This article is currently under construction.
Champions
Major League Baseball
Other champions
Awards and honors
MLB Statistical Leaders
Major League Baseball final standings
Events
- April 13 - The New York Yankees defeat the Chicago White Sox 4-2 in their home opener on Reggie Candy Bar Day. Reggie Jackson slugs a 3-run home run in the first inning, and the field is showered with candy bars which were given out free to the fans at the game.
- May 16 - The Cincinnati Reds' Tom Seaver strikes out 13 in beating the Montreal Expos 7-1 in Montreal.
- June 14 - Pete Rose starts his 44-game hitting streak by collecting 2 hits in the Reds' 3-1 win over the Chicago Cubs.
- June 16 - In his 12th major league season speckled with near-misses, Cincinnati's Tom Seaver finally hurls a no-hitter. The Cardinals are the 4-0 victims as Seaver strikes out 3 batters.
- June 17 - The Yankees' Ron Guidry strikes out 18 batters - 15 in 6 innings - in a 4-0 shutout of the California Angels, setting an American League record for lefthanders. The victory raises the New York Yankee southpaw's record to 11-0.
- August 1 - The Braves trounce the Reds 16-4 and stop Pete Rose's record hitting streak at 44 games. Larry McWilliams and Gene Garber are the Atlanta pitchers. Rose goes 0-for-4, including striking out in the 9th inning to end the game. Rose's streak is the 2nd-longest in major league history. He goes 70-for-182 during the skein (an average of .385).
- August 2 - A day after his streak ends, Pete Rose collects 2 singles, a double and home run in the Reds' 6-2 win over Atlanta.
- October 4 - Steve Garvey smashes two home runs and a triple to pace the Dodgers to a 9-5 win over the Phillies in the opener of the National League Championship Series. Davey Lopes and Steve Yeager also homer at Veterans Stadium.
- October 5 - Tommy John notches a 4-hit shutout to beat the Philadelphia Phillies 4-0, as Davey Lopes drives in three runs. The Dodgers lead the series 2 games to 0.
- October 6 - The Phillies stay alive with a 9-4 win in Game 3 of the National League Championship Series, led by the pitching and hitting (home run,single, 4 RBIs), of Steve Carlton.
Movies
Births
Deaths
- January 7 - George H. Burns, 84, first baseman for five AL teams who batted .307 lifetime and won 1926 MVP award with the Cleveland Indians
- January 13 - Joe McCarthy, 90, Hall of Fame manager who led the New York Yankees to eight pennants and record seven World Series titles; also won 1929 NL pennant with Chciago Cubs, and was first manager to capture titles in both leagues; 2125 career wins ranked 4th in major league history, and winning percentages of .615 (regular season) and .698 (postseason) were both records
- January 27 - Monte Pearson, 69, All-Star pitcher who won 100 games, mainly with the Indians and Yankees
- February 23 - Vic Harris, 72, outfielder and manager in the Negro Leagues who guided the Homestead Grays to seven Negro National League pennants, including five in a row from 1937 to 1941; played in six East-West All-Star games between 1933 and 1947
- March 12 - Gene Moore, 68, All-Star right fielder known for his accurate arm
- March 30 - Billy Cox, 58, third baseman, mainly with the Brooklyn Dodgers, known for spectacular defense
- April 8 - Ford Frick, 83, Hall of Fame executive who served as commissioner from 1951 to 1965 and NL president from 1935 to 1951; served as ghostwriter for Babe Ruth while a sportswriter, and in 1961 ruled that home run records of Ruth and Roger Maris would be recorded separately based on season length
- April 14 - Joe Gordon, 63, 9-time All-Star second baseman in 11 seasons for the New York Yankees and Cleveland Indians who won the 1942 MVP award; set AL record of 246 home runs at his position, later a manager and scout
- April 20 - Jack Graney, 91, Canadian left fielder and leadoff hitter for the Cleveland Indians who led AL in walks twice and doubles once; was first batter ever to face Babe Ruth, and later became broadcaster
- May 29 - Carl Reynolds, 75, outfielder for five teams who batted .302 lifetime
- August 5 - Jesse Haines, 85, Hall of Fame pitcher who won 210 games, including a no-hitter, for the St. Louis Cardinals; had three 20-win seasons, and won twice in 1926 World Series
- August 18 - George Harper, 86, outfielder for six teams who batted .300 three times
- September 16 - Bill Foster, 74, star pitcher in the Negro Leagues where he was a dominant lefthander; later coached at Alcorn State University for two decades
- September 23 - Lyman Bostock, 27, outfielder for the Minnesota Twins and California Angels who twice batted .300
- October 8 - Jim Gilliam, 49, All-Star infielder for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers, previously in the Negro Leagues, who was the 1953 Rookie of the Year; led NL in triples and walks once each
- October 27 - Rube Walberg, 82, pitcher who won 155 games, primarily with the Philadelphia Athletics
- November 20 - Warren Brown, 84, Chicago sportswriter
- December 9 - Dick Siebert, 66, All-Star first baseman for the Philadelphia Athletics who twice batted .300; coach at the University of Minnesota for 31 years, winning three College World Series titles
- December 20 - Willard Mullin, 76, cartoonist whose caricature of the "Brooklyn Bum" personified the Dodgers franchise
- December 24 - George McQuinn, 68, 7-time All-Star first baseman for the Browns and Yankees who had 34-game hitting streak in 1938
"1978 in baseball"