April 1-13 - The first players' strike in baseball history wipes 6-8 games off the schedule of each MLB team. It is agreed that those games will be cancelled (i.e., not even played to resolve pennant races). This results in teams not being scheduled for the same number of games in the 1972 season; although non-cancelled games are to be made up if they affect championships, the schedule unbalance will lead to the Detroit Tigers edging the Boston Red Sox by only one-half game to win the American League East Division championship.
May 14 - In front of a Mother's Day crowd of 35,000 in New York's Shea Stadium, Willie Mays makes a triumphant return to New York with the Mets, hitting a game-winning home run against his old teammates (the Giants). He scores in the 1st inning on Rusty Staub's grand slam and his solo homer in the 5th inning snaps a 4-4 tie. The final score: Mets 5, Giants 4.
July 2 - San Francisco's Willie McCovey hits his 14th career grand slam home run to pace the Giants 9-3 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers. Pitcher Randy Moffitt wins his first major league game and receives a congratulatory telegram from his sister Billie Jean King, who is playing at Wimbledon.
July 11 - At Oakland, Boston's Marty Pattin has his no-hit bid foiled when Reggie Jackson hits a 1-out single in the 9th inning. Boston wins 4-0.
September 30 - During the Pirates' 5-0 win over the Mets at Pittsburgh's Three Rivers Stadium, Roberto Clemente hits a double off New York's Jon Matlack in the 4th inning to get his 3,000th and final regular season hit in the major leagues.
October 3 - The Detroit Tigers clinch the American League East as Woodie Fryman beats Luis Tiant of the Boston Red Sox 3-1 for his 10th win. Detroit's Chuck Seelbach picks up his 14th save and Al Kaline singles in the winning run for Detroit.
November 27 - In a great trade for New York, the Cleveland Indians swap third baseman Graig Nettles and catcher Gerry Moses to the New York Yankees for catcher John Ellis, infielder Jerry Kenney, and outfielders Charlie Spikes and Rusty Torres.
December 10 - The American League votes unanimously to adopt the designated hitter rule on a 3-year experimental basis. The DH will replace the pitcher in the lineup unless otherwise noted before the start of the game. In the December 1975 meeting, the AL will vote to permanently adopt the DH. The National League declines to follow suit.
February 9 - Chico Ruiz, 33, infielder for the Cincinnati Reds and California Angels
February 28 - Dizzy Trout, 56, All-Star pitcher for the Detroit Tigers who led the AL in wins in 1943 and was MVP runnerup the following year
March 11 - Zack Wheat, 83, Hall of Fame left fielder for the Brooklyn Dodgers who held team career records for games, hits, doubles and triples, a lifetime .317 hitter who retired with the 10th-most hits in history
March 16 - Pie Traynor, 72, Hall of Fame third baseman for the Pittsburgh Pirates who batted .320 lifetime and established a record for career games at third base; was named the best ever at his position in 1969
March 28 - Donie Bush, 84, shortstop of the Detroit Tigers for 14 seasons who led AL in walks five times and was a superlative bunter; later managed Pittsburgh to the 1927 NL pennant
March 30 - Davy Jones, 91, outfielder with the Detroit Tigers who organized a 1912 walkout to protest Ty Cobb's suspension for attacking a heckler
April 2 - Gil Hodges, 47, 8-time All-Star first baseman for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers who was 2nd in both home runs and rbi's (both to Duke Snider) during the 1950s and managed the "Miracle Mets" to the 1969 World Series title
April 3 - Alvin Crowder, 73, pitcher who had three 20-win seasons with the Browns and Senators, known for his mastery against the Yankees
May 22 - Dick Fowler, 51, Canadian pitcher who won 66 games with the Philadelphia Athletics, including a no-hitter
May 29 - Moe Berg, 70, catcher who served as a spy for the U.S. government both during and after his playing career
June 9 - Del Bissonette, 72, first baseman who twice batted .300 for the Brooklyn Dodgers
July 31 - Rollie Hemsley, 65, All-Star catcher for seven teams, later a coach and minor league manager
August 13 - George Weiss, 77, Hall of Fame executive who solidified the New York Yankees dynasty as the club's farm director and general manager from 1932 to 1960, then became the Mets' first team president
August 24 - J. Roy Stockton, 79, St. Louis sportswriter from the 1910s to the 1950s, also a sportscaster and author of books on baseball
September 6 - Charlie Berry, 69, American League catcher for eleven seasons, later an AL umpire from 1942 to 1962
September 16 - Eddie Waitkus, 53, All-Star first baseman who was shot in 1949 by a teenaged female admirer who lured him to her hotel room
October 9 - Dave Bancroft, 81, Hall of Fame shortstop for four NL teams, known for his defensive skill and also batting over .300 five times; captain of the New York Giants' pennant winners from 1921-1923
October 24 - Jackie Robinson, 53, Hall of Fame second baseman for the Brooklyn Dodgers who broke baseball's color line in 1947 after starring in the Negro Leagues; he became the NL's 1949 MVP and batted .311 in a 10-year major league career
November 2 - Freddy Parent, 96, shortstop in the Red Sox' first seven seasons, and the last surviving participant of the inaugural 1903 World Series
November 26 - Wendell Smith, 58, sportswriter for Pittsburgh and Chicago newspapers since 1937 who became the BBWAA's first black member and helped ease Jackie Robinson's entry into the major leagues; also a Chicago sportscaster since 1964
December 20 - Gabby Hartnett, 72, Hall of Fame catcher for the Chicago Cubs who virtually clinched the 1938 pennant with a home run, he established career records for games and home runs as a catcher and was the NL's 1935 MVP
December 31 - Roberto Clemente, 38, right fielder for the Pittsburgh Pirates since 1972; a lifetime .317 hitter, 12-time All-Star and winner of 12 Gold Gloves who was a 4-time batting champion and the NL's 1966 MVP and 1971 World Series MVP he collected his 3000th base hit in September. Hit safely in all 14 of his World Series games
