RIP to reliever Joe Beckwith, who was a part of the 1985 World Championship Royals bullpen. He died on May 22 in Auburn, Ala., from colon cancer at the age of 66. Just a month prior to his death, on April 21, the mayor of Auburn declared it Joe Beckwith Day, in honor of the … Continue reading Obituary: Joe Beckwith (1955-2021)
RIP to All-Star outfielder Richie Scheinblum, who had an 8-year career in the majors between 1965 and 1974 with six different teams. His family posted the following message on his Facebook page: It is with extreme sadness that we share that our brother Richie Scheinblum passed away peacefully on May 10, 2021 after a long … Continue reading Obituary: Richie Scheinblum (1942-2021)
RIP to Grant Jackson, an 18-year major league pitcher who was a World Series hero for the 1979 "We Are Family" Pirates. Jackson died on February 2 at Canonsburg Hospital in Canonsburg, Pa., from COVID-19 complications. He was 78 years old. In his career, Jackson played for the Philadelphia Phillies (1965-70), Baltimore Orioles (1971-76), New … Continue reading Obituary: Grant Jackson (1942-2021)
RIP to Ron Johnson, who had a very successful career as a minor-league manager after a brief career in the major leagues in the 1980s. He died on January 26 at St. Thomas Rutherford Hospital in Murfreesboro, Tenn., at the age of 64 from complications of COVID-19. Johnson played for the Kansas City Royals (1982-83) … Continue reading Obituary: Ron Johnson (1956-2021)
RIP to George Spriggs, who came into professional baseball in the waning days of the Negro Leagues and broke into Major League Baseball as a 28-year-old rookie. He died on December 22 at the age of 83. At the time of his death, Spriggs was living in Prince Frederick, Md. He played for the Pittsburgh … Continue reading Obituary: George Spriggs (1937-2020)
RIP to infielder Billy Harris, a star high school and college athlete in his native North Carolina and a part of the original Kansas City Royals team. He died suddenly on December 20 at the age of 77 in his home at Hampstead, N.C. Harris played for the Cleveland Indians (1968) and Kansas City Royals … Continue reading Obituary: Billy Harris (1943-2020)
RIP to Lindy McDaniel, who for more than 20 years was one of the game's top relief pitchers. He died on November 14 at an urgent care center in Carrollton, Texas, from COVID-19. He was 84 years old. McDaniel played for the St. Louis Cardinals (1955-62), Chicago Cubs (1963-65), San Francisco Giants (1966-68), New York … Continue reading Obituary: Lindy McDaniel (1935-2020)
Here lies Don O'Riley, who pitched in the majors for two seasons. His playing career was cut short by a motorcycle accident, and his life, tragically, was cut short by gun violence. O’Riley played for the Kansas City Royals (1969-70). Donald Lee O’Riley was born on March 12, 1945 in Topeka, Kan. He went to … Continue reading Grave Story: Don O’Riley (1945-1997)
RIP to Mike McCormick, an All-Star pitcher and the first Cy Young Award winner in Giants history. He died on June 13 at his home in Cornelius, N.C. He was 81 years old and had been battling Parkinson's disease for several years. McCormick played for the New York/San Francisco Giants (1956-62, 1967-70), Baltimore Orioles (1963-64), … Continue reading Obituary: Mike McCormick (1938-2020)
RIP to Bob Oliver, a slugging corner infielder/outfielder who played for five teams in the 1960s and '70s. His son, Darren Oliver, also had a 20-year career as a pitcher and works in the Texas Rangers front office. Bob Oliver died on April 19 in Rio Linda, Calif. He was 77 years old. Oliver played … Continue reading Obituary: Bob Oliver (1943-2020)
