1958 in baseball

The following are the baseball events of the year 1958 throughout the world.

Champions

Major League Baseball

• World Series: New York Yankees over Milwaukee Braves (4-3); Bob Turley, MVP
• All-Star Game, July 8 at Memorial Stadium: American League, 4-3

Other champions

• College World Series: USC
• Japan Series: Nishitetsu Lions over Yomiuri Giants (4-3)
• Little League World Series: Industrial, Monterrey, Mexico

Winter Leagues

• 1958 Caribbean Series: Tigres de Marianao
• Cuban League: Tigres de Marianao
• Dominican Republic League: Leones del Escogido
• Mexican Pacific League: Venados de Mazatlán
• Panamanian League: Carta Vieja Yankees
• Puerto Rican League: Criollos de Caguas
• Venezuelan League: Industriales de Valencia

Awards and honors

• Most Valuable Player:
  • AL: Jackie Jensen, Boston Red Sox
  • NL: Ernie Banks, Chicago Cubs
• Cy Young Award: Bob Turley, New York Yankees
• Rookie of the Year:
  • AL: Albie Pearson, Washington Senators
  • NL: Orlando Cepeda, San Francisco Giants

MLB statistical leaders

Major league baseball final standings

Events

January–March

• January 28 – Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Roy Campanella suffers a broken neck in an early morning auto accident on Long Island. His spinal column is nearly severed and his legs are permanently paralyzed. Campanella will never play for the Dodgers after their move to Los Angeles, although a newspaper story (showing a picture of him wearing a Brooklyn cap) describes him as being of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
• February 4 – The Baseball Hall of Fame fails to elect any new members for the first time since 1950.
• February 6 – Ted Williams signs a one-year contract with the Boston Red Sox. Reports on the worth of the contract estimate from $135,000 to $150,000. Either way, Williams becomes the highest paid player in major league history.

April–June

• April 15 – In the first Major League Baseball game played on the West Coast, Rubén Gómez of the San Francisco Giants hurls an 8-0 shutout against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Giants' shortstop Daryl Spencer hits the first Major League home run on the Pacific Coast. A park-record 23,192 fans pack Seals Stadium to witness the historic game.
• April 25 – The Los Angeles Dodgers beats the St. Louis Cardinals, 5–3, setting a record for the most fans at a regular season night game as 60,635 attend a game at the Los Angeles Coliseum.
• May 12 – Willie Mays hits the first grand slam in San Francisco Giants history. Mays also belts another home run in a 12–3 victory over the rival Los Angeles Dodgers.
• May 13
  • San Francisco Giants teammates Willie Mays and Daryl Spencer each have four extra-base hits as San Francisco beats the Dodgers in Los Angeles, 16–9. Mays hits two home runs, two triples, a single and drives in four runs, while Spencer has two home runs, a triple, a double and six RBI for a combined 28 total bases.
  • Stan Musial of the St. Louis Cardinals collects his 3,000th career hit when he pinch hit a double off Chicago Cubs pitcher Moe Drabowsky at Wrigley Field. The Cardinals win, 5–3.
• May 23 – Willie Mays hits 200th career home run, helping the San Francisco Giants beat the Milwaukee Braves, 5–3.
• June 12 – In a shortstops transaction, the Cleveland Indians send Chico Carrasquel to the Kansas City Athletics in exchange for Billy Hunter.^[1]
• June 15 – Chico Carrasquel went 5-for-6 with four runs batted in and scored two times, as the Kansas City Athletics edged the Boston Red Sox, 17–6, at Fenway Park. Héctor López collected four RBI, while Bob Cerv and Frank House added two runs and three RBI a piece. Ralph Terry was the winning pitcher and Jack Urban earned the save, while Willard Nixon got the loss. For Carrasquel, it was the fifth five-hit game of his career.
• June 27 – Against the Washington Senators at Comiskey Park, Billy Pierce of the Chicago White Sox has a perfect game broken up with two out in the ninth—by inches. Pinch-hitter Ed Fitz Gerald hits Pierce's first pitch down the right field line, the ball landing just inside the foul line for a double, the only hit Pierce allows in a 3-0 White Sox victory. The perfect game would have been the first in regular season play since that of another White Sox, Charlie Robertson, in 1922.

July–September

• July 8 – At Memorial Stadium, home of the Baltimore Orioles, the American League defeated the National League, 4-3, in the All-Star Game. This was the first All-Star Game without an extra-base hit.
• July 20 – In the first game of a doubleheader at Fenway Park, Jim Bunning of the Detroit Tigers no-hits the Boston Red Sox 3-0.
• July 28 – For the sixth time in his career, Mickey Mantle hits home runs from both sides of the plate. New York beats the Athletics, 14-7.
• August 23 – At Yankee Stadium, Nellie Fox of the Chicago White Sox strikes out against Whitey Ford in the first inning of the White Sox' 7-1 victory over the New York Yankees. The strikeout ends Fox's streak of 98 consecutive games without striking out; he had last struck out on May 16 against Dick Tomanek of the Cleveland Indians.
• September 14 – The New York Yankees sweep a doubleheader against the Kansas City Athletics, 5-3 and 12-7 (14 innings), clinching their fourth straight American League pennant.
• September 20 – At Memorial Stadium, Hoyt Wilhelm of the Baltimore Orioles no-hits the New York Yankees 1-0, striking out eight along the way. It is the first no-hitter since the franchise's move to Baltimore. Wilhelm had pitched exclusively in relief prior to this season; this was only his ninth career start.
• September 21 – The Milwaukee Braves clinch their second consecutive National League pennant with a 6-5 victory over the Cincinnati Reds, thus ensuring a Yankees-Braves World Series for the second straight year.

October–December

• October 9 – The New York Yankees defeat the Milwaukee Braves, 6–2, in the decisive Game 7 of the World Series to win their eighteenth World Championship title. Yankees 1B Moose Skowron's three-run home run off Milwaukee pitcher Lew Burdette in the 8th inning puts the game on ice. The Yankees became only the second team to come back from a 3-1 deficit to win the World Series (the 1925 Pittsburgh Pirates were the first to do it). Milwaukee's Eddie Mathews strikes out for the 11th time, a record that will stand until 1980, when broken by Willie Wilson of the Kansas City Royals. The Braves' 53 strikeouts are also a new Series record. This is the seventh World Series title for manager Casey Stengel, tying him with Joe McCarthy for the most Series won. Yankees P Bob Turley is named the Series MVP.
• November 12 – New York Yankees pitcher Bob Turley, who posted a 21-7 record with 168 strikeouts and a 2.97 earned run average, is named the MLB Cy Young Award. With only one award given for the two leagues, Turley gathers five votes to four for the previous winner, Warren Spahn of the Milwaukee Braves, who went 22-11 with 150 SO and a 3.07 ERA.
• November 25 – Chicago Cubs slugger Ernie Banks, who hit a .313 average with 47 home runs and 129 RBI, is named National League MVP. Willie Mays of the San Francisco Giants is the runner-up, after going .347, 29, 96.
• November 26 – Boston Red Sox outfielder Jackie Jensen, who hit .286 with 31 home runs and 122 RBI, is named American League MVP, winning over New York Yankees pitcher Bob Turley (21-7, 2.94 ERA), and Cleveland Indians outfielder Rocky Colavito (.303, 41, 113).
• November 28:
  • The American League announces that its Opening Day will be April 9 making it earliest date ever to open the junior circuit's regular season.
  • The Boston Red Sox sign teenage sensation Carl Yastrzemski to a reported bonus of $100,000. The future Hall of Famer will make his major league debut with Boston in the 1961 season.
• November 30 – Italian baseball commissioner Prince Borghese visits the United States to seek aid in organizing Italian teams.
• December 2:
  • International League President Frank Shaughnessy reports that club owners are sympathetic to player demands for a pension plan, but says there is no way that $250,000 can be raised to start one.
  • National League President Warren Giles says he doubts New York City will get a franchise for several years. He says the NL will reject expansion now, even if assured of a stadium and financial backing.
  • The Cleveland Indians send 2B Bobby Ávila to the Baltimore Orioles for P Russ Heman and cash consideration. In a separate trade, Cleveland sends 1B Vic Wertz and OF Gary Geiger to the Boston Red Sox in exchange for OF Jimmy Piersall.
• December 4 – The American Association expands to 10 teams by admitting the Houston Buffs, Dallas Rangers, and Fort Worth Cats from the Texas League. This effectively denudes the Texas League, leaving it with five teams and a vacancy.

Movies

• Damn Yankees
• The Sandlot

Births

January–February

• January 3 – Brian Allard
• January 5 – Ron Kittle
• January 7 – Carlos Diaz
• January 10 – Pat Keedy
• January 13 – Mike Madden
• January 13 – Gene Roof
• January 19 – Rick Adair
• January 20 – Bill Scherrer
• January 24 – Neil Allen
• January 24 – Atlee Hammaker
• January 31 – Rafael Santana
• February 2 – Pat Tabler
• February 6 – Bill Dawley
• February 7 – Ralph Citarella
• February 9 – Pete O'Brien
• February 13 – Frank Williams
• February 17 – Alan Wiggins
• February 18 – Rafael Ramírez
• February 21 – Alan Trammell
• February 23 – Juan Agosto
• February 23 – John Shelby
• February 26 – Darrell Miller

March–April

• March 2 – Jeff Stember
• March 7 – Albert Hall
• March 8 – Nick Capra
• March 10 – Steve Howe
• March 24 – Bruce Hurst
• March 26 – Chris Codiroli
• March 29 – Domingo Ramos
• April 1 – Mike Kinnunen
• April 2 – Mike Howard
• April 3 – Gary Pettis
• April 11 – Jeff Calhoun
• April 16 – Rick Grapenthin
• April 22 – Stefan Wever
• April 24 – Bill Krueger
• April 25 – Dave Owen
• April 29 – Steve Crawford

May–June

• May 11 – Walt Terrell
• May 24 – Mike Richardt
• May 28 – Bill Doran
• May 28 – Ed Olwine
• May 29 – Jamie Allen
• May 29 – Mike Stenhouse
• June 7 – Tim Laudner
• June 8 – Carmen Castillo
• June 15 – Wade Boggs
• June 19 – Butch Davis
• June 20 – Dickie Thon
• June 23 – Marty Barrett
• June 28 – Clay Christiansen

July–August

• July 7 – Glenn Hoffman
• July 7 – Tim Teufel
• July 11 – Mike Fuentes
• July 21 – Dave Henderson
• July 25 – Marc Sullivan
• July 26 – Marty Bystrom
• July 30 – Scott Fletcher
• August 5 – Bob James
• August 5 – Reid Nichols
• August 8 – Alan Fowlkes
• August 9 – Matt Young
• August 12 – Rusty McNealy
• August 15 – Joe Cowley
• August 16 – Jim Maler
• August 18 – Don Crow
• August 18 – Tom Dodd
• August 19 – Gary Gaetti
• August 19 – Luis DeLeón
• August 23- Julio Franco
• August 31 – Von Hayes

September–October

• September 4 – Rod Booker
• September 4 – Paul Householder
• September 7 – Bill Schroeder
• September 11 – Brad Lesley
• September 11 – Don Slaught
• September 16 – Orel Hershiser
• September 17 – Tom Waddell
• September 18 – Roger Mason
• September 22 – Dave Sax
• September 24 – Jim Acker
• September 25 – Larry White
• September 28 – Pete Filson
• September 28 – Jerry Layne
• September 28 – Rob Manfred
• October 3 – Daryl Sconiers
• October 5 – Randy Bush
• October 25 – Tom Romano
• October 26 – Ed Vande Berg
• October 26 – Frank Wills
• October 31 – Paul Zuvella

November–December

• November 1 – Rich Thompson
• November 2 – Willie McGee
• November 5 – Mike Bishop
• November 8 – Bobby Moore
• November 9 – Teddy Higuera
• November 13 – Dan Petry
• November 19 – Mike Winters
• November 22 – Lee Guetterman
• November 22 – Ricky Wright
• November 27 – Mike Scioscia
• November 28 – Dave Righetti
• November 30 – Tobías (Toby) Hernández
• November 30 – Steve Shields
• December 5 – Scott Munninghoff
• December 15 – Scott Nielsen
• December 16 – Ted Wilborn
• December 16 – Rondin Johnson
• December 22 – Glenn Wilson
• December 22 – George Wright
• December 23 – Tim Leary
• December 25 – Rickey Henderson

Deaths

• January 23 – Walter Lonergan, 72, shortstop for the 1911 Boston Red Sox
• March 28 – Chuck Klein, 53, slugging right fielder, primarily with the Philadelphia Phillies, who was named the NL's MVP in 1932 and won the Triple Crown one year later; the 7th player to hit 300 home runs, winning four league titles
• April 14 – John Freeman, 57, outfielder for the 1927 Boston Red Sox
• April 20 – Chet Nourse, 70, pitcher for the 1909 Boston Red Sox
• June 9 – John Fick, 37, pitcher for the 1944 Philadelphia Blue Jays
• August 1 – Ike Boone, 61, an outfielder for the New York Giants, Boston Red Sox, Chicago White Sox, and Brooklyn Dodgers between 1922 and 1932, who posted an ML career average of .321, compiled a .370 BA for the highest minor league all-time, and set a professional baseball record in 1929 collecting 553 total bases while playing in the Pacific Coast League
• September 6 – Tommy de la Cruz, 46, Cuban pitcher for the 1944 Cincinnati Reds, and one of many players who only appeared in the majors during World War II
• November 21 – Mel Ott, 49, Hall of Fame outfielder and 12-time All-Star for the New York Giants who held National League career record for home runs (511), leading league 6 times
• December 8 – Tris Speaker, 70, Hall of Fame center fielder known for spectacular defense as well as superlative batting, becoming the second player to compile over 3,500 hits and posting a .345 career average
• December 31 – Jack Doyle, 89, 17 year playing career includes a one time stint as manager of the New York Giants.

References