Major League Baseball
*
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB). It has been contested since between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winning team, determined through a best- ...
:
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) Am ...
over
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
(4–3);
Ralph Terry, MVP
*
All-Star Game (#1), July 10 at
D.C. Stadium: National League, 3–1;
Maury Wills
Maurice Morning Wills (October 2, 1932 – September 19, 2022) was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played in Major League Baseball as a shortstop from 1959 to 1972, most prominently as an integral member of the Los Ange ...
, MVP
*
All-Star Game (#2), July 30 at
Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field is a ballpark on the North Side, Chicago, North Side of Chicago, Illinois. It is the home ballpark of Major League Baseball's Chicago Cubs, one of the city's two MLB franchises. It first opened in 1914 as Weeghman Park for Charl ...
: American League, 9–4;
Leon Wagner, MVP
Other champions
*
College World Series
The College World Series (CWS), officially the NCAA Men's College World Series (MCWS), is a baseball tournament held each June in Omaha, Nebraska. It is the culmination of the NCAA Division I baseball tournament—featuring 64 teams in the ...
:
Michigan
Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...
*
Cuban National Series
The Cuban National Series (, or SNB) is a domestic baseball competition in Cuba. Formed after the dissolution of the Cuban League in the wake of the Cuban Revolution, the National Series is a part of the Cuban baseball league system.
For most ...
:
Industriales
Industriales is a professional baseball team in the Cuban National Series. Located in Cerro, La Habana, it is known as the only team representing the country’s capital, Havana. Industriales is historically the most successful team in the Nat ...
*
Japan Series
The Japan Series ( , officially the Japan Championship Series, ), also the Nippon Series, is the annual championship series in Nippon Professional Baseball, the top baseball league in Japan. It is a best-of-seven series between the winning cl ...
:
Toei Flyers
The are a Japanese professional Baseball in Japan, baseball team based in Kitahiroshima, Hokkaido, Kitahiroshima, Hokkaidō, in the Sapporo metropolitan area. They compete in the Pacific League of Nippon Professional Baseball, playing the major ...
over
Hanshin Tigers
The are a Nippon Professional Baseball team playing in the Central League. The team is based in Nishinomiya, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan, next to their main stadium, Hanshin Koshien Stadium.
The Tigers are owned by Hanshin Electric Railway Co., ...
(4–2–1)
*
Little League World Series
The Little League World Series is an annual baseball tournament for children (primarily boys) aged 10 to 12 years old, held in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Originally called the National Little League Tournament, it was later renamed for th ...
: Moreland,
San Jose, California
San Jose, officially the City of San José ( ; ), is a cultural, commercial, and political center within Silicon Valley and the San Francisco Bay Area. With a city population of 997,368 and a metropolitan area population of 1.95 million, it is ...
*
Senior League World Series: West Hempstead, New York
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 a private foundation. It serves as the central collection and gathering space for the history of baseball in the United S ...
**
Bob Feller
Robert William Andrew Feller (November 3, 1918 – December 15, 2010), nicknamed "the Heater from Van Meter", "Bullet Bob", and "Rapid Robert", was an American baseball pitcher who played 18 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Clevel ...
**
Jackie Robinson
Jack Roosevelt Robinson (January 31, 1919 – October 24, 1972) was an American professional baseball player who became the first Black American to play in Major League Baseball (MLB) in the modern era. Robinson broke the Baseball color line, ...
**
Edd Roush
Edd J. Roush (May 8, 1893 – March 21, 1988) was an American professional baseball player and coach. He played in Major League Baseball as a center fielder from 1913 to 1931, most prominently as a member of the Cincinnati Reds where he was a t ...
**
Bill McKechnie
William Boyd McKechnie (August 7, 1886 – October 29, 1965) was an American professional baseball player, manager and coach. He played in Major League Baseball as a third baseman during the dead-ball era. McKechnie was the first manager to win ...
(manager)
Statistical leaders
Major league baseball final standings
American League final standings
National League final standings
Nippon Professional Baseball final standings
Central League final standings
Pacific League final standings
Events
January
*January 7 – The
Class B Three–I League, a mainstay mid-level minor circuit in the American Midwest that operated for 55 years between 1901 and 1961, disbands. Many of its member teams will join the
Midwest League
The Midwest League is a Minor League Baseball league established in 1947 and based in the Midwestern United States. A Class A league for most of its history, the league was promoted to High-A as part of Major League Baseball's 2021 reorganizat ...
, a lower-level circuit that is upgraded to a new, consolidated
Class A ranking in 1963.
*January 23 – In their first year of eligibility,
Bob Feller
Robert William Andrew Feller (November 3, 1918 – December 15, 2010), nicknamed "the Heater from Van Meter", "Bullet Bob", and "Rapid Robert", was an American baseball pitcher who played 18 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Clevel ...
and
Jackie Robinson
Jack Roosevelt Robinson (January 31, 1919 – October 24, 1972) was an American professional baseball player who became the first Black American to play in Major League Baseball (MLB) in the modern era. Robinson broke the Baseball color line, ...
are elected members of 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 ...
by 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 ...
.
*January 24 – The
Double-A Southern Association
The Southern Association (SA) was a higher-level minor league in American organized baseball from 1901 through 1961. For most of its existence, the Southern Association was two steps below the Major Leagues; it was graded Class B (1902-19 ...
folds after 61 years of operation, leaving only the six-team
Texas League
The Texas League is a Minor League Baseball league which has operated in the South Central United States since 1902. It is classified as a Double-A league. Despite the league's name, only its five South Division teams are actually based in the ...
and the semi-independent
Mexican League
The Mexican Baseball League (, or LMB, ) is a professional baseball league in Mexico. It is the oldest running professional sports league in the country.
The league has 20 teams organized in two divisions, North and South. Teams play 114 games ...
as Double-A circuits for 1962. Only two of the Southern Association's eight teams survive in other leagues in 1962: the
Atlanta Crackers and
Macon Peaches
The Macon Peaches was the predominant name of the American minor league baseball franchise representing Macon, Georgia, during the 20th century.
Although Macon did not field teams during and immediately after World War I, the height of the Great ...
. The Association was the final post-1946 minor league to enforce
racial segregation
Racial segregation is the separation of people into race (human classification), racial or other Ethnicity, ethnic groups in daily life. Segregation can involve the spatial separation of the races, and mandatory use of different institutions, ...
, remaining all-white except for the Crackers'
brief integration experiment in April 1954.
*January 20 – 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) American League Central, Central Division. Since , the team ...
purchase the contract of veteran pitcher
Rubén Gómez from the
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. The Phillies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. Since 2004, the team's home stadium has ...
.
*January 28 –
Edd Roush
Edd J. Roush (May 8, 1893 – March 21, 1988) was an American professional baseball player and coach. He played in Major League Baseball as a center fielder from 1913 to 1931, most prominently as a member of the Cincinnati Reds where he was a t ...
and
Bill McKechnie
William Boyd McKechnie (August 7, 1886 – October 29, 1965) was an American professional baseball player, manager and coach. He played in Major League Baseball as a third baseman during the dead-ball era. McKechnie was the first manager to win ...
are added to the Hall of Fame by the Special Veterans Committee.
February
*February 16:
**The
expansion Houston Colt .45s assemble for the first time at their training camp in
Apache Junction, Arizona
Apache Junction (Western Apache: Hagosgeed) is a city in Pinal and Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 38,499, most of whom lived in Pinal County. It is named for the junction of the Apache Trai ...
.
**The newborn
New York Mets
The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National ...
, whose roster already includes
Roger Craig,
Gil Hodges
Gilbert Raymond Hodges (born Hodge; April 4, 1924 – April 2, 1972) was an American first baseman and manager (baseball), manager in Major League Baseball (MLB) who played most of his 18-year career for the History of the Brooklyn Dodgers, Broo ...
,
Billy Loes,
Charlie Neal and
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 ...
, sign free-agent pitcher
Clem Labine
Clement Walter Labine (August 6, 1926 – March 2, 2007) was an American right-handed relief pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB) best known for his years with the Brooklyn / Los Angeles Dodgers from 1950 to 1960.
As a key member of the Dod ...
, another veteran of the
Brooklyn Dodgers
The Brooklyn Dodgers were a Major League Baseball team founded in 1883 as the Brooklyn Grays. In 1884, it became a member of the American Association as the Brooklyn Atlantics before joining the National League in 1890. They remained in Brook ...
' 1950s NL dynasty. Labine, 35, had been released by 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 (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central ...
in November 1961. He will appear in only three early-season games for the Mets before drawing his final release on May 1, 1962.
*February 19 – The
Mets hold their first workout at
Huggins–Stengel Field in
Saint Petersburg, Florida
St. Petersburg is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 258,308, making it the fifth-most populous city in Florida and the most populous city in the state that is not a county seat (the ...
, where they're greeted by
Casey Stengel
Charles Dillon "Casey" Stengel (; July 30, 1890 – September 29, 1975) was an American Major League Baseball right fielder and Manager (baseball), manager, best known as the manager of the championship New York Yankees of the 1950s and later, t ...
, their 71-year-old manager for whom the facility is partly named.
March
*March 1 –
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 club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. One of the AL's eight chart ...
pitcher
Sam Jones, 36, undergoes surgery for the removal of two malignant growths in his neck. He has cobalt treatments during the 1962 season, but appears in 30 games for Detroit between April and September. He continues to pitch in MLB into 1964, and remains effective in Triple-A into 1967. However, in 1971, four years after he retires from the mound, a recurrence of the cancer takes Jones' life at age 45.
*March 2 – The
New York Mets
The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National ...
return pitcher
Billy Loes, who won 50 games for the –
Brooklyn Dodgers
The Brooklyn Dodgers were a Major League Baseball team founded in 1883 as the Brooklyn Grays. In 1884, it became a member of the American Association as the Brooklyn Atlantics before joining the National League in 1890. They remained in Brook ...
, to his previous organization—ironically, the
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
, who release the 32-year-old righthander and end his MLB career.
*March 23 –
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. The Reds compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Divisi ...
president and general manager
William O. DeWitt Sr. buys the franchise itself from the estate of its late owner,
Powel Crosley Jr., who died in March 1961. The reported purchase price is $4.27 million.
*March 24 – Veteran third baseman
Andy Carey finds his way to 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 (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
after he refuses to report to the
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. The Phillies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. Since 2004, the team's home stadium has ...
. On December 15, 1961, Carey had been traded by 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) American League Central, Central Division. The club plays its ...
to the Phillies with pitcher
Frank Barnes for hurler
Taylor Phillips and infielder
Bo Sadowski. Today, the White Sox send pitcher
Cal McLish
Calvin Coolidge Julius Caesar Tuskahoma McLish (December 1, 1925 – August 26, 2010), nicknamed "Bus", was an American professional baseball pitcher and coach, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) between 1944 and 1964 for seven different ...
to Philadelphia, and take back Carey's contract. The ChiSox then trade Carey to the Dodgers for infielder
Ramón Conde and minor-league outfielder Jim Koranda. Carey, 30, a three-time
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB). It has been contested since between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winning team, determined through a best- ...
champion with 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) Am ...
, reports to the pennant-contending Dodgers and appears in 53 games for them in 1962, his final MLB season.
April
*April 2 – 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) American League Central, Central Division. Since , the team ...
acquire hard-throwing right-hander
Pedro Ramos from 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) American League Central, Central Division. The team is named afte ...
for slick-fielding first baseman
Vic Power and southpaw
Dick Stigman.
*April 3 – The
Twins
Twins are two offspring produced by the same pregnancy.MedicineNet > Definition of Twin Last Editorial Review: 19 June 2000 Twins can be either ''monozygotic'' ('identical'), meaning that they develop from one zygote, which splits and forms two e ...
release second baseman
Billy Martin, 33, ending his playing career. However, Martin will remain with the franchise as a scout and coach, and in 1969 he will begin his MLB managing career by leading the Twins to the
American League West Division championship.
*April 9 – The
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is the younger of two sports leagues, leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western L ...
's traditional Presidential opener marks the baseball debut of
D.C. Stadium, a multipurpose facility that opened in the autumn of 1961 as the home venue of the
Washington Redskins
The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East ...
of the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...
. With
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), also known as JFK, was the 35th president of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963. He was the first Roman Catholic and youngest person elected p ...
throwing out the first ball, the 1962 MLB season commences with the hometown
Washington Senators defeating 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 club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. One of the AL's eight chart ...
4–1 before a crowd of 44,383.
*April 10:
**In the first regular-season game ever at
Dodger Stadium
Dodger Stadium is a ballpark in the Elysian Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, United States. It is the home of the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB). Opened in 1962, it was constructed in less than three years at a ...
, the
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. The Reds compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Divisi ...
spoil 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 (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
' opening-day party by beating them 6–3 before 52,564 fans. Veteran outfielder
Wally Post breaks a 2–2 tie with a three-run home run in the seventh inning off
Johnny Podres
John Joseph Podres (September 30, 1932 – January 13, 2008) was an American left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played in the majors from 1953 to 1969, spending most of his career with the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers. Podres ...
, the first official homer to be hit in the new stadium.
**In their MLB debut, and the first Major League Baseball game played in the state of Texas, the
Houston Colt .45s defeat the
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Division. Th ...
11–2 behind the slugging of outfielder
Román Mejías, who belts two homers and drives home six runs. The game is played at
Colt Stadium, a temporary facility that will be supplanted by the nearby
Astrodome
The NRG Astrodome, formerly and also known as the Houston Astrodome or simply the Astrodome, was the world's first multi-purpose, domed sports stadium, located in Houston, Texas, United States. It seated around 50,000 fans, with a record atte ...
in 1965.
*April 11 – The
New York Mets
The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National ...
play the first official game in franchise history, an 11–4 loss to 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 (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Centra ...
at
Busch Stadium
Busch Stadium (also referred to informally as "New Busch Stadium" or "Busch Stadium III") is a baseball stadium located in St. Louis, Missouri. It is the home of Major League Baseball's St. Louis Cardinals. It has a seating capacity of 44,383, ...
,
St. Louis
St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a populatio ...
.
Gil Hodges
Gilbert Raymond Hodges (born Hodge; April 4, 1924 – April 2, 1972) was an American first baseman and manager (baseball), manager in Major League Baseball (MLB) who played most of his 18-year career for the History of the Brooklyn Dodgers, Broo ...
and
Charlie Neal, former
Brooklyn Dodgers
The Brooklyn Dodgers were a Major League Baseball team founded in 1883 as the Brooklyn Grays. In 1884, it became a member of the American Association as the Brooklyn Atlantics before joining the National League in 1890. They remained in Brook ...
, provide bright spots for the Mets, hitting the first two home runs in the new franchise's history.
*April 12 – In his Major League debut, left-hander
Pete Richert of 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 (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
ties
Karl Spooner's record by striking out the first six batters he faces. Richert enters the game against the
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. The Reds compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Divisi ...
at
Dodger Stadium
Dodger Stadium is a ballpark in the Elysian Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, United States. It is the home of the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB). Opened in 1962, it was constructed in less than three years at a ...
with two out in the second inning and strikes out
Vada Pinson for the final out. He then records a four-strikeout third inning; the victims are
Frank Robinson
Frank Robinson (August 31, 1935 – February 7, 2019), nicknamed "the Judge", was an American professional baseball outfielder and manager in Major League Baseball (MLB) who played for five teams over 21 seasons: the Cincinnati Reds (1956–196 ...
,
Gordy Coleman (who reaches first on a
John Roseboro
John Junior Roseboro (May 13, 1933 – August 16, 2002) was an American professional baseball player and coach. He played as a catcher in Major League Baseball from 1957 until 1970, most prominently as a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers. A four ...
passed ball),
Wally Post and
Johnny Edwards. To date, Richert is the only pitcher to strike out four batters in one inning in his debut. His record-tying sixth strikeout is of
Tommy Harper leading off the fourth inning. The Dodgers defeat the Reds 11–7 with Richert gaining the victory, having struck out seven batters, walking none, and allowing no hits in 3 innings.
*April 13 –
National League
National League often refers to:
*National League (baseball), one of the two baseball leagues constituting Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada
*National League (division), the fifth division of the English football (soccer) system ...
baseball returns to New York City, as the
Mets play the first home game in franchise history, a 4–3 loss to 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 (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central ...
at the venerable
Polo Grounds
The Polo Grounds was the name of three stadiums in Upper Manhattan, New York City, used mainly for professional baseball and American football from 1880 to 1963. The original Polo Grounds, opened in 1876 and demolished in 1889, was built for the ...
.
*April 18 –
Ernie Banks
Ernest Banks (January 31, 1931 – January 23, 2015), nicknamed "Mr. Cub" and "Mr. Sunshine", was an American professional baseball player who starred in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a shortstop and first baseman for the Chicago Cubs between ...
hits his 300th career home run, helping the
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Division. Th ...
beat the
Houston Colt .45s 3–2.
*April 23 – The
New York Mets
The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National ...
earn their first-ever victory, 9–1 over 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 (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central ...
at
Forbes Field
Forbes Field was a baseball park in the Oakland (Pittsburgh), Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, from 1909 to June 28, 1970. It was the third home of the Pittsburgh Pirates, the city's Major League Baseball (MLB) team, and the fir ...
behind
Jay Hook's
complete game
In baseball, a complete game (CG) is the act of a pitcher pitching an entire game without the benefit of a relief pitcher. A pitcher who meets this criterion will be credited with a complete game regardless of the number of innings played—pitche ...
. The Mets' record now stands at 1–9; the Pirates, having won their first ten games of 1962 (including five triumphs over the Mets), boast a 10–1 mark.
*April 24 –
Casey Stengel
Charles Dillon "Casey" Stengel (; July 30, 1890 – September 29, 1975) was an American Major League Baseball right fielder and Manager (baseball), manager, best known as the manager of the championship New York Yankees of the 1950s and later, t ...
is fined $500 by
Commissioner
A commissioner (commonly abbreviated as Comm'r) is, in principle, a member of a commission or an individual who has been given a commission (official charge or authority to do something).
In practice, the title of commissioner has evolved to incl ...
Ford Frick
Ford Christopher Frick (December 19, 1894 – April 8, 1978) was an American sportswriter and baseball executive. After working as a teacher and as a sportswriter for the ''New York Journal-American, New York American'', he served as public rela ...
for appearing in a
Rheingold's beer commercial in full Mets uniform. Appearing in the ad with Stengel was Kathy Kersh, who will achieve fame as Cornelia, one of the Joker's women on the TV series ''Batman.''
*April 30 – The
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Division. Th ...
acquire nine-year veteran pitcher
Bob Buhl, a two-time
National League All-Star, from the
Milwaukee Braves
The Milwaukee Braves were a Major League Baseball club that played in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, from 1953 to 1965, having previously played in Boston, Massachusetts, as the Boston Braves. After relocating to Atlanta, Georgia, in 1966 they were rename ...
for sophomore left-hander
Jack Curtis.
May
*May 1 – In Year 2 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 a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Division. Th ...
' "
College of Coaches" era,
El Tappe, who served as the Cubs' rotating "head coach" (or ''de facto'' manager) for the month of April, is succeeded by
Lou Klein after the Cubbies drop 16 of their first 20 games. Klein's tenure will last 30 games until he rotates out of the top job on June 3.
*May 5 – Rookie left-hander
Bo Belinsky of the
Los Angeles Angels
The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, ...
no-hits the
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles (also known as the O's) are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East Division. As one of the America ...
2–0 at
Dodger Stadium
Dodger Stadium is a ballpark in the Elysian Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, United States. It is the home of the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB). Opened in 1962, it was constructed in less than three years at a ...
, which the Angels prefer to call "
Chavez Ravine
Chavez Ravine is a shallow canyon in Los Angeles, California. It sits in a large promontory of hills north of downtown Los Angeles, next to Major League Baseball's Dodger Stadium. Chavez Ravine was named for a 19th-century Los Angeles councilm ...
". The no-hitter is the first in the history of both the Angels franchise and Dodger Stadium itself.

*May 9 – The 5–16
New York Mets
The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National ...
, who in recent days have disposed of veterans like
Joe Ginsberg,
Clem Labine
Clement Walter Labine (August 6, 1926 – March 2, 2007) was an American right-handed relief pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB) best known for his years with the Brooklyn / Los Angeles Dodgers from 1950 to 1960.
As a key member of the Dod ...
,
Jim Marshall,
Bobby Gene Smith and
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 ...
, continue to shake up their roster. Today they acquire first baseman
Marv Throneberry
Marvin Eugene Throneberry (September 2, 1933 – June 23, 1994) was an American Major League Baseball player. Affectionately known as "Marvelous Marv", he was the starting first baseman for the 1962 New York Mets, a team which set the modern re ...
from the
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles (also known as the O's) are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East Division. As one of the America ...
for cash and a "
player to be named later
In Major League Baseball, a player to be named later (PTBNL) is an unnamed player involved in exchange or "trade" of players between teams. The terms of a trade are not finalized until a later date, most often following the conclusion of the seaso ...
," who turns out to be catcher
Hobie Landrith
Hobert Neal Landrith (March 16, 1930 – April 6, 2023) was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher from 1950 through 1963 for the Cincinnati Reds, Cincinnati Reds/Redlegs, Chicago Cubs, St. Loui ...
, their first pick in the October 1961
expansion draft
An expansion draft, in professional sports, occurs when a sports league decides to create one or more new expansion teams or sports franchising, franchises. This occurs mainly in Sports in North America, North American sports and closed leagues. O ...
. Throneberry will play less than a full calendar year for the Mets, but, as "Marvelous Marv," he will embody the struggling team's futility.
*May 12 –
Mets relief pitcher
Craig Anderson wins both ends of a
doubleheader against the
Milwaukee Braves
The Milwaukee Braves were a Major League Baseball club that played in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, from 1953 to 1965, having previously played in Boston, Massachusetts, as the Boston Braves. After relocating to Atlanta, Georgia, in 1966 they were rename ...
. His success will be short-lived, because Anderson will lose his next 16 decisions of 1962 and 19 straight decisions overall. In fact, he will never win another game in the major leagues.
*May 15 – The
Los Angeles Angels
The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, ...
release veteran left-hander
Joe Nuxhall. The following month, Nuxhall will return to the
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. The Reds compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Divisi ...
' organization, where he will soon successfully resume his MLB pitching career and eventually become a beloved, long-time member of their broadcast team.
*May 21 – Future
Hall-of-Fame pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("Pitch (baseball), pitches") the Baseball (ball), baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of out (baseball), retiring a batter (baseball), batter, ...
Robin Roberts, 35, signs a free-agent contract with the
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles (also known as the O's) are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East Division. As one of the America ...
. He had been without a team since April 25, when 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) Am ...
released him without using him in any regular-season games. Roberts will bounce back as an Oriole, making 25 starts, going 10–9, and finishing second in the
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is the younger of two sports leagues, leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western L ...
in
earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average (ERA) is the average of earned runs allowed by a pitcher per nine innings pitched (i.e. the traditional length of a game). It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number ...
(2.78).
*May 26 – 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 club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. One of the AL's eight chart ...
' All-Star right fielder,
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, Kali ...
, batting .336 in 36 games so far, breaks his collarbone making a game-saving catch in a 2–1 victory over 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) Am ...
. Kaline doesn't return to the lineup until July 23. The Tigers go 26–31 in his absence and are never a factor in the 1962 pennant race.
*May 29 –
Ernie Banks
Ernest Banks (January 31, 1931 – January 23, 2015), nicknamed "Mr. Cub" and "Mr. Sunshine", was an American professional baseball player who starred in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a shortstop and first baseman for the Chicago Cubs between ...
hits three home runs, but his
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Division. Th ...
still fall to the
Milwaukee Braves
The Milwaukee Braves were a Major League Baseball club that played in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, from 1953 to 1965, having previously played in Boston, Massachusetts, as the Boston Braves. After relocating to Atlanta, Georgia, in 1966 they were rename ...
11–9 at
Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field is a ballpark on the North Side, Chicago, North Side of Chicago, Illinois. It is the home ballpark of Major League Baseball's Chicago Cubs, one of the city's two MLB franchises. It first opened in 1914 as Weeghman Park for Charl ...
in
Chicago
Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
.
June
*June 5 – The
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Division. Th ...
' "
College of Coaches" roulette wheel turns again when
Charlie Metro becomes the team's third "head coach" of 1962. However, unlike his ten rotating predecessors' since 1961, his term will last uninterrupted through 112 games and the end of season.
*June 10 –
Los Angeles Angels
The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, ...
left fielder and pinch hitter
Earl Averill Jr. ties a Major League record by reaching base in 17 consecutive
plate appearance
In baseball, a player is credited with a plate appearance (denoted by PA) each time he completes a turn batting. Under Rule 5.04(c) of the Official Baseball Rules, a player completes a turn batting when he is put out or becomes a runner. This ha ...
s, a mark originally set by
Piggy Ward 69 years earlier, in . Averill started his streak—which included eight
hits
Hits or H.I.T.S. may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Music
* '' H.I.T.S.'', 1991 album by New Kids on the Block
* ''...Hits'' (Phil Collins album), 1998
* ''Hits'' (compilation series), 1984–2006; 2014, a British compilation album s ...
and nine
bases on balls
A base on balls (BB), better known as a walk,
occurs in baseball when a batter receives four pitches during a plate appearance that the umpire calls '' balls'', and is in turn awarded first base without the possibility of being called out. The bas ...
—on June 3.
*June 17 –
Marv Throneberry
Marvin Eugene Throneberry (September 2, 1933 – June 23, 1994) was an American Major League Baseball player. Affectionately known as "Marvelous Marv", he was the starting first baseman for the 1962 New York Mets, a team which set the modern re ...
appears to a triple in the first inning in a game 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 a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Division. Th ...
. However, the Cubs protest the play, saying that Throneberry never touched second base. The appeal is confirmed by the second base umpire and Throneberry is declared out. The Mets go on to lose 8–7.
*June 18:
**At the
Polo Grounds
The Polo Grounds was the name of three stadiums in Upper Manhattan, New York City, used mainly for professional baseball and American football from 1880 to 1963. The original Polo Grounds, opened in 1876 and demolished in 1889, was built for the ...
,
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. Considered one ...
of the
Milwaukee Braves
The Milwaukee Braves were a Major League Baseball club that played in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, from 1953 to 1965, having previously played in Boston, Massachusetts, as the Boston Braves. After relocating to Atlanta, Georgia, in 1966 they were rename ...
hits a home run over the center field wall. The shot, a grand slam, comes off
Jay Hook in the Braves' 7-1 victory over the
New York Mets
The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National ...
and is the second in back-to-back days, and the third overall, to clear that wall. The day before,
Lou Brock 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 a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Division. Th ...
had hit one over the center field wall off the Mets'
Al Jackson
Alvin Neill Jackson (December 26, 1935 – August 19, 2019), affectionately referred to as "Little" Al Jackson, was an American left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who played from 1959 to 1969. His 43 wins with the New York Mets were t ...
in the first game of a doubleheader.
Joe Adcock had been the only other player to hit a home run over the Polo Grounds' center field wall, doing so for the Braves against the
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...
on April 29, .
**At
Dodger Stadium
Dodger Stadium is a ballpark in the Elysian Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, United States. It is the home of the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB). Opened in 1962, it was constructed in less than three years at a ...
,
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 consistent ...
of 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 (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Centra ...
legs out a single off of
Sandy Koufax
Sanford Koufax (; né Braun; born December 30, 1935), nicknamed "the Left Arm of God", is an American former baseball pitcher who played 12 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Brooklyn Dodgers, Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers from 195 ...
in the second inning, giving him his 5,855th career total base, which breaks
Ty Cobb
Tyrus Raymond Cobb (December 18, 1886 – July 17, 1961), nicknamed "the Georgia Peach", was an American professional baseball center fielder. A native of rural Narrows, Georgia, Cobb played 24 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He spent ...
's 37-year-old all-time record. The Cardinals would lose to the Dodgers 1–0.
*June 23 –
Larry Doby
Lawrence Eugene Doby (December 13, 1923 – June 18, 2003) was an American professional baseball player in the Negro league baseball, Negro leagues and Major League Baseball (MLB) who was the second black player to break baseball color line, bas ...
becomes the first former major league player to sign with a team in Japan. Doby signed with the
Chunichi Dragons
The are a professional baseball team based in Nagoya, the chief city in the Chūbu region of Japan. The team plays in the Central League of Nippon Professional Baseball. They have won the Central League pennant nine times (most recently in 2011 ...
of the
Nippon Professional Baseball League
is a professional baseball league and the highest level of baseball in Japan. Locally, it is often called , meaning simply ''Professional Baseball''; outside of Japan, NPB is often referred to as "Japanese baseball".
The roots of the league ...
. However, Doby struggles and only hits .225 in what will be his final professional season.
*June 26 – At
Fenway Park
Fenway Park is a ballpark located in Boston, Massachusetts, less than one mile from Kenmore Square. Since 1912, it has been the home field of Major League Baseball's (MLB) Boston Red Sox. While the stadium was built in 1912, it was substantia ...
,
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) American League East, East Division. Founded in as one of the Ameri ...
pitcher
Earl Wilson no-hits the
Los Angeles Angels
The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, ...
2–0 and helps his own cause by
homering in the same game. He becomes the third pitcher, after
Wes Ferrell in and
Jim Tobin in , to hit a home run supporting his own no-hitter.
Rick Wise
Richard Charles Wise (born September 13, 1945) is an American former professional baseball player and coach. He played in Major League Baseball as a right-handed pitcher between and for the Philadelphia Phillies, St. Louis Cardinals, Boston Re ...
will join them in , homering twice in his no-hitter. Wilson also becomes the first Black pitcher to throw a no-hitter in the
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is the younger of two sports leagues, leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western L ...
.
*June 27 – In
Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, second-most populous city in Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia) and the List of Un ...
,
Richie Ashburn
Don Richard Ashburn (March 19, 1927September 9, 1997), also known by the nicknames "Putt-Putt", "the Tilden Flash", and "Whitey" (due to his light-blond hair), was an American professional baseball player and television sports commentator. He pl ...
's single in the fourth inning against the
Pirates
Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence by ship or boat-borne attackers upon another ship or a coastal area, typically with the goal of stealing cargo and valuable goods, or taking hostages. Those who conduct acts of piracy are call ...
'
Bob Friend is the future
Hall-of-Fame outfielder's 2,500th career hit; he is the 39th player in history to reach that level. The Pirates defeat Ashburn's
Mets, 6–5, in ten innings.

*June 30 – At Dodger Stadium,
Sandy Koufax
Sanford Koufax (; né Braun; born December 30, 1935), nicknamed "the Left Arm of God", is an American former baseball pitcher who played 12 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Brooklyn Dodgers, Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers from 195 ...
no-hits the
New York Mets
The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National ...
5–0. He begins the game by striking out the first three batters (
Richie Ashburn
Don Richard Ashburn (March 19, 1927September 9, 1997), also known by the nicknames "Putt-Putt", "the Tilden Flash", and "Whitey" (due to his light-blond hair), was an American professional baseball player and television sports commentator. He pl ...
,
Rod Kanehl and
Félix Mantilla) on nine pitches. The no-hitter is the first by a Dodger since the franchise's move from
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...
after the 1957 season, as well as the only one to feature an
immaculate inning to date. Koufax will go on to pitch no-hitters in each of the next three seasons, including
his perfect game in 1965; his record of four career no-hitters will be broken by
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), Ryan pitched for the New Yo ...
in 1981.
July
*July 4 – The season's midpoint sees both of
Los Angeles
Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
' MLB teams leading their leagues. The talent-rich
Dodgers, with aces
Sandy Koufax
Sanford Koufax (; né Braun; born December 30, 1935), nicknamed "the Left Arm of God", is an American former baseball pitcher who played 12 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Brooklyn Dodgers, Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers from 195 ...
(12–4) and
Don Drysdale (14–4) showing the way, are 56–29 (
.659), one-half game in front of their bitter rivals, the
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
(55–29) in the
Senior Circuit. Shockingly, the second-year
Los Angeles Angels
The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, ...
, one year removed from
expansion team
An expansion team is a new team in a sports league, usually from a city that has not hosted a team in that league before, formed with the intention of satisfying the demand for a local team from a population in a new area. Sporting leagues also ...
status, sit atop the
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is the younger of two sports leagues, leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western L ...
at 45–34 (.570), also by a half-game, over 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) Am ...
(43–33) and
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) American League Central, Central Division. Since , the team ...
(44–34). The Angels are led by the less-heralded mound duo of
Ken McBride (8–3) and
Bo Belinsky (7–2).
*July 9 – At a meeting held in conjunction with the All-Star Game, the major league players request a reduced schedule for the season. They also vote unanimously to continue playing two All-Star Games each year.
*July 10 – At newly opened
D.C. Stadium,
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), also known as JFK, was the 35th president of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963. He was the first Roman Catholic and youngest person elected p ...
becomes the only U.S. president ever to throw the ceremonial first pitch at an All-Star Game, as the
National League
National League often refers to:
*National League (baseball), one of the two baseball leagues constituting Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada
*National League (division), the fifth division of the English football (soccer) system ...
beats the
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is the younger of two sports leagues, leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western L ...
, 3–1, in the first
All-Star Game
An all-star game is an exhibition game that showcases 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 division, bu ...
of 1962. Highlights include
Maury Wills
Maurice Morning Wills (October 2, 1932 – September 19, 2022) was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played in Major League Baseball as a shortstop from 1959 to 1972, most prominently as an integral member of the Los Ange ...
scoring two of the NL's three runs,
Roberto Clemente
Roberto Enrique Clemente Walker (; August 18, 1934 – December 31, 1972) was a Puerto Rican professional baseball player who played 18 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Pittsburgh Pirates, primarily as a right fielder. On December ...
rapping three hits, and
Willie Mays
Willie Howard Mays Jr. (May 6, 1931 – June 18, 2024), nicknamed "the Say Hey Kid", was an American professional baseball center fielder who played 23 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). Widely regarded as one of the greatest players of ...
making an amazing game-ending catch. Wills receives the first All-Star MVP honors.
*July 11 – For the first time since , when
Lloyd and
Paul Waner
Paul Glee Waner (April 16, 1903 – August 29, 1965), nicknamed "Big Poison", was an American professional baseball right fielder who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for four teams between 1926 and 1945, most notably playing his first 15 s ...
pulled the trick, brothers
Hank and
Tommie Aaron hit home runs in the same inning. Both were hit in the last of the ninth, and Hank's
grand slam provides the winning margin in an 8–6
Braves win over the
Cardinals.
*July 14 – Unfortunately for
Ralph Branca, it is 11 years too late and it doesn't count anyway. In the New York Mets' first Old-Timers' Game, reliever Ralph Branca faces
Bobby Thomson, the man who hit the historic 1951 home run against him to give the Giants the 1951 pennant. This time Branca gets Thomson out on a fly ball to center field. In the real game itself, the Dodgers thrash the Mets, 17–0.
*July 17 – At
Crosley Field
Crosley Field was a Major League Baseball park in Cincinnati, Ohio. It was the home field of the National League's Cincinnati Reds from 1912 through June 24, 1970, and the original Cincinnati Bengals football team, members of the second (1937) a ...
,
Sandy Koufax
Sanford Koufax (; né Braun; born December 30, 1935), nicknamed "the Left Arm of God", is an American former baseball pitcher who played 12 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Brooklyn Dodgers, Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers from 195 ...
is forced to leave the mound after only one inning against the
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. The Reds compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Divisi ...
. Suffering from a finger ailment known as ''
Raynauds' Syndrome'', which began when he was hit by a pitch in a game on April 28, the future
Hall of Famer (14–4, 209 strikeouts and 2.15 ERA going into today) will miss more than two months of action and lose his last three decisions. His absence and subsequent struggle prove costly to his first-place
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 (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
, who will go only 30–26 in August and September and end the 162-game season in a dead heat with their rivals, the
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
.
*July 18 – 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) American League Central, Central Division. The team is named afte ...
become the first major league club in the 20th century to hit two
grand slams in one inning when
Bob Allison and
Harmon Killebrew connect in a team-record 11-run first inning against 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) American League Central, Central Division. Since , the team ...
. Pitchers
Barry Latman and
Jim Perry serve the grand gophers in the Twins' 14–3 drubbing of the Tribe.
*July 20 – The Cardinals'
Minnie Miñoso returns to action for the first time since May 11, when he fractured his skull and broke his right wrist running into an outfield wall. On August 19, he is hit by a pitch by the Mets' Craig Anderson in the 6th and suffers a broken bone in his left forearm.
*July 22 – 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) American League Central, Central Division. The club plays its ...
'
Floyd Robinson is six for six – all singles – in a 7–3 victory over the Boston Red Sox.
*July 26 –
Warren Spahn
Warren Edward Spahn (April 23, 1921 – November 24, 2003) was an American professional baseball pitcher who played 21 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). A left-handed pitcher, Spahn played in 1942 and then from 1946 until 1965, most notabl ...
of the Milwaukee Braves sets the National League record for home runs by a pitcher, when he hits his 31st off New York's Craig Anderson. Spahn also deals the Mets their 11th straight loss in a 6–1 Milwaukee victory.
*July 30 – Home runs by
Leon Wagner,
Pete Runnels, and
Rocky Colavito power the
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is the younger of two sports leagues, leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western L ...
past the
National League
National League often refers to:
*National League (baseball), one of the two baseball leagues constituting Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada
*National League (division), the fifth division of the English football (soccer) system ...
9–4 in the second
All-Star Game
An all-star game is an exhibition game that showcases 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 division, bu ...
of 1962. Wagner is selected MVP.
August

*August 1 –
Bill Monbouquette 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) American League East, East Division. Founded in as one of the Ameri ...
no-hits 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) American League Central, Central Division. The club plays its ...
1–0 at
Comiskey Park
Comiskey Park was a ballpark in Chicago, Illinois, located in the Armour Square neighborhood on the near-south side of the city. The stadium served as the home of the Chicago White Sox of the American League from 1910 through 1990. Built by Wh ...
, the Red Sox' second no-hitter of the season.
Al Smith
Alfred Emanuel Smith (December 30, 1873 – October 4, 1944) was the 42nd governor of New York, serving from 1919 to 1920 and again from 1923 to 1928. He was the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party's presidential nominee in the 1 ...
, who walked in the second inning, is the only baserunner Monbouquette allows. Monbouquette's catcher,
Jim Pagliaroni, scores the game's lone run, on a
Lou Clinton single in the eighth inning.
*August 3 – At the
Polo Grounds
The Polo Grounds was the name of three stadiums in Upper Manhattan, New York City, used mainly for professional baseball and American football from 1880 to 1963. The original Polo Grounds, opened in 1876 and demolished in 1889, was built for the ...
, the
New York Mets
The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National ...
blast five home runs—two by
Frank Thomas, and one each by
Choo Choo Coleman,
Charlie Neal and
Marv Throneberry
Marvin Eugene Throneberry (September 2, 1933 – June 23, 1994) was an American Major League Baseball player. Affectionately known as "Marvelous Marv", he was the starting first baseman for the 1962 New York Mets, a team which set the modern re ...
—but fall to the visiting
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. The Reds compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Divisi ...
, 8–6. The Mets are now 26–79 (
.248), 45 games behind 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 (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
.
*August 10 – At
"Chavez Ravine", rookie
Dean Chance of the
Los Angeles Angels
The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, ...
outduels future
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 a private foundation. It serves as the central collection and gathering space for the history of baseball in the United S ...
member
Jim Kaat
James Lee Kaat (; born November 7, 1938), nicknamed "Kitty", is an American former professional baseball player and television sports commentator. A left-handed pitcher, he played Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Washington Senators / Minnes ...
, 1–0 in 11 innings.
Leon Wagner's RBI single drives home the winning run.
*August 14 – It takes 15 innings, but the visiting
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. The Phillies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. Since 2004, the team's home stadium has ...
defeat the
New York Mets
The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National ...
, 3–1. Met first baseman
Marv Throneberry
Marvin Eugene Throneberry (September 2, 1933 – June 23, 1994) was an American Major League Baseball player. Affectionately known as "Marvelous Marv", he was the starting first baseman for the 1962 New York Mets, a team which set the modern re ...
's error is key to the Phils' winning rally.
*August 21 – With each team belting four homers, the first-place
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) Am ...
humble the
Kansas City Athletics
The Kansas City Athletics were a Major League Baseball team that played in Kansas City, Missouri, from 1955 to 1967, having previously played in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as the Philadelphia Athletics. After moving in 1967, the team became the ...
21–7 at
Municipal Stadium.
*August 26 – At
Metropolitan Stadium
Metropolitan Stadium (often referred to as "the Met", "Met Stadium", or now "the Old Met" to distinguish from the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Metrodome) was an outdoor sports stadium in the West North Central states, north central United State ...
,
Jack Kralick 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) American League Central, Central Division. The team is named afte ...
no-hits the
Kansas City Athletics
The Kansas City Athletics were a Major League Baseball team that played in Kansas City, Missouri, from 1955 to 1967, having previously played in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as the Philadelphia Athletics. After moving in 1967, the team became the ...
, 1–0. The no-hitter is the first in the franchise's Minnesota history; they had moved from Washington, D.C. after the season. Kralick retires the first 25 batters before a walk to
the 26th hitter spoils his bid for a
perfect game.
September
*September 3 – The 1962 season's post-
Labor Day
Labor Day is a Federal holidays in the United States, federal holiday in the United States celebrated on the first Monday of September to honor and recognize the Labor history of the United States, American labor movement and the works and con ...
stretch run will begin with 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 (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
(90–48) leading the
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
(87–50) by 2½ games in the
National League
National League often refers to:
*National League (baseball), one of the two baseball leagues constituting Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada
*National League (division), the fifth division of the English football (soccer) system ...
, and 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) Am ...
(82–58) up by three games over 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) American League Central, Central Division. The team is named afte ...
(79–61) in the
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is the younger of two sports leagues, leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western L ...
, with the
Los Angeles Angels
The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, ...
(77–62) still a viable contender at 3½ games back. The surprising Twins and Angels finished in the AL's
second division in .
*September 5 –
John Kennedy, a 21-year-old rookie for the
Washington Senators, homers in his first MLB at-bat off left-hander
Dick Stigman at
D.C. Stadium. He makes headlines because he shares his name with the
35th President of the United States, and both men were born on May 29 (though 24 years apart). Infielder Kennedy will forge a 12-year MLB career with five clubs.
*September 9:
**Future
Hall-of-Famer Tony Oliva makes his major league debut, striking out against right-hander
Bob Humphreys in his only plate appearance in 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) American League Central, Central Division. The team is named afte ...
' 10–9 loss 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 club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. One of the AL's eight chart ...
.
**
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) American League East, East Division. Founded in as one of the Ameri ...
rookie relief ace
Dick "The Monster" Radatz throws seven innings of one-run, nine-strikeout ball and earns the victory when the Bosox edge the pennant-bound
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) Am ...
5–4 in 16 innings at
The Bronx
The Bronx ( ) is the northernmost of the five Boroughs of New York City, boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. It shares a land border with Westchester County, New York, West ...
. Radatz (8–5) is actually out-pitched by Yankee left-hander
Marshall Bridges, who goes nine innings of one-run relief, but is defeated by
Billy Gardner
William Frederick Gardner (July 19, 1927 – January 3, 2024) was an American professional baseball player, coach, and manager. During his ten-season active career in Major League Baseball (MLB), Gardner was a second baseman for the New York G ...
's successful
squeeze bunt.
*September 10 –
Mickey Mantle
Mickey Charles Mantle (October 20, 1931 – August 13, 1995), nicknamed "the Mick" and "the Commerce Comet", was an American professional baseball player who played his entire Major League Baseball (MLB) career (1951–1968) with the New York ...
hits his 400th career home run, helping the
Yankees beat 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 club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. One of the AL's eight chart ...
3–1.
*September 12 –
Washington Senators right-hander
Tom Cheney strikes out 21
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles (also known as the O's) are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East Division. As one of the America ...
hitters over 16 innings in a 2–1 triumph at
Memorial Stadium. He throws 228 pitches, and may have suffered a career-shortening injury, but Cheney's record still stands for most Ks by a pitcher in a single game.
*September 16 –
Willie Stargell
Wilver Dornell Stargell (March 6, 1940 – April 9, 2001), nicknamed "Pops" later in his career, was an American professional baseball left fielder and first baseman who spent all of his 21 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) (1962– 1982 ...
makes his major league debut as a
pinch hitter
In baseball, a pinch hitter (PH) is a substitute batter. Batters can be substituted at any time while the ball is dead (not in active play); the manager may use any player who has not yet entered the game as a substitute. Unlike basketball, A ...
going hitless in his lone at bat in 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 (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central ...
' 6–4 win over the second-place
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
at
Forbes Field
Forbes Field was a baseball park in the Oakland (Pittsburgh), Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, from 1909 to June 28, 1970. It was the third home of the Pittsburgh Pirates, the city's Major League Baseball (MLB) team, and the fir ...
. Meanwhile,
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Division. Th ...
veteran
Bob Buhl fires a four-hitter and defeats the first-place
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 (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
, 5–0, at
Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field is a ballpark on the North Side, Chicago, North Side of Chicago, Illinois. It is the home ballpark of Major League Baseball's Chicago Cubs, one of the city's two MLB franchises. It first opened in 1914 as Weeghman Park for Charl ...
. With 12 games left in the regular season, the Dodgers (98–52) lead the Giants (92–56) by four full games in the
National League
National League often refers to:
*National League (baseball), one of the two baseball leagues constituting Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada
*National League (division), the fifth division of the English football (soccer) system ...
.
*September 23 – At
Busch Stadium
Busch Stadium (also referred to informally as "New Busch Stadium" or "Busch Stadium III") is a baseball stadium located in St. Louis, Missouri. It is the home of Major League Baseball's St. Louis Cardinals. It has a seating capacity of 44,383, ...
,
Maury Wills
Maurice Morning Wills (October 2, 1932 – September 19, 2022) was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played in Major League Baseball as a shortstop from 1959 to 1972, most prominently as an integral member of the Los Ange ...
of the
Dodgers pilfers two bases against 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 (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Centra ...
to eclipse
Ty Cobb
Tyrus Raymond Cobb (December 18, 1886 – July 17, 1961), nicknamed "the Georgia Peach", was an American professional baseball center fielder. A native of rural Narrows, Georgia, Cobb played 24 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He spent ...
's for
stolen base
In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a runner advances to a base unaided by other actions and the official scorer rules that the advance should be credited to the action of the runner. The umpires determine whether the runner is safe or out ...
s in a season, which had stood at 96 for 47 years. Cobb's and Wills' records were each set over 156 league games. With his season elongated by the three-game
NL tie-breaker series, Wills will purloin 104 bags in 165 games in 1962.
*September 25 – The defending
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB). It has been contested since between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winning team, determined through a best- ...
champion
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) Am ...
clinch the 1962
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is the younger of two sports leagues, leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western L ...
pennant by besting the
Washington Senators 8–3 behind
Whitey Ford
Edward Charles "Whitey" Ford (October 21, 1928 – October 8, 2020), nicknamed "the Chairman of the Board", was an American professional baseball pitcher who played his entire 16-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career with the New York Yankees. ...
(17–8) and
Mickey Mantle
Mickey Charles Mantle (October 20, 1931 – August 13, 1995), nicknamed "the Mick" and "the Commerce Comet", was an American professional baseball player who played his entire Major League Baseball (MLB) career (1951–1968) with the New York ...
, who goes four for four, with two runs scored and two RBI. It's the Bombers' 27th AL flag since they won their first in .
*September 27 – The
expansion Houston Colt .45s make two seventh-inning runs stand up, as they triumph, 8–6, over first-place
Los Angeles
Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
at
Dodger Stadium
Dodger Stadium is a ballpark in the Elysian Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, United States. It is the home of the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB). Opened in 1962, it was constructed in less than three years at a ...
. A four-inning, scoreless effort by veteran Houston reliever
Jim Umbricht earns him the win. The loss is the first of a catastrophic five-game slide that sees the Dodgers fritter away a two-game lead over the
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
by the end of the National League's regular-season schedule.
*September 29 –
Hank Bauer quits as manager of the ninth-place
Kansas City Athletics
The Kansas City Athletics were a Major League Baseball team that played in Kansas City, Missouri, from 1955 to 1967, having previously played in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as the Philadelphia Athletics. After moving in 1967, the team became the ...
before owner
Charles O. Finley can fire him. Bauer's successor is former
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) Am ...
teammate
Eddie Lopat. Finley will hire Bauer again in to manage his team, by then based in
Oakland
Oakland is a city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S. state of California. It is the county seat and most populous city in Alameda County, with a population of 440,646 in 2020. A major West Coast port, Oakland is ...
, and fire him that September.
*September 30 –
Gene Oliver's solo homer off
Johnny Podres
John Joseph Podres (September 30, 1932 – January 13, 2008) was an American left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played in the majors from 1953 to 1969, spending most of his career with the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers. Podres ...
supplies the only run that veteran
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 (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Centra ...
lefty
Curt Simmons needs, as St. Louis shuts out
Los Angeles
Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
, 1–0, at
Dodger Stadium
Dodger Stadium is a ballpark in the Elysian Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, United States. It is the home of the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB). Opened in 1962, it was constructed in less than three years at a ...
. Meanwhile, at
Candlestick Park
Candlestick Park was an outdoor stadium located in the Bayview-Hunters Point, Hunters Point area of San Francisco, California, United States. It was originally the home of Major League Baseball's San Francisco Giants, who played there from 1960 S ...
,
Willie Mays
Willie Howard Mays Jr. (May 6, 1931 – June 18, 2024), nicknamed "the Say Hey Kid", was an American professional baseball center fielder who played 23 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). Widely regarded as one of the greatest players of ...
slugs an eighth-inning solo shot off the
Houston Colt .45s'
Turk Farrell to give the
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
a 2–1 victory and a first-place tie with the Dodgers after a full-slate of 162 games. For the fourth time in 17 years, the
National League
National League often refers to:
*National League (baseball), one of the two baseball leagues constituting Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada
*National League (division), the fifth division of the English football (soccer) system ...
pennant race will be decided by a best-of-three tiebreaker series. All of them have involved the Dodger franchise, including their classic
1951 matchup with the Giants, played when the two teams were still based in New York City.
October
*October 3 – Eleven years to the day since the
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...
beat the
Brooklyn Dodgers
The Brooklyn Dodgers were a Major League Baseball team founded in 1883 as the Brooklyn Grays. In 1884, it became a member of the American Association as the Brooklyn Atlantics before joining the National League in 1890. They remained in Brook ...
for the
National League
National League often refers to:
*National League (baseball), one of the two baseball leagues constituting Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada
*National League (division), the fifth division of the English football (soccer) system ...
pennant on
Bobby Thomson's "
Shot Heard Round the World
The "shot heard round the world" is a phrase that refers to the opening shot of the battles of Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775, which sparked the American Revolutionary War and led to the creation of the United States. It originates fro ...
" home run, the visiting
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
score four runs in the top of the ninth to defeat 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 (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
, 6–4, in the decisive third game of the
1962 National League tie-breaker series
The 1962 National League tie-breaker series was a Playoff format#Best-of-three playoff, best-of-three playoff series that extended Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1962 Major League Baseball season, 1962 regular season to determine the winner of t ...
. The Giants'
Jim Davenport draws a bases-loaded
walk
Walking (also known as ambulation) is one of the main gaits of terrestrial locomotion among legged animals. Walking is typically slower than running and other gaits. Walking is defined as an "inverted pendulum" gait in which the body vaults over ...
off
Stan Williams, scoring
Felipe Alou
Felipe Rojas Alou (born May 12, 1935) is a Dominican former professional outfielder, first baseman, coach and manager in Major League Baseball (MLB). He managed the Montreal Expos (1992–2001) and the San Francisco Giants (2003–2006). The fir ...
with the winning run, then an insurance marker scores on an error by Los Angeles second baseman
Larry Burright. Giants' reliever
Don Larsen, famed for his
perfect game during the
1956 World Series
The 1956 World Series was the World Series, championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1956 Major League Baseball season, 1956 season. The 53rd edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff that matched the American Leagu ...
, earns the victory, with southpaw
Billy Pierce, who had hurled a
shutout
In team sports, a shutout (North American English, US) or clean sheet (Commonwealth English, UK) is a game in which the losing team fails to score. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketba ...
in the first game of the tiebreaker, getting the
save by retiring the Dodgers in order in the home half of the ninth. It's the Giants' first pennant since , their first since relocating to San Francisco in , and 18th overall since the club joined the NL in 1883.
*October 5 –
Birdie Tebbetts, manager of the
Milwaukee Braves
The Milwaukee Braves were a Major League Baseball club that played in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, from 1953 to 1965, having previously played in Boston, Massachusetts, as the Boston Braves. After relocating to Atlanta, Georgia, in 1966 they were rename ...
since September 1961, steps down to take the reins of 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) American League Central, Central Division. Since , the team ...
, who fired skipper
Mel McGaha on September 29. Tebbetts is reunited in Cleveland with general manager
Gabe Paul
Gabriel Howard Paul (January 4, 1910 – April 26, 1998) was an American executive in Major League Baseball who, between 1951 and 1984, served as general manager of the Cincinnati Reds, Houston Colt .45s, Cleveland Indians and New York Yan ...
; the pair worked together in
Cincinnati
Cincinnati ( ; colloquially nicknamed Cincy) is a city in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. Settled in 1788, the city is located on the northern side of the confluence of the Licking River (Kentucky), Licking and Ohio Ri ...
from 1954–1958.
*October 6 – Former shortstop and fan favorite
Johnny Pesky, 43, is promoted to manager 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) American League East, East Division. Founded in as one of the Ameri ...
, replacing
Pinky Higgins, who moves upstairs to general manager. Pesky had been managing
Triple-A Seattle
Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...
, the Bosox' top farm club.
*October 11 – The
New York Mets
The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National ...
purchase the contracts of minor-league infielder
Ron Hunt from the
Milwaukee Braves
The Milwaukee Braves were a Major League Baseball club that played in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, from 1953 to 1965, having previously played in Boston, Massachusetts, as the Boston Braves. After relocating to Atlanta, Georgia, in 1966 they were rename ...
, and catcher
Norm Sherry and outfielder
Dick Smith from 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 (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
. Hunt, 21, proves to be the most impactful acquisition, becoming the Mets' regular second baseman in en route to a 12-year NL career.
*October 16 – 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) Am ...
defeat the
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
, 1–0, in the seventh game of the
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB). It has been contested since between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winning team, determined through a best- ...
to win their second straight
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB). It has been contested since between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winning team, determined through a best- ...
championship and 20th overall. The Giants, down to their last out, threaten with
Matty Alou
Mateo "Matty" Rojas Alou (December 22, 1938 – November 3, 2011) was a Dominican professional baseball player and manager. He played as an outfielder in Major League Baseball from 1960 to 1974. He also played in Nippon Professional Baseb ...
on third and
Willie Mays
Willie Howard Mays Jr. (May 6, 1931 – June 18, 2024), nicknamed "the Say Hey Kid", was an American professional baseball center fielder who played 23 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). Widely regarded as one of the greatest players of ...
on second, but Yankees second baseman
Bobby Richardson
Robert Clinton Richardson, Jr. (born August 19, 1935) is an American former professional baseball second baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees from 1955 through 1966. Batting and throwing right-handed, he fo ...
snags a screaming line drive by
Willie McCovey
Willie Lee McCovey (January 10, 1938 – October 31, 2018), nicknamed "Stretch" 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 member of ...
to preserve the win. New York pitcher
Ralph Terry is named Series MVP.
*October 17:
**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 (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Centra ...
obtain All-Star outfielder
George Altman and pitcher
Don Cardwell from the
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Division. Th ...
for former All-Star pitchers
Larry Jackson and
Lindy McDaniel
Lyndall Dale McDaniel (December 13, 1935 – November 14, 2020), known as Lindy McDaniel, was an American professional baseball pitcher who had a 21-year career in Major League Baseball from 1955 to 1975. During his career, he witnessed approxim ...
; two backup catchers,
Jimmie Schaffer and
Moe Thacker, also swap teams. Altman will have a disappointing 1963 campaign in his only season as a Redbird, and Jackson will win 24 games for the 1964 Cubs, but the Cardwell acquisition gives the Cardinals a key piece in a momentous November 19 transaction.
**
Bobby Bragan fills the
Milwaukee Braves
The Milwaukee Braves were a Major League Baseball club that played in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, from 1953 to 1965, having previously played in Boston, Massachusetts, as the Boston Braves. After relocating to Atlanta, Georgia, in 1966 they were rename ...
' vacant managerial post. He had previously managed 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 (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central ...
(1956–1957) and
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) American League Central, Central Division. Since , the team ...
(1958).
*October 29 – 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) Am ...
sell the contract of one-time ace right-hander
Bob Turley to the
Los Angeles Angels
The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, ...
. Turley, 32, has been struggling with arm woes since his banner season, when he won the
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 (baseball), National League (NL). The award was introduced in 1956 by Commissioner of Baseball ( ...
and was named
MVP
MVP most commonly refers to:
* Most valuable player, an award, typically for the best performing player in a sport or competition
* Minimum viable product, a concept for feature estimating used in business and engineering
MVP may also refer to:
...
of the
1958 World Series.
November
*November 9 –
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Division. Th ...
owner
Philip K. Wrigley
Philip Knight Wrigley (December 5, 1894 – April 12, 1977) was an American chewing gum manufacturer and a Major League Baseball executive, inheriting both of those roles as the son of William Wrigley Jr.
Biography
Wrigley was born in Chicago in ...
announces that the "
College of Coaches" concept will be retained for but that
Charlie Metro, who compiled a 43–69 mark as head coach from June 5 through season's end, will not return. The 1962 Cubs (59–103 overall) finished ninth in the new, ten-team
National League
National League often refers to:
*National League (baseball), one of the two baseball leagues constituting Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada
*National League (division), the fifth division of the English football (soccer) system ...
, behind the expansion
Houston Colt .45s.
*November 11 –
Ken Hubbs
Kenneth Douglass Hubbs (December 23, 1941 – February 13, 1964) was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a second baseman for the Chicago Cubs from to . Hubbs died at age 22 when the private plane he w ...
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 a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Division. Th ...
becomes the first rookie to win a
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 (baseball), fielding performances. It is awar ...
.
*November 16 – Principal owner
Louis R. Perini sells the
Milwaukee Braves
The Milwaukee Braves were a Major League Baseball club that played in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, from 1953 to 1965, having previously played in Boston, Massachusetts, as the Boston Braves. After relocating to Atlanta, Georgia, in 1966 they were rename ...
to a syndicate headed by
Chicago
Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
businessman
William Bartholomay for a reported $5.5 million. Perini originally bought into the Braves in 1944, when they were based in his home city of
Boston
Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
, then moved them to
Milwaukee
Milwaukee is the List of cities in Wisconsin, most populous city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, it is the List of United States cities by population, 31st-most populous city in the United States ...
in . However, after six years of record-setting attendance at
Milwaukee County Stadium
Milwaukee County Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Opened in 1953 Milwaukee Braves season, 1953, it was primarily a baseball park for Major League Baseball's Milwaukee Braves and later the Milwaukee Brewers. It was also ...
, declining fan support is endangering the team's future in
Wisconsin
Wisconsin ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest of the United States. It borders Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michig ...
.
*November 19 –
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 (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Centra ...
general manager
Bing Devine
Vaughan Pallmore "Bing" Devine (March 1, 1916 – January 27, 2007) was an American front office executive in Major League Baseball. As general manager, Devine was a major architect of four National League champions and three World Series c ...
sends hurler
Don Cardwell (obtained in October) and shortstop
Julio Gotay to 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 (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central ...
for All-Star shortstop
Dick Groat (the
National League MVP for 1960) and reliever
Diomedes Olivo. Newly hired Cardinals consultant
Branch Rickey
Wesley Branch Rickey (December 20, 1881 – December 9, 1965) was an American baseball player and sports executive. Rickey was instrumental in breaking Major League Baseball's color barrier by signing black player Jackie Robinson. He also creat ...
, convinced that Groat is too old at age 32, strongly criticizes Devine's trade, but Groat will remain the NL's All-Star shortstop in 1963 and 1964. In the former year, he will bat .319 with 201 hits and 43 doubles and finish #2 in the 1963 MVP race; in the latter year, he is a key team leader during the Cardinals' 1964 pennant drive and
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB). It has been contested since between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winning team, determined through a best- ...
triumph.

*November 20:
**
Mickey Mantle
Mickey Charles Mantle (October 20, 1931 – August 13, 1995), nicknamed "the Mick" and "the Commerce Comet", was an American professional baseball player who played his entire Major League Baseball (MLB) career (1951–1968) with the New York ...
wins his third and final
American League Most Valuable Player Award. The 31-year-old superstar captures 13 of 20 first-place votes, and out-points teammate and runner-up
Bobby Richardson
Robert Clinton Richardson, Jr. (born August 19, 1935) is an American former professional baseball second baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees from 1955 through 1966. Batting and throwing right-handed, he fo ...
, 234 to 152.
"1962 Awards Voting"
at Baseball Reference
Baseball Reference is a baseball statistics database maintained by Sports Reference. The site provides career statistics for Major League Baseball (MLB) players and teams as well as records, MLB draft history, and sabermetrics.
History
Founder ...
**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) American League Central, Central Division. The club plays its ...
release future 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 a private foundation. It serves as the central collection and gathering space for the history of baseball in the United S ...
pitcher 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 ...
. The 42-year-old veteran right-hander won his 299th MLB game on September 8 and must go for #300 in a different uniform in .
*November 21 – Always in search of right-handed power, 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) American League East, East Division. Founded in as one of the Ameri ...
acquire slugging first baseman Dick Stuart from 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 (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central ...
, along with relief pitcher Jack Lamabe, for pitcher Don Schwall
Donald Bernard Schwall (born March 2, 1936) is an American former professional baseball pitcher player who played seven seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). Initially drafted by the Boston Red Sox, he spent four seasons with the Pittsburgh Pir ...
(1961's AL Rookie of the Year) and 25-year-old catcher Jim Pagliaroni. Stuart, 30, will live up to his reputation for home-run power and terrible defensive play during his two seasons in Boston.
*November 23 – 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 (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
shortstop Maury Wills
Maurice Morning Wills (October 2, 1932 – September 19, 2022) was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played in Major League Baseball as a shortstop from 1959 to 1972, most prominently as an integral member of the Los Ange ...
, whose 104 stolen bases
In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a runner advances to a base unaided by other actions and the official scorer rules that the advance should be credited to the action of the runner. The umpires determine whether the runner is safe or out a ...
broke a major league season-record set by Ty Cobb
Tyrus Raymond Cobb (December 18, 1886 – July 17, 1961), nicknamed "the Georgia Peach", was an American professional baseball center fielder. A native of rural Narrows, Georgia, Cobb played 24 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He spent ...
, wins the National League Most Valuable Player Award. In a controversial vote, Wills beats out teammate Tommy Davis, who led the league with a .346 batting average and 153 RBI.
*November 26:
**The first-year professional player draft, an early 1960s contrivance designed to curb amateur bonuses, sees significant transactions today. Among them, the Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Division. Th ...
obtain future standout second baseman Glenn Beckert
Glenn Alfred Beckert (October 12, 1940 – April 12, 2020) was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a second baseman for the Chicago Cubs for nine seasons from 1965 to 1973, before ending his ...
from 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) American League East, East Division. Founded in as one of the Ameri ...
; the Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles (also known as the O's) are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East Division. As one of the America ...
obtain three young outfielders, Paul Blair (from the New York Mets
The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National ...
), Dave May
David LaFrance May (December 23, 1943 – October 20, 2012) was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as an outfielder from through for the Baltimore Orioles, Milwaukee Brewers, Atlanta Braves, Texas Ran ...
(from the San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
) and Curt Motton (from the Cubs); the Washington Senators pluck outfielder Lou Piniella
Louis Victor Piniella ( usually ; born August 28, 1943) is a former professional baseball player and manager. An outfielder, he played 18 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) with the Baltimore Orioles, Cleveland Indians, Kansas City Royals a ...
from 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) American League Central, Central Division. Since , the team ...
' organization; and the Houston Colt .45s draft future slugger Jim Wynn from the Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. The Reds compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Divisi ...
.
**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) Am ...
part with their long-time first baseman, Bill Skowron, sending him to 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 (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
for hard-throwing right-hander Stan Williams.
**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) American League East, East Division. Founded in as one of the Ameri ...
trade 1962 AL batting-average champ Pete Runnels (.326) to the Houston Colt .45s for Román Mejías, who led the first-year expansion team in hits (162), home runs (24), slugging percentage (.445) and runs batted in (76). The veteran players struggle in their new leagues, however, and both are out of the majors by the end of 1964.
**The Orioles send their long-time regular catcher, Gus Triandos
Gus Triandos (July 30, 1930 – March 28, 2013) was an American professional baseball player and scout. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher and a first baseman, most prominently as a member of the Baltimore Orioles where he was a fou ...
, and outfielder Whitey Herzog 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 club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. One of the AL's eight chart ...
for Dick Brown, the Tigers' #1 catcher.
*November 27:
**The Milwaukee Braves
The Milwaukee Braves were a Major League Baseball club that played in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, from 1953 to 1965, having previously played in Boston, Massachusetts, as the Boston Braves. After relocating to Atlanta, Georgia, in 1966 they were rename ...
trade their veteran first sacker, Joe Adcock, and southpaw pitcher Jack Curtis to 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) American League Central, Central Division. Since , the team ...
for pitcher Frank Funk and outfielders Don Dillard and Ty Cline ("player to be named later
In Major League Baseball, a player to be named later (PTBNL) is an unnamed player involved in exchange or "trade" of players between teams. The terms of a trade are not finalized until a later date, most often following the conclusion of the seaso ...
").
**The Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. The Phillies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. Since 2004, the team's home stadium has ...
acquire future starting second baseman Cookie Rojas from the Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. The Reds compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Divisi ...
for pitcher Jim Owens.
*November 28 – The Phillies acquire pugnacious veteran third baseman Don Hoak, 34, from 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 (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central ...
for first baseman Pancho Herrera and outfielder Ted Savage.
*November 29:
**After 61 years of continuous operation, the Triple-A American Association folds its tent, along with two of its member teams, Louisville
Louisville is the most populous city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, sixth-most populous city in the Southeast, and the 27th-most-populous city in the United States. By land area, it is the country's 24th-largest city; however, by populatio ...
and Omaha
Omaha ( ) is the List of cities in Nebraska, most populous city in the U.S. state of Nebraska. It is located in the Midwestern United States along the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's List of United S ...
. The four remaining Association franchises are absorbed by the surviving Triple-A circuits, the International League
The International League (IL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the United States. Along with the Pacific Coast League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A level, which is one grade below Major ...
and Pacific Coast League
The Pacific Coast League (PCL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the Western United States. Along with the International League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A level, which is one grade bel ...
. The PCL adds Dallas–Fort Worth, Denver
Denver ( ) is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Consolidated city and county, consolidated city and county, the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Colorado, most populous city of the U.S. state of ...
and Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Oklahoma, most populous city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat ...
, and drops Vancouver
Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...
. The International League adds Indianapolis
Indianapolis ( ), colloquially known as Indy, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Indiana, most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana, Marion ...
from the Association and enfranchises a new club, the Arkansas Travelers
The Arkansas Travelers, known informally as The Travs, are a Minor League Baseball team based in North Little Rock, Arkansas. The Travelers are the Double-A (baseball), Double-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners and play in the Texas League.
Hi ...
. As a result, both Triple-A circuits become ten-club leagues.
**MLB officials and player representatives agree to return to a single All-Star Game in . The players' pension fund will receive 95 percent of the one game's proceeds (rather than 60 percent of the two games).
*November 30:
**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 (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
pick up pitcher Bob Miller from the New York Mets
The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National ...
for first baseman Tim Harkness and second baseman Larry Burright. Miller, 23, only 1–12 with the 1962 Mets, will be a valuable bullpen arm and occasional starter for the Dodgers through .
**The Houston Colt .45s, the Mets' expansion counterparts, make two deals. They acquire pitchers Don Nottebart and Connie Grob
Conrad George Grob (rhymes with "robe"; November 9, 1932 – September 28, 1997) was an American professional baseball player in the 1950s and 1960s. A right-handed pitcher, he spent one full season — — in Major League Baseball as a member o ...
and outfielder Jim Bolger
James Brendan Bolger ( ; born 31 May 1935) is a New Zealand retired politician of the National Party who was the 35th prime minister of New Zealand, serving from 1990 to 1997.
Bolger was born in Ōpunake, Taranaki, to Irish immigrants. Bef ...
from the Milwaukee Braves
The Milwaukee Braves were a Major League Baseball club that played in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, from 1953 to 1965, having previously played in Boston, Massachusetts, as the Boston Braves. After relocating to Atlanta, Georgia, in 1966 they were rename ...
for first baseman Norm Larker. Then they send infielder Joey Amalfitano to the San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
for pitcher Dick LeMay and outfielder Manny Mota
Manuel Rafael Mota Geronimo, more commonly known as Manny Mota (born February 18, 1938), is a Dominican Republic, Dominican former Major League Baseball outfielder who played 20 seasons for the San Francisco Giants, Pittsburgh Pirates and Montr ...
.
December
*December 1 – Minor League Baseball
Minor League Baseball (MiLB) is a professional baseball organization below Major League Baseball (MLB), constituted of teams affiliated with MLB clubs. It was founded on September 5, 1901, in response to the growing dominance of the National Le ...
overhauls its classification hierarchy below the Triple-A level. The Eastern and South Atlantic
The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the Age of Discovery, it was known for ...
leagues are promoted from Class A to Double-A. Meanwhile, Classes B, C and D are abolished, with those leagues being promoted to a new Class A level. The Class B leagues were the Carolina and Northwest
The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A '' compass rose'' is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west— ...
leagues; the Class C circuits were the California
California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
, Mexican Center, Northern, and Pioneer leagues. Class D comprised the Florida State
Florida State University (FSU or Florida State) is a Public university, public research university in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida and a preeminent university in the s ...
, Georgia-Florida, Midwest
The Midwestern United States (also referred to as the Midwest, the Heartland or the American Midwest) is one of the four census regions defined by the United States Census Bureau. It occupies the northern central part of the United States. It ...
, New York-Pennsylvania and Western Carolinas leagues. The short-season Appalachian League
The Appalachian League is a Collegiate summer baseball, collegiate summer baseball league that operates in the Appalachian regions of Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and North Carolina. Designed for rising freshmen and sophomores using wooden ...
moves from Class D to a new Rookie League
Minor League Baseball (MiLB) is a professional baseball organization below Major League Baseball (MLB), constituted of teams affiliated with MLB clubs. It was founded on September 5, 1901, in response to the growing dominance of the National L ...
classification.
*December 5 – The Washington Senators trade left-hander Pete Burnside
Peter Willits Burnside (July 2, 1930 – August 26, 2022) was an American professional baseball player and left-handed pitcher who appeared in 196 Major League Baseball games in 1955 and from 1957 to 1963 for the New York / San Francisco Giant ...
and utilityman Bob "Rocky" Johnson to the Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles (also known as the O's) are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East Division. As one of the America ...
for lefty Art Quirk, infielder Marv Breeding
Marv Eugene Breeding (March 8, 1934 – December 31, 2006) was an American professional baseball second baseman who played four seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Baltimore Orioles, Washington Senators and Los Angeles Dodgers between ...
and outfielder Barry Shetrone.
*December 11 – 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) American League East, East Division. Founded in as one of the Ameri ...
trade pitcher Tracy Stallard, infielder Pumpsie Green and a "player to be named later
In Major League Baseball, a player to be named later (PTBNL) is an unnamed player involved in exchange or "trade" of players between teams. The terms of a trade are not finalized until a later date, most often following the conclusion of the seaso ...
" (shortstop Al Moran) to the New York Mets
The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National ...
for infielder Félix Mantilla.
*December 13 – The 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 ch ...
and Houston Colt .45s trade veteran outfielders, with Boston sending Carroll Hardy to Houston for Dick Williams
Richard Hirschfeld Williams (May 7, 1929 – July 7, 2011) was an American left fielder, third baseman, manager (baseball), manager, coach (baseball), coach and front-office consultant in Major League Baseball (MLB). Known especially as a hard-d ...
. The 33-year-old Williams will spend two seasons as a Boston reserve, then begin his Hall-of-Fame managerial career in the Red Sox farm system in 1965.
*December 15:
**A six-player transaction highlights the last day of an active inter-league trading period. In it, the Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles (also known as the O's) are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East Division. As one of the America ...
acquire pitchers Stu Miller and Mike McCormick and catcher John Orsino from the San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
for pitchers Jack Fisher and Billy Hoeft and catcher Jimmie Coker. The Orioles get the upper hand in the deal, as change-up artist Miller anchors the Oriole bullpen for the next five years, leading the American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is the younger of two sports leagues, leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western L ...
in games pitched and saves in . Four years later, the Giants will reacquire southpaw McCormick, a former bonus baby who in led the National League
National League often refers to:
*National League (baseball), one of the two baseball leagues constituting Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada
*National League (division), the fifth division of the English football (soccer) system ...
in ERA
An era is a span of time.
Era or ERA may also refer to:
* Era (geology), a subdivision of geologic time
* Calendar era
Education
* Academy of European Law (German: '), an international law school
* ERA School, in Melbourne, Australia
* E ...
, and he will win 22 games and the 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 (baseball), National League (NL). The award was introduced in 1956 by Commissioner of Baseball ( ...
for them in .
**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 (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Centra ...
acquire right-hander Ron Taylor and shortstop Jack Kubiszyn from 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) American League Central, Central Division. Since , the team ...
for first baseman Fred Whitfield.
Movies
*'' Safe at Home!''
Births
January
*January 3 – Darren Daulton
Darren Arthur Daulton (January 3, 1962 – August 6, 2017), nicknamed "Dutch", was an American professional baseball catcher who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phillies (, –) and Miami Marlins, Florida Marlins (199 ...
*January 4 – Jay Tibbs
*January 5 – Danny Jackson
*January 7 – Jeff Montgomery
*January 10
** Mario Díaz
** Jim Lindeman
*January 11 – Donn Pall
*January 13 – Kevin Mitchell
*January 14 – Gary Green
*January 19 – Chris Sabo
*January 23 – Benny Distefano
*January 25 – Juan Castillo
*January 26 – Rick Schu
February
*February 2
** Pat Clements
** Paul Kilgus
*February 3 – Joe Klink
*February 4 – Dan Plesac
*February 14 – Bruce Crabbe
*February 15 – Rolando Roomes
*February 16 – Dwayne Henry
Dwayne Allen Henry (born February 16, 1962) is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher who played for the Texas Rangers, Atlanta Braves, Houston Astros, Cincinnati Reds, Seattle Mariners and Detroit Tigers. In , he pitched in Japan for the ...
*February 18 – Rocky Childress
*February 19 – Álvaro Espinoza
Álvaro Alberto Espinoza Ramírez s-pe-noh'-zah/small> (born February 19, 1962) is a Venezuelan former shortstop in Major League Baseball. He batted and threw right-handed.
Early life
Born in Valencia, Carabobo, he graduated from Pedro Gual H ...
*February 26 – Kelly Gruber
*February 27 – Greg Cadaret
March
*March 1 – Mark Gardner
*March 2 – Terry Steinbach
*March 7
** José Canó
** Germán González
*March 12 – Darryl Strawberry
Darryl Eugene Strawberry Sr. (born March 12, 1962) is an American former professional baseball right fielder who played 17 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). Throughout his career, Strawberry was one of the most feared sluggers in the sport ...
*March 13
** Tom Funk
** Terry Lee
*March 18 – Brian Fisher
*March 19 – Iván Calderón
*March 20 – Kuo Tai-yuan
*March 24 – Ron Robinson
*March 25 – Jeff Kunkel
*March 26 – Kevin Seitzer
*March 29 – Billy Beane
William Lamar Beane III (born March 29, 1962) is an American former professional baseball player and current Front office (sports), front office executive. He is currently senior advisor to owner John Fisher (baseball owner), John Fisher and ...
April
*April 1 – Rich Amaral
*April 3
** Marty Clary
** Dave Miley
*April 11 – Tim Fortugno
*April 13 – Jeff Bittiger
*April 21 – Les Lancaster
*April 28
**Russ Morman
Russell Lee Morman (born April 28, 1962) is an American professional baseball coach, manager, and former Major League Baseball (MLB) first baseman/outfielder who played for the Chicago White Sox, Kansas City Royals, and Florida Marlins between ...
** Luis Quiñones
May
*May 2 – Jim Walewander
*May 5 – Ramón Peña
*May 6 – Tom Bolton
*May 8 – Orestes Destrade
*May 9 – Laddie Renfroe
Cohen Williams "Laddie" Renfroe (born May 9, 1962) is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He pitched in four games with the Chicago Cubs in . Renfroe pitched with a sidearm delivery and appeared primarily as a relief pitcher and closer th ...
*May 10
** Joey Meyer
**Robby Thompson
Robert Randall Thompson (born May 10, 1962) is an American former professional baseball player and coach. He played his entire career in Major League Baseball (1986–1996) as the second baseman for the San Francisco Giants. During the Giants ...
*May 17 – Greg Mathews
*May 29 – Eric Davis
*May 31 – Joe Orsulak
June
*June 1 – Jessie Reid
*June 2 – Darnell Coles
*June 8 – John Gibbons
John Michael Gibbons (born June 8, 1962) is an American professional baseball coach, manager and former player. Gibbons played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a catcher with the New York Mets in 1984 and 1986.
Gibbons became a coach for the ...
*June 12 – Darrel Akerfelds
Darrel Wayne Akerfelds (June 12, 1962 – June 24, 2012) was a professional baseball pitcher. He also served as the bullpen coach of Major League Baseball's San Diego Padres, from until his death. Akerfelds pitched in the major leagues in parts ...
*June 16
** Wally Joyner
** Calvin Schiraldi
*June 17 – Stu Tate
*June 18 – Dave Leiper
*June 19 – Craig Smajstrla
*June 22 – Bryan Price
*June 23 – Chris Beasley
*June 24 – Charlie Mitchell
*June 30 – Tony Fernández
July
*July 4 – Johnny Abrego
Johnny Ray Abrego (born July 4, 1962) is an American former right-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball for the Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major L ...
*July 5 – Jeff Innis
*July 11 – Brian Brady
*July 13 – Robbie Wine
*July 19 – Dick Scott
*July 25 – Doug Drabek
Douglas Dean Drabek (born July 25, 1962) is a retired American professional baseball pitcher, and a current minor league baseball coach. He is the pitching coach for the Reno Aces, the Triple-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks of Major Le ...
*July 26 – Jody Reed
*July 29 – Randy McCament
*July 30 – Tom Pagnozzi
*July 31 – Ed Hickox
August
*August 1 – Scott Anderson
*August 3 – Mackey Sasser
Mack Daniel Sasser (born August 3, 1962), nicknamed "The Hacker", is an American former professional baseball catcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1987 through 1995 for the San Francisco Giants, Pittsburgh Pirates, New York Mets and S ...
*August 4
**Roger Clemens
William Roger Clemens (born August 4, 1962), nicknamed "Rocket", is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played 24 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), most notably with the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees and also played ...
** John Farrell
*August 7 – John Trautwein
*August 10 – Mike Schooler
*August 12
** Urbano Lugo
** Dave Pavlas
*August 14 – Mark Gubicza
*August 18 – Scott Arnold
*August 23 – C. B. Bucknor
*August 25 – Oddibe McDowell
*August 31 – Greg Tubbs
September
*September 2 – Johnny Paredes
*September 3 – Dave Clark
*September 8 – Al Pardo
*September 9 – Joe Strong
*September 19 – Randy Myers
Randall Kirk Myers (born September 19, 1962) is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Mets, Cincinnati Reds, San Diego Padres, Chicago Cubs, Baltimore Orioles, and Toronto Bl ...
*September 22 – Ray Stephens
*September 24 – Doug Davis
*September 27 – Don Schulze
*September 28
** Todd Frohwirth
** Rob Woodward
*September 30 – Dave Magadan
October
*October 3 – Rich Surhoff
*October 4 – Dennis Cook
*October 4
** Tony Ferreira
** Chris James
*October 5 – Tracy Woodson
Tracy Michael Woodson (born October 5, 1962) is an American former professional baseball player and college coach. He played all or part of five seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), from 1987 to 1989 and 1992 to 1993, primarily as a third bas ...
*October 6 – Rich Yett
*October 12 – Sid Fernandez
*October 14 – Carl Nichols
*October 17 – Glenn Braggs
*October 19 – Oswaldo Peraza
Oswald José Peraza ay-RAH-za(born October 19, 1962) is a Venezuelan former starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Baltimore Orioles (1988). He batted and threw right-handed. As of the 2014 season, he is the pitching coach ...
*October 20 – Randy Asadoor
*October 24 – Gene Larkin
Eugene Thomas Larkin (born October 24, 1962) is an American former switch-hitting first baseman, designated hitter, and right fielder in Major League Baseball who played his entire seven-season career with the Minnesota Twins. During his playing ...
*October 27
** Terry Bell
** Mike Dunne
*October 30
** Mark Portugal
** Danny Tartabull
November
*November 3 – Sherman Corbett
*November 6 – Leo García
*November 8
** John Fishel
** Rey Palacios
*November 9 – Dion James
*November 11 – Cory Snyder
*November 12 – Jeff Reed
*November 12 – Wilfredo Tejada
*November 14 – Steve Peters
*November 16 – Mike Raczka
*November 17 – Ray Chadwick
*November 18 – Jamie Moyer
Jamie Moyer (born November 18, 1962) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. Over his 25-year career in Major League Baseball (MLB), Moyer pitched for the Chicago Cubs, Texas Rangers (baseball), Texas Rangers, St. Louis Cardinals, Ba ...
*November 21 – Dick Schofield
*November 24 – Randy Velarde
*November 26 – Chuck Finley
*November 30
**Bo Jackson
Vincent Edward "Bo" Jackson (born November 30, 1962) is an American former professional baseball and American football, football player. He is the only professional athlete in history to be named an All-star#Sports, All-Star in Major professio ...
** Gary Wayne
December
*December 1 – Tim Jones
*December 4 – Stan Jefferson
*December 5
** Alan Cockrell
** Germán Jiménez
*December 19
** Clay Parker
**Bill Wegman
William Edward Wegman (born December 19, 1962) is an American former Major League Baseball pitcher.
After graduating from Oak Hills High School, Wegman was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 5th round of the 1981 amateur draft, where he pl ...
*December 22 – John Hoover
*December 25
** Marty Pevey
** Bruce Walton
*December 29 – Devon White
Deaths
January
*January 5
** Dick Lundy, 63, All-Star shortstop, second baseman and manager in the Negro leagues between 1916 and 1940; unofficially batted .484 in 1921, led Eastern Colored League in RBI (with 76) in 1927, and captured batting title of East–West League (.381) in 1932.
** Frank Snyder, 68, catcher who appeared in 1,392 games for the St. Louis Cardinals and New York Giants from 1912 to 1927, including Giants' 1921–22 World Series champions; spent 1933–1941 as a Giants' coach, including 1933 champs.
*January 6 – Billy Purtell, 76, infielder—chiefly a third baseman—who played in 335 career contests for the Chicago White Sox (1908–1910), Boston Red Sox (1910–1911) and Detroit Tigers (1914).
*January 7
** Ad Brennan, 74, left-hander who pitched for four clubs, chiefly Philadelphia of the National League and Chicago of the "outlaw" Federal League, from 1910 to 1915 and in 1918.
** Dutch Lerchen, 72, shortstop for the 1910 Boston Red Sox.
*January 10
** Fred Bratschi, 69, backup outfielder for the Chicago White Sox and Boston Red Sox between 1921 and 1927.
** Tillie Shafer, 72, infielder and pinch hitter who played in 283 games for the New York Giants (1909–1910, 1912–1913); appeared in both 1912 and 1913 World Series on losing teams.
*January 14
** Les Mann, 68, outfielder for five NL teams who in the 1914 World Series drove in Game 2's only run in the top of the 9th and scored the winning run in the 12th inning of Game 3 for the "Miracle Braves".
** Pep Young, 54, second baseman who played in 730 games over ten seasons for three National League clubs, chiefly the Pittsburgh Pirates, between 1933 and 1945.
*January 18 – Bob Barrett, 82, third baseman who played 239 MLB games for the Chicago Cubs (1923–1925), Brooklyn Robins (1925 and 1927) and Boston Red Sox (1929).
*January 22 – Lefty Russell, 71, pitcher who dropped five of six career decisions over 13 games as a member of the 1910–1912 Philadelphia Athletics.
*January 26 – Steve O'Neill
Stephen Francis O'Neill (July 6, 1891 – January 26, 1962) was an American professional baseball catcher and Manager (baseball), manager. He played his first 13 seasons with the Cleveland Indians. As a manager, he led the Detroit Tigers to a ...
, 70, workhorse catcher for the 1911–1923 Cleveland Naps/Indians and member of 1920 World Series champions; later managed the Detroit Tigers to the 1945 title; also skippered Indians, Boston Red Sox and Philadelphia Phillies between 1935 and 1954; one of four brothers to play in majors.
*January 27
** Joe Vosmik, 51, All-Star outfielder (1935) for five MLB teams (1930–1941 and 1944), principally his hometown Indians, who hit .307 lifetime and exceeded the .300 mark six times; led American League in hits (216), doubles (47) and triples (20) in 1935; also led AL in hits (201) in 1938.
** Jim Shaw, 68, reliable starter and reliever on Washington Senators' pitching staff from 1913 to 1921; won 15 or more games four times; led 1919 American League in games pitched, innings pitched, and saves; also led Junior Circuit in saves in 1914.
** Bob Steele, 67, Canadian southpaw who posted a 16–38 won–lost mark and a 3.05 earned run average in 91 career appearances for the St. Louis Cardinals, Pittsburgh Pirates and New York Giants from 1916 to 1919.
*January 28 – Steve Melter, 76, pitcher who appeared in 23 games, 22 in relief, for the 1909 St. Louis Cardinals.
*January 30 – Ray Roberts, 66, pitcher who worked in three games for the 1919 Philadelphia Athletics.
February
*February 6 – Ernest Lanigan, 89, statistician, sportswriter and historian who in the 1890s devised the run batted in and other statistics, in 1922 wrote the sport's first comprehensive biographical encyclopedia; later historian at the Hall of Fame for ten years.
*February 8 – Charlie Meara, 70, outfielder for the 1914 New York Yankees.
*February 9
** Tex Burnett, 62, catcher/first baseman/outfielder who appeared for nine different Negro leagues clubs over 12 seasons between 1922 and 1941.
** Bernie Duffy, 68, pitcher for the 1913 Pittsburgh Pirates.
*February 10 – Roy Walker, 68, pitcher who worked in 91 career games for the Cleveland Naps/Indians (1912, 1915), Chicago Cubs (1917–1918) and St. Louis Cardinals (1921–1922).
*February 12 – Dick Wheeler, 64, outfielder and pinch hitter in three games for the 1918 Cardinals.
*February 22 – Paul Speraw, 68, whose 16-year professional career included one game in MLB as a third baseman for the St. Louis Browns on September 15, 1920.
*February 24 – Max Bishop, 62, second baseman for the Philadelphia Athletics from 1924 to 1933, member of Philadelphia's AL pennant winners from 1929 to 1931 and 1929–1930 World Series champions; coach at the U.S. Naval Academy since 1938.
*February 25 – Tink Turner, 72, pitcher who appeared in one game (hurling two innings) for last-place 1915 Philadelphia Athletics; spent 1924 season as a St. Louis Cardinals coach.
March
*March 1
** Hal Janvrin, 69, infielder who appeared in 759 games over ten seasons for four clubs between 1911 and 1922, notably the Boston Red Sox, where he was a member of the 1915 and 1916 world championship squads.
** Horace Jenkins, 70, outfielder who played between 1910 and 1921 for a series of Chicago-based Negro leagues teams.
*March 4 – George Mogridge, 73, left-handed hurler who won 132 games over a 15-year MLB career between 1911 and 1927 with five teams, notably the 1915–1920 New York Yankees and 1921–1925 Washington Senators; key contributor to Senators' 1924 world champions.
*March 12 – Fred Beck, 75, first baseman/outfielder for Boston, Cincinnati and Philadelphia of the National League (1909–1911) and Chicago of the "outlaw" Federal League (1914–1915), whose ten home runs tied him for the NL long-ball championship in 1910.
*March 16
** Sumpter Clarke, 64, outfielder who played 37 total games for 1920 Chicago Cubs and 1923–1924 Cleveland Indians.
**Harry Feldman
Harry Feldman (November 10, 1919 – March 16, 1962) was an American Major League Baseball pitcher who played for the New York Giants from 1941 to 1946.
Early and personal life
Feldman was born and grew up in the Bronx, and was Jewish, the son o ...
, 42, pitcher who worked in 143 games for the 1941–1946 New York Giants.
** George Orme, 70, backup outfielder who played for the 1920 Boston Red Sox.
*March 17 – Kay Rohrer, 39, All-American Girls Professional Baseball League catcher for the 1945 Rockford Peaches champion team.
*March 18 – Elmer Bliss, 87, pitcher, then outfielder, in two total games for the New York Highlanders; in the former, he threw seven shutout innings against Detroit on September 28, 1903, to earn a relief victory; in the latter, he went 0-for-1 as a batter as a defensive replacement in right field against Cleveland on May 11, 1904.
*March 20 – John Black, 72, first baseman who batted but .151 in 54 games and 186 at-bats for the 1911 St. Louis Browns.
*March 22
** Lee DeMontreville, 87, shortstop/second baseman for 1903 St. Louis Cardinals.
** "Oyster Joe" Martina, 72, pitcher who went 349–277 in 833 career games in the minor leagues, but played only 24 games and one season (1924) in the majors as a member of the World Series champion Washington Senators.
** Red Thomas, 63, outfielder who collected eight hits in 30 at-bats in eight games for the Chicago Cubs in September 1921.
*March 29 – Otto Miller
Lowell Otto Miller (June 1, 1889 – March 29, 1962) was an American catcher in Major League Baseball from 1910 through 1922 for Brooklyn teams the Superbas (1910, 1913), Dodgers (1911–1912) and Robins (1914–1922). Nicknamed "Moonie", Mille ...
, 72, catcher for the Brooklyn Dodgers/Superbas/Robins from 1910 to 1922, including two NL champions (1916, 1920).
*March 30
** Charlie French, 78, second baseman/shortstop/outfielder who played 105 games for the Boston Red Sox and Chicago White Sox in 1909 and 1910.
** Mutt Williams, 69, pitcher who hurled in six total games for the 1913–1914 Washington Senators.
April
*April 4 – Snooks Dowd, 64, infielder who appeared in 16 MLB games, chiefly as a pinch runner, for the Detroit Tigers and Philadelphia Athletics in 1919 and the Brooklyn Robins in 1926.
*April 5 – Vince Shupe, 40, first baseman for the 1945 Boston Braves, and one of many players who only appeared in the majors during World War II.
*April 10 – Milt Watson, 72, right-hander who pitched in 90 games from 1916 to 1919 for the St. Louis Cardinals and Philadelphia Phillies.
*April 13 – Bill Akers, 57, infielder for 1929–1931 Detroit Tigers and 1932 Boston Braves who got into 174 career games.
*April 21 – Bill Norman, 51, outfielder for the Chicago White Sox in 1931–1932, longtime minor league pilot, and manager of the Tigers from June 11, 1958 through May 2, 1959.
*April 23 – Bob Turner, 35, centerfielder for the 1944 Newark Eagles of the Negro National League.
*April 30
** Al Demaree, 77, pitcher who won 80 games for four NL teams, later a noted sports cartoonist.
** Russ Miller, 62, pitcher with the Philadelphia Phillies in 1927 and 1928; went 0–12 (5.42 ERA) in the latter season, and 1–13 (.071 winning percentage) lifetime.
May
*May 8 – Buster Burrell, 95, 19th-century catcher who played in 122 total games for the 1891 New York Giants and 1895–1897 Brooklyn Bridegrooms.
*May 10 – Lefty Willis, 56, pitcher for the Philadelphia Athletics from 1925 to 1927.
*May 23 – Rip Radcliff, 56, All-Star outfielder who batted .311 during his ten-season, 1,081-game career for the Chicago White Sox, St. Louis Browns and Detroit Tigers; led AL in hits in 1940.
*May 24
** Barney Morris, 51, two-time All-Star pitcher in the Negro leagues between 1932 and 1948; member of 1947 Negro World Series champion New York Cubans.
** Rabbit Nill, 80, infielder who appeared in 296 games between 1904 and 1908 for the Washington Senators and Cleveland Naps.
*May 28 – George Anderson, 72, outfielder for 1914–1915 Brooklyn Tip-Tops (Federal League) and 1918 St. Louis Cardinals, appearing in 269 total games.
June
*June 1 – Jim Faulkner, 62, left-hander who compiled a 10–8 won–lost mark (3.75 ERA) in 43 career games for the 1927–1928 New York Giants and 1930 Brooklyn Robins.
*June 2 – Art Stokes, 65, pitcher who appeared in a dozen games for 1925 Philadelphia Athletics.
*June 7 – George Shively, 69, Negro league baseball left fielder from 1910 to 1924.
*June 11
** Bert Abbey, 92, 19th-century pitcher who hurled for Washington, Chicago and Brooklyn of the National League between 1892 and 1896.
** Fred Dewitt, 61, first baseman/centerfielder who appeared for the Kansas City Monarchs, Cleveland Tigers and Memphis Red Sox of the Negro National League between 1927 and 1929.
** Nap Kloza, 58, Polish-born outfielder for the St. Louis Browns in the early 1930s, later a manager for the AAGPBL
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 Un ...
Rockford Peaches.
*June 13 – Red Lanning, 67, outfielder and southpaw pitcher who appeared in 19 total games (six on the mound) for the horrendous 1916 Philadelphia Athletics, losers of 117 of 153 games.
*June 24 – Steve Basil, 69, American League umpire from 1936 to 1942 who worked 1,037 regular season games, the 1937 and 1940 World Series, and the 1938 and 1940 All-Star games.
*June 27 – Charlie Schmutz, 71, pitcher who made 19 appearances for the 1914–1915 Brooklyn Robins.
*June 28
**Mickey Cochrane
Gordon Stanley "Mickey" Cochrane (April 6, 1903 – June 28, 1962), nicknamed "Black Mike", was an American professional baseball player, manager and coach. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher for the Philadelphia Athletics and De ...
, 59, Hall of Fame catcher for Philadelphia Athletics (1925–1933) and Detroit Tigers (1934–1937); American League MVP in 1928 and 1934, and batted .320 lifetime; member of Philadelphia's 1929–1930 World Series champions who managed Tigers to the 1934 AL pennant and 1935 World Series title, posting a 348–250 (.582) record before stepping down on August 6, 1938.
** Cy Morgan, 83, pitcher who spent a decade in the majors between 1903 and 1913 with four clubs, notably the 1909–1912 Athletics, where he was a member of their 1910–1911 World Series champions.
July
*July 1
** Sam Mayer, 69, who appeared in 11 games, primarily as an outfielder, for the 1915 Washington Senators.
** Ewing Waddy, 51, southpaw who went 2–7 hurling for the 1932 Indianapolis ABCs of the Negro Southern League and 1933 Indianapolis–Detroit Stars of the Negro National League.
*July 2 – Josh Clarke, 83, outfielder in 233 games over five major-league seasons between 1898 and 1911 for Louisville, St. Louis and Boston of the National League, and Cleveland of the American League.
*July 3 – Jimmy Walsh, 76, native of Ireland and outfielder for the 1916 Boston Red Sox world champions, who also hit better than .300 ten times in the International League, winning the league batting title in 1925 and 1926.
*July 4 – Abe Kruger, 77, pitcher who hurled in two contests for Brooklyn of the National League in 1908.
*July 9 – Moose McCormick, 81, outfielder who played in 429 games over five National League seasons for New York, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia between 1904 and 1913.
*July 12 – Mary Moore, 40, All-American Girls Professional Baseball League pitcher and member of the 1948 Rockford Peaches champion team.
*July 14 – Howard Craghead, 54, pitched for the Cleveland Indians in the 1931 and 1933 seasons.
*July 17 – Sport McAllister, 87, versatile, turn-of-the-century outfielder/infielder who appeared in 418 games, 415 of them with the Cleveland Spiders and Detroit Tigers, between 1896 and 1903.
*July 18 – Carl Holling, 66, pitched for the Detroit Tigers in the 1920s.
*July 20 – Donald Lee Barnes, 68, principal owner of the St. Louis Browns from 1936 to 1945; his 1944 Browns won that franchise's only American League pennant.
*July 23 – Ralph Shinners, 66, outfielder for the New York Giants and St. Louis Cardinals from 1922 to 1925, and later a manager in the AAGPBL
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 Un ...
.
*July 29 – Burt Shotton
Burton Edwin Shotton (October 18, 1884 – July 29, 1962) was an American player, manager, coach and scout in Major League Baseball. As manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers (1947; 1948–50), he won two National League pennants and served as Jackie R ...
, 77, speedy outfielder who appeared in 1,387 games for the St. Louis Browns, Washington Senators and St. Louis Cardinals between 1909 and 1923; managed Brooklyn Dodgers to National League pennants in 1947 and 1949; also piloted Philadelphia Phillies from 1928 to 1933.
August
*August 3 – War Sanders, 85, left-handed hurler who went 2–8 (5.64 ERA) over 12 games pitched for the 1903–1904 St. Louis Cardinals.
*August 5 – Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe ( ; born Norma Jeane Mortenson; June 1, 1926 August 4, 1962) was an American actress and model. Known for playing comic "Blonde stereotype#Blonde bombshell, blonde bombshell" characters, she became one of the most popular sex ...
, 36, actress and former wife of Hall of Famer Joe DiMaggio
Joseph Paul DiMaggio (; born Giuseppe Paolo DiMaggio, ; November 25, 1914 – March 8, 1999), nicknamed "Joltin' Joe", "the Yankee Clipper" and "Joe D.", was an American professional baseball center fielder who played his entire 13-year career ...
.
*August 6 – Bob Williams, 78, backup catcher for the 1911–1913 New York Highlanders/Yankees who appeared in 46 career games.
*August 7 – Bill Pierce, 72, first baseman and catcher in Black baseball and the Negro leagues during the period of 1910 to 1924; player-manager of 1922 Baltimore Black Sox.
*August 11 – Jake Volz, 84, pitcher for the Boston Americans, Boston Beaneaters and Cincinnati Reds between 1901 and 1908.
*August 19 – Myron H. Wilson, 74, principal owner of the Cleveland Indians from 1952 to 1956 and club president from 1952 until his death.
*August 25 – Skipper Friday, 64, pitcher who appeared in seven games for 1923 Washington Senators.
*August 30 – Mutt Wilson, 66, pitcher in three games for 1920 Detroit Tigers; that season, he also compiled an unusual 23–21 won–lost record in 53 games in the lower minors.
September
*September 1
** Hank Garrity, 54, catcher for the 1931 Chicago White Sox.
** Duke Shirey, 64, pitcher for the 1920 Washington Senators.
*September 4 – Pete Washington, 59, centerfielder who played in the Negro leagues between 1923 and 1936.
*September 5 – John Potts, 75, appeared in 41 games as an outfielder and pinch hitter for Kansas City of the Federal League in 1914.
*September 10 – Bill Herring, 68, pitcher for the 1915 Brooklyn Tip-Tops of the Federal League.
*September 12 – Spottswood Poles, 74, star outfielder whose prime years (1909–1923) were spent in Black baseball before organization of the Negro leagues began in 1920; credited with a lifetime batting average of over .400, and sometimes called "the Black Ty Cobb
Tyrus Raymond Cobb (December 18, 1886 – July 17, 1961), nicknamed "the Georgia Peach", was an American professional baseball center fielder. A native of rural Narrows, Georgia, Cobb played 24 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He spent ...
," who played during the same era.
*September 18 – Joe Green, 84, player-manager of the 1920–1921 Chicago Giants of the Negro National League.
*September 23
** Ted Stockard, 59, infielder for Cleveland (1927–1928) and Indianapolis (1931) of the Negro National League.
** Tom Sullivan, 66, southpaw who pitched in three games for the Philadelphia Phillies in May 1922.
*September 24 – Joe Cambria, 72, Italian-born minor league player and club owner who became a pioneering scout covering Cuba for the Washington Senators/Minnesota Twins franchise from the 1930s until his death; signed stars Tony Oliva, Camilo Pascual and Zoilo Versalles
Zoilo Casanova Versalles Rodriguez (; December 18, 1939 – June 9, 1995), nicknamed "Zorro", was a Cuban professional baseball player. He played as a shortstop in Major League Baseball, most notably for the Minnesota Twins/Washington Senators. ...
, and many other MLB standouts.
*September 27
** Johnny Scalzi, 55, minor-league second baseman who appeared in two games as a pinch hitter and pinch runner for 1931 Boston Braves.
** Stan Sperry, 48, second baseman who played in 80 career games for the 1936 and 1938 Philadelphia Athletics.
*September 30
** Cap Crowell, 70, pitcher who went 2–11 (5.27 ERA) in 19 total games for terrible Athletics teams of 1915 and 1916.
** Cecil "Squiz" Pillion, 68, left-hander who also pitched for horrific 1915 Athletics, working in two August games.
October
*October 2 – Earl Yingling, 73, who appeared in 140 big-league games as a left-handed pitcher, outfielder and pinch hitter for four clubs, chiefly the Brooklyn Dodgers and Cincinnati Reds, over five seasons spanning 1911 to 1918.
*October 3 – Don Songer, 63, left-hander who pitched in 71 career games for the Pittsburgh Pirates and New York Giants from 1924 to 1927.
*October 5 – Jack Cummings, 58, good-hitting, seldom-used catcher/pinch hitter who batted .341 lifetime in 89 games and 151 plate appearances for 1926–1929 New York Giants and 1929 Boston Braves.
*October 6 – Dick Gossett, 72, catcher in 49 contests for the New York Yankees over all or parts of the 1913–1914 seasons.
*October 8 – Ralph Head, 69, right-hander who went 2–9 (6.66 ERA) in 35 games for 1923 Philadelphia Phillies.
*October 11
** Bill Bell, 28, pitcher who worked in five total games for the Pittsburgh Pirates (1952, 1955); former minor-league phenom who threw three no-hitters in 15 starts for Bristol of the Class D Appalachian League earlier in 1952.
** Dusty Decker, 50, shortstop/second baseman who played in the Negro leagues (1932, 1937) and was a star college football quarterback—nicknamed "The Human Catapult"—at historically black Fisk University
Fisk University is a Private university, private Historically black colleges and universities, historically black Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Nashville, Tennessee. It was founded in 1866 and its campus i ...
.
*October 12 – Rube Geyer, 78, pitcher for the 1910–1913 St. Louis Cardinals.
*October 13 – Gus Hetling, 76, third baseman who appeared in two games for the Detroit Tigers in October 1906.
*October 15 – Possum Whitted, 72, utility man for 1914 "Miracle Boston Braves" World Series champions; appeared in 1,025 career games, primarily as an outfielder and third baseman, for the Braves, St. Louis Cardinals, Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh Pirates and Brooklyn Robins between 1912 and 1922.
*October 16 – Ray Powell, 73, outfielder for 1913 Detroit Tigers and 1917–1924 Boston Braves; led National League in triples (18) in 1921.
*October 17 – Olaf Henriksen, 74, Boston Red Sox reserve outfielder (1911–1917) who was a member of three World Series champions (1912, 1915, 1916); as of 2022, the only MLB player to have been born in Denmark.
*October 20 – Tim Murchison, 66, southpaw pitcher who appeared in three total games for 1917 St. Louis Cardinals and 1920 Cleveland Indians, allowing only three hits and one unearned run in six innings of work; longtime scout.
*October 23 – Elbert Norman, 65, shortstop for the 1927 Cleveland Elites of the Negro National League.
*October 31 – Larry Goetz, 67, National League umpire from 1936 to 1956, worked in 3,225 NL contests, three World Series and two All-Star Games.
November
*November 12 – Harvey Smith, 91, third baseman who appeared in 36 games for the 1896 Washington Senators of the National League.
*November 14 – Dick Hoblitzel, 74, first baseman on Red Sox champions of 1915–1916.
*November 16 – Hugh High
Hugh Jenkin High (October 24, 1888 – November 16, 1962), nicknamed "Bunny," was an American baseball player. He played professional baseball as an outfielder for 15 years from 1911 to 1925, including six years in Major League Baseball for t ...
, 75, outfielder for the Detroit Tigers and New York Yankees between 1913–1918; brother of Andy and Charlie High.
*November 18 – Ed Moyer, 77, pitcher in six games for the 1910 Washington Senators.
*November 21 – Whitey Hilcher, 53, pitcher who appeared in 31 games for the Cincinnati Reds over four seasons spanning 1931 to 1936.
*November 26 – Al Carson, 80, pitcher who appeared in two games for the Chicago Cubs in May 1910.
*November 27 – Bob Peterson, 78, catcher for the Boston Americans between 1906 and 1907.
*November 28 – Harry Moran, 73, left-hander who appeared in 68 games for Buffalo (1914) and Newark (1915) of the "outlaw" Federal League; earlier, hurled in five contests for the 1912 Detroit Tigers.
*November 29 – Red Kress, 55, coach for the 1962 New York Mets; also coached for Detroit Tigers, New York Giants, Cleveland Indians and Los Angeles Angels for 14 seasons between 1940 and 1961; previously an AL shortstop during the 1930s.
December
*December 1 – Owen Smaulding, 65, World War I veteran and standout Black athlete who played on integrated sports teams at the University of Washington
The University of Washington (UW and informally U-Dub or U Dub) is a public research university in Seattle, Washington, United States. Founded in 1861, the University of Washington is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast of the Uni ...
and University of Idaho
The University of Idaho (U of I, or UIdaho) is a public land-grant research university in Moscow, Idaho, United States. Established in 1889 and opened three years later, it was the state's sole university for 71 years, until 1963.
The un ...
and pitched for the Kansas City Monarchs, Chicago American Giants, Cleveland Tigers and Birmingham Black Barons of the Negro National League in 1927–1928; became a teacher after his playing career.
*December 2
** Frank Kane, 67, outfielder and pinch hitter for the 1915 Brooklyn Tip-Tops (Federal League) and 1919 New York Yankees.
** John Scott, 75, shortstop for the 1914 Pittsburgh Rebels of the Federal League.
*December 3 – George Scott, 67, pitcher who worked in two games for the 1920 St. Louis Cardinals.
*December 4
** Ben Cantwell, 60, pitcher for New York Giants, Boston Braves/Bees, and Brooklyn Dodgers who appeared in 316 games between 1927 and 1937; won 20 games, losing ten, for 1933 Braves squad, then, two years later posted a 4–25 won–lost record pitching for a horrendous Boston club that lost 115 of its 153 games played.
** John Joseph Coffee, ''alias'' Jack Smith, 69, one of the replacement amateur players called into action by the Detroit Tigers when the team staged a wildcat strike in support of the suspended Ty Cobb
Tyrus Raymond Cobb (December 18, 1886 – July 17, 1961), nicknamed "the Georgia Peach", was an American professional baseball center fielder. A native of rural Narrows, Georgia, Cobb played 24 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He spent ...
on May 18, 1912; "Smith" played errorless ball at third base for two innings of Detroit's 24–2 loss to Philadelphia, but did not record a plate appearance.
*December 6 – Dutch Hoffman, 58, Chicago White Sox' centerfielder during the 1929 season, appearing in 107 games.
*December 7
** Bobo Newsom, 55, colorful, much-traveled All-Star pitcher who won 211 games with nine different teams between 1929 and 1953, including five stints with the Washington Senators; starred in a losing cause for the Detroit Tigers in the 1940 World Series; three-time 20-game winner (1938 through 1940) and three-time 20-game loser (1934, 1941, 1945).
** J. G. Taylor Spink, 74, publisher and editor of ''The Sporting News'' since 1914 and a tireless champion of the sport.
*December 8 – Bill Gatewood, 81, Negro leagues pitcher who appeared for as many as 21 teams over a 24-year span (1906–1929); led Negro National League in games won (15) in 1920.
*December 14
** Bob Katz, 51, pitcher who made six appearances for the wartime-era 1944 Cincinnati Reds.
** Champ Osteen, 85, infielder who played in 83 career games for the 1903 Washington Senators, 1904 New York Highlanders and 1908–1909 St. Louis Cardinals.
** Dan Woodman, 69, pitcher who appeared in 18 contests for Buffalo of the Federal League in 1914–1915.
*December 20 – Charlie Luskey, 86, outfielder/catcher in 11 games for the American League's maiden 1901 edition of the Washington Senators.
*December 27 – Jake Flowers, 60, infielder between 1923 and 1934 for three National League teams; later an MLB coach.
*December 29 – Tiny Graham, 70, -tall first baseman who played 25 games for 1914 Cincinnati Reds.
*December 30 – Joe Boley, 66, shortstop for the Philadelphia Athletics (1927–1932) and Cleveland Indians (1932); key contributor to Philadelphia's 1929 and 1930 world championships and 1931 American League title.
*December 31
** Al Mamaux, 68, pitcher who posted back-to-back 20-plus win seasons for the 1915–1916 Pittsburgh Pirates; also hurled for the Brooklyn Robins and New York Yankees during his 12 seasons in MLB.
** Del Mason, 79, right-hander who compiled a 5–16 (3.72) career record in 32 total games for the 1904 Washington Senators and 1906–1907 Cincinnati Reds.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:1962 In Baseball