1944 Baseball Season Highlights

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During the 1944 baseball season the National League performed well, while the American League suffered due to a shortage of players that had to serve in the military. Below you will find major highlights from the 1944 baseball season:

  • The Browns win the first and only flag in their history.
  • The Cardinals grab its third straight flag in the National League.
  • The Cards take all-Mound 1944 City World Series in six games.
  • George McQuinn of the Browns leads all 1944 World Series players with .438 BA and five RBI.
  • Emit Verban hits .412 to lead the Cards in the 1944 World Series.
  • The Cards get World Series wins from four different pitchers.
  • Blix Donnelly wins the key game of the 1944 World Series, game two, in 13 innings after Cards drop the opener.
  • Cardinal Marty Marion is the 1944 National League MVP.
  • Hal Newhouser wins 29 games for the second-place Tigers, the most since 1931 by an Major League lefty.
  • Hal Newhouser leads the American League in strikeouts with 187.
  • Dizzy Trout wins 27 for the Tigers to give the club a post-dead-ban tandem record of 56 wins from two pitchers.
  • Dizzy Trout is second to Hal Newhouser in MVP vote -- only time pitchers from the same team have finished one-two.
  • Dizzy Trout and Hal Newhouser are the top two in the league in wins, ERA, innings, strikeouts, CGs, and shutouts.
  • Dizzy Trout tops the American League in CGs (33), innings (352), ERA (2.12), and shutouts (seven).
  • Brooklyn's Dixie Walker tops the National League in batting at .357.
  • Cleveland's Lou Boudreau wins the American League bat title at .327.
  • Cub Bill Nicholson tops the majors in homers with 33 and RBI with 122.
  • American League homer leader Nick Etten of the Yankees has just 22.
  • Giant's rookie Bill Voiselle wins 21; is the last rookie in Major League history to pitch 300 or more innings, as he works 313.
  • Bill Voiselle leads the National League in Ks (161).
  • The Giants' Ace Adams appears in 60 or more games as a pitcher for a record third consecutive year.
  • Ace Adams leads the majors in saves with 13.
  • Snuffy Stirnweiss, a .219 hitter in 1943, tops the majors with 205 hits.
  • Elmer Gedeon becomes the first former major leaguer to be killed in action in World War II.
  • On June 10, the Reds use 15-year-old pitcher Joe Nuxhall, the youngest player in this century.
  • The Cardinals sweep 17 doubleheaders.
  • Lou Boudreau is involved in 134 DPs, a record for shortstops in a 154-game season.
  • Ray Mueller sets a National League record when he participates in 217 consecutive games as a catcher.
  • Ray Mueller sets a National League record for a 154-game season by catching in 155 games.
  • At the end of August, the Cards have a 91-30 mark, but are only 14-19 the rest of the way.
  • Tom Sunkel, the most successful one-eyed player in Major League history, appears in his last Major League game.
  • Detroit rookie Chuck Hostetler, age 41, hits .298 in 90 games.
  • The National League wins the 1944 All-Star Game 7-1 at Pittsburgh.
  • On April 27 vs. Dodgers, Jim Tobin of Braves becomes first pitcher to hit a homer while tossing a no-hitter.
  • On August 10, Red Barrett of the Braves throws record-low 58 pitches in a CG shutout of Reds.
  • Cincinnati's Clyde Shoun no-hits the Braves on May 15.
  • Stan Musial tops the National League in doubles (51) and SA (.549), and ties for lead in hits (197).
  • Bill Nicholson leads the National League in runs (116), runs produced (205), and total bases (317).
  • Snuffy Stirnweiss tops American League in runs (125) and ties for lead in triples (16).
  • The Cards lead the majors in batting (.275), runs (772), homers (100), fielding (.982), and ERA (2.68).
  • Washington's George Myatt goes 6-for-6 on May 1.
  • Washington's Stan Spence goes 6-for-6 on June 1.
  • The Browns' pennant-clinching game is hurled by Sig Jakucki -- he had been out of majors since 1936.
  • The Carpenter family assumes ownership of the Phillies.
  • On August 29, the Braves' Damon Phillips becomes the first third baseman since 1890 to make 11 assists in a nine-inning game.
  • Hal Gregg of Brooklyn is first pitcher in Major League history to fail to finish as many as 25 starts in a season.
    Bobby Doerr was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1986.
    Bobby Doerr (above)
    and Bob Johnson both
    slug .528 in 1944.
  • The Senators finish last but only 25 games out of first-an American League record for closest margin between first place and last.
  • Ed Heusser of Cincinnati leads the National League in ERA (2.38).
  • Pirate Johnny Barrett leads the National League in steals (28) and triples (19).
  • Yankee Johnny Lindell ties Snuffy Stirnweiss for the American League lead in triples (16) and edges him for league lead in total bases (297-296).
  • Red Sox Bob Johnson leads the American League in OBP (.431) and runs produced (195).
  • Bob Johnson is edged by teammate Bobby Doerr for the SA lead, as both slug .528.
  • The Browns shortstop Vern Stephens leads the American League in RBI (109).
  • Dick Wakefield returns from the armed forces and hits .355 for the Tigers, almost carrying them to the pennant.
  • Stan Spence hits 18 of Washington's 33 home runs.

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