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2011 in baseball

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The following are the baseball events of the year 2011 throughout the world.

Upcoming Events

Major League Baseball

Main article: 2011 Major League Baseball season

July

  • July 24: Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony at Clark Sports Center, Cooperstown, New York.
  • July 31: Non-waiver Trade Deadline, 4 p.m. ET.

August

  • August 15: Last day for teams to sign 2011 First-Year Player Draft selections who have remaining college eligibility. Deadline is midnight.
  • August 31: Postseason eligibility lists are established at midnight.

September

  • September 1: Active rosters expand from 25 to 40 players.
  • September 11: 9/11 Remembrance.
  • September 14: Roberto Clemente Day.
  • September 28: Official closing of the 2011 season.

October

American League and National League playoffs (TBD).
2011 World Series (TBD).

December

  • December 5: Last time to outright a player prior to the Rule 5 Draft – 5 p.m. ET.
  • December 7: Last date for player who declared free agency to accept an arbitration offer from former club. Deadline is midnight ET.
  • December 5–8: Baseball Winter Meetings at Dallas, Texas.
  • December 8: Major League Rule 5 Draft at Dallas, Texas.
  • December 12: Last date to tender contracts is midnight ET.

Other

Champions

Other Champions

Events

January

Trevor Hoffman retired with an MLB record 602 saves
  • January 22 - Detroit Tigers team president/general manager Dave Dombrowski announces that the club will be retiring former manager Sparky Anderson's number 11. The team will wear a blue patch on the right sleeve of their uniforms, bearing "Sparky" and number 11.

February

  • February 4
    • Irving Picard's lawsuit seeking up to about $1 billion against Fred Wilpon, Jeff Wilpon, Saul Katz and various affiliated entities affiliated with the New York Mets and Sterling Equities Associates to recover money for the victims of the Bernie Madoff Ponzi scheme is unsealed by a Manhattan court. The civil suit alleges that the partners in Sterling knew or should have known that Madoff's investment operation was a fraud.
    • After months of speculation, New York Yankees pitcher Andy Pettitte announced his retirement at Yankee Stadium.
  • February 7 - Wake Forest University baseball coach Tom Walter donates a kidney to freshman outfielder Kevin Jordan. Jordan was diagnosed in April 2010 as suffering from ANCA csculitis. Walter was tested in December to see if he would be a match, and learned January 28 that he was. Jordan was drafted by the New York Yankees in the nineteenth round of the 2010 Major League Baseball Draft, and has yet to play for Wake Forest.
  • February 17 - Detroit Tigers slugger Miguel Cabrera is arrested in the early morning hours for a DUI. Cabrera's car was discovered parked on the side of a road in Fort Pierce, Florida with Cabrera inside, allegedly intoxicated with a .26 blood alcohol level. When police arrived, he began drinking from a bottle of Scotch he had on the front seat, and later resisted arrest. He issues an apology upon arrival at training camp on February 24, and announces that he will be undergoing treatment set up by doctors administered by management and its players' union.
  • February 24 - St. Louis Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak announces that Cy Young Award candidate Adam Wainwright will require Tommy John surgery to replace the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow, and thus will miss the entire 2011 season and part of 2012.

March

  • March 2 - Following a three error first inning, including one by third baseman Aramis Ramirez, Chicago Cubs starter Carlos Silva and Ramirez get into a dugout skirmish. According to Silva, he said "We need to start making plays here" as he left the mound and entered the dugout, and Ramirez took it personally. Silva also gave up two home runs to the Milwaukee Brewers in the inning.
  • March 21
    • All-time home runs leader and seven-time National League Most Valuable Player Barry Bonds' perjury trial begins. Bonds faces four charges of perjury and one charge of obstruction of justice.
    • The New York Mets release Oliver Perez, and will absorb the remaining $12 million on the three-year, $36 million deal he signed with the Mets back in 2009. Meanwhile, Luis Castillo signs to a Minor League contract with the Philadelphia Phillies.
  • March 23 - Opening Day in Nippon Professional Baseball is pushed back a week due to the effects of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. The Central League agreed to a government request to push back the new season until March 29, a statement from the Central League directors said. The league had been due to start on March 25.[3]
  • March 29 - Major League Baseball and its players' union announce a new set of protocols for dealing with concussions, including the creation of a new seven-day disabled list for players with the injury.[4]
  • March 31 - San Francisco Giants fan Bryan Stow is beaten in the Dodger Stadium parking lot by two men in Los Angeles Dodgers gear after the Dodgers defeat the Giants 2-1 in the season opener. Stow is left with brain damage, prompting an outpouring of support for the victim that includes rewards totaling more than $200,000 for information leading to the suspects' arrests.

April

  • April 3 - In the Texas Rangers' 5–1 victory over the Boston Red Sox, Ian Kinsler and Nelson Cruz became the first set of teammates to hit home runs in each of the first three games in a Major League season. Kinsler also became the first leadoff hitter to hit home runs in each of his team's first two games, bringing his career total of leadoff homers with the Rangers to fifteen, a team's record.[7]
  • April 6 - The defense in the Barry Bonds perjury case rests without calling a single witness to the stand. After prosecutors drop one of the five charges against Bonds, and call 25 witnesses to the stand over 2½ weeks, the defense takes just one minute to present its side. Prosecutors dropped the count accusing Bonds of lying to a grand jury in 2003 when he said prior to that season he never took anything other than vitamins from trainer Greg Anderson.
  • April 13 - The jury deciding the federal case against Barry Bonds finds him guilty of obstruction of justice. The jury was hung on the three counts of making false declarations during his 2003 testimony before the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative (BALCO) grand jury, resulting in a mistrial.
  • April 15 - Lenny Dykstra is arrested by Los Angeles police at his Encino, California home on suspicion of trying to buy a stolen car. Prosecutors later decline to file charges, however, he is transferred to federal authorities on unrelated charges of illegally removing and selling personal property from his $18 million mansion without permission of a bankruptcy trustee, according to a federal criminal complaint filed on April 22. He is released on $150,000 bond on April 20, and ordered to seek outpatient substance abuse treatment, as authorities said he had cocaine and ecstasy in his possession when he was originally arrested.
  • April 16 - The Inland Empire 66ers come back from a 16-7 deficit, scoring ten runs in the sixth inning, two in the seventh and five in the ninth en route to a 24-19 victory over the Bakersfield Blaze. Every player in the 66ers starting lineup had multiple hits, and all ten who batted in the ballgame scored at least once. The game takes four-hours and 55-minutes, the longest in California League history.
Dodgers outfielder Andre Ethier set a major league record for the month of April with a 26 game hitting streak
  • April 20 - Commissioner Bud Selig announces that Major League Baseball will take over operations of the Los Angeles Dodgers from owner Frank McCourt.

Pursuant to my authority as Commissioner, I informed Los Angeles Dodgers owner Frank McCourt today that I will appoint a representative to oversee all aspects of the business and the day to day operations of the club. I have taken this action because of my deep concerns regarding the finances and operations of the Dodgers and to protect the best interests of the club, its great fans and all of Major League Baseball. My office will continue its thorough investigation into the operations and finances of the Dodgers and related entities during the period of Mr. McCourt's ownership. I will announce the name of my representative in the next several days. The Dodgers have been one of the most prestigious franchises in all of sports, and we owe it to their legion of loyal fans to ensure that this club is being operated properly now and will be guided appropriately in the future.

  • April 23 - Atlanta Braves pitching coach Roger McDowell is accused of making homophobic comments and crude gestures toward fans during batting practice before a game against the Giants in San Francisco. The Braves place McDowell on administrative leave on April 29. Pitching coach duties are taken over by Braves Minor League pitching coordinator Dave Wallace.
  • April 25
    • Baseball commissioner Bud Selig appoints former Texas Rangers president Tom Schieffer to oversee the Los Angeles Dodgers' business and financial operations.
    • Chicago Cubs shortstop Starlin Castro commits three errors in the second inning of the Cubs' 5-3 loss to the Colorado Rockies.
    • Los Angeles Angels pitcher Jered Weaver pitches a complete game shutout of the Oakland A's to improve his record to 6-0 with a 0.99 ERA and 49 strikeouts. He is the first pitcher to go 6-0 by April 25, and is the fourth player in Major League history to go 6-0 in March and April, the last being Brandon Webb with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2008. It is the fifth time a pitcher has done this, with Randy Johnson having done it twice.
  • April 26 - Los Angeles Dodgers right fielder Andre Ethier established a major league record for the month of April by extending his hitting streak to 23 games, surpassing former manager Joe Torre's 1971 record for the longest hitting streak during the month of April. The streak would ultimately last thirty games, ending on May 7 against the New York Mets.
  • April 27 - Chicago White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen is ejected for arguing a called third strike on Paul Konerko with home plate umpire Todd Tichenor in a 3-1 loss to the New York Yankees. Following his ejection, Guillen posted on his Twitter account, "This one is going to cost me a lot of money this is patetic," and "Today a tough guy show up at yankee stadium." Guillen is fined $50,000 and receives a two game suspension, as according to MLB rules, all social media messages must stop thirty minutes prior to the first pitch, and they can resume after the game at the individual club's discretion. His fine is later reduced to $20,000.
  • April 28
    • In a sweep of a doubleheader with the Minnesota Twins, the Tampa Bay Rays' Ben Zobrist goes seven-for-ten, collecting ten RBIs. He set a club record with eight RBIs in the opener, on a home run and two doubles, and hit a two-run home run in the second game. Zobrist is just the fourth player to record at least seven hits and ten RBIs in a single day since RBIs became an official statistic in 1920. The other three are Jim Bottomley (1929 Cardinals), Pete Fox (1935 Tigers) and Nate Colbert (1972 Padres).
    • Atlanta Braves pitcher Derek Lowe is charged with drunken driving. A Georgia State Patrolman stopped Lowe’s vehicle upon seeing it race another car down an Atlanta street. The trooper detected the odor of an alcoholic beverage and administered a field sobriety test, which Lowe failed.

May

  • May 7 - At Rogers Centre, the Detroit Tigers' Justin Verlander no-hits the Toronto Blue Jays 9-0, the second no-hitter of the season. Verlander's no-hitter occurs just four days after Francisco Liriano (see above) pitches a no-hitter against the Chicago White Sox. He retires the first 22 batters he faces before a walk to J.P. Arencibia spoils his bid for a perfect game. Arencibia is then erased on Edwin Encarnación's double play ground ball, allowing Verlander to face the minimum 27 batters. The no-hitter is the second in Verlander's career; he had also no-hit the Milwaukee Brewers on June 12, 2007. Verlander becomes the second Tigers pitcher since Virgil Trucks, and the thirtieth pitcher in the history of baseball, to throw multiple no-hitters. Like the White Sox, victims of Liriano's no-hitter four days earlier, the Blue Jays had last been no-hit in 1991, on May 1 by Nolan Ryan—the seventh and last no-hitter of Ryan's career.
  • May 13 - Minnesota Twins legend Harmon Killebrew announces that his esophageal cancer has progressed to the point where he is no longer able to fight the disease, and that he has settled into hospice care for the final days of his life. He passes away peacefully at his home in Scottsdale, Arizona on May 17, with his wife, Nita, and their family at his side.

It is with profound sadness that I share with you that my continued battle with esophageal cancer is coming to an end. With the continued love and support of my wife, Nita, I have exhausted all options with respect to controlling this awful disease. My illness has progressed beyond my doctors' expectation of cure.

  • May 14 - Alex Cabrera of the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks hit his 350th career home run in Japanese baseball. At 1,169 games, Cabrera is the quickest player in NPB history to 350 homers. Previously, he was also the quickest to hit 150 homers (380th game); 200 homers (538th game); 250 homers (733rd game; tied with Ralph Bryant), and 300 homers (934th game). Cabrera also missed being the quickest to 100 homers by one game (Bryant hold the record at 246 games).[8]
  • May 16 - The Minnesota Twins announce that they will wear 1961 throwbacks at all their home games for the remainder of the season as a tribute to Harmon Killebrew.
Hall of famer Gary Carter & his wife, Sandy
  • May 20
    • Four "very small" tumors are discovered on the brain of Hall of Fame catcher Gary Carter during an MRI. Preliminary results from biopsies performed on a single tumor on May 27 at Duke University determines that it appears to be malignant.
    • In the Chicago Cubs' first visit to Fenway Park since the 1918 World Series, Boston's Kevin Youkilis hits a two-run home run in the fourth inning to give him 500 career RBIs. The Cubs commit four errors on their way to losing 15-5 in their return to Fenway, not including a dropped fly ball by right fielder Reed Johnson that was originally called an error, then changed to a double.
  • May 21
    • At U.S. Cellular Field, Mark Buehrle records his 24th career interleague victory as the Chicago White Sox defeat the Los Angeles Dodgers 9-2. Buehrle breaks the first-place tie he had shared with Jamie Moyer for most career interleague wins.
    • A day after cruising to a 15-5 victory courtesy of four errors by the Cubs, the Boston Red Sox commit three errors in one inning, allowing the Chicago Cubs to score eight runs on their way to a 9-3 victory. It is the Cubs' first victory at Fenway Park since Game 5 of the 1918 World Series when Hippo Vaughn pitched a five hit shutout to beat Sad Sam Jones and the Bosox 3-0.
    • The New York Yankees leave no runners on base in their 7-3 victory over the New York Mets. It is the first time the Yankees accomplished this feat since April 26, 1988 against the Kansas City Royals. Derek Jeter records his 326th career stolen base, tying Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson for the franchise record. The win also snaps a six game losing streak at home, their longest since 2003.
  • May 22 - At around 7 A.M., the LAPD's SWAT team descends on an East Hollywood apartment building with guns drawn, and arrest Giovanni Ramirez, one of the two men suspected of attacking San Francisco Giants fan Bryan Stow in the Dodger Stadium parking lot on Opening Day. Stow remains in critical condition at San Francisco General Hospital.
  • May 23 - Corey Hart hit his first three home runs of the season and drove in seven runs to tie both club game-records, lifting the Milwaukee Brewers past the Washington Nationals, 11–3, at Miller Park.
  • May 24 - As the Colorado Rockies face the Arizona Diamondbacks in a double header, 27-year-old Robert Seamans loses his balance while sliding down a stairway railing in the outfield Rockpile seating section of Coors Field. He falls more than twenty feet onto a stairwell, suffering head injuries, and was taken to a local hospital. Seamans dies on May 26 due to his injuries.
  • May 25
    • The New York Yankees' Mariano Rivera becomes the first pitcher in MLB history to make 1,000 appearances with one team, reaching the milestone by retiring the side in the ninth inning of the Yankees' 7–3 win over the Toronto Blue Jays. Rivera also becomes the 15th pitcher in MLB history with 1,000 career appearances.[9]
    • The Philadelphia Phillies defeat the Cincinnati Reds 5-4 in nineteen innings. Phillies second baseman Wilson Valdez pitches the nineteenth inning for Philadelphia to pick up his first career win. Raul Ibanez hit a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the inning with one out and the bases loaded to drive in Jimmy Rollins.
    • It is revealed that during an April 22 visit to Bryan Stow at Los Angeles County-University of Southern California Medical Center, Former San Francisco Giants star Barry Bonds volunteered to pay for the college education of the two children of the critically injured Giants fan.[10]
  • May 26 - The New York Mets agree to sell a minority, non-operating investment in the team to David Einhorn, president of Greenlight Capital Inc., for $200 million, pending the completion of exclusive negotiations and approval by Major League Baseball owners. The deal gives him a one-third stake in the team, has an option to own sixty percent in three years.

June

  • June 2 - On the first anniversary of Armando Galarraga's near-perfect game, Major League Baseball puts a rule into effect that Jim Joyce, the first-base umpire whose incorrect call cost Gallaraga the perfect game, cannot umpire any games in which Galarraga’s team plays. The two have become business partners after releasing a book on the game, and this relationship could affect Joyce's impartiality while umpiring Galarraga's team. The policy is similar to the one that prevents Jim Wolf from being the home plate umpire in games that his younger brother Randy pitches in.
  • June 6 - The hard-throwing UCLA tandem of Gerrit Cole (1) and Trevor Bauer (3), respectively selected by Pittsburgh and Arizona, marked the first time since 1978 that two college teammates had been taken in the top three picks of the annual Draft. Arizona State had earned the honor last time, with Bob Horner and Hubie Brooks taken first and third overall.
  • June 7 - Yuma Scorpions player/manager Jose Canseco enters a game against the Lake County Fielders at pitcher. He faces four batters, striking out one. It is the first time Canseco pitches in a professional game since he famously pitched an inning for the Texas Rangers on May 29, 1993, injured his arm, and was lost for the remainder of the season. The Fielders defeat the Scorpions 10-4.
  • June 19 - With the Florida Marlins on a nine game losing streak, and having won only one game in the month of June (June 10 against the Arizona Diamondbacks), manager Edwin Rodriguez resigns. Marlins bench coach Brandon Hyde replaces Rodriguez for the evening's game (a 2-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays that brought the team's losing streak to ten games). The following day, the Marlins name Jack McKeon interim manager. At 80 years old, he is the oldest manager in National League history, and second oldest in Major League history after only Connie Mack, who managed the Philadelphia Athletics in 1950 at age 87.
  • June 20 - In his return to managing, Florida Marlins manager Jack McKeon benches star Shortstop Hanley Ramírez for being late to a team meeting.
  • June 23 - Following a 1-0 victory over the Seattle Mariners at Nationals Park, Washington Nationals manager Jim Riggleman steps down as manager of the team. After the team had won eleven of its last twelve games, Riggleman wanted to discuss his option for 2012 picked up with general manager Mike Rizzo. When Rizzo refused, the team accepted his resignation. On the topic, Rizzo stated the following:

The timing of it, that he resigned at this time when we're playing so well and coming off a homestand that we should be celebrating ... I'm disappointed that this is a distraction. This is not thinking of the team first, it's thinking of personal things first. That's what disappoints me the most.

  • June 24 - Washington Nationals interim manager John McLaren is ejected in the eighth inning of his only game at the helm. The Nats go on to defeat the Chicago White Sox 9-5 in fourteen innings. Davey Johnson is named manager of the Washington Nationals the following day.
  • June 27 - Unable to make their $40 million payroll obligations for the week, the Los Angeles Dodgers file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in a Delaware court. Chapter 11 filings were also made for LA Real Estate LLC, an affiliated entity that owns Dodger Stadium, and three other related holding companies. Meanwhile, on the field, the Dodgers put up fifteen runs and collect 25 hits while shutting out the Minnesota Twins at Target Field. The 25 hits were the most by any team in the Majors this season, and matched a Dodgers club record, last reached on May 19, 2006 against the Los Angeles Angels. It was the first time in Los Angeles Dodgers history, every player in the lineup had at least one hit, one run and one RBI.
  • June 29 - The Detroit Tigers hit five home runs against the New York Mets, yet lose despite the fact that the Mets hit none. It was the first time since August 8 2007 a team won despite being out-homered by at least five (Tampa Bay Rays over the Baltimore Orioles). With their 16-9 victory, the Mets set a team record with 52 runs scored in a four-game span. They have 69 hits during this stretch.
  • June 30 - The Oakland A's deal second baseman Mark Ellis to the Colorado Rockies for right-handed pitcher Bruce Billings and a player to be named later.

July

  • July 8 - Texas Rangers left fielder Josh Hamilton tosses a foul ball to Shannon Stone, a fan in the stands at Rangers Ballpark, during the second inning of their 6-0 victory over the Oakland A's. After reaching over the railing and catching the ball, Stone falls approximately twenty feet head first from section 5 in the left field lower reserved seats into the opening behind the out-of-town scoreboard. He is immediately attended to by emergency personnel and taken to John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth. Witnesses said Stone was conscious after landing and spoke about his six year old son, Cooper, being left alone. Stone went into full arrest on the way, and was pronounced dead at the hospital; an autopsy ruled the cause as blunt force trauma from the fall.
  • July 9 - At Yankee Stadium, Derek Jeter of the New York Yankees becomes the 28th member of the 3000-hit club, homering off David Price in the third inning of the Yankees' 5-4 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays. Jeter, who goes 5-for-5 on the day, becomes the first player to reach the milestone exclusively as a Yankee, and only the second to do so with a home run, joining Wade Boggs in 1999.
  • July 14 - The Roger Clemens perjury trail is declared a mistrial by Judge Reggie Walton on just the second day of testimony after the government introduces evidence before the jury that Walton had ruled inadmissible.

Deaths

January

  • January 1 - John L. Rice, 92, American League umpire from 1955 through 1973, who worked in four World Series and three All-Star Games.
  • January 6 - Ryne Duren, 81, All-Star relief pitcher who played with seven MLB teams from 1954 to 1965, and a key contributor for New York Yankees teams that won the American League Championship in the 1958 and 1960 seasons.
  • January 7 - Red Borom, 95, the oldest living former Detroit Tigers player, who was on the Tigers' 1945 World Series champion team.
  • January 7 - José Vidal, 70, Dominican outfielder for the Cleveland Indians, Seattle Pilots and Nishitetsu Lions from 1966 to 1971, and a California League MVP winner in 1963.
  • January 9 - Dave Sisler, 79, pitcher who posted a 38-24 record with a 4.33 ERA in 247 games while playing for the Red Sox, Tigers, Senators and Reds.
  • January 15 - Roy Hartsfield, 85, manager of the Toronto Blue Jays during their first three Major League seasons (1977–79).
  • January 18 -George Crowe, 89, first baseman who spent nine seasons in the majors with the Cincinnati Reds, St. Louis Cardinals and Milwaukee/Boston Braves, being selected to the National League All-Star team in 1958.
  • January 20 - José Ortiz, Puerto Rican outfielder who hit .301 in 67 games for the White Sox and Cubs from 1969 to 1971.
  • January 20 - Gus Zernial, 87, All-Star outfielder who played for three teams during an 11-year career and led the American League with 33 home runs and 129 RBI in 1951.

February

  • February 3 - Ron Piché, 75, Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher, who posted a 10-16 record and a 4.19 ERA in 134 games for the Milwaukee Braves, California Angels and St. Louis Cardinals from 1960 to 1966.
  • February 4 - Woodie Fryman, 70, All-Star pitcher who posted a 141-155 record and a 3.77 ERA for the Pirates, Phillies, Tigers, Reds and Expos from 1966 to 1983.
  • February 11 - Chuck Tanner, 81, who managed the Pittsburgh Pirates to the World Series championship in 1979.
  • February 12 - Gino Cimoli, 81, first player to bat for the Dodgers after their move from Brooklyn to Los Angeles in 1958; later an outfielder on the Pittsburgh Pirates' 1960 World Series championship team.
  • February 14 - Cecil Kaiser, 94, oldest living Negro Leagues star.
  • February 15 - Joe Frazier, 88, outfielder who spent parts of four seasons in the majors and later managed the New York Mets.
  • February 18 - Spook Jacobs, 85; second baseman who played from 1954 through 1956 for the Philadelphia/Kansas City Athletics and the Pittsburgh Pirates.
  • February 18 - Buddy Lewis, 94, All-Star third baseman/outfielder who hit .297 in 1349 games for the Washington Senators between 1935 and 1949.
  • February 20 - Andrew Baur, 66, co-owner and treasurer of the St. Louis Cardinals.
  • February 26 - Greg Goossen, 65, standout football and basketball player at Notre Dame, who catched in the majors for the Mets, Pilots, Brewers and Senators from 1966 to 1970.

March

  • March 7 - Frank Dezelan, 80, National League umpire, who was behind home plate when Willie Mays hit his 600th career home run in 1969, and also worked at the 1970 All-Star Game that ended with Pete Rose colliding with catcher Ray Fosse at home plate.
  • March 12 - Mitchell Page, 59, outfieder for the Athletics and Pirates from 1977 to 1984, who later served as the Cardinals' hitting coach between 2001 and 2004.
  • March 13 - Jean Smith, 82, All-American Girls Professional Baseball League All-Star.
  • March 15 - Marty Marion, 94, eight-time All-Star shortstop and 1944 National League MVP, who also managed the St. Louis Cardinals and Browns and the Chicago White Sox.
  • March 15 - Fred Sanford, 91, pitcher for the Browns, Yankees and Senators between 1943 and 1951.
  • March 16 - Tom Dunbar, 51, outfielder who played from 1983 through 1985 for the Texas Rangers.
  • March 18 - Charlie Metro, 91, player manager, coach and scout, who also served as one of the ″College of Coaches″ for the Chicago Cubs in the 1962 season.
  • March 19 - Bob Rush, 85, All-Star pitcher who won 127 games for the Cubs, Braves and White Sox from 1949 through 1960.

April

  • April 1 - Lou Gorman, 82, Major League Baseball executive and general manager for the Boston Red Sox and Seattle Mariners.
  • April 2 - Tom Silverio, 65, Dominican outfielder who played from 1970 through 1972 for the California Angels.
  • April 3 - Amy Irene Applegren, 83, All-American Girls Professional Baseball League pitcher, who hurled a no-hitter and was a member of three championship teams.
  • April 3 - Larry Shepard, 92, manager with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1968 and 1969, later the pitching coach for the Cincinnati Reds team that won the 1975 and 1976 World Series.
  • April 12 - Eddie Joost, 94, All-Star shortstop who starred for the Philadelphia Athletics in the 1940s and 1950s, and last living member of the Cincinnati Reds team that won the 1940 World Series.
  • April 15 - Reno Bertoia, 76, Italian-born Canadian infielder who played 10 years in the Major Leagues, eight of them with the 1950s Detroit Tigers, and a member of the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame.
  • April 15 - Bobo Osborne, 75, first baseman who played for the Detroit Tigers and Washington Senators between the 1957 and 1963 seasons.
  • April 16 - Bill Kinnamon, 91, American League umpire who worked in the 1962 and 1968 All-Star Games, the 1968 World Series, and umpired at home plate when Roger Maris hit his 61st home run in 1961 to break Babe Ruth's single-season record.
  • April 30 - Mike Krsnich, 79, outfielder for the Milwaukee Braves during the 1960 and 1962 seasons.
  • April 30 - Emilio Navarro, 105, first Puerto Rican to play in the Negro Leagues, believed to be the oldest living professional baseball player.

May

  • May 6 - Duane Pillette, 88, pitcher who posted a 38-66 record and a 4.40 ERA in 188 games for the Yankees, Browns, Orioles and Phillies from 1949 through 1956.
  • May 10 - Bill Bergesch, 89, Major League Baseball executive who worked for the Athletics, Mets, Yankees and Reds organizations.
  • May 13 - Mel Queen, 69, major league player, coach and executive, and a principal architect of the Toronto Blue Jays’ farm system in the 1980s and 1990s.
  • May 17 - Harmon Killebrew, 74, Hall of Famer who hit 573 home runs during his 22-year career, most of them with the Senators and Twins for the 11th most in major league history.
  • May 20 - Randy Poffo, 58, legendary professional wrestler better known as Randy Savage, who before embarking upon his wrestling career spent four years in the Cardinals and Reds minor league systems.
  • May 21 - Jim Pyburn, 78, backup outfielder and third baseman who played from 1955 through 1957 for the Baltimore Orioles.
  • May 25 - Paul Splittorff, 64, the winningest pitcher in Kansas City Royals history and a popular broadcaster for the team.
  • May 25 - Gene Smith, 94, pitcher who hurled three no-hitters during his eight-year career in the Negro Leagues.
  • May 28 - Bill Harris, 79, Canadian-born pitcher who played in part of two seasons for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers.
  • May 28 - Martha Rommelaere, 88, Canadian-born outfielder in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League.

June

  • June   7 - José Pagán, 76, Puerto Rican infielder for the Pittsburgh Pirates, who drove in the winning run in Game 7 of the 1971 World Series.
  • June   8 - Jim Northrup, 71, hero of the 1968 World Champion Detroit Tigers, after hitting a grand slam in Game 6 and a tie-breaking two-run triple in Game 7.
  • June 15 - Ted Gray, 86, All-Star pitcher who played all but one season of his nine-year major league career with the Detroit Tigers.
  • June 24 - Richie Myers, 81, utility infielder for the 1956 Chicago Cubs.
  • June 28 - Billy Baldwin, 60, backup outfielder for the Detroit Tigers and New York Mets between the 1975 and 1976 seasons.
  • June 30 - Don Buddin, 77, shortstop who played between 1956 and 1962 for the Boston Red Sox, Houston Colt .45s and Detroit Tigers.

July

  • July   7 - Dick Williams, 82, Hall of Fame manager who posted a 1,571–1,451 record in 21 seasons, while leading the Oakland Athletics to a pair of World Series titles in 1972 and 1973.

References

  1. ^ NYDailyNews.com – New York's Dr. Thomas Emmett Little Posthumously Awarded 2010 Medal Of Freedom
  2. ^ ESPN.com – Hall of Fame to honor Terry Cashman
  3. ^ ESPN.com – Opening Day pushed back in Japan
  4. ^ ESPN.com – MLB institutes 7-day DL for concussions
  5. ^ http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/recap?gid=310402113
  6. ^ http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/recap?gid=310402111
  7. ^ Associated Press – Kinsler first with leadoff homers in first two games
  8. ^ Softbank Hawks: Alex Cabrera hits 350th homer in 1,169th game
  9. ^ Associated Press (May 25, 2011). "Andruw Jones' two homers lift Yanks past Blue Jays". ESPN.com. Retrieved May 25, 2011.
  10. ^ "Barry Bonds gives gift to Bryan Stow". ESPN.com. May 25, 2011. Retrieved May 25, 2011.
  11. ^ Sparky's No. 11 retired in emotional ceremony MLB.com June 26, 2011
  12. ^ Cliff Dapper, 91, former Brooklyn Dodger, only player known to be traded for a broadcaster Los-Angeles-Dodgers.MLB.com, February 15, 2011.


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