Content deleted Content added
→November: spelling, and fixed a link to a disambiguation page |
|||
| (11 intermediate revisions by 5 users not shown) | |||
Line 148:
*In January 1976, [[San Francisco Giants]] owner [[Horace Stoneham]] agreed to sell the team for $13.25 million to a Toronto group consisting of [[Labatt Brewing Company]], Vulcan Assets Ltd., and [[Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce]]. The team would begin play with the 1976 season at [[Exhibition Stadium]] and be called the Giants.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Giants Moving: Toronto |newspaper=St. Petersburg Times |date=1976-01-09|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=hbwMAAAAIBAJ&pg=5064,759147&dq=national-exhibition-company&hl=en }}</ref>
*January 2 – Pitchers [[Robin Roberts (baseball)|Robin Roberts]] and [[Bob Lemon]] are voted into the [[Baseball Hall of Fame|Hall of Fame]] by the [[Baseball Writers' Association of America]].
*January 14 – [[Ted Turner]] completes the purchase
*January 15 – [[Seattle Mariners|Seattle]] is awarded with the [[American League]]'s 13th franchise
*January 27 – The Pittsburgh Pirates sign undrafted free agent [[Pascual Pérez (baseball)|Pascual Perez]].
*February 3 – The Special Veterans Committee selects players [[Roger Connor]] and [[Freddie Lindstrom]], and umpire [[Cal Hubbard]], for the Hall of Fame. Hubbard becomes the first
*February 9 – [[Oscar Charleston]] is selected for the Hall of Fame by the Special Committee on the Negro Leagues.
*February 17 – [[Mike Scott (baseball)|Mike Scott]] of [[Pepperdine University|Pepperdine]] pitches a [[Perfect game (baseball)|perfect game]] against [[California Lutheran University]]. He will be selected in the 2nd round of the June draft.
Line 160:
===April–June===
*April 2 – The [[Oakland Athletics]] trade prospective [[free agent]]s [[Reggie Jackson]] and [[Ken Holtzman]], together with a [[Minor League Baseball|minor league]] [[pitcher]], to the Baltimore Orioles for [[outfielder]] [[Don Baylor]] and pitchers [[Mike Torrez]] and [[Paul Mitchell (baseball)|Paul Mitchell]].
*April 8 – [[Joaquin Andujar]] makes his major league debut for the Houston Astros as a relief pitcher. He'd later become a
*April 9 – In a classic Opening Day pitchers' duel between future Hall of Famers [[Jim Palmer]] of the [[Baltimore Orioles]] and [[Ferguson Jenkins]] of the [[Boston Red Sox]], who would combine for 552 major league wins, Palmer prevails 1–0.
*April 10 – The [[Atlanta Braves]] sign free agent pitcher [[Andy Messersmith]] to a "lifetime contract" worth $1 million.
** [[Don Money]] of the Milwaukee Brewers hits what appears to be a game winning grand slam off [[Dave Pagan]] of the New York Yankees. However, just before the pitch, Yankees first baseman [[Chris Chambliss]] called time. The grand slam was waived off, and Money was ordered to return to the plate. Money hits a sacrifice fly to bring the score to 9-7. It's not enough as the Brewers lose the game, and later, filed a protest with the American League.
*April 14 – At [[Wrigley Field]], [[Dave Kingman]] of the [[New York Mets]] launches a home run estimated at 550 feet that plunks a house some 530 feet from home plate, but the [[Chicago Cubs]] survive to win 6–5.
*April 15 – Newly remodeled [[Yankee Stadium (1923)|Yankee Stadium]] is jammed with 52,613 fans for Opening Day ceremonies. The [[1923 World Series|1923 Yankees]] are honored, and [[Bob Shawkey]], winner of the 1923 Stadium opener, throws out the first ball. The Yankees beat the [[Minnesota Twins]] 11–4 on 14 hits, but the only home run is hit by Minnesota's [[Dan Ford]].
Line 180 ⟶ 181:
*June 4 – [[Tom Seaver]] and the [[New York Mets]] defeat the [[Los Angeles Dodgers|Dodgers]] 11-0 in Los Angeles on a three [[home run]] performance by [[Dave Kingman]]. Kingman also set a Met record with 8 RBIs in a single game.
*June 15 – The [[Houston Astros]] are "rained out" of their scheduled home game against the [[Pittsburgh Pirates]] at the [[Astrodome]]. Massive flooding in the Houston area prevents the umpires and all but a few fans from reaching the stadium. Despite both teams having taken pre-game practice, the absence of the umpiring crew forces the game to be called off.
*June 22 – [[Randy Jones (baseball)|Randy Jones]] pitches for the [[San Diego Padres]] to a 4–2 win over the [[San Francisco Giants]], and ties [[Christy Mathewson]]'s 63-year-old National League record by going 68 innings without a base on balls. Jones receives a standing ovation from the home crowd after striking out [[Darrell Evans]] to end the seventh inning. His streak ends when he walks [[Marc Hill]] leading off the 8th.
*June 25 – The [[Texas Rangers (baseball)|Texas Rangers]]' [[Toby Harrah]] becomes the only shortstop in major league history to go through an entire doubleheader without a fielding chance. At bat, Harrah makes up for the inactivity, collecting six hits including a [[grand slam (baseball)|grand slam]] in the opener, and another home run in game 2. The Rangers beat the [[Chicago White Sox]] in the first game 8–4, but lose the nightcap 14–9.
*June 28 – With a national television audience looking on, Detroit's [[Mark Fidrych]], known as "the Bird", beats the New York Yankees 5-1 at [[Tiger Stadium (Detroit)|Tiger Stadium]].
====Oakland fire sale====
*Before the June 15, 1976, trading deadline, [[Charlie Finley]] contacted the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox. He had proposed a trade to the
*On June 14, 1976, Finley was unable to make any trades. He had started contacting other teams about the possibility of selling his players' contracts. Joe Rudi, Vida Blue, [[Don Baylor]], and Gene Tenace were worth $1 million each, while Sal Bando could be acquired for $500,000. Boston Red Sox General manager [[Dick
*Dick
*Finley had then proceeded to contact [[Bill Veeck]] of the Chicago White Sox about purchasing Sal Bando. He then contacted the Texas Rangers, as they were interested in acquiring Don Baylor for the one million dollar asking price.<ref>''Charlie Finley: The Outrageous Story of Baseball's Super Showman'', p.249, G. Michael Green and Roger D. Launius. Walker Publishing Company, New York, 2010, {{ISBN|978-0-8027-1745-0}}</ref> Three days later, [[Bowie Kuhn]] voided the transactions in the "best interests of baseball." Amid the turmoil, the A's still finished second in the A.L. West, 2.5 games behind the Royals.
===July–September===
Line 216 ⟶ 217:
*September 29 – [[John Montefusco]] of the [[San Francisco Giants]] [[no-hitter|no-hits]] the [[Atlanta Braves]] 9-0 at [[Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium]].
===
*October 3:
**[[George Brett]] edges [[Kansas City Royals]] teammate [[Hal McRae]] for the American League batting title, .333 to .332, when his blooper drops in front of [[Minnesota Twins]] outfielder [[Steve Brye]] and skips over his head for an [[inside-the-park home run]]. McRae believes the misplay is deliberate, and charges the Twins with racism.
Line 224 ⟶ 225:
*October 7 – Judge [[Roy Hofheinz]] sells the [[Houston Astros]] to [[General Electric]] and [[Ford Motor|Ford Motor Credit Companies]].
*October 11 – In the last of the eighth inning, leading the [[Hanshin Tigers]] 4-1 with two out and a full count, [[Sadaharu Oh]] hits his 715th home run to pass [[Babe Ruth]]'s mark. He finishes the season with 716 HRs and takes aim at [[Hank Aaron]]'s record.
*October 13 - the Philadelphia Phillies' [[Danny Ozark]] the man who led his team back to the postseason for the first time since [[1950]] was named the [[Sporting News Manager of the Year]].
*October 14 – In Game 5 of the American League Championship Series, the New York Yankees take a 6-3 lead before Kansas City's [[George Brett]] connects for a 3-run home run in the top of the 8th inning. In the bottom of the 9th, New York's [[Chris Chambliss]] smashes the first pitch off Kansas City's [[Mark Littell]] over the right field fence for a 7-6 win, winning the Yankees their first AL pennant and World Series appearance since 1964.
*October 17 – The first-ever weekend night game in [[World Series]] history took place in Cincinnati as the [[Cincinnati Reds|Reds]] defeated the [[New York Yankees]], 4-3.
*October 21 – In the [[1976 World Series|World Series]], the [[Cincinnati Reds]] beat the [[New York Yankees]] 7-2, completing a four-game sweep. Series MVP [[Johnny Bench]] has two home runs and five RBI in the Series, and demolishes the Yankees with .533 hitting. Opposing catcher [[Thurman Munson]] had six straight singles to tie a World Series mark. The Reds become the first team since the 1969 playoff expansion to go through an entire postseason without a defeat. It is the last World Series to end in a sweep until [[1989 World Series|1989]].
===November===
*November 2 – San Diego Padres pitcher [[Randy Jones (baseball)|Randy Jones]] beats out [[Jerry Koosman]] of the New York Mets for the National League Cy Young Award. Jones led the league with 315 innings pitched and posted a 22-14 record for the fifth-place Padres.
*November 5
**New [[American League]] franchises in [[Seattle Mariners|Seattle]] and [[Toronto Blue Jays|Toronto]] fill up their rosters by selecting 30 players apiece from unprotected players on other AL rosters. Outfielder [[Ruppert Jones]] (Seattle) and infielder [[Bob Bailor]] (Toronto) are the first choices.
**The Oakland A's trade manager [[Chuck Tanner]], who'd just completed his first and only season in Oakland, to the Pittsburgh Pirates for catcher [[Manny Sanguillen]]. Sanguillen plays just one year in Oakland. He returns to Pittsburgh and is part of the 1979 World Series Champion Pittsburgh Pirates. The championship Pirates team is managed by Tanner.
*November 9 – The [[Oakland Athletics]] release [[Billy Williams (left fielder)|Billy Williams]], ending his career with 2,711 hits, 426 home runs, 1,475 RBI and a .290 average.
*November 10 - [[Jim Palmer]] of the Baltimore Orioles was named the 1976 American League Cy Young Award winner, becoming the first American League pitcher to win the honor three times.
*November 16 – [[New York Yankees]] catcher [[Thurman Munson]] wins the 1976 American League MVP Award, becoming the first Yankee to win the award since [[Elston Howard]] in 1963. Munson finished with a .302 average, 17 home runs and 105 RBI.
*November 24 – [[Joe Morgan]] outdistances [[Cincinnati Reds]] teammate [[George Foster (baseball)|George Foster]] to win his second straight National League MVP Award. Morgan finished with a .320 average, 27 home runs, 111 RBI, 113 runs, 60 stolen bases, and led the NL in slugging percentage (.576) and OPS (1.020). Foster finished with 29 home runs and led the league with 121 RBI.
*November 29
** Free agent [[Reggie Jackson]] signs with the [[New York Yankees]] for $3.5 million. ** The Cincinnati Reds' [[Pat Zachry]] and the San Diego Padres [[Butch Metzger]] were named the [[Major League Baseball Rookie of the Year Award#National League winners (1949–present)|National League Rookies of the Year]].
===December===
*December 1 - [[Mark Fidrych]] who helped save the Detroit Tigers with his wacky antics and winning 19 games was named the American League Rookie of the Year.
*December 4 – [[Aurelio Rodríguez]] of the [[Detroit Tigers]] becomes the first American League third baseman since {{Baseball year|1959}} to beat out [[Brooks Robinson]] for the Gold Glove Award. Other Newcomers on the ''[[The Sporting News|TSN]]'' fielding team include third baseman [[Mike Schmidt]], outfielder [[Dwight Evans (Baseball)|Dwight Evans]] and catcher [[Jim Sundberg]], who would combine to win 24 awards.
*December 6 – The [[Boston Red Sox]] trade [[Cecil Cooper]] to the [[Milwaukee Brewers]] for [[George Scott (first baseman)|George Scott]] and [[Bernie Carbo]].
Line 587 ⟶ 597:
*October 8 – [[John Bottarini]], 68, catcher and 18-year veteran of minor leagues who appeared in 26 MLB games for 1937 Chicago Cubs
*October 9 – [[Mark Christman]], 62, third baseman and shortstop who appeared in 911 games for the Detroit Tigers, St. Louis Browns and Washington Senators between 1938 and 1949; starting third baseman for 1944 Browns, only St. Louis entry to win an American League pennant
*October 9 – [[Bob Moose]], 29, pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates from
*October 20 – [[Freddie Muller]], 65, infielder who played in 17 career games for the 1933–1934 Boston Red Sox
*October 25 – [[Claire Merritt Ruth]], 79, widow of [[Babe Ruth]], who died on August 16, 1948
Line 602 ⟶ 612:
*November 11 – [[Ken Crawford (baseball)|Ken Crawford]], 82, first baseman for the 1915 Baltimore Terrapins of the "outlaw" Federal League
*November 11 – [[Jimmy O'Connell (baseball)|Jimmy O'Connell]], 75, reserve outfielder for 1923–1924 National League champion New York Giants; suspended for life by Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis after he was implicated in an unsuccessful scheme to bribe a Philadelphia player to deliberately lose the final games of the 1924 season
*November 14 – [[Fred Baczewski]], 50, left-hander who went 17–10 (4.45 ERA) in 63 games for the Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Redlegs from
*November 19 – [[Frank Kellert]], 52, first baseman for the St. Louis Browns, Baltimore Orioles, Brooklyn Dodgers and Chicago Cubs, getting into 122 career games from 1953 to 1956; member of Brooklyn's 1955 world champions
*November 20 – [[Les Hennessy]], 82, second baseman who played 14 games for the 1913 Detroit Tigers
Line 610 ⟶ 620:
===December===
*December 1 – [[George Earnshaw]], 76, pitcher who had three 20-win seasons for 1929–1930–1931 AL champion Philadelphia Athletics; later a scout and coach
*December 2 – [[Danny Murtaugh]], 59, manager who over 15 seasons and four stints with the Pittsburgh Pirates won two World Series (1960, 1971) and three NL East titles between August 1957 and his October 1976 retirement; former second baseman for Pirates, Philadelphia Phillies and Boston Braves who appeared in 767 total games; led NL in stolen bases as rookie in 1941; Pirates retired his uniform #40 in his memory (1977)
*December 3 – [[Leo Townsend]], 85, left-handed pitcher who worked in eight games for the Boston Braves in 1920 and 1921
*December 6 – [[Mandy Brooks|Jonathan "Mandy" Brooks]], 79, outfielder who played 116 games for the 1925–1926 Chicago Cubs
Line 618 ⟶ 628:
*December 9 – [[Red Haley]], 75, lefty-swinging infielder who played for the Chicago American Giants and Birmingham Black Barons of the Negro National League in 1928 and the barnstorming Kansas City Monarchs in 1933
*December 10 – [[Vic Keen]], 77, pitcher for 1981 Philadelphia Athletics, 1921–1925 Chicago Cubs and 1926–1927 St. Louis Cardinals; member of 1926 World Series champions
*December 10 – [[Danny Thompson (baseball)|Danny Thompson]], 29, infielder with the Minnesota Twins (1970–1976) and Texas Rangers (1976), who played four seasons after being diagnosed with leukemia;
*December 10 – [[Luis Tiant Sr.]], 70, Cuban-born southpaw and father of the [[Luis Tiant|star pitcher of the 1960s and 1970s]]; three-time All-Star hurler as a member of the New York Cubans of the Negro National League whose playing career encompassed 20 years (1928–1947) in the Cuban and Dominican winter leagues, Negro leagues, and Mexican League
*December 18 – [[Ned Harris]], 60, outfielder for the Detroit Tigers (1941–1943, 1946) who appeared in 262 career games
| |||