1959 in baseball

The following are the baseball events of the year 1959 throughout the world.

Major League Baseball

 * World Series: Los Angeles Dodgers over Chicago White Sox (4-2); Larry Sherry, MVP
 * All-Star Game (#1), July 7 at Forbes Field: National League, 5-4
 * All-Star Game (#2), August 3 at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum: American League, 5-3

Other champions

 * Caribbean World Series: Almendares (Cuba)
 * College World Series: Oklahoma State
 * Japan Series: Nankai Hawks over Yomiuri Giants (4-0)
 * Little League World Series: Hamtramck National, Hamtramck, Michigan

Awards and honors

 * Most Valuable Player
 * Nellie Fox (AL)
 * Ernie Banks (NL)
 * Cy Young Award
 * Early Wynn
 * Rookie of the Year
 * Bob Allison (AL)
 * Willie McCovey (NL)

January-March

 * January 30 - The Cincinnati Reds trade catcher Smokey Burgess, pitcher Harvey Haddix, and third baseman Don Hoak to the Pittsburgh Pirates for third baseman Frank Thomas, right-handed pitcher Jim Pendleton, outfielder Johnny Powers, pitcher Whammy Douglas and cash. The deal will turn out to be one of the worst in Reds history.

October-December

 * October 1 - The Go-Go Chicago White Sox change character at home and hammer the Los Angeles Dodgers 11-0 in the first game of the 1959 World Series, as Ted Kluszewski has 2 home runs and 5 runs batted in. Chicago's Early Wynn and Gerry Staley combine for the shutout. New York Yankees manager Casey Stengel, sittting out only his second World Series since 1947, covers the game as a reporter.


 * October 8 - The Los Angeles Dodgers win 9-3 to take the World Series in Chicago's Comiskey Park, 4 games to 2, again behind Larry Sherry in relief of Johnny Podres. The Dodgers have an 8-0 lead after 4 innings and hold on despite Ted Kluszewski's 3-run home run. The round-tripper gives the slugger a new 6-game RBI record of 10. Chicago's Chuck Essegian hits his second pinch HR to establish a new record, later equalled by Bernie Carbo of the Boston Red Sox in 1975. Each Dodger receives a record $11,231 winning share. The White Sox each get a record $7,275 losing share.

January-March

 * January 21 - Hooks Wiltse, 79, pitcher for the New York Giants with two 20-win seasons and a 10-inning no-hitter
 * January 22 - Ken Williams, 68, outfielder who in 1922 became the first player to have 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases in the same season
 * February 7 - Nap Lajoie, 84, Hall of Fame second baseman who batted .338 in his career, winning the 1901 American League Triple Crown with a .426 batting average and becoming the third player to make 3000 hits
 * February 12 - Dode Paskert, 77, outfielder and leadoff hitter known for his speed and defense
 * March 17 - Howard Ehmke, 64, pitcher with six 15-win seasons whose last major league victory was a record 13-strikeout performance in the 1929 World Series
 * March 29 - Johnny Allen, 53, All-Star pitcher named Major League Player of the Year by The Sporting News in 1937 after a 15-1 season

April-June

 * May 18 - John Hummel, 76, longtime Brooklyn utility player
 * May 18 - Gene Packard, 71, pitcher who enjoyed a pair of 20-win seasons in the short-lived Federal League
 * May 26 - Ed Walsh, 78, Hall of Fame spitball pitcher for the Chicago White Sox who compiled the lowest career ERA in history (1.82) and won an astonishing 40 games in 1908
 * June 28 - Joe Sugden, 88, platooning catcher for five teams, later a Cardinals scout for 31 years

July-September

 * July 21 - Bill Hoffer, 88, pitcher who won 20 games in each of his first three seasons and later became the first pitcher in American League history
 * July 29 - Boileryard Clarke, 90, backup catcher for the 1890s Baltimore Orioles, later a coach at Princeton for 34 years
 * August 4 - Chappy Charles, 78, infielder for the Browns and Reds from 1908-1910
 * August 4 - Pop Williams, 85, pitcher for 4 NL teams from 1898-1903
 * September 20 - Tilly Walker, 72, power-hitting outfielder known for his strong arm

October-December

 * October 29 - Dave Fultz, 84, outfielder who became a lawyer and unionized players in the 1910s, later coaching baseball and football at six universities
 * November 20 - Roy Thomas, 85, Phillies outfielder and leadoff hitter who batted .300 five times
 * November 28 - Ed McFarland, 85, catcher for five teams, known for his fielding
 * November 30 - Jack Scott, 67, pitcher who threw a shutout in the 1922 World Series for the Giants and won 16 games the next year
 * December 6 - Wid Conroy, 82, infielder for four teams, including the 1902 NL champion Pirates
 * December 10 - Joe Harris, 68, first baseman and outfielder who batted .300 in his first eight seasons
 * December 11 - Jim Bottomley, 59, power-hitting first baseman for four Cardinal pennant-winners and career .310 hitter who was named the NL's MVP in 1928 and set a record with 12 RBI in a 1924 game