1965 Major League Baseball season
Sports season
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 1965 major league baseball season began on April 12, 1965. The regular season ended on October 3, with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Minnesota Twins as the regular season champions of the National League and American League, respectively. The postseason began with Game 1 of the 62nd World Series on October 6 and ended with Game 7 on October 14. The Dodgers defeated the Twins, four games to three, capturing their fourth championship in franchise history, since their previous in 1963. Going into the season, the defending World Series champions were the St. Louis Cardinals from the 1964 season.
National League (NL)
- April 12 – October 3, 1965
- October 6–14, 1965
| 1965 MLB season | |
|---|---|
| League | American League (AL) National League (NL) |
| Sport | Baseball |
| Duration | Regular season:
|
| Games | 162 |
| Teams | 20 (10 per league) |
| TV partner(s) | NBC, CBS, ABC |
| Draft | |
| Top draft pick | Rick Monday |
| Picked by | Kansas City Athletics |
| Regular season | |
| Season MVP | AL: Zoilo Versalles (MIN) NL: Willie Mays (SF) |
| AL champions | Minnesota Twins |
| AL runners-up | Chicago White Sox |
| NL champions | Los Angeles Dodgers |
| NL runners-up | San Francisco Giants |
| World Series | |
| Venue | |
| Champions | Los Angeles Dodgers |
| Runners-up | Minnesota Twins |
| World Series MVP | Sandy Koufax (LAD) |
The 36th All-Star Game was held on July 13 at Metropolitan Stadium in Bloomington, Minnesota, home of the Minnesota Twins. The National League won, 6–5.
The Houston Colt .45s became the Houston Astros, as they moved from Colt Stadium to the new Astrodome, becoming the first team to play their home games indoors, rather than outdoors. It was also the final season for the Milwaukee Braves, before relocating to Atlanta, Georgia and becoming the Atlanta Braves for the 1966 season. The Los Angeles Angels officially changed their name to California Angels on September 2, 1965, with only 28 games left in the season, in advance of their pending 1966 move to a new stadium in Anaheim, California.
In June, the first Major League Baseball draft was held in New York City. Teams chose players in reverse order of the previous season's standings, with picks alternating between American League and National League teams.[1] With the first pick of the 1965 MLB draft, the Kansas City Athletics took Rick Monday, an outfielder from Arizona State University.[2]
This was Ford Frick's last season of his 14-year tenure as Commissioner of Baseball, as he resigned following the season's end on November 16. US Army LTG William Eckert was elected and took office on November 17.[3][4]
Schedule
The 1965 schedule consisted of 162 games for all teams in the American League and National League, each of which had 10 teams. Each team was scheduled to play 18 games against the other nine teams of their respective league. This continued the format put in place by the American League since the 1961 season and by the National League since the 1962 season, and would be used until 1969.
Opening Day took place on April 12, featuring 16 teams. The final day of the regular season was on October 3, which saw all 20 teams play. The World Series took place between October 6 and October 14.
Rule changes
The 1965 season saw the following rule changes:
- The size of the catcher's mitt was regulated to be that of a leather mitt, not more than 15½ from top the bottom and not more than 38 inches in circumference.[5][6]
- The 1964 rule allowing expansion teams (Houston Astros, Los Angeles Angels, New York Mets, and Washington Senators) to farm out four first-year players was ended.[7]
- The Commissioner of Baseball had the power to veto any action by owners that were determined to be detrimental to baseball reinstated (having previously been stripped of said power following the death of commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis in 1944).[7]
- If team owners disagreed with the Commissioner of Baseball, the commissioner was granted immunity from legal actions.[7]
- In June 1965, the bonus rule was permanently rescinded, and in its place, the Rule 4 draft was introduced. This draft would take place three times per year, with the January draft intended for high-school midyear graduates, junior college players, and players who had dropped out of four-year colleges. Junior college players were required to wait until their current season was completed before they could sign.[8] the June draft was for high-school and college graduates in spring, and a September draft for players from amateur leagues.[7]
Teams
Standings
American League
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB | Home | Road |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota Twins | 102 | 60 | .630 | — | 51–30 | 51–30 |
| Chicago White Sox | 95 | 67 | .586 | 7 | 48–33 | 47–34 |
| Baltimore Orioles | 94 | 68 | .580 | 8 | 46–33 | 48–35 |
| Detroit Tigers | 89 | 73 | .549 | 13 | 47–34 | 42–39 |
| Cleveland Indians | 87 | 75 | .537 | 15 | 52–30 | 35–45 |
| New York Yankees | 77 | 85 | .475 | 25 | 40–43 | 37–42 |
| Los Angeles / California Angels | 75 | 87 | .463 | 27 | 46–34 | 29–53 |
| Washington Senators | 70 | 92 | .432 | 32 | 36–45 | 34–47 |
| Boston Red Sox | 62 | 100 | .383 | 40 | 34–47 | 28–53 |
| Kansas City Athletics | 59 | 103 | .364 | 43 | 33–48 | 26–55 |
National League
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB | Home | Road |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles Dodgers | 97 | 65 | .599 | — | 50–31 | 47–34 |
| San Francisco Giants | 95 | 67 | .586 | 2 | 51–30 | 44–37 |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | 90 | 72 | .556 | 7 | 49–32 | 41–40 |
| Cincinnati Reds | 89 | 73 | .549 | 8 | 49–32 | 40–41 |
| Milwaukee Braves | 86 | 76 | .531 | 11 | 44–37 | 42–39 |
| Philadelphia Phillies | 85 | 76 | .528 | 11½ | 45–35 | 40–41 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 80 | 81 | .497 | 16½ | 42–39 | 38–42 |
| Chicago Cubs | 72 | 90 | .444 | 25 | 40–41 | 32–49 |
| Houston Astros | 65 | 97 | .401 | 32 | 36–45 | 29–52 |
| New York Mets | 50 | 112 | .309 | 47 | 29–52 | 21–60 |
Tie games
4 tie games (0 in AL, 4 in NL), which are not factored into winning percentage or games behind (and were often replayed again) occurred throughout the season.
National League
The Chicago Cubs and New York Mets had two tie games each. The Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh Pirates, San Francisco Giants, and St. Louis Cardinals had one each.
- April 12, Chicago Cubs vs. St. Louis Cardinals, tied at 10 after 11 innings on account of darkness.[10]
- May 31 (game 2), Chicago Cubs vs. New York Mets, tied at 3 after nine innings on account of darkness.[11]
- August 25, Pittsburgh Pirates vs. San Francisco Giants, tied at 3 after nine innings on account of rain. Game rained out in the bottom of the 10th inning and the entire inning was negated. Rescheduled the following day.[12]
- October 2 (game 2), New York Mets vs. Philadelphia Phillies, scoreless tie after 18 innings on account of curfew.[13]
Postseason
The postseason began on October 6 and ended on October 14 with the Los Angeles Dodgers defeating the Minnesota Twins in the 1965 World Series in seven games.
Bracket
| World Series | ||||
| AL | Minnesota Twins | 3 | ||
| NL | Los Angeles Dodgers | 4 | ||
Managerial changes
Off-season
| Team | Former Manager | New Manager | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cleveland Indians | George Strickland | Birdie Tebbetts | |
| Detroit Tigers | Chuck Dressen | Bob Swift | Dressen replaced temporarily by Swift while recovering from a heart attack. |
| New York Yankees | Yogi Berra | Johnny Keane | |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | Danny Murtaugh | Harry Walker | |
| San Francisco Giants | Alvin Dark | Herman Franks | |
| St. Louis Cardinals | Johnny Keane | Red Schoendienst |
In-season
| Team | Former Manager | New Manager |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago Cubs | Bob Kennedy | Lou Klein |
| Detroit Tigers | Bob Swift | Chuck Dressen |
| Kansas City Athletics | Mel McGaha | Haywood Sullivan |
| New York Mets | Casey Stengel | Wes Westrum |
League leaders
American League
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| AVG | Tony Oliva (MIN) | .321 |
| OPS | Carl Yastrzemski (BOS) | .932 |
| HR | Tony Conigliaro (BOS) | 32 |
| RBI | Rocky Colavito (CLE) | 108 |
| R | Zoilo Versalles (MIN) | 126 |
| H | Tony Oliva (MIN) | 185 |
| SB | Bert Campaneris (KCA) | 51 |
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| W | Mudcat Grant (MIN) | 21 |
| L | Bill Monbouquette (BOS) | 18 |
| ERA | Sam McDowell (CLE) | 2.18 |
| K | Sam McDowell (CLE) | 325 |
| IP | Mel Stottlemyre (NYY) | 291.0 |
| SV | Ron Kline (WSH) | 29 |
| WHIP | Eddie Fisher (CWS) | 0.974 |
National League
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| AVG | Roberto Clemente (PIT) | .329 |
| OPS | Willie Mays (SF) | 1.043 |
| HR | Willie Mays (SF) | 52 |
| RBI | Deron Johnson (CIN) | 130 |
| R | Tommy Harper (CIN) | 126 |
| H | Pete Rose (CIN) | 209 |
| SB | Maury Wills (LAD) | 94 |
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| W | Sandy Koufax1 (LAD) | 26 |
| L | Jack Fisher (NYM) | 24 |
| ERA | Sandy Koufax1 (LAD) | 2.04 |
| K | Sandy Koufax1 (LAD) | 382 |
| IP | Sandy Koufax (LAD) | 335.2 |
| SV | Ted Abernathy (CHC) | 31 |
| WHIP | Sandy Koufax (LAD) | 0.855 |
1 National League Triple Crown pitching winner
Milestones
Batters
Cycles
- Carl Yastrzemski (BOS):
- Yastrzemski hit for his first cycle and 14th in franchise history, on May 14 against the Detroit Tigers.[18]
Other batting accomplishments
- Willie Mays (SF):
- Became the fifth player in Major League history to hit 500 home runs in the fourth inning against the Houston Astros on September 13.[19][20]
- Ernie Banks (CHC):
- Became the 11th player in Major League history to hit 400 home runs in the third inning against the St. Louis Cardinals on September 2.[21][22]
Pitchers
Perfect games
- Sandy Koufax (LAD)
- Pitched the eighth perfect game in major league history and the first in franchise history on September 9 against the Chicago Cubs. Koufax threw 113 pitches, 79 for strikes, and struck out 14 in the 1–0 victory.[23]
No-hitters
- Jim Maloney (CIN):
- Maloney threw his first career no-hitter and the 10th no-hitter in franchise history, by defeating the Chicago Cubs 1–0 in game one of a doubleheader on August 19. He walked 10, hit one by pitch, and struck out 12, throwing 187 pitches.[24][25]
- Dave Morehead (BOS):
- Morehead threw his first career no-hitter and the 14th no-hitter in franchise history, by defeating the Cleveland Indians 2–0 on September 16. He walked one and struck out eight.[26]
Other pitching accomplishments
- Jim Maloney (CIN):
- Tied a modern National League record (when including extra inning games) for most strikeouts in a single game, throwing 18 strikeouts in 11 innings in a 1–0 loss to the New York Mets on June 14.[27]
- Chris Short (PHI):
- Tied a modern National League record (when including extra inning games) for most strikeouts in a single game, throwing 18 strikeouts in 15 innings in an 18-inning game in a scoreless tie against the New York Mets in game two of a doubleheader on October 2.[28]
- Sandy Koufax (LAD)
- Set a modern Major League record by striking out 382 batters, breaking the previous modern record of 349 set by Rube Waddell.
Miscellaneous
- Chicago Cubs / Los Angeles Dodgers:
- In Sandy Koufax's perfect game on September 9, both teams set several combined Major League records, including least combined hits in a game at one, least combined runners left on base at one, and least total base runners at two in a single game.
- Bert Campaneris (KCA):
- Becomes the first player to play all nine positions in the same game on September 8 against the California Angels, as part of a special promotion. He begins the game at shortstop and plays, in order for the next eight innings, second base, third base, left field, center field, right field, first base, pitcher (he gives up a run on a hit and two walks) and catcher. He is replaced following a collision at the end of the ninth inning.[29]
Awards and honors
Regular season
| Baseball Writers' Association of America Awards | ||
|---|---|---|
| BBWAA Award | National League | American League |
| Rookie of the Year | Jim Lefebvre (LAD) | Curt Blefary (BAL) |
| Cy Young Award | Sandy Koufax (LAD) | — |
| Most Valuable Player | Willie Mays (SF) | Zoilo Versalles (MIN) |
| Babe Ruth Award (World Series MVP) |
Sandy Koufax (LAD) | — |
| Gold Glove Awards | ||
| Position | National League | American League |
| Pitcher | Bob Gibson (STL) | Jim Kaat (MIN) |
| Catcher | Joe Torre (MIL) | Bill Freehan (DET) |
| 1st Base | Bill White (STL) | Joe Pepitone (NYY) |
| 2nd Base | Bill Mazeroski (PIT) | Bobby Richardson (NYY) |
| 3rd Base | Ron Santo (CHC) | Brooks Robinson (BAL) |
| Shortstop | Leo Cárdenas (CIN) | Zoilo Versalles (MIN) |
| Outfield | Roberto Clemente (PIT) | Al Kaline (DET) |
| Curt Flood (STL) | Tom Tresh (NYY) | |
| Willie Mays (SF) | Carl Yastrzemski (BOS) | |
Other awards
- Hutch Award: Mickey Mantle (NYY)
- Sport Magazine's World Series Most Valuable Player Award: Sandy Koufax (LAD)
Monthly awards
Player of the Month
| Month | National League |
|---|---|
| May | Joe Torre (MIL) |
| June | Vern Law (PIT) Willie Stargell (PIT) |
| July | Pete Rose (CIN) |
| August | Willie Mays (SF) |
Baseball Hall of Fame
Home field attendance
| Team name | Wins | %± | Home attendance | %± | Per game |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles Dodgers[38] | 97 | 21.3% | 2,553,577 | 14.6% | 31,526 |
| Houston Astros[39] | 65 | −1.5% | 2,151,470 | 196.4% | 26,561 |
| New York Mets[40] | 50 | −5.7% | 1,768,389 | 2.1% | 21,566 |
| San Francisco Giants[41] | 95 | 5.6% | 1,546,075 | 2.8% | 19,087 |
| Minnesota Twins[42] | 102 | 29.1% | 1,463,258 | 21.2% | 18,065 |
| St. Louis Cardinals[43] | 80 | −14.0% | 1,241,201 | 8.6% | 15,323 |
| New York Yankees[44] | 77 | −22.2% | 1,213,552 | −7.1% | 14,621 |
| Philadelphia Phillies[45] | 85 | −7.6% | 1,166,376 | −18.2% | 14,580 |
| Chicago White Sox[46] | 95 | −3.1% | 1,130,519 | −9.6% | 13,957 |
| Cincinnati Reds[47] | 89 | −3.3% | 1,047,824 | 21.5% | 12,936 |
| Detroit Tigers[48] | 89 | 4.7% | 1,029,645 | 26.2% | 12,712 |
| Cleveland Indians[49] | 87 | 10.1% | 934,786 | 43.1% | 11,400 |
| Pittsburgh Pirates[50] | 90 | 12.5% | 909,279 | 19.7% | 11,089 |
| Baltimore Orioles[51] | 94 | −3.1% | 781,649 | −30.0% | 9,894 |
| Boston Red Sox[52] | 62 | −13.9% | 652,201 | −26.2% | 8,052 |
| Chicago Cubs[53] | 72 | −5.3% | 641,361 | −14.7% | 7,727 |
| Los Angeles / California Angels[54] | 75 | −8.5% | 566,727 | −25.5% | 7,084 |
| Washington Senators[55] | 70 | 12.9% | 560,083 | −6.7% | 6,915 |
| Milwaukee Braves[56] | 86 | −2.3% | 555,584 | −39.0% | 6,859 |
| Kansas City Athletics[57] | 59 | 3.5% | 528,344 | −17.8% | 6,523 |
Venues
The Houston Colt .45s open the Houston Astrodome (and aptly rename as the Houston Astros) after playing at Colt Stadium for three seasons. The team would play at the Houston Astrodome for 35 seasons through 1999.
The Milwaukee Braves would play their final game at Milwaukee County Stadium on September 22 against the Los Angeles Dodgers, relocating to Atlanta, Georgia at Atlanta Stadium as the Atlanta Braves for the start of the 1966 season.
The California Angels would play their final two games at Dodger Stadium[a] on September 22 in a doubleheader against the Boston Red Sox, moving into Anaheim Stadium for the start of the 1966 season.
Media
Television
In 1965, ABC provided the first-ever nationwide baseball coverage with weekly Saturday broadcasts on a regional basis. ABC paid $5.7 million for the rights to the 28 Saturday/holiday Games of the Week. ABC's deal[58][59] covered all of the teams except the New York Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies[60] (who had their own television deals) and called for two regionalized games on Saturdays, Independence Day, and Labor Day.[61] Each Saturday, ABC broadcast two 2 p.m. ET games and one game for the Pacific Time Zone at 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m local time.
Although MLB ended the Game of the Week blackouts in cities with MLB clubs, ABC blacked out the games in the home cities of the clubs playing those games.[62]
Meanwhile, CBS continued to air its own slate of Games of the Week with the rights to individual teams, with its New York Yankees games in particular beating ABC in the ratings. At the end of the season, ABC declined to exercise its $6.5 million option for 1966, citing poor ratings,[63][64] especially in New York.
Although it did not air Games of the Week this season, NBC continued to air the All-Star Game and World Series.
Retired numbers
- Jim Umbricht had his No. 32 retired by the Houston Astros on April 12. This was the first number retired by the team.
- Casey Stengel had his No. 37 retired by the New York Mets on September 2. This was the first number retired by the team.
- Warren Spahn had his No. 21 retired by the Atlanta Braves on December 11. This was the first number retired by the team.
See also
Notes
- Dodger Stadium was referred to as "Chavez Ravine Stadium" by the Angels during their tenure.
