2009 in baseball

Regular Season Champions

Baseball Hall of Fame honors

MVP Awards

Cy Young Awards

Rookie of the Year Awards

Manager of the Year Awards

Silver Slugger Awards

January 1 – launches the MLB Network at 6 PM ET. Commissioner Bud Selig greets viewers at the channel's official inception.

Major League Baseball

January 13 – , the current all-time saves leader, signs a one-year $6 million deal with the Milwaukee Brewers.

Trevor Hoffman

January 15 – The reach an agreement with Andruw Jones to release him in time to catch on with another team before spring training in exchange for a deferral of some of the remaining money due on his contract.

Los Angeles Dodgers

January 21 – In his first year of arbitration eligibility, closer and the Boston Red Sox agree to a $6.25 million, one-year contract that avoids salary arbitration. Just one day after Bobby Jenks does the same ($5.65 million), Papelbon easily surpasses Éric Gagné's previous major league mark of $5 million for a reliever with three years of service time. Francisco Rodríguez made $3.775 million in his first year of arbitration.

Jonathan Papelbon

January 22 - announces his retirement after 17 seasons. He hit more home runs than any other second baseman in major league history.

Jeff Kent

January 25 – Three time All-Star announces his retirement after twelve seasons, later joining the MLB Network staff.

Sean Casey

Calvin Marshall

The Perfect Game

January 4 – , 76, longtime Boston Red Sox scout credited with signing players such as Bob Stanley, John Valentin and Mo Vaughn

Matt Sczesny

January 5 – , 93, owner of the Minnesota Twins since 1984 who oversaw World Series titles in 1987 and 1991

Carl Pohlad

January 6 – , 97, outfielder who hit .259 in 166 games for the Cincinnati Reds from 1938 to 1939

Nino Bongiovanni

January 9 – , 64, pitcher who posted a 103–125 record with eight teams from 1969 to 1981, ended second in the National League in earned run average in 1971, and was a member of the 1979 World Series champion Pittsburgh Pirates

Dave Roberts

January 9 – , 50, relief pitcher who posted a 24–14 record with a 3.00 ERA and eight saves in 333 games for the San Francisco Giants, Cincinnati Reds and Detroit Tigers from 1984 to 1989

Frank Williams

January 11 – , 81, play-by-play broadcaster for three MLB clubs between 1965 and 1984, notably the Chicago White Sox and Kansas City/Oakland Athletics

Red Rush

January 13 – , 85, Cuban-born manager of three teams who was the first manager of the San Diego Padres; briefly an infielder with the 1944 Washington Senators, later managed the Houston Astros and Chicago Cubs, and also was a longtime coach and scout

Preston Gómez

January 14 – , 65, backup outfielder/first baseman who hit .212 in 24 games for the 1970 Boston Red Sox

Mike Derrick

January 15 – , 54, former minor league utilityman and manager, coach for 2004 Arizona Diamondbacks, and longtime player-development executive for D-Backs

Tommy Jones

January 16 – , 54, backup catcher who hit .203 in 29 games for the San Diego Padres from 1980 to 1981, and later hit .400 with 95 home runs and 371 RBI in Italian baseball from 1984 through 1989

Craig Stimac

January 22 – , 100, oldest living ex-major leaguer; a career .271 hitter who led the American League in stolen bases three times; played with Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Jimmie Foxx and Lefty Grove in stints with the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox, and hit .370 as the third baseman on the 1940 World Series champion Cincinnati Reds.

Bill Werber

January 24 – , 91, pitcher who played briefly for the Chicago White Sox in 1942 and 1946, and one of the oldest living major league ballplayers

Len Perme

January 25 – , 85, second baseman for the 1947 Washington Senators, who later became a successful manager in the St. Louis Cardinals minor league system (1955–1957), coached for the Minnesota Twins (1976), and served as a scout for the Chicago Cubs (1977–1981) and Montreal Expos (1982–1983)

Ed Lyons

January 26 – , 49, backup outfielder who played from 1982 to 1985 for the Montreal Expos

Roy Johnson

January 28 – , 95, utility infielder who hit .120 with two home runs and 10 RBI in 37 games for the Philadelphia Phillies (1936–1938), and later managed in the St. Louis Cardinals minor league system (1947–1952)

Gene Corbett

January 29 – , 84, outfielder for the Racine Belles of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League

Geraldine Bureker

January 31 – , backup catcher for the 1950 Boston Red Sox

Bob Scherbarth

2009 Major League Baseball season

2009 Nippon Professional Baseball season

Major League Baseball official website

Minor League Baseball official website

Baseball Almanac – Major League Baseball Players Who Died in 2009