- 1960 Major League Baseball season
The 1960 Major League Baseball season was held between the American and National Leagues. It was also the final season that a 154-game schedule was played in both the AL and the NL, before the AL began using the 162-game schedule the following season.
Awards and honors
*Most Valuable Player
**Roger Maris ,New York Yankees (AL)
**Dick Groat ,Pittsburgh Pirates (NL)
*Cy Young Award
**Vern Law ,Pittsburgh Pirates
*Rookie of the Year
**Ron Hansen,Baltimore Orioles (AL)
**Frank Howard,Los Angeles Dodgers (NL)*
The Sporting News Player of the Year Award
**Roger Maris ,New York Yankees *
The Sporting News Pitcher of the Year Award
**Chuck Estrada ,Baltimore Orioles (AL)
**Vern Law ,Pittsburgh Pirates (NL)*
The Sporting News Manager of the Year Award
**Danny Murtaugh ,Pittsburgh Pirates MLB Statistical Leaders
Major League Baseball final standings
American League final standings
National League final standings
Events
January-February
*
January 5 - TheContinental League , a proposed third major league, gets an assurance of Congressional support from New York SenatorKenneth Keating .
*February 4 - For the second straight election, the BBWAA voters fail to elect a new member to theBaseball Hall of Fame member.Edd Roush gets 146 votes, but 202 are necessary for election.Sam Rice (143) andEppa Rixey (142) are next in line.
*February 18 -Walter O'Malley , owner of theLos Angeles Dodgers , completes the purchase of theChavez Ravine area in Los Angeles by paying $494,000 for property valued at $92,000.
*February 20 -Branch Rickey meets with officials of the proposedWestern Carolinas League about pooling talent for Continental League clubs.
*February 23 - Demolition ofEbbets Field begins. Lucy Monroe sings the National Anthem, andRoy Campanella is given an urn of dirt from behind home plate.March-April
*
March 13 - TheChicago White Sox unveil new road uniforms with the players' names above the number on the back, another innovation by Sox ownerBill Veeck .
*March 24 - CommissionerFord Frick says he will not allow the Continental League to pool players in the Western Carolinas League as it would violate existing major-minor league agreements.
*March 26 - ABaltimore Orioles -Cincinnati Reds series scheduled forHavana, Cuba , is moved toMiami, Florida by Baltimore chiefLee MacPhail . The Reds, with a farm club in Cuba, want the trip, but the Orioles fear increased political unrest in the area.
*April 4 - TheChicago White Sox send catcherEarl Battey and first basemanDon Mincher plus cash to the Washington Senators for first basemanRoy Sievers .
*April 5 - TheSan Francisco Giants purchase first basemanDale Long from theChicago Cubs .
*April 12 :
**With 42,269 fans in attendance, theSan Francisco Giants edge theSt. Louis Cardinals , 3–1, in the first game at San Francisco'sCandlestick Park . Sam Jones pitches a three-hitter, and Cardinals outfielderLeon Wagner hits the first home run in the $15 million stadium.
**Chuck Essegian swats an 11th-inning pinch-hit home run as theLos Angeles Dodgers beat theChicago Cubs , 3–2, before a record Opening Day crowd of 67,550 at theLos Angeles Memorial Coliseum . The home run is Essegian's third straight as a pinch hitter, including two in the1959 World Series .Don Drysdale pitches all the way, striking out 14, for the win overBob Elston .
**In a deal that will haunt theCleveland Indians , GMFrank Lane sendsNorm Cash to theDetroit Tigers for third basemanSteve Demeter . Cash will be Detroit's regular first baseman for the next 14 years and will hit 373 home runs for them, while Demeter will play only four games for Cleveland.
*April 17 :
**On Easter Sunday, GM Frank Lane brings AL batting champHarvey Kuenn to theCleveland Indians and sends co-home run champRocky Colavito to theDetroit Tigers . Colavito, an unparalleled fan favorite in Cleveland, will hit 173 home runs before returning to Cleveland in 1965. Kuenn will report to Cleveland, pull a muscle, and never be the same hitter. H would be traded after one season.
**Eddie Mathews of the Milwaukee Braves hits his 300th home run, off Robin Roberts, plus a double and a triple, as Milwaukee beats thePhiladelphia Phillies , 8–4. To date, onlyJimmie Foxx hit his 300th at a younger age.
*April 18 :
**In theAmerican League opener atWashington, D.C. , a week later than theNational League start, PresidentDwight D. Eisenhower throws out the first ball, then watches the Senators'Camilo Pascual strike out 15Boston Red Sox batters to tieWalter Johnson 's team record. Boston's only run in a 10–1 loss is aTed Williams home run.
**Trader Frank Lane continues to swap, sending Cleveland favoriteHerb Score to theChicago White Sox forBarry Latman . Score andRocky Colavito , traded three days ago, were the last two players to pre-date Lane's arrival in Cleveland.
*April 19 :
**Before a home crowd of 41,661,Minnie Miñoso celebrates his return to theChicago White Sox with a fourth-inning grand slam against the Kansas City Athletics. Leading off the bottom of the 9th with the score tied 9–9, Miñoso hits a solo homer for his sixth RBI.
**OnPatriot's Day atFenway Park ,Roger Maris makes his debut with theNew York Yankees as he goes 4-for-5, including two home runs with four RBI. The Yankees spoil theBoston Red Sox opener with an 8–4 win.
**TheDetroit Tigers andCleveland Indians play the longest season opener in major-league history, a 15-inning affair won by the Tigers 4-2 atCleveland Stadium .
*April 29 - At home, theSt. Louis Cardinals crush theChicago Cubs , 16–6.Stan Musial plays his 1,000th game at first base, becoming the first major league player ever with that many at two positions (1,513 games in the outfield). A bright spot for the Cubs isErnie Banks , who hits two home runs to breakGabby Hartnett 's club record of 231 homers.May
*
May 1 - Skinny Brown of theBaltimore Orioles pitches a 4–1 win over the Yankees. Brown allows just one hit, a first inning home run byMickey Mantle . Rookie Ron Hansen matches Mantle to up his RBI total to anAmerican League high 32.
*May 4 :
**TheChicago Cubs make a trade with "WGN (AM) " pluckingLou Boudreau out of the broadcast booth to replaceCharlie Grimm (6-11) as Cubs manager. "Jolly Cholly" replaces Boudreau behind the mike. The Cubs win, 5–1, over the Pirates as pitcherDick Ellsworth gains his first ML victory.
**Baltimore Orioles catcherGus Triandos sets a pair ofAmerican League records with threepassed ball s in one inning (6th) and four in one game, but knuckleballerHoyt Wilhelm , making a rare start, goes seven innings and gets credit for a 6–4 Baltimore win over theChicago White Sox .Early Wynn records his 2,000th strikeout in a no-decision effort for Chicago. Triandos' passed ball mark for an inning will be tied by reserve backstopMyron Ginsberg in six days, andTom Egan will collect five PBs in 1970 to erase Triandos' name off the list.
*May 6 - The Dodgers send veteran outfielderSandy Amorós to Detroit for first basemanGail Harris .
*May 7 :
**PitcherLarry Sherry and catcherNorm Sherry of the Dodgers become the 10th sibling battery in ML history. Norman belts an 11th-inning home run to give his reliever brother Larry a 3–2 win against the Phillies.
**Boston Red Sox pitcherBill Monbouquette allows just one hit in beating the visitingDetroit Tigers , 5–0.Neil Chrisley 's double is the only Tigers hit.
*May 10 :
**CatcherJoe Ginsberg of the Orioles loses a struggle withHoyt Wilhelm 's knuckleball facing the Athletics, and ties the record set six days earlier by teammateGus Triandos with threepassed ball s in one inning.
**Grand slams byBoston Red Sox teammatesVic Wertz andRip Repulski atFenway Park give Boston a 9–7 win over theChicago White Sox . A formerNational League veteran, Repulski's eighth-inning shot offDon Ferrarese comes on his firstAmerican League at bat.
*May 11 :
**Sam Jones pitches a two-hitter and draws a bases loaded walk for the only run, as the Giants edge the visitors Phillies, 1–0.Jim Owens is the loser.
**The Phillies announce a trade of first basemanEd Bouchee and pitcherDon Cardwell to theChicago Cubs for second basemanTony Taylor and catcherCal Neeman .
*May 12 - Duplicating Sam Jones' effort of the previous day, the Giants'Jack Sanford pitches a two-hit, 1–0 win over the Phillies. Sanford matches Jones by striking out 11 and walking three.
*May 13 :
**Mike McCormick's shutout of theLos Angeles Dodgers is the third straight bySan Francisco Giants pitchers, following two-hitters against thePhiladelphia Phillies by Sam Jones andJack Sanford . The first-place Giants have seven straight wins.
**Dick Groat of thePittsburgh Pirates becomes the firstNational League player sinceConnie Ryan in 1953 to hit 6-for-6 as Pittsburgh beats the Milwaukee Braves, 8–2.
**ThePhiladelphia Phillies suffer their third straight 1–0 shutout, losing to the hostsCincinnati Reds . The Phillies, losers of back-to-back 1–0 games in San Francisco, tie the major-league record for straight 1–0 losses.Jim O'Toole 's win is Cincinnati's ninth straight.
**Two days after being traded from the Phillies to the Cubs,Don Cardwell pitches ano-hitter against theSt. Louis Cardinals . A brilliant, leaping catch ofCarl Sawatski 's line drive byGeorge Altman in the eighth inning saves Cardwell's gem.Ernie Banks ' home run paces the 4–0 win, the first no-hitter against the Cards since May 11, 1919.
*May 19 - TheNew York Yankees send shortstopAndy Carey to the Kansas City Athletics for sluggerBob Cerv . Cerv had been with the Yankees for five years before going to KC where he hit 38 home runs in 1958 and was chosen as theAmerican League left fielder in the All-Star game overTed Williams . Cerv will be claimed in the 1960 expansion draft and the Yankees will again reacquire him.
*May 25 -George Crowe of theSt. Louis Cardinals set a major league record with his 11th pinch-hit home run, offDon McMahon , as the Cardinals win, 5–3, over the Braves. Crowe began the season tied withSmoky Burgess andGus Zernial in most career pinch home runs.
*May 27 :
**Since there is no rule limiting the size or shape of the catcher's mitt, Baltimore manager Paul Richards combats the team passed-ball problem while catchingHoyt Wilhelm (38 in 1959; 11 so far this year) by devising an oversized mitt to gather in Wilhelm's fluttering knuckleball. It is half again as large as the standard glove and 40 ounces heavier. Wilhelm goes the distance in beating New York, 3–2, atYankee Stadium . CatcherClint Courtney has no passed balls behind the plate.
**Camilo Pascual strikes out 13 but the Washington Senators loses to theBoston Red Sox , 4–3, his third loss to Boston this year.
*May 28 - ManagerCasey Stengel is hospitalized with a virus and high fever and will miss 13 games. The Yankees goes 7-6 under interim managerRalph Houk .June
*
June 12 - In a record-tying three hour and 52 minute, 9-inning game,Willie McCovey 's pinch-hit grand slam, the first slam of his career, andOrlando Cepeda 's three-run double pace the Giants to a 16–7 rout of the Braves.
*June 19 - In a brilliant pair of pitching performances, Orioles pitchersHoyt Wilhelm andMilt Pappas throw shutouts to beat the hostDetroit Tigers . Wilhelm allows two hits in winning the opener, 2–0, overJim Bunning , and Pappas allows three hits in winning the nightcap, 1–0, overDon Mossi .Jim Gentile and Ron Hansen collect home runs as catcherClint Courtney , using the big glove designed by manager Paul Richards, is twice charged with batter interference, the first loading the bases in the 4th inning.
*June 24 -Willie Mays belts two home runs and makes 10 putouts to lead the Giants in a 5–3 win at Cincinnati. Mays adds three RBI, three runs scored, a single and a steal of home.
*June 26 - Hoping to speed up the election process, the Hall of Fame changes its voting procedures. The new rules allow the Special Veterans Committee to vote annually, rather than every other year, and to induct up to two players a year. The BBWAA is authorized to hold a runoff election of the top 30 vote getters if no one is elected in the first ballot.
*June 30 -Dick Stuart blasts three consecutive home runs, as the Pirates split with the Giants. Stuart drives in seven runs and joinsRalph Kiner as the second Pirates player to hit three home runs in a game atForbes Field .July
*
July 4 -Mickey Mantle 's three-run first-inning home run offHal Woodeshick is the 300th of his career. Mantle becomes the 18th major leaguer to join the 300-HR club, but the Yankees drop a 9–8 decision to the Senators.
*July 9 -Jim Coates suffers his first loss after nine straight wins, and 14 straight over two seasons, as theBoston Red Sox beat the Yankees, 6–5. The Sox are led byVic Wertz , who hit a home run, double and single to drive in four runs. Coates' major-league career-record is 17–2.
*July 11 - At KC Municipal Stadium, one-hit three-innings shutout pitching byBob Friend and home runs byErnie Banks andDel Crandall paced theNational League to a 5–4 win over theAmerican League in the first of two All-Star Games. Friend, of thePittsburgh Pirates , has notched two of the NL's last three All-Star wins.
*July 13 - AtYankee Stadium ,Vern Law became the second Pirates pitcher to win a 1960 All-Star Game, working two scoreless innings.Stan Musial came off theNational League bench and hit his record sixth and last All-Star Game home run.Willie Mays ,Ken Boyer andEddie Mathews also homered in the 6–0 NL win, the third shutout in All-Star Game history. Law (1st, 2nd) combined the eight-hit shutout along withJohnny Podres (3rd), Stan Williams (5th, 6th),Larry Jackson (7th),Bill Henry (8th) andLindy McDaniel (9th).Whitey Ford was the loser.
*July 18 - TheNational League votes to expand to 10 clubs if theContinental League does not join organized baseball. The new NL clubs would invade CL territories.
*July 19 :
**In a spectacular ML debut,Juan Marichal of theSan Francisco Giants pitches no-hit ball untilClay Dalrymple pinch-hit singles with two out in the 7th inning. Marichal winds up with 12 strikeouts and a one-hit 2–0 win against the Phillies, becoming the firstNational League pitcher since 1900 to debut with a one-hitter.
**Roy Sievers ' 21-gamehitting streak , the longest for any player in the season, ends, butChicago White Sox teammateLuis Aparicio 'sinside-the-park home run andBilly Pierce 's shutout beat Boston, 6–0.
*Senators acePedro Ramos pitches a one-hitter 5–0 shutout over Detroit.Rocky Colavito 's leadoff single in the eighth inning, a grounder that eludes shortstopJosé Valdivielso , is the lone safety.
*July 20 - At Cleveland Municipal Stadium,Mickey Mantle golfs aGary Bell pitch over the auxiliary scoreboard into the distant upper deck in right field, matching Luke Easter as the only major league players to reach that spot. Cleveland holds on for an 8–6 win over the Yankees.
*July 21 - Robin Roberts pitches his third career one-hitter, and the 3rd one-hitter of the season in newCandlestick Park .Felipe Alou spoils Roberts' no-hit bid in the fifth inning of a 3–0 Phillies victory. Third basemanJoe Morgan fields the hit, but falls down and cannot make a throw.
*July 22 - AtFenway Park , theBoston Red Sox down theCleveland Indians , 6–4.Vic Wertz has a three-run home run and four RBI.Ted Williams also homers, and in the 7th inning, steals second base. Williams sets a major league record as the only player to steal bases in four consecutive decades. He'll be match byRickey Henderson in 2000. IndiansJimmy Piersall homers twice, both off winnerIke Delock .
*July 23 - Kansas City outfielderWhitey Herzog hits into the only All-Cuban Triple Play in ML history. The action goes from Washington Senators starting pitcherPedro Ramos , to first basemanJulio Bécquer , to shortstopJosé Valdivielso . The victory, however, goes to relieverChuck Stobbs (7-2) as the Senators take an 8–3 decision.Harmon Killebrew has a two-run home run.
*July 27 -William Shea , chairman of Mayor Robert Wagner's New York baseball committee, announces the formation of theContinental League . The five founding cities areNew York City ,Houston ,Toronto ,Denver andMinneapolis/St. Paul .
*July 30 - Just as he predicts,Philadelphia Phillies pitcherArt Mahaffey picks off the first batter to get a hit against him. Then with the next batter to get a hit, he does it again.Curt Flood and Bill White of theSt. Louis Cardinals are the base runner victims, but St. Louis still wins, 6–3. In his next game, the first batter to get a hit off Mahaffey will be Jim Marshall, and Mahaffey will pick him off as well.August
*
August 2 - In an agreement with the major leagues, theContinental League abandons plans to join theAmerican League andNational League .Walter O'Malley , chairman of the NL Expansion Committee, says, "We immediately will recommend expansion and that we would like to do it in 1961." Milwaukee Braves ownerLou Perini proposes a compromise that four of the CL territories be admitted to the current majors in orderly expansion.Branch Rickey 's group quickly accepts. The Continental League ends without playing a game.
*August 3 - In an unusual move,Cleveland Indians GMFrank Lane trades managers withDetroit Tigers GMBill DeWitt . The Indians'Joe Gordon (49-46) is dealt to the Tigers forJimmy Dykes (44-52). For one game, until the pair can change places,Jo-Jo White pilots the Indians andBilly Hitchcock guides the Tigers.
*August 7 - TheChicago White Sox win a pair from the Washington Senators, with relieverGerry Staley picking up two victories. Staley will be 13–8, all in relief, with both wins and losses topping theAmerican League relievers.
*August 8 - Before a day crowd of 48,323, the largest day crowd ever atComiskey Park , cheer White Sox pitcherBilly Pierce four-hit victory over the Yankees, 9–1. Pierce faces just 31 batters.
*August 9 - With fine relief pitching ofLindy McDaniel in the opener and a five-hitter byCurt Simmons in the nitecap, theSt. Louis Cardinals sweep thePhiladelphia Phillies , 5–4 and 6–0. PhilliesTony Taylor ties a major league record for a second baseman by going the entire doubleheader (18 innings) without a putout – the first to achieve the feat sinceConnie Ryan , of the Phillies, on June 14, 1953.
*August 10 -Ted Williams blast a pair of home runs and a double to pace the Red Sox to a 6–1 win over theCleveland Indians . Williams has 21 homers for the season. The first of the two today, #512, moves him pastMel Ott into fourth place on the all-time list. After the game, Williams announces that he will retire at the end of the season.
*August 18 - Facing just the minimum 27 batters,Lew Burdette of the Milwaukee Braves almost pitches aperfect game , instead settling for a 1–0no-hitter against the Phillies. Tony González, the only Phillies base runner, reached first base in the fifth inning after being hit by a pitch and was wiped out in a double play. The Milwaukee pitcher also scores the only run of the game.
*August 20 -Ted Williams draws the 2,000th walk of his career in the Red Sox' split of a twi-night doubleheader with the Orioles. Williams joinsBabe Ruth as the only major leaguers to collect 2,000 walks.Rickey Henderson in 2000, andBarry Bonds in 2003, will join the select 2,000 walks group.
*August 23 - Following up his no-hitter,Lew Burdette fires his third shutout in a row, pitching the Milwaukee Braves to a 7–0 win over theLos Angeles Dodgers .
*August 27 - After pitching 32⅔ shutout innings, Braves pitcherLew Burdette gives up aFelipe Alou home run as San Francisco defeats the Braves 3–1.
*August 30 -Boston Red Sox second basemanPete Runnels goes 6-for-7, as Boston edge the Tigers in the 15-inning opener of a twin bill. Runnels’ 15th-inning double bringsFrank Malzone home with the winning run to win, 5–4. Runnels has three more hits in the nightcap victory, 3–2 in 10 innings. His six hits are the most in anAmerican League game since July 8, 1955. With 9-for-11 in the doubleheader, Runnels ties the major league record.eptember
*
September 2 - BostonTed Williams hit a home run off Don Lee of the Senators. Williams had homered against Lee's father, Thornton, 20 years earlier.
*September 3 :
**A battle of left-handers pitchers featuresSandy Koufax of theLos Angeles Dodgers against Mike McCormick of theSan Francisco Giants .Felipe Alou 's home run gives McCormick a 1–0 win, his second 1–0 win against Los Angeles in 1960.
*September 10 - In Detroit, YankeesMickey Mantle hit a home run in the 6th inning, the ball clearing the right field roof and landing in the Brooks Lumber Yard across Trumbull Avenue. In June 1985, Mantle's blow was retroactively measured at 643 feet, and will be listed in the "Guinness Book of World Records " at that distance.
*September 13 - 18-year-old outfielder Danny Murphy becomes the youngestChicago Cubs player to hit a home run when he clouts a three-run homer offBob Purkey of theCincinnati Reds , as the Reds win 8–6 at home. Murphy will play just 49 games for the Cubs from 1960-62. He will come back as a pitcher for theChicago White Sox in 1969-70.
*September 15 -Willie Mays ties the modern major league record with three triples in a game against the Phillies. The lastNational League player to hit three triples in a game wasRoberto Clemente , in 1958.
*September 16 :
**At the age of 39,Warren Spahn notches his 11th 20-win season with a 4–0no-hitter against the Phillies. Spahn also sets a Milwaukee club record with 15 strikeouts in handing the last-place Phils their 90th loss of the year.
**TheBaltimore Orioles (83-58) andNew York Yankees (82-57) open a crucial four games series with the Orioles just .002 in back of New York. Three days later, during a doubleheader, the Yankees will sweep Baltimore. The faltering Birds, now four back, will end up in second place, eight games back.
*September 18 - AtWrigley Field ,Ernie Banks sets a record by drawing his 27th intentional walk of the season.
*September 19 - TheChicago White Sox pennant hopes are damaged with a nitecap 7–6 loss to theDetroit Tigers , after they win the opener, 8–4. Pinch hitterNorm Cash scores the decisive run in game two. Cash thus ends the season by grounding into no double plays, becoming the firstAmerican League player since league records on this were started in 1940. TeammatesDick McAuliffe andRoger Repoz will duplicate this in 1968.
*September 20 -Boston Red Sox outfielderCarroll Hardy pinch-hits forTed Williams , who is forced to leave the game after fouling a ball off his ankle and grounds into a double play. On May 31, 1961, Hardy will pinch hit for rookieCarl Yastrzemski , making him the only player to go in for both future Hall of Famers. Hardy also hit his first major league home run pinch-hitting forRoger Maris when both were at Cleveland (May 18, 1958).
*September 25 :
**For the first time since 1927, thePittsburgh Pirates are headed for theWorld Series .
**Ralph Terry clinches theNew York Yankees 25th pennant with a 4–3 win over theBoston Red Sox .Luis Arroyo saves the win. It isCasey Stengel 's 10th pennant in 12 years at New York.
*September 28 - In his last major league at bat,Ted Williams picks out a 1-1 pitch by Baltimore'sJack Fisher and drives it 450 feet into the right-center field seats behind the Boston bullpen. It is Williams' 521st and last career home run, putting him third on the all-time list. Williams stays in the dugout, ignoring the thunderous ovation atFenway Park , and refused to tip his hat the hometown fans.October
*
October 2 - TheBaltimore Orioles defeat the Washington Senators 2-1 atGriffith Stadium in the Senators' final game before their move to the Minneapolis-St. Paul area.Milt Pappas wins the pitchers' duel againstPedro Ramos , who gives up a home run toJackie Brandt for the deciding run.
*October 3 - TheNew York Yankees head into the World Series with a 15-game winning streak, the 8th longest streak in theAmerican League this century, afterDale Long 's two-run 9th-inning home run gives them an 8–7 win over theBoston Red Sox . The 193 home runs are an AL season record, three better than the 1956 Yankees. RBI leaderRoger Maris drives in three runs, but falls one home run short ofMickey Mantle 's league-high 40.
*October 5 - In a portent of things to come,Bill Mazeroski 's two-run 5th-inning home run offJim Coates is the difference as Pittsburgh beats the Yankees 6–4 in its firstWorld Series win since 1925.Roy Face survives a two-run 9th-inningElston Howard home run to preserveVern Law 's victory.
*October 6 -Mickey Mantle hits two home runs in a Yankees 16–3 victory atForbes Field , evening the World Series. A seven-run 6th inning overwhelms Pittsburgh.
*October 8 - AtYankee Stadium ,Bobby Richardson collects six RBI, including a grand slam off relieverClem Labine in a six-run first inning, andWhitey Ford pitches a four-hitter 10–0 shutout to give the Yankees a 2-1 World Series lead, spoiling Pittsburgh managerDanny Murtaugh 's 43rd birthday.
*October 9 -Vern Law wins again, thanks to his own RBI single andBill Virdon 's two-run hit.Roy Face retires the final eight batters in order. ThePittsburgh Pirates 3–2 win evens the1960 World Series .
*October 10 -Bill Mazeroski stars again. His two-run double stakesHarvey Haddix to a 3–0 lead.Roy Face is called on once more for another hitless effort to preserve a 5–2 win over the Yankees and 3-2 World Series lead for the surprising Pirates.
*October 12 - In Game Six of the World Series,Whitey Ford preserves the Yankees hopes with a seven-hit shutout atForbes Field .Bob Friend is bombed again as the Yankees coasts 12–0.Bobby Richardson 's two run-scoring triples give him a WS record of 12 RBI.
*October 13 - In a 9–9 tie,Bill Mazeroski leads off the last of the ninth inning and hits what is arguably the most dramatic home run in WS history, off YankeesRalph Terry , to give thePittsburgh Pirates a 10–9 win and the World Series Championship. The drama of Mazeroski's home run was heightened by the excitement that preceded the home run: A combined total of seven runs were scored by both teams in a wild and whacky bottom of the eighth and top of the ninth. An oddity in this game – it is the only World Series game this century with no strikeouts recorded. Another oddity, this one to the 1960 World Series itself - Mazeroski's home run makes this 1960 World Series the only World Series in Major League history won by a home run in the bottom of the ninth inning of the seventh and deciding game. Despite Mazeroski's heroics, however,Bobby Richardson is named the Series MVP, as the Yankees outscore Pittsburgh, 55 to 27.
*October 17 - TheNational League votes to admit Houston and New York teams to the league in 1962, the first structural change since 1900, and to go to a 10-team league.
*October 18 - Instituting a mandatory retirement age of 65,New York Yankees co-owners Dan Topping and Del Webb relieveCasey Stengel as the team manager. Stengel says "I wasn't retired—they fired me." Veteran skipper has a 1,149-696 career record. Stengel would return to managing in 1962, when he became the first-ever manager of theNew York Mets .
*October 20 - CoachRalph Houk , at 41 age, is named to succeedCasey Stengel as the Yankees manager. Houk briefly led the Yankees in 1960 when Stengel was hospitalized.
*October 27 - Trying to jump ahead of theNational League , theAmerican League admits Los Angeles and Minneapolis teams to the league with plans to have the new clubs begin competition in 1961 in the new 10-team league.Calvin Griffith is given permission to move the existing Washington Senators franchise to Minneapolis/St. Paul. (An expansion team, also called the Senators, will be placed in Washington.) American League presidentJoe Cronin says the league will play a 162-game schedule, with 18 games against each opponent. TheNational League will balk, saying the two expansions are not analogous and that the American League was not invited to move into LA.November-December
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November 2 -Hank Greenberg asks forAmerican League dates at theLos Angeles Coliseum , home of theNational League Dodgers. Greenberg andBill Veeck are expected to run the new Los Angeles club in the AL. On November 17th, Greenberg will drop out of the bidding to run the new franchise.
*November 22 - TheAmerican League proposes that both leagues expand to nine teams in 1961 and begininterleague play . It will delay entering the Los Angeles market if theNational League agrees.
*November 26 - Twins is the appropriate new name chosen for the club transplanted fromWashington, D.C. to the Twin Cities ofMinneapolis/St. Paul .
*December 5 -American League presidentJoe Cronin suggests that if theNational League starts its new New York franchise in 1961, the AL will stay out of Los Angeles until 1962. The NL turned down the suggested compromise of November 22nd because Houston will not be ready in 1961.
*December 6 - A group headed by movie starGene Autry and former football star Bob Reynolds is awarded the newAmerican League Los Angeles Angels.Charlie Finley withdraws his bid for Los Angeles and offers to purchase control of the Kansas City Athletics. On December 20th, Finley will buys the 52 percent of the A's in Arnold Johnson's estate.
*December 21 -Chicago Cubs ownerP.K. Wrigley says his team will have no manager, but will use a college of coaches.External links
* [http://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/ML_1960_t.shtml 1960 season at Baseball-reference.com]
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