:1954 Major League Baseball season

{{See also|Major League Baseball schedule}}

The 1954 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 {{mlby|1904}} season (except for {{mlby|1919}}) and would be used until {{mlby|1961}} in the American League and {{mlby|1962}} in the National League.

Opening Day took place on April 13, featuring all sixteen teams, the first time since {{mlby|1950}}. The final day of the regular season was on September 26, which saw fourteen teams play, and was the first time since {{mlby|1945}} that the scheduled regular season didn't end with all sixteen teams. The World Series took place between September 29 and October 2.

The 1954 season saw the following rule changes:{{Cite web |title=MLB Rule Changes {{!}} Baseball Almanac |url=https://www.baseball-almanac.com/rulechng.shtml |access-date=2024-05-28 |website=www.baseball-almanac.com |language=en-us}}

• During half innings where a team was batting, all players of that team must remove their gloves from the field. In addition, any equipment not on a player was to be removed from the field.{{Cite web |last=Bass |first=Mike |title=Mike Bass column: Hate MLB's changes? You ain't seen nothing yet ... I hope. |url=https://www.cincinnati.com/story/sports/2021/03/04/major-league-baseball-rule-changes-hopefully-more-coming-column/6918720002/ |access-date=2024-05-28 |website=The Enquirer |language=en-US}}
• Rules regarding a defensive interference offense expanded to include all fielders on the field, not just changed from a catcher.
• Fielders who were in the batter's vision could no longer deliberately distract the batter.
• The sacrifice fly rule was brought back, having been previously used in {{mlby|1939}}. This time, the rule was considered when a player scored after the catch only. Sacrifice bunts and flies were listed separately in official averages.{{Cite web |last=admin |title=The Sacrifice Fly – Society for American Baseball Research |url=https://sabr.org/journal/article/the-sacrifice-fly/ |access-date=2024-05-28 |language=en-US}}

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{{1954 American League standings|highlight=Cleveland Indians}}

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{{1954 National League standings|highlight=New York Giants}}

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The postseason began on September 29 and ended on October 2 with the New York Giants sweeping the Cleveland Indians in the 1954 World Series in four games.

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• Umpire Bill McGowan set a Major League record by officiating in his 2,541st consecutive game.Great Baseball Feats, Facts and Figures, 2008 Edition, p.42, David Nemec and Scott Flatow, A Signet Book, Penguin Group, New York, {{ISBN|978-0-451-22363-0}}

{{main|National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum}}

• Rabbit Maranville
• Bill Dickey
• Bill Terry

{{further|1954 Baseball Hall of Fame balloting}}

ABC aired the Saturday Game of the Week for the second consecutive year. The All-Star Game and World Series aired exclusively on NBC.

• Billy Meyer had his No. 1 retired by the Pittsburgh Pirates. This was the second number retired by the team.

• 1954 All-American Girls Professional Baseball League season
• 1954 Nippon Professional Baseball season

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{{Reflist|2}}

• [https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/MLB/1954-schedule.shtml 1954 Major League Baseball season schedule at Baseball Reference]

{{1954 MLB season by team}}

{{MLB seasons}}

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Category:Major League Baseball seasons