RIP Frank Lary, 1930-2017

[G-Fafif]

Frank Lary has died at 87, passing away today, December 14. He is remembered mostly as a Tiger, where he earned the wonderful nickname "the Yankee-Killer," but he was a Met...twice. Lary was purchased from Detroit in May of '64, sent to Milwaukee for Dennis Ribant in August, bought back the following spring, and traded for Jimmie Schaffer in July of '65.

There have been 43 Recidivist Mets. Frank was the first.

[Edgy MD]

Other nicknames listed with his record are "Taters" and "Mule." I don't know if he earned the former by farming potatoes, or by giving up homers.

He lived in Tuscaloosa, and I'm glad he lived long enough to vote down Judge Moore.

[Benjamin Grimm]

At the time of his death, Frank Strong Lary (what a great name, his first and middle name are adjectives that can describe character traits, and his last name sounds like a first name) was the sixth oldest living Met. His death allows Ed Bauta (January 6, 1935) to move into the Top Twenty.

Player	Birth Date	Age
Hillman, Darius Dutton (Dave)	September 14, 1927	90 years, 91 days
Thomas, Frank Joseph (Frank)	June 11, 1929	88 years, 186 days
Pignatano, Joseph Benjamin (Joe)	August 4, 1929	88 years, 132 days
Craig, Roger Lee (Roger)	February 17, 1930	87 years, 300 days
Landrith, Hobart Neal (Hobie)	March 16, 1930	87 years, 273 days
Lary, Frank Strong (Frank)	April 10, 1930	87 years, 248 days
Friend, Robert Bartmess (Bob)	November 24, 1930	87 years, 20 days
Mays, Willie	May 6, 1931	86 years, 222 days
Marshall, Rufus James (Jim)	May 25, 1931	86 years, 203 days
Sherry, Norman Burt (Norm)	July 16, 1931	86 years, 151 days
Bressoud, Edward Francis (Ed)	May 2, 1932	85 years, 226 days
Taylor, Samuel Douglas (Sammy)	February 27, 1933	84 years, 290 days
Altman, George Lee (George)	March 20, 1933	84 years, 269 days
Hicks, William Joseph (Joe)	April 7, 1933	84 years, 251 days
Charles, Edwin Douglas (Ed)	April 29, 1933	84 years, 229 days
Green, Elijah Jerry (Pumpsie)	October 27, 1933	84 years, 48 days
Hunter, Willard Mitchell (Willard)	March 8, 1934	83 years, 281 days
MacKenzie, Kenneth Purvis (Ken)	March 10, 1934	83 years, 279 days
Daviault, Raymond Joseph Robert (Ray)	May 27, 1934	83 years, 201 days
Mantilla, Felix Lamela (Felix)	July 29, 1934	83 years, 138 days

[dgwphotography]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: At the time of his death, Frank Strong Lary (what a great name, his first and middle name are adjectives that can describe character traits, and his last name sounds like a first name)

just like Amos Otis. Like Ed Charles, Frank Thomas, Charley Neal, and Kevin Mitchell but not Rod Kanehl...

[MFS62]

Frank was the subject of my only winning CPF Song Parody Contest entry.
With that reputation as an MFY killer, those of us who were around then liked him even before he became a Met.
RIP, Frank.
Later