March 12 - Slugger Chuck Klein and former Boston Red Sox owner Tom Yawkey are elected to the Hall of Fame by the Special Veterans Committee. Yawkey is the first club owner selected who never served as a player, manager, or general manager.
July-December[]
July 4 - Houston Astros pitcher Nolan Ryan strikes out César Gerónimo of the Cincinnati Reds, to become the fourth major league pitcher ever to reach 3,000 career strikeouts. Ironically, Gerónimo was also Bob Gibson's 3,000th career strikeout victim six years earlier. Despite the milestone, Ryan allows six runs in four 1/3 innings and Houston loses, 8–1.
October 4 - In a 17–1 rout of the Minnesota Twins, Willie Wilson of the Kansas City Royals becomes the first major league player ever to be credited with 700 at-bats in a single season, and ends the year with 705 at bats. He also sets the AL record for singles in a season with 184, eclipsing the mark Sam Rice set in 1925. Wilson also becomes only the second player in major league history to collect 100 hits from each side of the plate, matching the feat accomplished by Garry Templeton in 1979.
October 4 - Philadelphia's Mike Schmidt hits a 2-run home run in the top of the 11th inning to give the Phillies a 6-4 win over the Montréal Expos at Olympic Stadium, clinching the National League East title. The home run is Schmidt's 48th of the season, breaking Eddie Mathews' single-season record for third baseman set in 1953.
October 12 - The Phillies capture their first National League pennant since 1950 with a 10-inning 8-7 win over the Houston Astros at the Astrodome, in the 5th and final game of the National League Championship Series. Each of the last four games was decided in extra innings. The Phils, down by 3 runs to Nolan Ryan in the 8th inning, rally and go ahead on Garry Maddox's double in the 10th inning.
October 21 - The Philadelphia Phillies win the World Series, the first World Championship in their 98-year history, by beating the Kansas City Royals 4–1 in Game Six. Philadelphia's Mike Schmidt is named MVP, hitting .381 with two home runs and seven RBI, while KC's Willie Wilson is the "goat", striking out a WS-record 12 times, including the final out of the Series with the bases loaded, and hitting only .154.
January 10 - Hughie Critz, 79, second baseman for the Cincinnati Reds and New York Giants who led NL in fielding four times and double plays three times. He had 2 hitting streaks of 20 or more games in 1927.
March 1 - Emmett Ashford, 65, the major leagues' first black umpire, who worked in the American League from 1966 to 1970 and in the 1970 World Series
April 7 - Buck Canel, 74, Spanish-language broadcaster of 42 World Series, as well as many years of New York Yankees games
April 21 - Joe Page, 62, All-Star relief pitcher for the New York Yankees who set single-season record with 27 saves in 1949, led AL in saves and appearances twice each
April 28 - Bob Porterfield, 56, All-Star pitcher who was named The Sporting News AL Pitcher of the Year in 1953 after a 22-10 season with the Senators
June 1 - Rube Marquard, 93, Hall of Fame pitcher who retired with 201 wins (201-177) and the NL record for career strikeouts by a lefthander (1593); had 19 consecutive wins for the Giants in 1912 for a modern major league record
June 3 - Fred Lieb, 92, sportswriter who covered every World Series from 1911 to 1958. Lieb was the primary "ghostwriter" for "Judge Landis and 25 Years of Baseball" (J.G. Taylor Spink) and "The Babe Ruth Story" (Babe Ruth and Bob Considine).
September 24 - Ernie Shore, 89, pitcher who relieved Babe Ruth with a man on first in a 1917 game and proceeded to retire the runner and all 26 remaining batters
October 1 - Pat Veltman, 74, utility player best known for his 1928 season, where his only hit was a triple
December 14 - Elston Howard, 51, 9-time All-Star catcher for the New York Yankees who was that team's first black player and the AL's 1963 MVP; later a coach
December 31 - Bob Shawkey, 90, pitcher who had four 20-win seasons for the Yankees, later was coach at Dartmouth
