Here lies Tom Lanning, who had a major-league pitching career that lasted about three weeks. He and his wife, Martha, are buried in this unmarked plot in Marietta, Ga. Lanning pitched for the Philadelphia Phillies in 1938. His younger brother, Johnny, was also a pitcher, and he had an 11-year MLB career in the 1930s … Continue reading Grave Story: Tom Lanning (1907-1967)
RIP to Bobby Del Greco, an outfielder for six teams from 1952-1965. He died on October 13 at the age of 86. He had been battling severe dementia, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Del Greco played for the Pittsburgh Pirates (1952, 1956), St. Louis Cardinals (1956), Chicago Cubs (1957), New York Yankees (1957-58), Philadelphia Phillies … Continue reading Obituary: Bobby Del Greco (1933-2019)
RIP to Jim Greengrass, who had a brief, homer-filled career as a National League outfielder. According to a Facebook post by his granddaughter, he died on September 9 at 7:32 in the morning in Georgia, where he lived for most of his life. He was 91 years old. Greengrass played for the Cincinnati Reds (1952-55) … Continue reading Obituary: Jim Greengrass (1927-2019)
RIP to Wally Westlake, An All-Star outfielder who played with six teams in a 10-year career. It has been reported that he died on September 6 at the age of 98. Westlake played for the Pittsburgh Pirates (1947-51), St. Louis Cardinals (1951-52), Cincinnati Reds (1952), Cleveland Indians (1952-55), Baltimore Orioles (1955) and Philadelphia Phillies (1956). … Continue reading Obituary: Wally Westlake (1920-2019)
Here lies Bill Andrus, who had two brief stays in the major leagues for two different teams, six years apart. He never managed to get a hit in either go-around. Andrus played for the Washington Senators (1931) and Philadelphia Phillies (1937). Bill Andrus was born in Beaumont, Texas, on July 25, 1907. His father, Claude … Continue reading Grave Story: Bill Andrus (1907-1982)
R.I.P. to Frank Lucchesi, whose 40+ career in professional baseball included a long run as a minor-league manager and three stints as a manager in the major leagues. He died on June 8 at the age of 92. Lucchesi managed the Philadelphia Phillies (1970-72), Texas Rangers (1975-77) and Chicago Cubs (1987). Source: The Ithica Journal, … Continue reading Obituary: Frank Lucchesi (1927-2019)
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 David P. Montgomery, a president and chairman of the Philadelphia Phillies. Montgomery, who had been involved with the team for more than 45 years, died on May 8 after a five-year battle with cancer. He was 72 years old. https://twitter.com/Phillies/status/1126110153252720640 “David was one of Philadelphia’s most influential business and civic leaders in his … Continue reading Obituary: David Montgomery (1946-2019)
Here lies Hal Elliott, a reliever who led the NL in appearances in 1930. His career ERA puts him in unique company in the history of Major League Baseball. Elliott played for the Philadelphia Phillies from 1929-32. Harold “Ace” Elliott was born on May 29, 1899 in Mount Clemens, Mich. Unlike a lot of major leaguers … Continue reading Grave Story: Hal Elliott (1899-1963)
Pinky Whitney began and ended his career with the Philadelphia Phillies, spending 10 of his 12 seasons with the team. During his first tenure, he reached 200 hits twice and batted over .300 three times, and the Phillies were awful. The second time around, he received his only All-Star nod and hit .341 one year, … Continue reading Grave Story: Pinky Whitney (1905-1987)
