1942 in baseball

Major League Baseball

World Series: St. Louis Cardinals over New York Yankees (4-1)

All-Star Game, July 6 at Polo Grounds: American League, 3-1

Other champions

Negro Leagues World Series: Kansas City Monarchs over Homestead Grays (4-0)

Negro League Baseball All-Star Game: East, 5-2

Minor leagues

Northern League: Winnipeg Maroons

Awards and honors

Most Valuable Player

Joe Gordon (AL) – New York Yankees (2B)

Mort Cooper (NL) – St. Louis Cardinals (P)

The Sporting News Player of the Year Award

Ted Williams – Boston Red Sox (LF)

The Sporting News Most Valuable Player Award

Joe Gordon (AL) – New York Yankees (2B)

Mort Cooper (NL) – St. Louis Cardinals (P)

The Sporting News Manager of the Year Award

Billy Southworth – St. Louis Cardinals

Ted Williams was MLB Triple Crown winner.

January–March

January 15 – President Franklin Delano Roosevelt sent a letter to Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis, encouraging Major League Baseball to continue playing despite American entry into World War II. Roosevelt's famed "Green Light" letter ensured that the 1942 season would be played as planned, negating rumors of a shutdown following the attack on Pearl Harbor. Despite a loss of many star players to military service, such as Joe DiMaggio, Bob Feller & Ted Williams, all sixteen teams continued to play regular schedules for the duration of World War II.

February 12 – Minor league outfielder Gordon Houston becomes the first player in Organized Baseball to die during active duty in World War II. Houston had played with Texarkana in 1940.

March 18 – Jackie Robinson and Nate Moreland request try-outs with the White Sox. Sox manager Jimmie Dykes praises Robinson's baserunning to Pittsburgh Courier sportswriter Herman Hill, saying that "he stole everything but my infielders' gloves." Dykes goes on record to the Courier, saying "Personally, I would welcome Negro players on the White Sox and I believe every one of the other fifteen managers would do so likewise. As for the players, they'd all get along too." Ultimately, Dykes is unable to even consider offering contracts to either, stating that it is a matter for club owners, league officials, and the Commissioner of Baseball to allow it.

April–June

June 2 – Ted Williams of the Boston Red Sox enlists in the United States Navy.

May 13 – Jim Tobin of the Boston Braves almost single-handedly beats the Chicago Cubs at Braves Field, 6–5, by pitching a five-hitter and hitting three consecutive home runs. Tobin, who hit a pinch-homer the day before, becomes the only pitcher in modern history to collect three home runs in a Major League game. His fourth at-bat results in a fly ball caught against the fence in left field.

June 19 – Paul Waner of the Boston Braves joins the 3,000 hit club.

July–September

July 6 – At the Polo Grounds, home of the New York Giants, the American League defeated the National League, 3-1, in the All-Star Game.

July 19 – Boston Red Sox pitcher Mike Ryba catches both games of a doubleheader against the Cleveland Indians at Fenway Park.

August 23 – Babe Ruth dons a uniform for the first time in 7 years for a hitting exhibition against Walter Johnson at Yankee Stadium. On Johnson's fifth pitch, Ruth hit a drive into the lower right field stands as the crowd thundered its approval. On the final pitch, Ruth hit a towering upper-deck shot that was just foul. He circled the bases doffing his cap and saluting the roaring crowd with every step. Ruth and Johnson then left the field together to a thunderous ovation. $80,000 was raised for the Army-Navy relief fund.

September 11 – Chicago Cubs catcher Paul Gillespie homers in his first major league at bat. In 1945 he will homer in his final major league at bat and become the only player in MLB history to do both.

September 27 – The St. Louis Cardinals clinch the National League pennant on the last day of the regular season by defeating the Chicago Cubs, 9-2, in the first game of a double header at Sportsman's Park, St. Louis. The Cardinals also win Game 2 of the double header and finish the season with a record of 106-48, giving them the most victories by any National League team since Pittsburgh's 110 wins in 1909. Meanwhile, the Brooklyn Dodgers win their season finale, 4-3, against Philadelphia to end the season in second place at 104-50.

September 29 – The Kansas City Monarchs defeat the Washington-Homestead Grays 9 to 5 at Shibe Park in Philadelphia and sweep the 1942 Negro World Series four games to none. Satchel Paige pitches 5 ¹⁄₃ hitless innings in relief to shut down the Grays and clinch the title.

October–December

October 5 – The St. Louis Cardinals defeat the New York Yankees, 4-2, in Game 5 of the World Series to win their fourth World Championship, four game to one. The loss was the Yankees' first since the 1926 World Series to the Cardinals. They had won eight Series in the interim.

November 1 – The Brooklyn Dodgers name Branch Rickey as the team president, replacing Larry MacPhail who enters the military service. Rickey had resigned as vice-president of the St. Louis Cardinals only three days earlier.

December 1 – At major league meetings in Chicago, World War II travel restrictions are the order of the day. Owners decide to restrict travel to a three-trip schedule rather than the customary four. Spring training in 1943 will be limited to locations north of the Potomac or Ohio rivers and east of the Mississippi.

Movies

The Pride of the Yankees

January

January 1 – Bill Bethea

January 3 – Epy Guerrero

January 5 – Wally Wolf

January 7 – Jim Lefebvre

January 11 – Danny Napoleon

January 14 – Dave Campbell

January 14 – Billy Parker

January 18 – Dick Estelle

January 25 – Ernie Fazio

February

February 4 – Joe Sparma

February 8 – Fritz Peterson

February 8 – Costen Shockley

February 9 – Hal Gilson

February 12 – Steve Bailey

February 12 – Pat Dobson

February 15 – Bill Henry

February 16 – Tim Cullen

February 21 – Fred Newman

March

March 3 – Don Dennis

March 3 – Bob Garibaldi

March 8 – Dick Allen

March 8 – George Gerberman

March 9 – Bert Campaneris

March 10 – Tom Hilgendorf

March 12 – Jim Wynn

March 13 – Marv Staehle

March 14 – Bob Raudman

March 21 – Len Church

March 23 – Danny Coombs

March 24 – Jesús Alou

March 26 – Mel Queen

March 30 – Conrad Cardinal

April

April 1 – Jake Jaeckel

April 4 – Tom Fisher

April 4 – Jim Fregosi

April 4 – Ron Locke

April 6 – John Wojcik

April 7 – Tom Phoebus

April 8 – José Herrera

April 12 – Dale Roberts

April 12 – Tommie Sisk

April 13 – Ike Brown

April 16 – Jim Lonborg

April 18 – Steve Blass

April 18 – Chuck Taylor

April 19 – Aaron Pointer

May

May 7 – John Flavin

May 9 – Jerry Buchek

May 12 – Ted Kubiak

May 13 – Billy MacLeod

May 14 – Tony Pérez

May 26 – Buddy Booker

May 26 – Chuck Hartenstein

May 30 – John Felske

June

June 1 – Randy Hundley

June 1 – Ken McMullen

June 3 – Duane Josephson

June 6 – Bill Davis

June 8 – Larry Colton

June 8 – Pete Magrini

June 15 – Bruce Dal Canton

June 17 – Luis Peraza

June 22 – Roy Heiser

June 27 – Danny Breeden

June 28 – Tom Fletcher

July

July 4 – Hal Lanier

July 11 – John Sevcik

July 14 – Juan Ríos

July 15 – Don Bosch

July 16 – John Purdin

July 17 – Don Kessinger

July 20 – Mickey Stanley

July 21 – Mike Hegan

July 22 – Frank Johnson

July 24 – Cotton Nash

July 26 – José Martínez

July 27 – Jack Hiatt

August

August 4 – Ángel Bravo

August 4 – Cleon Jones

August 7 – Gary Dotter

August 9 – Tommie Agee

August 11 – Sal Campisi

August 15 – Cap Peterson

August 20 – Fred Norman

August 23 – Dave Dowling

August 23 – Danny Murphy

August 25 – Shaun Fitzmaurice

August 29 – Dan Schneider

August 31 – Tom Dukes

August 31 – Ramón Webster

September

September 5 – Dave Morehead

September 8 – Steve Hargan

September 9 – Ron Stone

September 21 – Sam McDowell

September 21 – Bill Wilson

September 23 – Jim Rooker

September 23 – Woody Woodward

September 24 – Chuck Nieson

September 28 – Grant Jackson

October

October 6 – Jerry Grote

October 8 – Bill Landis

October 13 – Bob Bailey

October 16 – Pete Lovrich

October 17 – Pete Cimino

October 18 – Vern Holtgrave

October 18 – Willie Horton

October 22 – Cecil Upshaw

October 31 – Dave McNally

November

November 2- Ron Reed

November 4 – Jack Whillock

November 5 – Richie Scheinblum

November 6 – Jim Gosger

November 19 – Larry Haney

November 23 – Jerry Nyman

November 24 – Fred Beene

November 25 – Bobby Etheridge

December

December 3 – José Peña

December 4 – Dick Billings

December 5 – Steve Shea

December 6 – Arnold Umbach

December 7 – Alex Johnson

December 13 – Ferguson Jenkins

December 14 – Jim Roland

December 21 – Pete Charton

December 22 – Jack Jenkins

December 23 – Jerry Koosman

December 27 – Byron Browne

January

January 4 – Herold Juul, 48, pitcher for the 1914 Brooklyn Tip-Tops of the Federal League.

January 8 – Harry Pearce, 52, second baseman who played from 1917 through 1919 for the Philadelphia Phillies.

January 22 – Louis Santop, 52, Hall of Fame catcher in the Negro Leagues, an amazing .406 lifetime hitter and the first legitimate home run slugger in black baseball history.

January 31 – Henry Larkin, 19th century first baseman and manager who hit .303 in 10 seasons with the Philadelphia Athletics, Cleveland Infants/Indians and Washington Senators.

January 31 – Ed Phelps, 62, catcher who played with four teams in 11 seasons spanning 1902–1913, and a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates teams who the 1902 and 1903 National League Pennants and played in the 1903 World Series.

February

February 3 – Frank Luce

February 3 – Happy Finneran

February 7 – Joe Poetz

February 9 – John Fischer

February 16 – Orson Baldwin

March

March 1 – Bill Delaney

March 3 – John Buckley

March 3 – Clay Fauver

March 3 – Dan O'Connor

March 4 – Jack Hammond

March 5 – Dutch Wetzel

March 12 – Owen Conway

March 13 – Gene Steere

March 26 – Jimmy Burke

March 31 – Ray O'Brien

April

April 3 – John Rudderham

April 8 – Pat Bohen

April 11 – Norm McNeil

April 26 – Al Montgomery

April 26 – Hack Simmons

May

May 9 – Herm Malloy, 56, pitcher for the Detroit Tigers teams who won the American League pennants in the 1907 and 1908 seasons.

May 15 – Larry Milton

May 20 – Amby McConnell

May 25 – Bill James

May 26 – Ed Gremminger

May 28 – Charley Bassett, 79, infielder for five National League teams in a span of eight seasons from 1884–1892, who led the league's second basemen in assists in 1887, and fielding percentage in 1887 and 1890.

May 28 – Mike Welday

May 30 – Ed Burns

May 30 – Lee Fyfe, 62, umpire who officiated in the Federal League in 1915 and the National League in 1920.

June

June 1 – Danny Friend, 69, pitcher who played for the Chicago Colts of the National League from 1895 through 1898.

June 10 – Matt Zieser, 53, pitcher for the 1914 Boston Red Sox.

June 26 – Gene Stack, 24, pitcher in the Chicago White Sox Minor League system, who in December 1940 became the first player on a Major League roster to be drafted for World War II service.

June 29 – Manuel Cueto, 50, Cuban outfielder who spent more than 20 years in professional baseball, including stints with the St. Louis Terriers in 1914 and the Cincinnati Reds from 1917 until 1919.

June 30 – Cad Coles, 56, outfielder who played for the 1914 Kansas City Packers of the Federal League.

July

July 1 – Harry Spies, 76, first baseman and catcher who played for the Louisville Colonels and Cincinnati Reds during the 1895 season.

July 17 – Lefty Johnson, 79, outfielder for the Philadelphia Keystones, Indianapolis Hoosiers and Baltimore Orioles in parts of five seasons from 1884–1892.

July 20 – Rap Dixon, 39, All-Star outfielder in the Negro Leagues from 1922 through 1937; a power hitter who could also hit for average as well as one of the fastest players and best defensive outfielders in Negro League history.

July 30 – Jim Baskette, 54, pitcher for the Cleveland Naps from 1911 until 1913.

August

August 3 – Jack Hayden, 61, outfielder who played for the Philadelphia Athletics, Boston Americans and Chicago Cubs in the early 20th century.

August 6 – Gordon McNaughton, 32, pitched for the 1932 Boston Red Sox.

September

September 2 – Henry Thielman, pitcher for the New York Giants, Cincinnati Reds and Brooklyn Superbas from 1902 until 1903.

September 26 – Joe Giannini, 54, shortstop for the 1911 Boston Red Sox.

October

October 3 – Pinky Hargrave, catcher for the Washington Senators, St. Louis Browns, Detroit Tigers and Boston Braves between 1923 and 1930.

November

November 8 – Birdie Cree, 60, outfielder who spent his entire career with the New York Highlanders/Yankees from 1908–1915, while hitting .292 in 742 games.

November 14 – Scrappy Carroll, 82, Outfielder for three teams from 1884–1887.

November 15 – Joe Gunson, 79, catcher/outfielder who played four seasons in the majors from 1884, 1889, 1892–1893.

November 24 – Frank Owen, 62, pitcher for the Detroit Tigers and Chicago White Sox from 1901–1908, who posted an 82-67 with a 2,55 ERA.

November 30 – Slim Love, 52, pitcher who posted a 28-21 record with a 3.04 ERA in six seasons with the Senators, Yankees and Tigers.

December

December 5 – Val Picinich, 46, catcher in 1307 games for the Philadelphia Athletics, Washington Senators, Boston Red Sox, Cincinnati Reds, Brooklyn Robins/Dodgers and Pittsburgh Pirates between 1916 and 1933.

December 6 – Amos Rusie, 71, Hall of Fame fireball pitcher whose powerful delivery was the main reason to move the pitching mound in 1893 from 50 feet to its present 60 feet, 6 inches; who retired with a 246-174 record, 1,950 strikeouts and 3.07 ERA in what was really an eight-year career with the New York Giants, collecting 30 or more wins four years in a row and winning 20 or more games eight successive times, while leading the National League in strikeouts five years and leading or tying for most shutouts five times, including a no-hitter, and the Triple Crown in 1894 with a 36-13 mark, 195 strikeouts and a 2.78 ERA en route to a 4–0 four-game sweep of the Baltimore Orioles in the first Temple Cup Championship Series.