RIP to Don Larsen, an above-average pitcher who, for one magical game, was absolutely perfect. He died on January 1, after entering into hospice care for esophageal cancer. He was 90 years old. Larsen pitched for the St. Louis Browns (1963), Baltimore Orioles (1954, 1965), New York Yankees (1955-59), Kansas City Athletics (1960-61), Chicago White … Continue reading Obituary: Don Larsen (1929-2020)
Obituary: Dick Bokelmann (1926-2019)
RIP to Dick Bokelmann, a reliever for the St. Louis Cardinals for three seasons in the 1950s. He died peacefully on December 27, 2019 at the age of 93. Bokelmann played professional ball from 1947 through 1954 and played for the Cardinals from 1951-53. Richard Bokelmann was born on October 26, 1926 in Arlington Heights, … Continue reading Obituary: Dick Bokelmann (1926-2019)
Grave Story: Walter Kinzie (1857-1909)
Here lies Walt Kinzie, the grandson of one of Chicago’s early pioneers. He also was an infielder for the Detroit Wolverines (1882), Chicago White Stockings (1884) and St. Louis Browns (1884). Before we talk about Walt, let’s dig into a bit of Chicago history, because the name “Kinzie” is as old as the city itself. … Continue reading Grave Story: Walter Kinzie (1857-1909)
Obituary: Norm Angelini (1947-2019)
RIP to Norm Angelini, who was a left-handed reliever in the majors for two years. He died on December 21, 2019 in Aurora, Colo., after battling cancer. He was 72 years old. Angelini played for the Kansas City Royals (1972-73). https://twitter.com/mangelini23/status/1208852402759028736?s=20 Norman Angelini was born in San Francisco on September 24, 1947. The southpaw started … Continue reading Obituary: Norm Angelini (1947-2019)
Grave Story: Frank Delahanty (1882-1966)
Here lies Frank Delahanty, the last surviving brother of the famed baseball-playing Delahantys. He had a brief career in the American League and Federal League and a rough post-baseball career that included a prison stint. Delahanty played for the New York Highlanders (1905-06, 1908), Cleveland Naps (1907), and the Buffalo Buffeds (1914) and Pittsburgh Rebels … Continue reading Grave Story: Frank Delahanty (1882-1966)
Obituary: Rex Johnston (1937-2019)
RIP to Rex Johnston, one of a handful of players who played for both Major League Baseball and the National Football League. Rarer still, he did it while staying in the same city. Johnston died on December 15, at the age of 82 from heart failure. Johnston played football for the Pittsburgh Steelers (1960) and … Continue reading Obituary: Rex Johnston (1937-2019)
Obituary: Weldon "Hoss" Bowlin (1940-2019)
RIP to Weldon "Hoss" Bowlin, whose major-league playing career amounted to two games with the 1967 Kansas City Athletics. He also had a long and successful career as the head baseball coach at the University of West Alabama. He died on December 8 at the age of 78. Lois Weldon Bowlin was born in Paragould, … Continue reading Obituary: Weldon "Hoss" Bowlin (1940-2019)
Grave Story: George Ziegler (1866-1942)
Here lies (in the unmarked grave in the center of the photo) George Ziegler, who pitched one game for the Pittsburgh Alleghenys in 1890. While a little is known about his baseball career, almost nothing is known about his life outside of baseball – particularly how or why he came to a tragic fate in … Continue reading Grave Story: George Ziegler (1866-1942)
Obituary: Rich Rundles (1981-2019)
RIP to Rich Rundles, who pitched briefly for the Cleveland Indians before becoming a pitching coach for independent and college teams. The 38-year-old died on December 16, apparently of natural causes. Rundles played for the Indians in 2008-2009. Rundles was the pitching coach for the University of West Alabama Tigers, where his father, Gary, is … Continue reading Obituary: Rich Rundles (1981-2019)
Obituary: Ted Lepcio (1929-2019)
RIP to Ted Lepcio, who was an infielder for for five teams in the 1950s and early '60s. Per his family, he died at his home on December 5 at the age of 90 -- not December 11 as originally noted. Lepcio played for the Boston Red Sox (1952-59), Detroit Tigers (1959), Philadelphia Phillies (1960), … Continue reading Obituary: Ted Lepcio (1929-2019)
