1976 Major League Baseball season

1976 MLB season
League	Major League Baseball
Sport	Baseball
Duration	April 8, 1976 – October 3, 1976
Regular season
Season MVP	AL: Thurman Munson (NYY) NL: Joe Morgan (CIN)
Postseason
AL champions	New York Yankees
AL runners-up	Kansas City Royals
NL champions	Cincinnati Reds
NL runners-up	Philadelphia Phillies
World Series
Champions	Cincinnati Reds
Runners-up	New York Yankees
Finals MVP	Johnny Bench (CIN)

The 1976 Major League Baseball season was the last season until 1993 in which the American League (AL) and the National League (NL) had the same number of teams. The season ended with the Cincinnati Reds taking the World Series Championship for the second consecutive season by sweeping the New York Yankees in four games. It would be the Reds' last title until Lou Piniella guided the club in 1990, and the second time that the Yankees were swept in World Series history. The only team to do it before was the 1963 Los Angeles Dodgers.

Regular season standings

American League AL East W L Pct. GB Home Road New York Yankees 97 62 0.610 — 45–35 52–27 Baltimore Orioles 88 74 0.543 10½ 42–39 46–35 Boston Red Sox 83 79 0.512 15½ 46–35 37–44 Cleveland Indians 81 78 0.509 16 44–35 37–43 Detroit Tigers 74 87 0.460 24 36–44 38–43 Milwaukee Brewers 66 95 0.410 32 36–45 30–50 AL West W L Pct. GB Home Road Kansas City Royals 90 72 0.556 — 49–32 41–40 Oakland Athletics 87 74 0.540 2½ 51–30 36–44 Minnesota Twins 85 77 0.525 5 44–37 41–40 Texas Rangers 76 86 0.469 14 39–42 37–44 California Angels 76 86 0.469 14 38–43 38–43 Chicago White Sox 64 97 0.398 25½ 35–45 29–52

National League NL East W L Pct. GB Home Road Philadelphia Phillies 101 61 0.623 — 53–28 48–33 Pittsburgh Pirates 92 70 0.568 9 47–34 45–36 New York Mets 86 76 0.531 15 45–37 41–39 Chicago Cubs 75 87 0.463 26 42–39 33–48 St. Louis Cardinals 72 90 0.444 29 37–44 35–46 Montreal Expos 55 107 0.340 46 27–53 28–54 NL West W L Pct. GB Home Road Cincinnati Reds 102 60 0.630 — 49–32 53–28 Los Angeles Dodgers 92 70 0.568 10 49–32 43–38 Houston Astros 80 82 0.494 22 46–36 34–46 San Francisco Giants 74 88 0.457 28 40–41 34–47 San Diego Padres 73 89 0.451 29 42–38 31–51 Atlanta Braves 70 92 0.432 32 34–47 36–45

Postseason

	League Championship Series TV: ABC					World Series TV: NBC
	East	New York Yankees	3
	West	Kansas City	2
						AL	New York Yankees	0
						NL	Cincinnati	4
	East	Philadelphia	0
	West	Cincinnati	3

Awards and honors

American League National League Award Player Position Team Player Position Team Most Valuable Player Thurman Munson C NYY Joe Morgan 2B CIN Cy Young Award Jim Palmer RHP BAL Randy Jones LHP SD Rookie of the Year Mark Fidrych RHP DET Butch Metzger Pat Zachry RHP RHP SD CIN Relief Man of the Year Bill Campbell RHP MIN Rawly Eastwick RHP CIN

Statistical leaders

American League National League Type Name Stat Name Stat AVG George Brett KC .333 Bill Madlock PIT .339 HR Graig Nettles NYY 32 Mike Schmidt PHI 38 RBI Lee May BAL 109 George Foster CIN 121 SB Billy North OAK 75 Davey Lopes LA 63 Wins Jim Palmer BAL 22 Randy Jones SD 22 ERA Mark Fidrych DET 2.34 John Denny STL 2.52 SO Nolan Ryan CAL 327 Tom Seaver NYM 235 SV Sparky Lyle NYY 23 Rawly Eastwick CIN 26

External links

• 1976 season at Baseball-reference.com