Major League Baseball Players Who Died in 1961

While looking up at an Old Timers’ Day scoreboard which was listing deceased Yankee greats, Hall of Fame Catcher Yogi Berra once quipped, "Boy, I hope I never see my name up there." The table below allows you to "check the scoreboard" in a year by year format. Simply select a year and up comes a list of every Major League player in history who died during any given year.
"If anybody talks about a dead guy during a broadcast, I'll sack 'em. I'm sick of dead guys. Whenever I turn on baseball, all I hear about is dead guys. If I hear a name, I'm going to ask: 'Is he dead?' And if he is, you're fired." - Fox Sports President David Hill in The Cultural Encyclopedia of Baseball (Jonathan Fraser Light, 2005)
Major League Baseball Players Who Died in 1961

A Historical Analysis / Return To Players by Place of Death
Lefty Atkinson Chicago, Illinois 02-12-1961 1927 1927
Jesse Barnes Santa Rosa, New Mexico 09-09-1961 1915 1927
Jack Barry Shrewsbury, Massachusetts 04-23-1961 1908 1919
Joe Bean Atlanta, Georgia 02-15-1961 1902 1902
Al Bergman Fort Wayne, Indiana 06-20-1961 1916 1916
Joe Berry Allenwood, New Jersey 03-13-1961 1902 1902
Coonie Blank St. Louis, Missouri 12-08-1961 1909 1909
Ping Bodie San Francisco, California 12-17-1961 1911 1921
Benny Bowcock Taunton, Massachusetts 06-16-1961 1903 1903
Fred Brickell Wichita, Kansas 04-08-1961 1926 1933
Tom Cafego Detroit, Michigan 10-29-1961 1937 1937
Guy Cantrell McAlester, Oklahoma 01-31-1961 1925 1930
Leon Carlson Jamestown, New York 09-15-1961 1920 1920
Nick Carter Grasonville, Maryland 11-23-1961 1908 1908
John Cavanaugh New Brunswick, New Jersey 01-14-1961 1919 1919
Ty Cobb Atlanta, Georgia 07-17-1961 1905 1928
Harry Colliflower Washington, D.C. 08-12-1961 1899 1899
Bill Collins San Bernardino, California 06-26-1961 1910 1914
Jack Coveney Wayland, Massachusetts 03-28-1961 1903 1903
Davey Crockett Charlottesville, Virginia 02-23-1961 1901 1901
Nick Cullop Tazewell, Virginia 04-15-1961 1913 1921
Lum Davenport Dallas, Texas 04-21-1961 1921 1924
George Davis Buffalo, New York 06-04-1961 1912 1915
Tom Downey Passaic, New Jersey 08-03-1961 1909 1915
Jess Doyle Belleville, Illinois 04-15-1961 1925 1931
Lee Dunham Atlanta, Illinois 05-11-1961 1926 1926
Hod Eller Indianapolis, Indiana 07-18-1961 1917 1921
Cy Falkenberg San Francisco, California 04-14-1961 1903 1917
Harry Felix Miami, Florida 10-17-1961 1901 1902
Dana Fillingim Tuskegee, Alabama 02-03-1961 1915 1925
Frank Foutz Lima, Ohio 12-25-1961 1901 1901
Eddie Gaedel Chicago, Illinois 06-18-1961 1951 1951
Harry Gardner Canby, Oregon 08-02-1961 1911 1912
Frank Gibson Edna, Texas 04-27-1961 1913 1927
Harry Gleason Camden, New Jersey 10-21-1961 1901 1905
Roy Golden Norwood, Ohio 10-04-1961 1910 1911
John Grim Indianapolis, Indiana 07-28-1961 1888 1899
Jim Hackett Douglas, Michigan 03-28-1961 1902 1903
Jim Hanley Elmhurst, New York 05-01-1961 1913 1913
Dick Harley Springfield, Ohio 05-16-1961 1905 1905
Bob Harmon Monroe, Louisiana 11-27-1961 1909 1918
Roy Hartzell Golden, Colorado 11-06-1961 1906 1916
Jake Hehl Brooklyn, New York 07-04-1961 1918 1918
Mack Hillis Cambridge, Massachusetts 06-16-1961 1924 1928
George Hogriever Appleton, Wisconsin 01-26-1961 1895 1901
Red Holt Birmingham, Alabama 02-02-1961 1925 1925
Dummy Hoy Cincinnati, Ohio 12-15-1961 1888 1902
Tom Hughes Los Angeles, California 11-01-1961 1906 1918
Vern Hughes Sewickley, Pennsylvania 09-26-1961 1914 1914
Al Humphrey Ashtabula, Ohio 05-13-1961 1911 1911
Ollie Johns Hamilton, Ohio 06-17-1961 1905 1905
Doc Johnston Chattanooga, Tennessee 02-17-1961 1909 1922
Binky Jones St. Louis, Missouri 05-13-1961 1924 1924
Ted Jourdan New Orleans, Louisiana 09-23-1961 1916 1920
Frank Jude Brownsville, Texas 05-04-1961 1906 1906
Benny Kauff Columbus, Ohio 11-17-1961 1912 1920
Jim Kelly Kingsport, Tennessee 04-10-1961 1914 1918
Red Kelly Zephyrhills, Florida 02-04-1961 1910 1910
La Rue Kirby Lansing, Michigan 06-10-1961 1912 1915
Otto Knabe Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 05-17-1961 1905 1916
Ben Koehler South Bend, Indiana 05-21-1961 1905 1906
Lou Koupal San Gabriel, California 12-08-1961 1925 1937
Otto Krueger St. Louis, Missouri 02-20-1961 1899 1905
John Leary Waltham, Massachusetts 08-18-1961 1914 1915
Dutch Lieber Sawtelle, California 12-31-1961 1935 1936
Jack Little Dallas, Texas 07-27-1961 1912 1912
Art Loudell Kansas City, Missouri 02-19-1961 1910 1910
Fred Luderus Three Lakes, Wisconsin 01-05-1961 1909 1920
Freddie Maguire Boston, Massachusetts 11-03-1961 1922 1931
Frank Mahar Somerville, Massachusetts 12-05-1961 1902 1902
Alex Malloy Ferris, Texas 03-01-1961 1910 1910
Bert Maxwell Brady, Texas 12-10-1961 1906 1914
Jack McCandless Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 08-17-1961 1914 1915
Jim McGinley Haverhill, Massachusetts 09-20-1961 1904 1905
Chuck Miller Houston, Texas 06-16-1961 1913 1914
Mike Mitchell Phoenix, Arizona 07-16-1961 1907 1914
John Mohardt LaJolla, California 11-24-1961 1922 1922
Kid Mohler San Francisco, California 11-04-1961 1894 1894
Carlton Molesworth Frederick, Maryland 07-25-1961 1895 1895
Earl Moore Columbus, Ohio 11-28-1961 1901 1914
Walter Morris Dallas, Texas 08-02-1961 1908 1908
Ray Nelson Mt. Vernon, New York 01-08-1961 1901 1901
Red Oldham Costa Mesa, California 01-28-1961 1914 1926
Rube Oldring Bridgeton, New Jersey 09-09-1961 1905 1918
Chink Outen Durham, North Carolina 09-11-1961 1933 1933
Si Pauxtis Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 03-13-1961 1909 1909
Joe Price Washington, D.C. 01-15-1961 1928 1928
Mike Regan Albany, New York 05-22-1961 1917 1919
Ed Reulbach Glens Falls, New York 07-17-1961 1905 1917
Chuck Rose Salina, Kansas 08-04-1961 1909 1909
Schoolboy Rowe El Dorado, Arkansas 01-08-1961 1933 1949
Don Savage Montclair, New Jersey 12-25-1961 1944 1945
Bill Schwartz Nashville, Tennessee 08-29-1961 1904 1904
Epp Sell Reading, Pennsylvania 02-19-1961 1922 1923
Pete Shields Jackson, Mississippi 02-11-1961 1915 1915
Barney Slaughter Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 05-17-1961 1910 1910
Fred Smith Cleveland, Ohio 05-28-1961 1913 1917
Happy Smith San Jose, California 02-26-1961 1910 1910
Red Smith Los Angeles, California 02-19-1961 1925 1925
Syd Smith Orangeburg, South Carolina 06-05-1961 1908 1915
Clyde Southwick Freeport, Illinois 10-14-1961 1911 1911
John Taff Houston, Texas 05-15-1961 1913 1913
Bud Tinning Evansville, Indiana 01-17-1961 1932 1935
Dazzy Vance Homosassa Springs, Florida 02-16-1961 1915 1935
Aaron Ward New Orleans, Louisiana 01-30-1961 1917 1928
Bud Weiser Shamokin, Pennsylvania 07-31-1961 1915 1916
Gene Woodburn Sandusky, Ohio 01-18-1961 1911 1912
Frank Woodward New Haven, Connecticut 06-11-1961 1918 1923
Weldon Wyckoff Sheboygan Falls, Wisconsin 05-08-1961 1913 1918
Bert Yeabsley Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 02-08-1961 1919 1919
Lefty York York, Pennsylvania 04-09-1961 1919 1921

Major League Baseball Players Who Died in 1961


Who was the first Major League player to commit suicide? Which baseball suicide occurred in an Asylum? Which one took place inside a police station? Find out by reading through our list of baseball suicides.

Did you know that the fewest number of baseball deaths occurred during the month of June? For a comprehensive chart check out our Baseball Player Obituaries & Death by Month Chart.

If a player passes away and we haven't updated their page in 24 hours, please contact us immediately so we can make the appropriate changes to their page.
     

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