1996 in baseball

Champions

Major League Baseball

• World Series: New York Yankees over Atlanta Braves (4-2); John Wetteland, MVP

• American League Championship Series MVP: Bernie Williams
• American League Division Series
• National League Championship Series MVP: Javy López
• National League Division Series
• All-Star Game, July 9 at Veterans Stadium: National League, 6-0; Mike Piazza, MVP

Other champions

• Caribbean World Series: Tomateros de Culiacán (Mexico)
• College World Series: LSU
• Cuban National Series: Industriales over Villa Clara
• Japan Series: Orix Blue Wave over Yomiuri Giants (4-1)
• Little League World Series: Fu-Hsing, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
• Summer Olympic Games at Atlanta, Georgia: Cuba (Gold), Japan (Silver), United States (Bronze)

Awards and honors

• Most Valuable Player
• Juan González, Texas Rangers, RF (AL)
• Ken Caminiti, San Diego Padres, 3B (NL)
• Cy Young Award
• Pat Hentgen, Toronto Blue Jays (AL)
• John Smoltz, Atlanta Braves (NL)
• Rookie of the Year
• Derek Jeter, New York Yankees, SS (AL)
• Todd Hollandsworth, Los Angeles Dodgers, OF (NL)
• Manager of the Year Award
• Johnny Oates, Texas Rangers and Joe Torre, New York Yankees (AL)
• Bruce Bochy, San Diego Padres (NL)

MLB Statistical Leaders

Major League Baseball final standings

• The asterisk denotes the club that won the wild card for its respective league.

Events

January-June

• January 8 - For only the seventh time in history, and the first time since 1971, the Baseball Writers Association of America fails to select a player for induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
• March 5 - The Veterans Committee elects four new members to the Hall of Fame, and just misses naming a fifth. The group elected includes Earl Weaver, Baltimore Orioles manager for 17 seasons; pitcher Jim Bunning, who won 100 games in each league; 19th-century manager Ned Hanlon, who won pennants in Baltimore and Brooklyn, and Bill Foster, the Negro Leagues' winningest pitcher. Second baseman Nellie Fox receives the necessary 75% of the Committee's votes, but the rules allow for election of only one modern player, and Bunning has more votes.
• April 1 - Seven pitches into the first game of the season, at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati, home plate umpire John McSherry collapses on the field and dies of a massive heart attack. The game between the Cincinnati Reds and Montreal Expos is postponed, along with the rest of the games scheduled for that day. Reds owner Marge Schott later comes under fire for wanting the game in Cincinnati to continue despite the events (and against the wishes of the players on both teams), saying that she felt "cheated" when it was canceled.
• April 16 - Cecil Fielder hits 3 home runs helping Detroit Tigers beat Toronto Blue Jays 13-8.
• April 27 - Barry Bonds hits 300th career home run.
• May 7 - Mike Piazza hits 100th career home run.
• May 11 - Al Leiter of the Florida Marlins no-hits the Colorado Rockies 11-0 at Pro Player Stadium. The no-hitter is the first in Marlins history.
• May 12 - Rafael Palmeiro hits 200th career home run.
• May 14 - New York Yankee pitcher Dwight Gooden pitches the first Yankee Stadium no-hitter in 3 years as his Yankees beat the Seattle Mariners 3-0.
• May 21 - Ken Griffey, Jr. hits 200th career home run helping Seattle Mariners beat Boston Red Sox 13-7.
• May 24 - Ken Griffey, Jr. hits 3 home runs helping Seattle Mariners beat New York Yankees 10-4.
• May 28 - Cal Ripken hits 3 home runs helping Baltimore Orioles beat Seattle Mariners 12-8.
• June 5 - Sammy Sosa hits 3 home runs helping Chicago Cubs beat Philadelphia Phillies 9-6.
• June 6 - The Boston Red Sox beat the Chicago White Sox 7-4, as John Valentin of Boston hits for the cycle and the White Sox complete a triple play. It marks the first time since July 1, 1931 that both events occur in the same game.
• June 23 - The Los Angeles Dodgers defeat the Houston Astros at Dodger Stadium by a score of 4-3. It will be the last game and victory in Tommy Lasorda's career. The next day he will check himself into a hospital with abdominal pains which he learns are the symptoms of a heart attack. He will formally retire July 29 with 1,599 wins.
• June 29 - Mike Piazza hits 3 home runs helping the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Colorado Rockies 13-10.

July-December

• July 9 - At Veterans Stadium, the National League defeats the American League 6-0 in the All-Star Game. Ken Caminiti and Mike Piazza hit home runs for the winners. The game is the first All-Star contest in which no walks are issued by either team. The Orioles' Cal Ripken, Jr. starts the game, despite suffering a broken nose when he accidentally catches a forearm from White Sox reliever Roberto Hernández when the latter slips on the tarp during the AL team photo shoot.
• July 12 - After the failure of two operations to repair the glaucoma-induced damage that blinded him in his right eye, the Minnesota Twins' much loved outfielder Kirby Puckett announces his retirement effective immediately.
• July 28 - Darryl Strawberry hits his 300th career home run helping the New York Yankees beat the Kansas City Royals 3-2.
• August 6 - Darryl Strawberry hits 3 home runs helping the New York Yankees beat the Chicago White Sox 9-2.
• August 16 - The first official Major League game to be played outside of Canada and the United States takes place at Estadio Monterrey in Monterrey, Mexico. The San Diego Padres win behind, appropriately, Mexican pitcher Fernando Valenzuela.
• September 6 - Eddie Murray of the Baltimore Orioles becomes the 15th player in major league history to hit 500 home runs. He homers off Felipe Lira in the seventh inning of the Orioles' 5-4, 12-inning loss to the Detroit Tigers at Camden Yards. Murray also joins Hank Aaron and Willie Mays as the only big leaguers to reach both this milestone and also the 3,000 hit mark.
• September 6 - Brett Butler returns to the Los Angeles Dodgers line-up four months after having surgery for throat cancer. The 39-year-old center fielder scores the decisive run in a 3-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates.
• September 16 - Paul Molitor of the Minnesota Twins becomes the first DH with 3000 career hits. He is the first player in history to do so by collecting a triple.
• September 17 - Hideo Nomo pitches a no-hitter against the Colorado Rockies, leading the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 9-0 victory. Nomo walks four batters and strikes out eight.
• September 18 - Roger Clemens of the Boston Red Sox ties his own Major League record for a nine inning game by striking out twenty Detroit Tigers en route to a 4-0 win.
• September 27 - Barry Bonds steals his 40th bases of the season, becoming the second member of Major League Baseball's 40-40 club. Bonds' San Francisco Giants defeat the Colorado Rockies, 9-3.
• October 24 - The Atlanta Braves play their final game at Fulton County Stadium vs. the New York Yankees.
• October 26 - The New York Yankees take their fourth victory in a row from the Atlanta Braves, 3-2, giving them the 1996 World Series and their 23rd World Championship. Starter Jimmy Key gets the win with help from closer John Wetteland, whose four saves earn him the MVP trophy.
• November 30 - Ken Caminiti of the San Diego Padres is the unanimous choice as National League Most Valuable Player. In 2002, he will be the first player of his era to admit that he had used steroids, specifically during this season, and will die in 2004 of a heart attack thought to be drug related. Mike Piazza is the runner-up for the award.

Movies

• Baseball Girls
• Ed
• Fan, The
• Last Home Run, The
• Soul of the Game (TV)

Deaths

• February 8 - Del Ennis, 70, All-Star left fielder for the Phillies who had seven 100-RBI seasons, leading the NL for the 1950 "Whiz Kids" team, and was the team's career home run leader (259) until 1980
• February 19 - Charles O. Finley, 77, owner of the Athletics from 1960 to 1981 who moved the team from Kansas City to Oakland, and was known for numerous gimmicks and controversies; won three straight World Series from 1972-74
• March 8 - Bill Nicholson, 81, 5-time All-Star right fielder for the Cubs and Phillies who twice led the NL in home runs and RBI
• March 20 - Jim Pendleton, 72, outfielder for the Milwaukee Braves, Pittsburgh Pirates, Cincinnati Reds and Houston Colt .45s from 1953 to 1962
• April 1 - John McSherry, 51, National League umpire since 1971 who worked in eight NLCS and two World Series
• April 26 - Milt Gaston, 100, pitched from 1924 through 1934 for the St. Louis Browns, New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Washington Senators and Chicago White Sox
• May 3 - Alex Kellner, 71, an All-Star pitcher who played for the Athletics, Reds and Cardinals between 1948 and 1959
• May 4 -Gus Keriazakos, 64, the second youngest player in 1950, he pitched for the White Sox, Senators and Athletics in 1950 and 1954-1955.
• May 10 - Joe Holden, 82, catcher who played from 1934 through 1936 for the Philadelphia Phillies
• May 19 - Johnny Berardino, 79, infielder for the Browns and Indians who topped 80 RBI in 1940 and 1941; became an actor, best known for the soap opera General Hospital
• May 26 - Mike Sharperson, 34, All-Star infielder for the Dodgers who batted .300 in 1992
• June 16 - Mel Allen, 83, legendary broadcaster who spent over 35 years with the Yankees, also on national broadcasts and This Week in Baseball
• July 8 - Jim Busby, 69, All-Star center fielder for six teams who batted .312 for 1953 Senators, led AL in putouts twice; later a coach
• August 4 - Willard Brown, 81, All-Star outfielder of the Negro Leagues who became the first black player to hit a home run in the American League
• September 4 - Babe Dahlgren, 84, All-Star first baseman best remembered for replacing Lou Gehrig to end his 2,130 consecutive games streak, hitting a home run in the game
• September 6 - Barney McCosky, 79, outfielder for the Tigers and Athletics who batted .312 lifetime, led AL in hits in 1940
• October 4 - Joe Hoerner, 59, All-Star reliever for seven teams who averaged 15 saves for 1966-69 Cardinals
• October 29 - Ewell Blackwell, 74, six-time All-Star pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds who came within two outs of throwing consecutive no-hitters in 1947; led NL in wins and strikeouts that season
• November 11 - Lum Harris, 81, manager who won 1969 NL West title with the Braves; previously a pitcher for the Athletics, and Houston manager
• November 16 - Joe Gonzales, 81, pitched for the 1937 Boston Red Sox
• November 18 - John Michaels, 89, pitcher for the 1932 Boston Red Sox
• November 21 - Earl Cook, 87, Canadian pitcher for the 1941 Detroit Tigers
• November 30 - Ted Petoskey, 85, a two-time All-American for the undefeated Wolverines in 1933 and 1933, who also was an outfielder for the 1934-35 Cincinnati Reds and later a distinguished three-sport collegiate coach
• December 27 - Gene Brabender, 55, pitcher who led the Seattle Pilots with 13 wins in their only season