Major League Baseball Season Recap 1930 World Series – Philadelphia A’s AL over St. Louis Cardinals NL 4 games to 2 1930, Changes were made to the baseball in 1930, causing all-time highs for offensive production. Seven players batted .379 or better while only Philadelphia’s Lefty Grove and Brooklyn’s Dazzy Vance managed ERA’s under 3.00 for the season. Hack…
On December 18, 1930 1B Bill “Moose” Skowron is born Chicago, Illinois, and was of Polish descent. His father was a city garbage collector. One day his grandfather gave the seven-year-old Skowron a haircut that resembled a known Italian dictator’s, which resulted in his friends jokingly calling him “Mussolini”, and caused his family…
1930 – Chief Bender is signed by the New York Giants as a pitching coach. He coached baseball at the Naval Academy this year.
1930 – The 15-year career of George Sisler ends as the Boston Braves release him. A lifetime .340 hitter who twice led the American League with averages above .400, Sisler will be among the first to be elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame, enshrined in 1939.
1930 – The Rules Committee of baseball issues a greatly revised code, reducing the number of rules by combining many. Not only is the sacrifice rule abolished but also the rule awarding a home runs when the ball bounces into the stands. “Bounce homers” will now be doubles. This had already been in effect in the American League but not the National League.
1930 – The BBWAA votes to continue the custom of selecting an MVP for each league. Beginning in 1931 the annual vote of the BBWAA will designate a player for this honor in each league. Previous MVP winners will be able to repeat under the new rules, something that was prohibited by the American League in the 1920s.
On December 9, 1930, Andrew “Rube” Foster, the founder of the Negro National League, dies at the age of 52. The founder of the Negro National League, he excelled as a player, manager, and executive and will win election to the Hall of Fame in 1981…
At its annual meeting, the American League reelects E.S. Barnard to a five-year term as president. Barnard will pass away next March at the Mayo clinic.
1930 – Shano Collins, a native New Englander, is appointed manager of the perennial last-place Boston Red Sox.
Giants first baseman Bill Terry (.401, 14, 117) is selected by the Sporting News as the NL’s MVP, and Senator shortstop Joe Cronin (.346, 13, 126) receives the honor for the American League. The first official BBWAA Most Valuable Player ballots will start next season, but the Associated Press also names Joe Cronin as it’s unofficial AL MVP, the Baseball Writers Association awards the National’s MVP to Hack Wilson, with the Cubs presenting him with the $1000 bonus for receiving the honor.