* The season was canceled due to a player's strike and the Mexican Pacific League's second place,Yaquis de Obregón, played as a replacement in the Caribbean Series.
January 23 – Franchise-restaurant tycoonRay Kroc, 71, the owner ofMcDonald's Corporation, steps forward to buy thePadres from embattled founding ownerC. Arnholt Smith for $12 million and vows to keep the five-year-old team inSan Diego. Kroc will own the Padres until his death, almost ten full years later, and firmly establish their presence in that city. Kroc retains club presidentBuzzie Bavasi and its general manager, Bavasi's sonPeter.
February 4 – Withspring training just days away, the newly soldSan Diego Padres hireJohn McNamara as the third manager in team history. McNamara, 41, managed theOakland Athletics to a 97–78 record from September 19, 1969, through 1970, and has been theSan Francisco Giants' third-base coach since 1971. He replacesDon Zimmer, fired by San Diego at the close of the 1973 season.
February 18 – TheCincinnati Reds obtain 23-year-old right-handerPat Darcy and cash from theHouston Astros in exchange for veteran infielderDenis Menke. As a rookie in1975, Darcy will win 11 games for the Reds and earn aWorld Series ring, and also become known for surrenderingCarlton Fisk's famous game-winning home run in Game 6.
March 30 – With 18-year-old future Hall of FamerRobin Yount about to break into their lineup as their regular shortstop, theMilwaukee Brewers acquire Yount's elder brotherLarry, a pitcher, from theHouston Astros for outfielderWilbur Howard.
April 1 – TheChicago Cubs release pitcher and three time All-StarMilt Pappas. A 17-year veteran, Pappas went 209–164 (3.40ERA) in 520 games almost evenly split betweenAmerican andNational League service. He never again pitches in the majors.
ThePhiladelphia Phillies sign veteran free agent outfielder/pinch hitterJay Johnstone, released by theSt. Louis Cardinals on March 26. Johnstone, 28, willbat .303 in 462 games for the 1974–1978 Phillies, and in the1976 NLCS, he'll be a bright spot in a losing cause when he goes seven-for-nine (.778) in "The Big Red Machine's" three-game sweep.
Commissioner of BaseballBowie Kuhn ordersAtlanta Braves managerEddie Mathews to insertHank Aaron into his club's lineup for tomorrow's game inCincinnati against theReds—unless there is a "very strong reason not to." After tying Ruth's record April 4, and an off-day April 5, Aaron was "benched" today. Kuhn is concerned that the Braves are holding Aaron out of the lineup to ensure that he breaksBabe Ruth's record in his home ballpark. Aaron will go hitless in three at bats tomorrow, April 7, in a 5–3 Braves' victory, setting up a potential record-shattering home run in the Braves' home opener atAtlanta–Fulton County Stadium on Monday, April 8.
April 8 – Before a national television audience,Atlanta'sHank Aaron hits home run #715, breakingBabe Ruth's lifetime home run record. The blow, offLos Angeles Dodgers southpawAl Downing, comes in the fourth inning of the Braves' home opener and before 53,775 exuberant fans. Two young men run onto the field and congratulate Aaron on his record-breaking achievement as Hank moves past second base.
April 9 – In the eighth inning of their home opener, with theSan Diego Padres trailing theHouston Astros 9–2 and about to lose their fourth straight game of 1974, the Padres' new owner, hamburger chain millionaireRay Kroc, commandeers the public-address microphone atSan Diego Stadium. "Fans, I suffer with you," a disgusted Kroc booms over the loudspeakers. "I have never seen such stupid ball-playing in my life!" The fans cheer, but players on both sides are furious, resenting what Houston third basemanDoug Rader calls being treated "like a bunch ofshort-order cooks." Kroc later apologizes for his outburst; then, when Rader's remarks cause offense, he apologizes to short-order cooks.
April 14 –Graig Nettles of theNew York Yankees hits four home runs during a doubleheader split against his former team, theCleveland Indians. The Yankees win 9–5, then lose 9–6. Nettles will go on to tie a major league record with 11 home runs in the month of April.
April 18 – TheMontreal Expos'Jim Cox belts a three-run home run off theNew York Mets'Ray Sadecki in the third inning, part of the Expos' 8–5 win over the fading Mets, who have dropped five in a row. The Mets will fail to defend their1973 National League pennant en route to their first losing season since1968.
The record breaking is not over forHank Aaron. Today he hits his 15th career grand slam home run, passingGil Hodges andWillie McCovey for the NL mark. The Braves go on to beat the Cubs, 9–3.
May 1 –Dock Ellis of thePittsburgh Pirates hits three consecutive batters with pitches in the first inning, setting an ML record, and walks another in the frame before being lifted. Pittsburgh loses 5–3 to theCincinnati Reds.
TheKansas City Royals shake up their front office, replacingCedric Tallis, the only general manager the team has had since its founding in 1968, withJoe Burke. Previously general manager of theTexas Rangers, the 50-year-old Burke joined the Royals' front office after the 1973 season.
TheNew York Yankees purchase the contract of Angels' pitcherRudy May. The 29-year-old left-hander will go 8–4 (2.28 ERA) in 15starts with eight complete games and two shutouts to help the Yankees finish a strong second in theAL East.
June 23 – TheLos Angeles Dodgers defeat the visitingSan Francisco Giants 4–3 to sweep a three-game series. Relief aceMike Marshall is the winning pitcher in all three games, improving his record to 7–3 (2.25 ERA) with nine saves; he has appeared in 46 of the Dodgers' 70 games, en route to the MLB all-time record for games pitched in a season (106).
Two-time (1972,1973)World Series-winningmanagerDick Williams returns to baseball, signing a three-year contract as field leader of theCalifornia Angels. Six months earlier, Williams had been blocked byOakland Athletics ownerCharles O. Finley and formerAmerican League presidentJoe Cronin from managing theNew York Yankees, because he was still considered under contract with Oakland when he quit the Athletics after leading them to the1973 world championship. In a surprise, Finley does not demand compensation from Angel ownerGene Autry, a division rival, freeing Williams to sign with the Halos. Williams will replaceBobby Winkles, fired earlier today with the Angels 30–44, sixth (and last) in theAL West and 11 games behind Finley's first-place Athletics.
Off to a strong start to 1974 (.299, 11 homers, .934 OPS in 52 games), catcherCarlton Fisk of theBoston Red Sox sustains a season-ending knee injury when he violently collides with baserunnerLeron Lee of theIndians at home plate in the ninth inning of a game atCleveland Stadium. To rub salt into the Bosox' wounds, Lee's run is the winning tally in a 2–1 Tribe triumph. The Red Sox are 40–31, in first place in theAL East when Fisk goes down; they finish 1974 at 84–78, a distant third behind theBaltimore Orioles andNew York Yankees.
July 9 – During the first three innings atWrigley Field, theCincinnati Reds build a 5–0 lead over theChicago Cubs on the strength of five solo home runs. Finally, in the sixth inning,George Foster connects with two men on base to build the Reds' lead to 8–1. Cincinnati holds on to win, 8–5.
Milwaukee third basemanDon Money commits a first-inning error in a 10–5 loss toMinnesota, ending his perfect defensive season after 86 games and 257 chances. He will end the season with just five errors, breakingGeorge Kell's record set in1950. Money also holds theNational League record with just 10 errors, set with thePhillies in1972, and holds both the National League andAmerican League records for most consecutive chances without an error in a season.
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcherTommy John, who started the season 13–3, has his season come to an abrupt end when he tears a ligament in his pitching elbow in a 5–4 loss to theMontreal Expos.
Baseball mournsDizzy Dean, 64, Hall of Fame pitching star of the 1930sSt. Louis Cardinals, and, since the 1940s, a legendary broadcaster who was even the subject of a 1951biopic. (SeeDeaths entry for this date below.)
July 21 – TheAtlanta Braves fire managerEddie Mathews, a Hall of Fame third baseman and the only man to have played for the Braves in Boston (1952), Milwaukee (1953–1965) and Atlanta (1966). Mathews has managed the Braves to a 149–161–1 record since August 7, 1972. Assistant general managerClyde King moves from the front office to Atlanta's managerial chair after the All-Star break on July 25.
July 24 –Whitey Lockman, manager of theChicago Cubs since July 27, 1972, steps down to resume his former job as director of player development. CoachJim Marshall replaces him. Lockman went 157–162 (.492) at the Cubs' helm.
August 1 – The resurgentPhiladelphia Phillies (54–50) begin the month tied for first place in theNL East with theSt. Louis Cardinals. The Phils have not enjoyed a winning season since1967, and have lost 90 or more games in four of the past six campaigns.
August 4 –Dave Freisleben of theSan Diego Padres throws 13 shutout innings—and 230 pitches—against the visitingCincinnati Reds in the second game of a doubleheader. But he leaves the game while it's still a scoreless tie, and doesn't earn the victory when San Diego pushes across a run in the home half of the 14th.
Juan Marichal, wearing the unfamiliar uniform of theBoston Red Sox, improves his record to 4–1 by allowing only two hits over seven scoreless innings and defeating theMilwaukee Brewers, 6–0, atCounty Stadium. Hall-of-Famer Marichal, 36, will go 5–1 for the 1974 Bosox, but appear in only 11 games all season and post a poor 4.87 ERA. Boston will release him on October 24.
August 7 – TheDetroit Tigers continue to shed veteran stars. They releaseNorm Cash, 40, the Tigers' regular first baseman since 1960. Then they sell the contract of outfielderJim Northrup, 34, to theMontreal Expos.
August 20 –Davey Lopes sets aDodgers record when he totals 15 bases against theCubs in an 18–8 drubbing atWrigley Field. Lopes has three home runs, a double and a single in his team's 24-hit attack. The Dodgers totaled 48 bases in the game, a team record.
August 21 – Fanning 12 hitters, slender southpawRogelio Moret of theBoston Red Sox one-hits theChicago White Sox at Fenway Park, 4–0.Dick Allen's seventh-inning infield single is the ChiSox' lone safety. After the game, Boston ownerTom Yawkey gives Moret a $1,000 raise.
August 25 – ThePittsburgh Pirates recover from their terrible start to 1974 (they were 39–49 as late as July 15) to gain first place in theNL East by sweeping a doubleheader atSan Diego Stadium, 4–1 (12 innings) and 10–2.
August 30 - In his major debut,Keith Hernandez of the St. Louis Cardinals goes 1 for 2 in four plate appearances. He drives inBake McBride in the top of the 9th in St. Louis' 8-2 loss to theSan Francisco Giants.
PitcherDon Wilson has ano-hitter through eight innings, but is pulled from the game byHouston Astros managerPreston Gómez. RelieverMike Cosgrove gives up a leadoff single toTony Pérez, and the Astros lose to theCincinnati Reds, 2–1. Gomez had made the same mistake inSan Diego on July 21,1970. Then, the Padres'Clay Kirby had a no-hitter going for eight innings, but with two outs in the eighth and trailing 1–0, Gomez lifted him for pinch hitterCito Gaston. Gaston failed to get a hit, relieverJack Baldschun gave up two runs in the ninth, and the Padres lost 3–0.
After rain washes out their Tuesday game, theBaltimore Orioles andBoston Red Sox resume their three-game series. But it's the same old story for Boston. The Orioles'Jim Palmer tosses a three-hitter and shuts out the Red Sox 6–0. The Bosox are blanked for the third straight time and extend their losing streak to seven games.
September 7 – During a 3–1 win over theChicago White Sox,Nolan Ryan of theCalifornia Angels has a fastball clocked at 100.8 miles ((161.28 kilometres) per hour — the fastest pitch recorded.
September 8 –Pat Pieper ends his 59-year career as public address announcer for theChicago Cubs.
September 11 – TheSt. Louis Cardinals win a marathon night game against theNew York Mets atShea Stadium, after seven hours four minutes, and 25 innings, the longest game to a decision in major league history. The Cardinals, trailing 3–1 with two out in the ninth, tie the score onKen Reitz' two-run home run offJerry Koosman, sending the game into extra innings. Two Mets errors lead to the Cardinals' winning run, starting with an errant pickoff throw that allowsBake McBride to scamper all the way around from first. St. Louis wins, 4–3. The Mets go to the plate 103 times, the only time the century mark has been reached in a major league game; the Cards are not far behind with 99 plate appearances. All told, a record 175 official at-bats are recorded, with a major-league record 45 runners stranded. Only a thousand fans are on hand when the game ends at 3:13 a.m.
Tigers pitcherJohn Hiller picks up his 17th victory in relief, an American League record, as he beats theBrewers, 9–7.
September 15 –Rico Petrocelli, veteran third baseman of theBoston Red Sox, is struck in the head by a pitch fromJim Slaton of theMilwaukee Brewers, ending Petrocelli's season. The Red Sox, meanwhile, continue their skid out of contention in theAL East, and fall 31⁄2 games behind theNew York Yankees. The beaning leads to inner-ear problems that shorten Petrocelli's career.
Future Hall-of-FamerAl Kaline of theDetroit Tigersdoubles for his 3,000th career hit, but his Tigers lose to theOrioles, 5–4. Kaline, 39, is in his 22nd and final season with the Tigers; the 18-timeAll-Star and 10xGold Glove Award-winner will retire with 3,007 career safeties.
September 25 –Dodgers left-handerTommy John undergoes surgery to repair the ulnar collateral ligament in his pitching elbow. The surgery, performed byFrank Jobe, will benamed after the pitcher.
In his last start of the year,Nolan Ryan of theCalifornia Angels pitches his third careerno-hitter, victimizing theMinnesota Twins, 4–0. In the process, Ryan strikes out 15 batters for the sixth time this season. He also walks eight to run his season total to 202 bases on balls, joiningBob Feller in1938 as the only pitcher to walk more than 200 in a season. Ryan will set a personal high issuing 204 walks in1977.
Don Wilson of theHouston Astros throws a 5–0, two-hit shutout against theBraves. It will be Wilson's last major league game, followed by his accidental death on January 5, 1975.
Bob Scheffing, 61, retires as general manager of theNew York Mets after five seasons in the job. His successor isJoe McDonald, 45, a member of the club's front-office staff since its1962 debut season and most recently director of minor league operations.
October 3 –Frank Robinson becomes the first black manager in major league history, as theCleveland Indians name him to replaceKen Aspromonte for the1975 season. Robinson, with 574 career homers to his credit, will be Cleveland's DH as well as manager.
November 2 – TheAtlanta Braves tradeHank Aaron to theMilwaukee Brewers for outfielderDave May and a minor league pitcher. Aaron will finish his major league career in Milwaukee, where he started it in1954. Meanwhile, Aaron, the home run king of American baseball, andSadaharu Oh, his Japanese counterpart, square off for a home run contest atKorakuen Stadium. Aaron wins 10–9.
St. Louis Cardinals center fielderBake McBride, who hit .309 with six home runs and 56 RBI, wins the National League Rookie of the Year Award overGreg Gross (.314, 21 2B, 36 RBI) andBill Madlock (.313, 9 HR, 54 RBI).
TheOrioles pull off another major interleague trade, sending veteran southpawDave McNally, outfielderRich Coggins and a minor-leaguer to theMontreal Expos for pitcherMike Torrez and outfielderKen Singleton. McNally, who went 181–113 in 14 years as an Oriole, including four straight 20+-win seasons, will struggle in Montreal in 1975. But he will gain added fame when he joinsDodger pitcherAndy Messersmith in challenging baseball'sreserve clause in a case that, ultimately,overturns it in December 1975.
December 5 – Making their third significant interleague trade in two days, theExpos send starting centerfielderWillie Davis, 34, to theTexas Rangers for pitcherDon Stanhouse and infielderPete Mackanin, both 23. Davis, former NL All-Star and three-timeGold Glove Award-winner as aDodger, had a strong year offensively (180 hits, 89 runs batted in, .295 average, in 153 games played) in 1974, his lone season with Montreal.
December 26 – TheLittle League is officially opened to girls as PresidentGerald Ford signs legislation amending the charter of the organization. Little League had sought changes in their charter after a series of lawsuits challenged its boys-only rule.
December 31 – After earning his freedom through arbitration over missed insurance payments by theOakland Athletics,Jim "Catfish" Hunter is signed by theNew York Yankees to a $3.75 million contract—which is slightly more than triple the next-highest salary in the game.
January 1 –Jimmy Smith, 78, switch-hitting utility infielder who began his career with the Chicago Whales and Baltimore Terrapins of the "outlaw" Federal League, then bounced among five National League clubs: the Pittsburgh Pirates, New York Giants, Boston Braves, Cincinnati Reds (where he was a member of the1919 World Series champions) and Philadelphia Phillies; appeared in 360 games over eight seasons (1914–1919, 1921–1922).
January 2 –Gordon Slade, 69, infielder who appeared in 437 career games for the Brooklyn Robins/Dodgers, St. Louis Cardinals and Cincinnati Reds between 1930 and 1935.
January 12 –Frank E. McKinney, 69, Indiana banker and political figure who was principal owner of the Pittsburgh Pirates from August 8, 1946, to July 18, 1950; longtime owner of his hometown team, the Triple-A Indianapolis Indians.
January 12 –Jim Middleton, 84, pitcher who worked in 51 MLB games for the 1917 New York Giants and 1921 Detroit Tigers.
January 12 –Joe Smith, 80, catcher who appeared in 14 games for the 1913 New York Yankees.
January 14 –Lloyd Brown, 69, left-handed pitcher who won 46 games for the 1930–1932 Washington Senators and also played with the Brooklyn Robins, St. Louis Browns, Boston Red Sox, Cleveland Indians and Philadelphia Phillies over 12 seasons between 1925 and 1940; later, a scout.
January 14 –Jay Partridge, 71, second baseman for the 1927–1928 Brooklyn Robins who appeared in 183 games.
January 17 –Archie Hinton, 47, pitcher, third baseman and shortstop who played 25 games for the Baltimore Elite Giants of the Negro National League in 1944 and 1945.
January 18 –Pete Appleton, 69, relief pitcher for seven teams over 14 seasons between 1927 and 1945, who won 14 games for the1936 Washington Senators; longtime scout for the Washington/Minnesota Twins franchise; known by his birth name,Jablonowski, until 1934, when he legally changed it.
January 18 –Thomas Healy, 78, third baseman who appeared in 29 total games for the hapless 1915–1916 Philadelphia Athletics.
January 20 –Homer Hillebrand, 94, first baseman and left-handed pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates (1905–1906, 1908); Princeton grad compiled a won–lost mark of 8–4 and a 2.51 ERA in 18 games and 1141⁄3 innings pitched and batted .237 in 131 at bats at the plate over 47 total MLB games.
January 20 –George Hockette, 72, pitcher for the Boston Red Sox in the mid-1930s.
January 21 –Claude Cooper, 81, outfielder who appeared in 373 career games for the 1913 New York Giants, 1914–1915 Brooklyn Tip-Tops of the "outlaw" Federal League, and 1916–1917 Philadelphia Phillies.
January 23 –Spoon Carter, 71, two-time Negro American League All-Star pitcher (1947 and 1948) and member of 1943–1944 Negro World Series champion Homestead Grays.
January 28 –Paul Fittery, 86, left-handed pitcher who took the mound in 25 games for the 1914 Cincinnati Reds and 1917 Philadelphia Phillies; also appeared in five games as an outfielder or pinch hitter.
February 1 –Claude Berry, 93, catcher who played sparingly for the 1904 Chicago White Sox and 1906–1907 Philadelphia Athletics, then, a decade later, appeared in 224 contests for the 1914–1915 Pittsburgh Rebels of the Federal League.
February 4 –Hank Winston, 69, relief pitcher who worked in 15 career MLB games for 1933 Philadelphia Athletics and 1936 Brooklyn Dodgers.
February 6 –Benny Meyer, 89, outfielder in 39 games for Brooklyn and Philadelphia of the National League (1913, 1925) and 271 games with Baltimore and Buffalo of the Federal League (1914–1915); MLB coach and longtime scout.
February 13 –Script Lee, 75, Negro league baseball pitcher from 1921 to 1934.
February 16 –Gus Brittain, 64, catcher and pinch hitter who appeared in three games for the 1937 Cincinnati Reds.
February 16 –Bill Stellbauer, 79, outfielder who played in 25 games for the 1916 Philadelphia Athletics.
February 19 –Frank Miller, 87, pitcher who appeared in 163 games over seven seasons spanning 1913 to 1923 for three clubs, primarily the Pittsburgh Pirates and Boston Braves.
February 20 –Bob Christian, 28, outfielder who appeared in 54 career games for the Detroit Tigers (1968) and Chicago White Sox (1969–1970); also played for Japan's Toei Flyers (1971–1972).
March 1 –Larry Doyle, 87, second baseman, primarily for theNew York Giants whom he captained, who batted .300 five times and won the NL's 1912 MVP award; led NL in hits twice and stole home 17 times.
March 4 –Les Sweetland, 74, left-handed hurler for the 1927–1930 Philadelphia Phillies and 1931 Chicago Cubs who appeared in 161 career contests.
March 9 –Hal Quick, 56, shortstop/pinch hitter in 12 games for the 1939 Washington Senators.
March 12 –Medric Boucher, 88, catcher who played in 17 total games for Baltimore and Pittsburgh of the Federal League in 1914.
March 14 –Alex Pompez, 83, owner of the Negro Leagues'Cuban Stars andNew York Cubans between 1916 and 1950, who later became a scouting supervisor for the New York Giants.
March 19 –Julius "June" Greene, 74, pinch-hitter and pitcher in 32 games for 1928–1929 Philadelphia Phillies; went 7-for-25 with five walks as a batter, and 0–0 (18.38 ERA) in 152⁄3 innings pitched over six mound appearances.
March 16 –Joe Kohlman, 61, pitcher who appeared in nine career games for the 1937–1938 Washington Senators.
March 16 –Felton Snow, 68, All-Star third baseman and manager whose Negro leagues career extended from 1931 to 1947, notably as a member of the Baltimore Elite Giants.
March 26 –Art Kores, 87, third baseman who played 60 games for the 1914 St. Louis Terriers of the Federal League.
March 30 –Goose Curry, 68, outfielder, pitcher and manager whose career in Negro leagues spanned 1928 to 1948.
March 31 –Bunny Hearn, 70, left-handed pitcher who worked in 59 games for the Boston Braves from 1926 through 1929.
April 5 –Fred Snodgrass, 86, center fielder for the New York Giants (1908–1915) who made a critical drop of an easy fly ball—"Snodgrass's Muff"—in the tenth inning of the deciding game in the1912 World Series, which was won by the Boston Red Sox.
April 6 –Roy Wood, 81, outfielder/first baseman who played from 1913 to 1915 for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Cleveland Naps/Indians.
April 11 –Bob Baird, 34, southpaw pitcher who posted an 0–4 record (7.25 ERA) in eight total games for the 1962–1963 Washington Senators.
April 15 –Buddy Armour, 58, outfielder/shortstop who played in the Negro leagues from 1933 to 1947; member of 1945 Negro World Series champion Cleveland Buckeyes.
April 20 –Al Eckert, 67, left-handed pitcher who went 0–2 in 18 career appearances for the 1930–1931 Cincinnati Reds and 1935 St. Louis Cardinals.
April 20 –Elmer Ponder, 80, pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates (1917, 1919–1921) and Chicago Cubs (1921) who worked in 69 career games.
April 22 –Chance Cummings, 81, first baseman for the Atlantic City Bacharach Giants and New York Lincoln Giants of the Eastern Colored League between 1923 and 1928.
April 22 –Steve Swetonic, 70, pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates in the early 1930s, who tied for the National League lead in shutouts in the 1932 season.
April 23 –Cy Williams, 86, center fielder for the Chicago Cubs (1912–1917) and Philadelphia Phillies (1918–1930) who became the first National League player to hit 200 home runs, leading the league four times.
May 5 –Vito Tamulis, 62, left-handed pitcher who posted a 40–28 record with a 3.97 ERA in six seasons between 1934 and 1941 for the New York Yankees, St. Louis Browns, Brooklyn Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies.
May 13 –Vet Barnes, 62, pitcher who won 14 of 19 decisions (2.94 ERA) for the 1937–1938 Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro American League.
May 15 –Lou North, 82, pitcher for Detroit Tigers (1913), St. Louis Cardinals (1917 and 1920–1924) and Boston Braves (1924); essentially a reliever, he appeared in 191 career games and led National League in saves (not then an official statistic) in both 1921 and 1922.
May 18 –Dan Topping, 61, co-owner (1945 to 1964) and president (from October 1947 to 1964) of the New York Yankees, during which time the team won ten World Series and fifteen AL pennants.
May 22 –Ernie White, 57, left-handed pitcher for St. Louis Cardinals (1940–1943) and Boston Braves (1946–1948) who posted a 17–7 mark (with an ERA of 2.40) for the 1941 Redbirds; later a minor-league manager and MLB coach.
May 23 –Rolla Daringer, 85, Cardinals' shortstop who played 12 total games during two short trials (1914 and 1915).
May 24 –Cliff Markle, 80, pitched in 56 games for the New York Yankees and Cincinnati Reds over five seasons spanning 1915 to 1924.
June 9 –Pat Caraway, 68, southpaw hurler who appeared in 108 career games for 1930–1932 Chicago White Sox; led American League in games lost (24) in 1931.
June 21 –Homer Blankenship, 71, pitcher in 13 games for the 1922–1923 Chicago White Sox and 1928 Pittsburgh Pirates.
June 21 –Joe Jenkins, 83, reserve catcher/pinch hitter in 40 total MLB games, notably with 1917 and 1919 White Sox; did not appear in1917 World Series, a Chicago triumph, or the infamous1919 Fall Classic.
June 23 –Al Boucher, 92, shortstop who played 147 games for the 1914 St. Louis Terriers of the Federal League.
June 24 –Joe Burns, 58, third baseman/outfielder who played in 111 career games for the wartime Boston Braves (1943) and Philadelphia Athletics (1944–1945).
June 30 –Mule Haas, 70, center fielder for the Pittsburgh Pirates (1925), Philadelphia Athletics (1928–1932 and 1938) and Chicago White Sox (1933–1937), who hit two home runs in the 1929 World Series; member of 1929 and 1930 world champion Athletics.
June 30 –Red Jones, 62, outfielder/pinch hitter who was granted a 12-game trial with the St. Louis Cardinals during April and May 1940.
June 30 –Bill Perrin, 64, left-hander who started one game on the mound for the Cleveland Indians on September 30, 1934.
July 2 –Paul Strand, 80, pitcher/outfielder who appeared in 96 games (29 on the mound) for the 1913–1915 Boston Braves and 1924 Philadelphia Athletics; went 6–2 with a 2.44 ERA for 1914 "Miracle Braves".
July 4 –Del Webb, 75, co-owner and chairman of the Yankees from 1945 to 1964; co-owner Dan Topping had died just weeks earlier.
July 5 –Duster Mails, 79, left-handed pitcher who won 32 games for three MLB teams, principally the Cleveland Indians, between 1915 and 1926, but 226 contests in a 602-game, 18-year minor league career.
July 9 –Leo Mangum, 78, pitcher who worked in 85 games for three teams, principally the Boston Braves, over seven seasons between 1924 and 1935.
July 15 –Claud Derrick, 88, infielder in 113 games over all or part of five seasons (1910–1914) for the Philadelphia Athletics, New York Yankees, Cincinnati Reds and Chicago Cubs.
July 17 –Dizzy Dean, 64, Hall of Fame pitcher who won MVP award in 1934 for the world-champion "Gas House Gang" St. Louis Cardinals with 30–7 campaign, the last 30-win season by an NL pitcher; was MVP runnerup the next two years, but a broken toe suffered in 1937 All-Star game led to a career-ending arm injury; he became a broadcaster for St. Louis Browns and national telecasts of the Game of the Week known for folksy mangling of the English language.
July 23 –Walter Signer, 63, pitcher in ten games for World War II-era Chicago Cubs (1943, 1945).
July 26 –George Barr, 82, National League umpire from 1931 to 1949 who worked four World Series and two All-Star games.
July 26 –Vernon Stouffer, 72, Cleveland food industry and restaurant magnate who was principal owner of the Indians from 1966 to 1972.
August 2 –Ty Pickup, 76, Philadelphia Phillies' outfielder who singled in his only MLB at-bat on April 30, 1918.
August 8 –Howie Pollet, 53, left-handed pitcher and three-time National League All-Star who twice won 20 games (1946 and 1949) for the St. Louis Cardinals and twice led NL in earned run average (1943 and 1946); won 131 career games for four MLB clubs over 14-year career, and served as pitching coach of 1959–1964 Cardinals and 1965 Houston Astros; three-time World Series champion as player and coach.
August 13 –Alto Lane, 66, pitcher who took the mound for the Memphis Red Sox, Indianapolis ABCs, Kansas City Monarchs and Cincinnati Tigers of the Negro leagues between 1929 and 1934.
August 14 –Lefty Robinson, 83, pitcher for the St. Louis Stars, Birmingham Black Barons and Atlanta Black Crackers of the Negro leagues between 1923 and 1932.
August 17 –Johnny Barrett, 58, outfielder in 588 career games for Pittsburgh Pirates and Boston Braves from 1942 to 1946; led NL in triples (19) and stolen bases (28) in 1944.
August 19 –Augie Bergamo, 57, reserve outfielder for wartime 1943–1944 St. Louis Cardinals; appeared in 174 MLB games and a member of 1944 World Series champions.
August 22 –Alfredo Edmead Jr., 17, brilliant Dominican teenaged outfielder prospect for the Pittsburgh Pirates; while playing for Salem of the Class–A Carolina League, died from a head injury inflicted during a game when, chasing a pop fly, he collided with a teammate; believed to be the youngest player ever killed in a professional baseball game.
September 6 –Sammy Hale, 77, third baseman who played 883 career games for 1920–1921 Detroit Tigers, 1923–1929 Philadelphia Athletics and 1930 St. Louis Browns; batted .302 lifetime.
September 16 –Frank Walker, 79, outfielder who appeared in 139 games over five seasons for the Detroit Tigers, Philadelphia Athletics and New York Giants between 1917 and 1925.
September 19 –James "Zack" Taylor, 76, NL catcher for 15 seasons, later a coach, manager and scout for 35 years; best known as pilot of the St. Louis Browns (part of 1946 and 1948 through 1951) who was at the helm for Bill Veeck's celebratedEddie Gaedel and "Grandstand Managers Night" stunts during the 1951 campaign.
September 24 –Dick Porter, 72, outfielder in 675 games for Cleveland Indians (1929–1934) and Boston Red Sox (1934), batting .308 lifetime with 774 hits; longtime minor-league manager.
September 25 –Cliff Brady, 77, a second baseman for the Boston Red Sox and minor league manager, who also was a member of the Scullin Steel soccer team which won the National Challenge Cup in 1922.
September 26 –Lefty Stewart, 74, pitcher who won 20 games for the1930 St. Louis Browns; also hurled for the Detroit Tigers, Washington Senators and Cleveland Indians, and went 101–98 (4.19) over his ten-year career.
September 28 –Willie Hogan, 90, outfielder who appeared in 238 career games as a member of the Philadelphia Athletics (1911) and St. Louis Browns (1911–1912).
September 29 –Van Patrick, 58, sportscaster noted for football and boxing coverage, whose baseball work included play-by-play assignments for the Cleveland Indians (1948) and Detroit Tigers (1949 and 1952–1959)
September 29 –By Speece, 77, pitcher in 62 career games for the Washington Senators (1924), Cleveland Indians (1925–1926) and Philadelphia Phillies (1930); member of 1924 World Series champion Senators.
October 5 –Ed Grimes, 69, infielder who got into 74 career games for the St. Louis Browns in 1931 and 1932.
October 13 –Sam Rice, 84, Hall of Fame right fielder for 1915–1933Washington Senators and 1934Cleveland Indians; batted .322 lifetime and led AL in steals and triples once each; remembered for disputed catch in 1925 World Series; finished career with 2,987 hits, at a time when little attention was paid to career totals.
October 20 –Leonardo Chapman, 52, first- and third-baseman for 1944 Baltimore Elite Giants of the Negro National League.
October 22 –Pat Pieper, 88, the Chicago Cubs field (public address) announcer from 1916 to 1974, a span of 59 years.
October 28 –George "Teddy" Wilson, 50, pinch hitter and outfielder in 145 games for three clubs, principally the New York Giants, over all or parts of three seasons (1952, 1953 and 1956).
October 29 –Charlie Mason, 79, outfielder/first baseman for numerous Negro leagues clubs, including the New York Lincoln Giants, Atlantic City Bacharach Giants and Homestead Grays, between 1922 and 1932.
October 30 –Jimmy Shevlin, 65, first baseman who played 53 total games for 1930 Detroit Tigers and 1932 and 1934 Cincinnati Reds.
October 31 –Buddy Myer, 70, second baseman for the Washington Senators (1925–1927 and 1929–1941) and Boston Red Sox (1927–1928) who batted .303 lifetime with 2,131 hits; won 1935 American League batting title (.349) and led league in stolen bases (30) in 1928; two-time AL All-Star.
November 1 –Bullet Joe Bush, 81, pitcher who won 195 games between 1912 and 1928, including a no-hitter; won 26 contests for the1922 New York Yankees; three-time World Series champion (1913 Philadelphia Athletics, 1918 Boston Red Sox, and 1923 Yankees).
November 1 –Red Hadley, 65, outfielder who appeared in 27 games for Atlanta and Indianapolis of the Negro American League in 1938 and 1939.
November 4 –Harry Fritz, 84, third baseman who, after a brief stint with the 1913 Philadelphia Athletics, jumped to Chicago of the Federal League, playing in 144 games during the 1914 and 1915 seasons.
November 4 –Charley Justice, 61, outfielder who played for the Akron Grays and Detroit Stars of the Negro leagues during the 1930s.
November 10 –Mel Simons, 74, outfielder who appeared in 75 games for 1931–1932 Chicago White Sox.
November 10 –Ben Paschal, 79, valuable reserve outfielder from 1924 to 1929 for the New York Yankees; member of 1927 and 1928 world champions.
November 21 –Leon Pettit, 72, left-handed pitcher who worked in 44 MLB games for the 1935 Washington Senators and 1937 Philadelphia Phillies.
November 23 –Jerry Benjamin, 65, standout centerfielder between 1932 and 1948 who three times led the Negro National League in stolen bases and was a three-time All-Star; as a member of the Homestead Grays, he played on eight NNL pennant-winners and two Negro World Series champions (1943, 1944).
November 23 –Babe Twombly, 78, outfielder for the 1920–1921 Chicago Cubs; batted .304 lifetime with 109 hits in 165 big-league games.
December 4 –Dick Luebke, 39, left-handed pitcher who appeared in ten games for the 1962 Baltimore Orioles.
December 5 –Jim Beckman, 69, pitcher and Cincinnati native who worked in ten games for his hometown Reds in 1927–1928.
December 7 –Red Dorman, 74, outfielder who batted .364 in 25 games and 89 plate appearances for the Cleveland Indians in August and September 1928, his only year in the big leagues.
December 11 –Gordon Maltzberger, 62, relief pitcher who put up a 20–13 (2.70) record with 33 saves in 135 games for the Chicago White Sox (1943–1944 and 1946–1947); later, a pitching coach.
December 12 –Booker McDaniel, 61, All-Star pitcher for the 1941–1945 Kansas City Monarchs; led 1945 Negro American League in victories, strikeouts, games pitched, games started, complete games, shutouts and saves—among other categories.
December 18 –Harry Hooper, 87, Hall of Fame right fielder for the Boston Red Sox and Chicago White Sox, who was an outstanding defensive player and solid leadoff hitter, helping the Red Sox to four champion titles, while retiring with the fifth-most walks in history.
December 22 –Allyn Stout, 70, pitcher who appeared in 180 games (151 in relief) for the St. Louis Cardinals (1931–1933), Cincinnati Reds (1933–1934), New York Giants (1935) and Boston Braves (1943).
December 25 –Felton Stratton, 79, infielder/outfielder who played for teams in the Eastern Colored League and Negro National League between 1923 and 1933.
December 28 –Jack Salveson, 60, pitcher in 87 games for four MLB clubs, principally the Cleveland Indians, in five seasons spanning 1933 to 1945; as a 19-year-old rookie, pitched sparingly for 1933 World Series champion New York Giants.
December 30 –Al Shaw, 93, outfielder for the 1907–1909 St. Louis Cardinals; five years later, joined the upstart Federal League, batting .301 in 244 games for Brooklyn (1914) and Kansas City (1915).
