2003 Major League Baseball season

2003 MLB season
League	Major League Baseball
Sport	Baseball
Duration	March 30, 2003 – October 25, 2003
Regular Season
Season MVP	AL: Alex Rodriguez (TEX) NL: Barry Bonds (SFG)
League Postseason
AL champions	New York Yankees
AL runners-up	Boston Red Sox
NL champions	Florida Marlins
NL runners-up	Chicago Cubs
World Series
Champions	Florida Marlins
Runners-up	New York Yankees
Finals MVP	Josh Beckett (FLA)

The 2003 Major League Baseball season ended when the Florida Marlins defeated the New York Yankees in a six-game 2003 World Series. The Detroit Tigers set the American League record for losses in a season, with 119, and the Marlins became the first team to win the championship twice as a wild card.

Managers

American League

Team	Manager	Comments
Anaheim Angels	Mike Scioscia
Baltimore Orioles	Mike Hargrove
Boston Red Sox	Grady Little
Chicago White Sox±	Jerry Manuel	Hosted the All-Star Game
Cleveland Indians	Eric Wedge
Detroit Tigers	Alan Trammell
Kansas City Royals	Tony Peña
Minnesota Twins	Ron Gardenhire
New York Yankees	Joe Torre	Won the AL pennant
Oakland Athletics	Ken Macha
Seattle Mariners	Bob Melvin
Tampa Bay Devil Rays	Lou Piniella
Texas Rangers	Buck Showalter
Toronto Blue Jays	Carlos Tosca

National League

Team	Manager	Comments
Arizona Diamondbacks	Bob Brenly
Atlanta Braves	Bobby Cox
Chicago Cubs	Dusty Baker
Cincinnati Reds	Bob Boone	Replaced during the season by Dave Miley
Colorado Rockies	Clint Hurdle
Florida Marlins	Jeff Torborg	Replaced during the season by Jack McKeon, won World Series
Houston Astros	Jimy Williams
Los Angeles Dodgers	Jim Tracy
Milwaukee Brewers	Ned Yost
Montreal Expos	Frank Robinson
New York Mets	Art Howe
Philadelphia Phillies	Larry Bowa
Pittsburgh Pirates	Lloyd McClendon
St. Louis Cardinals	Tony La Russa
San Diego Padres	Bruce Bochy
San Francisco Giants	Felipe Alou

±hosted the MLB All Star Game

Major league baseball final standings

American League AL East W L Pct. GB Home Road ^(1) New York Yankees 101 61 0.623 — 50–32 51–29 ^(4) Boston Red Sox 95 67 0.586 6 53–28 42–39 Toronto Blue Jays 86 76 0.531 15 41–40 45–36 Baltimore Orioles 71 91 0.438 30 40–40 31–51 Tampa Bay Devil Rays 63 99 0.389 38 36–45 27–54 AL Central W L Pct. GB Home Road ^(3) Minnesota Twins 90 72 0.556 — 48–33 42–39 Chicago White Sox 86 76 0.531 4 51–30 35–46 Kansas City Royals 83 79 0.512 7 40–40 43–39 Cleveland Indians 68 94 0.420 22 38–43 30–51 Detroit Tigers 43 119 0.265 47 23–58 20–61 AL West W L Pct. GB Home Road ^(2) Oakland Athletics 96 66 0.593 — 57–24 39–42 Seattle Mariners 93 69 0.574 3 50–31 43–38 Anaheim Angels 77 85 0.475 19 45–37 32–48 Texas Rangers 71 91 0.438 25 43–38 28–53

National League NL East W L Pct. GB Home Road ^(1) Atlanta Braves 101 61 0.623 — 55–26 46–35 ^(4) Florida Marlins 91 71 0.562 10 53–28 38–43 Philadelphia Phillies 86 76 0.531 15 49–32 37–44 Montreal Expos 83 79 0.512 18 52–29 31–50 New York Mets 66 95 0.410 34½ 34–46 32–49 NL Central W L Pct. GB Home Road ^(3) Chicago Cubs 88 74 0.543 — 44–37 44–37 Houston Astros 87 75 0.537 1 48–33 39–42 St. Louis Cardinals 85 77 0.525 3 48–33 37–44 Pittsburgh Pirates 75 87 0.463 13 39–42 36–45 Cincinnati Reds 69 93 0.426 19 35–46 34–47 Milwaukee Brewers 68 94 0.420 20 31–50 37–44 NL West W L Pct. GB Home Road ^(2) San Francisco Giants 100 61 0.621 — 57–24 43–37 Los Angeles Dodgers 85 77 0.525 15½ 46–35 39–42 Arizona Diamondbacks 84 78 0.519 16½ 45–36 39–42 Colorado Rockies 74 88 0.457 26½ 49–32 25–56 San Diego Padres 64 98 0.395 36½ 35–46 29–52

Postseason

	League Division Series					League Championship Series					World Series
	1	New York Yankees	3
	3	Minnesota	1
						1	New York Yankees	4
	American League
						4	Boston	3
	2	Oakland	2
	4	Boston	3
											AL	New York Yankees	2
											NL	Florida	4
	1	Atlanta	2
	3	Chicago Cubs	3
						3	Chicago Cubs	3
	National League
						4	Florida	4
	2	San Francisco	1
	4	Florida	3

• World Series MVP: Josh Beckett
  • American League Championship Series MVP: Mariano Rivera
  • National League Championship Series MVP: Iván Rodríguez
• All-Star Game, July 15 at U.S. Cellular Field: American League, 7–6; Garret Anderson, MVP

Statistical leaders

	American League		National League
Type	Name	Stat	Name	Stat
AVG	Bill Mueller BOS	.326	Albert Pujols STL	.359
HR	Alex Rodriguez TEX	47	Jim Thome PHI	47
RBI	Carlos Delgado TOR	145	Preston Wilson COL	141
Wins	Roy Halladay TOR	22	Russ Ortiz ATL	21
ERA	Pedro Martínez BOS	2.22	Jason Schmidt SF	2.34
SO	Esteban Loaiza CHW	207	Kerry Wood CHC	266
SV	Keith Foulke OAK	43	Éric Gagné LA	55
SB	Carl Crawford TB	55	Juan Pierre FLA	65

Events

• April 2 – The Detroit Tigers become the first team to have four pitchers make their Major League debut in the same game. Jeremy Bonderman, Wilfredo Ledezma, Chris Spurling and Matt Roney all played in the 8-1 loss to the Minnesota Twins.^[1]
• May 23 – During the Atlanta Braves 15-3 victory over the Cincinnati Reds, Braves players Rafael Furcal, Mark DeRosa and Gary Sheffield hit consecutive home runs to start the game.^[2]
• June 23 – Barry Bonds steals his 500th career base, becoming the only member of baseball's 500 home run/500 stolen base club

References

• Baseball-Reference.com, 2003 American League season
• Baseball-Reference.com, 2003 National League season

1. "Charlton's Baseball Chronology". BaseballLibrary.com. Retrieved December 13, 2012.
2. Mackin, Bob (2004). The Unofficial Guide to Baseball's Most Unusual Records. Canada: Greystone Books. p. 240. ISBN 9781553650386.