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Sunday, July 13, 2008

Cardinals mourn death of Dave Ricketts, a “passionate teacher”

Farewell Dave Ricketts…and one of the great cards from the 60’s.

Dave Ricketts shaped generations of catchers as a coach for the St. Louis Cardinals and will be remembered for his “passion”, his “zeal for life” and a contagious eagerness to teach, friends, teammates and pupils said Sunday after learning the longtime coach had died early Sunday morning.

...Ricketts, who played for the Cardinals in the 1960s and returned later as a coach and instructor, died a day after his 73rd birthday. He had been battling cancer. He lived in St. Louis.

...“Sometimes the word ‘great’ gets over-used, and it’s a shame,” La Russa said. “There have been some truly great Cardinals who have come through the organization, but I don’t know anyone greater or more beloved than Dave Ricketts.”

Repoz Posted: July 13, 2008 at 08:49 PM | 6 comment(s) Login to Bookmark
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1. James Newburg is in awe of Cespedes' CORE STRENGTH Posted: July 13, 2008 at 09:09 PM (#2855161)

God, Stan Musial is so underrated.

2. Bruce Markusen Posted: July 13, 2008 at 09:46 PM (#2855192)

Ricketts was a coach with the Pirates who was activated briefly as a player during their 1971 championship season. Very highly regarded as a teacher and coach, Ricketts was considered almost a guru to young catchers. He was one of those unheralded baseball guys who are so essential to the game's ability to pass the torch from one generation to another.

3. Bruce Markusen Posted: July 14, 2008 at 12:23 AM (#2855322)

It's been a tough weekend for old-time ballplayers. First came the news of Bobby Murcer's death. Then Chuck Stobbs, and now Dave Ricketts. And then I just found out that Steve Mingori died on Thursday. He was well known to our Repoz. A good middle-inning lefty for the Indians and Royals, Mingori had a very good screwball. He apparently was a clubhouse cut-up, too.

4. Howie Menckel Posted: July 14, 2008 at 02:00 AM (#2855459)

RIP to a nice man.

Another of many baseball cards from my youth where I thought, "Is this really a major league ballplayer?"

http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/pics/dave_ricketts_autograph.jpg

5. KJOK Posted: July 14, 2008 at 02:46 AM (#2855513)

IIRC, Ricketts would actually wear those glasses UNDER his catching mask.

6. Benji Posted: July 14, 2008 at 04:30 AM (#2855578)

Dave Ricketts. One of the cards we got over and over as we searched for the one guy we needed. Him and Roger Repoz.

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Sunday, July 13, 2008

Cardinals mourn death of Dave Ricketts, a “passionate teacher”

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