Baseball Passings 2024

[G-Fafif]

Billy Gardner, who had been the oldest-living New York Giant, 96. Gardner managed the Twins and Royals as well.

Eight New York Giants remain.

[metirish]

[TWEET]

[/TWEET]

 

Jimy looks like baseball, RIP

[Cowtipper]

A couple 2023 deaths that trickled in after the start of the New Year:

Chuck Harrison:

https://www.houstonchronicle.com/texas-sports-nation/astros/article/chuck-harrison-former-astro-dies-18590186.php

Dick Thoenen:

https://musgroves.com/tribute/details/327650/Richard-Thoenen/obituary.html#tribute-start

And a few from 2024:

Don Lassetter:

https://www.meredith-nowellfuneralhome.com/obituaries/Donald-O-Neal-Lassetter?obId=30522964

Al McBean:

https://www.virginislandsdailynews.com/sports/former-major-leaguer-al-mcbean-passes-at-age-85/article_c3600b8b-e266-5ffa-b030-7a99c0bcc0a2.html

John Pregenzer:

https://www.pathwaymemorial.com/obituaries/john-pregenzer

Steve Staggs:

https://cooperstownersincanada.com/2024/01/23/former-blue-jays-second-baseman-steve-staggs-dies-at-72/

Red Swanson:

https://obits.theadvocate.com/us/obituaries/theadvocate/name/arthur-swanson-jr-obituary?pid=206191428

[MFS62]

A couple 2023 deaths that trickled in after the start of the New Year:

John Pregenzer:

https://www.pathwaymemorial.com/obituaries/john-pregenzer

 

 

I remember when he was placed on waivers by SF. The waiver price at the time was $100.

A bunch of people in the Bay Area were amazed that a person was only worth $100 and started a "make this world a better place for John Pregenzer to pitch in" fan club. IIRC the club had hundreds of members.

Later

[G-Fafif]

Don Gullett, the king of winning percentage, 73.

[MFS62]

Don Gullett, the king of winning percentage, 73.

 

Interesting that in the two years he led in winning pct, his ERA+ were 124 and 111.

There's a lot of luck involved in that, or a team that does a lot of hitting.

Later

[Frayed Knot]

I first saw Don Gullett in this game

http://ultimatemets.com/gamedetail.php?gameno=1431&tabno=D

Second game of a DH where the DH itself was delayed by torrential downpours earlier in the day. But dad and I waited it

out and they eventually played all 18.

Mets won the opener and had Seaver going in the night cap but, despite having 2-0 and 5-3 leads, GTS couldn't hold on

eventually serving up a 3R HR in the 7th to cap an ugly line: 7 earned in 7 IP on 11 Hits and 5 BBs

What I remember most about that game though was Gullett. He was a rookie that year pitching almost exclusively in relief

including an early season game vs the Mets. But I don't think I had heard of him until he came out of the bullpen to start

the 6th with NYM up 5-4 and, while Seaver was blowing up in the 7th, Gullett faced 12 batters that day and retired all 12

while K'ing 8 plus two foul pop-ups to the catcher, iow, two fair balls were hit. He was 19 years old and I think that was the

day I learned about the expression 'throwing BBs' because it looked that way even from the stands. Flashing back to what I

remember I'm getting a strong Billy Wagner comp in both style and velo.

The downside to all that hard throwing -- whether directly or otherwise -- was that he threw his last ML pitch at age 27

despite, as Greg alluded to above, owning a stunning 109-50 (.686) career record w/a 3.11 ERA

He finished up with the Yanx as one of Steinbrenner's early attention getting FA signings. He pitched well for them in

'77 (tho not in the WS) but not well at all in '78 and was done by July.

Edited February 14, 2024 by Frayed Knot

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

Amazin

Adam Warren is the best handwriting font to read umdb scoresheets.

[G-Fafif]

Jose DeLeon, tough as hell to hit when he was on, 63.

https://nypost.com/2024/02/26/sports/jose-deleon-former-mlb-pitcher-dead-at-63/

[Edgy MD]

In his day, DeLeon had the best stuff of anybody not named "Gooden." He rarely put it all together for an extended stretch, but he did win a strikeout title.

He also asked the Pirates to keep sending him out there when he was in danger of losing 20, but they stuck him in the bullpen the last two weeks of the season. He managed to lose 19 a second time with the Cardinals in 1990, this time staying in the rotation and losing his last seven starts in a row.

[metirish]

Stacy Wakefield, wife of Tim passed away , cancer , how awful

[G-Fafif]

U.L. Washington, Royals shortstop recognizable by his toothpick, 70. Hit .364 in the heroic slaying of the MFYs in the 1980 ALCS.

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

Underwriter Laboratory workers to wear a patch this season

[Cowtipper]

Brant Alyea:

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/02/brant-alyea-passes-away.html

Jim Hannan:

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/02/jim-hannan-passes-away.html

John Oldham:

https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/san-jose-ca/john-oldham-11682791

Hector Ortiz:

https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/hector-ortiz-longtime-rangers-coach-and-former-mlb-catcher-dies-at-54-after-cancer-battle/

Tom Qualters:

https://tributearchive.com/obituaries/30753869/thomas-frank-qualters/somerset/hauger-zeigler-funeral-home-cremation-services

Bill Voss:

He died in 2023, but news of his passing didn't reach the mainstream until 2024.

Sandra Lundgren

WWW.FACEBOOK.COM

---

Chairs are in place, media and sound are set, the overflow room is ready and the love is felt all over the community. In honor and memory of Pastor Bill Voss, his Memorial Service is tomorrow. It...

[G-Fafif]

Two Pirates from the Cobra era have passed of late: pitcher Larry Demery, 70, and Ed Ott, killer of Felix Millan's North American career, 72.

[Edgy MD]

Ed Ott: Frequently referred to by Bob Murphy as owning the shortest name in baseball history.

I've never been able to find video of the fight, but I feel like I have it recorded pretty accurately in my head. It also opened the door for Joel Youngblood and Bobby Valentine at second base. Neither stuck there, but it kind of provided the germ for two pretty definitive Mets careers to get going. They eventually replaced him by moving Doug Flynn over there, so that's sort of three chapters in the Mets story opening up as one was cut short.

[Benjamin Grimm]

[Edgy MD]

Newsday and Gary Binford sure seem to think the whole incident was on Felix.

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

When it was cool for sliders to take out 2nd basemen, that was Millan's fault. And look at Duffy Dyer throwing his old teammate under the bus.

btw, I'd be interested in the details of the other Millan fight he mentioned

[batmagadanleadoff]

[FIMG=333]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53572990018_c20724de3f_c.jpg[/FIMG]

[whippoorwill]

Ed Ott was a friend of my cousin so this really upset me at the time. Someone hurt Felix and it was a friend of a friend!

[G-Fafif]

Bill Plummer, backup catcher behind Johnny Bench on two world championship Reds teams, 76.

[G-Fafif]

Orioles owner Peter Angelos, 94.

[G-Fafif]

Executive Larry Lucchino, 78.

https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/larry-lucchino-dies-boston-red-sox/

[Chad ochoseis]

Fritz Peterson, 82, one of the few Yankees who was easy to root for.

https://niuhuskies.com/news/2024/4/12/baseball-niu-hall-of-fame-pitcher-fritz-peterson-passes-away.aspx

[Benjamin Grimm]

He was one of the wife-swappers, wasn't he?

[MFS62]

He was one of the wife-swappers, wasn't he?

Yes.

Later

[Chad ochoseis]

I believe the swap worked out for him, but not for Mike Kekich.

[Frayed Knot]

And he remained married to the former Susan Kekich ever since the infamous 'swap'.

The other half of that deal lasted just a short time.

[Cowtipper]

Wayne Schurr:

https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/kpcnews/name/wayne-schurr-obituary?id=54749609

Chuck Seelbach:

https://obits.cleveland.com/us/obituaries/cleveland/name/charles-seelbach-obituary?id=54701051

La Schelle Tarver (played in Mets system from 1981 to 1985; traded by the New York Mets with John Christensen, Wes Gardner and Calvin Schiraldi to the Boston Red Sox for Chris Bayer (minors), Tom McCarthy, John Mitchell and Bob Ojeda):

https://kmph.com/news/local/former-fresno-correction-officer-mlb-player-la-schelle-tarver-passes-away-major-league-baseball-team-red-soc-the-mets-modesto-madera-high-school-all-star-game-drafted