In writing about the life of Carl Erskine, certain things have to be mentioned: He was one of the last living Brooklyn Dodgers, one of the last people who could call Jackie Robinson a teammate, and the last surviving member of the "Boys of Summer" team that Roger Kahn chronicled. On the field, he was … Continue reading Obituary: Carl Erskine (1926-2024)
Author: Sam Gazdziak
Obituary: Whitey Herzog (1931-2024)
Whitey Herzog was one of the most successful managers of the 1980s, winning three National League pennants and one World Series championship with the St. Louis Cardinals. He did it by taking advantage of his team's strengths and focused on speed and pitching, creating his own brand of baseball known as "Whitey Ball." There aren't … Continue reading Obituary: Whitey Herzog (1931-2024)
Obituary: Larry Brown (1940-2024)
RIP to Larry Brown, an everyday infielder for Cleveland in the 1960s. He died in Florida on April 13 at the age of 84. He had been battling vascular dementia after suffering a series of strokes, according to his family-placed obituary. Brown played for the Cleveland Indians (1963-71), Oakland Athletics (1971-72), Baltimore Orioles (1973) and … Continue reading Obituary: Larry Brown (1940-2024)
Obituary: Ken Holtzman (1945-2024)
RIP to Ken Holtzman, a 4-time World Series Champ, an All-Star, the author of two no-hitters and one of the most successful Jewish pitchers in baseball history. He died on April 14 in St. Louis, at the age of 78. Holtzman played for the Chicago Cubs (1965-71, 1978-79), Oakland Athletics (1972-75), Baltimore Orioles (1976) and … Continue reading Obituary: Ken Holtzman (1945-2024)
Obituary: Kevin Batiste (1966-2024)
RIP to Kevin Batiste, an outfielder in professional baseball whose 6-year career included 6 games for the 1989 Toronto Blue Jays. He died on April 2 at HCA Healthcare Hospital in Tomball, TX. He was 57 years old. Kevin Wade Batiste was born in Galveston, TX, on October 21, 1966. The two main sports he … Continue reading Obituary: Kevin Batiste (1966-2024)
Obituary: Odell Jones (1953-2024)
RIP to Odell Jones, a well-traveled pitcher whose pro career of nearly 20 years included multiple stints at the major-league level. It was reported on Pittsburgh Baseball Now that he died on March 20 at the age of 71. Neither the cause of death nor the location were immediately available. Jones played for the Pittsburgh … Continue reading Obituary: Odell Jones (1953-2024)
Obituary: Fritz Peterson (1942-2024)
Fritz Peterson should be remembered as a 20-game winner for the Yankees and a staff ace through some down times in the franchise. It must also be noted that he was part of one of baseball's most notorious scandals, too. Peterson died on April 11 at the age of 82; he had been ill with … Continue reading Obituary: Fritz Peterson (1942-2024)
Obituary: La Schelle Tarver (1959-2024)
RIP to La Schelle Tarver, a speedy outfielder who played 13 games with the Boston Red Sox in 1986. He died on March 20 at the age of 65. Tarver had a long career with the Fresno County Sheriff's Department after his baseball days came to an end. La Schelle Tarver was born in Modesto, … Continue reading Obituary: La Schelle Tarver (1959-2024)
Obituary: Jerry Grote (1942-2024)
RIP to one of the greatest Mets' catchers ever, Jerry Grote. The member of the 1969 Miracle Mets team died on April 7 at the age of 81. According to a Facebook post from his wife, Cheryl, he suffered respiratory failure after undergoing a heart procedure. Grote played for the Houston Colt .45s (1963-64), New … Continue reading Obituary: Jerry Grote (1942-2024)
Obituary: Pat Zachry (1952-2024)
RIP to pitcher Pat Zachry, the 1976 NL Rookie of the Year and part of one of the biggest trades of the decade the very next year. He died on April 4, according to a post from former teammate Johnny Bench on X (formerly Twitter). Yahoo Sports added that Zachry, 71, died after a lengthy … Continue reading Obituary: Pat Zachry (1952-2024)