1966 in baseball

The following are the baseball events of the year 1966 throughout the world.

Major League Baseball

 * World Series: Baltimore Orioles over Los Angeles Dodgers (4-0); Frank Robinson, MVP
 * All-Star Game, July 12 at Busch Stadium: National League, 2-1 (10 innings); Brooks Robinson, MVP

Other champions

 * College World Series: Ohio State
 * Japan Series: Yomiuri Giants over Nankai Hawks (4-2)
 * Little League World Series: Westbury American, Houston, Texas

Awards and honors

 * Most Valuable Player
 * Frank Robinson (AL)
 * Roberto Clemente (NL)
 * Cy Young Award
 * Sandy Koufax
 * Rookie of the Year
 * Tommie Agee (AL)
 * Tommy Helms (NL)

Events

 * January 20 - The Baseball Writers Association of America voters elect Ted Williams to the Hall of Fame. Williams receives 282 of a possible 302 votes.


 * January 25 - New York Yankees' Tony Kubek announces his retirement owing to a back ailment.


 * February 28 - Seeking an unprecedented 3-year $1.05 million to be divided evenly, the Dodgers' Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale begin a joint holdout.


 * March 8 - The Special Veterans Committee waives Hall of Fame election rules and inducts Casey Stengel, recently retired manager of the New York Mets.
 * March 17 - Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale escalate their threat of retirement by signing movie contracts.


 * March 30 - Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale end their 32-day holdout, signing for $130,000 and $105,000 respectively.


 * May 14 - The San Francisco Giants' Willie Mays hits his National League record 512th home run - topping another Giant, Mel Ott - and the Giants beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-1 at San Francisco's Candlestick Park.


 * July 12 - At St. Louis, Maury Wills' 10th-inning single scores Tim McCarver, as the National League wins 2–1 over the American League in the All-Star Game, but AL Brooks Robinson's stellar game (three hits, eight fielding chances) earns him the MVP honors.


 * September 22 - The Baltimore Orioles beat the host Kansas City A's 6-1 to clinch their first American League pennant. Both Brooks Robinson and Frank Robinson have two RBIs. Frank Robinson will end the year as the Triple Crown winner, the first to achieve the feat since Mickey Mantle in 1956. He clinches with a batting average of .316, 49 home runs and 122 RBIs.


 * October 9 - In Game Four of the World Series, Dave McNally wrapped up a brilliant pitching display, and the first World Championship for the Baltimore Orioles, with a four-hit, 1–0 shutout against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Series MVP Frank Robinson hits a home run off Don Drysdale for the only run of the game and gave Baltimore a surprising sweep of the defending World Champion Dodgers. The 33 consecutive scoreless innings pitched by the Orioles set a World Series record.

Births

 * January 16 - Jack McDowell
 * March 25 - Tom Glavine
 * April 14 - David Justice
 * April 14 - Greg Maddux
 * May 22 - José Mesa
 * June 18 - Sandy Alomar, Jr.
 * July 3 - Moisés Alou
 * August 21 - John Wetteland
 * August 25 - Albert Belle
 * November 14 - Curt Schilling
 * December 1 - Larry Walker

Deaths

 * May 4 - Bob Elliott, 49, 7-time All-Star third baseman who won the NL's 1947 MVP award
 * July 9 - Mule Suttles, 66, All-Star first baseman of the Negro Leagues who hit the first home run in the East-West All-Star game
 * August 10 - Chuck Dressen, 67, manager of five teams who led the Dodgers to pennants in 1952-53
 * August 15 - George J. Burns, 76, left fielder, primarily with the New York Giants, who led the NL in runs and walks five times each
 * September 12 - Bill Summers, 70, American League umpire from 1933 to 1959 who worked in eight World Series and a record seven All-Star games