1997 Major League Baseball season

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1997 MLB season
League Major League Baseball
Sport Baseball
Duration April 1, 1997 – October 26, 1997
Regular Season
Season MVP AL: Ken Griffey, Jr. (SEA)
NL: Larry Walker (COL)
League Postseason
AL champions Cleveland Indians
  AL runners-up Baltimore Orioles
NL champions Florida Marlins
  NL runners-up Atlanta Braves
World Series
Champions Florida Marlins
  Runners-up Cleveland Indians
Finals MVP Liván Hernández (FLA)
MLB seasons

The 1997 Major League Baseball season was the inaugural season for Interleague play, as well as the final season in the American League for the Milwaukee Brewers before moving to the NL the following season. The Florida Marlins ended the season as the World Champions defeating the Cleveland Indians in a seven-game World Series, four games to three.

Major league baseball final standings

Postseason

  Division Series
NBC/Fox/ESPN
League Championship Series
Fox/NBC
World Series
NBC
                           
  Central  Cleveland 3  
WC  New York Yankees 2  
  Central  Cleveland 4  
American League
  East  Baltimore 2  
East  Baltimore 3
  West  Seattle 1  
    AL  Cleveland 3
  NL  Florida 4
  East  Atlanta 3  
Central  Houston 0  
  East  Atlanta 2
National League
  WC  Florida 4  
West  San Francisco 0
  WC  Florida 3  

Awards and honors

MLB statistical leaders

  American League National League
Type Name Stat Name Stat
AVG Frank Thomas CHW .347 Tony Gwynn SDP .372
HR Ken Griffey, Jr. SEA 56 Larry Walker COL 49
RBI Ken Griffey, Jr. SEA 147 Andrés Galarraga COL 140
Wins Roger Clemens1 TOR 21 Denny Neagle ATL 20
ERA Roger Clemens1 TOR 2.05 Pedro Martínez MON 1.90
SO Roger Clemens1 TOR 292 Curt Schilling PHI 319
SV Randy Myers BAL 45 Jeff Shaw CIN 42
SB Brian Hunter DET 74 Tony Womack PIT 60

1 American League Triple Crown Pitching Winner

Managers

American League

Team Manager Notes
Anaheim Angels Terry Collins
Baltimore Orioles Davey Johnson
Boston Red Sox Jimy Williams
Chicago White Sox Terry Bevington
Cleveland Indians Mike Hargrove Won American League Pennant
Detroit Tigers Buddy Bell
Kansas City Royals Bob Boone, Tony Muser
Milwaukee Brewers Phil Garner
Minnesota Twins Tom Kelly
New York Yankees Joe Torre
Oakland Athletics Art Howe
Seattle Mariners Lou Piniella
Texas Rangers Johnny Oates
Toronto Blue Jays Cito Gaston, Mel Queen, Jr.

National League

Team Manager Notes
Atlanta Braves Bobby Cox
Chicago Cubs Jim Riggleman
Cincinnati Reds Ray Knight, Jack McKeon
Colorado Rockies Don Baylor
Florida Marlins Jim Leyland Won World Series
Houston Astros Larry Dierker
Los Angeles Dodgers Bill Russell
Montreal Expos Felipe Alou
New York Mets Bobby Valentine
Philadelphia Phillies Terry Francona
Pittsburgh Pirates Gene Lamont
St. Louis Cardinals Tony La Russa
San Diego Padres Bruce Bochy
San Francisco Giants Dusty Baker

Events

January–March

  • January 5 – Boston Red Sox pitcher Tim Wakefield escapes serious injury when he is hit by a car while out jogging. He is released from the hospital after being treated for bruises.
  • January 6 – Knuckleballer Phil Niekro is elected to the Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers' Association of America. Niekro receives 80.34% of the vote. Pitcher Don Sutton falls nine votes short of election.
  • February 20 – The Philadelphia Phillies sign free agent outfielder Danny Tartabull. Tartabull broke his foot on Opening Day and sat out the year before retiring.
  • March 5 – Nellie Fox, Tommy Lasorda and Negro Leaguer Willie Wells are elected to the Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee.

April–May

June–July

August–September

October–December

Deaths

  • January 6 – Dick Donovan, 69, All-Star pitcher, mainly with the White Sox and Indians, who led AL in ERA in 1961 and won 20 games in 1962
  • January 20 – Curt Flood, 59, All-Star center fielder who won seven Gold Gloves and batted .300 six times; challenged baseball's reserve clause all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, unsuccessfully, after refusing a trade
  • February 7 – Manny Salvo, 83, Boston pitcher who tied for the National League lead in shutouts in 1940
  • February 13 – Bobby Adams, 75, third baseman for the Cincinnati Reds/Redlegs, Chicago White Sox, Baltimore Orioles and Chicago Cubs between 1946 and 1959
  • June 1 – Mickey Rocco, 81, Cleveland first baseman who led the American League in fielding percentage at his position in 1943 and 1945
  • June 9 – Thornton Lee, 90, All-Star pitcher who won over 100 games for the White Sox; won 22 games and led AL in ERA in 1941
  • July 31 – Eddie Miller, 80, 7-time All-Star shortstop for four NL teams who led league in fielding five times
  • August 23 – Guy Curtright, 84, White Sox outfielder who finished sixth in 1943 American League batting race with a .291 average
  • September 9 – Richie Ashburn, 70, Hall of Fame center fielder for the Phillies who batted .308 lifetime, winning two batting titles, and led NL in putouts nine times, hits three times, triples twice and steals once; retired with six of the top eight single-season putout totals in history
  • September 22 – Eddie Sawyer, 87, manager who led the Phillies' "Whiz Kids" to the 1950 pennant, later a scout
  • September 26 – Woody English, 91, All-Star infielder for the Cubs who batted .300 twice
  • October 6 – Johnny Vander Meer, 82, All-Star pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds who in 1938 became the only player to pitch two consecutive no-hitters; led NL in strikeouts three times
  • October 21 – Dolph Camilli, 90, All-Star first baseman who was the NL's MVP in 1941, leading the Brooklyn Dodgers to the pennant; had five 100-RBI seasons
  • November 2 – Roy McMillan, 68, All-Star shortstop for the Reds, Braves and Mets who won the NL's first three Gold Gloves; minor league manager, coach and scout
  • November 20 – Dick Littlefield, 71, well-traveled pitcher who played for nine teams, earning 15 of his 33 wins with the Pirates
  • November 27 – Buck Leonard, 90, Hall of Fame first baseman of the Negro Leagues regularly among the league leaders in batting average and home runs