the majors. The 472 runs they allowed remains the lowest total ever recorded by any major league team in a 162-game season. Ray Washburn of the Cardinals pitched a no-hitter against the Giants for a 2-0 victory on September 18th at Candlestick Park. The day before, Gaylord Perry pitched a no-hitter with a 1-0 Giants victory over the Cardinals. It was the first time in baseball history that no-hitters had been thrown in consecutive games and also that back-to-back no-hitters occurred in the same series. Hitting was anemic. Carl Yastrzemski of the Boston Red Sox had the lowest batting average of any league champion when his .301 was good enough for the American League batting title. The AL's collective slugging average of .339 remains the lowest since 1915 (when the game was still in the so-called dead-ball era), while the collective batting average of .230 is the all-time lowest. The Chicago White Sox scored only 463 runs during the regular season and were shut out a league-high 23 times. The shutout record was eclipsed in 1972 by the Texas Rangers, who were blanked 26 times in 154 games. After the season, the Rules Committee, seeking to restore balance, restored the pre-1963 strike zone and lowered the height of the pitching mound from . Four expansion teams joined the majors, and batting averages in returned to their historical averages; the large statistical advantage of pitching over batting in the major leagues during 1968 has not been seen since. Awards and honors Baseball Hall of Fame Kiki Cuyler Goose Goslin Joe Medwick Most Valuable Player Denny McLain, Detroit Tigers, P (AL) Bob Gibson, St. Louis Cardinals, P (NL) Cy Young Award Denny McLain, Detroit Tigers (AL) Bob Gibson, St. Louis Cardinals (NL) Rookie of the Year Stan Bahnsen, New York Yankees, P (AL) Johnny Bench, Cincinnati Reds, C (NL) Gold Glove Award George Scott (1B) (AL) Bobby Knoop (2B) (AL) Brooks Robinson (3B) (AL) Luis Aparicio (SS) (AL) Reggie Smith (OF) (AL) Mickey Stanley (OF) (AL) Carl Yastrzemski (OF) (AL) Bill Freehan (C) (AL) Jim Kaat (P) (AL) Statistical leaders Standings American League National League Postseason Bracket Home Field Attendance Events May 1 – Philadelphia Phillies pitcher John Boozer is ejected from a game against the New York Mets at Shea Stadium without throwing a pitch. Boozer had put spit on his hand to clean his uniform, which was in contravention of