Baseball Passings 2021

[Edgy MD]

And look at this WikiFact!

[bLOCKQUOTE]Looking at his entire professional career, Pizarro won more than 400 ballgames. His regular-season count is 392: 197 in the US (131 in the majors and 66 in the minors), plus 38 more in Mexico in his late 30s and 157 while playing winter ball in his homeland. His final record in Puerto Rico was 157–110, with a superb 2.51 ERA. Only Rubén Gómez had more wins (174, and he needed 29 seasons to do it).[/bLOCKQUOTE]

[batmagadanleadoff]

Pizarro pulled a Syndergaard at Shea Stadium before Syndergaard ever did when, in 1971 against peak Tom Seaver, Pizarro shut-out the Mets 1-0 and homered. I still remember this game.



Different times back then. Pizarro homered in the eighth inning. What are the chances he'd be allowed to bat in the eighth inning of a tie game against a virtually unhittable Tom Seaver today? What are the chances that Pizarro would even get to the eighth inning for the manager (Durocher in '71) to have to consider that decision today?







https://www.nytimes.com/1971/09/17/archives/pizarros-homer-downs-mets-10-cubs-lefthander-connects-in-8th-to.htmlhttps://www.nytimes.com/1971/09/17/archives/pizarros-homer-downs-mets-10-cubs-lefthander-connects-in-8th-to.html

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

I didn't know (or had forgotten) that Angel Mangual is the brother of one-time Met Pepe Mangual, and that they were cousins to Coco Laboy

[G-Fafif]

Stan Williams, Dodgers pitcher who helped let the 1962 pennant slip away to the Giants (but did plenty to get L.A. to that three-game playoff), 84. Pitched from 1958 to 1972, coached thereafter.

[Edgy MD]

Doff your cap in honor of https://www.baltimoresun.com/obituaries/bs-md-ob-violet-ripken-20210301-6ddmu35r7jhchofo6vvtmww4fe-story.htmlVi Ripken, Orioles matriarch who shared with Wilson Ramos the harrowing status of kidnapping survivor.



https://cdn.s3-media.wbal.com/Media/2021/02/28/543fc146-cd7a-405a-81ed-91ed3b15a316/original.jpg>

[G-Fafif]

Another Orioles icon: Joe Altobelli, their 1983 World Series-winning manager, 88. Also helmed the Giants in the ‘70s.

[stevejrogers]

=G-Fafif post_id=57292 time=1614794943 user_id=55]
Another Orioles icon: Joe Altobelli, their 1983 World Series-winning manager, 88. Also helmed the Giants in the ‘70s.

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

If you asked me who managed the 83 Orioles until 2 minutes ago I'd have totally said Earl Weaver.



I do recall Joe as the manager on inset pictures on many a SF Giants team Topps card.

[seawolf17]

Altobelli *is* Rochester baseball. Terribly sad, although he'd been very sick for a while.

[Edgy MD]

Yeah, a big part of the long wait for the Hall of Fame for Earl Weaver was that he never got the magic second championship that managers need to cement their candidacy.



There were two championships in the Weaver era, but the second happened during the Altobelli Interregnum, while Earl was enjoying a time-out.

[G-Fafif]

Rheal Cormier, 53, from cancer.

[MFS62]

Rheal Cormier, 53, from cancer.

He was a Canadian baseball hall-of-famer.

https://www.aol.com/longtime-major-league-baseball-pitcher-210146427.htmlhttps://www.aol.com/longtime-major-league-baseball-pitcher-210146427.html

In his 16 seasons, Cormier compiled a 71-64 overall record with a 4.03 ERA for the Cardinals, Phillies, Boston Red Sox, Montreal Expos and Cincinnati Reds. He pitched in the postseason twice with Boston, and surrendered no runs over six appearances in the 1999 American League Playoffs.

RIP



Later

[G-Fafif]

Ed Armbrister, Big Red Machine cog, 72.

[MFS62]

=G-Fafif post_id=58120 time=1616103240 user_id=55]
Ed Armbrister, Big Red Machine cog, 72.

[Edgy MD]

It's funny how vividly a guy on a card can hit you when you're nine. I would have guessed he had a long career. It turned out he appeared in only 224 games and hit four homers (but two in one game!).



Part of the small fraternity of Bahamian big leaguers. In my mind, that means he got to hang out with the Beatles.

[Willets Point]

Only https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Major_League_Baseball_players_from_the_Bahamas7 Bahamians have appeared in MLB, not counting the Baha Men performing before the Mets 2000 postseason games.

[G-Fafif]

Former AL president and MFY reserve Bobby Brown, 96.

[Frayed Knot]

A story about Brown, possibly true and if not it should be, was that he, later to be a cardiologist after his playing days, was reading a medical text on the team bus one day.

Seated next to him was Yogi reading a comic book. As it happened they both closed their books at the same time prompting Yogi to ask, "So how did yours turn out?"

[Edgy MD]

Mike Bell, Twins bench coach and member of the multi-generational Bell playing and coaching dynasty (grandson of an original Met), has https://www.mlb.com/news/mike-bell-twins-bench-coach-dies-at-age-46succumbed to cancer at 46.

[G-Fafif]

Ken Reitz, All-Star, Gold Glover and teammate of Keith Hernandez, 69.

Brett Reitz released the following statement through the team: "On behalf of my dad and my family I'd like to thank the Cardinals organization for allowing my father to live out his dream. Also, Cardinals fans for the endless support over the years. The only thing my dad loved as much as his family was baseball. He ate, slept, and breathed baseball and truly loved the city of St. Louis and the Cardinals. The loss of “Grandpa Kenny”, as his six grandkids called him, is heartbreaking. He will be truly missed.”

https://www.stltoday.com/sports/baseball/professional/cardinal-beat/former-cardinals-third-baseman-reitz-the-zamboni-dies-at-69/article_115d5ebe-a000-5cdd-90c3-fa0d9122dfa8.htmlhttps://www.stltoday.com/sports/baseball/professional/cardinal-beat/former-cardinals-third-baseman-reitz-the-zamboni-dies-at-69/article_115d5ebe-a000-5cdd-90c3-fa0d9122dfa8.html

[G-Fafif]

Phil Coyne, usher who seated Pirate fans for more than 80 years, 102.



https://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2021/04/09/pittsburgh-pirates-pnc-park-usher-phil-coyne-dies/https://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2021/04/09/pittsburgh-pirates-pnc-park-usher-phil-coyne-dies/

[Willets Point]

Incredible that he worked at three ballparks!

[G-Fafif]

Adrian Garrett, Wayne's brother who played for four MLB clubs, 78.

[Edgy MD]

Gosh, I brought him up just two days ago.



Shared Wayne's ginger locks, but a stockier type.

[G-Fafif]

Ray Miller, well-regarded pitching coach (who also managed), 75.

[Edgy MD]

The Rube Walker of the O's.

[G-Fafif]

John Means with the (almost) perfect tribute to Miller.

[G-Fafif]

Del Crandall, the last Boston Brave and a champion in Milwaukee in 1957, 91.

[G-Fafif]

Hal Breeden, Cub, Expo, law enforcement officer and all-time Richmond Brave, 76.



https://richmond.com/sports/professional/there-will-never-be-another-hal-breeden-and-his-37-hrs-116-rbi-for-1970/article_ae8619bf-eaa8-5b4a-9e2d-ce6e62dc3cf2.htmlhttps://richmond.com/sports/professional/there-will-never-be-another-hal-breeden-and-his-37-hrs-116-rbi-for-1970/article_ae8619bf-eaa8-5b4a-9e2d-ce6e62dc3cf2.html

[G-Fafif]

Richie Scheinblum, 1972 AL All-Star for the Royals and the first ballplayer I was aware was Jewish, 78.