1994 in baseball

The following are the baseball events of the year 1994 throughout the world.

List of years in baseball

Headline events of the year

As a result of a players' strike, the MLB season ended prematurely on August 11, 1994. No postseason (including the World Series) was played. Minor League Baseball was not affected. During the shortened Major League Baseball season, the league adorned uniforms and stadiums to announce the 125th anniversary of baseball's first professional team, the Cincinnati Red Stockings. The Yomiuri Giants also celebrated their sixtieth anniversary with their eighteenth championship in the Japan Series.

Considered by some to be among history's greatest athletes, Michael Jordan suited up for the Birmingham Barons, the Class AA affiliate of the Chicago White Sox. He played in his first game on April 9, going 0-for-3.

Champions

Nippon Professional Baseball

Minor League Baseball -- AAA Leagues

Other champions

Awards and honors

Statistical leaders

  American League National League
TypeNameStatNameStat
AVGPaul O'Neill NYY.359Tony Gwynn SDP.394
HRKen Griffey SEA40Matt Williams SFG43
RBIKirby Puckett MIN112Jeff Bagwell HOU116
WinsJimmy Key NYY17Ken Hill MTL &
Greg Maddux ATL
16
ERASteve Ontiveros OAK2.65Greg Maddux ATL1.56
KsRandy Johnson SEA204Andy Benes SDP189

Major league baseball final standings

  • On September 14, the remainder of the major league season was cancelled by acting commissioner Bud Selig after 34 days of the players' strike.

American League

Team Manager Comments
Baltimore Orioles Johnny Oates
Boston Red Sox Butch Hobson
California Angels Buck Rodgers Replaced during the season by Marcel Lachemann
Chicago White Sox Gene Lamont
Cleveland Indians Mike Hargrove
Detroit Tigers Sparky Anderson
Kansas City Royals Hal McRae
Milwaukee Brewers Phil Garner
Minnesota Twins Tom Kelly
New York Yankees Buck Showalter Was awarded the 1995 All-Star Game managerial role as unofficial league champions.
Oakland Athletics Tony La Russa
Seattle Mariners Lou Piniella
Texas Rangers Kevin Kennedy
Toronto Blue Jays Cito Gaston

National League

Team Manager Comments
Atlanta Braves Bobby Cox
Chicago Cubs Tom Trebelhorn
Cincinnati Reds Davey Johnson
Colorado Rockies Don Baylor
Florida Marlins Rene Lachemann
Houston Astros Terry Collins
Los Angeles Dodgers Tommy Lasorda
Montreal Expos Felipe Alou Was awarded the 1995 All-Star Game managerial role as unofficial league champions.
New York Mets Dallas Green
Philadelphia Phillies Jim Fregosi
Pittsburgh Pirates Jim Leyland
St. Louis Cardinals Joe Torre
San Diego Padres Jim Riggleman
San Francisco Giants Dusty Baker

Events

January

February

  • February 7 – Basketball superstar Michael Jordan signs a minor league contract with the Chicago White Sox. He is invited to spring training with the team as a non-roster invitee.
  • February 15 – Ila Borders becomes the first woman to pitch in a college game. Appearing for Southern California College of Cosa Mesa, Borders throws a five-hit, 12–1 victory against Claremont-Mudd-Scripps.
  • February 25 – The Veterans Committee elects Phil Rizzuto and Leo Durocher to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

April

June

July

August

  • August  5 – Atlanta Braves first baseman Fred McGriff hit his 30th home run of the season in the Braves' 16–6 victory over the Cincinnati Reds, making him only the 9th player in Major League Baseball history to hit 30 or more homers in seven consecutive seasons.
  • August 11 :
    • The final games of the Major League Baseball season are played on this date. The next day, the players' strike begins. Minor League Baseball games are not affected.
    • The Colorado Rockies unknowingly play their last game at Mile High Stadium, losing 13–0 to the Atlanta Braves.

September

  • September 14 – The owners of the Major League clubs vote 26–2 to officially cancel the remainder of the 1994 season, including the playoffs and World Series. There is no World Series for the first time since 1904.
  • September 20 – The Albuquerque Dukes ends the professional baseball season in the United States, winning the Pacific Coast League championship.

October

  • October 22 – The Japan Series begins as baseball's professional championship. Reporters from major American newspapers arrive in Japan for their Fall Classic coverage. Ken Harrelson, the play-by-play announcer for the Chicago White Sox, calls the Japan Series for US audiences on regional sports networks under the Prime SportsChannel banner.
  • October 29 – The Yomiuri Giants win Game 6 of the Japan Series to become professional baseball's World Champions. Legend says this is the luckiest of all championship years, as it is the team's sixtieth anniversary, as they are deemed world champions by some baseball media.

Movies

Births

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

Deaths

January

  • January   2 – Eddie Smith, 80, two-time All-Star pitcher for the Philadelphia Athletics, Chicago White Sox and Boston Red Sox in a span of ten seasons from 1936–1947, also known as the pitcher whom Joe DiMaggio started his legendary 56-game hitting streak on May 15, 1941.
  • January   4 – Billy Sullivan, 89, one of the best defensive catchers of his era, who played for the Boston Beaneaters, Chicago White Sox and Detroit Tigers over 16 seasons from 1899–1916, leading the American League catchers in fielding average three times, being also a member of the 1906 World Series champions White Sox and later their manager in 1909.
  • January   5 – Jack Brittin, 69, pitcher who appeared briefly for the Philadelphia Phillies in the 1950 and 1951 seasons.
  • January   8 – Harvey Haddix, 68, three-time All-Star and two-time Gold Glove pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals, Philadelphia Phillies, Cincinnati Reds, Pittsburgh Pirates and Baltimore Orioles from 1952 through 1965, who will always be remembered for throw a perfect game during 12 innings while pitching for Pittsburgh against the Milwaukee Braves in 1961, losing the game in the 13th inning after a fielding error, one-out intentional walk, and a three-run, walk-off homer by pinch-hitter Dick Stuart.
  • January   9 – Johnny Temple, 66, sixth-time All-Star second baseman who played for the Cincinnati Reds and Redlegs, Cleveland Indians, Baltimore Orioles, Houston Colt .45s and Cincinnati Reds from 1952 to 1964, hitting .300 or better three times and tying for the National League lead in walks in 1957 with 94, while receiving 648 walks and striking out only 338 times in 6,035 plate appearances.
  • January 10 – Chub Feeney, 72, National League president from 1970 to 1986.
  • January 11 – Joe Sprinz, 91, backup catcher who played with the Cleveland Indians from 1930 to 1931 and for the St. Louis Cardinals in 1933.
  • January 11 – Lucas Turk, 95, pitcher 1922, for the Washington Senators.
  • January 14 – Sam Vico, 70, first baseman who played from 1948 to 1949 for the Detroit Tigers.
  • January 22 – Rudy Miller, 93, backup infielder for the 1929 Philadelphia Athletics.
  • January 24 – Pat Crawford, 91, infielder for three different National League teams from 1929 to 1934, including the 1934 World Champions St. Louis Cardinals.

February

  • February   6 – Bill Chamberlain, 84, pitcher for the 1932 Chicago White Sox.
  • February   6 – Ross Grimsley, 71, pitcher who played for the Chicago White Sox in 1951, also the father of pitcher Ross Grimsley III.
  • February   6 – Frank Whitman, 69, shortstop who played for the Chicago White Sox in a span of two seasons from 1946–1948.
  • February   9 – Ray Lamanno, 74, All-Star catcher for the Cincinnati Reds during five seasons between 1941 and 1948.
  • February   9 – Joe Mowry, 85, backup outfielder for the 1933 Boston Braves.
  • February   9 – Sam Parrilla, 50, Puerto Rican left fielder who played with the Philadelphia Phillies in its 1970 season.
  • February 12 – Ray Dandridge, 80, Hall of Fame third baseman of the Negro leagues and Minor League Baseball, who posted a career average of .355, appeared in three East–West All-Star Games, and earned American Association MVP Award honors in 1951.
  • February 15 – Ray Blemker, 56, pitcher who appeared in just one game for the Kansas City Athletics in 1960.
  • February 24 – Bill Clemensen, 74, pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates during three seasons spanning 1939–1946.
  • February 24 – Jim McKnight, 57, third baseman whose career lasted for 19 years from 1955–1972, including stints for the Chicago Cubs in 1960 and 1962, then managing Class A Decatur Commodores in 1972, while appearing in 1,954 minor league games.

March

  • March   2 – Butch Sutcliffe, 78, catcher for the 1938 Boston Bees.
  • March   4 – Louis Brower, 93, shortstop who played with the Detroit Tigers in 1931.
  • March   7 – Stew Hofferth, 81, catcher who played from 1944 through 1946 for the Boston Braves.
  • March   9 – Elbie Fletcher, 77, All-Star first baseman who played for the Boston Braves, Boston Bees and Pittsburgh Pirates in a span of 12 seasons from 1934–1949.
  • March 10 – Jim Brenneman, 53, pitcher who made three appearances for the New York Yankees in 1965, and also was the winning pitcher of their 1965 Hall of Fame exhibition game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Doubleday Field in Cooperstown.
  • March 12 – Gordy Coleman, 59, first baseman who played from 1959 through 1967 for the Cleveland Indians and the Cincinnati Reds and helped the Reds capture the 1961 National League pennant.
  • March 13 – Buddy Rosar, 79, solid defensive catcher for the New York Yankees, Cleveland Indians, Philadelphia Athletics and Boston Red Sox in 13 seasons from 1939 through 1951, also a five-time All-Star and member of the 1941 World Series champion Yankees, who is one of only three catchers in Major League history to catch at least 100 games in a single season without committing an error,[2] while setting a record for consecutive games without an error by a catcher.[3]
  • March 14 – Tony Freitas, 95, pitcher for the Philadelphia Athletics and the Cincinnati Reds during six seasons spanning 1932–1936, who also earned the most career wins by a left-handed Minor League pitcher with 342, while tying for first with twenty or more wins during nine seasons.[4]
  • March 16 – Eric Show, 37, pitcher for the San Diego Padres and Oakland Athletics over eleven seasons from 1981–1991, who gained notoriety for giving up Pete Rose his 4,192nd hit, which surpassed the long-standing record for most career hits held by Ty Cobb.
  • March 23 – Roger Wolff, 82, knuckleball pitcher who played for the Philadelphia Athletics, Washington Senators, Cleveland Indians and Pittsburgh Pirates during seven seasons spanning 1941–1947.
  • March 29 – Ray Bare, 44, pitcher who played for the St. Louis Cardinals and Detroit Tigers in part of four seasons from 1972–1977.

April

  • April   2 − Gil Paulsen, 91, who made a pitching appearance with the St. Louis Cardinals in its 1925 season.
  • April   5 − Bobby Hofman, 68, backup infielder who played for the New York Giants during seven seasons between 1949 and 1957, including the 1954 World Series champion team, and later coached for four American League clubs from 1966 through 1978.
  • April   6 − William Ford, 80, pitcher for the Detroit Tigers in the 1945 season.
  • April   6 – Goody Rosen, 81, Canadian All-Star center fielder who played for the Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants over six seasons spanning 1937–1946.
  • April 17 – Walter Wilson, 80, pitcher for the 1945 Detroit Tigers.
  • April 19 – Virginia Bell, 66, All-American Girls Professional Baseball League pitcher and outfielder, who also served for the Women's Army Corps in Japan during World War II.
  • April 24 – Martinez Jackson, 89, Negro leagues second baseman who played for the Newark Eagles in the 1930s, best known for being the father of Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson.
  • April 25 – Gordon Jones, 64, pitcher who spent 10 seasons in the majors, beginning his career in 1954 with the St. Louis Cardinals and then moved onto the New York and San Francisco Giants, Baltimore Orioles and Kansas City Athletics, before finishing with the Houston Colt .45s and Astros between 1964 and 1965.
  • April 25 – Mike Kreevich, 85, All-Star center fielder who played for the Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Philadelphia Athletics, St. Louis Browns and Washington Senators in a span of twelve seasons from 1931–1945, while hitting .300 or better four times and leading the American League in triples with 16 in 1937.

May

  • May   2 – Buck Fausett, 86, third baseman and pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds in its 1944 season.
  • May   5 – Tony DePhillips, 81, backup catcher who played in 1943 for the Cincinnati Reds.
  • May   9 – Ralph Brickner, 69, pitcher for the 1952 Boston Red Sox.
  • May 11 – Bennie Warren, 82, catcher who played for the Philadelphia and the New York Giants in a span of six seasons from 1939–1947.
  • May 12 – Si Johnson, 87, who played with the Cincinnati Reds, St. Louis Cardinals, Philadelphia Phillies and Boston Braves in all or part of 17 seasons spanning 1928–1947.
  • May 15 – Showboat Fisher, 95, outfielder who played for the Washington Senators, St. Louis Cardinals and St. Louis Browns over during four seasons between 1923 and 1932, as well as the last surviving member of the 1924 Senators, the only MLB club based in Washington, D.C. to win a World Series title.
  • May 26 – Red Treadway, 74, backup outfielder who played from 1944 to 1945 for the New York Giants.

June

  • June   1 – Bill Webb, 80, pitcher for the 1943 Philadelphia Phillies.
  • June   2 – Mort Flohr, 82, pitcher who played for the Philadelphia Athletics during the 1934 season.
  • June 10 – Vic Bradford, 79, outfielder for the New York Giants in 1943
  • June 12 – Jim Brock, 57, coach at Arizona State since 1972 who led the school to two College World Series titles.
  • June 14 – Monte Weaver, 87, pitcher who played from 1931 through 1939 for the Washington Senators and the Boston Red Sox.
  • June 16 – Marlin Stuart, 75, pitcher for the Detroit Tigers, St. Louis Browns, Baltimore Orioles and New York Yankees in a span of six seasons from 1949–1954.
  • June 20 – Norm Wallen, 76, third baseman for the Boston Braves during the 1945 season.
  • June 23 – Joe Dobson, 77, All-Star pitcher who posted a 137-103 record in 14 seasons from 1939–1954, playing his first two years with the Cleveland Indians, nine with the Boston Red Sox and three with the Chicago White Sox, as he helped lead the Red Sox to the 1946 American League pennant with a 13-7 record and following up with a career-best 18-8 season in 1947, while throwing a four-hitter to give Boston a 3-2 lead in the 1946 World Series over the St. Louis Cardinals, and pitching in relief in two other games of the Series, which the Cardinals won in Game 7.
  • June 23 – Marv Throneberry, 62, back up first baseman for the New York Yankees, Kansas City Athletics and Baltimore Orioles over part of five seasons before joining the expansion New York Mets in 1962, with whom be became a starter for the first time, as this team, dubbed as the Amazin' Mets, posted a 40-120 record in its inaugural season and were one of the laughingstocks of baseball for much of the 1960s.
  • June 27 – Alan Strange, 97, backup shortstop for the St. Louis Browns and Washington Senators during five seasons spanning 1934–1942.
  • June 29 – Ray Mueller, 82, All-Star catcher for the Boston Braves and Bees, Cincinnati Reds, New York Giants and Pittsburgh Pirates in 14 seasons between 1935 and 1951, while setting a National League record with 233 consecutive games caught by a catcher between 1943 and 1946.
  • June 30 – Don Kolloway, 75, second baseman and first baseman who during his 14-year career included stints with the Chicago White Sox, Detroit Tigers and Philadelphia Athletics from 1940–1953.

July

  • July   4 – Cal Cooper, 71, pitcher for the Washington Senators in the 1948 season.
  • July   4 – Tex Hoyle, 72, relief pitcher for the Philadelphia Athletics during the 1952 season.
  • July   5 – Bernie DeViveiros, 93, shortstop who played with the Chicago White Sox in 1924 and for the Detroit Tigers in 1927.
  • July 13 – Jimmie Reese, 93, infielder for the Yankees, Angels, Cardinals and Padres; later a minor league manager and a long-time coach for the Angels.
  • July 14 – César Tovar, 54, infield / outfield utility player who spent a dozen seasons in the majors, most notably with the Minnesota Twins from 1965 to 1972, becoming the second major leaguer (after Bert Campaneris) to play all nine positions in a game, as he once hit a walk-off home run to hit for the cycle, was regarded as the all-time leader in breaking up no-hit attempts (five), and led the American League in doubles, triples, and hits at different points in his career.[5]
  • July 19 – Idona Crigler, 72, All-American Girls Professional Baseball League player.
  • July 26 – Roland Gladu, 83, Canadian third baseman for the 1944 Boston Braves.
  • July 26 – Herm Holshouser, 87, pitcher who played for the 1930 St. Louis Browns.
  • July 31 – Hy Vandenberg, 88, pitcher for the Boston Red Sox, New York Giants and Chicago Cubs in a span of seven seasons between 1935 and 1945, and also a member of the Giants and Cubs teams that clinched the National League pennant in 1937 and 1945, respectively.

August

  • August   2 – Dick Jones, 92, pitcher who played for the Washington Senators in the 1926 and 1927 seasons.
  • August 15 – Joe Brovia, 72, who made 21 appearances as a pinch-hitter with the 1955 Cincinnati Redlegs, previously a prolific hitter and long time All-Star outfielder at Triple-A Pacific Coast League between 1941 and 1955, while collecting a lifetime .311 average with 214 home runs, 1,846 hits and 1,144 RBIs in 1,805 games.
  • August 23 – Jim Prendergast, 77, pitcher who played for the Boston Braves in 1948.
  • August 25 – Cliff Garrison, 88, pitcher for the 1928 Boston Red Sox.
  • August 27 – Sig Gryska, 79, shortstop who played from 1938 to 1939 with the St. Louis Browns.
  • August 28 – Dain Clay, 74, outfielder for the Cincinnati Reds in a span of four seasons from 1943–1946.
  • August 31 – Mike Garbark, 78, backup catcher for the New York Yankees over two seasons between 1944 and 1945.

September

  • September   1 – Bob Greenwood, 66, Mexican pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies during two seasons from 1954–1955.
  • September   5 – Hank Aguirre, 63, three-time All-Star pitcher who played for four teams in 16 seasons from 1955–1970, spending most of his career with the Detroit Tigers from 1958 to 1967, whose best season came in 1962, when he went 16–8 and led the American League with a 2.21 ERA.
  • September   6 – Rita Briggs, 65, AAGPBL All-Star catcher.
  • September 12 – Hunter Lane, 94, third baseman for the 1924 Boston Braves .
  • September 16 – Harry Chozen, 78, catcher who appeared in just a game for the Cincinnati Reds in 1937.
  • September 16 – Shirley Stovroff, 63, AAGPBL catcher and a member of two championship teams.
  • September 28 – Owen Scheetz, 80, pitcher who played for the Washington Senators in 1943.

October

  • October   5 – Lee Gamble, 84, backup left fielder for the Cincinnati Reds over parts of four seasons from 1935–1940, including the team that won the National League pennant in 1939.
  • October   7 – Stan Ferens, 79, pitcher who played for the St. Louis Browns in the 1942 and 1946 seasons.
  • October 11 – Bobby Brooks, 48, backup outfielder who played from 1969 through 1972 for the Oakland Athletics and California Angels.
  • October 11 – Charlie Cuellar, 77, pitcher for the 1950 Chicago White Sox.
  • October 25 – George Fallon, 80, middle infielder who played with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1937 and for the St. Louis Cardinals from 1943 to 1945.
  • October 30 – Frank Coggins, 50, backup second baseman for the Washington Senators and Chicago Cubs in a span of three seasons from 1967–1972.

November

  • November   4 – George Bradshaw, 70, catcher for the 1952 Washington Senators.
  • November   5 – Gene Desautels, 87, light-hitting catcher with a good glove and strong arm, who spent 19 years in baseball, including 13 major league seasons with the Detroit Tigers, Boston Red Sox, Cleveland Indians and Philadelphia Athletics between 1930 and 1946.
  • November   5 – Joe Hague, 50, first baseman and right fielder who played from 1968 through 1973 for the St. Louis Cardinals and Cincinnati Reds.
  • November   5 – Tim McNamara, 95, pitcher for the Boston Braves and New York Giants during five seasons from 1922 to 1926.
  • November   6 – Erv Dusak, 74, two-way player who pitched and played at first base and outfield for the St. Louis Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Pirates, appearing in ten seasons spanning 1941–1952 and helping St. Louis win the 1946 World Series, while going 0–3 with a 5.33 ERA in 23 pitching appearances, and hitting a slash line of .243 / .334 / .355 with 24 home runs and 106 RBI in 413 career games.[6]
  • November 11 – Ed Madjeski, 86, catcher who played for the Philadelphia Athletics, Chicago White Sox and New York Giants over part of four seasons from 1932–1937.
  • November 16 – Russ Meers, 75, pitcher for the Chicago Cubs during three seasons between 1941 and 1947.
  • November 27 – Glen Moulder, 77, pitcher who played with the Brooklyn Dodgers, St. Louis Browns and Chicago White Sox over three seasons from 1946 to (1948).
  • November 29 – Charley Smith, 57, solid defensive third baseman who hit .239 with 69 home runs and 281 RBI in 10 seasons for seven different teams from 1960 to 1969, perhaps best known for being involved in some of the most significant trades of the 1960s, as a key component in deals that included renowned All-Stars such as Ken Boyer, Turk Farrell, Roger Maris and Roy Sievers.[7]

December

  • December   3 – Woody Abernathy, 79, New York Giants (1946–1947)
  • December   3 – Earl Johnson, 75, pitcher whose career spanned seven seasons from 1941–1951, playing with the Boston Red Sox and Detroit Tigers, who was also notable for being a World War II hero, as his actions earned him a Silver and Bronze Star for his meritorious service in a hazardous mission.
  • December   4 – Russ Scarritt, 91, left fielder who played from 1929 through 1932 for the Boston Red Sox and Philadelphia Phillies, who in 1929 set a still-standing record for a Red Sox rookie with 17 triples in a season.
  • December   7 – Frank Sacka, 70, catcher who played for the Washington Senators in the 1951 and 1953 seasons.
  • December 20 – Larry Crawford, 80, pitcher for the 1937 Philadelphia Phillies.
  • December 20 – Bob Wellman, 69, outfielder and first baseman for the Philadelphia Athletics in 1948 and 1950, who also managed for a quarter-century in the Minor Leagues, winning more than 1,600 games, while his 1966 Spartanburg Phillies set a Western Carolinas League record by ripping off a 25-game winning streak.
  • December 26 – Allie Reynolds, 77, six-time All-Star pitcher for the Cleveland Indians and New York Yankees over 13 seasons spanning 1942–1954, who became the first MLB pitcher to throw two no-hitters in a single season and led the American League in shutouts and strikeouts two times and in ERA once, being also an MVP Award runnerup in 1952 and a part of six Yankees World Series Champion teams between 1947 and 1953.
  • December 26 – Tony Robello, 81, second baseman who played from 1933 to 1934 for the Cincinnati Reds.
  • December 31 – Mona Denton, 78, pitcher for the South Bend Blue Sox and Kenosha Comets of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League.
  • December 31 – Jack Shepard, 63, catcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates over part of four seasons spanning 1953–1956.

Sources

  1. Box Score of Kent Mercker No Hitter Baseball Almanac. Retrieved on May 18, 2015.
  2. "Giants catcher Mike Matheny announces retirement". mlb.com. Retrieved April 8, 2012.
  3. "Buddy Rosar Obituary". The New York Times. March 16, 1994. Retrieved November 9, 2010.
  4. Stories about Tony Freitas. Not Another Baseball Blog. Retrieved on December 8, 2018.
  5. César Tovar statistics and history. Baseball Reference. Retrieved on December 8, 2018.
  6. Erv Dusak batting and pitching statistics. Baseball Reference. Retrieved on December 9, 2018.
  7. Charley Smith history and statistics. Baseball Reference. Retrieved on December 5, 2018.
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