1972 was tainted by a players' strike over pension and salary arbitration. The strike erased the first week and a half of the season, and the Leagues decided to just excise the lost portion of the season with no makeups. As a result, an uneven number of games were cancelled for each team; some as few as six, some as many as nine. The lack of makeups of those games, even when they affected playoffs, led to the Boston Red Sox losing the American League East by half a game to the Detroit Tigers.
1972 marked the first year for the Texas Rangers, who had moved to Arlington from Washington, D.C. (where they played as the Washington Senators), after the 1971 season. There would be no baseball in D.C. until 2005. The team was one of the worst ever fielded by the franchise, losing 100 games for the first time since 1964. Manager Ted Williams hated living in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, and resigned at the end of the season.
January 13 – Bernice Gera wins a discrimination suit against organized baseball, opening the door for her to become the first female umpire in professional baseball.
March 16 – Reigning AL Cy Young- and MVP-award winner Vida Blue announces his retirement at age 22. The retirement will be a short one as Blue will rejoin the Oakland Athletics in May.
April 1–13 – The first players' strike in baseball history wipes 6–8 games off the schedule of each MLB team. It is agreed that those games will be canceled outright — not even played to resolve pennant races. This results in teams not being scheduled for the same number of games over the regular season; the imbalance will enable the Detroit Tigers to edge the Boston Red Sox by one-half game to win the American League East Division championship. The strike results in the team owners adding salary arbitration to the collective bargaining agreement, and increasing pension fund payments.
April 2 – Gil Hodges, 47, manager of the New York Mets since 1968 and a future Baseball Hall of Famer as the star first baseman of the Brooklyn Dodgers of the 1950s, suffers a fatal heart attack after a day of golf with his coaching staff in West Palm Beach, Florida. His unexpected death sends waves of shock and grief throughout baseball. (See Deaths entry for this date below.) Hodges' funeral mass is celebrated April 6 at his parish church in Brooklyn, where he has lived since 1948. One day later, Hall-of-Fame catcher Yogi Berra, a Mets' coach, is named his successor at the club's helm.
The season is only 11 days old when the San Diego Padres dismiss manager Preston Gómez and replace him with coach Don Zimmer. The Padres' only pilot since they entered MLB in 1969, Gómez departs with a 180–316 (.363) record over all or parts of four seasons. For Zimmer, the San Diego job is his first managing assignment in the majors.
May 14 – In front of a Mother's Day crowd of 35,505 in Shea Stadium, Willie Mays makes a triumphant homecoming to New York with the Mets, belting a game-winning home run against his old teammates, the Giants. Leading off and playing first base, Mays walks and scores in the first inning on Rusty Staub's grand slam, then his solo homer in the fifth snaps a 4–4 tie. The final score: New York 5, San Francisco 4.
May 21 – The New York Mets win their 11th straight game, and 14th out of their last 15, defeating the homestanding Phillies, 4–3. Tom Seaver improves to 7–1 and the winning blow is struck by Willie Mays, with a two-run homer in the eighth inning. The win improves the Mets' record to 25–7, and they hold a six-game lead in the National League East over the 18–12 Pittsburgh Pirates.
May 23 – Tossing a three-hitter, Gaylord Perry wins his eighth game against two losses, as his surprising Cleveland Indians shut out the New York Yankees in the Bronx, 3–0. Cleveland, losers of 101 games in 1971, sits in first place in the American League East with an 18–10 record.
June 1 – Paul Richards, vice president/player personnel and de facto general manager of the Atlanta Braves since August 31, 1966, is replaced by director of player development Eddie Robinson as leader of the 18–22 team's front office.
June 3
In a move similar to Atlanta's two days earlier, the Philadelphia Phillies, mired in a 2–18 slump, fire veteran general manager John J. Quinn and promote farm system boss Paul Owens to replace him. Owens will spend over a dozen years as GM and build the Phillies into a contender that wins five National League East titles, two NL pennants, and, in 1980, the first World Series championship in franchise history.
July 4 – For the second time in his career, Tom Seaver of the New York Mets has a no-hitter broken up in the ninth. The bid is foiled in the first game of a doubleheader against the San Diego Padres at Shea Stadium by a Leron Lee single with one out, the only hit Seaver will allow in a 2–0 Met victory. Seaver had a bid for a perfect game broken up in the ninth against the Chicago Cubs in 1969.
July 5 – The 36–34 Minnesota Twins change managers, replacing veteran skipper Bill Rigney with coach Frank Quilici. Rigney, 54, is in the midst of his 17th season as an MLB pilot. Quilici, 33, a former Twins' infielder, has never managed before.
The Angels'Nolan Ryan strikes out 16 and allows only one hit (a first-inning single to Carl Yastrzemski) in a 3–0 victory over the Red Sox. It's Ryan's second career one-hitter; the first of his all-time-record seven no-hitters will happen on May 15, 1973.
The Los Angeles Dodgers' Hoyt Wilhelm, 49, appears in his 1,070th and last game pitched in Major League Baseball, establishing a record that will last until 1998 and (as of 2024) is sixth all-time. The Dodgers release Wilhelm eleven days later.
Newly appointed general manager Paul Owens of the Philadelphia Phillies (26–50, last in the NL East) fires third-year manager Frank Lucchesi and takes the reins of the team himself for the rest of the 1972 campaign.
Billy Williams of the Chicago Cubs goes 8-for-8 in a doubleheader against the Houston Astros at Wrigley Field, hitting home runs in both games and driving in four runs. The Cubs lose the first game 6–5, but win the nightcap 9–5.
July 14 – In a game between the Detroit Tigers and Kansas City Royals at Municipal Stadium, Detroit catcher Tom Haller has his older brother Bill Haller looking right over his shoulder. It's the first time brothers have served as catcher and home plate umpire in the same MLB game. The Royals win 1–0.
July 18 – Against the Philadelphia Phillies at San Diego Stadium, Padres' pitcher Steve Arlin has a no-hitter broken up with two out in the ninth by a Denny Doyle single.[1] With two strikes on him, Doyle takes advantage of Padre manager Don Zimmer's decision to play third baseman Dave Roberts in by slapping a ground ball that bounces over Roberts' head—a ball that Roberts could have fielded at normal depth. Doyle later advances to second on a balk, then scores on a Tommy Hutton single. Arlin then retires Greg Luzinski on a fly ball to come away with a two-hitter (one of three he pitches within 30 days; he also hurls a one-hitter June 23, 1972, during a season in which he finishes 10–21, 3.60) in a 5–1 Padre victory. This will be the closest any San Diego hurler comes to a no-hitter until Joe Musgrove finally throws the franchise's first on April 8, 2021.
July 24 – Leo Durocher, 66, steps down as manager of the Chicago Cubs (46–44 and tied for third in their division). He is replaced by Whitey Lockman, who played for Durocher's 1950s New York Giants and has been serving as the Cubs' director of player development.
At Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium, Nate Colbert of the San Diego Padres ties Stan Musial's 18-year record by hitting five home runs in a doubleheader against the Atlanta Braves. He hits two in the first game, won by the Padres 9–0, and three more in the nightcap, which San Diego also wins, 11–7. Musial had hit five home runs in a May 2, 1954 doubleheader at Busch Stadium—with Colbert, then eight years old, in attendance.
August 2 – In an inter-league waiver deal that will have massive implications in the American League's late-season divisional pennant race, the Detroit Tigers claim 32-year-old left-hander Woodie Fryman from the Philadelphia Phillies. Over the next two months, as a member of Detroit's starting rotation, Fryman will win ten of 13 decisions, including the division clincher October 3.
August 10–11 – In 19 innings, the first-place Oakland Athletics defeat the second-place Chicago White Sox 5–3 on a two-run home run by Joe Rudi. The game, played at Oakland, begins at 7:30 p.m. PDT on August 10, but is halted by a 1 a.m. curfew in the 17th frame. When it resumes on Friday the 11th, it takes another two innings for a decision to be reached. Catfish Hunter gets the win in relief, then he starts the second game of Friday's twin bill, goes eight innings, and allows the game's only run in a 1–0 ChiSox victory. Oakland and Chicago remain one game apart in the AL West standings.
August 19 – Only recently recovered from arm miseries and plugged into the Boston Red Sox' starting rotation, Luis Tiant fires a two-hitter to defeat the Chicago White Sox 3–0 at Comiskey Park. It's the first of Tiant's four consecutive complete-gameshutouts that will lift the fourth-place, 56–55 Red Sox into contention for the AL East title. Through the last seven weeks of the 1972 season, Tiant will go 11–2 with 11 complete games, six shutouts and a 1.20 earned run average.
August 25
The visiting Baltimore Orioles rally for three runs in the ninth inning to overcome the Oakland Athletics 5–3. The result affects both AL division races, as the Orioles climb into a first-place tie with the Detroit Tigers in the East and the Athletics fall a full game behind the Chicago White Sox in the West.
Managerial heads continue to roll during the season, as Harry Walker, skipper of the 67–54 Houston Astros, is relieved of his command. After coach Salty Parker handles the team on August 26, the Astros turn to Leo Durocher on the 27th, making him permanent field leader. The 67-year-old Durocher has spent only five weeks on the sidelines since his resignation from the Chicago Cubs on July 23. Houston is the fourth, and final, stop in a managerial career that began in 1939. Counting the tragic death of the New York Mets' Gil Hodges on April 2, the Astros are the eighth MLB team (out of 24) to change managers either immediately before or during the 1972 campaign.
August 31 – The Detroit Tigers make a huge addition to their postseason-eligible roster by acquiring 6ft 7in (2.01m), 255lb (116kg) veteran slugger Frank Howard from the Texas Rangers.
September 2 – At Wrigley Field, Chicago Cub pitcher Milt Pappasno-hits the San Diego Padres 8–0. Pappas retires the first 26 batters and comes to within one strike of a perfect game with a 2–2 count to pinch-hitter Larry Stahl, but home-plate umpire Bruce Froemming calls the next two pitches, both of which are close, balls. Undeterred, Pappas ends the game by retiring the next batter, ex-Cub Garry Jestadt. Not until Carlos Zambrano in 2008 would the Cubs be involved in a no-hitter (either in pitching it or having it pitched against them), and the next no-hitter at Wrigley won't come until Cole Hamels of the Philadelphia Phillies no-hits the Cubs in 2015. The perfect game bid is also the only one, to date, to be broken up on a walk to the 27th batter.
September 28 – The White Sox' faint division-championship hopes are extinguished when the Oakland Athletics (90–60) sweep a three-games series from the Minnesota Twins at the Oakland Coliseum. They take the third and final game when light-hitting shortstop Dal Maxvill drives in the decisive run in the home half of the ninth. The White Sox, meanwhile, are idle after having lost back-to-back games on September 26–27 to the Kansas City Royals. At 83–65, they trail the Athletics by five games with only five to play, but are mathematically eliminated anyway because of the strike-driven, asymmetric 1972 MLB schedule.
Detroit Tigers veteran left-hander Mickey Lolich, hero of the 1968 World Series, again comes up big in the clutch four years later, striking out 15 and defeating the Boston Red Sox 4–1 to give the Tigers a half-game lead in the AL East. The Bosox are victimized by a nightmarish mishap on the bases that befalls Luis Aparicio, their wily shortstop and normally a superior baserunner, in the third inning. Rounding third and poised to score the Red Sox' lead run on an extra-base hit by Carl Yastrzemski, Aparicio falls between third base and home plate. When he tries to retreat to third base, he finds Yastrzemski occupying the bag. Yaz is tagged out and the Bosox' rally is snuffed out.
In the first game of a doubleheader at Jarry Park, Bill Stoneman of the Montreal Exposno-hits the New York Mets 7–0. The no-hitter is 1) the second of Stoneman's career (the first having come on April 17, 1969—only nine games into the Expos' existence), 2) the first no-hitter ever pitched in a regular season game in Canada, and 3) the latest, calendar-wise, that a regular-season no-hitter has been pitched, tied with Addie Joss' perfect game in 1908.
October 3
The Detroit Tigers clinch the American League East as Woodie Fryman beats Luis Tiant and the Boston Red Sox 3–1 for his tenth win. Detroit's Chuck Seelbach picks up his 14th save and Al Kaline singles in the winning run. It's Detroit pilot Billy Martin's second divisional championship in his three years as an MLB manager. When 85–70 Boston wins a meaningless final game October 4, the 86–70 Tigers' margin of victory is one-half game, an anomaly caused by the asymmetric 1972 schedule.
The Kansas City Royals fire manager Bob Lemon and replace him with their Triple-A skipper, Jack McKeon. It's the 41-year-old McKeon's first MLB managerial opportunity after over two decades as a minor-league catcher and pilot and MLB scout. He'll become well-known as "Trader Jack" McKeon as a general manager and, at 72, win a World Series as skipper of the 2003 Florida Marlins.
October 8 – The Oakland Athletics win Game 2 of the 1972 American League Championship Series 5–0 at the Oakland Coliseum behind Blue Moon Odom's complete gameshutout to take a two-games-to-none lead over the Detroit Tigers. The contest turns ugly when Fred Scherman, a Tiger relief pitcher, throws two brushback pitches to Oakland slugger Reggie Jackson in the fifth inning; Jackson responds by belting a two-run double to drive home the Athletics' fourth and fifth runs of the day. Then, in the seventh, another Tiger reliever, Lerrin LaGrow, throws inside to Bert Campaneris, who is three for three with two runs scored, and hits the Oakland shortstop on the foot. Enraged, Campaneris fires his bat over LaGrow's head and charges the mound as the benches clear. Batter and pitcher are both ejected, and AL president Joe Cronin fines Campaneris and LaGrow and suspends them for the balance of the LCS. However, Cronin also rules that each player would be eligible to participate should his team move on to the World Series.
October 11
The Pittsburgh Pirates carry a 3–2 lead into the bottom of the ninth of the fifth and deciding game of the NLCS at Riverfront Stadium. Leading off, the Reds'Johnny Bench homers to tie the game. His blast is followed by two singles and two outs. Then, with pinch runner George Foster at third base, the Pirates' Bob Moose unleashes a wild pitch, permitting the pennant-clinching run to score. The 4–3 triumph seals Cincinnati's sixth National League championship of the post-1901 era.
October 12 – For the first time since divisional play began in 1969, both League Championship Series come down to a decisive Game 5, when the Oakland Athletics and Detroit Tigers resume their bitter ALCS struggle at Tiger Stadium. Detroit breaks the ice with an unearned run off Blue Moon Odom in the first inning. Then, in the second, Oakland's Reggie Jacksonsteals home to tie the game at one—but he pulls his hamstring in the process and is forced to leave the game. Two innings later, Oakland takes a 2–1 lead on an RBIsingle by Gene Tenace. Odom and left-hander Vida Blue (in a rare relief appearance) then shut down the Tigers for the rest of the afternoon. The Athletics win their tenth American Leaguepennant, and their first since 1931 when the club was based in Philadelphia. However, Jackson's pulled hamstring will prevent him from appearing in the 1972 World Series.
October 15 – Before Game 2 of the 1972 World Series at Riverfront Stadium, MLB marks the 25th anniversary of the racial integration of its playing ranks by honoring pioneer Jackie Robinson, who broke the color barrier in the National League on April 15, 1947, and Larry Doby, who integrated the American League that same year on July 5. In his remarks, Hall-of-Famer Robinson calls on baseball to open its managerial ranks to Black candidates as well. It will be the 53-year-old Robinson's last public appearance; seriously ill with diabetes and nearly blind, he will suffer a fatal heart attack at his Stamford, Connecticut home nine days later. (See Deaths entry for October 24.)
October 22 – The Oakland Athletics win the World Series with a 3–2 victory in Game 7 over the Cincinnati Reds. Catfish Hunter gets the win in relief, and Rollie Fingers the save. Gene Tenace knocks in two of Oakland's three runs with a single in the first inning and a tie-breaking double in the sixth. Tenace, who had hit only five home runs during the regular season, slugs four in the Series and is named MVP. It's the Athletics' sixth world championship, and first in 42 years.
November 7 – With general manager Paul Owens resuming full-time front-office duties, the Philadelphia Phillies appoint Danny Ozark their field manager for 1973. Ozark, 48, is a 30-year veteran of the Los Angeles Dodgers' organization and has spent eight years on Walter Alston's coaching staff. His tenure in Philadelphia will yield three National League East Division titles, but no NL pennants, before he's fired August 29, 1979.
November 15 – Dick Allen of the Chicago White Sox is a landslide winner of the 1972 American League Most Valuable Player Award. An eight-year veteran of three NL teams, Allen has had a huge impact in his first year in the Junior Circuit—leading it in homers (37), runs batted in (113), bases on balls (99), OBP (.420), slugging percentage (.603), OPS (1.023), and OPS+ (.199).
November 22 – Future Hall of Fame catcher Johnny Bench of the Cincinnati Reds wins his second National League MVP Award in three years. Bench beats out Chicago Cubs outfielder Billy Williams, who also ran second to Bench in the 1970 MVP balloting.
November 28 – In a blockbuster intrastate trade that satisfies both teams, the Los Angeles Dodgers send outfielder Frank Robinson, pitchers Bill Singer and Mike Strahler, and infielders Bobby Valentine and Billy Grabarkewitz to the California Angels for pitcher Andy Messersmith and third baseman Ken McMullen. In 1973, Robinson will hit .266 with 30 home runs with 97 RBI in 147 games, and Singer will combine with Nolan Ryan to strike out 674 batters, to set a 20th-century major league record for two pitching teammates. Messersmith will win 39 games in his next two seasons for the Dodgers and finish second in the 1974 NL Cy Young Award voting.
December 10 – The American League votes unanimously to adopt the designated hitter rule on a three-year experimental basis. The DH will replace the pitcher in the lineup unless otherwise noted before the start of the game. In the December 1975 meeting, the AL will vote to permanently adopt the DH. The National League declines to follow suit.
January 2 – Glenn Crawford, 58, outfielder for the St. Louis Cardinals and Philadelphia Phillies in the 1940s.
January 15 – William Benswanger, 79, executive; son-in-law of Barney Dreyfuss who served as president and chief executive of the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1932 until the Dreyfuss family sold the team in August 1946.
January 19 – Joe Goodrich, 78, third baseman who played for the Washington Potomacs of the Eastern Colored League in 1923 and 1924.
January 21 – Dick Loftus, 70, outfielder for the Brooklyn Robins from 1924 to 1925, playing in 97 total games.
January 23 – Fred Nicholson, 77, outfielder/pinch hitter who batted .311 over 303 career games for the 1917 Detroit Tigers, 1919–1920 Pittsburgh Pirates and 1921–1922 Boston Braves.
February
February 2 – Dick Burrus, 74, first baseman and .291 lifetime hitter who played in 560 games for the 1919–1920 Philadelphia Athletics and 1925–1928 Boston Braves; made 200 hits in 1925.
February 4 – Joe Green, 74, pinch hitter who had a single professional at bat for the Philadelphia Athletics, on July 2, 1924.
February 6 – Frankie Zak, 49, shortstop and second baseman who played only 123 MLB games for wartime Pittsburgh Pirates (1944–1946), yet was selected to 1944 National League All-Star team.
February 9 – Chico Ruiz, 33, Cuban-born infielder who played in 565 games between 1964 and 1971 for the Cincinnati Reds and California Angels; on Kansas City Royals' winter roster at the time of his death.
February 12 – Jim Sullivan, 77, pitcher who hurled in 25 games for the Philadelphia Athletics (1921–1922) and Cleveland Indians (1923).
February 15 – Pep Goodwin, 80, infielder for the 1914–1915 Kansas City Packers of the "outlaw" Federal League; served as president of the Pacific Coast League in 1955.
February 17 – Lew Malone, 74, infielder in 133 games for the Philadelphia Athletics (1915–1916) and Brooklyn Robins (1917, 1919).
February 22 – Johnnie Oden, 69, third baseman who played from 1927 through 1932, chiefly with the Birmingham Black Barons of the Negro National League.
February 28 – Dizzy Trout, 56, two-time All-Star pitcher for the Detroit Tigers (1939–1952) who led the AL in wins in 1943 and was MVP runner-up the following year; also pitched briefly for Boston Red Sox and Baltimore Orioles, and was a member of the Tigers' broadcasting team.
March
March 4 – Watty Clark, 69, left-handed hurler who won 111 games over a dozen seasons between 1924 and 1937 for three MLB clubs, most notably Brooklyn; led National League pitchers in games lost (19) in 1929 but went 20–12 (3.49) for a first-division 1932 Brooklyn club.
March 6 – Stan Jok, 45, third baseman and pinch hitter in 12 games for the 1954 Philadelphia Phillies and 1954–1955 Chicago White Sox.
March 10 – George Cunningham, 77, pitcher/outfielder who appeared in 162 career games, 123 of them on the mound, for the 1916–1919 Detroit Tigers.
March 11 – Zack Wheat, 83, Hall of Fame left fielder who played 18 National League seasons (1909–1926) for Brooklyn; held the franchise's career records for games (2,322), hits (2,804), doubles (464) and triples (171); a lifetime .317 hitter who retired with the tenth-most hits in history; member of 1916 and 1920 NL champion Robins.
March 12 – Dutch Levsen, 73, pitcher whose mediocre six-season career with 1923–1928 Cleveland Indians included one standout campaign: 1926, when he went 16–13 with 18 complete games.
March 16 – Pie Traynor, 72, Hall of Fame third baseman for the Pittsburgh Pirates (1920–1935, 1937) who batted .320 lifetime and established a record for career games at third base; was named the best ever at his position in 1969; managed Pirates from June 19, 1934 through 1939.
March 18 – Frank Bushey, 65, Boston Red Sox pitcher who worked in 12 career games during the 1927 and 1930 seasons.
March 19 – Gordie Hinkle, 66, catcher who appeared in 27 games for the 1934 Red Sox; bullpen coach for the 1939 Detroit Tigers.
March 24 – Dick Coffman, 65, pitcher who toiled in 472 games over 15 seasons between 1927 and 1945 for the Washington Senators, St. Louis Browns, New York Giants, Boston Bees and Philadelphia Phillies; with Giants, he became a relief pitcher who led the National League in games pitched (51) and saves (12) in 1938.
March 28 – Donie Bush, 84, shortstop of the Detroit Tigers for 14 seasons who led the American League in walks five times and was a superlative bunter; later managed Pittsburgh to the 1927 National League pennant; also skippered three other MLB clubs between 1923 and 1933, and became prominent as a minor league manager and executive.
March 28 – Cy Moore, 67, pitcher who worked in 147 National League games between 1929 and 1934 for Brooklyn and Philadelphia.
March 30 – Davy Jones, 91, outfielder for five clubs between 1901 and 1918, most notably the Detroit Tigers (1906–1912, 1918), where who organized a 1912 walkout to protest Ty Cobb's suspension for attacking a heckler.
April
April 2 – Gil Hodges, 47, Baseball Hall of Fame, eight-time All-Star and three-time Gold Glove first baseman for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers (1943 and 1947–1961); member of 1955 and 1959 world champions; drove in more runs than any other player during the 1950s; finished playing career with expansion New York Mets (1962–1963) and served as third full-time manager in the team's annals from 1968 until his death, leading the "Miracle Mets" to the 1969 World Series title; Mets retired uniform #14 to honor him after his passing; also managed the Washington Senators from May 23, 1963 through 1967.
April 3 – Alvin Crowder, 73, pitcher who had three 20-win seasons with the Senators, winning 26 and 24 games (in 1932–1933) and St. Louis Browns; led American League hurlers in winning percentage in 1928; known for his mastery against the Yankees.
April 7 – Larry Brown, 70, standout Negro leagues catcher, seven-time All-Star, and member of 1927 champion Chicago American Giants; played for five teams over 22 years between 1923 and 1947 and served as player-manager of the American Giants (1935) and Memphis Red Sox (1942–1943, 1945, 1947–1948).
April 8 – Gus Fisher, 86, left-handed-hitting catcher who appeared in 74 games for the 1911 Cleveland Naps and 1912 New York Highlanders of the American League.
April 9 – Roy Leslie, 77, first baseman in 160 career games during one-year stints for the 1917 Chicago Cubs, 1919 St. Louis Cardinals and 1922 Philadelphia Phillies.
April 16 – Lou Perini, 68, construction magnate and club owner (1944–1962) who moved the struggling Braves from his home city of Boston to Milwaukee in March 1953, finding instant success on the field and at the turnstiles and kicking off a two-decade spasm of franchise relocations and expansion in MLB; his Boston/Milwaukee Braves won three NL pennants and the 1957 World Series.
April 22 – Frank Drews, 55, second baseman who appeared in 95 total games for the wartime, 1944–1945 Boston Braves.
May 2 – Jack Smith, 76, outfielder who played all or part of 15 National League seasons (1915–1929) for the St. Louis Cardinals and Boston Braves, getting into 1,406 games.
May 4 – Vic Sorrell, 71, pitcher who spent his entire 280-game career with the Detroit Tigers between 1928 and 1937; member of Tigers' 1935 World Series champs and 1934 AL pennant-winners.
May 11 – Lynn King, 64, back-up outfielder who played in 175 games for the St. Louis Cardinals in 1935, 1936 and 1938.
May 11 – Danny Schell, 44, outfielder/pinch hitter who appeared in 94 games for the 1954–1955 Philadelphia Phillies.
May 11 – Suds Sutherland, 78, pitcher, pinch hitter and outfielder in 17 games for 1921 Detroit Tigers; in 13 mound appearances, he posted a 6–2 won–lost record.
May 15 – John Milligan, 68, pitcher who played from 1928 through 1934 for the Philadelphia Phillies and Washington Senators.
May 15 – Dixie Parker, 72, catcher and pinch hitter in four games for the 1923 Phillies.
May 18 – Babe Barna, 57, outfielder who appeared in 207 career games for the Philadelphia Athletics, New York Giants and Boston Red Sox between 1937 and 1943.
May 19 – Felix McLaurin, 50, outfielder who played in the Negro leagues from 1942 to 1946, chiefly for the Birmingham Black Barons and New York Black Yankees.
May 20 – Wally Dashiell, 70, shortstop who played one big-league game, on April 20, 1924, for the Chicago White Sox.
May 20 – Hoge Workman, 72, pitcher for the 1924 Boston Red Sox, who also played and coached for Cleveland teams of the National Football League.
May 22 – Dick Fowler, 51, Canadian pitcher who won 66 games with the Philadelphia Athletics over ten seasons between 1941 and 1952, including a no-hitter on September 9, 1945, at Shibe Park against the St. Louis Browns.
May 24 – Bill Moore, 68, catcher for the 1927 Boston Red Sox.
May 25 – Charlie Henry, 72, pitcher in the Negro leagues between 1924 and 1929.
May 28 – Al Gerheauser, 54, left-handed pitcher who worked in 149 career games for 1943–1944 Philadelphia Phillies, 1945–1946 Pittsburgh Pirates and 1948 St. Louis Browns.
May 28 – Bob Hasty, 76, Philadelphia Athletics pitcher who appeared in 146 games in an MLB career that began on September 11, 1919 and ended on September 26, 1924.
May 29 – Moe Berg, 70, catcher who served as a spy for the U.S. government during and after his playing career; played in 663 games for five MLB teams between 1923 and 1939, batting .243 lifetime.
June
June 7 – Topper Rigney, 75, shortstop for the Detroit Tigers, Boston Red Sox and Washington Senators who appeared in 694 games and twice batted over .300.
June 9 – Del Bissonette, 72, first baseman who twice batted .300 for the Brooklyn Robins and hit .305 lifetime in 604 games (1928–1931 and 1933); managed 1945 Boston Braves from July 31 through the end of the season.
June 12 – Lefty Phillips, 53, manager of the California Angels from May 27, 1969, through 1971; previously pitching coach for the Los Angeles Dodgers (1965 to 1968) and a longtime scout.
June 24 – Crush Holloway, 75, outfielder and aggressive, hard-sliding baserunner who played in the Negro leagues between 1921 and 1939, notably for the Baltimore Black Sox and Atlanta Black Crackers.
June 23 – Tom Long, 82, outfielder for the 1911–1912 Washington Senators and 1915–1917 St. Louis Cardinals; led National league in triples with 25 in 1915.
June 26 – Mike Kircher, 74, pitcher who made 14 appearances for the Philadelphia Athletics and St. Louis Cardinals from 1919 to 1921.
July
July 2 – Rankin Johnson Sr., 84, pitcher in 72 total contests for the Boston Red Sox (1914), Chicago and Baltimore of the Federal League (1914 and 1915), and St. Louis Cardinals (1918); his son was an MLB pitcher and minor-league executive.
July 3 – Leroy Herrmann, 66, pitcher who worked in 45 games for the Chicago Cubs (1932–1933 and 1935).
July 11 – Johnnie Tyler, 65, outfielder in 16 career games for the 1934–1935 Boston Braves.
July 17 – Al Spohrer, 68, catcher who played in 756 National League games—two for the 1928 New York Giants and 754 for the 1928–1935 Boston Braves.
July 20 – José María Fernández, 76, Cuban catcher whose Negro leagues playing career, including barnstorming tours and independent circuits, extended for 29 seasons between 1916 and 1947; managed New York Cubans of the Negro National League from 1939 to 1948, including 1947 Negro World Series champions.
July 21 – Harry McCurdy, 72, lefty-swinging backup catcher who appeared in 543 over ten seasons between 1922 and 1934 for four MLB clubs, batting .282 lifetime.
July 31 – Rollie Hemsley, 65, catcher who played in 1,593 games for seven MLB teams between 1928 and 1947; five-time American League All-Star; later a coach and minor league manager.
August
August 5 – Red McKee, 82, left-handed-hitting catcher who played in 189 games for the 1913–1916 Detroit Tigers.
August 7 – Red Anderson, 60, pitcher who appeared in 36 games over three seasons for the Washington Senators (1937 and 1940–1941).
August 13 – Herman Besse, 60, southpaw twirler who went 5–15 with an ERA of 6.79 in 65 games for the Philadelphia Athletics (1940–1943, 1946).
August 13 – George Weiss, 78, executive and cornerstone of the New York Yankees dynasty as farm director (1932–1947), then general manager (1947–1960), with the team winning 15 World Series titles over Weiss' 29 years; first team president of expansion New York Mets (1961–1966); named to Baseball Hall of Fame by Veterans Committee in 1971.
August 14 – Bricktop Wright, 63, outfielder/first baseman who played in 22 games for 1943 New York Black Yankees of the Negro National League; played professional basketball in the 1930s and 1940s.
August 15 – Jeff Pfeffer, 84, pitcher and 13-year (1911 and 1913–1924) MLB veteran who worked in 347 games for four teams, principally Brooklyn and St. Louis of the National League, won 158 games, and posted a 2.77 career ERA.
August 16 – Fred Bailey, 77, outfielder and pinch hitter for the 1916–1918 Boston Braves who played in 60 career games.
August 21 – Eddie Kenna, 74, catcher who appeared in 41 games for the 1928 Washington Senators.
August 24 – J. Roy Stockton, 79, St. Louis sportswriter from the 1910s to the 1950s, also a sportscaster and author of books on baseball.
August 25 – Italo Chelini, 57, left-handed pitcher who made 24 appearances for the 1935–1937 Chicago White Sox.
August 25 – Jack Crouch, 68, aptly named catcher who appeared in 43 big-league games for the St. Louis Browns and Cincinnati Reds between 1930 and 1933.
August 26 – "Deacon Danny" MacFayden, 67, pitcher who worked in 465 games over 17 MLB seasons for the Boston Red Sox (1926–1932), New York Yankees (1932–1934), Boston Braves/Bees (1935–1939 and 1943), Pittsburgh Pirates (1940) and Washington Senators (1941); member of 1932 World Series champions.
August 27 – John Barnes, 69, lefty-swinging catcher who played for nine Negro National League teams (in 226 games) between 1922 and 1931.
August 29 – Clem Hausmann, 53, pitcher for the Boston Red Sox and Philadelphia Athletics between 1944 and 1949.
August 30 – Hank Miller, 55, two-time Negro National League All-Star who pitched in 89 games, 88 of them for the Philadelphia Stars, between 1938 and 1948.
August 31 – Ivey Shiver, 65, outfielder who played in 21 MLB games as a member of the 1931 Detroit Tigers and 1934 Cincinnati Reds.
September
September 2 – Jim Brillheart, 68, who pitched in 68 MLB games for the Washington Senators, Chicago Cubs and Boston Red Sox over four seasons between 1922 and 1931; longtime minor-league hurler who played in 29 pro seasons through 1951, and one of the few pitchers in baseball history to appear in over 1,000 career games.
September 3 – Tom Fisher, 91, pitcher who dropped 16 of 22 decisions for the 1904 Boston Beaneaters of the National League.
September 4 – Bob Bowman, 61, pitcher who compiled a 26–17 record and 3.82 ERA in 109 appearances with St. Louis Cardinals (1939–1940), New York Giants (1941) and Chicago Cubs (1942); gained notoriety by beaning newly acquired Joe Medwick of Brooklyn on June 18, 1940, sparking a bench-clearing brawl.
September 6 – Charlie Berry, 69, American League catcher who played in 709 games over 11 seasons between 1925 and 1938; later an AL umpire from 1942 to 1962 who worked in five World Series and five All-Star Games; also played in the NFL and officiated numerous NFL championship games.
September 9 – Will Jackman, 76, pitcher who at age 39 led the 1935 Negro National League in games pitched, complete games, and games lost.
September 16 – Eddie Waitkus, 53, first baseman in 1,140 MLB games (1941, 1946–1955) for the Chicago Cubs, Philadelphia Phillies and Baltimore Orioles who was shot in 1949 by a teenaged female admirer who lured him to her hotel room; after his recovery, a key member of Phils' 1950 "Whiz Kids" pennant-winner; twice named to NL All-Star team.
September 19 – Les Bartholomew, 69, left-handed pitcher in nine career games for 1928 Pittsburgh Pirates and 1932 Chicago White Sox.
September 26 – Jesse Baker, 84, left-hander who worked in 22 games for the 1911 Chicago White Sox.
October
October 9 – Dave Bancroft, nicknamed "Beauty", 81, Hall of Fame shortstop for four NL teams, known for his defensive skill and also batting over .300 five times; captain of the New York Giants' pennant winners from 1921–1923, and World Series champion (1921–1922).
October 11 – Danny Taylor, 71, outfielder who appeared in 674 career games for three MLB clubs, notably Brooklyn, over nine seasons between 1926 and 1936.
October 19 – Butch Glass, 74, left-handed pitcher and occasional outfielder/first baseman who played for five Negro National League teams from 1923 to 1930.
October 20 – Allen Russell, 72, pitcher in 345 games for the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox and Washington Senators between 1915 and 1925 who led American League with nine saves in 1923; member of 1924 world champion Senators.
October 22 – Elbert Williams, 65, pitcher who appeared in the Negro leagues between 1929 and 1935.
October 24 – Jackie Robinson, 53, Hall of Fame second baseman for the Brooklyn Dodgers who broke Major League Baseball's color line in 1947 after beginning his professional career for the Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro American League; batted .311 in his ten-year National League career, leading the NL in batting average (.342) in 1949; also led his league in stolen bases in 1947 and 1949; 1947 Major League Rookie of the Year; 1949 NL Most Valuable Player; 1955 World Series champion; seven-time All-Star whose uniform #42 has been retired by every organized baseball team since 1997.
October 25 – Stretch Miller, 62, St. Louis sportscaster who was a member of the Cardinals' radio team from 1950 to 1954.
October 29 – Dutch Dietz, 60, pitcher in 106 games for Pittsburgh Pirates and Philadelphia Phillies between 1940 and 1943.
November 3 – Phil Voyles, 72, outfielder who appeared in 20 games for the 1929 Boston Braves.
November 6 – Agustín Bejerano, 63, Cuban outfielder in the Negro leagues who played during the 1928 and 1929 seasons.
November 8 – Harry Child, 67, relief pitcher who worked in five games for the 1930 Washington Senators.
November 18 – Matthew Carlisle, 62, second baseman and shortstop who played in 395 Negro leagues games, 365 of them for the Homestead Grays; member of the 1943 Negro World Series champions.
November 26 – George Jackson, 90, outfielder who appeared in 152 games from 1911 to 1913 as a member of the Boston Rustlers/Braves of the National League.
November 26 – Wendell Smith, 58, sportswriter for Pittsburgh and Chicago newspapers since 1937 who became the BBWAA's first black member and helped ease Jackie Robinson's entry into the major leagues; also a Chicago sportscaster since 1964.
November 29 – Bernie Neis, 77, switch-hitting outfielder who played 677 career games for the Brooklyn Robins, Boston Braves, Cleveland Indians and Chicago White Sox between 1920 and 1927.
December
December 2 – Rip Conway, 76, second baseman who appeared in 14 contests for the 1918 Boston Braves.
December 4 – John Henry Russell, 74, All-Star second baseman in the Negro leagues who played between 1924 and 1934, chiefly for the St. Louis Stars and Memphis Red Sox.
December 12 – Frog Holsey, 66, Negro leagues pitcher between 1928 and 1932, principally for the Chicago American Giants.
December 17 – Fred Bankhead, 60, second baseman who played in 243 games over 12 seasons (1937–1948) for three Negro leagues teams, chiefly the Memphis Red Sox; one of five baseball-playing brothers, including Dan Bankhead.
December 20 – Gabby Hartnett, 72, Hall of Fame catcher for the Chicago Cubs (1922–1940) who virtually clinched the 1938 pennant with his "Homer in the Gloamin'"; established career records for games and home runs as a catcher and was the NL's 1935 MVP; player-manager of Cubs from July 21, 1938 through 1940.
December 23 – Dutch Jordan, 92, second baseman for the 1903–1904 Brooklyn Superbas.
December 28 – Eddie Leishman, 62, longtime minor-league executive who served as first general manager of expansion San Diego Padres of the National League from 1968 until his death.
December 30 – Pee Wee Butts, 53, five-time All-Star shortstop who played in the Negro leagues from 1938 to 1942 and 1944–1948, primarily for the Baltimore Elite Giants.
December 31 – Roberto Clemente, 38, Pittsburgh Pirates' right fielder since 1955 and a national hero of Puerto Rico; a lifetime .317 hitter, 12-time All-Star and winner of 12 Gold Gloves who was a four-time batting champion and the NL's 1966 MVP; collected his 3,000th regular-season hit September 30; two-time (1960, 1971) World Series champion and 1971 World Series MVP; elected to Baseball Hall of Fame within weeks of his death, the first Latin American player so honored, and the Pirates retired his uniform #21.