1947 Major League Baseball season explained

1947 MLB season
League:	American League (AL) National League (NL)
Sport:	Baseball
Duration:	Regular season:World Series:
No Of Games:	154
No Of Teams:	16 (8 per league)
Season:	Regular season
Mvp:	AL Joe DiMaggio (NYY) NL: Bob Elliott (BSB)
Mvp Link:	Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award
Conf1:	AL
Conf1 Champ:	New York Yankees
Conf1 Runner-Up:	Detroit Tigers
Conf2:	NL
Conf2 Champ:	Brooklyn Dodgers
Conf2 Runner-Up:	St. Louis Cardinals
Finals:	World Series
Finals Link:	1947 World Series
Seasonslist:	List of MLB seasons
Seasonslistnames:	MLB
Prevseason Link:	1946 Major League Baseball season
Prevseason Year:	1946
Nextseason Link:	1948 Major League Baseball season
Nextseason Year:	1948

The 1947 major league baseball season began on April 15, 1947. The regular season ended on September 28, with the Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Yankees as the regular season champions of the National League and American League, respectively. The postseason began with Game 1 of the 44th World Series on September 30 and ended with Game 7 on October 6. The Yankees defeated the Dodgers, four games to three, capturing the 11th championship in franchise history.

The 14th Major League Baseball All-Star Game was played on July 8, hosted by the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois, with the American League winning, 2–1.

The 1947 season is most notable as the year that the baseball color line broke, thanks to the Brooklyn Dodgers starting Jackie Robinson on Opening Day.^[1]

Integration: Breaking the color line

On April 15, Opening Day for the National League's Brooklyn Dodgers, Jackie Robinson was in the Dodgers' lineup, playing first base against the Boston Braves at Ebbets Field.^[1] His appearance in a major league game broke the baseball color line, the practice of excluding players of black African descent. Though he endured epithets and death threats, as well as a slow start, his skill would earn him the first ever Rookie of the Year award, named in Robinson's honor 40 years later.^[2]

Halfway through the season on July 5, the American League's Cleveland Indians debuted Larry Doby, becoming the first black player in the American League and breaking the AL color line. Doby was a more low-key figure, suffered many of the same indignities that Robinson did, albeit with less press coverage.^[3]

Kansas City Monarchs star Willard Brown and teammate Hank Thompson briefly played for the St. Louis Browns, becoming the third and fourth Black players in either the NL or AL, and made the St. Louis Browns the first of either the NL or AL to field two Black players on one roster. Brown was the first black player to hit a home run in the American League.

Schedule

See also: Major League Baseball schedule. The 1947 schedule consisted of 154 games for all teams in the American League and National League, each of which had eight teams. Each team was scheduled to play 22 games against the other seven teams of their respective league. This continued the format put in place since the season (except for) and would be used until in the American League and in the National League.

Opening Day took place on April 15, featuring all sixteen teams, continuing the trend from . The final day of the regular season was on September 28, which also saw all sixteen teams play, continuing the trend from the previous season. This was the first time since that all sixteen teams that all sixteen teams played their first and last games on the same days. The World Series took place between September 30 and October 6.

Teams

Team	City	Stadium	Capacity	Manager
Boston Red Sox	Boston, Massachusetts	Fenway Park	35,500	Joe Cronin
Chicago White Sox	Chicago, Illinois	Comiskey Park	47,400	Ted Lyons
Cleveland Indians	Cleveland, Ohio	Cleveland Stadium	78,811	Lou Boudreau
Detroit Tigers	Detroit, Michigan	Briggs Stadium	58,000	Steve O'Neill
New York Yankees	New York, New York	Yankee Stadium	70,000	Bucky Harris
Philadelphia Athletics	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania	Shibe Park	33,166	Connie Mack
St. Louis Browns	St. Louis, Missouri	Sportsman's Park	31,250	Muddy Ruel
Washington Senators	Washington, D.C.	Griffith Stadium	32,000	Ossie Bluege
Boston Braves	Boston, Massachusetts	Braves Field	36,706	Billy Southworth
Brooklyn Dodgers	New York, New York	Ebbets Field	34,219	Clyde Sukeforth, Burt Shotton
Chicago Cubs	Chicago, Illinois	Wrigley Field	38,396	Charlie Grimm
Cincinnati Reds	Cincinnati, Ohio	Crosley Field	30,101	Johnny Neun
New York Giants	New York, New York	Polo Grounds	54,500	Mel Ott
Philadelphia Phillies	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania	Shibe Park	33,166	Ben Chapman
Pittsburgh Pirates	Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania	Forbes Field	33,730	Billy Herman, Bill Burwell
St. Louis Cardinals	St. Louis, Missouri	Sportsman's Park	31,250	Eddie Dyer

Standings

National League

Postseason

Bracket

Managerial changes

Off-season

Team	Former Manager	New Manager
Brooklyn Dodgers	Leo Durocher	Clyde Sukeforth
Cincinnati Reds	Hank Gowdy	Johnny Neun
New York Yankees	Johnny Neun	Bucky Harris
Pittsburgh Pirates	Spud Davis	Billy Herman
St. Louis Browns	Zack Taylor	Muddy Ruel

In-season

Team	Former Manager	New Manager
Brooklyn Dodgers	Clyde Sukeforth	Burt Shotton
Pittsburgh Pirates	Billy Herman	Bill Burwell

League leaders

American League

Stat! Player! style="width:15%;"
Total
	Ted Williams¹ (BRS)	.343
	Ted Williams¹ (BRS)	32
	Ted Williams¹ (BRS)	114
	Ted Williams (BRS)	125
	Johnny Pesky (BRS)	207
	Bob Dillinger (SLB)	34

¹ American League Triple Crown batting winner

Stat! Player! style="width:15%;"
Total
	Bob Feller (CLE)	20
	Hal Newhouser (DET)	17
	Joe Haynes (CWS)	2.42
	Bob Feller (CLE)	196
	Bob Feller (CLE)	299.0
	Ed Klieman (CLE) Joe Page (NYY)	17

National League

Stat! Player! style="width:15%;"
Total
	Harry Walker (PHP/SLC)	.363
	Ralph Kiner (PIT) Johnny Mize (NYG)	51
	Johnny Mize (NYG)	138
	Johnny Mize (NYG)	137
	Tommy Holmes (BSB)	191
	Jackie Robinson (BKN)	29

Stat! Player! style="width:15%;"
Total
	Ewell Blackwell (CIN)	22
	Johnny Schmitz (CHC)	18
	Warren Spahn (BSB)	2.33
	Ewell Blackwell (CIN)	193
	Warren Spahn (BSB)	289.2
	Hugh Casey (BKN)	18

Awards and honors

Joe DiMaggio, New York Yankees, CF

- National League

Bob Elliott, Boston Braves, 3B

Home field attendance

Team name	Wins		Home attendance
New York Yankees^[4]	97	11.5%	2,178,937	−3.8%	28,298
Brooklyn Dodgers^[5]	94	−2.1%	1,807,526	0.6%	23,173
New York Giants^[6]	81	32.8%	1,600,793	31.2%	21,063
Cleveland Indians^[7]	80	17.6%	1,521,978	44.0%	19,513
Boston Red Sox^[8]	83	−20.2%	1,427,315	0.7%	17,621
Detroit Tigers^[9]	85	−7.6%	1,398,093	−18.8%	17,476
Chicago Cubs^[10]	69	−15.9%	1,364,039	1.6%	17,266
Pittsburgh Pirates^[11]	62	−1.6%	1,283,531	71.1%	16,247
Boston Braves^[12]	86	6.2%	1,277,361	31.7%	16,589
St. Louis Cardinals^[13]	89	−9.2%	1,247,913	17.5%	16,207
Philadelphia Athletics^[14]	78	59.2%	911,566	46.6%	11,687
Philadelphia Phillies^[15]	62	−10.1%	907,332	−13.2%	11,784
Cincinnati Reds^[16]	73	9.0%	899,975	25.7%	11,688
Chicago White Sox^[17]	70	−5.4%	876,948	−10.8%	11,693
Washington Senators^[18]	64	−15.8%	850,758	−17.2%	11,049
St. Louis Browns^[19]	59	−10.6%	320,474	−39.1%	4,162

Events

April–June

April 15 – Major League Baseball's color line is officially broken when Jackie Robinson makes his Major League debut for the Brooklyn Dodgers against the Boston Braves at Ebbets Field.
April 27 – It is Babe Ruth Day at Yankee Stadium. Despite having throat cancer, he speaks to the packed house, proclaiming, "The only real game, I think, in the world is baseball."
June 18 – Ewell Blackwell pitches a no-hitter, leading the Cincinnati Reds to a 6–0 win over the Boston Braves.

July–September

July 5 – Larry Doby makes his debut for the Cleveland Indians, becoming the first black baseball player in the American League, and fully integrating Major League Baseball.
July 8 – At Wrigley Field, home of the Chicago Cubs, the American League defeats the National League, 2–1, in the All-Star Game.
July 10 – Cleveland Indians pitcher Don Black throws a no-hitter in a 3–0 win over the Philadelphia Athletics.
July 19 – Hall of Fame Negro leagues player Willard Brown makes his major league debut with the St. Louis Browns. Brown would only appear in 21 games for St. Louis in his only major league season, batting .179 with one home run and six runs batted in.
July 20 – With both Hank Thompson and Willard Brown in the starting line-up, the St. Louis Browns become the first major league club to field two black players at the same time. Both players play all nine innings of both games of a doubleheader with the Boston Red Sox.
August 13 – The St. Louis Browns' Willard Brown clubs a pinch hit a two-run, inside-the-park homer against Detroit Tigers pitcher Hal Newhouser, to become the first African American player to hit a home run in American League history.
August 20 – Washington Senators relief pitcher Tom Ferrick loses both games of a doubleheader with the Cleveland Indians. While pitching with the St. Louis Browns the previous season, Ferrick won both games of a doubleheader against the Philadelphia Athletics on August 4.
August 26 – Brooklyn Dodgers' Dan Bankhead became the first black pitcher in the majors. He homered in his first major league plate appearance, but didn't fare well on the mound. In 3 ¹⁄₃ innings of relief, he gave up 10 hits and six earned runs to the Pittsburgh Pirates, who won the game, 16–3.
September 3 – Bill McCahan of the Philadelphia Athletics no-hits the Washington Senators in a 3–0 victory.

October–December

October 6 – The New York Yankees defeat the Brooklyn Dodgers, 5–2, in Game 7 of the World Series to win their eleventh World Championship, four games to three. This was the first World Series involving a nonwhite player, as Dodgers first baseman Jackie Robinson had racially integrated Major League Baseball at the beginning of the season. It was also the first Series to be shown on television although coverage was limited to New York City and surrounding environs.
November 27 – Triple Crown winner Ted Williams (.343 BA, 32 home runs, 114 RBI) is edged out by Joe DiMaggio (.315, 20, 97) for the American League MVP Award by one point. One BBWAA member fails to include Williams anywhere on his ballot.

External links

1947 Major League Baseball season schedule at Baseball Reference

Notes and References

Web site: April 15, 1947: Jackie Robinson's major league debut . Lyle . Spatz . . October 8, 2020.
News: Sports News . . July 14, 1987.
Web site: Larry Doby . John . McMurray . . October 8, 2020.
Web site: New York Yankees Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors. September 8, 2020. Baseball-Reference.com.
Web site: Los Angeles Dodgers Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors. September 8, 2020. Baseball-Reference.com.
Web site: San Francisco Giants Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors. September 8, 2020. Baseball-Reference.com.
Web site: Cleveland Indians Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors. September 8, 2020. Baseball-Reference.com.
Web site: Boston Red Sox Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors. September 8, 2020. Baseball-Reference.com.
Web site: Detroit Tigers Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors. September 8, 2020. Baseball-Reference.com.
Web site: Chicago Cubs Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors. September 8, 2020. Baseball-Reference.com.
Web site: Pittsburgh Pirates Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors. September 8, 2020. Baseball-Reference.com.
Web site: Atlanta Braves Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors. September 8, 2020. Baseball-Reference.com.
Web site: St. Louis Cardinals Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors. September 8, 2020. Baseball-Reference.com.
Web site: Oakland Athletics Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors. September 8, 2020. Baseball-Reference.com.
Web site: Oakland Athletics Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors. September 8, 2020. Baseball-Reference.com.
Web site: Cincinnati Reds Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors. September 8, 2020. Baseball-Reference.com.
Web site: Chicago White Sox Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors. September 8, 2020. Baseball-Reference.com.
Web site: Minnesota Twins Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors. September 8, 2020. Baseball-Reference.com.
Web site: Baltimore Orioles Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors. September 8, 2020. Baseball-Reference.com.