This day in baseball ● On this day
December 18
The record for December 18 in baseball history — 61 births and 21 deaths.
No milestones or firsts are on record for December 18 — but the players below were born and lost on it.
Born on this day
b. December 18, 1864 · Catcher across three clubs, 1883 to 1886.
b. December 18, 1870 · Second baseman for the Baltimore Orioles, 1899 to 1899.
b. December 18, 1880 · Pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds, 1906 to 1907.
b. December 18, 1881 · Third baseman for the Detroit Tigers, 1908 to 1908.
b. December 18, 1886 · The highest career batting average in major-league history, .366, and a reputation he did nothing to soften.
b. December 18, 1886 · Shortstop for the Philadelphia Phillies, 1914 to 1914.
b. December 18, 1889 · Pitcher across three clubs, 1912 to 1921.
b. December 18, 1893 · Pitcher for the Chicago White Sox, 1921 to 1921.
b. December 18, 1906 · Started for bad Browns clubs for eight years and then saved the most games in the National League for a pennant winner.
b. December 18, 1911 · Left fielder who batted .256 across four clubs, 1938 to 1945.
b. December 18, 1929 · Right fielder who batted .265 across eight clubs, 1956 to 1965.
b. December 18, 1930 · First baseman who batted .282 across five clubs, 1954 to 1967.
b. December 18, 1939 · Was the Most Valuable Player of the American League in 1965 and was out of the game six years later.
b. December 18, 1955 · Was taken in the expansion draft that created the Blue Jays and started more games for them than anyone but Dave Stieb.
b. December 18, 1961 · Designated hitter across two clubs, 1986 to 1989.
b. December 18, 1972 · Pitcher for the Atlanta Braves, 2000 to 2001.
b. December 18, 1986 · First baseman who batted .217 across four clubs, 2010 to 2017.
b. December 18, 1992 · Catcher who batted .228 across four clubs, 2018 to 2025.
b. December 18, 1993 · Center fielder who batted .248 for the Minnesota Twins, 2015 to 2025.
b. December 18, 1995 · Pitcher for the Tampa Bay Rays, 2019 to 2019.
b. December 18, 1996 · Pitcher across two clubs, 2020 to 2022.
b. December 18, 1997 · Rookie of the Year in 2018 and Most Valuable Player in 2023, when he became the only player to hit 40 home runs and steal 70 bases in a season.
b. December 18, 1997 · Center fielder who batted .261 across two clubs, 2021 to 2025.
b. December 18, 1997 · Pitcher for the New York Mets, 2023 to 2024.
61 players were born on December 18; these are the 24 best known.
Died on this day
d. December 18, 1899 · Left fielder for the Pittsburg Alleghenys, 1890 to 1890.
d. December 18, 1904 · Catcher who batted .283 across eight clubs, 1872 to 1883.
d. December 18, 1931 · Pitcher for the St. Louis Maroons, 1884 to 1884.
d. December 18, 1933 · Second baseman for the Cincinnati Outlaw Reds, 1884 to 1884.
d. December 18, 1940 · Left fielder across two clubs, 1884 to 1891.
d. December 18, 1943 · Catcher across two clubs, 1884 to 1886.
d. December 18, 1951 · Pitcher for the Washington Senators, 1909 to 1909.
d. December 18, 1955 · Pitcher across three clubs, 1934 to 1946.
d. December 18, 1960 · Won the deciding game of the World Series in 1921 and again in 1922 for John McGraw's Giants.
d. December 18, 1974 · The right fielder on four Red Sox championship teams, and by his own account the man who argued Babe Ruth off the pitcher's mound.
d. December 18, 1975 · Center fielder for the Philadelphia Athletics, 1919 to 1919.
d. December 18, 1976 · Right fielder who batted .259 for the Detroit Tigers, 1941 to 1946.
d. December 18, 1977 · Pitcher across two clubs, 1940 to 1948.
d. December 18, 1981 · Left fielder for the San Francisco Giants, 1975 to 1975.
d. December 18, 1986 · Pitcher for the Philadelphia Athletics, 1920 to 1920.
d. December 18, 1990 · Catcher for the Philadelphia Athletics, 1924 to 1924.
d. December 18, 1997 · Shortstop across three clubs, 1935 to 1940.
d. December 18, 2001 · Center fielder who batted .274 across three clubs, 1949 to 1952.
d. December 18, 2004 · Shortstop for the Houston Colt .45's, 1963 to 1963.
d. December 18, 2010 · Cubs first baseman who won the 1945 MVP award, batting .293 across two decades.
d. December 18, 2015 · Pitcher for the Washington Senators, 1956 to 1957.