January 9 –Tony Conigliaro, whose auspicious career was forever derailed in1967 at age 22 when he was hit in the face by a pitch, suffers a massive heart attack while being driven toBoston's airport.[1] The heart attack leaves Conigliaro, now 37, in an unresponsive state, in which he'll remain until his death in 1990.[2]
January 20 – ThePhiladelphia Phillies re-sign relief pitcherRon Reed. The 39-year-old veteran of 16 MLB seasons, a Phillie since1976, is a key member of their bullpen. He was among those granted free agency November 13.
January 25 – ThePhillies re-sign another longtime pitcher, starterLarry Christenson. The right-hander, 28, who's won 72 games in a Philadelphia uniform since his debut in April1973, had been granted free agency the previous November.
February 2 – The first-ever "Type A" free-agent compensation draft, implemented by theCBA following the1981 Major League Baseball strike, results in one transaction: theChicago White Sox select 20-year-old catcher prospectJoel Skinner as compensation for losing free-agent hurlerEd Farmer to thePhiladelphia Phillies. Skinner, however, is not selected from the Phillies, but from thePittsburgh Pirates, who had placed him in a multi-team pool of available players.[3]
February 8 – TheLos Angeles Dodgers trade awayDavey Lopes to theOakland Athletics, breaking up the starting infield of Lopes (second base),Ron Cey (third base),Bill Russell (shortstop), andSteve Garvey (first base), which had been together since 1974; the longest intact infield in Major League Baseball history. Lopes, though 36, has six productive MLB seasons ahead of him. Los Angeles receives minor-league infielder Lance Hudson, a 19-year-old prospect drafted by Oakland in the fourth round of 1981'sJanuary amateur draft, in return.
February 10 – TheNew York Mets acquire premier power-hitterGeorge Foster from theCincinnati Reds for three players: pitchersGreg Harris andJim Kern and catcherAlex Treviño. Foster, 33, is a five-timeNational LeagueAll-Star, the1977NL MVP, and author of 221 home runs since he became a regular outfielder for the Reds in1975. He is the only player to crack 50 or more home runs (52 in 1977) sinceWillie Mays in1965. But he's been embroiled in a contract dispute with Cincinnati's front office all winter. On February 11, the Mets will sign Foster to a five-year pact worth at least $10 million.[4]
February 13 – TheCleveland Indians re-sign veteran right-handerJohn Denny, 29, who went10–6 (3.15) in 19 starts for them in 1981. Denny had been among November 13's free agent class.
TheSeattle Mariners sign futureHall-of-Fame pitcherGaylord Perry, 43, released by theAtlanta Braves last October 5. Seattle is Perry's eighth MLB address during his 22-year career to date. He's three wins short of the 300-victory mark. "At this point, I can't be too choosy," he says after signing with the still-struggling, six-year-oldexpansion team.[5]
March 25 – TheToronto Blue Jays acquire lefty-swinging third basemanRance Mulliniks from theRoyals for right-handed pitcherPhil Huffman. Mulliniks, 26, will play all or parts of 11 seasons in a Toronto uniform, andbat over .300 three times. The Jays also sign another left-handed bat, designated hitterGlenn Adams, 34, granted free agency from theMinnesota Twins last November 13.
TheNew York Yankees trade pitcherAndy McGaffigan and outfielderTed Wilborn to theGiants for veteran right-handerDoyle Alexander. The well-traveled Alexander will struggle in his second stint as a Yankee, losing nine of ten decisions with a poor 6.16earned run average in 24 games before drawing his release May 31, 1983. He will return to effectiveness with theToronto Blue Jays after they sign him on June 21, 1983.
TheSan Francisco Giants release infielderRennie Stennett. Signed as a marquee free agent following the1979 season, Stennett, 32, has never regained his form after a serious ankle injury sustained in August 1977 while he was aPittsburgh Pirate. He is released with almost $2 million remaining on his San Francisco contract.
InMinneapolis, theHubert H. Humphrey Metrodome celebrates its MLB debut, as theSeattle Mariners out-slug theMinnesota Twins 11–7. Minnesota'sDave Engle christens the Dome with its first home run; third basemanGary Gaetti, who earlier was thrown out trying to stretch a triple into an inside-the-park home run, adds two over-the-fence homers, entertaining the 52,279 in attendance.Muriel Humphrey, widow of the 38th Vice President of the United States, throws out the first pitch.
A blizzard unprecedented in size for April dumps 1–2 feet (30.5–61.0 cm) of snow on thenortheastern United States, closing schools and businesses, snarling traffic, and canceling six season-opening MLB games.
April 8 – In a lengthy early-season contest, theAthletics andCalifornia Angels go 16 innings atOakland–Alameda County Coliseum before the Angels claim an 8–6 victory. Tied at four after 15, the visitors score four runs in the top half of the 16th, then withstand a two-run rally by the Athletics in the bottom of the frame. Three days later, Oakland fans will witness another 16-inning defeat, when theSeattle Mariners score three times in the visitors' half to down the Athletics, 6–3.
Whitey Herzog, who's held the dual posts ofgeneral manager (GM) andfield manager of theSt. Louis Cardinals since October 1980, voluntarily relinquishes his front-office responsibilities to assistant GMJoe McDonald, a longtime associate with whom he worked with theNew York Mets from1967 through1972. Herzog, who has radically altered the Cardinals' playing roster since becoming GM, remains the team's on-field pilot and receives a $75,000 raise in salary.[7]
Another marathon contest in theAL West sees the visitingSeattle Mariners andCalifornia Angels take 20 innings and two nights to settle matters. Tonight the teams battle for 17 frames to a 3–3 deadlock before a curfew suspends the game at 1:07 a.m. Then, when the game resumes tomorrow, they take almost three more innings beforeBob Boone's single knocks in the winning run in a 4–3 Angel triumph.Luis Sánchez goes 41⁄3 shutout innings over two nights to gain the victory.[8]
April 20:
Before 37,268 fans—which will be the largest throng to see a game atAtlanta–Fulton County Stadium this season—theAtlanta Braves beat theCincinnati Reds 4–2, to go 12–0, the best start ever by any MLB team.Steve Bedrosian is the winning pitcher. The streak will reach 13 the next day when the Braves edge the Reds 4–3.
AtComiskey Park, theChicago White Sox' eight-game, season-opening winning streak ends when theNew York Yankees tag them with their first loss of the season, an 11–2 thrashing. The Yankees score all their runs in the seventh, eighth and ninth innings.
Playing their third 16-inning game in 12 days, theOakland Athletics finally break through whenDan Meyer knocks homeDavey Lopes with the winning run in a 4–3 victory over the visitingMinnesota Twins. Oakland had dropped 16-inning contests on April 8 and 11.
April 25 –Hall-of-Fame former pitcherBob Lemon's second term as manager of the defending AL championYankees ends abruptly when ownerGeorge Steinbrenner replaces him withGene Michael—Lemon's predecessor as the Bombers' dugout boss.[9] The 1982 Yankees are 6–8 and en route to their first losing season since1973. They're in the midst of a 14-year stretch (1978–1991) in which they will change managers 15 times, and Michael's second term won't last to the end of the 1982 campaign.
May 4 – Heckling from fans inFenway Park's bleachers drives standoutMinnesota Twins rookie centerfielderJim Eisenreich out of a game against theBoston Red Sox after two innings. Eisenreich, 23, is batting .310 with two home runs in 24 games, while battlinghyperventilation and involuntary muscle twitches that have caused early exits in each of his previous four games. Today, his condition worsens as the verbal abuse continues. After a stint on the injured list, Eisenreich will appear in only 14 games for the Twins before his voluntary retirement on June 4, 1984. Diagnosed withTourette syndrome, he'll make a comeback in the minor leagues in1987, then return to the majors to play almost 1,400 more games, including star turns with theKansas City Royals (1987–1992; .277 in 650 games) andPhiladelphia Phillies (1993–1996; .324 in 499 games).[10][11]
TheNew York Mets'Rusty Staub hits a game winninghome run offGreg Minton of theSan Francisco Giants. The home run ends Minton's streak of 2541⁄3 innings without allowing a long ball. This still stands as the longest streak in the live-ball era, if not ever.
May 30 –Cal Ripken Jr. starts at third base for theBaltimore Orioles against theToronto Blue Jays. It is the first game of his record-breaking 2,632 consecutive games played streak. Coincidentally, tomorrow, May 31, will be the fifty-seventh anniversary of the start ofLou Gehrig's streak, which Ripken will break. In the game, Toronto'sJim Gott andRoy Lee Jackson combine for a one-hitter as the Blue Jays win, 6–0.Rick Dempsey's fifth inning single off Gott is Baltimore's lone safety.
TheMilwaukee Brewers, expected to contend in theAL East but only 23–24 on the season and seven games out of first place, fire managerBuck Rodgers. His successor, batting coachHarvey Kuenn, will guide the Brewers to victory in 20 of their next 27 games, and Milwaukee will take over first place on July 11. Soon known as "Harvey's Wallbangers", the 1982 Brewers will go on to win the division title and their onlyAmerican Leaguepennant.
June 6 – While crossing a street inArlington, Texas after umpiring a game between theChicago White Sox andTexas Rangers, umpireLou DiMuro is struck by a car; he dies early the next day. The American League later retires his umpire's uniform number 16.
June 9 – In the second game of atwi-night doubleheader, theDetroit Tigers and visitingCleveland Indians battle for 3:38 to a 3–all tie through 14 full innings before a curfew halts proceedings. The game will resume September 24 with new umpires, and it will require four more innings before the Bengals win, 4–3, when former TigerEd Glynn's wild pitch scoresAlan Trammell with the decisive run.[14]
June 16 – AtMemorial Stadium, theMilwaukee Brewers andBaltimore Orioles are deadlocked 2–2 through nine full innings when rain halts play. The game is ruled 1982's only tie (there were four in1981) but all statistics will go into the record books.
June 19 –Willie Randolph's RBI single in the bottom of the 16th inning seals a "walk off" 4–3New York Yankees' victory over theOrioles in the marathon contest.
June 26 –Dave LaRoche fires six innings of shutout relief, enabling hisNew York Yankees to win their second extendedextra innings game in a week, 4–3 over the visitingCleveland Indians in 17 innings. LaRoche was the winning pitcher in each drawn-out contest.
June 30 – TheBraves acquire right-handed pitcherPascual Pérez and a minor-league infielder from thePittsburgh Pirates for left-handerLarry McWilliams. Initially assigned toTriple-ARichmond, Pérez will be recalled in late July, then on August 19, he'll play an unusual role in the Braves' quest for the 1982NL West division title by missing a starting assignment. That night, newly licensed driver Pérez gets lost onAtlanta's highways for three hours en route to thestadium. The Braves, mired in a 2–19 slump, win anyway, and when Pérez starts the next night and goes 92⁄3 strong innings in another Atlanta victory, his highway misadventure is hailed for "breaking the tension" in the team's clubhouse and setting them back on a winning course.[15][16]
July 6 – At theKingdome, theNew York Yankees blow a seventh-inning, 7–0 lead when theMariners rally to tie the score in the home half of the seventh. ButBobby Murcer's 12th-inning solo shot andRudy May's shutdown relief effort enable the Bombers to prevail, 8–7. After today, New York is 38–38, in fifth place and six games behind the leaders in theAL East.
July 7 – AtComiskey Park, futureHall of FamerHarold Baines of theChicago White Sox slugs home runs in three consecutive at bats—solo blows in the fifth and seventh innings, and agrand slam in the eighth—and drives in six in the ChiSox' 7–0 win over theDetroit Tigers. It's his first of what will be Baines' three career three-homer games.Dennis Lamp fires the shutout.
July 13 – At Montreal'sOlympic Stadium, in the firstAll-Star Game held outside the United States,Cincinnati Reds shortstopDave Concepción hits a two-run home run in the second inning to spark the National League to a 4–1 win over the American League. It's the NL's 11th straight victory and 19th in the last 20 contests. Concepción wins the MVP honors.
July 15 – TheDetroit Tigers come out of the All-Star break with their hitting shoes on, scoring 11 runs in the top of the first at theHubert H. Humphrey Metrodome en route to an 18–2 rout of theMinnesota Twins. They rack up nine hits and a walk in the opening frame;Lance Parrish belts a two-run homer.
July 19 –Tony Gwynn of theSan Diego Padres makes his Major League debut. His double and single will be the first two hits of the 3,141 he will accumulate in hisHall of Fame career.
July 28 – TheTexas Rangers fire managerDon Zimmer and appoint coachDarrell Johnson acting pilot. The Rangers are 38–58, in sixth place and 16½ games out of first. Zimmer departs with a 95–106 (.473) record in 1+ seasons. Ironically, in July 1976, the scenario was reversed when theBoston Red Sox fired Johnson as skipper and named Zimmer, then a coach, to succeed him.
July 29 – TheAtlanta Braves were in first place in the National League West, 9 games ahead of theSan Diego Padres when ownerTed Turner decides to remove the elevatedtipi of mascotChief Noc-A-Homa from the stands to allow more seats to be sold for the Braves' run at the division title. The Braves, however, lose 19 of their next 21 games, falling into third place before the tipi is restored.
August 3 – After theChicago White Sox sweep a doubleheader from theNew York Yankees inthe Bronx, 1–0 and 14–2, ownerGeorge Steinbrenner fires managerGene Michael for the second time in 11 months and names his third skipper of 1982: veteran baseball manClyde King, earlier this season the Bombers' pitching coach and a special assistant to Steinbrenner. New York is 50–50 on the season, 44–42 under Michael.[17]
August 4 –Joel Youngblood of theNew York Mets goes 1-for-2 offFerguson Jenkins of theChicago Cubs in a day game atWrigley Field inChicago. He is informed that he has been traded to theMontréal Expos, and leaves immediately forPhiladelphia to meet the team there. He arrives in time to play, and enters the game in the sixth inning, getting a hit offSteve Carlton. He is the first player in Major League history to hit safely for two different teams on the same day.
August 7 – In the fourth inning of a game atFenway Park between theBoston Red Sox and theChicago White Sox, four-year old Jonathan Keane is hit in the head with a foul line drive hit into the stands byDave Stapleton. The hit causes Keane's skull to bleed profusely, andJim Rice quickly enters the stands and carries Keane inside the dugout to the Red Sox trainer's room, where team doctors take over. Rice plays the remainder of the game with a blood-stained uniform. Keane, meanwhile, recovers at a nearby children's hospital and Rice and the team doctors are credited with saving his life. After visiting Keane, Rice stops by the hospital's business office and instructs that the family's bill should be sent to him to pay.
August 9 –Bill Virdon, manager of theHouston Astros since August 19, 1975, is fired with his club 49–62 and fifth in its division. CoachBob Lillis, shortstop for theoriginal, 1962 "Colt .45s", takes the reins. Virdon is the most successful skipper in the franchise's 21-year history to date, leading the Astros to 544 regular-season victories and two postseason appearances.
August 10:
TheAtlanta Braves, who've led theNL West since winning their first 12 games of the 1982 season, tumble out of first place for the first time, losing to theSan Francisco Giants 3–2 atCandlestick Park. The Giants'Milt May hits the game-winning home run offAl Hrabosky in the seventh inning; the loss is Atlanta's eighth consecutive and 12th in their last 13 games.
Meanwhile, theLos Angeles Dodgers, who had trailed the Braves by ten games less than two weeks earlier, defeat theCincinnati Reds atDodger Stadium 11–3 asRick Monday andSteve Garvey both homer. The victory is the Dodgers' eighth consecutive and 12th in their last 13 games. Their comeback includes sweeping two four-game series from the Braves—one atAtlanta–Fulton County Stadium from July 30 to August 1, and another at Dodger Stadium (the first three coming in extra innings) from August 5–8, just prior to the Cincinnati series.
August 17–18:
The visitingDodgers and theChicago Cubs lock horns at light-lessWrigley Field in arhubarb-filled extra-innings marathon that's suspended because of darkness after 17 full innings on the 17th, then takes another four frames to decide on the 18th. Finally, in the visitors' 21st inning,Steve Sax scores onDusty Baker'ssacrifice fly to give Los Angeles the 2–1 victory. Three Dodgers and two Cubs are ejected—including both managers,Tommy Lasorda andLee Elia. The contest lasts six hours and ten minutes.[18]
The Dodgers'Jerry Reuss goes four innings inrelief to win the suspended game, thenstarts August 18's regularly scheduled contest and picks up his second victory of the day when he allows two runs in five innings in Los Angeles' 7–4 victory.[19] With the slumpingBraves' 12–2 defeat at the hands of theMontreal Expos today inAtlanta, Los Angeles extends its divisional lead to four full games.
Even though he has made no secret that he occasionally employs thespitball,Gaylord Perry is ejected in the seventh inning of a game versus theBoston Red Sox for throwing the illegal pitch.American LeagueumpireDave Phillips hands Perry, 43, the first such ejection of his 22-year MLB career.
August 27 –Rickey Henderson steals four bases, breaking the record he had shared withLou Brock at 118 stolen bases for the season. He will steal eight more to end the season with a record of 130.
Veteran first basemanWillie Stargell, whose jersey #8 is retired, is saluted by 38,000 fans on his day at Pittsburgh'sThree Rivers Stadium. The 41-year-old futureHall-of-Fame slugger delivers a pinch single in thePirates' 6–1 win over theMets.
September 8 - Entering the game as a late inning substitute,Don Mattingly makes his MLB debut. Mattingly does not have an at bat in the Yankees 10-5 win over the Baltimore Orioles.[20]
September 8–9 – The wildNL West race roars on when theLos Angeles Dodgers andAtlanta Braves meet head-to-head for a two-game, midweek set inGeorgia's capital. In the opening contest, the teams combine for seven home runs and are knotted 11–11 after nine innings. Then, in the tenth,Dale Murphy's single platesClaudell Washington and secures a 12–11 Atlanta victory.[21] The following night, the Braves rough upFernando Valenzuela for eight runs over six innings and cruise to a 10–3 triumph. The series ends with the Braves holding a 1½-game lead in their division, with 22 yet to play.
Minnesota Twins pitcherTerry Felton, a 24-year-old former second-round draft pick, absorbs the loss today in an 18–7 debacle against theKansas City Royals—his thirteenth defeat of the year against no wins. He'll pitch in two more games this month without earning adecision before leaving the major leagues. Coupled with his1980 record of 0–3, Felton's 0–16 career MLBwon–lost mark sets a futility record for the most losses without a big league win.
September 13 – Each of theNational League's divisional races see razor-thin lead changes.
In theWest,Steve Garvey's 16th-inning solo homer seals an overtime, 4–3 victory for the home-standingLos Angeles Dodgers over theSan Diego Padres. The outcome results in another divisional lead change when, in a battle of the Niekro brothers, theHouston Astros'Joe Niekro outduels his Hall of Fame-bound siblingPhil of theAtlanta Braves, 5–3. The Dodgers' margin, like the Phillies', is a half-game.
September 17 – Winning their seventh straight game, 9–2 at home over theHouston Astros, theDodgers widen theirNL West margin to 3½ games (with 14 left in the season) over theAtlanta Braves, who lose atCincinnati today for their fourth consecutive setback. The Dodgers' "magic number" is 12.
September 20 – TheSt. Louis Cardinals win their eighth straight game since being vanquished bySteve Carlton on September 13. Today, atBusch Memorial Stadium,Joaquín Andújar andBruce Sutter scatter nine hits and take down the second-placePhiladelphia Phillies, 4–1, who have lost five of six during the same timespan. St. Louis (87–63) has gained six full games on the Phillies (81–68), and now holds a 5½-length advantage in theNL East.
September 20–22 – TheAL West race is tied going into a three-game showdown between theCalifornia Angels andKansas City Royals, both 84–65, atAnaheim Stadium. By the time their series ends on the 22nd, the Angels are in total control, having swept all three contests, 3–2, 2–1 and 8–5. Clutch efforts by starting pitchersGeoff Zahn (two runs over eight innings) andKen Forsch (complete game, one run) mark the first two wins;Doug DeCinces' two homers power the Angels in the third. They will preserve their three-game margin and win their second division title in history when both clubs go 6–4 over the season's final ten games.
September 27:
In a year that features tense divisional races, theSt. Louis Cardinals (91–66) are the first to clinch a playoff berth, capturing theNL East with a 4–2 victory over theMontreal Expos atOlympic Stadium. Hall-of-FamerBruce Sutter is on the mound toclose out the win, notching his 36thsave. St. Louis wins its first NL East crown:[22] the Redbirds' last trip to the postseason came in1968, the last year before divisional play, when they dropped theWorld Series in seven games to theDetroit Tigers.
EmbattledCleveland Indians managerDave Garcia resigns, saying "I believe it is best for the club, the fans and for me that I don't come back."[24] Garcia, 62, managed Cleveland to a 247–244 (.503) record since July 23, 1979.
October 6 – TheAtlanta Braves andSt. Louis Cardinals play four innings of Game 1 of the1982 NLCS when rain halts play in the bottom of the fifth with the Cardinals batting, three outs away from being an official game, and the Braves ahead, 1–0. The rain does not subside and the game is called. The Cardinals would go on to sweep the Braves and reach the1982 World Series.
October 10:
After being down 2–0 to theCalifornia Angels, theMilwaukee Brewers complete a three-game comeback, defeating the Angels 4–3 to capture their onlyAmerican League Championship.Fred Lynn of the losing Angels is named the Most Valuable Player of the Series after going 11-for-18 with 5RBI and 4 runs scored.
TheMontreal Expos'Tim Raines enters treatment for drug abuse. Raines claims to have spent a fifth of his salary on cocaine when he stole a National League-leading 78 bases during the regular season, and says he started sliding head first to avoid breaking the vial ofcocaine he kept in his back pocket.
October 17 – In Game 5 of the1982 World Series, a 6–4Milwaukee Brewers victory,Robin Yount powers the victors with four hits, including a home run and a double. Along with his four-hit effort in Game 1, Yount becomes the first player ever to have two four-hit games in a single World Series.
After three years of "Billy Ball" and the revival of theOakland Athletics, manager and director of player developmentBilly Martin is fired by club presidentRoy Eisenhardt. Martin's first two seasons were rousing successes: he turned an almost-moribund franchise into a winning (83–79) outfit in1980 and was named "Manager of the Year" byThe Associated Press; he then led the1981 Athletics to the best regular-season record in theAmerican League and theALCS. But the 1982 squad stumbled badly to a 68–94 mark, although they drew a franchise-record 1.74 million fans. Martin, 54, remains a sought-after manager; even before today's firing, he was negotiating with theCleveland Indians to fill their vacant position and his attorney is rumored to be in talks withGeorge Steinbrenner about arranging Martin's return to theNew York Yankees for a third managerial term.[26]
October 22 –California Angels pilotGene Mauch, who this year led his team to postseason play for the first time in his 23-year MLB managerial career, resigns his position. Mauch, 56, faced criticism for starting pitcher selection that may have cost the Angelsthis year's ALCS.[27] On November 2, he will be succeeded by formerCincinnati Reds managerJohn McNamara.[28]
Bowie Kuhn, theCommissioner of Baseball since February 1969, is voted out of office by MLB owners. Kuhn, 56, survived a 1975 revolt by threeAmerican League owners before being elected to his second, seven-year term as baseball's czar. This time, however, it's theNational League that forces his departure, when five of its 12 magnates vote "nay" on Kuhn's contract renewal—denying Kuhn the required 75% supermajority in each league to be re-elected. He's expected to serve out his term until his existing pact expires on August 13, 1983.[29]
November 9 –Robin Yount of theMilwaukee Brewers is namedAmerican League MVP. During the Brewers' AL-pennant-winning season season, he batted .318 with 21 home runs, 103 RBIS and 19 steals.
November 10 – Forty players—including veteran standoutsDon Baylor (1979AL MVP) andSteve Garvey (1974NL MVP)—are granted free agency and will enter the market for new contracts.
November 15 –Kansas City Royals DH and team leaderHal McRae, 36, signs a new contract to remain with the club, five days after being granted free agency. McRae led the American League inruns batted in (133) in 1982 and was named to his thirdAll-Star team.
November 17 – Center fielderDale Murphy wins theNational League MVP Award, becoming the firstBraves' player to be so honored sinceHank Aaron in 1957. Murphy hit .281 with 36 home runs, 109 RBI, 113 runs, and 23 stolen bases.
December 1 – Three weeks after they enter the market, two headlining members of the free-agent "Class of 1982" agree to multi-year contracts with new teams:
December 3 – CatcherAlan Ashby, granted free agency on November 10, remains with theHouston Astros, signing a three-year, $1.25 million contract.[33]
December 6:
TheOakland Athletics acquire third baseman and1981AL batting championCarney Lansford, outfielderGarry Hancock and minor-league pitcher Jerry King from theBoston Red Sox for outfielderTony Armas and catcherJeff Newman. The formerly free-spending Red Sox are shunning the free agent market; they trade Lansford, 25, because he rejects their offer for a multi-year contract extension that will keep him from free agency after the 1983 season.[34] He'll spend the next ten years as a key Oakland regular.
An eye-catching interleague trade sees thePhiladelphia Phillies andCleveland Indians exchange highly ranked young players. The Phillies acquire outfielderVon Hayes from Cleveland for five players: pitcherJay Baller, catcherJerry Willard, second basemanManny Trillo, shortstopJulio Franco and outfielderGeorge Vukovich. The headliners, Hayes and Franco, both 24, will have noteworthy careers; Hayes is a Phillie regular for nine seasons, while Franco will still be playing in the majors at age 49 in2007.[36][37] In a separate transaction between the teams, the Phillies acquire infielderLarry Milbourne from the Indians for cash considerations.
TwoAL East competitors, theToronto Blue Jays andNew York Yankees, pull off a five-player trade. Toronto acquires pitcherMike Morgan, first basemanFred McGriff and outfielderDave Collins from New York for veteran right-handerDale Murray and outfielderTom Dodd, a former Yankee farmhand. McGriff is a prospect who has just turned 19; in1986, he'll launch aHall of Fame career as a slugging first baseman for the Blue Jays and five other MLB teams.
TheYankees replace Collins by signing outfielderSteve Kemp, granted free agency from theChicago White Sox on November 10, to a five-year, $5.45 million contract.[38]
December 15 – Eight-year veteran outfielderRick Manning remains with theCleveland Indians, signing a five-year, $2.4 million contract with them after being granted free agency in November.[41]
The dismantling of the long-timeLos Angeles Dodgers infield continues as its most productive and iconic member, first basemanSteve Garvey, an eight-timeNL All-Star, 4×Gold Glove Award winner, and1974NL MVP, signs with the division rivalSan Diego Padres after being granted free agency November 10. Garvey's new five-year contract is valued at $6.6 million, plus bonuses.[43] After all or part of 14 seasons, 1,727 games played and 1,938 hits in a Dodger uniform, he will become the face of a secondSouthern California team, with his clutch home run in Game 5 of the1984 NLCS delivering the firstpennant in San Diego's MLB history.[44]
December 22 –Lee Mazzilli's tenure with theNew York Yankees ends after 37 games when the Bombers trade the 27-year-old outfielder to thePittsburgh Pirates for four young players: pitcherTim Burke, catcher Bubba Holland, infielder José Rivera and outfielder Jerry Aubin.
December 23 – Free-agentWoodie Fryman agrees to return to theMontreal Expos for1983. The 42-year-old relief pitcher went9–4 (3.75) with 12saves in 60 games for Montreal in 1982.
December 31 – Veteran left-handed starting pitcherPaul Splittorff remains with theKansas City Royals, agreeing to a new contract after being granted free agency along with November's "Class of 1982." Known as "the Original Royal," Splittorff, 36, will spend his entire baseball career with the franchise, 15 years as a player and 24 more as a broadcaster.[45]
January 6 –Wally Post, 52, right fielder who played in 1,204 games, most notably with the Cincinnati Reds/Redlegs, between 1949 and 1964, and known for his home run power.
January 7 –Chet Falk, 76, left-handed pitcher who appeared in 40 games for the 1925–1927 St. Louis Browns.
January 12 –Curtis Henderson, 70, shortstop/third baseman for six Negro leagues teams between 1936 and 1946, including the New York Black Yankees and the Toledo/Indianapolis Crawfords; All-Star selection in 1940.
January 14 –Jesse Hubbard, 86, outfielder/pitcher whose career in the Negro Leagues and Black baseball extended from 1919 to 1935.
January 15 –Red Smith, 76, Pulitzer Prize-winning sportswriter whose career lasted from 1927 until his death; described byErnest Hemingway as "the most important force in American sportswriting".
January 18 –Bob Addie, 71, sportswriter for Washington, D.C., newspapers for nearly 40 years who covered both Senators franchises.
January 18 –Bob Barrett, 82, infielder who played in 239 games for the Chicago Cubs, Brooklyn Robins and Boston Red Sox over five seasons spanning 1923 to 1929.
January 18 –Johnny Tobin, 61, third baseman who played in 84 games for the 1945 Red Sox and a mainstay of Pacific Coast League between 1948 and 1957; brother ofJim Tobin.
January 21 –Al Lefevre, 83, infielder who played in 21 games for the 1920 New York Giants.
January 23 –Jim Hopper, 62, pitcher who appeared in two games for 1946 Pittsburgh Pirates.
January 24 –Ben Shields, 78, left-handed pitcher who appeared in 13 games between 1924 and 1931 for the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox and Philadelphia Phillies.
January 27 –Bill Haeffner, 87, catcher who appeared in 59 games over three seasons between 1915 and 1928, mainly for the 1920 Pittsburgh Pirates.
January 28 –Marion Cunningham, 86, first baseman who played in 131 games for the 1924–1925 Memphis Red Sox of the Negro National League.
January 28 –Hub Pruett, 81, nicknamed "Shucks", left-handed pitcher who went only 29–48 (4.63 ERA) in 211 appearances for four clubs over seven years between 1922 and 1932, but as a rookie with the St. Louis Browns gained a lasting reputation for effectiveness against Babe Ruth.
January 28 –Paul Schreiber, 79, pitcher who appeared in dozen games for 1922–1923 Brooklyn Robins and 1945 New York Yankees; had a long post-playing career as a batting practice pitcher and coach for the Yankees and Boston Red Sox.
January 31 –Marvin Milkes, 58, baseball executive and general manager of 1969 Seattle Pilots and 1970 Milwaukee Brewers; immortalized inJim Bouton'sBall Four.
January –Jimmy Ford, 69, outfielder who played for eight clubs, including the Memphis Red Sox, Harrisburg Stars and New York Black Yankees, in the Negro leagues between 1937 and 1945; selected an All-Star in 1941.
February 12 –Dale Alderson, 63, pitcher who made 16 total appearances for 1943–1944 Chicago Cubs.
February 17 –Nestor Chylak, 59, American League umpire from 1954 to 1978 who worked in five World Series and six All-Star games; elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1999.
February 21 –Ray Shearer, 52, outfielder and minor-league veteran who received a brief trial with 1957 Milwaukee Braves, appearing in two games and garnering three plate appearances.
February 28 –Roy Sherid, 75, pitcher who went 23–24 (4.71 ERA) with six saves in 87 games for the 1929–1931 New York Yankees.
March 4 –Bill DeWitt, 79, executive who spent more than 60 years in major leagues, beginning by selling soda pop as a teen; general manager (1936–1951), minority owner (1936−1948) and principal owner (1949–1951) of St. Louis Browns; general manager (1961–1966) and owner (1962–1966) of Cincinnati Reds; president of Detroit Tigers (1959–1960); board chairman of Chicago White Sox (1976–1981);father andgrandfather of owners or senior baseball executives.
March 8 –Tom Hussey, 71, sportscaster who described games of the Boston Red Sox (1939–1953) and Boston Bees/Braves (1939–1950).
March 12 –Bill Andrus, 74, third baseman and pinch hitter who appeared in six MLB games in trials for the 1931 Washington Senators and 1937 Philadelphia Phillies.
March 15 –Eddie Mulligan, 87, banjo-hitting third baseman/shortstop in 350 games for the 1915–1916 Chicago Cubs, 1921–1922 Chicago White Sox, and 1928 Pittsburgh Pirates; fixture as a player in the Pacific Coast League between 1919 and 1938, then served as president of the California League from 1956 to 1975.
March 17 –Lunie Danage, 86, second baseman and third baseman who appeared in 57 games for the 1920 St. Louis Giants of the Negro National League.
March 21 –Ollie Sax, 77, who appeared in 16 games as a third baseman and pinch runner for the 1929 St. Louis Browns of the American League.
April 4 –Eli Chism, 65, outfielder for the 1946 Cleveland Buckeyes and 1947 Birmingham Black Barons of the Negro American League.
April 4 –Mel Queen, 64, pitcher who worked in 146 games over eight seasons spanning 1942 to 1952 for the New York Yankees and Pittsburgh Pirates; father of theMLB pitcher/outfielder and manager.
April 8 –Alonzo Boone, 74, pitcher who spent much of his Negro leagues tenure (1929 to 1947) with Cleveland-based teams; managed 1948 Buckeyes to a 39–37 record.
April 9 –Francisco Barrios, 28, pitcher for the Chicago White Sox from 1974 to 1981; suffered a fatal heart attack on eve of 1982 season.
April 13 –Ray Knode, 81, first baseman/pinch runner in 109 games for Cleveland Indians from 1923 to 1926.
April 14 –Kermit Dial, 74, infielder for the Chicago American Giants, Columbus Blue Birds and Detroit Stars of the Negro leagues between 1932 and 1937.
April 24 –Buster Ross, 79, left-handed pitcher who appeared in 64 games, mostly as a reliever, for 1924–1926 Boston Red Sox.
April 27 –Truck Hannah, 92, catcher in 244 career games for 1918–1920 New York Yankees; played in minors for 28 seasons, 22 of them in the Pacific Coast League—18 of those spent with the Los Angeles Angels; charter member of the PCL Hall of Fame.
April 30 –Leo Dickerman, 85, pitcher who hurled in 89 career games for the Brooklyn Robins (1923–1924) and St. Louis Cardinals (1924–1925).
April –Frank McCoy, 70, left-handed-hitting catcher whose Negro leagues career spanned 1929 to 1943 and included service with three Newark, New Jersey–based teams.
May 2 –Leo Callahan, 91, outfielder who got into 114 National League games with 1913 Brooklyn Superbas and 1919 Philadelphia Phillies.
May 6 –Beauty McGowan, 80, outfielder whose five MLB seasons were spaced over a 16-year span; appeared in 375 total games for 1922–1923 Philadelphia Athletics, 1928–1929 St. Louis Browns and 1937 Boston Bees.
May 9 –John Smith, 75, first baseman for the 1931 Boston Red Sox.
May 11 –Dave Malarcher, 87, infielder and manager in the Negro leagues who led the Chicago American Giants to World Series titles in 1926–1927 and the Indianapolis ABC's to a 1933 pennant.
May 17 –Dixie Walker, 71, five-time All-Star outfielder who batted .306 lifetime during an 18-season career with five MLB clubs and gained his greatest popularity("The People's Cherce") with the Brooklyn Dodgers (1939–1947); NL batting champion in 1944;brother,son andnephew of major leaguers.
May 20 –Greene Farmer, 62, outfielder who appeared for Negro leagues clubs between 1942 and 1947.
May 29 –Erv Palica, 54, pitcher who worked in 246 career games for the Brooklyn Dodgers (1947–1951 and 1953–1954) and Baltimore Orioles (1955–1956).
May 30 –Charlie Gooch, 79, who appeared in 39 games as a pinch hitter, first and third baseman for the 1929 Washington Senators.
June 4 –Tony Kaufmann, 81, pitcher/outfielder for the Chicago Cubs, St. Louis Cardinals and Philadelphia Phillies for a dozen seasons between 1921 and 1935; later a coach for 1947–1950 Cardinals, scout, and minor-league manager.
June 7 –Lou DiMuro, 51, AL umpire since 1963 who worked two World Series, three ALCS and four All-Star Games.
June 8 –Irv Jeffries, 76, infielder in 175 career games with 1930–1931 Chicago White Sox and 1934 Philadelphia Phillies.
June 8 –Satchel Paige, 75, Hall of Fame pitcher in the Negro leagues, mainly with the Kansas City Monarchs, who was black baseball's biggest star for much of his career; won 28 major league games after debuting at age 42; in 1971 became the second Negro leaguer elected to Hall of Fame, behind Jackie Robinson who was elected in 1962; at age 59, threw three scoreless innings for the Kansas City Athletics against the Boston Red Sox on September 25, 1965.
June 11 –Jack Hallett, 67, pitcher for Chicago White Sox, Pittsburgh Pirates and New York Giants who appeared in 73 games over six seasons between 1940 and 1948.
June 12 –Webster McDonald, 82, pitcher in Negro leagues and Black baseball whose career lasted from 1922 to 1940; two-time Negro World Series champ as member of 1926–1927 Chicago American Giants; stalwart hurler for 1930s Philadelphia Stars, where he also was the player-manager from 1934 to 1936; led Negro National League pitchers in victories in 1935.
June 13 –Randy Bobb, 34, catcher who appeared in ten games for the 1968–1969 Chicago Cubs.
June 14 –Red Evans, 75, right-hander who posted a 1–11 won–lost record (6.21 ERA) in 25 career games for the 1936 Chicago White Sox and 1939 Brooklyn Dodgers, for whom he was the Opening Day starting pitcher inLeo Durocher's first game as an MLB manager.
June 27 –Eddie Morgan, 77, outfielder/first baseman for the St. Louis Cardinals and Brooklyn Dodgers, who hit a pinch-hit home run in his first major league at-bat.
July 1 –Footsie Blair, 81, infielder and pinch hitter in 246 games for 1929–1931 Chicago Cubs.
July 1 –Ray Scarborough, 64, pitcher who went 80–85 (4.13) in 318 games over ten MLB seasons (1942–1943 and 1946–1953) for five American League teams, most notably the Washington Senators; later, a longtime scout and special assistant for general managerHarry Dalton.
July 3 –Spencer Harris, 81, outfielder who played in 146 big-league games for Chicago White Sox (1925–1926), Washington Senators (1929) and Philadelphia Athletics (1930), but logged 26 seasons in the minors between 1921 and 1948, and was credited with 3,617 hits.
July 6 –"Indian Bob" Johnson, 76, eight-time All-Star left fielder with the Philadelphia Athletics (1933–1942), Washington Senators (1943) and Boston Red Sox (1944–1945), who had eight 100-RBI seasons and scored 100 runs six times.
July 7 –"Jumping Joe" Dugan, 85, third baseman who appeared in 1,447 games for five MLB clubs between 1917 and 1931, notably the 1922–1928 New York Yankees, where he was a key member of three World Series champions, including the1927 "Murderers' Row" edition.
July 11 –Chet Nichols, 85, pitcher who posted a 1–8 (7.19) record in 44 games for three NL clubs over six seasons between 1926 and 1932; father of pitcherChet Jr.
July 14 –Jackie Jensen, 55, All-Star right fielder who starred for the Boston Red Sox; won the AL's 1958 MVP award and led the league in RBI three times, but retired at 34 due to an intense fear of flying; first athlete to play in both the World Series and football's Rose Bowl.
July 18 –Andy Anderson, 59, infielder who batted .184 in 223 at bats over 122 games for the 1948–1949 St. Louis Browns.
July 18 –Pete Layden, 62, NFL quarterback who also played in Major League Baseball in 41 games as a centerfielder for the 1948 Browns.
July 20 –Grover Froese, 66, American League umpire in 1952 and 1953.
July 22 –Lloyd Waner, 76, nicknamed "Little Poison", Hall of Fame center fielder who played in the Pittsburgh Pirates outfield next to his brotherPaul; a career .316 hitter who led the NL in hits, runs and triples once each, his 1967 Hall election made them the first brothers to be inducted.
July 23 –Roberto Peña, 45, Dominican shortstop/second baseman who played in 587 games for five teams over six seasons spanning 1965–1971; scored winning run in the 1969 San Diego Padres' first-ever National League victory.
July 24 –Lin Storti, 75, switch-hitting third baseman and second baseman for 1930–1933 St. Louis Browns, appearing in 216 career games.
July 27 –Sug Jones, 74, who batted .364 in an 11-game career with the 1932 Little Rock Grays of the Negro Southern League as a first baseman, center fielder and catcher.
July 28 –Lefty Wallace, 60, pitcher who appeared in 51 games for the Boston Braves (1942 and 1945–1946).
July 29 –Lute Boone, 92, infielder who appeared in 315 career games for the 1913–1916 New York Yankees and 1918 Pittsburgh Pirates.
August 20 –Hank Johnson, 76, pitcher for the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Philadelphia Athletics and Cincinnati Reds, who had several victorious seasons as a Yankee in the 1930s.
August 22 –Ebba St. Claire, 61, catcher for the Boston/Milwaukee Braves and New York Giants from 1951 to 1954; father ofRandy St. Claire.
August 23 –Henry Merchant, 64, outfielder/pitcher/first baseman for the Chicago American Giants and Cincinnati–Indianapolis Clowns of the Negro American League, 1940 to 1948.
August 25 –Ray Steineder, 87, relief pitcher who appeared in 29 total games for the 1923–1924 Pittsburgh Pirates and 1924 Philadelphia Phillies.
August 29 –Charlie Niebergall, 83, catcher in 54 games over three seasons (1921, 1923–1924) for the St. Louis Cardinals; later, a scout.
September 4 –Buster Bray, 69, outfielder who played four games for 1941 Boston Braves.
September 5 –Tom Hurd, 58, pitched from 1954 through 1956 for the Boston Red Sox.
September 7 –Ken Boyer, 51, seven-time All-Star third baseman with the St. Louis Cardinals who won the NL's 1964 MVP award and five Gold Gloves; batted .300 five times and had eight 90-RBI seasons; member of 1964 World Series champions whose grand-slam homer in Game 4 provided all the runs in a 4–3 Redbird triumph; managed Cardinals from April 29, 1978, to June 8, 1980; brother ofClete andCloyd Boyer.
September 18 –Clyde McCullough, 65, catcher who played 1,098 games for Chicago Cubs (1940–1943, 1945–1948 and 1953–1956) and Pittsburgh Pirates (1949–1952); minor league manager and instructor; coach for three MLB teams, serving as bullpen coach of San Diego Padres at the time of his death.
September 23 –Lefty Mills, 72, southpaw hurler who spent his entire 96-game MLB career with St. Louis Browns (1934 and 1937–1940).
September 29 –Monty Stratton, 70, All-Star pitcher for the Chicago White Sox who attempted to make a baseball comeback after a hunting accident cost him a leg, inspiring an Oscar-winning 1949 movie that featured actorJames Stewart as Stratton.
October 4 –Red Barron, 82, appeared as a left fielder and pinch runner in ten games for the 1929 Boston Braves.
October 13 –Alonzo Perry, 60, pitcher/outfielder for the 1946 Homestead Grays (Negro National League) and 1947–1948 Birmingham Black Barons (Negro American League).
October 17 –Hank McDonald, 71, pitcher who appeared in 48 games as a member of the 1931 and 1933 Philadelphia Athletics and 1933 St. Louis Browns.
October 18 –Bob Vines, 85, relief pitcher in nine games for 1924 St. Louis Cardinals and 1925 Philadelphia Phillies.
October 19 –George Bradley, 68, center fielder and pinch hitter in four games for 1946 St. Louis Browns.
October 26 –Bud Podbielan, 58, pitcher for the Brooklyn Dodgers, Cincinnati Reds and Cleveland Indians between 1949 and 1959.
October 29 –Bill O'Donnell, 56, sportscaster; member of the Baltimore Orioles' broadcast team from 1966 until ill health forced him to retire in early 1982; also served as #2 play-by-play man for NBC-TV's MLB Game of the Week.
October 29 –Tom Sheehan, 88, pitcher for four MLB clubs between 1915 and 1926 who went 1–16 for horrific 1916 Philadelphia Athletics squad; later a coach, scout and minor league skipper who became oldest rookie manager in big-league annals when, at age 66, he was named pilot of the San Francisco Giants on June 18, 1960.
October 29 –Pinky Woods, 62, pitcher who hurled in 85 games for the wartime Boston Red Sox between 1943 and 1945.
October 31 –Sheriff Blake, 83, pitcher who appeared in 304 total games over ten seasons spanning 1920 to 1937 for five clubs, principally the Chicago Cubs; led NL in shutouts (4) in 1928.
November 2 –Bill Zuber, 69, pitcher who worked in 224 games for the Cleveland Indians (1936, 1938–1940), Washington Senators (1941–1942), New York Yankees (1943–1946) and Boston Red Sox (1946); member of 1943 World Series champions.
November 3 –Ray Fisher, 95, pitcher for the Yankees and Reds who started Game 3 of the 1919 World Series; coached at Michigan for 38 years, winning the 1953 College World Series.
November 6 –Al Baker, 76, pitcher for the Boston Red Sox in the 1930s.
November 7 –Jim Bivin, 72, pitcher for the 1935 Philadelphia Phillies.
November 12 –Cass Michaels, 56, All-Star second baseman for the White Sox, Senators, Browns and Athletics whose career ended prematurely when he was hit by a pitch in the head in 1954.
November 17 –Johnny Davis, 65, two-time All-Star outfielder for the 1940–1948 Newark Eagles of the Negro National League.
November 20 –Bob Short, 65, baseball and basketball club owner; bought expansion Washington Senators on December 3, 1968, moved them to Arlington, Texas, as the Texas Rangers after the 1971 season, then sold franchise to Brad Corbett on May 29, 1974; earlier, he owned the NBA's Minneapolis Lakers and moved them to Los Angeles in 1960, selling them to Jack Kent Cooke in 1965.
November 21 –Buck Marrow, 73, pitcher for 1932 Detroit Tigers and 1937–1938 Brooklyn Dodgers; worked in 39 career MLB games.
November 21 –Frank McCormick, 71, standout first baseman for Cincinnati Reds (1934; 1937–1945), Philadelphia Phillies (1946–1947) and Boston Braves (1947–1948); led National League in hits for three straight seasons (1938–1940, inclusive), doubles (1940) and runs batted in (1939); eight-time NL All-Star and 1940 Most Valuable Player; batted .299 lifetime with 1,711 hits; member of Cincinnati's 1940 World Series champions; later a Reds' broadcaster and coach.
November 22 –Roy Hofheinz, 70, former Houston mayor and county judge who was a founding co-owner of the Colt .45s/Astros franchise in 1959 and became majority owner six years later; driving force behind construction of theAstrodome, the first major-league domed stadium (opened in 1965); maintained controlling interest in the Astros until selling them in 1979.
November 26 –Hub Walker, 76, outfielder in 297 games in five MLB seasons spread over 15 calendar years (1931, 1935–1937, 1945) for the Detroit Tigers and Cincinnati Reds; member of Tigers' 1945 World Series champions; brother ofGee Walker.
November 29 –Al Cicotte, 52, well-traveled right-hander who pitched in 102 games over five seasons for the New York Yankees, Washington Senators, Detroit Tigers, Cleveland Indians, St. Louis Cardinals and Houston Colt .45s between 1957 and 1962.
December 4 –Duke Sedgwick, 84, pitcher in 21 career MLB games for the 1921 Philadelphia Phillies and 1923 Washington Senators.
December 9 –Jimmy Adair, 75, shortstop who played 18 games in MLB for 1931 Chicago Cubs; later a longtime coach (1951–1952; 1957–1965) and scout.
December 10 –Charlie Wheatley, 89, pitcher who posted a poor 1–4 (6.17 ERA) record for the 1912 Detroit Tigers (and set a record with five wild pitches in a single game), then became a millionaire entrepreneur and manufacturer after baseball.
December 22 –Tony Faeth, 89, relief pitcher who worked in 19 games for the 1919–1920 Cleveland Indians.
December 27 –Harry Kingman, 90, first baseman and pinch hitter in four games for the 1914 New York Yankees; the son of an American missionary, he is the only MLB player (as of 2022) to have been born in mainland China; after baseball, became a missionary himself as well as a civil-rights activist.
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