1978 in baseball


Champions

Major League Baseball

Winter Leagues

Major league baseball final standings

Events

January

  • January 19 – Eddie Mathews, a 12-time All-Star third baseman who slugged 512 career homers over his 17-year career, is elected to the Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers' Association of America on 301 of 379 ballots.
  • January 20 – George Bamberger, who has spent the past decade as the highly successful pitching coach of the Baltimore Orioles, fills the Milwaukee Brewers' managerial vacancy, open since Alex Grammas' firing in November 1977. Bamberger, 54, has never managed before, but between 1968 and 1977, his Oriole staff included 18 twenty-game winners and helped win five American League East championships, three AL pennants, and the 1970 World Series.
  • January 21 – The Texas Rangers sign first baseman Mike Jorgensen, who was granted free agency from the Oakland Athletics on October 30, 1977.
  • January 25 – The San Diego Padres send southpaw Dave Tomlin and $125,000 to the Texas Rangers in return for veteran Gaylord Perry, who will win this year's National League Cy Young Award.
  • January 31 – Commissioner of Baseball Bowie Kuhn voids the Oakland Athletics' trade of Vida Blue to the Cincinnati Reds, citing the "best interests of baseball" clause. As compensation, the A's send Doug Bair to the Reds for minor-league prospect Dave Revering on February 25.

    February

  • February 2 – The San Diego Padres sign veteran southpaw Mickey Lolich, 37, who was granted free agency from the New York Mets on January 5.
  • February 3 – Nick Mileti sells the Cleveland Indians to a group headed by trucking industry magnate Francis "Steve" O'Neill, 78, who most recently was a limited partner in George Steinbrenner's New York Yankees ownership syndicate. O'Neill's group includes longtime executive Gabe Paul, who begins a second stint as the Indians' club president.
  • February 8 – The Milwaukee Brewers reacquire power hitter Gorman Thomas from the Texas Rangers for cash. In 1978, Thomas, 27, who had failed an earlier, 1973–1976 audition with Milwaukee, will develop into an everyday centerfielder for the Brewers and bash 175 homers over the next five seasons.
  • February 15 – Bob Howsam, general manager of the Cincinnati Reds since January 1967 and club president since March 1974, turns over both roles to longtime assistant Dick Wagner, 50. Howsam, two weeks shy of his 60th birthday, was Cincinnati's hard-nosed front-office boss during the "Big Red Machine" era; his clubs won five NL West titles, four National League pennants and two World Series . He's known to be a firm opponent of the free agency era and its rising player salaries.
  • February 17 – The Boston Red Sox sign veteran left-handed reliever Tom Burgmeier, 34, granted free agency from the Minnesota Twins on November 2, 1977.
  • February 28
  • *The San Diego Padres trade first baseman Mike Ivie to the San Francisco Giants for versatile infielder Derrel Thomas. Ivie, 25, was the first overall pick in the June 1970 amateur draft.
  • *The Texas Rangers trade left-hander and former Texas schoolboy sensation David Clyde, the first overall pick in the June 1973 draft, along with veteran outfielder Willie Horton, to the Cleveland Indians for pitcher Tom Buskey and outfielder John Lowenstein.

    March

  • March 6 – The Detroit Tigers acquire veteran right-hander Jack Billingham, 35, from the Cincinnati Reds for young lefty George Cappuzzello and minor-league outfielder John Valle.
  • March 15
  • *The San Francisco Giants win the "Vida Blue Sweepstakes", obtaining the star southpaw from Charlie Finley's cross-bay Oakland Athletics in exchange for seven players and a cash payment of between $300,000 and $400,000. Commissioner Bowie Kuhn immediately says he will not block the transaction. The seven players traded by the Giants are pitchers Dave Heaverlo, Phil Huffman, John Henry Johnson and Alan Wirth, catcher Gary Alexander, infielder Mario Guerrero and outfielder Gary Thomasson. Blue will go 18–10, make the National League All-Star team, and finish third in NL Cy Young Award balloting in 1978.
  • *The Toronto Blue Jays make two deals: they send pitcher Dennis DeBarr to the Cleveland Indians for designated hitter Rico Carty; then they trade hurler Tom Bruno and cash to the St. Louis Cardinals for outfielder Rick Bosetti.
  • March 17 – At Al Lopez Field in Tampa, Florida, the Cincinnati Reds host the New York Yankees in a spring training match-up wearing green uniforms in honor of St. Patrick's Day. In, the Boston Red Sox become the second team to adopt this tradition.
  • March 21 – With 17 days to go in spring training, the San Diego Padres fire manager Alvin Dark and replace him with Roger Craig, the club's pitching coach. It's Craig's first MLB managing opportunity.
  • March 24 – The New York Mets trade veteran shortstop Bud Harrelson to the Philadelphia Phillies for second baseman Fred Andrews and cash. Harrelson, 33, has appeared in 1,322 games over 13 seasons in a Met uniform, and is a member of their 1969 World Series champions and 1973 National League pennant-winners.
  • March 28 – Among the players who draw career-ending unconditional releases, as teams cut rosters to prepare for Opening Day, are pitcher Larry Dierker, designated hitter and 2025 Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Dick Allen, and second baseman Denny Doyle.
  • March 30
  • *The Boston Red Sox pull off a blockbuster trade, acquiring top-of-the-rotation starter Dennis Eckersley, 23, from the Cleveland Indians, along with backup catcher Fred Kendall, for pitchers Mike Paxton and Rick Wise, catcher Bo Díaz and third baseman Ted Cox. Eckersley will go 20–8 for 1978 Bosox.
  • *The Oakland Athletics trade pitcher Pablo Torrealba to the Chicago White Sox for fellow hurler Steve Renko and catcher Jim Essian.

    April

  • April 1 – Starting off with a bang, Japanese star Sadaharu Oh hits a grand slam home run on opening day. It is his 757th home run.
  • April 4
  • *The Kansas City Royals sell the contract of two-time American League All-Star first baseman John Mayberry to the Toronto Blue Jays.
  • *The Pittsburgh Pirates reacquire veteran catcher Manny Sanguillén from the Oakland Athletics for pitcher Elias Sosa, outfielder Miguel Dilone and second baseman Mike Edwards. Sanguillén, 34, was a three-time National League All-Star during his previous term with the Bucs.
  • April 9 – Comeback hopeful Steve Busby, making his first major-league start since July 6, 1976, hurls 5 innings before being relieved and Darrell Porter drives in two runs as the Kansas City Royals top the Cleveland Indians, 5–4.
  • April 13 – The New York Yankees defeat the Chicago White Sox 4–2 in their home opener on Reggie Candy Bar Day. Reggie Jackson slugs a 3-run home run in the first inning, and the field is showered with candy bars which were given out free to the fans at the game.
  • April 16 – The St. Louis Cardinals' Bob Forsch hurls a no-hitter in beating the Philadelphia Phillies 5–0. Forsch walks two and strikes out three in pitching the first home no-hitter by a Cardinal since Jesse Haines in. His brother, the Houston Astros' Ken Forsch, will toss a no-hitter the following season against the Atlanta Braves – making them the first big-league brothers to each author a no-hitter.
  • April 20 – With two out in the top of the fourth inning, the Atlanta Braves' Jeff Burroughs hits a ground ball up the middle that San Diego Padres rookie shortstop Ozzie Smith dives for behind second base. As he was in the air, the ball hits the base and caroms behind Smith. As he is diving in the opposite direction, Smith reaches out with his bare hand and catches the ball. He bounces up, and throws Burroughs out at first. The Padres win the game 2–0.
  • April 25 – The struggling, 6–11 St. Louis Cardinals fire second-year manager Vern Rapp. His permanent replacement, former Redbird star Ken Boyer, will take the helm of the club on April 29.
  • April 27 – Willie McCovey drives in four runs and a double and his 496th home run in leading Vida Blue and the San Francisco Giants to a 5–3 win over the Atlanta Braves.
  • April 29
  • *Pete Rose smashes three home runs in the Cincinnati Reds' 14–7 win over the New York Mets at Shea Stadium.
  • *In Ken Boyer's debut as manager, the St. Louis Cardinals defeat the Los Angeles Dodgers 1–0. The game tied a record for quickest game in Cardinals history, lasting just one hour and thirty-three minutes.