This day in baseball ● On this day
December 25
The record for December 25 in baseball history — 73 births and 32 deaths.
No milestones or firsts are on record for December 25 — but the players below were born and lost on it.
Born on this day
b. December 25, 1856 · The first pitcher to win 300 games. Only Cy Young has thrown more innings or finished more of his own starts.
b. December 25, 1869 · Completed 18 of 24 starts and worked 200 innings across four major-league seasons.
b. December 25, 1874 · Shortstop who batted .238 across five clubs, 1895 to 1904.
b. December 25, 1887 · Pitcher across two clubs, 1913 to 1914.
b. December 25, 1897 · First baseman for the Chicago Cubs, 1923 to 1924.
b. December 25, 1898 · Pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates, 1923 to 1923.
b. December 25, 1901 · Third baseman for the Boston Braves, 1930 to 1931.
b. December 25, 1904 · Won 16, 15 and 15 games in three years for Washington and was traded for Goose Goslin.
b. December 25, 1904 · Shortstop across two clubs, 1929 to 1932.
b. December 25, 1908 · Batted .302 and stole 287 bases, and is remembered for what he shouted at Jackie Robinson in 1947.
b. December 25, 1908 · Right fielder across three clubs, 1931 to 1933.
b. December 25, 1912 · Earned five recorded Negro league All-Star selections and managed Cleveland to first-place finishes in 1945 and 1947.
b. December 25, 1912 · Catcher across four clubs, 1935 to 1945.
b. December 25, 1926 · Pitcher across two clubs, 1950 to 1952.
b. December 25, 1927 · In nineteen seasons and 9,232 at-bats he struck out 216 times, and 2,161 of his 2,663 hits were singles.
b. December 25, 1934 · Pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles, 1956 to 1958.
b. December 25, 1939 · Catcher across two clubs, 1965 to 1969.
b. December 25, 1943 · Pitcher for the New York Mets, 1965 to 1965.
b. December 25, 1950 · Was the most valuable player of the 1980 Championship Series and won three Gold Gloves at second base.
b. December 25, 1956 · Pitcher across two clubs, 1980 to 1988.
b. December 25, 1958 · 1,406 stolen bases and 2,295 runs, both records, across 25 seasons and nine clubs.
b. December 25, 1962 · Pitcher across three clubs, 1991 to 1994.
b. December 25, 1995 · Catcher across five clubs, 2019 to 2025.
b. December 25, 2000 · Pitcher across two clubs, 2024 to 2025.
73 players were born on December 25; these are the 24 best known.
Died on this day
d. December 25, 1910 · Shortstop across two clubs, 1884 to 1884.
d. December 25, 1916 · Shortstop for the Cincinnati Reds, 1909 to 1909.
d. December 25, 1925 · Pitcher for the Cleveland Naps, 1910 to 1910.
d. December 25, 1930 · Shortstop for the Pittsburg Alleghenys, 1890 to 1890.
d. December 25, 1937 · Right fielder who batted .290 across seven clubs, 1918 to 1927.
d. December 25, 1941 · Pitcher across two clubs, 1907 to 1911.
d. December 25, 1952 · Shortstop who batted .281 across six clubs, 1930 to 1942.
d. December 25, 1952 · Pitcher for the Buffalo Bisons, 1884 to 1884.
d. December 25, 1953 · Was born in County Cork, hit .301 across seventeen seasons, and later recommended that Boston sign Babe Ruth.
d. December 25, 1961 · Third baseman for the New York Yankees, 1944 to 1945.
d. December 25, 1961 · First baseman for the Baltimore Orioles, 1901 to 1901.
d. December 25, 1974 · Third baseman who batted .229 across five clubs, 1923 to 1933.
d. December 25, 1976 · Catcher across two clubs, 1921 to 1926.
d. December 25, 1983 · First baseman who batted .273 across three clubs, 1936 to 1948.
d. December 25, 1987 · Catcher across two clubs, 1921 to 1927.
d. December 25, 1989 · Yankees manager who protested the pine tar on Brett's bat.
d. December 25, 1992 · Pitcher for the Chicago Cubs, 1959 to 1959.
d. December 25, 2007 · Center fielder who batted .231 across seven clubs, 1963 to 1973.
d. December 25, 2009 · Shortstop for the Philadelphia Phillies, 1942 to 1946.
d. December 25, 2010 · Left fielder who batted .235 across three clubs, 1951 to 1957.
d. December 25, 2016 · Pitcher for the Brooklyn Dodgers, 1952 to 1952.
d. December 25, 2018 · Pitcher across three clubs, 1956 to 1960.
d. December 25, 2019 · Started for six clubs early in his career, then became a left-handed reliever for the rest of his fourteen seasons.
d. December 25, 2024 · Pitcher for the Florida Marlins, 1999 to 1999.
32 players died on December 25; these are the 24 best known.