1972 in baseball

Last updated August 22, 2025

The following are the baseball events of the year 1972 throughout the world.

Labor strife and more moving

1972 was tainted by a players' strike over pension and salary arbitration. The strike erased the first week and a half of the season, and the Leagues decided to just excise the lost portion of the season with no makeups. As a result, an uneven number of games were cancelled for each team; some as few as six, some as many as nine. The lack of makeups of those games, even when they affected playoffs, led to the Boston Red Sox losing the American League East by half a game to the Detroit Tigers.

1972 marked the first year for the Texas Rangers, who had moved to Arlington from Washington, D.C. (where they played as the Washington Senators), after the 1971 season. There would be no baseball in D.C. until 2005. The team was one of the worst ever fielded by the franchise, losing 100 games for the first time since 1964. Manager Ted Williams hated living in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, and resigned at the end of the season.

1972 would mark the Kansas City Royals' final year at Kansas City Municipal Stadium, as the next year they would move to Royals Stadium (later named Kauffman Stadium) at the Truman Sports Complex in suburban Kansas City.

The World Series was won by the Oakland Athletics, the first of three straight behind the bats of Reggie Jackson and Bert Campaneris, and the pitching cadre of Catfish Hunter, Rollie Fingers and Vida Blue. The year ended on a sad note when Roberto Clemente died in an airplane crash off the coast of San Juan, Puerto Rico, on New Year's Eve, while participating in aid efforts after the 1972 Nicaragua earthquake.

Champions

Major League Baseball


League Championship Series (ALCS, NLCS)			World Series



East	Detroit	2

West	Oakland	3
			AL	Oakland	4

			NL	Cincinnati	3
East	Pittsburgh	2

West	Cincinnati	3

World Series MVP: Gene Tenace
All-Star Game, July 25 at Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium: National League, 4–3 (10 innings); Joe Morgan, MVP

Awards and honors

Baseball Writers' Association of America Awards
BBWAA Award	National League	American League
Rookie of the Year	Jon Matlack (NYM)	Carlton Fisk (BOS)
Cy Young Award	Steve Carlton (PHI)	Gaylord Perry (CLE)
Most Valuable Player	Johnny Bench (CIN)	Dick Allen (CWS)
Babe Ruth Award (World Series MVP)	—	Gene Tenace (OAK)
Gold Glove Awards
Position	National League	American League
Pitcher	Bob Gibson (STL)	Jim Kaat (MIN)
Catcher	Johnny Bench (CIN)	Carlton Fisk (BOS)
1st Base	Wes Parker (LA)	George Scott (MIL)
2nd Base	Félix Millán (ATL)	Doug Griffin (BOS)
3rd Base	Doug Rader (HOU)	Brooks Robinson (BAL)
Shortstop	Larry Bowa (PHI)	Ed Brinkman (DET)
Outfield	César Cedeño (HOU)	Ken Berry (CAL)
	Roberto Clemente (PIT)	Paul Blair (BAL)
	Willie Davis (LA)	Bobby Murcer (NYY)

Statistical leaders

	American League		National League
Stat	Player	Total	Player	Total
AVG	Rod Carew (MIN)	.318	Billy Williams (CHC)	.333
HR	Dick Allen (CWS)	37	Johnny Bench (CIN)	40
RBI	Dick Allen (CWS)	113	Johnny Bench (CIN)	125
W	Gaylord Perry (CLE) Wilbur Wood (CWS)	24	Steve Carlton ¹ (PHI)	27
ERA	Luis Tiant (BOS)	1.91	Steve Carlton ¹ (PHI)	1.97
K	Nolan Ryan (CAL)	329	Steve Carlton ¹ (PHI)	310

¹ National League Triple Crown pitching winner

Major league baseball final standings

American League final standings

v
t
e
AL East
Team	W	L	Pct.	GB	Home	Road
⁽²⁾ Detroit Tigers	86	70	.551	—	44‍–‍34	42‍–‍36
Boston Red Sox	85	70	.548	½	52‍–‍26	33‍–‍44
Baltimore Orioles	80	74	.519	5	38‍–‍39	42‍–‍35
New York Yankees	79	76	.510	6½	46‍–‍31	33‍–‍45
Cleveland Indians	72	84	.462	14	43‍–‍34	29‍–‍50
Milwaukee Brewers	65	91	.417	21	37‍–‍42	28‍–‍49

v
t
e
AL West
Team	W	L	Pct.	GB	Home	Road
⁽¹⁾ Oakland Athletics	93	62	.600	—	48‍–‍29	45‍–‍33
Chicago White Sox	87	67	.565	5½	55‍–‍23	32‍–‍44
Minnesota Twins	77	77	.500	15½	42‍–‍32	35‍–‍45
Kansas City Royals	76	78	.494	16½	44‍–‍33	32‍–‍45
California Angels	75	80	.484	18	44‍–‍36	31‍–‍44
Texas Rangers	54	100	.351	38½	31‍–‍46	23‍–‍54

Angels

White Sox

Royals

Twins

Athletics

Rangers

Orioles

Red Sox

Indians

Tigers

Brewers

Yankees

class=notpageimage|

Locations of teams for the 1972 American League season

West

East

National League final standings

v
t
e
NL East
Team	W	L	Pct.	GB	Home	Road
⁽²⁾ Pittsburgh Pirates	96	59	.619	—	49‍–‍29	47‍–‍30
Chicago Cubs	85	70	.548	11	46‍–‍31	39‍–‍39
New York Mets	83	73	.532	13½	41‍–‍37	42‍–‍36
St. Louis Cardinals	75	81	.481	21½	40‍–‍37	35‍–‍44
Montreal Expos	70	86	.449	26½	35‍–‍43	35‍–‍43
Philadelphia Phillies	59	97	.378	37½	28‍–‍51	31‍–‍46

v
t
e
NL West
Team	W	L	Pct.	GB	Home	Road
⁽¹⁾ Cincinnati Reds	95	59	.617	—	42‍–‍34	53‍–‍25
Houston Astros	84	69	.549	10½	41‍–‍36	43‍–‍33
Los Angeles Dodgers	85	70	.548	10½	41‍–‍34	44‍–‍36
Atlanta Braves	70	84	.455	25	36‍–‍41	34‍–‍43
San Francisco Giants	69	86	.445	26½	34‍–‍43	35‍–‍43
San Diego Padres	58	95	.379	36½	26‍–‍54	32‍–‍41

Braves

Reds

Astros

Dodgers

Padres

Giants

Cubs

Expos

Mets

Phillies

Pirates

Cardinals

class=notpageimage|

Locations of teams for the 1971–1976 National League seasons

West

East

Nippon Professional Baseball final standings

Central League final standings

Central League
Pos	Team	G	W	L	T	Pct.	GB
1	Yomiuri Giants	130	74	52	4	.587	—

2	Hanshin Tigers	130	71	56	3	.559	3.5
3	Chunichi Dragons	130	67	59	4	.532	7.0
4	Yakult Atoms	130	60	67	3	.472	14.5
5	Taiyo Whales	130	57	69	4	.452	17.0
6	Hiroshima Toyo Carp	130	49	75	6	.395	24.0

Pacific League final standings

Pacific League
Pos	Team	G	W	L	T	Pct.	GB
1	Hankyu Braves	130	80	48	2	.625	—

2	Kintetsu Buffaloes	130	64	60	6	.5161	14.0
3	Nankai Hawks	130	65	61	4	.5158	14.0
4	Toei Flyers	130	63	61	6	.508	15.0
5	Lotte Orions	130	59	68	3	.465	20.5
6	Nishitetsu Lions	130	47	80	3	.370	32.5

Events

January

January 13 – Bernice Gera wins a discrimination suit against organized baseball, opening the door for her to become the first female umpire in professional baseball.
January 19 – The Baseball Writers' Association of America elects Sandy Koufax, Yogi Berra and Early Wynn to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Koufax makes it in his first try and, aged 36, is the youngest honoree in history.
January 20 – The Chicago Cubs trade outfielder Johnny Callison to the New York Yankees for relief pitcher Jack Aker, a "Player to be Named Later" (PTBNL) who is added to the deal on May 17.

February

February 8 – Commissioner Bowie Kuhn announces that the Special Committee on the Negro Leagues has selected Josh Gibson and Buck Leonard for the Hall of Fame.
February 25 – The Philadelphia Phillies make one of the most important trades in their history, acquiring southpaw starting pitcher and future Baseball Hall of Famer Steve Carlton from the St. Louis Cardinals for right-hander Rick Wise. Carlton is dealt after Cardinals owner August A. Busch Jr., infuriated by a contract impasse, publicly orders his front office to trade the young star. Carlton will spend 15 years in a Phillie uniform, win 20 or more games five times (and go 241–161 with a 3.09 ERA in 741 games pitched), capture four National League Cy Young Awards, make seven All-Star teams, and lead the Phillies to two pennants and their first-ever World Series championship.

March

March 4 – Former (1968) American League Cy Young Award winner and MVP Denny McLain, coming off a 22-loss season as a member of the final edition of the 1961–1971 Washington Senators, is traded by the relocated Texas Rangers to the Oakland Athletics for pitchers Jim Panther and Don Stanhouse. The deal fails to revive McLain's career: he appears in only five games with Oakland before being traded, and he is out of baseball before his 29th birthday in March 1973.
March 6 – Food industry tycoon Vernon Stouffer sells the Cleveland Indians to a local investor group headed by Nick Mileti, who owns the NBA's Cleveland Cavaliers and the city's minor-league hockey franchise, the Barons. The sale price is reported to be $9 million, $500,000 greater than the offer Stouffer spurned from George Steinbrenner's ownership syndicate only three months before, and well below the owner's asking price of $10 million.
March 16 – Reigning AL Cy Young- and MVP-award winner Vida Blue announces his retirement at age 22. The retirement will be a short one as Blue will rejoin the Oakland Athletics in May.
March 22 – The New York Yankees acquire 27-year-old left-handed relief pitcher Sparky Lyle from their bitter rivals, the Boston Red Sox, for first baseman Danny Cater and shortstop Mario Guerrero ("PTBNL"). The trade is a one-sided victory for the Yankees, for whom Lyle will go 57–40 (2.41 ERA) with 141 saves (leading the American League in 1972 and 1976) in 420 games over the next seven seasons. He also will win the 1977 AL Cy Young Award as the Junior Circuit's first reliever to be so honored; he will help the Yankees win three pennants and two World Series (1977, 1978).
March 24 – The St. Louis Cardinals trade second baseman Julián Javier, 35, a two-time World Series champion and 2x All-Star, to the Cincinnati Reds for pitcher Tony Cloninger, 31, a former 24-game winner. The coming season will be the last MLB campaign for both players.

April

April 1–13 – The first players' strike in baseball history wipes 6–8 games off the schedule of each MLB team. It is agreed that those games will be canceled outright — not even played to resolve pennant races. This results in teams not being scheduled for the same number of games over the regular season; the imbalance will enable the Detroit Tigers to edge the Boston Red Sox by one-half game to win the American League East championship. The strike results in the team owners adding salary arbitration to the collective bargaining agreement, and increasing pension fund payments.
April 2 – Gil Hodges, 47, manager of the New York Mets since 1968 and a future Baseball Hall of Famer as the star first baseman of the Brooklyn Dodgers of the 1950s, suffers a fatal heart attack after a day of golf with his coaching staff in West Palm Beach, Florida. (See Deaths entry for this date below.) His unexpected death sends waves of shock and grief throughout baseball. Hodges' funeral mass is celebrated April 6 at his parish church in Brooklyn, where he has lived since 1948. One day later, Hall-of-Fame catcher Yogi Berra, a Mets' coach, is named his successor at the club's helm.
April 5 – The Mets, in the midst of mourning Gil Hodges, complete a major trade with a division rival, the Montreal Expos, acquiring five-time National League All-Star outfielder Rusty Staub, 28, for three young players: first baseman Mike Jorgensen (23), shortstop Tim Foli (21), and outfielder Ken Singleton (24). Staub will help lead the 1973 Mets to the NL pennant (and bat .423 in the World Series), while Jorgensen, Foli and Singleton become regular members of the Expos' lineup.
April 15 – The Major League season finally gets underway after the 13-day player strike. In the first game in the history of the relocated Texas Rangers, played at Anaheim Stadium, the California Angels' Andy Messersmith tosses a two-hit, complete game shutout and Sandy Alomar Sr. scores the only run of the game on a wild pitch in a ninth-inning, "walk-off" 1–0 Angel victory.
April 16 – At Wrigley Field, Burt Hooton of the Chicago Cubs no-hits the Philadelphia Phillies 4–0.
April 21 – The Texas Rangers play their first-ever home opener at Arlington Stadium. Before 20,105 fans, former Washington Senator hero Frank Howard hits the first home run in Rangers' history (home or away), a solo shot against Clyde Wright, as Texas defeats the California Angels, 7–6.
April 26
- The Houston Astros win their ninth straight game, defeating the Chicago Cubs 5–4 in ten innings at the Astrodome.
- The season is only 11 days old when the San Diego Padres dismiss manager Preston Gómez and replace him with coach Don Zimmer. The Padres' only pilot since they entered MLB in 1969, Gómez departs with a 180–316 (.363) record over all or parts of four seasons. For Zimmer, the San Diego job is his first managing assignment in the majors.
April 29 – Don Zimmer gets his first win as a manager, when the San Diego Padres defeat the Philadelphia Phillies. The winning pitcher is Steve Arlin, who'll finish the season with a league-leading 21 losses. The losing pitcher was Steve Carlton, who'll lead the NL in victories with 27.

May

May 11 – A legend in New York since he launched his Hall of Fame MLB career as the "Say Hey Kid" with the baseball Giants (1951–1952, 1954–1957), Willie Mays, now 41, returns to his original National League home city when the San Francisco Giants trade him to the New York Mets for 24-year-old pitcher Charlie Williams and cash.
May 12 – At Bloomington, Minnesota, the Milwaukee Brewers and Minnesota Twins battle to a 3–3 tie after 21 innings before the game is suspended. When it resumes on the following day (May 13), Milwaukee's Mike Ferraro singles in what proves to be the winning tally in the top of the 22nd.
May 14 – In front of a Mother's Day crowd of 35,505 in Shea Stadium, Willie Mays makes a triumphant homecoming to New York with the Mets, belting a game-winning home run against his old teammates, the Giants. Leading off and playing first base, Mays walks and scores in the first inning on Rusty Staub's grand slam, then his solo homer in the fifth snaps a 4–4 tie. The final score: New York 5, San Francisco 4.
May 16 – Philadelphia Phillies rookie outfielder Greg Luzinski blasts a 500-foot home run off the Liberty Bell at Philadelphia's one-year-old Veterans Stadium.
May 21 – The New York Mets win their 11th straight game, and 14th out of their last 15, defeating the homestanding Phillies, 4–3. Tom Seaver improves to 7–1 and the winning blow is struck by Willie Mays, with a two-run homer in the eighth inning. The win improves the Mets' record to 25–7, and they hold a six-game lead in the National League East over the 18–12 Pittsburgh Pirates.
May 23 – Tossing a three-hitter, Gaylord Perry wins his eighth game against two losses, as his surprising Cleveland Indians shut out the New York Yankees in the Bronx, 3–0. Cleveland, losers of 101 games in 1971, sits in first place in the American League East with an 18–10 record.
May 28 – The Milwaukee Brewers fire manager Dave Bristol, replacing him with Del Crandall, former All-Star catcher of the Milwaukee Braves. Coach Roy McMillan takes over as interim skipper until Crandall arrives and guides the team to a 4–1 loss to the Boston Red Sox.

June

June 1 – Paul Richards, vice president/player personnel and de facto general manager of the Atlanta Braves since August 31, 1966, is replaced by director of player development Eddie Robinson as leader of the 18–22 team's front office.
June 3
- In a move similar to Atlanta's two days earlier, the Philadelphia Phillies, mired in a 2–18 slump, fire veteran general manager John J. Quinn and promote farm system boss Paul Owens to replace him. Owens will spend over a dozen years as GM and build the Phillies into a contender that wins five National League East titles, two NL pennants, and, in 1980, the first World Series championship in franchise history.
- The 13th inning brings good fortune to the New York Yankees, as they score eight runs in the top of the 13th to overwhelm the Chicago White Sox, 18–10, at Comiskey Park. Thurman Munson and Bobby Murcer belt home runs in the Yanks' big inning, but five of their eight tallies are unearned.
June 7
- Five Pittsburgh Pirates combine to throw an 18-inning, six-hit shutout to defeat the Padres, 1–0, at San Diego Stadium in the second game of a twi-night doubleheader. Clay Kirby stars in a losing cause, hurling 13 scoreless frames for San Diego before leaving for a pinch hitter.
- Left-hander Steve Carlton of the Philadelphia Phillies defeats the Houston Astros 3–1 at Veterans Stadium, evening his won–lost record at 6–6. Over the next 2½ months, he will win 15 consecutive decisions for a last-place team.
June 14 – By downing the Phillies 2–1 at Riverfront Stadium, the Cincinnati Reds extend their five-week hot streak to 26 wins in 32 games. At 34–19, they sit atop the National League West, 2½ games ahead of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
June 18 – The U.S. Supreme Court rules 5–3 in favor of Major League Baseball in the lawsuit brought by Curt Flood, upholding the reserve clause.
June 24 – In the first game of a doubleheader between the visiting Auburn Phillies and Geneva Senators of the Class A Short Season New York–Penn League, Bernice Gera becomes the first woman to umpire a professional baseball game. She quits between games after being verbally abused by some spectators and Auburn's manager.
June 29 – Denny McLain is traded by the Oakland Athletics to the Atlanta Braves for veteran first baseman and future Hall of Famer Orlando Cepeda, 34. In McLain's final MLB season, the former 31-game-winner's record is 4–7 with a 6.37 ERA.

July

July 2 – San Francisco's Willie McCovey hits his 14th career grand slam home run to pace the Giants' 9–3 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers. Pitcher Randy Moffitt wins his first major league game and receives a congratulatory telegram from sister Billie Jean King, who is playing at Wimbledon.
July 4 – For the second time in his career, Tom Seaver of the New York Mets has a no-hitter broken up in the ninth. The bid is foiled in the first game of a doubleheader against the San Diego Padres at Shea Stadium by a Leron Lee single with one out, the only hit Seaver will allow in a 2–0 Met victory. Seaver had a bid for a perfect game broken up in the ninth against the Chicago Cubs in 1969.
July 5 – The 36–34 Minnesota Twins change managers, replacing veteran skipper Bill Rigney with coach Frank Quilici. Rigney, 54, is in the midst of his 17th season as an MLB pilot. Quilici, 33, a former Twins' infielder, has never managed before.
July 6 – At the Astrodome, the Pittsburgh Pirates score four runs in the top of the 17th inning to defeat Houston 7–3. The win enables the Pirates to extend their lead in the National League East to 2½ games over the New York Mets.
July 8 – The California Angels go 16 innings to defeat the Boston Red Sox 4–3 at Anaheim Stadium. Syd O'Brien scores the winning run against his former team on a single by Sandy Alomar Sr.
July 9
- The Angels' Nolan Ryan strikes out 16 and allows only one hit (a first-inning single to Carl Yastrzemski) in a 3–0 victory over the Red Sox. It's Ryan's second career one-hitter; the first of his all-time-record seven no-hitters will happen on May 15, 1973.
- Rich Reese of the Minnesota Twins ties a major league record by hitting the third pinch-hit grand slam home run of his MLB career.
July 10
- The Los Angeles Dodgers' Hoyt Wilhelm, 49, appears in his 1,070th and last game pitched in Major League Baseball, establishing a record that will last until 1998 and (as of 2024) is sixth all-time. The Dodgers release Wilhelm eleven days later.
- Newly appointed general manager Paul Owens of the Philadelphia Phillies (26–50, last in the NL East) fires third-year manager Frank Lucchesi and takes the reins of the team himself for the rest of the 1972 campaign.
July 11
- At Oakland, Marty Pattin of the Boston Red Sox has his no-hit bid foiled when Reggie Jackson hits a one-out single in the ninth inning. Boston wins 4–0.
- Billy Williams of the Chicago Cubs goes 8-for-8 in a doubleheader against the Houston Astros at Wrigley Field, hitting home runs in both games and driving in four runs. The Cubs lose the first game 6–5, but win the nightcap 9–5.
- Mickey Stanley lashes a crucial, ninth-inning home run as the Detroit Tigers beat the Texas Rangers 6–5 to stay in the American League East race, one game ahead of the three-time AL pennant-winning Baltimore Orioles.
July 14 – In a game between the Detroit Tigers and Kansas City Royals at Municipal Stadium, Detroit catcher Tom Haller has his older brother Bill Haller looking right over his shoulder. It's the first time brothers have served as catcher and home plate umpire in the same MLB game. The Royals win 1–0.
July 18 – Against the Philadelphia Phillies at San Diego Stadium, Padres' pitcher Steve Arlin has a no-hitter broken up with two out in the ninth by a Denny Doyle single.^[1] With two strikes on him, Doyle takes advantage of Padre manager Don Zimmer's decision to play third baseman Dave Roberts in by slapping a ground ball that bounces over Roberts' head—a ball that Roberts could have fielded at normal depth. Doyle later advances to second on a balk, then scores on a Tommy Hutton single. Arlin then retires Greg Luzinski on a fly ball to come away with a two-hitter (one of three he pitches within 30 days; he also hurls a one-hitter June 23, 1972, during a season in which he finishes 10–21, 3.60) in a 5–1 Padre victory. This will be the closest any San Diego hurler comes to a no-hitter until Joe Musgrove finally throws the franchise's first on April 8, 2021.
July 24 – Leo Durocher, 66, steps down as manager of the Chicago Cubs (46–44 and tied for third in their division). He is replaced by Whitey Lockman, who played for Durocher's 1950s New York Giants and has been serving as the Cubs' director of player development.
July 25 – At Atlanta Stadium, the National League wins the All-Star Game over the American League 4–3, behind hometown hero Hank Aaron's two-run home run and Joe Morgan's 10th-inning RBI single. Morgan is named MVP. It is the seventh time the classic has gone into extra innings.
July 29 – In 17 innings, the San Diego Padres get past the division-leading Cincinnati Reds 4–3 at Riverfront Stadium on Jerry Morales' RBI single. The defeat shaves the Reds' lead to six games over the second-place Houston Astros in the National League West.
July 31 – Minnesota Twins hurler Bert Blyleven gives up two inside-the-park home runs to Dick Allen of the Chicago White Sox. The next time this feat occurs in the major leagues, Blyleven's fortunes are reversed: he's the winning pitcher on October 4, 1986, when teammate Greg Gagne circles the bases twice against Floyd Bannister to help Minnesota defeat the White Sox, 7–3.

August

August 1
- At Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium, Nate Colbert of the San Diego Padres ties Stan Musial's 18-year record by hitting five home runs in a doubleheader against the Atlanta Braves. He hits two in the first game, won by the Padres 9–0, and three more in the nightcap, which San Diego also wins, 11–7. Musial had hit five home runs in a May 2, 1954 doubleheader at Busch Stadium—with Colbert, then eight years old, in attendance.
- Cleon Jones delivers an RBI single in the home half of the 18th inning, and the New York Mets defeat the Philadelphia Phillies, 3–2.
August 2 – In an inter-league waiver deal that will have massive implications in the American League's late-season divisional pennant race, the Detroit Tigers claim 32-year-old left-hander Woodie Fryman from the Philadelphia Phillies. Over the next two months, as a member of Detroit's starting rotation, Fryman will win ten of 13 decisions, including the division clincher October 3.
August 6 – The 47–57–1 Atlanta Braves, 16 games behind the Cincinnati Reds and fourth in the National League West, fire fifth-year manager Lum Harris. His replacement is all-time Braves great and future Hall of Famer Eddie Mathews, star third baseman during 15 seasons (1952–1966) spent in all three of the team's home cities.
August 10–11 – In 19 innings, the first-place Oakland Athletics defeat the second-place Chicago White Sox 5–3 on a two-run home run by Joe Rudi. The game, played at Oakland, begins at 7:30 p.m. PDT on August 10, but is halted by a 1 a.m. curfew in the 17th frame. When it resumes on Friday the 11th, it takes another two innings for a decision to be reached. Catfish Hunter gets the win in relief, then he starts the second game of Friday's twin bill, goes eight innings, and allows the game's only run in a 1–0 ChiSox victory. Oakland and Chicago remain one game apart in the AL West standings.

August 17 – Steve Carlton of the Philadelphia Phillies wins his 15th consecutive game with a 9–4 victory over the Cincinnati Reds.
August 19 – Only recently recovered from arm miseries and plugged into the Boston Red Sox' starting rotation, Luis Tiant fires a two-hitter to defeat the Chicago White Sox 3–0 at Comiskey Park. It's the first of Tiant's four consecutive complete-game shutouts that will lift the fourth-place, 56–55 Red Sox into contention for the AL East title. Through the last seven weeks of the 1972 season, Tiant will go 11–2 with 11 complete games, six shutouts and a 1.20 earned run average.
August 25
- The visiting Baltimore Orioles rally for three runs in the ninth inning to overcome the Oakland Athletics 5–3. The result affects both AL division races, as the Orioles climb into a first-place tie with the Detroit Tigers in the East and the Athletics fall a full game behind the Chicago White Sox in the West.
- Managerial heads continue to roll during the season, as Harry Walker, skipper of the 67–54 Houston Astros, is relieved of his command. After coach Salty Parker handles the team on August 26, the Astros turn to Leo Durocher on the 27th, making him permanent field leader. The 67-year-old Durocher has spent only five weeks on the sidelines since his resignation from the Chicago Cubs on July 23. Houston is the fourth, and final, stop in a managerial career that began in 1939. Counting the tragic death of the New York Mets' Gil Hodges on April 2, the Astros are the eighth MLB team (out of 24) to change managers either immediately before or during the 1972 campaign.
August 27
- Horace Clarke's sacrifice fly in the 16th inning delivers a doubleheader sweep for his New York Yankees over the Kansas City Royals in The Bronx, 7–6 and 9–8. The Yankees, who collect 40 hits on the day, are tied with the Boston Red Sox for third in the AL East, and both trail the pace-setting Detroit Tigers by 3½ games.
- Adding depth to their roster for the stretch drive, the Oakland Athletics acquire former NL batting champion Matty Alou from the St. Louis Cardinals for fellow outfielder Bill Voss.
August 29 – At Busch Memorial Stadium, Jim Barr of the San Francisco Giants retires the first 20 St. Louis Cardinals he faces in today's 3–0 shutout victory. When added to the last 21 batters he retired in his previous outing—a two-hit, 8–0 blanking of the Pittsburgh Pirates on August 23 at Candlestick Park—Barr establishes a record for consecutive batters retired (41). His feat will be tied in 2007 by relief pitcher Bobby Jenks of the Chicago White Sox.
August 31 – The Detroit Tigers make a huge addition to their postseason-eligible roster by acquiring 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m), 255 lb (116 kg) veteran slugger Frank Howard from the Texas Rangers.

September

September 1 – As the season's final full month begins, the American League finds itself with two hot divisional races. In the East, only two games separate the top four teams—the Baltimore Orioles, Detroit Tigers, New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox. In the West, the Oakland Athletics lead the Chicago White Sox by 1½ games. In contrast, the National League races are all but decided, with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Cincinnati Reds in front of their divisional rivals by 11 and seven games respectively.
September 2 – At Wrigley Field, Chicago Cub pitcher Milt Pappas no-hits the San Diego Padres 8–0. Pappas retires the first 26 batters and comes to within one strike of a perfect game with a 2–2 count to pinch-hitter Larry Stahl, but home-plate umpire Bruce Froemming calls the next two pitches, both of which are close, balls. Undeterred, Pappas ends the game by retiring the next batter, ex-Cub Garry Jestadt. Not until Carlos Zambrano in 2008 would the Cubs be involved in a no-hitter (either in pitching it or having it pitched against them), and the next no-hitter at Wrigley won't come until Cole Hamels of the Philadelphia Phillies no-hits the Cubs in 2015. The perfect game bid is also the only one, to date, to be broken up on a walk to the 27th batter.
September 3 – At Yankee Stadium, southpaw knuckleballer Wilbur Wood tosses a five-hitter to shut out the New York Yankees 5–0 for his 23rd victory of the season (against 12 losses). But his Chicago White Sox fail to gain ground on the Oakland Athletics, who defeat the Detroit Tigers 3–1 behind Catfish Hunter's 18th triumph.
September 7 – Boston Red Sox right-hander Sonny Siebert wins his 12th game and goes three-for-four at the plate (including a home run) to defeat the New York Yankees 10–4 at Fenway Park. The win propels the Red Sox to first place in the torrid American League East race.
September 8 – Future Hall-of-Famer Ferguson Jenkins of the Chicago Cubs wins his 20th game for the sixth straight year, a 4–3 decision over the Philadelphia Phillies at Veterans Stadium.
September 10 – In the 12th inning at Cleveland Stadium, rookie catcher Carlton Fisk's 20th home run of 1972 breaks a 1–1 tie and enables his Boston Red Sox to sweep a doubleheader from the Indians, 5–1 and 2–0. The Bosox' divisional lead is now 1½ games over the Baltimore Orioles.
September 15 – Steve Carlton beats the Montreal Expos 5–3, raising his record to 24–9. The rest of the Philadelphia Phillies 1972 pitching staff has a combined record of 26–80.
September 17 – At County Stadium, the Detroit Tigers down the Milwaukee Brewers 6–2 behind Joe Coleman's 17th win. The Tigers' fifth victory in a row moves them into a virtual first-place tie with the Boston Red Sox.

Luis Tiant Luis Tiant - Boston Red Sox.jpg — Luis Tiant

September 20
- The Boston Red Sox sweep a doubleheader from the Baltimore Orioles at Fenway Park 9–1 (behind Marty Pattin) and 4–0 (behind Luis Tiant). The visiting Detroit Tigers win their single game 4–1 over the Cleveland Indians behind Woodie Fryman. At day's end, Boston holds a one-game lead over the Tigers.
- Milt Pappas of the Chicago Cubs wins his 200th game as a major leaguer, defeating the Expos 6–2 at Wrigley Field.
September 21 – The defending world champion Pittsburgh Pirates (91–53) clinch the National League East title with a 6–2 victory over the New York Mets.
September 22 – The Cincinnati Reds (90–55) clinch the NL West crown with a 4–3 road victory over the Houston Astros.
September 24 – Luis Tiant throws another complete game victory to enable the Boston Red Sox to split their four-game weekend series at Fenway Park with the Detroit Tigers. The Red Sox remain one game ahead of the Tigers in the AL East. Meanwhile, the Chicago White Sox shave one game off the Oakland Athletics' AL West lead by defeating the Texas Rangers behind hard-throwing rookie relief pitcher Goose Gossage, who improves to 7–0 on the season, and Dick Allen's 37th home run. Oakland's lead is now 3½ games.
September 28 – The White Sox' faint division-championship hopes are extinguished when the Oakland Athletics (90–60) sweep a three-games series from the Minnesota Twins at the Oakland Coliseum. They take the third and final game when light-hitting shortstop Dal Maxvill drives in the decisive run in the home half of the ninth. The White Sox, meanwhile, are idle after having lost back-to-back games on September 26–27 to the Kansas City Royals. At 83–65, they trail the Athletics by five games with only five to play, but are mathematically eliminated anyway because of the strike-driven, asymmetric 1972 MLB schedule.
September 30
- During the Pirates' 5–0 win over the New York Mets at Three Rivers Stadium, Roberto Clemente doubles off New York's Jon Matlack in the fourth inning to get his 3,000th and final regular-season hit in the major leagues.
- Finishing his fourth year as manager of the Washington Senators/Texas Rangers franchise, Ted Williams announces his resignation, effective at the end of the season. The Baseball Hall of Famer will step down with a 273–364 (.429) record as the club's skipper.

October

October 1 – With only the Detroit Tigers and Boston Red Sox still alive for the American League East title, the Baltimore Orioles' Mike Cuellar spaces eight hits and Bobby Grich homers off Lynn McGlothen in the sixth inning to lead the Orioles to a 2–1 victory over the Red Sox at Memorial Stadium. It's a crucial setback for the Bosox, who now head into a three-game, season-ending series at Tiger Stadium with just a half-game lead. To win the division, Boston (84–68) must take two out of three games in Detroit from the Tigers (84–69).
October 2
- Detroit Tigers veteran left-hander Mickey Lolich, hero of the 1968 World Series, again comes up big in the clutch four years later, striking out 15 and defeating the Boston Red Sox 4–1 to give the Tigers a half-game lead in the AL East. The Bosox are victimized by a nightmarish mishap on the bases that befalls Luis Aparicio, their wily shortstop and normally a superior baserunner, in the third inning. Rounding third and poised to score the Red Sox' lead run on an extra-base hit by Carl Yastrzemski, Aparicio falls between third base and home plate. When he tries to retreat to third base, he finds Yastrzemski occupying the bag. Yaz is tagged out and the Bosox' rally is snuffed out.
- In the first game of a doubleheader at Jarry Park, Bill Stoneman of the Montreal Expos no-hits the New York Mets 7–0. The no-hitter is 1) the second of Stoneman's career (the first having come on April 17, 1969—only nine games into the Expos' existence), 2) the first no-hitter ever pitched in a regular season game in Canada, and 3) the latest, calendar-wise, that a regular-season no-hitter has been pitched, tied with Addie Joss' perfect game in 1908.
October 3
- The Detroit Tigers clinch the American League East as Woodie Fryman beats Luis Tiant and the Boston Red Sox 3–1 for his tenth win. Detroit's Chuck Seelbach picks up his 14th save and Al Kaline singles in the winning run. It's Detroit pilot Billy Martin's second divisional championship in his three years as an MLB manager. When 85–70 Boston wins a meaningless final game October 4, the 86–70 Tigers' margin of victory is one-half game, an anomaly caused by the asymmetric 1972 schedule.
- The Kansas City Royals fire manager Bob Lemon and replace him with their Triple-A skipper, Jack McKeon. It's the 41-year-old McKeon's first MLB managerial opportunity after over two decades as a minor-league catcher and pilot and MLB scout. He'll become well known as "Trader Jack" McKeon as a general manager and, at 72, win a World Series as skipper of the 2003 Florida Marlins.

October 8 – The Oakland Athletics win Game 2 of the 1972 American League Championship Series 5–0 at the Oakland Coliseum behind Blue Moon Odom's complete game shutout to take a two-games-to-none lead over the Detroit Tigers. The contest turns ugly when Fred Scherman, a Tiger relief pitcher, throws two brushback pitches to Oakland slugger Reggie Jackson in the fifth inning; Jackson responds by belting a two-run double to drive home the Athletics' fourth and fifth runs of the day. Then, in the seventh, another Tiger reliever, Lerrin LaGrow, throws inside to Bert Campaneris, who is three for three with two runs scored, and hits the Oakland shortstop on the foot. Enraged, Campaneris fires his bat over LaGrow's head and charges the mound as the benches clear. Batter and pitcher are both ejected, and AL president Joe Cronin fines Campaneris and LaGrow and suspends them for the balance of the LCS. However, Cronin also rules that each player would be eligible to participate should his team move on to the World Series.
October 11
- The Pittsburgh Pirates carry a 3–2 lead into the bottom of the ninth of the fifth and deciding game of the NLCS at Riverfront Stadium. Leading off, the Reds' Johnny Bench homers to tie the game. His blast is followed by two singles and two outs. Then, with pinch runner George Foster at third base, the Pirates' Bob Moose unleashes a wild pitch, permitting the pennant-clinching run to score. The 4–3 triumph seals Cincinnati's sixth National League championship of the post-1901 era.
- The California Angels fire manager Del Rice after only one season (75–80, fifth in the AL West) and replace him with Bobby Winkles, formerly the highly successful coach at Arizona State University (524–173 with three College World Series titles).
October 12 – For the first time since divisional play began in 1969, both League Championship Series come down to a decisive Game 5, when the Oakland Athletics and Detroit Tigers resume their bitter ALCS struggle at Tiger Stadium. Detroit breaks the ice with an unearned run off Blue Moon Odom in the first inning. Then, in the second, Oakland's Reggie Jackson steals home to tie the game at one—but he pulls his hamstring in the process and is forced to leave the game. Two innings later, Oakland takes a 2–1 lead on an RBI single by Gene Tenace. Odom and left-hander Vida Blue (in a rare relief appearance) then shut down the Tigers for the rest of the afternoon. The Athletics win their tenth American League pennant, and their first since 1931 when the club was based in Philadelphia. However, Jackson's pulled hamstring will prevent him from appearing in the 1972 World Series.
October 15 – Before Game 2 of the 1972 World Series at Riverfront Stadium, MLB marks the 25th anniversary of the racial integration of its playing ranks by honoring pioneer Jackie Robinson, who broke the color barrier in the National League on April 15, 1947, and Larry Doby, who integrated the American League that same year on July 5. In his remarks, Hall-of-Famer Robinson calls on baseball to open its managerial ranks to Black candidates as well. It will be the 53-year-old Robinson's last public appearance; seriously ill with diabetes and nearly blind, he will suffer a fatal heart attack at his Stamford, Connecticut home nine days later. (See Deaths entry for October 24.)
October 22 – The Oakland Athletics win the World Series with a 3–2 victory in Game 7 over the Cincinnati Reds. Catfish Hunter gets the win in relief, and Rollie Fingers the save. Gene Tenace knocks in two of Oakland's three runs with a single in the first inning and a tie-breaking double in the sixth. Tenace, who had hit only five home runs during the regular season, slugs four in the Series and is named MVP. It's the Athletics' sixth world championship, and first in 42 years.
October 31 – Jim Wilson, recently appointed general manager of the Milwaukee Brewers, follows in the footsteps of predecessor "Frantic" Frank Lane when he swings a high-profile, seven-player trade with the Philadelphia Phillies. The Brewers send pitchers Ken Brett, Jim Lonborg, Ken Sanders and Earl Stephenson to Philadelphia for pitcher Billy Champion, third baseman Don Money and utilityman John Vukovich. Money will become a four-time American League All-Star during his 11 seasons with the Brewers.

November

November 2
- Whitey Herzog, a future Baseball Hall of Fame manager, gets his first MLB assignment when he succeeds Ted Williams as pilot of the 54–100 Texas Rangers. Herzog, 41, has spent the previous five years as director of player development of the New York Mets.
- The Mets send pitchers Danny Frisella and Gary Gentry to the Atlanta Braves for left-hander George Stone and three-time National League All-Star and 2x Gold Glove Award-winning second baseman Félix Millán. In 1973, Stone will go 12–3 (2.80 ERA), Millán will be named team MVP, and the Mets will win the second NL pennant in team history.
November 7 – With general manager Paul Owens resuming full-time front-office duties, the Philadelphia Phillies appoint Danny Ozark their field manager for 1973. Ozark, 48, is a 30-year veteran of the Los Angeles Dodgers' organization and has spent eight years on Walter Alston's coaching staff. His tenure in Philadelphia will yield three National League East titles, but no NL pennants, before he's fired August 29, 1979.
November 8 – The St. Louis Cardinals bring catcher Tim McCarver back to St. Louis, sending young outfielder Jorge Roque to the Montreal Expos in exchange.
November 15 – Dick Allen of the Chicago White Sox is a landslide winner of the 1972 American League Most Valuable Player Award. An eight-year veteran of three NL teams, Allen has had a huge impact in his first year in the Junior Circuit—leading it in homers (37), runs batted in (113), bases on balls (99), OBP (.420), slugging percentage (.603), OPS (1.023), and OPS+ (.199).
November 20 – Future Baseball Hall of Fame catcher Carlton Fisk of the Boston Red Sox (All-Star, Gold Glove Award, 22 HR, 61 RBI, .293) is the unanimous winner of the American League Rookie of the Year Award. The following day, New York Mets left-hander Jon Matlack (15–10, 2.32 ERA), wins 1972's NL "ROTY" honor, receiving 19 of 24 votes.
November 21 – The world champion Oakland Athletics acquire centerfielder Bill North from the Chicago Cubs for relief pitcher Bob Locker. North will be a key part of Oakland's 1973 and 1974 teams that win American League pennants and World Series titles, and he will lead the AL twice in stolen bases.
November 22 – Future Hall of Fame catcher Johnny Bench of the Cincinnati Reds wins his second National League MVP Award in three years. Bench beats out Chicago Cubs outfielder Billy Williams, who also ran second to Bench in the 1970 MVP balloting.
November 24 – Former NL batting champion Matty Alou is traded by the Oakland Athletics to the New York Yankees for pitcher Rob Gardner and infielder Rich McKinney ("PTBNL"). Alou, 33, starred in the 1972 ALCS but went only 1-for-24 (.042) in seven games during Athletics' 1972 World Series triumph.
November 25 – Pittsburgh Pirates right fielder Roberto Clemente wins his 12th consecutive Gold Glove Award and Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Wes Parker his sixth in a row.
November 27 – The New York Yankees acquire third baseman Graig Nettles, who will be a cornerstone of their 1977 and 1978 World Series championship teams—and a five-time American League All-Star and 2x Gold Glove Award-winner over 11 seasons in New York—when the Cleveland Indians swap Nettles and catcher Jerry Moses to the Yankees for catcher John Ellis, infielder Jerry Kenney, and outfielders Charlie Spikes and Rusty Torres.
November 28 – In a blockbuster intrastate trade that satisfies both teams, the Los Angeles Dodgers send outfielder Frank Robinson, pitchers Bill Singer and Mike Strahler, and infielders Bobby Valentine and Billy Grabarkewitz to the California Angels for pitcher Andy Messersmith and third baseman Ken McMullen. In 1973, Robinson will hit .266 with 30 home runs with 97 RBI in 147 games, and Singer will combine with Nolan Ryan to strike out 674 batters, to set a 20th-century major league record for two pitching teammates. Messersmith will win 39 games in his next two seasons for the Dodgers and finish second in the 1974 NL Cy Young Award voting.
November 29
- The Chicago White Sox trade right-hander Tom Bradley, 25 and a two-time 15-game winner, to the San Francisco Giants for pitcher Steve Stone and outfielder Ken Henderson.
- Relief pitcher Wayne Granger rejoins his original MLB team when the St. Louis Cardinals acquire him from the Minnesota Twins for left-hander John Cumberland and outfielder Larry Hisle.
November 30
- The Kansas City Royals obtain outfielder (and, soon, designated hitter) Hal McRae and pitcher Wayne Simpson from the Cincinnati Reds for pitcher Roger Nelson and outfielder Richie Scheinblum. A future four-time All-Star, McRae will play 15 years for the Royals and eventually become their manager.
- In a six-player transaction, the Atlanta Braves trade slugging catcher Earl Williams and infielder Taylor Duncan to the Baltimore Orioles for pitchers Pat Dobson and Roric Harrison, catcher Johnny Oates and second baseman Davey Johnson. A multiple All-Star and Gold Glove Award-winner, Johnson will explode for 43 home runs in 1973, playing his home games at Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium, known as "the launching pad."
- The Chicago Cubs deal three right-handed pitchers—former 20-game winner Bill Hands, Joe Decker, and prospect Bob Maneely—to the Minnesota Twins for southpaw hurler Dave LaRoche.
- The Philadelphia Phillies make two inter-league trades. They acquire versatile veteran infielder/outfielder César Tovar from the Minnesota Twins for pitchers Ken Reynolds and Ken Sanders and outfielder Joe Lis; then, they obtain outfielder Del Unser and minor-league third baseman Terry Wedgewood from the Cleveland Indians for outfielders Oscar Gamble and Roger Freed.

December

December 1 – After a flurry of deals to close November, a decidedly cooler December trade market opens with a single interleague transaction when the Cincinnati Reds send southpaw Jim Merritt, a former 20-game winner and National League All-Star, to the Texas Rangers for catcher Hal King and infielder Jim Driscoll.
December 10 – The American League votes unanimously to adopt the designated hitter rule on a three-year experimental basis. The DH will replace the pitcher in the lineup unless otherwise noted before the start of the game. In the December 1975 meeting, the AL will vote to permanently adopt the DH. The National League declines to follow suit.
December 31 – Pittsburgh Pirates superstar right fielder Roberto Clemente, 38, and four other humanitarian workers die in a plane crash off the coast of Puerto Rico en route to delivering relief supplies to earthquake victims in Nicaragua. (See Deaths entry for this date below.)