2012 Major League Baseball season
Encyclopedia
The 2012 Major League Baseball season, will begin on March 28 with the first of a two game series between the Seattle Mariners
and the Oakland Athletics
at the Tokyo Dome
in Japan. On November 22, a new contract between Major League Baseball
and its' players union
was ratified, and as a result, an expanded playoff
format adding two clubs will be adopted no later than 2013 according to the new Collective Bargaining Agrement. The stateside portion of the regular season will start April 4 in Miami, Florida with the opening of the new Miami Ballpark, as the newly renamed Miami Marlins host the defending world champion
St. Louis Cardinals
. The season is scheduled to end on Wednesday, October 3. The entire master schedule was released on September 14, 2011.
The season will mark the last for the Houston Astros
as a member of the National League. Following the sale to new owner Jim Crane
, the Astros agreed to move to the American League effective in the 2013 season, and will be assigned to the West Division
. In addition, an expanded postseason
could be in place beginning this season, with the addition of another wild card
team in each league.
The Major League Baseball All-Star Game
's 83rd edition
will be held on July 10th at Kauffman Stadium
in Kansas City, Missouri
. The winning league will earn home field advantage for the 2012 World Series
, beginning on October 24 and scheduled to end no later than November 1. The Civil Rights Game
will be held at Turner Field
in Atlanta, Georgia.
At the end of the 2011 season, the following teams fired their managers and made replacements.
. The team officially adopted its new name of Miami Marlins on November 11, 2011.
Fenway Park
. In addition, Dodger Stadium
- home of the Los Angeles Dodgers
- will celebrate its 50th Anniversary, and the Baltimore Orioles
' home, Oriole Park at Camden Yards
, will be commemorating its 20th anniversary.
and the Houston Astros
, but the 51st season for both teams.
The Mets began play four years after the Brooklyn Dodgers
and New York Giants
moved west in , leaving New York City
with only one MLB team in the Yankees
. In , New York City attorney William Shea
, with support from baseball figures including former Dodgers executive Branch Rickey
, proposed a third major league called the Continental League
. Houston and New York City were both among the announced CL cities. MLB responded to the threat by placing new franchises in several of these cities, and offered a National League franchise to the owners of the proposed New York CL team, who accepted. With Shea's goal of bringing a second major-league team to New York successful, he abandoned the new league, which officially folded in without ever playing a game. The Mets began play in 1962 at the Giants' former home of the Polo Grounds
in Manhattan
, moved in to Shea Stadium
(named after the aforementioned William Shea) in Queens
, and opened their current home of Citi Field, adjacent to the former Shea Stadium site, in .
The Astros were also enfranchised as a direct response to the plans to launch the CL. They began play in 1962 as the Houston Colt .45s; following a dispute with Colt Firearms
over revenues from souvenir sales and licensing fees, the team moved to the Astrodome
in and renamed itself the Astros. In , they opened their current home, now known as Minute Maid Park
. In honor of the Astros' 50th anniversary, they will don different throwback uniforms at home on Friday night themed to each decade.
The San Diego Padres
were the first team to announce changes to their logos and uniform set on November 9. The new primary features the "SD" cap logo inside a navy circle with the words "San Diego Padres Baseball Club" encircling it. The "swinging friar" logo was also revived, albeit in the current colors. Another secondary logo features the Padres script from last season below the depiction of Petco Park
in sand and above the year of establishment; a blue and white version is used on the away and alternate uniforms. The front of the home uniform remains the same, except that the sand trim in "Padres" is now in trim instead of a drop shadow and the addition of navy piping. Originally they'll use the sand Petco patch on the left sleeve, but upon unveiling the uniforms, the "swinging friar" patch was placed instead. The road uniforms now feature "San Diego" in an arched position with navy piping. The alternate blue uniforms feature the "SD" cap logo on the left chest with white piping. All three uniforms now feature the block lettering on the reverse side. The digital camouflage uniforms were retained, save for the change to block lettering. The caps with the sand "SD" were retired.
The Marlins unveiled their changes on November 11, 2011, as the team is being rebranded as the Miami Marlins, complete with a new logo featuring a stylized Marlin jumping over a art deco
colored "M" in coral, yellow and blue. "MIAMI" will grace the primary white uniform, and there will be an orange home alternate which feature the team name, while the black alt is being reduced to road alternate jersey. The black cap will be used for the regular home, away and black alternates, while the orange cap will be paired with the orange alternates. The Marlins become the second team to use the city (or state) name on the home uniforms, after the Texas Rangers
.
November 15th saw the Baltimore Orioles
redesign their road and home uniform sets and returned to a version of the cartoon logo used from the mid 1960's to 1988. . The home caps are white in front and black on the back with an orange bill, while the away caps will be all black with an orange bill, both featuring the cartoon bird. They also unveiled a modernized version of the orange alternate uniforms last worn in , and will be worn on select home games, but retained the black alternate uniforms paired with the black and orange cap with the "O's" script.
As part of their golden anniversary season, the New York Mets
have modified their home and road uniforms to the style worn in , having their unveiling November 16. All elements of black were removed from the white pinstriped home uniforms (now the primary home uniform), the white home uniforms, and the grey away uniforms. In addition, the black alternate (which will be worn primarily on the road) is being phased out, which will be replaced by a blue alternate starting in 2013, and the black cap a blue bill and the the black cap have been retired.
The Toronto Blue Jays
unveiled new uniforms on November 18th, returning to a variation of their vintage logo used from 1977 through 1996. The new logo is similar to the original used from 1977-96, with a few exceptions: a more prominent maple leaf
, a sleeker-looking blue jay
, serifed
modern lettering on the team name, and a split-line blue circle enclosing the logo. The new uniforms were similarly based on the set used from 1992-96; a white home uniform with "Blue Jays", a grey road uniform with "Toronto", and a blue alternate uniform with "Blue Jays". The team/city name is arched above the secondary logo of the blue jay with the maple leaf, sans the baseball, situated on the left side. The secondary logo is also placed in the blue cap. The uniforms will use the breathable double-knit polyester fabric, claiming the lighter Climate Base fabric become too heavy once player sweat.
logo made its way to the Dodgers dugout wall at Dodger Stadium
and for their "Social September" promotion in September 2011.. The trail lines behind the ball are more accurate, and they and the ball have thicker outlines. The "o" in the word "Dodgers" no longer has a line on the bottom left.
are bringing back their teal with navy bill caps that were introduced in 2000 when the team moved into Safeco Field
for Monday and Friday home contests. Also, their navy road alternate will now have "SEATTLE" on the jersey front.
The Royals unveiled minor tweaks to their light blue home alternate jersey (with all numbers and lettering now white with royal trim, save for left lower front) and a revamped away uniform (changed to a darker blue-gray color and a revamped "Kansas City" script.) In addition, the team has dropped their light blue caps.
The Cleveland Indians
made minor tweaks to the home and alternate uniforms. The white home uniform features navy collar piping and the 'Indians' script in red and navy trim, removing the white inner trim as well as the navy piping on the button lines. The navy alternate features grey collar piping and the 'Indians' script in red and white trim, removing the navy inner trim as well as the grey piping on the button lines.
with a patch following his murder in Holland
on November 21, 2011.
to a new Fox Sports Net
channel that is being prepared for the San Diego area.
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Safeco Field has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July...
and the Oakland Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
at the Tokyo Dome
Tokyo Dome
Tokyo Dome is a 55,000-seat baseball stadium located in Bunkyo Ward of Tokyo, Japan.The stadium opened for business on March 17, 1988. It was built on the site of the Velodrome which was next door to the site of the predecessor ballpark, Kōrakuen Stadium...
in Japan. On November 22, a new contract between Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
and its' players union
Major League Baseball Players Association
The Major League Baseball Players Association is the union of professional major-league baseball players.-History of MLBPA:The MLBPA was not the first attempt to unionize baseball players...
was ratified, and as a result, an expanded playoff
Major League Baseball postseason
The Major League Baseball postseason is an elimination tournament held after the conclusion of Major League Baseball's regular season. It consists of one best-of-five series and two best-of-seven series...
format adding two clubs will be adopted no later than 2013 according to the new Collective Bargaining Agrement. The stateside portion of the regular season will start April 4 in Miami, Florida with the opening of the new Miami Ballpark, as the newly renamed Miami Marlins host the defending world champion
2011 World Series
The 2011 World Series was the 107th edition of Major League Baseball's championship series. The best-of-seven playoff was played between the American League champion Texas Rangers and the National League champion St...
St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
. The season is scheduled to end on Wednesday, October 3. The entire master schedule was released on September 14, 2011.
The season will mark the last for the Houston Astros
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
as a member of the National League. Following the sale to new owner Jim Crane
Jim Crane
James Robert "Jim" Crane is a businessman from Houston, Texas. Crane is chairman and chief executive of Crane Capital Group and he is also the owner and chairman of the MLB team Houston Astros -Early life and education:...
, the Astros agreed to move to the American League effective in the 2013 season, and will be assigned to the West Division
American League West
The American League West is one of three divisions in Major League Baseball's American League. The division currently has four teams, but it has had as many as seven teams before the 1994 realignment. Although its teams currently only reside along the west coast and in Texas, historically the...
. In addition, an expanded postseason
Major League Baseball postseason
The Major League Baseball postseason is an elimination tournament held after the conclusion of Major League Baseball's regular season. It consists of one best-of-five series and two best-of-seven series...
could be in place beginning this season, with the addition of another wild card
Major League Baseball Wild Card
In Major League Baseball, the wild-card playoff spot is given to the team in each league with the best record among the non-division winners. It was established for Major League Baseball's playoffs in 1994 with the intention of helping the best teams that did not win their division to still have a...
team in each league.
The Major League Baseball All-Star Game
Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers...
's 83rd edition
2012 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 2012 Major League Baseball All-Star Game will be the 83rd edition of the Major League Baseball All-Star Game. It will be held on July 10, 2012, during the 2012 Major League Baseball season at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, home of the Kansas City Royals...
will be held on July 10th at Kauffman Stadium
Kauffman Stadium
Ewing M. Kauffman Stadium is a Major League Baseball stadium located in Kansas City, Missouri, and home to the Kansas City Royals of the American League. Together with Arrowhead Stadium, home of the National Football League's Kansas City Chiefs, it is a part of the Truman Sports Complex...
in Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
. The winning league will earn home field advantage for the 2012 World Series
2012 World Series
The 2012 World Series will be the 108th edition of Major League Baseball's championship series. The best-of-seven playoff will be played between the champions of the National League and the American League....
, beginning on October 24 and scheduled to end no later than November 1. The Civil Rights Game
Civil Rights Game
The Civil Rights Game is an annual Major League Baseball game that honors the history of civil rights in the United States and marked the unofficial end to the league's Spring Training. Starting in 2009, the game became a regular season game.The first two games were held at AutoZone Park in...
will be held at Turner Field
Turner Field
Turner Field is a stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, home to Major League Baseball's Atlanta Braves since 1997. Turner Field was originally built as Centennial Olympic Stadium, it was completed in 1996 to serve as the centerpiece of the 1996 Summer Olympics...
in Atlanta, Georgia.
Off-season
| Team | Former GM | New GM | Former job |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Red Sox Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"... |
Theo Epstein Theo Epstein Theo Nathan Epstein is the President of Baseball Operations for the Chicago Cubs.On November 25, 2002, he became the youngest GM in the history of Major League Baseball when the Boston Red Sox hired him at the age of 28... |
Ben Cherington Ben Cherington Ben Cherington is the general manager of the Boston Red Sox.He followed Theo Epstein as general manager, having worked in the team's baseball operations office since 1999, before Epstein's arrival... |
Cherington previously served as the Assistant General Manager of the Red Sox. |
| Chicago Cubs Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National... |
Randy Bush Randy Bush Robert Randall Bush , is a former professional baseball player and currently a front office member of the Chicago Cubs. With the hiring of Theo Epstein, Bush will continue as an assistant General Manager, and will be involved in the hiring process of the field and scouting staff.Bush played for... |
Jed Hoyer | Hoyer previously served as the General Manager of San Diego Padres San Diego Padres The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times... . |
| San Diego Padres San Diego Padres The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times... |
Jed Hoyer | Josh Byrnes Josh Byrnes Josh Byrnes is the general manager of the San Diego Padres. Previously, he served as General Manager of the Arizona Diamondbacks of Major League Baseball from November 2005 to July 2010.-Biography:... |
Byrnes previously served in the Vice President of Baseball Operations for the Padres. |
| Los Angeles Angels Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are a professional baseball team based in Anaheim, California, United States. The Angels are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The "Angels" name originates from the city in which the team started, Los Angeles... |
Tony Reagins Tony Reagins Tony Demetrius Reagins was an executive in Major League Baseball for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Reagins had previously served as general manager of the Angels from 2007 until his 2011 resignation... |
Jerry DiPoto Jerry Dipoto Gerard Peter Dipoto , is a former professional baseball player and an executive who currently serves as the General Manager of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. He served as interim GM of the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2010.-Early life:Dipoto played high school baseball at Toms River High School North... |
DiPoto previously served in several scouting departments, most recently with the Arizona Diamondbacks Arizona Diamondbacks The Arizona Diamondbacks are a professional baseball team based in Phoenix. They play in the West Division of Major League Baseball's National League. From 1998 to the present, they have played in Chase Field... . |
| Minnesota Twins Minnesota Twins The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the... |
Bill Smith | Terry Ryan Terry Ryan (baseball) Terry Ryan is the general manager for the Minnesota Twins. Ryan is known for using a low payroll and building up the minor league system to put up contending teams. He resigned as general manager of the Twins on October 1, 2007 but returned to the team as interim GM on November 7, 2011.-Early... (interim) |
Ryan previously served as General Manager of the Twins from 1994-2007. |
| Baltimore Orioles Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league... |
Andy MacPhail Andy MacPhail Andy MacPhail is the former president of baseball operations for the Baltimore Orioles. He was the president/CEO of the National League Chicago Cubs from September 9, 1994 until October 1, 2006... |
Dan Duquette Dan Duquette Daniel F. Duquette is the Executive Vice-President of Baseball Operations for the Baltimore Orioles. He was the General Manager of the Montreal Expos from September through January and for the Boston Red Sox from through March... |
Duquette previously served as General Manager of the Montreal Expos Montreal Expos The Montreal Expos were a Major League Baseball team located in Montreal, Quebec from 1969 through 2004, holding the first MLB franchise awarded outside the United States. After the 2004 season, MLB moved the Expos to Washington, D.C. and renamed them the Nationals.Named after the Expo 67 World's... from 1991-1995 and Boston Red Sox from 1995-2002. |
| Houston Astros Houston Astros The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field... |
Ed Wade Ed Wade Ed Wade is the former General Manager of the Houston Astros.-Early career in baseball:Wade started his baseball career in 1977 as an intern in the Phillies public relations department. In 1977, he was named public relations assistant for the Astros and was promoted to public relations director in... |
Off-season
The following managers were hired for the 2012 season after the former manager retired from baseball.| Team | Former manager | New manager | Story |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miami Marlins | Jack McKeon Jack McKeon John Aloysius McKeon , nicknamed Trader Jack, is a former Major League Baseball manager. In 2003, he won a World Series with the Florida Marlins... |
Ozzie Guillén Ozzie Guillén Oswaldo José "Ozzie" Guillén Barrios is a Venezuelan-American former Major League Baseball player and current manager of the Miami Marlins. He managed the Chicago White Sox from 2004 to 2011 before asking for his release at the end of the 2011 season.... |
On September 28, 2011, the Marlins announced that Ozzie Guillén has signed a four year contract to manage the team beginning in the 2012 season. He replaces Jack McKeon, who served as interim manager since June 2011. Two minor league prospects were sent to the Chicago White Sox Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans... in exchange for Guillén's rights. |
| St. Louis Cardinals St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to... |
Tony La Russa Tony La Russa Anthony "Tony" La Russa, Jr. is a former Major League Baseball manager and infielder, best known for his tenures as manager of the Chicago White Sox, Oakland Athletics, and St. Louis Cardinals... |
Mike Matheny Mike Matheny Michael Scott Matheny is the manager of the St. Louis Cardinals of Major League Baseball. He is also a former baseball catcher, playing for four different teams during his thirteen years in the major leagues... |
On October 31, just three days after winning the 2011 World Series 2011 World Series The 2011 World Series was the 107th edition of Major League Baseball's championship series. The best-of-seven playoff was played between the American League champion Texas Rangers and the National League champion St... , Tony La Russa announced his retirement.The Cardinals announced the hiring of former catcher Mike Matheny as its new manager on November 13. Matheny, who had no previous managerial experience, played in 13 Major League seasons from 1994–2006, and was a four-time Gold Glove Award Gold Glove Award The Rawlings Gold Glove Award, usually referred to as the Gold Glove, is the award given annually to the Major League Baseball players judged to have exhibited superior individual fielding performances at each fielding position in both the National League and the American League , as voted by the... winner. |
At the end of the 2011 season, the following teams fired their managers and made replacements.
| Team | Former manager | New manager | Story |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Red Sox Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"... |
Terry Francona Terry Francona Terry Jon Francona , nicknamed "Tito," is a former Major League Baseball manager and a former player. He was a first baseman and outfielder in the majors from 1981 to 1990. After retiring as a player, he managed several minor league teams in the 1990s before managing the Philadelphia Phillies for... |
Bobby Valentine Bobby Valentine Robert John "Bobby V" Valentine is an American professional baseball manager and former player who is currently the manager of the Boston Red Sox. He previously managed the Texas Rangers and New York Mets as well as the Chiba Lotte Marines in Japan... |
On September 30, 2011, the Red Sox decided not to exercise their 2012 option on Terry Francona's contract and both parties decided to part ways. Francona led the team to two World Series championships in , which ended the Curse of the Bambino Curse of the Bambino The Curse of the Bambino was a superstition cited as a reason for the failure of the Boston Red Sox baseball team to win the World Series in the 86-year period from 1918 to 2004... , and . However, in 2011, the Red Sox went 7–20 in the month of September, blowing a 9-game wild card lead as they were eliminated from playoff contention. It should be noted that Francona wasn't actually fired. Valentine, whose previous managerial jobs were with the Texas Rangers Texas Rangers (baseball) The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have... from 1985-92 and the New York Mets New York Mets The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League... from 1996-2002, was an analyst for Sunday Night Baseball Sunday Night Baseball Sunday Night Baseball is the Major League Baseball exclusive game of the week that is televised Sunday nights at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN during the regular season... on ESPN ESPN Major League Baseball ESPN Major League Baseball is a promotion of Major League Baseball on ESPN and ESPN2, with simulcasts on ESPNHD or ESPN2HD. ESPN's MLB coverage debuted on April 9, 1990 with three Opening Day telecasts. ESPN Major League Baseball is guaranteed to remain on air until 2013.The title is derived from... at the time of his hiring. |
| Chicago Cubs Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National... |
Mike Quade Mike Quade Mike Quade is the former manager of the Chicago Cubs baseball team. Prior to this, he served as the Cubs' third base coach and was the former manager of the Iowa Cubs, the AAA baseball team for the Chicago Cubs.... |
Dale Sveum Dale Sveum Dale Curtis Sveum is a former Major League Baseball player and the current manager of the Chicago Cubs.-Playing career:A talented athlete, Sveum was an All-State and All-American quarterback while attending Pinole Valley High School, in addition to being a fine baseball player... |
The Cubs hired Dale Sveum as their new manager on November 17, replacing Mike Quade. Sveum had been a coach for the Milwaukee Brewers Milwaukee Brewers The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League... at various capacities (bench, third base, hitting) since 2006, and was also a former third base coach of the Boston Red Sox Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"... from 2004-05. His previous managerial experience was as an interim manager for the Brewers late in 2008 2008 Major League Baseball season The 2008 Major League Baseball season began on March 25, 2008 in Tokyo, Japan with the 2007 World Series champion Boston Red Sox defeating the Oakland Athletics at the Tokyo Dome 6–5 in the first game of a two-game series, and ended on September 30 with the host Chicago White Sox defeating the... , guiding the Brewers to a wild card Major League Baseball Wild Card In Major League Baseball, the wild-card playoff spot is given to the team in each league with the best record among the non-division winners. It was established for Major League Baseball's playoffs in 1994 with the intention of helping the best teams that did not win their division to still have a... berth that year. Quade served as manager of the Cubs from August 2010 until September 2011, succeeding Lou Piniella Lou Piniella Louis Victor Piniella is a former Major League Baseball outfielder and manager. He has been nicknamed "Sweet Lou," both for his swing as a major league hitter and, facetiously, to describe his demeanor as a player and manager... ; however his only full season saw the Cubs finish 71-91 and in fifth place in the NL Central. |
| Chicago White Sox Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans... |
Ozzie Guillén Ozzie Guillén Oswaldo José "Ozzie" Guillén Barrios is a Venezuelan-American former Major League Baseball player and current manager of the Miami Marlins. He managed the Chicago White Sox from 2004 to 2011 before asking for his release at the end of the 2011 season.... /Don Cooper Don Cooper Donald James Cooper is a former pitcher in Major League Baseball and the current pitching coach of the Chicago White Sox.-Early life:... |
Robin Ventura Robin Ventura Robin Mark Ventura is the current manager of the Chicago White Sox. He is a former professional baseball player, a third baseman who played for four major league teams, most notably for the Chicago White Sox... |
On October 6, 2011, the White Sox named Robin Ventura as their new manager. Ventura, a former two-time All-Star third baseman, played for the White Sox from 1989 till 1998. Cooper served as the White Sox' interim manager for the last two days of the season. |
Miami Ballpark
The Florida Marlins vacated Sun Life Stadium at the end of the 2011 season and will move into their new ballpark, built on the site of the old Orange Bowl stadiumMiami Orange Bowl
The Orange Bowl, formerly Burdine Stadium, was an outdoor athletic stadium in Miami, Florida, west of downtown in Little Havana. Considered a landmark, it was the home stadium for the Miami Hurricanes college football team...
. The team officially adopted its new name of Miami Marlins on November 11, 2011.
Anniversaries
The 2012 season will be the 100th anniversary of the opening of Boston'sBoston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
Fenway Park
Fenway Park
Fenway Park is a baseball park near Kenmore Square in Boston, Massachusetts. Located at 4 Yawkey Way, it has served as the home ballpark of the Boston Red Sox baseball club since it opened in 1912, and is the oldest Major League Baseball stadium currently in use. It is one of two "classic"...
. In addition, Dodger Stadium
Dodger Stadium
Dodger Stadium, also sometimes called Chavez Ravine, is a stadium in Los Angeles. Located adjacent to Downtown Los Angeles, Dodger Stadium has been the home ballpark of Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Dodgers team since 1962...
- home of the Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
- will celebrate its 50th Anniversary, and the Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
' home, Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Oriole Park at Camden Yards is a Major League Baseball ballpark located in Baltimore, Maryland. Home field of the Baltimore Orioles, it is the first of the "retro" major league ballparks constructed during the 1990s and early 2000s, and remains one of the most highly praised. The park was...
, will be commemorating its 20th anniversary.
Mets, Astros golden anniversaries
The 2012 season will also mark the 50th anniversary for the New York MetsNew York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
and the Houston Astros
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
, but the 51st season for both teams.
The Mets began play four years after the Brooklyn Dodgers
History of the Brooklyn Dodgers
-Early Brooklyn baseball:Brooklyn was home to numerous baseball clubs in the mid-1850s. Eight of 16 participants in the first convention were from Brooklyn, including the Atlantic, Eckford, and Excelsior clubs that combined to dominate play for most of the 1860s...
and New York Giants
History of the New York Giants (NL)
The history of the New York Giants, before the franchise moved to San Francisco, lasted from 1883 to 1957. It featured five of the franchise's six World Series wins and 17 of its 21 National League pennants...
moved west in , leaving New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
with only one MLB team in the Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
. In , New York City attorney William Shea
William Shea
William Alfred "Bill" Shea was an American lawyer and a name partner of the prominent law firm of Shea & Gould...
, with support from baseball figures including former Dodgers executive Branch Rickey
Branch Rickey
Wesley Branch Rickey was an innovative Major League Baseball executive elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1967...
, proposed a third major league called the Continental League
Continental League
The Continental League was a proposed third major league for baseball, announced in 1959 and scheduled to begin play in the 1961 season...
. Houston and New York City were both among the announced CL cities. MLB responded to the threat by placing new franchises in several of these cities, and offered a National League franchise to the owners of the proposed New York CL team, who accepted. With Shea's goal of bringing a second major-league team to New York successful, he abandoned the new league, which officially folded in without ever playing a game. The Mets began play in 1962 at the Giants' former home of the Polo Grounds
Polo Grounds
The Polo Grounds was the name given to four different stadiums in Upper Manhattan, New York City, used by many professional teams in both baseball and American football from 1880 until 1963...
in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
, moved in to Shea Stadium
Shea Stadium
William A. Shea Municipal Stadium, usually shortened to Shea Stadium or just Shea , was a stadium in the New York City borough of Queens, in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park. It was the home baseball park of Major League Baseball's New York Mets from 1964 to 2008...
(named after the aforementioned William Shea) in Queens
Queens
Queens is the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The largest borough in area and the second-largest in population, it is coextensive with Queens County, an administrative division of New York state, in the United States....
, and opened their current home of Citi Field, adjacent to the former Shea Stadium site, in .
The Astros were also enfranchised as a direct response to the plans to launch the CL. They began play in 1962 as the Houston Colt .45s; following a dispute with Colt Firearms
Colt's Manufacturing Company
Colt's Manufacturing Company is a United States firearms manufacturer, whose first predecessor corporation was founded in 1836 by Sam Colt. Colt is best known for the engineering, production, and marketing of firearms over the later half of the 19th and the 20th century...
over revenues from souvenir sales and licensing fees, the team moved to the Astrodome
Reliant Astrodome
Reliant Astrodome, also known as the Houston Astrodome or simply the Astrodome, is the world's first multi-purpose, domed sports stadium, located in Houston, Texas, USA. The stadium is part of the Reliant Park complex...
in and renamed itself the Astros. In , they opened their current home, now known as Minute Maid Park
Minute Maid Park
Minute Maid Park is a ballpark in Downtown Houston, Texas, United States that opened in 2000 to house the Major League Baseball Houston Astros....
. In honor of the Astros' 50th anniversary, they will don different throwback uniforms at home on Friday night themed to each decade.
Wholesale Changes
Five teams have made wholesale changes to their uniforms in 2012.The San Diego Padres
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
were the first team to announce changes to their logos and uniform set on November 9. The new primary features the "SD" cap logo inside a navy circle with the words "San Diego Padres Baseball Club" encircling it. The "swinging friar" logo was also revived, albeit in the current colors. Another secondary logo features the Padres script from last season below the depiction of Petco Park
PETCO Park
Petco Park is an open-air ballpark in downtown San Diego, California, USA. It opened in 2004, replacing Qualcomm Stadium as the home park of Major League Baseball's San Diego Padres. Before then, the Padres shared Qualcomm Stadium with the NFL's San Diego Chargers...
in sand and above the year of establishment; a blue and white version is used on the away and alternate uniforms. The front of the home uniform remains the same, except that the sand trim in "Padres" is now in trim instead of a drop shadow and the addition of navy piping. Originally they'll use the sand Petco patch on the left sleeve, but upon unveiling the uniforms, the "swinging friar" patch was placed instead. The road uniforms now feature "San Diego" in an arched position with navy piping. The alternate blue uniforms feature the "SD" cap logo on the left chest with white piping. All three uniforms now feature the block lettering on the reverse side. The digital camouflage uniforms were retained, save for the change to block lettering. The caps with the sand "SD" were retired.
The Marlins unveiled their changes on November 11, 2011, as the team is being rebranded as the Miami Marlins, complete with a new logo featuring a stylized Marlin jumping over a art deco
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
colored "M" in coral, yellow and blue. "MIAMI" will grace the primary white uniform, and there will be an orange home alternate which feature the team name, while the black alt is being reduced to road alternate jersey. The black cap will be used for the regular home, away and black alternates, while the orange cap will be paired with the orange alternates. The Marlins become the second team to use the city (or state) name on the home uniforms, after the Texas Rangers
Texas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
.
November 15th saw the Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
redesign their road and home uniform sets and returned to a version of the cartoon logo used from the mid 1960's to 1988. . The home caps are white in front and black on the back with an orange bill, while the away caps will be all black with an orange bill, both featuring the cartoon bird. They also unveiled a modernized version of the orange alternate uniforms last worn in , and will be worn on select home games, but retained the black alternate uniforms paired with the black and orange cap with the "O's" script.
As part of their golden anniversary season, the New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
have modified their home and road uniforms to the style worn in , having their unveiling November 16. All elements of black were removed from the white pinstriped home uniforms (now the primary home uniform), the white home uniforms, and the grey away uniforms. In addition, the black alternate (which will be worn primarily on the road) is being phased out, which will be replaced by a blue alternate starting in 2013, and the black cap a blue bill and the the black cap have been retired.
The Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
unveiled new uniforms on November 18th, returning to a variation of their vintage logo used from 1977 through 1996. The new logo is similar to the original used from 1977-96, with a few exceptions: a more prominent maple leaf
Maple leaf
The maple leaf is the characteristic leaf of the maple tree, and is the most widely recognized national symbol of Canada.-Use in Canada:At the beginning of the eighteenth century, the settlements of New France had attained a population of about 18,000...
, a sleeker-looking blue jay
Blue Jay
The Blue Jay is a passerine bird in the family Corvidae, native to North America. It is resident through most of eastern and central United States and southern Canada, although western populations may be migratory. It breeds in both deciduous and coniferous forests, and is common near and in...
, serifed
Serif
In typography, serifs are semi-structural details on the ends of some of the strokes that make up letters and symbols. A typeface with serifs is called a serif typeface . A typeface without serifs is called sans serif or sans-serif, from the French sans, meaning “without”...
modern lettering on the team name, and a split-line blue circle enclosing the logo. The new uniforms were similarly based on the set used from 1992-96; a white home uniform with "Blue Jays", a grey road uniform with "Toronto", and a blue alternate uniform with "Blue Jays". The team/city name is arched above the secondary logo of the blue jay with the maple leaf, sans the baseball, situated on the left side. The secondary logo is also placed in the blue cap. The uniforms will use the breathable double-knit polyester fabric, claiming the lighter Climate Base fabric become too heavy once player sweat.
The iconic Dodgers logo made over
A new, slightly altered Los Angeles DodgersLos Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
logo made its way to the Dodgers dugout wall at Dodger Stadium
Dodger Stadium
Dodger Stadium, also sometimes called Chavez Ravine, is a stadium in Los Angeles. Located adjacent to Downtown Los Angeles, Dodger Stadium has been the home ballpark of Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Dodgers team since 1962...
and for their "Social September" promotion in September 2011.. The trail lines behind the ball are more accurate, and they and the ball have thicker outlines. The "o" in the word "Dodgers" no longer has a line on the bottom left.
Caps and jerseys
After reviving the popular Northwest Green (read: Teal) jerseys at home, the Seattle MarinersSeattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Safeco Field has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July...
are bringing back their teal with navy bill caps that were introduced in 2000 when the team moved into Safeco Field
Safeco Field
Safeco Field is a retractable roof baseball stadium located in Seattle, Washington. The stadium, owned and operated by the Washington-King County Stadium Authority, is the home stadium of the Seattle Mariners of Major League Baseball and has a seating capacity of 47,878 for baseball...
for Monday and Friday home contests. Also, their navy road alternate will now have "SEATTLE" on the jersey front.
The Royals unveiled minor tweaks to their light blue home alternate jersey (with all numbers and lettering now white with royal trim, save for left lower front) and a revamped away uniform (changed to a darker blue-gray color and a revamped "Kansas City" script.) In addition, the team has dropped their light blue caps.
The Cleveland Indians
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
made minor tweaks to the home and alternate uniforms. The white home uniform features navy collar piping and the 'Indians' script in red and navy trim, removing the white inner trim as well as the navy piping on the button lines. The navy alternate features grey collar piping and the 'Indians' script in red and white trim, removing the navy inner trim as well as the grey piping on the button lines.
Anniversaries and special events
The Astros, Dodgers, Mariners, Marlins, Mets, Orioles, Red Sox and Royals will wear commemorative patches for their special seasons (new ballpark for Miami, 50th Anniversary logos for the Astros and Mets, franchise's 35th anniversary for the Mariners, ballpark anniversaries for the Dodgers, Orioles and Red Sox, and the All-Star Game for the Royals.)Memorials
The Seattle Mariners will honor their slain outfielder Greg HalmanGreg Halman
Gregory Anthony "Greg" Halman was a Dutch professional baseball outfielder. He played with the Seattle Mariners of Major League Baseball during the and seasons...
with a patch following his murder in Holland
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
on November 21, 2011.
Television
The big story, amongst local rightsholders, is that the Padres will switch from Cox Cable-owned 4SD4SD
4SD, commonly referred to as Channel 4 San Diego is a local origination cable TV channel based in San Diego, California, United States, and is owned and operated by Cox Communications, through its San Diego-based cable television system. In addition to Cox...
to a new Fox Sports Net
Fox Sports Net
The Fox Sports Regional Networks, or simply Fox Sports Net , are a collection of cable TV regional sports networks in the United States owned and operated by News Corporation.- Beginnings :...
channel that is being prepared for the San Diego area.