Tampa Bay Rays shortstop, Wander Franco will be placed on administrative leave thru June 1. Franco had not played with the Rays since August 13, 2023.
The Arizona Diamondbacks scored 14 runs in the third inning against the Colorado Rockies in a 16–1 final, setting a franchise record for most runs scored in a single inning.
April 1: Houston Astros pitcher Ronel Blanco throws a no-hitter against the Toronto Blue Jays in Minute Maid Park. It was the earliest no-hitter in MLB history, the first no-hitter of the 2024 season, Blanco's first career no-hitter, and the 17th no-hitter in franchise history. His only baserunner was former Astro George Springer, which he allowed two walks. Additionally, this was also the Astros first win of 2024 and Joe Espada first managerial win.[11]
January 3 – Billy Gardner, 96, played 10 MLB seasons for six teams from 1954 to 1963 beginning with the Giants, Orioles, Senators, Twins, NY Yankees and finished his career in 1963 with the Red Sox. He also managed for six seasons for two teams beginning with the Twins from 1981 to 1985 and the Royals in 1987.[15]
January 11 – Bud Harrelson, 79, played 16 MLB seasons with the New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies and Texas Rangers from 1965 to 1980. Served as a coach and later manager with the Mets for two seasons in 1990 and 1991.[16]
January 19 – Red Swanson, 87, played 43 games (42 as a pitcher) from 1955 to 1957 with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
January 21 – Steve Staggs, 72, played with the Toronto Blue Jays and Oakland Athletics in 1977 and 1978.
January 22 – Don Lassetter, 90, played four games with the St. Louis Cardinals before spending the rest of his career in the minor leagues.
January 26 – Jimy Williams, 80, played with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1966 and 1967. He later served as manager with the Toronto Blue Jays from 1986 to 1989, Boston Red Sox from 1997 to 2001, and Houston Astros from 2002 to 2004.[17]
January 31
Al McBean, 85, played ten MLB seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates, San Diego Padres, and Los Angeles Dodgers from 1961 to 1970 as a pitcher.
John Pregenzer, 91, played two seasons with the San Francisco Giants in 1963 and 1964.
February
February 1 – Mike Martin, 79, served as baseball coach for the Florida State Seminoles for 40 seasons from 1980 to 2019. He was inducted into the College Baseball Hall of Fame in the same year
February 3 – Bill Lachemann, 89, served as a bullpen coach for the California Angels in 1995 and 1996.
February 4 – Brant Alyea, 83, played six MLB seasons with the Washington Senators, Minnesota Twins, Oakland Athletics, and St. Louis Cardinals from 1965 to 1972. In 1965, he became the ninth player in MLB history to hit a home run on his first MLB pitch.
February 7 – Carl Iwasaki, 62, served as a baseball coach for the Austin Kangaroos from 2005 to 2010, and the Northern Colorado Bears from 2011 to 2022.
February 9 – Jim Hannan, 84, played ten MLB seasons with the Washington Senators, Detroit Tigers, and Milwaukee Brewers from 1962 to 1971. He co-founded with the Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association (MLBPAA) and served as its first president from 1982 to 1986.
February 14 – Don Gullett, 73, played nine MLB seasons with the Cincinnati Reds and the New York Yankees from 1970 to 1978. He won three World Series championships with the Reds in 1975 and 1976, and the Yankees in 1977.
February 15 – Tom Qualters, 88, played as a pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies and Chicago White Sox in 1953, 1957, and 1958.
February 25 – José DeLeón, 63, a Dominican pitcher played 13 seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Chicago White Sox, St. Louis Cardinals, Philadelphia Phillies, and Montreal Expos from 1983 to 1995. DeLeón led the National League in strikeouts in 1989 with 201.
February 28 – Héctor Ortiz, 54, played four seasons with the Kansas City Royals and Texas Rangers from 1998 to 2002 before serving as first base, and bullpen coach for the Rangers from 2015 to 2020.
March
March 3 – U.L. Washington, 70, an American shortstop who played 11 Major League seasons for three teams from 1977–87 Started his major league career in 1977 with the Kansas City Royals, and later in 1985 with the Montreal Expos and finished his career in 1987 with the Pittsburgh Pirates before retiring in 1988.
March 3 – Ed Ott, 72, an American catcher played eight seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates and California Angels from 1974 to 1981. Ott won a World Series championship with the Pirates in 1979.
March 12 – Bill Plummer, 76, an American catcher played 11 seasons with the Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, and Seattle Mariners from 1968 to 1978. Plummer later served as coach and manager for the Mariners in 1982 to 1983 , and from 1988 to 1992 and for the Rockies in 1993 and 1994. Plummer won two World Series championships with the Reds in 1975 and 1976.
March 14 – Mike Lude, 101, served as a baseball coach for the Maine Black Bears, in 1950 and 1951. Lude would later served as a football coach for the Colorado State Rams from 1962 to 1969.
March 14 – Jim McAndrew, 80, an American pitcher played seven seasons with the New York Mets and San Diego Padres from 1968 to 1974. McAndrew won a World Series championship with the Mets in 1969.
March 22 – Chuck Seelbach, 76, an American pitcher played four seasons with the Detroit Tigers from 1971 to 1974.
April 2 – Larry Lucchino, 78, served as baseball executive for the Baltimore Orioles from 1988 to 1993, the San Diego Padres from 1995 to 2001, and the Boston Red Sox from 2002 to 2015. Lucchino had won four World Series championships with the Orioles in 1983 and the Red Sox in 2004, 2007, and 2013.
April 7 – Jerry Grote, 81, played 16 MLB seasons with the Houston Colt .45s in 1963 and 1964, the New York Mets from 1966 to 1977, the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1977 and 1978, the Kansas City Royals in 1981 and the Los Angeles Dodgers again in the same year. Grote briefly retired from professional baseball after the 1978 season, but came back in 1981. Grote made two All-Star appearances in 1968 and 1974 and won a World Series championship in 1969 with the Mets.
April 14 – Ken Holtzman, 78, played as a pitcher for the Chicago Cubs from 1965 to 1971, the Oakland Athletics from 1972 to 1975, the Baltimore Orioles in 1976, the New York Yankees from 1976 to 1978, and his second stint with the Cubs from 1978 to 1979. Holtzman was named an All-Star in 1972 and 1973, won three World Series championships with the Athletics from 1972 to 1974, and pitched two no-hitters, the first on August 19, 1969 against the Atlanta Braves at Wrigley Field and the second on June 3, 1971 against the Cincinnati Reds at Riverfront Stadium.
April 16 – Carl Erskine, 97, played as a pitcher with the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers from 1948 to 1959. Erskine was named an All Star in 1954 and won a World Series championship in 1955. Erskine also pitched two no-htters in 1952 against the Chicago Cubs and in 1955 against the New York Giants.
