Current season	2011 Major League Baseball season
Logo	Major League Baseball.svg
Pixels	250px
Sport	Baseball
Founded	1869
Ceo	Bud Selig
Teams	30
Champion	San Francisco Giants (6th title)
Most champs	New York Yankees (27 titles)
Country	(29 teams) (1 team)
Continent	North America
Tv	FoxTBSESPNMLB Network
Website	MLB.com }}

Major League Baseball (MLB) is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League. The two leagues merged in 2000 into a single MLB organization led by the Commissioner of Baseball after 100 years as separate legal entities.

MLB constitutes one of the major professional sports leagues of the United States and Canada. It is composed of 30 teams — 29 in the United States and one in Canada. With the International Baseball Federation, MLB also manages the World Baseball Classic.

MLB organizational structure

MLB is governed by the Major League Baseball Constitution that has undergone several incarnations since 1876 with the most recent revisions being made in 2005. Under the direction of the Commissioner of Baseball (currently Bud Selig), Major League Baseball hires and maintains the sport's umpiring crews, and negotiates marketing, labor, and television contracts. As is the case for most of the sports leagues in the United States and Canada, the "closed shop" aspect of MLB effectively prevents the yearly promotion and relegation of teams into and out of Major League Baseball because of their performance. Major League Baseball maintains a unique, controlling relationship over the sport, including most aspects of minor league baseball. This is due in large part to a 1922 U.S. Supreme Court ruling in ''Federal Baseball Club v. National League'', which held that baseball is not interstate commerce and therefore not subject to federal antitrust law. This ruling has been weakened only slightly in subsequent years.

Executives

The chief executive of MLB is the commissioner. MLB has five executive vice-presidents in charge of the following areas: baseball operations, business, labor relations and human resources, finance, and administration (whose vice-president is MLB's Chief Information Officer).

Multimedia and production

The multimedia branch of MLB is New York–based MLB Advanced Media, which oversees MLB.com and each of the thirty teams' websites. Its charter states that MLB Advanced Media holds editorial independence from the League, but it is under the same ownership group and revenue-sharing plan. MLB Productions is a similarly structured wing of the league, focusing on video and traditional broadcast media.

League organization

Major League Baseball is divided into the American League (14 teams) and the National League (16 teams). Currently, each league is further subdivided into three divisions – labeled East, Central, and West. The three-division structure dates back to 1994, one season after the National League expanded to 14 teams. From 1969 through 1993 each league consisted of an East and West division. Before 1997, the two leagues met on the field only during the World Series and the All-Star Game: regular-season interleague play was introduced in 1997.

In March 1995, two new franchises—the Arizona Diamondbacks and Tampa Bay Devil Rays—were awarded by Major League Baseball, to begin play in 1998. This addition would bring the total number of franchises to 30. In early 1997, Major League Baseball decided to assign one new team to each league: Tampa Bay joined the American League and Arizona joined the National League. The original plan was to have an odd number of teams in each league (15 per league, with 5 in each division). Interleague play, introduced in 1997, would have had to be extended throughout the entire season to allow every team to play every day. It was unclear though if interleague play would continue after the 1998 season, as it had to be approved by the players' union. For this and other reasons, it was decided that both leagues should continue to have an even number of teams; one existing club would have to switch leagues. The Milwaukee Brewers agreed in November 1997 to move from the American League to the National League, thereby making the National League a 16-team league.

The two leagues were once totally separate rival corporate entities, but that distinction has all but disappeared. In 1903, the two leagues began to meet in an end-of-year championship series called the World Series. In 1920, the weak National Commission, which had been created to manage relationships between the two leagues, was replaced with the much more powerful Commissioner of Baseball, who had the power to make decisions for all of professional baseball unilaterally. In 2000, the American and National Leagues were dissolved as legal entities, and Major League Baseball became a single league ''de jure'', although it had operated as a ''de facto'' single entity for many years.

The same rules and regulations are played between the two leagues with one exception: the American League operates under the Designated Hitter Rule, while the National League does not. This difference in rules between leagues is unique to MLB; the other sports leagues of the US including the NFL, NBA, NHL each have all teams playing under the same rules.

History

Differing definitions of MLB's founding year

For its founding year, Major League Baseball (the current official organization) uses ''1869''—the year the first professional team, the Cincinnati Red Stockings, was established—and held official celebrations for its 100th anniversary in 1969 and its 125th anniversary in 1994, both of which were commemorated with league-wide shoulder patches. The modern Chicago Cubs and Atlanta Braves franchises trace their histories back to the National Association of Professional Base Ball Players in the early 1870s. The National League in 1876 is often pointed to as the beginning of Major League Baseball.

Founding

The first attempt at a national major league was the short-lived National Association, which existed from 1871 to 1875. Two current major league franchises, the Atlanta Braves and the Chicago Cubs, can trace their origins to the National Association.

Currently, there are two major leagues: the National League (founded in 1876) and the American League (founded in 1901).

Other Leagues

Several other defunct leagues are officially considered to be major, and their statistics and records are included with those of the two current major leagues. These include the Union Association (1884), the American Association (1882–1891, not to be confused with later minor leagues of the same name), the Players League (1890) and the Federal League (1914–1915). In the late 1950s, a serious attempt was made to establish a third major league, the Continental League, but that league never played.

Several Negro League players have been enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame. However, the Negro Leagues are not officially considered major, primarily because the statistical record is incomplete.

Japanese professional baseball, divided into the Pacific League and the Central League, are not officially considered major leagues. No Japanese players have been inducted into the Hall of Fame; however, Sadaharu Oh is famous on both sides of the Pacific for holding the all-time unofficial world record for career home runs: 868.

Rise

In the 1860s, aided by the Civil War, "New York"-style baseball expanded into a national game and baseball's first governing body, The National Association of Base Ball Players, was formed. The NABBP existed as an amateur league for twelve years. By 1867, more than 400 clubs were members, although most of the strongest clubs remained those based in the northeastern part of the country.

In 1870, a schism developed between professional and amateur ballplayers, after the 1869 founding of the first professional baseball team, the Cincinnati Red Stockings. The NABBP split into two groups. The National Association of ''Professional'' Base Ball Players was formed in 1871. Some consider it to have been the first major league. Its amateur counterpart disappeared after only a few years.

In 1876, the National League of Professional Base Ball ''Clubs''—which still exists—was established, after the National Association proved ineffective. The emphasis was now on "clubs" rather than "players". Clubs could now enforce player contracts, preventing players from jumping to higher-paying clubs. For their part, clubs were required to play the full schedule of games, instead of forfeiting scheduled games when the club was no longer in the running for the league championship, which happened frequently under the National Association. A concerted effort was made to curb gambling on games which was leaving the validity of results in doubt.

The early years of the National League were tumultuous, with threats from rival leagues and a rebellion by players against the hated "reserve clause", which restricted the free movement of players between clubs. Competitive leagues formed regularly, and also disbanded regularly. The most successful was the American Association (1881–1891), sometimes called the "beer and whiskey league" for its tolerance of the sale of alcoholic beverages to spectators. For several years, the National League and American Association champions met in a postseason championship series—the first attempt at a World Series.

The Union Association survived for only one season (1884), as did the Players League (1890). Both leagues are considered major leagues by many baseball researchers because of the perceived high caliber of play (for a brief time anyway) and the number of star players featured. However, some researchers have disputed the major-league status of the Union Association, pointing out that franchises came and went and contending that the St. Louis club, which was deliberately "stacked" by the league's president (who owned that club), was the only club that was anywhere close to major-league caliber. There were dozens of leagues, large and small, at this time. What made the National League "major" was its dominant position in the major cities, particularly New York City. The large cities offered baseball teams national media distribution systems and fan bases that could generate revenues, enabling teams to hire the best players in the country.

The resulting bidding war for players led to widespread contract-breaking and legal disputes. One of the most famous involved star second baseman Napoleon Lajoie, who in 1901 went across town in Philadelphia from the National League Phillies to the American League Athletics. Barred by a court injunction from playing baseball in the state of Pennsylvania the following year, Lajoie was traded to the Cleveland team, where he played and managed for many years.

The war between the American and National leagues caused shock waves throughout the baseball world. At a meeting at the Leland Hotel in Chicago in 1901, the other baseball leagues negotiated a plan to maintain their independence. On September 5, 1901, Patrick T. Powers, president of the Eastern League, announced the formation of the second National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues, the NAPBL or "NA" for short.

Ban Johnson had other designs for the NA. While the NA continues to this day (known as "Minor League Baseball"), he saw it as a tool to end threats from smaller rivals who might some day want to expand in other territories and threaten his league's dominance.

After 1902, the three leagues—the NL, the AL, and the NAPBL—signed a new National Agreement. The new agreement tied independent contracts to the reserve-clause national league contracts. Baseball players became a commodity. The agreement also set up a formal classification system for independent minor leagues that regulated the dollar value of contracts, the forerunner of the system refined by Branch Rickey that is still used today.

It also gave the NA great power. Many independents walked away from the 1901 meeting. The deal with the NA punished those other indies who had not joined the NA and submitted to the will of the 'majors.' The NA also agreed to the deal to prevent more pilfering of players with little or no compensation for the players' development. Several leagues, seeing the writing on the wall, eventually joined the NA, which grew in size over the next several years.

Dead-ball era

At this time the games tended to be low scoring, dominated by such pitchers as Walter Johnson, Cy Young, Christy Mathewson, Mordecai Brown, and Grover Cleveland Alexander, to the extent that the period 1900–1919 is commonly called the "dead-ball era". The term also accurately describes the condition of the "baseball". A baseball cost three dollars, a hefty sum then, equal to $}} today (in inflation-adjusted US dollars). Club owners were therefore reluctant to spend much money on new balls, if not necessary. It was not unusual for a single baseball to last an entire game, by the end of which, the ball would be dark with grass, mud, and tobacco stains, and misshapen from contact with the bat. Balls were replaced only if they were hit into the crowd and lost, and many clubs employed security guards solely to retrieve balls hit into the stands.

Home runs were thus rare, and "small ball"—singles, bunts, stolen bases, the hit-and-run play, and other tactics—dominated the strategies of the time. Hitting methods, like the Baltimore Chop, were used to increase the number of infield singles.

The foul strike rule was a major rule change that, in just a few years, sent baseball from a high-scoring game to one where scoring runs became a struggle. Prior to this rule, foul balls were not counted as strikes: a batter could foul off any number of pitches with no strikes counted against him; this gave an enormous advantage to the batter. In 1901, the National League adopted the foul strike rule, and the American League followed suit in 1903.

The World War II era

On January 14, 1942, Major League Baseball Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis wrote a letter to President Franklin D. Roosevelt regarding the continuation of baseball during the war, called the Green Light Letter. In this letter, the commissioner pleaded for the continuation of baseball in hopes for a start of a new major league season. President Roosevelt responds "I honestly feel that it would be best for the country to keep baseball going. There will be fewer people unemployed and everybody will work longer hours and harder than ever before. And that means that they ought to have a chance for recreation and for taking their minds off their work even more than before."

With the approval of President Roosevelt, Major League Baseball began its spring training in 1942 with little repercussions. Although some men were being pulled away from the baseball fields and sent to the battlefield, baseball continued to field teams.

Breaking the color barrier

In the mid-1940s, Branch Rickey, president and general manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers, selected player Jackie Robinson from a list of promising Negro leagues players. After obtaining a commitment from Robinson to "turn the other cheek" to any racial antagonism directed at him, Rickey agreed to sign him to a contract for $600 a month. In what was later referred to as "The Noble Experiment", Robinson was the first black baseball player in the International League since the 1880s, joining the Dodgers' farm club, the Montreal Royals, for the 1946 season.

The following year, the Dodgers called Robinson up to the major leagues. On April 15, 1947, Robinson made his major league debut at Ebbets Field before a crowd of 26,623 spectators, including more than 14,000 black patrons. Black baseball fans began flocking to see the Dodgers when they came to town, abandoning their Negro league teams which they had followed exclusively. Robinson's promotion met a generally positive, although mixed, reception among newspapers and white major league players. Manager Leo Durocher informed his team, "I do not care if the guy is yellow or black... I'm the manager of this team, and I say he plays. What's more, I say he can make us all rich. And if any of you cannot use the money, I will see that you are all traded." After a strike threat by some players, National League President Ford Frick and Baseball Commissioner Happy Chandler let it be known that any striking players would be suspended. Robinson received significant encouragement from several major league players, including Dodgers teammate Pee Wee Reese who said, "You can hate a man for many reasons. Color is not one of them."

That year, Robinson earned the inaugural Major League Baseball Rookie of the Year Award (separate National League and American League rookie of the year honors were awarded until 1949).[128]

The next year, racial pressure on Robinson eased, as a number of other black players entered the major leagues. Larry Doby and Satchel Paige were signed by the Cleveland Indians, and the Dodgers added three other black players besides Robinson.

Expanding west, south and north

For half a century, from 1903 to 1953, the two major leagues consisted of two eight team leagues. The 16 teams were located in just ten cities, all in the northeastern and midwestern United States: New York City had three teams and Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia and St. Louis each had two teams. St. Louis was the southernmost and westernmost city with a major league team. The longest possible road trip, from Boston to St. Louis, took about 24 hours by railroad. The era of expansion and realignment began in 1953 when the National League's Boston Braves became the Milwaukee Braves. In 1954, the St. Louis Browns became the Baltimore Orioles. In 1955, the Philadelphia Athletics became the Kansas City Athletics. These were three of the least successful major league franchises, even though the Braves were usually an above-.500 team, and they and the Browns had each won a league championship during the 1940s. These three moves were not controversial. The next pair of franchise moves is still controversial.

Baseball experts consider the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers' boss Walter O'Malley to be "perhaps the most influential owner of baseball's early expansion era." Before the 1958 Major League Baseball season, he moved the Brooklyn Dodgers to Los Angeles. When O'Malley moved the Dodgers from Brooklyn, the story transcended the world of sport and he found himself on the cover of ''TIME'' magazine. The cover art for the issue was created by sports cartoonist Willard Mullin, long noted for his caricature of the "Brooklyn Bum" that personified the team. O'Malley was also influential in persuading the rival New York Giants to move west, to become the San Francisco Giants. The Giants were already suffering from slumping attendance records at their aging ballpark, the Polo Grounds. Had the Dodgers moved out west alone, the St. Louis Cardinals— away— would have been the closest National League team. The joint move would make West Coast road trips economical for visiting teams. O'Malley invited San Francisco Mayor George Christopher to New York to meet with Giants owner Horace Stoneham. Stoneham was considering moving the Giants to Minnesota, but he was convinced to join O'Malley on the West Coast at the end of the 1957 campaign. The meetings occurred during the 1957 season and against the wishes of Commissioner of Baseball Ford Frick. The dual moves broke the hearts of New York's National League fans but ultimately were successful for both franchises—and for Major League Baseball. The move was an immediate success as well, because the Dodgers set a major-league, single-game attendance record in their first home appearance with 78,672 fans.

In 1961, the "first" Washington Senators franchise moved to Minneapolis-St. Paul to become the Minnesota Twins. Two new teams were added to the American League at the same time: the Los Angeles Angels (who soon moved from downtown L.A. to nearby Anaheim) and a new "second" Washington Senators franchise. The National League followed suit by adding the Houston Astros and the New York Mets in 1962. The Astros (known as the "Colt. 45s" during their first three seasons) became the first southern major league franchise since the Louisville Colonels folded in 1899. The Mets established a reputation for futility by going 40–120 during their first season of play in the nation's media capital— and by playing only a little better in subsequent campaigns— but in their eighth season (1969) the Mets became the first of the 1960s expansion teams to win a World Series.

In 1966, Major League Baseball moved to the "Deep South" when the Braves moved to Atlanta. In 1968, the Kansas City Athletics moved west to become the Oakland Athletics.

In 1969, the two major leagues added two teams each. The American League added the Seattle Pilots (who became the Milwaukee Brewers after one disastrous season in Seattle) and the Kansas City Royals. The National League added the first Canadian franchise, the Montreal Expos as well as the San Diego Padres.

In 1972, the Washington Senators moved to Dallas-Fort Worth to become the Texas Rangers. In 1977, baseball added a second Canadian team, the Toronto Blue Jays, as well as the Seattle Mariners. This marked the end of the expansion era: no new teams were added and no teams moved until the 1990s. In 1993, the National League added the Florida Marlins in Miami and the Colorado Rockies in Denver. In 1998, the Milwaukee Brewers switched leagues by joining the National League and two new teams were added: the National League's Arizona Diamondbacks in Phoenix and the American League's Tampa Bay Devil Rays in St. Petersburg, Florida.

After the 2001 season, the team owners voted in favor of contraction. The Montreal Expos and the Minnesota Twins were expected to be the two teams which would cease to exist. Thanks to lawsuits from various parties, this plan was first delayed and finally killed for good in June 2002. The Twins ironically finished in first place in 2002.

The Expos became the first franchise in over three decades to move when they became the Washington Nationals in 2005. This move left Canada with just one team, but it also returned baseball to the United States capital city after a 33-year absence. This franchise shift, like many previous ones, involved baseball's return to a city which had been previously abandoned. Although there are a number of cities which permanently lost major league baseball in the 19th century, since 1901 only Montreal has lost its major league team without eventually getting another one. (This is not counting the short-lived Federal League. However, the two established leagues have only passed over two Federal League markets— Buffalo and Indianapolis.)

Pitching dominance and rules changes

By the late 1960s, the balance between pitching and hitting had swung in favor of the pitchers. In 1968—later nicknamed "the year of the pitcher"—Boston Red Sox player Carl Yastrzemski won the American League batting title with an average of just .301, the lowest in history. Detroit Tigers pitcher Denny McLain won 31 games, making him the first pitcher to win 30 games in a season since Dizzy Dean in 1934. St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Bob Gibson achieved an equally remarkable feat by allowing an ERA of just 1.12.

Following these pitching performances, in December 1968 the rules committee voted to reduce the strike zone from knees to shoulders to top of knees to armpits and lower the pitcher's mound from 15 to 10 inches, beginning in the 1969 season.

In 1973 the American League, which had been suffering from much lower attendance than the National League, sought to increase scoring even further by initiating the designated hitter (DH) rule.

Power age

Routinely in the late 1990s and early 2000s, baseball players hit 40 or 50 home runs in a season, a feat that was considered rare even in the 1980s. It has become apparent since that at least some of this power surge was a result of players using steroids and other performance enhancing drugs. Many modern baseball theorists believe that the need of pitchers to combat the rise in power could lead to a pitching revolution at some point. New pitches, such as the mysterious gyroball, could shift the balance of power back to the defensive side. A pitching revolution would not be unprecedented; several pitches have changed the game of baseball, including the slider in the '50s and '60s and the split-fingered fastball in the '70s to '90s. Since the 1990s, the changeup has made a resurgence, being thrown masterfully by pitchers such as Trevor Hoffman, Greg Maddux, Jamie Moyer, Tom Glavine, Johan Santana, Pedro Martinez and Tim Lincecum. Recently, pitchers such as Lincecum, Jonathan Sanchez, and Ubaldo Jimenez have been throwing changeups with a split-finger grip, creating a dropping movement, dubbed the "split change."

MLB uniforms

A baseball uniform is a type of uniform worn by baseball players, and by some non-playing personnel, such as field managers and coaches. It is worn to indicate the person's role in the game and — through the use of logos, colors, and numbers — to identify the teams and their players, managers, and coaches.

The New York Knickerbockers were the first baseball team to use uniforms, taking the field on April 4, 1849, in pants made of blue wool, white flannel shirts (jerseys) and straw hats. The practice of wearing a uniform soon spread, and by 1900, all major league teams had adopted them. By 1882, most uniforms included stockings, which covered the leg from foot to knee, and had different colors that reflected the different baseball positions. In the late 1880s, the Detroit Wolverines and Washington Nationals of the National League and the Brooklyn Bridegrooms of the American Association were the first to wear striped uniforms.

Caps, or other types of headgear with eyeshades, have been a part of baseball uniforms from the beginning. Baseball teams often wore full-brimmed straw hats or no cap at all since there was no official rule regarding headgear. Completing the baseball uniform are cleats and stockings, both of which have also been around for a long time.

By the end of the 19th century, teams began the practice of having two different uniforms, one for when they played at home in their own baseball stadium and a different one for when they played away (on the road) at the other team's ballpark. It became common to wear white pants with a white color vest at home and gray pants with a gray or solid color vest when away. Most teams also have one or more alternate uniforms, usually consisting of the primary or secondary team color on the vest instead of the usual white or gray. Teams on occasion will also wear throwback uniforms.

Traditionally home uniforms have displayed the team name on the front, while away uniforms have displayed the name of the city (or state) that the team is from. There are many exceptions to that rule, however.

Season structure

Spring training

Spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to audition for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play. Spring training has always attracted fan attention, drawing crowds who travel to the warmer climates to enjoy the weather and watch their favorite teams play, and spring training usually coincides with spring break for many college students. Autograph seekers also find greater access to players during Spring Training.

Spring training typically lasts almost two months, starting in mid February and running until just before the season opening day (and often right at the end of spring training, some teams will play spring training games on the same day other teams have opening day of the season), traditionally the first week of April. Pitchers and catchers report to spring training first because pitchers benefit from a longer training period due to the exhaustive nature of the position. A week or two later, the position players arrive and team practice begins.

Regular Season

The current MLB regular season consists of 162 games per team, which typically begins on the first Sunday in April and ends on the first Sunday in October. Each team's schedule is organized typically into 3-game series, with occasional 2- or 4-game series, and the rare 5-game series. Postponed games or continuations of suspended games can result in an ad hoc 1-game or 5-game series. A team's series are organized into homestands and road trips that group multiple series together. Teams generally play games six days per week, commonly having Monday or Thursday as an off day. Frequently, games are scheduled at night, but during the vacation months of June, July, and August, more day games are played. Sunday games are generally played during the afternoon, allowing teams to travel to their next destination prior to a Monday night game.

In one weekend in mid-May and in the last two thirds of June, teams participate in interleague play, allowing fans to see infrequent team matchups between teams in different leagues. Use of the DH rule is determined by the home team's league rules.

Over the course of a season, teams compete for one of the four playoff berths in their league. They can win one of these berths by either winning their division, or by capturing a wild card spot. In many seasons, post-season teams are not determined until the very end of the season, while in other years, a post-season team can be decided as early as August.

Infrequently, after the conclusion of the 162-game season, an additional tie-breaking game (or games) may be needed to determine postseason participation.

All-Star Game

In early July — just after the midway point of the season — a three-day break is taken and the Major League Baseball All-Star Game is held. The All-Star game features a team of players from the National League (NL) — led by the manager of the previous NL World Series team — and a team of players from the American League (AL), similarly managed, in an exhibition game. From 1959 to 1961, two games were held, one in July and one in August. The designated-hitter rule was used in the All-Star game for the first time in 1989. Following games used a DH when the game was played in an AL ballpark. Starting in 2010, the DH rule will be in effect regardless of venue.

The 2002 contest in Milwaukee controversially ended in an 11-inning tie. Since 2003, the league which wins the All-Star game gets home-field advantage in the World Series: the league champion hosts the first two games at its own ballpark as well as the last two (if necessary.) 2010 marked the first time that a National League champion benefited from this rule. The National League did, however, manage to win three out of the seven World Series played between 2003 and 2009.

The first All-Star Game was held as part of the 1933 World's Fair in Chicago, Illinois, and was the brainchild of Arch Ward, then sports editor for ''The Chicago Tribune''. Initially intended to be a one-time event, its great success resulted in making the game an annual one. Ward's contribution was recognized by Major League Baseball in 1962 with the creation of the "Arch Ward Trophy", given to the All-Star Game's most valuable player each year. (In 2002, this was renamed the Ted Williams Most Valuable Player Award.)

Beginning in 1947, the eight position players in each team's starting lineup have been voted into the game by fans. The fan voting was discontinued after a 1957 ballot-box-stuffing scandal in Cincinnati: seven of the eight slots originally went to Reds players, two of whom were subsequently removed from the lineup to make room for Willie Mays and Hank Aaron. Fan voting was reinstated in 1970 and has continued ever since, including Internet voting in recent years.

From the first All-Star Game, players have worn their regular team uniforms, with one exception: In the first game, the National League players wore uniforms made for the game, with the lettering "National League" across the front of the shirt.

Post-season

style="background:silver;" colspan="5"	World Series Records
!Rank	!Team	!World Serieswon	!LastSerieswon	!Leaguepennantswon
1st		27	2009	40
	2nd	style="background:#acf;"	St. Louis Cardinals (NL)		10		2006		17
3rd		9	1989	14
		7	2007	12
		6	2010	18
	6	1988	18
		5	1990	9
	5	1979	7
9th		4	1984	10
		3	1995	9
	3	1983	7
	3	1991		6
style="background:#fbd;"	Chicago White Sox (AL)	3	2005		5
		2	1908	10
	2	2008	7
	2	1948	5
	2	1986	4
	2	1993	2
	2	2003	2
		0		2
	0		1 [AL]
	0		1
	0		1
	0		1
style="background:#fbd;"	0		1
	0		0
	0		0

When the regular season ends after the first Sunday in October (or the last Sunday in September), eight teams enter the post-season playoffs. Six teams are division champions; the remaining two "wild-card" spots are filled by the team in each league that has the best record but is not a division champion (best second-place team). Three rounds of series of games are played to determine the champion:

# American League Division Series and National League Division Series, each a best-of-five-games series. # American League Championship Series and National League Championship Series, each a best-of-seven-games series played between the surviving teams from the ALDS and NLDS. The league champions are informally referred to as the American and National League pennant winners. # World Series, a best-of-seven-games series played between the pennant winners of each league.

Within each league, the division winners are the #1, No.2 and No.3 seeds, based on win–loss records. The wild-card team is the fourth seed—regardless of its record—and is paired with the highest seed outside of its own division in the first round of the playoffs, while the remaining two division champions play each other. In the first two rounds, the better-seeded team has home-field advantage, regardless of record. The team belonging to the league that won the mid-season All-Star Game receives home-field advantage in the World Series.

Because each postseason series is split between the two teams' home fields, home-field advantage theoretically does not play a significant role unless the series goes to its maximum number of games, in which case the final game takes place on the field of the team holding the advantage. Home-field advantage, however, can play a role, if the team with home-field advantage wins the first two games (at home), thereby gaining some momentum for the rest of the Series.

Use of the DH rule in the World Series is determined by the home team's league rules.

International play

Since 1986, a team of Major League Baseball All-Stars has made a biennial end-of-the-season tour of Japan, playing exhibition games against the Nippon Professional Baseball All-Stars in the MLB Japan All-Star Series. Starting in 1992 and continuing intermittently, several Major League Baseball teams have played exhibition games against Japanese teams.

In 2008, Major League Baseball played the MLB China Series in the People's Republic of China. It was a series of two spring-training games played by the San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers. The games were an effort to popularize baseball in China.

MLB steroid policy

The original steroid policy provided for a 10-game suspension for a first positive test, a 30-game suspension for a second positive test, a 60-game suspension for a third positive test, a one year suspension for a fourth positive test, and a penalty at the commissioner’s discretion for a fifth positive test. Players were tested at least once per year, with the chance that several players could be tested many times per year.

A former Senate Majority Leader, federal prosecutor, and ex-chairman of The Walt Disney Company, George Mitchell was appointed by Commissioner of Baseball Bud Selig on March 30, 2006 to investigate the use of performance-enhancing drugs in MLB. Mitchell was appointed during a time of controversy over the 2006 book ''Game of Shadows'' by ''San Francisco Chronicle'' investigative reporters Lance Williams and Mark Fainaru-Wada, which chronicles alleged extensive use of performance enhancers, including several different types of steroids and growth hormone by baseball superstars Barry Bonds, Gary Sheffield, and Jason Giambi. The appointment was made after several influential members of the U.S. Congress made negative comments about both the effectiveness and honesty of MLB's drug policies and Commissioner Selig.

According to the report, after mandatory random testing began in 2004, HGH Treatment for Athletic Enhancement became popular among players, as HGH is not detectable in tests, though the Mitchell report was careful to point out that HGH is likely a placebo with no performance enhancing effects. Also, at least one player from each of the thirty Major League Baseball teams was involved in the alleged violations.

On December 12, 2007, the day before the report was to be released, Bud Selig said, regarding his decision to commission the report, "I haven't seen the report yet, but I'm proud I did it."

According to ESPN, some people questioned whether Mitchell being a director of the Boston Red Sox created a conflict of interest, especially because no "prime [Sox] players were in the report." Mitchell described his role with the team as that of a "consultant". Despite the lack of "prime" Boston players, the report had named several prominent Yankees who were parts of World Series clubs. This made some people feel that there was a conflict of interest on Mitchell's part, due to the fierce rivalry between the two teams. Cleveland Indians pitcher Paul Byrd, along with his teammates, felt the timing of publicizing Byrd's alleged use was suspicious, as the information was leaked prior to the deciding Game 7 of the 2007 American League Championship Series between the Indians and the Red Sox. Former U.S. prosecutor John M. Dowd also brought up allegations of Mitchell's conflict of interest. Dowd, who had defended Senator John McCain of Arizona during the Keating Five investigation in the late 1980s, cited how he took exception to Mitchell's scolding of McCain and others for having a conflict of interest with their actions in the case and how the baseball investigation would be a "burden" for him when Mitchell was named to lead it. After the investigation, Dowd later told the ''Baltimore Sun'' that he was convinced the former Senator has done a good job. The ''Los Angeles Times'' reported that Mitchell acknowledged that his "tight relationship with Major League Baseball left him open to criticism". Mitchell responded to the concerns by stating that readers who examined the report closely "will not find any evidence of bias, of special treatment of the Red Sox".

The current MLB drug policy provides for a 50-game suspension for a first positive test, a 100-game suspension for a second positive test, and a lifetime suspension for a third positive test.

Since the opening of the 2009 season, Major League Baseball and its fans have been rocked by the steroid allegations against Alex Rodriguez and David Ortiz and the positive test result and 50-game suspension of Manny Ramirez, three of baseball's biggest stars. In early April of 2011, Manny Ramirez retired from baseball rather than face a 100 game suspension for his second positive steroid test.

Major League Baseball in media

Blackout policy

Major League Baseball has several blackout rules. A local broadcaster has priority to televise games of the team in their market over national broadcasters. For example, at one time TBS showed many Atlanta Braves games nationally and internationally in Canada. Fox Sports Net (FSN) also shows many games in other areas. If the Braves played a team that FSN or another local broadcaster showed, the local station will have the broadcast rights for its own local market, while TBS would have been blacked out in the same market during the game. A market that has a local team playing in a weekday ESPN or ESPN2 game and is shown on a local station will see ESPNews, or, in the past, another game scheduled on ESPN or ESPN2 at the same time (if ESPN or ESPN2 operates a regional coverage broadcasting and operates a game choice), or will be subject to an alternative programming feed. MLB's streaming Internet video service is also subject to the same blackout rules.

MLB on television

It was announced on July 11, 2006 that Fox Sports will remain with MLB through 2013 and broadcast ''Fox Saturday Baseball'' throughout the entire season, rather than the previous May to September format. Fox will also hold rights to the All-Star Game each season. Fox will also alternate League Championship Series broadcasts, broadcasting the American League Championship Series in odd-numbered years and the National League Championship Series in even-numbered years as part of the new contract. Fox will continue to broadcast all games of the World Series, which will begin on a Wednesday evening rather than the current Saturday evening format.

ESPN will continue to broadcast Major League Baseball through 2013 as well, beginning with national Opening Day coverage. ESPN will continue to broadcast ''Sunday Night Baseball'', ''Monday Night Baseball'', ''Wednesday Night Baseball'', and ''Baseball Tonight''. ESPN also has rights to the Home Run Derby at the All-Star Game each July.

TBS will air Sunday afternoon regular season games (non-exclusive) nationally from 2008 to 2013. In 2007, TBS began its exclusive rights to any tiebreaker games that determine division or wild card champions at the end of each regular season in the event of a tie with one playoff spot remaining and exclusive coverage of the Division Series round of the playoffs. TBS carries the League Championship Series that are not included under Fox's television agreement; TBS shows the National League Championship Series in odd-numbered years and the American League Championship Series in even-numbered years as part of the new contract through 2013.

In January 2009, MLB launched MLB Network, which aired 26 live games that year.

In Canada, all Toronto Blue Jays games are broadcast nationwide over Rogers Sportsnet.

MLB on radio

ESPN Radio holds national broadcast rights and broadcasts Sunday Night Baseball weekly throughout the season in addition to all playoff games. The rights to the World Series are exclusive to ESPN.

In addition, each team employs its own announcers, who broadcast during the regular season. Most teams operate regional networks to cover their fan base; some of these supposedly regional networks (such as the New York Yankees Radio Network) have a national reach with affiliates located across the United States.

Major League Baseball has an exclusive rights deal with XM Satellite Radio, which includes the channel MLB Home Plate and live play-by-play of all games.

Internet

All games are available through MLB.tv from MLB.com. (Blackout rules apply)

International broadcasting

ESPN America televises a large number of games in Europe.

ESPN Deportes televises a large number of Major League Baseball games in Spanish and Portuguese, which air throughout Latin America. Five previously screened MLB on Sunday and Wednesday in the United Kingdom, (including the All-Star Game and the postseason games, but not including Spring Training) usually starting at 1 am BST. It was most recently presented by Johnny Gould and Josh Chetwynd as "MLB on Five". Their coverage began on the channel's opening night in 1997, but for financial reasons, the decision was made not to pick up MLB for the 2009 season. As of June 2009, no decision has been made by ''Five'' about the 2010 season. As of July 2009, no free-to-view channel in the UK shows MLB.

ESPN America and ESPN UK show live and recorded games several times a week — it is available with Sky Digital and (on a subscriber-basis) Virgin Media in the UK.

Rogers Sportsnet televises Toronto Blue Jays games in Canada as well as numerous other regular season Major League Baseball games, the All-Star Game, most playoff games, and the World Series.

TSN carries ESPN ''Sunday Night Baseball'' in Canada.

MLB Network.

In Australia, MLB games are regularly shown on ESPN Australia (subscription), Fox Sports (subscription) and One HD (free-to-air).

Digital+ broadcasts several matches (mostly delayed) a week in Spain.

Current major league franchises

; Notes

See also

Baseball Assistance Team (B.A.T.)

List of MLB awards

List of MLB retired numbers

List of MLB spring-training stadiums

List of MLB stadiums

"Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities" (RBI) (ages 13-18)

National all-stars tournament (ages 16-18)

Negro league baseball

List of professional sports leagues

Major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada

List of professional sports teams in the United States and Canada

List of American and Canadian cities by number of major professional sports franchises

List of Major League Baseball players from Puerto Rico

List of Major League Baseball players from the United States Virgin Islands

List of countries with their first Major League Baseball player

Australian Baseball League

References

Further reading

External links

Category:Organizations established in 1869 Category:Monopolies Category:Professional sports leagues Category:Baseball governing bodies in the United States

bg:Мейджър Лийг Бейзбол ca:Major League Baseball cs:Major League Baseball da:Major League Baseball de:Major League Baseball es:Grandes Ligas de Béisbol eo:Grandaj Ligoj de Basbalo eu:Beisbol Liga Handiak fa:لیگ برتر بیسبال آمریکا fr:Ligue majeure de baseball gl:Major League Baseball ko:메이저 리그 베이스볼 hr:Major League Baseball id:Major League Baseball is:Major League Baseball it:Major League Baseball he:מייג'ור ליג בייסבול lv:Augstākā beisbola līga lt:Major League Baseball hu:Major League Baseball mr:मेजर लीग बेसबॉल ms:Major League Baseball nl:Major League Baseball ja:メジャーリーグベースボール no:Major League Baseball pl:Major League Baseball pt:Major League Baseball ru:Главная лига бейсбола simple:Major League Baseball sk:Major League Baseball sr:МЛБ sh:Major League Baseball fi:Major League Baseball sv:Major League Baseball ta:பெரும் கூட்டிணைவு அடிப்பந்தாட்டம் tg:Лигаи бартари бейсболи Амрико tr:ABD Ulusal Beyzbol Ligi uk:Головна бейсбольна ліга yi:MLB zh:美國職棒大聯盟

bgcolour	khaki
name	Kate Upton
birth date	June 10, 1992
birth place	St. Joseph, Michigan, USA
height
haircolor	Blonde
eyecolor	Blue/green
measurements	33D-25-36 (US)84-63-92 (EU)
agency	IMG Models, New York City }}

Kate Upton (born June 10, 1992) is an American model known for her appearance in the 2011 ''Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue'', for which she was named Rookie of the Year.

Early life

Upton was born in St. Joseph, Michigan and raised in Melbourne, Florida. She has three siblings. Her uncle is Fred Upton, the US Representative for Michigan's 6th congressional district. An avid horseback rider, she showed for the American Paint Horse Association and competed on a national level. With her horse Roanie Pony, she won three APHA Reserve World Championships, in 13 and Under Western Riding, 13 and Under Horsemanship and 14–18 Western Riding and named the 13 and Under Reserve All-Around Champion at the APHA World Championship Show, giving her a total of five championships. In addition, Upton ended up third overall on the APHA youth Top Twenty. With a second horse, Zipped, she won 14–18 Western Riding and was top 5 in 14–18 Horsemanship and 14–18 Western Pleasure in 2009.

Career

In 2008, Upton attended a casting call in Miami for Elite Model Management and was signed by them the same day. She eventually moved to New York City, where she signed with IMG Models.

Upton first modeled for Garage, then Dooney & Bourke. She is the 2010–11 face of Guess. In 2011, Upton appeared in the ''Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue''. She was featured in the body paint section and named Rookie of the Year for the issue. She has since modeled for Beach Bunny swimwear and Victoria's Secret.

In April 2011, an internet video of her doing the Dougie at a Los Angeles Clippers game went viral and has served to increase her popularity.

Upton made an appearance in a June 2011 episode of ''Tosh.0'', participating in a segment called "Knife or Banana", emulating a Japanese game show in which she is stabbed with a banana.

In June 2011, Upton was named Esquire Magazine's "''The'' Woman of the Summer".

In July 2011, Upton played in 2011 Taco Bell All-Star Legends & Celebrity Softball Game at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona.

In August 2011, Upton did a video and photo shoot for Complex Magazine.

References

External links

Official website

Kate Upton at ''Sports Illustrated'' online

Category:1992 births Category:Living people Category:American female models Category:People from St. Joseph, Michigan

es:Kate Upton it:Kate Upton nl:Kate Upton zh:凯特·阿普顿

Name	José Bautista
Position	Third baseman / Right fielder
Team	Toronto Blue Jays
Number	19
Bats	Right
Throws	Right
Birth date	October 19, 1980
Birth place	Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Debutdate	April 4
Debutyear	2004
Debutteam	Baltimore Orioles
Statyear	August 24, 2011
Stat1label	Batting average
Stat1value	.254
Stat2label	Home runs
Stat2value	149
Stat3label	Runs batted in
Stat3value	415
Stat4label	Hits
Stat4value	692
Stat5label	Stolen bases
Stat5value	29
Teams	Baltimore Orioles () Tampa Bay Devil Rays () Kansas City Royals () Pittsburgh Pirates (–) Toronto Blue Jays (–present)
Awards	2× All-Star (2010, 2011) AL Home Run Champion (2010) AL Hank Aaron Award (2010) Silver Slugger Award (2010) 3× AL Player of the Week Award 4× AL Player of the Month Award 50 home run club Toronto Blue Jays MVP (2010) Toronto Blue Jays Most Improved Player (2010) John Cerutti Award (2010) 5x Honda Player of the Month Award First Blue Jays Player to hit 50 Home Runs in a season in Toronto Blue Jays Franchise History }}

José Antonio Bautista (born October 19, 1980 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic) is a Dominican professional baseball player who primarily plays as a right fielder and as a third baseman with the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball. He has also played first base, second base, left field, and center field in his career.

In 2010, Bautista set a Toronto Blue Jays single-season team record by hitting 54 home runs, making him one of 26 players in the 50 home run club. That season he was the home run champion of both the American League and the Major League.

On July 3, 2011, Bautista set the all-time MLB record for the most All-Star votes ever received by a single player with 7,454,753 which surpassed the previous record of 6,069,688 set by Seattle's Ken Griffey Jr. in 1994.

Major league career

During the 2004 season, Bautista played for the Baltimore Orioles, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Kansas City Royals, and Pittsburgh Pirates. He was also technically on the New York Mets roster after being acquired from the Royals and dealt to the Pirates the same day. This made him the first and only player to be on five different Major League rosters in one season (more specifically, his rookie season).

Bautista, originally drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 20th round of the 2000 amateur draft, was selected by the Orioles in the Rule 5 Draft, and made his debut with Baltimore on April 4, 2004. He was claimed off waivers by Tampa Bay on June 3, then traded to Kansas City on June 28. He was then sent to the Mets on July 30, and without playing a game for New York, was traded back to Pittsburgh.

In 2006, his first full season with the Pirates, Bautista hit .235 with 16 home runs and 51 runs. The following season in 2007, he posted similar numbers in 142 games, finishing the season with a batting average of .254, 15 home runs and 63 RBI.

That same year, he became the starting third baseman for the Pittsburgh Pirates. He took over for National League batting champion Freddy Sanchez, who moved to second base.

2008

Bautista was to be the Pirates' starting third baseman and backup outfielder in 2008. From June 14 to June 24, Bautista hit five home runs in a span of 9 games against interleague opponents Baltimore, Chicago White Sox, Toronto, and the New York Yankees. However, Bautista struggled offensively for most of the year, after the 2008 trade deadline, Bautista lost his starting job to the newly-acquired Andy LaRoche. He was optioned to Triple-A (Indianapolis Indians) on August 13. After performing well in Triple-A, on August 21, he was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays for a player to be named later (Robinzon Diaz).

2009

Bautista started the 2009 season on the bench, backing up third base for Scott Rolen and the outfield for Alex Ríos and Adam Lind. When Rios was claimed off waivers by the Chicago White Sox and Adam Lind was assigned the role of designated hitter, Bautista's playing time increased; he became the leadoff hitter after an injury to Marco Scutaro. During this time, his hitting improved. Bautista had a 4 game home run streak snapped on October 3, but the next day hit a solo home run to lead off an inning off Baltimore Orioles starter Jeremy Guthrie. Bautista finished the 2009 season with 13 HR (10 of which came in the month of September), 40 RBI, a batting average of .235, and 79 hits in 113 games. He re-signed with the Blue Jays on a one-year $2.4 million US contract for the 2010 season.

2010

Bautista began the 2010 campaign as the starting right fielder and leadoff hitter. He hit his first HR of the year against the Baltimore Orioles' Kevin Millwood on April 11. On May 17, Bautista was named AL Player of the Week after hitting .444 (8-for-18) with 20 total bases, 4 HR, 8 RBIs, 8 R, .565 OBP, and an MLB-best 1.111 SLG. Bautista hit his 20th home run as part of a 2-HR night against the St. Louis Cardinals on June 22. This was a career high for a single season, an achievement he reached in just two months.

On July 4, 2010 Bautista was selected as a reserve for the 2010 Major League Baseball All-Star game in Anaheim. Bautista hit an inside-the-park home run against the Minnesota Twins on July 7, 2010. This was the 28th inside-the-park home run in Blue Jays history and the Jays' first since Greg Myers on September 13, 2005. Despite leading Major League Baseball in home runs before the All-Star festivities in Anaheim, Bautista was denied the opportunity to participate in the Home Run derby, and the last available spot was given to New York Yankees outfielder Nick Swisher. In the All-Star game, Bautista entered the game as a pinch runner for Josh Hamilton and finished the game 0–1, in an eventual 3–1 loss for the American League squad.

Bautista hit his major league-leading 30th homer of the year in a 4-for-4, two-home-run outing against the Baltimore Orioles on July 27. Bautista continued his dominant hitting on July 30, when he hit a grand slam off Indians pitcher Justin Masterson, his major league-leading 31st homer of the year, and the second grand slam hit by a Jays batter that season. For the month of July, Bautista batted .347, with 11 HRs, 29 RBI, and an AL-leading .765 slugging percentage. As a result of his outstanding play in the month of July, he was named co-winner of American League Player of the Month honours (alongside Twins outfielder, Delmon Young). Bautista was also named Honda July Player of the Month, which is selected through voting by the Toronto chapter of the Baseball Writers' Association of America. With his 11 HRs in July and his 12 in May, Bautista became only the third Blue Jay player in franchise history to have two months with at least 10 home runs, the other two were George Bell in 1987 and Carlos Delgado who did it in 1997 and 2001.

Bautista was awarded co-winner of the American League player of the week award for the period ending August 1, Bautista hit .545 with five homers and 13 RBIs during that span. With his 35th home run of the season, hit against the Boston Red Sox on August 10, Bautista beat a franchise record previously held by Carlos Delgado for hitting a home run in 11 straight series. On August 26, Bautista hit his 100th career home run against the Detroit Tigers. Bautista was again awarded player of the week for the week ending August 29. In seven games that week, Bautista led the American League with a .500 batting average (10-for-20). He also hit four home runs and in doing so, Bautista became the only Blue Jays player to ever win the award three times in one season. Bautista won AL Player of the Month for the month of August, in which he hit he led the A.L. in home runs (12), RBI (24), slugging percentage (.724) and total bases (72), while tying for the lead in extra-base hits (18). He also finished tied for second with 23 runs and was third with 23 walks.

On September 15, Bautista tied the Blue Jays single-season home run record (set by George Bell in 1987) by hitting his 47th home run off of Baltimore's Brad Bergesen. Two days later in Boston, Bautista set the new Blue Jays single-season home run record by hitting his 48th home run off of Michael Bowden. On September 23, Bautista became the 26th player in Major League Baseball history to reach the 50-home run mark in a season off Seattle Mariners ace Felix Hernandez. Bautista is the first to reach 50 since Prince Fielder and Alex Rodriguez did so in 2007. The blast was also Bautista's 31st homer at home this season, breaking Carlos Delgado's previous Blue Jays record set in 2000 of 30. The following day, Bautista had yet another multi-homerun game, hitting two against the Baltimore Orioles. On September 30, Bautista hit two home runs once again, hitting a grand slam and a solo home run against the Minnesota Twins. His 52nd home run set a new MLB record for the largest single-season increase in home runs, eclipsing Davey Johnson's 38 home run increase from 1972 to 1973. Bautista finished the 2010 season with 54 home runs, the highest total since Alex Rodriguez hit 54 in 2007.

On October 21, 2010, Bautista underwent surgery to repair a sports hernia that had bothered him since May.

Due to his outstanding offensive performance during the 2010 season, Major League Baseball announced on October 31, 2010 that Bautista had won the American League Hank Aaron Award. He is the second Blue Jay to win the award, after Carlos Delgado won it in 2000.

On November 11, 2010, it was announced that Bautista had won a Silver Slugger Award for being one of the top hitting outfielders in the American League. He is the 22nd Blue Jay to win the award, and the most recent since Adam Lind and Aaron Hill won their awards in 2009.

On November 23, 2010, it was announced that Bautista had finished fourth in the AL MVP voting, behind winner Josh Hamilton, Miguel Cabrera and Robinson Canó. Bautista received 165 points in voting, including one first-place vote and four third-place votes (but no second-place votes). It was the highest share of the vote garnered by a Blue Jay since Delgado finished second (behind Alex Rodriguez) in 2003.

Bautista attributed the vast improvement in his numbers to a swing change. The change involved timing, he now starts his swing during the pitcher's delivery. Previously, he didn't begin his swing until the pitcher released the ball, causing him to be late.

2011

On February 17, 2011, the Blue Jays announced that Bautista had agreed to a 5-year contract extension worth US$64 million that will keep him with the club through the 2015 season.

Bautista was expected to play right field for the entire season. Edwin Encarnación was supposed play third base. On opening day in Toronto, Bautista hit his first home run of the season, the first in a back-to-back with Adam Lind. Bautista missed a three game series against the Oakland Athletics due to the birth of his first daughter.

At the end of April, Bautista led the AL in almost every major offensive category, including batting average (.366), home runs (9), base-on-balls (28), runs scored (25), on-base percentage (.532), slugging percentage (.780), and OPS (1.312). His 28 walks broke a club record set by Carlos Delgado in 2001, when he had 26 walks in April. He was also one home run shy of tying Delgado's record of 10 home runs in the month of April. He was unanimously selected for the Honda Blue Jays Player of the Month award, and was considered a favorite to win the AL Player of the Month award.

On May 1, Bautista left a game against the New York Yankees in the 7th inning, due to "neck tightness". Bautista was quoted as saying "I'll be ready for the next game -- it's not going to be an issue... It's nothing major. It's just like I said -- a tight neck". On May 3, manager John Farrell told the media that Bautista would miss a 3 game series against the Tampa Bay Rays due to his neck injury. This announcement came on the same day that Bautista was informed he had been named the AL Player of the Month for April (his third Player of the Month award in four months). Bautista returned from injury on May 8, hitting his 10th home run of the season. On May 15, Bautista hit 3 home runs against the Minnesota Twins. It was the first 3 home run game of his career. On May 28, in a home game against the Chicago White Sox, Bautista hit his 20th home run, a 3 run shot to left field. He is the first player to reach 20 home runs in 2011 as well as the fastest player to reach 20 home runs (44 games) in franchise history.

By the first balloting update on June 1, Bautista led the entire MLB with the most votes received for starting position players for the 2011 All-Star game with 1,262,658 votes. Robinson Canó of the New York Yankees had amassed 1,185,952 total votes, good for the second most votes in the majors behind only Bautista. On June 2, MLB announced that Bautista had won the AL Player of the Month for May. It is his fourth Player of the Month award in five months, and he is the first person to lead the league in home runs for five straight months since Jimmie Foxx did from June 1933 to April 1934.

On June 23, the team announced that Bautista would be playing third base instead of right field for an indefinite period of time. Eric Thames was recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas to play the outfield. The rationale behind the switch was to give the team the best combination of hitters and capable fielders in the lineup at once. The move was made with the assumption that when it was time for third base prospect Brett Lawrie to be promoted from the minors, Bautista would return to right field.

On July 3, MLB announced that Bautista had been selected for a starting position in the 2011 MLB All-Star Game, receiving an MLB record 7,454,753 votes. At the time of his selection, he led the MLB in home runs (26), walks (70), OBP (.471), slugging percentage (.679), OPS (1.150), times on base (160) and was also in second place for runs scored (64), total bases (182) and extra base hits (41). Bautista became the first Blue Jay in history to lead the league in All-Star voting, and is the first Blue Jay to be voted in to the All-Star game as a starter since Carlos Delgado in 2003. Later that day, under the new selection format, the American League Captain David Ortiz selected Bautista to participate in the State Farm Home Run Derby. Bautista batted third for the American League (and fifth overall), hitting 4 home runs and was eliminated in the first round.

On July 9, in a game against the Cleveland Indians, Bautista hit his 30th and 31st home runs of the year, breaking the Blue Jays record for home runs before the All-Star break set by George Bell in 1987, when he hit 29. Bautista appeared in his second All-Star game on July 12, going 1-for-2 with a single.

In his first game after the All-Star break, Bautista rolled his ankle sliding into third base. He left the game and was day-to-day, missing the next three games. The Blue Jays announced through their twitter account that Bautista would return to the Blue Jays lineup on July 19 against the Seattle Mariners, as the designated hitter.

On August 5, with the debut of prospect Brett Lawrie to play third base, Bautista returned to playing right field. In a game against the Oakland Athletics on August 20, Bautista walked three times, which brought his season total to 102 walks in 113 games. He is the fastest to reach the 100 walk mark since Barry Bonds did so in 2007 (in his 115th game), and broke Carlos Delgado's Blue Jay record of fastest to reach 100 walks (Delgado reached 100 walks in his 130th game in 2000).

Major league career statistics

Regular season

Playoffs

Season (sports)>Season

! Team

! League

! G

At Bat>AB

Run (baseball)>R

Hit (baseball)>H

Home Run>HR

Runs batted in>RBI

! G

! AB

! R

! H

! HR

! RBI

Baltimore Orioles

MLB

16

11

3

3

0

0

–

–

–

–

–

–

2004

Tampa Bay Devil Rays

MLB

12

12

1

2

0

1

–

–

–

–

–

–

2004

Kansas City Royals

MLB

13

25

1

5

0

1

–

–

–

–

–

–

2004

Pittsburgh Pirates

MLB

23

40

1

8

0

0

–

–

–

–

–

–

Pittsburgh Pirates

MLB

11

28

3

4

0

1

–

–

–

–

–

–

Pittsburgh Pirates

MLB

117

400

58

94

16

51

–

–

–

–

–

–

Pittsburgh Pirates

MLB

142

532

75

135

15

63

–

–

–

–

–

–

Pittsburgh Pirates

MLB

107

314

38

76

12

44

–

–

–

–

–

–

2008

Toronto Blue Jays

MLB

21

56

7

12

3

10

–

–

–

–

–

–

Toronto Blue Jays

MLB

113

336

54

79

13

40

–

–

–

–

–

–

Toronto Blue Jays

MLB

161

569

109

148

54

124

–

–

–

–

–

–

MLB totals

! 736

! 2323

! 350

! 566

! 113

! 335

–

–

! –

! –

! –

! –

References

External links

Category:1980 births Category:Living people Category:American League All-Stars Category:Major League Baseball players from the Dominican Republic Category:Major League Baseball outfielders Category:Major League Baseball infielders Category:Baltimore Orioles players Category:Tampa Bay Devil Rays players Category:Kansas City Royals players Category:Pittsburgh Pirates players Category:Toronto Blue Jays players Category:Hickory Crawdads players Category:Gulf Coast Pirates (baseball) players Category:Lynchburg Hillcats players Category:Altoona Curve players Category:Indianapolis Indians players Category:Williamsport Crosscutters players Category:2009 World Baseball Classic players Category:People from Santo Domingo

es:José Bautista fr:José Bautista (joueur d'utilité) ko:호세 바티스타 it:José Bautista ja:ホセ・バティスタ (外野手) simple:José Bautista zh:荷西·鮑帝斯塔

name	Roy Halladay
width	270
position	Starting pitcher
team	Philadelphia Phillies
number	34
bats	Right
birth date	May 14, 1977
birth place	Denver, Colorado
throws	Right
debutdate	September 20
debutyear	1998
debutteam	Toronto Blue Jays
statyear	August 1, 2011
stat1label	Win–loss record
stat1value	184–91
stat2label	Earned run average
stat2value	3.26
stat3label	Strikeouts
stat3value	1,896
stat4label	Complete games
stat4value	65
stat5label	Shutouts
stat5value	19
teams	Toronto Blue Jays (–) Philadelphia Phillies (–present)
Highlights	8× All-Star (, , , , , , , ) AL Cy Young Award () NL Cy Young Award () Pitched a perfect game on May 29, 2010 Pitched a postseason no-hitter on October 6, 2010 }}

Harry Leroy "Roy" Halladay III (born May 14, 1977), nicknamed "Doc", is a Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies. His nickname, coined by the late Toronto Blue Jays announcer Tom Cheek, is a reference to Wild West gunslinger "Doc" Holliday.

He was the Blue Jays' first draft selection in the 1995 Major League Baseball Draft, the 17th pick overall, and played for the team from 1998 through 2009, after which he was traded to Philadelphia. Halladay is known for his ability to effectively pitch deep into games, and is currently the active major league leader in complete games with 63, including 19 shutouts.

On May 29, 2010, Halladay pitched the 20th perfect game in MLB history, beating the Florida Marlins by a score of 1–0. On October 6, 2010, in his first post-season start, Halladay threw the second no-hitter in MLB postseason history (Don Larsen's perfect game in the 1956 World Series being the first) against the Cincinnati Reds in Game 1 of the 2010 NLDS. It was his second no-hitter of the year (following the May 29 perfect game), making Halladay the fifth pitcher in major league history (and the first since Nolan Ryan in 1973) to throw multiple no-hitters in the same season. Halladay has won 2 Cy Young Awards, in 2003 and 2010.

Early life

Born in Denver, Colorado, he grew up in the suburb of Arvada; his father was a pilot for a food-processing company, while his mother was a homemaker. From an early age, Halladay loved baseball, trying every position on the field until, by age 14, his success on the pitcher’s mound attracted the attention of major league scouts. By the age of 13, he had begun training with legendary Colorado baseball guru Bus Campbell, who had helped almost every promising pitcher from the Denver area, including Goose Gossage and Brad Lidge. In 1995, after graduating from Arvada West High School, he was selected by the Toronto Blue Jays in the amateur draft, in the first round, as the 17th overall pick. He was promoted to the major-league club as a September call-up in 1998.

Career

Toronto Blue Jays (1998–2009)

1998–2001

In his second career start, against the Detroit Tigers on September 27, 1998, Halladay had what would have been the third no-hitter ever pitched on the final day of a regular season broken up with two outs in the ninth. The feat would have joined the combined no-hitter by four Oakland Athletics pitchers (Vida Blue, Glenn Abbott, Paul Lindblad and Rollie Fingers) in 1975 and Mike Witt's perfect game in 1984. The bid was broken up by a Bobby Higginson solo home run. The home run was the only hit Halladay would allow in a 2–1 Blue Jays victory, as he recorded his first major league win. The game was completed in 1 hour 45 minutes.

During the season, Halladay sported a 10.64 earned run average (ERA) in 19 games, 13 of which he started, making his 2000 season the worst in history for any pitcher with at least 50 innings pitched. At the beginning of the season, Halladay was optioned to Class A Dunedin Blue Jays to rebuild his delivery.

Halladay's fastball was clocked up to , but it had little movement, and his pitches were up in the strike zone, which was ultimately the reason why his 2000 season was so unsuccessful. He worked with former Blue Jays pitching coach Mel Queen. The problem, Queen realized, was Halladay’s total reliance on his strength—his attempt to overpower batters with straight-ahead pitches. Within two weeks, Halladay had altered his arm angle for a more deceptive delivery, and added pitches that sank and careened. Instead of throwing over the top, he chose to use a three-quarters delivery (the middle point between throwing overhand and sidearm). Originally a fastball pitcher, he became reliant on keeping his pitches low across the plate, regardless of the type of pitch thrown. The adjustments proved successful. After a month and a half, he was promoted to class AA Tennessee, and a month later, to class AAA Syracuse. By mid-season, he was back in the Blue Jays’ rotation. He posted a 5–3 win–loss record with a 3.19 ERA for the Blue Jays in 16 starts in 2001.

2002–2006

In , Halladay had a breakout season, finishing with a 19–7 record, while posting a 2.93 ERA with 168 strikeouts in 239.1 innings. Halladay was named to the American League All-Star team. His 19 wins were the most by a Blue Jay since David Wells won 20 in 2000.

Halladay continued his success in the season, posting a 22–7 record with a 3.25 ERA in 266.0 innings. He also recorded 204 strikeouts and only 32 walks, good for a remarkable 6.38 strikeouts per walk ratio. Halladay pitched the first extra-inning shutout in the major leagues since Jack Morris in Game 7 of the 1991 World Series, leading the Blue Jays to victory over the Tigers on September 6. He pitched 10 innings and had not allowed a hit until Kevin Witt doubled with two outs in the top of the eighth. Halladay won the American League Cy Young Award, while being once again named an All-Star and leading the Blue Jays to a surprising 86 victories. He was named by his peers as the ''Players Choice Awards'' AL Outstanding Pitcher. He was also named the ''Sporting News'' AL Pitcher of the Year and the ''Baseball Prospectus'' Internet Baseball Awards AL Cy Young award winner.

In , Halladay was placed on the disabled list twice due to right shoulder problems. In just 133.0 innings, he went 8–8 with a 4.20 ERA. He walked 39 batters, seven more than he had walked in 2003 when he had pitched twice as many innings. He later revealed that he had been injured throughout the entire season with a "tired throwing arm", which he believed was from intense workouts in preseason.

The season began successfully for Halladay, as he proved to be one of the best pitchers in the American League by going 12–4 with a 2.41 ERA in 19 starts. A favorite to win his second Cy Young award within three years, he was selected to his third All-Star team and was slated to be the starting pitcher for the American League at the All-Star Game in Detroit. However, on July 8, Halladay's leg was broken by a line drive off the bat of Texas Rangers left fielder Kevin Mench. As a result, he was replaced in the All-Star Game by Matt Clement of the Boston Red Sox, while Mark Buehrle of the Chicago White Sox was named the starting pitcher for the American League. Despite rehabilitation of his leg, Halladay would sit out the remainder of the season.

On March 16, , Halladay signed a 40 million, three year contract extension that would last through .

During 2006, Halladay finished near the top of the MLB in wins with 16. He was named to the American League All-Star Team as a reserve on July 3, 2006, along with four of his Blue Jays teammates. It marked the second-most appearances in club history, and Halladay's fourth as an All-Star. Although Halladay's strikeout total was lower in 2006 than in previous seasons, his groundball-to-flyball ratio, complete games, and innings pitched were all among the American League leaders.

2007–2009

Halladay was the American League pitcher of the month in April 2007, going 4–0, highlighted by a 10-inning complete game win over the Detroit Tigers. However, he pitched poorly in his two starts in May, and on May 11 was placed on the disabled list and underwent an appendectomy. He returned to the rotation in his usual form on May 31 against the Chicago White Sox. Halladay went 7 innings, giving up just six hits and allowing no runs on his way to his 100th career win. 2007 also saw Halladay hit his first career RBI. Against the LA Dodgers on June 10, his ground ball single to center field allowed John McDonald to score. He shut out the Seattle Mariners on July 22, allowing only three hits.

In 2008, for the sixth consecutive year, Halladay was Toronto's opening-day starter, improving his own club record. He lost 3–2 in a pitcher's duel with New York's Chien-Ming Wang. His first win of the season came in his next start against Boston, when he outpitched Josh Beckett in his season debut. In his third start, Halladay pitched a complete game against the Texas Rangers, in a 4–1 win. Three of his nine complete game efforts resulted in losses due to Toronto's underachieving offense early in the season. In fact, those three complete game losses came in three consecutive starts. On June 20 against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Halladay was struck in the temple by a line-drive off the bat of Nyjer Morgan. The ball caromed off Halladay's head and was caught by third baseman Scott Rolen, ending the inning. Halladay was able to walk back to the dugout, but was taken out of the game for safety concerns. Although he was given a clean bill of health for his next start, it was later suggested by television commentators that Halladay may have in fact suffered a temporary lapse in recognition of what happened on the play. Halladay pitched his 10th career shutout against the Seattle Mariners on June 30. He limited them to four hits in his sixth complete game of the season. The shutout tied him with the Cardinals' Mark Mulder for 10th among active pitchers. On July 11, 2008, Halladay pitched his 7th complete game and second shutout of the season against the New York Yankees, allowing 0 runs on 2 hits for his 38th career complete game. Halladay was named to the American League All-Star Team as a reserve. He pitched in the fourth inning, yielding only one hit and striking out Lance Berkman. In his last start of the season, he fittingly pitched a complete game against the Yankees to win his 20th game of the year. In so doing, he became the first pitcher to win five games against the Yankees in a single season since Luis Tiant in 1974. In addition, he led the AL with a 1.05 WHIP. Halladay finished second in the 2008 American League Cy Young Award voting, behind Cliff Lee of the Indians. He also led the AL with 9 complete games, and struck out a career-high 206 batters (two more than his 2003 season) as well as posted a 2.78 ERA (the second-best of his career) that was second only to Cliff Lee's 2.54 ERA. Halladay also became just the fourth pitcher in major league history to post two seasons of 200 strikeouts and fewer than 40 walks. He was presented the George Gross/Toronto Sun Sportsperson of the Year award.

On April 6, 2009, Halladay made his team-record seventh straight Opening Day start for Toronto, defeating the Detroit Tigers. Halladay then also won his next two starts, on the road against the Cleveland Indians and the Minnesota Twins. Halladay would lose his next game to the Rangers giving up 5 earned runs over 8 innings only to go on and win his next 6 games to bring his record up to 8–1 with a 2.75 ERA. With season-ending injuries to planned 2009 Jays' starters Dustin McGowan and Shawn Marcum, and with #2 starter Jesse Litsch on the disabled list early in the season, Halladay led a staff of young, mostly inexperienced starters. Halladay was named the AL Player of the Week for the period ending May 17. Doc was 2–0 with a 1.13 ERA over 16.0 innings in his two starts the week prior. In a game against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim on June 2, Halladay struck out 14 batters and threw 133 pitches, both career highs.

On June 12, he left the game early because of a strained hip adductor muscle, commonly referred to as a ''pulled groin'', and was placed on the 15-day disabled list on June 17. On July 5, 2009, he was selected to represent Toronto at the 2009 All Star Game. On July 14, 2009, he started the All Star game representing the American League pitching 2 innings giving up 3 runs, 1 of which was unearned.

In 2009 he was named #7 on the ''Sporting News''' list of the 50 greatest current players in baseball. A panel of 100 baseball people, many of them members of the Baseball Hall of Fame and winners of major baseball awards, was polled to arrive at the list.

As of the conclusion of his start on September 20, 2009, Halladay was tied for the second-longest streak in the American League that season with a 24-inning scoreless streak. Halladay finished the season with a 17–10 record, giving him a career win percentage of .660, good enough for 18th all-time.

In December 2009, ''Sports Illustrated'' named Halladay as one of the five pitchers in the starting rotation of its MLB All-Decade Team.

Philadelphia Phillies (2010–present)

On December 15, Halladay was traded from the Blue Jays to the Philadelphia Phillies for minor league prospects Travis D'Arnaud, Kyle Drabek, and Michael Taylor. He agreed to a contract extension worth US$60 million that includes a US$20 million vesting option for a fourth season.

2010

On Opening Day, Halladay pitched seven innings while giving up a run against the Washington Nationals in his first game with the Phillies. He had nine strikeouts and allowed six hits. He also drove in his second career RBI and earned his first win of the season. He followed this start with a complete game on April 11 against the Houston Astros, giving up one unearned run while striking out eight and not giving up any walks in the Phillies' 2–1 victory.

Halladay pitched his first shutout in the National League, against the Atlanta Braves on April 21, becoming the first pitcher to reach four wins in the 2010 season. On May 1, Halladay pitched his second shutout of the season, limiting the New York Mets to three hits and striking out six.

On September 21, Halladay became the first Phillies pitcher to win 20 games in a season since Steve Carlton accomplished it in 1982. He was the first right-handed Phillies pitcher to accomplish the feat since Robin Roberts in 1955. One week later, on September 27, he completed his 21st victory, helping the Phillies clinch their fourth consecutive National League East title.

Halladay was named by his peers as the ''Players Choice Awards'' NL Outstanding Pitcher. He was also unanimously chosen as the recipient of the 2010 National League Cy Young Award, becoming the first Phillie to win the award since Steve Bedrosian in 1987 and only the fifth pitcher in MLB history to win the award in both leagues, joining Gaylord Perry, Pedro Martínez, Randy Johnson and Roger Clemens. He was likewise selected as the ''Sporting News'' NL Pitcher of the Year, the ''USA Today'' NL Cy Young, and the ''Baseball Prospectus'' Internet Baseball Awards NL Cy Young. He also was named the MLB "This Year in Baseball Awards" Starting Pitcher of the Year. ''Baseball America'' named him its Major League Player of the Year (including all positions in both leagues). MLB named him its "MLB Clutch Performer of the Year". He was given the Heart & Hustle Award by the Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association. He was also named Pro Athlete of the Year by both the ''Sporting News'' and the Philadelphia Sports Writers Association and Sportsperson of the Year by the ''Philadelphia Daily News''. The Philadelphia chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America presented him the "Steve Carlton Most Valuable Pitcher" and "Dallas Green Special Achievement" awards.

In innings pitched, Halladay finished the 2010 regular season with a 21–10 record and a 2.44 ERA, setting a career high with 219 strikeouts while issuing just 30 walks. He led the National league in wins, innings pitched, with 9 complete games including 4 shutouts. He became just the seventh pitcher in the history of Major League baseball to pitch 250 or more innings with 30 or fewer walks, the first pitcher to do so since Grover Cleveland Alexander in 1923 with the Chicago Cubs.

Perfect game

On May 29, Halladay pitched the 20th perfect game in MLB history, against the Florida Marlins in Miami, retiring all 27 batters, including 11 strikeouts, no hits, no runs, no walks, and no errors. This was the first time in the modern era that two pitchers (Dallas Braden of the Oakland A's and Halladay) had thrown perfect games in the same month and that multiple perfect games had been achieved in the same season. When Halladay's former manager, Cito Gaston, called to congratulate him, Halladay was unable to take the call because he was busy with the post-game media frenzy. On August 24, 2010, to commemorate his perfect game, Halladay presented around 60 Swiss-made Baume and Mercier watches he had purchased to everyone in the clubhouse. The watches were presented in brown boxes that bore the inscription: "We did it together. Thanks, Roy Halladay." Additionally, the back of each watch was engraved with the date of the game, the line score, and the individual recipient's name.

Postseason no-hitter

On October 6, 2010, in his first postseason appearance, Halladay pitched a no-hitter (his second of the season), against the Cincinnati Reds in the first game of the National League Division Series. He became the second player ever to pitch a no-hitter in the postseason, joining Don Larsen of the 1956 New York Yankees, who pitched a perfect game in the World Series. He also became the first pitcher since Nolan Ryan in 1973 to throw two no-hitters in a season, as well as the seventh pitcher to hurl both a perfect game and a regular no-hitter in his career, joining Cy Young, Addie Joss, Jim Bunning, Sandy Koufax, Randy Johnson and Mark Buehrle. Halladay allowed just one walk to right fielder Jay Bruce with two outs in the fifth inning, and faced just one batter above the minimum 27. This also marked the first time in Major League history that a pitcher threw a perfect game and a no-hitter in the same season.

2011

On April 24, 2011, Halladay struck out 14 and allowed just 5 hits in the game as his team swept the San Diego Padres in all four games. Halladay took a two-hitter into the ninth before allowing three straight singles. He allowed just one run and won, 3–1.

In May, Halladay was named the 2011 winner of the John Wanamaker Athletic Award, by the Philadelphia Sports Congress, based on his 2010 season.

On July 12, Halladay was the NL starting pitcher in the All-Star Game.

Approach to pitching

Halladay's uniqueness is characterized by his ability to throw the hard two-seam sinking fastball ranging in the low 90s with pinpoint control. In addition, he throws a four-seam fastball in the low 90s, a curveball in the high 70s, a cut fastball from 90–92 mph which he had modified the grip for in 2007 at the suggestion of former catcher Sal Fasano. The change-up is one pitch that Halladay had problem commanding in the past, which he had used very rarely. But since joining the Phillies in 2010, Halladay started throwing a change-up pitch that is really a version of the split-finger fastball that he uses as a strikeout pitch with the help of pitching coach Rich Dubee.

In spite of his reputation as a ground ball pitcher who works at an efficient pace, Halladay's strikeout totals have increased steadily in recent years as a result of his fastball velocity and his willingness to use his curveball and change-up in strikeout counts. Halladay's efficiency and durability are reflected in his total innings pitched every year, also due to his ability to strike out hitters in addition to induce ground ball outs to escape jams. He usually leads the league in innings pitched and complete games, while ranking among the leaders in WHIP and ERA.

Prior to and during each start, Halladay has a distinct trademark in which he goes into a complete "isolation mode", immersing himself in complete concentration and in more or less his own words: To plan every pitch he would pitch while on the mound. During this time, he does not talk to anyone except the manager or the pitching coach. He will not even reply to a "hello" or wave from a teammate or spectator, nor talk to the media until he has been relieved or he completes a game.

Personal life

Halladay is married to his wife Brandy and they have two children. He and his wife Brandy were raised as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, although they are now non-practicing. While he was a member of the Toronto Blue Jays, Halladay and his wife invited children and their families from the Hospital for Sick Children into "Doc's Box" at Rogers Centre during Blue Jays games. As part of his contract with the Blue Jays, he also donated US$100,000 each year to the Jays Care Foundation.

He was the Blue Jays' nominee numerous times for the Roberto Clemente Award for his work with underprivileged children. For the same reason, he was also the Blue Jays' nominee in 2008 for the ''Players Choice Awards'' Marvin Miller Man of the Year Award.

During the offseason, Halladay and his family live in Odessa, Florida.

Halladay was announced by 2K Sports as the cover athlete for ''Major League Baseball 2K11''.

References

External links

Roy Halladay, Perfect Game: May 29, 2010. Philadelphia Phillies official website

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de:Roy Halladay es:Roy Halladay fr:Roy Halladay ko:로이 할러데이 la:Roy Halladay lv:Rojs Heladejs ja:ロイ・ハラデイ simple:Roy Halladay fi:Roy Halladay zh:洛伊·哈勒戴

name	Brian Wilson
alt	Brian Wilson performing in January 2007
landscape	yes
background	solo_singer
birth name	Brian Douglas Wilson
birth date	June 20, 1942
birth place	Inglewood, California, U.S.
death date
genre	Rock, pop, psychedelic rock, surf rock, experimental rock, baroque pop, art rock
occupation	Songwriter, bassist, pianist, vocalist, producer, composer, organist, arranger
instrument	Vocals, bass, piano, organ, synthesizers
years active	1961–present
label	Capitol/EMI RecordsSire/Reprise/Warner Bros. RecordsBrother/Reprise/Warner Bros. RecordsGiant/Warner Bros. RecordsCaribou/CBS RecordsNonesuch/Elektra RecordsWalt Disney Records
associated acts	The Beach Boys The Four Freshmen Jan and Dean Van Dyke Parks
url
notable instruments	Fender Precision BassBaldwin HT2R Theater Organ }}

Brian Douglas Wilson (born June 20, 1942) is an American musician, best known as the leader and chief songwriter of the group The Beach Boys. Within the band, Wilson played bass and keyboards, also providing part-time lead vocals and, more often, backing vocals, harmonizing in falsetto with the group. Besides being the primary composer in The Beach Boys, he also functioned as the band's main producer and arranger. Wilson was responsible for writing and soon produced most of the Beach Boys earliest and most successful music including more than two dozen Top 40 hits and a large portion of the songs on most of the bands 60's albums — many of which were co-written in part with cousin Mike Love.

In the mid-60's Wilson started to use his increasingly creative ambitions to compose music such as ''Pet Sounds'' which is considered one of the greatest albums of all time and the hit single "Good Vibrations". During this point in time his music was considered to rival that of "Lennon/McCartney". The intended follow up to Pet Sounds, ''Smile'' was cancelled due to various reasons including his deteriorating mental health and Wilson's life was derailed following years of drug abuse and mental illness. Wilson's contributions to The Beach Boys eventually became less and less as the years went by and his erratic behaviour led to tensions with the band. After years of treatment and recuperation he began a solo career in 1988 with ''Brian Wilson'', the same year that he and The Beach Boys were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Since then he has managed to fight his personal demons and tour for the first time in decades with a new band and release acclaimed albums such as a reworked version of ''Smile'', ''That Lucky Old Sun'', and ''Brian Wilson Reimagines Gershwin''.

Wilson has received a lot of well deserved recognition in the last 20 years for his music in the Beach Boys particularly the album Pet Sounds and many of his songs which are often considered some of the best music ever written. In 2008, ''Rolling Stone'' magazine published a list of the "100 Greatest Singers of All Time", and ranked Wilson number 52. Wilson also won a Grammy Award in 2005 for "Mrs. O'Leary's Cow (Fire)" as Best Rock Instrumental. He is also an occasional actor and voice actor, having appeared in television shows, films, and other artists' music videos. Though no longer a part of The Beach Boys touring band, Brian Wilson remains a member of the Beach Boys corporation, Brother Records Incorporated.

Life and career

Early years

Wilson was born on June 20, 1942 at Centinela Hospital in Inglewood, California. He was the eldest of three boys; his younger brothers were Dennis and Carl. When Brian was two, the Wilson family moved from Inglewood to 3701 West 119th Street in nearby Hawthorne, California, a town in the greater Los Angeles urban area about five miles inland from the Pacific Ocean. He spent his entire subsequent childhood years in this middle-class family home.

Brian Wilson's father Murry Wilson told of Brian's unusual musical abilities prior to his first birthday, observing that the baby could repeat the melody from "When the Caissons Go Rolling Along" after only a few verses had been sung by the father. Murry stated, "He was very clever and quick. I just fell in love with him."

At about age two, Brian heard George Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue", which had an enormous emotional impact on him. A few years later Brian was discovered to have extremely diminished hearing in his right ear. The exact cause of this hearing loss is unclear, though theories range from Brian's simply being born partially deaf, to a blow to the head from Brian's father, or a neighborhood bully, being to blame.

While father Murry was ostensibly a reasonable provider, he was often abusive. But Murry, a minor musician and songwriter, also encouraged his children in this field in numerous ways. At an early age, Brian was given six weeks of lessons on a "toy accordion", and at seven and eight sang solos in church with a choir behind him. By most accounts a natural leader by the time he began attending Hawthorne High School, Brian was on the football team as a quarterback, played baseball and was a cross-country runner in his senior year. However, most of his energy was directed toward music. He sang with various students at school functions and with his family and friends at home. Brian taught his two brothers harmony parts that all three would then practice when they were supposed to be asleep. He also played piano obsessively after school, deconstructing the harmonies of The Four Freshmen by listening to short segments of their songs on a phonograph, then working to recreate the blended sounds note by note on the keyboard. Brian received a Wollensak tape recorder on his sixteenth birthday, allowing him to experiment with recording songs and early group vocals.

First steps: Carl and the Passions

Wilson's surviving home tapes document his initial efforts singing with various buddies and family, including a song that would later be recorded in the studio by The Beach Boys, "Sloop John B", as well as "Bermuda Shorts" and a hymn titled "Good News". In his senior year at Hawthorne High, in addition to his classroom music studies, he would gather at lunchtime to sing with friends like Keith Lent and Bruce Griffin. Brian and Lent worked on a revised version of the tune "Hully Gully" to support the campaign of a classmate named Carol Hess who was running for senior class president. When performed for a full high school gathering, Brian's revised arrangement received a warm round of applause from the student audience.

Enlisting his cousin and often-time singing partner Mike Love, and Wilson's reluctant youngest brother Carl Wilson, Brian's next public performance featured more ambitious arrangements at a fall arts program at his high school. To entice Carl into the group, Wilson named the newly-formed membership "Carl and the Passions". The performance featured tunes by Dion and the Belmonts and The Four Freshmen ("It's a Blue World"), the latter of which proved difficult for the ensemble to carry off. However, the event was notable for the impression it made on another musician and classmate of Brian's who was in the audience that night, Al Jardine, later to join the three Wilson brothers and Mike Love in The Beach Boys.

Initial compositions and the Pendletones

Brian enrolled at El Camino Community College in Los Angeles, majoring in psychology, in September 1960. However, he continued his music studies at the college as well. At some point in the year 1961 Brian wrote his first all-original melody, loosely based on a Dion and the Belmonts version of "When You Wish Upon a Star". Brian's tune would eventually be known as "Surfer Girl". Brian has commented that he wrote the melody in his car, then later at home finished the bridge and harmonies. Although an early demo of the song was recorded in Feb. 1962 at World-Pacific Studios, it was not re-recorded and released until 1963, when it became a top ten hit.

Brian and his brothers Carl and Dennis Wilson along with Mike Love and Al Jardine first gelled as a music group in the summer of 1961, initially named the Pendletones. After being prodded by Dennis to write a song about the local water sports craze, Brian and Mike Love together created what would become the first single for the band, "Surfin'". Over Labor Day weekend 1961, Brian took advantage of the fact that his parents were in Mexico City for a couple days and intended to use the emergency money they had left for the boys to rent an amp, a microphone, and a stand-up bass. As it turned out, the money they had left was not enough to cover musical expenses, so Al Jardine appealed to his mother, Virginia for assistance. When she heard the group perform, she was suitably impressed and handed over $300 to help out. Al promptly took Brian to the music store where he was able to rent a stand-up bass. After two days of rehearsing in the Wilson's music room, Brian's parents returned home from their trip. Murry was irate, until Brian convinced him to listen to what they'd been up to. His father was convinced that the boys did indeed have something worth pursuing. He quickly proclaimed himself the group's manager and the band embarked on serious rehearsals for a proper studio session. Recorded by Hite and Dorinda Morgan and released on the small Candix label, "Surfin'" became a top local hit in Los Angeles and reached number seventy-five on the national ''Billboard'' sales charts.

Dennis later described the first time Brian heard their song on the radio as the three Wilson brothers (and soon-to-be-band member David Marks) drove in Brian's 1957 Ford in the rain: "Nothing will ever top the expression on Brian's face, ever ... THAT was the all-time moment."

However, the Pendletones were no more. Without the band's knowledge or permission, Candix Records had changed their name to The Beach Boys.

First performances and the quest for a major label

Brian Wilson and his bandmates, following a set by Ike and Tina Turner, performed their first major live show at The Ritchie Valens Memorial Dance on New Year's Eve, 1961. Three days previously, Brian's father had bought him an electric bass and amplifier; Brian had learned to play the instrument in that short period of time, with Al Jardine moving to rhythm guitar.

Looking for a followup single for their radio hit, Brian and Mike wrote "Surfin' Safari", and attempts were made to record a usable take at World Pacific, including overdubs, on February 8, 1962, along with several other tunes including an early version of "Surfer Girl". Only a few days later, discouraged about the band's financial prospects, and objecting to adding some Chubby Checker songs to The Beach Boys live setlist, Al Jardine abruptly left the group.

Murry Wilson had become The Beach Boys manager, and when Candix Records ran into money problems and sold the group's master recordings to another label, Murry terminated the contract. Brian, worried about The Beach Boys' future, asked his father to help his group make more recordings. But Murry and Hite Morgan (who at this point was their music publisher) were turned down by a number of Los Angeles record companies.

As "Surfin'" faded from the charts, Brian, who had forged a songwriting partnership with Gary Usher, created several new tunes, including a car song, "409", that Usher had helped write. Recruiting Carl and Dennis' friend, thirteen-year-old neighbor David Marks, who had been playing electric guitar (and practicing with Carl) for years, Brian and the revamped Beach Boys cut new tracks on April 19 at Western Recorders including an updated "Surfin' Safari" and "409". These tunes convinced Capitol Records to release the demos as a single; they became a double-sided national hit.

The Beach Boys and first success with Capitol Records

After signing with Capitol Records in mid-1962, Brian Wilson wrote or co-wrote a series of hit singles including the aforementioned "Surfin' Safari", "Surfin' USA", "Shut Down", "Little Deuce Coupe", "Be True to Your School", "In My Room", "Fun, Fun, Fun", "I Get Around", "Dance, Dance, Dance", "Help Me Rhonda", "California Girls" and "Good Vibrations". These songs and their accompanying albums were internationally popular, making The Beach Boys one of the biggest acts of their time.

Recording sessions for the band's first album took place in Capitol's basement studios (in the famous tower building) in August 1962, but early on Brian lobbied for a different place to cut Beach Boy tracks. The large rooms were built to record the big orchestras and ensembles of the 50s, not small rock groups. At Brian's insistence, Capitol agreed to let The Beach Boys pay for their own outside recording sessions, which Capitol would own all the rights to, and in return the band would receive a higher royalty rate on their record sales. Additionally, although it was very rare at the time for rock and roll band members to have a say in the process of making their records, during the taping of their first LP Brian fought for, and won, the right to be totally in charge of the production- though his first acknowledged liner notes production credit did not come until the band's third album ''Surfer Girl'', in 1963.

January 1963 saw the recording of the first top-ten (cresting at #3 in the United States) Beach Boys single, "Surfin' USA", which began their long run of highly successful recording efforts at Hollywood's Western Recorders on Sunset Boulevard. It was during the sessions for this single that Brian made the production decision from that point on to use doubletracking on the group's vocals, resulting in a deeper and more resonant sound.

The tune, adapted from (and eventually entirely credited to) Chuck Berry, is widely seen as emblematic of the early 60s American rock cultural experience. The ''Surfin' USA'' album was also a big hit in the United States, reaching number two on the national sales charts by early July, 1963. Brian and his group had become a top-rank recording and touring music band.

Early era as writer/producer

Brian was first credited as The Beach Boys' producer on the ''Surfer Girl'' album, recorded in June and July 1963 and released in September 1963. This LP reached #7 on the national charts on the strength of songs like the ballad "In My Room", later released as a single; "Catch a Wave"; and "Little Deuce Coupe", which was released as a double-sided single with the album's title track, both top-15 hits.

He also began working with other artists in this period. On July 20, 1963, "Surf City", which he had co-written with Jan and Dean, was the first surfing song to reach the pinnacle of the sales charts. While Brian was excited and happy, his father (and still-manager) Murry and Capitol Records were less than thrilled. Indeed, openly enraged by Brian's chart-topping effort for what he saw as a rival band, Murry went so far as to order his oldest son to sever any further efforts with Jan and Dean.

Brian's other non-Beach Boy work in this period included tracks by The Honeys, Sharon Marie, The Timers, and The Survivors. Feeling that surfing songs had become limiting, Brian decided to produce a set of largely car-oriented tunes for The Beach Boys' fourth album ''Little Deuce Coupe'', which was released in October 1963, only three weeks after the ''Surfer Girl'' LP. The departure of guitarist David Marks from the band that month meant that Brian was forced to resume touring with The Beach Boys, for a time reducing his availability in the recording studio.

Artistic growth

Brian became known for his unique use of vocal harmonies, his trademark style of lyrics and incessant studio perfectionism. Early influences on his music included not only the previously mentioned Four Freshmen and Chuck Berry, but also the work of record producer Phil Spector, the latter of whom obsessed Wilson for years. He later considered The Beatles to be his chief rivals, and they in turn would cite his work as a major influence. Wilson also produced records for other artists, but to much lesser success, with the exception of Jan and Dean, for whom Wilson co-wrote several hit songs. Following a nervous breakdown onboard a flight from L.A. to Houston in 1964, Wilson stopped performing live with the Beach Boys in an effort to concentrate solely on songwriting and studio production. Glen Campbell was called in as his temporary stand-in for live performances,|}} As he began work on the new project, ''Pet Sounds'', Wilson formed a temporary songwriting partnership with lyricist Tony Asher. Wilson, who had recorded the album's instrumentation with The Wrecking Crew, then gathered with The Beach Boys to record vocal overdubs, following their return from a tour of Japan. Upon hearing what Wilson had created for the first time in 1965, the group, particularly Mike Love, was somewhat critical of their leader's music,

During the ''Pet Sounds'' sessions, Wilson had been working on another song, which was held back from inclusion on the record as he felt that it was not sufficiently complete. The song, "Good Vibrations", set a new standard for musicians, and what could be achieved in the recording studio. Recorded in multiple sessions and in numerous studios, the song eventually cost $50,000 to record within a six month period. In October 1966, the song was released as a single, giving The Beach Boys their third U.S. number-one hit—alongside "I Get Around" and "Help Me, Rhonda"—and it sold over a million copies.

''Smile'', group tension and Brother Records

With the surprising success of "Good Vibrations", Capitol Records had no choice but to back Wilson up for his next project, originally called ''Dumb Angel'' Soon after, ''Smile'' was abandoned, and Wilson would not return to complete it until 2004, when it was released as a Brian Wilson album of the same name. Van Dyke Parks later noted, "...Brian had a nervous collapse. What broke his heart was ''Sgt. Pepper''." Writing for ''The Guardian'' in December 1999, Will Hodgkinson summarized the main reasons for the eventual demise of Wilson's ambitious project;

:[A] combination of factors, including litigations against the record company and increasing animosity between Wilson and the rest of the band, meant that in May 1967 Wilson pulled the plug on the record... [Mike] Love had already dismissed "Good Vibrations "as "avant-garde shit" and objected to the way Wilson, Parks and a group of highly skilled session musicians were creating music way beyond his understanding... By March 1967, the bad feeling got too much for Parks and, having no desire to break up The Beach Boys, he walked out.

Following the cancellation of ''Smile'', The Beach Boys relocated to a recording studio within the confines of Brian Wilson's mansion, where the hastily compiled ''Smiley Smile'' album was assembled, along with a number of future Beach Boys records. This marked the end of Wilson's leadership within the band, and has been seen to be "the moment when the Beach Boys first started slipping from the vanguard to nostalgia."

Mental illness

Psychologically overwhelmed by the cancellation of ''Smile'', and the birth of his first child Carnie Wilson in 1968, Wilson began having a diminished creative role with The Beach Boys. Until about 1970 he remained the group's principal songwriter, but increasingly production reins were handed to younger brother Carl. Carl Wilson mostly oversaw the albums ''Smiley Smile'', ''Wild Honey'', and ''Friends'' (a personal favorite of Brian's), which only performed modestly on the charts. After that, Brian Wilson all but stopped writing songs and was frequently seen partying in the company of songwriter Tandyn Almer and Three Dog Night singer Danny Hutton. It was during this period that he was introduced to cocaine. The 1969 album ''20/20'' was made mostly without Wilson's participation, although the Wilson/Love-authored "Do It Again" was a major hit, topping the charts in the UK.

Wilson spent the majority of the following three years in his bedroom sleeping, taking drugs, and overeating. During this time, his voice deteriorated significantly as a result of chain smoking, drug ingestion and neglect. Many of his "new" contributions to Beach Boys albums were remnants of ''Smile'' (e.g., "Cabinessence", "Surf's Up"), and those that were genuinely new reflected his depression and growing detachment from the world ("'Til I Die", the EP "Mount Vernon and Fairway"). Reportedly, Warner Bros. Records was so desperate for material from Wilson that the single "We Got Love" (co-written by Ricky Fataar, Blondie Chaplin, and Love) was scrapped from the ''Holland'' album in favor of "Sail On, Sailor", a song mostly written by committee (including Chaplin, Almer and Parks) that happened to draw its initial germ from a Wilson chord sequence.

In 1975, Wilson's wife and family enlisted the services of controversial therapist Eugene Landy in a bid to help Wilson, and hopefully help revive the group's ailing profile. Wilson did not stay under Landy's care for long, but during this short period, the doctor managed to help him into a more productive, social frame of mind. The new album ''15 Big Ones'', consisting of oldies and some new songs was released in 1976 and Wilson began to regularly appear live on stage with the band. A Love-orchestrated publicity campaign announced that "Brian is Back". He was also deemed to be well enough to do a solo performance on ''Saturday Night Live'' in November 1976. In 1977, the cult favorite ''Love You'' was released, consisting almost entirely of new material written and performed by Wilson. He continues to say it is his favorite Beach Boys album.

By 1982, Eugene Landy was once more called into action, and a more radical program was undertaken to try to restore Wilson to health. This involved firing him from The Beach Boys, isolating him from his family on Hawaii, and putting him onto a rigorous diet and health regimen. This, coupled with long, extreme counseling sessions, continued to bring Wilson back to reality. He lost a tremendous amount of weight, was certainly healthier and more conversant than previously, but he was also under a strict level of control by Landy. Wilson's recovery continued as he joined the band on stage in Live Aid in 1985, and recorded the album ''The Beach Boys'' with the group.

Dr. Landy provided a Svengali-like environment for Wilson, controlling his every movement in his life, including his musical direction. Landy's misconduct would eventually lead to the loss of his psychologist license, as well as a court-ordered removal and restraining order from Wilson.

Some years later, during his second marriage, Wilson was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder, bipolar type which supposedly caused him to hear voices in his head. By 1989 the rumor was that Brian either had a stroke or had abused too many drugs and was permanently "fried". a neurological condition marked by involuntary, repetitive movements, that develops in about 20% of patients treated with antipsychotic drugs for a long period of time. Wilson's drug regimen has now been reduced to a mild combination of antidepressants, and he has resumed recording and performing.

The effects of Brian Wilson's mental illness on his parenting skills were discussed by Wilson's daughter Wendy during her appearance in an episode of the British reality television program ''Supernanny''. Wilson's daughter Carnie and granddaughter Lola also made an appearance on the episode.

Solo career

Wilson launched a career as a solo artist in 1988 with limited success. It is possible that his efforts in this regard were both encouraged and hampered by Landy's influence. Partly due to the control that Landy exercised on his life, Wilson stopped working with The Beach Boys on a regular basis after the release of ''The Beach Boys'' in 1985. He had been signed to a solo record deal with Sire Records by label boss Seymour Stein.

Wilson's first solo album, ''Brian Wilson'', released in 1988, was favorably reviewed in the music press, but sold poorly. A memoir, ''Wouldn't It Be Nice - My Own Story'', was released in 1990, in which he spoke about his troubled relationship with his abusive father Murry, his internal disputes with the Beach Boys, and his "lost years" of mental illness. Although it was written following interviews with Brian and others and released with Brian's name as co-author, Landy was largely responsible for the direction of the book, in conjunction with ''People'' magazine writer Todd Gold. The book describes Landy in terms that could be called messianic. In a later lawsuit over the book, instigated by several family members including his brother Carl and mother Audree, Wilson testified in court that he hadn't even read the final manuscript. As a result, the book was taken out of press some years later. A second solo album made for Sire under the aegis of Landy, entitled ''Sweet Insanity'', was never released after being rejected by the record label. Landy's illegal use of psychotropic drugs on Wilson and his influence over Wilson's financial affairs was legally ended by Carl Wilson and other members of the Wilson family. A court appointed conservator was appointed to oversee Wilson's financial and legal affairs.

In 1995, Wilson married Melinda Ledbetter, a car saleswoman and former model he met several years earlier while still under the care of Eugene Landy. The couple adopted five children: two girls, Daria Rose and Delanie Rae, in 1998; a boy, Dylan, in 2004; a boy, Dash Tristan; and a girl, Dakota Rose, in 2010 in 2009. Wilson has two daughters from his first marriage to Marilyn Rovell: Carnie Wilson and Wendy Wilson, who would go on to musical success of their own in the early 1990s as two-thirds of Wilson Phillips.

Also in 1995, he released two albums, albeit neither containing any new original Wilson material, almost simultaneously. The first, the soundtrack to Don Was's documentary ''I Just Wasn't Made for These Times'', consists of re-recorded versions of songs from his Beach Boys and solo catalogue produced by Was, along with a 1976-vintage demo recording. The second, ''Orange Crate Art'', saw Wilson as lead vocalist, multitracked many times over, on an album of songs produced, arranged and (mostly) written by Van Dyke Parks, and was released as a duo album under both men's names.

His final release as part of the group was on the 1996 album ''Stars and Stripes Vol. 1'', a group collaboration with select country music artists singing the lead vocals. After considerable mental recovery, he mended his relationship with his daughters Carnie and Wendy and the three of them released an album in 1997 titled ''The Wilsons''.

In 1996 Wilson sang backup on Belinda Carlisle's "California."

Wilson released a second solo album of mostly new material, ''Imagination'', in 1998. Following this, he received extensive vocal coaching to improve his voice, and learned to cope with his stage fright and started to play live for the first time in decades, going on to play the whole ''Pet Sounds'' album live on his tours of the United States, United Kingdom, and Europe.

A new studio album, ''Gettin' in Over My Head'', was released on June 22, 2004. It featured collaborations with Elton John, Paul McCartney, Eric Clapton, and Wilson's deceased brother Carl. Clapton played on the track "City Blues." The album was almost entirely composed of re-recordings of unreleased material, and received mixed reviews.

Brian Wilson has recently contributed a cover of Buddy Holly's "Listen To Me" for the upcoming tribute album, Listen to Me: Buddy Holly to be released on September 6th, 2011.

''Smile'' resurrected

With the improvements in his mental health, Wilson found himself able to contemplate returning to the ''Smile'' project. Aided by musician and long time fan Darian Sahanaja of The Wondermints, and lyricist Van Dyke Parks, Brian painstakingly worked throughout 2003 to release the album. In February 2004, 37 years after it was conceived, Wilson debuted the newly completed ''Smile'' at the Royal Festival Hall in London and throughout a subsequent UK tour.

The debut performance at the RFH was a defining moment for Brian. The documentary DVD of the event shows Brian preparing for the big day and, right up to show time, expressing doubts over the concept of putting this legendary work before the public. After an opening set of Beach Boys classics, he climbed back on stage for a rousing performance of the album. A 10-minute standing ovation followed the concert; the DVD shows a sprinkling of rock luminaries in the crowd, such as Roger Daltrey, Paul Weller, Sir George Martin and Sir Paul McCartney (although neither Martin nor McCartney attended the opening night, contrary to what the DVD implies).

''Smile'' was then recorded through April to June and released in September, to wide critical acclaim. The release hit #13 on the Billboard chart. The 2004 recording featured his backup/touring band, including Beach Boys guitarist Jeff Foskett, members of the Wondermints and backup singer Taylor Mills. In this version, "Good Vibrations" features Tony Asher's original lyrics in the verses, instead of Mike Love's lyrics from the released 1966 version.

Wilson won his only Grammy Award in 2005 for the track "Mrs. O'Leary's Cow (Fire)" as Best Rock Instrumental. In 2004 ''Smile'' was taken on the road for a thorough tour of Australia, New Zealand and Europe. In December 2005, he also released ''What I Really Want for Christmas'' for Arista Records. The release hit #200 on the Billboard chart, though sales were modest. Wilson's remake of the classic "Deck The Halls" became a surprise Top 10 Adult Contemporary hit.

Though no longer a part of The Beach Boys touring band, Brian Wilson remains a member of the Beach Boys corporation, Brother Records Incorporated.

Post-''Smile'' to ''That Lucky Old Sun''

thumb|Brian Wilson and his group performing In Europe in 2005.In February 2005, Wilson had a cameo in the TV series ''Duck Dodgers in the 24½th Century'' as Daffy Duck's spiritual surfing advisor. He also appeared in the 2005 holiday episode of ''Extreme Makeover: Home Edition'', performing "Deck the Halls" for a group of children with xeroderma pigmentosum (hypersensitivity to sunlight) at Walt Disney World Resort. On July 2, 2005, Wilson performed for the Live 8 concert in Berlin, Germany.

In September 2005, Wilson arranged a charity drive to aid victims of Hurricane Katrina, wherein people who donated $100 or more would receive a personal phone call from Wilson. According to the website, over $250K was raised. In November 2005, former bandmate Mike Love sued Wilson over "shamelessly misappropriating... Love's songs, likeness, and the Beach Boys trademark, as well as the 'Smile' album itself" in the promotion of ''Smile''. The lawsuit was ultimately thrown out of court on grounds that it was meritless.

On November 1, 2006, Wilson kicked off a small but highly anticipated tour celebrating the 40th anniversary of ''Pet Sounds''. He was joined by Al Jardine.

Wilson released a new album ''That Lucky Old Sun'' on September 2, 2008. The piece originally debuted in a series of September 2007 concerts at London's Royal Festival Hall, and in January 2008 at Sydney's State Theatre while headlining the Sydney Festival. Wilson describes the piece as "consisting of five 'rounds', with interspersed spoken word". A series of US and UK concerts led up to its release.

On September 30, 2008, Seattle's Light in the Attic Records released ''A World of Peace Must Come'', a collaboration between Wilson and Stephen Kalinich, originally recorded in 1969, but later lost in Kalinich's closet.

''Brian Wilson Reimagines Gershwin'' (2009–present)

In summer 2009, Wilson was approached by the Gershwin estate to record an album of covers of classic Gershwin songs, and to complete two piano pieces left unfinished by Gershwin at his death. The album, ''Brian Wilson Reimagines Gershwin'', was released on August 17, 2010 on Disney's Pearl label. ''Brian Wilson Reimagines Gershwin'' hit #1 on the Billboard Jazz Chart. Wilson signed a two-record deal with Disney; the second album will be a collection of classic Disney movie songs.

Biographical Movie

''The Tree of Life'' producer Bill Pohlad and veteran television writer/producer John Wells (''E.R.'', ''The West Wing'') have teamed to develop a drama based on Wilson's personal and professional story. They've acquired life rights from Wilson and his wife, Melinda, and hired Oren Moverman, the Oscar-nominated screenwriter behind the offbeat Bob Dylan film ''I'm Not There'', to write a script.

Awards and recognitions

Wilson and the Beach Boys were inducted into the Rock Hall of Fame in January 1988, alongside The Beatles and Bob Dylan.

In 2000, Wilson was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Paul McCartney introduced Brian, referring to him as "one of the great American geniuses."

In March 2001, TNT and Radio City Music Hall hosted "An All-Star Tribute to Brian Wilson." This event featured performances and appearances by Elton John, Billy Joel, Chazz Palminteri host, David Crosby, Dennis Hopper, Paul Simon, Carly Simon, The Go-Go's, Cameron Crowe, Sir George Martin, Vince Gill, Brian's daughters Carnie & Wendy Wilson along with Chynna Phillips (Wilson Phillips), Jimmy Webb, Darius Rucker, Matthew Sweet, Ann and Nancy Wilson of (Heart), The Boys Choir of Harlem, and others.

''Pet Sounds'' has been ranked as one of the most influential records in popular music, and has been ranked #1 on several music magazines' lists of the greatest albums of all time. It is ranked #2 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

On May 10, 2004, Wilson was honored as a BMI Icon at the 52nd annual BMI Pop Awards. He was saluted for his "unique and indelible influence on generations of music makers."

A 2005 concert, "Musicares: A Tribute to Brian Wilson," was held in Wilson's honor, during which he was named MusiCares Person of the Year. Performers included Jeff Beck, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Earth Wind & Fire, Barenaked Ladies, and The Backstreet Boys, among others.

On May 20, 2005, Wilson and the five other original-era Beach Boys were honored with the unveiling of the Beach Boys Historic Landmark on the former site of the Wilson family home in Hawthorne, California.

In 2005, Wilson won the Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance for Mrs. O'Leary's Cow.

In November 2006, Wilson was inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame by Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour. Wilson performed "God Only Knows" and "Good Vibrations" at the ceremony.

On December 2, 2007, the Kennedy Center Honors committee recognized Wilson for a lifetime of contributions to American culture through the performing arts in music.

May 20, 2011, Wilson received the UCLA George and Ira Gershwin Award at UCLA Spring Sing.

Discography

''Brian Wilson'' (July 12, 1988)

''I Just Wasn't Made for These Times'' (August 15, 1995)

''Orange Crate Art'' (with Van Dyke Parks) (October 24, 1995)

''Imagination'' (June 16, 1998)

''Live at the Roxy Theatre'' (June, 2000)

''Pet Sounds Live'' (June 11, 2002)

''Gettin' in Over My Head'' (June 22, 2004)

''Smile'' (September 28, 2004)

''What I Really Want for Christmas'' (October 18, 2005)

''That Lucky Old Sun'' (September 2, 2008)

''Brian Wilson Reimagines Gershwin'' (August 17, 2010)

''In The Key Of Disney'' (October 25, 2011)

Additional Appearances:

''The Wilsons'' (1997)

See also

List of songs by Brian Wilson

Beach Boys Historic Landmark

A Tribute To Brian Wilson - Radio City Music Hall (March 29, 2001)

Notes

References

Badman, Keith. ''The Beach Boys: The Definitive Diary of America's Greatest Band on Stage and in the Studio'' (Backstreet Books, 2004). ISBN 0-87930-818-4.

Carlin, Peter Ames. ''Catch a Wave: The Rise, Fall and Redemption of the Beach Boys' Brian Wilson'' (Rodale Inc., 2006). ISBN 13 978-1-59486-749-1.

Leaf, David. ''The Beach Boys and the California Myth'' (Kingsport Press, 1978). ISBN 0-89471-412-0.

Lambert, Philip. ''Inside the Music of Brian Wilson: the songs, sounds and influences of the Beach Boys' founding genius'' (Continuum International Publishing Group Inc., 2007). ISBN 13 978 0 8264 1877 7.

Stebbins, Jon. ''The Lost Beach Boy'' (Virgin Books Ltd, 2007). ISBN 978-1-8522-7391-0.

External links

Official site

2004 Larry King Transcript where they speak about Wilson's mental illness

"After the wipe out" by Ginny Dougary in ''The Guardian'' (June 1, 2002)

"Four Decades Later, Wilson's 'Smile' Hits London" Audio review at NPR (February 25, 2004)

SMiLE Timeline

Brian Wilson Pictures from 2007 Consumer Electronics Show performance

January 2009 Interview with L.A. Record

This list of "outside productions" by members of the Beach Boys includes records Brian produced and-or wrote for other artists throughout his career

Cabin Essence, Web Page for Brian Wilson

Brian Wilson's Wave by Peter Ames Carlin, ''American Heritage'', August/September 2004.

Category:American composers Category:American record producers Category:American rock bass guitarists Category:Grammy Award winners Category:MusiCares Person of the Year Honorees Category:Kennedy Center honorees Category:Sire Records artists Category:Capitol Records artists Category:Nonesuch Records artists Category:Musicians from California Category:People from the Greater Los Angeles Area Category:People with bipolar disorder Category:Songwriters Hall of Fame inductees Category:The Beach Boys members Category:1942 births Category:Songwriters from California Category:Living people Category:People with schizophrenia Category:American people of Swedish descent

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