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1997 in baseball

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
See also: 1997 Major League Baseball season and 1997 Nippon Professional Baseball season

The following are the baseball events of the year 1997 throughout the world.

Years in baseball
1997 in sports

Champions

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Major League Baseball

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Division Series
(ALDS, NLDS) 		League Championship Series
(ALCS, NLCS) 		World Series
         
Central Cleveland 3
WC NY Yankees 2
Central Cleveland 4
American League
East Baltimore 2
East Baltimore 3
West Seattle 1
AL Cleveland 3
NL Florida 4
East Atlanta 3
Central Houston 0
East Atlanta 2
National League
WC Florida 4
West San Francisco 0
WC Florida 3

Other champions

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Awards and honors

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MLB statistical leaders

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  American League National League
Type Name Stat Name Stat
AVG Frank Thomas CHW .347 Tony Gwynn SDP .372
HR Ken Griffey Jr. SEA 56 Larry Walker COL 49
RBI Ken Griffey Jr. SEA 147 Andrés Galarraga COL 140
Wins Roger Clemens TOR 21 Denny Neagle ATL 20
ERA Roger Clemens TOR 2.05 Pedro Martínez MON 1.90

Major League Baseball final standings

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  • The asterisk denotes the club that won the wild card for its respective league.

Events

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January–March

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  • January 5 – Boston Red Sox pitcher Tim Wakefield escapes serious injury when he is hit by a car while out jogging. He is released from the hospital after being treated for bruises.
  • January 6 – Pitcher Phil Niekro is elected to the Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers' Association of America. Niekro receives 80.34% of the vote. Pitcher Don Sutton falls nine votes short of election.
  • January 8 – The San Diego Padres sign pitcher Fernando Valenzuela as a free agent.
  • January 9 – The Detroit Tigers sign Vince Coleman as a free agent. Coleman appears in just six games, getting one hit in fifteen plate appearances before announcing his retirement mid-season.
  • January 13 – The San Diego Padres purchased the contract of Hideki Irabu from Chiba Lotte of the Japan Pacific League.
  • January 27 – Jose Canseco returns to the Oakland A's after he's traded there by the Boston Red Sox in exchange for pitcher John Wasdin and cash considerations.
  • February 7 - The Chicago White Sox sign pitcher Danny Darwin as a free agent.
  • February 17 – Deion Sanders returns to baseball after signing a free agent contract with the Cincinnati Reds.
  • February 20 – The Philadelphia Phillies sign free agent outfielder Danny Tartabull. Tartabull will break his foot on Opening Day and sit out the year before retiring.
  • March 5 – Nellie Fox, Tommy Lasorda and Negro leaguer Willie Wells are elected to the Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee.
  • March 20 - The Atlanta Braves signed Hensley Meulens, who was attempted to return to the majors after spending the previous two seasons in Japan.
  • March 26 – Todd Van Poppel, who had one time been one of baseball's top prospects, is released by the Anaheim Angels. Van Poppel would spend the entire 1997 season out of organized baseball.
  • March 31 - Jim Abbott is released by the Anaheim Angels.

April–May

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June–July

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August–September

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October–December

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Movies

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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   5 – Emil Roy, 89, pitcher for the 1933 Philadelphia Athletics.
  • January   6 – Dick Donovan, 69, five-time All-Star pitcher who played with five different clubs between 1950 and 1965, mainly for the Chicago White Sox and Cleveland Indians; led American League with a 2.40 ERA in 1961 for expansion Washington Senators, and collected 20 wins with 16 complete games and five shutouts in 1962 with Cleveland.
  • January 10 – Phil Marchildon, 83, Canadian pitcher and World War II combat veteran; appeared in 185 MLB games over nine seasons between 1940 and 1950, all but one of them for the Philadelphia Athletics, going 19–9 (3.22) for 1947 Mackmen; member, Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame.
  • January 10 – Nick Picciuto, 75, third baseman for the 1945 Philadelphia Phillies.
  • January 11 – Carol Habben, 63, slugger center fielder who played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League.
  • January 11 – Stu Martin, 84, All-Star second baseman who played from 1936 through 1943 for the St. Louis Cardinals, Pittsburgh Pirates and Chicago Cubs.
  • January 11 – Jerry Neudecker, 66, American League umpire (1966–1985) who officiated 3,026 AL games, three All-Star games, four ALCS matchups, and the 1973 and 1979 World Series; last full-time umpire to wear "balloon" chest protector phased out by the AL during the 1970s.
  • January 14 – Jack Moran, 76, Cincinnati sportscaster who teamed with Waite Hoyt on Redlegs/Reds' broadcasts from 1955 to 1961.
  • January 19 – Bert Kuczynski, 77, pitcher for the 1943 Philadelphia Athletics.
  • January 20 – Curt Flood, 59, three-time All-Star center fielder and seven-time Gold Glove Award winner, who hit .300 or more six times, led the St. Louis Cardinals to World Series titles in 1964 and 1967, and set a precedent when he fought against organized baseball's reserve clause and sought free agency, all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, unsuccessfully, after refusing a trade from St. Louis to the Philadelphia Phillies in 1969.
  • January 21 – Bill McWilliams, 86, pinch hitter in two games with the Boston Red Sox in 1921, who also played for the NFL's Detroit Lions in 1934, and later spent 1941 as third baseman and manager of the Dayton Ducks of the Middle Atlantic League.
  • January 22 – George Dockins, 79, pitcher who played with the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1945 season and for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947.
  • January 27 – Kathryn Beare, 79, catcher for the Fort Wayne Daisies of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League.
  • January 30 – Duane Josephson, 54, All-Star catcher who played for the Chicago White Sox and Boston Red Sox in all or parts of eight seasons spanning 1965–1972.

February

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  • February   2 – Art Merewether, 94, pinch hitter in one game for the 1922 Pittsburgh Pirates.
  • February   6 – Amby Murray, 83, pitcher for the Boston Bees in the 1936 season.
  • February   7 – Manny Salvo, 83, pitcher for the New York Giants, Boston Bees, Philadelphia Phillies and Boston Braves in a span of five seasons from 1939 to 1943, who tied Brooklyn Dodgers' Whit Wyatt with five shutouts for the National League lead in 1940.
  • February   7 – Jim Walkup, 87, pitcher who played from 1934 to 1939 for the Detroit Tigers and St. Louis Browns.
  • February   8 – Hal Warnock, 85, outfielder for the 1935 St. Louis Browns.
  • February 11 – Glen Stewart, 84, infielder who played for the New York Giants and Philadelphia Phillies in all or part of three seasons between 1940 and 1944.
  • February 12 – Francis Healy, 86, backup catcher for the New York Giants in part of three seasons spanning 1930–1932, and the St. Louis Cardinals team that won the 1934 World Series; uncle of Fran Healy.
  • February 13 – Bobby Adams, 75, third baseman for the Cincinnati Reds and Redlegs, Chicago White Sox, Baltimore Orioles and Chicago Cubs between 1946 and 1959.
  • February 18 – Austin Knickerbocker, 78, backup outfielder for the 1947 Philadelphia Athletics.
  • February 25 – Cal Abrams, 72, popular Brooklyn Dodgers outfielder in their glory days of the 1950s, who also played for the Cincinnati Reds, Pittsburgh Pirates, Baltimore Orioles and Chicago White Sox.
  • February 28 – Les Munns, 88, pitcher who played from 1934 through 1936 for the Brooklyn Dodgers and St. Louis Cardinals.

March

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  • March   1 – Monty Kennedy, 74, pitcher who played from 1946 through 1953 for the New York Giants, including the legendary Giants team that clinched the 1951 National League pennant over the Brooklyn Dodgers, on an epic three-run walk-off home run by Bobby Thomson en route to face the New York Yankees in the 1951 World Series.
  • March   3 – Harry Davis, 88, first baseman whose 26-year professional playing career included 327 games played for the Detroit Tigers and St. Louis Browns over three seasons between 1932 and 1937.
  • March   3 – Billy Jurges, 88, three-time All-Star and slick fielding shortstop, who played for the Chicago Cubs and New York Giants during 17 seasons from 1931 to 1947, and later managed the Boston Red Sox for portions of the 1959 and 1960 seasons.
  • March 27 – Fred Chapman, 80, shortstop for the Philadelphia Athletics in a span of three seasons from 1939 to 1941.
  • March 30 – Bill Smith, 62, pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals and Philadelphia Phillies over part of three seasons between 1958 and 1962.

April

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  • April   2 – Al Blanche, 87, relief pitcher for the Boston Braves/Bees from 1935 to 1936.
  • April   5 – Bill Holland, 81, pitcher who played for the Washington Senators during the 1939 season.
  • April   6 – Jack Kent Cooke, 84, Canadian-American media entrepreneur and sports magnate; known primarily as owner of the NFL Washington Redskins, NBA Los Angeles Lakers and NHL Los Angeles Kings, but got his start in professional sports as the highly successful owner of baseball's Triple-A Toronto Maple Leafs from 1951 to 1963, and was the would-be owner of a Toronto franchise in the abortive Continental League of 1959–1960 that forced MLB expansion in 1960s; member, Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame.
  • April   7 – Luis Alomá, 73, Cuban relief pitcher who posted a sterling 18–3 won–lost record in 116 career games as a reliever for the 1950–1953 Chicago White Sox.
  • April   8 – Bob Cain, 72, pitcher for the Chicago White Sox, Detroit Tigers and St. Louis Browns from 1949 through 1954, who is most remembered for the walk he issued to pinch-hitting midget Eddie Gaedel in 1951.
  • April   8 – Homer Peel, 94, backup outfielder who played for the St. Louis Cardinals, Philadelphia Phillies and New York Giants in a span of five seasons from 1927 to 1934.
  • April   9 – Joe Coleman, 74, All-Star pitcher who played for the Philadelphia Athletics, Baltimore Orioles and Detroit Tigers in all or part of 10 seasons spanning 1942–1955; his son and grandson both pitched in the majors.
  • April 11 – Milt Smith, 69, third baseman who appeared in 36 games with the Cincinnati Redlegs in 1955.
  • April 13 – Harry Rosenberg, 88, outfielder and Pacific Coast League stalwart whose MLB tenure consisted of nine appearances, largely as a pinch hitter, with the 1930 New York Giants.
  • April 14 – Gus Dugas, 90, Canadian outfielder who played with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Washington Senators over part of three seasons between 1930 and 1934.
  • April 15 – Bob Friedrichs, 90, pitcher for the Washington Senators in the 1932 season.
  • April 15 – Jim Holloway, 88, pitcher for the 1929 Philadelphia Phillies.
  • April 25 – Kay Blumetta, 73, pitcher who spent eleven seasons in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League.

May

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  • May   2 – Don O'Riley, 52, pitcher who played from 1969 to 1970 for the Kansas City Royals.
  • May   4 – Butch Weis, 96, left fielder who played for the Chicago Cubs in part of four seasons from 1922 to 1925.
  • May   6 – Mel Steiner, 80, National League umpire (1961–1972) who worked in 1,918 games, plus two World Series and two All-Star games.
  • May   8 – Bob Whitcher, 80, pitcher for the 1945 Boston Braves.
  • May 11 – Vince Sherlock, 87, who played at second base for the Brooklyn Dodgers in its 1935 season.
  • May 14 – Eddie Delker, 91, middle infielder and third baseman who played for the St. Louis Cardinals and Philadelphia Phillies in a span of four seasons from 1929 to 1933.
  • May 21 – Piper Davis, 79, Negro leagues middle infielder and first baseman who played from 1942 to 1950 for the Birmingham Black Barons.

June

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  • June   1 – Mickey Rocco, 81, Cleveland Indians first baseman from 1943 to 1946 who led the American League in fielding percentage at his position in 1943 and 1945.
  • June   3 – Pidge Browne, 68, backup first baseman for the Houston Colt .45s in their 1962 inaugural MLB season.
  • June   7 – Stan Goletz, 79, pinch hitter who went 3-for-5 in five appearances for the 1941 Chicago White Sox.
  • June   8 – Ken Hunt, 62, backup outfielder for the New York Yankees, Los Angeles Angels and Washington Senators in six seasons from 1959 to 1964.
  • June   9 – Thornton Lee, 90, two-time All-Star pitcher who played from 1933 through 1948 for the Cleveland Indians, Chicago White Sox and New York Giants, whose most productive season came in 1941, when he paced all American League pitchers with a 2.34 ERA and 30 complete games, while posting a career-high 22 victories, second only to Bob Feller's 25.
  • June 15 – Bill Lawrence, 91, backup outfielder for the 1932 Detroit Tigers.
  • June 26 – Armando Roche, 70, 18-year-old Cuban pitcher who played for the Washington Senators in the 1945 season.
  • June 27 – Ray Benge, 95, pitcher for the Cleveland Indians, Philadelphia Phillies, Brooklyn Dodgers, Boston Bees and Cincinnati Reds during twelve seasons from 1925 to 1938.

July

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  • July   2 – Dee Moore, 83, catcher who played for the Cincinnati Reds, Brooklyn Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies in a span of four seasons from 1936 to 1946, whose baseball career was interrupted because of his military service during World War II.
  • July   3 – Rufe Gentry, 79, pitcher for the Detroit Tigers during four seasons between 1943 and 1948.
  • July   7 – Jerry Doggett, 80, play-by-play man who worked alongside legendary Vin Scully as #2 announcer on Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers' broadcast team for 32 years (1956 to 1987).
  • July   9 – Stan Rojek, 78, shortstop for the Brooklyn Dodgers, Pittsburgh Pirates, St. Louis Cardinals and St. Louis Browns in eight seasons spanning 1942 to 1952; as a Pirate, finished tenth in voting for the 1948 NL MVP Award after ranking among the top-ten in several offensive categories.
  • July 10 – Dwight Lowry, 39, backup catcher who played for the Detroit Tigers and Minnesota Twins in parts of four seasons spanning 1984–1988 who was the manager of the Jamestown Jammers of the New York–Penn League at the time of his death.
  • July 11 – Joe Hauser, 98, first baseman and minor-league slugger who appeared in 629 MLB games with the Philadelphia Athletics and Cleveland Indians during five seasons between 1922 and 1929; smashed 63 home runs in 1929 for the Baltimore Orioles of the International League, then, four years later, clubbed 69 round-trippers for the Minneapolis Millers of the American Association; overall, hit 479 homers as a professional player.
  • July 11 – Robert V. Whitlow, 78, retired United States Air Force colonel and former college football coach and sports administrator who spent three seasons (1963–1965) in the unusual role of "athletic director" of the Chicago Cubs as part of the College of Coaches experiment.
  • July 15 – Loel Passe, 80, Houston sportscaster and play-by-play announcer for the minor-league Buffaloes (1950–1961) and major-league Colt .45s/Astros (1962–1978).
  • July 16 – Rube Fischer, 80, pitcher for the New York Giants in a span of five seasons from 1941 to 1946.
  • July 21 – Roger Bowman, 69, pitcher who played for the New York Giants and Pittsburgh Pirates in all or part of five seasons between 1949 and 1955.
  • July 23 – Jeff Cross, 78, middle infielder and third baseman for the St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs over four seasons from 1942 to 1948, who was one of many baseball players whose career was interrupted by serving in World War II.
  • July 27 – Hardin Cathey, 78, pitcher who played for the Washington Senators in 1942.
  • July 28 – Bud Hardin, 75, shortstop and second baseman for the 1952 Chicago Cubs.
  • July 31 – Eddie Miller, 80, seven-time All-Star and slick fielding shortstop for six National League teams in a span of 14 seasons from 1936 to 1950, who led the league several times in fielding average (5), double plays (4) putouts (3) and assists (1).

August

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  • August   8 – Oad Swigart, 82, pitcher who played for the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 1939 and 1940 seasons.
  • August 12 – Rex Barney, 72, pitcher for the Brooklyn Dodgers in six seasons between 1943 and 1950, who threw a no-hitter against the New York Giants in 1948, and later served as the public address announcer for the Baltimore Orioles from 1974 until his death.
  • August 14 – George Pfister, 78, a catcher for the 1941 Brooklyn Dodgers; later a coach and farm system director.
  • August 23 – Guy Curtright, 84, Chicago White Sox outfielder from 1943 to 1946, who hit .291 in his rookie season for the sixth-best spot in the American League, including a 26-game hitting streak.
  • August 23 – Buddy Hassett, 85, first baseman who played from 1936 through 1942 for the Brooklyn Dodgers, Boston Bees and Braves, and New York Yankees.
  • August 28 – Lou Scoffic, 84, outfielder for the 1936 St. Louis Cardinals.

September

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  • September   6 – Mary Lawson, 73, All-American Girls Professional Baseball League player.
  • September   7 – Mark Holtz, 51, Texas Rangers' play-by-play announcer on radio or television from 1982 until leukemia forced his retirement on May 22, 1997.
  • September   9 – Richie Ashburn, 70, Hall of Fame and seven-time All-Star center fielder who played from 1948 through 1962 for the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs and New York Mets, ending with a .308 lifetime batting average, winning two National League batting titles, while leading the league in walks four times, putouts nine times, on base percentage four times, hits three times, triples twice and stolen bases once, retiring with 2,574 hits and a .395 OBP in 2,189 games and had been a broadcaster for the Phillies since his retirement.
  • September 19 – Bill Butland, 89, pitcher who played for the Boston Red Sox over part of four seasons from 1940 to 1947.
  • September 20 – Jim Hickey, 76, pitcher who played for the Boston Braves in the 1942 and 1944 seasons.
  • September 22 – Eddie Sawyer, 87, manager of the 1950 Whiz Kids Phillies, who won the National League pennant on the last day of the season; went 389–422 (.480) in two terms as Phillies' skipper (July 27, 1948 to June 27, 1952, and July 23, 1958 to April 12, 1960).
  • September 25 – Bill Donovan, 81, pitcher for the Boston Braves in the 1942 and 1943 seasons.
  • September 26 – Woody English, 91, All-Star shortstop/third baseman who played from 1927 through 1938 for the Chicago Cubs and Brooklyn Dodgers, while hitting .300 or more two times and ending fourth in the 1931 National League MVP vote behind Frankie Frisch, Chuck Klein and Bill Terry, also known for managing the Grand Rapids Chicks of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League from 1952 to 1954, leading his team to a Championship in 1953 and two playoff appearances.
  • September 27 – Alex Konikowski, 69, pitcher who played for the New York Giants in three seasons between 1948 and 1954, also a member of the 1951 National League champion Giants.
  • September 28 – Connie Grob, 64, pitcher for the 1956 Washington Senators.

October

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  • October   6 – Johnny Vander Meer, 82, four-time All-Star pitcher who played for the Cincinnati Reds, Chicago Cubs and Cleveland Indians in a span of 13 seasons from 1937 to 1951, also a member of the 1940 World Series champion Reds and a three-time National League strikeouts leader, perhaps best known for being the only pitcher in Major League Baseball history to throw two consecutive no-hitters, against the Boston Braves and the Brooklyn Dodgers in June 1938.
  • October   7 – Lou Possehl, 71, pitcher who played for the Philadelphia Phillies in all or part of five seasons spanning 1946–1952.
  • October   9 – Chuck Templeton, 65, pitcher who played from 1955 to 1956 with the Brooklyn Dodgers.
  • October 14 – Al Somers, 92, umpiring instructor who developed thousands of students for the profession, including 70 major league umpires.
  • October 21 – Dolph Camilli, 90, two-time All-Star first baseman and member of four teams in 12 seasons from 1933 to 1945, who earned the National League MVP Award in 1941 after leading the league in home runs and runs batted in, while helping the Brooklyn Dodgers win the NL pennant for the first time since 1920; son Doug was an MLB catcher and coach.
  • October 30 – Barney Martin, 74, pitcher who appeared in one game for the Cincinnati Reds in the 1953 season.
  • October 31 – Sam Hairston, 77, catcher who played for the Birmingham Black Barons and the Indianapolis Clowns of the Negro leagues before joining the Chicago White Sox in 1951, well known as the patriarch of a three-generation baseball family, being the father of MLB players Jerry Hairston Sr. and Johnny Hairston, as well as the grandfather of big leaguers Jerry Hairston Jr. and Scott Hairston, while a son, Sammy Hairston Jr., and three grandsons, Johnny Hairston Jr., Jeff Hairston and Jason Hairston, played in Minor League Baseball.

November

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  • November   2 – Roy McMillan, 68, two-time All-Star shortstop who played from 1951 through 1966 for the Cincinnati Reds, Milwaukee Braves and New York Mets; earned National Leagues's first three Gold Gloves between 1957 and 1959; became a coach in 1970 and served as interim manager of the 1972 Milwaukee Brewers and 1975 Mets.
  • November   4 – Johnny Dickshot, 87, outfielder who played for the Pittsburgh Pirates, New York Giants and Chicago White Sox in a span of six seasons spanning 1936–1945.
  • November 13 – Bill Conroy, 82, catcher for the Philadelphia Athletics and Boston Red Sox during six seasons between 1935 and 1944.
  • November 13 – Moe Thacker, 63, backup catcher who played for the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals in all or part of five seasons between 1958 and 1963.
  • November 13 – Al Weston, 91, All-America Boston College Eagles football quarterback who made three appearances as a pinch hitter with the Boston Braves in its 1929 season.
  • November 16 – Russ Meyer, 75, pitcher known as the Mad Monk for his fiery temper, who posted a 94–73 record and 3.99 ERA over 90 games for six different teams in 12 seasons spanning 1946–1959, and also was a member of the 1955 World Series champions Brooklyn Dodgers.
  • November 20 – Dick Littlefield, 71, well-traveled pitcher who played for nine teams from 1950 through 1958, earning 15 of his 33 wins with the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1954 to 1956.
  • November 22 – Peter Hardy, 80, Toronto businessman who was CEO of the Blue Jays from 1982 to 1989; member, Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame.
  • November 27 – Buck Leonard, 90, Hall of Fame first baseman who played in Negro league baseball from 1934 through 1950 with the Homestead Grays, helping them to win three Negro World Series championships and earning 13 All-Star selections, while ranking regularly among the league leaders in batting average and home runs.
  • November 27 – Paul Masterson, 82, pitcher who played from 1940 through 1942 for the Philadelphia Phillies.
  • November 28 – Sylvia Wronski, 72, All-American Girls Professional Baseball League pitcher for the 1944 Milwaukee Chicks champion club.
  • November 30 – Bernie Creger, 70, shortstop who played for the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1947 season.

December

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  • December   2 – Steve Hamilton, 63, southpaw relief pitcher who played from 1961 through 1972 for six different teams, mainly the New York Yankees (1963–1970); with Gene Conley, one of two people to have played in both a World Series and an NBA finals; known for throwing the "folly-floater", also known as the eephus pitch.
  • December   3 – Vic Lombardi, 75, pitcher for the Brooklyn Dodgers and Pittsburgh Pirates in six seasons from 1945 to 1950.
  • December   6 – Lou Clinton, 60, outfielder whose career spanned eight seasons from 1960 to 1967, while playing for the Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Angels, Kansas City Athletics, Cleveland Indians and New York Yankees.
  • December 14 – Frank Baumholtz, 79, outfielder who played for the Cincinnati Reds, Chicago Cubs and Philadelphia Phillies in a span of ten seasons from 1947 to 1957.
  • December 14 – Leola Brody, 75, utility player and one of the founding members of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League in its inaugural season of 1943.
  • December 17 – Mel Mazzera, 83, backup outfielder who played with the St. Louis Browns and Philadelphia Phillies in all or part of five seasons between 1935 and 1940.
  • December 22 – Hal Rice, 73, part-time outfielder for the St. Louis Cardinals, Pittsburgh Pirates and Chicago Cubs from 1948 to 1954.
  • December 22 – Flea Clifton, 89, backup infielder who played for the Detroit Tigers from 1934 through 1937, while serving as the starting third baseman for the 1935 World Championship Tigers.
  • December 22 – José Oliva, 26, Dominican Republic infielder who played from 1994 to 1995 for the Atlanta Braves and St. Louis Cardinals.

Sources

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  1. ^ "Baseball Feats". Baseball-Almanac.com. Retrieved 2016-02-08.
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