1962 Major League Baseball season

This article is about the 1962 Major League Baseball season only. For information on all of baseball, see 1962 in baseball.

1962 MLB season
League	Major League Baseball
Sport	Baseball
Duration	April 9 – October 16, 1962
Regular season
Season MVP	AL: Mickey Mantle (NYY) NL: Maury Wills (LAD)
Postseason
AL champions	New York Yankees
AL runners-up	Minnesota Twins
NL champions	San Francisco Giants
NL runners-up	Los Angeles Dodgers
World Series
Champions	New York Yankees
Runners-up	San Francisco Giants
Finals MVP	Ralph Terry (NYY)

The 1962 Major League Baseball season was contested from April 9 to October 16, 1962. The National League played a 162-game schedule for the first time, having added the Houston Colt .45s and the New York Mets as expansion teams. The American League had played its first 162-game schedule a year earlier. The NL returned to New York City after a four-year absence, though the Mets would finish in last place.

The National League went to a tie-breaker series to decide the pennant winner. This series was won by the San Francisco Giants over the Los Angeles Dodgers 2 games to 1.

In the World Series the New York Yankees defeated the San Francisco Giants 4 games to 3.

Awards and honors

• Baseball Hall of Fame
  • Bob Feller
  • Bill McKechnie
  • Jackie Robinson
  • Edd Roush
• Most Valuable Player
  • Mickey Mantle, New York Yankees, OF (AL)
  • Maury Wills, Los Angeles Dodgers, SS (NL)
• Cy Young Award
  • Don Drysdale, Los Angeles Dodgers
• Rookie of the Year
  • Tom Tresh, New York Yankees, SS (AL)
  • Ken Hubbs, Chicago Cubs, 2B (NL)

MLB statistical leaders

American League National League Type Name Stat Name Stat AVG Pete Runnels BOS .326 Tommy Davis LAD .346 HR Harmon Killebrew MIN 48 Willie Mays SF 49 RBI Harmon Killebrew MIN 126 Tommy Davis LAD 153 Wins Ralph Terry NYY 23 Don Drysdale LAD 25 ERA Hank Aguirre DET 2.21 Sandy Koufax LAD 2.54 SO Camilo Pascual MIN 206 Don Drysdale LAD 232 SV Dick Radatz BOS 24 Roy Face PIT 28 SB Luis Aparicio CHW 31 Maury Wills LAD 104

Major league baseball final standings

American League final standings

American League	W	L	Pct.	GB	Home	Road
New York Yankees	96	66	0.593	—	50–30	46–36
Minnesota Twins	91	71	0.562	5	45–36	46–35
Los Angeles Angels	86	76	0.531	10	40–41	46–35
Detroit Tigers	85	76	0.528	10½	49–33	36–43
Chicago White Sox	85	77	0.525	11	43–38	42–39
Cleveland Indians	80	82	0.494	16	43–38	37–44
Baltimore Orioles	77	85	0.475	19	44–38	33–47
Boston Red Sox	76	84	0.475	19	39–40	37–44
Kansas City Athletics	72	90	0.444	24	39–42	33–48
Washington Senators	60	101	0.373	35½	27–53	33–48

National League final standings

See also: 1962 National League tie-breaker series

National League	W	L	Pct.	GB	Home	Road
San Francisco Giants	103	62	0.624	—	61–21	42–41
Los Angeles Dodgers	102	63	0.618	1	54–29	48–34
Cincinnati Reds	98	64	0.605	3½	58–23	40–41
Pittsburgh Pirates	93	68	0.578	8	51–30	42–38
Milwaukee Braves	86	76	0.531	15½	49–32	37–44
St. Louis Cardinals	84	78	0.519	17½	44–37	40–41
Philadelphia Phillies	81	80	0.503	20	46–34	35–46
Houston Colt .45s	64	96	0.400	36½	32–48	32–48
Chicago Cubs	59	103	0.364	42½	32–49	27–54
New York Mets	40	120	0.250	60½	22–58	18–62

Managers

American League

Team	Manager	Comments
Baltimore Orioles	Billy Hitchcock
Boston Red Sox	Pinky Higgins
Chicago White Sox	Al López
Cleveland Indians	Mel McGaha	Replaced during the season by Mel Harder
Detroit Tigers	Bob Scheffing
Kansas City Athletics	Hank Bauer
Los Angeles Angels	Bill Rigney
Minnesota Twins	Sam Mele
New York Yankees	Ralph Houk	Won the World Series
Washington Senators	Mickey Vernon

National League

Team	Manager	Comments
Chicago Cubs	College of Coaches
Cincinnati Reds	Fred Hutchinson
Houston Colt .45's	Harry Craft	Expansion team
Los Angeles Dodgers	Walter Alston
Milwaukee Braves	Birdie Tebbetts
New York Mets	Casey Stengel	Expansion team
Philadelphia Phillies	Gene Mauch
Pittsburgh Pirates	Danny Murtaugh
San Francisco Giants	Alvin Dark	Won the National League pennant
St. Louis Cardinals	Johnny Keane

See also

• 1962 Nippon Professional Baseball season

External links

• 1962 Major League Baseball season schedule