This day in baseball ● On this day
January 31
The record for January 31 in baseball history — 63 births and 39 deaths.
No milestones or firsts are on record for January 31 — but the players below were born and lost on it.
Born on this day
b. January 31, 1845 · Second baseman who batted .265 across seven clubs, 1871 to 1884.
b. January 31, 1882 · Catcher who batted .265 across three clubs, 1911 to 1918.
b. January 31, 1885 · Catcher across two clubs, 1913 to 1915.
b. January 31, 1885 · First baseman for the Cleveland Naps, 1910 to 1912.
b. January 31, 1889 · Pitcher for the Philadelphia Athletics, 1915 to 1916.
b. January 31, 1893 · Hit 64 doubles in 1926, a total only one man has ever beaten, and was named the American League's most valuable player for it.
b. January 31, 1896 · Pitcher across three clubs, 1919 to 1928.
b. January 31, 1899 · Pitcher across two clubs, 1924 to 1927.
b. January 31, 1903 · Second baseman for the Boston Braves, 1925 to 1925.
b. January 31, 1903 · Catcher across three clubs, 1920 to 1930.
b. January 31, 1909 · Pitcher for the New York Giants, 1931 to 1931.
b. January 31, 1914 · Pitcher for the Chicago Cubs, 1934 to 1934.
b. January 31, 1919 · Broke the major leagues' color line in 1947, and was Rookie of the Year and then Most Valuable Player while doing it.
b. January 31, 1929 · Pitcher across three clubs, 1955 to 1961.
b. January 31, 1931 · Mr. Cub hit 512 home runs, won two Most Valuable Player awards for fifth-place teams, and never played a postseason game.
b. January 31, 1931 · Had the lowest earned run average in the American League in 1962 and a career batting average of .085.
b. January 31, 1947 · Holds the career strikeout record with 5,714 and threw seven no-hitters, the last of them at 44.
b. January 31, 1950 · Pitcher for the New York Mets, 1973 to 1977.
b. January 31, 1963 · Catcher who batted .235 across two clubs, 1986 to 1992.
b. January 31, 1970 · First baseman across three clubs, 1996 to 2000.
b. January 31, 1982 · Pitcher across two clubs, 2005 to 2010.
b. January 31, 1987 · Pitcher across two clubs, 2013 to 2025.
b. January 31, 1992 · Pitcher across four clubs, 2014 to 2023.
b. January 31, 1994 · Pitcher across four clubs, 2019 to 2024.
63 players were born on January 31; these are the 24 best known.
Died on this day
d. January 31, 1900 · Pitcher for the Baltimore Marylands, 1873 to 1873.
d. January 31, 1904 · Catcher across two clubs, 1892 to 1895.
d. January 31, 1933 · Pitcher across three clubs, 1904 to 1907.
d. January 31, 1938 · Pitcher across three clubs, 1905 to 1909.
d. January 31, 1938 · Third baseman across three clubs, 1884 to 1893.
d. January 31, 1942 · Catcher who batted .251 across five clubs, 1902 to 1913.
d. January 31, 1942 · Left fielder who batted .303 across three clubs, 1884 to 1893.
d. January 31, 1948 · Second baseman for the Philadelphia Phillies, 1911 to 1911.
d. January 31, 1953 · Left fielder for the New York Highlanders, 1911 to 1911.
d. January 31, 1956 · Shortstop who batted .272 for the Chicago White Sox, 1912 to 1920.
d. January 31, 1957 · Shortstop for the Boston Red Sox, 1922 to 1922.
d. January 31, 1958 · Catcher for the Philadelphia Phillies, 1927 to 1927.
d. January 31, 1961 · Pitcher across three clubs, 1925 to 1930.
d. January 31, 1964 · Worked as both catcher and pitcher across eight recorded Negro major-league seasons.
d. January 31, 1980 · Pitcher for the Brooklyn Dodgers, 1940 to 1946.
d. January 31, 2002 · Catcher who batted .238 across four clubs, 1950 to 1962.
d. January 31, 2004 · Pitcher for the Baltimore Elite Giants, 1946 to 1948.
d. January 31, 2005 · Pitcher across three clubs, 1942 to 1950.
d. January 31, 2009 · Catcher for the Boston Red Sox, 1950 to 1950.
d. January 31, 2013 · First baseman who batted .253 across four clubs, 1962 to 1970.
d. January 31, 2018 · Hit 31 home runs in 1977 and had the largest afro the game has seen.
d. January 31, 2022 · Shortstop who batted .230 for the Washington Senators, 1952 to 1958.
d. January 31, 2023 · Pitcher for the Cleveland Indians, 2002 to 2003.
d. January 31, 2024 · Pitcher across three clubs, 1961 to 1970.
39 players died on January 31; these are the 24 best known.