April 23 - At Sportsman's Park, Hank Aaron of the Milwaukee Braves hits his first Major League home run, off St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Vic Raschi. His first Major League hit, a double, had also been hit off Raschi, eight days earlier. Aaron will go on to break Babe Ruth's record of 714 career home runs in 1974 and retire with 755, a record that will stand until Barry Bonds breaks it in 2007.
May 2 - At Sportsman's Park, Stan Musial of the St. Louis Cardinals hits five home runs in a doubleheader against the New York Giants. He hits three in the first game, won by the Cardinals 10-6, and adds two in the nightcap, won by the Giants 9-7. Nate Colbert of the San Diego Padres will tie Musial's record by hitting five home runs in a 1972 doubleheader; coincidentally, he had been in attendance to watch Musial's feat.
July 25 - Jack Harshman of the Chicago White Sox set a team record by striking out 16 in a 5–2 complete game victory over the Boston Red Sox. The previous White Sox 15-strikeout mark was shared by Eddie Cicotte, Ed Walsh and Jim Scott. At the time it was the most strikeouts in Fenway Park history. The park record would stand for 32 years until Roger Clemens strike outs 20 Seattle Mariners and becomes the first pitcher in major league history to strike out 20 players in a game.
July 31 – Joe Adcock of the Milwaukee Braves hits four home runs successfully in a game, becoming the seventh player to do so in Major League history. The Braves beat the Brooklyn Dodgers, 15–7.
September 29 – In Game One of the 1954 World Series, with the score tied 2–2 and two base runners in the 8th inning, New York Giants center fielderWillie Mays makes one of the greatest catches in series history, when he races back in the Polo Grounds to make an over-the-head catch of Vic Wertz' 462-foot drive. Wertz, who had driven in the Cleveland Indians' two runs in the first inning, would finish the day 4-for-5, including a double and a triple. The Giants went on to win the game in extra innings, 5–2, thanks to a pinch-hit three-run home run by Dusty Rhodes off Bob Lemon in the bottom of the 11th inning. Since then, The Catch is a term used to refer to the memorable defensive play executed by Mays.
October 2 - The New York Giants defeat the Cleveland Indians, 7-4, in Game 4 of the 1954 World Series to win their fifth World Championship, four games to none. Cleveland finished the season with an American League record 111 wins which they will hold for 44 years, but failed to win a Series game. This is the first title for the Giants in 21 years. They would not win another World Series until 2010, more than 50 years after they moved to San Francisco.
October 28 - The Major League owners vote down the sale of the Athletics to a Philadelphia syndicate. A week later, Arnold Johnson buys a controlling interest in the Athletics from the Connie Mack family for 3.5 million dollars and moves the team to Kansas City.
November 22 - The Pittsburgh Pirates draft outfielder Roberto Clemente from the Triple-A roster of the Brooklyn Dodgers. Although Clemente hit only .257 for the Montreal Royals, he will become a Hall of Fame member with the Pirates.
January 5 - Rabbit Maranville, 62, rambunctious shortstop who set a career record with 2,153 games at the position and was MVP runner-up on the 1914 "Miracle Braves".
January 11 - Sumner Bowman, 86, pitcher for two seasons: 1890 with the Phillies and Alleghenys, 1891 with the Philadelphia Athletics.
January 20 - Bunny Madden, 71, catcher for the Boston Red Sox and Philadelphia Phillies between 1909 and 1911.
February 16 - Red Parnell, 48, All-Star left fielder in the Negro Leagues, most notably with the Philadelphia Stars.
March 12 - Bob Quinn, 84, executive who owned the Boston Red Sox from 1923 to 1933 and also ran three other franchises.
May 22 - Chief Bender, 70, Hall of Fame pitcher who won 212 games, starring for 3 Philadelphia Athletics world champion teams.
July 13 - Ed Porray, 65, pitcher for the 1914Buffalo Buffeds, who is best known as being the only Major League player born at sea.
July 15 - Chris Mahoney, 69, pitcher/outfielder for the 1910 Boston Red Sox.
October 5 - Oscar Charleston, 57, star center fielder of the Negro Leagues.
October 14 - Bill Swanson, 66, backup infielder for the 1914 Boston Red Sox.
October 19 - Hugh Duffy, 87, Hall of Fame center fielder who batted a record .438 in 1894.
October 22 - Earl Whitehill, 54, 200-game winning pitcher.
November 27 - Nick Maddox, 68, pitcher who posted a 43-20 record and a 2.29 from 1907-1910, and the youngest pitcher ever to throw a no-hitter in major league history at the age of 20 years and ten months.
December 9 - Bill McGowan, 58, Hall of Fame American League umpire who worked in eight World Series, and who did not miss a single inning between the 1925 and 1942 seasons.[2]
^All-American Girls Professional Baseball League Record BookW. C. Madden. McFarland, 2000. Softcover, 294pp. ISBN 978-0-7864-3747-4
^Great Baseball Feats, Facts and Figures, 2008 Edition, p.42, David Nemec and Scott Flatow, A Signet Book, Penguin Group, New York, ISBN 978-0-451-22363-0