1966

The following are the baseball events of the year 1966 throughout the world.  

This article is currently under construction.

Champions

Major League Baseball

• World Series: Baltimore Orioles over Los Angeles Dodgers (4-0); Frank Robinson, MVP
• All-Star Game, July 12 at Busch Stadium: National League, 2-1 (10 innings); Brooks Robinson, MVP

Other champions

• College World Series: Ohio State
• Japan Series: Yomiuri Giants over Nankai Hawks (4-2)
• Little League World Series: Westbury American, Houston, Texas

Awards and honors

• Most Valuable Player
  • Frank Robinson (AL)
  • Roberto Clemente (NL)
• Cy Young Award
  • Sandy Koufax
• Rookie of the Year
  • Tommie Agee (AL)
  • Tommy Helms (NL)

Statistical Leaders

	American League		National League
AVG	Frank Robinson1 BAL	.316	Matty Alou PIT	.342
HR	Frank Robinson1 BAL	49	Hank Aaron ATL	44
RBI	Frank Robinson1 BAL	122	Hank Aaron ATL	127
Wins	Jim Kaat MIN	22	Sandy Koufax2 LAD	27
ERA	Gary Peters CHW	1.98	Sandy Koufax2 LAD	1.73
Ks	Sam McDowell CLE	225	Sandy Koufax2 LAD	317

¹American League Triple Crown Batting winner
²Major League Triple Crown Pitching winner

Major League Baseball final standings

American League final standings

American League Club Wins Losses Win %   GB Baltimore Orioles 97 63 .606 -- Minnesota Twins 89 73 .549 9 Detroit Tigers 88 74 .543 10 Chicago White Sox 83 79 .512 15 Cleveland Indians 81 81 .500 17 California Angels 80 82 .494 18 Kansas City Athletics 74 86 .463 23 Washington Senators 71 88 .447 25.5 Boston Red Sox 72 90 .444 26 New York Yankees 70 89 .440 26.5

National League final standings

National League Club Wins Losses Win %   GB Los Angeles Dodgers 95 67 .586 -- San Francisco Giants 93 68 .578 1.5 Pittsburgh Pirates 92 70 .568 3 Philadelphia Phillies 87 75 .537 8 Atlanta Braves 85 77 .525 10 St. Louis Cardinals 83 79 .512 12 Cincinnati Reds 76 84 .475 18 Houston Astros 72 90 .444 23 New York Mets 66 95 .410 28.5 Chicago Cubs 59 103 .364 36

Events

• January 20 - The Baseball Writers Association of America voters elect Ted Williams to the Hall of Fame. Williams receives 282 of a possible 302 votes.

• January 25 - New York Yankees' Tony Kubek announces his retirement owing to a back ailment.

• February 28 - Seeking an unprecedented 3-year $1.05 million to be divided evenly, the Dodgers' Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale begin a joint holdout.

• March 8 - The Special Veterans Committee waives Hall of Fame election rules and inducts Casey Stengel, recently retired manager of the New York Mets.

• March 17 - Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale escalate their threat of retirement by signing movie contracts.

• March 30 - Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale end their 32-day holdout, signing for $130,000 and $105,000 respectively.

• May 14 - The San Francisco Giants' Willie Mays hits his National League record 512th home run - topping another Giant, Mel Ott - and the Giants beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-1 at San Francisco's Candlestick Park.

• July 12 - At St. Louis, Maury Wills' 10th-inning single scores Tim McCarver, as the National League wins 2–1 over the American League in the All-Star Game, but AL Brooks Robinson's stellar game (three hits, eight fielding chances) earns him the MVP honors.

• September 22 - The Baltimore Orioles beat the host Kansas City A's 6-1 to clinch their first American League pennant. Both Brooks Robinson and Frank Robinson have two RBIs. Frank Robinson will end the year as the Triple Crown winner, the first to achieve the feat since Mickey Mantle in 1956. He clinches with a batting average of .316, 49 home runs and 122 RBIs.

• 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.

• August 29 - The Beatles Give You A Finale Concert!

Births

• January 16 - Jack McDowell
• March 25 - Tom Glavine
• April 14 - David Justice
• April 14 - Greg Maddux
• May 22 - José Mesa
• June 18 - Sandy Alomar, Jr.
• July 3 - Moisés Alou
• August 21 - John Wetteland
• August 25 - Albert Belle
• November 14 - Curt Schilling
• December 1 - Larry Walker

Deaths

• May 4 - Bob Elliott, 49, 7-time All-Star third baseman who won the NL's 1947 MVP award
• 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
• 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
• 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