Earl Averill Cleveland Indians

Billy Herman, Earl Averill and Bucky Harris are selected for the Hall of Fame 

ByThis Day in Baseball

1975 – Billy Herman, Earl Averill and Bucky Harris are selected for the Hall of Fame by the Special Veterans Committee. Herman was a ten-time All-Star second baseman who batted .304 in 15 seasons and played in four World Series. Averill batted .299 or better in nine of his first ten seasons and finished as a .318 career hitter. Harris managed the Washington Senators to two pennants in his first two seasons as a player-manager and was a career .274 hitter.

ralph kiner

Pittsburgh Pirates slugger Ralph Kiner gains election to the Hall of Fame

ByThis Day in Baseball

On January 23, 1975, former Pittsburgh Pirates slugger Ralph Kiner gains election to the Hall of Fame in his final year on the ballot. Kiner hit 369 home runs over a 10-year career, leading the National League in home runs each season from 1946 to 1952. In one of the narrowest margins ever, Kiner is…

Pitcher Don Wilson , at age 29, dies at home from carbon monoxide poisoning.
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Pitcher Don Wilson , at age 29, dies at home from carbon monoxide poisoning.

ByThis Day in Baseball

1975 – Pitcher Don Wilson , at age 29, dies at home from carbon monoxide poisoning after falling asleep in his car. His young son, asleep in a bedroom above the garage, also dies in the tragedy. His number 40 is retired by the Astros the following spring, the second Houston player to be so honored.