1967 in baseball

The following are the baseball events of the year 1967 throughout the world.  

Champions

Major League Baseball

• World Series: St. Louis Cardinals over Boston Red Sox (4-3); Bob Gibson, MVP
• All-Star Game, July 11 at Anaheim Stadium: National League, 2-1 (15 innings); Tony Pérez, MVP

Other champions

• College World Series: Arizona State
• Japan Series: Yomiuri Giants over Hankyu Braves (4-2)
• Little League World Series: West Tokyo, Japan

Awards and honors

• Most Valuable Player
  • Carl Yastrzemski, Boston Red Sox, OF (AL)
  • Orlando Cepeda, St. Louis Cardinals, 1B (NL)
• Cy Young Award
  • Jim Lonborg, Boston Red Sox (AL)
  • Mike McCormick, San Francisco Giants (NL)
• Rookie of the Year
  • Rod Carew, Minnesota Twins, 2B (AL)
  • Tom Seaver, New York Mets, P (NL)

Statistical leaders

¹American League Triple Crown batting winner.

Major league baseball final standings

American League final standings

National League final standings

Events

January–April

• January 23 - Stan Musial is named General Manager of the St. Louis Cardinals.

• January 29 - Branch Rickey and Lloyd Waner are elected to the Hall of Fame by a unanimous vote of the Special Veterans Committee.

• February 16 - Red Ruffing is selected for the Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers Association of America through a special runoff election, since no one received the required 75 percent vote in January.

• April 11 - In the season opener, the Chicago Cubs beat the Philadelphia Phillies 4-2 before 16,642 at Wrigley Field. Ferguson jenkins pitched a complete game and Glenn Beckert hit a home run.

• April 14 - In his Major League debut, Billy Rohr of the Boston Red Sox has a no-hitter broken up with two out in the ninth inning—and one strike to go—of a 3-0 victory over the New York Yankees and Whitey Ford at Yankee Stadium. A single by Elston Howard breaks up the bid; this will be the only hit Rohr will allow. Exactly one week later, Rohr again defeats the Yankees in a complete game victory, this time at Fenway Park—the second of 1) the only two games Rohr will win this season and 2) the only three he will win as a Major Leaguer.

• April 16 - At Busch Memorial Stadium, in the St. Louis Cardinals' fourth game of the season, Lou Brock hits two home runs in an 11-8 victory over the Houston Astros. With two home runs against the Los Angeles Dodgers the day before and a fifth against the San Francisco Giants on Opening Day, he becomes the first player to hit five home runs in his team's first four games of the regular season.

• April 20 - Tom Seaver earns his first major league victory, 6-1, over the Chicago Cubs.

• April 30 - Steve Barber and Stu Miller combine for a no-hitter, but the Detroit Tigers score twice in the ninth on walks, a wild pitch and an error for a 2-1 win over the Baltimore Orioles.

May–August

• May 14 - The New York Yankees' Mickey Mantle becomes the 6th member of the 500-home run club in New York's 6-5 victory over the Baltimore Orioles at Yankee Stadium. Mantle connects while batting left-handed off Baltimore's Stu Miller.

• May 16 - Carl Yastrzemski hits his 100th career home run.

• June 7 - Willie Stargell hits his 100th career home run helping Pittsburgh Pirates beat New York Mets 3-0.

• June 18 - At the Astrodome, Don Wilson of the Houston Astros no-hits the Atlanta Braves 2-0, the first no-hitter ever pitched either in a domed stadium or on artificial turf. Along the way, he records 15 strikeouts, including Hank Aaron for the final out.

• July 2 - The Chicago Cubs moved into a tie for first place with the St. Louis Cardinals after defeating the Cincinnati Reds 4-1 before 40,464 at Wrigley Field. After the game, many in the crowd waited until the pennant flags on the scoreboard were rearranged with the Cubs flag placed on the top. It was the first time the Cubs were in first place since the 1945 season.

• July 4 - The Niekro brothers face each other for the first time, with Phil Niekro pitching for the Atlanta Braves and Joe Niekro hurling for the Chicago Cubs. Phil beat Joe in an 8-3 decision in the first game of a double-header in Atlanta. The Braves also won the second game 4-2.

• July 11 - At Anaheim Stadium, Tony Pérez ends the longest All-Star Game (15 innings, three hours and 41 minutes) with a home run off Catfish Hunter in a 2-1 National League victory over the American League. Solo homers by Richie Allen and the AL's Brooks Robinson account for the other runs, as Pérez is named MVP.

• July 14 - Eddie Mathews of the Houston Astros becomes the seventh member of the 500 home run club. Juan Marichal of the San Francisco Giants serves up the home run; the first time in history a future Hall of Fame pitcher serves up a 500th home run.

• July 25 - The Chicago Cubs lose 4-3 to the St. Louis Cardinals in St. Louis to drop into 2nd place, the Cubs would not regain first place for the rest of 1967.

• August 18 - Tony Conigliaro of the Boston Red Sox is beaned by the California Angels' Jack Hamilton. Hit on the left cheekbone, just below the eye socket, Conigliaro will miss the rest of 1967 and all of 1968. He was hitting .267 with 20 home runs and 67 RBIs in 95 games in 1967. Despite the loss of Tony C., the Red Sox will sweep the four-game series with the Angels. The sweep, however, still leaves the Minnesota Twins in first place, with Boston, the Detroit Tigers and the Chicago White Sox all within two games.

• August 20 - In the first game of a double header, Al Kaline hits his 300th career home run helping the Detroit Tigers beat the Cleveland Indians, 4-2. Kaline has another home run in the second game with Detroit winning, 4-0.

September–December

• September 10 - In a clutch performance between two of the four teams in the American League pennant race, Joe Horlen of the Chicago White Sox no-hits the Detroit Tigers 6-0, in the first game of a doubleheader at Comiskey Park. The White Sox also shut out the Tigers in the nightcap, with Cisco Carlos gaining his first Major League victory, and pull into a third-place tie with the Tigers and within 1½ games of the first-place Minnesota Twins.

• September 27 - In the tight AL pennant race, the possibility of a four-way tie is eliminated as the Twins and Red Sox both lose (5-1 to California and 6-0 to Cleveland, respectively). Minnesota now has a 91-69 won-lost record and Boston is 90-70, and the only games left for those two teams are two games against each other.

• September 29 - The White Sox lose 1-0 to the Washington Senators and are eliminated from the AL pennant race. Chicago is now 89-71, and can win a maximum of 91 games, and must finish behind the Twins or the Red Sox (those two teams only have the two games against each other left to play). The only remaining tie possibilities are Twins-Tigers or Red Sox-Tigers.
  • Ferguson Jenkins wins his 20th game of the 1967 season with a 4-1 decision over the Cincinnati Reds in Cincinnati. It was the first of seven 20-win seasons for Jenkins in his career, six of which were the Cubs.

• October 1:
  • One of the closest American League pennant races ever enters the season's final day with the Red Sox and Twins tied for first place and the Tigers one-half game back. The Red Sox and Twins play a game against each other, with the winner clinching a tie for the pennant and the loser being eliminated. In that game, eventual American League MVP Carl Yastrzemski goes 4 for 4 as the Red Sox beat the Twins 5-3. The Tigers can tie the Red Sox if they sweep a doubleheader from the California Angels in Detroit. The Tigers win the first game 6-4, but their bullpen fails in the finale and the Angels win 8-5 to give the Red Sox the pennant with no playoff.
  • Today's doubleheader is the second in as many days for the Tigers and the Angels. The doubleheaders are the result of earlier postponements of games which are needed in the deciding of the pennant race. Many years later, also in the AL, there will be a case of a day doubleheader scheduled on the day after a twi-night doubleheader; there will be a player protest to AL president Bobby Brown, who will rule that there will be only one game on the second day.
  • For the first time since 1937 both Chicago teams succeed in winning at least 85 games during the regular seaon. For the Cubs it was only their 2nd winning season (1963 being the other one) since 1946.

• October 5 - In Game 2 of the World Series, Boston's Jim Lonborg is brilliant as he retires the first 19 Cardinals before walking Curt Flood with one out in the seventh inning. His no-hit bid is broken up with two out in the eighth by a Julian Javier double. Lonborg has to settle for pitching the fourth one-hitter in World Series history as the Red Sox even the series with a 5-0 win.

• October 12 - In Game Seven of the World Series, the St. Louis Cardinals earn their second World Championship of the decade with a 7–2 victory over pitcher Jim Lonborg and the Boston Red Sox. Pitcher Bob Gibson notches his third win in the Series with a three-hitter, 10 strikeouts and a fifth-inning home run, while outfielder Lou Brock has two hits and three stolen bases for a record seven steals in a seven-game World Series. Where as Lonborg gave up six of those seven runs. For the second time in four years, Gibson is honored as the Series MVP along with Brock.

• October 18: City officials from Kansas City, Oakland and Seattle were invited by Joe Cronin to discuss the A’s relocation plans. United States Senator Stuart Symington attended the meeting and discussed the possibility of revoking baseball’s antitrust exemption if the A’s were allowed to leave Kansas City. The owners began deliberation and after the first ballot, only six owners were in favour of relocation. The owner of Baltimore voted against, while the ownership for Cleveland, New York and Washington had abstained.^[1] In the second ballot, the New York Yankees voted in favour of the Athletics relocation to Oakland. To appease all interested parties, the Athletics announced that MLB would expand to Kansas City and Seattle no later than the 1971 MLB season.^[2]

• October 22 - Kansas City Athletics owner Charlie Finley hires Hall of Famer Joe DiMaggio as the team's vicepresident. DiMaggio will also serve as a coach for the newly transplanted Oakland Athletics. DiMaggio needed two more years of baseball service to qualify for the league’s maximum pension allowance.^[3]

• November 22 - Minnesota Twins second baseman Rod Carew wins the American League Rookie of the Year Award. Receiving 19 of 20 first place votes, Carew easily outdistances Reggie Smith of the Boston Red Sox.

• November 29 - The Chicago White Sox reacquire SS Luis Aparicio, along with OF Russ Snyder and 1B/OF John Matias, from the Baltimore Orioles, in exchange for pitchers Bruce Howard and Roger Nelson and IF Don Buford.

Births

January–March

• January 5 - Chris Nabholz
• January 26 - Jeff Branson
• February 1 - Tim Naehring
• February 9 - Todd Pratt
• February 11 - Scott Pose
• February 18 - John Valentin
• February 18 - Matt Turner
• February 26 - David Howard
• February 26 - Scott Service
• March 27 - Jaime Navarro
• March 28 - Shawn Boskie
• March 29 - Brian Jordan

April–June

• April 3 - Miguel García
• April 3 - Danilo León
• April 6 - Tommy Greene
• April 9 - Graeme Lloyd
• April 14 - Mike Trombley
• April 17 - Marquis Grissom
• April 23 - Rheal Cormier
• April 24 - Omar Vizquel
• April 27 - Tony Eusebio
• May 5 - Charles Nagy
• May 15 - John Smoltz
• May 16 - Doug Brocail
• May 18 - Eric Young
• May 19 - Turk Wendell
• May 24 - Carlos Hernández
• May 31 - Kenny Lofton
• June 2 - Mike Stanton
• June 4 - Scott Servais
• June 4 - Rick Wilkins
• June 5 - Ray Lankford
• June 11 - John Doherty
• June 23 - Hensley Meulens
• June 29 - John Wehner

July–September

• July 4 - Vinny Castilla
• July 5 - Tim Worrell
• July 6 - Omar Olivares
• July 10 - Andy Ashby
• July 10 - Lee Stevens
• July 11 - Donne Wall
• July 13 - Pat Rapp
• July 14 - Robin Ventura
• July 21 - Lance Painter
• July 25 - Ed Sprague
• August 1 - Greg Jefferies
• August 7 - Jason Grimsley
• August 8 - Matt Whiteside
• August 9 - Deion Sanders
• August 10 - Chuck Carr
• August 16 - Bret Barberie
• August 20 - Andy Benes
• August 27 - Brian McRae
• August 28 - Darren Lewis
• August 31 - Stan Royer
• September 3 - Luis González
• September 12 - Pat Listach
• September 15 - Paul Abbott
• September 19 - Jim Abbott
• September 20 - Yorkis Pérez
• September 29 - Dave Silvestri

October–December

• October 1 - Chuck McElroy
• October 3 - Junior Félix
• October 4 - Roger Pavlik
• October 5 - Rey Sánchez
• October 9 - Jim Tatum
• October 13 - Scott Cooper
• October 13 - Monty Fariss
• October 13 - Trevor Hoffman
• October 14 - Pat Kelly
• October 15 - Carlos García
• October 20 - Harvey Pulliam
• October 24 - F.P. Santangelo
• October 29 - Mandy Romero
• November 1 - Carlos Rodríguez
• November 4 - Eric Karros
• November 4 - Ryan Thompson
• November 8 - Eric Anthony
• November 8 - Henry Rodríguez
• November 15 - Pedro Borbón
• November 18 - Tom Gordon
• November 19 - Gary DiSarcina
• November 20 - Alex Arias
• November 24 - Al Martin
• November 24 - Ben McDonald
• November 24 - Cal Eldred
• November 29 - Bob Hamelin
• December 1 - Reggie Sanders
• December 6 - Kevin Appier
• December 7 - Tino Martínez
• December 13 - Mike Mordecai
• December 15 - Mo Vaughn
• December 26 - Esteban Beltré

Deaths

January–April

• January 6 - Joe Haynes, 49, All-Star pitcher who played for the Washington Senators and Chicago White Sox from 1939 through 1948.
• January 6 - Johnny Keane, 55, manager who won the 1964 World Series with the St. Louis Cardinals and joined the opposing Yankees immediately afterward.
• January 13 - Charlie Gelbert, 60, infielder for the St. Louis Cardinals, Cincinnati Reds, Detroit Tigers, Washington Senators and Boston Red Sox between 1929 and 1940, who helped the 1931 Cardinals win the World Series.
• February 10 - Betty Whiting, 41, who played at first base for seven different teams of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League in a span of nine years.
• February 12 - Bob Rhoads, 87, pitcher for the Chicago Cubs, Cleveland Indians, and St. Louis Cardinals in the early 20th century, who won 22 games and posted a 1.80 ERA in 1906.
• February 14 - Jimmy Johnston, 77, infielder/outfielder for the Brooklyn Robins, Chicago Cubs & White Sox, and later a coach with the Brooklyn Dodgers.
• March 4 - Bullet Rogan, 77, pitcher in the Negro Leagues for the Kansas City Monarchs
• April 7 - Shanty Hogan, 61, catcher for the Boston Braves, New York Giants, and Washington Senators between 1925 and 1936.
• April 13 - Herb Welch, 66, shortstop for the 1925 Boston Red Sox.

May–August

• May 20 - Senaida Wirth, 40, All-Star shortstop in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League
• June 13 - Dick Reichle, 70, outfielder who played from 1922 to 1923 for the Boston Red Sox
• July 21 - Jimmie Foxx, 59, Hall of Fame first baseman who retired with more career home runs (534) than any player except Babe Ruth; a 3-time MVP and the AL's 1933 triple crown winner, he hit .325 lifetime and played in the first nine All-Star games
• August 17 - Ray Caldwell, 79, spitball pitcher for the Yankees who was later struck by lightning during a 1919 game while with the Indians; he no-hit the Yankees two weeks later

September -December

• September 2 - Jack Ryan, 62, outfielder for the 1929 Boston Red Sox
• September 4 - George Loepp, 65, center fielder for the Boston Red Sox and Washington Senators from 1928 to 1930
• September 12 - Rollie Zeider, 83, infielder for three Chicago franchises from 1910 to 1918
• October 17 - Louise Clapp, 33, All-American Girls Professional Baseball League pitcher
• November 12 - Cleo Carlyle, 65, outfielder for the Boston Red Sox in the 1920s
• December 27 - Paul Lehner, 47, outfielder for the St. Louis Browns, Philadelphia Athletics, Chicago White Sox, Cleveland Indians, and Boston Red Sox between 1946 and 1952
• December 28 - Bill Pertica, 69, pitcher for the Boston Red Sox (1918) and St. Louis Cardinals (1921–23)

References