1901,Baseball in the 20th century dawned under troubled skies. The new American League, declaring itself a second major league, put three of its eight franchises in cities where the National League already held sway, and a number of National League players took lucrative salaries to switch to the new major league. The top prize was Nap Lajoie, who left the Philadelphia Phillies to sign with their new crosstown rival, the Athletics. Lajoie won the Triple Crown with a .426 average, 14 home runs, and 125 runs batted in. His team could do no better than fourth, however, behind Chicago, Boston, and Detroit. The White Sox finished 4 games up on Boston, thanks to a balanced offense and a strong pitching staff led by Clark Griffith (24-7, 2.67 ERA). Boston pitcher Cy Young, lured over from the St. Louis National League club, won 33 games at the age of 34.\n\nPittsburgh was the class of the National League behind the hitting of Honus Wagner, Ginger Beaumont, and Fred Clarke plus the strong arms of Deacon Phillippe and Jack Chesbro. Wagner was fourth in batting average and led the league with 126 runs batted in (in a 140-game season). The NL's top hitter was Jesse Burkett of St. Louis at .376. Sam Crawford had a league-leading 16 home runs for last-place Cincinnati. Christy Mathewson, the Giants' 20-year-old sensation, pitched the first no-hitter of the new century on July 15 against the Cardinals.
1902,Upheaval in the ranks was the hallmark of the 1902 season. When the American League's Milwaukee Brewers folded and the franchise was moved to St. Louis, six of the regulars from the National League's Cardinals jumped to play for the new team. The Browns finished second behind Philadelphia in the AL race, as the Athletics won 11 of 12 down the stretch. They were 6 games out of first on July 1, when newly acquired pitcher Rube Waddell earned his first victory. Waddell ended with a 24-7 record and the league lead in strikeouts despite not playing for the first two and a half months of the season. Cy Young pitched 385 innings and posted a 32-11 record for the third-place Boston team. Several other National League stars jumped to the AL, including Ed Delahanty, who moved from the Phillies to the Washington Senators and led the AL in batting with a .276 average.\n\nIn the National League, Pittsburgh was not victimized the raiding that other clubs were suffering, and the Pirates fielded essentially the same team they had the previous year. The result was another NL championship, this one by a whopping 27 1/2 games ahead of the Brooklyn Superbas. Ginger Beaumont and Honus Wagner led the hitting attack, while Jack Chesbro, Jesse Tannehill, and Deacon Phillippe each won 20 games or more. The workhorse of the National League was Boston's Vic Willis, who completed 45 of the 46 games he started and pitched 410 innings. He and Togie Pittinger each won 27 games for the Braves, but they had only one .300 hitter in their lineup and finished third in the standings.
1903,The two feuding major leagues buried most of their hatchets before the 1903 season started. When it was over. The Boston Americans laid claim to the first World Series title by derailing the Pittsburgh Pirates in a best-of-nine series. The ageless Cy Young posted a 28-9 record at the age of 36, and he and Bill Dinneen propelled Boston past Pittsburgh by winning four games straight after the Pirates had taken a 3-1 lead in the Series. Boston's hitters were paced by Patsy Dougherty (.331), who also hit the first home run in World Series history (an inside-the-park job in Game 2). Nap Lajoie of third-place Cleveland led AL hitters with a .344 average. Eddie Plank and Rube Waddell starred on the mound for Philadelphia, but the Athletics came in a distant second to Boston. The New York Highlanders, in their first season as the replacement for the Baltimore franchise, finished a respectable fourth.\n\nThe Pirates continued their domination of the National League, as Honus Wagner, Ginger Beaumont, and Fred Clarke all hit .340 or better to back the pitching of Sam Leever and Deacon Phillippe. In the Series, Phillippe won three of the five games he started, but Boston's hurlers held Pittsburgh's hitters to a .237 average. Pittsburgh's main competition in the regular season was John McGraw's New York Giants, who had a pair of 30-game winners in Joe McGinnity and Christy Mathewson and a .350 hitter in Roger Bresnahan.
1904,The most competitive race in American League history ended with Boston becoming the league's first repeat champion. The up-and-coming New York Highlanders had a chance to win the pennant on the final day, with 41-game-winner Jack Chesbro on the mound, but Boston eked out a 3-2 victory as the winning run scored on a wild pitch. The Americans' lineup lacked a .300 hitter, but veteran Cy Young chalked up 26 wins and 200 strikeouts to keep Boston on top; he tossed the first perfect game in American League history on May 5 against Philadelphia. Nap Lajoie led the league's hitters with a .376 average and 102 runs batted in.\n\nThe New York Giants ascended to the throne in the National League thanks to "Iron Man" Joe McGinnity and Christy Mathewson, who won 68 games between them. In the first season of the 154-game schedule, the Giants racked up 106 victories to take the title by 13 games over the Chicago Cubs. Honus Wagner led NL hitters with a .349 average, but his Pittsburgh club could do no better than fourth. McGinnity led the league in ERA at 1.61, and Mathewson was the strikeout king with 212. The World Series between league champions was abruptly discontinued when the Giants refused to engage Boston in a battle for the overall title, feeling they had proved their superiority during the season.
1905,The 1905 season belonged to Christy Mathewson of the New York Giants. After capping the regular season by winning pitching's version of the Triple Crown (31-9, 1.28 ERA, 206 Ks), he shut out the Philadelphia Athletics three times in the World Series to carry New York to the title. The 24-year-old Mathewson got plenty of help from a Giants lineup that topped the league in hitting, led by Mike Donlin (.356). Cy Seymour of Cincinnati led all players with a .377 average and 121 RBI. Pittsburgh SS Honus Wagner hit .363, but the Pirates finished 9 games behind the Giants.\n\nThe Athletics held off the Chicago White Sox to win the American League crown by 2 games. Philadelphia took two of three from the Sox in a crucial series in late September, then won five games in a row to salt away the pennant. In a down year for hitters in the AL, the Athletics had no .300 hitters and led the league with a team batting average of .255. Rube Waddell was brilliant on the mound for Philadelphia, matching Mathewson by leading his league in wins (26), ERA (1.48), and strikeouts (287), and Eddie Plank won another 25 games for the Athletics. Cleveland, in fifth place, boasted the league's top batter, Elmer Flick, who hit just .308.
1906,Chicago was the center of the baseball world in 1906. The Cubs roared to a 116-36 record, easily outdistancing the rest of the National League, and the White Sox finished on top in a tight AL race. In the first intracity World Series, the Sox rode their momentum to a victory over the Cubs in six games. Mordecai "Three Finger" Brown, who posted a microscopic 1.04 ERA in the regular season, lost the Series clincher when the White Sox got to him for seven runs in the first two innings.\n\nDespite a .230 team batting average, the White Sox rode consistent pitching to the AL pennant by a three-game margin over the New York Highlanders. After a doubleheader loss to Philadelphia on July 25, Chicago was in fourth place, nine games behind the Athletics. Then the Sox went on a 19-game winning streak that vaulted them into first. Chicago hit 6 home runs all year; league leader Harry Davis of Philadelphia had twice that number. George Stone of the St. Louis Browns led the AL in hitting at .358.\n\nThe Cubs took over first place in the National League for good in mid-May. The Giants were still just 2 games back on June 28, but Chicago went 71-16 the rest of the way, including a streak of 25 wins in 26 games. The Cubs led the league in both batting (.262) and ERA (1.76), using a lineup with virtually no weak spots. Honus Wagner of Pittsburgh won the batting title at .339, ahead of the Cubs' Harry Steinfeldt at .327. Joe McGinnity of the Giants led the league with 27 wins, one ahead of the Cubs' Brown.
1907,Baseball crowned two new champions in 1907. The Chicago Cubs won the World Series for the first time by sweeping a Detroit team that had just brought home its first American League pennant. The Tigers blew a two-run lead in the ninth inning of the Series opener, which ended in a 12-inning tie. Then the Cubs won four straight, each by a different pitcher. Mordecai "Three Finger" Brown took the clincher with a 2-0 shutout.\n\nThe Cubs coasted to the National League pennant thanks to a robust five-man pitching staff who each had 15 or more wins and an ERA under 2.00. Pittsburgh, 17 games back in second place, had the NL's hitting leader with Honus Wagner's .350. Sherry Magee of the Phillies was next at .328 and edged Wagner for the RBI title. Christy Mathewson of the fourth-place Giants topped NL pitchers with 24 wins and 178 strikeouts.\n\nDetroit put all the pieces together and staved off Philadelphia to win its first American League title. The key component for the Tigers was 20-year-old OF Ty Cobb, who exploded for a .350 average and 119 RBI in his first full season. His teammate Sam Crawford was second in the league in hitting at .323, and Wild Bill Donovan anchored the pitching staff with a 25-4 record. Detroit was ahead of Philadelphia by 1 1/2 games on October 1 and riding a five-game winning streak; the Tigers won five more in a row to lock up the pennant on the next-to-last day of the season.
1908,The two most hotly contested races in Major League history came in the 1908 season. In the National League, the Cubs outdueled the Giants on the last day of the season. Detroit and Chicago both had a chance to be champs when they met in the regular season finale; the Tigers won the game, and the White Sox finished third, a mere 1 1/2 games back. After the excitement of those races, the World Series was anticlimactic with the Cubs disposing of the Tigers in five games.\n\nIn the NL season finale on October 8, Cubs star Mordecai "Three Finger" Brown relieved starter Jack Pfeister in the first inning and faced off against Giants sensation Christy Mathewson, the most dominant pitcher in the league (37-11, 1.43 ERA, 259 strikeouts). Chicago rallied for a 4-2 win, the Cubs' fifth in a row. Brown (29-9) and Ed Reulbach (24-7) ranked just behind Mathewson in pitching during the season. Pittsburgh's Honus Wagner topped NL hitters with a .354 average and 109 RBI, just ahead of the Giants' Mike Donlin in both categories. The Pirates also finished just 1 game back, tied with the Giants, after losing to the Cubs in their last game of the season on October 4.\n\nDetroit took the AL crown by 1/2 game over Cleveland, on the strength of a rained-out game that was not made up. The Tigers' Ty Cobb led AL batters with a .324 average. The league's best pitchers were Cleveland's Addie Joss (24-11, 1.16), who threw a perfect game on October 2, and Chicago's Ed Walsh, who started 49 games and ended with a 40-15 record in 464 innings pitched.
1909,The Chicago Cubs won 104 games in their quest for a fourth straight National League crown, but the Pittsburgh Pirates were not to be denied as they breezed to a 110-42 record. The road was tougher in the World Series, but the Pirates prevailed in a back-and-forth struggle against Detroit. Pittsburgh starter Babe Adams had three complete-game victories in the Series, including a six-hit shutout in the seventh and deciding game. After leading the American League with a .377 average, the Tigers' Ty Cobb hit just .231 in the Series.\n\nThe batting of Honus Wagner (.339, 100 RBI) and the pitching of Howie Camnitz (25-6, 1.62 ERA) led Pittsburgh. Adams, a 27-year-old rookie, went 12-3 with a 1.11 ERA late in the year. The Cubs were in first place on May 29, but the Pirates swept a doubleheader from them the next day and never gave up the lead again.\n\nDetroit got hot in late August and climbed ahead of the pack with a 14-game winning streak that included three-game sweeps against their closest competition, the Athletics and the Red Sox. George Mullin (29-9, 2.22) was the ace of the staff, with Ed Willett (22-9, 2.33) not far behind. Eddie Collins, Philadelphia's 22-year-old SS, hit .347 to rank second in the majors behind Cobb.
1910,The closest competition in the 1910 season was not between teams but between two players. Cleveland veteran Nap Lajoie hit .384 to edge Detroit youngster Ty Cobb at .383 in the race for the American League batting title. Neither of their teams was a contender for the AL pennant, as the Philadelphia Athletics made a runaway of the race and then disposed of the Chicago Cubs in five games in the World Series. Philadelphia's hitters, the best in the AL, hit .316 in the Series and scored 35 runs.\n\nJimmy Collins (.324, 81 RBI) was the offensive leader for the Athletics, who paired their bats with the stellar pitching of Jack Coombs and Chief Bender. The duo combined for a record of 54-14. The American League strikeout leader was 22-year-old Walter Johnson, who fanned 313 for the seventh-place Washington team.\n\nThe Cubs dominated the National League in similar fashion, combining a well-rounded lineup with consistent pitching led by a pair of workhorses. Mordecai "Three Finger "Brown (25-13) and King Cole (20-4) were the stalwarts of a staff on which six pitchers won more than 10 games. The NL batting title went to Philadelphia's Sherry Magee (.331, 123 RBI), and Solly Hofman led the Cubs at .325. Christy Mathewson of the second-place New York Giants led the league with 27 wins and was second in strikeouts at 184, one behind Earl Moore of the Philadelphia Phillies.
1911,The Philadelphia Athletics struggled early, but pulled away to win the American League pennant handily. Then they repeated that performance against the New York Giants in the World Series. The first five games of the Series were all one-run or two-run contests, and the Giants avoided elimination by grabbing an extra-inning win in game 5, but then Philadelphia salted away the crown with a 13-2 romp. The Athletics' Frank Baker gained fame for hitting a pair of dramatic home runs in the Series and became known afterward as "Home Run" Baker.\n\nThe Athletics took over first place from Detroit on August 4 by sweeping the St. Louis Browns in a doubleheader, and Philadelphia put up a 38-16 record the rest of the way to win the flag by 13 1/2 games. Eddie Collins led the Athletics with a .365 average, but that was a distant fourth for league honors behind Detroit's Ty Cobb at .420. (Hitting was enhanced throughout both leagues because of the newly introduced cork-center ball.) Cobb also led in RBI with 127, the most ever for an AL player. The Athletics' Jack Coombs led the league in wins with a 28-12 record, and teammate Eddie Plank, at the age of 35, was 22-8 with a 2.10 ERA. Chicago's tireless Ed Walsh went 27-18 with a 2.22 ERA in 369 innings pitched.\n\nThe Giants won the National League by dominating every facet of the game. Christy Mathewson and Rube Marquard combined for a 50-20 record, while catcher Chief Meyers topped the hitters at .332. Five of New York's regulars had 38 or more stolen bases each. Pittsburgh's Honus Wagner, at the age of 37, won the NL batting title with a .334 mark; Doc Miller of the last-place Boston Braves finished at .333.
1912,The final game of the 1912 World Series ended in dramatic fashion when the Boston Red Sox came from behind in the bottom of the tenth inning to nip the New York Giants 3-2. The rally was ignited when New York CF Fred Snodgrass dropped a routine fly ball and ended on a sacrifice fly by Larry Gardner. The Giants fought back from a three games to one deficit on complete-game wins by Rube Marquard and rookie Jeff Tesreau.\n\nThe Red Sox christened Fenway Park on April 11 as 22-year-old "Smokey" Joe Wood beat New York. Wood went on to a 34-5 record, but the best pitcher in the American League was Washington's Walter Johnson (33-12, 1.39 ERA, 303 strikeouts), who led the Senators to a surprising second-place finish. Detroit's Ty Cobb topped AL batters at .409, but the Tigers could do no better than sixth. Tris Speaker (.383) was Boston's best hitter.\n\nThe Giants were already ahead by 10 games when they won 16 straight from June 19 through July 3 to put the race out of question. Marquard won his first 19 decisions of the season and finished with 26 wins, tied with Chicago's Larry Cheney for best in the NL. Another Cub, Heinie Zimmerman, led in batting average at .372. Honus Wagner of the pirates, at age 38, led the league in RBI with 102 and batted .324.
1913,Familiar foes met in the 1913 World Series, and the outcome was the same. A rematch of the 1911 series pitted the Philadelphia Athletics against the New York Giants. This time the Athletics won in five games, climaxed by Eddie Plank's two-hitter. Frank Baker and Eddie Collins, Philadelphia's top two hitters, were also the batting stars of the series, hitting .450 and .421 respectively.\n\nThe Athletics were not severely tested in the pennant race -- but not for lack of trying by Washington pitcher Walter Johnson (36-7, 1.14 ERA, 243 strikeouts, 346 IP), who led the AL in every category of pitching performance. Detroit's Ty Cobb (.390) and Cleveland's Joe Jackson (.373) were the class of the league in hitting.\n\nNew York won its third straight National League crown with a lineup virtually unchanged from the previous year. Christy Mathewson led the team with 25 wins and topped the league in ERA at 2.06; catcher Chief Meyers and SS Art Fletcher were the leading hitters for the Giants. The league leaders in hitting were Brooklyn's Jake Daubert (.350) and Philadelphia's Gavvy Cravath (19 HR, 128 RBI). The Phillies' Tom Seaton topped the National League in wins (27) and strikeouts (168).
1914,Finshing the season with a 34-10 streak, the Boston Braves came from last place in July to win the pennant by 10.5 games over the Giants. The Philadelphia Athletics won 99 games and cruised to the AL flag over the second-place Red Sox, but lost four straight to the Braves in the World Series as Philadelphia scored more than one run only once in the Series. Braves pitchers Dick Rudolph and Bill James each won 26 games and were the primary reasons for the team's success. Detroit's Ty Cobb hit .368 for another AL batting crown while Washington hurler Walter Johnson paced the league with 28 wins and 225 strikeouts. The Red Sox featured excellent pitching from Ray Collins, Dutch Leonard, Rube Foster, and Ernie Shore with Leonard's 0.96 ERA leading the way.
1915,Boston and Detroit fought all season for the American League pennant with the Red Sox edging the Tigers for the pennant. Behind Pete Alexander's 31 wins and 1.22 ERA, Philadelphia won the National League with 91 wins. The Philies took Game 1 in the World Series but the Red Sox won the final four contests, including three games in their final at-bat, to take the 1915 World Series in five games. Detroit OF Ty Cobb (.369, 144 R, 99 RBI, 96 SB) won his fifth straight batting title while Giants 2B Larry Doyle batted .320 to lead the National League. Phillies slugger Gavvy Cravath (.285, 24 HR, 115 RBI) paced the Senior Circuit in home runs for the third consecutive season. Washington's Walter Johnson continued to be the American League's most dominant pitcher as he led the league with 27 wins and 203 strikeouts.
1916,The Brooklyn Robins got superb seasons from pitchers Rube Marquard and Jack Pfeffer in addition to solid hitting from OF Zack Wheat to edge Philadelphia and Boston for the first pennant in team history. The Boston Red Sox won a second straight American League pennant in a close race over the White Sox and Tigers. Boston successfully defended their 1915 championship as they knocked off Brooklyn in five games. Pitcher Babe Ruth won 23 games for the Red Sox and led the AL with a 1.75 ERA. Philadelphia's Grover Cleveland Alexander led the National League with 33 wins, a 1.55 ERA, and 167 strikeouts. Cleveland OF Tris Speaker (.386, 211 H, 102 R, 79 RBI, 35 SB) beat out Ty Cobb for the AL batting title though Cobb would lead the majors with 68 stolen bases.
1917,Buoyed by the pitching of Eddie Cicotte and the hitting of Joe Jackson plus Eddie Collins, the Chicago White Sox won 100 games and cruised to an AL pennant. Similarly, the New York Giants paced the National League with 98 wins and were not threatened in a pennant race. In the World Series, the teams traded home wins for the first four games before Chicago closed out the final two games to defeat the Giants in six games for the championship. Cincinnati's Edd Roush won his first of two batting crowns with a .341 average while Ty Cobb batted .383 to pace the American League yet again. Phillies pitcher Grover Cleveland Alexander (30-13, 1.83 ERA, 200 K) led the league in wins, innings pitched, and strikeouts for a fourth straight year.
1918,The 1918 season was cut short due to the first World War as baseball was declared a non-essential industry. Boston edged Cleveland and Washington for the AL pennant while the Cubs went 84-45 to run away with the National League. The Red Sox took the World Series in six games as pitchers Babe Ruth and Carl Mays each won twice. Ty Cobb hit .382 to win another batting crown while Brooklyn's Zack Wheat beat out Cincinnati hitters Edd Roush and Heinie Groh for the top mark in the Senior Circuit. Senators pitcher Walter Johnson (23-13, 1.27 ERA, 162 K) was the league's top hurler again though Cleveland's Stan Covelski (22-13, 1.82 ERA) also had a superb season. Chicago pitcher Hippo Vaughn led the National League with 22 wins, a 1.71 ERA, and 148 strikeouts.
1919,The Black Sox of 1919\n\nChicago was the dominant team in the American League led by 20-game winners Eddie Cicotte and Lefty Williams plus hitters "Shoeless" Joe Jackson and Eddie Collins. The Cincinnati Reds won 96 games featuring excellent pitching and just enough hitting from Edd Roush and Heinie Groh to capture their first National League pennant. The 1919 World Series was possibly the most infamous event in baseball history as the Reds defeated the favored White Sox as several Chicago players were accused of fixing the Series. Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis would eventually enact lifetime bans for eight players and several outsiders for their parts in the scandal. Boston's Babe Ruth slugged 29 home runs in his first full season as an outfielder, 17 more than the second-highest total from Philadelphia's Gavvy Cravath, but the Red Sox fell to the second division in 1919. Following the losing season, Boston sold The Bambino to the Yankees for $100,000 and began a legendary streak of 86 straight years without winning the World Series. Detroit OF Ty Cobb hit .384 to win his 13th and final American League batting title. Washington's Walter Johnson (20-14, 1.49 ERA, 147 K) led the majors in ERA, though several hurlers finished below 2.00 in what would be the final season of the dead ball era.
1920,The Cleveland Guardians won their first American League pennant in 1920, partially aided by the September suspension of eight White Sox players indicted in fixing the previous year's World Series. Brooklyn got hot in September and won its second pennant over the Giants and Reds. After falling behind in the Series, the Guardians won the final four games to capture their first ever championship. Tris Speaker (.388, 137 R, 69 XBH, 107 RBI) was the primary offensive weapon for Cleveland while pitchers Jim Bagby and Stan Coveleski combined for 55 wins each finished in the top five in ERA. The Cleveland championship season was bittersweet however as Tribe shortstop Ray Chapman was hit by a Carl Mays pitch on August 16th and died days later. Yankee OF Babe Ruth hit 54 home runs, a number that nearly doubled his previous record from 1919. Browns slugger George Sisler hit .407 to lead the AL in batting while knocking out a record 257 hits - a record that would stand for over 80 years. Rogers Hornsby hit .370 for the first of six consecutive batting crowns in the National League. Brooklyn's pitching staff led the majors in runs allowed despite having only one true star in spitballer Burleigh Grimes (23-11, 2.22 ERA).
1921,Babe Ruth set a single-season home run record for the third straight year as he led the New York Yankees to the first of many American League pennants, edging the Cleveland Guardians in the last week. The Babe's 59 homers and 171 RBI were far and away the best in the league while Carl Mays (27-9, 3.05 ERA) and Waite Hoyt (19-13, 3.09 ERA) were among the AL's best pitchers. George Kelly, Frankie Frisch, and Ross Youngs led the New York Giants' high-powered offense to a National League pennant over the Pirates and the Cardinals. The Giants won the final best-of-nine World Series five games to three to capture their second championship in the modern era. Detroit's Harry Heilmann (.394, 19 HR, 139 RBI) won his first of four batting titles of the decade while Cardinals 2B Rogers Hornsby led the National League again in hitting with a .397 average. Mays and Browns pitcher Urban Shocker led the AL with 27 wins each while Chicago's Red Faber (25-15, 2.48 ERA) paced the league in earned run average. The Pittsburgh pitching trio of Wilbur Cooper, Babe Adams, and Whitey Glazner comprised the league's top staff, but in the end the Pirates lacked enough offense to keep up with the Giants.
1922,The St. Louis Browns were one of the better teams in 1922 with an offense that featured the AL's top batter in George Sisler (.420, 8 HR, 105 RBI, 134 R, 51 SB) and top slugger in Ken Williams (.332, 39 HR, 155 RBI, 128 R, 37 SB). However the Browns could not catch New York at the end as the Yankees finished one game ahead of St. Louis for the pennant. A balanced New York Giants team won the NL flag easily and defeated the Yankees for a second consecutive World Series championship. Rogers Hornsby had his first of two Triple Crown seasons of the decade, batting .401 with 42 homers and 152 runs batted in. Detroit's Ty Cobb also batted .401 as the third player to break to .400 mark in 1922. Pittsburgh's Max Carey stole 51 bases, leading the Senior Circuit for the seventh time in ten years, while batting .329 and scoring 140 runs for the third place Pirates. Athletics pitcher Eddie Rommel (27-13, 3.28 ERA) led all of baseball in wins despite playing for a seventh-place team. White Sox pitcher Charlie Robertson pitched a perfect game on April 30th in only his fourth career start.
1923,Yankee Stadium opened in 1923 and the team responded with a 97-win season and their third consecutive American League pennant in the first year of their new park. The Yankees met the rival Giants for a third year in a row in the World Series and finally beat John McGraw's club in six games for their first championship. Detroit's Harry Heilmann batted .403 to win his second batting crown while Cardinals 2B Rogers Hornsby won his fourth straight NL batting title with a .384 average. Babe Ruth hit .393 as the runner-up to Heilmann but led the American League with 41 homers and 131 runs driven in.  Cincinnati pitchers Dolf Luque and Eppa Rixey were the only two NL hurlers to finish with an ERA below 3.00, but the Reds' hitting was just not enough to catch the Giants. Phillies OF Cy Williams (.293, 41 HR, 114 RBI) had a fine season for the last place Philadelphia ballclub.  On July 22nd, Walter Johnson became the first player to reach 3000 career strikeouts.
1924,The Washington Senators won 92 games and captured their first ever American League pennant over the Yankees. Washington's pitching was the key as they held AL opponents to a mere 613 runs and Walter Johnson (23-7, 2.72 ERA, 158 K) was the league's top hurler. The New York Giants won their fourth straight NL flag, but lost Game 7 of the World Series 4-3 in extra innings as the Senators won their only championship in the nation's capital. Babe Ruth paced the majors in homers yet again with 46 while only five others even hit as many as 20 round trippers. Ruth also won his only batting title in 1924 with a .378 average. Brooklyn's Dazzy Vance (28-6, 2.16 ERA, 262 K) had a breakout season at the age of 34 and topped the Senior Circuit in wins, ERA, complete games, and strikeouts. Pitcher Grover Cleveland Alexander won his 300th game in September as a member of the Chicago Cubs.
1925,Offense remained up in 1925 as 14 players collected at least 200 hits. This group was paced by National League Triple Crown winner Rogers Hornsby and his .403 average, 39 homers, and 143 runs batted in.  Three Detroit hitters batted at least .370 including Harry Heilmann's league leading .393 average. The Philadelphia Athletics debuted Jimmie Foxx, Mickey Cochrane, and Lefty Grove in 1925, but finished a distant second to a Washington Senators team led by 20-game winners Walter Johnson and Stan Coveleski.  The Senators faced the Pittsburgh Pirates in the World Series and led three games to one, but the Bucs came back to win the final three contests to win the 1925 championship.  The Pirates featured the baseball best offense with all eight regulars batting at least .298 and six players scoring at least 85 runs. Three Yankees belted at least 20 home runs but the team battled through a miserable year and finished seventh.  Future Hall of Famers Tris Speaker and Eddie Collins each picked up hit number 3000 in the spring of 1925.
1926,The Yankees bounced back from a miserable 1925 campaign to win 91 games and take the American League by three games over Cleveland. The St. Louis Cardinals won their first ever pennant in 1926 led by Rogers Hornsby, Jim Bottomley, and a little known third baseman named Les Bell. The Redbirds made their first postseason appearance count as they knocked off New York in seven games to win the World Series. Babe Ruth continued to pummel the opposition as his 47 homers were more than double the next highest total, though Detroit's Heinie Manush hit .378 to edge the Babe by six points for the batting title.  Guardians hurler George Uhle (27-11, 2.83 ERA) topped the majors in wins for a second time in the decade while Pittsburgh's Ray Kremer paced the Senior Circuit with 20 wins and a 2.61 ERA. Cincinnati catcher Bubbles Hargrave captured the NL batting crown with a .353 average and became the first backstop to lead the league in hitting. Giants outfielder and future Hall of Famer Ross Youngs was diagnosed with Bright's disease in 1926 and would pass away a year later.
1927,The Yankees fielded what many still consider the finest team in baseball history in 1927, winning 110 games to easily take the American League pennant. Gehrig, Ruth, Lazzeri, Meusel, and Combs formed the "Murderers Row" that scored 975 runs while the rotation of Waite Hoyt, Urban Shocker, Herb Pennock, and Dutch Reuther held the league to only 599 runs. Gehrig and Ruth combined for 107 home runs, a total that topped 14 other teams in baseball, while the Yankees claimed the top three players in homers, runs scored, and ERA.  The Pittsburgh Pirates won the NL flag over the Cardinals and Giants, but were no match for the Bombers as New York swept the Bucs in four straight games. Pirate OF Paul Waner led the Senior Circuit with a .380 average while teammates Pie Traynor and Lloyd Waner also finished in the top five in batting. Cubs pitcher Charlie Root (26-15, 3.76 ERA, 145 K) enjoyed one of his best seasons while Cardinal hurlers Jesse Haines and Pete Alexander combined for 45 wins. Detroit's Harry Heilmann won the AL batting title with a .398 average.
1928,The New York Yankees won their third straight pennant by a narrow margin over the Athletics while St. Louis topped the Giants and Cubs for the National League crown. Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth combined for seven homers as the Yankees swept the Redbirds to win the 1928 World Series. Browns OF Heinie Manush (.378, 13 HR, 108 RBI, 241 H) had his finest season but lost the batting title to Washington's Goose Goslin (.379, 17 HR, 102 RBI). Philadelphia's Lefty Grove (24-8, 2.58 ERA, 183 K) established himself as one of baseball's best pitchers. Rogers Hornsby led all NL hitters with a .387 average while Paul Waner and Freddie Lindstrom also topped the .350 mark in the Senior Circuit.
1929,Philadelphia began a historic three-year run in the American League by winning 104 games, 18 games better than the second place Yankees. The Athletics faced the pennant-winning Chicago Cubs in the World Series and dispatched them in five games to win the championship. Chicago led 8-0 in Game 4 before Philadelphia scored 10 late runs for a legendary comeback victory that all but secured the title for Connie Mack's team.  Phillies OF Lefty O'Doul hit .398 to win the NL batting crown while Cleveland's Lew Fonseca (.369, 6 HR, 103 RBI, 19 SB) edged Al Simmons for the top average in the AL. Babe Ruth led the league in home runs for the 10th time in 12 years while Simmons finished in the top three in average, homers, and RBI. The Athletics' tandem of Lefty Grove and George Earnshaw combined for 44 wins while finishing in the top five of ERA and strikeouts. Cubs 2B Rogers Hornsby hit .380 with 156 runs scored in his last legendary season. The New York Yankees added numbers to the back of uniforms in 1929, a practice all teams would adopt over the next few seasons.
1930,Changes were made to the baseball in 1930, causing all-time highs for offensive production. Seven players batted .379 or better while only Philadelphia's Lefty Grove and Brooklyn's Dazzy Vance managed ERA's under 3.00 for the season. Hack Wilson (.356, 56 HR, 191 RBI) set a league record for runs batted in that still stands today while Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, and Chuck Klein also hit over .350 with at least 40 homers and 150 RBI. The Philadelphia Athletics won their second consecutive World Series in 1930 powered by the bats of Al Simmons, Jimmie Foxx, and Mickey Cochrane as well as the arms of Grove and George Earnshaw. No official league awards were issued, though the Sporting News declared Washington SS Joe Cronin and Giants 1B Bill Terry as Most Valuable Players for their respective leagues.
1931,The pennant races left little intrigue in 1931 as Philadelphia Athletics won 107 games for their third staight AL pennant and the St. Louis Cardinals tallied 101 wins and easily captured the Senior Circuit. However the Redbirds won the World Series rematch from 1930 in seven games as Burleigh Grimes and Bill Hallahan each won a pair of games. Philadelphia pitcher Lefty Grove (31-4, 2.06 ERA, 175 K) was named AL MVP and led the majors in wins, ERA, and strikeouts for the second stright season. St. Louis infielder Frankie Frisch hit .311 and led the National League with 28 steals to earn the Most Valuable Player award in his league. Yankee hitters Lou Gehrig (.341, 46 HR, 184 RBI, 17 SB) and Babe Ruth (.373, 46 HR, 163 RBI) had marvelous seasons at the plate while A's CF Al Simmons won the batting title with a .390 average.  Chick Hafey, Jim Bottomley, and Bill Terry finished the season in a virtual tie for the NL batting title with Hafey edging the other two by only a point.
1932,The New York Yankees, paced again by Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, and Tony Lazzeri, scored 1002 runs and won the American League by 13 games over the Athletics. Led by 22-game winner Lon Warneke, the Cubs brought another pennant to the north side of Chicago but failed again to win it all as the Yankees swept the Series in four games. Athletics slugger Jimmie Foxx (.364, 58 HR, 169 RBI) won his first AL MVP as he fell just short of Ruth's single season home run record. Phillies OF Chuck Klein (.348, 38 HR, 137 RBI, 20 SB) led the Senior Circuit in homers and stolen bases in an MVP season.\n\nMilestones and Moments from 1932:\nLou Gehrig hit four home runs in a single game on June 3rd, becoming the third player in history to accomplish the feat...Giants skipper John McGraw resigns in June, ending his 30-year tenure in New York...Babe Ruth's "called shot" off Cubs pitcher Charlie Root in Game 3 of the World Series became one of baseball's most enduring legends.
1933,The Washington Senators topped 90 wins for a fourth straight season in 1933 and beat out the Yankees and Athletics for the American League pennant. Washington player-manager Joe Cronin hit .309 with 118 runs batted in while OF Heinie Manush was second in the league with a .336 average. The New York Giants edged the Cubs and the Pirates to win the NL flag, then beat the Senators in five games to capture the 1933 World Series. New York pitcher and NL MVP Carl Hubbell won 23 games with a 1.66 ERA in the regular season and pitched 20 innings in the World Series without allowing an earned run. 1933 was the only season in history where the Triple Crown was won by a player in each league. Phillies slugger Chuck Klein led the Senior Circuit with a .368 average, 28 home runs, and 120 runs batted in while AL MVP Jimmie Foxx hit .356 with 48 homers and 163 RBI. Connie Mack traded stars Al Simmons, Jimmy Dykes, and Mule Haas prior to the season, breaking up a Philadelphia Athletics team that dominated the American League for several seasons. Babe Ruth's third-inning homer led the American League to a 4-2 victory over the National League in the first ever All-Star Game.
1934,St. Louis beat the Tigers 11-0 in Game 7 to capture the 1934 World Series, the team's third championship in nine years. The "Gashouse Gang" featured the hitting of 1B Ripper Collins (.333, 35 HR, 128 RBI) and OF Joe Medwick (.319, 18 HR, 106 RBI) and the pitching of league MVP Dizzy Dean (30-7, 2.66 ERA, 195 K).  Detroit catcher Mickey Cochrane won his second AL MVP award despite better seasons from teammate Charlie Gehringer and Yankee stars Lefty Gomez and Lou Gehrig. Gehrig (.363, 49 HR, 165 RBI) led the American League in all the Triple Crown categories while Gomez paced the Junior Circuit with 26 wins, a 2.33 ERA, and 158 strikeouts.  Pittsburgh OF Paul Waner won his second batting title with a .362 average.  Giants Mel Ott (.326, 35 HR, 135 RBI) and Carl Hubbell (21-12, 2.33 ERA) also had fine seasons, but New York fell two games short of the Cardinals for second place.
1935,Detroit featured the best offense in baseball and held off a late charge from New York to win their second consecutive American League pennant. Led by NL MVP Gabby Hartnett (.344, 13 HR, 91 RBI) and strong pitching, the Chicago Cubs won 100 games and met the Tigers in the World Series.  Detroit defeated the Cubs four games to two for their first Series championship as starter Tommy Bridges won two games for the Tigers. Hank Greenberg earned the American League Most Valuable Player award with a .328 average, 36 home runs, and 170 runs batted in. Pitcher Wes Ferrell was 25-14 for the fourth-place Red Sox while adding a .347 average with 7 homers at the plate.  Pirates shortstop Arky Vaughan hit .385 to win the NL batting title at the age of 23.  The first night game in history was played at Crosley Field in Cincinnati on May 24th.
1936,The 1936 season was the beginning of another Yankee dynasty as New York won the first of six championships in eight years between 1936 and 1943. This was also the rookie season of CF Joe DiMaggio, who hit .323 with 29 HR and 125 RBI as a 21-year-old budding legend. DiMaggio combined with veterans Lou Gehrig, Bill Dickey, and Tony Lazzeri to fuel an offense that scored 1065 runs. Gehrig won the AL MVP after hitting .354 with 49 homers, 152 runs batted in, and 167 runs scored. The New York Giants won the NL pennant but the Yankees' potent offense proved too much. Giants pitcher Carl Hubbell led the Senior Circuit with 26 wins and a 2.31 ERA to beat out St. Louis hurler Dizzy Dean for the Most Valuable Player trophy. The inaugural class to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame includes Babe Ruth, Honus Wagner, Christy Mathewson, Walter Johnson, and Ty Cobb.
1937,1937 featured a Subway Series between the Giants and the Yankees for the second year in a row. As in 1936, the Bronx Bombers dispatched the rival Giants to win a second consecutive World Series title. Pitchers Lefty Gomez and Red Ruffing were among the league's best pitchers again while the offense scored 979 runs to lead all of baseball. Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, and Bill Dickey all had fantastic seasons for the champs, but the American League MVP was awarded to Detroit 2B Charlie Gehringer (.371, 14 HR, 96 RBI, 133 R, 11 SB). Pitchers Carl Hubbell and Cliff Melton led the pitching staff for the National League pennant winners while OF Mel Ott and SS Dick Bartell fueled the offense. Cardinal slugger Joe "Ducky" Medwick (.374, 31 HR, 154 RBI) won the National League Triple Crown and the MVP award. Tris Speaker and Nap Lajoie were elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1937, as were executive Ban Johnson and managers John McGraw and Connie Mack.
1938,The New York Yankees continued their dynastic run of the late 1930s with a third straight World Series championship. The Chicago Cubs won the NL pennant by two games over Pittsburgh but were no match for the mighty Yankees, outscored 22-9 in a four-game sweep. The 1938 Bronx Bombers had five players with at least 20 home runs and 90 RBI and seven starters with on-base percentages of .380 or better. Pitchers Red Ruffing and Lefty Gomez won 39 games for the Yankees and finished second and third in the AL in ERA. Red Sox slugger Jimmie Foxx won his third AL MVP award as he led the league with a .349 average and 175 RBI while finishing second with 50 homers. Detroit 1B Hank Greenberg led the majors with 58 home runs, just two shy of Babe Ruth's single-season record. Cincinnati C Ernie Lombardi (.342, 19 HR, 95 RBI) won the batting title and the Most Valuable Player award in the Senior Circuit. The St. Louis duo of Johnny Mize (.337, 27 HR, 102 RBI) and Joe Medwick (.322, 21 HR, 122 RBI) were feared by National League pitchers, but the effort was not good enough to keep the Cardinals out of the second division.\n\nMilestones and Moments from 1938:\nPitcher Pete Alexander plus pioneers Alexander Cartwright and Henry Chadwick were the three members of the 1938 Hall of Fame class...Reds lefty Johnny Vander Meer threw consecutive no-hitters on June 11th against the Braves and June 15th against the Dodgers...Giants pitcher Carl Hubbell won his 200th game on June 26th...Stolen base totals continued to fall as only two players (Frankie Crosetti and Lyn Lary) swiped even 20 bases.
1939,Joe DiMaggio (.381, 30 HR, 126 RBI) won his first American League MVP trophy as he led the Yankees to a 106-win season and the AL pennant. Cincinnati won its first pennant in twenty years, topping St. Louis by four and a half games. The Yankees were too strong for the Reds, however, as the Bombers won the World Series in a sweep for their fourth straight championship. The 1939 Yankees have long been considered one of the best teams in history. The outfield of DiMaggio, Charlie Keller, and George Selkirk all reached base 45% of the time and hit for power while C Bill Dickey and 2B Joe Gordon added plenty of pop of their own. All eight regulars in the lineup hit double-digit home runs, while five starters hit .300 and had .400 on-base percentages. Red Ruffing (21-7, 2.93 ERA) and Lefty Gomez (12-8, 3.41) led the league's top pitching attack. Cincinnati pitcher Bucky Walters won 27 games with a 2.29 ERA and even hit .325 as a batter to be named Most Valuable Player of the National League.\n\nMilestones and Moments from 1939:\nLou Gehrig hit only .143 in eight games and was forced from the Yankee lineup due to complications from ALS. The "Iron Horse" was replaced in the lineup by Babe Dahlgren, and his streak of 2,130 consecutive games played came to an end...Major League Baseball's first televised game was shown on August 26...Ten players and pioneers were part of Baseball's fourth Hall of Fame class. The group included Gehrig, Eddie Collins, George Sisler, and Cap Anson. The Hall of Fame Museum officially opened its doors on June 12.
1940,The Cincinnati Reds ran away with the National League using great defense and the top-notch pitching of Bucky Walters (22-10, 2.48 ERA) and Paul Derringer (20-12, 3.06 ERA). The Junior Circuit was tight all the way with Cleveland, Detroit, and New York fighting it out to the last weekend. Detroit nosed ahead to take the pennant by a single game over the Guardians and two games over the disappointing Yankees. The Tigers outscored Cincinnati 22-6 in their three wins, but Detroit lost in seven games as the Reds won their first championship since the 1919 Black Sox series. Reds 1B Frank McCormick led the league in hits for the third straight year, hitting .309 with 19 homers and 127 RBI to earn the NL MVP award. Detroit slugger Hank Greenberg (.340, 41 HR, 150 RBI) captured the AL MVP award in his final full season before being one of the first Major League players to be drafted for military duty. Cleveland's 21-year-old flamethrower Bob Feller threw a no-hitter on Opening Day and finished the season with a league-leading 27 wins, 2.61 ERA, and 261 strikeouts in 320 innings. Cardinals 1B Johnny Mize (.314, 43 HR, 137 RBI) led the Senior Circuit in homers and runs batted in and finished as the MVP runner-up for the second straight season. Yankee CF Joe DiMaggio (.352, 31 HR, 133 RBI) edged Chicago's Luke Appling for his second consecutive AL batting title.
1941,Two of the more amazing feats in baseball history happened in the summer of 1941. Yankee CF Joe DiMaggio hit safely in 56 consecutive games from May 15 through July 15, the longest streak in Major League Baseball history. The "Yankee Clipper" finished the season at .357 with 30 home runs and 125 runs batted in to win the American League MVP. The 22-year-old Ted Williams had a legendary season of his own, becoming the last player to hit .400 for a season. Williams was hitting exactly .400 going into the last day of the season and went 6-for-8 in a doubleheader to finish the season with a .406 average. In the pennant races, the Yankees easily captured the American League while St. Louis and Brooklyn battled down to the wire with the Dodgers capturing their first flag since 1920. In the World Series, the Yankees topped the rival Dodgers in five games for their fifth championship in six years. Outfielder Dolph Camilli (.285, 34 HR, 120 RBI) bested Brooklyn teammates Pete Reiser and Whit Wyatt to win the National League MVP award. The 22-year-old Reiser (.343, 70 extra-base hits, 117 runs) won the NL batting title in his first full season in the majors.\n\nMilestones and Moments from 1941:\nMel Ott hit his 400th home run and collected his 1500th RBI on June 1 against Cincinnati...Ted Williams hit a 3-run homer in the ninth inning off Claude Passeau to give the American League a 7-5 win in the All-Star Game...Lefty Grove won his 300th and final game in July as a member of the Red Sox.
1942,Three teams won more than 100 games in 1942, and the 103-win Dodgers were the odd team out as the Yankees and the Cardinals matched up in the World Series. The teams split two games in St. Louis, but the Cardinals won three straight in Yankee Stadium to win the 1942 Series. Whitey Kurowski inflicted the final blow with a 2-run homer in the ninth that broke a 2-2 tie and clinched the championship. Cardinals starter Mort Cooper (22-7, 1.78 ERA, 152 K) beat out teammate Enos Slaughter and New York's Mel Ott for the National League MVP. Ted Williams (.356, 36 HR, 137 RBI, 141 R) won the Triple Crown in the American League, but Yankees 2B Joe Gordon won the MVP award by a narrow margin.\n\nMilestones and Moments from 1942:\nRogers Hornsby was elected to Baseball's Hall of Fame...Outfielder Paul Waner joined the 3,000 hit club in June...The movie "Pride of the Yankees," an autobiographical look at the life and times of Yankee slugger Lou Gehrig, was released in 1942.
1943,Major League Baseball felt the full impact of war as most of its stars were serving in the military by 1943. The few stars that were left, including Stan Musial and Luke Appling, were able to put up great numbers off weak pitching. The Yankees and Cardinals won their respective leagues with ease, and then the New York pitching held St. Louis to nine runs in five games to give the Yankees the 1943 Series. AL MVP Spud Chandler (20-4, 1.64 ERA) had two complete-game victories for the champs. The 22-year-old Musial hit .357 with 81 extra-base hits and 108 runs scored to win his first National League MVP. Detroit's Rudy York led the majors with 34 home runs followed closely by Yankee Charlie Keller at 31. Only two other players managed even 20 homers in 1943.
1944,Baseball took second stage to World War II in 1944 as most able-bodied players were serving the country elsewhere. The game was filled with an odd mixture of players with draft deferments, teenagers, and those too old to serve. The St. Louis Browns took advantage of the weak talent to win their first American League pennant by 1 game over the Tigers. With Stan Musial, Johnny Hopp, and league MVP Marty Marion sparking the lineup, the Cardinals won 105 games and easily paced the National League to set up an all-St. Louis World Series. The Redbirds bested the Browns in six games for their second championship in three years. Shortstop Vern Stephens (.293, 20 HR, 109 RBI) and pitchers Nels Potter and Jack Kramer were the top players in 1944 for the runner-up Browns. Detroit hurlers Hal Newhouser (29-9, 2.22 ERA) and Dizzy Trout (27-14, 2.12 ERA) finished first and second in the AL MVP voting ahead of Stephens. Brooklyn's Dixie Walker (.357, 13 HR, 91 RBI) beat out Musial by 10 points for the NL batting title. Joe Nuxhall, two months shy of his 16th birthday, became the youngest player ever to appear in a Major League game.
1945,In the final season of wartime baseball, the Detroit Tigers rode the big left arm of Hal Newhouser and the bat of Hank Greenberg to the World Series championship. Prince Hal won his second consecutive MVP award after leading the majors with 25 wins, a 1.81 ERA, and 212 strikeouts. Offense was down all over the American League; only Browns SS Vern Stephens topped the 20 home run mark, while the Yankees' Snuffy Stirnweiss hit .309 to win the batting title. Stan Hack, Andy Pafko, and MVP Phil Cavarretta fueled the Chicago Cubs to 98 wins and the National League pennant. The 1945 World Series would be the Cubs' last playoff appearance for nearly 40 years.\n\nMilestones and Moments from 1945:\nThe St. Louis Browns signed one-armed outfielder Pete Gray for the 1945 season. Gray hit .218 in 77 games...Mel Ott hit his 500th home run in August...King Kelly, Dan Brouthers, and Ed Delahanty, among others from the 19th century, were enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1945.
1946,Led by the return of Ted Williams from military service, Boston won 104 games and ran away with the American League pennant. The Splendid Splinter hit .342 with 38 homers and 123 RBI to earn the AL MVP award. Brooklyn and St. Louis battled toe-to-toe all season and finished the season deadlocked with 96 wins. The Cardinals took the first two games of the best-of-three playoff series to earn the right to meet the Red Sox. The World Series was a classic, with the Cardinals winning Game 7 by a 4-3 score as Harry "The Hat" Walker doubled home Enos Slaughter from first base with the winning run in the bottom of the eighth inning. The championship was the Cardinals' third in a five-year span in the 1940s. League MVP Stan Musial (.365, 16 HR, 103 RBI) and Slaughter (.300, 18 HR, 130 RBI) led the Cardinals' offense, while Howie Pollet paced the league with 21 wins and a 2.10 ERA. Detroit's Hal Newhouser (26-9, 1.94 ERA, 275 K) and Cleveland's Bob Feller (26-15, 2.18 ERA, 348 K) were the top pitchers in baseball, while Tigers 1B Hank Greenberg led the AL with 44 HR and 127 RBI. Washington 1B Mickey Vernon won his first batting title with a .353 average.
1947,Branch Rickey and the Dodgers began racial integration in baseball by bringing up infielder Jackie Robinson to play first base in Brooklyn after two seasons in the minors. The move paid off as Brooklyn won the NL pennant by five games over St. Louis. Cleveland followed suit with the debut of Larry Doby in July. The Yankees won their first postwar pennant, then won a thrilling seven-game World Series most famously known for Cookie Lavagetto's pinch-hit double in Game 4 to break up a no-hitter and win the game for the Dodgers. Yankee Joe DiMaggio won the AL MVP balloting by a single point over Ted Williams even though Williams (.343, 32 HR, 114 RBI) won the Triple Crown. Braves 3B Bob Elliot (.317, 22 HR, 113 RBI) was named the National League Most Valuable Player in his first of several good seasons manning the hot corner in Boston.\n\nMilestones and Moments from 1947:\nMickey Cochrane, Frankie Frisch, Lefty Grove, and Carl Hubbell became members of the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1947...Robinson (.297, 12 HR, 125 R, 29 SB) was named baseball's first Rookie of the Year...Reds pitcher Ewell Blackwell led the National League with 22 wins, 193 strikeouts, and trailed only Warren Spahn with a 2.47 ERA...Cleveland's Bob Feller led the AL in wins for the fifth time in his war-shortened career.
1948,The American League featured an outstanding pennant race in 1948 as New York, Boston, and Cleveland battled down to the last day. The Red Sox beat the Yankees twice on the final weekend of the season to force a one-game playoff with the Guardians. Rookie knuckleballer Gene Bearden got the start for Cleveland and beat the Red Sox 8-3 as the Guardians took the pennant. Led by 24-game winner Johnny Sain, the Boston Braves easily outlasted the Dodgers, Cardinals, and Pirates to meet Cleveland in the World Series. The pitching of Bob Lemon and Bearden was too much for Boston as the Guardians won the World Series in six games, their first championship in 28 seasons. Cleveland SS Lou Boudreau hit .355 with 18 homers, 106 RBI, and 116 runs scored to win the AL MVP while Stan Musial (.376, 39 HR, 131 RBI, 135 R) handily beat Sain and Rookie of the Year Alvin Dark for the top award in the National League. Red Sox OF Ted Williams won the AL batting title with a .369 average, and Yankees OF Joe DiMaggio led the league with 39 homers and 155 RBI. Johnny Mize and Ralph Kiner led the National League with 40 home runs apiece.\n\nMilestones and Moments from 1948:\nPie Traynor and Herb Pennock were elected to the Hall of Fame in 1948...Babe Ruth's number 3 was retired by the Yankees in June...Cleveland starter Bob Lemon threw a no-hitter on June 30, one of his ten shutouts in 1948...Casey Stengel was hired after the season as the manager of the Yankees.
1949,The Red Sox and Yankees fought all summer for the AL pennant, with New York beating Boston twice on the final weekend to return to the World Series. Brooklyn took advantage of a poor final week by the Cardinals to surge ahead and win the National League by a single game. The Dodgers, however, were no match for the Yankees' pitching as the Bronx Bombers won the World Series in five games. Ted Williams (.343, 43 HR, 159 RBI, 150 R) missed his third American League Triple Crown by a fraction of a point in batting average, but was named Most Valuable Player of the league. Dodger infielder Jackie Robinson had his finest season, leading the NL in batting average and steals to earn the MVP award just two years after joining the majors. Baseball saw the debut of two talented rookies in Washington's Roy Sievers (.306, 16 HR, 91 RBI) and Brooklyn's Don Newcombe (17-8, 3.17 ERA); each was named Rookie of the Year.\n\nMilestones and Moments from 1949:\nBoston CF Dom DiMaggio had a 34-game hitting streak broken on August 9 as he lined out to brother Joe in his last at-bat...Pittsburgh OF Ralph Kiner hit four home runs against the Phillies on September 13...Charlie Gehringer, Three-Finger Brown, and Kid Nichols all entered the Hall of Fame.
1950,The Philadelphia Phillies were the surprise of baseball, clinching the pennant with a 4-1 extra-inning win against Brooklyn on the final day of the season. The American League saw four teams win at least 90 games with the Yankees outlasting Detroit, Cleveland, and Boston to earn a second straight trip to the World Series. New York swept the Phillies in the Series to win its 13th World Series championship. Yankees SS Phil Rizzuto (.324 BA, .418 OBP, 125 R) won the American League MVP, while Phillies relief pitcher Jim Konstanty (16-7, 22 Sv, 2.66 ERA) was honored in the Senior Circuit. Boston 1B Walt Dropo drove home a league-leading 144 runs and easily won the AL Rookie of the Year award over Yankees lefty Whitey Ford. The Cardinals' Stan Musial won his fourth batting title, hitting at a .346 clip in 1950. Cleveland's Bob Lemon led the AL with 23 wins and 170 strikeouts, and teammates Early Wynn and Bob Feller finished first and third in ERA. The Braves duo of Warren Spahn (21-17, 3.16 ERA, 191 K) and Johnny Sain (20-13, 3.94 ERA) were the top two winners in the National League.
1951,The New York Yankees took the AL pennant by five games over Cleveland in 1951. Meanwhile in the National League, the Dodgers had a 13-game lead in August before the Giants rattled off 16 straight victories to catch Brooklyn in the last week of the season, and the two teams finished tied at 96 wins. Down 4-2 in the ninth inning of the third and deciding playoff game, Giants OF Bobby Thomson hit a 3-run home run to win the series and send New York to the World Series. The walk-off homer picked up the moniker "The Shot Heard Round the World." Despite the dramatic pennant win, the Giants fell to the Yankees in six games as the Bombers won their third consecutive championship. The Yankees were led by veteran starters Vic Raschi, Eddie Lopat, and Allie Reynolds; league MVP Yogi Berra and an aging Joe DiMaggio anchored the lineup. The Giants featured 23-game winners Sal Maglie and Larry Jansen, while outfielders Monte Irvin, Willie Mays, and Thomson led a potent offense. Brooklyn catcher Roy Campanella (.325, 33 HR, 108 RBI) beat out batting champ Stan Musial of the Cardinals to win the National League MVP award.\n\nMilestones and Moments from 1951:\nJimmie Foxx and Mel Ott were elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame...Bob Feller threw his third career no-hitter on July 1 against the Tigers...Browns owner Bill Veeck secretly hired 3'7" Eddie Gaedel to bat leadoff in the second game of a doubleheader on August 19; Gaedel drew a walk and was immediately replaced by a pinch runner.
1952,New York and Cleveland went down to the wire in the American League with the Yankees clinching in the final weekend. Meanwhile, Brooklyn topped the Giants to win the National League pennant by four and a half games. The Yankees won Games 6 and 7 to take their fourth straight World Series as Johnny Mize, Yogi Berra, and Mickey Mantle combined for seven home runs. The champions were led by 20-game winner Allie Reynolds and a potent lineup featuring Yogi Berra and a 20-year-old outfielder from Oklahoma named Mickey Mantle. Cleveland's rotation of Early Wynn, Mike Garcia, Bob Lemon, and Bob Feller featured three 20-game winners, while CF Larry Doby and 1B Luke Easter were the top two home run hitters in the league. Philadelphia Athletics pitcher Bobby Shantz (24-7, 2.48 ERA) led the American League in wins to earn the AL MVP award. Pittsburgh OF Ralph Kiner led the National League in home runs for the seventh consecutive year. Brooklyn reliever Joe Black won 15 games and saved 15 games to earn the National League Rookie of the Year award. Chicago Cubs OF Hank Sauer (.270, 37 HR, 121 RBI) edged Black and 28-game winner Robin Roberts to win the NL MVP award.
1953,Brooklyn won 105 games to run away in the National League while the Yankees won their fifth consecutive AL pennant handily. The Bombers beat the Bums in the World Series for the second straight year, this time in six games to complete a dynastic run of six championships in seven years. Cleveland 3B Al Rosen (.336, 43 HR, 145 RBI) missed winning the AL Triple Crown by a fraction of a point in batting average, but won the Most Valuable Player award. Dodgers C Roy Campanella hit .312 with 41 homers and 142 runs batted in to win his second NL MVP award. Milwaukee's Warren Spahn and Phillies pitcher Robin Roberts each had 23 wins and led the league in most pitching categories.\n\nMilestones and Moments from 1953:\nDizzy Dean and Al Simmons were elected to the Hall of Fame in 1953...Browns pitcher Bobo Holloman threw a no-hitter against the Athletics on May 6 in his Major League debut, but Holloman would finish with only three career victories...Detroit's Harvey Kuenn collected 209 hits to win the AL Rookie of the Year while Brooklyn 2B Jim Gilliam hit .278, scored 125 runs, and stole 21 bases to win the award in the Senior Circuit...Following the season, Bill Veeck sold the St. Louis Browns to a group that moved the team to Baltimore for the 1954 season.
1954,After three straight second-place finishes, the Cleveland Guardians won 111 games and the AL pennant led by 23-game winners Early Wynn and Bob Lemon, CF Larry Doby (.272, 32 HR, 126 RBI), and batting champ Bobby Avila. The New York Giants beat out the Dodgers and the Braves for the National League pennant, then swept the favored Guardians to win the 1954 World Series. Willie Mays had his first breakout season as he hit .345 with 41 homers and 110 RBI to win his first Most Valuable Player award for the champions. Johnny Antonelli led the Giants rotation with 21 wins and a 2.30 ERA. Catcher Yogi Berra (.307, 22 HR, 125 RBI) won his second MVP award for the second-place Yankees. Cincinnati's Ted Kluszewski led the majors with 49 home runs and 141 runs batted in.\n\nMilestones and Moments from 1954:\nThe new Baltimore Orioles lost 100 games in their first season since moving from St. Louis...Hank Aaron hit his first home run on April 23...Braves 1B Joe Adcock hit four home runs against the Dodgers on July 31...In one of the most famous defensive plays in baseball history, Mays made an over-the-head catch of a Vic Wertz drive in the 8th inning of Game 1 of the World Series, preserving a 2-2 tie in a game the Giants won in extra innings...Bill Dickey, Rabbit Maranville, and Bill Terry became Hall of Famers in 1954.
1955,Starter Johnny Podres shut out the Yankees 2-0 in Game 7 as the Dodgers won their only World Series title in Brooklyn, avenging five previous losses to the Bronx Bombers in the World Series. The Lords of Flatbush had the best lineup in baseball with C Roy Campanella, 1B Gil Hodges, CF Duke Snider, and RF Carl Furillo all hitting at least 25 homers and driving in at least 95 runs. Campanella (.318, 32 HR, 107 RBI) edged Snider and Chicago's Ernie Banks to win his third NL MVP award in five years. Yogi Berra hit .272 with 27 homers and 108 RBI to win his second consecutive MVP award in the American League. Twenty-year-old Tigers OF Al Kaline was the youngest batting champ in history, leading the AL with 200 hits and a .340 average. Flamethrower Herb Score won the AL Rookie of the Year as he won 16 games with a 2.85 ERA and a league-leading 245 strikeouts for the second-place Guardians. Phillies pitcher Robin Roberts led the majors with 23 wins on a .500 Philadelphia team, his last of six straight 20-win seasons. Giants OF Willie Mays hit 51 homers, the 11th time a player had eclipsed 50 home runs. Six players entered the Hall of Fame in 1955, most notably Yankees great Joe DiMaggio, catcher Gabby Hartnett, and 3B Frank "Home Run" Baker.
1956,The New York Yankees, led by Triple Crown winner Mickey Mantle and ERA leader Whitey Ford, were king again in 1956. The Bombers beat Cleveland by nine games in the American League, then defeated the rival Dodgers in seven games to win the 1956 World Series. Yankee pitcher Don Larsen threw a perfect game in Game 5, the only no-hitter in World Series history; Larsen earned Series MVP honors for the performance. Brooklyn was led to the pennant by NL MVP and Cy Young award winner Don Newcombe (27-7, 3.06 ERA) and CF Duke Snider (.292, 43 HR, 101 RBI). Twenty-year-old Cincinnati OF Frank Robinson hit .290 with 38 homers and a league-leading 122 runs scored to win the NL Rookie of the Year award. Chicago SS Luis Aparicio hit .266 and led the AL with 21 steals to win the rookie award in the Junior Circuit.\n\nMilestones and Moments from 1956:\nHank Greenberg and Joe Cronin were inducted into Baseball's Hall of Fame...1956 was the first year for the new Cy Young award, given to the best pitcher in baseball...Cleveland pitchers threw seven shutouts in 12 games in late July and early August.
1957,Led by OF Hank Aaron, 3B Eddie Mathews, and a trio of good starters, the Braves beat the Yankees in seven games to win their first World Series title in over 40 years and their only championship in Milwaukee. Series MVP Lew Burdette won three games in the Series including complete-game shutouts in Games 5 and 7. Aaron led the league with 44 home runs and 132 RBI to win the NL MVP award over Stan Musial and Red Schoendienst while teammate Warren Spahn (21-11, 2.69 ERA) won the Cy Young award. New York CF Mickey Mantle (.365, 34 HR, 94 RBI, 121 R, 16 SB) won his second straight American League MVP in a very close ballot, beating out Ted Williams, Roy Sievers, and Nellie Fox. The 39-year-old Williams won a fifth batting title and nearly hit .400 for a second time, finishing the season with a .388 average. Phillies pitcher Jack Sanford won 19 games with a 3.08 ERA and a league-leading 188 strikeouts to earn the NL Rookie of the Year award.
1958,Baseball moved westward as the Dodgers and Giants both left Gotham for new homes in California. Milwaukee and New York dominated their leagues for a second straight year. The Yankees won their fourth straight AL pennant and avenged the previous year's loss to the Braves, coming back from a three games to one deficit to win the 1958 Series. New York's Bob Turley (21-7, 297 ERA, 168 K) beat out Milwaukee lefty Warren Spahn (22-11, 3.07 ERA, 150 K) for the Cy Young award in 1958. Boston OF Jackie Jensen (.286, 35 HR, 122 RBI) edged Turley and Cleveland OF Rocky Colavito (.303, 41 HR, 113 RBI) for the AL MVP award while Cubs SS Ernie Banks hit .313 with 47 HR and 129 RBI to take the award in the Senior Circuit.\n\nMilestones and Moments from 1958:\nBrooklyn catcher Roy Campanella was paralyzed in a January auto accident...Cardinal legend Stan Musial cracked hit number 3,000 on May 13...The American League defeated the National League 4-3 in the All-Star Game, the first game that did not feature an extra-base hit...Boston's Ted Williams won his sixth and final batting title shortly after his 40th birthday...San Francisco OF Orlando Cepeda (.312, 25 HR 96 RBI, 15 SB) was a unanimous choice as NL Rookie of the Year.
1959,The Chicago White Sox topped Cleveland by five games to capture their first AL pennant since the Black Sox of 1919. Equally surprising were the New York Yankees, who finished 15 games back with their worst record since 1925. Los Angeles and Milwaukee finished the season tied atop the National League with 86-70 records. The Dodgers won the best-of-three playoff with a pair of one-run victories. The "Go-Go Sox" fell flat in the Series, losing to Los Angeles in six games. Cubs SS Ernie Banks hit .304 with 45 HR and 143 RBI to win his second straight NL Most Valuable Player award. White Sox players finished 1-2-3 in the AL MVP balloting, with 2B Nellie Fox (.306, 70 RBI, 84 R) beating out SS Luis Aparicio (.257, 98 R, 56 SB) and SP Early Wynn (22-10, 3.17 ERA) for the honor; Wynn easily captured the Cy Young award.\n\nMilestones and Moments from 1959:\nOn May 26, Pittsburgh pitcher Harvey Haddix retired the first 36 batters he faced until Milwaukee's Felix Mantilla reached on an error to lead off the 13th inning. Haddix would eventually lose the game on a Joe Adcock home run...Waiver restrictions were lifted for interleague trades following the 1959 season, opening up trades between American and National League teams...San Francisco 1B Willie McCovey hit .354 with 13 HR in only 192 ABs to win the NL Rookie of the Year...Washington OF Bob Allison (.261, 30 HR, 85 RBI) won the Rookie of the Year award in the Junior Circuit.
1960,The Yankees won 15 games in a row to finish the regular season eight games ahead of Baltimore in the American League. Coming off a decade near the bottom of the National League, the Pittsburgh Pirates won their first pennant in over 30 years in 1960. The two pennant winners played a classic seven-game World Series that ended as Pittsburgh 2B Bill Mazeroski led off the bottom of the ninth in a tie game with a walk-off home run. The Pirates were paced during the regular season by league batting leader and MVP Dick Groat plus the pitching of Cy Young winner Vern Law (20-9, 3.08 ERA). Yankee RF Roger Maris won the AL MVP award in a close race over teammate Mickey Mantle and Baltimore's Brooks Robinson.\n\nMilestones and Moments from 1960:\nInnovative White Sox owner Bill Veeck added a player's name above his number on Chicago's road uniform...Just before the season, Cleveland GM Frank Lane set the franchise back for years to come, trading home run champ Rocky Colavito and young infielder Norm Cash to Detroit for batting champ Harvey Kuenn and 3B Steve Demeter...The Yankees outscored Pittsburgh 38-3 in the three World Series games they won...Dodgers OF Frank Howard (.268, 23 HR, 77 RBI) won the National League Rookie of the Year award.
1961,Baseball Expansion and the M&M Boys\n\nMajor League Baseball expanded for the first time in modern history with the American League adding two teams for the 1961 season and extending the schedule by 8 games. New expansion franchises were awarded in Los Angeles and Washington after Calvin Griffith moved the former Senators to Minnesota in the offseason. The New York Yankees took advantage of the easier expansion schedule, winning 109 games to take their second of five consecutive AL pennants. Outfielders Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris were the story of the summer as each chased Babe Ruth's single-season record of 60 home runs. Mantle fell short at the end due to injury, but Maris clubbed his 61st home run on the final day of the season to break the 34-year-old record. Maris edged out his teammate for the second straight year to earn the AL MVP. Cincinnati won the NL pennant led by MVP Frank Robinson (.323, 37 HR, 124 RBI, 22 SB) and a good pitching staff, but lost to the Yankees in five games in the World Series. Yankee lefthander Whitey Ford (25-4, 3.21 ERA) won the Cy Young award and was named World Series MVP as he set a record of 29 1/3 consecutive scoreless innings in World Series play. Cubs OF Billy Williams (.278, 25 HR, 86 RBI) beat out Milwaukee C Joe Torre for NL Rookie of the Year honors.
1962,The National League expanded to ten teams in 1962 with the addition of the New York Mets and the Houston Colt 45s. The '62 Mets won only 40 games in their inaugural season and are widely considered one of the worst teams in baseball history. The Senior Circuit featured a great pennant race with the Giants, Dodgers, and Reds all contending into September. Los Angeles and San Francisco finished the season tied at 101 wins, and the Giants won a three-game playoff series to capture the pennant. The New York Yankees won the American League, then beat the Giants in seven games to win the 1962 World Series. Series MVP Ralph Terry shut out San Francisco 1-0 in the finale as Willie McCovey lined out with two runners on to end the game. Mickey Mantle (.321, 30 HR, 89 RBI) won his third MVP award for the World Champs despite missing almost 40 games. Dodgers SS Maury Wills became the first player in modern history to swipe more than 100 bases, earning him the NL MVP award in a close race over Giants CF Willie Mays (.304, 49 HR, 141 RBI, 18 SB). Don Drysdale won the Cy Young award in 1962 with a 25-9 record, 2.83 ERA, and 232 strikeouts.\n\nMilestones and Moments from 1962:\nJackie Robinson, Bob Feller, and Edd Roush all entered the Hall of Fame...Ernie Banks hit his 300th career home run in April...Yankees SS Tom Tresh hit .286 with 20 homers and 93 runs batted in to earn the AL Rookie of the Year award.
1963,The Dodgers swept the rival Yankees to win the 1963 World Series, led by Series MVP Sandy Koufax, who struck out 23 New York batters in two complete-game victories. Koufax also won the Cy Young award and was named National League MVP in a season where he led the majors with 25 wins, a 1.88 ERA, 306 strikeouts, and 11 shutouts. The strike zone was enlarged for the 1963 season, causing offense to drop through the remainder of the decade. As illustration, the National League batted only .245 while the last-place Mets finished with a .219 team batting average. But some good hitting performances were still had. Minnesota's Harmon Killebrew led the majors with 45 home runs while teammates Bob Allison and Jimmie Hall each hit over 30 round-trippers. Willie McCovey and Henry Aaron paced the Senior Circuit with 44 homers while Willie Mays and Orlando Cepeda combined with McCovey to give the Giants three sluggers with at least 34 home runs. Reds hitter Pete Rose scored 101 runs and collected 170 hits to win the NL Rookie of the Year award.\n\nMilestones and Moments from 1963:\nDuke Snider hit career home run number 400 on June 14...Cleveland pitcher Early Wynn won his 300th and final game on July 13...Milwaukee southpaw Warren Spahn won 23 games at the age of 42, eclipsing the 20-win mark for the 13th and final time of his career...White Sox pitcher Gary Peters led the AL with a 2.33 ERA and won 19 games to earn Rookie of the Year honors.
1964,The 1964 season saw close pennant races in each league. The 99-win New York Yankees edged the White Sox by a single game and the Orioles by two. Meanwhile, St. Louis won on the last day to edge the Phillies, Reds, and Giants; the close race was brought about by a 10-game losing streak by Philadelphia in late September. The Cardinals bested the Yankees in seven games to capture the 1964 World Series. Angels pitcher Dean Chance led the American League with 20 wins and a 1.65 ERA, earning him the Cy Young award despite pitching for a fifth-place team. Baltimore 3B Brooks Robinson added 28 homers, 118 runs batted in, and a .317 average to his Gold Glove defense to be named American League MVP. 1964 was a good year for rookies as AL Rookie of the Year Tony Oliva led the league in runs, hits, doubles, and batting average while Tony Conigliaro (.290, 24 HR), Luis Tiant (10-4, 2.83 ERA), and Mel Stottlemyre (9-3, 2.06 ERA) all had impressive debuts. Philadelphia 3B Dick Allen (.318, 29 HR, 91 RBI, 125 R) was named Rookie of the Year in the National League.\n\nMilestones and Moments from 1964:\nPhiladelphia's Jim Bunning threw a perfect game and drove in two runs on Father's Day, June 21...Phillies OF Johnny Callison hit a 3-run homer in the ninth inning as the NL defeated the AL in the All-Star Game...Houston renamed its franchise the Astros and moved into the indoor Astrodome following the 1964 season. 
1965,Sandy Koufax shut out the Minnesota Twins twice in four days as he led the Dodgers to a World Series championship in 1965 after Los Angeles held off the rival Giants in the last weekend to win the NL pennant. Koufax was named the World Series MVP for his performance to go with the Cy Young award he earned for leading the majors with 26 wins, a 2.04 ERA, and 382 strikeouts. The Twins won the pennant thanks to the best offense in baseball, led by MVP SS Zoilo Versalles (.273, 19 HR, 77 RBI, 126 R, 27 SB) and four other players with 20 or more home runs. Giants CF Willie Mays (.317, 52 HR, 112 RBI) beat out Koufax and fellow Dodger Maury Wills to claim his second NL Most Valuable Player award. Cleveland's "Sudden Sam" McDowell led the American League with a 2.18 ERA and 325 strikeouts, and won 17 games for the fifth-place Guardians.\n\nMilestones and Moments from 1965:\nThe amateur entry draft started in 1965. The Oakland Athletics selected Rick Monday first overall...Koufax threw a perfect game on September 9, his fourth no-hitter. The Dodgers won 1-0 with only one hit of their own...Mays hit his 500th home run on September 13...Baltimore OF Curt Blefary (.260, 22 HR, 70 RBI) was named AL Rookie of the Year.
1966,American League MVP and Triple Crown winner Frank Robinson led Baltimore to the first World Series title in franchise history with a sweep over the Los Angeles Dodgers. Dodger lefty Sandy Koufax led the majors with 27 wins, a 1.73 ERA, and 317 strikeouts to earn the Cy Young award for the third time in four years despite pitching the entire season in extreme pain. The painful arthritic condition in his pitching arm would force Koufax to retire after the season while still in his prime. Pirates OF Roberto Clemente won the NL MVP award with a .317, 29 HR, 119 RBI season while winning his sixth consecutive Gold Glove award. White Sox CF Tommie Agee (.273, 22 HR, 86 RBI, 44 SB) won the Rookie of the Year award in the Junior Circuit.\n\nMilestones and Moments from 1966:\nTed Williams and Casey Stengel became Hall of Famers in 1966...Koufax and fellow Dodger Don Drysdale staged a holdout for 1 million dollars combined during Spring Training. They ended up signing at the end of March for just over $100,000 each...The Milwaukee Braves moved south to Atlanta for the 1966 season.
1967,1967 featured one of the closest pennant races in history as Boston, Detroit, and Minnesota all entered the last day within a half game of the league lead. Boston knocked off the Twins while Detroit lost the second game of a doubleheader with the Angels to give the Red Sox the pennant by one game. However, Boston could not figure out World Series MVP Bob Gibson, who had three wins and a home run as the Cardinals beat the Red Sox in seven games to win the 1967 championship. Boston LF Carl Yastrzemski won the Triple Crown and the AL MVP award with a .326 average, 44 home runs, and 121 runs batted in. Teammate Jim Lonborg led the league with 22 wins and 246 strikeouts to win the AL Cy Young award. Orlando Cepeda (.325, 25 HR, 111 RBI) won his only MVP award in his first full season with the Cardinals.\n\nMilestones and Moments from 1967:\nYankees slugger Mickey Mantle joined the 500 home run club on May 14 with a blast off Baltimore's Stu Miller...Longtime Braves star Eddie Mathews joined Mantle on July 14 when he hit his 500th homer as a member of the Houston Astros off Juan Marichal...Future Hall of Famers Rod Carew and Tom Seaver won the Rookie of the Year awards in 1967.
1968,1968 has been dubbed the Year of the Pitcher for good reason. The American League hit only .230 as a whole with Boston OF Carl Yastrzemski leading the way with a paltry .301 average. St. Louis righty Bob Gibson (22-9, 1.12 ERA) was named both league MVP and Cy Young award winner as he set a modern ERA record. Detroit's Denny McLain earned the same awards in the AL as he won 31 games with a 1.96 ERA and 280 strikeouts. McLain's Tigers won the American League with 103 wins, then Series MVP Mickey Lolich outdueled Gibson in Game 7 to bring a championship to Detroit for the first time since World War II. Frank Howard of the Washington Senators led the majors with 44 homers; only seven players hit 30 or more home runs in 1968.\n\nMilestones and Moments from 1968:\nJoe Medwick, Goose Goslin, and Kiki Cuyler entered the Hall of Fame...After 24 innings, the Astros finally prevailed 1-0 over the Mets on April 15 with the only run being unearned...A's pitcher Catfish Hunter hurled a perfect game against the Twins on May 8...Cincinnati C Johnny Bench (.275, 15 HR, 82 RBI) won the NL Rookie of the Year and his first of ten straight Gold Glove awards.
1969,Baseball expanded by four teams in 1969, adding the Seattle Pilots and Kansas City Royals to the American League and the Montreal Expos and San Diego Padres to the National League. Each league was also split into East and West divisions, bringing about the League Championship Series to decide the winner of each league pennant and the World Series participants. On the field, the story of 1969 was the Miracle Mets, who came from 9 1/2 games behind the Cubs in August to win the NL East. New York continued its hot streak in the playoffs, losing just one postseason game en route to the Series title. 1969 was the first time the Mets had finished above ninth in the National League in their brief nine-year history. New York was led by OF Cleon Jones (.340, 12 HR, 75 RBI) and starters Tom Seaver (25-7, 2.21 ERA) and Jerry Koosman (17-9, 2.28 ERA), and also had youngsters Tug McGraw and Nolan Ryan on the staff. In Earl Weaver's first full season at the helm, Baltimore won 109 games in the regular season and took the AL pennant before running into the Mets in the World Series. Minnesota's Harmon Killebrew led the league with 49 HR, 140 RBI, and 145 walks to win the AL MVP award. San Francisco 1B Willie McCovey (.320, 45 HR, 126 RBI) won the award for the Senior Circuit.
1970,Outfielder Curt Flood sat out the season and challenged baseball's reserve clause, setting the stage for free agency in baseball later in the decade. The Seattle Pilots moved to Milwaukee after only one year of existence in the Pacific Northwest. On the field, the Baltimore Orioles won 108 games in the regular season, then took out Minnesota and Cincinnati on the way to winning the 1970 World Series. Frank Robinson and league MVP Boog Powell led the hitting attack for the Birds while Jim Palmer, Mike Cuellar, and Dave McNally all won 20 games in the rotation. Minnesota's Jim Perry (24-12, 3.04 ERA) won the AL Cy Young award in close voting over the top three Oriole starters and Cleveland's Sam McDowell. Bob Gibson won his second NL Cy Young award; the Cardinal righthander amassed a 23-7 record with a 3.12 ERA and 274 strikeouts. Catcher Johnny Bench led the Senior Circuit with 45 HR and 148 RBI to win his first MVP award with the Reds.\n\nMilestones and Moments from 1970:\nLou Boudreau, Earle Combs, and Jesse Haines were inducted into the Hall of Fame...Tom Seaver struck out 19 Padres hitters including the last 10 in a row on April 22...Ernie Banks hit his 500th home run off the Braves' Pat Jarvis on May 12...Hank Aaron became the first player to get 3,000 hits and 500 home runs when he notched his 3,000th hit on May 17. Two months later, Willie Mays joined Aaron in the 3,000 hit, 500 HR club...Yankee catcher Thurman Munson was named AL Rookie of the Year.
1971,San Francisco held off a late charge from the rival Dodgers to win the NL West by a single game. Meanwhile Pittsburgh, Baltimore, and Oakland cruised to their division titles. Steve Blass allowed only four hits as the Pirates defeated Baltimore in seven games to become World Series champs in 1971. Roberto Clemente was named World Series MVP as he hit .417 with five extra-base hits. The 1971 Baltimore Orioles had one of the most dominant pitching staffs in baseball history as Jim Palmer, Mike Cuellar, Pat Dobson, and Dave McNally each won 20 games for the Birds. The Athletics had a pretty good staff of their own, led by league MVP and Cy Young winner Vida Blue and 20-game winner Catfish Hunter. In his first season at third base, former catcher Joe Torre led the National League with a .363 average, 230 hits, and 137 runs batted in to win the MVP award. His Cardinals finished in second place in the NL East, 7 games behind the champion Pirates.\n\nMilestones and Moments from 1971:\nPhiladelphia pitcher Rick Wise threw a no-hitter and hit two home runs as the Phillies beat Cincinnati 4-0 on June 23...Harmon Killebrew became the 10th player to hit 500 home runs on August 10...A month later, Frank Robinson became the 11th player to reach 500 career homers...Atlanta C/IF Earl Williams slugged 33 home runs to win the Rookie of the Year in the Senior Circuit.
1972,Major League Baseball lost a week and a half of the season due to a labor dispute and cancelled several games early in the season. Even without the injured Reggie Jackson, Oakland defeated Cincinnati in seven games to win the franchise's first World Series since 1930. Gene Tenace hit four homers in the series and was named World Series MVP for the A's. Reds catcher Johnny Bench won his second MVP trophy of the decade, leading the National League with 40 homers and 125 RBI while earning his fifth Gold Glove award. Steve Carlton (27-10, 1.97 ERA, 310 K, 8 shutouts) was a unanimous choice for the NL Cy Young award despite playing on a last-place team in his first season with the Phillies. Guardians pitcher Gaylord Perry nosed out Chicago knuckleballer Wilbur Wood for the AL Cy Young award; Jim Palmer and Catfish Hunter also won 20 games with an ERA near 2.00 in the American League.\n\nMilestones and Moments from 1972:\nThe Senators franchise moved to south to become the Texas Rangers, leaving the nation's capital without a baseball team for the first time in history...Sandy Koufax, Yogi Berra, and Early Wynn are all selected to enter the Hall of Fame...Boston C Carlton Fisk hit .293 with 22 homers to earn the American League Rookie of the Year...Roberto Clemente joined the 3,000-hit club in the final week of the season, then was tragically killed in a plane crash on New Year's Eve.
1973,The Oakland A's won Games 6 and 7 at home to beat the Mets for their second consecutive World Series title. League MVP Reggie Jackson (.293, 32 HR, 117 RBI) and 3B Sal Bando (.287, 29 HR, 98 RBI) led the hitting attack while starters Ken Holtzman, Vida Blue, and Catfish Hunter all won 20 games. New York's Tom Seaver won 19 games with a 2.08 ERA to edge Montreal's Mike Marshall for the NL Cy Young award. Meanwhile, Orioles right hander Jim Palmer (22-9, 2.40 ERA) narrowly beat California pitcher Nolan Ryan (21-16, 2.87 ERA, 383 K) for the award in the AL. Pete Rose collected 230 hits to beat out Pittsburgh's Willie Stargell for league MVP despite Stargell's 44 homers and 119 runs batted in.\n\nMilestones and Moments from 1973:\nThe American League instituted the designated hitter rule in 1973 in an attempt to increase offense. Yankee Ron Blomberg was the first player to bat as a designated hitter, earning a walk off Boston's Luis Tiant...Warren Spahn and Roberto Clemente are inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame...San Diego used the fourth overall pick in the draft to select University of Minnesota star Dave Winfield. Winfield would immediately join the Major League club, hitting .277 in 56 games in his rookie season.
1974,Oakland won its third straight World Series championship, this time in five games over the Los Angeles Dodgers. A's pitcher Catfish Hunter led the AL with 25 wins and a 2.49 ERA to earn the Cy Young award. The Dodgers won 102 games in the regular season led by MVP Steve Garvey's breakout year (.312. 21 HR, 111 RBI) and Cy Young award winner Mike Marshall (15-12, 21 SV, 2.42 ERA, 208 IP all in relief). Billy Martin transformed a 57-win Texas team from 1973 into an 84-win team in 1974 in his first full season managing the Rangers. Texas RF Jeff Burroughs won the Most Valuable Player award in the American League, hitting .301 with 25 HR and 118 RBI, while starter Ferguson Jenkins won 25 games with a 2.82 ERA to finish second in the Cy Young voting.\n\nMilestones and Moments from 1974:\nYankee teammates Mickey Mantle and Whitey Ford were voted to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974. Jim Bottomley and Sam Thompson were selected by the Veterans Committee to join them...On April 6, Hank Aaron hit his 714th home run to tie Babe Ruth as the all-time home run king. Aaron would break the record four days later...Royals starter Steve Busby retired 33 consecutive batters over two starts in June...Al Kaline collected his 3,000th hit in September...Rangers 1B Mike Hargrove hit .323 to take home Rookie of the Year honors in the American League.
1975,Cincinnati won its first World Series championship in 35 years in a closely fought seven-game series against the Boston Red Sox. The Reds won Games 2, 3, and 7 in their final at-bats while Boston catcher Carlton Fisk waved his long fly ball fair for a 12th-inning homer to win Game 6. Fred Lynn of the Red Sox was named both MVP and Rookie of the Year of the American League for a season in which he hit .331 with 21 HR and 105 RBI. Veterans Jim Palmer (23-11, 2.09 ERA, 10 shutouts) and Tom Seaver (22-9, 2.38 ERA, 243 K) were the Cy Young award winners in 1975. Joe Morgan (.327, 17 HR, 94 RBI, 107 R, 67 SB) won the NL MVP as a part of the Big Red Machine.\n\nMilestones and Moments in 1975:\nFrank Robinson became the first African American manager in the majors, hired by the Cleveland Guardians to be player/manager...Ralph Kiner, Earl Averill, and Billy Herman became Hall of Famers in 1975...Following the 1975 season, pitchers Andy Messersmith and Dave McNally were declared free agents after the Players Association challenged baseball's long-standing reserve clause, paving the way for free agency in baseball.
1976,The Big Red Machine was in top gear in 1976 as the Reds won 102 games in the regular season and swept through the postseason undefeated to win their second straight World Series title. Cincinnati 2B Joe Morgan (.320, 27 HR, 111 RBI, 113 R, 60 SB) was a repeat MVP winner while Yankee C Thurman Munson (.302, 17 HR, 105 RBI, 14 SB) won his first and only MVP award in the American League. Oriole starter Jim Palmer won his third Cy Young award in four years, winning 22 games with a 2.51 ERA. San Diego right hander Randy Jones went 22-14 with a 2.74 ERA to win the NL Cy Young award on a fifth-place team. Edging out teammate Hal McRae, Royals 3B George Brett hit .333 to win his first batting title and led Kansas City to its first division crown.\n\nMilestones and Moments in 1976\nDetroit's Mark "The Bird" Fidrych made a permanent mark on baseball with his strange delivery and wild antics. He won the AL Rookie of the Year in what would be his only full season in Major League Baseball...Robin Roberts and Bob Lemon entered the Hall of Fame in 1976...Walter Alston stepped down as the manager of the Dodgers after 23 seasons and over 2,000 career wins.
1977,The American League expanded to 14 teams in 1977 with the addition of the Seattle Mariners and the Toronto Blue Jays. The Yankees, Phillies, and Royals all broke the 100-win barrier to win their respective divisions while the 98-win Dodgers rounded out the postseason contenders. New York bested the Dodgers in six games to become World Series champs thanks in large part to free agent signee Reggie Jackson. "Mr. October" earned his moniker in 1977 by hitting five home runs in the World Series, including three round-trippers in Game 6 to close out the Dodgers. Yankee reliever Sparky Lyle was named the AL Cy Young award winner as he finished with 13 wins, 26 saves, and a 2.17 ERA. Minnesota's Rod Carew led the league with a .388 average, 239 hits, 128 runs scored, and 16 triples to win the Most Valuable Player award. Cincinnati's George Foster hit .320 with 52 home runs and 149 RBI to earn the NL MVP award, the fourth Reds hitter to be named MVP in the decade.\n\nMilestones and Moments from 1977:\nFuture Hall of Famers Andre Dawson and Eddie Murray were named Rookie of the Year in the NL and AL respectively...Dodger hitters Steve Garvey, Reggie Smith, Ron Cey, and Dusty Baker all hit 30 home runs for the NL pennant winners...Ernie Banks, Joe Sewell, and Amos Rusie became members of the Hall of Fame in 1977.
1978,The Yankees and Red Sox battled back and forth during the 1978 season and finished the season tied atop the AL East standings. New York overcame a 2-run deficit with homers from Bucky Dent and Reggie Jackson to win a one-game playoff 5-4. The Yankees bested the Royals in the ALCS for the third straight season, then knocked off the Dodgers to become 1978 World Series champions. Pittsburgh RF Dave Parker (.334, 30 HR, 117 RBI, 20 SB) and Boston LF Jim Rice (.315, 46 HR, 139 RBI) were each named Most Valuable Player for the only time in their careers. Yankees starter Ron Guidry (25-3, 1.74 ERA, 248 K) had a career year to earn the AL Cy Young award while Padre Gaylord Perry (21-6, 2.73 ERA) won his second career Cy Young award.\n\nMilestones and Moments from 1978:\nEddie Mathews and Addie Joss were inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1978...Pete Rose picked up his 3,000th hit on May 5. The all-time hits leader also had a 44-game hitting streak during the summer...Willie McCovey hit his 500th home run on June 30 against the Atlanta Braves...Tigers 2B Lou Whitaker beat out Milwaukee's Paul Molitor to be named American League Rookie of the Year...Atlanta's Bob Horner edged a light-hitting shortstop named Ozzie Smith for the Rookie of the Year Award in the Senior Circuit.
1979,Led by Cy Young winner Mike Flanagan and RF Ken Singleton, the Baltimore Orioles won 102 games and cruised to the American League pennant. But the NL champion Pittsburgh Pirates won Games 5, 6, and 7 to take the 1979 World Series from the Orioles. Pirates 1B Willie Stargell was named MVP for both the NLCS and the World Series as he hit over .400 in the postseason. Stargell also shared the National League MVP award with St. Louis 1B Keith Hernandez. OF Don Baylor (.296, 36 HR, 139 RBI, 22 SB) earned MVP honors in the American League, leading the California Angels to the AL West title. Chicago reliever Bruce Sutter beat out Houston pitchers Joe Niekro and J.R. Richard for the NL Cy Young award.\n\nMilestones and Moments in 1979:\nWillie Mays and Hack Wilson were elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame...Dave Kingman hit three home runs and Mike Schmidt hit a pair of round trippers in a 23-22 Philadelphia win at Wrigley Field...Yankee catcher Thurman Munson died in a plane crash on August 2...Lou Brock singled off Dennis Lamp for his 3,000th career hit on August 13...A month later, Boston's Carl Yastrzemski became the first American League player to reach 3,000 hits and 400 home runs with a single against the Yankees...Rick Sutcliffe was the NL Rookie of the Year, winning 17 games with a 3.46 ERA on a sub-.500 Dodgers team.
1980,Mike Schmidt (.286, 48 HR, 121 RBI) had perhaps his finest season, leading the Philadelphia Phillies to their first ever World Series title in 1980. The Hall of Fame third baseman was named Most Valuable Player of the National League and the World Series. Phillies starter Steve Carlton won the NL Cy Young award, finishing a 24-9 record and a 2.34 ERA. Kansas City 3B George Brett captivated the baseball world with a long chase at an elusive .400 season. Brett was hitting over .400 as late as September 20th and finished the season at .390 as he led his Royals to the American League pennant and earned himself the AL MVP award. The Yankees won 103 games to capture the AL East, leaving the 100-win Baltimore Orioles home in October.\n\nMilestones and Moments from 1980:\nChuck Klein, Duke Snider, and Al Kaline entered the Hall of Fame in 1980...Pushed under new manager Billy Martin, the Oakland A's had 94 complete games as a staff. Starters Rick Langford, Mike Norris, and Matt Keough all finished more than 20 games each.
1981,Major League Baseball lost two months of baseball in 1981 from a players strike, the longest work stoppage at that time in baseball history. The strike began June 12, and baseball did not resume until the rescheduled All-Star Game was played on August 9 at Cleveland Municipal Stadium. Baseball declared both first-half winners and second-half winners eligible for the postseason. The Yankees and the Dodgers made it through the extra round of playoffs to meet in the World Series, with Los Angeles beating New York to become baseball's world champions in 1981. "Fernandomania" swept through baseball as Los Angeles pitcher Fernando Valenzuela won both the NL Rookie of the Year and NL Cy Young award in 1981. The lefthander from Mexico was 13-7 with a 2.48 ERA, 180 strikeouts, and 8 shutouts in 25 games. Milwaukee closer Rollie Fingers became the first reliever to win both the MVP and Cy Young awards in the same year. Philadelphia 3B Mike Schmidt won his second straight NL Most Valuable Player award after leading the league in home runs, runs batted in, runs scored, and walks.\n\nMilestones and Moments from 1981:\nBob Gibson and Johnny Mize entered the Hall Of Fame in 1981...Reds pitcher Tom Seaver struck out Keith Hernandez for his 3,000th career punchout on April 18...Just 11 days later, Steve Carlton of the Phillies also reached the 3,000 strikeout plateau.
1982,Pitchers Joaquin Andujar and Bruce Sutter combined to beat Milwaukee 6-3 in Game 7 as the St. Louis Cardinals won the 1982 World Series. Cardinals C Darrell Porter was named MVP of both the NLCS and the World Series for his postseason batting, reaching base 19 times in 10 games. The Brewers defeated Baltimore on the last day of the season to take the AL East before topping California in five games to win the AL pennant. Milwaukee was led by Robin Yount, Paul Molitor, and Cecil Cooper, who each topped 200 hits for the season. Yount (.331, 29 HR, 114 RBI, 129 R) had his best season in a Hall of Fame career and earned the AL MVP award. Philadelphia lefty Steve Carlton (23-11, 3.10 ERA, 286 K) won his fourth and final Cy Young award.\n\nMilestones and Moments from 1982:\nHenry Aaron, Frank Robinson, and Travis Jackson were named to Baseball's Hall of Fame. Aaron fell just 9 votes shy of becoming the first unanimous selection in history...Gaylord Perry won his 300th game on May 6 while pitching for Seattle...Rollie Fingers became the first player to reach 300 saves on August 8...Orioles SS Cal Ripken, Jr. (.264, 28 HR, 93 RBI) and Dodger 2B Steve Sax (.282, 88 R, 49 SB) were named Rookies of the Year...Oakland CF Rickey Henderson stole 130 bases, setting a modern single-season record.
1983,The Baltimore Orioles were the 1983 World Series champions, defeating the Phillies in five games. Eddie Murray hit two homers while Scott McGregor pitched a 5-hitter for the Birds in the Series clincher. Oriole SS Cal Ripken, Jr. was named Most Valuable Player of the American League as a 23-year-old in his second full season, hitting .318 with 27 HR and 102 RBI. Atlanta CF Dale Murphy won his second straight MVP award with a .302 average, 36 HR, and 121 RBI. Phillies pitcher John Denny (19-6, 2.37 ERA) had his finest season for the 1983 NL pennant winners, while White Sox hurler LaMarr Hoyt (24-10, 3.66 ERA) led the Pale Hose to the AL West crown. Each was rewarded with a Cy Young award at year's end.\n\nMilestones and Moments from 1983:\nBrooks Robinson, Juan Marichal, and George Kell were inducted into the Hall of Fame...The Pine Tar Game was played between the Kansas City Royals and New York Yankees on July 24. The game is most notable for the reaction of Royals 3B George Brett after his apparent game-winning home run was disallowed because of excessive pine tar on his bat. The homer would eventually stand after an official protest by the Royals was upheld...Steve Garvey's consecutive games played streak ended at 1,207 in July...Mets OF Darryl Strawberry (.257, 26 HR, 74 RBI) and White Sox OF Ron Kittle (.254, 35 HR, 100 RBI) were named Rookies of the Year.
1984,Detroit started the season winning 35 of its first 40 games and never looked back, finishing the season with 104 wins (15 games ahead of Toronto in the AL East) and capturing the 1984 championship. Tigers closer Willie Hernandez took home both the AL MVP and Cy Young awards with a 9-3 season, 32 saves, a 1.92 ERA, and 112 strikeouts. Led by league MVP Ryne Sandberg and Cy Young award winner Rick Sutcliffe, the Chicago Cubs won the NL East to make the postseason for the first time in nearly 40 years, but lost a two games to none lead in the NLCS to the pennant-winning Padres. Mets righthander Dwight Gooden (17-9, 2.60 ERA, 276 K) and Seattle 1B Alvin Davis (.284, 27 HR, 116 RBI) were named Rookies of the Year in their respective leagues.\n\nMilestones and Moments from 1984:\nDon Drysdale, Harmon Killebrew, Luis Aparicio, Pee Wee Reese, and Rick Ferrell were enshrined in Baseball's Hall of Fame...Pete Rose picked up his 4,000th career hit on April 13th...Reggie Jackson hit career home run 500 on September 17 off Bud Black...New York 1B Don Mattingly went 4-for-5 on the final day of the season for a .343 average, beating out teammate Dave Winfield's .340 average for the AL batting crown.
1985,Kansas City came back from a three games to one deficit to defeat in-state rival St. Louis and capture the 1985 World Series. The Royals blow out the Cardinals 11-0 in Game 7 behind the strong pitching of Series MVP and AL Cy Young award winner Bret Saberhagen. Twenty-year-old Mets pitcher Dwight Gooden won the NL Cy Young award in only his second year in baseball, leading the National League with 24 wins, a 1.56 ERA, and 268 strikeouts. St. Louis CF Willie McGee (.353, 10 HR, 82 RBI, 104 R, 56 SB) won the NL MVP, while Yankees 1B Don Mattingly (.324, 35 HR, 145 RBI) won his only MVP award for the AL. For the second time, baseball was marred by a work stoppage, this one in August; it lasted only two days, and all games were made up during the season.\n\nMilestones and Moments from 1985:\nLou Brock, Hoyt Wilhelm, Enos Slaughter, and Arky Vaughn all entered the Hall of Fame...Nolan Ryan became the first Major League pitcher to reach 4,000 strikeouts on July 11...Vince Coleman stole 110 bases for the Cardinals to win the NL Rookie of the Year award.
1986,The New York Mets came from behind in Games 6 and 7 to capture the 1986 World Series from the Boston Red Sox. A fielding error by Bill Buckner that allowed the winning run to score in Game 6 is one of baseball's more memorable World Series moments. The Mets won 108 regular-season games behind a starting rotation of Dwight Gooden, Ron Darling, Bob Ojeda, Sid Fernandez, and Rick Aguilera; New York led the majors with a 3.11 team ERA in 1986. Boston pitcher Roger Clemens won both the AL Cy Young and Most Valuable Player awards, going 24-4 with a 2.48 ERA and 238 strikeouts. "The Rocket" struck out 20 Seattle Mariners on April 29 to become the first player in history to do so. Phillies 3B Mike Schmidt (.290, 37 HR, 119 RBI) won his third MVP award in 1986 while leading the National League in home runs for the eighth time. Astros starter Mike Scott won his only NL Cy Young award with an 18-10 record and a 2.22 ERA while striking out 306 batters for the NL West champs.\n\nMilestones and Moments from 1986:\nWillie McCovey, Ernie Lombardi, and Bobby Doerr were inducted into the Hall of Fame...Oakland OF Jose Canseco (.240, 33 HR, 117 RBI) beat out California's Wally Joyner (.290, 22 HR, 100 RBI) for Rookie of the Year honors in the American League.
1987,Minnesota bested the Cardinals in seven games to win the 1987 World Series, the first title for the franchise since the Washington Senators captured the 1924 championship. Toronto OF George Bell (.308, 47 HR, 134 RBI) and Cubs OF Andre Dawson (.287, 49 HR, 137 RBI, 11 SB) won Most Valuable Player awards in 1987. Oakland slugger Mark McGwire hit .289 and led the American League with 49 home runs as he was named AL Rookie of the Year. Padres catcher Benito Santiago won the award in the NL by hitting .300 with 18 homers, 79 RBI, and 21 stolen bases. Philadelphia closer Steve Bedrosian (5-3, 40 saves, 2.83 ERA) edged out Rick Sutcliffe and Rick Reuschel for the NL Cy Young award. Roger Clemens won his second consecutive AL Cy Young award with the Boston Red Sox.\n\nMilestones and Moments from 1987:\nBilly Williams and Jim "Catfish" Hunter were elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame...Mike Schmidt of the Phillies hit his 500th home run on April 17...Don Mattingly tied the all-time record with home runs in eight consecutive games in July...Montreal OF Tim Raines was named All-Star Game MVP after tripling in both runs in a 2-0 National League win.
1988,The Los Angeles Dodgers beat the 100-win Mets in seven games in the NLCS and surprised the 104-win Oakland Athletics in five games to win the 1988 World Series. Injured Dodger OF Kirk Gibson hit an improbable home run off Oakland closer Dennis Eckersley to win Game 1 of the World Series; the moment was immortalized with announcer Jack Buck's call, "I don't believe...what I just saw!" Gibson would beat out New York outfielders Darryl Strawberry and Kevin McReynolds for the National League MVP award, hitting .290 with 25 home runs, 106 runs scored, and 35 stolen bases. Dodger teammate Orel Hershiser would take home the top pitching honor with a 23-8 record and a 2.26 ERA. "The Bulldog" threw 10 shutouts in 1988 (including two in the postseason) and finished the regular season with 59 consecutive scoreless innings for the Dodgers. Minnesota lefty Frank Viola (24-7, 2.64 ERA) won the AL Cy Young award in his last full season for the Twins.\n\nMilestones and Moments from 1988:\nWillie Stargell was the lone Hall of Fame inductee in 1988...The Baltimore Orioles opened the season with a record 21 consecutive losses. The Orioles would finish with a league-worst 107 losses...Cincinnati pitcher Tom Browning threw a perfect game against the eventual World Champion Dodgers on September 16...Toronto's Dave Stieb lost bids for no-hitters with two outs in the ninth inning in consecutive starts in September...Jose Canseco became the first player in Major League history to hit 40 home runs and steal 40 bases in a single season.
1989,The Oakland Athletics beat the crosstown Giants in four straight games to become World Champions in 1989, but not before a massive earthquake hit the Bay Area in the minutes leading up to Game 3. The series was halted for 10 days prior to the A's winning the final two contests. Oakland's 99-win regular season was led by its pitching; the top four starters (Dave Stewart, Mike Moore, Bob Welch, and Storm Davis) combined for 76 wins, while closer Dennis Eckersley was 4-0 with 33 saves and a 1.56 ERA. Kansas City starter Bret Saberhagen (23-6, 2.16 ERA) won his second AL Cy Young award at the age of 25. Robin Yount of the Brewers and Kevin Mitchell of the Giants won Most Valuable Players award in their respective leagues.\n\nMilestones and Moments from 1989:\nJohnny Bench, Carl Yastrzemski, and Red Schoendienst entered the Hall of Fame in 1989...Pete Rose was forced into a lifetime ban by Major League Baseball for allegedly betting on baseball...SkyDome opens in Toronto on June 5, the first baseball stadium with a retractable roof...Classic baseball movies "Major League" and "Field of Dreams" were both released in 1989.
1990,The Cincinnati Reds swept the heavily favored Oakland A's in 1990 to win their first World Series since the Big Red Machine of the 1970s. The Athletics won 103 games in the regular season and swept the Red Sox in the ALCS before their disappointing finish. Oakland's Rickey Henderson (.325, 28 HR, 61 RBI, 119 RBI, 65 SB) and Bob Welch (27-6, 2.95 ERA) won the AL MVP and Cy Young awards respectively. Barry Bonds won his first MVP award, while Pittsburgh teammate Doug Drabek took home the NL Cy Young award.\n\nMilestones and Moments from 1990:\nJim Palmer and Joe Morgan were elected to the Hall of Fame in their first year of eligibility...On June 29, Dave Stewart and Fernando Valenzuela each pitched a no-hitter--the first time in Major League history that two no-hitters were thrown on the same day...Nolan Ryan won his 300th game on July 31...Atlanta OF David Justice and Cleveland C Sandy Alomar, Jr. were named Rookies of the Year in their respective leagues.
1991,The Minnesota Twins beat the Atlanta Braves 1-0 in 10 innings in Game 7 to win the 1991 World Series. Twins starter Jack Morris pitched all 10 innings for the shutout win and was named World Series MVP. SS Cal Ripken, Jr. won his second AL MVP award, hitting .323 with 34 home runs and 114 RBI. Atlanta 3B Terry Pendleton narrowly beat Barry Bonds to win the 1991 NL MVP award. Braves lefthander Tom Glavine won 20 games for the first time in his career and took home his first NL Cy Young award.\n\nMilestones and Moments from 1991:\nRod Carew, Ferguson Jenkins, Gaylord Perry, and Tony Lazzeri entered the Hall of Fame in 1991...At the age of 44, Texas pitcher Nolan Ryan threw his seventh no-hitter against Toronto on May 1. On the same day, Rickey Henderson stole his 939th base, passing Lou Brock to become the all-time stolen base leader...Montreal pitcher Dennis Martinez threw a perfect game against the Los Angeles Dodgers on July 28...Houston 1B Jeff Bagwell was named National League Rookie of the Year.
1992,Led by veterans Jack Morris, Joe Carter, and Dave Winfield, Toronto won its first World Series title by beating Atlanta in six games. To reach the World Series, the Braves defeated Pittsburgh in seven games in the NLCS for the second straight year. Sid Bream scored from second base on a single by pinch-hitter Francisco Cabrera, narrowly sliding in ahead of the throw from LF Barry Bonds. Oakland closer Dennis Eckersley was named both AL CY Young and AL MVP winner in 1992 when he was 7-1 with a 1.93 ERA and 51 saves. Pirates OF Barry Bonds and Cubs pitcher Greg Maddux claimed the top awards in the National League.\n\nMilestones and Moments in 1992:\nPitchers Tom Seaver, Rollie Fingers, and Hal Newhouser were inducted into Baseball's Hall of Fame...Oriole Park at Camden Yards opened its doors in downtown Baltimore, breaking the trend of cookie-cutter ballparks from the last generation...Robin Yount and George Brett both reached 3,000 hits 10 days apart in September...St. Louis SS Ozzie Smith won his 13th and final Gold Glove award at the age of 37.
1993,The Toronto Blue Jays bested the Philadelphia Phillies in six games to claim the 1993 World Series. The series ended as Toronto OF Joe Carter hit a walk-off two-run homer off closer Mitch Williams in one of the most famous World Series moments. The San Francisco Giants won 103 games, but failed to make the playoffs as they were topped by the Atlanta Braves by one game for the NL West. (Baseball would move to add a wild card entry in each league for the next season.) Major League Baseball expanded to 28 teams in 1993 with the addition of the Florida Marlins and Colorado Rockies to the National League. White Sox 1B Frank Thomas won his first of two consecutive MVP awards while OF Barry Bonds won his third NL MVP award in his first season with the Giants. Atlanta signed Greg Maddux away from the Chicago Cubs, and he rewarded his new team with his second straight Cy Young award.\n\nMilestones and Moments from 1993:\nReggie Jackson received 94% of the writer's votes to be elected to the Hall of Fame...Ken Griffey, Jr. homered in eight consecutive games in late July, tying Don Mattingly and Dale Long for the all-time record...OF Dave Winfield singled off Dennis Eckersley for his 3,000th hit...Catcher Mike Piazza (.318, 35 HR, 118 RBI) was the second of five consecutive Los Angeles Dodgers to win the NL Rookie of the Year award.
1994,1994 was the worst of times for Major League Baseball. A labor strike that began on August 12 caused the cancellation of the remainder of the season and lasted throughout the entire postseason. It was especially painful for the Montreal Expos, which had the best record in baseball at the time of the strike but were never the same afterward. Astros 1B Jeff Bagwell (.368, 39 HR, 116 RBI, 104 R, 15 SB) and White Sox 1B Frank Thomas (.353, 38 HR, 101 RBI, 106 R) each had magical seasons en route to being named Most Valuable Player. Atlanta's Greg Maddux was the unanimous choice for the NL Cy Young award, his third straight. David Cone (16-5, 2.94 ERA) of the Kansas City Royals edged the Yankees' Jimmy Key (17-4, 3.27 ERA) for the AL Cy Young award.\n\nMilestones and Moments from 1994:\nSteve Carlton, Phil Rizzuto, and Leo Durocher were elected to the Hall of Fame...Boston SS John Valentin recorded the tenth unassisted triple play in MLB history on July 8...Texas southpaw Kenny Rogers threw a perfect game on July 28 against the California Angels.
1995,Major League Baseball returned on April 25, 1995, after a 232-day labor dispute cancelled the end of the previous season. The Cleveland Guardians went 100-44 in the strike-shortened regular season and won the AL Central by 30 games, but lost the 1995 World Series to an Atlanta Braves team led by pitchers Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, and John Smoltz. The championship was the first for the franchise since the Milwaukee Braves took the 1957 Series title. Cincinnati SS Barry Larkin was the NL MVP, the first shortstop to win the award in the Senior Circuit since Maury Wills in 1962. A pair of dominant starters took home the Cy Young awards in 1995; Atlanta's Greg Maddux went 19-2 with a 1.65 ERA, while Mariners pitcher Randy Johnson went 18-2 with a 2.48 ERA.\n\nMilestones and Moments from 1995:\nLongtime Oriole Eddie Murray picked up hit number 3,000 on June 30 as a member of the Cleveland Guardians...Phillies greats Richie Ashburn and Mike Schmidt were both enshrined in Baseball's Hall of Fame...Cal Ripken, Jr. became the new Iron Horse as he broke Lou Gehrig's long-time record of 2,130 consecutive games played on September 6.
1996,The New York Yankees win their first World Series in 18 years, defeating the Atlanta Braves in six games. Closer John Wetteland won the World Series MVP award by earning saves in all four victories. Blue Jays hurler Pat Hentgen (20-10, 3.22 ERA) edged out New York's Andy Pettitte (21-8, 3.87 ERA) for the AL Cy Young award in one of the closest votes in league history. Atlanta pitcher John Smoltz easily won that award in the National League with a 24-8 record, a 2.94 ERA, and 276 strikeouts. Texas OF Juan Gonzalez and San Diego 3B Ken Caminiti were named Most Valuable Players in their respective leagues.\n\nMilestones and Moments from 1996:\nJim Bunning and Earl Weaver were elected to the Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee...Umpire John McSherry collapsed and died of a heart attack in the first inning on Opening Day in Cincinnati...Yankees SS Derek Jeter won the American League Rookie of the Year award, hitting .314 with 10 HR, 78 RBI, 104 R, and 14 SB.
1997,Seattle centerfielder Ken Griffey, Jr. was the unanimous selection as league MVP in 1997 after pacing the American League in home runs (56), runs scored (125), runs batted in (147), slugging percentage (.646), and total bases (393). Colorado RF Larry Walker had a similarly dominant year in the National League to become the first Canadian-born player to be named MVP. The native of British Columbia hit .366 with 49 homers, 130 RBI, and 33 stolen bases. The Florida Marlins defeated the Cleveland Guardians in seven games to win the 1997 World Series. Florida tied up Game 7 with a run in the bottom of the ninth and won the game on Edgar Renteria's 11th-inning RBI single.\n\nMilestones and Moments from 1997:\nBoston SS Nomar Garciaparra (.306, 30 HR, 98 RBI, 22 SB) and Philadelphia 3B Scott Rolen (.283, 21 HR, 92 RBI, 16 SB) were named Rookies of the Year...Phil Niekro, Nellie Fox, and Tommy Lasorda entered the Baseball Hall of Fame...Jackie Robinson's number 42 was retired across baseball on April 15 to honor the 50th anniversary of racial integration in Major League Baseball.
1998,Big Mac, Sammy, and Expansion\n\nSluggers Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa captivated America with their chase of the single-season home run record. Each eventually topped Roger Maris's mark of 61 homers in 1961, and McGwire ended the season with five round-trippers in his last three games to become the first player to reach 70 home runs. Sosa, however, won the NL MVP award as his Cubs team made the playoffs. Major League Baseball expanded to 30 teams in 1998 with the addition of the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. The 1998 New York Yankees were one of the finest teams in modern baseball history as they won 114 games and swept the surprising San Diego Padres in the World Series.\n\nMilestones and Moments from 1998:\nCubs SP Kerry Wood struck out 20 batters in only his fifth Major League start on May 6. The Chicago righthander finished the season 13-6 with a 3.40 ERA and 233 strikeouts to earn the NL Rookie of the Year award...Don Sutton, Larry Doby, and George Davis entered the Hall of Fame in 1998...Atlanta southpaw Tom Glavine won his second Cy Young award, narrowing beating San Diego pitchers Kevin Brown and Trevor Hoffman...Roger Clemens eclipsed 3,000 strikeouts as a member of the Toronto Blue Jays on July 5.  Baltimore's Cal Ripken ended his consecutive game streak at 2,632.
1999,The New York Yankees continued their dynasty, losing only one playoff game en route to their second straight World Championship. Texas catcher Ivan Rodriguez edged out Boston pitcher Pedro Martinez and Indian hitters Roberto Alomar and Manny Ramirez for the AL MVP award, with only 26 points separating first through fourth place. Martinez did, however, take home the Cy Young Award. Atlanta 3B Chipper Jones was a nearly unanimous choice for NL MVP after hitting .319 with 45 homers and 110 RBI. Diamondbacks starter Randy Johnson won the first of four consecutive Cy Young awards in his first full season in the National League \n\nMilestones and Moments from 1999:\nNolan Ryan, George Brett, and Robin Yount were all elected to Baseball's Hall of Fame in their first year of eligibility. Orlando Cepeda was added to the Hall by the Veterans Committee...Tony Gwynn and Wade Boggs got their 3,000th hits on consecutive days in August.
2000,The first Subway Series in 44 years saw the Yankees top the Mets in five games, making the Bombers the first three-time defending champions since the '72-'74 Athletics. Red Sox pitcher Pedro Martinez won his third Cy Young award in arguably his finest season; the lanky righthander was 18-6 with a 1.74 ERA, posting the best ERA in the American League in 32 years. Giants 2B Jeff Kent hit .334 with 33 homers and 125 RBI to become only the third second baseman to be named league MVP in 40 years.\n\nMilestones and Moments in 2000:\nThe Reds acquired Ken Griffey, Jr. during the offseason from the Seattle Mariners. The Cincinnati native hit .278 with 40 home runs in his first season with his hometown ballclub...Oriole SS Cal Ripken, Jr. joined the 3,000-hit club on April 15, becoming only the 7th player with 3,000 hits and 400 home runs...C Carlton Fisk, 1B Tony Perez, and manager Sparky Anderson were elected to Baseball's Hall of Fame.
2001,Ichiro Suzuki was named both AL Rookie of the Year and AL MVP in 2001, leading the league with 242 hits and 56 stolen bases in his first season playing American baseball after a successful career in the Japanese Nippon League. Meanwhile, Giants slugger Barry Bonds set single-season records with his 73 homers, 177 walks, and .863 slugging percentage on the way to earning his fourth NL MVP award. Led by the imposing tandem of starters Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling, the Arizona Diamondbacks defeated the New York Yankees for their first World Series championship. Arizona OF Luis Gonzalez hit a walk-off single in Game 7 against Yankee closer Mariano Rivera to clinch the championship.\n\nMilestones and Moments from 2001:\nKirby Puckett, Dave Winfield, Bill Mazeroski, and Hilton Smith became members of the Baseball Hall of Fame...Ichiro's Seattle Mariners won an AL-record 116 games in 2001, but failed to win the AL pennant...Roger Clemens won his sixth Cy Young award with a 20-3 record and 3.51 ERA for the New York Yankees...Albert Pujols was named NL Rookie of the Year for hitting .329 with 37 home runs and 130 RBI.
2002,The Anaheim Angels came back from a three games to two deficit to defeat Barry Bonds and the San Francisco Giants and capture the 2002 World Series. This was the season of the unpopular All-Star Game tie when Commissioner Bud Selig declared the game a draw after 11 innings as both sides had used all their pitchers. Oakland starter Barry Zito rode a looping curveball to a 23-5 record and a 2.75 ERA to win the AL Cy Young award. Meanwhile, teammate Miguel Tejada earned the AL MVP award by hitting .308 with 34 homers and 131 runs batted in. Despite these two stars and a 20-game winning streak during the regular season, the Athletics failed to make it out of the Division Series. Barry Bonds continued to punish National League pitching, winning his first batting title with a .370 average and his second consecutive NL MVP award.\n\nMilestones and Moments from 2002:\nOzzie Smith was the lone inductee of the Hall of Fame in 2002...On May 2, CF Mike Cameron of the Seattle Mariners became the 13th player in MLB history to hit four home runs in a game...Three weeks later, Dodger OF Shawn Green matched Cameron with four home runs in a game. Green was 6-6 with six runs scored and seven RBI in a 16-3 Los Angeles win.
2003,Led by C Ivan Rodriguez and first-year players Dontrelle Willis and Miguel Cabrera, the Florida Marlins won the second World Series title in their short existence by defeating the New York Yankees in six games. The Chicago Cubs seemed cursed again as they lost leads in both Games 6 and 7 of the NLCS including the infamous incident in which a home fan interfered with Moises Alou trying to make a catch in the stands as the North Siders tried to earn their first World Series trip since 1945. Dodger closer Eric Gagne earned the NL Cy Young award as he converted all 55 of his save opportunities in 2003. Roy Halladay of the Toronto Blue Jays won 15 straight decisions en route to the Cy Young award in the American League.\n\nMilestones and Moments in 2003:\nC Gary Carter and 1B Eddie Murray entered the Hall of Fame in 2003...Roger Clemens picked up both his 300th win and 4,000th strikeout in the same game against the Cardinals...SS Alex Rodriguez led the American League in home runs for the third straight year and won his first MVP award in his last season with the Texas Rangers.
2004,The Curse of the Bambino Is Broken!\n\nThe Boston Red Sox won their first World Championship in 86 years with a sweep of the 105-win St. Louis Cardinals in the 2004 World Series. The road to the Series was even more magical for the Red Sox as they overcame a three games to none deficit against the rival Yankees in the ALCS. Game 6 of the ALCS became forever known for the "The Bloody Sock" after Curt Schilling beat the Bronx Bombers despite having surgery on his ankle prior to the game. Twins pitcher Johan Santana won 13 straight decisions during one stretch en route to his first Cy Young award. Meanwhile, Roger Clemens won his seventh and final Cy Young award in his first season with the Houston Astros, becoming the oldest player to win the award at the age of 40. San Francisco's Barry Bonds won his seventh NL MVP award in his last season as baseball's most feared hitter. Most teams refused to pitch to the Giants left fielder, as shown by the astounding 120 intentional walks he was issued during the season.\n\nMilestones and Moments from 2004:\nMariners RF Ichiro Suzuki banged out 262 hits in 2004, besting George Sisler's 84-year-old record for hits in a season...Dennis Eckersley and Paul Molitor became members of Baseball's Hall of Fame in 2004...On August 7, Greg Maddux became the 22nd member of the 300-win club.
2005,The Chicago White Sox won their first World Series since 1917 by sweeping the Houston Astros in baseball's 2005 Fall Classic. Baseball returned to Washington, D.C. as the Montreal Expos officially moved to the capital city and became the Washington Nationals; the Nats finished a respectable 81-81 in their first season on U.S. soil. After an unremarkable stint in Toronto, Chris Carpenter had a breakout season in his second year with the St. Louis Cardinals as the former first-round pick went 21-5 with a 2.83 ERA to earn the NL Cy Young award.\n\nMilestones and Moments in 2005:\nRyne Sandberg and Wade Boggs were elected to Baseball's Hall of Fame...Philadelphia 1B Ryan Howard was named NL Rookie of the Year, hitting .288 with 22 homers in the second half of 2005.
2006,The St. Louis Cardinals won the World Series in 2006 despite only an 83-79 record in the regular season, setting a record for the lowest win total by a World Series champion. Meanwhile, the Atlanta Braves failed to qualify for the playoffs for the first time since 1990. Phillies 1B Ryan Howard won the NL MVP award in his first full season, hitting .313 with 58 homers and 149 runs batted in. Minnesota swept the American League awards in 2006 with 1B Justin Morneau earning AL MVP while SP Johan Santana was named the Cy Young award winner. Despite having these award winners and collecting 96 victories in the regular season, the Twins were swept from the playoffs in the ALDS by the Oakland Athletics.\n\nMilestones and Moments from 2006:\nBruce Sutter and several Negro League stars were enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2006...Joe Mauer won the AL batting title with a .347 average, becoming the first catcher to lead a league in batting average since Ernie Lombardi hit .330 in 1942.
2007,Barry Bonds passed Hank Aaron as the all-time home run king in 2007 with his 756th home run on August 7 off Nationals pitcher Mike Bacsik. The Boston Red Sox won their second World Series title of the decade, sweeping the Colorado Rockies after coming back from a three games to one deficit in the ALCS. The Rockies won 21 of their last 22 regular-season games, including a one-game playoff with the San Diego Padres, to earn their playoff berth as the NL Wild Card. The New York Mets squandered a seven-game lead with 17 games left to allow the Philadelphia Phillies their first division title since 1993. Alex Rodriguez and Jimmy Rollins were named MVP of the American League and National League respectively.\n\nMilestones and Moments in 2007:\nTony Gwynn and Cal Ripken Jr. were elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame...San Diego closer Trevor Hoffman earned his 500th save on June 6 against the Dodgers, becoming the first Major League pitcher to reach that milestone...Astros 2B Craig Biggio got his 3,000th hit on June 28 and was only the ninth player to get all 3,000 hits with one team...Tom Glavine won his 300th game on August 5 by beating the Chicago Cubs...Texas set an AL record by defeating the Baltimore Orioles 30-3 on August 22...Baltimore SS Miguel Tejada suffered a broken wrist after being hit by a pitch, ending his consecutive games played streak at 1,152 games.
2008,The 2008 season saw a World Championship return to Philadelphia for the first time in a generation as the Phillies toppled the Tampa Bay Rays for their second World Series title. Cliff Lee of the Guardians and Tim Lincecum of the Giants won Cy Young awards for their performances on non-winning teams while St. Louis 1B Albert Pujols and Boston 2B Dustin Pedroia won the league MVP awards.\n\nMilestones and Moments of 2008:\nGreg Maddux earned his 350th career victory on May 10 against the Colorado Rockies. He would retire following the season with 355 wins, eighth on the all-time leaderboard...Ken Griffey Jr. hit his 600th home run on June 9...SP Mike Mussina won 20 games for the first and only time in his 18-year big league career at the age of 39.
2009,The Yankees Are Champions Again\n\nThis season saw the Bronx Bombers win 103 games and defeat the defending champion Phillies to claim their 27th World Series championship, thanks in large part to the free agent signings of CC Sabathia, Mark Teixeira, and A.J. Burnett. 2009 was a big season for Twins catcher Joe Mauer, who hit .365 with 28 homers and 96 RBI despite missing all of April due to injury; he earned both the AL MVP and his second Gold Glove award. Zach Greinke of the last-place Royals won the AL Cy Young award in a year when no dominant pitcher stood out in the league. Cardinals 1B Albert Pujols and Giants SP Tim Lincecum won the major awards in the Senior Circuit, each for the second consecutive season.\n\nMilestones and Moments:\nRickey Henderson, Jim Rice, and Joe Gordon were elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame...The Yankees opened "The House that Steinbrenner Built" while the Mets also unveiled a new ballpark across town... Randy Johnson picked up his 300th win on June 4 against the Washington Nationals and retired following the season....White Sox pitcher Mark Buehrle pitched a perfect game on July 29 against Tampa Bay and extended his string to 45 consecutive outs in his next start.
2010,The San Francisco Giants used their pitching depth and timely hitting to capture the World Series, defeating the Texas Rangers, 4 games to 1. But the highlight of the postseason was Roy Halladay's no-hitter for Philadelphia in the NL Division Series against Cincinnati. Halladay's gem capped off "the year of the pitcher." Earlier in the season, Halladay threw a perfect game, defeating Florida, 1-0. Oakland's Dallas Braden also threw one against Tampa Bay.\n\nMilestones:\nAlex Rodriguez hit his 600th career home run in August. The Toronto Blue Jays led the major leagues with 257 home runs.  And manager Bobby Cox retired with more than 2500 wins. Meanwhile, the Pittsburgh Pirates extended their re cord of consecutive losing seasons (18).
2011,The St. Louis Cardinals topped the Texas Rangers in a thrilling seven-game World Series that featured Albert Pujols' three-home run performance in Game 3 and a dramatic Cardinals comeback in Game 6.  The Cardinals were a late entrant in the postseason. But their September surge put them there -- together with the spellbinding drama on the final night of the baseball season when both the Atlanta Braves and Boston Red Sox blew ninth-inning leads to seal two of the biggest collapses in baseball history.\n\nMilestones:\nDetroit's Justin Verlander won the Cy Young and MVP Awards in the AL. Derek Jeter of the New York Yankees reached the 3000-hit plateau. Later in the season, his teammate Mariano Rivera set a new major league record for career saves with 603.
2012,San Francisco swept Detroit in the World Series, limiting the Tigers to six total runs.  Pitching also dominated the regular season with seven no-hitters, including perfect games by Philip Humber (White Sox), Matt Cain (Giants), and Felix Hernandez (Mariners).  The Mets' R.A. Dickey became the first knuckleballer to win the Cy Young Award.  Detroit's Miguel Cabrera won the batting Triple Crown in the AL.  Mike Trout (Angels) and Bryce Harper (Nationals), both rookies, became overnight sensations. \n\nMilestones:Josh Hamilton of the Rangers hit four home runs against the Baltimore Orioles on May 8.  Alex Rodriguez passed Ken Griffey, Jr., with his 631st career home run. He also tied Lou Gehrig for most career grand slams with 23. Jamie Moyer, at age 49, became the oldest player to record an RBI.
2013,The Boston Red Sox claimed their third World Series title in 10 years. In April, David Ortiz made a passionate speech at Fenway Park, five days after the Boston Marathon bombings.  Tampa Bay's Wil Myers and Miami's Jose Fernandez were named Rookies of the Year.  Fernandez' teammate Henderson Alvarez no-hit the Tigers, with the winning run scoring in the bottom on the ninth on a wild pitch. The Pittsburgh Pirates returned to the playoffs after a 21-year drought, Yasiel Puig made his debut with the Los Angeles Dodgers, and Alex Rodriguez received a 211-game suspension for PED use.\n\nMilestones:\nOn September 26, Mariano Rivera exited the last game of his illustrious career to a thunderous ovation at Yankee Stadium, being relieved by teammates Derek Jeter and Andy Pettite.
2014,For the third time in five years, the San Francisco Giants won the World Series behind Madison Bumgarner's dominating performance (0.43 ERA in the Series). The Giants' opponent, the Kansas City Royals, were making their first post-season appearance in 29 years. For the 2014 season, the video replay system was expanded to include many on-field calls.  Deliberate homeplate collisions also were outlawed.  Five no-hitters were pitched during the season.  \n\nMilestones:\nZack Greinke of the LA Dodgers established a major league record by making 22 consecutive starts in which he allowed no more than two runs. Mets pitcher and NL Rookie of the Year Jacob deGrom tied a major league record for strikeouts to begin a game by fanning eight straight Marlins on September 15. Derek Jeter retired from baseball.
2015,After making the postseason in 2014 for the first time since 1985, the Kansas City Royals returned in 2015 to capture the World Series crown.  Using timely hitting, aggressive baserunning, and a shutdown bullpen, the Royals defeated the New York Mets in five games. Seven no-hitters were thrown in 2015, as pitching continued to dominate at the major league level.  The Cy Young Award winners were Dallas Keuchel (20-8) of the Astros and Jake Arrieta (22-6) of the Cubs.  The Astros and Cubs could also boast of having the Rookies of the Year (Carlos Correa and Kris Bryant, respectively).  Josh Donaldson of the Blue Jays and Bryce Harper of the Nationals took home the MVP hardware.  Alex Rodriguez hit home run number 661 to pass Willie Mays on the All-Time list.  Rob Manfred completed his first season as baseball commissioner.
2016,The World Series featured two teams which had not won the Fall Classic in decades. The Cleveland Guardians had last won it in 1948; the Chicago Cubs, in 1908. The Guardians had advanced to the series despite batting just .168 in the ALCS against Toronto. In a riveting seven-game series, the Cubs prevailed to end the longest championship drought in major sports. Kris Bryant of the Cubs won the MVP Award in the NL. Angels' outfielder Mike Trout earned his second MVP Award in the AL. Washington's Max Scherzer took home the Cy Young Award in the NL, while Boston's Rick Porcello won it in the AL. Detroit pitcher Michael Fulmer was named AL Rookie of the Year. Corey Seager, the Dodgers' shortstop, won the NL award in a unanimous vote. New to the rulebook were changes to the slide rule at second base, to prevent injuries on attempted double plays. David Ortiz retired after the season with 541 career home runs.
2017,The Houston Astros defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers in a seven-game World Series that featured some dramatic, late-inning comebacks. The Astros' Jose Altuve was named AL MVP, while the Marlins' Giancarlo Stanton was named NL MVP. Aaron Judge of the Yankees and Cody Bellinger of the Dodgers captured the Rookie of the Year Awards in the AL and NL, respectively. Not only did MLB set a new record for total home runs in a season, the league also established a new strikeout record for the tenth consecutive season. On May 5, the Cubs and Yankees set a record with 48 combined strikeouts in an 18-inning game. In September, Hurricanes Harvey and Irma forced some teams to relocate their games. With 10 or more strikeouts in eight consecutive starts, Chris Sale of the Red Sox tied the MLB record. The Reds' Scooter Gennett became the 17th player in MLB history to hit four home runs in one game. Texas third baseman Adrian Beltre collected his 3000th career hit. The no-pitch intentional walk was introduced.
2018,The Boston Red Sox defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers in five games to win the World Series. The Dodgers win in Game 3 took 18 innings over 7 hours and 20 minutes, the longest game in World Series history. Blake Snell of Tampa Bay won the AL Cy Young Award. NL Cy Young Award winner Jacob deGrom of the Mets set a major league record with 23 consecutive quality starts. Mookie Betts of the Red Sox won the AL MVP Award. NL MVP Christian Yelich of Milwaukee hit for the cycle twice during the season. Boston's Brock Holt became the first player to hit for the cycle in the postseason. Atlanta's Ronald Acuna Jr. was named NL Rookie of the Year, while Shohei Ohtani, the Angels' two-way player, took home the same honor in the AL. Albert Pujols notched his 3000th career hit. For the first time, there were more strikeouts than hits in a major league season. A new rule was implemented to limit the number of mound visits during a game.
2019,Major League Baseball set a new record for most home runs in a season (6,776).  For the twelfth straight year, MLB also set a new record for most strikeouts in a season (42,823).  The Washington Nationals won the World Series over the Houston Astros.  It was the first time the road team won every game in a seven-game World Series.  Four regular season games were played in Monterrey, Mexico, two in Tokyo, Japan, and two in London, England.  Even the state of Nebraska hosted a regular season game (in Omaha) for the first time ever. Hardware winners included the Dodgers' Cody Bellinger (NL MVP), the Angels' Mike Trout (AL MVP), the Mets' Jacob deGrom (NL Cy Young), the Astros' Justin Verlander (AL Cy Young), the Astros' Yordan Alvarez (AL Rookie of the Year), and the Mets' Pete Alonso (NL Rookie of the Year).  Alonso led the league in home runs (53), establishing a new rookie record.  Tim Anderson of the White Sox led the league in batting average (.335).  Chris Davis of the Orioles ended a streak of 54 consecutive at-bats without a hit.  Justin Verlander and CC Sabathia reached 3000 career strikeouts.
2020,Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 season was shortened to 60 games. Special rules applied. Doubleheaders consisted of two seven-inning games.  In extra inning games, the team at bat began the inning with a runner on second base.  A separate IL was created for players diagnosed with, or exposed to, COVID-19. The Toronto Blue Jays played most of their home games at Sahlen Field in Buffalo, NY.  Major award winners included Freddie Freeman (Braves, NL MVP), Jose Abreu (White Sox, AL MVP), Trevor Bauer (Reds, NL Cy Young), and Shane Bieber (Guardians, AL Cy Young).  In the World Series, the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Tampa Bay Rays, four games to two.\n\nMilestones and moments:  D.J. LeMahieu (Yankees) became the second player in MLB history to win a batting title in both leagues. Josh Hader (Brewers) set a MLB record with 12 straight hitless games to start a season. Alex Kirilloff (Twins) became the first player to make his MLB debut by starting a postseason game. The Braves beat the Marlins, 29-9, on September 9, setting a NL record for most runs scored in a game in the modern era. On September 30, the Yankees beat the Guardians, 10-9, in Game 2 of the AL Wild Card Series. At 4 hours and 50 minutes, it was the longest nine-inning game in MLB history.
2021,COVID-19 protocols were eased over the course of the season. Temporary rule changes, however, remained in effect for the duration. Cross-border travel restrictions forced Toronto to play in Dunedin, FL, and Buffalo, NY, until games resumed at the Rogers Centre on July 30. The Cleveland Guardians announced the replacement of their 106-year-old nickname in 2022. The MLB at Field of Dreams game was held in Dyersville, IA, on August 12. Nine no-hitters were thrown, an MLB record, in 2021, including by Joe Musgrove, the first ever by a San Diego Padres pitcher. The World Series featured the Atlanta Braves versus the Houston Astros, with the Braves prevailing in six games. Shohei Ohtani (Angels) won the AL MVP, Bryce Harper (Phillies) the NL MVP. Robbie Ray (Blue Jays) captured the AL Cy Young Award, Corbin Burnes (Brewers) the NL Cy Young Award. During the season, Burnes tied an MLB record for most consecutive strikeouts with 10. When he umpired his 5,376th regular-season game, "Cowboy" Joe West broke the record previously held by Bill Klem.
2022,Under the new CBA, the postseason was expanded to 12 teams. The National League adopted the designated hitter full-time. The "Ohtani rule" was adopted to allow starting pitchers to remain in the game as designated hitters after being replaced by a relief pitcher. PitchCom, a wireless pitch call system for catchers, was approved to curtail sign stealing. The Houston Astros defeated the Philadelphia Phillies in the Fall Classic. Four Houston pitchers combined to throw a no-hitter against the Phillies in Game 4 of the World Series. The Cardinals' Paul Goldschmidt won the NL MVP, while Yankees' slugger Aaron Judge won the AL MVP after setting the AL single-season record for home runs with 62. Miguel Cabrera recorded his 3000th career hit. Albert Pujols hit his 700th career home run. Sandy Alcantara of the Marlins and Justin Verlander of the Astros won the NL and AL Cy Young Awards, respectively. Robbie Grossman saw his record of 440 consecutive errorless games by a position player come to an end. Miami's Richard Bleier became the first pitcher in MLB history to balk three times in the same at-bat. He had no balks in his first 303 career games.
2023,The Texas Rangers won their first World Series title, defeating the Arizona Diamondbacks in five games. This was the first MLB season featuring a balanced schedule in which every team played each other at least once. As part of the MLB World Tour, the San Francisco Giants and the San Diego Padres played a two-game series at  in Mexico City, while the St. Louis Cardinals and the Chicago Cubs played a two-game series in London. New rule changes were instituted, including the introduction of a pitch clock, the limitation of defensive shifts, and the use of larger bases. MVP Award winners were the Atlanta Braves' Ronald Acuna, Jr. in the NL and the Los Angeles Angels' Shohei Ohtani in the AL. The NL Cy Young Award winner was Blake Snell of the Padres. The AL Cy Young Award winner was Gerrit Cole of the New York Yankees. Rookies of the Year were Corbin Carroll of the Arizona Diamondbacks in the NL and Gunnar Henderson of the Baltimore Orioles in the AL. The Braves tied the MLB record with 307 home runs. Kansas City's Bobby Witt, Jr. became the first player in MLB history with at least 20 home runs and 30 stolen bases in each of his first two seasons. Seattle's Julio Rodríguez set a record for most hits in a four-game span with 17. Domingo German of the New York Yankees pitched the 24th perfect game in MLB history.
2024,The Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the New York Yankees in five games to capture the World Series title. Shohei Ohtani, the first player to record 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in the same season, won the NL MVP Award with the Dodgers. Aaron Judge won the same award in the AL with the Yankees. As part of the MLB World Tour, MLB regular season games were played in South Korea. Other MLB World Tour were played in Mexico City and London. Comeback Player of the Year Chris Sale was named the NL Cy Young Award winner as a member of the Atlanta Braves. Tarik Skubal of the Detroit Tigers won the AL Cy Young Award. Luis Arraez won the NL batting title, making him the first player in MLB history to win three consecutive titles with three different teams. Jose Miranda of the Minnesota Twins tied the MLB record with a hit in 12 consecutive at-bats. Danny Jansen became the first player to play for both teams -- Boston and Toronto -- in the same game. On June 22, the Colorado Rockies became the first team to record a walk-off win with a pitch clock violation. In terms of futility, the Chicago White Sox set the modern MLB record for most losses in a season with 121.