Athletes and Sports Stars Born in 1944

Joe Frazier (1944-2011)

Jan 12 American boxer (Olympic gold heavyweight 1964; undisputed world heavyweight champion 1970-73), born in Beaufort, South Carolina

Jan 12 Vlastimil Hort, Czechoslovak-born German chess player, born in Kladno, Czech Republic
Jan 13 Christina von Saltza, American swimmer (Olympic gold 400m, 4x100m freestyle, 4x100m medley 1960), born in San Francisco, California
Jan 14 Graham Marsh, Australian golfer and course designer (US Senior Open 1997, The Tradition 1999), born in Kalgoorlie, Australia
Jan 16 Juan Rodríguez Vega, Chilean soccer defender (26 caps; Universidad de Chile, Atlético Español), born in Santiago, Chile (d. 2021)
Jan 17 Denny Doyle, American MLB baseball second baseman, 1970-77 (Philadelphia Phillies, and 1 other team), born in Glasgow, Kentucky (d. 2022)
Jan 18 Carl Morton, American baseball pitcher (NL Rookie of the Year 1970; Montreal Expos, Atlanta Braves), born in Kansas City, Missouri (d. 1983)
Jan 19 Dan Reeves, American football coach (AP NFL Coach of the Year 1993 NY Giants, 1998 Atlanta Falcons; Denver Broncos), born in Rome, Georgia (d. 2021)
Jan 20 Isao Okano, Japanese judoka (Olympic gold 1964), born in Ryugasaki, Japan
Jan 23 Sergey Belov, Soviet basketball player (Olympic gold 1972), born in Shegarsky District, Russia (d. 2013)
Jan 30 Frank Burrows, Scottish soccer defender (Swindon Town 297 games) and manager (Portsmouth, Cardiff, Swansea), born in Larkhall, Scotland (d. 2021)
Jan 31 John Inverarity, cricketer (Australian batsman 1968-72)
Feb 1 Henri Depireux, Belgian soccer midfielder (2 caps; RFC Liège, Standard de Liège) and manager (Cameroon, Congo DR, FC Metz), born in Belgium (d. 2022)
Feb 1 Paul Blair, American baseball outfielder (MLB All-Star 1969, 73; World Series 1966, 70, 77-78; Gold Glove Award 1967, 69–75; Baltimore Orioles), born in Cushing, Oklahoma (d. 2013)
Feb 2 Sandy Carmichael, Scottish rugby union prop (50 caps; British and Irish Lions 1971, 74; West of Scotland, Glasgow District), born in Glasgow, Scotland (d. 2021)
Feb 11 Bert Greene, American golfer (PGA C'ship 1969 3rd), born in Gray, Georgia
Feb 12 Charles Pasarell, Puerto Rican-American tennis player and administrator, born in San Juan, Puerto Rica
Feb 12 Mike Martin, American College Baseball HOF coach (all-time winningest coach in NCAA Division I: Florida State Uni 1980-2019; Baseball America Coach of the Year 2012, 19), born in Charlotte, North Carolina (d. 2024)
Feb 13 Sal Bando, American baseball third baseman (4 x MLB All-Star; World Series 1972, 73, 74 Oakland A's) and executive (GM Milwaukee Brewers 1991-99), born in Cleveland, Ohio (d. 2023)
Feb 14 Ronnie Peterson, Swedish auto racer (World F1 C'ship runner-up 1971, 78), born in Örebro, Sweden (d. 1978)
Feb 16 Richard Ford, American author (Sportswriter), born in Jackson, Mississippi
Feb 18 Pat Bowlen, American Pro Football Hall of Fame team owner (Super Bowl 1998, 99, 2015 Denver Broncos), born in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin (d. 2019)
Feb 20 Willem van Hanegem, Dutch soccer champ/coach (Feyenoord)
Feb 22 Ranjit Fernando, Sri Lankan cricket wicket-keeper (1975 World Cup), born in Colombo, Sri Lanka
Feb 22 Tom Okker, Dutch tennis player, born in Amsterdam, Netherlands
Feb 23 Ed Flanagan, American football center (Pro Bowl 1969, 70, 71, 73; Detroit Lions, San Diego Chargers), born in San Bernardino, California (d. 2023)
Feb 27 Graeme Pollock, South African cricket batsman (23 Tests @ 60.97, 7 x 100, HS 274; Transvaal, Eastern Province), born in Durban, South Africa
Feb 28 Sepp Maier, German soccer goalkeeper (95 caps West Germany; Bayern Munich 536 games), born in Metten, Germany
Feb 29 John Niland, American NFL offensive guard (6 x Pro Bowl; 3 x All-Pro; Super Bowl 1971; Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles), born in Quincy, Massachusetts
Mar 9 Geoff Arnold, English cricketer (England medium-pacer in 34 Tests 1967-75), born in Earlsfield, Surrey, England
Mar 9 Lee Irvine, South African cricket batsman (4 Tests, 1 x 100, 2 x 50, HS 102; Essex CCC, Natal, Transvaal), born in Durban, South Africa
Mar 14 Clyde Lee, American NBA player, born in Nashville, Tennessee
Mar 17 Cito Gaston, American MLB player and manager (Toronto Blue Jays), born in San Antonio, Texas
Mar 21 Charles Edward Greene, Pine Bluff Ark, 4x100m runner (Olympic gold 1968)
Mar 23 George Scott, MLB first baseman, 1966-79 (Boston Red Sox, Milwaukee Brewers, and 2 other teams), born in Greenville, Mississippi, (d. 2013)
Mar 23 Salim Altaf, cricketer (Pakistan medium-pacer in 21 Tests 1967-78)

Rick Barry (80 years old)

Mar 28 Basketball forward (NY Nets, Golden State Warriors), born in Elizabeth, New Jersey

Mar 29 Bill Vukovich II, American auto racer (Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year 1968; Indianapolis 500 1973 runner-up), born in Riverside, California (d. 2023)

Denny McLain (80 years old)

Mar 29 American baseball pitcher (AL Cy Young Award 1968-69; AL MVP 1968; MLB All-Star 66, 68, 69; Detroit Tigers), born in Markham, Illinois

Apr 1 Rusty Staub, American baseball utility (6 x MLB All Star; Houston Colt .45s / Astros; Montreal Expos; NY Mets; Detroit Tigers) and broadcaster (Mets games 1986-95), born in New Orleans, Louisiana (d. 2018)
Apr 2 Bob Sheridan, American boxing and MMA broadcaster (WGBS "Rumble in the Jungle", "Thrilla in Manila"; bodogFIGHT), born in Boston, Massachusetts (d. 2023)
Apr 2 František Pospíšil, Czech ice hockey defenseman (IIHF World C'ships gold 1972, 76, 77; best defenseman 1972, 76; Olympic bronze 1972, silver 1976), born in Unhošť, Bohemia and Moravia
Apr 2 Rodolfo Fischer, Argentine soccer striker (35 caps; San Lorenzo 271 games), born in Oberá, Argentina (d. 2020)
Apr 3 Ramazan Rragami, Albanian soccer midfielder (20 caps; KF Vllaznia) and manager (KF Vllaznia), born in Shkodër, Albania (d. 2022)
Apr 4 Lawrence A. Hough, American rower (Pairs w/o cox-1968 olympic silver), born in Janesville, Wisconsin
Apr 4 Ronnie Rees, Welsh soccer winger (39 caps; Coventry City, WBA, Nottingham Forest), born in Ystradgynlais, Wales (d. 2023)
Apr 6 John Huarte, American College Football Hall of Fame quarterback (Heisman Trophy 1964, Notre Dame; Super Bowl 1970, KC Chiefs), born in Anaheim, California
Apr 7 Bill Stoneman, American MLB baseball pitcher, 1967-74, All-Star (Montreal Expos and 2 other teams), and team executive (Expos, California Angels), born in Oak Park, Illinois
Apr 12 Mike Garrett, American College Football Hall of Fame running back (Heisman Trophy 1965, USC; AFL All-Star 1966-67, KC Chiefs) and executive (athletic director USC 1993-2010), born in Los Angeles, CA
Apr 12 Siegfried Stritzl, American soccer midfielder (11 caps; NY Cosmos; NASL Rookie of the Year 1969), born in Yugoslavia (d. 2022)
Apr 16 Bob Montgomery, last Major League Baseball player to bat without a helmet (1979), born in Nashville, Tennessee
Apr 18 Irvine Shillingford, West Indian cricket batsman (4 Tests, 1 x 100, HS 120; Combined Islands, Windward Islands), born in Dublanc, Dominica (d. 2023)
Apr 21 Adrian Hurley, Australian basketball coach
Apr 24 John McDonald, Australian rugby league centre (13 Tests; Queensland; Manly-Warringah RLFC), born in Toowoomba, Australia (d. 2023)
Apr 26 Martha Rockwell, American cross-country skier (Mount Washington), born in Providence, Rhode Island
Apr 29 Francis Lee, English soccer striker (27 caps; Bolton Wanderers, Manchester City 249 games, Derby County), born in Westhoughton, England (d. 2023)
Apr 29 Jim Hart, American NFL quarterback (St Louis Cardinals), born in Evanston, Illinois
Apr 30 Peter Dixon, English rugby union flanker (22 Tests England, 3 British & Irish Lions; Oxford University RFC, Harlequins RFC), born in Keighley, England (d. 2023)
May 5 Bo Larsson, Swedish football striker (70 caps; Malmö FF 310 games 119 goals, VfB Stuttgart), born in Malmö, Sweden (d. 2023)

Masanori Murakami (79 years old)

May 6 Japanese baseball player in major leagues, born in Ōtsuki, Yamanashi, Japan

May 6 Mike Coulman, English rugby union prop (9 Tests England, 1 British & Irish Lions; Moseley RUFC) and rugby league front rower (3 Tests GB, 5 England; Salford RLFC), born in Stafford, England (d. 2023)
May 10 Abdul Kadir, cricketer (Pakistani batsman-keeper in 4 Tests 1964-65)
May 11 Dave Nicoll, English motocross racer (Trans-AMA motocross series 1970) and official (FIM world championship Clerk of the Course 1997-2023), born in Cambridge, England (d. 2023)
May 11 John Benaud, Australian cricket batsman (3 Tests, 1 x 100; NSW CA), born in Sydney, Australia
May 13 Clive Radley, English cricketer (batsman in 8 Tests)
May 15 Miruts Yifter 'Yifter the Shifter', Ethiopian runner (Olympic golds 1980), born in Adigrat (d. 2016)
May 17 Arif Butt, Pakistani cricket pace bowler (3 Tests, 14 wickets; Lahore, Pakistan Railways), born in Lahore, Pakistan (d. 2007)
May 20 Joseph Benz, Swiss bobsledder (Olympic gold 2-man 1980; World C'ship gold 4-man 1975; 2-man 1978, 79), born in Zurich, Switzerland (d. 2021)
May 20 Keith Fletcher, cricket captain (Essex & England)

John Newcombe (79 years old)

May 23 Australian tennis player (7 Grand Slam singles, 17 Grand Slam doubles titles), born in Sydney, Australia

May 26 Sam Posey, American auto racer (12 Hours of Sebring 1975; 24 Hours of Le Mans 1971 3rd) and TV commentator (ABC Sports), born in New York City
May 27 Pleun Strik, Dutch soccer defender (8 caps, FIFA World Cup 1974 runner-up; PSV Eindhoven 270 games), born in Rotterdam, Netherlands (d. 2022)
Jun 2 Garo Yepremian, American NFL place kicker (Miami Dolphins), born in Larnaca, Cyprus (d. 2015)
Jun 2 Poul Jensen, Danish sailor (Olympic gold 1976, 80)
Jun 3 Eddy Ottoz, Italian athlete (hurdles) and coach, born in Mandelieu-la-Napoule, France
Jun 3 Edith McGuire, US 200m sprinter (Olympic gold 1964)
Jun 5 Chris Finnegan, British boxer (Olympic gold middleweight 1968), born in Iver, Buckinghamshire, England (d. 2009)
Jun 6 Bud Harrelson, American baseball shortstop (MLB All-Star 1970, 71; World Series 1969; Gold Glove 1971 New York Mets) and manager (NY Mets 1990, 91), born in Niles, California (d. 2024)

Tommie Smith (79 years old)

Jun 6 American athlete and 200m sprinter who was the 1st to break the 20-second barrier (performed the black power salute while accepting his Olympic gold medal in 1968), born in Clarksville, Texas

Jun 8 Mark Belanger, American baseball shortstop (MLB All Star 1976; 8 x Gold Glove winner; Baltimore Orioles), born in Pittsfield, Massachusetts (d. 1998)
Jun 9 Christine Goitschel, French alpine skier (Olympic gold 1964), born in Sallanches, France
Jun 13 Joe Amato, NHRA top fuel drag racing champion (1991), born in Exeter, Pennsylvania
Jun 15 Inna Ryskai, Soviet volleyball player (Olympic-2 gold/2 silver-1964-76), born in Baku, Azerbaijan, Soviet Union
Jun 16 Gary F. Jones, American thoroughbred racehorse trainer ($52.6m in purses; 1,465 race wins; US Racing HOF), born in Long Beach, California (d. 2020)
Jun 16 Takamiyama Daigorō [Jesse Kuhaulua], American wrestler (1972 1st non-Japanese sumo champion), born in Maui, Hawaii
Jun 17 (Jesús) "Chucho" Castillo, Mexican bantamweight boxer (WBA, WBC, 1970), born in Nuevo Valle de Moreno, Mexico (d. 2013)
Jun 20 Dave Nelson, American baseball infielder (MLB All Star 1973 Washington Senators/Texas Rangers) and broadcaster (Milwaukee Brewers Fox Sports Wisconsin), born in Fort Sill, Oklahoma (d. 2018)
Jun 22 Michael Obst, German coxsman (Olympic gold 1960), born in German FR
Jun 23 Clive Barker, South African soccer coach (South Africa 1994-97; AmaZulu FC), born in Durban, South Africa (d. 2023)
Jun 24 Terry Donahue, American College Football Hall of Fame coach (head coach UCLA 1976-96, record 151–74–8; Pac-10 Coach of the Year 1985, 93), born in Los Angeles, California (d. 2021)
Jun 26 Bengt Åberg, Swedish motocross racer (World 500cc Motocross Champion 1969, 70; Motocross des Nations gold 1970, 71, 74), born in Gävleborg County, Sweden (d. 2021)
Jun 27 Patrick Sercu, Belgian cyclist, 1K time trial (Olympic gold 1964), born in Roeselare, West Flanders, Belgium
Jun 29 Claude Humphrey, American Pro Football HOF defensive end (6 × Pro Bowl, 5 × First-team All-Pro Atlanta Falcons; Philadelphia Eagles), born in Memphis, Tennessee (d. 2021)
Jun 30 Ron Swoboda, American baseball outfielder and sportscaster (NY Yankees, NY Mets), born in Baltimore, Maryland
Jul 1 Diron Talbot, American NFL defensive tackle (Pro Bowl 1974, Washington Redskins), born in Pascagoula, Mississippi
Jul 6 Donald Ritchie, Scottish ultrarunner (world record 100 miles 11:51:11 1979), born in Lossiemouth, Scotland (d. 2018)
Jul 6 Gunhild Hoffmeister, East German 800m/1500m runner (Olympic silver 1972), born in Forst, Germany
Jul 7 Jürgen Grabowski, German footballer (44 caps West Germany; Eintracht Frankfurt 441 games), born in Wiesbaden, Germany (d. 2022)
Jul 7 Tony Jacklin, English golfer (British Open 1969, US Open 1970), born in Scunthorpe, England
Jul 12 Terry Cooper, English soccer defender (20 caps; Leeds, Middlesborough) and manager (Bristol City, Birmingham City), born in Brotherton, England (d. 2021)
Jul 13 Eric Freeman, Australian cricket fast bowler (11 Tests, 34 wickets, 2 x 50s; South Australia), born in Adelaide, Australia (d. 2020)
Jul 14 Georgi Popov, Bulgarian soccer forward (22 caps; Botev Plovdiv 308 games) and manager (Botev Plovdiv, Maritsa Plovdiv), born in Plovdiv, Bulgaria (d. 2024)
Jul 17 Carlos Alberto Torres, Brazilian footballer, Captain of winning World Cup team (1970), born in Rio de Janeiro (d. 2016)
Jul 17 Mark Burgess, New Zealand cricket batsman (50 Tests, 5 x 100s; Auckland CA), born in Auckland, New Zealand
Jul 18 David Hemery, English 400m-hurdler (Olympic gold 1968), born in Cirencester, England
Jul 20 Mel Daniels, professional basketball player (Hall of Fame 2012), born in Detroit, Michigan (d. 2015)
Jul 22 Dennis Firestone, Australian racing driver
Jul 22 Sparky Lyle, American baseball pitcher (MLB All-Star 1973, 76, 77; World Series 1977, 78; AL Cy Young Award 1977; NY Yankees), born in DuBois, Pennsylvania
Jul 26 Micki King, American diver (Olympic gold springboard 1972), born in Pontiac, Michigan
Jul 27 Jean-Marie Leblanc, French cyclist, born in Nueil-les-Aubiers, Deux-Sèvres, France
Jul 28 Daniel Morelon, French speed skater (Olympic gold 1968, 72), born in Bourg-en-Bresse, France
Jul 29 Terry Jarvis, New Zealand cricket batsman (13 Tests, 1 x 100, HS 187 in 387 partnership with Glenn Turner v WI 1972), born in Auckland, New Zealand
Aug 9 George Armstrong, English soccer winger and manager (Arsenal 500 games; Kuwait 1988-89), born in Hebburn, County Durham (d. 2000)
Aug 9 Terry Jenner, Australian cricket spin bowler (9 Tests, 24 wickets; WA CA, SA CA), born in Mount Lawley, Australia (d. 2011)
Aug 12 Francesco Morini, Italian soccer defender (11 caps; Sampdoria, Juventus), born in San Giuliano Terme, Italy (d. 2021)
Aug 13 Divina Galica, British athlete and racing driver, born in Bushey Heath, Hertfordshire, England
Aug 14 Robyn Smith Astaire [Melody Dawn Miller], American jockey, wife of Fred Astaire, born in San Francisco, California
Aug 16 Mufasir-ul-Haq, cricketer (Pakistan left-arm quick, 1 Test)
Aug 20 Graig Nettles, American MLB 3rd baseman, 1967-88, 6X All-Star, sX Gold Glove (NY Yankees, San Diego Padres, Cleveland Indians, and 3 other teams), born in San Diego, California
Aug 26 Neroli Fairhall, New Zealand archer (first paraplegic to compete in the Olympic Games 1984), born in Christchurch, New Zealand (d. 2006)
Aug 28 Marianne Heemskerk, Dutch swimmer, born in Rotterdam, Netherlands
Aug 30 Tug McGraw, American baseball player and father of Tim McGraw, born in Martinez, California (d. 2004)
Aug 31 Clive Lloyd, Guyanese and West Indies cricket batsman and captain (110 Tests; 7,515 runs @ 46.67, HS 242no), born in Georgetown, British Guiana
Aug 31 Earnie Shavers, American boxer (2 x world heavyweight c'ship challenger [Muhammad Ali 1977, Larry Holmes 1979]), born in Garland, Alabama (d. 2022)
Sep 2 Orlando Martínez, Cuban boxer (Olympic gold bantamweight 1972), born in Havana, Cuba (d. 2021)
Sep 10 Héctor Silva, Argentine rugby union number 8 (24 caps; Los Tilos) and coach (Argentina 1985-87), born in La Plata, Argentina (d. 2021)
Sep 11 Everaldo, Brazilian footballer, born in Porto Alegre, Brazil
Sep 11 John McSherry, American MLB baseball umpire, 1971-96 (World Series - 1977, 87; All-Star Game - 1975, 82, 91), born in The Bronx, New York (d. 1996)
Sep 12 Ron Ward, Canadian ice hockey player (Toronto Maple Leafs), born in Cornwall, Ontario, Canada
Sep 12 Yoshio Kikugawa, Japanese soccer defender (16 caps; Mitsubishi Motors FC) and manager (Avispa Fukuoka FC 1982-94), born in Fujieda, Japan (d. 2022)

Ard Schenk (79 years old)

Sep 16 Dutch speed skater (3 Olympic gold 1972), born in Anna Paulowna, Netherlands

Sep 22 Jim Forrest, Scottish soccer striker (5 caps; Rangers, Preston NE, Aberdeen, Hong Kong Rangers), born in Glasgow, Scotland (d. 2023)
Sep 24 Bernd Bransch, German soccer defender (64 caps GDR; Chemie Halle FC, FC Carl Zeiss Jena), born in Halle, Germany (d. 2022)
Sep 25 Aleksandr Lenyov, Russian soccer midfielder / defender (10 caps Soviet Union; Torpedo Moscow), born in Novomoskovsk, Russia (d. 2021)
Sep 25 Grayson Shillingford, West Indian cricket fast bowler (7 Tests, 15 wickets, BB 3/63; Windward Islands), born in Macoucherie, Dominica (d. 2009)
Sep 30 Jimmy Johnstone, Scottish soccer forward (23 caps; Celtic FC), born in Viewpark, Scotland (d. 2006)

Tony La Russa (79 years old)

Oct 4 American Baseball Hall of Fame manager (World Series 1989 Oakland A's, 2006, 11 St. Louis Cardinals; 4 × Manager of the Year; Chicago WS), born in Tampa, Florida

Oct 6 José Carlos Pace, Brazilian racing driver (d. 1977)
Oct 10 Petar Zhekov, Bulgarian soccer forward (44 caps; Beroe Stara Zagora, CSKA Sofia), born in Knizhovnik, Bulgaria (d. 2023)
Oct 11 Mike Fiore, American baseball player (Kansas City Royals), born in Brooklyn, New York
Oct 11 Rodney Marsh, British football forward (9 caps; QPR, Manchester City) and broadcaster (Sky Sports), born in Hatfield, England
Oct 13 Buddy Allin, American golfer (5 PGA Tour titles), born in Bremerton, Washington (d. 2007)
Oct 16 Bob Cottam, cricketer (England fast-medium on 2 India/Pakistan tours)
Oct 18 Slobodan Škrbić, Serbian soccer defender (4 caps Yugoslavia; Red Star Belgrade, Lille), born in Belgrade, Serbia (d. 2022)
Oct 19 Vasilis Botinos, Greek soccer winger (12 caps; Olympiacos FC 140 games, 120 goals), born in Volos, Greece (d. 2022)
Oct 24 Viktor Prokopenko, Ukrainian footballer and coach, born in Zhdanov, Ukrainian SSR (d. 2007)
Oct 25 Berkrerk Chartvanchai, Thai boxer (WBA flyweight title 1970), born in Bangkok, Thailand (d. 2022)
Oct 29 Claude Brochu, Canadian Major League Baseball executive (Montreal Expos), born in Quebec City, Quebec
Nov 2 Liesel Westermann, German discus thrower (Olympic silver 1968; world record 63.96m 1969), born in Sulingen, Germany
Nov 3 Mel Farr, American NFL running back (Pro Bowl 1967, 70; Detroit Lions), born in Beaumont, Texas (d. 2015)
Nov 7 Joe Niekro, American baseball pitcher (MLB All Star 1979; NL wins leader 1979; Houston Astros; World Series 1987; NY Yankees), born in Martins Ferry, Ohio (d. 2006)
Nov 7 Luigi Riva, Italian soccer striker (42 caps; Cagliari 315 games), born in Leggiuno, Italy (d. 2024)

Al Michaels (79 years old)

Nov 12 American sportscaster (Miracle on Ice, American Football), born in Brooklyn, New York

Nov 13 Ken Shuttleworth, English cricket fast bowler (5 Tests, 12 wickets, BB 5/37; Lancashire CCC, Leicestershire CCC), born in St Helens, England
Nov 16 David O'Sullivan, New Zealand cricket left-arm spinner (in 11 Tests 1973-76), born in Palmerston North, New Zealand
Nov 17 Jim Boeheim, Basketball Hall of Fame coach (Syracuse; John R. Wooden Legends of Coaching Award 2006), born in Lyons, New York

Tom Seaver (1944-2020)

Nov 17 American Baseball HOF pitcher (NL Cy Young Award 1969, 73, 75; 12 x MLB All Star; NY Mets, Cincinnati Reds, Chicago WS), born in Fresno, California [1]

Nov 19 Dennis Hull, Canadian ice hockey player
Nov 20 Anthea Stewart, Zimbabwean field hockey coach and player (Olympic gold 1980), born in Blantyre, Nyasaland
Nov 21 Earl "the Pearl" Monroe, American basketball HOF guard (4 x NBA All-Star; NBA C'ship 1973 NY Knicks; NBA Rookie of the Year 1968 Baltimore Bullets), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Dec 4 François Migault, French auto racer (24 Hours of Le Mans 1976 runner-up; 16 F1 GP), born in Le Mans, France (d. 2012)
Dec 15 Stan Bahnsen, American baseball pitcher (AL Rookie of the Year 1968, NY Yankees), born in Council Bluffs, Iowa
Dec 17 Ference Bene, Hungarian record 12 soccer goals (Olympic gold 1964)

Steve Carlton (79 years old)

Dec 22 American Baseball HOF pitcher (NL Cy Young Award 1972, 77, 80, 82; Triple Crown 1972; 10 x MLB All Star; St. Louis Cardinals, Philadelphia Phillies), born in Miami, Florida

Dec 24 Erhard Keller, German speed skater (Olympic gold 1968, 72 500m), born in Günzburg, Germany
Dec 25 Jairzinho, Brazilian soccer winger (81 caps; Botafogo FC 416 games) and manager (Gabon), born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Dec 25 Sam Strahan, New Zealand rugby union lock (17 caps; Manawatū), born in Palmerston North, New Zealand (d. 2019)
Dec 29 Rodney Redmond, New Zealand cricket batsman (1 Test, 1 x 100, HS 107; Auckland, Wellington), born in Whangarei, New Zealand