Flamboyant Yankees great Joe Pepitone dies at 82

Yankees first baseman Joe Pepitone, known for his terrific defense and bringing the first hair dryer into a major league clubhouse, has died, the Yankees announced on Monday.

The left-handed swinging Pepitone played the bulk of his career for the Yankees. He also played several seasons with the Chicago Cubs and had short stints with the Houston Astros and Atlanta Braves. During his time with the Yankees, Pepitone played in three All-Star Games and won three Gold Glove awards.

“The Yankees are deeply saddened by the passing of former Yankee Joe Pepitone, whose playful and charismatic personality and on-field contributions made him a fan favorite of generations of Yankees fans even beyond his years with the team in the 1960s,” the Yankees said in a statement.

“As a native New Yorker, he embraced everything about being a Yankee during both his playing career_which included three All-Star appearances and three Gold Gloves-and in the decades thereafter.”

Longtime major leaguer Jesus Alou dies at 80

Alou recently suffered two cardiovascular accidents, but he hadn’t been diagnosed with a serious illness, a family source told ESPN’s Enrique Rojas.

Alou spent 15 seasons in the majors with the Houston Astros, Oakland Athletics, New York Mets and San Francisco Giants. He won both of his World Series titles as a bench player for the Athletics.

Alou is the youngest of the legendary trio of Dominican brothers who played together in the majors.

Felipe, Matty and Jesus Alou made history as the only brothers to play in the same outfield Sept. 15, 1963, playing for the Giants in a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Forbes Field. Felipe was part of the starting lineup, while Matty and Jesus entered as replacements.

Sandy Valdespino, Member of the 1965 World Series Twins, Passes Away at 84

The baseball world lost another brother in their fraternity last Sunday. Sandy Valdespino, one of Sam Mele’s bench weapons on the 1965 World Series team, passed away in Moultrie, Georgia, at the age of 84.

Signed by the legendary scout, Joe Cambria, Valdespino made his American baseball debut in 1957, crushing a homer in the Texas League that earned him notice in The Sporting News (Cohen). Valdespino—who was originally named “Hilario,” only taking on the name “Sandy” because minor-league manager Johnny Welaj thought he looked like Dodgers player Sandy Amoros—bounced across the minors, playing around the U.S. as he fought for promotions.

Jim Kaat recalled rooming with Valdespino in Missoula, Montana in 1958: “We rented a room in a house … I think it was 16 bucks a week,’’ Kaat said. “I was 6-foot-5 and white as snow, and Sandy was 5-foot-6 and a black guy in Montana 65 years ago. We made quite the pair strolling down the streets of Missoula.” (Reusse, Miller)

As a Cuban player during the Castro revolution, Valdespino navigated choppy political waters, leaving his home country to focus solely on baseball following 1961.

Former MLB outfielder Dave Nicholson known for towering home runs has died: reports

Former Major League Baseball outfielder Dave Nicholson has died, according to reports.

He was 83.

Nicholson began his Major League career with the Baltimore Orioles and played for them during the 1960 and 1962 seasons. He also had stints with the Chicago White Sox and Houston Astros before wrapping up his career in 1967 with the Atlanta Braves.

Nicholson batted just .212 with 61 home runs and 179 RBIs in his career, but was reportedly known for hitting monstrous home runs when he did connect. That reportedly included a 573-foot blast over the left-field roof of Comiskey Park.

Tim McCarver, champion catcher turned famed broadcaster, dies at 81

Tim McCarver, a two-time World Series champion who became a household name as a highly skilled broadcaster both nationally and in three Major League cities, died on Thursday at the age of 81. The cause of death was heart failure.

McCarver, who made his Major League debut with the Cardinals in 1959, spent seven decades in professional baseball. That included a 21-year Major League playing career before transitioning into an award-winning broadcaster, whom many considered to be baseball’s version of football’s John Madden. McCarver had a way of simplifying the game of baseball for the average fan; his use of the English language was impeccable, punctuated by a touch of friendly Southern drawl.

McCarver was awarded the Hall of Fame’s Ford C. Frick Award in 2012 for his Emmy-winning work in the booth.

Ray Herbert, Detroit sandlot ace and 1962 AL All-Star, dies

Ray Herbert, a 1962 All-Star Game winning pitcher who threw batting practice for his hometown Detroit Tigers for decades after retiring, died peacefully in Plymouth, Michigan, five days after his 93rd birthday.

Herbert started his big league career with Detroit in 1950 and pitched for four teams over 14 seasons. He was a 20-game winner for the White Sox in 1962, then led the American League with seven shutouts in 1963 with Chicago.

Herbert was a part of a generation of Detroiters who flocked to the diamonds of the city’s historic Northwestern Field, a sandlot that turned out players such as Willie Horton, Bill Freehan and Frank Tanana. It was famed Tigers scout “Wish” Egan who spotted Herbert and his older brother, Donald, on the field so loaded with talent that sponsors, reporters and scouts alike were in attendance.

Gary Peters, two-time White Sox All-Star, dies at 85

Gary Peters, the American League Rookie of the Year in 1963 and an All-Star pitcher for the White Sox in 1964 and ‘67, has died at 85.

Peters led the AL with a 2.63 ERA while winning 19 games as a rookie and was a 20-game winner with a 2.50 ERA for the Sox in 1964. In 1968, the left-hander posted a league-best 1.98 ERA. He pitched for the Sox from 1959-69 before finishing his career with three seasons for the Red Sox.

Peters ranks eighth among White Sox pitchers with 1,098 strikeouts and owned a 3.25 career ERA and 123-105 won-lost record.

In the 1967 All-Star Game at Anaheim Stadium, Peters pitched three perfect innings, strikeouts Willie Mays, Roberto Clemente, Orlando Cepeda and Dick Allen. He also retired Hank Aaron on a groundout.

Former Athletics captain, Brewers GM Sal Bando dies at 78

Sal Bando, a four-time All-Star third baseman for the Oakland Athletics who later played for and became general manager of the Milwaukee Brewers, died of cancer Friday at the age of 78, the teams announced Saturday.

Bando won three consecutive world championships as captain of the A’s from 1972 to 1974, leading the American League in extra-base hits (64), doubles (32) and total bases (295) during the 1973 season, when he hit .287 while playing in all 162 games.

The Athletics said in a statement that Bando had had cancer for more than five years.

Frank Thomas, three-time MLB All-Star for Pirates in 1950s, dies at 93

The New York Mets announced on Monday that longtime big-league outfielder Frank Thomas had died at age 93. This Thomas, not to be confused with Hall of Famer Frank Thomas who played for the Chicago White Sox during the 1990s, played in parts of 16 seasons, stretching from 1951-66.

Thomas suited up for seven teams during his career, including an eight-year stint as a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates. He was also an original member of the Mets, having been acquired from the Milwaukee Braves prior to their inaugural season. Thomas also saw action with the Chicago Cubs, Philadelphia Phillies, Braves, Cincinnati Reds, and the Houston Astros.

Thomas received Most Valuable Player Award consideration on five occasions, though he finished higher than 10th in balloting just once—in 1958, when he topped out at fourth, behind Ernie Banks, Willie Mays, and Henry Aaron. Thomas made three All-Star Games during his day: 1954, 1955, and 1958.

Former MLB outfielder Lee Tinsley dead at 53

Former MLB outfielder and coach Lee Tinsley died Thursday at 53. No cause of death was announced.

According to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, Tinsley died in Scottsdale, Ariz. where he is “survived by three beautiful children.”

Tinsley’s brief major league career spanned across five seasons from 1993 to 1997, where he played for the Mariners, Red Sox and Phillies. In 1994, he ranked second on the Red Sox with 13 stolen bases without being caught.

He started the 1995 campaign with a 14-game hitting streak and was moved from the bottom of the order to the leadoff spot. He also had a 15-game hitting streak in June. Tinsley hit a career-high .284 with 18 stolen bases in 100 games for the AL East champion Red Sox.

Former Twins ironman reliever Bill Campbell dies at 74

Bill Campbell, the ironman reliever for the Twins in the mid-1970s, died Friday because of cancer. He was 74 and had been in hospice care in the Chicago area.

Campbell was called up by the Twins at midseason 1973 and then became the anchor of the bullpen in 1974. He pitched 120⅓ innings as a reliever in 1974, and 121 innings in 1975.

Then Gene Mauch became the manager in 1976 and put no limits on his ace reliever. Campbell became the only pitcher in major league history to record 17 wins and at least 17 saves (he had 20) in a season. He pitched in 78 games and an astounding 167⅔ innings. He threw his featured pitch — the screwball as a changeup — so often that his right arm was no longer lined up normally.

Three-time MLB All-Star Nate Colbert dead at 76

Nate Colbert, who hit more home runs than anyone in San Diego Padres history, died at 76, the team announced Thursday. A cause of death was not given.

Colbert, an original member of the Padres, smashed 163 home runs with the team from 1969-74.

“Nate was devoted to his community off the field as well, dedicating his time to disadvantaged youth through his ministry,” Padres Chairman Peter Seidler said in a statement. “He was a magnetic person who will be dearly missed.”

The first baseman played briefly with the Astros before being selected by the Padres in the expansion draft. He was an All-Star from 1971-73 and finished eighth in the 1972 NL MVP voting.

Fred Valentine Passes Away

Former major league outfielder Fred Valentine has passed away, the Nationals announced. He was 87 years old.

Valentine, a Mississippi native, attended Tennessee State University. He entered the professional ranks in 1956 as a member of the Orioles organization. Three years later, he made his MLB debut with 12 games for Baltimore. The switch-hitter spent a few more seasons in Triple-A before briefly returning to the big leagues in 1963.

Following the ’63 campaign, the O’s sold his contract to the Washington Senators. Valentine played his first couple years in a part-time role with Washington before a breakout showing in 1966. That season saw him swipe 22 bases, collect 16 home runs and put together a .276/.351/.455 line across 578 trips to the plate. Valentine picked up some down-ballot MVP support during what proved to be a career-best showing. He hit .234/.330/.346 the following season, roughly average output during a year in which the league hit .242/.306/.357.

Midway through the ’68 season, Washington dealt Valentine back to the Orioles for pitcher Bruce Howard. Valentine wrapped up his MLB career with 84 games between the two clubs that year. He spent the 1969 season back in Triple-A before finishing his playing career with a year for the Hanshin Tigers in Japan./blockquote>

RoyalsRetro (AG#1F) Posted: December 29, 2022 at 10:34 AM | 10 comment(s)
  Beats: fred valentine, obituaries

Joe Donnelly obituary: Baseball writer, mentor, friend dies at 87 - Sports Illustrated

On George Steinbrenner in February 1974, 13 months after he purchased the Yankees and vowed “absentee ownership” while letting Mike Burke and Lee MacPhail run the team:

Burke was gone from the Yankee scene in May after he found how difficult it was for him to run things. There were added indications that Steinbrenner was a strong-willed owner who would continue to try and shape the Yankees in the image he wanted.

John Callison, a major league veteran of 15 seasons, made a rare outfield appearance one night and misplayed a ball. The next day Steinbrenner told Ralph Houk and general manager Lee MacPhail, “I will not have that man on my team.”

Callison was gone by lunch, Houk by Oct. 1 and MacPhail by Jan. 1. It’s Steinbrenner’s team now, in the front office and with the attrition of ball players, it will be his on the ball field, too. He’s an enthusiastic man with seemingly remarkable energy who seems unwilling to settle for anything less than the top.

Denny Doyle, member of 1975 Boston Red Sox, dead at age 78

Former Boston Red Sox player Denny Doyle, who was a member of the 1975 team that won the American League pennant, has died at the age of 78.

Doyle, a Kentucky native, was acquired by the Red Sox in a trade with the California Angels in June 1975 and batted .310 in 89 games with Boston during the rest of the regular season. He also put together a league-best 22-game hit streak with the Sox in that span.

He was Boston’s starting second baseman in the 1975 A.L. Championship Series and 1975 World Series. He was the only player in the World Series, which featured five future Hall of Famers that year, to hit safely in all seven games.

Curt Simmons, member of 1950 ‘Whiz Kids,’ dies at 93

This was last week, but I didn’t see anything posted on it here.

Phillies Wall of Famer Curt Simmons died at his Ambler, Pa., home on Tuesday at 93 years of age. He was the last surviving member of the 1950 “Whiz Kids” team.

One of the greatest pitchers in franchise history, the lefty posted a record of 115-110 with 109 complete games, 18 shutouts and a 3.66 ERA in 325 games (263 starts) in 13 seasons with the club. Simmons tied for the major league lead with six shutouts in 1952 and logged a career-best 21 complete games in 1954. Among all pitchers in franchise history, he ranks fifth in wins and innings (1,939.2), sixth in games started, tied for sixth in shutouts and ninth in strikeouts (1,052). He was selected to three All-Star teams with the Phillies in 1952-53 and 1957, earning the starting nods in both the 1952 and 1957 Midsummer Classics.

Born Curtis Thomas Simmons on May 19, 1929, in Egypt, Pa., he was a graduate of Whitehall High School in Pennsylvania, leading the school club to three consecutive Lehigh Valley championships. He also won two state championships with the Coplay American Legion team, and in 1945 played in both the Pennsylvania American Legion All-Star Game at Shibe Park and East-West American Legion All-Star Game at the Polo Grounds, where he was managed by Babe Ruth.

Tom Browning, former Reds pitcher who threw perfect game in 1988, dies at 62

Former MLB starting pitcher Tom Browning died at the age of 62 on Monday. The Boone County, Kentucky, Sheriff made the announcement that Browning was found unresponsive and “resuscitation efforts were not successful.” The release also states that “no foul play is suspected in connection with Mr. Browning’s death.”

Browning was most known for his MLB career with the Reds as a starting pitcher. He was part of the rotation for the 1990 World Series champions, finished sixth in Cy Young voting in 1985 and was an All-Star in 1991. In parts of 12 seasons (1984-1995)—11 with the Reds and one with the Royals—Browning was 123-90 with a 3.94 ERA and exactly 1,000 strikeouts in 1,921 innings. A workhorse through his prime, he topped 225 innings six times, winning at least 14 games five times, including a 20-win season in 1985.

Gaylord Perry, two-time Cy Young winner and master of the spitball, dies at 84

Baseball Hall of Famer and two-time Cy Young Award winner Gaylord Perry, a master of the spitball, died Thursday. He was 84.

Perry died at his home in Gaffney, South Carolina at about 5 a.m. Thursday of natural causes, Cherokee County Coroner Dennis Fowler said. He did not provide additional details.

Perry pitched for eight major-league teams from 1962 until 1983. He won the Cy Young with Cleveland in 1972 and with San Diego in 1978 just after turning 40.

Perry was a five-time All-Star who was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1991.

He had a career record of 314-255, finished with 3,554 strikeouts and used a pitching style where he doctored baseballs or made batters believe he was doctoring them. His 1974 autobiography was titled “Me and the Spitter.”

Dave Hillman, the oldest living Met, dead at 95

Dave Hillman, who pitched in 13 games for the 1962 Mets, died Sunday at 95. The right-hander, who was the oldest living Met, passed away from natural causes, the Bristol Herald Courier reported.

Hillman pitched in the majors from 1955-1962 with the Cubs, Red Sox, Reds and Mets. He was with the Mets from April to June, mainly as a reliever though he made one start for Casey Stengel’s historic team which would lose an MLB record 120 games.

“It was a joke – the ballplayers they had assembled,” Hillman told the Bristol Herald Courier in 2008. “It was all old players who were over the hill. There were one or two young pitchers that were good, but with the ballclub, they couldn’t get them a run.”

Former Brewers outfielder Chuck Carr dies at age 55

Outfielder Chuck Carr, briefly a member of the Milwaukee Brewers in the late 1990s and author of a memorable quote in Brewers lore, has died at age 55 according to an announcement on Facebook, relayed by Miami Herald reporter Craig Mish among others.

The tribute from his family suggested Carr had been battling health issues….

Carr caught on with the Houston Astros and homered off John Smoltz in the seventh inning of Game 3 in the 1997 National League Division Series — the final at-bat of Carr’s career.

Carr finished fourth in the Rookie of the Year voting in 1993 with the inaugural Marlins team after he was taken with the 14th pick of the expansion draft. He stole 58 bases to lead the league in 1993 and 32 the year after that.

Hall of Fame reliever, Cy Young Award winner Bruce Sutter dies at 69

Sutter, who is widely considered to be one of the first pitchers to throw a split-finger fastball, spent 12 seasons in Major League Baseball from 1976-1988.

Sutter made his debut with the Chicago Cubs and won the NL Cy Young award in 1979 after making 37 saves with 110 strikeouts on the year. He spent five seasons in Chicago before leaving for the St. Louis Cardinals in 1981.

He helped close out their World Series win in 1982 and ended Game 7 of that series with a strikeout to beat the Milwaukee Brewers. Sutter then finished his career with the Atlanta Braves, where he picked up his 300th career save.

The six-time All-Star was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2006.

Former Cubs lefthander Dick Ellsworth has died

Dick Ellsworth was a lefthanded pitcher who exhibited great promise for the Cubs in the early 1960s.

In 1963, he made 37 starts, went 22-10 (back when individual pitcher wins really meant something), posted a 2.11 ERA and led the major leagues in ERA+ at 167. Yes, better than Sandy Koufax of the pennant-winning Dodgers. Koufax won the NL MVP and the (then single) Cy Young Award, but there were those who favorably compared Ellsworth to Koufax. After he threw a one-hitter against the Phillies June 1, Edward Prell wrote in the Tribune:

Dick Ellsworth has been a magnificent pitcher all year. Today that elegant word was inadequate when the 23-year-old Cub lefty held the Phillies to one hit — a bunt — in a 2-0 victory. It was the finest performance of his budding career.

Ellsworth finished 19th in NL MVP voting that year, and his 10.2 bWAR season was a close second to Koufax’ 10.7. It remains to this day the second-best bWAR season by any Cubs pitcher (Pete Alexander, 11.9 in 1920 leads the list).

Injuries prevented Ellsworth from fulfilling that promising beginning, and eventually the Cubs traded him away.

Dick Ellsworth passed away Monday in his hometown of Fresno, California, aged 82.

Hector Lopez, Who Broke a Baseball Color Barrier, Dies at 93

Hector Lopez, the first Black manager at the highest level of minor league baseball and one of the last living members of the early 1960s Yankees dynasty, who played in the team’s outfield alongside Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris, died on Thursday in Hudson, Fla. He was 93.

His son Darrol Lopez said the cause of his death, in a hospital, was complications of lung cancer.

A native of Panama, Lopez was one of the first Black players for the Yankees. Appearing in five consecutive World Series, he was the very essence of a utility player, a capable nonstar who filled in as an infielder or an outfielder wherever there was a need. 
In the fifth and final game of the 1961 World Series against the Cincinnati Reds, he smashed a home run and a triple and drove in five runs in a 13-5 victory.

Lopez was released by the Yankees after the 1966 season, in which the team finished 10th and last, ending his 12-year playing career with a .269 average and 136 home runs. He played in the minor leagues for a couple of seasons, hoping to return to the majors. But instead, in 1969 he was named manager of the Buffalo Bisons, then the Triple-A affiliate of the Washington Senators (now the Texas Rangers).

A New York Times headline read, “Hector Lopez Slides Safely Into Buffalo as First Negro Pro Baseball Pilot.” Lopez, lacking a star pedigree or much experience in coaching, was an unlikely trailblazer. George Vecsey, the longtime Times sports columnist, wrote that as an aging minor league player in Buffalo, Lopez was “a helpful senior citizen to Washington Senator farmhands” and got the job by being “in the right place at the right time and by wanting the job.”

“Good for Hector,” Elston Howard, the first Black Yankees player, said. “This is a good break for him.”

Rox sign Jaime Moyer to Minor League deal

Fun fact: When the Rockies came into existence, Jaime Moyer was in his eighth Major League season.

The Rockies’ search for a veteran for the starting rotation could take them to the ultimate veteran, 49-year-old left-hander Jamie Moyer.

Colorado and Moyer have agreed to a Minor League deal that includes an invitation to Spring Training, the club announced on Wednesday. The agreement is pending a physical.

Moyer underwent Tommy John surgery on his throwing elbow in 2010 and didn’t pitch last season. The lefty worked as an analyst for ESPN in 2011 but stated that he intended to try to pitch again in ‘12.

Moyer went 9-9 with a 4.84 ERA for the Phillies in 2010.

Former American League umpire Marty Springstead is dead at age 74

Marty Springstead, who at the age of 36 in 1973 became the youngest umpire crew chief in World Series history, has died. He was 74.

Major League Baseball said Wednesday that Springstead was found dead at his home in Florida on Tuesday night.

A native of Nyack, N.Y., Springstead was an American League umpire from 1966-85. Among his three World Series were 1978 and 1983, and he also was an umpire at the All-Star game in 1969, 1975 and 1982 and at five AL championship series.

After retiring from the field, he became the AL’s executive director of umpires, then worked as an umpire supervisor for MLB after umpire staffs from the leagues merged.

He retired from his management position before the 2010 season.

“For a quarter-century, Marty mentored a new generation of our umpires, not only in the major leagues but around the world,” Commissioner Bud Selig said. “Marty was an avid teacher, a great storyteller and a friend to countless people around our game. Like so many of my colleagues, I always appreciated his wonderful sense of humor and the pride he had for his profession.”

Thanks to Rod Nelson.