As a result of a players' strike, the MLB season ended prematurely on August 11, 1994. No postseason (including the World Series) was played. Minor League Baseball was not affected. During the shortened Major League Baseball season, the league adorned uniforms and stadiums to announce the 125th anniversary of baseball's first professional team, the Cincinnati Red Stockings. The Yomiuri Giants also celebrated their sixtieth anniversary with their eighteenth championship in the Japan Series.
Considered by some to be among history's greatest athletes, Michael Jordan suited up for the Birmingham Barons, the Class AA affiliate of the Chicago White Sox. He played in his first game on April 9, going 0-for-3.
February 7 - Basketball superstar Michael Jordan signs a minor league contract with the Chicago White Sox. He is invited to spring training with the team as a non-roster invitee.
February 15 - Ila Borders becomes the first woman to pitch in a college game. Appearing for Southern California College of Cosa Mesa, Borders throws a five-hit, 12–1 victory against Claremont-Mudd-Scripps.
February 25 - The Veterans Committee elects Phil Rizzuto and Leo Durocher to the Baseball Hall of Fame.
April 3 - The Cincinnati Reds host an opening night game on Easter Sunday against the St. Louis Cardinals. It is the first time in Major League history that a season opens with a night game instead of a day game. Only 32,803 attend the game, which is criticized by many Reds fans at the time as breaking tradition.
April 8 – Kent Mercker of the Atlanta Braves pitches a 6–0 no-hitter against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium, striking out 10 in the process. For Mercker, it is his first complete game in the Major Leagues. In the first half of the ninth inning, Chan Ho Park comes on to pitch for the Dodgers, becoming the first Korean player to appear in a Major League game.[1]
July 12 - Moisés Alou's double in the 10th inning gives the National League an 8–7 victory over the American League in the All-Star Game. The NL is now a perfect 9–0 in extra-inning contests. John Hudek of the Houston Astros becomes the first pitcher in Major League history to appear in an All-Star Game before recording a victory in the regular season. Fred McGriff, whose two-run home run in the ninth inning ties the score, takes MVP honors.
August 11 - The final games of the Major League Baseball season are played on this date. The next day, the players' strike begins. Minor League Baseball games are not affected.
September 14 - The owners of the Major League clubs vote 26–2 to officially cancel the remainder of the 1994 season, including the playoffs and World Series. There is no World Series for the first time since 1904.
October 22 - The Japan Series begins as baseball's professional championship. Reporters from major American newspapers arrive in Japan for their Fall Classic coverage. Ken Harrelson, the play-by-play announcer for the Chicago White Sox, calls the Japan Series for US audiences on regional sports networks under the Prime SportsChannel banner.
October 29 - The Yomiuri Giants win Game 6 of the Japan Series to become professional baseball's World Champions. Legend says this is the luckiest of all championship years, as it is the team's sixtieth anniversary, as they are deemed world champions by some baseball media.
January 8 - Harvey Haddix, 68, All-Star pitcher best remembered for a 1959 game with the Pirates in which he threw 12 perfect innings before losing in the 13th; won 20 games for 1953 Cardinals and earned three Gold Gloves.
January 9 - Johnny Temple, 66, All-Star second baseman, primarily for the Cincinnati Reds, who batted .300 three times.
January 10 - Chub Feeney, 72, National League president from 1970 to 1986.
January 24 - Pat Crawford, 91, infielder for three different National League teams from 1929 to 1934, including the 1934 World Champions Cardinals.
February 12 - Ray Dandridge, 80, Hall of Fame third baseman of the Negro Leagues who often batted over a .350 batting average.
March 16 - Eric Show, 37, pitcher who won 100 games for the San Diego Padres and surrendered Pete Rose's record 4,192nd hit.
March 23 - Roger Wolff, 82, knuckleball pitcher for the Athletics, Senators, Indians and Pirates from 1941-1947.
May 9 - Ralph Brickner, 69, pitcher for the Boston Red Sox in the 1950s.
June 12 - Jim Brock, 57, coach at Arizona State since 1972 who led the school to two College World Series titles.
July 13 - Jimmie Reese, 93, infielder for the Yankees, Angels, Cardinals and Padres; later a minor league manager and a long-time coach for the Angels.
July 14 - César Tovar, 54, outfielder for the Minnesota Twins who in 1968 became the second major leaguer to play all nine positions in a game; had his team's only hit on five occasions.
June 23 - Marv Throneberry, 62, first baseman for the Yankees, Orioles, Mets and Kansas City A's.
July 26 - Roland Gladu, 83, Canadian third baseman for the 1944 Boston Braves.
August 25 - Cliff Garrison, 88, pitcher for the 1928 Boston Red Sox.
September 5 - Hank Aguirre, 63, All-Star pitcher who led AL in ERA in 1962 with the Detroit Tigers.
September 16 - Shirley Stovroff, 63, AAGPBL catcher and a member of two championship teams.
November 5 - Gene Desautels, 87, spent 19 years as a catcher, including 13 major league seasons with the Detroit Tigers, Boston Red Sox, Cleveland Indians and Philadelphia Athletics.
December 4 - Russ Scarritt, 91, left fielder for the Boston Red Sox and Philadelphia Phillies from 1919 to 1932, who in 1929 set a still-standing record for a Red Sox rookie with 17 triples in a season.
December 26 - Allie Reynolds, 77, 6-time All-Star pitcher, mainly with the Yankees, who led AL in ERA in 1952 and in strikeouts and shutouts twice; in 1951 was first AL pitcher to throw two no-hitters in same year, and was MVP runnerup in 1952; career .630 winning percentage.