1996 in baseball

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See also

Major League Baseball Minor league baseball Negro league baseball Japanese baseball

Sources

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

The following are the baseball events of the year 1996 throughout the world.  

Champions

Major League Baseball

• World Series: New York Yankees over Atlanta Braves (4-2); John Wetteland, MVP
  • American League Championship Series: New York Yankees over Baltimore Orioles (4-1); Bernie Williams, MVP
    • American League Division Series: New York Yankees (East) over Texas Rangers (West) (3-1); Baltimore Orioles (Wild Card) over Cleveland Indians (Central) (3-1)
  • National League Championship Series: Atlanta Braves over St. Louis Cardinals (4-3); Javy López, MVP
    • National League Division Series: Atlanta Braves (East) over Los Angeles Dodgers (Wild Card) (3-0); St. Louis Cardinals (Central) over San Diego Padres (West) (3-0)
• All-Star Game, July 9 at Veterans Stadium: National League, 6-0; Mike Piazza, MVP

Other champions

• Caribbean World Series: Tomateros de Culiacán (Mexico)
• College World Series: LSU
• Japan Series: Orix Blue Wave over Yomiuri Giants (4-1)
• Little League World Series: Fu-Hsing, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
• Summer Olympic Games at Atlanta, Georgia: Cuba (Gold), Japan (Silver), United States (Bronze)

Awards and honors

• Most Valuable Player
  • Juan González (AL)
  • Ken Caminiti (NL)
• Cy Young Award
  • Pat Hentgen (AL)
  • John Smoltz (NL)
• Rookie of the Year
  • Derek Jeter (AL)
  • Todd Hollandsworth (NL)
• Manager of the Year Award
  • Johnny Oates and Joe Torre (AL)
  • Bruce Bochy (NL)

Major League Baseball final standings

American League Rank Club Wins Losses Win %   GB East Division 1st New York Yankees 92 70 .568    -- 2nd Baltimore Orioles * 88 74 .543   4.0 3rd Boston Red Sox 85 77 .525   7.0 4th Toronto Blue Jays 74 88 .457 18.0 5th Detroit Tigers 53 109 .327 39.0 Central Division 1st Cleveland Indians 99 62 .615    -- 2nd Chicago White Sox 85 77 .525 14.5 3rd Milwaukee Brewers 80 82 .494 19.5 4th Minnesota Twins 78 84 .481 21.5 5th Kansas City Royals 75 86 .466 24.0 West Division 1st Texas Rangers 90 72 .556    -- 2nd Seattle Mariners 85 76 .528   4.5 3rd Oakland Athletics 78 84 .481 12.5 4th California Angels 70 91 .435 19.5

National League Rank Club Wins Losses Win %   GB East Division 1st Atlanta Braves 96 66 .593    -- 2nd Montréal Expos 88 74 .543   8.0 3rd Florida Marlins 80 82 .494 16.0 4th New York Mets 71 91 .438 25.0 5th Philadelphia Phillies 67 95 .414 29.0 Central Division 1st St. Louis Cardinals 88 74 .543    -- 2nd Houston Astros 82 80 .506   6.0 3rd Cincinnati Reds 81 81 .500   7.0 4th Chicago Cubs 76 86 .469 12.0 5th Pittsburgh Pirates 73 89 .451 15.0 West Division 1st San Diego Padres 91 71 .562    -- 2nd Los Angeles Dodgers * 90 72 .556   1.0 3rd Colorado Rockies 83 79 .512   8.0 4th San Francisco Giants 68 94 .420 23.0

 

• The asterisk denotes the club that won the wild card for its respective league.

Events

January–June

• January 8 - For only the seventh time in history, and the first time since 1971, 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 to 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 Leagues' winningest pitcher. Second baseman Nellie Fox receives the necessary 75% of the Committee's votes, but the rules allow for election of only one modern player, 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 Montréal 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 despite the tragedy (and against the wishes of the players on both teams), saying that she felt "cheated" when it was canceled.

• May 14 - New York Yankee pitcher Dwight Gooden pitches the first Yankee Stadium no-hitter in 3 years as his Yankees beat the Seattle Mariners 3-0.

• June 6 - The Boston Red Sox beat the Chicago White Sox 7-4, as John Valentin of Boston hits for the cycle and the White Sox complete a triple play. It marks the first time since July 1, 1931 that both events occur 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. The Orioles' Cal Ripken, Jr. starts the game, despite suffering a broken nose when he accidentally catches a forearm from White Sox reliever Roberto Hernández when the latter slips on the tarp during the AL team photo shoot.

• September 6 - Eddie Murray of the Baltimore Orioles becomes the 15th player in major league history to hit 500 home runs. He homers off Felipe Lira in the seventh inning of the Orioles' 5-4, 12-inning loss to the Detroit Tigers at Camden Yards. Murray also joins Hank Aaron and Willie Mays as the only big leaguers to reach both this milestone and also the 3,000 hit mark.

• September 6 - Brett Butler returns to the Los Angeles Dodgers line-up four months after having surgery for throat cancer. The 39-year-old center fielder scores the decisive run in a 3-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates.

• September 17 - Hideo Nomo pitches a no-hitter against the Colorado Rockies, leading the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 9-0 victory. Nomo walks four batters and strikes 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, whose four saves earn him the MVP trophy.

Movies

• Ed
• Soul of the Game (TV)
• The Fan

Deaths

• February 8 - Del Ennis, 70, All-Star left fielder for the Phillies who had seven 100-RBI seasons, leading the NL for the 1950 "Whiz Kids" team, and was the team's career home run leader (259) until 1980
• February 19 - Charles O. Finley, 77, owner of the Athletics from 1960 to 1981 who moved the team from Kansas City to Oakland, and was known for numerous gimmicks and controversies; won three straight World Series from 1972–74
• March 8 - Bill Nicholson, 81, 5-time All-Star right fielder for the Cubs and Phillies who twice led the NL in home runs and RBI
• April 1 - John McSherry, 51, National League umpire since 1971 who worked in eight NLCS and two World Series
• May 19 - Johnny Berardino, 79, infielder for the Browns and Indians who topped 80 RBI in 1940 and 1941; became an actor, best known for the soap opera General Hospital
• May 26 - Mike Sharperson, 34, All-Star infielder for the Dodgers who batted .300 in 1992
• June 16 - Mel Allen, 83, legendary broadcaster who spent over 35 years with the Yankees, also on national broadcasts and This Week in Baseball
• July 8 - Jim Busby, 69, All-Star center fielder for six teams who batted .312 for 1953 Senators, led AL in putouts twice; later a coach
• August 4 - Willard Brown, 81, All-Star outfielder of the Negro Leagues who became the first black player to hit a home run in the American League
• September 4 - Babe Dahlgren, 84, All-Star first baseman best remembered for replacing Lou Gehrig to end his 2,130 consecutive games streak, hitting a home run in the game
• September 6 - Barney McCosky, 79, outfielder for the Tigers and Athletics who batted .312 lifetime, led AL in hits in 1940
• October 4 - Joe Hoerner, 59, All-Star reliever for seven teams who averaged 15 saves for 1966-69 Cardinals
• October 29 - Ewell Blackwell, 74, six-time All-Star pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds who came within two outs of throwing consecutive no-hitters in 1947; led NL in wins and strikeouts that season
• November 11 - Lum Harris, 81, manager who won 1969 NL West title with the Braves; previously a pitcher for the Athletics, and Houston manager
• December 27 - Gene Brabender, 55, pitcher who led the Seattle Pilots with 13 wins in their only season