- January 17
- Alex Rodriguez announces he will be a member of the United States team in the World Baseball Classic. [56]
- January 19
- After an 80-day departure, Theo Epstein returns to the Red Sox in a yet-to-be named capacity. The youngest general manager in baseball history, who assembled a World Champion team in 2004, left Boston on Halloween Day citing the position was not 'the right fit'. [56]
- January 20
- Baseball's second application to the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control to allow Cuba to play in the World Baseball Classic is approved. [56]
- In Quang Tri province, Viet Nam, just south of the demilitarized zone, the country's first baseball field is dedicated. The former soccer field was transformed into a diamond for the Le Loi High School using money donated from Major League Baseball and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund. [56]
- January 22
- Kobe Bryant scores 81 points in regulation NBA basketball play and is second only to the legendary 1960s center Wilt Chamberlain, who had 100 points. [27]
- January 24
- Outfielder Jay Gibbons and the Baltimore Orioles agree to a US$21.1 million, four-year deal. [56]
- Mario Lemieux announces his retirement from the National Hockey League. [27]
- January 27
- The Kansas City Royals unveil new uniforms with a more traditional look, with script lettering on the front and its crown logo on the sleeves. [56]
- The Chicago Cubs and Mark Prior agree on a one-year $3.65 million contract. [56]
- Nobuhiko Matsunaka agrees to seven-year contract with Japan's Softbank Hawks for an estimated 500 million yen a year plus performance incentives. [56]
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- January 30
- The Chicago Cubs and Jerry Hairston Junior agree to a one-year, $2.3 million deal. [56]
- February 1
- At a luncheon at Safeco Field, baseball player Craig Biggio becomes the 41st recipient of the Hutch Award. [56]
- February 5
- The Pittsburgh Steelers win Super Bowl XL, defeating the Seattle Seahawks 21-10. [27] [457]
- February 7
- Venezuela's Caracas Lions wins its first Caribbean Series championship since 1989, defeating the Dominican Republic's Licey Tigers. [56]
- February 8
- Wayne Krivsky is selected as the Cincinnati Reds' general manager, replacing Dan O'Brien. [56]
- February 9
- Bengie Molina signs a US$5 million, one-year contract with the Toronto Blue Jays, with a $7.5 million option for 2007. [56]
- February 10
- (to February 26) The XX Olympic Winter Games take place in Turin, Italy. [27]
- Alfonso Soriano sets a record for the highest salary ever awarded in baseball arbitration: he will receive US$10 million to play outfield for the Washington Nationals. [56]
- February 11
- Pitcher Carlos Zambrano and the Chicago Cubs agree to a one-year deal worth US$6.5 million. [56]
- February 13
- Adam Dunn and the Cincinnati Reds agreed to a US$18.5 million two-year deal. [56]
- February 15
- Jeff Weaver agrees to a one-year contract with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim worth $8,325,000. [56]
- March 3
- In the opening game of the inaugural World Baseball Classic at the Tokyo Dome, South Korea blanks Taiwan, 2-0. [56]
- March 7
- In their World Baseball Classic debut, Team USA blank Mexico, 2-0. [56]
- March 8
- In the first round of the World Baseball Classic, a Canadian team beats the highly-favored Team USA, 8-6. [56]
- March 10
- In the World Baseball Classic, Netherlands rout Panama, 10-0. The game is called after seven innings because of the mercy rule: a 10-run lead after seven innings. [56]
- March 12
- Historic cricket match between Australia in South Africa, 5th ODI of the series. [27]
- March 14
- Washington D.C. officials unveil the designs for a new 41,000-seat ballpark. [56]
- March 15
- (to March 26) The 2006 Commonwealth Games take place in Melbourne, Australia. [27]
- March 16
- In the second round of the World Baseball Classic, Mexico defeats Team USA 2-1, eliminating the US from the tournament. [56]
- Roy Halladay agrees to a $40 million, three-year contract extension with the Toronto Blue Jays. [56]
- March 20
- In San Diego, California, Japan captures the first World Baseball Classic crown beating Cuba, 10-6. [27] [56]
- March 30
- Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig appoints George Mitchell to head an investigation into the use of steroids in baseball. [56]
- April 1
- The Chicago White Sox signs Jose Contreras to a $29 million, three-year contract extension. [56]
- April 8
- Numbersixvalverde, ridden by Niall Madden, wins the Grand National at Aintree. [27]
- April 11
- US Vice President Dick Cheney throws out the ceremonial first pitch at the home opener at RFK Stadium. [56]
- April 29
- Trevor Hoffman appears as a pitcher in his 803rd game for the San Diego Padres establiishing a new record for games pitched for any one team. [56]
- April 30
- In the Australian Football League, a match between Saint Kilda and Fremantle ends in controversial circumstances after Saint Kilda's Steven Baker is alleged to have kicked a behind after the final siren had went. Following an investigation, the Saints are stripped of two competition points and the full win is handed to Fremantle. [27]
- May 7
- With a 8-5 victory over the Texas Rangers, Joe Torre wins his 1000th game, the fourth New York Yankees manager to do so. [56]
- May 9
- Delmon Young of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays is suspended for 50 games by the International League for throwing a bat which hit a replacement umpire in the chest. [56]
- May 11
- Hideki Matsui's streak of playing in every game since starting his Major League Baseball career with the New York Yankees ends at 518 games. Previous record holder was Ernie Banks, who played in 424 consecutive games with the Chicago Cubs. [56]
- May 13
- Liverpool F.C. defeat West Ham United F.C. on penalties in the 2006 FA Cup Final following a 3-3 draw after extra time. [27]
- May 16
- Houston Astros pitcher Russ Springer strikes the San Francisco Giants player Barry Bonds on the shoulder with his fifth pitch. He is suspended for four games for his action. Bonds needs just one home run to equal Babe Ruth's career home run mark. [56]
- For the fourth time New York Yankees history, the team overcomes a nine-run deficit defeating the Texas Rangers at the Stadium, 14-13. [56]
- May 17
- FC Barcelona beats Arsenal in the final of the UEFA Champions League played in Paris. [27]
- May 20
- Barry Bonds catches Babe Ruth with his 714th home run. [56]
- May 21
- The Dallas Mavericks beat the San Antonio Spurs in overtime to win the Western Conference semi-finals in the NBA Playoffs. [27]
- May 27
- Derek Jeter becomes the eighth player in New York Yankees history to collect 2,000 career hits. [56]
- May 28
- At AT&T Park, Barry Bonds passes Babe Ruth for number of home runs as he hits the 715th homer of his Major League career. Bonds is now in second place, behind Hank Aaron. [56]
- June 5
- Cincinnati Reds' player Ken Griffey Junior hits a home run in his 43rd ballpark to tie the major league record also held by Fred McGriff. [56]
- June 6
- On the sixth day of the sixth month of the sixth year of the century, the Los Angeles Dodgers score six runs in the sixth inning during the sixth game of the homestand. [56]
- June 9
- The 2006 FIFA World Cup begins in Germany. [27]
- June 19
- In the National Hockey League, the Carolina Hurricanes defeat the Edmonton Oilers 4 games to 3 games to win the Stanley Cup. [27]
- June 20
- The Miami Heat win the NBA Finals over the Dallas Mavericks, 4-2. [27]
- June 30
- Boston Red Sox set a new Major League record of 17 consecutive errorless games. [56]
- July 9
- Italy wins the 2006 FIFA World Cup by beating France 5-3 on penalties. The score after extra time is 1-1. [27]
- July 16
- Mariano Rivera of the New York Yankees records his 400th career save. becoming the fourth major leaguer to reach the milestone. [56]
- July 20
- At Coney Island, New York, a New York-Penn League game between the Oneonta Tigers and the Brooklyn Cyclones, the Tigers win by 6-1 after 26 innings, lasting 6 hours 40 minutes. This is the third longest game by innings in professional baseball history. [56]
- July 21
- New York Yankees player Alex Rodriguez records his 2000th career hit, and at the same time becomes the youngest player to bat 450 home runs. Later in the day, San Diego Padres catcher Mike Piazza also makes his 2000th hit. [56]
- July 22
- Canada defeats USA 15-11 in the 2006 World Lacrosse Championship. This marks only the second time the USA had not won the gold medal, and only the second time Canada had won the gold. Geoff Snider is announced as Most Valuable Player. [27]
- July 23
- Phonak team rider, American cyclist Floyd Landis wins the Tour de France; however, tour officials soon announce that he has failed a doping test. [27]
- August 16
- Home plate umpire Bruce Froemming is honored during an on-field ceremony at Fenway Park for working his 5000th major league game of his 36-year career, second only to Bill Klem who arbitrated 5,374 games from 1905-40. [56]
- August 18
- At Fenway Park, the New York Yankees beat the Boston Red Sox 14-11 in the longest nine-inning game in Major Leage history, at 4 hours and 45 minutes. [56]
- September 3
- Spain wins the 2006 FIBA World Championship. [27]
- Andre Agassi retires after his final tennis match against Benjamin Becker in the U.S. Open. [27]
- September 10
- Seven-time World Champion Michael Schumacher announces he will retire from Formula One racing at the end of the year. [27]
- September 19
- In Toronto, Ontario, Canada, the spot at Hanlan Point where Babe Ruth hit his first professional home run is commemorated with a plaque. The historic home run came on September 5, 1914. [56]
- September 20
- American League East baseball title won by New York Yankees. [56]
- September 23
- At Camden Yards, Baltimore Orioles player Jay Gibbons hits a foul ball that hits wife Laura in the rib cage. [56]
- In Milwaukee's Miller Park, Barry Bonds of the San Francisco Giants hits his 734th career homer surpassing Hank Aaron and establishing a new all-time National League home run record. [56]
- September 24
- Europe wins the Ryder Cup in Ireland. [27]
- September 30
- West Coast Eagles win the Australian Football League Grand Final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. [27]
- October 1
- Brisbane Broncos beat Melbourne Storm in the controversial 2006 National Rugby League Grand Final at Telstra Stadium in Sydney, Australia. [27]
- October 14
- With a 6-3 victory in Game 4 of the ALCS, the Detroit Tigers sweep the Athletics to win the American pennant for the first time since 1984. [56]
- October 24
- Major League Baseball officials and the Players' Association announce a five-year collective bargaining agreement has been reached. [56]
- October 27
- At the Busch Stadium, the Saint Louis Cardinals beat the heavily favored Detroit Tigers, 4-2, in Game 5 of the Fall Classic to win the 2006 World Series of baseball. The Cardinals, who lost ten of their last 14 regular season games, won less games than any World Series champion in baseball history. [27] [56]
- November 3
- Major League Baseball officials announce an office will be opened in China to help promote the game. [56]
- November 13
- Delmon Young is suspended for 50 games by the International League for throwing a bat which hit a replacement umpire in the chest. [56]
- The New York Mets stage a groundbreaking ceremony to mark the start of construction of the US$800 million 45,000-seat CitiField ballpark. [56]
- The BBWAA votes Jason Verlander of the Detroit Tigers as American League Rookie of the Year Award. [56]
- November 14
- The BBWAA votes Brandon Webb of the Arizona Diamondbacks as winner of the National League Cy Young Award. [56]
- November 17
- Frank Thomas agrees to a $18.12 million, two-year deal to join the Toronto Blue Jays. [56]
- December 1
- The 15th Asian Games start in Doha, Qatar; the closing ceremony takes place on December 15. [27]
- December 10
- Chivas defeats Toluca in the final of the Mexican Soccer League. [27]
- December 21
- Australian cricket player Shane Warne announces his retirement from the sport. [27]
- December 27
- The San Francisco Giants reach a preliminary agreement with pitcher Barry Zito on the largest deal ever given to a pitcher in the history of the game: US$126 million for seven years. [56]
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