Champions Major League Baseball World Series: New York Yankees over Philadelphia Phillies (4–0) All-Star Game, July 11 at Comiskey Park: National League, 4–3 (14 innings)
Other champions All-American Girls Professional Baseball League: Rockford Peaches Amateur World Series: Cuba College World Series: Texas First Japan Series: Mainichi Orions over Shochiku Robins (4–2) Little League World Series: North Austin Lions, Austin, Texas Negro League Baseball All-Star Game: West, 5–3
Winter leagues Cuban League: Alacranes del Almendares Mexican Pacific League: Tacuarineros de Culiacán Panamanian League: Carta Vieja Yankees Puerto Rican League: Criollos de Caguas Venezuelan League: Navegantes del Magallanes
Club tournaments Caribbean Series: Carta Vieja Yankees Interamerican Series: Cerveceria Caracas
Awards and honors Most Valuable Player American League: Phil Rizzuto (NYY) National League: Jim Konstanty (PHI) Rookie of the Year American League: Walt Dropo (BOS) National League: Sam Jethroe (BSN) The Sporting News Player of the Year Award Phil Rizzuto (NYY) The Sporting News Pitcher of the Year Award American League: Bob Lemon (CLE) National League: Jim Konstanty (PHI) The Sporting News Manager of the Year Award Red Rolfe (DET)
Statistical leaders American LeagueNational League Stat Player Total Player Total AVG Billy Goodman (BOS) .354 Stan Musial (STL) .346 HR Al Rosen (CLE) 37 Ralph Kiner (PIT) 47 RBI Walt Dropo (BOS)Vern Stephens (BOS) 144 Del Ennis (PHI) 126 W Bob Lemon (CLE) 23 Warren Spahn (BSN) 21 ERA Early Wynn (CLE) 3.20 Sal Maglie (NYG) 2.71 K Bob Lemon (CLE) 170 Warren Spahn (BSN) 191
Major league baseball final standings American League final standings
National League final standings
All-American Girls Professional Baseball League final standings RankTeamWLPct.GB1 Rockford Peaches 67 44 .604 —2 Fort Wayne Daisies 62 43 .590 23 Kenosha Comets 63 46 .578 34 Grand Rapids Chicks 59 53 .527 8½5 South Bend Blue Sox 55 55 .500 11½6 Racine Belles 50 59 .459 167 Peoria Redwings 44 63 .411 218 Kalamazoo Lassies 36 73 .330 30
Nippon Professional Baseball final standings Central League final standings Central League G W L T Pct. GBShochiku Robins 137 98 35 4 .737 —Chunichi Dragons 137 89 44 4 .669 9.0Yomiuri Giants 140 82 54 4 .603 17.5Osaka Tigers 140 70 67 3 .511 30.0Taiyo Whales 140 69 68 3 .504 31.0Nishi Nippon Pirates 136 50 83 3 .376 48.0Kokutetsu Swallows 138 42 94 2 .309 57.5Hiroshima Carp 138 41 96 1 .299 59.0
Pacific League final standings Pacific League G W L T Pct. GBMainichi Orions 120 81 34 5 .704 —Nankai Hawks 120 66 49 5 .574 15.0Daiei Stars 120 62 54 4 .534 19.5Hankyu Braves 120 54 64 2 .458 28.5Nishitetsu Clippers 120 51 67 2 .432 31.5Tokyu Flyers 120 51 69 0 .425 32.5Kintetsu Pearls 120 44 72 4 .379 37.5
Events
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
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.Retrosheet box score "Washington Senators 8, Philadelphia Athletics 7". (April 18, 1950). 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."Martin, Billy", in The Yankee Encyclopedia, Mark Gallagher, ed. (Sports Publishing LLC, 2003) p148 The Yanks overcome a 10–4 Boston lead with a nine-run eighth inning.Retrosheet box score "New York Yankees 15, Boston Red Sox 10". (April 18, 1950). 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."St. Louis Cardinals 1, Chicago Cubs 0 (13 innings)". Retrosheet box score (April 30, 1950).
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."Chicago White Sox 15, New York Yankees 0." Retrosheet box score (May 4, 1950).