| 1918 MLB season | |
| League: | American League (AL) National League (NL) |
| Sport: | Baseball |
| Duration: | Regular season:World Series: |
| No Of Games: | 154 (scheduled) 123–131 (actual) |
| No Of Teams: | 16 (8 per league) |
| Playoffs: | Pennant winners |
| Conf1: | AL |
| Conf1 Champ: | Boston Red Sox |
| Conf1 Runner-Up: | Cleveland Indians |
| Conf2: | NL |
| Conf2 Champ: | Chicago Cubs |
| Conf2 Runner-Up: | New York Giants |
| Finals: | World Series |
| Finals Link: | 1918 World Series |
| Finals Champ: | Boston Red Sox |
| Finals Runner-Up: | Chicago Cubs |
| Seasonslist: | List of Major League Baseball seasons |
| Seasonslistnames: | MLB |
| Prevseason Link: | 1917 Major League Baseball season |
| Prevseason Year: | 1917 |
| Nextseason Link: | 1919 Major League Baseball season |
| Nextseason Year: | 1919 |
The 1918 major league baseball season began on April 15, 1918. The regular season ended earlier than originally scheduled, September 2, because of a reduced schedule due to American participation in World War I.[1] The National League and American League champions were the Chicago Cubs and Boston Red Sox, respectively. The postseason began with Game 1 of the 15th World Series on September 5 and ended with Game 6 on September 11. The Red Sox defeated the Cubs, four games to two.
See also: Major League Baseball schedule.
American League Opening Day took place on April 15 with four American League teams playing, the Philadelphia Athletics at Boston Red Sox, and the New York Yankees at Washington Senators, while National League Opening Day saw all eight teams play the following day. It was the first season since which saw the two leagues open on different days.
With World War I ongoing, a "work or fight" mandate was issued by the government, requiring men with non-essential jobs to enlist or take war-related jobs by July 1, or else risk being drafted.[2] Secretary of War Newton D. Baker granted an extension to MLB players through Labor Day, September 2.[3] In early August, MLB clubs decided that the regular season would end at that time.[4] As a result, the number of regular-season games that each team played varied—123 to 130 for AL teams and 124 to 131 for NL teams, including ties[5] —reduced from their original 154-game schedules. The final day of the regular season would see all teams but the Cleveland Indians and St. Louis Browns play. Later in August, Baker granted a further extension to allow for the World Series to be contested;[3] it began on September 5 and ended on September 11.[6] World War I would end two months later, with the Armistice of 11 November 1918.
| Team | Former Manager | New Manager | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Red Sox | Jack Barry | Ed Barrow | |
| New York Yankees | Bill Donovan | Miller Huggins | |
| St. Louis Cardinals | Miller Huggins | Jack Hendricks |
| Team | Former Manager | New Manager | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cincinnati Reds | Christy Mathewson | Heinie Groh | |
| St. Louis Browns | Fielder Jones | Jimmy Austin | |
| St. Louis Browns | Jimmy Austin | Jimmy Burke |
| Stat | Player | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ty Cobb (DET) | .382 | ||
| Babe Ruth (BRS) Tillie Walker (PHA) | 11 | ||
| Bobby Veach (DET) | 84 | ||
| Ray Chapman (CLE) | 84 | ||
| George Burns (PHA) | 178 | ||
| George Sisler (SLB) | 45 |
| Stat | Player | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walter Johnson1 (WSH) | 23 | ||
| Eddie Cicotte (CWS) Scott Perry (PHA) | 19 | ||
| Walter Johnson1 (WSH) | 1.27 | ||
| Walter Johnson1 (WSH) | 162 | ||
| Scott Perry (PHA) | 332.1 | ||
| George Mogridge (NYY) | 7 |
| Stat | Player | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zack Wheat (BKN) | .335 | ||
| Gavvy Cravath (PHP) | 8 | ||
| Sherry Magee (CIN) | 76 | ||
| Heinie Groh (CIN) | 86 | ||
| Charlie Hollocher (CHC) | 161 | ||
| Max Carey (PIT) | 58 |
| Stat | Player | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hippo Vaughn1 (CHC) | 22 | ||
| Rube Marquard (BKN) Joe Oeschger (PHP) | 18 | ||
| Hippo Vaughn1 (CHC) | 1.74 | ||
| Hippo Vaughn1 (CHC) | 148 | ||
| Hippo Vaughn (CHC) | 290.1 | ||
| Fred Anderson (NYG) Wilbur Cooper (PIT) Joe Oeschger (PHP) Fred Toney (CIN/NYG) | 3 |
| Team name | Wins | Home attendance | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago Cubs[7] | 84 | 13.5% | 337,256 | −6.4% | 4,558 | |
| Cleveland Indians[8] | 73 | −17.0% | 295,515 | −38.1% | 4,766 | |
| New York Yankees[9] | 60 | −15.5% | 282,047 | −14.6% | 4,210 | |
| New York Giants[10] | 71 | −27.6% | 256,618 | −48.7% | 4,582 | |
| Boston Red Sox[11] | 75 | −16.7% | 249,513 | −35.7% | 3,564 | |
| Pittsburgh Pirates[12] | 65 | 27.5% | 213,610 | 10.8% | 3,009 | |
| Detroit Tigers[13] | 55 | −29.5% | 203,719 | −55.5% | 3,512 | |
| Chicago White Sox[14] | 57 | −43.0% | 195,081 | −71.5% | 3,484 | |
| Washington Senators[15] | 72 | −2.7% | 182,122 | 103.1% | 2,461 | |
| Philadelphia Athletics[16] | 52 | −5.5% | 177,926 | −19.6% | 2,617 | |
| Cincinnati Reds[17] | 68 | −12.8% | 163,009 | −39.4% | 2,296 | |
| Philadelphia Phillies[18] | 55 | −36.8% | 122,266 | −65.5% | 2,145 | |
| St. Louis Browns[19] | 58 | 1.8% | 122,076 | −42.0% | 2,303 | |
| St. Louis Cardinals[20] | 51 | −37.8% | 110,599 | −61.7% | 1,515 | |
| Boston Braves[21] | 53 | −26.4% | 84,938 | −51.3% | 1,633 | |
| Brooklyn Robins[22] | 57 | −18.6% | 83,831 | −62.2% | 1,552 |