1928 Major League Baseball season
| 1928 MLB season | |
|---|---|
| League | American League (AL) National League (NL) |
| Sport | Baseball |
| Duration | Regular season:
|
| Games | 154 |
| Teams | 16 (8 per league) |
| Regular Season | |
| Season MVP | AL: Mickey Cochrane (PHA) NL: Jim Bottomley (STL) |
| AL champions | New York Yankees |
| AL runners-up | Philadelphia Athletics |
| NL champions | St. Louis Cardinals |
| NL runners-up | New York Giants |
| World Series | |
| Champions | New York Yankees |
| Runners-up | St. Louis Cardinals |
The 1928 major league baseball season began on April 10, 1928. The regular season ended on September 30, with the St. Louis Cardinals and New York Yankees as the regular season champions of the National League and American League, respectively. The postseason began with Game 1 of the 25th World Series on October 4 and ended with Game 4 on October 9. In the second iteration of this World Series matchup, the Yankees swept the Cardinals in four games, capturing their third championship in franchise history, and the fifth team to win back-to-back World Series.
This was the seventh of eight seasons that "League Awards", a precursor to the Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award (introduced in 1931), were issued.
Schedule
The 1928 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 since the 1904 season (except for 1919) and would be used until 1961 in the American League and 1962 in the National League.
American League Opening Day took place on April 10 with the Boston Red Sox and Washington Senators playing, while National League Opening Day took place the following day. The final day of the regular season was on September 30. The World Series took place between October 4 and October 9.
Rule change
The 1928 season saw the following rule change:
- The National League reimplemented the early-1920 home run rule, which states that balls are to be called based on where the ball crosses the outfield fence regarding home runs. This rule was only for balls which landed in the stands. Balls which completely left the ballpark were to be judged based on where the ball flew out of sight. The American League would implement the outfield fence portion of the home run rule in 1931, and would extend this interpretation to balls which leave the ballpark completely.[1]
Teams
Standings
American League
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB | Home | Road |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York Yankees | 101 | 53 | .656 | — | 52–25 | 49–28 |
| Philadelphia Athletics | 98 | 55 | .641 | 2½ | 52–25 | 46–30 |
| St. Louis Browns | 82 | 72 | .532 | 19 | 43–34 | 39–38 |
| Washington Senators | 75 | 79 | .487 | 26 | 37–43 | 38–36 |
| Chicago White Sox | 72 | 82 | .468 | 29 | 37–40 | 35–42 |
| Detroit Tigers | 68 | 86 | .442 | 33 | 36–41 | 32–45 |
| Cleveland Indians | 62 | 92 | .403 | 39 | 28–49 | 34–43 |
| Boston Red Sox | 57 | 96 | .373 | 43½ | 26–47 | 31–49 |
National League
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB | Home | Road |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Louis Cardinals | 95 | 59 | .617 | — | 42–35 | 53–24 |
| New York Giants | 93 | 61 | .604 | 2 | 51–26 | 42–35 |
| Chicago Cubs | 91 | 63 | .591 | 4 | 52–25 | 39–38 |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | 85 | 67 | .559 | 9 | 47–30 | 38–37 |
| Cincinnati Reds | 78 | 74 | .513 | 16 | 44–33 | 34–41 |
| Brooklyn Robins | 77 | 76 | .503 | 17½ | 41–35 | 36–41 |
| Boston Braves | 50 | 103 | .327 | 44½ | 25–51 | 25–52 |
| Philadelphia Phillies | 43 | 109 | .283 | 51 | 26–49 | 17–60 |
Tie games
4 tie games (2 in AL, 2 in NL), which are not factored into winning percentage or games behind (and were often replayed again) occurred throughout the season.
American League
The Boston Red Sox, Chicago White Sox, Cleveland Indians, and Washington Senators had one tie game each.
- April 13, Cleveland Indians vs. Chicago White Sox, tied at 1 after a shortened game of 6 innings.[3]
- April 14, Washington Senators vs. Boston Red Sox, scoreless after a shortened game of 5 innings.[4]
National League
The Brooklyn Robins had two tie games. The Cincinnati Reds and New York Giants had one tie game each.
- May 30 (game 2), New York Giants vs. Brookln Robins, tied at 2 after a shortened game of 6 innings.[5]
- July 12, Brooklyn Robins vs. Cincinnati Reds, scoreless after 9 innings.[6]
Postseason
The postseason began on October 4 and ended on October 9 with the New York Yankees sweeping the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1928 World Series in four games.
Bracket
| World Series | ||||
| AL | New York Yankees | 4 | ||
| NL | St. Louis Cardinals | 0 | ||
Managerial changes
Off-season
In-season
| Team | Former Manager | New Manager |
|---|---|---|
| Boston Braves | Jack Slattery | Rogers Hornsby |
| Chicago White Sox | Ray Schalk | Lena Blackburne |
League leaders
American League
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| AVG | Goose Goslin (WSH) | .379 |
| OPS | Babe Ruth (NYY) | 1.172 |
| HR | Babe Ruth (NYY) | 54 |
| RBI | Lou Gehrig (NYY) Babe Ruth (NYY) |
142 |
| R | Babe Ruth (NYY) | 163 |
| H | Heinie Manush (SLB) | 241 |
| SB | Buddy Myer (BOS) | 30 |
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| W | Lefty Grove (PHA) George Pipgras (NYY) |
24 |
| L | Red Ruffing (BOS) | 25 |
| ERA | Garland Braxton (WSH) | 2.51 |
| K | Lefty Grove (PHA) | 183 |
| IP | George Pipgras (NYY) | 300.2 |
| SV | Waite Hoyt (NYY) | 8 |
| WHIP | Garland Braxton (WSH) | 1.012 |
National League
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| AVG | Rogers Hornsby (BSN) | .387 |
| OPS | Rogers Hornsby (BSN) | 1.130 |
| HR | Jim Bottomley (STL) Hack Wilson (CHC) |
31 |
| RBI | Jim Bottomley (STL) | 136 |
| R | Paul Waner (PIT) | 142 |
| H | Freddie Lindstrom (NYG) | 231 |
| SB | Kiki Cuyler (CHC) | 37 |
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| W | Larry Benton (NYG) Burleigh Grimes (PIT) |
25 |
| L | Ed Brandt (BSN) | 21 |
| ERA | Dazzy Vance (BRO) | 2.09 |
| K | Dazzy Vance (BRO) | 200 |
| IP | Burleigh Grimes (PIT) | 330.2 |
| SV | Hal Haid (STL) Bill Sherdel (STL) |
5 |
| WHIP | Dazzy Vance (BRO) | 1.063 |
Awards and honors
- League Award: Jim Bottomley (STL, National); Mickey Cochrane (PHA, American)
Home field attendance
| Team name | Wins | %± | Home attendance | %± | Per game |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago Cubs[11] | 91 | 7.1% | 1,143,740 | −1.3% | 14,854 |
| New York Yankees[12] | 101 | −8.2% | 1,072,132 | −7.9% | 13,924 |
| New York Giants[13] | 93 | 1.1% | 916,191 | 6.8% | 11,899 |
| St. Louis Cardinals[14] | 95 | 3.3% | 761,574 | 1.6% | 9,891 |
| Philadelphia Athletics[15] | 98 | 7.7% | 689,756 | 13.9% | 8,958 |
| Brooklyn Robins[16] | 77 | 18.5% | 664,863 | 4.3% | 8,635 |
| Pittsburgh Pirates[17] | 85 | −9.6% | 495,070 | −43.1% | 6,429 |
| Chicago White Sox[18] | 72 | 2.9% | 494,152 | −19.6% | 6,335 |
| Cincinnati Reds[19] | 78 | 4.0% | 490,490 | 10.9% | 6,288 |
| Detroit Tigers[20] | 68 | −17.1% | 474,323 | −38.7% | 6,160 |
| Boston Red Sox[21] | 57 | 11.8% | 396,920 | 30.0% | 5,364 |
| Washington Senators[22] | 75 | −11.8% | 378,501 | −28.4% | 4,731 |
| Cleveland Indians[23] | 62 | −6.1% | 375,907 | 0.7% | 4,882 |
| St. Louis Browns[24] | 82 | 39.0% | 339,497 | 37.0% | 4,409 |
| Boston Braves[25] | 50 | −16.7% | 227,001 | −21.4% | 2,987 |
| Philadelphia Phillies[26] | 43 | −15.7% | 182,168 | −40.4% | 2,429 |
Venues
The Cleveland Indians' Dunn Field reverts to the name League Park, following the sale of the team by team owner Jim Dunn.
See also
References
- ^ sabr. "How Rules Changes in 1920 Affected Home Runs – Society for American Baseball Research". Retrieved April 22, 2024.
- ^ "1928 Major League Managers". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved February 5, 2025.
- ^ "Cleveland Indians vs Chicago White Sox Box Score: April 13, 1928". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved November 24, 2025.
- ^ "Washington Nationals vs Boston Red Sox Box Score: April 14, 1928". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved November 24, 2025.
- ^ "New York Giants vs Brooklyn Robins Box Score: May 30, 1928". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved November 24, 2025.
- ^ "Brooklyn Robins vs Cincinnati Reds Box Score: July 12, 1928". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved November 24, 2025.
- ^ "1928 MLB Player Hitting Stat Leaders". MLB.com.
- ^ "1928 American League Pitching Leaders". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved February 5, 2025.
- ^ "1928 National League Batting Leaders". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved February 5, 2025.
- ^ "1928 National League Pitching Leaders". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved February 5, 2025.
- ^ "Chicago Cubs Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
- ^ "New York Yankees Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
- ^ "San Francisco Giants Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
- ^ "St. Louis Cardinals Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
- ^ "Oakland Athletics Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
- ^ "Los Angeles Dodgers Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
- ^ "Pittsburgh Pirates Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
- ^ "Chicago White Sox Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
- ^ "Cincinnati Reds Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
- ^ "Detroit Tigers Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
- ^ "Boston Red Sox Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
- ^ "Minnesota Twins Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
- ^ "Cleveland Indians Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
- ^ "Baltimore Orioles Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
- ^ "Atlanta Braves Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
- ^ "Philadelphia Phillies Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.