The 1916 major league baseball season began on April 12, 1916. The regular season ended on October 5, with the Brooklyn Robins and Boston Red Sox as the regular season champions of the National League and American League, respectively. The postseason began with Game 1 of the 13th World Series on October 7 and ended with Game 5 on October 12. The Red Sox defeated the Robins, four games to one, capturing their fourth championship in franchise history, and the third team to win back-to-back World Series.
Interference by the National and American Leagues in their operations caused the two-season Federal League to fold prior to the 1916 season.
Schedule
The 1916 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, April 14, featured all sixteen teams, continuing the trend which started with the season. The American League would see its final day of the regular season on October 4, while the National League would see its final day of the regular season was on October 5. The World Series took place between October 7 and October 12.
Rule change The National League ruled that a player's bat was considered part of him until a ball in play is fielded.
Teams LeagueTeamCityBallparkCapacityManagerBoston Red SoxBoston, MassachusettsFenway Park27,000Chicago White SoxChicago, IllinoisComiskey Park28,000Cleveland IndiansCleveland, OhioDunn Field21,414Detroit TigersDetroit, MichiganNavin Field23,000New York YankeesNew York, New YorkBrush Stadium34,000Philadelphia AthleticsPhiladelphia, PennsylvaniaShibe Park23,000St. Louis BrownsSt. Louis, MissouriSportsman's Park18,000Washington SenatorsWashington, D.C.National Park27,000Boston BravesBoston, MassachusettsBraves Field40,000Brooklyn RobinsNew York, New YorkEbbets Field30,000Chicago CubsChicago, IllinoisWeeghman Park15,000Cincinnati RedsCincinnati, OhioRedland Field20,696New York GiantsNew York, New YorkBrush Stadium34,000Philadelphia PhilliesPhiladelphia, PennsylvaniaNational League Park18,000Pittsburgh PiratesPittsburgh, PennsylvaniaForbes Field25,000St. Louis CardinalsSt. Louis, MissouriRobison Field21,000
Standings
American League
National League
Tie games 20 tie games (10 in AL, 10 in NL), which are not factored into winning percentage or games behind (and were often replayed again) occurred throughout the season.
American League Boston Red Sox, 2 Chicago White Sox, 1 Cleveland Indians, 3 Detroit Tigers, 1 New York Yankees, 2 Philadelphia Athletics, 1 St. Louis Browns, 4 Washington Senators, 6
National League Boston Braves, 6 Brooklyn Robins, 2 Chicago Cubs, 3 Cincinnati Reds, 2 New York Giants, 3 Philadelphia Phillies, 1 Pittsburgh Pirates, 3
Postseason The postseason began on October 7 and ended on October 12 with the Boston Red Sox defeating the Brooklyn Robins in the 1916 World Series in five games.
Bracket
Managerial changes Off-season Team Former Manager New ManagerBaltimore TerrapinsOtto KnabeTeam foldedBrooklyn Tip-TopsJohn GanzelTeam foldedBuffalo BluesHarry LordTeam foldedChicago CubsRoger BresnahanJoe TinkerChicago WhalesJoe TinkerTeam foldedKansas City PackersGeorge StovallTeam foldedNewark PeppersBill McKechnieTeam foldedPittsburgh PiratesFred ClarkeJimmy CallahanPittsburgh RebelsRebel OakesTeam foldedSt. Louis BrownsBranch RickeyFielder JonesSt. Louis TerriersFielder JonesTeam folded
In-season Team Former Manager New ManagerCincinnati RedsBuck HerzogIvey WingoIvey WingoChristy Mathewson
League leaders Any team shown in indicates a previous team a player was on during the season.
American League
+ Hitting leaders Stat Player Total AVG Tris Speaker (CLE) .386 OPS Tris Speaker (CLE) .972 HR Wally Pipp (NYY) 12 RBI Del Pratt (SLB) 103 R Ty Cobb (DET) 113 H Tris Speaker (CLE) 211 SB Ty Cobb (DET) 68
+ Pitching leaders Stat Player Total W Walter Johnson (WSH) 25 L Bullet Joe Bush (PHA) 24 ERA Babe Ruth (BOS) 1.75 K Walter Johnson (WSH) 228 IP Walter Johnson (WSH) 369.2 SV Bob Shawkey (NYY) 8 WHIP Reb Russell (CWS) 0.942
National League
+ Hitting leaders Stat Player Total AVG Hal Chase (CIN) .339 OPS Cy Williams (CHC) .831 HR Dave Robertson (NYG)Cy Williams (CHC) 12 RBI Heinie Zimmerman (NYG/) 128 R George Burns (NYG) 105 H Hal Chase (CIN) 184 SB Max Carey (PIT) 63 1 National League Triple Crown pitching winner
+ Pitching leaders Stat Player Total W Grover Alexander1 (PHI) 33 L Lee Meadows (STL) 23 ERA Grover Alexander1 (PHI) 1.55 K Grover Alexander1 (PHI) 167 IP Grover Alexander (PHI) 389.0 SV Red Ames (STL) 8 WHIP Grover Alexander (PHI) 0.959
Milestones Batters Ty Cobb (DET): Recorded his 600th career stolen base in the first inning against the Philadelphia Athletics on June 18. He became the sixth player to reach this mark.
Pitchers No-hitters
Tom Hughes (BSN): Hughes threw his first career no-hitter and fifth no-hitter in franchise history, by defeating the Pittsburgh Pirates 2–0 on June 16. Hughes walked two and struck out seven. Rube Foster (BOS): Foster threw his first career no-hitter and sixth no-hitter in franchise history, by defeating the New York Yankees 2–0 on June 21. Foster walked three and struck out three. Bullet Joe Bush (PHA): Bush threw his first career no-hitter and third no-hitter in franchise history, by defeating the Cleveland Indians 5–0 on August 26. Bush walked one and struck out seven. Dutch Leonard (BOS): Leonard threw his first career no-hitter and seventh no-hitter in franchise history, by defeating the St. Louis Browns 4–0 on August 30. Leonard walked two and struck out three.
Other pitching accomplishments Grover Alexander (PHI): Tied a Major League record for most shutout wins in a season, throwing 16 shutouts. Babe Ruth (BOS): Tied an American League record for most shutout wins in a season by a left-handed pitcher, throwing nine shutouts.
Miscellaneous Detroit Tigers / Philadelphia Athletics: Set a Major League record for most combined walks in a single game at 30, previously set in at 24, with the Detroit Tigers walking 12 batters and the Philadelphia Athletics walking 18, on May 9 in a game that Detroit won 16–2. New York Giants: Set a Major League record for largest winning streak, winning 26 games from September 7, and ending following their September 30 loss to the Boston Braves. The streak broke the 21-game record previously held by the Chicago White Stockings (now-Chicago Cubs). Philadelphia Athletics: Set the modern Major League record for most losses in a season on October 2 with 117. The previous record of 113 was set by the Washington Senators in . Set the modern Major League record for worst winning percentage with .235. The previous record of .252 was set by the Washington Senators in .
Home field attendance Team nameWinsHome attendanceChicago White Sox89 −4.3%679,923 26.0%8,830Detroit Tigers87 −13.0%616,772 29.5%8,010New York Giants86 24.6%552,056 40.9%7,078Philadelphia Phillies91 1.1%515,365 14.6%6,524Boston Red Sox91 −9.9%496,397 −8.1%6,364Cleveland Indians77 35.1%492,106 208.9%6,309New York Yankees80 15.9%469,211 83.3%5,939Chicago Cubs67 −8.2%453,685 109.0%5,743Brooklyn Robins94 17.5%447,747 50.4%5,740St. Louis Browns79 25.4%335,740 123.3%4,250Boston Braves89 7.2%313,495 −16.7%4,019Pittsburgh Pirates65 −11.0%289,132 28.1%3,707Cincinnati Reds60 −15.5%255,846 16.9%3,366St. Louis Cardinals60 −16.7%224,308 −11.2%2,951Philadelphia Athletics36 −16.3%184,471 26.2%2,427Washington Senators76 −10.6%177,265 5.9%2,188
Venues The Chicago Cubs leave West Side Park from which they played 30 seasons since (sans ) and moved into the home of the former Federal League team, Chicago Whales, at Weeghman Park, where they remain to this day as Wrigley Field.
Following Jim Dunn's purchase of the Cleveland Indians, League Park, home of the team, renamed to Dunn Field.
The Boston Red Sox played their final two games of the season, an October 3 doubleheader, at the home of the Boston Braves at Braves Field. They would also play their World Series home games (game 1 & 2) at Braves Field due to its larger capacity over their home at Fenway Park (40,000 to 27,000). This was the second year in a row where a World Series winning Red Sox used Braves Field.
See also 1916 in baseball (Events, Births, Deaths)
References
External links 1916 Major League Schedule at Baseball Reference