A then-record 5,693home runs were hit during the regular season in 2000 (the record was broken in 2017, when 6,105 home runs were hit).[1] Ten teams hit at least 200 home runs each,[2] while for the first time since1989 and only the fifth since1949 no pitcher pitcheda no-hitter.[a] Also, no team reached 100 in either the win or loss column.
The separate American and National League offices were dissolved; with this, Major League Baseball became a single unified organization. As a result, the separate umpiring crews for each league were also dissolved; all umpiring crews now worked throughout the league.
January 6 – Major league officials orderAtlanta Braves relieverJohn Rocker is to undergo psychological testing following derogatory remarks he made in an interview withSports Illustrated magazine.[65] CommissionerBud Selig says he will listen to what the doctors say before deciding what punishment—if any—will be handed down to the pitcher.[66]
January 11 – The baseball writers elect catcherCarlton Fisk and first basemanTony Pérez to theHall of Fame. Fisk is chosen in his 2nd year on the ballot, while Pérez is picked on his 9th try.[67]
January 31 – Braves reliever John Rocker is suspended from baseball until May 1 by Commissioner Bud Selig for his racial and ethnic remarks in an article published inSports Illustrated the previous month. He was also fined$20,000 and ordered to undergo sensitivity training.[68]
March 1 – Independent arbitrator Shyam Das cuts Braves pitcher John Rocker's suspension from 28 days to 14 days. Rocker, who is allowed to report to spring training with the team, also has his fine cut.[72]
April 3 –Andrés Galarraga hits a home run in his first game back after missing the entire 1999 season followingcancer surgery. Atlanta defeat theColorado Rockies 2–0.[75]
April 4 – Expos closerUgueth Urbina strikes out the Dodgers in the top of the ninth inning on nine pitches, tying a major league record.[77]
April 7 – A total of 57 home runs are hit in the 15 games played, for a new major league record. The previous mark of 55 was set in 17 games on August 13, 1999. There were 36 homers hit in the AL, eclipsing the previous mark for a single league.[78]
April 10 – Colorado beats Cincinnati 7–5, despiteKen Griffey Jr.'s 400th career home run. Aged 30, Griffey is the youngest player in major league history to reach that milestone.[83]
April 15 – TheBaltimore Orioles defeat the Twins 6–4, asCal Ripken Jr. gets the 3,000th hit of his career. Ripken goes 3-for-5 in becoming the 24th player to reach the milestone, and the 7th to get 3,000 hits and 400 home runs.[87]
April 21 – TheAnaheim Angels down theTampa Bay Devil Rays 9–6.Mo Vaughn andTim Salmon hit back-to-back home runs for Anaheim in the fourth inning, then do so again in the ninth.Troy Glaus also homers in both the fourth and the ninth. This the first time in major league history that three players homer in the same inning on two occasions in the same game. The Angels' three players with two home runs each in one game ties a major league record.[90]
April 23 – In theNew York Yankees' 10–7 victory over theToronto Blue Jays,[91] YankeesBernie Williams andJorge Posada each hit home runs from both sides of the plate, marking the first time in major league history that a pair of teammates accomplish the feat in the same game.[92]
May 10 –Rickey Henderson becomes the 21st major league player to amass 10,000 careerat-bats. Henderson finishes the night with 10,002at-bats and trails onlyCal Ripken Jr. among active players.[97]
June 1 – Japanese right-handerTomokazu Ohka, a pitcher with thePawtucket Red Sox, becomes the first pitcher in nearly 50 years to throw a nine-inningperfect game in theInternational League. Ohka retired all 27 batters he faced in a 2–0 triumph over theCharlotte Knights.[106] The 24-year-old Ohka needs just 76 pitches[107] to toss the first nine-inning perfect game in the IL sinceDick Marlowe did it for Buffalo in 1952.[108]
June 2 – TheMontreal Expos announce they will wearMaurice Richard's uniform number 9 on their jerseys for the rest of the season to honor theMontreal Canadiens great who died the previous week. It is believed to be the first time a major league team has honored an athlete from another sport in this way.[117][118]
June 16 – Yankees second basemanChuck Knoblauch voluntarily leaves the field after six innings of the Yankees' 12–3 loss to theChicago White Sox, after making three throwingerrors. He leavesYankee Stadium in his street clothes while the game is still in progress.[119]
June 21 – Oakland defeats the Orioles 10–3, asEric Chavez becomes the first Athletics player tohit for the cycle at home since the team moved to Oakland in 1968.[120][121][122]
June 26 – The Diamondbacks defeat the Astros 6–1.[123] Arizona rookie first basemanAlex Cabrera hits a two-run pinch-hit home run in his first major league at bat.[124]
June 30 – Trailing 8–1 to theAtlanta Braves, theNew York Mets score 10 runs in the bottom of the 8th inning, capped off byMike Piazza's 3-runhome run off relieverTerry Mulholland. There had been 4 walks in the inning, and 9 of the 10 runs scored were with 2 outs in the inning.[125]
July 5 – Arizona outfielderLuis Gonzalez becomes the first Arizona Diamondback tohit for the cycle,[131] helping his team to defeat the Astros 12–9.[132] It is the first time the feat is accomplished in newEnron Field,[133] and Gonzalez is just the 9th player in baseball history to both hit for the cycle and have a 30+ game hitting streak in a career.[134]
July 6 – St. Louis rookie catcherKeith McDonald hits a home run in his second at bat, becoming only the second player in major league history to hit home runs in each of his first two big league at bats.[135]Bob Nieman, in 1951, is the other.[136]
July 6 – The American Sportscasters Association names Dodgers legendVin Scully as the No. 1 sportscaster of the 20th century.Howard Cosell finishes second, followed byMel Allen andRed Barber.[138]
July 8 – In a New York matchup, the Yankees defeat the Mets by identical 4–2 scores in both ends of an unusual day-night doubleheader. With the first game played atShea Stadium and the nightcap atYankee Stadium, it is the first time since 1903 that two teams played two games in different stadiums on the same day.Dwight Gooden wins the first game with a six inning effort in his first start since returning to the Yankees.Roger Clemens wins the nightcap.[139] During the second game, Clemens hitMike Piazza in the helmet with an inside fastball, causing Piazza to suffer aconcussion.[140]
July 15 – A 1909Honus Wagnerbaseball card is auctioned for a record $1.1 million oneBay.[142] Other high-priced items in the auction include a baseball autographed by the entire 1919 "Chicago Black Sox" team, includingShoeless Joe Jackson, which sold for $93,666.[143] Also, a baseball autographed by the 1919 Cincinnati Reds sells for $11,208,[144] and aBabe Ruth signed baseball is auctioned for $76,020.[145] A contract from Shoeless Joe Jackson's sale of his Chicago pool hall to teammateLefty Williams sells for $36,098.[146] The contract, dated October 6, 1921,[147] is for just $1.[148]
July 20 – In Houston's 6–2 win over Cincinnati, Reds pinch-hitterMike Bell strikes out in his major league debut, making history by becoming part of the first third-generation family to play for the same major league team. His grandfatherGus Bell and fatherBuddy Bell also played for the Reds.[149][150][151]
August 4 – The Blue Jays obtain outfielderDave Martinez from the Rangers. Martinez becomes the 9th major leaguer to play for four teams in a season. He began the year with Tampa Bay and also played with the Cubs, in addition to Texas and Toronto. The last to do so wasDave Kingman (1977). Before him, according to historian Scott Flatow, the four-in-one players wereFrank Huelsman (1904),Willis Hudlin (1940),Paul Lehner (1951),Ted Gray (1955),Wes Covington (1961) andMike Kilkenny (1972).
August 8 – Trailing 3–2 entering the bottom of the ninth, the Yankees hit back-to-back home runs on back-to-back pitches from Oakland closerJason Isringhausen.Bernie Williams jumped on the first pitch and sent it over the right field fence to tie the game, thenDavid Justice sent the very next offering from Isringhausen over the center field wall to give the Yankees the win.
August 19 – The Yankees beat the Angels 9–1, hitting a major league record-tying three sacrifice flies in the 3rd inning.
August 19 – In theHouston Astros' 10–8 victory over theMilwaukee Brewers,Jeff Bagwell has two home runs and five RBI. Bagwell becomes the first Houston player to reach 300 homers in his career.
August 21 – Potomac'sEsix Snead breaksLenny Dykstra'sCarolina League record of 105 stolen bases by swiping his 106th. Snead has a batting average of .242 and a .338 on-base percentage. It's the 10th time in the last 20 years that a minor-leaguer has stolen 100 or more bases in a season. According toHowe Sports data, the eight players who stole 100 or more bases in the minors were:
August 22 – The Dodgers defeat the Expos 14–6, asEric Karros becomes the first Dodger player to hit two home runs in a single inning (6th).
August 27 – TheAnaheim Angels edge theCleveland Indians 10–9, as outfielderTim Salmon hits his 30th home run of the year in the 5th inning. Anaheim become the first team in AL history to have four players (Troy Glaus,Mo Vaughn,Garret Anderson, Salmon) reach the 30-homer mark in a single season. TheToronto Blue Jays are close with two hitters over 30 and two at 28. It's been done seven times in the NL.
September 6 –Scott Sheldon of theTexas Rangers becomes just the third player in major league history to play all nine positions in one game when he does it in a 13–1 loss to theChicago White Sox. Sheldon joinsBert Campaneris (September 8, 1965) andCésar Tovar (September 22, 1968) as true utility players.
September 10 –Randy Johnson of theArizona Diamondbacks becomes the 12th pitcher to reach the 3,000-strikeout plateau, fanning a season-high 14 in seven innings as the Diamondbacks lose to theFlorida Marlins 4–3 in 12 innings. Johnson's 3,000 strikeout victim isMike Lowell, who fans to end the 4th inning. In the first inning, Johnson also records his 300th strikeout for the third consecutive season and the fourth time overall.Nolan Ryan is the only other pitcher to accomplish the feat, and is the only pitcher who has reached 300 strikeouts more times with six (1972–74, 1976–77 and 1989).
September 12 – The Diamondbacks edge the Dodgers 5–4, despiteDave Hansen's major league record-breaking seventh pinch-hit home run of the season. Hansen's blast, offCurt Schilling, breaks the mark set in 1932 byBrooklyn'sJohnny Frederick.
September 22 –José Lima of theHouston Astros sets an NL single-season record by allowing his 47th home run in the Astros' 12–5 loss to theCincinnati Reds. The major league record for home runs allowed in a season is 50, set by theMinnesota Twins'Bert Blyleven in 1986.
September 26 – Longtime broadcast partnerNBC declines to renew its rights. NBC had televised baseball since1947, with the exception of1990–93, and had been the exclusive home of the World Series for26years.
September 27 – In an Oakland 9–7 victory over the Angels, Anaheim'sDarin Erstad hits a home run in the 2nd inning for his 99th RBI of the year from the leadoff spot to set a new record.Nomar Garciaparra drove home 98 in 1997 for the previous mark.
SEASON NOTE – This was the first time in MLB history in 100 years that no team finished with a winning percentage either below .400 or above .600. It is also the first time, in a full 162-game season, that no team achieved 100 wins or 99 losses.
November 18 – The Mariners sign Japanese star outfielderIchiro Suzuki to a three-year contract.
December 11 – The Rangers sign free agent shortstopAlex Rodriguez to a record $252 million, 10-year contract. It is the richest contract in the history of professional sports.
January 16 –By Saam, 85, broadcaster for the Philadelphia Athletics and Phillies from 1938 to 1975
March 7 –Jack Sanford, 70, All-Star pitcher who was the 1957 NL Rookie of the Year; was 24–7 for 1962 Giants
June 2 –Ellis Clary, 83, infielder for the Senators and Browns; later a scout for 32 years
June 5 –Don Liddle, 75, pitcher for the New York Giants during Game 1 of the 1954 World Series when teammateWillie Mays made his famous over-the-shoulder catch
June 21 –Bud Stewart, 84, outfielder who was the AL runner-up in triples with the 1948 Senators
June 23 –Bob Tillman, 63, catcher for the Red Sox and Braves who caught two no-hitters and had three home runs in a 1969 game
September 3 –Clyde Sukeforth, 98, catcher for the Reds and Dodgers who later scoutedJackie Robinson, and also signedDon Newcombe andRoberto Clemente; served as acting manager for Robinson's Dodgers debut April 15, 1947, which broke MLB's color barrier
September 17 –Chico Salmon, 59, infielder for the Indians and Orioles who had a crucial pinch hit in the 1970 World Series
September 23 –Aurelio Rodríguez, 52, third baseman, primarily for the Tigers, who won a Gold Glove and retired with the sixth most games at his position
October 22 –Hank Wyse. 82, All-Star pitcher who helped the Cubs to clinch the 1945 National League title after going 22–10 with a 2.68 ERA and the last Cubs pitcher to appear in a Series game
October 28 –Andújar Cedeño, 31, shortstop for the Astros and Padres who hit for the cycle in a 1992 game
November 25 –Hugh Alexander, 83, outfielder who played seven games for 1937 Indians; became a scout for 61 years after losing his left hand in an accident
December 10 –Willard Nixon, 72, pitcher who won 69 games for the Red Sox
December 19 –Lou Polli, 99, Italian relief pitcher for the 1932 Browns and 1944 Giants
