1976 in baseball

The following are the baseball events of the year 1976 throughout the world.

Major League Baseball

 * World Series: Cincinnati Reds over New York Yankees (4-0); Johnny Bench, MVP
 * American League Championship Series: New York Yankees (East) over Kansas City Royals (West) (3-2)
 * National League Championship Series: Cincinnati Reds (West) over Philadelphia Phillies (East) (3-0)
 * All-Star Game, July 13 at Veterans Stadium: National League, 7-1; George Foster, MVP

Other champions

 * Caribbean World Series: Naranjeros de Hermosillo (Mexico)
 * College World Series: Arizona
 * Japan Series: Hankyu Braves over Yomiuri Giants (4-3)
 * Little League World Series: Chofu, Tokyo, Japan

Awards and honors

 * Most Valuable Player
 * Thurman Munson (AL)
 * Joe Morgan (NL)
 * Cy Young Award
 * Jim Palmer (AL)
 * Randy Jones (NL)
 * Rookie of the Year
 * Mark Fidrych (AL)
 * Butch Metzger and Pat Zachry (NL)

Major League Baseball final standings
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January-March

 * January 14 - Ted Turner completes the purchase of 100 percent of the Atlanta Braves.


 * January 2 - Pitchers Robin Roberts and Bob Lemon are voted into the Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers Association of America.


 * February 3 - The Special Veterans Committee selects players Roger Connor and Freddie Lindstrom, and umpire Cal Hubbard, for the Hall of Fame. Hubbard becomes the first man elected to both the Pro Football and Baseball Halls of Fame.


 * February 9 - Oscar Charleston is selected for the Hall of Fame by the Special Committee on the Negro Leagues.


 * February 17 - Mike Scott of Pepperdine pitches a perfect game against California Lutheran University. He will be selected in the 2nd round of the June draft.


 * March 20 - Leo Durocher, hired to manage the Yokohama Taiyo Whales of the Japanese League, is sick with hepatitis and asks for a five-week delay in reporting. Durocher receives a telegram from the Whales stating: "Since the championship starts in 20 days, it's better if you stay home and take care of yourself for the remainder of the season."


 * March 26 - The American League approves the purchase of the new Toronto franchise by the LaBatt's Brewing Company for $7 million.

April-June

 * April 2 - The Oakland Athletics trade prospective free agents Reggie Jackson and Ken Holtzman, together with a minor league pitcher, to the Orioles for outfielder Don Baylor and pitchers Mike Torrez and Paul Mitchell.


 * April 9 - In a classic Opening Day pitchers' duel between future Hall of Famers Jim Palmer of the Baltimore Orioles and Ferguson Jenkins of the Boston Red Sox, who would combine for 552 major league wins, Palmer prevails 1–0.


 * April 10 - The Atlanta Braves sign free agent pitcher Andy Messersmith to a "lifetime contract" worth $1 million.


 * April 14 - At Wrigley Field, Dave Kingman of the New York Mets launches a home run estimated at 550 feet that plunks a house some 530 feet from home plate, but the Chicago Cubs survive to win 6–5.


 * April 15 - Newly remodeled Yankee Stadium is jammed with 52,613 fans for Opening Day ceremonies. The 1923 Yankees are honored, and Bob Shawkey, winner of the 1923 Stadium opener, throws out the first ball. The Yankees beat the Minnesota Twins 11–4 on 14 hits, but the only home run is hit by Minnesota's Dan Ford.


 * April 17 - With the wind blowing out at Wrigley Field, Mike Schmidt leads the Philadelphia Phillies assault with a single, four consecutive home runs, and eight RBI to overcome a 12–1 deficit after three innings and beat the Chicago Cubs in 10 innings, 18–16.


 * April 21 - At Wrigley Field, Tim Foli of the Montreal Expos hits for the cycle, but it takes him two days to do it. Foli has a single, double and triple against the Cubs, but with the Expos ahead 11–3, the game is suspended on account of darkness. When play resumes the next day, Foli will add a home run in the 8th inning.


 * April 24 - Bert Campaneris of the Oakland Athletics steals five bases in an 8–7 win over the Cleveland Indians.


 * April 25:
 * Chicago Cubs outfielder Rick Monday snatches an American flag from two fans who are about to set it on fire in the outfield during a game at Dodger Stadium. The Dodgers win 5–4 in 10 innings. The next day, the Illinois legislature unanimously approves May 4th as Rick Monday Day.
 * The Atlanta Braves top the Philadelphia Phillies 3–2, as Darrell Evans draws a walk in his 13th consecutive game to set a new National League record. He'll draw passes in two more games, until April 27, before being shut out. Evans has 19 walks in the 15 games.


 * May 15 - Mark Fidrych wins his first major league start, a complete game two-hit 2–1 victory over the Cleveland Indians. Fidrych holds the Indians hitless for six innings, talks to the ball, and tamps down the mound before toeing the rubber each inning.


 * May 19 - At Detroit, Carl Yastrzemski hits three home runs and goes 4-for-4 as the Boston Red Sox win 9–2 over the host Detroit Tigers. Yesterday, Yaz passed Ted Williams as having played the most games for Boston.


 * May 29 - The only home run hit by pitcher Joe Niekro in his 22-year career comes at the expense of brother Phil Niekro as the Houston Astros tie the Atlanta Braves in the seventh inning, then win 4–3.


 * June 4 - Dave Kingman hits three home runs with eight RBI during a Mets 11–0 win over the Dodgers at Chavez Ravine.


 * June 22 - Randy Jones pitches the San Diego Padres to a 4–2 win over the San Francisco Giants, and ties Christy Mathewson's 63-year-old National League record by going 68 innings without a base on balls. Jones receives a standing ovation from the home crowd after striking out Darrell Evans to end the seventh inning. His streak ends when he walks Marc Hill leading off the 8th.


 * June 25 - The Texas Rangers' Toby Harrah becomes the only shortstop in major league history to go through an entire doubleheader without a fielding chance. At bat, Harrah makes up for the inactivity, collecting six hits including a grand slam in the opener, and another home run in game 2. The Rangers beat the Chicago White Sox in the first game 8–4, but lose the nightcap 14–9.


 * June 28 - With a national television audience looking on, Detroit's Mark Fidrych, known as "the Bird", beats the New York Yankees 5-1 at Tiger Stadium.

July-September

 * July 8 - At Wrigley Field, Randy Jones wins his 16th game of the year for the San Diego Padres, a National League record for wins at the All-Star break. He beats the Chicago Cubs 6–3. In the second half of the season, Jones will lose seven games by one run, two of them by 1–0 scores.


 * July 9 - In Montreal, the Houston Astros' Larry Dierker no-hits the host Montreal Expos, 6–0. He strikes out eight batters, including the first two in the ninth inning. Dierker had previously thrown two one-hitters.


 * July 13 - The National League emerges victorious in the annual All-Star Game by a score of 7–1. George Foster, one of seven Cincinnati Reds position players on the squad, hits a home run with three RBI, and is named the MVP. Rookie pitcher Mark Fidrych gives up two runs and takes the loss. It is the NL's 13th win over the American League in the last 14 games.


 * July 20 - Hank Aaron hits the 755th and last home run of his career, connecting off Dick Drago of the California Angels.


 * July 23 - In a game against the Taiyo Whales, Sadaharu Oh of the Yomiuri Giants hits his 700th home run, the only player in Japanese baseball to do so.


 * July 28 - Blue Moon Odom and Francisco Barrios combine on a no-hitter as the Chicago White Sox top the Oakland Athletics 2–1. For Odom, this is his last major league victory.
 * September 6 - Dodgers catcher Steve Yeager is seriously injured when the jagged end of a broken bat strikes him in the throat while he is waiting in the on-deck circle.


 * September 21 - In Los Angeles, the Cincinnati Reds clinch the National League West title with a 9-1 pasting of the Dodgers.


 * September 26 - In the last big league games at Montreal's Jarry Park, the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Montreal Expos 4-1 in the first game of a doubleheader to clinch the National League East title. Philly takes the nightcap, 2-1. Following the 2nd game, Dick Allen jumps the team in protest of the fact that veteran Tony Taylor is not listed on the post-season roster.


 * September 28 - The Dodgers' Walter Alston, after 23 seasons and 2,040 victories, steps down as manager. Third base coach Tommy Lasorda is promoted to the post.

October-December

 * October 3:
 * George Brett edges Kansas City Royals teammate Hal McRae for the American League batting title, .333 to .332, when his blooper drops in front of Minnesota Twins outfielder Steve Brye and skips over his head for an inside-the-park home run. McRae believes the misplay is deliberate, and charges the Twins with racism.
 * The Chicago Cubs' Bill Madlock wrests the National League batting crown from Ken Griffey by collecting four singles in an 11-1 win over the Atlanta 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 major league at bat and drives in his 2,297th run as the sixth-place Milwaukee Brewers lose to the Detroit Tigers, 5-2.


 * October 7 - Judge Roy Hofheinz sells the Houston Astros to General Electric and Ford Motor Credit Companies.


 * October 11 - In the last of the eighth inning, leading the Hanshin Tigers 4-1 with 2 out and a full count, Sadaharu Oh hits his 715th home run to pass Babe Ruth's mark. He finishes the season with 716 HRs and takes aim at Hank Aaron's record.


 * October 14 - In Game 5 of the American League Championship Series, the New York Yankees take a 6-3 lead before Kansas City's George Brett connects for a 3-run home run. In the bottom of the 9th, New York's Chris Chambliss smashes the first pitch off Kansas City's Mark Littell into the right field stands for a 7-6 win, and the Yankees' first World Series appearance since 1964.


 * October 21 - In the World Series, the Cincinnati Reds beat the New York Yankees 7-2, completing a four-game sweep. Series MVP Johnny Bench has two home runs and five RBI in the Series, and demolishes the Yankees with .533 hitting. Opposing catcher Thurman Munson had six straight singles to tie a World Series mark. The Reds become the first team since the 1969 playoff expansion to go through an entire postseason without a defeat.


 * November 5 - New American League franchises in Seattle and Toronto fill up their rosters by selecting 30 players apiece from unprotected players on other AL rosters. Outfielder Ruppert Jones (Seattle) and infielder Bob Bailor (Toronto) are the first choices.


 * November 9 - The Oakland Athletics release Billy Williams, ending his career with 2,711 hits, 426 home runs, 1,475 RBI and a .290 average.


 * November 29 - Free agent Reggie Jackson signs with the New York Yankees for $3.5 million.


 * December 6 - The Boston Red Sox trade Cecil Cooper to the Milwaukee Brewers for George Scott and Bernie Carbo.


 * December 9 - The Texas Rangers trade Jeff Burroughs to the Atlanta Braves for five players and an estimated $250,000.

Movies

 * The Bad News Bears
 * The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings

Deaths

 * March 11 - Larry Gardner, 89, third baseman for three Red Sox champions who batted .300 five times; longtime coach at University of Vermont
 * April 15 - George Scales, 75, second baseman in the Negro Leagues, also a manager in the Puerto Rican winter league
 * May 2 - Dan Bankhead, 55, first black pitcher in major league history (Brooklyn Dodgers, 1947, 1950-51); also homered in first major league at-bat
 * May 30 - Max Carey, 86, Hall of Fame center fielder, mainly with the Pittsburgh Pirates, who led NL in steals ten times, holding league career record of 738 until 1974; set NL records for career games, putouts, chances and double plays in outfield, and batted .458 in 1925 World Series
 * June 11 - Jim Konstanty, 59, All-Star pitcher who became the first reliever to win the MVP award, with the 1950 "Whiz Kid" Phillies
 * June 15 - Jimmy Dykes, 79, All-Star third baseman for the Athletics and White Sox who went on to become the winningest manager in White Sox history; also managed five other teams
 * June 23 - Lon Warneke, 67, 5-time All-Star pitcher had three 20-win seasons for Cubs, led NL in wins and ERA in 1932; later an NL umpire for seven years
 * June 30 - Firpo Marberry, 77, pitcher for the Washington Senators who established single-season and career records for both saves and relief appearances, led majors in saves a record five times; also 94-52 as a starter
 * July 9 - Tom Yawkey, 73, owner and president of the Boston Red Sox since 1933, and vice president of the American League from 1956 to 1973
 * July 21 - Earle Combs, 77, Hall of Fame center fielder for the New York Yankees who batted .325 lifetime and led the AL in triples three times; batting leadoff, he had eight seasons of 100 runs, and batted .350 over four World Series
 * September 25 - Red Faber, 88, Hall of Fame pitcher who played his entire 20-year career with the Chicago White Sox, winning 254 games and leading AL in ERA twice; his four 20-win seasons included a 25-win campaign for the scandal-decimated 1921 team, which finished 62-92
 * October 9 - Bob Moose, 29, pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates since 1967, threw no-hitter in 14-3 season in 1969
 * December 1 - George Earnshaw, 76, pitcher who had three 20-win seasons for 1929-30-31 AL champion Athletics; later a scout and coach
 * December 2 - Danny Murtaugh, 59, manager who in four stints with the Pittsburgh Pirates won two World Series (1960, 1971) and three division titles; led NL in steals as rookie in 1941
 * December 7 - Duke Maas, 47, pitcher who won 45 games for the Tigers, Athletics and Yankees
 * December 9 - Wes Ferrell, 68, All-Star pitcher who had six 20-win seasons for the Indians and Red Sox, 193 career wins included a no-hitter; also a career .280 hitter, and caught by brother Rick for five seasons
 * December 10 - Danny Thompson, 29, infielder, mainly with the Minnesota Twins, who played four seasons after being diagnosed with leukemia