1965 Major League Baseball season

1965 MLB season
LeagueMajor League Baseball
SportBaseball
DurationApril 12 – October 14, 1965
Number of games162
Number of teams20
TV partner(s)NBC, CBS, ABC
Draft
Top draft pickRick Monday
Picked byKansas City Athletics
Regular season
Season MVPAL: Zoilo Versalles (MIN)
NL: Willie Mays (SF)
AL championsMinnesota Twins
  AL runners-upChicago White Sox
NL championsLos Angeles Dodgers
  NL runners-upSan Francisco Giants
World Series
ChampionsLos Angeles Dodgers
  Runners-upMinnesota Twins
World Series MVPSandy Koufax (LAD)
MLB seasons

The 1965 Major League Baseball season was contested from April 12 to October 14, 1965. The Los Angeles Dodgers and Minnesota Twins were the regular season champions of the National League and American League, respectively. The Dodgers then defeated the Twins in the World Series, four games to three.

The Houston Colt .45s became the Houston Astros, as they moved from Colt Stadium to the new Astrodome, becoming the first team to play their home games indoors, rather than outdoors. It was also the final season for the Milwaukee Braves, before relocating and becoming the Atlanta Braves for the 1966 season. The Los Angeles Angels officially changed their name to California Angels on September 2, 1965, with only 28 games left in the season, in advance of their pending 1966 move to a new stadium in Anaheim, California.

In June, the first Major League Baseball draft was held in New York City. Teams chose players in reverse order of the previous season's standings, with picks alternating between American League and National League teams.[1] With the first pick of the 1965 MLB draft, the Kansas City Athletics took Rick Monday, an outfielder from Arizona State University.[2]

  1. ^ Koppett, Leonard (February 28, 1965). "Baseball's New Draft" (PDF). The New York Times. p. 2-S. Retrieved August 28, 2015.
  2. ^ "826 Players Picked in Baseball Draft". The Burlington Free Press. Burlington, Vermont. AP. June 10, 1965. p. 26. Retrieved August 7, 2018 – via newspapers.com.