1990
» Boston beats Chicago 3-1 on the final day of the season to wrap up its 3rd AL East title in 5 seasons. Tom Brunansky ends the game with a spectacular sliding catch in the RF corner with the tying runs on base.
Cecil Fielder becomes the 11th player ever to hit 50 HRs when he belts his 50th and 51st in the Tigers' season finale, a 10-3 win over New York. He is the first AL player since 1961 to reach the 50 mark.
George Brett pinch hits a single in Kansas City's finale to end the season at .329 and win the AL batting crown, his 3rd in 3 decades. Willie McGee's .335 wins the NL batting title despite having been traded out of the league in August.
Frank Viola wins his 20th when the Mets beat the Pirates 6-3. Viola also won 24 for the Twins in 1988.
1989
» Oakland's Dave Stewart wins the ALCS opener 7-3 over Toronto.
1988
» After 2 disappointing seasons in Philadelphia, C Lance Parrish is traded to to California for a minor leaguer.
Astros manager Hal Lanier is fired after leading the club to an 82-80 record.
Cardinals coach Nick Leyva becomes the Phillies 3rd manager in 3 years, replacing Lee Elia, who was fired in September.
1987
» Benito Santiago goes 0-for-3 against Orel Hershiser in San Diego's 1-0 win over Los Angeles, ending his ML-rookie-record hitting streak at 34 consecutive games. Santiago's streak is also the longest ever by a catcher.
1986
» Baltimore loses to Detroit 6-3, assuring the Orioles of their first last-place finish since moving from St. Louis in 1954.
1984
» Steve "Rainbow" Trout scatters 5 hits and Lee Smith slams the door in the Cubs' 4-2 victory over the Padres.
The Royals rally with RBI pinch hits in the 7th and 8th innings, but John Grubb's 2-run double in the 11th gives the win to the Tigers 5-3.
1983
» Less than a year after leading the club to its first World Series, Brewers manager Harvey Kuenn is fired and replaced by Rene Lachemann. Milwaukee finished 5th in the AL East this season with an 87-75 record.
1982
» Robin Yount smacks 2 home runs and a triple as Milwaukee whips Baltimore 10-2 to win the AL East championship. Don Sutton, 4-1 since being acquired by the Brewers in late August, is the winning pitcher. Despite Yount's fine game, he loses the AL batting title .332 to .331 to Kansas City's Willie Wilson, who sat out the Royals' final game.
Atlanta loses 5-1 to San Diego, but clinches the NL West title anyway when San Francisco beats the 2nd-place Dodgers 5-3.
Expos manager Jim Fanning resigns following the club's season-ending 6-1 win over the Pirates and will return to the club's front office. His 102-87 record as manager is the best in club history.
1981
» In Cincinnati, Bob Horner homers twice and scores the winning run on Ron Oester's 8th-inning throwing error to give the Braves a 4-3 win over the Reds and give the Astros the 2nd-half title in the NL West. Cincinnati, which lost the first-half title to the Dodgers by one-half game, will finish with the best overall record (66-42) in the major leagues, but will not make the playoffs.
The Brewers (since 1970) and Expos (1969) clinch their first-ever post-season appearances. Milwaukee beats Detroit 2-1 to wrap up the 2nd-half title in the AL East, while Montreal edges New York 5-4 to win the NL East's 2nd playoff spot.
1979
» John Lowenstein's 3-run HR in the bottom of the 10th inning gives the Orioles a 6-3 win over the Angels in the first game of the ALCS.
The Pirates win in the 10th inning 3-2 as Omar Moreno and Dave Parker smack singles that snap a 2-2 tie.
1978
» Reggie Jackson, "Mr. October," hits a 3-run HR, a single, and a double, to lead the Yankees to a 7-1 win over the Royals in the opening game of the AL Championship Series.
1976
» George Brett edges Royals teammate Hal McRae for the AL batting title, .333 to .332, when his blooper drops in front of Twins OF Steve Brye and skips over his head for an inside-the-park HR. McRae believes the misplay is deliberate, and charges the Twins with racism.
The Cubs Bill Madlock wrests the NL crown from the Reds Ken Griffey by collecting 4 singles in an 11-1 win over the Braves. The hits raise Madlock from .333 to .339, one point ahead of the idle Griffey, who belatedly joins the Reds 8-2 win over the Expos and goes 0-for-2, dipping his average to .336.
Hank Aaron singles in his last ML at bat and drives in his 2,297th run as the 6th-place Brewers lose to the Tigers 5-2.
1974
» Frank Robinson becomes the first black manager in the major leagues, as the Indians name him to replace Ken Aspromonte for the 1975 season.
1972
» Roric Harrison homers as Baltimore beats Cleveland 4-3 in the 2nd game of a doubleheader. With the DH rule on the horizon, it will be the last HR hit by an AL pitcher.
The Tigers clinch the AL East as Woodie Fryman beats Luis Tiant 3-1 for his 10th win. Chuck Seelbach picks up his 14th save and Al Kaline singles in the winning run for Detroit.
Steve Carlton wins his 27th game for the last-place Phillies, (59-97), as they pound out 6 HRs in an 11-1 win over Chicago. Carlton's total is the highest by a Phillies pitcher in 20 years.
1971
» Baltimore downs Oakland 5-3 in the ALCS opener, as the Orioles score 4 runs in the 7th inning. OF Paul Blair caps the big inning with a 2-run double.
Bob Robertson crashes 3 HRs and a double, scoring 4 runs and driving home 5, to lead Pittsburgh to a 9-4 triumph.
1970
» Pitcher Mike Cuellar contributes a grand slam as the Orioles explode for 7 runs in the 4th inning to rout the Twins 10-6 in the opening game of the AL Championship Series.
Pete Rose's RBI single in the 10th inning breaks up a scoreless game as the Reds win the NLCS opener 3-0 over Pittsburgh. Gary Nolan gets the shutout victory for Cincinnati, as Dock Ellis takes the loss.
1968
» Detroit's Mickey Lolich evens the Series with a 6-hitter and his first ML HR to defeat St. Louis 8-1.
1966
» Mayo Smith signs a 2-year contract to manage the Tigers.
Former Indian Joe Adcock will retire from active play and become manager of the Tribe.
1965
» The Cubs tie a ML record with their 3rd triple play of the season--1B Ernie Banks to SS Don Kessinger--but Pittsburgh wins 6-3 at Forbes Field. Bill Faul is on the mound during each triple play. Submariner Ted Abernathy suffers the loss to Roy Face, but concludes a record season for appearances (84) and consecutive errorless games (84) for a pitcher. He has 31 saves.
Knuckleballer Eddie Fisher of the White Sox sets an AL record with his 82nd appearance, one more than John Wyatt in 1964.
Six Dodgers pitchers, a ML shutout record, combine to blank the Braves 3-0.
"Sudden" Sam McDowell (17-11) loses a 2-1 decision to Baltimore's Steve Barber, but the 22-year-old Tribe southpaw wraps up the AL lead in ERA (2.18) and strikeouts (325). Rocky Colavito plays his 162nd consecutive errorless game (274 chances), a ML season record.
1964
» The Yankees clinch their 5th straight pennant, and 29th in the club's history, by defeating Cleveland 8-3.
The Cardinals lose 15-5 to the Mets and fall into a first-place tie with the idle Reds.
Boston fires manager Johnny Pesky (70-90). Billy Herman takes over for the final game of season.
1963
» In game 2, Johnny Podres scatters 7 hits, Tommy Davis ties a WS record with 2 triples, Willie Davis drives in 2 runs, Moose Skowron homers, and Los Angeles beats Al Downing 4-1 to go 2 up.
1962
» A crowd of 45,693, giving the Dodgers a ML-record season attendance of 2,755,184, attends the deciding game of the NL season. In the 7th, Maury Wills collects his 4th single of the day, and his 103rd and 104th steals of the year. But the Giants score 4 in the 9th to win 6-4 and put themselves in the WS.
1960
» The Yankees head into the WS with a 15-game winning streak after Dale Long's 2-run 9th-inning HR gives them an 8-7 win over the Red Sox. New York's 193 HRs are an AL record, 3 better than the 1956 Yanks. RBI leader Roger Maris drives in 3 runs, but falls one HR short of Mickey Mantle's league-high 40.
Joe Gordon (26-31) resigns as manager of the Tigers, blaming interference by from club president Bill DeWitt.
1957
In Game 2 Lew Burdette defeats Yankee Bobby Shantz 4-2.
1956
Sal Maglie and the Dodgers defeat the Yankees 6-3 in the first game of the WS.
1955
No more "wait till next year" as Brooklyn, behind the 2-0 pitching of Johnny Podres, brings its first WS championship to Brooklyn in 8 tries. Sixth-inning replacement Sandy Amoros races over to the wall in LF to one-hand an opposite-field bid for extra bases by Yogi Berra with the tying runs on. Amoros turns and fires to SS Pee Wee Reese who throws a bullet to Gil Hodges at 1B for the DP on Yankee base runner Gil McDougald.
1953
The Dodgers even up the WS at 2 games apiece, as Duke Snider drives in 4 runs in a 7-3 victory.
1952
Brooklyn's Preacher Roe wins in Yankee Stadium 5-3. Brooklyn scores 2 runs in the 9th on Yogi Berra's passed ball.
1951
The Giants' Bobby Thomson hits the most famous home run in history, off Ralph Branca. His "shot heard round the world" with 2 runners on and trailing 4-3 in the bottom of the 9th defeats Brooklyn 5-4 and sends the jubilant Giants into the WS.
1950
Baseball rules that Phils lefty Curt Simmons cannot play in the WS despite his being on furlough from the Army.
1948
» Cleveland can clinch the flag with a win over Detroit, but Hal Newhouser gives up only 5 hits in the 7-1 Detroit victory.
The Red Sox tie for the lead by blasting New York 10-5, despite 4 hits by Joe DiMaggio.
Johnny Mize hits his 40th HR of the year to again tie Ralph Kiner for the NL lead, as was the case in 1947. Kiner had hit his final 1948 HR on September 26. In 1946 rookie Kiner led with 23 to the 22 of Mize, who missed 50 games because of injury.
Luke Easter's grand slam highlights the Homestead Grays' 19-hit assault on the Birmingham Black Barons in the 4th game of the Negro World Series. The Grays will win the Championship in 5 games. This will be the final Negro WS, as the Negro National League becomes a casualty of integration and folds during the winter.
Joe Sewell so dominated the low-strikeout records that part of the heroics of Lou Boudreau in this season is often missed. Boudreau finishes the year with only 9 strikeouts, the best record by a RH batter in the AL since Stuffy McInnis fanned just 5 times in 142 games in 1922.
1947
» Brooklyn pinch hitter Cookie Lavagetto doubles home 2 runs with 2 out in the bottom of the 9th to break up Floyd Bevens, dramatic no-hit bid and give the Dodgers a 3-2 victory over the Yankees in game 4 at Ebbets Field.
1946
» The St. Louis Cardinals wallop the Brooklyn Dodgers 8-4 at Ebbets Field to win the NL playoffs 2-0 and advance to the WS. Erv Dusak and Enos Slaughter lead the attack.
1945
» The Tigers and Cubs meet in the WS for the 4th time. Hank Borowy pitches a 6-hitter and Hal Newhouser is roughed up for 8 runs in 3 innings, as the Cubs win 9-0.
1942
» Ernie White shuts out New York on 6 hits, winning 2-0. Arguments during the game result in $200 fines for Joe Gordon and Frank Crosetti; the latter is also suspended for the first 30 days of the 1943 season for shoving umpire Bill Summers.
1940
» Bucky Walters gives the NL its first Series game victory since Carl Hubbell beat the Yankees in 1937. Jimmy Ripple's 2-run HR in the 3rd provides the margin. Walters gives up only 3 hits, but is lucky to escape a jittery first inning.
1939
» Frank Frisch abandons the broadcasting booth to return to managing, signing for 2 years with the Pirates.
1937
» Johnny Allen's effort to tie the AL record of 16 straight wins is frustrated when Detroit's Jake Wade beats him with a one-hit shutout 1-0 on the final day of the season.
The Pirates take a closing day doubleheader from the Reds, extending their win streak to 10, and the Reds' losing run to 14. The Pirates beat the Reds 21 of 22 games, tying the ML record set by the Cubs over the Braves in 1909.
1936
» Game 3 shifts to Yankee Stadium and a new attendance record of 64,842. Lou Gehrig's solo HR is matched by the Giants' Jimmy Ripple, with the deciding run of the Yankees 2-1 squeaker coming on an infield hit.
1935
» The Tigers even the Series behind Tommy Bridges 8-3, but lose Hank Greenberg who injures his wrist trying to score from first on a single.
1934
» Dizzy Dean wins the opening game of the WS 8-3, as Detroit manager Mickey Cochrane holds back his ace, Schoolboy Rowe. Veteran Al Crowder is ineffective as the Cardinals romp. Joe Medwick homers in a 4-for-4 day while the Tigers make 5 errors.
1933
» The Giants take the opener of the WS at the Polo Grounds, as Carl Hubbell holds the Senators to 5 hits and 3 unearned runs. Washington unravels when Buddy Myer makes a record-tying 3 errors. Mel Ott is the hitting star, tying a WS record with 4-for-4.
1926
» Grover Alexander (9-7) faces Urban Shocker (19-11) as a record 63,600 look on. The Yankees score twice in the 2nd, but Old Pete sets down the last 21 batters, striking out 10. Billy Southworth and SS Tommy Thevenow collect 3 hits each for a 6-2 St. Louis win. Thevenow, batting .256 for the season, will lead all batters with .417.
In Baltimore, the Bacharach Giants' Red Grier tosses a 10-0 no-hitter against the Chicago American Giants in the 3rd game of the Negro League World Series. Grier wins just more one game before an unexplained ailment ends his career.
1920
» In the Browns' 16-7 win over Chicago, George Sisler gets his 257th hit of the season to set a ML record. He also hurls a scoreless 9th inning in relief.
Cincinnati P Dazzy Swartz makes his big-league debut. He hurls a 12-inning complete game, taking the loss. He never plays another game in the ML.
1919
» Back in Chicago, 5 foot 7 inch rookie lefty Dickie Kerr pitches a 3-hitter, as Chicago wins 3-0. Joe Jackson is 2-for-3 and Gandil drives in 2 runs. Ray Fisher takes the loss. Cuban Adolfo Luque becomes the first Latin American ML player to appear in a WS game, pitching one inning of relief for the Reds in game 3 at Comiskey Park.
1915
» The Chicago Whales (FL) clinch the pennant by winning the 2nd game of a doubleheader with the Pittsburgh Rebels.
Ty Cobb steals his 96th base of the season against Cleveland's Steve O'Neil for a new ML season record. He also sets a record for caught stealing with 38.
1908
» The incident of September 23rd would have become just another odd event in baseball if the Giants had been able to handle the 4th-place Phillies. But rookie lefthander Harry Coveleski, just up from the minor leagues, earns the nickname "Giant Killer" by beating them 3-2, for the 3rd time in 5 days.
At a hearing on the September 23rd incident, Pulliam does not call Merkle or any other players as witnesses, saying he was at the game and saw the events himself. He affirms his earlier decision. Two days later, NL directors meet in Cincinnati and order the game replayed on October 8th.
At a field day in Chicago, Larry LeJeune, who will appear in 24 ML games, makes a 435-foot throw, beating the 1907 mark of 399 feet 103Ž4 inches.
1907
» The Red Sox end their 16-game losing streak by nipping the Browns 1-0. Cy Morgan is the victor over Harry Howell.
1906
» The smallest crowd in Polo Grounds history--300--watches the Phils beat the Giants 3-1. The Giants will attract about 400,000 over the season and be outdrawn by the Highlanders by about 20,000.
The White Sox clinch the AL pennant during a rainout at St. Louis, as the Athletics beat New York 3-0. Chicago achieves the lowest team BA ever for a pennant winner with .228. Hence, the "Hitless Wonders."
1905
» The National Commission establishes the rules for a World Series and names Hank O'Day and John Sheridan (both NL umps) to umpire it.
Brooklyn hurler Doc Scanlon hurls 2 complete- game victories over St Louis, winning by scores of 4-0 and 3-2.
1904
» Christy Mathewson of the Giants strikes out 16 Cards in a 3-1 Giants victory. Big 6's 16 strikeouts establishes a new record as he finishes the game in one hour and 15 minutes.
1903
» Deacon Phillippe comes back on one day's rest to beat Boston 4-2 before 18,801, the biggest crowd of the Series.
1900
» Brooklyn virtually clinches the NL pennant by winning 2 at Boston 6-4 and 3-1. For manager Ned Hanlon, it is his 5th pennant in 7 years.
1897
Chicago finishes the 1897 season by splitting a doubleheader with St. Louis. Cap Anson, now 45 years old, hits 2 HRs in the first game. He steals a base in the nightcap, his final game in a career that spans 26 years.
1896
Baltimore takes the 2nd game 7-2. The losing pitcher is Bobby Wallace, who will be moved to 3B next season, and later to SS where he builds a Hall of Fame career.
1895
Legendary manager Harry Wright dies suddenly of pneumonia.
1890
Chicago's John Luby (NL) wins his 17th consecutive game of the season, a 3-2 victory over Amos Rusie and the Giants.
1888
Both the New York Giants (NL) and St. Louis Browns (AA) clinch their respective pennants today.
1884
P Henry Porter of Milwaukee (UA) matches Dupee Shaw's distinction of July 19th as he strikes out 18 batters while losing the game 5-4 to Boston.