More 1946 Baseball Season Highlights

Check out more highlights of the 1946 baseball season, including the Red Sox winning 104 games and trades between teams:

  • Johnny Schmitz of the Cubs tops the National League with just 135 Ks.
  • Players form the American Baseball Guild in the fourth attempt to unionize.
  • The American Baseball Guild helps raise the minimum major league salary to $5,000.
  • Bill Kennedy of Rocky Mount in the Coastal Plains League fans 456 hitters and has a 28-3 record with a 1.03 ERA.
  • On June 9, the Giants' Mel Ott becomes the first manager to be ejected from both games of a doubleheader.
  • Brooklyn's Pete Reiser steals home an National League record seven times in a season.
  • Reiser breaks an ankle with two weeks left in the season, possibly costing the Dodgers the pennant.
  • Joe Cronin of the Red Sox becomes the first to manage two different American League teams to flags.
  • The Red Sox win 104 games during the 1946 baseball season after winning just 71 in 1945.
  • Ed Head of Brooklyn no-hits Braves on April 23.
  • Hal Newhouser tops the major league in ERA (1.94), is second in the American League MVP vote.

    Bill Veeck's Hall of Fame plaque reads,
    Bill Veeck's Hall of Fame
    plaque reads, "A
    Champion
    of the Little Guy."

  • Cardinal Howie Pollet is the National League ERA king (2.10) and also tops the National League in wins (21).
  • Ted Williams tops the American League in SA (.677), total bases (343), runs (142), runs produced (227), OBP (.497), and walks (156).
  • Bill Veeck serves his first full season as owner of the Indians.
  • The Braves get Bob Elliott from the Pirates for four players.
  • Cleveland trades Allie Reynolds to the Yankees for Joe Gordon and Eddie Bockman.
  • Cleveland trades Sherm Lollar and Ray Mack to the Yankees for Gene Bearden, Hal Peck, and Al Gettel.
  • The Tigers trade Barney McCosky to the A's for George Kell.
  • McCosky is the only American League regular who Bob Feller fails to fan in 1946.
  • A group headed by Lou Perini buys the Braves.
  • Bill Thomas, winningest pitcher in minor league history, is banned after the season in a gambling probe (he's later reinstated).
  • On May 8, Boston's Johnny Pesky becomes the first American Leaguer to score six runs in a game.
  • Pesky leads the American League in hits (208) in his first year back from armed service.
  • On July 14, Lou Boudreau becomes the first player in the 20th century to collect five extra-base hits in a nine-inning game.
  • An all-time record 52 minor leagues begin the season.

To learn more about baseball, see: