Here lies Leonidas Lee, who played 4 games for the 1877 St. Louis Brown Stockings. He never appeared in any other professional baseball league, so you might think that there’s not much to his story. Actually, one of the reasons that I enjoy the baseball research of this particular hobby is tracking down interesting people … Continue reading Grave Story: Leonidas Lee (1860-1912)
R.I.P. to Ernie Broglio, a 20-game winner and, yes, part of one of baseball's most infamous trades. His daughter announced that he died on July 16 at the age of 83. He had been battling cancer. Broglio pitched for the St. Louis Cardinals (1959-1964) and Chicago Cubs (1964-66). Ernie Broglio, left, and Stan Musial celebrate … Continue reading Obituary: Ernie Broglio (1935-2019)
R.I.P. to Joe Grzenda, the last pitcher ever for the Washington Senators and an early short relief specialist. He died on July 12 at his home in Covington, Pa., at the age of 82. Grzenda played for the Detroit Tigers (1961), Kansas City Athletics (1964, 1966), New York Mets (1967), Minnesota Twins (1969), Washington Senators … Continue reading Obituary: Joe Grzenda (1937-2019)
Here lies Johnny Blanchard, a long-time backup outfielder and catcher and a World Series hero. He was one of the great pinch hitters of his era. Blanchard played for the New York Yankees (1955; 1959-65), Kansas City Athletics (1965) and Milwaukee Braves (1965). Johnny Blanchard was born in Minneapolis on February 26, 1933. He attended … Continue reading Grave Story: Johnny Blanchard (1933-2009)
R.I.P. to Glenn Mickens, pitcher for the Brooklyn Dodgers and a longtime coach on the UCLA baseball team. He died from pneumonia on July 9 at the age of 88. Mickens played for the Dodgers in 1953. Glenn Mickens was born in Wilmar, Calif., on July 26, 1930. He stayed in California for his education, … Continue reading Obituary: Glenn Mickens (1930-2019)
R.I.P. to Jim Bouton, who went from an All-Star pitcher to a bestselling author to a baseball pariah to entertainment personality to a beloved and respected baseball figure. He died on July 10, at the age of 80. The ex-pitcher had suffered a severe stroke in 2012, which led to cerebral amyloid angiopathy, a disease … Continue reading Obituary: Jim Bouton (1939-2019)
R.I.P. to Paul Schramka, who had the briefest of major league careers -- 2 appearances with the 1953 Chicago Cubs. He went on to a long career serving as a funeral director in the Milwaukee area. He died on July 8 at the age of 91. Source: Schramka Funeral Home Paul Schramka was born in … Continue reading Obituary: Paul Schramka (1928-2019)
If you go to Lakewood Cemetery in Minneapolis, you will find that there is indeed a lake… and woods. The lake, apart from being a peaceful place to sit, has also been a place where cremains are scattered. That’s what I’m assuming at least, because if you search on Lakewood’s website for the final resting … Continue reading Grave Story: Yip Owens (1886-1958)
R.I.P. to Gary Kolb, a catcher/infielder/outfielder who played parts of seven seasons in the major leagues. He died in Charleston, W.V., on July 3 after a lengthy illness at the age of 79. Kolb played for the St. Louis Cardinals (1960, 1962-63), Milwaukee Braves (1964-65), New York Mets (1965) and Pittsburgh Pirates (1968-69). His cousin … Continue reading Obituary: Gary Kolb (1940-2019)
R.I.P. to Luis Mercedes, a former Orioles prospect who had a three-year career as an outfielder in the majors. He died on June 30 in his native Dominican Republic after battling kidney problems. He was 51 years old. Mercedes played with the Baltimore Orioles (1991-93) and San Francisco Giants (1993). Luis Mercedes gets his first … Continue reading Obituary: Luis Mercedes (1968-2019)
