1965 in baseball

The following are the baseball events of the year 1965 throughout the world.  

Champions

Major League Baseball

• World Series: Los Angeles Dodgers over Minnesota Twins (4-3); Sandy Koufax, MVP
• All-Star Game, July 13 at Metropolitan Stadium: National League, 6-5; Juan Marichal, MVP

Other champions

• College World Series: Arizona State
• Japan Series: Yomiuri Giants over Nankai Hawks (4-1)
• Little League World Series: Windsor Locks, Connecticut

Awards and honors

• Most Valuable Player
  • Zoilo Versalles, Minnesota Twins, SS (AL)
  • Willie Mays, San Francisco Giants, OF (NL)
• Cy Young Award
  • Sandy Koufax, Los Angeles Dodgers
• Rookie of the Year
  • Curt Blefary, Baltimore Orioles, OF (AL)
  • Jim Lefebvre, Los Angeles Dodgers, 2B (NL)

MLB statistical leaders

Hall of Famer Sandy Koufax

¹Major League Triple Crown Pitching Winner

Major league baseball final standings

American League final standings

National League final standings

Events

January–April

• January 31 - Pitcher Pud Galvin is chosen for Hall of Fame induction by the Special Veterans Committee.

• March 21 - At spring training, New York Mets pitchers Gary Kroll and Gordie Richardson combined for a nine-inning no-hitter during a 6–0 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates in St. Petersburg.

• April 9 - U. S. President Lyndon Johnson is on hand for an exhibition game between the New York Yankees and recently renamed Houston Astros. It is the first game to be played indoors at the new Harris County Domed Stadium, which will soon be called the Astrodome.

• April 12 - The first official game at the Astrodome is played in front of over 43,000 fans, as they watch the Philadelphia Phillies defeat the host Astros, 2-0.

• April 23 - Lindsey Nelson, broadcaster for the New York Mets, calls today's Mets-Astros game from a gondola suspended above second base in the Astrodome.

May–August

• June 8 - The first Major League draft is held for high school and collegiate players. The Oakland Athletics use the first overall pick to draft Rick Monday. In the tenth round, the New York Mets pick up Nolan Ryan.

• July 3 - The Minnesota Twins defeat the Kansas City Athletics 3-2. Coupled with a Cleveland Indians loss, the Twins move into a tie for first place. They gain sole possession of first place on July 5, and are in first by four games by the time they complete a nine game winning streak on July 10. They do not relinquish their lead for the remainder of the season.

• July 13 - At Minnesota's Metropolitan Stadium, Willie Mays hits a home run with two walks and two runs to pace the National League to a 6–5 All-Star Game victory over the American League. Juan Marichal pitches three scoreless innings to earn Game MVP.

• August 19 - Jim Maloney walks ten Chicago Cubs, none of whom score. Leo Cardenas hits a home run out of Wrigley Field in the tenth inning for the game's only run; winning the no hitter for Maloney.

• August 22 - A game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants at Candlestick Park turns ugly when San Francisco's starting pitcher, Juan Marichal, batting against Sandy Koufax in the third inning, attacks Dodgers catcher John Roseboro with his bat. Both benches clear and a 14-minute brawl ensues, before peacemakers such as Koufax and the Giants' Willie Mays restore order. A shaken up Koufax then gives up a 3 run homer to Mays and the Giants win 4-3 to retake first place. National League president Warren Giles suspends Marichal for eight games and fines him $1,750, and also forbids him to travel with his team to Dodger Stadium for the final series of the season against the Dodgers.

• August 30 - Casey Stengel announces his retirement as manager of the New York Mets, ending a fifty-five year career as player and manager. He is the only person to have played for or managed all four of New York's Major League clubs.

September–December

• September 2 - Ernie Banks hits his 400th career home run helping the Chicago Cubs beat the St. Louis Cardinals 5-3. Also on September, in preparation of their move the following season to Anaheim, the Los Angeles Angels change their name to the California Angels.

• September 8 - Against the California Angels at Municipal Stadium, Bert Campaneris of the Kansas City Athletics becomes the first player to play all nine positions in the same game, as part of a special promotion featuring the popular young player. He begins the game at shortstop and plays, in order for the next eight innings, second base, third base, left field, center field, right field, first base, pitcher (he gives up a run on a hit and two walks) and catcher. With the game tied at 3-3 after nine innings, Rene Lachemann replaces Campaneris, who was injured in a collision at the plate with Ed Kirkpatrick to end the top of the ninth. California scores two runs in the 13th inning and defeats Kansas City 5-3.

• September 9 - At Dodger Stadium, a duel between the Los Angeles Dodgers' Sandy Koufax and Bob Hendley of the Chicago Cubs is perfect until Dodger left fielder Lou Johnson walks in the fifth inning. Following a sacrifice bunt, Johnson steals third base and scores on a throwing error by Cubs catcher Chris Krug. Johnson later has the game's only hit, a 7th-inning double. Koufax's fourth no-hitter in four years is a perfect game, the first in Dodgers history. One hit by two clubs in a completed nine-inning game is also a major league record, as is the one runner left on base. The two base runners in a game is an ML record. For Chicago pitchers, it is the second one-hitter they've thrown against the Dodgers this year and lost. A week later in the rematch in Chicago's Wrigley Field, Hendley beats Koufax and the Dodgers, 2-1. This was the last time the Cubs were no-hit a span of 45 years, a major league record.

• September 13 - The San Francisco Giants' Willie Mays' hits his 500th home run off the Houston Astros' Don Nottebart, and Juan Marichal earned his 22nd victory as the Giants beat Houston 5-1 at the Astrodome. The win is the Giants' 11th straight and gives them a two and a half game lead.

• September 16 - Before only 1,247 fans at Fenway Park, Dave Morehead of the Boston Red Sox no-hits the Cleveland Indians 2-0, on the same day the Red Sox fire Pinky Higgins as general manager. Not until Hideo Nomo in 2001 will another Red Sox pitcher hurl a no-hitter, and the next Fenway Park no-hitter won't come until 2002 (Derek Lowe). The lone Indian baserunner comes on Rocky Colavito's second-inning walk. The home plate umpire is Ed Runge, whose grandson Brian would call balls and strikes for Jonathan Sánchez's 2009 no-hitter.

• September 18 - "Mickey Mantle Day" is celebrated at Yankee Stadium on the occasion of Mantle's 2,000th career game (all with the Yankees).

• September 22 - The Milwaukee Braves play their final game in Milwaukee, losing to the Los Angeles Dodgers 7-6.

• September 25 - Though he has not pitched in the Major Leagues since 1953, the Kansas City Athletics send Satchel Paige to the mound. At (approximately) 59 years old, he is the oldest pitcher in Major League history. In three innings, he strikes out one, and gives up one hit, a single to Carl Yastrzemski. Paige does not earn a decision in the loss to Boston, 5-2.

• September 26
  • The Minnesota Twins gain their first American League pennant since moving from Washington in 1961, ironically by defeating the expansion Washington Senators 2-1 at Washington D.C.'s Robert F. Kennedy Stadium. Minnesota's Jim Kaat (17-11) wins the clincher.
  • Don Drysdale holds the St. Louis Cardinals to five hits, and the Los Angeles Dodgers win their ninth in a row to move back into a tie for first place. The streak reaches thirteen.

• October 2
  • Sandy Koufax wins his 26th game as the Dodgers beat the Braves 2-1, for their 14th win in their last 15 games as they clinch the N.L. pennant.
  • The New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies play to a 0-0 tie after eighteen innings.

• October 7 - Jim Kaat gives Minnesota a 2-0 World Series lead by driving in two runs, defeating Sandy Koufax and the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-1 at Minnesota's Metropolitan Stadium. The game is remembered for Minnesota's Bob Allison making a remarkable sliding catch of a Jim Lefebvre line drive in the wet grass of Metropolitan Stadium.

• October 14 - Working on two days rest, Sandy Koufax strikes out ten and throws a three-hit, 2–0 shutout against the Minnesota Twins in Game Seven of the World Series, giving the Los Angeles Dodgers a second World Championship in three years. Lou Johnson's fourth inning leadoff home run off the left field foul pole gives Koufax the only run he'll need. A Ron Fairly double and Wes Parker single in the same inning add an insurance run to account for the 2-0 final. Koufax, who threw complete game shutouts in games 5 and 7, is named Series MVP.

• October 19 - The Houston Astros trade catcher Jerry Grote to the New York Mets for a player to be named later and cash. On November 24, The Mets sent Tom Parsons to the Astros to complete the trade.

• November 10 - San Francisco Giants outfielder Willie Mays, who hit .312 with 52 home runs and 112 RBI, is named National League MVP. Mays receives 224 votes to 177 for Sandy Koufax, who pitching for the Los Angeles Dodgers posted a 26-8 record with a 2.04 ERA and 382 strikeouts, allowing just 5.79 hits per nine innings.

• November 22 - Outfielder Curt Blefary of the Baltimore Orioles edges California Angels pitcher Marcelino López for American League Rookie of the Year honors.

• November 26 - Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Jim Lefebvre, who hit .250 with 12 home runs and 69 RBI, is voted National League Rookie of the Year over Houston Astros second baseman Joe Morgan (.271, 14, 40) and San Francisco Giants pitcher Frank Linzy (9-3, 43 strikeouts, 1.43 ERA).

• December 9 - Frank Robinson is traded by the Cincinnati Reds to the Baltimore Orioles for pitcher Milt Pappas; Robinson will win the triple crown and the MVP Award in the American League next year, leading the Orioles to the World Series title.

Births

January–March

• January 2 - Greg Swindell
• January 3 - Luis Sojo
• January 4 - Kevin Wickander
• January 5 - Juan Nieves
• January 6 - José DeJesús
• January 20 - Kevin Maas
• January 25 - Brian Holman
• January 26 - Lou Frazier
• February 9 - Doug Linton
• February 10 - Lenny Webster
• February 12 - Rubén Amaro
• February 12 - Dennis Springer
• February 21 - Oscar Azocar
• February 22 - Eric Yelding
• March 2 - Ron Gant
• March 7 - Jack Armstrong
• March 9 - Benito Santiago
• March 11 - Steve Reed
• March 12 - Steve Finley
• March 14 - Kevin Brown
• March 16 - José Mota
• March 17 - John Smiley
• March 18 - Gerónimo Berroa
• March 20 - Chris Hoiles
• March 22 - Glenallen Hill

April–June

• April 5 - Cris Carpenter
• April 9 - Hal Morris
• April 11 - Turner Ward
• April 17 - Craig Worthington
• April 20 - Masato Yoshii
• April 24 - Mike Blowers
• May 2 - Félix José
• May 12 - Angel Escobar
• May 13 - José Rijo
• May 14 - Joey Cora
• May 18 - Erik Hanson
• May 20 - Wayne Housie
• May 20 - Todd Stottlemyre
• May 24 - Greg Briley
• May 24 - Rob Ducey
• May 27 - Jacob Brumfield
• May 29 - Charlie Hayes
• May 26 - Ricky Jordan
• June 4 - Kurt Stillwell
• June 8 - Kevin Ritz
• June 17 - Manuel Lee

July–September

• July 2 - Steve Sparks
• July 3 - Greg Vaughn
• July 7 - Sam Holbrook
• July 8 - Chuck Malone
• July 8 - Jerome Walton
• July 15 - Kirt Manwaring
• July 25 - Mike Bordick
• July 24 - Joe Oliver
• July 25 - Torey Lovullo
• July 29 - Luis Alicea
• August 13 - Mark Lemke
• August 10 - Al Osuna
• August 16 - Xavier Hernandez
• August 17 - Alex Cole
• August 19 - Carlos Martínez
• August 21 - Jim Bullinger
• August 26 - Carlos Quintana
• September 2 - José Meléndez
• September 9 - Todd Zeile
• September 13 - Steve Curry
• September 14 - Troy Neel
• September 15 - Satoru Komiyama
• September 22 - Mark Guthrie
• September 24 - Scott Leius

October–December

• October 4 - Steve Olin
• October 6 - Rubén Sierra
• October 11 - Orlando Hernández
• October 23 - Al Leiter
• October 25 - Steve Decker
• October 26 - Zach Crouch
• October 26 - Gil Heredia
• November 8 - Jeff Blauser
• November 12 - Bob Natal
• November 17 - Paul Sorrento
• November 18 - Chris Howard
• November 18 - Mark Petkovsek
• November 22 - Mike Benjamin
• November 24 - Jeff Plympton
• November 25 - Randy Veres
• November 28 - Matt Williams
• December 1 - Julio Machado
• December 8 - John Orton
• December 11 - Jay Bell
• December 14 - Craig Biggio
• December 14 - Ken Hill
• December 16 - Chris Jones
• December 18 - Willie Blair
• December 31 - Sil Campusano

Deaths

• January 5 - Dick Lundy, 66, All-Star shortstop and manager of the Negro Leagues

• January 11 - Wally Pipp, 71, Yankee first baseman most known for losing his job to Lou Gehrig.

• January 19 - Jim Joe Edwards, 70, pitcher for the Indians, White Sox and Reds from 1922 to 1928

• January 26 - Bingo DeMoss, 75, second baseman of the Negro Leagues

• February 8 - Ray Brown, 56, All-Star pitcher for the Negro Leagues' Homestead Grays

• March 5 - Pepper Martin, 61, 4-time All-Star with the Cardinals who led the league in steals three times

• March 6 - Wally Schang, 75, American League catcher for 19 seasons, including three world champions

• March 9 - Frank Graham, 71, New York sportswriter for over 50 years.

• May 13 - Dick Wantz, 25, California Angels pitcher, following surgery for brain cancer, who had made his debut only one month earlier, pitching one inning of relief in his only major league appearance.

• May 29 - Mike McNally, 72, infielder for the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees and Washington Senators from 1915 to 1925, and later a minor league manager and scout during almost two decades

• August 21 - Bill Harris, 65, pitcher for the Reds, Pirates and Red Sox, who also tossed two no-hitters in the International League with the 1936 Buffalo Bisons

• August 29 - Paul Waner, 62, Hall of Fame right fielder who won three batting titles and the NL's 1927 MVP award with the Pittsburgh Pirates, becoming the seventh player to make 3000 hits

• September 22 - Biz Mackey, 68, 5-time All-Star catcher and manager of the Negro Leagues

• September 30 - Jim Battle, 64, infielder who hit .375 in eight games for the 1927 Chicago White Sox

• October 29 - Frank Fuller, 72, second baseman for the Detroit Tigers (1915–1916) and Boston Red Sox (1923)

• October 29 - Bill McKechnie, 79, Hall of Fame manager who became the first person to lead three different teams to pennants: the Pirates (1925), Cardinals (1928), and Reds (1939–40), winning the World Series in 1925 and 1940

• December 5 - Mary Dailey, 37, All-American Girls Professional Baseball League infielder/pitcher

• December 9 - Branch Rickey, 83, executive who revolutionized the game first by establishing the farm system of player development, and again by signing Jackie Robinson to integrate the major leagues

• December 19 - John Knight, 80, shortstop who spent 24 years in baseball, including major league stints with the Philadelphia Athletics, Boston Americans, New York Highlanders/Yankees and Washington Senators