January 13 - Hank Aaron and Frank Robinson become the 12th and 13th players elected to the Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers Association of America in their first year of eligibility. Aaron fall nine votes shy of becoming the first-ever unanimous selection, and his 97.8 election percentage is second only to Ty Cobb's 98.2 percent in the inaugural 1936 election. Kaline is the 10th player to be elected in his first year of eligibility, while Snider is making his 11th appearance on the ballot.
March 10 - Former N.Y. Giants shortstop Travis Jackson and former baseball commissioner Happy Chandler are elected to the Hall of Fame by the Special Veterans Committee. Jackson hit .291 in 15 seasons between the 1920s and '30s, while Chandler was the second commissioner and oversaw – and encouraged – the dismantling of the color barrier in 1947.
July 13 - At Montreal's Olympic Stadium, in the first All-Star Game held outside the United States, Cincinnati Reds shortstop Dave Concepción hits a two-run home run in the second inning to spark the National League to a 4-1 win over the American League. It's the NL's 11th straight victory and 19th in the last 20 contests. Concepción wins the MVP honors.
September 6 - Veteran first baseman Willie Stargell, whose jersey #8 is retired, is saluted by 38,000 fans on his day at Pittsburgh's Three Rivers Stadium. The 41-year-old slugger delivers a pinch single in the Pirates' 6-1 win over the Mets.
January 6 - Wally Post, 52, right fielder, most notably with the Cincinnati Reds, known for his home run power
January 15 - Red Smith, 76, sportswriter who won a Pulitzer Prize and was described by Ernest Hemingway as "the most important force in American sportswriting"
January 18 - Bob Addie, 71, sportswriter for Washington, D.C. newspapers for nearly 40 years who covered both Senators franchises
February 17 - Nestor Chylak, 59, American League umpire from 1954 to 1978 who worked in five World Series and six All-Star games
May 11 - Dave Malarcher, 87, infielder and manager in the Negro Leagues who led the Chicago American Giants to World Series titles in 1926-27 and the Indianapolis ABC's to a 1933 pennant
May 17 - Dixie Walker, 71, five-time All-Star outfielder who batted .306 lifetime and gained his greatest popularity with the Dodgers; NL batting champion in 1944
June 8 - Satchel Paige, 75, Hall of Fame pitcher in the Negro Leagues, mainly with the Kansas City Monarchs, who was black baseball's biggest star for much of his career; won 28 major league games after debuting at age 42; in 1971 became first Negro Leaguer elected to Hall of Fame
July 6 - "Indian" Bob Johnson, 76, 8-time All-Star left fielder with the Philadelphia Athletics who had eight 100-RBI seasons and scored 100 runs six times
July 14 - Jackie Jensen, 55, All-Star right fielder who starred for the Boston Red Sox, winning the AL's 1958 MVP award and leading the league in RBI three times, but retired at 32 due to an intense fear of flying
July 22 - Lloyd Waner, 76, Hall of Fame center fielder who played in the Pittsburgh Pirates outfield next to his brother Paul; a career .316 hitter who led the NL in hits, runs and triples once each, his 1967 Hall election made them the first brothers to be inducted
September 7 - Ken Boyer, 51, 7-time All-Star third baseman with the St. Louis Cardinals who won the NL's 1964 MVP award and five Gold Gloves; batted .300 five times and had eight 90-RBI seasons
September 29 - Monty Stratton, 70, All-Star pitcher for the Chicago White Sox who attempted to make a baseball comeback after a hunting accident cost him a leg, inspiring an Oscar-winning movie
November 3 - Ray Fisher, 95, pitcher for the Yankees and Reds who started Game 3 of the 1919 World Series; coached at Michigan for 38 years, winning the 1953 College World Series
