The 1911 major league baseball season began on April 12, 1911. The regular season ended on October 12, with the New York Giants and Philadelphia Athletics as the regular season champions of the National League and American League, respectively. The postseason began with Game 1 of the eighth modern World Series on October 14 and ended with Game 6 on October 26. In the second iteration of this World Series matchup, the Athletics defeated the Giants, four games to two, capturing their second championship in franchise history, and the second team to win back-to-back World Series.
This was the first 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 league.
This is the most recent major league season from which no stadiums remain in use. The Boston Red Sox have used Fenway Park as their home field since the 1912 season. The Boston Doves and Brooklyn Superbas renamed as the Boston Rustlers and Brooklyn Trolley Dodgers, respectively.
Schedule
The 1911 schedule consisted of 154 games for all teams in the American League and National 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 put in place for the season. This format would last until .
Opening Day took place on April 12 with all but the Chicago White Sox and Detroit Tigers playing. The American League would see its final day of the regular season on October 8, while the National League would see its final day of the regular season was on October 12. The World Series took place between October 14 and October 26.
Teams An asterisk (*) denotes the ballpark a team played the minority of their home games at LeagueTeamCityBallparkCapacityManagerBoston Red SoxBoston, MassachusettsHuntington Avenue Grounds11,500Chicago White SoxChicago, IllinoisWhite Sox Park28,000Cleveland NapsCleveland, OhioLeague Park21,414Detroit TigersDetroit, MichiganBennett Park14,000New York HighlandersNew York, New YorkHilltop Park16,000Philadelphia AthleticsPhiladelphia, PennsylvaniaShibe Park23,000St. Louis BrownsSt. Louis, MissouriSportsman's Park18,000Washington SenatorsWashington, D.C.National Park27,000Boston RustlersBoston, MassachusettsSouth End Grounds9,800Brooklyn Trolley DodgersNew York, New YorkWashington Park14,000Chicago CubsChicago, IllinoisWest Side Park16,000Cincinnati RedsCincinnati, OhioPalace of the Fans12,000New York GiantsNew York, New YorkBrush Stadium34,000Hilltop Park*16,000*Philadelphia PhilliesPhiladelphia, PennsylvaniaNational League Park18,000Pittsburgh PiratesPittsburgh, PennsylvaniaForbes Field23,000St. Louis CardinalsSt. Louis, MissouriRobison Field21,000
Standings
American League
National League
Tie games 19 tie games (4 in AL, 15 in NL), which are not factored into winning percentage or games behind (and were often replayed again) occurred throughout the season.
American League Chicago White Sox, 3 Cleveland Naps, 3 New York Highlanders, 1 Philadelphia Athletics, 1
National League Boston Rustlers, 5 Brooklyn Trolley Dodgers, 4 Chicago Cubs, 3 Cincinnati Reds, 6 New York Giants, 1 Philadelphia Phillies, 1 Pittsburgh Pirates, 1 St. Louis Cardinals, 9
Postseason
The postseason began on October 17 and ended on October 26 with the Philadelphia Athletics defeating the New York Giants in the 1911 World Series in six games.
Bracket
Managerial changes Off-season Team Former Manager New ManagerBoston RustlersFred LakeFred TenneySt. Louis BrownsJack O'ConnorBobby Wallace In-season Team Former Manager New ManagerCleveland Naps Deacon McGuireGeorge Stovall
League leaders American League
+ Hitting leaders Stat Player Total AVG Ty Cobb (DET) .419 OPS Ty Cobb (DET) 1.086 HR Home Run Baker (PHA) 11 RBI Ty Cobb (DET) 127 R Ty Cobb (DET) 148 H Ty Cobb (DET) 248 SB Ty Cobb (DET) 83
+ Pitching leaders Stat Player Total W Jack Coombs (PHA) 28 L Jack Powell (SLB) 19 ERA Vean Gregg (CLE) 1.80 K Ed Walsh (CWS) 255 IP Ed Walsh (CWS) 368.2 SV Charley Hall (BOS)Eddie Plank (PHA)Ed Walsh (CWS) 4 WHIP Vean Gregg (CLE) 1.054
National League
+ Hitting leaders Stat Player Total AVG Honus Wagner (PIT) .334 OPS Honus Wagner (PIT) .930 HR Frank Schulte (CHC) 21 RBI Frank Schulte (CHC)Owen Wilson (PIT) 107 R Jimmy Sheckard (CHC) 121 H Doc Miller (BSN) 192 SB Bob Bescher (CIN) 81
+ Pitching leaders Stat Player Total W Grover Alexander (PHI) 28 L Earl Moore (PHI)Bill Steele (STL) 19 ERA Christy Mathewson (NYG) 1.99 K Rube Marquard (NYG) 237 IP Grover Alexander (PHI) 367.0 SV Mordecai Brown (CHC) 13 WHIP Babe Adams (PIT) 1.006
Milestones Batters Cycles
Frank Baker (PHA): Baker hit for his first cycle and third in franchise history, in game two of a doubleheader on July 3 against the New York Highlanders.
Other batting accomplishments Fred Clarke (PIT): Recorded his 500th career stolen base in the fourth inning against the Chicago Cubs on April 29. He became the 16th player to reach this mark. Honus Wagner (PIT): Recorded his 600th career stolen base in the seventh inning against the Brooklyn Trolley Dodgers on June 13. He became the fifth player to reach this mark.
Pitchers No-hitters
Smoky Joe Wood (BOS): Wood threw his first career no-hitter and fifth no-hitter in franchise history, by defeating the St. Louis Browns 5–0 in game one of a doubleheader on July 29. Wood walked two, hit one by pitch, and struck out twelve. Ed Walsh (CWS): Walsh threw his first career no-hitter and fourth no-hitter in franchise history, by defeating the Boston Red Sox 5–0 on August 27. Walsh walked one and struck out eight.
Other pitching accomplishments Cy Young (BSN): Set a major league record for most career wins at 511 on September 22 in a 1–0 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates in his last career win.
Miscellaneous Detroit Tigers: Set a major league record for largest deficit ever overcome to win on June 18. The Tigers in a 12-run deficit, down 13–1 after the top of the fifth inning, would go on to win the game 16–15 over the Chicago White Sox. Philadelphia Phillies / St. Louis Cardinals: Became the second set of teams to tie a major league record for most combined walks in a single game at 23, with the Philadelphia Phillies walking 10 batters and the St. Louis Cardinals walking 13, on July 6 in a game that St. Louis won 13–9. Boston Rustlers: Set the modern National League record for worst winning percentage with .291. The previous record of .294 was set by the Boston Doves in .
Awards and honors Chalmers Award: Frank Schulte (CHC, National); Ty Cobb (DET, American)
Home field attendance Team nameWinsHome attendanceNew York Giants99 8.8%675,000 31.9%9,000Philadelphia Athletics101 -1.0%605,749 2.9%8,077Chicago White Sox77 13.2%583,208 5.6%7,477Chicago Cubs92 -11.5%576,000 9.5%6,857Boston Red Sox78 -3.7%503,961 -13.8%6,631Detroit Tigers89 3.5%484,988 23.9%6,381St. Louis Cardinals75 19.0%447,768 25.9%5,668Pittsburgh Pirates85 -1.2%432,000 -1.1%5,538Philadelphia Phillies79 1.3%416,000 40.3%5,474Cleveland Naps80 12.7%406,296 38.5%5,277New York Highlanders76 -13.6%302,444 -15.0%3,928Cincinnati Reds70 -6.7%300,000 -21.2%3,659Brooklyn Trolley Dodgers64 0.0%269,000 -3.7%3,635Washington Senators64 -3.0%244,884 -3.8%3,180St. Louis Browns45 -4.3%207,984 -16.8%2,666Boston Rustlers44 -17.0%116,000 -22.2%1,547
Venues The 1911 season saw three teams play their last seasons at their respective venues. The Boston Red Sox would play their last game at the Huntington Avenue Grounds on October 7 against the Washington Senators, moving into Fenway Park for the start of the season. The Cincinnati Reds would play their last game at the Palace of the Fans on October 12 against the Chicago Cubs, moving into Redland Field for the start of the season. The Detroit Tigers would play their last game at Bennett Park on September 10 against the Cleveland Naps, moving into Navin Field for the start of the season.
The 1911 season saw two teams play in new venues due to fires. Prior to the start of the season, the Washington Senators home at National Park burned down on March 17. The Senators played there for seven seasons, and the venue was previously home to the defunct AA/NL Washington Senators from through . A new venue, also called National Park, was quickly built on the same site, in time for Opening Day on April 12 to play a game with fans in attendance. The Senators would go on to play there for the rest of their tenure in Washington, D.C. for 50 seasons through , before moving to Minnesota as the Minnesota Twins. On April 14, after only two home games, much of the New York Giants home, the Polo Grounds, burned down, forcing the team to play 28 home games at the home of the New York Highlanders, Hilltop Park for the remaining April and May home games. Following a month long road trip, the Giants returned to a reconstructed Polo Grounds, now called Brush Stadium after owner John T. Brush, on June 28 and would play their remaining 45 home games there.
See also 1911 in baseball (Events, Births, Deaths)
References
External links 1911 Major League Schedule at Baseball Reference 1911 in baseball history from ThisGreatGame.com