- 1969 in baseball
Year in baseball
this year = 1969Champions
Major League Baseball
The most notable part of the 1969 season were the
Miracle Mets *World Series:
New York Mets overBaltimore Orioles (4-1);Donn Clendenon , MVP*All-Star Game,
July 23 atRobert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium : National League, 9-3;Willie McCovey , MVPOther champions
*
College World Series : Arizona State
*Japan Series :Yomiuri Giants over Hankyu Braves (4-2)
*Little League World Series :Taipei ,Taiwan Awards and honors
*Most Valuable Player
**Harmon Killebrew ,Minnesota Twins , 3B (AL)
**Willie McCovey ,San Francisco Giants , 1B (NL)
*Cy Young Award
**Mike Cuellar ,Baltimore Orioles andDenny McLain ,Detroit Tigers (AL)
**Tom Seaver ,New York Mets (NL)
*Rookie of the Year
**Lou Piniella ,Kansas City Royals , OF (AL)
**Ted Sizemore ,Los Angeles Dodgers , 2B (NL)MLB Statistical Leaders
Major League Baseball final standings
Events
*
January 21 -Stan Musial andRoy Campanella are voted into the Hall of Fame by BBWAA members.*
February 2 - PitchersStan Coveleski andWaite Hoyt are voted into the Hall of Fame by the Special Veterans Committee.*
March 1 -Mickey Mantle announces his retirement.*
March 16 - A plane crash inMaracaibo, Venezuela kills 155 passengers includingCarlos Santeliz , the Venezuelan League Rookie of the Year, on his way to the Braves' spring training camp. Another fatality isNéstor Chávez , en route to the Giants' camp. Chávez (1-0) was 12–5 with Double-A Waterbury in the Eastern League (1967), including seven shutouts.Pablo Torrealba was also scheduled to take the flight, but missed it and took a later one.*
April 8
**AtShea Stadium ,Dan McGinn hits the firsthome run inMontréal Expos history, a solo shot againstTom Seaver .
**AtAnaheim Stadium ,Mike Hegan hits the first home run inSeattle Pilots history, a two-run shot againstJim McGlothlin .
**AtSan Diego Stadium ,Ed Spiezio hits the firsthome run inSan Diego Padres history, a solo shot against Don Wilson of theHouston Astros .
**At Municipal Stadium, theKansas City Royals , in their inaugural game, defeat theMinnesota Twins 4-3 in 12 innings. Two pitching stars on theBaltimore Orioles team that won the1966 World Series pitch for the Royals in this game:Wally Bunker throws the very first pitch, andMoe Drabowsky wins the game in relief.Lou Piniella gets the first hit for the franchise.*
April 12 - At Detroit, the Yankees'Mel Stottlemyre allows just one hit, a 4th-inning double toJim Northrup , and beatsDenny McLain and theDetroit Tigers 4–0. For the 3rd time in two years, Northrup saves the Tigers from being the victims of ano-hitter .*
April 13 - At theOakland-Alameda County Coliseum ,Mike Fiore hits the firsthome run inKansas City Royals history, a solo shot againstBlue Moon Odom .*
April 14 - TheMontréal Expos open at home with an 8-7 win over theSt. Louis Cardinals at Parc Jarry.*
April 17 -Montréal Expos pitcherBill Stoneman no-hits thePhiladelphia Phillies 7-0 atConnie Mack Stadium . It is only the 9th game, and just the 2nd win, in Expos franchise history.*
May 1 - TheHouston Astros , no-hit the day before byJim Maloney of theCincinnati Reds , answer back as Don Wilson pitches a 4-0 no-hitter, with 13 strikeouts over the Reds. Houston ties a National League record with just one assist. In Wilson's previous start against Cincinnati, onApril 22 , he gave up six runs in five innings in a 14-0 loss. The back-to-back no-hitters are only the second in Major League history, the feat having been accomplished just the year before byGaylord Perry andRay Washburn .*
July 8 - With three runs in the 9th inning, the New York Mets beat theChicago Cubs 4-3, cutting Chicago's lead in the National League East to four games. Chicago'sRon Santo rips into center fielder Don Young for two misplays in the outfield; Santo apologizes the next day for criticizing Young, who had left early and didn't take the team bus. Santo is later booed in his first game back atWrigley Field .*
July 13 - In the 3rd meeting between the two brothers, theSan Diego Padres 'Joe Niekro defeats his brotherPhil Niekro of theAtlanta Braves 1-0; Joe is 2-1 over Phil.*
July 23 - AtR.F.K. Memorial Stadium ,Willie McCovey hits two home runs as theNational League beats theAmerican League 9–3, for its seventh straight All-Star Game win. McCovey is named MVP, with his two homers tying an All-Star Game record set earlier byArky Vaughan (1941),Ted Williams (1946) andAl Rosen (1954). The game was postponed by one day after heavy rains in theWashington, D.C. area.*
July 29 -Willie McCovey hits his 300th career home run helping theSan Francisco Giants beat theChicago Cubs , 4-2.*
August 5 - Pittsburgh PirateWillie Stargell hits the first home run ever hit completely out ofDodger Stadium . Los Angeles pitcher Alan Foster surrenders the 506-foot blast--to date, the longest home run in Dodger Stadium history. (Stargell will hit another homer out of Dodger Stadium, offAndy Messersmith in 1973.)*
August 10 - Citing damage to his right shoulder,Don Drysdale retires from theLos Angeles Dodgers . He is the last player still playing for the Dodgers that had also played in Brooklyn.*
August 13 - Montréal relieverRoy Face gives up the last of his record 21 extra-inninghome run s, an 11th-inning grand slam to theCincinnati Reds 'Johnny Bench . Cincinnati wins 8–3 in Montréal.*
August 14 - In the National League Eastern Division, theChicago Cubs lead the St. Louis Cardinals by 8.5 games and theNew York Mets by 9.5 games.*
September 10 - A loss by theChicago Cubs , and a double header sweep by theNew York Mets , gives the Mets their first ever lead of theNational League East Division . The Mets will not relinquish their lead from this point, as the Cubs suffer through a legendary collapse.*
September 22 -Willie Mays , hits 600th career home run helping theSan Francisco Giants beat theSan Diego Padres 4-2.*
September 23 -Carl Yastrzemski hits his 200th career home run helping theBoston Red Sox beat theNew York Yankees 8-3.*
September 24 - After 7 uninspired losing seasons, the New York Mets clinch theNational League East Division title as Donn Clendenon hit 2 home runs in a 6-0 Mets win overSteve Carlton and theSt. Louis Cardinals . The Mets have won 38 out of their 49 games dating from August 14. The Cubs will finish the season 8 games behind the Mets, and not win the division until exactly fifteen years from this day.*
October 2 - TheSeattle Pilots finish what would be their only season in the Emerald City with a 3-1 loss to theOakland Athletics atSick's Stadium .*
October 4 - The American League andNational League Championship Series begin, the first such series to feature the respective leagues' division champions. Baltimore would sweep Minnesota in 3 games for the A.L. pennant; New York would do the same against Atlanta for the N.L. crown.*
October 16 - In Game Five of the World Series atShea Stadium ,Donn Clendenon hit his third home run of the Series and pitcherJerry Koosman completes theNew York Mets ' dominance over theBaltimore Orioles with a five-hit 5–3 complete game victory. Clendenon is named World Series MVP.Births
January-March
*
January 3 -Cris Colón
*January 8 -Brian Boehringer
*January 10 -Takahito Nomura
*January 13 -Kevin Foster
*January 13 -Orlando Miller
*January 15 -Delino DeShields
*January 19 -Orlando Palmeiro
*January 21 -Rusty Greer
*January 27 -Phil Plantier
*February 6 -Bob Wickman
*February 27 - Willie Banks
*March 1 -Doug Creek
*March 8 -Lee Tinsley
*March 23 - Chris Turner
*March 25 -Travis Fryman
*March 25 -Scott Sanders
*March 25 - Dan Wilson
*March 28 -Craig Paquette April-June
*
April 1 -Frank Castillo
*April 2 -Steve Hosey
*April 6 -Bret Boone
*April 7 -Ricky Bones
*April 8 -Pete Walker
*April 14 -Brad Ausmus
*April 14 -Brad Pennington
*April 15 -Jeromy Burnitz
*April 16 -Fernando Viña
*May 1 -Phil Hiatt
*May 10 -Pete Schourek
*May 13 -Lyle Mouton
*May 15 -Hideki Irabu
*May 22 -Vaughn Eshelman
*May 27 -Todd Hundley
*May 28 -Mike Difelice
*May 29 -Toby Borland
*June 2 -Kurt Abbott
*June 4 -Robert Pérez
*June 7 - Jeff Pierce
*June 16 - Kevin Young
*June 21 -Donovan Osborne
*June 25 -Brad Woodall
*June 26 - Mike MyersJuly-September
*
July 2 -So Taguchi
*July 8 -Bobby Ayala
*July 8 -Ernie Young
*July 10 -Marty Cordova
*July 14 - José Hernández
*July 26 -Greg Colbrunn
*July 29 - Mike Williams
*August 1 -Kevin Jarvis
*August 1 -Brent Knackert
*August 4 -Troy O'Leary
*August 5 -Marcos Armas
*August 5 -Pedro Astacio
*August 9 -Troy Percival
*August 13 - Alex Fernández
*August 19 -Matt Franco
*August 20 -Mark Holzemer
*August 21 -Andújar Cedeño
*August 22 -Hipólito Pichardo
*August 26 -Ken Grundt
*August 27 -Ricky Bottalico
*August 31 -Nate Minchey
*September 7 -Darren Bragg
*September 11 -Eduardo Pérez
*September 12 -Hilly Hathaway
*September 13 -Russ Davis
*September 15 -Herb Perry
*September 21 -Jason Christiansen
*September 23 -Jeff Cirillo
*September 25 -Tony Womack October-December
*
October 2 -Matt Walbeck
*October 6 -Robert Person
*October 12 -José Valentín
*October 13 -Tim Crabtree
*October 13 -Damian Miller
*October 14 - Héctor Ortiz
*October 17 -Chris Tremie
*October 18 -Jeff McNeely
*October 20 - Juan González
*October 22 -Héctor Carrasco
*October 22 -Ariel Prieto
*October 24 -Arthur Rhodes
*October 26 -Mark Sweeney
*October 28 -Kirk Bullinger
*November 6 -Don Wengert
*November 8 -Shane Halter
*November 11 -Damion Easley
*November 16 - Pete Rose (Jr.)
*November 17 - Ben Weber
*November 21 -Ken Griffey, Jr.
*November 23 -David McCarty
*November 27 -Tim Laker
*November 28 -Robb Nen
*November 29 -Mariano Rivera
*November 30 - Mark Lewis
*December 9 -Ramón García
*December 14 -Scott Hatteberg
*December 14 -Dave Nilsson
*December 16 - Jason Wood
*December 17 -Rudy Pemberton
*December 18 -Joe Randa
*December 29 -Scott Ruffcorn Deaths
January-June
*
January 6 -Hank Olmsted , 89, pitcher for the 1905 Boston Americans
*January 23 -Al Bridwell , 85, shortstop whose apparent game-winning single for the New York Giants in a 1908 contest led to the controversial play in which baserunnerFred Merkle was eventually called out for not touching second base
*February 19 -Doc White , 89, Chicago White Sox pitcher whose record of five consecutive shutouts was finally broken byDon Drysdale in 1968
*March 14 -Heinie Zimmerman , 82, third baseman who won the NL triple crown in 1912 but was barred from baseball in 1919 for his role in fixing games
*March 16 - William Bell, 71, All-Star pitcher of the Negro Leagues who posted the highest career winning percentage in black baseball
*March 21 -Pinky Higgins , 59, third baseman who held the AL record for career games at that position from 1944 to 1959, a 3-time All-Star and later manager of the Red Sox
*April 4 - Les Wilson, 83, outfielder who played for the 1911 Boston Red Sox
*April 7 -Si Rosenthal , 65, outfielder who played from 1925 to 1926 for the Boston Red Sox
*April 19 - Rip Collins, 59, catcher for the Chicago Cubs and New York Yankees in the 1940s
*May 1 - Gary Wilson, 90, second baseman for the 1902 Boston Americans
*April 23 -Freddie Moncewicz , 65, backup shortstop for the 1928 Boston Red Sox
*May 5 -Eddie Cicotte , 84, pitcher who won 208 games for the Tigers, Red Sox and White Sox, but was thrown out of baseball as one of the eight "Black Sox" involved in fixing the 1919 World Series; he was the first of the eight to come forward, confessing his involvement and testifying before the grand jury
*May 17 -Pants Rowland , 90, manager of the 1917 World Series champion Chicago White Sox, later president of the Pacific Coast League from 1944 to 1954
*May 20 - Lee Allen, 54, historian at the Baseball Hall of Fame since 1959, former sportswriter
*June 24 -John Perrin , 71, right fielder for 1921 Boston Red Sox; later a fullback/quarterback for the NFL Hartford BluesJuly-December
*
July 8 -Bill Carrigan , 85, manager and backup catcher for the Boston Red Sox' world champions in 1915 and 1916
*September 29 -Tommy Leach , 91, third baseman and center fielder, primarily for the Pittsburgh Pirates, who led the NL in runs twice and home runs once
*September 30 - Jim Galvin, 62, played briefly for the 1930 Boston Red Sox
*October 2 -Gordon Cobbledick , 70, sportswriter for the "Cleveland Plain Dealer" from 1928 to 1964
*October 9 -Don Hoak , 41, third baseman who played on 1955 Brooklyn Dodgers and 1960 Pittsburgh Pirates World Series championship teams.
*November 1 -George Winn , 72, pitcher for the Boston Red Sox (1919) and Cleveland Indians (1922-23)
*November 14 -Curt Roberts , 40, first black player in Pittsburgh Pirates history
*November 15 -Billy Southworth , 76, manager who won World Series titles in 1942 and 1944 with the St. Louis Cardinals and the 1948 NL pennant with the Boston Braves, posting a .597 career winning percentage
*December 3 -Roy Wilson , 83, pitcher for the Chicago White Sox in the 1920s
*December 7 -Lefty O'Doul , 72, left fielder who batted .349 in his career and won two batting titles after being converted from a pitcher; became the winningest manager in Pacific Coast League history, and earned additional fame as the "father" of professional baseball in Japan
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