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The first expansion teams in 70 years, the Los Angeles Angels and Washington Senators, make their debuts. The following year, two more expansion teams are added, Houston Colt .45s and the New York Mets to balance out the National League.
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The Georgia Peach dies at the age of 74.
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Roger Maris breaks Babe Ruth's single season home run record when he hits his 61st HR on the last day of the season. Commissioner Ford Frick stated that there would be an asterisk next to Maris' name in the record books due to the fact that Ruth hit his 60 HRs in 154 games and Maris hit his in 162 games.
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Pete Rose hits a triple off the Pirates' Bob Friend, the first of his career 4256 hits.
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Willie Mays signs the first 6 figure contract in MLB history.
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CBS becomes the 1st corporate owner of a Major League Baseball team when they buy 80% of the Yankees assets for $11,200,000.00.
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First game played at the Astrodome, the first domed stadium. Also the first stadium to install artificial turk, aptly named astroturf.
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Major League Baseball holds it's first free agent draft. Prior to this, free agents and prospects were able to sign with any club they wanted to, making it so that more desirable teams, such as the Yankees and Cardinals, could stockpile talent.
Rick Monday was the first overall pick of the draft, taken by the Athletics. The Mets, with their 10th round pick, choose Nolan Ryan. -
Casey Stengel announces his retirement after 55 years in the game. He is the only person that has either played or managed all four New York teams.
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Kansas City Athletics send Satchel Paige to the mound, He is the oldest player to ever pkay te game at 59 years old.
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Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale begin a joint holdout when their request for a 3 year, $1.05 million contract is denied.
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Marvin Miller takes over as the head of the MLBPA. During his tenure, he implements the first collective bargaining agreement, increases base salaries, pension payments and revenues.
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Nolan Ryan records his first of 5714 career strikeouts.
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Koufax and Drysdale end their holdout when they sign contracts for $130,000 and $105,000 respectively.
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Denny McLain wins his 30th game of the season, the 1st to do so since Dizzy Dean in 1934, and to date, the last player to do so.
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After the addition of four more teams, the San Diego Padres, Kansas City Royals, Seattle Pilots and Montreal Expos, the American league and National Leagues were split into 2 divisions, with both leagues each having a west and east divison. This also added a League Championship series to the playoff picture.
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The Mets trail the Cubs by 9 1/2 games. After winning 38 of their last 49 games, the Mets take the National League East.
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Curt Flood refuses a trade from the Cardinals to the Phillies, challenging baseball's reserve clause. He sits out the entire 1970 season. He files a $1,000,000 law suit against MLB, citing violation of the federal anti trust laws. Out of this comes the 10/5 rule which allows for players with 10 years experience, of which the last 5 have to be with the same team, to veto any trade.
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Hank Aaron collects his 3000th hit, the 1st player to hit for 3000 and 500 home runs.
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Commissioner Bowie Kuhn signs a $72,000,000 contract with NBC for the broadcasting rights to MLB.
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Satchel Paige finally gains entrance into Cooperstown when the Veterans Committee votes him into the Hall.
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Jim Palmer wins his 20th game, joining Dave McNally, Mike Cuellar and Pat Dobson as a 20 game winner for the 1971 Baltimore Orioles.
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The American League unanimously votes to experiment with the Designated Hitter rule for three years. In 1975, they permanently implement it.
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Roberto Clemente dies in a plane crash as he is delivering relief items to the people in Nicaragua.
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George Steinbrenner and his group of investors purchase the Yankees from CBS for $10,000,000.00.
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The HOF committee votes to waive the mandatory five year waiting period and elects Roberto Clemente into the Hall of Fame.
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Players strike over arbitrations and pensions. It is the first strike in the history of the Major Leagues. The strike ends on April 13th with the owners adding salary arbitration to the collective bargaining agreement and increasing pension payments.
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Nolan Ryan pitches his 1st of seven career no-hitters as he shuts down the Kansas City Royals.
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Hanl Aaron ties Babe Ruth's career home run record when he blasts his 714th homer. Four days later, he surpasses it.
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Bob Gibson becomes the 2nd pitcher to record 3000 strikeouts when he strikes out Cesar Geronimo in a game against the Reds.
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Billy Martin suits us for his first of five stints as the manager of the the Yankees.
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Frank Robinson becomes the first African American manager in Major League Baseball history when he is named the manager for the Cleveland Indians 1975 season.
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Houston's Bob Watson scores the 1,000,000th run in Major Leaue Baseball history, approximately four seconds before Dave Concepcion scores for the Cincinnati Reds.
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Hank Aaron hits his 755th home run, the last of his career.
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Arbitrator Peter Seitz rules that a player becomes a free agent after playing without a contract for one year with their team, basically nullifying the reserve clause.
