1951 Baseball Season Headlines
In 1951, Willie Mays was the National League's Rookie of the Year, and Roy Campanella was the MVP. Here are some of the headlines from the 1951 baseball season:
Bill Veeck Buys the 1951 St. Louis Browns
In 1951, Bill Veeck bought the St. Louis Browns after selling the Indians.
Ralph Kiner Bests Majors in HRs
Lacking a first baseman in 1951, the Pirates tried Ralph Kiner at the gateway post as first base was the only position he could even remotely play. The fourth slot in the batting order, though, was all his. He led the majors in home runs (42).
Willie Mays is Selected National League ROTY
 Willie Mays slides home
ahead of Cardinals catcher Bill Sarni's tag. |
Monte Irvin Tops the 1951 National League in RBI
Monte Irvin was age 30 before he played his first game in organized baseball. Early in the 1950 baseball season, the Giants recalled him from Jersey City, where he was hitting .510, and installed him in left field. In 1951, he led the National League in RBI (121).
Roy Campanella Named 1951 MVP
Roy Campanella copped the 1951 National League MVP Award. The Brooklyn catcher topped Stan Musial in the voting and was the first National League backstopper since 1938 to be honored. Along with being the top defensive receiver in the senior loop in '51, Campanella was fourth in batting (.325) and third in homers (33).
Stan Musial is Still Unbeatable
In 1951, Stan Musial was nearly as much of a one-man gang in St. Louis as Ralph Kiner was in Pittsburgh. The third-place Cards scored even fewer runs than the seventh-place Pirates. Musial, though, couldn't be stopped. He led the National League in batting (.355), runs (124), triples (12), and total bases (355).
Eddie Lopat Is on the Money
Eddie Lopat's salary negotiations with Yankees general manager George Weiss are reported as being along the lines of the following: "Don't forget you'll make six or eight grand in Series money," said Weiss. "If we don't win, will you make up the difference?" asked Lopat. "We'll win," said Weiss. That was the end of it. The Yankees did indeed win the 1951 Series, with Lopat allowing just one run in two starts. As for the rest of the season, Lopat went 21-9 with a 2.91 ERA.
Check out more headlines from the 1951 baseball season on the next page.
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