Champions
Major League Baseball World Series: Baltimore Orioles over Philadelphia Phillies (4–1); Rick Dempsey, MVP
American League Championship Series MVP: Mike Boddicker National League Championship Series MVP: Gary Matthews All-Star Game, July 6 at Comiskey Park: American League, 13–3; Fred Lynn, MVP
Other champions Caribbean World Series: Lobos de Arecibo (Puerto Rico) College World Series: Texas Japan Series: Seibu Lions over Yomiuri Giants (4–3) Korean Series: Haitai Tigers over MBC Chungyong Big League World Series: Taipei, Taiwan Junior League World Series: Manatí, Puerto Rico Little League World Series: East Marietta National, Marietta, Georgia Senior League World Series: Pingtung, Taiwan Pan American Games: Cuba over Nicaragua
Awards and honors Baseball Hall of Fame Walter Alston George Kell Juan Marichal Brooks Robinson Most Valuable Player Cal Ripken Jr., Baltimore Orioles, SS (AL) Dale Murphy, Atlanta Braves, OF (NL) Cy Young Award LaMarr Hoyt, Chicago White Sox (AL) John Denny, Philadelphia Phillies (NL) Rookie of the Year Ron Kittle, Chicago White Sox, OF (AL) Darryl Strawberry, New York Mets, OF (NL) Manager of the Year Award Tony La Russa, Chicago White Sox (AL) Tommy Lasorda, Los Angeles Dodgers (NL) Woman Executive of the Year (major or minor league) Karen Paul, El Paso Diablos, Texas League Gold Glove Award (P) Ron Guidry, New York Yankees (AL); Phil Niekro, Atlanta Braves (NL) (C) Lance Parrish, Detroit Tigers (AL); Tony Peña, Pittsburgh Pirates (NL) (1B) Eddie Murray, Baltimore Orioles (AL); Keith Hernandez, New York Mets (NL) (2B) Lou Whitaker, Detroit Tigers (AL); Ryne Sandberg, Chicago Cubs (NL) (3B) Buddy Bell, Texas Rangers (AL); Mike Schmidt, Philadelphia Phillies (NL) (SS) Alan Trammell, Detroit Tigers (AL); Ozzie Smith, St. Louis Cardinals (NL) (OF) Dwight Evans, Boston Red Sox (AL); André Dawson, Montreal Expos (NL) (OF) Dwayne Murphy, Oakland Athletics (AL); Willie McGee, St. Louis Cardinals (NL) (OF) Dave Winfield, New York Yankees (AL); Dale Murphy, Atlanta Braves (NL)
MLB statistical leaders American League National League Type Name Stat Name Stat AVG Wade Boggs BOS .361 Bill Madlock PIT .323 HR Jim Rice BOS 39 Mike Schmidt PHI 40 RBI Cecil Cooper MILJim Rice BOS 126 Dale Murphy ATL 121 Wins LaMarr Hoyt CWS 24 John Denny PHI 19 ERA Rick Honeycutt TEX 2.42 Atlee Hammaker SF 2.25
Major league baseball final standings
American League Rank Club Wins Losses Win % GB East Division 1st Baltimore Orioles 98 64 .605 -- 2nd Detroit Tigers 92 70 .568 6 3rd New York Yankees 91 71 .562 7 4th Toronto Blue Jays 89 73 .549 9 5th Milwaukee Brewers 87 75 .537 11 6th Boston Red Sox 78 84 .481 20 7th Cleveland Indians 70 92 .432 28 West Division 1st Chicago White Sox 99 63 .611 -- 2nd Kansas City Royals 79 83 .488 20 3rd Texas Rangers 77 85 .475 22 4th Oakland Athletics 74 88 .457 25 5th California Angels 70 92 .432 29 5th Minnesota Twins 70 92 .432 29 7th Seattle Mariners 60 102 .370 39
National League Rank Club Wins Losses Win % GB East Division 1st Philadelphia Phillies 90 72 .556 -- 2nd Pittsburgh Pirates 84 78 .519 6 3rd Montreal Expos 82 80 .506 8 4th St. Louis Cardinals 79 83 .488 11 5th Chicago Cubs 71 91 .438 19 6th New York Mets 68 94 .420 22 West Division 1st Los Angeles Dodgers 91 71 .562 -- 2nd Atlanta Braves 88 74 .543 3 3rd Houston Astros 85 77 .525 6 4th San Diego Padres 81 81 .500 10 5th San Francisco Giants 79 83 .488 12 6th Cincinnati Reds 74 88 .457 17
Events January January 10 – New York Supreme Court Justice Richard Lane issues a preliminary injunction barring the Yankees from playing their season-opening series with the Detroit Tigers in Denver. The club had sought to move the games because it feared off-season renovations to Yankee Stadium would not be completed for the series April 11–13. January 11 For the third time in eight years, New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner hires Billy Martin as his manager. Martin's most recent job was his three-year stint (–) implementing "Billy Ball" while at the helm of the Oakland Athletics. Martin replaces Clyde King, who will move to the Bombers' front office. In the January edition of the 1980 Major League Baseball draft, the Boston Red Sox select outfielder and future All-Star and Gold Glove Award-winner Ellis Burks, 18, in the first round, the 20th overall. The Chicago Cubs take outfielder and future MLB manager Dave Martinez, also 18, in the third round, 53rd overall.
January 12 – Brooks Robinson and Juan Marichal are elected to the Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers' Association of America. Robinson becomes the 14th player to be elected in his first year of eligibility. January 13 – Right-hander Mike Torrez' five-year tenure with the Boston Red Sox ends when he's sent to the New York Mets for a minor-league player to be named later (PTBNL), third baseman Mike Davis. Torrez, 36, is a 16-year veteran who will forever be known in Boston for allowing Bucky Dent's decisive home run in the 1978 American League East tie-breaker game. January 14 – Outfielder Al Cowens, granted free agency from the Seattle Mariners last November 10, opts to return to Seattle, signing a three-year, $1.2 million contract.Al Cowens (salaries) at Baseball Reference January 18 – The Oakland Athletics sign shortstop Bill Almon, granted free agency from the Chicago White Sox last November 10. January 19 – The Los Angeles Dodgers trade third baseman Ron Cey, 34, to the Chicago Cubs for southpaw pitching prospect Vance Lovelace and minor-league outfielder Dan Cataline. The deal leaves shortstop Bill Russell as the last remaining member of the Dodgers' fabled 1970s infield of Cey, Russell, Davey Lopes and Steve Garvey. Russell will retire to a coach's job with Los Angeles after the season. January 20 – In the second-ever Type A free agent compensation draft, implemented after the 1981 MLB strike, the Seattle Mariners select 20-year-old outfield prospect Danny Tartabull from the Cincinnati Reds. The Mariners gain the draft pick after losing starting pitcher Floyd Bannister to the Chicago White Sox in free agency. Tartabull is selected from a pool of players provided by teams, such as Cincinnati, who have "opted in" to pursuing free-agent talent. January 26 Chicago's cross-town rivals make a deal: the Cubs trade shortstop Scott Fletcher, pitchers Randy Martz and Dick Tidrow, and first baseman Pat Tabler to the White Sox in exchange for pitchers Steve Trout and Warren Brusstar. The White Sox, who lost Type A free-agent outfielder Steve Kemp to the New York Yankees last December 9, select St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Steve Mura as compensation. Six days earlier, the ChiSox had picked southpaw Rudy May from the Yankees out of the compensation pool, but May's selection was voided because the veteran left-hander has a no-trade provision in his contract. January 31 – The Philadelphia Phillies sign two veteran free-agents: first baseman and future Hall of Famer Tony Pérez, released by the Boston Red Sox on November 1, 1982; and outfielder Bill Robinson, who returns for a final season with the Phils after being granted free-agency last November 10.
February February 5 – The Kansas City Royals trade 19-year-old first-base prospect Cecil Fielder to the Toronto Blue Jays for 32-year old outfielder Leon Roberts, who will retire after two mediocre seasons in Kansas City. "Big Daddy" Fielder will go on to enjoy several MVP-caliber seasons during his 13-year tenure in the major leagues, having his best years (–) playing with the Detroit Tigers. February 7 – The San Francisco Giants sign outfielder Joel Youngblood, granted free agency from the Montreal Expos last November 10. On August 4, 1982, Youngblood made history as the only player in MLB history to get a hit for two different teams on the same day. February 9 – Mike Ferraro, 38, the first-year manager of the Cleveland Indians, undergoes successful surgery to remove his cancerous left kidney 12 days before spring training begins. He's able to take the Indians' helm for their first Cactus League exhibition game a month later. February 16 – The St. Louis Cardinals sign utility player Jamie Quirk, granted free agency from the Kansas City Royals the previous November. February 23 – The San Diego Padres sign free agent and reserve catcher Bruce Bochy, 27, who one month earlier had been released by the New York Mets. February 24 – Veteran free-agent outfielder John Lowenstein, enjoying the most productive period of his 13-year MLB career, remains a member of the Baltimore Orioles, signing a new, three-year $1 million contract. Lowenstein, 36, will bat .385 in the 1983 World Series and earn a championship ring. February 28 – Outfielder Jerry Turner, who appeared in over 600 games during his first eight big-league seasons (–) with the San Diego Padres, returns to San Diego as a free agent. He had spent 1982 with the Detroit Tigers.
March March 1 – The Philadelphia Phillies sign infielder Kiko Garcia, granted free agency from the Houston Astros last November 10. March 24 The Detroit Tigers acquire outfielder Johnny Grubb from the Texas Rangers in exchange for pitcher Dave Tobik. The New York Yankees release veteran first baseman/DH John Mayberry, 34, ending his 15-year MLB career after 255 home runs. March 25 – The Tigers release pitcher Kevin Saucier. He had gone 3–1 in , but developed a case of the Yips, which prevented Saucier from making simple throws to the catcher or even the bases. Saucier will never again pitch in the major leagues. March 31 – The Seattle Mariners purchase the contract of 28-year-old first baseman Ken Phelps from the Montreal Expos. Phelps will establish himself as a major-leaguer in Seattle, slugging 105 homers before he's swapped to the New York Yankees in July 1988 in a one-sided exchange that nets the Mariners future All-Star Jay Buhner.
April April 5 Tom Seaver pitches six scoreless innings in his return to the New York Mets in front of 46,687 fans at Shea Stadium. He does not, however, factor in the decision, as he's matched by Philadelphia Phillies ace Steve Carlton. The Mets break through for two runs in the seventh, to make Doug Sisk the winner of their season opener. At Candlestick Park on Opening Day, hitters are in midseason form, as the San Diego Padres and San Francisco Giants combine for 33 hits and 29 runs. The Giants hit four homers to the Padres' one, but San Diego triumphs, 16–13. April 7 – Major League Baseball, ABC, and NBC agree to terms of a six-year television package worth in excess of $1.1 billion. The two networks will continue alternative coverage of the All-Star Game, the playoffs and the World Series through the 1989 season with each of the 26 clubs receiving $7 million per year in return. The last package gave each club $1.9 million per year. April 9 – Houston Astros knuckleballer Joe Niekro surrenders an unearned run on a passed ball in the first inning and the Pittsburgh Pirates' Larry McWilliams makes the tally stand up, hurling a two-hit shutout for a 1–0 Pittsburgh victory at the Astrodome. Niekro allows only three hits himself. April 13 – Philadelphia Phillies catcher Bo Díaz accomplishes something that only 11 other Major League players have in the 150-plus year history of the sport: a game-winning "Sayonara Slam" (a walk off grand-slam home run in the bottom of the ninth inning with two outs and his team trailing by three runs). With the New York Mets leading, 9–6, and the Phillies down to their last out, Díaz drives a 2–1 Neil Allen pitch out of Veterans Stadium to win the game, 10–9. April 15