The 1901 Major League Baseball season was contested from April 18 through October 6, 1901. It was the inaugural season for the
American League (AL), with the
Chicago White Stockings finishing first in league standings. In the
National League (NL), in operation since 1876, the
Pittsburgh Pirates finished atop the league standings. There was no postseason.
The 1901 schedule consisted of 140 games for all teams in the American League and National League, each of which had eight teams. Each team was scheduled to play 20 games against the other seven teams of their respective league. This format had previously been used by the National League during their
1888–
1891 seasons. This format would last until
1904, which saw an increase of games played.
National League Opening Day took place on April 18 with a game between the
Brooklyn Superbas and the
Philadelphia Phillies, while American League Opening Day did not take place until April 24, with a game between the
Chicago White Stockings and the
Cleveland Bluebirds. The American League would see its final day of the season on September 28, while the National League would see its final day of the season on October 6.
Rule changes
On February 27, 1901, the
National League Rules Committee announced several rule changes, effective immediately.[1][2]
All
foul balls are to count as
strike balls, except after two strikes. Previously, foul balls would not affect the
count. To cut the cost of lost foul balls, the committee urges that
batters who foul off good strikes are to be disciplined. The
American League will not adopt this rule until the 1903 season.