1965 Major League Baseball season

Schedule

The 1965 schedule consisted of 162 games for all teams in the American League and National League, each of which had ten teams. Each team was scheduled to play 18 games against the other nine teams of their respective league. This continued the format put in place by the American League since the season and by the National League since the season, and would be used until .

Opening Day took place on April 12, featuring 16 teams. The final day of the regular season was on October 3, which saw all 20 teams play. The World Series took place between October 6 and October 14.

Rule changes

The 1965 season saw the following rule changes:

• The size of the catcher's mitt was regulated to be that of a leather mitt, not more than 15½ from top the bottom and not more than 38 inches in circumference.
• The 1964 rule allowing expansion teams (Houston Astros, Los Angeles Angels, New York Mets, and Washington Senators) to farm out four first-year players was ended.
• The Commissioner of Baseball had the power to veto any action by owners that were determined to be detrimental to baseball reinstated (having previously been stripped of said power following the death of commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis in 1944).
• If team owners disagreed with the Commissioner of Baseball, the commissioner was granted immunity from legal actions.
• In June 1965, the bonus rule was permanently rescinded, and in its place, the Rule 4 draft was introduced. This draft would take place three times per year, with the January draft intended for high-school midyear graduates, junior college players, and players who had dropped out of four-year colleges. Junior college players were required to wait until their current season was completed before they could sign. the June draft was for high-school and college graduates in spring, and a September draft for players from amateur leagues.

Teams

Standings

American League

National League

Postseason

The postseason began on October 6 and ended on October 14 with the Los Angeles Dodgers defeating the Minnesota Twins in the 1965 World Series in seven games.

Bracket

| RD1-seed1=AL | RD1-team1=Minnesota Twins | RD1-score1=3 | RD1-seed2=NL | RD1-team2=Los Angeles Dodgers | RD1-score2=4

Managerial changes

Off-season

In-season

League leaders

American League

National League

1 National League Triple Crown pitching winner

Awards and honors

Regular season

Other awards

• Hutch Award: Mickey Mantle (NYY)
• Sport Magazine's World Series Most Valuable Player Award: Sandy Koufax (LAD)

Monthly awards

Player of the Month

Main article: Major League Baseball Player of the Month Award

Baseball Hall of Fame

Main article: National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum

• Pud Galvin

Home field attendance

Venues

The Houston Colt .45s open the Houston Astrodome (and aptly rename as the Houston Astros) after playing at Colt Stadium for three seasons. The team would play at the Houston Astrodome for 35 seasons through .

The Milwaukee Braves would play their final game at Milwaukee County Stadium on September 22 against the Los Angeles Dodgers, relocating to Atlanta, Georgia at Atlanta Stadium as the Atlanta Braves for the start of the season.

The California Angels would play their final two games at Dodger Stadium on September 22 in a doubleheader against the Boston Red Sox, moving into Anaheim Stadium for the start of the season.

Television coverage

In 1965, ABC provided the first-ever nationwide baseball coverage with weekly Saturday broadcasts on a regional basis. ABC paid $5.7 million for the rights to the 28 Saturday/holiday Games of the Week. ABC's deal covered all of the teams except the New York Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies (who had their own television deals) and called for two regionalized games on Saturdays, Independence Day, and Labor Day. Each Saturday, ABC broadcast two 2 p.m. ET games and one game for the Pacific Time Zone at 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m local time.

Although MLB ended the Game of the Week blackouts in cities with MLB clubs, ABC blacked out the games in the home cities of the clubs playing those games.

Meanwhile, CBS continued to air its own slate of Games of the Week with the rights to individual teams, with its New York Yankees games in particular beating ABC in the ratings. At the end of the season, ABC declined to exercise its $6.5 million option for 1966, citing poor ratings, especially in New York.

Although it did not air Games of the Week this season, NBC continued to air the All-Star Game and World Series.

Retired numbers

• Jim Umbricht had his No. 32 retired by the Houston Astros on April 12. This was the first number retired by the team.
• Casey Stengel had his No. 37 retired by the New York Mets on September 2. This was the first number retired by the team.
• Warren Spahn had his No. 21 retired by the Atlanta Braves on December 11. This was the first number retired by the team.

Notes

References

References

1. Koppett, Leonard. (February 28, 1965). "Baseball's New Draft". The New York Times.
2. (June 10, 1965). "826 Players Picked in Baseball Draft". The Burlington Free Press.
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6. Rosciam, Chuck. "The Evolution of Catcher’s Equipment – Society for American Baseball Research".
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48. Reichler, Joe. (August 22, 1965). "TV Baseball Has Problems". The Herald-Tribune.