A thirty-two-day lockout begins as Major League Baseball owners refuse to open spring training camp without reaching a new Basic Agreement with the players. The regular season is delayed one week due to the lockout.
After spending the previous seasons with the California Angels and Kansas City Royals, Bill Buckner returns to the Boston Red Sox as a free agent. A combination of injuries and fans that wouldn't forgive him for his error that ultimately cost the Red Sox the 1986 World Series send Buckner into retirement mid way through the season.
February 17 – The New York Yankees sign free agent pitcher Mariano Rivera.
March 16 – MLB commissioner Fay Vincent announces a new four-year agreement between 1990 and 1993 (CBA-7). The agreement may be reopened by either the players association or teams owners after three years, as well as the minimum salary is raised to $100,000 from $68,000. Besides, the pension/benefit plan contribution by the owners increases to an average of $55 million over the four years while the salary arbitration eligibility stays at three years, but the top 17% of two-year players by service time are also now eligible as free agents. Better known as Super Two, this eligibility represents about 15 players per year.
March 26 – Hoping to duplicate the success the New York Yankees had with Deion Sanders, the New York Mets sign Minnesota Vikings running back D.J. Dozier, who was also looking to become a two sport star. The Dozier experiment fails as he only plays 25 games at the major league level.
April 9 – Glenn Davis of the Houston Astros reaches base three times after he's hit by a pitch. Davis is plucked by Reds pitchers Randy Myers, Rob Dibble, and Norm Charlton. And interaction with a Houston sports writer after the game Myers replies "We're Nasty Guys", was led to the Reds trio of relievers being called "The Nasty Boys".
April 10 – U.S. President George H. W. Bush throws out the first pitch at a game in Toronto, making him the first U.S. President to toss the first pitch in a foreign country.
April 11 – At Anaheim Stadium, California Angels pitchers Mark Langston (seven innings) and Mike Witt (two innings) combine to no-hit the Seattle Mariners, 1–0, for the first combined no-hitter in the major leagues since 1976. It is Langston's first start for the Angels since signing as a free agent in the off-season. Angels first baseman Wally Joyner makes an error in the fifth inning when he overthrows Langston on Pete O'Brien's grounder. O'Brien tries for second base‚ not realizing that catcher Lance Parrish backs up the play, and he is out.
For the first time in MLB history, two Cy Young Award winners contribute to the victory. Bret Saberhagen, gets the win, while the reigning CY Young Award winner, relief pitcher Mark Davis, picks up the save in the Royals win over the Toronto Blue Jays.
April 20:
Pete Rose pleads guilty to two charges of filing false income tax returns not showing income he receives from selling autographs, memorabilia, and from horse racing winnings.
April 23 – During an in-season exhibition game against the cross-town rival Chicago Cubs, Steve Lyons of the Chicago White Sox plays all nine positions during the game. However, because it is an exhibition, Lyons is not officially credited with the feat.
April 26 – Nolan Ryan pitches a one-hitter and sets a Texas Rangers record with 16 strikeouts in a 1–0 win over the Chicago White Sox. It is also the 12th career one-hitter for Ryan, which ties him with Major League Baseball leader Bob Feller, as well as his 200th career game with at least 10 strikeouts. Ron Kittle of the White Sox had the only hit for Chicago, a single.
April 27 – The Milwaukee Brewers release first baseman Terry Francona.
April 29 – Opting to not be placed on the disabled list, Dan Quisenberry announces his retirement. He only appeared in five games for the Giants.
April 30 – In a game between the New York Mets and Atlanta Braves, Braves hitter Mark Lemke hits a ball that is fielded by Mets infielder Gregg Jeffries, who then tosses the ball to Mets pitcher David Cone. Lemke is ruled safe by first base umpire Charlie Williams. Cone mas a meltdown on the field, and begins to argue with Williams, thus allowing two Braves runners to score in the process.
May 22 – Andre Dawson of the Chicago Cubs is intentionally walked by Cincinnati Reds' pitching five times, becoming the first player to do so in Major League Baseball history.
May 26 – The Philadelphia Phillies retire eventual Baseball Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt's number 20.
May 29 – Oakland Athletics outfielder Rickey Henderson steals third base in the sixth inning of a game versus the Toronto Blue Jays. The steal allows Henderson to pass Ty Cobb for most bases stolen in American League history.
June 6 – The highest-profile managerial firing of 1990 season happens when the New York Yankees fire Bucky Dent before a game against their rivals at Fenway Park, where he hit his famous three-run home run in a one-game playoff game in 1978, making Fenway Park the scene of his greatest moment as a player and worst moment as manager.
July 1 – While no longer recognized as such, the New York Yankees' Andy Hawkins pitches a no-hitter at old Comiskey Park. However, walks and errors lead to four unearned runs as the Chicago White Sox win 4-0. Hawkins pitches for the visiting team, and pitches only 8 innings since there is no bottom of the 9th.
July 17 – The Minnesota Twins turn two triple plays in a single game – the first time that's been accomplished in the major leagues – against the Boston Red Sox, yet still lose the game 1–0 on an unearned run. The following night, the two clubs tie a major league record by turning a combined ten double plays in their game, another Boston victory. Boston ties an American League record by grounding into six double plays in the nine-inning game.
July 19 – Pete Rose is sentenced to five months in the medium security Prison Camp at the United States Penitentiary in Marion, Illinois and fined $50,000 following his April 20 guilty plea to two charges of filing false income tax returns not showing income he receives from selling autographs, memorabilia, and from horse racing winnings.[5]
July 28 – The Cleveland Indians retire longtime coach and former player Mel Harder's number 18.
August 21 – At Dodger Stadium, the Philadelphia Phillies overcome a 10-run deficit to defeat the Los Angeles Dodgers 12-11. After the Dodgers score eight runs in the fifth inning to take an 11-1 lead, the Phillies score twice in the eighth, then five more runs in the ninth before John Kruk ties the game with a three-run home run; a double by Carmelo Martínez scores Rod Booker to complete the comeback.
August 27 – At Cleveland Stadium, Boston Red Sox outfielder Ellis Burks hit two home runs in an eight-run 4th inning of a 12–4 victory over the Indians. It is only the second time a Red Sox hitter homers twice in an inning. Bill Regan is the first, on June 16, 1928.
September 19 – At Wrigley Field, Barry Bonds of the Pittsburgh Pirates becomes a first-time member of the 30–30 club. Batting in the fifth inning of the Pirates' 8-7 victory over the Chicago Cubs, Bonds, who had stolen his 49th base earlier in the game, hits his 30th home run off Cub pitcher Bill Long. Bonds will go on to tie his father Bobby for most 30 home run/30 stolen base seasons with five.
September 22 – Andre Dawson of the Chicago Cubs steals his 300th base in an 11–5 loss to the New York Mets, becoming only the second player in major league history with 300 home runs, 300 steals and 2,000 hits; Willie Mays is the first, though they are later joined by Barry Bonds.
In St. Louis, Pirates pitcher Doug Drabek threw only 80 pitches as he gave up only 3 hits and retiring the final 13 batters as the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the St. Louis Cardinals 2-0 to clinch their first National League East title since their famed 1979 world championship team.
George Brett became the first player to win a batting title in three straight decades. Brett went 1-for-1 in a 5-2 Kansas City loss to Cleveland. Brett also won the AL batting titles in 1976 and 1980.
Willie McGee became the first player to win a batting title in a league he didn't finish. He was in Oakland when he won the title when Dave Magadan of the New York Mets failed to catch him on the season's final day.
October 10 – The Oakland Athletics beat the Boston Red Sox 3–1 in Game 4 of the ALCS to sweep the series and win their 3rd consecutive American League pennant. Dave Stewart is named Series MVP. Red Sox pitcher Roger Clemens is ejected in the 2nd inning by plate umpire Terry Cooney for arguing balls and strikes, and infielder Marty Barrett is ejected for throwing objects onto the field.
October 20 – The talk of an Oakland Athletics dynasty is proven premature, as the Cincinnati Reds beat Oakland 2–1 to complete one of the most stunning sweeps in World Series history. Series MVP José Rijo (2–0, 0.59 ERA) retires 20 batters in a row, Randy Myers getting the last two outs to give the Reds their first World Championship since 1976. Not joining the celebration at the end is Eric Davis, who ruptures his kidney diving for a ball during the game and is taken to the hospital. It takes Davis several years to fully recover.
December 6 – At Herman Darvick Autograph Auctions in New York City, Shoeless Joe Jackson's signature is sold for $23,100, the most money ever paid for a 19th- or 20th-century signature. Jackson, who did not read or write, copied the signature from one written out by his wife. The signature, which is resold within hours, is cut from a legal document.
January 1 – Carmen Hill, 94, pitcher for three National League teams from 1915 through 1930, who won 22 games in 1927 for the league-champion Pittsburgh Pirates.
January 2 – Bill Beckmann, 82, pitcher who posted a 21–25 record with a 4.79 ERA in 90 games for the Philadelphia Athletics and St. Louis Cardinals from 1939 through 1942.
January 4 – Bobby Balcena, 64, outfielder for the Cincinnati Reds, who during the 1956 season became the first player of Filipino ancestry to appear in a major league game.
January 4 – Bonnie Hollingsworth, 94, pitcher who posted a 4–9 record with a 4.91 ERA in 36 games for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Washington Senators, Brooklyn Robins and Boston Braves from 1922 to 1928.
January 6 – Walter Anderson, 92, relief pitcher for the Philadelphia Athletics during the 1917 and 1919 seasons.
January 7 – Horace Stoneham, 86, owner of the Giants from 1936 to 1976 who moved the team from New York City to San Francisco for the 1958 season; the team won five NL pennants and the 1954 World Series during his tenure.
January 7 – Shag Thompson, 92, backup outfielder who hit .203 in 48 games for the Philadelphia Athletics from 1914 to 1916.
January 8 – Fred McDaniel, 76, outfielder for the Negro American League's Kansas City Monarchs (1940) and Memphis Red Sox (1942–1946).
January 9 – Spud Chandler, 82, All-Star pitcher for the New York Yankees who was the AL's MVP after a 20–4 season in 1943; owned career .717 winning percentage.
January 13 – Roy Jarvis, 63, catcher who played in 21 games for the Brooklyn Dodgers and Pittsburgh Pirates between 1944 and 1947.
January 16 – Earl Naylor, 70, backup outfielder for the Philadelphia Phillies (1942–1943) and Brooklyn Dodgers (1946).
January 23 – Clarence Bruce, 65, second baseman for the 1947–1948 Homestead Grays of the Negro National League.
February 3 – Erv Kantlehner, 97, pitcher who posted a 13–29 record with a 2.84 in 87 games for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Philadelphia Phillies from 1914 to 1916.
February 10 – Tony Solaita, 43, only native of American Samoa to play in MLB (as of 2023);[6] hit .255 with 50 home runs and 203 RBI in 525 games for the New York Yankees, Kansas City Royals, California Angels and Montreal Expos between 1968 and 1979.
February 17 – Larry Cox, 42, backup catcher who hit .221 in 382 games with the Philadelphia Phillies, Seattle Mariners, Chicago Cubs and Texas Rangers (1973–1981); later a minor league manager (1983–1987) and bullpen coach for the Cubs (1988 until his death).
February 20 – Cecil Garriott, 73, pinch-hitter for the 1946 Chicago Cubs.
February 24 – Tony Conigliaro, 45, All-Star right fielder for the Boston Red Sox who in 1965, at age 20, became the youngest player ever to win a home run title; hit in the face by a pitch on August 18, 1967, he missed the 1968 season, then made two comebacks from vision problems (1969 and 1975) and hit 62 more home runs during all or parts of four seasons.
February 27 – Vern Freiburger, 66, first baseman in two games for Cleveland Indians in September 1941 at age 17.
February 27 – Jesse "Bill" Williams, 76, All-Star shortstop for the 1940s Kansas City Monarchs who, as a second baseman, was double-play partner of Jackie Robinson's in 1945; batted .471 for champion Monarchs in 1942 Negro World Series.
March 1 – Creepy Crespi, 72, second baseman for the St. Louis Cardinals during four seasons, including the 1942 World Series champion team.
March 6 – Joe Sewell, 91, Hall of Fame shortstop for the Cleveland Indians (1920–1930) and New York Yankees (1931–1933) who batted .312 lifetime and struck out only 114 times in more than 8,300 plate appearances; led AL in doubles in 1924, and in putouts and assists four times each; two-time World Series champion (1920, 1932); brother of Luke Sewell and cousin of Rip Sewell.
March 9 – Lou Vedder, 92, relief pitcher who appeared in one game for the 1920 Detroit Tigers.
March 11 – Roy Schalk, 81, second baseman for the 1932 New York Yankees and 1944–1945 Chicago White Sox; played in minor leagues for all or part of 20 seasons.
March 23 – Margaret Holgerson, 63, All-American Girls Professional Baseball League pitcher who posted a 76–69 record and a 1.94 ERA in seven seasons and hurled a postseason no-hitter.
March 26 – Chet Brewer, 83, All-Star pitcher of the Negro leagues, later a scout for the Pirates.
March 28 – Johnny Neun, 89, first baseman for the Detroit Tigers and Boston Braves from 1925 to 1931, who in 1927 completed the seventh unassisted triple play in major league history; managed New York Yankees in September 1946 and Cincinnati Reds in 1947–1948, then a longtime scout.
March 29 – Phil Masi, 74, four-time All-Star catcher who played for the Boston Braves, Pittsburgh Pirates and Chicago White Sox between 1939 and 1952.
March – Ralph Wyatt, 72, All-Star shortstop of the Chicago American Giants of the Negro American League, 1941 to 1946.
April 8 – Bill Kelly, 91, first baseman who led the International League in RBI three times (1924–1926) and in home runs twice (1924, 1926); played briefly for the Philadelphia Athletics and Philadelphia Phillies in 1920s, and later managed and umpired in the minors.
April 12 – Johnny Reder, 80, Polish-born athlete who was a goalkeeper for several American Soccer League teams; in baseball, appeared in 11 games for 1932 Boston Red Sox, mostly as a first baseman, and later named the 1935 New York–Penn League MVP while playing with Williamsport.
April 18 – John Antonelli, 74, infielder who spent 50 years in baseball; debuted in 1935 as player–manager in minor leagues aged 19; later, appeared in 133 games with wartime St. Louis Cardinals and Philadelphia Phillies (1944–1945), and managed and coached in the minors for the New York Mets' organization through 1985.
April 21 – Johnny Beazley, 71, who went 21–6 with a 2.13 ERA in his 1942 rookie season for the Cardinals and pitched two complete-game wins in the team's five-game World Series triumph over the Yankees.
April 29 – Ray Poat, 72, pitcher who posted a 22–30 record with a 4.55 ERA in 116 games for the Cleveland Indians, New York Giants and Pittsburgh Pirates from 1942 through 1949.
May 4 – Luther Clifford, 66, catcher who played in Negro leagues (1948 Homestead Grays) and minor leagues who became a mainstay in Canada's independent/semiprofessional baseball ranks during the 1950s.
May 4 – Jim Schelle, 73, pitcher for the 1939 Philadelphia Athletics.
May 4 – Johnny Wright, 73, All-Star pitcher who won pitching "Triple Crown" of 1943 Negro National League, leading the circuit in wins (18), ERA (2.45), strikeouts (94), games (30) and innings (181) pitched, and complete games (15) as a member of Negro World Series champion Homestead Grays; a contemporary of Jackie Robinson's, he also was signed to a Brooklyn contract in autumn 1945, but pitched only one season (1946) of minor league baseball in Dodger system before returning to the Grays.
May 16 – Pretzel Pezzullo, 79, relief pitcher who posted a 3–5 record with a 6.36 ERA and one save in 42 games for the Philadelphia Phillies from 1935 to 1936.
May 23 – Charlie Keller, 73, five-time All-Star and five-time World Series champion as left fielder for the New York Yankees (1939–1943, 1945–1949, 1952) who hit 30 home runs three times.
May 24 – José Del Vecchio, 73, Venezuelan sports medicine specialist and youth baseball pioneer in his country.
May 24 – Augie Donatelli, 75, National League umpire from 1950 to 1973 who initiated that league's trend toward a low strike zone, and spearheaded the formation of the first umpires' union.
May 31 – Charlie Shoemaker, 50, backup infielder who hit .258 in 28 games for the Kansas City Athletics between 1961 and 1964.
May – George McAllister, 91, first baseman for multiple Negro leagues teams, notably the Birmingham Black Barons, between 1923 and 1934.
June 8 – Rafael Cabrera, 65, Cuban-born outfielder who played for the Cincinnati–Indianapolis Clowns of the Negro American League during the mid 1940s.
June 8 – Neb Stewart, 72, backup outfielder who hit .129 in 10 games for the 1940 Philadelphia Phillies.
June 12 – Glen Gorbous, 59, Canadian outfielder who hit .238 in 117 games with the Cincinnati Redlegs and Philadelphia Phillies from 1955 to 1957.
June 12 – George McNamara, backup outfielder who hit .273 in three games with the 1922 Washington Senators.
June 12 – Jim Walkup, 94, relief pitcher for the 1927 Detroit Tigers.
June 15 – Bucky Jacobs, 77, relief pitcher who posted a 1-2 record with a 4.91 ERA in 22 games for the Washington Senators between 1937 and 1940.
June 27 – Joe O'Rourke, 85, pinch-hitter for the 1929 Philadelphia Phillies.
June 29 – Boyd Perry, 76, backup infielder who hit .181 in 36 games for the 1941 Detroit Tigers.
July 7 – Don Bessent, 59, relief pitcher who posted a 14–7 record with a 4.08 ERA and 12 saves in 108 games for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers from 1955 through 1958; member of Brooklyn's 1955 World Series champions.
July 8 – R. R. M. Carpenter Jr., 74, owner or co-owner (1943–1981), club president (1943–1972) and de facto general manager (1948–1953) of the Philadelphia Phillies; 1949 Major League Baseball Executive of the Year.
July 10 – Henry Coppola, 77, middle-relief pitcher who was 3–4 with a 5.65 ERA and one save for the Washington Senators from 1935 to 1936.
July 24 – Andy Woehr, 94, backup third baseman who hit .274 in 63 games with the Philadelphia Phillies from 1923 to 1924.
July 28 – Red Barrett, 75, All-Star pitcher for three NL teams who set a major league record for the fewest pitches (58) in a nine-inning game in 1944; led NL in wins (23) in 1945, a season split between the Boston Braves and St. Louis Cardinals.
August 3 – Bob Brown, 79, pitcher who posted a 16–21 record with a 4.48 ERA in 79 appearances with the Boston Braves/Bees from 1930 to 1936.
August 10 – Cookie Lavagetto, 77, All-Star third baseman who, with the Brooklyn Dodgers, spoiled Yankee Bill Bevens' no-hitter with two out in the ninth inning of Game 4 in the 1947 World Series, hitting a game-winning double; last manager of the 1901–1960 Washington Senators and the first skipper of Minnesota Twins (1957–1961).
August 11 – Frank Dascoli, 74, National League umpire (1948 to 1961) who worked three World Series, two All-Star games and 2,059 league games; known for his quick thumb, he led NL umpires in ejections in two of his first three seasons, including 23 heave-hos in 1950.
August 12 – Fay Thomas, 86, pitcher for the New York Giants, Cleveland Indians, Brooklyn Dodgers and St. Louis Browns between 1927 and 1935, who also appeared in the 1942 film The Pride of the Yankees as Christy Mathewson.
August 15 – Bob Garbark, 80, backup catcher who hit .248 in 145 games with the Cleveland Indians, Chicago Cubs, Philadelphia Athletics and Boston Red Sox between 1934 and 1945.
August 21 – Bill Lasley, 88, relief pitcher who appeared in two games for the 1924 St. Louis Browns.
August 21 – Bob Uhl, 76, relief pitcher who played for the Chicago White Sox (1938) and Detroit Tigers (1940).
August 24 – Mickey Witek, 74, second baseman who hit .277 with 22 home runs and 196 RBI in 580 games for the New York Giants from 1940 to 1949.
August 28 – Larry Jackson, 59, five-time All-Star pitcher who won 194 games for the St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago Cubs and Philadelphia Phillies between 1955 and 1968; led NL in wins in 1964 with 24 for a Cubs' team that finished eighth in the ten-club circuit.
August 30 – Lou Garland, 85, pitcher who posted an 0–2 record for the 1931 Chicago White Sox.
August 31 – Jack Marshall, 82, second baseman for the Chicago American Giants (1931–1935, 1937–1938) as well as four other Negro leagues clubs between 1926 and 1944; selected an All-Star in 1933.
September 1 – Buster Adams, 75, backup outfielder who hit .266 with 50 home runs and 249 RBI in 576 games for the St. Louis Cardinals (1939, 1943–1946) and Philadelphia Phillies (1947); member, 1946 World Series champions.
September 2 – Mark Mauldin, 75, backup third baseman who hit .263 with one home run and three RBI in ten games for the 1934 Chicago White Sox.
September 3 – Marshall Bridges, 59, relief pitcher who posted a 23–15 record with a 3.75 ERA and 25 saves in 206 games with the St. Louis Cardinals, Cincinnati Reds, New York Yankees and Washington Senators from 1959 to 1965, who during the 1962 World Series became first American League pitcher to cough up a grand slam in Fall Classic history; nevertheless, won World Series ring that season.
September 6 – Al Veach, 81, pitcher who posted a 0–2 record for the 1935 Philadelphia Athletics.
September 8 – Joe Gleason, 81, pitcher who posted a 2–2 record in 11 games for the Washington Senators in 1920 and 1922.
September 9 – Doc Cramer, 85, five-time All-Star center fielder for four AL teams who collected 2,705 hits over 20 seasons (1929–1948) and was a defensive standout; the only AL player to twice go 6-for-6 in a nine-inning game.
September 12 – Jim Romano, 63, pitcher who appeared in three games for the 1950 Brooklyn Dodgers.
September 20 – Dick Gyselman, 82, backup infielder who hit .225 in 82 games for the Boston Braves from 1933 to 1934.
September 24 – Johnny Werts, 92, pitcher who posted a 15–21 record with a 4.29 ERA in 88 games for the Boston Braves from 1926 through 1929.
September 29 – Al McLean, 78, relief pitcher for the Washington Senators during the 1935 season.
September 30 – Nels Potter, 79, pitcher who posted a 92–97 record with a 3.99 ERA in 349 appearances for the St. Louis Cardinals, Philadelphia Athletics, Boston Red Sox, St. Louis Browns and Boston Braves between 1936 and 1949; his 19 wins led 1944 Browns to their lone American League pennant.
October 2 – Heinie Schuble, 83, backup infielder who hit .251 with 11 home runs and 116 RBI in 332 games for the Cardinals and Tigers between 1927 and 1936.
October 4 – Vance Dinges, 75, backup first baseman/outfielder who hit .291 with two home runs and 46 RBI in 159 games for the Philadelphia Phillies from 1945 to 1946.
October 5 – Dixie Howell, 70, reserve catcher who appeared in 340 games over eight seasons for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Cincinnati Reds and Brooklyn Dodgers between 1947 and 1956; member of Brooklyn's 1955 world championship club.
October 7 – Walt Ripley, 73, relief pitcher who played briefly for the 1935 Boston Red Sox.
October 10 – George Barnicle, 73, pitcher who posted a 3–3 record with a 6.55 ERA in 20 games with the Boston Bees/Braves from 1939 to 1941.
October 10 – Ziggy Marcell, 74, catcher/outfielder who played for seven Negro leagues clubs, including the Baltimore Elite Giants, Homestead Grays, and New York Black Yankees, between 1939 and 1948.
October 10 – Wally Moses, 80, right fielder for the Philadelphia Athletics, Chicago White Sox and Boston Red Sox between 1935 and 1951 who hit .300 in his first seven seasons; 1937 All-Star; led AL in doubles and triples once each; later a batting coach for five MLB clubs, including three World Series winners, between 1952 and 1970.
October 13 – Lino Donoso, 68, Cuban pitcher who posted a 4–6 record with a 5.21 ERA in 28 games for the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1955 to 1956.
October 18 – Nick Etten, 77, All-Star first baseman who hit .277 with 89 home runs and 526 RBI in 937 games with three teams from 1938 to 1946; led American League in home runs (1944) and RBI (1945), and also was a member of the 1943 world champion New York Yankees.
October 21 – Frank Waddey, 85, outfielder who hit .273 in 14 games with the 1931 St. Louis Browns.
October 24 – Jim Clark, 63, backup infielder who hit .250 in nine games for the 1948 Washington Senators.
November 3 – Jack Russell, 85, All-Star relief pitcher who won 85 games for six teams from 1926 to 1940 and twice led American League in saves (1933–1934); later, critical fundraiser for—and namesake of—Clearwater, Florida's Jack Russell Memorial Stadium, spring training home of the Phillies from 1955 to 2003.
November 8 – Earl Torgeson, 66, hot-tempered first baseman who played 1,668 games over 16 MLB seasons (1946–1961) with five clubs; hit .389 in 1948 World Series with Boston Braves, led NL in runs in 1950.
November 10 – Aurelio Monteagudo, 46, Cuban pitcher with five teams who also gained renown for pitching in the Venezuelan and Mexican leagues.
November 12 – Junior Walsh, 71, middle-relief pitcher who posted a 4–10 record with a 5.88 ERA and two saves for the Pittsburgh Pirates between the 1946 and 1951 seasons.
November 19 – John Fitzpatrick, 86, coach for the 1953–1955 Pirates and 1958–1959 Milwaukee Braves; former minor-league catcher and manager who spent 45 years in baseball.
November 20 – Sonny Harris, 76, outfielder for four Negro leagues teams, notably the Cincinnati Tigers, between 1934 and 1942.
November 22 – Joe Bowman, 80, pitcher for the Philadelphia Athletics, New York Giants, Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh Pirates, Boston Red Sox and Cincinnati Reds over 11 seasons between 1932 and 1945.
November 23 – Baudilio "Bo" Díaz, 37, Venezuelan catcher who appeared in 993 games between 1977 and 1989 for the Boston Red Sox, Cleveland Indians, Philadelphia Phillies and Cincinnati Reds; batted .333 for Phils in the 1983 World Series and selected All-Star in both major leagues (1979, 1987).
November 28 – Tommy Hughes, 71, pitcher who posted a 31–56 record with a 3.92 ERA in 144 games with the Phillies (1941–1942 and 1946–1947) and Reds (1948).
November 28 – Garcia Massingale, 62, catcher/pitcher for the 1944–1945 Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro American League.
December 2 – John Britton, 71, third baseman who played in the Negro American League from 1942 to 1948, chiefly for the Birmingham Black Barons.
December 2 – Paddy Smith, 96, backup catcher who played for the 1920 Boston Red Sox.
December 3 – Clint Thomas, 94, outfielder/second baseman who played in Black baseball for 19 seasons (1920 to 1938), including 13 years in the Negro leagues, notably for the Hilldale club; batted .308 lifetime.
December 7 – Lew Flick, 75, reserve outfielder who hit .175 in 20 games for the Philadelphia Athletics from 1943 to 1944.
December 13 – Archie Ware, 72, All-Star first baseman who played in the Negro American League between 1941 and 1948, mainly for the Cleveland Buckeyes; also played two seasons (1951–1952) in racially integrated "Organized Baseball" minor leagues.
December 15 – Bill Otis, 100, backup outfielder who appeared in four games with the 1912 New York Highlanders.
December 16 – Wally Flager, 69, shortstop who hit .241 with two home runs and 21 RBI in 70 games for the Cincinnati Reds and Philadelphia Phillies during the 1945 season.
December 18 – Charlie Gibson, 91, backup catcher who hit .133 in 12 games for the 1924 Philadelphia Athletics.
