1961 in baseball
The following are the baseball events of the year 1961 throughout the world.
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|---|---|---|---|
Headline event of the year
- Roger Maris hits 61 home runs, breaking Babe Ruth's record.
Champions
Major League Baseball
- World Series: New York Yankees over Cincinnati Reds (4–1); Whitey Ford, MVP
- All-Star Game (#1), July 11 at Candlestick Park: National League, 5-4 (10 innings)
- All-Star Game (#2), July 31 at Fenway Park: 1–1 tie (9 innings, rain)
Other champions
- College World Series: USC
- Japan Series: Yomiuri Giants over Nankai Hawks (4–2)
- Little League World Series: Northern, El Cajon, California
- Senior League World Series: Natrona Heights, Pennsylvania
Awards and honors
- Baseball Hall of Fame
- Most Valuable Player
- Roger Maris (AL)
- Frank Robinson (NL)
- Cy Young Award
- Rookie of the Year
- Don Schwall (AL)
- Billy Williams (NL)
- Gold Glove Award
- Vic Power (1B) (AL)
- Bobby Richardson (2B) (AL)
- Brooks Robinson (3B) (AL)
- Luis Aparicio (SS) (AL)
- Jim Landis (OF) (AL)
- Al Kaline (OF) (AL)
- Jimmy Piersall (OF) (AL)
- Earl Battey (C) (AL)
- Frank Lary (P) (AL)
MLB statistical leaders
Hall of Famer Sandy Koufax
| American League | National League | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type | Name | Stat | Name | Stat |
| AVG | Norm Cash DET | .361 | Roberto Clemente PIT | .351 |
| HR | Roger Maris NY | 61 | Orlando Cepeda SF | 46 |
| RBI | Roger Maris NY | 142 | Orlando Cepeda SF | 142 |
| Wins | Whitey Ford NY | 25 | Warren Spahn MIL Joey Jay CIN | 21 |
| ERA | Dick Donovan WSH | 2.40 | Warren Spahn MIL | 3.02 |
| SO | Camilo Pascual MIN | 221 | Sandy Koufax LAD | 269 |
| SV | Luis Arroyo NY | 29 | Roy Face PIT Stu Miller SF | 17 |
| SB | Luis Aparicio CHW | 53 | Maury Wills LAD | 35 |
Major league baseball final standings
American League final standings
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National League final standings
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Events
January
President John F. Kennedy throws out first ball in Washington, D.C. at Griffith Stadium on April 10, 1961
- January 29 – Billy Hamilton and Max Carey are voted into the Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee.
February
- February 7 – Boston Red Sox outfielder Jackie Jensen makes a return to the major leagues by signing a $40,000 contract. Jensen had retired in 1960 due to a fear of flying. Jensen will hit .263 with 13 home runs in 1961.
March
- March – The Cuban government, led by Fidel Castro, abolishes professional baseball and ends the Cuban League, which was started in 1878, and the Serie Nacional de Béisbol is established.
- March 6 – The New York Metropolitan Baseball Club Inc. formally receives a certificate of membership from National League President Warren Giles.
April
- April 10 — In the traditional "Presidential Opener" in Washington, D.C., the Chicago White Sox defeat the Washington Senators, 4–3, with John F. Kennedy throwing out the first pitch before a crowd of 26,725. The Senators are an expansion team created expressly to replace the preceding team of the same name that moved to Minneapolis–Saint Paul over the winter. The 1961 season is the first of the expansion era, and this Presidential Opener is the last in the history of Griffith Stadium, Washington's venerable baseball park.
- April 11
- At Fenway Park, Boston Red Sox rookie Carl Yastrzemski gets a hit off Ray Herbert of the Kansas City Athletics. It is the first of 3,318 hits that Yastrzemski will amass over an illustrious 23-year career.
- The Los Angeles Angels play the first game in franchise history, defeating the Baltimore Orioles team, 7–2. For the Angels, Ted Kluszewski hits two home runs while Eli Grba pitches a complete game.
- At Yankee Stadium, the Minnesota Twins shut out the New York Yankees, 6–0, in their first game since their move from Washington, D.C. Pedro Ramos is the winning pitcher, helping himself with a two-run single while allowing just three singles in beating Yankees starter, Whitey Ford.
- Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Robin Roberts ties Grover Cleveland Alexander's National League record with a 12th-straight Opening Day start‚ but Philadelphia loses 6–2 to Don Drysdale and the Los Angeles Dodgers. Roberts is now 5-6 on Opening Day.
- April 21 – The Minnesota Twins play their very first home game in franchise history, losing to the Washington Senators 5–3.
- April 22 – The Boston Red Sox snap a 13-game losing streak in Chicago's Comiskey Park by edging the Chicago White Sox 7–6 on Pumpsie Green's 11th-inning home run.
- April 27 – The Los Angeles Angels drew a crowd of 11,931 for their home opener against the Minnesota Twins at Los Angeles' Wrigley Field. Ty Cobb, in his last appearance at a ball park, throws out the ceremonial first pitch. Minnesota starter Camilo Pascual spoils the opener by winning, 4–2, sending the Angels to their eighth loss in nine games.
- April 30 – San Francisco Giants slugger Willie Mays became the ninth player to hit four home runs in a single game as the Giants beat the Milwaukee Braves, 14–4, at Milwaukee's County Stadium.
May
- May 8 – New York's expansion National League club announces that the team nickname will be "Mets," a natural shortening of the corporate name ("New York Metropolitan Baseball Club, Inc.")
- May 9 – The Baltimore Orioles' Jim Gentile hits a grand slam in both the first and second innings in a game against the Minnesota Twins, and finishes with nine RBI in the game.
- May 31 – Boston Red Sox outfielder Carroll Hardy pinch-hits for rookie Carl Yastrzemski. On September 20, 1960, Hardy pinch hit for Ted Williams, making him the only player to go in for both future Hall of Famers. Hardy also hit his first major league home run pinch-hitting for Roger Maris when both were at Cleveland (May 18, 1958).
June
- June 29 – Willie Mays hits 3 home runs helping the San Francisco Giants beat the Philadelphia Phillies 8-7.
July
- July 4
- Willie Mays hits his 300th career home run off pitcher Jack Curtis, leading the San Francisco Giants to a 4–1 victory over the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field.
- In the first game of an Independence Day double-header at Metropolitan Stadium, Minnesota Twins pinch-hitter Julio Bécquer hits the first recorded ever four-pitcher walk-off grand slam in Major League Baseball history. Chicago White Sox starter Billy Pierce, up 4–2 in the ninth inning en route to a complete game, allows a single to Bob Allison. As a result, Pierce is relieved by Russ Kemmerer, who allows other single to Earl Battey. Frank Baumann then is brought in and he walks Lenny Green to load the bases. Afterwards, White Sox manager Al López summons Warren Hacker from the bullpen while Twins manager Sam Mele counters with Bécquer, who puts the ball over the right field fence for the walk-off homer and a 6–4 victory.
- In the second game of the double-header, Minnesota Twins slugger Harmon Killebrew hits a three-run home run, which will be the only inside-the-park home run of the 573 homers he will hit in his distinguished career.
- July 11 – Strong winds at Candlestick Park dominate the first All-Star Game of the season. A capacity crowd sees pitcher Stu Miller blown off the mound in the ninth inning resulting in balk being called, and it enables the American League to forge a 3–3 tie before losing 5–4 in 10 innings.
- July 17 – Commissioner Ford Frick decrees that Babe Ruth's record of 60 home runs in a 154-game schedule in 1927 "cannot be broken unless some batter hits 61 or more within his club's first 154 games." Two days later, Frick, an old friend of Ruth, announces that should Ruth's record be beaten after 154 games, the record will carry an asterisk. When asked about the ruling, Roger Maris replies, "A season is a season."
- July 31 – At Fenway Park, the second All-Star Game of the year ends in a 1–1 tie as heavy rain halted play. It is the first tie in All-Star history.
August
- August 11 – Warren Spahn of the Milwaukee Braves records his 300th career win.
- August 20 – The Philadelphia Phillies snap a modern-day record 23-game losing streak, defeating the Milwaukee Braves 7-4 in the second game of a doubleheader at Milwaukee County Stadium. Phillie pitcher John Buzhardt goes the distance for the victory; he had also been the winning pitcher in the Phillies' last victory prior to the start of the losing streak, on July 28 against the San Francisco Giants.
- August 20 – Two Minnesota Twins pitchers homer off two Los Angeles Angels pitchers, to become the sixth (and last) pitching duo to homer in the same game. Starter Jack Kralick leads off the third inning with a homer off Jim Donohue, and Al Schroll hits a lead-off homer in the eighth off Art Fowler.
- August 22 – Roger Maris becomes the first player to hit his 50th home run of the season in the month of August as the Yankees lose to the Los Angeles Angels 4-3. Angels' pitcher Ken McBride tees up the gopher ball in the 6th inning with one on.
- August 23 – At Crosley Field, the Giants hit five home runs in a 12-run ninth inning, beating the host Cincinnati Reds 14-0.
- August 24 – Ageless Satchel Paige signs with the Portland Beavers of the Pacific Coast League. in 25 innings for Portland, he will have a 2.88 ERA.
September
- September 1 – Paul Richards resigned as manager of the Baltimore Orioles to become the new General Manager of the new Houston National League club. The club would be known as the Houston Colt .45s. Lum Harris takes over as manager of the Orioles.
- September 2 – Milwaukee Braves manager Chuck Dressen (71–58) is fired and executive vice president Birdie Tebbetts becomes the new Braves manager.
- September 14 – At Busch Stadium, the St. Louis Cardinals and the Chicago Cubs set a National League record by using 72 players in a double header. The Cardinals prevailed with 37 players and won twice, 8–7 in a regular nine-inning game and then 6–5 in 11 innings. St. Louis' Ken Boyer posted a 7-for-11 day, hitting for the cycle in the nitecap and completing it by belting a walk-off home run in the bottom of the 11th.
- September 26 :
- The Cincinnati Reds clinch their first National League pennant since 1940. Home runs by OF Frank Robinson and pinch hitter Jerry Lynch (a tie breaker in the 8th inning) give the Reds an 8–3 win over the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field.
- Roger Maris of the New York Yankees hits his major league record-tying 60th home run of the season, a third inning solo shot against Jack Fisher of the Baltimore Orioles.
October
- October 1 – Before a small crowd at Yankee Stadium, New York Yankees outfielder Roger Maris smacks a 2–0 pitch into right field for his 61st home run of the season (a record that would last until Mark McGwire broke it in 1998). The home run is number 240 for the Yankees, which sets a major league single-season record.
- October 9 – In Game Five of the World Series, Johnny Blanchard and Héctor López spark a five-run first inning and 13–5 win for the New York Yankees over the Cincinnati Reds. Blanchard and López hit home runs, and López drives in five runs. Bud Daley's long relief effort wraps up the Series, as Ralph Houk becomes the third rookie manager to guide a World Series winner. Whitey Ford is named the Series MVP.
November
- November 16 – The New York Mets logo, designed by sports cartoonist Ray Gatto, is unveiled. The insignia, which is round with orange stitching, represents a baseball. A bridge in the foreground symbolizes that the Mets, in bringing back the National League to New York, represent all five boroughs. The skyline in the background includes a church spire, symbolic of Brooklyn, the Williamsburg Savings Bank, the Woolworth Building, the Empire State Building and the United Nations Building. The Mets' colors are Dodger blue and Giant orange, symbolic of the return of National League baseball to New York after the Dodgers and Giants moved to California.
- November 22 – Frank Robinson becomes the first Cincinnati Reds player in 21 years to win the National League MVP Award, taking 219 of 224 possible votes.
- November 26 – The Professional Baseball Rules Committee votes 8–1 against legalizing the spitball. Only National League supervisor of umpires Cal Hubbard votes in favor.
- November 27 – The Chicago White Sox again trade Chicago fan-favorite Minnie Miñoso, this time to the St. Louis Cardinals in exchange for OF/1B Joe Cunningham.
- November 30 – Chicago Cubs outfielder Billy Williams, who hit .278 with 25 home runs and 86 RBI, is selected as the National League Rookie of the Year. Catcher Joe Torre of the Milwaukee Braves (.278, 10, 42) and Cubs pitcher Jack Curtis (10 wins, 4.89 ERA) also receive consideration for the honor.
December
- December 2 – MLB clubs vote to curb bonuses. All first-year players not on major rosters, except one minor leaguer, can be drafted by any other club for $8,000. Clubs are expected to be unwilling to pay large bonuses for players who will be subject to a draft for just $8,000.
Births
January
- January 3 – John Leister
- January 5 – Henry Cotto
- January 5 – John Russell
- January 5 – Roger Samuels
- January 12 – Casey Candaele
- January 14 – Joe Redfield
- January 15 – Jody Lansford
- January 18 – John Bohnet
- January 19 – Ken Dowell
- January 24 – Tim Barrett
- January 29 – Mike Aldrete
February
- February 2 – Michael Kay
- February 3 – Freddie Toliver
- February 9 – John Kruk
- February 11 – Steve Springer
- February 15 – Mark Davidson
- February 21 – Joel Skinner
- February 23 – John Morris
- February 23 – Mike Smith
- February 25 – Dana Kiecker
March
- March 3 – Ron Wotus
- March 5 – Steve Ontiveros
- March 8 – Mark Salas
- March 10 – Mike Birkbeck
- March 11 – Bryan Oelkers
- March 24 – Al Chambers
- March 26 – Mike Warren
- March 26 – Mickey Weston
- March 28 – Glenn Davis
- March 29 – Mike Kingery
- March 31 – Tracy Jones
April
- April 3 – Doug Baker
- April 3 – Tim Crews
- April 4 – Brad Komminsk
- April 9 – Brian Dorsett
- April 9 – Kirk McCaskill
- April 14 – Jay Aldrich
- April 19 – Spike Owen
- April 20 – Don Mattingly
- April 22 – Jimmy Key
- April 26 – Curtis Wilkerson
- April 27 – Ray Hayward
- April 29 – Wes Gardner
- April 29 – Louie Meadows
- April 30 – Tony Mack
May
- May 3 – Bob Buchanan
- May 7 – Manny Hernández
- May 19 – Ken Gerhart
- May 20 – Ralph Bryant
- May 21 – Greg Tabor
- May 23 – Kevin Romine
- May 25 – Kerwin Danley
- May 30 – Jim Steels
June
- June 2 – Jeff Schulz
- June 3 – José Tolentino
- June 8 – Kevin Gross
- June 9 – Tom Edens
- June 17 – Mickey Brantley
- June 17 – Víctor Mata
- June 18 – Andrés Galarraga
- June 18 – Tom McCarthy
- June 19 – Steve Stanicek
- June 20 – Gary Varsho
July
- July 14 – Vic Rodriguez
- July 16 – DeMarlo Hale
- July 23 – Chuck Crim
- July 27 – Nelson Santovenia
August
- August 2 – Danny Sheaffer
- August 4 – Mark Wasinger
- August 15 – Chris Brown
- August 16 – Greg Jelks
- August 16 – Donnie Scott
- August 18 – Jack Howell
- August 19 – Mark Ciardi
- August 23 – Tony Ghelfi
- August 26 – Ángel Hernández
- August 26 – Jeff Parrett
- August 27 – Mike Maddux
- August 29 – Jeff Kellogg
- August 31 – Mike Hartley
September
- September 2 – Jeff Russell
- September 5 – Tom Dozier
- September 6 – Roy Smith
- September 9 – Jim Corsi
- September 16 – Scott Medvin
- September 16 – Mark Parent
- September 16 – Chris Pittaro
- September 22 – Vince Coleman
- September 22 – Bob Geren
- September 26 – Steve Buechele
- September 28 – Ed Vosberg
- September 28 – Kevin Ward
October
- October 4 – Mike Sharperson
- October 13 – Mike Capel
- October 16 – Dave Stapleton
- October 16 – Billy Taylor
- October 17 – Dan Pasqua
- October 19 – Tim Belcher
- October 20 – Jerry Meals
- October 20 – Keith Smith
- October 23 – Jim Presley
- October 24 – Rafael Belliard
- October 24 – Danny Clay
- October 24 – Steve Ziem
- October 26 – Gus Polidor
- October 27 – Bill Swift
- October 28 – Bob Melvin
- October 30 – Scott Garrelts
- October 30 – Joe Johnson
November
- November 4 – Mark Bailey
- November 4 – Logan Easley
- November 4 – Ángel Salazar
- November 5 – Fred Manrique
- November 7 – Orlando Mercado
- November 10 – Phil Ouellette
- November 11 – Pete Coachman
- November 11 – Scott May
- November 11 – Kevin Towers
- November 12 – Greg Gagne
- November 15 – Mike Payne
- November 18 – Mike Felder
- November 19 – Jeff Hearron
- November 27 – Randy Milligan
December
- December 1 – Herm Winningham
- December 4 – Alexis Infante
- December 9 – Bruce Tanner
- December 11 – Mike Henneman
- December 11 – Bob Sebra
- December 14 – Jeff Robinson
- December 18 – Scott Bailes
- December 18 – Dave Hengel
- December 21 – Michael Weiner
- December 22 – Andy Allanson
- December 25 – Rick Renteria
- December 26 – Storm Davis
- December 26 – Jim Traber
- December 31 – Rick Aguilera
- December 31 – Steve Engel
- December 31 – Donell Nixon
Deaths
- January 5 – Fred Luderus, 75, Phillies first baseman of the 1910s, captain of the 1915 NL champions
- January 8 – Schoolboy Rowe, 50, 3-time All-Star pitcher who won 158 games, mainly with the Tigers and Phillies
- January 28 – Red Oldham, 67, pitcher for the Detroit Tigers and Pittsburgh Pirates
- January 30 – Aaron Ward, 64, second baseman on the Yankees' first championship team in 1923
- February 16 – Dazzy Vance, 69, Hall of Fame pitcher who led the NL in strikeouts seven years in a row and won the 1924 MVP award
- February 19 – Red Smith, 61, shortstop for the Philadelphia Athletics in the 1920s
- March 13 – Joe Berry, 88, catcher for the Philadelphia Phillies for one game in 1902
- April 15 – Nick Cullop, 73, pitcher for the Cleveland Naps, New York Yankees and St. Louis Browns, who also won 22 games for the 1915 Kansas City Packers in the outlaw Federal League
- April 23 – Jack Barry, 73, shortstop in the Athletics' "$100,000 infield", coach since 1921 at Holy Cross, where he won the 1952 College World Series and posted the highest career winning percentage (.806) in collegiate history
- April 28 – Tommy Connolly, 90, Hall of Fame umpire from 1898 to 1931 who worked the first American League game ever, as well as the first contests at Comiskey Park, Shibe Park, Fenway Park, and Yankee Stadium
- May 17 – Otto Knabe, 76, Second baseman for the Philadelphia Phillies for many years, and was the player-manager for the Baltimore Terrapins of the Federal League.
- June 18 – Eddie Gaedel, 36, 3'7" player who made one appearance for the 1951 Browns in a stunt promotion
- July 17 – Ty Cobb, 74, Hall of Fame center fielder widely recognized during his lifetime as the greatest player in the sport's history, and holder of more records than any other player including highest lifetime batting average (.367) and most career hits (4,191), runs (2,245), steals (892), games (3,033) and at bats (11,429)
- July 17 – Ed Reulbach, 78, pitcher who starred for the Cubs from 1905 to 1913, winning 182 career games
- July 18 – Hod Eller, 67, pitcher for the Reds from 1917–1921, including a 1919 World Series game which saw him strike out 6 in a row
- August 3 – Tom Downey, 77, played from 1909 to 1915 for the Reds, Phillies, Cubs, and Bisons.
- September 9 – Jesse Barnes, 69, pitcher who won 152 games for the Braves, Giants and Dodgers, including a no-hitter
- September 9 – Rube Oldring, 77, outfielder who played mainly for the Athletics, including 4 pennant winners
- October 21 – Harry Gleason, 86, infielder/outfielder who played from 1901 through 1905 for the Boston Americans and St. Louis Browns
- November 27 - Bob Harmon, 74, pitcher for the Cardinals and Pirates from 1909 to 1918
- December 15 – Dummy Hoy, 99, center fielder who scored over 100 runs nine times, and the game's most accomplished deaf player; he threw out the first ball of the 1961 World Series' third game on October 7
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