Events
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January
- January 6 – The Texas Rangers sign starting pitcher Frank Tanana, granted free agency from the Boston Red Sox on November 13, 1981.
- January 8 – The New York Mets obtain shortstop Tom Veryzer from the Cleveland Indians for pitcher Ray Searage.
- January 9 – Tony Conigliaro, whose auspicious career was forever derailed in 1967 at age 22 when he was hit in the face by a pitch, suffers a massive heart attack while being driven to Boston's airport. [1] The heart attack leaves Conigliaro, now 37, in an unresponsive state, in which he'll remain until his death in 1990. [2]
- January 12 – The Minnesota Twins select outfielder Kirby Puckett out of Bradley University with their first pick, third overall, in the January edition of the 1980 amateur draft. Future ten-time All-Star Puckett will win two World Series rings and be elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2001.
- January 13 – Hank Aaron and Frank Robinson become the 12th and 13th players elected to the Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers' Association of America in their first year of eligibility. Aaron falls nine votes shy of becoming the first unanimous selection, and his 97.8% share of the vote is second only to Ty Cobb's 98.2% in the inaugural 1936 election.
- January 15 – The Texas Rangers sign designated hitter/first baseman Lamar Johnson, granted free agency from the Chicago White Sox the previous November.
- January 20 – The Philadelphia Phillies re-sign relief pitcher Ron Reed. The 39-year-old veteran of 16 MLB seasons, a Phillie since 1976, is a key member of their bullpen. He was among those granted free agency November 13.
- January 22 – Reggie Jackson, 35, signs with the California Angels after being granted free agency from the New York Yankees on November 13. His five-year stay in the Bronx yields four AL East titles, three American League pennants, and two World Series (1977, 1978) championships; in that half-decade, Jackson contributes 144 regular-season home runs, plus eight in the Fall Classic and four in the ALCS.
- January 25 – The Phillies re-sign another longtime pitcher, starter Larry Christenson. The right-hander, 28, who's won 72 games in a Philadelphia uniform since his debut in April 1973, had been granted free agency the previous November.
- January 27 – The Chicago Cubs complete a trade with the Philadelphia Phillies in which the Cubs obtain veteran shortstop Larry Bowa, a five-time National League All-Star, and 22-year-old second base prospect Ryne Sandberg from Philadelphia for shortstop Iván DeJesús. The coup, engineered by the Cubs' new general manager, Dallas Green, formerly the Phillies' field manager, nets a future Hall of Famer in Sandberg, whose 15 years in Chicago will see him selected 1984's NL MVP, named to ten All-Star teams, and win ten Gold Glove Awards and seven Silver Slugger Awards.
- January 28 – The Baltimore Orioles deal veteran third baseman Doug DeCinces and southpaw Jeff Schneider to the California Angels for outfielder Dan Ford. DeCinces, 31, will bash 30 homers for the Angels and finish third in AL MVP Award balloting in 1982.
February
- February 2 – The first-ever "Type A" free-agent compensation draft, implemented by the CBA following the 1981 Major League Baseball strike, results in one transaction: the Chicago White Sox select 20-year-old catcher prospect Joel Skinner as compensation for losing free-agent hurler Ed Farmer to the Philadelphia Phillies. Skinner, however, is not selected from the Phillies, but from the Pittsburgh Pirates, who had placed him in a multi-team pool of available players. [3]
- February 8 – The Los Angeles Dodgers trade away Davey Lopes to the Oakland Athletics, breaking up the starting infield of Lopes (second base), Ron Cey (third base), Bill Russell (shortstop), and Steve Garvey (first base), which had been together since 1974; the longest intact infield in Major League Baseball history. Lopes, though 36, has six productive MLB seasons ahead of him. Los Angeles receives minor-league infielder Lance Hudson, a 19-year-old prospect drafted by Oakland in the fourth round of 1981's January amateur draft, in return.
- February 10 – The New York Mets acquire premier power-hitter George Foster from the Cincinnati Reds for three players: pitchers Greg Harris and Jim Kern and catcher Alex Treviño. Foster, 33, is a five-time National League All-Star, the 1977 NL MVP, and author of 221 home runs since he became a regular outfielder for the Reds in 1975. He is the only player to crack 50 or more home runs (52 in 1977) since Willie Mays in 1965. But he's been embroiled in a contract dispute with Cincinnati's front office all winter. On February 11, the Mets will sign Foster to a five-year pact worth at least $10 million. [4]
- February 13 – The Cleveland Indians re-sign veteran right-hander John Denny, 29, who went 10–6 (3.15) in 19 starts for them in 1981. Denny had been among November 13's free agent class.
- February 16 – The Indians acquire veteran outfielder Bake McBride from the Philadelphia Phillies for southpaw pitcher Sid Monge.
- February 19 – Right-hander Dick Tidrow rejoins the Chicago Cubs. He had been granted free agency from them in November 1981.
- February 25 – The Boston Red Sox sign former All-Star and rookie phenom Mark Fidrych, released by the Detroit Tigers last October 5. The Massachusetts native, now 27, will appear in 32 games for Triple-A Pawtucket in 1982–1983, but he cannot overcome his sore arm and regain his effectiveness.
- February 27 – The San Francisco Giants sign seven-time All-Star outfielder Reggie Smith, granted free agency from the Los Angeles Dodgers last November 13.
March
- March 4 – The San Francisco Giants trade infielder Enos Cabell and cash to the Detroit Tigers for outfielder and pinch hitter Champ Summers.
- March 5:
- The Seattle Mariners sign future Hall-of-Fame pitcher Gaylord Perry, 43, released by the Atlanta Braves last October 5. Seattle is Perry's eighth MLB address during his 22-year career to date. He's three wins short of the 300-victory mark. "At this point, I can't be too choosy," he says after signing with the still-struggling, six-year-old expansion team. [5]
- The Mariners also obtain outfielder Thad Bosley from the Milwaukee Brewers for pitcher Mike Parrott.
- March 6 – The San Diego Padres sign starting pitcher John Montefusco, granted free agency from the Atlanta Braves last November 13.
- March 10 – Former New York Giants shortstop Travis Jackson and former Commissioner of Baseball Happy Chandler are elected to the Hall of Fame by the Special Veterans Committee. Jackson hit .291 in 15 seasons between the 1920s and 1930s, while Chandler was the second commissioner and oversaw – and encouraged—the dismantling of the color barrier in 1947.
- March 21 – The Chicago White Sox deal pitchers Ross Baumgarten and Butch Edge to the Pittsburgh Pirates for pitcher Ernie Camacho and shortstop/third baseman Vance Law.
- March 24 – The Kansas City Royals obtain two players in two transactions: infielder Greg Pryor from the White Sox for pitcher Jeff Schattinger, and first baseman Dennis Werth from the New York Yankees for 20-year old minor-league hurler Scot Beahan.
- March 25 – The Toronto Blue Jays acquire lefty-swinging third baseman Rance Mulliniks from the Royals for right-handed pitcher Phil Huffman. Mulliniks, 26, will play all or parts of 11 seasons in a Toronto uniform, and bat over .300 three times. The Jays also sign another left-handed bat, designated hitter Glenn Adams, 34, granted free agency from the Minnesota Twins last November 13.
- March 26:
- The Chicago Cubs acquire second baseman Bump Wills from the Texas Rangers for pitcher Paul Mirabella, a player to be named later (PTBNL), and cash. Wills, 29, is the son of the Dodgers' star shortstop of the 1960s and a former Rangers' first-round draft pick. The Rangers receive minor-league hurler Paul Semall on April 21 to complete the deal.
- The Cincinnati Reds trade Joe Nolan, their most-used catcher in 1981, to the Baltimore Orioles for outfielder Dallas Williams and minor-league hurler Brooks Carey.
- March 27 – The first game is played in the history of the KBO League, the major professional baseball league of South Korea. [6]
- March 30:
- The Kansas City Royals acquire veteran left-hander Vida Blue from the San Francisco Giants in a six-player transaction. Blue, 32, who was 1971's American League Cy Young and MVP Award-winner, is still an effective hurler. He's made six All-Star teams—three in each league. The Royals obtain Blue and fellow southpaw Bob Tufts from the Giants for pitchers Craig Chamberlain, Atlee Hammaker and Renie Martin, and infielder Brad Wellman.
- The New York Yankees trade pitcher Andy McGaffigan and outfielder Ted Wilborn to the Giants for veteran right-hander Doyle Alexander. The well-traveled Alexander will struggle in his second stint as a Yankee, losing nine of ten decisions with a poor 6.16 earned run average in 24 games before drawing his release May 31, 1983. He will return to effectiveness with the Toronto Blue Jays after they sign him on June 21, 1983.
- The Los Angeles Dodgers trade center-fielder Rudy Law to the Chicago White Sox for outfield prospect and former first-round draft choice Cecil Espy, 19, and minor-league hurler Bart Geiger.
April
- April 1:
- The New York Mets trade outfielder Lee Mazzilli to the Texas Rangers for pitchers Ron Darling and Walt Terrell. Darling will win 99 regular-season games and go 1–1 (1.53) in three starts to help win the 1986 World Series during his nine years in a Met uniform.
- The Seattle Mariners deal southpaw Shane Rawley to the New York Yankees for right-handers Bill Caudill and Gene Nelson and outfielder Bobby Brown ("PTBNL").
- The St. Louis Cardinals acquire rookie relief pitcher Jeff Lahti from the Cincinnati Reds, along with minor-league hurler Oscar Brito, for pitcher Bob Shirley.
- April 2:
- The San Francisco Giants release infielder Rennie Stennett. Signed as a marquee free agent following the 1979 season, Stennett, 32, has never regained his form after a serious ankle injury sustained in August 1977 while he was a Pittsburgh Pirate. He is released with almost $2 million remaining on his San Francisco contract.
- The Chicago White Sox obtain third baseman Aurelio Rodríguez from the Toronto Blue Jays for outfielder/DH Wayne Nordhagen. Rodríguez played nine seasons (1971–1979) as a Detroit Tigers' stalwart, but the White Sox will be his fourth team since the Tigers traded him in December 1979.
- April 5 – The MLB season commences with a game in each league. In the National League's traditional opener at Cincinnati, the Reds fall to the Chicago Cubs 3–2, as newcomers Bump Wills and Keith Moreland homer in their first at bats in Chicago uniforms. At Memorial Stadium, the Baltimore Orioles belt four home runs, including the first of rookie Cal Ripken Jr.'s MLB career, to defeat the Kansas City Royals 13–5 in the American League's opening day.
- April 6:
- In Minneapolis, the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome celebrates its MLB debut, as the Seattle Mariners out-slug the Minnesota Twins 11–7. Minnesota's Dave Engle christens the Dome with its first home run; third baseman Gary Gaetti, who earlier was thrown out trying to stretch a triple into an inside-the-park home run, adds two over-the-fence homers, entertaining the 52,279 in attendance. Muriel Humphrey, widow of the 38th Vice President of the United States, throws out the first pitch.
- A blizzard unprecedented in size for April dumps 1–2 feet (30.5–61.0 cm) of snow on the northeastern United States, closing schools and businesses, snarling traffic, and canceling six season-opening MLB games.
- The Houston Astros claim relief pitcher Mike LaCoss on waivers from the Cincinnati Reds.
- The California Angels release shortstop Freddie Patek, a 14-year MLB veteran and three-time AL All-Star.
- April 7 – The Oakland Athletics sign outfielder/DH Jeff Burroughs, granted free agency from the Seattle Mariners last November 13.
- April 8 – In a lengthy early-season contest, the Athletics and California Angels go 16 innings at Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum before the Angels claim an 8–6 victory. Tied at four after 15, the visitors score four runs in the top half of the 16th, then withstand a two-run rally by the Athletics in the bottom of the frame. Three days later, Oakland fans will witness another 16-inning defeat, when the Seattle Mariners score three times in the visitors' half to down the Athletics, 6–3.
- April 9:
- The Boston Red Sox trade 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) rookie right-hander Mike Smithson to the Texas Rangers for left-hander John Henry Johnson.
- Two veteran players granted free agency on November 13, 1981, return to their previous teams: outfielder Héctor Cruz rejoins the Chicago Cubs, and southpaw Dave LaRoche re-signs with the New York Yankees.
- The Cubs also sign right-handed reliever Mike Proly, released by the Philadelphia Phillies on March 29.
- April 10:
- Whitey Herzog, who's held the dual posts of general manager (GM) and field manager of the St. Louis Cardinals since October 1980, voluntarily relinquishes his front-office responsibilities to assistant GM Joe McDonald, a longtime associate with whom he worked with the New York Mets from 1967 through 1972. Herzog, who has radically altered the Cardinals' playing roster since becoming GM, remains the team's on-field pilot and receives a $75,000 raise in salary. [7]
- The Minnesota Twins trade former All-Star shortstop Roy Smalley III to the New York Yankees for pitchers Ron Davis and Paul Boris and shortstop prospect Greg Gagne. Smalley, 29, will man the Yanks' shortstop post for the next two seasons; Gagne, 20, will play the key midfield position for two (1987, 1991) World Series-champion Twins teams.
- April 13:
- It's opening day at Shea Stadium as the New York Mets, behind Randy Jones, beat Steve Carlton and the Philadelphia Phillies 5–2 before 40,845 fans, the stadium's highest inaugural-game crowd since 1970. Dave Kingman goes 2-for-3, including his second home run of the season.
- Another marathon contest in the AL West sees the visiting Seattle Mariners and California Angels take 20 innings and two nights to settle matters. Tonight the teams battle for 17 frames to a 3–3 deadlock before a curfew suspends the game at 1:07 a.m. Then, when the game resumes tomorrow, they take almost three more innings before Bob Boone's single knocks in the winning run in a 4–3 Angel triumph. Luis Sánchez goes 41⁄3 shutout innings over two nights to gain the victory. [8]
- April 20:
- Before 37,268 fans—which will be the largest throng to see a game at Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium this season—the Atlanta Braves beat the Cincinnati Reds 4–2, to go 12–0, the best start ever by any MLB team. Steve Bedrosian is the winning pitcher. The streak will reach 13 the next day when the Braves edge the Reds 4–3.
- At Comiskey Park, the Chicago White Sox' eight-game, season-opening winning streak ends when the New York Yankees tag them with their first loss of the season, an 11–2 thrashing. The Yankees score all their runs in the seventh, eighth and ninth innings.
- Playing their third 16-inning game in 12 days, the Oakland Athletics finally break through when Dan Meyer knocks home Davey Lopes with the winning run in a 4–3 victory over the visiting Minnesota Twins. Oakland had dropped 16-inning contests on April 8 and 11.
- April 23 – The New York Yankees deal veteran first baseman Bob Watson to the Atlanta Braves for minor-league pitcher Scott Patterson. Watson, 36, will return to the Bombers as their general manager in 1995.
- April 25 – Hall-of-Fame former pitcher Bob Lemon's second term as manager of the defending AL champion Yankees ends abruptly when owner George Steinbrenner replaces him with Gene Michael—Lemon's predecessor as the Bombers' dugout boss. [9] The 1982 Yankees are 6–8 and en route to their first losing season since 1973. They're in the midst of a 14-year stretch (1978–1991) in which they will change managers 15 times, and Michael's second term won't last to the end of the 1982 campaign.
- April 28 – Eddie Milner's fourth-inning single is the only safety that Dickie Noles of the Chicago Cubs allows in his one-hit 6–0 victory over the Cincinnati Reds at Wrigley Field.
May
- May 4 – Heckling from fans in Fenway Park's bleachers drives standout Minnesota Twins rookie centerfielder Jim Eisenreich out of a game against the Boston Red Sox after two innings. Eisenreich, 23, is batting .310 with two home runs in 24 games, while battling hyperventilation and involuntary muscle twitches that have caused early exits in each of his previous four games. Today, his condition worsens as the verbal abuse continues. After a stint on the injured list, Eisenreich will appear in only 14 games for the Twins before his voluntary retirement on June 4, 1984. Diagnosed with Tourette syndrome, he'll make a comeback in the minor leagues in 1987, then return to the majors to play almost 1,400 more games, including star turns with the Kansas City Royals (1987–1992; .277 in 650 games) and Philadelphia Phillies (1993–1996; .324 in 499 games). [10] [11]
- May 5 – The Toronto Blue Jays trade first baseman John Mayberry to the New York Yankees for first baseman Dave Revering and third basemen Tom Dodd and Jeff Reynolds. Mayberry, 33, a two-time AL All-Star, is in his 15th and final MLB season.
- May 6 – At the Kingdome, Gaylord Perry of the Seattle Mariners becomes the 15th pitcher with 300 career wins, throwing a complete-game, nine-hit 7–3 victory over the New York Yankees before 27,369 fans. [12] When he retires in September 1983, he'll have 314 wins to his credit, and be elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1991. [5]
- May 9:
- The New York Mets' Rusty Staub hits a game winning home run off Greg Minton of the San Francisco Giants. The home run ends Minton's streak of 2541⁄3 innings without allowing a long ball. This still stands as the longest streak in the live-ball era, if not ever.
- Angry at the release of second baseman Rodney Scott, left-hander Bill "Spaceman" Lee spends the first six innings of the Montreal Expos' 5–4 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers shooting pool and drinking beer at a local tavern. He returns to Olympic Stadium in the seventh and, after the game, leaves his uniform in manager Jim Fanning's office. Shortly thereafter, Lee is released.
- May 12:
- In the second major transaction between them in 32 days, the 11–23 Minnesota Twins trade two-time All-Star catcher Butch Wynegar and starting pitcher Roger Erickson to the 13–16 New York Yankees for pitchers Pete Filson and John Pacella, infielder Larry Milbourne and cash.
- The California Angels acquire relief pitcher Doug Corbett and second baseman Rob Wilfong from the Twins for pitcher Mike Walters, outfielder Tom Brunansky and $400,000.
- May 13 – Allen Ripley and Lee Smith combine to defeat the Houston Astros 5–0 on the road, enabling the Chicago Cubs to become the first MLB franchise to win 8,000 games.
- May 18 – Detroit Tigers outfielder Larry Herndon blasts home runs in his first three plate appearances, all of them off Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Mike Norris, driving in seven runs in an 11–9 victory at Tiger Stadium.
- May 25 – In the third inning against the San Diego Padres, Ferguson Jenkins, playing for the Chicago Cubs, becomes the seventh pitcher to record 3,000 strikeouts. His victim is Garry Templeton of the Padres.
- May 30 – Cal Ripken Jr. starts at third base for the Baltimore Orioles against the Toronto Blue Jays. It is the first game of his record-breaking 2,632 consecutive games played streak. Coincidentally, tomorrow, May 31, will be the fifty-seventh anniversary of the start of Lou Gehrig's streak, which Ripken will break. In the game, Toronto's Jim Gott and Roy Lee Jackson combine for a one-hitter as the Blue Jays win, 6–0. Rick Dempsey's fifth inning single off Gott is Baltimore's lone safety.
June
- June 1:
- The Milwaukee Brewers, expected to contend in the AL East but only 23–24 on the season and seven games out of first place, fire manager Buck Rodgers. His successor, batting coach Harvey Kuenn, will guide the Brewers to victory in 20 of their next 27 games, and Milwaukee will take over first place on July 11. Soon known as "Harvey's Wallbangers", the 1982 Brewers will go on to win the division title and their only American League pennant.
- Rickey Henderson's two-run fifth-inning homer paces the Oakland Athletics to a 3–2 win over the Boston Red Sox. Henderson also steals his 51st base in 51 games.
- June 6 – While crossing a street in Arlington, Texas after umpiring a game between the Chicago White Sox and Texas Rangers, umpire Lou DiMuro is struck by a car; he dies early the next day. The American League later retires his umpire's uniform number 16.
- June 7 – The June 1982 MLB amateur draft sees shortstop Shawon Dunston selected first overall by the Chicago Cubs out of Brooklyn's Thomas Jefferson High School. The New York Mets select pitcher Doc Gooden with their first pick (fourth overall) from Tampa's Hillsborough High School. In the second round, three other elite high school prospects are drafted—but they pass up signing pro contracts to play college athletics: Barry Bonds (San Francisco Giants, #39 overall), Bo Jackson (New York Yankees, #50) and Barry Larkin (Cincinnati Reds, #51). [13]
- June 8 – Bob Boone's two-run double keys a four-run fourth inning and Reggie Jackson slams a solo homer, as the California Angels snap a seven-game losing streak with a 11–4 win over the Toronto Blue Jays.
- June 9 – In the second game of a twi-night doubleheader, the Detroit Tigers and visiting Cleveland Indians battle for 3:38 to a 3–all tie through 14 full innings before a curfew halts proceedings. The game will resume September 24 with new umpires, and it will require four more innings before the Bengals win, 4–3, when former Tiger Ed Glynn's wild pitch scores Alan Trammell with the decisive run. [14]
- June 15 – In a three-team, all-outfielder, interleague transaction, the Philadelphia Phillies acquire Wayne Nordhagen from the Toronto Blue Jays for Dick Davis, then ship Nordhagen to the Pittsburgh Pirates for veteran ex-Phillie Bill Robinson. Seven days later, in a bizarre postscript, the Pirates send Nordhagen back to Toronto for Davis. Robinson remains with Philadelphia.
- June 16 – At Memorial Stadium, the Milwaukee Brewers and Baltimore Orioles are deadlocked 2–2 through nine full innings when rain halts play. The game is ruled 1982's only tie (there were four in 1981) but all statistics will go into the record books.
- June 19 – Willie Randolph's RBI single in the bottom of the 16th inning seals a "walk off" 4–3 New York Yankees' victory over the Orioles in the marathon contest.
- June 20 – Pete Rose of the Philadelphia Phillies becomes only the fifth player in history to play in 3,000 MLB games.
- June 26 – Dave LaRoche fires six innings of shutout relief, enabling his New York Yankees to win their second extended extra innings game in a week, 4–3 over the visiting Cleveland Indians in 17 innings. LaRoche was the winning pitcher in each drawn-out contest.
- June 27 – Four Atlanta Braves pitchers—Rick Camp, Steve Bedrosian, Gene Garber and Al Hrabosky—combine for a 14-inning, eight-hit shutout victory over the Cincinnati Reds at Riverfront Stadium.
- June 30 – The Braves acquire right-handed pitcher Pascual Pérez and a minor-league infielder from the Pittsburgh Pirates for left-hander Larry McWilliams. Initially assigned to Triple-A Richmond, Pérez will be recalled in July and play an important, although unusual, role in the Braves' quest for the 1982 NL West division title.
July
- July 4 – There are races in every division at the unofficial half-way mark of MLB's regular season. In the AL West, the Kansas City Royals (44–32) lead the California Angels (45–34) by a half-game, with the Chicago White Sox (41–35) and surprising Seattle Mariners (42–37) three and 3½ games out, respectively. In the AL East, the Boston Red Sox (45–32) are a full game in front of the Milwaukee Brewers (44–33). In the NL East, the Philadelphia Phillies (44–34) hold edges of one game over the St. Louis Cardinals (44–36), three over the Montreal Expos (41-37), and 3½ lengths over the Pittsburgh Pirates. Meanwhile, in the NL West, the Atlanta Braves (48–29) enjoy a 4½-game lead over the second-place San Diego Padres (44–34).
- July 6 – At the Kingdome, the New York Yankees blow a seventh-inning, 7–0 lead when the Mariners rally to tie the score in the home half of the seventh. But Bobby Murcer's 12th-inning solo shot and Rudy May's shutdown relief effort enable the Bombers to prevail, 8–7. After today, New York is 38–38, in fifth place and six games behind the leaders in the AL East.
- July 7 – At Comiskey Park, future Hall of Famer Harold Baines of the Chicago White Sox slugs home runs in three consecutive at bats—solo blows in the fifth and seventh innings, and a grand slam in the eighth—and drives in six in the ChiSox' 7–0 win over the Detroit Tigers. It's his first of what will be Baines' three career three-homer games. Dennis Lamp fires the shutout.
- July 13 – At Montreal's Olympic Stadium, in the first All-Star Game held outside the United States, Cincinnati Reds shortstop Dave Concepción hits a two-run home run in the second inning to spark the National League to a 4–1 win over the American League. It's the NL's 11th straight victory and 19th in the last 20 contests. Concepción wins the MVP honors.
- July 15 – The Detroit Tigers come out of the All-Star break with their hitting shoes on, scoring 11 runs in the top of the first at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome en route to an 18–2 rout of the Minnesota Twins. They rack up nine hits and a walk in the opening frame; Lance Parrish belts a two-run homer.
- July 19 – Tony Gwynn of the San Diego Padres makes his Major League debut. His double and single will be the first two hits of the over 3,000 he will accumulate in his Hall of Fame career.
- July 20 – The sudden, shocking decline of the Cincinnati Reds—who today are 34–58 (.370) and last in the NL West—costs fourth-year manager John McNamara his job. Coach Russ Nixon takes the helm. Cincinnati had compiled the best overall record (66–42, .611) in MLB during 1981's strike-disrupted season.
- July 28 – The Texas Rangers fire manager Don Zimmer and appoint coach Darrell Johnson acting pilot. The Rangers are 38–58, in sixth place and 16½ games out of first. Zimmer departs with a 95–106 (.473) record in 1+ seasons. Ironically, in July 1976, the scenario was reversed when the Boston Red Sox fired Johnson as skipper and named Zimmer, then a coach, to succeed him.
- July 29 – The Atlanta Braves were in first place in the National League West, 9 games ahead of the San Diego Padres when owner Ted Turner decides to remove the elevated tipi of mascot Chief Noc-A-Homa from the stands to allow more seats to be sold for the Braves' run at the division title. The Braves, however, lose 19 of their next 21 games, falling into third place before the tipi is restored.
August
- August 2 – Johnny Ray's two-run triple in the 17th inning enables the Pittsburgh Pirates to break a 2–2 deadlock and defeat the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Memorial Stadium in one of the National League's longest games of 1982. Ray had gone 0-for-7 before striking the decisive blow.
- August 3 – After the Chicago White Sox sweep a doubleheader from the New York Yankees in the Bronx, 1–0 and 14–2, owner George Steinbrenner fires manager Gene Michael for the second time in 11 months and names his third skipper of 1982: veteran baseball man Clyde King, earlier this season the Bombers' pitching coach and a special assistant to Steinbrenner. New York is 50–50 on the season, 44–42 under Michael. [15]
- August 4 – Joel Youngblood of the New York Mets goes 1-for-2 off Ferguson Jenkins of the Chicago Cubs in a day game at Wrigley Field in Chicago. He is informed that he has been traded to the Montréal Expos, and leaves immediately for Philadelphia to meet the team there. He arrives in time to play, and enters the game in the sixth inning, getting a hit off Steve Carlton. He is the first player in Major League history to hit safely for two different teams on the same day.
- August 7 – In the fourth inning of a game at Fenway Park between the Boston Red Sox and the Chicago White Sox, four-year old Jonathan Keane is hit in the head with a foul line drive hit into the stands by Dave Stapleton. The hit causes Keane's skull to bleed profusely, and Jim Rice quickly enters the stands and carries Keane inside the dugout to the Red Sox trainer's room, where team doctors take over. Rice plays the remainder of the game with a blood-stained uniform. Keane, meanwhile, recovers at a nearby children's hospital and Rice and the team doctors are credited with saving his life. After visiting Keane, Rice stops by the hospital's business office and instructs that the family's bill should be sent to him to pay.
- August 8:
- Rollie Fingers earns the 300th save of his career, becoming the first pitcher in history to achieve that mark. He saves a 3–2 win for the Milwaukee Brewers vs the Seattle Mariners in Seattle.
- The New York Yankees deal 1978 hero and shortstop Bucky Dent to the Texas Rangers for outfielder and former New York Mets star Lee Mazzilli.
- August 9 – Bill Virdon, manager of the Houston Astros since August 19, 1975, is fired with his club 49–62 and fifth in its division. Coach Bob Lillis, shortstop for the original, 1962 "Colt .45s", takes the reins. Virdon is the most successful skipper in the franchise's 21-year history to date, leading the Astros to 544 regular-season victories and two postseason appearances.
- August 10:
- The Atlanta Braves, who've led the NL West since winning their first 12 games of the 1982 season, tumble out of first place for the first time, losing to the San Francisco Giants 3–2 at Candlestick Park. The Giants' Milt May hits the game-winning home run off Al Hrabosky in the seventh inning; the loss is Atlanta's eighth consecutive and 12th in their last 13 games.
- Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Dodgers, who had trailed the Braves by ten games less than two weeks earlier, defeat the Cincinnati Reds at Dodger Stadium 11–3 as Rick Monday and Steve Garvey both homer. The victory is the Dodgers' eighth consecutive and 12th in their last 13 games. Their comeback includes sweeping two four-game series from the Braves—one at Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium from July 30 to August 1, and another at Dodger Stadium (the first three coming in extra innings) from August 5–8, just prior to the Cincinnati series.
- August 17–18:
- The visiting Dodgers and the Chicago Cubs lock horns at light-less Wrigley Field in a rhubarb-filled extra-innings marathon that's suspended because of darkness after 17 full innings on the 17th, then takes another four frames to decide on the 18th. Finally, in the visitors' 21st inning, Steve Sax scores on Dusty Baker's sacrifice fly to give Los Angeles the 2–1 victory. Three Dodgers and two Cubs are ejected—including both managers, Tommy Lasorda and Lee Elia. The contest lasts six hours and ten minutes. [16]
- The Dodgers' Jerry Reuss goes four innings in relief to win the suspended game, then starts August 18's regularly scheduled contest and picks up his second victory of the day when he allows two runs in five innings in Los Angeles' 7–4 victory. [17] With the slumping Braves' 12–2 defeat at the hands of the Montreal Expos today in Atlanta, Los Angeles extends its divisional lead to four full games.
- August 23
- The see-saw NL West race continues when the suddenly resurgent Atlanta Braves climb back into a first-place tie by beating the Philadelphia Phillies 4–3, while the Los Angeles Dodgers drop an 11–3 contest to the NL East-leading St. Louis Cardinals. The Braves have won five in a row, while the Dodgers have lost four out of five.
- Even though he has made no secret that he occasionally employs the spitball, Gaylord Perry is ejected in the seventh inning of a game versus the Boston Red Sox for throwing the illegal pitch. American League umpire Dave Phillips hands Perry, 43, the first such ejection of his 22-year MLB career.
- August 27 – Rickey Henderson steals four bases, breaking the record he had shared with Lou Brock at 118 stolen bases for the season. He will steal eight more to end the season with a record of 130.
- August 30 – The Milwaukee Brewers, 4½ games ahead in the AL East, acquire future Hall-of-Fame right-hander Don Sutton, 37, from the Houston Astros for cash and three players to be named later, all added to the deal September 3: 25-year-old southpaw pitchers Frank DiPino and Mike Madden and 23-year-old outfielder Kevin Bass. Sutton helps pitch the Brewers to the American League pennant, capturing four of five September decisions and starting and winning Game 3 of the 1982 ALCS.
- August 31 – Locked in a tight struggle with the Kansas City Royals for the AL West lead, the California Angels pick up a pair of veteran left-handed pitchers. They acquire Tommy John, 39 and in his 19th MLB season, from the New York Yankees for fellow southpaw Dennis Rasmussen, 23 ("PTBNL"). The Angels also purchase the contract of John Curtis, 34, from the San Diego Padres. Three-time 20-game-winner John will go 4–2 (3.86) in seven starts down the stretch in September.
September
- September 5 – Roy Smalley of the New York Yankees hits a pair of three-run home runs, one from each side of the plate, as New York beats the Kansas City Royals 18–7.
- September 6:
- Labor Day games mark the "home stretch" of the 1982 regular season, and there are four divisional races.
- In the NL West, the 76–61 Atlanta Braves' 8–2 loss at home to the San Francisco Giants and the 76–62 Los Angeles Dodgers' 7–2 triumph over the Reds at Cincinnati narrow Atlanta's lead to a half game. The NL East is almost as tight: Joaquín Andújar's 1–0, five-hit victory over the Montréal Expos and the Philadelphia Phillies' 4–3 loss to the Chicago Cubs increases the 77–59 St. Louis Cardinals' lead over the 76–61 Phils to 1½ games.
- The American League races also are up for grabs. In the AL West, the 77–60 California Angels shave the 78–59 Kansas City Royals' lead to one game; they defeat the Chicago White Sox 8–6 as the Royals bow to the Seattle Mariners 6–2. In the AL East, by dropping a 6–5 contest at home to the Detroit Tigers, the 81–56 Milwaukee Brewers today lose ground to the 77–58 Baltimore Orioles and 77–59 Boston Red Sox, who beat the New York Yankees and Cleveland Indians respectively; but the Brewers still lead their rivals by three and 3½ games.
- Veteran first baseman Willie Stargell, whose jersey #8 is retired, is saluted by 38,000 fans on his day at Pittsburgh's Three Rivers Stadium. The 41-year-old future Hall-of-Fame slugger delivers a pinch single in the Pirates' 6–1 win over the Mets.
- Labor Day games mark the "home stretch" of the 1982 regular season, and there are four divisional races.
- September 8–9 – The wild NL West race roars on when the Los Angeles Dodgers and Atlanta Braves meet head-to-head for a two-game, midweek set in Georgia's capital. In the opening contest, the teams combine for seven home runs and are knotted 11–11 after nine innings. Then, in the tenth, Dale Murphy's single plates Claudell Washington and secures a 12–11 Atlanta victory. [18] The following night, the Braves rough up Fernando Valenzuela for eight runs over six innings and cruise to a 10–3 triumph. The series ends with the Braves holding a 1½-game lead in their division, with 22 yet to play.
- September 12:
- Just a half-game behind in the NL East divisional race, the Philadelphia Phillies acquire right-handed starting pitcher John Denny from the Cleveland Indians for pitchers Jerry Reed and Roy Smith and Bahamian slugging prospect Wil Culmer. Denny, 29, will go 0–2 (4.03) over the rest of 1982, but his stellar 19–6 (2.37) performance in 1983 will win him his league's Cy Young Award and help the Phils capture the National League pennant.
- Minnesota Twins pitcher Terry Felton, a 24-year-old former second-round draft pick, absorbs the loss today in an 18–7 debacle against the Kansas City Royals—his thirteenth defeat of the year against no wins. He'll pitch in two more games this month without earning a decision before leaving the major leagues. Coupled with his 1980 record of 0–3, Felton's 0–16 career MLB won–lost mark sets a futility record for the most losses without a big league win.
- September 13 – Each of the National League's divisional races see razor-thin lead changes.
- In the East, at Veterans Stadium, future Hall of Famer Steve Carlton fires a complete game, 2–0 shutout and slams a solo home run, as the Philadelphia Phillies leapfrog the St. Louis Cardinals and vault into first place with a 2–0 victory. Carlton matches St. Louis' Bob Forsch by allowing only three hits.
- In the West, Steve Garvey's 16th-inning solo homer seals an overtime, 4–3 victory for the home-standing Los Angeles Dodgers over the San Diego Padres. The outcome results in another divisional lead change when, in a battle of the Niekro brothers, the Houston Astros' Joe Niekro outduels his Hall of Fame-bound sibling Phil of the Atlanta Braves, 5–3. The Dodgers' margin, like the Phillies', is a half-game.
- September 17 – Winning their seventh straight game, 9–2 at home over the Houston Astros, the Dodgers widen their NL West margin to 3½ games (with 14 left in the season) over the Atlanta Braves, who lose at Cincinnati today for their fourth consecutive setback. The Dodgers' "magic number" is 12.
- September 20 – The St. Louis Cardinals win their eighth straight game since being vanquished by Steve Carlton on September 13. Today, at Busch Memorial Stadium, Joaquín Andújar and Bruce Sutter scatter nine hits and take down the second-place Philadelphia Phillies, 4–1, who have lost five of six during the same timespan. St. Louis (87–63) has gained six full games on the Phillies (81–68), and now holds a 5½-length advantage in the NL East.
October
- October 1 – Through seven innings, the New York Mets' Terry Leach and the Philadelphia Phillies' John Denny have each only given up one hit. Denny is lifted in the ninth for a pinch hitter, however, Leach remains in the game through the tenth inning without giving up a second hit. A sacrifice fly by Hubie Brooks in the tenth inning off Larry Anderson is the deciding factor in the Mets' 1–0 victory at Veterans Stadium.
- October 3:
- At Baltimore's Memorial Stadium, The American League East title was decided before an ABC television audience. Robin Yount hit two home runs and Don Sutton outdueled Jim Palmer as the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Baltimore Orioles 11–2 to capture the AL East title. It was also to have been Earl Weaver's last game as an Orioles manager, but he would come out of retirement to manage the O's again from 1985 to 1986.
- At San Francisco's Candlestick Park, a 3-run home run by Joe Morgan helped the San Francisco Giants beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-3 and knocked the Dodgers out of the postseason and the Atlanta Braves became NL West Champions.
- October 4:
- Embattled Cleveland Indians manager Dave Garcia resigns, saying "I believe it is best for the club, the fans and for me that I don't come back." [19] Garcia, 62, managed Cleveland to a 247–244 (.503) record since July 23, 1979.
- The Texas Rangers fire general manager Eddie Robinson and promote director of player development Joe Klein to succeed him.
- October 6 – The Atlanta Braves and St. Louis Cardinals play four innings of Game 1 of the 1982 NLCS when rain halts play in the bottom of the fifth with the Cardinals batting, three outs away from being an official game, and the Braves ahead, 1–0. The rain does not subside and the game is called. The Cardinals would go on to sweep the Braves and reach the 1982 World Series.
- October 10 – After being down 2–0 to the California Angels, the Milwaukee Brewers complete a three-game comeback, defeating the Angels 4–3 to capture their only American League Championship. Fred Lynn of the losing Angels is named the Most Valuable Player of the Series after going 11-for-18 with 5 RBI and 4 runs scored. On the same date, the St. Louis Cardinals defeated the Atlanta Braves 6–2, to capture their first National League championship in 14 years. Darrell Porter was the MVP of the NLCS with his five-for-nine effort, including three doubles.
- October 12:
- The first game of the 1982 World Series features Paul Molitor setting a new World Series record with five hits (in five at bats), as he leads the Milwaukee Brewers to a 10–0 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals in St. Louis.
- The Montreal Expos' Tim Raines enters treatment for drug abuse. Raines claims to have spent a fifth of his salary on cocaine when he stole a National League-leading 78 bases during the regular season, and says he started sliding head first to avoid breaking the vial of cocaine he kept in his back pocket.
- The Expos name Bill Virdon, 51, their manager for 1983, replacing Jim Fanning, who the previous week returned to the club's front office as vice president, player development. Montréal will be the fourth managerial address for Virdon since 1972. He won the that year's NL East title with the Pittsburgh Pirates, was selected 1974's Sporting News Manager of the Year with the New York Yankees, and, most recently, spent all or parts of eight years as pilot of the Houston Astros, leading them to two postseason appearances. [20]
- October 17 – In Game 5 of the 1982 World Series, a 6–4 Milwaukee Brewers victory, Robin Yount powers the victors with four hits, including a home run and a double. Along with his four-hit effort in Game 1, Yount becomes the first player ever to have two four-hit games in a single World Series.
- October 20:
- The St. Louis Cardinals win the 1982 World Series over the Milwaukee Brewers in seven games. Catcher Darrell Porter is selected the Series MVP, making him the first player to be chosen as the MVP in both the LCS and World Series in the same season. This was the Cardinals' first World Series championship since 1967.
- After three seasons of reviving baseball in Oakland with "Billy Ball", Athletics manager and director of player development Billy Martin is fired by club president Roy Eisenhardt. Martin's first two seasons were rousing successes: he turned an almost-moribund franchise into a winning (83–79) outfit in 1980 and was named "Manager of the Year" by The Associated Press; he then led the 1981 Athletics to the best regular-season record in the American League and the ALCS. But the 1982 A's stumbled badly to a 68–94 mark, although they drew a franchise-record 1.74 million fans. Martin, 54, remains a sought-after manager; even before today's firing, he was negotiating with the Cleveland Indians to fill their vacant position and his attorney is rumored to be in talks with George Steinbrenner about arranging Martin's return to the New York Yankees for a third managerial term. [21]
- October 22 – California Angels pilot Gene Mauch, who this year led his team to postseason play for the first time in his 23-year MLB managerial career, resigns his position. Mauch, 56, faced criticism for starting pitcher selection that may have cost the Angels this year's ALCS. [22] On November 2, his position will be filled by former Cincinnati Reds manager John McNamara. [23]
- October 26 – Steve Carlton of the Philadelphia Phillies won his 4th Cy Young Award, in that season he won 23 games, the only pitcher to win 20 games in the 1982 MLB season.
November
- November 1:
- Bowie Kuhn, the Commissioner of Baseball since February 1969, is voted out of office by MLB owners. Kuhn, 56, survived a 1975 revolt by three American League owners before being elected to his second, seven-year term as baseball's czar. This time, however, it's the National League that forces his departure, when five of its 12 magnates vote "nay" on Kuhn's contract renewal—denying Kuhn the required 75% supermajority in each league to be re-elected. He's expected to serve out his term until his existing pact expires on August 13, 1983. [24]
- The Texas Rangers name former five-time NL Gold Glove Award-winning third baseman Doug Rader their manager for 1983. Rader, 38, has spent the past three seasons at the helm of the Triple-A Hawaii Islanders. He succeeds interim manager Darrell Johnson.
- November 4 – Mike Ferraro is appointed manager of the 1983 Cleveland Indians. Former MLB infielder and minor-league skipper Ferraro, 38, has been a New York Yankees' coach since 1979.
- November 5 – The New York Mets release former (1976) National League Cy Young Award recipient and two-time 20-game-winner Randy Jones, 32, ending his MLB pitching career.
- November 9 – Robin Yount of the Milwaukee Brewers is named American League MVP. During the Brewers' AL-pennant-winning season season, he batted .318 with 21 home runs, 103 RBIS and 19 steals.
- November 16 – The Oakland Athletics fill their managerial vacancy by hiring former MLB third baseman Steve Boros, most recently a coach for the Montreal Expos. Boros, 46, succeeds Billy Martin, fired October 22. Martin's other Oakland assignment, as the Athletics' de facto general manager, will be assumed by the team's general counsel, Sandy Alderson, 35.
- November 17 – Center fielder Dale Murphy wins the National League MVP Award, becoming the first Braves' player to be so honored since Hank Aaron in 1957. Murphy hit .281 with 36 home runs, 109 RBI, 113 runs, and 23 stolen bases.
- November 22 – Second baseman Steve Sax of the Los Angeles Dodgers is named National League Rookie of the Year, becoming the fourth consecutive player from the Dodgers to win the award. Sax hit .282 and stole 49 bases as the replacement for Davey Lopes in the Dodgers infield.
- November 24 – Cal Ripken Jr., who hit .264 with 28 home runs and 93 RBI as a shortstop and third baseman for the Baltimore Orioles, is named American League Rookie of the Year. Ripken gets 24 of 28 first place votes, with the others going to Kent Hrbek of the Minnesota Twins.
December
- December 16 – The New York Mets send Lloyd McClendon, Charlie Puleo and minor leaguer Jason Felice to the Cincinnati Reds to reacquire Tom Seaver.
- December 21 – The dismantling of the long-time Los Angeles Dodgers infield continues as its most popular member, Steve Garvey, signs as a free agent with the San Diego Padres.
