Opening Day/The Leagues In 1951

Now that the 2011 Major League season has opened and there is an off-day for the local teams, I begin my blog of the 1951 season.

In 1951, Opening Day was the traditional Opening Day – in Cincinnati, home of the Reds, the very first professional team all the way back in 1869. In 1951 the Reds opened at home on April 16th, and the rest of baseball opened on the next day.

Baseball was different in 1951 than it is in 2011. Besides starting later, and playing fewer games, the were only 16 Major League teams in 10 cities.

The Major Leagues in 1951:

American
New York Yankees
Boston Red Sox
Philadelphia Athletics
Washington Senators
Detroit Tigers
Cleveland Indians
Chicago White Sox
St. Louis Browns
National
New York Giants
Brooklyn Dodgers
Boston Braves
Philadelphia Phillies
Pittsburgh Pirates
Cincinnati Reds
Chicago Cubs
St. Louis Cardinals