RIP Mark Bradley, 1956-2024

[G-Fafif]

One more for the 2024 road, sadly…

https://www.thenewsenterprise.com/sport ... 05756.html

Found dead in his Louisville, Ky., apartment on December 30. Toolsy 1983 Met.

[Edgy MD]

2024 was unrelenting, and had to take one of Bambi's Bandits with it.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Both his son Mark Jr. (twice) and his brother Curtis have posted on the UMDB:
Ultimate Mets Database: Memories of Mark Bradley

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

I have told the story before and must once more.

My Dad took Bernie Sanders & I to Shea in '83 and for the first time in my life we got front-row yellow seats (field level in shallow right field). Sitting behind us that night was an Irish guy obviously watching his first baseball game ever, and we're helping his companion explain what he's seeing. At one point he asks if it were possible to get a home run without hitting it over the fence and we all assured him it's possible but never happens.

Then sure as shit Mark Bradley bloops one near us--it's too shallow for Mike Marshall to catch and he awkwardly charges it but the ball goes behind him into the corner. Inside the park HR for Mark Bradley (starting for Strawberry who sits against Fernando Valenzuela).

[Benjamin Grimm]

2024 was unrelenting, and had to take one of Bambi's Bandits with it.

Only one more, as far as we know so far, than in 2023, but the 2024 names are overall more prominent:

2023
Thomas, Frank Joseph (Frank) January 16, 2023 Pittsburgh, Pa. 93 years, 219 days
McCarver, James Timothy (Tim) February 16, 2023 Memphis, Tenn. 81 years, 123 days Obituary
Alou, Jesus Maria Rojas (Jesus) March 10, 2023 Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic 80 years, 351 days
Landrith, Hobart Neal (Hobie) April 6, 2023 Sunnyvale, Cal. 93 years, 21 days
Ribant, Dennis Joseph (Dennis) April 24, 2023 Newport Coast, Cal. 81 years, 216 days
Sullivan, John Peter (John) June 1, 2023 Wayland, N.Y. 82 years, 149 days
Craig, Roger Lee (Roger) June 4, 2023 San Diego, Cal. 93 years, 107 days
Bressoud, Edward Francis (Eddie) July 13, 2023 Walnut Creek, Cal. 91 years, 72 days
Christopher, Joseph O'Neal (Joe) October 3, 2023 Edgewood, Md. 87 years, 295 days
Gardner, Richard Frank (Rob) October 21, 2023 Binghamton, N.Y. 78 years, 306 days
Howard, Frank Oliver (Frank) October 30, 2023 Aldie, Va. 87 years, 83 days
Hodges, Ronald Wray (Ron) November 24, 2023 Roanoke, Va. 74 years, 155 days
Hicks, William Joseph (Joe) December 2, 2023 Charlottesville, Va. 90 years, 239 days
MacKenzie, Kenneth Purvis (Ken) December 14, 2023 Guilford, Conn. 89 years, 279 days

2024
Harrelson, Derrel McKinley (Bud) January 10, 2024 East Northport, N.Y. 79 years, 218 days Obituary
McAndrew, James Clement (Jim) March 14, 2024 Scottsdale, Ariz. 80 years, 63 days
Zachry, Patrick Paul (Pat) April 4, 2024 Waco, Tex. 71 years, 345 days
Grote, Gerald Wayne (Jerry) April 7, 2024 Austin, Tex. 81 years, 183 days
Herzog, Dorrel Norman Elvert (Whitey) April 15, 2024 St. Louis, Mo. 92 years, 158 days
Murphy, William Eugene (Billy) May 13, 2024 Tacoma, Wash. 80 years, 6 days
Mays, Willie Howard (Willie) June 18, 2024 Paolo Alto, Cal. 93 years, 43 days
Cubbage, Michael Lee (Mike) August 10, 2024 Sunset, S.C. 74 years, 20 days
Graham, Wayne Leon (Wayne) September 3, 2024 Austin, Tex. 88 years, 150 days
Kranepool, Edward Emil (Ed) September 8, 2024 Boca Raton, Fla. 79 years, 304 days
DiLauro, Jack Edward (Jack) December 7, 2024 Lake Mohawk, O. 81 years, 218 days
Locke, Ronald Thomas (Ron) December 13, 2024 Richmond, R.I. 82 years, 253 days
Henderson, Rickey Nelson Henley (Rickey) December 20, 2024 65 years, 360 days
Randle, Leonard Shenoff (Lenny) December 29, 2024 Murrieta, Cal. 75 years, 320 days
Bradley, Mark Allen (Mark) December 30, 2024 Louisville, Ky. 68 years, 27 days

2024 also had more younger players. 2023 had nobody in their 60s and two guys in their 70s. 2024 had two in their 60s and five in their 70s.

[metirish]

Ah man, RIP , great story , Bucket

[batmagadanleadoff]

I have told the story before and must once more.

My Dad took Bernie Sanders & I to Shea in '83 and for the first time in my life we got yellow seats (field level, front row in shallow right field). Sitting behind us that night was an Irish guy obviously watching his first baseball game ever, and we're helping his companion explain what he's seeing. At one point he asks if it were possible to get a home run without hitting it over the fence and we all assured him it's possible but never happens.

Then sure as shit Mark Bradley bloops one near us--it's too shallow for Mike Marshall to catch and he awkwardly charges it but the ball goes behind him into the corner. Inside the park HR for Mark Bradley (starting for Strawberry who sits against Fernando Valenzuela).

Wait a second!!!! You glossed over the part about Bernie Sanders. That Bernie Sanders? Tell us about that. This is shaping up to be some story.

[Edgy MD]

Bernie Sanders is a member of the Lunchbucket family. I thought everybody knew this.

What defensive stiff Marshall could be.

[G-Fafif]

My primary Mark Bradley memory is of Tom Seaver glaring at him for not hustling after a ball in right at Candlestick, then making a less than zesty throw into the infield, allowing a run to score (June 1, 1983, just before Bambi vamoosed). It stays with me because when Tom was voted into the HOF, Howie Rose, in an otherwise laudatory long-form interview, asked him about it. Tom said he didn’t recall it, but if he had, he added, he shouldn’t have shown up a teammate.

I also remember being excited that we got a Dodger prospect.

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

Bernie Sanders is a member of the Lunchbucket family. I thought everybody knew this.

What defensive stiff Marshall could be.

He was a big dude, tall and thick, we could really see that as he approached us.