RIP to Tom Yewcic, a quarterback and punter who played six seasons in the NFL for the Boston (now New England) Patriots. Before he did that, he played one game for the Detroit Tigers in 1957. Yewcic died on October 20 at the age of 88. Thomas J. Yewcic was born in Conenaugh, Pa., on … Continue reading Obituary: Tom Yewcic (1932-2020)
RIP to former Major League umpire and crew chief Derryl Cousins. He died at his home in Bermuda Dunes, Calif., on October 19 from bone cancer. He was 74 years old. Cousins, who played some minor-league ball at the start of his professional baseball career, was an umpire from 1979 until his retirement in 2012. … Continue reading Obituary: Derryl Cousins (1946-2020)
RIP to J.W. "Jay" Porter, a backup catcher who was one of the last surviving players from two defunct ballclubs. He died on October 11 at the Jupiter Medical Center in Jupiter, Fla., after a long illness. He was 87 years old. Porter played for the St. Louis Browns (1952), Detroit Tigers (1955-57), Cleveland Indians … Continue reading Obituary: J.W. Porter (1933-2020)
RIP to Bob Scott, a Negro Leagues pitcher/first baseman and an invaluable resource for Negro Leagues history. He died on October 11 in Macon, Ga. He was 90 years old -- though there is some inconsistency with his birth date. Scott played for the New York Black Yankees (1946-50). James Robert Scott was born on … Continue reading Obituary: Bob Scott (1931-2020)
RIP to Joe Morgan, considered by many to be the heart and soul behind the Big Red Machine of the 1970s, as well as one of the greatest second baseman in baseball history. He died on October 11 in Danville, Calif., at the age of 77. A statement from his family said that he died … Continue reading Obituary: Joe Morgan (1943-2020)
RIP to Whitey Ford, a Hall of Famer, a Cy Young Award winner, 10-time All-Star, and the greatest Yankees pitcher ever -- just to name a few of his accomplishments. He died on October 8 at his home in Lake Success, N.Y., on Long Island. He was 91 years old. According to the release issued … Continue reading Obituary: Whitey Ford (1928-2020)
RIP to Kim Batiste, an infielder whose clutch hit in the 1993 NL Championship Series helped the Phillies on their way to the World Series. He died in a Louisiana hospital on October 7, 2020, from complications after emergency surgery, according to his family. Batiste, who lived in Prairieville, was 52 years old and had … Continue reading Obituary: Kim Batiste (1968-2020)
RIP to "Fireball" Fred Wenz, who pitched for two different teams in the late 1960s. Though his career was short, he still had a couple of remarkable accomplishments on the mound -- one good, one not so good. He died on October 6 at his home in Branchburg, N.J. He was 79 years old. Wenz … Continue reading Obituary: Fred Wenz (1941-2020)
RIP to Hal Raether, who was one of the last surviving members of the Philadelphia Athletics. He died on September 26 at the age of 87. Per Baseball Reference, there are now six surviving Philadelphia A's alumni. Raether pitched for the Philadelphia A's in 1954 and Kansas City Athletics in 1957. Harold Herman Raether was … Continue reading Obituary: Hal Raether (1932-2020)
When looking back over the life of the late Lou Johnson, it was clear that he didn't have an easy road to the majors. He was released by a couple of teams before he finally found a home with the Dodgers. His first pro season ended when he was hit in the head with a … Continue reading The way to Lou Johnson’s ear is through his stomach
