span of sixteen seasons from 1912–1929, eleven of them with the St. Louis Cardinals, who won 20 games in 1920 and twice led the National League in ERA in 1914 and 1921. November 27 – Nick Maddox, 68, pitcher who posted a 43-20 record and 2.29 earned run average from 1907–1910 for the Pittsburgh Pirates, who threw a two-hit, 14-strikeout 4–0 shutout in his debut against the St. Louis Cardinals, and later in the season hurled a 2–1 no-hitter against the Brooklyn Superbas, becoming the youngest pitcher ever to throw a no-hitter in Major League history at the age of 20 years and ten months, which was also the first no-hit game ever thrown by a Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher. November 29 – Al Lawson, 85, pitcher for the Boston Beaneaters and Pittsburgh Alleghenys during the 1890 season, who later went on to play a pioneering role in the U.S. aircraft industry. December December 1 – Kid O'Hara, 78, outfielder for the Boston Beaneaters in the 1904 season. December 4 – Tony Madigan, 86, pitcher for the 1886 Washington Nationals of the National League. December 5 – Russ Christopher, 37, pitcher who played from 1942 through 1948 with the Philadelphia Athletics and Cleveland Indians, including the 1948 World Champion Indians. December 9 – Bill McGowan, 58, Hall of Fame American League umpire who officiated over 30 years and worked in eight World Series, including a string of 2,541 consecutive games in which he did not miss a single inning between 1925 and 1942. December 11 – Harry Courtney, 56, who pitched from 1919 to 1922 for the Washington Senators and Chicago White Sox. December 17 – Red Proctor, 54, pitcher who saw action in two games with the Chicago White Sox in 1923. December 19 – Big Jeff Pfeffer, 72, National League pitcher for the Chicago Cubs and the Boston Beaneaters/Doves/Rustlers teams, who pitched his way into baseball history by throwing a no-hitter against the Cincinnati Reds on May 8, 1907. December 31 – Tom Raftery, 73, outfielder who appeared in eight games for the Cleveland Naps in the 1909 season. Sources External links Major League Baseball official website Minor League Baseball official website Baseball Reference – 1954 MLB Season Summary Baseball Almanac - Major League Baseball Players Who Were Born in 1954 Baseball Almanac - Major League Baseball Players Who Died in 1954