RIP to infielder Billy Harris, a star high school and college athlete in his native North Carolina and a part of the original Kansas City Royals team. He died suddenly on December 20 at the age of 77 in his home at Hampstead, N.C. Harris played for the Cleveland Indians (1968) and Kansas City Royals … Continue reading Obituary: Billy Harris (1943-2020)
The death of Charley Pride left a giant hole in the heart of country music. He was the genre’s first African-American star, and decades later, still one of a handful of people of color to have any kind of lasting success as a country singer. Despite enduring a stream of racist behavior from country music … Continue reading Charley Pride and Nashville’s lethal ignorance
RIP to Billy DeMars, who was one of the last surviving members of two defunct teams and a former big-league coach for nearly two decades. He died on December 10 at the age of 95 in Clearwater, Fla. DeMars played for the Philadelphia Athletics (1948) and St. Louis Browns (1950-51). After a few years of … Continue reading Obituary: Billy DeMars (1925-2020)
RIP to Phil Linz, who became one of the most famous utility infielders in baseball thanks to an off-field incident involving, of all things, a harmonica. He died on December 9 at the age of 81. Friend, former teammate and former business partner Art Shamsky broke the news on Twitter, calling Linz "a terrific player … Continue reading Obituary: Phil Linz (1939-2020)
RIP to two-time All-Star infielder and in-demand hitting coach Denis Menke. His family announced that he died in Tarpon Springs, Fla., on December 1. He was 80 years old. Menke played for the Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves (1962-67), Houston Astros (1968-71, 1974) and Cincinnati Reds (1972-73). Denis John Menke was born in Bancroft, Iowa, on July 21, … Continue reading Obituary: Denis Menke (1940-2020)
RIP to Roger Moret, who was one of the aces on the Red Sox pitching staff as they reached the World Series in 1975. The lefthander was also one of the most dominant pitchers in Puerto Rican baseball. He died on December 7 in his home of Guayama, Puerto Rico, at the age of 71 … Continue reading Obituary: Rogelio “Roger” Moret (1949-2020)
Ever wonder what it's like writing baseball-related obituaries in 2020? In a word, it's been exhausting. Let's use this week as an example. I wrote and published stories on Tommy Sandt and Bill Spanswick on December 5 and 7, respectively. While I was working on those, reports came out that that Lorenzo "Chico" Fernandez died, … Continue reading 2020 was as bad as you thought it was
RIP to Dick Allen, one of the most feared sluggers of his era and a 7-time All-Star, Most Valuable Player and Rookie of the Year. His family announced on his social media accounts that Allen died on December 7 in his home town of Wampum, Pa. He was 78 years old. Allen played for the … Continue reading Obituary: Dick Allen (1942-2020)
RIP to Chico Fernandez, a utility infielder for the Baltimore Orioles in 1968. He has died at the age of 81. His death has been confirmed by a couple of sources, although the details are scarce. There is a discrepancy about the date — it was either November 26 or 30. Baseball Reference has gone … Continue reading Obituary: Lorenzo “Chico” Fernandez (1939-2020)
RIP to Bill Spanswick, a celebrated athlete in his hometown of Enfield, Conn., who pitched for a season in the majors. He died on December 2 in Enfield at the age of 82. Spanswick played for the Boston Red Sox in 1964. William Henry Spanswick was born in Springfield, Mass., on July 8, 1938. However, … Continue reading Obituary: Bill Spanswick (1938-2020)
