1994 IN BASEBALL



Contents
Headline events of the year
Champions
Top Professional League
Minor League Baseball in the United States -- AAA Leagues
Trivia
Other champions
Awards and honors
Statistical leaders
Major League Baseball final standings
Events
Movies
Deaths

Headline events of the year


As a result of a players' strike, the MLB season ends prematurely on August 11, 1994. No postseason (including the World Series) is played. Minor League Baseball is not affected.
The Yomiuri Giants celebrate their sixtieth anniversary with their eighteenth championship in the Japan Series.
Considered by some to be among history's greatest athletes, Michael Jordan suits up for the Birmingham Barons, the Class AA affiliate of the Chicago White Sox. He plays in his first game on April 9, going 0-for-3.

Champions


Top Professional League


Japan Series: Yomiuri Giants over Seibu Lions (4-2).

★ Series Most Valuable Player: Hiromi Makihara

★ Series Fighting Spirit Award: Kazuhiro Kiyohara
Minor League Baseball in the United States -- AAA Leagues


American Association: Indianapolis Indians

International League: Richmond Braves

Pacific Coast League: Albuquerque Dukes
Trivia


★ Games 1 and 2 of the Albuquerque-Vancouver PCL Championship Series were seven innings. Because of a rainout September 13, the game was made up as one of two seven-inning games the next day, in compliance with minor league rules regarding doubleheaders.

★ Three players in the 1994 Japan Series -- Dan Gladden (Yomuiri), Mike Pagliarulo (Seibu), and Hideki Matsui (Yomiuri) -- played in a World Series (Gladden and Pagliarulo 1991, Matsui 2003). Gladden, who retired after the season, finished his career by becoming another player to win both the World Series and Japan Series, with this being his third world championship.

★ With the influx of American media at the Japan Series, and the Chicago White Sox broadcast crew, the coverage of the championship was Matsui's first brush with American media, and was a breakout year for the player known as "Godzilla," in his second year as a pro.
Other champions


Caribbean World Series: Tigres del Licey (Dominican Republic)

College World Series: Oklahoma

Cuban National Series: Villa Clara over Industriales

Little League World Series: Coquivacoa, Maracaibo, Venezuela

Awards and honors



★ 'Most Valuable Player'


Frank Thomas (AL)


Jeff Bagwell (NL)

★ 'Cy Young Award'


David Cone (AL)


Greg Maddux (NL)

★ 'Rookie of the Year'


Bob Hamelin (AL)


Raúl Mondesí (NL)

★ 'Manager of the Year Award'


Buck Showalter (AL)


Felipe Alou (NL)

Statistical leaders


  'American League' 'National League'
Type Name Stat Name Stat
AVG Paul O'Neill NYY .359 Tony Gwynn SDP .394
HR Ken Griffey SEA 40 Matt Williams SFG 43
RBI Kirby Puckett MIN 112 Jeff Bagwell HOU 116
Wins Jimmy Key NYY 17 Ken Hill MTL &
Greg Maddux ATL
16
ERA Steve Ontiveros OAK 2.65 Greg Maddux ATL 1.56
Ks Randy Johnson SEA 204 Andy Benes SDP 189

Major League Baseball final standings


'American League'
'Rank' 'Club' 'Wins' 'Losses' 'Win %'   'GB'
'East Division'
1st New York Yankees 70 43 .619     --
2nd Baltimore Orioles 63 49 .562   6.5
3rd Toronto Blue Jays 55 60 .478 16.0
4th Boston Red Sox 54 61 .470 17.0
5th Detroit Tigers 53 62 .461 18.0
'Central Division'
1st Chicago White Sox 67 46 .593     --
2nd Cleveland Indians 66 47 .584   1.0
3rd Kansas City Royals 64 51 .557   4.0
4th Minnesota Twins 53 60 .469 14.0
5th Milwaukee Brewers 53 62 .461 15.0
'West Division'
1st Texas Rangers 52 62 .456     --
2nd Oakland Athletics 51 63 .447   1.0
3rd Seattle Mariners 49 63 .438   2.0
4th California Angels 47 68 .409 5.5

'National League'
'Rank' 'Club' 'Wins' 'Losses' 'Win %'   'GB'
'East Division'
1st Montreal Expos 74 40 .649     --
2nd Atlanta Braves 68 46 .596   6.0
3rd New York Mets 55 58 .487 18.5
4th Philadelphia Phillies 54 61 .470 20.5
5th Florida Marlins 51 64 .443 23.5
'Central Division'
1st Cincinnati Reds 66 48 .579     --
2nd Houston Astros 66 49 .574   0.5
3rd Pittsburgh Pirates 53 61 .465 13.0
3rd St. Louis Cardinals 53 61 .465 13.0
5th Chicago Cubs 49 64 .434 16.5
'West Division'
1st Los Angeles Dodgers 58 56 .509     --
2nd San Francisco Giants 55 60 .478   3.5
3rd Colorado Rockies 53 64 .453   6.5
4th San Diego Padres 47 70 .402 12.5


★ On September 14, the remainder of the major league season was canceled by acting commissioner Bud Selig after 34 days of the players' strike.
==American League==
Team Manager Comments
Baltimore OriolesJohnny Oates
Boston Red SoxButch Hobson
California AngelsBuck RodgersReplaced during the season by Marcel Lachemann
Chicago White SoxGene Lamont
Cleveland IndiansMike Hargrove
Detroit TigersSparky Anderson
Kansas City RoyalsHal McRae
Milwaukee BrewersPhil Garner
Minnesota TwinsTom Kelly
New York YankeesBuck Showalter
Oakland AthleticsTony La Russa
Seattle MarinersLou Piniella
Texas RangersKevin Kennedy
Toronto Blue JaysCito Gaston

==National League==
Team Manager Comments
Atlanta BravesBobby Cox
Chicago CubsTom Treblehorn
Cincinnati RedsDavey Johnson
Colorado RockiesDon Baylor
Florida MarlinsRene Lachemann
Houston AstrosTerry Collins
Los Angeles DodgersTommy Lasorda
Montreal ExposFelipe Alou
New York MetsDallas Green
Philadelphia PhilliesJim Fregosi
Pittsburgh Pirates±Jim Leyland
St. Louis CardinalsJoe Torre
San Diego PadresJim Riggleman
San Francisco GiantsDusty Baker

Events



January 12 - Steve Carlton is elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers Association of America, receiving almost 96% of the vote. Orlando Cepeda falls seven votes short of the 75% required for election.

February 7 - Basketball superstar Michael Jordan signs a minor league contract with the Chicago White Sox. He is invited to spring training with the team as a non-roster player.

February 15 - Ila Borders becomes the first woman to pitch in a college game. Appearing for Southern California College of Cosa Mesa, she throws a 5-hit game against Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, 12-1.

February 25 - The Veterans Committee elects Phil Rizzuto and Leo Durocher to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

April 3 - The Cincinnati Reds forego an opening day for an opening evening; the first time in Major League history that a season opened with a night game instead of a day game.

April 4 - At Wrigley Field, Chicago Cubs outfielder Tuffy Rhodes blasts three home runs on Opening Day victimizing New York Mets pitcher Dwight Gooden. Rhodes becomes the first player in major league history to hit home runs in his first three at-bats of the season. In spite of Rhodes’ unexpected home run barrage, the Cubs lose the game, 12–8.

June 13 - Ryne Sandberg announces his retirement from the Chicago Cubs.

July 8 - In a game against the Seattle Mariners, shortstop John Valentin of the Boston Red Sox records the tenth unassisted triple play since 1901. It is the first in the American League in nearly twenty six years; which was also the last time it was accomplished by a shortstop.

July 12 - Moisés Alou's double in the 10th inning gives the National League an 8-7 victory over the American League in the All-Star Game. The NL is now a perfect 9-0 in extra-inning contests. John Hudek of the Houston Astros becomes the first pitcher in major league history to appear in an All-Star Game before recording a major league victory. Fred McGriff, whose two-run home run in the 9th inning tied the score, takes MVP honors.

July 14 - Shortstop Ozzie Smith of the St. Louis Cardinals records his 8,017th assist, breaking Luis Aparicio's record for shortstops.

July 28 - Kenny Rogers of the Texas Rangers throws the fourteenth perfect game in Major League history.

August 11 - The final games of the Major League season are played on this date. The next day, the players' strike begins. Minor League Baseball games are not affected.

September 14 - The owners of the Major League clubs vote 26-2 to officially cancel the remainder of the 1994 season, including the playoffs and World Series. There will be no World Series for the first time since 1904.

September 20 - Albuquerque ends the professional baseball season in the United States, winning the Pacific Coast League championship.

October 22 - The Japan Series begins as baseball's professional championship. Reporters from major American newspapers arrive in Japan for their Fall Classic coverage. Ken Harrelson, the play-by-play announcer for the Chicago White Sox, calls the Japan Series for US audiences on regional sports networks under the Prime SportsChannel banner.

October 29 - The Yomiuri Giants win Game 6 of the Japan Series to become professional baseball's world champions. Legend says this is the luckiest of all championship years, as it was the team's sixtieth anniversary, as they are deemed World Champions by some baseball media.

Movies



★ ''Major League II''

★ ''Little Big League''

★ ''Angels in the Outfield''

★ ''Baseball: A Film by Ken Burns'' (TV documentary)

★ ''The Scout''

★ ''Cobb''

Deaths



January 8 - Harvey Haddix, 68, All-Star pitcher best remembered for a 1959 game with the Pirates in which he threw 12 perfect innings before losing in the 13th; won 20 games for 1953 Cardinals and earned three Gold Gloves

January 9 - Johnny Temple, 66, All-Star second baseman, primarily for the Cincinnati Reds, who batted .300 three times

January 10 - Chub Feeney, 72, National League president from 1970 to 1986

February 12 - Ray Dandridge, 80, Hall of Fame third baseman of the Negro Leagues who often batted over .350

March 16 - Eric Show, 37, pitcher who won 100 games for the San Diego Padres and surrendered Pete Rose's record 4,192nd hit

May 9 - Ralph Brickner, 69, pitcher for the Boston Red Sox in the 1950s

June 12 - Jim Brock, 57, coach at Arizona State since 1972 who led the school to two College World Series titles

June 23 - Marv Throneberry, 62, first baseman for the Yankees, Orioles, Mets and Kansas City A's

July 13 - Jimmie Reese, 93, infielder for the Yankees, Angels, Cardinals and Padres; later a minor league manager and a long-time coach for the Angels

July 14 - César Tovar, 54, outfielder for the Minnesota Twins who in 1968 became the second major leaguer to play all nine positions in a game; had his team's only hit on five occasions

September 5 - Hank Aguirre, 63, All-Star pitcher who led AL in ERA in 1962 with the Detroit Tigers

November 5 - Gene Desautels, 87, spent 19 years as a catcher, including 13 major league seasons with the Detroit Tigers, Boston Red Sox, Cleveland Indians and Philadelphia Athletics

December 26 - Allie Reynolds, 77, 6-time All-Star pitcher, mainly with the Yankees, who led AL in ERA in 1952 and in strikeouts and shutouts twice; in 1951 was first AL pitcher to throw two no-hitters in same year, and was MVP runnerup in 1952; career .630 winning percentage

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