1995 in baseball

The following are the baseball events of the year 1995 throughout the world.  

Champions

Major League Baseball

• World Series: Atlanta Braves over Cleveland Indians (4-2); Tom Glavine, MVP

• All-Star Game, July 11 at The Ballpark in Arlington: National League, 3-2; Jeff Conine, MVP

Other champions

• Caribbean World Series: Senadores de San Juan (Puerto Rico)
• College World Series: Cal State-Fullerton
• Cuban National Series: Villa Clara over Pinar del Río
• Japan Series: Yakult Swallows over Orix Blue Wave (4-1)
• Little League World Series: Shan-Hua, Tainan, Taiwan

Awards and honors

• Most Valuable Player
  • Mo Vaughn (AL)
  • Barry Larkin (NL)
• Cy Young Award
  • Randy Johnson (AL)
  • Greg Maddux (NL)
• Rookie of the Year
  • Marty Cordova (AL)
  • Hideo Nomo (NL)
• Manager of the Year Award
  • Lou Piniella (AL)
  • Don Baylor (NL)

MLB statistical leaders

Major league baseball final standings

Note: All teams played 144 games instead of the normal 162 as a consequence of the 1994 Major League Baseball strike. Seattle and California each played 145 games due to a one game AL West tiebreaker.

• The asterisk denotes the club that won the wild card for its respective league.

Managers

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American League

National League

Events

January–June

• March 9 - Major League Baseball goes ahead with choosing the cities for the 1998 expansion: Phoenix, Arizona, and St. Petersburg, Florida. Phoenix will get the National League Arizona Diamondbacks, and St. Petersburg will get the American League Tampa Bay Devil Rays. To keep the leagues even-numbered, the Milwaukee Brewers will switch to the National League after the 1997 season, giving the NL 16 teams and the AL 14 teams.

• April 2 - After 232 days, the 1994-95 MLBPA Players Strike comes to an end when judge Sonia Sotomayor ends the strike.

• April 8 - The Colorado Rockies sign free agent outfielder Larry Walker.

• April 25 - Major League Baseball begins its strike-shortened 144-game season. Opening day games in New York, Cincinnati, and Pittsburgh among other cities see fan protests regarding the strike spill onto the field.

• April 26 - The Colorado Rockies open Coors Field with an 11-9 victory over the New York Mets in 14 innings.

• May 28 - The Chicago White Sox (5) and Detroit Tigers (7) combine for a record 12 home runs in one game at Tiger Stadium.

• June 30 -
  • Eddie Murray of the Cleveland Indians gets his 3000th career hit in a 3-1 Cleveland win over the Minnesota Twins at the Metrodome.
  • Mark McGwire hit a walk-off grand slam in the ninth inning off closer Lee Smith to give the Oakland Athletics an 8–5 victory over the California Angels.

July–September

• July 11 - The National League defeats the American League in the All-Star Game 3-2, on an 8th-inning pinch-hit home run by Jeff Conine. Conine becomes the 10th player to homer in his first All-Star at bat, and is named the Game's MVP. Frank Thomas, Craig Biggio and Mike Piazza also connect for home runs.

• July 14 - At Dodger Stadium, Ramón Martínez of the Los Angeles Dodgers no-hits the Florida Marlins 7-0. On June 3 of this same season, Martínez' brother Pedro, pitching for the Montréal Expos against the San Diego Padres at Qualcomm Stadium, had pitched nine perfect innings only to have his bid for a perfect game broken up by a Bip Roberts single leading off the 10th. Otherwise the Martinezes would have been the second brother combo, after Bob and Ken Forsch, to pitch Major League no-hitters; they would also have become the first to do so in the same season.

• July 18 - Albert Belle of the Cleveland Indians became the second player to hit a walk-off grand slam against California Angels closer Lee Smith this season. Mark McGwire of the Oakland Athletics did that on June 30. The only other pitchers in major-league history to surrender two game-ending grand slams in one season were Satchel Paige (1952) and Lindy McDaniel (1963). New York Mets closer Francisco Rodríguez will join this group during the 2009 season.

• August 10 - The Los Angeles Dodgers are forced to forfeit to the visiting St. Louis Cardinals when inebriated fans react to several close calls by throwing souvenir baseballs onto the field.

• August 29 - Against the Colorado Rockies at Three Rivers Stadium, Paul Wagner of the Pittsburgh Pirates has a no-hitter broken up by an Andrés Galarraga single with two out in the ninth. The hit is the only one Wagner allows in defeating the Rockies 4-0. The no-hitter would have been the first by a Pirate since John Candelaria in 1976.

• September 4 - Robin Ventura of the Chicago White Sox becomes the eighth player in major league history to hit two grand slams in a single game, doing so in the 4th and 5th innings of the White Sox 14-3 win over the Texas Rangers. The last to do it was Frank Robinson in 1970.

• September 6 - Cal Ripken, Jr. of the Baltimore Orioles plays in his 2,131st consecutive major league game to surpass Lou Gehrig's 56-year record. When the game becomes official in the middle of the fifth inning, Ripken takes a victory lap around Camden Yards during the 22-minute standing ovation from the sellout crowd, including President Bill Clinton. In the game, Ripken goes 2-for-4, including a home run, in Baltimore's 4-2 win over California.

• September 8 - The Cleveland Indians clinch the American League Central Division with a 3-2 win over the Baltimore Orioles. It is Cleveland's first postseason appearance since 1954, and ends the then longest post season drought in the Major Leagues.

• September 13 - Second baseman Lou Whitaker and shortstop Alan Trammell of the Detroit Tigers play in their 1,915th game together, setting an American League record.

• September 15 - The St. Louis Cardinals' shortstop Ozzie Smith is a part of his 1,554th double play to establish a new Major League record, despite the Cardinals losing to the Los Angeles Dodgers, 7-6.

• September 25 - In a 7-0 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals at Wrigley Field, Frank Castillo of the Chicago Cubs has a no-hitter broken up with two out in the ninth—by inches. Bernard Gilkey hits a line drive to right field and despite an all-out attempt by Sammy Sosa to make a diving catch, the ball falls in for a hit and eventually rolls to the wall for a triple, the Cardinals' lone hit of the game. The no-hitter would have been not only the first by a Cub pitcher, but the first one the Cubs had been involved in, since Milt Pappas in 1972.

• September 28 - Greg A. Harris of the Montreal Expos becomes the first major league pitcher since 1893 to pitch with both hands in one game. Harris faces four batters, two from his usual right side and two from the left, in the ninth inning of a 9–7 loss to the Cincinnati Reds.

• September 30 - Albert Belle hits his 50th home run of the season, and becomes the first player in Major League history to collect 50 home runs and 50 doubles in a season.

October–December

• October 2 - In a one-game playoff the Seattle Mariners beat the California Angels 9–1 at Seattle after finishing tied atop the AL West.

• October 8 - After being down 2 games-to-zero in the best of 5 series to the New York Yankees, the Seattle Mariners complete a comeback, capped by the late inning heroics of Edgar Martínez, their designated hitter. Forever known as "the double" in Mariner lore, Martinez strokes a breaking ball into left field, scoring Joey Cora and Ken Griffey, Jr. in the bottom of the 11th to erase a 1 run deficit and win the game and the series.

• October 23 - The St. Louis Cardinals hire Tony La Russa as their manager.

• October 28 - In a pitchers' duel, the Atlanta Braves win Game 6 of the World Series 1-0, on a combined one-hitter by Tom Glavine and Mark Wohlers. David Justice's sixth-inning home run accounts for the game's only run. In winning, the Braves become the first team to win World Championships representing three different cities – Boston (1914), Milwaukee (1957) and Atlanta. Catcher Tony Peña's leadoff single in the 6th is Cleveland's only hit. Glavine is named Series MVP.

• November 2 - The New York Yankees name Joe Torre as their new manager, replacing Buck Showalter.

• November 9 - Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Hideo Nomo is named National League Rookie of the Year, becoming the first Japanese player ever to win a Major League award. Nomo posted a 13-6 record with 236 strikeouts and a 2.54 ERA in 191⅓ innings of work.

• December 22 -
  • Anheuser-Busch agrees to sell the St. Louis Cardinals for $150 million to an investment group that agrees to keep the team in St. Louis.
  • The Florida Marlins sign free agent pitcher Kevin Brown. The Philadelphia Phillies sign free agent third baseman Todd Zeile. The Boston Red Sox sign free agent pitcher Jamie Moyer.

Movies

• Hank Aaron: Chasing the Dream (TV)
• Past the Bleachers (TV)

Deaths

January–March

• January 2 - Don Elston, 65, All-Star relief pitcher for the Cubs who led NL in appearances in 1958 and 1959
• January 12 - John "Hi" Simmons, 89, coach at Missouri from 1937 to 1973 who won the 1954 College World Series
• January 18 - Ron Luciano, 57, American League umpire from 1968 to 1980 known for his flamboyance and several books
• February 7 - Cecil Upshaw, 52, relief pitcher, mainly for the Atlanta Braves, who saved 27 games in 1969 but missed the next season after nearly severing a finger
• March 5 - Roy Hughes, 84, infielder for four teams who scored 112 runs for 1936 Indians
• March 13 - Leon Day, 78, All-Star pitcher for the Newark Eagles of the Negro Leagues who was elected to the Hall of Fame just six days earlier; set several league strikeout marks, including 18 victims in one game
• March 29 - Terry Moore, 82, All-Star center fielder for the Cardinals who batted .304 in 1940, captained 1942 and 1946 champions

April–June

• April 7 - Frank Secory, 82, National League umpire from 1952 to 1970 who worked in four World Series, six All-Star Games and nine no-hitters; as Cubs outfielder, had a pivotal hit in the 1945 World Series
• April 9 - Bob Allison, 60, All-Star outfielder for the Senators/Twins who was the 1959 Rookie of the Year, had three 30-HR seasons and led the AL in triples and runs once each
• April 18 - Elizabeth Emry, 72, All-American Girls Professional Baseball League pitcher for the 1946 Racine Belles champion team
• May 4 - Connie Wisniewski, 73, four-time All-American Girls Professional Baseball League All-Star pitcher and outfielder, who set several records in the circuit in an eight-year career
• May 7 - Gus Bell, 66, All-Star outfielder, mainly with the Reds, who had four 100-RBI seasons and led the NL in triples in 1951; oldest in a major league family that includes son Buddy and grandson David
• May 18 - Jack Kramer, 77, three-time All-Star pitcher who led the St. Louis Browns to their only World Series appearance in 1944
• May 30 - Glenn Burke, 42, center fielder for the Dodgers and Athletics who was the first former major leaguer to publicly acknowledge his homosexuality
• June 9 - Zoilo Versalles, 55, Cuban All-Star shortstop who led Twins to the 1965 AL pennant; first Latin American player to be named MVP, led AL in triples three times and in doubles and runs once each
• June 10 - Lindsey Nelson, 76, broadcaster for the Mets from 1962 to 1979, and also for the San Francisco Giants and NBC

July–September

• July 4 - Adeline Kerrar, 70, All-American Girls Professional Baseball League catcher and infielder
• July 27 - Rick Ferrell, 89, Hall of Fame catcher for the Browns, Red Sox and Senators whose 1806 games caught were an AL record until 1988; from 1934–38, half of a battery with brother Wes
• August 3 - Harry Craft, 80, manager of the Houston Colt .45s in their 1962 debut; former Reds center fielder also managed the Kansas City Athletics and Chicago Cubs
• August 4 - Dick Bartell, 87, All-Star shortstop for five teams, known for his combative personality, who batted .300 five times and scored 100 runs three times; batted .381 for Giants in 1936 World Series
• August 13 - Mickey Mantle, 63, Hall of Fame center fielder for the Yankees who was the AL's MVP in 1956, 1957 and 1962 and won the 1956 Triple Crown; 16-time All-Star won four home run titles, hitting 50 twice, and retired with third most HRs (536) and walks (1733) in history; 10-time .300 hitter led AL in runs six times; most powerful switch-hitter in baseball history, with career marks for runs (1677), RBI (1509) and slugging percentage (.557), and successor to Babe Ruth and Joe DiMaggio as symbol of the Yankees' long reign; hit record 18 home runs in World Series play
• August 20 - Von McDaniel, 56, pitcher who joined his brother Lindy on the 1957-58 St. Louis Cardinals, winning seven games
• September 7 - Al Papai, 78, knuckleballer specialist for four major league teams from 1948–55, and one of 29 players to pitch for both St. Louis clubs
• September 21 - Tony Cuccinello, 87, All-Star second baseman for five teams who lost 1945 batting title by one point in his final season; later a coach
• September 21 - Andrew Rozdilsky, 77, who performed as Andy the Clown at White Sox games from 1960 to 1990

October–December

• October 21 - Vada Pinson, 57, All-Star center fielder for the Reds and four other teams who batted .300 four times and led NL in hits, doubles and triples twice each; second player to hit 250 HRs and steal 300 bases

• October 29 - Al Niemiec, 84, second baseman who played from 1934 to 1936 for the Boston Red Sox and Philadelphia Athletics

• November 19 - Ed Wright, 76, pitcher for the Boston Braves and Philadelphia Athletics between 1945 and 1952, who also threw a no-hitter in the American Association (1945) and the first shutout in Caribbean Series history (1949)

• November 24 - Irene Hickson, 80, All-Star catcher who played during nine seasons in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (1943–1950)

• November 29 - Charley Smith, 57, third baseman who hit .239 with 69 home runs and 281 RBI for the Dodgers, Phillies, White Sox, Mets, Cardinals, Yankees and Cubs from 1960–69, better known as the player sent by the Cardinals to the Yankees in exchange for Roger Maris

• November 30 - Jim Davis, 69, pitcher for the Chicago Cubs, St. Louis Cardinals and New York Giants from 1954 to 1957, who in 1956 became the first pitcher in 40 years to record four strikeouts in a single inning

• November 30 - William Suero, 29, Dominican infielder for the Milwaukee Brewers from 1992–93

• December 2 - Art Herring, 89, pitcher for the Detroit Tigers, Brooklyn Dodgers, Chicago White Sox and Pittsburgh Pirates between 1929 and 1947

• December 5 - Bill Bruton, 70, center fielder for the Braves and Tigers who led the NL in steals three times, triples twice and runs once

• December 20 - Betty Wanless, 67, All-American Girls Professional Baseball League infielder

• December 27 - Al Barlick, 80, Hall of Fame umpire for 28 National League seasons between 1940 and 1971; worked seven World Series and a record seven All-Star Games

• December 27 - Oscar Judd, 87, Canadian pitcher who was an American League All-Star in 1943