On August 17, 1920, the Indians' Ray Champan died from injuries suffered when he was stuck in the head with a Carl Mays pitch. It was a tragic, senseless death and baseball players demanded that they be allowed to wear batting helmets to prevent more tragic, senseless deaths from happening. Just kidding. They fought against … Continue reading Baseball history: Yankees don’t want no sissy batting helmets
RIP to Tom Waddell, who rose from a clothing salesman to a Rule V pick to a surprise relief ace before arm problems derailed his career. He died on September 14 from a heart attack, just days away from his 61st birthday. Waddell played for the Cleveland Indians (1984-85, 1987). Tom Waddell was born in … Continue reading Obituary: Tom Waddell (1958-2019)
Here lies Dick Siebert, who was written off by three major-league teams before establishing himself as an All-Star first baseman. He later became one of the winningest coaches in NCAA baseball history with the Minnesota Golden Gophers. He played for the Brooklyn Dodgers (1932, 1936), St. Louis Cardinals (1937-38) and Philadelphia Athletics (1939-45). His son, … Continue reading Grave Story: Dick Siebert (1912-1978)
RIP to Alex Grammas, who spent more than 40 years in professional baseball as a player, coach and manager. He died on September 13 at the age of 93. As a player, Grammas was an infielder for the St. Louis Cardinals (1954-56, 1959-62), Cincinnati Reds (1956-58) and Chicago Cubs (1962-63). He also coached for the … Continue reading Obituary: Alex Grammas (1927-2019)
RIP to Jim Greengrass, who had a brief, homer-filled career as a National League outfielder. According to a Facebook post by his granddaughter, he died on September 9 at 7:32 in the morning in Georgia, where he lived for most of his life. He was 91 years old. Greengrass played for the Cincinnati Reds (1952-55) … Continue reading Obituary: Jim Greengrass (1927-2019)
RIP to lefty pitcher Jim Archer, who pitched for two seasons before shoulder problems ended his career. He died on September 9 at the age of 87. Archer played for the Kansas City Athletics (1961-62). Jim Archer was born in Max Meadows, Va., on May 25, 1932. According to his obituary at the Bristol Herald … Continue reading Obituary: Jim Archer (1932-2019)
RIP to Joe Keough, who drove in the winning run of the first ever Royals game. The outfielder/first baseman, who had a 6-year career in the major leagues, died on September 9 in Miami after a brief illness. He was 73 years old. Keough played for the Oakland Athletics (1968), Kansas City Royals (1969-1972) and … Continue reading Obituary: Joe Keough (1946-2019)
Here lies Jerry Zimmerman, a good-fielding, light-hitting catcher and a part of the first-ever Montreal Expos’ coaching staff. He played for the Cincinnati Reds (1961) and Minnesota Twins (1962-68). Gerald Zimmerman was born in Omaha, Neb., on September 21, 1934. He played basketball and baseball at Milwaukie High School (that’s not a typo – the … Continue reading Grave Story: Jerry Zimmerman (1934-1998)
RIP to Wally Westlake, An All-Star outfielder who played with six teams in a 10-year career. It has been reported that he died on September 6 at the age of 98. Westlake played for the Pittsburgh Pirates (1947-51), St. Louis Cardinals (1951-52), Cincinnati Reds (1952), Cleveland Indians (1952-55), Baltimore Orioles (1955) and Philadelphia Phillies (1956). … Continue reading Obituary: Wally Westlake (1920-2019)
RIP to Charlie Silvera, who was the long-time backup catcher to Yogi Berra. He died on September 7 at the age of 94. Silvera played for the New York Yankees (1948-1956) and Chicago Cubs (1957). Charlie Silvera was born in San Francisco on October 13, 1924. The New York Times obituary stated that his father … Continue reading Obituary: Charlie Silvera (1924-2019)
