IN THE NEWS: Teams of U.S. all-stars depart on an exhibition tour of Japan. The NL stars will win four of seven games versus the AL, and the combined forces will split a pair of games with the Japanese all-stars.
IN THE NEWS: Reliever Bruce Sutter, who had a 2.23 ERA and saved 37 of the Cubs' 80 victories, wins the NL Cy Young Award by a 72-66 margin over the Astros Joe Niekro.
IN THE NEWS: For the first time in history, two players share the MVP Award. The NL co-winners are Willie Stargell, the Pirates spiritual leader, who batted .281 with 32 home runs; and the Cardinals Keith Hernandez, who led the NL in runs (116), doubles (48), and batting (.344).
IN THE NEWS: The Dodgers sign reentry free agent P Dave Goltz, formerly of the Twins, to a 6-year, $3 million pact.
California's Don Baylor, who led the AL in runs and RBI, is named the league's MVP.
The Yankees acquire 3B Eric Soderholm from Texas for three players (minor leaguers Rockey Burdette, Roger Slagle, Amos Lewis) to be named later. As noted in Yankees Coming, Yankees Going by Lyle Spatz, the Ranger release the players' names, a rules violation since they are still frozen on minor league rosters until December. The deal will be consummated on December 13, with Slagle's name omitted. Soderholm will hit .287 in 1980, then miss the 81 season because of illness, and retire.
IN THE NEWS: On a flight to Austin, TX, Daniel Okrent sketches out the first draft of rules for what would become Rotisserie League Baseball. Had the friends he was seeing not ignored these rules, the Rotisserie League would have been called Pit League, after the Austin barbecue joint where Okrent first unveiled them. Two weeks later in New York, he pitches the idea to a more receptive group with whom Okrent lunched monthly at La Rotisserie Francaise.
IN THE NEWS: The Astros sign reentry free agent Nolan Ryan, formerly of the Angels, to a 4-year, $4.5 million contract, making him the highest-paid player in the ML.
IN THE NEWS: The Braves sign reliever Al Hrabosky, "the Mad Hungarian," a reentry free agent formerly with the Royals, to a 5-year pact worth $2.2 million.
IN THE NEWS: 3B John Castino, who batted .285 for the Twins, and SS Alfredo Griffin, who hit .287 for the Blue Jays, tie for the AL Rookie of the Year award, each receiving seven of the 28 votes. The two rookies share one other distinction: both of them hit their first ML homers inside-the-park. The deadlock precipitates a change in the voting system, effective in 1980.