The following are thebaseball events of the year2007 throughout the world.
Champions
editMajor League Baseball
edit- Regular Season Champions
League | Eastern Division Champion | Central Division Champion | Western Division Champion | Wild Card Qualifier |
---|---|---|---|---|
American League | Boston Red Sox | Cleveland Indians | Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim | New York Yankees |
National League | Philadelphia Phillies | Chicago Cubs | Arizona Diamondbacks | Colorado Rockies |
- World Series Champion –Boston Red Sox
- Postseason – October 2 to October 28
Division Series (ALDS,NLDS) | League Championship Series (NLCS,ALCS) | World Series | ||||||||||||
1 | Boston | 3 | ||||||||||||
3 | LA Angels | 0 | ||||||||||||
1 | Boston | 4 | ||||||||||||
American League | ||||||||||||||
2 | Cleveland | 3 | ||||||||||||
2 | Cleveland | 3 | ||||||||||||
4 | NY Yankees | 1 | ||||||||||||
AL1 | Boston | 4 | ||||||||||||
NL4 | Colorado | 0 | ||||||||||||
1 | Arizona | 3 | ||||||||||||
3 | Chicago Cubs | 0 | ||||||||||||
1 | Arizona | 0 | ||||||||||||
National League | ||||||||||||||
4 | Colorado | 4 | ||||||||||||
2 | Philadelphia | 0 | ||||||||||||
4 | Colorado | 3 |
- Higher seed had home field advantage during Division Series and League Championship Series.
- The American League champion has home field advantage during the World Series as a result of the AL victory in theAll-Star Game.
- Postseason MVPs
- World Series MVP –Mike Lowell (Boston Red Sox)
- ALCS MVP –Josh Beckett (Boston Red Sox)
- NLCS MVP –Matt Holliday (Colorado Rockies)
- All-Star Game, July 10 atAT&T Park – American League, 5–4;Ichiro Suzuki (Seattle Mariners), MVP
Other champions
edit- Minor League Baseball
- Triple-A Championship:Sacramento River Cats (Athletics)
- International League:Richmond Braves (Braves)
- Pacific Coast League: Sacramento River Cats (Athletics)
- Mexican League:Sultanes de Monterrey
- AA
- A-Advanced
- Class A
- Class A Short Season
- Rookie
- Triple-A Championship:Sacramento River Cats (Athletics)
- Independent baseball leagues
- Alaska Baseball League:Fairbanks AIA Fire
- American Association:Fort Worth Cats
- Atlantic League:Newark Bears
- Canadian-American Association:Nashua Pride
- Frontier League:Windy City ThunderBolts
- Golden Baseball League:Chico Outlaws
- Northern League:Gary SouthShore RailCats
- United League Baseball:Alexandria Aces
- Amateur
- College baseball
- Youth
- International
- National teams
- International club team competitions
- Caribbean Series:Águilas Cibaeñas (Dominican Republic)
- European Cup:Corendon Kinheim (Netherlands) [1]
- Konami Cup Asia Series:Chunichi Dragons (Japan)
- Domestic leagues
- Australia –Claxton Shield :Victoria Aces
- China Baseball League –Tianjin Lions
- Cuban National Series:Santiago de Cuba
- Dominican Winter League:Águilas Cibaeñas
- Holland Series:Corendon Kinheim
- Italian Serie A1Scudetto –Grosseto
- Japan Series:Chunichi Dragons
- Korean Series –SK Wyverns
- Mexican Pacific League:Naranjeros de Hermosillo
- Puerto Rican Professional Baseball League:Gigantes de Carolina
- Taiwan Series –Uni-President Lions
- Venezuelan Professional Baseball League:Tigres de Aragua
1 – The appearance by the Huskies of Rouen, France in the final marks the first time since 1976 that a team from outside the professional leagues ofthe Netherlands orItaly has finished in the top two.
Awards and honors
edit- Baseball Hall of Fame honors
- Cal Ripken Jr. andTony Gwynn are elected by theBBWAA in their first year of eligibility.
- Rick Hummel, columnist for theSt. Louis Post-Dispatch who covered theSt. Louis Cardinals for three decades, received theJ. G. Taylor Spink Award.
- Denny Matthews, broadcaster for theKansas City Royals since the team's 1969 formation, received theFord C. Frick Award.
- MVP Awards
- National LeagueJimmy Rollins,Philadelphia Phillies
- American LeagueAlex Rodriguez,New York Yankees
- Cy Young Awards
- National LeagueJake Peavy,San Diego Padres
- American LeagueCC Sabathia,Cleveland Indians
- Rookie of the Year Awards
- National LeagueRyan Braun,Milwaukee Brewers
- American LeagueDustin Pedroia,Boston Red Sox
- Manager of the Year Awards
- National LeagueBob Melvin,Arizona Diamondbacks
- American LeagueEric Wedge,Cleveland Indians
- Woman Executive of the Year (major or minor league): Shari Massengill,Kinston Indians, Carolina League
- Silver Slugger Awards
- American League
- National League
- Gold Glove Awards
- American League
- National League
- P:Greg Maddux (his record 17th)
- C:Russell Martin
- 1B:Derrek Lee
- 2B:Orlando Hudson
- 3B:David Wright
- SS:Jimmy Rollins
- OF:Carlos Beltrán
- OF:Jeff Francoeur *
- OF:Andruw Jones
- OF:Aaron Rowand *
* Francoeur and Rowand finished tied in the voting
Major league baseball final standings
edit†Denotes the club that won thewild card for its respective league. The Rockies defeated the Padres 9–8 (13) in aone-game playoff for the NL wild card.
The 90 wins by the Diamondbacks and Rockies were the fewest to lead the NL since 1959, with the exception of the strike-shortened seasons of 1981, 1994 and 1995. No NL team won or lost 95 games for the first time since 1983.
Also, this was the second consecutive season in which no team won at least 60% of its games, the first time that this has happened inMajor League Baseball history.
Events
editJanuary–March
edit- January 9 – As the result of questions regarding his involvement in the ongoing steroids investigations,Mark McGwire falls well short in his first effort to be elected to theBaseball Hall of Fame.Cal Ripken Jr. andTony Gwynn, meanwhile, are elected easily.
- January 11 – TheNew York Daily News reports thatBarry Bonds tests positive foramphetamines at some point during the2006 season and that Bonds initially cites a supplement he receives fromSan Francisco Giants teammateMark Sweeney as a possible reason for the positive test. Testing rules established in 2006 require that first positive tests must remain confidential.
- February 4 – TheIsrael Baseball League announces the official teams of the inaugural season:Bet Shemesh Blue Sox,Modi'in Miracle,Netanya Tigers,Petach Tikva Pioneers,Ra'anana Express,Tel Aviv Lightning. Dropped from the league are theHaifa Stingrays andJerusalem Lions.
- March 31 – TheSt. Louis Cardinals defeat theCleveland Indians 5–1 in the inauguralCivil Rights Game, held atAutoZone Park inMemphis, Tennessee.
April
edit- April 2:
- Bruce Froemming works behind home plate for the opener between the Athletics and Mariners, tyingBill Klem's major league record of 37 seasons as an umpire.
- TheTribune Company, after agreeing to a buyout of $8.2 billion by real estate magnateSam Zell, announces that theChicago Cubs are to be sold following the 2007 season.
- April 10 – 12 – In a case of life imitating art, theCleveland Indians, displaced by a freak spring snowstorm, play a series against theLos Angeles Angels inMilwaukee. Most of the game action in the 1989 filmMajor League, in which the Indians are the featured team, is actually filmed in Milwaukee at theBrewers' home at that time,County Stadium.
- April 15 – To celebrate the sixtieth anniversary ofJackie Robinson's first major league game, dozens of players wear his league-wide retired number, 42. TheLos Angeles Dodgers are one of six teams whose entire roster wears number 42 for their games.
- April 15 –Marco Scutaro hits a three-run,walk-off home run againstMariano Rivera with two outs in the bottom of ninth inning to lead theOakland Athletics to a 5–4 victory against theNew York Yankees.[1]
- April 17 - TheWashington Nationals pay tribute to the victims of the school shooting at Virginia Tech. The Nationals take the field in the second inning of a game versus theAtlanta Braves wearing Virginia Tech hats. The hat ofChris Snelling currently resides in the hall of fame at Cooperstown.
- April 18 –Mark Buehrle of theChicago White Sox pitches ano-hitter against theTexas Rangers, becoming the team's first pitcher sinceWilson Álvarez in1991, and the 16th in franchise history, to throw a no-hitter.[1]
- April 20 –Bruce Froemming umpires at first base in the Cleveland Indians-Tampa Bay Devil Rays game, passingBill Klem to become – at age 67 years, 204 days – the oldest umpire in major league history.
- April 22 –Chase Wright of the New York Yankees gives up four consecutive home runs in the third inning against the Boston Red Sox, joiningPaul Foytack to become only the second player to accomplish this dubious feat.Manny Ramírez,J. D. Drew,Mike Lowell, andJason Varitek hit the home runs.
- April 23 –Alex Rodriguez of the New York Yankees hits two home runs, his 13th and 14th of the season, in a 10–8 loss to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, surpassing the American League record and tying the Major League record for most home runs hit in the month of April.
- April 29:
- Manny Ramírez becomes the fifth player to hit at least 50 career home runs against the New York Yankees, leading his Red Sox to a 7–4 victory.
- Troy Tulowitzki of theColorado Rockies performs the 13thunassisted triple play in MLB history, catching aChipper Jones line drive, tagging second base to forceKelly Johnson out off the bag, then tagging outÉdgar Rentería in the 7th inning of an 11-inning 9–7 Rockies victory over theAtlanta Braves.
- The Sunday night game between theSt. Louis Cardinals and theChicago Cubs is postponed due to the death of Cardinals relief pitcherJosh Hancock early that morning.
May
edit- May 6 –Roger Clemens announces to the crowd atYankee Stadium that he has signed a contract to play for theNew York Yankees for the remainder of the season.
- May 13:
- Fred Lewis of theSan Francisco Giantshits for the cycle atCoors Field in a 15–2 victory over theColorado Rockies. He led the game off with a double in the 1st, then hit a three-run home run—the first of his career—in the 4th, an RBI triple in the 5th, and capped the cycle off with a single in the 7th.
- Miguel Tejada plays in his 1,118th consecutive game, passingBilly Williams for 5th place all time. However, theBoston Red Sox come back from a 5–0 deficit in the ninth inning en route to a 6–5 victory over theBaltimore Orioles.
- May 21 – In the Hall of Fame Game atDoubleday Field inCooperstown, New York, theBaltimore Orioles defeat theToronto Blue Jays 13–7 with five home runs, including two by minor league catcherBrian Bock.
- May 31 – According to the Elias Sports Bureau, for the first time since 1900, theChicago White Sox lose a game in which the opposing team had no base runners on base at the beginning of any at-bat. Starting pitcherMark Buehrle surrendered two home runs, but no other hits or walks in a 2–0 loss to theBlue Jays.
June
edit- June 4 –Mark Ellishits for the cycle atMcAfee Coliseum as hisOakland Athletics defeat theBoston Red Sox, 5–4 in 11 innings. He hit a triple in the 2nd inning, a solo home run in the 4th and a double in the 6th. Although a fielder's choice in the 8th with the A's holding the lead seemingly ended his run for the cycle, a rally by the Red Sox in the 9th pushed extra innings, allowing Ellis to get the single he needed in the 10th inning.
- June 5 – TheToronto Blue Jays score six runs in the bottom of the 9th when down 11–6 to beat theTampa Bay Devil Rays 12–11, the second five-run deficit overcome in the ninth this season.
- June 6:
- In theSan Diego Padres' 5–2 win over the Dodgers, closerTrevor Hoffman becomes the first pitcher to record 500 career saves.
- Minnesota TwinLuis Castillo commits an error—his first after 143 errorless games at second base. The record is short-lived, asDetroit TigerPlácido Polanco has a similar streak running concurrently, and his ends at 186 games, the new record.
- June 7:
- Curt Schilling carries ano-hitter into the bottom of the 9th with two outs before surrendering a single toShannon Stewart as the Red Sox defeat the A's 1–0. Schilling becomes the first pitcher to give up a no-hitter with two out in the 9th sinceMike Mussina blew aperfect game in 2001.
- Joe Torre of theNew York Yankees becomes the tenth manager to win 2,000 major league games.
- June 12 –Justin Verlander of theDetroit Tigers pitches a 4–0no-hitter against theMilwaukee Brewers. It is the third no-hitter in regular interleague play, the first atComerica Park, and the first for the Tigers since 1984.
- June 15 – TheNew York Yankees' 44-year oldRoger Clemens faces theNew York Mets' 49-year oldJulio Franco in the top of the second inning of what is eventually a Yankee 2–0 shutout win and Franco flies out to right. In what is an otherwise nondescript moment, this is the oldest combined batter-pitcher occurrence ever in the major leagues to date.
- June 16 – The Cubs and Padres each collect only two hits asRussell Branyan's home run in the ninth inning gives San Diego a 1–0 win. The Cubs'Carlos Zambrano takes a no-hitter into the eighth, while Padres starterChris Young allows no hits before being ejected in the fourth following a brawl.
- June 18 – In the longest game inCollege World Series history (5 hours 40 minutes),UC Irvine eliminatesCal State Fullerton with a 5–4 win in 13 innings.
- June 20 –Sammy Sosa becomes the fifth major leaguer to hit600 home runs when he connects againstJason Marquis in theTexas Rangers' 7–3 win over the Cubs. It is his first home run against his former club, giving him at least one against every major league team.
- June 24:
- Modi'in Miracle win the first ever regular-season game in theIsrael Baseball League, beating thePetach Tikva Pioneers, 9–1, atYarkon Sports Complex inPetach Tikva.
- Dustin McGowan of theToronto Blue Jays has what would have been the secondno-hitter in franchise history broken up in the ninth in a 5–0 victory over theColorado Rockies at theRogers Centre.Jeff Baker singles to lead off the inning; the hit is the only one McGowan will allow.Dave Stieb has currently hurled the only no-hitter in Blue Jay history, in1990.
- June 27:
- Ryan Howard of thePhiladelphia Phillies becomes the fastest player in major league history to reach 100 career home runs, taking only 325 games to do so. He surpassesRalph Kiner, who took 385 games.
- Greg Maddux,Tom Glavine andJohn Smoltz, the core of theAtlanta Braves' pitching staff from1993 to2002, all record victories on the same day. AtAT&T Park, Maddux gives up only five hits in seven innings in theSan Diego Padres' 4–2 victory over theSan Francisco Giants. AtShea Stadium, Glavine, pitching for theNew York Mets, shuts out theSt. Louis Cardinals 2–0 in a game that is called after 5 1/2 innings; a second-inning infield single byScott Rolen is the only hit he allows. AtTurner Field, Smoltz, the only member of the trio still pitching for the Braves, pitches five innings of shutout ball as the Braves defeat theWashington Nationals 13–0.
- June 28:
- Frank Thomas becomes the 21st player in major league history to record500 home runs with a first-inning homer off theMinnesota Twins'Carlos Silva at theHubert H. Humphrey Metrodome.
- Craig Biggio becomes the 27th player in major league history to record3,000 hits with a seventh-inning single – his third hit of the game – against theColorado Rockies atMinute Maid Park. Biggio becomes the first member of the 3,000 hit club to be called out at the end of his milestone hit, having been caught trying to stretch the hit into a double. He is the 14th player to record 3,000 hits with his initial team, and in September ends his career with 3,060 hits.
- June 29
- Aubrey Huff of theBaltimore Orioleshits for the cycle atOriole Park at Camden Yards in a 9–7 loss to theLos Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Huff becomes the third Orioles player to do so, joiningBrooks Robinson andCal Ripken Jr., and the first Oriole to hit for the cycle at home in Baltimore. In addition, the triple is his 1000th hit and the double is his 200th double.
- Barry Bonds hits his 750th home run off ofLiván Hernández in the 8th inning atAT&T Park as hisSan Francisco Giants lose 6–4 to theArizona Diamondbacks. Before his historic at-bat, he is hugged in right field by a drunken fan in the top of the 8th, and he assists the fan off the field without incident.
July
edit- July 2 –Roger Clemens becomes the eighth major league pitcher to win 350 games, in the Yankees' 5–1 win over the Minnesota Twins.
- July 6 – With wins of 20–14 and 12–0, theMinnesota Twins score the most runs in a doubleheader since theBoston Red Sox scored 35 times and sweptPhiladelphia on July 4, 1939. The Twins are led in the nightcap byJustin Morneau, who hit three homers. He is the fourth Twin to homer three times in a game, and the first sinceTony Oliva in 1973.
- July 9 –Vladimir Guerrero of the Los Angeles Angels wins the 2007 Home Run Derby in San Francisco. Despite the highly publicized presence ofMcCovey Cove beyond the right field fence, not a single home run touches the water.
- July 10 – TheAmerican League beats theNational League 5–4 in the2007 MLB All-Star Game in San Francisco;Ichiro Suzuki of the Seattle Mariners is named MVP after hitting the first-everinside-the-park home run in All-Star Game history.
- July 15 – TheSt. Louis Cardinals beat thePhiladelphia Phillies 10–2, making the Phillies the first team in professional sports history to lose 10,000 games.
- July 20 –Cuba defeats theUnited States 3–1 to win its 10th consecutive gold medal at thePan-Am Games.
- July 22 –Mike Coolbaugh of theTexas LeagueTulsa Drillers is killed when he is struck in the neck by a line drive foul ball while coaching at first base.
- July 31 – In routing theChicago White Sox 16–3 atYankee Stadium, theNew York Yankees tie a 68-year, single-game franchise record by hitting eight home runs.[2] They had also hit eight home runs (then setting a Major League record) on June 28,1939, in the first game of a doubleheader against thePhiladelphia Athletics.[3]
August
edit- August 4:
- Alex Rodriguez becomes the 22nd player to hit500 career home runs in the Yankees' 16–8 victory over the Royals, and at age 32 becomes the youngest player to reach the milestone.
- Barry Bonds tiesHank Aaron's record of 755career home runs with a second-inning shot off San Diego'sClay Hensley.
- August 5 –Tom Glavine becomes the 23rd pitcher, and just the fifth left-hander, to earn300 career wins as theNew York Mets defeat theChicago Cubs 8–3 atWrigley Field.
- August 7 –Barry Bonds surpassesHank Aaron's record of 755career home runs with a fifth-inning shot off Washington'sMike Bacsik.
- August 8 –Miguel Tejada records his 1,000th careerrun batted in.
- August 9:
- Roger Clemens is suspended for the fourth time in his career for hitting Toronto'sAlex Ríos with a pitch after both teams were warned.
- Rick Ankiel, formerly a pitcher with infamous control problems, returns to the major leagues as an outfielder for theSt. Louis Cardinals, hitting a 3-run home run in his fourth at-bat.
- August 14 –Atlanta Braves managerBobby Cox is ejected by umpireTed Barrett at the end of the fifth inning after arguing a called third strike againstChipper Jones atTurner Field. The ejection is Cox' 132nd of his career, breaking a record he had shared withJohn McGraw.
- August 17:
- Brandon Webb tosses his third straight shutout to achieve 42 innings of scoreless baseball.
- After trailing theMilwaukee Brewers by8+1⁄2 games in theNational League Central on June 23, theChicago Cubs take over sole possession of first place for the first time on the season by defeating theSt. Louis Cardinals 2–1 atWrigley Field, while the Brewers lose to theCincinnati Reds 8–3 atMiller Park.
- August 19 –Johan Santana picks up his 13th win of the year behind a career-best and club-record 17strikeouts in eight innings, helping theTwins wrap up their three-game series at home with theRangers.Sammy Sosa notches the only two Rangers hits.
- August 20 –Bobby Jenks' tied record of 41 consecutive retired batters comes to an end whenJoey Gathright of theKansas City Royals hits a single to lead off the top of the ninth inning of a game between the Royals and White Sox.
- August 22 – In the first game of a doubleheader, theTexas Rangers beat theBaltimore Orioles 30–3, setting a new record for runs scored by a single team in a game in the modern (post-1900) era, and the American League all-time record. The Rangers' 30 runs were the most in a game since theChicago Colts beat theLouisville Colonels 36–7 on June 29, 1897. With a 9–7 victory in the second game, the Rangers also set the record for most runs scored by a single team in a doubleheader, with 39.
- August 31 –Scott Baker of theMinnesota Twins takes aperfect game into the ninth inning against theKansas City Royals, but walksthe first batter and eventually settles for a 5–0 one-hitter (surrendering a single toMike Sweeney).
September
edit- September 1 – In his second major league start, Red Sox rookieClay Buchholz pitches a 10–0no-hitter over the Orioles atFenway Park, becoming the third pitcher to throw a no-hitter in his first or second career start since 1900.Bobo Holloman (first,1953) andWilson Álvarez (second,1991) are the others.
- September 3
- Ichiro Suzuki of the Mariners records his 200th hit of the season, a home run off the Yankees'Roger Clemens. It is the seventh consecutive season he has reached this mark, tying him withWade Boggs for the modern major league record.
- Mets pitcherPedro Martínez records his3000th career strikeout in his first appearance in nearly a year.Aaron Harang, the opposing pitcher for the Reds, is the victim as the Mets win 10–4 in Cincinnati.
- September 5 –Barry Bonds hits his 762nd and final career home run, an opposite-field shot offColorado Rockies pitcherUbaldo Jiménez.
- September 6 –Rick Ankiel's stunning one-month return to baseball as a hitter is mired by controversy when theNew York Daily News reports that he purchased 12 months' worth ofHGH from a Florida pharmacy from January to December2004. A few days later,Jay Gibbons of the Orioles is reported to also have received HGH from the same pharmacy. Ankiel did not deny using HGH prior to MLB's official banning of the substance in2005, stating he used it during that time under the care of a licensed physician.
- September 7 –Curtis Granderson of the Tigers hits his 20th home run of the season, becoming the sixth player in major league history, and the first since 1979, to join the20–20–20 club, indicating 20 doubles, 20 triples, and 20 home runs in the same season. He ends the season with 38 doubles, 23 triples, and 23 home runs.
- September 8 – The 50th and 51st home runs of the season byAlex Rodriguez are his 48th and 49th as a third baseman. The first breaks his own AL record for the position, while the second breaks the major league record for the position which had stood since 1980 (Mike Schmidt, tied byAdrián Beltré in 2004). Rodriguez's 50th home run also makes him the first player in major league history to collect 50 home runs, 130 runs scored, 130 RBI and 20 stolen bases in a single season (the previous closest player wasLarry Walker in1997, who fell one home run short with 49 HR, 143 runs, 130 RBI and 33 steals).
- September 9:
- TheMilwaukee Brewers open the game with consecutive home runs fromRickie Weeks,J. J. Hardy andRyan Braun to defeat the Reds 11–5 atGreat American Ball Park. Weeks, Hardy and Braun connect offPhil Dumatrait, as the Brewers become only the third team in major league history to open a game with three straight home runs, joiningSan Diego'sMarvell Wynne,Tony Gwynn andJohn Kruk (April 13,1987 vs. theSan Francisco Giants) andAtlanta'sRafael Furcal,Mark DeRosa andGary Sheffield (at Cincinnati on May 28, 2003).
- AtComerica Park,Curtis Granderson collects his 20th stolen base during the first inning of a 14–7 Seattle victory over Detroit. Granderson joinsWillie Mays (1957) [26–20–35–38, respectively below] andFrank "Wildfire" Schulte (1911) [30–21–21–23, respectively below] as the only players in major league history with 20 doubles, 20 triples, 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases during a regular season—ending his season with 38 doubles, 23 triples, 23 home runs, and 26 stolen bases.
- September 16:
- Jim Thome of the White Sox, playing in his 2,000th game, becomes the 23rd player in major league history to reach the500 home run milestone when he hits awalk-off home run offDustin Moseley of the Angels to win the game 9–7, making 2007 the first season in history in which three players have hit their 500th homer in the same season. It is also the first time that the 500-homer mark has been reached with a walk-off shot.
- David Wright of the Mets hits his 30th home run of the season to go with 31 stolen bases, becoming only the fifth player in major league history to become a member of the30–30 club before the age of 25, in a 10–6 loss to the Phillies.
- Todd Jones of the Tigers becomes the 21st pitcher in major league history to record 300 saves.
- Todd Helton hits his 300th career home run.
- September 17 –Frank Thomas of the Blue Jays hits three home runs in a 6–1 win over the Red Sox, tying him for 18th all-time withErnie Banks andEddie Mathews with 512. Two of the homers are hit offTim Wakefield, who gave up all three shots in Thomas' only previous three-homer game in 1996.
- September 18 –Moisés Alou of the Mets, age 41, hits in his 22nd consecutive game, a modern era record for a player over 40.
- September 19 –Andy Pettitte becomes the 110th pitcher to earn 200 major league victories in the Yankees' 2–1 win over the Orioles.
- September 21
- Barry Bonds announces that his tenure (1993–2007) with theSan Francisco Giants has ended, after the team indicates it will not sign him for 2008.
- Moisés Alou extends his hitting streak to 25 games, breaking the Mets single-season record shared byMike Piazza andHubie Brooks. In the same game, the Marlins commit a franchise-high six errors in a 9–6 loss. Eight of the nine runs were unearned as a result of the errors, two of them byMiguel Cabrera. Two days later, Alou surpasses David Wright's overall club mark of 26 games, which spanned two seasons. The streak ends at 30 games on the 26th, a new major league record for a player over 40.
- September 22 – TheBoston Red Sox become the first major league team to earn a playoff spot with an 8–6 defeat of the Devil Rays.
- September 23
- TheCleveland Indians clinch their firstAmerican League Central title since2001 with a 6–2 victory over the Athletics. They are also the first team to clinch a division, as the Red Sox have so far only secured a playoff spot.
- TheLos Angeles Angels clinch theAmerican League West title with a 7–4 victory over the Mariners.
- In the Yankees' 7–5 win over the Blue Jays,Mike Mussina becomes the first pitcher in major league history to win 250 games without ever winning 20 in a single season.
- After being home to theWashington Senators from 1961 to 1971 and theWashington Nationals since 2005,Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium hosts its final major league game, a 5–3 Nationals victory over the visiting Phillies before a season-high crowd of 40,519.
- September 25
- Jimmy Rollins joinsDavid Wright as the second member of 2007's30–30 club when he leads off the bottom of the first inning with his 30th home run of the season off Braves pitcherChuck James.
- Shawn Green gets his 2,000th hit when he singles up the middle off of Nationals pitcherJason Bergmann.
- Prince Fielder becomes, at age 23, the youngest player ever to hit 50 home runs after connecting twice in the Brewers' 9–1 victory over the Cardinals. He also becomes part of the first father-son duo to hit 50 home runs in one season, his fatherCecil having hit 51 in1990.
- September 26
- Cardinals sluggerAlbert Pujols hits his 32nd home run of the season in the first inning against the Brewers, giving him 100 RBI and making him the first player in major league history to have at least a .300 batting average with 30 homers and 100 RBI in his first seven seasons.
- Reds second basemanBrandon Phillips homers in the first inning offJuan Gutiérrez of the Astros, making him only the second player at his position to collect 30 home runs and steal 30 bases in the same season.Alfonso Soriano has accomplished the feat three times at the same position. Phillips joinsDavid Wright andJimmy Rollins as the third member of 2007's30–30 club.
- Red Sox third basemanMike Lowell collects five RBI in an 11–6 Boston victory over the Athletics, raising his total to 116 and setting a new team record for most RBI in a season by a third baseman;Butch Hobson collected 112 RBI in 1977.
- TheNew York Yankees secure their 13th consecutive postseason berth with a 12–4 rout of the Devil Rays.
- Barry Bonds goes 0-for-3 in his final game with the Giants, an 11–3 loss to the visiting Padres.
- September 27 – Phillies first basemanRyan Howardstrikes out for the 196th and 197th times of the season, surpassingAdam Dunn's single-season record of 195 strikeouts in2004. He ends the season with a new record of 199 strikeouts.
- September 28
- Jimmy Rollins of the Phillies collects his 705th–709that bats of the season, breakingWillie Wilson's1980 single-season record of 705; he ends the season with 716 at bats.
- TheChicago Cubs clinch theNational League Central title with a 6–0 blanking of the Reds.
- TheBoston Red Sox clinch their firstAmerican League East title since1995 and break the Yankees' streak of nine straight division crowns when they defeat the Twins 5–2 and the Bronx Bombers drop a 10–9 decision to the Orioles in 10 innings.
- In just their tenth year of play, theArizona Diamondbacks secure a playoff spot for the fourth time in franchise history.
- September 29
- TheArizona Diamondbacks clinch their fourthNational League West title even before taking the field against theColorado Rockies, when San Diego loses to Milwaukee 4–3.
- In his second-to-last major league game,Craig Biggio plays at his original position of catcher for the first two innings, playing behind the plate for the first time in 16 years after spending his first four seasons there.
- September 30
- TheNew York Mets lose to theFlorida Marlins 8–1, completing one of the worst collapses in major league history by squandering a 7-game lead with 17 games remaining in the NL East race, and finish the season one game behind thePhiladelphia Phillies, who defeat the Nationals 6–1 to clinch the division title for the first time since1993.
- Jimmy Rollins collects his 20th triple of the season, making him the seventh member of the20–20–20 club and the second new member this year along withCurtis Granderson; this also marks the first time in major league history that two batters record 20–20–20 seasons during the same year. He also becomes the fourth member of the20–20–20–20 club, as well as the first player in major league history to collect at least 20 doubles, 20 triples, 20 home runs and 40 stolen bases in a single season; this also marks the first time that two players record 20–20–20–20 seasons during the same year (Granderson met the mark earlier in September 2007), and the second time that a batter had a30–30 season and a 20–20–20–20 season during the same year (Willie Mays accomplished the feat in1957). Rollins ends the season with 38 doubles, 20 triples, 30 home runs, and 41 stolen bases.
- Bruce Froemming receives a standing ovation from his Milwaukee hometown crowd prior to working his last regular-season game after a record 37 full seasons as a major league umpire; his final game overall takes place on October 8 in the Indians–Yankees AL Division Series. In the game, theSan Diego Padres fail to clinch the NLwild card spot by losing 11–6 to theMilwaukee Brewers. He also extends his record (April 20) for oldest umpire ever in a regular-season game to 68 years, 2 days.
October
edit- October 1 – TheColorado Rockies defeat theSan Diego Padres 9–8 in 13 innings in the2007 NL Wild Card tie-breaker to secure the last of the eight MLB playoff spots, completing a run in which they won 14 of their last 15 games, tying the best 15-game finish in major league history. Despite an error in the game, the Rockies also set a major league record for team fielding percentage (.9893), breaking the2006Boston Red Sox mark of .9891.
- October 2 –Dmitri Young of theWashington Nationals is named the NL Comeback Player of the Year.Carlos Peña of theTampa Bay Devil Rays is named the AL Comeback Player of the Year.
- October 18 – After theNew York Yankees offer him only a one-year contract at a base salary one-third less than what he earned in 2007,Joe Torre leaves after 12 seasons as manager.
- October 22 –Tony La Russa agrees to a new two-year deal to stay on as manager of theSt. Louis Cardinals.
- October 24 – The National Baseball Hall of Fame announces that it will honorBuck O'Neil by establishing alifetime achievement award in his name. O'Neil, a Negro league first baseman and manager who died in October 2006, will be honored with a statue to be dedicated at the next Hall of Fame induction in Cooperstown, N.Y. After leaving the Negro leagues, O'Neil became the first African American coach in the majors by joining the Cubs staff in 1962, and was later an influential figure in the promotion of baseball and study of Negro leagues history. He was nominated to a special Hall ballot for Negro league players, managers, and executives in 2006, but didn't receive the necessary number of votes to gain admission into the Hall.
- October 28
- TheBoston Red Sox complete a 4–0 sweep of theColorado Rockies to win the2007 World Series. The Bosox'Mike Lowell is namedSeries MVP.
- During the early innings of Game 4 of the World Series,Scott Boras, theagent forAlex Rodriguez, announces that A-Rod will exercise his option to void the remaining four years of his contract with the Yankees and will become afree agent.
- October 30 – The Yankees signJoe Girardi to a three-year deal as their new manager. In the meantime, amid rumors that Torre will be hired as the team's new manager,Grady Little resigns as manager of theLos Angeles Dodgers.
November
edit- November 1 – TheChunichi Dragons win the2007 Japan Series over theHokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters 4–1, losing the first game and sweeping the next four. The Dragons'Norihiro Nakamura is the series MVP. This was a rematch of the2006 series, won by the Fighters in the same fashion. Game five was a combined perfect game, with starterDaisuke Yamai throwing eight innings, andHitoki Iwase closing out the ninth.Nippon Professional Baseball does not officially recognize no-hit or perfect games thrown by multiple pitchers.
- November 6:
- Greg Maddux wins his 17thGold Glove Award, breaking a record he had previously shared withJim Kaat andBrooks Robinson.
- By a vote of 25–5, major league general managers endorse the use ofinstant replay for the first time, with the condition that its scope be limited to determining where a potential home run ball left the park or the possibility of fan interference on a home run.
- November 8:
- General managers decide to mandate head protection for first- and third-base coaches during games, starting in 2008. This was prompted by the death on July 22 of minor-league first-base coachMike Coolbaugh of theTulsa Drillers, a Double-A affiliate of theColorado Rockies, who was hit in the neck by a foul line drive, killing him on impact.
- The Tampa Bay Devil Rays officially drop the "Devil" from their name, becoming theTampa Bay Rays. In addition to the name change, they also change their colors from green and black to navy blue, Columbia blue, and gold, and design new uniforms that will be worn starting in 2008.
- November 9 –Italy handed theU.S. team their only loss in Team USA's route to win the2007 Baseball World Cup inTaiwan. It was the U.S.'s first loss to Italy in 21 years and the first time it ever lost to Italy with professional players, as the team consisted ofMajor League Baseball players and topminor league prospects.
- November 12:
- Ryan Braun of the Milwaukee Brewers edgesTroy Tulowitzki of the Colorado Rockies in the closest balloting since1980 (128–126) for the NL Rookie of the Year Award.Dustin Pedroia of the Boston Red Sox is a clear choice in the AL.
- The New York Yankees re-sign catcherJorge Posada for $52.4 million over four years. This makes Posada the highest-paid catcher in MLB history, edging outMike Piazza's $13 million average from 1999 to 2005.
- November 15:
- San Diego Padres pitcherJake Peavy wins the NL Cy Young Award by unanimous vote.
- Alex Rodriguez agrees to an outline of a deal with the New York Yankees (10 years, $275 million, with extra money if he breaks the career home run record with the Yankees. In total the deal could reach $300 million.)
- November 16 –Barry Bonds is indicted on charges of perjury and obstructing justice.
- November 19 – Just four days after agreeing to his new contract with the New York Yankees,Alex Rodriguez wins his 3rd career AL Most Valuable Player Award.
- November 20 – Philadelphia Phillies shortstopJimmy Rollins wins the NL Most Valuable Player Award.
- November 26 – TheLotte Giants hireJerry Royster as their new manager. Royster, a former major league player and longtime minor league manager, is the first foreigner ever hired to manage a team in the Korea Baseball Organization. Another Lotte-owned team, theChiba Lotte Marines, of Nippon Pro Baseball, had had their best run ever thanks to an American manager,Bobby Valentine.
December
edit- December 4 – TheFlorida Marlins andDetroit Tigers strike a blockbuster deal. Florida sendsMiguel Cabrera andDontrelle Willis to Detroit forBurke Badenhop,Eulogio De La Cruz,Cameron Maybin,Andrew Miller,Mike Rabelo, andDallas Trahern.
- December 13 – FormerU.S. SenatorGeorge J. Mitchell releases his long-awaited (409-page)report, 20 months in the making at an estimated cost of $40 million, onuse of performance-enhancing drugs in baseball, naming 89 current and former players.MLB CommissionerBud Selig andPlayers AssociationExecutive DirectorDonald Fehr replied with their own separate statements later in the day.
- December 28 – Retiredmajor leaguecatcherJim Leyritz drove his sport utility vehicle through a red light inFort Lauderdale, Florida, crashing into Fredia Ann Veitch's car and killing her. Blood-test results showed Leyritz'sblood alcohol content three hours after the crash was 0.14 percent, above Florida's legal limit of 0.08.
Media
editDeaths
editJanuary
edit- January 1 –Ernie Koy, 97, well-traveled outfielder who played with the Brooklyn Dodgers from 1938 to 1939 before joining the St. Louis Cardinals (1940–41), Cincinnati Reds (1941–42) and Philadelphia Phillies (1942), compiling a .279/.332/.427line and 36 home runs in 558 games, including a homer in his first major league at-bat, whose career finished when entered military service during World War II.
- January 4 –Bob Milliken, 80, pitcher for the Brooklyn Dodgers in the 1953 and 1954 seasons; later a longtime St. Louis Cardinals coach and instructor.
- January 9 –Ben Callahan, 49, pitcher who worked in four games for the 1983 Oakland Athletics.
- January 16 –Betty Trezza, 81, infielder who batted a historic 14th inning, RBI-single to give theRacine Belles the1946 AAGPBL championship title.
- January 19 –Wilfred "Lefty" Lefebvre, 91, pitcher for the Boston Red Sox and Washington Senators in four seasons spanning 1938 to 1944; later a longtime Red Sox scout.
- January 20 –Vern Ruhle, 55, pitcher who played for the Detroit Tigers, Houston Astros, Cleveland Indians and California Angels during 13 seasons from 1974 to 1986, posting notable starts for Houston in the 1980–1981 playoffs; became a reliablepitching coach for four National League teams over nine seasons between 1997 and 2006; pitching coach of Cincinnati Reds at the time of his death.
- January 23 –Dick Joyce, 63, pitcher for the 1965 Kansas City Athletics.
- January 25 –Jack Lang, 85, sportswriter for New York area newspapers from 1946 to 1989, and also longtimeBBWAA official who was responsible for notifying Hall of Famers of their election from 1966 to 1988.
- January 27 –Bing Devine, 90,general manager of the St. Louis Cardinals (1957–1964; 1968–1978) who built St. Louis' NL pennant winners of 1964 and 1967–1968, and as president of the New York Mets (1966–1967) helped construct 1969 "Miracle Mets".
- January 29 –Art Fowler, 84, pitcher for the Cincinnati Redlegs, Los Angeles Dodgers and Los Angeles Angels over nine seasons spanning 1954–1964, before becoming a pitching coach for five teams under managerBilly Martin in fourteen seasons from 1969 to 1988.
- January 30 –Max Lanier, 91, two-time All-Star pitcher who won 45 games and posted a very solid 2.47earned run average from 1942 to 1944 for the St. Louis Cardinals, leading the National League in ERA in 1943, while winning three consecutive NL pennants and two World Series rings in 1942 and 1944, including the final game of the1944 Classic;[4] one of the most prominent American players to "jump" his MLB contract (and its reserve clause) to play in outlaw Mexican League in 1946, for which he was suspended from Organized Baseball for over three years; father ofHal Lanier.
February
edit- February 1 –Ray Berres, 99, catcher for four NL teams from 1934 to 1945, later a White Sox pitching coach for nearly two decades.
- February 4 –Steve Barber, 68, All-Star pitcher for the Orioles who in 1963 became the first 20-game winner in modern Baltimore history.
- February 4 –Jim Pisoni, 77, outfielder, the last player to debut in a St. Louis Browns uniform, who also played for the Kansas City Athletics, Milwaukee Braves and New York Yankees.
- February 6 –Lew Burdette, 80, All-Star pitcher for the Braves who was MVP of the 1957 World Series, led NL with 21 wins in 1959; also pitched for Yankees, Cardinals, Cubs and Angels.
- February 7 –Josephine Lenard, 85, All-Star outfielder who played ten seasons in theAAGPBL
- February 9 –Hank Bauer, 84, three-time All-Star right fielder for the New York Yankees, being a member of seven World Series champion teams between 1949 and 1966, who later managed the Baltimore Orioles to the1966 World Series title.
- February 15 –Terry Enyart, 56, pitcher who appeared in two games for the 1974 Montreal Expos.
- February 15 –Buddy Hancken, 92, catcher for the 1940 Philadelphia Athletics; later a minor league manager and MLB scout, coach and executive.
- February 18 –Danny Reynolds, 87, infielder for the 1945 Chicago White Sox.
- February 20 –Bob Malloy, 88, pitcher who played for the Cincinnati Reds and St. Louis Browns in a span of five seasons between 1943 and 1949, one of many ballplayers whose career was interrupted during World War conflict.
- February 20 –Casey Wise, 74, infielder who played for the Chicago Cubs, Milwaukee Braves and Detroit Tigers over four seasons from 1957 to 1960.
- February 21 –Sherman Jones, nicknamed "Roadblock", 72, pitcher for the San Francisco Giants, Cincinnati Reds and New York Mets in three seasons from 1960 to 1962, who also appeared in the1961 World Series with Cincinnati and later served as a Kansas legislator for twelve years.
March
edit- March 2 –Clem Labine, 80, two-time All-Starrelief pitcher who played from 1950 through 1962, winning three World Series rings with the1955 Brooklyn Dodgers, the1959 Los Angeles Dodgers, and the1960 Pittsburgh Pirates, as well as National League pennants withBrooklyn in 1953 andin 1956, ending his career with the1962 expansion New York Mets.[5]
- March 3 –Gene Oliver, 71, catcher and first baseman for five teams in the 1960s who hit 21 home runs for the 1965 Milwaukee Braves.
- March 7 –Emil Mailho, 97, outfielder for the 1936 Philadelphia Athletics.
- March 8 –John Vukovich, 59, third baseman for three teams, mainly for the Philadelphia Phillies from 1970 to 1981, coaching later for them during 17 seasons.
- March 10 –Art Lopatka, 87, pitcher who played with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1945 and for the Philadelphia Phillies in 1946.
- March 10 –Bobby Sturgeon, 87, middle infielder for the Chicago Cubs and Boston Braves in part of six seasons spanning 1940–1948, one of many big leaguers whose career was interrupted during World War II.
- March 12 –Norm Larker, 76, All-Star first baseman for Los Angeles Dodgers (1958–1961), runner-up to Dick Groat in 1960 NL batting race, and member of the original (1962) Houston Colt .45s squad.
- March 15 –Bowie Kuhn, 80, Commissioner of Baseball from 1969 to 1984 whose tenure saw strong increases in attendance, the arrival offree agency, and the sport's first labor strikes.
- March 15 –Marty Martínez, 65, utility infielder for six teams from 1962 to 1972; became a coach and scout for the Mariners.
- March 22 –Don Dennis, 65, relief pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals from 1965 to 1966, who was named St. Louis rookie of the year in 1965.
- March 22 –Willard Schmidt, 78, pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals (1952–1957) and Cincinnati Reds (1958–1959).
- March 23 –Ed Bailey, 75, six-time All-Star and power hitting catcher, whose 14-year career include a nine-year stint with the Cincinnati Reds from 1953 to 1961, who, like other catchers of his generation, was overshadowed byYogi Berra andRoy Campanella.[6]
- March 31 –Patricia Barringer, 82,All-American Girls Professional Baseball League player and manager.
April
edit- April 1 –Herb Carneal, 83, broadcaster for the Minnesota Twins since their second season in 1962, who previously called games in Philadelphia both for the Athletics and Phillies, and later for the Baltimore Orioles.
- April 1 –Lou Limmer, 82, first baseman who hit the last home run for the Philadelphia Athletics and had the last hit in their final game in Philadelphia.
- April 6 –Ed Bahr, 87, Canadian pitcher who played for the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1946 to 1947.
- April 10 –Dick Kryhoski, 82, first baseman for four American League teams in six seasons 1949 to 1955, as well one of few players to play for the St. Louis Browns in its 1953 final season and for the Baltimore Orioles in their 1954 inaugural campaign.[7]
- April 15 –Chip Marshall, 87, catcher for the 1941 St. Louis Cardinals.
- April 16 –Jean Marlowe, 77, pitcher in theAll-American Girls Professional Baseball League between the 1948 and 1954 seasons.
- April 23 –Otis Davis, 87,utility man for the1946 Brooklyn Dodgers.
- April 23 –David Halberstam, 73, Pulitzer-winning author and historian, who wrote three non-fiction books on baseball:Summer of '49,October, 1964 andThe Teammates.
- April 23 –Sammy Meeks, 84, backup infielder who played for the Washington Senators and Cincinnati Reds over four seasons from 1948 to 1951.
- April 27 –Ralph McLeod, 90, outfielder for the 1938 Boston Bees.
- April 28 –Archie Wilson, 83, 1951 International League MVP, who later played from 1951 to 1952 for the New York Yankees, Washington Senators and Boston Red Sox.
- April 29 –Milt Bocek, 94, outfielder for the 1933 and 1934 Chicago White Sox.
- April 29 –Josh Hancock, 29, relief pitcher who played from 2002 through 2007 for the Boston Red Sox, Philadelphia Phillies, Cincinnati Reds and St. Louis Cardinals, being also a member of the2006 World Series Champion Cardinals team.
May
edit- May 13 –Gomer Hodge, 63, infielder for the 1971 Cleveland Indians, who later coached in Minor League Baseball and managed in theMexican Pacific League.
- May 17 –Bill Wight, 85, pitcher for eight teams between 1946 and 1958, who won 15 games for the1949 Chicago White Sox.
- May 25 –Elaine Roth, 78, AAGPBL pitcher and outfielder.
- May 28 –Phyllis Koehn, 84, AAGPBL pitcher.
June
edit- June 4 –Clete Boyer, 70, Gold Glove third baseman who played for the Kansas City Athletics, New York Yankees and Atlanta Braves over 15 seasons spanning 1955–1971, winning five consecutive American League pennants with the Yankees from 1960 to 1964, and a Gold Glove Award with the Braves in 1969; brothersKen andCloyd played in the majors.
- June 15 –Larry Whiteside, 69, pioneering African American journalist known for his coverage of baseball for newspapers in Milwaukee and Boston.
- June 23 –Rod Beck, 38, three-time All-Star relief pitcher who played from 1991 through 2001 for the San Francisco Giants, Chicago Cubs, Boston Red Sox and San Diego Padres, winning the1994 NL Rolaids Relief Man Award with the Giants, while setting franchise season records with 24 consecutivesaves and 48 overall inits 1993 season.
July
edit- July 7 –Miguel Sotelo, 74, Mexican Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher and manager who spent more than 25 years in professional baseball, pitchingno-hitters in theArizona–Mexico League and theMexican League, compiling an overall pitching record of 287–221 in eleven seasons and later managing during 27 seasons, while guiding theBroncos de Reynosa to their only Mexican League championship in the1969 campaign, defeating theSultanes de Monterrey.
- July 11 –Shag Crawford, 90, umpire for 3,082 National League games between 1956 and 1975, who also worked in three World Series, two NL Championship Series, and three All-Star Games, and was the father of NL umpireJerry Crawford.
- July 16 –Carl McNabb, 90, who played briefly for the Detroit Tigers in 1945.
- July 18 –Orlando McFarlane, 69, catcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Detroit Tigers and California Angels over five seasons spanning 1962–1968.
- July 19 –Jim Mangan, 77, catcher for the Brooklyn Dodgers inits 1946 season.
- July 22 –Rollie Stiles, 100, pitcher for theSt. Louis Browns in three seasons from 1930 to 1933, the last living person to have pitched toBabe Ruth, and also the oldest living former MLB player at the time of his death.
- July 22 –Mike Coolbaugh, 35, third baseman (and brother ofScott Coolbaugh) for theMilwaukee Brewers andSt. Louis Cardinals in 2001 and 2002; as a coach in the minor leagues, he died when a line drive struck him in the neck as he was standing in the first-base coach's box; professional baseball mandated that base coaches wear helmets as a result.
- July 29 –Bill Robinson, 64, outfielder who played 1966 through 1983 for the Atlanta Braves, New York Yankees, Pittsburgh Pirates and Philadelphia Phillies, collecting three World Series rings as a player for the 1979 Pirates, and as a coach for both the 1986 New York Mets and 2003 Florida Marlins.
August
edit- August 1 –Pete Naktenis, 93, pitcher who played with the Philadelphia Athletics in 1936 and for the Cincinnati Reds between in 1939.
- August 3 –Lee Griffeth, 82, pitcher for the 1946 Philadelphia Athletics.
- August 4 –Frank Mancuso, 89, catcher who played with the St. Louis Browns in three seasons from 1944 to 1946 and for the Washington Senators in 1947; member of Browns' 1944 American League championship team; later, served on the Houston City Council from 1963 to 1993; brother ofGus Mancuso.
- August 5 –Al Salerno, 76, American Leagueumpire from 1961 to 1968 who worked 1,110 league games and the1964 Major League Baseball All-Star Game;[8] abruptly fired on September 16, 1968, he and colleagueBill Valentine filed suit alleging they were singled out for attempts to form an umpires' union for their league.
- August 7 –Hank Morgenweck, 78, American League umpire from 1972 to 1975 who also worked second base in Game 1 of the 1970 NLCS as a strike replacement.[9]
- August 7 –Mary Rountree, 85, top-notch catcher who played from 1946 through 1952 in theAll-American Girls Professional Baseball League.
- August 13 –Ox Miller, 92, pitcher who hurled in 24 total games for the Washington Senators, St. Louis Browns and Chicago Cubs over four seasons between 1943 and 1947.
- August 14 –Phil Rizzuto, 89, Hall of Fame shortstop who won thirteen American League pennants and seven World Series during his thirteen-season career with the New York Yankees, earning1950 American League MVP Award honors and threeMLB All-Star Game selections, and later broadcasting Yankees games on radio and television during four decades.[10]
- August 15 –Sam Pollock, 81, legendary Canadian hockey executive of the 1960s and 1970s (Montreal Canadiens) who later was chairman and CEO of MLB's Toronto Blue Jays between 1995 and 2000.
- August 17 –Chico García, 82, Mexican Baseball Hall of Fame second baseman who played for the 1954 Baltimore Orioles, while winning batting titles in theArizona–Texas League in 1963 and theMexican League in 1963, before managing in the ML from 1965 to 1976.
- August 17 –Dee Sanders, 86, pitcher for the St. Louis Browns in its 1945 season.
- August 20 –Wild Bill Hagy, 68, popular fan noted for leading cheers at Baltimore Orioles games in the 1970s and 1980s.
- August 23 –Bobby Herrera, 81, Mexican pitcher who played in 1951 for the St. Louis Browns.
- August 26 –Chuck Comiskey, 81, vice president of the Chicago White Sox in the 1950s, as well as the last member of the Comiskey dynasty to be involved in the club's operation.
- August 29 –Margie Lang, 83, infielder and pitcher who played in theAll-American Girls Professional Baseball League.
- August 30 –Hal Jeffcoat, 82, outfielder and pitcher for the Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Redlegs/Reds and St. Louis Cardinals during twelve seasons from 1948 to 1959.
September
edit- September 1 –Mel Roberts, 64, first-base coach of the 1992–1995 Philadelphia Phillies, including 1993 NL champions; minor league outfielder, coach and manager who spent 46 years in pro ball.
- September 6 –Al Kozar, 86, second baseman who played for the Washington Senators and Chicago White Sox over a three-year career from 1950 to 1952.
- September 12 –Lou Kretlow, 86, pitcher who played from 1946 through 1956 with the Detroit Tigers, St. Louis Browns, Baltimore Orioles, Chicago White Sox and Kansas City Athletics.
- September 20 –John Sullivan, 86, shortstop who played for the Washington Senators and St. Louis Browns over six seasons spanning 1942–1949.
- September 22 –Bill Harman, 88, pitcher and catcher who played for the Philadelphia Phillies inits 1941 season.
October
edit- October 3 –Bunky Stewart, 76, pitcher for the Washington Senators over five seasons from 1952 to 1956.
- October 4 –Don Nottebart, 71, pitcher whose major league career included stints with five different clubs between 1960 and 1969, who pitched the firstno-hitter inHouston Colt .45s/Astros history on May 17, 1963, though he has the dubious distinction of yielding the firstgrand slam of the 1961 season, and deliveringWillie Mays' 500th home run in 1965.
- October 6 –Nancy DeShone, 75, outfielder who played for theSouth Bend Blue Sox of theAll-American Girls Professional Baseball League in 1948.
- October 14 –Fred Bruckbauer, 69, pitcher for the1969 Minnesota Twins.
- October 14 –Owen Friend, 80, middle infielder and third baseman for the St. Louis Browns, Detroit Tigers, Cleveland Indians, Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs in a span of five seasons from 1955 to 1956.
- October 17 –Billy Berroa, 79, Spanish-language broadcaster for the New York Mets, who began announcing major league games in 1963.
- October 17 –Mickey Rutner, 86, third baseman for the1947 Philadelphia Athletics.
- October 23 –Don Nicholas, 76, shortstop for the Chicago White Sox in the 1952 and 1954 seasons.
November
edit- November 9 –Lorraine Fisher, 79,AAGPBL pitcher for theRockford Peaches andGrand Rapids Chicks.
- November 13 –Kazuhisa Inao, 70,Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher for theNishitetsu Lions, who won thePacific League MVP Award in 1957 and 1958 and posted a 42–14 record in 1961.
- November 15 –Joe Nuxhall, 79, two-time All-Star pitcher who became the youngest man ever to play in the major leagues – a mark he still holds, when he debuted as a 15-year-old with the Cincinnati Reds on June 10, 1944, while pitching for Cincinnati nine more seasons from 1952 to 1960, and remaining in the Reds organization on a second career as a member of the broadcast team, as he called the Reds games including those with which they won the World Series in the 1975, 1976 and 1990, ending his baseball career in 2004, over 60 years after his professional pitching debut.[11]
- November 22 –Ken Wood, 83, outfielder for the St. Louis Browns, Boston Red Sox and Washington Senators during six seasons from 1948 to 1953.
- November 23 –Joe Kennedy, 28, pitcher for five teams since 2001, most recently with the Blue Jays; posted a 9–7 mark with a 3.66 ERA for the 2004 Rockies.
- November 23 –Al Yates, 62, backup outfielder for the 1971 Milwaukee Brewers.
- November 27 –Clancy Smyres, 85, pinch hitter in five appearances with the Brooklyn Dodgers inits 1944 season.
- November 28 –Bob Marquis, 83, backup outfielder who played for the1953 Cincinnati Redlegs.
December
edit- December 14 –Cuddles Marshall, 82, pitcher for the New York Yankees and St. Louis Browns between 1946 and 1950, who was the Yankees pitcher to start the first night game at Yankee Stadium on May 28, 1946.
- December 17 –Don Chevrier, 68, Canadian television broadcaster for the Toronto Blue Jays during 20 years, who also spannedThe World of Sports variety show forCBC Sports for more than 30 years.
- December 20 –Tommy Byrne, 87, All-Star pitcher for four American League teams who earned 72 of his 85 major league victories with the New York Yankees, including three 15-win seasons for pennant winners, earning two World Series with New York in 1949 and 1956.
- December 21 –Jack Lamabe, 71, pitcher from 1962 to 1968 for seven major league teams, mainly with the Boston Red Sox.
- December 25 –Jim Beauchamp, 68, outfielder and first baseman for seven major league teams from 1963 to 1974, who later managed in the minor league manager from 1975 to 1990 and coached in the major leagues from 1991 to 1998.
- December 26 –Jim Castiglia, 89, catcher for the1942 Philadelphia Athletics, also a running back in theNFL andAAFC.
See also
editSources
edit- ^"White Sox's Buehrle hurls first no-hitter of season".go.com. Archived fromthe original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved19 March 2018.
- ^"Retrosheet Boxscore: New York Yankees 16, Chicago White Sox 3".www.retrosheet.org. Retrieved19 March 2018.
- ^"Retrosheet Boxscore: New York Yankees 23, Philadelphia Athletics 2 (1)".www.retrosheet.org. Retrieved19 March 2018.
- ^Max Lanier. Article written by Gregory H. Wolf.SABR Biography Project. Retrieved on June 24, 2019.
- ^Clem Labine. Article written by Alfonso Tusa.SABR Biography Project. Retrieved on June 23, 2019.
- ^Ed Bailey. Article written by Warren Corbett.SABR Biography Project. Retrieved on June 23, 2019.
- ^Dick Kryhoski 1950s Game-Worn Browns/Orioles Road Jersey.Huggins & Scott Auctions. Retrieved on June 24, 2019.
- ^Al Salerno. Umpiring career recordRetrosheet. Retrieved on June 24, 2019.
- ^Hank Morgenweck Umpiring career recordRetrosheet. Retrieved on June 24, 2019.
- ^Phil Rizzuto. Article written by Lawrence Baldassaro.SABR Biography Project. Retrieved on June 24, 2019.
- ^Joe Nuxhall. Article written by Ryan Borgemenke.SABR Biography Project. Retrieved on June 24, 2019.