January 9 – The Cleveland Indians release eight-time American LeagueAll-Star pitcher Bob Feller. Feller—who will be enshrined in the Hall of Fame with Robinson in 1962, their first year of eligibility—first joined Cleveland in 1936 as a 17-year-old. He would go on to post a 266–162 record with 2,581 strikeouts over 18 years with the team, losing 3½ years due to military service in World War II. His uniform #19 is retired along with him.
Owners Walter O'Malley of the Brooklyn Dodgers and Philip K. Wrigley of the Chicago Cubs make an industry-changing "trade" of minor-league franchises. In the transaction, O'Malley acquires the Los Angeles Angels of the Pacific Coast League and the Angels' ballpark, Los Angeles' Wrigley Field, in exchange for the Dodgers' Fort Worth Cats farm club in the Texas League and $3 million. The swap enables O'Malley to lay claim to at least 50 percent of the booming Los Angeles market as a potential new home for his Dodgers. (The PCL's Hollywood Stars also have territorial rights.) That not only paves the way for the Dodgers' groundbreaking move to California, but it pays more dividends when O'Malley trades ownership of the Angels' Wrigley Field to the city for land in Chavez Ravine, where he will eventually build Dodger Stadium.
April 18 – New York City parks commissioner Robert Moses proposes a new 78-acre (320,000 m2) tract in Flushing Meadows as a site for a new National League baseball stadium. The plan, submitted to mayorRobert F. Wagner Jr., includes a 50,000-seat stadium with a plastic dome to be built by the parks department. Shea Stadium—minus a dome—is eventually built on the Flushing Meadows site; it opens in 1964.
April 21 – In the first inning of a 3–1 loss to the Milwaukee Braves at Milwaukee County Stadium, the Cincinnati Redlegs are involved in a bizarre play. With Don Hoak on second and Gus Bell on first, Wally Post hits a ground ball to Milwaukee shortstop Johnny Logan. Hoak breaks up a potential double play by fielding the ball himself and flipping it to Logan. Hoak is called out for interference (contact with a batted ball before a fielder touched it), but Post is given a single on the play. The day before, Johnny Temple let Bell's ground ball hit him with the same result, Temple being called out for interference and Bell being awarded a single. The two incidents prompt league presidents Warren Giles and Will Harridge to jointly announce a rule change that declared both the runner and batter out if the runner intentionally interfered with a batted ball, with no runners allowed to advance.
April 26 – Former team owner Walter Briggs Jr. resigns as general manager of the Detroit Tigers after disagreements with the Tigers' new board of directors. He is replaced by John McHale, 35, the club's farm system director.
April 27 – Latin American baseball mourns at the funeral for all-time great player and manager Lázaro Salazar in México City. The roster of the Diablos Rojos del México, decked out in full uniform, act as pall bearers for their late manager, who died suddenly two days earlier at age 45 after being stricken in the club's dugout. (See Deaths entry for April 25.) Salazar will be honored by membership in the national baseball halls of fame in México, Venezuela and his native Cuba. A commemorative plaque in Monterrey will call Salazar "the greatest manager there has ever been in Mexico. The first to conquer seven pennants in a row. An extraordinary pitcher, first baseman and outfielder."[1]
Two batters into the game at Cleveland Stadium, Indians' pitcher Herb Score is hit in the face by a line drive by New York YankeeGil McDougald, the ball breaking numerous bones and leaving him bloodied. McDougald vows to quit if Score is blinded as a result. Score regains his 20/20 vision, but will miss the remainder of the 1957 season. With Bob Lemon pitching the rest of the way, the Indians defeat the Yankees 2–1.
May 21 – Citing it as a "Men Only" room, the Boston Red Sox deny Doris O'Donnell a seat in the press room. O'Donnell was a reporter covering the Cleveland Indians on their road trip to Boston.
May 28 – The National League approves the proposed moves of the Giants and Brooklyn Dodgers to the West Coast, provided both clubs make their request before October 1 and move at the same time.
May 29 – New York City mayor Robert Wagner says he plans to speak with the Giants and Dodgers about the proposed move, but warns that the city will not be "blackjacked" into anything.
June 13 – A donnybrook breaks out at Ebbets Field in the second inning. After the Milwaukee Braves' Bill Bruton hits his second home run of the day, Don Drysdale of the Brooklyn Dodgers plunks Johnny Logan. The enraged Braves shortstop charges the mound, but it's the on-deck hitter, Eddie Mathews, who catches up to Drysdale and punches him in the ensuing melee. Logan and Drysdale are ejected, Mathews stays in the game, and the Braves win 8–5.
July 6 – Claude Osteen makes his major league debut. He appears in mop up duty, going only two-thirds of an inning in relief for the Cincinnati Redlegs in a 17–3 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals.
July 18 – New York Giants owner Horace Stoneham says his team will quit New York City after the season, adding that he's not heard anything more from San Francisco and that his move is not contingent on the Dodgers' fate. He sees a new stadium or joint occupancy of Yankee Stadium as the only reason for the Giants to stay in New York.
July 20 – Before 6,758 fans at Ebbets Field, the Brooklyn Dodgers defeat the Chicago Cubs, 7–5. Duke Snider belts his 300th career home run; it's his 24th long ball of the season, and his eighth in ten games since the All-Star break.
August 2 – Having just lost the sixth of what will be an eight-game losing streak, the Pittsburgh Pirates (36–67 and seventh in the NL) replace manager Bobby Bragan with coach Danny Murtaugh, 39, a former Pirate second baseman. The Bucs will go 26–25 under Murtaugh, and he'll manage them for the next seven full seasons, leading them to the 1960 World Series title.
September 23 – In their fifth season since leaving Boston, the Milwaukee Braves clinch the National League pennant at County Stadium after Braves slugger (and eventual 1957 National League MVP) Hank Aaron clubs a two-run walk-off home run off Billy Muffett in the bottom of the 11th inning, giving Milwaukee a 4–2 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals. The clincher is witnessed by 40,926 fans during a season in which the Braves draw 2.21 million fans, most-ever in the 82-year-old team's annals to date.
October 16 – Hank Greenberg, general manager of the Cleveland Indians for eight seasons, is notified by the Tribe's board of directors that his contract will not be renewed. The Hall of Fame slugger will remain a minority owner of the franchise through 1958.
November 12 – "Trader" Frank Lane resigns as general manager of the St. Louis Cardinals and is replaced by Bing Devine. Lane, 62, is then hired to succeed Hank Greenberg as GM of the Cleveland Indians, where he will enhance his reputation as a compulsive wheeler-dealer through the end of the 1960 season.
November 20
Second baseman Billy Martin is traded for the second time in five months as part of a 13-player deal between his Kansas City Athletics and the Detroit Tigers. He had played 73 games with Kansas City after being acquired from the New York Yankees on June 15.
Mickey Mantle barely edges Ted Williams, 233 to 209 votes, to win the American League MVP Award. Mantle batted .365 with 34 home runs for the first-place New York Yankees, while Williams, of the third-place Boston Red Sox, led the AL with a .388 average and 38 home runs, as well as a stunning .731 slugging percentage. Red Sox owner Tom Yawkey fumes at the news, noting that two Chicago writers listed the 39-year-old Williams in the ninth and tenth places on their ballots.
After 22 seasons of work, National League umpire Larry Goetz is unwillingly "retired" by league president Warren Giles. The discharged arbitrator had been critical of the Senior Circuit because of its refusal to include umpires in the players' pension fund.
November 26 – Yoshio Tanaka, an American citizen of Japanese descent, is named manager of the Hanshin Tigers, becoming the first American to manage a NPB club.
November 28 – Milwaukee Braves pitcher Warren Spahn, who posted a 21–11 record with 111 strikeouts and a 3.49 ERA, wins the 1957 MLB Cy Young Award almost unanimously. His only competition for the title is Dick Donovan of the Chicago White Sox (16–6, 88, 3.35), who receives one vote. Only one pitcher is selected each season for this prestigious pitching award until 1967, when each league will name a winner.
December 4 – In another seismic trade, the White Sox trade outfielder Minnie Miñoso, a future Hall-of-Famer and fan favorite, to the Cleveland Indians, along with journeyman infielder Fred Hatfield, for another Cooperstown-bound player, pitcher Early Wynn, and outfielder Al Smith.
December 28 – After a Christmas hiatus, the Redlegs make their final major trade of 1957 by sending 11-year team veteran and slugger Ted Kluszewski to the Pittsburgh Pirates for another 33-year-old first baseman, Dee Fondy. Injured for much of 1957, "Big Klu" is still a popular, four-time All-Star and author of 251 homers in a Cincinnati uniform.
Larry Strands, 71, outfielder who played for the Newark Pepper of the outlaw Federal League in 1915, and later spent six seasons in the Minor Leagues from 1911 through 1916.
March 10 – Erskine Mayer, 67, left-handed pitcher for the 1912–1918 Philadelphia Phillies, 1918–1919 Pittsburgh Pirates and 1919 Chicago White Sox, who posted a 91–70 record and 2.96 ERA in 245 games, while collecting back-to-back 21-wins seasons for Philadelphia in 1914 and 1915;[3] appeared in 1915 and 1919 Word Series.
March 12 – Dick Niehaus, 64, pitcher who played from 1913 through 1915 with the St. Louis Cardinals and for the Cleveland Indians in 1920.
March 20 – Ezra Midkiff, third baseman for the Cincinnati Reds in 1909 and New York Highlanders/Yankees from 1912 to 1913.
March 22 – Charlie Babington, 61, backup outfielder for the New York Giants in the 1915 season.
March 31 – Billy Meyer, 64, catcher and manager who played with the Chicago White Sox in 1913 and Philadelphia Athletics from 1916 to 1917; longtime, successful minor-league manager who helmed the Pittsburgh Pirates over five seasons from 1948 to 1952; his uniform #1 was retired by the Pirates in 1954.[4]
April 7 – Jim Scott, nicknamed "Death Valley Jim", 68, two-time 20-game-winner for the Chicago White Sox who compiled 107 victories with a 2.30 earned run average in nine seasons from 1909 to 1917; member of the 1917 World Series champions who remains one of the leading pitchers in White Sox annals, with his career ERA ranking 19th all-time in MLB history as of 2019;[5] spent 25 years in majors and minors as a pitcher and umpire.
April 15
Jack Coombs, 74, key member of the Philadelphia Athletics pitching staff, along with Chief Bender and Eddie Plank, on the 1910–1911 World Series champions; posted a 31–6 record with 13 shutouts and 1.30 ERA in 1910, then defeated the Chicago Cubs three times in the 1910 World Series; in 1911, he went 28–12, then won two games (losing none) against the New York Giants in the 1911 World Series; in his rookie season, he hurled a 24-inning, 4–1 complete game victory over the Boston Americans on September 1, 1906;[6] also hurled for the 1916 National League champion Brooklyn Robins and won his only decision, to raise his Fall Classic record to 5–0 (2.70) in six games; his 13 shutouts still stand as a single season record in American League;[7] managed Philadelphia Phillies for first 63 games of the 1919 season.
Ernie Padgett, 58, third baseman and middle infielder for the Boston Braves and Cleveland Indians in parts of five seasons spanning 1923–1927, who is best known for turning the fourth unassisted triple play in Major League Baseball history on October 6, 1923.
Rube Schauer, 66, Russian pitcher who played for the New York Giants and Philadelphia Athletics over five seasons from 1913 through 1917.
George Watkins, 30, third baseman for the 1946 Philadelphia Stars of the Negro National League.[8]
Bill Sweeney, 52, first baseman for the Detroit Tigers in 1928 and Boston Red Sox from 1930 to 1931, and coach for the Tigers in 1946–1947; managed for 19 seasons in the Pacific Coast League, winning pennants with the Portland Beavers in 1936 and the Los Angeles Angels in 1943 and 1944; incumbent manager of the Beavers at the time of his death;[9] member, PCL Hall of Fame.
April 22 – Joe Benz, 71, spitball and knuckleball specialist who pitched from 1911 through 1919 for the Chicago White Sox and was a member of two American League champion teams in 1917 and 1919; threw a no-hitter against the Cleveland Naps in 1914.[10]
April 25 – Lázaro Salazar, 45, Cuban outfielder, first baseman, southpaw pitcher, and manager; played in the Negro National League (Cuban Stars West, New York Cubans) and Eastern Colored League (Pollock's Cuban Stars) between 1930 and 1936; known especially as a legendary figure in Cuban Winter League, Venezuelan Winter League, and Mexican League baseball; member of the Baseball Halls of Fame of all three nations; manager of defending champion Mexico City Reds when he was stricken by a fatal cerebral hemorrhage in his team's dugout during a game; won four batting titles in three countries and, as a pitcher, over 150 games, and managed his teams to 14 titles in four countries.[1]
June 1 – Pete Schneider, 61, hard-throwing pitcher who played for the Cincinnati Reds from 1914 to 1918 and the New York Yankees in 1919, whose best season was in 1917, when he won 20 games and finished sixth in the National League with a 2.10 ERA.
June 4 – Paul Krichell, 74, French catcher for the St. Louis Browns in parts of two season from 1911 to 1912, who later became head scout for the New York Yankees for 37 years, signing over 200 players, including future Baseball Hall of Famers Lou Gehrig, Phil Rizzuto, Whitey Ford and Tony Lazzeri.[11]
June 5 – Pete Wilson, 71, pitcher for the New York Highlanders from 1908 to 1909.
June 10
George Rohe, 82, reserve infielder for the Baltimore Orioles and Chicago White Sox over parts of four seasons spanning 1901–1907, who unexpectedly became a postseason hero after going 7-for-27 with two triples, a double and four RBI, helping the Hitless Wonders White Sox defeat the highly favored Chicago Cubs in six games of the 1906 World Series for one of the greatest upsets in Series history.[12]
June 11 – Fred Raymer, 81, middle infielder and third baseman who played with the Chicago Orphans in 1901 and for the Boston Beaneaters from 1904 to 1905.
July 3 – Dolf Luque, 66, Cuban pitcher whose Major League Baseball career included stints for the Boston Braves, Cincinnati Reds, Brooklyn Robins and New York Giants over twenty seasons from 1914 through 1935; posted a 194–179 record and 3.24 ERA in 550 pitching appearances, and led the National League with 27 wins in 1923 and twice in ERA in 1923 (1.93) and 1925 (2.63); won World Series rings with the Reds in 1919 and the Giants in 1933, and later became a successful manager in the Cuban Winter League, where he won eight pennant titles,[13] and a coach for the New York Giants.
July 11 – Red Bradley, 48, pitcher for the 1927 Baltimore Black Sox of the Eastern Colored League.
July 12 – Farmer Brady, 67, southpaw who hurled for the Cleveland Tate Stars (1920), a barnstorming team, and the 1924 Cleveland Browns of the Negro National League.
July 16 – L. D. Livingston, 52, outfielder for the 1928–1930 Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro National League.
July 25 – Frank Welch, 59, outfielder who played from 1919 through 1927 for the Philadelphia Athletics and Boston Red Sox.
July 29 – Tommy Thevenow, 53, an elite defensive shortstop who played for five teams in 15 seasons from 1924 to 1938, compiling a solid .952 fielding average while hitting a subpar .247 average with just two inside-the-park home runs in 4,164 at-bats; most remembered as an unsung hero for hitting .417 (10-for-24) for the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1926 World Series, including an inside-the-park homer in Game 2 and the two winning RBI in the decisive Game 7 against the New York Yankees.[14]
August 14 – Tim Hendryx, 66, outfielder who played for the Cleveland Naps, New York Yankees, St. Louis Browns and Boston Red Sox over eight seasons spanning 1911–1921, whose most productive season came with the Red Sox in 1920 as a replacement for departed Babe Ruth at right field, when he posted a .328/.400/.413 batting line with 54 runs scored, 119 hits and 73 RBI, all career-highs, while appearing in 99 games.[15]
August 15 – Ed Baecht, 50, pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Browns over all or parts of six seasons from 1926 to 1937.
September 2 – Don Hanski, 41, first baseman and left-handed pitcher who played for the Chicago White Sox from 1943 to 1944.
September 9
Ed Karger, 74, pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates, St. Louis Cardinals, Cincinnati Reds and Boston Red Sox over six seasons spanning 1906–1911, who was given credit for a seven inning perfect game against the Boston Doves while pitching for St. Louis in 1907.[16]
October 2 – Andy Harris, 61, infielder for the 1926 Newark Stars and 1927 New York Lincoln Giants of the Eastern Colored League; served as player-manager for Newark in 1926.
October 6
Billy Campbell, 83, pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals and Cincinnati Reds over parts of four seasons spanning 1905–1909.
October 9 – Butch Henline, 62, catcher and umpire; appeared in 740 games and batted .291 lifetime for the New York Giants, Philadelphia Phillies, Brooklyn Robins and Chicago White Sox from 1921 to 1931; began his umpiring career in the Southeastern League in 1939 and moved to the International League from 1940 to 1944; promoted to National League arbiter crew in 1945, where he worked in 606 league games and the 1947 All-Star Game through 1948.
October 30 – Fred Beebe, 77, pitcher whose career included stints for the Chicago Cubs, St. Louis Cardinals, Cincinnati Reds, Philadelphia Phillies and Cleveland Indians over seven seasons between 1906 and 1916, who as a rookie in 1906, posted 15 wins with a 2.93 ERA and led the National League with 171 strikeouts.[18]
November 5 – Deke White, 85, 19th century pitcher who played for the Philadelphia Phillies in its 1895 season.
November 8
Fred Anderson, 71, pitcher for the Boston Red Sox, Buffalo Blues and New York Giants over seven seasons spanning 1909–1918, posting a 53–57 record and 2.86 earned run average in 178 games, while leading the National League with a 1.44 ERA in 1917.[20]
Joe Connor, 82, backup catcher for the St. Louis Browns, Boston Beaneaters, Milwaukee Brewers, Cleveland Blues and New York Highlanders in parts of four seasons between 1895 and 1905.
November 19 – Frank Foreman, 94, well-traveled pitcher who was one of 19 men who played in four Major Leagues – the original Union Association, the American Association, the National League, and the American League in its inaugural season, pitching for 11 different clubs over eleven seasons from 1884 to 1902 while posting a 96–93 record and 3.97 ERA in 229 games, and whose Minor League career took him through seven leagues, primarily in the Northeast and Midwest circuits.[21]
November 21 – Bugs Bennett, 65, pitcher who played for the St. Louis Browns and Chicago White Sox during three seasons between 1918 and 1921.
December 3 – Jack Ness, 72, first baseman who had short stints with the Detroit Tigers in 1911 and the Chicago White Sox in 1916, whose career highlight came as a member of the Triple-A Oakland Oaks in 1915, while establishing a new standard for Organized Baseball when he hit safely in 49 consecutive Pacific Coast League games.[22]
December 4 – Jimmy Jordan, 49, middle infielder who played for the Brooklyn Dodgers over four seasons from 1933 to 1936.
December 17 – Fritz Ostermueller, 50, pitcher whose 14-season career included stints with the Boston Red Sox, St. Louis Browns, Brooklyn Dodgers and Pittsburgh Pirates from 1934 to 1948, being portrayed in the 2013 film 42 as a pitcher who feared Jackie Robinson at the plate.
December 21 – Marty Berghammer, 69, shortstop who played with the Chicago White Sox, Cincinnati Reds and Pittsburgh Rebels in a span of four seasons from 1911 to 1915.
