickson, is the 300th for Mize. RelieverHank Behrman, in forSheldon Jones, pitches out of tight jams in the ninth and tenth innings for the win.Wally Westlake is stranded in the tenth after reaching Behrman for a leadoff triple.
  • Before the start of a series with theNew York Yankees, theChicago White Sox get rid ofComiskey Park's trick left-field fence. The five-footchicken wire barrier, erected to cut the distance by 20 feet, resulted in 11 home runs in eight games, but opponents hit seven of them. The AL will subsequently rule that fences cannot be moved more than once a season. The Yankees still win today, 7–5, to go 13–3.Tommy Henrich has the only homer, whileJohnny Lindell, Yankees left fielder, twice makes catches that would've cleared the wire fence.Allie Reynolds, with help fromJoe Page, is the winning pitcher.
  • At Cleveland,Bob Feller, making his first start since pitching two innings in the season opener and coming up with a sore shoulder, beats theBoston Red Sox 7–3. Cleveland scores six runs in the second inning, including a three-run home run byKen Keltner offJack Kramer. On the next pitch, rookieMinnie Miñoso, making his second start, hits his first major-league homer.Ted Williams andBobby Doerr hit 8th-inning homers for the Red Sox, whileJoe Gordon adds a homer in the 5th for Cleveland.
  • Two outfielders change clubs when theBoston Red Sox acquireAl Zarilla from theSt. Louis Browns forStan Spence and cash considerations.
• May 6 –Philadelphia Athletics pitcherBobby Shantz makes a sensational debut, tossing nine hitless innings in relief in a 13-inning 5–4 Athletics win over theDetroit Tigers. Shantz finally gives up two hits and a run in the 13th, but old-timerWally Moses, now back with the A's, saves him with a two-run home run in the bottom of the 13th.
• May 8:
  • AtShibe Park, theCincinnati Reds score five runs in the ninth inning to take a 7–3 lead, but thePhiladelphia Phillies tie to go into extra innings. Cincinnati then scores seven runs in the 12th to win 14–7.
  • Sam Breadon, owner of theSt. Louis Cardinals from 1920 to 1947, dies at age 72.Robert E. Hannegan, the man to whom Breadon sold the Redbirds, will himself pass away on October 6 at age 46.
• May 9:
  • AtTiger Stadium, theDetroit Tigers set back the first-placeNew York Yankees 4–1, behind the five-hit pitching ofTed Gray.Vic Raschi also allows just five hits, including a home run byDick Wakefield, in taking the loss.
  • The first-placeNew York Giants win their seventh game in a row as pitcherSheldon Jones stops theChicago Cubs 7–2. Aided by ten walks and home runs bySid Gordon andWillard Marshall, the Giants pin the loss on starterRalph Hamner, who allows one hit in three innings.
• May 10 – Southpaw knuckle-ballerMickey Haefner allows a first-inning single toLarry Doby, then holds Doby'sCleveland Indians hitless the rest of the way, as the visitingWashington Senators eke out a 1–0 road victory.^[4] Haefner's is the first of eight one-hitters this year in the majors.^[5]
• May 11 – TheBoston Red Sox release veteran right-handerDenny Galehouse. Only seven months before, the 37-year-old hurler had been managerJoe McCarthy's surprise, and controversial, selection as the Bosox' starting pitcher in the1948 American League tie-breaker game atFenway Park. Galehouse's poor three-inning stint doomed the Red Sox, who lost the 1948 AL pennant by dropping an 8–3 decision to theCleveland Indians. He makes two ineffective relief appearances for Boston in 1949 before today's release ends his MLB career.
• May 13 –Commissioner of BaseballHappy Chandler awards the contract of formerNegro leagues shortstopArtie Wilson to theNew York Yankees after the Bombers lodge a formal complaint over Wilson's signing with the rivalCleveland Indians. Although he's assigned toTriple-AOakland and never called to the Yankee varsity, Wilson becomes one of the first players to break the organization'scolor barrier. At Oakland, where he's the Oaks' only black player, he's befriended by 21-year-old second basemanBilly Martin, who offers to become Wilson's roommate.^[6][7]
• May 14 –Roy Sievers hits a home run and a double to drive in four runs, leading theSt. Louis Browns' 8–3 victory over theDetroit Tigers. Slick-fielding Detroit first basemanPaul Campbell ties a major league record by making two unassisted double plays. While with minor league Montreal in1941, Campbell started 26 DPs at first base.
• May 15:
  • In a doubleheader atComiskey Park,Chicago White Sox pitchersBill Wight andAl Gettel shut out theCleveland Indians, 10–0 and 2–0.
  • Boston Braves pitcherVern Bickford stops theBrooklyn Dodgers 4–0, allowing just four singles. One is byGil Hodges, extending his hitting streak to 17 games.Jim Russell switch-hits a home run and double to pin the loss onMorrie Martin. The Braves startAl Lakeman at first base in place ofEarl Torgeson, who separated his shoulder yesterday when he attempted to blockJackie Robinson on a double play. Torgeson will be operated on tomorrow and will be sidelined several months.
• May 16 – TheChicago Cubs receive infielderBob Ramazzotti from theBrooklyn Dodgers in exchange for infielderHank Schenz and $25,000.
• May 18 – TheBrooklyn Dodgers sendMarv Rackley to thePittsburgh Pirates for fellow outfielderJohnny Hopp and $25,000. The trade will be nullified June 7, with each player returning to his former organization.
• May 22 –Brooklyn pitcherDon Newcombe makes his first major league start a dandy, shutting out theCincinnati Reds 3–0 in the first game of a doubleheader atCrosley Field. It's the first shutout in an NL debut in 11 years and extends Brooklyn's win streak at Cincinnati to 19 games going back to June 1947. Newcombe gives up hits to the first two batters, then allows just three more hits while walking none. He drives in two runs as well. In the second game,Ken Raffensberger surpasses Newcombe by firing a one-hitter to beat the Dodgers, 2–0, tossing only 83 pitches. The only hit is a leadoff single byGil Hodges in the eighth inning. Raffensberger pitched two one-hitters against the Dodgers during the1948 season.
• May 24 – Striking out the last sixSt. Paul batters,Mickey McDermott ofTriple-ALouisville fans a total of 20 for a newAmerican Association record. Southpaw McDermott wins 3–1, striking out the side in the third, fifth, sixth, eighth and ninth innings.
• May 27 – TheCleveland Indians start the season so badly, 12–17, that ownerBill Veeck arranges a "Second Opening Day". Behind pitcherAl Benton, Cleveland make it a success, beating theChicago White Sox 4–0. The Indians do rise to second place, within 2½ games of the top, but they will finish third, eight games back.
• May 28 –White Sox rookie left fielderGus Zernial breaks his collarbone making a diving catch against theIndians. He will be out of action for two months. Cleveland pushes across a run in the ninth inning againstHowie Judson to take a 3–2 victory.Early Wynn is the winning pitcher.

• June 2 – AtShibe Park, thePhiladelphia Phillies hit five home runs during the same inning (the eighth) in a 12–3 victory over theCincinnati Reds, tying the major league mark set by the1939New York Giants.Andy Seminick belts two, whileDel Ennis,Willie Jones andSchoolboy Rowe have one each. Jones adds a triple asGranny Hamner's double jumps the extra bases total to 18, still a record. Seminick collects three homers overall.
• June 5 – CommissionerHappy Chandler lifts his1946 ban on all players who jumped to the Mexican League. OnlySal Maglie will make a significant mark after the exile.Lou Klein will be the first jumper to make a major-league box score, successfully pinch-hitting on June 16.
• June 6 – ThePittsburgh Pirates deal veteran right-handerKirby Higbe to theNew York Giants for pitcherRay Poat and infielderBobby Rhawn, reuniting the 34-year-old Higbe with his old manager inBrooklyn,Leo Durocher. The Pirates also lose pitcherBob Muncrief onwaivers to theChicago Cubs.
• June 9:
  • Philadelphia Athletics pitcherDick Fowler records nine putouts in a 12-inning 1–0 victory over theChicago White Sox.
  • Pennsylvania's two other MLB clubs, thePirates and thePhillies, go 18 innings atPhiladelphia'sShibe Park before the Phils eke out a 4–3 victory. Pittsburgh'sMurry Dickson is the hard-luck loser, allowing the winning tally after throwing 112⁄3 innings of shutout relief;Jim Konstanty, who holds the Bucs scoreless over nine full frames out of the Phillie bullpen, gets the win.
• June 12:
  • Frank Frisch, who began the season as coach with theNew York Giants, replacesCharlie Grimm as manager of the last-place (19–31)Chicago Cubs.
  • Gil Hodges hits agrand slam and collects eightRBI for theBrooklyn Dodgers in their 20–7 win over theCincinnati Reds.
• June 13:
  • The so-far disappointingBoston Red Sox (25–24 on the season) shake up their roster by sending left-handerMickey Harris and outfielderSam Mele to theWashington Senators for right-handerWalt Masterson.
  • In a trade of catchers, theNew York Giants sendWalker Cooper to theCincinnati Reds in exchange forRay Mueller.
• June 14:
  • Wally Westlakehits for the cycle in thePittsburgh Pirates' come-from-behind 4–3 win over theBoston Braves atForbes Field. A solid but unspectacular outfielder (oneAll-Star selection) over his ten-year MLB career, Westlake hits for the cycle for the second time in two years, the first man ever to achieve the feat twice. He completes his "cycle" with a ninth-inning double that drives in the Bucs' winning run.^[8] He is the first of three MLB players to hit for the cycle in 1949.^[5]
  • Following thePhillies 4–1 win over theChicago Cubs atWrigley Field, first basemanEddie Waitkus is shot byRuth Ann Steinhagen, an obsessed fan, at Chicago'sEdgewater Beach Hotel. The shooting occurs just before midnight. The bullet punctures Waitkus' lung and lodges near his heart. After undergoing four operations, he recovers enough to play the following season, but he is not the same ballplayer. At the time of the shooting, Waitkus was batting .304 and leading theall-star voting amongNational League first basemen. Waitkus' shooting serves as the inspiration for the "Roy Hobbs" character in theBernard Malamud novel,The Natural, and its subsequentfilm adaptation.
• June 15:
  • TheChicago Cubs make a consequential, all-outfielder trade, acquiringHank Sauer andFrankie Baumholtz from theCincinnati Reds forPeanuts Lowrey andHarry Walker. Sauer, 32, will transform from a struggling major-leaguer to a fearsome right-handed slugger—bashing 198 homers in 6½ seasons as a Cub mainstay, winning1952'sNational League MVP as co-home-run champion, making two All-Star teams, and becoming aWrigley Field favorite.
  • It's also a big day forHank's younger brother,Ed Sauer, 30, a reserve outfielder. TheSt. Louis Cardinals sell Ed's contract to thePittsburgh Pirates, who immediately trade him to theBoston Braves for catcherPhil Masi.
  • San Francisco Seals rookie outfielderDino Restelli joins thePittsburgh Pirates and hits seven home runs in his first 39 at-bats. He will finish with 12, hitting .250 in 72 games, and is out of the NL the next year.
• June 16 – TheBoston Braves bring up 19-year-oldDel Crandall fromEvansville of theClass BThree-I League and make him their regular catcher. Crandall will make 11National League All-Star teams and capture fourGold Glove Awards between1953 and1962.
• June 24 – TheBoston Red Sox pound theSt. Louis Browns for 25 hits in a 21–2 win.Ted Williams contributes sevenRBI to go along with two home runs, three runs scored, and a stolen base.
• June 25 –Gil Hodgeshits for the cycle, including two homers, and drives in four as theBrooklyn Dodgers humble thePittsburgh Pirates by afootball-like score of 17–10.Forbes Field fans witness their second "cycle" in 11 days. The teams combine for nine home runs, one shy of the record.^[5][9]
• June 26:
  • AtYankee Stadium,Pat Mullin of theDetroit Tigers hits three home runs in a Detroit 12–4 win over theNew York Yankees.
  • TheBrooklyn Dodgers continue to rake, knocking 22 hits (although only one is a homer) to down thePittsburgh Pirates, 15–3. The lone long ball belongs to Brooklyn'sCarl Furillo, who goes five for five, scores four times, and drives in four.

• June 28 – After missing the first 65 games of the season due to a bone spur in his right heel,Joe DiMaggio awakes in early June to find the pain in his heel has disappeared. DiMaggio returns to theYankee lineup with a home run and a single in a 5–4 win over theBoston Red Sox atFenway Park. The crowd of 36,228 is the largest for a night game in Fenway history. With the win, the first-place Yankees move 4½ games ahead of the second-placePhiladelphia Athletics and 6 games ahead of the third-place Red Sox. DiMaggio will hit four homers in a three-game sweep.
• June 29:
  • Mickey Owen andLuis Olmo rejoin theBrooklyn Dodgers from Mexican League exile. Owen is claimed offwaivers by theChicago Cubs on July 2 without appearing in a game for Brooklyn.
  • TheYankees come back from a seven-run deficit to defeat theRed Sox, 9–7.Joe DiMaggio belts two home runs in the win, a three-run shot in the fifth and a tie-breaking two-run blast in the eighth that provides the margin of victory.
• June 30 –Joe DiMaggio belts his fourth home run in three games, a three-run shot off the left field light tower atFenway Park. DiMaggio's home run powers theYankees to a 6–3 victory and a three-game sweep of theRed Sox. The Red Sox drop to fifth-place, 8 games behind the front-running Yankees.

• July 2 –Monte Kennedy of theNew York Giants shuts out theBrooklyn Dodgers, 16–0. Kennedy contributes a seventh-inninggrand slam to his cause. The 16-run margin sets a club record for biggest shutout win that would stand until 2000.
• July 3 – At thePolo Grounds,New York Giants pitcherMonte Kennedy hits agrand slam and shuts out theBrooklyn Dodgers 16–0.
• July 4:
  • AtEbbets Field, theBrooklyn Dodgers (44–28) increase theirNational League lead to two games over theSt. Louis Cardinals (42–30) by winning the holiday twin bill from thePhiladelphia Phillies, 7–1 and 8–4, while St. Louis divides with theChicago Cubs atWrigley Field.
  • In theAmerican League, the first-placeNew York Yankees and runner-upPhiladelphia Athletics each sweep their doubleheaders, enabling the 48–25 Yanks to maintain their 4½-game bulge over the 44–30 Mackmen. InThe Bronx, The Yankees take the first game, 3–2, and the rain-shortened second, 6–4. The sweep leaves the Red Sox 12 games behind the first-place Yankees. Meanwhile, atShibe Park, the Athletics take two from theWashington Senators, 9–7 and 8–0.
• July 6 –Cincinnati Reds catcherWalker Cooper, acquired recently from theGiants, ties a modern record with six hits in seven at-bats, including three home runs with 10RBI, and scores five times in a 23–4 victory over theChicago Cubs. Cincinnati's 26 hits and 23 runs scored are the most of any MLB club in a 1949 contest.^[10]
• July 7 –New York Giants pitcherDave Koslo hits the first two home runs of his career while beating thePhiladelphia Phillies 11–3 at thePolo Grounds.
• July 8:
  • Hank Thompson andMonte Irvin, called up three days earlier from Jersey City, become the first black players inGiants franchise history. Thompson starts at second base, and Irvin pinch-hits in the eighth inning. When Thompson steps in againstBrooklyn DodgerDon Newcombe, it is the first time in major league history that a black batter and pitcher have squared off.^[11] The Dodgers win the game, 4–3. Thompson was also the first black to play for theSt. Louis Browns in 1947, 12 days afterLarry Doby's AL debut with theCleveland Indians. The Giants are the fourth MLB franchise to break thebaseball color line.
  • A 16-inning affair between thePhillies andBraves ends at 1:01 a.m., becoming, to date, the latest-endingNational League game in history. The Braves win the game, 4–3.
• July 12 – TheAmerican League defeats theNational League, 11–7, in theAll-Star Game atEbbets Field. The NL commits five errors in the game. The contest is noteworthy for also being the first Midsummer Classic to feature black players:Jackie Robinson,Roy Campanella, andDon Newcombe of the National League, andLarry Doby of the American League.
• July 24 – TheSt. Louis Cardinals beat theBrooklyn Dodgers 14–1, to give St. Louis three straight victories atEbbets Field, as they take over the NL lead Brooklyn has held through most of the season.Stan Musialhits for the cycle and drives in four runs.^[5]
• July 26 –Philadelphia Athletics outfielderWally Moses gets his 2,000th career hit offJoe Ostrowski of theSt. Louis Browns in a 5–4 win.
• July 28:
  • A 12-for-25 run raisesJackie Robinson's NL-leading average to .364. He will win the batting title at a career-high .342 average.
  • Detroit Tigers pitcherDizzy Trout hits a ninth-inninggrand slam against theWashington Senators as the Tigers win 13–7 atGriffith Stadium.
• July 31 – AtCrosley Field,Sid Gordon of theNew York Giants blasts two home runs in the second inning of game two, as the Giants sweep theCincinnati Reds, 10–0 and 9–0, behind pitchersLarry Jansen andAdrián Zabala.

• August 3 –Boston Red Sox pitcherEllis Kinder strikes out 14 batters in a 9–3 win over theSt. Louis Browns. It is the most strikeouts by a Sox pitcher sinceSmoky Joe Wood struck out 15 in 1911.
• August 5 – TheChicago White Sox acquire Cuban pitcherLuis Alomá from theDetroit Tigers for Venezuelan rightyÁlejandro Carrasquel, one of theMexican League "exiles" recently reinstated byOrganized Baseball.
• August 6:
  • Luke Appling appears in his 2,154th game as a shortstop, surpassing the major league mark set byRabbit Maranville. Appling will finish his career with 2,218 games at shortshop.
  • Adrián Zabala sets aNational League record bybalking three times in theGiants' 3–1 win over theSt. Louis Cardinals. Despite the loss, the Cardinals remain 1/2 game ahead in theNational League by virtue of the second-placeBrooklyn Dodgers' loss to theCincinnati Reds.
• August 7 – In the first game of a doubleheader against theBrowns,Yankees catcherYogi Berra suffers a fractured thumb when he is hit by a pitch after hitting a three-run home run in his previous at bat. The injury will keep Berra out of the Yankee lineup until September. The Yankees win the game, 20–2.
• August 8 –Carl Furillo returns to the Dodgers' lineup after an injury and collects two hits and a run scored inBrooklyn's 2–1 win over the rivalGiants. The win keeps the Dodgers tied with theCardinals for first place. Furillo will hit .431 over the final eight weeks of the season and finish at .322, fourth best in the league.
• August 9 –Dominic DiMaggio's 34-gamehitting streak is on the line againstVic Raschi and theNew York Yankees. Hitless in his first four at-bats, DiMaggio hits a sinking line drive in the eighth inning that his brotherJoe catches at his shoetops. Nevertheless, Dom'sBoston Red Sox win 6–3, to move 5½ games behind the Yankees. Dom had started his streak after going hitless against Raschi.
• August 15 – Reports of clubhouse turmoil plague the defending National League championBoston Braves all season.^[12] ManagerBilly Southworth, who has battled personal tragedy andalcoholism for years, is rumored to be drinking again and some players are known to be contemptuous of him.^[13] Braves ownerLou Perini prevails on Southworth to take a leave of absence, and he departs today with his team at 55–54–2, in fourth place in the National League and 13½ games behind theBrooklyn Dodgers. Boston will recover briefly under coachJohnny Cooney but it finishes under .500 at season's end.
• August 17 – TheSt. Louis Cardinals move back into first place with a 4–3 win over theCincinnati Reds.
• August 21 – A barrage of bottles from theShibe Park stands—hurled to protest umpireGeorge Barr's decision over a trapped fly ball to PhillieRichie Ashburn—results in the first forfeiture in the major leagues in seven years. TheNew York Giants, who were ahead 4–2 with one out in the ninth today over thePhiladelphia Phillies when the forfeit is declared,^[14] gave one away in1942 when hordes of youngsters invaded thePolo Grounds field.
• August 22:
  • TheNew York Yankees acquire 36-year-old sluggerJohnny Mize from theNL Giants for $40,000. Mize, a future Hall of Famer (Class of 1981), smashed 51 homers in1947, 40 in1948, and 18 in 107 games so far this season. At the time, the Yankees' lead over the now second-place Boston Red Sox is down to 2½ games.
  • TheBoston Braves score two runs in the ninth inning to defeat theBrooklyn Dodgers, 7–6. One of the runs comes onEddie Stanky's first home run of the season. The loss is Brooklyn's sixth in seven games and drops the Dodgers two games behind the Cardinals.
• August 26:
  • In their 4–2 victory over the first-placeSt. Louis Cardinals today at thePolo Grounds, fourNew York Giants, including managerLeo Durocher, are ejected by umpiresLarry Goetz andLou Jorda.^[15]
  • With a doubleheader sweep of theWhite Sox, theRed Sox close to within 1½ games of theYankees. The Red Sox win the first game, 11–4, behindMel Parnell, who becomes the majors' first 20-game winner of the season, andTed Williams, who slams his 31st and 32nd home runs of the season. The Red Sox take the second game, 10–7.
• August 27 – FormerMexican League "jumpers"Max Lanier andFred Martin drop their $2.5 million suit against Major League Baseball.
• August 28 – In the first game of a doubleheader in Chicago,Tommy Henrich crashes into the wall while chasing aChuck Kress fly ball and fractures two vertebrae. The injury will sideline Henrich for three weeks. In the second game, the newly acquiredJohnny Mize dislocates his shoulder. With the exception of seven pinch-hit appearances, he will miss the rest of the regular season. The Yankees are also playing withoutYogi Berra, who fractured his thumb earlier in the month. Despite the injuries, the Yankees sweep the doubleheader by scores of 8–7 and 7–5.

• September 3 – InAmerican Association action,Columbus Red Birds pitcherCot Deal starts and completes a 20-inning game against theLouisville Colonels. In addition to winning the game and giving up one earned run during the 20 innings, Deal collects four hits in eight at-bats.
• September 4 – TheCardinals sweep a doubleheader against theReds, 6–4 and 11–2, to push their lead over theDodgers to 2½ games.
• September 5 – TheYankees sweep aLabor Day doubleheader atShibe Park against theAthletics.Joe DiMaggio hits agrand slam and drives in five runs in the Yankees' 13–4 win in the opener. The Yankees take the second game, which was shortened by darkness, 5–2. The Yankees lead over theRed Sox now stands at 1½ games.
• September 8 – In an 8–0 win over theChicago Cubs,Red Schoendienst steals theSt. Louis Cardinals' 17th and final base of the season, setting a major league record for fewest steals in a season.
• September 9:
  • Despite terrorizing the NL with his bat and baserunning during the season,Jackie Robinson is picked off base byDave Koslo, the fourth time this yearNew York Giants pitchers have nabbed him.
  • AtYankee Stadium,Ellis Kinder wins his 19th game of the season as theRed Sox pound the Yankees, 7–1, cutting the Yankees' lead in theAmerican League to 1½ games.
• September 10 –Stan Musial's two-out, two-run home run in the top of the ninth gives theCardinals a 6–5 win over theCincinnati Reds, which maintains St. Louis' one-game lead in theNational League.
• September 11:
  • TheWashington Senators set a major league record for the mostbase on balls in an inning by surrendering 11 in the third inning during a 20–5 rout at the hands of theNew York Yankees.^[16]
  • Stan Musial blasts three home runs as the Cardinals sweep a doubleheader from theCincinnati Reds, 7–5 and 7–4, to extend their lead over theDodgers to 1½ games.
• September 13 –Ralph Kiner ties a major league record held by six players with his 4thgrand slam of the season. In thePirates' 11–6 win over thePhiladelphia Phillies, Kiner hits 2 home runs and drives in 6 runs. The 2 home runs come in his first 2 at-bats of the game. Kiner had homered in his final 2 at-bats in yesterday's game, making it 4 home runs in 4 consecutive at-bats over 2 games. It is the 2nd time in his career that Kiner has accomplished the feat, having previously done so in 1947. Kiner's 1949 total will include 25 on the road, 29 atForbes Field, 14 of them in the bullpen enclosure still known as Greenberg Gardens.
• September 14 –Ellis Kinder wins his 20th game of the season, shutting out theDetroit Tigers, 1–0, atFenway Park. It is also Kinder's 10th consecutive win. Kinder joins teammateMel Parnell as a 20-game winner. It is the last time this century that theRed Sox will feature a pair of 20-game winners.
• September 15 – VeteranPittsburgh Pirates pitcherTiny Bonham dies following an appendectomy and stomach surgery at the age of 36, just 18 days after his last pitching performance, an 8–2 victory over thePhiladelphia Phillies. His widow, Ruth, will receive the first benefits under the players pension plan, $90 a month for 10 years.
• September 18 – The injury-plaguedYankees receive another blow whenJoe DiMaggio is stricken withpneumonia. Without DiMaggio, the Yankee still top theIndians, 7–3, atCleveland Municipal Stadium. TheRed Sox, however, keep pace with an 11–5 rout of the visitingWhite Sox to remain 2½ games behind the Yanks.Ted Williams hits his 39th and 40th home runs of the season and drives in 6 runs, giving him 153RBI for the season. TeammateVern Stephens also hits his 40th home run and drives in his 150th run.
• September 19:
  • TheYankees stretch their lead of the idleRed Sox to 3 games with a 6–0 blanking of theIndians.
  • Ralph Kiner hits his 50th home run of the season, but thePirates fall to theGiants, 6–4, in extra-innings.
• September 20 –Jackie Robinson steals home in a 5–0Brooklyn Dodgers victory against theChicago Cubs. It is his fifth steal of home this year and the 13th in his three years in the NL. That is the most in the majors sinceBen Chapman stole his 15th and last in 1940, his 11th season.
• September 21:
  • TheYankees squander an 8–1 lead atYankee Stadium and fall to theChicago White Sox, 9–8. Coupled with theRed Sox' 9–6 victory over theIndians, the Yankees lead shrinks to 2 games.
  • TheCardinals andDodgers split a doubleheader atSportsman's Park, leaving the Cards in front by 1½ games. The Cards take the first game, 1–0, while the Dodgers answered back with a 5–0 win in the second.
• September 22 – TheDodgers amass 19 hits and 13 walks in a 19–6 rout of the hostCardinals, bringing the Bums to within a 1/2 game of first-place.Carl Furillo has 7RBI for Brooklyn. In a losing effort,Stan Musial hits his 32nd home run of the season—his 21st against lefties, a major league record for a left-handed batter that will later be matched byKen Griffey Jr. in 1996 and 1998.
• September 24:
  • Bob Elliott hits three consecutive home runs in theBoston Braves' 6–4 win over theNew York Giants at thePolo Grounds.Warren Spahn wins his 20th game, becoming the firstNational League pitcher this season to do so. For the decade, Elliot collects a league-best 903RBI.
  • AtFenway Park,Ellis Kinder pitches a six-hit shutout andTed Williams lines his 42nd home run to beat theNew York Yankees 2–0 and pull the Red Sox one game behind New York. Kinder wins his 13th straight game, is 15–1 at Fenway this season, and moves to 4–0 on the season against the Yankees.
• September 25:
  • At their final home game, theCardinals win 6–1 over theCubs on the Cardinals' final game. Coupled with theDodgers' 5–3 loss to thePhillies, the Cardinals end the day with a 1½ game lead in theNational League. The Cardinals held first place for two months to this point.
  • Despite 71 injuries that kept players out of games,Casey Stengel and hisNew York Yankees have been in first place all season. But today theBoston Red Sox move into a tie for first place with a 4–1 victory overAllie Reynolds.Ted Williams hits his 43rd home run, andMel Parnell wins his 25th game of the season. Parnell is 16–3 atFenway Park this year.Joe DiMaggio listens to the game from a hospital, bedridden with pneumonia. The Yankees return to New York and are greeted at Grand Central Station by a huge crowd of fans, includingMrs. Babe Ruth, who predicts, "Whoever wins tomorrow should go all the way."
• September 26 – Before 67,634 atYankee Stadium, theRed Sox come away with a 7–6 win and move into sole possession of first place whenJohnny Pesky scores on a disputedsqueeze play. The Sox rally from a 6–3 deficit by scoring four runs in the eighth. The winning run scores whenBobby Doerr drops a surprise squeeze bunt in front ofTommy Henrich, playing first base, and Pesky slides under the catcher's tag at home plate. Umpire Bill Grieve calls Pesky safe, andCasey Stengel is fined for a post-game confrontation with the ump. Now ahead by one game, the Sox depart for a three-game set in Washington before going back to New York for a final two-game showdown against the Yankees.
• September 27:
  • TheBoston Red Sox, winners of 16 out of the last 19 with theSenators, take the opener atGriffith Stadium 6–4, maintaining a one game lead on theYankees, who also won their game, asVic Raschi won his 20th game of the season, defeating theAtheltics, 3–1.
  • TheCardinals fall to thePirates, 6–4, cutting their lead over the idleDodgers to 1 game.
• September 28:
  • FacingRay Scarborough, theSenators' top pitcher, theBoston Red Sox take a 1–0 lead into the ninth inning only to have the Senators tie it up.Mel Parnell, in relief for Boston, bounces a curve ballwild pitch past catcherBirdie Tebbetts, and the winning run scores from third base.
  • TheNew York Yankees, taking two out of three games from thePhiladelphia Athletics with a seesaw battle against the A's, 7–5, stay one game behind theBoston Red Sox with two games left.Joe DiMaggio, down 18 pounds from his bout withpneumonia, takes batting practice for the Yankees.
  • Called up fromTriple-AToronto in mid-September, outfielderEd Sanicki of thePhiladelphia Phillies gets his third hit of the season. All three are home runs. On September 14, Sanicki had homered with two men on his first big-league at bat, againstRip Sewell of thePittsburgh Pirates.
• September 29 – TheSt. Louis Cardinals lose 7–2 to former RedbirdMurry Dickson, now with thePittsburgh Pirates, following aRed Munger defeat. It is Dickson's 5th win of the season against his former team. Meanwhile, theDodgers sweep a doubleheader against theBraves, 9–2 and 8–0, moving them ahead of the Cardinals by a1⁄2 game in theNational League.
• September 30:
  • TheBoston Red Sox outlast theWashington Senators 11–9 to move intoNew York for the showdown for the AL pennant, as the Yankees are defeated byDick Fowler and theA's, 4–1. Aided by 14 walks, the Sox win the game despite being outhit by the Senators, 18–5.
  • Ralph Kiner hits his 54th home run, his 16th in September, as thePittsburgh Pirates beatHerm Wehmeier and theCincinnati Reds 3–2. Kiner's monthly total eclipsesCy Williams' 1923 NL mark.

• October 1:
  • Joe DiMaggio returns to the lineup after his weeks-long bout withpneumonia. TheBoston Red Sox, needing to win just 1 of their final 2 games atYankee Stadium to clinch thepennant, squander a 4–0 lead and fall to theNew York Yankees, 5–4. DiMaggio scores the first run of the game andJohnny Lindell's home run provides the winning margin. The Yankees and Red Sox find themselves deadlocked atop theAmerican League with a winner-take-all showdown set for the final day of the season.
  • TheBrooklyn Dodgers, now ahead by a game in theNational League, lose to thePhiladelphia Phillies, 6–4. TheSt. Louis Cardinals, however, lose to theChicago Cubs, 3–1, preserving the Dodgers' 1-game lead.
  • Alex Kellner become the first 20 game winner for thePhiladelphia Athletics sinceLefty Grove in 1933. However, Kellner has a reversal of fortunes the next season and loses 20 games.^[17]
• October 2:
  • A crowd of 70,000 packsYankee Stadium to see theYankees andRed Sox square off on the final day of the season with theAmerican League pennant hanging in the balance.Phil Rizzuto scores the game's first run after tripling in the 1st.Vic Raschi nurses the 1–0 lead and duelsEllis Kinder into the 8th inning when the Yankees bust out and plate 4 runs off relieversMel Parnell andTex Hughson. The Red Sox rally for 3 in the 9th, but it's not enough, as the Yankees win the game, 5–3, and their pennant since1921. It's the first title of the ten that managerCasey Stengel will oversee through1960.Ted Williams is hitless in 2 official at-bats and goes 1 for 12 over the final four games of the season, enablingGeorge Kell of theTigers to edge Williams for the batting title, .3429 to .3427.
  • The National League pennant also on the line between theBrooklyn Dodgers andSt. Louis Cardinals, though in two different games. AtShibe Park in Philadelphia, thePhillies shellDon Newcombe and tie the Dodgers, 7–7, in the 6th. The game heads to extra-innings, where the Dodgers score two runs in the top of the tenth inning on singles byDuke Snider andLuis Olmo, andJack Banta completes a heroic, 41⁄3-inning shutout relief performance, to defeat thePhiladelphia Phillies, 9–7. The Dodgers preserve their one-game lead over the runner-up Cardinals, who also triumph today, 13–5 over theChicago Cubs. For the Dodgers, it's their fifthNL title of the modern, post-1901 era.
• October 4 – Off-the-field, the NL championBrooklyn Dodgers continue to deal away minor-league assets, sendingTriple-AMontreal outfielderSam Jethroe, along withBob Addis, to theBoston Braves for three marginal players. Earlier, Brooklyn had sold Triple-AHollywood outfielderIrv Noren to theWashington Senators for $50,000, and this month they'll send third base prospectDanny O'Connell to thePittsburgh Pirates for $50,000 and a minor-league infielder. Jethroe, Noren and O'Connell will go on to noteworthy MLB careers.
• October 7 – "Organized Baseball" reaches a settlement withDanny Gardella, the defiant formerNew York Giant outfielder who was the first U.S. player to "jump" to theMexican League in1946, was suspended for five years, then sued in federal court to have thereserve clause overturned in October 1947. Today, Gardella agrees to drop that suit in exchange for a cash payment, and is signed by theSt. Louis Cardinals as a free agent. He will appear in one game for the1950 Cardinals before going to theminor leagues.^[18]
• October 9 – TheNew York Yankees defeat theBrooklyn Dodgers, 10–6, in Game 5 of theWorld Series, to win their 12thworld championship, four games to one. This is the second time in three years that the Yankees have bested the Dodgers in the Fall Classic, and represents the first of an unprecedented five straight World Series titles for the "Bronx Bombers".
• October 11 – TheWorld Series gets underway atYankee Stadium. TheNew York Yankees andAllie Reynolds beat theBrooklyn Dodgers, 1–0, onTommy Henrich's home run in the bottom of the 9th offDon Newcombe. Newcombe had struck out 11 and walked none before Henrich's blast. Henrich's shot is the first game-ending home run in World Series history.
• October 12 – TheDodgers even the Series at 1–1 with a 1–0 win behindPreacher Roe.Gil Hodges' single in the 2nd drives inJackie Robinson for the game's only run.
• October 13 – With both the Series and game deadlocked at 1–1, the Yankees score 3 runs in the top of the 9th inning atEbbets Field. The Dodgers answer with 2 runs in the bottom of the frame, but the Yankees hold on to win, 4–3, and take a 2–1 lead in the Series.
• October 15:
  • The Yankees down the Dodgers 10–6 atEbbets Field to win theWorld Series in 5 games. It is the franchise's 12th World Series title. Pinch hitterBobby Brown drives in 5 runs for the Yankees.Joe Page wins theBabe Ruth Award for the Series.
  • TheOakland Oaks of thePacific Coast League sell the contracts of two young players, second basemanBilly Martin, 21, and outfielderJackie Jensen, 22, to theNew York Yankees; the Oaks also get a"player to be named later", catcherEddie Malone. The fiery Martin will become a Yankee legend as a player and manager; Jensen, a future (1958)AL Most Valuable Player and three-timeRBI champ, will find stardom after he's traded away in May 1952.
• October 19:
  • Three weeks after acquiring VenezuelanshortstopAlfonso "Chico" Carrasquel from theBrooklyn Dodgers' organization for two minor leaguers and cash consideration‚ theChicago White Sox stealsecond basemanNellie Fox from thePhiladelphia Athletics in exchange for backupcatcherJoe Tipton. For the next six seasons, Carrasquel and Fox will form the ChiSox'double play combination and the team regains its winning ways in 1951.
  • Bucky Harris becomes the first manager to be hired a third time by the same team when he succeedsJoe Kuhel as skipper of theWashington Senators. Harris, 52, previously helmed the Senators from 1924–1928 (winning the1924 World Series and1925 AL pennant) and 1935–1942. More recently, Harris had won aWorld Series (1947) and finished third with a 94–60 record (1948) as pilot of theNew York Yankees. Under Kuhel, Washington plummeted into last place in the Junior Circuit in 1949, losing 104 games.
• October 23 –Luke Sewell, who served as acting manager of theCincinnati Reds for the last three games of the 1949 season whenBucky Walters was released, is named Cincinnati's full-fledged skipper for 1950. A former standout American League catcher, Sewell, 48, is known as the man who managed the1944 St. Louis Browns to the only AL pennant they have ever won in their history.

• October 26 – After his disgruntled players had voted skipperBilly Southworth, a futureHall-of-Fame manager, only a half-share of theBoston Braves' fourth-place World Series money,CommissionerHappy Chandler steps in to restore Southworth's full amount due.^[19] Suffering from stress and rumored to be battling a drinking problem, Southworth took a leave of absence for the last 45 games of the 1949 season. He will return to the Braves' helm in 1950.

• November 18 –Brooklyn Dodgers infielderJackie Robinson, who hit 16 home runs with 124 RBI and led the National League with a .342 batting average, becomes the first African American to win the Most Valuable Player Award.Stan Musial,Ralph Kiner, and teammatePee Wee Reese are the runners-up.
• November 21 –Bill Veeck sells theCleveland Indians for $2.2 million to a local syndicate headed byEllis Ryan.Hank Greenberg will be the new general manager.
• November 25 –Boston Red Sox left fielderTed Williams, who lost the Triple Crown when his batting average was .0002 below that ofGeorge Kell, wins the American League MVP Award with 13 of 22 first place votes, with the rest of the votes going toPhil Rizzuto (5),Joe Page (3) andMel Parnell (1).
• November 26 – In Japanese baseball, theCentral League is joined by thePacific League.

• December 1 – Attendance in major league parks drops by 24% to 20.2 million fans in 1949, down from 20.9 million in 1948. TheNew York Yankees (2.28 million) andCleveland Indians (2.23 million) lead the way, but theSt. Louis Browns fall to 270,396, 16th and last in MLB.^[20]
• December 6 – TheNew York Yankees release outfielderCharlie Keller, 33, a five-timeAmerican League All-Star and 5xWorld Series champion during his 11 years in pinstripes. Keller will sign with theDetroit Tigers as a free agent on December 28.
• December 13 – Seeking to add talent to a winning, 81–73 team and give 86-year-old managerConnie Mack "one last pennant" in his 50th year at the helm, thePhiladelphia Athletics send third basemanFrankie Gustine, shortstopBilly DeMars, outfielderRay Coleman, a minor leaguer, and an astronomical (for them) $100,000 to theSt. Louis Browns forAll-Star third basemanBob Dillinger and outfielderPaul Lehner. Dillinger is a .309 lifetime hitter and three-time AL stolen base champion, but his indifferent defense has tarnished his reputation. His stay in Philadelphia will last only 84 games in1950 before he'swaived, and his acquisition will be deemed an expensive blunder.^[21]
• December 14:
  • After prolonged rumors and denials, theNew York Giants make a momentous trade with theBoston Braves, acquiring shortstop and1948National League Rookie of the YearAlvin Dark, 27, and sparkplug veteran second basemanEddie Stanky, 34, from Boston for pitcherRed Webb, shortstopBuddy Kerr, and hard-hitting outfieldersSid Gordon andWillard Marshall.^[22] Dark and Stanky are both critics of the Braves' veteran manager,Billy Southworth;^[12] but, while the trade is first seen as an "impulsive mistake" on the part of the Giants, the two infielders will contribute to theirfirst-division finish in1950 andNL pennant in1951. The Braves, meanwhile, are stripped of their double-play combination, and only Gordon contributes meaningfully to their early 1950s teams.^[23]
  • TheChicago White Sox trade relief specialistEd Klieman to thePhiladelphia Athletics for third basemanHank Majeski. Klieman led the American League insaves in1947 with 17 as a member of theCleveland Indians.
  • TheSt. Louis Cardinals reacquire outfielder and formerNational Leaguebatting champHarry Walker, most recently with theCincinnati Reds, for second basemanLou Klein (just returned fromMexican League exile and subsequent suspension) and outfielderRon Northey.
  • TheDetroit Tigers send right-handerLou Kretlow and $100,000 to theSt. Louis Browns for second basemanJerry Priddy. The following day, the Browns claim left-handerStubby Overmire on waivers from the Tigers.
  • TheBoston Braves trade pitcherBill Voiselle to theChicago Cubs for infielderGene Mauch.
• December 17 – TheNew York Yankees acquire outfielderDick Wakefield, an erstwhileAmerican League All-Star, from theDetroit Tigers for first basemanDick Kryhoski.
• December 24 – Making a deal on Christmas Eve, theBoston Braves trade outfieldersJim Russell andEd Sauer, plus cash, to theBrooklyn Dodgers for outfielderLuis Olmo.

• Take Me Out to the Ball Game
• The Stratton Story
• It Happens Every Spring
• The Kid from Cleveland

• January 3:
  • Ike Brookens
  • Gary Lavelle
• January 4 –Dennis Saunders
• January 8 –Wilbur Howard
• January 13:
  • Mike Buskey
  • Jim Foor
• January 15:
  • Luis Alvarado
  • Bobby Grich
• January 19 –Ramón de los Santos
• January 22 –Mike Caldwell
• January 29 –Jim Tyrone
• January 31:
  • Mark Ballinger
  • Fred Kendall
  • Jim Willoughby

• February 3 –Bake McBride
• February 4 –Steve Brye
• February 6 –Richie Zisk
• February 9:
  • John Andrews
  • John Young
• February 11 –Ben Oglivie
• February 12:
  • Ray Corbin
  • Enzo Hernández
  • Lenny Randle
• February 14 –Larry Fritz
• February 16 –Bob Didier
• February 18:
  • John Mayberry
  • Jerry Morales
• February 27 –John Wockenfuss
• February 28 –Jim Kremmel

• March 3 –Jesse Jefferson
• March 8 –Juan Jiménez
• March 13 –Dennis O'Toole
• March 15 –Jim Kern
• March 21 –Don Durham
• March 22 –Terry Wilshusen
• March 23 –Jim Geddes
• March 26 –Roger Hambright
• March 28 –Frank Snook
• March 30 –Terry Cox

• April 8 –Mac Scarce
• April 9 –Sam Ewing
• April 10:
  • Tom Lundstedt
  • Pete Varney
• April 15 –Ray Bare
• April 23 –Bob O'Brien
• April 26 –Bruce Ellingsen
• April 27 –Greg Kosc
• April 30 –Phil Garner

• May 2 –Steve Grilli
• May 4 –Pat Osburn
• May 11 –Jerry Martin
• May 13 –Terry Hughes
• May 15 –Steve Dunning
• May 16 –Rick Reuschel
• May 18 –Chris Ward
• May 22 –Mike Eden
• May 26 –Ed Crosby
• May 27 –Terry Collins

• June 2 –Jack Pierce
• June 6 –Jim Deidel
• June 15 –Dusty Baker
• June 16 –Bob Rauch
• June 17 –Brian Ostrosser
• June 18 –Dave Schneck
• June 19 –Jerry Reuss
• June 22:
  • Ron Hodges
  • Dave Tomlin
• June 23 –Dave Goltz
• June 28 –Don Baylor

• July 7 –Tim Nordbrook
• July 9 –Steve Luebber
• July 11:
  • Jack Heidemann
  • Stan Thomas
• July 17 –Herb Hutson
• July 19 –Gene Locklear
• July 21 –Al Hrabosky
• July 22 –Tim Johnson
• July 25 –Santiago Guzmán
• July 26 –David Vincent
• July 28 –Vida Blue
• July 31 –Jay Schlueter

• August 4 –Terry Humphrey
• August 6 –Mike Reinbach
• August 9 –Ted Simmons
• August 10:
  • Tom Brown
  • Jimmy McMath
• August 11 –Luis Meléndez
• August 13 –Andre Thornton
• August 18 –Charlie Hudson
• August 19 –Paul Mitchell
• August 22 –Doug Bair
• August 25 –Bob Babcock

• September 1:
  • Gary Ignasiak
  • Garry Maddox
• September 4 –Paul Jata
• September 6 –Mike Thompson
• September 9 –Reggie Sanders
• September 13:
  • Rick Dempsey
  • Jim Obradovich
• September 15:
  • Don Carrithers
  • Dave Pagan
• September 16:
  • Mike Garman
  • Roger Moret
• September 24 –Don Kirkwood
• September 27 –Mike Schmidt
• September 28 –Mario Guerrero
• September 29 –Steve Busby
• September 30 –Ike Blessitt

• October 2 –Greg Pryor
• October 3:
  • Jim Breazeale
  • Steve Foucault
• October 4 –John Wathan
• October 5 –Danny Fife
• October 8 –Enos Cabell
• October 9 –Steve Palermo
• October 10:
  • Larry Lintz
  • Rob Sperring
• October 11 –Bobby Jones
• October 16 –Don Hood
• October 18:
  • Ed Farmer
  • George Hendrick
• October 21 –Skip James
• October 23 –Greg Thayer
• October 26:
  • Mike Hargrove
  • Steve Rogers
• October 27 –Jim Burton

• November 16 –Leon Brown
• November 20 –Ron Cash
• November 22 –Rich Chiles
• November 28 –Dave Augustine

• December 2 –Jay Kleven
• December 11 –Craig Caskey
• December 14 –Bill Buckner
• December 20:
  • Cecil Cooper
  • Oscar Gamble
• December 21 –Larry Bradford
• December 24 –Frank Taveras
• December 27 –Chico Escárrega
• December 28 –John Milner

• January 1 –Hans Rasmussen, 53, pitcher who played for theChicago Whales during the 1915 season.
• January 4 –Joe Evers, 57, pinch-runner who appeared in just one game for the 1913 New York Giants.
• January 9 –Harry McIntire, 69, pitcher who played from 1905 through 13 for the Brooklyn Superbas, Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds, who posted a 13-9 record with a 3.07 ERA and 10 complete games in 1910, to help Chicago win the1910 National League pennant.
• January 21 –Russ Ennis, 51, catcher who played for the Washington Senators in the 1926 season.
• January 23 –Walt Herrell, 69, pitcher for the 1911 Washington Senators.
• January 26 −Hugh Bradley, 63, first baseman who played for the Boston Red Sox, Pittsburgh Rebels, Brooklyn Tip-Tops and Newark Pepper in a span of four seasons from 1910 to 1915, including the1912 World Champion Red Sox.
• January 28 –Frank Naleway, 46, shortstop who played with the Chicago White Sox in 1924.

• February 4 –Pat Martin, 54, pitcher who played for the Philadelphia Athletics in the 1920 season.
• February 8 –John Carden, 27, pitcher for the 1946 New York Giants.
• February 10 –Johnny Bates, 66, outfielder who played from 1906 to 1914 for the Boston Beaneaters, Boston Doves, Philadelphia Phillies, Cincinnati Reds, Chicago Cubs and Baltimore Terrapins, as well is a member of the select list of players whohit a home run in their first MLB at bat.
• February 15 –Tommy Raub, 78, backup catcher who played for the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals in part of two seasons spanning 1903–1906.
• February 18 –Marty O'Toole, 60, pitcher who played with the Cincinnati Reds, Pittsburgh Pirates and New York Giants in a span of five seasons from 1908 to 1914.
• February 20 –Norm Baker, 85, who pitched for the Pittsburgh Alleghenys, Louisville Colonels and Baltimore Orioles of the National League in three seasons between 1883 and 1890.
• February 24 –Ted Scheffler, 84, outfielder who played in 1888 with the Detroit Wolverines and for the Rochester Broncos in 1890.

• March 11 –Eric McNair, 39, shortstop who played with the Philadelphia Athletics, Boston Red Sox, Chicago White Sox and Detroit Tigers during 14 seasons from 1929 to 1942, was a member of the1930 World Series champion Athletics, led the American League in doubles with 47 in 1932, and also was a member of a 1934 All-American team that toured China, Japan and the Philippines, playing against teams in those countries.^[24]
• March 15 –Bill Cissell, 45, middle infielder who played for the Chicago White Sox, Cleveland Indians, Boston Red Sox, Philadelphia Athletics and New York Giants during 10 seasons spanning 1928–1938.
• March 18 –Rudy Sommers, 61, pitcher who played for the Chicago Cubs, Brooklyn Tip-Tops and Boston Red Sox over four seasons between 1912 and 1927.
• March 19 –Truck Eagan, 71, part-time infielder for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Cleveland Blues in the 1901 season.
• March 22 –Jake Livingstone, 69, Russian pitcher who played in 1901 with the New York Giants.
• March 25 –Jim Riley, 62, outfielder who appeared in just one game with the Boston Doves in 1910.
• March 26 –Mike Jacobs, 72, shortstop who played five games for the Chicago Orphans in 1902.
• March 27 –Frank Gleich, 55, backup outfielder for the 1919–1920 New York Yankees
• March 30 –Bill Bernhard, 78, one of the first pitchers to jump from the National League to the American League, who posted a combined record of 116–82 with a 3.04earned run average in 231 games for the Philadelphia Phillies, Philadelphia Athletics and the Cleveland Bronchos/Naps from 1899 to 1907, including 23 wins and a 2.13 ERA for Cleveland in the 1904 season.

• April 4 –George Suggs, 66, pitcher whose career spanned from 1908 through 1915, compiling a 99–91 record with a 3.11 ERA in 245 games with the Detroit Tigers, Cincinnati Reds and Baltimore Terrapins, including 20 wins in 1910 and 24 in 1914.
• April 6 –Gene Madden, 59, who appeared as a pinch-hitter in one game for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1916.
• April 11 –Joe Buskey, 46, shortstop for the 1926 Philadelphia Phillies.
• April 20 –John Murphy, 69, backup infielder who played from 1902 to 1903 for the St. Louis Cardinals and Detroit Tigers.
• April 21 –Harry Morelock, 79, shortstop for the Philadelphia Phillies in the 1891 and 1892 seasons.
• April 28 –Clay Touchstone, 46, pitcher who played for the Boston Braves and Chicago White Sox over parts of three seasons between 1928 and 1945.

• May 6:
  • Charlie Hallstrom, 85, one of four big leaguers to have been born in Sweden. who pitched in just one game for the Providence Grays during the 1885 National League season.
  • Speed Kelly, 64, third baseman who played for the Washington Senators in 1909.
• May 7 –James Durham, 67, pitcher for the Chicago White Sox in 1902.
• May 8 –Sam Breadon, 72, owner of the St. Louis Cardinals from 1920 to 1947.
• May 14 –Mike Kahoe, 75, one of the first catchers to wearshin guards, who played for the Cincinnati Reds, Chicago Orphans, St. Louis Browns, Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs and Washington Senators in 10 seasons from 1895 to 1909.
• May 17 –Bill Swarback, 81, for the 1887 New York Giants.
• May 24 –Joe Callahan, 32, pitcher who played for the Boston Bees in the 1939 to 1940 seasons.
• May 27 –Jim Canavan, 82, who played some outfield and infield utility positions with the Cincinnati Kelly's Killers, Milwaukee Brewers, Chicago Colts, Cincinnati Reds and Brooklyn Bridegrooms in a span of five seasons from 1891 to 1897.
• May 29 –Doc Scanlan, 68, who pitched with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Brooklyn Superbas/Dodgers during seven seasons between 1903 and 1911.

• June 7 –Hi Bell, 51, pitcher who played for the St. Louis Cardinals and New York Giants in a span of eight seasons from 1924 to 1934, as well as a member of the Cardinals teams that won the World Series in1926 and1933 and the National League pennant in1930.
• June 11 –R. R. M. Carpenter, 71, co-owner (with hisson) of the Philadelphia Phillies from November 23, 1943 until his death.
• June 12 –Oliver Marcell, 53, African-American third baseman for a number of teams around the Negro leagues from 1918 through 1931, also a top-class hitter whose defensive skills took center stage by comparison.^[25]
• June 14 –Charley Moran, 71, who gained renown as both a catcher and umpire in Major League Baseball and as a collegiate and professional American football coach, while playing for the St. Louis Cardinals, umpiring in the National League from 1918 to 1939, working in four World Series, and coaching football at several colleges.
• June 15:
  • Nig Clarke, 66, Canadian catcher who played with the Detroit Tigers, Cleveland Naps, St. Louis Browns, Philadelphia Phillies and Pittsburgh Pirates over part of nine seasons between 1905 and 1920.
  • Jim Buchanan, pitcher for the 1905 St. Louis Browns of the American League.
• June 16 –Jim Cook, 69, outfielder who played with the Chicago Cubs in the 1903 season.
• June 16 –Jerry Kane, 87, backup catcher for the 1890 St. Louis Browns of the National League.
• June 23 –John Godar, 84, outfielder for the 1892 Baltimore Orioles of the National League.
• June 25 –Buck Freeman, 77, outfielder for the Washington Statesmen/Senators, Boston Beaneaters and Boston Americans in 10 seasons between 1891 and 1907, who led both the National League and American League in home runs, twice topped the American League in RBI, batted a .300 average four times, and was a member of the1903 World Champion Boston Americans.^[26]

• July 6 –Ike Caveney, 54, shortstop who played with the Cincinnati Reds from 1922 to 1925, and later became aplayer-manager for the PCLSan Francisco Seals from 1932 to 1934.
• July 10 –Red Downey, 60, outfielder for the 1909 Brooklyn Superbas of the National League.
• July 17 –Jack Slattery, 71, backup catcher who played for the Boston Americans, Cleveland Naps, Chicago White Sox, St. Louis Cardinals and Washington Senators in parts of four seasons from 1901 to 1909, and later managed the Boston Braves in 1928.
• July 23 –John Anderson, 75, outfielder and first baseman and the first of only three big leaguers to have been born inNorway, who played for six teams in a 14 season-career between 1894 and 1908,slashing .290/.329/.405 through 1,636 games, while leading the National League with 22triples and a .494slugging average in 1898 and the American League with 39stolen bases in 1906.

• August 22 –Chief Zimmer, 88, catcher for 19 seasons, 13 with the Cleveland Spiders, batted .300 four times.
• August 25 –Mule Watson, 52, who pitched from 1918 through 1924 for the Philadelphia Athletics, Boston Braves, Pittsburgh Pirates and New York Giants, as well as the last pitcher in Major League Baseball history tostart both games of adoubleheader twice in the same season.^[27]

• September 1 –Larry McClure, 64, outfielder for the 1910 New York Highlanders.
• September 9:
  • Len Madden, 59, pitcher for the 1912 Chicago Cubs.
  • Hal Neubauer, 47, pitcher who played for the 1925 Boston Red Sox.
• September 12 –Sherry Smith, 58, pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Brooklyn Robins and Cleveland Indians in a span of 14 season from 1911 to 1927, who is best known as the hard-luck loser in a pitching duel againstBabe Ruth of the Boston Red Sox in the longest World Series game ever played —14 innings in 1916 — when gave up an-out,RBI-single toDel Gainer that allowedMike McNally to score the winning run in the eventual 2-1 loss.^[28]
• September 13 –Tim Jordan, 70, first baseman for the Washington Senators, New York Highlanders and Brooklyn Superbas over parts of ten seasons from 1901 to 1910, who led the National League in home runs in 1906 and 1908.
• September 14 –Billy Martin, 75, shortstop for the Boston Braves in the 1914 season.
• September 15:
  • Heinie Beckendorf, 65, catcher who played with the Detroit Tigers from 1909 to 1910 and for the Washington Senators in 1910.
  • Tiny Bonham, 36, All-Star pitcher who played for the New York Yankees and Pittsburgh Pirates during 10 seasons between 1940 and 1949; member of Yankees teams that won World Series titles in1941 and1943; died following anappendectomy, just 18 days after his final pitching performance, an 8–2 win over thePhiladelphia Phillies.
• September 18:
  • Roger Denzer, 77, pitcher who played with the Chicago Colts in 1897 and for the New York Giants in 1901.
  • Charlie Malay, 70, second baseman for the 1905 Brooklyn Superbas.
• September 21 –Buck Danner, 58, shortstop who played for the Philadelphia Athletics during the 1915 season.
• September 22 –Matty Fitzgerald, 69, catcher who played from 1906 to 1907 for the New York Giants.

• October 1 –Eddie Kolb, 69, pitcher whose only appearance in the majors was in the last game of theCleveland Spiders inits 1899 season.^[29]
• October 2 –Frank Schulte, 67, slugging right fielder for the Chicago Cubs teams from 1904 to 1916, who earned thefirst National League MVP Award in 1911, led the league in home runs twice and stole 233 bases in his career, includinghome plate 22 times.^[30]
• October 3 –John Donahue, 55, right fielder for the 1923 Boston Red Sox.
• October 6:
  • Robert E. Hannegan, 46, St. Louis political figure and former U.S. Postmaster General who was co-owner of the Cardinals (withFred Saigh) from November 1947 to January 1949.
  • Guy Zinn, 62, outfielder who played from 1911 through 1915 for theNew York Highlanders,Boston Braves andBaltimore Terrapins.
• October 14 –Huyler Westervelt, 80, 19th century pitcher who played for theNew York Giants in 1894.
• October 16 –Jack Ryan, 65, pitcher who played for theCleveland Naps,Boston Red Sox andBrooklyn Dodgers during three seasons spanning 1908–1911, later a longtime pitching coach for the Red Sox.
• October 19 –Bill Steele, 63, pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals in five seasons from 1910 to 1914.
• October 20 –Dick Rudolph, 62,spitball pitcher who played for theNew York Giants andBoston Braves over 13 seasons from 1910 to 1927, posting a 121–108 career record with a 2.66ERA, including two 20-win seasons and aWorld Series ring with the1914 Miracle Braves – the first MLB club ever towin a World Series in just four games – while pitchingcomplete-game victories in Games 1 and 4.^[31]
• October 23 –Bill Burdick, 90, 19th century pitcher who played from 1888 to 1889 for theIndianapolis Hoosiers.
• October 25 –Tim Bowden, 58, outfielder for the 1914St. Louis Browns.
• October 26 –Lou Mahaffey, 75, 19th century pitcher forLouisville Colonels of the National League in 1898, who later player for several minor league teams before joining thePacific Coast League as anumpire in 1906.
• October 29 –John Malarkey, 77, pitcher for theWashington Senators,Chicago Orphans andBoston Beaneaters of the National League over six seasons spanning 1894–1903, who is recognized as the only pitcher in MLB history to earn a victory by hitting his ownwalk-off home run, a solo shot against St. Louis Cardinals pitcherMike O'Neill in the bottom of the 11th inning to give the Beaneaters a 4–3 victory on September 10, 1902 at Boston'sSouth End Grounds.^[32]
• October 31 –Jack Lundbom, 72, pitcher for the1902 Cleveland Bronchos.

• November 4 –Larry Douglas, pitcher who played in 1915 for theBaltimore Terrapins of the outlawFederal League.
• November 6 –Bill Richardson, 71, first baseman for the 1901 St. Louis Cardinals.
• November 11 –Brick Owens, 64, American League umpire from 1916 to 1937, who officiated in five World Series and the1934 MLB All-Star Game.
• November 14 –Artie Clarke, 89, utilityman whose main position was catcher, who appeared in 149 games for the New York Giants in the 1890 the 1891 seasons.
• November 17 –Fred Hoey, 65, sportswriter and pioneering baseball broadcaster in Boston; radio voice of both the Braves (1925–1938) and Red Sox (1927–1938).
• November 22 –Erv Brame, 48, good-hitting pitcher who posted a 52–37 won–lost mark from 1928 through 1932 for the Pittsburgh Pirates; batted .306 in 396 career at bats, with eight home runs and 75 RBI, and was frequently asked to pinch hit.
• November 28 –Art Kruger, 68, backup outfielder who played with four teams in all or part of four seasons between 1907 and 1915, most prominently for theKansas City Packers of the Federal League from 1914 to 1915.

• December 1 –Hanson Horsey, 60, pitcher who played for the Cincinnati Reds in the 1912 season.
• December 3 –Pete LePine, 73, Canadian outfielder and first baseman who appeared in 30 games for the Detroit Tigers in 1902.
• December 13 –Orth Collins, 69, outfielder and pitcher who played with the New York Highlanders in the 1904 season and for the Washington Senators in 1909.
• December 15 –Frank Hershey, 72, pitcher who appeared in just one game for the Boston Beaneaters in the 1905 season.
• December 16 –Jack Himes, 71, outfielder who played for the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1905 and 1906 seasons.
• December 19 –Robert Gibson, 80, pitcher for the Chicago Colts and Pittsburgh Alleghenys during the 1890 National League season, who later became a federal judge.
• December 21 –Teddy Kearns, 49, backup infielder who played with the Philadelphia Athletics in the 1920 season and for the Chicago Cubs from 1924 to 1925.
• December 30 –Doc Watson, 64, pitcher who played with the Chicago Cubs in 1913 before joining theChicago Chi-Feds andSt. Louis Terriers clubs of the Federal League from 1914 to 1915.

• Baseball Reference – 1949 MLB Season Summary
• Baseball Reference – MLB Players born in 1949
• Baseball Reference – MLB Players died in 1949

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