The 1901 major league baseball season was contested from April 18 through October 6, 1901. It was the inaugural major league season for the American League (AL) (having previous been the minor league Western League), with the Chicago White Stockings finishing first in league standings. In the National League (NL), in operation since 1876, the Pittsburgh Pirates finished atop the league standings. There was no postseason.
| 1901 MLB season | |
|---|---|
| League | American League (AL) National League (NL) |
| Sport | Baseball |
| Duration | April 24 – September 28, 1901 (AL) April 18 – October 6, 1901 (NL) |
| Number of games | 140 |
| Number of teams | 16 (8 per league) |
| Pennant winners | |
| AL champions | Chicago White Stockings |
| AL runners-up | Boston Americans |
| NL champions | Pittsburgh Pirates |
| NL runners-up | Philadelphia Phillies |
Schedule
editThe 1901 schedule consisted of 140 games for all teams in the American League and National League, each of which had eight teams. Each team was scheduled to play 20 games against the other seven teams of their respective league. This format had previously been used by the National League during their 1888–1891 seasons. This format would last until 1904, which saw an increase of games played.
National League Opening Day took place on April 18 with a game between the Brooklyn Superbas and the Philadelphia Phillies, while American League Opening Day did not take place until April 24, with a game between the Chicago White Stockings and the Cleveland Bluebirds. The American League would see its final day of the season on September 28, while the National League would see its final day of the season on October 6.
Rule changes
editOn February 27, 1901, the National League Rules Committee announced several rule changes, effective immediately.[1][2]
- All foul balls are to count as strike balls, except after two strikes. Previously, foul balls would not affect the count. To cut the cost of lost foul balls, the committee urges that batters who foul off good strikes are to be disciplined. The American League will not adopt this rule until the 1903 season.
- catchers must play within 10 feet of the batter
- A ball will be called if the pitcher does not throw to a ready and waiting batter within 20 seconds
- Players using indecent or improper language will be banished by the umpire.
- A ball will be called when a batter is hit by a pitch.
Further changes were made in April:
- In a mail vote, the owners rescinded the new hit by pitch rule, restoring the rule that a HBP will earn a batter first base.
Teams
editStandings
editAmerican League
edit| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB | Home | Road |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago White Stockings | 83 | 53 | .610 | — | 49–21 | 34–32 |
| Boston Americans | 79 | 57 | .581 | 4 | 49–20 | 30–37 |
| Detroit Tigers | 74 | 61 | .548 | 8½ | 42–27 | 32–34 |
| Philadelphia Athletics | 74 | 62 | .544 | 9 | 42–24 | 32–38 |
| Baltimore Orioles | 68 | 65 | .511 | 13½ | 40–25 | 28–40 |
| Washington Senators | 61 | 72 | .459 | 20½ | 31–35 | 30–37 |
| Cleveland Blues | 54 | 82 | .397 | 29 | 28–39 | 26–43 |
| Milwaukee Brewers | 48 | 89 | .350 | 35½ | 32–37 | 16–52 |
National League
edit| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB | Home | Road |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pittsburgh Pirates | 90 | 49 | .647 | — | 45–24 | 45–25 |
| Philadelphia Phillies | 83 | 57 | .593 | 7½ | 46–23 | 37–34 |
| Brooklyn Superbas | 79 | 57 | .581 | 9½ | 43–25 | 36–32 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 76 | 64 | .543 | 14½ | 40–31 | 36–33 |
| Boston Beaneaters | 69 | 69 | .500 | 20½ | 41–29 | 28–40 |
| Chicago Orphans | 53 | 86 | .381 | 37 | 30–39 | 23–47 |
| New York Giants | 52 | 85 | .380 | 37 | 30–38 | 22–47 |
| Cincinnati Reds | 52 | 87 | .374 | 38 | 27–43 | 25–44 |
Managerial changes
editOff-season
edit| Team | Former Manager | New Manager |
|---|---|---|
| Cincinnati Reds | Bob Allen | Bid McPhee |
| St. Louis Cardinals | Louie Heilbroner | Patsy Donovan |
League leaders
editAmerican League
edit
1 American League Triple Crown batting winner
|
|
National League
edit
|
|
Milestones
editBatters
edit- Nap Lajoie (PHA):
- Became the fourth player in MLB history and the first in American League history to win the Triple Crown, an achievement of leading a league in batting average, home runs, and runs batted in (RBI) over the same season.[3]
Pitchers
editHome field attendance
edit| Team name | Wins | %± | Home attendance | %± | Per game |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Louis Cardinals[4] | 76 | 16.9% | 379,988 | 40.7% | 5,278 |
| Chicago White Stockings[5] | 83 | 354,350 | 4,991 | ||
| New York Giants[6] | 52 | −13.3% | 297,650 | 56.7% | 4,192 |
| Boston Americans[7] | 79 | 289,448 | 4,195 | ||
| Detroit Tigers[8] | 74 | 259,430 | 3,706 | ||
| Pittsburgh Pirates[9] | 90 | 13.9% | 251,955 | −4.6% | 3,652 |
| Philadelphia Phillies[10] | 83 | 10.7% | 234,937 | −22.2% | 3,405 |
| Philadelphia Athletics[11] | 74 | 206,329 | 3,126 | ||
| Cincinnati Reds[12] | 52 | −16.1% | 205,728 | 21.0% | 2,857 |
| Chicago Orphans[13] | 53 | −18.5% | 205,071 | −17.5% | 2,930 |
| Brooklyn Superbas[14] | 79 | −3.7% | 198,200 | 8.3% | 2,915 |
| Washington Senators[15] | 61 | 161,661 | 2,377 | ||
| Boston Beaneaters[16] | 69 | 4.5% | 146,502 | −27.5% | 2,093 |
| Baltimore Orioles[17] | 68 | 141,952 | 2,151 | ||
| Milwaukee Brewers[18] | 48 | 139,034 | 1,986 | ||
| Cleveland Blues[19] | 54 | 131,380 | 1,904 |
References
edit- ^ "The National League Rules Committee decrees that all foul balls are to count as strikes, except after two strikes. - This Day In Baseball". February 27, 1901. Retrieved April 11, 2024.
- ^ "This Day in Sports: The National League Makes it Way Harder for Fans to Catch a Foul Ball". ESPN.com. February 27, 2010. Retrieved April 11, 2024.
- ^ "1901 American League Batting Leaders".
- ^ "St. Louis Cardinals Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved March 28, 2024.
- ^ "Chicago White Sox Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved March 28, 2024.
- ^ "San Francisco Giants Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved March 28, 2024.
- ^ "Boston Red Sox Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved March 28, 2024.
- ^ "Detroit Tigers Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved March 28, 2024.
- ^ "Pittsburgh Pirates Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved March 28, 2024.
- ^ "Philadelphia Phillies Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved March 28, 2024.
- ^ "Oakland Athletics Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved March 28, 2024.
- ^ "Cincinnati Reds Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved March 28, 2024.
- ^ "Chicago Cubs Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved March 28, 2024.
- ^ "Los Angeles Dodgers Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved March 28, 2024.
- ^ "Minnesota Twins Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved March 28, 2024.
- ^ "Atlanta Braves Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved March 28, 2024.
- ^ "Baltimore Orioles Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved March 28, 2024.
- ^ "Baltimore Orioles Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved March 28, 2024.
- ^ "Cleveland Guardians Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved March 28, 2024.
External links
edit- 1901 in baseball history from ThisGreatGame.com
- 1901 Major League Baseball season schedule at Baseball Reference