1990 in baseball

Year in baseball
this year = 1990

Champions

Major League Baseball

*World Series: Cincinnati Reds over Oakland Athletics (4-0); José Rijo, MVP

4TeamBracket | RD1=League Championship Series | RD2=World Series
RD1-seed1=| RD1-seed2=| RD1-seed3=| RD1-seed4=
RD1-seed1=East | RD1-team1=Boston Red Sox
RD1-seed2=West | RD1-team2=Oakland Athletics
RD1-score1=0 | RD1-score2=4
RD1-seed3=East | RD1-team3=Pittsburgh Pirates
RD1-seed4=West | RD1-team4=Cincinnati Reds
RD1-score3=2 | RD1-score4=4
RD2-seed1=AL | RD2-team1=Oakland Athletics
RD2-seed2=NL | RD2-team2=Cincinnati Reds
RD2-score1=0 | RD2-score2=4

*American League Championship Series MVP Dave Stewart
*National League Championship Series co-MVPs: Rob Dibble and Randy Myers
*All-Star Game, July 10 at Wrigley Field: American League, 2–0; Julio Franco, MVP

Other champions

*Caribbean World Series: Leones del Escogido (Dominican Republic)
*College World Series: Georgia
*Japan Series: Seibu Lions over Yomiuri Giants (4–0)
*Little League World Series: San-Hua, Tainan County, Taiwan

Awards and honors

*Most Valuable Player
**Rickey Henderson, Oakland Athletics (AL)
**Barry Bonds, Pittsburgh Pirates (NL)
*Cy Young Award
**Bob Welch, Oakland Athletics (AL)
**Doug Drabek, Pittsburgh Pirates (NL)
*Rookie of the Year
**Sandy Alomar, Jr., Cleveland Indians (AL)
**David Justice, Atlanta Braves (NL)
*Manager of the Year Award
**Jeff Torborg, Chicago White Sox (AL)
**Jim Leyland, Pittsburgh Pirates (NL)

MLB Statistical Leaders

Major League Baseball final standings

National League

Events

*January 9: Jim Palmer, a three-time American League Cy Young Award winner, and Joe Morgan, a two-time National League MVP, are elected to the Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers Association of America in their first year of eligibility.

*February: The 1990 Major League Baseball lockout begins.

*April 20: After retiring the first 26 Oakland Athletics batters, Brian Holman loses a perfect game when Ken Phelps hits a home run in an eventual 6-1 Seattle Mariners win.

*May 22 - Andre Dawson of the Chicago Cubs is intentionally walked by Cincinnati Reds' pitching five times; the first player to do so in Major League history.

*June 11 - Nolan Ryan pitches the sixth no hitter of his career by defeating the Oakland Athletics in Oakland, 5-0.

*June 14 - It is announced that the National League will be expanding by two teams for the 1993 season.

*June 26: For the first time in major league history, two no-hitters were thrown on the same day in both leagues. Dave Stewart for the Oakland Athletics, pitched a no-hitter against his future team, the Toronto Blue Jays, at SkyDome. Hours later, Dodger pitcher Fernando Valenzuela no-hit the St. Louis Cardinals at Dodger Stadium.

*July 1 - While no longer recognized as such, the New York Yankees' Andy Hawkins pitches a no hitter at old Comiskey Park. However, walks and errors lead to four unearned runs as the Chicago White Sox win 4-0.

*July 10 - Six American League pitchers combine for a two-hitter and a 2–0 victory over the National League in a rain-delayed All-Star Game at Wrigley Field. Texas Rangers second baseman Julio Franco drives in both runs in the 7th inning and is named MVP.

*July 12 - Barry Bonds hits his 100th career home run.

*July 17 - The Minnesota Twins turn two triple plays in a single game against the Boston Red Sox, yet still lose the game 1–0 on an unearned run.

*July 31 - Nolan Ryan of the Texas Rangers earns his 300th career win, against the Milwaukee Brewers.

*August 25 - In the fourth inning of a 14-4 victory over the Oakland Athletics at Tiger Stadium, Cecil Fielder of the Detroit Tigers hits a home run off Dave Stewart, the ball clearing the left-field roof. The home run is the third overall, and the first by a Tiger, to be hit over the left-field roof. Harmon Killebrew had homered over the roof in by|1962 and Frank Howard in by|1968.

*August 27 - At Cleveland Stadium, Boston Red Sox outfielder Ellis Burks hit two home runs in an eight-run 4th inning of a 12–4 victory over the Indians. It is only the second time a Red Sox hitter has homered twice in an inning. Bill Regan was the first, on June 16, by|1928.

*August 31 - Ken Griffey and his son Ken Griffey, Jr. start for the Seattle Mariners in a game against the Kansas City Royals. It marks the first time a father and son have ever played in the same Major League game.

*September 2 - After coming close on numerous occasions, Dave Stieb of the Toronto Blue Jays hurls his team's first (and so far only) no-hitter, blanking the Cleveland Indians 3-0 at Cleveland Stadium.

*September 3 - Reliever Bobby Thigpen sets a major league record with his 47th save in a 4–2 Chicago White Sox victory over the Kansas City Royals. The previous record was set by Dave Righetti of the New York Yankees in 1986.

*September 14 - Ken Griffey and Ken Griffey, Jr. hit back-to-back home runs in a 7-5 loss to the California Angels. Pitcher Kirk McCaskill gives up the historic home runs.

*September 15 - Bobby Thigpen of the Chicago White Sox saves his fiftieth game, becoming the first pitcher to reach that mark. The White Sox defeat the Boston Red Sox 7-5.
*September 22 - Andre Dawson of the Chicago Cubs steals his 300th base in an 11–5 loss to the New York Mets, becoming only the second player in major league history with 300 home runs, 300 steals and 2,000 hits; Willie Mays is the first, though they will later be joined by Barry Bonds.

*September 29 - While waiting through a rain delay, the Cincinnati Reds watch the Los Angeles Dodgers lose to the San Francisco Giants 4-3, which clinches the National League West Division for the Reds. The Reds are the first National League team to lead their division wire-to-wire since the inception of the 162-game season.

*September 30 - Harold Reynolds of the Seattle Mariners grounds out; shortstop Scott Fletcher to first baseman Steve Lyons, giving the Chicago White Sox a 2-1 victory in the final game to ever be played at historic Comiskey Park. Bobby Thigpen is on the mound to earn his 57th save, establishing a Major League record for saves in a season.

*October 20: The talk of an Oakland Athletics dynasty is proven premature, as the Cincinnati Reds beat Oakland 2–1 to complete one of the most stunning sweeps in World Series history. Series MVP José Rijo (2–0, 0.59 ERA) retires the last 20 batters he faces to give the Reds their first World Championship since 1976. Not joining the celebration at the end is Eric Davis, who ruptures his kidney diving for a ball during the game and is taken to the hospital. It will take Davis several years to fully recover.

*December 6: At Herman Darvick Autograph Auctions in New York City, Shoeless Joe Jackson's signature is sold for $23,100, the most money ever paid for a 19th- or 20th-century signature. Jackson, who could not read or write, copied the signature from one written out by his wife. The signature, which is resold within hours, was cut from a legal document.

*December 18: The National League announces the six finalist cities for the two expansion clubs that will join the league in 1993: Buffalo, Denver, Miami, Orlando, Tampa-St. Petersburg and Washington, D.C.

Deaths

*January 4: Bobby Balcena, 74, outfielder for the Cincinnati Reds, who during the 1956 season became the first player of Filipino ancestry to appear in a major league game.
*January 7: Horace Stoneham, 86, owner of the Giants from 1936 to 1976 who moved the team from New York City to San Francisco for the 1958 season; the team won five NL pennants and the 1954 World Series during his tenure.
*January 9: Spud Chandler, 82, All-Star pitcher for the New York Yankees who was the AL's MVP in a 20-4 season in 1943; owned career .717 winning percentage.
*February 24: Tony Conigliaro, 45, All-Star right fielder for the Boston Red Sox who at age 20 became the youngest player ever to win a home run title, but never fully recovered from being hit in the face by a pitch two years later.
*March 6: Joe Sewell, 91, Hall of Fame shortstop for the Cleveland Indians and New York Yankees who batted .312 lifetime and struck out only 114 times in over 8,300 plate appearances; led AL in doubles in 1924, and in putouts and assists four times each.
*March 26: Chet Brewer, 83, All-Star pitcher of the Negro Leagues, later a scout for the Pirates.
*March 29: Phil Masi, 74, a four-time All-Star catcher who played for the Boston Braves, Pittsburgh Pirates and Chicago White Sox between 1939 and 1952.
*April 21: Johnny Beazley, 71, who went 21–6 with a 2.13 ERA in his 1942 rookie season for the Cardinals and pitched two complete-game wins in the team's World Series over the Yankees.
*May 23: Charlie Keller, 73, five-time All-Star left fielder for the New York Yankees who hit 30 home runs three times.
*May 24: Augie Donatelli, 75, National League umpire from 1950 to 1973 who initiated that league's trend toward a low strike zone, and spearheaded the formation of the first umpires' union.
*July 28: Red Barrett, 75, All-Star pitcher for three NL teams who set a major league record for the fewest pitches (58) in a nine-inning game in 1944; led NL in wins in 1945.
*August 10: Cookie Lavagetto, 77, All-Star third baseman who, with the Brooklyn Dodgers, spoiled a Yankee no-hitter with two out in the ninth inning of Game Four in the 1947 World Series, hitting a game-winning double; later managed the Senators and Twins.
*August 28: Larry Jackson, 59, All-Star pitcher who won 194 games for the Cardinals, Cubs and Phillies; led NL in wins in 1964.
*September 9: Doc Cramer, 85, five-time All-Star center fielder for four AL teams who collected 2,705 hits and was a defensive standout; the only AL player to twice go 6-for-6 in a nine-inning game.
*October 5 - Dixie Howell, 70, utility catcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Cincinnati Reds and Brooklyn Dodgers between 1947 and 1956
*October 7 - Walt Ripley, 73, relief pitcher who played briefly for the 1935 Boston Red Sox
*October 10: Wally Moses, 80, All-Star right fielder for the Athletics, White Sox and Red Sox who hit .300 in his first seven seasons, led AL in doubles and triples once each.
*November 8: Earl Torgeson, 66, first baseman who hit .389 in 1948 World Series with Boston Braves, led NL in runs in 1950.
*November 10: Aurelio Monteagudo, 46, Cuban pitcher with five teams who also gained renown pitching in the Venezuelan and Mexican leagues.
*November 22: Joe Bowman, 80, pitcher for the Athletics, Giants, Phillies, Pirates, Red Sox, and Reds between 1932 and 1945.
*November 23: Baudilio "Bo" Díaz, 37, All-Star catcher, most notably with the Phillies and Reds, who batted .333 in the 1983 World Series.
*December 2 - Paddy Smith, 96, backup catcher who played for the 1920 Boston Red Sox