1974 Major League Baseball season

1974 MLB season
League	Major League Baseball
Sport	Baseball
Duration	April 4, 1974 – October 2, 1974
Regular season
Season MVP	AL: Jeff Burroughs (TEX) NL: Steve Garvey (LAD)
Postseason
AL champions	Oakland Athletics
AL runners-up	Baltimore Orioles
NL champions	Los Angeles Dodgers
NL runners-up	Pittsburgh Pirates
World Series
Champions	Oakland Athletics
Runners-up	Los Angeles Dodgers
World Series MVP	Rollie Fingers (OAK)

The 1974 Major League Baseball season. The Oakland Athletics won their third consecutive World Series, defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers four games to one.

Two notable personal milestones were achieved during the 1974 season. The first came on April 8, when Hank Aaron of the Atlanta Braves blasted his 715th career home run, breaking the all-time career home run mark of 714 set by Babe Ruth. Aaron would finish his career with 755 home runs, a record that would stand until Barry Bonds broke it in 2007. The second milestone came on September 10, when the St. Louis Cardinals' Lou Brock stole his 105th base off pitcher Dick Ruthven and catcher Bob Boone of the Philadelphia Phillies. This broke the single-season stolen base record of 104, set by Maury Wills in 1962. Brock stole 118 bases, a record that would stand until 1982, when Rickey Henderson stole 130.

Regular season standings

American League AL East W L Pct. GB Home Road Baltimore Orioles 91 71 0.562 — 46–35 45–36 New York Yankees 89 73 0.549 2 47–34 42–39 Boston Red Sox 84 78 0.519 7 46–35 38–43 Cleveland Indians 77 85 0.475 14 40–41 37–44 Milwaukee Brewers 76 86 0.469 15 40–41 36–45 Detroit Tigers 72 90 0.444 19 36–45 36–45 AL West W L Pct. GB Home Road Oakland Athletics 90 72 0.556 — 49–32 41–40 Texas Rangers 84 76 0.525 5 42–38 42–38 Minnesota Twins 82 80 0.506 8 48–33 34–47 Chicago White Sox 80 80 0.500 9 46–34 34–46 Kansas City Royals 77 85 0.475 13 40–41 37–44 California Angels 68 94 0.420 22 36–45 32–49

National League NL East W L Pct. GB Home Road Pittsburgh Pirates 88 74 0.543 — 52–29 36–45 St. Louis Cardinals 86 75 0.534 1½ 44–37 42–38 Philadelphia Phillies 80 82 0.494 8 46–35 34–47 Montreal Expos 79 82 0.491 8½ 42–38 37–44 New York Mets 71 91 0.438 17 36–45 35–46 Chicago Cubs 66 96 0.407 22 32–49 34–47 NL West W L Pct. GB Home Road Los Angeles Dodgers 102 60 0.630 — 52–29 50–31 Cincinnati Reds 98 64 0.605 4 50–31 48–33 Atlanta Braves 88 74 0.543 14 46–35 42–39 Houston Astros 81 81 0.500 21 46–35 35–46 San Francisco Giants 72 90 0.444 30 37–44 35–46 San Diego Padres 60 102 0.370 42 36–45 24–57

Postseason

	League Championship Series					World Series
	East	Baltimore	1
	West	Oakland	3
						AL	Oakland	4
						NL	Los Angeles	1
	East	Pittsburgh	1
	West	Los Angeles	3

Awards and honors

• Most Valuable Player
  • Jeff Burroughs, Texas Rangers (AL)
  • Steve Garvey, Los Angeles Dodgers (NL)

• Cy Young Award
  • Catfish Hunter, Oakland Athletics (AL)
  • Mike Marshall, Los Angeles Dodgers (NL)

• Rookie of the Year
  • Mike Hargrove, Texas Rangers (AL)
  • Bake McBride, St. Louis Cardinals (NL)

Statistical leaders

American League National League Type Name Stat Name Stat AVG Rod Carew MIN .364 Ralph Garr ATL .353 HR Dick Allen CHW 32 Mike Schmidt PHI 36 RBI Jeff Burroughs TEX 118 Johnny Bench CIN 129 Wins Catfish Hunter OAK Ferguson Jenkins TEX 25 Phil Niekro ATL Andy Messersmith LAD 20 ERA Catfish Hunter OAK 2.49 Buzz Capra ATL 2.28 SO Nolan Ryan CAL 367 Steve Carlton PHI 240 SV Terry Forster CHW 24 Mike Marshall LAD 21 SB Billy North OAK 54 Lou Brock STL 118

Events

On August 30, Texas Rangers player Dave Nelson steals three bases – 2nd, 3rd and home in the first inning against the Cleveland Indians.^[1]

References

1. "Strange and Unusual Plays". www.retrosheet.org. Retrieved June 13, 2012.

External links

• 1974 season at Baseball-reference.com