1968 Major League Baseball season

This article is about the 1968 Major League Baseball season only. For information on all of baseball, see 1968 in baseball.
1968 MLB season
LeagueMajor League Baseball
SportBaseball
DurationApril 10 – October 10, 1968
Number of games162
Number of teams20
TV partner(s)NBC
Draft
Top draft pickTim Foli
Picked byNew York Mets
Regular season
Season MVPAL: Denny McLain (DET)
NL: Bob Gibson (STL)
AL championsDetroit Tigers
  AL runners-upBaltimore Orioles
NL championsSt. Louis Cardinals
  NL runners-upSan Francisco Giants
World Series
ChampionsDetroit Tigers
  Runners-upSt. Louis Cardinals
World Series MVPMickey Lolich (DET)
MLB seasons
class=notpageimage|
Locations of teams for the 1968 American League season
American League
class=notpageimage|
Locations of teams for the 1966–1968 National League seasons
National League

The 1968 Major League Baseball season was contested from April 10 to October 10, 1968. It was the final year of baseball's pre-expansion 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 playoff system was developed and debuted in 1969; with the addition of four expansion teams, both leagues were divided into two six-team divisions, with the winners competing in the League Championship Series.

It also featured the most dominant pitching year of the modern era, and was the first season for the Athletics in Oakland (having moved from Kansas City after the 1967 season).

The rookie minimum salary, $7,000 in 1967, was increased to $10,000 in 1968.[1]

The Year of the Pitcher

In Major League Baseball, the trend throughout the 1960s was of increased pitching dominance, caused by enforcing a larger strike zone (top of armpit to bottom of knee) beginning in 1963. The delicate balance of power between offense and defense reached its greatest tilt in favor of the pitcher by 1968.

During what later became known as "the year of the pitcher",[2] Bob Gibson of the Cardinals led the National League with 268 strikeouts, but also setting a modern earned run average record of 1.12 (a record regarded to be unbreakable today) and a still-standing World Series record of 17 strikeouts in Game 1, while their World Series opponent Denny McLain of the Detroit Tigers won 31 regular season games, the only player to reach the 30 win milestone since Dizzy Dean in 1934. His teammate Mickey Lolich won three complete games in the World Series, the last player to ever do so. Don Drysdale of the L.A. Dodgers pitched six consecutive shutout games in May and June, ending with 58 consecutive scoreless innings – a record that stood until being beaten by Orel Hershiser in 1988. Juan Marichal of the San Francisco Giants led the National League with 26 wins and 30 complete games. Luis Tiant of the Cleveland Indians had the American League's lowest ERA at 1.60 and allowed an opponents batting average of only .168, a major league record (since broken by Pedro Martínez in 2000).[3] He also led the AL with 9 shutouts. Both MVPs for that year were pitchers.

339 shutouts were recorded in 1,619 regular-season games.[4][5] The St. Louis Cardinals alone pitched 30 shutouts, the most in the majors. The 472 runs they allowed remains the lowest total ever recorded by any major league team in a 162-game season.

Ray Washburn of the Cardinals pitched a no-hitter against the Giants for a 2–0 victory on September 18 at Candlestick Park. The day before, Gaylord Perry pitched a no-hitter with a 1–0 Giants victory over the Cardinals. It was the first time in baseball history that no-hitters had been thrown in consecutive games and also that back-to-back no-hitters occurred in the same series.

Hitting was anemic. Carl Yastrzemski of the Boston Red Sox had the lowest batting average of any league champion when his .301 was good enough for the American League batting title. The AL's collective slugging average of .339[6] remains the lowest since 1915 (when the game was still in the so-called dead-ball era), while the collective batting average of .230 is the all-time lowest.[7] The Chicago White Sox scored only 463 runs during the regular season and were shut out a league-high 23 times. The shutout record was eclipsed in 1972 by the Texas Rangers, who were blanked 26 times in 154 games.

After the season, the Rules Committee, seeking to restore balance, restored the pre-1963 strike zone and lowered the height of the pitching mound from 15 to 10 inches (38 to 25 cm). Four expansion teams joined the majors, and batting averages in 1969 returned to their historical averages; the large statistical advantage of pitching over batting in the major leagues during 1968 has not been seen since.

Rule changes

The 1968 season saw the following rule changes regarding the spitball and moistened balls:[8][9][10]

  • While on the pitcher's mound, the pitcher is banned entirely from bringing his pitching hand into contact with his mouth or lips. If this occurs, the pitcher can avoid penalty by stepping off the rubber and prepare to pitch again
  • If the violation occurred, a ball is awarded to the batter in the pitch count if nobody is on base. If there are runners on base, a balk is called. If the moistened ball is hit and the batter reaches first base, an error, or hit-by-pitch occurs, the violation is ignored. Any ball in play to the detriment of the batter will not count, and the at-bat continues. Previously, the penalty for a spitball was an immediate ejection. Repeat offenders were to be fined by the league.
  • The pitcher can no longer spit on the non-pitching hand.

Awards and honors

Statistical leaders

  American League National League
Type Name Stat Name Stat
AVG Carl Yastrzemski BOS .301 Pete Rose CIN .335
HR Frank Howard WSH 44 Willie McCovey SF 36
RBI Ken Harrelson BOS 109 Willie McCovey SF 105
Wins Denny McLain DET 31 Juan Marichal SF 26
ERA Luis Tiant CLE 1.60 Bob Gibson STL 1.12
SO Sam McDowell CLE 283 Bob Gibson STL 268
SV Al Worthington MIN 18 Phil Regan LAD/CHC 25
SB Bert Campaneris OAK 62 Lou Brock STL 62

Standings

American League

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

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

Bracket

World Series
   
AL Detroit Tigers 4
NL St. Louis Cardinals 3

Home field attendance

Team name Wins %± Home attendance %± Per game
Detroit Tigers[11] 103 13.2% 2,031,847 40.4% 25,085
St. Louis Cardinals[12] 97 −4.0% 2,011,167 −3.8% 24,829
Boston Red Sox[13] 86 −6.5% 1,940,788 12.3% 23,960
New York Mets[14] 73 19.7% 1,781,657 13.8% 21,728
Los Angeles Dodgers[15] 76 4.1% 1,581,093 −5.0% 19,520
Houston Astros[16] 72 4.3% 1,312,887 −2.6% 16,208
New York Yankees[17] 83 15.3% 1,185,666 −5.9% 14,459
Minnesota Twins[18] 79 −13.2% 1,143,257 −22.9% 14,114
Atlanta Braves[19] 81 5.2% 1,126,540 −18.9% 13,908
Chicago Cubs[20] 84 −3.4% 1,043,409 6.8% 12,725
California Angels[21] 67 −20.2% 1,025,956 −22.1% 12,666
Baltimore Orioles[22] 91 19.7% 943,977 −1.2% 11,800
Cleveland Indians[23] 86 14.7% 857,994 29.4% 10,593
Oakland Athletics[24] 82 32.3% 837,466 15.3% 10,090
San Francisco Giants[25] 88 −3.3% 837,220 −32.6% 10,336
Chicago White Sox[26] 67 −24.7% 803,775 −18.5% 9,923
Cincinnati Reds[27] 83 −4.6% 733,354 −23.5% 8,943
Pittsburgh Pirates[28] 80 −1.2% 693,485 −23.5% 8,562
Philadelphia Phillies[29] 76 −7.3% 664,546 −19.8% 8,204
Washington Senators[30] 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.[31]

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

  1. ^ "Majors raise pay for all rookies". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). Associated Press. February 22, 1968. p. 20.
  2. ^ "1968 – The Year of the Pitcher" Sports Illustrated, August 4, 1998.
  3. ^ "MLB Stats | MLB Team Stats | MLB Leaders".
  4. ^ "1968 American League Season Summary".
  5. ^ "1968 National League Season Summary".
  6. ^ "MLB Stats | MLB Team Stats | MLB Leaders".
  7. ^ Charlie Finley: The Outrageous Story of Baseball's Super Showman, p.123, G. Michael Green and Roger D. Launius. Walker Publishing Company, New York, 2010, ISBN 978-0-8027-1745-0
  8. ^ "MLB Rule Changes | Baseball Almanac". www.baseball-almanac.com. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
  9. ^ "New Spitball Rule Is Eased, With Complications". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
  10. ^ "Spitball Rule Is Revised Again, Eliminating Balk and Providing for Fines; A SUSPECT PITCH TO BE CALLED BALL Violation Will Be Ignored if Hitter Gets to First Base Safely on Hit or Error". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
  11. ^ "Detroit Tigers Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  12. ^ "St. Louis Cardinals Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  13. ^ "Boston Red Sox Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  14. ^ "New York Mets Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  15. ^ "Los Angeles Dodgers Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  16. ^ "Cleveland Indians Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  17. ^ "New York Yankees Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  18. ^ "Minnesota Twins Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  19. ^ "Atlanta Braves Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  20. ^ "Chicago Cubs Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  21. ^ "Los Angeles Angels Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  22. ^ "Baltimore Orioles Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  23. ^ "Cleveland Indians Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  24. ^ "Oakland Athletics Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  25. ^ "San Francisco Giants Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  26. ^ "Chicago White Sox Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  27. ^ "Cincinnati Reds Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  28. ^ "Pittsburgh Pirates Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  29. ^ "Oakland Athletics Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  30. ^ "Texas Rangers Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  31. ^ "Ejected While Warming Up". goldenrankings.com. Retrieved November 29, 2014.

Read other articles:

العلاقات الرواندية الكورية الشمالية

العلاقات الرواندية الكورية الشمالية رواندا كوريا الشمالية   رواندا   كوريا الشمالية تعديل مصدري - تعديل   العلاقات الرواندية الكورية الشمالية هي العلاقات الثنائية التي تجمع بين رواندا وكوريا الشمالية.[1][2][3][4][5] مقارنة بين البلدين هذه مقا�...

 

 

Tour de Lombardie 2017

Tour de Lombardie 2017 GénéralitésCourse111e Tour de LombardieCompétitionUCI World Tour 2017 1.UWTDate7 octobre 2017Distance247 kmPays ItalieLieu de départBergameLieu d'arrivéeCômeÉquipes25Partants199Arrivants100Vitesse moyenne39,469 km/hRésultatsVainqueur Vincenzo Nibali (Bahrain-Merida)Deuxième Julian Alaphilippe (Quick-Step Floors)Troisième Gianni Moscon (Sky) ◀20162018▶Documentation La 111e édition du Tour de Lombardie a lieu le 7 octobre 2017. Elle fait partie d...

 

 

Zblovice

Cet article est une ébauche concernant une localité tchèque. Vous pouvez partager vos connaissances en l’améliorant (comment ?) selon les recommandations des projets correspondants. Zblovice   Administration Pays Tchéquie Région Moravie-du-Sud District Znojmo Région historique Moravie Maire Jan Máca Code postal 671 07 Démographie Population 43 hab. (2020) Densité 9,6 hab./km2 Géographie Coordonnées 48° 57′ 27″ nord, 15° 42′ 2...

羅德島州

本條目存在以下問題，請協助改善本條目或在討論頁針對議題發表看法。 此條目需要擴充。 (2013年1月1日)请協助改善这篇條目，更進一步的信息可能會在討論頁或扩充请求中找到。请在擴充條目後將此模板移除。 此條目需要补充更多来源。 (2013年1月1日)请协助補充多方面可靠来源以改善这篇条目，无法查证的内容可能會因為异议提出而被移除。致使用者：请搜索一下条目的...

 

 

2020年夏季奧林匹克運動會波蘭代表團

2020年夏季奥林匹克运动会波兰代表團波兰国旗IOC編碼POLNOC波蘭奧林匹克委員會網站olimpijski.pl（英文）（波兰文）2020年夏季奥林匹克运动会（東京）2021年7月23日至8月8日（受2019冠状病毒病疫情影响推迟，但仍保留原定名称）運動員206參賽項目24个大项旗手开幕式：帕维尔·科热尼奥夫斯基（游泳）和马娅·沃什乔夫斯卡（自行车）[1]闭幕式：卡罗利娜·纳亚（皮划艇）&#...

 

 

Joo Chiat Single Member Constituency

Joo ChiatFormer Single Member constituencyfor the Parliament of SingaporeLocation under 2006 boundariesRegionsoutheastern SingaporeElectorate22,069Current constituencyCreated1959-19882001-2015Number of members1Member(s)Constituency AbolishedCreated fromEast Coast GRCReplaced byMarine Parade GRC Joo Chiat Single Member Constituency was a single member constituency (SMC) located in the eastern region of Singapore. The SMC encompasses the areas of Joo Chiat, Katong, opera estate, Siglap and a po...

NmVac4-A/C/Y/W-135

Vaccine against bacterial meningitis NmVac4-A/C/Y/W-135Vaccine descriptionTargetNeisseria meningitidis A,C,Y,W-135Vaccine typePolysaccharideClinical dataRoutes ofadministrationIntramuscular(IM)ATC codeJ07AH04 (WHO) IdentifiersChemSpidernone NY (what is this?)  (verify) NmVac4-A/C/Y/W-135 is the commercial name of the polysaccharide vaccine against the bacterium (specifically serogroups A, C, Y, and W-135) that causes meningococcal meningitis. The product, by JN-I...

 

 

1952 Democratic Party presidential primaries

Selection of the Democratic Party nominee This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.Find sources: 1952 Democratic Party presidential primaries – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (May 2023) (Learn how and when to remove this message) 1952 Democratic Party presidential primaries ← 1948 March 11 t...

 

 

La Valette

Pour les articles homonymes, voir La Valette (homonymie), Valette, Lavalette et Valetta (homonymie). La Valette Il-Belt (mt)Valletta (en) Héraldique Drapeau De haut : la ligne d'horizon, la batterie de salutation , les jardins Lower Barrakka , la co-cathédrale Saint-Jean et les remparts de la ville Administration Pays Malte Île Malte Région Région Sud-Est District Port Sud Maire Mandat Alfred Zammit (PL) (2019-2024) Code postal VLT Démographie Gentilé Valettins (en maltais :...

Ranni, Kerala

Taluk in Kerala, IndiaRanniTalukThe dilapidated old bridge and new bridge at RanniRanniLocation in Kerala, IndiaShow map of KeralaRanniRanni (India)Show map of IndiaCoordinates: 9°22′0″N 76°46′0″E / 9.36667°N 76.76667°E / 9.36667; 76.76667CountryIndiaStateKeralaDistrictPathanamthittaGovernment • TypeTalukArea • Total1,004 km2 (388 sq mi)Elevation331 m (1,086 ft)Population (2011)[1] • ...

 

 

Artillery

Long-ranged guns for land warfare Artilleryman redirects here. For the racehorse, see Artilleryman (horse). For other uses, see Artillery (disambiguation). This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.Find sources: Artillery – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (June 2022) (Learn how and when to remove this me...

 

 

That Old Feeling (Al Cohn album)

1956 studio album by Al Cohn and His Orchestra Featuring Joe NewmanThat Old FeelingStudio album by Al Cohn and His Orchestra Featuring Joe NewmanReleased1956RecordedMay 6, 11 & 13, 1955 Webster Hall, New York CityGenreJazzLength37:04LabelRCA VictorLPM 1207ProducerJack LewisAl Cohn chronology The Natural Seven(1955) That Old Feeling(1956) Four Brass One Tenor(1956) That Old Feeling is an album by saxophonist and arranger Al Cohn and His Orchestra featuring trumpeter Joe Newman reco...

Formula 1 (video game)

1996 video gameFormula 1Developer(s)Bizarre CreationsPublisher(s)PsygnosisSeriesFormula OnePlatform(s)PlayStation, Microsoft WindowsReleasePlayStationEU: 13 September 1996[2]NA: 22 October 1996[1]Microsoft WindowsNA: 27 June 1997[3]Genre(s)RacingMode(s)Single-player, multiplayer Formula 1 is a racing video game developed by Bizarre Creations and published by Psygnosis for PlayStation and Microsoft Windows. It is the first installment in Sony's Formula One series. Form...

 

 

نهر مينيسوتا

نهر مينيسوتا   المنطقة البلد الولايات المتحدة  الخصائص الطول 534 كيلومتر  المنبع الرئيسي بحيرة بيغ أستون، أورتونفيل  [لغات أخرى]‏  المصب نهر المسيسيبي  مساحة الحوض 44000 كيلومتر مربع  الروافد نهر ريدوود  بحيرات على النهر بحيرة بيغ أستون، أورتونفيل ...

 

 

James Foley (journalist)

American journalist James FoleyFoley at San Diego State University in 2012Born(1973-10-18)October 18, 1973Evanston, Illinois, U.S.Diedc. August 19, 2014(2014-08-19) (aged 40)Raqqa, Raqqa Governorate, SyriaCause of deathBeheadingAlma materMarquette University (BA)University of Massachusetts Amherst (MFA)Northwestern University (MS)OccupationJournalistWebsitejamesfoleyfoundation.org James Wright Foley (October 18, 1973 – c. August 19, 2014) was an American journalist and video ...

Anella Olímpica

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.Find sources: Anella Olímpica – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (March 2013) (Learn how and when to remove this message) Aerial view of the Olympic Park. Anella Olímpica is an Olympic Park located on the hill of Montjuïc, Barcelona, that was the main site for ...

 

 

The Tragedy of Whispering Creek

The Tragedy of Whispering CreekFoto publisitas surat kabarSutradaraAllan DwanDitulis olehAllan Dwan (skenario)[1]Elliott J. Clawson (cerita asli)PemeranMurdock MacQuarriePauline BushLon ChaneySinematograferLee O. BartholomewDistributorUniversal Film Manufacturing CompanyTanggal rilis 2 Mei 1914 (1914-05-02) Durasi20 menitNegaraAmerika SerikatBahasaBisuIntertitel Inggris The Tragedy of Whispering Creek adalah sebuah film koboi pendek bisu Amerika Serikat tahun 1914 garapan Allan D...

 

 

Thomas Marshburn

American physician and NASA astronaut Thomas MarshburnOfficial portrait, 2021BornThomas Henry Marshburn (1960-08-29) August 29, 1960 (age 63)Statesville, North Carolina, U.S.EducationDavidson College (BS)University of Virginia (MS)Wake Forest University (MD)University of Texas, Galveston (MS)Space careerNASA astronautTime in space337d 9h 43mSelectionNASA Group 19 (2004)Total EVAs5Total EVA time31h 1mMissionsSTS-127Soyuz TMA-07M (Expedition 34/35)SpaceX Crew-3 (Expedition 66/67)Mission in...

Carl Ludwig Willdenow

German botanist (1765–1812) Willd. redirects here. Not to be confused with Wild. Carl Ludwig WilldenowBorn(1765-08-22)22 August 1765Berlin, Kingdom of Prussia, Holy Roman EmpireDied10 July 1812(1812-07-10) (aged 46)Berlin, Kingdom of PrussiaNationalityGermanAlma materUniversity of HalleScientific careerFieldsbotanypharmacytaxonomyInstitutionsHumboldt University of Berlin Carl Ludwig Willdenow (22 August 1765 – 10 July 1812) was a German botanist, pharmacist, and plant taxono...

 

 

List of bridges in the United Arab Emirates

Historical and architectural interest bridges Name Arabic Distinction Length Type CarriesCrosses Opened Location Emirate Ref. 1 Al-Maqta' Bridge جسر المقطع 300 m (980 ft) ArchSteel tied archBow-string bridge E 22 roadSheikh Rashid Bin Saeed RoadKhor Al Maqta 19671997 Abu DhabiGrand Mosque District–Bain Al Jesrain24°25′13.5″N 54°29′09.5″E / 24.420417°N 54.485972°E / 24.420417; 54.485972 (Al-Maqta' Bridge) Abu Dhabi [S 1]...