This is a list of baseball players who died during their careers. While some of these deaths occurred during a game, the majority were the result of accidents off the field, illnesses, acts of violence, or suicide.
Repeated studies have shown that contemporary Major League Baseball players have a greater life expectancy than males in the general U.S. population — about five years more, on average, which is attributed to their superior fitness and healthy lifestyles. The longer the active career, the longer the player lives, on average. This correlation is attributed to the maintenance of fitness and increased wealth. [1]
This is a list of notable deaths in baseball and untimely deaths of active professional baseball players.
† | Elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame |
---|
The following Major League Baseball players died during their careers.
Minor league players are listed with their major league affiliate team, else denoted with a dagger (†) if their team was unaffiliated.
Player | Age | Position | Team | Cause of death | Year | Ref(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Lou Jackson | 33 | Outfielder | Sankei Atoms | pancreatic necrosis | 1969 | [107] |
Hiroyuki Oze | 24 | Outfielder | Orix Buffaloes | suicide | 2010 | [108] |
Yūsuke Kinoshita | 27 | Pitcher | Chunichi Dragons | myocarditis | 2021 | [109] |
Player | Age | Position | Team | Cause of death | Year | Ref(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Kim Young-Sin (baseball) | 24 | Catcher | OB Bears | Drowning suspected to be suicide | 1986 | [110] |
Kim Dae-Hyeon (pitcher, born 1962) | 26 | Pitcher | Haitai Tigers | car accident | 1988 | [111] |
Kim Sang-Jin (pitcher, born 1977) | 22 | Pitcher | Haitai Tigers | stomach cancer | 1999 | [112] |
Lee Kyoo-hwan (baseball) | 22 | Outfielder | Doosan Bears | fell down the stairs | 2012 | [113] |
Lee Doo-hwan | 24 | First baseman | KIA Tigers | Osteosarcoma | 2012 | [114] |
Lee Jang-hui (baseball) | 24 | Infielder | LG Twins | found dead after falling near a parking lot | 2013 | [115] |
Andy Marte | 33 | Infielder | kt wiz | car accident | 2017 | [116] |
Kim Sung-Hun (pitcher, born 1998) | 21 | pitcher | Hanwha Eagles | death in a fall from a building | 2019 | [117] |
Player | Age | Position | Team | Cause of death | Year | Ref(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Hartog Hamburger | 37 | Infielder | OVVO | hit by line drive ball on head | 1924 |
Player | Age | Position | Team | Cause of death | Year | Ref(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sang Ho Baek | 20 | Pitcher | George Mason | blood clot from complications from Tommy John surgery | 2021 | [124] |
Curtis Brenneman | 17 | Second baseman | Gettysburg | struck on head by a pitch | 1926 | [125] |
Derek Becker | 21 | Middle infielder | Keiser | homicide, gunshot | 2020 | [126] |
Chris Lane | 22 | Catcher | East Central | homicide, gunshot | 2013 | [127] |
Robert Brown | 19 | unknown | Howard County JC | electrocuted while erecting a foul pole that fell on a powerline | 1953 | [128] |
Randy Collins | 22 | Pitcher / Outfielder | Vanderbilt | automobile crash | 1973 | [129] |
Donny Everett | 19 | Pitcher | Vanderbilt | drowned | 2016 | [130] |
Joseph Geddings | 20 | Catcher | Appalachian State | struck on head by a pitch | 1964 | [131] |
Ira Goodlet | 18 | unknown | Arkansas Cumberland | struck on head by a pitch | 1908 | [132] |
James Mair | — | Second baseman | Monmouth | cerebral hemorrhage, collided with a teammate | 1896 | [133] |
Hervey Mangham | 19 | Right fielder | Louisiana State | struck on head by a pitch | 1908 | [134] |
Cassel Mowrey | 21 | First baseman | West Virginia | struck on head by a pitch | 1923 | [135] |
Gene Reynolds | 18 | unknown | Howard County JC | electrocuted while erecting a foul pole that fell on a powerline | 1953 | [128] |
Tim Trunk | 19 | Pitcher | Bradley | automobile crash | 1989 | [136] |
Walter Zorn | 19 | unknown | St. John's (Kansas) | struck on head by a pitch | 1950 | [137] |
Carl William Mays was an American baseball pitcher who played 15 seasons in Major League Baseball from 1915 to 1929. During his career, he won over 200 games, 27 in 1921 alone, and was a member of four World Series-champion teams. On August 16, 1920, Mays threw the pitch that fatally injured Ray Chapman of the Cleveland Indians, the only major league player to die as a direct result of an on-field injury.
Charles Albert "Chief" Bender was an American professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball during the 1900s and 1910s. In 1911, Bender tied a record by pitching three complete games in a single World Series. He finished his career with a 212–127 win–loss record for a .625 winning percentage and a career 2.46 earned run average (ERA).
Raymond Johnson Chapman was an American baseball player. He spent his entire career as a shortstop for the Cleveland Indians.
Michael Tyrone Sharperson was an American infielder in Major League Baseball who played for the Toronto Blue Jays (1987), Los Angeles Dodgers (1987–1993) and Atlanta Braves (1995). Sharperson batted and threw right-handed. He was born in Orangeburg, South Carolina.
Cory Fulton Lidle was an American professional baseball player. A right-handed pitcher, Lidle played in Major League Baseball with the New York Mets, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Oakland Athletics, Toronto Blue Jays, Cincinnati Reds, Philadelphia Phillies and the New York Yankees from 1997 to 2006. Lidle was killed when the small aircraft he owned crashed into a residential building in New York City.
Andy Manuel Marte was a Dominican professional baseball third baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Atlanta Braves, Cleveland Indians, and Arizona Diamondbacks. He also played in the KBO League for the KT Wiz. On January 22, 2017, Marte was killed in a car crash in the Dominican Republic.
Aurelio Alejandro López Rios was a Mexican professional baseball player. After pitching for several years in the Mexican League, he spent eleven seasons with four teams in Major League Baseball — a majority of it spent with the Detroit Tigers. He acquired the nickname "Señor Smoke" in Detroit, while he was known as "El Buitre de Tecamachalco" in Mexico. López was discovered in his hometown by Mexican League scouts and converted from a starting pitcher to a relief pitcher.
James Gerald "Lou" Gorman was an American baseball executive, and the former general manager of the Seattle Mariners and Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball. He spent more than three decades in baseball operations, as a general manager, assistant GM, farm system director or scouting director, and at the time of his death he was the Red Sox' executive consultant for public affairs with an emphasis on community projects. He also was the coordinator of the Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame, to which he was inducted in 2002.
Joshua Morgan Hancock was an American professional baseball pitcher, who played Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Boston Red Sox, Philadelphia Phillies, Cincinnati Reds, and St. Louis Cardinals. He was killed in an auto accident on April 29, 2007, at the age of 29.
Thomas David Gorman was an American pitcher and umpire in Major League Baseball who pitched five innings in four games with the New York Giants in 1939, and went on to serve as a National League umpire from 1951 to 1976, then as a league supervisor. His son Brian has been a major league umpire since 1991 and wears the same uniform number 9 the elder Gorman wore after the NL began adding numbers to umpire uniforms in 1970.
Sherrard Alexander Robertson was a Canadian-American utility player, front office executive, and coach in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played three outfield and three infield positions over his MLB career for the Washington Senators and Philadelphia Athletics, including 109 games as a second baseman, 104 as a right fielder and 98 as a third baseman.
James Evans "Grasshopper Jim" Whitney was an American professional baseball player. He was a right-handed pitcher over parts of ten seasons (1881–1890) with the Boston Red Caps/Beaneaters, Kansas City Cowboys, Washington Nationals, Indianapolis Hoosiers and Philadelphia Athletics (AA). He was the National League strikeout champion in 1883 with the Boston Beaneaters.
Edward Marvin Head was an American professional baseball player who pitched in the Major Leagues from 1940 to 1946.
Sean John Rodriguez is an American former professional baseball utility player who is currently a player development instructor for the Philadelphia Phillies. He previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Los Angeles Angels, Tampa Bay Rays, Pittsburgh Pirates, Atlanta Braves, Philadelphia Phillies and Miami Marlins. Rodriguez was drafted out of high school by the Angels in the third round of the 2003 Major League Baseball draft. He made his major league debut in 2008. While primarily a second baseman, Rodriguez played at every position in his MLB career except for catcher.
Nicholas James Adenhart was an American right-handed baseball starting pitcher who played parts of two seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. In just four career games, Adenhart pitched 18 innings and posted a win–loss record of 1–0.
Edward Hugo Cermak was an American professional baseball player. He played in one game in Major League Baseball for the Cleveland Blues on September 9, 1901. Starting the game in right field, he had four plate appearances and struck out in all four.
Charles A. Gray was an American baseball pitcher. He pitched five games in Major League Baseball, four of them as a starting pitcher.
José Delfín Fernández Gómez was a Cuban-born American professional baseball pitcher who played four seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He was a member of the Miami Marlins from 2013 until his death in 2016. He stood 6 feet 3 inches (1.91 m) tall and weighed 243 pounds (110 kg) during his playing career. He was affectionately known as "Niño" to his teammates and fans due to the youthful exuberance with which he played the game.
Oscar Francisco Taveras was a Dominican–Canadian professional baseball outfielder who played one season for the St. Louis Cardinals of Major League Baseball (MLB). Known as "El Fenómeno" in the Dominican Republic, the Cardinals signed him at age 16 in 2008 as an international amateur free agent and he made his MLB debut in 2014. Over six minor league seasons, he batted .321 with a .519 slugging percentage. He played all three outfield positions while spending most of the time in center field.
Yordano Ventura Hernández was a Dominican professional baseball pitcher for the Kansas City Royals of Major League Baseball (MLB). Ventura made his MLB debut on September 17, 2013. Known as a power pitcher, his fastball topped out at 102 mph in his career. He won the 2015 World Series with the Royals. On January 22, 2017, Ventura was killed in a car crash in the Dominican Republic.