and Red Sox from 1907 to 1909. November 20 – Joe Rogalski, 39, pitcher who played in 1938 with the Detroit Tigers. December December 5 – Jim Duggan, 66, first baseman who played for the St. Louis Browns in its 1911 season. December 5 – Shoeless Joe Jackson, 63, left fielder and prominent hitter whose career lasted from 1908 to 1920 with the Philadelphia Athletics, Cleveland Naps and Chicago White Sox, who hit .408 in 1908, the highest batting average ever by a rookie, while hitting a slash line of .408/.468/.590 in 1911 during his first season as a full-time player, and leading the White Sox to the 1917 World Series victory against the New York Giants, ending his career with a .356 average for the third highest in Major League history, before being banished from the sport for his involvement in the Black Sox scandal. December 8 – Bobby Lowe, 86, second baseman who joined the Boston Beaneaters in 1890 and remained with them through 1901, winning five National League pennants in that period while completing an outstanding infield that featured Fred Tenney at first, Herman Long at shortstop and Jimmy Collins at third, whose claim to fame came when he became the first player in Major League history to hit four home runs in a single game, which was played on the afternoon of Memorial Day, 1894, against the Cincinnati Reds at Congress Street Grounds. December 18 – Spencer Abbott, 74, coach for 1935 Washington Senators and longtime minor league player and manager, whose baseball career lasted for 52 years. December 18 – Joe Ohl, 63, pitcher for the 1909 Senators. December 19 – Bob Lindemann, 70, backup outfielder who played for the Philadelphia Athletics in 1901. December 27 – Ernie Lindemann, 73, pitcher who appeared in one game for the Boston Doves in 1907. December 29 – Hiram Bithorn, 35, pitcher who was the first player born in Puerto Rico to play in the Major Leagues when he made his debut with the Chicago Cubs in its 1942 season, leading the National League pitchers with seven shutouts in 1943, while posting a record of 34–31 and 3.16 ERA in 105 games over four seasons. December 30 – Bob Kinsella, 52, outfielder who spent two seasons with the New York Giants from 1919 to 1920. Sources External links Baseball Reference – 1951 MLB Season Summary Baseball Reference –