The 1963 International League was a Class AAA baseball season played between April 16 and September 13. Ten teams played a 152-game schedule, with the top two teams in each division qualifying for the playoffs.
| 1963 International League season | |
|---|---|
| League | International League |
| Sport | Baseball |
| Duration | April 16 – September 13 |
| Number of games | 152 |
| Number of teams | 10 |
| Regular season | |
| Season MVP | Don Buford, Indianapolis Indians |
| Governors' Cup Playoffs | |
| League champions | Indianapolis Indians |
| Runners-up | Atlanta Crackers |
The Indianapolis Indians won the Governors' Cup, defeating the Atlanta Crackers in the final round of the playoffs.
Team changes
edit- The Indianapolis Indians joined the league after the American Association disbanded. The club was affiliated with the Chicago White Sox.
- The Arkansas Travelers join the league as an expansion team and begin an affiliation with the Philadelphia Phillies.
- With 10 teams in the league, the league split into two divisions, the North Division and South Division.
- The Buffalo Bisons ended their affiliation with the Philadelphia Phillies and began a new affiliation with the New York Mets.
- The Syracuse Chiefs ended their affiliation with the New York Mets and Washington Senators and began a new affiliation with the Detroit Tigers.
- The Toronto Maple Leafs ended their affiliation with the Milwaukee Braves and began a new affiliation with the Washington Senators.
Teams
editMap of teams
edit
Regular season
editSummary
edit- The Atlanta Crackers and Indianapolis Indians finished tied for first place in the South Division and held a tie-breaking game to decide who finished in first place. The Indians defeated the Crackers 1–0 to win the South Division.
- The Indianapolis Indians finished with the best record in the league in their first season after joining from the American Association.
Standings
edit| North Division | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | Win | Loss | % | GB |
| Syracuse Chiefs | 80 | 70 | .533 | – |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | 76 | 75 | .503 | 4.5 |
| Rochester Red Wings | 75 | 76 | .497 | 5.5 |
| Buffalo Bisons | 74 | 77 | .490 | 6.5 |
| Richmond Virginians | 66 | 81 | .449 | 12.5 |
| South Division | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | Win | Loss | % | GB |
| Indianapolis Indians | 86 | 67 | .562 | – |
| Atlanta Crackers | 85 | 68 | .556 | 1 |
| Arkansas Travelers | 78 | 73 | .517 | 7 |
| Columbus Jets | 75 | 73 | .507 | 8.5 |
| Jacksonville Suns | 56 | 91 | .381 | 27 |
League Leaders
editBatting leaders
edit| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| AVG | Don Buford, Indianapolis Indians | .336 |
| H | Don Buford, Indianapolis Indians | 206 |
| R | Don Buford, Indianapolis Indians | 114 |
| 2B | Don Buford, Indianapolis Indians | 41 |
| 3B | Dick Allen, Arkansas Travelers | 12 |
| HR | Dick Allen, Arkansas Travelers | 33 |
| RBI | Dick Allen, Arkansas Travelers | 97 |
| SB | Don Buford, Indianapolis Indians | 42 |
Pitching leaders
edit| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| W | Fritz Ackley, Indianapolis Indians | 18 |
| L | John Miller, Rochester Red Wings Tom Parsons, Columbus Jets |
15 |
| ERA | Willie Smith, Syracuse Chiefs | 2.11 |
| CG | Willie Smith, Syracuse Chiefs | 14 |
| SHO | Paul Brown, Arkansas Travelers Nelson Chittum, Rochester Red Wings |
6 |
| SO | Frank Kreutzer, Indianapolis Indians | 157 |
| IP | Frank Kreutzer, Indianapolis Indians | 213.0 |
Playoffs
edit- The Indianapolis Indians won their first Governors' Cup in their inaugural season, defeating the Atlanta Crackers in five games.
Playoff bracket
edit| Semi-finals | Governors' Cup | ||||||||
| S1 | Indianapolis | 4 | |||||||
| N1 | Syracuse | 1 | |||||||
| S1 | Indianapolis | 4 | |||||||
| S2 | Atlanta | 1 | |||||||
| S2 | Atlanta | 4 | |||||||
| N2 | Toronto | 0 | |||||||
Awards
edit| Player awards | |
|---|---|
| Award name | Recipient |
| Most Valuable Player | Don Buford, Indianapolis Indians[4] |
| Pitcher of the Year | Fritz Ackley, Indianapolis Indians[5] |
| Rookie of the Year | Don Buford, Indianapolis Indians[6] |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ 1963 IL Standings at stats-crew.com, URL accessed 16 November 2024.
- ^ 1963 IL Batting Leaders at baseball-reference.com, URL accessed 16 November 2024.
- ^ 1963 IL Pitching Leaders at baseball-reference.com, URL accessed 16 November 2024.
- ^ "Don Buford Minor League Statistics". Baseball Reference. Retrieved 16 November 2024.
- ^ "Fritz Ackley Minor League Statistics". Baseball Reference. Retrieved 16 November 2024.
- ^ "Don Buford Minor League Statistics". Baseball Reference. Retrieved 16 November 2024.