Champions
Major League Baseball World Series: Atlanta Braves over Cleveland Indians (4-2); Tom Glavine, MVP
All-Star Game, July 11 at The Ballpark in Arlington: National League, 3-2; Jeff Conine, MVP
Other champions Caribbean World Series: Senadores de San Juan (Puerto Rico) College World Series: Cal State-Fullerton Cuban National Series: Villa Clara over Pinar del Río Japan Series: Yakult Swallows over Orix BlueWave (4-1) Korean Series: OB Bears over Lotte Giants Big League World Series: Tainan, Taiwan Junior League World Series: Lake Charles, Louisiana Little League World Series: Shan-Hua, Tainan, Taiwan Senior League World Series: Dunedin, Florida Pan American Games: Cuba over Nicaragua Taiwan Series: Uni-President Lions
Awards and honors Baseball Hall of Fame Richie Ashburn Leon Day William Hulbert Mike Schmidt Vic Willis Most Valuable Player Mo Vaughn (AL) Boston Red Sox Barry Larkin (NL) Cincinnati Reds Cy Young Award Randy Johnson (AL) Seattle Mariners Greg Maddux (NL) Atlanta Braves Rookie of the Year Marty Cordova (AL) Minnesota Twins Hideo Nomo (NL) Los Angeles Dodgers Manager of the Year Award Lou Piniella (AL) Seattle Mariners Don Baylor (NL) Colorado Rockies Woman Executive of the Year (major or minor league): Mary Cain, Portland Rockies, Northwest League Gold Glove Award J. T. Snow (1B) California Angels (AL) Roberto Alomar (2B) Toronto Blue Jays (AL) Robin Ventura (3B) Chicago White Sox (AL) Omar Vizquel (SS) Cleveland Indians (AL) Ken Griffey Jr. (OF) Seattle Mariners (AL) Kenny Lofton (OF) Cleveland Indians (AL) Devon White (OF) Toronto Blue Jays (AL) Iván Rodríguez (C) Texas Rangers (AL) Mark Langston (P) California Angels (AL) Mark Grace (1B) Chicago Cubs (NL) Craig Biggio (2B) Houston Astros (NL) Ken Caminiti (3B) San Diego Padres (NL) Barry Larkin (SS) Cincinnati Reds (NL) Steve Finley (OF) San Diego Padres (NL) Marquis Grissom (OF) Atlanta Braves (NL) Raúl Mondesí (OF) Los Angeles Dodgers (NL) Charles Johnson (C) Florida Marlins (NL) Greg Maddux (P) Atlanta Braves (NL)
MLB statistical leaders American League National League Type Name Stat Name Stat AVG Edgar Martínez (SEA) .356 Tony Gwynn (SD) .368 HR Albert Belle (CLE) 50 Dante Bichette (COL) 40 RBI Albert Belle (CLE)Mo Vaughn (BOS) 126 Dante Bichette (COL) 128 Wins Mike Mussina (BAL) 19 Greg Maddux (ATL) 19 ERA Randy Johnson (SEA) 2.48 Greg Maddux (ATL) 1.63
Major League Baseball final standings Note: All teams played 144 games instead of the normal 162 as a consequence of the 1994–95 Major League Baseball strike. Seattle and California each played 145 games due to a one game AL West tiebreaker.
American League Rank Club Wins Losses Win % GB East Division 1st Boston Red Sox 86 58 .597 -- 2nd New York Yankees * 79 65 .549 7.0 3rd Baltimore Orioles 71 73 .493 15.0 4th Detroit Tigers 60 84 .417 26.0 5th Toronto Blue Jays 56 88 .389 30.0 Central Division 1st Cleveland Indians 100 44 .694 -- 2nd Kansas City Royals 70 74 .486 30.0 3rd Chicago White Sox 68 76 .472 32.0 4th Milwaukee Brewers 65 79 .451 35.0 5th Minnesota Twins 56 88 .389 44.0 West Division 1st Seattle Mariners 79 66 .545 -- 2nd California Angels 78 67 .538 1.0 3rd Texas Rangers 74 70 .514 4.5 4th Oakland Athletics 67 77 .465 11.5
National League Rank Club Wins Losses Win % GB East Division 1st Atlanta Braves 90 54 .625 -- 2nd New York Mets 69 75 .479 21.0 2nd Philadelphia Phillies 69 75 .479 21.0 4th Florida Marlins 67 76 .469 22.5 5th Montreal Expos 66 78 .458 24.0 Central Division 1st Cincinnati Reds 85 59 .590 -- 2nd Houston Astros 76 68 .528 9.0 3rd Chicago Cubs 73 71 .507 12.0 4th St. Louis Cardinals 62 81 .434 22.5 5th Pittsburgh Pirates 58 86 .403 27.0 West Division 1st Los Angeles Dodgers 78 66 .542 -- 2nd Colorado Rockies * 77 67 .535 1.0 3rd San Diego Padres 70 74 .486 8.0 4th San Francisco Giants 67 77 .465 11.0
The asterisk denotes the club that won the wild card for its respective league.
Managers
American League Team Manager CommentsBaltimore Orioles Phil ReganBoston Red SoxKevin Kennedy California Angels Marcel LachemannChicago White SoxGene Lamont Replaced during the season by Terry BevingtonCleveland Indians Mike Hargrove Won the American League pennantDetroit Tigers Sparky Anderson Kansas City Royals Bob Boone Milwaukee BrewersPhil GarnerMinnesota Twins Tom Kelly New York Yankees Buck ShowalterReplaced after the season by Joe TorreOakland Athletics Tony La Russa Seattle Mariners Lou Piniella Texas Rangers Johnny OatesToronto Blue Jays Cito Gaston
National League Team Manager CommentsAtlanta Braves Bobby CoxWon the World SeriesChicago Cubs Jim RigglemanCincinnati Reds Davey Johnson Colorado Rockies Don BaylorFlorida Marlins Rene Lachemann Houston Astros Terry CollinsLos Angeles Dodgers Tommy LasordaMontreal Expos Felipe AlouNew York Mets Dallas GreenPhiladelphia PhilliesJim FregosiPittsburgh Pirates Jim LeylandSt. Louis Cardinals Joe Torre Replaced during the season by Mike JorgensenSan Diego Padres Bruce BochySan Francisco Giants Dusty Baker
Events
January–June March 9 – Major League Baseball goes ahead with choosing the cities for the 1998 expansion: Phoenix, Arizona, and St. Petersburg, Florida. Phoenix gets the National League Arizona Diamondbacks, and St. Petersburg gets the American League Tampa Bay Devil Rays. To keep the leagues even-numbered, the Milwaukee Brewers switch to the National League after the 1997 season, giving the NL 16 teams and the AL 14 teams. March 10 – Michael Jordan announces that he is leaving the Chicago White Sox organization and will return to the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association. April 2 – After 232 days, the 1994–95 MLBPA Players Strike comes to an end when judge Sonia Sotomayor ends the strike. April 8 – The Colorado Rockies sign free agent outfielder Larry Walker. April 25 – Major League Baseball begins its strike-shortened 144-game season. April 26 – The Colorado Rockies open Coors Field with an 11-9 victory over the New York Mets in 14 innings. May 23 - Opposing pitchers Kevin Foster of the Chicago Cubs and Marvin Freeman of the Colorado Rockies each hit a home run off each other. Chicago defeated Colorado 7-6 in a game at Coors field in Colorado. May 26 – Ken Griffey Jr. of the Seattle Mariners fractures his left wrist while making a spectacular catch at the wall during the Mariners 8-3 victory over the Baltimore Orioles. Griffey would miss the next 73 games as a result of the injury. May 28 – The Chicago White Sox (5) and Detroit Tigers (7) combine for a record 12 home runs in one game at Tiger Stadium. June 3 – Pedro Martínez of the Montreal Expos pitches 9 perfect innings against the San Diego Padres before losing the perfect game on a 10th inning leadoff double by Bip Roberts as the Expos defeat the Padres 1-0 in 10 innings at Jack Murphy Stadium. June 30: Eddie Murray of the Cleveland Indians gets his 3,000th career hit in a 3-1 Cleveland win over the Minnesota Twins at the Metrodome. Mark McGwire hits a walk-off grand slam in the ninth inning off closer Lee Smith to give the Oakland Athletics an 8–5 victory over the California Angels.
July–September July 11 – The National League defeats the American League in the All-Star Game 3-2, on an 8th-inning pinch-hit home run by Jeff Conine. Conine becomes the 10th player to homer in his first All-Star at bat, and is named the Game's MVP. Frank Thomas, Craig Biggio and Mike Piazza also hit home runs. July 14 – At Dodger Stadium, Ramón Martínez of the Los Angeles Dodgers no-hits the Florida Marlins 7-0. On June 3 of this same season, Martínez' brother Pedro, pitching for the Montreal Expos against the San Diego Padres at Qualcomm Stadium, pitches nine perfect innings only to have his bid for a perfect game broken up by a Bip Roberts single leading off the 10th. Otherwise the Martinezes are not the second brother combo, after Bob and Ken Forsch, to pitch Major League no-hitters, and they do not become the first to do so in the same season. July 18 – Albert Belle of the Cleveland Indians becomes the second player to hit a walk-off grand slam against California Angels closer Lee Smith this season. Mark McGwire of the Oakland Athletics does that on June 30. The only other pitchers in major-league history to surrender two game-ending grand slams in one season are Satchel Paige () and Lindy McDaniel (). New York Mets closer Francisco Rodríguez joins this group during the season. July 22 - A prerecorded message from Mickey Mantle is played over the Jumbotron at Yankee Stadium. The video is a part of the Yankees Old-Timers game celebration. It would be the last appearance of any kind from Mantle, as he dies 22 days later from Liver disease. July 30 – Mike Schmidt, Richie Ashburn, Vic Willis, William Hulbert and Leon Day are inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. August 10 – The Los Angeles Dodgers are forced to forfeit to the visiting St. Louis Cardinals when inebriated fans react to several close calls by throwing souvenir baseballs onto the field. August 13 – New York Yankees Hall of Fame outfielder Mickey Mantle loses his battle with liver cancer and dies at the age of 63. He had undergone a liver transplant on June 8. One of his last public appearances was at a news conference on July 11 in Dallas, the same day that the MLB All-Star Game that year was held in nearby Arlington, Texas. His funeral is held 2 days later with Bob Costas delivering the eulogy. August 25 – The Philadelphia Phillies defeat the Los Angeles Dodgers 17-4 at Veterans Stadium. Hideo Nomo only pitches 3 innings. Jeff Juden hits a grand slam in the 4th inning. Gregg Jefferies hits for the cycle, the first Phillie to do so since Johnny Callison in 1963. August 29 – Against the Colorado Rockies at Three Rivers Stadium, Paul Wagner of the Pittsburgh Pirates has a no-hitter broken up by an Andrés Galarraga single with two out in the ninth. The hit is the only one Wagner allows in defeating the Rockies 4-0. The no-hitter would have been the first by a Pirate since John Candelaria in . September 4 – Robin Ventura of the Chicago White Sox becomes the eighth player in major league history to hit two grand slams in a single game, doing so in the 4th and 5th innings of the White Sox 14-3 win over the Texas Rangers. The last to do it is Frank Robinson in 1970. September 6 – Cal Ripken Jr. of the Baltimore Orioles plays in his 2,131st consecutive major league game to surpass Lou Gehrig's 56-year record. When the game becomes official in the middle of the fifth inning, Ripken takes a victory lap around Camden Yards during the 22-minute standing ovation from the sellout crowd, including President Bill Clinton. In the game, Ripken goes 2-for-4, including a home run, in Baltimore's 4-2 win over California. It is baseball's most memorable moment in the 1990s. September 8 – The Cleveland Indians clinch the American League Central Division with a 3-2 win over the Baltimore Orioles. It is Cleveland's first postseason appearance since 1954, and ends the then-longest post-season drought in the Major Leagues. September 13 – Second baseman Lou Whitaker and shortstop Alan Trammell of the Detroit Tigers play in their 1,915th game together, setting an American League record. September 15 – The St. Louis Cardinals' shortstop Ozzie Smith is a part of his 1,554th double play to establish a new Major League record, despite the Cardinals losing to the Los Angeles Dodgers, 7-6.