January 4 –David Clyde, who made his MLB debut as a promising prospect as a teenager, returns to theTexas Rangers as he and outfielderJim Norris are sent to the Rangers by theCleveland Indians in exchange for outfielderGary Gray, pitcherLarry McCall, and minor league infielder Mike Bucci.
TheNew York Yankees sign outfielderJim Nettles, a free agent and the younger brother of their third baseman,Graig Nettles. Jim, 32, is a veteran of threeAmerican League teams dating to 1970, but he will spend his only year in the Yankee organization atTriple-A.
Jerry Mumphrey's time on theCleveland Indians' winter roster lasts only ten weeks when he's traded to thePadres for left-handerBob Owchinko and outfielderJim Wilhelm, who retires from baseball rather than report to Cleveland. The Indians had acquired outfielder Mumphrey, 27, from theSt. Louis Cardinals as part of the deal that sentBobby Bonds to St. Louis on December 7, 1979.
February 20 – In his 20th and final season as owner of theOakland Athletics franchise,Charles O. Finley makes his 17th managerial change, appointingBilly Martin, 51, the club's pilot for 1980. Martin was ousted from his brief second term as skipper of theNew York Yankees on October 29 after a late-night altercation with a marshmallow salesman in aMinneapolis bar. The Oakland job is Martin's sixth managerial job in the past dozen years; he will earn headlines by transforming the woeful Athletics (54–108 in 1979) with "Billy Ball," and the A's will qualify for the postseason in1981.
March 6 –George Bamberger, who has piloted theMilwaukee Brewers to an outstanding 188–135 (.582) record in his two seasons as manager, suffers a heart attack at the club'sArizonaspring training camp. CoachBuck Rodgers takes the team's reins on an emergency basis. Bamberger, 56, will undergo successfulcoronary bypass surgery three weeks later, but he will not return to the Brewer dugout until June 6.
March 10 – TheNew York Yankees sign pitcherJosé Canó. Although he will eventually appear in six games for the1989 Houston Astros, Canó, 18, will be released by the Yankees August 6 of this season after threeGulf Coast League games. However, his sonRobinson Canó, born in 1982, will play 17 seasons in the majors and be chosen an eight-timeAL All-Star, with five selections coming during his nine years (2005–2013) as a Yankee.
March 12 – SluggerChuck Klein and formerBoston Red Sox ownerTom Yawkey are posthumously elected to theHall of Fame by the Special Veterans Committee. Yawkey is the first club owner selected who never served as a player, manager, or general manager.
Less than two months after he was traded back to theTexas Rangers in hopes of reviving his career,David Clyde, 24, is released after continuing arm troubles. Although he will attempt a comeback in theminor leagues in 1981, the release brings an end to Clyde's MLB career.
Left-hander and futureHall of FamerJim Kaat, 41, returns to theNew York Yankees after having been granted free agency from the Bombers on November 1, 1979.
Two days before the start of the season, the uniforms belonging to theDurham Bulls of theCarolina League are stolen.Hank Aaron, minor league director for Durham's parent club, theAtlanta Braves, sends the Bulls some used Braves road jerseys to tide them over until their uniforms can be replaced.
AfterTexas Rangers starterJon Matlack andNew York Yankees starterRon Guidry each pitch nine-inning shutout baseball, the Rangers win 1–0 in the 12th inning whenGoose Gossage, in his only pitch of the game, uncorks a wild pitch withRichie Zisk at the plate. The wild pitch allows Ranger base runner (and former Yankee)Mickey Rivers to score from third.
Harold Baines makes his major league debut, going 0–4, striking out once, in theChicago White Sox 5–3 loss against the Baltimore Orioles.
April 12 – TheHouston Astros' newly acquiredNolan Ryan makes his firstNational League start since1971. Batting for the first time since1972, Ryan belts his first career home run, a three-run shot, in the fourth inning offDon Sutton of theLos Angeles Dodgers. Ryan, however, only lasts six innings, and the Dodgers win the game 6–5 in 17 innings at theAstrodome.
Willie McCovey of theSan Francisco Giants hits what will be the last of his 521 career home runs. The blow, offScott Sanderson of theMontreal Expos, comes in the fourth inning of a Giants' 3–2 victory atOlympic Stadium. McCovey, 42, becomes the second player, afterTed Williams (who also retired with 521 career homers), to hit a home run in four different decades.
In the early hours of the morning, the MLBPA and the owners reach a preliminary agreement, preventing a walk out by the players. However, the topic of free agency is tabled, an act that will lead to the players' 50-day strike the following season.
May 28 –Isao Harimoto of theLotte Orions collects his 3,000 career hit. Harimoto will finish his career with 3,085 hits.
May 29 – AtSan Diego Stadium,Johnny Bench of theCincinnati Reds breaksYogi Berra's all-time record for home runs by a catcher. He hits two home runs offRandy Jones in the Reds' 5–3 victory over theSan Diego Padres; the first comes in the second inning and gives him 336 on his career and 306 as a catcher, breaking a tie he had shared with Berra.
June 7 – TheNew York Mets acquire outfielderClaudell Washington from theChicago White Sox for minor-league pitcher Jesse Anderson. Washington, 25, will become afree agent this coming off-season. But his half-season as a Met sees him belt three home runs in a June 22, 9–6 road victory over theLos Angeles Dodgers, to become the third player in contemporaneous MLB history (followingHall-of-FamersBabe Ruth andJohnny Mize) to do so in each major league.
June 8 – Mired in a 5–21 morass that has plunged them into theNL East basement, theSt. Louis Cardinals fire managerKen Boyer, their former eleven-timeAll-Star third baseman and1964NL MVP, between games of a doubleheader atMontréal'sOlympic Stadium. After coachJack Krol handles them in the nightcap, the Cardinals announce they've hiredWhitey Herzog as their new field manager. Herzog, 48, was sacked by the cross-stateKansas City Royals in October 1979; he will take command of the Redbird bench inAtlanta the following day.
In the 11th inning atComiskey Park, theDetroit Tigers'Al Cowens grounds out to shortstop offChicago White Sox pitcherEd Farmer. But instead of running towards first, Cowens attacks Farmer from behind; he's seeking revenge for a May 8, 1979, incident in which Farmer, a member then of theTexas Rangers, hit Cowens (then with theKansas City Royals) with a pitch that broke Cowens' jaw and put him out of action for 21 games. Today's incident results in an arrest warrant for Cowens, which forces him to miss the rest of the series. He is also suspended for a week by theAmerican League.
June 25 – TheSan Francisco Giants' first baseman,Mike Ivie, abruptly announces his retirement from baseball, citing depression. Ivie will return to the Giants three weeks later, convinced by a phone call from teammateWillie McCovey.
July 3 –Minnesota Twins outfielderKen Landreaux ties anAmerican League record in hitting three triples during a win over theTexas Rangers. Earlier this season, Landreaux set a Twins' club record with a 31-game hitting streak, a record that still stands through 44 seasons.[2]
July 4
Houston Astros pitcherNolan Ryan strikes outCésar Gerónimo of theCincinnati Reds, to become the fourth major league pitcher ever to reach 3,000 career strikeouts. Gerónimo was alsoBob Gibson's 3,000th career strikeout victim six years earlier. Despite the milestone, Ryan allows six runs in 41⁄3 innings, and Houston loses, 8–1.
During the first-ever fireworks night hosted atShea Stadium,Montreal Expos' rookieBill Gullickson sails a pitch overNew York Mets'first basemanMike Jorgensen's head in the second game of adoubleheader. Jorgensen, victim of a seriousbeanball injury the previous season, angrily points his bat toward Gullickson and the benches clear. The Mets'John Stearns, not in the line-up for this game, charges out of his dugout and welcomes Gullickson to the majors by punching him and putting him in a headlock.[3]
July 6
Philadelphia Phillies pitcherSteve Carlton becomes the major leagues' left-handed strikeout king, fanning sevenCardinals in an 8–3 Phillies win to bring his career total to 2,836.Mickey Lolich had held the record with 2,832.
July 18 – The 19-year-oldNew York Mets play their 3,000th game, falling 8–3 in the second game of a double header against theCincinnati Reds.
July 21 – TheSan Francisco Giants andChicago Cubs play 12 scoreless innings before the game is suspended due to darkness at light-lessWrigley Field. StartersEd Whitson andRick Reuschel each go eight innings before turning the game over to their bullpens. When the game's resumed the following day, it remains 0–0 until the top of the 15th, whenLarry Herndon smacks a two-run homer that's the difference in a 2–0 Giants' victory.
July 23 – TheChicago Cubs terminate the managerial tenure ofPreston Gómez after the 90th game of his first season at the helm. He's replaced by longtime coachJoey Amalfitano, who had been the Cubs' acting manager for the closing days of the 1979 campaign. Gómez departs Chicago with a 38–52 (.422) record.
July 28 – TheNew York Yankees sell the contract of right-handerEd Figueroa to theTexas Rangers. Figueroa, 30, spent three years as a key part of the Yankees' rotation and went20–9 (2.99) for the1978 world champion Bombers, but has struggled with arm miseries since: 7–9 (5.15) in 31 games. He will go winless (0–7) in eight starts as a Ranger.
August 4 – TheSeattle Mariners, who've lost 20 of their last 24 games, fire managerDarrell Johnson, and replace him withMaury Wills. Johnson is the only skipper the Mariners have had since entering MLB in1977; he departs with a 226–362 (.384) record. Wills, 47, is the former star shortstop of theLos Angeles Dodgers andNational League MVP and has been a broadcaster since his1972 playing retirement.
August 5
Chicago Cubs rookie shortstopSteve Macko suffers a bad bruise in a collision with thePittsburgh Pirates'Bill Madlock in the first game of a doubleheader. Macko drives in a run with a double, is pinch-run for byRick Reuschel, and never plays another game in the majors. Doctors examining Macko discover that he hastesticular cancer, a disease that will claim his life at age 27 in November 1981.
August 12 – A crowd of 48,361 fans jamsTiger Stadium to watch formerDetroit aceMark Fidrych attempt a comeback. He goes eight innings and permits only threeearned runs, but the visitingBoston Red Sox win, 5–4, on aJim Dwyer home run. Fidrych will make only eight more starts through the end of 1980, his final MLB season.
August 15 – The visitingHouston Astros score twounearned runs in the top of the 20th inning, then hold off theSan Diego Padres in the home half to claim a 3–1 victory. Four Astros' pitchers keep the Padres off the scoreboard for the final 19 innings of the marathon contest.
August 17 – TheDetroit Tigers retire uniform #6 in honor of Hall-of-FamerAl Kaline. He becomes the first player in Tigers' history to be so honored. In coming years, older Hall of Famers likeCharlie Gehringer (#2) andHank Greenberg (#5) are similarly feted.
Oakland A's ownerCharlie Finley announces that he has agreed to sell the team to clothing industry magnateWalter A. Haas Jr. for a reported $12.7 million, assuring that the franchise will stay in Oakland. Oil tycoonMarvin Davis had wanted to purchase the A's and move then toDenver. The notorious yet innovative Finley owned the Athletics for two decades, and his club won five consecutiveAL West titles (1971–1975) and three straightWorld Series championships (1972–1974). But he left bitter legacies when he abandonedKansas City in1967, then maintained a barebones operation that was nearly abandoned by its fan base, once his Oakland dynasty was stripped of its star players by post-Seitz decision free agency beginning in 1977.[4][5]
Veteran outfielderJosé Cardenal, 36, signs as a free agent with theKansas City Royals; he'd been released by theNew York Mets eight days earlier. Cardenal will bat .340 in 25 games through the regular season, and appear in four games of the1980 World Series as he wraps up an 18-year MLB playing career.
August 23 – TheNL West-leadingHouston Astros win another extra-innings pitching duel. Today they battle theChicago Cubs to a scoreless tie into the home half of 17th at theAstrodome. Houston relieversBert Roberge,Joe Sambito andJoe Niekro hold the Cubs to only one hit in nine innings of shutout relief. Finally, in the Astro 17th, Niekro himself singles homeEnos Cabell with the winning tally for a 1–0 victory.
August 24 –Gene Mauch resigns as manager of theMinnesota Twins and third base coachJohn Goryl takes over. The Twins, who were 26 games out of first place, win 23 of the remaining 36 games of the season.
TheSan Diego Padres find themselves in another drawn-out battle, their third 17-plus-inning contest in 11 days. This time, however, they emerge victorious with an 18-inning, 8–6 win over theNew York Mets atShea Stadium. The three marathons consume 55 innings, 16 hours and 31 minutes, and come during a 2–12 team tailspin that began August 11.
August 28 – TheSt. Louis Cardinals promotefield managerWhitey Herzog togeneral manager (GM). Herzog has led the Cards to a 38–35 record since taking the helm on June 9. He replaces the firedJohn Claiborne as chief baseball executive, and names bench coachRed Schoendienst acting manager for the remainder of the 1980 season. Herzog will return to the Cardinal dugout as both manager/GM in1981 after remaking the team with three major December 1980 trades. His three National League pennants between1982 and1987 will secure Herzog a spot in theHall of Fame.
Wade Boggs, playing for thePawtucket Red Sox, loses the batting title on the last day of the season. Pawtucket is playing theToledo Mud Hens, who force Boggs' last at-bat by walking the light hitting Ray Boyer. The Mud Hens, who lead the game 6–0, allow Boyer to take bases at will. Boggs ends up grounding out to first to end the game, lowering his average from .3069 to .3062, .0005 points behind the .3067 posted byDave Engle—who just happens to play for the Mud Hens.
Ed Farmer of theChicago White Sox, who'd been assaulted byAl Cowens of theDetroit Tigers during a game on June 20, agrees to drop the charges. Before today's Detroit–Chicago game, both men bring their club's line-up cards to the home plate umpire and later shake hands. The fans aren't as forgiving: they boo Cowens every time he comes to bat. (See entry for June 20, 1980, above.)
September 7 –George Bamberger quits as manager of theMilwaukee Brewers and hands the reins permanently to third-base coachBuck Rodgers, who had piloted the team during Bamberger's early-season medical leave. The disappointing Brewers are 73–66 and 13½ games out of first in theAL East. They have gone only 47–45 since Bamberger's return from heart surgery June 6.
September 8
CommissionerBowie Kuhn suspends pitcherFerguson Jenkins following Jenkins' drug arrest. An arbitrator later re-instates Jenkins.
ThePhiladelphia Phillies sign free agent catcherTim McCarver in what will be the 38-year-old's final season, and enable McCarver to have played in the majors across four decades. FutureFord C. Frick Award winner McCarver has already begun his television career on the Phillies' broadcast team.
In a wild game inThe Bronx, the last-placeToronto Blue Jays battle the first-placeNew York Yankees to a 3–3 tie into the tenth inning, then take a two-run lead in the top of the tenth when the game is halted, then suspended, by rain. When it's resumed the following night, the Jays—still at bat—add two more tallies on an inside-the-park home run byRoy Howell to grab a 7–3 lead. But in the home half, the Yankees even the score 7–7 with four runs off Toronto relieverDave Stieb. The teams fight on to the 13th, when the Bombers finally prevail, 8–7, on an RBI double byBucky Dent.[6]
September 18 –Gary Wardhits for the cycle in a 9–8Minnesota Twins loss toMilwaukee. Ward, 26, does it in only the 14th game of his career, which still stands as the major league record for the fewest games played before hitting for the cycle.
September 19 – TheKansas City Royals rout the visitingOakland A's, 13–3.George Brett gets two hits to keep his average above .400, marking today as the latest in a season that a player is hitting at or above .400 sinceTed Williams hit .406 in1941.
September 20
Brett goes 0-for-4, dropping hisbatting average below .400. It will not climb above .400 again, and he finishes the season with a .390batting average, the closest any player has come to .400 sinceTed Williams 39 years earlier. OnlyTony Gwynn will come closer before the20th century ends.
A bronze plaque dedicated toThurman Munson, who died the previous season in a plane crash, is unveiled inYankee Stadium's monument park.
September 24 – TheAtlanta Braves reach the 1,000,000 mark in attendance. It marks the first time that everyNational League team has drawn at least 1,000,000 fans for a season.
September 25 – In dropping a 6–4 decision to the visitingChicago White Sox,Brian Kingman of theOakland A's becomes the first 20-game loser for an above-.500 team sinceDolf Luque of theCincinnati Reds in1922. Kingman will also be the last 20th-century MLB pitcher to endure a 20-loss season.
October 1 – TheBoston Red Sox fire managerDon Zimmer due to pressure from fans, who never forgave Zimmer for the late season collapse in 1978 that led to theone-game playoff in whichBucky Dent hit the game-winning home run for theNew York Yankees over theGreen Monster. Zimmer departs Boston with a 411–304 (.575) record over 4½ years as skipper.
October 4
In a 17–1 rout of theMinnesota Twins,Willie Wilson of theKansas City Royals becomes the first major league player ever to be credited with 700 at-bats in a single season, and ends the year with 705 at bats. He also sets theAL record for singles in a season with 184, eclipsing the markSam Rice set in1925. Wilson also becomes only the second player in major league history to collect 100 hits from each side of the plate, matching the feat accomplished byGarry Templeton in1979.
On October 3, theLos Angeles Dodgers had been down three games to theHouston Astros to tie for theNational League West Division title. Needing a sweep of the Astros going into their three-game set atChavez Ravine, the Dodgers complete just such a sweep today—each of the wins by a single run. Los Angeles will host a one-game tie-breaker game tomorrow.
Although they drop their closing game of 1980, theAthletics mark a radical turnaround in their fortunes. Under managerBilly Martin and his brand of aggressive play—nicknamed "Billy Ball" by aBay Area columnist—they finish 83–79 (a 29-game improvement over1979) and second in theAL West, and draw 842,259 through theOakland–Alameda County Coliseum's turnstiles, a 175% increase over the prior year.[7] Moreover, the franchise rids itself of the corrosiveCharlie Finley regime. New ownerWalter A. Haas Jr. begins to pour resources into a makeover of entire organization. As part of a series of off-season changes, Haas gives Martingeneral manager responsibilities to accompany his on-field duties.
October 6
After his team suffers through a three-game sweep at the hands of theLos Angeles Dodgers over the last three days,Joe Niekro wins his 20th game of the season to deliver a division title for hisHouston Astros, 7–1, in atie-breaker playoff over the Angelenos. As the newly crowned kings of theNL West, the Astros celebrate their first postseason appearance since first taking the field in1962 as anexpansion team.
October 9 – TheKansas City Royals win Game 2 of the1980 ALCS 3–2 over the visitingNew York Yankees and the game is remembered for the top of the eighth inning. With New York'sWillie Randolph on first with two outs,Bob Watson lines a double to left. Yankee third base coachMike Ferraro waves Randolph home, but the Royals gun him down at the plate. With a national television audience looking on, Yankee ownerGeorge Steinbrenner is shown in the stands shouting Ferraro's name at general managerGene Michael. After the game Steinbrenner publicly orders managerDick Howser to fire Ferraro on the spot, but Howser refuses.
October 21 – For the first time in their 98-year history, thePhiladelphia Phillies win a professional baseball championship, defeating theKansas City Royals 4–1 in Game 6 of the1980 World Series.Steve Carlton earns the win, though the most memorable moment may be relieverTug McGraw's jumping for joy on the mound when he earns the save after loading the bases with no outs. Philadelphia'sMike Schmidt is named MVP, hitting .381 with two home runs and seven RBI, while KC'sWillie Wilson is the "goat", striking out a record 12 times—including the final out of Game 6 with the bases loaded. Of the original 16 Major League franchises from1901, the Phillies (who joined theNational League in 1883) are the last to win their first World Series.
October 22 – OutfielderDave Winfield of theSan Diego Padres is officially declared a free agent. He will be among 49 players granted free agency between today and November 28, including fellow future Hall of FamersGaylord Perry andDon Sutton.
October 24 – TheSt. Louis Cardinals announce that newly appointed general managerWhitey Herzog will return to the Redbird dugout and serve as both manager and GM for the 1981 season. Herzog had temporarily surrendered the former job August 29 to interim pilotRed Schoendienst when he was appointed head of the club's baseball operations department.
October 26 –Ralph Houk, 61, comes out of a two-year retirement to become manager of theBoston Red Sox. Though known primarily for his years as skipper of theNew York Yankees, Houk's most recent job was as manager of theDetroit Tigers during their successful, five-year rebuilding program that concluded with a winning record in1978.
October 27 – Two weeks after hisHouston Astros post the best season in their 19-year history, and two weeks before he'll be namedThe Sporting News Executive of the Year, general managerTal Smith is unceremoniously fired by Astros' principal ownerJohn J. McMullen. Smith's GM post is immediately filled by formerNew York Yankees club presidentAl Rosen. McMullen gives no reason for his stunning decision—but Smith alleges that the neophyte owner is jealous because he didn't receive enough credit for the Astros' success.[8] Smith's dismissal causes a rebellion among the Astros' limited partners, who mount an unsuccessful "coup" attempt to oust McMullen,[9] but the firing will stand.
TheOakland Athletics trade pitcherMike Morgan, 21, a former first-round draft choice, to theNew York Yankees for veteran infielderFred Stanley. Morgan is in the early stages of a 22-year MLB career that will encompass four decades and service with 12 different clubs.
November 4 –Sadaharu Oh announces his retirement as a player from Japanese baseball. His 868 documented careerhome runs remains an unapproached world record among professional baseball players.
November 21 –Gene Michael, 42, becomes the 25th manager inNew York Yankees history, replacingDick Howser, who led the team to theAL East title with a 103–59 mark. Although principal ownerGeorge Steinbrenner avows "I did not fire the man" and Howser refuses to comment, speculation is rampant that Howser's exit was orchestrated by Steinbrenner. Howser says he will pursue a business opportunity outside of baseball in 1981. Meanwhile, Michael's former responsibilities asgeneral manager will be assumed by Yankee executivesCedric Tallis andBill Bergesch.[10]
December 4 – TheHouston Astros sign futureHall of Fame pitcherDon Sutton, granted free agency from theLos Angeles Dodgers on October 23. Sutton, 35, is the reigningearned run average leader (2.20) of the National League; he has spent 15 seasons with the Dodgers and won 230 games so far in his long career.
December 6 – Lefty relief aceTug McGraw opts to return to the world-championPhiladelphia Phillies. He had been granted free agency on November 5.
TheHouston Astros release second basemanJoe Morgan. The future Hall of Famer, 37, batted only .243 in 141 games in his one-year, second stint with Houston, but led the NL in bases on balls received (93).
TheSan Francisco Giants fire managerDave Bristol during the winter meetings. He had led them to an 85–98 (.464) cumulative record since succeedingJoe Altobelli on September 6, 1979.
December 10
TheCalifornia Angels trade relief pitcherMark Clear and starting third basemanCarney Lansford to theBoston Red Sox for shortstopRick Burleson and third basemanButch Hobson. Lansford, 23, will win the 1981 American League batting title (.336). Burleson, 29, is traded because he'll hit free agency after the 1981 season. He signs a six-year contract with the Angels in March 1981 and will be selected to his fourthAL All-Star team before injuries ruin his playing career.
OutfielderDave Winfield signs a ten-year, $16 million contract with theNew York Yankees—making him the richest athlete in professional sports and signaling the end ofReggie Jackson's days in pinstripes when ownerGeorge Steinbrenner informs Jackson his free agent option will not be picked up once his current contract ends.
December 16 – TheMets signRusty Staub, 36, granted free agency from theTexas Rangers on October 23. Staub, a star for the1972–1975 Mets, will spend the remainder of his 23-year big-league career with them as a pinch hitter and part-time first baseman.
TheBoston Red Sox tender contracts, by mail, to pending free agentsCarlton Fisk andFred Lynn—but they miss the deadline to do so by two days. The blunder, committed by Boston general managerHaywood Sullivan, quickly catches the attention of theMajor League Baseball Players Association, which files a grievance with the Player Relations Committee seeking an arbitration hearing that could lead to their immediate free agency.New England native son Fisk, 33, is a future Baseball Hall of Famer who, to date, has been selected to sevenAL All-Star teams and won the1972American League Rookie of the Year Award. Lynn, 28, has made six All-Star teams and won fourGold Glove Awards in six full years with the Red Sox, and in1975 became the first player to be selected Rookie of the Year andAL Most Valuable Player in the same season.[11] The hearing will take place late in January 1981.
January 2 –Kenny Hogan, 77, pinch runner and outfielder who played four MLB games during brief trials with 1921 Cincinnati Reds and 1923–1924 Cleveland Indians.
January 2 –George Lees, 84, catcher in 20 games for 1921 Chicago White Sox.
January 3 –Bob Geary, 88, pitcher in 35 total games for 1918–1919 Philadelphia Athletics and 1921 Cincinnati Reds.
January 4 –Foster Edwards, 76, pitcher who appeared in 56 games for the 1925–1928 Boston Braves and 1930 New York Yankees.
January 6 –June Gilmore, 57, All-American Girls Professional Baseball League player.
January 8 –Harvey Russell, 92, catcher and pinch hitter who appeared in 134 career games for the 1914–1915 Baltimore Terrapins of the "outlaw" Federal League.
January 10 –Hughie Critz, 79, second baseman for the Cincinnati Reds and New York Giants who led NL in fielding four times and double plays three times.
January 13 –Charlie Sproull, 61, pitcher who posted a 4–10 won–lost record (5.94 ERA) in 34 games for the wartime 1945 Philadelphia Phillies.
January 21 –Clyde Barnhart, 84, Pittsburgh Pirates left fielder and third baseman (1920–1928); member of 1925 world champions whose 114 regular-season runs batted in, and five World Series RBI, helped lead Bucs to the title.
January 21 –Gene Rye, 73, outfielder for the 1931 Boston Red Sox.
January 24 –Buck Etchison, 64, first baseman and pinch hitter who appeared in 119 games for the 1943–1944 Boston Braves.
January 26 –Napoleon Hairston, 67, outfielder for the 1938 Pittsburgh Crawfords of the Negro National League.
January 26 –Frank Rosso, 58, who pitched in two games for the New York Giants in the closing days of the wartime 1944 season.
January 31 –Ed Head, 62, pitcher who compiled a 27–23 won–lost mark with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 118 games spanning five seasons between 1940 and 1946.
February 1 –Greg Mulleavy, 74, shortstop who played in 78 games for the Chicago White Sox (1930 and 1932) and in one contest for the Boston Red Sox (1933); later, coached for Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers between 1957 and 1964 and served as a longtime Dodger scout.
February 1 –Fred Walters, 67, catcher for the 1945 Red Sox, and one of many players who only appeared in the majors during World War II.
February 2 –Jack Rothrock, 74, center fielder for four different teams from 1925 to 1937, who led the victorious St. Louis Cardinals with six RBI in the 1934 World Series.
February 4 –Dud Branom, 82, first baseman who played in 30 games for the 1927 Philadelphia Athletics.
February 14 –Jelly Jackson, 70, shortstop/second baseman for the Cleveland Red Sox (1934) and Homestead Grays (1935–1940, 1944–1945) of the Negro National League.
March 1 –Emmett Ashford, 65, the major leagues' first black umpire, who worked in the American League from 1966 to 1970 and in the 1970 World Series.
March 1 –Arndt Jorgens, 74, Norwegian-born backup catcher for the New York Yankees who played 11 seasons (1929–1939) behind Hall of Famer Bill Dickey; member of five World Series championship teams but never once appeared in a Fall Classic.
March 1 –Johnny Watwood, 74, center fielder and first baseman who played in 469 games between 1929 and 1939 for the Chicago White Sox, Boston Red Sox and Philadelphia Phillies.
March 3 –Jerry Priddy, 60, second baseman who played from 1941 to 1953 for the New York Yankees, Washington Senators, St. Louis Browns and Detroit Tigers.
March 5 –Les Fleming, 64, first baseman and outfielder who appeared in 434 games for the Cleveland Indians (1939, 1941–1942 and 1945–1947) and Pittsburgh Pirates (1949).
March 9 –Tom Baker, 45, left-hander who pitched in ten games for the 1963 Chicago Cubs.
March 11 –Stan Klopp, 69, relief pitcher who appeared in 24 games for the wartime-era 1944 Boston Braves.
March 14 –Al Wickland, 92, outfielder/pinch hitter in 444 games for five teams in three leagues (largely for Chicago and Pittsburgh of the "outlaw" Federal League) from 1913 to 1915 and in 1918–1919.
March 17 –Bob Hooper, 57, Canadian-born pitcher who worked in 194 games for the Philadelphia Athletics, Cleveland Indians and Cincinnati Redlegs from 1950 to 1955.
March 22 –Ray Foley, 73, pitch hitter in two games for the 1928 New York Giants.
March 27 –Lou Knerr, 58, pitcher for 1945–1946 Philadelphia Athletics and 1947 Washington Senators; co-led American League hurlers in games lost (16) in 1946.
April 3 –Bob Linton, 77, catcher/pinch hitter who appeared in 17 games for the 1929 Pittsburgh Pirates.
April 3 –Bob Trowbridge, 49, pitcher who hurled in 116 games for the 1956–1959 Milwaukee Braves and 1960 Kansas City Athletics; member of 1957 World Series champions.
April 7 –Buck Canel, 74, Spanish-language broadcaster of 42 World Series, as well as many years of New York Yankees games.
April 9 –Ed Morgan, 75, first baseman and right fielder for the 1928–1933 Cleveland Indians and 1934 Boston Red Sox; batted .313 in 771 games and drove in 136 runs in 1930, sixth in the American League.
April 12 –Mel Preibisch, 65, outfielder who got into 16 games for Boston Bees/Braves of 1940–1941; later a scout.
April 17 –Hooks Iott, 60, left-handed pitcher and 16-year veteran of the minors who appeared in 26 games during two MLB seasons as a member of the St. Louis Browns (1941 and 1947) and New York Giants (1947).
April 17 –Ed Miller, 91, first baseman and pinch hitter who played in 86 career games for the Browns (1912, 1914) and Cleveland Indians (1918).
April 19 –Sid Gautreaux, 67, catcher and pinch hitter in 86 games for the 1936–1937 Brooklyn Dodgers.
April 21 –Ray Dobens, 73, pitcher in 11 games for the 1929 Boston Red Sox.
April 21 –Joe Page, 62, three-time All-Star southpaw relief pitcher for the New York Yankees (1944–1950) who set single-season record with 27 saves in 1949, and led AL in saves and appearances twice each; two-time (1947, 1949) world champion and 1949 World Series MVP.
April 24 –Dink Mothell, 82, catcher/second baseman/utility man who played all nine positions during his Negro leagues career (1920 to 1932); stalwart member of 1920s Kansas City Monarchs.
April 24 –Beryl Richmond, 72, left-handed hurler who worked in ten total games for the 1933 Chicago Cubs and 1934 Cincinnati Reds.
April 25 –Cliff Lee, 83, outfielder and .300 lifetime hitter who played in 521 games from 1919 to 1926 for four clubs, principally the Philadelphia Phillies.
April 28 –Bob Porterfield, 56, All-Star andThe Sporting News AL Pitcher of the Year in 1953 after a 22–10 season with the Washington Senators; also pitched for New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Pittsburgh Pirates and Chicago Cubs over his 12-year (1948–1959) career.
April 27 –Rube Ehrhardt, 85, relief pitcher who worked in 193 games for the Brooklyn Robins and Cincinnati Reds between 1924 and 1929.
June 1 –Rube Marquard, 93, Hall of Fame pitcher (1908–1925) who retired with 201 wins and the NL record for career strikeouts by a left-hander (1,593); posted 19 consecutive wins for the 1912 New York Giants for a modern major league record.
June 3 –Fred Lieb, 92, sportswriter who covered every World Series from 1911 to 1958.
June 5 –Jimmie Keenan, 81, left-hander who pitched in 16 total games for the 1920–1921 Philadelphia Phillies.
June 9 –Odell Hale, 71, infielder for the Cleveland Indians in the 1930s, who hit .300 three times and collected two 100-RBI seasons.
June 11 –Rube Marshall, 89, pitcher who hurled in 64 games for the 1912–1914 Philadelphia Phillies, then made 21 mound appearances for the 1915 Buffalo Blues of the "outlaw" Federal League.
June 12 –Danny Thomas, 29, outfielder for the Milwaukee Brewers from 1976 to 1977.
June 14 –Johnny Hodapp, 74, second baseman and third baseman in 791 games for the Cleveland Indians (1925–1932), Chicago White Sox (1932) and Boston Red Sox (1933); led AL in hits (225) and doubles (51) in 1930.
June 25 –Joe Muir, 57, southpaw who pitched in 21 games for the 1951–1952 Pittsburgh Pirates.
June –Henry Spearman, 70, third baseman who appeared for six Negro National League clubs, notably the Philadelphia Stars and Homestead Grays, between 1936 and 1945, and batted .302 lifetime.
July 1 –Curt Coleman, 93, third baseman who played in 12 games for the New York Highlanders during the early weeks of the 1912 campaign.
July 4 –Jack Martin, 93, shortstop who played from 1912 to 1914 for the Highlanders, Boston Braves and Philadelphia Phillies.
July 5 –Ben Tincup, 87, member of original and modern Cherokee Nation and pitcher in pro ball for 27 seasons spanning 1912 to 1942, including 48 MLB games for Phillies (1914–1915, 1918) and Chicago Cubs (1928); coach for 1940 Brooklyn Dodgers and longtime instructor and scout.
July 6 –Walt Craddock, 48, left-handed hurler who went 0–7 (6.49 ERA) in 29 appearances for the Kansas City Athletics (1955–1956, 1958).
July 8 –Wenty Ford, 33, Bahamian pitcher who appeared in four games for the 1973 Atlanta Braves.
July 16 –Ernie Vick, 80, catcher in 57 career games for the St. Louis Cardinals (1922, 1924–1926); reserve with 1926 World Series champion Redbirds.
July 23 –Wally Snell, 91, catcher for the 1913 Boston Red Sox, who later went on to a distinguished career as a college botany professor and athletic coach at Brown University for four decades.
July 30 –Joe Lucey, 83, pitcher/infielder who played 13 games for the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox between 1920 and 1925.
August 1 –Bill McKinley, 70, American League umpire from 1946 to 1965 who officiated in 2,976 regular-season games, plus four World Series and three All-Star games.
August 3 –Bill Hubbell, 83, pitcher who appeared in 204 games between 1919 and 1925 for three NL clubs, principally the Phillies.
August 4 –Lefty Jamerson, 80, pitcher for the 1924 Boston Red Sox.
August 8 –Allan Collamore, 93, pitcher who worked in 40 total games for Philadelphia (1911) and Cleveland (1914–1915) of the American League.
August 8 –Henry Henderson, 75, first baseman for the 1932 Nashville Elite Giants of the Negro Southern League.
August 13 –Tom Miller, 83, outfielder by trade who pinch hit in nine MLB games for the 1918–1919 Boston Braves.
August 17 –Jonah Goldman, 73, shortstop/third baseman in 148 total games for the Cleveland Indians (1928, 1930–1931).
August 20 –Al Hermann, 81, outfielder who played in 32 games for the Boston Braves in 1923 and 1924.
August 22 –Columbus Vance, 75, pitcher and occasional outfielder who appeared in the Negro leagues between 1927 and 1933.
August 24 –Herman Fink, 69, pitcher who fashioned a 10–20 (5.22) career record in 67 games for the 1935–1937 Philadelphia Athletics.
August 27 –John Wilson, 77, pitched briefly for the Red Sox from 1927 to 1928.
August 28 –Harry Smythe, 75, left-handed pitcher who worked in 60 total games for the Philadelphia Phillies (1929–1930), New York Yankees (1934) and Brooklyn Dodgers (1934); pitched in pro baseball for 22 seasons.
September 1 –Hank LaManna, 61, pitcher/outfielder who appeared in 45 career contests for Boston of the National League from 1940 to 1942.
September 6 –Gus Ketchum, 83, pitched in six games for the 1922 Philadelphia Athletics.
September 10 –Honey Lott, 55, outfielder/second baseman for the 1948 New York Black Yankees of the Negro National League.
September 11 –Junius Bibbs, 69, infielder who played in the Negro leagues between 1933 and 1944, then became a biology teacher and athletics coach in Indianapolis for 25 years; member, Indiana Baseball Hall of Fame.
September 11 –Garth Mann, 64, pitcher whose 12-year professional baseball career included one MLB game as a pinch runner for the Chicago Cubs on May 14, 1944.
September 12 –Ole Olsen, 86, Cornell University graduate and World War I veteran who pitched in 54 games for the 1922–1923 Detroit Tigers.
September 13 –Charlie Pechous, 83, third baseman who played in 53 games for the 1915 Chicago Whales (Federal League) and 1916–1917 Chicago Cubs.
September 18 –Fredda Acker, 54, All-American Girls Professional Baseball League player, who was named Mrs. America in 1947.
September 18 –Leo Tankersley, 79, catcher who played a single MLB game on July 2, 1925, as a member of the Chicago White Sox.
September 22 –Tommy Neill, 60, outfielder and pinch hitter who played 20 games for 1946–1947 Boston Braves.
September 24 –Bill Ayers, 60, pitcher who appeared in 13 games for the New York Giants between April and July 1947.
September 24 –Ernie Shore, 89, pitcher for New York Giants (1912), Boston Red Sox (1914–1917) and New York Yankees (1919–1920) whose career was curtailed by World War I military service; on June 23, 1917, he relievedBabe Ruth, ejected by the umpires, with a man on first and none out in the first inning, and proceeded to retire the runner and all 26 remaining batters.
September –Mack Eggleston, 83 or 84, catcher/outfielder/third baseman who played in the Negro leagues and appeared in 509 games between 1920 and 1934.
September –Walter Lee Hardy, 54, shortstop who played in the Negro leagues between 1944 and 1950; later, a business partner ofRoy Campanella.
October 1 –Pat Veltman, 74, utility player who played for four MLB teams over six seasons spanning 1926 to 1934.
October 8 –Lloyd Johnson, 69, Pittsburgh Pirates' left-hander who hurled one inning of scoreless relief in his only MLB appearance on April 21, 1934.
October 27 –Frank Loftus, 82, pitcher who worked one inning of one MLB game on September 26, 1926, for the Washington Senators against the Chicago White Sox.
November 6 –Leroy Morney, 71, All-Star shortstop who played for 11 Negro leagues teams between 1932 and 1944; batting champion (.378) of the 1932 Negro Southern League.
November 8 –Dale Jones, 61, pitcher who appeared in two games for 1941 Philadelphia Phillies.
November 17 –Eppie Barnes, 79, first baseman and pinch hitter in four games for 1923–1924 Pittsburgh Pirates.
November 17 –Hersh Martin, 71, outfielder who played in 607 games for the 1937–1940 Philadelphia Phillies and 1944–1945 New York Yankees; 1938 National League All-Star.
November 19 –Jack Gilligan, 95, pitcher in 12 games for 1909–1910 St. Louis Browns.
November 25 –Art Jones, 74, pitcher who appeared in one MLB game and one inning for the Brooklyn Dodgers on April 23, 1932.
November 27 –"Wild Bill" Connelly, 55, pitcher who appeared in 25 career games for four clubs, notably the New York Giants, between 1945 and 1953.
November 29 –Bill Dunlap, 71, outfielder for the Boston Braves from 1929 to 1930.
December 2 –Don Padgett, 68, catcher/outfielder who appeared in 699 career games for the St. Louis Cardinals, Brooklyn Dodgers, Boston Braves and Philadelphia Phillies between 1937 and 1948, missing four full years while serving in World War II; batted .399 in 233 at bats for 1939 Cardinals.
December 7 –Lennie Pearson, 62, six-time Negro National League All-Star outfielder/first baseman who spent almost all of his career with the Newark Eagles (1937–1948); 1942 NNL Triple-Crown winner and member of 1946 Negro World Series championship team.
December 7 –Luke Urban, 93, catcher/pinch hitter who was 40 years old when he made his rookie MLB debut; appeared in 50 total games for the 1927–1928 Boston Braves.
December 9 –Ted Olson, 68, Dartmouth graduate who pitched in 18 games for the 1936–1938 Boston Red Sox.
December 10 –Rosy Ryan, 82, key pitcher on pennant-winning New York Giants teams of early 1920s; led National League in ERA in 1922 and games pitched in 1923, and won World Series rings in 1921–1922; later, a longtime minor league executive.
December 14 –Elston Howard, 51, twelve-time All-Star catcher for the New York Yankees from 1955 to August 3, 1967, who was that team's first black player; 1963 American League MVP and two-time Gold Glove winner; also coached for Yanks from 1969 to 1979 and won six World Series rings between 1956 and 1978; Yankees posthumously retired his #32 uniform in 1984; finished playing career with the Red Sox, helping them win 1967 AL pennant.
December 20 –Mike Knode, 80, outfielder/second baseman who played 42 games for 1942 St. Louis Cardinals who previously starred in football for the University of Michigan; elder brother ofRay Knode.
December 22 –Earl Grace, 73, left-handed-hitting catcher who appeared in 627 career games for Chicago Cubs (1929, 1931), Pittsburgh Pirates (1931–1935) and Philadelphia Phillies (1936–1937).
December 24 –Bob Habenicht, 54, relief pitcher who worked in four total games for the 1951 St. Louis Cardinals and 1953 St. Louis Browns.
December 26 –Bill Crouch, 73, pitcher who twirled in 50 MLB games for the 1939 Brooklyn Dodgers, 1941 Philadelphia Phillies, and 1941 and 1945 St. Louis Cardinals.
December 26 –Johnny Oulliber, 69, outfielder for 1933 Cleveland Indians, appearing in 22 games.
December 30 –Stuffy Stewart, 86, reserve second baseman and utility player in 176 games for eight seasons for four teams, notably the Washington Senators, between 1916 and 1929.
December 31 –Jim Britt, 70, play-by-announcer for the Boston Braves (1940–1952) and Red Sox (1940–1950), Cleveland Indians (1954–1957), and the Mutual Radio Network.
December 31 –Bob Shawkey, 90, pitcher who had four 20-win seasons for the New York Yankees between 1916 and 1922 and won 195 MLB games overall; led AL in ERA (2.45) in 1920; managed Yankees for 1930 season, essentially between terms of Hall of Fame pilots Miller Huggins and Joe McCarthy; later, head baseball coach at Dartmouth College (1952–1956).
