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1974 in baseball

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
See also: 1974 Major League Baseball season and 1974 Nippon Professional Baseball season

The following are the baseball events of the year 1974 throughout the world.

Years in baseball
1974 in sports

Champions

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Major League Baseball

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League Championship Series
(ALCS, NLCS)		World Series
EastBaltimore6001
WestOakland3512
ALOakland32353
NLLos Angeles23222
EastPittsburgh0271
WestLos Angeles35012

Other champions

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Winter Leagues

 * The season was canceled due to a player's strike and the Mexican Pacific League's second place, Yaquis de Obregón, played as a replacement in the Caribbean Series.

Awards and honors

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MLB statistical leaders

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American League National League
AVG Rod Carew MIN .364 Ralph Garr ATL .353
HR Dick Allen CWS    32 Mike Schmidt PHI    36
RBI Jeff Burroughs TEX  118 Johnny Bench CIN  129
Wins    Catfish Hunter OAK
Ferguson Jenkins TEX    		    25 Andy Messersmith LAD    
Phil Niekro ATL		    20
ERA Catfish Hunter OAK  2.49 Buzz Capra ATL  2.28
SO Nolan Ryan CAL   367   Steve Carlton PHI   240  

Major league baseball final standings

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Events

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January

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February

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March

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April

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May

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June

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July

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August

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  • August 1 – The resurgent Philadelphia Phillies (54–50) begin the month tied for first place in the NL East with the St. Louis Cardinals. The Phils have not enjoyed a winning season since 1967, and have lost 90 or more games in four of the past six campaigns.
  • August 4 – Dave Freisleben of the San Diego Padres throws 13 shutout innings—and 230 pitches—against the visiting Cincinnati Reds in the second game of a doubleheader. But he leaves the game while it's still a scoreless tie, and doesn't earn the victory when San Diego pushes across a run in the home half of the 14th.
  • August 6:
    • Johnny Bench hits his 200th career home run helping the Cincinnati Reds beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 6–3. With 50 games left in the regular season, the Reds now trail the Dodgers by 6½ games in the NL West.
    • Juan Marichal, wearing the unfamiliar uniform of the Boston Red Sox, improves his record to 4–1 by allowing only two hits over seven scoreless innings and defeating the Milwaukee Brewers, 6–0, at County Stadium. Hall-of-Famer Marichal, 36, will go 5–1 for the 1974 Bosox, but appear in only 11 games all season and post a poor 4.87 ERA. Boston will release him on October 24.
  • August 7 – The Detroit Tigers continue to shed veteran stars. They release Norm Cash, 40, the Tigers' regular first baseman since 1960. Then they sell the contract of outfielder Jim Northrup, 34, to the Montreal Expos.
  • August 12 – Nolan Ryan of the California Angels strikes out 19 in a 4–2 victory over the Boston Red Sox.
  • August 15 – The St. Louis Cardinals, who lead their division by 1½ games, bolster their pitching staff by acquiring veteran southpaw Claude Osteen from the Houston Astros.
  • August 20 – Davey Lopes sets a Dodgers record when he totals 15 bases against the Cubs in an 18–8 drubbing at Wrigley Field. Lopes has three home runs, a double and a single in his team's 24-hit attack. The Dodgers totaled 48 bases in the game, a team record.
  • August 25 – The Pittsburgh Pirates recover from their terrible start to 1974 (they were 39–49 as late as July 15) to gain first place in the NL East by sweeping a doubleheader at San Diego Stadium, 4–1 (12 innings) and 10–2.
  • August 27 – Hal McRae of the Kansas City Royals ties a Major League record with six extra base hits (five doubles and a home run).

September

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October

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November

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December

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Births

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January

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February

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March

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April

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May

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June

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July

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August

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September

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October

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November

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December

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Deaths

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January

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  • January 1 – Jimmy Smith, 78, switch-hitting utility infielder who began his career with the Chicago Whales and Baltimore Terrapins of the "outlaw" Federal League, then bounced among five National League clubs: the Pittsburgh Pirates, New York Giants, Boston Braves, Cincinnati Reds (where he was a member of the 1919 World Series champions) and Philadelphia Phillies; appeared in 360 games over eight seasons (1914–1919, 1921–1922).
  • January 2 – Gordon Slade, 69, infielder who appeared in 437 career games for the Brooklyn Robins/Dodgers, St. Louis Cardinals and Cincinnati Reds between 1930 and 1935.
  • January 12 – Frank E. McKinney, 69, Indiana banker and political figure who was principal owner of the Pittsburgh Pirates from August 8, 1946, to July 18, 1950; longtime owner of his hometown team, the Triple-A Indianapolis Indians.
  • January 12 – Jim Middleton, 84, pitcher who worked in 51 MLB games for the 1917 New York Giants and 1921 Detroit Tigers.
  • January 12 – Joe Smith, 80, catcher who appeared in 14 games for the 1913 New York Yankees.
  • January 14 – Lloyd Brown, 69, left-handed pitcher who won 46 games for the 1930–1932 Washington Senators and also played with the Brooklyn Robins, St. Louis Browns, Boston Red Sox, Cleveland Indians and Philadelphia Phillies over 12 seasons between 1925 and 1940; later, a scout.
  • January 14 – Jay Partridge, 71, second baseman for the 1927–1928 Brooklyn Robins who appeared in 183 games.
  • January 17 – Archie Hinton, 47, pitcher, third baseman and shortstop who played 25 games for the Baltimore Elite Giants of the Negro National League in 1944 and 1945.
  • January 18 – Pete Appleton, 69, relief pitcher for seven teams over 14 seasons between 1927 and 1945, who won 14 games for the 1936 Washington Senators; longtime scout for the Washington/Minnesota Twins franchise; known by his birth name, Jablonowski, until 1934, when he legally changed it.
  • January 18 – Thomas Healy, 78, third baseman who appeared in 29 total games for the hapless 1915–1916 Philadelphia Athletics.
  • January 20 – Homer Hillebrand, 94, first baseman and left-handed pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates (1905–1906, 1908); Princeton grad compiled a won–lost mark of 8–4 and a 2.51 ERA in 18 games and 1141⁄3 innings pitched and batted .237 in 131 at bats at the plate over 47 total MLB games.
  • January 20 – George Hockette, 72, pitcher for the Boston Red Sox in the mid-1930s.
  • January 21 – Claude Cooper, 81, outfielder who appeared in 373 career games for the 1913 New York Giants, 1914–1915 Brooklyn Tip-Tops of the "outlaw" Federal League, and 1916–1917 Philadelphia Phillies.
  • January 23 – Spoon Carter, 71, two-time Negro American League All-Star pitcher (1947 and 1948) and member of 1943–1944 Negro World Series champion Homestead Grays.
  • January 28 – Paul Fittery, 86, left-handed pitcher who took the mound in 25 games for the 1914 Cincinnati Reds and 1917 Philadelphia Phillies; also appeared in five games as an outfielder or pinch hitter.

February

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  • February 1 – Claude Berry, 93, catcher who played sparingly for the 1904 Chicago White Sox and 1906–1907 Philadelphia Athletics, then, a decade later, appeared in 224 contests for the 1914–1915 Pittsburgh Rebels of the Federal League.
  • February 4 – Hank Winston, 69, relief pitcher who worked in 15 career MLB games for 1933 Philadelphia Athletics and 1936 Brooklyn Dodgers.
  • February 6 – Benny Meyer, 89, outfielder in 39 games for Brooklyn and Philadelphia of the National League (1913, 1925) and 271 games with Baltimore and Buffalo of the Federal League (1914–1915); MLB coach and longtime scout.
  • February 13 – Script Lee, 75, Negro league baseball pitcher from 1921 to 1934.
  • February 16 – Gus Brittain, 64, catcher and pinch hitter who appeared in three games for the 1937 Cincinnati Reds.
  • February 16 – Bill Stellbauer, 79, outfielder who played in 25 games for the 1916 Philadelphia Athletics.
  • February 19 – Frank Miller, 87, pitcher who appeared in 163 games over seven seasons spanning 1913 to 1923 for three clubs, primarily the Pittsburgh Pirates and Boston Braves.
  • February 20 – Bob Christian, 28, outfielder who appeared in 54 career games for the Detroit Tigers (1968) and Chicago White Sox (1969–1970); also played for Japan's Toei Flyers (1971–1972).

March

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  • March 1 – Larry Doyle, 87, second baseman, primarily for the New York Giants whom he captained, who batted .300 five times and won the NL's 1912 MVP award; led NL in hits twice and stole home 17 times.
  • March 4 – Les Sweetland, 74, left-handed hurler for the 1927–1930 Philadelphia Phillies and 1931 Chicago Cubs who appeared in 161 career contests.
  • March 9 – Hal Quick, 56, shortstop/pinch hitter in 12 games for the 1939 Washington Senators.
  • March 12 – Medric Boucher, 88, catcher who played in 17 total games for Baltimore and Pittsburgh of the Federal League in 1914.
  • March 14 – Alex Pompez, 83, owner of the Negro Leagues' Cuban Stars and New York Cubans between 1916 and 1950, who later became a scouting supervisor for the New York Giants.
  • March 19 – Julius "June" Greene, 74, pinch-hitter and pitcher in 32 games for 1928–1929 Philadelphia Phillies; went 7-for-25 with five walks as a batter, and 0–0 (18.38 ERA) in 152⁄3 innings pitched over six mound appearances.
  • March 16 – Joe Kohlman, 61, pitcher who appeared in nine career games for the 1937–1938 Washington Senators.
  • March 16 – Felton Snow, 68, All-Star third baseman and manager whose Negro leagues career extended from 1931 to 1947, notably as a member of the Baltimore Elite Giants.
  • March 26 – Art Kores, 87, third baseman who played 60 games for the 1914 St. Louis Terriers of the Federal League.
  • March 30 – Goose Curry, 68, outfielder, pitcher and manager whose career in Negro leagues spanned 1928 to 1948.
  • March 31 – Bunny Hearn, 70, left-handed pitcher who worked in 59 games for the Boston Braves from 1926 through 1929.

April

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  • April 5 – Fred Snodgrass, 86, center fielder for the New York Giants (1908–1915) who made a critical drop of an easy fly ball—"Snodgrass's Muff"—in the tenth inning of the deciding game in the 1912 World Series, which was won by the Boston Red Sox.
  • April 6 – Roy Wood, 81, outfielder/first baseman who played from 1913 to 1915 for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Cleveland Naps/Indians.
  • April 11 – Bob Baird, 34, southpaw pitcher who posted an 0–4 record (7.25 ERA) in eight total games for the 1962–1963 Washington Senators.
  • April 15 – Buddy Armour, 58, outfielder/shortstop who played in the Negro leagues from 1933 to 1947; member of 1945 Negro World Series champion Cleveland Buckeyes.
  • April 20 – Al Eckert, 67, left-handed pitcher who went 0–2 in 18 career appearances for the 1930–1931 Cincinnati Reds and 1935 St. Louis Cardinals.
  • April 20 – Elmer Ponder, 80, pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates (1917, 1919–1921) and Chicago Cubs (1921) who worked in 69 career games.
  • April 22 – Chance Cummings, 81, first baseman for the Atlantic City Bacharach Giants and New York Lincoln Giants of the Eastern Colored League between 1923 and 1928.
  • April 22 – Steve Swetonic, 70, pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates in the early 1930s, who tied for the National League lead in shutouts in the 1932 season.
  • April 23 – Cy Williams, 86, center fielder for the Chicago Cubs (1912–1917) and Philadelphia Phillies (1918–1930) who became the first National League player to hit 200 home runs, leading the league four times.

May

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  • May 1 – Hal Anderson, 70, outfielder who played in nine games for 1932 Chicago White Sox and had a long career as minor league player and manager.
  • May 5 – Tom McNamara, 78, pinch-hitter for the 1922 Pittsburgh Pirates.
  • May 5 – Vito Tamulis, 62, left-handed pitcher who posted a 40–28 record with a 3.97 ERA in six seasons between 1934 and 1941 for the New York Yankees, St. Louis Browns, Brooklyn Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies.
  • May 13 – Vet Barnes, 62, pitcher who won 14 of 19 decisions (2.94 ERA) for the 1937–1938 Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro American League.
  • May 15 – Lou North, 82, pitcher for Detroit Tigers (1913), St. Louis Cardinals (1917 and 1920–1924) and Boston Braves (1924); essentially a reliever, he appeared in 191 career games and led National League in saves (not then an official statistic) in both 1921 and 1922.
  • May 18 – Dan Topping, 61, co-owner (1945 to 1964) and president (from October 1947 to 1964) of the New York Yankees, during which time the team won ten World Series and fifteen AL pennants.
  • May 22 – Ernie White, 57, left-handed pitcher for St. Louis Cardinals (1940–1943) and Boston Braves (1946–1948) who posted a 17–7 mark (with an ERA of 2.40) for the 1941 Redbirds; later a minor-league manager and MLB coach.
  • May 23 – Rolla Daringer, 85, Cardinals' shortstop who played 12 total games during two short trials (1914 and 1915).
  • May 24 – Cliff Markle, 80, pitched in 56 games for the New York Yankees and Cincinnati Reds over five seasons spanning 1915 to 1924.

June

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  • June 9 – Pat Caraway, 68, southpaw hurler who appeared in 108 career games for 1930–1932 Chicago White Sox; led American League in games lost (24) in 1931.
  • June 21 – Homer Blankenship, 71, pitcher in 13 games for the 1922–1923 Chicago White Sox and 1928 Pittsburgh Pirates.
  • June 21 – Joe Jenkins, 83, reserve catcher/pinch hitter in 40 total MLB games, notably with 1917 and 1919 White Sox; did not appear in 1917 World Series, a Chicago triumph, or the infamous 1919 Fall Classic.
  • June 23 – Al Boucher, 92, shortstop who played 147 games for the 1914 St. Louis Terriers of the Federal League.
  • June 24 – Joe Burns, 58, third baseman/outfielder who played in 111 career games for the wartime Boston Braves (1943) and Philadelphia Athletics (1944–1945).
  • June 30 – Mule Haas, 70, center fielder for the Pittsburgh Pirates (1925), Philadelphia Athletics (1928–1932 and 1938) and Chicago White Sox (1933–1937), who hit two home runs in the 1929 World Series; member of 1929 and 1930 world champion Athletics.
  • June 30 – Red Jones, 62, outfielder/pinch hitter who was granted a 12-game trial with the St. Louis Cardinals during April and May 1940.
  • June 30 – Bill Perrin, 64, left-hander who started one game on the mound for the Cleveland Indians on September 30, 1934.

July

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  • July 2 – Paul Strand, 80, pitcher/outfielder who appeared in 96 games (29 on the mound) for the 1913–1915 Boston Braves and 1924 Philadelphia Athletics; went 6–2 with a 2.44 ERA for 1914 "Miracle Braves".
  • July 4 – Del Webb, 75, co-owner and chairman of the Yankees from 1945 to 1964; co-owner Dan Topping had died just weeks earlier.
  • July 5 – Duster Mails, 79, left-handed pitcher who won 32 games for three MLB teams, principally the Cleveland Indians, between 1915 and 1926, but 226 contests in a 602-game, 18-year minor league career.
  • July 9 – Leo Mangum, 78, pitcher who worked in 85 games for three teams, principally the Boston Braves, over seven seasons between 1924 and 1935.
  • July 15 – Claud Derrick, 88, infielder in 113 games over all or part of five seasons (1910–1914) for the Philadelphia Athletics, New York Yankees, Cincinnati Reds and Chicago Cubs.
  • July 17 – Dizzy Dean, 64, Hall of Fame pitcher who won MVP award in 1934 for the world-champion "Gas House Gang" St. Louis Cardinals with 30–7 campaign, the last 30-win season by an NL pitcher; was MVP runnerup the next two years, but a broken toe suffered in 1937 All-Star game led to a career-ending arm injury; he became a broadcaster for St. Louis Browns and national telecasts of the Game of the Week known for folksy mangling of the English language.
  • July 23 – Walter Signer, 63, pitcher in ten games for World War II-era Chicago Cubs (1943, 1945).
  • July 26 – George Barr, 82, National League umpire from 1931 to 1949 who worked four World Series and two All-Star games.
  • July 26 – Vernon Stouffer, 72, Cleveland food industry and restaurant magnate who was principal owner of the Indians from 1966 to 1972.

August

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  • August 2 – Ty Pickup, 76, Philadelphia Phillies' outfielder who singled in his only MLB at-bat on April 30, 1918.
  • August 8 – Howie Pollet, 53, left-handed pitcher and three-time National League All-Star who twice won 20 games (1946 and 1949) for the St. Louis Cardinals and twice led NL in earned run average (1943 and 1946); won 131 career games for four MLB clubs over 14-year career, and served as pitching coach of 1959–1964 Cardinals and 1965 Houston Astros; three-time World Series champion as player and coach.
  • August 13 – Alto Lane, 66, pitcher who took the mound for the Memphis Red Sox, Indianapolis ABCs, Kansas City Monarchs and Cincinnati Tigers of the Negro leagues between 1929 and 1934.
  • August 14 – Lefty Robinson, 83, pitcher for the St. Louis Stars, Birmingham Black Barons and Atlanta Black Crackers of the Negro leagues between 1923 and 1932.
  • August 17 – Johnny Barrett, 58, outfielder in 588 career games for Pittsburgh Pirates and Boston Braves from 1942 to 1946; led NL in triples (19) and stolen bases (28) in 1944.
  • August 19 – Augie Bergamo, 57, reserve outfielder for wartime 1943–1944 St. Louis Cardinals; appeared in 174 MLB games and a member of 1944 World Series champions.
  • August 22 – Alfredo Edmead Jr., 17, brilliant Dominican teenaged outfielder prospect for the Pittsburgh Pirates; while playing for Salem of the Class–A Carolina League, died from a head injury inflicted during a game when, chasing a pop fly, he collided with a teammate; believed to be the youngest player ever killed in a professional baseball game.

September

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  • September 6 – Sammy Hale, 77, third baseman who played 883 career games for 1920–1921 Detroit Tigers, 1923–1929 Philadelphia Athletics and 1930 St. Louis Browns; batted .302 lifetime.
  • September 8 – Bert Niehoff, 90, second baseman for four National League clubs from 1913 to 1918, and one of the first managers selected by the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League.
  • September 16 – Frank Walker, 79, outfielder who appeared in 139 games over five seasons for the Detroit Tigers, Philadelphia Athletics and New York Giants between 1917 and 1925.
  • September 19 – James "Zack" Taylor, 76, NL catcher for 15 seasons, later a coach, manager and scout for 35 years; best known as pilot of the St. Louis Browns (part of 1946 and 1948 through 1951) who was at the helm for Bill Veeck's celebrated Eddie Gaedel and "Grandstand Managers Night" stunts during the 1951 campaign.
  • September 24 – Dick Porter, 72, outfielder in 675 games for Cleveland Indians (1929–1934) and Boston Red Sox (1934), batting .308 lifetime with 774 hits; longtime minor-league manager.
  • September 25 – Cliff Brady, 77, a second baseman for the Boston Red Sox and minor league manager, who also was a member of the Scullin Steel soccer team which won the National Challenge Cup in 1922.
  • September 26 – Lefty Stewart, 74, pitcher who won 20 games for the 1930 St. Louis Browns; also hurled for the Detroit Tigers, Washington Senators and Cleveland Indians, and went 101–98 (4.19) over his ten-year career.
  • September 28 – Willie Hogan, 90, outfielder who appeared in 238 career games as a member of the Philadelphia Athletics (1911) and St. Louis Browns (1911–1912).
  • September 29 – Van Patrick, 58, sportscaster noted for football and boxing coverage, whose baseball work included play-by-play assignments for the Cleveland Indians (1948) and Detroit Tigers (1949 and 1952–1959)
  • September 29 – By Speece, 77, pitcher in 62 career games for the Washington Senators (1924), Cleveland Indians (1925–1926) and Philadelphia Phillies (1930); member of 1924 World Series champion Senators.

October

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  • October 5 – Ed Grimes, 69, infielder who got into 74 career games for the St. Louis Browns in 1931 and 1932.
  • October 13 – Sam Rice, 84, Hall of Fame right fielder for 1915–1933 Washington Senators and 1934 Cleveland Indians; batted .322 lifetime and led AL in steals and triples once each; remembered for disputed catch in 1925 World Series; finished career with 2,987 hits, at a time when little attention was paid to career totals.
  • October 20 – Leonardo Chapman, 52, first- and third-baseman for 1944 Baltimore Elite Giants of the Negro National League.
  • October 22 – Pat Pieper, 88, the Chicago Cubs field (public address) announcer from 1916 to 1974, a span of 59 years.
  • October 28 – George "Teddy" Wilson, 50, pinch hitter and outfielder in 145 games for three clubs, principally the New York Giants, over all or parts of three seasons (1952, 1953 and 1956).
  • October 29 – Charlie Mason, 79, outfielder/first baseman for numerous Negro leagues clubs, including the New York Lincoln Giants, Atlantic City Bacharach Giants and Homestead Grays, between 1922 and 1932.
  • October 30 – Jimmy Shevlin, 65, first baseman who played 53 total games for 1930 Detroit Tigers and 1932 and 1934 Cincinnati Reds.
  • October 31 – Buddy Myer, 70, second baseman for the Washington Senators (1925–1927 and 1929–1941) and Boston Red Sox (1927–1928) who batted .303 lifetime with 2,131 hits; won 1935 American League batting title (.349) and led league in stolen bases (30) in 1928; two-time AL All-Star.

November

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  • November 1 – Bullet Joe Bush, 81, pitcher who won 195 games between 1912 and 1928, including a no-hitter; won 26 contests for the 1922 New York Yankees; three-time World Series champion (1913 Philadelphia Athletics, 1918 Boston Red Sox, and 1923 Yankees).
  • November 1 – Red Hadley, 65, outfielder who appeared in 27 games for Atlanta and Indianapolis of the Negro American League in 1938 and 1939.
  • November 4 – Harry Fritz, 84, third baseman who, after a brief stint with the 1913 Philadelphia Athletics, jumped to Chicago of the Federal League, playing in 144 games during the 1914 and 1915 seasons.
  • November 4 – Charley Justice, 61, outfielder who played for the Akron Grays and Detroit Stars of the Negro leagues during the 1930s.
  • November 10 – Mel Simons, 74, outfielder who appeared in 75 games for 1931–1932 Chicago White Sox.
  • November 10 – Ben Paschal, 79, valuable reserve outfielder from 1924 to 1929 for the New York Yankees; member of 1927 and 1928 world champions.
  • November 21 – Leon Pettit, 72, left-handed pitcher who worked in 44 MLB games for the 1935 Washington Senators and 1937 Philadelphia Phillies.
  • November 23 – Jerry Benjamin, 65, standout centerfielder between 1932 and 1948 who three times led the Negro National League in stolen bases and was a three-time All-Star; as a member of the Homestead Grays, he played on eight NNL pennant-winners and two Negro World Series champions (1943, 1944).
  • November 23 – Babe Twombly, 78, outfielder for the 1920–1921 Chicago Cubs; batted .304 lifetime with 109 hits in 165 big-league games.
  • November 24 – Johnny Weekly, 37, outfielder who played in 53 games for the Houston Colt .45s from 1962 to 1964.
  • November 25 – Herb "Duke" Brett, 74, pitcher who worked in 11 games for 1924–1925 Chicago Cubs; longtime manager in Piedmont and Carolina leagues.
  • November 25 – Frank Wilson, 73, outfielder who appeared in 168 games between 1924 and 1928 for three MLB teams, principally the Boston Braves.
  • November 25 – Eddie Dent, 86, starting pitcher for the Brooklyn Superbas from 1909 to 1912.
  • November 29 – Al Moore, 72, centerfielder who appeared in 30 games over parts of two seasons with the 1925–1926 New York Giants.

December

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  • December 4 – Dick Luebke, 39, left-handed pitcher who appeared in ten games for the 1962 Baltimore Orioles.
  • December 5 – Jim Beckman, 69, pitcher and Cincinnati native who worked in ten games for his hometown Reds in 1927–1928.
  • December 7 – Red Dorman, 74, outfielder who batted .364 in 25 games and 89 plate appearances for the Cleveland Indians in August and September 1928, his only year in the big leagues.
  • December 11 – Gordon Maltzberger, 62, relief pitcher who put up a 20–13 (2.70) record with 33 saves in 135 games for the Chicago White Sox (1943–1944 and 1946–1947); later, a pitching coach.
  • December 12 – Booker McDaniel, 61, All-Star pitcher for the 1941–1945 Kansas City Monarchs; led 1945 Negro American League in victories, strikeouts, games pitched, games started, complete games, shutouts and saves—among other categories.
  • December 18 – Harry Hooper, 87, Hall of Fame right fielder for the Boston Red Sox and Chicago White Sox, who was an outstanding defensive player and solid leadoff hitter, helping the Red Sox to four champion titles, while retiring with the fifth-most walks in history.
  • December 22 – Allyn Stout, 70, pitcher who appeared in 180 games (151 in relief) for the St. Louis Cardinals (1931–1933), Cincinnati Reds (1933–1934), New York Giants (1935) and Boston Braves (1943).
  • December 25 – Felton Stratton, 79, infielder/outfielder who played for teams in the Eastern Colored League and Negro National League between 1923 and 1933.
  • December 28 – Jack Salveson, 60, pitcher in 87 games for four MLB clubs, principally the Cleveland Indians, in five seasons spanning 1933 to 1945; as a 19-year-old rookie, pitched sparingly for 1933 World Series champion New York Giants.
  • December 30 – Al Shaw, 93, outfielder for the 1907–1909 St. Louis Cardinals; five years later, joined the upstart Federal League, batting .301 in 244 games for Brooklyn (1914) and Kansas City (1915).

References

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  1. ^ "Strange and Unusual Plays". www.retrosheet.org. Retrieved 13 June 2012.
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