Here lies Jesse Petty, a hard-luck pitcher in the major leagues from the 1920s before becoming a very successful minor-leaguer into the mid-‘30s. The lefty played for the Cleveland Indians (1921), Brooklyn Robins (1925-28), Pittsburgh Pirates (1929-30) and Chicago Cubs (1930). Jesse Petty, nicknamed “The Silver Fox,” was born on November 23, 1894 in Orr, … Continue reading Grave Story: Jesse Petty (1894-1971)
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 John Romano, a catcher whose 10-year included four All-Star appearances over two seasons. He died on March 4 at the age of 84. Romano played for the Chicago White Sox (1958-59; 1965-66), Cleveland Indians (1960-64) and St. Louis Cardinals (1967). John Romano was born on August 23, 1934 in Hoboken, N.J. He was … Continue reading Obituary: John Romano (1934-2019)
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)
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)
RIP to Matt Turner, a former reliever whose promising career was cut short by Hodgkin's lymphoma. He died on January 27 after a fourth bout with cancer. He was 51 years old. He played for the Florida Marlins (1993) and Cleveland Indians (1994). William Matthew Turner was born in Lexington, Ky. on February 18, 1967. … Continue reading Obituary: Matt Turner (1967-2019)
RIP to Dick Brodowski, who entered the major leagues as a teenager and pitched for 6 seasons, with two years of military service in between. He died on January 19 in Lynn, Mass. at the age of 86. He played for the Boston Red Sox (1952, 1955), Washington Senators (1956-57) and Cleveland Indians (1958-59). Dick … Continue reading Obituary: Dick Brodowski (1932-2019)
RIP to "Dirty Al" Gallagher, a third baseman who went on to a long career as a manager in the minor leagues and independent leagues. He died on December 6 in Fresno, Calif. at the age of 73. Gallagher played for the San Francisco Giants (1970-73) and California Angels (1973) Gallagher, whose full name was … Continue reading Obituary: Al Gallagher (1945-2018)
RIP to Luis Valbuena, an infielder who was one of two major-league ballplayers killed in a car accident in Venezuela on December 6. He had just celebrated his 33rd birthday on November 30. Valbuena played for the Seattle Mariners (2008), Cleveland Indians (2009-11), Chicago Cubs (2012-14), Houston Astros (2015-16) and Los Angeles Angels (2017-2018). Valbuena … Continue reading Obituary: Luis Valbuena (1985-2018)
Here lies Fabian “Fabe” Gaffke, who played in 129 games over 6 seasons in the major leagues. He was a feared slugger in the minor leagues though, particularly for the Minneapolis Millers. Gaffke played for the Boston Red Sox (1936-9) and Cleveland Indians (1941-2). Yes, his family put a ceramic baseball card on his headstone, … Continue reading Fabian Gaffke
