R.I.P. to Joyce Steele, who for one season was a first baseman/outfielder for the Kalamazoo Lassies of the AAGPBL. She died on April 21 at the age of 82. Along with playing in the ALl-American Girls Professional Baseball League in 1953, she was involved in numerous other competitive sports and activities and owned several businesses. … Continue reading Obituary: Joyce Steele (1935-2019)
R.I.P. to Hardy "Pete" Peterson, a catcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates and the GM for the same team during its "We Are Family" era. He died on April 16 at the age of 89. He played for the Pirates from 1955 and 1957-59. His son, Rick Peterson, was a pitching coach for the A's and … Continue reading Obituary: Hardy Peterson (1929-2019)
Here lies Jesse Petty, a hard-luck pitcher in the major leagues from the 1920s before becoming a very successful minor-leaguer into the mid-‘30s. The lefty played for the Cleveland Indians (1921), Brooklyn Robins (1925-28), Pittsburgh Pirates (1929-30) and Chicago Cubs (1930). Jesse Petty, nicknamed “The Silver Fox,” was born on November 23, 1894 in Orr, … Continue reading Grave Story: Jesse Petty (1894-1971)
Here lies Russ McKelvy, an early two-way baseball player who played parts of two seasons in two different leagues. McKelvy was an outfielder and pitcher for the Indianapolis Blues of the National League (1878) and the Pittsburgh Allegheneys of the American Association (1882). Russell Errett McKelvy was born on September 8, 1854 in Swissville, Pa. … Continue reading Grave Story: Russ McKelvy (1854-1915)
R.I.P. to Scott Sanderson, an All-Star pitcher who won 163 games over a 19-year career. He died today, April 11, at the age of 62. His death was first reported on Twitter by Daily Herald columnist Barry Rozner. https://twitter.com/BarryRozner/status/1116429821398089728 Canadian journalist/author/Expos historian Danny Gallagher had reported more than a year ago that Sanderson had his … Continue reading Obituary: Scott Sanderson (1956-2019)
R.I.P. to Samuel "Bay" Taylor, a catcher and outfielder in the Negro Leagues. He died on April 8. The obituary from the St. Louis American reports his age at 92, but a Facebook post from his granddaughter reports his birthdate as January 27, 1929, which would have made him 90. He played for the Kansas … Continue reading Obituary: Samuel “Bay” Taylor (1929-2019)
Here lies Carl Pohlad, former owner of the Minnesota Twins. During his tenure from 1984-2009, he went from a hero who saved the Twins to a villain who almost drove the team out of existence. Such is the life of a baseball executive. Carl Pohlad was born on August 23, 1915 in Des Moines, Iowa, … Continue reading Grave Story: Carl Pohlad (1915-2009)
With it being Spring Break, the family decided on a short trip to Chattanooga for a little fun, cemetery searching and minor league baseball. I'd been there once before and found a few graves at the Chattanooga National Cemetery, but rain kept me from exploring any further. This week, the weather was perfect. Though I … Continue reading Road trip to Chattanooga: Unmarked graves & Lookouts
Here lies Claude Jonnard, one-half of the Jonnard twins that played in the 1920s and ‘30s. He was the older of the two, having been born an hour ahead of his brother, Clarence. Claude pitched for the New York Giants (1921-24), St. Louis Browns (1926) and Chicago Cubs (1929). The Jonnard boys were born in … Continue reading Grave Story: Claude Jonnard (1897-1959)
R.I.P. to Mike Colbern, a former All-American at Arizona State University who had a brief career in the majors with the White Sox. He also became one of the key figures in a lawsuit against Major League Baseball concerning pension for ballplayers. The Arizona Republic reported that he died recently at the age of 63. … Continue reading Obituary: Mike Colbern (1955-2019)
