69, principal owner of the Cleveland Indians from 1927 until he sold the franchise to Bill Veeck in 1946. April April 3 – Larry Benton, 55, pitcher who played for the Boston Braves, New York Giants and Cincinnati Reds over parts of thirteen seasons from 1923–1935, leading the National League with 25 wins and 28 complete games in 1928, and twice in W-L record from 1927 to 1928. April 5 – Tex Erwin, 67, catcher who played with the Detroit Tigers in 1907, and for the Cincinnati Reds and the Brooklyn Superbas, Robins and Dodgers clubs in a span of five seasons from 1910–1914. April 5 – Connie Walsh, 70, pitcher who appeared in one game for the Pittsburgh Pirates in its 1907 season. April 5 – Herb Gorman, 28, first baseman who made a pinch-hit appearance for the 1952 St. Louis Cardinals; suffered a fatal heart attack while playing in a Pacific Coast League game. April 11 – Kid Nichols, Hall of Fame pitcher who posted 361 victories for the seventh most wins in Major League Baseball history, died in Kansas City, Missouri at the age of 79. Born in Madison, Wisconsin, Nichols anchored the pitching staff of the Boston Beaneaters between 1890 and 1901, guiding Boston to five National League championships in his first nine seasons with the club. He surpassed the 30-victory plateau seven times from 1891–1894 and 1896–1898, as his career record shows that he hurled 20 or more wins in ten consecutive seasons from 1891–1994 and in 1904. In addition, he remains as the youngest pitcher to reach the illustrious 300-win milestone, getting there months before his 31st birthday. His most productive season came in 1892, when he had a 35–16 record and won two games in the league's Championship Series as the Beaneaters defeated Cy Young and the Cleveland Spiders. Nichols remained with Boston through 1901, when the team let him go in an effort to save money. After a two-year lapse, he returned to the majors as manager and pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals from 1904 to 1905 and ended his career with the Philadelphia Phillies in 1905. Overall, Nichols posted a 2.96 ERA, led the National league in wins for three straight years from 1896 to 1898, pitched more than 300 innings in every season but three and more than 400 five times while pitching 532 complete games and 48 shutouts