Headline events of the year

Mark McGwire Mark David McGwire (born October 1, 1963), nicknamed "Big Mac", is an American former professional baseball first baseman who played 16 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1986 to 2001 for the Oakland Athletics and the St. Louis Card ...

Sammy Sosa Samuel Peralta Sosa (born November 12, 1968) is a Dominican-American former professional baseball right fielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for 19 seasons, primarily with the Chicago Cubs. After playing for the Texas Rangers and C ...

Ken Griffey Jr. George Kenneth Griffey Jr. (born November 21, 1969), nicknamed "Junior" and "the Kid", is an American former professional baseball outfielder who played 22 years in Major League Baseball (MLB). He spent most of his career with the Seattle M ...

and

Greg Vaughn Gregory Lamont Vaughn (born July 3, 1965) is an American former baseball left fielder who played for the Milwaukee Brewers (1989–1996), San Diego Padres (1996–1998), Cincinnati Reds (1999), Tampa Bay Devil Rays (2000–2002) and Colorado ...

all hit 30 home runs before the All-Star break (the first time four players had done so in the same season) and engage in a historic chase for

Roger Maris Roger Eugene Maris (September 10, 1934 – December 14, 1985) was an American professional baseball right fielder who played 12 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He is best known for setting a new MLB single-season home run record with 61 ...

's single-season record of 61 home runs. While Griffey (56) and Vaughn (50) would fall short of the record, both Sosa (66) and McGwire (70) shattered Maris's record in an exciting late-season chase that culminated in a final week that saw record-setting performances by McGwire, Sosa, Tom Gordon,

Dennis Eckersley Dennis Lee Eckersley (born October 3, 1954), nicknamed "Eck", is an American professional baseball pitcher and former color commentator. Between 1975 and 1998, he pitched in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cleveland Indians, Boston Red Sox, ...

Trevor Hoffman Trevor William Hoffman (born October 13, 1967) is an American former professional baseball relief pitcher who played 18 years in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1993 to 2010. A long-time closer, he pitched for the Florida Marlins, San Diego ...

and Jason Kendall. 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 ...

won a major league record 125 games (114 regular season games and 11 postseason games).

Champions

Major League Baseball

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 ...

over

San Diego Padres The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1969, the club has won two NL penn ...

(4-0);

Scott Brosius Scott David Brosius (born August 15, 1966) is an American former Major League Baseball third baseman for the Oakland Athletics (–) and the New York Yankees (–). Early life Brosius grew up in Milwaukie, Oregon, where he attended R ...

, MVP *

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 ...

MVP: David Wells **

American League Division Series In Major League Baseball, the American League Division Series (ALDS) determines which two teams from the American League will advance to the American League Championship Series. The Division Series consists of two best-of-five series, featuring ea ...

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 ...

MVP: Sterling Hitchcock **

National League Division Series In Major League Baseball, the National League Division Series (NLDS) determines which two teams from the National League will advance to the National League Championship Series. The Division Series consists of two best-of-five series, featuring ...

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 ...

, July 7 at Coors Field: American League, 13–8; Roberto Alomar, MVP

Other champions

Baseball World Cup The Baseball World Cup was an international tournament where national baseball teams from around the world competed. It was sanctioned by the International Baseball Federation (IBAF). Along with the World Baseball Classic, it was one of two acti ...

Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribb ...

* Caribbean World Series:

Águilas Cibaeñas The Águilas Cibaeñas (English lit. ''Cibaoan Eagles'') is a professional baseball team in the Dominican Republic's winter baseball league. Founded on January 28, and based in Santiago, the team has won 6 Caribbean Series and 22 national titl ...

(Dominican Republic) *

College World Series The College World Series (CWS), officially the NCAA Men's College World Series (MCWS), is an annual baseball tournament held in June in Omaha, Nebraska. The MCWS is the culmination of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Divisi ...

USC USC most often refers to: * University of South Carolina, a public research university ** University of South Carolina System, the main university and its satellite campuses ** South Carolina Gamecocks, the school athletic program * University of ...

* Cuban National Series: Pinar del Río over

Santiago de Cuba Santiago de Cuba is the second-largest city in Cuba and the capital city of Santiago de Cuba Province. It lies in the southeastern area of the island, some southeast of the Cuban capital of Havana. The municipality extends over , and contains ...

Japan Series The Japan Series ( , officially the Japan Championship Series, ), also the Nippon Series, :File:2014_JS_logo.png is the annual championship series in Nippon Professional Baseball, the top baseball league in Japan. It is a best-of-seven series ...

: Yokohama BayStars over

Seibu Lions The are a professional baseball team in Japan's Pacific League based north of Tokyo in Tokorozawa, Saitama Prefecture. Before 1979, they were based in Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture in Kyushu. The team is owned by a subsidiary of Seibu Railway, w ...

(4-2) *

Korean Series The Korean Series is the final championship series of the KBO League. It has been held since the KBO League's first season in and is the final series of the post-season play-offs. From to 2013, the winner of the Korean Series went on to play in ...

: Hyundai Unicorns over LG Twins *

Big League World Series The Big League World Series was a baseball tournament for youth aged 15 to 18 years old that began in 1968.

Thousand Oaks, California Thousand Oaks is the second-largest city in Ventura County, California, United States. It is in the northwestern part of Greater Los Angeles, approximately from the city of Los Angeles and from Downtown. It is named after the many oak tr ...

Junior League World Series The Junior League World Series is a baseball tournament for children aged 12, 13, and 14 years old. The tournament is held annually at Heritage Park in Taylor, Michigan. It is patterned after the Little League World Series, which was named for ...

Mission Viejo, California Mission Viejo ( ; corruption of ''Misión Vieja'', Spanish for "Old Mission") is a commuter city in the Saddleback Valley in Orange County, California, United States. Mission Viejo is considered one of the largest master-planned communities e ...

Little League World Series The Little League World Series is an annual baseball tournament for children—typically boys—aged 10 to 12 years old, held in the Eastern United States. Originally called the National Little League Tournament, it was later renamed for the Wor ...

Toms River, New Jersey Toms River is a township in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States. Its mainland portion is also a census-designated place of the same name, which serves as the county seat of Ocean County.Senior League World Series: Diamond Bar, California * Taiwan Series: Wei Chuan Dragons over

Sinon Bulls In Greek mythology, Sinon ( Ancient Greek: Σίνων, from the verb "σίνομαι"—''sinomai'', "to harm, to hurt") or Sinopos, was a Greek warrior during the Trojan War. Family Sinon was the son of Aesimus, son of Autolycus. He was th ...

Awards and honors

Baseball Hall of Fame The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is a history museum and hall of fame in Cooperstown, New York, operated by private interests. It serves as the central point of the history of baseball in the United States and displays baseball-r ...

** George Davis **

Larry Doby Lawrence Eugene Doby (December 13, 1923 – June 18, 2003) was an American professional baseball player in the Negro leagues and Major League Baseball (MLB) who was the second black player to break baseball's color barrier and the first black pl ...

Lee MacPhail Leland Stanford MacPhail Jr. (October 25, 1917 – November 8, 2012) was an American front-office executive in Major League Baseball. MacPhail was a baseball executive for 45 years, serving as the director of player personnel for the New York Ya ...

** Bullet Rogan ** Don Sutton *

Most Valuable Player In team sports, a most valuable player award, abbreviated 'MVP award', is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a partic ...

** Juan González, Texas Rangers, OF (AL) **

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 ...

, OF (NL) *

Cy Young Award The Cy Young Award is given annually to the best pitchers in Major League Baseball (MLB), one each for the American League (AL) and National League (NL). The award was first introduced in 1956 by Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick in honor of Ha ...

Roger Clemens William Roger Clemens (born August 4, 1962), nicknamed "Rocket", is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played 24 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), primarily with the Boston Red Sox. Clemens was one of the most dominant pi ...

Toronto Blue Jays The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since 1989, the team has played its home games ...

(AL) ** Tom Glavine,

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 ...

(NL) * Rookie of the Year **

Ben Grieve Ben Grieve (born May 4, 1976) is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He batted left and threw right. In his nine-season career, he played with the Oakland Athletics (–), Tampa Bay Devil Rays (–), Milwaukee Brewers (), and C ...

Oakland Athletics The Oakland Athletics (often referred to as the A's) are an American professional baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. The t ...

, OF (AL) **

Kerry Wood Kerry Lee Wood (born June 16, 1977) is an American former baseball pitcher who played 14 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago Cubs, Cleveland Indians, and New York Yankees. Wood first came to prominence as a 20-year-old ro ...

, P (NL) *

Manager of the Year Award In Major League Baseball, the Manager of the Year Award is an honor given annually since 1983 to two outstanding managers, one each in the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winner is voted on by 30 members of the Baseball Writ ...

** Joe Torre,

(AL) **

Larry Dierker Lawrence Edward Dierker (born September 22, 1946) is a former Major League Baseball pitcher, manager, and broadcaster. During a 14-year baseball career as a pitcher, he pitched from 1964 to 1977 for the Houston Colt .45s/Astros and the St. Loui ...

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 ...

(NL) *

Gold Glove Award The Rawlings Gold Glove Award, usually referred to as simply the Gold Glove, is the award given annually to the Major League Baseball (MLB) players judged to have exhibited superior individual fielding performances at each fielding position in bo ...

Rafael Palmeiro Rafael Palmeiro Corrales (born September 24, 1964) is a Cuban-American former Major League Baseball first baseman and left fielder. Palmeiro was an All-American at Mississippi State University before being drafted by the Chicago Cubs in 1985. ...

(1B) (AL) ** Roberto Alomar (2B) (AL) ** Robin Ventura (3B) (AL) **

Omar Vizquel Omar Enrique Vizquel González (; born April 24, 1967), nicknamed "Little O", is a Venezuelan former professional baseball shortstop. During his 24-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career, Vizquel played for the Seattle Mariners, Cleveland I ...

(SS) (AL) ** Jim Edmonds (OF) (AL) **

(OF) (AL) ** Bernie Williams (OF) (AL) ** Iván Rodríguez (C) (AL) ** Mike Mussina (P) (AL) **

J. T. Snow Jack Thomas Snow Jr. (born February 26, 1968) is an American former professional baseball player and television sports color commentator. He played as a first baseman in Major League Baseball from to , most notably as a member of the San Fra ...

(1B) (NL) ** Bret Boone (2B) (NL) ** Scott Rolen (3B) (NL) ** Rey Ordóñez (SS) (NL) **

Barry Bonds Barry Lamar Bonds (born July 24, 1964) is an American former professional baseball left fielder who played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). Bonds was a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1986 to 1992 and the San Francisco Gian ...

(OF) (NL) **

Andruw Jones Andruw Rudolf Jones (; born April 23, 1977) is a Curaçaoan former baseball outfielder and designated hitter who played 17 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), most notably for the Atlanta Braves. Jones also played for the Los Angeles Dodg ...

(OF) (NL) ** Larry Walker (OF) (NL) ** Charles Johnson (C) (NL) **

Greg Maddux Gregory Alan Maddux (born April 14, 1966) is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played 23 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for four teams. Maddux is best known for his accomplishments while playing for the Atlanta Braves ...

(P) (NL)

MLB statistical leaders

Major League Baseball final standings

* ''The asterisk denotes the club that won the wild card for its respective league. The Chicago Cubs defeated the San Francisco Giants 5-3 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 determine the NL wild card.''

Events

January

*January 5 – Don Sutton, a 324-game winner, is elected to the

on his fifth try. Sutton, who missed election by nine votes in 1997, is named on 81.6% of the ballots. *January 8 – The

sign

Darryl Strawberry Darryl Eugene Strawberry (born March 12, 1962) is an American former professional baseball right fielder and author who played 17 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). Throughout his career, Strawberry was one of the most feared sluggers in th ...

as a free agent.

February

*February 2 –

general manager

Bob Watson Robert José Watson (April 10, 1946May 14, 2020) was an American professional baseball player, coach and general manager. He played in Major League Baseball as a first baseman and left fielder from 1966 to 1984, most prominently as a membe ...

announces his resignation. He is replaced by 30-year-old Brian Cashman. *February 6 – The

Minnesota Twins The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis. The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central Division. The team is named after the Twin Cities area w ...

trade

Chuck Knoblauch Edward Charles Knoblauch (; born July 7, 1968) is an American former professional baseball player. He played 12 seasons in Major League Baseball, from 1991 through 2002, for the Minnesota Twins, New York Yankees, and Kansas City Royals. He p ...

to the New York Yankees in exchange for Cristian Guzman,

Brian Buchanan Brian James Buchanan (born July 21, 1973) is an American former professional baseball outfielder and coach. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 2000 through 2004 for the Minnesota Twins, San Diego Padres, and the New York Mets. And al ...

, Eric Milton,

Danny Mota Daniel Avila Mota (born October 9, 1975) is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. Mota played for the Minnesota Twins in the 2000 season. In four games, he had an 8.44 ERA in 5.1 innings pitched with three strikeouts. Mota batted and threw righ ...

and cash considerations. *February 18 – The New York Mets sign

Nelson Cruz Nelson Ramón Cruz Martínez Jr. (born July 1, 1980) is a Dominican-American professional baseball designated hitter and right fielder who is currently a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Milwaukee Brewers, Texas ...

as an amateur free agent.

March

*March 3 –

, George Davis and Bullet Joe Rogan are elected to the Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee. *March 23 – The New York Yankees sign Orlando Hernandez as an amateur free agent. *March 31 : **The Tampa Bay Devil Rays lose to the

Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, the club was f ...

11–6, in their first game ever. Pitcher

Wilson Álvarez Wilson Eduardo Álvarez Fuenmayor (born March 24, 1970) is a Venezuelan former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a left-handed pitcher. During a thirteen-year baseball career, he pitched for the Texas Rangers, ...

takes the loss for Tampa while third baseman Wade Boggs hit the first home run in team history and drives in three runs. **The

Arizona Diamondbacks The Arizona Diamondbacks (colloquially known as the D-backs) are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The ...

drop a 9–2 decision to the

Colorado Rockies The Colorado Rockies are an American professional baseball team based in Denver. The Rockies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The team plays its home baseball games at Coors Fi ...

in their first game ever. Andy Benes is tagged with the loss. Rookies

Travis Lee Travis Reynolds Lee (born May 26, 1975) is an American former professional first baseman and outfielder who played in Major League Baseball. Amateur career Lee graduated from Capital High School in Olympia, Washington in 1993, where he also ...

and

Karim García Gustavo Karim García Aguayo (born October 29, 1975) is a Mexican former professional baseball outfielder. García bats and throws left-handed. Professional career Minor leagues Born in Ciudad Obregón, Mexico, García signed as an amateur fre ...

hit home runs, while Vinny Castilla drives in five runs for Colorado. **The

New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major lea ...

beat their division rival

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 ...

, 1–0, in the longest scoreless opening day game in the National League and the longest one in Major League Baseball since , when the Washington Senators beat the

Philadelphia Athletics The Philadelphia Athletics were a Major League Baseball team that played in Philadelphia from 1901 to 1954, when they moved to Kansas City, Missouri, and became the Kansas City Athletics. Following another move in 1967, the team became the Oakla ...

1–0 in 15 innings. Mets backup catcher Alberto Castillo delivered a full-count, two-out, pinch-hit single to right with the bases loaded off Philadelphia closer

Ricky Bottalico Ricky Paul Bottalico (; born August 26, 1969) is an American former professional baseball right-handed relief pitcher, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phillies, St. Louis Cardinals, Kansas City Royals, Arizona Diamo ...

to finish the game. **In their

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 ...

debut, the

Milwaukee Brewers The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division. The Brewers are named for t ...

fall 2–1 at Turner Field in Atlanta to the team that preceded them in Milwaukee, the

. The Atlanta victory came in walk-off fashion following an errant throw to second base by catcher Mike Matheny, which allowed Gerald Williams to score from third base. Bob Wickman took the loss in relief. The Brewers had played for 29 years in 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 ...

, debuting in

1969 This year is notable for Apollo 11's first landing on the moon. Events January * January 4 – The Government of Spain hands over Ifni to Morocco. * January 5 **Ariana Afghan Airlines Flight 701 crashes into a house on its approach to ...

as the

Seattle Pilots The Seattle Pilots were an American professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington during the 1969 Major League Baseball season. During their single-season existence, the Pilots played their home games at Sick's Stadium and were a mem ...

before moving to Milwaukee in 1970 and becoming the Brewers.

April

*April 1 – The expansion Tampa Bay Devil Rays win their first game in franchise history, beating the Tigers 11–8.

Fred McGriff Frederick Stanley McGriff (born October 31, 1963) is an American former first baseman in Major League Baseball (MLB) who played for six teams from 1986 through 2004. He was one of the most consistently productive powers hitters of the 1990s, po ...

has four RBI on three hits. *April 2 : **By hitting a home run in Colorado's 6–4 win over Arizona at

Bank One Ballpark Chase Field, formerly Bank One Ballpark, is a retractable roof stadium in Downtown Phoenix, Arizona. It is the home of Major League Baseball's Arizona Diamondbacks. It opened in 1998 Arizona Diamondbacks season, 1998, the year the Diamondbacks ...

, Rockies outfielder Ellis Burks sets a major league record by having homered in 33 different stadiums. **The Milwaukee Brewers win for the first time as a National League team with an 8–6 win over the

in 11 innings at Turner Field in Atlanta.

Jeromy Burnitz Jeromy Neal Burnitz (born April 15, 1969) is an American former professional baseball player. Burnitz was a right fielder in Major League Baseball who played with the New York Mets (1993–94, 2002–03), Cleveland Indians (1995–96), Milwaukee B ...

homers twice, including a tie-breaking grand slam off Atlanta reliever Brian Edmondson in the 11th inning. Mike Myers picked up the win in relief. *April 5 – The Arizona Diamondbacks win their first game in franchise history 3–2, over the

San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco, California. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1883 as the New Yo ...

. Andy Benes gets the win for the 1-5 Diamondbacks. *April 7 – In the first

game in Milwaukee since September 22, 1965, the Brewers defeat 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 ...

6–4 at

County Stadium Milwaukee County Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Opened in 1953, it was primarily a baseball park for Major League Baseball's Milwaukee Braves and later the Milwaukee Brewers. It was also used for Green Bay Packers fo ...

. Starter

Scott Karl Randall Scott Karl (born August 9, 1971), is a former professional baseball player who pitched in the Major Leagues from 1995–2000. Karl played for the Milwaukee Brewers, Colorado Rockies, and Anaheim Angels. He wore uniform number 42 prior t ...

gets the win, Doug Jones gets the save, and

and José Valentín both contribute with home runs. *April 10 – 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 ...

' Mike Piazza becomes the fifth NL player in history to hit grand slams in consecutive games by homering in a 7–2 win over the

. Piazza also homered with the bags full, while driving in six runs, in the prior night's 7–2 win over Arizona. He would hit another on April 24 to tie the major-league record for slams in a month. *April 11 –

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 ...

pitcher Pedro Martínez hurled a two-hit complete game shutout in his debut 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 ...

, guiding the Boston Red Sox to a 5–0 victory over the visiting

Seattle Mariners The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. The team joined the American League as an expansion ...

. Martínez stroke out 12 batters and walked only two, while

Jim Leyritz James Joseph Leyritz (born December 27, 1963) is an American former professional baseball catcher and infielder. In his 11-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career, Leyritz played for the New York Yankees, Anaheim Angels, Texas Rangers, Boston ...

led the Red Sox offense with a three-run home run in the third inning off

Jamie Moyer Jamie Moyer (born November 18, 1962) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. Over his 25-year career in Major League Baseball (MLB), Moyer pitched for the Chicago Cubs, Texas Rangers, St. Louis Cardinals, Baltimore Orioles, Bost ...

. During the game, Dominican Republic flags showed up in the ballpark while chants of 'Pe-dro!, 'Pe-dro! were heard loud and clear in the stands. Besides, fans mounted the 'K' placards to mark Pedro's strikeouts. Afterwards, everyone in the largely Latino Jamaica Plain section of Boston started watching the Red Sox and going to the games. *April 13 – The

slugs two home runs in a 6–5 loss to 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 ...

. In doing so, he becomes the second–youngest player in big league history to reach 300 homers for his career, at 28 years and 143 days.

Jimmie Foxx James Emory Foxx (October 22, 1907 – July 21, 1967), nicknamed "Double X" and "The Beast", was an American professional baseball first baseman who played 20 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Athletics, Boston Red Sox, ...

, at 27 years 328 days, was younger.

May

*May 3 – The

' Dan Wilson becomes just the seventh catcher in major league history to hit an inside-the-park grand slam, as Seattle defeats Detroit 10–6. It's a first for the Mariners and the first in the AL since

Mike Greenwell Michael Lewis Greenwell (born July 18, 1963) is a former left fielder in Major League Baseball (MLB) who played his entire MLB career with the Boston Red Sox (1985–1996). He played a few games for the Hanshin Tigers in Japan (1997), before retir ...

did it on September 1, . *May 6 – In one of the finest pitching efforts ever,

rookie right-hander

fans 20

in a 2–0, one-hit victory to tie the major league mark for strikeouts in a 9-inning game. The 20-year-old ties the record held by

, who performed the feat twice. He also eclipses

Bill Gullickson William Lee Gullickson (born February 20, 1959) is an American former Major League Baseball pitcher who played professionally in Canada, the U.S. and Japan, during an 18-year professional career, of which 14 seasons were spent in MLB. MLB career ...

's single-game rookie record of 18 strikeouts in . The only Houston baserunners come from an infield single to Ricky Gutiérrez in the 3rd inning and a hit batter. Wood also becomes the second pitcher in baseball history to record a single-game strikeout total equal to his age (in , 17-year-old

Bob Feller Robert William Andrew Feller (November 3, 1918 – December 15, 2010), nicknamed "the Heater from Van Meter", "Bullet Bob", and "Rapid Robert", was an American baseball pitcher who played 18 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Clevel ...

struck out 17 batters). Wood strikes out the first five batters of the game, and seven in a row between the 7th and 9th innings, tying

's Cubs record for most consecutive strikeouts. *May 11 – In a 4–2 win over Arizona,

strikes out 13 Diamondbacks in seven innings. By doing so, Wood sets a major league record with 33 strikeouts over two consecutive games. *May 13 – The

set an NL record by homering in their 25th straight game, a 10–2 win over the St. Louis Cardinals. This ties the major league mark held by the 1941 Yankees and the 1994 Tigers. The streak will be stopped by the Cardinals the next day. *May 15 – In one of the biggest trades in recent years, the Dodgers send All-Star catcher Mike Piazza and third baseman Todd Zeile to the

Florida Marlins The Miami Marlins are an American professional baseball team based in Miami. The Marlins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The club's home ballpark is LoanDepot Park. The fran ...

in exchange for outfielders

Gary Sheffield Gary Antonian Sheffield (born November 18, 1968) is an American former professional baseball outfielder who played in Major League Baseball for eight teams from 1988 to 2009. He is a sports agent. For most of his career, Sheffield played rig ...

and Jim Eisenreich, catcher Charles Johnson, third baseman

Bobby Bonilla Roberto Martin Antonio Bonilla (, born February 23, 1963) is an American former professional baseball third baseman and outfielder who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1986 to 2001. Bonilla was one of the Major League's best batte ...

, and pitcher Manuel Barrios. On May 22, the Mets will acquire Piazza from the Marlins in exchange for outfielder

Preston Wilson Preston James Richard Wilson (born July 19, 1974) is an American former professional baseball center fielder. He played all or parts of ten seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1998 to 2007 for the New York Mets, Florida Marlins, Colorad ...

, pitcher

Ed Yarnall Harvey Edward Yarnall (born December 4, 1975) is a former professional baseball pitcher. He pitched parts of two seasons in Major League Baseball with the New York Yankees, and two seasons in Japan with the Orix BlueWave. Career Yarnall played co ...

and a minor league player. *May 17 – Yankees pitcher David Wells hurls the 15th perfect game in modern major league history with a 4–0 win over the

. Wells fans 11 batters in his masterpiece. Bernie Williams strokes three hits for New York, including a home run. *May 18 – The

Mike Blowers Michael Roy Blowers (; born April 24, 1965) is a German-born American former Major League Baseball player, a third baseman and first baseman for the New York Yankees, Seattle Mariners, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Oakland Athletics. Since 2007 ...

hits for the cycle and drives home four runs in the A's 14–0 win over the White Sox. Blowers becomes only the 2nd player in franchise history to accomplish the feat. *May 19 – The Cardinals'

hits three home runs in a game for the 2nd time this season, leading St. Louis to a 10–8 victory over the

. He is only the 12th player in history to have a pair of 3–HR games in the same season. McGwire drives in six of the Cardinal runs as he reaches the 20 home run mark faster than any other player in history. *May 20 – The Triple-A

Indianapolis Indians The Indianapolis Indians are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates. They are located in Indianapolis, Indiana, and play their home games at Victory Field, which opened ...

perform a feat possibly never before duplicated in professional baseball. In the 5th inning of a game against the

Pawtucket Red Sox The Pawtucket Red Sox, known colloquially as the PawSox, were a professional minor league baseball club based in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. From 1973 to 2020, the team was a member of the International League and served as the Triple-A affiliate ...

, Indianapolis players hit for a "Homer Cycle".

Pete Rose Jr. Peter Edward "PJ" Rose Jr. (born November 16, 1969) is a former professional baseball player and manager. The son of Major League Baseball's all-time hits leader Pete Rose Sr., Rose Jr. played in the minor leagues for most of his career except ...

opens the inning with a solo home run, Jason Williams connects for a 3–run shot,

Glenn Murray Glenn Murray (born 25 September 1983) is an English former professional footballer and football pundit who played as a striker. His career spanned 19 years from 2002 until 2021. Best known for his two spells with Brighton & Hove Albion, Murr ...

slugs a grand slam, and Guillermo Garcia finishes the scoring with a 2–run blast. The Indians win the game 11–4. *May 25 – Cleveland's David Bell becomes the third player in major league history to play against a team managed by his father. Bell's 2–run double brings home the go–ahead run in the Indians 7–4 win over Buddy Bell's Detroit Tigers. Bump Wills and Moisés Alou are the only other players to appear in games against their fathers ( Maury Wills and

Felipe Alou Felipe Rojas Alou (born May 12, 1935) is a former Major League Baseball outfielder, first baseman, and manager. He managed the Montreal Expos (1992–2001) and the San Francisco Giants (2003–2006). The first Dominican to play regularly in th ...

, respectively). *May 28 – With Arizona leading the Giants, 8–6, in the bottom of the 9th with the bases loaded, manager

Buck Showalter William Nathaniel "Buck" Showalter III (born May 23, 1956) is an American professional baseball manager for the New York Mets of Major League Baseball (MLB). Previously, he served as manager of the New York Yankees (1992–1995), Arizona Diam ...

orders reliever

Gregg Olson Greggory William Olson (born October 11, 1966) is an American former professional baseball player, coach, scout and television sports commentator. He played in Major League Baseball as a right-handed pitcher from through , most prominently as ...

to intentionally walk

to bring home the Giants' 7th run. It is only the 4th bases–loaded intentional walk in major league history, and the first since Bill "Swish" Nicholson on July 23, .

June

*June 6 – Hall of Fame second baseman Joe Morgan has his uniform number 8 retired by the

Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...

in a ceremony at Cinergy Field. *June 7 – At Camden Yards, Hall of Famer Eddie Murray has his uniform number 33 retired by the

Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. As one of the American League's eight charter ...

. *June 10 : **Colorado's

Dante Bichette Alphonse Dante Bichette Sr. (; born November 18, 1963) is an American former professional baseball player, currently employed by the Toronto Blue Jays organization. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as an outfielder for the California An ...

becomes the first Rockies player ever to hit for the cycle and the first player to ever hit for the cycle in an interleague game in the team's 9–8, 10–inning victory over the Rangers. **New York Yankees outfielder

Tim Raines Timothy Raines Sr. (born September 16, 1959), nicknamed "Rock",Raines received this nickname at an Expo rookie camp when he was seventeen, based on his physique. is an American professional baseball coach and former player. He played as a left ...

steals the 800th base of his career in the Yankees 6–2 win over the

, his former team. Besides, Raines became the fifth player in Major League Baseball history to reach the milestone. *June 15 –

hits three home runs, helping the

beat the

6–5. *June 20 – The Cleveland Indians retire

's uniform number 19 prior to the team's 5–3 loss to the Yankees. *June 29 – Uniquely, no major league games are scheduled today: all 30 teams are off. *June 30 – The

hits his 33rd home run of the season in a game against the

. Sosa's 20th home run in the month of June is a new MLB record for most home runs in one month.

July

*July 5 –

of the

records his 3,000th career strikeout. *July 7 – The

defeats the

13–8, in the 69th All–Star Game at Coors Field in

Denver Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...

Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the ...

. Baltimore's Roberto Alomar is named the game's MVP, going 3–for–4 with a home run, one RBI, one stolen base and two runs scored. *July 9 –

Bud Selig Allan Huber "Bud" Selig (; born July 30, 1934) is an American baseball executive who currently serves as the Commissioner Emeritus of Baseball. Previously, he served as the ninth Commissioner of Baseball from 1998 to 2015. He initially served a ...

is elected as the 9th Commissioner of Baseball by a vote of club owners. *July 17 –

hits his 300th career home run, helping the

beat the

Anaheim 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 h ...

4–1. *July 26 –

's bid to set a major league record with 42 straight saves ended when the San Diego closer gave up a home run to Moisés Alou on his first delivery in the ninth inning, tying the game. The Padres wound up beating Houston 5–4 in the 10th.

August

*August 4 –

first baseman Carlos Delgado belted three home runs and drove in four runs, in an 11–9 defeat to the Texas Rangers at Arlington Stadium. *August 9 – Dennis Martínez of the

defeats the

7–5, for his 244th career victory, to set the record for most wins by a

Latin American Latin Americans ( es, Latinoamericanos; pt, Latino-americanos; ) are the citizens of Latin American countries (or people with cultural, ancestral or national origins in Latin America). Latin American countries and their diasporas are multi-e ...

pitcher. Juan Marichal held the old mark.

Chipper Jones Larry Wayne "Chipper" Jones Jr. (born April 24, 1972) is an American former professional baseball third baseman who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Atlanta Braves from 1993 to 2012. The Braves chose Jones with the List of first ov ...

backs Martínez' pitching with four hits and four RBIs. *August 10 – At

Qualcomm 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 st ...

, the Wendelstedts become the first father and son duo to umpire in the same Major League game.

Harry Harry may refer to: TV shows * ''Harry'' (American TV series), a 1987 American comedy series starring Alan Arkin * ''Harry'' (British TV series), a 1993 BBC drama that ran for two seasons * ''Harry'' (talk show), a 2016 American daytime talk show ...

, umpiring in his final Major League season, serves as home plate umpire while his son

Hunter Hunting is the human activity, human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, or killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to harvest food (i.e. meat) and useful animal products (fur/hide (skin), hide, ...

, working in his first as a vacation substitute, serves as second base umpire in the

' 3–2 victory over the

. *August 13 –

Harold Baines Harold Douglas Baines (born March 15, 1959) is an American former right fielder and designated hitter (DH) in Major League Baseball who played for five American League (AL) teams from 1980 to 2001, and is best known for his three stints with th ...

of the

becomes the all–time leader in

runs batted in A run batted in (RBI; plural RBIs ) is a statistic in baseball and softball that credits a batter for making a play that allows a run to be scored (except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play). For example, if the b ...

by a

designated hitter The designated hitter (DH) is a baseball player who bats in place of another position player, most commonly the pitcher. The position is authorized by Major League Baseball Rule 5.11. It was adopted by the American League in 1973 and later by t ...

when he drives in his 824th career-RBI in a 7–4 win over the

Hal McRae Harold Abraham McRae (; born July 10, 1945) is a former left fielder in Major League Baseball who played for the Cincinnati Reds (1968, 1970–72) and Kansas City Royals (1973–87). Utilized as a designated hitter for most of his career, Mc ...

was the previous record–holder. *August 14 –

catcher

Chris Hoiles Chris Allen Hoiles (born March 20, 1965) is an American former professional baseball player and coach. He played his entire Major League Baseball career as a catcher for the Baltimore Orioles from 1989 to 1998. Although his playing career was sh ...

becomes the ninth player — and first catcher — to hit two grand slams in a single game, doing so in a 15–3 win over the

. *August 23 : **

outfielder

hits his 400th career home run off

pitcher

Kirt Ojala Kirt Stanley Ojala (born December 24, 1968) is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) left-handed pitcher who played for the Florida Marlins from 1997 to 1999, and is remembered for being the pitcher who gave up the 400th career home run t ...

, a solo shot in the third inning of a 10–5 victory of the Giants at

Pro Player Stadium Hard Rock Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium located in Miami Gardens, Florida. The stadium is the home field for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL) and the Miami Hurricanes, the University of Miami's NCAA Division I college ...

. ** Andres Galarraga of the

hits his 40th home run of the season, becoming the first player in history to hit 40 home runs in a season for two different teams in consecutive seasons (he hit 47 the previous season for the

). *August 25 – The

strikes out 18 in a 3–0 victory over the

Kansas City Royals The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team was founded as an expans ...

. He becomes the first pitcher ever to record three games of 18 or more strikeouts. Clemens allows only three hits and does not walk a batter. *August 31 – Oakland's

Rickey Henderson Rickey Nelson Henley Henderson (born December 25, 1958) is an American retired professional baseball left fielder who played his 24 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for nine teams from 1979 to 2003, including four separate tenures with hi ...

scores the 2,000th run of his career in the Athletics' 15–6 loss to Cleveland. He joins

Ty Cobb Tyrus Raymond Cobb (December 18, 1886 – July 17, 1961), nicknamed "the Georgia Peach", was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) center fielder. He was born in rural Narrows, Georgia. Cobb spent 22 seasons with the Detroit Tigers, the l ...

, Hank Aaron,

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 ...

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 ...

and

Willie Mays Willie Howard Mays Jr. (born May 6, 1931), nicknamed "the Say Hey Kid" and "Buck", is a former center fielder in Major League Baseball (MLB). Regarded as one of the greatest players ever, Mays ranks second behind only Babe Ruth on most all-tim ...

as the only players to reach the milestone.

September

*September 1 – St. Louis Cardinals first baseman

hits his 56th and 57th home runs of the season, breaking the National League record of 56 homers set by

Hack Wilson Lewis Robert "Hack" Wilson (April 26, 1900 – November 23, 1948) was an American Major League Baseball player who played 12 seasons for the New York Giants, Chicago Cubs, Brooklyn Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies. Despite his diminutive statur ...

in 1930. *September 4 – The

win their 100th game of the season, defeating the

Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and ...

11–6, reaching that mark five days faster than the 1906 Chicago Cubs and the 1954 Cleveland Indians. *September 5 –

becomes the third player in major league history to reach 60 home runs, as the St. Louis Cardinals beat the

7–0. Additionally, McGwire joins

and

with 60 home runs in a single season. *September 6 –

outfielder

hits his 50th career home run in a 4–0 win over the

. At 21 age, Jones becomes the third–youngest player in major league history to reach that level. Only Mel Ott and Tony Conigliaro did so at a younger age. *September 7 : **

hits his 61st home run of the season, tying

' single-season home run record. **

hits his fiftieth

home run In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...

of the season, joining

and

as the only players to hit 50 or more home runs in consecutive seasons. *September 8 –

breaks

' 37-year-old, 61-home run record, lining historic No. 62 just over the wall in left field with two outs in the fourth inning. McGwire's solo shot off the

' Steve Trachsel—among the shortest he would hit all year—sets off a wild celebration at Busch Stadium. The Cubs'

, who hit his 58th home run earlier in the game, is on the field to congratulate McGwire, creating an iconic image of the 1998 home run race. In the sixth inning of the same game, the Cardinals'

J. D. Drew David Jonathan "J. D." Drew (born November 20, 1975) is an American former Major League Baseball right fielder. He began his major league career in with the St. Louis Cardinals, and also played for the Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Dodgers, and B ...

makes his major league debut pinch-hitting for pitcher Kent Mercker. *September 11 – The

lose to the Atlanta Braves 8–2, to become the first World Series champion in history to lose 100 games the next season. *September 15 –

hits homer #52 and drives in the 1,000th run of his career in the Mariners 12–7 win over the Twins. He becomes the fourth-youngest player in history to reach the milestone, after Mel Ott,

and

Lou Gehrig Henry Louis Gehrig (born Heinrich Ludwig Gehrig ; June 19, 1903June 2, 1941) was an American professional baseball first baseman who played 17 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees (1923–1939). Gehrig was renowned f ...

. A day later, Griffey would collect his 20th stolen base of the season to become just the third player in major league history to record at least 50 homers and 20 steals in the same season;

(1955) and Brady Anderson (1996) are the others. *September 16 – Mike Piazza hits his 200th career home run helping the

beat the

4–3. *September 17 –

Denny Neagle Dennis Edward Neagle Jr. (; born September 13, 1968) is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played for six teams over a 13-year career. During the 1990s, he was one of the top pitchers in baseball, but his career, and personal life, deter ...

puts the

pitching staff into the baseball record books as he limits the

to four hits in six innings for a 1–0 win. Neagle improves to 15–11, making the Braves the first major league team with five 15-game winners since the Washington Senators. As a result, Neagle joins Tom Glavine,

, John Smoltz and Kevin Millwood. *September 19 – Alex Rodriguez of the

hits his 40th

of the season and becomes the third player to join the

40–40 club In Major League Baseball (MLB), the 40–40 club is the group of batters who have collected 40 home runs and 40 stolen bases in a single season. Jose Canseco was the first to achieve this, doing so in 1988 after having predicted the feat in Apr ...

. José Canseco (1988) and

(1996) are the others. *September 20 – Cal Ripken Jr. of the

takes himself out of the lineup prior to the game with the

to end his major league record consecutive game streak at 2,632. The Orioles lose the historic game by a score of 5–4. Ryan Minor, Ripken's replacement at third base, gets one hit in four at bats. *September 21 – Jason Kendall of the

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 ...

collects his 26th

stolen base In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a runner advances to a base to which they are not entitled and the official scorer rules that the advance should be credited to the action of the runner. The umpires determine whether the runner is safe o ...

of the season to set a new National League record for catchers. The previous mark was set by

John Stearns John Hardin Stearns (August 21, 1951 – September 15, 2022), nicknamed "Bad Dude", was an American professional baseball catcher and coach in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for the New York Mets from 1975 to 1984 after playing a single ...

of the

in . *September 23 – At

Milwaukee County Stadium Milwaukee County Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Opened in 1953, it was primarily a baseball park for Major League Baseball's Milwaukee Braves and later the Milwaukee Brewers. It was also used for Green Bay Packers f ...

hits his 64th and 65th home runs as the

jump out to a 7–0 lead against the

. Nevertheless, the Brewers erase the deficit by scoring eight runs in the final three innings, the last three coming when

Brant Brown Brant Michael Brown (born June 22, 1971) is an American former professional baseball outfielder and current hitting coach for the Miami Marlins. Brown played in Major League Baseball from 1996 through 2000 for the Chicago Cubs, Pittsburgh Pirat ...

drops a

Geoff Jenkins Geoffrey Scott Jenkins (born July 21, 1974) is an American former professional baseball outfielder, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Milwaukee Brewers (1998–2007) and Philadelphia Phillies (2008). He is fourth on the Brewers ...

fly ball with two out in the ninth inning. The error allows Mark Loretta, Jeff Cirillo and

to score. The Cubs stay tied with the

for the wildcard lead when they could have led by one game with three games left. Ironically, the error comes 90 years to the day of '' Merkle's Boner'', which led to the Cubs ultimately winning the National League pennant and ultimately, their last World Series title until

2016 File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the Impeachment of Dilma Rousseff, impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses duri ...

. *September 24 –

pitcher Tom Gordon records his 42nd consecutive save of the year for a new major league mark as Boston defeats the

9–6. Rod Beck and

shared the old mark. *September 25 – Just hours after

hits his league-leading 66th home run, pulling ahead of

for the first time all season, McGwire hits his 66th in a game against the

. *September 26 : **

gets a standing ovation from the

crowd as he appears in his 1,071st game, breaking Hoyt Wilhelm's record for most appearances by a pitcher. **The St. Louis Cardinals'

hits his 67th and 68th home runs against the

, pulling two ahead of the

, who goes 2-for-4 but fails to homer against the

. *September 27 : **The

defeat the

, 4–1. Cincinnati uses a pair of brothers in the infield: Bret Boone (2B) and his brother

Aaron According to Abrahamic religions, Aaron ''′aharon'', ar, هارون, Hārūn, Greek (Septuagint): Ἀαρών; often called Aaron the priest ()., group="note" ( or ; ''’Ahărōn'') was a prophet, a high priest, and the elder brother of ...

(3B), and Barry Larkin (SS) and his brother Stephen (1B). **In the St. Louis Cardinals' final game of the season,

hits two home runs against the

for the second straight night, establishing a new MLB record with 70 home runs in a season.

fails to hit a home run in the Cubs' 4–3 loss to the

, leaving him at 66 homers. However, the Cubs loss forces a one-game playoff with the

for the National League wild card, giving Sosa one final chance to reach McGwire. **In the

' final regular season game, left fielder

hits his 50th home run of the season, a career high and a San Diego Padres record for home runs in a season. This marks the first time in major league history that four players – Vaughn (50), Griffey (56), Sosa (66) and McGwire (70) – hit at least 50 home runs in the same season. Also during this game,

records his 53rd save of the season, tying the National League record set by the Cubs' Randy Myers in 1993. **The

win their seventh-straight game, defeating the Tampa Bay Devil Rays 8–3. The Yankees finish the season with an American League record 114 wins. **In recording his first-ever Major League win, a 2–1 decision over the

at the

SkyDome Rogers Centre (originally SkyDome) is a multi-purpose retractable roof stadium in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated at the base of the CN Tower near the northern shore of Lake Ontario. Opened in 1989 on the former Railway Lands, ...

, Roy Halladay of the

, a week removed from his Major League debut, has what would have been the second

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 ...

in Blue Jay history broken up by a

Bobby Higginson Robert Leigh Higginson (born August 18, 1970) is an American former professional baseball outfielder who played his entire career for the Detroit Tigers of Major League Baseball (MLB). Amateur career Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Higginson ...

home run with two out in the ninth, the only hit he will allow. The no-hitter also would have been the third to be pitched on the final day of a regular season, joining the combination of

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 ...

, Glenn Abbott, Paul Lindblad and

Rollie Fingers Roland Glen Fingers (born August 25, 1946) is an American former right-handed relief pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for three teams between 1968 and 1985, when his effectiveness helped to redefine the value of relievers within baseba ...

in and

Mike Witt Michael Atwater Witt (born July 20, 1960) is a former American professional baseball pitcher. He played 12 seasons in Major League Baseball between 1981 and 1993, and threw the 11th perfect game in MLB history in 1984. Amateur career Prior to ...

's perfect game in . The home run ball is caught, ironically, by former Blue Jays pitcher Dave Stieb, himself a three-time victim of a no-hitter being broken up with two out in the ninth inning. In his last start of the season, Stieb lost a perfect game bid, then, in lost a no-hitter. Finally, Stieb pitched the Blue Jays' only no-hitter to date in . *September 28 – In a

, the

defeat the

5–3 to secure the final playoff spot in the National League. For the third game in a row, the Cubs'

gets two hits, but no home runs, leaving him at 66 home runs for the season; four fewer than

, who pulled ahead of Sosa with five home runs in his final three games.

October

*October 3 – The

defeated the

in the National League Division Series. *October 21 – The

win the

, sweeping the

in four straight games. Yankees third baseman

is named the Series MVP. New York end the season with a major league record 125 combined regular season and postseason wins. * Tom Glavine of the

wins his second National League

in an extremely close vote over two

pitchers:

and Kevin Brown. Glavine, who receives 11 first-place votes to Hoffman's 13 (Brown receives the remaining 8), becomes the first National League pitcher since the league instituted its four-vote system in 1970 to win the award despite receiving fewer first-place votes than another player. Glavine tallied 99 points (Hoffman – 88, Brown – 76), with 5 points being awarded for each first place vote, 3 for each second-place vote, 2 for third, and 1 for fourth. Another oddity is the fact that Hoffman, Brown, and Rod Beck (who did not receive a single point in the Cy Young Award voting) finished higher than Glavine in the MVP voting, despite Glavine's Braves finishing with the best record in the National League.1998 MLB Awards
''Baseball Reference''. *October 28 – U.S. President

Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton (né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and again ...

signs the Curt Flood Act of 1998, named for former St. Louis Cardinals outfielder

Curt Flood Curtis Charles Flood (January 18, 1938 – January 20, 1997) was an American professional baseball player and activist. He was a center fielder who played 15 seasons in Major League Baseball for the Cincinnati Redlegs, St. Louis Cardinals, ...

, who never played baseball again after refusing a trade to the

and challenging the reserve clause. The act, passed by the 105th Congress and signed into law by President Clinton, revokes baseball's antitrust status (save for expansion, minor leagues, and franchise relocation), a status that major league baseball had enjoyed for seventy five years, after the Supreme Court had ruled that baseball was eligible for the status under interstate commerce.

November

*November 9 – It is revealed that Hall of Fame pitcher Jim "Catfish" Hunter is suffering from

amyotrophic lateral sclerosis Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as motor neuron disease (MND) or Lou Gehrig's disease, is a neurodegenerative disease that results in the progressive loss of motor neurons that control voluntary muscles. ALS is the most commo ...

, the progressive, ultimately fatal neurological condition better known as

's disease. Hunter would die 10 months later from the disease at the age of 53. *November 30 – The

sign free agent pitcher Randy Johnson to a four-year contract worth approximately $50 million.

December

*December 12 – The

set the salary bar higher by signing free agent pitcher Kevin Brown to a seven-year, $105 million contract, the largest in the majors.

Movies

*''

(TV) * '' BASEketball'' *'' Life and Times of Hank Greenberg, The'' * '' Major League: Back to the Minors''

Births

January

*January 2 – Kyle Stowers *January 3 – José Suárez *January 7 – Dermis García *January 8 – Jhoan Durán *January 8 – Ken Waldichuk *January 9 – Alek Manoah *January 9 – Edwin Uceta *January 10 – Oscar González *January 14 – Sam Huff *January 14 – Kevin Vicuna *January 28 –

Matt Manning Matthew George Manning (born January 28, 1998) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Detroit Tigers of Major League Baseball (MLB). The Tigers selected him in the first round of the 2016 MLB draft. Amateur career Manning attended ...

February

*February 1 – Jazz Chisholm Jr. *February 1 – Ryne Nelson *February 2 – Will Brennan *February 2 –

Josh Lowe Joshua Edward Lowe ( ; born February 2, 1998) is an American professional baseball outfielder for the Tampa Bay Rays of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut in 2021. Amateur career Lowe attended Pope High School in Marietta, ...

*February 4 –

George Kirby George Kirby (June 8, 1923 – September 30, 1995) was an American comedian, singer, and actor. Career Born in Chicago, Kirby broke into show business in the 1940s at the Club DeLisa, a South Side establishment that employed a variety-sho ...

*February 5 – Nick Lodolo *February 6 – Adley Rutschman *February 9 – Vidal Bruján *February 11 –

Graham Ashcraft Douglas Graham Ashcraft (born February 11, 1998) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut in 2022. Early life and amateur career Ashcraft grew up in Gurley, Alabama ...

*February 12 – Josh Jung *February 19 –

Juan Yepez Juan David Yepez (born February 19, 1998) is a Venezuelan professional baseball outfielder and first baseman for the St. Louis Cardinals of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut in 2022. Career Atlanta Braves organization Yepez ...

*February 20 – Mason Thompson

March

*March 2 – Johan Oviedo *March 5 –

Bo Bichette Bo Joseph Bichette (born March 5, 1998) is an American professional baseball shortstop for the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball (MLB). High school Bichette was home schooled, but competed in baseball for Lakewood High School in St. Pe ...

*March 9 – Anderson Espinoza *March 18 –

Emmanuel Clase Emmanuel Clase (; born March 18, 1998) is a Dominican professional baseball pitcher for the Cleveland Guardians of Major League Baseball (MLB). He signed with the San Diego Padres as an international free agent in 2015. He made his MLB debut in ...

*March 19 – José Butto *March 22 – Michael Massey *March 31 – Elvin Rodríguez

April

*April 3 – Humberto Castellanos *April 3 – Andrew Vaughn *April 5 –

Beau Brieske Beau Conner Brieske ( '; born April 4, 1998) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Detroit Tigers of Major League Baseball (MLB). Amateur career Brieske attended Perry High School in Gilbert, Arizona, graduating in 2016. He spent ...

*April 5 – José García *April 9 – Hunter Gaddis *April 13 –

Edward Cabrera Edward Brany Cabrera (born April 13, 1998) is a Dominican professional baseball pitcher for the Miami Marlins of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut in 2021. Career Cabrera signed with the Miami Marlins as an international free a ...

*April 21 – A. J. Alexy

May

*May 1 – Anderson Tejeda *May 1 – Miguel Yajure *May 2 –

Ian Anderson Ian Scott Anderson (born 10 August 1947) is a British musician, singer and songwriter best known for his work as the lead vocalist, flautist, acoustic guitarist and leader of the British rock band Jethro Tull. He is a multi-instrumentalist ...

*May 4 – Yonny Hernández *May 7 – Nolan Jones *May 12 – Matt Brash *May 13 –

Mickey Moniak McKenzie Matthew "Mickey" Moniak (born May 13, 1998) is an American professional baseball outfielder for the Los Angeles Angels of Major League Baseball (MLB). Moniak was selected by the Philadelphia Phillies with the first overall pick of the ...

*May 23 – Jonathan Aranda *May 23 – Luis Frías *May 24 – Aaron Ashby *May 28 – Huascar Ynoa

June

*June 3 – Luis Gil *June 9 – Bubba Thompson *June 10 – Cole Waites *June 16 – Will Benson *June 26 – Khalil Lee *June 28 – Josh Winckowski *June 29 – José Miranda

July

*July 11 –

Samad Taylor Below is a partial list of minor league baseball players in the Kansas City Royals system. Players CJ Alexander Charles Joseph Wesley Alexander (born July 17, 1996) is an American professional baseball third baseman for the Kansas City Royals or ...

*July 20 – Chris Rodriguez *July 20 –

Keibert Ruiz Keibert Jose Ruiz (born July 20, 1998) is a Venezuelan professional baseball catcher for the Washington Nationals of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Career Los Angeles Dodgers Ruiz wa ...

*July 25 –

Korey Lee Korey Bryan Lee (born July 25, 1998) is an American professional baseball catcher for the Chicago White Sox of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Houston Astros. From Vista, California, Lee attended University o ...

*July 27 –

Xzavion Curry Xzavion Rashan Curry (born July 27, 1998) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Cleveland Guardians of Major League Baseball (MLB). Amateur career Curry attended Benjamin Elijah Mays High School in Atlanta, Georgia and Georgia Tec ...

*July 27 –

Jeter Downs Jeter Deion Downs (born July 27, 1998) is a Colombian professional baseball shortstop for the Washington Nationals of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has played in MLB for the Boston Red Sox. Listed at and , he bats and throws right-handed. Ear ...

*July 29 –

Sixto Sánchez Sixto Sánchez Encarnación (born July 29, 1998) is a Dominican professional baseball pitcher for the Miami Marlins of Major League Baseball (MLB). Early life Sánchez was born in San Cristóbal, Dominican Republic. He played shortstop as ...

*July 29 –

Jack Suwinski Jack William Suwinski (born July 29, 1998) is an American professional baseball outfielder for the Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball (MLB). Early life and amateur career Jack Suwinski is the third child of parents Tim and Ann Suwinski. ...

August

*August 3 – Jonathan Araúz *August 12 – Joan Adon *August 14 – Cade Cavalli *August 16 – Akil Baddoo *August 16 –

Michael Toglia Michael Anthony Toglia (born August 16, 1998) is an American professional baseball first baseman and outfielder for the Colorado Rockies of Major League Baseball (MLB). Raised in Gig Harbor, Washington, Toglia played three years of college baseba ...

*August 17 – Elehuris Montero *August 17 –

Yoshinobu Yamamoto is a Japanese professional baseball pitcher for the Orix Buffaloes of the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). Professional career Yamamoto made his NPB debut on August 20, 2017 for the Orix Buffaloes. Yamamoto finished the 2021 season with an ...

*August 18 – Andrew Nardi *August 26 – Brusdar Graterol *August 29 – Hunter Brown

September

*September 4 – Andrés Giménez *September 4 – Garrett Mitchell *September 8 –

Leody Taveras Leody Taveras Salazar (born September 8, 1998) is a Dominican professional baseball outfielder for the Texas Rangers of Major League Baseball (MLB). The Rangers signed him as an international free agent in 2015, and he made his MLB debut i ...

*September 15 –

Hans Crouse Hans Michael Crouse (born September 15, 1998) is an American professional baseball pitcher in the Philadelphia Phillies organization. He made his MLB debut in 2021. Amateur career Crouse attended Dana Hills High School in Dana Point, California ...

*September 18 – Andre Pallante *September 19 – DL Hall *September 21 – Yainer Díaz *September 29 – Luis Campusano *September 30 – Hagen Danner

October

*October 1 – Otto López *October 4 – Oneil Cruz *October 5 – Buddy Kennedy *October 6 – Nick Pratto *October 8 – Nick Allen *October 23 – Dylan Carlson *October 25 – Juan Soto *October 28 – Spencer Strider

November

*November 1 – Jeremiah Estrada *November 6 –

Alejandro Kirk Alejandro Kirk (born November 6, 1998) is a Mexican professional baseball catcher for the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball (MLB). Early life Kirk began playing baseball at three years of age, and grew up a fan of Albert Pujols and the ...

*November 16 – Sebastian Rivero *November 19 – Cristian Pache *November 20 – Mario Feliciano *November 24 –

Freddy Tarnok Frederic Michael Tarnok (born November 24, 1998) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Oakland Athletics of Major League Baseball (MLB). He was selected by the Atlanta Braves in the third round of the 2017 Major League Basebal ...

*November 25 – Alec Burleson *November 27 – Bryan Lavastida *November 29 –

MJ Melendez Mervyl S. Melendez (born November 29, 1998) is a Puerto Rican professional baseball catcher for the Kansas City Royals of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut in 2022. Amateur career Melendez attended St. James School in Montgomery ...

December

*December 26 – Nelson Velázquez *December 27 – Simón Muzziotti *December 29 – William Woods *December 30 –

Drew Waters Andrew David Waters nicknamed 'B.A.' (born December 30, 1998) is an American professional baseball outfielder for the Kansas City Royals of Major League Baseball (MLB). Amateur career Waters graduated from Etowah High School in Woodstock, G ...

Deaths

January

*January 3 –

Wayne Ambler Wayne Harper Ambler (November 8, 1915 – January 3, 1998) was an American professional baseball player whose career spanned six seasons, including three in Major League Baseball with the Philadelphia Athletics (1937–1939). Over his career in th ...

, 82, middle infielder who played from 1937 through 1939 for the Philadelphia Athletics, whose baseball career was interrupted by wartime service in the armed forces. *January 6 –

Ronny Miller Roland Arthur Miller (August 28, 1918 – January 6, 1998) was a pitcher in Major League Baseball. He played for the Washington Senators.Hiker Moran Albert Thomas Moran (January 1, 1912 – January 7, 1998) was a pitcher in Major League Baseball who played from 1938 to 1939 for the Boston Bees The Atlanta Braves, a current Major League Baseball franchise, originated in Boston, Massach ...

, 86, pitcher for the Boston Bees in the 1938 and 1939 seasons. *January 11 – Joe Becker, 89, catcher for the Cleveland Indians from 1936–1937, later a pitching coach for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers (1955–1964), St. Louis Cardinals (1965–1966) and Chicago Cubs (1967–1970). *January 29 –

Anna Mae Hutchison Anna May Hutchison Hutch"(May 1, 1925 – January 29, 1998) was a female pitcher and catcher who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at , 149 lb., she batted and threw right-handed. Sometime ...

, 72, two-time All-Star pitcher who posted several all-time and single-season records in the

All-American Girls Professional Baseball League The All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL) was a professional women's baseball league founded by Philip K. Wrigley which existed from 1943 to 1954. The AAGPBL is the forerunner of women's professional league sports in the Uni ...

. *January 30 –

Lucille Colacito Lucille "Lou" Colacito (later Appugliese; December 27, 1921 – January 30, 1998) was a catcher who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at , 120 lb, she batted and threw right-handed. Born in ...

, 76, All-American Girls Professional Baseball League catcher for the

Kenosha Comets Based in Kenosha, Wisconsin, the Kenosha Comets were a women's professional baseball team that played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. The team played their home games at Kenosha's Lake Front Stadium, but l ...

from 1944 through 1945.

February

*February 5 – Marv Olson, 90, second baseman who played in the early 1930s for the Boston Red Sox. *February 8 –

Betty Foss Betty "Fossey" Weaver-Foss (May 10, 1929 – February 8, 1998) was an infielder and outfielder who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at , 180 lb., she was a switch-hitter and threw right-hand ...

, 68, All-Star infielder and two-time champion bat in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. *February 9 – Bill Froats, 67, pitcher who played for the Detroit Tigers in the 1955 season. *February 11 –

Mike Fornieles : José Miguel Fornieles y Torres (January 18, 1932 – February 11, 1998) was a Major League Baseball pitcher from La Habana, Cuba. The right-hander pitched a one hitter in his major league debut on September 2, . Washington Senators Fornieles ...

, 66, Cuban All-Star relief pitcher who played from 1952 through 1963 for five teams, spending just over half his 12-year career with the Boston Red Sox, where he achieved his greatest success, including the 1960 season in which he tied for the American League lead in saves, led in games pitched, and won the inaugural ''Sporting News'' Fireman of the Year Award. *February 18 – Harry Caray, 83, beloved and much-parodied broadcaster for the St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago White Sox and Chicago Cubs since 1945. *February 23 –

Ray Stoviak Raymond Thomas Stoviak (June 6, 1915 – February 23, 1998) was an outfielder in Major League Baseball. He played for the Philadelphia Phillies in 1938. He was the last player to be struck out in a major league game at the Baker Bowl in Philadelph ...

, 82, backup outfielder in 10 games for the 1938 Philadelphia Phillies. *February 25 – Joe Gallagher, 83, outfielder who played in 165 games in 1939 and 1940 for the New York Yankees, St. Louis Browns and Brooklyn Dodgers. *February 27 –

Carlos Ascanio Carlos Ascanio (April 4, 1918 – February 27, 1998) was a baseball player for the New York Black Yankees of the Negro leagues. He played first base and was nicknamed "The Earthquake" due to his powerful swing. Ascanio was the only Venezuelan to ...

, 79, steady first baseman for the 1946

New York Black Yankees The New York Black Yankees were a professional Negro league baseball team based in New York City; Paterson, New Jersey; and Rochester, New York. Beginning as the independent Harlem Stars, the team was renamed the New York Black Yankees in 1932 and ...

, who is regarded as the only Venezuelan ballplayer to perform in the Negro leagues.

March

*March 5 – Slick Castleman, 84, pitcher who played from 1934 through 1939 for the New York Giants, including the National League Champion team that lost to the New York Yankees in six games in the 1936 World Series. *March 6 – Frank Barrett, 84, reliever who saw most of his work in the majors during World War II, while pitching sporadically during 12 seasons for the St. Louis Cardinals (1939), Boston Red Sox (1944–1945), Boston Braves (1946) and Pittsburgh Pirates (1950). *March 10 –

Ed Walczak Edwin Joseph "Husky" Walczak (September 21, 1915 – March 10, 1998) was a Major League Baseball (MLB) player. Born in West Warwick, Rhode Island, he played with the Philadelphia Phillies in September of the 1945 season. He batted and threw righ ...

, 82, second baseman who played briefly for the Philadelphia Phillies during the 1945 season. *March 17 – Milo Candini, 80, pitcher who played for the Washington Senators in all or part of eight seasons spanning 1943–1949, before joining the Philadelphia Phillies "Whiz Kids" in 1950 and 1951. *March 23 – Joseph Jessup, 83, pitcher in the Negro leagues from 1940 to 1948. *March 23 – Ray Scott, 78, celebrated NFL television play-by-play announcer who also made his mark in baseball; TV/radio voice of Minnesota Twins from 1961 to 1968, then part-time from 1973 to 1975; also called games for 1970–1971 Washington Senators and 1976–1977 Milwaukee Brewers. *March 29 – Dick Phillips, 66, first baseman for the San Francisco Giants and Washington Senators over four seasons spanning 1962 and 1966; Pacific Coast League MVP (1961); later coached for San Diego Padres (1980), scouted for the Pittsburgh Pirates, and managed in the minor-league systems of the Padres, Minnesota Twins and Milwaukee Brewers.

April

*April 1 – Dave Smith, 83, pitcher who played from 1938 to 1939 with the Philadelphia Athletics. *April 6 – John Wyatt, 62, All-Star pitcher who played nine seasons for five American League clubs, including Boston Red Sox during their

1967 World Series The 1967 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1967 season. The 64th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff between the American League (AL) champion Boston Red Sox and the National Leag ...

season, when he was the winning pitcher in Game 6. *April 11 – Doris Tetzlaff, 77, infielder and coach during ten seasons in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. *April 13 – Jack Bolling, 81, first baseman who played with the 1939 Philadelphia Phillies and the 1944 Brooklyn Dodgers. *April 13 – Randy Brown, 54, backup catcher for the California Angels in the 1969 and 1970 seasons. *April 18 –

Walter Sessi Walter Anthony Sessi (July 23, 1918 – April 18, 1998), nicknamed "Watsie", was an American Major League Baseball outfielder and pinch hitter who appeared in 20 total MLB games for the St. Louis Cardinals in and . The native of Finleyville, ...

, 79, outfielder for the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1941 and 1946 seasons, one of many players who missed many years of his career due to serving in the military during World War II. *April 26 –

Gabe Paul Gabriel Howard Paul (January 4, 1910 – April 26, 1998) was an American executive in Major League Baseball who, between 1951 and 1984, served as general manager of the Cincinnati Reds, Houston Colt .45s, Cleveland Indians and New York Ya ...

, 88, longtime baseball executive; general manager of the Cincinnati Reds (1951–1960), Houston Colt .45s (1960–1961), Cleveland Indians (1961–1969 and 1971–1973) and New York Yankees (1974–1977); part-owner and club president of Indians (1962–1973) and Yankees (1973–1977), returning to Indians as club president (1978–1984). *April 27 – John Irvin Kennedy, 71, infielder; first African American ballplayer in Philadelphia Phillies history when he made his debut on April 22, 1957. *April 29 – Ron Blackburn, 63, pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates during the 1958 and 1959 seasons.

May

*May 1 –

Heinie Heltzel William Wade "Heinie" Heltzel (December 21, 1913 – May 1, 1998) was an American baseball player. He played professional baseball as a shortstop and third baseman from 1935 to 1947, including stints with the Boston Braves in 1943 and the Philad ...

, 84, third baseman who played from 1943 to 1944 for the Boston Braves and Philadelphia Phillies. *May 2 –

Johnny Grodzicki John Grodzicki (February 26, 1917 – May 2, 1998) was an American Major League Baseball pitcher. A native of Nanticoke, Pennsylvania, he pitched for the St. Louis Cardinals in 1941, 1946 and 1947. The right-hander stood and weighed . A top pi ...

, 81, pitcher who debuted for the St. Louis Cardinals in 1941, then missed four seasons (1942 to 1945) serving as a paratrooper in the U.S. Army during World War II, where he was wounded in action behind enemy lines; after surgery and rehabilitation, returned to the Cardinals and appeared in 19 MLB games in 1946 and 1947; later, a longtime scout and pitching instructor *May 4 – Sam Gentile, 81, outfielder who played for the Boston Braves during its 1943 season *May 9 – Ray Noble, 79, Cuban catcher who spent 14 seasons in the Minor and Negro leagues between 1945 and 1961, as well as three seasons with the New York Giants from 1951 to 1953. *May 14 – Bill Sodd, 83, pinch hitter who appeared in just one game for the Cleveland Indians in the 1937 season. *May 15 – Packy Rogers, 85, infielder who appeared in 23 games for the 1938 Brooklyn Dodgers and later managed in the Minor Leagues and scouted for the Minnesota Twins. *May 16 –

Rufino Linares Rufino de la Cruz Linares (February 28, 1951 – May 16, 1998) was a professional baseball player who played four seasons for the Atlanta Braves and California Angels of Major League Baseball. Born in San Pedro de Macorís, Dominican Republic, L ...

, 47, Dominican Republic left fielder for the Atlanta Braves who hit .298 for the 1982 division champion team. *May 22 – Fred Hatfield, 73, third baseman who played from 1950 through 1958 for five teams, most prominently with the Boston Red Sox between 1950 and 1952. *May 26 – Charlie White, 70, African American catcher who spent 16 years in baseball from 1950 to 1966, including 14 full seasons in the Negro leagues and two in Major League Baseball with the Milwaukee Braves in 1954 and 1955.

June

*June 4 – Shirley Povich, 92, sportswriter for ''The Washington Post'' since 1924. *June 7 –

Tom Buskey Thomas William Buskey (February 20, 1947 – June 7, 1998) was an American Major League Baseball middle relief pitcher. Listed at 6' 3", 200 lb., he batted and threw right handed. Career Born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Buskey attended Harrisb ...

, 51, relief pitcher who played from 1973 through 1980 for the New York Yankees, Cleveland Indians and Toronto Blue Jays. *June 10 –

Jim Hearn James Tolbert Hearn (April 11, 1921 – June 10, 1998) was an American professional baseball player, a pitcher in Major League Baseball for 13 seasons (1947–59). The right-hander was listed as tall and . Career Born in Atlanta, Hearn attende ...

, 77, All-Star pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals and New York Giants who won 17 games for New York's 1951 pennant winners. *June 11 –

Harry Anderson Harry Laverne Anderson (October 14, 1952 – April 16, 2018) was an American actor, comedian and magician. He is best known for his role of Judge Harry Stone on the 1984–1992 television series ''Night Court''. He later starred in the si ...

, 66, outfielder and first baseman for the Philadelphia Phillies and Cincinnati Reds from 1957 to 1961. *June 21 –

Al Campanis Alexander Sebastian Campanis (Greek: Αλέξανδρος Σεβαστιανός Καμπάνης; November 2, 1916 – June 21, 1998) was an American executive in Major League Baseball (MLB). He had a brief major league playing career, as a ...

, 81, general manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers from 1968 to 1987, previously a scout for the organization in a span of 18 years, who was fired after making racially controversial remarks during a 1987 ''

Nightline ''Nightline'' (or ''ABC News Nightline'') is ABC News' late-night television news program broadcast on ABC in the United States with a franchised formula to other networks and stations elsewhere in the world. Created by Roone Arledge, the prog ...

'' interview.

July

*July 1 – Ed Connolly, 58, southpaw who pitched in the 1960s for the Boston Red Sox and Cleveland Indians; son of 1930s catcher Ed Sr. *July 2 – Leon Brinkopf, 71, shortstop for the 1952 Chicago Cubs. *July 6 –

Ed Sanicki Edward Robert "Butch" Sanicki (July 7, 1923 – July 6, 1998) was an American professional baseball player. An outfielder, he appeared in 20 Major League games for the and Philadelphia Phillies. Born in Wallington, New Jersey, he attended Clif ...

, 74, outfielder in 20 games for the Philadelphia Phillies in 1949 and 1951, who in his first Major League at-bat hit a three-run home run off

Rip Sewell Truett Banks "Rip" Sewell (May 11, 1907 – September 3, 1989) was a right-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played 13 years in the major leagues with the Detroit Tigers (1932) and Pittsburgh Pirates (1938–1949). Sewell was ...

of the Pittsburgh Pirates. *July 13 – Red Badgro, 95, outfielder who appeared in 143 MLB games with 1929–1930 St. Louis Browns; also an NFL Hall of Fame end who played for three teams between 1927 and 1936. *July 16 – Jess Dobernic, 80, pitcher who played for the Chicago White Sox, Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds in part of three seasons between 1939 and 1949, whose baseball career was interrupted because of his military service during World War II. *July 19 – Elmer Valo, 77, Slovak-born right fielder who batted .300 five times for the Philadelphia and Kansas City Athletics; ace pinch hitter for Athletics and five other clubs; later worked as an MLB coach and minor league manager and scout. *July 27 –

Bill Tuttle William Robert Tuttle (July 4, 1929 – July 27, 1998) was an American professional baseball player. Primarily a center fielder, he appeared in 1,270 games played in Major League Baseball over 11 seasons for the Detroit Tigers (1952; –1957 ...

, 69, center fielder and third baseman for three American League teams between 1952 and 1963, who batted .300 for the 1959 Kansas City Athletics.

August

*August 3 – Bob Starr, 65, sportscaster and play-by-play announcer on radio or television for the St. Louis Cardinals, California Angels and Boston Red Sox between 1972 and 1997. *August 6 – Jack Brickhouse, 82, broadcaster for the Chicago Cubs from 1941 through 1981, as well with the Chicago White Sox for over 20 years. *August 9 –

Ray Moss Raymond Earl Moss (December 5, 1901 in Chattanooga, Tennessee – August 9, 1998) was a pitcher in Major League Baseball. He pitched from 1926 to 1931 with the Brooklyn Robins and Boston Braves The Atlanta Braves, a current Major League B ...

, 96, pitcher who played from 1926 to 1931 with the Brooklyn Robins and Boston Braves. *August 13 –

Rafael Robles Rafael Orlando Robles Natera (October 20, 1947 – August 13, 1998) was a shortstop in Major League Baseball. He was born in San Pedro de Macorís, Dominican Republic. He was signed by the San Francisco Giants as an amateur free agent before ...

, 50, Dominican Republic shortstop best known as the first player to come to bat in San Diego Padres history, for whom he played in parts of three seasons between 1969 and 1972. *August 17 –

Johnny Lipon John Joseph Lipon (November 10, 1922 – August 17, 1998) was an American Major League Baseball shortstop for the Detroit Tigers, Boston Red Sox, St. Louis Browns and Cincinnati Redlegs over the course of nine seasons (1942; 1946; 1948–1954). Th ...

, 75, shortstop for the Detroit Tigers and three other MLB teams (1942, 1946 and 1948–1954), who scored 104 runs in the 1950 season; manager of Cleveland Indians from July 30, 1971 through end of the season; spent three decades as a manager in the minor leagues. *August 17 – Jim Murray, 79, sportswriter for the ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the ...

'' from 1961–1998, who earned a

Pulitzer Prize The Pulitzer Prize () is an award for achievements in newspaper, magazine, online journalism, literature, and musical composition within the United States. It was established in 1917 by provisions in the will of Joseph Pulitzer, who had made ...

and was named the nation's best sportswriter 14 times. *August 20 – Gene Host, 65, pitcher for the Detroit Tigers in 1956 and the Kansas City Athletics in 1957. *August 20 – Fred Sington, 88, outfielder who played from 1934 to 1939 for the Washington Senators and Brooklyn Dodgers. *August 22 –

Minoru Murayama was a professional baseball player for the Osaka Tigers (later Hanshin Tigers) in Nippon Professional Baseball. His number ''11'' is retired with the Tigers. A pitcher with Hanshin from 1959 to 1972, he recorded a career 2.09 ERA and 192 care ...

, 61, Hall of Fame NPB pitcher and manager who played for the Osaka Tigers/Hanshin Tigers from 1959 to 1972 and managed them from 1970 to 1972 and again from 1988 to 1989.

September

*September 7 –

Earl Harrist Earl "Irish" Harrist (April 20, 1919 – September 7, 1998) was an American Major League Baseball pitcher with the Cincinnati Reds, Chicago White Sox, Washington Senators, St. Louis Browns and the Detroit Tigers between 1945 and 1953. Harris ...

, 79, pitcher with the Cincinnati Reds, Chicago White Sox, Washington Senators, St. Louis Browns and the Detroit Tigers in five seasons between 1945 and 1953. *September 9 – Jerry Zimmerman, 63, catcher who played in 483 games, mostly as a backup, for the Cincinnati Reds and the Minnesota Twins from 1961 to 1968, then a coach for the Montreal Expos and Twins for 12 more seasons. *September 11 –

Larry Bradford Larry Bradford (December 21, 1949 – September 11, 1998) was a pitcher in Major League Baseball. He played for the Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Br ...

, 48, pitcher for the Atlanta Braves during three seasons between 1977 and 1981. *September 17 –

Slim Emmerich William Peter "Slim" Emmerich (September 29, 1919 – September 17, 1998) was an American professional baseball player. The right-handed pitcher stood tall and weighed . Emmerich made his Major League Baseball debut in 1945 with the New Y ...

, 78, pitcher for the New York Giants from 1945–1946. *September 17 – Chet Hoff, 107, pitcher for the New York Highlanders and St. Louis Browns, who became the longest-lived major league player. *September 22 –

Billy Williams Billy Leo Williams (born June 15, 1938) is a former left fielder and coach in Major League Baseball (MLB) who played from 1959 to 1976, almost entirely for the Chicago Cubs. A six-time All-Star, Williams was named the 1961 National League (NL) ...

, 68, National League umpire from August 14, 1963 to June 29, 1987, when a broken leg ended his career; worked in 3,432 league games, four NL Championship Series, three World Series and three All-Star games. *September 30 – Dan Quisenberry, 45, All-Star relief pitcher for the Kansas City Royals who led the AL in saves a record five times, posted the first 40-save season in history, and held an American League career record from 1987 to 1992, while ending twice as a Cy Young runnerup.

October

*October 2 –

Gene Autry Orvon Grover "Gene" Autry (September 29, 1907 – October 2, 1998), nicknamed the Singing Cowboy, was an American singer, songwriter, actor, musician, rodeo performer, and baseball owner who gained fame largely by singing in a crooning s ...

, 91, owner of the Angels since their formation in 1961 who hoped in vain for the team's first pennant, watching the team fall achingly short three times. *October 4 – Lee Grissom, 90, All-Star pitcher who played from 1934 through 1941 for the Cincinnati Reds, New York Yankees, Brooklyn Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies; brother of

Marv Grissom Marvin Edward Grissom (March 31, 1918 – September 19, 2005) was an American professional baseball pitcher and pitching coach. During his active career he appeared in 356 games in Major League Baseball for the New York / San Francisco Giants (1 ...

. *October 6 – Mark Belanger, 54, All-Star shortstop and eight-time Gold Glove winner for the Baltimore Orioles, and later a players' union official. *October 10 – Strick Shofner, 79, third baseman for the 1947 Boston Red Sox. *October 10 – El Tappe, 71, backup catcher who appeared in 145 games for the Chicago Cubs between 1954 and 1962, coached for them between 1959 and 1965, and served as "head coach" during their College of Coaches experiment for parts of 1961 and 1962. *October 16 –

Frank Carswell Frank Willis Carswell (November 6, 1919 – October 16, 1998) was an American third baseman, first baseman, outfielder, manager and scout in professional baseball. Although he played only 16 Major League Baseball games in his career, for the 19 ...

, 78, outfielder for the 1953 Detroit Tigers and prodigious minor-league slugger; later a successful minor league manager and Tiger scout; enshrined in the International League Hall of Fame. *October 21 – Phil Haugstad, 74, pitcher for the Brooklyn Dodgers and Cincinnati Reds between 1947 and 1952. *October 30 – George Schmees, 74, first baseman/outfielder/pitcher for the St. Louis Browns and Boston Red Sox in 1952. *October 31 – Bob Thurman, 81, slugging outfielder in the Caribbean and Negro leagues between the mid-1940s and early 1950s, and from 1956 through 1959, at the end of his career, in majors with the Cincinnati Redlegs.

November

*November 2 – Elmo Plaskett, 60, catcher and native of U.S. Virgin Islands who played for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1962 and 1963. *November 10 – Hal Newhouser, 77, Hall of Fame pitcher for the Detroit Tigers who won back-to-back MVP awards in 1944 and 1945, while topping the American League in wins four times as well as in ERA and strikeouts twice each, and leading Detroit to Game 7 victory over the Chicago Cubs in the 1945 World Series. *November 13 – Al Wright, 86, second baseman for the 1933 Boston Braves. *November 20 – George Brophy, 72, Minnesota Twins executive from the team's relocation to Minneapolis–Saint Paul in 1961 through 1985; as assistant farm system director (through 1969) and farm director (1969–1985), he helped develop key players for the Twins' 1987 and 1991 World Series champions. *November 20 – Dick Sisler, 78, All-Star first baseman and left fielder for three National League teams, whose closing day home run brought the Philadelphia Phillies the 1950 pennant; member of 1946 World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals; later acting manager (1964) and manager (1965) of Cincinnati Reds; longtime batting coach; son of Hall-of-Famer

George Sisler George Harold Sisler (March 24, 1893 – March 26, 1973), nicknamed "Gorgeous George", was an American professional baseball first baseman and player-manager. From 1915 through 1930, he played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis ...

whose brother

Dave Dave may refer to: Film, television, and theater * ''Dave'' (film), a 1993 film starring Kevin Kline and Sigourney Weaver * ''Dave'' (musical), a 2018 stage musical adaptation of the film * Dave (TV channel), a digital television channel in the ...

also played in the majors. *November 23 – Bob Betts, 70, public announcer at Milwaukee County Stadium for 23 seasonsPA announcer falls ill
. ''Milwaukee Brewers website''. Published on May 13, 2008. Retrieved on January 21, 2018. *November 28 – M. Donald Grant, 94, Wall Street stockbroker; chairman and minority owner of the New York Mets from their 1961 founding to 1978. *November 29 – Jim Turner, 95, All-Star pitcher from 1937 through 1945 for the Boston Bees, Cincinnati Reds and New York Yankees; pitching coach of Yankees (1949–1959 and 1966–1973) and Reds (1961–1965); member of eight World Series champions. *November 30 – Jesse Levan, 72, third baseman and outfielder for the Philadelphia Phillies in 1947 and the Washington Senators from 1954–1955, who bounced around in the minor leagues, where he won several batting titles. *November 30 –

Ad Liska Adolph James Liska (July 10, 1906 – November 30, 1998) was an American baseball pitcher who played five years in Major League Baseball and 14 for the Portland Beavers of the Pacific Coast League. Early life and career Born in Nebraska, Liska t ...

, 92, pitcher for the Washington Senators and Philadelphia Phillies from 1929–1933, who later went on to play 14 seasons for the Triple-A Portland Beavers, winning 15 or more games nine times.

December

*December 2 – Ben Guintini, 79, backup outfielder for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1946 and the Philadelphia Athletics in 1950 who played a total of five games in the majors. *December 2 – Red Roberts, 80, backup infielder for the 1943 Washington Senators. *December 15 –

Johnny Riddle John Ludy Riddle (October 3, 1905 – December 15, 1998) was an American professional baseball player and coach. He appeared in 98 games in Major League Baseball as a reserve catcher for the Chicago White Sox (1930), Washington Senators (1937), ...

, 93, catcher, manager and coach with unusual 33-year career; played from 1927 through 1930 in the minors, then with five MLB teams in parts of seven seasons between 1930–1948; in between, spent all or parts of three seasons as a player-manager in the minors (1942–1944); later worked for 10 years as a coach in the National League for five teams between 1948 and 1959; won a World Series ring as first base coach of 1957 Milwaukee Braves; brother of Elmer Riddle. *December 16 - Johnny Gorsica, 83, pitcher for the Detroit Tigers during seven seasons between 1940 and 1947, also a member of the 1940 American League champion team who served in the United States Navy during World War II and missed the 1945 baseball season, when the Tigers won the World Series championship. *December 18 –

Denny Galehouse Dennis Ward Galehouse (December 7, 1911 – December 12, 1998) was an American Major League Baseball pitcher with the Cleveland Indians, Boston Red Sox and the St. Louis Browns between 1934 and 1949. Galehouse batted and threw right-handed. ...

, 87, pitcher who won 109 games with the Cleveland Indians, Boston Red Sox and St. Louis Browns in a span of 15 seasons from 1934–1949; Red Sox' surprise starting pitcher in

1948 American League tie-breaker game The 1948 American League tie-breaker game was a one-game extension to Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1948 regular season, played between the Cleveland Indians and Boston Red Sox to determine the winner of the American League (AL) pennant. The g ...

who was routed by the

Lou Boudreau Louis Boudreau (July 17, 1917 – August 10, 2001), nicknamed "Old Shufflefoot", "Handsome Lou", and "The Good Kid", was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for 15 seasons, primarily as a ...

's Indians, paving the way for Cleveland's 1948 World Series title. *December 19 – Joe Mack, 86, first baseman for the 1945 Boston Braves. *December 20 – John Anderson, 69, pitcher who played for the Philadelphia Phillies, Baltimore Orioles, St. Louis Cardinals and Houston Colt .45's in three seasons between 1958 and 1962. *December 26 – Dewey Adkins, 80, pitcher for the Washington Senators and Chicago in part of three seasons between 1942 and 1949. *December 30 – Jack Graham, 82, backup first baseman and right fielder who played in 239 games for the Brooklyn Dodgers, New York Giants and St. Louis Browns in 1946 and 1949; son of Peaches Graham.

Sources

External links

Major League Baseball official website

Minor League Baseball official website

Baseball Almanac – Major League Baseball Players Who Died in 1998
{{DEFAULTSORT:1998 In Baseball

Headline events of the year

Champions

Major League Baseball

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Major League Baseball final standings

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See also

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External links