The Year of the Pitcher

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

, the trend throughout the 1960s was of increased pitching dominance. After the record home run year by

Roger Maris Roger Eugene Maris (September 10, 1934 – December 14, 1985) was an American professional baseball right fielder who played 12 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He is best known for setting a new MLB single-season home run record with 61 ...

in 1961, the major leagues increased the size of the

strike zone In baseball, the strike zone is the volume of space through which a pitch must pass in order to be called a strike even if the batter does not swing. The strike zone is defined as the volume of space above home plate and between the batter's k ...

from the top of the batter's shoulders to the bottom of his knees. A significant "power shortage" culminated in 1968, with far fewer runs scored than in the early 1960s. Pitchers including

Bob Gibson Robert Gibson (born Pack Robert Gibson; November 9, 1935October 2, 2020) was an American professional baseball pitcher who played 17 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis Cardinals (1959–1975). Nicknamed "Gibby" and "Hoot" ( ...

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 (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals ha ...

and

Denny McLain Dennis Dale McLain (born March 29, 1944) is an American former professional baseball player. He played for ten seasons in Major League Baseball as a right-handed pitcher, most prominently as a member of the Detroit Tigers. In 1968, McLain beca ...

of the

Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, the club was f ...

dominated hitters, producing 339

shutout In team sports, a shutout ( US) or clean sheet ( UK) is a game in which one team prevents the other from scoring any points. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketball. Shutouts are usuall ...

s in 1968, almost double the number of shutouts thrown in 1962. Individually, Gibson set a modern

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 ...

record of 1.12, the lowest in 54 years, and set a

World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, contested since 1903 between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winner of the World ...

record of 17 strikeouts in Game 1. McLain won 31 regular season games, the only player to reach the 30 win milestone since

Dizzy Dean Jay Hanna "Dizzy" Dean (January 16, 1910 – July 17, 1974), also known as Jerome Herman Dean (both the 1910 and 1920 Censuses show his name as "Jay"), was an American professional baseball pitcher. During his Major League Baseball (MLB) career ...

in 1934.

Mickey Lolich Michael Stephen Lolich (born September 12, 1940) is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a left-handed pitcher from 1963 until 1979, almost entirely for the Detroit Tigers. A three-time All-Star, ...

won three complete games in the World Series, the last player as of 2015 to do so.

Luis Tiant Luis Clemente Tiant Vega () (born November 23, 1940) is a Cuban former Major League Baseball (MLB) right-handed starting pitcher. He pitched in MLB for 19 years, primarily for the Cleveland Indians and the Boston Red Sox. Tiant compiled a 22 ...

of the

Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. Since , they have played at Progressive F ...

had the American League's lowest ERA at 1.60 and allowed a batting average of only .168, a major league record.

Don Drysdale Donald Scott Drysdale (July 23, 1936 – July 3, 1993) was an American professional baseball player and television sports commentator. A right-handed pitcher for the Brooklyn / Los Angeles Dodgers for his entire career in Major League Baseball, D ...

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 (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brooklyn ...

threw a record 58 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings, and

Catfish Hunter James Augustus Hunter (April 8, 1946 – September 9, 1999), nicknamed "Catfish", was a professional baseball player in Major League Baseball (MLB). From to , he was a pitcher for the Kansas City/Oakland Athletics and New York Yankees. Hunter wa ...

of the

Oakland Athletics The Oakland Athletics (often referred to as the A's) are an American professional baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. The te ...

was the first American League pitcher to record a

perfect game Perfect game may refer to: Sports * Perfect game (baseball), a complete-game win by a pitcher allowing no baserunners * Perfect game (bowling), a 300 game, 12 consecutive strikes in the same game * Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League, New York ...

since Don Larsen in Game 5 of the 1956 World Series. Hitting was anemic as

Carl Yastrzemski Carl Michael Yastrzemski ( ; nicknamed "Yaz"; born August 22, 1939) is an American former Major League Baseball player. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1989. Yastrzemski played his entire 23-year Major League career with the Bost ...

of the

Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight ...

would be the only American League hitter to finish the season with a

batting average Batting average is a statistic in cricket, baseball, and softball that measures the performance of batters. The development of the baseball statistic was influenced by the cricket statistic. Cricket In cricket, a player's batting average is ...

higher than .300. Yastrzemski's batting average of .301 was the lowest batting average of any league batting champion. The American League's collective

slugging average In baseball statistics, slugging percentage (SLG) is a measure of the batting productivity of a hitter. It is calculated as total bases divided by at bats, through the following formula, where ''AB'' is the number of at bats for a given player, ...

of .340 remains the lowest since 1915 (when the game was still in the so-called

dead-ball era In baseball, the dead-ball era was the period from around 1900 to the emergence of Babe Ruth as a power hitter in 1919, when he hit a then-major league record 29 home runs; only three players since 1890 had even hit 20. This era was characterized ...

), while the collective batting average of .231 is the all-time lowest. As a result of the dropping offensive statistics, Major League Baseball Rules Committee took steps to reduce the advantage held by pitchers by lowering the height of the pitchers mound from 15 inches to 10 inches, and by reducing the size of the strike zone for the 1969 season. 1969 batting averages climbed back to their historical averages and never again would pitching have as large a statistical average over batting in the major leagues. 1968 was the final year when baseball had no divisions within the two leagues, with the only post-season competition being the

itself. Four expansion teams would join baseball for the season following in 1969. This was also the first season that the Athletics franchise played in

Oakland, California Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast of the United States, West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third ...

, after their departure from

Kansas City The Kansas City metropolitan area is a bi-state metropolitan area anchored by Kansas City, Missouri. Its 14 counties straddle the border between the U.S. states of Missouri (9 counties) and Kansas (5 counties). With and a population of more ...

, Missouri.

Champions

Major League Baseball

over

(4–3);

, MVP *

All-Star Game An all-star game is an exhibition game that purports to showcase the best players (the "stars") of a sports league. The exhibition is between two teams organized solely for the event, usually representing the league's teams based on region or div ...

, July 9 at the

Astrodome The NRG Astrodome, also known as the Houston Astrodome or simply the Astrodome, is the world's first multi-purpose, domed sports stadium, located in Houston, Texas. It was financed and assisted in development by Roy Hofheinz, mayor of Houston ...

: National League, 1–0;

Willie Mays Willie Howard Mays Jr. (born May 6, 1931), nicknamed "the Say Hey Kid" and "Buck", is a former center fielder in Major League Baseball (MLB). Regarded as one of the greatest players ever, Mays ranks second behind only Babe Ruth on most all-tim ...

, MVP

Other champions

* Big League World Series:

Charleston, West Virginia Charleston is the capital and List of cities in West Virginia, most populous city of West Virginia. Located at the confluence of the Elk River (West Virginia), Elk and Kanawha River, Kanawha rivers, the city had a population of 48,864 at the 20 ...

College World Series The College World Series (CWS), officially the NCAA Men's College World Series (MCWS), is an annual baseball tournament held in June in Omaha, Nebraska. The MCWS is the culmination of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Divisi ...

USC USC most often refers to: * University of South Carolina, a public research university ** University of South Carolina System, the main university and its satellite campuses **South Carolina Gamecocks, the school athletic program * University of ...

Japan Series The Japan Series ( , officially the Japan Championship Series, ), also the Nippon Series, :File:2014_JS_logo.png is the annual championship series in Nippon Professional Baseball, the top baseball league in Japan. It is a best-of-seven series ...

Yomiuri Giants The are a Japanese professional baseball team competing in Nippon Professional Baseball's Central League. Based in Bunkyo, Tokyo, they are one of two professional baseball teams based in Tokyo, the other being the Tokyo Yakult Swallows. They ...

over

Hankyu Braves The are a Nippon Professional Baseball team formed as a result of the 2004 Nippon Professional Baseball realignment by the merger of the Orix BlueWave of Kobe, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan, and the Osaka Kintetsu Buffaloes of Osaka, Osaka Prefectur ...

(4–2) *

Little League World Series The Little League World Series is an annual baseball tournament for children—typically boys—aged 10 to 12 years old, held in the Eastern United States. Originally called the National Little League Tournament, it was later renamed for the Wor ...

: Wakayama,

Osaka is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, following Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of 2. ...

, Japan *

Senior League World Series The Senior League World Series is a baseball tournament for adolescence aged 13 to 16 years old that began in 1961. In 2017, the tournament was moved from Bangor, Maine to Easley, South Carolina. (Easley was the site of the Big League World Seri ...

New Hyde Park New Hyde Park is a village in the Towns of Hempstead and North Hempstead in Nassau County, on Long Island, in New York, United States. It is the anchor community of the Greater New Hyde Park area. The population was 9,712 at the 2010 census. ...

, 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 private interests. It serves as the central point of the history of baseball in the United States and displays baseball-r ...

Kiki Cuyler Hazen Shirley Cuyler (; August 30, 1898 – February 11, 1950), nicknamed Kiki, was an American professional baseball right fielder. He played in Major League Baseball for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, and Brooklyn Dodg ...

Goose Goslin Leon Allen "Goose" Goslin (October 16, 1900 – May 15, 1971) was an American professional baseball left fielder. He played in Major League Baseball for the Washington Senators, St. Louis Browns, and Detroit Tigers, from until . Goslin ...

Joe Medwick Joseph Michael Medwick (November 24, 1911 – March 21, 1975), nicknamed "Ducky" and "Muscles", was an American Major League Baseball player. A left fielder with the St. Louis Cardinals during the " Gashouse Gang" era of the 1930s, he also pla ...

Most Valuable Player In team sports, a most valuable player award, abbreviated 'MVP award', is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a particu ...

, P (AL) **

, P (NL) *

Cy Young Award The Cy Young Award is given annually to the best pitchers in Major League Baseball (MLB), one each for the American League (AL) and National League (NL). The award was first introduced in 1956 by Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick in honor of Hall ...

**Denny McLain, Detroit Tigers (AL) **Bob Gibson, St. Louis Cardinals (NL) * Rookie of the Year ** Stan Bahnsen,

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Amer ...

, P (AL) **

Johnny Bench John Lee Bench (born December 7, 1947) is an American former professional baseball player. He played his entire Major League Baseball career, which lasted from through , with the Cincinnati Reds, primarily as a catcher. Bench was the leader of t ...

Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...

, C (NL) *

Gold Glove Award The Rawlings Gold Glove Award, usually referred to as simply the Gold Glove, is the award given annually to the Major League Baseball (MLB) players judged to have exhibited superior individual fielding performances at each fielding position in bo ...

** George Scott (1B) (AL) **

Bobby Knoop Robert Frank Knoop ( ; born October 18, 1938) is an American former Major League Baseball second baseman and coach. In his nine-year MLB career, he appeared in 1,153 games as a member of the Los Angeles / California Angels (1964–69), Chicago ...

(2B) (AL) ** Brooks Robinson (3B) (AL) **

Luis Aparicio Luis Ernesto Aparicio Montiel (born April 29, 1934), nicknamed "Little Louie", is a Venezuelan former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a shortstop from 1956 to 1973 for three American League (AL) teams, m ...

(SS) (AL) **

Reggie Smith Carl Reginald Smith (born April 2, 1945) is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as an outfielder and afterwards served as a coach and front office executive. He also played in the Nippon Profe ...

(OF) (AL) **

Mickey Stanley Mitchell Jack "Mickey" Stanley (born July 20, 1942) is an American former professional baseball player. A native of Grand Rapids, Michigan, Stanley signed with the Detroit Tigers organization in 1960. After four years in the Tigers' minor leagu ...

(OF) (AL) **

Bill Freehan William Ashley Freehan (November 29, 1941 – August 19, 2021) was an American catcher in Major League Baseball who played his entire 15-year career with the Detroit Tigers. The premier catcher in the American League for several years from the 19 ...

Jim Kaat James Lee Kaat (; born November 7, 1938) is an American former professional baseball player and television sports commentator. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a left-handed pitcher for the Washington Senators / Minnesota Twins (–), ...

(P) (AL)

MLB statistical leaders

Major league baseball final standings

American League final standings

National League final standings

Events

January

*January 23 –

is voted into 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 28 –

and

are admitted into the

by unanimous vote of the Special Veterans Committee.

February

*February 6 – Voters in

King County, Washington King County is located in the U.S. state of Washington. The population was 2,269,675 in the 2020 census, making it the most populous county in Washington, and the 13th-most populous in the United States. The county seat is Seattle, also the st ...

, approve by 62 percent a $40 million bond issue to build a domed, multipurpose stadium. The

Kingdome The Kingdome (officially the King County Stadium) was a multi-purpose stadium located in the Industrial District, Seattle, Industrial District (later SoDo, Seattle, SoDo) neighborhood of Seattle, Washington (state), Washington, United States. O ...

, being built between 1972 and 1976, would operate from 1976 until its demolition in 2000. *February 13 – The

San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco, California. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1883 as the New Yor ...

and

execute a four-player trade, with

Tom Haller Thomas Frank Haller (June 23, 1937 – November 26, 2004) was an American professional baseball player, coach, and executive. He played as a catcher in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1961 to 1972, most notably as a member of the San Francisco Gi ...

one of the two players going to Los Angeles and

Ron Hunt Ronald Kenneth Hunt (born February 23, 1941) is a former professional baseball second baseman. He played 12 seasons in Major League Baseball from 1963 to 1974 for the New York Mets, Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco Giants, Montreal Expos and ...

one of the two going to San Francisco. The trade is the first between the two clubs since their move to the West Coast, and also the first since the one that would have sent

Jackie Robinson Jack Roosevelt Robinson (January 31, 1919 – October 24, 1972) was an American professional baseball player who became the first African American to play in Major League Baseball (MLB) in the modern era. Robinson broke the baseball color line ...

from the Brooklyn Dodgers to the New York Giants after the 1956 season, but he retired rather than report with his new team.

March

April

*April 9 – Opening Day is postponed because of the

funeral of Martin Luther King Jr. The first memorial service following the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. on April 4, 1968, took place the following day at the R.S. Lewis Funeral Home in Memphis, Tennessee. This was followed by two funeral services on April 9, 1968, ...

, who was assassinated on April 4. *April 14 –

Jim Bunning James Paul David Bunning (October 23, 1931 – May 26, 2017) was an American professional baseball pitcher and politician who represented Kentucky in both chambers of the United States Congress. He was the sole Major League Baseball athlete to ha ...

's first win with the

Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Founded as part of the American Associati ...

, 3–0 at Los Angeles'

Dodger Stadium Dodger Stadium is a baseball stadium in the Elysian Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. It is the home stadium of Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Dodgers. Opened in 1962, it was constructed in less than three years at a cost of ( ...

, is his 40th career shutout and includes his 1,000th National League

strikeout In baseball or softball, a strikeout (or strike-out) occurs when a batter accumulates three strikes during a time at bat. It usually means that the batter is out. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters, and is deno ...

, making him the first pitcher since

Cy Young Denton True "Cy" Young (March 29, 1867 – November 4, 1955) was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) pitcher. Born in Gilmore, Ohio, he worked on his family's farm as a youth before starting his professional baseball career. Young entered th ...

with 1,000 in each league. *April 15 – At the

, the

Houston Astros The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston, Texas. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division, having moved to the division in 2013 after ...

defeat the

New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major league ...

1–0 in a 24-inning, 6-hour, 6-minute marathon. In the bottom of the 24th,

Bob Aspromonte Robert Thomas Aspromonte (born June 19, 1938) is an American former professional baseball player and business entrepreneur. He played as a third baseman in Major League Baseball in and then from to , most prominently as a member of the newly for ...

's bases-loaded ground ball goes through the legs of Met shortstop

Al Weis Albert John Weis (born April 2, 1938) is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as an infielder from 1962 to 1971 for the Chicago White Sox and the New York Mets. A light-hitting batter with only seven ...

for an error (the only one committed by the Mets all game) that plates Norm Miller for the winning run. To date, the game is the longest to end in a shutout in terms of both innings and duration. *April 19 –

Nolan Ryan Lynn Nolan Ryan Jr. (born January 31, 1947), nicknamed "the Ryan Express", is an American former professional baseball pitcher and sports executive. Over a record 27-year playing career in Major League Baseball (MLB) spanning four decades, Ryan ...

of the

becomes the sixth pitcher in National League history to strike out the side on nine pitches. But Los Angeles wins 3–2 at New York's

Shea Stadium Shea Stadium (), formally known as William A. Shea Municipal Stadium, was a multi-purpose stadium in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, Queens, New York City.Tom Phoebus Thomas Harold Stephen Phoebus (April 7, 1942 – September 5, 2019) was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a right-handed pitcher from through , most notably as a member of the Baltimore Orioles dynas ...

, the

Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles 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) American League East, East division. As one of the American L ...

' top pitcher in 1967, throws a 6–0

no-hitter In baseball, a no-hitter is a game in which a team was not able to record a hit. Major League Baseball (MLB) officially defines a no-hitter as a completed game in which a team that batted in at least nine innings recorded no hits. A pitcher wh ...

against the

at Baltimore's Memorial Stadium. Brooks Robinson drives in three runs and makes a great stab to rob

Rico Petrocelli Americo Peter "Rico" Petrocelli (born June 27, 1943) is an American former baseball shortstop and third baseman who played his entire Major League Baseball (MLB) career with the Boston Red Sox. Listed at and , he both threw and batted right-hand ...

of a hit in the 8th inning. Converted outfielder

Curt Blefary Curtis Leroy "Clank" Blefary (July 5, 1943 – January 28, 2001) was an American professional baseball left fielder who played in Major League Baseball for the Baltimore Orioles (1965–1968), Houston Astros (1969), New York Yankees (1970–1971), ...

catches the game.

May

*May 2 - At

Shea Stadium Shea Stadium (), formally known as William A. Shea Municipal Stadium, was a multi-purpose stadium in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, Queens, New York City.John Boozer of the

Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. Since 2004, the team's home sta ...

is ejected from a game without having thrown a pitch. His Phillies trailing the

by what will be the final score of 3-0, Boozer, after a 13-minute rain delay, enters the game in the seventh inning in relief of

Woodie Fryman Woodrow Thompson Fryman (April 12, 1940 – February 4, 2011), was an American professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for six teams, across 18 seasons (–). A two-time National League (NL) All-Star, he helped th ...

and repeatedly goes to his mouth while warming up in contravention of the anti-

spitball A spitball is an illegal baseball pitch in which the ball has been altered by the application of a foreign substance such as saliva or petroleum jelly. This technique alters the wind resistance and weight on one side of the ball, causing it to m ...

rule that had been introduced this year. Home plate umpire

Ed Vargo Edward Paul Vargo (September 17, 1928 – February 2, 2008) was an American umpire in Major League Baseball who worked in the National League from 1960 to 1983. He officiated in the World Series, National League Championship Series and All-Star Ga ...

gives Boozer two warnings and awards three balls to batter

Bud Harrelson Derrel McKinley "Bud" Harrelson (born June 6, 1944) is a former Major League Baseball shortstop. He is a coach and part-owner of the Long Island Ducks of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. He played for the New York Mets, Philadelphia ...

—the last resulting in Boozer's ejection, as well as that of Phillie manager Gene Mauch. *May 6 – At Memorial Stadium,

pitcher

Dave Leonhard David Paul Leonhard (born January 22, 1941) is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a right-handed pitcher from through . He was a member of the Baltimore Orioles dynasty that won three consecutiv ...

took a

into the seventh inning before

outfielder Jim Northrup broke it up with a single after two outs. He had to conform with a one-hit shutout, 4–0 victory over Detroit. *May 8 – At

Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum Oakland Coliseum, currently naming rights, branded as RingCentral Coliseum, is a stadium in Oakland, California. It is part of the Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum Complex, with the adjacent Oakland Arena, near Interstate 880 (California), In ...

of the

pitches a 4-0 perfect game 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) Central Division. The team is named after the Twin Cities area w ...

. The perfect game is the first in an American League regular season game since Charlie Robertson's in 1922 and the first

in the franchise's

Oakland Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third largest city overall in the Bay A ...

history, which is in only its 25th game. (The franchise had never had a no-hitter in its

history, which was from 1955 to 1967. Its last no-hitter was by

Bill McCahan William Glenn McCahan (June 7, 1921 – July 3, 1986) was an American professional baseball baseball, player and right-handed pitcher in the Major League Baseball, Major Leagues with the History of the Philadelphia Athletics, Philadelphia Athleti ...

on September 3, 1947; the franchise was then based in

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

.) Hunter strikes out 11 batters, including

Rich Reese Richard Benjamin Reese (born September 29, 1941) is an American former professional baseball player who played first base and outfield in the major leagues from through for the Minnesota Twins and Detroit Tigers. Born in Leipsic, Ohio, Reese th ...

for the final out. He also records three RBIs: with a seventh-inning bunt single that drives in

Rick Monday Robert James "Rick" Monday Jr. (born November 20, 1945) is an American former professional baseball player who now serves as a broadcaster. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a center fielder from 1966 to 1984, most notably as a member ...

to break a scoreless tie, and a single in the eighth to drive in

Jim Pagliaroni James Vincent "Pag" Pagliaroni (December 8, 1937 – April 3, 2010) was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher from 1955 to 1969 for the Boston Red Sox, Pittsburgh Pirates, Oakland Athletics and ...

, his catcher, and Monday.

June

*June 1 –

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw ...

Joe Hoerner Joseph Walter Hoerner (November 12, 1936 – October 4, 1996) was an American professional baseball relief pitcher, who played 14 years in Major League Baseball (MLB), for seven different teams. A native of Dubuque, Iowa he grew up in nearby Key ...

ties a

National League The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team s ...

record for relievers with 6 consecutive strikeouts vs. the

. *June 3 – The New York Yankees turn a

triple play In baseball, a triple play (denoted as TP in baseball statistics) is the act of making three outs during the same play. There have only been 733 triple plays in Major League Baseball (MLB) since 1876, an average of just over five per season. Th ...

in the eighth inning of a 4–3 loss to the Minnesota Twins. It would be the team's last triple play until . *June 8 – Against the

of the

breaks

Walter Johnson Walter Perry Johnson (November 6, 1887 – December 10, 1946), nicknamed "Barney" and "The Big Train", was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played his entire 21-year baseball career in Major League Baseball as a right-ha ...

's 1913 streak of 56 consecutive scoreless innings. A fifth-inning sacrifice fly by

Howie Bedell Howard William Bedell (born September 29, 1935 in Clearfield, Pennsylvania) is an American former Major League Baseball player, coach and front-office administrator. An outfielder, Bedell played for the Milwaukee Braves in 1962 and the Philad ...

scores Tony Taylor for the run that ends the streak at 58 consecutive scoreless innings. This new record will stand until another Dodger,

Orel Hershiser Orel Leonard Hershiser IV (born September 16, 1958) is an American former baseball pitcher who played 18 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1983 to 2000. He later became a pitching coach for the Texas Rangers from 2002 to 2005 and a bro ...

, breaks it in 1988 with 59 consecutive scoreless innings. *June 24 –

right fielder Jim Northrup belted two grand slams, as the Tigers beat the

, 14–3, at

Cleveland Stadium Cleveland Stadium, commonly known as Municipal Stadium, Lakefront Stadium or Cleveland Municipal Stadium, was a multi-purpose stadium located in Cleveland, Ohio. It was one of the early multi-purpose stadiums, built to accommodate both baseball an ...

. Northrup connected his first grand slam off

Eddie Fisher Edwin Jack Fisher (August 10, 1928 – September 22, 2010) was an American singer and actor. He was one of the most popular artists during the 1950s, selling millions of records and hosting his own TV show, ''The Eddie Fisher Show''. Actress Eli ...

in the 5th inning and the second off Billy Rohr in the 6th, to become the sixth player in Major League Baseball history to hit two grand slams in one single game.Detroit Tigers 14, Cleveland Indians 3
Game played at Cleveland Stadium. ''Baseball Reference''. Box Score and Play by Play. Retrieved on June 24, 2017. *June 28 - The Cubs took the Dodgers, 8-3 and 1-0 in front of 42,261 the largest

Wrigley Field Wrigley Field is a Major League Baseball (MLB) stadium on the North Side of Chicago, Illinois. It is the home of the Chicago Cubs, one of the city's two MLB franchises. It first opened in 1914 as Weeghman Park for Charles Weeghman's Chicago Wh ...

crowd in over 20 years.

Randy Hundley Cecil Randolph Hundley Jr. (born June 1, 1942) is an American former professional baseball player and coach. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher for the San Francisco Giants, Chicago Cubs, Minnesota Twins, and the San Diego Padres. H ...

caught both games of a doubleheader and drove in four of the Cubs nine runs.

July

*July 1 – As a part of the season that will see him post a 1.12

ERA An era is a span of time defined for the purposes of chronology or historiography, as in the regnal eras in the history of a given monarchy, a calendar era used for a given calendar, or the geological eras defined for the history of Earth. Comp ...

's streak of 47 and two-thirds inning of scoreless pitching is broken. *July 3 –

of the

strikes out 19 in a ten inning, 1–0 victory over the

. *July 9 – At the

Houston Astrodome The NRG Astrodome, also known as the Houston Astrodome or simply the Astrodome, is the world's first multi-purpose, domed sports stadium, located in Houston, Texas. It was financed and assisted in development by Roy Hofheinz, mayor of Houston ...

, in the first

to be played in an indoor arena and on artificial turf, the

defeats the

American League The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league ...

1–0. Appropriately, pitching dominates the game.

, playing in place of injured

Pete Rose Peter Edward Rose Sr. (born April 14, 1941), also known by his nickname "Charlie Hustle", is an American former professional baseball player and manager. Rose played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1963 to 1986, most prominently as a membe ...

, tallies an unearned run in the first inning against American League starter

Juan Marichal Juan Antonio Marichal Sánchez (born October 20, 1937), nicknamed "the Dominican Dandy", is a Dominican former right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for three teams from 1960 to 1975, almost entirely the San Francisco Giant ...

, Steve Carlton,

Tom Seaver George Thomas Seaver (November 17, 1944 – August 31, 2020), nicknamed "Tom Terrific" and "the Franchise", was an American professional baseball pitcher who played 20 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for the New York Mets, Cinc ...

Ron Reed Ronald Lee Reed (born November 2, 1942) is a former two-sport star who spent two seasons as a power forward in the National Basketball Association (NBA) before spending nearly two decades as a Major League Baseball pitcher. Early life and educa ...

and

Jerry Koosman Jerome Martin Koosman (born December 23, 1942) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Mets, Minnesota Twins, Chicago White Sox, and Philadelphia Phillies between and . ...

hold the AL to three hits, as Mays is named MVP. *July 11 – The

promote first base coach

Earl Weaver Earl Sidney Weaver (August 14, 1930 – January 19, 2013) was an American professional baseball manager, author, and television broadcaster. After playing in minor league baseball, he retired without playing in Major League Baseball (MLB). He be ...

to manager, replacing

Hank Bauer Henry Albert Bauer (July 31, 1922 – February 9, 2007) was an American right fielder and manager in Major League Baseball. He played with the New York Yankees (–) and Kansas City Athletics (–); he batted and threw right-handed. He served as ...

. *July 14: **

Hank Aaron Henry Louis Aaron (February 5, 1934 – January 22, 2021), nicknamed "Hammer" or "Hammerin' Hank", was an American professional baseball right fielder who played 23 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), from 1954 through 1976. One of the gre ...

becomes the 8th player in major league history to reach 500 career homers. ** Don Wilson of the

strikes out 18, including eight in a row at one point. *July 24 –

Hoyt Wilhelm James Hoyt Wilhelm (July 26, 1922 – August 23, 2002), nicknamed "Old Sarge", was an American Major League Baseball pitcher with the New York Giants, St. Louis Cardinals, Cleveland Indians, Baltimore Orioles, Chicago White Sox, California Angel ...

appears in his 907th game as a pitcher, breaking

's long standing all-time record. *July 30 – Washington Senators' shortstop Ron Hansen, playing in Cleveland, completes the eighth

unassisted triple play In baseball, an unassisted triple play occurs when a defensive player makes all three outs by himself in one continuous play, without his teammates making any assists. Neal Ball was the first to achieve this in Major League Baseball (MLB) under ...

in history, and the first since 1927. Cleveland wins, 10–1.

August

September

*September 14 –

becomes the first 30-game winner since

in 1934 as the

beat the

, 5–4, at Detroit's Tiger Stadium.

Reggie Jackson Reginald Martinez Jackson (born May 18, 1946) is an American former professional baseball right fielder who played 21 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Kansas City / Oakland Athletics, Baltimore Orioles, New York Yankees, and Cali ...

's home run in the 4th puts the A's ahead 2–0, but Norm Cash answers with a three-run shot. Jackson hits another in the 6th, but the Tigers push across two in the 9th to win.

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 ...

, pinch hitting for McLain, walks and scores the tying run. McLain, who posted a 31–6 record in the regular season, gives up six hits and strikes out 10. *September 15 – The

clinch the National League pennant with a 7–4 win at the Astrodome over the host

hits his 275th, and last, regular-season home run off Don Wilson in the 3rd inning, and

Curt Flood Curtis Charles Flood (January 18, 1938 – January 20, 1997) was an American professional baseball player and activist. He was a center fielder who played 15 seasons in Major League Baseball for the Cincinnati Redlegs, St. Louis Cardinals, ...

racks up five hits. *September 17 –

Gaylord Perry Gaylord Jackson Perry (September 15, 1938 – December 1, 2022) was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a right-handed pitcher for eight different teams from 1962 to 1983. During a 22-year baseb ...

of the

hurls a no-hitter at

Candlestick Park Candlestick Park was an outdoor stadium on the West Coast of the United States, located in San Francisco's Bayview Heights area. The stadium was originally the home of Major League Baseball's San Francisco Giants, who played there from 1960 un ...

as the Giants edge the visiting

and

, 1–0.

's first-inning home run (the second of the only two he will hit on the season and one of only 11 Gibson will allow in 304 innings) backs Perry, who evens his record at 14–14. *September 18 – Sixteen hours after Perry's feat,

Ray Washburn Ray may refer to: Fish * Ray (fish), any cartilaginous fish of the superorder Batoidea * Ray (fish fin anatomy), a bony or horny spine on a fin Science and mathematics * Ray (geometry), half of a line proceeding from an initial point * Ray (gra ...

of the

makes major league history by hurling a second consecutive no-hitter in the same park. Run-scoring hits by

Mike Shannon Thomas Michael Shannon (born July 15, 1939) is an American former professional baseball infielder / outfielder who spent his entire Major League Baseball (MLB) career playing for the St. Louis Cardinals (–). Shannon worked as a Cardinals radio ...

and

at Candlestick down the Giants, 2–0. This is the first time in history back-to-back no hitters have been pitched between the same two teams on two consecutive days. *September 22 –

utility player In sports, a utility player is one who can play several positions competently. Sports in which the term is often used include association football, American football, baseball, rugby union, rugby league, softball, ice hockey, and water polo. The ...

César Tovar César Leonardo Tovar (July 3, 1940 – July 14, 1994), nicknamed "Pepito" and "Mr. Versatility", was a Venezuelan professional baseball player, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Minnesota Twins (–), Philadelphia Phillies (), ...

plays all nine positions, an inning each, against the

. Duplicating the feat that

Bert Campaneris Dagoberto Campaneris Blanco (born March 9, 1942), nicknamed "Bert" or "Campy", is a Cuban American former professional baseball shortstop, who played Major League Baseball (MLB) for four American League (AL) teams, primarily the Kansas City / ...

performed three years earlier, Tovar tops Campy by starting as pitcher and allows no hits or runs, for a 0.00

. In the inning, the first man to face Tovar was Campaneris, who fouls out. Tovar then strikes out slugger

. Tovar is charged with a walk and a balk in the scoreless inning; his other contributions to the 2-1

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...

win include a single, a walk, a stolen base and a run scored. He makes five putouts and an assist, with no fielding errors. *September 28 –

Mickey Mantle Mickey Charles Mantle (October 20, 1931 – August 13, 1995), nicknamed "the Commerce Comet" and "the Mick", was an American professional baseball player. Mantle played his entire Major League Baseball (MLB) career (1951–1968) with the New York ...

plays in his 2,401st and final game, eight days after hitting his last home run ending his career with 536. *September 29: **

of the

goes 0-for-5 but maintains a .3005 batting average, to win his second straight American League batting crown with the lowest winning average. Yastrzemski is the league's only .300 hitter.

Danny Cater Danny Anderson Cater (born February 25, 1940) is an American former professional baseball first baseman, third baseman, outfielder, and designated hitter. He signed with the Philadelphia Phillies at the age of 18, on June 8, 1958. Cater played i ...

of the

ends second with a .290 average. **At

Shea Stadium Shea Stadium (), formally known as William A. Shea Municipal Stadium, was a multi-purpose stadium in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, Queens, New York City.Dick Allen Richard Anthony Allen (March 8, 1942 – December 7, 2020) was an American professional baseball player. During his fifteen-year-long Major League Baseball (MLB) career, he played as a first baseman, third baseman, and outfielder, most notably ...

hits three home runs in the

' 10-3 victory over the

. He becomes the second player, after

Gus Zernial Gus Edward Zernial (June 27, 1923 – January 20, 2011) was an American professional baseball player. He played as an outfielder in Major League Baseball, most notably for the Philadelphia Athletics with whom he remained when they moved west a ...

of the

Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and p ...

in , to hit three home runs in his team's regular-season finale.

Evan Longoria Evan Michael Longoria (born October 7, 1985), nicknamed "Longo", is an American professional baseball third baseman who is a free agent. He previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Tampa Bay Rays from 2008 through 2017, and the S ...

will join them by hitting three home runs in the

Tampa Bay Rays The Tampa Bay Rays are an American professional baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East division. Since its inception ...

' regular-season finale.

October

*October 2 – For the first time in history, two soon-to-be-named MVPs oppose each other in Game One of the 1968 World Series.

' Bob Gibson is nearly untouchable with a Series-record 17 strikeouts and a 4–0 win over

and the

. Detroit manager

Mayo Smith Edward Mayo "Catfish" Smith (January 17, 1915 – November 24, 1977) was an American professional baseball player, manager, and scout who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Athletics. Smith had a 39-year baseball career ...

moves Gold Glove outfielder

to shortstop, improving his offense by opening a spot for

. *October 10 – In Game Seven of the World Series,

of the

, pitching on two days rest, wins his third game of the Series as he beats

and the

, 4–1. Lolich brings Detroit its first World Championship since

1945 1945 marked the end of World War II and the fall of Nazi Germany and the Empire of Japan. It is also the only year in which nuclear weapons have been used in combat. Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. Januar ...

. Lolich hurls a five-hitter, and is named Series MVP. Key moments came in the 6th inning when Lolich picks

Lou Brock Louis Clark Brock (June 18, 1939September 6, 2020) was an American professional baseball outfielder. He began his 19-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career with the 1961 Chicago Cubs but spent most of it as a left fielder for the St. Louis Ca ...

and

off first base to keep the score 0–0. With the game scoreless in the 7th, the Tigers have two on and two out when Jim Northrup hits a line drive to center field. Gold-glover Flood misjudges the ball and starts in, allowing the ball to sail over his head for a triple. Northrup then scores on

's double for a 3–0 lead. Each team adds a 9th inning run to account for the 4–1 final score. It is the first time the Cardinals have lost a 7th game of a World Series. The Tigers become only the 3rd team to rally from a 3–1 deficit to win the Series 4 games to 3 (the 1925 Pirates and 1958 Yankees are the first two). The Tigers become the last team to win the championship between two first-place teams from leagues without division play where the pennant is automatically awarded to the team with the best won-lost record in its league. *October 21 – After two seasons with the

, All-Star catcher

Elston Howard Elston Gene Howard (February 23, 1929 – December 14, 1980) was an American professional baseball player who was a catcher and a left fielder. During a 14-year baseball career, he played in the Negro leagues and Major League Baseball from 1948 t ...

announces his retirement.

November

*November 1 -

the last pitcher to win 30 games in a season is the unanimous American League winner of the Cy Young Award. *November 19 –

pitcher Stan Bahnsen, who posted a 17–12 record with 162 strikeouts and a 2.05 ERA, is named American League Rookie of the Year. Bahnsen easily outdistances outfielder

Del Unser Delbert Bernard Unser (born December 9, 1944) is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a center fielder and utility player from to , most prominently with the Philadelphia Phillies, where he was ...

of the Washington Senators. *November 22 –

catcher

edges out

pitcher

to win the National League Rookie of the Year Award. Bench becomes the third member of the Reds in six years to be named the top rookie.

December

Births

January

*January 8 – Paul Carey *January 8 –

Brian Johnson Brian Johnson (born 5 October 1947) is an English singer and songwriter. In 1980, after the death of Bon Scott, he became the third lead singer of the Australian rock band AC/DC. He and the rest of the band were inducted into the Rock and Rol ...

*January 9 – Tom Kramer *January 11 –

Ben Rivera Bienvenido "Ben" Rivera Santana (born January 11, 1968) is a retired professional baseball pitcher. He played three seasons in Major League Baseball from - for the Philadelphia Phillies and Atlanta Braves. He was a member of the 1993 National Le ...

*January 20 – Ramón Mañón *January 21 –

Keith Shepherd Keith Wayne Shepherd (born January 21, 1968) is an American former baseball middle relief pitcher. Shepherd played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from through for the Philadelphia Phillies (1992), Colorado Rockies (1993), Boston Red Sox (1995 ...

*January 21 –

Tom Urbani Thomas James Urbani (January 21, 1968 – September 28, 2022) was an American professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball for four seasons. He pitched for the St. Louis Cardinals from 1993 through the 1996 midseason, befor ...

*January 23 – Victor Cole *January 24 – Ross Powell *January 27 –

Rusty Meacham Russell Loren Meacham (born January 27, 1968) is a former professional baseball pitcher. He played all or parts of eight seasons in Major League Baseball between 1991 and 2001. Professional career Early career Meacham was drafted by the Det ...

*January 27 –

Eric Wedge Eric Michael Wedge (born January 27, 1968) is an American former baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) catcher and manager. As a player, Wedge attended Northrop High School in Fort Wayne and played on the school's state champion baseball team in ...

*January 29 –

Kevin Roberson Kevin Lynn Roberson (born January 29, 1968 in Decatur, Illinois) is a former professional baseball player. He played from to for the Chicago Cubs and New York Mets of Major League Baseball (MLB). He was an outfielder. When Roberson hit a ho ...

*January 31 – Steve Phoenix

February

*February 1 –

Kent Mercker Kent Franklin Mercker (born February 1, 1968) is an American former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. He played for nine teams over his 17-year career. Career Mercker was born in Brownsburg, Indiana and lived in several different citi ...

*February 2 –

Scott Erickson Scott Gavin Erickson (born February 2, 1968) is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He played for the Minnesota Twins, Baltimore Orioles, New York Mets, Texas Rangers, Los Angeles Dodgers, and New York Yankees over 15 seasons. He was a membe ...

*February 5 –

Roberto Alomar Roberto "Robbie" Alomar Velázquez (; ; born February 5, 1968) is a Puerto Rican former Major League Baseball player for the San Diego Padres, Toronto Blue Jays, Baltimore Orioles, Cleveland Indians, New York Mets, Chicago White Sox, and Arizon ...

*February 5 – Andrés Santana *February 9 – Robert Eenhoorn *February 9 – Brad Holman *February 10 –

Ryan Bowen Ryan Cleo Bowen (born November 20, 1975) is an American former professional basketball player who is currently an assistant coach for the Denver Nuggets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was a 6'9", power forward. College career ...

*February 10 –

Eddie Zosky Edward James Zosky (born February 10, 1968) is a former professional baseball shortstop. He played in brief parts of five seasons in Major League Baseball, between 1991 and 2000, for the Toronto Blue Jays, Florida Marlins, Milwaukee Brewers and H ...

*February 11 – Dave Swartzbaugh *February 13 –

Matt Mieske Matthew Todd Mieske (born February 13, 1968) is a former outfielder in Major League Baseball (MLB) who played from to for the Milwaukee Brewers, Chicago Cubs, Seattle Mariners, Houston Astros and Arizona Diamondbacks. In 663 games over eight ...

*February 14 –

Scott Scudder William Scott Scudder (born February 14, 1968) is a former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. Drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in the 1st round of the 1986 MLB amateur draft, Scudder made his Major League Baseball debut with the Cincinn ...

*February 15 –

Luis Mercedes Luis Roberto Mercedes Santana (February 15, 1968 – June 30, 2019) was a Major League Baseball outfielder who played for the Baltimore Orioles and San Francisco Giants from to . Career He began his professional career in 1988 with the Bluefiel ...

*February 18 – Kyle Abbott *February 22 –

Kazuhiro Sasaki Kazuhiro "Daimajin" Sasaki (佐々木主浩 ''Sasaki Kazuhiro'', born February 22, 1968) is a former Nippon Professional Baseball and Major League Baseball right-handed relief pitcher. He played his entire NPB career with the Yokohama Taiyo W ...

*February 25 – David Hulse *February 26 – J. T. Snow *February 27 –

Matt Stairs Matthew Wade Stairs (born February 27, 1968) is a Canadian former professional baseball outfielder, first baseman, and designated hitter, who holds the record for most pinch-hit home runs in Major League Baseball (MLB) history with 23. His pinc ...

*February 28 –

Mike Milchin Michael Wayne Milchin (born February 28, 1968) is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played for one season. He played for the Minnesota Twins for 26 games during the 1996 season and the Baltimore Orioles for 13 games during the 1996 seas ...

March

*March 3 –

Bobby Muñoz Robert Munoz (born March 3, 1968), is a former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball from 1993 to 2001 for the New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies, Montreal Expos, and Baltimore Orioles. Munoz had 11 career wins a ...

*March 3 –

Scott Radinsky Scott David Radinsky (born March 3, 1968) is an American left-handed former relief pitcher in Major League Baseball, who had an 11-year career from – and –. Radinsky is also the lead singer of the punk rock band Pulley, former lead singer of ...

*March 4 –

Giovanni Carrara Giovanni Carrara Jiménez ar-rah'-ra(born March 4, 1968) is a Venezuelan former professional baseball pitcher. Listed at 6' 2", 225 lb., Carrara batted and threw right-handed. He established himself as a valuable middle relief man in MLB, as w ...

*March 4 – Brian Hunter *March 7 –

Denis Boucher Denis Boucher (born March 7, 1968) is a Canadian former professional baseball starting pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Toronto Blue Jays, Cleveland Indians, and Montreal Expos. He represented Canada at the 1987 Pan Amer ...

*March 7 –

Jeff Kent Jeffrey Franklin Kent (born March 7, 1968) is an American former professional baseball second baseman. He played 17 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1992–2008 for the Toronto Blue Jays, New York Mets, Cleveland Indians, San Francis ...

*March 8 – Jim Dougherty *March 11 –

Gar Finnvold Anders Gar Finnvold (born March 11, 1968 in Boynton Beach, Florida), played baseball first at Palm Beach Community College and then for two years at Florida State University. In his two years at FSU, Finnvold pitched to a 25-7 record with a 2.69 ...

*March 15 –

Kim Batiste Kimothy Emil Batiste (March 15, 1968 – October 7, 2020) was an Americans, American Major League Baseball infielder for the Philadelphia Phillies (1991–1994) and San Francisco Giants (1996), both of the National League. He was drafted in the ...

*March 17 – Pat Gomez *March 17 –

Dan Masteller Dan Patrick Masteller (born March 17, 1968) is an American former Major League Baseball first baseman. He played one season in the majors for the Minnesota Twins in . Originally drafted by the Twins in the 11th round of the 1989 Major League Base ...

*March 19 –

Pete Young Pete or Petes or ''variation'', may refer to: People * Pete (given name) * Pete (nickname) * Pete (surname) Fictional characters * Pete (Disney), a cartoon character in the ''Mickey Mouse'' universe * Pete the Pup (a.k.a. 'Petey'), a character ...

*March 22 – Ramón Martínez *March 26 –

Gerald Alexander Gerald Alexander (born June 28, 1984) is an American football coach and former safety,. He played college football at Boise State, and was selected by the Detroit Lions in the second round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He also played for the Jacksonvil ...

*March 26 –

Shane Reynolds Richard Shane Reynolds (born March 26, 1968) is a former starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played from 1992 through 2004 for the Houston Astros, Atlanta Braves and Arizona Diamondbacks. Listed at 6' 3", 210 lb., Reynolds batted and th ...

*March 26 –

José Vizcaíno José Luis Vizcaíno Pimental (born March 26, 1968) is a Dominican former professional baseball player. He was a backup infielder for most of his Major League Baseball (MLB) career. He, along with Darryl Strawberry and Ricky Ledée, are the on ...

*March 27 –

Tom Quinlan Thomas Raymond Quinlan (born March 27, 1968) is an American former third baseman in Major League Baseball. Quinlan spent parts of four seasons in the major leagues with the Toronto Blue Jays, Philadelphia Phillies and Minnesota Twins. He is t ...

*March 29 –

Juan Bell Juan Bell Mathey (March 29, 1968 – August 24, 2016) was a Dominican professional baseball player, who played Major League Baseball from to , primarily as an infielder. MLB career Early career Bell originally signed with the Los Angeles Dod ...

April

*April 1 –

Masumi Kuwata Masumi Kuwata (桑田真澄 ''Kuwata Masumi'', born 1 April 1968 in Yao, Osaka, Japan) is a former Japanese right-handed pitcher who played the bulk of his career with the Yomiuri Giants of Nippon Professional Baseball. He pitched 21 seasons wi ...

*April 2 – Curt Leskanic *April 3 –

Tomoaki Kanemoto is a Japanese former professional baseball outfielder and manager. In his career as a player he spent 11 years with the Hiroshima Carp before moving to the Hanshin Tigers in 2003, where he spent another 10 years. He holds the world record for c ...

*April 3 –

Mike Lansing Michael Thomas Lansing (born April 3, 1968) is a former Major League Baseball second baseman who played for the Montreal Expos, Colorado Rockies, and the Boston Red Sox between 1993 and 2001. During his playing days, he had the nickname “The L ...

*April 4 –

Jim Dedrick James Michael Dedrick (born April 4, 1968) is an American former professional baseball player. A pitcher, Dedrick played for the Baltimore Orioles of Major League Baseball (MLB) in . Dedrick was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the 33rd round ...

*April 12 –

Cliff Brantley Clifford "Cliff" Brantley (born April 12, 1968) is an American former professional baseball pitcher, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phillies in and . In 34 career big league games, he had a 4–8 record with a 4.2 ...

*April 12 – Dave Staton *April 14 – Jesse Levis *April 15 – Billy Brewer *April 19 –

Brent Mayne Brent Danem Mayne (born April 19, 1968) is an American former professional baseball catcher. He played 15 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1990 to 2004 for the Kansas City Royals, New York Mets, Oakland Athletics, San Francisco Giant ...

*April 22 – Mike Bell *April 23 – Guillermo Velasquez *April 24 –

Todd Jones Todd Barton Jones (born April 24, 1968) is an American former professional baseball relief pitcher. He batted left-handed and threw right-handed. He was an effective middle reliever for several teams and also filled the role of closer, most nota ...

*April 27 – Patrick Lennon

May

*May 2 –

Paul Emmel Paul Lewis Emmel (born May 2, 1968) is an American Major League Baseball (MLB) umpire. He worked in the National League in 1999, and has worked throughout both major leagues since 2000. Emmel was named a crew chief in 2017 and wears uniform numbe ...

*May 3 –

Iván Cruz Luis Iván Cruz (born May 3, 1968) is a former professional baseball first baseman and past coach for the GCL Braves in 2018 Career He played during four seasons at the major league level for the New York Yankees, Pittsburgh Pirates, and St. Lou ...

*May 4 – Eddie Pérez *May 6 – Phil Clark *May 9 –

Glenn Sutko Glenn Edward Sutko (born May 9, 1968) is a former Major League Baseball catcher from Atlanta, Georgia who played for the Cincinnati Reds. His major league career lasted only eleven games spread throughout the 1990 and 1991 seasons. He was drafted ...

*May 11 – Mike Garcia *May 12 – Mark Clark *May 13 –

Braulio Castillo Braulio Castillo Cintrón (March 30, 1933 – February 28, 2015) was a telenovela actor in Latin America. His two sons, Braulio Castillo, Jr. and Jorge Castillo, are also actors. He was born in Bayamón, Puerto Rico. Castillo played in the ''O ...

*May 14 – Mark Dalesandro *May 18 –

Clemente Álvarez Clemente Rafael Álvarez (born May 18, 1968) is a Venezuelan former catcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Philadelphia Phillies in the 2000 MLB season. Listed at 5' 11", 180 lb., he batted and threw right handed. In two games as a ...

*May 19 –

Alan Zinter Alan Michael Zinter (born May 19, 1968) is an American former professional baseball player and hitting coach. He played for Seibu Lions of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) in 1999 and with the Houston Astros and Arizona Diamondbacks of Major ...

*May 21 – Greg O'Halloran *May 21 – Steve Pegues *May 22 –

Al Levine Alan Brian Levine (born May 22, 1968) is an American former Major League Baseball relief pitcher who pitched 234 games in the minor leagues, and 416 games in the major leagues. Early and personal life Levine, who is Jewish, was born in Park Ri ...

*May 24 –

Jerry Dipoto Gerard Peter Dipoto (born May 24, 1968) is an American baseball executive and former professional player. He is currently the President of Baseball Operations for the Seattle Mariners of Major League Baseball and previously worked in front office ...

*May 25 –

Will Pennyfeather William Nathaniel Pennyfeather (born May 25, 1968) is a former professional baseball player. He played parts of three seasons in Major League Baseball as an center fielder for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Professional career Pennyfeather accepted a ...

*May 27 –

Jeff Bagwell Jeffrey Robert Bagwell (born May 27, 1968) is an American former professional baseball first baseman and coach who spent his entire 15-year Major League Baseball (MLB) playing career with the Houston Astros. Originally a Boston Red Sox fourth- ...

*May 27 – Frank Thomas *May 30 –

Mike Oquist Michael Lee Oquist (born May 30, 1968) is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played from -. He played for the Baltimore Orioles, San Diego Padres, and Oakland Athletics of Major League Baseball (MLB). Career Oquist played coll ...

June

*June 8 –

Dave Mlicki David John Mlicki (born June 8, 1968) is a former right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB). Between 1992 and 2002, he played for the Cleveland Indians, New York Mets, Los Angeles Dodgers, Detroit Tigers, and Houston Astros. Career Aft ...

*June 12 –

Scott Aldred Scott Phillip Aldred (born June 12, 1968) is an American former Major League Baseball pitcher and current minor league pitching coach. Early life Aldred was born in Flint, Michigan. He graduated in 1986 from Hill McCloy High School in Montros ...

*June 30 – Dan Peltier

July

*July 3 – Mike Farmer *July 7 – Mike Busch *July 7 –

Chuck Knoblauch Edward Charles Knoblauch (; born July 7, 1968) is an American former professional baseball player. He played 12 seasons in Major League Baseball, from 1991 through 2002, for the Minnesota Twins, New York Yankees, and Kansas City Royals. He play ...

*July 8 – Garland Kiser *July 14 – Derrick May *July 18 –

Rolando Arrojo Luis Rolando Arrojo Avila (born July 18, 1965) is a retired Major League Baseball pitcher who pitched from to . Arrojo made his mark with the teams from Villa Clara in the Cuban National Series, where he still is the all-time leader in hit ba ...

*July 23 –

Bubba Carpenter Charles Sydney "Bubba" Carpenter (born July 23, 1968) is a former Major League Baseball player. He was an outfielder and designated hitter for the Colorado Rockies in the 2000 season. He attended college at the University of Arkansas and is 6 fo ...

*July 24 – Rob Lukachyk *July 26 –

Mike Mohler Michael Ross Mohler (born July 26, 1968) is an Americans, American former professional baseball player. A pitcher, Mohler played for the Oakland Athletics, St. Louis Cardinals, Cleveland Indians, and Arizona Diamondbacks of Major League Baseball ( ...

*July 27 –

Tom Goodwin Thomas Jones Goodwin (born July 27, 1968) is an American professional baseball coach and former player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for 14 seasons, primarily as a center fielder, from 1991 to 2004. As a player, he was listed at and ...

August

*August 1 –

Brian Bohanon Brian Edward Bohanon (born August 1, 1968) is a former pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for five teams in a span of seven seasons from 1990 through 2001. Career Bohanon played baseball at North Shore High School in Texas. As a senior ...

*August 1 –

Shigetoshi Hasegawa is a retired relief pitcher in Major League Baseball, best-selling author and Japanese television personality. He achieved the most recognition when he played for the Seattle Mariners from through . Previously, Hasegawa played with the Anaheim A ...

*August 2 – Frank Cimorelli *August 3 –

Rod Beck Rodney Roy Beck (August 3, 1968 – June 23, 2007), nicknamed "Shooter", was a relief pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the San Francisco Giants (–), Chicago Cubs (–), Boston Red Sox (1999–) and San Diego Padres (–). He batte ...

*August 3 – Kevin Morton *August 4 – Chris Hook *August 5 – John Olerud *August 6 –

Darryl Scott Darryl Nelson Scott (born August 6, 1968) is an American former professional baseball pitcher and current pitching coach for the Colorado Rockies of Major League Baseball (MLB). He played in MLB for the California Angels. High school and colleg ...

*August 9 –

Mike Shildt Michael Timothy Shildt (born August 9, 1968) is an American baseball coach for the San Diego Padres, where he is the team's interim third base coach. After serving as a scout and manager in the St. Louis Cardinals minor league system, he serv ...

*August 12 –

Reggie Harris Reginald Allen Harris (born August 12, 1968) is an American former professional baseball middle relief pitcher, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Oakland Athletics (1990–91), Boston Red Sox (1996), Philadelphia Phillies (1997), ...

*August 12 – Tony Longmire *August 20 – Kevin Rogers *August 21 –

Mike Misuraca Michael William Misuraca (born August 21, 1968) is a retired Major League Baseball pitcher. He played during one season at the major league level for the Milwaukee Brewers. He was signed by the Minnesota Twins as an amateur free agent in 1988. Mis ...

*August 21 –

Tuffy Rhodes Karl Derrick "Tuffy" Rhodes (born August 21, 1968) is a retired American professional baseball player. He played six years in Major League Baseball in the US, and thirteen years in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) in Japan. Rhodes is the all-ti ...

*August 22 – Gary Scott *August 24 –

Tim Salmon Timothy James Salmon (born August 24, 1968), nicknamed "King Fish", is an American former professional baseball player and current sportcaster. He played his entire career in Major League Baseball (MLB) from to with the Anaheim Angels as an o ...

*August 26 – Brian Bark *August 31 –

Pat Howell Patrick Gerrard Howell (born March 12, 1957) is a former American college and professional football player who was an offensive lineman in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons during the late 1970s and 1980s. Howell played col ...

*August 31 –

Hideo Nomo is a Japanese former baseball pitcher who played in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) and Major League Baseball (MLB). He achieved early success in his native country, where he played with the Kintetsu Buffaloes from to . He then exploited a l ...

September

*September 4 –

Mike Piazza Michael Joseph Piazza ( ; born September 4, 1968) is an American former professional baseball catcher who played 16 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), from 1992 to 2007. He currently serves as the manager of the Italian national baseball tea ...

*September 6 –

Pat Meares Patrick James Meares (born September 6, 1968) is a former Major League Baseball shortstop. Meares was the 12th round draft pick of the 1990 amateur draft by the Minnesota Twins, from Wichita State University. Meares made his major league debut ...

*September 7 –

Julio Peguero Julio Cesar Peguero Santana (born September 7, 1968 in San Isidro, Dominican Republic) is a former professional baseball player. He appeared in 14 games for the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball in 1992, all as an outfielder An ...

*September 12 –

Masao Kida is a Japanese former baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball from -, and -. He is currently the manager for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters farm team in Nippon Professional Baseball's Eastern League. Biography Kida was drafted in ...

*September 13 – Erik Bennett *September 13 –

Denny Neagle Dennis Edward Neagle Jr. (; born September 13, 1968) is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played for six teams over a 13-year career. During the 1990s, he was one of the top pitchers in baseball, but his career, and personal life, deterio ...

*September 13 –

Bernie Williams Bernabé Williams Figueroa Jr. (born September 13, 1968) is a Puerto Rican former professional baseball player and a musician. He played his entire 16-year career in Major League Baseball (MLB) with the New York Yankees from 1991 through 2006. ...

*September 14 –

Doug Eddings Douglas Leon Eddings (born September 14, 1968) is an American professional umpire in Major League Baseball. Umpiring style A report in '' The Hardball Times'' listed Eddings as having called the largest strike zone among all Major League umpires ...

*September 15 – Rich Robertson *September 16 – Mark Acre *September 19 – Pedro Muñoz *September 20 –

Donnie Elliott Donald Glenn Elliott (born September 20, 1968) is a former right-handed Major League Baseball relief pitcher who played from 1994 to 1995 for the San Diego Padres. He is and weighed 190 pounds at the time. Philadelphia Phillies Prior to being d ...

*September 23 – Rodney Bolton *September 25 –

Reggie Jefferson Reginald "Reg" Jirod Jefferson (born September 25, 1968) is a former designated hitter who played for from 1991 to 1999 the Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Indians, Seattle Mariners and the Boston Red Sox. Playing career Reggie attended Lincoln High ...

*September 26 –

Brian Shouse Brian Douglas Shouse (born September 26, 1968) is an American former professional baseball relief pitcher and Minor League pitching coach. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Boston Red Sox, Kansas City Royals, Te ...

*September 28 – Keiichi Yabu *September 29 – Derek Parks

October

*October 1 – Jeff Patterson *October 2 – Greg Gibson *October 3 – Jim Byrd *October 5 – Alex Diaz *October 5 –

Ron Kulpa Ronald Clarence Kulpa (born October 5, 1968) is an American umpire in Major League Baseball. He wears uniform number 46. Umpiring career Kulpa's professional umpiring career began in 1992 and he advanced to the Pacific Coast League in 1998. Kulpa ...

*October 6 – Ed Pierce *October 7 –

Milt Cuyler Milton Cuyler, Jr. (born October 7, 1968) is a former major league outfielder drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the second round of the amateur draft. He finished third behind Juan Guzman and winner Chuck Knoblauch for the American League Roo ...

*October 7 –

Butch Henry Floyd Bluford "Butch" Henry III (born October 7, 1968) is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) pitcher who played for five MLB teams from 1992 to 1999. Listed at and , he pitched and batted left-handed. Henry has also been a coach in ...

*October 13 – Julio Valera *October 14 –

Zak Shinall Zakary Sebastien Shinall (born October 14, 1968) is an American former professional baseball relief pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) who played briefly for the Seattle Mariners during their 1993 Seattle Mariners season, 1993 seas ...

*October 15 – Matt Dunbar *October 20 – Rudy Seánez *October 22 – Keith Osik *October 24 –

Ken Ryan Kenneth Frederick Ryan, Jr. (born October 24, 1968), is an American former baseball pitcher. He played eight seasons in Major League Baseball for the Boston Red Sox and Philadelphia Phillies. Professional career After graduating in 1986 from S ...

*October 26 –

Scott Lydy Donald Scott Lydy (born October 26, 1968) is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He played for the Oakland Athletics of the Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the ...

*October 30 –

Greg McCarthy Gregory O'Neil McCarthy (born October 30, 1968) is an American former professional baseball relief pitcher. He played for the Seattle Mariners of Major League Baseball (MLB) from to . Career In , McCarthy pitched for the independent Macon Peach ...

*October 30 – Erik Plantenberg *October 31 –

Eddie Taubensee Edward Kenneth Taubensee (born October 31, 1968) is a former Major League Baseball catcher. Taubensee played for three different ballclubs during his career: the Cleveland Indians (, ), Houston Astros (-), and Cincinnati Reds (-). He made his ...

November

*November 3 –

Paul Quantrill Paul John Quantrill (born November 3, 1968) is a Canadian former professional baseball right-handed relief pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for 14 seasons, from 1992 to 2005; his longest tenure was six seasons with the Toronto B ...

*November 4 –

Carlos Baerga Carlos Obed Ortiz Baerga (; ; born November 4, 1968) is a Puerto Rican former Major League Baseball player. Baerga was known for his superb hitting abilities during his first stint with the Cleveland Indians in the early-to-mid-1990s, accumulatin ...

*November 4 –

Domingo Cedeño Domingo Antonio Cedeño Donastorg (born November 4, 1968) is a People of the Dominican Republic, Dominican former professional baseball infielder, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) in parts of seven seasons from to for the Toronto Blue ...

*November 4 –

Osvaldo Fernández Osvaldo Fernández Rodríguez (born November 4, 1968) is a former Cuban professional baseball player who pitched in the Major Leagues from - and -. He was a member of the Cuban baseball team, which won a gold medal at the 1992 Summer Olympics i ...

*November 6 –

Chad Curtis Chad David Curtis (born November 6, 1968) is an American former professional baseball outfielder and convicted sex offender. Curtis played major league baseball from 1992 to 2001 for the California Angels, Detroit Tigers, Los Angeles Dodgers, Cle ...

*November 7 –

Russ Springer Russell Paul Springer (born November 7, 1968) is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher. Springer made his major league debut on April 17, , with the New York Yankees. He also pitched for the California Angels, Philadelphia Phillies, Ariz ...

*November 8 –

José Offerman José Antonio Offerman Dono (born November 8, 1968) is a Dominican retired professional baseball player who played professional baseball for nearly 20 years. He played for 15 seasons in Major League Baseball and played four seasons of Independent ...

*November 9 – Andy Carter *November 12 –

Randy Knorr Randy Duane Knorr (born November 12, 1968) is an American professional baseball player, coach, and manager. He is currently the catching coordinator for the Washington Nationals. Knorr is a former catcher in Major League Baseball who played for th ...

*November 12 – Sammy Sosa *November 13 –

Pat Hentgen Patrick George Hentgen (born November 13, 1968) is an American former professional baseball pitcher, and currently a special assistant with the Toronto Blue Jays organization. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Blue Jays, St. Louis C ...

*November 13 – Mark Kiefer *November 14 –

Kent Bottenfield Kent Dennis Bottenfield (born November 14, 1968) is an American former professional baseball pitcher, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Montreal Expos, Colorado Rockies, San Francisco Giants, Chicago Cubs, St. Louis Cardinals, Ana ...

*November 16 –

Chris Haney Christopher Deane Haney (born November 19, 1968) is an American former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. He pitched from 1991–2000 and in 2002 for the Montreal Expos, Kansas City Royals, Chicago Cubs, Cleveland Indians, and Boston Re ...

*November 18 –

Clay Bellinger Clayton Daniel Bellinger (born November 18, 1968) is a former Major League Baseball player. He played in MLB for the New York Yankees and the Anaheim Angels, winning the World Series twice as a member of the Yankees. His son, Cody, was the 2019 ...

*November 18 –

Gary Sheffield Gary Antonian Sheffield (born November 18, 1968) is an American former professional baseball outfielder who played in Major League Baseball for eight teams from 1988 to 2009. He is a sports agent. For most of his career, Sheffield played right ...

*November 18 – Phil Stidham *November 18 –

Darrell Whitmore Darrell Lamont Whitmore (born November 18, 1968) is an American former professional baseball player for the Cleveland Indians and Florida Marlins of Major League Baseball (MLB) and was a college football and baseball player for the West Virgini ...

*November 19 –

Luis Raven Luis Alberto Raven Enríquez (born November 19, 1968) is a former Venezuelan professional baseball outfielder. Listed at 6'0" (), 185 lb. (), Raven batted and threw right handed. He was born in La Guaira, Vargas. Raven (rah'-vehn) was a power ...

*November 20 – Chuck Ricci *November 20 –

Steve Schrenk Steven Wayne Schrenk (born November 20, 1968) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played two seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phillies. Career He was drafted by the Chicago White Sox in the 4th roun ...

*November 24 – Dave Hansen *November 24 – Steve Mintz *November 25 – John Johnstone *November 25 –

Shingo Takatsu Shingo Takatsu (高津臣吾, ''Takatsu Shingo'') (born November 25, 1968) is a Japanese professional baseball pitcher and manager. He had a short stint with the Chicago White Sox where he was the closer for two seasons until struggles closing ...

*November 26 – Héctor Wagner *November 28 –

Pedro Astacio Pedro Julio Astacio (born November 28, 1968) is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He has played for the Los Angeles Dodgers (1992–1997), Colorado Rockies (1997–2001), Houston Astros (2001), New York Mets (2002–2003), Boston Red Sox (20 ...

*November 28 –

Terry Burrows Terence Ashley Burrows is an English author, multi-instrumental musician and producer based in London. Best known as a cult performer under the alias Yukio Yung, Burrows is also a prolific author of books relating to music history, theory, and tu ...

*November 28 –

Scott Sheldon Scott Patrick Sheldon (born November 20, 1968) is an American former professional baseball third baseman/shortstop and right-handed batter who played for the Oakland Athletics and Texas Rangers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He also played for ...

*November 29 –

Allen Battle Allen Zelmo Battle (born November 29, 1968) is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis Cardinals and Oakland Athletics. He was drafted by the Cardinals in the 10th round of t ...

*November 29 – Pedro Martínez (left-handed pitcher), Pedro Martínez *November 30 – Heath Haynes

December

*December 2 – Darryl Kile *December 8 – Mike Mussina *December 11 – Derek Bell (baseball), Derek Bell *December 17 – Curtis Pride *December 22 – David Nied *December 22 – Jim Reynolds *December 23 – Rick White (baseball), Rick White *December 24 – Kirt Ojala *December 25 – Scott Bullett *December 27 – Dean Palmer *December 29 – James Mouton

Deaths

January

*January 2 – Tommy Warren, 50, left-handed pitcher and pinch hitter who appeared in 41 total games (22 on the mound) for the wartime 1944 Brooklyn Dodgers. *January 3 – Rich Gee, 73, catcher in the Negro leagues between 1923 and 1929, mainly as a member of the New York Lincoln Giants of the Eastern Colored League. *January 9 – Ed Strelecki, 62, pitcher in 42 games for the 1928–1929 St. Louis Browns and 1931 Cincinnati Reds. *January 11 – George Hunter (baseball), George Hunter, 80, outfielder and left-handed pitcher who appeared in 45 games for the 1909 Brooklyn Superbas. *January 13 – Ernie Herbert, 80, pitcher in six games for the 1913 Cincinnati Reds and 29 games for the 1914–1915 St. Louis Terriers of the Federal League, then considered an "outlaw" circuit but now classified as a major league. *January 13 – Marty Lang, 62, left-handed pitcher who had a two-game "cup of coffee" with 1930 Pittsburgh Pirates. *January 14 – Bill Black (second baseman), Bill Black, 68, pinch hitter and second baseman in five games for the 1924 Chicago White Sox. *January 16 – Liz Funk, Elias "Liz" Funk, 63, outfielder and pinch hitter in 123 career games for the 1929 New York Yankees, 1930 Detroit Tigers and 1932–1933 Chicago White Sox. *January 23 – Patsy Flaherty, 91, left-handed spitball pitcher between 1899 and 1913 with Louisville, Pittsburgh, Boston and Philadelphia of the National League (NL) and Chicago of the American League (AL); led AL in games lost (25) in 1903, then posted a 19–9 mark for the NL Pirates the following season. *January 26 – John Kobs, 69, head baseball coach of Michigan State University from 1925 through 1963; his Spartans teams won 576 games during his tenure. *January 26 – Eddie Phillips (catcher), Eddie Phillips, 66, catcher in 312 games for the Boston Braves, Detroit Tigers, Pittsburgh Pirates, New York Yankees, Washington Senators and Cleveland Indians between 1924 and 1935; member of 1932 World Series champion Yankees.

February

*February 3 – Jake Pitler, 73, Brooklyn Dodger coach (1947 to 1957) who in 11 seasons was part of six National League pennant-winners and 1955 World Series champions; former minor league manager; in his playing days, second baseman who appeared in 111 games for the 1917–1918 Pirates. *February 6 – Leroy Matlock, 60, southpaw hurler and three-time All-Star who twice led the Negro National League in winning percentage (1931, 1935) and once in games won (1936), playing primarily for the Pittsburgh Crawfords and St. Louis Stars; also appeared as an outfielder and first baseman. *February 7 – Ollie Marquardt, 65, second baseman in 17 games for the 1931 Boston Red Sox; later a successful minor league manager. *February 9 – Lou Bruce, 91, Native American of the Mohawk people who appeared in 30 games for the 1904 Philadelphia Athletics. *February 11 – Dorothea Downs, 50, All-American Girls Professional Baseball League player. *February 12 – Johnny Siegle, 93, outfielder for the Cincinnati Reds who played 39 games in 1905 and 1906. *February 14 – Bill Lelivelt, 83, Dutch-born pitcher who appeared in five total games for the Detroit Tigers of 1909 and 1910. *February 18 – Ben Egan, 84, backup catcher for Philadelphia (1908 and 1912) and Cleveland (1914–1915) of the American League who played in 122 career games. *February 23 – Hank Schreiber, 76, infielder who played a total of 36 games over five abbreviated trials with five teams: the 1914 White Sox, 1917 Braves, 1919 Reds, 1921 Giants and 1926 Cubs. *February 28 – Lena Blackburne, 81, weak-hitting infielder who played 228 games with five MLB clubs between 1910 and 1928; manager of the Chicago White Sox from July 6, 1928 through 1929; coach for 17 years with three teams, notably the Philadelphia Athletics; scout and minor league manager; originated the practice of rubbing special Delaware River mud on new baseballs to remove their slippery finish; in 1938, he formed a company that as of 2020 still supplied the major and minor leagues with this product.

March

*March 4 – Duke Reilley, 83, outfielder for the 1909 Cleveland Naps who played in 20 games. *March 7 – LeRoy Taylor, 65, outfielder who played in the Negro leagues and for barnstorming black teams from 1925 to 1936 for six clubs, most prominently the Kansas City Monarchs. *March 18 – Heinie Meine, 71, nicknamed "The Count of Luxemburg", pitcher who played all but one of his 165 MLB games for the 1929–1934 Pittsburgh Pirates; tied for the National League lead in games won (19) in 1931. *March 20 – Clyde Shoun, Clyde "Hardrock" Shoun, 56, left-handed hurler in 454 games for the Chicago Cubs, St. Louis Cardinals, Cincinnati Reds, Boston Braves and Chicago White Sox between 1935–1944 and 1946–1949; on May 15, 1944, as a Red, he authored a no-hit, no-run game against the Braves. *March 24 – Ovid Nicholson, 79, outfielder who went 5-for-11 (.455) in his six-game cup of coffee with the 1912 Pittsburgh Pirates. *March 29 – Buddy Napier, 78, pitcher in 39 total games for the 1912 St. Louis Browns, 1918 Chicago Cubs and 1920–1921 Cincinnati Reds. *March 30 – Bernie Hungling, 72, catcher for the Brooklyn Robins (1922–1923) and St. Louis Browns (1930) who appeared in 51 games. *March 31 – Grover Lowdermilk, 83, pitcher who appeared in 122 games for six clubs between 1908 and 1920, chiefly the St. Louis Browns and Chicago White Sox.

April

*April 12 – Frank Sigafoos, 64, infielder who played 55 career games for the 1926 Philadelphia Athletics, 1929 Detroit Tigers, 1929 Chicago White Sox and 1931 Cincinnati Reds. *April 14 – Al Benton, 57, pitcher who won 98 games for four American League teams over 14 seasons between 1934 and 1952, principally for the Tigers; only pitcher to face Babe Ruth (1934) and Mickey Mantle (1952). *April 17 – Bill Engeln, 69, National League umpire from 1952 to 1956. *April 19 – Tommy Bridges, 61, six-time All-Star pitcher who won 194 games for the Detroit Tigers (1930–1943 and 1945–1946), including three 20-win seasons; posted a 4–1 World Series record and won rings in 1935 and 1945. *April 22 – Melvin Coleman, 57, shortstop/catcher for the 1937 Birmingham Black Barons and 1944 Atlanta Black Crackers. *April 29 – Terris McDuffie, 59, Negro league pitcher in a long career that spanned from 1930 through 1954, playing for several teams in different leagues across the United States, Canada and Latin America.

May

*May 3 – Ray Gardner (baseball), Ray Gardner, 66, shortstop who played 115 games for the Cleveland Indians in 1931–1932. *May 15 – Bill Drescher, 46, catcher who appeared in 46 games for the New York Yankees from 1944 to 1946. *May 16 – Bill Brandt (baseball), Bill Brandt, 53, pitcher who worked in 34 career games for the 1941–1943 Pittsburgh Pirates. *May 23 – Hubert Lockhart, 69, southpaw who pitched for the 1923–1928 Atlantic City Bacharach Giants of the Eastern Colored League and 1929 Chicago American Giants of the Negro National League; led ECL in winning percentage (.778) in 1923. *May 26 – Chippy Gaw, 76, pitcher in six games for the 1920 Chicago Cubs. *May 26 – Doc Ayers, 77, spitball pitcher who worked in 299 games for the Washington Senators and Detroit Tigers between 1913 and 1921. *May 27 – Herman Bronkie, 83, third baseman and second baseman who played in only 122 games over seven seasons spread over 13 years for four teams, most notably for the 1919 and 1922 St. Louis Browns. *May 27 – Rip Collins (pitcher), Rip Collins, 72, four-sport star at Texas A&M University and pitcher in the American League from 1920 to 1931; won 108 career games for the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Detroit Tigers and St. Louis Browns; member of the 1921 AL champion Yankees. *May 27 – Charlie Jackson (baseball), Charlie Jackson, 74, outfielder in one game for 1915 Chicago White Sox and 41 contests for 1917 Pittsburgh Pirates.

June

*June 10 – Curly Brown, 79, left-handed pitcher who made 28 total appearances for the 1911–1913 St. Louis Browns and 1915 Cincinnati Reds. *June 11 – Dan Boone (baseball), Dan Boone, 73, pitcher for the Philadelphia Athletics, Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Indians who appeared in 42 games from 1920 through 1923. *June 11 – Bill Regan (baseball), Bill Regan, 69, second baseman for the Boston Red Sox (1926–1930) and Pittsburgh Pirates (1931), who became the first player in Red Sox history to hit two home runs in the same inning (1928), a mark only matched by one man, Ellis Burks, 62 years later. *June 15 – Sam Crawford, 88, Hall of Fame right fielder for the Cincinnati Reds (1899–1902) and Detroit Tigers (1903–1917), a lifetime .309 hitter who hit a record 312 triples, led both leagues in home runs, and retired with the fifth-most RBI in history and 2,961 career hits. *June 25 – Grant Bowler (baseball), Grant Bowler, 60, pitcher who worked in 17 contests for the Chicago White Sox in 1931 and 1932. *June 25 – Dan Dugan (baseball), Dan Dugan, 61, left-handed pitcher who worked in 20 games for the White Sox in 1928 and 1929. *June 29 – Paddy Driscoll, 73, second baseman who batted only .107 in 13 games for the 1917 Chicago Cubs, but became well-known as a player and coach in the National Football League for over forty years.

July

*July 1 – Dave Barbee, 63, outfielder who appeared in 116 career games for the 1926 Philadelphia Athletics and 1932 Pittsburgh Pirates. *July 3 – Pat Simmons (baseball), Pat Simmons, 59, pitcher who played from 1928 to 1929 for the Boston Red Sox. *July 4 – John Quinn (umpire), John Quinn, 70, American League umpire from 1935 to 1942. *July 8 – Dusty Boggess, 64, National League umpire for 18 seasons (1944–1948 and 1950–1962) who worked in four World Series. *July 9 – Hap Collard, 69, pitcher in 35 career games for the 1927–1928 Cleveland Indians and 1930 Philadelphia Phillies. *July 12 – Kettle Wirts, 70, catcher who appeared 49 games over four seasons (1921 to 1924) for the Chicago Cubs and the crosstown White Sox. *July 15 – Eddie Kearse, 52, catcher who played in 11 games for 1942 New York Yankees. *July 17 – Ken Sears (baseball), Ken Sears, 51, catcher who appeared in 60 games for 1943 Yankees and seven more for 1946 St. Louis Browns; son of NL umpire Ziggy Sears. *July 27 – Babe Adams, 86, pitcher who won 194 games for the Pittsburgh Pirates; the only member of their championship teams in both 1909 and 1925, he won three games in the 1909 World Series. *July 27 – Jack Redmond, 57, catcher with 1936 Washington Senators who played in 22 games. *July 27 – Howie Storie, 57, backup catcher who appeared in a dozen games with the Boston Red Sox in 1931 and 1932. *July 27 – Dave Thomas (baseball), Dave Thomas, 63, brilliant defensive first baseman who played in the Negro leagues between 1929 and 1946, most prominently for the New York Cubans and Birmingham Black Barons. *July 29 – Bill Hart (infielder), Bill Hart, 55, third baseman and shortstop who appeared in 95 games for the Brooklyn Dodgers during the wartime seasons of 1943 to 1945.

August

*August 3 – John Jenkins (baseball), John Jenkins, 72, infielder and pinch hitter in five contests for 1922 Chicago White Sox. *August 10 – Charlie Boardman, 75, pitcher in a total of seven games over three seasons (1913 to 1915) for the Philadelphia Athletics and St. Louis Browns. *August 13 – Lefty Guise, 59, knuckleball-throwing pitcher who appeared in two September games for pennant-bound 1940 Cincinnati Reds. *August 17 – Forrest More, 86, pitcher who went 2–10 (4.74 ERA) in 25 games for St. Louis and Boston of the National League in 1909. *August 22 – Heinie Groh, 78, third baseman who played in 1,676 games for the New York Giants, Cincinnati Reds and Pittsburgh Pirates between 1912 and 1927; led the National League in hits, runs and walks once each and in doubles twice, widely known for his "bottle bat". *August 23 – Dutch Henry, 66, left-handed pitcher who appeared in 164 career games between 1921 and 1930 for the St. Louis Browns, Brooklyn Robins, New York Giants and Chicago White Sox. *August 24 – Dolly Stark (umpire), Dolly Stark, 70, NL umpire for 12 seasons (1928–1935 and 1937–1940) who worked in two World Series, and later became a broadcaster. *August 26 – John Kroner, 59, infielder who played 223 total games for the 1935–1936 Boston Red Sox and 1937–1938 Cleveland Indians *August 29 – Paul Howard (baseball), Paul Howard, 84, outfielder who played in six games for the 1909 Boston Red Sox. *August 31 – Jay Kirke, 80, legendary minor-league hitter who batted .301 in 320 major-league games with the Detroit Tigers (1910), Boston Rustlers and Braves (1911–1913), Cleveland Naps and Indians (1914–1915), and New York Giants (1918).

September

*September 2 – Nish Williams, 64, catcher/outfielder who had a ten-year career (1930–1939) in the Negro leagues; stepfather of Donn Clendenon. *September 3 – Tony DeFate, 68, infielder for both the St. Louis Cardinals (14 games) and Detroit Tigers (three games) in 1917. *September 4 – Ernie Orsatti, 65, outfielder in 701 career games, all with the Cardinals (1927–1935); batted .306 lifetime; regular center fielder for the 1934 "Gashouse Gang"; appeared in four World Series (1928, 1930, 1931 and 1934), winning rings in 1931 and 1934. *September 12 – Don Rudolph, 37, left-handed pitcher who appeared in 124 games for the Chicago White Sox (1957–1959), Cincinnati Reds (1959), Cleveland Indians (1962) and Washington Senators (1962–1964). *September 14 – Hans Lobert, 86, third baseman for five National League clubs from 1903 to 1917; later a coach (1934–1941 and 1943–1944), manager (of the 1942 Philadelphia Phillies), and scout (1945–1967). *September 18 – Bill Kalfass, 52, left-handed hurler who made three appearances for 1937 Philadelphia Athletics. *September 18 – Rip Wheeler, 70, pitched in 34 games for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Chicago Cubs from 1921 to 1924. *September 25 – Ken Holloway, 71, pitcher who worked in 285 games for the Detroit Tigers, Cleveland Indians and New York Yankees between 1922 and 1930. *September 26 – Bud Clancy, 68, first baseman who played in 522 contests over nine seasons between 1924 and 1934 for the Chicago White Sox, Brooklyn Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies.

October

*October 5 – Hal Bevan, 37, third baseman and pinch hitter in 15 career games for the Boston Red Sox (1952), Philadelphia (1952) and Kansas City Athletics (1955), and Cincinnati Reds (1961); despite his brief tenure with 1961 Reds, featured in relief pitcher Jim Brosnan's classic memoir, ''Pennant Race''. *October 14 – Lynn Brenton, 79, pitcher who appeared in 34 total games for both of Ohio's MLB teams: Cleveland (1913, 1915) and Cincinnati (1920–1921). *October 16 – Ellis Kinder, 54, pitcher who fashioned a 102–71 record in 484 appearances for the St. Louis Browns (1946–1947), Boston Red Sox (1948–1955), St. Louis Cardinals (1956) and Chicago White Sox (1956–1957); excelled as both a starter (won 23 games in 1949) and reliever (led American League in saves in 1951 and 1953). *October 20 – Turner Barber, 75, outfielder who played in 491 games for the Washington Senators, Chicago Cubs and Brooklyn Robins between 1915 and 1923. *October 21 – Jack Killilay, 81, pitcher in 14 games for the 1911 Boston Red Sox. *October 23 – Jack Bliss, 86, catcher for St. Louis Cardinals who appeared in 251 games between 1908 and 1912. *October 23 – Mike Kelly (baseball, born 1896), Mike Kelly, 72, minor-league catcher, first baseman and manager who spent seven years as a major-league coach for the Chicago White Sox (1930–1931), Chicago Cubs (1934), Boston Bees (1938–1939) and Pittsburgh Pirates (1940–1941). *October 28 – Bullet Campbell, 72, pitcher for the Hilldale Club of the Eastern Colored League (1924–1927) and New York Lincoln Giants of the ECL (1928) and American Negro League (1929). *October 31 – Ralph Glaze, 87, pitcher in 61 games for the Boston Americans between 1906 and 1908; later a head football coach at several prominent U.S. colleges. *October 31 – Hub Perdue, 86, pitcher who appeared in 161 career games between 1911 and 1915 for Boston and St. Louis of the National League.

November

*November 3 – Vern Stephens, 48, eight-time All-Star shortstop for the St. Louis Browns (1941–1947 and 1953), Boston Red Sox (1948–1952), Chicago White Sox (1953 and 1955) and Baltimore Orioles (1954–1955) who led or co-led the American League in RBI three times (1944, 1949 and 1950) and led the AL in home runs once (1945). *November 5 – Wally Mattick, 81, center fielder in 169 career games for the Chicago White Sox from 1912 to 1913, and briefly with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1918; father of Bobby Mattick. *November 6 – Earl Gurley, outfielder, first baseman and southpaw pitcher for seven clubs in the Negro leagues, chiefly the Memphis Red Sox, between 1922 and 1932. *November 14 – Bill Sherdel, "Wee Willie" Sherdel, 72, left-handed pitcher who won 165 games (losing 146) for the St. Louis Cardinals (1918–1930 and 1932) and Boston Braves (1931–1932); member of 1926 world champions. *November 17 – Earl Hamilton, 77, pitcher who appeared in 410 games in MLB between 1911 and 1924, mostly with the St. Louis Browns and Pittsburgh Pirates; later a minor league team owner. *November 20 – George Maisel, 76, outfielder for the 1913 St. Louis Browns, 1916 Detroit Tigers and 1921–1922 Chicago Cubs; brother of Fritz Maisel. *November 20 – Fresco Thompson, 66, second baseman and front-office executive; played 669 games between 1925 and 1934 for Pittsburgh, New York, Philadelphia and Brooklyn of the National League, then became a minor league manager; in 1946, began a 23-year executive career with the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers as assistant farm system director until his promotion to vice president and farm director in 1950; after almost 18 years in that job, he served as Dodgers' executive vp and general manager from June 4, 1968 until his death. *November 24 – Dearie Mulvey, 70, co-owner of the Dodgers from 1938 to 1950 and, with her James Mulvey, husband, retained a 25 percent share in the team from 1950 until her death; daughter of Stephen McKeever. *November 27 – Ed Fernandes, 50, catcher who appeared in 42 MLB games for 1940 Pittsburgh Pirates and 1946 Chicago White Sox.

December

*December 4 – Emil Yde, 68, pitcher in 141 games for the Pittsburgh Pirates (1924–1927) and Detroit Tigers (1929); led National League in winning percentage (16–3, .842) and shutouts (four) as a rookie in 1924; member of 1925 World Series champions. *December 6 – Fats Jenkins, 70, outfielder who played in Negro leagues and for barnstorming teams between 1920 and 1940; two-time All-Star who, despite nickname, weighed ; also played professional basketball. *December 8 – Benn Karr, 75, pitcher for the Boston Red Sox (1920–1922) and Cleveland Indians (1925–1927) who appeared in 177 career games. *December 12 – Ty Tyson, 80, broadcaster and legendary early play-by-play voice of the Detroit Tigers, calling games on radio (1927–1942 and 1951–1953) and television (1947–1950). *December 15 – Jim McLaughlin (third baseman), Jim McLaughlin, 66, third baseman who went hitless in his lone MLB at bat for the St. Louis Browns on April 18, 1932. *December 17 – Hank Severeid, 77, catcher for the Cincinnati Reds, St. Louis Browns, Washington Senators and New York Yankees between 1911 and 1926, hitting .289 in 1,390 games. *December 22 – Benny Bengough, 70, catcher who played 411 games for the New York Yankees (1923–1930) and St. Louis Browns (1931–1932) and member of three World Series champions (1923, 1927 and 1928); later spent 20 years as a coach in the majors, 14 of them for the Philadelphia Phillies. *December 22 – Ike Powers, 62, pitcher who appeared in 20 games for the 1927–1928 Philadelphia Athletics. *December 24 – Johnnie Heving, 72, catcher for the St. Louis Browns, Boston Red Sox and Philadelphia Athletics between 1920 and 1932 who appeared in 399 career contests. *December 25 – Roosevelt Tate, 57, outfielder who played in the Negro Southern League (1932) and Negro American League (1937) in 41 games for five teams. *December 28 – Rosey Davis (baseball), Roosevelt Davis, 64, pitcher for over a dozen teams in four different Negro leagues between 1924 and 1945; led Negro National League in games won (16) in 1925 and winning percentage (8–0, 1.000) in 1928, and the Negro American League in earned run average (1.65) in 1945. *December 30 – Dick Marlowe, 39, pitcher who worked in 98 games between 1951 and 1956, all but one of them as a member of the Detroit Tigers.

References

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