January 10 – R. R. M. Carpenter Jr., the 34-year-old owner of the Philadelphia Phillies, announces that his team is abandoning its six-year-old attempt to rebrand itself as the Philadelphia Blue Jays. Returning whole-heartedly to their original moniker, in use since 1885, the 1950 Phillies will deck themselves out in red, pinstriped home uniforms with bright red caps, sweatshirts and socks, and Phillies in red script across their shirtfronts.
February
February 1 – In perhaps the most prominent and controversial amateur free agent signing of the era, the Pittsburgh Pirates sign southpaw pitching phenom Paul Pettit, 18, out of a suburban Los Angeles high school for a record-setting $100,000 bonus. Of that total, $85,000 buys out a Hollywood film producer who had acquired the rights to Pettit's life story. At the behest of "jilted" MLB clubs, the office of Commissioner of BaseballHappy Chandler conducts an investigation that clears the Pirates of any wrongdoing.
February 10 – The Cincinnati Reds sell pitcher Johnny Vander Meer to the Chicago Cubs for an undisclosed amount of cash. In 1938‚ Vander Meer became the first pitcher in major league history to pitch two consecutive no-hitters, displaying his mastery over the Boston Braves (June 11) and the Brooklyn Dodgers (June 15), setting a record that still stands today.
Billy Martin, later to become one of baseball's most controversial figures as a player and eventual manager, makes his major league debut, getting hits in both of his at bats, and scoring a run for the New York Yankees in a 15–10 win over the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park.[1]
Vin Scully makes his debut as a broadcaster for the Brooklyn Dodgers, calling two innings of the team's 9–1 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies at Shibe Park. As of 2024, Scully retired from broadcasting after a 67-year tenure, the longest for any baseball broadcaster.
Ken Keltner is released by the Cleveland Indians. Keltner a few years prior had cemented himself in Cleveland lore when he caught a ball for the final out in the 1948 World Series.
May
May 6 – The Boston Braves hit five home runs in a 15–11 trouncing of the Cincinnati Reds. This gives the Braves a National League record of 13 home runs in three consecutive games‚ breaking the mark of 12 set by the New York Giants on July 1‚ 2‚ 3‚ 1947. Grady Hatton and Ron Northey hit consecutive homers for the Reds in a lost cause.
May 11 – After a misplay of a ball in the outfield, Red Sox fans boo Ted Williams. Williams reacts to the fans by giving the fans in the outfield section an obscene gesture (Williams make the gesture three times, once to the fans in right field, next, fans in center field, and finally the fans in left). The boos continue when Williams comes to bat, driving Williams to leave the batters box and spit on a group of fans nearby that were booing him.[2]
May 12 – One day after his emotional outburst, Ted Williams issues an apology to Red Sox fans.
June 18 – Future Baseball Hall of FamerJoe McCarthy steps down as manager of the Boston Red Sox and ends his legendary career. "Marse Joe", 63, retires with a won-lost record of 2,125–1,333 for an all-time-best .615 winning percentage, including seven World Series championships and eight American League pennants during his tenure (1931 through May 23, 1946) with the New York Yankees. He previously had won a National League flag in 1929 with the Chicago Cubs. McCarthy, whose two full seasons with the Red Sox produced frustrating, second place finishes thanks to end-of-season losses, is replaced in Fenway Park's home dugout by coach Steve O'Neill, himself a veteran manager.
July 18 – The Pittsburgh Pirates' ownership reorganizes when John W. Galbreath takes over majority control from Frank E. McKinney, who divests himself of his interest. Bing Crosby and Thomas P. Johnson remain minority partners. The group, led by McKinney, bought the franchise from the heirs of Barney Dreyfuss in August 1946. Galbreath and his family will direct the fortunes of the Bucs until 1985.
August 31 – Gil Hodges of the Brooklyn Dodgers becomes the sixth Major Leaguer to belt four home runs in a single game. Hodges hits home runs off of four different Boston Braves pitchers and finishes the game with nine runs batted in. Brooklyn trounces Boston, 19–3.
September
September 5 – The New York Yankees purchased the contract of outfielder Johnny Hopp from Pittsburgh Pirates
September 7 – The St. Louis Cardinals purchase the contract of Peanuts Lowrey from the Cincinnati Reds.
September 27 – Seventeen year old Harry Chiti makes his MLB debut for the Chicago Cubs. Chiti's best remember for something that happened later in his career. He would become the first player in major league history traded for himself.
At Ebbets Field, the Philadelphia Phillies clinch the National League pennant on a 10th inning, three-run home run by LF Dick Sisler against Don Newcombe, in a dramatic 4–1 victory over the Brooklyn Dodgers on the season's last day. An inside-the-park home run by Pee Wee Reese would account for the only Dodgers run in the game. Robin Roberts, making his third start in five days, earns his 20th victory of the season.
At Comiskey Park, Gus Zernial of the Chicago White Sox becomes the first player to hit three home runs in his team's final game of a regular season, doing so in the White Sox' 10–6 loss in the second game of a doubleheader against the St. Louis Browns. Zernial will be joined by Dick Allen in 1968 and Evan Longoria in 2012 as players to hit three home runs in their team's regular-season finale.
October 7 – The New York Yankees defeat the Philadelphia Phillies, 5–2, in Game 4 of the World Series to win undefeated their thirteenth World Championship. The Phillies will not appear again in the postseason until 1976, and they will not appear again in the World Series until they won it for the very first time in 1980.
October 10 – The Chicago Cubs acquire two first basemen from the Brooklyn Dodgers in exchange for Hank Edwards and cash. The two first basemen are Dee Fondy, who would go on to be the regular first baseman for the Cubs. The other was Chuck Connors, who'd can fame as the star of TV's The Rifleman.
October 26 – A seismic change occurs in the Brooklyn Dodgers' front office. One-quarter owner Walter O'Malley announces that Branch Rickey's contract as president and general manager will not be renewed, and that he has acquired Rickey's 25% interest to become principal owner, controlling 50% of the team's stock. O'Malley, 47, becomes club president and promotes two Dodger executives to vice president: Montreal Royals' general manager Buzzie Bavasi, who will supervise the MLB Dodgers' baseball operations, and assistant minor league director Fresco Thompson, who will run the far-flung Brooklyn farm system. O'Malley thus triumphs in a long-running power struggle with Rickey over the Dodgers' operations.
November
November 3 – Future Baseball Hall of Fame executive Branch Rickey, forced out of the Brooklyn Dodgers' ownership suite and front office just a week earlier, becomes executive vice president and general manager of the last-place Pittsburgh Pirates, succeeding Roy Hamey. Rickey, 68, is renowned for inventing the farm system of player development and building the St. Louis Cardinals into a perennial contender when he ran their front office from 1925 to 1942. Then, from 1943 to 1950, he worked to break the baseball color line and built another leading-edge farm system with the Dodgers, who are poised to become a National League dynasty.
November 26 – The Gillette Safety Razor Co. signs a six-year deal, worth an estimated $6 million, with Major League Baseball for the television and radio rights for the World Series.
November 27 – The Boston Red Sox sign veteran shortstop Lou Boudreau to a two-year players' contract worth an estimated $150,000. Boudreau, player–manager of the Cleveland Indians since Opening Day 1942, had asked Cleveland to give him his unconditional release after 13 years with the club, nine at the helm.
November 28 – Brooklyn Dodgers owner Walter O'Malley continues his house cleaning as he names PCL Oakland manager and former Brooklyn third-base coach Chuck Dressen, 56, to replace Burt Shotton as the Dodgers' skipper. Shotton, 66, a longtime associate of ousted Dodger president Branch Rickey, compiled a 326–215 record, with two NL pennants, between 1947 and 1950.
January 8 – Helene Robison Britton, 70, first woman to own a major league team when she inherited the St. Louis Cardinals from her uncle in 1911; sold Redbirds in 1917 to a local consortium that included Sam Breadon and Branch Rickey.
January 14 – Bill Thomas, 72, outfielder for the 1902 Philadelphia Phillies.
January 16 – Rudy Hulswitt, 72, shortstop who played for the Louisville Colonels, Philadelphia Phillies, Cincinnati Reds and St. Louis Cardinals in parts of seven seasons spanning 1899–1910.
January 17:
Jewel Ens, 60, backup infielder for the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1922 to 1925, who later managed (1929–1931) and served as a coach (1926–1929 and 1935–1939) for them; member of the 1925 World Series champions and 1927 National League champs; also coached for Detroit Tigers, Cincinnati Reds and Boston Braves; manager of Syracuse Chiefs of the International League from 1942 until his death.
Roy Sanders, 57, pitcher who played from 1917 to 1918 for the Cincinnati Reds and Pittsburgh Pirates.
January 26:
Chick Autry, 46, backup catcher who played for the New York Yankees, Cleveland Indians and Chicago White Sox in part of six seasons spanning 1924–1930.
Tom Bannon, 80, backup first baseman and outfielder for the New York Giants in their 1895 and 1896 seasons.
January 29 – Monroe Sweeney, 57, umpire who officiated in the National League between the 1924 and 1926 seasons.
February
February 2 – John Butler, 70, backup catcher who played with the Milwaukee Brewers, St. Louis Cardinals and Brooklyn Superbas in four seasons from 1901 to 1907, and later coached for the Chicago White Sox.
February 3 – Dick Spalding, 56, outfielder for the Philadelphia Phillies in the 1927 season and the Washington Senators in 1928, who previously played the first two games in the history of the U.S. national soccer team and also competed in professional soccer for nearly fifteen years.
February 5 – Ralph Shafer, 55, who appeared as a pinch-runner in one game for the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 1914 season.
February 6 – Art Fletcher, 65, a player, coach and manager who participated in fourteen World Series––four as a smooth fielding shortstop for the New York Giants and ten as a base coach with the New York Yankees––earning nine series rings with the Yankees; led the National League for the most assists in 1915 and from 1917 to 1919; manager of the Philadelphia Phillies from 1923 to 1926 and acting skipper of the Yankees in September 1929.
February 10 – Charlie Roy, 65, pitcher for the 1906 Philadelphia Phillies.
February 11:
Kiki Cuyler, 51, Hall of Fame outfielder with a strong throwing arm as well as a solid line-drive hitter in an 18-year career from 1921 to 1938, who collected a .321 batting average with 2,299 hits and led the Major Leagues in stolen bases four times being a member of the National League pennant-winning Pittsburgh Pirates and Chicago Cubs clubs, while leaving a definitive legacy when he hit a two-run, two-out double off Washington Senators pitcher Walter Johnson in the eighth inning of Game 7 of the 1925 World Series for a 9–7 lead, clinching the series title for the Pirates;[3] coach for Cubs (1941–1943) and Boston Red Sox (1949 until his death).
Hank Griffin, 63, pitcher who played from 1911 to 1912 for the Chicago Cubs and Boston Braves.
Paul Meloan, 61, right fielder who played with the Chicago White Sox and St. Louis Browns between 1910 and 1911.
February 17 – Jack Dalton, 64, outfielder who became one of only a few players to see action in three different Major Leagues, while playing with the Brooklyn Superbas and Dodgers of the National League, as well as for the Buffalo Blues of the outlaw Federal League and the Detroit Tigers of the American League in part of four seasons spanning 1910–1916.
March
March 5 – Effie Norton, 76, pitcher who played from 1896 to 1897 for the Washington Senators of the National League.
March 7 – Joe Brown, 49, pitcher who played for the Chicago White Sox in 1927.
March 11 – William Gallagher, 76, shortstop and catcher who played for the Philadelphia Phillies in 1896.
March 13 – George Young, 60, pinch-hitter who played in two games for the Cleveland Naps in 1913.
March 16 – Nubs Kleinke, 38, pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals in part of two seasons from 1936 to 1938.
March 22 – Slim Sallee, 65, pitcher who posted a lifetime mark of 174-143 and a 2.56 ERA for the St. Louis Cardinals, Cincinnati Reds and New York Giants in span of 14 seasons from 1908 through 1921, helping Cincinnati clinch the 1919 World Series and the Giants win the National League pennant in 1917.
March 24 – Bert Lewis, 54, pitcher for the 1924 Philadelphia Phillies.
March 25 – Pussy Tebeau, 80, outfielder who played briefly for the Cleveland Spiders during the 1895 season.
March 27 – Fred Frank, 77, outfielder for the 1898 Cleveland Spiders.
March 28:
Henry Clarke, 74, pitcher for the Cleveland Spiders in 1897 and the Chicago Orphans in 1898, who also coached at college for the Michigan Wolverines baseball team, and later served as a Nebraska state legislator and railroad commissioner.
April 2 – Doc Sechrist, 74, pitcher who played for the New York Giants in its 1899 season
April 9 – John McDonald, 67, pitcher for the 1907 Washington Senators.
April 11 – Dick McCabe, 54, who pitched for the Boston Red Sox in the 1918 season and the Chicago White Sox in 1922.
April 19 – Dusty Miller, 73, outfielder for the 1902 Chicago Orphans of the National League.
April 22 – Dave Pickett, 75, outfielder who played for the Boston Beaneaters in 1898.
April 23:
Bill Hallman, 74, outfielder who played with the Milwaukee Brewers and Chicago White Sox in part of four seasons between 1901 and 1907.
Dike Varney, 69, pitcher for the 1902 Cleveland Bronchos of the American League.
April 25 – Offa Neal, 73, third baseman who appeared in four games with the New York Giants in 1905, and also spent 12 seasons in the Minor Leagues as a player, coach or manager.
April 30 – Tom Niland, 80, outfielder for the 1896 St. Louis Browns of the National League.
May
May 2 – Jo-Jo Morrissey, 46, infielder who played for the Cincinnati Reds and the Chicago White Sox in part of three seasons between 1932 and 1936.
May 3 – Jim Galloway, 62, second baseman who played for the St. Louis Cardinals in 1912 and served in World War I, then returned to baseball in 1920 to play ten more seasons, retiring in 1929 at the age 41.
May 4 – Vince Molyneaux, 61, pitcher who played from 1917 to 1918 for the St. Louis Browns and Boston Red Sox.
May 19 – Wattie Holm, 48, fourth outfielder who played with the St. Louis Cardinals in a span of seven seasons from 1924 to 1932, as well for the 1926 World Champion Cardinals.
May 23 – Ernie Groth, 65, pitcher for the 1904 Chicago Cubs.
June
June 4:
Dan Griner, 62, pitcher who played for the St. Louis Cardinals and Brooklyn Robins in all or part of seven seasons spanning 1912–1916.
Dean Sturgis, 57, backup catcher for the Philadelphia Athletics during the 1914 season.
June 6 – Walt Thomas, 66, shortstop who appeared in six games for the 1908 Boston Doves of the National League.
June 8 – Ledell Titcomb, 83, pitcher who played with four teams in the National League and American Association in four seasons from 1886 to 1890, sporting a record of 30-28 with a 3.47 ERA in 63 games, while pitching a no-hitter against the Syracuse Stars in 1890.[4]
June 28 – Mutz Ens, 65, first baseman who played for the Chicago White Sox in its 1912 season.
Joe Lake, 69, pitcher who played from 1908 through 1913 for the New York Highlanders, St. Louis Browns and Chicago Cubs.
July
July 2 – Joe Gormley, 83, pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies during the 1891 National League season.
July 3 – Ed Donalds, 67, pitcher who played briefly for the Cincinnati Reds in 1912.
July 5 – Joe Sargent, 56, middle infielder and third baseman who appeared in 66 games with the Detroit Tigers in 1921.
July 10 – John L. Smith, 61, pharmaceutical executive (Pfizer) who had been a co-owner and one of four equal partners in the Brooklyn Dodgers since 1945.
John Burke, 73, pitcher for the 1902 New York Giants.
Harry Coveleski, 64, left-handed pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies, Cincinnati Reds and Detroit Tigers over nine seasons from 1907 to 1918, a three-time 20-game winner who is best remembered for his rookie season with the Phillies in 1908, when he defeated the powerful New York Giants three times in a span of five days at the end of the season, to deny John McGraw's squad the 1908 National League pennant, which forced a replay of the infamous Merkle's Boner game.[6]
August 9 – Ed Klepfer, 62, spitball pitcher who played for the New York Yankees, Chicago White Sox and Cleveland Indians in a span of six seasons between 1911 and 1919.
Paddy O'Connor, 71, Irish catcher who played for the Pittsburgh Pirates, St. Louis Cardinals, Pittsburgh Rebels and New York Yankees over six seasons spanning 1908–1918.
August 20 – Ed Zmich, 65, pitcher who played with the St. Louis Cardinals from 1910 to 1911.
August 25 – George Disch, 71, pitcher for the 1905 Detroit Tigers.
August 29 – Doc Ralston, 65, fourth outfielder for the Washington Senators in their 1910 season.
September
September 1 – Frank Pearce, 45, pitcher who played from 1933 through 1935 for the Philadelphia Phillies.
September 3 – Jim Connor, 87, second baseman for the Chicago Colts and Orphans clubs of the National League in part of three seasons spanning 1892–1899, who also spent six years in the Minor Leagues, including a stint as player/manager for the Newburgh Hillies of the Hudson River League in its 1907 season.
September 14 – Billy Ging, 77, pitcher for the 1889 Boston Beaneaters of the National League.
September 15 – Joe Knotts, 66. backup catcher who played in 1907 with the Boston Doves of the National League.
September 21 – Duke Kenworthy, 64, second baseman who spent four seasons in the Major Leagues, including stints in the American League with the Washington Senators in 1912 and the St. Louis Browns in 1917. and for the Kansas City Packers of the short-lived Federal League from 1914 to 1915.
September 23 – Sam Barry, 57, collegiate athletic coach who achieved significant accomplishments in three major sports, as well as one of the principal forces behind the creation of the College World Series, which his team won in 1948.
September 25 – Pep Deininger, 72, German pitcher and center fielder who played for the Boston Americans and Philadelphia Phillies in part of three seasons spanning 1902–1909.
September 26 – John Scheneberg, 62, who pitched with the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 1913 season and for the St. Louis Browns in 1920.
September 28 – George Paynter, 79, outfielder who played in 1894 for the St. Louis Browns of the National League.
September 30:
Ned Crompton, 61, English outfielder who played with the St. Louis Browns of the American League during the 1909 season, and later appeared in one game for the Cincinnati Reds of the National League in 1910.
Jack Harper, who pitched for five teams in an eight-year career between 1889 and 1906, sporting an 80–64 record and 3.55 ERA in 158 games, including two 23-win seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1901 and the Cincinnati Reds in 1904.
October
October 1 – Red Howell, 41, pinch hitter for 1941 Cleveland Indians, reaching base six times in 11 plate appearances (four walks and two singles); in his 17-year minor-league career (1928–1944) as an outfielder, he collected 2,509 hits and 229 homers in 2,121 career games, batting .326.
October 14 – Jocko Fields, 50, outfielder who played from 1887 through 1891 for the Pittsburgh Alleghenys, Burghers and Pirates teams, as well as for the Philadelphia Phillies in 1891 and the New York Giants in 1892.
October 17 – Tom Tuckey, 66, pitcher who played for the Boston Doves in the 1908 and 1909 seasons.
October 19 – Lefty Gervais, 60, pitcher for the 1913 Boston Braves.
November 5 – Bill Johnson, 58, outfielder for the 1916 Philadelphia Athletics.
November 6 – Martin Glendon, 71, pitcher who played from 1902 to 1903 with the Cincinnati Reds and the Cleveland Naps.
November 14 – Jack McAleese, 72, pitcher who appeared in just one game with the Chicago White Stockings in the 1901 season.
November 16 – Frank Hemphill, 72, outfielder who played for the Chicago White Sox in the 1906 season and the Washington Senators in 1909.
December
December 1 – Bob Hall, 71, who played some outfield and infield utility positions with the Philadelphia Phillies, New York Giants and Brooklyn Superbas between 1904 and 1905.
December 5 – Bill Dahlen, 80, one of the finest shortstops between 1891 and 1911 as well as a reliable hitter and aggressive baserunner, whose leadership helped the 1905 New York Giants win the World Series title, ending his career with 2,461 hits and 548 stolen bases, and having played more games than any player in Major League history, with 2,444.[8]
December 6 – Jing Johnson, 56, pitcher who played for the Philadelphia Athletics in all or part of five seasons spanning 1916–1928.
December 9 – Mickey Corcoran, 68, second baseman who appeared in 14 games for the 1910 Cincinnati Reds; prolific minor-league base-stealer who swiped 384 bags in 1,875 games played.
December 19 – Wingo Anderson, 64, pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds in its 1910 season.
December 20 – Carroll Yerkes, 47, who pitched for the Philadelphia Athletics and Chicago Cubs over the course of five seasons between 1927 and 1933.
December 21 – Dad Lytle, 88, second baseman and outfielder who split time with the Chicago Colts and the Pittsburgh Alleghenys during their 1890 season.
December 22 – Rip Egan, 79, pitcher who appeared in one game with the Washington Senators of the National League in 1894, and later managed in the Minor Leagues and worked as an umpire in the American League from 1907 to 1914.
December 22 – Cal Vasbinder, 70, pitcher who played in 1902 for the Cleveland Bronchos of the American League.
Sources
^"Martin, Billy", in The Yankee Encyclopedia, Mark Gallagher, ed. (Sports Publishing LLC, 2003) p148
