Champions

Major League Baseball

• World Series: Minnesota Twins over St. Louis Cardinals (4-3); Frank Viola, MVP

• • American League Championship Series: Gary Gaetti, MVP
  • National League Championship Series: Jeff Leonard, MVP
• All-Star Game, July 14 at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum: National League, 2-0 (13 innings); Tim Raines, MVP

Other champions

• Caribbean World Series: Criollos de Caguas (Puerto Rico)
• College World Series: Stanford
• Japan Series: Seibu Lions over Yomiuri Giants (4-2)
• Little League World Series: Hua Lian, Taiwan

Awards and honors

• Most Valuable Player
  • George Bell (AL)
  • Andre Dawson (NL)
• Cy Young Award
  • Roger Clemens (AL)
  • Steve Bedrosian (NL)
• Rookie of the Year
  • Mark McGwire (AL)
  • Benito Santiago (NL)
• Manager of the Year Award
  • Sparky Anderson (AL)
  • Buck Rodgers (NL)

MLB Statistical Leaders

Major League Baseball final standings

Events

• January 14 - Catfish Hunter and Billy Williams are elected to the Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers Association of America.

• March 3 - Ray Dandridge, a legendary third baseman from the Negro Leagues, is the only player elected to the Hall of Fame by the Special Veterans Committee.

• April 13 - At Jack Murphy Stadium, the San Diego Padres set a major league record when the first three batters in the bottom of the first inning hit home runs off San Francisco Giants starter Roger Mason in their home opener. The Padres, trailing 2–0, got homers from Marvell Wynne, Tony Gwynn and John Kruk.

• April 15 - Juan Nieves of the Milwaukee Brewers pitches a no-hitter against the Baltimore Orioles. He becomes the second-youngest pitcher in major league history to accomplish the feat, and the first Brewer.

• April 17 - Mike Schmidt of the Philadelphia Phillies hits the 500th home run of his career. It came in the ninth inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates' Don Robinson, giving the Phillies an 8-6 win.

• June 28 - Don Baylor of the visiting Boston Red Sox is hit by a pitch from Rick Rhoden pitch in the sixth inning of a 6-2 win over the New York Yankees. The HBP gives Baylor 244 for his career, breaking Ron Hunt's modern-day record.

• July 14 - Tim Raines caps a 3-for-3 performance in the All-Star Game with a 2-run triple in the top of the 13th inning, giving the National League a 2–0 victory over the American League. Raines is selected the MVP.

• September 9 - Nolan Ryan strikes out 16 to pass 4,500 for his career as the Houston Astros beat the San Francisco Giants 4-2. Ryan strikes out 12 of the final 13 batters and fans Mike Aldrete to complete the seventh inning for his 4,500th strikeout.

• September 22 - Wade Boggs of the Boston Red Sox reaches the 200-hit mark for the fifth straight season in an 8-5 loss to the Detroit Tigers.

• October 25 - In Game Seven of the World Series, starter Frank Viola and reliever Jeff Reardon hold the St. Louis Cardinals to six hits, as the Minnesota Twins win 4–2 for their first World Championship. The franchise's last title came in 1924 as the Washington Senators. Viola is named the Series MVP.

Movies

• Long Gone (TV)

Births

Deaths

• January 5 - Dale Mitchell, 65, All-Star left fielder and career .312 hitter who spent almost his entire career with the Indians; made the last out in Don Larsen's perfect game in the 1956 World Series, but had only one more major league at bat
• February 9 - Larry French, 79, All-Star pitcher who won 197 games, primarily with the Pirates and Cubs, before beginning a 26-year Naval career in 1943
• May 14 - Luke Sewell, 86, All-Star catcher for four AL teams who managed the St. Louis Browns to their only pennant in 1944
• May 31 - Jerry Adair, 50, middle infielder for four AL teams, mainly the Orioles, who set various records for error-free play
• June 17 - Dick Howser, 51, manager, formerly an All-Star shortstop, who led the Kansas City Royals to their only World Series championship in 1985
• July 22 - Don McMahon, 57, All-Star relief pitcher for seven teams who led NL in saves in 1959, retired with the third most relief appearances in history
• July 27 - Travis Jackson, 83, Hall of Fame shortstop for the New York Giants who batted .300 six times, led NL shortstops in assists four times and double plays twice; later a minor league manager
• August 31 - Dick Young, 69, longtime New York sportswriter known for his hard-hitting style
• September 1 - Pinky Whitney, 82, All-Star third baseman for the Philadelphia Phillies and Boston Braves who had four 100-RBI seasons
• November 16 - Jim Brewer, 49, All-Star relief pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers who held the club record for career saves
• November 17 - Paul Derringer, 81, 6-time All-Star pitcher who had four 20-win seasons for the Cincinnati Reds; earned 2-1 victory in Game 7 of the 1940 World Series
• November 27 - Babe Herman, 84, right fielder who batted .324 lifetime, and whose popularity while with the Brooklyn Dodgers was undiminished through a variety of fielding and baserunning lapses; hit for the cycle three times