1996 in baseball

Events

January-June

• January 8 - For only the 7th time in major league history, the Baseball Writers Association of America fails to select a player for induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
• March 5 - The Veterans Committee elects four new members of the Hall of Fame, and just misses naming a fifth. The group elected includes Earl Weaver, Baltimore Orioles manager for 17 seasons; pitcher Jim Bunning, who won 100 games in each league; 19th century manager Ned Hanlon, who won pennants in Baltimore and Brooklyn, and Bill Foster, the Negro League's winningest pitcher. Second baseman Nellie Fox receives the necessary 75% of the Committee's votes, but the rules allow just one modern player elected, and Bunning has more votes.
• April 1 - Seven pitches into the first game of the season, at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati, home plate umpire John McSherry collapses on the field and dies of a massive heart attack. The game between the Cincinnati Reds and Montreal Expos is postponed, along with the rest of the games scheduled for that day. Reds owner Marge Schott later comes under fire for wanting the game in Cincinnati to continue that day despite the tragedy (and against the wishes of the players on both teams), saying that she felt "cheated" when it was canceled.
• June 6 - The Boston Red Sox beat the Chicago White Sox 7-4, as John Valentin of Boston hits for the cycle and the Chicago White Sox complete a triple play. It marks the first time since July 1, 1931 that both events occurred in the same game.

July-December

• July 9 - At Veterans Stadium, the National League defeats the American League, 6-0, in the All-Star Game. Ken Caminiti and Mike Piazza hit home runs for the winners. The game is the first All-Star contest in which no walks are issued by either team. Orioles? Cal Ripken, Jr. starts the game, despite suffering a broken nose when he accidentally catches a forearm from White Sox reliever Roberto Hernández. Hernández slipped on the tarp during the AL team photo shoot.
• September 6:
• Eddie Murray of the Baltimore Orioles became the 15th player in ML history to hit 500 home runs.He homered off Felipe Lira in the seventh inning of the Orioles' 5-4, 12-inning loss to Detroit, at Camden Yards. Murray also joined Hank Aaron and Willie Mays as the only bigleaguers to reach this milestone and also have at least 3,000 hits.
• Brett Butler returns to the Dodgers line-up four months after having surgery for throat cancer. The thirty-nine year old center fielder scores the decisive run in a 3-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates.
• September 17 - Hideo Nomo pitched a no-hitter against Colorado, leading the Dodgers to a 9-0 victory. Nomo walked four batters and struck out eight.
• October 26 - The New York Yankees take their fourth victory in a row from the Atlanta Braves, 3-2, giving them the 1996 World Series and their 23rd World Championship. Starter Jimmy Key gets the win with help from closer John Wetteland. Wetteland's four saves earn him the MVP trophy.