1984 in baseball



Champions

Major League Baseball

Other champions

Awards and honors

Events

January

February

March

April

File:Dickie Thon.jpg|thumb|upright|Dickie Thon during his – tenure with the Phillies

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

Movies

Births

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

Deaths

January

  • January 1 – Hazel Measner, 58, Canadian pitcher who played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League in its 1946 season.
  • January 6 – Billy Lee, 89, who appeared in 25 games, chiefly as an outfielder, for the 1914–1915 St. Louis Browns.
  • January 18 – Leo Kiely, 54, pitcher for the Boston Red Sox in the 1950s, who in 1957 set two PCL records with 20 wins in relief, 14 of them in consecutive games, and also became the first major leaguer to play in Japanese Baseball, for the Mainichi Orions, in 1953.
  • January 22 – Johnny Spencer, 86, outfielder who played in 1921 and 1922 for the Pittsburgh Keystones of the Negro National League and the barnstorming Homestead Grays.
  • January 24 – Bill Moore, 81, Detroit Tigers pitcher who faced three batters in his only MLB appearance, April 15, 1925; he walked all three and was charged with two earned runs, for a career ERA of "infinity."
  • January 28 – Ray Harrell, 71, pitcher who worked in 119 total games over six seasons spanning 1935 to 1945 for five National League clubs, principally the St. Louis Cardinals and Philadelphia Phillies.
  • January – Frank Russell, 62, second baseman, third baseman and outfielder for the Baltimore Elite Giants of the Negro National League.

February

March

  • March 8 – Bruce Cunningham, 78, pitcher who appeared in 104 games for 1929–1932 Boston Braves.
  • March 9
  • *Charlie Blackburn, 89, pitcher and University of Chicago grad who worked in eight total games for the 1915 Kansas City Packers and 1921 White Sox.
  • *Ping Gardner, 69, pitcher in Negro leagues between 1923 and 1932; led Eastern Colored League in games lost in 1928.
  • March 10 – Bill McGhee, 75, first baseman and left fielder who played 170 games for wartime 1944–1945 Philadelphia Athletics.
  • March 14 – "Gentleman John" Enzmann, 94, pitcher for 1914 Brooklyn Robins and 1918–1920 Cleveland Indians, who made 67 MLB appearances; member of 1920 World Series champions.
  • March 15 – Buckshot May, 84, pitcher whose 13 years in the minor leagues were punctuated by one game and one inning pitched for the Pittsburgh Pirates on May 9, 1924.
  • March 18 – Charley Lau, 50, backup catcher and pinch-hitter for four MLB clubs between 1956 and 1967 who became a renowned hitting instructor, with the Chicago White Sox since 1982; earned fame as the Kansas City Royals' batting coach where his star pupil was George Brett.
  • March 20 – Stan Coveleski, 94, Hall of Fame pitcher who had five 20-win seasons with the Indians and Senators, and led Cleveland to the 1920 World Series championship with three victories over the Brooklyn Dodgers; spitballer led AL in ERA twice and strikeouts once.
  • March 21 – Bob Rothel, 60, first baseman who played in four games for the Cleveland Indians in April 1945.
  • March 26 – Norman "Bobby" Robinson, 70, centerfielder for the Baltimore Elite Giants and Birmingham Black Barons of the Negro leagues; due to an injury, lost his centerfield job to 17-year-old Willie Mays in 1948.
  • March 27 – Oliverio "Baby" Ortíz, 64, Cuban pitcher who made two appearances as a starting hurler for the wartime 1944 Washington Senators.
  • March 28 – Jess Pike, 68, outfielder who played 14 years in the minor leagues, but in only 16 games for 1946 New York Giants as a 30-year-old rookie.
  • March 29 – Hugh Poland, 74, catcher in 83 games for four NL teams between 1943 and 1948; longtime scout for Giants in New York and San Francisco.

April

  • April 2 – Ike Davis, 88, shortstop for the 1919 Washington Senators and 1924–1925 Chicago White Sox, appearing in 164 career games.
  • April 5 – Chet Kehn, 62, pitcher for the 1942 Brooklyn Dodgers, and one of many players who only appeared in the majors during World War II.
  • April 6 – Glenn Wright, 83, shortstop for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Brooklyn Robins/Dodgers, and Chicago White Sox between 1924 and 1935; batted.294 lifetime with 94 home runs in 1,119 games; member of 1925 World Series champion Pirates; later, a minor-league manager and longtime scout.
  • April 8 – William Dyke, 77, second baseman who made two appearances for the 1942 Jacksonville Red Caps of the Negro American League.
  • April 10 – Karl Spooner, 52, Brooklyn Dodgers southpaw who threw complete-game shutouts in his first two MLB appearances in September 1954 — striking out 27 and allowing only seven hits in 18 innings pitched; however, his pitching career was ultimately ruined by a shoulder injury sustained the following spring; appeared in 31 total National League games and two World Series contests.
  • April 11 – Leo Dixon, 89, catcher for 1925 to 1927 St. Louis Browns and 1929 Cincinnati Reds, appearing in 159 career games.
  • April 17 – Sanford Jackson, 84, centerfielder/shortstop/third baseman in the Negro leagues between 1924 and 1932, chiefly for the Chicago American Giants and Memphis Red Sox; two-time Negro World Series champion.
  • April 26 – Alonza Bailey, 80, pitcher for the Newark Dodgers of the Negro National League in 1933 and 1934.
  • April 29 – Howie Gorman, 70, outfielder who played in 14 games for the Philadelphia Phillies during 1937 and 1938.

May

  • May 4 – Arthur "Lefty" Nelson, 67, who pitched in the Negro leagues for the 1937 Atlanta Black Crackers and 1938 Newark Eagles.
  • May 11 – Earl Reid, 70, pitcher who appeared in two games for the Boston Braves in May 1946.
  • May 13
  • *Walter French, 84, reserve outfielder who hit.303 lifetime in 397 career games for the Philadelphia Athletics ; member of 1929 World Series champions.
  • *Russ Young, 81, switch-hitting catcher who got into 16 games for the 1931 St. Louis Browns.
  • May 14 – Elmer Riddle, 69, standout pitcher for early 1940s Cincinnati Reds, posting a 19–4 mark in 1941 and leading NL in earned run average, then, two years later, leading his circuit in wins ; member of 1940 World Series champions; brother of Johnny Riddle.
  • May 15 – Nick Goulish, 67, outfielder and pinch hitter who got into 14 games for wartime 1944–1945 Philadelphia Phillies.
  • May 16 – Andrew "Pat" Patterson, 72, six-time All-Star second baseman in the Negro leagues who played between 1934 and 1947; member, 1946 Negro World Series champion Newark Eagles.
  • May – Leroy Sutton, 63, pitcher for six years in the Negro American League for the St. Louis–New Orleans Stars, Chicago American Giants and Cincinnati–Indianapolis Clowns.

June

  • June 7 – Rabbit Benton, 82, second baseman who played five games for the 1922 Philadelphia Phillies.
  • June 9 – Bobby Rhawn, 65, infielder who played in 90 games for the New York Giants, Pittsburgh Pirates and Chicago White Sox from 1947 to 1949.
  • June 14 – Duke Markell, 60, Paris-born pitcher of Jewish descent who worked in five games for the St. Louis Browns in September 1951; one of seven natives of France to play in MLB.
  • June 17 – Jim Hegan, 63, five-time All-Star catcher for the Cleveland Indians and four other teams between 1941 and 1960, known for outstanding defense; later a longtime New York Yankees coach; son Mike had a long career as first baseman and broadcaster.
  • June 24 – Jim Roberts, 88, pitcher who appeared in a dozen games for 1924–1925 Brooklyn Robins.

July

  • July 4
  • *Reginald Hopwood, 78, left-fielder for the 1928 Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro National League.
  • *Doyt Morris, 67, outfielder who appeared in six games with the Philadelphia Athletics in 1937.
  • July 8 – Ralph Coles, 71, outfielder for the Cleveland Bears and Jacksonville Red Caps of the Negro American League from 1939 to 1941.
  • July 9 – Charlie Uhlir, 71, outfielder for Chicago White Sox in 1934.
  • July 11
  • *Moose Clabaugh, 82, outfielder who had an 11-game trial with 1926 Brooklyn Robins, the same season he slugged 62 home runs to lead the Class D East Texas League in round-trippers.
  • *Lyle Luttrell, 54, shortstop who appeared in 57 games for the 1956–1957 Washington Senators.
  • July 14 – Al Schacht, 91, pitcher and coach for Washington Senators famous for his on-field comedy routines with fellow coach Nick Altrock; also coached for Boston Red Sox ; known as "The Clown Prince of Baseball", he continued to entertain fans at major and minor league parks thereafter.
  • July 16 – Bernell Longest, 66, second baseman for the Chicago American Giants and Cleveland Buckeyes of the Negro American League between 1946 and 1948.
  • July 16 – Ed Short, 64, Chicago White Sox front office executive from 1950 through 1970, and general manager from August 26, 1961 to September 2, 1970.
  • July 22 – Johnny Washington, 68, three-time All-Star first baseman and 1940 Negro National League batting champion who played for the Pittsburgh Crawfords, New York Black Yankees and Baltimore Elite Giants between 1936 and 1948.
  • July 24 – Jake Dunn, 74, played every position but catcher during his Negro leagues career from 1930 to 1943.
  • July 31 – Beans Reardon, 86, National League umpire from 1926 to 1949 who worked in five World Series; known for his colorful arguments and continued use of the outside chest protector within the NL.

August

  • August 3 – Elmer Smith, 91, outfielder in 1,012 games for five clubs, principally the Cleveland Naps/Indians, for ten seasons spanning 1914 to 1925; member of 1920 World Series champions.
  • August 6 – Johnnie Dawson, 69, catcher who played for four Negro American League teams, notably the Kansas City Monarchs, between 1938 and 1942.
  • August 8 – Bert Hamric, 56, outfielder by trade who appeared in ten MLB games as a pinch hitter for the 1955 Brooklyn Dodgers and 1958 Baltimore Orioles.
  • August 14
  • *Spud Davis, 79, good-hitting catcher who played in 1,458 games over 16 seasons for four National League clubs; member of world-champion 1934 St. Louis Cardinals; later, a coach who managed 1946 Pittsburgh Pirates for three end-of-season games.
  • *Lynn McGlothen, 34, pitcher for six MLB clubs between 1972 and 1982 who had his best years with the St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs; 1974 National League All-Star.
  • August 15 – Tom Gee, 84, catcher for the 1925–1926 New York Lincoln Giants and 1926 Newark Eagles of the Eastern Colored League.
  • August 16
  • *Tommie Aaron, 45, first baseman and left fielder who played for the Braves in Milwaukee and Atlanta, and Braves coach since 1978; younger brother of Hank Aaron.
  • *Fred Hahn, 55, left-hander who pitched in one MLB game on April 19, 1952, for the St. Louis Cardinals.
  • August 21 – Rufus Smith, 79, pitcher who appeared in one MLB game, starting and lasting eight innings, for the Detroit Tigers on October 2, 1927; he failed to gain the decision in a 5–4 Detroit win over Cleveland at Navin Field.
  • August 22 – Roy Tyler, 84, outfielder who played for three Negro National League clubs between 1925 and 1933.
  • August 23 – Charlie Robertson, 88, pitcher who spent most of his career with the Chicago White Sox; pitched a perfect game in 1923 against the Tigers in his fourth major league start; last survivor of the 1919 White Sox team.
  • August 24 – Roy Easterwood, 69, catcher and pinch hitter who played in 17 games for the wartime 1944 Chicago Cubs.
  • August 25
  • *Waite Hoyt, 84, Hall of Fame pitcher whose 237 victories included 20-win seasons for the Yankees in 1927–1928; won six World Series games, giving up only two unearned runs in three complete games in the 1921 Series; Cincinnati Reds' play-by-play broadcaster from 1942 to 1965.
  • *Skeeter Scalzi, 71, infielder and pinch runner who appeared in 11 games for 1939 New York Giants; longtime minor-league manager.
  • August 26 – Bill Trotter, 74, pitcher who worked in 163 games for the St. Louis Browns, Washington Senators and St. Louis Cardinals.
  • August 31 – Audrey Wagner, 56, All-Star outfielder in the AAGPBL who won three home run titles, a batting crown, and the 1948 Player of the Year Award.

September

  • September 7 – Joe Cronin, 77, Hall of Fame shortstop and manager, and AL president from 1959 to 1973, who batted.301 lifetime and had eight 100-RBI seasons; managed Washington Senators to 1933 pennant at age 26, won 1946 flag with Boston Red Sox, and was general manager of the Red Sox from 1948 to January 1959.
  • September 10
  • *Jackie Gallagher, 82, right fielder who played in one game for the Cleveland Indians on August 24, 1923.
  • *Johnny Marcum, 75, good-hitting pitcher who appeared in 299 American League games for Philadelphia, Boston, St. Louis and Chicago.
  • *Specs Roberts, 77, pitcher who appeared for six Negro leagues clubs, most notably the Homestead Grays, between 1937 and 1945; went 5–0 and led Negro National League in winning percentage for 1939 Grays.
  • September 11 – Paul Carter, 90, right-hander who pitched in 127 games for the 1914–1915 Cleveland Naps/Indians and 1916–1920 Chicago Cubs.
  • September 14
  • *Edgar Barnhart, 79, St. Louis Browns pitcher who hurled one scoreless inning in his only MLB game, on September 23, 1924.
  • *Jimmy Pofahl, 67, shortstop-second baseman for Washington who got into 225 career games between 1940 and 1942.
  • September 26 – Walt Bashore, 74, outfielder and pinch hitter in ten games for the 1936 Philadelphia Phillies.

October

  • October 1
  • *Walter Alston, 72, Hall of Fame manager who guided Dodgers teams in Brooklyn and Los Angeles to seven National League pennants and four World Series championships between 1954 and 1976; his 2,040 wins ranked behind only John McGraw in NL history upon retirement.
  • *Billy Goodman, 58, All-Star infielder, principally for the Boston Red Sox and Chicago White Sox, who won the 1950 AL batting title; later a coach for the Atlanta Braves.
  • October 4 – Joe Marty, 71, center fielder who played 538 games for the 1937–1939 Chicago Cubs and 1939–1941 Philadelphia Phillies.
  • October 7 – Art Butler, 96, shortstop/second baseman who appeared in 454 games for Boston, Pittsburgh and St. Louis of the National League from 1911 to 1916.
  • October 13
  • *Dixie Carroll, 93, speedy outfielder who played in 15 games for the 1919 Boston Braves.
  • *Ed Carroll, 77, pitcher for the 1929 Boston Red Sox.
  • *George Kelly, 89,, Hall of Fame first baseman, nicknamed "High Pockets", who batted over.300 six straight years with the New York Giants from 1921 to 1926; led NL in RBI and home runs ; later a coach and scout.
  • October 15 – Red Cox, 89, pitched three games for the 1920 Detroit Tigers.
  • October 19 – Del Lundgren, 85, pitched from 1924 through 1927 for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Boston Red Sox.
  • October 21 – Johnny Rigney, 69, one of the Chicago White Sox' top pitchers in the years prior to World War II, who later became the club's farm system director and, from 1956 to 1958, co-general manager; husband of Dorothy Comiskey.
  • October 22 – Babe Pinelli, 89, National League umpire from 1935 to 1956, previously a Reds third baseman; he worked in six World Series, last calling balls and strikes on Don Larsen's perfect game in 1956.
  • October 25 – Joe Wiggins, 78, infielder who played in the Negro leagues between 1930 and 1934.
  • October 26 – Gus Mancuso, 78, catcher who appeared in 1,460 games for five National League clubs between 1928 and 1945; played on five pennant winners and two World Series champions with the St. Louis Cardinals and New York Giants; two-time NL All-Star.
  • October 27 – Hank Helf, 71, backup catcher who played for Cleveland Indians and St. Louis Browns who, in a 1938 publicity stunt, caught baseballs dropped from the top of the Cleveland Terminal Tower.

November

  • November 7
  • *George Bennette, 83, outfielder for multiple clubs in the Negro National League between 1921 and 1932.
  • *John Griffin, 71, pitcher for the 1937 St. Louis Stars of the NNL.
  • November 13 – Aubrey Epps, 72, catcher who appeared in only one MLB game on September 29, 1935, for the Pittsburgh Pirates, but went three for four and drove in three runs in a 9–6 loss to Cincinnati at Crosley Field; toiled for nine seasons in the minor leagues.
  • November 17 – Dewey Creacy, 84, third- and second baseman who played 15 seasons in the Negro leagues, mainly for the St. Louis Stars and Philadelphia Stars.
  • November 18 – Guido Rugo, 86, construction executive and one of the "Three Little Steam Shovels" as co-owner of the Boston Braves between 1944 and 1951.
  • November 20 – Leon Williams, 78, pitcher, outfielder and pinch hitter who got into a dozen contests for the 1926 Brooklyn Robins.
  • November 25 – Ival Goodman, 76, All-Star right fielder for the 1935–1944 Cincinnati Reds who led NL in triples twice.
  • November 28 – Maurice Young, 79, pitcher for the 1927 Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro National League in 1927.
  • November 30 – Chris Pelekoudas, 66, NL umpire from 1960 to 1975 who worked in two World Series and two NLCS.

December

  • December 1 – Ted Page, 81, outfielder for the Newark Eagles of the Eastern Colored League and Pittsburgh Crawfords of the Negro National League between 1926 and 1937; named an All-Star in 1933.
  • December 7 – Howie Reed, 47, pitcher for five teams from 1958 to 1971, including the 1965 World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers.
  • December 12 – Gene Layden, 90, outfielder who appeared in three contests for 1915 New York Yankees.
  • December 15 – George Tomer, 89, first baseman by trade who pinch-hit in one game for the St. Louis Browns on September 17, 1913; played 13 seasons in minor leagues.
  • December 16 – Debs Garms, 77, outfielder and third baseman who won the 1940 NL batting title with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
  • December 19 – Bill Warwick, 87, catcher who appeared sparingly for 1921 Pirates and 1925–1926 St. Louis Cardinals; member of 1926 World Series champions.
  • December 20
  • *Walt "Cuckoo" Christensen, 85, longtime minor-league outfielder who hit.315 lifetime in 171 MLB games as a member of the 1926–1927 Cincinnati Reds.
  • *Gonzalo Márquez, 38, Venezuelan first baseman who batted.625 in the 1972 postseason as an Oakland Athletics rookie.
  • *Art McLarney, 76, shortstop who appeared in nine games for the 1932 New York Giants.
  • *Steve Slayton, 82, pitcher who played for the 1928 Boston Red Sox.
  • December 26 – Johnny Gill, 79, outfielder who played 118 career MLB games over six seasons between 1927 and 1936, most notably for the Chicago Cubs.
  • December 27 – Shirley Petway, 76, 1932 catcher/outfielder who played in the Negro leagues between 1932 and 1944.