2006 in baseball
The following are the baseball events of the year 2006 throughout the world.
Headline Event of the Year
- The 2006 World Baseball Classic final 4 teams are Japan, Cuba, Korea and the Dominican Republic, with the United States at 3–3 failing to qualify for the semi-finals. Under the leadership of manager Sadaharu Oh and veterans Ichiro Suzuki and Daisuke Matsuzaka, Japan (5–3) wins the Classic, defeating Cuba (5–3) in the single championship game. Korea at 6–1 has the best overall Classic record.
Champions
Major League Baseball
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Division Series
TV: ESPN/FOX |
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League Championship Series
TV: FOX |
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World Series
TV: FOX |
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1 |
New York Yankees |
1 |
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4 |
Detroit Tigers |
3 |
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4 |
Detroit Tigers |
4 |
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American League |
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3 |
Oakland Athletics |
0 |
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2 |
Minnesota Twins |
0 |
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3 |
Oakland Athletics |
3 |
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AL4 |
Detroit Tigers |
1 |
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NL3 |
St. Louis Cardinals |
4 |
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1 |
New York Mets |
3 |
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4 |
Los Angeles Dodgers |
0 |
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1 |
New York Mets |
3 |
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National League |
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3 |
St. Louis Cardinals |
4 |
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2 |
San Diego Padres |
1 |
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3 |
St. Louis Cardinals |
3 |
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Click on any series score to link to that series' page.
Higher seed had home field advantage during Division Series and League Championship Series.
The American League champion had home field advantage during the World Series as a result of the AL victory in the 2006 All-Star Game.
Other champions
Awards and honors
- Baseball Hall of Fame inductions
- Bruce Sutter is selected by the BBWAA.
- In a special election by the Committee on African-American Baseball, seventeen Negro League figures are elected (all posthumously): Ray Brown, Willard Brown, Andy Cooper, Frank Grant, Pete Hill, Biz Mackey, Effa Manley, José Méndez, Alex Pompez, Cum Posey, Louis Santop, Mule Suttles, Ben Taylor, Cristóbal Torriente, Sol White, J.L. Wilkinson, and Jud Wilson. Manley is the first woman ever elected to the Hall. Including Sutter, the 18 inductees are the largest class in the Hall's history.
- Gene Elston is selected to receive the Ford C. Frick Award. During his 47 years in the broadcast booth, the former Astros announcer brought a no-nonsense approach to reporting the happenings on the diamond.
- Tracy Ringolsby, longtime columnist for the Rocky Mountain News, is awarded the J. G. Taylor Spink Award.
| Award |
National League |
American League |
| Most Valuable Player |
Ryan Howard, PHI |
Justin Morneau, MIN |
| Cy Young |
Brandon Webb, ARI |
Johan Santana, MIN |
| Manager of the Year |
Joe Girardi, FLA |
Jim Leyland, DET |
| Rookie of the Year |
Hanley Ramirez, FLA |
Justin Verlander, DET |
| Batting title |
Freddy Sanchez, PIT |
Joe Mauer, MIN |
Events
January–March
- March 14 – In the World Baseball Classic, Hee-Seop Choi hits a 3-run pinch hit home run to help Team Korea stun the United States.
- March 19 – After 19 seasons, two-time NL All-Star pitcher Al Leiter retires after his first 2006 spring training appearance for the Yankees.
- March 20 – Japan defeats Cuba 10–6 in the championship game of the 2006 World Baseball Classic. After falling behind 6–1 early in the game, Cuba pulls back to within one run entering the ninth inning before Japan closes the door. The championship game of the first international baseball tournament open to players from Major League Baseball features teams that, combined, have only two players on a Major League roster.
- March 28 – Marquis Grissom announces his retirement after a 17-year career. The MVP of the 1997 ALCS, a four-time Gold Glove winner and two-time All-Star, Grissom retires as one of seven players with 2,000 hits, 200 home runs and 400 stolen bases.
- March 30 – Commissioner Bud Selig appoints Red Sox director and former U.S. Senate Majority Leader George J. Mitchell to head a probe into the use of steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs in the major leagues. The investigation is initially limited to events since September 2002, when such drugs were banned in the majors, but Mitchell has the authority to expand its scope.
April–June
- April 6:
- In the Phillies' 4–2 loss to the Cardinals, Jimmy Rollins goes 0–4, ending his multi-season hitting streak at 38 games.
- R.A. Dickey of the Rangers ties a post-1900 major league record by giving up six home runs in 3 1/3 innings in Texas' 10–6 loss to the Tigers. Dickey had converted to throwing knuckleballs the previous season, and after this game he was sent to the Rangers' AAA team to work on it. Chris Shelton led the charge with two home runs. Magglio Ordóñez also hit two home runs, but only one off Dickey.
- April 9 – Cory Sullivan of the Rockies becomes only the eleventh player in major league history to triple twice in the same inning. It is the first time the feat had been accomplished in over fifty years. The two triples came against Padres pitchers Jake Peavy and Chan Ho Park.
- April 10 – The Cardinals play their first official game at the New Busch Stadium, a 6–4 victory over the Brewers.
- April 12 - San Francisco Giants outfielder Brett Butler ties a major league mark by walking five times in a 13–4 win over the Atlanta Braves.
- April 13 - The first sellout in Seattle Mariners history occurs when 54,597 fans attend the season opener at Safeco Field.
- April 14 - Baltimore Orioles infielder Mike Bordick begins a streak which leads to a Major League record for the most errorless games [95] and total chances [431] by a shortstop.
- April 18 - A sellout crowd of 42,191 watch the Chicago White Sox play their first game at new Comiskey Park and sees the home team get crushed by the Detroit Tigers, 16–0.
- April 17 – Pedro Martínez of the Mets becomes the 103rd major league pitcher in the modern era (and the 131st overall, including the pre-1900 era) to win 200 games in his career with a 4–3 victory over the Braves at Shea Stadium.
- April 28:
- In a 6–2 victory over the Brewers, Cubs pitcher Greg Maddux earns the victory with 6 strikeouts and 2 ER over 6.0 IP, earning the first 5–0 start of his career.
- Two home run records are tied or broken: Kevin Mench of the Rangers becomes the first right-handed batter in major league history to hit home runs in seven consecutive games, and Albert Pujols of the Cardinals ties a record with his 13th home run in the month of April. Mench failed to homer in his next game, falling short of tying the all-time record of eight consecutive games with a homer. Pujols would go on to break the record with 14 homers in April.
- May 15 – The annual Hall of Fame Game between the Reds and the Pirates is cancelled due to rain with the Reds leading 3–0 in the third inning; it is the fifth rainout in the game's history, and the first since 1993.
- May 20 — Barry Bonds ties Babe Ruth for second place on the career list, and first place among left-handed hitters, with his 714th home run during the Giants' road game against the Athletics.
- May 21 – The Minnesota Legislature, on the last full day of the 2006 session, approves a new ballpark for the Minnesota Twins, scheduled to open for the 2010 season. Under the bill, the Twins are prohibited from being folded by Major League Baseball or moved from the state of Minnesota for the 30-year duration of the initial lease. The bill was signed into law by Governor Tim Pawlenty at the Twins' May 23 home game vs. the Indians.
- May 24 – In the Cardinals' 10–4 victory at San Francisco, pitcher Adam Wainwright becomes the seventh player in history to hit a home run on the first major league pitch he sees.
- May 27 – Curt Schilling of the Red Sox becomes the 104th major league pitcher in the modern era (and the 132nd overall, including the pre-1900 era) to win 200 games in his career with a 6–4 victory over the Devil Rays at Fenway Park.
- May 28 – Barry Bonds hits his 715th career home run off Rockies pitcher Byung-Hyun Kim in a 6–3 loss at AT&T Park. With the home run, Bonds passes Babe Ruth for second place on the career list and sets a new record for home runs by a left-handed hitter.
- June 6 – It is reported that U.S. federal officials have raided Diamondbacks pitcher Jason Grimsley's home looking for evidence that he was a distributor of human growth hormone and other performance-enhancing drugs. They found he had received a package. A day later he quits the Diamondbacks, and it is announced that he has given authorities names of people he knew that took steroids and HGH.
- June 18 – Kenny Rogers of the Tigers becomes the 105th major league pitcher in the modern era (and the 133rd overall, including the pre-1900 era) to win 200 games in his career with a 12–3 victory over the Cubs at Wrigley Field.
- June 30 – Adam Dunn hits a walk-off grand slam with 2 outs in the ninth for a 9–8 Reds victory over the Indians, becoming only the 14th player ever to hit a walk-off grand slam for a 1-run win with two out in the ninth inning.
- The Atlanta Braves finish the month of June with a 6–21 record, spelling the end of their division title streak at 14.
July
- July 1 – Baltimore's Miguel Tejada plays in his 1,000th consecutive game in a 7–4 win over the Braves.
- July 2
- Cubs outfielder Ángel Pagán becomes the first player in major league history to hit his first two career home runs on his birthday with a pair of homers in a game against the White Sox at Wrigley Field.
- The Twins become the first team in baseball history to collect all three monthly player awards as Joe Mauer is named Player of Month, Johan Santana earns Pitcher of the Month and Francisco Liriano is selected as Rookie of the Month for June [1].
- July 4 – The Indians defeat the Yankees 19–1, the second time the Indians have routed the Yankees in significant fashion. The Indians hit 6 homers in the game and have a 9-run 5th inning. Jake Westbrook is the winner after also winning the first rout of the Yankees.
- July 5 – In an 11–3 win over the Indians, Yankees starting pitcher Mike Mussina becomes the first pitcher in AL history to win 10 or more games for 15 consecutive seasons [2].
- July 7 – Cleveland designated hitter Travis Hafner hits his fifth grand slam of the season in the Indians' 9–0 win over the Orioles. Hafner becomes the first player in major league history to hit five grand slams before the All-Star break [3].
- July 9 – The White Sox and the Red Sox play a 19-inning game spanning 6 hours and 19 minutes at U.S. Cellular Field in Chicago. The teams use a combined 16 pitchers, who throw a combined 570 pitches. The White Sox win 6–5.
- July 11
- Major League Baseball announces that FOX Sports has signed on to a new seven-year contract to continue airing Major League Baseball on Fox, ensuring that the World Series will air on FOX through the 2013 season. They will also be airing their Saturday Game of the Week and alternating League Championship Series throughout the contract. TBS Sports also signs a contract that will give them 28 nationwide MLB games a year beginning in 2008, all Division Series and wild-card tiebreaker games beginning this year, and a reduction in their nationwide contract on Atlanta Braves games from 70 a year to 45 a year starting in 2008. The other LCS contract is still being negotiated at this date.
- The American League wins the All-Star Game 3–2 when Michael Young hits a 2-RBI triple against Trevor Hoffman with two outs in the top of the ninth to secure the AL's ninth consecutive victory; Young also makes a fine catch of a short fly ball to end the game with the tying run on second base. Vladimir Guerrero and David Wright had exchanged home runs early in the game, with Carlos Beltrán later scoring for the NL on a wild pitch.
- Jim Eriotes of the Sioux Falls Canaries becomes, at age 83, the oldest player ever to bat in a professional baseball game. A former minor league outfielder, he strikes out as the leadoff hitter, fouling off one pitch.
- July 13 – In the Cardinals' first game after the All-Star break, Albert Pujols hits a walk-off home run in the 14th inning to beat the Dodgers 3–2.
- July 15 – For the first time since 1978, all major league games in a single day finish without a single save being recorded [5].
- July 16
- Cliff Floyd and Carlos Beltrán of the Mets both hit grand slams during a club-record 11-run sixth inning in a 13–7 victory over the Cubs; eight of the 11 runs are unearned following a pair of errors by Todd Walker. It is also the first time the Mets have hit two grand slams in one inning, or even an entire game. It is the first time that two grand slams were hit in one inning by a team since Fernando Tatis hit two in one inning for the Cardinals on April 23, 1999.
- With a two-run home run against the Padres at Petco Park, Chipper Jones of the Braves ties a major league record with an extra base hit in his 14th straight game. The record was set in 1927 by the Pirates' Paul Waner.
- Mariano Rivera of the Yankees becomes the fourth pitcher ever to record 400 saves when he pitches two shutout innings. The Yankees beat the White Sox 6–4.
- July 18 – At the age of 94, former Negro League legend Buck O'Neil becomes the oldest player to play in a professional baseball game, leading off for both teams (by means of an unorthodox mid-game "trade") in the Northern League All-Star Game in Kansas City, Kansas. He is intentionally walked in both plate appearances.
- July 20 – The Brooklyn Cyclones and Oneonta Tigers play the longest game in the history of the New York-Penn League with a 26-inning match, beating the previous record set in 1981 when the Batavia Muckdogs and Auburn Doubledays played for 22 innings. The Tigers defeated the Cyclones, 6–1, thanks to scoring five runs in the top of the 26th inning off Brooklyn outfielder Mark Wright, who had entered the game to pitch despite having not pitched in any games during his college career. Oneonta center fielder and leadoff hitter Deik Scram was hitless in his first 11 at-bats, but his single in the 26th inning scored the go-ahead run for the Tigers. Brooklyn manager George Greer was ejected in the first inning for arguing a call and watched the rest of the game from the clubhouse. The two teams combined used 14 pitchers, struck out 38 batters, issued 14 walks, and got 34 hits [6][7].
August
- August 3 – In his Dodgers debut, Greg Maddux pitches six hitless innings before departing due to a rain delay in a 3–0 win at Cincinnati.
- August 14 – Yankees pitcher Randy Johnson tallies his 4,500 career strikeout, retiring Angels designated hitter Tim Salmon in the 4th inning.
- August 15 – Braves outfielder Matt Diaz tallies his tenth hit in ten plate appearances, tying the NL record for consecutive hits in consecutive appearances. A ninth inning ground out against Washington reliever Chris Schroder ends Diaz's streak two hits away from the major league record of twelve.
- August 18 to August 19 – The Yankees and Red Sox play two games lasting for a total of eight hours and 40 minutes and set the record for the longest major league game by time for a 9-inning game (4 hours and 45 minutes). The record for longest doubleheader consisting of two 9-inning games of 7 hours and thirty-nine minutes was not considered to be broken because separate admission was required to each of the day's two games [8].
- August 29 – Mariners relief pitcher Rafael Soriano receives a concussion after being struck by a line drive hit by Vladimir Guerrero of the Angels. There is no fracture, however, and the injury is not serious. The ball caroms off Soriano's head behind his left ear, and goes into the Mariners dugout. It is ruled a base hit because it touched a player before going foul. The Mariners win the game 6–4.
- August 30 – Curt Schilling of the Red Sox becomes the 14th pitcher to record 3000 strikeouts with a first-inning strikeout of Oakland's Nick Swisher. He is only the third pitcher to record his 3,000th strikeout with fewer than 1,000 walks.
September
- September 2 – At Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, Kevin Kouzmanoff of the Cleveland Indians becomes the first player to hit a grand slam on the very first pitch he sees. The shot comes off Edinson Volquez of the Texas Rangers in the first inning of a 6–5 Indians victory.
- September 4 – Ramon Ortiz of the Nationals pitches 8 no-hit innings and hits his first career home run before an Aaron Miles hit breaks up the no-hit bid in the ninth inning. Washington tops St. Louis 4–1.
- September 6
- September 12 – The Mets' 6–4 win over the Marlins mathematically eliminates the Atlanta Braves from winning the NL East, finally ending the Braves' record streak of consecutive division titles at 14.
- September 18
- September 20
- Dontrelle Willis of the Florida Marlins becomes the first pitcher in franchise history to hit a multiple-home run game in his 8⅓-inning win over the New York Mets at Shea Stadium.
- Despite a 3–2 loss in Toronto, the New York Yankees clinch their ninth straight AL East title when the Twins defeat the Red Sox 8–2.
- September 21 – David Ortiz hits his 51st home run, breaking the Red Sox single-season record set by Jimmie Foxx in 1938. Later in the game he hits his 52nd.
- September 22
- September 23 – Barry Bonds hits his 734th home run, breaking the NL record set by Hank Aaron. He still trails Aaron in total career home runs.
- September 24
- The Detroit Tigers beat the Royals on the road by a score of 11–4 to clinch a spot in the postseason for the first time since 1987.
- Padres closer Trevor Hoffman records his 479th career save, breaking the record held by Lee Smith since 1993.
- September 25 – The Minnesota Twins beat the Royals by a score of 8–1 to clinch a spot in the playoffs for the fourth time in five seasons. Incidentally, the Royals are witness to opposing teams' celebrations in consecutive games after watching the Tigers clinch against them the previous day.
- September 26 – A 12–3 victory by the Oakland Athletics in Seattle coupled with a loss by the Angels gives Oakland its first AL West title and playoff spot since 2003.
- September 27 – Aníbal Sánchez recorded his tenth win of the year for the Marlins, joining Josh Johnson, Scott Olsen, and Ricky Nolasco to give the Marlins four rookie pitchers with ten or more wins, the first such occurrence in major-league history [9]. With Dontrelle Willis' win total, this also marked Florida's first-ever set of five ten-game winners [10].
- September 30 – Both the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres clinch playoff berths by winning their respective games.
October–December
- October 1
- October 3 – Frank Thomas, 38, becomes the oldest player to have a multi-homer game in the postseason, hitting two home runs to lead the Athletics past the Twins by a score of 3–2 in Game 1 of the AL Division Series. Additionally, he becomes the player to go the longest between postseason home runs, having spanned 13 years since his previous postseason home run with the White Sox in 1993.
- October 6 – The Oakland Athletics complete a three-game sweep of the Minnesota Twins in the ALDS, ending a run of six consecutive postseason series defeats.
- October 7
- The Detroit Tigers defeat the New York Yankees winning the ALDS three games to one. The Yankees have now lost three consecutive postseason series.
- The New York Mets complete a three-game sweep of the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLDS despite losing two of their top starting pitchers to injury less than a week before the start of the postseason.
- October 8 – The St. Louis Cardinals defeat the San Diego Padres, winning the NLDS three games to one and reaching the NLCS for the third consecutive season.
- October 11 – Days after his Yankees are eliminated from the baseball postseason, pitcher Cory Lidle is killed when the plane he is piloting crashes into a Manhattan apartment building.
- October 14 – The Detroit Tigers complete a 4-game sweep of the Oakland Athletics and head to the World Series for the first time since 1984. Detroit's Magglio Ordóñez hits a three-run walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth of Game 4 for the win and the AL pennant.
- October 19 – The St. Louis Cardinals clinch the National League pennant, defeating the New York Mets four games to three. Yadier Molina's two-run home run in the top of ninth inning ends a heart-rending seven game series. The Cardinals, returning to the World Series after last appearing in 2004, will face the Detroit Tigers in the World Series; a rematch of the 1934 and 1968 series.
- October 26 – The Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters win their fourth straight game over the Chunichi Dragons, winning the Japan Series 4–1.
- October 27 – The St. Louis Cardinals defeat the Detroit Tigers 4–2, winning the World Series 4–1. Their 83 regular-season victories is a new record for the fewest by a Series champion.
Movies
Deaths
January–March
- January 1 – Paul Lindblad, 64, relief pitcher for the Athletics who retired with the seventh most appearances (655) among left-handers
- January 5 – Rod Dedeaux, 91, baseball coach at the University of Southern California from 1942 to 1986 who won a record 11 College World Series titles, twice as many as any other coach, and 1,332 games, a record until 1994; played major role in baseball's acceptance in the Olympics, and coached the U.S. team in 1964 and 1984
- January 8 – Merv Connors, 91, corner infielder for the Chicago White Sox in 1937 and 1938; hit 3 home runs in one game September 19, 1938; hit more than 400 home runs while playing in more than 2100 minor league games from 1934 to 1953
- January 14 – Wycliffe "Bubba" Morton, 74, right fielder, mainly with the Tigers, Angels and Japanese Toei Flyers, who in 1972 became the first black head coach in any sport at the University of Washington
- January 16 – Willie Smith, 66, left fielder and pitcher for five major league clubs and Japanese Nankai Hawks
- January 16 – Bob Repass, 88, reserve infielder for the St. Louis Cardinals (1939) and Washington Senators (1942)
- January 17 – Seth "Moe" Morehead, 71, relief pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs, and Milwaukee Braves between 1957 and 1961
- January 24 – Carlos (Café) Martínez, 41, infielder for three AL teams who batted .300 for the 1989 White Sox
- January 28 – Frank Campos, 81, Cuban-born outfielder for the Washington Senators from 1951 to 1953
- February 1 – "Whistling" Jake Wade, 93, pitcher for six AL teams who had been the oldest living Chicago White Sox player
- February 4 – Joe McGuff, 79, sportswriter and editor for The Kansas City Star from 1948 to 1992 who covered the Athletics and later the Royals, playing an instrumental role in the latter franchise being awarded in 1969 and retained in the 1990s
- February 11 – Robert W. Peterson, 80, author of the 1970 book Only the Ball Was White, which focused attention on the Negro Leagues; member of the 2006 Hall of Fame committee responsible for electing Negro Leaguers
- February 20 – Curt Gowdy, 86, broadcaster whose voice was the soundtrack of 13 World Series and 16 All-Star games, as well as the Red Sox from 1951–1966 and ten years with NBC
- February 21 – Mark Freeman, 75, pitcher for the New York Yankees, Kansas City Athletics and Chicago Cubs in 1959 and 1960
- February 26 – Ace Adams, 94, All-Star pitcher for the New York Giants who led the National League in saves in 1944 and 1945
- March 6 – Kirby Puckett, 45, Hall of Fame center fielder for the Twins who batted .318 lifetime and won six Gold Gloves; 1989 batting champion; led AL in hits four times, total bases twice and RBI once; MVP of 1991 ALCS, his 11th-inning walk-off home run won Game 6 of the 1991 World Series
- March 28 – Paul "Lefty" Minner, 82, pitcher for the Brooklyn Dodgers (1946, 1948, 1949) and Chicago Cubs (1950–1956); won 69 major league games; first player to pitch under artificial light in the World Series (1949)
- March 29 – Thornton Kipper, 77, a standout pitcher in college and an All-American in 1950, who also pitched for the Phillies from 1953–55
April–June
- April 3 – Royce Lint, 85, pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals in 1954; won 154 games in 15 seasons in the minor leagues
- April 9 – Billy Hitchcock, 89, infielder for five AL teams who later managed Orioles and Braves, was minor league executive
- April 9 – Jimmy Outlaw, 93, outfielder and third baseman, primarily for the Tigers, who was the left fielder on the 1945 World Series champions
- April 13 – Bill Baker, 95, back-up catcher for the Reds (1940–1941), Pirates (1941–1946) and Cardinals (1948–1949); played in 1940 World Series
- April 19 – Oscar Acosta, 49, Latin American coordinator for the Yankees and manager of their Gulf Coast League franchise; former pitching coach for the Cubs and Rangers
- April 24 – Sebastian "Sibby" Sisti, 85, who spent 13 seasons with the Braves and also appeared in the film The Natural
- April 26 – Billy Queen, 77, outfielder for the 1954 Milwaukee Braves
- April 26 – Russ Swan, 42, relief pitcher from 1989–94, primarily for the Seattle Mariners
- April 28 – Steve Howe, 48, All-Star relief pitcher, mainly with the Dodgers and Yankees, who was the 1980 NL Rookie of the Year but was suspended from baseball seven times and eventually barred from the sport due to drug abuse
- April 30 – Dave Bartosch, 89, outfielder for the Cardinals in 1945; long-time scout for the Cardinals and Padres
- May 4 – Jim Delsing, 80, outfielder for five AL teams best remembered as the pinch runner for Eddie Gaedel
- May 7 – Jeff "Jesse" James, 64, pitcher for the Phillies in 1968 and 1969
- May 9 – Betty Wagoner, 75, All-Star outfielder and a member of two championship teams of the AAGPBL
- May 14 – Jim Lemon, 78, All-Star outfielder for the Senators/Twins who led AL in triples in 1956, had two seasons of 30 HR and 100 RBI; later a coach
- June 4 – Bill Fleming, 92, pitcher for Red Sox and Cubs from 1940 to 1946; led 1940 Pacific Coast League in strikeouts with Hollywood
- June 4 – Ron Jones, 41, outfielder for the Phillies from 1988 to 1991
- June 5 – Eric Gregg, 55, NL umpire from 1975 to 1999 who worked in the 1989 World Series and four NLCS, noted for weight problems and a wide strike zone
- June 10 – Moe Drabowsky, 70, Polish-American relief pitcher for several teams from 1955 to 1972 who won Game 1 of the 1966 World Series with the Orioles
- June 10 – Charles Johnson, 96, pitcher and outfielder for the Negro League Chicago American Giants; worked to push Major League Baseball to offer former Negro League players pensions
- June 20 – Billy "Bull" Johnson, 87, All-Star third baseman for the Yankees (1943, 1946–1951) and Cardinals (1951–1953); played on four World Series Championship teams with the Yankees (1943, 1947, 1949, 1950); finished fourth in league MVP balloting his rookie year (1943)
- June 22 – Paul Campbell, 88, a pitcher for the Red Sox and Tigers and later a coach with Cincinnati
- June 23 – Leo Wells, 88, third baseman and shortstop for the White Sox in 1942 and 1946
- June 26 – Jack Urban, 77, pitcher for the Athletics (1957–1958) and Cardinals (1959); traded to Kansas City by the Yankees in 1957 the deal that brought Art Ditmar and Clete Boyer to New York
- June 27 - Margaret Russo, 74, All-Star shortstop in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League
July–September
- July 4 - Marilyn Olinger, 78, slick-fielding shortstop who played from 1948 through 1953 in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League
- July 11 - Phyllis Baker, 69, All-American Girls Professional Baseball League pitcher
- July 15 – Howdy Groskloss, 100, second baseman for the Pirates from 1930 through 1932; had been the oldest living major league player
- July 17 – Barbara Liebrich, 83, player/manager during seven seasons in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League
- August 4 – Elden Auker, 95, submarine pitcher who won 130 games, mainly with Tigers and Browns; led AL in winning percentage for 1935 Detroit champions
- August 8 – Dino Restelli, 81, outfielder for the Pirates in 1949 and 1951
- August 12 – Earl Wooten, 82, outfielder for the Senators in 1947 and 1948
- August 24 – Gene Thompson, 89, pitcher for the Reds and Giants who later spent 40 years as a scout; was 13–5 as rookie for 1939 NL champion Reds
- August 30 – Charlie Wagner, 93, pitcher who won 32 games for the Red Sox from 1938 to 1946, later a scout and minor league instructor
- September 1 – Ted Davidson, 66, pitcher for the Reds (1965–1968) and Braves (1968)
- September 2 – Victor Bernal, 52, pitcher for the Padres in 1977
- September 7 – Gordie Mueller, 83, pitcher for the 1950 Boston Red Sox
- September 17 – Jack Banta, 81, pitcher for the Brooklyn Dodgers from 1947 to 1950 who won the 1949 pennant-clincher
- September 18 – Syd Thrift, 77, general manager of the Pirates, Yankees and Orioles, also a longtime scout
- September 27 – Craig Kusick, 57, first baseman for the Twins from 1973 to 1979; high school coach for 22 years
- September 27 – Joe Koppe, 75, shortstop for the Braves (1958), Phillies (1959–1961) and Angels (1961–1965)
October–December
- October 2 – Clyde Vollmer, 85, outfielder for the Boston Red Sox and Washington Senators between 1942 and 1951
- October 2 – Al Heist, 79, outfielder for the Chicago Cubs (1960–1961) and the Houston Colt 45s (1962); later a coach for Houston and San Diego
- October 5 – Dick Wagner, 78, general manager who helped build Cincinnati's "Big Red Machine" dynasty of the 1970s and also Houston's 1986 NL West champions
- October 6 – Buck O'Neil, 94, first baseman and manager who won two Negro League batting titles and led the Kansas City Monarchs to two championships; became first black coach in the major leagues, and a goodwill ambassador for the sport in his later years
- October 8 – Ivan Murrell, 63, Panamanian outfielder for the Houston Colt .45s/Astros, San Diego Padres and Atlanta Braves between 1963 and 1974
- October 11- Cory Lidle, 34, pitcher for the Yankees and six other major league teams since 1997, won 13 games for 2001 A's and 2005 Phillies
- October 11 – Eddie Pellagrini, 88, infielder for five teams from 1946 to 1954; coached Boston College to three College World Series
- October 12 – Johnny Callison, 67, All-Star outfielder for the Phillies who won the 1964 All-Star Game with a 3-run home run; led NL in triples twice and assists four times
- October 16 – Tony Curry, 67, Bahamanian outfielder for the Phillies and Indians who followed Andre Rodgers as the second native of his country to play in the major leagues
- October 17 – Bob Adams, 95, pitcher for the Boston Red Sox in the 1925 season
- October 25 – Edward F. Kenney, 85, who served as a Boston Red Sox executive for over 40 years
- October 26 – Fred Marsh, 82, infielder for four teams from 1951 to 1956
- October 27 – Joe Niekro, 61, All-Star pitcher who won 221 games and was the Astros' all-time leader with 144 victories; brother of Phil Niekro and father of Lance Niekro
- October 29 – Silas Simmons, 109 or 111, Negro League player of the 1920s, believed to be the longest-lived professional baseball player in history
- October 31 – Glenn "Rocky" Nelson, 81, first baseman for five teams from 1949 to 1961 who hit a home run for the Pirates in Game 7 of the 1960 World Series
- November 2 – Myron "Red" Hayworth, 91, catcher for the 1944–1945 St. Louis Browns who played in every game of the 1944 World Series; later a coach and scout, spending 53 years in baseball; brother Ray was also a major league catcher
- November 7 – John "Buddy" Kerr, 84, All-Star shortstop for the New York Giants and Boston Braves who played 68 consecutive errorless games over the 1946–47 seasons, then a major league record
- November 7 – Johnny Sain, 89, All-Star pitcher who was the 1948 MVP runnerup for the pennant-winning Boston Braves; later a respected pitching coach
- November 9 – Garton del Savio, 92, shortstop who played four games for the 1943 Phillies
- November 9 – Jimmie Armstead Jr., 87, player for the St. Louis Stars, Philadelphia Stars and Baltimore Elite Giants of the Negro Leagues from 1938 to 1951
- November 14 – Pete "Pecky" Suder, 90, infielder for the Athletics from 1941 to 1955; later worked as a scout and minor league manager
- November 14 - Al Smith, 81, American League umpire from 1960 to 1964
- November 17 – Bo Schembechler, 77, Hall of Fame college football coach and president of the Detroit Tigers from 1990–92; widely criticized for the firing of legendary Tigers radio announcer Ernie Harwell
- November 19 – Willie "Fireman" Grace, 89, player on the Cleveland Buckeyes and Erie Sailors of the Negro Leagues from 1942 to 1950
- November 22 – Pat Dobson, 64, All-Star pitcher who won 20 games for the 1971 Orioles; later a scout and assistant to the general manager with the Giants
- November 27 – Eddie "Hotshot" Mayo, 96, second and third baseman, primarily for the Tigers, who finished second in the MVP vote to teammate Hal Newhouser on the 1945 World Series champions
- November 28 – Sam Calderone, 80, reserve catcher for the New York Giants and Milwaukee Braves
- November 29 – Pete Mikkelsen, 67, relief pitcher for five teams from 1964–1972 who had 7 wins and 12 saves as a rookie for pennant-winning Yankees
- December 3 – Billy Klaus, 77, shortstop/third baseman for six teams from 1952 to 1963
- December 3 – Ernie Oravetz, 74, outfielder for the Washington Senators in 1955 and 1956
- December 8 – José Uribe, 47, Dominican shortstop for the Giants who was a member of the 1987 division champions and 1989 NL pennant winners
- December 12 – Irv Hall, 88, middle infielder for the Philadelphia Athletics from 1943 to 1946; worked as a manager in the St. Louis Browns minor league system
- December 16 – Cecil Travis, 93, All-Star shortstop for the Washington Senators who batted .314 lifetime; led AL in hits in 1941 before missing four seasons in World War II
- December 17 – Larry Sherry, 71, relief pitcher for the Dodgers, Tigers, Astros and Angels from 1958 to 1968; was named the MVP of the 1959 World Series while with his hometown Dodgers
- December 22 – Sam Chapman, 90, All-Star center fielder for the Philadelphia Athletics from 1938 to 1951; batted .322 in 1941, led AL in putouts four times
- December 23 – Sol Carter, 98, pitcher for the 1931 Philadelphia Athletics who had been the fourth oldest living major league player
- December 26 – Chris Brown, 45, All-Star third baseman who batted .317 for the 1986 Giants; also played for the Padres and Tigers during a 6-year career
- December 31 – Marv Breeding, 72, second baseman for the Orioles, Senators and Dodgers between 1960 and 1963
See also
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| Early years |
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| 1870s–1880s |
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| 1890s–1900s |
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| 1910s–1920s |
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| 1930s–1940s |
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| 1950s–1960s |
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| 1970s–1980s |
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| 1990s–2000s |
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| 2010s |
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| Sources |
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References