1994 Major League Baseball season

1994 MLB season
League	Major League Baseball
Sport	Baseball
Duration	April 3, 1994 – August 11, 1994
Regular season
Season MVP	NL: Jeff Bagwell (HOU) AL: Frank Thomas (CWS)

A ticket for the 1994 Opening Day game between the New York Mets and Chicago Cubs.

The 1994 Major League Baseball season ended on August 11, 1994 with the 1994–95 Major League Baseball strike. It was the first season played under the current 3 division format in each league. It was also the first with an Opening Night game involving two National League teams, which did not become permanent until 1996.

Strike

As a result of a players' strike, the MLB season ended prematurely on August 11, 1994. No postseason (including the World Series) was played. Minor League Baseball was not affected. Over 260 players were scheduled to exceed $1 million in compensation in 1994.^[1]

Awards and honors

• Most Valuable Player
  • Frank Thomas, Chicago White Sox (AL)
  • Jeff Bagwell, Houston Astros (NL)
• Cy Young Award
  • David Cone, Kansas City Royals (AL)
  • Greg Maddux, Atlanta Braves (NL)
• Rookie of the Year
  • Bob Hamelin, Kansas City Royals (AL)
  • Raúl Mondesí, Los Angeles Dodgers (NL)
• Manager of the Year Award
  • Buck Showalter, New York Yankees (AL)
  • Felipe Alou, Montreal Expos (NL)

Statistical leaders

American League National League Type Name Stat Name Stat AVG Paul O'Neill NYY .359 Tony Gwynn SDP .394 HR Ken Griffey, Jr. SEA 40 Matt Williams SFG 43 RBI Kirby Puckett MIN 112 Jeff Bagwell HOU 116 Wins Jimmy Key NYY 17 Ken Hill MON Greg Maddux ATL 16 ERA Steve Ontiveros OAK 2.65 Greg Maddux ATL 1.56 SO Randy Johnson SEA 204 Andy Benes SDP 189 SV Lee Smith BAL 33 John Franco NYM 30 SB Kenny Lofton CLE 60 Craig Biggio HOU 39

Major league baseball final standings

AL East W L Pct. GB Home Road New York Yankees 70 43 0.619 — 33–24 37–19 Baltimore Orioles 63 49 0.562 6½ 28–27 35–22 Toronto Blue Jays 55 60 0.478 16 33–26 22–34 Boston Red Sox 54 61 0.470 17 31–33 23–28 Detroit Tigers 53 62 0.461 18 34–24 19–38 AL Central W L Pct. GB Home Road Chicago White Sox 67 46 0.593 — 34–19 33–27 Cleveland Indians 66 47 0.584 1 35–16 31–31 Kansas City Royals 64 51 0.557 4 35–24 29–27 Minnesota Twins 53 60 0.469 14 32–27 21–33 Milwaukee Brewers 53 62 0.461 15 24–32 29–30 AL West W L Pct. GB Home Road Texas Rangers 52 62 0.456 — 31–32 21–30 Oakland Athletics 51 63 0.447 1 24–32 27–31 Seattle Mariners 49 63 0.438 2 22–22 27–41 California Angels 47 68 0.409 5½ 23–40 24–28

NL East W L Pct. GB Home Road Montreal Expos 74 40 0.649 — 32–20 42–20 Atlanta Braves 68 46 0.596 6 31–24 37–22 New York Mets 55 58 0.487 18½ 23–30 32–28 Philadelphia Phillies 54 61 0.470 20½ 34–26 20–35 Florida Marlins 51 64 0.443 23½ 25–34 26–30 NL Central W L Pct. GB Home Road Cincinnati Reds 66 48 0.579 — 37–22 29–26 Houston Astros 66 49 0.574 ½ 37–22 29–27 Pittsburgh Pirates 53 61 0.465 13 32–29 21–32 St. Louis Cardinals 53 61 0.465 13 23–33 30–28 Chicago Cubs 49 64 0.434 16½ 20–39 29–25 NL West W L Pct. GB Home Road Los Angeles Dodgers 58 56 0.509 — 33–22 25–34 San Francisco Giants 55 60 0.478 3½ 29–31 26–29 Colorado Rockies 53 64 0.453 6½ 25–32 28–32 San Diego Padres 47 70 0.402 12½ 26–31 21–39

• On September 14, the remainder of the major league season was canceled by acting commissioner Bud Selig after 34 days of the players' strike.

Events

• January 12 – Steve Carlton is elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers' Association of America, receiving almost 96% of the vote. Orlando Cepeda falls seven votes short of the 75% required for election.
• February 7 – Basketball superstar Michael Jordan signs a minor league contract with the Chicago White Sox. He is invited to spring training with the team as a non-roster player.
• February 25 – The Veterans Committee elects Phil Rizzuto and Leo Durocher to the Baseball Hall of Fame.
• April 1–3 – BC Place in Vancouver, British Columbia hosted an exhibition tournament with the Seattle Mariners, Colorado Rockies, Toronto Blue Jays, and the Montreal Expos participating.^[2]
• April 4 – At Wrigley Field, Chicago Cubs outfielder Tuffy Rhodes blasts three home runs on Opening Day, defeating New York Mets pitcher Dwight Gooden. Rhodes becomes the first player in major league history to hit home runs in his first three at-bats of the season. In spite of Rhodes' unexpected home run barrage, the Cubs lose the game, 12–8.
• April 8 – Kent Mercker of the Atlanta Braves pitches a 6–0 no-hitter against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium, striking out 10 in the process. For Mercker, it is his first complete game in the Major Leagues. In the first half of the ninth inning, Chan Ho Park comes on to pitch for the Dodgers, becoming the first Korean player to appear in a Major League game.^[3]
• July 12 – Moisés Alou's double in the 10th inning gives the National League an 8–7 victory over the American League in the All-Star Game. The NL is now a perfect 9–0 in extra-inning contests. John Hudek of the Houston Astros becomes the first pitcher in major league history to appear in an All-Star Game before recording a major league victory. Fred McGriff, whose two-run home run in the 9th inning tied the score, takes MVP honors.
• July 28 – Kenny Rogers of the Texas Rangers throws the fourteenth perfect game in Major League history.
• August 11 – The final games of the Major League season are played on this date. The next day, the players' strike begins. Minor League Baseball games are not affected.
• September 14 – The remainder of the major league season (along with the postseason) is canceled by acting commissioner Bud Selig after 34 days of the players' strike. There will be no World Series for the first time since 1904.

Movies

The following are baseball movies released in 1994:

• Major League II
• Little Big League
• Angels in the Outfield
• Baseball: A Film by Ken Burns (TV documentary)
• The Scout
• Cobb

Deaths

• January 8 – Harvey Haddix, 68, All-Star pitcher best remembered for a 1959 game with the Pirates in which he threw 12 perfect innings before losing in the 13th; won 20 games for 1953 Cardinals and earned three Gold Gloves. Member of 1960 Pittsburgh Pirates, who won the World Series.
• January 9 – Johnny Temple, 66, All-Star second baseman, primarily for the Cincinnati Reds, who batted .300 three times
• January 10 – Chub Feeney, 72, National League president from 1970 to 1986
• February 12 – Ray Dandridge, 80, Hall of Fame third baseman of the Negro Leagues who often batted over .350
• March 16 – Eric Show, 37, pitcher who won 100 games for the San Diego Padres and surrendered Pete Rose's record 4,192nd hit
• May 9 – Ralph Brickner, 69, pitcher for the Boston Red Sox in the 1950s
• June 12 – Jim Brock, 57, coach at Arizona State since 1972 who led the school to two College World Series titles
• June 23 – Marv Throneberry, 62, first baseman for the Yankees, Orioles, Mets, and Kansas City A's
• July 14 – César Tovar, 54, outfielder for the Minnesota Twins who in 1968 became the second major leaguer to play all nine positions in a game; had his team's only hit on five occasions
• September 5 – Hank Aguirre, 63, All-Star pitcher who led AL in ERA in 1962 with the Detroit Tigers
• December 26 – Allie Reynolds, 77, 6-time All-Star pitcher, mainly with the Yankees, who led AL in ERA in 1952 and in strikeouts and shutouts twice; in 1951 was first AL pitcher to throw two no-hitters in same year, and was MVP runnerup in 1952; career .630 winning percentage

References

1. "Baseball's millionaires". Toledo Blade. Associated Press. August 14, 1994. p. B-5.
2. "Baseball in B.C. Place: a thing of the past?". Vancouver Courier. August 18, 2011. Retrieved February 10, 2013.
3. Box Score of Kent Mercker No Hitter Baseball Almanac. Retrieved on May 18, 2015.