Champions World Series: New York Yankees over New York Giants (4–2)
Awards and honors League Award Babe Ruth, New York Yankees, OF
Statistical leaders Any team shown in indicates a previous team a player was on during the season.
American League National League Eastern Colored League Negro National League Stat Player Total Player Total Player Total Player Total AVG Harry Heilmann (DET) .403 Rogers Hornsby (STL) .384 Biz Mackey (HIL) .423 Heavy Johnson1 (KCM) .406 HR Babe Ruth (NYY) 41 Cy Williams (PHI) 41 George Johnson (HIL) 8 Heavy Johnson1 (KCM)Candy Jim Taylor (SLS/) 20 RBI Babe Ruth (NYY)Tris Speaker (CLE) 130 Irish Meusel (NYG) 125 George Johnson (HIL) 46 Heavy Johnson1 (KCM) 120 W George Uhle (CLE) 26 Dolf Luque (CIN) 27 Rats Henderson (BG)Nip Winters (HIL) 10 Bullet Rogan (KCM) 16 ERA Stan Coveleski (CLE) 2.76 Dolf Luque (CIN) 1.93 Nip Winters (HIL) 2.36 Ed Rile (CAG) 2.53 K Walter Johnson (WSH) 130 Dazzy Vance (BRO) 197 Rats Henderson (HG) 100 Bullet Rogan (KCM) 151 1 Negro National National League Triple Crown batting winner
Major league baseball final standings American League final standings
National League final standings
Negro leagues final standings All Negro leagues standings below are per MLB and Seamheads.
Eastern Colored League final standings
Negro National League final standings
Independent teams final standings A loose confederation of teams existed that were not part of either established leagues. vs. All Teams Independent Clubs W L T Pct. GBMemphis Red Sox1570—Cleveland Tate Stars151614½Harrisburg Giants6704½Washington Potomacs142007Birmingham Black Barons162548½
Events January January 3 – The New York Yankees selects two rookies from the Boston Red Sox; pitcher George Pipgras and outfielder Harvey Hendrick in exchange for backup catcher Al DeVormer. Then 27 days later, the Red Sox continue to feed the Yankees by sending them pitcher Herb Pennock for infielder Norm McMillan, outfielder Camp Skinner, pitcher George Murray, and $50,000 cash.
February February 2 – Red Schoendienst is born in Germantown, Illinois. Primarily a second baseman, Schoendienst will hit .289 during a 19-year career with the St. Louis Cardinals, New York Giants and Milwaukee Braves. He will win election to the Hall of Fame in 1989. February 20 – Christy Mathewson, along with Emil Fuchs, purchase the Boston Braves franchise for $300,000. Matthews is named team president, though failing health reduces Matthewson's role to just a figurehead and he turns over the role of team president to Fuchs at the end of the season.
March March 6 – The St. Louis Cardinals announce that their players will wear numerals on their uniforms and number them according to the batting order, but it does not happen this season. March 8 – Pitcher Rube Benton is reinstated by Commissioner Landis even though Benton admitted to having prior knowledge regarding the 1919 world Series fix.
April April 3 – Swede Risberg and Happy Felsch sue the Chicago White Sox seeking back salary and an addition $400,000 in damages. Though acquitted on charges they fixed the 1919 World Series, both players were banned for life. April 7 – The longest National League opener (to date) took place with the Brooklyn Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies battling head-to-head for a grueling, fourteen innings and a 5–5 tie. April 18 – The New York Yankees defeat the Boston Red Sox, 4–1, in the very first game at old Yankee Stadium. In the third inning, Babe Ruth hits the stadium's first-ever home run, a shot off Howard Ehmke with Whitey Witt and Joe Dugan on base. April 20 – In a 5–3 loss to the St. Louis Browns, Detroit Tigers future Hall of Famer Heinie Manush makes his major league debut, and hits a double in his only at-bat. April 23 – The New York Yankees sign first baseman Lou Gehrig
May May 2 – Washington Senators pitcher Walter Johnson gets his 100th career shutout and New York Yankees shortstop Everett Scott gets a gold medal from the American League for playing in his 1,000th consecutive game. Scott began his streak on June 20, 1916. Washington defeats the Yankees, 3–0, as Johnson allows just three hits. May 11: The Philadelphia Phillies and the St. Louis Cardinals bash a game-record 10 home runs, as the Phillies beat the Cardinals, 20–14. Cy Williams hit three homers with seven RBI for Philadelphia, while teammate Johnny Mokan adds two homers, a double, and seven RBI. Besides, Les Mann belts two homers for St. Louis‚ and losing pitcher Bill Sherdel connects one. Overall, 23 batters hit safely with the two teams combining for 79 total bases. Williams now has 12 home runs, which tops the Major Leagues. In Pacific League action, Vernon Tigers outfielder Pete Schneider collects five home runs, including two grand slams and 14 runs batted in, in a 35–11 victory over the Salt Lake Bees. Vernon also adds a double that hits two feet from the top of the center field wall. A former Major League pitcher, Vernon won 20 games for the Cincinnati Reds in its 1917 season, while his five homers and 14 RBI, settled records in the Pacific League that still stands today. May 12 – The St. Louis Browns sell the contract of pitcher Sloppy Thurston to the Chicago White Sox. May 13 – Joe Sewell of the Cleveland Indians strikes out twice in one game for the first time in his career. Washington Senators rookie Cy Warmoth is the pitcher. In a 14-year career, Sewell will have only one other multiple strikeout game. May 18 – Benny Bengough makes his major league debut for the New York Yankees in their 9–4 win over the St. Louis Browns. Bengough would serve as a back-up catcher on the Yankees 1927 Murders Row team. May 19 – For the first time in major league history, brothers on opposite teams hit home runs in the same game. Boston Red Sox catcher Rick Ferrell homers off his brother Wes Ferrell in the second inning, but the Cleveland Indians pitcher returns the favor as he homers in the third on a pitch called by his sibling. It is the only time that the Ferrell brothers homer in the same game. May 25 – Detroit Tigers legend Ty Cobb scored his 1,741 run to pass another legend, Pittsburgh Pirates' Honus Wagner. Cobb went on to hold ninety separate Major League records when he retired in 1928.
June June 1 – Heinie Groh, Ross Youngs and Jimmie O'Connell collects five hits apiece, a first in the 20th century, as the New York Giants score in all nine innings, setting also a Major League record, while beating the Philadelphia Phillies 22–8 at Baker Bowl. It has been done only once since in the National League by the St. Louis Cardinals (September 13,‚1964), but never in the American League. O'Connell hit three doubles, one home run‚and a single in his five safeties, good for seven runs batted in. Pitcher Claude Jonnard is credited with the win. June 3 – After pitching a complete game the day before, Detroit Tigers Herman Pillette relieves in the 8th inning against the Cleveland Indians with Detroit up, 7–5. Pillette allows both inherited runners to score, but the Tigers tally a run in the bottom of the 9th to give him his second win in two days. June 7 – The Boston Braves trade Hank Gowdy and Mule Watson to the New York Giants in exchange for Earl Smith and Jesse Barnes. June 15 – After going two-for-four with a double, two runs batted in and a run scored, New York Yankees star first baseman Wally Pipp is rested by manager Miller Huggins, allowing recently signed rookie Lou Gehrig to make his major league debut in the Yankees' 10–0 victory over the St. Louis Browns. Gehrig does not receive an at bat. June 23 through July 22 – The Cleveland Indians play 31 consecutive home games against the other American League teams, finishing their homestand with a 16–15 record. June 26 – Moe Berg, who would go on to be a spy for the United States during World War II, is signed by the Brooklyn Robins as a free agent. June 27 - One day after signing as a free agent, Moe Berg makes his MLB debut at shortstop for the Brooklyn Robins. Berg gets one hit in two at bats as the Robins route the Philadelphia Phillies 15-5.
July July 2 – Already down 7–0 to the St. Louis Browns, future Hall of Fame pitcher Ted Lyons makes his major league debut with the Chicago White Sox, and throws a perfect inning. July 7 – In the first game of a double header at Dunn Field, the Cleveland Indians set an American League record after scoring in every inning against the Boston Red Sox. The feat was completed in eight innings (the home team did not bat in the ninth). The Indians collected 24 hits and 14 walks, while scoring 13 runs in the sixth inning for an embarrassing 27–3 victory. Cleveland win the second game as well, 8–5. July 10 – In a doubleheader, St. Louis Cardinals rookie pitcher Johnny Stuart hurled two complete game victories over the Boston Braves, winning by scores of 11–1 and 6–3, while allowing three hits in the opener and 10 in the nightcap. July 11 – Harry Frazee, owner of the Boston Red Sox since 1916, sells the club for over $1 million to a group of Ohio businessmen. Veteran front office man Bob Quinn will run the Red Sox, and as team president he will work to restore the credibility of a franchise whose best players had been sold off by Frazee over the years. July 22 – Walter Johnson of the Washington Senators finds the 3,000 strikeout club. July 24 – New York Yankees pitcher Carl Mays beats the Philadelphia Athletics at Shibe Park, 9–2, setting an American League record with his 24th straight win. This also matches the Major League high of Christy Mathewson, who won 24 consecutive games in the National League.
August August 3 – All Major League Baseball games are postponed after the sudden death of U.S. President Warren G. Harding the night before. August 4 – Travis Jackson drives in eight runs on four hits to lead the New York Giants to a 14–4 victory over the Cincinnati Reds. August 13 – Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Max Carey steals second base, third base and home plate against the Brooklyn Robins. Carey will again lead the National League with 51 stolen bases and, equally fleet in the field, will garner 450 putouts and 28 assists in the season. Besides, Carey becomes the first outfielder in the majors to catch 400 or more putouts six times. Richie Ashburn will later do it nine times. August 15 – Washington Senators left-hander George Mogridge becomes the only pitcher in Major League history to steal home in extra innings, when he scores an insurance run in the 12th in a 5–1 win over the Chicago White Sox at Comiskey Park. August 17 – The New York Yankees edge the St. Louis Browns at Sportsman's Park, 5–4. Babe Ruth hits his 31st home run in the 1st inning and adds a double in the 8th. After 111 games, Ruth is batting .401. He will wind up with his highest average at .393, leading the American League with 205 hits, 41 homers, 151 runs, a Major League record 170 walks, and will reach base a record 379 times en route to the AL MVP Award.
September September 4 – Sad Sam Jones pitches a no-hitter for the New York Yankees in a 2–0 win over the Philadelphia Athletics. September 7 – Boston Red Sox pitcher Howard Ehmke tosses a no-hitter in a 4–0 win over the Philadelphia Athletics, marking the second time in four days Philadelphia is no-hit. September 14 – Boston Red Sox first baseman George Burns completed the third unassisted triple play in Major League Baseball history during the second inning of a game against the Cleveland Indians, as he gathered in a Frank Brower line drive, tags Rube Lutzke coming from first base, and beat Riggs Stephenson while returning to second. Boston wins, 2–0.