March 23 – Young Boston Red Sox first baseman George Scott, a future eight-time Gold Glove Award winner, knocks himself unconscious running into the right field wall chasing a fly ball during a spring training contest. The Red Sox' rookie manager, Dick Williams, who has been playing Scott in the outfield to improve his versatility, immediately announces an end to the experiment.
April 7 – The Detroit Tigers purchase the contract of rookie catcher Jim Price, 25, from the Pittsburgh Pirates. After spending five years as the Tigers' reserve backstop, he will eventually join their broadcast team and work for them from 1993 until his 2023 death.
April 14 – In his MLB debut, Billy Rohr of the Boston Red Sox has a no-hitter broken up with two out—and one strike to go—in the ninth inning a 3–0 victory over the New York Yankees and Whitey Ford at Yankee Stadium. A single by Elston Howard breaks up the bid, the only hit Rohr will allow. Exactly one week later, Rohr again defeats the Yankees in a complete game victory, this time at Fenway Park—the second of: 1) the only two games Rohr will win this season and 2) the only three contests he will win as a major-leaguer.
May 8 –The Houston Astros sell the contract of veteran pitcher Turk Farrell to the Philadelphia Phillies. Now 33, Farrell returns to his original (1956–1961) MLB team, where he was a National LeagueAll-Star and a member of the "Dalton Gang," a group of high-living young Phillies known for late-night, curfew-challenging antics.
May 29 – Mike Epstein's sit-down strike ends after 19 days when the Orioles trade him to the Washington Senators with left-handed pitcher Frank Bertaina for southpaw Pete Richert. Epstein becomes Washington's regular first baseman.
May 30 – New York Yankees pitcher Whitey Ford announces his retirement after pitching 16 seasons, all of them with the Yankees. He would be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in his 2nd year of eligibility in 1974 alongside his longtime teammate Mickey Mantle.
June 2 – The Boston Red Sox acquire veteran infielder Jerry Adair from the Chicago White Sox for relief pitcher Don McMahon and minor-league hurler Rob Snow. Adair will fill in at third base, shortstop and second base and bat .291 in 89 games, proving vital to the Red Sox during the pennant drive.
June 5 – The Atlanta Braves acquire veteran backup catcher Bob Uecker from the Philadelphia Phillies for catcher/first baseman Gene Oliver. Uecker, 33, is in the process of batting .150 in 80 total games during his sixth and final MLB campaign.
Less than two years removed from leading the Minnesota Twins to the 1965 American League pennant, Sam Mele is replaced by veteran minor-league manager Cal Ermer as Minnesota's pilot. Mele had posted a 524–436 (.546) mark since June 1961. Under Ermer, the slow-starting, 25–25 Twins will rebound to join a furious, four-team 1967 pennant race that isn't decided until the final day of the regular season.
In a cash transaction, the Athletics reacquire 25-year-old first baseman Ken Harrelson from the Washington Senators. Back with his original team, Harrelson will come alive at the plate, hitting .305 in 61 games into mid-August.
June 15 – At the Astrodome, Jimmy Wynn becomes the first Houston Astro to hit three home runs in one game. The shots, all with the bases empty, come in the fourth, sixth and eighth innings of the Astros' 6–2 victory over the San Francisco Giants.
June 17 – It takes 19 innings for the Detroit Tigers and visiting Kansas City Athletics to settle matters in the second game of a Saturday doubleheader. Kansas City catcher Dave Duncan, later known as an influential, longtime pitching coach, homers off Detroit's Mike Marshall in the top of the 19th, then left-hander Bill Edgerton holds Detroit scoreless in the bottom half to give the Athletics a 6–5 win and a split of the twin bill. It's Edgerton's only MLB victory.
June 21 – At Yankee Stadium, the Yanks'Thad Tillotson sparks a beanball war with the Boston Red Sox' Jim Lonborg. In the second inning, Tillotson hits Bosox third baseman Joe Foy in the batting helmet with a fastball; Foy had slugged a grand slam the night before. When Tillotson comes to bat, Lonborg, a Stanford University alumnus known as "Gentleman Jim," throws a fastball that hits the Bombers' hurler between the shoulder blades, and the benches empty. Joe Pepitone injures his left wrist in the melee, but no one is ejected. The brushback pitches continue from both sides, culminating, in the fifth inning, when Lonborg hits Yankee pinch-hitter Dick Howser in the helmet with a fastball—the last shot fired in today's duel. The Red Sox win 8–1, the incident is cited as galvanizing the Bosox into a pennant contender, and Lonborg (whose willingness to throw inside will enable him to lead American League moundsmen in hit batsmen, with 19) wins 22 games and the 1967 AL Cy Young Award.
June 27 – Trying to break up a double play, the Baltimore Orioles' Frank Robinson slides hard into Chicago White Sox second baseman Al Weis. Robinson's head collides violently with Weis' knee, and the reigning AL MVP, batting .337 with 21 home runs so far in 1967, is knocked unconscious from a concussion; he misses over a month of action. Weis, meanwhile, limps from the field and undergoes season-ending knee surgery. The Orioles, already a disappointing 32–36, fall further out of contention during Robinson's absence and well short of defending their 1966 world championship.
July 2 – The surprising Chicago Cubs move into a tie for first place with the St. Louis Cardinals by defeating the Cincinnati Reds 4–1 before 40,464 at Wrigley Field. After the game, many in the crowd wait until the flags of the ten National League teams flying over the scoreboard are rearranged to show the Cubs' flag at the top. It's the first time the Cubs are in first place this late in a season since 1945, when they won the NL title.
July 4:
The Niekro brothers face each other for the first time, with Phil Niekro pitching for the homestanding Atlanta Braves and Joe Niekro hurling for the Cubs. Phil beats Joe, 8–3, in the first game of a double-header. The Braves also take the second game, 4–2.
At the MLB season's "traditional" half-way point, the St. Louis Cardinals (46–30) and Chicago Cubs (46–31) are still neck-and-neck in the National League pennant race, with the slumping Cincinnati Reds (44–36) now four games back; Cincinnati had set the NL pace until falling into a funk in mid-June. It's a good year for baseball in the "Windy City," because, in the American League, the Chicago White Sox (44–30) stand three games in front of the Minnesota Twins (42–34) and 3½ ahead of the Detroit Tigers (41–34).
July 15 – In a battle between two other future Baseball Hall of Famers, a line drive off the bat of the Pittsburgh Pirates' Roberto Clemente breaks the right fibula of St. Louis Cardinals' pitcher Bob Gibson in the fourth inning of a game at Busch Memorial Stadium. After a visit from the team trainer, Gibson doesn't leave the game immediately; he faces three more batters before collapsing in pain. Gibson misses almost eight weeks of the season before returning to the mound September 7. He will make four more September starts, as the Cardinals run away with the National League race. Then, in the 1967 World Series, he dominates the Boston Red Sox with three complete game triumphs to give St. Louis a seven-game Series championship.
July 18 – The disappointing Pirates, expected to contend for the NL pennant but sitting at 42–42 and in sixth place, fire skipper Harry Walker and replace him with former Buc manager Danny Murtaugh. In the second of what will be four separate terms as the Pirates' manager, Murtaugh leads them to a 39–39 mark in 1967, then returns to the front office.
The red-hot Boston Red Sox win their ninth and tenth consecutive games by sweeping a doubleheader from the Indians at Cleveland Stadium, jumping into pennant contention. When their flight to Boston lands that night at Logan International Airport, the Red Sox are greeted by an estimated 10,000 fans.
With the California Angels also in the midst of a seven-game winning streak, the American League race is now a five-headed affair at the end of today's action. Only 3½ games now separate the top five AL teams: in order, the White Sox (53–40), Red Sox (52–40), Angels (53–44), Tigers (50–43) and Twins (49–43).
July 25 – The Chicago Cubs lose 4–3 to the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Memorial Stadium in a battle between two teams deadlocked at the top of the National League standings. Veteran Ray Washburn goes eight strong innings for the victory. The Cardinals grab, and will hold onto, undisputed possession of first place in the Senior Circuit; the Cubs ultimately finish third, 14 games behind. Nevertheless, with 87 victories in 161 games, 1967 stands as their most successful season since 1945.
August 9 – In 20 innings at Metropolitan Stadium, the Washington Senators outlast the Minnesota Twins 9–7. Two relievers, one from each side, Darold Knowles (10 innings) and Al Worthington (82⁄3), turn in shutout performances, and Ken McMullen's homer breaks the deadlock. The win brings the seven-year-old expansion Senators to .500 after 110 games—their best later-season showing so far in their history. Every defeat will be costly for Minnesota, which will miss out on a pennant by a single game in October.
August 13 – With their 3–2 victory today, the Minnesota Twins complete a three-game series sweep over the visiting Chicago White Sox and replace the ChiSox at the top of the American League leader board. Feisty White Sox manager Eddie Stanky is ejected in the ninth inning after Tommie Agee is called out at third base trying to stretch a double. In the airtight AL race, only three games separate the top five teams.
Tony Conigliaro of the Boston Red Sox is beaned by the California Angels' Jack Hamilton. Hit on the left cheekbone, just below the eye socket, Conigliaro will miss the rest of 1967 and all of 1968. He was hitting .287 with 20 home runs and 67 RBIs in 95 games in 1967, and had been selected an American League All-Star. Despite the loss of "Tony C", the Red Sox will sweep the four-game series with the Angels. The four losses extend the Halos' losing streak to seven games, effectively knocking them out of the pennant race, and leaves the Minnesota Twins in first place, with Boston, the Detroit Tigers and the Chicago White Sox all within two games.
Kansas City Athletics owner Charles O. Finley suspends pitcher Lew Krausse for alleged misconduct on a team flight in early August. The suspension kicks off a chain reaction of events in which Krausse's teammates formally and publicly protest Finley's decision (August 19), Finley fires manager Alvin Dark for failing to fully back the suspension (August 22), and then releases hard-hitting first baseman and Dark supporter Ken Harrelson for calling the owner "a menace to baseball" (August 25). Meanwhile, batting coach Luke Appling, the Hall-of-Fame former shortstop, takes over the managerial reins of the last-place Athletics.
August 20 – In the first game of a doubleheader, Al Kaline hits his 300th career home run helping the Detroit Tigers beat the Cleveland Indians, 4–2. Kaline has another home run in the second game with Detroit winning, 4–0.
August 22 – The Tigers sweep another twin bill at their home ballpark—this time against fellow contenders, the Minnesota Twins, 7–3 and 2–1 (11 innings). The nightcap is decided when second baseman Dick McAuliffe triples and scores on a wild pitch. One game now separates the American League's four top teams, with the Chicago White Sox (68–53, .562) and Boston Red Sox (69–54, .561) virtually tied for first, and the Twins (67–54, .554) and Tigers (68–55, .553) virtually tied for third.
August 25 – Minnesota Twins pitcher Dean Chanceno-hits the Cleveland Indians. He walks five and allows one run. Nineteen days earlier, Chance had thrown five perfect innings against the Red Sox to defeat Boston 2–0 in a game shortened by rain.
August 27 – Rocky Colavito's bases-loaded walk in the 11th inning drives in the game's only run, as the Chicago White Sox gain a split of their doubleheader with the Red Sox, 1–0, at Comiskey Park. In Game 1, an unexpectedly strong throw from right fielder José Tartabull cuts down Ken Berry at home plate in the bottom of the ninth to preserve a 9–8 Boston victory.
August 28:
The Philadelphia Phillies rise to a virtual tie for second place in the National League after another winning streak—eight straight games—with a 3-2 win over the Cincinnati Reds. The Phillies capture 21 of their last 29 games in 1967 to finish with 82 wins, their last winning season until 1975.
After a three-day bidding war for his services, free agent Ken Harrelson signs a $75,000 contract to join the contending Boston Red Sox—a 600 percent salary increase from his pre-August 25 annual salary. Boston will plug Harrelson into Tony Conigliaro's right field position during the pennant drive.
August 29 – The first-place Red Sox and ninth-place Yankees play another marathon tilt at Yankee Stadium: a 20-inning affair won by the Yankees 4–3 to split a Tuesday twi-night doubleheader. Future author Jim Bouton goes five shutout innings to gain the win.
September 1 – Gaylord Perry of the San Francisco Giants goes 16 shutout innings against the Cincinnati Reds at Crosley Field before he turns the scoreless tie over to bullpen ace Frank Linzy. Goose-eggs dot the scoreboard until the top of the 21st, when Giants veteran Dick Groat coaxes a bases-loaded walk off the Reds' Bob Lee that enables the eventual winning run (and only tally of the contest) to score.
September 6 – For the first time in the AL's hectic pennant scramble, all four contenders are tied (or virtually tied with only .001 separating them) for first place in the standings.
September 7 – St. Louis Cardinals ace starting pitcher Bob Gibson returns to action, going five innings and allowing two earned runs in a 9–2 romp over the New York Mets. Gibson, on the injured list since mid-July when a line drive broke his right fibula, improves to 11–6 on the season. Veteran Jack Lamabe saves the win with 32⁄3 innings of one-hit relief.
September 10 – Joe Horlen of the Chicago White Soxno-hits the Detroit Tigers 6–0, in the first game of a doubleheader at Comiskey Park. The White Sox also shut out the Tigers in the nightcap, with Cisco Carlos gaining his first Major League victory, and pull into a third-place tie with the Tigers and within 1½ games of the first-place Minnesota Twins.
September 17 – At Comiskey Park, veteran Rocky Colavito delivers another extra-innings win for the White Sox when his RBI single drives in the game's only run in a 17-inning, 1–0 victory over Colavito's former club, the Cleveland Indians. The win enables the fourth-place Pale Hose to keep pace in the AL race.
Denny McLain, the Detroit Tigers' right-hander who has won 17 games (and lost 16) so far in 1967, is sidelined with a mysterious foot injury and will miss the rest of the season. Sports Illustrated will allege over two years later that McLain, a compulsive gambler, suffered the injury when a mob enforcer stomped on his foot as punishment for not paying back a $45,600 gambling debt.[1]
Wes Westrum resigns as manager of the last-place New York Mets with 11 games remaining in the regular season.
September 27:
In the tight AL pennant race, the possibility of a four-way tie is eliminated as the Minnesota Twins and Boston Red Sox both lose (5–1 to California and 6–0 to Cleveland, respectively). Minnesota now has a 91–69 won-lost record and Boston is 90–70, and the only games left for those two teams are two games against each other.
In what will be their last-ever home games in Kansas City, the last-place Athletics sweep the contending Chicago White Sox in a twinight doubleheader, 5–2 and 4–0; the two defeats ignite a five-game, end-of-season losing streak that wrecks the ChiSox' pennant chances.
The White Sox lose 1–0 to the Washington Senators and are eliminated from the AL pennant race. Chicago, now 89–71, can win a maximum of 91 games, and must finish behind the Twins or the Red Sox. The only remaining tie possibilities are Twins–Tigers or Red Sox–Tigers.
Ferguson Jenkins of the Chicago Cubs wins his 20th game of 1967 with a 4–1 decision over the Reds in Cincinnati. It's the first of seven 20-win seasons for Jenkins in his Hall-of-Fame career, six of which come with the Cubs.
One of the closest MLB pennant races ever enters the season's final day with the Boston Red Sox and Minnesota Twins tied for first place and the Detroit Tigers one-half game back in the American League. At Fenway Park, the Red Sox and Twins play each other, with the winner clinching a tie for the pennant and the loser eliminated. Eventual AL MVPCarl Yastrzemski goes four for four as the Red Sox beat the Twins 5–3. In the season's final two games, Yastrzemski goes seven for eight, with a home run (his 44th) and six RBI (winning the Triple Crown in the process), and makes a key outfield assist on defense.
The Tigers can tie if they sweep a doubleheader from the California Angels in Detroit. The Bengals win the first game 6–4, but their bullpen fails in the finale and the Angels win, 8–5, to give the Red Sox the pennant with no playoff. The Bosox, ninth-place finishers in 1966, win their first American League championship since 1946 and eighth AL flag overall.
For the first time since 1937 both Chicago teams win at least 85 games during the regular season. For the Cubs it's only their second above-.500 season since 1946.
October 5 – In Game 2 of the 1967 World Series, Boston's Jim Lonborg is brilliant as he retires the first 19 St. Louis Cardinals before walking Curt Flood with one out in the seventh inning. His no-hit bid is broken up with two out in the eighth by a Julián Javier double. Lonborg has to settle for pitching the fourth one-hitter in World Series history as the Red Sox even the series with a 5–0 win.
October 9 – In Game 5 of the World Series, Jim Lonborg follows his Game 2, one-hit complete game shutout by holding the Cardinals scoreless on two hits over eight innings at Busch Memorial Stadium. Roger Maris finally solves Lonborg via a ninth-inning solo homer, but the Red Sox climb back into the Series with a 3–1 win to send it back to Boston. Lonborg's line over two starts: 18 IP, one run, four hits allowed, a 2–0 record, two complete games, and 0.50 ERA.
October 11 – Gil Hodges, the Brooklyn Dodgers' Hall-of-Fame first baseman of the 1950s, returns to New York City, his adopted home, as the third permanent manager in New York Mets' history. Because Hodges, 43, is still under contract to the Washington Senators, whom he has managed since May 23, 1963, compensation will be arranged during the interleague trading period that coincides with the winter meetings.
October 12 – In Game 7 of the World Series, the St. Louis Cardinals earn their second world championship in four seasons with a 7–2 victory over pitcher Jim Lonborg, hurling on only two days' rest, and the Boston Red Sox. Bob Gibson, the Series MVP, notches his third win in the Series with a three-hitter; he records ten strikeouts and a fifth-inning home run, while outfielder Lou Brock has two hits and three stolen bases for a record seven steals in a seven-game World Series. It's the Cardinals' eighth World Series triumph in their history.
October 13 – The Pittsburgh Pirates name Larry Shepard, 48, their manager for 1968. Shepard, a former minor-league pitcher, spent 14 seasons managing in the Pirates' farm system.
October 16 – The Chicago White Sox release Smoky Burgess, 40, a portly former catcher who has become one the era's top pinch-hitting specialists. Burgess retires with a career .295 average in 1,691 games over 18 seasons. A nine-time National League All-Star during his catching days, he also holds the MLB record for career pinch hits with 145, a mark broken by Manny Mota in 1979.
October 18 – City officials from Kansas City, Oakland and Seattle are invited by American League president Joe Cronin to discuss the Athletics' relocation plans. United States Senator Stuart Symington of Missouri attends the meeting and threatens to revoke baseball's antitrust exemption if the A's are allowed to leave Kansas City. The owners began deliberation and after the first ballot, only six are in favour of relocation, Baltimore voting against, while Cleveland, New York and Washington abstain.[2] In the second ballot, the Yankees vote in favour of relocation. To appease all interested parties, the league announces that it will expand to Kansas City and Seattle no later than the 1971 MLB season—later accelerated to 1969.[3]
October 22 – Oakland Athletics owner Charlie Finley hires Hall of Famer Joe DiMaggio as the team's vice president. DiMaggio will also serve as a coach for the newly transplanted team. DiMaggio needed two more years of baseball service to qualify for the league's maximum pension allowance.[4]
The Minnesota Twins release stalwart veteran catcher Earl Battey, a five-time American League All-Star. Until he was slowed by injuries, Battey, 32, was the franchise's first-string receiver for seven seasons.
The New York Yankees purchase utility infielder Gene "Stick" Michael, 29, from the Dodgers, beginning Michael's long association with the Bombers as a player, coach, scout, manager and executive.
December 2 – The Pittsburgh Pirates acquire veteran right-hander Ron Kline from the Minnesota Twins for rookie outfielder Bob Oliver. It's Kline's second stint with the Pirates: after breaking in with terrible Pittsburgh teams in 1952 (and leading the National League in games lost in both 1956 and 1958), Kline will sparkle in 1968 coming out of the Bucs' bullpen (12–5, seven saves, 1.68 ERA).
December 6 – Bing Devine returns to the St. Louis Cardinals as general manager, succeeding Stan Musial, who resigns. A major builder of the Redbirds' 1964 and 1967 world champions, Devine had been prematurely fired by owner Gussie Busch in mid-August 1964. He then spent three years with the New York Mets, including one as president/general manager, positioning them for their remarkable 1969 season. Johnny Murphy succeeds Devine as the Mets' front-office boss.
January 1 – Lindsay Brown, 55, shortstop who appeared in 48 games for the 1937 Brooklyn Dodgers.
January 4 – Estel Crabtree, 63, outfielder who appeared in 489 total games for the Cincinnati Reds (1929; 1931–1932; 1943–1944) and St. Louis Cardinals (1933; 1941–1942); stalwart member of 1930s Rochester Red Wings teams; elected to the International League Hall of Fame (1953).
January 6 – Joe Haynes, 49, pitcher who hurled in 379 career games for the Washington Senators and Chicago White Sox from 1939 through 1952; American League earned-run average champion (1947) and All-Star (1948); from 1953, a coach and executive with Washington and the Minnesota Twins; brother-in-law of Calvin Griffith.
January 6 – Johnny Keane, 55, manager of the St. Louis Cardinals (July 6, 1961 through 1964) and New York Yankees (1965 to May 6, 1966) who won the 1964 World Series with the Cardinals, then joined the opposing Yankees immediately afterward; previously, longtime minor league infielder and manager before his promotion to Cardinals as a coach in 1959.
January 6 – Joe Walsh, 80, catcher who appeared in five games for the New York Highlanders in 1910 and 1911.
January 13 – Charlie Gelbert, 60, shortstop/third baseman for the St. Louis Cardinals, Cincinnati Reds, Detroit Tigers, Washington Senators and Boston Red Sox (1929–1932, 1935–1937, 1939–1940) whose promising career was ruined by a severe leg wound suffered in a hunting accident that cost him the 1933–1934 seasons; his stellar play as starting shortstop for the champion 1931 Cardinals during the World Series helped St. Louis defeat the favored Philadelphia Athletics.
January 17 – Charlie Maloney, 80, pitcher who worked in one game for Boston of the National League on August 10, 1908.
January 18 – Goose Tatum, 45 or 48, legendary basketball player for the Harlem Globetrotters who also was a first baseman/outfielder for Birmingham, Cincinnati and Indianapolis of the Negro American League between 1941 and 1948.
January 25 – George Gibson, 86, catcher in 1,213 games over 14 seasons for the Pittsburgh Pirates (1905–1916, including 1909 world champions) and New York Giants (1917–1918); manager of Pirates (1920–1922 and 1932–1934) and interim pilot of Chicago Cubs (1925); one of the first Canadians to manage in MLB and elected to Canada's Sports Hall of Fame and Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame.
January 26 – Jud Daley, 82, outfielder in 80 games for the 1911–1912 Brooklyn Dodgers.
February 4 – Earle Mack, 77, son of Connie Mack; first baseman, third baseman and catcher in five total games for the Philadelphia Athletics (1910, 1911, 1914); minor league player and player-manager (1910–1917, 1920–1923); coach and assistant manager (to his father) for the Athletics from 1924 to May 1950; co-owner of the Athletics with his brother Roy from August 1950 to November 1954, when the Mack brothers sold the team to industrialist Arnold Johnson, who moved it from Philadelphia to Kansas City in 1955.
February 7 – Joe Vitelli, 58, pitcher who worked in four contests for the wartime 1944 Pittsburgh Pirates.
February 9 – Billy Burke, 77, left-handed pitcher in 22 games for Boston of the National League in 1910 and 1911.
February 12 – Dutch Distel, 70, played in eight games for the St. Louis Cardinals in 1918, mostly as a second baseman.
February 12 – Bob Rhoads, 87, pitcher for the Chicago Cubs, Cleveland Indians, and St. Louis Cardinals in the early 20th century, who won 22 games and posted a 1.80 ERA for Cleveland in 1906.
February 14 – Jimmy Johnston, 77, infielder-outfielder in 1,377 games for the Chicago White Sox (1911), Chicago Cubs (1914), Brooklyn Robins (1916–1925), Boston Braves (1926) and New York Giants (1926); played for Brooklyn's 1916 and 1920 NL champions; later a coach with the Brooklyn Dodgers.
February 18 – Ralph Miller, 68, pitcher who appeared in one game for the Washington Senators on September 16, 1921.
February 21 – Lou Tost, 55, left-handed pitcher who worked in 38 games for the 1942–1943 Boston Braves and one contest for the 1947 Pittsburgh Pirates.
February 23 – Chaney White, 72, outfielder who played in 598 games in the Negro leagues over 11 seasons between 1920 and 1936, batting .321 lifetime.
February 24 – Jake Propst, 71, infielder who appeared in one game as a pinch hitter for the Washington Senators on August 7, 1923.
February 26 – Tommy Heath, 53, catcher in 134 games for St. Louis Browns (1935; 1937–1938); later a minor league manager and MLB scout.
February 26 – George Yantz, 80, catcher for the 1912 Chicago Cubs who went one-for-one (1.000) during his one-game MLB tenure.
March 1 – Claude Grier, 62, left-hander who pitched in 72 career games for Washington, Wilmington and Atlantic City of the Eastern Colored League between 1924 and 1927; led 1926 ECL in complete games with 19 in 20 games started.
March 4 – Bullet Rogan, 73, standout pitcher for the Kansas City Monarchs, elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1998; went 120–52 (2.65) over 12 seasons between 1920 and 1935; twice led Negro National League in games won and shutouts, and also led NNL in complete games three times and winning percentage and earned run average once each.
March 6 – Vince Castino, 49, catcher who appeared in 88 games for the Chicago White Sox from 1943 to 1945.
March 6 – Jack Meyer, 34, pitcher who worked in 202 games for the 1955–1961 Philadelphia Phillies.
March 7 – Johnie Scott, 53, outfielder for the Birmingham Black Barons and Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro American League between 1944 and 1948, appearing in 165 games.
March 7 – Al Shealy, 66, pitcher who hurled in 47 total games for 1928 New York Yankees and 1930 Chicago Cubs; member of 1928 world champions.
March 10 – Billy Orr, 75, shortstop in 40 games for the 1913–1914 Philadelphia Athletics.
March 14 – Eddie Hunter, 62, Cincinnati Reds third baseman who played one game as a defensive replacement on August 5, 1933, and never recorded a big-league plate appearance.
March 21 – Pat Parker, 73, who appeared in three games as an outfielder and pinch hitter for the St. Louis Browns in August 1915.
March 26 – George F. Wilson, 77, catcher who appeared in five games for the 1911 Detroit Tigers and one contest for the 1914 Boston Red Sox.
March 30 – Ivan Howard, 84, infielder in 102 games for the 1914–1915 St. Louis Browns and 1917–1918 Cleveland Indians.
April 1 – Halley Harding, 62, shortstop/outfielder who played in 380 Negro National League games (1926–1931 and 1937), primarily for the Kansas City Monarchs and Detroit Stars.
April 7 – Shanty Hogan, 61, hard-hitting, heavyweight catcher for the Boston Braves, New York Giants and Washington Senators, who played in 989 games between 1925 and 1936.
April 13 – Tommy Griffith, 77, outfielder who appeared in 1,401 games between 1913 and 1925 for the Boston Braves, Cincinnati Reds, Brooklyn Robins and Chicago Cubs; played in all seven games of the 1920 World Series, starting six as the Robins' right fielder.
April 13 – Herb Welch, 66, shortstop who played 13 games for the 1925 Boston Red Sox.
April 16 – Jim Tennant, 60, pitcher who worked in one inning of one game for the New York Giants on September 28, 1919.
April 17 – Dutch Rudolph, 84, outfielder/pinch hitter who got into three total MLB games for the 1903 Philadelphia Phillies and 1904 Chicago Cubs.
April 22 – Fritz Maisel, 77, third baseman and second baseman for New York Yankees (1913–1917) and St. Louis Browns (1918); led American League in stolen bases (74) in 1914.
April 22 – Bill Salkeld, 50, catcher who hit for the cycle as a rookie for the 1945 Pittsburgh Pirates and was also a member of the 1948 National League champion Boston Braves.
April 27 – "John McGraw," né Roy Elmer Hoar, 76, pitcher for the 1915 Brooklyn Tip-Tops of the "outlaw" Federal League; Carnegie Mellon alumnus who, to preserve amateur status, pitched under an alias matching the name of the Hall of Fame baseball manager.
April 29 – Johnny Butler, 74, shortstop-third baseman in 375 games for the Brooklyn Robins, Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals between 1926 and 1929.
April 29 – Walt Smallwood, 74, pitcher who worked in eight total games for the New York Yankees (1917, 1919).
May 8 – Ossie Orwoll, 66, first baseman and left-handed pitcher who played in 94 games for the Philadelphia Athletics in 1928 and 1929.
May 13 – Eddie Pick, 68, played in 66 games, primarily as a third baseman, for the 1923–1924 Cincinnati Reds and 1927 Chicago Cubs.
May 13 – Jim Walsh, 72, southpaw who pitched for the 1921 Detroit Tigers.
May 14 – Vic Saier, 76, first baseman for the Chicago Cubs from 1911 to 1917 and Pittsburgh Pirates in 1919; led National League in triples with 21 in 1913.
May 19 – Jiggs Parson, 81, pitcher with Boston of the National League who worked in 17 games in 1910 and 1911.
May 20 – Senaida Wirth, 40, All-Star shortstop in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League.
May 26 – Bud Davis, 71, pitcher in 17 games for horrible (43–109) Philadelphia Athletics of 1915; became full-time outfielder after 1920 in minor leagues, where he batted .331 lifetime, including .400 in 1924.
June 4 – Henry Benn, 77, pitcher for the 1914 Cleveland Naps of the American League.
June 6 – Otis Brannan, 68, second baseman in 158 career games for the 1928–1929 St. Louis Browns.
June 8 – Art Jacobs, 64, southpaw who pitched one inning of one game for the Cincinnati Reds on June 18, 1939—and earned a save in the Reds' 12–6 victory over the Boston Bees.
June 10 – Pete Fahrer, 77, relief pitcher who worked in eight innings over five games for Cincinnati in 1914.
June 13 – Doug Baird, 75, outfielder-third baseman who appeared in 617 games between 1915 and 1920 for the Pittsburgh Pirates, St. Louis Cardinals, Philadelphia Phillies, Brooklyn Robins and New York Giants.
June 13 – Dick Reichle, 70, outfielder who played in 128 games in 1922 and 1923 for the Boston Red Sox; first visiting player to hit a home run at Yankee Stadium (April 20, 1923, off Waite Hoyt)—and it was Reichle's only MLB homer.
June 15 – Ollie Welf, 78, outfielder by trade whose only MLB appearance came as a pinch runner for Cleveland on August 30, 1916.
June 15 – Rip Wade, 59, outfielder in 59 games for the 1923 Washington Senators.
June 16 – Dutch Holland, 63, outfielder who appeared in 102 career games for the Boston Braves and Cleveland Indians between 1932 and 1934.
June 23 – Al Bashang, 78, outfielder who played in 18 MLB games for the 1912 Detroit Tigers and 1918 Brooklyn Robins.
June 23 – Tookie Gilbert, 38, first baseman and minor-league slugger who appeared in 183 games during 1950 and 1953 stints with the New York Giants; his father and brother also played in the major leagues.
June 24 – Roy Castleton, 81, southpaw who pitched in 11 total games divided amongst the 1907 New York Highlanders and the 1909–1910 Cincinnati Reds.
June 30 – Fred Liese, 81, pinch hitter who had five plate appearances for Boston of the National League in April 1910.
June 30 – Hap Myers, 80, first baseman for the 1910–11 Boston Red Sox, 1911 St. Louis Browns, 1913 Boston Braves and 1914–1915 Brooklyn Tip-Tops (Federal League); appeared in 377 games in all.
July 10 – Art "Skinny" Graham, 57, outfielder who got into 21 games for the Boston Red Sox in 1934 and 1935.
July 13 – Art "The Great" Shires, 60, colorful first baseman (and would-be prizefighter) who batted .291 in 290 career games for the Chicago White Sox (1928–1930), Washington Senators (1930) and Boston Braves (1932).
July 14 – Bill Dalrymple, 76, who appeared in three games as a third baseman, pinch hitter and pinch runner for the St. Louis Browns in July 1915.
July 21 – Jimmie Foxx, 59, Hall of Fame first baseman (Philadelphia Athletics, Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs and Philadelphia Phillies) between 1925 and 1945, who retired with more career home runs (534) than any player except Babe Ruth; a 3-time MVP and the AL's 1933 triple crown winner, he hit .325 lifetime and played in the first nine All-Star games.
July 25 – Mike Chartak, 51, outfielder and first baseman who got into 256 career games for the New York Yankees (1940 and 1942), Washington Senators (1942) and St. Louis Browns (1942–1944); played for the Browns in the 1944 World Series.
July 29 – Ray Kolp, 72, pitcher who logged 383 appearances in a 12-season MLB career with the St. Louis Browns (1921–1924) and Cincinnati Reds (1927–1934).
August 3 – Ed Young, 54, first baseman, catcher and third baseman who played eight seasons in the Negro American League for the Chicago American Giants between 1938 and 1947; also played for 1947 Homestead Grays.
August 13 – Mike Hechinger, 77, catcher in 13 games for Chicago Cubs and Brooklyn Superbas in 1912–1913.
August 15 – Karl Meister, 76, Cincinnati Reds outfielder who appeared in four games in August and September 1913.
August 17 – Ray Caldwell, 79, spitball pitcher who won 134 games over 12 seasons spent with the New York Highlanders/Yankees (1910–1918), Boston Red Sox (1919) and Cleveland Indians (1919–1921); knocked unconscious on the pitcher's mound when he was struck by lightning during the ninth inning of an August 24, 1919, game while with Cleveland, but he stayed in the contest after being revived and hurled a complete-game, 2–1 victory;[5] no-hit the Yankees two weeks later, on September 10; won 20 games the following year as a member of the 1920 World Series champion Indians.
August 19 – George Walker, 52, pitcher in the Negro leagues between 1937 and 1943, most prominently for the Kansas City Monarchs; led Negro American League in wins and winning percentage in 1939 and in earned run average in both 1940 and 1941.
August 21 – Slim McGrew, 68, a 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)-tall, 235 lb (107 kg) pitcher who took the mound for ten games over three seasons (1922–1924) for the Washington Senators.
August 25 – Emmett Nelson, 62, pitcher in 25 total games for 1934–1935 Cincinnati Reds.
August 29 – Joe Fitzgerald, 70, minor league catcher who became a coach for the Washington Senators (1944–1957); scouted for the Senators and Minnesota Twins from 1958 until his death.
September 2 – Jack Ryan, 62, outfielder who appeared in two games for the 1929 Boston Red Sox.
September 3 – Floyd Kranson, 54, pitcher/outfielder in 46 total games for three Negro American League clubs, principally the Kansas City Monarchs, between 1937 and 1940.
September 4 – Hugh Canavan, 70, left-hander who pitched in 11 games for the 1918 Boston Braves.
September 4 – George Loepp, 65, center fielder who appeared in 65 career games for the 1928 Boston Red Sox and 1930 Washington Senators.
September 4 – Clyde Manion, 70, catcher who appeared in 477 games over 13 seasons for the Detroit Tigers (1920–1924 and 1926–1927), St. Louis Browns (1928–1930) and Cincinnati Reds (1930–1934).
September 5 – Jack Tising, 63, pitcher in 19 pro seasons between 1924 and 1946 who played only ten games in the majors for the 1936 Pittsburgh Pirates.
September 12 – Rollie Zeider, 83, infielder for three Chicago franchises (White Sox, Whales and Cubs), as well as the New York Yankees, from 1910 to 1918; played in 941 career big-league contests.
September 13 – Ralph LaPointe, 45, shortstop and second baseman who played 143 total games for 1947 Philadelphia Phillies and 1948 St. Louis Cardinals; head baseball coach of the University of Vermont from 1952 until his death.
September 13 – Joe Stanley, 86, outfielder for four major-league teams over seven seasons between 1897 and 1909, including both the National League (1897) and American League (1902 and 1905–1906) versions of the Washington Senators.
September 14 – Walt Bond, 29, outfielder who played 365 career games in all or part of six seasons for the Cleveland Indians, Houston Colt .45s/Astros and Minnesota Twins between April 1960 and May 1967, when leukemia forced him to retire.
September 16 – Lee King, 74, outfielder in 411 games for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Philadelphia Phillies and New York Giants from 1916 to 1922; in his final MLB at bat, in the eighth inning of Game 5 of the 1922 World Series, drove in an insurance run with a single to cap a three-run rally in the Giants' clinching, 5–3 victory over the New York Yankees.
September 17 – Karl Adams, 76, pitcher who worked in 30 career games for the 1914 Cincinnati Reds and 1915 Chicago Cubs.
September 23 – Mose Offutt, 67, southpaw who pitched in 20 games in 1925 for Indianapolis of the Negro National League.
September 24 – John Allen, 76, pitcher who appeared in one game for the Baltimore Terrapins of the Federal League on June 2, 1914.
September 25 – Phil Geier, 90, outfielder who played for five teams between 1896 and 1904, appearing in 349 games.
September 27 – Frank Barnes, 67, left-handed hurler who worked in six total games for the 1929 Detroit Tigers and 1930 New York Yankees.
September 28 – Bill Powell, 82, pitcher in 17 games for three National League clubs, primarily the Pittsburgh Pirates, between 1909 and 1913.
October 2 – Orville Armbrust, 59, pitcher who fashioned a spotless 1–0 record and a 2.13 ERA over three games in his only MLB trial with the Washington Senators in September 1934.
October 2 – Jackie Price, 54, professional baseball shortstop during the 1930s and 1940s who became famous for sideline comedy, stunts and clowning that entertained fans before and during games; signed as a fan attraction by Cleveland Indians owner Bill Veeck in 1946 and activated for seven August and September games; his clowning skills were showcased in the MGM film Diamond Demon (1947).
October 2 – Bull Wagner, 79, stocky relief pitcher who appeared in 24 games for Brooklyn of the National League in 1913–1914.
October 3 – Fritz Mollwitz, 77, German-born first baseman who played in 634 games between 1913 and 1917 for the Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, Pittsburgh Pirates and St. Louis Cardinals.
October 4 – Ed Barney, 77, outfielder in 88 career games for the 1915 New York Yankees and 1915–1916 Pittsburgh Pirates.
October 13 – Joe Cates, 62, infielder who played in 28 games for the 1931 Louisville White Sox of the Negro National League.
October 17 – Louise Clapp, 33, All-American Girls Professional Baseball League pitcher.
October 19 – Art Garibaldi, 60, third baseman and second baseman who played in 71 games for the 1936 St. Louis Cardinals; a fixture in the Pacific Coast League, playing 11 PCL seasons in the 12 years from 1931 to 1942.
October 22 – Oscar Givens, 45, infielder who played in 19 games over three seasons (1939, 1946, 1948) for the Newark Eagles of the Negro National League.
October 22 – Rube Wiggins, 46, southpaw who hurled for the 1938 New York Black Yankees of the NNL.
October 27 – Bill Bailey, 85, outfielder who appeared in five games for 1911 New York Highlanders.
November 1 – Frank Gabler, 55, pitcher who worked in 113 games for the New York Giants, Boston Bees and Chicago White Sox between 1935 and 1938; later, longtime scout and pitching instructor.
November 2 – Clem Clemens, 81, catcher who appeared in 34 career games for the 1914–1915 Chicago Whales (Federal League) and the 1916 Chicago Cubs.
November 2 – Frank Wickware, 79, fireballing pitcher in the Negro leagues whose career extended from 1909 to 1925 and who wore the uniforms of over a dozen teams.
November 4 – Tom Lanning, 60, left-handed hurler who appeared in three games for the 1938 Philadelphia Phillies.
November 12 – Cleo Carlyle, 65, outfielder who played in 95 games for the Boston Red Sox in 1927.
November 18 – Mike Prendergast, 78, pitcher for Chicago of the "outlaw" Federal League (1914–1915), Chicago Cubs (1916–1917) and Philadelphia Phillies (1918–1919) who worked in 180 career games.
November 24 – Joe Kelly, 67, outfielder, first baseman and pinch hitter who played in 97 games for 1926 and 1928 Chicago Cubs.
November 24 – Rusty Saunders, 61, outfielder and pinch hitter in five games for the 1927 Philadelphia Athletics; also a professional basketball player.
December 2 – Dennis Graham, 71, outfielder for the Homestead Grays of Black baseball between 1924 and 1930; also played for the Atlantic City Bacharach Giants (1921) and Pittsburgh Crawfords (1931).
December 4 – Monchile Concepción, 62, native of Puerto Rico who was a pitcher/shortstop for the 1934 Philadelphia Bacharach Giants of the Negro National League.
December 5 – Jack Lively, 82, pitcher who posted a 7–5 record in 18 games for 1911 Detroit Tigers.
December 6 – Claude Sullivan, 42, member of the Cincinnati Reds' radio broadcast team since 1964, and lead play-by-play announcer from 1966 until his death.
December 7 – George V. McLaughlin, 80, banker; as president of the Brooklyn Trust Company and trustee of the Dodgers, played a pivotal behind-the-scenes role in the fate of the franchise in the 1930s and 1940s; brought Larry MacPhail, Branch Rickey and Walter O'Malley into management/ownership posts, with O'Malley ultimately becoming the majority owner who masterminded the Dodgers' transfer to Los Angeles after the 1957 season.
December 19 – Walter Tappan, 77, shortstop/third baseman in 18 games for the 1914 Kansas City Packers (Federal League).
December 27 – Paul Lehner, 47, outfielder in 540 games for the St. Louis Browns, Philadelphia Athletics, Chicago White Sox, Cleveland Indians and Boston Red Sox between 1946 and 1952.
December 28 – James M. Johnston, 72, co-owner and board chairman of the Washington Senators from January 29, 1963 until his death.
December 28 – Bill Pertica, 69, pitcher for the Boston Red Sox (1918) and St. Louis Cardinals (1921–1923); appeared in 74 career games, 73 as a Cardinal.
December 31 – Shovel Hodge, 74, Chicago White Sox pitcher from 1920 to 1922, who worked in 75 MLB games.
^Charlie Finley: The Outrageous Story of Baseball's Super Showman, p.113, G. Michael Green and Roger D. Launius. Walker Publishing Company, New York, 2010, ISBN978-0-8027-1745-0
^Charlie Finley: The Outrageous Story of Baseball's Super Showman, p.114, G. Michael Green and Roger D. Launius. Walker Publishing Company, New York, 2010, ISBN978-0-8027-1745-0
^Charlie Finley: The Outrageous Story of Baseball's Super Showman, p.119, G. Michael Green and Roger D. Launius. Walker Publishing Company, New York, 2010, ISBN978-0-8027-1745-0
