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1949 Major League Baseball season

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This article is about the 1949 Major League Baseball season only. For information on all of baseball, see 1949 in baseball.
1949 MLB season
LeagueAmerican League (AL)
National League (NL)
SportBaseball
DurationRegular season:
  • April 18 – October 2, 1949
World Series:
  • October 5–9, 1949
Number of games154
Number of teams16 (8 per league)
Regular season
Season MVPAL: Ted Williams (BRS)
NL: Jackie Robinson (BKN)
AL championsNew York Yankees
  AL runners-upBoston Red Sox
NL championsBrooklyn Dodgers
  NL runners-upSt. Louis Cardinals
World Series
ChampionsNew York Yankees
  Runners-upBrooklyn Dodgers
Finals MVPJoe Page (NYY)
MLB seasons
Locations of teams for the 1942–1953 American League seasons
American League
Locations of teams for the 1943–1952 National League seasons
National League

The 1949 major league baseball season began on April 18, 1949. The regular season ended on October 2, with the Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Yankees as the regular season champions of the National League and American League, respectively. The postseason began with Game 1 of the 46th World Series on October 5 and ended with Game 5 on October 9. The Yankees defeated the Dodgers, four games to one, capturing the 12th championship in franchise history.

The 16th Major League Baseball All-Star Game was played on July 12, hosted by the Brooklyn Dodgers at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn, New York, with the American League winning, 11–7 for their fourth straight win.

With the Negro National League folding and the Negro American League losing their major league status prior to the 1949 season, as per MLB's 2020 designation of Negro Leagues, the National and American Leagues remain as the sole major-leagues of baseball, a fact which continues to the present day.

On July 8, the New York Giants become the fourth team in professional baseball to break the color line when they fielded Hank Thompson (who previously integrated the St. Louis Browns, becoming the only player to integrate two teams) and Monte Irvin.[1]

Schedule

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See also: Major League Baseball schedule

The 1949 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 18, featuring four teams. The final day of the regular season was on October 2, which saw all sixteen teams play, continuing the trend from 1946. The World Series took place between October 5 and October 9.

Teams

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League Team City Stadium Capacity Manager
American League Boston Red Sox Boston, Massachusetts Fenway Park 35,200 Joe McCarthy
Chicago White Sox Chicago, Illinois Comiskey Park 47,400 Jack Onslow
Cleveland Indians Cleveland, Ohio Cleveland Stadium 78,811 Lou Boudreau
Detroit Tigers Detroit, Michigan Briggs Stadium 58,000 Red Rolfe
New York Yankees New York, New York Yankee Stadium 67,000 Casey Stengel
Philadelphia Athletics Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Shibe Park 33,166 Connie Mack
St. Louis Browns St. Louis, Missouri Sportsman's Park 34,000 Zack Taylor
Washington Senators Washington, D.C. Griffith Stadium 29,731 Joe Kuhel
National League Boston Braves Boston, Massachusetts Braves Field 37,106 Billy Southworth,
Johnny Cooney
Brooklyn Dodgers New York, New York Ebbets Field 32,111 Burt Shotton
Chicago Cubs Chicago, Illinois Wrigley Field 38,690 Charlie Grimm, Frankie Frisch
Cincinnati Reds Cincinnati, Ohio Crosley Field 30,101 Bucky Walters, Luke Sewell
New York Giants New York, New York Polo Grounds 54,500 Leo Durocher
Philadelphia Phillies Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Shibe Park 33,166 Eddie Sawyer
Pittsburgh Pirates Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Forbes Field 33,730 Billy Meyer
St. Louis Cardinals St. Louis, Missouri Sportsman's Park 34,000 Eddie Dyer

Standings

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American League

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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

National League

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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

Postseason

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Bracket

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World Series
       
AL New York Yankees 1* 0 4 6 10
NL Brooklyn Dodgers 0 1 3 4 6

*Denotes walk-off

Managerial changes

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Off-season

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Team Former Manager New Manager
Chicago White Sox Ted Lyons Jack Onslow
Detroit Tigers Steve O'Neill Red Rolfe
New York Yankees Bucky Harris Casey Stengel

In-season

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Team Former Manager New Manager
Boston Braves Billy Southworth Johnny Cooney
Chicago Cubs Charlie Grimm Frankie Frisch
Cincinnati Reds Bucky Walters Luke Sewell

League leaders

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American League

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Hitting leaders
Stat Player Total
AVG George Kell (DET) .343
HR Ted Williams (BRS) 43
RBI Vern Stephens (BRS)
Ted Williams (BRS)		 159
R Ted Williams (BRS) 150
H Dale Mitchell (CLE) 203
SB Bob Dillinger (SLB) 20
Pitching leaders
Stat Player Total
W Mel Parnell (BRS) 25
L Paul Calvert (WSH)
Ned Garver (SLB)
Sid Hudson (WSH)		 17
ERA Mike Garcia (CLE) 2.36
K Virgil Trucks (DET) 153
IP Mel Parnell (BRS) 295.1
SV Joe Page (NYY) 27

National League

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Hitting leaders
Stat Player Total
AVG Jackie Robinson (BKN) .342
HR Ralph Kiner (PIT) 54
RBI Ralph Kiner (PIT) 127
R Jackie Robinson (BKN) 132
H Stan Musial (SLC) 207
SB Jackie Robinson (BKN) 37
Pitching leaders
Stat Player Total
W Warren Spahn (BSB) 21
L Howie Fox (CIN) 19
ERA Dave Koslo (NYG) 2.50
K Warren Spahn (BSB) 151
IP Warren Spahn (BSB) 302.1
SV Ted Wilks (SLC) 9


Milestones

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Batters

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Awards and honors

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Regular season

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Baseball Writers' Association of America Awards
BBWAA Award National League American League
Rookie of the Year Don Newcombe (BKN) Roy Sievers (SLB)
Most Valuable Player Jackie Robinson (BKN) Ted Williams (BRS)

Other awards

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The Sporting News awards

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Baseball Hall of Fame

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Main article: National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
Further information: 1949 Baseball Hall of Fame balloting

Home field attendance

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Team name Wins %± Home attendance %± Per game
New York Yankees[10] 97 3.2% 2,283,676 −3.8% 29,278
Cleveland Indians[11] 89 −8.2% 2,233,771 −14.8% 29,010
Detroit Tigers[12] 87 11.5% 1,821,204 4.5% 23,349
Brooklyn Dodgers[13] 97 15.5% 1,633,747 16.8% 20,945
Boston Red Sox[14] 96 0.0% 1,596,650 2.4% 20,736
Pittsburgh Pirates[15] 71 −14.5% 1,449,435 −4.5% 18,824
St. Louis Cardinals[16] 96 12.9% 1,430,676 28.7% 18,110
New York Giants[17] 73 −6.4% 1,218,446 −16.5% 15,423
Chicago Cubs[18] 61 −4.7% 1,143,139 −7.6% 14,846
Boston Braves[19] 75 −17.6% 1,081,795 −25.7% 14,049
Chicago White Sox[20] 63 23.5% 937,151 20.5% 12,171
Philadelphia Phillies[21] 81 22.7% 819,698 6.8% 10,645
Philadelphia Athletics[22] 81 −3.6% 816,514 −13.6% 10,604
Washington Senators[23] 50 −10.7% 770,745 −3.1% 10,010
Cincinnati Reds[24] 62 −3.1% 707,782 −14.0% 9,074
St. Louis Browns[25] 53 −10.2% 270,936 −19.3% 3,519

Notable events

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January–March

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  • January 28 – The New York Giants sign their first black players, outfielder Monte Irvin and pitcher Ford Smith, and assign them to a minor league affiliate at Jersey City. Irvin will eventually go on to have a Hall of Fame career for the Giants, but Smith never reaches the major leagues.
  • February 7 – Joe DiMaggio signs a $100,000 contract with the New York Yankees. It is the first six-figure contract in major league history.
  • March 2 – A slumping Joe DiMaggio leaves spring training in Florida to have his ailing right heel examined at Johns 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.

April–May

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June–July

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August

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  • August 3 – Boston Red Sox pitcher Ellis Kinder strikes out 14 batters in a 9–3 win over the St. Louis Browns. It is the most strikeouts by a Sox pitcher since Smoky Joe Wood struck out 15 in 1911.
  • August 5 – Luke Appling of the Chicago White Sox appears in a major league-record 2,154th game, surpassing Rabbit Maranville's previous mark. Appling will finish his career with 2,218 games played.
  • August 6 – Adrian Zabala sets a National League record by balking three times in the Giants' 3–1 win over the St. Louis Cardinals. Despite the loss, the Cardinals remain 1/2 game ahead in the National League by virtue of the second-place Brooklyn Dodgers' loss to the Cincinnati Reds.
  • August 7 – In the first game of a doubleheader against the Browns, Yankees catcher Yogi 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 in Brooklyn's 2–1 win over the rival Giants. The win keeps the Dodgers tied with the Cardinals 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 – Dom DiMaggio's 34-game hitting streak comes to an end in the Boston Red Sox' 6–3 win over the Yankees at Yankee Stadium. Hitless in his first four at-bats, Dom hits a sinking line drive in the eighth that his brother Joe catches at the shoestrings. The resurgent Red Sox move within 5½ games of the Yankees with the win.
  • August 15 – With the defending National League-champion Boston Braves struggling at 55–54 and dogged by rumors of clubhouse dissension, manager Billy Southworth takes a leave of absence and is replaced for the rest of the season by Johnny Cooney.
  • August 17 – The St. Louis Cardinals move back into first place with a 4–3 win over the Cincinnati Reds.
  • August 21 – The New York Giants receive a forfeit victory over the Philadelphia Phillies when fans at Shibe Park bombard the field with bottles after umpire George Barr rules that Phillie Richie Ashburn trapped a line drive. The forfeiture is the first in the majors since 1942. The Giants were leading 4–2 with one out in the ninth inning when the forfeit was declared.
  • August 22 – The New York Yankees acquire Johnny Mize from the New York Giants in exchange for $40,000. At the time, the Yankees' lead over the now second-place Boston Red Sox is down to 2½ games.
    • The Boston Braves score two runs in the ninth inning to defeat the Brooklyn Dodgers, 7–6. One of the runs comes on Eddie 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 – With a doubleheader sweep of the White Sox, the Red Sox close to within 1½ games of the Yankees. The Red Sox win the first game, 11–4, behind Mel Parnell, who becomes the majors' first 20-game winner of the season, and Ted Williams, who slams his 31st and 32nd home runs of the season. The Red Sox take the second game, 10–7.
  • August 28 – In the first game of a doubleheader in Chicago, Tommy Henrich crashes into the wall while chasing a Chuck Kress fly ball and fractures two vertebrae. The injury will sideline Henrich for three weeks. In the second game, the newly acquired Johnny 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 without Yogi 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

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  • September 4 – The Cardinals sweep a doubleheader against the Reds, 6–4 and 11–2, to push their lead over the Dodgers to 2½ games.
  • September 5 – The Yankees sweep a Labor Day doubleheader at Shibe Park against the Athletics. Joe DiMaggio hits a grand 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 the Red Sox now stands at 1½ games.
  • September 8 – In an 8–0 win over the Chicago Cubs, Red Schoendienst steals the St. Louis Cardinals' 17th and final base of the season, setting a major league record for fewest steals in a season.
  • September 9 – At Yankee Stadium, Ellis Kinder wins his 19th game of the season as the Red Sox pound the Yankees, 7–1, cutting the Yankees' lead in the American League to 1½ games.
  • September 10 – Stan Musial's two-out, two-run home run in the top of the ninth gives the Cardinals a 6–5 win over the Cincinnati Reds, which maintains St. Louis' one-game lead in the National League.
  • September 11 – The Washington Senators set a major league record for the most base on balls in an inning by surrendering 11 in the third inning during a 20–5 rout at the hands of the New York Yankees.[27]
    • Stan Musial blasts three home runs as the Cardinals sweep a doubleheader from the Cincinnati Reds, 7–5 and 7–4, to extend their lead over the Dodgers to 1½ games.
  • September 13 – Ralph Kiner ties a major league record held by six players with his 4th grand slam of the season. In the Pirates' 11–6 win over the Philadelphia 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.
  • September 14 – Ellis Kinder wins his 20th game of the season, shutting out the Detroit Tigers, 1–0, at Fenway Park. It is also Kinder's 10th consecutive win. Kinder joins teammate Mel Parnell as a 20-game winner. It is the last time this century that the Red Sox will feature a pair of 20-game winners.
  • September 18 – The injury-plagued Yankees receive another blow when Joe DiMaggio is stricken with pneumonia. Without DiMaggio, the Yankee still top the Indians, 7–3, at Cleveland Municipal Stadium. The Red Sox, however, keep pace with an 11–5 rout of the visiting White 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 153 RBIss for the season. Teammate Vern Stephens also hits his 40th home run and drives in his 150th run.
  • September 19 – The Yankees stretch their lead of the idle Red Sox to 3 games with a 6–0 blanking of the Indians.
  • September 21 – The Yankees squander an 8–1 lead at Yankee Stadium and fall to the Chicago White Sox, 9–8. Coupled with the Red Sox' 9–6 victory over the Indians, the Yankees lead shrinks to 2 games.
    • The Cardinals and Dodgers split a doubleheader at Sportsman'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 – The Dodgers amass 19 hits and 13 walks in a 19–6 rout of the host Cardinals, bringing the Bums to within a 1/2 game of first-place. Carl Furillo has 7 RBIss 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 by Ken Griffey Jr. in 1996 and 1998.
  • September 24 – At Fenway Park, the Red Sox defeat the Yankees, 2–0, to draw within a game of first-place New York. Ted Williams belts his 42nd home run and Ellis Kinder wins his 13th straight game, moving to 4–0 on the season against the Yankees.
  • September 25 – A 6–1 by the Cardinals over the Cubs, coupled with the Dodgers' 5–3 loss to the Phillies, gives the Cards a 1½ game lead in the National League.
    • The Yankees, in first-place all season despite 71 injuries that kept players out of games, fall into a first place tie with the Red Sox after losing to Boston, 4–1, at Fenway Park. Ted Williams hits his 43rd home run of the season, and Mel Parnell allows four hits in winning his 25th game of the season. Joe DiMaggio, still out of the lineup with pneumonia, listens to the game from his hospital bed.
  • September 26 – Before 67,634 at Yankee Stadium, the Red Sox come away with a 7–6 win and move into sole possession of first place when Johnny Pesky scores on a disputed squeeze play. The Sox rally from a 6–3 deficit by scoring four runs in the eighth. The winning run scores when Bobby Doerr drops a surprise squeeze bunt in front of Tommy Henrich, playing first base, and Pesky slides under the catcher's tag at home plate. Umpire Bill Grieve calls Pesky safe, and Casey 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 – Vic Raschi wins his 20th game of the season as the Yankees top the A's, 3–1. The Yankees remain one game back, however, by virtue of the Red Sox' 6–4 win over the Senators.
  • The Cardinals fall to the Pirates, 6–4, cutting their lead over the idle Dodgers to 1 game.
  • September 28 – The American League race deadlocked again after the Yankees win a seesaw battle against the A's, 7–5, and the Red Sox fall to the Senators, 2–1, on a wild pitch by Mel Parnell in the bottom of the 9th. Joe DiMaggio, down 18 pounds from his bout with pneumonia, takes batting practice for the Yankees.
  • September 29 – The Cardinals fall to the Pirates and former Cardinal Murry Dickson, 7–2. It is Dickson's 5th win of the season against his former team. Meanwhile, the Dodgers sweep a doubleheader against the Braves, 9–2 and 8–0, moving them ahead of the Cardinals by a 1/2 game in the National League.
  • September 30 – The Red Sox move ahead of the Yankees by a game when they defeat the Senators, 11–9, and the Yankees are defeated by Dick Fowler and the A'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 of the season and 16th in the month of September as the Pirates defeat the Reds, 3–2.

October

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Movies

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Deaths

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ "These players integrated each MLB team". MLB.com. Retrieved November 14, 2024.
  2. ^ "Babe Ruth Award Goes To Joe Page". The New London Day. January 20, 1950. Retrieved September 27, 2011.
  3. ^ "1949 World Series". Baseball-Reference. Archived from the original on June 23, 2008. Retrieved September 20, 2009.
  4. ^ "Ted Williams Baseball Almanac Awards". Baseball Almanac.
  5. ^ "Ted Williams Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com.
  6. ^ "Howie Pollet Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com.
  7. ^ "Howie Pollet Baseball Almanac Awards". Baseball Almanac.
  8. ^ "Ellis Kinder Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com.
  9. ^ "Ellis Kinder Baseball Almanac Awards". Baseball Almanac.
  10. ^ "New York Yankees Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  11. ^ "Cleveland Indians Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  12. ^ "Detroit Tigers Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  13. ^ "Los Angeles Dodgers Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  14. ^ "Boston Red Sox Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  15. ^ "Pittsburgh Pirates Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  16. ^ "St. Louis Cardinals Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  17. ^ "San Francisco Giants Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  18. ^ "Chicago Cubs Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  19. ^ "Atlanta Braves Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  20. ^ "Chicago White Sox Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  21. ^ "Oakland Athletics Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  22. ^ "Oakland Athletics Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  23. ^ "Minnesota Twins Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  24. ^ "Cincinnati Reds Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  25. ^ "Baltimore Orioles Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  26. ^ Okrent, Daniel (1988). The Ultimate Baseball Book. Boston, USA: Houghton Mifflin Company. p. 352. ISBN 0395361451.
  27. ^ "Washington Senators vs New York Yankees September 11, 1949 Box Score". Baseball-Almanac.com. Retrieved May 14, 2012.
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