January 14 – Ted Turner completes the purchase for full control (100 percent) ownership of the Atlanta Braves.
January 15 – Seattle is awarded the American League's 13th franchise to begin play in 1977. On February 6, the club's ownership structure is revealed, with entertainer Danny Kaye and Seattle businessman Lester Smith as principals. The owners pay the AL an entry fee of $5.53 million.
January 27 – The Pittsburgh Pirates sign undrafted free agent Pascual Perez.
February
February 3 – The Special Veterans Committee selects players Roger Connor and Freddie Lindstrom, and umpire Cal Hubbard, for the Hall of Fame. Hubbard becomes the first person elected to both the Pro Football and Baseball Halls of Fame.
February 9 – Oscar Charleston is selected for the Hall of Fame by the Special Committee on the Negro Leagues.
The National League unanimously approves the sale of the San Francisco Giants. The majority owner is Bay Area financier Bob Lurie, with Arizona meat-packing tycoon Bud Herseth emerging in the eleventh hour as Lurie's minority partner as a replacement for Bob Short. The reported purchase price is $8 million. The transaction finally ends Horace Stoneham's term as the Giants' owner after 40 years.
Lurie immediately appoints Bill Rigney, 58, as the Giants' field manager for 1976. It will be Rigney's second term in the job: he was the skipper when the franchise moved from New York to San Francisco in 1958, and compiled a 332–342 (.493) record from 1956 to June 17, 1960.
March 17 – Major League Baseball's lockout ends as Commissioner of BaseballBowie Kuhn orders team owners to open spring training camps to their players immediately.
March 20 – Leo Durocher, hired to manage Japan's Yokohama Taiyō Whales of the Central League, is sick with hepatitis and asks for a five-week delay in reporting. Durocher receives a telegram from the Whales stating: "Since the championship starts in 20 days, it's better if you stay home and take care of yourself for the remainder of the season."
March 26 – The American Leagueofficially expands to 14 teams for 1977, approving the purchase of the new Toronto franchise by the Labatt Brewing Company for $7 million. In January, the Junior Circuit added Seattle as its 13th team, then, on March 20, its owners voted 11–1 to draft the Toronto territory.
April 3 – The Chicago White Sox sign veteran free-agent outfielder Cleon Jones, released by the New York Mets on July 27, 1975. Jones will appear in 12 games for the White Sox, collect eight hits and five bases on balls in 47 plate appearances, and be unconditionally released on May 2.
Don Money of the Milwaukee Brewers hits what appears to be a game winning grand slam off Dave Pagan of the New York Yankees. However, just before the pitch, Yankee first baseman Chris Chambliss had called time. The grand slam is waived off, and Money is ordered to return to the plate. Money then hits a sacrifice fly to bring the score to 9–7. It's not enough and the Brewers lose the game; they later also lose a protest they file with the American League.
April 15 – Newly remodeled Yankee Stadium is jammed with 52,613 fans for Opening Day ceremonies. The 1923 Yankees, the first team to play in "The [original] House That Ruth Built," are honored, and Bob Shawkey, winner of the 1923 opener, throws out the first ball. The Yankees beat the Minnesota Twins 11–4 on 14 hits, but the only home run is hit by Minnesota's Dan Ford.
April 16 – At Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium, Los Angeles Dodgers southpaw Tommy John throws a pitch in an official MLB game for the first time since Dr. Frank Jobe performed his breakthrough ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction surgery on John's injured elbow on September 25, 1974. John faces 24 Atlanta Braves hitters over five innings, and allows five hits, four bases on balls, and three earned runs, absorbing a 3–1 defeat. But he will throw 207 innings in 1976, go 10–10 (3.09), and play 14 more major-league seasons before retiring from the mound at age 46 in 1989. Moreover, he will achieve a measure of immortality when Jobe's procedure is christened "Tommy John Surgery."
April 17 – With the wind blowing out at Wrigley Field, Mike Schmidt leads the Philadelphia Phillies assault with a single, four consecutive home runs, and eight RBI to overcome a 12–1 deficit after three innings and beat the Chicago Cubs in 10 innings, 18–16. Schmidt becomes the tenth player in Major League history to hit four home runs in a game.
April 18 – Seattle's American League expansion team names Lou Gorman vice president and its first director of baseball operations. Gorman, 47, comes from the Kansas City Royals, where he oversaw the former expansion club's player development and scouting organizations before becoming assistant general manager.
At Wrigley Field, Tim Foli of the Montreal Exposhits for the cycle, but it takes him two days to do it. Foli has a single, double and triple against the Cubs, but with the Expos ahead 11–3, the game is suspended on account of darkness. When play resumes the next day, Foli will add a home run in the eighth inning.
The Atlanta Braves top the Philadelphia Phillies 3–2, as Darrell Evans draws a walk in his 13th consecutive game to set a new National League record. He'll draw passes in two more games, until April 27, before being shut out. Evans has 19 walks in the 15 games.
May 1 – In the first game of a double-header and the Phillies 15th tilt of the season, Mike Schmidt hits his 12th home run of 1976, setting an MLB record for the most homers in a team's first 15 games.
May 5 – The "Friendly Confines of Wrigley Field" play host to another slugfest as the Los Angeles Dodgers outlast the Chicago Cubs 14–12. The Dodgers belt seven home runs, and the Cubs rap 21 base hits.
May 15 – Mark Fidrych of the Detroit Tigers wins his first major league start, a complete game two-hit 2–1 victory over the Cleveland Indians. Soon to be famous in the baseball world as "The Bird," Fidrych holds the Indians hitless for six innings, talks to the ball, and tamps down the mound before toeing the rubber each inning.
May 16 – The Kansas City Royals pick up left-hander Larry Gura, 28, in a trade with the New York Yankees for backup catcher Fran Healy. Currently 15–16 in 68 games for the Yanks and Chicago Cubs, Gura will become an effective member of the Royals' starting rotation, winning 111 games (and losing only 78) for them until he's released on May 18, 1985.
The 17–10 New York Yankees score five runs in the top of the ninth to force a six-all tie with the homestanding Cleveland Indians, then plate another five tallies in the 16th to topple the Tribe, 11–6, and increase their lead in the AL East to 3½ games over the Baltimore Orioles. Reliever Sparky Lyle fires six innings of three-hit, shutout ball to gain the victory.
May 19 – At Detroit, Carl Yastrzemski hits three home runs and goes 4-for-4 as the Boston Red Sox win 9–2 over the host Detroit Tigers. Yaz's big day comes one day after he passes Ted Williams as having played the most games in a Red Sox uniform.
May 20 – At Yankee Stadium, the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees are involved in one of the ugliest on-field brawls in sports history. In the bottom of the 6th inning, New York's Lou Piniella crashes into Boston catcher Carlton Fisk in an attempt to score. Fisk and Piniella begin fighting at home plate and the benches clear. During the brawl, Bill Lee is thrown to the ground. As the fight appears to be subsiding, Yankee third baseman Graig Nettles punches Lee after the two exchange words, re-igniting the brawl. Lee suffers a separated shoulder from the melee and subsequently misses a significant portion of the 1976 season. He keeps pitching until 1982, but will never the same pitcher after the brawl. The Red Sox win the game 8–2.
May 22 – With four amateur umpires working the game—the regular, unionized National League crew was late to the park because they were reluctant to cross a Three Rivers Stadium picket line set up by striking vendors—the Pittsburgh Pirates and Chicago Cubs engage in another 16-inning tilt. Light-hitting Mario Mendoza (who gave his name to the "Mendoza line") drives in the winning tally with a sacrifice fly in the Pirates' 4–3 victory.
May 26 – Journeyman first baseman Terry Crowley returns to the Baltimore Orioles as a free agent after his release from the Atlanta Braves. His second stint in Baltimore lasts through the 1982 season, and he will become known as an ace pinch-hitter and as one of the subjects of a salty, not-meant-for-public-consumption Earl Weaver "Manager's Corner" radio interview.
May 29 – The only home run hit by pitcher Joe Niekro in his 22-year career comes at the expense of brother Phil Niekro as the Houston Astros tie the Atlanta Braves in the seventh inning, then win 4–3.
Earlier, with Singer starting on the mound for them and lasting 51⁄3 innings, the Rangers go 16 innings to defeat the Chicago White Sox, 6–5, at Comiskey Park. Chicago manager Paul Richards files an unsuccessful protest to the American League, claiming Singer is an ineligible player.
June 10 – The Tigers purchase the contract of 26-year-old veteran pitcher Milt Wilcox from the Chicago Cubs. Morris, Petry and Wilcox will eventually form the "big three" starting rotation of the 1984 Tigers.
June 14 – Jerry Terrell's third-inning single is the only hit that Rick Wise of the Boston Red Sox allows in his complete-game, 5–0 triumph over the Minnesota Twins at Metropolitan Stadium. It's Wise's third career one-hitter (he also fired a no-hitter in 1971) and the first of two one-hitters he will throw in June 1976 alone.
The Houston Astros are "rained out" of their scheduled home game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at the Astrodome. Massive flooding in the Houston area prevents the umpires and all but a few fans from reaching the stadium. Despite both teams having taken pre-game practice, the absence of the umpiring crew forces the game to be called off.
At Tiger Stadium, the Kansas City Royals build a 20–0 lead through their half of the eighth, before Detroit scores seven runs in the home half. The score is 21–7 with none out in the Royals' ninth when rain washes out the remainder of the official contest. Kansas City strikes for 24 hits, with Tom Poquette getting five and George Brett four. Amos Otis gets five RBI and second baseman Dave Nelson four.
June 18 – Peter Bavasi resigns as general manager of the San Diego Padres to become the first president of Toronto's expansion team, set to enter the American League in 1977. Peter is the son of longtime MLB executive and Padre president Buzzie Bavasi. Scouting and farm system director Bob Fontaine Sr. becomes the Padres' new general manager.
June 22 – Randy Jones pitches the Padres to a 4–2 win over the San Francisco Giants, and ties Christy Mathewson's 63-year-old National League record by going 68 innings without a base on balls. Jones receives a standing ovation from the home crowd after striking out Darrell Evans to end the seventh inning. His streak ends when he walks Marc Hill leading off the 8th.
June 25 – The Texas Rangers' Toby Harrah becomes the only shortstop in major league history to go through an entire doubleheader without a fielding chance. At bat, Harrah makes up for the inactivity, collecting six hits including a grand slam in the opener, and another home run in game 2. The Rangers beat the Chicago White Sox in the first game 8–4, but lose the nightcap 14–9.
On June 14, Finley is unable to make any trades. He starts contacting other teams about selling his players' contracts. Joe Rudi, Vida Blue, Don Baylor, and Gene Tenace are valued at $1 million each, while Sal Bando can be acquired for $500,000. Red Sox general manager Dick O'Connell is in Oakland, because the Red Sox are due to play the Athletics on June 15. Field manager Darrell Johnson has declared that he is interested in Rudi and Fingers. On June 15, the Red Sox purchase both contracts for $1 million each. Rudi and Fingers cross the field, put on Red Sox uniforms, and sit in the Boston dugout to watch the Athletics beat the Red Sox, 3–2, on Tenace's walk-off home run. In the end, Fingers never plays an official game for Boston; Rudi will appear in 49 games for the 1981 Red Sox and bat only .180.[5]
O'Connell contacts Detroit Tigers general manager Jim Campbell about purchasing Blue for $1 million to block the Yankees from getting him.[4]Gabe Paul, president/general manager of the Yankees, tells Finley he will pay $1.5 million to acquire Blue, and Finley offers Blue a three-year extension worth $485,000 per season to make the sale more attractive to the Yankees.[4] With the extension, the Yankees agree to purchase Blue.
On June 18, Commissioner of BaseballBowie Kuhn voids the Rudi, Fingers and Blue transactions in the "best interests of baseball." Amid the turmoil, the A's will still finish second in the AL West, 2½ games behind the Kansas City Royals.
July 8 – At Wrigley Field, Randy Jones wins his 16th game of the year for the San Diego Padres, a National League record for wins at the All-Star break. He beats the Chicago Cubs 6–3. In the second half of the season, Jones will lose seven games by one run, two of them by 1–0 scores.
July 9 – The Houston Astros' Larry Dierkerno-hits the host Montreal Expos, 6–0. He strikes out eight batters, including the first two in the ninth inning. Dierker had previously thrown two one-hitters.
July 13 – The National League emerges victorious in the annual All-Star Game by a score of 7–1. George Foster, one of seven Cincinnati Reds position players on the squad, hits a home run with three RBI, and is named the MVP. Rookie pitcher Mark Fidrych gives up two runs and takes the loss. It is the NL's 13th win over the American League in the last 14 games.
July 22 – Lodged in the basement of the AL West division with a 39–57 mark, the California Angels fire future Baseball Hall of Fame manager Dick Williams. The authoritarian Williams is at odds with third baseman Bill Melton and other players on his roster. The Angels name coach Norm Sherry interim pilot, and he leads them to a 37–29 finish to the season.
July 24 – In a 17–2 blowout of the Chicago White Sox, Lyman Bostock becomes the fourth Minnesota Twin to hit for the cycle. Batting fourth for the first time ever, he goes four-for-four, with four RBI and four runs scored.
August 8 – The first game of today's Royals–White Sox double header at Comiskey Park sees the White Sox appear on the field in shorts. The Sox return to long pants for the second game, after stealing five bases and defeating the Royals, 5–2.
August 9 – John Candelaria becomes the first Pirates pitcher in 69 years to throw a no-hitter in Pittsburgh by blanking the Los Angeles Dodgers 2–0. Candelaria's no-hitter comes at Three Rivers Stadium. No Pirate ever threw a no-hitter at Forbes Field (1909–1970).
August 12 – Blue Jays is the winning entry from 30,000 submissions in a "name that team" competition for Toronto's American League expansion team set to take the field in 1977.
August 25 – Mariners is chosen as the nickname for Seattle's AL expansion team; 600 names from 15,000 entries are considered before the team's owners make their decision.
August 30 – The Oakland Athletics, eight games out of first place but nursing faint hopes of winning the AL West for the sixth straight year, purchase the contract of 38-year-old slugger Willie McCovey from the San Diego Padres.
The Seattle Mariners, set to join the American League as an expansion team in 1977, name Darrell Johnson the first manager in team history. Former MLB catcher and coach Johnson, 48, skippered the Boston Red Sox from 1974 to July 19, 1976, posting a 220–188 (.539) record, while winning the 1975 AL pennant and that year's "Manager of the Year" Award.
Dodgers catcher Steve Yeager escapes a life-threatening injury when the jagged end of a broken bat strikes him in the throat while he's waiting in the on-deck circle. After 98-minute surgery to remove wooden splinters from his neck, Yeager recovers quickly and reappears in a Dodger game 19 days later.[6]
Jerry Koosman wins his 20th game of the season, pitching a complete game and recording 13 strikeouts in the New York Mets' 4–1 win over the St. Louis Cardinals. It is Koosman's only 20-win season as a Met.
September 17 – Bill Lucas of the Atlanta Braves becomes the first African-American to serve as general manager of an MLB franchise when Ted Turner appoints him vice president and head of player personnel. Lucas, 40, is a former minor-league infielder who has served in the Braves' front office for 12 years; since 1972, he has been the club's player development director. Tragically, Lucas will hold the post for less than three years before his death from a cerebral hemorrhage in May 1979. His legacy as baseball's only black general manager will last until 1993, when Bob Watson takes the helm of the Houston Astros' front office.[7]
September 18 – Player-managerFrank Robinson of the Cleveland Indians inserts himself into the lineup as a pinch hitter in the eight inning of a game against the Baltimore Orioles. He singles in what will be his final at-bat as a player. His influence as a manager and executive will continue for decades to come.
September 22 – Peter Bavasi, president of the newly hatched Toronto Blue Jays, bypasses well-known names to appoint former MLB infielder and coach Roy Hartsfield the first manager in the expansion team's history. Hartsfield, 51, has been a successful minor-league skipper, most recently with the Triple-AHawaii Islanders, and is a longtime associate of Bavasi's. The Blue Jays will join the American League in 1977.
September 26 – In the last big league games at Montreal's Jarry Park, the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Expos 4–1 in the first game of a doubleheader to clinch the National League East title. The Phillies, who won the NL pennant in 1915 and 1950, make the postseason for only the third time in their 94-year history. The Phils also take the nightcap, 2–1. Following the second game, Dick Allen jumps the team to protest the fact that veteran Tony Taylor is not listed on its postseason roster. Allen is fined by the Phillies and will return five days later, playing in two of the final three regular season games and the playoffs.
The Chicago Cubs' Bill Madlock wrests the National League batting crown from Ken Griffey by collecting four singles in an 8-2 win over the Montreal Expos. The hits raise Madlock from .333 to .339, one point ahead of the idle Griffey, who belatedly joins the Reds' lineup in a 11–1 win over the Atlanta Braves and goes 0-for-2, dropping his average to .336.
The St. Louis Cardinals part company with manager Red Schoendienst, who has led the Redbirds for a dozen seasons, compiled a 1,010–925 (.522) record, and won two National League pennants and the 1967 World Series. Schoendienst, 53, a St. Louis legend and future member of the Baseball Hall of Fame as a second baseman, will return to the Cardinals as a coach, interim manager and special assistant in 1979.
October 11 – In the last of the eighth inning, leading the Hanshin Tigers 4–1 with two out and a full count, Sadaharu Oh hits his 715th home run to pass Babe Ruth's mark. He finishes the season with 716 HRs and takes aim at Hank Aaron's record.
October 14 – In the deciding Game 5 of the 1976 American League Championship Series, the New York Yankees take a 6–3 lead before the Kansas City Royals' George Brett connects for a three-run home run in the top of the eighth inning. In the bottom of the ninth, New York's Chris Chambliss smashes the first pitch off Kansas City's Mark Littell over the right field fence for a 7–6 win, winning the Yankees their first AL pennant and World Series appearance since 1964.
October 17 – The first-ever weekend night game in World Series history takes place in Cincinnati as the Reds defeat the New York Yankees, 4–3, in Game 2 of the Fall Classic. Games 3 and 4 also will occur under the lights.
October 21 – In the World Series, the Cincinnati Reds beat the New York Yankees 7–2, completing a four-game sweep. Series MVP Johnny Bench has two home runs and five RBI in the Series, and demolishes the Yankees with .533 hitting. Opposing catcher Thurman Munson has six straight singles to tie a World Series mark. Cincinnati's "Big Red Machine" becomes the first team since the 1969 playoff expansion to go through an entire postseason without a defeat. The 1976 Fall Classic is the last World Series to end in a sweep until 1989.
New American League franchises in Seattle and Toronto fill up their rosters by selecting 30 players apiece from unprotected players on other AL rosters. Outfielder Ruppert Jones (Seattle) and infielder Bob Bailor (Toronto) are the first choices.
The Texas Rangers sign free-agent former Oakland shortstop Bert Campaneris, 34, to a five-year contract. A six-time AL stolen base champion, Campaneris swiped 54 bags in 1976, third in the league.
November 18
The New York Yankees raid their 1976 World Series foe, the Cincinnati Reds, signing free-agent left-hander Don Gullett, 25, to a six-year contract worth a reported $2 million. Gullett has gone 91–44 over seven seasons since debuting with the Reds as a 19-year-old in 1970.
The Baltimore Orioles and Chicago White Sox take to the trading floor, with Baltimore acquiring veteran outfielder Pat Kelly from Chicago for catcher (and future MLB pitching guru) Dave Duncan. Duncan, 31, will be released by the ChiSox on March 30, 1977 without playing an official game.
Another former Kansas City Royals skipper, Jack McKeon, is named to fill the Oakland Athletics' managerial vacancy. McKeon, 46, succeeded Bob Lemon in Kansas City in 1973 and compiled a 215–205 (.512) record there until his firing on July 23, 1975.
November 19
The Cleveland Indians sign free-agent former Baltimore pitcher Wayne Garland, 26, to a ten-year $2.3 million contract. Garland went 20–7 (2.67 ERA), with 14 complete games and four shutouts, in 38 games for the Orioles in 1976.
The Milwaukee Brewers sign free-agent veteran former Oakland Athletics' third baseman Sal Bando to a multi-year contract worth more than $1.5 million. Four-time All-Star Bando, 32, played for the Athletics for all or parts of 11 seasons.
November 23
The Houston Astros deal longtime ace starting pitcher, two-time All-Star, and 13-year team veteran Larry Dierker, 30, to the St. Louis Cardinals, along with infielder Jerry DaVanon, in exchange for catcher/outfielder Joe Ferguson and outfielder Bob Detherage. Future Astro broadcaster and manager Dierker has won 137 games in a Houston uniform since 1964.
Joe Morgan outdistances Cincinnati Reds teammate George Foster to win his second straight National League MVP Award. Morgan finished with a .320 average, 27 home runs, 111 RBI, 113 runs, 60 stolen bases, and led the NL in slugging percentage (.576) and OPS (1.020). Foster finished with 29 home runs and led the league with 121 RBI.
Another MLB team overhauls its management team when the Chicago Cubs hire Bob Kennedy as general manager and Herman Franks as field manager, replacing Salty Saltwell and Jim Marshall respectively. Kennedy, 56, was the Cubs' "head coach" from 1963 through June 13, 1965, and recently was player development director of the St. Louis Cardinals (1970–1975) and part of the Seattle Mariners' brain trust. Franks, 62, returns to baseball from his successful business career; he is best known as manager of the 1965–1968 San Francisco Giants. Of the 24 MLB teams that competed in 1976, ten (42%) changed field managers during or after the season.
The Chicago White Sox sign free-agent former Cubs hurler Steve Stone, 29, to a two-year contract. For future broadcaster Stone, it will be his second tour of duty on Chicago's South Side; he had hurled for the 1973 ChiSox before being included in that offseason's blockbuster Ron Santo trade.
November 29
Free-agent outfielder Reggie Jackson, who spent 1976 with the Baltimore Orioles, signs a five-year contract with the New York Yankees for $3.5 million. Jackson, who has already won three World Series rings with the Oakland Athletics, will earn two more with the Yankees, where he is nicknamed "Mister October."
November 30 – Danny Murtaugh, 59, who had retired as manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates less than two months before, suffers a stroke at his home near Chester, Pennsylvania. He dies two days later in a local hospital. Murtaugh's record in all or parts of 15 seasons at the Pirates' helm was 1,106–943 (.540) including National League pennants and World Series championships in 1960 and 1971. (See Deaths entry for December 2 below.)
December 14 – The San Diego Padres sign two free agents and former Oakland Athletics: pitcher Rollie Fingers and catcher Gene Tenace. Future Hall-of-Famer Fingers, 30, reportedly will earn over $250,000 annually, almost 3x his former salary; Tenace, also 30, gets an even richer deal, with an annual salary over $300,000 and a six-year term.
December 15 – The Philadelphia Phillies sign free-agent former Pittsburgh Pirates third baseman Richie Hebner, 29, to a three-year, $600,000 contract. With future Hall-of-Famer Mike Schmidt entrenched at third, Hebner will move to first base for the 1977 Phillies.
December 16 – In a trade that will contribute to the decline of "The Big Red Machine," the Cincinnati Reds deal eventual Hall-of-Famer and 7x All-Star first baseman Tony Pérez, 34, to the Montreal Expos, along with relief pitcher Will McEnaney, for pitchers Woodie Fryman and Dale Murray. The Reds are seeking to make room for young first baseman Dan Driessen, 25, but Pérez is a team leader and has several productive seasons ahead of him.
January 2 – Jack Kraus, 57, left-handed pitcher who appeared in 70 career games for the Philadelphia Phillies (1943 and 1945) and New York Giants (1946)
January 5 – Gene Elliott, 86, outfielder who played in five 1911 games for the New York Highlanders
January 5 – Ed Sperber, 80, outfielder/pinch-runner who appeared in six contests for the 1924–1925 Boston Braves
January 9 – Bert Johnson, 70, outfielder for four Negro leagues clubs between 1932 and 1938
January 16 – Chick Autry, 91, utility first baseman/outfielder who appeared in 81 National League games for Cincinnati (1907 and 1909) and Boston (1909)
January 17 – Ed Kinsella, 96, pitcher who appeared in 13 games as a member of the 1905 Pittsburgh Pirates and 1910 St. Louis Browns
January 19 – Otto Ray, 82, catcher who appeared for four Negro National League teams between 1920 and 1924
January 20 – Tom Dunn, 75, National League umpire from 1939 to 1946; home-plate umpire for 1943 All-Star Game, and worked 1944 World Series and 1,151 league games
January 29 – Milt Galatzer, 68, backup outfielder who played in 248 games for the 1933–1936 Cleveland Indians and in three contests for the 1939 Cincinnati Reds
January 29 – Harry Otis, 89, left-handed pitcher (nicknamed "Cannonball") who appeared in five games for the 1909 Cleveland Naps
February
February 9 – Ziggy Hasbrook, 82, first baseman who got into 11 games during stints with the 1916 and 1917 Chicago White Sox
February 10 – Eddie Moore, 77, infielder/outfielder who played in 748 games for Pittsburgh Pirates, Boston Braves, Brooklyn Robins, New York Giants and Cleveland Indians between 1923 and 1934; starting second baseman for 1925 World Series champion Pittsburgh
February 11 – Johnny Miljus, 80, pitcher who appeared in 127 games for the Pittsburgh Rebels (of the Federal League), Brooklyn Robins, Pittsburgh Pirates and Cleveland Indians between 1915 and 1929; appeared in two contests for the losing Pirates in 1927 World Series
February 16 – Eusebio González, 83, Cuban shortstop who played in three midseason games for the 1918 Boston Red Sox
February 16 – John Shovlin, 85, infielder who appeared in 18 MLB games for the 1911 Pittsburgh Pirates and the 1919–1920 St. Louis Browns
February 24 – Carey Selph, 74, infielder with St. Louis Cardinals (1929) and Chicago White Sox (1932) who appeared in 141 MLB games
March
March 1 – George "Rube" Foster, 88, pitcher in 138 games for the 1913–1917 Boston Red Sox; member of 1915 and 1916 world champions; in 1915, won 19 regular-season games and threw two complete-game victories against the Philadelphia Phillies in the World Series, including the clinching fifth game
March 6 – Emory Long, 63, infielder in the Negro leagues between 1932 and 1940
March 11 – Larry Gardner, 89, third baseman for the Boston Red Sox and Cleveland Indians (1908–1924) who was a member of four World Series championship teams (1912, 1915, 1916, 1920) and batted .300 or better five times; longtime coach at University of Vermont
March 13 – Johnny Pasek, 70, catcher who appeared in 32 career games for the 1933 Detroit Tigers and 1934 Chicago White Sox
March 17 – Bert Gallia, 84, pitcher in 242 career games for the 1912–1917 Washington Senators, 1918–1920 St. Louis Browns and 1920 Philadelphia Phillies; won 17 games in back-to-back years with the 1915–1916 Senators
March 18 – Paul Maloy, 83, pitcher in two midsummer contests for the 1913 Boston Red Sox
March 21 – Heinie Scheer, 75, second baseman who got into 120 games for 1922–1923 Philadelphia Athletics
March 23 – Walter Murphy, 65, pitcher for the 1931 Red Sox who appeared in two games
April
April 12 – John Mungin, 71, pitcher for the Baltimore Black Sox and Harrisburg Giants of the Eastern Colored League from 1925 to 1927
April 12 – Zollie Wright, 66, outfielder for four Negro National League clubs from 1935 to 1941; selected an All-Star in 1936
April 13 – Mike McCormick, 58, outfielder with Cincinnati Reds (1940–1943, 1946), Boston Braves (1946–1948), Brooklyn Dodgers (1949), New York Giants (1950), Chicago White Sox (1950) and Washington Senators (1951) who appeared in 748 MLB games; played in three World Series (1940, 1948, 1949) and batted .310 in 29 at bats for Cincinnati's 1940 world champions
April 15 – Floyd Newkirk, 67, pitcher who threw one inning of scoreless relief for the New York Yankees in his only MLB game, on August 23, 1934
April 15 – George Scales, 75, second baseman and manager in the Negro leagues whose 20-year playing career spanned 1921 to 1946; also a manager in the Puerto Rican winter league
April 17 – Clay Hopper, 73, Mississippi native and longtime minor-league player and manager between 1926 and 1956 who, as skipper of the 1946 Montreal Royals, was Jackie Robinson's manager when he broke the color line in "Organized Baseball"
April 22 – Ernie Krueger, 85, catcher who appeared in 318 career games for the Cleveland Naps (1913), New York Yankees (1915), New York Giants (1917), Brooklyn Robins (1917–1921) and Cincinnati Reds (1925); appeared in three games of the 1920 World Series
April 26 – Alex Ferguson, 79, pitcher who made 257 appearances for the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Washington Senators, Philadelphia Phillies and Brooklyn Robins between 1918 and 1929; led American League in games lost (17) in 1924
April 27 – Ed Durham, 72, pitcher who worked in 143 games for the Red Sox and Chicago White Sox between 1929 and 1933
April 29 – Joe Berry, 81, second baseman in 15 games for the 1921–1922 New York Giants
May
May 1 – Luther McDonald, 70, right-hander who pitched for three Negro National League teams between 1927 and 1935; went 13–4 (4.28 ERA) for 1927 St. Louis Stars
May 2 – Dan Bankhead, 55, first black pitcher in modern National League history (1947, 1950–1951) as a Brooklyn Dodger; homered in first major league at-bat, August 26, 1947; posted 9–5 record with 6.52 ERA in 52 MLB games
May 3 – Ernie Nevers, 73, who excelled in several sports, including American football, basketball and baseball, where he was a right-handed pitcher who appeared in 44 games for the St. Louis Browns between 1926 and 1928
May 4 – Bob Cooney, 68, pitcher who got into 28 games for the Browns in 1931 and 1932
May 10 – Ken Trinkle, 56, pitcher for the New York Giants (1943, 1946–1948) and Philadelphia Phillies (1949), who led the National League in games played by a pitcher in 1946 (48) and 1947 (62)
May 18 – Marion Fricano, 52, pitcher who appeared in 88 career games for the Philadelphia/Kansas City Athletics between 1952 and 1955; on September 26, 1954, as he nailed down a save in the Athletics' last regular-season game, he threw the final pitch in the 54-year history of the franchise in Philadelphia
May 25 – Al Lakeman, 57, reserve catcher/first baseman for the Cincinnati Reds (1942–1947), Philadelphia Phillies (1947–1948), Boston Braves (1949) and Detroit Tigers (1954); later a coach for the Boston Red Sox (1963–1964 and 1967–1969)
May 30 – Max Carey, 86, Hall of Fame center fielder, mainly with the Pittsburgh Pirates, who led NL in steals ten times, holding league career record of 738 until 1974; set NL records for career games, putouts, chances and double plays in outfield, and batted .458 in 1925 World Series; managed Brooklyn Dodgers in 1932 and 1933
June
June 3 – Paul Chervinko, 65, catcher who appeared in 42 games for the Dodgers in 1937 and 1938; later a minor league manager
June 3 – Dwight Stone, 89, pitcher for St. Louis of the American League and Kansas City of the Federal League in 1913–1914
June 5 – Otis Lambeth, 86, pitcher in 43 games for the Cleveland Indians between 1916 and 1918
June 11 – Chet Covington, 65, left-handed pitcher who appeared in 19 games for the 1944 Philadelphia Phillies
June 11 – Jim Konstanty, 59, All-Star pitcher who became the first reliever to win the MVP award, with the 1950 "Whiz Kid" Phillies, when he won 16 games, all out of the bullpen, and saved 22 more to lead the National League, setting a then-MLB record for games pitched (74); in 433 career games over 11 MLB seasons (1944–1946 and 1948–1956) with five clubs, posted a 66–48 (3.46) record with 76 saves
June 15 – Jimmy Dykes, 79, All-Star third baseman during a 22-year playing career (1918–1939) for the Philadelphia Athletics and Chicago White Sox, who went on to become the winningest manager (899 victories between May 9, 1934 and May 24, 1946) in White Sox history; succeeded Connie Mack as skipper of Athletics (1951–1953), and also managed Baltimore Orioles (1954), Cincinnati Redlegs (1958), Detroit Tigers (1959–1960) and Cleveland Indians (1960–1961)
June 16 – George Dickey, 60, catcher who appeared in 223 MLB games for the Boston Red Sox (1935–1936) and Chicago White Sox (1941–1942; 1946–1947); brother of Bill Dickey
June 19 – Henry "Prince" Oana, 66, pitcher, outfielder and native of Hawaii, who played in 30 games for the 1934 Philadelphia Phillies and 1943 and 1945 Detroit Tigers; batted .308 in 52 at bats, and went 3–2 (3.77) in 13 mound appearances
June 20 – Blix Donnelly, 62, pitcher who appeared in 190 games between 1944 and 1951 for the St. Louis Cardinals, Philadelphia Phillies and Boston Braves; member of 1944 World Series champion Cardinals
June 20 – Lou Klein, 57, infielder in 305 games for Cardinals (1943–1944, 1946 and 1949), Cleveland Indians (1951) and Philadelphia Athletics (1951) who spent the prime of his career (1946–1949) under suspension for "jumping" to the Mexican League; later a minor-league manager before becoming a member of the Chicago Cubs' "College of Coaches" (1961–1965); served as Cubs' head coach (manager) for parts of 1961, 1962 and 1965
June 23 – Lon Warneke, 67, five-time All-Star pitcher who had three 20-win seasons for the Cubs, led National League in victories and ERA in 1932, and won 192 games over 15 seasons for the Cubs and Cardinals; later an NL umpire for seven years (1949–1955)
June 30 – Firpo Marberry, 77, pitcher for the Washington Senators (1923–1932 and 1936), Detroit Tigers (1933–1935) and New York Giants (1936), who established single-season and career records for both saves and relief appearances; led majors in saves a record five times; also 94–52 as a starter; member of 1924 World Series champions
July
July 9 – Louis English, 74, catcher who wore the uniforms of Detroit, Nashville and Louisville of the Negro National League and Negro Southern League between 1929 and 1932
July 9 – Tom Yawkey, 73, owner and president of the Boston Red Sox from 1933 until his death, and vice president of the American League from 1956 to 1973; named to Hall of Fame by Veterans Committee in 1980
July 21 – Earle Combs, 77, Hall of Fame center fielder for the New York Yankees (1924–1935) who batted .325 lifetime and led the AL in triples three times; batting leadoff, he had eight seasons of 100 runs, and batted .350 over four World Series; won three championship rings as a player and six more as a Yankee coach (1935–1944)
July 26 – Les Howe, 80, pitcher who appeared in 16 games for the 1923–1924 Boston Red Sox
July 29 – Elmer Myers, 82, pitcher for Philadelphia Athletics, Cleveland Indians and Boston Red Sox who worked in 185 games between 1915 and 1922
July 30 – Jack Knight, 81, pitcher who appeared in 72 games for three National League clubs, principally Philadelphia, in 1922 and from 1925 to 1927; longtime minor-league manager
August
August 3 – Homer Ezzell, 80, third baseman for the St. Louis Browns and Boston Red Sox between 1923 and 1925
August 15 – Jim Henry, 66, pitched from 1936 through 1939 for the Boston Red Sox and Philadelphia Phillies
August 15 – Dick Lajeskie, 50, second baseman who had a six-game audition with the New York Giants in September 1946
August 16 – George Aiton, 85, outfielder in ten games for the 1912 St. Louis Browns
August 17 – Bert Tooley, 89, shortstop for 1911–1912 Brooklyn Dodgers who appeared in 196 contests
August 19 – Johnny Walker, 79, first baseman who played 125 games for the 1919–1921 Philadelphia Athletics
August 27 – Bill Mizeur, 79, pinch hitter in two games for the 1923–1924 St. Louis Browns; minor-league outfielder who had a 14-year playing career
August 28 – Bill Hunnefield, 77, infielder in 511 MLB games for the Chicago White Sox (1926–1930), Cleveland Indians (1931), Boston Braves (1931) and New York Giants (1931)
August 29 – Al Platte, 86, longtime minor-league outfielder who appeared in eight MLB games for the 1913 Detroit Tigers
September
September 1 – Mike Meola, 70, pitcher for the Boston Red Sox and St. Louis Browns between 1933 and 1936, who was winless in 18 MLB games; posted a record of 20–5 with 2.90 ERA for the Pacific Coast League's Los Angeles Angels in 1934
September 4 – Monroe Mitchell, 74, pitcher who worked in ten games for the 1923 Washington Senators
September 5 – Jim O'Neill, 83, shortstop and second baseman for 1920 and 1923 Washington Senators; one of four brothers to play in the majors, including Steve O'Neill
September 6 – Vern Fear, 52, relief pitcher who appeared in four games for 1952 Chicago Cubs
September 10 – Blackie Carter, 73, outfielder who played in six games for the New York Giants from 1925 to 1926
September 20 – Luther Gilyard, 66, first baseman for Chicago, St. Louis and Birmingham of the Negro American League between 1937 and 1942
September 20 – John J. Quinn, 68, front-office executive who spent over 40 years in the majors; general manager of Boston/Milwaukee Braves (1945–1958) and Philadelphia Phillies (1959–1972); son and father of longtime baseball executives
September 25 – Red Faber, 88, Hall of Fame pitcher who played his entire 20-year career with the Chicago White Sox, winning 254 games and leading AL in ERA twice; his four 20-win seasons included a 25-win campaign for the scandal-decimated 1921 team, which finished 62-92
September 26 – Buddy Crump, 74, centerfielder who played one MLB game, on September 28, 1924, as a member of the New York Giants
September 26 – Rip Russell, 61, first- and third baseman who got into 425 career games for the Chicago Cubs (1939–1942) and Boston Red Sox (1946–1947)
September 28 – Linc Blakely, 64, outfielder who batted .225 in 102 at bats during his 34-game trial with the 1934 Cincinnati Reds
October
October 1 – Jelly Taylor, 66, three-time All-Star first baseman for the Cincinnati Tigers and Memphis Red Sox of the Negro American League between 1937 and 1946
October 2 – Walter Calhoun, 65, left-hander who pitched in the Negro leagues between 1932 and 1946; selected to 1940 All-Star team while a member of the St. Louis–New Orleans Stars
October 4 – Ollie Carnegie, 77, outfielder and minor-league slugger who excelled as a member of the Buffalo Bisons over a dozen seasons between 1931 and 1945; member of the International League Hall of Fame
October 5 – Bill Bagwell, 85, outfielder and pinch hitter who appeared in 92 games for the 1923 Boston Braves and 1925 Philadelphia Athletics
October 6 – Joe Erautt, 55, Canadian-born catcher who played in 32 games for the 1951–1952 Chicago White Sox
October 8 – John Bottarini, 68, catcher and 18-year veteran of minor leagues who appeared in 26 MLB games for 1937 Chicago Cubs
October 9 – Mark Christman, 62, third baseman and shortstop who appeared in 911 games for the Detroit Tigers, St. Louis Browns and Washington Senators between 1938 and 1949; starting third baseman for 1944 Browns, only St. Louis entry to win an American League pennant
October 9 – Bob Moose, 29, pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1967 to 1976 who threw a no-hitter on September 20, 1969 against the pennant-bound New York Mets and led National League in winning percentage (14–3, .824) that season; posted a 76–71 career record in 289 career games; died in an automobile accident on his birthday
October 20 – Freddie Muller, 65, infielder who played in 17 career games for the 1933–1934 Boston Red Sox
October 26 – Eddie Silber, 62, outfielder for the 1937 and 1939 St. Louis Browns who played in 23 MLB games
October 29 – Harry Malmberg, 51, second baseman in 67 games for 1955 Detroit Tigers; coach for 1963–1964 Boston Red Sox; longtime minor league manager
October 29 – Andy Sarvis, 68, pitcher for the Cleveland Bears and Jacksonville Red Caps of the Negro American League between 1940 and 1942
October 31 – Charles Bernard "King" Lear, 85, Cincinnati Reds pitcher who fashioned a 7–12 record (3.02 ERA) in 57 games during the 1914 and 1915 seasons
November
November 2 – Regis Leheny, 68, left-handed pitcher for the 1932 Red Sox who worked in two games
November 2 – Dee Miles, 67, outfielder who appeared in 503 career games for the Washington Senators (1935–1936), Philadelphia Athletics (1939–1942) and Boston Red Sox (1943)
November 3 – Frank Brazill, 77, first baseman/third baseman in 72 total games for the 1921–1922 Athletics
November 9 – Bud Culloton, 80, pitcher who hurled in 13 games for the 1925 and 1926 Pittsburgh Pirates
November 11 – Ken Crawford, 82, first baseman for the 1915 Baltimore Terrapins of the "outlaw" Federal League
November 11 – Jimmy O'Connell, 75, reserve outfielder for 1923–1924 National League champion New York Giants; suspended for life by Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis after he was implicated in an unsuccessful scheme to bribe a Philadelphia player to deliberately lose the final games of the 1924 season
November 14 – Fred Baczewski, 50, left-hander who went 17–10 (4.45 ERA) in 63 games for the Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Redlegs from 1953 to 1956; placed sixth in 1953 NL Rookie of the Year balloting
November 19 – Frank Kellert, 52, first baseman for the St. Louis Browns, Baltimore Orioles, Brooklyn Dodgers and Chicago Cubs, getting into 122 career games from 1953 to 1956; member of Brooklyn's 1955 world champions
November 20 – Les Hennessy, 82, second baseman who played 14 games for the 1913 Detroit Tigers
November 25 – John André, 53, four-time 20-game-winning pitcher in the minors who received a 22-game trial with the 1955 Cubs
November 27 – Al Baird, 81, infielder who appeared in 48 total games for the 1917 and 1919 New York Giants
December
December 1 – George Earnshaw, 76, pitcher who had three 20-win seasons for 1929–1930–1931 AL champion Philadelphia Athletics; later a scout and coach
December 2 – Danny Murtaugh, 59, manager who over 15 seasons and four stints with the Pittsburgh Pirates won two World Series (1960, 1971) and three NL East titles between August 1957 and his October 1976 retirement; former second baseman for Pirates, Philadelphia Phillies and Boston Braves who appeared in 767 total games; led NL in stolen bases as rookie in 1941; Pirates retired his uniform #40 in his memory (1977)
December 3 – Leo Townsend, 85, left-handed pitcher who worked in eight games for the Boston Braves in 1920 and 1921
December 6 – Jonathan "Mandy" Brooks, 79, outfielder who played 116 games for the 1925–1926 Chicago Cubs
December 7 – Duke Maas, 47, pitcher who won 45 games for the Detroit Tigers, Kansas City Athletics and New York Yankees between 1955 and 1961
December 9 – Wes Ferrell, 68, All-Star pitcher who had six 20-win seasons for the Cleveland Indians and Boston Red Sox, with 193 career wins, including a no-hitter; batted .280 in 1,176 at bats, with 38 homers among his 329 hits over his 15-year MLB career (1927–1941), and caught by brother Rick for five seasons; also played for the Washington Senators, New York Yankees, Brooklyn Dodgers and Boston Braves
December 9 – Annie Gosbee, 40, All-American Girls Professional Baseball League infielder
December 9 – Red Haley, 75, lefty-swinging infielder who played for the Chicago American Giants and Birmingham Black Barons of the Negro National League in 1928 and the barnstorming Kansas City Monarchs in 1933
December 10 – Vic Keen, 77, pitcher for 1981 Philadelphia Athletics, 1921–1925 Chicago Cubs and 1926–1927 St. Louis Cardinals; member of 1926 World Series champions
December 10 – Danny Thompson, 29, infielder with the Minnesota Twins (1970–1976) and Texas Rangers (1976), who played four seasons after being diagnosed with leukemia; appeared in his last game on October 2, 1976 (as a pinch hitter), and died two months and one week later
December 10 – Luis Tiant Sr., 70, Cuban-born southpaw and father of the star pitcher of the 1960s and 1970s; three-time All-Star hurler as a member of the New York Cubans of the Negro National League whose playing career encompassed 20 years (1928–1947) in the Cuban and Dominican winter leagues, Negro leagues, and Mexican League
December 18 – Ned Harris, 60, outfielder for the Detroit Tigers (1941–1943, 1946) who appeared in 262 career games
December 25 – Bill Skiff, 81, ex-catcher who followed his 22-game MLB playing career with 1921 Pittsburgh Pirates and 1926 New York Yankees with a long tenure as a minor league player and manager, then as a scout for the Yankees' organization
December 26 – Walt Lynch, 79, catcher in three contests for the 1922 Boston Red Sox
December 27 – Press Cruthers, 86, Philadelphia Athletics second baseman who appeared in seven games in 1913 and 1914, who later managed in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League
^ abcdeGreen, G. Michael; Launius, Roger D. (2010). Charlie Finley: The Outrageous Story of Baseball's Super Showman. New York: Walker Publishing. p. 247-249. ISBN978-0-8027-1745-0.