January 20 – Believing that it is unnecessary to protect a 39-year-old pitcher, the New York Mets leave Tom Seaver unprotected, and he is chosen by the Chicago White Sox from the Mets as a Free Agent compensation pick.
March 8 – Shortstop Pee Wee Reese and catcher Rick Ferrell are elected to the Hall of Fame by the Special Veterans Committee. Reese hits .269 in 16 seasons with the Dodgers in Brooklyn and Los Angeles, while Ferrell bats .281 with 28 home runs in 18 seasons for the Browns, Red Sox and Senators.
April 13 – Twenty-one years to the day that he collects his first Major League hit, Pete Rose collects the 4,000th hit of his career; he is only the second player (after Ty Cobb) to ever do so.
May 4 – Dave Kingman of the Oakland Athletics pops a ball up that never comes down. Playing the Minnesota Twins at the Metrodome, Kingman's pop fly goes through the roof of the stadium. On May 1, 2004, Kingman appears with the catcher for the Twins that day, Mickey Hatcher and watches as he fails to catch a ball dropped from the roof.
May 8 – Kirby Puckett finishes his debut major league game with a career batting average of .800. Going 4 for 5 as his Minnesota Twins shut out California, Puckett will collect 2300 more hits before retiring prematurely in 1996 due to injury.
May 8 – May 9 – The Chicago White Sox and Milwaukee Brewers face off in a game that refuses to end. Started on the 8th, the game is suspended after a 3-3 tie and seventeen innings. When the game is resumed the next day, both teams manage to score three runs in the 21st inning, and is only ended when Harold Baines slams a home run in the bottom of the 25th inning to end the 8 hour, six minute marathon; the longest game, by time, in Major League history. Tom Seaver, the last pitcher available for the White Sox, earns the win, and then goes on to start the regularly scheduled game that day, earning a second win on one day for a starting pitcher.
May 24 – The Detroit Tigers' Jack Morris pitches a four hit complete game victory against the California Angels to improve his record to 9-1, and the team's record to 35-5, the best 40-game start in major league history.[4]
May 27 – As the Cincinnati Reds played the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field, Cubs third basemanRon Cey hit a long foul ball down the left field line, but third base umpireSteve Rippley incorrectly ruled it a home run. Reds pitcherMario Soto shoves Rippley during an argument over the call. After conferring, the umpires change their decision and rule it a foul ball. However, for shoving Rippley, Soto is ejected, prompting him to charge the field and attack Cubs third base coach Don Zimmer, which triggers a ten-minute bench-clearing brawl. The Reds win the game, completing a three-game sweep of the Cubs. Four days later, National League president Chub Feeney suspends Soto five games for the incident.
June 16 – Leading off the fifth inning, Cincinnati RedspitcherMario Soto throws several brushback pitches at Atlanta Braves slugger Claudell Washington, who homers in his last at-bat. Washington tosses his bat in the direction of Soto, and tries to go out to retrieve it, but instead walks toward the mound. Umpire Lanny Harris attempts to restrain Washington, but he is thrown to the ground. Soto uses the distraction to punch Washington. Several of Washington's teammates attempt to hold Washington to the ground. While they are doing that, Soto fires the baseball into the crowd of players, striking Braves coach Joe Pignatano. Soto is suspended three games for this incident; Washington receives a five-game suspension for shoving Lanny Harris.[5]
June 19 – In his first start since being acquired from the Cleveland Indians, Rick Sutcliffe pitches into the ninth inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Three Rivers Stadium without giving up a run. He is lifted in the ninth after giving up one earned run, and two more unearned runs follow after Lee Smith replaces him on the mound, but the Cubs hold on for the 4-3 victory.
June 23 – At Wrigley Field, the Chicago Cubs and rival St. Louis Cardinals locked up in what would be a tight game. In the bottom of the ninth inning, trailing 9-8, the Cubs' Ryne Sandberg hit a solo-home run off of Bruce Sutter. The Cardinals regained the lead in the tenth inning 11-9, but Sandberg hit another home run off Sutter in the bottom of the frame, this time with one runner on base and two outs. The Cubs went on to win the game 12-11 in the following inning, and eventually won the National League East. Sandberg won the MVP Award this season, with this game as a key contribution. In addition to Sandberg's performance, St. Louis outfielder Willie McGee would hit for the cycle.
July 4 – Phil Niekro of the New York Yankees records his 3,000th career strikeout. He is the second to do so on the Fourth of July, after Nolan Ryan in 1980.
July 26 – Pete Rose of the Montreal Expos tied Ty Cobb on the career singles list, No. 3,052, with a base hit in the eighth inning in a 5-4 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates.
August 9 – Tom Seaver only lasts 3.2 innings and gives up six earned runs in his first career start against the New York Yankees. Seaver is credited with the loss, as the Yankees beat the Chicago White Sox 7-6.[6]
August 12 – Fulton County Stadium sees a series of beanings, attempted beanings, and two bench clearing fist fights, the second of which sees fans spill out onto the field. Nineteen Atlanta Braves and San Diego Padres are ejected. Dick Williams, manager of the Padres, is fined $10,000 and suspended ten days, while Braves manager Joe Torre is suspended for three games.
September 7 – In a crucial battle for first place in the National League East, Dwight Gooden strikes out eleven Chicago Cubs batters and allows only one hit (a lead-off single by Keith Moreland in the fifth inning) in the Mets' 10-0 victory at Shea.
Reggie Jackson becomes the 13th player in major league history to record 500 home runs. No. 500 comes against Kansas City Royals pitcher Bud Black. Jackson's home run occurs exactly 17 years after he gets his first career hit.
September 19 – Pete Rose collects his 100th hit of the season, becoming the first player in Major League history to collect that many hits in 22 consecutive seasons. It happens to be his 725th career double, which establishes a new National League record.
September 23 – A 4-1 win over the New York Yankees gives the Detroit Tigers 100 wins for the season, and gives Tigers' manager Sparky Anderson the honor of being the first manager in history to guide teams to 100-win seasons in both leagues.[8]
September 28 – In addition to saving 29 games this season, Minnesota Twins closer Ron Davis blows his 14th save today to tie a season record. The mark was set in 1976 by future Hall-of-Famer Rollie Fingers, and subsequently tied by Bruce Sutter (1978) and Bob Stanley (1983).
September 30 – In the New York Yankees' final game of the season, the American League batting race is decided when Don Mattingly goes 4 for 5 to raise his average to .343, while teammate Dave Winfield finishes with a .340 average. The two teammates battle for the league lead in batting average for most of the year.
November 6 – Willie Hernández wins the American League MVP Award, joining Rollie Fingers as the only relief pitchers to be named MVP and Cy Young Award winners in the same season. Boston Red Sox slugger Tony Armas finishes seventh, despite winning the home run and RBI titles. The last player to lead in those categories and not win is Ted Williams, twice, in the 1942 and 1947 seasons.
November 20 – Four days after his 20th birthday, New York Mets pitcher Dwight Gooden becomes the youngest player ever to win the National League Rookie of the Year Award. Gooden posts a 17-9 record with a 2.60 ERA and a major league-leading 276 strikeouts.
January 18 – Leo Kiely, 54, pitcher for the Boston Red Sox in the 1950s, who in 1957 set two PCL records with 20 wins in relief, 14 of them in consecutive games, and also became the first major leaguer to play in Japanese Baseball, for the Mainichi Orions, in 1953.
February 26 – Joe Kuhel, 77, first baseman for the Washington Senators and Chicago White Sox known for strong defense, batted .300 three times.
March 18 – Charlie Lau, 50, renowned hitting instructor, with the White Sox since 1981, who earned fame as the Kansas City Royals batting coach (1971–78) where his star pupil was George Brett.
March 20 – Stan Coveleski, 94, Hall of Fame pitcher who had five 20-win seasons with the Indians and Senators, and led Cleveland to the 1920 World Series championship with three victories over the Brooklyn Dodgers; spitballer led AL in ERA twice and strikeouts once.
April 5 – Chet Kehn, 62, pitcher for the 1942 Brooklyn Dodgers, and one of many players who only appeared in the majors during World War II
April 6 – Glenn Wright, 83, shortstop for the Pirates, Dodgers and White Sox
June 17 – Jim Hegan, 63, 5-time All-Star catcher for the Indians known for outstanding defense; later a Yankees coach and scout
July 24 – Jake Dunn, 74, Negro league baseball player from 1930 to 1940
July 31 – Beans Reardon, 86, National League umpire from 1926 to 1949 who worked in five World Series; known for his colorful arguments and continued use of the outside chest protector
August 14 – Lynn McGlothen, 34, All-Star pitcher who had his best years with the St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs
August 16 – Tommie Aaron, 45, first baseman and left fielder who played for the Braves in Milwaukee and Atlanta; Braves coach since 1978, and younger brother of Hank Aaron
August 23 – Charlie Robertson, 88, pitcher who spent most of his career with the Chicago White Sox; pitched a perfect game in 1923 against the Tigers in his fourth major league start; last survivor of the 1919 White Sox team
August 25 – Waite Hoyt, 84, Hall of Fame pitcher whose 237 victories included 20-win seasons for the Yankees in 1927-28; won six World Series games, giving up only two unearned runs in three complete games in the 1921 Series, and was a Reds broadcaster from 1942–1965
August 31 – Audrey Wagner, 56, All-Star outfielder in the AAGPBL who won three home run titles, a batting crown, and the 1948 Player of the Year Award
September 7 – Joe Cronin, 77, Hall of Fame shortstop and manager, and AL president from 1959 to 1973, who batted .301 lifetime and had eight 100-RBI seasons; managed Senators to 1933 pennant at age 26, won 1946 flag with Boston, and was Red Sox president from 1948–1959
October 1 – Walter Alston, 72, Hall of Fame manager who guided Dodgers teams to seven National League pennants and four World Series championships between 1954 and 1976; 2040 wins ranked behind only John McGraw in NL history upon retirement
October 1 – Billy Goodman, 58, All-Star infielder for the Red Sox and White Sox who won the 1950 AL batting title
October 13 – Ed Carroll, 77, pitcher for the 1929 Boston Red Sox
October 13 – George Kelly, 89, Hall of Fame first baseman who batted over .300 six straight years with the New York Giants from 1921–26; led NL in RBI twice and home runs once, later a coach and scout
October 15 – Red Cox, 89, pitched three games for the 1920 Detroit Tigers.
October 19 – Del Lundgren, 85, pitched from 1924 through 1927 for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Boston Red Sox
October 21 – Johnny Rigney, 69, one of the Chicago White Sox top pitchers in the years prior to World War II; later the club's general manager
October 22 – Babe Pinelli, 89, National League umpire from 1935 to 1956, previously a Reds third baseman; he worked in six World Series, last calling balls and strikes on Don Larsen's perfect game in 1956
October 26 – Gus Mancuso, 78, All-Star catcher who played on five pennant winners with the Cardinals and Giants
November 25 – Ival Goodman, 76, All-Star right fielder for the Cincinnati Reds who led NL in triples twice
November 30 – Chris Pelekoudas, 66, NL umpire from 1960 to 1975 who worked in two World Series and two NLCS
December 16 – Debs Garms, 77, outfielder and third baseman who won the 1940 NL batting title with the Pittsburgh Pirates
December 20 – Gonzalo Márquez, 38, Venezuelan first baseman who batted .625 in the 1972 postseason as an Oakland Athletics rookie
December 20 – Steve Slayton, 82, pitcher who played for the 1928 Boston Red Sox