Baseball Hall of Fame
Most Valuable Player
Cy Young Award
Rookie of the Year
Gold Glove Award
The proposed sale of the Chicago White Sox presented opportunities for the Oakland Athletics. A group from Seattle was ready to purchase the White Sox and move them to Seattle. As Charlie Finley had business interests in Chicago, he was prepared to move the Athletics to Chicago. Due to his 20-year lease with the city of Oakland (to expire in 1987), Finley was blocked. In the end, White Sox owner Arthur Allyn sold to , who kept the White Sox in Chicago.[1]
Bill Veeck
January 1 –
Fernando Tatís
January 2 –
Jeff Suppan
January 8 –
Geremi González
January 9 –
Kiko Calero
January 9 –
Ken Cloude
January 12 –
Jorge Velandia
January 13 –
Jason Childers
January 15 –
Edwin Díaz
January 16 –
Lee Gardner
January 17 –
Brad Fullmer
January 17 –
Scott Mullen
January 19 –
Brian Mallette
January 19 –
Fernando Seguignol
January 20 –
David Eckstein
January 27 –
Jason Conti
January 28 –
Junior Spivey
January 29 –
Miguel Ojeda
January 2 – , 79, first baseman in 283 games for 1925–1927 Philadelphia Athletics; active in Organized Baseball as a player or player-manager for 28 years between 1914 and 1946.
Jim Poole
January 5 – , 29, Houston Astros' starting pitcher who had won 104 games for them since breaking into the majors September 29, 1966, and thrown two no-hitters (on June 18, 1967 against Atlanta, and May 1, 1969 against Cincinnati); National League All-Star (1971); in 1974, he had won 11 games and posted a 3.08 ERA in 2042⁄3 innings pitched.
Don Wilson
January 9 – , 84, outfielder who played in 736 career games for the St. Louis Cardinals (1914 and 1916–1919) and Boston Braves (1919–1924).
Walton Cruise
January 9 – , 76, pitcher in 115 games for the Boston Red Sox (1921–1925 and 1933).
Curt Fullerton
January 17 – , 63, first baseman for Birmingham, Jacksonville, Atlanta and Memphis of the Negro American League between 1937 and 1943.
Jim Canada
January 21 – , 58, pitcher who worked only one game (and one inning) in the majors, on August 21, 1941, as member of the Philadelphia Athletics.
Pat Tobin
January 23 – , 75, outfielder and first baseman who appeared in 693 career games over 11 years between 1920 and 1935 for the St. Louis Cardinals, New York Giants, Boston Braves and St. Louis Browns.
Clarence "Heinie" Mueller
January 24 – , 75, second baseman/shortstop who appeared in 26 games for the 1920 Chicago Giants of the Negro National League.
Bobby Anderson
January 24 – , 81, first baseman for the St. Louis Giants/Stars of the Negro National League from 1920 to 1923.
Doc Dudley
January 26 – , 77, catcher who played 11 games for the Cincinnati Reds over two seasons (1921 and 1925).