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1998 in baseball

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This year in baseball

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See also
Sources

The following are the baseball events of the year 1998 throughout the world.  


Champions[]

Major League Baseball[]

Other champions[]

  • Caribbean World Series: Águilas Cibaeñas (Dominican Republic)
  • College World Series: USC
  • Japan Series: Yokohama BayStars over Seibu Lions (4-2)
  • Little League World Series: Toms River, New Jersey

Awards and honors[]

Major League Baseball final standings[]

American League
Rank Club Wins Losses Win %   GB
East Division
1st New York Yankees 114 48 .704    --
2nd Boston Red Sox *   92 70 .568 22.0
3rd Toronto Blue Jays   88 74 .543 26.0
4th Baltimore Orioles   79 83 .488 35.0
5th Tampa Bay Devil Rays   63 99 .389 51.0
Central Division
1st Cleveland Indians   89 73 .549    --
2nd Chicago White Sox   80 82 .494   9.0
3rd Kansas City Royals   72 89 .447 16.5
4th Minnesota Twins   70 92 .432 19.0
5th Detroit Tigers   65 97 .401 24.0
West Division
1st Texas Rangers   88 74 .543    --
2nd Anaheim Angels   85 77 .525   3.0
3rd Seattle Mariners   76 85 .472 11.5
4th Oakland Athletics   74 88 .457 14.0


National League
Rank Club Wins Losses Win %   GB
East Division
1st Atlanta Braves 106   56 .654    --
2nd New York Mets   88   74 .543 18.0
3rd Philadelphia Phillies   75   87 .463 31.0
4th Montréal Expos   65   97 .401
5th Florida Marlins   54 108 .333 41.0
Central Division
1st Houston Astros 102   60 .630    --
2nd Chicago Cubs *   90   73 .552 12.5
3rd St. Louis Cardinals   83   79 .512 19.0
4th Cincinnati Reds   77   85 .475 25.0
5th Milwaukee Brewers   74   88 .457 28.0
6th Pittsburgh Pirates   69   93 .426 33.0
West Division
1st San Diego Padres   98   64 .605    --
2nd San Francisco Giants   89   74 .546   9.5
3rd Los Angeles Dodgers   83   79 .512 15.0
4th Colorado Rockies   77   85 .475 21.0
5th Arizona Diamondbacks   65   97 .401 33.0

 

  • The asterisk denotes the club that won the wild card for its respective league. The Chicago Cubs defeated the San Francisco Giants in a 1-game playoff to determine the NL wild card.

Events[]

January–March[]

  • January 5 - Don Sutton, a 324-game winner, is elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame on his fifth try. Sutton, who missed election by nine votes in 1990, is named on 81.6% of the ballots.
  • February 2 - New York Yankees general manager Bob Watson announces his resignation. He is replaced by 30–year–old Brian Cashman.
  • March 31 - The Tampa Bay Devil Rays lose to the Detroit Tigers 11–6, in their first game ever. Pitcher Wilson Alvarez takes the loss for Tampa while third baseman Wade Boggs hit the first home run in team history and drives in three runs.

April–May[]

  • April 1 - The expansion Tampa Bay Devil Rays win their first game in franchise history, beating the Tigers 11–8. Fred McGriff has four RBI on three hits.
  • April 2 - By hitting a home run in Colorado's 6–4 win over Arizona at Bank One Ballpark, Rockies outfielder Ellis Burks sets a major league record by having homered in 33 different stadiums.
  • April 5 - The Arizona Diamondbacks win their first game in franchise history 3–2, over the San Francisco Giants. Andy Benes gets the win for the 1–5 D'backs.
  • April 10 - The Los Angeles Dodgers' Mike Piazza becomes the fifth NL player in history to hit grand slams in consecutive games by homering in a 7–2 win over the Houston Astros. Piazza also homered with the bags full, while driving in six runs, in last night's 7–2 win over Arizona. He'll hit another on April 24 to tie the major-league record for slams in a month.
  • May 3 - The Seattle Mariners' Dan Wilson becomes just the seventh catcher in major league history to hit an inside-the-park grand slam, as Seattle defeats Detroit 10–6. It's a first for the Mariners and the first in the AL since Mike Greenwell did it on September 1, 1990.
  • May 6 - In one of the finest pitching efforts ever, Chicago Cubs rookie righthander Kerry Wood fans 20 Houston Astros in a 2–0, one-hit victory to tie the major league mark for strikeouts in a 9-inning game. The 20-year-old ties the record held by Roger Clemens, who performed the feat twice. Wood does not walk a batter in his masterpiece, allowing only an infield single to Ricky Gutiérrez in the 3rd inning, that likely would have been ruled an error had it occurred late in the game. He hit one batter with a pitch, for only two Astros baserunners allowed. Wood also becomes the second pitcher in baseball history whose strikeout total matches his age (Bob Feller struck out 17 at the same age). Wood strikes out the first five batters of the game, and seven in a row between the 7th and 9th innings, a streak that ties Jamie Moyer's Cubs record. He'll strike out 13 Diamondbacks in just seven innings of a 4–2 win over Arizona in May 11. By doing so, Wood sets a major league record with 33 strikeouts over two consecutive games.
  • May 13 - The Atlanta Braves set an NL record by homering in their 25th straight game, a 10–2 win over the St. Louis Cardinals. This ties the major league mark held by the 1941 Yankees and the 1994 Tigers. The streak will be stopped by the Cardinals tomorrow.
  • May 18 - The Oakland Athletics' Mike Blowers hits for the cycle and drives home four runs in the A's 14–0 win over the White Sox. Blowers become only the 2nd player in franchise history to accomplish the feat.
  • May 19 - The Cardinals' Mark McGwire hits three home runs in a game for the 2nd time this season, leading St. Louis to a 10–8 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies. He is only the 12th player in history to have a pair of 3–HR games in the same season. McGwire drives in six of the Cardinal runs as he reaches the 20 home run mark faster than other player in history.
  • May 20 - The Triple-A Indianapolis Indians perform a feat possibly never before duplicated in professional baseball. In the 5th inning of a game against the Pawtucket Red Sox, Indianapolis players hit for a "Homer Cycle". Pete Rose, Jr. opens the inning with a solo home run, Jason Williams connects for a 3–run shot, Glenn Murray slugs a grand slam, and Guillermo Garcia finishes the scoring with a 2–run blast. The Indians win the game 11–4.
  • May 25 - Cleveland's David Bell becomes the third player in major league history to play against a team managed by his father. Bell's 2–run double brings home the go–ahead run in the Indians 7–4 win over Buddy Bell's Detroit Tigers. Bump Wills and Moisés Alou are the only other players to appear in games against their fathers (Maury Wills and Felipe Alou).
  • May 28 - With Arizona leading the Giants, 8–6, in the bottom of the 9th with the bases loaded, manager Buck Showalter orders reliever Gregg Olson to intentionally walk Barry Bonds to bring home the Giants' 7th run. It is only the 4th bases–loaded intentional walk in major league history, and the first since Bill "Swish" Nicholson on July 23, 1944.

June–July[]

  • June 6 - Hall of Fame second baseman Joe Morgan has his uniform number 8 retired by the Cincinnati Reds in a ceremony at Cinergy Field.
  • June 10 - Colorado's Dante Bichette becomes the first Rockies player ever to hit for the cycle in the team's 9–8, 10–inning victory over the Rangers.
  • June 10 - NY Yankee Tim Raines steals the 800th base of his career in NY's 6–2 win over the Montréal Expos. He is the fifth player in history to reach the milestone.
  • June 20 - The Cleveland Indians retire Bob Lemon's uniform number 19 prior to the team's 5–3 loss to the Yankees.
  • July 7 - The American League defeats the National League 13–8, in the 69th All–Star Game. Baltimore's Roberto Alomar is named the game's MVP, going 3–for–4 with a home run, one RBI, one stolen base and two runs scored.
  • July 9 - Bud Selig is elected as the 9th Commissioner of Baseball by a vote of club owners.

August–September[]

  • August 13 - Harold Baines of the Baltimore Orioles becomes the all–time leader in RBI by a designated hitter when he drives in his 824th in a 7–4 win over the Indians. Hal McRae was the previous record–holder.
  • August 14 - Baltimore catcher Chris Hoiles becomes the ninth player — and first catcher — to hit two grand slams in a single game, doing so in a 15–3 win over the Cleveland Indians.
  • September 6 - Atlanta's Andruw Jones hits his 50th career home run in a 4–0 win over the New York Mets. He becomes the 3rd–youngest player in history to reach that level; only Mel Ott and Tony Conigliaro did so at a younger age.
  • September 8 - Mark McGwire breaks Roger Maris' 37-year-old home run record, lining historic No. 62 just over the wall in left field with two outs in the fourth inning. McGwire's shot off the Chicago Cubs' Steve Trachsel sets off a wild celebration at Busch Stadium.
  • September 11 - The Florida Marlins lose to the Atlanta Braves 8–2, to become the first World Series champion in history to lose 100 games the next season.
  • September 15 - Ken Griffey, Jr. hits homer #52 and drives in the 1,000th run of his career in the Mariners 12–7 win over the Twins. He becomes the 4th–youngest player in history to reach the milestone, after Mel Ott, Jimmie Foxx and Lou Gehrig. A day later, Griffey will collect his 20th stolen base of the season to become just the third player in major league history to record at least 50 homers and 20 steals in the same season; Willie Mays and Brady Anderson are the others.
  • September 20 - Cal Ripken, Jr. of the Baltimore Orioles takes himself out of the lineup prior to the game with the New York Yankees to end his major league record consecutive game streak at 2,632. The Orioles lose the historic game by a score of 5–4. Ryan Minor, Ripken's replacement at 3B, gets one hit in four at bats.
  • September 27 - The Cincinnati Reds double up on the Pittsburgh Pirates, beating them 4–1. Cincinnati uses a brother infield of Bret Boone (2B), his brother Aaron (3B), Barry Larkin (SS) and his brother Stephen (1B).

October[]

  • Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa each chase the home run single-season record set previously by Roger Maris in 1961. Both players end up breaking the record; McGwire with 70 and Sosa with 66.

November–December[]

  • November 9 - It is revealed that Hall of Fame pitcher Jim "Catfish" Hunter is suffering from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, the progressive, ultimately fatal neurological condition better known as Lou Gehrig's disease.
  • November 23 - The Atlanta Braves sign free agent outfielder Brian Jordan to a 5-year contract.
  • November 30 - The Arizona Diamondbacks sign free agent Randy Johnson to a 4-year contract.
  • December 12 - The Dodgers set the salary bar higher by signing free agent Kevin Brown to a 7-year, $105 million contract, the largest in the majors.

Movies[]

  • Major League: Back to the Minors

Deaths[]

  • February 11 - Mike Fornieles, 66, All-Star relief pitcher for four AL teams who led league in saves in 1960
  • February 18 - Harry Caray, 83, beloved and much-parodied broadcaster for the Cardinals, White Sox and Cubs since 1945
  • April 26 - Gabe Paul, 88, general manager of the Cincinnati Reds, Houston Colts .45s, and Cleveland Indians from 1951 to 1973, later part owner of the Yankees
  • May 9 - Ray Noble, 79, Cuban catcher in the Negro Leagues, later a reserve with the New York Giants
  • May 16 - Rufino Linares, 47, Dominican left fielder for the Atlanta Braves who hit .298 for 1982 division champions
  • June 4 - Shirley Povich, 92, sportswriter for The Washington Post since 1924
  • June 10 - Jim Hearn, 77, All-Star pitcher for the Cardinals and NY Giants who won 17 games for New York's 1951 pennant winners
  • June 21 - Al Campanis, 81, general manager of the Dodgers from 1968 to 1987 who was fired after making racially controversial remarks in a 1987 TV interview; previously a scout for 18 years
  • July 19 - Elmer Valo, 77, Czech right fielder who batted .300 five times for the Philadelphia and Kansas City Athletics; later a minor league manager and scout
  • July 27 - Bill Tuttle, 69, center fielder for three AL teams who batted .300 for the 1959 Kansas City Athletics
  • August 6 - Jack Brickhouse, 82, broadcaster for the Cubs from 1941–1981, also with the White Sox for over 20 years
  • August 17 - Johnny Lipon, 75, shortstop for the Tigers who scored 104 runs in 1950; later a minor league manager
  • August 17 - Jim Murray, 79, sportswriter for the Los Angeles Times since 1961 who won a Pulitzer Prize and was named the nation's best sportswriter 14 times
  • September 17 - Chet Hoff, 107, pitcher for the New York Highlanders and St. Louis Browns who became the longest-lived major league player
  • September 30 - Dan Quisenberry, 45, All-Star relief pitcher for the Kansas City Royals who led the AL in saves a record five times and posted the first 40-save season in history; held AL career record from 1987 to 1992 and was Cy Young runnerup twice
  • October 2 - Gene Autry, 91, owner of the Angels since their formation in 1961 who hoped in vain for the team's first pennant, watching the team fall achingly short three times
  • October 6 - Mark Belanger, 54, All-Star shortstop and eight-time Gold Glove winner for the Baltimore Orioles, later a players' union official
  • October 14 - Denny Galehouse, 86, pitcher who won 109 games with the Indians, Red Sox and Browns, and Game 1 of 1944 World Series
  • November 10 - Hal Newhouser, 77, Hall of Fame pitcher for the Detroit Tigers who won back-to-back MVP awards in 1944-45; led AL in wins four times and in ERA and strikeouts twice each; struck out 10 in Game 7 victory in 1945 World Series
  • November 16 - Russ Meyer, 75, pitcher who won over 90 games for the Cubs, Phillies and Dodgers, known as the "Mad Monk" for his fiery temper
  • November 20 - Dick Sisler, 78, All-Star first baseman and left fielder for three NL teams whose closing day home run brought the Phillies the 1950 pennant
  • November 23 - Bob Betts, 70, public announcer at Milwaukee County Stadium for 23 seasons
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