1979 in baseball

The following are the baseball events of the year 1979 throughout the world.

Major League Baseball

 * World Series: Pittsburgh Pirates over Baltimore Orioles (4-3); Willie Stargell, MVP
 * American League Championship Series: Baltimore Orioles (East) over California Angels (West) (3-1)
 * National League Championship Series: Pittsburgh Pirates (East) over Cincinnati Reds (West) (3-0); Willie Stargell, MVP
 * All-Star Game, July 17 at the Kingdome: National League, 7-6; Dave Parker, MVP

Other champions

 * Caribbean World Series: Navegantes del Magallanes (Venezuela)
 * College World Series: Cal State-Fullerton
 * Japan Series: Hiroshima Toyo Carp over Kintetsu Buffaloes (4-3)
 * Little League World Series: Pu-Tzu Town, Hsien, Taiwan

Awards and honors

 * Most Valuable Player
 * Don Baylor (AL)
 * Willie Stargell and Keith Hernandez (NL)
 * Cy Young Award
 * Mike Flanagan (AL)
 * Bruce Sutter (NL)
 * Rookie of the Year
 * John Castino and Alfredo Griffin (AL)
 * Rick Sutcliffe (NL)

Events

 * January 23 - Willie Mays receives 409 of 432 votes in the Baseball Writers Association of America election to earn enshrinement in the Hall of Fame.


 * March 7 - The Special Veterans Committee selects Warren Giles and Hack Wilson for the Hall of Fame.


 * April 7 - In the earliest no-hitter in major league history, the Houston Astros' Ken Forsch shuts down the Atlanta Braves 6-0. Together with Bob Forsch, who hurled a no-hitter in 1978, the brothers become the first to pitch no-hit games.


 * June 12 - The Detroit Tigers win the first game of a scheduled doubleheader 4-1 on Disco Demolition Night at Chicago's Comiskey Park. Thousands of fans swarm onto the field between the games, littering and tearing it up, causing the White Sox to forfeit the second game.


 * July 17 - The National League wins its eighth straight All-Star Game, 7–6, at Seattle. Lee Mazzilli hit a home run to tie the game in the 8th, and walks in the 9th to bring in the winning run. Dave Parker, with two outstanding throws, is named the MVP, and Pete Rose plays a record five All-Star positions. The Boston Red Sox provide the starting outfield for the American League with Carl Yastrzemski, Jim Rice and Fred Lynn.


 * July 24 - The Boston Red Sox' Carl Yastrzemski hits his 400th home run off Oakland Athletics pitcher Mike Morgan in the 7th inning of the Red Sox' 7-3 win over the Athletics at Boston's Fenway Park.


 * October 17 - In Game Seven of the World Series, Willie Stargell hits his third home run of the Series to send the Pittsburgh Pirates to their third straight win over the Baltimore Orioles, to win the World Championship. Stargell wins Series MVP honors.

Movies

 * Bleacher Bums (TV)

Deaths

 * February 7 - Warren Giles, 82, president of the National League from 1951 to 1969, and of the Cincinnati Reds from 1937 to 1951
 * February 8 - Art Williams, 44, the first black umpire in the National League, working from 1972 to 1977 including the 1975 NLCS
 * March 2 - Dale Alexander, 75, first baseman who batted .331 in five seasons with the Tigers and Red Sox, winning the 1932 batting title, before an injury ended his career; later a scout
 * March 29 - Luke Easter, 63, first baseman in the Negro Leagues who had 100 RBI in each of his first two seasons with the Cleveland Indians
 * April 3 - Harry Simpson, 63, outfielder and first baseman who led the AL in triples twice
 * June 17 - Duffy Lewis, 91, left fielder for the Boston Red Sox who starred on three champions and mastered Fenway Park's sloping left field
 * June 18 - Hal Trosky, 66, first baseman for the Indians who batted .302 lifetime and had six 100-RBI seasons
 * August 2 - Thurman Munson, 32, 7-time All-Star catcher for the New York Yankees since 1969 who batted .300 five times and won the 1976 MVP award; 1970 Rookie of the Year won three Gold Gloves and batted .357 in 30 postseason games
 * August 9 - Walter O'Malley, 75, owner of the Dodgers franchise since 1950, during which time the team won four World Series titles; he moved the team from Brooklyn to Los Angeles and constructed Dodger Stadium
 * September 4 - Turkey Stearnes, 78, center fielder in the Negro Leagues who led the Negro National League in home runs six times while batting .350
 * October 22 - John Drebinger, 88, sportswriter for The New York Times for 41 years
 * November 18 - Freddie Fitzsimmons, 78, knuckleball pitcher who won 217 games for the New York Giants and Brooklyn Dodgers
 * December 15 - Stan Hack, 70, 5-time All-Star third baseman for the Chicago Cubs who batted .301 lifetime and posted a .394 career on-base percentage, the highest of any 20th-century third baseman; scored 100 runs seven times and led NL in hits and steals twice each