January • January 10 –
R. R. M. Carpenter Jr., the 34-year-old owner of the
Philadelphia Phillies, announces that his team is abandoning its six-year-old attempt to rebrand itself as the
Philadelphia Blue Jays. Returning whole-heartedly to their original moniker, in use since 1885, the 1950 Phillies will deck themselves out in red-pinstriped home uniforms with bright red caps, sweatshirts and socks, and
Phillies in red script across their shirtfronts. • January 18 – Coming off a sub-par season (
15–14,
3.75, and only 108
strikeouts in 211
innings pitched),
Bob Feller of the
Cleveland Indians asks for, and receives, a significant pay cut. His 1950 deal is worth an estimated $45,000—a 31% reduction from his previous earnings of $65,000. • January 23 – An
Associated Press poll of sportswriters ranks the
1914 "Miracle" Boston Braves' comeback from last place on July 19 to the
National League pennant and a four-game triumph in the
1914 World Series as the greatest upset in U.S. sports of the first-half of the
20th century. • January 31 – In perhaps the most prominent and controversial amateur free agent signing of the era, the
Pittsburgh Pirates sign southpaw pitching phenom
Paul Pettit, 18, out of a suburban
Los Angeles high school for a record-setting $100,000 bonus. Of that total, $85,000 buys out a Hollywood film producer who had acquired the rights to Pettit's life story. At the behest of "jilted" MLB clubs, the office of
Commissioner of Baseball Happy Chandler conducts an investigation that clears the Pirates of any wrongdoing.
February in 1948 • February 9 – The
Chicago White Sox acquire veteran catcher and native Chicagoan
Phil Masi, 34, from the
Pittsburgh Pirates in a cash transaction. • February 10 – The
Cincinnati Reds sell pitcher
Johnny Vander Meer, 35, to the
Chicago Cubs for an undisclosed amount of cash. In ‚ Vander Meer became the first pitcher in major league history to pitch two consecutive
no-hitters, displaying his mastery over the
Boston Bees (June 11) and the
Brooklyn Dodgers (June 15), setting a record that still stands today. • February 14 – The
Chicago Cubs hire
Wid Matthews as director of player personnel and
de facto general manager. Matthews, 54, is a long-time associate of
Branch Rickey's and most recently was the Midwest scouting supervisor of Rickey's
Brooklyn Dodgers. He succeeds
Charlie Grimm, who returns to uniform as manager of the
Dallas Eagles of the
Double-A Texas League. • February 17 – The
Cleveland Indians release
Leroy "Satchel" Paige. The 43-year-old pitching great from the Negro leagues appeared in 52 games for Cleveland after joining the team in July 1948, fashioned a 10–8
record and 2.78
earned run average, with four complete games, two shutouts and six saves over 1½ seasons, and won a
1948 World Series ring. • February 27 – In a tie-breaking game,
Carta Vieja pitcher
Chet Brewer defeats
Puerto Rico's
Caguas, 9–3, to give
Panama the title in the
1950 Caribbean Series. Panama third baseman
Joe Tuminelli, who hit two home runs and drove in six runs, is named Most Valuable Player.
March • March 22 – Engineers from
General Electric demonstrate an "electronic
umpire" at the
Brooklyn Dodgers' spring camp in
Vero Beach, Florida. Along with calling balls and strikes, the device is designed to calculate the speed of pitchers' offerings. • March 26 – The
New York Giants purchase the contract of pitcher
Jack Kramer from the
Boston Red Sox. Kramer, 32, is in the twilight of a 12-year MLB career that saw him help pitch the
1944 St. Louis Browns to the
American League pennant (17 wins, 2.49
ERA), post a stellar 1–0 (0.00 ERA) record in 11 innings in the
1944 World Series, and go 18–5 for the second-place
1948 Bosox. • March 28 –
Eddie Miller, a slick-fielding shortstop who made seven
National League All-Star teams in the eight seasons between and , is placed on waivers by the
Philadelphia Phillies. Miller, 33, is a victim of the Phils' youth movement: in , he was forced to move to second base when he was unseated by 22-year-old shortstop
Granny Hamner, one of the "
Whiz Kids" who will change the course of Philadelphia's baseball history in the season to come.
April • April 11 – The
Texas League Opening Day between the
Dallas Eagles and
Tulsa Oilers is staged at the
Cotton Bowl. Hall of Fame members
Frank Baker‚
Ty Cobb‚
Mickey Cochrane‚
Dizzy Dean‚
Charlie Gehringer,
Travis Jackson and
Tris Speaker are featured. The regular Dallas Eagles team takes to the field after Dean throws out the first pitch. 53‚578 fans‚ by then the largest paid crowd in minor-league history‚ enthusiastically enjoy the exhibition. • April 18: • President
Harry Truman throws out two balls at the traditional Presidential Opener at
Griffith Stadium – one left-handed and the other right-handed. The game marks 87-year-old
Connie Mack's Golden Anniversary season as manager of the visiting
Philadelphia Athletics, who have made a major off-season trade looking to build upon their promising
1949 campaign and return to contention, and added gold trim to their uniforms in Mack's honor. However, the homestanding
Washington Senators get the Athletics' season off on a sour note, scoring five first-inning runs and ultimately dealing Mack an 8–7 defeat. • The
Boston Braves become the fifth of the 16 MLB teams to break the
baseball color line with the debut of fleet centerfielder
Sam Jethroe. At the
Polo Grounds‚ Jethroe goes 2-for-4‚ including a home run, to lead the Braves to an 11–4 beating of the
New York Giants behind winning pitcher
Warren Spahn. Jethroe will be selected 1950's
National League Rookie of the Year after leading the Senior Circuit with 35
stolen bases. •
Billy Martin, later to become one of baseball's most controversial figures as a player and eventual manager, makes his major league debut at age 21, getting hits in both of his at bats, and scoring a run, and
driving in three for the
New York Yankees in a 15–10 win over the
Boston Red Sox at
Fenway Park's Opening Day. The Yanks overcome a 10–4 Boston lead with a nine-run eighth inning. •
Vin Scully makes his debut as a broadcaster for the
Brooklyn Dodgers, calling two innings of the team's 9–1 loss to the
Philadelphia Phillies at
Shibe Park. Scully will retire as the legendary Voice of the Dodgers in after a 67-year tenure, the longest (as of
2024) for any baseball broadcaster. • The first night Opening Day game in major league history is played at
Sportsman's Park in St. Louis, with the
Cardinals defeating the
Pirates 4–2‚ behind the six-hit pitching of
Gerry Staley.
Stan Musial and
Red Schoendienst contribute with a home run each for the winners. • Third baseman
Ken Keltner, 33, is released by the
Cleveland Indians. Best known for his stellar defensive plays that halted
Joe DiMaggio's 56-game hitting streak on July 17, 1941, he further cemented himself in Cleveland lore by catching the final, game-clinching out of the
1948 World Series. The
Boston Red Sox immediately sign Keltner as a free agent, then use him sparingly until releasing him for good on June 6. • April 27 – The
St. Louis Cardinals deal left-hander
Ken "Hook" Johnson to the
Philadelphia Phillies for outfielder
Johnny Blatnik. Johnson, 27 and known for his
curveball, threw a one-hitter for the Redbirds in his first MLB start on September 27, 1947, but his career has been marred by
control problems. • April 30 – In
St. Louis, southpaws
Harry Brecheen of the
Cardinals and
Johnny Schmitz of the visiting
Chicago Cubs battle into the bottom of the 13th inning without allowing a run. Then, with one out, catcher
Del Rice blasts a home run to give the Cardinals the 1–0 victory. Rice's game-winner is only the fourth hit of the day off Schmitz; meanwhile, Brecheen fans eight Cubbies.
May • May 2 – Just recalled from
Triple-A to fill in for injured first baseman
Billy Goodman, lanky rookie
Walt Dropo is two-for-two in a 6–2
Boston Red Sox victory over the
Cleveland Indians at
Fenway Park. Dropo, 27, immediately becomes a Bosox regular; he goes on to co-lead the
American League in
runs batted in (144, tied with teammate
Vern Stephens), slug 34 homers, bat .322, start for the AL in the
All-Star Game, and win his circuit's
Rookie of the Year Award. Goodman, meanwhile, returns to the Bosox lineup May 22 as a second baseman and later moves to the outfield—gaining enough
plate appearances to win the AL batting title (.354). • May 4 – The
second-division Chicago White Sox enjoy a rare feast in the
New York Yankees' home ballyard, collecting 23 hits and shutting out the Bombers, 15–0, in
the Bronx.
Bob Cain tosses a five-hitter,
Jim Busby and
Gus Zernial each lash four safeties, and
Hank Majeski belts his third homer of 1950. Uncharacteristically, the Yankees are charged with four errors. • May 6 – Five different
Boston Braves—
Bob Elliott,
Sid Gordon,
Willard Marshall,
Luis Olmo and
Earl Torgeson—hit home runs in a 15–11 trouncing of the
Cincinnati Reds, and the Braves set a
National League record of 13 home runs in three consecutive games‚ breaking the mark of 12 set by the
New York Giants from July 1–3‚ 1947.
Grady Hatton and
Ron Northey hit consecutive homers for the Reds in a losing cause. • May 8 – The
Washington Senators deal outfielder
Clyde Vollmer to the
Boston Red Sox for shortstop
Merl Combs and outfielder
Tommy O'Brien. • May 9 –
Ralph Kiner of the
Pittsburgh Pirates hits his second
grand slam in three days—and the eighth of his career—then adds a three-run homer to drive in seven runs, as the Pirates beat the
Brooklyn Dodgers, 10–5. • May 10 – The last-place
Cincinnati Reds (5–13) make three deals, trading catcher
Walker Cooper to the
Boston Braves for infielder
Connie Ryan, purchasing the contract of pitcher
Willie Ramsdell from the
Brooklyn Dodgers, and selling infielder
Jimmy Bloodworth to the
Philadelphia Phillies. • May 11 – After he misplays a ball in the
Fenway Park outfield, Red Sox fans boo
Ted Williams. He reacts by making an obscene gesture three times, once to the fans in right field, next to those in center, and finally to fans along the left-field line. The boos continue when Williams comes to bat, driving him to leave the batter's box and spit toward a group of booing fans near home plate. The Red Sox (now 14–9) drop a doubleheader to the
Detroit Tigers (12–5) and fall out of first place; they trail Detroit by a full game in the
American League standings. • May 12 – One day after his outburst,
Williams issues an apology to Red Sox fans. • May 15: • The
Red Sox unconditionally and unceremoniously release the only Black player in their organization,
Piper Davis, from their
Scranton affiliate after he plays only 15 games. Davis, 33, is leading the team—which is 2–13 and last in the
Class A Eastern League—in doubles (four), home runs (three), and runs batted in (ten), with a
batting average of .333. "What does a player have to do to make the grade?" a frustrated Davis asks a local sportswriter.
Tom Yawkey's Red Sox will take nine more years before breaking the
baseball color line. • The
New York Yankees sell the contracts of two players—one to each
St. Louis franchise: the
Browns obtain right-handed pitcher
Cuddles Marshall and the
Cardinals get outfielder/sometime pitcher
Johnny Lindell. • May 17 – The arch-rival
New York Giants and
Brooklyn Dodgers make a rare deal with each other, with the Giants purchasing the contract of third baseman
Spider Jorgensen. The Giants also sell 38-year-old veteran catcher
Ray Mueller, famous as the "Iron Man" for his prodigious "most consecutive games caught" record set during the mid-1940s, to the
Pittsburgh Pirates. • May 26: • The
Philadelphia Athletics, whose season began with the hope of pennant contention in
Connie Mack's 50th year as manager, compound their on-field woes—they've dropped 21 of their first 32
American League games—with severe dissension among the Mack family itself. Mack's wife, his youngest son, Connie Jr., and Ben Macfarland (a member of the
Shibe family) are arrayed in one ownership faction, while Mack's older sons by his first marriage,
Roy and
Earle, form the opposition. Today, the Mrs. Mack/Connie Jr./Macfarland team engineer the removal of Earle Mack as the club's assistant manager and heir apparent to Connie Sr., and name
Baseball Hall of Fame former catcher
Mickey Cochrane general manager and head of the front office, while
Jimmy Dykes is elevated from coach to assistant manager. Roy and Earle Mack, who remain co-owners, begin planning to buy out their stepmother, half-brother, and Macfarland and regain control of the team. To do so, they will go into debt that will seriously hamper their efforts to keep the club solvent in coming years. Kell's is the first of five "cycles" in the major leagues this season, most since . • Others to hit for the cycle in 1950 are: the
Pittsburgh Pirates'
Ralph Kiner, another future Hall of Famer, June 25 against
Brooklyn at
Ebbets Field;
Roy Smalley of the
Chicago Cubs, June 28 against the
Cardinals at
Wrigley Field;
Elmer Valo of the Athletics, August 2 against the
White Sox at
Comiskey Park; and
Hoot Evers of the Tigers, September 7 against
Cleveland at
Briggs Stadium. • June 7 – The
Chicago Cubs deal veteran catcher
Bob Scheffing to the
Cincinnati Reds for outfielder
Ron Northey. • June 7–8 – Burying the
American League's cellar-dwellers under an avalanche of runs, the third-place
Boston Red Sox rout the
St. Louis Browns 20–4 and 29–4 in successive days at
Fenway Park. The Red Sox mash 51 hits over the two games, including 12 home runs.
Baseball Hall of Fame second baseman
Bobby Doerr slugs three homers and drives in eight in the June 8 contest. Boston sets an MLB record that day for
extra-base hits in a nine-inning game (17). Their 29 runs scored remains in the record books until the
Texas Rangers tally 30 against the Browns' successor franchise, the
Baltimore Orioles, in . • June 14 – First baseman
Mickey Vernon is traded by the
Cleveland Indians to his original team, the
Washington Senators, for pitcher
Dick Weik. • June 15: • The
New York Yankees obtain pitchers
Tom Ferrick and
Joe Ostrowski and third baseman
Leo Thomas from the
St. Louis Browns for pitchers
Don Johnson and
Duane Pillette, second baseman
Snuffy Stirnweiss, outfielder
Jim Delsing, and $50,000. Reliever Ferrick will contribute eight wins and nine
saves to the Yankees' pennant drive, then capture one of the Yanks' four victories in their sweep of the
1950 World Series. • Left-hander
Billy Pierce one-hits the
Yankees in a 5–0
Chicago White Sox victory at
Comiskey Park. New York third baseman
Billy Johnson spoils Pierce's no-hit bit with a fifth-inning single. Yankees went 1,460–867 (.627) between 1931 and 1946 in regular season play, and 29–9 (.763) in winning seven of eight
World Series • June 18 – The
Cleveland Indians score 14 runs in the bottom of the first inning and overwhelm the visiting
Philadelphia Athletics, 21–2, to sweep a doubleheader against
Connie Mack's hapless squad. Cleveland makes only six first-inning hits (although one of them is
Ray Boone's three-run bomb) but takes advantage of seven
walks issued by
Lou Brissie and
Carl Scheib. • June 20 – Former
Birmingham Black Barons centerfielder
Willie Mays, 19, is signed by the
New York Giants as an amateur free agent. He makes his minor league debut with the
Class B Trenton Giants on June 24 at
Municipal Stadium in
Hagerstown, Maryland against the
Hagerstown Braves. Mays will collect 179
hits in 455
at bats (
.393), with 38
doubles, 11
triples, 18
home runs, and 88
runs scored in 116 total games in less than a calendar year in the minors before his
National League debut on May 25, 1951. • June 22: • An ailing
Joe McCarthy, manager of the
Boston Red Sox, arrives at his
Western New York farm for a rest after being confined to his hotel room in
Chicago since June 18 with an illness reported to be "
influenza" and "
pleurisy." Tomorrow, McCarthy will officially step down as the Bosox' manager and end his legendary career. "Marse Joe", 63, retires with a record of 2,125–1,333–29 for an all-time-best .615
winning percentage, including seven
World Series championships and eight
American League pennants during his tenure (1931 through May 23, 1946) with the
New York Yankees. He previously had won a
National League flag in 1929 with the
Chicago Cubs. McCarthy, whose two full seasons with the Red Sox produced frustrating, second place finishes thanks to end-of-season losses, is replaced in
Fenway Park's home dugout by coach
Steve O'Neill, himself a veteran manager. • Insurance executive
H. Gabriel Murphy becomes the second-largest shareholder in the
Washington Senators when he acquires 40.4% of the team's stock from
John Jachym. Murphy is an ally of chief stockholder (at 44%) and team president
Clark Griffith, and his purchase ensures that Griffith will remain in control of the franchise he has operated since . However, in , Murphy will file suit in federal court against Clark Griffith's nephew and successor,
Calvin, in a futile attempt to keep the Senators from moving to
Minneapolis–Saint Paul. • June 23 – Eleven home runs are struck in today's 10–9 victory for the
Detroit Tigers over the
New York Yankees at
Briggs Stadium. Detroit, the winning side, slugs five of them, but are out-homered by the visiting Yanks.
Hoot Evers and
Hank Bauer trade two-homer days. • June 24 • The
Philadelphia Phillies top the
Chicago Cubs, 5–4, on a pair of two-run home runs by shortstop
Granny Hamner and catcher
Andy Seminick. The energetic
Whiz Kids now trail the
Brooklyn Dodgers by a game. • At
Ebbets Field, a curfew suspends today's game between the
Dodgers and
Pittsburgh Pirates in the bottom of the eighth inning, with Brooklyn in the midst of a five-run uprising that gives them a 19–12 lead. The game will be completed August 1, with the Dodgers adding two more runs to ultimately defeat the Bucs, 21–12, on the strength of 25 hits. • June 25 – The
Korean War begins not even five years after the end of
World War II; in baseball there is immediate concern over a potential large-scale conscription of players into the military, as in the previous decade. The Korean conflict's impact will be most keenly felt this season by the
Phillies, who will lose the services of starting pitcher
Curt Simmons for the last three weeks of September and the
1950 World Series when his
National Guard unit is mobilized. Simmons, 21, departs for active duty with a record of
17–8 (
3.40) with 11 complete games in 27 starts.
July • July 1 – The first-place
Philadelphia Phillies defeat the
Brooklyn Dodgers, 6–4, behind unbeaten rookie right-hander
Bob Miller, 24, who improves to 7–0 on the season. "Fireman"
Jim Konstanty earns his ninth save. • July 2 –
Cleveland Indians great
Bob Feller wins his 200th major league game, 5–3, over the
Detroit Tigers. • July 8 – At
Forbes Field,
pinch-hitter Jack Phillips hits a
grand slam in the bottom of the ninth inning to give the
Pittsburgh Pirates a come-from-behind, 7–6 victory over the
St. Louis Cardinals. Phillips' shot comes off
Harry Brecheen, and he becomes the first pinch-hitter to belt a
walk-off grand slam in major league history.
Ralph Kiner and
Stan Rojek also homer for the Pirates, while
Cliff Chambers is the winning pitcher.
Red Schoendienst of the Cardinals is 5-for-5 in a lost cause. • July 9 – The
All–Star break sees the Philadelphia Phillies (44–29–2) a game in front of the
St. Louis Cardinals (43–30), two ahead of the
Boston Braves (42–31–2), and 4½ up on the
Brooklyn Dodgers (38–32–1) in the
National League; in the
Junior Circuit, the
Detroit Tigers (49–26–1) hold a three-game edge on the
New York Yankees (47–30) and a 4½-game margin on the
Cleveland Indians (46–32). • July 10 – The
New York Giants find a gem on the
waiver wire, acquiring right-hander
Jim Hearn from the
St. Louis Cardinals. Hearn, 29, will immediately earn a place in the Giants' starting rotation, throw five shutouts in only three months (to lead all
National League pitchers in 1950), then win 17 games in to help New York take the NL pennant. • July 11 –
Ted Williams fractures his left elbow in the
All–Star Game when he crashes into
Comiskey Park's left-field wall successfully chasing down
Ralph Kiner's long fly. Williams does not return until September 7 and he will
hit "only" .317, a career-low to this point, in 89 games during 1950. The NL All-Stars take the game, 4–3, on
Red Schoendienst's 14th-inning homer off
Ted Gray. • July 18: • There's a mid-July logjam at the top of the National League standings: the
Boston Braves,
Philadelphia Phillies and
St. Louis Cardinals are all 46–34 (
.575) and the fourth-place
Brooklyn Dodgers (43–34) are only 1½ games back. • The
Pittsburgh Pirates' ownership reorganizes when
John W. Galbreath becomes majority owner, succeeding
Frank E. McKinney, who divests himself of his interest.
Bing Crosby and
Thomas P. Johnson remain minority partners. The original four-man group, led by McKinney, bought the franchise from the heirs of
Barney Dreyfuss in August 1946. Galbreath and his family will direct the fortunes of the Bucs until 1985. • July 19 – The
New York Yankees purchase the contracts of pitcher
Frank Barnes and catcher
Elston Howard from the
Kansas City Monarchs of the
Negro American League. • July 20 – The
Philadelphia Athletics send high-priced 1949 acquisition
Bob Dillinger to the
Pittsburgh Pirates on
waivers. Third baseman Dillinger is batting .309 with 110 hits in 84 games, but has angered Philadelphia manager
Connie Mack with his indifferent play on defense. • July 23 –
Sheldon Jones of the
New York Giants throws 7 innings of hitless ball against the
Chicago Cubs at
Wrigley Field before
Rube Walker singles for the Cubs' only safety of the game. Jones gets the complete-game shutout, 3–0. • July 25 – By sweeping a doubleheader at
Shibe Park, 7–0 and 1–0, against the
Cubs, the
Philadelphia Phillies take over undisputed possession of first place in the National League race, a half-game in front of the
St. Louis Cardinals.
Bubba Church and
Robin Roberts spin the pair of shutouts, allowing nine total hits.
August • August 2 – The
Cleveland Indians sever ties with
Gene Bearden, releasing him on
waivers to the
Washington Senators. As a rookie in
1948, left-hander Bearden pitched the Tribe to an
American League pennant and
World Series championship. But, less than two years after his triumphant season, the "phenom" has become a journeyman: he'll see service with the Senators,
St. Louis Browns,
Detroit Tigers and
Chicago White Sox before exiting the majors after the season. • August 3 – The AL-leading
Tigers add to their pitching staff by purchasing the contract of veteran right-hander
Hank Borowy, 34, from the
Pittsburgh Pirates. Detroit currently holds a two-game edge over the
New York Yankees. • August 6 – At
Comiskey Park,
Boston Red Sox pitcher Ellis Kinder hits a
grand slam off
Chicago White Sox ace
Billy Pierce. Kinder collects six
RBI, and his slam comes after an intentional
walk to
Birdie Tebbetts. Kinder also stops White Sox rookie
Chico Carrasquel's hitting streak at 24 games. In the nightcap, pitcher
Joe Dobson allows seven hits and the Red Sox win‚ 4–3‚ to sweep Chicago. • August 11 – At
Braves Field,
Vern Bickford of the
Boston Braves pitches a 7–0
no-hitter over the
Brooklyn Dodgers. Bickford walks four, including two in the ninth, but is bailed out when
Duke Snider bounces into a game-ending double play. • August 15 –
Ed "Whitey" Ford, a 21-year-old left-hander recalled from
Triple-A Kansas City in late June, tosses a three-hitter for the first shutout and complete game of what will be a
Hall-of-Fame career, and earns the
New York Yankees a split of their doubleheader against the
Washington Senators at
Griffith Stadium. New York's 9–0 triumph kicks off a torrid, three-week stretch that sees the Bombers win 20 of 23 games, and gain first place in the American League on August 30. • August 16 –
New York Giants right-hander
Sal Maglie, in his first season back in the National League after a four-year absence caused by his defection to the
Mexican League and subsequent suspension, surrenders a mammoth, eighth-inning, three-run homer to
Gil Hodges that lands on the roof of the
Polo Grounds' left-field grandstand. Then Maglie shuts down
Brooklyn for the rest of the way to secure a 16–7 victory. • Maglie's recovery from Hodges' blast sets off the majors' longest consecutive scoreless
innings pitched streak of 1950. "Sal the Barber" does not allow a run for the next four weeks, hurling four complete-game shutouts and posting two frames of scoreless relief. Finally, on September 13, the
Pittsburgh Pirates will tally a run (on
Gus Bell's homer) in the seventh inning of Maglie's 3–1 four-hit victory to end his scoreless streak at 45 innings. • The
St. Louis Cardinals purchase the contract of outfielder
Peanuts Lowrey from the
Cincinnati Reds. • September 24 – Trailing the
New York Yankees by 1½ games with only eight to play, the second-place
Tigers drop a back-breaking ten-inning game to the home-standing
Indians, 2–1. The game, played under smoke-filled skies caused by forest fires blazing across
Lake Erie, is lost when Detroit catcher
Aaron Robinson fails to see his first baseman record an out on
Luke Easter's grounder with the bases loaded. Thinking that a
force play is still in effect, when he gets the throw to execute a 3–2–3
double play, Robinson touches home to "force" the incoming Cleveland baserunner,
Bob Lemon. However, because the out at first base demanded that Robinson tag the
runner, not the plate, Lemon is able to score the Indians' winning tally. The Tigers ultimately finish three games in arrears of the Yankees when the season ends a week later. • September 25 – Rookie
Whitey Ford wins his ninth straight decision as a major-leaguer, hurling a complete game, 7–4 triumph for the
Yankees against the
Washington Senators. Two days later, in relief against the
Philadelphia Athletics at
Shibe Park, Ford gives up a game-winning, two-run, ninth-inning homer to
Sam Chapman and suffers the first loss of his career. • September 27 – Seventeen-year-old
Harry Chiti makes his MLB debut for the Chicago Cubs. Chiti's best remember for something that happened later in his career. He would become the first player in major league history traded for himself. • September 30: • The
Brooklyn Dodgers pull within one game of the National League lead, winning 7–3 over the
Philadelphia Phillies in the first of a two-games series at
Ebbets Field.
Duke Snider and
Roy Campanella hit home runs for the Dodgers, as
Erv Palica (13–8) is the winning pitcher.
Bob Miller (11–6) is the loser. • At
Fenway Park, sixth-inning RBI hits by
Gene Woodling,
Billy Martin and
Yogi Berra (a two-run homer) key an eventual 6–5 victory over the
Boston Red Sox, and enable the
New York Yankees to claim their 17th AL pennant since .
October , manager
Eddie Sawyer and
Dick Sisler celebrate • October 1: • At
Ebbets Field, the
Philadelphia Phillies clinch the
National League pennant on a tenth-inning, three-run home run by left fielder
Dick Sisler against
Don Newcombe, in a dramatic 4–1 victory over the
Brooklyn Dodgers on the season's last day. An inside-the-park home run by
Pee Wee Reese accounts for the only Dodgers' run; a potential ninth-inning winning rally is quelled when
Richie Ashburn easily throws out Brooklyn baserunner
Cal Abrams at home plate.
Robin Roberts, making his third start in five days, earns his 20th victory of the season. It's only the second NL title in the Phils' 68-year-long history, and their first since
1915. • At
Comiskey Park,
Gus Zernial of the
Chicago White Sox becomes the first player to hit three home runs in his team's final game of a regular season, doing so in the White Sox' 10–6 loss in the second game of a doubleheader against the
St. Louis Browns. Zernial will be joined by
Dick Allen in and
Evan Longoria in as players to hit three home runs in their team's regular-season finale. • October 7 – The
New York Yankees defeat the
Philadelphia Phillies, 5–2, in Game 4 of the
World Series to win undefeated their thirteenth world championship. The Phillies will not appear again in the postseason until , and they will not appear again in the World Series until they win it for the very first time in . • October 8 – Former MLB catcher
Paul Richards, 42, is named manager of the
Chicago White Sox. In 1950, Richards had led the
Triple-A Seattle Rainiers to only a 96–104 record over the lengthy
Pacific Coast League season, but in Chicago he will turn around the on-field fortunes of the long-bedraggled franchise, posting a 342–265–6 (
.563) mark and four
first-division finishes. • October 10 – The
Chicago Cubs acquire two first basemen from the
Brooklyn Dodgers in exchange for outfielder
Hank Edwards and cash. One of them is
Dee Fondy, who will become the Cubs' regular first sacker. The other is
Chuck Connors, a Brooklyn native who will eventually become an actor and gain fame as the star of TV's
The Rifleman. • October 16 –
Eddie Dyer, manager of the
St. Louis Cardinals since
Opening Day 1946, resigns his post after a disappointing, fifth-place finish. He leaves with a 446–325–6 (
.578) record over five seasons, with one
World Series championship. Dyer, 51, steps away from baseball and returns full-time to his successful business career in
Houston. • October 18 –
Hall-of-Famer Connie Mack, 87, retires as manager of the
Philadelphia Athletics after 50 years at the helm—the only pilot the team has known since its founding in 1901. Assistant manager
Jimmy Dykes, 53, who played for "The Tall Tactician" between 1918 and 1932, then spent all or part of 13 seasons between 1934 and 1946 as manager of the
Chicago White Sox, is named Mack's successor. Mack, who retains the title of team president and his ownership stake, retires after having won nine
American League pennants and five
World Series championships over his half century with the Athletics; however, he compiled a losing
winning percentage (.484) over that time, and his Philadelphia teams finished last 17 times and were frequently in financial distress. • October 26: • A seismic change occurs in the
Brooklyn Dodgers' front office. One-quarter owner
Walter O'Malley announces that
Branch Rickey's contract as president and general manager will not be renewed, and that he has acquired Rickey's 25% interest to become principal owner, controlling 50% of the team's stock. O'Malley, 47, assumes the club presidency and promotes two Dodger executives to vice president:
Montreal Royals' general manager
Buzzie Bavasi, who will supervise the MLB Dodgers' baseball operations, and assistant minor league director
Fresco Thompson, who will run the far-flung Brooklyn farm system. O'Malley thus triumphs in a long-running power struggle with Rickey over the Dodger organization. •
Phil Rizzuto,
New York Yankees' shortstop, wins the
American League MVP Award for 1950, capturing 16 of 23 first-place votes. Versatile
Billy Goodman of the
Boston Red Sox, the AL batting champ, is a distant second. • October 27 –
Joe Gordon's 11-year big league playing career ends when he's released by the
Cleveland Indians. The future Hall of Fame second baseman, 35, who won five
World Series rings over that span, becomes the
player-manager of the
Sacramento Solons of the
Pacific Coast League.
November • November 2 –
Philadelphia Phillies relief ace
Jim Konstanty is selected the
National League MVP for 1950. Appearing in a record 74 games, he won 16 games, saved 22 others, and started his team's first
World Series game in 45 years. The veteran 33-year-old moundsman amasses 18 of 24 first-place votes, and outpaces 3x former MVP
Stan Musial. • November 3 – Future
Baseball Hall of Fame executive
Branch Rickey, forced out of the
Brooklyn Dodgers' ownership suite and front office just a week earlier, becomes executive vice president and general manager of the last-place
Pittsburgh Pirates, succeeding
Roy Hamey. Rickey, 68, is renowned for inventing the
farm system of player development and building the
St. Louis Cardinals into a perennial contender when he ran their front office from 1925 to 1942. Then, from 1943 to 1950, he worked to break the
baseball color line and built another leading-edge farm system with the Dodgers, who are poised to become a
National League dynasty. • November 9 – After 2,422 games played (and 2,749 career hits) over his 21-season career, the
Chicago White Sox release veteran
Luke Appling, 43, their long-time shortstop and two-time
American League batting champion. "Ol' Aches and Pains" will be elected to the
Baseball Hall of Fame in 1964, and the White Sox will eventually retire Appling's #4 uniform. • November 10 – The
Cleveland Indians change managers, replacing playing skipper
Lou Boudreau with former catcher
Al López, 42, who had been managing
Triple-A Indianapolis. Boudreau, 33, had led Cleveland to a 728–649–12 (
.529) record over nine full seasons, including the
1948 AL pennant and World Series championship. Eleven days later, the future Hall-of-Fame shortstop is unconditionally released at his own request. Then, on November 27, Boudreau signs a two-year playing contract with the
Boston Red Sox worth an estimated $150,000. • November 26 – The
Gillette Safety Razor Co. signs a six-year deal, worth an estimated $6 million, with Major League Baseball for the television and radio rights for the World Series. • November 28 –
Brooklyn Dodgers majority owner
Walter O'Malley continues his house-cleaning as he names
PCL Oakland manager and former Brooklyn third-base coach
Chuck Dressen, 56, to replace
Burt Shotton as the Dodgers' skipper. Shotton, 66, a longtime associate of ousted Dodger president
Branch Rickey, compiled a 326–215 record, with two NL
pennants, between 1947 and 1950. • November 29 – The
St. Louis Cardinals fill their managerial opening when their stellar shortstop, seven-time
NL All-Star Marty Marion, hangs up his glove at age 33 and signs a one-year contract.
December • December 5 –
Mel Ott hires on for two years to fill the
Oakland Oaks managerial spot vacated by
Chuck Dressen. Ott last managed on July 15, 1948, his final game as skipper of the
New York Giants. He comes to the
Pacific Coast League having never played (or managed) a game in
minor league baseball. • December 10 – A quiet off-season trade market briefly stirs to life when the
Boston Red Sox send pitchers
Joe Dobson and
Dick Littlefield and outfielder
Al Zarilla to the
Chicago White Sox for pitchers
Ray Scarborough and
Bill Wight. • December 11 – Serious dissatisfaction with
Commissioner of Baseball Happy Chandler's job performance unexpectedly surfaces at the MLB owners' meeting in
Saint Petersburg, Florida. An early discussion of extending Chandler's contract (which expires April 30, 1952) reveals that only nine of the 16 clubs are in favor of retaining the former U.S. Senator from
Kentucky. Three votes are then taken, with Chandler failing to gain more than nine "ayes". Chandler offers to quit immediately, then vows he will remain "to the last second of office". The owners then vote unanimously to begin searching for a new Commissioner while Chandler campaigns to keep his post. • December 13 – The
Boston Red Sox sell the contract of veteran catcher
Birdie Tebbetts to the
Cleveland Indians, and purchase backstop
Mike Guerra from the
Philadelphia Athletics. Tebbetts, 38, is coming off one of his best offensive seasons (
.310 in 79 games), but he angered Boston management by publicly criticizing members of the Bosox pitching staff as "juvenile delinquents" and "moronic malcontents" after the season. • December 28 – The
New York Yankees release "Old Reliable," veteran outfielder
Tommy Henrich, 37, who won six
World Series rings and was selected to five
AL All-Star teams during his 11 seasons with the Bombers. ==Movies==