IN THE NEWS: Stan Musial is picked MVP in the National League. Musial led the NL in batting at .365, runs (135), RBI (131), and in doubles and triples. His 39 home runs were one short of Mize and Kiner.
IN THE NEWS: The minors started 58 leagues and 438 clubs this year. All the leagues finished schedules, but when the minor leagues ask for curbs on television into their areas, the ML clubs sidestep the issue.
IN THE NEWS: After a year in New York, Red Embree is traded, along with young C Sherm Lollar, Dick Starr and $100,000, to the Browns. Embree will slump to 3–13 in St. Louis after having his only winning ML season in NY. Lollar is the prize, and will catch in the majors through 1963. The Yankees receive Fred Sanford and Roy Partee. Partee is ticketed for the minors, but Sanford will help the Yanks as a starter/reliever in 1949.
IN THE NEWS: The Indians send Eddie Klieman, Eddie Robinson, and P Joe Haynes, acquired from the White Sox three weeks earlier for C Joe Tipton, to Washington for Early Wynn and Mickey Vernon. Vernon will go back to the Nats in 1950 but Wynn will stay in Cleveland for nine seasons and 163 wins.
IN THE NEWS: The Dodgers trade Pete Reiser to the Braves for Mike McCormick. The marvelously talented but reckless Reiser crashed into too many outfield walls and, according to Red Smith, was carried off on a stretcher 11 times.