On November 6, 1976, relief pitcher Bill Campbell becomes the first free agent to sign a contract with a new team. Campbell leaves the Minnesota Twins to sign a four-year deal worth an estimated $1.05 million with the Boston Red Sox. Campbell, who won 17 games and saved 20 in 1976, will win 13 games…
For the second consecutive season, Jim Palmer (22-13, 2.51) is the recipient of the American League Cy Young Award. The Orioles’ right-hander garners first-place votes on 19 of 24 ballots cast by the BBWAA, with the remaining five top spots going to rookie sensation Mark Fidrych of the Tigers.
The Mariners and Blue Jays each select thirty players in the expansion draft. Seattle picks Royals’ outfielder Ruppert Jones, and Toronto selects Orioles’ shortstop Bob Bailor as their team’s respective first picks.
The Oakland Athletics make an unusual trade by sending manager Chuck Tanner to the Pittsburgh Pirates for catcher Manny Sanguillen and $100,000. Sanguillen will play only one season in Oakland before returning to Pittsburgh. Tanner will lead the Pirates to the World Championship in 1979.
1976 – The first mass-market free agent re-entry draft is held at the New York Plaza Hotel. Among those available are Reggie Jackson, Willie McCovey, Joe Rudi, Don Gullett, Gene Tenace, Nate Colbert, Rollie Fingers, Don Baylor and Bobby Grich. McCovey and Colbert are the only two players not selected, but McCovey will catch on with the Giants in spring training and have a banner year at his old first base position.
1976 – Amazingly, it takes 15 years for Houston to garner a vote in the Cy Young Award balloting. The vote goes to J.R. Richard, who has a 20-win season, but he is well behind San Diego’s Randy Jones in the returns.
San Diego left-hander Randy Jones (22-14, 2.74) captures the National League’s Cy Young Award, capturing 15 of the 24 first-place votes cast by the writers. Two seasons ago, the 26 year-old southpaw had lost 22 games for the last-place Padres.
1976 – With a 7 – 2 victory, the Cincinnati Reds win the World Series, completing a four-game sweep of the Yankees. It is the Reds’ second straight World Championship. Johnny Bench hits two home runs for five RBI. He finishes with a .533 batting average and is named Series MVP. Yankees catcher Thurman Munson has six straight singles to tie a World Series mark. Cincinnati also becomes the first team ever to go through an entire League Championship Series and World Series without a defeat.
The Cincinnati Reds take a commanding 3-0 lead over the New York Yankees in the World Series with a 6 – 2 victory at Yankee Stadium. Cincinnati’s designated hitter, Dan Driessen, has a single, double, home run and a walk to lead the attack. Jim Mason has a solo homer in the 7th inning for the only home run by the Yankees in the Series.
The Boston Globe uses aerial photography to measure the exact distance of the left field wall at Fenway Park from home plate. The distance: 304.779 feet. Art Keefe and writer George Sullivan measured it this month at 309 feet, four inches.
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