Headline events of the year The Florida Marlins become World Series champions, beating the New York Yankees, 4-2. The Detroit Tigers had one of the worst records in baseball history, going 43-119, a .265 winning percentage. The Chicago Cubs just missed advancing to their first World Series since 1945, as they blew a 3-1 series lead against the Marlins in the 2003 NLCS. The Oakland Athletics blew a 2-0 series lead against the Boston Red Sox in the 2003 ALDS, making it four straight years they lost the ALDS in five games, including an 0-9 mark in games in which they could have clinched the series. The Yankees beat the Red Sox in a thrilling ALCS, highlighted by Aaron Boone's walk-off home run in the 11th inning in Game 7 off Tim Wakefield.
Champions
Major League Baseball Regular Season Champions League Eastern Division Champion Central Division Champion Western Division Champion Wild Card Qualifier American League New York Yankees Minnesota Twins Oakland Athletics Boston Red Sox National League Atlanta Braves Chicago Cubs San Francisco Giants Florida Marlins World Series Champion – Florida Marlins Postseason – September 30 to October 25
Click on any series score to link to that series' page. Higher seed has home field advantage during Division Series and League Championship Series. American League has home field advantage during World Series as a result of the American League victory in the 2003 All-Star Game. American League is seeded 1-3/2-4 as a result of AL regular season champion (New York Yankees) and AL wild card (Boston Red Sox) coming from the same division. National League is seeded 1-3/2-4 as a result of NL regular season champion (Atlanta Braves) and NL wild card (Florida Marlins) coming from the same division. Postseason MVPs World Series MVP – Josh Beckett ALCS MVP – Mariano Rivera NLCS MVP – Iván Rodríguez All-Star Game, July 15 at U.S. Cellular Field – American League, 7-6; Garret Anderson, MVP Home Run Derby, July 14 – Garret Anderson, Anaheim Angels
Other champions Canadian Baseball League: Calgary Outlaws by virtue of having best record at the All-Star break (truncated season) Caribbean World Series: Águilas Cibaeñas (Dominican Republic) College World Series: Rice Cuban National Series: Industriales def. Villa Clara European Championship: Netherlands over Greece (2-0) European Cup: Neptunus (Netherlands) over Rimini (Italy) Japan Series: Fukuoka Daiei Hawks over Hanshin Tigers (4-3) Korean Series: Hyundai Unicorns over SK Wyverns (4-3) Big League World Series: Easley, South Carolina Junior League World Series: La Mirada, California Little League World Series: Musashi-Fuchu, Tokyo, Japan Senior League World Series: Hilo, Hawaii Mexican League: Diablos Rojos del México Pan American Games: Cuba over USA (3-1) Taiwan Series: Brother Elephants over Sinon Bulls (4-2)
Awards and honors Baseball Hall of Fame Gary Carter Eddie Murray Most Valuable Player Alex Rodríguez, Texas Rangers, SS (AL) Barry Bonds, San Francisco Giants, OF (NL) Cy Young Award Roy Halladay, Toronto Blue Jays (AL) Éric Gagné, Los Angeles Dodgers (NL) Rookie of the Year Ángel Berroa, Kansas City Royals, SS (AL) Dontrelle Willis, Florida Marlins, P (NL) Manager of the Year Award Tony Peña, Kansas City Royals (AL) Jack McKeon, Florida Marlins (NL) Woman Executive of the Year (major or minor league): Luchy Guerra, Los Angeles Dodgers, National League
Statistical leaders American League National League Type Name Stat Name Stat AVG Bill Mueller BOS .326 Albert Pujols STL .359 HR Alex Rodriguez TEX 47 Jim Thome PHI 47 RBI Carlos Delgado TOR 145Preston Wilson COL 141 Wins Roy Halladay TOR 22 Russ Ortiz ATL 21 ERA Pedro Martínez BOS 2.22 Jason Schmidt SF 2.34 SO Esteban Loaiza CWS 207 Kerry Wood CHC 266 SV Keith Foulke OAK 43 Éric Gagné LAD 55 SB Carl Crawford TB 55 Juan Pierre FLA 65
Major League Baseball final standings
American League Rank Club Wins Losses Win % GB East Division 1st New York Yankees 101 61 .623 -- 2nd Boston Red Sox * 95 67 .586 6.0 3rd Toronto Blue Jays 86 76 .531 15.0 4th Baltimore Orioles 71 91 .438 30.0 5th Tampa Bay Devil Rays 63 99 .389 38.0 Central Division 1st Minnesota Twins 90 72 .556 -- 2nd Chicago White Sox 86 76 .531 4.0 3rd Kansas City Royals 83 79 .512 7.0 4th Cleveland Indians 68 94 .420 22.0 5th Detroit Tigers 43 119 .265 47.0 West Division 1st Oakland Athletics 96 66 .593 -- 2nd Seattle Mariners 93 69 .574 3.0 3rd Anaheim Angels 77 85 .475 19.0 4th Texas Rangers 71 91 .438 25.0
National League Rank Club Wins Losses Win % GB East Division 1st Atlanta Braves 101 61 .623 -- 2nd Florida Marlins * 91 71 .562 10.0 3rd Philadelphia Phillies 86 76 .531 15.0 4th Montreal Expos 83 79 .512 18.0 5th New York Mets 66 95 .410 34.5 Central Division 1st Chicago Cubs 88 74 .543 -- 2nd Houston Astros 87 75 .537 1.0 3rd St. Louis Cardinals 85 77 .525 3.0 4th Pittsburgh Pirates 75 87 .463 13.0 5th Cincinnati Reds 69 93 .426 19.0 6th Milwaukee Brewers 68 94 .420 20.0 West Division 1st San Francisco Giants 100 61 .621 -- 2nd Los Angeles Dodgers 85 77 .525 15.5 3rd Arizona Diamondbacks 84 78 .519 16.5 4th Colorado Rockies 74 88 .457 26.5 5th San Diego Padres 64 98 .395 36.5
The asterisk denotes the club that won the wild card for its respective league.
Events
January January 7 – Gary Carter and Eddie Murray are elected into the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame. January 22 – After having been released by the Minnesota Twins at the close of the season, David Ortiz signs with the Boston Red Sox.
February February 17 – Baltimore Orioles pitcher Steve Bechler dies at the age of 23 of a heat stroke during spring training in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. A medical examiner found that Bechler's use of ephedra as a weight-loss supplement contributed to his death. Following this revelation, the Food and Drug Administration opened an inquiry, which resulted in the banning of ephedra products in the United States.
March March 31 – In the first-ever game at the Great American Ball Park the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates defeat the Cincinnati Reds 10-1. Ken Griffey Jr. collects the first hit in the stadium's history.
April April 3 – At 27 years, 249 days of age, Alex Rodriguez becomes the youngest player in major league history to hit 300 home runs. The Texas Rangers shortstop's fifth inning, three-run blast surpasses Hall of Famer Jimmie Foxx's mark, who accomplished the feat at 27 years, 328 days of age. April 4 – Sammy Sosa hits his 500th career home run, off Cincinnati Reds pitcher Scott Sullivan in the seventh inning at Great American Ball Park, becoming only the 18th player in major league history to hit 500 or more home runs, as well as the first Hispanic to do so. April 11 – The Montreal Expos defeat the New York Mets‚ 10–0‚ in their first of 22 home games they play in Puerto Rico this season. April 27 – Kevin Millwood of the Philadelphia Phillies pitches a no-hitter against the San Francisco Giants, striking out ten while walking three. Ricky Ledée's first-inning solo home run provides the game's only scoring.
May May 5 – Matt Stairs' home run off Houston Astros pitcher Wade Miller is estimated at 461 feet, making it the longest home run in the history of Minute Maid Park. May 10 – Jeff Torborg is fired as manager of the Florida Marlins after a 16-22 start. Jack McKeon is hired as his replacement. May 11 – Rafael Palmeiro hits his 500th career home run, off Cleveland Indians pitcher Dave Elder, becoming only the 19th player in major league history to reach the 500 mark. May 18 – The Texas Rangers defeat the New York Yankees 5-1 to complete their first-ever three-game sweep of the Yankees at Yankee Stadium. John Thomson goes the distance for the victory, giving up only three hits and striking out nine. May 23 – Geremi González earns his first major league victory in nearly five years as the Tampa Bay Devil Rays beat the Anaheim Angels 3-1. González wins for the first time since June 28, , while with the Chicago Cubs. He had elbow surgery in 1998 and 1999 before the Cubs released him in 2001. May 25 – The Toronto Blue Jays completed their first four-game sweep ever against the New York Yankees, winning 5–3 at Yankee Stadium and sending New York to its seventh consecutive home loss. The Yankees also dropped their season-high fourth in a row overall, a skid that thus dropped them out of the American League East lead, while their slump at Yankee Stadium was their worst since they lost 10 straight in the 1986 season. Now New York has lost 11 of their last 12 at home.Yankees lose seventh straight at The Stadium. Espn.com. Retrieved on August 9, 2015. May 26 – The Gary SouthShore RailCats play their inaugural home opener at the U.S. Steel Yard versus the Schaumburg Flyers. May 28 – Rafael Furcal, Mark DeRosa and Gary Sheffield hit home runs off Cincinnati Reds pitcher Jeff Austin in the bottom of the first inning, as the Atlanta Braves become only the second team in big league history to begin a game with three consecutive home runs. On April 13, 1987, the San Diego Padres' Marvell Wynne, Tony Gwynn and John Kruk did the same in the bottom of the first inning off San Francisco Giants starter Roger Mason.
June June 3 – Sammy Sosa is ejected from a game against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays for using a corked bat. June 11 – The Houston Astros set a major league record for combined pitchers in a no-hitter with six, against the New York Yankees. The pitchers are Roy Oswalt, Pete Munro, Kirk Saarloos, Brad Lidge, Octavio Dotel and Billy Wagner. June 13 – New York Yankees pitcher Roger Clemens becomes the 21st pitcher in major league history to win 300 games and only the third pitcher to record 4,000 career strikeouts as he defeats the St. Louis Cardinals 5-2. June 23 – At AT&T Park, Barry Bonds of the San Francisco Giants becomes the first Major Leaguer with 500 career home runs and 500 career steals. After drawing a base on balls leading off the 11th inning, Bonds steals second, then eventually scores on Benito Santiago's single for the winning run in a 3-2 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers. June 27 – The Boston Red Sox score a record-setting 10 runs in the first inning against the Florida Marlins before recording an out. Two Marlins pitchers, starter Carl Pavano and reliever Michael Tejera, pitch to a combined 11 batters and would not record an out. The Red Sox score 14 runs in the first inning, which ties the American League record. Johnny Damon ties the modern-day record for hits in an inning with three.
July July 15 – At U.S. Cellular Field, the American League wins the All-Star Game, beating the National League 7-6. Hank Blalock connects for a two-run, pinch-hit home run off Éric Gagné in the eighth inning to lead the rally. Garret Anderson is named the MVP, coming just one triple shy of hitting for the cycle in going 3-for-4 with a home run and two RBI. Brendan Donnelly is the winning pitcher, while Keith Foulke gets the save. July 27 – Gary Carter and Eddie Murray are inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. July 29 – Against the Texas Rangers at The Ballpark in Arlington, Bill Mueller of the Boston Red Sox, in hitting three home runs, becomes the first player to hit a grand slam from each side of the plate in the same game. After hitting a solo home run off starter R. A. Dickey in the third, Mueller homers in the seventh with the bases loaded against left-hander Aaron Fultz. One inning later he hits his second grand slam, this time against right-hander Jay Powell. With the three home runs, Mueller drives in nine runs; the Red Sox defeat the Rangers 14-7.
August August 10 – Atlanta Braves shortstop Rafael Furcal becomes the twelfth player to turn an unassisted triple play in the fifth inning of a 3-2 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals.