Major League Baseball Players Who Died in 1978

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 1978

A Historical Analysis / Return To Players by Place of Death
Walt Alexander Fort Worth, Texas 12-29-1978 1912 1917
Ferrell Anderson Joplin, Missouri 03-12-1978 1946 1953
Larry Bettencourt New Orleans, Louisiana 09-15-1978 1928 1932
Steve Bilko Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania 03-07-1978 1949 1962
Charlie Bold Chelsea, Massachusetts 07-29-1978 1914 1914
Lyman Bostock Gary, Indiana 09-24-1978 1975 1978
Buzz Boyle Cincinnati, Ohio 11-12-1978 1929 1935
Bill Brubaker Laguna Hills, California 04-02-1978 1932 1943
George Burns Kirkland, Washington 01-07-1978 1914 1929
Ed Chaplin Sanford, Florida 08-15-1978 1920 1922
Bill Clowers Sweeny, Texas 01-13-1978 1926 1926
Pete Compton Kansas City, Missouri 02-03-1978 1911 1918
Snipe Conley Robert Lee, Texas 01-05-1978 1914 1918
Sarge Connally Houston, Texas 01-27-1978 1921 1934
Claude Corbitt Cincinnati, Ohio 05-01-1978 1945 1949
Fritz Coumbe Paradise, California 03-21-1978 1914 1921
Billy Cox Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 03-30-1978 1941 1955
Molly Craft Los Angeles, California 10-25-1978 1916 1919
Nick Cullop Westerville, Ohio 12-08-1978 1926 1931
Tod Davis West Covina, California 12-31-1978 1949 1951
Joe Dawson Longview, Texas 01-04-1978 1924 1929
Bill Dietrich Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 06-20-1978 1933 1948
Reese Diggs Baltimore, Maryland 10-30-1978 1934 1934
Art Doll Calumet City, Illinois 04-28-1978 1935 1938
Bill Doran Santa Monica, California 03-09-1978 1922 1922
Nick Dumovich Laguna Hills, California 12-12-1978 1923 1923
George Ellison San Francisco, California 01-20-1978 1920 1920
Roy Elsh Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 11-12-1978 1923 1925
Oscar Estrada Havana, Cuba 01-02-1978 1929 1929
Roy Flaskamper San Antonio, Texas 02-03-1978 1927 1927
Moe Franklin Harbor City, California 03-16-1978 1941 1942
Ray French Alameda, California 04-03-1978 1920 1924
Babe Ganzel Jacksonville, Florida 02-06-1978 1927 1928
Mike Gazella Odessa, Texas 09-11-1978 1923 1928
Steve Gerkin Bay Pines, Florida 11-09-1978 1945 1945
Claral Gillenwater Bradenton, Florida 02-27-1978 1923 1923
Jim Gilliam Inglewood, California 10-08-1978 1953 1966
Joe Gordon Sacramento, California 04-14-1978 1938 1950
Jack Graney Louisiana, Missouri 04-20-1978 1908 1922
Kent Greenfield Guthrie, Kentucky 03-14-1978 1924 1929
Roy Grover Milwaukie, Oregon 02-07-1978 1916 1919
Jesse Haines Dayton, Ohio 08-05-1978 1918 1937
Luke Hamlin Clare, Michigan 02-18-1978 1933 1944
Snipe Hansen Chicago, Illinois 09-11-1978 1930 1935
George Harper Magnolia, Arkansas 08-18-1978 1916 1929
Mike Herrera Havana, Cuba 02-03-1978 1925 1926
Joel Hunt Teague, Texas 07-24-1978 1931 1932
Merwin Jacobson Baltimore, Maryland 01-13-1978 1915 1927
George Jeffcoat Leesville, South Carolina 10-13-1978 1936 1943
Dave Keefe Kansas City, Missouri 02-04-1978 1917 1922
Bill Leinhauser Elkins Park, Pennsylvania 04-14-1978 1912 1912
Nig Lipscomb Huntersville, North Carolina 02-27-1978 1937 1937
Bob Logan Indianapolis, Indiana 05-20-1978 1935 1945
Danny Lynch Plano, Texas 06-30-1978 1948 1948
Ben Mallonee Baltimore, Maryland 02-19-1978 1921 1921
Joe Mathes St. Louis, Missouri 12-21-1978 1912 1916
Harry Matuzak Fairhope, Alabama 11-16-1978 1934 1936
Alex McCarthy Salisbury, Maryland 03-12-1978 1910 1917
Bob McGraw Boise, Idaho 06-02-1978 1917 1929
George McQuinn Alexandria, Virginia 12-24-1978 1936 1948
Gene Moore Jackson, Mississippi 03-12-1978 1931 1945
Maury Newlin Houston, Texas 08-14-1978 1940 1941
Tommy O'Brien Anniston, Alabama 11-05-1978 1943 1950
Paul O'Dea Cleveland, Ohio 12-11-1978 1944 1945
Phil Paine Lebanon, Pennsylvania 02-19-1978 1951 1958
Slicker Parks Royal Oak, Michigan 02-21-1978 1921 1921
Monte Pearson Fresno, California 01-27-1978 1932 1941
Les Powers Santa Monica, California 11-13-1978 1938 1939
Larry Raines Lansing, Michigan 01-28-1978 1957 1958
Tony Rego Tulsa, Oklahoma 01-06-1978 1924 1925
Carl Reynolds Houston, Texas 05-29-1978 1927 1939
Marv Rickert Oakville, Washington 06-03-1978 1942 1950
Bill Rodgers Goliad, Texas 12-24-1978 1915 1916
Buck Ross Charlotte, North Carolina 11-23-1978 1936 1945
Jack Saltzgaver Keokuk, Iowa 02-01-1978 1932 1945
Johnny Schulte St. Louis, Missouri 06-28-1978 1923 1932
George Shears Loveland, Colorado 11-12-1978 1912 1912
Hugh Shelley Beaumont, Texas 06-16-1978 1935 1935
Milt Shoffner Madison, Ohio 01-19-1978 1929 1940
Ed Sicking Madeira, Ohio 08-30-1978 1916 1927
Dick Siebert Minneapolis, Minnesota 12-09-1978 1932 1945
Red Smith Toledo, Ohio 03-08-1978 1927 1927
Pete Susko Jacksonville, Florida 05-22-1978 1934 1934
Joe Vance Devine, Texas 07-04-1978 1935 1938
Rube Walberg Tempe, Arizona 10-27-1978 1923 1937
Marty Walker Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 04-24-1978 1928 1928
Abe White Atlanta, Georgia 10-01-1978 1937 1937
Al Williamson Hot Springs, Arkansas 11-29-1978 1928 1928
Mike Wilson Boynton Beach, Florida 05-16-1978 1921 1921
Archie Wise Dallas, Texas 02-02-1978 1932 1932
Dutch Zwilling LaCrescenta, California 03-27-1978 1910 1916

Major League Baseball Players Who Died in 1978


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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