* ''The asterisk denotes the club that won the
Wild Card for its respective league.''
- September 6 - Cal Ripken, Jr. of the Baltimore Orioles plays in his 2,131st consecutive major league game to surpass Lou Gehrig 's 56-year record. When the game becomes official in the middle of the fifth inning, Ripken takes a victory lap around Camden Yards during the 22-minute standing ovation from the sellout crowd, including President Bill Clinton . In the game, Ripken goes 2-for-4, including a home run, in Baltimore's 4-2 win over California .
- December 22 - Anheuser-Busch agrees to sell the Cardinals for $150 million to an investment group that agrees to keep the team in St. Louis.
- January 2 - Don Elston , 65, All-Star relief pitcher for the Cubs who led NL in appearances in 1958 and 1959
- January 12 - John "Hi" Simmons , 89, coach at Missouri from 1937 to 1973 who won the 1954 College World Series
- January 18 - Ron Luciano , 57, American League umpire from 1968 to 1980 known for his flamboyance and several books
- February 7 - Cecil Upshaw , 52, relief pitcher, mainly for the Atlanta Braves, who saved 27 games in 1969 but missed the next season after nearly severing a finger
- March 5 - Roy Hughes , 84, infielder for four teams who scored 112 runs for 1936 Indians
- March 13 - Leon Day , 78, All-Star pitcher for the Newark Eagles of the Negro Leagues who was elected to the Hall of Fame just six days earlier; set several league strikeout marks, including 18 victims in one game
- March 29 - Terry Moore , 82, All-Star center fielder for the Cardinals who batted .304 in 1940, captained 1942 and 1946 champions
- April 9 - Bob Allison , 60, All-Star outfielder for the Senators/Twins who was the 1959 Rookie of the Year, had three 30-HR seasons and led the AL in triples and runs once each
- May 7 - Gus Bell , 66, All-Star outfielder, mainly with the Reds, who had four 100-RBI seasons and led the NL in triples in 1951; oldest in a major league family that includes son Buddy and grandson David
- May 30 - Glenn Burke , 42, center fielder for the Dodgers and Athletics who was the first former major leaguer to publicly acknowledge his homosexuality
- June 9 - Zoilo Versalles , 55, Cuban All-Star shortstop who led Twins to the 1965 AL pennant; first Latin American player to be named MVP, led AL in triples three times and in doubles and runs once each
- June 10 - Lindsey Nelson , 76, broadcaster for the Mets from 1962 to 1979, and also for the San Francisco Giants and NBC
- July 27 - Rick Ferrell , 89, Hall of Fame catcher for the Browns, Red Sox and Senators whose 1806 games caught were an AL record until 1988; from 1934-38, half of a battery with brother Wes
- August 3 - Harry Craft , 80, manager of the Houston Colt .45s in their 1962 debut; former Reds center fielder also managed the Kansas City Athletics and Chicago Cubs
- August 4 - Dick Bartell , 87, All-Star shortstop for five teams, known for his combative personality, who batted .300 five times and scored 100 runs three times; batted .381 for Giants in 1936 World Series
- August 13 - Mickey Mantle , 63, Hall of Fame center fielder for the Yankees who was the AL's MVP in 1956, 1957 and 1962 and won the 1956 Triple Crown; 16-time All-Star won four home run titles, hitting 50 twice, and retired with third most HRs (536) and walks (1733) in history; 10-time .300 hitter led AL in runs six times; most powerful switch-hitter in baseball history, with career marks for runs (1677), RBI (1509) and slugging percentage (.557), and successor to Babe Ruth and Joe DiMaggio as symbol of the Yankees' long reign; hit record 18 home runs in World Series play
- August 20 - Von McDaniel , 56, pitcher who joined his brother Lindy on the 1957-58 St. Louis Cardinals, winning seven games
- September 21 - Tony Cuccinello , 87, All-Star second baseman for five teams who lost 1945 batting title by one point in his final season; later a coach
- September 21 - Andrew Rozdilsky , 77, who performed as Andy the Clown at White Sox games from 1960 to 1990
- October 21 - Vada Pinson , 57, All-Star center fielder for the Reds and four other teams who batted .300 four times and led NL in hits, doubles and triples twice each; second player to hit 250 HRs and steal 300 bases
- December 5 - Bill Bruton , 70, center fielder for the Braves and Tigers who led the NL in steals three times, triples twice and runs once
- December 27 - Al Barlick , 80, Hall of Fame umpire for 28 National League seasons between 1940 and 1971; worked seven World Series and a record seven All-Star Games
