IN THE NEWS: At Ponce, (Puerto Rican League) Santurce beats Ponce, 11–4. Ponce's Rickey Henderson steals his 41st and 42nd bases, breaking the old league record of 41 set by Carlos Bernier in the 1949-50 season. Henderson will finish the season with 44 stolen bases.
IN THE NEWS: The Reds are the last team to enter the free agent market signing their first free-agent, OF Larry Biittner. Biittner will prove a bust and be released after the 1982 season.
IN THE NEWS: In his first year of eligibility, former Cardinals P Bob Gibson is the only person elected to the Hall of Fame by the BBWAA. Players falling short of the 301 votes needed for election include Don Drysdale (243), Gil Hodges (241), Harmon Killebrew (239), Hoyt Wilhelm (238), and Juan Marichal (233).
IN THE NEWS: Faced with the possibility of losing star OF Fred Lynn to free agency because of a front-office blunder, the Red Sox trade Lynn and P Steve Renko to the Angels for pitchers Frank Tanana and Jim Dorsey and OF Joe Rudi. The Players' Association contends that Lynn and C Carlton Fisk are free agents because the Red Sox failed to mail their new contracts by the deadline provided for in the Basic Agreement. Lynn signs a 4-year deal with the Angels and agrees to drop his case. Fisk's case will go to arbitration.
IN THE NEWS: AL owners approve the sales of two franchises, the White Sox to Jerry Reinsdorf and Eddie Einhorn for $20 million, and 80 percent of the Mariners to George Argyros for $10.4 million.