January 19 – The New York Mets appoint former MLB catcher and field manager Bob Scheffing as vice president and general manager, filling the void left by the January 14 death of Johnny Murphy. Scheffing, 56, previously was a senior special assignments scout for the Mets' organization.
January 29 – Pitcher Miguel Fuentes, who threw the last pitch for the Seattle Pilots, is shot to death outside of a bar in Loiza, Puerto Rico.
February
February 1 – The Hall of Fame Special Committee on Veterans selects former commissioner Ford Frick and former players Earle Combs and Jesse Haines for enshrinement.
February 19 – Commissioner Bowie Kuhn announces the suspension of Detroit Tigers pitcher Denny McLain, effective April 1, for McLain's alleged involvement in a bookmaking operation. The suspension is indefinite, but will later be set at three months.
March
March 8 – With the Seattle Pilots' parent company, Pacific Northwest Sports, in bankruptcy court and the club's sale to a Milwaukee consortium headed by Bud Selig the only viable path forward, American League owners begin to weigh transferring the year-old team. The AL magnates are wary of angering the State of Washington's two powerful U.S. Senators, Scoop Jackson and Warren Magnuson, and endangering MLB's anti-trust exemption.[1]
March 17 – After almost two decades as president of the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers franchise, Walter O'Malley names his son, Peter, 32, to succeed him in the post. The elder O'Malley, who owns 75 percent of the Dodgers' stock, becomes chairman of the board.
March 18 – The St. Louis Cardinals reveal that veteran third baseman Mike Shannon is suffering from a life-threatening ailment, a form of glomerulonephritis, in both kidneys. Hospitalized for nearly a month, Shannon, 30, is able to return to action May 14 and play 55 games for the Redbirds before the illness forces him back to the injured list in August, then an off-season retirement. He immediately joins the Cardinals' broadcast team, where he spends all or part of 50 years before his retirement in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic.
March 21 – The Washington Senators trade outfielder Brant Alyea to the Minnesota Twins for pitchers Joe Grzenda and Charley Walters. Alyea, a reserve with Washington, will bat .415 for the Twins during the month of April with five home runs and 23 RBI in 17 games. Walters never pitches for the Senators, but when he retires from baseball he'll get a journalism degree and become a featured sports columnist for the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
March 30 – The current edition of the Washington Senators signs free-agent, veteran right-handed pitcher Pedro Ramos, 34. Ramos returns to D.C., where he was a starting pitcher for the 1901–1960 Senators (now the Minnesota Twins) and known for his blazing fastball and prodigious games-lost totals: Ramos led the American League in that dubious category for four straight years (including one season in Minnesota), and between 1957 and 1961 he put up consecutive years of 16, 18, 19, 18 and 20 defeats.
April
April 1:
The Milwaukee Brewers' parent company, headed by Bud Selig, purchases the Seattle Pilots franchise for $10.8 million. Although negotiations were conducted over a period of months, it was not until yesterday, March 31, when a federal bankruptcy judge declared the Pilots bankrupt; Brewers' tickets will go on sale tomorrow. Team equipment is shipped to Milwaukee County Stadium, where the Pilots' insignia is ripped off the uniforms and replaced by "Brewers," since there is no time for new ones to be made. The franchise remains in the American League West.
On their first day as Milwaukee's team, the Brewers release left-hander Steve Barber. The former 20-game-winner, 32, will sign as a free agent April 23 with the Chicago Cubs.
Milwaukee regains a Major League Baseball franchise of its own after a four-year absence as the Brewers play their first game, losing to the California Angels 12–0 before a crowd of 37,237 at County Stadium. The Wisconsin city had hosted 20 American League games played by the "homestanding" Chicago White Sox in 1968–1969.
Pitcher Dave McNally strikes out 13 in nine innings as the Baltimore Orioles rip the Indians, 8–2, in Opening Day at Cleveland Stadium. The attack is led by Paul Blair, who drives in a pair of runs and scores three times. McNally holds the Indians to two runs on four hits and three walks to get the win. Rookie Roy Foster belts a two-run home run for the only offense for Cleveland.
Four days after Ryan's strikeout feat, the New York Mets' Tom Seaver whiffs 19 San Diego Padres, including the last ten in succession, in winning 2–1. San Diego's Mike Corkins takes the loss. In the 20th century, no one had ever struck out ten batters in a row, a modern major league record. The Pads now have fanned 29 times in two games, a National League mark that will be topped in 1998 when the Houston Astro batters rack up 31 Ks in two days. Jerry Grote adds one foul fly catch to his 19 putouts via K's.
The Philadelphia Phillies' two top catchers, starter Tim McCarver and backup Mike Ryan, suffer broken fingers in the sixth inning against the San Francisco Giants at Candlestick Park. McCarver breaks a finger on his throwing hand when it's struck by a Willie Mays foul tip and is forced to leave the game. Ryan takes his place, and three batters later, Willie McCovey's slide into home breaks a finger on his gloved hand. UtilitymanJim Hutto takes over for Ryan. McCarver is out of action for four full months and appears in only 44 games in 1970. Ryan misses two full months. The Phillies will use six catchers during the season, including bullpen coachDoc Edwards.
May 10 – Hoyt Wilhelm of the Atlanta Braves makes his 1,000th MLB pitching appearance—the first pitcher in history to do so. The 47-year-old knuckleball artist, headed for the Baseball Hall of Fame, is in his 19th big-league season.
May 12 – At Wrigley Field, Ernie Banks becomes the eighth member of the 500 home run club, connecting off Atlanta Braves pitcher Pat Jarvis during a 4–3, 11-inning Chicago Cubs win. It's also his 1,600th career run batted in. Ex-Cub Frank Secory is umpiring this game, as he was on September 20, 1953, when Banks hit his first career home run. Banks' teammate Billy Williams also homers in the ninth inning to tie the game, while Ron Santo's RBI single in the 11th wins it. Atlanta's Rico Carty, meanwhile, has three singles and has hit in 30 consecutive games.
May 16 – A tragic event occurs during a game between the San Francisco Giants and the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Fourteen-year-old Alan Fish is sitting with friends when he's struck in the head by a foul ball off the bat of Dodger outfielder Manny Mota. Fish dies from his injury four days later, becoming the first fan to die from a foul ball strike in major league history.
May 31 – Protecting an eighth-inning 6–1 lead and aiming for his eighth save of 1970, California Angels sophomore ace relief pitcherKen Tatum throws an inside fastball that strikes Baltimore Orioles outfielder Paul Blair in the face, breaking multiple bones in Blair's nose, cheekbone and eye socket. Remarkably, Blair only misses three weeks of action and returns to the Oriole lineup June 21. Tatum, however, will never be the same. Including today's game, his MLB career totals to date are a 9–3 won–lost record in 65 games pitched, with 30 saves; he's allowed 69 hits and 16 earned runs in 1092⁄3innings pitched (for an ERA of 1.31) with 81 strikeouts. But, horrified at the injury he has inadvertently caused,[2] Tatum will stop throwing inside to hitters. His performance will decline, the Angels will trade him, and he'll also suffer a broken cheekbone during batting practice in 1971, among other injuries. Tatum's career ends in 1974 with a 16–12 mark (2.93 ERA) and 52 saves in 176 appearances.
June
June 1 – After a national magazine prints excerpts from Ball Four, his soon-to-be-published diary of the 1969 season, Houston Astros pitcher Jim Bouton is called on the carpet by Commissioner of BaseballBowie Kuhn to "express [his] displeasure" with the book's contents, which reveal private conversations and behaviors—including alcohol and drug use and sexual promiscuity—among major-league players. Kuhn's criticism is mild compared to the stream of vitriol directed at Bouton by others in baseball, but the book (published later this month) becomes a "groundbreaking tome" in sports literature.[3] Meanwhile, Bouton pitches ineffectively for Houston (4–6, 5.40 ERA in 29 appearances), and is sent to the minors after July 29.
June 5 – At age 19 and two months, Bert Blyleven makes his major league debut with the Minnesota Twins, and gives up a lead-off home run to Washington Senators outfielder Lee Maye. Then the teenager holds on for a 2–1 victory, the first of a 287-win career that will propel his induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
June 8 – Major League Baseball players and management agree to end their labor dispute by settling on a new standard contract. Among the compromises that benefit the players is a raise in the minimum league salary from $10,000 to $12,000 per season.
June 19 – Mike Shannon's two run single in the top of the 17th inning stands up as the winning margin in the St. Louis Cardinals' 5–3 triumph over the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. The victory goes to rookie Al Hrabosky, who fans three over two innings in his second MLB appearance.
The Cincinnati Reds defeat the San Francisco Giants, 5–4, in the final game that the Reds will play at Crosley Field, built in 1912. Lee May's game-winning, eighth-inning home run is the last hit in the venerable ballpark's history.
June 28 – The Pittsburgh Pirates defeat the Chicago Cubs in both games of a doubleheader, 3–2 and 4–1, in the last two games played at Forbes Field, which opened in 1909. A ninth-inning single in the nightcap by the Cubs' Willie Smith is the last safety recorded in the old ball-yard.
With 53,863 on hand at Tiger Stadium, Detroit's Denny McLain returns from his three-month suspension on gambling allegations by throwing 51⁄3 innings against the New York Yankees. He allows five earned runs on eight hits, including homers by Jerry Kenney, Thurman Munson and Bobby Murcer, and departs with his club trailing 5–3. McLain doesn't get tagged with a loss when Tigers go on to rally and win in extra innings. But it signals a downturn for 1968's MVP and Cy Young Award winner; he pitches poorly, and is suspended twice in September, the latter time for carrying a gun on the team's airplane.
In the following game of the Yankees–Tigers series at Detroit, the Tigers' Joe Niekro pitches 81⁄3 innings of no-hit baseball until a one-out single by Horace Clarke breaks up the gem with the only safety Niekro will allow in a 5–0 victory. It's the third no-hit bid that Clarke has spoiled in the ninth inning in less than a month; earlier, he had foiled bids by Jim Rooker on June 4 and Sonny Siebert (who had already pitched a no-hitter in 1966) on June 19.
The Kansas City Royals sign 20-year-old undrafted amateur free agent Frank White, a future eight-time Gold Glove Award-winning second baseman and five-time American League All-Star. The signing is also significant because White is a graduate of the experimental Kansas City Royals Baseball Academy, founded by owner Ewing Kauffman to train elite athletes like White with limited baseball experience. White will be the most illustrious alumnus of the Academy, which shuts down in 1974.
At Wrigley Field, the Pittsburgh Pirates and Chicago Cubs combine for 40 hits and 30 runs in a nine-inning game. The Pirates prevail in both categories, winning 16–14 on the strength of 22 hits, including six home runs.
July 4 – The pennant races at the season's traditional halfway point show the defending World Series champion New York Mets (42–36) one-half game in front of the Pittsburgh Pirates (43–38) in the NL East. The next-closest races are in the American League, where the Baltimore Orioles (49–30) lead the New York Yankees (44–33) in the AL East and the Minnesota Twins (48–26) outpace the California Angels (46–32) in the AL West; in each case the division leader boasts a four-game bulge over its nearest rival. The only runaway division is the NL West, where the Cincinnati Reds (56–23) lead the second-place Los Angeles Dodgers (46–32) by 9½ games. The nickname "Big Red Machine," coined on July 4, 1969, by a Cincinnati baseball writer, is now being used widely by commentators throughout baseball.
July 8 – San Francisco Giants third baseman Jim Ray Hart ties a modern Major League record with six runs batted in during one inning. All come in the fifth, with Hart slamming a three-run home run and three-run triple in the frame. He eventually completes his record-setting day by hitting for the cycle en route to a 13–0 victory over the Atlanta Braves.
July 14 – At Riverfront Stadium, the National League wins its eighth straight All-Star Game, a 12-inning 5–4 victory. Pete Rose crashes into Cleveland Indians catcher Ray Fosse to score the winning run on Jim Hickman's single. Fosse, who never had the ball, hurts his right shoulder and is taken to the hospital. This All-Star Game had seen voting returned to the fans via punch-card ballots distributed in major league ballparks, and is the first Midsummer Classic since 1958 for which the squads were not entirely selected by managers, coaches and players.
July 16 – Pittsburgh's Three Rivers Stadium opens to the public, but the Cincinnati Reds spoil the party by defeating the Pirates, 4–3, before a crowd of 48,846. The first hit at the stadium is a single by Pittsburgh's Richie Hebner. The first home run at the new ballpark is struck by Cincinnati's Tony Pérez.
July 29 – The 51–49 Cubs, only four games out of first place in the NL East, purchase the contract of first baseman Joe Pepitone from the Houston Astros.
August
August 1 – At Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium, Willie Stargell of the Pittsburgh Pirates hits three doubles and two home runs in the Pirates' 20–10 win over the Atlanta Braves. He becomes the third player in modern-day Major League history to collect five extra-base hits in one game, Lou Boudreau and Joe Adcock having done so in 1946 and 1954 respectively. Coincidentally, this game was nationally broadcast, and the trivia question early in the contest was to name the two players who had gotten five extra-base hits in a game. Bob Robertson also collects five hits for the Pirates, including a home run; not until Andrew McCutchen and Garrett Jones in 2010 will two Pirates collect five hits each in the same game.
August 2 – The Pittsburgh Pirates' Bob Robertson lashes a two-run double and then follows with two 400-foot homers, driving in a total of six runs as the Pirates beat the Atlanta Braves 10–7.
August 19 – Ferguson Jenkins throws a complete game and hits his second homer of the season in the Chicago Cubs' 12–2 triumph over the visiting Padres. The Cubs belt seven home runs on the day, including two from Jim Hickman.
September 4 – The Chicago White Sox continue their management makeover by appointing Roland Hemond director of player personnel and Chuck Tanner field manager. Both come from the California Angels' organization, where Tanner had led the 1970 Hawaii Islanders of the Pacific Coast League to a 98–48 record. He becomes the White Sox' permanent skipper, succeeding the fired Don Gutteridge, when he takes the reins September 18. In the midst of a nightmarish 56–106 season, the ChiSox began their housecleaning September 1 when Stu Holcomb replaced Ed Short as general manager and Gutteridge was released.
September 10 – At Shea Stadium, Cleon Jones' 14th-inning triple drives home Tommie Agee with the winning run and newly acquired reliever Ron Herbel gets the win, as the Mets edge the Philadelphia Phillies 3–2 and move into a flat-footed tie with the Pirates in the NL East. The Cubs are only one game back. Nineteen games remain in the regular season for the three contenders.
September 14 – Bolstering their bullpen for the season's final stretch, the Pirates obtain pitcher Mudcat Grant from the Oakland Athletics for young outfielder Ángel Mangual ("PTBNL"). Former 20-game-winner Grant, now 35, has become one of MLB's top relief pitchers, with a 6–2 (1.82 ERA) record and 24 saves for Oakland.
September 16:
Minnesota Twins pitcher Bert Blyleven strikes out the first six California Angels batters off the game, and ties a major league record. Blyleven will finish the game with ten strikeouts, but take the 5–1 loss.
September 22 – One day after being no-hit, the Twins register a 5–3 win over the second-place Athletics to clinch the American League West. They claim the division title on exactly the same date as they had in 1969.
September 27:
There are no miracles in 1970 for the reigning World Series champion New York Mets, as the Pittsburgh Pirates capture the National League East with a 2–1 victory over the Mets before the largest crowd in brand-new Three Rivers Stadium history (50,461). New York strands 12 baserunners during the loss.
The Philadelphia Phillies defeat the Montreal Expos 2–1 in 10 innings in the final game at Connie Mack Stadium, which opened as Shibe Park in 1909. The occasion is marred when fans literally dismantle the stadium while the game is still in progress. A special post-game ceremony — including a helicopter delivery to Veterans Stadium of home plate — is cancelled.[7] The North Philadelphia ballyard is the third venerable National League park to close during 1970.
One day after their disappointing season ends, the Detroit Tigers shake up their field leadership by firing manager Mayo Smith and replacing him with Billy Martin. Smith had led Detroit to the 1968 World Series championship. For Martin, the Tigers become the second stop on what will be a tumultuous, 16-year managerial career.
October 5:
The Baltimore Orioles and Cincinnati Reds reach the World Series by sweeping away their opponents, the Minnesota Twins and Pittsburgh Pirates, in their respective best-of-five League Championship Series. All four LCS matchups since divisional play was launched in 1969 have now produced decisive, three-games-to-none results.
October 9 – In a trade that will be momentous for both teams, the Detroit Tigers deal former MVP and Cy Young Award winner Denny McLain, fellow hurler Norm McRae, third baseman Don Wert and outfielder Elliott Maddox to the Washington Senators for hurlers Joe Coleman and Jim Hannan, shortstop Ed Brinkman and third baseman Aurelio Rodríguez. McLain had gone only 3–5 (4.63) in 14 games in 1970 after spending the first half of the season under suspension for alleged gambling-related offenses—this after he had won a combined 55 games in 1968 and 1969. In Washington, his performance will continue to deteriorate in 1971, as he loses 22 of 32 decisions and fails to provide the drawing power the Senators vitally need; they will move to Arlington, Texas, after the season and become the Texas Rangers in 1972. Meanwhile, Coleman moves to the top of the Tiger rotation, winning 62 games from 1971–1973, and Brinkman and Rodríguez will anchor the left side of the Detroit infield through 1974.
October 15 – For the third time in the 1970 World Series, the Baltimore Orioles overcome a 3–0 deficit to bury the Cincinnati Reds 9–3 in Game 5 of the Fall Classic, and win the world championship, four games to one. Frank Robinson and Merv Rettenmund each homer and drive in two runs. Third baseman Brooks Robinson, the "human vacuum cleaner", easily wins the Series MVP award.
October 21 – The Cardinals acquire their 1950s "bonus baby" Ducky Schofield for the third time in the infielder's career, this time from the Boston Red Sox for first baseman/outfielder Jim Campbell. Schofield, now 35 and an 18-year MLB veteran, formerly played for the Redbirds from 1953–1958 and in 1968.
November
November 3 – The Washington Senators acquire six-time Gold Glove Award and three-time National LeagueAll-Star centerfielder Curt Flood from the Philadelphia Phillies in a five-player transaction. Flood, 32 and then still in his prime, sat out the entire 1970 campaign while he legally challenged the reserve clause; he never donned a Phillie uniform. He will be the Senators' Opening Day centerfielder in 1971, but appear in only 13 games and play poorly. He leaves the team, and Major League Baseball, on April 26.
December 15 – Jim Maloney, the Cincinnati Reds' ace starting pitcher for much of the 1960s, is traded to the California Angels for southpaw reliever Greg Garrett. Maloney, 30, threw two no-hitters and twice won 20 or more games in a Cincinnati uniform. In 1971, he will appear in only 13 games as an Angel during his final MLB season.
December 28 – The Montreal Expos acquire second baseman Ron Hunt from the San Francisco Giants for first baseman Dave McDonald. As an Expo for just short of four full seasons, Hunt will continue his streak of leading the National League in being hit by a pitch into 1974, including an MLB-record 50 HBPs in 1971.
January 4 – Brad Springer, 65, pitcher who played from 1925 to 1926 for the St. Louis Browns and the Cincinnati Reds.
January 7 – Jumbo Elliott, 69, 235 lb (107 kg) pitcher for the St. Louis Browns, Brooklyn Robins, Philadelphia Phillies and Boston Braves between 1923 and 1934, who led the National League with 19 wins in 1931.
January 9 – Ray Collins, 82, pitcher for the Boston Red Sox from 1909 to 1915, who later coached at University of Vermont.
January 10 – Harvey Freeman, 78, pitcher for the 1921 Philadelphia Athletics.
January 12 – Doc Bass, 72, utility man who played for the 1918 Boston Braves.
January 12 – Andy Bruckmiller, 88, pitcher for the 1908 Detroit Tigers.
January 14 – Johnny Murphy, 61, general manager of the New York Mets from December 1967 until suffering a fatal heart attack, three months after the Mets' 1969 world championship season; formerly a standout relief pitcher for the New York Yankees for a dozen years between 1932 and 1946, who established the career saves record until it was broken in 1962; eight-time World Series champion: seven with Yankees as an active player, and one as GM of the 1969 "Miracle Mets".
January 15 – Bill Leard, 84, second baseman for the 1917 Brooklyn Robins.
January 17 – Alex Mustaikis, 60, pitcher for the 1940 Boston Red Sox.
January 18 – Jack Richardson, 77, pitcher who played from 1915 to 1916 with the Philadelphia Athletics.
January 21 – Casper Asbjornson, 60, catcher who played from 1928 to 1932 for the Boston Red Sox and Cincinnati Reds.
January 21 – Harry Shriver, 73, pitcher for the 1921-22 Brooklyn Robins.
January 23 – Bill Conroy, 71, infielder for the 1923 Washington Senators.
January 24 – Hal McKain, 63, pitcher who played for the Cleveland Indians and Chicago White Sox in all or parts of five seasons spanning 1927–1932.
January 25 – Harvey Grubb, 79, third baseman for the 1912 Cleveland Naps.
January 26 – Jim Haislip, 78, pitcher for the 1913 Philadelphia Phillies.
January 28 – Orie Arntzen, 60, pitcher for the 1943 Philadelphia Athletics.
January 29 – Miguel Fuentes, 23, Puerto Rican pitcher for the Seattle Pilots during the 1969 season, who was murdered in a bar fight in his home town of Loíza.
February
February 3 – Cool Turner, 68, infielder who played in the Negro leagues between 1921 and 1932; later an umpire in the Negro National League and head baseball coach of North Carolina College.
February 5 – Rudy York, 56, first baseman and seven-time All-Star who had six 100-RBI seasons for the Detroit Tigers and Boston Red Sox, while hitting a record 18 homers in one month as a rookie, and two grand slams in a 1946 game; coached for Red Sox (1959–1962), serving as Boston's interim manager for one game on July 3, 1959.
February 6 – Dick Mauney, 50, pitcher for the Philadelphia Athletics from 1945 to 1947
February 8 – John Churry, 69, reserve catcher for the Chicago Cubs who appeared in only 12 total games in four seasons (1924–1927).
February 13 – Paul Edmondson, 27, Chicago White Sox starting pitcher who went 1–6 (3.70 ERA) in 14 games in 1969; died in a car crash the day after his birthday.
February 14 – Ruben Jones, 76, outfielder who appeared in the Negro leagues between 1924 and 1940, principally for the Birmingham Black Barons and Indianapolis ABCs.
February 16 – Dick Conger, 48, pitcher for the Detroit Tigers, Pittsburgh Pirates and Philadelphia Phillies between 1940 and 1943.
February 21 – Tom Carey, 63, infielder for the St. Louis Browns and Boston Red Sox between 1935 and 1946, later a coach with the Red Sox.
February 21 – Joe Shaute, 70, pitcher who won 99 games from 1922 to 1934 for the Cleveland Indians, Brooklyn Robins/Dodgers and Cincinnati Reds.
February 26 – Bill Bankston, 76, outfielder who played in 11 games for the 1915 Philadelphia Athletics; led minor leagues with 31 homers in 1914 during "Dead Ball Era".
March
March 3 – Jimmy Claxton, 77, multiracial Canadian-born left-hander who appeared in two games for the 1916 Oakland Oaks of the Pacific Coast League; when it came to light that Claxton had African ancestry (as well as Indigenous American and European), he was handed his unconditional release; later played Negro leagues ball as a member of the Washington Pilots and Pollock's Cuban Stars of the East–West League in 1932.
March 3 – Bill McAllester, 81, catcher who appeared in 49 games for the 1913 St. Louis Browns.
March 6 – Bob Adams, 63, pitcher who worked in five games for the 1931–1932 Philadelphia Phillies.
March 11 – Bill Kerksieck, 56, pitcher who appeared in 23 games for the 1939 Philadelphia Phillies.
March 14 – Jim Levey, 63, shortstop for the St. Louis Browns from 1930 through 1933.
March 18 – John Misse, 84, shortstop for the 1914 St. Louis Terriers of the "outlaw" Federal League.
March 18 – Frosty Thomas, 88, pitcher for the 1905 Detroit Tigers, who also collected 85 wins with the Minneapolis Millers of the Western League from 1902 to 1907.
March 20 – Jack Flater, 86, pitcher for the 1908 Philadelphia Athletics.
April
April 2 – Dave Hoskins, 52, pitcher who won nine games for the 1953–1954 Cleveland Indians; former member of the Homestead Grays who in 1952 became the first African-American to play in the Double-A Texas League.
April 2 – Carl Ray, 81, left-handed pitcher who appeared in five games for the 1915–1916 Philadelphia Athletics.
April 7 – Ollie Voigt, 71, pitcher who worked in eight games for the 1924 St. Louis Browns.
April 8 – Lee Handley, 57, an infielder for the Pittsburgh Pirates (1937–1941 and 1944–1946), who also played with 1936 Cincinnati Reds and 1947 Philadelphia Phillies.
April 11 – Joe Heving, 69, pitcher for five MLB clubs, primarily the Cleveland Indians and Boston Red Sox, over 13 seasons spanning 1930 to 1945; at age 43, led American League pitchers with 63 appearances in 1944, despite being the only grandfather playing in the majors; brother of Johnnie Heving.
April 11 – Johnny Meador, 77, pitcher who went 0–2 (4.21 ERA) in 12 games for the 1920 Pittsburgh Pirates.
April 11 – Sailor Stroud, 84, pitcher who posted a 5-7 record with a 3.25 ERA and three shutouts for the Detroit Tigers (1915) and New York Giants (1916).
April 12 – Red Shannon, 73, backup infielder who appeared in 310 games over seven seasons spanning 1915 to 1926 for five clubs, chiefly the Philadelphia Athletics, Boston Red Sox and Washington Senators.
April 14 – Ed Crowley, 63, third baseman who appeared in two games for the 1928 Senators.
April 14 – John Donaldson, 78, star pitcher in the Negro leagues, mainly with the All Nations team and Kansas City Monarchs.
April 15 – Ripper Collins, 66, All-Star first baseman who in 1934 led the NL in homers and batted .367 in the World Series, as a member of the St. Louis Cardinals' "Gashouse Gang".
April 16 – Mal Eason, 91, pitcher for the Chicago Orphans, Boston Beaneaters, Detroit Tigers and Brooklyn Superbas in the early 20th century.
April 17 – Dick Brown, 35, catcher who hit 62 home runs with 223 RBI in 636 games between 1957 and 1965 for the Cleveland Indians, Chicago White Sox, Detroit Tigers and Baltimore Orioles before his career was ended by brain cancer.
April 18 – Tony York, 57, infielder for the 1944 Chicago Cubs, and one of many major leaguers who only played during World War II.
April 20 – Ed Mensor, 84, outfielder for the 1912–1914 Pittsburgh Pirates.
April 20 – Jake Mooty, 58, pitcher who appeared in 111 games over seven years between 1936 and 1944 for the Cincinnati Reds, Chicago Cubs and Detroit Tigers.
April 25 – Gene Steinbrenner, 77, shortstop who played in three games for the 1912 Philadelphia Phillies.
April 25 – Earl Wolgamot, 77, longtime minor league catcher and manager who was a coach for the Cleveland Indians from 1931 to 1935.
April 26 – Yats Wuestling, 66, backup shortstop who played from 1929 to 1930 for the Tigers and Yankees.
April 30 – Chick Gagnon, 72, infielder who briefly appeared for the 1922 Detroit Tigers and 1924 Washington Senators.
April 30 – Dan Jessee, 69, who got into one game as a pinch runner for the 1929 Cleveland Indians.
May
May 2 – Art Delaney, 73, pitcher who appeared in 67 games over three seasons for the St. Louis Cardinals (1924) and Boston Braves (1928–1929).
May 3 – Cal Drummond, 52, American League umpire who worked in 1,369 league games from 1960 to 1969, the first of 1961's two MLB All-Star games, and the 1966 World Series; struck in the head by a foul ball on June 10, 1969, resulting in a blood clot to the brain, and died while attempting a 1970 comeback in the Triple-A American Association.
May 9 – Ducky Yount, 84, pitcher who worked in 13 games for the Baltimore Terrapins of the "outlaw" Federal League (1914).
May 10 – Rufus Meadows, 62, pitcher who faced only one batter (and retired him) in his only MLB game for the 1926 Cincinnati Reds.
May 13 – Urbane Pickering, 70, backup infielder who hit .257 with 11 home runs and 92 RBI for the Boston Red Sox in the 1921 and 1922 seasons.
May 13 – Johnny Stuart, 69, pitcher who won 20 of 38 decisions for the 1922–1925 St. Louis Cardinals.
May 15 – Ed Gerner, 72, left-handed pitcher who appeared in five games for the eventual world champion 1919 Cincinnati Reds.
May 16 – Dutch Ruether, 76, southpaw pitcher who won opener of 1919 World Series for the world champion Cincinnati Reds after winning 19 games and posting the National League's best winning percentage (.760); won 137 MLB games for Chicago, Cincinnati and Brooklyn of the NL and Washington and New York of the American League, also contributing to three straight AL pennant-winners (1925 to 1927); member of the 1927 Yankees' World Series champions; later a scout for the New York/San Francisco Giants.
May 19 – Ray Schalk, 77, Hall of Fame catcher for the Chicago White Sox who was noted for his defensive brilliance, setting records for career games, putouts and double plays at the position.
May 21 – Jack Farmer, 77, infielder-outfielder who played in 62 total games for the 1916 Pittsburgh Pirates and 1918 Cleveland Indians.
May 21 – Les Fusselman, 49, catcher who played in 43 games for the 1952–1953 St. Louis Cardinals.
May 24 – Bill Lamar, 73, outfielder for the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Brooklyn Robins and Philadelphia Athletics (1917–1927), who collected a .310 average including a .356 in 1925.
May 31 – Zip Zabel, 79, Chicago Cubs pitcher who set a major league record for the most innings pitched in relief in a game (18+1⁄3) on June 17, 1915 against Brooklyn.
May 30 – Howie Gregory, 83, pitcher who made three appearances for the 1911 St. Louis Browns.
June
June 1 – George Watkins, 69, outfielder for the St. Louis Cardinals, New York Giants, Philadelphia Phillies and Brooklyn Dodgers in the early 1930s, who owns the major league season-record for a rookie with a .373 batting average (1930).
June 3 – Forrest Mashaw, 72, outfielder for the 1920 Indianapolis ABCs of the Negro National League.
June 3 – Jakie May, 74, relief pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals, Cincinnati Reds and Chicago Cubs in 14 seasons spanning 1917–1932, who posted a 72–95 record with a 3.88 ERA and 19 saves in 1,562 innings of work.
June 14 – Webbo Clarke, 42, Panamanian pitcher who played for the 1955 Washington Senators.
June 23 – Ross Reynolds, 82, pitcher who posted a 5-4 record and a 2.62 ERA for the 1914–1915 Detroit Tigers.
June 27 – Joe Atkins, 48, third baseman whose career included service in the Negro leagues (1944, 1946–1947, with the Newark Eagles, Pittsburgh Crawfords and Cleveland Buckeyes), racially integrated independent leagues (1948–1949, 1953), and "Organized Baseball's" minor leagues (1950–1952, 1954).
July
July 1 – Herb Hall, 77, pitcher for the 1918 Detroit Tigers.
July 3 – Walter Briggs Jr., 58, owner of the Tigers from 1952 to 1956 and general manager from July 1956 to April 1957; his father was co-owner or owner of the team from 1919 until his January 1952 death.
July 7 – Harry Wolter, 85, outfielder and pitcher who played for the Cincinnati Reds, Pittsburgh Pirates, St. Louis Cardinals, Boston Red Sox, New York Highlanders/Yankees and Chicago Cubs.
July 8 – Jimmy Grant, 51, third baseman who played from 1942 through 1944 for the Chicago White Sox and Cleveland Indians.
July 9 – Giovanni Beale, 48, left-hander who hurled in two games for the 1947 Newark Eagles of the Negro National League.
July 15 – Emilio Palmero, 75, Cuban pitcher who spent over 17 years in baseball, including stints with the New York Giants, St. Louis Browns, Washington Senators and Boston Braves during five seasons spanning 1915–1928.
July 16 – Peahead Walker, 71, who had a distinguished minor league career as player and manager, and later became a prolific football coach with several collegiate squads as well as the CFL's Montreal Alouettes.
July 24 – Harvey Green, 55, pitcher who played for the Brooklyn Dodgers in the 1935 season.
July 25 – Herb Hunter, 74, utility player for the New York Giants, Chicago Cubs, Boston Red Sox and St. Louis Cardinals between 1916 and 1921.
July 27 – Jo Jo Deal, 45, slender outfielder — listed as 5 feet 11 inches (1.80 m) tall and 141 pounds (64 kg) — for 1948 Newark Eagles of the Negro National League.
July 27 – Whitey Platt, 49, backup outfielder for the Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox and St. Louis Browns in five seasons between 1942 and 1949, who was a member of the 1938 United States national team in the inaugural Amateur World Series played in England, and also served with the US Navy in the Pacific Theatre of World War II.
July 29 – Charley Moore, 85, infielder for the 1912 Chicago Cubs.
July 31 – Jimmy Conzelman, 72, NFL star, head coach, and member of its Hall of Fame who spent three seasons (1943–1945) in baseball as an executive with the St. Louis Browns of the American League.
August
August 2 – Mike Cvengros, 69, pitcher who played with the New York Giants, Chicago White Sox, Pittsburgh Pirates and Chicago Cubs in a span of six seasons from 1922 to 1929.
August 11 – Paul Gillespie, 49, lefty-swinging catcher for the Chicago Cubs (1942, 1944-1945), who hit home runs in both his first and last regular-season MLB at-bats; appeared in three games of 1945 World Series.
August 13 – Duke Cleveland, 53, outfielder for Cleveland, Jacksonville and Indianapolis of the Negro American League between 1938 and 1947; selected to the All-Star team in 1941.
August 14 – Leon Ruffin, 58, catcher for three Negro National League clubs—primarily the Newark Eagles—between 1935 and 1946; selected as an All-Star in his final season.
August 15 – Ray Bates, 80, third baseman for the Cleveland Naps (1913) and Philadelphia Athletics (1917).
August 16 – Kurt Krieger, 43, pitcher in three games for the St. Louis Cardinals (1949, 1951); one of three Austrian-born players to appear in MLB.
August 23 – Doc Gautreau, 69, second baseman who played from 1925 to 1928 for the Philadelphia Athletics and Boston Braves; later a longtime scout.
August 23 – Red Smith, 78, backup catcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 1917 and 1918 seasons.
August 25 – Leo Moon, 81, pitcher for the 1932 Cleveland Indians.
August 26 – Eddie Rommel, 72, pitcher who won 171 games for the Philadelphia Athletics, and later worked 22 years as an American League umpire.
August 31 – Heinie Odom, 69, third baseman who went straight from the University to Texas campus to the 1925 New York Yankees; played one game (on April 22), singled off Hall of Famer Walter Johnson in his only at bat, and played two errorless innings in the field in what would be his only MLB appearance.
September
September 1 – Ben Spencer, 80, outfielder in eight games for the 1913 Washington Senators.
September 2 – Herbert Hill, 79, who pitched two innings in his only MLB game for the 1915 Cleveland Indians.
September 4 – Willie Gay, 61, outfielder for the 1929 Chicago American Giants of the Negro National League, where he played with his brother Herbert, a pitcher.
September 7 – Gene Ford, 58, who pitched in five total games, one with the 1936 Brooklyn Dodgers and four for the 1938 Chicago White Sox.
September 13 – Leon Riley, 64, longtime minor league outfielder and manager who appeared in four games for the 1944 Philadelphia Phillies; father of Pat Riley.
September 14 – Sam Lanford, 84, pitcher who worked in two games for the 1907 Washington Senators.
September 14 – Jimmie Long, 72, catcher who had a three-game trial with the 1922 Chicago White Sox.
September 15 – Blue Washington, 72, first baseman/outfielder/pitcher for the Chicago American Giants and Kansas City Monarchs (1916–1920) and prizefighter who became a prolific film actor in Hollywood; father of Kenny Washington.
September 16 – Ray Shook, 80, catcher who appeared in one game as a pinch runner for the 1916 White Sox.
September 17 – Ed Corey, 76, who pitched two innings in his only MLB game for the 1918 White Sox.
September 19 – Dave Danforth, 80, pitcher who posted a 71–66 record with a 3.89 ERA from 1911 to 1925 for the Philadelphia Athletics, Chicago White Sox and St. Louis Browns.
September 20 – Oliver Hill, 60, minor-league infielder who got into two games as a pinch hitter for the 1939 Boston Bees.
September 20 – Fred Lamlein, 83, pitcher in five MLB games, one for the 1912 Chicago White Sox and four for the 1915 St. Louis Cardinals.
September 21 – Biggs Wehde, 63, pitcher who worked in 12 games for the 1930–1931 White Sox.
September 26 – Art Hancock, 65, pitcher for the 1926 Cleveland Elites of the Negro National League.
September 27 – Herman Bell, 55, All-Star catcher for the Toledo/Indianapolis Crawfords (1940) and Birmingham Black Barons (1943, 1945–1948) of the Negro American League; World War II veteran who worked in the steel mills during off-seasons.
September 30 – Lou Novikoff, 54, outfielder who played in 356 games for the Chicago Cubs (1941–1944) and Philadelphia Phillies (1946); in the minors, a career .337 hitter in over 1,600 games who was elected to Pacific Coast League Hall of Fame.
September 30 – Hank Patterson, 63, catcher for the 1932 Boston Red Sox.
October
October 2 – George Mohart, 78, pitcher who played in 15 games for the 1920–1921 Brooklyn Robins.
October 5 – Reuben Ewing, 70, who appeared in three games for the 1921 St. Louis Cardinals as a pinch hitter, pinch runner and shortstop.
October 9 – Cy Fried, 73, pitcher in two games for 1920 Detroit Tigers.
October 10 – Lefty Leifield, 87, pitcher who averaged 17 wins for the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1906 to 1911, including a career-high 20 wins in 1907.
October 13 – Fred Mitchell, 92, Hall of Fame manager who won the 1918 National League pennant with the Chicago Cubs, and also was coach at Harvard University for 30 years.
October 22 – Cal Dorsett, 57, pitcher in eight games over three trials with the Cleveland Indians (1940–1941, 1947).
October 22 – Billy Sianis, 70[?], Chicago tavern owner who took his pet goat to Game 4 of the 1945 World Series between the Chicago Cubs and Detroit Tigers; according to Cubs' lore, when he and his goat were ejected from Wrigley Field, he put an alleged "curse" on the team that would last until 2016.
October 23 – Sherry Robertson, 51, Canadian-born outfielder–infielder for ten seasons spanning 1940 to 1952 for the Washington Senators and Philadelphia Athletics who later became a Minnesota Twins executive; brother of Calvin Griffith.
October 24 – Andy Oyler, 90, infielder–outfielder in 27 games for the 1902 Baltimore Orioles.
October 26 – Willie Underhill, 66, pitcher who worked in 15 games for the 1927–1928 Cleveland Indians.
October 28 – Wedo Martini, 57, pitcher in three games for the 1935 Philadelphia Athletics.
October 30 – Jimmy Welsh, 68, outfielder who batted .290 with 778 hits over six seasons (1925–1930) as a member of the Boston Braves and New York Giants.
October 31 – Johnny Lucas, 67, outfielder for the Boston Red Sox from 1931 to 1932.
November
November 2 – Bobby LaMotte, 72, shortstop and third baseman who appeared in 223 games for the Washington Senators (1920–1922) and St. Louis Browns (1925–1926).
November 3 – Red Kellett, 61, infielder who played in nine games for the 1934 Boston Red Sox.
November 5 – Dave Robertson, 89, outfielder who appeared in 804 games between 1912 and 1922 for the New York Giants, Chicago Cubs and Pittsburgh Pirates, who twice (1916–1917) led the National League in home runs.
November 5 – Charlie Root, 71, pitcher who won a club-record 201 games for the Chicago Cubs, best known as the pitcher that surrendered Babe Ruth's supposed "called shot" in the 1932 World Series.
November 5 – Freddy Spurgeon, 69, second baseman and third baseman who played in 316 games for the 1924–1927 Cleveland Indians.
November 7 – Johnny Hudson, 58, infielder who appeared in 426 games for the Brooklyn Dodgers (1936–1940), Chicago Cubs (1941) and New York Giants (1945).
November 7 – Paul McCullough, 72, relief pitcher who worked in three games for the 1929 Washington Senators.
November 8 – Ed Murray, 75, shortstop who played two innings of one game with the 1917 St. Louis Browns.
November 9 – Howard Maple, 67, left-handed-hitting catcher and pinch hitter who appeared in 44 games for the 1932 Washington Senators.
November 24 – Spencer Adams, infielder who was in 180 games (1923, 1925–1927) for the Pittsburgh Pirates, New York Yankees, Washington Senators and St. Louis Browns.
November 24 – Ivy Andrews, 63, pitcher for three American League teams from 1931 to 1938 and a member of the New York Yankees 1932 World Champions, who later became the first pitching coach for the Double-A Birmingham Barons.
November 25 – Gerald Nugent, 78, president and majority owner of the Philadelphia Phillies from 1932 to 1942.
November 28 – Orlie Weaver, 84, pitcher who won six games and lost 15 in 40 appearances for the Chicago Cubs (1910–1911) and Boston Rustlers, soon to be the "Braves" (1911).
December
December 5 – Joe Wyatt, 70, right fielder who played in four games for the 1924 Cleveland Indians,
December 10 – Marshall Renfroe, 34, left-handed pitcher who appeared in one game for the 1959 San Francisco Giants.
December 10 – Johnny Mostil, 74, center fielder for the Chicago White Sox (1918; 1921–1929) who appeared in 972 games, made 1,054 career hits, batted .301 lifetime, and twice (1925 and 1926) led the American League in stolen bases.
December 12 – Doug Taitt, 68, right fielder for the Boston Red Sox, Chicago White Sox and Philadelphia Phillies from 1928 to 1932, who later became a successful hitter and manager in the Minor Leagues.
December 13 – George Baumgardner, 79, pitcher who compiled a 38–49 (3.22) record in 124 games for the 1912–1916 St. Louis Browns.
December 13 – Chick Gandil, 83, first baseman for the Chicago White Sox (1910; 1917–1919), Washington Senators (1912–1915) and Cleveland Indians (1916), and the reported ringleader among the eight "Black Sox" players who threw the 1919 World Series.
December 14 – Herman Hill, 25, St. Louis Cardinals outfielder and former member (43 games) of the 1969–1970 Minnesota Twins; a drowning victim in Venezuela, where he was playing winter baseball.
December 14 – Walt Tragesser, 83, catcher who appeared in 272 games (1913; 1915–1920) for the Boston Braves and Philadelphia Phillies.
December 16 – Jim Winford, 61, pitcher who played in 68 games from 1932 to 1938 for the St. Louis Cardinals and Brooklyn Dodgers.
December 17 – Jim Park, 78, pitcher who worked in 42 games for the 1915–1917 St. Louis Browns.
December 19 – Charlie "Swamp Baby" Wilson, 65, shortstop and third baseman in 57 career games for the Boston Braves (1931) and St. Louis Cardinals (1933–1935).
December 19 – Nap Rucker, 86, who went 134–134 (2.42) in 336 career games (including 22 wins in 1911) between 1907 and 1916 for Brooklyn of the National League; during his decade with the team, it went through three nicknames: Superbas, Dodgers and Robins.
December 21 – Chubby Dean, 55, who appeared in 533 games in MLB as a pitcher, pinch hitter and third baseman for the Philadelphia Athletics and Cleveland Indians between 1936 and 1943.
December 25 – Red Juelich, 54, second baseman and third baseman in 17 games for the 1939 Pittsburgh Pirates.
December 26 – Jack Stansbury, 85, third baseman and center fielder who got into 21 games for 1918's eventual world champion Boston Red Sox.
December 28 – Doc Ozmer, 69, pitcher who worked two innings of only one big-league game as a member of the 1923 Philadelphia Athletics.
