1930 Baseball Season Highlights

The 1930 baseball season saw the peak of the home run trend. Many individual hitting records were set by players such as Hall-of-Famers Hack Wilson and Bill Terry. Find highlights from the 1930 baseball season below.
  • The A's win their second consecutive American League Flag.

  • The Cards come home first in the National League, 2 games ahead of the Cubs.

  • The A's repeat and win the 1930 World Series, this time in six games.

  • George Earnshaw and Lefty Grove both win two Series games for the A's.

    Gabby Hartnett
    Gabby Hartnett of the
    Chicago Cubs sets a
    20th-century record for
    catchers with his .630 SA.
  • Cub Gabby Hartnett's .630 SA sets a 20th-century record for catchers.

  • In a hitter's year, neither Philadelphia nor St. Louis hit above .200 in the 1930 World Series.

  • On Oct. 2, Cardinal George Watkins becomes the first National League player to homer in his first Series at-bat.

  • Hack Wilson drives in a major league record 190 runs.

  • Wilson sets a National League record with 56 home runs.

  • Dodger Dazzy Vance's 2.61 ERA is 1.15 runs better than the next-lowest ERA in the National League.

  • Lefty Grove's 2.54 ERA is 0.76 runs better than the next-lowest ERA in the American League.

  • Grove leads the majors in wins (28), win pct. (.848), Ks (209), and amazingly, saves (nine).

  • Grove is the only American League pitcher to fan more than 200 since 1916.

  • Al Simmons tops the American League in batting (.381), runs (152), and runs produced (281).

  • Giant Bill Terry leads the National League with a .401 BA, the last .400 average in the league.

  • After a long holdout, Babe Ruth signs for $80,000 -- a Major League Baseball record salary at this juncture.

  • Adam Comorosky of the Pirates leads the majors with 23 triples.

  • Philly's Chuck Klein sets National League records for runs (158), total bases (445), and runs produced (288).

  • Klein tops the National League in doubles (59) and runs produced (288).

  • Klein hits .386 with 40 homers, 170 RBI, and 250 hits.

  • Klein registers a 20th-Century National League record 44 assists by an outfielder.

  • Dodger Babe Herman's .393 BA is the highest of the 20th Century by a National League runner-up.

  • Philly pitchers give up a record 1,199 runs and have a record-high 6.71 ERA. Opponents hit .342 off Philly pitching.

  • Les Sweetland's 7.71 ERA for the Phils is the worst ever by an ERA qualifier.

  • Philly Claude Willoughby posts a 7.59 ERA.

Find even more highlights of the 1930 baseball season in our final section.

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