The following are the baseball events of the year 2005 throughout the world.
Champions
Major League Baseball
- World Series: Chicago White Sox over Houston Astros (4-0); Jermaine Dye, MVP
- American League Championship Series: Chicago White Sox over Los Angeles Angels (4-1); Paul Konerko, MVP
- American League Division Series: Chicago White Sox (Central) over Boston Red Sox (Wild card) (3-0); Los Angeles Angels (West) over New York Yankees (East) (3-2)
- National League Championship Series: Houston Astros over St. Louis Cardinals (4-2); Roy Oswalt, MVP
- National League Division Series: St. Louis Cardinals (Central) over San Diego Padres (West) (3-0); Houston Astros (Wild card) over Atlanta Braves (East) (3-1)
- American League Championship Series: Chicago White Sox over Los Angeles Angels (4-1); Paul Konerko, MVP
- All-Star Game, July 12 at Comerica Park: American League, 7-5; Miguel Tejada, MVP
Other champions
- Amateur
- College World Series: Texas Longhorns
- Little League World Series: Ewa Beach, Hawaii
- International
- Caribbean World Series: Aguilas de Mazatlán (Mexico)
- China Baseball Association: Beijing Tigers over Tianjin Lions (3-0)
- Chinese Professional Baseball League (Taiwan): Sinon Bulls over Macoto Cobras (4-0)
- Italy Serie A: Italeri Bologna over Leader T&A San Marino (4-3)
- Japan Series: Chiba Lotte Marines over Hanshin Tigers (4-0)
- Konami Cup: Chiba Lotte Marines over Samsung Lions
- Korean Baseball League: Samsung Lions over Doosan Bears (4-0)
- Major League Holland Series: Door Neptunus over Mr. Cocker Hcaw (3-1)
- Minor leagues
- International League (AAA): Toledo Mud Hens
- Pacific Coast League (AAA): Nashville Sounds
- Mexican League (AAA): Mexico Tigres
- Eastern League (AA): Akron Aeros
- Southern League (AA): Jacksonville Suns
- Texas League (AA): Midland RockHounds
- California League (High-A): San Jose Giants
- Carolina League (High-A): Frederick Keys
- Florida State League (High-A): Palm Beach Cardinals
- Midwest League (Low-A): South Bend Silver Hawks
- South Atlantic League (Low-A): Kannapolis Intimidators
- New York-Penn League (Low-A Short Season): Staten Island Yankees
- Northwest League (Low-A Short Season): Spokane Indians
- Appalachian League (Rookie): Elizabethtown Twins
- Pioneer League (Rookie): Orem Owlz
Awards and honors
- Baseball Hall of Fame election: Wade Boggs and Ryne Sandberg are selected by the BBWAA.
- Major League Baseball awards
- Most Valuable Player: Alex Rodriguez (AL), Albert Pujols (NL)
- Cy Young Award: Bartolo Colón (AL), Chris Carpenter (NL)
- Rookie of the Year: Huston Street (AL), Ryan Howard (NL)
- Manager of the Year Award: Ozzie Guillén (AL), Bobby Cox (NL)
- Comeback Player of the Year: Jason Giambi (AL), Ken Griffey, Jr. (NL); the award was voted on for the first time by fans.
- Gold Glove Awards:
- AL: Kenny Rogers (P), Jason Varitek (C), Mark Teixeira (1B), Orlando Hudson (2B), Eric Chavez (3B), Derek Jeter (SS), Ichiro Suzuki (OF), Torii Hunter (OF), Vernon Wells (OF)
- NL: Greg Maddux (P), Mike Matheny (C), Derrek Lee (1B), Luis Castillo (2B), Mike Lowell (3B), Omar Vizquel (SS), Jim Edmonds (OF), Andruw Jones (OF), Bobby Abreu (OF)
- Player of the Month – April: Brian Roberts (AL), Derrek Lee (NL); May: Alex Rodriguez (AL), Bobby Abreu (NL); June: Travis Hafner (AL), Andruw Jones (NL); July: Jason Giambi (AL), Adam Dunn (NL); August: Alex Rodriguez (AL), Andruw Jones (NL); September: David Ortiz (AL), Randy Winn (NL)
- Pitcher of the Month – April: Jon Garland (AL), Dontrelle Willis (NL); May: Kenny Rogers (AL), Trevor Hoffman (NL); June: Mark Buehrle (AL), Chad Cordero (NL); July: Barry Zito (AL), Andy Pettitte (NL); August: Bartolo Colón (AL), Noah Lowry (NL); September: José Contreras (AL), Andy Pettitte (NL)
- Rookie of the Month – April: Gustavo Chacín (AL), Clint Barmes (NL); May: Damon Hollins (AL), Ryan Church (NL); June: Joe Blanton (AL), Garrett Atkins (NL); July: Gustavo Chacín (AL), Zach Duke (NL); August: Joe Blanton (AL), Zach Duke (NL); September: Robinson Cano (AL), Ryan Howard (NL)
Major League Baseball final standings
* The asterisk denotes the club that won the Wild card for its respective league. Because the Yankees and Red Sox finished with the same win-loss record, the season series result awarded the division championship to the Yankees and the wild card to the Red Sox. |
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Events
January-March
- January 3 - Wade Boggs, a five-time batting champion, and Ryne Sandberg, a nine-time Gold Glove Award winner at second base, are elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Boggs receives 474 votes, or 91.9 percent of the 516 ballots cast. Sandberg receives 393 votes, six more that the needed number. Relief pitchers Bruce Sutter (66.7 percent) and Rich "Goose" Gossage (55.2), and outfielders Jim Rice (59.5) and Andre Dawson (52.3), are the only other players to be named on at least half of the ballots cast.
- January 11 - The Arizona Diamondbacks trade five-time Cy Young Award winner Randy Johnson to the New York Yankees in a three-team deal that includes the Los Angeles Dodgers. Shawn Green, Javier Vázquez and Dioner Navarro also move in the transaction. Arizona receives Vázquez, Navarro and Brad Halsey from the Yankees, and later sends Navarro and three minor league prospects to Los Angeles for Green.
- January 18 - The New York Mets sign Carlos Beltrán to play center field for the next seven years.
- January 21 - Roger Clemens and the Houston Astros agree to an $18 million, one-year contract. Clemens, a seven-time Cy Young Award winner, agrees to a deal that makes him the highest-paid pitcher for the fifth time, following deals with the Boston Red Sox in 1989 ($2.5 million) and 1991 ($5.38 million); with the Toronto Blue Jays before the 1997 season, and with the New York Yankees in 2000 ($15.45 million).
- January 26 - Carlos Delgado agrees with the Florida Marlins to a $52 million, four-year contract, which includes an option year making it potentially worth $64 million over five seasons.
- January 31 - The Seattle Mariners sign relief pitcher Jeff Nelson to a minor league contract, his third stint with the club. The reliever previously pitched with the Mariners from 1992-1995 and again from 2001-2003. He is Seattle's all-time record holder for most games pitched with 383 and has a 23-20 record with the Mariners.
- February 2 - The trade that sent Sammy Sosa to the Baltimore Orioles from the Chicago Cubs is finalized after commissioner Bud Selig approves the deal and the slugger passes his physical. Chicago receives second baseman Jerry Hairston, Jr. and two minor leaguers, then signs Jeromy Burnitz as a free agent to replace Sosa in right field.
- February 6 - At Mazatlan, Mexico, Francisco Campos turns in another brilliant outing, and Mexican champion Águilas de Mazatlán (Mazatlan Eagles) holds on in the final game, edging the Dominican Republic 4-3 to win the 56th Caribbean World Series. The title is just Mexico’s fifth since joining the competition in 1970, the second in the last four years, but its first since hosting the series. Campos allows just three hits - two infield hits and a bunt single - and a run over his first eight innings of work, striking out 11. Previously, Campos handcuffed the Venezuelan champion Tigres de Aragua (Aragua Tigers) 4-0 in the series opener. He allowed just three hits over eight innings and struck out 10. Campos os voted the Series MVP.
- February 8 - Magglio Ordóñez, the last remaining premier free agent of the offseason, and the Detroit Tigers agree to a $75 million, five-year contract, a deal with two option years that could raise the total to $105 million over seven seasons.
- February 16 - The players' union signs an agreement calling for international drug-testing rules during a 16-team World Cup tournament during 2006 spring training. Each team will select a provisional roster of 60 players, 45 days before the start of the tournament, and players will be covered by the drug-testing rules until the end of the competition. The deal, signed by the union, the commissioner's office and the International Baseball Federation, states that IBAF rules will cover the frequency of testing before and during the tournament, the list of prohibited substances, the procedures for taking samples and the laboratories used. More substances are banned by the IBAF than by the major leagues.
- March 2:
- Thirty-two years after his death, Jackie Robinson receives the Congressional Gold Medal in the Capitol Rotunda, the highest honor Congress can bestow. The medal is accepted by Rachel Robinson, his widow. Baseball is represented in a way by former Texas Rangers executive George W. Bush. Robinson joins Roberto Clemente, Joe Louis and Jesse Owens as the only athletes among about 300 Gold Medal recipients. Following the ceremony, the Boston Red Sox are honored at the White House for winning the 2004 World Series.
- March 29 - First baseman Andrés Galarraga announces his retirement. A five-time All-Star and two-time Gold Glove winner in a 19-year career, Galarraga was a .288 hitter with 399 home runs and 1425 RBI in 2,257 games played.
April
- April 3 - In his first outing for the New York Yankees, Randy Johnson allows a run and five hits in six innings as the Yankees open the 2005 major league season with a 9-2 triumph over the 2004 World Champion Boston Red Sox.
- April 4 - Opening Day Highlights:
- Baltimore Orioles Sammy Sosa and Rafael Palmeiro become the first pair of teammates to have at least 500 career home runs apiece. Sosa went into the season with 574 career HR and Palmeiro 551.
- Detroit Tigers designated hitter Dmitri Young hits three home runs to lead his team to an 11-2 victory over the Kansas City Royals.
- Mark Buehrle yields two hits in eight shutout innings and Shingo Takatsu works a perfect ninth inning as the Chicago White Sox defeat the Cleveland Indians 1-0 in a game that takes only an hour and 51 minutes to complete. Indians pitcher Jake Westbrook allows only one run and four hits in going the distance, but it isn't good enough to win. The game's only run comes in the seventh inning on an error by Cleveland shortstop Jhonny Peralta.
- The Cincinnati Reds rally from a two-run deficit in the bottom of the ninth inning to defeat the New York Mets 7-6, after a two-run, game-tying home run from Adam Dunn (his second of the game) and a solo blast to win it by Joe Randa.
- Center fielder Brad Wilkerson has the honor of being the first batter for the Washington Nationals, and he promptly responds with the first hit in Nationals history. Nevertheless, Kenny Lofton hits a three-run homer and Jon Lieber pitches 5 2/3 effective innings, leading the home team Philadelphia Phillies to an 8-4 victory over the Nationals.
- April 6 - Brad Wilkerson of the Washington Nationals hits for the cycle in the Nationals' first win since moving to Washington D.C., 7-3 against the Philadelphia Phillies. He becomes the twentieth player to hit for the cycle twice. One day later, Wilkerson continues his torrid hitting going 4-for-5, as the Nationals complete their first series by winning two of three against the Phillies.
- April 14 - On a historic night at RFK Stadium, Liván Hernández and Vinny Castilla are up to the task. Hernández carries a one-hitter into the ninth inning and Castilla falls a single shy of the cycle as the Washington Nationals post a 5-3 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks in the first major league game in Washington D.C. in over 33 years. After beginning their first season in the nation's capital with a nine-game road trip, the Nationals open the first game at RFK Stadium since the departure of the Washington Senators with former pitcher Joe Grzenda handing a ball to president George W. Bush, who throws the ceremonial first pitch. Grzenda tossed the final pitch in Senators history against the New York Yankees on September 30, 1971.
- April 15 - Sammy Sosa hits his first home run at Camden Yards, giving him homers in 42 different ballparks. Currently seventh on the all-time list with 576 home runs, Sosa and Miguel Tejada have three RBI apiece as the Orioles defeat the Yankees 10-1.
- April 16 - Manny Ramírez knocks in all six Sox runs with a grand slam and a two-run shot, and Matt Clement wins in his Fenway Park debut to lead the Boston Red Sox over the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. It is Ramirez's 18th career grand slam, most among active players. The homer ties him for third on the all-time grand slam list with Willie McCovey and Robin Ventura, behind only Eddie Murray (19) and Lou Gehrig (23). It is Ramirez's 40th career multi-homer game (38 two-homer games, two three-homer games).
- April 26 - At Yankee Stadium, Alex Rodriguez slugs his way to the best performance of his career, hitting three home runs for the third time and driving in a career-high 10 runs as the Yankees win 12-4 over the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Rodriguez comes within one RBI of matching the American League record held by Hall of Famer and former Yankee Tony Lazzeri.
- April 27 - Mark Grudzielanek becomes the first St. Louis Cardinals player to hit for the cycle in nine seasons, and pitcher Chris Carpenter equals his career best with 12 strikeouts, as St. Louis beats the Milwaukee Brewers 6–3. Grudzielanek is only the third Cardinals player to hit for the cycle at 40-year-old Busch Stadium, which is being demolished after this season. The others were Ray Lankford on September 15, 1991 against the New York Mets, and Lou Brock on May 27, 1975 against the San Diego Padres.
May
- May 6:
- During a 6-5 win over the St. Louis Cardinals, San Diego Padres closer Trevor Hoffman becomes just the third pitcher in major league history to reach the 400-save plateau, joining Lee Smith (478) and John Franco (424). Hoffman has converted 400 of 450 save chances in his career.
- Mike Piazza delivers two home runs and drives in three runs as the New York Mets win a 7-4 triumph over the Milwaukee Brewers. Piazza's second homer is his 383rd, giving him sole possession of 48th place on the career list. His first shot moved him into a tie for 49th with Frank Howard and Jim Rice.
- May 7 - Julio Franco hits 3-for-4 including his first home run of the season as the Atlanta Braves beat the Houston Astros 4-1. Franco, who turns 47 on August 23, becomes the second-oldest player in major league history to homer at 46 years, 257 days. Jack Quinn, a pitcher, was 46 years, 357 days when he hit one for the Philadelphia Athletics on June 27, 1930.
- May 8 - At Fenway Park, the Boston Red Sox beat the Seattle Mariners 6-3, as pitcher Jeremi González wins for the first time since August 19, 2003. He was 0-11 in his previous 15 starts. González pitches 5 2/3 strong innings as a fill-in for injured Boston aces Curt Schilling and David Wells. After pitching a no-hitter through five innings, he allows two earned runs on four hits and two walks while striking out six.
- May 10 - Tony Peña, who managed the Kansas City Royals for two-plus seasons, resigns after a loss at Toronto.
- May 15 - At Safeco Field, Boston's Manny Ramírez hits his 400th career home run, a three-run shot in the fifth inning off Seattle starter Gil Meche. Ramírez is the 39th player in major league history to reach 400 homers, and just the fifth to reach the mark in a Red Sox uniform. The others were Jimmie Foxx, Ted Williams, Carl Yastrzemski and Andre Dawson. He also is the 13th player to reach the mark before his 33rd birthday and just the fourth since Harmon Killebrew in 1969, and the fifth-fastest to 400 in number of at-bats, behind Mark McGwire, Babe Ruth, Killebrew and Jim Thome. The Mariners overcome Ramírez's milestone to beat the Red Sox 5-4.
- May 21:
- The San Francisco Giants hold a celebration in honor of Hall of Famer Juan Marichal. A 9-foot bronze statue of Marichal is dedicated on the plaza outside of the ballpark, joining similar larger than life-size sculptures of Willie Mays and Willie McCovey. Leonel Fernández, the President of the Dominican Republic, is in attendance. In the game which follows the ceremonies, the Giants wear uniforms with the word "Gigantes" on the front (the Spanish word for "Giants"), the first time in the club's 123-year history it has worn such threads. The uniforms are to be auctioned off afterward. Many of Marichal's former teammates are in attendance, including Mays, McCovey, Felipe Alou, Orlando Cepeda and Gaylord Perry.
- At Arlington, David Dellucci hits two of the Texas Rangers' team-record eight home runs, in an 18-3 rout of the Houston Astros. Rod Barajas, Mark Teixeira, Hank Blalock and Laynce Nix connect homers to highlight a club record four-homer second inning, and Richard Hidalgo and Kevin Mench also homer to help the Rangers top their previous best of seven, accomplished in 1986 and 2003.
- May 23 - At Cooperstown, NY, minor leaguer Derek Nicholson hits a two-run home run with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, sending the Detroit Tigers to a 6-4 victory over the Boston Red Sox in the annual Hall of Fame game. Nicholson, who plays for the Class A Lakeland Tigers of the Florida State League, sends a 1-0 pitch from reliever Barry Hertzler of the Class A Wilmington Blue Rocks of the Carolina League over the fence in left-center field. In the traditional home-run contest staged before the game, David Ortiz of the Red Sox hits a record-breaking eight in his 10 official swings. He hits his last one, a drive that barely cleared the wall in right field, with a broken bat.
- May 25 - The St. Louis Cardinals beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 2–1 in 12 innings, as manager Tony La Russa wins his 823d game with the Cardinals, passing Whitey Herzog for second place on the franchise list. La Russa is 218 victories behind franchise leader Red Schoendienst.
- May 28:
- During a ceremony at Great American Ball Park, the Cincinnati Reds retire uniform No. 10 of former manager Sparky Anderson. Now Anderson's number joins those of Johnny Bench (5), Joe Morgan (8), Tony Pérez (24), Frank Robinson (20) and the late Fred Hutchinson (1) and Ted Kluszewski (18) that have been retired by the team.
- The Chicago Cubs send LaTroy Hawkins to the San Francisco Giants, in exchange for Jerome Williams and David Aardsma.
- Derrek Lee hits two home runs for the second straight game and the fourth time this season, leading the Chicago Cubs to a 5-1 victory over the Colorado Rockies at Wrigley Field.
- May 30:
- The Chicago White Sox extend manager Ozzie Guillén's contract, making the move while the team has the best record in the majors (33-17). Chicago picks up the 2006 option on Guillén's contract, adds two more years and includes an option for the 2009 season.
- 42-year-old Jamie Moyer pitches six solid innings for his 131st win with the Seattle Mariners, passing Randy Johnson to become the club's career leader as the Mariners beat the visiting Toronto Blue Jays, 4-3. Over 20 major league seasons, he's 197-147.
- May 31 - The Kansas City Royals hire Buddy Bell as their manager, three weeks after Tony Peña resigned. Bell, the bench coach for the Cleveland Indians, has previously managed the Detroit Tigers and Colorado Rockies.
June
- June 1 - The Houston Astros defeat the Cincinnati Reds, 4-1, as pitcher Roy Oswalt takes the major league lead for victories against a team without a defeat, improving to 14-0 against visiting Cincinnati. Oswalt was tied for the lead in victories against one team without a loss with Pedro Martínez, who has a 13-0 record against the Seattle Mariners. Randy Johnson is 12-0 against the Chicago Cubs.
- June 2 - The New York Yankees are swept by the worst team in baseball, falling 5-2 to the Kansas City Royals for their first five-game losing streak in more than two years. It's been a ball so far for Buddy Bell, the new Royals skipper who is unbeaten after sweeping three games from the visiting Yankees. Kansas City pitchers allow just six runs in the series. It's the third time in their storied history the Yankees have been swept in three games by the team with the worst record in the majors. The other times were in 2000 by the Detroit Tigers and 1937 by the Philadelphia Athletics; in both those seasons, New York won the American League pennant. Kansas City completes its first three-game sweep at home of the Yankees in 15 years. The Royals had gone 78 series without sweeping anyone, the longest drought in the majors since the Philadelphia Phillies went 79 series without a sweep from 1996-97. Despite their three-game sweep, the Royals' record of 16-37 is still the worst in the majors.
- June 4:
- Chan Ho Park earns his 100th major league win, Michael Young gets four hits and the Texas Rangers beat the Kansas City Royals 14-9 to hand the Royals their first loss under new manager Buddy Bell. Park also becomes the first South Korean pitcher to win 100 games in the majors.
- Garret Anderson's go-ahead, three-run homer caps a four-run seventh inning, and the Los Angeles Angels pass the host Boston Red Sox 13-6. Anderson's homer gives him a club-record 990 RBI, breaking the old mark of 989 set by Tim Salmon.
- D.J. Houlton earns his first major league victory in his first start, J.D. Drew and Jeff Kent hit consecutive home runs for the second time in three games, and the Dodgers beat the Brewers 2-1.
- Rafael Palmeiro and Melvin Mora each hit grand slams, and the Baltimore Orioles rally for a 14-7 victory over the Detroit Tigers. For Palmeiro, it is the 559th homer of his career.
- Hall of Famer Eddie Murray os fired as hitting coach of the Cleveland Indians, whose sputtering offense has been a major disappointment.
- The contract sending Babe Ruth from Red Sox to the New York Yankees is for sale. This is all that remains of the Curse of the Bambino: five neatly typed pages, two bold signatures, and the scars from 86 years of torment.
- June 5 - For the first time since 1933, a team called Washington is in first place late in the season. Ryan Church helps lift the Washington Nationals into first place in the NL East Division with a three-run home run, as the Nationals complete a three-game sweep of the visiting Florida Marlins with a 6-3 triumph. The victory, coupled with Atlanta's loss to Pittsburgh, puts Washington in first place. The Nationals have come from behind for 21 of their 31 victories, including each of its last eight. 75 years ago, the Washington Senators team that won the American League pennant topped the standings this time of year or later.
- June 6 - Colorado Rockies rookie sensation Clint Barmes is expected to miss at least three months after breaking his left collarbone in a fall while carrying groceries up the stairs in his apartment building. Barmes, a shortstop leading National League rookies in most offensive categories, undergoes surgery the next day. He had hit around .400 and led the major leagues in batting average for about the first six weeks of the season. After a mild slump, he was still leading NL rookies in hitting (.329), runs (40), hits (74), doubles (16), home runs (8) and RBI (34) heading into the day's game.
- June 7 - Justin Upton, a slugging high school shortstop from Virginia, is taken by the Arizona Diamondbacks with the No. 1 pick in the 2005 baseball draft. He and his brother B.J., the second pick in 2002 by Tampa Bay, are the highest-drafted siblings.
- June 8:
- Marlins starter Dontrelle Willis becomes the major leagues' first 10-game winner in Florida's 5-4 win over the Seattle Mariners. Carlos Delgado homers and provides all the runs the Marlins need.
- Yankee third baseman Alex Rodriguez becomes the youngest member of the 400-home run club when he hits a solo shot in the eighth inning of New York's 12-3 win over host Milwaukee. The home run is the second of the game for the 29-year-old, who becomes the 40th player in major league history to reach 400 homers, with two more than Dale Murphy and one more than Al Kaline and Andrés Galarraga.
- Minnesota ace Johan Santana improves to 15-0 over his last 17 road starts, when he pitches a 8-0 four-hit, nine-strikeout shutout against Arizona.
- June 9 - The SF Giants' Omar Vizquel plays in his 2,179th game as a shortstop, passing Dave Concepción for sole possession of sixth place on the career list. Hall of Famer Luis Aparicio holds the record of 2,581.
- June 10:
- Greg Maddux makes the Boston Red Sox' first appearance at Wrigley Field a sour one. Maddux allows three runs in 6 2/3 innings and homers for the first time in six years as the Chicago Cubs capture their 11th win in their last 14 games with a 14-6 victory over the Red Sox. Facing the Cubs for the first time since the 1918 World Series, Boston did not play at Wrigley Field before because of the decision that year to host the postseason games in Chicago at Comiskey Park because of its greater seating capacity.
- The 1919 contract that shipped Babe Ruth from the Boston Red Sox to the New York Yankees sells at auction for a staggering $996,000, delighting its new owner, Pete Siegel, a die-hard Yankees fan, and a hunger-relief group designated to receive a financial windfall from the sale. The price is nearly double the presale estimate for the December 26, 1919, contract, signed by owners Harry Frazee of the Red Sox and Jacob Ruppert of Yankees, and nearly 10 times the $100,000 cost of purchasing Ruth.
- June 12 - Acquired in a trade two days before, Junior Spivey hits a two-run home run as the Washington Nationals tie a franchise record with their 10th consecutive win - a 3–2 victory over the Seattle Mariners. Before relocating to the nation's capital this season, the Nationals were known as the Montreal Expos, who won 10 straight games three previous times in 1979, 1980 and 1997. The Nationals have won 13 of their last 14 games overall, with eight of the wins coming by one run, and complete a 12-1 homestand. Tony Armas, Jr. pitches five scoreless innings, allowing five hits, and is 2-0 with a 1.59 ERA in his last three starts.
- June 14:
- The Boston Red Sox honor their Hall of Fame catcher Carlton Fisk and the 12th-inning home run that won Game 6 of the 1975 World Series by naming the left field foul pole where it landed the "Fisk Pole". In a pregame ceremony from the Monster Seats, Fisk is cheered by the Fenway Park crowd while the shot is replayed to the strains of Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus. The Red Sox scheduled the ceremony to coincide with an interleague series against the Cincinnati Reds, who make their first trip back to Fenway Park since the '75 Series. Thirty years later, the video of Fisk trying to wave the ball fair remains one of the game's enduring images; Game 6 is often called the best game in major leagues history. Fenway's right field foul pole, which is just 302 feet from the plate, has long been unofficially named the Pesky Pole, for light-hitting former Red Sox shortstop Johnny Pesky, who had a tendency to curve fly balls around it for homers. On the field, Fisk throws out the ceremonial first pitch to former battery-mate Luis Tiant.
- Commissioner Bud Selig favors reversing use of the designated hitter for interleague games next season. Under Selig's proposal, which will be considered during the offseason, the DH would be used in National League parks instead of in American League stadiums.
- June 15 - Ichiro Suzuki of the Seattle Mariners collects his 1,000th career hit, becoming just the third player since 1900 to reach the plateau in fewer than 700 games.
- June 16:
- Atlanta Braves veteran first baseman Julio Franco (46) has his first two-steal game since 1994, and teammate pitcher John Smoltz (38) has his first two-hit game since 1999.
- The Colorado Rockies become the seventh team since 1900 to go 4-26 in its first 30 road games, joining the Washington Senators (1904), Philladelphia Athletics (1916), Philadelphia Phillies (1928), Chicago Cubs (1981), Minnesota Twins (1982) and Tampa Bay Devil Rays (2005).
- The Pittsburgh Pirates are the only major league team with at least an extra-base hit in every game this season.
- With a 9-6 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers, Kansas City becomes the first major league team to have three-game sweeps of the Dodgers and Yankees in one regular season, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. According to Elias, the Angels and Mariners also swept the Yankees and Dodgers in one season since interleague play began in 1997, but both were not three-game sweeps. Kansas City is 11-4 since Buddy Bell took over as manager May 31.
- June 17:
- The Baltimore Orioles' Miguel Tejada plays in his 822d consecutive game, tying Gus Suhr for ninth place on the all-time list.
- Former Boston Red Sox Brian Daubach starts at first base for the New York Mets, drawing three walks and scoring two runs one day after being called up from Triple-A Norfolk. Daubach was drafted by the Mets in the 17th round in 1990, but this is his first big league game for the club.
- June 18 - Veteran Julio Franco hits a pair of home runs and Andruw Jones and Johnny Estrada also homer as the Atlanta Braves beat the host Cincinnati Reds 6-1.
- June 19 - Rafael Palmeiro hits his 560th career home run to give Baltimore a sixth-inning lead, and the Orioles shake off manager Lee Mazzilli's first career ejection to beat the Colorado Rockies 4-2.
- June 24:
- At Yankee Stadium, the New York Mets set a National League record by hitting three sacrifice flies in one inning, an oddity accomplished three times by American League teams. Ramón Castro, José Reyes and Mike Cameron each hit one in the second inning, and Reyes adds his second of the game in the ninth, as the Mets defeat the Yankees 6-4.
- Los Angeles Dodgers closer Eric Gagné has season-ending elbow surgery which goes better than expected. Gagné does not need a ligament replaced and could return by spring training. Originally expected to be out 12-to-14 months, Gagné now faces about six months recovery time, and may start throwing a baseball even earlier.
- June 27:
- Julio Franco hits his eighth career grand slam as the Atlanta Braves get past the Florida Marlins. The 46-year-old Atlanta first baseman has shown in June that he clearly can still play the game. In his last seven appearances, Franco is hitting .458 with four home runs and 11 RBI, and is making plenty of entries on those oldest-to-do-whatever lists. Earlier this month, he became the oldest player in major league history to have a two-homer game, the oldest in the last 96 years to steal a base and extended his own mark for being the oldest to hit a grand slam.
- Baltimore's Rafael Palmeiro gets two more hits in a 6-4 loss to the New York Yankees, moving him past Sam Rice into sole possession of 26th place on the all-time list. Palmeiro is 11 hits shy of becoming the fourth player in major league history with 3,000 hits and 500 homers.
July
- July 5 - At Arlington, Tim Wakefield takes the mound for his 300th major league start and Manny Ramírez hits his third grand slam this season, and 20th of his career, as the Boston Red Sox defeat the Texas Rangers 7-4. Johnny Damon, whose leadoff single extended his career-best hitting streak to 21 games, matches the longest in the majors this season (by Darin Erstad). The 20 grand slams by Ramírez trail only Lou Gehrig's 23 in major league history.
- July 6 - Florida Marlins pitchers are perfect for more than nine innings, and they set a team record with 22 strikeouts. Juan Encarnación's single in the 12th inning gives Florida a 5-4 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers, but it is the Marlins pitchers who steal the show. Starter A.J. Burnett matches his career-high and the team record with 14 strikeouts in six innings and, after J.J. Hardy's RBI single with two outs in the third, Florida pitchers retire the final 28 Milwaukee hitters. Burnett throws 125 pitches in six innings, allowing four runs and four hits while walking five; Jim Mecir pitches the seventh but doesn't have a strikeout; Guillermo Mota strikes out two in the eighth and two in the ninth; Todd Jones strikes out one in the 10th and two in the 11th, and Valerio de los Santos, the game winner, strikes out one in the 12th.
- July 11 - At Comerica Park – a field normally considered a "pitcher's park" - Bobby Abreu wins the Home Run Derby. He sets records with 24 home runs in a single round and 41 overall, topping Miguel Tejada's previous marks of 15 and 27, set a year earlier. Abreu's longest homer is measured at 517 feet.
- July 12 - The American League rolls to a 7-5 victory over the National League in the 76th All-Star Game played at Comerica Park. Baltimore Orioles shortstop Miguel Tejada is named the MVP. Tejada starts the AL offense with a home run in the second inning and drives in another run in the third. Texas' Mark Teixeira and Seattle's Ichiro Suzuki also drive in two runs each for the AL.
- July 14 - The San Francisco Giants defeat their archrivals, the Los Angeles Dodgers, 4-3, for their 10,000th victory in the franchise's history.
- July 15 - Rafael Palmeiro's RBI double off Joel Piñeiro of the Seattle Mariners is his 3,000th career hit. Palmeiro, who also has 566 home runs, joins Hank Aaron, Willie Mays and Eddie Murray as the only players with 3,000 hits and 500 home runs. Palmeiro also ties Robin Yount for 13th on the career list with 583 doubles, as the Baltimore Orioles beat Seattle 6-3.
- July 23 - The San Francisco Giants retire the number 36 in honor of Gaylord Perry.
- July 24 - At SF, A.J. Burnett homers and pitches into the eighth inning for his second straight victory, and Miguel Cabrera belts a home run for the third game in a row to lead the Florida Marlins past the San Francisco Giants 4-1. With 70-year-old Felipe Alou and the 74-year-old Jack McKeon in the dugouts, it marks the first time in North American professional sports history that opposing teams both had managers or coaches 70 or older.
- July 25:
- The Oakland Athletics defeat the Cleveland Indians 13-4, as Dan Johnson of Oakland is the designated hitter and bats ninth; so did Indians DH Jason Dubois — the first time in major league history each DH was in the last spot in the batting order.
- At home, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays beat Curt Schilling and the Boston Red Sox, 4-3, on Aubrey Huff’s two-out double in the 10th inning. The Red Sox set a major league record to start a season by not playing extra-innings until their 99th game.
- July 31:
- The Baseball Hall of Fame inducts their two newest members — Ryne Sandberg and Wade Boggs — in Cooperstown, New York. The Hall also honors Jerry Coleman, recipient of the Ford C. Frick Award for excellence in baseball broadcasting, and Peter Gammons, recipient of the J.G. Taylor Spink Award for baseball writing.
- Yankees' Jason Giambi hits the 300th home run of his career.
August
- August 1 - Rafael Palmeiro is suspended for 10 days due to testing positive banned substance abuse.
- August 2 - Ryan Franklin is suspended 10 days for violating Major League Baseball's Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program.
- August 3 - Manny Ramírez of the Boston Red Sox becomes the seventh player in major league history to reach 30 home runs and 100 RBI in at least eight straight seasons. The others are Jimmie Foxx, Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Albert Belle, Rafael Palmeiro and Sammy Sosa. Ramírez and Foxx are the only players in Red Sox history with five consecutive 30-homer seasons.
- August 6 - Albert Pujols of the St. Louis Cardinals becomes the first major league player to hit 30 home runs in each of his first five seasons. No. 30 comes in the first inning against John Smoltz, and it helps the Cardinals to an 11-3 victory over the visitors Atlanta Braves.
- August 7 - In just the fourth meeting of pitchers with the same last name since 2000, Víctor Zambrano of the New York Mets outduels Carlos Zambrano of the Chicago Cubs in front of 40,321 fans at Shea Stadium, pitching the Mets to a 6-1 win and a sweep of the three-game series. Both Zambranos entered with 42 career wins, the second time in major league history that opposing starters with the same last name came in with matching victory totals, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. The other was on June 15, 1944, when Red Barrett of the Boston Braves and Dick Barrett of the Philadelphia Phillies each had 19 career wins. Like the Barretts, Víctor and Carlos obviously share a double feat, but the similarities don't end there. The Zambranos were both born in Venezuela, both throw with their right arm, and both wear No. 38. Besides this, it is the fourth time in modern major league history that starting pitchers with a last name beginning with Z faced each other, according to ESPN. Víctor and Carlos Zambrano have both faced Barry Zito of the Oakland Athletics.
- August 7 - Zach Duke becomes only the second rookie in Pittsburgh Pirates history to win his first five decisions as a starter, as the Pirates pass the Los Angeles Dodgers 9-4. The 22-year-old is the first Pittsburgh rookie since Whitey Glazner in 1921 to start 5-0. No Pirates rookie has been 6-0. Duke is 5-0 with 35 strikeouts and a 1.52 ERA in 46.2 innings pitched. His 0.87 ERA in July was the lowest among all major league pitchers.
- August 8 - In a doubleheader with the Florida Marlins, the Colorado Rockies start two pitchers with the same surname. This is the first such doubleheader since June 22, 1974, when Gaylord Perry and his brother Jim Perry, both of the Cleveland Indians, accomplished the feat against the Boston Red Sox. Sun-Woo Kim starts the first game, and Byung-Hyun Kim starts the second game. The Rockies win both games of the doubleheader.
- August 11 - New York Yankees closer Mariano Rivera converts his 31st consecutive save, the last in the longest such streak of his career.
- August 20
- 2005 Little League World Series: Kalen Pimentel of Vista, California, representing the West team, strikes out 18 batters in a six-inning game to lead his team over Owensboro, Kentucky, representing the Great Lakes, 7-2.
- The Kansas City Royals end major league baseball's losing streak in 17 years, defeating the Oakland Athletics 2-1 to snap a club-record 19-game skid. The Royals' mark was the longest since the Baltimore Orioles lost an American League-record 21 in a row at the start of the 1988 season. The major league mark since 1900 is 23 straight losses, set by the Philadelphia Phillies in 1961.
- August 28 - Jason Giambi of the New York Yankees collects his 1500th hit and drives in the 1000th RBI of his major league career in a 10-3 Yankee win over the Kansas City Royals.
- August 31 - Called up from Double-A Carolina, Jeremy Hermida of the Florida Marlins makes a name for himself by becoming the second player in major league history to belt a grand slam in his first at-bat. But it is too late to rally the Marlins, who lose 10-5 to the St. Louis Cardinals at Dolphins Stadium. Pinch-hitting in the seventh inning, Hermida hits his grand slam off Al Reyes on a 1-1 pitch. The Marlins' No. 1 draft pick in 2002, Hermida is a left-handed-hitting outfielder who was a rising star at Double-A before being brought up. The only other player to accomplish the feat was Bill Duggleby of the Philadelphia Phillies on April 21, 1898; Duggleby was the winning pitcher that day.
September
- September 3 - In a 7-0 Yankee win over the Oakland Athletics, starting pitcher Aaron Small of the New York Yankees records his first career major league complete game shutout.
- September 6 - Texas Rangers slugger Mark Teixeira becomes the fifth player in major league history to hit 100 home runs in his first three seasons, joining Joe DiMaggio, Ralph Kiner, Eddie Mathews and Albert Pujols.
- September 7:
- Dontrelle Willis earns his 20th win of the year as the Florida Marlins bury the Washington Nationals 12-1 at RFK Stadium. He also delivers at the plate, going 2-for-4, including a double, with one RBI and two runs. Willis is the first Marlin to win 20 games in a season, and the first African American to do it since Oakland's Dave Stewart in 1990. Only 12 African Americans, plus Black Canadian Ferguson Jenkins, have posted 20-win campaigns in major league history.
- Hideki Matsui hits his 400th professional home run, in the fourth inning of the Yankees' 5-4 win over Tampa Bay. Matsui hit 332 homers for the Yomiuri Giants of Japan's Central League from 1993-2002, and 68 since joining the Yankees in 2003.
- September 9:
- In his third major league start, rookie Matt Cain of the SF Giants pitches a two-hitter complete game while striking out eight, as the visiting Chicago Cubs lose 2–1. A 20-year-old right-hander, Cain beats another promising young pitcher, Jerome Williams, his former minor league teammate.
- Pitcher Woody Williams holds the Los Angeles Dodgers hitless through five innings and Ramón Hernández belts a three-run home run in the fourth inning, giving the San Diego Padres a 3-1 victory over Los Angeles. It is the 40th anniversary of the only perfect game by a Dodgers pitcher in franchise history. Hall of Famer Sandy Koufax retired all 27 Chicago Cubs on Sept. 9, 1965, and Lou Johnson had the only hit and run in a 1-0 victory at Dodger Stadium. The Padres have never had a no-hitter.
- September 12 - David Ortiz of the Boston Red Sox hits his second game-winning home run in seven days to beat the host Toronto Blue Jays in the 11th inning, 6-5. That homer, Ortiz' second of the night and 40th of the season, allows him to join Carl Yastrzemski as the only players in the 105-year history of the Red Sox to hit 40 home runs in consecutive seasons. Yaz did it in 1969 and 1970. Ortiz also enjoys his eighth multihomer game of the season, two shy of tying a Sox record set by Jimmie Foxx in 1938.
- September 14:
- Andruw Jones hits his 50th home run, becoming the first major leaguer to reach that mark since 2002, in the Atlanta Braves' 12-4 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies. It is Jones' 300th career homer, and the 28-year-old becomes the 12th player in major league history to reach that milestone before his 30th birthday.
- David Ortiz continues campaigning for MVP honors, hitting yet another game-winning home run, a two-run shot in the eighth inning, as the Boston Red Sox beat the Toronto Blue Jays 5-3 in the finale of a three-game set at the Rogers Centre. Ortiz has hit three game-deciding home runs in the last nine days – September 6 against the Angels in the bottom of the ninth inning, September 12 against Toronto in the 11th, and today in the eighth. All three have come with the game tied. Ortiz' 42d homer establishes a career high, eclipsing his 2004 total by one. It is also his 38th homer this year hit out of the DH position, surpassing Edgar Martinez' single-season record of 37 in 2000 with the Seattle Mariners.
- September 15:
- The St. Louis Cardinals become the first team to clinch a playoff berth this season, running away with the NL Central title division for a second straight season – their fourth title in the last six years. Jeff Suppan allows six hits over eight-plus innings and the Cardinals beat the Chicago Cubs 6–1, in a game called with two outs in the bottom of the ninth after a 58-minute rain delay. The Cardinals moved into first place on April 16 and never left.
- Staten Island, the Single-A affiliate of the New York Yankees, wins their third New York-Penn League pennant by sweeping the Auburn Doubledays in the championship series.
- September 16 - Barry Bonds of the San Francisco Giants hits his first home run of the season and the 704th of his career. Bonds homers off Los Angeles Dodgers starter Brad Penny in his 11th at-bat after missing most of the year recovering from three operations on his right knee since January 31. Bonds is third on the career HR list, trailing only Babe Ruth (714) and Hank Aaron (755). His first RBI of the season moves him into a ninth-place tie with Carl Yastrzemski with 1,844.
- September 17 - In a game against the Florida Marlins at Dolphins Stadium, the Philadelphia Phillies, trailing 2–0 going into the ninth inning, take advantage of four Marlin errors in the ninth to score 10 runs in the ninth inning. The Phillies go on to win the game 10-2. A blown save during the game snaps Marlins closer Todd Jones' streak of 27 consecutive saves.
- September 18 - The Texas Rangers set a major league record for home runs at home when David Dellucci, Alfonso Soriano and Rod Barajas connect against the Seattle Mariners in an 8-6 victory. Barajas' homer in the fourth inning gives Texas 150 homers at Ameriquest Field, one more than the Colorado Rockies hit at Coors Field in 1996. Mark Teixeira adds two more home runs later in the game to bring Texas' overall home run total to 252, which leads the majors. The Rangers are only 13 homers shy of breaking the major league record of 264 set by Seattle in 1997. Barajas' homer gives the Rangers seven players with at least 20 homers, tying the major league record set by Baltimore in 1996 and matched by Toronto in 2000.
- September 19 - Ian Snell pitches eight strong innings, earning his first major league win, and the Pittsburgh Pirates defeat Roger Clemens and the Houston Astros 7–0 in the opener of a four-game set at PNC Park. Snell, who is making just his fourth start of the season, allows just three hits, strikes out five and walks three, while retiring the final nine batters he faces before José Mesa comes on to complete the four-hit shutout. Clemens has now pitched in every active ball park.
- September 21 - Rafael Furcal of the Atlanta Braves sets a team record with his 187th career stolen base, breaking the mark he shared with Otis Nixon. Hank Aaron holds the franchise record for stolen bases with 240, most of them while the Braves were in Milwaukee.
- September 22 - Pitcher Dontrelle Willis bats seventh in the Florida Marlins lineup. No other pitcher has batted seventh since the Montreal Expos' Steve Renko did so against the San Diego Padres on August 26, 1973.
- September 27:
- The Atlanta Braves clinch their 14th straight division title thanks to Philadelphia's loss to the New York Mets. Atlanta began their record-setting streak in 1991, when they were in the NL West.
- The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim win the AL West title for the second consecutive season with a 4-3 win over the Oakland Athletics. Anaheim led the division or shared the lead for all but five days after the All-Star break.
- Jimmy Rollins sets a Philadelphia Phillies record by extending his hitting streak to 32 games with a single in the seventh inning of a 3-2 loss to the New York Mets. Rollins breaks Ed Delahanty's record of 31 in a row set in 1899. Rollins' streak is the longest in the majors since Florida's Luis Castillo hit in 35 straight in 2002.
- Catcher Ramón Hernández hits a go-ahead grand slam and drives in a career-high seven runs to lead the San Diego Padres past the San Francisco Giants 9–6.
- September 29:
- The Chicago White Sox clinch their first division title since 2000 with a 4-2 victory over the Detroit Tigers in the AL Central. Chicago has 96 victories, the best record in the American League, and is just the 10th team in the history of baseball to be in first place on every day of the season.
October
- October 1 - The New York Yankees defeat the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park by a score of 8–4 to clinch their eighth consecutive American League East title. Yankees captain Derek Jeter gets his 200th hit of the season, and teammate Alex Rodriguez breaks a franchise season record for most home runs by a right hander batter with his 48th blast.
- October 2:
- Both wild card berths are clinched on the final day of the regular season. The Boston Red Sox clinch their third straight wild card after the Chicago White Sox defeat the Cleveland Indians 3–1, while the Houston Astros earn their second straight berth with a 6-4 victory over the Chicago Cubs. Boston wins 10–1 over the Yankees, entering a tie for the first place in the AL East. The Yankees win their season series with the Red Sox ten games to eight, giving New York the division title and Boston the wild card. The last three World Series champions were wild card entries.
- Jimmy Rollins of the Philadelphia Phillies extends his hitting streak to 36 games, the ninth longest in major league history, with a fourth-inning single in the regular-season finale against the Washington Nationals. The streak is the longest since 1987, when Paul Molitor hit safely in 39 consecutive games. The old Phillies franchise record of 31 was set by Ed Delahanty in 1899.
- Florida Marlins manager Jack McKeon tells his team before a 7–6, 10-inning victory over the Atlanta Braves that he will not be back as manager in 2006. McKeon led Florida to the 2003 World Series title and a winning record in each of his three seasons as manager of the club. He began his managerial career in the minors 50 years ago and became the 52nd manager to earn 1,000 major-league wins on September 3.
- Leaders. Atlanta's Andruw Jones wins his first NL home run crown with a major league-best 51, three more than the Yankees' Alex Rodriguez, who wins his fourth AL HR title in five seasons. Jones becomes the first player to reach 50 homers since Rodriguez and Jim Thome in 2002. Rodriguez gives the Yankees their first home run champion since Reggie Jackson was co-leader in 1980. Houston's Roger Clemens leads the major leagues in ERA for the first time since 1990 after posting a 1.87 mark. Derrek Lee of the Chicago Cubs and Michael Young of the Texas Rangers win their first batting titles with .335 and .331 respectively. Boston's David Ortiz (148) and St. Louis' Albert Pujols (128) lead in RBI.
- October 3:
- Jim Tracy steps down as manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers a day after finishing his first losing season with the team.
- Manager Alan Trammell is fired by the Detroit Tigers after three seasons in which he failed to turn around a franchise without a winning record since 1993.
- Hitting coach Don Baylor and pitching coach Bryan Price decide to leave the Seattle Mariners.
- Don Zimmer plans to return in 2006 for his 58th year in pro baseball as a senior adviser for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. He is completing his second season with Tampa Bay and has a contract that runs through next year.
- The Houston Astros announce a contract extension for Craig Biggio through 2006, which will be his 19th season - all in Houston.
- October 4:
- The St. Louis Cardinals beat the San Diego Padres 8–5 to take the first game of their National League Division Series. Reggie Sanders sets an NLDS record with six RBI, including the third grand slam in Cardinals postseason history in the fifth inning.
- The Chicago White Sox rout the Boston Red Sox 14–2 to take the first game of their American League Division Series. The White Sox have an ALDS record-setting five home runs.
- Mike Mussina pitches scoreless ball into the sixth inning, and rookie Robinson Cano lines a three-run double in the first as the New York Yankees defeat Bartolo Colón and the Los Angeles Angels 4–2, in Game One of their American League Division Series.
- October 5:
- Tadahito Iguchi hits a go-ahead, three-run home run after a deflating error by Boston Red Sox second baseman Tony Graffanino, and the Chicago White Sox rally for a 5–4 victory to take a 2-0 lead against the defending World Series champions in their ALDS.
- Morgan Ensberg has five RBI and Craig Biggio is in the middle of just about every rally, leading the Houston Astros past the Atlanta Braves 10–5 in Game One of their National League Division Series. Andy Pettitte overcomes two home runs to join Atlanta's John Smoltz as the winningest pitcher in major league postseason history.
- With strong pitching and sparkling defense, Los Angeles defeats New York 5–3, to even their Division Series at one game apiece.
- Oakland Athletics manager Ken Macha will not return next season after failed contract talks.
- October 6:
- Mark Mulder pitches shutout ball into the seventh inning, and the St. Louis Cardinals once again built an early lead, beating the San Diego Padres 6–2 for a 2-0 edge in their best-of-five NLDS.
- In his first postseason at-bat, Brian McCann hits a three-run homer off seven-time Cy Young Award winner Roger Clemens, sending John Smoltz and the Atlanta Braves to a 7–1 victory over the Houston Astros, tying their best-of-five NLDS at one game apiece. Another of the 18 rookies to play for the Braves this season, McCann was less than three months old when Clemens made his major league debut for the Boston Red Sox in 1984. Smoltz breaks a one-day tie with Houston's Andy Pettitte to reclaim the title as the major leagues' winningest postseason pitcher, improving to 7-0 in the division series and 15-4 overall.
- Baseball fans recognize the 2005 accomplishments of Cincinnati Reds outfielder Ken Griffey, Jr. and New York Yankees first baseman Jason Giambi, voting them Comeback Players of the Year. Following four years of serious injuries, Griffey hit .301 with 35 home runs and 92 RBI. Giambi led the American League with a .440 on base percentage and 108 walks, finishing eighth with a .535 slugging percentage, and hit .271 with 32 homers and 87 RBI. In 2004 Giambi suffered several ailments, and was also dogged by the BALCO steroids scandal. The award was voted on for the first time by fans on MLB.com [1]. This is the first year that the league officially has sanctioned the award. Six players from each league were nominated by the editorial staff at MLB.com and representatives of the league.
- October 7:
- The Chicago White Sox sweep the Boston Red Sox with a 5–3 Game Three victory at Fenway Park, producing the first postseason series victory for the South Siders since 1917. It is the second postseason series win for any Chicago baseball team in the same time frame.
- The Los Angeles Angels rough up Randy Johnson and Aaron Small to beat the New York Yankees 11–7, taking a 2-1 lead in their AL Division Series. Garret Anderson is 4-for-5 with five RBI, including a home run and a triple, and Bengie Molina homers for the third straight game.
- The Minnesota Twins announce that designated hitter Matt LeCroy, pitcher Joe Mays and coach Al Newman will not return in 2006.
- Colorado Rockies outfielder Dustan Mohr opts for free agency after refusing an assignment to Triple-A Colorado Springs.
- October 8:
- Roy Oswalt pitches effectively into the eighth inning and Craig Biggio hits three doubles and scores two run as the Houston Astros beat the Atlanta Braves 7–3, to take a 2-1 lead in their best-of-five NL Division Series.
- The St. Louis Cardinals chase former teammate Woody Williams before he can get out of the second inning in a 7–3 victory that completes a three-game sweep of the San Diego Padres. Matt Morris holds the Padres hitless for 4 1-3 innings, little David Eckstein hits his first career postseason home run, and Reggie Sanders drives in two more runs to set an NLDS record with 10. Jason Isringhausen earns his 10th career postseason save as St. Louis advances to the National League Championship Series for the fourth time in six years.
- October 9:
- In what will go down as a true classic post-season game, rookie Chris Burke hits a walk-off home run in the 18th inning as the Houston Astros defeat the Atlanta Braves 7–6 in a record-setting NLDS Game Four in extra innings. The game sets several records, including longest postseason game ever at 18 innings, longest postseason game by time (5 hours, 50 minutes), and first postseason game with two grand slams. The Astros' 23 players used tie an all-time post-season record as well. Houston will now advance to the National League Championship Series for the second year in a row to face the 2004 NL Champion St. Louis Cardinals.
- The New York Yankees force an ALDS Game Five by defeating the Los Angeles Angels 3–2.
- October 10:
- Rookie Ervin Santana pitches 5 1/3 strong innings in his postseason debut, Garret Anderson hits a home run and drives in two runs, and Adam Kennedy hits a go-ahead two-run triple, to lead the Angels over the New York Yankees 5–3 in the decisive Game Five of their Division Series.
- The Philadelphia Phillies fire Ed Wade after eight years as general manager.
- At a charity golf event, Jim Beattie tells people that he will not be returning as the executive vice president of baseball operations for the Baltimore Orioles. Mike Flanagan will take over the full-time duties that he shared with Beattie.
- October 11:
- Jim Tracy signs a three-year contract to become the Pittsburgh Pirates' manager after five mostly successful seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
- Injured ace Bartolo Colón is left off the Los Angeles Angels' roster for the American League Championship Series and will not pitch at all against the Chicago White Sox. A 21-game winner during the regular season, Colón left his start against the New York Yankees in Game Five of the Division Series after only 23 pitches because of inflammation in his right shoulder.
- Well-rested, playing in front of a sold out home crowd and with their top pitcher José Contreras on the mound against a road-weary team, the Chicago White Sox have everything lined up for a quick start in the American League Championship Series, but lose to the Los Angeles Angels 3–2 in Game 1. The Angels traveled about 4,700 miles in a 32-hour span, becoming the first team in major league history to play three games in three cities on successive nights, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. The Angels lost Game 4 of the American League Division Series in New York on Sunday, won Game 5 in Anaheim on Monday and wiped out the White Sox' home-field advantage in the ALCS on Tuesday.
- October 12 :
- Mark Buehrle pitches a five-hitter complete game, and Joe Crede's second double of the game scores the winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning to give the Chicago White Sox a 2–1 win over the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in Game Two of the ALCS. The double comes after a controversial call involving A.J. Pierzynski reaching first on a dropped third strike.
- Reggie Sanders of the St. Louis Cardinals hits a two-run home run to help St. Louis beat the Houston Astros 5–3 in Game One of the National League Championship Series. Chris Carpenter is the winning pitcher and Andy Pettitte the loser.
- The Baltimore Orioles remove the interim title from Sam Perlozzo and hire him as their manager for the 2006 season.
- Fans of Major League Baseball reward New York Yankees closer Mariano Rivera for his season-long efforts and award him the "Delivery Man of the Year" award.
- October 13:
- Roy Oswalt works seven innings of five-hit one-run ball and Brad Lidge throws two scoreless innings in relief as the Houston Astros get past the St. Louis Cardinals 4–1. Rookie outfielder Chris Burke keeps up his unllikely postseason hitting, scoring two runs and driving in another with a two-out single. Burke came through in the Division Series with an 18th-inning walk-off home run that knocked out Atlanta, and he had a pinch-hit, two-run homer in Houston's Game One loss to St. Louis. Houston evens the best-of-seven series at one game apiece and heads home for the next three contests.
- October 14:
- After failing earlier in the month to agree to a contract, the Oakland Athletics and Ken Macha agree to a three-year contract to allow Macha's return as the manager of the A's.
- Jon Garland pitches a four-hit complete game and Paul Konerko goes 3-for-4 with a home run and three RBI as the Chicago White Sox take a 2-1 lead in the ALCS with a 5–2 win over the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
- October 15:
- Roger Clemens pitches six innings of two-hit baseball and Mike Lamb hits a two-run homer as the Houston Astros take a two-games-to-one lead in the NLCS with a 4-3 win over the St. Louis Cardinals.
- In the ALCS, Freddy García continues the powerful pitching parade that has guided the Chicago White Sox to a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series by tossing a complete game as the Los Angeles Angels are defeated 8–2. Paul Konerko has a three-run home run off Ervin Santana in the first inning, the second straight game in which he had gone deep in the first. García joins Jon Garland and Mark Buehrle to give the White Sox a formidable streak of three consecutive complete games. It is the first time a team had pitched three consecutive complete games in the postseason since Tom Seaver, Jon Matlack and Jerry Koosman did it for the New York Mets during the 1973 NLCS against the Cincinnati Reds.
- October 16:
- Pitcher Brandon Backe allows one run while striking out seven over 5 2-3 innings, and Jason Lane goes 2-for-3 with a solo home run, to lead the Houston Astros to a 2–1 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals in Game Four of the NLCS.
- The Chicago White Sox clinch the American League pennant with a 6–3 victory over the Los Angeles Angels in Game 5 of the ALCS. José Contreras becomes the fourth consecutive White Sox pitcher to throw a complete game, the first time that has happened since the 1956 New York Yankees beat the Brooklyn Dodgers behind five straight complete games from Whitey Ford, Tom Sturdivant, Don Larsen (who pitched a perfect game), Bob Turley and Johnny Kucks. Paul Konerko is named ALCS MVP. This is the White Sox' first trip to the World Series since 1959.
- October 17 - At Minute Maid Park, the Houston Astros are one out from their first World Series appearance, but Albert Pujols saves the St. Louis Cardinals by hitting a stunning three-run home run off Brad Lidge in the ninth inning, and the Cardinals rally for a 5–4 victory. Houston still leads the NLCS 3-2 as St. Louis has forced a Game Six at Busch Stadium.
- October 18 - In Game Six of the NLCS, the Houston Astros earn their first World Series berth in 44 years of team history with a 5–1 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals. Roy Oswalt, who also won Game Two, gives up only three hits and strikes out six Cardinals for seven innings in earning the NLCS MVP award. Houston had been 0-5 with a chance to clinch the NLCS. For the Cardinals, the loss marks the end of the season for the team that led the majors with 100 wins. It also is the final game at Busch Stadium, scheduled to be demolished by a wrecking ball to make room for St. Louis' new ballpark.
- October 22 - In the World Series opener, José Contreras pitches seven solid innings, then relievers Neal Cotts and Bobby Jenks combine for two scoreless innings — getting five of the last six outs on strikeouts — as the Chicago White Sox defeat the Houston Astros 5–3 at U.S. Cellular Field. Joe Crede and Jermaine Dye hit home runs for Chicago. Houston starter Roger Clemens leaves the game after two innings with a strained left hamstring, the same injury that caused him to miss a start in late September. While registering 92 miles-an-hour on his fastball, he struggles, allowing three runs on four hits in the two innings and leaving after throwing 54 pitches.
- October 23 - The Chicago White Sox crash two of the more dramatic home runs in recent World Series history to score a 7–6 victory against the Houston Astros and take a two-games-to-none lead in the Series. Paul Konerko, who hit 40 homers in the regular season, and Scott Podsednik, who hit none, provide the fireworks. Konerko, the ALCS MVP, hits a grand slam in the seventh inning to give the White Sox a 6–4 lead. After the Astros tie the score in the ninth against Chicago closer Bobby Jenks, Podsednik smacks a 2-1 pitch from Houston closer Brad Lidge into the bleachers in right-center field to trigger a boisterous celebration.
- October 25 - In the first World Series game played in the state of Texas, former Astro Geoff Blum wins the longest game in WS history with a tiebreaking two-out solo home run as the Chicago White Sox beat the Houston Astros 7–5 at Minute Maid Park to move within a win of a sweep and their first title since 1917. The 14-inning marathon lasts a total of five hours and 41 minutes. The previous longest game was 4:51 when the New York Yankees beat the New York Mets in 12 innings in Game One in 2000. This matches the longest by innings, a Babe Ruth complete game for the Boston Red Sox against the Brooklyn Robins in Game Two of the 1916 WS (at 2:32). The 43 players used by both teams also are a Series record, as are the combined 17 pitchers and 30 runners left on base.
- October 26 - In the World Series, the Chicago White Sox complete a sweep of the Houston Astros with a 1–0 victory in Game Four. Freddy García pitches seven shutout innings, and Series MVP Jermaine Dye connects an RBI single off Brad Lidge in the eighth for the only run of the game, as Juan Uribe adds strong defensive support at shortstop. García becomes the first Venezuelan starting pitcher to win a World Series game. He also accomplishes the feat with good friend and fellow countryman Ozzie Guillén at the helm, who manages the White Sox to earn their first World Championship since 1917.
- October 31 - Theo Epstein rejects a contract offer by the Boston Red Sox, and steps down as the club's general manager.
November-December
- November 2 - Matt Lawton of the New York Yankees is suspended for 10 days, effective for the start of the 2006 regular season, for violating Major League Baseball's Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program.
- November 7 - Oakland Athletics reliever Huston Street and Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard are rewarded for their efforts by being named the rookies of the year.
- November 14 - New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez wins the AL Most Valuable Player Award, after leading the league in slugging percentage (.610), runs scored (124), and home runs (48). Additionally, he was second in the league in batting average (.321) and on-base percentage (.421).
- December 20 - Johnny Damon leaves the Boston Red Sox and signs with the New York Yankees for $52 million over four years.
Movies
- Bad News Bears
- Fever Pitch
Deaths
January-March
- January 10 - Tommy Fine, 90, who played for the Boston Red Sox and St. Louis Browns and was the only pitcher ever to hurl a no-hitter in Caribbean World Series history
- January 22 - César Gutiérrez, 61, former San Francisco Giants and Detroit Tigers shortstop, and just one of three players in major league history with a 7-for-7 game
- January 31 - Bill Voiselle, 86, who pitched for the Boston Braves in the 1948 World Series and was the last rookie pitcher ever to have pitched more than 300 innings
- February 4 - Luis Sánchez, 51, former California Angels closer
- February 13 - Nelson Briles, 61, pitcher who helped the Pittsburgh Pirates and St. Louis Cardinals to World Series titles
- March 2 - Rick Mahler, 51, pitcher who won 96 games during a 13-year major league career spent mostly with the Atlanta Braves
- March 6 - Chuck Thompson, 83, broadcaster for the Baltimore Orioles for 50 years
- March 13 - Danny Gardella, 85, the first major league player who challenged baseball's reserve clause
- March 13 - Frank House, 75, catcher who played with the Detroit Tigers, Kansas City Athletics and Cincinnati Reds
- March 16 - Dick Radatz, 67, Boston Red Sox relief pitcher in the 1960s
- March 26 - Marius Russo, 90, pitcher who helped the New York Yankees win the World Series in 1941 and 1943
- March 27 - Bob Casey, 79, Minnesota Twins public announcer for the first 44 years of their history in Minnesota
April-June
- April 7 - Bob Kennedy, 84, former player and manager who hit the first grand slam in Baltimore Orioles history and was the Oakland Athletics' first manager
- April 13 - Don Blasingame, 73, All-Star who also managed two of Japan's professional baseball teams
- April 23 - Earl Wilson, 70, leading pitcher for the 1968 World Series champion Detroit Tigers and the first black pitcher to throw a major league no-hitter
- May 6 - Lee Stine, 91, Chicago White Sox pitcher in the 1930s who surrendered the pitch that gave Lou Gehrig his 14th career grand slam
- May 26 - Chico Carrasquel, 77, Venezuelan shortstop, the first Latin American player to appear in a Major League All-Star Game
- May 30 - Juan Pedro Villamán, 46, Spanish-language Red Sox broadcaster since 1995
- June 28 - Dick Dietz, 63, All-Star catcher who played for the San Francisco Giants, Los Angeles Dodgers and Atlanta Braves from 1966-73
July-September
- July 13 - Mickey Owen, 89, catcher who was a four-time All-Star and the third National League catcher to ever record an unassisted double play
- July 30 - Ray Cunningham, 100, recognized as the oldest living former major league player
- August 8 - Gene Mauch, 79, winningest manager (1,901 victories) in major league history who never won a pennant, falling achingly short with the Philadelphia Phillies in 1964 and the California Angels in 1982 and 1986
- August 11 - Ted "Double Duty" Radcliffe, 103, All-Star pitcher and catcher of the Negro Leagues who played for more than 15 teams between the late 1920s and the early 1950s
- September 17 - Donn Clendenon, 70, power-hitting first baseman who was the MVP in the New York Mets' 1969 World Series victory
October-December
- October 2 - Pat Kelly, 61, All-Star outfielder who played for the Twins, Royals, White Sox, Orioles and Indians during a 15-year major league career
- October 9 - Tom Cheek, 66, longtime Toronto Blue Jays play-by-play announcer
- October 15 - Al Widmar, 80, pitcher for the Boston Red Sox, St. Louis Browns and Chicago White Sox, and pitching coach with the Philadelphia Phillies and Toronto Blue Jays
- October 18 - Bill King, 78, who was the radio voice of the Oakland Athletics for 25 years (1981-2005)
- October 23 - Harry Dalton, 77, former general manager with the Baltimore Orioles, Milwaukee Brewers, and California Angels
- October 30 - Al Lopez, 97, Hall of Famer who set a major league record for career games as a catcher (1,918), and managed the Cleveland Indians (1954) and Chicago White Sox (1959) to the only non-Yankee AL pennants between 1949 and 1964
- November 16 - Sandalio (Sandy) Consuegra, 85, All-Star pitcher who played in eight major league seasons with the Washington Senators, Chicago White Sox, Baltimore Orioles and New York Giants
- November 29 - Vic Power, 78, Gold Glove-winning first baseman and one of the first Hispanic players in the major leagues
- December 3 - Herb Moford, 77, who pitched for the St. Louis Cardinals, Detroit Tigers, Boston Braves and New York Giants from 1955-62
- December 21 - Elrod Hendricks, 64, who served in a Baltimore Orioles uniform as a catcher or coach from 1968 through 2005