December 26 in Baseball History — Milestones, Debuts, Births & Deaths

This day in baseball ● On this day

December 26

The record for December 26 in baseball history — 1 milestone, 63 births and 38 deaths.

Milestones · December 26

1919

Babe Ruth of the Boston Red Sox is sold to the New York Yankees by owner Harry Frazee, allegedly establishing the Curse…

Babe Ruth of the Boston Red Sox is sold to the New York Yankees by owner Harry Frazee, allegedly establishing the Curse of the Bambino superstition.

Born on this day

Morgan Bulkeley

b. December 26, 1837 · Held the National League presidency for its first year and gave it up, and was elected to the Hall of Fame ahead of the man who founded it.

Bob Murphy

b. December 26, 1866 · Pitcher across two clubs, 1890 to 1890.

Andy Rush

b. December 26, 1889 · Pitcher for the Brooklyn Robins, 1925 to 1925.

Bonnie Hollingsworth

b. December 26, 1895 · Pitcher across four clubs, 1922 to 1928.

Art Gardiner

b. December 26, 1899 · Pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies, 1923 to 1923.

Bill Cronin

b. December 26, 1902 · Catcher for the Boston Braves, 1928 to 1931.

Al Milnar

b. December 26, 1913 · Pitcher across three clubs, 1936 to 1946.

Stu Miller

b. December 26, 1927 · Changeup specialist remembered for being blown off the mound by the wind at the 1961 All-Star Game at Candlestick Park.

Danny Schell

b. December 26, 1927 · Left fielder for the Philadelphia Phillies, 1954 to 1955.

Al Jackson

b. December 26, 1935 · Pitcher across four clubs, 1959 to 1969.

Ray Sadecki

b. December 26, 1940 · Won 20 games at twenty-three for a World Series winner and was traded for Orlando Cepeda two years later.

Carlton Fisk

b. December 26, 1947 · Caught 2,226 games, the record when he retired at forty-five in 1993, and only Ivan Rodriguez has caught more since.

Chris Chambliss

b. December 26, 1948 · Hit the home run that sent the Yankees to the 1976 World Series and could not finish running the bases.

Ozzie Smith

b. December 26, 1954 · Won thirteen Gold Gloves at shortstop, more than anyone else at the position, and hit 28 home runs in 9,396 at-bats.

Carlos Valdez

b. December 26, 1971 · Pitcher across two clubs, 1995 to 1998.

Brian Fitzgerald

b. December 26, 1974 · Pitcher for the Seattle Mariners, 2002 to 2002.

Corey Lee

b. December 26, 1974 · Pitcher for the Texas Rangers, 1999 to 1999.

Charles Thomas

b. December 26, 1978 · Left fielder across two clubs, 2004 to 2005.

Omar Infante

b. December 26, 1981 · Venezuelan second baseman who won a World Series with Kansas City and made the 2010 All-Star team as a utility player.

Alvin Colina

b. December 26, 1981 · Catcher for the Colorado Rockies, 2006 to 2006.

Brett Sinkbeil

b. December 26, 1984 · Pitcher for the Florida Marlins, 2010 to 2010.

Darin Downs

b. December 26, 1984 · Pitcher across two clubs, 2012 to 2014.

Chris Carpenter

b. December 26, 1985 · Pitcher across two clubs, 2011 to 2012.

Bryce Jarvis

b. December 26, 1997 · Pitcher for the Arizona Diamondbacks, 2023 to 2025.

63 players were born on December 26; these are the 24 best known.

Died on this day

Charlie Householder

d. December 26, 1908 · Third baseman for the Chicago/Pittsburgh (Union League), 1884 to 1884.

Harry Pyle

d. December 26, 1908 · Pitcher across two clubs, 1884 to 1887.

Frank O'Connor

d. December 26, 1913 · Pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies, 1893 to 1893.

Art Ball

d. December 26, 1915 · Second baseman across two clubs, 1894 to 1898.

Charles Matthews

d. December 26, 1926 · Right fielder for the Philadelphia Athletics, 1891 to 1891.

George Kopshaw

d. December 26, 1934 · Catcher for the St. Louis Cardinals, 1923 to 1923.

Bill Clymer

d. December 26, 1936 · Shortstop for the Philadelphia Athletics, 1891 to 1891.

Clyde Engle

d. December 26, 1939 · First baseman who batted .265 across five clubs, 1909 to 1916.

Frank Lange

d. December 26, 1945 · Pitcher for the Chicago White Sox, 1910 to 1913.

Jack Stansbury

d. December 26, 1970 · Third baseman for the Boston Red Sox, 1918 to 1918.

Cliff Daringer

d. December 26, 1971 · Shortstop for the Kansas City Packers, 1914 to 1914.

Al Mahon

d. December 26, 1977 · Pitcher for the Philadelphia Athletics, 1930 to 1930.

Bill Crouch

d. December 26, 1980 · Pitcher across three clubs, 1939 to 1945.

Jim Bilbrey

d. December 26, 1985 · Pitcher for the St. Louis Browns, 1949 to 1949.

Allie Reynolds

d. December 26, 1994 · Pitcher who won 182 games with a 3.30 ERA across two clubs, 1942 to 1954.

Bob Veselic

d. December 26, 1995 · Pitcher for the Minnesota Twins, 1980 to 1981.

Dewey Adkins

d. December 26, 1998 · Pitcher across two clubs, 1942 to 1949.

Frank Reiber

d. December 26, 2002 · Catcher for the Detroit Tigers, 1933 to 1936.

Chris Brown

d. December 26, 2006 · Third baseman who batted .269 across three clubs, 1984 to 1989.

Jim Castiglia

d. December 26, 2007 · Catcher for the Philadelphia Athletics, 1942 to 1942.

Paul Blair

d. December 26, 2013 · Center fielder with eight Gold Gloves across three clubs, twice an All-Star.

Jim O'Toole

d. December 26, 2015 · Pitcher who batted .125 across three clubs, 1958 to 1967.

Derek Aucoin

d. December 26, 2020 · Pitcher for the Montreal Expos, 1996 to 1996.

Fred Valentine

d. December 26, 2022 · Right fielder who batted .247 across two clubs, 1959 to 1968.

38 players died on December 26; these are the 24 best known.