RIP to Ken Reitz, a Gold Glove third baseman who played for 11 seasons in the majors. He died unexpectedly on March 31 at his home in St. Charles, Mo., at the age of 69. No cause of death has been discovered yet, though foul play had been ruled out. Brett Reitz, his son, issued … Continue reading Obituary: Ken Reitz (1951-2021)
RIP to Coot Veal, a top defensive shortstop on several teams in the late 1950s and early ‘60s. He died on March 14 at the age of 88 after a long battle with neuropathy. He had lived in Macon, Ga., for many years following his baseball career. Veal played for the Detroit Tigers (1958-60, 1963), … Continue reading Obituary: Coot Veal (1932-2021)
RIP to Juan Pizarro, who had one of the greatest pitching careers of any Puerto Rican pitcher. Counting all his work in the major leagues, minor leagues and foreign leagues, he is estimated to have won over 400 games. He died on February 18, 2021, in Puerto Rico at the age of 84. According to … Continue reading Obituary: Juan Pizarro (1937-2021)
RIP to Angel Mangual, who was a part of three World Series championship teams in his 7-year career. He died in Ponce, Puerto Rico on February 16 at the age of 73. His death was announced on Facebook by his brother, former major leaguer Pepe Mangual. No cause of death was immediately available. Mangual played … Continue reading Obituary: Angel Mangual (1947-2021)
RIP to Dick Smith, who played for parts of five seasons with the Pirates in the 1950s. The 94-year-old Smith died in Boalsburg, Pa., on January 25. He played for the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1951-1955. Richard Harrison Smith was born in Blandsburg, Pa., on July 21, 1926. According to his obituary, he graduated from Westover … Continue reading Obituary: Dick Smith (1926-2021)
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)
Here lies Ernie Diehl, who played professional baseball as a hobby; he was independently wealthy and didn’t need to play ball, and he reportedly didn’t take a paycheck when he did. Diehl played for the Pittsburgh Pirates (1903-04) and Boston Beaneaters/Doves (1906, 1909). Ernest Guy Diehl was born in Cincinnati on October 2, 1877. His … Continue reading Grave Story: Ernie Diehl (1877-1958)
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)
Here lies Carson Bigbee, an outfielder whose clutch hit helped win the 1925 World Series for the Pirates. He was also part of a pretty notorious player mutiny that ended his big-league career. He played for the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1916 until 1926. Carson Lee Bigbee was born in Lebanon, Ore., on March 31, 1895, … Continue reading Grave Story: Carson Bigbee (1895-1964)
RIP to Tommy Sandt, who had a brief career as a major-league infielder before embarking on a long and influential career as a minor- and major-league coach. He died on December 1 at the age of 69. He was living in Lake Oswego, Ore., at the time of his death. Sandt played for the Oakland … Continue reading Obituary: Tommy Sandt (1950-2020)
