Orioles

Red Sox

White Sox

Indians

Tigers

Athletics

Angels

Twins

Yankees

Senators

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Locations of teams for the 1965American League season
American League

Cubs

Reds

Astros

Dodgers

Braves

Mets

     Phillies

Pirates  

  Giants

Cardinals

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Locations of teams for the 1965National League season
National League

The1965 major league baseball season began on April 12, 1965. The regular season ended on October 3, with theLos Angeles Dodgers andMinnesota Twins as the regular season champions of theNational League andAmerican League, respectively. The postseason began with Game 1 of the62nd World Series on October 6 and ended with Game 7 on October 14. The Dodgers defeated the Twins, four games to three, capturing their fourth championship in franchise history, since their previous in1963. Going into the season, the defendingWorld Series champions were theSt. Louis Cardinals from the1963 season.

The36th Major League Baseball All-Star Game, was held on July 13 atMetropolitan Stadium inBloomington,Minnesota, home of theMinnesota Twins. TheNational League won, 6–5.

TheHouston Colt .45s became theHouston Astros, as they moved fromColt Stadium to the newAstrodome, becoming the first team to play their home games indoors, rather than outdoors. It was also the final season for theMilwaukee Braves, before relocating toAtlanta, Georgia and becoming theAtlanta Braves for the1966 season. TheLos Angeles Angels officially changed their name toCalifornia Angels on September 2, 1965, with only 28 games left in the season, in advance of their pending 1966 move to a new stadium inAnaheim, California.

In June, the firstMajor League Baseball draft was held inNew York City. Teams chose players in reverse order of the previous season's standings, with picks alternating between American League and National League teams.^[1] With the first pick of the1965 MLB draft, theKansas City Athletics tookRick Monday, anoutfielder fromArizona State University.^[2]

This wasFord Frick's last season of his 14-year tenure asCommissioner of Baseball, as he resigned following the season's end on November 16.US ArmyLTGWilliam Eckert was elected and took office on November 17.^[3][4]

The 1965 schedule consisted of 162 games for all teams in the American League and National League, each of which had ten teams. Each team was scheduled to play 18 games against the other nine teams of their respective league. This continued the format put in place by the American League since the1961 season and by the National League since the1962 season, and would be used until1969.

Opening Day took place on April 12, featuring 16 teams. The final day of the regular season was on October 3, which saw all 20 teams play. TheWorld Series took place between October 6 and October 14.

The 1965 season saw the following rule changes:

• The size of thecatcher's mitt was regulated to be that of aleather mitt, not more than 15½ from top the bottom and not more than 38 inches in circumference.^[5][6]
• The 1964 rule allowing expansion teams (Houston Astros,Los Angeles Angels,New York Mets, andWashington Senators) tofarm out four first-year players was ended.^[7]
• TheCommissioner of Baseball had the power to veto any action by owners that were determined to be detrimental to baseball reinstated (having previously been stripped of said power following the death of commissionerKenesaw Mountain Landis in 1944).^[7]
• If team owners disagreed with the Commissioner of Baseball, the commissioner was granted immunity from legal actions.^[7]
• In June 1965, thebonus rule was permanently rescinded, and in its place, theRule 4 draft was introduced. This draft would take place three times per year, with the January draft intended for high-school midyear graduates,junior college players, and players who had dropped out of four-year colleges. Junior college players were required to wait until their current season was completed before they could sign.^[8] the June draft was for high-school and college graduates in spring, and a September draft for players from amateur leagues.^[7]

The postseason began on October 6 and ended on October 14 with theLos Angeles Dodgers defeating theMinnesota Twins in the1965 World Series in seven games.

Hitting leaders^[10]

Stat	Player	Total
AVG	Tony Oliva (MIN)	.321
OPS	Carl Yastrzemski (BOS)	.932
HR	Tony Conigliaro (BOS)	32
RBI	Rocky Colavito (CLE)	108
R	Zoilo Versalles (MIN)	126
H	Tony Oliva (MIN)	185
SB	Bert Campaneris (KCA)	51

Pitching leaders^[11]

Stat	Player	Total
W	Mudcat Grant (MIN)	21
L	Bill Monbouquette (BOS)	18
ERA	Sam McDowell (CLE)	2.18
K	Sam McDowell (CLE)	325
IP	Mel Stottlemyre (NYY)	291.0
SV	Ron Kline (WSH)	29
WHIP	Eddie Fisher (CWS)	0.974

• Hutch Award:Mickey Mantle (NYY)
• Sport Magazine'sWorld Series Most Valuable Player Award:Sandy Koufax (LAD)

• Pud Galvin

TheHouston Colt .45s open theHouston Astrodome (and aptly rename as theHouston Astros) after playing atColt Stadium for three seasons. The team would play at the Houston Astrodome for 35 seasons through1999.

TheMilwaukee Braves would play their final game atMilwaukee County Stadium on September 22 against theLos Angeles Dodgers, relocating toAtlanta,Georgia atAtlanta Stadium as theAtlanta Braves for the start of the1966 season.

TheCalifornia Angels would play their final two games atDodger Stadium^[a] on September 22 in adoubleheader against theBoston Red Sox, moving intoAnaheim Stadium for the start of the1966 season.

In 1965,ABC provided the first-ever nationwide baseball coverage with weekly Saturday broadcasts on a regional basis. ABC paid $5.7 million for the rights to the 28 Saturday/holidayGames of the Week. ABC's deal^[42][43] covered all of the teams except theNew York Yankees andPhiladelphia Phillies^[44] (who had their own television deals) and called for two regionalized games on Saturdays,Independence Day, andLabor Day.^[45] Each Saturday, ABC broadcast two 2 p.m.ET games and one game for thePacific Time Zone at 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m local time.

Although MLB ended theGame of the Weekblackouts in cities with MLB clubs, ABC blacked out the games in the home cities of the clubs playing those games.^[46]

Meanwhile, CBS continued to air its own slate ofGames of the Week with the rights to individual teams, with its New York Yankees games in particular beating ABC in the ratings. At the end of the season, ABC declined to exercise its $6.5 million option for 1966, citing poorratings,^[47][48] especially in New York.

Although it did not airGames of the Week this season,NBC continued to air theAll-Star Game andWorld Series.

• Jim Umbricht had his No. 32 retired by theHouston Astros on April 12. This was the first number retired by the team.
• Casey Stengel had his No. 37 retired by theNew York Mets on September 2. This was the first number retired by the team.
• Warren Spahn had his No. 21 retired by theAtlanta Braves on December 11. This was the first number retired by the team.

• 1965 in baseball (Events,Births,Deaths)
• 1965 Nippon Professional Baseball season

Wikimedia Commons has media related to1965 in Major League Baseball.

• 1965 Major League Schedule atBaseball Reference

• 1965 Major League Baseball season
• Major League Baseball seasons
• 1965 in baseball

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