1961 National League
| 1961 in baseball |
|---|
| 1961 National League |
| Japanese baseball |
| American League |
| Negro Leagues |
| << 1960 1962 >> |
The 1961 season of the National League was the eighty-sixth season of the league.
Season summary[edit]
Standings[edit]
- Bold indicates league champion, Italics indicates World Series champion
| Rank | Team | G | W | L | T | WPCT | GB | RS (RS/G) | RA (RA/G) | AVG | OBP | SLG | ERA | FPCT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cincinnati Reds | 154 | 93 | 61 | 0 | .604 | -.- | 710 (4.61) | 653 (4.24) | 0.270 | 0.324 | 0.421 | 3.78 | 0.977 |
| 2 | Los Angeles Dodgers | 154 | 89 | 65 | 0 | .578 | 4.0 | 735 (4.77) | 697 (4.53) | 0.262 | 0.338 | 0.405 | 4.04 | 0.976 |
| 3 | San Francisco Giants | 155 | 85 | 69 | 1 | .548 | 8.0 | 773 (4.99) | 655 (4.23) | 0.264 | 0.328 | 0.423 | 3.77 | 0.977 |
| 4 | Milwaukee Braves | 155 | 83 | 71 | 1 | .535 | 10.0 | 712 (4.59) | 656 (4.23) | 0.258 | 0.326 | 0.415 | 3.89 | 0.982 |
| 5 | St. Louis Cardinals | 155 | 80 | 74 | 1 | .516 | 13.0 | 703 (4.54) | 668 (4.31) | 0.271 | 0.333 | 0.393 | 3.74 | 0.972 |
| 6 | Pittsburgh Pirates | 154 | 75 | 79 | 0 | .487 | 18.0 | 694 (4.51) | 675 (4.38) | 0.273 | 0.327 | 0.410 | 3.92 | 0.975 |
| 7 | Chicago Cubs | 156 | 64 | 90 | 2 | .410 | 29.0 | 689 (4.42) | 800 (5.13) | 0.255 | 0.323 | 0.418 | 4.48 | 0.970 |
| 8 | Philadelphia Phillies | 155 | 47 | 107 | 1 | .303 | 46.0 | 584 (3.77) | 796 (5.14) | 0.243 | 0.306 | 0.357 | 4.61 | 0.976 |
League leaders[edit]
- Bold indicates league record, Italics indicate all-time record
Batting[edit]
Pitching[edit]
All-Star Game[edit]
The 1961 season featured two All-Star Games. In the first game at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, CA on Tuesday, July 11, 1961, the National League won by a score of 5 to 4 in 10 innings. The second game at Fenway Park in Boston, MA on Monday, July 31, 1961 ended in a 1-1 tie after 9 innings when it was called due to rain. For both games, the league's manager was Danny Murtaugh.
Postseason[edit]
In the World Series, the National League champion Cincinnati Reds were defeated by the American League's New York Yankees, 4 games to 1.
Award winners[edit]
The winner of the league's Most Valuable Player Award, given its Most Valuable Player, was Frank Robinson, an outfielder with the Cincinnati Reds. In the award's voting, he had 219 out of a possible 224 points and 15 first place votes.
The winner of the Cy Young Award, given to the best pitcher in Major League Baseball irrespective of league, was Whitey Ford of the New York Yankees (AL). In the award's voting, he had 9 out of a possible 18 points and 9 first place votes.
The winner of the league's Rookie of the Year Award, given its best rookie player, was Billy Williams (willibi01), an outfielder with the Chicago Cubs. In the award's voting, he had 10 out of a possible 16 points and 10 first place votes.
Gold Gloves[edit]
The following players won the Gold Glove Award, given to the league's best fielders as voted upon by sportswriters, at their respective position.
Monthly Awards[edit]
- Player of the Month Award
- April: none
- May: Joey Jay, Cincinnati Reds
- June: George Altman, Chicago Cubs
- July: Frank Robinson, Cincinnati Reds
- August: Warren Spahn, Milwaukee Braves
- September: Jim O'Toole, Cincinnati Reds
Hall of Fame Game[edit]
The twentieth annual Hall of Fame Game was played on July 24 at Doubleday Field in Cooperstown, NY near the National Baseball Hall of Fame. In the game, the National League's Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Baltimore Orioles of the American League by a score of 6 to 2.
Notable events[edit]
Umpires[edit]
- Al Barlick
- Dusty Boggess
- Ken Burkhart
- Jocko Conlan
- Shag Crawford
- Frank Dascoli
- Augie Donatelli
- Al Forman
- Tom Gorman
- Bill Jackowski
- Stan Landes
- Chris Pelekoudas
- Paul Pryor
- Frank Secory
- Vinnie Smith
- Mel Steiner
- Ed Sudol
- Ed Vargo
- Tony Venzon
- Frank Walsh
- Lee Weyer
Further Reading[edit]
- Jim Brosnan: Pennant Race, HarperCollins Publishers, New York, NY, 2017. ISBN 978-0062667069. Originally published in 1962
- Donald Honig: 1961: The Year That Was, Bantam Books, New York, NY, 1989. ISBN 0553282743
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