NOTE: Due to astrike in mid-season, the season was divided into a first half and a second half. The division winner of the first half (denoted East 1, West 1) played the division winner of the second half (denoted East 2, West 2).
TheCincinnati Reds sign first basemanLarry Biittner, granted free agency from theChicago Cubs, also on October 23. The Reds become the last team to sign a free agent under the system established in 1976.
In the midst of an arbitration hearing that could grant him total free agency, six-timeAmerican League All-Star centerfielderFred Lynn is hurriedly traded by theBoston Red Sox to theCalifornia Angels with veteran pitcherSteve Renko for southpawFrank Tanana, right-handerJim Dorsey and 34-year-old outfielderJoe Rudi. The self-inflicted crisis is triggered by the Red Sox' front office, which mailed Lynn's 1981 contract to him two days after the mandated deadline. The Angels immediately sign Lynn to a four-year, $5.25 million contract.[3]
With Lynn's trade, catcherCarlton Fisk's arbitration hearing continues in New York. Fisk is also seeking free agency from theRed Sox, stemming from the same contract blunder that forced Boston to trade Lynn while he was still under club control.[4]
Granted free agency from thePittsburgh Pirates last October 22, first basemanJohn Milner opts to return to Pittsburgh for 1981.
January 29 –Bill Veeck sells theChicago White Sox toJerry Reinsdorf andEddie Einhorn for a reported $20 million. "Sportshirt Bill," 66, who bought the franchise in December 1975, had placed it on the market in July 1980.[5] The deal ends Veeck's ownership career in Major League Baseball, which began in 1946.
Arbitrator Raymond Goetz rules that catcherCarlton Fisk is a free agent. In December, theBoston Red Sox had mailed his 1981 contract two days late, triggering a grievance, arbitration hearing, and Goetz' ruling. Future Hall-of-Famer Fisk will agree to a five-year, $2.9 million contract with theChicago White Sox on March 9.
TheWhite Sox sign catcherMarc Hill, granted free agency from theSeattle Mariners last November 28. Hill will end up as Fisk's backup receiver into May 1986.
March 18 – Free-agent catcherCarlton Fisk officially signs with theChicago White Sox. He plays the remainder of his Hall of Fame career in Chicago, before retiring at age 45 in June of1993.
April 9 – AfterLos Angeles pitcherJerry Reuss pulls a muscle,Fernando Valenzuela gets his first MLB starting assignment against theHouston Astros on Opening Day atDodger Stadium. Valenzuela, a rookie southpaw who had baffledNational League hitters as a September 1980 call-up (noearned runs and eight hits allowed in ten games and 172⁄3 innings pitched) promptly throws a five-hit shutout as the Dodgers win, 2–0, beginning what will soon be known as "Fernandomania" acrossSouthern California.
April 10 – On Opening Day atFenway Park,Carlton Fisk debuts with theChicago White Sox against his former team, theBoston Red Sox. In the eighth inning, Fisk belts a three-runhome run off relieverBob Stanley to give Chicago a 3–2 lead, en route to their ultimate, 5–3 triumph. Fisk will go 13-for-30 (.433) in nine games against Boston this year, with three homers and eight runs batted in.
April 11 –Don Sutton takes the mound atDodger Stadium, but for the first time in 15 years, he's not pitching for thehome team—he's a member of theHouston Astros. The Dodgers welcome their former ace by lighting him up for six runs on eight hits in four innings and defeat the Astros, 7–4.
April 19 – In Game 1 of atwi-nightdoubleheader,Billy Martin'sOakland Athletics set a new MLB record by starting a season with 11 consecutive victories with their 6–1 win over theSeattle Mariners before 29,834 fanatics at theOakland-Alameda Coliseum. The rejuvenated Athletics will draw 1.3 million fans at home in a strike-shortened 1981 season, a 325% increase over their dismal1979 attendance.
April 27 – Just 18 days after his first start,Fernando Valenzuela has grabbed the attention of the baseball world. In his fifth start, he pitches his fourth complete-game shutout (a seven-hitter against theSan Francisco Giants atDodger Stadium before 49,478 fans), running his record to 5–0 with a microscopic 0.20ERA. He is alsobatting over .400 to help his own cause.
April 29:
Steve Carlton of thePhiladelphia Phillies records his 3,000th career strikeout. April 1981 is the only month in history to see two pitchers reach this milestone, and Carlton is the first left-hander in MLB history to accomplish this feat.
May 3 – "Fernandomania" rolls on as rookieFernando Valenzuela wins his sixth straight start of 1981, allowing five hits over nine innings atOlympic Stadium. He leaves for a pinch hitter (Reggie Smith) in the top of the tenth of a 1–1 tie—then the Dodgers score five runs and relieverSteve Howe preserves Valenzuela's 6–1 victory over theMontreal Expos. It's the first time in 1981 that Valenzuela requires relief help and the nine-inning effort is the only occasion during his eight-game, season-opening winning streak when he does not throw a complete game.[8]
May 5 –Maury Wills' tenure as manager of theSeattle Mariners (6–18 and last in theAL West) ends when he's replaced byRene Lachemann at the team's helm. The former star shortstop struggled as the Mariners' skipper, posting a 26–56 (.317) mark since August 4, 1980. Lachemann, 36, is promoted fromTriple-ASpokane; as a teenager, he was a batboy for theLos Angeles Dodgers during Wills' first four MLB seasons.
May 15 –Len Barker of theCleveland Indians pitches aperfect game against theToronto Blue Jays, 3–0, atCleveland Municipal Stadium. He strikes out 11, all swinging, after the third inning and never has a three-ball count on any batter. Only 7,290 fans take in the game on a misty, rain-soaked night. Future Indians broadcasterRick Manning catches the 27th out of the night on a fly ball to center field. OnJuly 28, 1991, Barker's batterymate,Ron Hassey, will catchDennis Martínez's perfect game, to become the first man in MLB history to catch two perfect games.
TheMinnesota Twins change managers for the second time since August 24, 1980; today,Johnny Goryl is relieved of command of the 11–25 club and is replaced by coachBilly Gardner. Goryl, 47, and Gardner, 53, are both former Twins and ex-second basemen.
Ron Darling ofYale University pitches ano-hitter through 11 innings againstSt. John's University. In the 12th inning, St. John's breaks up the no-hitter and then scores on adouble-steal to beat Yale 1–0. Darling's performance remains the longest no-hitter inNCAA history and the game is considered by some to be the best in college baseball history.Frank Viola is the opposing pitcher for St. John's.
May 22 –Bob Kennedy, general manager of theChicago Cubs since November 1976, resigns after the Cubs lose 27 of their first 33 games of 1981. He's replaced by former field managerHerman Franks, a veteran baseball man who has built a highly successful business career away from the diamond.[9] But Franks, 67, will serve less than five months in the post: the Cubs will be sold by theWrigley family a month from now, and a new management team will be brought in after the season.
The 22–25California Angels, seven games out of first place in theAL West, replace managerJim Fregosi with veteran big-league pilotGene Mauch. Fregosi led the Halos to their first-ever playoff appearance in1979, but his1980 club lost 95 games. Mauch, 55, most recently led theMinnesota Twins until his August 24, 1980, resignation; 1981 marks his 22nd consecutive season as an MLB manager.
June 5 –Nolan Ryan issues the 1,777thwalk in his career, breaking the record previously held byEarly Wynn.
June 7 – In one of the decade's more one-sided transactions, theHouston Astros trade pitcherJoaquín Andújar to theSt. Louis Cardinals for outfielderTony Scott. Andújar will win 68 games for the Redbirds and help lead them to two NL pennants and the1982 World Series title; Scott hits .249 (matching his career batting average) in 292 games for Houston.
June 10 –Pete Rose connects with aNolan Ryan pitch in his first at-bat for the 3,630thbase hit of his career, tyingStan Musial'sNational League record. He will strike out in his next three at-bats in the game, however, in his bid to break the record.
June 12:
After meeting with major league owners for most of the previous day, players' union chiefMarvin Miller announces, "We have accomplished nothing. The strike is on", thus beginning the longest labor action to date in baseball history. By the time the season resumes on August 10, 706 games (38 percent of the MLB schedule) will have been canceled. Minor League Baseball games are not affected.
June 16 – In the midst of the players' strike,William Wrigley III announces the sale of theChicago Cubs to theTribune Company for $20 million. The transaction ends the Wrigley family's 65-year-long association with the Cubs, 63 of them as majority or sole owners of the franchise.
August 4 – TheSan Francisco Giants, 27–32 and ten games out of first place in theNL West when the strike struck, release two veterans, pitcherRandy Moffitt and outfielderBill North. The day earlier, the Giants had cut another veteran, catcherMike Sadek.
August 6 – As a result of the nearly two-month interruption in play because of the strike, major league owners elect to split the 1981 season into two halves, with the first-place teams from each half in each division (or awild card team if the same club wins both halves) meeting in a best-of-fivedivisional playoff series. The last time the major leagues played a split season was1892. TheOakland Athletics,New York Yankees,Philadelphia Phillies andLos Angeles Dodgers suddenly find themselves guaranteed playoff spots as first-half champions (a problem noted at this time is that those teams will not have much left to play for in the rest of that year's regular season).
AtCleveland Stadium, theNational League wins its tenth consecutiveAll-Star Game over theAmerican League, 5–4.Gary Carter hits two home runs and is selected the MVP. The 1981 Midsummer Classic becomes the second All-Star Game ever played during the month of August, the first having taken place on August 3,1959.
August 12 – Veteran outfielderJoe Rudi, who entered the game hitting .147 in 21 games as a part-time starter, rips a pair of home runs to lead a six-homer barrage, and rookieBobby Ojeda fires a complete game for his firstMLB victory, in an 8–1Boston Red Sox triumph over theChicago White Sox atFenway Park.
During a heated argument over a disputed call at second base,National LeagueumpireSteve Fields ejectsPhiladelphia Phillies shortstopLarry Bowa and managerDallas Green from the game. Green then bumps into Fields and grabs the cap off the umpire's head and throws it on the ground.[13][14] Green is suspended for five games, but Fields' fellow umpires—Nick Colosi,Frank Pulli, andEric Gregg—draw criticism for not coming to Fields' aid during the imbroglio. Fields had crossed picket lines during the1979 Major League umpires strike when he was a minor-league official and is reviled byMLUA members as astrikebreaker. The NL fines Colosi and Pulli for shoving a television reporter who, after the game, noted their shunning of the beleaguered Fields.[15] The NL will fire Fields after the season based on low performance ratings, and he'll file, and later drop, a $1 million lawsuit against MLB.
August 26 – Responding to boos and alleged racial invective[16] from hometown fans,St. Louis Cardinals shortstopGarry Templeton, a two-timeNL All-Star, makes a series of obscene gestures towards the stands during the first three innings of a game atBusch Memorial Stadium. After the final one, which occurs as he waits in the on-deck circle, Templeton is ejected by umpireBruce Froemming, then physically removed from the field and confronted in the Cardinal dugout by managerWhitey Herzog, fined $5,000, and suspended indefinitely.[17] He returns to action September 15 and goes four-for-five in a 3–2 Redbird victory atMontreal, but his days with the Cardinals are numbered.
September 4 – In the conclusion of the longest game inFenway Park history, theSeattle Mariners defeat theBoston Red Sox 8–7 in 20 innings onJoe Simpson's RBI triple. The game had begun September 3, but was suspended after 19 innings with the score tied 7–7.
September 6:
Despite having won the first-halfAL East title,New York Yankees managerGene Michael is replaced byBob Lemon, who managed the club in1978–1979. The Yankees are 15–12 during the second half of 1981's split season, and 49–34 overall.
September 7 –Dick Williams, the flinty, hard-nosed manager who led theMontreal Expos to their first over-.500 and contending seasons in1979 and1980, is fired and replaced by former MLB catcher and longtime Expo front-office executiveJim Fanning. The 1981 Expos, 44–37 overall, are battling for a playoff berth and must win theNL East's second half to qualify for the postseason; after today, they're 14–12 and 1½ games out of first place.
September 12 – InThe Bronx, rookie left-handerBobby Ojeda of theBoston Red Sox takes a no-hitter and a 2–0 lead into the bottom of the ninth against theNew York Yankees before back-to-backdoubles byRick Cerone andDave Winfield chase him from the game. RelieverMark Clear enters and secures the final three outs and a 2–1 Bosox victory. The two-hitter is Ojeda's fifth victory of 1981, and Clear notches his eighth save.
September 21 – AtOlympic Stadium, thePhiladelphia Phillies andMontreal Expos take 161⁄3 innings to settle a scoreless duel. With startersSteve Carlton andRay Burris each going ten shutout frames before the bullpens take over, the Phils use six pitchers and the Expos five. Finally, in the home 17th,Andre Dawson's RBI single deliversRodney Scott with the game's only run. Their victory enables the Expos keep pace with the front-runningCardinals.[19]
The split-season format adopted because of theplayers' strike—and the decision that only the division champions of each half-season will qualify for the postseason—results in bothNational League teams with the best full-season won–lost records in their divisions, theCincinnati Reds andSt. Louis Cardinals, finding themselves on the sidelines when the regular season's final weekend ends.
In theNL West, theHouston Astros maintain a 1½-game lead over the Reds when each team goes 1–2 over the weekend's three contests. The Astros (28–29 in the first half, 33–20 in the second half, 61–49 overall) gain the playoff berth, while Cincinnati (35–21, 31–21, 66–42 overall), goes home. The Reds had lost the first-half crown by a half-game to theLos Angeles Dodgers (36–21, 27–26, 63–47), who will face Houston in the1981 NL Division Series.
In theNL East, theMontreal Expos begin the weekend with a two-game edge over the Cardinals in the second half, with three to play, for the right to play the first-half championPhiladelphia Phillies. On Friday night,Steve Rogers' 3–0 two-hit victory over theNew York Mets atShea Stadium, and the Cardinals' 8–7 defeat by thePittsburgh Pirates, clinches the 13-year-old Canadian franchise's first-ever postseason berth. The teams then split their final two games of the second half. The Expos (30–25, 30–23, 60–48 overall) move on to face the Phillies (34–21, 25–27, 59–48) in the NLDS, and the Cardinals (30–20, 29–23, 59–43) go home.
TheAmerican League also sees two cliff-hangers in their divisional races.
In theAL East, four teams are within two games of the second-half gonfalon when the closing weekend begins. The first-placeMilwaukee Brewers take two out of three games from the contendingDetroit Tigers atCounty Stadium, while the other contenders, theBaltimore Orioles andBoston Red Sox, cannot sweep their foes and overcome the Brewers. Milwaukee (31–25, 31–22, 62–47 overall) takes the second-half title, and the franchise's first-ever American League playoff berth, and will face the first-half championNew York Yankees (34–22, 25–26, 59–48) in the1981 American League Division Series.
In theAL West, theKansas City Royals, who enter Friday's games with a 1½-game second-half edge over the first-half championOakland Athletics, go head-to-head with Oakland over the weekend. By taking two out of three games atRoyals Stadium, the Athletics force Kansas City to play amake-up game tomorrow atCleveland Stadium against theIndians to decide the second-half division champion and determine the ALDS schedule.[20]
October 5:
TheRoyals (20–30, 30–23, 50–53 overall) shut outCleveland 9–0 in the first game of a scheduled doubleheader to clinch the second-half title in theAL West. The second game is canceled. Kansas City will faceOakland (37–23, 27–22, 64–45) in the ALDS, and host Games 1 and 2. If 1981's overall standings had counted, the Royals would have finished 11 games behind the Athletics.[20]
Joe Torre of theNew York Mets is fired from his first MLB managing job, after leading them to a 286–420–3 (.407) record since he took on the assignment on May 31, 1977. Says a philosophical Torre after his dismissal: "I've been here a long time for a club that wasn't winning. You know when you're hired that you're going to be fired."[21]
Bobby Mattick steps down after two seasons as manager of theToronto Blue Jays. In Years 4 and 5 of theexpansion team's history, Mattick, a highly respected veteran scout and player development official, led the Jays to a 104–164 (.388) record.
Warren Cromartie of theMontreal Expos catches a liner hit by Phillies infielderManny Trillo for the final out. Cromartie then celebrates by taking a Canadian flag from an Expos fan, and runs to the Phillies dug out, waving the flag, drawing boos and jeers from the remaining Phillies fans.[22]
October 8 – Another managerial head rolls when theAtlanta Braves fire fourth-year managerBobby Cox, who posted a 266–323–1 (.452) record in his first-ever chance to skipper a big-league club. OwnerTed Turner says he wants a "fresh face" to lead the Braves. "If Bobby wasn't here, he'd be one of the leading candidates for the job."[23]
October 11 – The first-ever postseason divisional series conclude. Three of the matchups go the full five games.
TheYankees make quick work of theAthletics, sweeping the best-of-five1981 ALCS in three straight and outscoringBilly Martin's squad, 20–4. The Bombers capture their 33rdAmerican Leaguepennant in the franchise's 81-year history, with all occurring since1921.
October 19 – On a day that will be remembered inMontréal as "Blue Monday",Rick Monday hits a ninth-inninghome run to break a 1–1 tie, and secure a Game 5 victory for theLos Angeles Dodgers over theMontreal Expos in the best-of-five1981 National League Championship Series. The Expos had been leading the series, two games to one, but lose the final two contests in what will prove to be the franchise's last postseason appearance in its 36 years in the Québec metropolis. The Dodgers win their 20th National League championship, and 17th of the post-1901, "modern" era.
October 20 – Pitching guru and formerMilwaukee Brewers pilotGeorge Bamberger becomes manager of theNew York Mets. Bamberger, 58, led the Brewers to a 235–180 (.566) record between1978 and1980. He also served as pitching coach of theBaltimore Orioles for eight seasons when Mets' front-office bossFrank Cashen was Baltimore's top executive.
October 22 –Joe Torre replacesBobby Cox as manager of theAtlanta Braves. In1982, Torre will lead the Braves to their second-everNL West title, his first winning season and postseason appearance in what will become a Hall-of-Fame managerial career.
October 23 – The roll-out of new managers continues when theChicago Cubs hireLee Elia to succeedJoey Amalfitano as their skipper. Amalfitano was let go after compiling a cumulative 66–116–3 (.363) record as interim manager (September 1979) then official skipper (July 25, 1980 through 1981). Elia, 44, is an associate of new Cubs' front-office bossDallas Green, having served as a coach under Green with thePhiladelphia Phillies in1980 and 1981.
October 26 –George Steinbrenner hits the headlines after hisNew York Yankees drop Game 5 of the1981 World Series to the home-standingDodgers. Riding in an elevator atLos Angeles' Hyatt-Wilshire Hotel, the 51-year-old owner injures his left hand and suffers a cut lip, allegedly after scuffling with two Dodger fans who had ridiculed the Yankees and their fanbase. The two "young men", whom Steinbrenner says he "clocked" and left on the floor of the elevator, are never found nor identified.[25]
October 28:
Pedro Guerrero drives in five runs, and pitcherBurt Hooton and the visitingLos Angeles Dodgers beat theNew York Yankees, 9–2, to win the1981 World Series in six games. In a remarkable postseason, the Dodgers came from behind in all three series, rallying from a two-games-to-none deficit against the Astros to win theNL West, a 2–1 deficit against the Expos in the1981 NLCS, and a 2–0 deficit in the Fall Classic. Guerrero,Ron Cey andSteve Yeager are named co-MVPs.
Yankees pitcherGeorge Frazier makes dubious history when he is charged with the loss in Game 6, making him the first pitcher with three losses in a best-of-seven-formatted Fall Classic.Lefty Williams of theChicago White Sox also lost three contests during the best-of-nine1919 World Series. (Williams will be among the "Eight Men Out" banned from baseball in the wake of theBlack Sox Scandal that tainted that year's outcome.)
October 29 – Third-generation ownerRuly Carpenter sells thePhiladelphia Phillies to a five-member investment group that includes club executiveBill Giles, son of thelate president of theNational League, for $30.175 million—the highest price then paid for a baseball franchise. Carpenter'sgrandfather andfather had purchased the Phillies for $500,000 in1943. Carpenter put the team on the market in May 1981, citing rising player salaries.[26]
November 14 – TheCleveland Indians trade second basemanDuane Kuiper to theSan Francisco Giants for pitcherEd Whitson. Kuiper, 31, is destined to become a popular, longtime member of the Giants' broadcasting team after his playing days end in 1985.
November 16 – TheChicago Cubs steal a crucial free agent from their South Side rivals, when the parent Tribune Company'sWGN-TV signsHarry Caray as their play-by-play broadcaster away from theWhite Sox. Already a legend over his 37-year career, which began as the voice of the Cubs' NL arch-rivals, theSt. Louis Cardinals, Caray, now 67, has been the star of the White Sox' radio/TV booth since1971.[27] He'll manage to eclipse his earlier fame over the next 16 years as the face of the Cubs' broadcasts onsuperstation WGN-TV until his death prior to the 1998 season.
November 18
A frenetic year of managerial changes comes to an end when theSan Diego Padres nameDick Williams to replaceFrank Howard as their 1982 field leader. Williams, 52, had been fired by the contendingMontreal Expos in early September; the towering Howard, a fearsome slugger in his playing days, posted a 41–69 (.373) mark in his one, strike-curtailed season in San Diego. During calendar year 1981, 13 of the 26 big-league teams change managers.
Fernando Valenzuela becomes the third consecutiveLos Angeles Dodgers player to be namedNational League Rookie of the Year. The Mexican left-hander posted a 13–7 record with a 2.48 ERA and led the NL in strikeouts (180), games started (25), complete games (11), shutouts (eight) and innings pitched (1921⁄3). His 13 wins tied him withSteve Carlton in second place behindTom Seaver, who finished with 14. Valenzuela also made his first All-Star appearance and received both theCy Young Award andTSN Rookie of the Year.
TheDodgers also re-sign veteran outfielderRick Monday, who had been granted free agency almost three weeks earlier.
December 4 – TheOakland Athletics welcome back a member of their1971–1975 dynasty, outfielderJoe Rudi, recently granted free agency from theBoston Red Sox. One of the firstSeitz-era free agents, he had departed Oakland in November 1976. Rudi, 35, will appear in 71 games during1982, his last in the majors.
TheCubs also bring back futureHall of Fame pitcherFerguson Jenkins, signing the 38-year-old after he was granted free agency from theTexas Rangers. Jenkins won 20 or more games for six straight seasons (1967–1972) during his earlier tenure as a Cub.
TheBoston Red Sox re-sign popular second basemanJerry Remy, who had been granted free agency almost four weeks earlier.
TheSeattle Mariners make two separate trades with the division-rivalOakland Athletics. One sees Seattle send first basemanDan Meyer to Oakland for right-handed pitcherRich Bordi. In the other, the Ms deal outfielderRusty McNealy and minor-league pitcher Tim Hallgren to the Athletics for right-handerRoy Thomas.
December 10 – In a franchise-transforming trade that will take ten weeks to complete,Ozzie Smith, "perhaps the best defensiveshortstop ever,"[28] is acquired by theSt. Louis Cardinals in a six-player transaction with theSan Diego Padres.All-Star Smith, known as "The Wizard of Oz", is embroiled in a contract dispute with San Diego ownerRay Kroc. He's won two straightGold Glove Awards but has batted only .231 in four seasons and 583 games. Cardinals manager and front-office bossWhitey Herzog and PadreGM"Trader Jack" McKeon today announce that the Redbirds have obtained Smith, pitcherSteve Mura and aPTBNL (pitcherAl Olmsted) for the Cardinals' starting shortstop,Garry Templeton, himself a former All-Star, outfielderSixto Lezcano and a PTBNL (pitcherLuis DeLeón). But the deal will not be final until February 19, 1982, when the Cardinals and Smith resolve his no-trade provisions and contract issues.[28][29] Smith will play 15 seasons in St. Louis, win a1982 World Series ring and two otherNational Leaguepennants, 11 straight Gold Gloves—and aSilver Slugger Award as he flourishes offensively as a Cardinal. He'll be selected to 14 more NL All-Star teams. Smith's uniform #1 will be retired along with him in1996, and he'll be elected to the Hall of Fame in2002, his first year of eligibility.
December 15 –Ron Guidry, granted free agency from theNew York Yankees on November 13, returns to the Bombers on a multi-year contract. The southpaw, now 31, will give them 21- and 22-victory seasons in1983 and1985, five Gold Glove Awards, and two All-Star team selections over the life of the deal, until it expires after the1986 campaign.
December 23 – TheNew York Yankees sign outfielderDave Collins, granted free agency from theReds November 13. Collins, 29, led the National League in stolen bases with 79 in1980.
December 29 – RightyJoaquín Andújar returns to theSt. Louis Cardinals after being granted free agency November 13. He'll give the Redbirds 20- and 21-win seasons in1984 and1985.
January 3 –Lou Fette, 73, All-Star (1939) pitcher who posted a 41–40 record with a 3.15 ERA in 109 games for the Boston Bees/Braves and Brooklyn Dodgers; went 20–10 as a 30-year-old rookie for 1937 Bees; led the National League in shutouts in 1937 and 1939.
January 6 –Fred Stiely, 79, pitcher who toiled in nine games for parts of the 1929 through 1931 seasons for the St. Louis Browns of the American League.
January 7 –Irv Stein, 69, pitcher for the 1932 Philadelphia Athletics of the American League.
January 17 –Owen Kahn, 75, pinch-hitter in one game for the 1930 Boston Braves.
January 26 –Ray Oyler, 43, weak-hitting shortstop known for his excellent glovework with the Detroit Tigers' 1968 champions, afterwards taken in the expansion draft by the Seattle Pilots.
January 27:
Spencer Davis, 72, infielder who played in the Negro leagues between 1938 and 1942.
Huck Geary, 64, shortstop for the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1942 to 1943.
January 30 –Marino Pieretti, 60, Italian-born pitcher who posted a 30–38 record with a 4.53 ERA for the Washington Senators, Chicago White Sox and Cleveland Indians from 1945 to 1950.
January 31 –John Dowd, 90, New York Highlanders shortstop who appeared in ten games in 1912.
February 2 –Al Van Camp, 77, first baseman/left fielder who played from 1928 to 1932 for the Cleveland Indians and Boston Red Sox.
February 4 –Grant Gillis, 70, utility infielder for the Washington Senators and Boston Red Sox between 1927 and 1929.
February 5 –Jake Stephens, 80, shortstop and All-Star who played in the Negro leagues between 1923 and 1937; member of 1925 champion Hilldale Club.
February 6 –Cactus Keck, 82, pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds from 1922 to 1923.
February 7 –Clarence Eldridge, 92, lawyer and advertising executive who was a substitute umpire during the 1914 and 1915 American League seasons.
February 9 –Henry McHenry, 70, two-time All-Star pitcher as a member of the Philadelphia Stars between 1938 and 1948; over a four-season span, led Negro National League in victories (1938), complete games (1938, 1941), strikeouts (1939) and games lost (1940).
February 12 –Frank Genovese, 66, minor league outfielder and longtime scout and minor-league manager for New York/San Francisco Giants who taughtWillie Mays his distinctive "basket catch".
February 13 –George Britt, 76, played every position (primarily a pitcher and catcher) over a Negro leagues and Black baseball career that stretched from 1917 to 1944.
February 15 –Cotton Pippen, 69, pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals, Philadelphia Athletics and Detroit Tigers from 1936 to 1940, better known as the pitcher that struck outTed Williams in his first major league at-bat.
February 19 –Sam Barnes, 81, second baseman for the Detroit Tigers in the 1921 season.
February 22 –Andy High, 83, National League third baseman who hit .284 in 1,314 games for five different teams (1922–1934), and a member of the St. Louis Cardinals 1931 World Series champions; longtime scout and scouting director for Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers; brother ofHugh andCharlie High.
February 23 –Myrl Brown, 86, pitcher who posted a 3–1 record in seven games for the 1922 Pittsburgh Pirates.
February 25 –Frank McCrea, 84, catcher who played but one MLB game, on September 26, 1925, for the Cleveland Indians.
February 27 –Pepper Bassett, 70, catcher and six-time All-Star who played in the Negro leagues between 1935 and 1948, notably for the Birmingham Black Barons, Chicago American Giants and Pittsburgh Crawfords.
March 6 –Wade Lefler, 84, backup outfielder who played for the Boston Braves and Washington Senators during the 1924 season.
March 7 –Pee-Wee Wanninger, 78, backup shortstop for the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox and Cincinnati Reds, better known as the player who replacedEverett Scott with the Yankees in1925 to end his then-major league record of 1,307 consecutive games.
March 8 –Gowell Claset, 73, pitcher for the 1933 Philadelphia Athletics of the American League.
March 10 –Bob Elson, 76, broadcaster for the Chicago White Sox from 1931 to 1970, who also worked with the Chicago Cubs and Oakland Athletics.
March 11 –Vince Gonzales, 55, Cuban-born Mexican pitcher who played with the Washington Senators in 1955.
March 17:
Paul Dean, 68, pitcher who joined his older brotherDizzy on the St. Louis Cardinals, winning 19 games in each of his first two seasons – the brothers each won two games in the 1934 World Series.
Joe Giebel, 89, catcher who played in one game for the1913 World Series champion Philadelphia Athletics on September 30, the closing day of the American League season.
Zinn Beck, 95, backup infielder who played for the St. Louis Cardinals and New York Yankees, hitting .226 in 124 games between 1913 and 1918; longtime scout for Washington Senators/Minnesota Twins.
Frank Lane, 86, nicknamed "Frantic Frank" and "Trader Lane", general manager of the Chicago White Sox (1948–1955), St. Louis Cardinals (1955–1957), Cleveland Indians (1957–1960), Kansas City Athletics (1961) and Milwaukee Brewers (1971–1972) known for constantly churning his rosters through trades.
March 20:
Charles Beverly, 80, southpaw who pitched for five Negro leagues clubs between 1925 and 1939; led Negro National League in games lost (12) in 1925.
Gee Walker, 73, All-Star outfielder who played from 1931 through 1945 for the Detroit Tigers, Chicago White Sox, Washington Senators, Cleveland Indians and Cincinnati Reds, collecting a career batting average of .294, 1,991 hits, 223 stolen bases, and 124 home runs.
March 21 –Lamar Potter, 71, pitcher, second baseman and outfielder who played for the 1932 Atlanta Black Crackers of the Negro Southern League.
March 24 –Charlie Hughes, 74, second baseman/shortstop who appeared for six Negro National League teams in only three seasons (1933–1934, 1938)
March 25 –Red Morgan, 97, third baseman for the 1906 Boston Americans, at the time of his death the oldest living former major leaguer.
March 28 –Don Pelham, 72, outfielder and player-manager for the Atlanta Black Crackers of the Negro American League in 1938.
March 30 –Cornelius Augustus, 75, southpaw who hurled for the Memphis Red Sox (1927) of the Negro National League, then the St. Louis Stars (1937) of the Negro American League.
Earle Brucker Sr., 80, backup catcher who broke into majors at advanced age of 36 and played 241 games over five seasons (1937–1940 and 1943) for Philadelphia Athletics, batting .290; coached for Athletics (1941–1949), St. Louis Browns (1950) and Cincinnati Reds (1952), serving as acting manager of Reds that year for five games (July 30 to August 3), going 3–2; hisson and namesake, also a catcher, had brief 1948 trial with Athletics.
Eddie Onslow, 88, first baseman who played 64 total games for the 1912–1913 Detroit Tigers, 1918 Cleveland Indians and 1927 Washington Senators, later a scout; spent two decades as a player or player-manager in the minor leagues, and elected to International League Hall of Fame in 1951; brotherJack had long MLB career as a catcher, coach, scout and manager.
May 11 –Sammy Byrd, 73, outfielder, pinch hitter and pinch runner who got into 745 career games for the New York Yankees (1929–1934) and Cincinnati Reds (1935–1936).
May 16:
Jim Finigan, 52, two-time All-Star second baseman and third baseman who played from 1954 to 1959 for the Philadelphia/Kansas City Athletics, Detroit Tigers, San Francisco Giants and Baltimore Orioles.
Tommy Mee, 91, infielder in eight games for the 1910 St. Louis Browns.
May 22:
Bill Bayne, 82, southpaw pitcher who appeared in 199 MLB games for the 1919–1925 St. Louis Browns, 1928 Cleveland Indians and 1929–1930 Boston Red Sox.
Pen Gilliard, 77, who played in the Negro American League in 1937 and 1938, primarily as an outfielder.
May 23 –Gene Green, 47, outfielder/catcher who played in 408 games from 1957 to 1963 for the St. Louis Cardinals, Baltimore Orioles, expansion Washington Senators, Cleveland Indians and Cincinnati Reds.
May 24 –Don Richmond, 61, third baseman who appeared in 56 career games for Philadelphia Athletics (1941 and 1946–1947) and St. Louis Cardinals (1951); minor-league star and member of International League Hall of Fame.
May 26:
Bartolo Portuondo, 87, Havana native and third baseman for the 1920–1922 Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro National League and the 1923–1928 Cuban Stars East of the Eastern Colored League.
George Smith, 79, pitcher who played from 1926 to 1930 for the Detroit Tigers and Boston Red Sox.
May 31:
Elmer Leonard, 92, a 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) pitcher (nicknamed "Tiny") who went 2–2 (2.84) in five games for the eventual 1913 world-champion Philadelphia Athletics between June 22 and July 27.
Mike Smith, 76, outfielder/pinch hitter who got into four games for the New York Giants in September 1926.
June 2 –Skinny O'Neal, 82, pitcher who worked in 13 total MLB games for the Philadelphia Phillies (1925, 1927).
June 18 –Honey Barnes, 81, catcher who appeared in only one major-league game, on April 20, 1926, for the New York Yankees; played two innings in the field and drew a base on balls in his lone plate appearance.
June 27 –Sam McConnell, 86, third baseman who appeared in six games for the last-place 1915 Philadelphia Athletics.
July 1 –Dan Daniel, 91, sportswriter forThe Sporting News and various New York newspapers for over 50 years; also a member of baseball's Rules Committee.
July 3 –George Knothe, 83, second baseman in six games for 1932 Philadelphia Phillies;his brother was also a National League infielder.
July 5 –Horace "Pug" Allen, 82, outfielder who briefly appeared for 1919 Brooklyn Robins; Georgia Tech graduate who became a college football coach at Stetson University of DeLand, Florida.
July 7 –Merl Combs, 61, shortstop for the Boston Red Sox, Washington Senators and Cleveland Indians between 1947 and 1952; later an MLB scout and coach.
July 8:
Bradford Bennett, 64, Tuskegee Institute graduate and outfielder for the St. Louis/New Orleans Stars and New York Black Yankees of the Negro leagues between 1940 and 1942.
"Wild Bill" Hallahan, 78, southpaw hurler and three-time World Series champion (1926, 1931, 1934) for the St. Louis Cardinals; went 2–0 with two complete-game wins and a save in three appearances during the 1931 Fall Classic, helping the Cards dethrone the favored Philadelphia Athletics; also pitched for the Cincinnati Reds and Philadelphia Phillies in a 12-season career spanning 1925 to 1938.
July 10 –Henry Richardson, 63, pitcher who appeared for the Washington Black Senators and Pittsburgh Crawfords of the Negro National League in 1938.
July 18 –Babe Davis, 72, outfielder/second baseman who played for the Atlanta Black Crackers, Indianapolis ABCs, Homestead Grays and Memphis Red Sox of the Negro leagues between 1937 and 1940.
July 21 –Jim McGarr, 92, one of the"replacement players" called into service for one game, on May 18, 1912, when the Detroit Tigers went on strike to protest the suspension ofTy Cobb. He played second base and fanned four times as the Tigers fell to the Philadelphia Athletics, 24–2, at Shibe Park.
August 2 –Dorothy Maguire, 62, All-Star catcher and member of two championship teams in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League.
August 3 –Jim McLeod, 72, third baseman and shortstop who appeared in 92 games for the Washington Senators (1930, 1932) and Philadelphia Phillies (1933).
August 9 –Sammy T. Hughes, 70, six-time All-Star second baseman of the Negro leagues, mainly with the Elite Giants.
August 11 –Walt Huntzinger, 82, pitcher who appeared in 60 games between 1923 and 1926 for the New York Giants, St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs.
August 12 –George Lyons, 90, pitched in a total of 33 games with the St. Louis Cardinals and the St. Louis Browns in the 1920s.
August 31 –Roy Parmelee, 74, pitcher who went 59–55 (4.27) in 206 career games with New York Giants (1929–1935), St. Louis Cardinals (1936), Chicago Cubs (1937) and Philadelphia Athletics (1939).
September 6 –Eddie Ainsmith, 91, Russian-born catcher who appeared in 1,078 games over 15 seasons (1910–1924) for five clubs, principally the Washington Senators, St. Louis Cardinals and Detroit Tigers.
September 9:
Willie Haynes, 80, pitcher and outfielder who appeared in the Negro leagues between 1920 and 1932.
Johnny Stevens, 69, American League umpire whose 26-year (1948–1971, 1973, 1975) tenure included 3,345 league games, four World Series, and five All-Star games.
September 15 –Earl Caldwell, 76, pitcher who played professionally for 29 consecutive seasons (1926–1954), including 200 games pitched for Philadelphia Phillies (1928), St. Louis Browns (1935–1937), Chicago White Sox (1945–1948) and Boston Red Sox (1948).
September 13 –León Kellman, 54, legendary Panamanian catcher/manager who led his teams to three championships; also a four-time Negro league All-Star, as well as the first player in Mexican baseball history to hit two grand slams in the same game.
September 20 –Harry Fisher, 55, Canadian pitcher and pinch hitter who appeared in 16 games for the 1951–1952 Pirates, eight of them on the mound.
September 21 –Al Bool, 84, catcher who played in 129 total games over three one-year trials with the 1928 Washington Senators, 1930 Pittsburgh Pirates and 1931 Boston Braves.
October 4 –Freddie Lindstrom, 75, Hall of Fame third baseman for the New York Giants who batted .311 lifetime, twice collecting 230 hits and batting .333 in the 1924 World Series at age 18; later coach at Northwestern.
October 8 –Bill Nagel, 66, infielder who played in 189 games during the 1939, 1941 and 1945 seasons for the Philadelphia Athletics, Philadelphia Phillies and Chicago White Sox.
October 12 –Art Passarella, 71, American League umpire from 1941 to 1953; worked in three World Series and two All-Star games.
October 13:
Percy Bailey, 76, All-Star pitcher for Indianapolis/Detroit, Nashville and Chicago of the Negro National League in 1933–1934; Alcorn State University alumnus who also served as a longtime educator in Black schools in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, area during and after his baseball career.
Jack Knott, 74, pitcher who appeared in 325 games for the St. Louis Browns, Chicago White Sox and Philadelphia Athletics over 11 seasons (1933–1942 and 1946).
October 17 –Johnny Peacock, 71, catcher for the Boston Red Sox, Philadelphia Phillies and Brooklyn Dodgers, between 1937 and 1945.
October 18 –Lou Ciola, 59, pitcher in 12 games for the wartime 1943 Philadelphia Athletics.
October 21:
Gene Robertson, 81, lefty-swinging third baseman who played in 656 MLB games over nine seasons between 1919 and 1930, mostly for the St. Louis Browns; member of 1928 World Series champion New York Yankees.
Hubert Wilson, 79, pitcher who posted an 8–2 (3.21 ERA) record for the 1928–1929 Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro National League.
October 22 –Taffy Wright, 70, outfielder for the Washington Senators, Chicago White Sox and Philadelphia Athletics from 1938 to 1942 and 1946–1949; batted .311 with 1,115 hits in 1,029 career MLB games.
October 25 –Pete Reiser, 62, three-time All-Star center fielder for the Brooklyn Dodgers (1940–1942 and 1946–1948) who led the National League in batting and four other categories in 1941 and in steals twice, but whose fearless defensive style led to numerous injuries and a decline in performance; also played for Boston Braves, Pittsburgh Pirates and Cleveland Indians from 1949 to 1952; later a coach for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago Cubs and California Angels during the 1960s and 1970s.
October 26 –Harry Hoch, 94, pitcher who went 2–7 (4.35 ERA) in 30 games for the 1908 Philadelphia Phillies and 1914–1915 St. Louis Browns.
October 31 –Fred Archer, 71, left-handed pitcher who made seven appearances for 1936–1937 Philadelphia Athletics.
November 2 –Hugh East, 62, pitcher for the New York Giants in a span of three seasons from 1941 to 1943; later a longtime scout.
November 3:
Al Jurisich, 60, pitcher in 104 career games for 1944–1945 St. Louis Cardinals and 1946–1947 Philadelphia Phillies; member of the 1944 Cardinals World Series champions.
Theolic Smith, 68, pitcher and occasional outfielder who played in the Negro leagues, the independent Mexican League, and the Pacific Coast League between 1936 and 1955.
November 10 –Ed Lagger, 69, pitcher who appeared in eight games for the 1934 Philadelphia Athletics.
November 12 –Eddie Klep, 63, left-handed pitcher said to be the first Caucasian to play in the Negro leagues when, on May 29, 1946, he appeared for the Cleveland Buckeyes in a Negro American League game;Baseball Reference contains no statistics under Klep's playing entry.[31]
November 13 –Alex Radcliff, 76, thirteen-time All-Star third baseman and Negro leagues standout whose career spanned 1926 to 1946, primarily as a member of the Chicago American Giants; hit .369 to win 1943 Negro American League batting title.
November 15 –Steve Macko, 27, middle infielder and third baseman who played for the Chicago Cubs in the 1979 and 1980 seasons.
November 17 –Red Shea, 82, pitcher for the Philadelphia Athletics and New York Giants in parts of three seasons spanning 1918–1922.
November 25 –Eddie Berry, 63, pitcher for the 1943 Baltimore Elite Giants of the Negro National League.
November 27 –Frank Betcher, 93, backup infielder in 35 games for the 1910 St. Louis Cardinals.
December 1 –Tony Piet, 74, second baseman and third baseman who played in 744 games over eight seasons (1931–1938) for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Cincinnati Reds, Chicago White Sox and Detroit Tigers.
December 2 –Nat Rogers, 88, outfielder whose 20-year tenure in the Negro leagues spanned 1923 to 1945 playing for the Memphis Red Sox, Chicago American Giants, Birmingham Black Barons, Harrisburg Giants and Brooklyn Royal Giants; member of 1927 Negro World Series champion Chicago squad.
December 3 –Walter Cannady, 79, infielder whose career in Black baseball extended from 1921 to 1945; selected All-Star third baseman in 1938 while playing for the New York Black Yankees of the Negro National League.
December 4 –Stan Hollmig, 55, outfielder and pinch hitter for the 1949–1951 Philadelphia Phillies, appearing in 94 games in all; later, a scout.
December 7 –Juan Padrón, 89, left-handed pitcher whose career in Black baseball, the Negro leagues and Cuban Winter League extended from 1915 to 1926; led Negro National League in shutouts twice (1922, 1924) while hurling for the Chicago American Giants.
December 8 –Bill Windle, 76, first baseman who appeared in three total games for the 1928–1929 Pittsburgh Pirates.
December 9 –Ernie Alten, 86, southpaw who pitched in 14 games for the 1920 Detroit Tigers.
December 10:
Bob Joyce, 66, pitcher who appeared in 43 total MLB games for the 1939 Philadelphia Athletics and 1946 New York Giants; star hurler in Pacific Coast League during World War II era, winning over 20 games for four straight years (1942–1945), including posting a 31–11 (2.17) record for the 1945 San Francisco Seals.
John F. Kieran, 89, New York sportswriter and radio and television personality who authored books on numerous subjects.
Freddy Leach, 84, outfielder who batted .307 with 1,147 hits over ten seasons (1923–1932) with the Philadelphia Phillies, New York Giants and Boston Braves.
December 13 –Jack Snyder, 95, catcher who appeared in seven games for 1917 Brooklyn Robins.
December 15:
Tom Glass, 83, relief pitcher who worked in two games for the Philadelphia Athletics in June 1925, but won his only decision.
Jack Wisner, 82, pitcher who hurled in 51 games for 1919–1920 Pittsburgh Pirates and 1925–1926 New York Giants.
December 18 –Jake Brown, 33, outfielder and pinch hitter who appeared in 41 games for the 1975 San Francisco Giants.
December 20 –Bob Stewart, 66, American League umpire from 1958 to 1970 who worked in 1,958 regular season games, two All-Star matches, and three World Series, including during his final season.
December 22 –Ed Gallagher, 71, pitcher for the 1932 Boston Red Sox.
December 23 –George Scharein, 67, shortstop and second baseman who appeared in 388 games for the 1937–1940 Philadelphia Phillies; brother ofArt Scharein.
December 24 –Joe Kracher, 68, catcher who got into five games for the Phillies in September 1939.
December 28 –John Bischoff, 87, catcher for the Chicago White Sox and Boston Red Sox in the 1920s, and one of the first foreign ballplayers to play in Cuban baseball.[32]
December 29 –Don Plarski, 52, center-fielder who played in eight games for 1955 Kansas City Athletics.
December 30 –Josh Billings, 90, backup catcher in all or parts of 11 American League seasons with Cleveland (1913–1918) and St. Louis (1919–1923).
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