January 17 – Cleveland newspapers reported that the Indians had been chosen to replace the previous nickname of the Naps local team. They became the Bronchos in 1902 before taking on the name Naps the following year in honour of their player-manager Nap Lajoie, who was purchased by the Philadelphia Athletics at beginning of the year. A false rumor claimed that the origin of the Indians name was former Cleveland Spiders outfielder Chief Sockalexis, regarded as the first man of Native American ancestry to play in Major League Baseball.
June 17 – Zip Zabel comes out of the Chicago Cubs bullpen with two outs in the first inning to face the Brooklyn Robins. Zabel wins the game in the 19th inning, 4–3, in the longest relief effort in major league history. Brooklyn starter Jeff Pfeffer goes the distance, scattering 15 hits as he labors 18+2⁄3 innings, only to lose on a throwing error by second baseman George Cutshaw.
June 23 – In his major league debut, Bruno Haas of the Philadelphia A's pitches a complete game. Haas walks 16 batters in nine innings as the A's fall to the Yankees 15–7.
August 18 – Wilbur Good became the only Chicago Cubs player ever to steal second base, third, and home — all in the same inning. His teammates followed his good example and went on to beat the Brooklyn Robins 9–0.
September 29 – Phillies pitcher Grover Cleveland Alexander pitches a complete game, giving up only one hit in a 5–0 victory over the Boston Braves in Boston to clinch their very first National League pennant.
October 13 – The Boston Red Sox defeat the Philadelphia Phillies, 5–4, in Game 5 of the World Series to win their third World Championship title, four games to one. The Phillies would not appear in the Series again until 1950.
January 27 – John Coleman, 54, pitcher for the 1890 Philadelphia Phillies.
January 29 – George Baker, 57, outfielder who played from 1883 through 1886 for the Baltimore Orioles, St. Louis Maroons, and Kansas City Cowboys.
February 5 – Ross Barnes, 64, star second baseman of the 1870s who batted .359 lifetime, winning first National League batting title with .429 mark, also leading league in runs, hits, doubles, triples and walks.
February 9 – Red Waller, 31, who pitched in one game for the 1909 New York Giants of the National League.
February 17 – Jersey Bakley, 50, 19th century pitcher for nine teams in four different leagues, who posted a 3.66 ERA and struck out 669 in 215 games, even though he had a 76–125 record.
February 24 – George Moolic, 47, backup catcher for the Chicago White Stockings 1886 National League champions.
February 24 – Adonis Terry, 50, 1890s pitcher for the Brooklyn, Pittsburgh and Chicago teams, who won 197 games, including two no-hitters.
March 15 – Jim Donnelly, 49, 19th century third baseman who hit .230 in eleven seasons for nine teams in two different leagues.
April–June
April 9 – Rabbit Robinson, 33, infielder/outfielder for the Washington Senators (1903), Detroit Tigers (1904), and Cincinnati Reds (1910).
April 15 – Frank Figgemeier, 41, pitcher who played for the 1894 Philadelphia Phillies of the National League.
April 21 – Jack Allen, 59, National League third baseman who played for the Syracuse Stars and the Cleveland Blues during the 1879 season.
May 4 – Chuck Lauer, 50, National League outfielder for the Pittsburgh Alleghenys (1884, 1889) and the Chicago Colts (1890).
June 2 – Dave Orr, 55, first baseman and a perennial .300 hitter for five teams in three different leagues during eight seasons, who led American Association in average and runs batted in 1884, led twice in hits and triples, and posted a career .342 average while collecting 100 or more RBI in four seasons.
June 4 – Tim Hurst, 49, umpire for nine National League seasons between 1891 and 1903 and in the American League from 1905 to 1909; officiated in Temple Cup series of 1894–95, managed the 1898 Browns, and also was a colorful figure known for his combative relations with players.
June 6 – Tom Berry, 72, who appeared in one game for the 1871 Philadelphia Athletics.
June 12 – Pat Crisham, 38, first baseman and catcher who hit .291 in 53 games for the Baltimore Orioles of the National League in 1899.
June 18 – Charlie Faust, 34, who pitched in just two games for the 1911 New York Giants and stole two bases, but made his mark as John McGraw's good-luck charm and team's mascot.
July–September
July 1 – Phil Coridan, 56, second baseman/outfielder for the Chicago Browns of the Union Association in 1884.
July 7 – Mike DePangher, 56, catcher for the 1884 Philadelphia Quakers of the National League.
July 18 – Larry McKeon, 49, pitcher who posted a 14–19 record and a 3.71 in 116 games for three teams in two different leagues from 1884 to 1886.
July 26 – Charlie Reising, 53, outfielder for the 1884 Indianapolis Hoosiers of the American Association.
August 21 – Blaine Thomas, 27, who pitched briefly for the 1911 Boston Red Sox.
August 30 – William Coon, 60, catcher/right fielder for the 1975–1876 Philadelphia Athletics.
September 9 – Albert Goodwill Spalding, 65, pitcher who led league in wins every season from 1871 to 1876, retiring at age 27 with 253 victories; also batted .313 lifetime, managed Chicago to 1876 pennant in NL's first season and guided team to three pennants as team president from 1882 to 1891; staged sport's first world tour in 1888.
September 11 – John Carbine, 59, first baseman for the 1875 Keokuk Westerns and the 1876 Louisville Grays.
September 16 – Wally Goldsmith, 65, utility infielder and catcher who played from 1868 to 1875 in the National Association with the Baltimore Marylands, Fort Wayne Kekiongas, Washington Olympics and Keokuk Westerns.
September 23 – Brickyard Kennedy, 47, pitcher who won 20 games four times for Brooklyn, pitching also in the 1903 World Series for the Pirates.
September 26 – Ed Cushman, 63, pitcher for six seasons, who threw a no-hitter on September 28, 1884.
October–December
October 2 – Tommy Beals, 65, outfielder/second baseman for six seasons, five of them in the National Association.
October 12 – Bert Myers, 41, third baseman who played from 1896 to 1900 for the St. Louis Browns, Washington Senators and Philadelphia Phillies.
October 14 – Bill Reidy, 42, 19th century pitcher who posted a 27–41 record and a 4.17 ERA for three teams in two different leagues.
October 19 – Russ McKelvy, 61, National League right fielder for the 1882 Indianapolis Blues, who also played with the Pittsburgh Alleghenys in 1882.
October 27 – Martin Mullen, 63, right fielder in one game for the 1872 Cleveland Forest Citys of the National Association.
November 2 – Fred Bunce, 68, National Association umpire.
November 9 – Otis Johnson, 32, shortstop for the New York Highlanders of the American League in 1911.
November 14 – Art McGovern, 33, Canadian catcher who played for the 1905 Boston Americans of the American League.
December 4 – Andrew Freedman, 55, controversial owner of the New York Giants from 1895 to 1902, who concurrently owned Baltimore Orioles of the American League during 1902 and deliberately released key Baltimore personnel — including Hall of Famers John McGraw, Joe McGinnity and Roger Bresnahan — and signed them to contracts for the Giants.
December 4 – Oscar Purner, 41, pitcher for the Washington Senators of the National League during the 1895 season.
December 14 – Danny Murphy, 51, backup catcher for the 1892 New York Giants of the National League.
December 15 – Tony Murphy, 56, American Association catcher who played for the 1884 New York Metropolitans.
December 16 – John Hofford, 52, National League pitcher for the Pittsburgh Alleghenys of the American Association in 1885 and 1886.
December 26 – Art Ball, 39, National League infielder for the 1894 St. Louis Browns and the 1898 Baltimore Orioles.
December 26 – John Doyle, 57, Canadian pitcher who played in 1882 for the St. Louis Brown Stockings of the American Association.
December 31 – Tip O'Neill, 57, Canadian left fielder for four teams in three different leagues, who won American Association batting titles in 1887 and 1888 while collecting a .326 average in 1052 games.
