ArmchairGM Wiki
Don't have an account?
Register
Advertisement
Register
in: MLB by the years

2001 in baseball

Sign in to edit
This year in baseball

2000s

2009 • 2008 • 2007 • 2006 • 2005
2004 • 2003 • 2002 • 2001 • 2000

1990s

1999 • 1998 • 1997 • 1996 • 1995
1994 • 1993 • 1992 • 1991 • 1990

1980s

1989 • 1988 • 1987 • 1986 • 1985
1984 • 1983 • 1982 • 1981 • 1980

1970s

1979 • 1978 • 1977 • 1976 • 1975
1974 • 1973 • 1972 • 1971 • 1970

1960s

1969 • 1968 • 1967 • 1966 • 1965
1964 • 1963 • 1962 • 1961 • 1960

1950s

1959 • 1958 • 1957 • 1956 • 1955
1954 • 1953 • 1952 • 1951 • 1950

1940s

1949 • 1948 • 1947 • 1946 • 1945
1944 • 1943 • 1942 • 1941 • 1940

1930s

1939 • 1938 • 1937 • 1936 • 1935
1934 • 1933 • 1932 • 1931 • 1930

1920s

1929 • 1928 • 1927 • 1926 • 1925
1924 • 1923 • 1922 • 1921 • 1920

1910s

1919 • 1918 • 1917 • 1916 • 1915
1914 • 1913 • 1912 • 1911 • 1910

1900s

1909 • 1908 • 1907 • 1906 • 1905
1904 • 1903 • 1902 • 1901 • 1900

1890s

1899 • 1898 • 1897 • 1896 • 1895
1894 • 1893 • 1892 • 1891 • 1890

1880s

1889 • 1888 • 1887 • 1886 • 1885
1884 • 1883 • 1882 • 1881 • 1880

1870s

1879 • 1878 • 1877 • 1876 • 1875
1874 • 1873 • 1872 • 1871 • 1870

Early Years

1869 • 1845-1868

See also
Sources

The following are the baseball events of the year 2001 throughout the world.  


Champions[]

Major League Baseball[]

Other champions[]

  • Caribbean World Series: Águilas Cibaeñas (Dominican Republic)
  • College World Series: Miami (Fla.)
  • European Champions: Netherlands over Russia (4-0)
  • European Cup: Neptunus (Netherlands) over San Marino (San Marino)
  • Japan Series: Yakult Swallows over Osaka Kintetsu Buffaloes (4-1)
  • Little League World Series: Tokyo Kitasuna, Tokyo, Japan

Awards and honors[]

MLB Statistical Leaders[]

  American League National League
Type Name Stat Name Stat
AVG Ichiro Suzuki .350 Larry Walker .350
HR Alex Rodriguez 52 Barry Bonds 73
RBI Bret Boone 141 Sammy Sosa 160
Wins Mark Mulder 21 Matt Morris & Curt Schilling 22
ERA Freddy Garcia 3.05 Randy Johnson 2.49

Major League Baseball final standings[]

American League
Rank Club Wins Losses Win %   GB
East Division
1st New York Yankees   95   65 .594     --
2nd Boston Red Sox   82   79 .509 13.5
3rd Toronto Blue Jays   80   82 .494 16.0
4th Baltimore Orioles   63   98 .391 32.5
5th Tampa Bay Devil Rays   62 100 .383 34.0
Central Division
1st Cleveland Indians   91   71 .562     --
2nd Minnesota Twins   85   77 .525   6.0
3rd Chicago White Sox   83   79 .512   8.0
4th Detroit Tigers   66   96 .407 25.0
5th Kansas City Royals   65   97 .401 26.0
West Division
1st Seattle Mariners 116   46 .716     --
2nd Oakland Athletics * 102   60 .630 14.0
3rd Anaheim Angels   75   87 .463 41.0
4th Texas Rangers   73   89 .451 43.0


National League
Rank Club Wins Losses Win %   GB
East Division
1st Atlanta Braves 88   74 .543     --
2nd Philadelphia Phillies 86   76 .531   2.0
3rd New York Mets 82   80 .506   6.0
4th Florida Marlins 76   86 .469 12.0
5th Montréal Expos 68   94 .420 20.0
Central Division
1st Houston Astros 93   69 .574     --
1st St. Louis Cardinals * 93   69 .574     --
3rd Chicago Cubs 88   74 .543   5.0
4th Milwaukee Brewers 68   94 .420 25.0
5th Cincinnati Reds 66   96 .407 27.0
6th Pittsburgh Pirates 62 100 .383 31.0
WEST
1st Arizona Diamondbacks 92   70 .568     --
2nd San Francisco Giants 90   72 .556   2.0
3rd Los Angeles Dodgers 86   76 .531   6.0
4th San Diego Padres 79   83 .488 13.0
5th Colorado Rockies 73   89 .451 19.0

 

  • The asterisk denotes the club that won the wild card for its respective league.
  • Note: St. Louis and Houston finished the season tied, and Houston was awarded the division title due to winning their season series.

Events[]

January–March[]

  • February 8 - The Dominican Republic defeats Mexico 5-3 to take its fourth Caribbean World Series title in five years.
  • February 11 - Three Rivers Stadium, the home of the Pittsburgh Pirates since 1970, is imploded before thousands of onlookers. The team will play in new PNC Park this season.
  • March 6 - Second baseman Bill Mazeroski and Negro League pitcher Hilton Smith are elected to the Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee.
  • March 8 - The Baltimore Orioles announce that Albert Belle is "totally disabled and unable to perform as a major league baseball player" due to a severe case of degenerative arthritis of the right hip.
  • March 23 - A panel of veteran baseball writers, historians and executives selects a roster of the Top 100 Greatest Cleveland Indians Players, as part of the club's 100th Anniversary Celebration.

April–June[]

  • April 4 - Hideo Nomo hurls a 3-0 no-hitter against the Baltimore Orioles in his Boston Red Sox debut. It is Nomo's second career no-hitter, making him the fourth pitcher in history to hurl one in both the NL and the AL. It is also the earliest no-hitter, by date, in major league history.
  • April 14 - A major league record is set as 11 one-run games are played, breaking the mark of 10 set in 1967. With a 1–0 win over the New York Mets, the Cincinnati Reds set the modern-day NL record with their 175th consecutive game without being shut out, breaking the mark of 174 set by the 1992-93 Philadelphia Phillies.
  • May 12 - At Jack Murphy Stadium, A.J. Burnett of the Florida Marlins throws a 3-0 no-hitter against the host San Diego Padres. Burnette strikes out seven, but walks nine (the most in a no-hitter) and hits a batter. It is the 228th complete game no-hitter in major league history.
  • May 16 - Rickey Henderson leads off with a home run, extending his major league record for leadoff home runs to 79. This is more than twice the total for the #2 and #3 players on the list, Brady Anderson (44) and Bobby Bonds (35).
  • May 25 - Hideo Nomo of the Boston Red Sox tosses a one-hitter and strikes out 14 in a 4-0 win over the Toronto Blue Jays. Nomo faces one batter over the minimum of 27, giving up a leadoff double in the fourth inning to Shannon Stewart. Previously, Nomo tossed a no-hit game on April 4 against the Orioles.
  • June 12 - Dodgers outfielder Gary Sheffield becomes the first player in major league history to win three 1-0 games in a season with a home run, when he solos to beat the Atlanta Braves 1-0. He also supplied the only scoring by homering in April 2 versus Milwaukee, and in May 7 against Florida.

July–September[]

  • September 1 - Rafael Palmeiro of the Texas Rangers collects his 100th run batted in. He becomes only the fourth major league player with seven consecutive seasons with at least 35 home runs and 100 RBI. This is the eighth time in his career he has had at least 100. He joins some elite company; Jimmie Foxx had nine such consecutive seasons., and Babe Ruth and Sammy Sosa also had seven.
  • September 3 - Bud Smith of the St. Louis Cardinals becomes the 16th rookie in modern history to throw a no-hitter and the second to do it to the San Diego Padres this season in the Cardinals' 4-0 win. Smith is making his 11th career start.
  • September 14 - Commissioner Bud Selig announces that baseball will resume playing on September 17, six days after the 9/11 attacks.

October[]

  • October 4 - Rickey Henderson hits a home run to become the major leagues' all-time career runs scored leader with 2,246.
  • October 4 - Tim Raines plays left field and his son Tim Jr. plays center in the Baltimore Orioles' 5–4 loss to the Boston Red Sox. They become the second father-son duo to play in the same game, matching the feat turned by Ken Griffey and Ken Jr.
  • October 5 - The Baltimore Orioles lose to the Boston Red Sox 7–5, as Cal Ripken, Jr. becomes the seventh player in major league history to play in 3,000 career games.
  • October 6 - Lenny Harris breaks Manny Mota's all-time mark for pinch hits with the 151st of his career as the New York Mets defeat the Montreal Expos 4–0.
  • October 7:
    • Rickey Henderson gets the 3,000th hit of his career, as the San Diego Padres lose to the Colorado Rockies. The game is the final one of Tony Gwynn's career. Meanwhile, Larry Walker wins his third NL batting title in three years at .350. Walker and Rockies teammate Todd Helton (.336) become the first teammates to finish 1-2 since John Olerud (.363), Paul Molitor (.332) and Roberto Alomar (.326) were the top three for the Toronto Blue Jays in 1993.
    • Albert Pujols ties Emmet "Snags" Heidrick (1899) for most hits by a St. Louis Cardinals rookie when he makes his 194th.
    • Barry Bonds extends his major-league record with his 73rd home run of the season. He will finish the year with a .863 slugging percentage to break Babe Ruth's all-time single-season record.
    • In a day of records, the Chicago Cubs lose to the Pittsburgh Pirates in their final game of the season, 4–3. They become the first team in major league history to not allow an opposing pitcher to throw a complete game against them all season. Sammy Sosa closes out 2001 with his 64th home run in his final at-bat of the game and sets a new franchise record with 98 extra base hits, one more than Hack Wilson (1930). Sosa also finishes with another franchise record of 425 total bases (the seventh best all-time total), two ahead of Wilson. His 160 RBI are the highest total in the NL since Chuck Klein posted 170 in 1930; Sosa's RBI total for the past four years also breaks Klein's four-year mark set in 1929-32. To finish out the record day, five Cubs pitchers combine for 12 strikeouts as the staff sets a major league record with 1,246 strikeouts. The New York Yankees did the same, setting an AL mark with 1,266 strikeouts.

November–December[]

  • November 11 - Mark McGwire announces his retirement. His 583 career home runs place him fifth on the all-time list.
  • December 6 - Major League Baseball reportedly gives John Henry permission to sell the Florida Marlins to Montréal Expos owner Jeffrey Loria. The Expos are expected to be either contracted or taken over by MLB.
  • December 20 - The limited partners of the Boston Red Sox vote unanimously to sell the team to a group led by Florida Marlins owner John Henry and former San Diego Padres owner Tom Werner. The $660 million price, plus an assumption of $40 in debt, would double the record price for a baseball team.

Movies[]

  • 61* (TV)
  • Hardball
  • Summer Catch

Deaths[]

January–April[]

  • January 22 - Tommie Agee, 58, All-Star center fielder who was the 1966 AL Rookie of the Year with the White Sox, best remembered for two catches in Game 3 of the 1969 World Series that helped the Mets win the championship
  • January 28 - Curt Blefary, 57, outfielder who was the 1965 AL Rookie of the Year with the Orioles
  • February 16 - Bob Buhl, 72, All-Star pitcher who won 166 games, mainly with the Braves and Cubs; notoriously poor hitter was 0-for-70 in 1962
  • February 18 - Eddie Mathews, 69, Hall of Fame third baseman for the Braves in Boston, Milwaukee and Atlanta who retired with 512 home runs, sixth most in history, hitting 40 four times and leading NL twice; batted .300 three times, scored 100 runs eight times and had five 100-RBI seasons; set major league records with 2181 games and 4323 assists at third base, and NL mark with 369 double plays; appeared on first cover of Sports Illustrated in 1954; was manager of Braves in 1974 when former teammate Hank Aaron broke career home run record
  • February 20 - Bill Rigney, 83, manager of the Giants when team moved to San Francisco, later managed Angels, and led Twins to 1970 division title; previously an All-Star infielder for Giants in New York
  • February 24 - Phil Collier, 75, sportswriter for the San Diego Union-Tribune who covered the Dodgers, Angels and Padres from 1958 to 1999
  • March 20 - Luis Alvarado, 52, infielder for six teams, most notably the White Sox
  • April 9 - Willie Stargell, 61, Hall of Fame left fielder for the Pittsburgh Pirates who hit 475 home runs, leading NL twice; was MVP of the regular season, NLCS and World Series in 1979, the only player to do so; batted .300 three times and had five 100-RBI seasons
  • April 21 - Hal White, 82, pitcher for the Tigers who eaned shutouts in his first two major league starts; later a coach and scout

May–August[]

  • May 19 - Joe Lovitto, 50, the Texas Rangers' first center fielder, from 1972–75
  • June 2 - Gene Woodling, 78, All-Star left fielder who batted .318 in five World Series with the Yankees
  • June 16 - Sam Jethroe, 84, All-Star outfielder in the Negro Leagues, later the 1950 NL Rookie of the Year with the Braves at age 32
  • June 20 - Bob Keegan, 80, All-Star pitcher who won 40 games, including a no-hitter, for the White Sox
  • July 17 - Chief Hogsett, 97, pitcher for the Tigers who made a critical relief appearance in the 1935 World Series
  • August 10 - Lou Boudreau, 84, Hall of Fame shortstop for the Cleveland Indians who won 1948 MVP award after leading team to World Series title as a player-manager, the last person to do so; won 1944 batting title and led AL in doubles three times, later a broadcaster
  • August 24 - Hank Sauer, 84, All-Star left fielder for four NL teams after rookie season at age 31; won 1952 MVP award with the Cubs after leading league in home runs and RBI
  • August 29 - Dick Selma, 57, pitcher who won the San Diego Padres' first game in 1969 and saved 22 games for 1970 Phillies
  • August 31 - Crash Davis, 82, infielder for the Philadelphia Athletics from 1940-42 whose name was given to Kevin Costner's character in Bull Durham

September–December[]

  • September 17 - Bubba Church, 77, pitcher who won 15 games for 1951 Phillies, also played for the Reds and Cubs
  • September 25 - Ritter Collett, 80, sportswriter who covered the Cincinnati Reds for various Dayton newspapers since 1946
  • October 5 - Woody Jensen, 94, left fielder for the Pirates who batted .324 in 1935 and set a record with 696 at bats in 1936
  • October 18 - Ferris Fain, 80, five-time All-Star first baseman for the Athletics and White Sox who won consecutive batting titles in 1951-52
  • November 23 - Bo Belinsky, 64, pitcher who enjoyed a 10-win rookie season in 1962 with the Angels, including the first no-hitter on the West Coast, but whose raucous personal life derailed his career
  • November 29 - Marcelino López, 58, Cuban pitcher who won 14 games as a 1965 rookie with the Angels but never recaptured the same form
  • December 24 - Hank Soar, 87, American League umpire from 1950 to 1973 who worked in five World Series; former football player with the New York Giants
  • December 26 - Tom McBride, 87, outfielder who batted .305 for the 1945 Red Sox, getting six RBI in one inning in August
Community content is available under CC-BY-SA unless otherwise noted.
Advertisement

Fan Feed

More ArmchairGM Wiki