1959 Major League Baseball season

The 1959 Major League Baseball season was played from April 9 to October 9, 1959. It saw the Los Angeles Dodgers, free of the strife produced by their move from Brooklyn the previous season, rebound to win the National League pennant after a two-game playoff against the Milwaukee Braves, who themselves had moved from Boston in 1953. The Dodgers won the World Series against a Chicago White Sox team that had not played in the "Fall Classic" since 1919 and was interrupting a Yankees' dynasty that dominated the American League between 1949 and 1964.

The season is notable as the only one between 1950 and 1981 where no pitcher pitched a no-hitter.

Rule change
The 1959 season saw the following rule change:
 * The minimum outfield dimensions for all new ballparks are to be 325 feet down the left and right field foul lines, and 400 feet in center field.

Awards and honors

 * Baseball Hall of Fame
 * Zack Wheat
 * Most Valuable Player
 * Nellie Fox, Chicago White Sox (AL)
 * Ernie Banks, Chicago Cubs (NL)
 * Cy Young Award
 * Early Wynn, Chicago White Sox (AL)
 * Rookie of the Year
 * Bob Allison, Washington Senators (AL)
 * Willie McCovey, San Francisco Giants (NL)
 * Gold Glove Award
 * Bobby Shantz (P) New York Yankees (AL)
 * Sherm Lollar (C) Chicago White Sox (AL)
 * Vic Power (1B) Cleveland Indians (AL)
 * Nellie Fox (2B) Chicago White Sox (AL)
 * Frank Malzone (3B) Boston Red Sox (AL)
 * Luis Aparicio (SS) Chicago White Sox (AL)
 * Minnie Miñoso (OF) Cleveland Indians (AL)
 * Al Kaline (OF) Detroit Tigers (AL)
 * Jackie Jensen (OF) Boston Red Sox (AL)

National League

 * The Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Milwaukee Braves in best-of-three playoff series to earn the National League pennant.

Bracket
 

Highlights

 * April 22 - In the course of a 20-6 victory over the Kansas City Athletics, the Chicago White Sox scored 11 runs in the seventh inning on ten walks, a hit batter, three errors and just one hit.

Events

 * 1959 Major League Baseball All-Star Game (first game)
 * 1959 Major League Baseball All-Star Game (second game)
 * Baseball Hall of Fame balloting, 1959
 * 1959 National League tie-breaker series
 * 1959 World Series

Television coverage
CBS and NBC aired weekend Game of the Week broadcasts. The All-Star Game and World Series also aired on NBC. The rights to air the 1959 National League tie-breaker series were awarded to ABC.