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Baseball Passings of 2010

Edgy DC Feb 19 2010 05:13 PM

A thread for non-Met baseball figures. Like John Kibler, forever telling Red Sox fans that, sorry, that ball is fair.

Edgy DC Feb 19 2010 05:27 PM Re: Baseball Passings of 2010

Kibler, by the way, survived about a quarter century longer than he expected. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/ ... /index.htm

G-Fafif Mar 11 2010 03:24 PM Re: Baseball Passings of 2010 Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Mar 11 2010 04:08 PM

Willie Davis, great Dodger defender from the '60s and '70s (who nonetheless made three errors in one 1966 World Series inning) at 69. First thing I thought of when learning of the center fielder's passing, however, was an ep of Bewitched in which Samantha was overcome by a spell that made her incredibly hungry. She had [crossout]blinked[/crossout] twitched herself to Shea Stadium for a hot dog and was on a pay phone with an exasperated Darrin/Derwood when she excitedly reported, "Willie Davis just hit a grand slam!"

Benjamin Grimm Mar 11 2010 04:03 PM Re: Baseball Passings of 2010

Jeannie blinked. Samantha twitched.

G-Fafif Mar 11 2010 04:07 PM Re: Baseball Passings of 2010

Benjamin Grimm wrote: Jeannie blinked. Samantha twitched. And Willie Davis could go get 'em.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Mar 11 2010 04:53 PM Re: Baseball Passings of 2010

I have vague memories of being at a Mets game where Willie Davis caused major damage as an enemy player. Willie was a good name for ballplayers once. Now, it's all Ambiorix and Cory.

Edgy DC Mar 11 2010 05:27 PM Re: Baseball Passings of 2010

You know, you can probably thank Mr. Haim in large part for the 1980s spike in Coreys.

Chad Ochoseis Apr 21 2010 09:14 AM Re: Baseball Passings of 2010

Jim Pagliaroni, Red Sox and Pirates catcher from the '60s and one of the many supporting characters in Ball Four, age 72, of cancer on April 3.

Met Hunter May 03 2010 09:08 PM Re: Baseball Passings of 2010

Dick Kenworthy. Former Chisox third baseman. Of interest to Met fans because Dick appeared as a Met on his 1968 Topps baseball card.

Edgy DC May 04 2010 06:29 PM Re: Baseball Passings of 2010

Ernie Harwell dies at 92 By JOHN LOWE FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER Ernie Harwell, the acclaimed Tigers broadcaster whose eloquence and kindness made him a beloved Michigan institution, died Tuesday night after a nearly year-long bout with cancer. He was 92. He died in his apartment at Fox Run Village, a retirement center in Novi, with Lulu, his wife of 68 years, at his side. His death came eight months to the day after he revealed to his fans, in an interview with the Free Press, that he had a cancerous tumor in the area of his bile duct and that in late July he had been given only a few months to live. “I’m ready to face what comes,” he said at the time. “Whether it’s a long time or a short time is all right with me because it’s up to my Lord and savior.” In the ensuing months, in an emotional farewell ceremony at Comerica Park, in his columns for the Free Press and in interviews with national media, Harwell referred to death as his next great adventure, a gift handed down by God. “I’ve had so many great ones,” he said. “It’s been a terrific life.” (MORE...)

metsguyinmichigan May 06 2010 08:31 AM Re: Baseball Passings of 2010

Hall-of-Famer Robin Roberts, who came on my radar as a kid because of the Mets yearbook photo of him and Seaver, calling them "pitch-alikes" and noting a slight resemblance.

themetfairy May 06 2010 09:25 AM Re: Baseball Passings of 2010

metsguyinmichigan wrote: Hall-of-Famer Robin Roberts, who came on my radar as a kid because of the Mets yearbook photo of him and Seaver, calling them "pitch-alikes" and noting a slight resemblance. I remember that! ON EDIT - when I read michigan's post, I didn't catch which thread it was in. RIP Robin!

Met Hunter May 06 2010 10:01 AM Re: Baseball Passings of 2010

Tough week for legends.

G-Fafif May 06 2010 11:39 AM Re: Baseball Passings of 2010

Robin Roberts was baseball coach where I went to college. I interviewed him once for a class assignment. He thought the team looked all right and didn't put down his sandwich. A little more on Coach Roberts here.

MFS62 May 06 2010 12:23 PM Re: Baseball Passings of 2010

He was probably the most dominant righty pitcher of the era when I first started watching baseball. Comparisons to Seaver in style and stuff are pretty accurate. RIP, Robin. You showed us that guys with girls' names can be tough to hit against. Later

Edgy DC Jul 21 2010 09:11 PM Re: Baseball Passings of 2010

Ralph Houk completes the Yankee trifecta.

G-Fafif Jul 22 2010 12:54 AM Re: Baseball Passings of 2010

Houk was just so...constant when I was a kid. He had been the MFY mgr forever and it was hard to believe he wouldn't always be. Then came Steinbrenner.

MFS62 Jul 22 2010 06:30 AM Re: Baseball Passings of 2010

I opened up the "Three Catchers" thread before this one. Then I remembered that 1961 team that Houk managed. He had three catchers on that team, too. They all hit 20+ homers that year. George, Bob and now Ralph. At least Berra is safe for a while. RIP Ralph. LAter

Benjamin Grimm Jul 22 2010 06:34 AM Re: Baseball Passings of 2010

Add Clint Hartung, 87, to the list of recent baseball passings. He was, as you probably know, the runner on third base when Bobby Thomson hit his pennant-winning homer.

MFS62 Jul 22 2010 06:50 AM Re: Baseball Passings of 2010

Benjamin Grimm wrote: Add Clint Hartung, 87, to the list of recent baseball passings. He was, as you probably know, the runner on third base when Bobby Thomson hit his pennant-winning homer. IIRC, Hartung was nicknamed "The Hondo Hurricaine". When he first came up, they didn't know if he was going to be the best pitcher ever or the best hitter ever. Both projections turned out to be highly optimistic. RIP, Clint. LAter

John Cougar Lunchbucket Jul 22 2010 06:57 AM Re: Baseball Passings of 2010

G-Fafif wrote: Houk was just so...constant when I was a kid. He had been the MFY mgr forever and it was hard to believe he wouldn't always be. Then came Steinbrenner. Just what I thought too.

Edgy DC Jul 22 2010 07:06 AM Re: Baseball Passings of 2010

My Clint Hartung association goes back to when Clint Hurdle's career hit the rocks, and the overspeculation on his expected greatness frequently compared to that of the simlarly named earlier phenom.

Edgy DC Jul 22 2010 07:18 AM Re: Baseball Passings of 2010

The first Houk Ralph Houk era with the Yanks was to me sort of a foreshadowing of the Steinbrenner years. He was was fired in 1963 by the Yankees after winning two World Series, then merely a pennant. He was replaced by Yogi Berra (allegedly in part because they were jealous of the ink the Mets got and wanted more character at the helm). Yogi wins 99 games but also loses the World Series (an all-time great one), and gets replaced after that one year by Johnny Keane, the guy who beat him. Keane posts an unthinkable losing record in his first year and is fired a few weeks into his second season to be replaced by... Ralph Houk. Yogi's bitterness and distrust of brass perhaps began then. He supposedly took his job seriously and wanted to be a team shaper and developer of young players and not a quoteable clown who brings out the lineup card. If you believe October 1964, there was a Yankee faction that wanted Yogi's catching partner Ellie Howard to get the job instead.

G-Fafif Jul 23 2010 06:45 AM Re: Baseball Passings of 2010

Houk will be commemorated by a black armband. I'm guessing he's receiving the revered-MFY treatment because it would seem weird if they didn't give it to him on the heels of Sheppard and Steinbrenner. Had he passed without company, I'm guessing a moment of silence would have sufficed for someone who, war heroism and two world championships notwithstanding, had been absent from the organization for 37 years and wasn't a denizen of Monument Park. Meanwhile, it's getting pretty mournful amid the pinstripes.

G-Fafif Jul 23 2010 06:48 AM Re: Baseball Passings of 2010

Benjamin Grimm wrote: Add Clint Hartung, 87, to the list of recent baseball passings. He was, as you probably know, the runner on third base when Bobby Thomson hit his pennant-winning homer. Legend has it Durocher inserted Hartung to run for the injured Don Mueller because if there was going to be any kind of trouble with the Dodgers, Leo -- who coached third base as well as managed -- wanted the biggest SOB possible at his side.

seawolf17 Jul 23 2010 07:12 AM Re: Baseball Passings of 2010

There would be something gloriously macabre about the legendary pinstripes if, say, three or four more greats were to pass during the season.

Benjamin Grimm Jul 23 2010 07:14 AM Re: Baseball Passings of 2010

Yeah. They could end up looking like NASCAR drivers.

Frayed Knot Jul 23 2010 07:15 AM Re: Baseball Passings of 2010

seawolf17 wrote: There would be something gloriously macabre about the legendary pinstripes if, say, three or four more greats were to pass during the season. Honestly though, how many more 'Win this one for _______' stories do you want to read/hear this fall?

Benjamin Grimm Jul 23 2010 07:16 AM Re: Baseball Passings of 2010

I much fear that Yogi's grasp may be getting tenuous.

G-Fafif Jul 23 2010 06:41 PM Re: Baseball Passings of 2010

Top-notch columnist Vic Ziegel passes away at 72. Covered the Mets in their early years and always gave them a fair shake from his later perch at the Daily News. One of the torch-bearers for the New York Giants. On more than one occasion I wrote to him and he always wrote back graciously and helpfully. Met him at Bob Murphy's memorial and he was a true mensch. Later came to our NY Giants meetings like a regular person. Character and talent that will be missed.

Edgy DC Jul 23 2010 09:32 PM Re: Baseball Passings of 2010

G-Fafif Jul 24 2010 01:36 AM Re: Baseball Passings of 2010

A very fine book, actually.

Edgy DC Jul 24 2010 08:11 AM Re: Baseball Passings of 2010

Yup.

The Second Spitter Jul 24 2010 08:27 AM Re: Baseball Passings of 2010

Putting on shopping list. (Fuck - just noticed I'm the Gambler).

Edgy DC Jul 27 2010 01:15 PM Re: Baseball Passings of 2010

Whitey Fritz only got one plate appearance, to end a game in 1975, but he paid a lot of dues for the Mets. I stumbled upon a passing announcement of his death. I was glad I searched on when I found this article, however.

Zvon Jul 27 2010 04:14 PM Re: Baseball Passings of 2010

Edgy DC wrote: Whitey Fritz only got one plate appearance, to end a game in 1975, but he paid a lot of dues for the Mets. I stumbled upon a passing announcement of his death. I was glad I searched on when I found this article, however. Did not have his picture in my Met image library. A most interesting life. Sad end. I hope those he coached were better for it.

G-Fafif Jul 28 2010 01:47 AM Re: Baseball Passings of 2010

Billy Loes, purchased by the Mets from the Giants in 1961, dead at 80. The Long Island City native and ex-Dodger never officially suited up for the new club, having retired during the first Met spring, but left us one of the great quotes regarding the not so distinguished collection of talent amassed in St. Petersburg: The Mets is a good thing. They give everybody a job just like the WPA. Loes is best known for claiming to have lost a ground ball in the sun during the 1952 World Series. Overlooked amid the colorfulness was the eleven-season lifetime record of 80-63 he compiled for Brooklyn, Baltimore and San Francisco. He made one All-Star team and appeared in three World Series, including the Big One for the Bums in 1955.

Edgy DC Jul 28 2010 05:20 AM Re: Baseball Passings of 2010

A star always goes out in the sky when a '55 Ddoger passes.

MFS62 Jul 28 2010 06:52 AM Re: Baseball Passings of 2010

Edgy DC wrote: A star always goes out in the sky when a '55 Ddoger passes. Thank you, Edgy. Well said. RIP, Billy. Later

MFS62 Aug 24 2010 09:51 AM Re: Baseball Passings of 2010

Longtime NL umpire Satch Davidson dies at 75 By BEN WALKER, AP Baseball Writer Longtime National League umpire Satch Davidson has died at 75. Davidson’s family says he died Saturday at his home in Houston. The family did not give a cause of death. Davidson was the home plate umpire for two of the most famous home runs in baseball history. He had a first-hand look when Hank Aaron hit his 715th homer in 1974 to break Babe Ruth’s record. And he was behind the plate in 1975 when Carlton Fisk’s shot won Game 6 of the World Series. Davidson was an NL umpire from 1969 through 1984. RIP, Satch Later

SteveJRogers Aug 24 2010 04:59 PM Re: Baseball Passings of 2010

Billy Loes, purchased by the Mets from the Giants in 1961, dead at 80. The Long Island City native and ex-Dodger never officially suited up for the new club, having retired during the first Met spring, but left us one of the great quotes regarding the not so distinguished collection of talent amassed in St. Petersburg: The Mets is a good thing. They give everybody a job just like the WPA. Loes is best known for claiming to have lost a ground ball in the sun during the 1952 World Series. Overlooked amid the colorfulness was the eleven-season lifetime record of 80-63 he compiled for Brooklyn, Baltimore and San Francisco. He made one All-Star team and appeared in three World Series, including the Big One for the Bums in 1955. IIRC, he also said this about why he never wanted to win 20 games in a season "If I did, they'd want me to do it again."

Edgy DC Aug 27 2010 12:25 PM Re: Baseball Passings of 2010

Ralph Bernadini, umpire and gentle soul, except when it came to hating on the Mets.

Met Hunter Aug 27 2010 04:48 PM Re: Baseball Passings of 2010

Cal McLish. Dem Bums are down to 57 living.

Frayed Knot Aug 27 2010 05:44 PM Re: Baseball Passings of 2010

Met Hunter wrote: Cal McLish. That would be Calvin Coolidge Julius Caesar Tuskahoma McLish Naturally they called him 'Buster'

MFS62 Dec 02 2010 07:41 AM Re: Baseball Passings of 2010

Didn't notice a separate thread for this, so.. Gil McDougald- versatile All-Star. http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseb ... at_82.html I spoke to him after he had retired and asked him if he had prepared differently before a game when he know he would be playing a position he hadn't played in a while. I expected him to say the throws were the main thing, but he said the footwork preparing to make the throw was what he concentrated on during infield practice.. A very nice person, willing to take time to speak with the average fan. RIP. Later

G-Fafif Dec 02 2010 08:32 AM Re: Baseball Passings of 2010

Tom Underwood, 56, journeyman lefty mostly for teams we didn't like in the '70s and '80s, of pancereatic cancer. Remembered by his hometown paper in Kokomo, Ind. Underwood was really our first hometown hero Posted: Thursday, December 2, 2010 1:00 am Posted on December 2, 2010 by Steve Geiselman It's the kind of news that you hate to hear. Last Tuesday I came back to my office after taking photos of President Obama to find an e-mail from Dennis Kasey saying Tom Underwood had died. Underwood, Kokomo’s first major leaguer of the modern era (catcher Harold “Rowdy” Elliott played for Boston in 1910), had been fighting cancer for sometime. Underwood was the one athlete from our town who I, as a kid, looked up to as a big deal. Sure, his brother, Pat, and Dan Dumoulin were major leaguers as well. But neither of them had the prolonged career that Tom did. He played for the Yankees, Cardinals and Phillies, among others. Those are three of the most storied franchises in major league baseball. He was a Yankee in the 1980s. That is a big deal. Underwood, rightfully so, was one of the "no-brainers" in the first class of the Howard County Sports Hall of Fame. Perhaps he should have been the first choice. While the basketball heroics of Goose Ligon and Jimmy Rayl are in themselves astounding, neither one of them had the professional career that Underwood did. Underwood would be considered a journeyman pitcher, I guess. In 10 years he played for six teams and was traded four times. He was traded for and with some of the big-name baseball players of the era, including Bake McBride, Rick Cerone, Chris Chambliss and Damaso Garcia. His best season, arguably, was 1980 with the New York Yankees when he started 27 games. He finished the campaign with a 13-9 record and 3.56 earned run average. The Yanks finished with a record of 103-59, finishing in first place in the American League East, three games ahead of the Baltimore Orioles. The Kansas City Royals swept the Yanks in the ALCS. Underwood's tenure with the Bronx Bombers would be short, however, as he was traded the following May along with Jim Spencer to the Oakland A's for Dave Revering, Mike Patterson and Chuck Dougherty. He was solid for Oakland in 1982, going 10-6 with a 3.29 ERA. He was granted free agency in 1983 and after a season with Baltimore was released in October 1984. Underwood’s career record was one game under .500 (86-87), and his career ERA was a solid 3.89. The game Highlights of Underwood’s career had to come on May 31, 1979, when he was pitching for the Toronto Blue Jays. Even though his day ended with a loss, I am sure it was probably the most memorable moment of his career. Little brother Pat Underwood, pitching for the Detroit Tigers, was making his major league debut against the Jays. The game of brother versus brother was a pitching masterpiece. If the Underwoods wanted to show the world that pitchers from Kokomo knew what they were doing, then the game was solid evidence. Pat, in his debut, allowed just three hits against a formidable Toronto lineup that included the likes of Alfredro Griffin, Rico Carty, Rick Cerone and Bob Bailor. Griffin, Carty and future NBA star Danny Ainge were the only one that figure Pat out. On the other side, Tom went the distance and allowed six hits but only one run in the nine innings. Jerry Morales’ home run in the eighth was the only thing that ruined a brilliant outing by Tom. The meeting head-to-head was the only time it would happen for the brothers Underwood. By 1983, both were out of baseball for good.