RIP to Hall of Fame manager Tommy Lasorda, who guided the Dodgers to four National League pennants and two World Series titles in 20 years of leading the team. Over the course of his seven-decade career as a player, scout, coach, manager and front-office executive, Lasorda became one of the game's biggest personalities. He died … Continue reading Obituary: Tommy Lasorda (1927-2021)
Here lies Waite Hoyt, who was a rarity in baseball – a teenage phenom who actually lived up to his potential. Hoyt’s 21-year career included stops with the New York Giants (1918, 1932), Boston Red Sox (1919-20), New York Yankees (1921-30), Detroit Tigers (1930-31), Philadelphia Athletics (1931), Brooklyn Dodgers (1932, 1937-38) and Pittsburgh Pirates (1933-37). … Continue reading Grave Story: Waite Hoyt (1899-1984)
Here lies Bobby Reis, who started his career as a third baseman and ended it as a pitcher/jack of all trades. He played every single position on the diamond in his 6-year career in the majors. Reis played for the Brooklyn Dodgers (1931-32, 1935) and Boston Braves (1936-38). Bobby Reis was born on January 2, … Continue reading Grave Story: Bobby Reis (1909-1973)
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)
Here lies Dick Siebert, who was written off by three major-league teams before establishing himself as an All-Star first baseman. He later became one of the winningest coaches in NCAA baseball history with the Minnesota Golden Gophers. He played for the Brooklyn Dodgers (1932, 1936), St. Louis Cardinals (1937-38) and Philadelphia Athletics (1939-45). His son, … Continue reading Grave Story: Dick Siebert (1912-1978)
R.I.P. to Glenn Mickens, pitcher for the Brooklyn Dodgers and a longtime coach on the UCLA baseball team. He died from pneumonia on July 9 at the age of 88. Mickens played for the Dodgers in 1953. Glenn Mickens was born in Wilmar, Calif., on July 26, 1930. He stayed in California for his education, … Continue reading Obituary: Glenn Mickens (1930-2019)
Here lies Bill Antonello, an outfielder who had one season in the major leagues and a pretty successful 11-year minor-league career. He played for the 1953 Brooklyn Dodgers. Bill Antonello was born in Brooklyn on May 19, 1927 and grew up playing stickball there. He was a graduate of Fort Hamilton High School in Brooklyn … Continue reading Grave Story: Bill Antonello (1927-1993)
Here lies Earl Naylor, a rare two-way player during the 1940s. He started out as an outfielder, and a strong throwing arm led to a brief pitching experiment. Naylor played for the Philadelphia Phillies (1942-43) and Brooklyn Dodgers (1946). Earl Naylor was born on May 19, 1919 in Kansas City, Mo. He had an early … Continue reading Grave Story: Earl Naylor (1919-1990)
R.I.P. to Randy "Handsome Ransom" Jackson, an All-Star with the Cubs and the answer to a Brooklyn Dodgers trivia question. He died on March 20 at his home in Athens, Ga. He was 93 years old. Jackson played for the Chicago Cubs (1950-55, 1960), Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers (1956-58) and Cleveland Indians (1958-59). Ransom Jackson was … Continue reading Obituary: Randy Jackson (1926-2019)
R.I.P. to Don Newcombe, a Dodgers legend and an All-Star pitcher who helped integrate the game of baseball. He died on February 19 at the age of 92 after a long illness. In making the announcement, the Los Angeles Dodgers called Newcombe, "one of the franchise's final links to Brooklyn and the days of Roy … Continue reading Obituary: Don Newcombe (1926-2019)
