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• Having across his fifteen seasons in Major League Baseball earned selection to the All-Star Game on four occasions, garnered the 1991 National League rookie of the year and 1994 National League most valuable player awards, earned thrice a Silver Slugger Award and once a Gold Glove Award, and been recognized five times as the National League Player of the Month, Houston Astros first baseman Jeff Bagwell, aged 38 years, announces his retirement from professional play; he completes his career having compiled a .297 batting average, having stricken 449 home runs, and having tallied 1,529 runs batted in.
• The Boston Red Sox, having thirty days thither won the exclusive right to negotiate with right-handed starting pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka–with the Japan national team thrice a winner at the 2006 World Baseball Classic and in view of such performance an all-WBC selection and the Classic most valuable player–last of the Pacific League's Seibu Lions, onto which, under the MLB-Japanese baseball posting system, a $51,111,111.11 transfer fee, the greatest-ever, devolves, reach agreement with Matsuzaka on a six-year, $52 million contract. Matuszaka is signed fifteen days ahead of the close of the thirty-day negotiation window betwixt Hanshin Tigers left-handed starting pitcher Kei Igawa–in 2003 the Central League most valuable player and Sawamura Award winner–and the New York Yankees, which side garner exclusive negotiating rights upon its sealed bid of $26,000,914, by nearly a factor of two over that paid in 2000 by the Seattle Mariners to the Orix Blue Wave for right fielder Ichiro Suzuki the second highest-ever bid.
• The recipients of the player and manager awards for the 2006 Major League Baseball (MLB) regular season are announced.

• Minnesota Twins first baseman Justin Morneau, who finishes the season having stricken 34 home runs, batted in 130 runs, and posted a batting average of .321, receives fifteen of the thirty-two first-place votes cast by a panel of the Baseball Writers Association of America and, in the award's Borda count system, outscores by fourteen points New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter to earn the American League Most Valuable Player Award, whilst Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard, in 2005 the National League Rookie of the Year, earns, in view of his having tallied 58 home runs, 149 runs batted in, and 108 walks, that league's most valuable player award; Howard totals twenty first-place votes to outpoint, 388-347, Saint Louis Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols, the 2005 award winner.
• In view of his becoming the first MLB player since Dwight Gooden (1985) to complete an league-wide triple crown by leading Major League Baseball in earned run average (2.77), wins (19), and strikeouts (245), Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Johan Santana wins unanimously, as in 2004 the American League Cy Young Award; New York Yankees starting pitcher Chien-Ming Wang, who, in his second MLB season, wins 19 games and posts a 3.63 earned run average, outpoints in the Borda count voting of twenty-eight members of the Baseball Writers Association of America, 51-48, Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Roy Halladay, the 2003 Cy Young winner, for second place, whilst Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim relief pitcher Francisco Rodríguez, who, for his having recorded 47 saves and tallied a 1.73 earned run average and 1.10 walks plus hits per innings pitched average, is recognized as the American League Rolaids Relief Man of the Year, is the only other player to record a second-place vote and finishes with five points. Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Brandon Webb, who wins 16 games, posts a 3.10 earned run average, and pitches 235 innings, more than any other pitcher save one, receives fifteen of thirty-two first place and seven of thirty-two second place votes cast to win the the National League (NL) Cy Young Award by twenty-six points over San Diego Padres relief pitcher Trevor Hoffman, who tallies 46 saves during a season in which he displaces sixteen-year closer Lee Smith from first place on the enumeration of MLBers by career saves and who ultimately earns–as in 1998–the NL Relief Man of the Year Award, and by forty points over Saint Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Chris Carpenter, the 2005 honoree.
• Having finished the regular season having won 17 games and having posted the seventh-best earned run average (3.63) amongst all American League (AL) starting pitchers, the Detroit Tigers' Justin Verlander, the second overall selection in the 2004 first-year player draft, who three days thither finishes seventh in voting for the AL Cy Young Award, earns twenty-six of twenty-eight first-place votes cast by members of the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA), and, in the award's Borda count voting system, earns the AL Rookie of the Year Award by 70 points over Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Jonathan Papelbon, who records 35 saves but does plays in just 59 games, and by 103 over Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Francisco Liriano, who tallies 144 strikeouts and wins 12 games but, having sustained an elbow injury, pitches just 121 innings, and who, as Baltimore Orioles right fielder Nick Markakis, earns one first-place vote. Each of six players receives at least one first- or second-place vote from amongst the 32 of either cast by members of the BBWAA for the National League Rookie of the Year Award, and shortstop Hanley Ramirez—with second baseman Dan Uggla (55 points in the Borda count system); starting pitcher Josh Johnson (11); starting pitcher Scott Olsen; starting pitcher Anibal Sánchez, the sole MLB pitcher to have posted a complete game no-hitter since 18 May 2004; and left fielder Josh Willingham one of six Florida Marlins players to have earned a vote—having, across the 2006 regular season, hit 17 home runs, scored 119 runs, and stolen 51 bases, outpoints by four, 105-101, Washington Nationals third baseman Ryan Zimmerman–who, on the season, totals 20 home runs and 110 runs batted in and compiles a .965 fielding percentage–to win the award.
• Although his team lose the 2006 World Series in five games to the Saint Louis Cardinals, Detroit Tigers manager Jim Leyland, having assumed control of the Tigers from Alan Trammell upon the team's completing the 2005 regular season having won but 71 games and having helped his side to 95 wins in the 2006 season, earns nineteen of twenty-eight first-place votes cast by members of the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) to outpoint, in the Borda count voting system employed by the BBWAA, by twenty-five, 118-93, Minnesota Twins manager Ron Gardenhire–who earns nine first-place votes–to claim the American League Manager of the Year Award and to become, after Bobby Cox and Tony LaRussa, just the third manager to have won the award in the American and National Leagues and, after Cox, LaRussa, and Dusty Baker, just the fourth manager to have won at least three Manager of the Year Awards across his career. Joe Girardi, having been discharged as Florida Marlins manager despite his having helped the squad, in the starting lineup of which regularly were four rookies and in the rotation of which were regularly three rookies, to an overall record of 79-84, earns eighteen of thirty-two first-place votes cast and tallies 111 points in the Borda count voting to finish thirty points clear of New York Mets manager Willie Randolph–whose team, having captured the National League (NL) East Division, ultimately falls to the Saint Louis Cardinals in the decisive seventh game of the NL Championship Series–for the National League Manager of the Year Award; Bruce Bochy (San Diego Padres) and Grady Little (Los Angeles Dodgers), who lead teams to the playoffs, also earn first-place votes and finish, respectively, 61 and 81 points adrift of Girardi.
• Chicago White Sox designated hitter Jim Thome, having across the league's 2005 regular season played in only 59 games and having across 193 at-bats recorded a batting average of just .207 but having in the 2006 season stricken 42 home runs, tallied 109 runs batted in, and earned selection to the 2006 All-Star Game, wins the American League Comeback Player of the Year Award ahead, in voting undertaken online by fans, of Oakland Athletics designated hitter Frank Thomas, whilst Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Nomar Garciaparra wins the National League honor in view of his having completed the 2006 season having stricken 20 home runs, tallied 93 runs batted in and earned All-Star Game selection despite having contested just 62 games during the 2005 season–and having recorded nine home runs therein–and having played in 143 games total across the 2004 and 2005 seasons.
• Amongst the eighteen players to be honored with Rawlings Gold Glove Awards for individual fielding performance are five American Leaguers—Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Kenny Rogers (five), Detroit Tigers catcher Iván Rodríguez (twelve, more than any other catcher), Oakland Athletics third baseman Eric Chavez (six), Seattle Mariners right fielder Ichiro Suzuki (six), and Minnesota Twins center fielder Torii Hunter—and three National Leaguers—Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Greg Maddux (sixteen, as many as Jim Kaat and more than any other pitcher), San Francisco Giants shortstop Omar Vizquel (eleven, more than any other shortstop save Ozzie Smith), Saint Louis Cardinals third baseman Scott Rolen, and Atlanta Braves center fielder Andruw Jones—of whom each wins a Gold Glove Award for at least the fifth time is his career, but amongst those eighteen honored for overall offensive performance with Louisville Silver Slugger Awards, is just one—Boston Red Sox left fielder Manny Ramírez (nine, more than any other outfielder save Barry Bonds)—who wins for at least the fifth time as thirteen players—including American League (AL) Most Valuable Player Minnesota Twins first baseman Justin Morneau, AL Most Valuable Player Award runner-up New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter (who also wins his third consecutive Gold Glove), Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Carlos Zambrano (who, in 73 at-bats in the 2006 regular season, strikes six home runs and bats in 11 runs), and National League Most Valuable Player Saint Louis Cardinals first baseman Ryan Howard—win for the first time.

• For the second consecutive year, the champion of the Japan Series wins the Konami Cup Asia Series as the Hokkaidō Nippon Ham Fighters, two-and-one-half weeks thither the Japan Series titlist as victor of the Pacific League, having completed round robin pool play undefeated and having scored fifteen runs and permitted just three, defeat the La New Bears—winner of the Chinese Professional Baseball League 2006 regular season and Taiwan Series titlist—1-0 in a championship round game to garner the 2006 iteration of the Asia Series; for his having recorded ten strikeouts across seven shutout innings to win the championship game, Hokkaidō starting pitcher Yu Darvish is named Series most valuable player. The Bears, having lost to the Fighters in round robin play, 2-1, reach the final by virtue of the squad's 3-2 day three victory over the Samsung Lions—champion, as in 2005, of the Korean Baseball Organization, three weeks thither in five games over the Hanhwa Eagles, and the 2005 Asia Series runner-up to the Chiba Lotte Marines—which side finish, having won only a day two tie against the China Stars, in third place overall; the Stars, composed of players selected from amongst the six China Baseball Association (CBA) constituent teams–including from the Tianjin Lions, three months thither over the Guangdong Dragons in three consecutive playoff games, CBA champions–finish, as in 2005, last overall, having scored just four runs and having conceded thirty-two.
• The 2006 Major League Baseball playoffs conclude at Busch Stadium in Saint Louis, Missouri, as the Saint Louis Cardinals win, 4-2, the fifth game of the World Series to claim the Commissioner's Trophy and, in the team's seventeenth championship series appearance, its tenth league title. Having won the first of two games contested at Comerica Park, the home field of the Tigers, who hold home field advantage in view of the American League's having won the 2006 All-Star Game, the Cardinals earn three consecutive victories, tallying overall fourteen runs whilst conceding just six, to become, in view of the team's having won 83 regular season games but having lost 78, the first World Series-winning side to accumulate a regular season winning percentage below .520 (.516); the team are led by shortstop David Eckstein, who records eight hits across twenty-two Series at-bats and, over the fourth and fifth games, two runs scored and four runs batted-in, to earn the Most Valuable Player Award, and Tony LaRussa, who becomes, after Sparky Anderson, just the second manager ever to have won at least one Series whilst in each of the American and National Leagues. Saint Louis, having four weeks thither won the National League Central Division for the third consecutive season and having thereafter earned in four games a division series victory over the San Diego Padres, as in 2005 the West Division titlist, overcome the New York Mets, seeded first and champion of the East Division to earn the National League championship behind starting pitcher Jeff Suppan, who, having won two games, is named League Championship Series most valuable player. The Tigers, during much of the season the leader of the Central Division of the American League but ultimately the winner of the league's wild card, having completed in four games a division series victory over American League East Division titlist New York Yankees, who complete the regular season having won 97 games, more than any other team, and having in the final three games of such series scored eighteen runs but conceded just eight, and having swept West Division-winning side Oakland Athletics to earn, behind second baseman Plácido Polanco, who records nine hits and tallies two runs batted-in and two walks during the series, the American League pennant, the team's first since 1984, are paced in defeat by first baseman Sean Casey—who across the five games of the Series records nine hits, including two home runs, and bats in five runs.
• At the Sapporo Dome in the eponymous city in Japan, the Hokkaidō Nippon Ham Fighters, champion of the Pacific League in three consecutive games over the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, having lost, at the Nagoya Dome, the first game of the series, 4-2, and having thereafter claimed three straight victories, defeat the Chunichi Dragons, champion, by three-and-one-half games over 2005 league titlist Hanshin Tigers, of the Central League, which does not hold a playoff, 4-1, to earn, in five games, the best-of-seven-game 2006 Japan Series pennant; the franchise captures its second-ever Series and becomes the fourth consecutive Pacific League side to garner the championship of Japanese professional baseball and second consecutive such side, after the Chiba Lotte Marines (Bobby Valentine) to be managed by a native of the United States (Trey Hillman). The Fighters are led by right fielder Atsunori Inaba, who compiles a .353 batting average, bats in seven runs, and strikes two home runs across the Series to earn most valuable player honors, and relief pitcher Micheal Nakamura, who saves three games, whilst the Dragons are paced in defeat by right fielder Kosuke Fukudome, the Central League most valuable player and batting champion, who bats in two of the three runs the team scores against the second, third, and fourth games of the Series.
• The La New Bears, the winningest team in either half of the 2006 Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) regular season and recipient of a bye for the first round of the CPBL playoffs defeat, at Tainan Baseball Field in Tainan, Taiwan, the Uni-President Lions, 7-3, in the fourth game of the best-of-seven-game Taiwan Series to win, in a sweep, the team's first CPBL championship. The Lions, seeded second, reach the Series by defeating, in three consecutive games and by a combined score of fifteen runs to five, the Sinon Bulls, who finish the CPBL regular season with the third-best overall record and fail to win the Series for the first time since 2003.

For other baseball news, see 2006 in baseball, current sports events, and the Wikinews baseball portal.