1954 International League season

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The 1954 International League season was the 69th in the league's history, and ended with the Syracuse Chiefs winning their first Governors' Cup in seven years. The Chiefs would go on to lose the Junior World Series.

This was the first year for the Havana Sugar Kings and the Richmond Virginians, as well as the final season for the Ottawa A's. After the season, the A's were purchased and moved to Columbus, OH.

Syracuse and Havana would finish the season tied, so the two clubs held a one-game playoff for fourth place September 14 in Syracuse, NY. The Chiefs won the game 13-4, and this is included in the standings below.

Final standings[edit]

Playoff teams in bold.

W L Pct. GB Manager Affiliation
Toronto Maple Leafs 97 57 .630 -- Luke Sewell None
Montreal Royals 88 66 .571 9 Max Macon Brooklyn Dodgers
Rochester Red Wings 86 68 .558 11 Harry Walker St. Louis Cardinals
Syracuse Chiefs 79 76 .510 18½ Skeeter Newsome Philadelphia Phillies
Havana Sugar Kings 78 77 .503 19½ Reggie Otero None
Buffalo Bisons 71 83 .461 26 Billy Hitchcock Detroit Tigers
Richmond Virginians 60 94 .390 37 Luke Appling None
Ottawa A's 58 96 .377 39 Les Bell/Taffy Wright Philadelphia Athletics

Playoffs[edit]

  First Round Governors' Cup Finals
                 
1  Toronto Maple Leafs 2  
4  Syracuse Chiefs 4  
    4  Syracuse Chiefs 4
  2  Montreal Royals 3
2  Montreal Royals 4
3  Rochester Red Wings 2  

First Round[edit]

Toronto vs. Syracuse
Date Away Home
September 16 Syracuse 0 Toronto 8
September 17 Syracuse 9 Toronto 5
September 18 Toronto 3 Syracuse 5
September 19 Toronto 10 Syracuse 7
September 20 Toronto 0 Syracuse 1
September 22 Syracuse 7 Toronto 5
Syracuse wins series 4-2
Montreal vs. Rochester
Date Away Home
September 14 Rochester 2 Montreal 0
September 15 Rochester 0 Montreal 5
September 17 Montreal 6 Rochester 2
September 19 Montreal 4 Rochester 5
September 20 Montreal 3 Rochester 2
September 23 Rochester 4 Montreal 5
Montreal wins series 4-2

Governors' Cup Finals[edit]

Montreal vs. Syracuse
Date Away Home
September 25 Syracuse 0 Montreal 5
September 26 Syracuse 3 Montreal 2
September 27 Montreal 1 Syracuse 2
September 28 Montreal 1 Syracuse 15
September 29 Montreal 7 Syracuse 0
September 30 Syracuse 5 Montreal 6
October 2 Syracuse 7 Montreal 6
Syracuse wins series 4-3 and
advances to Junior World Series

References[edit]

The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball. Lloyd Johnson and Miles Wolff, editors. Baseball America, 1993.