More 2006 Baseball Season Highlights
Below are more highlights from the 2006 baseball season, including Miguel Tejada playing in his 1,000th consecutive game and salaries for some Yankees soaring.
- On July 1, Baltimore's Miguel Tejada becomes the seventh player in major league history to play in 1,000 consecutive games.
- With two outs in the top of the ninth inning, Texas's Michael Young slams a two-run triple that gives the American League its ninth straight All-Star Game victory.
- On September 6, Marlins rookie Anibal Sanchez pitches the first no-hitter in more than two years.
- Francisco Rodriguez of the Angels leads the American League with 47 saves.
- Philadelphia's Chase Utley paces the National League in runs (131).
- Juan Pierre of the Cubs cracks a circuit-best 204 hits.
- Four American League players make at least $19 million, and all are Yankees: Alex Rodriguez, Jason Giambi, Jeter, and Mussina.
- Detroit flamethrower Justin Verlander (17-9) breezes to the 2006 American League Rookie of the Year Award.
- Shortstop Hanley Ramirez of the Marlins is named the 2006 National League Rookie of the Year.
- Randy Johnson pockets his 4,500th career strikeout, the third most in history.
- The Cardinals open their new ballpark, which -- like its two predecessors -- is called Busch Stadium.
- Three big-league pitchers push past the 200-win mark for their careers: Pedro Martinez, Schilling, and Kenny Rogers.
- Former Negro Leaguer Buck O'Neil, age 94, becomes the oldest player to play in a professional game -- the Northern League All-Star Game in Kansas City, Kansas.
- Yankees pitcher Mike Mussina becomes the first pitcher in American League history to win 10 or more games for 15 straight seasons.
- Yankees closer Mariano Rivera records his 400th save.
- Chipper Jones of the Braves ties a major league record with an extra-base hit in 14 straight games.
- Carlos Delgado of the Mets belts his 400th career homer.
- Atlanta's record of 14 consecutive division titles is finally snapped.
- Six National League pitchers tie for the lead in wins with just 16: Webb, Aaron Harang, Derek Lowe, Brad Penny, John Smoltz, and Carlos Zambrano.
- Two American League hurlers post 19 wins each -- Santana and the Yankees' Chien-Ming Wang.
- Bonds leads the National League in walks for the 11th time.
- The Marlins have an unprecedented four first-year hurlers with at least 10 wins: Sanchez, Josh Johnson, Scott Olson, and Ricky Nolasco.
- Joe Girardi lasts just one season as manager of the Marlins, but he wins National League Manager of the Year honors after he is fired.
- Tigers skipper Jim Leyland takes home the 2006 American League Manager of the Year Award.
- Carl Crawford of Tampa Bay wins his third consecutive triples title (16) and his second consecutive stolen base crown (58).
- Jose Reyes of the Mets repeats as National League leader in triples (17) and steals (64).
- Seattle's Ichiro Suzuki tops the American League in hits (224).
- Grady Sizemore of the Indians leads the American League with 53 doubles.
- Rangers pitcher R.A. Dickey ties a major league record by allowing six home runs in just 3-1/3 innings.
- The reigning champion White Sox have more wins than any National League team except the Mets, but they fail to make the playoffs.
- Pitcher Greg Maddux wins his 16th Gold Glove Award, tying him with Jim Kaat and Brooks Robinson for the most Gold Gloves for a career.
- The Baseball Hall of Fame's Special Committee on the Negro Leagues selects 17 Negro Leaguers for induction.
- Pitcher Bruce Sutter is elected to the Hall of Fame.
- On October 11, Yankees pitcher Corey Lidle dies when he pilots his small plane into a Manhattan building.
- In November, the Red Sox pay $51.1 million for the rights to negotiate with Japanese pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka. Then they sign him to a multiyear, $51 million contract.
To learn more about baseball, see:
- 2005 Baseball Season
- Baseball History
- How Baseball Works
- How the Baseball Hall of Fame Works
- How Minor League Baseball Teams Work
- Babe Ruth
