1954 in baseball

The following are the baseball events of the year 1954 throughout the world.

Major League Baseball

 * World Series: New York Giants over Cleveland Indians (4-0)
 * All-Star Game, July 13 at Municipal Stadium: American League, 11-9

Other champions

 * Caribbean World Series: Caguas Creoles [Criollos de Caguas] (Puerto Rico)
 * College World Series: Missouri
 * Japan Series: Chunichi Dragons over Nishitetsu Lions (4-3)
 * Little League World Series: National, Schenectady, New York
 * All-American Girls Professional Baseball League: Kalamazoo Lassies

January-March

 * January 14 - Former New York Yankees great Joe Dimaggio marries actress Marilyn Monroe in San Francisco.

April-June

 * April 13 - The brand new Baltimore Orioles open in Detroit and lose to the Detroit Tigers, 3-0. Don Larsen takes the loss against Steve Gromek. The Tigers start fast and will 12 of their first 18 games.


 * April 15 - The Oriloes Clint Courtney hits the first home run in Baltimore's Memorial Stadium. Following a 90-minute parade, they draw an opening day record of 46,354 in a 3-1 afternoon win over the Chicago White Sox. Bob Turley strikes out nine in besting Virgil Trucks. Vern Stephens and Clint Courtney homer for the O's.

July-September

 * September 29 - In Game 1 of the 1954 World Series, Willie Mays of the New York Giants makes one of the greatest catches in history when he races back to deep centerfield in the Polo Grounds to make an over-the-head catch of Cleveland Indians' Vic Wertz's 462-foot drive in the 8th inning with the score tied 2-2. Wertz drove in the 2 runs in the first inning with a triple. Dusty Rhodes hits a pinch-hit, 3-run, 260-foot Home run off Bob Lemon to give the Giants a 5-2 victory.

October-December

 * October 2 - In Game 4 of the 1954 World Series, The New York Giants sweep the Cleveland Indians with the best record in history, as they score 4 runs in the 5th to take a 7-0 lead. The final is 7-4 as Don Liddle defeats Bob Lemon.


 * October 28 - The Major League owners vote down ths sale of the Athletics to a Philadelphia syndicate. A week later, Arnold Johnson buys a controlling interest in the Athletics from the Connie Mack family for 3.5 million dollars and moves the team to Kansas City.

Movies

 * Roogie's Bump

Births

 * April 8 - Gary Carter
 * July 6 - Willie Randolph
 * July 10 - Andre Dawson
 * October 3 - Dennis Eckersley
 * December 26 - Ozzie Smith

Deaths

 * January 5 - Rabbit Maranville, 62, rambunctious shortstop who set a career record with 2,153 games at the position and was MVP runner-up on the 1914 "Miracle Braves"
 * February 16 - Red Parnell, 48, All-Star left fielder in the Negro Leagues, most notably with the Philadelphia Stars
 * March 12 - Bob Quinn, 84, executive who owned the Boston Red Sox from 1923 to 1933 and also ran three other franchises
 * May 22 - Chief Bender, 70, Hall of Fame pitcher who won 212 games, starring for 3 Philadelphia Athletics world champion teams
 * July 13 - Grantland Rice, 73, sportswriter
 * October 5 - Oscar Charleston, 57, star center fielder of the Negro Leagues
 * October 19 - Hugh Duffy, 87, Hall of Fame center fielder who batted a record .438 in 1894
 * October 22 - Earl Whitehill, 54, 200-game winning pitcher
 * December 9 - Bill McGowan, 58, American League umpire since 1925 who worked in 8 World Series, and who did not miss a single inning from 1925 until 1942