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1970 Major League Baseball season
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| title | 1970 MLB season |
| league | American League (AL) |
| National League (NL) | |
| sport | Baseball |
| duration | Regular season:{{Bulleted list |
| no_of_games | 162 |
| no_of_teams | 24 (12 per league) |
| TV | NBC |
| draft | Draft |
| draft_link | 1970 Major League Baseball draft |
| top_pick | Mike Ivie |
| top_pick_link | List of first overall MLB draft picks |
| picked_by | San Diego Padres |
| season | Regular season |
| MVP | AL: Boog Powell (BAL) |
| NL: Johnny Bench (CIN) | |
| MVP_link | Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award |
| playoffs | Postseason |
| playoffs_link | 1970 Major League Baseball postseason |
| conf1 | AL |
| conf1_link | 1970 American League Championship Series |
| conf1_champ | [Baltimore Orioles](1970-baltimore-orioles-season) |
| conf1_runner-up | [Minnesota Twins](1970-minnesota-twins-season) |
| conf2 | NL |
| conf2_link | 1970 National League Championship Series |
| conf2_champ | [Cincinnati Reds](1970-cincinnati-reds-season) |
| conf2_runner-up | [Pittsburgh Pirates](1970-pittsburgh-pirates-season) |
| finals | World Series |
| finals_link | 1970 World Series |
| finals_champ | [Baltimore Orioles](1970-baltimore-orioles-season) |
| finals_runner-up | [Cincinnati Reds](1970-cincinnati-reds-season) |
| World_Series_MVP | Brooks Robinson (BAL) |
| World_Series_MVP_link | World Series Most Valuable Player Award |
| seasonslist | List of MLB seasons |
| seasonslistnames | MLB |
| prevseason_link | 1969 Major League Baseball season |
| prevseason_year | 1969 |
| nextseason_link | 1971 Major League Baseball season |
| nextseason_year | 1971 |
National League (NL) | April 6 – October 1, 1970}}Postseason:{{Bulleted list | October 3–15, 1970}} NL: Johnny Bench (CIN) | conf1_runner-up = Minnesota Twins | conf2_runner-up = Pittsburgh Pirates | finals_runner-up = Cincinnati Reds The 1970 major league baseball season began on April 6, 1970, while the regular season ended on October 1. The postseason began on October 3. The 67th World Series began with Game 1 on October 10 and ended with Game 5 on October 15, with the Baltimore Orioles of the American League defeating the Cincinnati Reds of the National League, four games to one, capturing their second championship in franchise history, since their previous in . Going into the season, the defending World Series champions were the New York Mets from the season.
The 41st Major League Baseball All-Star Game, was held on July 14 at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio, home of the Cincinnati Reds. The National League won in twelve innings, 5–4, concluding their eight-season win streak.
During spring training, the Seattle Pilots moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin as the Milwaukee Brewers, being the ninth team since 1953 to relocate, and the fifth of American League teams since them. Due to stadium issues and the team declaring bankruptcy, the team was sold to a Milwaukee-based group and promptly relocated. After having a team for only a single season, Seattle would be without a major league team for seven seasons until the expansion in , with the enfranchisement of the Seattle Mariners. The team was tied with the coincidentally named 1901 Milwaukee Brewers (modern-day Baltimore Orioles) as the shortest-tenured team of the American League.
National League umpires began wearing numbers on the sleeves of their blazers and the new short-sleeved light blue shirts they began wearing (to replace the long sleeved shirts of previous years). The numbers were in alphabetical order (Al Barlick wore #1, Ken Burkhart #2, etc.) and this remained the annual numbering system until the 1979 season when the numbers became permanent regardless of retirements/resignations/firings/etc.
Schedule
The 1970 schedule consisted of 162 games for all teams in the American League and National League, each of which had twelve teams. Each league was split into two six-team divisions. Each team was scheduled to play 18 games against their five division rivals, totaling 90 games, and 12 games against six interdivision opponents, totaling 72 games. This continued the format put in place since the previous season and would be used until in the American League and in the National League.
Opening Day took place on April 6, featuring four teams. The final day of the regular season was on October 1, featuring 22 teams. Each League Championship Series took place between October 3 and October 5. The World Series took place between October 10 and October 15.
Rule change
The 1970 season saw the following rule change:
- A "caveat emptor" amendment was approved by both leagues, regarding player trades. Under the new rule, all trades, once agreed upon, would stand, such that a player could not elect to retire and freeze/cancel a trade as a means to stop it. Now, the trade would occur, and it was up to a team themselves to persuade their players to report to work.
Teams
An asterisk () denotes the ballpark a team played the minority of their home games at*
| League | Division | Team | City | Stadium | Capacity | Manager | American League}};" | East | Baltimore Orioles | Boston Red Sox | Cleveland Indians | Detroit Tigers | New York Yankees | Washington Senators | West | California Angels | Chicago White Sox | Kansas City Royals | Milwaukee Brewers | Minnesota Twins | Oakland Athletics | National League}};" | East | Chicago Cubs | Montreal Expos | New York Mets | Philadelphia Phillies | Pittsburgh Pirates | St. Louis Cardinals | West | Atlanta Braves | Cincinnati Reds | Houston Astros | Los Angeles Dodgers | San Diego Padres | San Francisco Giants | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baltimore, Maryland | Baltimore Memorial Stadium | 52,137 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Boston, Massachusetts | Fenway Park | 33,375 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cleveland, Ohio | Cleveland Stadium | 76,966 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Detroit, Michigan | Tiger Stadium | 54,226 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| New York, New York | Yankee Stadium | 67,000 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Washington, D.C. | Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium | 43,500 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Anaheim, California | Anaheim Stadium | 43,202 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chicago, Illinois | White Sox Park | 46,550 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kansas City, Missouri | Municipal Stadium | 34,164 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Milwaukee, Wisconsin | Milwaukee County Stadium | 45,768 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bloomington, Minnesota | Metropolitan Stadium | 45,914 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Oakland, California | Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum | 50,000 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chicago, Illinois | Wrigley Field | 36,644 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Montreal, Quebec | Jarry Park Stadium | 28,456 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| New York, New York | Shea Stadium | 55,300 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Connie Mack Stadium | 33,608 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | Forbes Field | 35,500 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Three Rivers Stadium* | 50,500* | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| St. Louis, Missouri | Civic Center Busch Memorial Stadium | 49,450 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Atlanta, Georgia | Atlanta Stadium | 51,383 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cincinnati, Ohio | Crosley Field* | 29,603* | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Riverfront Stadium | 51,500 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Houston, Texas | Houston Astrodome | 44,500 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Los Angeles, California | Dodger Stadium | 56,000 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| San Diego, California | San Diego Stadium | 50,000 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| San Francisco, California | Candlestick Park | 42,500 |
Standings
American League
National League
Postseason
The postseason began on October 3 and ended on October 15 with the Baltimore Orioles defeating the Cincinnati Reds in the 1970 World Series in five games.
Bracket
Managerial changes
Off-season
| Team | Former Manager | New Manager | Boston Red Sox | Cincinnati Reds | Kansas City Royals | Milwaukee Brewers | Minnesota Twins | Philadelphia Phillies | Pittsburgh Pirates |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eddie Popowski | Eddie Kasko | ||||||||
| Dave Bristol | Sparky Anderson | ||||||||
| Joe Gordon | Charlie Metro | ||||||||
| Joe Schultz Jr. | |||||||||
| (Seattle Pilots) | Dave Bristol | ||||||||
| Billy Martin | Bill Rigney | ||||||||
| George Myatt | Frank Lucchesi | ||||||||
| Alex Grammas | Danny Murtaugh |
In-season
| Team | Former Manager | New Manager | Chicago White Sox | Kansas City Royals | San Francisco Giants |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Don Gutteridge | Bill Adair | ||||
| Bill Adair | Chuck Tanner | ||||
| Charlie Metro | Bob Lemon | ||||
| Clyde King | Charlie Fox |
League leaders
American League
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| AVG | Alex Johnson (CAL) | .329 |
| OPS | Carl Yastrzemski (BOS) | 1.044 |
| HR | Frank Howard (WAS) | 44 |
| RBI | Frank Howard (WAS) | 126 |
| R | Carl Yastrzemski (BOS) | 125 |
| H | Tony Oliva (MIN) | 204 |
| SB | Bert Campaneris (OAK) | 42 |
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| W | Mike Cuellar (BAL) | |
| Dave McNally (BAL) | ||
| Jim Perry (MIN) | 24 | |
| L | Mickey Lolich (DET) | 19 |
| ERA | Diego Seguí (OAK) | 2.56 |
| K | Sam McDowell (CLE) | 304 |
| IP | Sam McDowell (CLE) | |
| Jim Palmer (BAL) | 305.0 | |
| SV | Ron Perranoski (MIN) | 34 |
| WHIP | Fritz Peterson (NYY) | 1.102 |
National League
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| AVG | Rico Carty (ATL) | .366 |
| OPS | Willie McCovey (SF) | 1.056 |
| HR | Johnny Bench (CIN) | 45 |
| RBI | Johnny Bench (CIN) | 148 |
| R | Billy Williams (CHC) | 137 |
| H | Pete Rose (CIN) | |
| Billy Williams (CHC) | 205 | |
| SB | Bobby Tolan (CIN) | 57 |
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| W | Bob Gibson (STL) | |
| Gaylord Perry (SF) | 23 | |
| L | Steve Carlton (STL) | 19 |
| ERA | Tom Seaver (NYM) | 2.82 |
| K | Tom Seaver (NYM) | 283 |
| IP | Gaylord Perry (SF) | 328.2 |
| SV | Wayne Granger (CIN) | 35 |
| WHIP | Ferguson Jenkins (CHC) | 1.038 |
Awards and honors
Regular season
| Baseball Writers' Association of America Awards | BBWAA Award | National League | American League | Gold Glove Awards | Position | National League | American League |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rookie of the Year | Carl Morton (MON) | Thurman Munson (NYY) | |||||
| Cy Young Award | Bob Gibson (STL) | Jim Perry (MIN) | |||||
| Most Valuable Player | Johnny Bench (CIN) | Boog Powell (BAL) | |||||
| Babe Ruth Award | |||||||
| (World Series MVP) | — | Brooks Robinson (BAL) | |||||
| Pitcher | Bob Gibson (STL) | Jim Kaat (MIN) | |||||
| Catcher | Johnny Bench (CIN) | Ray Fosse (CLE) | |||||
| 1st Base | Wes Parker (LAD) | Jim Spencer (CAL) | |||||
| 2nd Base | Tommy Helms (CIN) | Davey Johnson (BAL) | |||||
| 3rd Base | Doug Rader (HOU) | Brooks Robinson (BAL) | |||||
| Shortstop | Don Kessinger (CHC) | Luis Aparicio (CWS) | |||||
| Outfield | Tommie Agee (NYM) | Ken Berry (CWS) | |||||
| Roberto Clemente (PIT) | Paul Blair (BAL) | ||||||
| Pete Rose (CIN) | Mickey Stanley (DET) |
Other awards
- Hutch Award: Tony Conigliaro (BOS)
- Sport Magazine's World Series Most Valuable Player Award: Brooks Robinson (BAL)
| *The Sporting News* Awards | Award | National League | American League |
|---|---|---|---|
| Player of the Year | Johnny Bench (CIN) | — | |
| Pitcher of the Year | Bob Gibson (STL) | Sam McDowell (CLE) | |
| Fireman of the Year | |||
| (Relief pitcher) | Wayne Granger (CIN) | Ron Perranoski (MIN) | |
| Rookie Player of the Year | Bernie Carbo (CIN) | Roy Foster (CLE) | |
| Rookie Pitcher of the Year | Carl Morton (MON) | Bert Blyleven (MIN) | |
| Comeback Player of the Year | Jim Hickman (CHC) | Clyde Wright (CAL) | |
| Manager of the Year | Danny Murtaugh (PIT) | — | |
| Executive of the Year | — | Harry Dalton (BAL) |
Monthly awards
Player of the Month
Main article: Major League Baseball Player of the Month Award
| Month | National League | May | June | July | August |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rico Carty (ATL) | |||||
| Tommie Agee (NYM) | |||||
| Bill Singer (LAD) | |||||
| Bob Gibson (STL) |
Baseball Hall of Fame
Main article: National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
- Lou Boudreau
- Earle Combs
- Jesse Haines
- Ford Frick (executive)
Home field attendance
| Team name | Wins | %± | Home attendance | %± | Per game |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York Mets | 83 | −17.0% | 2,697,479 | 24.0% | 32,896 |
| Cincinnati Reds | 102 | 14.6% | 1,803,568 | 82.5% | 22,266 |
| Los Angeles Dodgers | 87 | 2.4% | 1,697,142 | −4.9% | 20,952 |
| Chicago Cubs | 84 | −8.7% | 1,642,705 | −1.9% | 20,534 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 76 | −12.6% | 1,629,736 | −3.2% | 20,120 |
| Boston Red Sox | 87 | 0.0% | 1,595,278 | −13.0% | 19,695 |
| Detroit Tigers | 79 | −12.2% | 1,501,293 | −4.8% | 18,534 |
| Montreal Expos | 73 | 40.4% | 1,424,683 | 17.5% | 17,809 |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | 89 | 1.1% | 1,341,947 | 74.4% | 16,365 |
| Minnesota Twins | 98 | 1.0% | 1,261,887 | −6.5% | 15,579 |
| Houston Astros | 79 | −2.5% | 1,253,444 | −13.1% | 15,475 |
| New York Yankees | 93 | 16.3% | 1,136,879 | 6.4% | 14,036 |
| Atlanta Braves | 76 | −18.3% | 1,078,848 | −26.0% | 13,319 |
| California Angels | 86 | 21.1% | 1,077,741 | 42.1% | 13,305 |
| Baltimore Orioles | 108 | −0.9% | 1,057,069 | −0.5% | 13,050 |
| Milwaukee Brewers | 65 | 1.6% | 933,690 | 37.7% | 11,527 |
| Washington Senators | 70 | −18.6% | 824,789 | −10.2% | 10,183 |
| Oakland Athletics | 89 | 1.1% | 778,355 | 0.0% | 9,609 |
| San Francisco Giants | 86 | −4.4% | 740,720 | −15.2% | 9,145 |
| Cleveland Indians | 76 | 22.6% | 729,752 | 17.7% | 9,009 |
| Philadelphia Phillies | 73 | 15.9% | 708,247 | 36.4% | 8,853 |
| Kansas City Royals | 65 | −5.8% | 693,047 | −23.2% | 8,773 |
| San Diego Padres | 63 | 21.2% | 643,679 | 25.5% | 7,947 |
| Chicago White Sox | 56 | −17.6% | 495,355 | −16.0% | 5,897 |
Venues
The 1970 season saw three teams move to three new venues.
-
With the relocation of the Seattle Pilots from Seattle, Washington to Milwaukee, Wisconsin as the Milwaukee Brewers, they leave Sick's Stadium and move into the former home of the National League's Milwaukee Braves, Milwaukee County Stadium. They would go on to play there for 31 seasons through .
-
The Cincinnati Reds would play their last game at Crosley Field on June 24, having played 59 seasons there, and opened Riverfront Stadium on June 30, where they would go on to play for 33 seasons through .
-
The Pittsburgh Pirates would play their last game at Forbes Field on June 28, having played 62 seasons there, and opened Three Rivers Stadium (with the NFL's Pittsburgh Steelers) on July 16, where they would go on to play for 31 seasons through .
The Philadelphia Phillies would play their final game at Connie Mack Stadium on October 1 against the Montreal Expos, moving into Veterans Stadium for the start of the season.
Television coverage
NBC was the exclusive national TV broadcaster of MLB, airing the weekend Game of the Week, the All-Star Game, both League Championship Series, and the World Series.
Retired numbers
- Lou Boudreau had his No. 5 retired by the Cleveland Indians on July 9. This was the second number retired by the team.
- Casey Stengel had his No. 37 retired by the New York Yankees on August 8. This was the fifth number retired by the team. Stengel previously had his No. 37 retired by the New York Mets in .
References
References
- Armour, Mark. "1969 Winter Meetings: Reorganization Talk".
- "1970 Major League Managers".
- "1970 American League Batting Leaders".
- "1970 American League Pitching Leaders".
- "1970 National League Batting Leaders".
- "1970 National League Pitching Leaders".
- "Major League Player of the Year Award by The Sporting News {{!}} Baseball Almanac".
- "Pitcher of the Year Award by The Sporting News {{!}} Baseball Almanac".
- "Fireman of the Year Award / Reliever of the Year Award by The Sporting News {{!}} Baseball Almanac".
- "Rookie Player of the Year Award by The Sporting News {{!}} Baseball Almanac".
- "Rookie Pitcher of the Year Award by The Sporting News {{!}} Baseball Almanac".
- "The Sporting News Comeback Player of the Year Award {{!}} Baseball Almanac".
- "Manager of the Year Award by The Sporting News {{!}} Baseball Almanac".
- "MLB Executive of the Year Award {{!}} Baseball Almanac".
- "New York Mets Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "Cincinnati Reds Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "Los Angeles Dodgers Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "Chicago Cubs Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "St. Louis Cardinals Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "Boston Red Sox Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "Detroit Tigers Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "Washington Nationals Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "Pittsburgh Pirates Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "Minnesota Twins Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "Houston Astros Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "New York Yankees Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "Atlanta Braves Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "Los Angeles Angels Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "Baltimore Orioles Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "Milwaukee Brewers Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "Texas Rangers Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "Oakland Athletics Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "San Francisco Giants Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "Cleveland Indians Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "Philadelphia Phillies Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "Kansas City Royals Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "San Diego Padres Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "Chicago White Sox Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
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