Baseball is one of America’s most beloved sports. It has been a part of culture since the mid-1800s and its popularity has only grown since then. The 1930 season was no exception, as it was a particularly interesting year for the Major League Baseball (MLB) game. It was the first year that the MLB season was split into two halves and the first time an All-Star game was played. It was also a year when a record number of games were played, so let’s take a look at how many baseball games were played in 1930.
MLB in 1930
In 1930, the MLB was composed of sixteen teams. These included the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, Chicago Cubs, Philadelphia Athletics, Detroit Tigers, St. Louis Cardinals, Washington Senators, Cleveland Indians, Pittsburgh Pirates, Brooklyn Dodgers, Cincinnati Reds, Chicago White Sox, New York Giants, and the two expansion teams, the St. Louis Browns and the Boston Braves.
The 1930 season was the first year that the MLB season was split into two halves. This was done to create a more balanced schedule and to make it easier for teams to compete for the championship pennant. The regular season was divided into two parts; the first half ran from April 14th to July 4th, and the second half ran from July 5th to September 28th. At the end of each half, the teams with the best record in their respective leagues would compete in a best-of-nine series for the pennant.
The Rise of the All-Star Game
The 1930 season was also the first year that an All-Star game was played. This game was played between the best players from the National and American Leagues and was meant to be a showcase of the best players in the MLB. The game was played at Comiskey Park in Chicago and the National League won 4-2. The game would eventually become an annual tradition and a popular event for fans.
Record Number of Games
The 1930 season saw a record number of games being played. During the regular season, teams played 154 games each, with the exception of the Washington Senators and the St. Louis Browns who played 156 games. This was the most games that had ever been played in a single MLB season at the time.
In addition to the regular season games, teams also played in a number of exhibition games. The New York Yankees, for example, played in 30 exhibition games during the 1930 season. The total number of games played by all teams during the 1930 season was a whopping 2,880.
The World Series
At the end of the 1930 season, the Philadelphia Athletics and the St. Louis Cardinals met in the World Series. The Athletics would go on to win the series 4-2, making it their second consecutive World Series victory.
Attendance
The record number of games played during the 1930 season also led to a record number of spectators. A total of 4,439,941 fans attended regular season games during the 1930 season, making it the highest attendance in a single MLB season to that point.
Average Attendance
The average attendance per game during the 1930 season was 28,497, which was also the highest average attendance ever recorded to that point. The team with the highest average attendance was the New York Yankees with an average of 39,636. The Yankees were also the only team to draw over a million fans in a single season with 1,062,793.
Conclusion
The 1930 MLB season was an exciting and record-breaking year. It was the first year that the season was split into two halves and the first time an All-Star game was played. It was also a year when a record number of games were played, with teams playing a total of 2,880 games during the regular season and exhibition games. The record number of games played led to a record number of fans attending the games, with an average attendance of 28,497. Although the season was almost a century ago, the records set in 1930 still stand today and are a testament to the popularity of baseball in the 1930s.
FAQ
Q: How many teams were in the MLB in 1930?
A: There were sixteen teams in the MLB in 1930. These included the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, Chicago Cubs, Philadelphia Athletics, Detroit Tigers, St. Louis Cardinals, Washington Senators, Cleveland Indians, Pittsburgh Pirates, Brooklyn Dodgers, Cincinnati Reds, Chicago White Sox, New York Giants, and the two expansion teams, the St. Louis Browns and the Boston Braves.
Q: How many games were played in the 1930 MLB season?
A: A total of 2,880 games were played in the 1930 MLB season. This included 154 regular season games for each team, with the exception of the Washington Senators and the St. Louis Browns who played 156 games, and a number of exhibition games.
Q: What was the highest average attendance recorded during the 1930 season?
A: The highest average attendance recorded during the 1930 season was 28,497. This was also the highest average attendance ever recorded to that point. The team with the highest average attendance was the New York Yankees with an average of 39,636.