1966 Major League Baseball season
Sports season
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The 1966 major league baseball season began on April 11, 1966. The regular season ended on October 2, with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Baltimore Orioles as the regular season champions of the National League and American League, respectively. The postseason began with Game 1 of the 63rd World Series on October 5 and ended with Game 4 on October 9. The Orioles swept the Dodgers in four games, capturing their first championship in franchise history. Going into the season, the defending World Series champions were the Los Angeles Dodgers from the 1965 season.
National League (NL)
- April 11 – October 2, 1966 (AL)
- April 12 – October 2, 1966 (NL)
- October 5–9, 1966
| 1966 MLB season | |
|---|---|
| League | American League (AL) National League (NL) |
| Sport | Baseball |
| Duration | Regular season:
|
| Games | 162 |
| Teams | 20 (10 per league) |
| TV partner | NBC |
| Draft | |
| Top draft pick | Steve Chilcott |
| Picked by | New York Mets |
| Regular season | |
| Season MVP | AL: Frank Robinson (BAL) NL: Roberto Clemente (PIT) |
| AL champions | Baltimore Orioles |
| AL runners-up | Minnesota Twins |
| NL champions | Los Angeles Dodgers |
| NL runners-up | San Francisco Giants |
| World Series | |
| Champions | Baltimore Orioles |
| Runners-up | Los Angeles Dodgers |
| World Series MVP | Frank Robinson (BAL) |
The 37th Major League Baseball All-Star Game, was held on July 12 at Busch Memorial Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri, home of the St. Louis Cardinals. The National League won, 2–1.
The Milwaukee Braves moved to Atlanta, Georgia as the Atlanta Braves, being the seventh team since 1953 to relocate, and the fourth of National League teams since then. The move from Milwaukee was the second time in modern-era baseball (since 1901) that the city was left without a team. Previously, the 1901 Milwaukee Brewers moved to St. Louis following the 1901 season (the team, the St. Louis Browns, went on to relocate to Baltimore as the Baltimore Orioles in 1953). Major league baseball would return to Milwaukee in 1970 with the relocation of the American League Seattle Pilots as the Milwaukee Brewers. The National League would see its return in 1998 when the Brewers transferred in to the league.
Three teams played the 1966 season in new stadiums. On April 12, the Braves ushered in Atlanta Stadium with the Pittsburgh Pirates taking a 3–2 win in 13 innings. One week later, Anaheim Stadium opened with the California Angels losing to the Chicago White Sox, 3–1 in the Angels' debut following their move from Los Angeles to nearby Orange County. On May 8, the St. Louis Cardinals closed out old Sportsman's Park/Busch Stadium I with a 10–5 loss to the San Francisco Giants before opening the new Busch Memorial Stadium four days later with a 4–3 win in 12 innings over the Atlanta Braves.
1966 would be William Eckert's first season as commissioner.
Schedule
The 1966 schedule consisted of 162 games for all teams in the American League and National League, each of which had ten 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.
American League Opening Day took place on April 11, featuring a game between the Cleveland Indians and Washington Senators, while National League Opening Day took place the following day, featuring six teams. The final day of the regular season was on October 2, which saw all 20 teams play, continuing the trend from the previous season. The World Series took place between October 5 and October 9.
Rule change
The 1966 season would see the following rule change:
- The 15-day disabled list (now called injured list) was introduced, reducing the minimum time a player remained on the list from 30 to 15 days.[1]
Teams
An asterisk (*) denotes the ballpark a team played the minority of their home games at
Standings
American League
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB | Home | Road |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baltimore Orioles | 97 | 63 | .606 | — | 48–31 | 49–32 |
| Minnesota Twins | 89 | 73 | .549 | 9 | 49–32 | 40–41 |
| Detroit Tigers | 88 | 74 | .543 | 10 | 42–39 | 46–35 |
| Chicago White Sox | 83 | 79 | .512 | 15 | 45–36 | 38–43 |
| Cleveland Indians | 81 | 81 | .500 | 17 | 41–40 | 40–41 |
| California Angels | 80 | 82 | .494 | 18 | 42–39 | 38–43 |
| Kansas City Athletics | 74 | 86 | .463 | 23 | 42–39 | 32–47 |
| Washington Senators | 71 | 88 | .447 | 25½ | 42–36 | 29–52 |
| Boston Red Sox | 72 | 90 | .444 | 26 | 40–41 | 32–49 |
| New York Yankees | 70 | 89 | .440 | 26½ | 35–46 | 35–43 |
National League
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB | Home | Road |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles Dodgers | 95 | 67 | .586 | — | 53–28 | 42–39 |
| San Francisco Giants | 93 | 68 | .578 | 1½ | 47–34 | 46–34 |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | 92 | 70 | .568 | 3 | 46–35 | 46–35 |
| Philadelphia Phillies | 87 | 75 | .537 | 8 | 48–33 | 39–42 |
| Atlanta Braves | 85 | 77 | .525 | 10 | 43–38 | 42–39 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 83 | 79 | .512 | 12 | 43–38 | 40–41 |
| Cincinnati Reds | 76 | 84 | .475 | 18 | 46–33 | 30–51 |
| Houston Astros | 72 | 90 | .444 | 23 | 45–36 | 27–54 |
| New York Mets | 66 | 95 | .410 | 28½ | 32–49 | 34–46 |
| Chicago Cubs | 59 | 103 | .364 | 36 | 32–49 | 27–54 |
Tie games
2 tie games (1 in AL, 1 in NL), which are not factored into winning percentage or games behind (and were often replayed again) occurred throughout the season.
American League
The Chicago White Sox and New York Yankees had one tie each.
- May 28, New York Yankees vs. Chicago White Sox, tied at 2 after a shortened five innings due to rain, following a 53 minute rain delay.[3]
National League
The Atlanta Braves and Houston Astros had one tie each.
- July 16, Atlanta Braves vs. Houston Astros, tied at 1 after a shortened six innings on account of rain. Game called in the middle of the sixth inning.[4]
Postseason
The postseason began on October 5 and ended on October 9 with the Baltimore Orioles sweeping the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 1966 World Series in four games.
Bracket
| World Series | ||||
| AL | Baltimore Orioles | 4 | ||
| NL | Los Angeles Dodgers | 0 | ||
Managerial changes
Off-season
In-season
League leaders
American League
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| AVG | Frank Robinson1 (BAL) | .316 |
| OPS | Frank Robinson (BAL) | 1.047 |
| HR | Frank Robinson1 (BAL) | 49 |
| RBI | Frank Robinson1 (BAL) | 122 |
| R | Frank Robinson (BAL) | 122 |
| H | Tony Oliva (MIN) | 191 |
| SB | Bert Campaneris (KCA) | 52 |
1 American League Triple Crown batting winner
National League
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| AVG | Matty Alou (PIT) | .342 |
| OPS | Dick Allen (PHI) | 1.027 |
| HR | Hank Aaron (ATL) | 44 |
| RBI | Hank Aaron (ATL) | 127 |
| R | Felipe Alou (ATL) | 122 |
| H | Felipe Alou (ATL) | 218 |
| SB | Lou Brock (STL) | 74 |
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| W | Sandy Koufax2 (LAD) | 27 |
| L | Dick Ellsworth (CHC) | 22 |
| ERA | Sandy Koufax2 (LAD) | 1.73 |
| K | Sandy Koufax2 (LAD) | 317 |
| IP | Sandy Koufax (LAD) | 323.0 |
| SV | Phil Regan (LAD) | 21 |
| WHIP | Juan Marichal (SF) | 0.859 |
2 National League Triple Crown pitching winner
Milestones
Batters
Cycles
- Billy Williams (CHC):
- Williams hit for his first cycle, seventh in franchise history, and ninth natural cycle in major league history, in game two of a doubleheader on July 17 against the St. Louis Cardinals.[9]
- Randy Hundley (CHC):
- Hundley hit for his first cycle and eighth in franchise history, in game one of a doubleheader on August 11 against the Houston Astros.[10]
Other batting accomplishments
- Hank Aaron (ATL):
- Became the 12th player in Major League history to hit 400 home runs in the ninth inning against the Philadelphia Phillies on April 20.[11][12]
- Willie Mays (SF):
- Breaks the previous National League home run record held by Mel Ott when he hits his 512th home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
- Rich Rollins / Zoilo Versalles / Tony Oliva / Don Mincher / Harmon Killebrew (MIN):
- Become the fourth group of players in Major League history to hit five home runs in one inning in the seventh inning against the Kansas City Athletics on June 9.[13][14]
- Tony Cloninger (ATL):
- Became the fifth player to hit two grand slams in a single game, in a 17–3 win over the SF on July 3.[15]
- Set a modern Major League record and tied an all-time record by a pitcher when he hits for nine RBIs in a single game on July 3.[16]
Pitchers
No-hitters
- Sonny Siebert (CLE):
- Siebert threw his first career no-hitter and the 11th no-hitter in franchise history, defeating the Washington Senators 2–0 on June 10. He walked one and struck out seven.[17]
Other pitching accomplishments
- Jim Merritt (MIN):
- Set an American League record for most consecutive strikeouts when he threw seven against the Washington Senators on July 21.
Awards and honors
Regular season
| Baseball Writers' Association of America Awards | ||
|---|---|---|
| BBWAA Award | National League | American League |
| Rookie of the Year | Tommy Helms (CIN) | Tommie Agee (CWS) |
| Cy Young Award | Sandy Koufax (LAD) | — |
| Most Valuable Player | Roberto Clemente (PIT) | Frank Robinson (BAL) |
| Babe Ruth Award (World Series MVP) |
— | Frank Robinson (BAL) |
| Gold Glove Awards | ||
| Position | National League | American League |
| Pitcher | Bob Gibson (STL) | Jim Kaat (MIN) |
| Catcher | John Roseboro (LAD) | Bill Freehan (DET) |
| 1st Base | Bill White (PHI) | Joe Pepitone (NYY) |
| 2nd Base | Bill Mazeroski (PIT) | Bobby Knoop (CAL) |
| 3rd Base | Ron Santo (CHC) | Brooks Robinson (BAL) |
| Shortstop | Gene Alley (PIT) | Luis Aparicio (BAL) |
| Outfield | Roberto Clemente (PIT) | Tommie Agee (CWS) |
| Curt Flood (STL) | Al Kaline (DET) | |
| Willie Mays (SF) | Tony Oliva (MIN) | |
Other awards
- Hutch Award: Sandy Koufax (LAD)
- Sport Magazine's World Series Most Valuable Player Award: Frank Robinson (BAL)
Monthly awards
Player of the Month
| Month | National League |
|---|---|
| May | Juan Marichal (SF) |
| June | Gaylord Perry (SF) |
| July | Mike Shannon (STL) |
| August | Pete Rose (CIN) |
Baseball Hall of Fame
- Ted Williams
- Casey Stengel (manager)
Home field attendance
| Team name | Wins | %± | Home attendance | %± | Per game |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles Dodgers[26] | 95 | −2.1% | 2,617,029 | 2.5% | 32,309 |
| New York Mets[27] | 66 | 32.0% | 1,932,693 | 9.3% | 23,860 |
| Houston Astros[28] | 72 | 10.8% | 1,872,108 | −13.0% | 23,112 |
| St. Louis Cardinals[29] | 83 | 3.8% | 1,712,980 | 38.0% | 21,148 |
| San Francisco Giants[30] | 93 | −2.1% | 1,657,192 | 7.2% | 20,459 |
| Atlanta Braves[31] | 85 | −1.2% | 1,539,801 | 177.1% | 18,778 |
| California Angels[32] | 80 | 6.7% | 1,400,321 | 147.1% | 17,288 |
| Minnesota Twins[33] | 89 | −12.7% | 1,259,374 | −13.9% | 15,548 |
| Baltimore Orioles[34] | 97 | 3.2% | 1,203,366 | 54.0% | 15,232 |
| Pittsburgh Pirates[35] | 92 | 2.2% | 1,196,618 | 31.6% | 14,773 |
| New York Yankees[36] | 70 | −9.1% | 1,124,648 | −7.3% | 13,715 |
| Detroit Tigers[37] | 88 | −1.1% | 1,124,293 | 9.2% | 13,880 |
| Philadelphia Phillies[38] | 87 | 2.4% | 1,108,201 | −5.0% | 13,681 |
| Chicago White Sox[39] | 83 | −12.6% | 990,016 | −12.4% | 12,222 |
| Cleveland Indians[40] | 81 | −6.9% | 903,359 | −3.4% | 11,153 |
| Boston Red Sox[41] | 72 | 16.1% | 811,172 | 24.4% | 10,014 |
| Kansas City Athletics[42] | 74 | 25.4% | 773,929 | 46.5% | 9,555 |
| Cincinnati Reds[43] | 76 | −14.6% | 742,958 | −29.1% | 9,405 |
| Chicago Cubs[44] | 59 | −18.1% | 635,891 | −0.9% | 7,851 |
| Washington Senators[45] | 71 | 1.4% | 576,260 | 2.9% | 7,388 |
Venues
The 1966 season saw three teams move to three new venues.
- With the relocation of the Milwaukee Braves from Milwaukee, Wisconsin to Atlanta, Georgia as the Atlanta Braves, they leave Milwaukee County Stadium (where they played 13 seasons) and move into Atlanta Stadium. They would go on to play there for 31 seasons through 1996.
- The California Angels leave Chavez Ravine Stadium (Dodger Stadium) and Los Angeles, California (where they played four seasons), and opened Anaheim Stadium in Anaheim, California, where they remain to this day.
- The St. Louis Cardinals would play their last game at Busch Stadium on May 8, having played 58 seasons there going back to 1882 (with a gap between 1893 and part of 1920), and opened Civic Center Busch Memorial Stadium (with the NFL's St. Louis Cardinals) on May 12, where they would go on to play for 40 seasons through 2005.
Media
Television
For the first time, NBC became exclusive national TV broadcaster of MLB. The network replaced ABC as the holder of the Games of the Week package. The New York Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies, which had instead sold their TV rights to CBS in prior seasons, also joined NBC's package. The new package under NBC called for 28 games, as compared to the 123 combined among three networks during the 1960s. NBC also continued to air the All-Star Game and World Series.
