The 1914 major league baseball season began on April 13, 1914, with the first game of the inaugural major league season of the Federal League (having previously existed as a minor league the year before). The league declared itself as a "third major league", with its own eight teams, in competition with the established National and American Leagues.
| 1914 MLB season | |
|---|---|
| League |
|
| Sport | Baseball |
| Duration | Regular season:
|
| Games | 154 |
| Teams | 24 (8 per league) |
| Regular Season | |
| Season MVP |
|
| AL champions | Philadelphia Athletics |
| AL runners-up | Boston Red Sox |
| NL champions | Boston Braves |
| NL runners-up | New York Giants |
| FL champions | Indianapolis Hoosiers |
| FL runners-up | Chicago Federals |
| World Series | |
| Champions | Boston Braves (NL) |
| Runners-up | Philadelphia Athletics (AL) |
The National League regular season ended on October 6 with the Boston Braves as champions, and the American League regular season concluded the next day with the Philadelphia Athletics as champions. The Federal League season ended on October 10, and saw the Indianapolis Hoosiers winning the Federal League pennant. The postseason between the National and American Leagues began with Game 1 of the 11th World Series on October 9 and ended with Game 4 on October 13. The Braves swept the Athletics in four games, capturing their first championship in franchise history. Both the National and American Leagues rejected offers by the Federal League for a postseason matchup. Going into the season, the defending World Series champions were the Philadelphia Athletics from the 1913 season.
This was the last of four seasons that the Chalmers Award, a precursor to the Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award (introduced in 1931), was given to a player in each of the established National and American Leagues.
The Brooklyn Dodgers renamed as the Brooklyn Robins.
The major-league status of the Federal League was confirmed by the Special Baseball Records Committee (as convened by then-Commissioner of Baseball William Eckert) in 1969.
Schedule
The 1914 schedule consisted of 154 games for all teams in the American League, National League, and Federal League, each of which had eight teams. Each team was scheduled to play 22 games against the other seven teams of their respective league. This continued the format first put in place for the 1904 season, and which lasted until the 140-game schedule of 1919. Most teams played more than 154 games, due to tie games (called on account of darkness or weather) that had to be replayed; tie games are excluded from team standings, but the statistics of individual players are included in their season totals.
The Federal League had its Opening Day on April 13, with a game between Buffalo and Baltimore. Opening Day for the American and National Leagues was on April 14, and featured all 16 teams of those leagues, only the third time those two leagues started their season on the same day (the 1912 season had been the second). The National League had its final day of the regular season on October 6, while the American League's final day of the regular season was October 7. The World Series between AL and NL champions took place between October 9 and October 13. The Federal League had the final day of its regular season on October 10.
Teams
An asterisk (*) denotes the ballpark a team played the minority of their home games at
| League | Team | City | Stadium | Capacity | Manager |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American League | Boston Red Sox | Boston, Massachusetts | Fenway Park | 27,000 | Bill Carrigan |
| Chicago White Sox | Chicago, Illinois | Comiskey Park | 28,000 | Jimmy Callahan | |
| Cleveland Naps | Cleveland, Ohio | League Park | 21,414 | Joe Birmingham | |
| Detroit Tigers | Detroit, Michigan | Navin Field | 23,000 | Hughie Jennings | |
| New York Yankees | New York, New York | Brush Stadium | 34,000 | Frank Chance | |
| Roger Peckinpaugh | |||||
| Philadelphia Athletics | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Shibe Park | 23,000 | Connie Mack | |
| St. Louis Browns | St. Louis, Missouri | Sportsman's Park | 18,000 | Branch Rickey | |
| Washington Senators | Washington, D.C. | National Park | 27,000 | Clark Griffith | |
| National League | Boston Braves | Boston, Massachusetts | South End Grounds | 11,000 | George Stallings |
| Fenway Park* | 27,000* | ||||
| Brooklyn Robins | New York, New York | Ebbets Field | 30,000 | Wilbert Robinson | |
| Chicago Cubs | Chicago, Illinois | West Side Park | 16,000 | Hank O'Day | |
| Cincinnati Reds | Cincinnati, Ohio | Redland Field | 20,696 | Buck Herzog | |
| New York Giants | New York, New York | Brush Stadium | 34,000 | John McGraw | |
| Philadelphia Phillies | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | National League Park | 18,000 | Red Dooin | |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | Forbes Field | 23,000 | Fred Clarke | |
| St. Louis Cardinals | St. Louis, Missouri | Robison Field | 21,000 | Miller Huggins | |
| Federal League | Baltimore Terrapins | Baltimore, Maryland | Terrapin Park | 16,000 | Otto Knabe |
| Brooklyn Tip-Tops | New York, New York | Washington Park | 18,800 | Bill Bradley | |
| Buffalo Buffeds | Buffalo, New York | Federal League Park | 20,000 | Larry Schlafly | |
| Chicago Federals | Chicago, Illinois | Weeghman Park | 14,000 | Joe Tinker | |
| Indianapolis Hoosiers | Indianapolis, Indiana | Federal League Park | 23,000 | Bill Phillips | |
| Kansas City Packers | Kansas City, Missouri | Gordon and Koppel Field | 12,000 | George Stovall | |
| Pittsburgh Rebels | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | Exposition Park | 16,000 | Doc Gessler | |
| Rebel Oakes | |||||
| St. Louis Terriers | St. Louis, Missouri | Handlan's Park | 15,000 | Mordecai Brown | |
| Fielder Jones |
Standings
American League
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB | Home | Road |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia Athletics | 99 | 53 | .651 | — | 51–24 | 48–29 |
| Boston Red Sox | 91 | 62 | .595 | 8½ | 44–31 | 47–31 |
| Washington Senators | 81 | 73 | .526 | 19 | 40–33 | 41–40 |
| Detroit Tigers | 80 | 73 | .523 | 19½ | 42–35 | 38–38 |
| St. Louis Browns | 71 | 82 | .464 | 28½ | 42–36 | 29–46 |
| Chicago White Sox | 70 | 84 | .455 | 30 | 43–37 | 27–47 |
| New York Yankees | 70 | 84 | .455 | 30 | 36–40 | 34–44 |
| Cleveland Naps | 51 | 102 | .333 | 48½ | 32–47 | 19–55 |
National League
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB | Home | Road |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Braves | 94 | 59 | .614 | — | 51–25 | 43–34 |
| New York Giants | 84 | 70 | .545 | 10½ | 43–36 | 41–34 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 81 | 72 | .529 | 13 | 42–34 | 39–38 |
| Chicago Cubs | 78 | 76 | .506 | 16½ | 46–30 | 32–46 |
| Brooklyn Robins | 75 | 79 | .487 | 19½ | 45–34 | 30–45 |
| Philadelphia Phillies | 74 | 80 | .481 | 20½ | 48–30 | 26–50 |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | 69 | 85 | .448 | 25½ | 39–36 | 30–49 |
| Cincinnati Reds | 60 | 94 | .390 | 34½ | 34–42 | 26–52 |
Federal League
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB | Home | Road |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indianapolis Hoosiers | 88 | 65 | .575 | — | 53–23 | 35–42 |
| Chicago Federals | 87 | 67 | .565 | 1½ | 43–34 | 44–33 |
| Baltimore Terrapins | 84 | 70 | .545 | 4½ | 53–26 | 31–44 |
| Buffalo Buffeds | 80 | 71 | .530 | 7 | 47–29 | 33–42 |
| Brooklyn Tip-Tops | 77 | 77 | .500 | 11½ | 47–32 | 30–45 |
| Kansas City Packers | 67 | 84 | .444 | 20 | 37–36 | 30–48 |
| Pittsburgh Rebels | 64 | 86 | .427 | 22½ | 37–37 | 27–49 |
| St. Louis Terriers | 62 | 89 | .411 | 25 | 32–43 | 30–46 |
Tie games
43 tie games (18 in AL, 10 in NL, 15 in FL), which are not factored into winning percentage or games behind (and were often replayed again) occurred throughout the season.
American League
- Boston Red Sox, 6
- Chicago White Sox, 3
- Cleveland Naps, 4
- Detroit Tigers, 4
- New York Yankees, 3
- Philadelphia Athletics, 6
- St. Louis Browns, 6
- Washington Senators, 4
National League
- Boston Braves, 5
- Chicago Cubs, 2
- Cincinnati Reds, 3
- New York Giants, 2
- Pittsburgh Pirates, 4
- St. Louis Cardinals, 4
Federal League
- Baltimore Terrapins, 6
- Brooklyn Tip-Tops, 3
- Buffalo Buffeds, 4
- Chicago Federals, 3
- Indianapolis Hoosiers, 4
- Kansas City Packers, 3
- Pittsburgh Rebels, 4
- St. Louis Terriers, 3
Postseason
The postseason began on October 9 and ended on October 13 with the Boston Braves sweeping the Philadelphia Athletics in the 1914 World Series in four games. The National and American Leagues refused a postseason against the Federal League.
Bracket
| World Series | ||||
| AL | Philadelphia Athletics | 0 | ||
| NL | Boston Braves | 4 | ||
Managerial changes
Off-season
| Team | Former Manager | New Manager |
|---|---|---|
| Brooklyn Robins | Bill Dahlen | Wilbert Robinson |
| Chicago Cubs | Johnny Evers | Hank O'Day |
| Cincinnati Reds | Joe Tinker | Buck Herzog |
In-season
| Team | Former Manager | New Manager |
|---|---|---|
| New York Yankees | Frank Chance | Roger Peckinpaugh |
League leaders
Across two leagues, Dave Davenport tied as a leader in saves at 6 (2 with the Cincinnati Reds of the NL and 4 with the St. Louis Terriers of the FL).
American League
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| AVG | Ty Cobb (DET) | .368 |
| OPS | Ty Cobb (DET) | .979 |
| HR | Home Run Baker (PHA) | 9 |
| RBI | Sam Crawford (DET) | 104 |
| R | Eddie Collins (PHA) | 122 |
| H | Tris Speaker (BOS) | 193 |
| SB | Fritz Maisel (NYY) | 74 |
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| W | Walter Johnson (WSH) | 28 |
| L | Joe Benz (CWS) | 19 |
| ERA | Dutch Leonard (BOS) | 0.96 |
| K | Walter Johnson (WSH) | 225 |
| IP | Walter Johnson (WSH) | 371.2 |
| SV | Jack Bentley (WSH) Red Faber (CWS) Roy Mitchell (SLB) Jim Shaw (WSH) | 4 |
| WHIP | Dutch Leonard (BOS) | 0.886 |
National League
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| AVG | Jake Daubert (BRO) | .329 |
| OPS | Gavvy Cravath (PHI) | .901 |
| HR | Gavvy Cravath (PHI) | 19 |
| RBI | Sherry Magee (PHI) | 103 |
| R | George Burns (NYG) | 100 |
| H | Sherry Magee (PHI) | 171 |
| SB | George Burns (NYG) | 62 |
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| W | Grover Alexander (PHI) | 27 |
| L | Red Ames (CIN) | 23 |
| ERA | Bill Doak (STL) | 1.72 |
| K | Grover Alexander (PHI) | 214 |
| IP | Grover Alexander (PHI) | 355.0 |
| SV | Red Ames (CIN) Slim Sallee (STL) | 6 |
| WHIP | Babe Adams (PIT) | 1.032 |
Federal League
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| AVG | Benny Kauff (IND) | .370 |
| OPS | Benny Kauff (IND) | .981 |
| HR | Dutch Zwilling (CWH) | 16 |
| RBI | Frank LaPorte (IND) | 107 |
| R | Benny Kauff (IND) | 120 |
| H | Benny Kauff (IND) | 211 |
| SB | Benny Kauff (IND) | 75 |
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| W | Claude Hendrix (CWH) | 29 |
| L | Bob Groom (SLT) Henry Keupper (SLT) | 20 |
| ERA | Claude Hendrix (CWH) | 1.69 |
| K | Cy Falkenberg (IND) | 236 |
| IP | Cy Falkenberg (IND) | 377.1 |
| SV | Russ Ford (BUF) | 6 |
| WHIP | Russ Ford (BUF) | 0.934 |
Awards and honors
- Chalmers Award: Johnny Evers (BSN, National); Eddie Collins (PHA, American)
Home field attendance
| Team name | Wins | %± | Home attendance | %± | Per game |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Red Sox | 91 | 15.2% | 481,359 | 10.1% | 6,093 |
| Chicago White Sox | 70 | −10.3% | 469,290 | −27.2% | 5,794 |
| Detroit Tigers | 80 | 21.2% | 416,225 | 4.4% | 5,336 |
| Boston Braves | 94 | 36.2% | 382,913 | 84.1% | 4,847 |
| New York Giants | 84 | −16.8% | 364,313 | −42.2% | 4,554 |
| New York Yankees | 70 | 22.8% | 359,477 | 0.5% | 4,609 |
| Philadelphia Athletics | 99 | 3.1% | 346,641 | −39.4% | 4,444 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 81 | 58.8% | 256,099 | 25.8% | 3,242 |
| St. Louis Browns | 71 | 24.6% | 244,714 | −2.2% | 3,021 |
| Washington Senators | 81 | −10.0% | 243,888 | −25.1% | 3,167 |
| Chicago Cubs | 78 | −11.4% | 202,516 | −51.7% | 2,665 |
| Cleveland Naps | 51 | −40.7% | 185,997 | −65.6% | 2,354 |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | 69 | −11.5% | 139,620 | −52.8% | 1,813 |
| Philadelphia Phillies | 74 | −15.9% | 138,474 | −70.5% | 1,775 |
| Brooklyn Robins | 75 | 15.4% | 122,671 | −64.6% | 1,553 |
| Cincinnati Reds | 60 | −6.3% | 100,791 | −60.9% | 1,309 |
Note: Attendance data for Federal League teams is unavailable.
Venues
The 1914 season saw two-year Federal League form, and with it, eight new teams in eight new venues:
- The Baltimore Terrapins played at Terrapin Park, former home of the 1901–1902 AL Baltimore Orioles when it was known as Oriole Park.
- The Brooklyn Tip-Tops played at Washington Park, former longtime home of the NL Brooklyn team.
- The Buffalo Buffeds played at Federal League Park.
- The Chicago Federals played at Weeghman Park, current longtime home of the NL Chicago Cubs (known today as Wrigley Field).
- The Indianapolis Hoosiers played their only season at Federal League Park, playing their last game on October 8 against the St. Louis Terriers, relocating to Newark, New Jersey at Harrison Park for the start of the 1915 season.
- The Kansas City Packers played at Gordon and Koppel Field.
- The Pittsburgh Rebels played at Exposition Park, former longtime home of the NL Pittsburgh Pirates and PL Pittsburgh Burghers.
- The St. Louis Terriers played at Handlan's Park.
The Boston Braves would play their last game at their inaugural home at the South End Grounds site on August 11, having played 39 seasons as a Major League team and five seasons as a member of the National Association, back to 1876 and 1871 respectively, and moved into the Boston Red Sox home of Fenway Park on September 7 to accommodate crowds larger than their South End Grounds capacity and the Braves' eventually successful run at the World Series. They previously played their on August 1 and August 8. In all, 29 of their 79 home games were played at Fenway Park. The team would only play at Fenway through July of the following season.
See also
- 1914 in baseball (Events, Births, Deaths)
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