2001 in baseball

Deaths

January-April

• January 22 - Tommie Agee, 58, outfielder who played 12 seasons for the Cleveland Indians, Chicago White Sox, New York Mets, Houston Astros and St. Louis Cardinals, who is best remembered for his performance in Game 3 of the 1969 World Series, after two of the greatest catches in series history that helped the Mets to win the World Championship.
• January 28 - Curt Blefary, 57, outfielder who was named American League Rookie of the Year in 1965.
• February 16 - Bob Buhl, 72, 166 pitching victories with the Braves and Phillies.
• February 18 - Eddie Mathews, 69, a Hall of Fame third baseman who played his 17-year career for the Braves.
• February 20 - Bill Rigney, 83, first manager of the Giants after they moved from New York to San Francisco.
• March 20 - Luis Alvarado, 52, a nine-season career infielder who played with the Boston Red Sox and Chicago White Sox.
• April 9 - Willie Stargell. 61, elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibilty, and a one of the most famous players in Pittsburgh Pirates history.
• April 21 - Hal White, 83, who had a successful career as a spot starter and relief pitcher, appearing in 12 seasons with the Detroit Tigers.

May-August

• May 19 - Joe Lovitto, 51, former outfielder for the Texas Rangers and New York Mets.
• June 2 - Gene Woodling, 78, who spent 17 seasons in the major leagues, and was part of five consecutive World Series titles with the Yankees.
• June 16 - Sam Jethroe, 83, one of the best Negro League players of all time, and the oldest winner of Rookie of the Year honors (at age of 32).
• June 20 - Bob Keegan, right-handed pitcher for the Chicago White Sox from 1953 to 1958.
• July 17 - Chief Hogsett, 97, a former pitcher for the Tigers, St. Louis Browns and Washington Senators, from 1929 to 1944.
• August 10 - Lou Boudreau, 88, a Hall of Fame member, who had a successfully manager as a player-manager with the Cleveland Indians.
• August 24 - Hank Sauer, 82, a National League MVP and All-Star slugger who spent most of his 15-year career with the Chicago Cubs.
• August 29 - Dick Selma, 57, a former pitcher for the Mets, Cubs, Phillies and San Diego Padres, who set a Mets' record with a 13-strikeout game, and was was the winning pitcher in the Padres' first win of their inaugural season.
• August 31 - Crash Davis, 82, who had a brief major league career with the Philadelphia Athletics, but his name will forever be linked with Kevin Costner's character in Bull Durham.

September-December

• September 17 - Bubba Church, 77, a pitcher for the Phillies' famed Whiz Kids, who also pitched with the Reds and Cubs.
• October 5 - Woody Jensen, 94, an outfielder who played in nine seasons with the Pirates, and who set a record for leadoff hitters with 696 at-bats (1936).
• October 18 - Ferris Fain, 80, a five-consecutive All-Star and a two-time batting champion, who played with the Philadelphia Athletics, Detroit, Cleveland and White Sox.
• November 23 - Bo Belinsky, 64, an Angels pitcher who during his rookie season in 1962, threw the first major league no-hitter on the West Coast against the Orioles.
• November 29 - Marcelino López, 58, who lost out on American League Rookie of the Year to Curt Blefary in 1965, and pitched with the Phillies, Orioles, Brewers and Indians.
• December 24 - Hank Soar, 87, a former football star with the New York Giants, and a Major League umpire who worked in three All-Star games and five World Series, including working first base when the Yankees' Don Larsen pitched a perfect game against the Brooklyn Dodgers (1965).
• December 26 - Tom McBride, 87, who was a member of the Red Sox team that lost the 1946 World Series to the St. Louis Cardinals.