1989 in baseball

The following are the baseball events of the year 1989 throughout the world.

Major League Baseball

 * World Series: Oakland Athletics over San Francisco Giants (4-0); Dave Stewart, MVP
 * American League Championship Series: Oakland Athletics (West) over Toronto Blue Jays (East) (4-1); Rickey Henderson, MVP
 * National League Championship Series: San Francisco Giants (West) over Chicago Cubs (East) (4-1); Will Clark, MVP
 * All-Star Game, July 11 at Anaheim Stadium: American League, 5-3; Bo Jackson, MVP

Other champions

 * Caribbean World Series: Águilas del Zulia (Venezuela)
 * College World Series: Wichita State
 * Japan Series: Yomiuri Giants over Kintetsu Buffaloes (4-3)
 * Little League World Series: Trumbull National, Trumbull, Connecticut

Awards and honors

 * Most Valuable Player
 * Robin Yount (AL)
 * Kevin Mitchell (NL)
 * Cy Young Award
 * Bret Saberhagen (AL)
 * Mark Davis (NL)
 * Rookie of the Year
 * Gregg Olson (AL)
 * Jerome Walton (NL)
 * Manager of the Year Award
 * Frank Robinson (AL)
 * Don Zimmer (NL)

Events

 * January 9 - Johnny Bench and Carl Yastrzemski are elected to the Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers Association of America in their first year of eligibility. Bench was named on 96.4 percent of the ballots, the third-highest figure in history behind Ty Cobb and Hank Aaron.


 * February 28 - Red Schoendienst, a former second baseman and manager of the St. Louis Cardinals, and Al Barlick, a National League umpire for 28 seasons, are elected to the Hall of Fame by the Special Veterans Committee.


 * July 11 - At Anaheim Stadium, Bo Jackson and Wade Boggs lead off the bottom of the first inning with back-to-back home runs off Rick Reuschel to spark the American League to a 5–3 win over the National League in the All-Star Game. Jackson earns MVP honors.


 * September 4 - Fred Lynn hits his 300th career home run to help the Detroit Tigers to a 5–1 win over the Kansas City Royals.


 * October 28 - The Oakland Athletics complete a four-game sweep of the San Francisco Giants in the 1989 World Series. It's the first WS sweep since 1976. Oakland pitcher Dave Stewart, who won two games, is named MVP.

Movies

 * Major League
 * Field of Dreams

Deaths

 * January 9 - Bill Terry, 90, Hall of Fame first baseman for the New York Giants who batted .341 lifetime and was the last National Leaguer to hit .400 (.401 in 1930); also managed Giants to 1933 World Series title
 * January 21 - Carl Furillo, 66, All-Star right fielder for the Dodgers who batted .300 five times and won 1953 batting title
 * January 22 - Willie Wells, 83, All-Star shortstop of the Negro Leagues who combined batting power with excellent defense
 * January 23 - George Case, 73, All-Star outfielder for the Washington Senators who led the AL in stolen bases six times
 * February 17 - Lefty Gómez, 80, Hall of Fame pitcher for the New York Yankees who had four 20-win seasons and a .649 career winning percentage; led AL in strikeouts three times and in wins and ERA twice each, and was 6-0 in World Series
 * April 8 - Bus Saidt, 68, sportswriter who covered the Phillies, Mets and Yankees for the Trenton Times since 1967; previously a minor league broadcaster
 * April 16 - Jocko Conlan, 89, Hall of Fame umpire who worked in the National League from 1941 to 1964, including five World Series and six All-Star Games
 * May 17 - Specs Toporcer, 90, infielder for the Cardinals for eight seasons, and the first non-pitcher to wear eyeglasses; later a minor league manager
 * June 8 - Bibb Falk, 90, left fielder who batted .314 with White Sox and Indians; coached Texas to two College World Series titles
 * June 8 - Emil Verban, 73, All-Star second baseman for four NL teams who hit .412 in the 1944 World Series
 * June 15 - Judy Johnson, 89, Hall of Fame third baseman of the Negro Leagues who became the major leagues' first black coach, and later a scout
 * July 18 - Donnie Moore, 35, All-Star relief pitcher who never overcame the disappointment from giving up a pivotal home run in the 1986 ALCS
 * August 17 - Fred Frankhouse, 85, All-Star pitcher for the Cardinals, Braves and Dodgers who ended Carl Hubbell's 24-game winning streak in 1937
 * August 30 - Joe Collins, 66, first baseman for the New York Yankees who hit four World Series homers
 * September 1 - A. Bartlett Giamatti, 51, commissioner of baseball since April, previously NL president since 1986, known for numerous writings on the sport as well as his banishment of Pete Rose
 * September 3 - Rip Sewell, 82, All-Star pitcher who won 143 games for the Pirates, known for his "eephus" pitch
 * September 21 - Murry Dickson, 73, All-Star pitcher who won 20 games for the 1951 Pirates, but led NL in losses the next three years
 * September 29 - Gussie Busch, 90, owner of the St. Louis Cardinals since 1953 who oversaw three World Series titles
 * November 26 - Lew Fonseca, 90, infielder who batted .316 with four teams, winning 1929 batting title with Indians; later headed the major leagues' motion picture department
 * December 25 - Billy Martin, 61, manager of the Yankees on five occasions who won the 1977 World Series title but was also known for his tempestuous behavior off the field; managed Minnesota, Detroit and Oakland to playoff appearances as well, and was an All-Star second baseman with Yankees