This day in baseball ● On this day
February 17
The record for February 17 in baseball history — 50 births and 28 deaths.
No milestones or firsts are on record for February 17 — but the players below were born and lost on it.
Born on this day
b. February 17, 1861 · Pitcher who won 101 games with a 3.61 ERA across five clubs, 1880 to 1888.
b. February 17, 1871 · Pitcher for the New York Giants, 1896 to 1896.
b. February 17, 1892 · First baseman for the New York Giants, 1914 to 1916.
b. February 17, 1893 · Played 57 games at first base across four seasons spread from 1912 through 1927.
b. February 17, 1893 · Led the American League in home runs twice and lost first base to Lou Gehrig on June 2, 1925.
b. February 17, 1896 · Shortstop for the Cincinnati Reds, 1916 to 1926.
b. February 17, 1901 · Catcher who batted .237 across six clubs, 1924 to 1935.
b. February 17, 1905 · Pitcher who won 121 games with a 3.86 ERA across three clubs, 1928 to 1938.
b. February 17, 1912 · Catcher who batted .231 for the St. Louis Cardinals, 1936 to 1937.
b. February 17, 1917 · Pitcher for the Brooklyn Dodgers, 1947 to 1947.
b. February 17, 1921 · Pitcher for the Chicago Cubs, 1946 to 1950.
b. February 17, 1923 · Third baseman for the St. Louis Browns, 1950 to 1950.
b. February 17, 1941 · Left fielder for the Pittsburgh Pirates, 1964 to 1964.
b. February 17, 1944 · Pitcher across four clubs, 1966 to 1976.
b. February 17, 1951 · Third baseman who batted .239 across four clubs, 1972 to 1982.
b. February 17, 1958 · Second baseman who batted .259 across two clubs, 1981 to 1987.
b. February 17, 1971 · Pitcher across two clubs, 1996 to 2004.
b. February 17, 1976 · Saved 19 games and struck out 107 in 93 innings as a rookie in 1999, then never had a healthy season like it again.
b. February 17, 1976 · Shortstop who batted .213 across eight clubs, 2001 to 2013.
b. February 17, 1981 · Pitcher across two clubs, 2006 to 2008.
b. February 17, 1982 · Pitcher across four clubs, 2004 to 2012.
b. February 17, 1987 · Pitcher across four clubs, 2011 to 2018.
b. February 17, 1992 · Second baseman for the Chicago Cubs, 2022 to 2022.
b. February 17, 1996 · Catcher across two clubs, 2019 to 2020.
50 players were born on February 17; these are the 24 best known.
Died on this day
d. February 17, 1910 · Second baseman for the Brooklyn Atlantics, 1875 to 1875.
d. February 17, 1915 · Pitcher who batted .153 across nine clubs, 1883 to 1891.
d. February 17, 1923 · Pitcher across four clubs, 1890 to 1895.
d. February 17, 1927 · Center fielder across two clubs, 1877 to 1877.
d. February 17, 1933 · Catcher who batted .213 across three clubs, 1901 to 1910.
d. February 17, 1935 · Third baseman for the Philadelphia Athletics, 1889 to 1889.
d. February 17, 1936 · Led his league in triples in 1878 and walks in 1883 after five seasons in the National Association.
d. February 17, 1941 · Center fielder for the Cleveland Naps, 1903 to 1903.
d. February 17, 1950 · Right fielder who batted .286 across four clubs, 1910 to 1916.
d. February 17, 1956 · Left fielder who batted .293 across five clubs, 1894 to 1906.
d. February 17, 1961 · First baseman who batted .263 across five clubs, 1909 to 1922.
d. February 17, 1966 · Right fielder across two clubs, 1913 to 1915.
d. February 17, 1975 · Left fielder across three clubs, 1914 to 1919.
d. February 17, 1982 · Wounded in the Ardennes and briefly blinded by shrapnel, then umpired in the American League for twenty-five seasons.
d. February 17, 1985 · Right fielder for the Chicago White Sox, 1935 to 1936.
d. February 17, 1986 · He led the American League in losses two years running, then the Yankees bought him and he won twenty games four seasons in a row.
d. February 17, 1989 · A 173-pound left-hander who won two pitching triple crowns, started the first All-Star Game, and was quoted as often as he was hit.
d. February 17, 1990 · Catcher who batted .221 across four clubs, 1973 to 1982.
d. February 17, 1996 · Pitcher across two clubs, 1942 to 1943.
d. February 17, 2000 · Baseball figure for the Philadelphia Blue Jays, 1944 to 1944.
d. February 17, 2012 · Pitcher across two clubs, 1959 to 1962.
d. February 17, 2016 · Drew 1,319 walks, played four positions in the same season more than once, and was never an All-Star.
d. February 17, 2016 · First baseman for the New York Mets, 1974 to 1975.
d. February 17, 2025 · Knuckleball reliever who led the American League in appearances twice and won the 1965 Fireman of the Year award.
28 players died on February 17; these are the 24 best known.