1996 in baseball

From Freepedia

The following are the events of the year 1996 that happened world-wide throughout the sport of baseball.

This year in baseball

2000s

2009 • 2008 • 2007 • 2006 • 2005</br>2004 • 2003 • 2002 • 2001 • 2000

1990s

1999 • 1998 • 1997 • 1996 • 1995</br>1994 • 1993 • 1992 • 1991 • 1990

1980s

1989 • 1988 • 1987 • 1986 • 1985</br>1984 • 1983 • 1982 • 1981 • 1980

1970s

1979 • 1978 • 1977 • 1976 • 1975</br>1974 • 1973 • 1972 • 1971 • 1970

1960s

1969 • 1968 • 1967 • 1966 • 1965</br>1964 • 1963 • 1962 • 1961 • 1960

1950s

1959 • 1958 • 1957 • 1956 • 1955</br>1954 • 1953 • 1952 • 1951 • 1950

1940s

1949 • 1948 • 1947 • 1946 • 1945</br>1944 • 1943 • 1942 • 1941 • 1940

1930s

1939 • 1938 • 1937 • 1936 • 1935</br>1934 • 1933 • 1932 • 1931 • 1930

1920s

1929 • 1928 • 1927 • 1926 • 1925</br>1924 • 1923 • 1922 • 1921 • 1920

1910s

1919 • 1918 • 1917 • 1916 • 1915</br>1914 • 1913 • 1912 • 1911 • 1910

1900s

1909 • 1908 • 1907 • 1906 • 1905</br>1904 • 1903 • 1902 • 1901 • 1900

1890s

1899 • 1898 • 1897 • 1896 • 1895</br>1894 • 1893 • 1892 • 1891 • 1890

1880s

1889 • 1888 • 1887 • 1886 • 1885</br>1884 • 1883 • 1882 • 1881 • 1880

1870s

1879 • 1878 • 1877 • 1876 • 1875</br>1874 • 1873 • 1872 • 1871 • 1870

Early Years

1845-1869

See also

Baseball Major League Baseball Minor league baseball Negro League baseball Japanese baseball 1996 in sports

Sources

Baseball Hall of Fame Baseball Almanac Baseball Library Baseball Reference National Pastime The Deadball Era

Contents 1 Major League Baseball Final Standings 2 Events 2.1 January-June 2.2 July-December 3 Awards 4 Deaths

Major League Baseball Final Standings

American League Rank Club Wins Losses Win % EAST 1st New York Yankees 92 70 .568 2nd Baltimore Orioles * 88 74 .543 3rd Boston Red Sox 85 77 .525 4th Toronto Blue Jays 74 88 .457 5th Detroit Tigers 53 109 .327 CENTRAL 1st Cleveland Indians 99 62 .615 2nd Chicago White Sox 85 77 .525 3rd Milwaukee Brewers 80 82 .494 4th Minnesota Twins 78 84 .481 5th Kansas City Royals 75 86 .466 WEST 1st Texas Rangers 90 72 .556 2nd Seattle Mariners 85 76 .528 3rd Oakland Athletics 78 84 .481 4th California Angels 70 91 .435

National League Rank Club Wins Losses Win % EAST 1st Atlanta Braves 96 66 .593 2nd Montréal Expos 88 74 .543 3rd Florida Marlins 80 82 .494 4th New York Mets 71 91 .438 5th Philadelphia Phillies 67 95 .414 CENTRAL 1st St. Louis Cardinals 88 74 .543 2nd Houston Astros 82 80 .506 3rd Cincinnati Reds 81 81 .500 4th Chicago Cubs 76 86 .469 5th Pittsburgh Pirates 73 89 .451 WEST 1st San Diego Padres 91 71 .562 2nd Los Angeles Dodgers * 90 72 .556 3rd Colorado Rockies 83 79 .512 4th San Francisco Giants 68 94 .420

* The asterisk denotes the club that won the Wild card for its respective league.

Events

January-June

• January 8 - For only the 7th time in major league history, 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 of 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 League's winningest pitcher. Second baseman Nellie Fox receives the necessary 75% of the Committee's votes, but the rules allow just one modern player elected, 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 that day despite the tragedy (and against the wishes of the players on both teams), saying that she felt "cheated" when it was canceled.

• June 6 - The Boston Red Sox beat the Chicago White Sox 7-4, as John Valentin of Boston hits for the cycle and the Chicago White Sox complete a triple play. It marks the first time since July 1, 1931 that both events occurred in the same game.

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. Orioles’ Cal Ripken, Jr. starts the game, despite suffering a broken nose when he accidentally catches a forearm from White Sox reliever Roberto Hernández. Hernández slipped on the tarp during the AL team photo shoot.

• September 6:
  • Eddie Murray of the Baltimore Orioles became the 15th player in ML history to hit 500 home runs.He homered off Felipe Lira in the seventh inning of the Orioles' 5-4, 12-inning loss to Detroit, at Camden Yards. Murray also joined Hank Aaron and Willie Mays as the only bigleaguers to reach this milestone and also have at least 3,000 hits.
  • Brett Butler returns to the Dodgers line-up four months after having surgery for throat cancer. The thirty-nine year old center fielder scores the decisive run in a 3-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates.

• September 17 - Hideo Nomo pitched a no-hitter against Colorado, leading the Dodgers to a 9-0 victory. Nomo walked four batters and struck out eight.

• 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. Wetteland's four saves earn him the MVP trophy.

Awards

• Most Valuable Player
  • Juan González (AL)
  • Ken Caminiti (NL)

• Cy Young
  • Pat Hentgen (AL)
  • John Smoltz (NL)

• Rookie of the Year
  • Derek Jeter (AL)
  • Todd Hollandsworth (NL)

• Manager of the Year
  • Johnny Oates and Joe Torre (AL)
  • Bruce Bochy (NL)

Deaths

• February 8 - Del Ennis, 70, a slugging outfielder who became the first Philadelphia Phillies rookie ever to made the All-Star team, and was a star on the 1950 National League pennant-winning team dubbing the Whiz Kids.

• March 8 - Bill Nicholson, 86, an All-Star right fielder who played for the Philadelphia Athletics, Chicago Cubs and Philadelphia Phillies, who twice led the National League in home runs, and just one of four players in major league history to receive an intentional walk with the bases loaded.

• April 1 - John McSherry, 51, a popular and well-respected umpire who worked in the major leagues for 21 years.

• May 19 - Johnny Berardino, 79, an infielder for the St. Louis Browns, Cleveland Indians and Pittsburgh Pirates between 1939 and 1953, who was also credited during his acting career as John Beradino in the role of Dr. Hardy on the soap opera General Hospital.

• May 26 - Mike Sharperson, 34, who played for the Blue Jays, Dodgers and Atlanta Braves, and made the NL All-Star team in 1992.

• July 8 - Jim Busby, 69, an All-Star center fielder and a coach in major league who played with the White Sox, Senators, Indians, Orioles, Red Sox and Houston Colt .45’s, and coached for the Colt 45’s, Astros, Orioles and Braves.

• September 4 - Babe Dahlgren, 84, the man who replaced Lou Gehrig at first base to end Gehrig's 2,130 consecutive games played streak (May 2, 1939).

• September 6 - Barney McCosky, 79, a .312 career hitter who played for the Detroit Tigers, Philadelphia Athletics, Cincinatti Reds and Cleveland Indians from 1939 through 1953.

• October 4 - Joe Hoerner, 60, an All-Star reliever for the St. Louis Cardinals’ championship teams of the 1960s.

• October 29 - Ewell Blacwell, 74, a six-time All-Star pitcher of the late 1940s and early 1950s, who came within two outs of throwing consecutive no-hit games for the Cincinnati Reds.

• November 11 - Luman Harris, 81, who pitched for the Phillies and Senators, and later managed the Astros, Orioles and Braves.

• December 27 - Gene Brabender, 55, a pitcher who spent five major league seasons with the Baltimore Orioles, Seattle Pilots and Milwaukee Brewers.