January • January 10 –
John Terry, 80, pitcher who played with the
Detroit Tigers in 1902 and for the
St. Louis Browns in 1903. • January 12 –
Lefty Webb, 72, pitcher for the
1910 Pittsburgh Pirates. • January 14 –
Percy Miller, 60, southpaw pitcher and first baseman who played for at least nine Negro leagues teams (primarily the St. Louis Stars and Nashville Elite Giants) between 1921 and 1937; managed the Detroit Stars of the Negro American League for part of the 1937 season. • January 23 •
Harry Baldwin, 57, pitcher who played from 1924 to 1925 for the
New York Giants. •
Walter Lonergan, 72, shortstop for the
1911 Boston Red Sox. •
Al Tedrow, 66, who pitched in four games for the
Cleveland Naps in 1914. • January 24 –
Admiral Schlei, 80, catcher for the
Cincinnati Reds and
New York Giants over eight seasons from 1904 to 1911. • January 31 –
Harry O'Donnell, 63, backup catcher for the
Philadelphia Phillies in
its 1927 season.
February • February 1 –
Mysterious Walker, 73,
University of Chicago three-sport athlete with colorful personality, who later pitched for three major league teams from 1910 to 1913 before jumping to the outlaw
Federal League in 1914–15, whose unusual moniker came after debuting professionally in the minors with the
PCL San Francisco Seals, because he refused to take the field until umpires banished photographers, apparently trying to get away from public scrutiny, although curiously attracting attention as a ballplayer. • February 2 –
Johnnie Vivens, 61, pitcher for the 1929 St. Louis Stars of the Negro National League. • February 4 –
Ted Turner, 85, pitcher who appeared in just one game for the
Chicago Cubs in
its 1920 season. • February 9 –
Cowboy Jones, 83, 19th century pitcher who played with the
Cleveland Spiders in 1898 and for the
St. Louis Perfectos/Cardinals over three seasons from 1899 to 1901. • February 10 –
Elmer Jacobs, 65,
starting pitcher who played for six different clubs in a span of nine seasons from 1914 to 1927, being named the
Opening Day starter for the
Pittsburgh Pirates in 1917 and the
Philadelphia Phillies in 1919. • February 28 –
Henry Smoyer, 67,
utility man who played in 1912 for the
St. Louis Browns of the American League.
March • March 9 –
Skel Roach, 86, German-born pitcher for the Chicago Orphans during the 1899 season, who also spent nine seasons in the Minors Leagues between 1895 and 1905, and was hired as baseball coach by the
University of Michigan in 1903. • March 10 •
Leon Cadore, 68, starting pitcher for the Brooklyn Robins, Chicago White Sox and New York Giants over ten seasons from 1915 to 1924, who shares an MLB record for the most innings pitched in a single game while pitching for Brooklyn in 1920, when he joined fellow Boston Braves starter
Joe Oeschger to pitch 26
innings without relief, which eventually ended in darkness and a 1–1 tie. •
Earl Williams, 55, backup catcher for the 1928 Boston Braves. • March 17 –
Bob Blewett, 80, pitcher who played with the New York Giants in its 1902 season. • March 20 –
Gene Dale, 68, who pitched for the St. Louis Cardinals and the Cincinnati Reds in a span of four seasons from 1911 to 1916. • March 23 –
Harry Kelley, 52, pitcher who played for the Washington Senators and Philadelphia Athletics in all or part of six seasons between 1925 and 1939; led American League in games lost (21) in 1937. • March 25 •
Al Shaw, 84, English-born catcher who played for the Detroit Tigers, Boston Americans, Chicago White Sox and Boston Doves, in part of four seasons spanning 1901–1909. •
Clarence Kraft, 70, first baseman who appeared in three games for the Boston Braves in the 1914 season. • March 28 •
Chuck Klein, 53, Hall of Fame slugging right fielder and two-time All-Star, primarily with the Philadelphia Phillies, who collected a career .320
batting average with 300
home runs and 1,201
runs batted in and is the only player in the 20th century to collect
200 or more hits in each of his first five full MLB seasons, while winning the
National League MVP award in 1932 and a
Triple Crown in 1933, to accompany his four home run titles,
four home runs in one game, two RBI titles, a
stolen base title and leading in
runs scored three years in a row, setting a modern National League record with 158 runs in 1930 and leading all outfielders in
assists three times, establishing in 1930 a Major League record for outfield assists with 44 which, like his runs scored mark, this record still stands as of the 2017 season. •
Gus Thompson, 80, who pitched with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1903 and for the St. Louis Cardinals in 1906. • March 29 –
Jimmy Archer, 74, Irish-born catcher who spent his career with six different teams, primarily for the Chicago Cubs from 1909 through 1917.
April • April 10 –
Hod Leverette, 68, pitcher for the
1920 St. Louis Browns. • April 14 •
John Freeman, 57,
reserve outfielder who played briefly for the
Boston Red Sox in
their 1927 season. •
Red Smyth, 65, outfielder who played from 1915 through 1918 with the
Brooklyn Robins and
St. Louis Cardinals. • April 20 –
Chet Nourse, 70, pitcher for the
1909 Boston Red Sox.
May • May 3 –
Al Maul, 92, 19th century pitcher who played for ten different clubs over 15 seasons spanning 1884–1901, compiling an 84–80 career record in 188 games, while leading the National Leaque with a 2.45
earned run average in the 1895 season. • May 5 –
Ollie Chill, 79, umpire who worked 1,028 American League games (1914–1966, 1919–1922), plus eight games of the 1921 World Series • May 14 –
Billy Clingman, 88, 19th century third baseman and shortstop who played for seven teams in a span of ten seasons from 1890 to 1903. • May 20 •
Frank Bird, 89, 19th century catcher who played in 1892 for the
St. Louis Browns of the National League. •
Cotton Minahan, 75, pitcher for the
1907 Cincinnati Reds. • May 26 –
Dwight Wertz, 69, shortstop for the
1914 Buffalo Buffeds of the outlaw
Federal League, who was better known for his professional American football career in the
Ohio League over three seasons between 1912 and 1914, where he won three consecutive championship titles while playing for different teams. • May 28 •
Oscar Davis, 62, infielder/outfielder for the 1926 Dayton Marcos of the Negro National League. •
Kid Nance, 81, outfielder who played with the
Louisville Colonels of the National League from 1897 to 1898, and then for the
Detroit Tigers of the American League in 1901.
June • June 6 –
Bert Daniels, 75, speedy outfielder who played for the
New York Highlanders and Yankees in four seasons from 1910 to 1913, and for the
Cincinnati Reds in 1914. • June 9 –
John Fick, 37, who pitched in four games with the
1944 Philadelphia Phillies. • June 10 –
John Vann, 68, catcher who made an appearance as a
pinch hitter for the
St. Louis Cardinals in 1913. • June 13 –
Tom Stankard, 76, infielder for the
Pittsburgh Pirates in
its 1904 season. • June 16 –
Jack Phillips, 76, pitcher who appeared in just une game for the
1945 New York Giants. • June 23 –
George Boehler, 66, valuable
swingman pitcher whose career spanned 20 years including major league stints with the
Detroit Tigers St. Louis Browns,
Pittsburgh Pirates and
Brooklyn Robins over nine seasons from 1912 to 1926, while collecting 20 or more wins in seven minor league seasons, with a career-high 38 wins for the
Tulsa Oilers of the
Western League in 1922.
July • July 2 •
Carlos Moore, 51, relief pitcher in four games for the
1930 Washington Senators. •
Yip Owens, 72, Canadian catcher who played for the
Boston Americans,
Chicago White Sox,
Brooklyn Tip-Tops and
Baltimore Terrapins in part of four seasons spanning 1905–1915. • July 3 –
Paul Smith, 70, left fielder for the
1916 Cincinnati Reds. • July 7 –
John Sullivan, 64, pitcher who played for the
Chicago White Sox in
its 1919 season. • July 8 –
Bill McAfee, 50, pitcher who played for the
Chicago Cubs,
Boston Braves,
Washington Senators and
St. Louis Browns in a span of five seasons from 1930 to 1934. • July 13 –
Johnie Watson, 62, outfielder for the Detroit Stars of the Negro National League (1922–1924, 1926). • July 22 –
Grover Land, 73, catcher who played for the
Cleveland Naps in part of three seasons from 1908 to 1913 before joining the
Brooklyn Tip-Tops in 1914–1915. • July 24 –
Virgil Barnes, 63, pitcher who played from 1919 through 1928 for the
New York Giants and
Boston Braves. • July 25 –
Dizzy Nutter, 74, outfielder for the
1919 Boston Braves. • July 26 –
Walter Bernhardt, 65, pitcher who appeared in one game with the
New York Yankees in 1918. • July 27 •
Art Corcoran, 63, two-sport athlete who played as a third baseman for the
Philadelphia Athletics in 1915, and served as a
halfback for five
National Football League teams over four seasons from 1920 to 1923. •
Phil Page, 52, southpaw pitcher who appeared in 31 games for the
Detroit Tigers from 1928 to 1930 and
Brooklyn Dodgers in 1934; minor league manager and scout for the New York Yankees; MLB coach for the Cincinnati Reds from 1947 through 1952. • July 28 –
Lu Blue, 61, World War I veteran who put together a solid 13-year major league career after his discharge, playing first base with the
Detroit Tigers from 1921 to 1924, being traded to the
St. Louis Browns in 1927 and staying with them until 1931, when he joined the
Chicago White Sox for two years before ending his career with the
Brooklyn Dodgers in 1933, collecting a .287/.402/.401
batting line with a .989
fielding average, being ranked as the 77th best first baseman in Major League history, according to baseball historian
Bill James.
August • August 1 –
Ike Boone, 61, part-time MLB outfielder who hit a .321/.394/.475
line with 26
home runs and 194
runs batted in through 356 games with four major-league clubs from 1922 to 1932; nevertheless, Boone is remembered as one of the greatest minor-leaguers of all-time: he led the
Texas League in 1923 with a .402
batting average and 125 RBI while playing for the
San Antonio Bears, posting a league-record 35-game hitting streak during the season, as his 241
base hits obliterated the league record; afterwards, Boone played for the
Mission Reds of the
Pacific Coast League in 1929, hitting .407 with 55 homers and 218 RBI, setting a league record with 553
total bases while delivering 323 hits, two hits short of matching the all-time PCL record for hits in a single season, set by
Paul Strand with 325 hits; overall, Boone batted .300 or better in 12 of his 14 minors seasons, including .400 or more four times; inducted into the
International League Hall of Fame and the
Pacific Coast League Hall of Fame. • August 4 –
Bob Gamble, 91, 19th-century pitcher who played in 1888 for the
Philadelphia Athletics of the
American Association. • August 8 –
Fred Winchell, 76, Canadian pitcher who appeared in four games for the
Cleveland Naps in
its 1909 season. • August 18 –
Archie Stimmel, 85, pitcher who played from 1900 through 1902 for the
Cincinnati Reds. • August 22 –
Dummy Taylor, 83, the only successful deaf pitcher in Major League Baseball, who was a vital part of the
New York Giants in the early years of the 20th Century, helping them clinch three National League pennants and the
1905 World Series title. • August 23 –
Bill Breckinridge, 50, pitcher who played for the
1929 Philadelphia Athletics. • August 28 •
Jean Dubuc, 69, pitcher for the
Cincinnati Reds,
Detroit Tigers,
Boston Red Sox and
New York Giants in all or part of nine seasons spanning 1908–1919, whose name was mentioned during the
Black Sox Scandal investigation in the summer of 1921, but he was neither a participant nor a conspirator in the scandal, even though he was pursued for his guilty knowledge of the fix. •
Eddie Stack, 70, pitcher who played for the
Philadelphia Phillies,
Brooklyn Dodgers and
Chicago Cubs in a span of five seasons from 1910 to 1914. •
Sid Womack, 61, backup catcher for the
1926 Boston Braves. • August 30 –
Frank Demaree, 48, two-time All-Star outfielder whose career included stints with the
Chicago Cubs,
New York Giants,
Boston Braves,
St. Louis Cardinals and
St. Louis Browns over twelve seasons from 1932 to 1944, winning four National League pennants with the Cubs (1932; 1935; 1938) and Cardinals (1943), as well as one American League pennant with the Browns (1944), being also one of four players to reach the
30–30 club in
Pacific Coast League history (1934), along with Hall of Famer
Tony Lazzeri (1925),
Lefty O'Doul (1927) and
Joc Pederson (2014). • August 31 –
George Quellich, 55, left fielder who played 13 games for the
1931 Detroit Tigers, all as a replacement for the team's
slugger John Stone, but earned his place in baseball history by setting a record that has never been equaled at any level of professional baseball, with fifteen consecutive hits while playing for the
Reading Coal Barons of the
International League in 1929, which included one
grand slam, four
home runs, a
double and ten
singles. Immediately following the end of his string, Quellich collected 13 hits in his next 18
at-bats.
September • September 4 •
Red Killefer, 73, who spent 35 years in Organized Baseball as a player, coach, manager, team president and owner of a minor league team named after him, being known as a hot-tempered, fiery and passionate
utility man able to play any position but pitcher in a seven-year, major league career with the
Detroit Tigers,
Washington Senators,
Cincinnati Reds and
New York Giants from 1907 to 1916, and later becoming a successful manager minor league manager for 25 years from 1917 to 1941, while compiling a managerial record of 1,940–1,800 (519), 13th best in minor league history; brother of "Reindeer"
Bill Killefer. •
Ward Miller, 74,
fourth outfielder for the
Pittsburgh Pirates,
Cincinnati Reds,
Chicago Cubs,
St. Louis Terriers and
St. Louis Browns over part of eight seasons spanning 1909–1917. • September 6 •
Tommy de la Cruz, 46, Cuban pitcher for the
1944 Cincinnati Reds, who was one of many ballplayers to appear only in the majors during World War II. •
Hugh Hill, 79, outfielder who played with the
Cleveland Naps in 1903 and for the
St. Louis Cardinals in 1904. • September 7 –
Wally Gilbert, 57, third baseman who played from 1928 through 1932 for the
Brooklyn Robins and
Cincinnati Reds. • September 10 –
Arlas Taylor, 82, pitcher for the
1921 Philadelphia Athletics. • September 15 –
Snuffy Stirnweiss, 39, two-time All-Star second baseman who played for the New York Yankees between 1943 and 1950, winning three World Series rings with them and the
1945 American League batting championship with a .309 average, leading also the league twice in runs scored, hits, triples and stolen bases, and once in slugging and total bases. • September 23 –
Bill Mundy, 69, first baseman for the
1913 Boston Red Sox. • September 24 –
Bill Jackson, 58, outfielder and first baseman who played from 1914 to 1915 for the
Chicago Whales club of the outlaw
Federal League. • September 26 –
Raleigh Aitchison, 70, pitcher who played for the
Brooklyn Dodgers and Robins teams in part of three seasons spanning 1911–1915. • September 27 –
Joe Berry, 53, pitcher for the
Chicago Cubs,
Philadelphia Athletics, and
Cleveland Indians over four seasons from 1942 to 1946.
October • October 2 –
Bill Forman, 71, pitcher for the
Washington Senators over two seasons from 1909 to 1910. • October 7 –
Chick Brandom, 71, pitcher who played with the
Pittsburgh Pirates and
Newark Peppers in a span of three seasons from 1908 to 1915. • October 11 −
Ira Thomas, 77, catcher who played from 1906 through 1915 for the
New York Highlanders,
Detroit Tigers and
Philadelphia Athletics, being also a member of three Athletics clubs that won the World Series from 1910 to 1911 and 1913. • October 12 –
Oscar Boone, 47, catcher/first baseman who appeared for the Indianapolis ABCs/Atlanta Black Crackers, Baltimore Elite Giants and Chicago American Giants of the Negro leagues between 1939 and 1941. • October 20 –
Rex Dawson, 69, pitcher for the
1913 Washington Senators. • October 21 –
Lep Long, 70, pitcher who made four game appearances with the
Philadelphia Athletics in
its 1911 season. • October 26 –
Erwin Renfer, 65, pitcher for the
1913 Detroit Tigers.
November • November 3 •
Heinie Sand, 61, shortstop who played for the
Philadelphia Phillies in a span of six seasons from 1923 to 1928. •
John Eubank, 86,
swingman pitcher who played for the
Detroit Tigers over three seasons from 1905 to 1907. • November 6 •
Ernie Diehl, 81, backup outfielder who played for the
Pittsburgh Pirates,
Boston Beaneaters and
Boston Doves in part of four seasons spanning 1903–1909. •
Al Mattern, 75, pitcher who played for the
Boston Doves, Rustlers, and Braves teams from 1908 to 1912. • November 9 –
Walt Meinert, 67, right fielder for the
1913 St. Louis Browns. • November 13 –
Heinie Elder, 68, pitcher for the
Detroit Tigers in
its 1913 season. • November 14 –
Jack Owens, 50, catcher who played in two games with the
Philadelphia Athletics in 1935. • November 15 –
Harry Riconda, 61, third baseman who played with the
Philadelphia Athletics,
Boston Braves,
Brooklyn Robins,
Pittsburgh Pirates and
Cincinnati Reds in part of six seasons between 1923 and 1930. • November 17 –
Mort Cooper, 45, pitcher for the
St. Louis Cardinals,
Boston Braves,
New York Giants and
Chicago Cubs over 12 seasons from 1938 to 1949; selected to four National League All-Star teams (1942–1943 and 1945–1946); led NL with 22 wins, 10
shutouts and a 1.78
ERA in 1942, earning
Most Valuable Player honors, while anchoring Cardinals' pitching staff during three consecutive pennant-winning seasons (1942–1944), when he won over 20 games three times and earned two World Series rings (1942, 1944); brother
Walker, an All-Star catcher, was frequently his battery mate. • November 20 –
Bill Lathrop, 67, pitcher who played for the
Chicago White Sox in part of two seasons from 1913 to 1914. • November 21 –
Mel Ott, 49, Hall of Fame right fielder and 12-time All-Star who played his 22-season big league career with the
New York Giants from 1926 to 1947; jumped from his high school team into the majors as a 17-year-old, and a member of
Giants' 1933 World Series champions; led the National League in
home runs and
walks six times, in
runs scored,
triples and
outfield double plays twice, and in
runs batted in once, ending his career with a .304/.414/.533
batting line, 511 home runs, 488 doubles, 2,876 hits, 9,456 runs and 1,860 RBI in 2,730
games played; also managed Giants from 1942 to July 15, 1948, to a 464–530 (.467) record; becoming a broadcaster, he served on the Detroit Tigers' radio/TV team from 1956 until his death. • November 24 –
Roy Corhan, 71, shortstop who played with the
Chicago White Sox in 1911 and for the
St. Louis Cardinals in 1916. • November 27 –
Harry G. Salsinger, 71, sportswriter for the
Detroit News for over 50 years.
December • December 4 –
Red Murray, 74, right fielder for three National League clubs from 1906 to 1917, whose combination of power, fielding and speed on the bases guided the New York Giants to three pennants from 1911 to 1913, while leading all outfielders in
assists in 1909 and 1910, becoming the only outfielder in the
modern era to accumulate more than 100 assists during the period of 1907 to 1910, and also one of only three players in the same period to finish twice among the top five in
home runs and
stolen bases during the same season (1908–1909), joining
Honus Wagner (1907–1908) and
Ty Cobb (1909–1910). • December 8 •
Bernie Friberg, 59, valuable
utility man who was able to play all
nine defensive positions in a 14-season career for the Chicago Cubs, Philadelphia Phillies and Boston Red Sox between 1919 and 1933. •
Tris Speaker, 70, Hall of Fame center fielder highly regarded for both his batting and his fielding in a 22-year career, who earned American League MVP honors in 1912 and led the Boston Red Sox to a World Series title, then another World Series title in 1915, also carrying the Cleveland Indians to its first World Series championship in 1920 as a player/manager, while compiling 3,514 hits and posting a .345 career average –sixth on the all-time list– including 792 doubles –a career record that nobody has surpassed–, and leading the league in putouts seven times and in double plays six times, as his career totals in both categories are still major-league records at his position. • December 9 –
Rube Vickers, 80, pitcher who played from 1902 through 1909 for the Brooklyn Superbas, Cincinnati Reds, and Philadelphia Athletics. • December 10 –
Cozy Dolan, 75, outfielder/third baseman who played 379 games for six teams, primarily the St. Louis Cardinals, over seven years spanning 1909 to 1922; as coach for 1921–1924 New York Giants, he was a part of four National League and two World Series (1921, 1922) champions, but was suspended for life by Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis after being implicated in a scheme to bribe a Philadelphia player to deliberately lose the last game of 1924 season. • December 15 –
Harry Heitmann, 62, pitcher for the 1918 Brooklyn Robins. • December 16 •
Bill Corum, 63, New York sportswriter and sportscaster who covered the 1920s Brooklyn Robins and New York Giants and later worked World Series games on radio alongside
Red Barber; became best known for announcing the Kentucky Derby and as a key figure in thoroughbred racing. •
Les Scarsella, 45, first baseman and left fielder who played with the Cincinnati Reds and Boston Bees in part of four seasons between 1935 and 1940. • December 24 –
Jim Boyle, 54, catcher for the New York Giants, who has the distinction of having one of the shortest known Major League Baseball careers, while catching for only one inning in a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates on June 20, 1926, without registering an
at bat appearance. • December 27 –
Julio Rojo, 64, Cuban-born catcher who was the regular receiver for the Baltimore Black Sox (1923–1927) and New York Lincoln Giants (1928–1929) of the Eastern Colored League. • December 30 •
Jim Hickman, 66, backup outfielder for the Baltimore Terrapins and Brooklyn Robins in four seasons from 1915 to 1919. •
Glenn Spencer, 53, pitcher who played from 1928 to 1933 with the Pittsburgh Pirates and New York Giants. • December 31 –
Jack Doyle, 89, Irish-born first baseman whose solid 17-year playing career includes a National League Championship with the Baltimore Orioles in 1896 and two stints as
manager of the New York Giants in 1895 and the Washington Senators in 1898, while leading the National League first basemen with 96
assists in 1900 and 1.418
putouts in 1903, and collecting a career
slash line of .299/.351/.385 with 971
runs batted in and 518
stolen bases in 1,569 games. ==Sources==