2003 in baseball


Headline events of the year

Major League Baseball

  • Regular Season Champions
LeagueEastern Division ChampionCentral Division ChampionWestern Division ChampionWild Card Qualifier
American LeagueNew York YankeesMinnesota TwinsOakland AthleticsBoston Red Sox
National LeagueAtlanta BravesChicago CubsSan Francisco GiantsFlorida Marlins

  • World Series Champion – Florida Marlins
  • Postseason – September 30 to October 25
Click on any series score to link to that series' page.

Higher seed has home field advantage during Division Series and League Championship Series.

American League has home field advantage during World Series as a result of the American League victory in the 2003 All-Star Game.

American League is seeded 1-3/2-4 as a result of AL regular season champion and AL wild card coming from the same division.

National League is seeded 1-3/2-4 as a result of NL regular season champion and NL wild card coming from the same division.

Major League Baseball final standings

  • ''The asterisk denotes the club that won the wild card for its respective league.''

    Events

January

  • January 7 – Gary Carter and Eddie Murray are elected into the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame.
  • January 22 – After having been released by the Minnesota Twins at the close of the season, David Ortiz signs with the Boston Red Sox.

    February

  • February 17 – Baltimore Orioles pitcher Steve Bechler dies at the age of 23 of a heat stroke during spring training in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. A medical examiner found that Bechler's use of ephedra as a weight-loss supplement contributed to his death. Following this revelation, the Food and Drug Administration opened an inquiry, which resulted in the banning of ephedra products in the United States.

    March

  • March 31 – In the first-ever game at the Great American Ball Park the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates defeat the Cincinnati Reds 10-1. Ken Griffey Jr. collects the first hit in the stadium's history.

    April

  • April 3 – At 27 years, 249 days of age, Alex Rodriguez becomes the youngest player in major league history to hit 300 home runs. The Texas Rangers shortstop's fifth inning, three-run blast surpasses Hall of Famer Jimmie Foxx's mark, who accomplished the feat at 27 years, 328 days of age.
  • April 4 – Sammy Sosa hits his 500th career home run, off Cincinnati Reds pitcher Scott Sullivan in the seventh inning at Great American Ball Park, becoming only the 18th player in major league history to hit 500 or more home runs, as well as the first Hispanic to do so.
  • April 11 – The Montreal Expos defeat the New York Mets‚ 10–0‚ in their first of 22 home games they play in Puerto Rico this season.
  • April 27 – Kevin Millwood of the Philadelphia Phillies pitches a no-hitter against the San Francisco Giants, striking out ten while walking three. Ricky Ledée's first-inning solo home run provides the game's only scoring.

    May

  • May 5 – Matt Stairs' home run off Houston Astros pitcher Wade Miller is estimated at 461 feet, making it the longest home run in the history of Minute Maid Park.
  • May 10 – Jeff Torborg is fired as manager of the Florida Marlins after a 16-22 start. Jack McKeon is hired as his replacement.
  • May 11 – Rafael Palmeiro hits his 500th career home run, off Cleveland Indians pitcher Dave Elder, becoming only the 19th player in major league history to reach the 500 mark.
  • May 18 The Texas Rangers defeat the New York Yankees 5-1 to complete their first-ever three-game sweep of the Yankees at Yankee Stadium. John Thomson goes the distance for the victory, giving up only three hits and striking out nine.
  • May 23 – Geremi González earns his first major league victory in nearly five years as the Tampa Bay Devil Rays beat the Anaheim Angels 3-1. González wins for the first time since June 28,, while with the Chicago Cubs. He had elbow surgery in 1998 and 1999 before the Cubs released him in 2001.
  • May 25 – The Toronto Blue Jays completed their first four-game sweep ever against the New York Yankees, winning 5–3 at Yankee Stadium and sending New York to its seventh consecutive home loss. The Yankees also dropped their season-high fourth in a row overall, a skid that thus dropped them out of the American League East lead, while their slump at Yankee Stadium was their worst since they lost 10 straight in the 1986 season. Now New York has lost 11 of the last 12 at home.
  • May 26 – The Gary SouthShore RailCats play their inaugural home opener at the U.S. Steel Yard versus the Schaumburg Flyers.
  • May 28 – Rafael Furcal, Mark DeRosa and Gary Sheffield hit home runs off Cincinnati Reds pitcher Jeff Austin in the bottom of the first inning, as the Atlanta Braves become only the second team in big league history to begin a game with three consecutive home runs. On April 13, 1987, the San Diego Padres' Marvell Wynne, Tony Gwynn and John Kruk did the same in the bottom of the first inning off San Francisco Giants starter Roger Mason.

    June

  • June 3 – Sammy Sosa is ejected from a game against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays for using a corked bat.
  • June 11 – The Houston Astros set a major league record for combined pitchers in a no-hitter with six, against the New York Yankees. The pitchers are Roy Oswalt, Pete Munro, Kirk Saarloos, Brad Lidge, Octavio Dotel and Billy Wagner.
  • June 13 – New York Yankees pitcher Roger Clemens becomes the 21st pitcher in major league history to win 300 games and only the third pitcher to record 4,000 career strikeouts as he defeats the St. Louis Cardinals 5-2.
  • June 23 – At AT&T Park, Barry Bonds of the San Francisco Giants becomes the first Major Leaguer with 500 career home runs and 500 career steals. After drawing a base on balls leading off the 11th inning, Bonds steals second, then eventually scores on Benito Santiago's single for the winning run in a 3-2 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers.
  • June 27 – The Boston Red Sox score a record-setting 10 runs in the first inning against the Florida Marlins before recording an out. Two Marlins pitchers, starter Carl Pavano and reliever Michael Tejera, pitch to a combined 11 batters and would not record an out. The Red Sox score 14 runs in the first inning, which ties the American League record. Johnny Damon ties the modern-day record for hits in an inning with three.

    July

  • July 15 – At U.S. Cellular Field, the American League wins the All-Star Game, beating the National League 7-6. Hank Blalock connects for a two-run, pinch-hit home run off Éric Gagné in the eighth inning to lead the rally. Garret Anderson is named the MVP, coming just one triple shy of hitting for the cycle in going 3-for-4 with a home run and two RBI. Brendan Donnelly is the winning pitcher, while Keith Foulke gets the save.
  • July 27 – Gary Carter and Eddie Murray are inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
  • July 29 – Against the Texas Rangers at The Ballpark in Arlington, Bill Mueller of the Boston Red Sox, in hitting three home runs, becomes the first player to hit a grand slam from each side of the plate in the same game. After hitting a solo home run off starter R. A. Dickey in the third, Mueller homers in the seventh with the bases loaded against left-hander Aaron Fultz. One inning later he hits his second grand slam, this time against right-hander Jay Powell. With the three home runs, Mueller drives in nine runs; the Red Sox defeat the Rangers 14-7.