January 2 –Toronto Blue Jaysthird basemanEdwin Encarnación is discharged from aMiami, Florida, hospital after sufferingfirst- andsecond-degree burns to his face when he gets hit byfireworks during a New Year's celebration in his nativeLa Romana, Dominican Republic. Encarnación is treated for minor facial injuries to the front and right side of his face after he is struck by a firecracker rocket near his jaw and it explodes. He goes to a local clinic in theDominican Republic on the 1st, but is later transported to Miami, where he sees a face specialist for his injuries.
January 4 – TheNew York Mets announce the official signing ofJason Bay to a four-year, $66 million contract, which includes a fifth-year vesting option. The two sides originally agree on the deal on December 29,2009, however, it is not official until after Bay passes his physical.
300 win club member Randy Johnson announced his retirement in January 2010.
TheSt. Louis Cardinals re-signoutfielderMatt Holliday to a seven-year deal with an option for 2017, for a guaranteed $120 million. It is the richest contract in Cardinals history.
In an afternoon statement to news outlets,Mark McGwire admits that he usedsteroids during much of his Major League career, including in1998, when he brokeMajor League Baseball's single-seasonhome run record. In the evening, he addresses the situation further in an interview withBob Costas onMLB Network.
I wish it never came into my life. But we're sitting here talking about it. I'm so sorry that I have to. I apologize to everybody at Major League Baseball, my family,the Marises,Bud Selig... Today was the hardest day of my life.
January 23 – Nolan Ryan andPittsburghattorney Chuck Greenberg complete the initial step of purchasing controlling interest in theTexas Rangers fromTom Hicks and the Hicks Sports Group.
InPuerto Rico, Boston Red Sox minor leaguerÁngel Sánchez goes 4-for-6 with two runs scored and an RBI to paceIndios de Mayagüez past theCriollos de Caguas, 8–6, in 11 innings to claim their first league championship since2005 and a berth in the Caribbean Series tournament.
Leones del Caracas cruises pastNavegantes del Magallanes, 7–2, in decisive Game 7 of theVenezuelan winter league championship to claim the title and earn a berth in the Caribbean Series. The Venezuelan team is led byAtlanta Braves outfielderGregor Blanco, who hits .318 with a .538 OBP and a .652 slugging, who is named Most Valuable Player.
January 30 – InMexico, theNaranjeros de Hermosillo joins Winter League championship teams fromVenezuela, the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico in thedouble round-robin format tournament after edging theVenados de Mazatlán, 1–0, in Game 7 of the league championship series. Juan Delgadillo pitches7+2⁄3 shutout innings to out duel San Diego Padres right-handerWalter Silva. The game's only run scores in the first inning on aVinny Castilla sacrifice fly afterChris Roberson triples to lead off the game. The six-day Caribbean Series is set to begin February 2 on the Venezuelan island ofMargarita.
The Hall of Fame holds a second annual Hall of Fame Classic atDoubleday Field onFather's Day on June 20. The Hall began a Father's Day weekend last June, with five Hall of Famers and more than 20 other former major leaguers. The game replaced the annual exhibition game between major league teams, which was discontinued because it became too difficult to fit into the regular-season schedule. This year's seven-inning exhibition game features Hall of FamersGary Carter,Bob Feller,Rollie Fingers,Goose Gossage,Harmon Killebrew,Phil Niekro andMike Schmidt.[2]
Lincecum and the Giants agree on a 2-year, $23 million deal
February 11
Tom Glavine retires after 22 major league seasons and accepts a front office job with the Atlanta Braves. The 300-game winner pitched at the major league level in2008, and became eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2014, alongside longtime Braves teammate and fellow 300-game winnerGreg Maddux.
After sitting out the entire2009 season,Frank Thomas announces his official retirement from baseball.
February 12
Tim Lincecum and theSan Francisco Giants avoid arbitration, and agree on a two-year, $23 million deal that takes him through the 2011 season.
Texas Rangers pitching prospectsOmar Beltré, 28, andAlexi Ogando, 26, are granted visas, and allowed to attendSpring training, arriving in the U.S. on the 16th. The two players had previously confessed to involvement in a human trafficking ring in theDominican Republic in2004, and had been subsequently banned from entering the United States for five years, limiting them to winter ball, theDominican Summer League and international tournaments.
February 22
Johnny Damon joins the Detroit Tigers, signing a one-year, $8 million contract.
Britishrugby league playerTerry Newton is the first professional athlete suspended for testing positive for human growth hormone. The blood test has been in existence since the2004 Summer Olympics, but baseball officials say that its validity is not universally accepted by the scientific community, until now.Bud Selig introduces a plan to test minor leaguers for HGH shortly afterwards.
February 23 –Aaron Boone announces his retirement.
February 25 – The Texas Rangers void the contract of off-season acquisitionKhalil Greene, who does not report toSpring training due to social anxiety disorder. Greene went on thedisabled list twice during the 2009 season while with the St. Louis Cardinals due to his disorder.
February 26 – FemalepitcherEri Yoshida, formerly of the Kobe 9 Cruise in theKansai Independent Baseball League in Japan, is drafted by theChico Outlaws of theGolden Baseball League. She is introduced as a member of the team on May 7, less than two weeks after graduating from high school and only a few hours after she lands in San Francisco following a flight from Tokyo. She becomes the first woman to play at the professional level in an American baseball league alongside men sinceIla Borders and the first to play in professional baseball in two countries.
March 10 –Nomar Garciaparra signs a one-day contract with the Boston Red Sox, and announces his retirement from baseball as a member of his original franchise atCity of Palms Park inFort Myers, Florida, before the Sox's Spring training game against theTampa Bay Rays. Garciaparra then threw out the ceremonial first pitch to his teammate at bothGeorgia Tech and with the Red Sox,Jason Varitek.
March 11 – OutfielderBrian Giles announces his retirement a month after signing a Minor League contract with theLos Angeles Dodgers.
March 16
ThoughJohn Smoltz has yet to officially retire,Turner Sports announces that Smoltz will serve as one of their guest analysts for national broadcasts and will serve the same role for the 45 Atlanta Braves games that Peachtree Television will broadcast this season. Smoltz also joined theMLB Network's on-air roster the same day.
Former major leagueinfielderChuck Knoblauch pleads guilty to misdemeanor assault on his common-law wife. Knoblauch entered his plea in exchange for deferred-adjudication probation. He was also fined $1,000.
March 17 – Texas Rangers managerRon Washington calls a press conference apologizing for using and testing positive forcocaine during the first half of the2009 season. A day later, Washington admits to having smokedmarijuana and takenamphetamines during his playing career.
March 18 – Major League Baseball announces that theFlorida Marlins and New York Mets' three-game set on June 28–30 has been moved from Miami toSan Juan, Puerto Rico.
March 21 – ReigningAmerican League MVPJoe Mauer signs an eight-year, $184 million contract extension with the Minnesota Twins that will take him through the 2018 season.
March 23
Dwight Gooden is charged with driving under the influence of drugs and leaving the scene of a two-vehicle accident around 9 A.M. inFranklin Lakes, New Jersey. Gooden had a child in his vehicle at the time of the crash.
Jose Canseco announces onTwitter that the FBI was about to visit his house and that he has been subpoenaed to appear before a grand jury investigating whetherRoger Clemens lied to Congress when he denied usingperformance-enhancing drugs.
April 7 – San Francisco Giants outfielderEugenio Vélez enters the seventh inning of the Giants' 10–4 victory over theHouston Astros atMinute Maid Park wearing a jersey with a pair of letters transposed. No one noticed his uniform read "San Francicso" until after the game had already ended.
April 14 –Jorge Cantú of theFlorida Marlins hits a home run, making him the first player in major league history to have at least one hit and one RBI in each of his team's first nine games, and the Marlins beat theCincinnati Reds 5–3. Cantú entered the game tied withGeorge Kelly of the1921 New York Giants with at least one hit and RBI in the opening eight games, according to theElias Sports Bureau.
TheNew York Mets andSt. Louis Cardinals play eighteen innings atBusch Stadium without scoring a run. In the nineteenth inning, the Mets finally score a run on a sacrifice fly byJeff Francoeur, only to have the Cardinals tie the game in the bottom of the inning on a double byAlbert Pujols and a RBI-single byYadier Molina. The Mets score again in the twentieth on a sacrifice fly byJosé Reyes to win the game, 2–1. The Mets use 24 of the 25 men on their roster. The only player not used is the previous day's starter,Óliver Pérez, while the Cardinals use 22. Mets closerFrancisco Rodríguez blows the save, but is credited with the win. Mets starterMike Pelfrey earns his first career save, and the losing pitcher is Cardinals left fielderJoe Mather.
April 18 – AtNationals Park, theMilwaukee Brewers score ten runs in the first inning of their 11–7 victory over theWashington Nationals. It is the first time in Brewers history they accomplished such a feat. Nationals starterJason Marquis allows sevenearned runs on four hits, two hit batters and one walk and never retires a batter, making him the fifth pitcher since1969 to allow seven earned runs at home without recording an out. The last was theCincinnati Reds'Paul Wilson in2005.
April 20 – AtFenway Park,Darnell McDonald pinch-hits a two-run home run to tie the game in the eight inning and a walk-off single in the ninth to push theBoston Red Sox to a 7–6 victory over theTexas Rangers. McDonald also became the first ever member of the Red Sox to collect a game-ending RBI in his debut with the club, according to theElias Sports Bureau.[3]
April 21 – TheChicago Cubs confirm reports that managerLou Piniella is moving struggling starterCarlos Zambrano to the bullpen, in a move that may not be temporary. Zambrano is 1–2 with a 7.45 ERA in four starts, and the move makes room forTed Lilly, who is returning to the Cubs' starting rotation after undergoing offseason shoulder surgery. Piniella announced the movement one day after a 4–0 loss to theNew York Mets, in which Zambrano pitched six innings and gave up two earned runs, while the Cubs bullpen gave up two, bringing the bullpen's ERA to 6.15.
Ryan Howard signed a five-year, $125 million contract extension with the Phillies on April 26
TheNew York Yankees turn the first triple play of the season, and the first one in franchise history since1968, in a 4–2 loss to theOakland Athletics.
April 24 –Ted Lilly pitches six shutout innings in his season debut,Carlos Zambrano made his first appearance out of the bullpen in almost eight years, and theChicago Cubs beat theMilwaukee Brewers, 5–1, atMiller Park. Lilly struck out four and walked two after being activated from the 15-day disabled list before the game. He was out while recovering from left shoulder surgery in November. Zambrano gave up a run in1+1⁄3 innings and had a sacrifice fly in Chicago's three-run eighth.
April 26 – ThePhiladelphia Phillies signRyan Howard to a five-year, $125 million contract extension that will keep Howard with the Phillies through 2016. It is the largest contract in Phillies history, and the third-largestaverage annual value of a contract ($25 million per year) in baseball history.
April 28 – CommissionerBud Selig's special committee for on-field matters expands All-Star rosters again, with each team bringing 34 players, with 13 pitchers per team, to the July 13 game atAngel Stadium in Anaheim, California, as part of several changes. Another change is that a pitcher who starts on the final Sunday before the All-Star break will be ineligible to pitch in the ASG and will be replaced on the roster. In addition, a designated hitter will be used in the ASG every year, including in National League cities; the AL's starting DH will continue to be elected by fans, and the NL's starting DH will be chosen by the NL All-Star manager. Under a change that runs contrary to normal baseball rules, each manager may designate a position player who will be eligible for re-entry to the game if the final position player, at any position, is injured.[4]
April 29 – A new report shows Major League Baseball equaled its best grades for racial and gender diversity hiring, even as the percentage of African American players dropped again in 2009, from 10.2 percent to 9 percent. The sport had made a small stride since reaching a low of 8.2 percent in 2007, but the latest data indicates a steady rise in the percentage of black players might be years away.[5]
April 30 –Johnny Damon becomes the 68th player to score 1,500 runs. He is driven in byMagglio Ordóñez' sacrifice fly.
May 2 –Minnesota Twins catcherWilson Ramos goes 4-for-5 with a double in his major league debut, to become the only Twin besidesKirby Puckett in1984 to collect four hits in a major league debut, as well as the only catcher in modern history since1900 to collect four hits in his MLB debut. Ramos followed his debut by going three-for-four anddriving in his first run on May 3.
May 3
New York Yankees second basemanRobinson Canó andMinnesota Twins starterFrancisco Liriano are named the American League Player and Pitcher of the Month for April, respectively. Canó hit a Major League-best .400 batting average, including eight home runs, 21 runs scored and 18 RBI. Liriano went 3–0 and finished as the only AL starter with a sub-1.00 ERA (0.93) in 29 innings, which included a 23-inning scoreless streak.[6]
During the eighth inning of the Phillies-Cardinals game, 17-year-old Steve Consalvi is tasered after storming the field at Citizens Bank Park.[7]
Arizona Diamondbacks second basemanKelly Johnson andColorado Rockies starterUbaldo Jiménez are named the National League Player of the Month and Pitcher of the Month, respectively, for April. Johnson hit .313 with 17 runs scored and 18 RBI, and also led the league with nine home runs and a slugging of .750. Jiménez, who posted a 5–0 record with 31 strikeouts and a 0.79 ERA in34+1⁄3 innings of work, also hurled the first no-hitter in Rockies history.[8]
AtCitizens Bank Park,Jamie Moyer becomes the first pitcher to throw ashutout in four separate decades, giving up only two hits in thePhiladelphia Phillies's 7–0 victory over theAtlanta Braves. At 47 years, 170 days old, Moyer is also the oldest pitcher to throw a Major League shutout, eclipsingPhil Niekro's record by almost a year. At 46 years, 188 days old, Niekro, while pitching for the New York Yankees, tossed a four-hit shutout against the Toronto Blue Jays on October 6,1985; the shutout was also Niekro's 300th career victory.[10]
Starlin Castro of theChicago Cubs becomes the first player born in the 1990s to play in the majors. Castro arrives in historic style, hitting a three-run home run in his first at-bat and a bases-loaded triple, sliding head-first into the record books with six runs batted in, the most ever in a modern-day debut. Chicago defeats theCincinnati Reds, 14–7, while the 20-year-old rookie becomes the youngest shortstop in Cubs history, surpassingMarty Shay, who was 100 days older when he made it to the majors in1916.[11]
Mat Latos comes extremely close to pitching ano-hitter, but has to settle for a one-hitshutout and the firstcomplete game of his career, as theSan Diego Padres beats theSan Francisco Giants, 1–0. The only hit Latos allows is a ground ball byEli Whiteside in the 6th inning that glances off him towards third basemanChase Headley, whose throw to first base is a fraction too late to retire Whiteside. For good measure, Latos also drives in the only run of the game.
Zack Greinke finally earns his first win of the year, but it comes too late to saveKansas City Royals managerTrey Hillman. The Royals announce after their 6–4 win over theCleveland Indians that Hillman has been fired and will be replaced by formerMilwaukee Brewers managerNed Yost. At the time, the Royals are 12–23 and in a familiar last place in the AL Central Division.
May 20 – After trailing 9–3 against the Reds, theAtlanta Braves score seven runs in the bottom of the 9th inning, all topped off by a walk-off grand slam from pinch hitterBrooks Conrad.
May 27 – The New York Mets complete a three-game sweep of the Philadelphia Phillies in which Philadelphia is shut out all three games. The last time the Mets accomplished such a feat was September 26–28,1969 also against the Phillies.
Ubaldo Jiménez pitches a four-hitter to become the major's first 10-game winner this year, outpitchingTim Lincecum to lead theColorado Rockies past theSan Francisco Giants, 4–0, atCoors Field. Jiménez' record sits at 10–1 with a 0.78 ERA in eleven starts. Since the earned run statistic became official (1912 NL, 1913 AL), only other two pitchers have won at least 10 of their first 11 starts with ERAs under 1.00,Eddie Cicotte (11–0, 0.95) in1919 andJuan Marichal (10–0, 0.80) in1956.[14]
June 1 – The Arizona Diamondbacks acquire pitcherDontrelle Willis from the Detroit Tigers for right-handed relieverBilly Buckner.
Ken Griffey Jr. announced his retirement on June 2, 2010
June 2
After 22 seasons,Ken Griffey Jr. announces he is retiring, effective immediately.[16]
Boston Red Sox designated hitterDavid Ortiz and starting pitcherJon Lester earn American League Player and Pitcher of the Month, respectively, for May. Ortiz hit .363 (29–80) in 23 games, including four doubles, 10 home runs, 16 runs and 27 RBI. He also posted a Major League-best .788 slugging percentage and a .424 on-base percentage. Lester, who posted a perfect 5–0 record in six outings, allowed just 24 hits through 44.0 innings of work while leading the Majors with 45 strikeouts. His 1.84 ERA, was the lowest of any AL pitcher with more than 27 innings pitched, while his five wins in May boosted his career record to 48–18, and his .727 winning percentage is the best in ML history (since1901) among pitchers with at least 50 decisions and the ninth-best winning percentage ever through a pitcher's first 100 starts. It is the fourth career Player of the Month Award for Ortiz and the third Pitcher of the Month honor for Lester. It marks the first time that the two AL monthly awards were captured by teammates in the same month sinceJune 2006, whenJoe Mauer andJohan Santana of theMinnesota Twins won the honors.[17]
Atlanta Braves first basemanTroy Glaus andColorado Rockies starting pitcherUbaldo Jiménez are selected National League Player and Pitcher of the Month, respectively, for May. Glaus led the NL with 28 RBI, while hitting .330 (34–103) with six home runs, 17 runs and a .534 slugging percentage. The2002 World Series Most Valuable Player finished the month riding a six-game hitting streak. Jiménez became the first pitcher in the majors to win the monthly award in April and May sincePedro Martínez of theBoston Red Sox did it in1999. He also is the first NL pitcher to repeat the feat sinceJohn Smoltz of theAtlanta Braves did it in 1996. Jiménez ranked first in the NL in ERA (0.78) and was tied for first in victories (5) and innings pitched (46.0) for the month. On May 3 he struck out a career-high 13 batters in 7.0 innings of work against theSan Diego Padres, and ended the month with 26.0 consecutive scoreless innings. This scoreless stretch marks the second time this season that Jiménez has pitched 25 or more consecutive innings of shutout ball.[18]
Detroit Tigers pitcherArmando Galarraga comes within one out of throwing a perfect game. With two outs in the ninth inning, Cleveland Indians shortstopJason Donald hits a soft ground ball to Tigers first basemanMiguel Cabrera, who tosses the ball to Galarraga covering first base. Though video replay showed that Galarraga beat Donald to the bag, first base umpireJim Joyce calls Donald safe. Joyce is heckled by Tigers players and coaches for several minutes afterward, almost causing a brawl. The next batter,Trevor Crowe, grounds out toBrandon Inge, ending the game in a 3–0 victory for the Tigers.[19] Later onFox Sports Detroit'sTigers Live post-game show, Galarraga said Joyce apologized to him and gave him a hug.
June 5 –Florida International University shortstopGarrett Wittels extends his hitting streak to 56 games, the same number ofJoe DiMaggio's1941 major league record, and just two shy ofRobin Ventura'sNCAA record. The Golden Panthers are eliminated with a 15–9 loss toDartmouth in the NCAA Coral Gables regional, therefore, Wittels will go into the2011 season with the streak intact.
June 7 – The Washington Nationals selectCollege of Southern Nevada catcher/outfielderBryce Harper with the first overall pick in the2010 Major League Baseball draft. Also,Delino DeShields Jr., son of theformer second baseman, is selected eighth overall by the Houston Astros. John Franco Jr. is selected by the New York Mets, the team for whichhis father pitched for 14 of his 20 seasons, in the 42nd round. The Los Angeles Dodgers selectAndre Ethier's brother, Devon, in the 32nd round, the Detroit Tigers selectJustin Verlander's brother, Benjamin, in the 46th round, and the Toronto Blue Jays select right-hander Gabriel Romero, brother of southpaw and former first-round drafteeRicky Romero in the 47th round. Reggie Golden, a product of Major League Baseball's RBI program (Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities, instituted with the hope of exposing more inner-city kids to the game), is selected in the second round by the Chicago Cubs. TheNew York Giants'Chad Jones and theSeattle Seahawks'Golden Tate were selected in the 50th round by the Milwaukee Brewers and San Francisco Giants, respectively.
June 8 – Washington Nationals pitcherStephen Strasburg makes his big league debut against the Pittsburgh Pirates, striking out fourteen, including his last seven, and not walking any over seven innings. The2009 Major League Baseball draft #1 overall pick wins his MLB debut, 5–2.
Jorge Posada clubs his second grand slam in two days in the New York Yankees' 9–5 victory over the Houston Astros. Posada becomes the first Major Leaguer to hit grand slams in back-to-back contests sinceCarlos Beltrán in2006 and the first Yankee sinceBill Dickey in1937.
In an Interleague meeting between the two Chicago teams atWrigley Field, both starting pitchers carryno-hitters into the seventh inning. The White Sox'sGavin Floyd has his bid for a no-hitter broken up with two out in the seventh by anAlfonso Soriano double. Soriano scores onChad Tracy's single one batter later for the game's lone run.Ted Lilly's is broken up in the ninth by Ex-CubJuan Pierre with a leadoff single. After Pierre's single, Lilly is relieved byCarlos Mármol, who loads the bases but hangs on for the save. Lilly would have been the first pitcher to throw a no-hitter at Wrigley Field sinceMilt Pappas in1972.
June 15 – The Oakland A's acquire outfielderConor Jackson from the Arizona Diamondbacks for Minor League pitcher Sam Demel.
June 23
The Florida Marlins dismiss managerFredi González.Edwin Rodríguez, who has spent the past1+1⁄2 seasons as manager of Triple-A New Orleans, takes over as manager on an interim basis. Also fired are bench coachCarlos Tosca and hitting coachJim Presley. They are replaced on an interim basis byBrandon Hyde andJohn Mallee, respectively.
Texas Rangers outfielderJosh Hamilton and Seattle Mariners pitcherCliff Lee earn American League Player and Pitcher of the Month, respectively, for June. Hamilton led all Major League batters with a .454 average. That, combined with 10 doubles, nine homers a club-record 49 hits and a 23-game hitting streak, secured the honor for Hamilton. He capped his monster month by officially hitting the longest home run in the history of Rangers Ballpark, in a June 27 game against the Astros. Lee, who posted a 4–1 record with a 1.76 ERA, struck out 36 batters while walking only two. At one point, he completed a streak of38+1⁄3 innings without giving up a walk.
New York Mets third basemanDavid Wright and Florida Marlins pitcherJosh Johnson are voted National League Player and Pitcher of the Month, respectively, for June. Wright led the league with a .404 average and 29 RBI, placed second in slugging (.683) and on-base percentage (.447), and was tied for third in doubles (11), while hitting six home runs and swiping four bases in 26 games. He also became the first player in Mets history to hit at least .400 with 25 or more RBI in a calendar month while recording a 29-RBI month for the second time in his career (June 2006). Johnson compiled a 3–1 record in five June starts with a 1.18 ERA, while striking out 38 in 38.0 innings and walking just six. His ERA was second-best among N.L. starters on the month while placing third in strikeouts. Johnson allowed no more than two earned runs in each of his starts this month and has not allowed more than two earned runs in nine-consecutive starts (dating back to June 13).
Cliff Lee & Mark Lowe go to the Texas Rangers for Justin Smoak & 3 pitching prospects
July 9
The Texas Rangers acquire ace starting pitcherCliff Lee and relieverMark Lowe from the Seattle Mariners in exchange for first basemanJustin Smoak and three Minor League pitching prospects.[27]
July 13 – TheNational League wins its firstAll-Star Game since 1996. Atlanta Braves catcherBrian McCann wins the All Star MVP Award after driving in all 3 of the runs scored for the National League. The score was 3–1 and it was played atAngel Stadium in Anaheim. In the bottom of the first inningYankeesshortstopDerek Jeter is introduced by longtime Yankees public address announcerBob Sheppard who died two days prior at the age of 99.
July 16 – In theTexas Rangers' 8–4 victory over theBoston Red Sox atFenway Park,Bengie Molina becomes the eighth player since 1900, and the first catcher, to hit a grand slam and hit for the cycle in the same game. His triple to complete the cycle comes in the eighth inning; he hits a fly ball to the deepest part of the park in center field, into the triangle, the ball glancing off center fielderEric Patterson's glove. Molina becomes the first catcher to hit for the cycle sinceChad Moeller on April 27,2004, and the first visiting player to hit for the cycle at Fenway Park sinceCleveland'sAndre Thornton on April 2,1978.[28]
July 20 – Los Angeles Dodgers pitcherClayton Kershaw is accused of intentionally hittingAaron Rowand of the San Francisco Giants and ejected from the game.Joe Torre and bench coachBob Schaefer argue the call and are also ejected. The next day, Kershaw is suspended five games while Torre and Schaefer get one day suspensions.[29]
July 23 – Yankee catcherJorge Posada records his 1,000th career RBI.
AtCoors Field, theColorado Rockies set a Major League record with 11 consecutive base hits in a 17–2 pounding of theChicago Cubs. With the Rockies leading 5–2,Clint Barmes opens up the eighth with a double and advances to third onMelvin Mora's pinch-single. After the next two batters,Dexter Fowler andRyan Spilborghs, strike out,Carlos González singles in Barmes to begin the hit streak, which includes home runs byChris Iannetta and Fowler. González andTroy Tulowitzki collect two hits during the streak, which ends after the latter's double scored Spilborghs and González for the Rockies' 11th and 12th runs of the inning, a franchise record.Brad Hawpe and Iannetta then walk to load the bases, and finallyIan Stewart flies out to end the inning.[31][32]
July 31 –Carlos González hits a game-ending home run to complete thecycle, and the Colorado Rockies rally to beat the Chicago Cubs, 6–5, after blowing a three-run lead in the eighth inning. It is the fourth straight game for González with a homer, while his cycle is the sixth in Rockies history and fourth in the majors this season. Besides González, just four other players in MLB history have completed a cycle with a walk-off home run:Ken Boyer (1961),[33]César Tovar (1972),[34]George Brett (1979)[35] andDwight Evans (1984).[36]
AtYankee Stadium,Alex Rodriguez of theNew York Yankees hits his 600th home run, becoming the seventh player in Major League history to do so, in a 5–1 victory over theToronto Blue Jays. The shot comes in the first inning against the Jays'Shaun Marcum and three years to the day of Rodriguez' 500th home run. Rodriguez also becomes the youngest player to hit his 600th home run, at 35 years, 8 days;Babe Ruth had held the previous record at 36 years, 196 days.[37]
San Francisco Giants rookie catcherBuster Posey andPhiladelphia Phillies aceRoy Halladay are voted the National League Player and Pitcher of the Month, respectively, for July. Posey led the NL with 43 hits and ranked third with a .417 average (43-for-103). His 24 RBI were tied for third-best in the N.L., while his .466 on-base percentage and .699 slugging percentage ranked fourth and fifth in the league, respectively. He belted seven home runs, while his 21-game hitting streak from July 4–29 marked the longest streak in the NL this season. In five July starts, Halladay went 3–1 with a 1.54 ERA. His 39 strikeouts were good for second in the National League while his 41.0 innings pitched ranked fourth. He notched his Major League-leading eighth complete game of the season, while his 158 strikeouts and 2.17 ERA rank second in the Majors and his 13 wins are tied for fourth.
Toronto Blue Jays outfielderJosé Bautista andMinnesota Twins designated hitterDelmon Young are voted the American League Players of the Month for July, whileChicago White Sox starting pitcherGavin Floyd has been voted the American League Pitcher of the Month for July. Bautista led the Majors with 11 home runs during July, marking the second time this season he has recorded the most home runs in a single month (12 in May). He also led the AL with a .765 slugging percentage and ranked third with 29 RBI while posting a .347 batting average with eight doubles and 20 runs scored, including a 10 multi-hit efforts during the month. Young paced the AL with 46 hits during the month, batting .434 (46-for-106), and tied for the league-lead with 12 doubles. He also finished second in the league with 30 RBI and collected six home runs with 17 runs scored while slugging .736, hitting safely in 23 of 26 games, and had multi-hit performances in 16 contests. Floyd posted a Major League-leading 0.80 ERA en route to a 3–1 mark over five starts in July. In 33.2 innings pitched, he allowed just three earned runs on 28 hits with seven walks and 25 strikeouts while holding opposing hitters to a .228 batting average. He earned victories in back-to-back home starts to begin the month, allowing just one earned run in each start. He later tossed 15 shutout innings and not allowed more than two earned runs in 11 consecutive outings. In addition, his 1.06 ERA since June 8 ranks first in the Majors ahead ofSan Diego Padres'Mat Latos (1.57).
August 6 – In Detroit, the Angels'Torii Hunter gets ejected for arguing a strikeout. In a fit of rage, he throws a bag of balls on to the field. The next day, he is suspended four games.[38]
August 7 – The Blue Jays hit eight home runs in a 17–11 victory over the Rays. Leading the way isJ. P. Arencibia with two in his Major League debut. Arencibia becomes the first player in the modern era to have four hits and two home runs in his major league debut.[39]
August 8 – AtRogers Centre,Brandon Morrow of theToronto Blue Jays tosses his first shutout, first complete game with a career-high 17 strikeouts in a 1–0 victory over theTampa Bay Rays. A two-out RBI-single byVernon Wells in the first inning marks the difference. Morrow only allows a two-out single byEvan Longoria in the ninth inning. It marks the fifth time this season the Rays have taken one or zero hits in a single game, including a perfect game and one no-hitter. According to theElias Sports Bureau, that is the most such games in a single season in the live ball era (since1920). Eleven other teams have four such games in a season. Only twice in the modern era (since1900) has a team been held to one hit or fewer in more than five games in a season. In 1910, theChicago White Sox andSt. Louis Browns both had six such games. To date,Dave Stieb has pitched the only no-hitter in Blue Jays history (September 2,1990).[40][41]
August 18 – AtFenway Park, the Red Sox defeat the Angels, 7–5. By striking out the side in the ninth inning, Red Sox closerJonathan Papelbon becomes the first pitcher to notch at least 30 saves in five consecutive major league seasons.
August 19 – Former major league pitcherRoger Clemens is indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of lying to Congress over his use of performance-enhancing drugs.
August 22 –Chicago Cubs managerLou Piniella, who had previously announced that he would retire at the end of the season, announces his immediate retirement in order to care for his ailing mother.[44]
September 1 –Nyjer Morgan of theWashington Nationals charges the mound afterFlorida Marlins pitcherChris Volstad throws behind him, starting a brawl.[46] Morgan receives an eight-game suspension which he begins serving on September 17, while Volstad begins serving a six-game suspension on September 13.
September 2
Toronto Blue Jays outfielderJosé Bautista andBoston Red Sox starting pitcherClay Buchholz earn the American League Player and Pitcher of the Month, respectively, for August. Bautista led the league in home runs (12), runs batted in (24), slugging percentage (.724) and total bases (72), and tied for the lead in extra-base hits (18). This is the second career monthly award for Bautista, who shared last month's honor withDelmon Young of theMinnesota Twins. Buchholz went 4–0 with a 1.03 earned run average and 28 strikeouts over six August starts. He finished the month second in ERA, tied for second in wins, tied for third in innings pitched (43.2), and also led the majors with a 2.21 ERA on the season. This is the first career monthly award for Buchholz.
St. Louis Cardinals first basemanAlbert Pujols andAtlanta Braves starterTim Hudson are voted the National League Player and Pitcher of the Month, respectively, for August. In 26 games last month, Pujols batted .379 (39-for-103) and led the circuit with 11 home runs, a .777 slugging and 29 runs scored while driving in 23 runs. On August 26, Pujols clubbed his 400th career home run, his 34th of the season, becoming the first player to reach the 400-homer plateau in his first 10 Major League seasons. This is the fifth career monthly award for Pujols, the most recent being earned in June2009. Hudson went 4–0 with a 1.71 earned run average in six starts and struck out 35 while walking only nine in 42 innings of work. On August 28, he notched his 1,500th career strikeout and his 600th for Atlanta in a 12–3 victory over theFlorida Marlins. This is the second career monthly award for Hudson and his first since winning American League honors in September2000 with theOakland Athletics.
September 6 – AtYankee Stadium,Alex Rodriguez sets a Major League record by registering 100 runs batted in for the 14th time in his career. After homering in the fourth inning of theNew York Yankees' 4–3 loss to theBaltimore Orioles, Rodriguez records his 100th RBI in the sixth inning, on a sacrifice fly that scoresNick Swisher. Rodriguez breaks a four-way tie that he had shared withBabe Ruth,Lou Gehrig andJimmie Foxx with 13 seasons of at least 100 RBIs.[48]
September 11 – AtProgressive Field,Jim Thome of theMinnesota Twins hits a 12th-inning home run for the lone run of the game in the Twins' 1–0 victory over his former team, theCleveland Indians. The home run gives Thome 587 on his career, passingFrank Robinson for eighth place on the all-time home run list.[50]
Ichiro is the first player to record 200 hits in 10 consecutive seasons
Los Angeles Angels outfielderBobby Abreu hits two solo home runs in the Angels' 6–3 victory over theTampa Bay Rays. Abreu now has collected nine seasons with at least 20 homers, 20 stolen bases and 30 doubles, for the third most in major league history. He is surpassed only byBarry Bonds andBobby Bonds, who accomplished the feat 10 times.
September 23 – AtRogers Centre,Ichiro Suzuki of theSeattle Mariners becomes the first player to record 200 hits in 10 consecutive seasons. His 200th hit, a double, comes offToronto Blue Jays starterShawn Hill in the third inning. Suzuki also breaks an American League record he had shared withTy Cobb of nine seasons with 200 hits, and tiesPete Rose's record of ten 200-hit seasons. However, the Blue Jays defeat the Mariners 1–0 asJosé Bautista, who had already brokenGeorge Bell's single-season franchise record of 47 home runs in1987, hits number 50 in the first inning offFélix Hernández for the game's only run.[51][52]
September 24 – Cincinnati Reds left-handerAroldis Chapman throws the fastest pitch ever recorded in a major league game at 105 M.P.H. to the San Diego Padres'Tony Gwynn Jr.
September 25 –Texas Rangers' rookie closerNeftalí Feliz acquires his 38th save of the season against theOakland Athletics, setting a record for most saves by a rookie in a single season. He surpasses the previous record of 37 held by formerSeattle Mariners' closerKazuhiro Sasaki in2000. Feliz's total for the year is at 40 saves. The win by the Texas Rangers also clinched their first AL West division title since 1999.[53]
September 28
Lotte Giants sluggerLee Dae-Ho wins the thirdTriple Crown in the 29 years of the Korea Baseball Organization, after hitting a .364 average with 44 home runs and 133 runs batted in. Lee also becomes the first multiple Triple Crown winner, having turned the feat in 2006.[54]
September 30 – MLB players and owners agree tofree agency changes. Under the deal announced on this date, players no longer have to file for free agency but automatically are set free. The exclusive period for teams to negotiate with their free agent-eligible players is cut from 15 days to five. The deadline is moved up for clubs to offer salary arbitration to their former players who became free agents, as is the deadline for teams to offer contracts for the following season to players on their40-man rosters. In addition, teams, players and agents will be restricted in their ability to conduct free-agent negotiations in the media.[55]
New York Yankees third basemanAlex Rodriguez and Colorado Rockies shortstopTroy Tulowitzki are selected American League and National League Players of the Month, respectively, for September. Rodriguez provided a bright spot for the Yankees down the final stretch run, leading the American League in RBIs (26) and slugging percentage (.667), while tying for second with nine home runs. He also reached safely in 18 of 22 games for his team, propelling the Yankees to their 15th postseason berth in the last 16 years. Tulowitzki provided plenty of support for Colorado, leading the Majors with 15 home runs, 40 RBIs, 30 runs scored and an .800 slugging percentage. Tulowitzki finished the season ranked first among Major League shortstops in home runs (27), RBIs (95), batting average (.315), slugging percentage (.568) and OPS (.949), to become the first player to lead all National League shortstops in both slugging percentage and fielding percentage (.984) sinceJay Bell accomplished the feat in1993 with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
David Price of the Tampa Bay Rays andDerek Lowe of the Atlanta Braves are voted the American League and National League Pitchers of the Month, respectively, for September. Price was instrumental in the Rays winning their second AL East Championship in club history, as he posted a 4–0 record with 33 strikeouts and a 1.67 ERA over six starts. Lowe was equally impressive for the Braves, who secured the NL Wild Card for their first trip to the playoffs since 2005, collecting a perfect 5–0 in five September starts, with a 1.17 ERA and a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 29:3. Lowe also pitched on three days' rest, winning a critical game against the Florida Marlins on September 29, and finished the regular season with a 16–12 record and a 4.00 ERA, with 136 strikeouts in 193 2⁄3 innings of work.
The New York Mets announce that both managerJerry Manuel and general managerOmar Minaya would not return for the2011 season.
October 5 – In Japanese baseball, former major leaguerMatt Murton breaksIchiro Suzuki's record for the most hits in a single season. Murton gets his 211th hit of the year with a two-run single to center in the second inning for theHanshin Tigers against theYakult Swallows. Suzuki set the record of 210 in 1994 for theOrix BlueWave.[56]
October 12 – TheTexas Rangers defeat theTampa Bay Rays 5–1 in Game 5 of theALDS to win a postseason series for the first time. Each game in the series is won by the road team.
October 28 – TheSan Francisco Giants defeat theTexas Rangers 9–0 in Game 2 of theWorld Series. Texas relieverDerek Holland issues three consecutive walks in the eighth inning on only 13 pitches, including 11 balls in a row. The three consecutive walks tie a World Series record.
October 29 – The New York Mets nameSandy Alderson their new general manager.
October 31 – In Game 4 of theWorld Series,Madison Bumgarner andBuster Posey of theSan Francisco Giants become the first all-rookie battery in a World Series game since1947. Bumgarner combines withBrian Wilson to three-hit theTexas Rangers in a 4–0 San Francisco victory. Combined with a 9–0 loss to the Giants in Game 2, the Rangers become the first team to be shut out twice in a World Series since1966. It is also the Giants pitching staff's fourth shutout of the postseason, tying a Major League record.
November 1 – TheSan Francisco Giants defeat theTexas Rangers 3–1 to win theWorld Series four games to one. It is the franchise's first championship since1954, and first since moving to San Francisco prior to the 1958 season.Tim Lincecum andBrian Wilson combine to three-hit the Rangers.Édgar Rentería, whose seventh-inning three-run home run againstCliff Lee broke a scoreless tie and accounted for all the Giants' runs in the game, is named series MVP.
The San Diego Padres trade Adrian Gonzalez to the Boston Red Sox forReymond Fuentes,Casey Kelly,Anthony Rizzo and a player to be named later. The Red Sox sendEric Patterson to the Padres to complete the trade on December 16.
A lawsuit is filed againstFred Wilpon, Jeff Wilpon, Saul Katz and various entities affiliated with the New York Mets andSterling Equities Associates to recover money for the victims of theBernie Madoff Ponzi scheme. The civil suit, brought by court-appointed trusteeIrving Picard, alleges that the partners in Sterling knew or should have known that Madoff's investment operation was a fraud.
December 8 – The National Baseball Hall of Fame announcesDave Van Horne as the 2011 recipient of theFord C. Frick Award for excellence in baseball broadcasting. He will receive the award alongside Conlin on July 23, 2011.
December 11 – Outfielder Carl Crawford signs as a Free Agent with the Boston Red Sox for seven-years and $142 million.
December 15 – Pitcher Cliff Lee returns to the Philadelphia Phillies, signing a five-year, $120 million contract with a vesting option for a sixth season in 2016, which would increase the value of the deal to $135 million.
December 16 – The New York Yankees sign free agent catcher Russell Martin.
December 17
Derek Jeter and the New York Yankees agree on a new three-year, $51 million contract that includes a player option for the 2014 season.
December 20 –Florida International University baseball starGarrett Wittels and four friends are arrested in theBahamas and charged with raping two seventeen-year-old girls at the Atlantis Resort & Casino on Paradise Island. Wittels and two friends were released on $10,000 bond apiece after a court hearing on the 23rd.
December 21
All-Star closerBobby Jenks joins the Boston Red Sox, signing a two-year, $12 million deal to be the setup man forJonathan Papelbon.
PitcherRich Harden rejoins the Oakland Athletics, signing a one-year, $1.5 million contract.
December 23 – The Houston Astros send relief pitcherMatt Lindstrom to the Colorado Rockies for pitchers Jonnathan Aristil and Wes Musick.
December 30 – Hall of FamerHarmon Killebrew reveals in a statement that he has recently been diagnosed with esophageal cancer, and is being treated by a team of medical professionals at the Mayo Clinic.[59]
January 3 –Bobby Wilkins, 87, shortstop for the 1944 and 1945 Philadelphia Athletics.
January 4 –Rory Markas, 54, play-by-play announcer for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and the Milwaukee Brewers.[60]
January 12 –Hillis Layne, 91, third baseman for the Washington Senators in the 1940s, who also led the Pacific Coast League hitters in 1947 with a .367 average.
January 21
Bobby Bragan, 92, shortstop, catcher, manager and coach who spent 73 years in pro baseball; played in 597 games for Philadelphia Phillies (1940–1942) and Brooklyn Dodgers (1943–1944 and 1947–1948); manager of Pittsburgh Pirates (1956–1957), Cleveland Indians (1958) and Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves (1963–1966); successful minor league skipper who served as president of Texas League and of Minor League Baseball between 1969 and 1979; then spent three decades as a goodwill ambassador for Texas Rangers' organization.
Hal Manders, 92, pitcher who worked in 30 career games for the Detroit Tigers and Chicago Cubs between 1941 and 1946.
February 7 –Paul LaPalme, 86, left-handed knuckleball pitcher for the Pirates, Cardinals, Redlegs and White Sox from 1951 to 1957.
February 12 –Jerry Fahr, 85, pitcher for the 1951 Cleveland Indians.[61]
February 16
Jim Bibby, 65, Major League pitcher from 1972 to 1984; won World Series with Pirates in 1979 and pitched first no-hitter in Senators/Rangers history (1973).
Jim Waugh, 76, pitcher who posted a 5–11 record with a 6.43 ERA for the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1952 to 1953.
February 17 –Lottie Beck, 81, All-American Girls Professional Baseball League catcher.
February 18
Bob Chakales, 82, pitcher for the Indians, Orioles, White Sox, Senators and Red Sox.[62]
John Kibler, 82, National League umpire for 27 years (1963–1989); worked in 3,630 league games, five league championship series, four All-Star games, and four World Series.[63]
February 19 –George Cisar, 99, outfielder for the 1937 Brooklyn Dodgers; the second-oldest former major-league player at the time of his death.[64]
February 21 –George Strickland, 84, shortstop for ten seasons between 1950 and 1960 with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Cleveland Indians; and a coach, interim manager (of 1964 and 1966 Indians) and scout for 11 more.[65]
Frank Bertaina, 65, pitcher for the Senators, Orioles and Cardinals between 1964 and 1970.
Hank Small, 58, first baseman who played for the 1978 Atlanta Braves.[66]
March 6 –Jim Roland, 67, left-handed pitcher who played from 1962 through 1972 for the Athletics, Twins, Yankees and Rangers.
March 9
Willie Davis, 69, three-time Gold Glove outfielder for the Dodgers, Expos, Rangers, Cardinals, Padres and Angels, member of the Dodgers' 1963 and 1965 World Series champions.
Elizabeth Farrow, 83, All-American Girls Professional Baseball League player.
March 15 –Ken Holcombe, 91, pitcher who posted an 18–22 record in six seasons with the Yankees, Reds, White Sox, Browns and Red Sox.
March 16 –Billy Hoeft, 77, All-Star pitcher whose career spanned 15 seasons, mainly with the Detroit Tigers.
March 17 –Van Fletcher, 85, pitcher for the 1955 Detroit Tigers.
April 2 –Mike Cuellar, 72, 4-time All-Star pitcher for the Cincinnati Redlegs, St. Louis Cardinals, Houston Astros, Baltimore Orioles, and California Angels between 1959 and 1977; won 1969 AL Cy Young Award and 1970 World Series; and was one of four 20-game winners on the 1971 Baltimore Orioles.
April 3 –Jim Pagliaroni, 72, catcher for the Boston Red Sox, Pittsburgh Pirates, Oakland Athletics and Seattle Pilots for 11 seasons between 1955 and 1969; set a Pirates' all-time, season-record for catchers with 17 home runs in 1965.
April 6 –Bob Clear, 82, coach for the California Angels from July 1976 through 1987; longtime minor-league player, manager and instructor.
April 7 –Hermina Franks, 95, All-American Girls Professional Baseball League player.
April 9 –Bill Moisan, 84, relief pitcher for the 1953 Chicago Cubs, who had been a prisoner of war in Germany in early 1945, earning the Silver Star, the Bronze Star and Purple Heart.[67]
April 15 –Takuya Kimura, 37, Japanese player for the Nippon-Ham Fighters, Toyo Carp, and Yomiuri Giants from 1992 to 2009, and a member of the2009 Japan Series champion.
April 20 –Keli McGregor, 48, President of the Colorado Rockies and a former tight end in the National Football League.
April 22
Pete Castiglione, 89, third baseman who hit .255 in eight seasons with the Pirates and Cardinals[68]
Dick Kenworthy, 69, backup infielder who hit .215 in 125 games with the Chicago White Sox from 1962 to 1968[69]
April 29 –Penny O'Brian, 90, Canadian outfielder who played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League.
May 6 –Robin Roberts, 83, Hall of Fame pitcher and a seven-time All-Star in 14 seasons with thePhiladelphia Phillies, who led the National League in wins from 1952 to 1955, innings pitched from '51 to '55 and complete games from '52 to '56.[71]
May 8 –George Susce, 78, middle relief pitcher who posted a 22–17 record with a 4.42 ERA and three saves in 117 games for the Red Sox and Tigers from 1955 to 1959;[72] hisfather was an MLB catcher and longtime coach
May 10 –Terry Rukavina, 78, All-American Girls Professional Baseball League infielder/outffielder for three teams in parts of three seasons spanning 1950–1953.
May 17 –Dorothy Kamenshek, 84, seven-time All-Star first basewoman and two-time champion bat in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League.
May 23 –José Lima, 37, All-Star Dominican pitcher who posted an 89–102 record in 13 seasons with the Tigers, Astros, Royals, Dodgers and Mets.[73]
May 24
Morrie Martin, 87, pitcher who played for seven different teams from 1949 to 1959, mainly with the Philadelphia Athletics.[72]
Rogelio Martínez, 91, Cuban pitcher for the 1950 Washington Senators.
May 27 –Louise Arnold, 87, pitcher for the AAGPBL championSouth Bend Blue Sox in 1951 and 1952, who hurled a no-hitter and led the league with a .833 winning percentage in 1951.
June 1 –Freddie Burdette, 73, middle reliever who posted a 1–0 record with a 3.41 ERA and one save in 68 games for the Chicago Cubs from 1962 to 1964.[72]
June 6 –Jerry Stephenson, 66, pitcher who posted an 8–19 record in a seven-year career, and a member of the 1967Impossible Dream Red Sox team;[72] became a longtime scout, notably for the Los Angeles Dodgers; son ofJoe Stephenson.
June 14 –Oscar Azócar, 45, Venezuelan outfielder for the Yankees and Padres in the early 1990s.[74]
June 16 –Bob Hartman, 72, left-handed pitcher who had brief stints with the Milwaukee Braves in 1959 and the Cleveland Indians in 1962.[75]
July 1 –Andrew 'Pullman' Porter, 100, Negro leagues pitcher whose 22-year career included stints for several teams all over the country and even outside its borders, in Cuba, Mexico and Venezuela, who at the time of his death was the second oldest living Negro leagues ballplayer afterEmilio 'Millito' Navarro.
July 8
Clint Hartung, 87, pitcher and outfielder for the New York Giants from 1947 to 1952, who became the 11th player in major league history whose first home run came as a pitcher and later homered as a position player.
Maje McDonnell, 89, Philadelphia Phillies coach from 1951 to 1957, and a World War II veteran who earned five battle stars and a Bronze Star.
July 9 –Frank Verdi, 84, shortstop who played briefly for the Yankees in the 1953 season and later managed in the minor leagues.
July 10
Ed Palmquist, 77, relief pitcher who played from 1960 to 1961 with the Dodgers and Twins.
Johnny Van Cuyk, 89, relief pitcher who played on the 1949 Brooklyn Dodgers team that won the National League pennant.[76]
July 13 –George Steinbrenner, 80, New York Yankees owner since 1973; known as "The Boss" for his imperious manner, he revived fortunes of the Yankees' franchise, which won 11 AL pennants and seven World Series (1977,1978,1996,1998,1999,2000,2009) during his 37 years as owner.[78]
July 15 –Billy Loes, 80, pitcher who posted an 80–63 record in 12 seasons with the Brooklyn Dodgers, Baltimore Orioles and San Francisco Giants.
July 16 –Kenny Kuhn, 73, backup infielder who hit .210 in 71 games with the Cleveland Indians from 1955 to 1957.[79]
July 20 –Jimmy McMath, 60, backup outfielder for the 1968 Chicago Cubs.[80]
July 21 –Ralph Houk, 90, third-string catcher for the New York Yankees who went on to win three straight American League pennants and two World Series championships in his first three seasons (1961–1963) as their manager; general manager of the Yankees from 1964 to May 1966, then returned to managing with Bombers (through 1973), Detroit Tigers (1974–1978) and Boston Red Sox (1981–1984).
July 22 –Larry Fritz, 61, pinch-hitter for the 1975 Philadelphia Phillies.
July 26 –Jake Jacobs, 73, outfielder who played from 1960 to 1961 for the Washington Senators and Minnesota Twins.
August 7 –Keith Drumright, 55, second baseman for the 1978 Astros and the 1981 Athletics.
August 9 –Gene Hermanski, 90, outfielder for the Brooklyn Dodgers, Chicago Cubs and Pittsburgh Pirates from 1943 to 1953, who also was a World War II veteran.
August 11 –Nellie King, 82, pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 1950s and broadcaster of the last Pirates game atThree Rivers Stadium in 2000.
August 15 –Joe L. Brown, 91, Pirates' general manager (1956–1976 and 1985) who helped build the 1960 world champions that defeated the slugging New York Yankees and the 1971 and 1979 teams that beat the Orioles twice in the World Series; son ofJoe E. Brown.
August 21 –Satch Davidson, 74, National League umpire who worked behind the plate whenHank Aaron hit his historic 715th career home run as well as whenCarlton Fisk hit his memorable homer in Game 6 of the 1975 World Series.
August 26 –Cal McLish, 84, All-Star pitcher with a 15-season career for five teams, who set a major league record with 16 consecutive road wins over the 1958 and 1959 seasons, which stood for 36 years untilGreg Maddux surpassed it over the 1994 and 1995 seasons; later a longtime pitching coach.
September 1 –Don Lang, 95, infielder for the Cincinnati Reds and St. Louis Cardinals.[81]
September 9 –Eddie Phillips, 80, pinch-runner who scored four runs in nine games for the 1953 St. Louis Cardinals, but never batted or fielded a ball in the majors.
September 16 –Wayne Twitchell, 62, 1973 NL All-Star pitcher who posted a 48–65 record in ten seasons with the Brewers, Phillies, Expos, Mets and Mariners.
September 18 –Ray Coleman, 88, outfielder and World War II veteran, who hit a .258 average in five seasons for the St. Louis Browns, Philadelphia Athletics and Chicago White Sox.[82]
September 20
Jack Cassini, 90, minor league infielder who six times led his league in stolen bases between 1940 and 1953; appeared in eight games as a pinch runner for 1949 Pittsburgh Pirates, scoring three runs.
Al Pilarcik, 80, outfielder andKorean War veteran, who hit .256 in 668 games for the Kansas City Athletics, Baltimore Orioles and Chicago White Sox.[83]
September 23 –Bob Shaw, 77, who spent eleven years in the majors pitching for the Tigers, White Sox, Kansas City Athletics, Milwaukee Braves, SF Giants, Mets and Cubs, and beatSandy Koufax in1959 World Series.[84]
November 2 –Clyde King, 86, whose major league baseball career as a player, coach, manager and front-office man spanned six decades.[61]
November 4 –Sparky Anderson, 76, Hall of Fame manager; first manager to win the World Series in both leagues with the Cincinnati Reds (1975–1976) and Detroit Tigers (1984);[87] in his playing days, a second baseman who played one MLB season for the 1959 Philadelphia Phillies.
November 10 –Dave Niehaus, 75, Hall of Fame broadcaster for the Seattle Mariners since their inception in 1977 to their final game of the 2010 season.[88]
November 13 –George Binks, 96, outfielder/first baseman who hit .253 in 351 games for the Washington Senators, Philadelphia Athletics and St. Louis Browns from 1944 to 1948. Hit .300 for the 1938 Tyler Trojans of the East Texas League.
November 20 –Danny McDevitt, 78, pitcher who posted a 21–27 record and a 4.40 ERA in six seasons, who is most remembered for starting the Dodgers' last home game in Brooklyn, hurling a 2–0 shutout victory over the Pirates.[61]
Tom Underwood, 56, pitcher who posted an 86–87 record with a 3.89 ERA for the Phillies, Cardinals, Blue Jays, Yankees, Athletics and Orioles from 1974 to 1984.[61]
December 2 –Ron Santo, 70, nine-time National League All-Star third baseman and one of the greatest players in Chicago Cubs history (1960–1973), then a beloved broadcaster for the team; selected posthumously to Baseball Hall of Fame in 2012.
December 4 –Ken Lehman, 82, left-handed specialist who posted a 14–10 record and a 3.91 ERA in 134 games for the Brooklyn Dodgers, Baltimore Orioles and Philadelphia Phillies in five seasons spanning 1952 to 1961.
December 15 –Bob Feller, 92, Cleveland Indians Hall of Fame pitcher who threw the only Opening Day no-hitter in MLB history in 1940.
December 17 –Walt Dropo, 87, who played 13 seasons in the majors and won the 1950 American League Rookie of the Year award with the Boston Red Sox, after batting .322 with 34 home runs and a league-best 144 RBI in 136 games.
December 18
Phil Cavarretta, 94, three-time All-Star first baseman for Chicago Cubs (1934–1953) who won the National League MVP in 1945 to lead the team to the World Series; as player-manager, compiled a 169–213 (.442) record from July 22, 1951 through end of 1953 campaign.
Ann Cindric, 88, All-American Girls Professional Baseball League pitcher.
December 25 –Karl Olson, 80, outfielder who hit .235 with six home runs and 50 RBI in 279 games for the Red Sox, Senators and Tigers from 1951 to 1957.
December 28 –Bill Lajoie, 76, former scouting director who became general manager of Detroit Tigers (1984–1990), playing an integral role in building 1984 World Series championship team and 1987 division champions.
December 29 –Steve Boros, 74, third baseman, coach and manager who spent more than four decades in baseball; appeared in 422 games between 1957 and 1965 for Tigers, Cubs and Reds; managed Athletics (1983–1984) and Padres (1986).
.jpg)
