The following are the baseball events of the year 1966 throughout the world. [edit] Champions [edit] Major League Baseball [edit] Other champions [edit] Awards and honors [edit] Statistical Leaders 1American League Triple Crown Batting winner
2Major League Triple Crown Pitching winner [edit] Major League Baseball final standings [edit] American League final standings [edit] National League final standings [edit] Events [edit] January-April - March 5 - In what will prove to be one of the more influential off-the-field events in Major League history, representatives of the players elect Marvin Miller to the post of Executive Director of the Major League Players Association (MLPA).
- March 17 - Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale escalate their threat of retirement by signing movie contracts. On March 30, they will end their 32-day holdout, signing for $130,000 and $105,000 respectively.
- April 3 - USC pitcher Tom Seaver signs with the New York Mets. He had been drafted by the Braves, but they had signed him to a minor league contract while he was still in college. This voided Seaver's remaining eligibility, and voided the contract. The Mets won a special lottery over Cleveland and Philadelphia to win the right to sign him.
[edit] May-August [edit] September-December - October 9 - In Game Four of the World Series, Dave McNally wrapped up a brilliant pitching display, and the first World Championship for the Baltimore Orioles, with a four-hit, 1–0 shutout against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Series MVP Frank Robinson hits a home run off Don Drysdale for the only run of the game and gave Baltimore a surprising sweep of the defending World Champion Dodgers. The shutout completes a World Series record 33 2/3 scoreless innings pitched by Orioles pitchers, beginning with Moe Drabowsky pitching 6 2/3 innings in relief of McNally in Game One, followed by shutouts by Jim Palmer and Wally Bunker—neither of whom had pitched a shutout during the regular season. The Orioles are the last of the original eight American League franchises to win their first World Series.
[edit] Births [edit] January-March [edit] April-June [edit] July-September [edit] October -December [edit] Deaths [edit] January-April - January 15 - Walt Walsh, 66, Pinch runner for two games with the Philadelphia Phillies
- January 29 - Homer Summa, 67, right fielder who collected a .302 average over 10 seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Cleveland Indians and Philadelphia Athletics
- February 14 - Jack Coffey, 79, infielder who played from 1909 to 1918 for the Boston Doves, Detroit Tigers and Boston Red Sox
- March 18 - Frank Bennett, 61, pitcher for the Boston Red Sox in the 1920s
- April 5 - Sam Dodge, 76, pitcher for the Boston Red Sox in the 1920s
- April 12 - Joe Harris, 84, pitched with the Boston Americans in the early 20th century
[edit] May-August - May 4 - Bob Elliott, 49, 7-time All-Star third baseman who won the NL's 1947 MVP award
- May 27 - Rip Collins, 72, a four-sport star at Texas A&M University, who pitched in the majors for the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Detroit Tigers and St. Louis Browns from 1920 to 1931
- June 27 - Marty Krug, 77, third baseman who played for the Boston Red Sox (1912) and Chicago Cubs (1922)
- July 9 - Mule Suttles, 66, All-Star first baseman of the Negro Leagues who hit the first home run in the East-West All-Star game
- July 16 - Les Howe, 80, pitcher for the Boston Red Sox in the mid 1920s
- August 1 - Hank Gowdy, 76, catcher and first baseman who won the 1914 World Series and is the only player to have served in both World Wars.
- August 10 - Chuck Dressen, 67, manager of five teams who led the Dodgers to pennants in 1952-53
- August 15 - George J. Burns, 76, left fielder, primarily with the New York Giants, who led the NL in runs and walks five times each
- August 29 - Al DeVormer, 75, catcher for the Chicago White Sox, New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox and New York Giants between 1918 and 1927
[edit] September-December - September 12 - Bill Summers, 70, American League umpire from 1933 to 1959 who worked in eight World Series and a record seven All-Star games
- September 13 - Ralph Comstock, 75, pitched in the 1910s for the Detroit Tigers, Boston Red Sox, Pittsburgh Rebels, and Pittsburgh Pirates
- October 11 - Red Smith, 76, solid third baseman for multiple Dodgers and Braves teams in the 1910s, including the 1914 World Champions Boston Braves
- October 30 - Dick Barrett, 60, pitcher from 1933-45 for the Athletics, Braves, Cubs and Phillies, who was named Minor League Player of the Year by The Sporting News in 1942
- November 7 - Rube Bressler, 72, one of only a few players in major league baseball history to successfully convert from a pitcher to a position player as a first baseman/outfielder, who played for the Philadelphia Athletics & Phillies, Brooklyn Dodgers, Cincinnati Reds, and St. Louis Cardinals between 1914 and 1931
- December 20 - Doc Farrell, 64, utility infielder for six different teams between 1925 and 1935, including the Yankees 1932 World Champions
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