1999 Major League Baseball season

The 1999 Major League Baseball season ended with the New York Yankees sweeping the Atlanta Braves in the World Series.

The previous record of most home runs hit in a season, set at 5,064 in 1998, was broken once again as the American League and National League combined to hit 5,528 home runs. Moreover, it was the first season in 49 years to feature a team that scored 1,000 runs in a season, as the Cleveland Indians led the Majors with 1,009 runs scored. Only 193 shutouts were recorded in 2,427 regular-season games. The 1999 season was the first season in which the two current New York City-area MLB teams, the Yankees and Mets, qualified for the playoffs together in the same season. The following season, both teams reached the World Series and the Yankees won four games to one.

Standings

American League

National League

* The New York Mets defeated the Cincinnati Reds in a one-game playoff to earn the NL Wild Card.

Postseason

Bracket

Note: Two teams in the same division could not meet in the division series.

Awards and honors

*Baseball Hall of Fame
**George Brett
**Orlando Cepeda
**Nestor Chylak
**Nolan Ryan
** Frank Selee
** Joe Williams
**Robin Yount

Other awards

* Outstanding Designated Hitter Award: Rafael Palmeiro ( TEX)
*Hank Aaron Award: Manny Ramirez ( CLE, American); Sammy Sosa ( CHC, National).
*Roberto Clemente Award (Humanitarian): Tony Gwynn ( SD).
*Rolaids Relief Man Award: Mariano Rivera ( NYY, American); Billy Wagner (HOU, National).
* Warren Spahn Award (Best left-handed pitcher): Randy Johnson ( ARI)

Player of the Month

Pitcher of the Month

MLB statistical leaders

¹American League Triple Crown Pitching Winner

Managers

American League

National League

Home Field Attendance & Payroll

Events

January–March

*January 5 – Nolan Ryan, George Brett and Robin Yount are elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers' Association of America. It is the first time since 1936 that three players are elected simultaneously on their first try. Carlton Fisk finishes 4th in the voting, missing election by 43 votes.
*February 15 – The Cincinnati Reds announce that they are dropping their long-standing policy of no facial hair for players. The change is the result of a talk between outgoing Reds owner Marge Schott and newly acquired outfielder Greg Vaughn.
*February 18 – The U.S. Postal Service issues a Jackie Robinson stamp as part of their "Celebrate the Century" program. Robinson was selected to represent the 1940s, and is the second baseball player chosen. Babe Ruth, in May 1998, represented the 1920s.
*February 18 – The Yankees end the trade rumors by acquiring Cy Young Award winner Roger Clemens from the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for pitchers David Wells and Graeme Lloyd, and infielder Homer Bush.
*February 21 – Florida Marlins rookie third baseman Mike Lowell, acquired from the New York Yankees on February 1, undergoes surgery for testicular cancer after a small mass is found during a routine exam.
*March 2 – Orlando Cepeda, Frank Selee, Smokey Joe Williams and Nestor Chylak are elected to the Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee.
*March 7 – In a historic agreement, it is announced that the Baltimore Orioles will travel to Cuba for a March 28 exhibition game against the Cuban national team in Havana. The Cuban team will travel to the US for a return contest at a future date. It is the first time in 40 years that Americans will play a professional game in Cuba.
*March 8 – Joe DiMaggio passes away at the age of 84.
*March 10 – Yankees manager Joe Torre is diagnosed with prostate cancer. While he is undergoing treatment, the team will be run by coach Don Zimmer.
*March 28 – The Orioles make the first visit to Cuba by major leaguers since 1959, and defeat a team of Cuban amateurs by a score of 3–2 in 11 innings. Pitcher José Contreras hurls eight innings of 2–hit, 10–K ball in relief for the Cubans, while catcher Charles Johnson hits a two–run home run, and DH Harold Baines drives in the winning run for the Orioles. The two teams will play a rematch at Camden Yards in Baltimore on May 3.

April–June

*April 4 – In the first regular-season game ever played outside of the United States or Canada, the Colorado Rockies open the season by defeating the San Diego Padres 8–2, before an overflow crowd of 27,104 in Monterrey, Mexico. Outfielder Dante Bichette has four hits, including a home run, and four RBI for the winners. Local hero Vinny Castilla also has four hits for the Rockies, while Darryl Kile picks up the victory.
*April 19 – The Baltimore Orioles' Cal Ripken Jr. is placed on the disabled list for the first time in his 19-year career because of irritation in his lower back. Ripken's record consecutive game streak ended in September 1998 at 2,632.
*April 20 – Cincinnati Reds owner Marge Schott agrees to sell her controlling interest in the Reds to a group headed by Carl H. Lindner, ending her 14-year tenure. The group will pay a total of $67 million.
*April 20 – The Nolan Ryan Museum opens in Alvin, Texas.
*April 23 – The St. Louis Cardinals defeat the Los Angeles Dodgers 12–5, as third baseman Fernando Tatís sets a major league record by hitting two grand slams in a single inning. His two homers come in St. Louis' 11–run third inning. He also sets a record with eight RBI in the inning, while Dodgers pitcher Chan Ho Park becomes the first 20th century pitcher – and only the second ever – to surrender two grand slams in a single frame ( Bill Phillips of the Pittsburgh Pirates did so in 1890). Park became the 36th major-leaguer to serve up two slams to the same player in his career.
*April 23 – The Brewers sink the Pirates 9–1, as pitcher Steve Woodard hurls the complete game victory. The win ends Milwaukee's NL record streak of 113 games without a complete game.
*May 3 – In a 12–11, 10-inning loss to the Oakland Athletics, Boston Red Sox rookie Creighton Gubanich becomes only the fourth player to hit a grand slam for his first major league hit.
*May 3 – The Pirates defeat the Giants 9–8, despite Jeff Kent getting five hits for the Giants and hits for the cycle, just the second player to do so in Three Rivers Stadium; Joe Torre did it on June 27, 1973.
*May 9 – The Yankees defeat the Mariners 6–1. Relief pitcher Mike Stanton makes his first major league start for the Yankees, ending his major league record streak of 552 consecutive relief appearances prior to his first start. The previous record of 443 was set by Giants pitcher Gary Lavelle.
*May 10 – The Red Sox defeat the Mariners 12–4, as shortstop Nomar Garciaparra leads the way with three home runs, including two grand slams. Garciaparra drives home 10 of Boston's runs as he clouts a bases-loaded homer in the first inning, a 2-run shot in the third, and another grand slam in the 8th. He is the first Bosox since Jim Tabor in 1939 to hit two slams in a game, and just the 9th in major league history. Robin Ventura last did it, in 1995.
*May 17 – Tampa Bay outguns the Rangers 13–3, as first baseman Fred McGriff extends his major league record by hitting a home run in his 35th big league stadium: The Ballpark in Arlington.
*May 19 – In a record-setting outing, the Reds beat the Rockies 24–12, stroking 28 hits in the process. The 36 runs sets a Coors Field record. Jeffrey Hammonds hits three home runs for Cincinnati, as seven players in the Reds lineup get three or more hits apiece. Teammate Sean Casey hits a pair of 3-run homers to drive in six runs and reaches base in all seven plate appearances, tying a 20th-century record. The 36 runs scored in the contest is the third-highest total in the major leagues since the turn of the 20th century, while the 81 total bases set a new major league standard. Mike Cameron ties a major league mark with eight plate appearances in a nine-inning game. With 28 hits, the Reds tie a mark originally set on May 13, 1902, and tie the National League record with seven players with 3 or more hits (Pirates, June 12, 1928, and Reds, August 3, 1989). The Rockies also became the first team to score 12 or more runs in a game and lose by 12 or more runs in the same game since the Giants beat the Reds, 25–13 in 1901. Larry Walker extends his hitting streak to 20 games and raises his average to .431.
*May 20 – The Mets sweep the Brewers in a double header, winning the first game 11–10, and the second 10–1. Robin Ventura hits a grand slam in each contest, becoming the first player in major league history to do so in both ends of a doubleheader. Ventura also becomes the first player to hit a pair of grand slams on the same day on two separate occasions.
*May 26 - In one of the most heartbreaking moments in baseball history, during the third inning against the Texas Rangers, Tampa Bay Devil Rays starting pitcher Tony Saunders breaks and tears ligaments in his arm while pitching to batter Rafael Palmeiro. He would later break that same arm while playing a rehabilitation assignment in 2000, retiring from baseball. This was his last game as a major league player.
*June 25 – St. Louis defeats Arizona 1–0, as rookie pitcher José Jiménez hurls the first no-hitter of the season. The Cardinals score the lone run on a broken bat single with two outs in the ninth inning. Jiménez posted eight strikeouts in the contest, while losing pitcher Randy Johnson strike outs 14, including the 2500th of his career. Jiménez walks two and hits a batter in becoming the first rookie to toss a no-hitter since Wilson Álvarez in 1991.
*June 25 – In Baltimore's 9–8 loss to the Yankees, the Orioles' Jesse Orosco makes his 1,051st relief appearance to break Kent Tekulve's major league record.
*June 28 – Hack Wilson ups his runs batted in total for the 1930 season to 191. 69 years after the event, an RBI is added by the commissioner's office, which also gives Babe Ruth six additional walks, raising his career-record total to 2,062. "There is no doubt that Hack Wilson's RBI total should be 191", commissioner Bud Selig says. "I am sensitive to the historical significance that accompanies the correction of such a prestigious record, especially after so many years have passed, but it is important to get it right." The missing RBI came from the second game of a doubleheader between Wilson's Chicago Cubs and the Cincinnati Reds on July 28, 1930, where Charlie Grimm was credited with two RBI in the game and Wilson with none. Ruth's walks total is now 2,062. Ted Williams is second, trailing by 43, and Rickey Henderson is third, 134 behind Ruth.

July–September

*July 5 – The Cardinals defeat the Diamondbacks 1–0, as José Jiménez hurls a 2-hitter to defeat Randy Johnson. Jiménez no-hit the Diamondbacks in his last appearance against them (June 25). Johnson loses his third game in a row, during which Arizona has not scored a run and only made three hits. He strikes out 12 Cardinals to tie Dwight Gooden's NL mark of 43 strikeouts over three starts. He also reaches 200 strikeouts for the year and ends St. Louis rookie Joe McEwing's 25-game hitting streak, the 5th-longest ever for a rookie.
*July 6 – The White Sox lose to the Royals 8–7. Chicago outfielder Chris Singleton hits for the cycle, becoming the first rookie to do so since Oddibe McDowell in 1985 and just the 16th since 1900.
*July 9 – The uniform Lou Gehrig wore when he made his famous "luckiest man on earth" speech on July 4, 1939, is sold for $451,541 at auction. Leland's spokesman Marty Appel says the flannel pinstripe uniform worn by the Hall of Fame first baseman was purchased by a South Florida man who did not want his name made public. The winning bid was made over the phone. Yesterday, Carlton Fisk's home run ball that won Game Six of the 1975 World Series for the Boston Red Sox was sold for $113,273.
*July 13 – The Major League Baseball All-Century Team is announced prior to the All-Star Game at Boston's Fenway Park. Many members of the team, including Bob Gibson, Mike Schmidt, Willie Mays, Brooks Robinson, and Ted Williams, are on the field for the festivities. Williams, who threw out the first pitch, delayed the start of the game for about 15 minutes as players from both teams surrounded him in a spontaneous display of homage. The American League goes on to defeat the National League 4–1, behind Red Sox pitcher Pedro Martínez. Martinez is named the game's MVP as he strikes out five out of the six batters he faced including the first four in a row in his two innings of work.
* July 15 – Outdoor baseball returns to Seattle as the Mariners open Safeco Field, but lose to the San Diego Padres 3–2 with 44,607 in attendance. It was the first park in MLB history to host an interleague game on its inaugural day.''Great Baseball Feats, Facts and Figures'', 2008 Edition, p.70, David Nemec and Scott Flatow, A Signet Book, Penguin Group, New York,
*July 18 – David Cone

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