1954 International League season
| 1954 International League season | |
|---|---|
| League | International League |
| Sport | Baseball |
| Duration | April 20 – October 2 |
| Number of games | 154 |
| Number of teams | 8 |
| Regular season | |
| Season MVP | Elston Howard, Toronto Maple Leafs |
| Governors' Cup Playoffs | |
| League champions | Syracuse Chiefs |
| Runners-up | Montreal Royals |
The 1954 International League was a Class AAA baseball season played between April 20 and October 2. Eight teams played a 154-game schedule, with the top four teams qualifying for the post-season.
The Syracuse Chiefs won the Governors' Cup, defeating the Montreal Royals in the final round of the playoffs.
Team changes
- The Baltimore Orioles relocated to Richmond, Virginia and were renamed the Richmond Virginians. The club also ended their affiliation with the Philadelphia Phillies.
- The Springfield Cubs fold.
- The Havana Sugar Kings join the league as an expansion team.
- The Syracuse Chiefs ended their affiliation with the New York Yankees and began an affiliation with the Philadelphia Phillies.
Teams
| 1954 International League | ||||||
| Team | City | MLB Affiliate | Stadium | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo Bisons | Buffalo, New York | Detroit Tigers | Offermann Stadium | |||
| Havana Sugar Kings | Havana, Cuba | None | Gran Stadium | |||
| Montreal Royals | Montreal, Quebec | Brooklyn Dodgers | Delorimier Stadium | |||
| Ottawa Athletics | Ottawa, Ontario | Philadelphia Athletics | Lansdowne Park | |||
| Richmond Virginians | Richmond, Virginia | None | Parker Field | |||
| Rochester Red Wings | Rochester, New York | St. Louis Cardinals | Red Wing Stadium | |||
| Syracuse Chiefs | Syracuse, New York | Philadelphia Phillies | MacArthur Stadium | |||
| Toronto Maple Leafs | Toronto, Ontario | None | Maple Leaf Stadium | |||
Map of teams
International League teams
Regular season
Summary
- The Toronto Maple Leafs finished with the best record in the regular season for the first time since 1943.
- The Syracuse Chiefs and Havana Sugar Kings played a one-game tie-breaking game in Syracuse, New York for the final playoff position. The Chiefs defeated the Sugar Kings 13-4.
Standings
| International League | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | Win | Loss | % | GB |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | 97 | 57 | .630 | – |
| Montreal Royals | 88 | 66 | .571 | 9 |
| Rochester Red Wings | 86 | 68 | .558 | 11 |
| Syracuse Chiefs | 79 | 76 | .510 | 18.5 |
| Havana Sugar Kings | 78 | 77 | .503 | 19.5 |
| Buffalo Bisons | 71 | 83 | .461 | 26 |
| Richmond Virginians | 60 | 94 | .390 | 37 |
| Ottawa Athletics | 58 | 96 | .377 | 39 |
League Leaders
Batting leaders
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| AVG | Bill Virdon, Rochester Red Wings | .333 |
| H | Sam Jethroe, Toronto Maple Leafs | 181 |
| R | Sam Jethroe, Toronto Maple Leafs | 113 |
| 2B | Chico Fernández, Montreal Royals | 44 |
| 3B | Elston Howard, Toronto Maple Leafs | 16 |
| HR | Rocky Nelson, Montreal Royals | 31 |
| RBI | Ed Stevens, Toronto Maple Leafs | 113 |
| SB | Don Nicholas, Havana Sugar Kings | 37 |
Pitching leaders
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| W | Jack Faszholz, Rochester Red Wings Ken Lehman, Montreal Royals Ed Roebuck, Montreal Royals |
18 |
| ERA | Jim Owens, Syracuse Chiefs | 2.87 |
| CG | Ed Roebuck, Montreal Royals | 20 |
| SHO | Ken Johnson, Buffalo Bisons Jim Owens, Syracuse Chiefs Ed Roebuck, Montreal Royals |
5 |
| SO | Jack Meyer, Syracuse Chiefs | 173 |
| IP | Jack Faszholz, Rochester Red Wings | 225.0 |
Playoffs
- The Syracuse Chiefs won their fifth Governors' Cup, defeating the Montreal Royals in seven games.
Playoff bracket
| Semi-finals | Governors' Cup | ||||||||
| 1 | Toronto | 2 | |||||||
| 4 | Syracuse | 4 | |||||||
| 4 | Syracuse | 4 | |||||||
| 2 | Montreal | 3 | |||||||
| 2 | Montreal | 4 | |||||||
| 3 | Rochester | 2 | |||||||
Awards
| Player awards | |
|---|---|
| Award name | Recipient |
| Most Valuable Player | Elston Howard, Toronto Maple Leafs[4] |
| Pitcher of the Year | Jim Owens, Syracuse Chiefs[5] |
| Rookie of the Year | Jim Owens, Syracuse Chiefs[6] |
See also
References
- ^ 1954 IL Standings at stats-crew.com, URL accessed November 2, 2024
- ^ 1954 IL Batting Leaders at baseball-reference.com, URL accessed November 2, 2024
- ^ 1954 IL Pitching Leaders at baseball-reference.com, URL accessed November 2, 2024
- ^ "Elston Howard Minor League Statistics". Baseball Reference. Retrieved 14 November 2024.
- ^ "Jim Owens Minor League Statistics". Baseball Reference. Retrieved 14 November 2024.
- ^ "Jim Owens Minor League Statistics". Baseball Reference. Retrieved 14 November 2024.