Wikipedia

1958 in baseball

See also: 1958 Major League Baseball season and 1958 Nippon Professional Baseball season

The following are the baseball events of the year 1958 throughout the world.

Champions

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Major League Baseball

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Other champions

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Winter Leagues

Awards and honors

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MLB statistical leaders

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  American League National League
Type Name Stat Name Stat
AVG Ted Williams BOS .328 Richie Ashburn PHI .350
HR Mickey Mantle NY 42 Ernie Banks CHC 47
RBI Jackie Jensen BOS 122 Ernie Banks CHC 129
Wins Bob Turley NY 21 Bob Friend PIT
Warren Spahn MIL		 22
ERA Whitey Ford NY 2.01 Stu Miller SF 2.47

Major league baseball final standings

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Nippon Professional Baseball final standings

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Central League final standings

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Central League G W L T Pct. GB
Yomiuri Giants 130 77 52 1 .596 —
Osaka Tigers 130 72 58 0 .554 5.5
Chunichi Dragons 130 66 59 5 .527 9.0
Kokutetsu Swallows 130 58 68 4 .462 17.5
Hiroshima Carp 130 54 68 8 .446 19.5
Taiyo Whales 130 51 73 6 .415 23.5

Pacific League final standings

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Pacific League G W L T Pct. GB
Nishitetsu Lions 130 78 47 5 .619 —
Nankai Hawks 130 77 48 5 .612 1.0
Hankyu Braves 130 73 51 6 .585 4.5
Daimai Orions 130 62 63 5 .496 16.0
Toei Flyers 130 57 70 3 .450 22.0
Kintetsu Pearls 130 29 97 4 .238 49.5

Events

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January

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  • January 21 – For one season, the Philadelphia Phillies will enjoy an exclusive National League television deal in New York City. With NL fans in Gotham reeling over the loss of their teams—the Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants—they will be able to see 78 Senior Circuit contests, including those the Phillies play against the Dodgers and Giants, on WOR–TV. Veteran announcer Al Helfer will handle play-by-play.
  • January 24 – Mary Louise Smith, widow of late pharmaceutical executive and Dodgers' co-owner John L. Smith, sells her 25 percent share in the club to Walter O'Malley, who now holds 75 percent of the team's stock.
  • January 28 – Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Roy Campanella suffers a broken neck in an early morning auto accident on Long Island. His spinal column is nearly severed and his legs are permanently paralyzed. Only 36 years old, Campanella will never play for the Dodgers in Los Angeles, but he will be elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1969, his #39 uniform will be retired, and he will work for the team as a goodwill ambassador from 1977 until his death in 1993.
  • January 29 – The Cleveland Indians claim Mickey Vernon off waivers from the Boston Red Sox.

February

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  • February 4 – The Baseball Hall of Fame fails to elect any new members for the first time since 1950.
  • February 6 – Ted Williams signs a one-year contract with the Boston Red Sox. Reports on the worth of the contract estimate from $135,000 to $150,000. Either way, Williams becomes the highest paid player in major league history.

March

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April

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May

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June

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July

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August

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  • August 7 – The Pittsburgh Pirates sign amateur free agent Willie Stargell.
  • August 13 – The Cincinnati Redlegs fire Birdie Tebbetts, their manager since Opening Day 1954, and veteran coach Jimmy Dykes takes over as interim skipper. Despite leading the club to a 24–17 mark through the end of the season, Dykes will be passed over for the permanent post when Cincinnati hires Mayo Smith as its 1959 manager on September 29.
  • August 14 – Vic Power of the Cleveland Indians steals home twice during a ten-inning, 10–9 win over the Detroit Tigers. Power's second steal of home is the game-winner—and he swipes only one other base all season long. Accomplished numerous times during the deadball era, no player other than Power has twice stolen home in a game since the 1927 season.
  • August 20 – Dale Long of the Chicago Cubs becomes MLB's first left-handed-throwing catcher in 56 years when he moves from his normal first-base position to behind the plate in the ninth inning of the Cubs' 4–2 defeat at the hands of the Pittsburgh Pirates. He wears his first-baseman's mitt to handle the offerings of pitcher Bill Henry, a fellow southpaw. Long will repeat this feat 32 days later, on September 21, when he catches one inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Wrigley Field and allows one passed ball that does not factor in the scoring in a 2–1 Dodger victory. He also records one assist as a catcher.
  • August 23 – At Yankee Stadium, Nellie Fox of the Chicago White Sox strikes out against Whitey Ford in the first inning of the White Sox' 7–1 victory over the New York Yankees. The strikeout ends Fox's streak of 98 consecutive games without striking out; he had last struck out on May 16 against Dick Tomanek of the Cleveland Indians.

September

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October

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November

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December

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Movies

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Births

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January

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February

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March

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April

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May

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June

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July

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August

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September

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October

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November

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December

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Deaths

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January

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February

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March

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  • March   9 – Skel Roach, 86, German-born pitcher for the Chicago Orphans during the 1899 season, who also spent nine seasons in the Minors Leagues between 1895 and 1905, and was hired as baseball coach by the University of Michigan in 1903.[5]
  • March 10 – Leon Cadore, 68, starting pitcher for the Brooklyn Robins, Chicago White Sox and New York Giants over ten seasons from 1915 to 1924, who shares an MLB record for the most innings pitched in a single game while pitching for Brooklyn in 1920, when he joined fellow Boston Braves starter Joe Oeschger to pitch 26 innings without relief, which eventually ended in darkness and a 1–1 tie.[6]
  • March 10 – Earl Williams, 55, backup catcher for the 1928 Boston Braves.
  • March 17 – Bob Blewett, 80, pitcher who played with the New York Giants in its 1902 season.
  • March 20 – Gene Dale, 68, who pitched for the St. Louis Cardinals and the Cincinnati Reds in a span of four seasons from 1911 to 1916.
  • March 23 – Harry Kelley, 52, pitcher who played for the Washington Senators and Philadelphia Athletics in all or part of six seasons between 1925 and 1939; led American League in games lost (21) in 1937.
  • March 25 – Al Shaw, 84, English-born catcher who played for the Detroit Tigers, Boston Americans, Chicago White Sox and Boston Doves, in part of four seasons spanning 1901–1909.
  • March 25 – Clarence Kraft, 70, first baseman who appeared in three games for the Boston Braves in the 1914 season.
  • March 28 – Chuck Klein, 53, Hall of Fame slugging right fielder and two-time All-Star, primarily with the Philadelphia Phillies, who collected a career .320 batting average with 300 home runs and 1,201 runs batted in and is the only player in the 20th century to collect 200 or more hits in each of his first five full MLB seasons, while winning the National League MVP award in 1932 and a Triple Crown in 1933, to accompany his four home run titles, four home runs in one game, two RBI titles, a stolen base title and leading in runs scored three years in a row, setting a modern National League record with 158 runs in 1930 and leading all outfielders in assists three times, establishing in 1930 a Major League record for outfield assists with 44 which, like his runs scored mark, this record still stands as of the 2017 season.[7]
  • March 28 – Gus Thompson, 80, who pitched with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1903 and for the St. Louis Cardinals in 1906.
  • March 29 – Jimmy Archer, 74, Irish-born catcher who spent his career with six different teams, primarily for the Chicago Cubs from 1909 through 1917.

April

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May

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  • May   3 – Al Maul, 92, 19th century pitcher who played for ten different clubs over 15 seasons spanning 1884–1901, compiling an 84–80 career record in 188 games, while leading the National Leaque with a 2.45 earned run average in the 1895 season.
  • May   5 – Ollie Chill, 79, umpire who worked 1,028 American League games (1914–1966, 1919–1922), plus eight games of the 1921 World Series
  • May 14 – Billy Clingman, 88, 19th century third baseman and shortstop who played for seven teams in a span of ten seasons from 1890 to 1903.
  • May 20 – Frank Bird, 89, 19th century catcher who played in 1892 for the St. Louis Browns of the National League.
  • May 20 – Cotton Minahan, 75, pitcher for the 1907 Cincinnati Reds.
  • May 28 – Kid Nance, 81, outfielder who played with the Louisville Colonels of the National League from 1897 to 1898, and then for the Detroit Tigers of the American League in 1901.
  • May 26 – Dwight Wertz, 69, shortstop for the 1914 Buffalo Buffeds of the outlaw Federal League, who was better known for his professional American football career in the Ohio League over three seasons between 1912 and 1914, where he won three consecutive championship titles while playing for different teams.
  • May 28 – Oscar Davis, 62, infielder/outfielder for the 1926 Dayton Marcos of the Negro National League.

June

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July

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August

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September

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October

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November

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December

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  • December   4 – Red Murray, 74, right fielder for three National League clubs from 1906 to 1917, whose combination of power, fielding and speed on the bases guided the New York Giants to three pennants from 1911 to 1913, while leading all outfielders in assists in 1909 and 1910, becoming the only outfielder in the modern era to accumulate more than 100 assists during the period of 1907 to 1910, and also one of only three players in the same period to finish twice among the top five in home runs and stolen bases during the same season (1908–1909), joining Honus Wagner (1907–1908) and Ty Cobb (1909–1910).[19]
  • December   8 – Bernie Friberg, 59, valuable utility man who was able to play all nine defensive positions in a 14-season career for the Chicago Cubs, Philadelphia Phillies and Boston Red Sox between 1919 and 1933.
  • December   8 – Tris Speaker, 70, Hall of Fame center fielder highly regarded for both his batting and his fielding in a 22-year career, who earned American League MVP honors in 1912 and led the Boston Red Sox to a World Series title, then another World Series title in 1915, also carrying the Cleveland Indians to its first World Series championship in 1920 as a player/manager, while compiling 3,514 hits and posting a .345 career average –sixth on the all-time list– including 792 doubles –a career record that nobody has surpassed–, and leading the league in putouts seven times and in double plays six times, as his career totals in both categories are still major-league records at his position.[20]
  • December   9 – Rube Vickers, 80, pitcher who played from 1902 through 1909 for the Brooklyn Superbas, Cincinnati Reds, and Philadelphia Athletics.
  • December 10 – Cozy Dolan, 75, outfielder/third baseman who played 379 games for six teams, primarily the St. Louis Cardinals, over seven years spanning 1909 to 1922; as coach for 1921–1924 New York Giants, he was a part of four National League and two World Series (1921, 1922) champions, but was suspended for life by Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis after being implicated in a scheme to bribe a Philadelphia player to deliberately lose the last game of 1924 season.
  • December 15 – Harry Heitmann, 62, pitcher for the 1918 Brooklyn Robins.
  • December 16 – Bill Corum, 63, New York sportswriter and sportscaster who covered the 1920s Brooklyn Robins and New York Giants and later worked World Series games on radio alongside Red Barber; became best known for announcing the Kentucky Derby and as a key figure in thoroughbred racing.
  • December 16 – Les Scarsella, 45, first baseman and left fielder who played with the Cincinnati Reds and Boston Bees in part of four seasons between 1935 and 1940.
  • December 24 – Jim Boyle, 54, catcher for the New York Giants, who has the distinction of having one of the shortest known Major League Baseball careers, while catching for only one inning in a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates on June 20, 1926, without registering an at bat appearance.
  • December 27 – Julio Rojo, 64, Cuban-born catcher who was the regular receiver for the Baltimore Black Sox (1923–1927) and New York Lincoln Giants (1928–1929) of the Eastern Colored League.
  • December 30 – Jim Hickman, 66, backup outfielder for the Baltimore Terrapins and Brooklyn Robins in four seasons from 1915 to 1919.
  • December 30 – Glenn Spencer, 53, pitcher who played from 1928 to 1933 with the Pittsburgh Pirates and New York Giants.
  • December 31 – Jack Doyle, 89, Irish-born first baseman whose solid 17-year playing career includes a National League Championship with the Baltimore Orioles in 1896 and two stints as manager of the New York Giants in 1895 and the Washington Senators in 1898, while leading the National League first basemen with 96 assists in 1900 and 1.418 putouts in 1903, and collecting a career slash line of .299/.351/.385 with 971 runs batted in and 518 stolen bases in 1,569 games.[21]

Sources

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  1. ^ Eddie Mathews – 1958 Batting Gamelog. Baseball Reference. Retrieved on January 20, 2018.
  2. ^ Hunter goes to Indians for Chico. Google News. Retrieved on March 10, 2018.
  3. ^ Baseball Nicknames: Mysterious Walker. Major Smolinski Website. Retrieved on June 27, 2019.
  4. ^ Elmer Jacobs. Profile. The Baseball Cube. Retrieved on June 28, 2019.
  5. ^ Skel Roach. Article by John F. Green. SABR Biography Project. Retrieved of March 13, 2018.
  6. ^ Boston Braves 1, Brooklyn Robins 1. Game Played on Saturday, May 1, 1920 (D) at Braves Field. Retrosheet box score. Retrieved of March 13, 2018.
  7. ^ Chuck Klein biography. Baseball Hall of Fame website. Retrieved of March 12, 2018.
  8. ^ George Boehler. Batting and Pitching statistics. The Baseball Cube. Retrieved on June 29, 2019.
  9. ^ James, Bill (1985). The Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract. Villard Books. ISBN 0-394-53713-0
  10. ^ Ike Boone. Article written by Bill Nowlin. SABR Biography Project. Retrieved on June 30. 2019.
  11. ^ Ike Boone. Pacific Coast League Official Website. MiLB.com. Retrieved on June 30. 2019.
  12. ^ Jean Dubuc. Article written by Tom Simon and Guy Waterman. SABR Biography Project. Retrieved on July 1, 2019.
  13. ^ Frank Demaree. Article written by Tom Crisp. SABR Biography Project. Retrieved on July 1, 2019.
  14. ^ George Quellich - International League Hall of Fame Inductee - 2008. MiLB Documents. Retrieved on July 1, 2019.
  15. ^ Red Killefer. Article written by Charlie Weatherby. SABR Biography Project. Retrieved on July 2, 2019.
  16. ^ Snuffy Stirnweiss. Article written by Rob Edelman. SABR Biography Project. Retrieved on July 2, 2019.
  17. ^ Mort Cooper. Article written by Gregory H. Wolf. SABR Biography Project. Retrieved on July 5, 2019.
  18. ^ Mel Ott. Article written by Fred Stein. SABR Biography Project. Retrieved on July 5, 2019.
  19. ^ Red Murray. Article by Cappy Gagnon. SABR Biography Project. Retrieved on March 13, 2018.
  20. ^ Tris Speaker. Article by Don Jensen. SABR Biography Project. Retrieved on March 12, 2018.
  21. ^ Jack Doyle. Article by Lyle Spatz. SABR Biography Project. Retrieved on March 13, 2018.
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