The 1978 Major League Baseball season saw the

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one ...

defeat the

Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League West, West division. Established in 1883 i ...

to win their second consecutive World Series, and 22nd overall, in a rematch of the prior season's Fall Classic. The Yankees overcame clubhouse turmoil, a mid-season managerial change, and a 14-game mid-July deficit in the

American League East The American League East is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. MLB consists of an East, Central, and West division for each of its two 15-team leagues, the American League (AL) and National League (NL). This division was created before ...

en route to the championship. All four teams that made the playoffs in 1977 returned for this postseason; none of the four returned to the postseason in 1979.

Standings

American League

* The

defeated the

Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight ...

in a

one-game playoff A one-game playoff, sometimes known as a pennant playoff, tiebreaker game or knockout game, is a tiebreaker in certain sports—usually but not always professional—to determine which of two teams, tied in the final standings, will qualify for a ...

to earn the AL East division title.

National League

Postseason

Bracket

Awards and honors

Major Awards

Gold Glove Awards

Statistical leaders

Feats

No-Hitters

* Bob Forsch, St. Louis Cardinals – April 16 vs. Philadelphia Phillies at

Busch Stadium Busch Stadium (also referred to informally as "New Busch Stadium" or "Busch Stadium III") is a baseball stadium located in St. Louis, Missouri. The stadium serves as the home of the St. Louis Cardinals, the city's Major League Baseball (M ...

(9 IP, 3 SO, 2 BB in 5–0 win) *

Tom Seaver George Thomas Seaver (November 17, 1944 – August 31, 2020), nicknamed "Tom Terrific" and "the Franchise", was an American professional baseball pitcher who played 20 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for the New York Mets, Cinc ...

, Cincinnati Reds – June 16 vs. St. Louis Cardinals at

Riverfront Stadium Riverfront Stadium, also known as Cinergy Field from 1996 to 2002, was a multi-purpose stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States that was the home of the Cincinnati Reds of Major League Baseball from 1970 Major League Baseball season, 1970 throug ...

(9 IP, 3 SO, 3 BB in 4–0 win)

Cycles

Andre Thornton André Thornton (born August 13, 1949), nicknamed "Thunder", is an American former professional baseball player and business entrepreneur. He played in Major League Baseball as a first baseman and designated hitter from to , most prominently as ...

, Cleveland Indians, April 22 at Boston Red Sox * Chris Speier, Montreal Expos, July 20 vs. Atlanta Braves *

Mike Cubbage Michael Lee Cubbage (born July 21, 1950) is an American former third baseman, coach and manager in Major League Baseball (MLB). Listed at , , he batted left-handed and threw right-handed. Early life Born in Charlottesville, Virginia, Cubbage was ...

, Minnesota Twins, July 27 vs. Toronto Blue Jays

Records

American League

*Most Strikeouts in a Game: 18, Ron Guidry, NYY (June 17 vs. California Angels) *Most Shutouts in a Season by a Left-Handed Pitcher: 9, Ron Guidry, NYY (tied record set in 1916 by

Babe Ruth George Herman "Babe" Ruth Jr. (February 6, 1895 – August 16, 1948) was an American professional baseball player whose career in Major League Baseball (MLB) spanned 22 seasons, from 1914 through 1935. Nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Su ...

, BOS)

National League

*Longest Modern Consecutive Game Hitting Streak: 44,

Pete Rose Peter Edward Rose Sr. (born April 14, 1941), also known by his nickname "Charlie Hustle", is an American former professional baseball player and manager. Rose played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1963 to 1986, most prominently as a membe ...

, CIN (June 14 – July 31) *Most Strikeouts in a Season by a Right-Handed Pitcher: 303,

J. R. Richard James Rodney Richard (March 7, 1950 – August 4, 2021) was an American professional baseball player. He played his entire career in Major League Baseball as a right-handed starting pitcher for the Houston Astros from 1971 to 1980. Richard led ...

, HOU

Career Milestones

3,000 Hits

, Cincinnati Reds – May 5 vs. Montreal Expos at

(5th-inning single off Steve Rogers)

500 Home Runs

Willie McCovey Willie Lee McCovey (January 10, 1938 – October 31, 2018), nicknamed "Stretch", "Mac" and "Willie Mac", was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a first baseman from 1959 to 1980, most notably as a mem ...

, San Francisco Giants – June 30 vs. Atlanta Braves at

Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium, often referred to as Fulton County Stadium and originally named Atlanta Stadium, was a multi-purpose stadium in the southeastern United States, located in Atlanta. The stadium was home of the Atlanta Braves of th ...

(solo home run off Jamie Easterly)

3,000 Strikeouts

Gaylord Perry Gaylord Jackson Perry (September 15, 1938 – December 1, 2022) was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a right-handed pitcher for eight different teams from 1962 to 1983. During a 22-year baseb ...

, San Diego Padres – October 1 vs. Los Angeles Dodgers at

San Diego Stadium San Diego Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium on the west coast of the United States, in San Diego, California. The stadium opened in 1967 as San Diego Stadium and was known as Jack Murphy Stadium from 1981 to 1997. From 1997 to 2017, the stadi ...

(8th inning against Joe Simpson)

Home Field Attendance

Notable events

January–March

*January 25 – The Texas Rangers trade pitcher

to the San Diego Padres for pitcher Dave Tomlin and cash.

April–May

*April 13 –

Reggie Jackson Reginald Martinez Jackson (born May 18, 1946) is an American former professional baseball right fielder who played 21 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Kansas City / Oakland Athletics, Baltimore Orioles, New York Yankees, and Cali ...

hits a 3-run home run in the first inning of the New York Yankees' home opener. Jackson is showered with "Reggie Bar" candy bars, which had been given out free to fans in attendance. The Yankees defeat the Chicago White Sox, 4–2. *April 16 – St. Louis Cardinal Bob Forsch no-hits the Philadelphia Phillies at

, striking out 3 and walking 2 in a 5–0 victory. It is the first of two no-hitters Forsch will throw in his career. *April 22 – Cleveland Indians first baseman

hits for the cycle in a 13–4 victory over the Boston Red Sox at

Fenway Park Fenway Park is a baseball stadium located in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, near Kenmore Square. Since 1912, it has been the home of the Boston Red Sox, the city's American League baseball team, and Boston Braves (baseball), since 1953, i ...

. *May 5 – In front of a home crowd at

, Cincinnati's

records his 3,000 career hit when he singles in the fifth inning off Montreal's Steve Rogers. *May 23 – With the Oakland Athletics in first place in the Western Division, manager Bobby Winkles resigns and is replaced by

Jack McKeon Jack Aloysius McKeon (; born November 23, 1930), nicknamed "Trader Jack," is an American former Major League Baseball manager and front-office executive. In , at age 72, he won a World Series as manager of the Florida Marlins. Two full seasons ...

, the same man he succeeded one year earlier.

June–July

*June 14 –

begins a 44-game hitting streak with 2 hits in the Reds' 3–1 win over the Chicago Cubs. *June 16 – Cincinnati's

throws a

no-hitter In baseball, a no-hitter is a game in which a team was not able to record a hit. Major League Baseball (MLB) officially defines a no-hitter as a completed game in which a team that batted in at least nine innings recorded no hits. A pitcher wh ...

against the visiting St. Louis Cardinals. Seaver strikes out 3 and walks 3 in a 4–0 Reds' win. *June 17 – Yankees pitcher Ron Guidry strikes out an American League-record (for left handers) 18 batters in a 4–0 shutout of the California Angels. "Louisiana Lightning" moves to 11–0 on the season. *June 30 – San Francisco Giants slugger

hits his 500th career home run, a solo shot off Atlanta's Jamie Easterly at

. McCovey is the 12th member of the prestigious 500 home run club and the first new member since

Frank Robinson Frank Robinson (August 31, 1935 – February 7, 2019) was an American professional baseball outfielder and manager in Major League Baseball (MLB) who played for five teams, from to . The only player to be named Most Valuable Player (MVP) of both ...

in 1971. *July 11 – The

National League The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team s ...

defeats the

American League The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league b ...

, 7–3, in the

All-Star Game An all-star game is an exhibition game that purports to showcase the best players (the "stars") of a sports league. The exhibition is between two teams organized solely for the event, usually representing the league's teams based on region or d ...

Steve Garvey Steven Patrick Garvey (born December 22, 1948) is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a first baseman for the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres from 1969 to 1987. Garvey was the National ...

earns MVP honors, and

Vida Blue Vida Rochelle Blue Jr. (born July 28, 1949) is a former American professional baseball player. He was a left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball between and , most notably as an integral member of the Oakland Athletics dynasty that won thr ...

, the starting pitcher for the NL, becomes the first pitcher to start in the All-Star Game for both leagues. Blue also started in

1971 * The year 1971 had three partial solar eclipses ( February 25, July 22 and August 20) and two total lunar eclipses ( February 10, and August 6). The world population increased by 2.1% this year, the highest increase in history. Events J ...

and

1975 It was also declared the ''International Women's Year'' by the United Nations and the European Architectural Heritage Year by the Council of Europe. Events January * January 1 - Watergate scandal (United States): John N. Mitchell, H. R. ...

for the AL. *July 13 –

Nolan Ryan Lynn Nolan Ryan Jr. (born January 31, 1947), nicknamed "the Ryan Express", is an American former professional baseball pitcher and sports executive. Over a record 27-year playing career in Major League Baseball (MLB) spanning four decades, Ryan ...

of the California Angels and Steve Renko of the Boston Red Sox take

s into the ninth inning of their respective games before both lose their no-hit bids. Ryan's Angels defeat the New York Yankees, 6–1, while Renko's Red Sox shut out the Oakland Athletics, 2–0. *July 17 – In the latest incident in their tumultuous relationship, Yankees manager

Billy Martin Alfred Manuel Martin Jr. (May 16, 1928 – December 25, 1989), commonly called "Billy", was an American Major League Baseball second baseman and manager who, in addition to leading other teams, was five times the manager of the New York Yan ...

suspends

for five days after accusing Jackson of ignoring signs from the dugout. During the bottom of the 10th inning of a tie game against the Kansas City Royals, Martin gives Jackson the bunt sign. After Jackson fails miserably on his first attempt, Martin takes the sign off, but Jackson bunts again anyway. Jackson pops up to the catcher, Martin pinch hits for Jackson the next inning, and the Yankees go on to lose the game, 5–2. The loss drops the Yankees 14 games behind the first-place Boston Red Sox. *July 19 – The Yankees win the first of five straight games without the suspended

, defeating the Minnesota Twins, 2–0, at

Metropolitan Stadium Metropolitan Stadium (often referred to as "the Met", "Met Stadium", or now "the Old Met" to distinguish from the Metrodome) was an outdoor sports stadium in the north central United States, located in Bloomington, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneap ...

. *July 20 – Shortstop Chris Speier of the Montreal Expos hits for the cycle against the Atlanta Braves, going 4–4 with 6 RBI in a 7–3 win at

Olympic Stadium ''Olympic Stadium'' is the name usually given to the main stadium of an Olympic Games. An Olympic stadium is the site of the opening and closing ceremonies. Many, though not all, of these venues actually contain the words ''Olympic Stadium'' as ...

. *July 24 – In

Kansas City The Kansas City metropolitan area is a bi-state metropolitan area anchored by Kansas City, Missouri. Its 14 counties straddle the border between the U.S. states of Missouri (9 counties) and Kansas (5 counties). With and a population of more th ...

, an anguished

announces his resignation as Yankees manager. At the time, the defending champion Yankees are 52–42 and 10 games behind the first-place Boston Red Sox in the

. Martin's resignation comes one day after he said of right fielder

and owner

George Steinbrenner George Michael Steinbrenner III (July 4, 1930July 13, 2010) was an American businessman who was the principal owner and managing partner of Major League Baseball's New York Yankees from 1973 until his death in 2010. He was the longest-serving own ...

, "The two of them deserve each other. One's a born liar, and the other's convicted."

Bob Lemon Robert Granville Lemon (September 22, 1920 – January 11, 2000) was an American right-handed pitcher and manager in Major League Baseball (MLB). Lemon was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1976. Lemon was raised in Californi ...

is named manager, but third base coach Dick Howser fills in for Martin that evening against the Royals. *July 26 – Reds catcher

Johnny Bench John Lee Bench (born December 7, 1947) is an American former professional baseball player. He played his entire Major League Baseball career, which lasted from through , with the Cincinnati Reds, primarily as a catcher. Bench was the leader of t ...

hits his 300th career home run, a 2-run shot off the Mets' Nino Espinosa at

Shea Stadium Shea Stadium (), formally known as William A. Shea Municipal Stadium, was a multi-purpose stadium in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, Queens, New York City.

. The Reds lose, 12–3. *July 27 – Minnesota Twins third baseman

hits for the cycle in a 6–3 win over the Toronto Blue Jays at

. Cubbage goes 4–4 with 4 RBI. *July 29 – Before an Old Timers Day crowd of 46,711,

Yankee Stadium Yankee Stadium is a baseball stadium located in the Bronx, New York City. It is the home field of the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball, and New York City FC of Major League Soccer. Opened in April 2009, the stadium replaced the orig ...

announcer

Bob Sheppard Robert Leo Sheppard (October 20, 1910 – July 11, 2010) was the long-time public address announcer for numerous New York area college and professional sports teams, in particular the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball (1951–2007), a ...

reveals that

, who resigned as Yankees manager just five days earlier, will return as manager beginning in 1980, with

moving to the front office as GM. As it happens, the Yankees accelerate the timetable and Martin winds up taking over during the 1979 season.

August–September

*August 1 –

's 44-game hitting streak comes to an end in

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,7 ...

. Rose goes 0–4 against Braves pitchers

Larry McWilliams Larry Dean McWilliams (born February 10, 1954) is an American former professional baseball pitcher, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Atlanta Braves (twice), Pittsburgh Pirates, St. Louis Cardinals, Philadelphia Phillies, and Kans ...

and

Gene Garber Henry Eugene Garber (born November 13, 1947) is an American former professional baseball sidearm relief pitcher who played for four Major League Baseball (MLB) organizations from to . Playing career Garber was selected by the Pittsburgh Pirate ...

, and strikes out in the ninth inning to end the game. Rose's streak is the second-longest in major league history, and he bats .385 (70 for 182) during the stretch. *August 20 – Los Angeles Dodgers teammates

and Don Sutton engage in a clubhouse brawl prior to the Dodgers' 5–4 win over the Mets at

Shea Stadium Shea Stadium (), formally known as William A. Shea Municipal Stadium, was a multi-purpose stadium in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, Queens, New York City.

. Garvey and Sutton had been feuding for some time, but public comments by Sutton about Garvey's clean-cut image sparked the brawl. *August 25 – Major league umpires stage a one-day strike in violation of their union contract. The league is forced to employ amateur umpires until a restraining order compels the striking umpires to return to work. *September 5 – The

Montreal Expos The Montreal Expos (french: link=no, Les Expos de Montréal) were a Canadian professional baseball team based in Montreal, Quebec. The Expos were the first Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise located outside the United States. They played in ...

defeat the

Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as part of the National League (NL) Central division. The club plays its home games at Wrigley Field, which is locate ...

, 10–9, in a nine-inning game that sees a major league record 45 players participate. *September 7 – 10 – The famed "

Boston Massacre The Boston Massacre (known in Great Britain as the Incident on King Street) was a confrontation in Boston on March 5, 1770, in which a group of nine British soldiers shot five people out of a crowd of three or four hundred who were harassing t ...

" occurs at

. The first-place

enter the four-game series against the second-place

with a four-game lead in the AL East, down from 14 just seven weeks earlier. The Yankees pummel the Red Sox by scores of 15–3, 13–2, 7–0, and 7–4. The Yankees outscore the Red Sox 42 to 9 during the four-game sweep and find themselves atop the division for the first time all season. *September 15 – The

become the first team in major league history to draw 3 million fans in a season. *September 24 – Ron Guidry of the

ties an American League record for left-handed pitchers with his ninth shutout of the season, blanking the

Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central division. Since , they have ...

, 4–0. The record was set by Red Sox southpaw

in 1916. *September 28 –

Houston Astros The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston, Texas. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division, having moved to the division in 2013 after s ...

pitcher

fans Bruce Benedict of the

Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The Braves were founded in ...

for his 303rd strikeout of the season, setting the National League single-season record for strikeouts by a right-handed pitcher. *September 30 – The

Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. Since 2004, the team's home sta ...

beat the host

Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Founded as part of the American Associati ...

, their in-state rivals, 10–8, to clinch their third straight

National League East The National League East is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. Along with the American League Central it is one of two divisions to have every member win at least one World Series title. The division was created when the National Leag ...

title. The Phils overcome a first-inning grand slam from

Willie Stargell Wilver Dornell Stargell (March 6, 1940 – April 9, 2001), nicknamed "Pops" later in his career, was an American professional baseball left fielder and first baseman who spent all of his 21 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) (1962–1982) ...

and winning pitcher Randy Lerch contributes two home runs to his cause. The loss snaps the Pirates 24-game winning streak at Three Rivers Stadium.

October

*October 1 –

Luis Tiant Luis Clemente Tiant Vega () (born November 23, 1940) is a Cuban former Major League Baseball (MLB) right-handed starting pitcher. He pitched in MLB for 19 years, primarily for the Cleveland Indians and the Boston Red Sox. Tiant compiled a 22 ...

throws a two-hit shutout as the Boston Red Sox defeat the visiting Toronto Blue Jays, 5–0, to close the season on an eight-game winning streak. The win moves the Red Sox into a first-place tie and forces a

against the New York Yankees at

the following afternoon. **San Diego's

notches his 3,000 career strikeout when he fans Joe Simpson of the Dodgers in the eighth inning of a Padres' 4–3 victory. *October 2 –

Bucky Dent Russell Earl "Bucky" Dent (born Russell Earl O'Dey; November 25, 1951) is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) player and manager. He earned two World Series rings as the starting shortstop for the New York Yankees in 1977 and 1978 and ...

's three-run, seventh-inning home run off

Mike Torrez Michael Augustine Torrez (born August 28, 1946) is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) starting pitcher. In an 18-season career, he pitched for the St. Louis Cardinals (1967–1971), Montreal Expos (1971–1974), Baltimore Orioles ...

puts the visiting New York Yankees ahead for good as they defeat the Boston Red Sox, 5–4, in a

for the

title.

's solo home run in the eighth inning off Bob Stanley provides the winning margin. Ron Guidry gets the win, finishing 25–3 on the season. *October 4 –

's two home runs pace the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 9–5 win over the Philadelphia Phillies in the opening game of the

National League Championship Series The National League Championship Series (NLCS) is a best-of-seven playoff and one of two League Championship Series comprising the penultimate round of Major League Baseball's (MLB) postseason. It is contested by the winners of the two Nation ...

. *October 6 – The Yankees overcome three home runs by the Royals'

George Brett George Howard Brett (born May 15, 1953) is an American former professional baseball player who played all of his 21 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a third baseman for the Kansas City Royals. Brett's 3,154 career hits are second- ...

to win Game 3 of the

American League Championship Series The American League Championship Series (ALCS) is a best-of-seven playoff and one of two League Championship Series comprising the penultimate round of Major League Baseball's (MLB) postseason. It is contested by the two winners of the America ...

, 6–5, and take a 2 games to 1 series lead. *October 7 – The Los Angeles Dodgers win their second consecutive National League pennant over the Philadelphia Phillies, with an extra-inning 4–3 win in Game 4 at

Dodger Stadium Dodger Stadium is a baseball stadium in the Elysian Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. It is the home stadium of Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Dodgers. Opened in 1962, it was constructed in less than three years at a cost of ...

. Ron Cey scores the winning run on

Bill Russell William Felton Russell (February 12, 1934 – July 31, 2022) was an American professional basketball player who played as a center for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1956 to 1969. A five-time NBA Most Va ...

's two-out single off

Tug McGraw Frank Edwin "Tug" McGraw Jr. (August 30, 1944 – January 5, 2004) was an American professional baseball relief pitcher and long-time Major League Baseball (MLB) player, often remembered for coining the phrase "Ya Gotta Believe", which became th ...

in the bottom of the tenth. A walk to Cey and a routine liner that Garry Maddox muffs in center field sets up Russell's game-winner.

Dusty Baker Johnnie B. "Dusty" Baker Jr. (born June 15, 1949) is an American baseball manager and former player who is the manager of the Houston Astros in Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played in the MLB for 19 seasons, most notably with the Lo ...

collects four hits for the Dodgers. **The Yankees win their third straight

over the Kansas City Royals with a 2–1 victory in Game 4 at

. Solo home runs by Roy White and Graig Nettles account for the Yankees' runs, and Ron Guidry shuts down the Royals for the win. *October 10 – The

World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, contested since 1903 between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winner of the Worl ...

, a rematch from last season, begins at

Davey Lopes David Earle Lopes (; born May 3, 1945) is an American former second baseman and manager in Major League Baseball (MLB). He batted and threw right-handed. He played in MLB for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Oakland Athletics, Chicago Cubs, and Houston ...

belts 2 home runs and drives in 5 runs to lead the Dodgers to an 11–5 win over the Yankees. *October 11 – The Dodgers take a 2–0 lead in the

with a 4–3 win in Game 2. The Dodgers' Ron Cey and the Yankees'

drive in all the runs for their respective teams.

Bob Welch Bob Welch may refer to: *Bob Welch (baseball) (1956–2014), American baseball pitcher *Bob Welch (author) (born c. 1955), American author and newspaper columnist *Bob Welch (musician) (1945–2012), American musician and member of Fleetwood Mac ** ...

saves the win for

Burt Hooton Burt Carlton Hooton (born February 7, 1950), nicknamed "Happy", is an American former right-handed starting pitcher and former coach in Major League Baseball. He won 151 games over a 15-year career, mostly with the Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dod ...

in dramatic fashion, putting two runners on before striking out Jackson for the final out. *October 13 – The

moves to

, where the Yankees win their first game of the Series, 5–1, behind the mastery of Ron Guidry and defensive prowess of Graig Nettles. *October 14 – The Yankees even the Series with the Dodgers 2–2 when Lou Piniella's 10th-inning single scores Roy White with the winning run in a 4–3 Yankees victory. *October 15 – The Yankees move one win from clinching the

with a 12–2 rout of the Dodgers. Thurman Munson drives in 5 runs and Roy White contributes 3. *October 17 – Back at

, the Yankees win their 4th straight game of the Series, 7–2, and clinch their second consecutive

over the Dodgers.

Catfish Hunter James Augustus Hunter (April 8, 1946 – September 9, 1999), nicknamed "Catfish", was a professional baseball player in Major League Baseball (MLB). From to , he was a pitcher for the Kansas City/Oakland Athletics and New York Yankees. Hunter wa ...

earns the win, and Yankees shortstop

is named World Series MVP, batting .417 with 10 hits, 7 RBI, and 3 runs scored.

Deaths

Lyman Bostock Lyman Wesley Bostock Jr. (November 22, 1950 – September 23, 1978) was an American professional baseball player. He played Major League Baseball for four seasons, as an outfielder for the Minnesota Twins and California Angels (1978), with a li ...

, outfielder for the

California Angels The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. Since 1966, the team ...

, was murdered on September 23, 1978.

References

External links

1978 Major League Baseball season schedule at Baseball Reference
{{DEFAULTSORT:1978 Major League Baseball Season Major League Baseball seasons