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 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. The heart attack leaves Conigliaro, now 37, in an unresponsive state, in which he'll remain until his death in 1990. • 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 . in 1974 • 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 , 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 , 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 '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. • 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 continuously 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
NL MVP, and author of 221 home runs since he became a regular outfielder for the Reds in . He is the only player to crack 50 or more home runs (52 in 1977) since
Willie Mays in . 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. • 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–, 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. • 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 , 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. • 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 '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. • March 31 – The
Montreal Expos trade third baseman
Larry Parrish and first baseman
Dave Hostetler to the
Texas Rangers for first baseman
Al Oliver.
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 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 (–) 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 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 through . 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. • 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. • After six years in the
minor leagues,
Wade Boggs, 23, makes his
Boston Red Sox debut. Playing first base, Boggs goes hitless in a 5–3 loss to the
Baltimore Orioles. • 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 4 shutout innings over two nights to gain the victory. • April 19 – Led by
Terry Kennedy's four safeties, the
San Diego Padres rake 24
base hits off three
San Francisco Giants hurlers in their 13–6 triumph at
Jack Murphy Stadium. The two-dozen hits will be the most in a game by any big-league club in 1982. • 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 by an MLB team in the modern era.
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 21 – In his 6–0 complete-game shutout, southpaw
Jerry Reuss of the
Los Angeles Dodgers one-hits the visiting
Houston Astros, with
Art Howe collecting Houston's lone safety in the contest's first inning. It's the first of Reuss's two one-hitters in 1982 (the other comes June 11 against the
Cincinnati Reds). The season will not witness a single
no-hitter. • 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. The 1982 Yankees are 6–8 and en route to their first losing season since . They're in the midst of a 14-year stretch (–) 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 , then return to the majors to play almost 1,400 more games, including star turns with the
Kansas City Royals (1987–; .277 in 650 games) and
Philadelphia Phillies (–; .324 in 499 games). • 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. in 1977 • 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. When he retires in September 1983, he'll have 314 wins to his credit, and be elected to the
Baseball Hall of Fame in . • 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. • 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 ) 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 late July, then on August 19, he'll play an 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. in 1983 • 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 3,141 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: •
Frank White hits for the cycle and knocks in four runs in today's 6–5
Kansas City Royals victory over the
Detroit Tigers at
Royals Stadium. White's ninth-inning triple both completes the only "cycle" to occur in the majors this season • 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
Montreal 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 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. • 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. 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 19 –
Atlanta Braves right-hander
Pascual Pérez, recently recalled from
Triple-A, misses his starting assignment when he gets lost on
Atlanta's highways for three hours en route to the
Fulton County Stadium. The Braves, mired in a 2–19 slump, win anyway, and when Pérez starts the next night and goes 9 strong innings in another Atlanta victory, his highway misadventure is hailed for "breaking the tension" in the team's clubhouse and setting them back on a winning course. • 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 1 – The
San Diego Padres sign catcher
Benito Santiago as an amateur free agent. • 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
Montreal 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. in 1984 • September 8 – Entering the game as a late-inning substitute,
Don Mattingly makes his MLB debut. Mattingly does not have an at bat in the
New York Yankees' 10–5 win over the
Baltimore Orioles. • 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. 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 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. • September 20–22 – The
AL West race is tied going into a three-game showdown between the
California Angels and
Kansas City Royals, both 84–65, at
Anaheim Stadium. By the time their series ends on the 22nd, the Angels are in total control, having swept all three contests, 3–2, 2–1 and 8–5. Clutch efforts by starting pitchers
Geoff Zahn (two runs over eight innings) and
Ken Forsch (complete game, one run) mark the first two wins;
Doug DeCinces' two homers power the Angels in the third. They will preserve their three-game margin and win their second division title in history when both clubs go 6–4 over the season's final ten games. • September 27: • In a year that features tense divisional races, the
St. Louis Cardinals (91–66) are the first to clinch a playoff berth, capturing the
NL East with a 4–2 victory over the
Montreal Expos at
Olympic Stadium. Hall-of-Famer
Bruce Sutter is on the mound to
close out the win, notching his 36th
save. St. Louis wins its first NL East crown: the Redbirds' last trip to the postseason came in , the last year before divisional play, when they dropped the
World Series in seven games to the
Detroit Tigers. • The
NL West, which was the
Los Angeles Dodgers' to lose ten days ago, is knotted up again.
Phil Niekro's two-hit shutout, defeating the
San Francisco Giants 7–0 at
Candlestick Park, leads the
Atlanta Braves back into a first place tie with the Angelenos, who today drop their sixth straight, 6–1, at home to the
Cincinnati Reds. Both clubs are now 85–71.
October in 1977 • 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 without giving up a second hit. A
sacrifice fly by
Hubie Brooks in the tenth off
Porfi Altamirano is the deciding factor in the Mets' 1–0 victory at
Veterans Stadium. •
Fred Stanley of the
Oakland Athletics goes 1 for 3 in a loss to the
Kansas City Royals. Stanley retires at the conclusion of the season, and at the time, Stanley was the last active player who'd been a member of the
Seattle Pilots. • October 2 – The
California Angels (92–69) sew up their second-ever
AL West title, coming from behind to defeat the
Texas Rangers 6–4 before 33,405 at
Anaheim Stadium.
Fred Lynn's two-run, fifth-inning homer is the division-winning hit. The second-place
Kansas City Royals (90–71) are eliminated despite their 5–4 triumph over the
Oakland Athletics. • October 3: • At
Baltimore's
Memorial Stadium, the
American League East title is decided before an
ABC television audience.
Robin Yount hits two home runs and
Don Sutton outduels
Jim Palmer as the
Milwaukee Brewers (95–67) defeat the
Baltimore Orioles (94–68) in an 11–2 rout. It's thought to be
Earl Weaver's last game as the Orioles' manager—but he'll come out of retirement to manage them again on June 14, 1985. • At
Candlestick Park,
Joe Morgan's three-run, seventh-inning homer breaks a 2–2 tie and helps the
San Francisco Giants beat the
Los Angeles Dodgers 5–3, knocking the Dodgers (88–74) out of the postseason and giving the
Atlanta Braves the
NL West crown. The Braves (89–73) had lost 5–1 at
San Diego today. • 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." 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. • The
St. Louis Cardinals defeat the
Atlanta Braves 6–2, to capture their first
National League championship in
14 years. Catcher
Darrell Porter is the MVP 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 Fall Classic record with five hits (in five at bats), as he leads the
Milwaukee Brewers to a 10–0 victory over the
St. Louis Cardinals at
Busch Memorial Stadium. • 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 . He won the
that year's NL East title with the
Pittsburgh Pirates, was selected '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. • October 15 – The
Los Angeles Dodgers trade right-handed pitcher
Ted Power to the
Cincinnati Reds for infielder
Mike Ramsey and cash. • 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 19 – The
Baltimore Orioles release two veteran pitchers, southpaw
Ross Grimsley, 32, and righty
Don Stanhouse, 31. in 1988 • October 20: • The
St. Louis Cardinals win the decisive seventh game of the
1982 World Series, 6–3, over the
Milwaukee Brewers, backed by 15 hits and the pitching of
Joaquín Andújar and
Bruce Sutter. Catcher
Darrell Porter is selected
Most Valuable Player, making him the first player chosen as MVP in both the
LCS and
World Series in the same season. The Cardinals win their first Fall Classic championship since
1967, and ninth in their history. • After three years of "Billy Ball" and the revival of the
Oakland 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 squad 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. • 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. On November 2, he will be succeeded by former
Cincinnati Reds manager
John McNamara. • October 26 –
Steve Carlton of the
Philadelphia Phillies wins his fourth NL
Cy Young Award, after winning 23 games—the only MLB pitcher to exceed 20 victories during 1982.
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. • The
Texas Rangers name former five-time NL
Gold Glove Award-winning third baseman
Doug Rader their manager for . 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
Cleveland Indians. Former MLB infielder and minor-league skipper Ferraro, 38, has been a
New York Yankees' coach since . • November 5 – The
New York Mets release former () National League
Cy Young Award recipient and two-time 20-game-winner
Randy Jones, 32, ending his MLB pitching career. in 2006 • 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 10 – Forty players—including veteran standouts
Don Baylor (
AL MVP) and
Steve Garvey (
NL MVP)—are granted free agency and will enter the market for new contracts. • November 12 –
Joe Altobelli, former manager of the
San Francisco Giants (–), is named
Earl Weaver's successor to pilot the
Baltimore Orioles. Altobelli, 50, is no stranger to the Orioles; he was the highly successful skipper of their
Triple-A Rochester Red Wings farm team before taking the Giants' job. Future
Hall-of-Famer Weaver retired in October after 14½ seasons, four
American League pennants, and one
World Series championship. • November 15 –
Kansas City Royals DH and team leader
Hal McRae, 36, signs a new contract to remain with the club, five days after being granted free agency. McRae led the American League in
runs batted in (133) in 1982 and was named to his third
All-Star team. • 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. • The
Athletics sign left-handed reliever
Tom Burgmeier, granted free agency from the
Boston Red Sox on November 10. • 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 18: • The
Cleveland Indians trade pitcher
Ed Whitson to the
San Diego Padres for pitcher
Juan Eichelberger and first baseman
Broderick Perkins. • The
Kansas City Royals release veteran first baseman/DH
Lee May. • 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 1 – Three weeks after they enter the market, two headlining members of the free-agent "Class of 1982" agree to multi-year contracts with new teams: • Designated hitter
Don Baylor, formerly of the
California Angels, signs for four years and $3.15 million with the
New York Yankees. • Relief pitcher
Terry Forster, formerly of the
Los Angeles Dodgers, signs for three years and $1.45 million with the
Atlanta Braves. • December 3 – Catcher
Alan Ashby, granted free agency on November 10, remains with the
Houston Astros, signing a three-year, $1.25 million contract. • December 6: • The
Oakland Athletics acquire third baseman and
AL batting champion Carney Lansford, outfielder
Garry Hancock and minor-league pitcher Jerry King from the
Boston Red Sox for outfielder
Tony Armas and catcher
Jeff Newman. The formerly free-spending Red Sox are shunning the free agent market; they trade Lansford, 25, because he rejects their offer for a multi-year contract extension that will keep him from free agency after the 1983 season. He'll spend the next ten years as a key Oakland regular. • Free-agent southpaw
Bob McClure opts to remain with the
Milwaukee Brewers, agreeing to a four-year, $1.95 million contract. • December 9: • An eye-catching interleague trade sees the
Philadelphia Phillies and
Cleveland Indians exchange highly ranked young players. The Phillies acquire outfielder
Von Hayes from Cleveland for five players: pitcher
Jay Baller, catcher
Jerry Willard, second baseman
Manny Trillo, shortstop
Julio Franco and outfielder
George Vukovich. The headliners, Hayes and Franco, both 24, will have noteworthy careers; Hayes is a Phillie regular for nine seasons, while Franco will still be playing in the majors at age 49 in . In a separate transaction between the teams, the Phillies acquire infielder
Larry Milbourne from the Indians for cash considerations. • Two
AL East competitors, the
Toronto Blue Jays and
New York Yankees, pull off a five-player trade. Toronto acquires pitcher
Mike Morgan, first baseman
Fred McGriff and outfielder
Dave Collins from New York for veteran right-hander
Dale Murray and outfielder
Tom Dodd, a former Yankee farmhand. McGriff is a prospect who has just turned 19; in , he'll launch a
Hall of Fame career as a slugging first baseman for the Blue Jays and five other MLB teams. • The
Yankees replace Collins by signing outfielder
Steve Kemp, granted free agency from the
Chicago White Sox on November 10, to a five-year, $5.45 million contract. • The
Chicago Cubs trade outfielder
Steve Henderson to the
Seattle Mariners for pitcher
Rich Bordi. • December 10: • The
Houston Astros obtain right-handed pitcher
Mike Scott from the
New York Mets for outfielder
Danny Heep. Scott, 27, has posted a
14–27 (
4.64) record over 84 games and five seasons with the Mets. In Houston between and , he'll go 110–81 and make three NL All-Star teams—including a sparkling,
Cy Young Award-winning campaign in which he leads the
National League in
wins above replacement (8.4 bWAR), ERA (2.22),
shutouts (five),
innings pitched (275), and
strikeouts (305). He'll also account for Houston's only victories in the
1986 NLCS by firing two complete games, including a shutout, against his old team, the Mets. • The
Astros also sign speedy outfielder
Omar Moreno, granted free agency from the
Pittsburgh Pirates on November 10. • December 13 – The
Chicago White Sox sign southpaw starting pitcher
Floyd Bannister, 27, granted free agency in November from the
Seattle Mariners. Bannister, a 1982
AL All-Star, agrees to a five-year, $4.79 million contract. • December 14: • The
San Francisco Giants trade future
Hall-of-Fame second baseman
Joe Morgan, 39, along with left-handed relief ace
Al Holland, to the
Philadelphia Phillies for pitchers
Mark Davis and
Mike Krukow and outfielder C. L. Penigar. Morgan and the Giants had reached an impasse over his 1983 salary; he and Holland will help Philadelphia win the
1983 NL pennant. during his early Mets' career • The
St. Louis Cardinals and
New York Yankees make a five-player, all-prospects trade. In it, St. Louis sends infielder
Bobby Meacham, 22, and outfielder
Stan Javier, 18, son of the
Redbirds' standout second baseman of the 1960s, to the Yanks for pitchers Steve Fincher, 20, and
Marty Mason, 24, and outfielder Bob Helsom, 24. Javier will play all or parts of 17 MLB seasons for eight teams, principally the
Oakland Athletics. • December 15 – Eight-year veteran outfielder
Rick Manning remains with the
Cleveland Indians, signing a five-year, $2.4 million contract with them after being granted free agency in November. • December 16 – Almost exactly 5½ years after he departed the
New York Mets in "the biggest and most controversial trade in Mets' history," future
Hall-of-Fame pitcher
Tom Seaver "come(s) home" After all or part of 14 seasons, 1,727 games played and 1,938 hits in a Dodger uniform, he will become the face of a second
Southern California team, with his clutch home run in Game 5 of the
1984 NLCS delivering the first
pennant in San Diego's MLB history. • The
Texas Rangers trade first baseman
Pat Putnam to the
Seattle Mariners for first-year relief pitcher
Ron Musselman. • December 22 –
Lee Mazzilli's tenure with the
New York Yankees ends after 37 games when the Bombers trade the 27-year-old outfielder to the
Pittsburgh Pirates for four young players: pitcher
Tim Burke, catcher Bubba Holland, infielder José Rivera and outfielder Jerry Aubin. • December 23 – Free-agent
Woodie Fryman agrees to return to the
Montreal Expos for . The 42-year-old relief pitcher went
9–4 (
3.75) with 12
saves in 60 games for Montreal in 1982. • December 28 – The
New York Mets trade pitcher
Pat Zachry to the
Los Angeles Dodgers for outfielder/pinch hitter
Jorge Orta. • December 31 – Veteran left-handed starting pitcher
Paul Splittorff remains with the
Kansas City Royals, agreeing to a new contract after being granted free agency along with November's "Class of 1982." Known as "the Original Royal," Splittorff, 36, will spend his entire baseball career with the franchise, 15 years as a player and 24 more as a broadcaster. ==Births==