The 1976 Major League Baseball season ended with the
Cincinnati Reds winning their second consecutive
World Series championship.
This was the last season of the expansion era (dating back to 1961) until 1993 in which the
American League (AL) and the
National League (NL) had the same number of teams.
A
lockout occurred during March 1–17, but it did not impact the regular season.[1]
The Reds won the
1976 World Series by sweeping the
New York Yankees in four games; the Reds remain the only team to go undefeated in the postseason since the advent of the divisional era in 1969. It was the Reds' last title until
Lou Piniella led the team to a championship in
1990. This was the second time that the Yankees were swept in a World Series, the first having been by the
Los Angeles Dodgers in the
1963 World Series.
July 8 – At
Wrigley Field,
Randy Jones wins his 16th game of the year for the
San Diego Padres, a National League record for wins at the
All-Star break. He beats the
Chicago Cubs 6–3. In the second half of the season, Jones will lose seven games by one run, two of them by 1–0 scores.
July 9 – In Montreal, the
Houston Astros'
Larry Dierkerno-hits the host
Montreal Expos, 6–0. He strikes out eight batters, including the first two in the ninth inning. Dierker had previously thrown two one-hitters.
July 13 – The
National League emerges victorious in the annual
All-Star Game by a score of 7–1.
George Foster, one of seven
Cincinnati Reds position players on the squad, hits a home run with three RBI, and is named the MVP. Rookie pitcher
Mark Fidrych gives up two runs and takes the loss. It is the NL's 13th win over the
American League in the last 14 games.
July 19 –
Willie Davis of the San Diego Padres gets his 2500th hit versus the Chicago Cubs, a single in the 4th off of
Bill Bonham at San Diego Stadium. The Padres won 3-2.
July 24 – In a 17-2 blowout of the
Chicago White Sox,
Lyman Bostock becomes the fourth
Minnesota Twin to hit for the cycle. Batting fourth for the first time ever, he goes four-for-four, with four
RBI and four runs scored.
July 26 –
Carl Yastrzemski of the Boston Red Sox gets his 2500th hit versus the Cleveland Indians, a double in the 1st off of
Stan Thomas at Fenway Park. The Red Sox lost 9-4. Yastrzemski was beaten to the milestone one week earlier by his contemporary, Willie Davis on July 19.
August 8 – The first game of today's
Royals–
White Sox double header at
Comiskey Park sees the White Sox appear on the field in shorts. The Sox return to long pants for the second game, after stealing five bases and defeating the Royals, 5-2.
August 9 –
John Candelaria became the first Pirates pitcher in 69 years to throw a no-hitter in
Pittsburgh by blanking the Los Angeles Dodgers 2-0. Candelaria's no-hitter came at
Three Rivers Stadium. No Pirate ever threw a no-hitter at
Forbes Field.
September 3 – At
Shea Stadium,
Tom Seaver fans
Tommy Hutton of the Phillies in the 7th inning of the Mets 1-0 victory. Hutton is Seaver's 200th strikeout victim of the season – the 9th straight year the Mets' right-hander has reached that mark.
September 6 –
Dodgers catcher
Steve Yeager is seriously injured when the jagged end of a broken bat strikes him in the throat while he is waiting in the on-deck circle.
September 10 – California's
Nolan Ryan strikes out 18 White Sox hitters in a 9-inning 3-2 victory at Chicago.
September 11 –
Orestes "Minnie" Miñoso comes out of his twelve-year retirement. Playing at home for the
White Sox, he goes 0-for-3 against
Frank Tanana. The next day, he will single, becoming the oldest player to hit safely in a Major League game.
September 18 – Player-Manager
Frank Robinson of the
Cleveland Indians inserts himself into the lineup as a pinch hitter in the eight inning of a game against the
Baltimore Orioles. He singles in what will be his final at-bat as a player. His influence as a manager and executive will continue for decades to come.
September 21 – In Cincinnati, the
Cincinnati Reds clinch the National League West title with a 9-1 pasting of the San Diego Padres.
September 25 – The Yankees put an end to a 6-game losing streak with a 10-6 win over the Tigers to wrap up the AL East, the Yankees' first visit to the postseason since the
1964 World Series.
Doyle Alexander gets the victory.
September 26 – In the last big league games at
Montreal's
Jarry Park, the
Philadelphia Phillies beat the
Montreal Expos 4-1 in the first game of a doubleheader to clinch the National League East title. Philly takes the nightcap, 2-1. Following the 2nd game,
Dick Allen jumps the team in protest of the fact that veteran
Tony Taylor is not listed on the post-season roster.
September 28 – The Dodgers'
Walter Alston, after 23 seasons and 2,040 victories, steps down as manager. Third base coach
Tommy Lasorda is promoted to the post.
October 3 -
Hank Aaron plays the final game of his eventual hall of fame career in a loss to the
Detroit Tigers in Milwaukee County Stadium 5-2. He had 3 at bats being struck out the first two times with the final at bat being an RBI.
This was the first season of MLB's new national TV rights agreements with
ABC and
NBC. ABC won the rights to show Monday Night Baseball, the
All-Star Game and both
League Championship Series in even-numbered years, and
World Series in odd-numbered years. NBC continued to air the weekend Game of the Week, as well as All-Star Game and both League Championship Series in odd-numbered years, and World Series in even-numbered years.