More 1976 Baseball Season Highlights
Below are more highlights from the 1976 baseball season, including major trades, free agent contracts, and the year's Hall of Fame inductees:
- Chicago's Bill Madlock wins the National League bat crown (.339).
- The A's have three players who steal 50 or more bases each: Bill North (75), Bert Campaneris (54), and Don Baylor (52).
- Tom Seaver fans at least 200 batters for the major league record ninth consecutive season and leads the National League in Ks for the fifth time.
- The Hall of Fame inducts Robin Roberts, Bob Lemon, Roger Connor, Fred Lindstrom, Cal Hubbard, and Oscar Charleston.
- Chicago White Sox deal Goose Gossage and Terry Forster to Pittsburgh for Richie Zisk and Silvio Martinez.
- Texas sends Jeff Burroughs to Atlanta for five players and $250,000.
- Cincinnati trades Tony Perez and Will McEnaney to Expos for Woodie Fryman and Dale Murray.
- Giants send Willie Montanez, Craig Robinson, and two other players to Atlanta for Darrell Evans and Marty Perez.
- Minnesota sends Bert Blyleven and Danny Thompson to Texas for Bill Singer, Roy Smalley, two other players, and $250,000.
- A's swap Reggie Jackson, Ken Holtzman, and Bill Van Bommell to the O's for Baylor, Mike Torrez, and Paul Mitchell prior to season.
- O's send Holtzman, Grant Jackson, Doyle Alexander, Ellie Hendricks, and Jimmy Freeman to the Yanks.
- Yanks send Scott McGregor, Tippy Martinez, Rudy May, Dave Pagan, and Rick Dempsey to the O's.
- Danny Thompson dies of leukemia.
- Bob Moose of the Pirates dies in an auto accident.
- Earle Combs dies.
- Max Carey dies.
- Red Faber dies.
- Cub Jose Cardenal goes 6-for-7 in a 14-inning game on May 2.
- The minimum player's salary is raised to $19,000; average player makes around $52,000.
- Reds leave a National League record 1,328 men on base during the season.
- Nolan Ryan is 17-18 for California with eight shutout losses.
- Ryan leads the majors with seven shutout wins.
- Detroit's Ron LeFlore hits safely in 30 consecutive games.
- Pete Rose sets a National League record for most runs by a third baseman since 1901 (130).
- Alex Johnson plays for Detroit, the seventh team with which he's played at least one full season during his career.
- Detroit's Bill Freehan retires with a .993 career FA, a record for catchers.
- Cincinnati's George Foster leads the major league in RBI (121).
- Atlanta's Jim Wynn tops the major league with 127 walks.
- Baltimore's Lee May tops the American League in RBI (109).
- Rod Carew tops the American League in runs produced with 178.
- Carew finishes third in the American League in batting at .331, making this the closest three-way bat race since 1931.
- Ranger Mike Hargrove leads the American League in walks (97), is second in OBP (.401).
- McRae tops the American League in OBP (.412); teammate Amos Otis leads the league in doubles with 40.
- Yankee Graig Nettles leads the American League with just 32 homers; teammate Roy White leads the American League in runs with 104.
- Nolan Ryan leads the major league with 327 Ks; Tom Seaver leads the National League in Ks with 235.
- Cardinal John Denny is 1976 National League ERA champ (2.52).
- Minnesota's Bill Campbell leads the American League in win pct. (.773), is third in saves (20), and tops American League pitchers in mound appearances (78).
- Rawly Eastwick of the Reds leads the major league with 26 saves.
- Jones tops the major league in CGs with (25), ties Jim Palmer for most innings in major league (315).
