Este artículo trata únicamente sobre la temporada de las Grandes Ligas de 1961. Para obtener información sobre todo el béisbol, consulte 1961 en béisbol .
La temporada de la Major League Baseball de 1961 se jugó del 10 de abril al 12 de octubre de 1961. Esa temporada vio a los Yankees de Nueva York derrotar a los Rojos de Cincinnati en cinco juegos de la Serie Mundial . La temporada es mejor conocida por la búsqueda de sus compañeros de equipo de los Yankees Roger Maris y Mickey Mantle del prestigioso récord de 60 jonrones de una temporada de Babe Ruth de 34 años. el último día de la temporada regular, mientras que Mantle se vio obligado a salir de la alineación a fines de septiembre debido a una infección en la cadera y terminó con 54 jonrones.
En respuesta a la Liga Continental propuesta , la Liga Americana se expandió en dos equipos en la primera expansión de la MLB desde 1901. Los Senadores de Washington originales se mudaron a Minnesota y se convirtieron en los Mellizos de Minnesota . Por lo tanto, la Liga Americana colocó un nuevo equipo en Washington, también llamado Senadores . Además, la Liga Americana colocó un equipo en Los Ángeles llamado Los Ángeles Angels .
Para mantener su calendario equilibrado, la temporada de la Liga Americana se amplió en ocho partidos. Anteriormente, los equipos habían jugado 154 juegos (22 juegos por oponente), pero a partir de 1961, los equipos de la Liga Americana jugarían contra oponentes 18 veces cada uno para un total de 162 juegos. La Liga Nacional jugó un calendario de 154 juegos por última vez en 1961 antes de cambiar a 162 juegos cuando también se expandió a diez equipos para la temporada de 1962 de las Grandes Ligas .
Main articles: 1961 Major League Baseball All-Star Game (first game) and 1961 Major League Baseball All-Star Game (second game)
Game 1[edit]
July 11, 1961 Candlestick Park, San Francisco, California
Team
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
R
H
E
American League
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
2
1
4
4
2
National League
0
1
0
1
0
0
0
1
0
2
5
11
5
Starting pitchers: AL: Whitey Ford NL: Warren Spahn WP: Stu Miller (1–0) LP: Hoyt Wilhelm (0–1) Home runs: AL: Harmon Killebrew (1) NL: George Altman (1)
Game 2[edit]
July 31, 1961 Fenway Park, Boston, Massachusetts
Team
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
National League
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
1
5
1
American League
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
4
0
Starting pitchers: NL: Bob Purkey AL: Jim Bunning WP: None LP: None Home runs: NL: None AL: Rocky Colavito (1)
The game ended in a 1–1 tie due to rain.
Managers[edit]
American League[edit]
Team
Manager
Comments
Baltimore Orioles
Paul Richards
Replaced during the season by Lum Harris
Boston Red Sox
Pinky Higgins
Chicago White Sox
Al López
Cleveland Indians
Jimmy Dykes
Replaced during the season by Mel Harder
Detroit Tigers
Bob Scheffing
Kansas City Athletics
Joe Gordon
Replaced during the season by Hank Bauer
Los Angeles Angels
Bill Rigney
Expansion team
Minnesota Twins
Cookie Lavagetto
Replaced during the season by Sam Mele
New York Yankees
Ralph Houk
Won the World Series
Washington Senators
Mickey Vernon
Expansion team
National League[edit]
Team
Manager
Comments
Chicago Cubs
College of Coaches
Cincinnati Reds
Fred Hutchinson
Won the National League pennant
Los Angeles Dodgers
Walter Alston
Milwaukee Braves
Chuck Dressen
Replaced during the season by Birdie Tebbetts
Philadelphia Phillies
Gene Mauch
Pittsburgh Pirates
Danny Murtaugh
San Francisco Giants
Alvin Dark
St. Louis Cardinals
Solly Hemus
Replaced during the season by Johnny Keane
Records[edit]
Major League[edit]
Home runs, single-season: 61, Roger Maris, New York Yankees
Maris' 61 home runs broke Babe Ruth's 34-year-old major league single-season record of 60, set in 1927. Maris' record would stand for 37 years until it was broken by Mark McGwire's 70 in 1998. Maris, however, still holds the American League record.
Home Field Attendance[edit]
Team Name
Wins
%±
Home attendance
%±
Per Game
Los Angeles Dodgers[1]
89
8.5%
1,804,250
-19.9%
23,432
New York Yankees[2]
109
12.4%
1,747,725
7.4%
21,577
Detroit Tigers[3]
101
42.3%
1,600,710
37.1%
19,521
San Francisco Giants[4]
85
7.6%
1,390,679
-22.5%
18,061
Minnesota Twins[5]
70
-4.1%
1,256,723
69.0%
15,515
Pittsburgh Pirates[6]
75
-21.1%
1,199,128
-29.7%
15,573
Chicago White Sox[7]
86
-1.1%
1,146,019
-30.3%
14,148
Cincinnati Reds[8]
93
38.8%
1,117,603
68.4%
14,514
Milwaukee Braves[9]
83
-5.7%
1,101,441
-26.5%
14,304
Baltimore Orioles[10]
95
6.7%
951,089
-19.9%
11,599
St. Louis Cardinals[11]
80
-7.0%
855,305
-22.0%
10,965
Boston Red Sox[12]
76
16.9%
850,589
-24.7%
10,373
Cleveland Indians[13]
78
2.6%
725,547
-23.7%
8,957
Kansas City Athletics[14]
61
5.2%
683,817
-11.8%
8,548
Chicago Cubs[15]
64
6.7%
673,057
-16.9%
8,629
Los Angeles Angels[16]
70
603,510
7,360
Washington Senators[17]
61
597,287
7,561
Philadelphia Phillies[18]
47
-20.3%
590,039
-31.6%
7,565
Events[edit]
January 29 – Billy Hamilton and Max Carey are voted into the Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee.
April 11 – At New York's Yankee Stadium, the Minnesota Twins, in their first game since their move from Washington, shut out the Yankees 6–0. The Twins' Pedro Ramos was the winning pitcher. Ramos had a 2-run single and allowed just 3 singles in beating the Yankee starting pitcher, Whitey Ford.
April 22 – The Boston Red Sox snap a 13-game losing streak in Chicago's Comiskey Park by edging the Chicago White Sox 7–6 on Pumpsie Green's 11th-inning home run.
April 27 – The Los Angeles Angels draw a disappointing crowd of 11,931 for their first-ever home opener against the Minnesota Twins at Los Angeles' Wrigley Field. Ty Cobb, in his last appearance at a ball park, throws out the first ball. The Twins' Camilo Pascual spoils the opener by winning, 4–2, sending the Angels to their eighth loss in nine games.
April 30 – San Francisco Giants slugger Willie Mays became the ninth player to hit four home runs in a single game as the Giants beat the Milwaukee Braves 14–4 at Milwaukee's County Stadium.
May 31 – Boston Red Sox outfielder Carroll Hardy pinch-hits for rookie Carl Yastrzemski. On September 20, 1960, Hardy pinch hit for Ted Williams, making him the only player to go in for both future Hall of Famers. Hardy also hit his first major league home run pinch-hitting for Roger Maris when both were at Cleveland (May 18, 1958).
June 8 – In the course of a 10–8 loss to the Cincinnati Reds, the Milwaukee Braves become the first team to hit 4 home runs in consecutive at bats.[19]
June 29 – Willie Mays hits three home runs, helping his San Francisco Giants beat the Philadelphia Phillies 8–7.
July 3 - Sandy Koufax is tagged out when attempting to steal home base for the Los Angeles Dodgers against the Milwaukee Braves - the only time he attempted to steal a base in his career.[20]
July 4 – Willie Mays hits 300th career home run.
July 11 – Strong winds at Candlestick Park dominate the first All-Star Game of the season. A capacity crowd sees Giants pitcher Stu Miller blown off the mound in the ninth inning when a balk is called, and it enables the American League to forge a 3–3 tie before losing 5–4 in 10 innings.
July 17 – Commissioner Ford Frick decrees that Babe Ruth's record of 60 home runs in a 154-game schedule in 1927 "cannot be broken unless some batter hits 61 or more within his club's first 154 games." Two days later, Frick, an old friend of Ruth, announces that should Ruth's record be beaten after 154 games, the record will carry an asterisk. When asked about the ruling, Roger Maris replies, "A season is a season." This is also the day that one of baseball's greatest hitters passes away, Ty Cobb, aged 74.
July 31 – At Fenway Park, the second All-Star Game of the year ends in a 1–1 tie as heavy rain halted play. It is the first of two ties in All-Star history. The other would occur in 2002.
August 11 – Warren Spahn of the Milwaukee Braves records his 300th career win.
August 20 – The Philadelphia Phillies snap a modern-day record 23-game losing streak, defeating the Milwaukee Braves 7–4 in the second game of a doubleheader at Milwaukee County Stadium. Phillie pitcher John Buzhardt goes the distance for the victory; he had also been the winning pitcher in the Phillies' last victory prior to the start of the losing streak, on July 28 against the San Francisco Giants.
August 22 – Roger Maris becomes the first player to hit his 50th home run of the season in the month of August as the Yankees lose to the Los Angeles Angels, 4–3. Angels pitcher Ken McBride tees up the gopher ball in the sixth inning with one on.
August 23 – At Cincinnati's Crosley Field, the Giants hit five home runs in a 12-run ninth inning, beating the Cincinnati Reds 14–0.
September 1 – The Baltimore Orioles' Paul Richards resigned as manager to become the new General Manager of the new Houston National League club. The club would be known as the Houston Colt .45s. Lum Harris takes over as manager of the Orioles.
September 2 – Milwaukee Braves manager Chuck Dressen (71–58) is fired and executive vice president Birdie Tebbetts becomes the new Braves manager.
September 20 – Helped by home runs by Yogi Berra and Roger Maris, the New York Yankees defeat the Baltimore Orioles 4–2, clinching their second straight American League pennant and 11th in 13 years. The Yankees would finish with a 109–53 record, tying the 1969 Orioles for the best won-loss record of the decade.
September 26
The Cincinnati Reds clinch their first National League pennant since 1940. Homers by Frank Robinson and pinch hitter Jerry Lynch (a tie breaker in the eighth inning) give the Reds an 8–3 win over the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field.
Roger Maris hits his major league record-tying 60th home run of the season, a third-inning solo shot against Jack Fisher of the Baltimore Orioles.
October 1 – Before a small crowd at Yankee Stadium, Roger Maris smacks a 2–0 pitch from Boston's Tracy Stallard into the right field stands for his 61st home run of the season, setting a new major league record for home runs in a season. The record will stand until Mark McGwire of the St. Louis Cardinals breaks it in 1998.
October 9 – In Game 5 of the World Series, Johnny Blanchard and Héctor López spark a five-run first inning and 13–5 win for the New York Yankees over the Cincinnati Reds. Blanchard and López hit home runs, and López drives in five runs. Bud Daley's long relief effort wraps up the Series, as Ralph Houk becomes the third rookie manager to guide a World Series winner. Whitey Ford is named the Series MVP.
See also[edit]
1961 Nippon Professional Baseball season
References[edit]
^"Los Angeles Dodgers Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
^"New York Yankees Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
^"Detroit Tigers Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
^"San Francisco Giants Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
^"Minnesota Twins Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
^"Pittsburgh Pirates Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
^"Chicago White Sox Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
^"Cincinnati Reds Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
^"Atlanta Braves Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
^"Baltimore Orioles Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
^"St. Louis Cardinals Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
^"Boston Red Sox Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
^"Cleveland Indians Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
^"Oakland Athletics Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
^"Chicago Cubs Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
^"Los Angeles Angels Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
^"Texas Rangers Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
^"Oakland Athletics Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
^"Of 4 Homerun Games and Cub No-Hitters". BaseballLibrary.com. Archived from the original on November 18, 2012. Retrieved December 13, 2012.
^Paschal, John. "Once Upon A Time: When Hall of Famers Go One-And-Done". tht.fangraphs.com. Retrieved April 2, 2019.
