RIP to Bob "Rocky" Johnson, an infielder and standout pinch-hitter who played for a decade in the majors in the 1960s. Former teammate Jim Palmer reported on Twitter that Johnson, 83, died in Minnesota. Wikipedia notes that Johnson died on November 12 from Parkinson's disease. Johnson played for the Kansas City/Oakland Athletics (1960, 1969-70), Washington … Continue reading Obituary: Bob Johnson (1936-2019)
Here lies Billy Hitchcock, whose life in baseball included stints as a player, coach, manager and minor-league executive. As an infielder, Hitchcock played for the Detroit Tigers (1942, 1946, 1953), Washington Senators (1946), St. Louis Browns (1947), Boston Red Sox (1948-1949) and Philadelphia Athletics (1950-1952). He also served as a manager for the Tigers (1960), … Continue reading Grave Story: Billy Hitchcock (1916-2006)
Here lies Red Lucas, a consistent starting pitcher for 16 years in the major leagues. His real claim to fame, though, came with a bat – Lucas is one of the best pinch hitters in baseball history. Lucas played for the New York Giants (1923), Boston Braves (1924-25), Cincinnati Reds (1926-33) and Pittsburgh Pirates (1935-38). … Continue reading Grave Story: Red Lucas (1902-1986)
Here lies Bobby Reis, who started his career as a third baseman and ended it as a pitcher/jack of all trades. He played every single position on the diamond in his 6-year career in the majors. Reis played for the Brooklyn Dodgers (1931-32, 1935) and Boston Braves (1936-38). Bobby Reis was born on January 2, … Continue reading Grave Story: Bobby Reis (1909-1973)
Here lies Tom Lanning, who had a major-league pitching career that lasted about three weeks. He and his wife, Martha, are buried in this unmarked plot in Marietta, Ga. Lanning pitched for the Philadelphia Phillies in 1938. His younger brother, Johnny, was also a pitcher, and he had an 11-year MLB career in the 1930s … Continue reading Grave Story: Tom Lanning (1907-1967)
Minneapolis Star-Tribune history columnist Curt Brown has written a really nice article about the life of Elmer Foster, the 19th-Century baseball player/actor/hell-raiser. He references this blog and includes a quote from me in his story, which marks the first time I've ever been mentioned in a newspaper since the time I got a scholarship in … Continue reading RIP Baseball mentioned in Star-Tribune
RIP to Ron Fairly, who over the course of a nearly 50-year baseball career was an All-Star, a World Series champ, an announcer and an author. He died in Indian Wells, Calif., on October 30 at the age of 81. His death, from pancreatic cancer, was announced by the Seattle Mariners, for whom Fairly had … Continue reading Obituary: Ron Fairly (1938-2019)
RIP to Bobby Mitchell, an outfielder and designated hitter in the early 1970s, and a league-leading slugger in Japan. He died in Sacramento, Calif., on September 29 at the age of 75, Mitchell played for the New York Yankees (1970) and Milwaukee Brewers (1971, 1972-75), as well as the Nippon Ham Fighters (1976-79). Robert Vance … Continue reading Obituary: Bobby Mitchell (1943-2019)
RIP to Chuck Meriwether, who was an MLB umpire for 23 years and a supervisor for 9 more. He died on October 26 from cancer. He was 63 years old. “Chuck Meriwether was an accomplished umpire on the field, a role model for our staff and a true gentleman in life," said MLB Commissioner Rob … Continue reading Obituary: Chuck Meriwether (1956-2019)
Here lies Phil Gallivan, a pitcher for three seasons in the majors. He pitched for the Brooklyn Dodgers (1931) and Chicago White Sox (1932, 1934). He also served as a scout for 20 years, most notably with the Baltimore Orioles. All the baseball stat sites list 1907 as Gallivan's birth year, not 1906. Phil Gallivan … Continue reading Grave Story: Phil Gallivan (1907-1969)
