In the American League, the Yankees won the pennant by finishing just one game ahead of the Red Sox. In the NL, the race was equally close, as the Dodgers finished one game ahead of the Cardinals. Both teams had great seasons from great players; the Dodgers were led by the MVP, Jackie Robinson.

         Robinson, Pee Wee Reese and Roy Campanella all played for the Dodgers, giving Brooklyn awesome strength up the middle. The Dodgers were a really great team at this time; two years earlier they had broken baseball's colour barrier, and now were reaping the enormous benefits of signing great black players like Robinson, Campanella and pitcher Don Newcombe. They still didn't have much luck in the World Series, where they once again lost to the Yankees... but it was still a great time to be a Brooklyn fan. And they would beat the Yankees eventually.
        Both Stan Musial and Enos Slaughter played for the Cardinals, giving them great strength in the outfield. Ralph Kiner of the Pirates had a great year, too. Kiner and Musial finished 1-2 in home runs; that's a difference of 18 between the top two home run hitters.
        Ralph Kiner had one of the shortest careers of any player in the Hall Of Fame. He lasted only ten years, before back problems deprived him of his power, and forced him out of the game at age 32. In his prime, he was the Mark McGwire of his era, a devasting power hitter who drew lots of walks, and who also hit .300 on more then one occasion. Starting with his rookie year in 1946, Kiner led the NL in home runs seven consecutive years, a record not approached by even Ruth nor McGwire.
        Twice, Ralph Kiner swatted more than 50 homers in a season; this year was a career high. In 1947, the Pirates built "Greenberg Gardens" in left field, shortening the fence while installing a bullpen. The shortened dimensions didn't help Greenberg, but they did help Kiner. This year, he hit them out everywhere; Kiner hit 28 homers at home, 26 on the road. Kiner hit 369 career homers in only ten seasons, 210 of them in his home parks.
        After leading the league in home runs his first seven years, Kiner was traded to Chicago. The Pirates were a terrible team with Kiner in the lineup, though he was much loved by the fans. Unfortunately, Pirates' management did not see Kiner as a part of the rebuilding process; said GM Branch Rickey: "we finished last with you, we can finish last without you".
        After his retirement, Kiner became a broadcaster; he began doing the radio and television for the Mets beginning in their first year in 1962, and is still working as of 2002. He has become famous for some of his odd quotes, including this gem: "All of the Mets road wins against the Dodgers this year occurred at Dodger Stadium".