Baseball Musings
Baseball Musings
March 02, 2009
Sturdivant Passes
Permalink

Tom Sturdivant died on Saturday:

Before an arm injury in 1958 hampered him the rest of his career, the righthander was a rising star for Casey Stengel's teams. After pitching in 34 games almost exclusively in relief as a rookie in 1955, Sturdivant was moved into the starting rotation in 1956 and went 16-8 with a 3.30 ERA. With an above-average fastball and a devastating curve that earned him the nickname "Snake", Sturdivant led the AL with a 2.12 strikeouts-to-walks ratio (11-0/52).

The Yankees of that era tended to use pitchers with high walk totals. New York was very good at turning the double play, so Casey tolerated the walks if his staff could induce ground balls. In 1957, Sturdivant's walks went up and his strikeouts went down, and he turned in even a better ERA.

My thoughts go out to his family and friends.

Posted by StatsGuru at 10:26 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
February 13, 2009
Uhlaender Passes
Permalink

Former player Ted Uhlaender passed away. My thought go out to his family and friends.

Posted by StatsGuru at 10:58 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
February 03, 2009
A Piece of Pie
Permalink

It's the 50th anniversary of the day the music died.

Posted by StatsGuru at 10:54 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
January 23, 2009
More on Werber
Permalink

Eric Seidman at FanGraphs spoke extensively with the late Bill Weber and remembers him in this post.

Posted by StatsGuru at 12:53 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
January 22, 2009
Werber Passes
Permalink

The title of oldest living player gets handed down:

Bill Werber, who was the oldest living former major leaguer and a former teammate of Babe Ruth, has died at age 100.

Werber's son, Bill Jr., said his father died Thursday morning of "old age" after moving into an assisted care facility three weeks ago.

Good for Bill. One century is very impressive, and to have spent part of it playing with the greats of the game makes it that much more special.

My thoughts go out to his family and friends.

Update: Tony Malinosky appears to be the oldest living player now.

Posted by StatsGuru at 08:52 PM | Comments (5) | TrackBack (0)
January 15, 2009
Losing a Blogger
Permalink

My sympathies go out to the crew of Bronx Banter who lost Todd Drew at way too young an age:

It is with a heavy heart that I pass along the news that our colleague and friend Todd Drew passed away last night. According to his wife, "Todd lost the last game of the season in the bottom of the 9th inning just after midnight. His dear friend Michael and I were with him and he went very peacefully. While we were sharing the ipod listening to Regina Carter (jazz violinist), he opened his eyes for just a moment."

My thoughts go out to his family and friends.

Posted by StatsGuru at 01:30 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Money Can't Buy Happiness
Permalink

Former pitcher Frank Williams died. I had him on my Strat-o-Matic teams at some point. He had a great three-year stretch, throwing 105 2/3 innings, all in relief in 1987 (the Reds were wearing out relievers in those days). His end at age 50 was not a good one:

The Times Colonist reported that Mr. Williams had lost all the money he made playing baseball (his salary peaked at $442,500) and ended up an alcoholic living on the street and in shelters. He died after having a heart attack.

My thoughts go out to his family and friends.

Posted by StatsGuru at 09:06 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
January 14, 2009
KAHNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!
Permalink

Goodbye, Riccardo.

Posted by StatsGuru at 06:04 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
January 13, 2009
Preston Gomez Passes
Permalink

Long time baseball man Preston Gomez has died:

Gomez, who worked in the sport as a scout, coach, manager and executive, was part of the Angels organization for the last 28 years. He most recently served as a special assistant to the general manager.

"His influence and impact on so many throughout the industry is impossible to measure," Angels general manager Tony Reagins said. "The Angels family has lost one of its invaluable members, and one of baseball's truly great ambassadors."

Gomez was born in Cuba, so I have a question. Was he the first Hispanic manager? According to his obituary, he was inducted into the Hispanic Baseball Heritage Museum's Hall of Fame. Does Preston not get the recognition because he was light skinned enough to play in the majors before Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier?

My thoughts go out to his family and friends.

Posted by StatsGuru at 11:34 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)
January 09, 2009
Pitcher Passes
Permalink

Dave Roberts, the pitcher from the 1970s, died of lung cancer. Roberts didn't strike out many batters in his career, but he was stingy with walks and home runs. Part of that might be attributable to pitching many years in San Diego and Houston, but in 1976 he allowed just 16 home runs in 252 innings for the Tigers.

My thoughts go out to his family and friends.

Posted by StatsGuru at 12:07 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
January 05, 2009
Pohlad Passes
Permalink

Carl Pohlad died today, Monday:

When Pohlad paid Calvin Griffith $38 million for the Twins in 1984, he was widely credited for saving baseball in Minnesota. With the purchase, he inherited a promising group of young players including Gary Gaetti, Kent Hrbek and future Hall of Famer Kirby Puckett.

"I live and die by every pitch," Pohlad once told the Minneapolis Star Tribune. "I want so badly for them to win. ... If it isn't competitive and you don't have a team with character, it won't be any fun."

Minnesota won World Series championships in 1987 and 1991, triumphing in tense seven-game showdowns against the St. Louis Cardinals and the Atlanta Braves. Fans filled the Metrodome, waving Homer Hankies, but the ballpark, built inexpensively to open in 1982, quickly became shunned by many for its stuffy, artificial atmosphere.

Revenue streams were also limited, which hurt the Twins' ability to keep up with bigger-spending teams in bigger media markets.

Pohlad never went out of his way to help the team with his own money, however. Injections of cash could have helped keep some stars in town. Having paid $38 million for the team, Forbes valued the Twins at $328 million last year. Pohlad could have used some of that equity to keep Santana around, for example, rather than just the yearly revenue the Twins produced.

Still, Carl does get credit for hiring good baseball people who brought two World Championships to the Twin Cities and have kept the team highly competitive in this decade.

My thoughts go out to his family and friends.

Posted by StatsGuru at 07:04 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)
December 21, 2008
Disappearing Group
Permalink

Negro League star Carlos Manuel Santiago passed away today (Sunday).

Santiago played second base and shortstop for the New York Cubans in 1945-46. He was invited to spring training by the Cleveland Indians in 1951 but was soon drafted into the U.S. Army and sent to Korea. He was honorably discharged as a sergeant about two years later.

There can't be too many Negro League players left. The youngest would be in their 70s. Certainly the number left from before Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier has to be pretty small.

My thoughts go out to his friends and family.

Posted by StatsGuru at 06:46 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
December 20, 2008
Dock Dies
Permalink

Dock Ellis's liver gave out yesterday. Dave Studeman remembers the pitcher. A note on Dave's post, Doc Medich was a medical student at the time, not a real-live doctor.

Ellis's ability to strike out batters didn't last long. In 1969 he K'd 173 in 218 2/3 innings, 7.1 per nine. In 1970, that dropped to 5.7 per nine, and for his career he came in at 4.8 K per nine. I wonder if the drug abuse killed his ability to get the strike out.

My thoughts go out to his family and friends.

Posted by StatsGuru at 09:04 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
December 19, 2008
Beam Her Up
Permalink

Majel Barrett died yesterday. I never cared for her mother Troi character, but she did a great computer voice.

Posted by StatsGuru at 08:28 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
December 18, 2008
Nick Willhite Passes
Permalink

Nick Willhite died Sunday. His life after baseball was a rough one that at least ended well:

Willhite bounced around from one job to another, working as a pitching coach at Brigham Young University and in the Milwaukee Brewers and New York Yankees organizations.

Divorced three times and living on the streets of Salt Lake City as a drug and alcohol addict, he reached out to another former Dodger pitcher, Stan Williams. Williams put him in touch with the Baseball Assistance Team, which helps former baseball players in need. Willhite entered a treatment center in 1989 and eventually became an addictions counselor.

My thoughts go out to his family and friends.

Posted by StatsGuru at 09:13 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
Reliever Passes
Permalink

Former relief pitcher Dave Smith died of a heart attack:

Dave Smith, a former All-Star closer who holds the Houston Astros record for games pitched, died Wednesday. He was 53.

Former big leaguer Tim Flannery said Smith apparently died of a heart attack, but the official cause of death wasn't known.

"He's gone. My tears are the rain," Flannery, the San Francisco Giants third base coach, told The Associated Press.

Smith was consistently good throughout his career. He was particularly adept at keeping the ball in the park, averaging 5.9 HR per 200 innings.

My thought go out to his family and friends. At age 53 he leaves plenty of the latter.

Posted by StatsGuru at 08:07 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
December 11, 2008
The Law of the Flies
Permalink

The law student who turned the infield fly rule into a study of common law passed away:

William S. Stevens, whose slyly humorous law-review note on the relationship between baseball's infield fly rule and Anglo-American common law became one of the most celebrated and imitated analyses in American legal history, died Monday in Anchorage, where he was working. He was 60 and lived in Narberth, Pa.

The cause was a heart attack, said T. Dennis Sullivan, his brother-in-law.

Mr. Stevens was a law student at the University of Pennsylvania in 1975 when he wrote an anonymous note for the university's law review that drew an ingenious analogy between the infield fly rule and development of common law.

"The dynamics of the common law and the development of one of the most important technical rules of baseball, although on the surface almost completely different in outlook and philosophy, share significant elements," he wrote.

Another reason baseball is the coolest sport in the world.

My thoughts go out to his family and friends.

Posted by StatsGuru at 11:20 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)
December 02, 2008
Blanco Tragedy
Permalink

Henry Blanco's brother was killed in an apparent kidnapping:

Police believe that 39-year-old Carlos Simon Blanco was murdered by kidnappers after they abducted him Sunday in Guarenas, a Caracas suburb. Police found the victim's bullet-riddled body on Monday.

My condolences go out to the Blanco family.

Posted by StatsGuru at 10:19 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
Rogers Passes
Permalink

Ted Rogers, the owner of the Toronto Blue Jays, passed away Monday.

Rogers Communications owns the Blue Jays and their home at the Rogers Centre, several television stations and an array of other media properties including Maclean's and Chatelaine magazines.

"Ted Rogers was one of a kind who built this company from one FM radio station into Canada's largest wireless, cable and media company," said Rogers Communications chairman and acting chief executive officer Alan Horn.

Rogers, one of Canada's wealthiest people, earlier handed over his corporate duties to Horn.

Rogers owned the club from 2000 on, but were unable to return the team to the playoffs.

My thoughts go out to his family and friends.

Posted by StatsGuru at 01:36 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
November 11, 2008
Death of Score
Permalink

Herb Score passed away this morning (Tuesday). He was a young phenom on the mound when a line drive put an end to his greatness:

McDougald, the second batter of the game, reached for a low pitch and lined it back at Score. The ball crashed into his face, breaking his nose, cutting his right eyelid and causing swelling and hemmorhaging of the cheekbone and eyebrow.

Third baseman Al Smith picked up the carom and threw McDougald out at first.

Score was knocked to the ground, bleeding profusely. He was immediately surrounded by teammates and Yankee players.

"I didn't see the ball until it was a foot or two from my face," said Score, who threw with an uninhibited motion in which his body turned his back to the batter. Sometimes he turned so hard he expected that he might eventually get hit on the back.

"I could feel the blood," said the pitcher, who never lost consciousness. "People were all around me. Rocky must have set a record getting in from right field." Colavito was Score's roommate and best friend. They had come up through the minor leagues together.

In his first two years in the majors, Score struck out 508 batters while allowing just 320 hits. He pitched into the 1962 season but without the great results.

At the end of 1963, Score tried announcing and stayed on for 34 seasons with the Indians. I have no doubt his fans in Cleveland will miss him tremendously.

My thoughts go out to his family and friends.

Posted by StatsGuru at 11:23 AM | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)
November 10, 2008
Preacher Passes
Permalink

Preacher Roe passed away Sunday:

Elwin Charles Roe better known as major league baseball pitcher "Preacher" Roe died Sunday night after a battle with colon cancer.

The Ash Flat, Arkansas, native was originally signed by the St. Louis Cardinals but only played one game as a Redbird, before being traded.

Roe's best known for his time with the Brooklyn Dodgers.

Playing along side Jackie Robinson and Duke Snyder in 1951, Roe was named Pitcher of the Year thanks to a record of 22-3.

He was a late bloomer due to World War II, but put together five excellent season for the Dodgers in the late 1940s and early 1950s.

Roe appears to have given himself the nickname at a young age:

Roe got his nickname at about three years of age when his family lived in Wild Cherry. Although Roe has given various versions of how the nickname came about, his response in an interview in the West Plains Gazette is likely the closest to the truth: "I had an uncle that came back from the first World War who hadn't ever seen me. He said, 'What's your name, young man?' And for some reason I said, 'Preacher.'...My mother said maybe it was because I liked the preacher we had at our church so well."

My thoughts go out to his family and friends.

Posted by StatsGuru at 01:07 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
October 27, 2008
Death in the Blog Family
Permalink

Dean Barnett, who used to write about the Red Sox at Soxblog before moving on to bigger and better things passed away at the age of 41. My thoughts go out to his family and friends.

Posted by StatsGuru at 07:25 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
October 16, 2008
Tresh Passes
Permalink

Former Rookie of the Year Tom Tresh passed away Wednesday. Joe Pepitone remembers him fondly:

Joe Pepitone: "This hurts. He was my roommate for six years of my life, my hitting instructor and my best friend. He let me be me, but he was also the guy who kept me in at night.

"Tommy was a constant in my life and a calming influence. He was always there for me and stuck up for me. He was like my brother. When I had personal issues, he was always the person on the team I would turn to.

"During some rain delays, he would take out his guitar and we'd sing and dance."

My thoughts go out to Tom's family and friends.

Posted by StatsGuru at 01:53 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
October 14, 2008
Too Young
Permalink

Former pitcher Kevin Foster dies at the age of 39:

Kevin Foster, who was drafted as infielder before becoming a pitcher and spending seven years in the majors and pitching mostly with the Philadelphia Phillies and Chicago Cubs, has died of cancer. He was 39.

He died in an Oklahoma City hospital Saturday after a six-month bout with renal cell carcinoma, brother Mark Foster said.

Foster struck out a good number of batters, but suffered due to his home runs allowed. During his three most productive seasons, 1995-1997, he struck out 7.1 per nine innings but allowed 37.4 HR per 200 innings.

My thoughts go out to his family and friends on their tragic loss.

Posted by StatsGuru at 12:25 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
October 10, 2008
Manuel in Mourning
Permalink

Charlie Manuel lost his 87 year old mother this morning, but manages on. My condolences go out to Manuel over his loss.

Posted by StatsGuru at 05:32 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
October 09, 2008
Knuckleballer Exits
Permalink

Bruce Dal Canton, former pitcher and pitching coach, passed away Tuesday:

The right-hander was used as both a starter and reliever, and found his best success with a knuckleball -- the darting pitch that also made him the 1974 American League leader in wild pitches with 16.

Before the Braves faced Pirates knuckleballer Tim Wakefield in the 1992 National League championship series, they brought in the 50-year-old Dal Canton to throw batting practice.

Dal Canton spent more than 25 years in the Atlanta system as a pitching coach, and had been at Myrtle Beach since 1999.

His best season was in 1974, pitching for the Royals. His 3.13 ERA, unfortunately, led to just an 8-10 record. He was very tough to take deep, allowing just 10.3 HR per 200 innings pitched.

My thoughts go out to his family and friends.

Posted by StatsGuru at 06:12 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
October 08, 2008
Teacher Gone
Permalink

George Kissell died after being injured in a car accident. He was one of the great teachers of the game:

"I learned more baseball from George Kissell than from anyone else in my life," Torre told the St. Petersburg Times in 1997. Torre won four World Series titles as manager of the New York Yankees, and in his autobiography he called Kissell his greatest teacher. He told the paper: "A lot of people can play the game, but not as many people can teach the game. And George, to me, was the ultimate. Is the ultimate."

To teach Torre how to play third, Kissell had Torre stand a body's length away from the outfield wall and face it. Kissell would then stand behind Torre and fire baseballs at the wall. Torre improved his reaction by fielding the ricochets. Mabry tells a similar story of what he called "Kissell drills." Kissell, almost half the size of his pupils but twice as intense, ambled out to Mabry at third base and took away the infielder's glove.

He then told Mabry to get on his knees to field grounders.

"Basically, he just took me out there and beat me to death with a fungo," Mabry joked. "I'd be on my knees just looking at the ball coming off the bat -- with no glove."

My thoughts go out to his family and friends.

Posted by StatsGuru at 07:40 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
October 03, 2008
Brinkman Passes
Permalink

We've lost Ed Brinkman:

Eddie Brinkman, a record-setting shortstop during a 15-year career in the majors and a former high school teammate of Pete Rose, has died. He was 66.

Brinkman was a sure-handed fielder:

"Steady Eddie" was traded to Detroit after the 1970 season in a deal that included Denny McLain. Brinkman solidified his reputation as "good-field, no-hit" more than ever in 1972, the year he won his lone Gold Glove.

Brinkman batted just .203 with six home runs and 49 RBIs for the AL East champion Tigers, but set the league record for shortstops with 72 straight errorless games - a mark Cal Ripken broke in 1990.

I remember him because he was so tall. His baseball card lists him at 6' 0", and at the time he towered over other shortstops. He looked even taller as he only carried 170 pounds on that frame:

Ed Brinkman

Ed Brinkman 1974 Baseball Card

He looked gangly in the field, but he could pick 'em.

My thoughts go out to his family and friends.

Posted by StatsGuru at 09:33 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
September 24, 2008
Vernon Passes
Permalink

Two-time batting champion Mickey Vernon died this afternoon. He wasn't a great slugger for a first baseman, only reaching .500 in slugging percentage twice. In 1946 after he returned from WWII he slugged .508, then in 1956 at the age of 38 he slugged .511 for Boston. I wonder how much the park in Washington hurt his power?

My thought go out to his family and friends.

Posted by StatsGuru at 07:01 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)
September 08, 2008
Last of His Kind
Permalink

Don Gutteridge passed away Sunday. He was a last connection to one of the few bright spots in St. Louis Browns history:

He was listed as the seventh-oldest living former player and was the last living St. Louis Brown who played in the 1944 World Series. During that series, he turned five double plays in one game at second base.

Unfortunately, the Browns lost to the Cardinals in their only World Series appearance.

My thoughts go out to his family and friends.

Posted by StatsGuru at 05:55 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
September 04, 2008
Todd Cruz Passes
Permalink

Todd Cruz passed away while swimming on Tuesday.

Cruz played with six major league teams from 1978 to 1984. He broke into the big leagues with the Philadelphia Phillies, then played with Kansas City, the California Angels and Chicago White Sox from 1979-80. He did not play in the majors in 1981, but the following season participated in 136 games with Seattle.

My thoughts go out to his family and friends. This is way too young to die.

Posted by StatsGuru at 09:54 PM | Comments (21) | TrackBack (0)
August 12, 2008
Miley Tragedy
Permalink

Redleg Nation asks you to keep former Reds manager Dave Miley in your thoughts. He just lost his 17-year-old son in a car accident.

Posted by StatsGuru at 10:41 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
August 03, 2008
Skippin' Out
Permalink

Skip Caray passed away in his sleep:

"Our baseball community has lost a legend today," said Braves President John Schuerholz. "The Braves family and Braves fans everywhere will sadly miss him. Our thoughts are with his wife Paula and his children."

I always enjoyed Skip's broadcasts on TBS, and thought those productions were some of the best in baseball broadcasting. I'll miss his voice.

My thoughts go out to his family and friends.

Posted by StatsGuru at 09:56 PM | Comments (5) | TrackBack (0)
July 14, 2008
Ricketts Passes
Permalink

Dave Ricketts, long time catchng coach for the Cardinals, passed away Sunday:

Some called him Dave, most called him Mr. Ricketts, and Yadier Molina, sitting at his locker after the Cardinals' victory Sunday, said he "was like my dad."

"I'm here because of him," Molina said. "He made me into a catcher. I wasn't a catcher when I got here. I learned a lot from him. He was like my dad, there for me since I was 17. He meant so much to me."

My thoughts go out to his family and friends.

Posted by StatsGuru at 08:48 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
July 12, 2008
Murcer Passes
Permalink

Bobby Murcer died today.

The Yankees said Murcer died Saturday due to complications from brain cancer. He was surrounded by family at Mercy Hospital in his hometown of Oklahoma City, the team said. "Bobby Murcer was a born Yankee, a great guy, very well-liked and a true friend of mine," owner George Steinbrenner said. "I extend my deepest sympathies to his wife Kay, their children and grandchildren. I will really miss the guy."

Murcer was diagnosed with a brain tumor on Christmas Eve 2006 after having headaches. He had surgery that week in Houston and doctors later determined the tumor was malignant. Determined to be around his beloved Yankees, Murcer returned to the broadcast booth last year and briefly this season.

I started watching the Yankees in 1969. Murcer was a star of that team and became one of my favorites. I remember listening to a game (back then, only three of four a week were on TV) when Murcer hit three home runs and drove in five against Kansas City. After the third homer, the announcer said the score was Murcer 5, Royals 0.

My thought go out to his family and friends.

Posted by StatsGuru at 09:07 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)
June 24, 2008
Start at the Bottom
Permalink

Longtime Mets employee Jim Plummer dies way to young.

Jim Plummer, who had been with the New York Mets organization since he was Nolan Ryan's minor-league bat boy in 1965, died Tuesday at New York University Medical Center. He was 56.

Plummer had a liver and kidney transplant last weekend and died of a heart attack, Mets spokesman Jay Horwitz said.

Plummer started with the Mets in Marion, Va., and moved up to the major-league team in 1976. At the time of his death, he was director of corporate sales.

I've had a number of people ask over the years how they might get a job in sports. Plummer's path appears to be a common one. You need to be willing to do the little jobs in the minor leagues and with luck you move up to the major league club. My thoughts go out to his family and friends.

Posted by StatsGuru at 02:39 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
June 17, 2008
John Buzhardt Passes
Permalink

John Buzhardt, former major league pitchers, died Sunday. Bob Spear remembers:

John Buzhardt and I met at the Mid-Carolina Country Club grill room to talk about his professional baseball career, and seldom has an interview been so entertaining.

He pitched well for the White Sox, not so well for his other teams. He's the type of pitcher who would have won a good number of games for a team that could hit, but he never really played for one of those. My thoughts go out to his family and friends.

Posted by StatsGuru at 01:12 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)
June 02, 2008
A Pair of Bos
Permalink

Big League Stew remembers Bo Diddley's connection to baseball.

Posted by StatsGuru at 01:37 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
May 26, 2008
Sad News
Permalink

Geremi Gonzalez died Sunday, struck by lightning.

Emergency management official Herman Bracho said Monday that Gonzalez was struck by lightning at a beach.

Gonzalez pitched for five major league teams from 1997-2006. He was 11-9 with a 4.25 ERA for the Cubs in "97 and 7-7 with a 5.32 ERA in '98 before developing arm problems. The right-hander appeared in 131 games and made 83 starts, compiling a 30-35 record.

My thoughts go out to his family and friends.

Posted by StatsGuru at 12:58 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
May 22, 2008
Another Fan Death
Permalink

A fan died after falling off an escalator at Turner Field, much like this tragedy earlier in the year at Shea.

Alcohol may have been involved, Campbell said.

Hayes was reported to have been sliding on a handrail in the bottom of the 8th inning when he slipped off. He was rushed to Grady Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

My thoughts go out to his family and friends. There's no excuse for this. Our moms told us not to play on the escalator, and we should remember their words of wisdom.

Couple with this murder after a Giants game, and it hasn't been a good year for fans.

Posted by StatsGuru at 11:45 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
May 13, 2008
Death in the Red Sox Family
Permalink

Terry Francona will miss two games due to the death of his mother-in-law. My condolences go out to Terry and his family.

Posted by StatsGuru at 05:42 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
May 11, 2008
Giant Tragedy
Permalink

A young man died after being punched outside AT&T Park on Friday.

Anthony Giraudo fell and hit his head on concrete, Gittens said.

Robert Giraudo said he had been told that his son was punched from behind after objecting to something that had been said to a female friend. Giraudo was in a group of five friends who were leaving the game, the father said.

Gittens identified the suspect as Taylor Buckley, 18, of San Carlos. He was arrested for aggravated assault at the ballpark, then made bail and was released.

When Giraudo was pronounced dead at noon Saturday, homicide inspectors obtained a $1 million arrest warrant alleging murder; Buckley turned himself in at the San Francisco Hall of Justice at 9:30 p.m. Saturday, Gittens said.

Posted by StatsGuru at 10:24 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
May 01, 2008
Bye to Buzzie
Permalink

Buzzie Bavasi died today:

His death was announced by the Seattle Mariners, whose general manager is Bill Bavasi, a son of the former Dodgers GM.

"Buzzie was one of the game's greatest front office executives during a period that spanned parts of six different decades," baseball commissioner Bud Selig said. "He loved the game, and he loved talking about it."

Emil Joseph Bavasi's Dodgers teams included future Hall of Famers Jackie Robinson, Duke Snider, Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale. Bavasi later was part owner and president of the San Diego Padres before becoming executive vice president of the California Angels.

He oversaw one of the great eras of Dodgers baseball, from 1951 to 1968. Bob and Peter Bavasi are readers of this site, so my sincere condolences go out to them, and my thought go out to the entire Bavasi family and all Buzzie's friends.

Posted by StatsGuru at 08:33 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
April 19, 2008
Marzano Passes
Permalink

Former Red Sox catcher John Marzano passed away this morning:

Details still aren't clear at this point, but it appears to be a heart attack. He was 45. Red Sox manager Terry Francona just spoke about it during his daily press conference with the local media.

Marzano played for the Sox from 1987 to 1992.

Joe McDonald has a good Marzano story at the link. My thoughts go out to his family and friends. At that young age, there are going to be plenty of the latter.

Posted by StatsGuru at 06:33 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)
April 16, 2008
Tragedy at Shea
Permalink

A man died Tuesday night when he lost his balance on an escalator at Shea Stadium:

Antonio Nararainsami, 36, and several relatives, including his two young daughters, were leaving the stadium at the end of Tuesday night's game against the Washington Nationals when he fell in a section below the left field stands and landed on a concrete floor. Nararainsami, a Guyanese native who lived in Brooklyn, was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead half an hour later.

Kevin Prashad, a cousin who attended the game, said Nararainsami was walking down the escalator, which wasn't moving, and was holding the hand rail when he "lost his footing."

The Mets said in a statement that they had been "advised of a tragic accident that resulted in the death of a fan." They said team officials and police were investigating.

"Our deepest and heartfelt condolences go out to the fan's family," the team's statement said.

This was the second such accident in Shea's history. My thought go out to Mr. Nararainsami's family and friends.

Posted by StatsGuru at 08:43 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)
April 14, 2008
Holmes Passes
Permalink

Tommy Holmes passed away earlier today. He held the modern National League hit streak record before Pete Rose passed him. My thoughts go out to his family and friends.

Posted by StatsGuru at 08:27 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
April 09, 2008
Masterson Passes
Permalink

Walt Masterson, famous for pitching sixteen shutout innings in a game without getting the decision, passed away in Durham, NC.

"Masterson was something out of this world," The Washington Post said the next day. In the 16 innings he was on the mound, he gave up only six hits -- all of them singles -- struck out seven batters and walked six, two on purpose.

Tall and rangy, with one of the better fastballs in the American League, Mr. Masterson was a better pitcher than his record indicated. He made the all-star team twice, in 1947 and 1948, and was the starting pitcher in the 1948 game.

Masterson walked 50 more than he struck out in 1948. You won't see a pitcher like that starting the all-star game today.

My thoughts go out to his family and friends.

Update: Peter Gammons writes:

Walt Masterson beat the Red Sox 5-1 on June 28, 1952, the first major league game I ever attended.
Posted by StatsGuru at 12:52 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
March 18, 2008
Purkey Passes
Permalink

Bob Purkey passed away Sunday. He put in some very good seasons for the Cincinnati Reds, helping them to a World Series appearance in 1961 and following that season with a 23-5 record in 1962. Purkey's strength was his control. He only walked batters once every four innings, but he didn't strike out many more than that. He finished his career with a better than average 3.79 ERA.

My thoughts go out to his family and friends.

Posted by StatsGuru at 11:59 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
February 28, 2008
Remembering Wriers
Permalink

Alex Belth remembers W.C. Heinz and Myron Cope.

Posted by StatsGuru at 02:59 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
February 09, 2008
Stop Sign
Permalink

Karl Ehrhardt passed away. He was the Shea Stadium sign man. My thoughts go out to his family and friends.

My favorite was during the 1973 World Series. Charlie Finley had fired one of his second basemen after he made an error. So whenever the A's made an error, Karl held up a sign that said, "You're fired." Maybe that's where Donald Trump got the idea. :-)

Posted by StatsGuru at 08:41 AM | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)
January 29, 2008
Death in the Ryan Family
Permalink

Bob Ryan, sportswriter for the Boston Globe, lost his son overseas. My condolences to the Ryan family.

Posted by StatsGuru at 11:19 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)
January 15, 2008
Bad Day for Tejada
Permalink

I doubt Miguel Tejada cares much about the Congressional investigation right now:

An older brother of Major League Baseball star Miguel Tejada was killed in a traffic accident Tuesday, the shortstop's Dominican winter league team said.

Freddy Tejada died when his motorcycle collided with an SUV in the coastal city of Bani, the Aguilas Cibaenas said in a statement.

My thoughts go out to Miguel and his family.

What is it with motorcycles hitting cars in the D.R.? This sounds similar to the accident that seriously injured Juan Lara.

Posted by StatsGuru at 09:54 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)
Report on Kennedy
Permalink

Joe Kennedy died of natural causes.

Posted by StatsGuru at 12:47 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
Cardwell Passes
Permalink

Don Cardwell passed away on Monday. He was both a Cubs hero and villain:

Traded by the Phillies for Tony Taylor and Cal Neeman on May 13, 1960, Cardwell became the first pitcher to pitch a no-hitter in his first start with a new team.

The only baserunner was Alex Grammas on a first-inning walk. Cardwell retired the next 26 batters, including two in the ninth on nice catches by George Altman and Moryn.

"It was great, and I have thoroughly enjoyed it," Cardwell said later. "All my career, people have come up to me and said, 'Did you pitch a no-hitter?' and I can say, 'Yes, yes I did.' "

Many forget that Cardwell also helped the Mets overcome the 1969 Cubs, pitching a 1-0 shutout on Sept. 12 and driving in the only run. It was the ninth victory in 10 games for the Mets, who had passed the Cubs two days earlier.

Cardwell was not a great pitcher, but with the no-hitter and his run with the 1969 Mets, he's well remembered. My thoughts go out to his family and friends.

Posted by StatsGuru at 08:13 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
January 14, 2008
Podres Passes
Permalink

Via Baseball Think Factory, Johnny Podres died on Sunday. He had a fine career and is known best for pitching the Dodgers to a World Series title in 1955. In six series starts, he posted a 2.11 ERA.

He also made his mark as a pitching coach:

Podres was essentially a three-pitch pitcher - fastball, curveball and changeup - all of which, Zimmer said, were exceptional. He is credited with being one of the greatest masters of the changeup, having taught it to dozens of pitchers, including Curt Schilling and Frank Viola, in later years as a pitching coach with the Red Sox, Twins and Phillies. As a pitching coach, Podres was strictly old school, scoffing at pitch counts, and that was probably the result of having hurled 77 complete games himself. In 1993, he took a Phillies staff that had ranked last in the National League in ERA the previous year to the World Series.

The Phillies ERA only dropped a few points, from 4.11 to 3.95, but with the surge in offense in 1993, that drop was good enough to rank the Phillies sixth in ERA.

My thoughts go out to his family and friends.

Posted by StatsGuru at 08:18 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
January 09, 2008
Buddy LeRouxPasses
Permalink

Buddy LeRoux, a former part owner of the Red Sox, died Monday:

He rose from serving as a Red Sox trainer from 1966-1974 to one of its owners. He served as the team's vice president from 1978-1979, then became an owner until 1986.

I don't remember the LeRoux era fondly.

But LeRoux and his limited partners grew restive when the Red Sox fell from contention and attendance dropped at Fenway Park. Part of the club's decline was due to fiscal belt-tightening and refusal to sign free agents, although it was not clear which general partner ordered the policy. In the event, in 1983, the team suffered its first losing campaign since 1966. On June 6, 1983, at a night benefitting former Red Sox star Tony Conigliaro, incapacitated at age 37 by a heart attack, LeRoux took advantage of a crowded press box by announcing that he and his limited partners were exercising an option in their partnership agreement to overthrow Sullivan and Yawkey and take command of the club. Boston called it the Coup LeRoux.

The two ousted general partners immediately filed suit against LeRoux, were granted an injunction, and then battled him in court over the next 12 months. The trial revealed unflattering details about all the principals and how the Red Sox were run, and in the end, LeRoux lost. He was removed as the team's vice president, administration, and his allies were purged from management. Within two years, Mrs. Yawkey had bought him out for a reported $7 million[1] to become majority general partner in the team.

My thoughts go out to his family and friends.

Posted by StatsGuru at 09:10 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
January 05, 2008
Staley Passes
Permalink

Jerry Staley passed away Wednesday. Staley pitched well from 1947 to 1961, sometimes quite well. It's an impressive career for someone with a K per 9 of 3.3. His walks allowed were even lower, and I'm guessing the defense behind him were pretty good.

My thoughts go out to his family and friends.

Posted by StatsGuru at 09:11 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
January 04, 2008
Death of a Blogger
Permalink

Via Instapundit, Andrew Olmstead, a supporter of Baseball Musings from the beginning, died in Iraq. He left a final post for his blog in case this happened. I will miss his comments.

My deepest sympathies go out to his family and friends.

Posted by StatsGuru at 06:51 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)
December 27, 2007
Beauchamp Passes
Permalink

Jim Beauchamp died of leukemia on Thursday. He was an extremely poor hitter for a first baseman/outfielder, even in the deadball era. But he went on to a successful coaching career with the Braves, and was associated with the organization for 22 years.

My thoughts go out to his family and friends.

Posted by StatsGuru at 11:00 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
November 23, 2007
Kennedy Passes
Permalink

Pitcher Joe Kennedy died:

Major league pitcher Joe Kennedy died early Friday morning while at home with his family in Florida, agent Damon Lapa confirmed to ESPN.com.

The cause of Kennedy's death could not immediately be determined, Lapa said. Initial indications are Kennedy may have suffered a brain aneurysm or heart attack, he said.

I was impressed with Joe Kennedy's 2004 season, in which he posted a 3.66 ERA while pitching 162 1/3 innings for Colorado. At age 25, I thought he turned a corner, but he was never able to repeat that kind of performance again.

My thoughts go out to his family and friends.

Posted by StatsGuru at 04:35 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
August 16, 2007
Hill's Head
Permalink

Glenallen Hill is wearing a helmet as he coaches first base for the Rockies. Looks like he's taking the dangers of the position seriously. Good for him, and I hope it starts a trend.

The Rockies just took a 3-2 led in the top of the fifth as Holliday drives in Tulowitzki. Troy singles, stole, moved up to third on a wild pitch so he was in position to score on the hit.

Update: Atkins and Hawpe add hits to drive in three more runs as the Rockies go up 6-2 on San Diego in their effort to climb in the wild card race.

Update: Mike Cameron brings the Padres back to a one run deficit with a three-run homer in the bottom of the fifth. He hit it to dead-center. At PETCO, it's even more impressive.

Update: Sledge and Kouzmanoff drive in three more as the Rockies bullpen falls apart. The Padres are up 8-6.

Update: The hits keep coming as Pete LaForest homers to chase Affeldt from the game. He faced five batters, didn't get an out, and all five scored. The Padres are still up in an eight-run fifth.

Update: The hits keep on coming as the Giles brothers combine for another run as the inning ends with nine runs scoring with two outs and the Padres lead 11-6.

Posted by StatsGuru at 11:22 PM | Comments (5) | TrackBack (0)
August 14, 2007
Rizzuto Passes
Permalink

Phil Rizzuto died today:

8000334_Phil_Rizzuto_A.jpg

Photo: TSN/Icon SMI

Phil Rizzuto, the Hall of Fame shortstop during the Yankees' dynasty years and beloved by a generation of fans for exclaiming "Holy cow!" as a broadcaster, died Tuesday. He was 89.

His death was confirmed by the Yankees. Rizzuto had been in declining health for several years and was living at a nursing home in West Orange, N.J.

Phil was one of the first broadcasters I heard growing up with New York television. While he was often derided later in his career for his talk of cannoli and leaving the game early, he could be quite incisive. Bill White, his broadcast partner for many years (and one of the best in the business) did a great job of pulling Phil back into the game and bringing out Rizzuto's knowledge of hitting and fielding. Once White left the broadcast booth, Rizzuto's intelligence was lost.

Phil was one of my dad's favorite players, and the only time we had a heated baseball argument was when I suggested Rizzuto doesn't belong in the Hall of Fame. However, for two years in a row, he finished 2nd and 1st in the MVP balloting, so voters in the late 1940s thought he was among the best in the game. His 1950 season was quite impressive for a short stop.

My thoughts go out to his family and friends.

Posted by StatsGuru at 11:54 AM | Comments (12) | TrackBack (0)
August 02, 2007
Bridge Collapse Tragedy
Permalink

The bridge collapse in Minnesota caused the postponement of today's Twins game, and of the ground breaking ceremony for the new stadium. Joe Christensen reported from the stadium last night.

I spoke with Twins president Dave St. Peter, and he said the decision to play tonight's 7:10 game as scheduled was made after speaking with department of transportation officials. The theory was that sending 20,000-25,000 people back into traffic would only make it more congested for the emergency crews.

It sounds like tomorrow's game will be postponed. The team is working on a statement, and an announcement is coming soon. At 7:08, the team made an announcement over the PA alerting the fans of the collapsed bridge, asking for their prayers and reminding people if they needed to leave to do so calmly. Also, people were asked to only use cell phones if necessary.

La Velle and I keep commenting on how hard it is to focus on the game. "What just happened? How did Alex Gordon just reach base?" It all feels so trivial right now.

My thoughts go out to the families and friends of the victims.

Posted by StatsGuru at 07:58 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
July 29, 2007
Uncle Bill Passes
Permalink

Bill Robinson passed away today:

Bill Robinson, the Dodgers' Minor League hitting coordinator, died Sunday, the club announced. He was 64, and cause of death was not known. Memorial services are pending.

"Bill was a wonderful family man and a great baseball player, coach, manager and friend to everyone he met," said Dodger general manager Ned Colletti. "Even though he never played for the Dodgers, it was an honor that he chose to be a part of the organization. Everyone he came into contact with was better for having known him.

"He had everyone's best interest in mind at all times, and he cared deeply about the development of our young players. He will be missed by everyone in the game of baseball, and our deepest sympathies are with his family, particularly Mary Alice, Bill Jr. and Kelley."

I worked with Bill for two years at ESPN and I echo Ned Colletti's sentiments. Bill was a great guy, always a gentleman, always appreciative of any help you sent his way. I once reminded him of a catch I saw him make when he was playing for the Yankees in 1969, falling into the stands to steal a home run. He remembered the catch, but felt old when I offered that I was only nine when that happened. I'll always remember him fondly.

My thoughts go out to his family and friends.

Posted by StatsGuru at 09:11 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)
July 23, 2007
Coaching Tragedy
Permalink

Mike Coolbaugh died last night after being hit by a line drive during a AA game:

Tulsa Drillers coach Mike Coolbaugh died after being struck in the head by a line drive as he stood in the first-base coach's box during a game.

The Texas League game was suspended in the ninth inning Sunday after the 35-year-old former major leaguer was hit by a foul ball off the bat of Tino Sanchez of the Arkansas Travelers. Coolbaugh was taken to Baptist Medical Center-North Little Rock, where he was pronounced dead.

"It's a tragedy for all of baseball," Drillers president Chuck Lamson told the Tulsa World in a story posted on the newspaper's Web site early Monday. "He just joined the staff and was a former Driller player. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family."

As do mine. His wife is expecting their third child. I can't imagine how horrible the hitter must feel. Base runners are required to wear helmets on the bases, I wonder if coaches be required to wear them after this.

Posted by StatsGuru at 10:22 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)
June 24, 2007
Rod Beck Dies
Permalink

Former closer Rod Beck passed away Saturday:

Neither Thurman nor Phoenix police disclosed the cause of the death.

Beck had two daughters, both of whom were at a camp in California and were being told about their father's death in person by their mother.

Beck was born and raised in California but had settled in Arizona after his professional career ended three years ago.

In 1993, at age 24, Beck developed into one of the game's best closers, saving 48 games for the Giants and finishing 12th in the National League Most Valuable Player balloting.

My thoughts go out to his family and friends.

Posted by StatsGuru at 04:12 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
June 16, 2007
Whiteside Passes
Permalink

Sports writer Larry Whiteside died Friday:

Whiteside had worked for The Boston Globe from 1973 until he was sidelined by Parkinson's disease in the past decade. The paper reported his death on its Web site.

"I am truly saddened by the news of his passing, as he was an extraordinary person," said baseball commissioner Bud Selig, who was the Milwaukee Brewers' owner when Whiteside covered their first four seasons. "He was one of the finest journalists and finest friends that I have ever encountered. I will certainly miss him."

My thoughts go out to his family and friends.

Posted by StatsGuru at 08:49 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
May 04, 2007
Doing Everything Wrong
Permalink

The police report on Hancock just hit the wires:

St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Josh Hancock was drunk at the time of his fatal accident, and marijuana was found in the sport utility vehicle he was driving.

Police Chief Joe Mokwa also said at a news conference Friday that the 29-year-old Hancock was speaking on a cell phone at about the time of the crash early Sunday on Interstate 64 in St. Louis.

So he's intoxicated, speeding, talking on a cellphone and not wearing a seat belt. I hope a few people learn a lesson about risky behavior from this. Maybe this is why Edmonds didn't want the team talking to the press yesterday.

Posted by StatsGuru at 11:43 AM | Comments (22) | TrackBack (0)
May 01, 2007
Impaired Driving?
Permalink

There's a report that alcohol was involved in the death of Josh Hancock:

Cardinals pitcher Josh Hancock was in a potentially serious traffic accident less than three days before the one that took his life Sunday, according to police reports.

Hancock walked away from that early Thursday morning crash uninjured, but he was late for the team's afternoon game a few hours later. The club and several teammates said he had overslept.

But sources say he was late because he was hung over.

Two nights later, after pitching in a Saturday afternoon game, Hancock spent the evening at Mike Shannon's Steaks and Seafood drinking to a point of impairment, according to a couple at the restaurant.

The couple said they overheard Hancock telling ESPN broadcaster Dave Campbell that manager Tony La Russa had been infuriated with Hancock on Thursday because he was "too hung over to play." A club source also said Hancock was hung over when he arrived at the ballpark.

Hancock was killed about 12:30 a.m. Sunday as he drove west from downtown, apparently headed to meet with four teammates in Clayton.

I can't say I'm surprised. My guess is he fell asleep behind the wheel.

Posted by StatsGuru at 02:25 PM | Comments (22) | TrackBack (0)
April 30, 2007
Remembering Hancock
Permalink

The Cardinals hung a Josh Hancock jersey in the dugout and bullpen tonight for their game in Milwaukee. Tim Hudson played with Josh at Auburn, and he received permission to wear JH on the front of his jersey.

Posted by StatsGuru at 07:11 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
April 29, 2007
Josh Hancock Killed
Permalink

Josh Hancock died in a car accident this morning:

The Cardinals said they were told of the 29-year-old reliever's death by the St. Louis Police Department. The team's home game against the Chicago Cubs on Sunday night was postponed.

The team said the accident happened in St. Louis, but no other details were disclosed. The Cardinals and police are expected to make a statement this afternoon at Busch Stadium.

Hancock pitched his best season in 2006 for the Cardinals. He brought his strikeout rate up and his walk rate down. He was off to another good start this year.

My thoughts go out to his family and friends.

Update: The St. Louis Post-Dispatch provides more information:

Hancock's Ford Explorer slammed into the rear of a tow truck that was parked in the far left westbound lane shortly after 12:30 a.m. The tow truck driver, who was seated in the vehicle at the time, was unhurt.

He told police that his emergency lights were on, and that he honked his horn when he saw the Explorer approaching in his rear view mirror, but that the Exploer didn't slow down or swerve to avoid the collision.

At the time of the accident, the tow truck driver was assisting a motorist from an earlier accident.

Posted by StatsGuru at 11:46 AM | Comments (6) | TrackBack (0)
April 23, 2007
Sad News
Permalink

David Halberstam died in a car accident:

Halberstam, a New Yorker, was a passenger in a car that was broadsided by another vehicle in Menlo Park, south of San Francisco, San Mateo County Coroner Robert Foucrault said.

...

The driver of the car carrying Halberstam is a student at the Graduate School of Journalism at the University of California, Berkeley, and was taken to Stanford Medical Center. Two others were injured.

My thoughts go out to his family and friends.

I really enjoyed The Teammates. It gave me a new respect for the Red Sox teams of the 40s. I've read chapters of Summer of '49, also. He had a talent for putting you in the moment with his writing. It's sad to see him go so unexpectedly.

Posted by StatsGuru at 10:09 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)
April 17, 2007
Tribute
Permalink

Richard Hoyland writes:

I'm watching the Braves and the Nats at RFK tonight. The Nats are wearing various versions of Virginia Tech ballcaps. Nice touch---somebody's thinking in that organization.

Has anyone noticed if other organizations are doing anything similar?

Posted by StatsGuru at 10:14 PM | Comments (5) | TrackBack (0)
April 16, 2007
Moment of Silence
Permalink

Thanks to Rocky Top Talk.

Posted by StatsGuru at 10:22 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
March 25, 2007
Bailey Passes
Permalink

Former Reds catcher Ed Baily died from cancer on Friday:

Al Neil, Bailey's brother-in-law, told The Knoxville News Sentinel that Bailey died at Parkwest Medical Center after being diagnosed with throat cancer about six months ago.

The five-time All-Star catcher from Strawberry Plains started his professional career with the Reds in 1953. Bailey hit 28 home runs in 1956 for Cincinnati, including three in one game.



Bailey posted impressive OBAs for a catcher.
However, he wasn't a wiz on the bases, going 2 for 14 in one three year stretch trying to steal.

My thoughts go out to his family and friends.

Posted by StatsGuru at 08:50 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)
March 15, 2007
Kuhn Passes
Permalink

Bowie Kuhn died today. My thoughts go out to his family and friends as they grieve their loss.

I'm no fan of the former commissioner, however. Kuhn let his personal animosity toward Charlie Finley get the better of him as he stopped the A's owner from selling three of his stars for big money instead of losing them to free agency. Finely could have used the money to rebuild his club, but instead just saw the players leave with no compensation. That confrontation brought about the rule that the commissioner has to approve cash transactions over a million dollars. It limited teams ability to realize value from their best players.

It was done in the name of the fans, that keeping the stars in Oakland the most important thing. But of course, without the cash, Finley couldn't afford to keep them around. It was a bad decision made for the wrong reason.

Posted by StatsGuru at 04:54 PM | Comments (5) | TrackBack (0)
March 02, 2007
Labine Passes
Permalink

Dodger Thoughts remembers Clem Labine, former Dodgers pitcher, on the news of his passing. Seems he had Musial's number.

My thoughts go out to his family and friends.

Posted by StatsGuru at 02:14 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Insensitive Suit
Permalink

Cory Lidle's family finds itself sued over the plane accident. The Pastime comments:

That's disgusting.

If this was anyone other than a baseball player (with money), this would never happen. A dentist -- who has been accused in the past of being less-than-upstanding -- decides that since his apartment had a broken window and loose bricks, he should sue the family of a man that died in an accident?

Agreed.

Baseball Musings is holding a pledge drive in March.

Posted by StatsGuru at 08:15 AM | Comments (14) | TrackBack (0)
February 22, 2007
DJ Dies
Permalink

I just saw on ESPN.com that Dennis Johnson died during practice today. I'm not much of a basketball fan anymore, but DJ was one of my favorites during the Bird era. I loved the way he was able to force opponents to dribble into a dead area of the old Boston Garden floor, then steal the ball. What a tragedy.

My thoughts go out to his family, friends and teammates.

Posted by StatsGuru at 04:23 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
February 15, 2007
Honoring Cory
Permalink

The Yankees will wear black arm bands to honor the memory of Cory Lidle this season.

Posted by StatsGuru at 10:02 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)
February 09, 2007
Hank Bauer Passes
Permalink

Hank Bauer passed away today:

Bauer died in the Kansas City area, where he made his home, Yankees spokesman Jason Zillo said.

During 14 seasons in the major leagues, a career that spanned from 1948-61, Bauer became a three-time All-Star outfielder, helping the Yankees win seven World Series titles and nine AL pennants. He spent his first 12 seasons with the Yankees and his final two with the Kansas City Athletics.

In his final Series appearance, he hit .323 with four homers and eight RBI as the Yankees beat the Milwaukee Braves in seven games in 1958.

Bauer managed the Kansas City A's to ninth-place finishes in 1961 and 1962, then took over as manager of the Orioles in 1964.

I remember hearing this story on a Yankees broadcast when I was young. After Bauer started managing the Orioles, the Yankees came to town one day, and Mantle and Bauer went out on the town. Mantle was so hung over the next day he wasn't in the starting lineup. Late in the game, Mickey was put in to pinch hit. Bauer walks to the mound and tells the pitcher about the night out and Mantle's hangover. Bauer's advice was to throw the ball down the middle, Mantle would be an easy out. Mickey, of course, hits a home run and the Yankees win the game.

Unfortunately, the story can't be true. Mantle never hit a home run against a Bauer managed team in a game he didn't start.

My thoughts go out to his family and friends.

It seems like a lot of ballplayers are dying lately.

Posted by StatsGuru at 07:41 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
February 06, 2007
Burdette Passes
Permalink

Lew Burdette died earlier today:

Burdette's greatest success came in the 1957 Series when he went 3-0 with an 0.67 ERA while pitching three complete games against the New York Yankees. He capped his performance with a seven-hit shutout in Game 7 at Yankee Stadium, finishing off a run of 24 straight scoreless innings.

"I have a boatload of memories about Lew Burdette," commissioner Bud Selig told The Associated Press by telephone from Milwaukee, where he grew up rooting for the Braves. "I think what I remember most was that he was a tremendous competitor. He pitched in pain, he pitched to win.

"Winning that Game 7 at Yankee Stadium, 5-0, Eddie Mathews fielding Moose Skowron's smash and stepping on third base for the final out. What a day that was," he said. "I kept in touch with him. He came back here quite a lot. The last time I saw him was at Warren Spahn's funeral."

My thoughts go out to his family and friends.

Posted by StatsGuru at 08:55 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
February 05, 2007
Lanier Passes
Permalink

Max Lanier, pitcher for the Cardinals and father of Hal Lanier passed away last week at the ripe old age of 91.

Born Hubert Lanier in Denton, N.C., Max Lanier spent 12 seasons with the Cardinals between 1938 and 1951, pitching in the 1942, 1943 and 1944 World Series, posting a 2-1 record in seven games. The Cardinals beat the New York Yankees in 1942, lost a rematch the following year and beat the St. Louis Browns in 1944.

He led the National League with a 1.90 ERA in 1943. He had a career record of 108-82, including stints with the New York Giants and the Browns in 1952 and 1953. He later managed in the minor leagues.

Max put up pretty good numbers before WWII. Given that he and Musial played in St. Louis during most of that war, I've always wondered if someone at the St. Louis draft board tried to fix things for the Cardinals by keeping good players on the team out of the service at that time. Given the level of play in the rest of the majors, it's not surprising that a team with Lanier and Stan the Man did so well.

My thoughts go out to his family and friends.

Posted by StatsGuru at 07:05 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)
Shave and a Haircut
Permalink

Steve Barber passed away at a young age on Sunday.

Steve Barber, the first 20-game winner in Baltimore Orioles history, died from complications of pneumonia on Sunday night in at a hospital in Henderson, Nev., the team announced Monday. Barber was 67.

In a 15-season major league career, Barber was 121-106 with a 3.36 ERA. He was 95-75 in 7½ seasons with the Orioles.

Barber's career went downhill with the new strikezone in 1969. Through 1968, he posted a 3.18 ERA. After that, it ballooned to 4.17. It's tough to pin it on the strike zone however, since his K per 9 rate was constant at 5.9 per 9.

My thoughts go out to his family and friends.

Posted by StatsGuru at 03:53 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
Flight Rules
Permalink

Rules enacted after Cory Lidle's plane crash are now permanent:

This was revealed as the National Transportation Safety Board released papers Monday detailing its investigation of the Oct. 11 crash that killed Lidle and his flight instructor.

Included in the papers are toxicology reports showing that neither Lidle nor instructor Tyler Stanger had drugs or alcohol in their systems. The NTSB also found the airplane's global positioning device and cockpit display unit were too badly damaged by the fiery crash to reveal any information about the flight.

Pilots on this route will now need to be in contact with air traffic control.

Posted by StatsGuru at 01:32 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
February 02, 2007
The Penultimate Player
Permalink

Ray Berres, the second oldest ex-baseball player passed away:

In 11 seasons, Berres hit .216 with three home runs and 78 RBIs in 561 games. He played for the Brooklyn Dodgers (1934, 1936), Pittsburgh Pirates (1937-40), Boston Braves (1940-41) and New York Giants (1942-45).

Berres served as the White Sox's pitching coach from 1949 to 1966 and in 1969. Among the pitchers he worked with were Hall of Famers Early Wynn and Hoyt Wilhelm.

My thoughts go out to his family and friends. I wonder who is now number 2 on the list?

Posted by StatsGuru at 07:09 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
January 29, 2007
Fowler Gone
Permalink

Art Fowler passed away:

Fowler, as pitching coach, won World Series rings with the New York Yankees in 1977 and 1978, under manager Billy Martin, his close friend.

Fowler worked as a pitching coach for 14 years. In addition to the Yankees , he was with Minnesota , Detroit , Texas and Oakland.

Fowler peaked at the end of his career, having three great seasons in relief from 1961-1963. For some reason, in 1961, he had the only high strikeout rate of his career. Do any Dodger historians know why?

My thoughts go out to his family and friends.

Posted by StatsGuru at 07:29 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
January 27, 2007
The Other Bing
Permalink

Bing Devine passed away today. He made one of the most famous trades in baseball history:

Vaughan P. "Bing" Devine, was general manager of the Cardinals from 1957 to 1964 and again in 1967-68, and helped acquire Hall of Fame players Bob Gibson and Lou Brock. The Brock trade with the Cubs is considered one of the most lopsided deals in major league history.

I suppose he'll be mourned a bit less in Chicago. :-) My thoughts go out to his family and friends.

Posted by StatsGuru at 06:23 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
January 26, 2007
Lang Passes
Permalink

Bill Madden remembers Jack Lang.

There will be an empty chair on the dais at the Baseball Writers' Association of America's annual dinner Sunday at the New York Hilton, a tribute to our intrepid leader, Jack Lang, who died at 85 of liver disease yesterday morning at the Carillon Rehabilitation Center in Huntington, L.I.

We called him "Captain Jack" for his tireless work as secretary-treasurer of the writers' association from 1966-88 - which, for years, included organizing the charter flights that took the writers to and from the middle three games of the World Series. We came to call them "Air Langus."

Lang made the congratulatory call each year to the players inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. My thoughts go out to his family and friends.

Posted by StatsGuru at 08:41 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
January 21, 2007
Ruhle Passes
Permalink

Vern Ruhle passes away Saturday night. Ruhle wasn't much of a strikeout pitcher, but he showed good control and had a solid 13-year career. His best season was 1980 when he posted a 12-4 make for the Astros with a 2.37 ERA.

My thought go out to his family and friends.

Posted by StatsGuru at 12:09 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)
Fan to the End
Permalink

Jay's Giants Blog notes the passing of William James, long time Giants fan and friend to SABR:

James's love of the game did not end when he passed away. He bequested a sum of over $30,000 to SABR. The Board of Directors is considering ways to use the gift. One possibility would be to establish funding for research into the history of fans.

Another thing that would be useful is combining with Retrosheet to make available a fully relational, publicly assessable database of the retrosheet data. The data, in it's current format is clumsy to use. For $30,000 you could get a nice server and some volunteers to transform the data into nice SQL tables. SABR could then publish the structure of the tables and allow an interface for SQL queries to the data. That would open up research to many more people.

Posted by StatsGuru at 11:10 AM | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)
January 06, 2007
Death in the Family
Permalink

Brandon Webb lost his father-in-law. From the article, he sounded like a fine person. My condolences to the family.

Posted by StatsGuru at 05:57 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
January 03, 2007
Oldest Red Sox Fan Passes
Permalink

The Boston Globe notes the passing of Kathryn Gemme at 112 years. Not only did she attend Fenway Park the year it opened, but was one of the few people alive who was old enough to remember all of the Red Sox championship seasons.

Long before any of today's players were alive, Mrs. Gemme used to sit next to a crystal radio set summer after summer and listen to the games, filling page after page with notes about each at-bat.

"She always had a yellow legal pad in her lap and she would write every play -- runs, hits, errors, she kept everything," her daughter said. "She knew all the team members, she knew their batting averages. She'd yell at them, 'Do it, do it! You can do it!' "

When her husband, Ovella, returned home from work, "we'd sit down at the table and she would read it to him," her daughter said.

My grandmother Pinto didn't score the games, but she used to listen and tell my father and brothers the details when they came home from work. I suspect that was pretty common in the era of day games. My condolences to her family and friends. What a great age, however.

Posted by StatsGuru at 08:33 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)
Oldest Red Sox Fan Passes
Permalink

The Boston Globe notes the passing of Kathryn Gemme at 112 years. Not only did she attend Fenway Park the year it opened, but was one of the few people alive who was old enough to remember all of the Red Sox championship seasons.

Long before any of today's players were alive, Mrs. Gemme used to sit next to a crystal radio set summer after summer and listen to the games, filling page after page with notes about each at-bat.

"She always had a yellow legal pad in her lap and she would write every play -- runs, hits, errors, she kept everything," her daughter said. "She knew all the team members, she knew their batting averages. She'd yell at them, 'Do it, do it! You can do it!' "

When her husband, Ovella, returned home from work, "we'd sit down at the table and she would read it to him," her daughter said.

My grandmother Pinto didn't score the games, but she used to listen and tell my father and brothers the details when they came home from work. I suspect that was pretty common in the era of day games. My condolences to her family and friends. What a great age, however.

Posted by StatsGuru at 08:33 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)
January 02, 2007
A Bit of History Passes
Permalink

Ernie Koy played for a short time in the major leagues, but was involved in a bit of history. He passed away on New Year's day.

He hit a three-run homer in his first at-bat in the majors and finished his career average with a .279 average, 36 home runs and 260 RBIs. He played in the first televised baseball game and the first night game at Ebbets Field.

My thoughts go out to his family and friends.

Posted by StatsGuru at 07:55 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
December 28, 2006
Chris Brown Passes
Permalink

Chirs Brown died under mysterious circumstances:

Firefighters arrived about 1:30 a.m. on Nov. 30 at the home Brown owned in Sugar Land and found it "fully engulfed" in flames, Adolph said. Firefighters found no people or furniture inside, he said, and neighbors told authorities no one had lived there for some time.

Adolph said officials at Memorial Hermann Southwest Hospital told the Sugar Land fire department later that morning that Brown was there being treated for burns he suffered in a fire at his house. How Brown got from the burning house to the hospital about 9 miles away is part of the investigation, Adolph said.

Brown was transferred a few hours later to the main Memorial Hermann Hospital, Begay said. Sugar Land authorities never formally interviewed Brown because of his deteriorating condition, Adolph said.

Arson is suspected as the cause of the fire. As the article points out:

He is the second member of the mid-1980s Giants infield to die this month. Jose Uribe played shortstop for the team from 1985-92. He died at 47 in a Dec. 8 car crash in the Dominican Republic.

A friend who saw this stoy last night wrote me:

Look out Will Clark and Robbie Thrompson.

My thoughts go out to Brown's family and friends.

Posted by StatsGuru at 08:43 AM | Comments (6) | TrackBack (0)
December 22, 2006
Career Interrupted
Permalink

Cecil Travis passed away recently at the age of 93:

Cecil Travis, a sweet-swinging infielder with the Washington Senators in the 1930s and '40s, whose stellar career was interrupted by World War II, died Dec. 16 of congestive heart failure at his farm in Riverdale, Ga. He was 93 and was one of the oldest surviving former Senators.

For years, historians and former players have debated the merits of Mr. Travis's truncated career, which is one of the most tantalizing what-if stories in baseball history.

Travis was part of the hit trio of 1941. Williams led the league with a .406 batting average, DiMaggio put together a 56-game hit streak, and Travis collected 218 hits to lead the league. He was 27 in 1941, just at his peak, but he went off to war and didn't play again until the end of 1945.

He was not the same player and didn't last long, playing a full but disappointing season in 1946. Here's a player that would be interesting to project out over his full career. He put down enough of a base that I bet models could do a pretty good job of filling out his career.

My thoughts go out to his family and friends.

Correction: Changed yesterday to recently.

Posted by StatsGuru at 06:36 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)
December 18, 2006
Larry Sherry Passes
Permalink

Larry Sherry died from cancer at the age of 71. His brother Norm remembers him:

"He was a tough competitor. He was all business when he put that uniform on," Norm Sherry said. "He had a way about him when he came in from the bullpen, he was a mean pitcher, he didn't give any ground to anybody.

"We had Don Drysdale, Stan Williams, Larry, Roger Craig, Ed Roebuck -- all guys who if they didn't like the way you looked at them, they'd pitch you inside, good inside."

Norm Sherry, four years older than Larry, said his biggest thrill in baseball came in 1960, when he hit his first major league home run -- a game-winner for the Dodgers against Philadelphia in the bottom of the 11th inning. What helped to make it so special was that Larry was the winning pitcher.

My thoughts go out to his family and friends.

Posted by StatsGuru at 08:07 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
December 08, 2006
Jose Uribe Dies
Permalink

Jose Uribe died in a car accident today:

The Dominican National Police said the 47-year-old Uribe's sport utility vehicle crashed about 3 a.m. on a highway about 30 miles west of the capital, Santo Domingo. Police said the cause of the crash was under investigation.

Uribe's death was confirmed by Glovis Reyes, a longtime friend of the ballplayer and a former member of the Dominican Congress.

Uribe's wife died after giving birth to their third child in 1988. Now their father dies young as well. That's too much tragedy for any family. My thoughts go out to them, the rest of the Uribe family and his friends.

Posted by StatsGuru at 01:32 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)
November 24, 2006
Dobson Dies
Permalink

Pat Dobson passed away at age 64.

Dobson, one of four starters to win 20 games for the Orioles in 1971, died suddenly Wednesday night in the San Diego area, the San Francisco Giants said Thursday. He was 64.

Throwing big curveballs and telling hearty jokes, Dobson made many friends in baseball. This year, his ninth with the Giants, he was a special assistant to Sabean, the team's general manager.

The club didn't immediately release details about the cause of death. But USA Today reported on its Web site that Dobson's wife, Kathe, said he died one day after being diagnosed with leukemia.

The 1971 Orioles boasted one of the great rotations of all time. The four main pitchers started 142 games and won 81 of them, losing just 31. Their combined ERA was 2.89 over 1081 innings. Just to top it off, Baltimore won the division by so many games that they didn't make up four rainouts.

My thought go out to Dobson's family and friends.

Posted by StatsGuru at 08:14 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
November 08, 2006
Pray for Sain
Permalink

Johnny Sain passed away:

Johnny Sain, a three-time All-Star who teamed with Warren Spahn to make up one of baseball's most fabled pitching tandems, died Tuesday. He was 89.

Sain's best year was 1948, when he and Hall of Famer Spahn led the Boston Braves to the World Series, where they lost to Cleveland. It was during that season when the famous saying was born: "Spahn and Sain and pray for rain."

The Boston Post ran a poem by sports editor Gerald Hern that led to the catchy phrase about the Braves' two dominant pitchers -- and the rest of their unheralded rotation.

"First we'll use Spahn, then we'll use Sain, Then an off day, followed by rain. Back will come Spahn, followed by Sain, And followed, we hope, by two days of rain," it read.

Sain won 20 games four times and posted a 3.49 ERA in 11 seasons. He's one of many players who lost time to World War II. My thoughts go out to his family and friends.

Update: David Gertsman sends along this article examing the link between Sain and Leo Mazzone.

Mazzone told Schwarz of a conversation he had with Sain in 1979, two years after the Boston Braves' old ace (Spahn and Sain and Two Days of Rain) tried to turn around the 1977 Atlanta Braves' staff (at least he had Phil Niekro and Dick Ruthven to work with then... of course, they also had Eddie Solomon and Buzz Capra). Sain was apparently still employed by the Braves in some capacity at that time, and Mazzone was the organization's newly-hired minor league pitching coordinator. Mazzone was, by his own admission, highly impressed by Sain and his unconventional methods, telling Schwarz that Sain was the first person he talked to who didn't have all the same old cliches.
Posted by StatsGuru at 08:11 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
November 04, 2006
More on Lidle
Permalink

Here's more on the Lidle plane crash:

The report said the airplane was flying along the East River between Manhattan and Queens when it attempted a U-turn with only 1,300 feet of room for the turn. To make a successful turn, the aircraft would have had to bank so steeply that it might have stalled, the NTSB said in an update on the crash.

Lidle and Stanger were making an aerial tour of Manhattan before flying back to California.

Though Stanger was an experienced pilot, Lidle was not.

Investigators found no problem with the propeller and engine, nor did they find any evidence of a fire or other damage while the airplane was in flight.

Had the pilot used the full width of the river to turn, he would have had 2,100 feet, the NTSB said. Instead, the pilot was flying closer to the middle of the river, leaving a smaller margin for error, the staff report said.

The NTSB did not determine who was at the controls.

Posted by StatsGuru at 09:19 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
November 03, 2006
It Was the Wind
Permalink

The NTSB determined the cause of Corey Lidle's crash:

The National Transportation Safety Board ruled that the wind, coupled with the pilot's attempt at turning too sharply over New York's East River, forced the aircraft over Manhattan and into the side of a high-rise building.

It seems like the wind turned a small mistake into a deadly one.

Posted by StatsGuru at 04:07 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
October 29, 2006
I Must Have ESPN
Permalink

This is just too weird. For some reason, I was thinking about how I don't watch the NBA anymore, and really haven't followed it since the Larry Bird/Magic Johnson era. I was wondering what's going on with Red Auerbach, and I couldn't remember if he was still alive.

So today, I open up the ESPN home page, and there's the story that Red died yesterday.

I have a Red Auerbach story. I was traveling from Boston to New York on the Eastern shuttle in the late 1980's. As I boarded the plane, I noticed Red was waiting to board, smoking a cigar. At that time, smoking was banned on short flights. Red was waiting for the last minute to get on the plane so he could finish his cigar. As he walked off the plane in New York, he held a cigar in his mouth, and the second it was legal he lit the stogie.

During the 1970s, CBS gave a Red a half time feature, Red on Roundball. He would use current and former NBA players to teach to basics of basketball. It was a great series, fun to watch and educational at the same time.

Red led a long and successful life. He's commemorated in championship banners and a Boston statue (anyone can sit on a bench with Red). We all should be so accomplished.

My thoughts go out to his family and friends.

Posted by StatsGuru at 09:12 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)
October 28, 2006
Joe Niekro Passes
Permalink

Joe Niekro died on Friday:

Niekro died Friday in Florida from a brain aneurysm at age 61.

Astros president Tal Smith, the general manager for part of Niekro's stint in Houston, saw Niekro last season and said he still had the sense of humor Smith remembered when Niekro was an Astro.

"You always knew Joe was around," Smith said. "He would always make his presence known by agitating somebody. But he was a fun-loving guy and always the center of activity."

Joe was known for his sense of humor:

Ashby said Niekro also would send sports writers scrambling by starting a false rumor within earshot.

"He'd be walking along and he would suddenly say, 'Hey, what do you think of so-and-so getting traded?' just to see if he could bait the writers into writing a story," Ashby said. "He always had something witty like that going on."

Niekro had his own scandal as well:

In 1985, the Astros traded the 40-year-old Niekro to the New York Yankees. He finished his career in Minnesota, where he pitched in the World Series for the only time, in 1987.

Earlier that season, Niekro was suspended for 10 games when umpires discovered a nail file in his pocket. Niekro said he was filing his nails in the dugout, but baseball officials didn't believe him.

It's a classic highlight, as he tries to toss the file away without the umpires seeing it.

Joe and his brother Phil combined to win 539 games in the majors. Joe's son Lance is currently playing for the Giants, making them one of the many successful multi-generational families. My thoughts go out to his family and friends.

Posted by StatsGuru at 06:40 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)
October 27, 2006
Sad News
Permalink

A missing Tampa Bay Devil Rays minor league pitcher was found dead.

The body of a Tampa Bay Devil Rays minor league pitcher missing after his canoe capsized over the weekend in Independence, Va., was found.

Erik Walker was last seen Saturday with a female companion, who made it safely ashore after their canoe tipped in a swift stretch of rapids filled with underwater logs, boulders and ledges on the New River.

My condolences to his family and friends.

Posted by StatsGuru at 12:56 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
October 23, 2006
Remembering Nelson
Permalink

The Soxaholix mourns the passing of Nelson de la Rosa.

Posted by StatsGuru at 10:46 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
October 17, 2006
Lidle Remembered
Permalink

His family and friends bid Corey Lidle farewell today.

Yankees pitcher Cory Lidle was remembered as "a loving husband and an awesome father" Tuesday at a memorial attended by family, friends and teammates of the avid yet inexperienced pilot who was killed during an aerial tour of New York City.

As the 45-minute outdoor service began, three planes similar to the one Lidle owned appeared over the roof of the Mausoleum of Christian Heritage and flew over the crowd before disappearing into dark gray clouds. The planes later made two more passes.

It sounds like a sendoff Lidle would appreciate.

On another note, take a look at the picture with the article. Doesn't the Yankees brain trust look like they are auditioning for a new FBI TV series? Numb3rs meets Criminal Minds. :-)

Posted by StatsGuru at 04:16 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
October 13, 2006
Johnny Callison Passes
Permalink

Former Phillies outfielder Johnny Callison died yesterday.

Callison was born in Oklahoma and went on to become a three-time All-Star during his 16-year career. A left-handed hitter with a smooth swing, Callison started with the Chicago White Sox in 1958 and established himself as one of the top players in the National League after being traded to Philadelphia two years later.

"He can run, throw, field and hit with power," the late Gene Mauch, who managed Callison on the Phillies, once said. "There's nothing he can't do well on the ball field."

I vaguely remeber him with the Yankees at the end of his career. He posted outstanding OBAs very early in his career, but couldn't carry them through at his peak age. He did replace his times on with power however, twice driving in over 100 runs.

My thoughts go out to his family and friends.

Posted by StatsGuru at 06:15 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)
Flying Corey Lidle's Flightpath
Permalink

Jeff Wise flys Corey Lidles route for Popular Mechanics and notes the pleasures and pitfalls of that airspace.

Compared to the Hudson, the East River is very narrow as it doglegs right, then left. You don't have much time to watch Brooklyn and Queens scroll past to the east before you bank west and cruise over Central Park. Then you tell LaGuardia tower that you're going back to the VFR corridor on the Hudson, and you switch the radio back to the corridor frequency.

That's how it's supposed to be done. Apparently, Lidle and his flight instructor Tyler Stanger never called LaGuardia tower to get clearance to pass through Class B airspace. Air traffic control at Teterboro says one of the men radioed in that they'd just go a short distance up the river and turn around. But, as noted, the river is narrow, and at low altitudes it's hemmed in by buildings; it's a lot like being stuck in a slot canyon. The day's low overcast made flying conditions even trickier. If Lidle and Stanger had climbed to a safer 1,500 feet, they would have been nearly in the clouds--a very dangerous situation for non-instrument rated pilots.

What if they'd gone straight ahead--that is, continued north? Well, they would have busted right into Class B airspace. Doing that without prior clearance from LaGuardia tower might have resulted in a reprimand, or even the temporary suspension of their licenses. To avoid that fate, they risked a worse one, and lost.

Posted by StatsGuru at 04:01 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
October 12, 2006
Insurance Exclusion
Permalink

If Corey Lidle was indeed piloting the plane, his beneficiary won't be able to collect on his insurance policy:

The plan calls for a $450,000 life insurance benefit and has an accidental death benefit of $1.05 million. However, the plan - which applies to all big leaguers - contains an exclusion for "any incident related to travel in an aircraft ... while acting in any capacity other than as a passenger."

His wife will get the widow's benefit:

Lidle had 9 years, 100 days of major league service - 72 days shy of being fully vested. Because of that, his wife would be entitled to about $165,000 to $170,000 annually, which is 95 percent of the maximum, an amount indexed for inflation. There is an additional dependent benefit.
Posted by StatsGuru at 09:19 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
A Pilot Reflects
Permalink

James Fallows flew the same model of plane as Corey Lidle. He reflects on the dangers faced by inexperienced pilots.

Posted by StatsGuru at 08:29 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Remembering Lidle
Permalink

ArmChairGM set up a memorial page for Corey Lidle. Feel free to share your thoughts, pictures, etc. on the late pitcher there.

Posted by StatsGuru at 01:22 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Silver Lining?
Permalink

It didn't take long for people to try to make money off Corey Lidle's death.

Posted by StatsGuru at 10:07 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)
Hayes on Lidle
Permalink

Marcus Hayes covered Corey Lidle in Philadelphia. It's probably the most balanced piece on Lidle I've seen so far:

Upon his trade, Lidle indicted his former teammates for not playing hard all the time, an indictment he recanted a day later.

Nevertheless, one of them, reliever Arthur Rhodes, retorted that Lidle was a "scab" for playing in a spring-training replacement game in 1995. He also criticized Lidle for spending too much time in the clubhouse during games. Rhodes let it be known he had reprimanded Lidle one day as Lidle dawdled in his locker as a game got under way.

Lidle told the Daily News: "You know what I was doing that day? I was buying my plane."

So, for Lidle, on that day, the first inning could wait. That's how much Lidle loved his newfound hobby, one whose germination found a foothold a little more than a year ago when Lidle met a pilot buddy of a former teammate.

Flying consumed him in the offseason, and when spring training hit full swing, Lidle had his pilot's license.

He offered to take several reporters, including me, for a ride. I declined: scared of heights, unnerved by small aircraft, prone to motion sickness. One print reporter accepted Lidle's offer and wrote a story about it during spring training. By the end of spring training, flying defined Lidle.

It also mentions that Lidle's family was flying home to California at the time of the crash on a commercial airline, hence the delay in contacting them and confirming his death.

Posted by StatsGuru at 08:22 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)
No Mayday
Permalink

The latest reports on Corey Lidle's plane crash backs off an earlier report that the plane sent a distress call.

Federal investigators are backing away from an earlier report of a distress call from Cory Lidle's plane.

They now said the FAA has found no indication of a mayday call during the 15 minutes the plane was airborne before it crashed into a 40-story high-rise condo on Manhattan's upper east side -- at 72nd Street and York Ave.

...

Investigators said it's too early to determine what caused the crash. But a witness said the plane appeared to be trailing smoke and was flying erratically.

Posted by StatsGuru at 08:03 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
October 11, 2006
Remembering Corey
Permalink

The AP rounds up reactions to Corey Lidle's death from his former teammates and coaches.

Posted by StatsGuru at 10:25 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (1)
Lidle's Plane?
Permalink

Jason Beck writes:

A news station in New York (but I heard a report on WBZ in Boston) that the plane that hit the NYC building was registered to Corey Lidle. This is far from verified, but that "news" would be worthy of your site.

I have not found anything on the internet. If any of you do, please send it my way.

Update: Ron Steinfeld writes:

Plane was registered to Cory Lidle - WCBS Channel 2 report.

The story is on the front page of CBS News. Fox News is now reporting Lidle piloted the plane and is dead.

Update: Here's the ESPN story. This is the second Yankees player to die in a plane crash. Thurman Munson died in 1979 trying to learn to fly a jet.

Update: I just heard Lidle just got his pilots license.

Update: Okay, now I'm hearing he had his pilots license for seven months and had 200 hours of flight time.

Update: I'm surprised some people think this suicide. There is a passenger reported on the plane, and suicides don't usually take someone with them. Also, these little planes, in the hands on inexperienced pilots in bad weather are very dangerous.

Update: This really takes me back. I remember in the summer of 1979 eating dinner with my family. The news was on in the next room and we suddenly heard that Thruman Munson died in a plane crash. My dad and I rushed into the living room to watch the TV reports. I also remember visiting friends during Christmas vacation and hearing about Clemente's plane crash. Both were shocking.

My thoughts go out to his family and friends, and to all those who are suffering due to this crash.

Update: Jason McAdams sends this link:

The Phillies weren't enamored of pitcher Cory Lidle's hobby of flying a four-seat airplane.

But now that Lidle is with the Yankees, it's an especially sensitive topic.

In 1979, Yankees catcher Thurman Munson died when a plane he was piloting crashed near his home in Canton, Ohio. Lidle earned his pilot's license last offseason, and has insisted his plane is safe.

"The whole plane has a parachute on it," he told The New York Times. "Ninety-nine percent of pilots that go up never have engine failure, and the 1 percent that do usually land.

"But, if you're up in the air and something goes wrong, you pull that parachute, and the whole plane goes down slowly."

Update: Bloomberg is holding a news conference and won't confirm Lidle died because they haven't contacted next of kin.


Update: Janak Parekh sends more on the above piloting story from the New York Times. It sounds like he was a good student:

"He was probably my best student," Stanger said in a telephone interview. "He learned very, very quickly, and a lot of it is desire. He had huge desire.

"Really, anyone can learn how to fly. If you can drive a bus, you can fly an airplane. But to learn quickly takes money and time. Of course, Cory had plenty of money, and it was the off-season, so he had the time."

Lidle, who is making $3.3 million this season, met with Stanger twice a week, for three or four hours at a time, all winter. He became queasy once, Stanger said, somewhere over New Mexico while returning from Texas. Otherwise, Lidle was a natural.

Part of Stanger's job is to surprise students by simulating emergencies. He will pull the throttle to the idle position, essentially letting the plane coast as if the engine were failing.

Other times, he said, he would instruct a student to wear blinders so only the instrument panel was visible, simulating bad weather. Then Stanger would tilt the plane nose-high or nose-low, making the student recover by trusting the instruments.

"Most people get kind of ruffled," Stanger said. "He was like, 'O.K., no big deal.' A lot of it is his mental state.

Update: Mayor Bloomberg says only two people, not four died, an instructor and a student. Fox is now reporting that the plane issued a distress call.

Update: NBC says it has confirmation that Lidle was on the plane:

A law enforcement official in Washington, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Lidle was on the plane. And Federal Aviation Administration records showed the single-engine plane was registered to the athlete, who just days ago -- after the Yankees' humiliating elimination from the playoffs -- told reporters that he was getting his pilot's license.

Update: Ballbug is aggregating news stories on this.

Posted by StatsGuru at 04:46 PM | Comments (26) | TrackBack (1)
October 07, 2006
Buck O'Neil Passes
Permalink

Buck O'Neil died yesterday:

O'Neil was a smooth fielder and a two-time league-leading hitter with the Kansas City Monarchs, one of the Negro leagues' most acclaimed teams, and he also managed them. He spent more than three decades working in the Chicago Cubs' system, becoming one of organized baseball's first black scouts and then the first black coach in the majors. In all, his baseball career spanned seven decades.

O'Neil had been chairman of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City, Mo., since its founding in 1997 and made scores of appearances to raise funds for it. He bore witness to the exploits of figures like Satchel Paige, Josh Gibson, Buck Leonard, Cool Papa Bell, Oscar Charleston and Ray Dandridge. All of those players were inducted into the Hall of Fame at Cooperstown belatedly, their prime seasons in the Negro leagues coming in the years before Jackie Robinson broke the modern major league color barrier.

For the most recent generations of baseball fans, those born long after baseball became integrated, Buck was the window into the segregated past. His dignity and good humor will be missed. My thoughts go out to his family and friends, and all the people he touched.

Posted by StatsGuru at 08:52 AM | Comments (5) | TrackBack (0)
September 19, 2006
No More Thrifty Trades
Permalink

Syd Thrift passed away.

Syd Thrift, a former general manger of the Pittsburgh Pirates who spent nearly a half century in baseball, died at 77.

He underwent knee replacement surgery Monday in Milford, Del., and died that night, said the Baltimore Orioles, one of many teams he worked for. An autopsy will determine the cause of death.

Thrift became GM of the Pirates in 1985 and gave Jim Leyland his start as a major league manager. In 1989, he went to the New York Yankees as senior vice president of baseball operations.

Can you think of a better name for a GM, especially one who runs a low budget club? My thoughts go out to his family and friends.

Posted by StatsGuru at 04:33 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
August 05, 2006
Auker Passes
Permalink

Elden Auker, the last member of Detroit's first World Series championship team passed away:

Elden Auker, the submarine-style pitcher who struck out Babe Ruth, faced Dizzy Dean and helped the Detroit Tigers win their first World Series championship, died Friday. He was 95.

Auker died in Vero Beach, Fla., where he had lived since 1974.

An occasional visitor at old-timers' events and a regular on the golf course until recent years, Auker used his unique delivery to go 130-101 for the Tigers, Boston Red Sox and St. Louis Browns from 1933-42.

"He threw it from about as low as you could go without untying your shoes," Hall of Fame pitcher Bob Feller said by telephone Friday. "Any lower and you'd scrape your knuckles on the pitching rubber."

Feller, in fact, hit his first major league home run off Auker, in 1940 at the first night game played in St. Louis.

"He found my bat, somehow," Feller said.

Alan King used to do a routine called "survived by wife." This is the best I've seen:

Auker is survived by his wife of 73 years, Mildred, and a son, Jim.

That's impressive. You can read more about Auker in the first chapter of The Only Game in Town. My thoughts go out to his family and friends.

Posted by StatsGuru at 08:54 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
July 07, 2006
Death of a Ball Player
Permalink

Minor Leaguer Steve Martin died in a car accident after being released:

Steve Martin's car crossed the center line and veered off a county road, then struck a tree and guardrail and overturned about 2 a.m. Thursday, according to a sheriff's report.

The 24-year-old outfielder died about 90 minutes later at Adena Regional Medical Center in this southern Ohio city. Speed and alcohol appear to be factors in the crash, the report said.

Martin, hitting .209 in his second season with the Paints, was released on Wednesday, then watched the team's 3-1 win over River City from the stands.

My thoughts go out to his family and friends.

Posted by StatsGuru at 08:29 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
June 11, 2006
Moe No More
Permalink

Moe Drabowsky passed away on Saturday. He seemed like the kind of person that could make you laugh. My thoughts go out to his family and friends.

Posted by StatsGuru at 09:12 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
June 06, 2006
Gregg Dies
Permalink

Former umpire Eric Gregg, who suffered a stroke Sunday, passed away last night. My thoughts go out to his family and friends.

Posted by StatsGuru at 07:59 AM | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)
June 05, 2006
Fanclub Founder Murdered
Permalink

Via Deadspin, the founder of the Grady's Ladies fan club was killed in a murder-suicide. My thoughts go out to her family and friends.

Posted by StatsGuru at 01:40 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (1)
May 14, 2006
Sad News
Permalink

Juilan Perez of the Braves died today.

Julian Perez, an Atlanta Braves scouting supervisor who had been with the organization in 1992, was killed in a car accident early Sunday in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

My thoughts go out to his family and friends.

Posted by StatsGuru at 07:56 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
April 28, 2006
Howe Gone
Permalink

Ben Kabak just informed me that Steve Howe died this morning in a car accident. Ben supplies the links to the stories at Off the Facade. My thoughts go out to his family and friends.

Posted by StatsGuru at 07:33 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
April 20, 2006
Sad News
Permalink

The Yankees lost two members of their family Wednesday:

New York Yankees minor league manager Oscar Acosta and team official Humberto Trejo were killed in a car accident in the Dominican Republic, the New York Post reported Thursday.

My thoughts go out to their family and friends.

Posted by StatsGuru at 08:03 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
March 13, 2006
Puckett Honored
Permalink

The Minnesota Twins held a memorial for Kirby Puckett at the Metrodome yesterday. Kent Hrbek was the star of the service:

Hrbek, the hometown boy who played first base on both of Minnesota's championship teams and batted right behind Puckett, was cheered louder than any of the speakers.

"I'm not going to remember the hits and the hustle and the catches that Kirby made," Hrbek said. "I'm going to remember the smile. I'm going to remember the laughter. I'm going to remember the clubhouse pranks and just having a good ol' time with Puck."

As Puckett's popularity grew, Minnesotans and Twins fans began to name not only their children, but family pets, Kirby. This was not lost on Hrbek.

"And if somebody else had a cow or a horse, they always named it Herbie," he said. "I was always second fiddle with Puck, but I loved every minute of it."

People who knew Puckett were always quick to mention his ability to make them laugh, and the ceremony wouldn't have been complete with a chance for chuckles.

Puckett's memorable cameo as a Top Ten list reader on the "Late Show with David Letterman," was shown. He offered Creepy Pockets, Turkey Bucket, Buddy Hackett and Englepuck Kirbydink among the top 10 ways to mispronounce his name.

My good friend Jim Storer named his dog Kirby, and Jim wasn't even a Twins fan. As a player, everybody loved him.

Posted by StatsGuru at 08:40 AM | Comments (5) | TrackBack (0)
March 09, 2006
Saving His Sister
Permalink

Kirby Puckett's death may save the life of his sister:

Puckett's former wife, Tonya, tells the Star Tribune in Minneapolis that one of Puckett's organs may be a match for his sister, Jackie. She lives outside of Chicago and has kidney disease.

Kirby may live on in a number of different people. Thanks to MJ Sunshine for the link.

Baseball Musings is conducting a pledge drive in March. Click here for details.

Posted by StatsGuru at 03:45 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
March 07, 2006
Puckett Roundup
Permalink

With the untimely death of Kirby Puckett last night, the blogosphere remembers the Twins centerfielder.

Jay Jaffe is saddened by the good and the bad of Puckett's life.

Larry Mahnken notes that Kirby coined the nickname "Donnie Baseball."

Baseball Frank notes how Kirby's leg-lift trigger changed his game.

Aaron Gleeman remembers his mom's stroke.

The Baseball Crank asks us not to forget Puckett, the player.

Ivy Chat has similar thoughts.

Nick and Nick write a rare joint post to express their grief.

Seth Speaks rounds up all the links he can find on the rotund centerfielder.

Redleg Nation notes that it was fun to watch Kirby play.

Brew Crew Ball is glad Puckett was elected to the Hall of Fame.

Jeri at Minor League Baseball gets the last word.

Feel free to add your own thoughts in the comments, or send a trackback to this post.

Update: You can also leave your thoughts about Kirby here.

Update: Chad Finn adds his thoughts.

Posted by StatsGuru at 07:35 AM | Comments (8) | TrackBack (1)
March 06, 2006
Puckett Passes
Permalink

Kirby Puckett passed away this evening:

"On behalf of Major League Baseball, I am terribly saddened by the sudden passing of Kirby Puckett," baseball commissioner Bud Selig said. "He was a Hall of Famer in every sense of the term.

"He played his entire career with the Twins and was an icon in Minnesota. But he was revered throughout the country and will be remembered wherever the game is played. Kirby was taken from us much too soon -- and too quickly," he said.

I loved watching Kirby from the first moment I saw him. I wasn't that impressed with his stats early on. He had a high batting average, but that was it. Then, in his third year he developed power and started getting on base more. Combined with his centerfield defense, he turned into a great all around ballplayer.

My thoughts are with his family and friends.

Update: Batgirl offers a fitting eulogy.

Posted by StatsGuru at 08:53 PM | Comments (6) | TrackBack (1)
February 27, 2006
Guerrero Tragedy
Permalink

Vald Guerrero lost three cousins in a car accident, and is temporarily away from the Angels camp. My condolences go out to Vlad and his family.

Posted by StatsGuru at 04:11 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
February 20, 2006
The Voice of Saturday Baseball
Permalink

Curt Gowdy passed away today. When I first started watching baseball, I remember Curt calling the games for NBC. He and Tony Kubek were the announcers on Saturday afternoon and in the post season. The thing I remember most about their broadcasts from the early 1970s was the use of the split screen to show both the batter/pitcher matchup and the pitcher/runner on first battle.

My thoughts go out to his family and friends.

Posted by StatsGuru at 12:15 PM | Comments (6) | TrackBack (1)
January 29, 2006
Death in the Family
Permalink

My aunt, Sister Philomena Pinto passed away on Friday. We were down in the New Haven area for the wake today. At one point in her career she was stationed in St. Louis in the neighborhood where Yogi Berra and Joe Garagiola Sr. grew up. She met both men at various times, making me very jealous. :-)

So we get home, and I call my sister's house, and she asks, "Did you see Yogi's aunt?" It turns out Yogi Berra's aunt is at the convent, and no one told me! With luck, I'll run into her tomorrow at the funeral.

Here's my favorite Sister story. My aunt taught elementary school for many years in The Bronx. Many years later, she hears one of my cousins talking about John Gotti. Sister pipes up with, "Don't you say anything bad about John Gotti. He's a wonderful man." It turns out that the convent hired a painter and paid him up front. He worked for one day and didn't come back, leaving the place a mess. Gotti walks in (I can't remember if he was going to church or taking his kids to school) and asks, "Sisters, what happened here." The nuns told him the story and asked Gotti to pray for them. Mr. Gotti agreed to pray for them. The next day the painter shows up, gives them back all the money and finishes the jobs. And my aunt thinks Gotti's prayers were responsible.

She was a good woman and lived to a ripe old age. I'm sure she'll rest in peace.

Posted by StatsGuru at 08:31 PM | Comments (6) | TrackBack (0)
January 10, 2006
Snow Melts Away
Permalink

Jack Snow, former NFL player and broadcaster and father of first baseman J.T. Snow, died yesterday. My thoughts go out to J.T., his family and friends.

Posted by StatsGuru at 08:46 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)
December 29, 2005
Hendricks Laid to Rest
Permalink

Funeral services for Elrod Hendricks were held today.

At least 50 former Orioles players, coaches and clubhouse personnel were in attendance, including Hall of Famers Earl Weaver, Brooks Robinson, Jim Palmer and Eddie Murray, as well as Cal Ripken, Boog Powell, Rick Dempsey, Ken Singleton, Mike Flanagan, B.J. Surhoff and Paul Blair.

That's certainly an all-star send off. Be sure to check out the photo essay as well.

Posted by StatsGuru at 05:23 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
December 22, 2005
Elrod Hendricks Passes
Permalink

Elrod Hendricks passed away yesterday, and John Eisenberg of the Baltimore Sun remembers the longtime Orioles catcher and coach:

Six years ago, I undertook a massive assignment, publishing an oral history of the Orioles, the first of its kind. I interviewed dozens of former players, coaches and managers, gathering hundreds of hours of tape. My session with Elrod was the longest. I lost track of time.

He was a unique figure in the history of the franchise. He knew almost everyone and had seen almost everything, and wise as he was, he could comment, analyze, interject, further the story. I came away from our session understanding that, in a sense, he was the conscience of the franchise.

I started watching baseball in 1969, and the Orioles had a catching platoon of Elrod Hendricks and Andy Etchebarren. I thought those were both great names. Both were Earl Weaver type players. Neither hit for a high batting average, but both drew a decent number of walks. Looking at that 1969 team now, they've been very successful since leaving the playing field. An extraordinary group of players.

My thought go out to Elrods family and friends.

Posted by StatsGuru at 08:59 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)
December 02, 2005
Power in Syracuse
Permalink

Sean Kirst looks back at Vic Power's time in a segregated Syracuse, including his friendship with "Lottie the Body."

Before all that, in Syracuse, she spent time with a lonely ballplayer named Vic Power. She laughed this week when asked if she ever dated him. She said he used to come around to see her at the Elks Club, and that what she remembers about him are "secret" and "intimate things."

But she can also close her eyes and "see him playing ball," a game she said he played in a distinct, beautiful way.

Power was often frustrated, Lottie said. He felt that he deserved to get called up by the New York Yankees, who owned his rights, and he thought he knew exactly why it didn't happen. But he never stopped laughing, Lottie said, despite the barriers he found at every level of his life.

Update: Here's more information on Lottie Graves.

Posted by StatsGuru at 10:10 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
November 29, 2005
Vic Power Passes
Permalink

Former first baseman Vic Power is no longer with us.

Power died of cancer Tuesday in a hospital in this suburb of San Juan, said his sister, Carmen Pellot Power.

Power achieved a rare feat in 1958, stealing home twice in a game when he played for the Cleveland Indians. He had only three steals all season.

Power did not live up to his name, slugging just .411 for his career. That's why you see stolen bases and a gold glove as his career highlights. He's noted for being one of the first Hispanic players in the game, although there were a few white Cubans before Power. I think it's safe to say Vic was one of the first Hispanics that didn't look white.

My condolences to his family and friends.

Posted by StatsGuru at 11:38 AM | Comments (5) | TrackBack (0)
October 30, 2005
Al Lopez Passes
Permalink

Al Lopez passed away today.

Lopez was best known for being the only AL manager to lead teams that finished ahead of the New York Yankees between 1949-64. He helped the Indians to the 1954 pennant and, until last week, was the last manager to lead the White Sox to the World Series -- their 1959 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

"We're saddened by the news," White Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf said through a spokesman Sunday. "Al lived a long and good life. We're so pleased we were able to win the World Series this year and that he was able to see it before he died."

Lopez posted an impressive record as a manager, compiling 15 consecutive winning seasons with Cleveland and Chicago. His career winning percentage is an impressive .584, which would be good for 95 wins in a 162 game season.

My thoughts are with his family and friends.

Posted by StatsGuru at 06:44 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)
October 25, 2005
Mara Dies
Permalink

Wellington Mara passed away today. There's no connection to baseball here other than the Giants used to play at Yankee Stadium, but I'm a life long Giants fan. My thoughts are with his family and friends.

Posted by StatsGuru at 01:33 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)
September 26, 2005
R.I.P Don Adams
Permalink

Don Adams, the star of Get Smart, passed away today. The show made me laugh as a child, and ten years after it was cancelled my college roommates and I still enjoyed watching it in reruns. Like Bugs Bunny cartoons, you got the jokes at a totally different level as you grew up. My thought go out to his friends and family.

In an odd coincidence, Adams death is bringing new readers to this site. Last week, and the Royals kept beating the Tigers to stay at 99 wins, I made a series of references to Don Adams' Get Smart co-star, Barbara Feldon. Feldon played Agent 99 on the show. Amazingly, a Google search for Barbara Feldon brings up Baseball Musings high on the list. So thanks, Don, for inspiring the posts. You made me laugh, and I consider that a great gift.

Posted by StatsGuru at 09:34 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
September 18, 2005
N-Man Dies
Permalink

Donn Clendenon passed away yesterday.

Clendenon hit three home runs and had four RBI in the Mets' five-game victory over the Baltimore Orioles. He hit .274 with 159 home runs and 682 RBI in 12 seasons in the major leagues with Pittsburgh, Montreal, the Mets and St. Louis.

"He was a true gentleman and an integral part of the 1969 team. We knew he had been sick a long time, and on behalf of the Wilpons and the entire Mets organization we send our condolences to his entire family," Mets spokesman Jay Horwitz said.

I have a friend who likes to pronounce both n's in Donn. I'm not sure how many players have every syllable of their name end in n. :-)

My thoughts go out to his family and friends.

Posted by StatsGuru at 08:29 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
September 14, 2005
Clemens Pitches to Honor Mother
Permalink

Roger Clemens lost his mother today, but will pitch tonight vs. the Marlins. My thoughts go out to Roger and his family.

Posted by StatsGuru at 07:18 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
August 09, 2005
Gene Mauch Passes
Permalink

Sad news this morning as Gene Mauch loses his battle with cancer.

A big league skipper for 26 years, Mauch was named National League manager of the year three times. He ranks sixth in baseball history with 3,938 games managed, and is 11th on the career victories list.

But Mauch was perhaps most famous for his teams' legendary collapses. He led the Philadelphia Phillies in 1964 when they collapsed down the stretch and were edged out by the St. Louis Cardinals for the NL pennant.

The Phillies were 6 1/2 ahead with 12 games to play before losing 10 in a row -- and the pennant. St. Louis won it instead.

I remember Mauch as being the master of the first inning one-run strategy. He would use bunts and steals to get men in scoring position because he felt scoring first was very important to winning a game. I always wondered how many runs all those first inning outs cost him in his career.

My thoughts go out to his family and friends.

Posted by StatsGuru at 07:00 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)
June 22, 2005
Kile Anniversary
Permalink

Viva El Birdos remembers Darryl Kile on the anniversary of his death.

Update: Added the link.

Posted by StatsGuru at 02:57 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)
June 13, 2005
Death of a Bat Maker
Permalink

Sean Kirst remembers Joe Kren. Joe was the last member of the Kren family, baseball bat manufacturers in Syracuse.

There was one catch. Legend can be a hard thing to prove. Joe said most famous ballplayers of his day were under contract to Hillerich & Bradsby, makers of Louisville Sluggers. If they preferred Kren bats, he said, they often used them on the sly, which is why so many people forgot about the Krens.

The quest led me to Dave Bushing, an Illinois bat collector with the proof to back up Joe. Bushing provided records from a 1930s court case between Hillerich & Bradsby and a smaller rival. Lou Gehrig, the baseball immortal, was called to testify. He was asked under oath if he knew of major leaguers who used different kinds of bats.

Sure, Gehrig said. Some players used Krens.

There's also a good anecdote about Sammy Sosa and corking. Well worth the read.

Posted by StatsGuru at 08:12 PM | Comments (11) | TrackBack (0)
May 16, 2005
Head Muse
Permalink

Charlie Muse, the creator of the modern batting helmet, passed away. His contribution to the game no doubt saved some players careers and possibly their lives. My thoughts go out to his family and friends.

Posted by StatsGuru at 04:32 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (1)
April 26, 2005
Remembering Earl Wilson
Permalink

Jeff Kallman at The Catbird in the Nose Bleed Seats remembers the recently departed Earl Wilson. Wilson hit 35 home runs in 740 AB as a pitcher, a rate of 1 HR every 21 AB. Lots of position players wish they had that kind of rate.

Military service had kept Wilson from becoming the first black player on the Red Sox, the honour falling in due course to Pumpsie Green, and now he would be traded to the Tigers (in June) for an outfielder named Don Demeter. “And Earl Wilson hit more home runs as a pitcher for Detroit,” fumed the journalist David Margolick, still steaming after all those years, “than Demeter hit as an outfielder for the Red Sox.”
Posted by StatsGuru at 02:38 PM | Comments (6) | TrackBack (0)
March 17, 2005
Monster No More
Permalink

Dick Radatz passed away yesterday after an accidental fall.

Radatz regularly pitched multiple innings of relief, long before pitchers evolved into one-inning specialists.

"He was a setup man, closer, finisher all in one," said Bill Lee, a former Red Sox pitcher and good friend of Radatz. "He was the best reliever of all time, for a short period of time."

Radatz, who was godfather to Lee's daughter, has a picture of himself in his basement signed by Mickey Mantle. The Yankees legend signed it "The greatest I ever faced," said Lee, noting that Radatz struck out Mantle 54 times in 67 attempts.

Here's his page from BaseballReference.com. Those are impressive strikeout numbers for his first four seasons.

My thoughts go out to his family and friends.

Posted by StatsGuru at 09:35 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
March 04, 2005
Mahler Gone
Permalink

Sorry I didn't see this sooner. Rick Mahler has passed away. He was only 51. My thoughts go out to his family and friends.

Posted by StatsGuru at 09:31 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
February 21, 2005
Memorabilia Search
Permalink

Cesar Gutierrez died recently. He had seven consecutive hits in a game once, the highlight of a rather uneventful baseball career.

Cesar left behind a daughter who never got to meet him. Her mother contacted me to ask if I knew of any memorabilia of Cesar's that might be out there. I'm not a collector; the best I could do was find someone selling his 1972 Topps card (1971, it turns out, would be his last year in the majors).

If anyone ever met Cesar, or has an autograph, or a newspaper clipping, please let me know, and I'll forward the information to her mother. Thanks very much.

Update: If you have a story about Cesar, feel free to leave it in the comments here.

Posted by StatsGuru at 04:38 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)
February 14, 2005
Death of a Fan
Permalink

The Angels have lost a 106-year-old fan.

In her 106 years, Florence Carlton never drank or smoked or had a cup of coffee. But she loved her Anaheim Angels.

Carlton was an avid fan for more than 30 years and kept careful track of player statistics as she caught every game on TV, surrounded by team caps, shirt and, of course, a rally monkey.

She was a widow for 66 years, but her marriage brought her to baseball:

Her husband Leslie worked nights and slept days. So he had his wife listen to Brooklyn Dodger games and recount them to him play by play when he got home.

My grandmother used to do that for my dad and his brothers. She'd listen to the Yankees games while they were at work so she could tell them what Yogi Berra did that day.

Posted by StatsGuru at 04:17 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (1)
December 24, 2004
Oates Passes
Permalink

Johnny Oates succumbed to brain cancer today at the age of 58. It must be a very sad holiday in the Oates family. My sympathies go out to his family and friends.

Ken Rosenthal remember Oates this way:

Johnny Oates was only supposed to live one year after being diagnosed with a brain tumor.

He lived three.

Oates' brave fight was a testament to the power of his faith. Rangers manager Buck Showalter has called Oates the most ethical and moral man he has ever met. I would echo that sentiment, and so would virtually everyone else who knew him.

Posted by StatsGuru at 05:12 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)
October 24, 2004
Pepper Spray Death
Permalink

A medical blogger sent me a link to a post of his on the death of the young woman during the celebrations following the Red Sox victory in the ALCS. His theme is that a pepper spray pellet to the eye should not be deadly. He wants to know why she died, and why the press hasn't investigated this more thoroughly.

I'm not an expert on the subject. I'd be interested in hearing from others who might be.

Posted by StatsGuru at 11:57 PM | Comments (12) | TrackBack (0)
October 17, 2004
Grandpa Gone
Permalink

Robert Jacoby reports that Ray Boone has passed away.


Boone played from 1948-60 with six teams and was followed into the big leagues by son Bob and grandsons Bret and Aaron.

"We were the first three-generation family," Pat Boone said. "We're not the only one, but we were the first."


My thoughts go out to his family and friends.

Posted by StatsGuru at 08:13 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
October 11, 2004
More Deaths
Permalink

This is bizarre. Two in-laws of Mariano Rivera died at Mariano's house in Panama in the pool. They were electrocuted.

He's flying to Panama, then he'll be back for the opening of the series tomorrow. There's no telling how it will effect his pitching.

My thoughts are with Rivera and his family at this time.

Posted by StatsGuru at 03:13 PM | TrackBack (0)
Caminiti Dies
Permalink

Ken Caminiti passed away yesterday. Caminiti was a drug abuser who couldn't seem to break away from his habit.


In recent years, Caminiti, had been beset by legal and drug problems.

He stood before state District Judge William Harmon on Tuesday and conceded he failed a drug test.

Harmon revoked his probation for a 2002 drug conviction, sentenced him to 180 days in jail and gave him credit for time served since his original arrest.

He was released from custody late Tuesday.

Caminiti had failed four drug tests while on probation for cocaine possession.


A cautionary tale for all of us. Caminiti also took steroids, although I don't know how much that had to do with his heart problems.

I remember Ken as a very hard nosed player and a good third baseman. Jeff Bagwell is a first baseman today because the Astros didn't want to move Caminiti when they acquired Bagwell. Caminiti made a big offensive leap in 1992, when he raised is OBA from the low .300's to .350, and pretty much kept it there until 2000. His 1996 season with the Padres was fantastic, (.400 OBA, .600 Slugging) earning him the MVP. This is somewhat tainted, however, by his later admission of using performance enhancing drugs.

My thoughts go out to his family and friends.

Posted by StatsGuru at 09:45 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)
October 03, 2004
Cerutti Passes
Permalink

John Cerutti, former Jays pitcher and current Jays broadcaster was found dead in his hotel room today. My thoughts go out to his family and friends.

Posted by StatsGuru at 07:19 PM | TrackBack (0)
September 16, 2004
I Want To Be Sedated
Permalink

The Ramones keep dropping like flies. Johnny Ramone died yesterday afternoon after a battle with cancer. You may not know that Johnny was a big baseball fan. Here's an interview from Chin Music where they introduced Johnny to one of his biggest fans, Billy Beane.

If you have a chance, rent their movie, "Rock and Roll High School." It's just a bit of fun, but the Ramones are great and Clint Howard is inspired.

My thoughts go out to his family and friends. Johnny will be missed.

Posted by StatsGuru at 09:49 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)
August 04, 2004
Long Fly Ball, Deep To Right
Permalink

I was sorry to hear of the passing of Bob Murphy. I always enjoyed listening to him announce Mets games. My thoughts go out to his friends and family.

Posted by StatsGuru at 04:52 PM | TrackBack (0)
July 30, 2004
Remembering Munson
Permalink

My old friend Willie Weinbaum inteviews one of the survivors of the Thurmon Munson plane crash on the eve of the 25th anniversary of the crash. It's the first time either of the survivors have talked publicly about the accident.

Posted by StatsGuru at 01:08 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack (1)
July 29, 2004
Francis Crick Dies
Permalink

In a former life I was a biochemist. Francis Crick, along with James Watson, discovered the structure of DNA. Outside the Beltway has the news of his passing. If you've never read The Double Helix by James Watson, I highly recommend it. It tells a great scientific detective story.

Posted by StatsGuru at 05:26 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)
May 27, 2004
More Doug
Permalink

Eric Neel remembers Doug Pappas.

Posted by StatsGuru at 02:01 PM | TrackBack (0)
May 24, 2004
Sheehan on Pappas
Permalink

Joe Sheehan at Baseball Prospectus pens this tribute to Doug Pappas.

Posted by StatsGuru at 02:44 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
Final Consultation
Permalink

Doug Pappas, despite being on vacation, helped out the Dener Post the day before he died, his last bit of baseball work.

Posted by StatsGuru at 11:03 AM | TrackBack (0)
May 22, 2004
Pappas Obituary
Permalink

Here's an obituary on Doug Pappas from the SABR web site.

Posted by StatsGuru at 05:34 PM | TrackBack (0)
May 21, 2004
Terrible News
Permalink

Bill Kelly just wrote me to spread the news that Doug Pappas has passed away. Doug's Business of Baseball Blog was one of my daily reads. He presented the money side of the game clearly and eloquently. I never got the chance to meet Doug, but from his writing, I know I would have liked him. My sincerest sympathy goes out to Doug's family and friends. He will be deeply missed.

Posted by StatsGuru at 05:37 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack (1)