RIP to Gil Coan, an outfielder who spent parts of 11 seasons in the major leagues in the 1940s and '50s. He died on February 4 in Hendersonville, N.C., at the age of 94. At the time of his death, he was one of the oldest living baseball players and the oldest surviving New York … Continue reading Obituary: Gil Coan (1922-2020)
RIP to Hal Smith, a catcher for 10 seasons who hit one of the most dramatic home runs in Pirates history -- which set up THE most dramatic home run in Pirates history. His nephew, former major-leaguer Tim Flannery, reported that Smith died January 9 at the age of 89. Smith played for the Baltimore … Continue reading Obituary: Hal Smith (1930-2020)
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)
RIP to Bob "Rocky" Johnson, an infielder and standout pinch-hitter who played for a decade in the majors in the 1960s. Former teammate Jim Palmer reported on Twitter that Johnson, 83, died in Minnesota. Wikipedia notes that Johnson died on November 12 from Parkinson's disease. Johnson played for the Kansas City/Oakland Athletics (1960, 1969-70), Washington … Continue reading Obituary: Bob Johnson (1936-2019)
Here lies Billy Hitchcock, whose life in baseball included stints as a player, coach, manager and minor-league executive. As an infielder, Hitchcock played for the Detroit Tigers (1942, 1946, 1953), Washington Senators (1946), St. Louis Browns (1947), Boston Red Sox (1948-1949) and Philadelphia Athletics (1950-1952). He also served as a manager for the Tigers (1960), … Continue reading Grave Story: Billy Hitchcock (1916-2006)
Here lies Phil Gallivan, a pitcher for three seasons in the majors. He pitched for the Brooklyn Dodgers (1931) and Chicago White Sox (1932, 1934). He also served as a scout for 20 years, most notably with the Baltimore Orioles. All the baseball stat sites list 1907 as Gallivan's birth year, not 1906. Phil Gallivan … Continue reading Grave Story: Phil Gallivan (1907-1969)
RIP to Andy Etchebarren, a two-time All-Star catcher and a long-time minor-league manager. He died on October 5 at the age of 76. Etchebarren played for the Baltimore Orioles (1962, 1965-1975), California Angels (1975-1977) and Milwaukee Brewers (1978). He managed in the minor leagues and in independent baseball until 2012. https://twitter.com/yorkrevolution/status/1180649588442779650?s=20 Andy Etchebarren was born … Continue reading Obituary: Andy Etchebarren (1943-2019)
RIP to Wally Westlake, An All-Star outfielder who played with six teams in a 10-year career. It has been reported that he died on September 6 at the age of 98. Westlake played for the Pittsburgh Pirates (1947-51), St. Louis Cardinals (1951-52), Cincinnati Reds (1952), Cleveland Indians (1952-55), Baltimore Orioles (1955) and Philadelphia Phillies (1956). … Continue reading Obituary: Wally Westlake (1920-2019)
RIP to Tom Phoebus, a pitcher on the 1970 World Champion Baltimore Orioles. The Orioles announced before their game on September 5 that he had died earlier that day at the age of 77 and held a moment of silence for him. Phoebus played for the Orioles (1966-70), San Diego Padres (1971-72) and Chicago Cubs … Continue reading Obituary: Tom Phoebus (1942-2019)
R.I.P. to Luis Mercedes, a former Orioles prospect who had a three-year career as an outfielder in the majors. He died on June 30 in his native Dominican Republic after battling kidney problems. He was 51 years old. Mercedes played with the Baltimore Orioles (1991-93) and San Francisco Giants (1993). Luis Mercedes gets his first … Continue reading Obituary: Luis Mercedes (1968-2019)
