Here lies Walter “Whitey” Hilcher, a pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds for parts of four seasons. The “Whitey” nickname came from his blond hair. He played for the Reds from 1931-32 and again from 1935-36. Walter Hilcher was born in Chicago on February 28, 1909. It doesn’t appear that his family stayed in Chicago for … Continue reading Grave Story: Whitey Hilcher (1909-1962)
R.I.P. to Chuck Harmon, a third baseman and outfielder who integrated the Cincinnati Reds when he stepped onto the field on April 17, 1954. He died on March 19 at the age of 94. Harmon played for the Reds (1954-56), St. Louis Cardinals (1956-57) and Philadelphia Phillies (1957). "The entire Reds family is saddened to … Continue reading Obituary: Chuck Harmon (1924-2019)
R.I.P. to Joe Gibbon, who started his career as an effective starting pitcher and ended it about 13 years later as an effective reliever. He died on February 20, 2019 at the age of 83 from natural causes. He pitched for the Pittsburgh Pirates (1960-65; 1969-70), San Francisco Giants (1966-68), Cincinnati Reds (1971-72) and Houston … Continue reading Obituary: Joe Gibbon (1936-2019)
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)
Here lies Clayton Lambert, who had a pretty good season in the majors and one short, really not-good, strange season. His MLB career was delayed for several years by World War II. Lambert pitched for the Cincinnati Reds (1946-47). Clayton Lambert was born in Summit, Ill., on March 26, 1917. He went to Illinois College … Continue reading Grave Story: Clayton Lambert (1917-1981)
RIP to Frank Robinson, a member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame, the only player to win the MVP Award in both the American and National Leagues, the first African-American manager in baseball history, and one of its most underrated superstars. He died on February 7, 2019 at the age of 83. It was … Continue reading Obituary: Frank Robinson (1935-2019)
Here lies John Noriega, a pitcher who appeared briefly for the Cincinnati Reds in 1969 and 1970. He made it to the majors in spite of thefact that he had only one fully functional eye. His left eye was paralyzed since birth and could only focus straight ahead, but it didn’t affect his athletic prowess. … Continue reading Grave Story: John Noriega (1943-2001)
Here lies Ed Heusser, a pitcher for the famed Gas House Gang who also had a once-in-a-lifetime brilliant season with the Reds. He played for the St. Louis Cardinals (1935-36), Philadelphia Phillies (1938, 1948), Philadelphia Athletics (1940) and Cincinnati Reds (1943-46). Edward Burlton Heusser was born on May, 1909 in Murray, Utah. His father died … Continue reading Grave Story: Ed Heusser (1909-1956)
Here lies Roy Castleton, the first native Utahan to ever play Major League Baseball. He was a brilliant pitcher, when he wasn’t fending off near-fatal illnesses. The lefty played for the New York Highlanders (Yankees) (1907) and Cincinnati Reds (1909-1910). Castleton’s family were early Utah pioneers, according to his SABR biography. His parents had emigrated … Continue reading Grave Story: Roy Castleton (1885-1967)
RIP to Jim Hoff, a former minor-league infielder and manager who had worked as the minor-league field coordinator for the Tampa Bay Rays since 2002. He died unexpectedly on December 11 at the age of 73. Hoff was born on April 16, 1945 and graduated from Xavier University in 1967. He signed with the Cincinnati … Continue reading Obituary: Jim Hoff (1945-2018)
