2011 in baseball

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The following are the baseball events of the year 2011 throughout the world.

[edit] Upcoming Events

[edit] Major League Baseball

Main article: 2011 Major League Baseball season

August

August 15: Last day for teams to sign 2011 First-Year Player Draft selections who have remaining college eligibility. Deadline is midnight.

August 31: Postseason eligibility lists are established at midnight.

September

September 1: Active rosters expand from 25 to 40 players.

September 11: 9/11 Remembrance.

September 14: Roberto Clemente Day.

September 28: Official closing of the 2011 season.

October

American League and National League playoffs (TBD).

2011 World Series (TBD).

December

December 5: Last time to outright a player prior to the Rule 5 Draft – 5 p.m. ET.

December 7: Last date for player who declared free agency to accept an arbitration offer from former club. Deadline is midnight ET.

December 5–8: Baseball Winter Meetings at Dallas, Texas.

December 8: Major League Rule 5 Draft at Dallas, Texas.

December 12: Last date to tender contracts is midnight ET.

[edit] Other

August 19–29: The 2011 Little League World Series will be played in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania.

[edit] Champions

[edit] Other Champions

Amateur
- College
International
- International club team competitions
  - Caribbean Series: Yaquis de Obregón (Mexico)
- Domestic leagues

[edit] Events

[edit] January

January 1 - Baltimore Orioles relief pitcher Alfredo Simon is arrested in connection to the shooting death of his cousin, Michael Castillo Almonte, 25, in the city of Luperon in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic. Almonte's 17-year-old younger brother Starlling Castillo is also injured in the incident. According to Simon, he was firing celebratory shots in the air as part of the New Year’s custom in the Dominican Republic. He is denied bail on February 1.

January 3 - Former National League Cy Young Award winner Brandon Webb joins the American League champion Texas Rangers, signing a one-year contract worth $3 million with another $5 million in incentives.

January 5
- Roberto Alomar and Bert Blyleven are elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Barry Larkin is the highest vote recipient not to receive the 75% requirement. He was named on 62.1% of the ballots.
- Third baseman Adrian Beltre joins the Texas Rangers, signing a six-year deal worth $96 million.

January 6 - First baseman Derrek Lee signs with the Baltimore Orioles for one year.

January 8
- During an open house for constituents hosted by U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords of Arizona, 22-year-old gunman Jared Lee Loughner kills six people, including U.S. District Judge John Roll, Giffords' aide Gabe Zimmerman and 9-year-old Christina-Taylor Green, daughter of Los Angeles Dodgers scout John Green, and granddaughter of former big league manager Dallas Green.
- The Tampa Bay Rays trade Matt Garza, Fernando Perez and Zach Rosscup to the Chicago Cubs for Christopher Archer, Brandon Guyer, Hak-Ju Lee, Robinson Chirinos and Sam Fuld.

Trevor Hoffman retired with an MLB record 601 saves

January 10 - After four injury plagued seasons, 1996 Major League Baseball Draft number one overall pick Kris Benson announces his retirement.

January 11 - Trevor Hoffman, the all-time saves leader (601), announces his retirement.

January 18
- Seattle Mariners outfielder Milton Bradley is arrested in Los Angeles for allegedly making criminal threats against a woman.
- Rather than face another shoulder surgery, Kansas City Royals pitcher Gil Meche announces his retirement despite a guaranteed contract that called for a $12 million salary in 2011.

January 21 - The Los Angeles Angels acquire outfielder Vernon Wells from the Toronto Blue Jays for catcher Mike Napoli and outfielder Juan Rivera. The Jays then send Napoli to the Texas Rangers for reliever Frank Francisco and cash considerations on January 25.

January 22 - Detroit Tigers team president/general manager Dave Dombrowski announces that the club will be retiring former manager Sparky Anderson's number 11. The team will wear a blue patch on the right sleeve of their uniforms, bearing "Sparky" and number 11.

January 24 - Armando Galarraga, who rose to national stardom on June 2, 2010 when he was denied a perfect game by an errant call by umpire Jim Joyce, is traded by the Detroit Tigers to the Arizona Diamondbacks for minor leaguers Kevin Eichhorn and Ryan Robowski.

January 29 - The Yaquis de Obregon beat the Algodoneros de Guasave in Game 7 of the Mexican Pacific League championship series, Obregon won it's fifth title.

[edit] February

February 4
- Irving Picard's lawsuit seeking up to about $1 billion against Fred Wilpon, Jeff Wilpon, Saul Katz and various affiliated entities affiliated with the New York Mets and Sterling Equities Associates to recover money for the victims of the Bernie Madoff Ponzi scheme is unsealed by a Manhattan court. The civil suit alleges that the partners in Sterling knew or should have known that Madoff's investment operation was a fraud.
- After months of speculation, New York Yankees pitcher Andy Pettitte announced his retirement at Yankee Stadium.

February 7 - Wake Forest University baseball coach Tom Walter donates a kidney to freshman outfielder Kevin Jordan. Jordan was diagnosed in April 2010 as suffering from ANCA csculitis. Walter was tested in December to see if he would be a match, and learned January 28 that he was. Jordan was drafted by the New York Yankees in the nineteenth round of the 2010 Major League Baseball Draft, and has yet to play for Wake Forest.

February 12 - Cleveland Indians outfielder Austin Kearns is arrested on charges of driving under the influence near his home in Lexington, Kentucky.

February 15 - St. Louis Cardinals legend Stan Musial is honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama. Also receiving the award is President George Bush, John H. Adams, Maya Angelou, Warren Buffet, Jasper Johns, Holocaust survivor Gerda Weissmann Klein, Congressman John Lewis, Dr. Thomas Emmett Little, Yo-Yo Ma, Sylvia Mendez, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, NBA star Bill Russell, Jean Kennedy Smith and John Sweeney. Little, who was murdered last year in Afghanistan, was represented by his wife.^[1]

February 17 - Detroit Tigers slugger Miguel Cabrera is arrested in the early morning hours for a DUI. Cabrera's car was discovered parked on the side of a road in Fort Pierce, Florida with Cabrera inside, allegedly intoxicated with a .26 blood alcohol level. When police arrived, he began drinking from a bottle of Scotch he had on the front seat, and later resisted arrest. He issues an apology upon arrival at training camp on February 24, and announces that he will be undergoing treatment set up by doctors administered by management and its players' union.

February 21 - Justine Siegal throws batting practice to Lou Marson, Paul Phillips, Juan Apodaca and five prospects at the Cleveland Indians' Spring training camp in Goodyear, Arizona. She is the first woman to ever throw batting practice to professional hitters.

February 24 - St. Louis Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak announces that Cy Young Award candidate Adam Wainwright will require Tommy John surgery to replace the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow, and thus will miss the entire 2011 season and part of 2012.

[edit] March

March 2 - Following a three error first inning, including one by third baseman Aramis Ramirez, Chicago Cubs starter Carlos Silva and Ramirez get into a dugout skirmish. According to Silva, he said "We need to start making plays here" as he left the mound and entered the dugout, and Ramirez took it personally. Silva also gave up two home runs to the Milwaukee Brewers in the inning.

March 18
- The New York Mets release veteran second baseman Luis Castillo. In 28 Grapefruit League at-bats, Castillo hit .286 with no extra-base hits, committing one error.
- The Hall of Fame will honor ″Talkin' Baseball″ composer and singer Terry Cashman this summer as part of induction weekend, 30 years after his song that pays homage to Willie Mays, Mickey Mantle and Duke Snider became a ballpark favorite. The 69-year-old Cashman will perform his ballpark anthem once again during ceremonies on July 23, the day before Roberto Alomar, Bert Blyleven and Pat Gillick are inducted.^[2]

March 21
- All-time home runs leader and seven-time National League Most Valuable Player Barry Bonds' perjury trial begins. Bonds faces four charges of perjury and one charge of obstruction of justice.
- The New York Mets release Oliver Perez, and will absorb the remaining $12 million on the three-year, $36 million deal he signed with the Mets back in 2009. Meanwhile, Luis Castillo signs to a Minor League contract with the Philadelphia Phillies.

March 23 - Opening Day in Nippon Professional Baseball is pushed back a week due to the effects of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. The Central League agreed to a government request to push back the new season until March 29, a statement from the Central League directors said. The league had been due to start on March 25.^[3]

March 29 - Major League Baseball and its players' union announce a new set of protocols for dealing with concussions, including the creation of a new seven-day disabled list for players with the injury.^[4]

March 31 - San Francisco Giants fan Bryan Stow is beaten in the Dodger Stadium parking lot by two men in Los Angeles Dodgers gear after the Dodgers defeat the Giants 2-1 in the season opener. Stow is left with brain damage, prompting an outpouring of support for the victim that includes rewards totaling more than $200,000 for information leading to the suspects' arrests.

[edit] April

April 2
- Cleveland Indians first baseman Carlos Santana makes a diving catch of an Alexi Ramirez bunt, and turns it into the first triple play of the season.
- Former major leaguer Edgar Martínez has two records broken on this day. At Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, in a 12-5 loss to the Texas Rangers, David Ortiz of the Boston Red Sox breaks Martinez' record for most career runs batted in by a designated hitter. His fourth-inning groundout scores Adrián González and gives Ortiz 1,004 RBIs as a DH, surpassing Martinez' record of 1,003. At Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum hours later, Ichiro Suzuki of the Seattle Mariners goes 2-for-5 in the Mariners' 5-2 victory over the Oakland Athletics. The two hits give Suzuki 2,248, breaking Martinez' record of 2,247 hits in a Mariner uniform.^[5]^[6]

April 3 - In the Texas Rangers' 5–1 victory over the Boston Red Sox, Ian Kinsler and Nelson Cruz became the first set of teammates to hit home runs in each of the first three games in a Major League season. Kinsler also became the first leadoff hitter to hit home runs in each of his team's first two games, bringing his career total of leadoff homers with the Rangers to fifteen, a team's record.^[7]

April 6 - The defense in the Barry Bonds perjury case rests without calling a single witness to the stand. After prosecutors drop one of the five charges against Bonds, and call 25 witnesses to the stand over 2½ weeks, the defense takes just one minute to present its side. Prosecutors dropped the count accusing Bonds of lying to a grand jury in 2003 when he said prior to that season he never took anything other than vitamins from trainer Greg Anderson.

April 8
- Tampa Bay Rays slugger Manny Ramírez retires. After testing positive for a banned substance for the second time in his career during Spring training, he informed Major League Baseball the he will retire rather than face a 100-game suspension.
- The University of California announces that its varsity baseball program, eliminated in 2010, will be reinstated.

April 9- During the Pittsburgh Pirates game against the Colorado Rockies, 41-year old Scott Ashley is tasered by Pittsburgh Police after being beaten six times. Ashley is the second fan to be tasered during a Major League game.

April 11 - The Yuma Scorpions of the North American League, name Jose Canseco manager and twin brother Ozzie Canseco bench coach and hitting coach. Both brothers will also play for Yuma.

April 13 - The jury deciding the federal case against Barry Bonds finds him guilty of obstruction of justice. The jury was hung on the three counts of making false declarations during his 2003 testimony before the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative (BALCO) grand jury, resulting in a mistrial.

April 15 - Lenny Dykstra is arrested by Los Angeles police at his Encino, California home on suspicion of trying to buy a stolen car. Prosecutors later decline to file charges, however, he is transferred to federal authorities on unrelated charges of illegally removing and selling personal property from his $18 million mansion without permission of a bankruptcy trustee, according to a federal criminal complaint filed on April 22. He is released on $150,000 bond on April 20, and ordered to seek outpatient substance abuse treatment, as authorities said he had cocaine and ecstasy in his possession when he was originally arrested.

April 16 - The Inland Empire 66ers come back from a 16-7 deficit, scoring ten runs in the sixth inning, two in the seventh and five in the ninth en route to a 24-19 victory over the Bakersfield Blaze. Every player in the 66ers starting lineup had multiple hits, and all ten who batted in the ballgame scored at least once. The game takes four-hours and 55-minutes, the longest in California League history.

Dodgers outfielder Andre Ethier set a major league record for the month of April with a 26 game hitting streak

April 17 - In Cincinnati, Andrew McCutchen opened the game with a home run against Edinson Volquez, then singled home the tiebreaking run in the eighth inning, rallying Pittsburgh to a 7–6 win over the Cincinnati Reds. McCutchen and José Tábata started the game with back-to-back homers, being the third time that is happened in Pirates history. Pete Coscarart and James Russell did it against the Boston Braves in 1945, and Omar Moreno and Johnny Ray against the Houston Astros in 1982.

April 20 - Commissioner Bud Selig announces that Major League Baseball will take over operations of the Los Angeles Dodgers from owner Frank McCourt.

“

Pursuant to my authority as Commissioner, I informed Los Angeles Dodgers owner Frank McCourt today that I will appoint a representative to oversee all aspects of the business and the day to day operations of the club. I have taken this action because of my deep concerns regarding the finances and operations of the Dodgers and to protect the best interests of the club, its great fans and all of Major League Baseball. My office will continue its thorough investigation into the operations and finances of the Dodgers and related entities during the period of Mr. McCourt's ownership. I will announce the name of my representative in the next several days. The Dodgers have been one of the most prestigious franchises in all of sports, and we owe it to their legion of loyal fans to ensure that this club is being operated properly now and will be guided appropriately in the future.

”

April 23 - Atlanta Braves pitching coach Roger McDowell is accused of making homophobic comments and crude gestures toward fans during batting practice before a game against the Giants in San Francisco. The Braves place McDowell on administrative leave on April 29. Pitching coach duties are taken over by Braves Minor League pitching coordinator Dave Wallace.

April 24 - The Texas League's San Antonio Missions defeat the Midland RockHounds 21-8. It is the third time San Antonio scored at least twenty runs in April (23-10 over the Tulsa Drillers on April 11, and 26-5 over the Northwest Arkansas Naturals on April 15).

April 25
- Baseball commissioner Bud Selig appoints former Texas Rangers president Tom Schieffer to oversee the Los Angeles Dodgers' business and financial operations.
- Chicago Cubs shortstop Starlin Castro commits three errors in the second inning of the Cubs' 5-3 loss to the Colorado Rockies.
- Los Angeles Angels pitcher Jered Weaver pitches a complete game shutout of the Oakland A's to improve his record to 6-0 with a 0.99 ERA and 49 strikeouts. He is the first pitcher to go 6-0 by April 25, and is the fourth player in Major League history to go 6-0 in March and April, the last being Brandon Webb with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2008. It is the fifth time a pitcher has done this, with Randy Johnson having done it twice.

April 26 - Los Angeles Dodgers right fielder Andre Ethier established a major league record for the month of April by extending his hitting streak to 23 games, surpassing former manager Joe Torre's 1971 record for the longest hitting streak during the month of April. The streak would ultimately last thirty games, ending on May 7 against the New York Mets.

April 27 - Chicago White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen is ejected for arguing a called third strike on Paul Konerko with home plate umpire Todd Tichenor in a 3-1 loss to the New York Yankees. Following his ejection, Guillen posted on his Twitter account, "This one is going to cost me a lot of money this is patetic," and "Today a tough guy show up at yankee stadium." Guillen is fined $50,000 and receives a two game suspension, as according to MLB rules, all social media messages must stop thirty minutes prior to the first pitch, and they can resume after the game at the individual club's discretion. His fine is later reduced to $20,000.

April 28
- In a sweep of a doubleheader with the Minnesota Twins, the Tampa Bay Rays' Ben Zobrist goes seven-for-ten, collecting ten RBIs. He set a club record with eight RBIs in the opener, on a home run and two doubles, and hit a two-run home run in the second game. Zobrist is just the fourth player to record at least seven hits and ten RBIs in a single day since RBIs became an official statistic in 1920. The other three are Jim Bottomley (1929 Cardinals), Pete Fox (1935 Tigers) and Nate Colbert (1972 Padres).
- Atlanta Braves pitcher Derek Lowe is charged with drunken driving. A Georgia State Patrolman stopped Lowe’s vehicle upon seeing it race another car down an Atlanta street. The trooper detected the odor of an alcoholic beverage and administered a field sobriety test, which Lowe failed.

[edit] May

May 1 - At the end of the eighth inning of ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball broadcast between the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies, ESPN's Dan Shulman announces that Osama bin Laden, mastermind behind the terroristic attacks of September 11th, 2001, has been killed by U.S. special forces in Pakistan. As news spreads throughout Citizens Bank Park, the sellout crowd began chanting "U-S-A! U-S-A!" The Mets went on to win the game 2-1 in fourteen innings.

May 2 - Cleveland Indians outfielder Shin-Soo Choo is arrested in the early morning in Sheffield Lake, Ohio on charges of driving under the influence.

May 3 - At U.S. Cellular Field, Francisco Liriano of the Minnesota Twins hurls the first no-hitter of the season over the Chicago White Sox. Despite walking six batters, he is helped out by three double plays. A fourth-inning home run by Jason Kubel off Edwin Jackson (himself a no-hit pitcher on June 25, 2010) accounts for the game's only run. The game is Liriano's first complete game in 95 Major League starts and the first no-hitter by a Twin since Eric Milton in 1999. The White Sox, meanwhile, had last been no-hit by the Kansas City Royals' Bret Saberhagen in 1991.

May 7 - At Rogers Centre, the Detroit Tigers' Justin Verlander no-hits the Toronto Blue Jays 9-0, the second no-hitter of the season. Verlander's no-hitter occurs just four days after Francisco Liriano (see above) pitches a no-hitter against the Chicago White Sox. He retires the first 22 batters he faces before a walk to J.P. Arencibia spoils his bid for a perfect game. Arencibia is then erased on Edwin Encarnación's double play ground ball, allowing Verlander to face the minimum 27 batters. The no-hitter is the second in Verlander's career; he had also no-hit the Milwaukee Brewers on June 12, 2007. Verlander becomes the second Tigers pitcher since Virgil Trucks, and the thirtieth pitcher in the history of baseball, to throw multiple no-hitters. Like the White Sox, victims of Liriano's no-hitter four days earlier, the Blue Jays had last been no-hit in 1991, on May 1 by Nolan Ryan—the seventh and last no-hitter of Ryan's career.

May 12 - In a 9–5 victory over the Colorado Rockies, the New York Mets' Carlos Beltrán clubs three home runs, hitting at least one from each side of the plate. He is the eighth Met to accomplish this feat. José Reyes, Edgardo Alfonzo, Gary Carter, Darryl Strawberry, Claudell Washington, Dave Kingman and Jim Hickman are the others.

May 13 - Minnesota Twins legend Harmon Killebrew announces that his esophageal cancer has progressed to the point where he is no longer able to fight the disease, and that he has settled into hospice care for the final days of his life. He passes away peacefully at his home in Scottsdale, Arizona on May 17, with his wife, Nita, and their family at his side.

“

It is with profound sadness that I share with you that my continued battle with esophageal cancer is coming to an end. With the continued love and support of my wife, Nita, I have exhausted all options with respect to controlling this awful disease. My illness has progressed beyond my doctors' expectation of cure.

”

May 14 - Alex Cabrera of the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks hit his 350th career home run in Japanese baseball. At 1,169 games, Cabrera is the quickest player in NPB history to 350 homers. Previously, he was also the quickest to hit 150 homers (380th game); 200 homers (538th game); 250 homers (733rd game; tied with Ralph Bryant), and 300 homers (934th game). Cabrera also missed being the quickest to 100 homers by one game (Bryant hold the record at 246 games).^[8]

May 16 - The Minnesota Twins announce that they will wear 1961 throwbacks at all their home games for the remainder of the season as a tribute to Harmon Killebrew.

May 18 - Target Field, home of the Minnesota Twins, is named "Sports Facility of the Year" by Street & Smith's Sports Business Journal and Sports Business Daily at the 2011 Sports Business Awards Ceremony in New York City, beating out the Orlando Magic's Amway Arena, the Kansas City Chiefs' Arrowhead Stadium, the Pittsburgh Penguins' Consol Energy Center, the New York Red Bulls' Red Bull Arena and New Meadowlands Stadium, which is shared by the New York Giants and New York Jets.

Hall of famer Gary Carter & his wife, Sandy

May 20
- Four "very small" tumors are discovered on the brain of Hall of Fame catcher Gary Carter during an MRI. Preliminary results from biopsies performed on a single tumor on May 27 at Duke University determines that it appears to be malignant.
- In the Chicago Cubs' first visit to Fenway Park since the 1918 World Series, Boston's Kevin Youkilis hits a two-run home run in the fourth inning to give him 500 career RBIs. The Cubs commit four errors on their way to losing 15-5 in their return to Fenway, not including a dropped fly ball by right fielder Reed Johnson that was originally called an error, then changed to a double.

May 21
- At U.S. Cellular Field, Mark Buehrle records his 24th career interleague victory as the Chicago White Sox defeat the Los Angeles Dodgers 9-2. Buehrle breaks the first-place tie he had shared with Jamie Moyer for most career interleague wins.
- A day after cruising to a 15-5 victory courtesy of four errors by the Cubs, the Boston Red Sox commit three errors in one inning, allowing the Chicago Cubs to score eight runs on their way to a 9-3 victory. It is the Cubs' first victory at Fenway Park since Game 5 of the 1918 World Series when Hippo Vaughn pitched a five hit shutout to beat Sad Sam Jones and the Bosox 3-0.
- The New York Yankees leave no runners on base in their 7-3 victory over the New York Mets. It is the first time the Yankees accomplished this feat since April 26, 1988 against the Kansas City Royals. Derek Jeter records his 326th career stolen base, tying Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson for the franchise record. The win also snaps a six game losing streak at home, their longest since 2003.

May 23 - Corey Hart hit his first three home runs of the season and drove in seven runs to tie both club game-records, lifting the Milwaukee Brewers past the Washington Nationals, 11–3, at Miller Park.

May 24 - As the Colorado Rockies face the Arizona Diamondbacks in a double header, 27-year-old Robert Seamans loses his balance while sliding down a stairway railing in the outfield Rockpile seating section of Coors Field. He falls more than twenty feet onto a stairwell, suffering head injuries, and was taken to a local hospital. Seamans dies on May 26 due to his injuries.

May 25
- The New York Yankees' Mariano Rivera becomes the first pitcher in MLB history to make 1,000 appearances with one team, reaching the milestone by retiring the side in the ninth inning of the Yankees' 7–3 win over the Toronto Blue Jays. Rivera also becomes the 15th pitcher in MLB history with 1,000 career appearances.^[9]
- The Philadelphia Phillies defeat the Cincinnati Reds 5-4 in nineteen innings. Phillies second baseman Wilson Valdez pitches the nineteenth inning for Philadelphia to pick up his first career win. Raúl Ibáñez hit a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the inning with one out and the bases loaded to drive in Jimmy Rollins.
- It is revealed that during an April 22 visit to Bryan Stow at Los Angeles County-University of Southern California Medical Center, Former San Francisco Giants star Barry Bonds volunteered to pay for the college education of the two children of the critically injured Giants fan.^[10]

May 26 - The New York Mets agree to sell a minority, non-operating investment in the team to David Einhorn, president of Greenlight Capital Inc., for $200 million, pending the completion of exclusive negotiations and approval by Major League Baseball owners. The deal gives him a one-third stake in the team, has an option to own sixty percent in three years.

[edit] June

June 1 - World Baseball Classic Inc. announces the introduction of a play-in round for the 2013 World Baseball Classic that will allow twelve new countries to compete for the first time. The new round will bring in sixteen teams divided into four pools, and the winner of each pool will advance to play in the World Baseball Classic. Canada, Chinese Taipei, Panama and South Africa -- will compete in the play-in round after not winning a game in the 2009 World Baseball Classic. New participants will include France, Spain, Great Britain, Germany, New Zealand, Colombia, Nicaragua, Brazil, Israel, Thailand, the Czech Republic and the Philippines.

June 2 - On the first anniversary of Armando Galarraga's near-perfect game, Major League Baseball puts a rule into effect that Jim Joyce, the first-base umpire whose incorrect call cost Gallaraga the perfect game, cannot umpire any games in which Galarraga’s team plays. The two have become business partners after releasing a book on the game, and this relationship could affect Joyce's impartiality while umpiring Galarraga's team. The policy is similar to the one that prevents Jim Wolf from being the home plate umpire in games that his younger brother Randy pitches in.

June 6 - The hard-throwing UCLA tandem of Gerrit Cole (1) and Trevor Bauer (3), respectively selected by Pittsburgh and Arizona, marked the first time since 1978 that two college teammates had been taken in the top three picks of the annual Draft. Arizona State had earned the honor last time, with Bob Horner and Hubie Brooks taken first and third overall.

June 7 - Yuma Scorpions player/manager Jose Canseco enters a game against the Lake County Fielders at pitcher. He faces four batters, striking out one. It is the first time Canseco pitches in a professional game since he famously pitched an inning for the Texas Rangers on May 29, 1993, injured his arm, and was lost for the remainder of the season. The Fielders defeat the Scorpions 10-4.

June 10 - At Miller Park, Tony La Russa of the St. Louis Cardinals manages his 5,000th game, joining Connie Mack (7,755) as the only managers to reach this milestone. The Milwaukee Brewers, however, shut out the Cardinals 8-0.

June 19 - With the Florida Marlins on a nine game losing streak, and having won only one game in the month of June (June 10 against the Arizona Diamondbacks), manager Edwin Rodriguez resigns. Marlins bench coach Brandon Hyde replaces Rodriguez for the evening's game (a 2-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays that brought the team's losing streak to ten games). The following day, the Marlins name Jack McKeon interim manager. At 80 years old, he is the oldest manager in National League history, and second oldest in Major League history after only Connie Mack, who managed the Philadelphia Athletics in 1950 at age 87.

June 20 - In his return to managing, Florida Marlins manager Jack McKeon benches star Shortstop Hanley Ramírez for being late to a team meeting.

June 23 - Following a 1-0 victory over the Seattle Mariners at Nationals Park, Washington Nationals manager Jim Riggleman steps down as manager of the team. After the team had won eleven of its last twelve games, Riggleman wanted to discuss his option for 2012 picked up with general manager Mike Rizzo. When Rizzo refused, the team accepted his resignation. On the topic, Rizzo stated the following:

“

The timing of it, that he resigned at this time when we're playing so well and coming off a homestand that we should be celebrating ... I'm disappointed that this is a distraction. This is not thinking of the team first, it's thinking of personal things first. That's what disappoints me the most.

”

June 24 - Washington Nationals interim manager John McLaren is ejected in the eighth inning of his only game at the helm. The Nats go on to defeat the Chicago White Sox 9-5 in fourteen innings. Davey Johnson is named manager of the Washington Nationals the following day.

June 26 - The Detroit Tigers officially retire former manager Sparky Anderson's number 11 jersey. ^[11]

June 27 - Unable to make their $40 million payroll obligations for the week, the Los Angeles Dodgers file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in a Delaware court. Chapter 11 filings were also made for LA Real Estate LLC, an affiliated entity that owns Dodger Stadium, and three other related holding companies. Meanwhile, on the field, the Dodgers put up fifteen runs and collect 25 hits while shutting out the Minnesota Twins at Target Field. The 25 hits were the most by any team in the Majors this season, and matched a Dodgers club record, last reached on May 19, 2006 against the Los Angeles Angels. It was the first time in Los Angeles Dodgers history, every player in the lineup had at least one hit, one run and one RBI.

June 28 - The South Carolina Gamecocks defeat the Florida Gators 5-2 at TD Ameritrade Park to win their second consecutive College World Series.

June 29 - The Detroit Tigers hit five home runs against the New York Mets, yet lose despite the fact that the Mets hit none. It was the first time since August 8 2007 a team won despite being out-homered by at least five (Tampa Bay Rays over the Baltimore Orioles). With their 16-9 victory, the Mets set a team record with 52 runs scored in a four-game span. They have 69 hits during this stretch.

June 30 - The Oakland A's deal second baseman Mark Ellis to the Colorado Rockies for right-handed pitcher Bruce Billings and a player to be named later.

[edit] July

July 7
- Texas Rangers left fielder Josh Hamilton tosses a foul ball to Shannon Stone, a fan in the stands at Rangers Ballpark, during the second inning of their 6-0 victory over the Oakland A's. After reaching over the railing and catching the ball, Stone falls approximately twenty feet head first from section 5 in the left field lower reserved seats into the opening behind the out-of-town scoreboard. He is immediately attended to by emergency personnel and taken to John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth. Witnesses said Stone was conscious after landing and spoke about his six year old son, Cooper, being left alone. Stone went into full arrest on the way, and was pronounced dead at the hospital; an autopsy ruled the cause as blunt force trauma from the fall.
- The Baltimore Orioles and Boston Red Sox become embroiled in a bench clearing brawl when Orioles closer Kevin Gregg throws three inside pitches, then says something and makes a gesture to Bosox slugger David Ortiz to run out his sacrifice fly. Both are immediately ejected, along with Red Sox catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Orioles reliever Jim Johnson. The following day, Red Sox pitcher John Lackey hits Nick Markakis and Derek Lee with pitches in his team's 4-0 victory. Red Sox manager Terry Francona and rookie starter Kyle Weiland are ejected from the game on the 10th after Weiland throws at two Orioles batters. Orioles reliever Michael Gonzalez later throws a pitch behind Ortiz, and is immediately ejected along with O's manager Buck Showalter. On the 14th, Gregg and Ortiz are given four game suspensions, with Gregg slapped with a $2,500 fine as well. Gonzalez is fined $1,500 and suspended three games, and Showalter is suspended one game, which he served in the Orioles' series opener against the Cleveland Indians on the 14th. Johnson also receives a $500 fine, and Lackey is fined an undisclosed amount.

July 9 - At Yankee Stadium, Derek Jeter of the New York Yankees becomes the 28th member of the 3,000 hit club, homering off David Price in the third inning of the Yankees' 5-4 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays. Jeter becomes the first player to reach the milestone exclusively as a Yankee, and only the second to do so with a home run, joining Wade Boggs in 1999. He also becomes the first player to go 5-for-5 the day of achieving his 3000th hit and only the second to collect five hits in the game, joining Craig Biggio in 2007. In the eighth inning, his fifth hit scores Eduardo Núñez with the winning run.

July 12 - Prince Fielder's fourth inning three run home run leads the NL past the AL in the 82nd All-Star Game at Chase Field. Shortly after Fielder is named the All-Star Game MVP, his team, the Milwaukee Brewers, announces that they have acquired reliever Francisco Rodriguez from the New York Mets for two players to be named later.

July 14 - The Roger Clemens perjury trial is declared a mistrial by Judge Reggie Walton on just the second day of testimony after the government introduces evidence before the jury that Walton had ruled inadmissible.

July 15 - At Turner Field, the Atlanta Braves defeat the Washington Nationals 11-1 for the 10,000th victory in franchise history. The franchise, which began in Boston from 1876 and moved to Milwaukee in 1953 and Atlanta in 1966, becomes the third franchise to win 10,000 games in its history, joining the New York/San Francisco Giants (10,489) and Chicago Cubs (10,277). ^[12]

July 20 - Hideki Matsui clubs his 168th Major League home run. Coupled with the 332 hit while playing with the Yomiuri Giants of Nippon Professional Baseball (1993–2002), Matsui becomes the first player in the history of baseball to collect 500 home runs spread out over both leagues.

July 26-27 - The Atlanta Braves and Pittsburgh Pirates play a nineteen inning marathon (the longest game in either franchise's history) that ends in the early morning hours home plate umpire Jerry Meals calls Julio Lugo safe at the plate regardless of the fact that Pirates catcher Michael McKenry applied a swipe tag on Julio Lugo's right leg while Lugo was still several inches away from home plate. Meals appeared in good position to see the play, yet still made an errant call alloying the Braves to emerge as the 4-3 victors.

July 27
- The Chicago White Sox acquire relief pitcher Jason Frasor and pitching prospect Zach Stewart from the Toronto Blue Jays for pitcher Edwin Jackson and third baseman Mark Teahen. About two hours later, the Jays send Jackson to the St. Louis Cardinals, with relievers Octavio Dotel and Marc Rzepczynski and outfielder Corey Patterson and three players to be named later or cash, for outfielder Colby Rasmus, left-handers Brian Tallet and Trever Miller and right-hander P.J. Walters.
- The San Francisco Giants acquire outfielder Carlos Beltran from the New York Mets for minor league pitching prospect Zack Wheeler.
- The Los Angeles Angels' Ervin Santana no-hits the Cleveland Indians. Despite not giving up a hit, his team was down 1-0 until a fifth inning sacrifice fly by Mike Trout, as Ezequiel Carrera reached base on an error by shortstop Erick Aybar in the first, proceeded to steal second, reach third on Asdrubal Cabrera's ground out, and score on a wild pitch. The Angels win by a final score of 3-1.

July 28 - Three RBI games by Lucas Duda and Jason Bay give the New York Mets a 10-9 win over the Cincinnati Reds to complete a four game sweep at Great American Ballpark. It is the first sweep of a four game series against the Reds in their history.

July 29 - The Philadelphia Phillies acquire outfielder Hunter Pence from the Houston Astros for minor league pitchers Jarred Cosart & Josh Zeid, first baseman Jonathan Singleton and a player to be named later. Both Cosart and Singleton were with the Class A Clearwater Threshers and both were ranked on Baseball America’s Midseason Top 50 prospects list, with Singleton placing at number 41 and Cosart at number 43.

July 30
- In the second game of a doubleheader, the New York Yankees set a franchise record for most runs in the first inning of a game, with twelve runs scored off in the first inning of their 17-3 win over the Baltimore Orioles.
- The Pittsburgh Pirates acquire first baseman Derrek Lee from the Baltimore Orioles for minor league first baseman Aaron Baker.

July 31
- After he believed he was being taunted after home runs by Magglio Ordoñez and Carlos Guillén of the Detroit Tigers, Los Angeles Angels pitcher Jared Weaver intentionally throws at Alex Avila's head and is ejected - immediately after both sides were warned. Angels manager Mike Scioscia is also ejected for permitting Weaver to do so. Two days later, Weaver is suspended six games and fined an undisclosed amount, while Scioscia is suspended one game.^[13]
- On the final day of the trade deadline, the Cleveland Indians acquire pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez from the Colorado Rockies in exchange for a package of four prospects that included the top two pitching prospects in Cleveland's farm system (pitchers Alex White, Joe Gardner & Drew Pomeranz and first baseman Matt McBride). The Boston Red Sox trade minor league pitchers Stephen Fife & Juan Rodríguez and catcher Tim Federowicz to the Los Angeles Dodgers for outfielder Trayvon Robinson. The BoSox then send Robinson and outfielder Chih-Hsien Chiang to the Seattle Mariners for Erik Bedard and Minor League reliever Josh Fields. The Dodgers also send shortstop Rafael Furcal to the St. Louis Cardinals for minor league outfielder Alex Castellanos. The Atlanta Braves acquire outfielder Michael Bourn from the Houston Astros for outfielder Jordan Schafer and Minor League pitchers Juan Abreu, Paul Clemens & Brett Oberholtzer. The Arizona Diamondbacks acquire reliever Brad Ziegler from the Oakland A's for first baseman Brandon Allen and reliever Jordan Norberto. The Texas Rangers acquire reliever Mike Adams from the San Diego Padres for pitching prospects Robbie Erlin and Joe Wieland, and reliever Koji Uehara from the Baltimore Orioles for first baseman Chris Davis and pitcher Tommy Hunter. San Diego also sends outfielder Ryan Ludwick to the Pittsburgh Pirates for a player to be named or cash considerations. For the first time since 1998, the Yankees do not make a deadline deal.

[edit] August

August 2 - Mark Teixeira hits home runs from both sides of the plate for a major league-record 12th time, helping the New York Yankees beat the Chicago White Sox 6-0 in a game shortened to 6.5 innings by rain.