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 Luke Appling, who was one of the best shortstops in the game for 20 years. He was a 7-time All-Star, a 2-time batting champion and a member of the Hall of Fame. Appling played his entire career with the Chicago White Sox, from 1930-50. Lucius Appling was born in High Point, N.C., on … Continue reading Grave Story: Luke Appling (1907-1991)
Here lies Spencer Harris, who had a brief, 4-year career in the majors. That short description doesn’t even begin to do justice to his professional career, as Harris played in professional baseball for almost 30 years and retired as one of the greatest hitters in the history of the minor leagues. Harris was an outfielder … Continue reading Grave Story: Spencer Harris (1900-1982)
RIP to Joe Keough, who drove in the winning run of the first ever Royals game. The outfielder/first baseman, who had a 6-year career in the major leagues, died on September 9 in Miami after a brief illness. He was 73 years old. Keough played for the Oakland Athletics (1968), Kansas City Royals (1969-1972) and … Continue reading Obituary: Joe Keough (1946-2019)
RIP to Tom Jordan, a former catcher who at the time of his death was the oldest living major-league ballplayer. He died on August 27 of a heart attack, according to his obituary on Forbes, at the age of 99. He was 10 days away from his 100th birthday. Jordan played for the Chicago White … Continue reading Obituary: Tom Jordan (1919-2019)
R.I.P. to Don Mossi, an All-Star pitcher equally at home in the bullpen or the starting rotation. It has been reported that he died on July 19 at the age of 90. Mossi pitched for the Cleveland Indians (1954-58), Detroit Tigers (1959-63), Chicago White Sox (1964) and Kansas City Athletics (1965). A post on his … Continue reading Obituary: Don Mossi (1929-2019)
If you go to Lakewood Cemetery in Minneapolis, you will find that there is indeed a lake… and woods. The lake, apart from being a peaceful place to sit, has also been a place where cremains are scattered. That’s what I’m assuming at least, because if you search on Lakewood’s website for the final resting … Continue reading Grave Story: Yip Owens (1886-1958)
Here lies Don Wheeler, a catcher who played one year in the major leagues, with the 1949 Chicago White Sox. His last appearance in the minor leagues as a player came eight years after he thought he’d retired. Donald “Scott” Wheeler (he picked up the nickname due to his Scottish heritage) was born in Minneapolis … Continue reading Grave Story: Don Wheeler (1922-2003)
Here lies Fred Hancock, whose 14-year professional baseball career included one season with the Chicago White Sox in 1949 as a backup infielder. Fred Hancock was born in Allenport, Pa., on March 28, 1920. He attended Charleroi High School and made his pro baseball debut in 1939 for the Lake Charles Skippers of the Louisiana-based … Continue reading Grave Story: Fred Hancock (1920-1986)
R.I.P. to Kelly Paris, a utility infielder who played with four different teams in the early 1980s. His brother, Bret Paris, wrote on Facebook that Kelly had died from cancer on May 27. He was 61 years old. Paris played for the St. Louis Cardinals (1982), Cincinnati Reds (1983), Baltimore Orioles (1985-86) and Chicago White … Continue reading Obituary: Kelly Paris (1957-2019)
