Baseball Hall of Fame
Most Valuable Player
Cy Young Award
Rookie of the Year
Woman Executive of the Year (major or minor league): Mary Anne Whitacre, , Pacific Coast League
Hawaii Islanders
January 1 – Milwaukee Brewers pitcher is killed in a dune buggy accident in Arizona.
Danny Frisella
January 2 – Not even a full season into owning the , Ted Turner is suspended by Commissioner Bowie Kuhn for tampering with the signing of Gary Matthews. In addition, the Braves are stripped of their first round selections in the June 1978 baseball draft. Turner successfully appeals the suspension, and the draft picks are reinstated.
Atlanta Braves
January 4 – is hired by the Chicago White Sox as the first woman TV play-by-play announcer.
Mary Shane
January 6 – shortstop Mike Miley is killed in a single-car accident in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
California Angels
January 11 – The trade pitcher Mike Garman and outfielder Rick Monday to the Los Angeles Dodgers for minor league pitcher Jeff Albert, first baseman Bill Buckner and infielder Ivan DeJesus.
Chicago Cubs
January 19 – The elects Ernie Banks to the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.
Baseball Writers' Association of America
January 20 – The Baltimore Orioles trade outfielder to the New York Yankees in exchange for outfielders Elliott Maddox and Rich Bladt.
Paul Blair
January 31 – The Special Veterans Committee selects , Amos Rusie and Al López for the Hall of Fame.
Joe Sewell
February 3 – The Hall of Fame's Special Committee on the Negro Leagues picks versatile Cuban star and shortstop John Henry Lloyd for induction. The committee then dissolves, its functions being taken over by the Veterans Committee.
Martín Dihigo
The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training
TV movie
Murder at the World Series
January 2 –
Hansel Izquierdo
January 2 –
Scott Proctor
January 3 –
A. J. Burnett
January 3 –
Mike Crudale
January 3 –
Zach Sorensen
January 4 –
Brian O'Connor
January 4 –
Walter Silva
January 5 –
Eric Junge
January 8 –
Dave Matranga
January 10 –
Rick Bauer
January 12 –
Reggie Taylor
January 16 –
Colter Bean
January 17 –
Rob Bell
January 18 –
Franklin Núñez
January 22 –
Aaron Rakers
January 23 –
Jason Stanford
January 28 –
Bob File
January 28 –
Lyle Overbay
January 30 –
Takahiro Arai
January 30 –
John Lindsey
January 1 – , 51, All-American Girls Professional Baseball League infielder
Mary Carey
January 1 – , 30, Milwaukee Brewers relief pitcher who posted a 5–2 (2.74 ERA) record with a team-best nine saves in 1976; spent ten years in MLB and saved 57 career games for five teams, notably the New York Mets
Danny Frisella
January 2 – , 60, left-handed pitcher who worked in 12 games for the 1940 Philadelphia Phillies and 1946 Washington Senators
Max Wilson
January 6 – , 23, California Angels shortstop and 1974 first-round draft pick, who played 84 total games for them in 1975 and 1976
Mike Miley
January 9 – , 84, outfielder who played 21 career games for the 1914 Cincinnati Reds and 1916 Cleveland Indians
Howard Lohr
January 10 – , 72, pitcher for the Chicago White Sox (1931–1933 and 1939), Detroit Tigers (1933–1934) and Boston Bees (1937); went 23–38 (5.77) in 126 career games
Vic Frazier
January 11 – , 70, pitcher who won 100 games, losing 76, for the St. Louis Cardinals (1932–1934), Chicago Cubs (1935–1938) and Brooklyn Dodgers (1940); member of 1934 "Gashouse Gang" world champions and two other National League pennant-winners; as a Dodger, threw a no-hitter against Cincinnati on April 30, 1940
Tex Carleton
January 11 – , 66, college football and basketball coach (Miami of Ohio, Purdue) and athletic director (Purdue, Northwestern) who served from September 1970 into late July 1973 as general manager of MLB's Chicago White Sox
Stu Holcomb
January 13 – , 80, minor-league outfielder who went 4-for-11 (.364) as a pinch hitter for the 1921 White Sox in his lone MLB stint
Red Ostergard
January 16 – , 54, shortstop/third baseman who played 19 games for the 1946 Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro American League
Jim Hamilton
January 16 – , 86, center fielder for the St. Louis Browns and four other American League clubs between 1915 and 1927 who batted .311 lifetime, with 1,714 hits
Baby Doll Jacobson
January 17 – , 76, left-handed pitcher who made 145 appearances for 1924–1927 St. Louis Browns
Ernie Wingard
January 19 – , 63, relief pitcher who appeared in 39 games for 1945–1946 Boston Braves
Don Hendrickson
January 29 – , 79, infielder for 15 seasons (1919–1933) with five NL teams, principally the Boston Braves and Cincinnati Reds; batted .263 in 1,446 games