1972 in baseball
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Labor strife and more moving

1972 was tainted by a players' strike over pension and salary arbitration. The strike erased the first week and a half of the season, and the Leagues decided to just excise the lost portion of the season with no makeups. As a result, an uneven number of games were cancelled for each team; some as few as six, some as many as nine. The lack of makeups of those games, even when they affected playoffs, led to the Boston Red Sox losing the American League East by half a game to the Detroit Tigers. 1972 marked the first year for the Texas Rangers, who had moved to Arlington from Washington, D.C. (where they played as the Washington Senators), after the season. There would be no baseball in D.C. until . The team was one of the worst ever fielded by the franchise, losing 100 games for the first time since . Manager
Ted Williams Theodore Samuel Williams (August 30, 1918 – July 5, 2002) was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played his entire 19-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career, primarily as a left fielder, for the Boston Red Sox from 1939 ...
hated living in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, and resigned at the end of the season. 1972 would mark the
Kansas City Royals The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team was founded as an expans ...
' final year at
Kansas City Municipal Stadium Kansas City Municipal Stadium was an American baseball and football stadium in the central United States, located in Kansas City, Missouri. It was located at the corner of Brooklyn Avenue and E. 22nd Street. Municipal Stadium hosted both the mi ...
, as the next year they would move to
Royals Stadium Kauffman Stadium (), often called "The K", is a baseball stadium located in Kansas City, Missouri. It is home to the Kansas City Royals of Major League Baseball (MLB). It is part of the Truman Sports Complex together with the adjacent Arrowhead S ...
(later named Kauffman Stadium) at the
Truman Sports Complex The Harry S. Truman Sports Complex is a sports and entertainment facility located in Kansas City, Missouri. It is home to two major sports venues: Arrowhead Stadium—home of the National Football League's Kansas City Chiefs, and Kauffman Stadiu ...
in suburban Kansas City. The
World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, contested since 1903 between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winner of the World ...
was won by the
Oakland Athletics The Oakland Athletics (often referred to as the A's) are an American professional baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. The te ...
, the first of three straight behind the bats of
Reggie Jackson Reginald Martinez Jackson (born May 18, 1946) is an American former professional baseball right fielder who played 21 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Kansas City / Oakland Athletics, Baltimore Orioles, New York Yankees, and Cali ...
and
Bert Campaneris Dagoberto Campaneris Blanco (born March 9, 1942), nicknamed "Bert" or "Campy", is a Cuban American former professional baseball shortstop, who played Major League Baseball (MLB) for four American League (AL) teams, primarily the Kansas City / ...
, and the pitching cadre of
Catfish Hunter James Augustus Hunter (April 8, 1946 – September 9, 1999), nicknamed "Catfish", was a professional baseball player in Major League Baseball (MLB). From to , he was a pitcher for the Kansas City/Oakland Athletics and New York Yankees. Hunter wa ...
,
Rollie Fingers Roland Glen Fingers (born August 25, 1946) is an American former right-handed relief pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for three teams between 1968 and 1985, when his effectiveness helped to redefine the value of relievers within baseba ...
and
Vida Blue Vida Rochelle Blue Jr. (born July 28, 1949) is a former American professional baseball player. He was a left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball between and , most notably as an integral member of the Oakland Athletics dynasty that won thr ...
. The year ended on a sad note when
Roberto Clemente Roberto Enrique Clemente Walker (; August 18, 1934 – December 31, 1972) was a Puerto Rican professional baseball right fielder who played 18 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Pittsburgh Pirates. After his early death, he was pos ...
died in an airplane crash off the coast of
San Juan, Puerto Rico San Juan (, , ; Spanish for "Saint John") is the capital city and most populous municipality in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2020 census, it is the 57th-largest city under the jur ...
, on New Year's Eve, while participating in aid efforts after the
1972 Nicaragua earthquake The 1972 Nicaragua earthquake occurred at 12:29:44 a.m. local time (06:29:44 UTC) on December 23 near Managua, the capital of Nicaragua. It had a moment magnitude of 6.3 and a maximum MSK intensity of IX (''Destructive''). The epicenter w ...
.


Champions


Major League Baseball

*
World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, contested since 1903 between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winner of the World ...
MVP:
Gene Tenace Fury Gene Tenace (; born Fiore Gino Tenacci; October 10, 1946), better known as Gene Tenace, is an American former professional baseball player and coach. He played as a catcher and first baseman in Major League Baseball from through , most notab ...
*
All-Star Game An all-star game is an exhibition game that purports to showcase the best players (the "stars") of a sports league. The exhibition is between two teams organized solely for the event, usually representing the league's teams based on region or div ...
, July 25 at
Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium, often referred to as Fulton County Stadium and originally named Atlanta Stadium, was a multi-purpose stadium in the southeastern United States, located in Atlanta. The stadium was home of the Atlanta Braves of the ...
: National League, 4–3 (10 innings);
Joe Morgan Joe Leonard Morgan (September 19, 1943 – October 11, 2020) was an American professional baseball second baseman who played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Houston Colt .45s / Astros, Cincinnati Reds, San Francisco Giants, ...
, MVP


Other champions

*
Amateur World Series The Baseball World Cup was an international tournament where national baseball teams from around the world competed. It was sanctioned by the International Baseball Federation (IBAF). Along with the World Baseball Classic, it was one of two activ ...
:
Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...
*
College World Series The College World Series (CWS), officially the NCAA Men's College World Series (MCWS), is an annual baseball tournament held in June in Omaha, Nebraska. The MCWS is the culmination of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Divisi ...
:
USC USC most often refers to: * University of South Carolina, a public research university ** University of South Carolina System, the main university and its satellite campuses **South Carolina Gamecocks, the school athletic program * University of ...
*
Japan Series The Japan Series ( , officially the Japan Championship Series, ), also the Nippon Series, :File:2014_JS_logo.png is the annual championship series in Nippon Professional Baseball, the top baseball league in Japan. It is a best-of-seven series ...
:
Yomiuri Giants The are a Japanese professional baseball team competing in Nippon Professional Baseball's Central League. Based in Bunkyo, Tokyo, they are one of two professional baseball teams based in Tokyo, the other being the Tokyo Yakult Swallows. They ...
over
Hankyu Braves The are a Nippon Professional Baseball team formed as a result of the 2004 Nippon Professional Baseball realignment by the merger of the Orix BlueWave of Kobe, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan, and the Osaka Kintetsu Buffaloes of Osaka, Osaka Prefectur ...
(4–1) *
Big League World Series The Big League World Series was a baseball tournament for youth aged 15 to 18 years old that began in 1968.
:
Orlando, Florida Orlando () is a city in the U.S. state of Florida and is the county seat of Orange County, Florida, Orange County. In Central Florida, it is the center of the Greater Orlando, Orlando metropolitan area, which had a population of 2,509,831, acco ...
*
Little League World Series The Little League World Series is an annual baseball tournament for children—typically boys—aged 10 to 12 years old, held in the Eastern United States. Originally called the National Little League Tournament, it was later renamed for the Wor ...
:
Taipei Taipei (), officially Taipei City, is the capital and a special municipality of the Republic of China (Taiwan). Located in Northern Taiwan, Taipei City is an enclave of the municipality of New Taipei City that sits about southwest of the n ...
,
Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...
*
Senior League World Series The Senior League World Series is a baseball tournament for adolescence aged 13 to 16 years old that began in 1961. In 2017, the tournament was moved from Bangor, Maine to Easley, South Carolina. (Easley was the site of the Big League World Seri ...
:
Pingtung, Taiwan Pingtung City (; Hokkien POJ: ''Pîn-tong-chhī'') is a county-administered city and the county seat of Pingtung County, Taiwan. History The area of modern-day Pingtung City was originally a village of the Taiwanese Plains Aborigines which the ...
Winter Leagues *
1972 Caribbean Series The fifteenth edition of the Caribbean Series (''Serie del Caribe'') was played in . It was held from February 1 through February 6 with the champions teams from Dominican Republic ( Aguilas Cibaeñas), Mexico (Algodoneros de Guasave), Puerto Rico ...
: Leones de Ponce * Dominican Republic League:
Águilas Cibaeñas The Águilas Cibaeñas (English lit. ''Cibaoan Eagles'') is a professional baseball team in the Dominican Republic's Dominican Professional Baseball League, winter baseball league. Founded on January 28, and based in Santiago de los Caballeros, S ...
*
Mexican Pacific League The Mexican Pacific League (), known as Liga ARCO Mexicana del Pacífico for sponsorship reasons or simply LMP for its acronym in Spanish, is a professional baseball winter league based in Northern Mexico. The ten-team regular season schedule run ...
:
Algodoneros de Guasave The Algodoneros de Guasave ( en, Guasave Cotton Growers) are a professional baseball team in the Mexican Pacific League based in Guasave, Sinaloa. They won the league championship in 1972. The team was purchased in April 2014 by a group of inves ...
*
Puerto Rican League Puerto, a Spanish word meaning ''seaport'', may refer to: Places * El Puerto de Santa María, Andalusia, Spain *Puerto, a seaport town in Cagayan de Oro City, Philippines * Puerto Colombia, Colombia * Puerto Cumarebo, Venezuela * Puerto Galera, O ...
: Leones de Ponce *
Venezuelan League The Venezuelan Professional Baseball League or Liga Venezolana de Béisbol Profesional (LVBP) is the professional baseball league in Venezuela. The league's champion takes part in the Caribbean Series each year. History Early years Baseball exp ...
:
Tigres de Aragua The Tigres de Aragua ( en, Aragua Tigers) is a baseball team that plays in the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League and represents the state of Aragua. Founded in 1965, the Tigres plays its home games at the Estadio José Pérez Colmenares i ...


Awards and honors

*
Baseball Hall of Fame The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is a history museum and hall of fame in Cooperstown, New York, operated by private interests. It serves as the central point of the history of baseball in the United States and displays baseball-r ...
**
Yogi Berra Lawrence Peter "Yogi" Berra (May 12, 1925 – September 22, 2015) was an American professional baseball catcher who later took on the roles of Manager (baseball), manager and Coach (baseball), coach. He played 19 seasons in Major League Baseball ...
**
Josh Gibson Joshua Gibson (December 21, 1911 – January 20, 1947) was an American baseball catcher primarily in the Negro leagues. Baseball historians consider Gibson among the best power hitters and catchers in baseball history. In 1972, he became the se ...
**
Lefty Gomez Vernon Louis "Lefty" Gomez (November 26, 1908 – February 17, 1989) was an American professional baseball player. A left-handed pitcher, Gomez played in Major League Baseball (MLB) between 1930 and 1943 for the New York Yankees and the Washingt ...
**
Will Harridge William Harridge (October 16, 1883 – April 9, 1971) was an American executive in professional baseball whose most significant role was as president of the American League (AL) from 1931 to 1959. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame by the ...
**
Sandy Koufax Sanford Koufax (; born Sanford Braun; December 30, 1935) is an American former left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB) who played his entire career for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers from 1955 to 1966. He has been hailed as one of t ...
**
Buck Leonard Walter Fenner "Buck" Leonard (September 8, 1907 – November 27, 1997) was an American first baseman in Negro league baseball and in the Mexican League. After growing up in North Carolina, he played for the Homestead Grays between 1934 and 1950, ...
**
Early Wynn Early Wynn Jr. (January 6, 1920 – April 4, 1999), nicknamed "Gus", was an American professional baseball right-handed pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Washington Senators, Cleveland Indians, and Chicago White Sox, dur ...
**
Ross Youngs Ross Middlebrook "Pep" Youngs (April 10, 1897 – October 22, 1927) was an American professional baseball player. Nicknamed "Pep", he played ten seasons in Major League Baseball for the New York Giants from 1917 through 1926, playing right field ...
*
Most Valuable Player In team sports, a most valuable player award, abbreviated 'MVP award', is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a particu ...
**
Dick Allen Richard Anthony Allen (March 8, 1942 – December 7, 2020) was an American professional baseball player. During his fifteen-year-long Major League Baseball (MLB) career, he played as a first baseman, third baseman, and outfielder, most notably ...
,
Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and p ...
, 1B (AL) **
Johnny Bench John Lee Bench (born December 7, 1947) is an American former professional baseball player. He played his entire Major League Baseball career, which lasted from through , with the Cincinnati Reds, primarily as a catcher. Bench was the leader of t ...
,
Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...
, C (NL) *
Cy Young Award The Cy Young Award is given annually to the best pitchers in Major League Baseball (MLB), one each for the American League (AL) and National League (NL). The award was first introduced in 1956 by Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick in honor of Hall ...
**
Gaylord Perry Gaylord Jackson Perry (September 15, 1938 – December 1, 2022) was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a right-handed pitcher for eight different teams from 1962 to 1983. During a 22-year baseb ...
,
Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. Since , they have played at Progressive F ...
(AL) **
Steve Carlton Steven Norman Carlton (born December 22, 1944) is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a left-handed pitcher for six different teams from 1965 to 1988, most notably as a member of the Philadelphi ...
,
Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. Since 2004, the team's home sta ...
(NL) * Rookie of the Year **
Carlton Fisk Carlton Ernest Fisk (born December 26, 1947), nicknamed "Pudge" and "The Commander", is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher from 1969 to 1993 for the Boston Red Sox (1969, 1971–1980) a ...
,
Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight ...
, C (AL) **
Jon Matlack Jonathan Trumpbour Matlack (born January 19, 1950) is an American former professional baseball player and coach. He played in Major League Baseball as a left-handed pitcher from through for the New York Mets and the Texas Rangers. The three-t ...
,
New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major league ...
, P (NL) *
Gold Glove Award The Rawlings Gold Glove Award, usually referred to as simply the Gold Glove, is the award given annually to the Major League Baseball (MLB) players judged to have exhibited superior individual fielding performances at each fielding position in bo ...
** George Scott (1B) (AL) **
Doug Griffin Douglas Lee Griffin (June 4, 1947 – July 27, 2016) was an American professional baseball second baseman who played for the California Angels and Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball (MLB). Early life Griffin played high school baseball at ...
(2B) (AL) **
Brooks Robinson Brooks Calbert Robinson Jr. (born May 18, 1937) is a former third baseman in Major League Baseball who played his entire career for the Baltimore Orioles from 1955 to 1977. Nicknamed "the Human Vacuum Cleaner" or "Mr. Hoover", he is generally c ...
(3B) (AL) **
Ed Brinkman Edwin Albert Brinkman (December 8, 1941 – September 30, 2008) was an American professional baseball player, coach and scout. He played for 15 seasons in Major League Baseball, principally as a shortstop, for the Washington Senators (1961–19 ...
(SS) (AL) **
Ken Berry Kenneth Ronald Berry (November 3, 1933 – December 1, 2018) was an American actor, dancer, and singer. Berry starred on the television series ''F Troop'', ''The Andy Griffith Show'', ''Mayberry R.F.D.'' and ''Mama's Family''. He also appea ...
(OF) (AL) ** Paul Blair (OF) (AL) **
Bobby Murcer Bobby Ray Murcer (May 20, 1946 – July 12, 2008) was an American professional baseball outfielder who played 17 seasons in Major League Baseball between 1965 and 1983. He played the majority of his career for the New York Yankees, whom he later ...
(OF) (AL) **
Carlton Fisk Carlton Ernest Fisk (born December 26, 1947), nicknamed "Pudge" and "The Commander", is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher from 1969 to 1993 for the Boston Red Sox (1969, 1971–1980) a ...
(C) (AL) **
Jim Kaat James Lee Kaat (; born November 7, 1938) is an American former professional baseball player and television sports commentator. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a left-handed pitcher for the Washington Senators / Minnesota Twins (–), ...
(P) (AL) **
Wes Parker Maurice Wesley Parker III (born November 13, 1939) is a former first baseman in Major League Baseball who played for the Los Angeles Dodgers from to . He also played one season in Japan for the Nankai Hawks in . As of 2009, Parker has been a me ...
(1B) (NL) **
Félix Millán Félix Bernardo Millán Martínez (born August 21, 1943) is a Puerto Rican former professional baseball second baseman, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Atlanta Braves and New York Mets. He holds one of the best at-bat to str ...
(2B) (NL) **
Doug Rader Douglas Lee Rader (born July 30, 1944), nicknamed "The Red Rooster", is a former third baseman in Major League Baseball who was known primarily for his defensive ability, winning five straight Gold Glove Awards from 1970 to 1974. Rader's career ...
(3B) (NL) **
Larry Bowa Lawrence Robert Bowa (born December 6, 1945) is an American former professional baseball shortstop, manager, and coach in Major League Baseball (MLB), who played for the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs, and New York Mets. Bowa went on to ma ...
(SS) (NL) **
César Cedeño César Cedeño Encarnación (born February 25, 1951) is a Dominican former professional baseball player and coach. He played in Major League Baseball as a center fielder from 1970 to 1986, most prominently as a member of the Houston Astros where ...
(OF) (NL) **
Roberto Clemente Roberto Enrique Clemente Walker (; August 18, 1934 – December 31, 1972) was a Puerto Rican professional baseball right fielder who played 18 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Pittsburgh Pirates. After his early death, he was pos ...
(OF) (NL) ** Willie Davis (OF) (NL) **
Johnny Bench John Lee Bench (born December 7, 1947) is an American former professional baseball player. He played his entire Major League Baseball career, which lasted from through , with the Cincinnati Reds, primarily as a catcher. Bench was the leader of t ...
(C) (NL) **
Bob Gibson Robert Gibson (born Pack Robert Gibson; November 9, 1935October 2, 2020) was an American professional baseball pitcher who played 17 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis Cardinals (1959–1975). Nicknamed "Gibby" and "Hoot" ( ...
(P) (NL)


Statistical leaders


Major league baseball final standings


American League final standings


National League final standings


Events


January–March

*January 13 –
Bernice Gera Bernice Shiner Gera (June 15, 1931 – September 23, 1992) was an American baseball umpire. She became the first woman to umpire a professional baseball game in 1972, retiring after one game citing the resentment of other umpires. Life Born in ...
wins a discrimination suit against organized baseball, opening the door for her to become the first female umpire in professional baseball. *January 19 – The
Baseball Writers' Association of America The Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA) is a professional association for journalists writing about Major League Baseball for daily newspapers, magazines and qualifying websites. The organization was founded in 1908, and is known fo ...
elects
Sandy Koufax Sanford Koufax (; born Sanford Braun; December 30, 1935) is an American former left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB) who played his entire career for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers from 1955 to 1966. He has been hailed as one of t ...
,
Yogi Berra Lawrence Peter "Yogi" Berra (May 12, 1925 – September 22, 2015) was an American professional baseball catcher who later took on the roles of Manager (baseball), manager and Coach (baseball), coach. He played 19 seasons in Major League Baseball ...
and
Early Wynn Early Wynn Jr. (January 6, 1920 – April 4, 1999), nicknamed "Gus", was an American professional baseball right-handed pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Washington Senators, Cleveland Indians, and Chicago White Sox, dur ...
to the
Baseball Hall of Fame The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is a history museum and hall of fame in Cooperstown, New York, operated by private interests. It serves as the central point of the history of baseball in the United States and displays baseball-r ...
. Koufax makes it in his first try and, at age of 36, is the youngest honoree in history. *January 20 – The Chicago Cubs trade
Johnny Callison John Wesley Callison (March 12, 1939 – October 12, 2006) was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for 16 seasons and is best known for the 10 years he spent with the Philadelphia Phillies as a right ...
to the New York Yankees for
Jack Aker Jackie Delane Aker (born July 13, 1940) is an American former professional baseball relief pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Kansas City / Oakland Athletics, Seattle Pilots, New York Yankees, Chicago Cubs, Atlanta Braves, ...
. *February 8 – Commissioner
Bowie Kuhn Bowie Kent Kuhn (; October 28, 1926 – March 15, 2007) was an American lawyer and sports administrator who served as the fifth Commissioner of Major League Baseball from February 4, 1969, to September 30, 1984. He served as legal counsel for Ma ...
announces that the Special Committee on the Negro Leagues has selected
Josh Gibson Joshua Gibson (December 21, 1911 – January 20, 1947) was an American baseball catcher primarily in the Negro leagues. Baseball historians consider Gibson among the best power hitters and catchers in baseball history. In 1972, he became the se ...
and
Buck Leonard Walter Fenner "Buck" Leonard (September 8, 1907 – November 27, 1997) was an American first baseman in Negro league baseball and in the Mexican League. After growing up in North Carolina, he played for the Homestead Grays between 1934 and 1950, ...
for the
Hall of Fame A hall, wall, or walk of fame is a list of individuals, achievements, or other entities, usually chosen by a group of electors, to mark their excellence or Wiktionary:fame, fame in their field. In some cases, these halls of fame consist of actu ...
. *March 16 – Reigning Cy Young and MVP award winner
Vida Blue Vida Rochelle Blue Jr. (born July 28, 1949) is a former American professional baseball player. He was a left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball between and , most notably as an integral member of the Oakland Athletics dynasty that won thr ...
announces his retirement. It will be a short one as he will join the
Oakland Athletics The Oakland Athletics (often referred to as the A's) are an American professional baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. The te ...
in May.


April–June

*April 1 – 13 – The first players' strike in baseball history wipes 6–8 games off the schedule of each MLB team. It is agreed that those games will be canceled (i.e., not even played to resolve pennant races). This results in teams not being scheduled for the same number of games in the 1972 season; the schedule imbalance would lead to the
Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, the club was f ...
edging the
Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight ...
by only one-half game to win the
American League East Division The American League East is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. MLB consists of an East, Central, and West division for each of its two 15-team leagues, the American League (AL) and National League (NL). This division was created before ...
championship. The strike results in the team owners adding salary
arbitration Arbitration is a form of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) that resolves disputes outside the judiciary courts. The dispute will be decided by one or more persons (the 'arbitrators', 'arbiters' or 'arbitral tribunal'), which renders the ' ...
to the
collective bargaining agreement A collective agreement, collective labour agreement (CLA) or collective bargaining agreement (CBA) is a written contract negotiated through collective bargaining for employees by one or more trade unions with the management of a company (or with an ...
, and increasing pension fund payments. *April 2 – With the sudden death of
Gil Hodges Gilbert Ray Hodges (''né'' Hodge; April 4, 1924 – April 2, 1972) was an American first baseman and manager in Major League Baseball (MLB) who played most of his 18-year career for the Brooklyn / Los Angeles Dodgers. He was widely regarded as t ...
,
Yogi Berra Lawrence Peter "Yogi" Berra (May 12, 1925 – September 22, 2015) was an American professional baseball catcher who later took on the roles of Manager (baseball), manager and Coach (baseball), coach. He played 19 seasons in Major League Baseball ...
is named manager of the
New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major league ...
. *April 16 – At
Wrigley Field Wrigley Field is a Major League Baseball (MLB) stadium on the North Side of Chicago, Illinois. It is the home of the Chicago Cubs, one of the city's two MLB franchises. It first opened in 1914 as Weeghman Park for Charles Weeghman's Chicago Wh ...
,
Burt Hooton Burt Carlton Hooton (born February 7, 1950), nicknamed "Happy", is an American former right-handed starting pitcher and former coach in Major League Baseball. He won 151 games over a 15-year career, mostly with the Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles D ...
of the
Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as part of the National League (NL) Central division. The club plays its home games at Wrigley Field, which is located ...
no-hits the
Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. Since 2004, the team's home sta ...
4–0. *April 21 – At
Arlington Stadium Arlington Stadium was a baseball stadium located in Arlington, Texas, United States, located between Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas. It served as the home for the Texas Rangers (MLB) from 1972 until 1993, after which the team moved into The Bal ...
, Frank Howard hits the first
home run In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...
in Texas Rangers history, a solo shot against
Clyde Wright Clyde Wright (born February 20, 1941), nicknamed "Skeeter", is an American former professional baseball player. A left-handed pitcher, he played all or part of ten seasons in Major League Baseball for the California Angels (1966–73), Milwauk ...
of the
California Angels The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. Since 1966, the team ha ...
. *May 11 – The
San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco, California. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1883 as the New Yor ...
trade
Willie Mays Willie Howard Mays Jr. (born May 6, 1931), nicknamed "the Say Hey Kid" and "Buck", is a former center fielder in Major League Baseball (MLB). Regarded as one of the greatest players ever, Mays ranks second behind only Babe Ruth on most all-tim ...
to the
New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major league ...
for minor league pitcher Charlie Williams and cash. *May 14 – In front of a
Mother's Day Mother's Day is a celebration honoring the mother of the family or individual, as well as motherhood, maternal bonds, and the influence of mothers in society. It is celebrated on different days in many parts of the world, most commonly in the ...
crowd of 35,000 in New York's
Shea Stadium Shea Stadium (), formally known as William A. Shea Municipal Stadium, was a multi-purpose stadium in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, Queens, New York City.Willie Mays Willie Howard Mays Jr. (born May 6, 1931), nicknamed "the Say Hey Kid" and "Buck", is a former center fielder in Major League Baseball (MLB). Regarded as one of the greatest players ever, Mays ranks second behind only Babe Ruth on most all-tim ...
makes a triumphant return to New York with the Mets, hitting a game-winning home run against his old teammates (the Giants). He scores in the 1st inning on
Rusty Staub Daniel Joseph "Rusty" Staub (April 1, 1944 – March 29, 2018) was an American professional baseball player and television color commentator. He played in Major League Baseball for 23 seasons as a right fielder, designated hitter, and first basem ...
's grand slam and his solo homer in the 5th inning snaps a 4–4 tie. The final score: Mets 5, Giants 4. *May 16 – Philadelphia Phillies rookie outfielder
Greg Luzinski Gregory Michael "The Bull" Luzinski (born November 22, 1950) is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a left fielder from to , most prominently as a member of the Philadelphia Phillies where he w ...
blasts a 500-foot home run off the
Liberty Bell The Liberty Bell, previously called the State House Bell or Old State House Bell, is an iconic symbol of American independence, located in Philadelphia. Originally placed in the steeple of the Pennsylvania State House (now renamed Independence ...
at
Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
's
Veterans Stadium Veterans Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, at the northeast corner of Broad Street and Pattison Avenue, part of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex. The seating capacities were 65,358 for footb ...
. *May 28 – The
Milwaukee Brewers The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division. The Brewers are named for t ...
fire manager
Dave Bristol James David Bristol (born June 23, 1933) is an American former manager in Major League Baseball in the 1960s and 1970s. He managed the Cincinnati Reds, Milwaukee Brewers, Atlanta Braves, and San Francisco Giants during this period. Success in th ...
, replacing him with
Del Crandall Delmar Wesley Crandall (March 5, 1930May 5, 2021) was an American professional baseball player and manager. He was born in Ontario, California. Crandall played as a catcher in Major League Baseball and spent most of his career with the Boston / ...
. Coach
Roy McMillan Roy is a masculine given name and a family surname with varied origin. In Anglo-Norman England, the name derived from the Norman ''roy'', meaning "king", while its Old French cognate, ''rey'' or ''roy'' (modern ''roi''), likewise gave rise t ...
takes over until Crandall arrives and guides the team to a 4–1 loss to the
Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight ...
. *June 18 – The
U.S. Supreme Court The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that involve a point o ...
rules 5–3 in favor of Major League Baseball in the lawsuit brought by
Curt Flood Curtis Charles Flood (January 18, 1938 – January 20, 1997) was an American professional baseball player and activist. He was a center fielder who played 15 seasons in Major League Baseball for the Cincinnati Redlegs, St. Louis Cardinals, ...
, upholding the
reserve clause The reserve clause, in North American professional sports, was part of a player contract which stated that the rights to players were retained by the team upon the contract's expiration. Players under these contracts were not free to enter into ano ...
. *June 24 – In the first game of a doubleheader between the visiting Auburn Phillies and Geneva Senators of the Class A New York–Pennsylvania League, Bernice Gera becomes the first woman to umpire a professional baseball game. She resigns between games after being verbally abused by some spectators and by some involved in the game.


July

*July 2 – San Francisco's
Willie McCovey Willie Lee McCovey (January 10, 1938 – October 31, 2018), nicknamed "Stretch", "Mac" and "Willie Mac", was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a first baseman from 1959 to 1980, most notably as a mem ...
hits his 14th career grand slam home run to pace the Giants 9–3 win over the
Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brooklyn ...
. Pitcher
Randy Moffitt Randall James "Randy" Moffitt (born October 13, 1948) is an American athlete. He was a baseball pitcher for the San Francisco Giants, Houston Astros and Toronto Blue Jays. Born in Long Beach, California, he is the younger brother of tennis star ...
wins his first major league game and receives a congratulatory telegram from his sister
Billie Jean King Billie Jean King (née Moffitt; born November 22, 1943) is an American former world No. 1 tennis player. King won 39 major titles: 12 in singles, 16 in women's doubles, and 11 in mixed doubles. King was a member of the victorious United States ...
, who is playing at
Wimbledon Wimbledon most often refers to: * Wimbledon, London, a district of southwest London * Wimbledon Championships, the oldest tennis tournament in the world and one of the four Grand Slam championships Wimbledon may also refer to: Places London * ...
. *July 4 – For the second time in his career,
Tom Seaver George Thomas Seaver (November 17, 1944 – August 31, 2020), nicknamed "Tom Terrific" and "the Franchise", was an American professional baseball pitcher who played 20 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for the New York Mets, Cinc ...
of the
New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major league ...
has a
no-hitter In baseball, a no-hitter is a game in which a team was not able to record a hit. Major League Baseball (MLB) officially defines a no-hitter as a completed game in which a team that batted in at least nine innings recorded no hits. A pitcher wh ...
broken up in the ninth. The bid is foiled in the first game of a doubleheader against the
San Diego Padres The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1969, the club has won two NL penna ...
at
Shea Stadium Shea Stadium (), formally known as William A. Shea Municipal Stadium, was a multi-purpose stadium in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, Queens, New York City.Leron Lee Leron Lee (born March 4, 1948) is an American former professional left fielder. He played eight seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals, Los Angeles Dodgers, Cleveland Indians and San Diego Padres of Major League Baseball (MLB). He then played eleve ...
single with one out, the only hit Seaver will allow in a 2–0 Met victory. Seaver had a bid for a
perfect game Perfect game may refer to: Sports * Perfect game (baseball), a complete-game win by a pitcher allowing no baserunners * Perfect game (bowling), a 300 game, 12 consecutive strikes in the same game * Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League, New York ...
broken up in the ninth against the
Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as part of the National League (NL) Central division. The club plays its home games at Wrigley Field, which is located ...
in . *July 9 –
Rich Reese Richard Benjamin Reese (born September 29, 1941) is an American former professional baseball player who played first base and outfield in the major leagues from through for the Minnesota Twins and Detroit Tigers. Born in Leipsic, Ohio, Reese th ...
of the
Minnesota Twins The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis. The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central Division. The team is named after the Twin Cities area w ...
ties a major league record in hitting his third
pinch-hit In baseball, a pinch hitter is a substitute Batting (baseball), batter. Batters can be substituted at any time while the dead ball (baseball), ball is dead (not in active play); the manager (baseball), manager may use any player who has not yet ...
grand slam home run. *July 11 ** At Oakland, Boston's
Marty Pattin Martin William Pattin (April 6, 1943 – October 3, 2018) was an American professional baseball player who appeared in 475 games in Major League Baseball as a right-handed pitcher. He pitched for the California Angels (1968), Seattle Pilots / Mi ...
has his no-hit bid foiled when
Reggie Jackson Reginald Martinez Jackson (born May 18, 1946) is an American former professional baseball right fielder who played 21 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Kansas City / Oakland Athletics, Baltimore Orioles, New York Yankees, and Cali ...
hits a 1-out single in the 9th inning. Boston wins 4–0. **
Billy Williams Billy Leo Williams (born June 15, 1938) is a former left fielder and coach in Major League Baseball (MLB) who played from 1959 to 1976, almost entirely for the Chicago Cubs. A six-time All-Star, Williams was named the 1961 National League (NL) ...
of the
Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as part of the National League (NL) Central division. The club plays its home games at Wrigley Field, which is located ...
goes 8-for-8 in a doubleheader against the
Houston Astros The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston, Texas. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division, having moved to the division in 2013 after ...
at
Wrigley Field Wrigley Field is a Major League Baseball (MLB) stadium on the North Side of Chicago, Illinois. It is the home of the Chicago Cubs, one of the city's two MLB franchises. It first opened in 1914 as Weeghman Park for Charles Weeghman's Chicago Wh ...
, hitting home runs in both games and driving in 4 runs. The Cubs lose the first game 6-5 but win the nightcap 9-5. **
Mickey Stanley Mitchell Jack "Mickey" Stanley (born July 20, 1942) is an American former professional baseball player. A native of Grand Rapids, Michigan, Stanley signed with the Detroit Tigers organization in 1960. After four years in the Tigers' minor league ...
hit a crucial 9th inning home run as the Detroit Tigers beat the Texas Rangers 6-5 to stay in the American League East race. *July 14 – In a game between the
Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, the club was f ...
and
Kansas City Royals The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team was founded as an expans ...
in Kansas City, the Tigers' catcher,
Tom Haller Thomas Frank Haller (June 23, 1937 – November 26, 2004) was an American professional baseball player, coach, and executive. He played as a catcher in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1961 to 1972, most notably as a member of the San Francisco Gi ...
, has his older brother Bill Haller right over his shoulder; the first time brothers have served as catcher and home plate umpire in the same Major League game. The Royals win 1–0. *July 18 – Against the
Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. Since 2004, the team's home sta ...
at
San Diego Stadium San Diego Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium on the West Coast of the United States, west coast of the United States, in San Diego, California. The stadium opened in 1967 as San Diego Stadium and was known as Jack Murphy Stadium from 1981 to 199 ...
, San Diego Padre pitcher
Steve Arlin Steven Ralph Arlin (September 25, 1945 – August 17, 2016) was an American pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the San Diego Padres and Cleveland Indians for six seasons. College star Born in Seattle, Arlin was a collegiate star at ...
has a
no-hitter In baseball, a no-hitter is a game in which a team was not able to record a hit. Major League Baseball (MLB) officially defines a no-hitter as a completed game in which a team that batted in at least nine innings recorded no hits. A pitcher wh ...
broken up with two out in the ninth by a
Denny Doyle Robert Dennis Doyle (January 17, 1944 – December 20, 2022) was an American professional baseball second baseman who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phillies, California Angels, and Boston Red Sox. Listed at and , h ...
single.Arlin misses no-hitter by a strike as ball bounces over Roberts' head
/ref> With two strikes on him, Doyle takes advantage of Padre manager
Don Zimmer Donald William Zimmer (January 17, 1931 – June 4, 2014) was an American infielder, manager, and coach in Major League Baseball (MLB). Zimmer was involved in professional baseball from 1949 until his death, a span of 65 years, across 8 d ...
's decision to play third baseman Dave Roberts in by slapping a ground ball that bounces over Roberts' head—a ball that Roberts could have fielded at normal depth. Doyle later advances to second on a balk, then scores on a
Tommy Hutton Thomas George Hutton (born April 20, 1946), is an American former professional baseball infielder-outfielder who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Philadelphia Phillies, Toronto Blue Jays, and Montreal Expos. ...
single. Arlin then retires
Greg Luzinski Gregory Michael "The Bull" Luzinski (born November 22, 1950) is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a left fielder from to , most prominently as a member of the Philadelphia Phillies where he w ...
on a fly ball to come away with a two-hitter (one of three he pitches on the season; he also hurls two one-hitters during a season in which he finishes 10–21) in a 5–1 Padre victory. This will be the closest any Padre comes to a no-hitter until
Joe Musgrove Joseph Anthony Musgrove (born December 4, 1992) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the San Diego Padres of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played within the Toronto Blue Jays, Houston Astros, and Pittsburgh Pirates organ ...
finally pitches the franchise's first, doing so on April 8, . *July 24 –
Leo Durocher Leo Ernest Durocher (French spelling Léo Ernest Durocher) (; July 27, 1905 – October 7, 1991), nicknamed "Leo the Lip" and "Lippy", was an American professional baseball player, manager (baseball), manager and coach (baseball), coach. He playe ...
steps down as manager of the Chicago Cubs and is replaced by
Whitey Lockman Carroll Walter "Whitey" Lockman (July 25, 1926 – March 17, 2009) was a left-handed hitting first baseman and outfielder, coach, manager and front office executive in Major League Baseball. Playing career Born in Lowell, North Carolina, Lockman ...
. *July 25 – At
Atlanta Stadium Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
, the
National League The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team s ...
wins the
All-Star Game An all-star game is an exhibition game that purports to showcase the best players (the "stars") of a sports league. The exhibition is between two teams organized solely for the event, usually representing the league's teams based on region or div ...
over the
American League The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league ...
4–3, behind hometown hero
Hank Aaron Henry Louis Aaron (February 5, 1934 – January 22, 2021), nicknamed "Hammer" or "Hammerin' Hank", was an American professional baseball right fielder who played 23 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), from 1954 through 1976. One of the gre ...
's two-run home run and
Joe Morgan Joe Leonard Morgan (September 19, 1943 – October 11, 2020) was an American professional baseball second baseman who played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Houston Colt .45s / Astros, Cincinnati Reds, San Francisco Giants, ...
's 10th-inning RBI single. Morgan is named MVP. It is the seventh time the classic has gone into extra innings. *July 31 –
Minnesota Twins The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis. The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central Division. The team is named after the Twin Cities area w ...
hurler
Bert Blyleven Bert Blyleven (born Rik Aalbert Blijleven, April 6, 1951) is a Dutch-American former professional baseball pitcher who played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1970 to 1992, primarily with the Minnesota Twins. Blyleven recorded 3,701 ...
gives up two
inside-the-park home runs In baseball, an inside-the-park home run is a play where a batter hits a home run without hitting the ball out of the baseball field, field of play. It is also known as an "inside-the-parker", "in-the-park home run", or "in-the-park homer". Discu ...
to
Dick Allen Richard Anthony Allen (March 8, 1942 – December 7, 2020) was an American professional baseball player. During his fifteen-year-long Major League Baseball (MLB) career, he played as a first baseman, third baseman, and outfielder, most notably ...
of the
Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and p ...
. The next time this feat occurs in the major leagues, Blyleven is again on the mound—watching teammate Greg Gagne circling the bases twice on October 4,
1986 The year 1986 was designated as the International Year of Peace by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** Aruba gains increased autonomy from the Netherlands by separating from the Netherlands Antilles. **Spain and Portugal ente ...
.


August-September

*August 1 – At
Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium, often referred to as Fulton County Stadium and originally named Atlanta Stadium, was a multi-purpose stadium in the southeastern United States, located in Atlanta. The stadium was home of the Atlanta Braves of the ...
,
Nate Colbert Nathan Colbert Jr. (April 9, 1946 – January 5, 2023) was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a first baseman from 1966 to 1976, most prominently as a member of the newly formed San Diego Padre ...
of the
San Diego Padres The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1969, the club has won two NL penna ...
ties
Stan Musial Stanley Frank Musial (; born Stanislaw Franciszek Musial; November 21, 1920 – January 19, 2013), nicknamed "Stan the Man", was an American baseball outfielder and first baseman. Widely considered to be one of the greatest and most consis ...
's 18-year record by hitting five home runs in a doubleheader against the
Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. The Braves ...
. He hits two in the first game, won by the Padres 9–0, and three more in the nightcap, which San Diego also wins, 11–7. Musial had hit five home runs in a May 2, doubleheader—with Colbert, then eight years old, in attendance. *August 17 - Steve Carlton of the Philadelphia Phillies won his 15th consecutive game with a 9-4 victory over the Cincinnati Reds. *August 29 –
Jim Barr James Leland Barr (born February 10, 1948) is an American former professional baseball right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB) who played for the San Francisco Giants (1971–1978, 1982–1983) and California Angels (1979–1980). ...
of the
San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco, California. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1883 as the New Yor ...
retires the first twenty batters in today's game. Added to the last twenty one batters he retired in his previous game, it establishes a record for consecutive batters retired. It will be tied in
2007 File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple's first iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakistani Prime Minister of Pakistan, Pr ...
by relief pitcher
Bobby Jenks Robert Scott Jenks (born March 14, 1981) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago White Sox and Boston Red Sox from 2005 through 2011. According to the ''Baseball Almanac'', his ...
. *September 2 – At
Wrigley Field Wrigley Field is a Major League Baseball (MLB) stadium on the North Side of Chicago, Illinois. It is the home of the Chicago Cubs, one of the city's two MLB franchises. It first opened in 1914 as Weeghman Park for Charles Weeghman's Chicago Wh ...
, Chicago Cub pitcher
Milt Pappas Milton Steven Pappas (May 11, 1939 – April 19, 2016) was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a right-handed pitcher from through . Nicknamed "Gimpy", the 17-year veteran pitched for the Baltimore Ori ...
no-hits the
San Diego Padres The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1969, the club has won two NL penna ...
8–0. Pappas retires the first 26 batters and comes to within one strike of a
perfect game Perfect game may refer to: Sports * Perfect game (baseball), a complete-game win by a pitcher allowing no baserunners * Perfect game (bowling), a 300 game, 12 consecutive strikes in the same game * Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League, New York ...
with a 2–2 count to pinch-hitter
Larry Stahl Larry Floyd Stahl (born June 29, 1941) is an American retired professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball from 1964 to 1973 for the Kansas City Athletics, New York Mets, San Diego Padres, and Cincinnati Reds. Stahl was s ...
, but home-plate umpire
Bruce Froemming Bruce Neal Froemming (; born September 28, 1939) is Major League Baseball Special Assistant to the Vice President on Umpiring, after having served as an umpire in Major League Baseball. He first umpired in the National League in 1971, and from 200 ...
calls the next two pitches, both of which are close, balls. Undeterred, Pappas ends the game by retiring the next batter, ex-Cub
Garry Jestadt Garry Arthur Jestadt (born March 19, 1947), is a retired American Major League Baseball infielder who played for the Montreal Expos, San Diego Padres and Chicago Cubs for all or portions of three seasons ( and –). Jestadt graduated from Fremon ...
. Not until
Carlos Zambrano Carlos Alberto Zambrano Matos (born June 1, 1981), nicknamed "Big Z" or "El Toro", is a Venezuelan former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 2001 to 2012 for the Chicago Cubs and Miami Marlins. Zambrano ...
in would the Cubs be involved in a no-hitter (either in pitching it or having it pitched against them), and the next no-hitter at Wrigley won't come until
Cole Hamels Colbert Michael Hamels (born December 27, 1983), nicknamed "Hollywood", is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phillies (2006–2015), Texas Rangers ( ...
of the
Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. Since 2004, the team's home sta ...
no-hits the Cubs in . The perfect game bid is also the only one, to date, to be broken up on a walk to the 27th batter. *September 8 –
Ferguson Jenkins Ferguson Arthur "Fergie" Jenkins CM (born December 13, 1942) is a Canadian former professional baseball pitcher and coach. He played Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1965 to 1983 for the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs, Texas Rangers and ...
wins his 20th game for the 6th straight year in a 4–3 win over the Philadelphia Phillies in
Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
. *September 15 – Steve Carlton beats the
Montreal Expos The Montreal Expos (french: link=no, Les Expos de Montréal) were a Canadian professional baseball team based in Montreal, Quebec. The Expos were the first Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise located outside the United States. They played in t ...
5–3, raising his record to 24–9. The rest of the
Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. Since 2004, the team's home sta ...
pitchers have a combined record of 26–80. *September 20 –
Milt Pappas Milton Steven Pappas (May 11, 1939 – April 19, 2016) was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a right-handed pitcher from through . Nicknamed "Gimpy", the 17-year veteran pitched for the Baltimore Ori ...
wins his 200th game as a major leaguer, defeating the Montreal Expos 6–2 at Wrigley Field. *September 21 – The
Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Founded as part of the American Associati ...
clinch the National League East title with a 6–2 victory over the Mets. *September 22 – The
Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...
clinch the National League West crown with a 4–3 road victory over the
Houston Astros The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston, Texas. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division, having moved to the division in 2013 after ...
. *September 30 – During the Pirates' 5–0 win over the Mets at Pittsburgh's
Three Rivers Stadium Three Rivers Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, from 1970 to 2000. It was home to the Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball (MLB) and the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). Built ...
,
Roberto Clemente Roberto Enrique Clemente Walker (; August 18, 1934 – December 31, 1972) was a Puerto Rican professional baseball right fielder who played 18 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Pittsburgh Pirates. After his early death, he was pos ...
hits a double off New York's
Jon Matlack Jonathan Trumpbour Matlack (born January 19, 1950) is an American former professional baseball player and coach. He played in Major League Baseball as a left-handed pitcher from through for the New York Mets and the Texas Rangers. The three-t ...
in the 4th inning to get his 3,000th and final regular season hit in the major leagues.


October–December

*October 2 – In the first game of a doubleheader at
Jarry Park Jarry Park (french: Parc Jarry) is an urban park in the Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension borough of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Jarry Park has total area of 36 hectares. It is considered by the City of Montreal as one of its large park ...
,
Bill Stoneman William Hambly Stoneman III (born April 7, 1944) is an American former professional baseball player and executive who, during his eight-year (–) pitching career in Major League Baseball, threw two no-hitters; then, as general manager of the Ana ...
of the
Montreal Expos The Montreal Expos (french: link=no, Les Expos de Montréal) were a Canadian professional baseball team based in Montreal, Quebec. The Expos were the first Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise located outside the United States. They played in t ...
no-hits the
New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major league ...
7–0. The no-hitter is 1) the second of Stoneman's career (the first having come on April 17, —only nine games into the Expos' existence), 2) the first no-hitter ever pitched in a regular season game in Canada, and 3) the latest, calendar-wise, that a regular-season no-hitter has been pitched, tied with Addie Joss' perfect game in
1908 Events January * January 1 – The British ''Nimrod'' Expedition led by Ernest Shackleton sets sail from New Zealand on the ''Nimrod'' for Antarctica. * January 3 – A total solar eclipse is visible in the Pacific Ocean, and is the 46 ...
. *October 3 – The
Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, the club was f ...
clinch the American League East as
Woodie Fryman Woodrow Thompson Fryman (April 12, 1940 – February 4, 2011), was an American professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for six teams, across 18 seasons (–). A two-time National League (NL) All-Star, he helped th ...
beats
Luis Tiant Luis Clemente Tiant Vega () (born November 23, 1940) is a Cuban former Major League Baseball (MLB) right-handed starting pitcher. He pitched in MLB for 19 years, primarily for the Cleveland Indians and the Boston Red Sox. Tiant compiled a 22 ...
of the
Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight ...
3–1 for his 10th win. Detroit's
Chuck Seelbach Charles Frederick Seelbach (born March 20, 1948) is a former right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball. He played for the Detroit Tigers between 1971 and 1974. Amateur career In 1967, Seelbach played collegiate summer baseball with the Orlea ...
picks up his 14th save and
Al Kaline Albert William Kaline ( ; December 19, 1934 – April 6, 2020), nicknamed "Mr. Tiger", was an American professional baseball right fielder who played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Detroit Tigers. For most of his career, Kal ...
singles in the winning run for Detroit. *October 8 – The Oakland Athletics won Game 2 of the
1972 American League Championship Series The 1972 American League Championship Series was held October 7–12, and matched the Oakland Athletics () and Detroit Tigers () for the right to go to the 1972 World Series. The first two games were played at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseu ...
5–0 over the Detroit Tigers. A key moment from that game occurred when Oakland's
Bert Campaneris Dagoberto Campaneris Blanco (born March 9, 1942), nicknamed "Bert" or "Campy", is a Cuban American former professional baseball shortstop, who played Major League Baseball (MLB) for four American League (AL) teams, primarily the Kansas City / ...
who was having a great series hurled his bat at Detroit Tiger pitcher
Lerrin LaGrow Lerrin Harris LaGrow (born July 8, 1948) is an American former professional baseball pitcher, who played 10 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) with the Detroit Tigers (), (–), St. Louis Cardinals (), Chicago White Sox (–), Los Angeles Dod ...
. Campaneris was fined and suspended for the rest of the series. *October 11 – The
Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Founded as part of the American Associati ...
carry a lead into the bottom of the ninth of the final game of the
NLCS The National League Championship Series (NLCS) is a best-of-seven playoff and one of two League Championship Series comprising the penultimate round of Major League Baseball's (MLB) postseason. It is contested by the winners of the two National ...
. The Reds'
Johnny Bench John Lee Bench (born December 7, 1947) is an American former professional baseball player. He played his entire Major League Baseball career, which lasted from through , with the Cincinnati Reds, primarily as a catcher. Bench was the leader of t ...
homers to tie the game. After some runners reach base, the Pirates' pitcher,
Bob Moose Robert Ralph Moose Jr. (October 9, 1947 – October 9, 1976) was an American professional baseball player. He played his entire career in Major League Baseball as a right-handed pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates from through . Moose was a memb ...
, unleashes a wild pitch, permitting the pennant clinching run to score. *October 22 – The
Oakland Athletics The Oakland Athletics (often referred to as the A's) are an American professional baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. The te ...
win the
World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, contested since 1903 between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winner of the World ...
with a 3–2 victory in Game Seven over the
Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...
.
Gene Tenace Fury Gene Tenace (; born Fiore Gino Tenacci; October 10, 1946), better known as Gene Tenace, is an American former professional baseball player and coach. He played as a catcher and first baseman in Major League Baseball from through , most notab ...
, who had only five home runs in the regular season, hit four in the Series and is named MVP. *November 8 – The
St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals hav ...
bring
Tim McCarver James Timothy McCarver (born October 16, 1941) is an American former professional baseball player and television sports commentator. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher from to , most prominently as a member of the St. Louis Cardinal ...
back to St. Louis, sending
Jorge Roque Jorge Roque Vargas (born April 29, 1950, in Ponce, Puerto Rico) is a former professional baseball baseball player, player who was an outfielder for 65 games played, career games in Major League Baseball for the St. Louis Cardinals from to and t ...
to the
Montreal Expos The Montreal Expos (french: link=no, Les Expos de Montréal) were a Canadian professional baseball team based in Montreal, Quebec. The Expos were the first Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise located outside the United States. They played in t ...
in exchange. *November 22 – Future Hall of Fame catcher
Johnny Bench John Lee Bench (born December 7, 1947) is an American former professional baseball player. He played his entire Major League Baseball career, which lasted from through , with the Cincinnati Reds, primarily as a catcher. Bench was the leader of t ...
of the
Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...
wins his second National League MVP Award in three years. Bench beats out
Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as part of the National League (NL) Central division. The club plays its home games at Wrigley Field, which is located ...
outfielder
Billy Williams Billy Leo Williams (born June 15, 1938) is a former left fielder and coach in Major League Baseball (MLB) who played from 1959 to 1976, almost entirely for the Chicago Cubs. A six-time All-Star, Williams was named the 1961 National League (NL) ...
, who also ran second to Bench in the 1970 MVP balloting. *November 25 –
Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Founded as part of the American Associati ...
outfielder
Roberto Clemente Roberto Enrique Clemente Walker (; August 18, 1934 – December 31, 1972) was a Puerto Rican professional baseball right fielder who played 18 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Pittsburgh Pirates. After his early death, he was pos ...
wins his 12th consecutive Gold Glove Award and
Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brooklyn ...
first baseman
Wes Parker Maurice Wesley Parker III (born November 13, 1939) is a former first baseman in Major League Baseball who played for the Los Angeles Dodgers from to . He also played one season in Japan for the Nankai Hawks in . As of 2009, Parker has been a me ...
his sixth in a row. Neither will play in 1973. *November 27 – In a great trade for New York, the
Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. Since , they have played at Progressive F ...
swap third baseman
Graig Nettles Graig Nettles (born August 20, 1944), nicknamed "Puff", is an American former Major League Baseball third baseman. During a 22-year baseball career, he played for the Minnesota Twins (1967–1969), Cleveland Indians (1970–1972), New York Yankee ...
and catcher
Jerry Moses Gerald Braheen Moses (August 9, 1946 – March 27, 2018) was an American professional baseball player. A catcher, he signed a bonus contract with the Boston Red Sox in and spent his early Major League Baseball career with the Bosox, but over the ...
to the
New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Amer ...
for catcher
John Ellis John Ellis may refer to: Academics *John Ellis (scrivener) (1698–1791), English political writer *John Ellis (naturalist) (1710–1776), English botanical illustrator *John Ellis (physicist, born 1946), British theoretical physicist at CERN * Jo ...
, infielder
Jerry Kenney Gerald Tennyson Kenney (born June 30, 1945) is an American former Major League Baseball infielder. He is from Beloit, Wisconsin. Baseball career The second hit of his major league career was an inside-the-park home run with the New York Yankees i ...
, and outfielders
Charlie Spikes Leslie Charles Spikes (born January 23, 1951) is a former Major League Baseball outfielder who played from 1972 through 1980 for the New York Yankees, Cleveland Indians, Detroit Tigers, and Atlanta Braves. He also played 26 games for the Chunichi ...
and
Rusty Torres Rosendo "Rusty" Torres Hernández (born September 30, 1948) is a former professional baseball outfielder. He played all or part of nine seasons in Major League Baseball for five different teams. In an odd coincidence, Torres happened to be in the ...
. *November 28 – In a blockbuster intrastate trade satisfactory for both teams, the
Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brooklyn ...
send
Frank Robinson Frank Robinson (August 31, 1935 – February 7, 2019) was an American professional baseball outfielder and manager in Major League Baseball (MLB) who played for five teams, from to . The only player to be named Most Valuable Player (MVP) of bot ...
,
Bill Singer William Robert Singer (born April 24, 1944) is an American former professional baseball pitcher with a 14-year career from 1964 to 1977. He played primarily for the Los Angeles Dodgers (1964–72) and the California Angels (1973–75), spending hi ...
,
Mike Strahler Michael Wayne Strahler (March 14, 1947 – July 14, 2016) was an American baseball player who played as a pitcher in the Major League Baseball. He pitched from 1970 to 1973 for the Los Angeles Dodgers and Detroit Tigers. He was traded from the 19 ...
,
Bobby Valentine Robert John Valentine (born May 13, 1950), nicknamed "Bobby V", is an American former professional baseball player and manager. He also served as the athletic director at Sacred Heart University. Valentine played for the Los Angeles Dodgers (196 ...
and
Billy Grabarkewitz Billy Cordell Grabarkewitz (born January 18, 1946) is an American former professional baseball infielder, who played seven years in Major League Baseball (MLB). Early years Grabarkewitz lettered in baseball, basketball, football, golf and track ...
to the
California Angels The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. Since 1966, the team ha ...
in exchange for
Andy Messersmith John Alexander "Andy" Messersmith (born August 6, 1945) is a former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. During a 12-year baseball career, he pitched for the California Angels (1968–72), Los Angeles Dodgers (1973–75 and 1979), Atlanta B ...
and Ken McMullen. In 1973, Robinson will hit .266 with 30 home runs with 97 RBI in 147 games, and Singer will combine with
Nolan Ryan Lynn Nolan Ryan Jr. (born January 31, 1947), nicknamed "the Ryan Express", is an American former professional baseball pitcher and sports executive. Over a record 27-year playing career in Major League Baseball (MLB) spanning four decades, Ryan ...
to strike out 674 batters, to set a 20th-century major league record for two pitching teammates. Messersmith will win 39 games in the next two seasons for the Dodgers and finish second in the 1974 Cy Young Award voting. *December 10 – The
American League The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league ...
votes unanimously to adopt the
designated hitter The designated hitter (DH) is a baseball player who bats in place of another position player, most commonly the pitcher. The position is authorized by Major League Baseball Rule 5.11. It was adopted by the American League in 1973 and later by th ...
rule on a three-year experimental basis. The DH will replace the pitcher in the lineup unless otherwise noted before the start of the game. In the December
1975 It was also declared the ''International Women's Year'' by the United Nations and the European Architectural Heritage Year by the Council of Europe. Events January * January 1 - Watergate scandal (United States): John N. Mitchell, H. R. ...
meeting, the AL will vote to permanently adopt the DH. The National League declines to follow suit. *December 31 –
Roberto Clemente Roberto Enrique Clemente Walker (; August 18, 1934 – December 31, 1972) was a Puerto Rican professional baseball right fielder who played 18 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Pittsburgh Pirates. After his early death, he was pos ...
and 4 other people die in a plane crash off the coast of Puerto Rico en route to delivering relief supplies to earthquake victims in Nicaragua.


Births


January

*January 1 – Rafael Roque *January 2 –
Garrett Stephenson Garrett Charles Stephenson (born January 2, 1972), is a retired Major League Baseball pitcher. He played eight seasons in the majors, from 1996–2003. Stephenson's father, Rich, pitched briefly in the Pittsburgh Pirates system and the family ...
*January 9 – Jay Powell *January 11 –
Jermaine Allensworth Jermaine Lamont Allensworth (born January 11, 1972) is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He played four seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), from 1996 until 1999, for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Kansas City Royals and the New Yo ...
*January 12 –
Rich Loiselle Richard Frank Loiselle (born January 12, 1972) is an American former professional baseball relief pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB) who played for the Pittsburgh Pirates over parts of six seasons spanning 1996–2001. Listed at 6' 5", 225 lb ...
*January 13 –
Akinori Otsuka (born January 13, 1972) is a retired Japanese baseball pitcher who coaches for the Chunichi Dragons in Nippon Professional Baseball. He was formerly the set-up man for the San Diego Padres and the Texas Rangers. He was also the closer for Jap ...
*January 17 – Walt McKeel *January 18 – Keith Glauber *January 18 –
Mike Lieberthal Michael Scott "Lieby" Lieberthal (born January 18, 1972) is an American former Major League Baseball catcher. He batted and threw right-handed. In a 14-year career, Lieberthal played for the Philadelphia Phillies (–) and the Los Angeles Dodge ...
*January 20 –
Matt Beech Lucas Matthew Beech (born January 20, 1972) is a professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball with the Philadelphia Phillies from 1996 to 1998. In 2005, Beech played for the Erie SeaWolves of the Eastern League. As an inde ...
*January 20 – Tim Kubinski *January 21 –
Alan Benes Alan Paul Benes (born January 21, 1972) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball from 1995 to 2003 for the St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago Cubs and Texas Rangers. He stood at and weighed . Amateur car ...
*January 25 –
José Macías José Prado Macías Salazar (born January 25, 1972) is a retired utility man who played in Major League Baseball for the Detroit Tigers, Montreal Expos and Chicago Cubs in all of parts of seven seasons spanning 1999–2005. Listed at 5' 10", ...
*January 27 –
Greg Martinez Gregory Alfred Martinez (born January 27, 1972) is a former professional outfielder. Martinez was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in the twenty-fourth round of the 1993 Major League Baseball Draft. He played with the team at the Major League Bas ...
*January 28 – Steve Falteisek *January 28 –
Chris Peters Christopher Michael Peters (born January 28, 1972) is a retired Major League Baseball pitcher. He played during six seasons at the major league level for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Montreal Expos. Career He was drafted by the Pirates in the 37th ...
*January 28 –
Tsuyoshi Shinjo , also known as , is a former Japanese professional baseball outfielder and current manager for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). Born on January 28, 1972, Shinjo is the second Japanese-born position player ...
*January 28 –
Bryan Ward Bryan Matthew Ward (born January 28, 1972) is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. Ward played for the Chicago White Sox, Philadelphia Phillies, and the Anaheim Angels from to . He batted and threw left-handed. Career Bryan Ward graduated in ...
*January 29 –
Morgan Burkhart Morgan Burkhart (born January 29, 1972) is a former first baseman/designated hitter in Major League Baseball who played for the Boston Red Sox (–) and Kansas City Royals (). He was a switch hitter and threw left-handed. He is currently the batt ...
*January 29 –
Julio Mosquera Julio Alberto Mosquera Cervantes (born January 29, 1972) is a Panamanian professional baseball player and coach. Mosquera is currently the acting manager of the Charlotte Knights. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher for the Toronto Bl ...


February

*February 1 –
Rich Becker Richard Godhard "Rich" Becker (born February 1, 1972) is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Minnesota Twins, New York Mets, Baltimore Orioles, Milwaukee Brewers, Oakland Athletic ...
*February 2 – Jared Fernandez *February 2 –
Melvin Mora Melvin Mora Diaz (born February 2, 1972) is a Venezuelan-American former professional baseball infielder. He played for the New York Mets, Baltimore Orioles, Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks of Major League Baseball (MLB). From h ...
*February 11 –
Brian Daubach Brian Michael Daubach (born February 11, 1972) is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) player and current hitting coach for the Rochester Red Wings. During his playing career Daubach served as a first baseman, outfielder, and designated ...
*February 20 –
Shane Spencer Michael Shane Spencer (born February 20, 1972) is a former Major League Baseball outfielder. In Major League Baseball, he played a total of 538 games for the New York Yankees, Texas Rangers, Cleveland Indians, and New York Mets, compiling 438 hit ...
*February 22 –
John Halama John Thadeuz Halama (born February 22, 1972) is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. During his major league career, Halama played with the Houston Astros (), Seattle Mariners (–), Oakland Athletics (), Tampa Bay Devil Rays (), Boston Red Sox ...
*February 23 –
Rondell White Rondell Bernard White (born February 23, 1972) is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as an outfielder and designated hitter. As well as being a solid defensive player, White also had a batting aver ...


March

*March 1 –
Omar Daal Omar Jesús Daal Cordero (born March 1, 1972) is a Venezuelan former professional baseball pitcher, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for 11 seasons (–). He played for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Montreal Expos, Toronto Blue Jays, Arizona ...
*March 1 – Jimmy Hurst *March 3 – Mike Romano *March 4 –
Bruce Aven David Bruce Aven (born March 4, 1972) is a former Major League Baseball outfielder. Aven attended and played baseball for the Lamar University Cardinals. Aven played for four different ball clubs during his career: the Cleveland Indians (1997, 2 ...
*March 4 –
Mark Wegner Mark Patrick Wegner (born March 4, 1972) is an American Major League Baseball umpire. He worked in the National League from 1998 to 1999, and throughout both major leagues since 2000. He was promoted to Crew Chief for the 2018 MLB season when Dale ...
*March 10 –
Rob Stanifer Robert Wayne Stanifer (born March 10, 1972) is an American former relief pitcher who pitched for the Florida Marlins and Boston Red Sox of the Major League Baseball (MLB). He also pitched one season for the Hiroshima Toyo Carp of the Nippon Prof ...
*March 11 –
Salomón Torres Salomón Torres Ramirez (born March 11, 1972) is a Dominican former professional baseball player. He began his career in with the San Francisco Giants, and also played for the Seattle Mariners, Montreal Expos, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Milwaukee Br ...
*March 12 –
George Arias George Alberto Arias (born March 12, 1972) is a former baseball player in Major League Baseball and Nippon Professional Baseball. Career Arias was drafted by the California Angels in the seventh round of the 1993 Major League Baseball draft aft ...
*March 20 –
Jason McDonald Jason Adam McDonald (born March 20, 1972), is an American former professional baseball player who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) primarily as an outfielder for the Oakland Athletics and Texas Rangers from 1997 to 2000. McDonald attende ...
*March 22 –
Cory Lidle Cory Fulton Lidle (March 22, 1972 – October 11, 2006) 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 Ja ...
*March 24 – José Cabrera *March 24 –
Steve Karsay Stefan Andrew Karsay (born March 24, 1972) is an American former professional baseball pitcher and coach. Karsay played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Oakland Athletics (1993–94, 1997, 2006), Cleveland Indians (1998–2001), Atlanta Brav ...
*March 25 –
Howard Battle Howard Dion Battle (born March 25, 1972) is a former third baseman in Major League Baseball. Battle spent parts of three seasons in the majors with the Toronto Blue Jays, Philadelphia Phillies and Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are an Am ...
*March 26 –
Jason Maxwell Jason Ramond Maxwell (born March 26, 1972) is an American former professional baseball player. Primarily an infielder, Maxwell first played in 1998 for the Chicago Cubs. Maxwell played the 2000 and 2001 seasons with the Minnesota Twins The Mi ...
*March 27 –
Creighton Gubanich Creighton Wade Gubanich (born March 27, 1972) is an American former professional baseball player who played briefly in the Major league baseball (MLB) in 1999 for the Boston Red Sox. Gubanich's primary position was catcher, though he also made tw ...
*March 27 –
Adam Melhuse Adam Michael Melhuse (born March 27, 1972) is an American former professional baseball catcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Colorado Rockies, Oakland Athletics and Texas Rangers (baseball), Texas Rangers. ...
*March 29 –
Alex Ochoa Alex Ochoa (; born March 29, 1972) is a Cuban-American former professional baseball outfielder in Major League Baseball and Nippon Professional Baseball. Career Ochoa played in part of eight seasons for the New York Mets, Minnesota Twins, Milwau ...
*March 30 –
Wilson Heredia Wilson Heredia (born March 30, 1972) is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played two seasons with the Texas Rangers. He batted and threw right-handed. Career Heredia was signed by the Rangers as an amateur free agent prior to the 1990 ...


April

*April 3 – Steve Soderstrom *April 4 – Guillermo Garcia *April 4 – Jeff Sparks *April 4 –
Matt Wagner Matt Wagner (born October 9, 1961) is an American comics artist and writer who is best known as the creator of the series ''Mage'' and ''Grendel (comics), Grendel''. Career Matt Wagner's first published comic book work was ''Comico Primer'' #2 ( ...
*April 6 –
Marty Malloy Marty Thomas Malloy (born July 6, 1972) is a former Major League Baseball second baseman who played two seasons, and current manager of the Clearwater Threshers. He played with the Atlanta Braves for 11 games during the 1998 season, and the Flor ...
*April 10 –
Shayne Bennett Shayne Anthony Bennett (born 10 April 1972) is a former Australian rules footballer who played for North Adelaide in the South Australian National Football League (SANFL), and was a right-handed baseball pitcher, who last played in Major Leag ...
*April 11 –
Robin Jennings Robin Christopher Jennings (born April 11, 1972) is a Singaporean-born American former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago Cubs, Oakland Athletics, Colorado Rockies, and Cincinnati Reds. He i ...
*April 11 – Bobby M. Jones *April 11 –
Jason Varitek Jason Andrew Varitek (; born April 11, 1972), nicknamed Tek, is an American professional baseball coach and former catcher. He is currently the game planning coordinator, a uniformed coaching position, for the Boston Red Sox. After being traded a ...
*April 12 –
Paul Lo Duca Paul Anthony Lo Duca (born April 12, 1972) is an American retired professional baseball player and television personality. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers (–), Florida Marlins (2004–, ), New York Met ...
*April 12 –
Alfonso Márquez Alfonso Márquez (born April 12, 1972) is a Mexican umpire in Major League Baseball (MLB) who worked in the National League in 1999 and has worked throughout both major leagues since 2000. He was promoted to crew chief for the 2020 season, becom ...
*April 14 –
Roberto Mejía Roberto Antonio Mejía Díaz (born April 14, 1972) is a Dominican former professional baseball second baseman. He played all or part of four seasons in Major League Baseball between 1993 and 1997, and one season in the Korea Baseball Organizatio ...
*April 15 –
Ricky Otero Ricardo Otero (born April 15, 1972, in Vega Baja, Puerto Rico) is a retired Major League Baseball player who played outfielder from to . He played for the Philadelphia Phillies and New York Mets The New York Mets are an American profession ...
*April 16 –
Antonio Alfonseca Antonio Alfonseca (; ; born April 16, 1972) is a Dominican former relief pitcher. He last pitched in Major League Baseball for the Philadelphia Phillies in . Alfonseca also played for the Florida Marlins (–, ), the Chicago Cubs (–), the Atla ...
*April 17 – Gary Bennett *April 21 – Keith Williams *April 24 –
Chipper Jones Larry Wayne "Chipper" Jones Jr. (born April 24, 1972) is an American former professional baseball third baseman who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Atlanta Braves from 1993 to 2012. The Braves chose Jones with the first overall p ...
*April 25 – Micah Franklin *April 26 – Brian Anderson *April 26 – Francisco Córdova *April 26 –
Felipe Lira Felipe Antonio Lira (born April 26, 1972) is a Venezuelan former Major League Baseball pitcher who played for the Detroit Tigers (-), Seattle Mariners (1997-) and Montreal Expos (-). He batted and threw right-handed. Career In a six-year career ...
*April 27 –
Chad Zerbe William Chad Zerbe (born April 27, 1972) is a former professional baseball relief pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball for the San Francisco Giants from 2000 to 2003. Career Zerbe played nine seasons in minor league baseball before making ...


May

*May 1 –
Bobby Chouinard Robert William Chouinard (born May 1, 1972) is a Filipino-American former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He is the only person born in the Philippines to play Major League Baseball. Chouinard played high school baseball at Forest ...
*May 1 –
Fausto Cruz Fausto Santiago Cruz (born May 1, 1972) is a former Dominican Major League Baseball infielder. He played for the Oakland Athletics during the and seasons and the Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team ...
*May 3 –
Darren Dreifort Darren James Dreifort (born May 3, 1972) is an American former Major League Baseball pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Early career Dreifort played baseball in High School at Wichita Heights High School and was drafted out of High School by th ...
*May 4 –
Manny Aybar Manuel Antonio Aybar (born May 4, 1972) is a retired pitcher who has played in Major League Baseball and Korea Baseball Organization. He bats and throws right-handed. Aybar began his professional career in as a shortstop in the St. Louis Cardi ...
*May 10 – Marino Santana *May 11 –
Cam Cairncross Cameron Cairncross (born 11 May 1972) is a former left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who debuted for the Cleveland Indians on 20 July 2000, and pitched his final game on 1 October of that same season. Cairncross was born in Cairns, Q ...
*May 18 –
Jaime Bluma James Andrew Bluma (born May 18, 1972) is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played for one season. He pitched in 17 games for the Kansas City Royals during the 1996 Kansas City Royals season. Bluma is member of the Sports Hall of Fame at ...
*May 18 –
Mike Jerzembeck Michael Joseph Jerzembeck (born May 18, 1972) is an American former Major League Baseball pitcher who played for the New York Yankees in 1998. Amateur career A native of Queens, New York, Jerzembeck attended the University of North Carolina, and ...
*May 19 –
Scott McClain Scott Michael McClain (born May 19, 1972) is a former Major League Baseball third baseman who is a scout in Nippon Professional Baseball. A versatile athlete, he played quarterback for Atascadero High School in Atascadero, California and signed ...
*May 24 –
Danny Bautista Daniel Bautista Alcántara (born May 24, 1972) is a Dominican former Major League Baseball outfielder. Bautista was signed by the Detroit Tigers in 1989. In 1993, he joined the major leagues with the Tigers. Although he hit for an average of . ...
*May 24 –
Gabe González Gabriel González (born May 24, 1972) is an American former Major League Baseball pitcher who played for one season. He pitched for the Florida Marlins for three games during the 1998 Florida Marlins season The Florida Marlins' 1998 season was t ...
*May 28 –
Tilson Brito Tilson Manuel Brito Jiménez (born May 28, 1972 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic) is a Dominican former professional baseball third baseman. He played Major League Baseball, KBO League baseball, and Chinese Professional Baseball League baseba ...
*May 28 – Joe Rosselli *May 30 –
Scott Eyre Scott Alan Eyre (born May 30, 1972), is an American former professional baseball left-handed pitcher, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago White Sox, Toronto Blue Jays, San Francisco Giants, Chicago Cubs, and Philadelphia Phil ...
*May 30 –
Manny Ramírez Manuel Arístides Ramírez Onelcida (born May 30, 1972) is a Dominican Americans (Dominican Republic), Dominican-American former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for parts of 19 seasons. He played with ...
*May 31 – Dave Roberts


June

*June 2 –
Raúl Ibañez Raúl Javier Ibañez (; born June 2, 1972) is a Cuban-American former professional baseball left fielder in Major League Baseball (MLB) now serving as Senior Vice President of On-Field Operations for MLB. He played 11 of his 19 big league season ...
*June 2 – Chance Sanford *June 3 –
Bryan Rekar Bryan Robert Rekar (born June 3, 1972) is a former American professional baseball pitcher who played for the Colorado Rockies, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, and Kansas City Royals of Major League Baseball (MLB) during an 8-year career. Career Colorado Ro ...
*June 5 –
Mike Coolbaugh Michael Robert Coolbaugh (June 5, 1972 – July 22, 2007) was an American baseball player and coach. Born in Binghamton, New York, he was the brother of major leaguer Scott Coolbaugh. Coolbaugh died after being hit by a line drive while worki ...
*June 6 –
Tony Graffanino Anthony Joseph Graffanino (; born Graffagnino, June 6, 1972) is a former American Major League Baseball second baseman, third baseman, and shortstop. Career Graffanino was primarily a contact hitter (just 481 strikeouts in 2787 big-league at-ba ...
*June 6 –
Brooks Kieschnick Michael Brooks Kieschnick (born June 6, 1972) is an American former professional baseball left fielder and pitcher. The only player to win the Dick Howser Trophy twice, he is a College Baseball Hall of Fame inductee. He played in Major League Base ...
*June 6 – Jeff Williams *June 13 –
Darrell May Darrell Kevin May (born June 13, 1972) is an American former professional baseball starting pitcher. Career May's professional baseball career began when the Atlanta Braves drafted him in the 46th round of the 1992 Major League Baseball Draft. ...
*June 15 –
Tony Clark Anthony Christopher Clark (born June 15, 1972) is an American professional baseball player and executive. He played in Major League Baseball as a first baseman from 1995 to 2009 and is the sixth executive director of the Major League Baseball P ...
*June 15 –
Ramiro Mendoza Ramiro Mendoza (born June 15, 1972), nicknamed "El Brujo" (The Witch Doctor), is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. Mendoza played with the New York Yankees (1996–2002, 2005) and Boston Red Sox (2003–04). He batted and threw right-handed. ...
*June 15 –
Andy Pettitte Andrew Eugene Pettitte (; born June 15, 1972) is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played 18 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), primarily for the New York Yankees. He also pitched for the Houston Astros. Pettitte won fiv ...
*June 19 – Kazuhiro Wada *June 20 –
Paul Bako Gabor Paul Bako II (; born June 20, 1972) is an American former catcher in Major League Baseball. Bako is an example of a baseball "journeyman", having played for 11 different major league teams during his 12-year career. He is officially listed ...
*June 20 –
Juan Castro Juan Gabriel Castro (born June 20, 1972), is a Mexican former professional baseball infielder, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Cincinnati Reds, Minnesota Twins, Baltimore Orioles, and Philadelphia Phillies, ...
*June 22 –
Miguel del Toro Miguel Alfonso Del Toro Gastelum (June 22, 1972 – October 6, 2001) was a professional baseball pitcher. Born in Mexico, Del Toro pitched for the San Francisco Giants during the and seasons. Career Del Toro was a member of the Pittsburgh Pi ...
*June 25 –
Carlos Delgado Carlos Juan Delgado Hernández (born June 25, 1972) is a Puerto Rican former professional baseball player and coach. He played in Major League Baseball primarily as a first baseman, from 1993 to 2009, most prominently as a member of the Toronto ...
*June 30 –
Garret Anderson Garret Joseph Anderson (born June 30, 1972) is an American former professional baseball left fielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the California / Anaheim Angels / Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Atlanta Braves, and Los Angeles D ...
*June 30 –
Jim Stoops James Wellington Stoops (born June 30, 1972) is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball for one season with the Colorado Rockies in three games during the 1998 season. Stoops attended Franklin High ...


July

*July 5 –
Bo Porter Marquis Donnell "Bo" Porter (born July 5, 1972) is a former MLB player. He is also a coach who was most recently a special assistant to the Braves GM and former third base/outfield and base running coach for the Atlanta Braves of Major League Ba ...
*July 6 –
Greg Norton Gregory James Norton (born March 13, 1959) is an American musician, formerly of the band Hüsker Dü. Early life Norton was born in Davenport, Iowa, as this was the most local Catholic hospital to his family’s home in Rock Island, Illinois. He ...
*July 11 – Mark Little *July 12 –
Kelly Wunsch Kelly Douglas Wunsch (born July 12, 1972) is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) pitcher who played for the Chicago White Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers from 2000 to 2005. Amateur career A native of Houston, Texas, Wunsch attended Texas ...
*July 13 –
Clint Sodowsky Clint Rea Sodowsky (born July 13, 1972) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Detroit Tigers, Pittsburgh Pirates, Arizona Diamondbacks, and St. Louis Cardinals. Sodowsky was drafted ...
*July 15 –
Wilson Delgado Wilson Delgado Durán (born July 15, 1972 in San Cristobal, Dominican Republic) is a former professional baseball player who played shortstop in the major leagues from -. Career Delgado was originally signed in 1992 by the Seattle Mariners, but ...
*July 16 –
Robbie Beckett Robbie Beckett (born July 16, 1972) is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. Career In 1990, he was drafted in the first round (25th) by the San Diego Padres in the amateur draft out of McCallum High School in Austin, Texas. Starting out for t ...
*July 19 – Brian Smith *July 21 –
Kimera Bartee Kimera Anotchi Bartee (July 21, 1972 – December 20, 2021) was an American professional baseball outfielder and coach. Bartee played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Detroit Tigers, Cincinnati Reds, and Colorado Rockies from 1996 to 20 ...
*July 24 –
Shawn Wooten William Shawn Wooten (born July 24, 1972) is the assistant major league hitting coach for the Los Angeles Angels. He is a former professional baseball player. He played all or parts of five seasons in Major League Baseball with the Anaheim Angels ...


August

*August 1 –
Freddy García Freddy Antonio García (born October 6, 1976), is a former Venezuelan professional baseball pitcher. He is best known for his many seasons with seven Major League Baseball (MLB) franchises, including the Seattle Mariners, Chicago White Sox, and ...
*August 3 – Wendell Magee *August 4 –
Steve Bourgeois Steven James Bourgeois (born August 4, 1972), is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in with the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball (MLB). He batted and threw right-handed. Bourgeois had a 1–3 record, with a 6 ...
*August 5 –
John Wasdin John Truman Wasdin (born August 5, 1972) is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1995 to 2007, and also played in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). Wasdin made his MLB debut in 1995 wit ...
*August 6 –
Duane Singleton Duane Earl Singleton (born August 6, 1972) is a former Major League Baseball center fielder. Singleton was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in the fifth round of the 1990 Major League Baseball Draft The 1990 Major League Baseball ( MLB) Dra ...
*August 7 –
Kerry Lacy Kerry Ardeen Lacy (born August 7, 1972) is a former relief pitcher in Major League Baseball who played from through for the Boston Red Sox. Listed at , 195 lb., he batted and threw right-handed. In a two-season career, Lacy posted a 3–1 ...
*August 9 –
Dusty Allen Dustin R. Allen (born August 9, 1972) is a retired Major League Baseball (MLB) player who primarily played first base in 2000. He played for the Detroit Tigers and San Diego Padres. Early life Allen was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. He atten ...
*August 9 –
Jeff Zimmerman Jeffrey Ross Zimmerman (born August 9, 1972) is a Canadian former professional baseball pitcher. He pitched in Major League Baseball from 1999 to 2001 for the Texas Rangers. Baseball career Independent baseball Zimmerman played baseball in the ...
*August 11 –
Andrew Lorraine Andrew Jason Lorraine (born August 11, 1972) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1994 to 2002 for the California Angels, Chicago White Sox, Oakland Athletics, Seattle Mariners, Chicag ...
*August 14 –
David Manning Sir David Geoffrey Manning, (born 5 December 1949) is a former British diplomat, who was the List of Ambassadors from the United Kingdom to the United States, British Ambassador to the United States from 2003 to 2007. He authored the so-called ...
*August 15 – Chris Singleton *August 17 –
Jeff Abbott Jeff Abbott (born 1963) is a U.S. suspense novelist. He has degrees in History and English from Rice University. He lives in Austin, Texas. Before writing full-time, he was a creative director at an advertising agency. His early novels were trad ...
*August 19 –
Jed Hansen Jed Ramon Hansen (born August 19, 1972, in Tacoma, Washington) is a former Major League Baseball second baseman who played for three seasons. He played for the Kansas City Royals from 1997 to 1999, playing in 87 career games. External links

...
*August 20 –
Mike Porzio Lawrence Michael Porzio (born August 20, 1972) is a former pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Colorado Rockies and Chicago White Sox in parts of three seasons spanning 1999–2003. He last pitched professionally in 2008 for the Br ...
*August 21 –
Dean Crow Paul Dean Crow (born August 21, 1972) is former Major League Baseball (MLB) pitcher. Crow played for the Detroit Tigers in . Career Crow attended Stratford High School in Houston, Texas, and played collegiate baseball at the University of Miami ...
*August 22 – Steve Kline *August 23 –
Raul Casanova Raul, Raúl and Raül are the Italian, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish, Galician, Asturian, Basque, Aragonese, and Catalan forms of the Anglo-Germanic given name Ralph or Rudolph. They are cognates of the French Raoul. Raul, Raúl or Raül may re ...
*August 24 – Mike Grzanich *August 24 –
Kurt Miller Kurt Everett Miller (born August 24, 1972) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played parts of five seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), between 1994 and 1999, for the Chicago Cubs and Florida Marlins. He also played in two ...
*August 24 –
Chris Prieto Christian Michael Prieto (born August 24, 1972) is a former professional baseball player who played one season in Major League Baseball for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in . Prieto attended Carmel High School, and the University of Nevada. ...
*August 25 –
Andy Abad Fausto Andrés Abad (born August 25, 1972) is an American former professional baseball player. Listed at 6' 1" (1.85 m), 184 lb. (83 k), Abad batted and threw left handed. He is also known as ''Tulile'' (to-lee'-leh) in the Dominican Republi ...
*August 25 – Mike Welch *August 28 –
Jay Witasick Gerald Alphonse "Jay" Witasick Jr. (; born August 28, 1972) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He pitched all or parts of 12 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1996 to 2007, primarily as a relief pitcher. High school an ...
*August 30 – José Herrera


September

*September 1 –
Kevin Orie Kevin Leonard Orie (born September 1, 1972) is an American former professional baseball third baseman. He is an alumnus of Indiana University, where he was a standout for the Hoosiers baseball team. Career Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs selected ...
*September 2 –
Pat Watkins Patrick Watkins (born December 18, 1982) is a former American football safety in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys and San Diego Chargers. He also was a member of the Toronto Argonauts and Edmonton Eskimos in the Canadian Foo ...
*September 4 – Darrell Einertson *September 5 –
Jimmy Haynes Jimmy Wayne Haynes (born September 5, 1972) is an American former professional baseball right-handed pitcher. Haynes was selected by the Baltimore Orioles in the 7th round of the 1991 Major League Baseball Draft. He made his Major League Baseball ...
*September 7 –
Jason Isringhausen Jason Derik Isringhausen ( born September 7, 1972) is an American former professional baseball pitcher and coach. He pitched in Major League Baseball from 1995 through 2012 for the New York Mets, Oakland Athletics, St. Louis Cardinals, Tampa Bay ...
*September 7 –
Willie Morales William Anthony Morales (born September 7, 1972 in Tucson, Arizona) is a retired Major League Baseball catcher who played for the Baltimore Orioles in . Morales attended the University of Arizona, and in 1991 he played collegiate summer baseball ...
*September 9 –
Mike Hampton Michael William Hampton, Jr. (born September 9, 1972) is an American former professional baseball player. Hampton played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a pitcher from 1993 through 2010. He pitched for the Seattle Mariners, Houston Astros, New ...
*September 9 – Félix Rodríguez *September 13 –
Nelson Cruz Nelson Ramón Cruz Martínez Jr. (born July 1, 1980) is a Dominican-American professional baseball designated hitter and right fielder who is currently a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Milwaukee Brewers, Texas ...
*September 13 –
Chan Perry Chan Everett Perry (born September 13, 1972) is a former American college and professional baseball player who was a utility infielder and outfielder in Major League Baseball (MLB) for parts of two seasons during the early 2000s. He played colle ...
*September 14 – David Bell *September 16 –
Brian Tollberg Brian Patrick Tollberg (born September 16, 1972) is a former starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played from 2000 through 2003 for the San Diego Padres. Listed at 6' 3", 195 lb., Tollberg batted and threw right handed, He was born in T ...
*September 17 – Brady Raggio *September 21 –
Scott Spiezio Scott Edward Spiezio (; born September 21, 1972) is an American former professional baseball infielder. He is well-known for his time as a member of the Anaheim Angels, when he hit a three-run home run in Game Six of the 2002 World Series against ...
*September 21 – Shannon Withem *September 23 –
Pep Harris Hernando Petrocelli Harris (born September 23, 1972) is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played for the California/Anaheim Angels of Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1996 to 1998. Career In the seventh round of the 1991 draf ...
*September 26 –
Fumiya Nishiguchi , (born September 26, 1972) is a Japanese baseball player. He is a right-handed pitcher in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball for the Saitama Seibu Lions The are a professional baseball team in Japan's Pacific League based north of Tokyo i ...
*September 30 –
Curtis Goodwin Curtis La Mar Goodwin (born September 30, 1972) is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Baltimore Orioles, Cincinnati Reds, Colorado Rockies, Chicago Cubs, and Toronto Blue Jays. He ...
*September 30 –
José Lima José Desiderio Rodriguez Lima (September 30, 1972 – May 23, 2010) was a Dominican right-handed pitcher who spent 13 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) with the Detroit Tigers (1994–1996, 2001–2002), Houston Astros (1997–2001), Kan ...


October

*October 2 –
Rafael Carmona Rafael Carmona (October 2, 1972 – August 2, 2021) was a former Major League Baseball pitcher for the Seattle Mariners. He played for them from - with his best season being . He appeared in 53 games, mostly relief, and went 8–3 with a 4.28 ERA ...
*October 2 –
Trey Moore Warren Neal “Trey” Moore III (born October 2, 1972), is a former American professional baseball pitcher. He pitched parts of three seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), between and , for the Montreal Expos and Atlanta Braves. He also play ...
*October 4 –
Adam Riggs Adam David Riggs (born October 4, 1972) is a former professional baseball first baseman. He played parts of four years in Major League Baseball, but is better known for the four seasons he spent with the Tokyo Yakult Swallows of the Japanese Centr ...
*October 5 –
Yamil Benítez Yamil Antonio Benítez (born October 5, 1972) is a former right-handed outfielder, who last played for the Arizona Diamondbacks. He also played for the Montreal Expos and the Kansas City Royals in his career. He was an outfielder who played in 16 ...
*October 5 –
Aaron Guiel Aaron Colin Guiel (; born October 5, 1972) is a Canadian former professional baseball outfielder. Career Minor leagues and Mexico Guiel was drafted out of Kwantlen College by the California Angels in the 21st round of the 1992 Major League Base ...
*October 6 –
Valerio de los Santos Valerio Lorenzo de los Santos (born October 6, 1972) is a Dominican former professional baseball pitcher. Milwaukee Brewers De los Santos was originally signed by the Milwaukee Brewers as an amateur free agent in 1993. He started his profession ...
*October 6 –
Benji Gil Romar Benjamin Gil Aguilar (born October 6, 1972) is a Mexican former professional baseball infielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Texas Rangers and Anaheim Angels. He is infield coach for the Los Angeles Angels of MLB, and ...
*October 8 – Willie Adams *October 9 –
Steve Gibralter Stephan Benson Gibralter is a former Major League Baseball player who was born in Dallas, Texas on October 9, 1972. He played parts of two seasons for the Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based i ...
*October 10 –
Mike Holtz Michael James Holtz (born October 10, 1972) is an American former professional baseball middle relief pitcher who played from through for the California / Anaheim Angels (1996–2001), Oakland Athletics (2002), San Diego Padres (2002), and Bost ...
*October 10 – Ramón Martínez *October 19 –
Keith Foulke Keith Charles Foulke ( ; born October 19, 1972) is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher. A graduate of Hargrave High School in Huffman, Texas, Foulke attended Galveston College and Lewis–Clark State College. Between 1997 and 2008, he p ...
*October 19 –
Joe McEwing Joseph Earl McEwing (born October 19, 1972) is an American former professional baseball player who spent most of his career with the New York Mets, where he played from through . Nicknamed "Super Joe", he was the prototypical utility player who ...
*October 19 –
Marc Newfield Marc Alexander Newfield (born October 19, 1972) is an American former professional baseball player from to who played for the Seattle Mariners, San Diego Padres, and Milwaukee Brewers of Major League Baseball (MLB). In 1996, he was one of thre ...
*October 23 – Giomar Guevara *October 26 –
Armando Almanza Armando N. Almanza (born October 26, 1972) is an American former left-handed relief pitcher, who last played for the Arizona Diamondbacks of Major League Baseball (MLB). He also played for the Florida Marlins and the Atlanta Braves. He was a hard- ...
*October 27 –
Brad Radke Brad William Radke (born October 27, 1972) is an American former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher who played his entire 12 season career with the Minnesota Twins. Radke won 148 career games and was one of the most consistent pitchers in ...
*October 29 – Richie Barker *October 31 – Chris Clemons


November

*November 2 – Travis Miller *November 3 –
Armando Benítez Armando Benítez (born November 3, 1972) is a Dominican former major league relief pitcher. Benítez debuted with the Baltimore Orioles in 1994 and within a few years became their closer. He was a reliever for several other organizations after Ba ...
*November 6 –
Deivi Cruz Deivi Cruz Garcia (born November 6, 1972) is a Dominican former professional baseball shortstop. Cruz played at the Major League Baseball level for nine seasons (-) with the Detroit Tigers, San Diego Padres, Baltimore Orioles, San Francisco Giant ...
*November 6 – Matt Skrmetta *November 7 – Travis Smith *November 10 –
Shawn Green Shawn David Green (born November 10, 1972) is an American former Major League Baseball right fielder. Green was a 1st round draft pick and a two-time major league All-Star. He drove in 100 runs four times and scored 100 runs four times, hit ...
*November 10 –
Greg LaRocca Gregory Mark LaRocca (born November 10, 1972) is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) second baseman who played for the San Diego Padres and Cleveland Indians between 2000 and 2003. He also played in the Nippon Professional Baseball le ...
*November 11 –
Danny Rios Daniel Rios (born November 11, 1972) is a former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB), the KBO League, and Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). Rios's repertoire included a sharp slider, change-up and fastball ar ...
*November 12 –
Homer Bush Homer Giles Bush (born November 12, 1972) is an American former professional baseball second baseman. He played for the New York Yankees, Toronto Blue Jays and Florida Marlins of Major League Baseball from 1997 to 2002 and in 2004. He was a pa ...
*November 15 –
Darwin Cubillán Darwin Harrikson Cubillán Salom (born November 15, 1972) is a Venezuelan former Major League Baseball right-handed relief pitcher. Career Originally signed as a free agent by the Yankees in 1993, Cubillán has played in the MLB for the Toront ...
*November 22 –
Luis Andújar Luis Andújar Sanchez (born November 22, 1972) is a former right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball and the Korea Baseball Organization. Andújar signed with the Chicago White Sox as an amateur free agent at age 18 and made his profession d ...
*November 22 –
Jay Payton Jason Lee "Jay" Payton (born November 22, 1972) is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) outfielder who played for the New York Mets (-), Colorado Rockies (2002-, 2010), San Diego Padres (), Boston Red Sox (), Oakland Athletics (2005-) ...
*November 25 – Ramón Fermín *November 28 –
Geraldo Guzmán Geraldo Moreno Guzmán (born November 28, 1972) is a former professional baseball pitcher from the Dominican Republic. He bats and throws right-handed. Guzmán was signed by the Montreal Expos as an amateur free agent in 1989. Guzmán pitched in ...
*November 28 – José Parra


December

*December 5 –
Cliff Floyd Cornelius Clifford Floyd Jr. (born December 5, 1972) is a former Major League Baseball left fielder who played for 17 seasons, most notably for the Montreal Expos, Florida Marlins and New York Mets. He is currently a baseball analyst who co-hosts ...
*December 5 – Mike Mahoney *December 6 –
Rick Short Richard Ryan Short (born December 6, 1972) is an American former professional baseball second baseman who was the co-Hitting coach for the Arizona Diamondbacks of Major League Baseball (MLB). He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Wash ...
*December 6 – Neil Weber *December 7 – Chris Dale *December 8 –
Jolbert Cabrera Jolbert Alexis Cabrera Ramírez (born December 8, 1972) is a Colombian former baseball player. Previously, he played in Major League Baseball for the Cleveland Indians (1998–2002), Los Angeles Dodgers (2002–2003), Seattle Mariners (2004), ...
*December 11 –
Frank Rodriguez Francisco Rodriguez (born December 11, 1972) is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball. Amateur career Rodriguez won the Dick Howser Trophy in 1991. At the time of the award, Rodriguez was playing f ...
*December 14 –
Marcus Jensen Marcus Christian Jensen (born December 14, 1972) is an American professional baseball player and coach. He played as a catcher for the San Francisco Giants, Detroit Tigers, Milwaukee Brewers, St. Louis Cardinals, Minnesota Twins, Boston Red So ...
*December 16 –
Charles Gipson Charles Wells Gipson Jr. (born December 16, 1972) is a former Major League Baseball outfielder for the Seattle Mariners (-), New York Yankees (), Tampa Bay Devil Rays (), and Houston Astros (). Gipson was a replacement player during the 1994 Maj ...
*December 18 – Chris Seelbach *December 21 –
LaTroy Hawkins LaTroy Hawkins (born December 21, 1972) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. In his 21-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career, he played for the Minnesota Twins, Chicago Cubs, San Francisco Giants, Baltimore Orioles, Colorado Ro ...
*December 21 –
Dustin Hermanson Dustin Michael Hermanson (born December 21, 1972) is an American former right-handed relief pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB). Hermanson pitched for several MLB teams between 1995 and 2006. He had his best season with the 2005 Chicago White S ...
*December 25 –
Erik Hiljus Erik Hiljus (born December 25, 1972) is a former right-handed Major League Baseball pitcher. Hiljus was drafted by the New York Mets in the 4th round of the 1991 amateur draft but did not debut in the major leagues until September 10, 1999, with t ...
*December 27 –
Mike Busby Michael James Busby (born December 27, 1972) is an American former professional baseball pitcher, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based ...
*December 28 –
Einar Díaz Einar Antonio Díaz (born December 28, 1972) is a Panamanian professional baseball player and coach currently a coach for the AAA Gwinnett Stripers. Díaz played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a catcher for the Cleveland Indians, Texas Rangers ...
*December 29 –
Jim Brower James Robert Brower (born December 29, 1972) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played for eight Major League Baseball (MLB) teams: the Cleveland Indians (-), Cincinnati Reds (-), Montreal Expos (2002), San Francisco Giants ( ...


Deaths


January

*January 2 –
Glenn Crawford Glenn Martin Crawford (December 2, 1913 – January 2, 1972) was a Major League Baseball player. He played in and one game in in the majors for the St. Louis Cardinals and Philadelphia Phillies. Crawford played at least seven games at four diffe ...
, 58, outfielder for the St. Louis Cardinals and Philadelphia Phillies in the 1940s. *January 15 –
William Benswanger William Edward Benswanger (February 22, 1892 – January 15, 1972) was an American businessman who served for almost 15 years as president and chief executive of the Pittsburgh Pirates Major League Baseball franchise, from through . Born in Ne ...
, 79, executive; son-in-law of
Barney Dreyfuss Bernhard "Barney" Dreyfuss (February 23, 1865 – February 5, 1932) was an executive in Major League Baseball who owned the Pittsburgh Pirates franchise from 1900 to his death. He was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2008. Drey ...
who served as president and chief executive of the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1932 until the Dreyfuss family sold the team in August 1946. *January 19 – Joe Goodrich, 78, third baseman who played for the Washington Potomacs of the Eastern Colored League in 1923 and 1924. *January 21 – Dick Loftus, 70, outfielder for the Brooklyn Robins from 1924–1925, playing in 97 total games. *January 23 – Fred Nicholson, 77, outfielder/pinch hitter who batted .311 over 303 career games for the 1917 Detroit Tigers, 1919–1920 Pittsburgh Pirates and 1921–1922 Boston Braves.


February

*February 2 –
Dick Burrus Maurice Lennon "Dick" Burrus (born January 29, 1898, in Hatteras, North Carolina died February 2, 1972, in Elizabeth City, North Carolina) was a professional baseball player. Early years Burrus was born in North Carolina's Outer Banks, where his ...
, 74, first baseman and .291 lifetime hitter who played in 560 games for the 1919–1920 Philadelphia Athletics and 1925–1928 Boston Braves; made 200 hits in 1925. *February 4 – Joe Green, 74, pinch hitter who had a single professional at bat for the Philadelphia Athletics, on July 2, 1924. *February 6 –
Frankie Zak Frank Thomas Zak (February 22, 1922 – February 6, 1972) was a professional baseball player. The shortstop played all or part of three seasons in Major League Baseball from 1944 to 1946. Zak played for the Pittsburgh Pirates his entire MLB ca ...
, 49, shortstop and second baseman who played only 123 MLB games for wartime Pittsburgh Pirates (1944–1946), yet was selected to 1944 National League All-Star team. *February 9 –
Chico Ruiz Hiraldo "Chico" Ruiz Sablón (December 5, 1938 – February 9, 1972) was a Cuban-American professional baseball player. An infielder, Ruiz played in Major League Baseball for the Cincinnati Reds and California Angels from 1964 through 1971. He w ...
, 33, utility infielder who played in 565 games between 1964 and 1971 for the Cincinnati Reds and California Angels; on Kansas City Royals' winter roster at the time of his death. *February 12 – Jim Sullivan, 77, pitcher who hurled in 25 games for the Philadelphia Athletics (1921–1922) and Cleveland Indians (1923). *February 15 –
Pep Goodwin Claire Vernon "Pep" Goodwin was a Federal League baseball player for the Kansas City Packers in 1914–15. He batted left and threw right-handed. He weighed 160 lbs. He went to the University of California. His first game was on April 16, 191 ...
, 80, infielder for the 1914–1915 Kansas City Packers of the "outlaw" Federal League; served as president of the Pacific Coast League in 1955. *February 17 – Lew Malone, 74, infielder in 133 games for the Philadelphia Athletics (1915–1916) and Brooklyn Robins (1917, 1919). *February 22 – Johnnie Oden, 69, third baseman who played from 1927 through 1932, chiefly with the Birmingham Black Barons of the Negro National League. *February 28 –
Dizzy Trout Paul Howard "Dizzy" Trout (June 29, 1915 – February 28, 1972) was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a right-handed pitcher from to , most notably as a member of the Detroit Tigers team that finishe ...
, 56, two-time All-Star pitcher for the Detroit Tigers (1939–1952) who led the AL in wins in 1943 and was MVP runnerup the following year; also pitched briefly for Boston Red Sox and Baltimore Orioles, and was a member of the Tigers' broadcasting team.


March

*March 4 –
Watty Clark William Watson Clark (May 16, 1902 – March 4, 1972) born in St. Joseph, Louisiana, was a baseball pitcher for the Cleveland Indians (1924), Brooklyn Robins/Dodgers (1927–33 and 1934–37) and New York Giants (1933–34). Clark finished ...
, 69, left-handed hurler who won 111 games over a dozen seasons between 1924 and 1937 for three MLB clubs, most notably the Brooklyn Robins and Dodgers; led National League pitchers in games lost (19) in 1929 but went 20–12 (3.49) for a first-division 1932 Brooklyn club. *March 6 – Stan Jok, 45, third baseman and pinch hitter in 12 games for the 1954 Philadelphia Phillies and 1954–1955 Chicago White Sox. *March 10 – George Cunningham, 77, pitcher/outfielder who appeared in 162 career games, 123 of them on the mound, for the 1916–1919 Detroit Tigers. *March 11 –
Zack Wheat Zachariah Davis Wheat (May 23, 1888 – March 11, 1972), nicknamed "Buck", was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a left fielder from 1909 to 1927, most notably as a member of the Brooklyn Do ...
, 83, Hall of Fame left fielder who played 18 National League seasons (1909–1926) for Brooklyn; held the franchise's career records for games (2,322), hits (2,804), doubles (464) and triples (171); a lifetime .317 hitter who retired with the tenth-most hits in history; member of 1916 and 1920 NL champion Robins. *March 12 –
Dutch Levsen Emil Henry "Dutch" Levsen (April 29, 1898 – March 12, 1972) was a Major League Baseball pitcher who played for six seasons. He spent his entire career with the Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball t ...
, 73, pitcher whose mediocre six-season career with 1923–1928 Cleveland Indians included one standout campaign: 1926, when he went 16–13 with 18 complete games. *March 16 –
Pie Traynor Harold Joseph "Pie" Traynor (November 11, 1898 – March 16, 1972) was an American third baseman, manager, scout and radio broadcaster in Major League Baseball (MLB) who played his entire career between 1920 and 1937 for the Pittsburgh Pirates. ...
, 72, Hall of Fame third baseman for the Pittsburgh Pirates who batted .320 lifetime and established a record for career games at third base; was named the best ever at his position in 1969; managed Pirates from June 19, 1934 through 1939. *March 18 –
Frank Bushey Francis Clyde Bushey (August 1, 1906 – March 18, 1972) was a pitcher who played for the Boston Red Sox (1927, 1930). Bushey batted and threw right-handed. He was born in Wheaton, Kansas. In a two-season career, Bushey posted a 0–1 record wi ...
, 65, Boston Red Sox pitcher who worked in 12 career games during the 1927 and 1930 seasons. *March 19 – Gordie Hinkle, 66, catcher who appeared in 27 games for the 1934 Red Sox; bullpen coach for the 1939 Detroit Tigers. *March 24 –
Dick Coffman Samuel Richard Coffman (December 18, 1906 – March 24, 1972) was an American Major League Baseball pitcher with the Washington Senators, St. Louis Browns, New York Giants, Boston Bees and Philadelphia Phillies between 1927 and 1945. Coffman b ...
, 65, pitcher who toiled in 472 games over 15 seasons between 1927 and 1945 for the Washington Senators, St. Louis Browns, New York Giants, Boston Bees and Philadelphia Phillies; with Giants, he became a relief pitcher who led the National League in games pitched (51) and saves (12) in 1938. *March 28 –
Donie Bush Owen Joseph "Donie" Bush (; October 8, 1887Sources differ as to Bush's date of birth. Sources listing the date as October 8, 1887, include (i) baseball-reference.com, and (ii) findagrave.com. Sources listing the date as October 3, 1887, include ( ...
, 84, shortstop of the Detroit Tigers for 14 seasons who led the American League in walks five times and was a superlative bunter; later managed Pittsburgh to the 1927 National League pennant; also skippered three other MLB clubs between 1923 and 1933, and became prominent as a minor league manager and executive. *March 28 –
Cy Moore William Austin Moore (February 7, 1905 – March 28, 1972) was a pitcher in Major League Baseball. He pitched from 1929 to 1934 in the National League The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (N ...
, 67, pitcher who worked in 147 National League games between 1929 and 1934 for Brooklyn and Philadelphia. *March 30 – Davy Jones, 91, outfielder with the Detroit Tigers who organized a 1912 walkout to protest
Ty Cobb Tyrus Raymond Cobb (December 18, 1886 – July 17, 1961), nicknamed "the Georgia Peach", was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) center fielder. He was born in rural Narrows, Georgia. Cobb spent 22 seasons with the Detroit Tigers, the las ...
's suspension for attacking a heckler.


April

*April 2 –
Gil Hodges Gilbert Ray Hodges (''né'' Hodge; April 4, 1924 – April 2, 1972) was an American first baseman and manager in Major League Baseball (MLB) who played most of his 18-year career for the Brooklyn / Los Angeles Dodgers. He was widely regarded as t ...
, 47, Baseball Hall of Fame, eight-time All-Star and three-time Gold Glove first baseman for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers (1943 and 1947–1961); member of 1955 and 1959 world champions; drove in more runs than any other player during the 1950s; finished playing career with expansion New York Mets (1962–1963) and served as third full-time manager in the team's annals from 1968 until his death, leading the "Miracle Mets" to the 1969 World Series title; also managed the Washington Senators from May 23, 1963 through 1967. *April 3 –
Alvin Crowder Alvin Floyd Crowder (January 11, 1899 – April 3, 1972), nicknamed "General", was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who played eleven seasons in the American League with the Washington Senators, the St. Louis Browns, an ...
, 73, pitcher who had three 20-win seasons with the Senators, winning 26 and 24 games (in 1932–1933) and St. Louis Browns; led American League hurlers in winning percentage in 1928; known for his mastery against the Yankees. *April 7 – Larry Brown, 70, standout Negro leagues catcher, seven-time All-Star, and member of 1927 champion Chicago American Giants; played for five teams over 22 years between 1923 and 1947 and served as player-manager of the American Giants (1935) and Memphis Red Sox (1942–1943, 1945, 1947–1948). *April 8 – Gus Fisher, 86, left-handed-hitting catcher who appeared in 74 games for the 1911 Cleveland Naps and 1912 New York Highlanders of the American League. *April 9 –
Roy Leslie Roy Reid Leslie (August 23, 1894 – April 9, 1972) was a Major League Baseball first baseman. He played during three major league seasons for three teams, including a stint as the regular first baseman for the Philadelphia Phillies in . Leslie' ...
, 77, first baseman in 160 career games during one-year stints for the 1917 Chicago Cubs, 1919 St. Louis Cardinals and 1922 Philadelphia Phillies. *April 16 –
Lou Perini Louis Robert Perini (November 29, 1903 in Ashland, MassachusettsApril 16, 1972 in West Palm Beach, Florida) was the principal owner of the Boston / Milwaukee Braves of the National League from 1945 through 1962. In 1945, he purchased the club fr ...
, 68, construction magnate and club owner (1945–1962) who moved the struggling Braves from his home city of Boston to Milwaukee in March 1953, finding instant success on the field and at the turnstiles and kicking off a two-decade spasm of franchise relocations and expansion in MLB; his Boston and Milwaukee Braves won three NL pennants and the 1957 World Series. *April 22 –
Frank Drews Frank John Drews (May 25, 1916 – April 22, 1972) was a Major League Baseball second baseman who played for the Boston Braves in 1944 and 1945. He stood and weighed 175 lbs. Drews is one of many ballplayers who only appeared in the maj ...
, 55, second baseman who appeared in 95 total games for the wartime, 1944–1945 Boston Braves.


May

*May 2 – Jack Smith, 76, outfielder who played all or part of 15 National League seasons (1915–1929) for the St. Louis Cardinals and Boston Braves, getting into 1,406 games. *May 4 –
Vic Sorrell Victor Garland Sorrell (April 9, 1901 – May 4, 1972), nicknamed "Lawyer" and "The Philosopher," was a Major League pitcher who played his entire career with the Detroit Tigers. In 10 Major League seasons, Sorrell had a 92–101 record with a ...
, 71, pitcher who spent his entire 280-game career with the Detroit Tigers between 1928 and 1937; member of Tigers' 1935 World Series champs and 1934 AL pennant-winners. *May 11 – Lynn King, 64, back-up outfielder who played in 175 games for the St. Louis Cardinals in 1935, 1936 and 1938. *May 11 – Danny Schell, 44, outfielder/pinch hitter who appeared in 94 games for the 1954–1955 Philadelphia Phillies. *May 11 – Suds Sutherland, 78, pitcher, pinch hitter and outfielder in 17 games for 1921 Detroit Tigers; in 13 mound appearances, he posted a 6–2 won–lost record. *May 15 – John Milligan, 68, pitcher who played from 1928 through 1934 for the Philadelphia Phillies and Washington Senators. *May 15 –
Dixie Parker Douglas Woolley Parker (April 24, 1895 – May 15, 1972) was a catcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Philadelphia Phillies during the 1923 season. Listed at 5' 11", Weight: 160 lb., Parker batted and threw right handed. He was b ...
, 72, catcher and pinch hitter in four games for the 1923 Phillies. *May 18 –
Babe Barna Herbert Paul "Babe" Barna (March 2, 1915 – May 18, 1972) was a left fielder in Major League Baseball who played for the Philadelphia Athletics (1937–1938), New York Giants (1941–1943) and Boston Red Sox (1943). Barna batted left-handed an ...
, 57, outfielder who appeared in 207 career games for the Philadelphia Athletics, New York Giants and Boston Red Sox between 1937 and 1943. *May 19 –
Felix McLaurin Felix Vernon McLaurin (September 6, 1921 – May 19, 1972) was an American Negro league outfielder in the 1940s. A native of Jacksonville, Florida, McLaurin made his Negro leagues debut in 1942 for the Jacksonville Red Caps and the Birmingha ...
, 50, outfielder who played in the Negro leagues from 1942 to 1946, chiefly for the Birmingham Black Barons and New York Black Yankees. *May 20 –
Wally Dashiell John Wallace Dashiell (May 9, 1902 – May 20, 1972) was an American professional baseball shortstop. He played one game in Major League Baseball, for the 1924 Chicago White Sox. Dashiell's professional career spanned 1923 to 1938, plus a single ...
, 70, shortstop who played one big-league game, on April 20, 1924, for the Chicago White Sox. *May 20 –
Hoge Workman Harry Hallworth "Hoge" Workman (September 25, 1899 – May 20, 1972) was a relief pitcher in Major League Baseball and a player-coach in the National Football League. Listed at 5' 11", 170 lb., Workman batted and threw right-handed. A nativ ...
, 72, pitcher for the 1924 Boston Red Sox, who also played and coached for Cleveland teams of the National Football League. *May 22 – Dick Fowler, 51, Canadian pitcher who won 66 games with the Philadelphia Athletics over ten seasons between 1941 and 1952, including a no-hitter on September 9, 1945, at Shibe Park against the St. Louis Browns. *May 24 – Bill Moore, 68, catcher for the 1927 Boston Red Sox. *May 25 – Charlie Henry, 72, pitcher in the Negro leagues between 1924 and 1929. *May 28 –
Al Gerheauser Albert "Lefty" Gerheauser (June 24, 1917 – May 28, 1972) was a professional baseball player who pitched in the Major Leagues for five seasons (1943-46 and 1948), for the Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh Pirates and St. Louis Browns. He playe ...
, 54, left-handed pitcher who worked in 149 career games for 1943–1944 Philadelphia Phillies, 1945–1946 Pittsburgh Pirates and 1948 St. Louis Browns. *May 28 – Bob Hasty, 76, Philadelphia Athletics pitcher who appeared in 146 in an MLB career that began on September 11, 1919 and ended on September 26, 1924. *May 29 –
Moe Berg Morris Berg (March 2, 1902 – May 29, 1972) was an American catcher and coach in Major League Baseball, who later served as a spy for the Office of Strategic Services during World War II. Although he played 15 seasons in the major leagues, ...
, 70, catcher who served as a spy for the U.S. government during and after his playing career; played in 663 games for five MLB teams between 1923 and 1939, batting .243 lifetime.


June

*June 7 –
Topper Rigney Emory Elmo "Topper" Rigney (January 7, 1897 – June 6, 1972) was an American professional baseball player between 1920 and 1928. He played six seasons in Major League Baseball as a shortstop for the Detroit Tigers (1922–1925), Boston Red ...
, 75, shortstop for the Detroit Tigers, Boston Red Sox and Washington Senators who appeared in 694 games and twice batted over .300. *June 9 –
Del Bissonette Adelphia Louis Bissonette (September 6, 1899 – June 9, 1972) was an American professional baseball player, coach and manager. He played in Major League Baseball as a first baseman for the Brooklyn Dodgers (then known as the Brooklyn Robins) from ...
, 72, first baseman who twice batted .300 for the Brooklyn Robins and hit .305 lifetime in 604 games (1928–1931 and 1933); managed 1945 Boston Braves from July 31 through the end of the season. *June 12 –
Lefty Phillips Harold Ross "Lefty" Phillips (May 16, 1919 – June 12, 1972) was an American coach, manager, scout, and front office executive in Major League Baseball. As manager of the California Angels from May 27, 1969, through the season, Phillips was ...
, 53, manager of the California Angels from May 27, 1969, through 1971; previously pitching coach for the Los Angeles Dodgers (1965 to 1968) and a longtime scout. *June 24 –
Crush Holloway Crush Christopher Columbus Holloway (September 16, 1896 – June 1972) was an American professional outfielder who played in the Negro leagues between 1921 and 1939. A terror on the basepaths, Holloway earned a reputation as one of the most aggre ...
, 75, outfielder and aggressive, hard-sliding baserunner who played in the Negro leagues between 1921 and 1939, notably for the Baltimore Black Sox and Atlanta Black Crackers. *June 23 – Tom Long, 82, outfielder for the 1911–1912 Washington Senators and 1915–1917 St. Louis Cardinals; led National league in triples with 25 in 1915. *June 26 –
Mike Kircher Michael Andrew Kircher (September 30, 1897 – June 26, 1972) was an American Major League Baseball pitcher. He played for the Philadelphia Athletics during the season and the St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are an American pr ...
, 74, pitcher who made 14 appearances for the Philadelphia Athletics and St. Louis Cardinals from 1919 to 1921.


July

*July 2 – Rankin Johnson Sr., 84, pitcher in 72 total contests for the Boston Red Sox (1914), Chicago and Baltimore of the Federal League (1914 and 1915), and St. Louis Cardinals (1918); his
son A son is a male offspring; a boy or a man in relation to his parents. The female counterpart is a daughter. From a biological perspective, a son constitutes a first degree relative. Social issues In pre-industrial societies and some current c ...
was an MLB pitcher and minor-league executive. *July 3 –
Leroy Herrmann Leroy George Herrmann (February 27, 1906 – July 3, 1972), was an American professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball for the Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball ...
, 66, pitcher who worked in 45 games for the Chicago Cubs (1932–1933 and 1935). *July 11 –
Johnnie Tyler John Anthony Tyler (July 30, 1906 in Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania – July 11, 1972 in Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania) was a Major League Baseball player who played outfield The outfield, in cricket, baseball and softball is the area of the fie ...
, 65, outfielder in 16 career games for the 1934–1935 Boston Braves. *July 17 –
Al Spohrer Alfred Ray Spohrer (December 3, 1902 – July 17, 1972), was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher for the New York Giants and Boston Braves. Baseball career He began his professional baseball c ...
, 68, catcher who played in 756 National League games—two for the 1928 New York Giants and 754 for the 1928–1935 Boston Braves. *July 20 – José María Fernández, 76, Cuban catcher in the Negro leagues whose playing career extended for at least 14 seasons between 1916 and 1947; managed New York Cubans from 1939 to 1948, including 1947 Negro World Series champions. *July 21 –
Harry McCurdy Harry Henry McCurdy (September 15, 1899 – July 21, 1972), born in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, was a catcher for the St. Louis Cardinals (1922–1923), Chicago White Sox (1926–1928), Philadelphia Phillies (1930–1933) and Cincinnati Reds (1934). ...
, 72, lefty-swinging backup catcher who appeared in 543 over ten seasons between 1922 and 1934 for four MLB clubs, batting .282 lifetime. *July 31 –
Rollie Hemsley Ralston Burdett Hemsley (June 24, 1907 – July 31, 1972) was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher for 19 seasons from to . Born in Syracuse, Ohio, he was nicknamed "Rollicking Rollie". Hemsley ...
, 65, catcher who played in 1,593 games for seven MLB teams between 1928 and 1947; five-time American League All-Star; later a coach and minor league manager.


August

*August 5 –
Red McKee Raymond Ellis "Red" McKee (July 20, 1890 – August 5, 1972) was an American baseball catcher. He played professional baseball for 21 years from 1908 to 1928, including four seasons in Major League Baseball with the Detroit Tigers from 1913 to 19 ...
, 82, left-handed-hitting catcher who played in 189 games for the 1913–1916 Detroit Tigers. *August 7 – Red Anderson, 60, pitcher who appeared in 36 games over three seasons for the Washington Senators (1937 and 1940–1941). *August 13 –
Herman Besse Herman A. Besse (August 16, 1911 – August 13, 1972) was an American Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. He played for the Philadelphia Athletics during five seasons, interrupted by service in World War II. After his major league career, ...
, 60, southpaw twirler who went 5–15 with an ERA of 6.79 in 65 games for the Philadelphia Athletics (1940–1943, 1946). *August 13 – George Weiss, 78, executive and cornerstone of the New York Yankees dynasty as farm director (1932–1947), then general manager (1947–1960), with the team winning 15 World Series titles over Weiss' 29 years; first team president of expansion New York Mets (1961–1966); named to Baseball Hall of Fame by Veterans Committee in 1971. *August 14 –
Bricktop Wright Walter Julian Wright (November 20, 1908 – August 14, 1972), nicknamed "Bricktop", was an American professional basketball player and Negro league outfielder in the 1930s and 1940s. A native of Savannah, Georgia, Wright attended Textile High S ...
, 63, outfielder/first baseman who played in 22 games for 1943 New York Black Yankees of the Negro National League; played professional basketball in the 1930s and 1940s. *August 15 –
Jeff Pfeffer Edward Joseph Pfeffer (March 4, 1888 – August 15, 1972) born in Seymour, Illinois, was a pitcher for the St. Louis Browns (1911), Brooklyn Dodgers/Robins (1913–1921), St. Louis Cardinals (1921–1924) and Pittsburgh Pirates (1924). His older ...
, 84, pitcher and 13-year (1911 and 1913–1924) MLB veteran who worked in 347 games for four teams, principally Brooklyn and St. Louis of the National League, won 158 games, and posted a 2.77 career ERA. *August 16 – Fred Bailey, 77, outfielder and pinch hitter for the 1916–1918 Boston Braves who played in 60 career games. *August 21 – Eddie Kenna, 74, catcher who appeared in 41 games for the 1928 Washington Senators. *August 24 –
J. Roy Stockton James Roy Stockton (December 16, 1892 – August 24, 1972) was an American sports writer who covered the St. Louis Cardinals from 1915 to 1958. Biography Stockton was born in St. Louis in 1892. He was hired by the ''St. Louis Post-Dispatch'' in ...
, 79, St. Louis sportswriter from the 1910s to the 1950s, also a sportscaster and author of books on baseball. *August 25 –
Italo Chelini Italo Vincent Chelini (October 10, 1914 – August 25, 1972), nicknamed "Chilly", was a pitcher in Major League Baseball. He played for the Chicago White Sox from 1935 to 1937.Jack Crouch, 68, aptly named catcher who appeared in 43 big-league games for the St. Louis Browns and Cincinnati Reds between 1930 and 1933. *August 26 – "Deacon Danny" MacFayden, 67, pitcher who worked in 465 games over 17 MLB seasons for the Boston Red Sox (1926–1932), New York Yankees (1932–1934), Boston Braves and Bees (1935–1939 and 1943), Pittsburgh Pirates (1940) and Washington Senators (1941); member of 1932 World Series champions. *August 27 –
John Barnes John Charles Bryan Barnes MBE (born 7 November 1963) is a former professional football player and manager. He currently works as an author, commentator and pundit for ESPN and SuperSport. Initially a quick, skilful left winger, he moved to cent ...
, 69, lefty-swinging catcher who played for nine Negro National League teams (in 226 games) between 1922 and 1931. *August 29 –
Clem Hausmann Clemens Raymond Hausmann (August 17, 1919 – August 29, 1972) was an American professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1944 and 1949 for the Boston Red Sox (1944–1945) and Philadelphia Athletics (1949). In a ...
, 53, pitcher for the Boston Red Sox and Philadelphia Athletics between 1944 and 1949. *August 30 –
Hank Miller Henry Joseph Miller (July 17, 1917 – August 30, 1972) was an American Negro league pitcher for the Newark Eagles and Philadelphia Stars between 1938 and 1948. A native of Glenolden, Pennsylvania, Miller spent the majority of his Negro lea ...
, 55, two-time Negro National League All-Star who pitched in 89 games, 88 of them for the Philadelphia Stars, between 1938 and 1948. *August 31 –
Ivey Shiver Ivey Merwin Shiver (January 22, 1907 – August 31, 1972), nicknamed "Chick", was an American football and baseball player. He was an end for the Georgia Bulldogs football team in college, and later an outfielder in Major League Baseball. He pl ...
, 65, outfielder who played in 21 MLB games as a member of the 1931 Detroit Tigers and 1934 Cincinnati Reds.


September

*September 2 –
Jim Brillheart James Benson Brillheart (September 28, 1903 – September 2, 1972) was a pitcher in Major League Baseball who played between 1922 in baseball, 1922 and 1931 in baseball, 1931 for the Washington Senators (1901–60), Washington Senators (1922–23) ...
, 68, who pitched in 68 MLB games for the Washington Senators, Chicago Cubs and Boston Red Sox over four seasons between 1922 and 1931; longtime minor-league hurler who played in 29 pro seasons through 1951, and one of the few pitchers in baseball history to appear in over 1,000 career games. *September 3 – Tom Fisher, 91, pitcher who dropped 16 of 22 decisions for the 1904 Boston Beaneaters of the National League. *September 4 – Bob Bowman, 61, pitcher who compiled a 26–17 record and 3.82 ERA in 109 appearances with St. Louis Cardinals (1939–1940), New York Giants (1941) and Chicago Cubs (1942); gained notoriety by beaning newly acquired
Joe Medwick Joseph Michael Medwick (November 24, 1911 – March 21, 1975), nicknamed "Ducky" and "Muscles", was an American Major League Baseball player. A left fielder with the St. Louis Cardinals during the " Gashouse Gang" era of the 1930s, he also pla ...
of Brooklyn on June 18, 1940, sparking a bench-clearing brawl. *September 6 –
Charlie Berry Charles Francis Berry (October 18, 1902 – September 6, 1972) was an American athlete and sports official who enjoyed careers as a catcher and umpire in Major League Baseball and as an end and official in the National Football League. His fathe ...
, 69, American League catcher who played in 709 games over 11 seasons between 1925 and 1938; later an AL umpire from 1942 to 1962 who worked in five World Series and five All-Star Games; also played in the NFL and officiated numerous NFL championship games. *September 9 –
Will Jackman William "Cannonball" Jackman (October 7, 1897 – September 9, 1972) was an American baseball pitcher in the Negro leagues. He played from 1925 to 1942 with several teams, including a spot on the otherwise all-white East Douglas team in Massachuset ...
, 76, pitcher who at age 39 led the 1935 Negro National League in games pitched, complete games, and games lost. *September 16 –
Eddie Waitkus Edward Stephen Waitkus (September 4, 1919 – September 16, 1972) was a Lithuanian American first baseman in Major League Baseball who had an 11-year career (1941, 1946–1955). He played for the Chicago Cubs and Philadelphia Phillies in the ...
, 53, first baseman for the Chicago Cubs, Philadelphia Phillies and Baltimore Orioles who was shot in 1949 by a teenaged female admirer who lured him to her hotel room; after his recovery, was a key member of Phils' 1950 "Whiz Kids" pennant-winner; twice named to NL All-Star team. *September 19 –
Les Bartholomew Lester Justin Bartholomew (April 4, 1903 – September 19, 1972) was a pitcher in Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. ML ...
, 69, left-handed pitcher in nine career games for 1928 Pittsburgh Pirates and 1932 Chicago White Sox. *September 25 –
Jerry Lynn Jeremy Lynn (born June 12, 1963), better known by the ring name Jerry Lynn, is an American retired professional wrestler currently signed with All Elite Wrestling as a producer and coach. He has worked for promotions such as World Championship ...
, 56, second baseman for the 1937 Washington Senators; went two-for-three (.667) in his only big-league game. *September 26 – Jesse Baker, 84, left-hander who worked in 22 games for the 1911 Chicago White Sox.


October

*October 9 –
Dave Bancroft David James Bancroft (April 20, 1891 – October 9, 1972) was an American professional baseball shortstop and manager. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phillies, New York Giants, Boston Braves and the Brooklyn Robi ...
, 81, Hall of Fame shortstop for four NL teams, known for his defensive skill and also batting over .300 five times; captain of the New York Giants' pennant winners from 1921–1923. *October 11 – Danny Taylor, 71, outfielder who appeared in 674 career games for three MLB clubs, notably Brooklyn, over nine seasons between 1926 and 1936. *October 17 –
Johnny Rawlings John William Rawlings '' ed' (August 17, 1892 – October 16, 1972) was a second baseman and shortstop in Major League Baseball who played for six different teams between the and seasons. Listed at , 158 lb., he batted and threw right-han ...
, 80, shortstop for the New York Giants World Series champions and later a manager in the
All-American Girls Professional Baseball League The All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL) was a professional women's baseball league founded by Philip K. Wrigley which existed from 1943 to 1954. The AAGPBL is the forerunner of women's professional league sports in the Uni ...
. *October 19 – Butch Glass, 74, left-handed pitcher and occasional outfielder/first baseman who played for five Negro National League teams from 1923 to 1930. *October 20 –
Allen Russell Allan E. "Rubberarm" Russell (July 31, 1893 – October 20, 1972) was a professional baseball player. He was a right-handed pitcher over parts of 11 seasons (1915–1925) with the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox and Washington Senators. For h ...
, 72, pitcher in 345 games for the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox and Washington Senators between 1915 and 1925 who led American League with nine saves in 1923; member of 1924 world champion Senators. *October 22 –
Elbert Williams Elbert Williams (October 15, 1908 – June 20, 1940) was an African-American civil rights leader from Brownsville, Tennessee who was killed by unknown persons.Bond, J. Z. (2011). Race, place, and family: Narratives of the civil rights movement i ...
, 65, pitcher who appeared in the Negro leagues between 1929 and 1935. *October 24 –
Jackie Robinson Jack Roosevelt Robinson (January 31, 1919 – October 24, 1972) was an American professional baseball player who became the first African American to play in Major League Baseball (MLB) in the modern era. Robinson broke the baseball color line ...
, 53, Hall of Fame second baseman for the Brooklyn Dodgers who broke Major League Baseball's color line in 1947 after beginning his professional career for the Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro American League; batted .311 in his ten-year National League career, leading the NL in batting average (.342) in 1949; also led his league in stolen bases in 1947 and 1949; 1947 Major League Rookie of the Year; 1949 NL Most Valuable Player; 1955 World Series champion; seven-time All-Star whose uniform #42 has been retired by every organized baseball team since 1997. *October 25 –
Stretch Miller Campbell A. "Stretch" Miller (March 15, 1910 – October 25, 1972) was an American sportscaster who worked for eight years as a play-by-play announcer for the St. Louis Cardinals. Earlier in his career, Miller broadcast Illinois State Normal Uni ...
, 62, St. Louis sportscaster who was a member of the Cardinals' radio team from 1950–1954. *October 29 –
Dutch Dietz Lloyd Arthur "Dutch" Dietz (February 12, 1912 – October 29, 1972) was a major-league (MLB) pitcher from 1940 to 1943. He began his MLB career with the Pittsburgh Pirates and was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillie ...
, 60, pitcher in 106 games for Pittsburgh Pirates and Philadelphia Phillies between 1940 and 1943.


November

*November 2 –
Freddy Parent Alfred Joseph Parent (November 11, 1875 – November 2, 1972 was an professional baseball player. He played all or part of eleven seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), between 1899 and 1911, for the St. Louis Perfectos, Boston Americans and Chi ...
, 96, shortstop in the Red Sox' first seven seasons, and the last surviving participant of the inaugural 1903 World Series. *November 3 – Phil Voyles, 72, outfielder who appeared in 20 games for the 1929 Boston Braves. *November 6 –
Agustín Bejerano Agustín "Pijini" Bejerano (May 16, 1909 - November 6, 1972) was a Cuban baseball left fielder and manager in the Negro leagues and Mexican League. He played with the Lincoln Giants and Cuban Stars (East) from 1928 to 1929, before spending time wi ...
, 63, Cuban outfielder in the Negro leagues who played during the 1928 and 1929 seasons. *November 8 –
Harry Child Harry Stephen Patrick Child (born ''Harry Stephen Patrick Chesley'') (May 23, 1905 – November 8, 1972) was an American professional baseball player who played one season in the Major Leagues. The right-handed pitcher appeared in five games fo ...
, 67, relief pitcher who worked in five games for the 1930 Washington Senators. *November 18 – Matthew Carlisle, 62, second baseman and shortstop who played in 395 Negro leagues games, 365 of them for the Homestead Grays; member of the 1943 Negro World Series champions. *November 26 – George Jackson, 90, outfielder who appeared in 152 games from 1911 to 1913 as a member of the Boston Rustlers/Braves of the National League. *November 26 –
Wendell Smith Wendell Smith may refer to: * Wendell Smith (sportswriter) (1914–1972), American baseball writer *Wendell Smith (actor) Wendell Smith is a Canadian actor born in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. History Originally based in Nova Scotia, Wendell Smit ...
, 58, sportswriter for Pittsburgh and Chicago newspapers since 1937 who became the BBWAA's first black member and helped ease Jackie Robinson's entry into the major leagues; also a Chicago sportscaster since 1964. *November 29 –
Bernie Neis Bernard Edmund Neis (September 26, 1895 – November 29, 1972) was an American professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Brooklyn Robins, Boston Braves, Cleveland Indians, and Chicago White Sox between 1920 ...
, 77, switch-hitting outfielder who played 677 career games for the Brooklyn Robins, Boston Braves, Cleveland Indians and Chicago White Sox between 1920 and 1927.


December

*December 2 – Rip Conway, 76, second baseman who appeared in 14 contests for the 1918 Boston Braves. *December 4 –
John Henry Russell Rear Admiral John Henry Russell (4 July 1827 – 1 April 1897) was an officer of the United States Navy during the Mexican–American War and the American Civil War. Biography Russell was born at Frederick, Maryland on 4 July 1827 to Sir James H ...
, 74, All-Star second baseman in the Negro leagues who played between 1924 and 1934, chiefly for the St. Louis Stars and Memphis Red Sox. *December 12 – Frog Holsey, 66, Negro leagues pitcher between 1928 and 1932, principally for the Chicago American Giants. *December 17 –
Fred Bankhead Fred Bankhead (November 22, 1912 – December 17, 1972) was an American Negro league second baseman in the 1930s and 1940s. A native of Sulligent, Alabama, Bankhead's brothers Sam, Joe, and Garnett all also played in the Negro leagues, and hi ...
, 60, second baseman who played in 243 games over 12 seasons (1937–1948) for three Negro leagues teams, chiefly the Memphis Red Sox. *December 20 –
Gabby Hartnett Charles Leo "Gabby" Hartnett (December 20, 1900 – December 20, 1972), nicknamed "Old Tomato Face", was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played almost his entire career in Major League Baseball as a catcher with the Chic ...
, 72, Hall of Fame catcher for the Chicago Cubs (1922–1940) who virtually clinched the 1938 pennant with a home run, he established career records for games and home runs as a catcher and was the NL's 1935 MVP; player-manager of Cubs from July 21, 1938 through 1940. *December 23 –
Dutch Jordan Adolf Otto Jordan (January 5, 1880 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania – December 23, 1972 in West Allegheny, Pennsylvania), is a former professional baseball player who played second base for the Brooklyn Superbas The Brooklyn Dodgers were a Majo ...
, 92, second baseman for the 1903–1904 Brooklyn Superbas. *December 28 –
Eddie Leishman Edwin William Leishman (December 20, 1910 — December 28, 1972) was an American professional baseball player, manager and executive. He was the first general manager of the San Diego Padres when they joined Major League Baseball, serving from l ...
, 62, longtime minor-league executive who served as first general manager of expansion San Diego Padres of the National League from 1968 until his death. *December 30 –
Pee Wee Butts Thomas Lee "Pee Wee" Butts (August 27, 1919 – December 30, 1972) was an American baseball player who played in the Negro leagues. Early life Thomas Lee "Pee Wee" Butts was born August 27, 1919 in Sparta, Georgia, the birthplace of boxer T ...
, 53, five-time All-Star shortstop who played in the Negro leagues from 1938–1942 and 1944–1948, primarily for the Baltimore Elite Giants. *December 31 –
Roberto Clemente Roberto Enrique Clemente Walker (; August 18, 1934 – December 31, 1972) was a Puerto Rican professional baseball right fielder who played 18 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Pittsburgh Pirates. After his early death, he was pos ...
, 38, right fielder for the Pittsburgh Pirates since 1955; a lifetime .317 hitter, 12-time All-Star and winner of 12 Gold Gloves who was a four-time batting champion and the NL's 1966 MVP, he collected his 3,000th base hit in September; two-time (1960, 1971) World Series champion and 1971 World Series MVP; elected to Baseball Hall of Fame within weeks of his death.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:1972 In Baseball