1989 in baseball.html



The following are the baseball events of the year 1989 throughout the world.  

Champions

Major League Baseball

• World Series: Oakland Athletics over San Francisco Giants (4-0); Dave Stewart, MVP

• American League Championship Series MVP: Rickey Henderson
• National League Championship Series MVP: Will Clark
• All-Star Game, July 11 at Anaheim Stadium: American League, 5-3; Bo Jackson, MVP

Other champions

• Caribbean World Series: Águilas del Zulia (Venezuela)
• College World Series: Wichita State
• Japan Series: Yomiuri Giants over Kintetsu Buffaloes (4-3)
• Little League World Series: Trumbull National, Trumbull, Connecticut

Awards and honors

• Most Valuable Player
  • Robin Yount, Milwaukee Brewers (AL)
  • Kevin Mitchell, San Francisco Giants (NL)
• Cy Young Award
  • Bret Saberhagen, Kansas City Royals (AL)
  • Mark Davis, San Diego Padres (NL)
• Rookie of the Year
  • Gregg Olson, Baltimore Orioles (AL)
  • Jerome Walton, Chicago Cubs (NL)
• Manager of the Year Award
  • Frank Robinson, Baltimore Orioles (AL)
  • Don Zimmer, Chicago Cubs (NL)

MLB statistical leaders

Major League Baseball final standings

Events

January-April

• January 9 - Johnny Bench and Carl Yastrzemski are elected to the Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers Association of America in their first year of eligibility. Bench was named on 96.4 percent of the ballots, the third-highest figure in history behind Ty Cobb and Hank Aaron.

• February 28 - Red Schoendienst, a former second baseman and manager of the St. Louis Cardinals, and Al Barlick, a National League umpire for 28 seasons, are elected to the Hall of Fame by the Special Veterans Committee.

May-August

• May 7 - Chicago mayor Richard J. Daley presides over the groundbreaking of the new Comiskey Park.

• May 28 - George Bell ends the Toronto Blue Jays' twelve year stay at Exhibition Stadium with a walk-off home run to win the Jays' final game there with a 7-5 win over the Chicago White Sox.

• May 29 - Mike Schmidt of the Philadelphia Phillies calls a press conference, and tearfully announces his retirement, effective immediately. Nonetheless, he will be voted to start the All-Star Game, and is permitted to appear in uniform.

• June 5 - Just eight days after leaving Exhibition Stadium, the Toronto Blue Jays open their new home; Skydome; the first stadium in Major League history with a functioning retractable roof. As he did in the last game at Exhibition Stadium, George Bell hits a home run.

• June 8 - At Veterans Stadium, the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates score 10 runs in the top of the first inning against the Philadelphia Phillies, three of which come on a Barry Bonds home run. As the Phillies come to bat in the bottom of the first, Pirate broadcaster Jim Rooker says on the air, "If we lose this game, I'll walk home." Both Von Hayes and Steve Jeltz hit two home runs to trigger the comeback for the Phillies, who finally tie the game in the 8th on a wild pitch, then take the lead on Darren Daulton's two-run single and go on to win 15-11. After the season, Rooker conducts a 300-plus-mile charity walk from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh.

• July 4 - Against the Philadelphia Phillies at Veterans Stadium, Cincinnati Reds pitcher Tom Browning, having already pitched a perfect game a year earlier, misses becoming the first pitcher in Major League history to throw two perfect games. Dickie Thon's leadoff double in the ninth breaks up this bid; Thon later scores on a Steve Jeltz single. John Franco then relieves Browning and induces Lenny Dykstra to hit into a game-ending double play for a Reds 2-1 victory.

• July 5 - Mark McGwire hits his 100th career home run.

• July 11 - At Anaheim Stadium, Bo Jackson and Wade Boggs lead off the bottom of the first inning with back-to-back home runs off Rick Reuschel to spark the American League to a 5–3 win over the National League in the All-Star Game. Jackson earns MVP honors.

• August 4 - Dave Stieb, pitching for the Toronto Blue Jays, loses a perfect game with two outs in the ninth inning when Roberto Kelly doubles, and later scores. Stieb wins a 2-1 two-hitter, but it is the third no-hitter that he has lost in the ninth inning in the past 11 months.

• August 21 - Cal Ripken hits his 200th career Home run helping Baltimore Orioles beat Milwaukee Brewers 5-0.

• August 24 - Commissioner A. Bartlett Giamatti announces in a press conference that Pete Rose is banned from baeball for life, in the wake of evidence that has come to light regarding Rose's gambling history.

• August 31 - Ken Griffey Sr. and Ken Griffey Jr. play in the first father-son game in history, for the Seattle Mariners

September-December

• September 1 - Commissioner A. Bartlett Giamatti unexpectedly dies of a heart attack.

• September 14 - Jeff Reardon of the Minnesota Twins earns his 30th save of the season in a 2-0 win over the Toronto Blue Jays. He becomes the first pitcher to save 30 games in five consecutive seasons.

• October 3 - Kirby Puckett wins an unlikely, at the time, batting title taking advantage of an off year by Wade Boggs due to marital issues. Puckett would clinch the title in Seattle on a double in the final game if the season.

• October 9 - After 43 years on the air, NBC concludes its run as the number one over-the-air television broadcaster for Major League Baseball games.

• October 17 - Game 3 of the World Series is postponed due to the Loma Prieta earthquake, which struck immediately before the game was set to begin. It would be rescheduled for ten days later, October 27.

• October 28 - The Oakland Athletics complete a four-game sweep of the San Francisco Giants in the 1989 World Series. It's the first WS sweep since 1976. Oakland pitcher Dave Stewart, who won two games, is named MVP. It is also the latest in the calendar year that a World Series game has ever been played up to this point.

• November 20 - Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Robin Yount wins his second American League MVP Award. With his 1982 Award coming in a year he played shortstop, he is the first player to win two such awards while playing different positions.

• November 22 - Free agent outfielder Kirby Puckett re-signs with the Minnesota Twins for $9 million over three years, making him the first ML player ever to sign a contract that calls for an average salary of $3 million per year.

Movies

• Major League
• Field of Dreams

Births

January-April

April 17 - Deolis Guerra, pitcher acquired by the Minnesota Twins in the Johan Santana deal

Deaths

January-April

• January 9 - Bill Terry, 90, Hall of Fame first baseman for the New York Giants who batted .341 lifetime and was the last National Leaguer to hit .400 (.401 in 1930); also managed Giants to 1933 World Series title
• January 21 - Carl Furillo, 66, All-Star right fielder for the Dodgers who batted .300 five times and won 1953 batting title
• January 22 - Willie Wells, 83, All-Star shortstop of the Negro Leagues who combined batting power with excellent defense
• January 23 - George Case, 73, All-Star outfielder for the Washington Senators who led the AL in stolen bases six times
• January 28 - Stan Partenheimer, 66, pitcher for the Red Sox and Cardinals in the mid-1940s
• February 17 - Lefty Gómez, 80, Hall of Fame pitcher for the New York Yankees who had four 20-win seasons and a .649 career winning percentage; led AL in strikeouts three times and in wins and ERA twice each, and was 6-0 in World Series
• February 24 - Sparky Adams, 94, infielder for the Cubs, Pirates, Cardinals and Reds between the 1922 and 1934 seasons
• March 28 - Nick Bremigan, 43, American League umpire since 1974 who officiated in four ALCS and the 1980 World Series
• April 8 - Bus Saidt, 68, sportswriter who covered the Phillies, Mets and Yankees for the Trenton Times since 1967; previously a minor league broadcaster
• April 16 - Jocko Conlan, 89, Hall of Fame umpire who worked in the National League from 1941 to 1964, including five World Series and six All-Star Games

May-August

• May 17 - Specs Toporcer, 90, infielder for the Cardinals for eight seasons, and the first non-pitcher to wear eyeglasses; later a minor league manager
• June 8 - Bibb Falk, 90, left fielder who batted .314 with White Sox and Indians; coached Texas to two College World Series titles
• June 8 - Emil Verban, 73, All-Star second baseman for four NL teams who hit .412 in the 1944 World Series
• June 15 - Judy Johnson, 89, Hall of Fame third baseman of the Negro Leagues who became the major leagues' first black coach, and later a scout
• July 18 - Donnie Moore, 35, All-Star relief pitcher who never overcame the disappointment from giving up a pivotal home run in the 1986 ALCS
• August 1 - Don Heffner, 78, who spent 36 seasons in the majors (1934-1969) as a player, coach and manager
• August 17 - Fred Frankhouse, 85, All-Star pitcher for the Cardinals, Braves and Dodgers, who ended Carl Hubbell's 24-game winning streak in 1937
• August 30 - Joe Collins, 66, first baseman for the New York Yankees who hit four World Series homers

September-December

• September 1 - A. Bartlett Giamatti, 51, commissioner of baseball since April, previously NL president since 1986, known for numerous writings on the sport as well as his banishment of Pete Rose
• September 3 - Rip Sewell, 82, All-Star pitcher who won 143 games for the Pirates, known for his "eephus" pitch
• September 21 - Murry Dickson, 73, All-Star pitcher who won 20 games for the 1951 Pirates, but led NL in losses the next three years
• September 29 - Gussie Busch, 90, owner of the St. Louis Cardinals since 1953 who oversaw three World Series titles
• October 12 - Joe Foy, 46, third baseman for the Boston Red Sox, Kansas City Royals, New York Mets and Washington Senators from 1966 to 1971, who also won the International League batting title, MVP award and Rookie of the Year during the 1965 season
• November 26 - Lew Fonseca, 90, infielder who batted .316 with four teams, winning 1929 batting title with Indians; later headed the major leagues' motion picture department
• November 28 - Bill Posedel, 83, pitcher for the Brooklyn Dodgers and Boston Braves between 1938 and 1946, who posted a 41-43 and also was a World War II veteran
• December 25 - Billy Martin, 61, manager of the Yankees on five occasions who won the 1977 World Series title but was also known for his tempestuous behavior off the field; managed Minnesota, Detroit and Oakland to playoff appearances as well, and was an All-Star second baseman with Yankees