The1976 Major League Baseball season ended with theCincinnati Reds winning their second consecutiveWorld Series championship.
This was the last season of the expansion era (dating back to 1961) until 1993 in which theAmerican League (AL) and theNational League (NL) had the same number of teams.
Alockout occurred during March 1–17, but it did not impact the regular season.[1]
The Reds won the1976 World Series by sweeping theNew York Yankees in four games; the Reds remain the only team to go undefeated in the postseason since the advent of the divisional era in 1969. It was the Reds' last title untilLou Piniella led the team to a championship in1990. This was the second time that the Yankees were swept in a World Series, the first having been by theLos Angeles Dodgers in the1963 World Series.
July 8 – AtWrigley Field,Randy Jones wins his 16th game of the year for theSan Diego Padres, a National League record for wins at theAll-Star break. He beats theChicago Cubs 6–3. In the second half of the season, Jones will lose seven games by one run, two of them by 1–0 scores.
July 9 – In Montreal, theHouston Astros'Larry Dierkerno-hits the hostMontreal Expos, 6–0. He strikes out eight batters, including the first two in the ninth inning. Dierker had previously thrown two one-hitters.
July 13 – TheNational League emerges victorious in the annualAll-Star Game by a score of 7–1.George Foster, one of sevenCincinnati Reds position players on the squad, hits a home run with three RBI, and is named the MVP. Rookie pitcherMark Fidrych gives up two runs and takes the loss. It is the NL's 13th win over theAmerican League in the last 14 games.
July 19 –Willie Davis of the San Diego Padres gets his 2500th hit versus the Chicago Cubs, a single in the 4th off ofBill Bonham at San Diego Stadium. The Padres won 3-2.
July 24 – In a 17-2 blowout of theChicago White Sox,Lyman Bostock becomes the fourthMinnesota Twin to hit for the cycle. Batting fourth for the first time ever, he goes four-for-four, with fourRBI and four runs scored.
July 26 –Carl Yastrzemski of the Boston Red Sox gets his 2500th hit versus the Cleveland Indians, a double in the 1st off ofStan Thomas at Fenway Park. The Red Sox lost 9-4. Yastrzemski was beaten to the milestone one week earlier by his contemporary, Willie Davis on July 19.
August 8 – The first game of today'sRoyals–White Sox double header atComiskey Park sees the White Sox appear on the field in shorts. The Sox return to long pants for the second game, after stealing five bases and defeating the Royals, 5-2.
August 9 –John Candelaria became the first Pirates pitcher in 69 years to throw a no-hitter inPittsburgh by blanking the Los Angeles Dodgers 2-0. Candelaria's no-hitter came atThree Rivers Stadium. No Pirate ever threw a no-hitter atForbes Field.
September 3 – AtShea Stadium,Tom Seaver fansTommy Hutton of the Phillies in the 7th inning of the Mets 1-0 victory. Hutton is Seaver's 200th strikeout victim of the season – the 9th straight year the Mets' right-hander has reached that mark.
September 6 –Dodgers catcherSteve Yeager is seriously injured when the jagged end of a broken bat strikes him in the throat while he is waiting in the on-deck circle.
September 10 – California'sNolan Ryan strikes out 18 White Sox hitters in a 9-inning 3-2 victory at Chicago.
September 11 –Orestes "Minnie" Miñoso comes out of his twelve-year retirement. Playing at home for theWhite Sox, he goes 0-for-3 againstFrank Tanana. The next day, he will single, becoming the oldest player to hit safely in a Major League game.
September 18 – Player-ManagerFrank Robinson of theCleveland Indians inserts himself into the lineup as a pinch hitter in the eight inning of a game against theBaltimore Orioles. He singles in what will be his final at-bat as a player. His influence as a manager and executive will continue for decades to come.
September 21 – In Cincinnati, theCincinnati Reds clinch the National League West title with a 9-1 pasting of the San Diego Padres.
September 25 – The Yankees put an end to a 6-game losing streak with a 10-6 win over the Tigers to wrap up the AL East, the Yankees' first visit to the postseason since the1964 World Series.Doyle Alexander gets the victory.
September 26 – In the last big league games atMontreal'sJarry Park, thePhiladelphia Phillies beat theMontreal Expos 4-1 in the first game of a doubleheader to clinch the National League East title. Philly takes the nightcap, 2-1. Following the 2nd game,Dick Allen jumps the team in protest of the fact that veteranTony Taylor is not listed on the post-season roster.
September 28 – The Dodgers'Walter Alston, after 23 seasons and 2,040 victories, steps down as manager. Third base coachTommy Lasorda is promoted to the post.
October 3 -Hank Aaron plays the final game of his eventual hall of fame career in a loss to theDetroit Tigers in Milwaukee County Stadium 5-2. He had 3 at bats being struck out the first two times with the final at bat being an RBI.
This was the first season of MLB's new national TV rights agreements withABC andNBC. ABC won the rights to showMonday Night Baseball, theAll-Star Game and bothLeague Championship Series in even-numbered years, andWorld Series in odd-numbered years. NBC continued to air the weekendGame of the Week, as well as All-Star Game and both League Championship Series in odd-numbered years, and World Series in even-numbered years.
