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The following are the baseball events of the year 1978 throughout the world.  

This year in baseball

2020s

2029 • 2028 • 2027 • 2026 • 2025
2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020

2010s

2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015
2014 • 2013 • 2012 • 2011 • 2010

2000s

2009 • 2008 • 2007 • 2006 • 2005
2004 • 2003 • 2002 • 2001 • 2000

1990s

1999 • 1998 • 1997 • 1996 • 1995
1994 • 1993 • 1992 • 1991 • 1990

1980s

1989 • 1988 • 1987 • 1986 • 1985
1984 • 1983 • 1982 • 1981 • 1980

1970s

1979 • 1978 • 1977 • 1976 • 1975
1974 • 1973 • 1972 • 1971 • 1970

1960s

1969 • 1968 • 1967 • 1966 • 1965
1964 • 1963 • 1962 • 1961 • 1960

1950s

1959 • 1958 • 1957 • 1956 • 1955
1954 • 1953 • 1952 • 1951 • 1950

1940s

1949 • 1948 • 1947 • 1946 • 1945
1944 • 1943 • 1942 • 1941 • 1940

1930s

1939 • 1938 • 1937 • 1936 • 1935
1934 • 1933 • 1932 • 1931 • 1930

1920s

1929 • 1928 • 1927 • 1926 • 1925
1924 • 1923 • 1922 • 1921 • 1920

1910s

1919 • 1918 • 1917 • 1916 • 1915
1914 • 1913 • 1912 • 1911 • 1910

1900s

1909 • 1908 • 1907 • 1906 • 1905
1904 • 1903 • 1902 • 1901 • 1900

1890s

1899 • 1898 • 1897 • 1896 • 1895
1894 • 1893 • 1892 • 1891 • 1890

1880s

1889 • 1888 • 1887 • 1886 • 1885
1884 • 1883 • 1882 • 1881 • 1880

1870s

1879 • 1878 • 1877 • 1876 • 1875
1874 • 1873 • 1872 • 1871 • 1870

1860s

1869 • 1868 • 1867 • 1866 • 1865
1864 • 1863 • 1862 • 1861 • 1860

See also
Sources


This article is currently under construction.

Champions[]

Major League Baseball[]

  League Championship Series World Series
                 
East  New York Yankees 3  
West  Kansas City Royals 1  
    AL  New York Yankees 4
  NL  Los Angeles Dodgers 2
East  Philadelphia Phillies 1
West  Los Angeles Dodgers 3  

Other champions[]

Awards and honors[]

MLB Statistical Leaders[]

American League National League
AVG Rod Carew .333 Dave Parker .334
HR Jim Rice 46 George Foster 40
RBI Jim Rice 139 George Foster 120
Wins Ron Guidry 25 Gaylord Perry 21
ERA Ron Guidry 1.74 Craig Swan 2.43
Ks Nolan Ryan CAL 260 J.R. Richard HOU 303

Major League Baseball final standings[]

American League
Rank Club Wins Losses Win % GB
East Division
1st New York Yankees 100   63 .613    --
2nd Boston Red Sox   99   64 .607   1.0
3rd Milwaukee Brewers   93   69 .574   6.5
4th Baltimore Orioles   90   71 .559   9.0
5th Detroit Tigers   86   76 .531 13.5
6th Cleveland Indians   69   90 .434 29.0
7th Toronto Blue Jays   59 102 .327 40.0
West Division
1st Kansas City Royals   92   70 .568    --
2nd Texas Rangers   87   75 .537   5.0
3rd California Angels   87   75 .537   5.0
4th Minnesota Twins   73   89 .451 19.0
5th Chicago White Sox   71   90 .441 20.5
6th Oakland Athletics   69   93 .426 23.0
7th Seattle Mariners   56 104 .350 35.0
National League
Rank Club Wins Losses Win %   GB
East Division
1st Philadelphia Phillies 90 72 .556    --
2nd Pittsburgh Pirates 88 73 .547   1.5
3rd Chicago Cubs 79 83 .488 11.0
4th Montréal Expos 76 86 .469 14.0
5th St. Louis Cardinals 69 93 .426 21.0
6th New York Mets 66 96 .407 24.0
West Division
1st Los Angeles Dodgers 95 67 .586    --
2nd Cincinnati Reds 92 69 .571   2.5
3rd San Francisco Giants 89 73 .549   6.0
4th San Diego Padres 84 78 .519 11.0
5th Houston Astros 74 88 .457 21.0
6th Atlanta Braves 69 93 .426 26.0

Events[]

  • April 13 - The New York Yankees defeat the Chicago White Sox 4-2 in their home opener on Reggie Candy Bar Day. Reggie Jackson slugs a 3-run home run in the first inning, and the field is showered with candy bars which were given out free to the fans at the game.
  • May 16 - The Cincinnati Reds' Tom Seaver strikes out 13 in beating the Montreal Expos 7-1 in Montreal.
  • May 23 - With the Oakland Athletics leading the American League Western Division (24-15), manager Bobby Winkles walks off the job. Jack McKeon takes over.
  • June 14 - Pete Rose starts his 44-game hitting streak by collecting 2 hits in the Reds' 3-1 win over the Chicago Cubs.
  • June 16 - In his 12th major league season speckled with near-misses, Cincinnati's Tom Seaver finally hurls a no-hitter. The Cardinals are the 4-0 victims as Seaver strikes out 3 batters.
  • June 17 - The Yankees' Ron Guidry strikes out 18 batters - 15 in 6 innings - in a 4-0 shutout of the California Angels, setting an American League record for lefthanders. The victory raises the New York Yankee southpaw's record to 11-0.
  • June 30 - In the first game of a 10-9, 10-5 doubleheader loss to the Atlanta Braves, the San Francisco Giants' Willie McCovey hits his 500th career home run, off Braves pitcher Jamie Easterly. McCovey becomes the 12th member of the 500th home run club. Giant Mike Ivie adds his 2nd pinch grand slam of the year in the opener. Giant Jack Clark has 3 runs in the 2 games.
  • August 1 - The Braves trounce the Reds 16-4 and stop Pete Rose's record hitting streak at 44 games. Larry McWilliams and Gene Garber are the Atlanta pitchers. Rose goes 0-for-4, including striking out in the 9th inning to end the game. Rose's streak is the 2nd-longest in major league history. He goes 70-for-182 during the skein (an average of .385).
  • August 2 - A day after his streak ends, Pete Rose collects 2 singles, a double and home run in the Reds' 6-2 win over Atlanta.
  • September 14 - 39-year-old Atlanta Braves pitcher Jim Bouton earns his 62nd and final big league victory (his first since 1970), a 4-1 win over the San Francisco Giants.
  • October 4 - Steve Garvey smashes two home runs and a triple to pace the Dodgers to a 9-5 win over the Phillies in the opener of the National League Championship Series. Davey Lopes and Steve Yeager also homer at Veterans Stadium.
  • October 5 - Tommy John notches a 4-hit shutout to beat the Philadelphia Phillies 4-0, as Davey Lopes drives in three runs. The Dodgers lead the series 2 games to 0.
  • October 6 - The Phillies stay alive with a 9-4 win in Game 3 of the National League Championship Series, led by the pitching and hitting (home run,single, 4 RBIs), of Steve Carlton.
  • October 7 - The Los Angeles Dodgers win the National League Championship Series 4-3 over the Philadelphia Phillies as Bill Russell's 10th-inning 2-out single scores Ron Cey. Dusty Baker collects four hits for Los Angeles. A walk to Cey and a routine liner that Garry Maddox muffs in center field sets up Russell's game-winner. The Dodgers won the series 3 games to 1.

Movies[]

Births[]

January-June[]

July-December[]

Deaths[]

  • January 7 - George H. Burns, 84, first baseman for five AL teams who batted .307 lifetime and won 1926 MVP award with the Cleveland Indians
  • January 13 - Joe McCarthy, 90, Hall of Fame manager who led the New York Yankees to eight pennants and record seven World Series titles; also won 1929 NL pennant with Chicago Cubs, and was first manager to capture titles in both leagues; 2125 career wins ranked 4th in major league history, and winning percentages of .615 (regular season) and .698 (postseason) were both records
  • January 27 - Monte Pearson, 69, All-Star pitcher who won 100 games, mainly with the Indians and Yankees
  • February 23 - Vic Harris, 72, outfielder and manager in the Negro Leagues who guided the Homestead Grays to seven Negro National League pennants, including five in a row from 1937 to 1941; played in six East-West All-Star games between 1933 and 1947
  • March 12 - Gene Moore, 68, All-Star right fielder known for his accurate arm
  • March 30 - Billy Cox, 58, third baseman, mainly with the Brooklyn Dodgers, known for spectacular defense
  • April 8 - Ford Frick, 83, Hall of Fame executive who served as commissioner from 1951 to 1965 and NL president from 1935 to 1951; served as ghostwriter for Babe Ruth while a sportswriter, and in 1961 ruled that home run records of Ruth and Roger Maris would be recorded separately based on season length
  • April 14 - Joe Gordon, 63, 9-time All-Star second baseman in 11 seasons for the New York Yankees and Cleveland Indians who won the 1942 MVP award; set AL record of 246 home runs at his position, later a manager and scout
  • April 20 - Jack Graney, 91, Canadian left fielder and leadoff hitter for the Cleveland Indians who led AL in walks twice and doubles once; was first batter ever to face Babe Ruth, and later became broadcaster
  • May 29 - Carl Reynolds, 75, outfielder for five teams who batted .302 lifetime
  • August 5 - Jesse Haines, 85, Hall of Fame pitcher who won 210 games, including a no-hitter, for the St. Louis Cardinals; had three 20-win seasons, and won twice in 1926 World Series
  • August 18 - George Harper, 86, outfielder for six teams who batted .300 three times
  • September 16 - Bill Foster, 74, star pitcher in the Negro Leagues where he was a dominant lefthander; later coached at Alcorn State University for two decades
  • September 23 - Lyman Bostock, 27, outfielder for the Minnesota Twins and California Angels who twice batted .300
  • October 8 - Jim Gilliam, 49, All-Star infielder for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers, previously in the Negro Leagues, who was the 1953 Rookie of the Year; led NL in triples and walks once each
  • October 27 - Rube Walberg, 82, pitcher who won 155 games, primarily with the Philadelphia Athletics
  • November 20 - Warren Brown, 84, Chicago sportswriter
  • December 9 - Dick Siebert, 66, All-Star first baseman for the Philadelphia Athletics who twice batted .300; coach at the University of Minnesota for 31 years, winning three College World Series titles
  • December 20 - Willard Mullin, 76, cartoonist whose caricature of the "Brooklyn Bum" personified the Dodgers franchise
  • December 24 - George McQuinn, 68, 7-time All-Star first baseman for the Browns and Yankees who had 34-game hitting streak in 1938
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