1987 in baseball

See also: 1987 Major League Baseball season and 1987 Nippon Professional Baseball season

The following are the baseball events of the year 1987 throughout the world.

Major League Baseball

• World Series: Minnesota Twins over St. Louis Cardinals (4–3); Frank Viola, MVP

	League Championship Series (ALCS, NLCS)					World Series
	East	Detroit	1
	West	Minnesota	4
						AL	Minnesota	4
						NL	St. Louis	3
	East	St. Louis	4
	West	San Francisco	3

• • American League Championship Series: Gary Gaetti, MVP
  • National League Championship Series: Jeffrey Leonard, MVP
• All-Star Game, July 14 at Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum: National League, 2–0 (13 innings); Tim Raines, MVP

Other champions

• Caribbean World Series: Criollos de Caguas (Puerto Rico)
• College World Series: Stanford
• Japan Series: Seibu Lions over Yomiuri Giants (4–2)
• Korean Series: Haitai Tigers over Samsung Lions
• Big League World Series: Taipei, Taiwan
• Junior League World Series: Rowland Heights, California
• Little League World Series: Hua Lian, Taiwan
• Pan American Games: Cuba over USA
• Senior League World Series: Athens, Ohio

Awards and honors

• Baseball Hall of Fame
  • Ray Dandridge
  • Catfish Hunter
  • Billy Williams
• Most Valuable Player
  • George Bell, Toronto Blue Jays, OF (AL)
  • Andre Dawson, Chicago Cubs, OF (NL)
• Cy Young Award
  • Roger Clemens, Boston Red Sox (AL)
  • Steve Bedrosian, Philadelphia Phillies (NL)
• Rookie of the Year
  • Mark McGwire, Oakland Athletics, 1B (AL)
  • Benito Santiago, San Diego Padres, C (NL)
• Manager of the Year Award
  • Sparky Anderson, Detroit Tigers (AL)
  • Buck Rodgers, Montreal Expos (NL)
• Woman Executive of the Year (major or minor league): Leslie Leary, Auburn Astros, New York–Penn League
• Gold Glove Award
  • Don Mattingly (1B) (AL)
  • Frank White (2B) (AL)
  • Gary Gaetti (3B) (AL)
  • Tony Fernández (SS) (AL)
  • Jesse Barfield (OF) (AL)
  • Gary Pettis (OF) (AL)
  • Kirby Puckett (OF) (AL)
  • Bob Boone (C) (AL)
  • Mark Langston (P) (AL)
  • Keith Hernandez (1B) (NL)
  • Ryne Sandberg (2B) (NL)
  • Terry Pendleton (3B) (NL)
  • Ozzie Smith (SS) (NL)
  • Eric Davis (OF) (NL)
  • Andre Dawson (OF) (NL)
  • Tony Gwynn (OF) (NL)
  • Mike LaValliere (C) (NL)
  • Rick Reuschel (P) (NL)

MLB statistical leaders

	American League		National League
Type	Name	Stat	Name	Stat
AVG	Wade Boggs BOS	.363	Tony Gwynn SDP	.370
HR	Mark McGwire OAK	49	Andre Dawson CHC	49
RBI	George Bell TOR	134	Andre Dawson CHC	137
Wins	Roger Clemens BOS & Dave Stewart OAK	20	Rick Sutcliffe CHC	18
ERA	Jimmy Key TOR	2.76	Nolan Ryan HOU	2.76

Major League Baseball final standings

American League Rank Club Wins Losses Win %   GB East Division 1st Detroit Tigers 98   64 .605    -- 2nd Toronto Blue Jays 96   66 .593   2 3rd Milwaukee Brewers 91   71 .562   7 4th New York Yankees 89   73 .549   9 5th Boston Red Sox 78   84 .481   20 6th Baltimore Orioles 67   95 .414   31 7th Cleveland Indians 61 101 .377   37 West Division 1st Minnesota Twins 85   77 .525    -- 2nd Kansas City Royals 83   79 .512   2 3rd Oakland Athletics 81   81 .500   4 4th Seattle Mariners 78   84 .481   7 5th Chicago White Sox 77   85 .475   8 6th California Angels 75   87 .463   10 6th Texas Rangers 75   87 .463   10

National League Rank Club Wins Losses Win %   GB East Division 1st St. Louis Cardinals 95   67 .586    -- 2nd New York Mets 92   70 .568   3 3rd Montreal Expos 91   71 .562   4 4th Philadelphia Phillies 80   82 .494   15 4th Pittsburgh Pirates 80   82 .494   15 6th Chicago Cubs 76   85 .472   18.5 West Division 1st San Francisco Giants 90   72 .556    -- 2nd Cincinnati Reds 84   78 .519   6 3rd Houston Astros 76   86 .469   14 4th Los Angeles Dodgers 73   89 .451   17 5th Atlanta Braves 69   92 .429   20.5 6th San Diego Padres 65   97 .401   25

Draft

Main article: 1987 Major League Baseball draft

Events

January

• January 14 – Catfish Hunter and Billy Williams are elected to the Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers' Association of America.

February

• February 25 – Baseball Commissioner Peter Ueberroth suspends San Diego Padres pitcher LaMarr Hoyt from baseball following his third arrest on drug possession charges, this time on the U.S.-Mexico border. Hoyt is sentenced to 45 days in jail on December 16, 1986. An arbitrator cuts Hoyt's suspension to sixty days in mid-June and orders the Padres to reinstate him. The Padres, however, give him his unconditional release the following day.

March

• March 3 – Ray Dandridge, a third baseman from the Negro leagues, is the only player elected to the Hall of Fame by the Special Veterans Committee.
• March 27 – The New York Mets acquire David Cone and Chris Jelic from the Kansas City Royals in exchange for Rick Anderson, Mauro Gozzo and Ed Hearn.

April

• April 6 – Al Campanis, general manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers and a former teammate of Jackie Robinson, appears on the ABC news program Nightline to discuss the progress of racial integration of baseball as the fortieth anniversary of Robinson's first game approaches. When asked by Nightline host Ted Koppel why more African-Americans do not become managers or executives, Campanis states that blacks lack certain qualities for those jobs, drawing the ire of host Koppel. Campanis is fired by the Dodgers two days later, and replaced by Fred Claire as GM.
• April 13 – At Jack Murphy Stadium, the San Diego Padres set a major league record when the first three batters in the bottom of the first inning hit home runs off San Francisco Giants starter Roger Mason in their home opener. The Padres, trailing 2–0, got homers from Marvell Wynne, Tony Gwynn and John Kruk; however, the Padres still lost, 13–6.
• April 15 – Juan Nieves of the Milwaukee Brewers pitches a no-hitter against the Baltimore Orioles. Nieves becomes the second-youngest pitcher in major league history to accomplish the feat (22 years, 4 months, 10 days), as well as the first Brewer to do it.
• April 17 – Mike Schmidt of the Philadelphia Phillies hits the 500th home run of his career. It comes in the ninth inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates' Don Robinson, giving the Phillies an 8–6 win at Pittsburgh.

June

• June 1 – Knuckleballer Phil Niekro of the Cleveland Indians beats the Detroit Tigers, 9–6. This is his 314th major league victory for Niekro, which paired him with brother Joe a current total of 216 wins, making them the winningest pitching brother duo, surpassing the 529 wins posted by Gaylord Perry and Jim Perry. The Niekros will finish their careers with a combined 539 wins.
• June 2 – The Seattle Mariners use the number-one overall pick of the 1987 MLB draft to select Ken Griffey Jr., signaling a turnaround in their fortunes as an organization.
• June 17 – Former Kansas City Royals manager Dick Howser dies of brain cancer at age 51. Howser had attempted to manage the team at the start of spring training, but found he was physically too weak and was replaced by Billy Gardner.
• June 22 – With their starting rotation decimated by injuries, the New York Mets seek help from Tom Seaver, who is not offered a contract to his liking following the 1986 season, whose salary was $1 million. Then the Boston Red Sox offer him $500,000, which Seaver also declines. Though no actual contract is signed, Seaver joins the Red Sox on June 6, and is hit hard on during an exhibition game against the Triple-A Tidewater Tides on June 11. After similarly poor outings on the 16th and 20th, he announces his retirement.
• June 28 – Don Baylor of the visiting Boston Red Sox is hit by a pitch from Rick Rhoden in the sixth inning of a 6–2 win over the New York Yankees. The HBP gives Baylor 244 for his career, breaking a modern-day record set by Ron Hunt.

July

• July 14 – Tim Raines caps a 3-for-3 performance in the All-Star Game with a two-run triple in the top of the 13th inning, giving the National League a 2–0 victory over the American League. Raines is selected the MVP.
• July 18 – New York Yankees first baseman Don Mattingly homers in his record-tying eighth straight game, in a 7–2 Texas Rangers win over the Yankees. He ties the record set by Dale Long in 1956.

August

• August 2 – At Royals Stadium, Kevin Seitzer goes 6-for-6 with two home runs and seven runs batted in the Kansas City Royals' 13–5 victory over the Boston Red Sox. Seitzer becomes the second Royal to collect six hits in one game, Bob Oliver having done so in 1969, the franchise's inaugural season.
• August 3 - With the California Angels batting in the bottom of the fourth with one out at Anaheim Stadium against the Minnesota Twins, the Twins' Joe Niekro is pitching when head umpire Tim Tschida and his crew visit the mound. Tschida had previously worked several games Niekro pitched and had kept several scuffed baseballs from those games. Upon request of Tschida and the crew, Niekro reaches into his pockets and throws his hands in the air, but an emery board and a small piece of sandpaper fly out to the ground. Niekro is removed from the game and later given a 10-game suspension by American League president Bobby Brown. The incident fails to deter the Twins as they win the game 11-3 on their way to the division title. The film clip of Niekro reaching in his pockets and the emery board flopping to the ground is used quite frequently in ensuing baseball blooper reels.
• August 11 – Mark McGwire of the Oakland Athletics breaks Al Rosen's American League rookie record by hitting his 38th home run in an 8–2 loss to the Mariners.
• August 26 – Paul Molitor of the Milwaukee Brewers goes hitless, and ends his 39-game hitting streak. It is the longest American League hitting streak since Joe DiMaggio's 56-game streak (a major league record) in 1941.
• August 30 – With knuckleball pitcher Charlie Hough on the mound, Texas Rangers catcher Geno Petralli ties a Major League record by committing six passed balls in a 7–0 loss to the Detroit Tigers at Tiger Stadium. All seven runs are unearned and come as a result of the passed balls. Petralli commits 35 passed balls on the season, breaking J. C. Martin's modern-day single-season record of 33 in 1965.

September

• September 9 – Nolan Ryan strikes out 16 to pass 4,500 for his career as the Houston Astros beat the San Francisco Giants 4–2. Ryan strikes out 12 of the final 13 batters and fans Mike Aldrete to complete the seventh inning for his 4,500th strikeout.
• September 14 – In the midst of the Toronto Blue Jays' 18–3 drubbing of the Baltimore Orioles at Exhibition Stadium, Cal Ripken Jr. is lifted from the lineup and replaced by Ron Washington, stopping Ripken's consecutive innings played streak at 8,243. In this same game, Toronto hits ten home runs to set a Major League single-game record. Ernie Whitt connects on three of the home runs, Rance Mulliniks and George Bell two each, and Fred McGriff, Lloyd Moseby and Rob Ducey one each.
• September 18 – Darrell Evans hits his 30th home run of the season, and becomes the first player to do so after the age of 40.
• September 21 – Darryl Strawberry steals his 30th base of the season to join the 30–30 club. With teammate Howard Johnson already having joined, it marks the first time that two teammates achieve 30–30 seasons in the same year.
• September 22 – Wade Boggs of the Boston Red Sox reaches the 200-hit mark for the fifth straight season in an 8–5 loss to the Detroit Tigers.
• September 27 – Four days after being signed as a free agent and almost a month after being released by the Toronto Blue Jays, 48-year-old Hall of Famer Phil Niekro pitches in his final major league game for the Atlanta Braves. Niekro starts the game against the San Francisco Giants, pitches three innings, and gives up six hits and five runs. He shuts the Giants out for the three innings, but in the fourth he yields two runs and fails to record an out and is relieved with the bases loaded. The next batter clears the bases with a grand slam. Incidentally, the Giants clinch the 1987 National League West Division title with the win.
• September 28 – Kevin Seitzer becomes the first rookie since Tony Oliva and Dick Allen in 1964 to collect 200 hits in a season.

October

• October 4 – The Detroit Tigers defeat the Toronto Blue Jays 1–0 to clinch the American League East division title. The victory caps off a thrilling pennant race in which the Tigers overcome a 3.5 game deficit to the Blue Jays in the last two weeks of the season, including sweeping the Blue Jays at Tiger Stadium in the final weekend, and finishing two games ahead of Toronto in the standings.
• October 19 – After a disappointing fourth-place finish, New York Yankees' owner George Steinbrenner decides to promote manager Lou Piniella to general manager and hires Billy Martin as manager for the fifth time for the 1988 season.
• October 25 – In Game Seven of the World Series, starter Frank Viola and reliever Jeff Reardon hold the St. Louis Cardinals to six hits, as the Minnesota Twins win 4–2 for their first World Championship. The franchise's last title came in 1924 as the Washington Senators. Viola is named the Series MVP.
• October 28 - Buck Rodgers of the Montreal Expos was named National League Manager of the Year by the Baseball Writers Associated of America. Rodgers received 92 points. Roger Craig of the San Francisco Giants finished second with 65 points.

November

• November 3 – Mark McGwire who hit a then MLB rookie record of 49 home runs was the unanimous choice for the American League Rookie of the Year. Only the second time that happened (Carlton Fisk was the other in 1972).
• November 10 – In the closest vote in Cy Young Award history, Steve Bedrosian of the Philadelphia Phillies edges Rick Sutcliffe of the Chicago Cubs, 57–55, to win the National League honors. Bedrosian posts a 5–3 record with a 2.83 ERA and 40 saves, while Sutcliffe finishes 18–10 with a 3.68 ERA and 174 strikeouts. Bedrosian is the third relief pitcher ever to win the award in the NL, joining Mike Marshall (1974) and Bruce Sutter (1979).
• November 18 – Andre Dawson of the Chicago Cubs is announced as the winner of the National League MVP Award, becoming the first recipient of the award to play for a last place team.

December

• December 1 – Free agent outfielder Brett Butler is signed by the San Francisco Giants. Butler hit .295 with nine home runs, 41 RBI, and 33 stolen bases for the Cleveland Indians in this season.

Movies

• Long Gone (TV)

Births

January

• January 2 – Dave Sappelt
• January 7 – Brandon Bantz
• January 7 – Kyle Hudson
• January 10 – Ryan Dennick
• January 10 – Paolo Espino
• January 10 – Alberto Rosario
• January 12 – Iván Nova
• January 13 – Oliver Drake
• January 14 – Logan Forsythe
• January 16 – Zelous Wheeler
• January 17 – Jeff Beliveau
• January 17 – Cody Decker
• January 17 – Tanner Scheppers
• January 19 – James Darnell
• January 20 – Luis Exposito
• January 21 – Brandon Crawford
• January 21 – Chase d'Arnaud
• January 21 – Jake Diekman
• January 21 – Roger Kieschnick
• January 21 – Josh Wall
• January 23 – Cord Phelps
• January 26 – Héctor Noesí
• January 26 – Jemile Weeks
• January 28 – José Ceda
• January 29 – José Abreu
• January 29 – Alex Avila
• January 30 – Luis García
• January 30 – Tyler Moore
• January 31 – Melky Mesa
• January 31 – Caleb Thielbar

February

• February 1 – Austin Jackson
• February 1 – Joe Mahoney
• February 5 – Mark Hamburger
• February 6 – Pedro Álvarez
• February 6 – Travis Wood
• February 11 – Brian Matusz
• February 12 – David Cooper
• February 12 – Argenis Díaz
• February 13 – Ryan Buchter
• February 13 – Curtis Partch
• February 13 – Ryan Perry
• February 13 – Henry Urrutia
• February 15 – Rob Scahill
• February 16 – Tom Milone
• February 17 – Danny Farquhar
• February 19 – Josh Reddick
• February 22 – Tommy Field
• February 22 – Carlos Peguero
• February 25 – Phil Irwin
• February 25 – Henry Rodríguez
• February 25 – Andrew Werner
• February 28 – Aaron Thompson

March

• March 4 – Dan Cortes
• March 7 – Joel Carreño
• March 9 – Daniel Hudson
• March 10 – Charles Leesman
• March 14 – Blaine Hardy
• March 21 – Michael Brady
• March 21 – Carlos Carrasco
• March 22 – Ike Davis
• March 24 – Lucas Luetge
• March 24 – Josh Zeid
• March 25 – Hyun-jin Ryu
• March 25 – Kirby Yates
• March 27 – Buster Posey
• March 28 – Bryan Morris
• March 30 – Mike Broadway
• March 30 – Shairon Martis
• March 31 – Peter Bourjos

April

• April 2 – Brad Glenn
• April 3 – Jay Bruce
• April 3 – Jason Kipnis
• April 4 – Odrisamer Despaigne
• April 4 – Cameron Maybin
• April 5 – Jung-ho Kang
• April 8 – Yonder Alonso
• April 8 – Jeremy Hellickson
• April 9 – Eric Campbell
• April 10 – Ryan Verdugo
• April 16 – Richard Bleier
• April 17 – Dan Jennings
• April 20 – Dusty Coleman
• April 20 – Ian Thomas
• April 21 – Ryan Adams
• April 21 – Brent Morel
• April 22 – Tyson Ross
• April 24 – Welington Castillo
• April 25 – Danny Espinosa

May

• May 1 – Iván DeJesús Jr.
• May 6 – Gerardo Parra
• May 10 – Brayan Villarreal
• May 11 – Red Patterson
• May 12 – Adam Liberatore
• May 12 – Lance Lynn
• May 13 – D. J. Mitchell
• May 15 – David Adams
• May 15 – Michael Brantley
• May 15 – Brian Dozier
• May 16 – Tyler Cloyd
• May 21 – Allan Dykstra
• May 22 – Jaye Chapman
• May 24 – Blake Tekotte
• May 24 – Henry Villar

June

• June 5 – Manny Piña
• June 7 – Sean Halton
• June 11 – Ezequiel Carrera
• June 13 – Justin Miller
• June 15 – Jake Elmore
• June 15 – Josh Lindblom
• June 15 – Eduardo Núñez
• June 16 – Arquimedes Caminero
• June 18 – Jeremy Bleich
• June 18 – Jason Castro
• June 18 – J. B. Shuck
• June 18 – Taylor Thompson
• June 19 – Collin McHugh
• June 24 – Juan Francisco
• June 24 – Sam Freeman
• June 29 – Jeremy Moore
• June 30 – Ryan Cook
• June 30 – Cole Figueroa

July

• July 3 – Casey Coleman
• July 3 – Zach Putnam
• July 7 – Yangervis Solarte
• July 8 – Christian Friedrich
• July 8 – Josh Harrison
• July 8 – Mason Tobin
• July 9 – Rusney Castillo
• July 10 – Jermaine Curtis
• July 10 – Johnny Giavotella
• July 10 – Gregory Infante
• July 11 – Shun Yamaguchi
• July 16 – Eric Surkamp
• July 17 – Leonel Campos
• July 17 – Nick Christiani
• July 18 – Conor Gillaspie
• July 19 – Yan Gomes
• July 21 – Diego Moreno
• July 26 – Alex Burnett
• July 26 – Vidal Nuño
• July 27 – Preston Guilmet
• July 28 – Jae-gyun Hwang

August

• August 2 – Juan Jaime
• August 4 – Hiram Burgos
• August 4 – Mike Freeman
• August 4 – David Martínez
• August 5 – Tim Federowicz
• August 7 – Ryan Lavarnway
• August 7 – Kirk Nieuwenhuis
• August 7 – Josh Smith
• August 7 – Rafael Ynoa
• August 10 – Wilson Ramos
• August 10 – Matt den Dekker
• August 11 – Drew Storen
• August 13 – Dustin Garneau
• August 13 – J. J. Hoover
• August 14 – Jeremy Hazelbaker
• August 14 – David Peralta
• August 15 – Jorge de León
• August 17 – Thomas Neal
• August 18 – Justin Wilson
• August 21 – J. D. Martinez
• August 23 – Zach Braddock
• August 25 – Logan Morrison
• August 25 – Murphy Smith
• August 25 – Justin Upton
• August 25 – Adam Warren
• August 26 – Ryan Brasier
• August 26 – Greg Halman
• August 27 – Brett Bochy
• August 31 – Stephen Cardullo
• August 31 – Steve Johnson

September

• September 1 – David Carpenter
• September 1 – Sean O'Sullivan
• September 1 – Trayvon Robinson
• September 3 – Domonic Brown
• September 3 – Drew Hayes
• September 5 – Scott Barnes
• September 7 – Gorkys Hernández
• September 10 – Paul Goldschmidt
• September 11 – Brandon Laird
• September 21 – Jeremy Jeffress
• September 23 – González Germen
• September 23 – Xavier Scruggs
• September 24 – Jake Goebbert
• September 25 – Lars Anderson
• September 25 – Vance Worley
• September 27 – Grant Green
• September 27 – David Hale
• September 28 – Nick Greenwood
• September 28 – Derrick Robinson
• September 28 – Jerry Sands
• September 29 – Alí Solís
• September 30 – Kenley Jansen

October

• October 1 – Erik Komatsu
• October 2 – Rafael Lopez
• October 5 – Marc Krauss
• October 7 – Alex Cobb
• October 9 – Cory Burns
• October 9 – Yadiel Hernández
• October 10 – Adrian Cardenas
• October 10 – Elvin Ramírez
• October 14 – Kole Calhoun
• October 19 – John Holdzkom
• October 20 – Edwar Cabrera
• October 21 – Justin De Fratus
• October 23 – Félix Doubront
• October 23 – Kyle Gibson
• October 27 – Jay Jackson
• October 27 – Ben Paulsen
• October 28 – Casey Lawrence
• October 30 – Ryan Kelly
• October 31 – Yamaico Navarro

November

• November 1 – Anthony Bass
• November 1 – Steve Geltz
• November 1 – Donnie Joseph
• November 3 – Kyle Seager
• November 3 – Ryan Tepera
• November 6 – Caleb Cotham
• November 6 – Cory Rasmus
• November 8 – Bryan Shaw
• November 11 – Kyle McPherson
• November 12 – Mike Leake
• November 13 – Tim Adleman
• November 16 – Jordan Walden
• November 19 – Bryan Holaday
• November 20 – Jeff Locke
• November 24 – Kelvin Marte
• November 24 – Chris Herrmann
• November 25 – Grant Dayton
• November 25 – Nate Karns
• November 30 – Chase Anderson

December

• December 3 – Andrew Oliver
• December 5 – A. J. Pollock
• December 5 – Chris Rearick
• December 8 – Kyle Drabek
• December 8 – Zach McAllister
• December 8 – Alex Torres
• December 9 – Buddy Baumann
• December 9 – Blake Smith
• December 9 – Mat Latos
• December 9 – Pedro Villarreal
• December 9 – Adam Wilk
• December 13 – Aneury Rodríguez
• December 15 – Scott Copeland
• December 16 – Mickey Jannis
• December 16 – Hector Santiago
• December 17 – Donovan Solano
• December 17 – Travis Tartamella
• December 18 – Rex Brothers
• December 18 – Rudy Owens
• December 19 – Aaron Loup
• December 21 – Khris Davis
• December 22 – Zack Britton
• December 22 – Chad Jenkins
• December 23 – Tyler Robertson
• December 23 – Jordany Valdespin
• December 26 – Mike Minor
• December 28 – Shawn O'Malley

Deaths

January

• January   1 – Velma Abbott, 57, Canadian infielder who played from 1946 to 1947 in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League.
• January   1 – Norene Arnold, 59, All-American Girls Professional Baseball League pitcher and infielder.
• January   1 – Ernie Maun, 85, pitcher who played for the New York Giants in 1924 and the Philadelphia Phillies in 1926.
• January   2 – Julio Moreno, 65, Cuban fireball pitcher whose professional career spanned over 30 years, including four Major League Baseball seasons with the Washington Senators from 1950 to 1953.
• January   2 – Bill Upton, 57, relief pitcher for 1954 Philadelphia Athletics.
• January   4 – Tony Rensa, 85, backup catcher who played for the New York Yankees, Detroit Tigers, Philadelphia Phillies and Chicago White Sox in part of six seasons spanning 1930–1939.
• January   5 – Dale Mitchell, 65, two-time All-Star left fielder who played for the Cleveland Indians and Brooklyn Dodgers in a span of eleven seasons from 1946 through 1956. A career .312 hitter, Mitchell posted a .432 average in his rookie season and hit .300 or better six of the next seven seasons, including a career-high .336 mark in 1948, ending third in the American League batting race behind Ted Williams (.369) and Lou Boudreau (.355), while leading the American League in hits (203), singles (161) and triples (23), helping the Indians win the 1948 World Series, Afterwards, he guided Cleveland to an AL record 111 wins in a 154-game season and the 1954 American League pennant, even though Mitchell is perhaps best remembered, nevertheless unfairly, for making the final out in the perfect game pitched by New York Yankees' Don Larsen in the 1956 World Series against the Dodgers.
• January   6 – Margaret Danhauser, 65, outstanding first sacker for the Racine Belles of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League from 1943 through 1950.
• January   8 – Elmer Miller, 83, two-way pitcher for the 1929 Philadelphia Phillies.
• January   8 – Phil Seghi, 77, minor league player and manager turned scout and executive; farm and scouting director of the Cincinnati Reds when his club signed Pete Rose in 1960; later, general manager of the Cleveland Indians from 1973 to 1985.
• January 10 – Frank Hiller, 66, pitcher who played for the New York Yankees, Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds and New York Giants over six seasons between 1946 and 1953.
• January 10 – Frank Makosky, 76. pitcher who played in 1937 for the New York Yankees.
• January 13 – Tom Morgan, 56, relief pitcher who played for five different clubs during 12 seasons spanning 1951–1963; member of New York Yankees teams that won World Series titles in 1951, 1952 and 1956; later, a pitching coach for three MLB teams between 1972 and 1983.
• January 17 – Ed Busch, 69, shortstop who played from 1943 to 1945 for the Philadelphia Athletics.
• January 19 – George Selkirk, 79, two-time All-Star Canadian corner outfielder who played from 1934 through 1942 for the New York Yankees, collecting a .290/.400/.483 slash line with 108 home runs and 576 runs batted in during his nine seasons with the team, helping them win six American League pennants and five World Series titles between 1936 and 1942; later, a minor league manager and MLB front office executive, notably serving as general manager of the Washington Senators from 1963 to 1968.
• January 20 – Hank Behrman, 65, pitcher for the Brooklyn Dodgers, Pittsburgh Pirates and New York Giants in a span of four seasons from 1946 to 1949, who also appeared in the 1947 World Series with the National League Champion Dodgers.

February

• February   2 – Néstor Lambertus, 80, Dominican-born outfielder who played for the 1929 Cuban Stars East of the American Negro League.
• February   2 – Olive Little, 69, Canadian All-Star female pitcher who threw four no-hitters in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League.
• February   5 – Michael Burke, 70, executive; president of the New York Yankees from September 1966 to April 1973, three months after he presided over CBS' sale of the Bombers to George Steinbrenner; briefly a candidate for Commissioner of Baseball in 1969.
• February   8 – Larnie Jordan, 72, shortstop for the Philadelphia Stars and New York Black Yankees of the Negro National League between 1940 and 1942.
• February   9 – Larry French, 79, All-Star left-handed pitcher and knuckleball specialist, who played for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Chicago Cubs and Brooklyn Dodgers over 14 seasons from 1929 to 1941, compiling a 197–171 record with 1,187 strikeouts and a 3.44 ERA in 3,152 innings, including 40 shutouts and 198 complete games.
• February 11 – Bill McGee, 77, pitcher who played from 1935 through 1942 with the St. Louis Cardinals and New York Giants.
• February 13 – Leo Norris, 78, third baseman and second baseman who played in 270 games for the Philadelphia Phillies between 1936 and 1937.
• February 26 – Eddie Jefferson, 64, pitcher for the Philadelphia Stars of the Negro National League in 1945 and 1946.

March

• March   2 – Mo Mozzali, 64, St. Louis Cardinals' MLB hitting coach in 1977 and 1978; minor-league outfielder and longtime member of St. Louis organization as a scout and instructor.
• March   3 – Danny Kaye, 76, entertainer and a founding co-owner of the Seattle Mariners from 1976 to 1985.
• March   9 – Zeke Bonura, 78, solid defensive first baseman for the Chicago White Sox, Washington Senators, New York Giants and Chicago Cubs in the period between 1934 and 1940, hitting .300 or better in four of his seven seasons with a career-high .345 in 1937, while compiling a .307 batting average with 119 home runs and 704 runs batted in in 917 games.
• March 11 – Fred Lucas, 84, who hit a .265 average in 20 games for the 1935 Philadelphia Phillies as a reserve outfielder for Ethan Allen, George Watkins and Johnny Moore.
• March 11 – Bots Nekola, 80, pitcher for the New York Yankees in 1929 and the Detroit Tigers in 1933, who later became a long time scout for the Boston Red Sox, being responsible for the signing of future Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski. ^[1]
• March 13 – Wayne Osborne, 74, pitcher who appeared in seven total games for the 1935 Pittsburgh Pirates and 1936 Boston Bees, as well as 13 years (1931–1943) in the Pacific Coast League; after his pitching career, a broadcaster who was a member of the 1945 Chicago Cubs' radio team.
• March 16 – Bob Kline, 77, well rounded pitcher that started and filled various relief roles, coming out from the bullpen as a closer, middle reliever and set-up man, while playing for the Boston Red Sox, Philadelphia Athletics and Washington Senators from 1930 to 1934.
• March 19 – Red Jones, 81, American League umpire, 1944 to 1949; later, a color commentator for Cleveland Indians' TV crew.
• March 23 – Tony Pacheco, 59, native of Cuba and longtime minor league infielder and manager who spent six years in the majors as a coach for the Cleveland Indians (1974) and Houston Astros (1976–1979, 1982).
• March 25 – Alvin Gipson, 72, pitcher who posted a 7–26 won–lost mark fort the 1941–1946 Birmingham Black Barons of the Negro American League.
• March 30 – George Blackerby, 83, backup outfielder for the 1928 Chicago White Sox.

April

• April   6 – Bud Morse, 82, second baseman who played his only major league season with the 1929 World Series Champion Philadelphia Athletics, which is considered one of the greatest baseball teams ever assembled. ^[2]
• April 12 – Clarence Isreal, 69, third baseman for the Newark Eagles and Homestead Grays of the Negro National League between 1940 and 1947.
• April 19 – Frank McElyea, 68, left fielder for the 1942 Boston Braves.
• April 19 – Roy Partlow, 74, southpaw who led Negro National League hurlers in earned run average twice (1939, 1942), was a 1940 All-Star, and 1943 Negro World Series champion as a member of the Homestead Grays; one of first Black ballplayers to sign with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1945 after Jackie Robinson, and was briefly Robinson's teammate with 1946 Montreal Royals; returned to Negro leagues later in 1946.
• April 21 – Haruyasu Nakajima, 77, Hall of Fame Japanese outfielder who played with the Yomiuri Giants and the Taiyo Whales from 1936 to 1951.
• April 24 – John Mihalic, 75, second baseman who played for the Washington Senators from 1935 to 1937.
• April 27 – John Burrows, 74, pitcher who played from 1943 to 1944 for the Philadelphia Athletics and Chicago Cubs.
• April 29 – Bud Bates, 75, backup outfielder for the 1939 Philadelphia Phillies.

May

• May   1 – Bobo Holloman, 62, pitcher for the 1953 St. Louis Browns, who made history as the only pitcher in the modern era to throw a no-hitter in his first start.
• May   7 – Boom-Boom Beck, 82, pitcher who posted a 38–65 record for seven different teams between 1924 and 1945.
• May 14 – Luke Sewell, 86, All-Star catcher who played for four American League teams in a span of 20 seasons from 1921 to 1942; managed the St. Louis Browns from June 5, 1941 to August 28, 1946, leading the team to their only AL pennant in 1944; later managed the Cincinnati Reds from September 30, 1949 to July 29, 1952; brother Joe was a Hall of Fame second baseman/shortstop.
• May 16 – Willie Powell, 83, left-hander who pitched in the Negro National League between 1925 and 1934, mainly for the Chicago American Giants and Detroit Stars; two-time Negro World Series champion; led NNL in ERA (1928) and games lost (1931).
• May 31 – Jerry Adair, 50, trustworthy middle infielder and third baseman for four American League teams during 13 seasons from 1958 to 1970, mainly with the Baltimore Orioles, who set then-major league records for single-season fielding average (.994) and fewest errors (5) in 1964.
• May 31 – Jack Sheehan, 94, middle infielder and third baseman for the Brooklyn Robins from 1920 to 1921; managed in the minors between 1916 and 1953; also a scout and executive, working as farm director of the Chicago Cubs in the late 1940s and early 1950s, and scouting director for the expansion Washington Senators of the 1960s.

June

• June 6 – Barney Koch, 64, second baseman for the 1944 Brooklyn Dodgers.
• June 7 – Shosei Go, 70, Hall of Fame pitcher and outfielder that played in the Japanese Baseball League and NPB with the Tokyo Kyojin, the Hanshin/Osaka Tigers and the Mainichi Orions from 1937 to 1957.
• June 13 – Huck Betts, 90, reliable starting and relief pitcher who played for the Philadelphia Phillies and Boston Braves in a span of ten seasons from 1920 to 1935, posting a 61–68 record and 3.93 ERA in 307 appearances, including 53 complete games, eight shutouts, 128 games finished and 16 saves.
• June 15 – George Smith, 49, Negro leagues second baseman who played for the Indianapolis Clowns and the Chicago American Giants between 1952 and 1957, before joining the Detroit Tigers from 1963 through 1965 and the Boston Red Sox in 1966.
• June 15 – Don White, 68, outfielder who played for the Philadelphia Athletics in the 1948 and 1949 seasons.
• June 17 – Dick Howser, 51, All-Star shortstop, World Series-winning manager, and coach; played eight seasons for three American League clubs, including standout debut campaign (second in 1961 Rookie of the Year balloting); third-base coach of New York Yankees from 1969 to 1978 (earning two World Series rings), and manager of 1980 Yankees, guiding them to AL East title but resigning after 1980 ALCS in support of his embattled coach, Mike Ferraro; also head baseball coach at his alma mater, Florida State University (1979); best known for managing the Kansas City Royals, taking over in mid-1981 and leading Royals to their first World Series championship in 1985; forced to sidelines after managing the AL to a victory in the 1986 MLB All-Star game, when he was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor that claimed his life 11 months later.
• June 18 – Schoolboy Johnny Taylor, 71, All-Star pitcher who hurled for three Negro National League clubs between 1935 and 1944.
• June 21 – Phil Weintraub, 79, fourth outfielder and first baseman who posted a .295 batting average and slugged .440 for four National League teams in seven seasons from 1993 to 1945, being also one of only three batters to collect 11 runs batted in in a single game while playing for the 1944 New York Giants.
• June 24 – Fred Newman, 45, pitcher who played for the Los Angeles/California Angels over six seasons from 1962 to 1967.
• June 26 – Jay Avrea, 67, pitcher for the 1950 Cincinnati Reds.
• June 28 – Bill Schuster, 74, shortstop who played with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Boston Bees and Chicago Cubs over five seasons spanning 1937–1945, as well as a member of the Cubs team that won the National League pennant in 1945, scoring the winning run in the team's last victory in a World Series game before the 2016 series.

July

• July 11 – Joe Bennett, 87, third baseman for the 1923 Philadelphia Phillies.
• July 12 – Joseph Burns, 98, outfielder who played with the Cincinnati Reds in 1910 and for the Detroit Tigers in 1913.
• July 15 – Lee Ballanfant, 91, "baseball lifer" as a minor-league player and manager, National League umpire from 1936 to 1957 (working in four World Series and four All-Star games), then a scout until retiring at age 86 in 1981; spent 67 years in Organized Baseball.
• July 15 – Bill Ricks, 67, standout pitcher for 1944–1948 Philadelphia Stars of the Negro National League; as a rookie, led his league in victories, games and innings pitched, and strikeouts; four years later, led NNL in earned run average; 1942 All-Star.
• July 16 – Rube Novotney, 62, catcher who played in 1949 for the Chicago Cubs.
• July 19 – Bob Smith, 92, who started his career at shortstop but was turned into a pitcher, becoming one of the workhorses of the Boston Braves/Bees pitching staff (1925–1930, 1933–1937), throwing and losing a 22-inning complete game in 1927 (the third-longest marathon feat in major league history), ^[3] pitching 200 or more innings six times and saving 41 games, while compiling 106 wins and 3.94 ERA in 435 games over 2.246 innings in a span of 13 seasons from 1925 to 1937, including stints with the Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds between 1931 and 1933. ^[4]
• July 20 – Tom Winsett, 77, left fielder who played for the Boston Red Sox, St. Louis Cardinals and Brooklyn Dodgers in part of seven seasons spanning 1930–1938.
• July 21 – Hughie Wise, 81, catcher who played two games for 1930 Detroit Tigers; later, minor-league manager and longtime MLB scout; father of Casey Wise.
• July 22 – Don McMahon, 57, All-Star relief pitcher who played for seven teams over 18 seasons spanning 1957–1974, leading the National League with 15 saves in 1959, while winning two World Series rings with the 1957 Milwaukee Braves and the 1968 Detroit Tigers; also a pitching coach for three MLB clubs for a dozen years between 1972 and 1985.
• July 27 – Travis Jackson, 83, Hall of Fame and slick fielding shortstop for the New York Giants from 1922 through 1936, who batted over .300 six times, compiling a .291 lifetime average and driving in 90 or more runs three times, reaching 101 in 1934, while leading the National League shortstops in assists four times, in fielding chances three years, and in fielding average and double plays twice, helping the Giants win three NL pennants and the World Series Championship in 1933.

August

• August   5 – Jocko Conlon, 89, middle infielder and third baseman who played for the Boston Braves in its 1923 season.
• August   8 – Juan Antonio Yanes, 85, who for more than three decades was one of the leading promoters of Venezuelan baseball both in the amateur and professional fields.
• August 11 – John McGillen, 70, pitcher who made two appearances for the Philadelphia Athletics during the 1944 season.
• August 21 – Frank Callaway, 89, middle infielder and third baseman who played from 1921 to 1922 for the Philadelphia Athletics.
• August 31 – Dick Young, 69, longtime New York sportswriter known for his hard-hitting style.

September

• September   1 – Pinky Whitney, 82, All-Star and top defensive third baseman for the Philadelphia Phillies and Boston Braves through 12 seasons from 1928 to 1939, who batted .300 or better four times, collecting four 100-RBI seasons and 200 hits twice and batting a career-high .342 with 117 RBI in 1930, while leading all National League third basemen in assists and double plays in four seasons, and in putouts and fielding average three times. ^[5]
• September   2 – Cam Carreon, 50, catcher for the Chicago White Sox, Cleveland Indians and Baltimore Orioles over all or part of eight seasons from 1959 to 1966.
• September 13 – Charlie Parks, 70, catcher in the Negro National League between 1938 and 1947 who mainly played for the Newark Eagles; member of 1946 Negro World Series champion club.
• September 16 – Kermit Wahl, 64, third baseman and middle infielder who played for the Cincinnati Reds, Philadelphia Athletics and St. Louis Browns in all or part of five seasons spanning 1944–1951.
• September 21 – Jimmy Johnson, 68, southpaw who pitched for the Negro leagues' Toledo–Indianapolis Crawfords in 1939 and 1940.

October

• October 12 – Snake Henry, 92, first baseman for the Boston Braves from 1922 to 1923, whose greatest achievements were in Minor League Baseball, where he posted a .302 lifetime batting average in 24 seasons, collecting more than 3,200 hits and two MVP Awards, ^[6] serving also as a manager for the Kinston Eagles in 1939.
• October 17 – Pete Cote, 85, utility man for the 1926 New York Giants.
• October 24 – Ray Sheppard, 84, infielder (primarily a third baseman and shortstop) who played for six Negro leagues teams between 1924 and 1932.
• October 28 – Pete McClanahan, 81, who was used as a pinch-hitter by the Pittsburgh Pirates in its 1931 season.

November

• November   9 – Ed Cihocki, 80, middle infielder and third baseman for the Philadelphia Athletics over part of two seasons from 1932 to 1933.
• November 10 – Bubby Sadler, 78, shortstop who played in Negro leagues and with Black barnstorming teams between 1934 and 1944; inducted in 1999 to Delaware Sports Museum and Hall of Fame.
• November 14 – Hod Lisenbee, 89, pitcher who played for the Washington Senators, Boston Red Sox, Philadelphia Athletics and Cincinnati Reds in a span of eight seasons from 1927 to 1935, whose notable accomplishment came in his rookie season, when he faced the New York Yankees six times and won the first five outings against the storied 1927 Murderers' Row , allowing three hits without a walk and striking out Babe Ruth and Tony Lazzeri in three innings of relief in his debut against them at Yankee Stadium, ^[7] while posting an 18–9 record for the third place Senators and leading the American League pitchers with four shutouts. ^[8]
• November 16 – Jim Brewer, 50, All-Star relief pitcher who played for three clubs in a 17-year career from 1960 to 1976, posting a 69–65 record with a 3.07 ERA and 132 saves, while helping the Los Angeles Dodgers win three National League pennants and the 1965 World Series title.
• November 17 – Paul Derringer, 81, six-time All-Star pitcher who played 15 seasons from 1931 through 1945 for the St. Louis Cardinals, Cincinnati Reds and Chicago Cubs, and he made an impressive debut with the Cardinals, winning 18 games for the eventual 1931 World Series champions and leading the NL in win–loss record (.692), including a streak of 33 consecutive scoreless innings in September, later winning 20 games for Cincinnati four times between 1935 and 1940, along with a 25–7 season in 1939, as the Reds won the NL pennant for the first time in 20 years, as well as pitching complete game wins in Games 4 and 7 of the 1940 World Series, guiding Cincinnati to its first Series title in 21 years.
• November 18 – Dick Stello, 53, National League umpire who worked 2,764 league games between September 20, 1968 and his death; officiated in two World Series, two All-Star games, and five NLCS matchups.
• November 19 – Dave Odom, 69, pitcher who played for the Boston Braves in its 1943 season.
• November 21 – Dusty Cooke, 80, fourth outfielder for the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox and Cincinnati Reds over eight seasons spanning 1930–1938; played multiple post-World War II roles for the Philadelphia Phillies including athletic trainer (1946–1947), coach (1948–1952), and interim manager (July 16 to 25, 1948).
• November 24 – Jim Russell, 69, outfielder who played from 1942 through 1951 for the Pittsburgh Pirates (1942–1947), Boston Braves (1948–1949) and Brooklyn Dodgers (1950–1951).
• November 27 – Babe Herman, 84, right fielder whose career spanned five different franchises in all or part of 13 seasons between 1926 and 1945, including stints with the Brooklyn Robins (1926–1931) and Dodgers (1945), who was a career .324 hitter and runner-up for the National League batting crown in 1929 with a .381 average, behind Philadelphia Phillies' Lefty O'Doul (.398), and in 1930 with a .393 mark, surpassed by New Tork Giants' Bill Terry (.401) and also the best in Dodgers history, being one of four big leaguers to hit for the cycle three times (twice in 1931), while setting other Dodgers records in a single season that lasted more than twenty years, including more home runs (35) and most total bases (416), although his career was overshadowed by a litany of injuries and for his baserunning and fielding lapses. ^[9]
• November 29 – Spencer Alexander, 71, outfielder for the 1940–1941 Newark Eagles of the Negro National League.

December

• December   4 – Carlos Colás, 70, Cuban catcher whose career included stints with the Negro leagues' New York Cubans and Memphis Red Sox, and service in the Mexican League; brother of José Colás.
• December   6 – Jim Johnson, 42, pitcher for the 1970 San Francisco Giants.
• December   7 – Ken Richardson, 72, infield and outfield utility man who played with the Philadelphia Athletics in 1942 and for the Philadelphia Phillies in 1946.
• December 10 – Whitey Moore, 75, pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds and St. Louis Cardinals in a span of six seasons from 1936 to 1942, including the Reds team that won the 1940 World Series championship.
• December 10 – Ollie West, 73, pitcher/outfielder whose 1942–1945 career was largely spent with the Chicago American Giants of the Negro American League.
• December 20 – Jake Eisenhart, 65, pitcher who played briefly with the Cincinnati Reds in its 1944 season.
• December 21 – Joe Sherman, 97, pitcher for the 1915 Philadelphia Athletics.
• December 22 – Bobby Hogue, 66, pitcher who appeared in 172 Major League games over five seasons from 1948 to 1952 for the Boston Braves, St. Louis Browns and New York Yankees, also a member of the 1951 World Series champion Yankees.
• December 24 – Nino Espinosa, 34, pitcher for the New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies and Toronto Blue Jays during eight seasons from 1974 to 1981.
• December 27 – Lefty Holmes, 80, pitcher whose Negro leagues career spanned 1929 to 1940, and included service on six different teams; brother of Philly Holmes.

Sources

1. Bots Nekola - Baseballbiography.com
2. Lost in History - From 1929 to 1931 the Philadelphia A's were the best team in baseball. Sports Illustrated Retrieved on December 18, 2018.
3. Bob Smith article by Warren Corbett. SABR Biography Project. Retrieved on December 19, 2018.
4. Bob Smith statistics. Baseball Reference. Retrieved on December 19, 2018.
5. Pinky Whitney batting and fielding statistics. Baseball Reference. Retrieved on December 19, 2018.
6. Fred Marshall Henry article. Wendell Historical Society website. Retrieved on December 21, 2018.
7. Washington Senators 5, New York Yankees 4 - Box Score. Game played at Yankee Stadium on April 25, 1927. Baseball Reference. Retrieved on December 22, 2018.
8. Hod Lisenbee article by Bill Nowlin. SABR Biography Project. Retrieved on December 22, 2018.
9. Babe Herman article by Greg Erion. SABR Biography Project. Retrieved on December 21, 2018.

External links

• Baseball portal

• Major League Baseball official website Archived 2014-09-13 at the Wayback Machine
• Minor League Baseball official website
• Baseball Almanac – Major League Baseball Players Who Died in 1987