baseball obituaries 2015

Hank Peters, GM of the '83 Orioles

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/bs-sp-hank-peters-obit-20150104-story.html#page=1

Stu "Blown Off the Mound" Miller, pitched 1952-68

http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/12125102/former-san-francisco-giants-pitcher-stu-miller-dies-age-87

negro league all-star, carolina league rbi champion and kinston baseball fixture carl long

http://www.kinston.com/news/local/carl-long-died-monday-at-age-79-1.423968

http://wgntv.com/2015/01/23/cubs-legend-ernie-banks-has-died

aw

:(

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqZ1rdpVA0E

sad news. just an absolute dude. Met him when I was a kid at the cubs convention and it felt like meeting babe ruth.

in pittsburgh we had clemente and stargell, but ernie banks was for everyone

man.

RIP

RIP Ernie

In the Historical Abstract, James said that Banks' two MVP seasons might have been the two most valuable seasons ever. That was long before WAR (9.4 and 10.2 on Baseball Reference--including great defense), where they don't register as quite that monumental. But just the idea that you could have a shortstop hitting 45-50 home runs, in Wrigley or anywhere (again, long before A-Rod).

oh man. he was always such a great interview.

RIP. Awesome player and an awesome guy.

I don't remember this, but nice photo:

http://media.npr.org/assets/img/2015/01/24/450818451-840e590bb79ddc83aea817178a015b2207fbe39e-s400-c85.jpg

http://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/2015/01/26/former-red-sox-pitcher-ben-monbouquette-dies/sXeMPgSs04iSUOdFEyz75O/story.html?hootPostID=60b1c9626954d8fb235fd109ea13c240

bill monbouquette, red sox/tigers/yankees/giants pitcher, 1936-2015

3.68 career ERA, threw a no-no in '62 vs. the white sox

http://www.freep.com/story/sports/mlb/tigers/2015/02/02/detroit-tigers-dave-bergman/22755701/

wendell kim

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B-3t4F8W0AAcsjo.jpg

Fred Mertz AND Spock.

(would a Rhubarb viewing party get you out of the house, mook?)

maybe!

Minnie Minoso:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/whitesox/chi-white-sox-great-minnie-minoso-dead-at-90-20150301-story.html

He should have been in the Hall of Fame before today. RIP.

If you give enough weight to his a) late start (25 as a rookie), b) historical importance, and c) MVP support (no wins, but four fourth-place finishes), yes. Statistically, with the exception of one great year ('54), he's not quite as strong as I would have thought.

Christina Kahrl interviewed him last week:

A few guys who would shout, "Hit this [N-word] in the head." When we went to Philadelphia, you could hear Jimmy Dykes [then a coach for the A's] shouting that from the dugout. But then, after the game back to the hotel, he passed me by and said, "Hello, Mr. Minoso." And I went, "Wait a minute, how do you now call me 'Mr. Minoso,' but before you called me dirty names during the game?" And he said, "That's the game."

http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/page/blackhistoryMLBminoso/white-sox-great-minnie-minoso-integration-fan-appreciation-cuba-hof-slight

former met/oriole jeff mcknight, aged 52

1970 AL batting champ alex johnson

Al Rosen, 1953 AL MVP (Indians), 1987 Executive of the Year (Giants)

http://www.si.com/mlb/2015/03/14/al-rosen-dies-cleveland-indians-mvp-san-francisco-giants

Missed Alex Johnson. Because 1970 was my first year watching baseball, still remember that he won that batting race going into the fourth decimal place (and, without checking, that he hit .329).

(Which I did check after typing that. But not before.)

Why I remember: this photo turned up in the first Zander Hollander guide I bought.

http://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/d52ced231646628a24690e2e6fce9bae95a7beaa/c=0-9-2237-2992&r=537&c=0-0-534-712/local/-/media/2015/03/05/DetroitFreePress/DetroitFreePress/635611651735560995-AP-Alex-Johnson-Baseball-NY1.jpg

Ford C. Frick award winner Lon Simmons:

http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/12624395/lon-simmons-hall-fame-san-francisco-giants-broadcaster-dies-91

Jim Fanning, former Expos GM.

http://montrealgazette.com/sports/baseball/longtime-expos-manager-jim-fanning-dies

I'm actually about halfway through Jonah Keri's Expos book at the moment.

RIP Nelson Doubleday; you weren't a fucking Wilpon

http://espn.go.com/new-york/mlb/story/_/id/13104166/former-new-york-mets-owner-nelson-doubleday-dies-81

darryl hamilton

jeez

Ugh, that's horrible.

His poor son. Man.

if Kevin Millar gets called up to fill his chair the terrorists have won.

Billy Pierce

pierce bio by neyer

http://sabr.org/bioproj/person/9e29afb8

RIP Joaquín Andújar

http://espndeportes.espn.go.com/news/story/_/id/2468215/fallecio-exlanzador-dominicano-joaquin-andujar

"youneverknow"

yogi berra

RIP Lawrence Peter

Aw, RIP

RIP Yogi.

I just learned (from the NYT obit) that his return to Yankee Stadium after 14 years feuding with the Steinbrenners happened on the same day as David Cone's perfect game.

he was going to jump into Cone's arms but they couldn't find a stepladder.

last time i saw him AND Gary Carter was at the closing of Shea Stadium:

http://www1.pictures.gi.zimbio.com/Yogi+Berra+Gary+Carter+Florida+Marlins+v+New+gvQWrA9KENtl.jpg

aww man ... it's getting dusty in here ...

Dean Chance:

http://www.latimes.com/sports/sportsnow/la-sp-sn-dean-chance-angels-cy-young-winner-dies-20151011-story.html

Dominant in '64 (a little less so when you adjust for era and park).

Also an object lesson in how pitchers were destroyed in those days. He was on track for the HOF at 27, at which point he'd thrown 1800+ innings; threw another 350, and retired at 30.

@BNightengale
Dave Henderson, the gregarious man known as Hendu, died Sunday, one month after getting a kidney transplant. He will be tremendously missed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPwYfPwl7qs

Wow, RIP Hendu. He was a big guy, even by today's standards.

The big moment starts at around 2h30m of the video in the previous post.

Joe Strauss, who covered the Cardinals, along with the braves and orioles earlier in his life, has passed away.

Boston fave Frank Malzone

http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/14460694/frank-malzone-former-boston-red-sox-all-star-third-baseman-dies

monte irvin

I toured Cuba with Mr Irvin and a couple dozen fans in 2004; he was 85, not in great health, but game and generous with his time. (He was visiting for the first time since playing on the island in the mid '40s.) A privilege to have met him and spent a little time with him.

btw despite "ill health," you could tell the average man with his ailments would never have made the trip. Strong like bull.

RIP, Monte.

http://sports.cbsimg.net/images/visual/whatshot/411luisarroyo88.jpg

luis arroyo

Knew I knew him, couldn't figure out where--closer on the '61 Yankees. 29 saves got him 6th place in MVP voting in the Mantle/Maris/Cash/Gentile year.

negroleaguesmuseum
‏@nlbmprez
Al Spearman, 89, a sinker ball pitcher w/the Chicago American Giants & Monarchs, died today . @MLB @Royals RT #RIP

frank sullivan; led the red sox in era from 1954-1957

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YgO6fdOodGo/T5h5mJkQ4II/AAAAAAAAKmA/axmZhGlE_Rk/s1600/waltnoneckwilliams.jpg

walt 'no neck' williams

RIP

Williams, first baseman-DH Ron Blomberg, and shortstop Gene Michael often made trips to the local branch of Burger King, downing multiple hamburgers at the price tag of 39 cents a burger. Williams ate hamburgers voraciously, in much the same way that “Wimpy” did in those old Popeye cartoons.

Both before and after games, Williams liked to cover his body in Vaseline. Williams felt that it was good for his skin.

http://baseballhall.org/discover/card-corner/no-neck-williams

@Sullivan_Ranger
Walt Williams passed away Saturday. The only Hawaii Islanders player to hit a home run through the Columbia Inn puka at Honolulu Stadium

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2612594-orioles-ramon-ramirez-dies-at-23-in-motorcycle-accident

second time in a week, jeez

negro league 1B james 'red' moore, 99

tom singer, writer who began covering baseball in 1974 and was one of mlb.com's first hires 15 years ago, most recently serving as pirates beat writer

jim davenport

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Cbl8dJdUYAAJmE6.jpg

tony phillips!

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CbmJwk5VAAAEdXz.jpg

@TJQuinnESPN
Spoke openly w me about his addiction. Said, "kid, I swear I'm clean in the offseason. But the season is too MFing hard not to get F'd up."

@TJQuinnESPN
Once Sox minor owner Jack Gould came through clubhouse. Said, "Hi Tony." He said, "what's up, old MF'er." TP turned to me. "Who was that?"

dammit

loved tony phillips. those early '90s tigers teams were so much fun to watch, a mini-murderers row. lots of low AVG/high OBP dudes with power.

good tony phillips stories at https://twitter.com/hbryant42 too

tony!

@hbryant42
TP goes 0-for-4 w/3 K's, A's down 10-8. 5th AB, 3-run, 9th inn HR off Timlin. A's win 11-10.
Post
Me: saw you last night
TP: Fuck you did.

@hbryant42
Me:Bet you'd go 0-for-4
TP:Sobered up by the 5th one.
Me:Happy Birthday.
TP: We'll see how happy you are when you're 40 fucking years old.

Great player. Offensively, I'd almost say he was to Raines what Raines was to Henderson; defensively, obviously much more versatile than either.

sort of a proto-zobrist

Proto-Zobrist almost sounds like some kind of political faction in Israel.

http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/7/71/1352551/white-sox-co-owner-eddie-einhorn-dies-80

Tom Knight, official baseball historian of Brooklyn

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/07/sports/baseball/tom-knight-brooklyns-baseball-sage-dies-at-89.html

joe garagiola

damn, RIP

saw him in a radio studio circa 1969 on a tour of the 30 Rock building, waved at us thru the glass

looked the same for the next 40 years

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXf5GPt8O-E

didnt remember Scully & Joe as GotW partners. I do remember Joe & Tony Kubek.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3OfRjfllgw

do the quotes mean that is NOT Jose Lind?

that is jose lind, but fair to use quotes around "pittsburgh pirates" in the mid-80s

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CeQfSmMXIAEVJ0L.jpg

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CeQfv8uW4AAEt6p.jpg

reading through peanuts collections is how i first encountered joe garagiola.

had a good 1946 World Series at bat, and same with terrible Pirates of '52

One that resonates. Grew up with Joe, Gowdy, and Kubek. (That's how I remember it, although if I actually checked back, maybe the three of them weren't together all that long.)

JG did a pregame show, it was usu Gowdy & Kubek in the booth in the '70s on NBC

My memories of the Game of the Week were Joe and Kubek to start with, then after a few years it was Joe and Vin, with Tony and the rookie Bob Costas doing the B game, or the 2nd game on the rare doubleheader Saturdays.

RIP JoeGaryJoe – that's what my wife's mother called him. He fought the good fight against players' tobacco use but didn't live to see it eliminated onfield entirely.

maybe he saw this last night: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/23/sports/the-mets-and-the-yankees-brace-for-a-future-without-smokeless-tobacco.html

A belated RIP to Charlie Williams, who died Jan. 27, 2015, four days after Ernie Banks. Just stumbled over him when I was looking up something to do with Willie Mays; Williams (+ $50,000) was the only guy ever traded for Mays, in the '72 deal that brought Mays to the Mets.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/31/sports/charlie-williams-a-met-traded-for-mays-dies-at-67.html