1983 in Baseball - Events

Events

• January 12 - Brooks Robinson and Juan Marichal are elected to the Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers' Association of America. Robinson becomes the 14th player to be elected in his first year of eligibility.

• April 5 - Tom Seaver pitches six scoreless innings in his return to the New York Mets in front of 46,687 fans at Shea Stadium. He does not, however, factor in the decision, as he is matched by Philadelphia Phillies ace Steve Carlton until the Mets break through for two runs in the seventh to make Doug Sisk the winner of their season opener.

• April 13 - Philadelphia Phillies catcher Bo Díaz accomplishes something that only 11 other Major League players have in the 150-plus year history of the sport: a "Sayonara Slam" (a walk off Grand Slam in the bottom of the ninth inning with two outs and his team trailing by three runs). With the New York Mets leading the Phillies, 9–6, and the Phillies down to their last out, Díaz drives a 2-1 Neil Allen pitch out of Veterans Stadium to win the game for the Phillies, 10–9.

• April 15 - Against the Chicago White Sox at Comiskey Park, Milt Wilcox of the Detroit Tigers has his bid for a perfect game broken up with two out in the ninth by a Jerry Hairston single. The hit is the only one Wilcox allows in defeating the White Sox 6-0. Wilcox was also bidding to pitch the first no-hitter by a Tiger since Jim Bunning in 1958.

• April 27 - Nolan Ryan strikes out Brad Mills of the Montréal Expos. It is the 3,509th strikeout of Ryan's career, breaking the long time record established by Walter Johnson.

• May 1 - Robin Yount hits his 100th career home run.

• May 2 - José Oquendo makes his major league debut with the New York Mets. Having been born on July 4, 1963, he is the first player in franchise history to be younger than the franchise (which begins play in 1962).

• May 6 - New York Mets prospect Darryl Strawberry goes 0 for four with three strikeouts in his Major league debut.

• June 15 - The New York Mets acquire first baseman Keith Hernandez from the St. Louis Cardinals for pitchers Neil Allen and Rick Ownbey.

• June 24 - Don Sutton of the Milwaukee Brewers records his 3000th career strikeout.

• July 4 - Left-handed pitcher Dave Righetti throws the Yankees' first no-hitter since Don Larsen's perfect game in the 1956 World Series, handcuffing the Boston Red Sox 4–0 before a holiday crowd of 41,077 at Yankee Stadium. It is the first no-hitter by a Yankee left-handed pitcher since George Mogridge in 1917.

• July 6 - In the 50th anniversary All-Star Game at Chicago's Comiskey Park, the American League routs the National League 13–3 for its first win since 1971. The AL breaks the game open with seven runs in the 4th inning, highlighted by Fred Lynn's grand slam — the first ever in an All-Star competition. It is Lynn's 4th All-Star homer, tying him with Ted Williams for the AL record.

• July 24 - In the game now known as the Pine Tar Game, George Brett hits an apparent go-ahead 2-run home run off of Goose Gossage in the ninth inning of a game against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. However, Yankees manager Billy Martin challenges that Brett's bat has more than the 18 inches (460 mm) of pine tar allowed, and home plate umpire Tim McClelland upholds Martin's challenge. After being called out and having the home run nullified, Brett goes ballistic and charges out of the dugout after McClelland. The AL president's office later upholds the Kansas City Royals protest, restoring the home run, and the game is completed on August 18, with the Royals winning 5-4.

• July 29 - Steve Garvey, first baseman for the San Diego Padres dislocates his thumb, and ends his streak of 1,207 consecutive games played. It is still the National League record for consecutive games played.

• August 6 - Kansas City Royals starter Eric Rasmussen tosses a 4-0 shutout against the Boston Red Sox in his first ever start in the American League. Having already shutout the San Diego Padres in his major league debut for the St. Louis Cardinals on July 21, 1975, Rasmussen becomes the only major league pitcher to ever pitch a shutout in his first National League start and his first American League start.

• August 24 - Against the Cincinnati Reds at Wrigley Field, Chuck Rainey of the Chicago Cubs has a no-hitter broken up with two out in the ninth on an Eddie Milner single. The hit is the only one Rainey allows in defeating the Reds 3-0. A no-hitter would not only have been the first by a Cub, but the first one the Cubs are involved in, since Milt Pappas in 1972.

• September 17 - The Chicago White Sox defeat the Seattle Mariners 4-3 at olde Comiskey Park, clinching their first division title. It secures their first post season birth since 1959, and the last the team has at olde Comiskey.

• September 23 - Steve Carlton of the Philadelphia Phillies records his 300th career win; a 6-2 defeat of the St. Louis Cardinals at olde Busch Stadium.

• September 26 - Bob Forsch of the St. Louis Cardinals no-hits the Montreal Expos 3-0 at Busch Memorial Stadium. The no-hitter is the second of his career; he pitches his first in 1978.

• September 28 - The Philadelphia Phillies clinch the National League East championship with the 7000th win in their history, 13-6, over the Chicago Cubs.

• September 29 - Rookie Mike Warren of the Oakland Athletics no-hits the Chicago White Sox 3-0 at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum.

• October 2 - Inspired by the outpouring of tributes lavished on retiring Boston Red Sox star Carl Yastrzemski, the producers of Boston phone-in radio show The Sports Huddle on radio station WHDH, decide to do a satirical tribute to Vern Rapp, who also plans to retire at the end of the season after five years as first-base coach of the Montreal Expos (1979-1983). On the last day of the regular season, they proceeded with their tongue in cheek tribute to Rapp, including a mock telethon in which phone callers were invited to pledge money to Rapp's retirement fund (a substantial sum was actually pledged, though no money was collected), and a song to the tune of Bye Bye Birdie ("Bye Bye Vern Rapp"). The program turned out to be anything but a spoof, though. St. Louis Cardinals broadcaster Mike Shannon spoke admiringly of the man, and Rapp, reached by telephone in Montreal, was choked up by the whole affair. WHDH also conducted a telephone interview with Sheldon Bender, vice-president of player personnel for the Cincinnati Reds. Until the station called, Bender was unaware that Rapp was leaving the Expos. Bender suggested Rapp at a meeting the next day at which the Reds' bosses were discussing whether to fire Manager Russ Nixon. One thing led to another, and Rapp received a surprise phone call from Bob Howsam, who had returned from his own retirement to try to arrest the declining fortunes of the Reds. Rapp decided that becoming the Reds' skipper was worth unretiring for, and accepted the job on October 5. WHDH sent Rapp the cassette recording of what turned out to be a most momentous broadcast. Bender admitted "Vern wasn't a candidate for the job until the station called."

• October 16 - Eddie Murray slams a pair of home runs and Scott McGregor pitches a five-hitter as the Baltimore Orioles beat the Philadelphia Phillies 5–0 and win the 1983 World Series in Game Five. Baltimore catcher Rick Dempsey, who hits .385 with four doubles and a home run, is the Series MVP.

• October 30 - Boston Red Sox farmhands John Mitchell, Anthony Latham and Scott Skripko, are deep-sea fishing off the coast of Florida when their boat capsizes. Boat owner Mark Zastrowmy and Latham drown. Skripko and Mitchell survive over 20 hours in the water by clinging to debris; Skripko holds onto a cooler for 20 hours and Mitchell a bucket for 22 hours.

• November 17 - Three current Kansas City Royals players (Willie Wilson, Willie Aikens, Jerry Martin) and former Royal Vida Blue are convicted of attempting to purchase cocaine, and sentence to short prison terms. It is a foreshadowing of the coming drug scandal that rocks the sport throughout the 1980s.

• November 22:
  • Ron Kittle of the Chicago White Sox, who hits 35 home runs with 100 RBI, wins the American League Rookie of the Year Award beating out Cleveland infielder Julio Franco and Baltimore pitcher Mike Boddicker.
  • The MLB Players Association dismisses their executive director Kenneth Moffett and chooses Donald Fehr as his successor.