Baseball – 1983

Baseball in 1983

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January

January 5Gale for Vail‚ as the Reds send PH Mike Vail to the Giants for Rich Gale.
January 10New York Supreme Court Justice Richard Lane issues a preliminary injunction barring the Yankees from playing their season-opening series against the Tigers in Denver. The club had sought to move the games because it feared off-season renovations to Yankee Stadium would not be completed for the April 11th-13th series.
January 11For the third time in 8 years‚ George Steinbrenner hires Billy Martin as Yankee manager. Martin replaces Clyde King‚ who will move to the front office.

One of the few good players to be drafted and also sign in the January free agent draft is Ellis Burks‚ picked on the first round by the Red Sox. The Yankees pick and sign a Canseco–Ozzie–with their fourth pick.
January 12Brooks Robinson and Juan Marichal are elected to the Hall of Fame by the BBWAA. Robinson becomes the 14th player elected in his first year of eligibility.
January 13The Red Sox trade veteran P Mike Torrez to the Mets for minor leaguer 3B Mike Davis.
January 17Bob Horner agrees to a 4-year contract with the Atlanta Braves that will pay him up to $6 million‚ including $400‚000 in bonuses if he keeps his weight below 215 pounds.
January 19The Dodgers trade veteran 3B Ron Cey to the Cubs for minor leaguers Vance Lovelace and Dan Cataline. Cey will play 518 games at third for the Cubs‚ the most since Ron Santo.

Ozzie Smith becomes baseball’s first $1 million shortstop‚ signing a 3-year contract with the Cardinals.
January 26The White Sox trade pitchers Steve Trout and Warren Brusstar to the Cubs for pitchers Randy Martz and Dick Tidrow and infielders Pat Tabler and Scott Fletcher.
January 31The Phillies sign veteran 1B Tony Perez to a one-year contract.

February

February 7As compensation for the loss of free-agent pitcher Floyd Bannister to the White Sox‚ the Mariners select 20-year-old minor league infielder Danny Tartabull from the Reds organization. Tartabull hit .227 for Waterbury (Eastern League) last season.
February 8One day after taking a job as director of sports promotions for Claridge Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City‚ NJ‚ Mickey Mantle is ordered to sever his ties with ML baseball by Commissioner Kuhn. Mantle joins fellow Hall of Famer Willie Mays as players banned from baseball by Kuhn for involvement with legalized gambling.
February 19Fernando Valenzuela wins his salary arbitration case with the Dodgers and becomes the first player to win a $1 million salary through that process. The Dodgers had offered Valenzuela $750‚000 for the 1983 season.

March

March 3Steve Carlton agrees to a 4-year‚ $4.15 million contract with the Phillies that will make him the highest-paid pitcher in baseball history.
March 10Walter Alston‚ who managed the Dodgers to 4 World Championships‚ and George Kell‚ who hit .306 over 15 ML seasons‚ are elected to the Hall of Fame by the Special Veterans Committee.
March 15Cy Young Award winner Pete Vuckovich is found to have a torn rotator cuff in his pitching shoulder that will sideline him for almost the entire 1983 season.
March 24The Executive Board of the International Olympic Committee agrees to stage a 6-team exhibition baseball tournament as part of the 1984 Summer Olympics to be held in Los Angeles.

April

April 5In his first appearance as a Met since 1977‚ Tom Seaver combines with Doug Sisk to shut out the Phillies 2-0 on 5 hits. It is Seaver’s 14th NL Opening Day assignment‚ tying Walter Johnson‘s record with Washington.

At Seattle‚ the Mariners open with a 5-4 win over the Yankees. Gaylord Perry makes his 9th Opening Day start‚ but the win goes to reliever Bryan Clark. Richie Zisk‚ a Yankee Opening Day nemesis‚ hits a two-run homer in Seattle’s 4-run 3rd inning to chase Ron Guidry. New York chases Perry in the 6th with back-to back homers by Dave Winfield and Steve Kemp. Steve Henderson scores the winner in the 7th when he hits his 3rd single‚ steals second‚ takes 3rd on a grounder and scores on a sac fly.
April 7ML Baseball‚ ABC‚ and NBC agree to terms of a 6-year television package worth $1.2 billion. The 2 networks will continue to alternate coverage of the playoffs‚ World Series‚ and All-Star Game through the 1989 season‚ with each of the 26 clubs receiving $7 million per year in return. The last package gave each club $1.9 million per year.
April 12At the Pirates home opener‚ Cardinals reliever Bruce Sutter is on the mound in the 8th when‚ with Keith Hernandez playing deep behind 1B‚ Pirate baserunner Bill Madlock takes a long leadoff. With Madlock distracted by Hernandez‚ Sutter darts off the mound and makes an unassisted put out. Sutter and the Cards are winners‚ 4-3.
April 13The Phillies score 5 runs in the 9th inning to beat the Mets‚ 10-9. The big blow is a game ending grand slam by Bo Diaz off Neil Allen with two outs. Pete Rose records his 700th double and scores his 2000th run while the bright spots for the Mets are their 17 hits‚ including 3 homers. Bob Bailor and Dave Kingman hit back-to-back HRs.
April 14The Twins cancel their night game with the Angels because of a winter storm and the fact that the Angels can’t make their connections. Late this evening a chunk of ice will tear a 20 foot hole in the roof of the Metrdome‚ causing it to deflate.
April 15Detroit P Milt Wilcox is one out away from a perfect game when pinch hitter Jerry Hairston singles‚ and Wilcox settles for a 4-0 one-hitter over White Sox ace LaMar Hoyt. This is only the 5th time in ML history a perfect bid has been stopped with one out to go: the last was Milt Pappas on September 2‚ 1972. Pappas finished with a no hitter.

The Astros avoid the worst start in modern ML history by beating the Expos 7-6 in 10 innings for their first win of the season in 10 games.
April 16Montreal’s Charlie Lea pitches the ML’s 2nd one-hitter in as many days‚ shutting out the Astros 2-0. The only Houston hit is Terry Puhl‘s pinch single with 2 out in the 8th inning.

Padres 1B Steve Garvey plays in his 1‚118th consecutive game‚ breaking Billy Williams’ NL record. Garvey goes 2-for-4 in an 8-5 Padres loss at Los Angeles.

Against Oakland‚ the Twins tee off for 4 HRs in the 9th‚ the first three off Beard. Engle and Mitchell connect back to back‚ and Gaetti and Hatcher also homer.
April 17Nolan Ryan fans 7 Expos in a 6-3 Houston win to become only the 2nd pitcher to record 3‚500 career strikeouts.
April 20George Brett belts 3 home runs‚ the last a 2-run shot in the top of the 9th inning‚ and drives in 7 runs to lead the Royals to an 8-7 win over Detroit.
April 27In a 4-2 win over the Expos‚ Nolan Ryan strikes out Brad Mills to move a strikeout ahead of Walter Johnson and become baseball’s all-time leader at 3‚509. Ryan will finish the season at 3‚677‚ with Carlton leading at 3‚709.

Fred Lynn and Darryl Sconiers hit grand slams to lead California to a 13-3 win over the Tigers. This is a first for the Angels club.
April 30El Paso beats Beaumont 35-21 to break the Texas League’s 80-year-old record for total runs scored in a game. A 25-mph wind blowing out to right field at El Paso’s Dudley Field was a big help to hitters. The only starter on either team without a RBI was the winners’ SS Ernest Riles.

May

May 4Johnny Bench collects his 2‚000th career hit‚ a single off Steve Carlton in a 9-4 Cincinnati loss to the Phillies.

Dave Wilhelmi of Shreveport throws the second perfect game in Texas League history‚ beating Arkansas‚ 2-0. Ed Cole‚ in 1935‚ tossed the other perfecto.
May 6Angels Rod Carew goes 3-for-4 in a 4-2 win over the Tigers to raise his batting average to an even .500 (48-for-96). Carew will finish the season at .339.
May 7Doug DeCinces ties the ML record with 11 assists at 3B and also hits the game-ending two-out homerun in the 12th off Aurelio Lopez as the Angels‚ deflate the Tigers‚ 6-5. Daryl Sconier ties the game with a 9th inning pinch homer off Lopez. Lou Whitaker has a leadoff homer for Detroit-his second in a row.

Tony Armas hits a grand slam and Dwight Evans and Jim Rice hit back-to-back homers to power the Red Sox to an 8-0 win over Mariners. Mike Vrown throws the shutout.
May 14Ben Oglivie slugs 3 home runs as the Brewers come from behind to beat Boston 8-7 in 10 innings. Oglivie’s 3rd homer ties the score at 6-6 in the bottom of the 9th.

Toronto’s Luis Leal and Roy Lee Jackson combine to one-hit the Indians 8-1‚ allowing only an 8th-inning single to Chris Bando. Starter Leal pitches 5 innings‚ and is replaced by Jackson after a 1:42 rain delay.
May 16Mets rookie Darryl Strawberry hits his first ML home run in an 11-4 rout of the Pirates.

Despite 9th-inning pinch hit solo home runs by Dave Engle and Bobby Mitchell and 2-run shots by Gary Gaetti and Mickey Hatcher‚ the Twins lose 7-6 to Oakland. Engle’s and Hatcher’s are hit off Tom Bergmeier and .Dave Beard respectively. Oakland has a HR in the 9th to tie a ML mark for two teams.
May 18Chicago’s Rich Dotson pitches a one-hitter against the Orioles‚ and loses 1-0. The only hit he allows is Dan Ford‘s 8th-inning home run.
May 20In a 5-0 loss to the Padres‚ Steve Carlton strikes out 4 batters to move past Walter Johnson into 2nd place on baseball’s all-time strikeout list. Carlton’s 3‚511 strikeouts leave him 10 behind Nolan Ryan‚ who broke Johnson’s record earlier this season.
May 22The Phillies make a pair of trades‚ sending P Sid Monge to the Padres for OF Joe Lefebvre and P Dick Ruthven and minor leaguer Bill Johnson to the Cubs for P Willie Hernandez.
May 25In a 6-0 loss to the Braves‚ Pirates Jim Bibby and Jim Winn combine to walk 7 consecutive batters in the 3rd inning‚ tying the ML record set by the Senators Dolly Gray in 1909.
May 29Dodgers pitcher Steve Howe is readmitted to a drug treatment center after suffering a relapse of the cocaine problem for which he had sought treatment after last season. Howe hadn’t allowed an earned run in his 14 appearances this season.
May 31AL President Lee MacPhail suspends Yankees owner George Steinbrenner for one week‚ citing “repeated problems” with the outspoken owner’s public criticism of umpires. Steinbrenner‚ who had been fined $50‚000 by Commissioner Kuhn during spring training for berating some NL umpires‚ cannot attend games or be in his Yankee Stadium office during the suspension.

June

June 1Dave Rozema gives up a leadoff HR to Damaso Garcia‚ but that’s all the scoring Toronto manages as Detroit wins‚ 3-1. Garcia will hit another leadoff homer tomorrow.
June 3George Bamberger resigns as manager of the New York Mets‚ whose 16-30 record is the big-leagues’ worst. He will be replaced by Frank Howard‚ who managed the Padres in 1981.
June 5The Cubs beat the Pirates‚ 3-1‚ with Lefferts winning over Tunnell. Lee Smith strikes out 4 of the last 5 batters to earn his 8th save.
June 6The Twins select pitcher Tim Belcher with the first pick in the annual June free-agent draft‚ but Belcher will reject their $125‚000 signing bonus offer and pitch for Team USA in the Pan American Games instead. He is the only first-rounder who doesn’t sign. Belcher will be the first selected in the January 1984 draft. The Twins 2nd round pick‚ P Billy Swift‚ also doesn’t sign. The Reds take Kurt Stillwell with the 2nd pick overall and Chris Sabo on round 2. Roger Clemens is taken with the 19th pick. The A’s get Terry Steinbach‚ Brian Dorsett‚ and Greg Cadaret on the 9th‚ 10th and 11th rounds. The Phillies pick Rickie Jordan on the 1st round. The Reds pick up Kurt Stillwell in the 1st round‚ Chris Sabo and Joe Oliver in the 2nd round‚ Lenny Harris (5th) and Jeff Montgomery (9th).

The Brewers trade OF Gorman Thomas and Ps Jamie Easterly and Ernie Camacho to the Indians for OF Rick Manning and P Rick Waits. Manning had signed a five-year contract, his second, with the Indians in the offseason, turning down a larger offer from Milwaukee to stay in Cleveland.
June 7Steve Carlton overtakes Nolan Ryan as baseball’s all-time strikeout leader‚ fanning 6 batters in a 2-1 loss to the Cardinals to bring his career total to 3‚526. In Houston‚ Ryan strikes out 3 Giants while getting no decision in the Astros’ 4-2 win‚ leaving him with 3‚525.
June 10Dave Kingman cracks a 2-run 2-out HR in the bottom of the 17th to give the Mets a 4-2 win over the Expos. Kingman has 3 RBI in the game.
June 11Cardinals OF Lonnie Smith checks into a drug rehabilitation program‚ joining the Phillies Dickie Noles and the Dodgers Steve Howe‚ as the 3rd ML player to leave his team because of a substance-abuse problem this season.
June 12In the first complete game of his career in which he does not walk at least one batter‚ Nolan Ryan strikes out 11 Padres in a 2-0 shutout to move back into a first-place tie with Steve Carlton with 3‚535 career strikeouts. The 2 will trade the lead back and forth start by start for much of the summer‚ but by the end of the season Carlton will have pulled ahead‚ 3‚709 to 3‚677.

The Giants do all their scoring in the 4th inning to beat the Reds‚ 8-5. Darrell Evans has a double and homer in the frame.

In the Cubs 6-3 win over the Cardinals‚ 2B Ryne Sandberg has 12 assists to tie the ML record.

Toronto outlasts California to win 6-5‚ in 15 innings. The Jays score 3 in the 15th and hang on as the Angels score a pair.

In another extra-inning battle at Oakland the White Sox outslug Oakland to win‚ 12-10. The Sox score 3 in the top of the 10th‚ but the A’s match it when Murphy and Gross hit back-to-back homers. The Sox then score a pair in the 11th on a triple and HR to win.

on 3 walks and a triple only to see to tie it up. A triple and homer in the 12th give the Jays 3 runs in the 12th and they hang on for the win.
June 15In what will turn out to be a terrible trade for St. Louis‚ the Cardinals trade 1B Keith Hernandez to the Mets for pitchers Neil Allen and Rick Ownbey.

Darrell Evans hits 3 home runs in a Giants 7-1 win over the Astros to give him a ML-leading 18 for the season. Evans will finish the season with 30 HRs.
June 17Bob Welch pitches a 6-hitter and hits his first career homer‚ off Mario Soto in the 6th‚ to lead the Dodgers past the Reds‚ 1-0. Welch is the 11th pitcher in ML history to homer in a 1-0 game‚ and it will not occur again this century. The last to do so‚ according to historian Bob Davids‚ was Juan Pizarro‚ in 1971.
June 21The Reds edge the Giants‚ 6-5‚ in 16 innings on Ron Oester‘s single. Both teams score a run in the 14th.
June 24Milwaukee’s Don Sutton strikes out Alan Bannister in the 8th inning of a 3-2 win over Cleveland to become the 8th pitcher in ML history with 3‚000 career strikeouts. County Stadium is packed with 46‚037 fans for the game‚ mostly to welcome back popular OF Gorman Thomas‚ who was traded to Cleveland earlier this month.
June 25After 8 straight losses‚ Rene Lachemann is fired as manager of the Mariners and replaced by Del Crandall.
June 26Mets Rusty Staub delivers his 8th consecutive pinch hit in the 9th inning of an 8-4 loss to the Phillies‚ tying Dave Philley for the all-time ML record. Staub’s streak will be snapped by Cards Bruce Sutter 3 days from now.

Baltimore’s Storm Davis holds the Tigers hitless for 8 innings‚ then needs help from reliever Tippy Martinez to complete a 3-1 victory. Pinch hitter Rick Leach‚ who had been in a 3-for-35 slump‚ breaks up the no-hit bid with his first home run of the year leading off the 9th.
June 29Mark Fidrych‚ in the 2nd year of an extended comeback attempt with the Pawtucket Red Sox (International League)‚ retires. The 1976 AL Rookie of the Year was 2-5 with a 9.68 ERA.
June 30The Reds score 8 runs in the first inning and go on to beat the visiting Giants‚ 15-5. Paul Householder drives in 4 runs‚ 2 on a freak inside-the-park homer. With Oester on 1B‚ Householder hits a shallow fly that LF Chris Smith loses in the sun and it bounces over his head. Smith then slips going after the ball and the 2 baserunners race around the bases. Oester slides across the plate just ahead of Householder’s slide‚ which is so close he spikes Oester’s knee.

Outfielder Lance Junker of the Redwood Pioneers (California League) connects for two grand slams in the 9th inning against Reno. He is the 3rd to do this tying an organized baseball record.

July

July 1Arbitrator Raymond Goetz rules that the 43 players who were on the Disabled List during the 1981 players’ strike are not entitled to their salaries for that period. The decision saves the club owners about $2.5 million.
July 2For the 2nd game in a row‚ Reds Gary Redus hits a leadoff home run. And for the 2nd game in a row the Reds lose to the Braves. Today it is 4-2: yesterday‚ 5-2.
July 3The Rangers explode for 12 runs in the 15th inning of a 16-4 win over the A’s‚ setting a new ML record for runs in a single extra inning. Reserve Bobby Jones has 5 hits in the game‚ including 2 doubles in the 15th. Dave Beard is the loser for Oakland‚ while Odell Jones is the victor.
July 4Dave Righetti pitches the Yankees’ first no-hitter since Don Larsen‘s perfect game in the 1956 World Series‚ handcuffing the Red Sox 4-0 before a holiday crowd of 41‚077 at Yankee Stadium. It’s the first no-hitter by a Yankee lefty since George Mogridge in 1917. Bert Campaneris at 3B participates in his 11th no-hitter‚ a ML record. (Hunter‚ Palmer‚ Wright‚ Blue‚ Bibby‚ Bosman‚ Blue‚ Odom‚ Colburn‚ and Blyleven).
July 6In the 50th anniversary All-Star Game at Chicago’s Comiskey Park‚ the AL routs the NL 13-3 for its first win since 1971. The AL breaks the game open with 7 runs in the 4th inning‚ highlighted by Fred Lynn‘s grand slam-the first ever in All-Star competition. It is Lynn’s 4th All-Star homer‚ tying him with Ted Williams for the AL record.
July 10It takes Milwaukee 4 hours and 11 minutes to beat Chicago 12-9‚ the slowest 9-inning game in AL history.

The Giants sweep a pair from the Cubs‚ winning 10-8 and 4-2. In the nitecap‚ Giants RF Jack Clark throws out Junior Kennedy 9-3. It is the 3rd time in 2 years Clark has done it: he did on July 30th to Reds P Charlie Puleo and on September 20‚ 1981 to Nolan Ryan
July 11With his club in the NL West cellar‚ 15 1?2 games behind the Braves‚ Reds president Dick Wagner is fired by the club’s general partners.
July 18Despite being in first place in the NL East‚ the Phillies fire manager Pat Corrales because the team is “not playing up to its potential.” GM Paul Owens will manage the club instead. And will go 47-30 to win the pennant. Managing his first game‚ the Phils drop a 9-2 decision as the Astros shell Steve Carlton. It’s his 11th loss of the year and drops the Phils into a tie for 2nd place with the Pirates.

At Toronto‚ George Brett is robbed of an apparent triple by his teammate Mike Armstrong. Brett hits a liner down the RF line that Armstrong‚ sitting in the bullpen‚ thinks is foul and retrieves. Ump Bill Kunkel decides to send U.L. Washington‚ who scored on the play‚ back the 2B‚ and Brett is sent to 2B. Brett has a homer off Jim Clancy but KC eventually loses ‚ 8-2.
July 20Two outs away from a no-hitter against the Astros‚ Phillies P Charles Hudson gives up a bloop single to Craig Reynolds and back-to-back home runs to Denny Walling and Dickie Thon before settling down for a 10-3 victory.

Steve Sax‘s errant throw on a double play ball helps the Pirates’ cause‚ as they beat the Dodgers 7-3. For Sax‚ it his 26th error of the season. He’ll reach 30‚ then go the last 57 games without a miscue.

After missing a month with a knee injury‚ Dan Ford clubs 3 homers to pace the Orioles to a 4-2 win over Seattle at the Kingdome. The O’s move into a tie for 1st place.
July 22Milt Wilcox overcomes giving up 8 runs in 6 innings to notch a victory as Detroit beats the Angels‚ 13-11. Bobby Grich is 3-for-3 with a grand slam for the losers. Angels OF Brian Downing misplays Chet Lemon‘s line drive in the 6th inning‚ ending his AL-record consecutive-errorless-game streak at 244.
July 24In the memorable “Pine Tar Game” at Yankee Stadium‚ George Brett hits an apparent 2-run home run off Rich Gossage to give the Royals a 5-4 lead with 2 outs in the 9th inning‚ only to have it taken away when Yankees manager Billy Martin‚ at the urging of coach Don Zimmer‚ points out that the pine tar on Brett’s bat handle exceeds the 17 inches allowed in the rules. As a result‚ Brett is called out for illegally batting the ball‚ giving New York a 4-3 victory. Brett goes ballistic a the Royals immediately protest‚ and AL President Lee MacPhail overrules his umpires for the first time saying that‚ while the rules should certainly be rewritten and clarified‚ the home run will stand and the game will be resumed from that point on August 18th.
July 27While picking up his first win as a member of the Royals‚ Gaylord Perry joins Nolan Ryan and Steve Carlton as the 3rd pitcher this season to reach 3‚500 career strikeouts‚ fanning 4 Indians in a 5-4 victory to raise his total to 3‚501.

In Arlington‚ VA‚ the Democrats and Republicans reach an agreement in the 9th inning to terminate their Congressional game with the score tied at 17-17.
July 31Brooks Robinson‚ Juan Marichal‚ George Kell‚ and Walter Alston are inducted into the Hall of Fame at Cooperstown‚ New York‚ bringing the total number of inductees to 184.

In the nitecap of a doubleheader‚ Pirates rookie Jose DeLeon holds the Mets hitless for 81?3 innings before Hubie Brooks singles‚ but Mets starter Mike Torrez pitches 11 shutout innings himself and New York goes on to win 1-0 in 12 innings. In his previous start‚ DeLeon had held the Padres hitless for 61?3 innings. Mets reliever Jesse Orosco wins both games with 4 innings of relief in the 11-inning opener‚ and an inning in the nitecap.

The Indians fire manager Mike Ferraro and replace him with Pat Corrales‚ who was fired earlier this month by the Phillies. The team responds with a 16-11 win over Toronto as Mike Hargrove scores 5 runs. The Tribe hits no homers but Toronto hits 4.

August

August 1Minnesota pitcher Rick Lysander gives up 11 hits to Oakland‚ but still shuts out the A’s‚ 7-0.
August 3Nolan Ryan pitches his 9th career one-hitter‚ striking out 10 Padres on the way to a 1-0 victory. Tim Flannery‘s 3rd-inning single is San Diego’s only hit.

Cubs starter and winner Chuck Rainey is one of 4 pitchers who combine to shut out the Cardinals‚ 4-0‚ on 12 hits‚ 2 short of the ML record for a whitewash. Bill Campbell finishes with 3 innings and a save.
August 4While warming up before the 5th inning of the Yankees 3-1 win over the Blue Jays game at Toronto’s Exhibition Stadium‚ New York OF Dave Winfield accidentally kills a seagull with a thrown ball. After the game‚ Winfield is brought to the Ontario Provincial Police station on charges of cruelty to animals and is forced to post a $500 bond before being released. The charges will be dropped the following day.
August 5AL president Lee MacPhail suspends Yankees manager Billy Martin for the 2nd time this season because of continuing abuse of umpires. Martin is suspended for 2 games for calling umpire Dale Ford “a stone liar” after a July 31st game with the White Sox. He earned a 3-game suspension earlier this year for kicking dirt on umpire Drew Coble.
August 6Walt Terrell becomes the first pitcher in 5 years to homer twice in one game‚ belting a pair of 2-run shots off Ferguson Jenkins to lead New York to a 4-1 win over the Cubs.
August 10Al Oliver collects his 2‚500th career hit‚ a 7th-inning single off Carlos Diaz‚ as the Expos beat the Mets 5-3.
August 13Cincinnati native Jeff Russell makes his ML debut for the Reds and pitches a 3-hitter‚ beating the Padres‚ 3-1. He helps with an RBI double.
August 15Braves Bob Horner‚ who was hitting .303 with 20 HRs and 68 RBI‚ breaks his right wrist sliding into 2B during a 4-0 loss to the Padres and will be sidelined for the rest of the season. In Atlanta‚ the injury is widely attributed to the “Chief Noc-A-Homa Jinx‚” which seems to strike whenever the Braves remove their mascot’s outfield teepee in order to sell more tickets.
August 17At County Stadium‚ the Brewers Tom Candiotti makes his first ML start and complete game beating the Red Sox‚ 5-1. Candiotti‚ who will not throw a knuckler until 1985‚ will go 4-0 in his first 4 decisions‚ compiling an .0.84 ERA. He’ll shut out the Angels on August 25.
August 18In the continuation of the “Pine Tar Game‚” Hal McRae strikes out for the last KC out and Dan Quisenberry retires the Yankees in order in the bottom of the 9th to preserve the Royals’ 5-4 victory. The conclusion takes just 12 minutes (and 16 pitches) and‚ as the only game scheduled at the Stadium‚ is witnessed by a crowd of 1‚245. An odd feature of the game is lefty Don Mattingly playing 2B and pitcher Ron Guidry in CF‚ as the Yanks try to cover all the options.
August 19The Dodgers trade pitchers Dave Stewart and Ricky Wright to Texas for star pitcher Rick Honeycutt‚ who was 14-8 with an AL-best 2.42 ERA for the Rangers. Honeycutt will go 2-3 down the stretch for the Dodgers‚ but still wins the AL ERA title because his 174 2?3 innings pitched were already enough to qualify.
August 20Pittsburgh’s Jose DeLeon takes a no-hitter into the 7th inning for the 3rd time this season‚ but Cincinnati’s Dan Driessen doubles with 2 out to spoil the gem. DeLeon finishes with 13 strikeouts in a 4-0 two-hitter.
August 21Class A outfielders Vince Coleman (Macon‚ South Atlantic League) and Donnell Nixon (Bakersfield‚ California League) each break Rickey Henderson‘s single-season record by stealing their 131st bases of the season. Coleman will finish the season with minor-league record 145 stolen bases‚ despite having missed 31 games with a broken hand. Nixon will tally 144. Jeff Stone (South Atlantic League) will swipe 123 while Len Dykstra will set a Class A Carolina League record with 105 thefts.
August 22The Cubs replace Lee Elia with Charlie Fox‚ a special assistant to GM Dallas Green who managed the Giants to the NL West title in 1971. Chicago is in 5th place in the NL East with a 54-69 record.
August 23Kansas City’s Amos Otis notches his 2‚000th career hit‚ a single in a 10-2 win over the White Sox.

At Wrigley‚ Reds rookie Jeff Russell beats Fergie Jenkins and the Cubs‚ 4-2. Russell adds his only career home run. Dave Concepcion is called out on a steal attempt‚ and then is tossed out for arguing with ump Dave Pallone. He also gets suspended for 3 days for allegedly spitting on Pallone during the argument.
August 241B Pete Rose does not play in the Phillies 5-3 loss to the Giants‚ ending his consecutive games played streak at 745. Manager Paul Owens had planned to use Rose as a pinch hitter in the 10th inning‚ but Joel Youngblood ends the game with a 2-run home run off Steve Carlton in the bottom of the 9th.

Cubs Chuck Rainey is one out away from a no-hitter when the Reds Eddie Milner singles to center on the first pitch. Rainey settles for a 3-0 one-hitter‚ his first complete game of the season. For Milner‚ this is the 3rd of 5 instances that he will collect his team’s only hit in a game‚ a ML mark he’ll share with Cesar Tovar. The other solos are Dickie Noles and Jerry Reuss (1982)‚ Len Barker/Donnie Moore (1984) and Alejandro Pena (1986).

Making his only career appearance behind the plate‚ Oriole infielder Lenn Sakata catches the 10th inning against the Blue Jays and then hits a 3-run homer as the O’s win‚ 7-4. Toronto goes ahead 4-3 in the top of the 10th after Cliff Johnson homers and Barry Bonnell singles. Tippy Martinez relieves Tim Stoddard and picks off Bonnell‚ walks Dave Collins and picks him off. Tippy then allows a Willie Upshaw single‚ and picks him off. Helped by the runners’ eagerness to test Sakata‚ Tippy sets a never-to-be-topped ML record with the three pickoffs in one inning..
August 25The Louisville Redbirds (American Association) become the first minor league team to draw one million fans in a season‚ as 31‚258 watch them beat Evansville 7-0 to clinch the Eastern Division title. Louisville will finish the season with an attendance of 1‚052‚438.
August 28Greg Luzinski becomes the first player to park 3 home runs onto the roof at Comiskey Park‚ connecting off Boston’s Oil Can Boyd in a 6-2 Chicago victory. Jimmie Foxx and Ted Williams each accomplished the feat twice.

The 4th place Yankees beat California‚ 7-3‚ behind John Montefusco (1-0) the 2 teams match hits at 10. The Yanks score 6 times in the 6th‚ half coming on a homer by Roy Smalley. Willie Randolph starts and ends the inning‚ making all 3 outs.

The Indians trade pitcher Len Barker to the Braves for Rick Behenna‚ cash‚ and 2 players to be named later. The two turn out to be OF Brett Butler and 3B Brook Jacoby.

September

September 2Mike Flanagan of the Orioles wins his 13th straight over the Twins‚ but it is not easy. Ken Singleton‘s solo HR in the 9th breaks up a pitching duel with Frank Viola and gives the Orioles a 1-0 win. The streak goes back to August 5‚ 1978.
September 3Trailing 5-3‚ the Indians erupt for 10 runs in the top of the 9th inning and go on to defeat Oakland 13-6. The A’s set a ML record by using 6 pitchers in the inning. Pinch hitter Sal Bando has 2 hits in the frame and Gorman Thomas connects for a double and homer in the inning for the second time in 3 years. He is the only man to do it twice.
September 5Reds rookie Jeff Russell loses his no-hitter in the 8th inning at Candlestick before losing‚ 3-2‚ on Youngblood’s double and Dave Bergman‘s HR.
September 6Welcome to the Bigs. Cincinnati native Skeeter Barnes is twice hit by pitches in his ML debut‚ but his Reds beat the Giants‚ 11-1.
September 8Yankees OF Steve Kemp will miss the rest of the season with a fractured cheekbone after being struck in the face by an Omar Moreno line drive during batting practice in Milwaukee. Kemp hit just .242 with 12 HR and 49 RBI in the first year of his 5-year‚ $5.45 million contract. New York wins today‚ 6-5.
September 9White Sox Britt Burns pitches a one-hit 11-0 win over the Angels. California’s sole hit is Mike Brown’s single with 2 out in the 7th. Sox teammates Carlton Fisk‚ Tom Paciorek‚ and Greg Luzinski make it easy for Britt by clouting consecutive homers in the first inning.

Oakland’s first two batter‚ Rickey Henderson and Mike Davis‚ line homers off Toronto’s Jim Clancy. It turns out to be the margin of difference in a 7-5 win.
September 11LaMarr Hoyt (20-10) becomes the major leagues’ first 20-game winner this season by beating California 5-4 in 10 innings.

Los Angeles scores 4 runs in the bottom of the 9th to beat Atlanta 7-6 and widen their NL West lead over the 2nd-place Braves to 3 games.
September 13Dan Quisenberry breaks John Hiller‘s all-time single-season save record‚ recording the final 2 outs of the Royals’ 4-3 win over the Angels for his 39th save of the season.

Oakland’s Rickey Henderson steals 3 bases in a 6-5 win over Texas to give him 101 for the season and a ML-record 3 consecutive seasons with 100 or more.

Mets C Mike Fitzgerald becomes the 48th player in ML history to hit a home run in his first at bat‚ connecting for a solo shot off Tony Ghelfi in the 2nd inning of New York’s 5-1 win over Philadelphia.
September 14Nick Esasky’s 1st inning grand slam‚ off Phil Niekro‚ propels the Reds to a 6-4 win over the visiting Braves.
September 15Behind Mart Bystrom’s 5-hit win the Phils sweep the Expos‚ 9-5. Schmidt‚ Joe Morgan and Len Matuszek (his first in the majors) hit homers to back Steve Carlton‘s 298th career win.
September 16Minnesota’s Tim Teufel goes 5-for-5 with a triple and the first 2 home runs of his ML career in an 11-4 win over the Blue Jays. He also scores 5 runs.
September 17The Chicago White Sox clinch their first-ever AL West championship‚ beating Seattle 4-3 on Harold Baines’ sacrifice ?y in the bottom of the 9th.

A record regular-season crowd of 53‚790 packs Cincinnati’s Riverfront Stadium on Johnny Bench Night‚ and the retiring superstar responds with a 2-run home run and a single. But the Reds lose to Houston 4-3.
September 19Phillies 2B Joe Morgan celebrates his 40th birthday by going 4-for-5 with 2 home runs in a 7-6 win over the Cubs. He will go 4-for-5 again tomorrow in an 8-5 win over the Cubs. He’s the 2nd player to celebrate his 40th birthday with a dinger: Bob Thurman was the first‚ in 1957.

Denver (AA) beats Portland (PCL) 5-4 to give the Tidewater Tides (IL) the championship in the first AAA World Series. Manager Davey Johnson’s Tides won 3 of their 4 games in the double round-robin tournament to edge 2nd-place Portland‚ which finished 2-2.
September 20The Tigers rap 10 consecutive hits on the way to an 11-run first inning against Baltimore‚ tying the AL record set by Boston in 1901. Detroit wins 14-1 in a rain-shortened 5-inning game.
September 23Steve Carlton becomes the 16th pitcher in ML history to win 300 games and the Phillies inch closer to the NL East title with a 6-2 win over the Cardinals.

Troubled Dodger reliever Steve Howe is suspended once again because of his chronic drug problem after missing the club’s flight to Atlanta and refusing to take a urinalysis upon his arrival. Howe‚ who had 18 saves and a 1.44 ERA despite spending part of the season in a drug rehabilitation program‚ will not be eligible for post-season play.
September 24In the 9th inning of Atlanta’s 3-2 win over Los Angeles‚ Braves OF Dale Murphy walks‚ steals 2B‚ and scores the winning run on Rafael Ramirez‘s single. The stolen base makes him only the 6th player in ML history to hit 30 HRs and steal 30 bases in the same season.
September 25Baltimore clinches the AL East title with a 5-1 win over Milwaukee‚ as Storm Davis and Tippy Martinez combine on a 6-hitter.
September 26Cardinals Bob Forsch pitches his 2nd career no-hitter‚ winning 3-0 against the Expos. Forsch allows just 2 base runners while becoming the first Cardinal and 25th pitcher overall to throw more than one no-hitter.
September 27Tim Raines becomes the first player since Ty Cobb to steal 70 bases and drive in 70 runs in the same season‚ going 3-for-4 with a home run‚ a stolen base‚ and 4 RBI in Montreal’s 10-4 win over St. Louis.

Jim Beattie fires the first one-hitter in Mariners’ history‚ beating Kansas City‚ 4-0. U.L. Washington’s single in the 3rd inning is the only baserunner allowed by Beattie in his near-perfect game.
September 28Whipping the Cubs 13-6 for their 12th win in their last 13 games‚ the Phillies clinch the NL East championship. Bo Diaz goes 5-for-5 with a pair of home runs and Joe Morgan records his 3rd 4-hit game of the month.
September 29In his 9th ML start‚ Oakland’s Mike Warren pitches a no-hitter against the AL West champion White Sox‚ 3-0. It is the first no-hitter by a rookie since Jim Bibby’s on July 30‚ 1973. Warren will win only 9 games in his career‚ and this will be his only shutout.

In the Reds last home game‚ Johnny Bench hits a 2-run pinch single in his last ML at bat. The Reds still lose to the Giants‚ 11-7.
September 30The Dodgers beat the Giants 4-3 and the Padres beat the Braves 3-2‚ giving Los Angeles the NL West title. Orel Hershiser pitches the final 2 innings in relief of Fernando Valenzuela to record his first ML save.

In a 9-4 win over the Mariners‚ Chicago’s LaMarr Hoyt records his 13th win in a row to raise his record to 24-10‚ and Greg Luzinski hits his 32nd home run to set a new single-season record for designated hitters.

October

October 2In his final ML game‚ Carl Yastrzemski plays left field and goes 1-for-3 as the Red Sox beat Cleveland 3-1 at Fenway Park.

Rusty Staub‘s two-run pinch double with two out in the bottom of the 9th gives the Mets a 5-4 win over the Expos in their season finale and gives Staub 25 RBI as a pinch hitter this season, tying the ML record shared by Joe Cronin and Jerry Lynch. He also finishes with more doubles than runs: six doubles and five runs. After the game, the Mets fire manager Frank Howard.

Heralded rookie Sid Fernandez makes his first and only start for the Dodgers‚ and walks six in three innings against the Giants. The Dodgers eventually lose‚ 4-3. El Sid will be traded to the Mets in December.
October 3Less 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.
October 4In the NLCS opener‚ Mike Schmidt‘s first-inning homer and Al Holland‘s clutch relief pitching to get out of an 8th-inning bases-loaded jam are enough for Philadelphia to top Los Angeles 1-0.

Having finished last in the NL West for the 2nd straight year‚ the Reds drop manager Russ Nixon and replace him with Vern Rapp.
October 5Five-hit pitching by LaMarr Hoyt is the margin in the 2-1 White Sox victory over the Orioles in game 1 of the ALCS.

Fernando Valenzuela wins the 2nd NLCS game for the Dodgers downing Philley 4-1.
October 6Orioles rookie Mike Boddicker ties the LCS record with 14 strikeouts in a 4-0 shutout of the White Sox‚ evening the series at 1-1.

Jim Frey will manage the Cubs‚ succeeding interim manager Charlie Fox‚ who has returned to the front office after the season.
October 7The Orioles waltz in game 3‚ beating the Sox 11-1. In the NL game‚ rookie Charlie Hudson goes the distance for Philadelphia‚ winning 7-2‚ aided by Gary Matthews‘s 3-for-3 with 4 RBI.
October 8The Phillies and Orioles each win game 4 of their respective LCS to advance to the World Series. Philadelphia gets home runs from Gary Matthews and Sixto Lezcano in another 7-2 victory‚ while Baltimore’s Tito Landrum hits a solo home run in the top of the 10th inning to break a scoreless tie and spark the Orioles to a 3-0 win.
October 10John E. Fetzer sells the Tigers to Michigan businessman Tom Monaghan‚ the founder and president of Domino’s Pizza.
October 11In the WS opener‚ homers account for all the scoring as the Phillies top Baltimore 2-1.
October 12In game 2‚ Mike Boddicker pitches a 4-1 three-hitter to tie the Series 1-1. He has yet to allow an earned run in 18 post-season innings‚ and is the first rookie to pitch a 3-hitter in the World Series since Dickie Kerr in 1919.
October 14The Orioles rally to win game 3 by a 3-2 margin. Jim Palmer wins and his batterymate Rick Dempsey has 2 doubles.
October 15Rich Dauer has 3 hits and 3 RBI to lead Baltimore to a 5-4 Series win.
October 16Eddie Murray slams a pair of home runs and Scott McGregor pitches a 5-hitter as the Orioles beat the Phillies 5-0 and win the World Series 4-1. Baltimore catcher Rick Dempsey‚ who hit .385 with 4 doubles and a home run‚ is the Series MVP.
October 25White Sox pitcher LaMarr Hoyt‚ who led the AL with 24 wins but whose 3.66 ERA was not among the league’s 15 best‚ wins the AL Cy Young Award‚ beating out the Royals Dan Quisenberry and the Tigers Jack Morris.

November

November 2John Denny wins the NL Cy Young Award‚ collecting 20 of 24 first-place votes to defeat runner-up Mario Soto. Denny was 19-6 with a 2.37 ERA for the NL champion Phillies.
November 8Atlanta’s Dale Murphy wins his 2nd consecutive NL MVP Award‚ joining Ernie Banks‚ Joe Morgan‚ and Mike Schmidt‚ who also accomplished that feat. Murphy hit .302 with 36 HRs‚ 121 RBI‚ and 30 SBs this season‚ and received 21 of a possible 24 first-place votes.
November 9University of Alabama 1B Dave Magadan‚ who led the NCAA with a .535 batting average last season‚ wins the Golden Spike Award as the outstanding amateur baseball player in the United States.
November 15Cal Ripken, Jr. is named MVP of the AL‚ edging Orioles teammate Eddie Murray. Ripken hit .318 and led the league in hits (211) and runs (111) while playing every inning of every game‚ and is the first player ever to win the Rookie of the Year and MVP Awards in consecutive seasons.
November 17Kansas City Royals teammates Willie Wilson‚ Willie Aikens‚ and Jerry Martin‚ who‚ along with former teammate Vida Blue‚ had pleaded guilty to attempting to purchase cocaine‚ are each sentenced to 3 months in prison.
November 21Darryl Strawberry becomes the first non-Dodger since 1978 to win the NL Rookie of the Year Award. Strawberry hit .257 for the Mets with 26 home runs and 74 RBI and also stole 19 bases.

The Mariners trade reliever Bill Caudill and a player to be named later (minor leaguer Darrel Akerfelds) to the A’s for C Bob Kearney and P Dave Beard.
November 22White Sox OF Ron Kittle‚ who hit .254 with 35 HRs and 100 RBI‚ but also struck out a league-leading 150 times‚ wins the AL Rookie of the Year Award. Cleveland’s Julio Franco and Baltimore’s Mike Boddicker finish 2nd and 3rd.

The Players’ Association fires executive director Kenneth Moffett and chooses Donald Fehr as his successor.

December

December 5The Phillies trade veteran 1B Tony Perez to Cincinnati for a player to be named later.
December 6The Pirates trade OF Mike Easler to the Red Sox for lefthanded starter John Tudor.
December 7In a complicated 3-team swap‚ pitcher Scott Sanderson is traded from the Expos to the Cubs. Montreal receives pitcher Gary Lucas from San Diego‚ and the Padres get P Craig Lefferts‚ 1B-OF Carmelo Martinez‚ and 3B Fritzie Connally from Chicago.

The Mariners trade 2B Tony Bernazard to the Indians for OF Gorman Thomas and IF Jack Perconte.

The Reds sign their first major free agent: OF Dave Parker‚ who accepts a 2-year contract.

The Royals trade P Mike Armstrong and minor league C Duane Dewey to the Yankees for slugger Steve Balboni and P Roger Erickson.
December 8Dr. Bobby Brown‚ who played 3B for the Yankees before embarking on a successful medical career‚ is elected president of the AL by the club owners.

Ill-advisedly‚ the Dodgers send pitching prospect Sid Fernandez and SS Ross Jones to the Mets in exchange for utility players Carlos Diaz and Bob Bailor.
December 13Forty-year-old Joe Morgan signs a one-year contract with the Oakland A’s-his 5th club since 1979.
December 15Commissioner Kuhn suspends convicted Kansas City Royals Willie Wilson‚ Willie Aikens‚ and Jerry Martin‚ and Dodgers pitcher Steve Howe for one season without pay for their use of illegal drugs. The suspensions will be shortened by an arbitrator and lifted on May 15th.
December 16George Steinbrenner fires Billy Martin as manager of the Yankees for the 3rd time‚ replacing him with Yogi Berra and giving Martin a front-office job.
December 19Cy Young Award winner Vida Blue is sentenced to 90 days in prison‚ and recently convicted and suspended 1B Willie Aikens is traded by Kansas City to Toronto for DH Jorge Orta.

The Pirates sign free-agent OF Amos Otis‚ a 5-time AL All-Star‚ to a one-year contract.

The Tigers sign free-agent slugger Darrell Evans‚ who hit .277 with 30 home runs for the Giants in 1983.
December 22Free-agent reliever Kent Tekulve re-signs with the Pirates. In 1983 he had 18 saves and a 1.64 ERA for Pittsburgh.

Pete Rose wins a lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service and is awarded a $36‚083 tax refund for 1978.
December 28Free-agent OF Warren Cromartie signs a reported 3-year‚ $2.5 million contract to play for Japan’s Tokyo Yomiuri Giants. The 30-year-old Cromartie‚ who hit .278 for the Expos last season‚ is the best American player to jump to Japan while still in his prime.