RIP to Paul Doyle, a lefty reliever who helped the Braves into the postseason before an arm injury curtailed his career. He died on May 6 in California at the age of 80. Doyle played for the Atlanta Braves (1969), California Angels (1970, 1972) and San Diego Padres (1970). Paul Doyle was born in Philadelphia … Continue reading Obituary: Paul Doyle (1939-2020)
RIP to Biff Pocoroba, a former All-Star catcher with a decade-long career in the major leagues. He has passed away at the age of 66, according to Facebook posts from his family. There is not much information available at the moment -- he died on May 24 or 25 -- but I will update when … Continue reading Obituary: Biff Pocoroba (1953-2020)
There are a million stories on Satchel Paige, more than can ever fit into one short bio on the man. I told a few of them in Paige’s Grave Story, but there’s one great one here that I had to leave out for the sake of brevity. So I’ll present it here, in Paige’s own … Continue reading Satchel Paige pitches for his life
Here lies Satchel Paige, one of the greatest pitchers in baseball history. Even though he was prevented from playing Major League Baseball until late in his career, his legend was large enough that he was one of the most famous (and well-paid) pitchers in baseball for decades. After more than 20 years of pitching in … Continue reading Grave Story: Satchel Paige (1906?-1982)
RIP to Ken Retzer, a catcher for four seasons in the early 1960s. He died on May 17 at his home in Sun City, Ariz. He was 86 years old. Retzer played for the Washington Senators from 1961-64. Ken Retzer was born on April 30, 1934, in Wood River, Ill., which is right on the … Continue reading Obituary: Ken Retzer (1934-2020)
If you're looking for my obit on Bob Watson, you can find that here. Looking back over his very long career, you're bound to run into plenty of great stories and anecdotes. However, I couldn't fit everything I found into an obituary without it turning into a full book. Instead, I'll present a few stories … Continue reading Bob Watson runs into things
RIP to Bob Watson, a two-time All-Star, a World Series-winning coach and general manager, and a contributor to a foundation that helps former players in need. He packed an amazing amount of things into a 50+ year baseball career. Watson died on May 14 in Houston from kidney disease. He was 74 years old and … Continue reading Obituary: Bob Watson (1946-2020)
RIP to Larry Gowell, a pitcher who appeared in two major-league games. Despite the short career, he had one noteworthy accomplishment that makes him a unique part of baseball history. He died on May 11 at the age of 72 while playing golf, according to the posts his family and friends have left on Facebook. … Continue reading Obituary: Larry Gowell (1948-2020)
RIP to Ben Johnson, who pitched for the Chicago Cubs for a total of 21 games over 1959 and 1960. He died on May 8, 2020, at his home. He was 88 years old -- and was a week shy of his 89th birthday. He will be buried at the Greenwood Memorial Gardens in Hodges, … Continue reading Obituary: Ben Johnson (1931-2020)
Here lies Jim Green, whose only professional baseball experience came as a member of the Union Association in 1884. He is, I believe, in the unmarked grave in the picture here. The UA itself barely qualifies as a major league, and a good portion of the players from that league never even sniffed the majors … Continue reading Grave Story: Jim Green (1854-1912)
