This day in baseball ● On this day
March 5
The record for March 5 in baseball history — 67 births and 19 deaths.
No milestones or firsts are on record for March 5 — but the players below were born and lost on it.
Born on this day
b. March 5, 1860 · Drove in 1,308 runs in only 1,410 games, a higher rate than Lou Gehrig's and the best of anyone with a career that long.
b. March 5, 1863 · Second baseman for the Cleveland Spiders, 1890 to 1890.
b. March 5, 1896 · Catcher across two clubs, 1922 to 1930.
b. March 5, 1898 · Pitcher for the Philadelphia Athletics, 1919 to 1919.
b. March 5, 1907 · Catcher across four clubs, 1932 to 1939.
b. March 5, 1911 · First baseman across two clubs, 1935 to 1938.
b. March 5, 1912 · Pitcher across three clubs, 1938 to 1942.
b. March 5, 1917 · Shortstop for the Philadelphia Phillies, 1940 to 1940.
b. March 5, 1918 · Pitcher across three clubs, 1938 to 1945.
b. March 5, 1921 · Was born in Czechoslovakia, drew 942 walks, and ran into more outfield walls than anyone of his time.
b. March 5, 1930 · Caught 1,479 games for the Braves, won four of the first Gold Gloves, and lost two seasons to the Army.
b. March 5, 1941 · Caught 835 games for nine club identities and hit a career-high 13 home runs for Milwaukee in 1970.
b. March 5, 1945 · Pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals, 1964 to 1964.
b. March 5, 1947 · Submarine-throwing reliever who appeared in 1,050 games without ever starting one, and saved three in the 1979 World Series.
b. March 5, 1959 · Pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals, 1980 to 1982.
b. March 5, 1961 · Made the 1995 American League All-Star team during a career repeatedly interrupted by lost seasons.
b. March 5, 1971 · Left fielder across three clubs, 1996 to 2002.
b. March 5, 1971 · Second baseman who batted .244 across four clubs, 1995 to 1999.
b. March 5, 1976 · Hit 439 home runs across eighteen seasons and never led his league in anything at all.
b. March 5, 1976 · Left fielder across two clubs, 2005 to 2006.
b. March 5, 1979 · Pitcher across six clubs, 2002 to 2014.
b. March 5, 1985 · Pitcher across three clubs, 2009 to 2015.
b. March 5, 1992 · Pitcher across four clubs, 2017 to 2025.
b. March 5, 1998 · Shortstop who batted .294 for the Toronto Blue Jays, 2019 to 2025.
67 players were born on March 5; these are the 24 best known.
Died on this day
d. March 5, 1897 · First baseman who won 147 games with a 2.84 ERA across three clubs, 1884 to 1896.
d. March 5, 1915 · Hit .328 with 130 hits, 71 runs batted in and 38 stolen bases for Baltimore in 1896.
d. March 5, 1920 · Catcher for the Brooklyn Superbas, 1908 to 1908.
d. March 5, 1924 · Second baseman for the New York Metropolitans, 1885 to 1885.
d. March 5, 1928 · Second baseman across two clubs, 1891 to 1898.
d. March 5, 1929 · Catcher across four clubs, 1884 to 1891.
d. March 5, 1942 · Left fielder for the St. Louis Browns, 1920 to 1921.
d. March 5, 1944 · Second baseman who batted .248 across six clubs, 1921 to 1939.
d. March 5, 1950 · Pitcher for the Washington Senators, 1896 to 1897.
d. March 5, 1956 · Catcher who batted .231 for the St. Louis Cardinals, 1936 to 1937.
d. March 5, 1963 · Pitcher for the Detroit Tigers, 1913 to 1913.
d. March 5, 1965 · Went 12 for 24 with five stolen bases in the 1931 World Series and became the face of the Gashouse Gang.
d. March 5, 1980 · First baseman who batted .277 across three clubs, 1939 to 1949.
d. March 5, 1986 · First baseman across four clubs, 1930 to 1943.
d. March 5, 1995 · Second baseman who batted .273 across four clubs, 1935 to 1946.
d. March 5, 2001 · Third baseman across two clubs, 1950 to 1952.
d. March 5, 2002 · Pitcher across two clubs, 1938 to 1940.
d. March 5, 2020 · Split his career between catcher and first base, with a 12-home-run season for Cincinnati in 1966.
d. March 5, 2021 · First baseman for the Boston Red Sox, 1959 to 1962.