The 1923 major league baseball season began on April 17, 1923. The regular season ended on October 7, with the New York Giants and New York Yankees as the regular season champions of the National League and American League, respectively. The postseason began with Game 1 of the 20th World Series on October 10 and ended with Game 6 on October 15. In the third consecutive iteration of the Subway Series, the Yankees defeated the Giants, four games to two, capturing their first championship in franchise history. This was the third World Series between the two teams, and the first to see the Yankees win over the Giants. Going into the season, the defending World Series champions were the New York Giants from the 1922 season.
This was the second of eight seasons that "League Awards", a precursor to the Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award (introduced in 1931), were issued. Only an American League award was given in 1923.
The 1923 schedule consisted of 154 games for all teams in the American League and National League, each of which had eight teams. Each team was scheduled to play 22 games against the other seven teams of their respective league. This continued the format put in place since the 1904 season (except for 1919) and would be used until 1961 in the American League and 1962 in the National League.
National League Opening Day took place on April 17 with all teams playing, while American League Opening Day took place the following day with all teams playing. The final day of the regular season was on October 7. The World Series took place between October 10 and October 15.
A rule was passed preventing the transfer of players from one club to another after June 15 except through the waiver process.[1]
The leagues decided that the major-league draft would begin on the first day of the World Series, in the city where the first World Series game was held.[1]
Waiver rules were amended to provide that a team asking for and then withdrawing a waiver request on a player must do so within 48 hours or forfeit their rights to the player.[1]
The barnstorming rule, which had resulted in the suspension of Babe Ruth at the beginning of the season, was amended to prohibit players from participating in exhibition games after October 31 (the American League had already established this rule the previous season).[1]
During World Series games, CommissionerKenesaw Mountain Landis and the president or another official of the home team were given the authority to determine when ground conditions were suitable for play, although once a game began, the decision on whether to suspend or postpone games would rest with the umpires.[1]
Teams would be permitted to carry 40 players on their roster until June 15, instead of the prior May 15 deadline.[1]
