More 1989 Baseball Season Highlights

Below are more headlines from the 1989 baseball season, including year-end awards, big trades, and Hall of Fame inductees.

  • Ozzie Smith sets a major league record for shortstops when he cops his tenth Gold Glove.

  • Smith sets a major league record when he tops the National League, for the ninth time in assists by a shortstop.

  • The Hall of Fame inducts Johnny Bench, Carl Yastrzemski, Red Schoendienst, and Al Barlick.

  • Former Angels reliever Donnie Moore commits suicide.

  • Bill Terry dies.

  • Field of Dreams, featuring legend Joe Jackson, is one of the top movies of the year.

  • Yankees deal Henderson back to A's for Luis Polonia, Eric Plunk, and Greg Cadaret.

  • Minnesota trades ace lefthander Frank Viola to Mets for Rick Aguilera and four pitchers.

  • For the fourth straight season, major league teams have 24-man rosters; teams have the option to take on a 25th player but none do.

  • Dodgers extend their major league record by playing their 84th consecutive season without finishing in the cellar.

  • Kent Tekulve retires with record for most career relief appearances without ever starting a game (1,050).

  • Henderson ties an American League record when he tops the American League for ninth time in steals.

  • Philly's Tommy Herr ends the 1989 season with the best career FA by a second baseman (.988).

  • Bob Boone extends his major league record for most games as a catcher -- 2,183 through 1989.

  • For the second time since 1959, righthanded batters finish one-two in the American League bat race -- Kirby Puckett at .339 and Oakland's Carney Lansford at .336.

  • Wade Boggs tops majors with 51 doubles and ties for lead in runs (113).

  • Boggs tops the major league for the fifth year in a row in OBP (.430).

  • Texas' Jeff Russell paces American League with 38 saves.

  • Saberhagen tops majors with just 12 CGs -- the fewest ever for a major league best.

  • San Diego's Bruce Hurst and LA's Tim Belcher top National League in CGs with just ten -- the fewest ever by a loop leader.

  • Saberhagen tops majors with 262 innings -- the fewest ever by a major league leader.

  • Orel Hershiser sets a new National League record for fewest innings by a leader (257).

  • Belcher tops the major league with eight shutouts despite working only ten CGs.

  • SF's Robby Thompson leads National League with 11 triples.

  • Houston's Mike Scott is the only National League hurler to win as many as 20 games.

  • Stewart wins 21 games and Mike Moore and Storm Davis win 19 each to give the A's 59 wins from their top three hurlers.

  • Giants' Scott Garrelts paces National League in ERA (2.28).

  • Comeback Player of the Year Lonnie Smith of Atlanta tops the National League in OBP (.415) and is third in batting (.315).

  • San Diego's Jack Clark tops National League in walks (132) and has .410 OBP despite hitting only .242.

  • Toronto's Fred McGriff tops American League in homers (36).

  • Cleveland's Joe Carter trails McGriff by only one homer for an American League crown and has 105 RBI, but hits just .243 and has a dismal .292 OBP.

  • California's Bert Blyleven achieves 3,500 Ks.

  • Cardinal Pedro Guerrero and Expo Tim Wallach tie for National League lead in doubles with 42; Guerrero is also second in RBI (117).

  • Mets' Howard Johnson is a member of the 30/30 club for second time as he swipes 41 bases and bangs 36 homers.

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