1968 Major League Baseball season
Sports season
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 1968 major league baseball season began on April 10, 1968. The regular season ended on September 29, with the St. Louis Cardinals and Detroit Tigers as the regular season champions of the National League and American League, respectively. The postseason began with Game 1 of the 65th World Series on October 2 and ended with Game 7 on October 10. In the second iteration of this World Series matchup, the Tigers defeated the Cardinals, four games to three, capturing their third championship in franchise history, since their previous in 1945. Going into the season, the defending World Series champions were the St. Louis Cardinals from the 1967 season.
National League (NL)
- April 10 – September 29, 1968
- October 2–10, 1968
| 1968 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 | Tim Foli |
| Picked by | New York Mets |
| Regular season | |
| Season MVP | AL: Denny McLain (DET) NL: Bob Gibson (STL) |
| AL champions | Detroit Tigers |
| AL runners-up | Baltimore Orioles |
| NL champions | St. Louis Cardinals |
| NL runners-up | San Francisco Giants |
| World Series | |
| Venue | |
| Champions | Detroit Tigers |
| Runners-up | St. Louis Cardinals |
| World Series MVP | Mickey Lolich (DET) |
The 39th All-Star Game was held on July 9 at the Houston Astrodome in Houston, Texas, home of the Houston Astros. The National League won, 1–0.
The 1968 season was the final year of baseball's pre-division era, in which the teams that finished in first place in each league went directly to the World Series to face each other for the "World Championship."
The Kansas City Athletics moved to Oakland, California as the Oakland Athletics, being the eighth team since 1953 to relocate, and the fourth American League team since then. Kansas City would be without a major league team for the 1968 season. Legal pressure from the city moved the originally planned 1971 American League expansion up to 1969, which saw the enfranchisement of the Kansas City Royals.[1]
Schedule
The 1968 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. This would be the last season with this format, as the following season would see a new format due to expansion and the creation of divisions.
Opening Day took place on April 10, featuring all 20 teams in both leagues. The final day of the regular season was on September 29, which saw all teams play, except for the Baltimore Orioles and Cleveland Indians. The World Series took place between October 2 and October 10.
Rule changes
The 1968 season saw the following rule changes:
- To greater enforce the ban on the spitball, any pitcher who was found to have touched their mouth with their pitching hand will first get a warning, and second an ejection.[2]
- In an attempt to speed up the game, the following rules were implemented:[2]
- Batters must now run back to the plate following a fouled bunt.
- Pinch-hitters must be on the bench by the time the previous batter completed their at bat.
- Teams were recommended to use golf carts to bring from the bullpen a relief pitcher.
- Any usage of "players to be named later" for trades were banned during the season. Over the offseason, players must be identified before the start of the season.[2]
- Opening Day rosters were reduced to 25 players. Previously, prior to May 15, teams could have 28 players on their rosters.[2]
- Teams were no longer able to pick up a player they dropped after August 31 until May 15 the following season.[2]
- Any player under contract must pass through waivers before the team the players was on could drop him.[2]
- For spring training, the American League approved a proto-designated hitter rule. Before a game, a player could be "designated" by the manager to be a pinch-hitter. This pinch-hitter would twice be allowed to pinch-hit, though not in the same inning.[2]
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Detroit Tigers | 103 | 59 | .636 | — | 56–25 | 47–34 |
| Baltimore Orioles | 91 | 71 | .562 | 12 | 47–33 | 44–38 |
| Cleveland Indians | 86 | 75 | .534 | 16½ | 43–37 | 43–38 |
| Boston Red Sox | 86 | 76 | .531 | 17 | 46–35 | 40–41 |
| New York Yankees | 83 | 79 | .512 | 20 | 39–42 | 44–37 |
| Oakland Athletics | 82 | 80 | .506 | 21 | 44–38 | 38–42 |
| Minnesota Twins | 79 | 83 | .488 | 24 | 41–40 | 38–43 |
| California Angels | 67 | 95 | .414 | 36 | 32–49 | 35–46 |
| Chicago White Sox | 67 | 95 | .414 | 36 | 36–45 | 31–50 |
| Washington Senators | 65 | 96 | .404 | 37½ | 34–47 | 31–49 |
National League
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB | Home | Road |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Louis Cardinals | 97 | 65 | .599 | — | 47–34 | 50–31 |
| San Francisco Giants | 88 | 74 | .543 | 9 | 42–39 | 46–35 |
| Chicago Cubs | 84 | 78 | .519 | 13 | 47–34 | 37–44 |
| Cincinnati Reds | 83 | 79 | .512 | 14 | 40–41 | 43–38 |
| Atlanta Braves | 81 | 81 | .500 | 16 | 41–40 | 40–41 |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | 80 | 82 | .494 | 17 | 40–41 | 40–41 |
| Los Angeles Dodgers | 76 | 86 | .469 | 21 | 41–40 | 35–46 |
| Philadelphia Phillies | 76 | 86 | .469 | 21 | 38–43 | 38–43 |
| New York Mets | 73 | 89 | .451 | 24 | 32–49 | 41–40 |
| Houston Astros | 72 | 90 | .444 | 25 | 42–39 | 30–51 |
Tie games
6 tie games (3 in AL, 3 in NL), which are not factored into winning percentage or games behind (and were often replayed again) occurred throughout the season.
American League
The Detroit Tigers and New York Yankees had two tie games each. The Cleveland Indians and Oakland Athletics had one tie each.
- May 15, Cleveland Indians vs. New York Yankees, tied at 2 in the middle of the eighth inning due to rain.[4]
- May 24, Oakland Athletics vs. Detroit Tigers, tied at 2 after a shortened seven innings due to rain.[5]
- August 23, New York Yankees vs. Detroit Tigers, tied at 3 after 19 innings on account of a 1 a.m. curfew. The game was replayed on August 25 in a doubleheader.[6]
National League
The Atlanta Braves, Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, New York Mets, Pittsburgh Pirates, and San Francisco Giants had one tie each.
- May 26, Cincinnati Reds vs. Pittsburgh Pirates, tied at 8 after a shortened seven innings due to rain. The game went into a 54 minute rain delay during the top of the eighth, which was subsequently negated.[7]
- September 2 (game 2), New York Mets vs. Atlanta Braves, tied at 2 in the middle of the seventh inning due to rain.[8]
- September 2 (game 2), Chicago Cubs vs. San Francisco Giants, tied at 1 after nine innings on account of darkness.[9]
Postseason
The postseason began on October 2 and ended on October 10 with the Detroit Tigers defeating the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1968 World Series in seven games.
Bracket
| World Series | ||||
| AL | Detroit Tigers | 4 | ||
| NL | St. Louis Cardinals | 3 | ||
Managerial changes
Off-season
In-season
League leaders
Any team shown in small text indicates a previous team a player was on during the season.
American League
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| AVG | Carl Yastrzemski (BOS) | .301 |
| OPS | Carl Yastrzemski (BOS) | .922 |
| HR | Frank Howard (WAS) | 44 |
| RBI | Ken Harrelson (BOS) | 109 |
| R | Dick McAuliffe (DET) | 95 |
| H | Bert Campaneris (OAK) | 177 |
| SB | Bert Campaneris (OAK) | 62 |
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| W | Denny McLain (DET) | 31 |
| L | George Brunet (CAL) | 17 |
| ERA | Luis Tiant (CLE) | 1.60 |
| K | Sam McDowell (CLE) | 283 |
| IP | Denny McLain (DET) | 336.0 |
| SV | Al Worthington (MIN) | 18 |
| WHIP | Dave McNally (BAL) | 0.842 |
National League
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| AVG | Pete Rose (CIN) | .335 |
| OPS | Willie McCovey (SF) | .923 |
| HR | Willie McCovey (SF) | 36 |
| RBI | Willie McCovey (SF) | 105 |
| R | Glenn Beckert (CHC) | 98 |
| H | Felipe Alou (ATL) Pete Rose (CIN) |
210 |
| SB | Lou Brock (STL) | 62 |
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| W | Juan Marichal (SF) | 26 |
| L | Claude Osteen (LAD) Ray Sadecki (SF) |
18 |
| ERA | Bob Gibson (STL) | 1.12 |
| K | Bob Gibson (STL) | 268 |
| IP | Juan Marichal (SF) | 325.2 |
| SV | Phil Regan (CHC/LAD) | 25 |
| WHIP | Bob Gibson (STL) | 0.853 |
Milestones
Batters
Cycles
- Jim Fregosi (CAL):
- Fregosi hit for his second cycle, second in franchise history, and seventh reverse cycle in major league history, on May 20 against the Boston Red Sox.[14]
Other batting accomplishments
- Frank Howard (WAS):
- Tied an American League record by becoming the fifth player to hit home runs in six consecutive games between May 12 and 18.[15]
- Jim Northrup (DET):
- Became the sixth player to hit two grand slams in a single game, in a 14–3 win over the Cleveland Indians on June 24.[16]
- Hank Aaron (ATL):
- Became the eighth player in Major League history to hit 500 home runs in the third inning against the San Francisco Giants on July 14.[17][18]
- Maury Wills (PIT):
- Recorded his 500th career stolen base in the first inning against the Chicago Cubs on September 20. He became the 20th player to reach this mark.[19][20][21]
Pitchers
Perfect games
- Catfish Hunter (OAK)
- Pitched the ninth perfect game in major league history and the first in franchise history on May 8 against the Minnesota Twins. Hunter threw 107 pitches and struck out 11 in the 4–0 victory.[22]
No-hitters
- Tom Phoebus (BAL):
- Phoebus threw his first career no-hitter and seventh no-hitter in franchise history, by defeating the Boston Red Sox 6–0 on April 27. He walked three and struck out nine.[23]
- George Culver (CIN):
- Culver threw his first career no-hitter and 11th no-hitter in franchise history, by defeating the Philadelphia Phillies 6–1 in game two of a doubleheader on July 29. He walked five and struck out four.[24]
- Gaylord Perry (SF):
- Perry threw his first career no-hitter and 10th no-hitter in franchise history, by defeating the St. Louis Cardinals 1–0 on September 17. He walked two and struck out nine.[25]
- Ray Washburn (STL):
- Washburn threw his first career no-hitter and fifth no-hitter in franchise history, by defeating the San Francisco Giants 2–0 on September 18. He walked five and struck out eight.[26]
Other pitching accomplishments
- Don Drysdale (LAD):
- Set a Major League record when he threw six consecutive shutouts from May 14 through June 4.[27]
- Don Wilson (HOU):
- Became the fourth player to strikeout 18 batters in a single nine-inning game in a 6–1 win against the Cincinnati Reds in game two of a doubleheader on July 14.[28]
- Hoyt Wilhelm (CWS):
Miscellaneous
- Houston Astros / New York Mets:
- Play the longest shutout in Major League history, when the Astros defeat the Mets 1–0 in the 24th inning.[29]
Awards and honors
Regular season
| Baseball Writers' Association of America Awards | ||
|---|---|---|
| BBWAA Award | National League | American League |
| Rookie of the Year | Johnny Bench (CIN) | Stan Bahnsen (NYY) |
| Cy Young Award | Bob Gibson (STL) | Denny McLain (DET) |
| Most Valuable Player | Bob Gibson (STL) | Denny McLain (DET) |
| Babe Ruth Award (World Series MVP) |
– | Mickey Lolich (DET) |
| Gold Glove Awards | ||
| Position | National League | American League |
| Pitcher | Bob Gibson (STL) | Jim Kaat (MIN) |
| Catcher | Johnny Bench (CIN) | Bill Freehan (DET) |
| 1st Base | Wes Parker (LAD) | George Scott (BOS) |
| 2nd Base | Glenn Beckert (CHC) | Bobby Knoop (CAL) |
| 3rd Base | Ron Santo (CHC) | Brooks Robinson (BAL) |
| Shortstop | Dal Maxvill (STL) | Luis Aparicio (CWS) |
| Outfield | Roberto Clemente (PIT) | Reggie Smith (BOS) |
| Curt Flood (STL) | Mickey Stanley (DET) | |
| Willie Mays (SF) | Carl Yastrzemski (BOS) | |
Other awards
- Hutch Award: Pete Rose (CIN)
- Sport Magazine's World Series Most Valuable Player Award: Mickey Lolich (STL)
Monthly awards
Player of the Month
| Month | National League |
|---|---|
| May | Don Drysdale (LAD) |
| June | Bob Gibson (STL) |
| July | Bob Gibson (STL) |
| August | Pete Rose (CIN) |
| September | Steve Blass (PIT) |
Baseball Hall of Fame
Home field attendance
| Team name | Wins | %± | Home attendance | %± | Per game |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Detroit Tigers[38] | 103 | 13.2% | 2,031,847 | 40.4% | 25,085 |
| St. Louis Cardinals[39] | 97 | −4.0% | 2,011,167 | −3.8% | 24,829 |
| Boston Red Sox[40] | 86 | −6.5% | 1,940,788 | 12.3% | 23,960 |
| New York Mets[41] | 73 | 19.7% | 1,781,657 | 13.8% | 21,728 |
| Los Angeles Dodgers[42] | 76 | 4.1% | 1,581,093 | −5.0% | 19,520 |
| Houston Astros[43] | 72 | 4.3% | 1,312,887 | −2.6% | 16,208 |
| New York Yankees[44] | 83 | 15.3% | 1,185,666 | −5.9% | 14,459 |
| Minnesota Twins[45] | 79 | −13.2% | 1,143,257 | −22.9% | 14,114 |
| Atlanta Braves[46] | 81 | 5.2% | 1,126,540 | −18.9% | 13,908 |
| Chicago Cubs[47] | 84 | −3.4% | 1,043,409 | 6.8% | 12,725 |
| California Angels[48] | 67 | −20.2% | 1,025,956 | −22.1% | 12,666 |
| Baltimore Orioles[49] | 91 | 19.7% | 943,977 | −1.2% | 11,800 |
| Cleveland Indians[50] | 86 | 14.7% | 857,994 | 29.4% | 10,593 |
| Oakland Athletics[51] | 82 | 32.3% | 837,466 | 15.3% | 10,090 |
| San Francisco Giants[52] | 88 | −3.3% | 837,220 | −32.6% | 10,336 |
| Chicago White Sox[53] | 67 | −24.7% | 803,775 | −18.5% | 9,923 |
| Cincinnati Reds[54] | 83 | −4.6% | 733,354 | −23.5% | 8,943 |
| Pittsburgh Pirates[55] | 80 | −1.2% | 693,485 | −23.5% | 8,562 |
| Philadelphia Phillies[56] | 76 | −7.3% | 664,546 | −19.8% | 8,204 |
| Washington Senators[57] | 65 | −14.5% | 546,661 | −29.1% | 6,749 |
Venues
With the relocation of the Kansas City Athletics from Kansas City, Missouri to Oakland, California as the Oakland Athletics, they leave Municipal Stadium (where they played 13 seasons) and move into Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum. They would go on to play there for 57 seasons through 2024, before again relocating.
The Chicago White Sox began playing select games in the former home of the Milwaukee Braves in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, at Milwaukee County Stadium, hosting nine of 81 home games, on May 15, 28, June 17, 24, July 11, 22, August 2, 8, and 26.[58] Though only 11% of home games, these nine games accounted for 33% of all home games attendance for the White Sox.
Media
Television
NBC was the exclusive national TV broadcaster of MLB, airing the weekend Game of the Week, the All-Star Game, and the World Series.
