| 1963 International League season | |
|---|---|
| League | International League |
| Sport | Baseball |
| Duration | April 16 – September 13 |
| Number of games | 152 |
| Number of teams | 10 |
| Regular season | |
| Season MVP | Don Buford, Indianapolis Indians |
| Governors' Cup Playoffs | |
| League champions | Indianapolis Indians |
| Runners-up | Atlanta Crackers |
| IL seasons | |
| ← 19621964 → | |
The 1963 International League was a Class AAA baseball season played between April 16 and September 13. Ten teams played a 152-game schedule, with the top two teams in each division qualifying for the playoffs.
The Indianapolis Indians won the Governors' Cup, defeating the Atlanta Crackers in the final round of the playoffs.
Team changes
- The Indianapolis Indians joined the league after the American Association disbanded. The club was affiliated with the Chicago White Sox.
- The Arkansas Travelers join the league as an expansion team and begin an affiliation with the Philadelphia Phillies.
- With 10 teams in the league, the league split into two divisions, the North Division and South Division.
- The Buffalo Bisons ended their affiliation with the Philadelphia Phillies and began a new affiliation with the New York Mets.
- The Syracuse Chiefs ended their affiliation with the New York Mets and Washington Senators and began a new affiliation with the Detroit Tigers.
- The Toronto Maple Leafs ended their affiliation with the Milwaukee Braves and began a new affiliation with the Washington Senators.
Teams
Map of teams
BuffaloRichmondRochesterSyracuseToronto
AtlantaArkansasColumbusIndiana-polis
Jackson-ville
North Division 
South Division
Regular season
Summary
- The Atlanta Crackers and Indianapolis Indians finished tied for first place in the South Division and held a tie-breaking game to decide who finished in first place. The Indians defeated the Crackers 1–0 to win the South Division.
- The Indianapolis Indians finished with the best record in the league in their first season after joining from the American Association.
Standings
| North Division | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | Win | Loss | % | GB |
| Syracuse Chiefs | 80 | 70 | .533 | – |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | 76 | 75 | .503 | 4.5 |
| Rochester Red Wings | 75 | 76 | .497 | 5.5 |
| Buffalo Bisons | 74 | 77 | .490 | 6.5 |
| Richmond Virginians | 66 | 81 | .449 | 12.5 |
| South Division | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | Win | Loss | % | GB |
| Indianapolis Indians | 86 | 67 | .562 | – |
| Atlanta Crackers | 85 | 68 | .556 | 1 |
| Arkansas Travelers | 78 | 73 | .517 | 7 |
| Columbus Jets | 75 | 73 | .507 | 8.5 |
| Jacksonville Suns | 56 | 91 | .381 | 27 |
League Leaders
Batting leaders
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| AVG | Don Buford, Indianapolis Indians | .336 |
| H | Don Buford, Indianapolis Indians | 206 |
| R | Don Buford, Indianapolis Indians | 114 |
| 2B | Don Buford, Indianapolis Indians | 41 |
| 3B | Dick Allen, Arkansas Travelers | 12 |
| HR | Dick Allen, Arkansas Travelers | 33 |
| RBI | Dick Allen, Arkansas Travelers | 97 |
| SB | Don Buford, Indianapolis Indians | 42 |
Pitching leaders
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| W | Fritz Ackley, Indianapolis Indians | 18 |
| L | John Miller, Rochester Red Wings Tom Parsons, Columbus Jets |
15 |
| ERA | Willie Smith, Syracuse Chiefs | 2.11 |
| CG | Willie Smith, Syracuse Chiefs | 14 |
| SHO | Paul Brown, Arkansas Travelers Nelson Chittum, Rochester Red Wings |
6 |
| SO | Frank Kreutzer, Indianapolis Indians | 157 |
| IP | Frank Kreutzer, Indianapolis Indians | 213.0 |
Playoffs
- The Indianapolis Indians won their first Governors' Cup in their inaugural season, defeating the Atlanta Crackers in five games.
Playoff bracket
| Semi-finals | Governors' Cup | ||||||||
| S1 | Indianapolis | 4 | |||||||
| N1 | Syracuse | 1 | |||||||
| S1 | Indianapolis | 4 | |||||||
| S2 | Atlanta | 1 | |||||||
| S2 | Atlanta | 4 | |||||||
| N2 | Toronto | 0 | |||||||
Awards
| Player awards | |
|---|---|
| Award name | Recipient |
| Most Valuable Player | Don Buford, Indianapolis Indians |
| Pitcher of the Year | Fritz Ackley, Indianapolis Indians |
| Rookie of the Year | Don Buford, Indianapolis Indians |
See also
References
- 1963 IL Standings at stats-crew.com, URL accessed 16 November 2024.
- 1963 IL Batting Leaders at baseball-reference.com, URL accessed 16 November 2024.
- 1963 IL Pitching Leaders at baseball-reference.com, URL accessed 16 November 2024.
- "Don Buford Minor League Statistics". Baseball Reference. Retrieved 16 November 2024.
- "Fritz Ackley Minor League Statistics". Baseball Reference. Retrieved 16 November 2024.
- "Don Buford Minor League Statistics". Baseball Reference. Retrieved 16 November 2024.
External links
| International League seasons | |
|---|---|
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