1968 Major League Baseball season
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The 1968 major league baseball season began on April 10, 1968. The regular season ended on September 29, with the St. Louis Cardinals and Detroit Tigers as the regular season champions of the National League and American League, respectively. The postseason began with Game 1 of the 65th World Series on October 2 and ended with Game 7 on October 10. In the second iteration of this World Series matchup, the Tigers defeated the Cardinals, four games to three, capturing their third championship in franchise history, since their previous in 1945. Going into the season, the defending World Series champions were the St. Louis Cardinals from the 1967 season.
| 1968 MLB season | |
|---|---|
| League | American League (AL) National League (NL) |
| Sport | Baseball |
| Duration | Regular season:
|
| Number of games | 162 |
| Number of teams | 20 (10 per league) |
| TV partner(s) | NBC |
| Draft | |
| Top draft pick | Tim Foli |
| Picked by | New York Mets |
| Regular season | |
| Season MVP | AL: Denny McLain (DET) NL: Bob Gibson (STL) |
| AL champions | Detroit Tigers |
| AL runners-up | Baltimore Orioles |
| NL champions | St. Louis Cardinals |
| NL runners-up | San Francisco Giants |
| World Series | |
| Champions | Detroit Tigers |
| Runners-up | St. Louis Cardinals |
| World Series MVP | Mickey Lolich (DET) |
The 39th Major League Baseball All-Star Game, was held on July 9 at the Houston Astrodome in Houston, Texas, home of the Houston Astros. The National League won, 1–0.
The 1968 season was the final year of baseball's pre-division era, in which the teams that finished in first place in each league went directly to the World Series to face each other for the "World Championship."
The Kansas City Athletics moved to Oakland, California as the Oakland Athletics, being the eighth team since 1953 to relocate, and the fourth of American League teams since them. Kansas City would be without a major league team for the 1968 season. Legal pressure from the city moved the originally planned 1971 American League expansion up to 1969, which saw the enfranchisement of the Kansas City Royals.[1]
Schedule
The 1968 schedule consisted of 162 games for all teams in the American League and National League, each of which had ten teams. Each team was scheduled to play 18 games against the other nine teams of their respective league. This continued the format put in place by the American League since the 1961 season and by the National League since the 1962 season. This would be the last season with this format, as the following season would see a new format due to expansion and the creation of divisions.
Opening Day took place on April 10, featuring all 20 teams in both leagues. The final day of the regular season was on September 29, which saw all teams play, except for the Baltimore Orioles and Cleveland Indians. The World Series took place between October 2 and October 10.
Teams
Standings
American League
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB | Home | Road |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Detroit Tigers | 103 | 59 | .636 | — | 56–25 | 47–34 |
| Baltimore Orioles | 91 | 71 | .562 | 12 | 47–33 | 44–38 |
| Cleveland Indians | 86 | 75 | .534 | 16½ | 43–37 | 43–38 |
| Boston Red Sox | 86 | 76 | .531 | 17 | 46–35 | 40–41 |
| New York Yankees | 83 | 79 | .512 | 20 | 39–42 | 44–37 |
| Oakland Athletics | 82 | 80 | .506 | 21 | 44–38 | 38–42 |
| Minnesota Twins | 79 | 83 | .488 | 24 | 41–40 | 38–43 |
| California Angels | 67 | 95 | .414 | 36 | 32–49 | 35–46 |
| Chicago White Sox | 67 | 95 | .414 | 36 | 36–45 | 31–50 |
| Washington Senators | 65 | 96 | .404 | 37½ | 34–47 | 31–49 |
National League
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB | Home | Road |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Louis Cardinals | 97 | 65 | .599 | — | 47–34 | 50–31 |
| San Francisco Giants | 88 | 74 | .543 | 9 | 42–39 | 46–35 |
| Chicago Cubs | 84 | 78 | .519 | 13 | 47–34 | 37–44 |
| Cincinnati Reds | 83 | 79 | .512 | 14 | 40–41 | 43–38 |
| Atlanta Braves | 81 | 81 | .500 | 16 | 41–40 | 40–41 |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | 80 | 82 | .494 | 17 | 40–41 | 40–41 |
| Los Angeles Dodgers | 76 | 86 | .469 | 21 | 41–40 | 35–46 |
| Philadelphia Phillies | 76 | 86 | .469 | 21 | 38–43 | 38–43 |
| New York Mets | 73 | 89 | .451 | 24 | 32–49 | 41–40 |
| Houston Astros | 72 | 90 | .444 | 25 | 42–39 | 30–51 |
Postseason
The postseason began on October 2 and ended on October 10 with the Detroit Tigers defeating the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1968 World Series in seven games.
Bracket
| World Series | ||||
| AL | Detroit | 4 | ||
| NL | St. Louis | 3 | ||
Managerial changes
Off-season
In-season
League leaders
American League
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| AVG | Carl Yastrzemski (BOS) | .301 |
| OPS | Carl Yastrzemski (BOS) | .922 |
| HR | Frank Howard (WSH) | 44 |
| RBI | Ken Harrelson (BOS) | 109 |
| R | Dick McAuliffe (DET) | 95 |
| H | Bert Campaneris (OAK) | 177 |
| SB | Bert Campaneris (OAK) | 62 |
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| W | Denny McLain (DET) | 31 |
| L | George Brunet (CAL) | 17 |
| ERA | Luis Tiant (CLE) | 1.60 |
| K | Sam McDowell (CLE) | 283 |
| IP | Denny McLain (DET) | 336.0 |
| SV | Al Worthington (MIN) | 18 |
| WHIP | Dave McNally (BAL) | 0.842 |
National League
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| AVG | Pete Rose (CIN) | .335 |
| OPS | Willie McCovey (SF) | .923 |
| HR | Willie McCovey (SF) | 36 |
| RBI | Willie McCovey (SF) | 105 |
| R | Glenn Beckert (CHC) | 98 |
| H | Felipe Alou (ATL) Pete Rose (CIN) |
210 |
| SB | Lou Brock (STL) | 62 |
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| W | Juan Marichal (SF) | 26 |
| L | Claude Osteen (LA) Ray Sadecki (SF) |
18 |
| ERA | Bob Gibson (STL) | 1.12 |
| K | Bob Gibson (STL) | 268 |
| IP | Juan Marichal (SF) | 325.2 |
| SV | Phil Regan (CHC/LA) | 25 |
| WHIP | Bob Gibson (STL) | 0.853 |
Awards and honors
Regular season
| Baseball Writers' Association of America Awards | ||
|---|---|---|
| BBWAA Award | National League | American League |
| Rookie of the Year | Johnny Bench (CIN) | Stan Bahnsen (NYY) |
| Cy Young Award | Bob Gibson (STL) | Denny McLain (DET) |
| Most Valuable Player | Bob Gibson (STL) | Denny McLain (DET) |
| Gold Glove Awards | ||
| Position | National League | American League |
| Pitcher | Bob Gibson (STL) | Jim Kaat (MIN) |
| Catcher | Johnny Bench (CIN) | Bill Freehan (DET) |
| 1st Base | Wes Parker (LA) | George Scott (BOS) |
| 2nd Base | Glenn Beckert (CHC) | Bobby Knoop (CAL) |
| 3rd Base | Ron Santo (CHC) | Brooks Robinson (BAL) |
| Shortstop | Dal Maxvill (STL) | Luis Aparicio (CWS) |
| Outfield | Roberto Clemente (PIT) | Reggie Smith (BOS) |
| Curt Flood (STL) | Mickey Stanley (DET) | |
| Willie Mays (SF) | Carl Yastrzemski (BOS) | |
Other awards
- Sport Magazine's World Series Most Valuable Player Award: Mickey Lolich (STL)
- Babe Ruth Award (BBWAA World Series MVP): Mickey Lolich (STL)
- Hutch Award: Pete Rose (CIN)
| The Sporting News Awards | ||
|---|---|---|
| Award | National League | American League |
| Player of the Year[7] | — | Denny McLain (DET) |
| Pitcher of the Year[8] | Bob Gibson (STL) | Denny McLain (DET) |
| Fireman of the Year[9] (Relief pitcher) |
Phil Regan (CHC) | Wilbur Wood (CWS) |
| Rookie Player of the Year[10] | Johnny Bench (CIN) | Del Unser (WSH) |
| Rookie Pitcher of the Year[11] | Jerry Koosman (NYM) | Stan Bahnsen (NYY) |
| Comeback Player of the Year[12] | Alex Johnson (CIN) | Ken Harrelson (BOS) |
| Manager of the Year[13] | — | Mayo Smith (DET) |
| Executive of the Year[14] | — | Jim Campbell (DET) |
Monthly awards
Player of the Month
| Month | National League |
|---|---|
| May | Don Drysdale (LA) |
| June | Bob Gibson (STL) |
| July | Bob Gibson (STL) |
| August | Pete Rose (CIN) |
| September | Steve Blass (PIT) |
Baseball Hall of Fame
Home field attendance
| Team name | Wins | %± | Home attendance | %± | Per game |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Detroit Tigers[15] | 103 | 13.2% | 2,031,847 | 40.4% | 25,085 |
| St. Louis Cardinals[16] | 97 | −4.0% | 2,011,167 | −3.8% | 24,829 |
| Boston Red Sox[17] | 86 | −6.5% | 1,940,788 | 12.3% | 23,960 |
| New York Mets[18] | 73 | 19.7% | 1,781,657 | 13.8% | 21,728 |
| Los Angeles Dodgers[19] | 76 | 4.1% | 1,581,093 | −5.0% | 19,520 |
| Houston Astros[20] | 72 | 4.3% | 1,312,887 | −2.6% | 16,208 |
| New York Yankees[21] | 83 | 15.3% | 1,185,666 | −5.9% | 14,459 |
| Minnesota Twins[22] | 79 | −13.2% | 1,143,257 | −22.9% | 14,114 |
| Atlanta Braves[23] | 81 | 5.2% | 1,126,540 | −18.9% | 13,908 |
| Chicago Cubs[24] | 84 | −3.4% | 1,043,409 | 6.8% | 12,725 |
| California Angels[25] | 67 | −20.2% | 1,025,956 | −22.1% | 12,666 |
| Baltimore Orioles[26] | 91 | 19.7% | 943,977 | −1.2% | 11,800 |
| Cleveland Indians[27] | 86 | 14.7% | 857,994 | 29.4% | 10,593 |
| Oakland Athletics[28] | 82 | 32.3% | 837,466 | 15.3% | 10,090 |
| San Francisco Giants[29] | 88 | −3.3% | 837,220 | −32.6% | 10,336 |
| Chicago White Sox[30] | 67 | −24.7% | 803,775 | −18.5% | 9,923 |
| Cincinnati Reds[31] | 83 | −4.6% | 733,354 | −23.5% | 8,943 |
| Pittsburgh Pirates[32] | 80 | −1.2% | 693,485 | −23.5% | 8,562 |
| Philadelphia Phillies[33] | 76 | −7.3% | 664,546 | −19.8% | 8,204 |
| Washington Senators[34] | 65 | −14.5% | 546,661 | −29.1% | 6,749 |
Events
- May 1 – Philadelphia Phillies pitcher John Boozer is ejected from a game against the New York Mets at Shea Stadium without throwing a pitch. Boozer had put spit on his hand to clean his uniform, which was in contravention of the anti-spitball rule that had been introduced that year. After calling him for that indiscretion and two further examples, umpire Ed Vargo ejected Boozer.[35]
Television coverage
NBC was the exclusive national TV broadcaster of MLB, airing the weekend Game of the Week, the All-Star Game, and the World Series.
See also
References
External links
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