Baseball passings 2026

[Edgy MD]

Dites au revoir à Jacques Doucet, la voix légendaire des Expos de Montréal.

 

[Frayed Knot]

Any relation to Roger Doucet, long time singer of the Canadian National Anthem at Montreal Canadiens games?

[Edgy MD]

I don't believe so, but that's a name that goes way back.

[Edgy MD]

And while you're thinking about the oldschool NL East, please pause in honor of Larry Christensen, the 1973-1983 Phillies rotation fixture who wasn't Steve Carlton.  Larry died unexpectedly yesterday during a phamily phishing trip.

Larry came up at 19.  Phillies phans know him from their division-winning 1977-78 teams, their 1980 championship under Dallas Green, and their unexpected 1983 pennant, when everybody on the team was at or near the end of the line.

Larry was the starting pitcher on the one day (May 19, 1979) the Phillies wore their all-burgundy uniforms.  The team lost, rebelled against the threads, and told management they wouldn't wear them again.

[whippoorwill]

Always thought Butch Huskey was just a badass name

[Frayed Knot]

Better than Robert Leon Huskey? (his given name)

[Frayed Knot]

6 hours ago, Edgy MD said:

Larry [Christenson] came up at 19. 

And threw his final pitch at the age of just 29. Must have been an injury as his last game was in early June before being  released by the Phils that winter never to resurface in the majors or minors with any other org.

[MFS62]

I may be wrong, but I think I remember Larry as a pitcher who came off the (those days) disabled list, threw a shutout against the Mets, then went back on the DL. It may have been someone with a similar name.

Later

[Frayed Knot]

No evidence of that.

Christenson did win his ML debut vs the Mets (4/13/73) with a complete game 5-hitter in a 7-1 PHI win

And in 1976 he beat the Mets five times while holding them to one run or less in each including twice in back-to-back starts:

5/19 - 6 IP, 4-1 PHI win

5/24 - CG, 5-1 PHI win

7/26 - 6 IP, 4-1 PHI win

7/31 - 5.2 IP, 2-1 PHIL win

9/5 - 8.1 IP, 3-1 PHI win

The 101 win Phils went 13 - 5 against those bicentennial (86 - 76) Mets.

[Cowtipper]

Rich Rowland died.

https://www.thebiglead.com/red-sox-tigers-catcher-rich-rowland-cause-of-death/

Who was Rich Rowland?

Rich Rowland (1964–2026) was an American professional baseball catcher who spent six seasons in Major League Baseball with the Detroit Tigers and Boston Red Sox from 1990 to 1995. A 17th-round draft pick in 1988, Rowland spent much of his nine-year minor-league career with the Tigers' Toledo Mud Hens, where he was a productive hitter, including a standout 1993 season in which he hit 21 home runs and posted a .548 slugging percentage. In the majors, he was primarily a backup catcher and appeared in just 98 games, batting .213 with nine home runs and 26 RBIs; his best MLB season came in 1994 with Boston, when he hit all nine of his career homers in 46 games. After his final major-league appearance in 1995, he continued playing in the minor leagues through 1997 before retiring. A native of Cloverdale, California, Rowland died there on August 25, 2026, at age 62; both of his sons also went on to play professional minor-league baseball.

Who was Larry Christensen? 

Larry Richard Christenson (1953–2026) was a right-handed pitcher who spent his entire 11-year Major League Baseball career with the Philadelphia Phillies. Born in Everett, Washington, he excelled at Marysville High School, where he was initially better known for basketball but had an extraordinary senior baseball season, striking out 143 batters in 72 innings with a 0.28 ERA. The Phillies selected him third overall in the 1972 MLB draft, and he reached the majors at just 19 years old in 1973. His debut was impressive, as he threw a complete-game five-hitter against the New York Mets in a 7–1 victory, though he struggled initially before establishing himself as a full-time major leaguer in 1975.

Christenson became an important member of the Phillies teams that won three consecutive NL East titles from 1976 through 1978. He won 13 games in 1976, then enjoyed the best season of his career in 1977, going 19–6 while winning 15 of his final 16 decisions and pitching 219⅓ innings. He followed that with a 13–14 season in 1978 while posting a career-best 3.24 ERA and starting Game 1 of the NLCS. He was also an unusually capable hitter for a pitcher, eventually hitting 11 home runs, including two in one game against the Mets in 1976 and a grand slam during Philadelphia's 1977 division-clinching victory over the Cubs.

His career was increasingly disrupted by injuries, particularly recurring elbow problems. After missing time in 1979 and suffering a broken collarbone during a charity bicycle ride, he underwent elbow surgery in 1980 but returned in time to help the Phillies win their first World Series championship. He started Game 4 of the World Series but lasted only one-third of an inning. He remained capable of effective stretches, including a strong performance in the 1981 division series against Montreal, and made 32 starts in 1982. However, another elbow injury ended his 1983 season after nine starts, and the Phillies released him on his 30th birthday. Several attempted comebacks followed, but he was unable to return to professional baseball.

Christenson finished his MLB career with an 83–71 record, a 3.79 ERA, 781 strikeouts and six shutouts in 243 games. After retiring, he began a career in institutional investing in 1985 and eventually became president of Christenson Investment Partners. He remained connected to the Phillies and was active in charitable work, while former teammates remembered him as an energetic, eccentric and highly social personality. Christenson died at age 72 on August 28, 2026, while on a fishing trip in Washington, leaving behind the legacy of a highly touted young pitcher who became a key part of the Phillies' successful teams of the 1970s, a member of their first championship club, and a career ultimately cut short by persistent injuries.

And who was Jacques Doucet? 

Jacques Doucet (1940–2026) was a pioneering Canadian French-language baseball broadcaster whose career became inseparable from the Montreal Expos. Born in Montreal, he began as a translator for the Canadian Press before working as a sports journalist for La Presse. When the Expos were awarded to Montreal in 1968, Doucet became the newspaper's beat writer for the new team and also served as an official scorer, eventually making the transition into broadcasting during the club's inaugural 1969 season.

Beginning in 1972, Doucet became the Expos' full-time French-language radio play-by-play announcer, a position he held for the team's entire existence in Montreal through 2004. Over more than three decades, he called more than 5,000 major-league games, including two perfect games, and became famous for his distinctive bass voice and precise, descriptive style. Perhaps his greatest contribution was developing and popularizing French-language baseball terminology, effectively creating a natural vocabulary for describing a sport traditionally dominated by English-language expressions.

After the Expos departed Montreal, Doucet remained a prominent advocate for baseball in Quebec. He served as a spokesman for Encore Baseball Montréal and broadcast Quebec Capitales home games from 2006 to 2011 before joining TVA Sports as the French-language television voice of the Toronto Blue Jays. He continued broadcasting the Jays until retiring in 2022, and he also co-authored several books, including a definitive two-volume history of the Expos with Marc Robitaille.

Doucet was widely regarded as one of the most important figures in Canadian baseball broadcasting, earning induction into the Quebec Baseball Hall of Fame, Montreal Expos Hall of Fame and Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame. Although he was a five-time finalist for the Baseball Hall of Fame's Ford C. Frick Award, he never received the honor, with his French-language work receiving less exposure among American voters. Often compared to broadcasters such as Vin Scully and Jaime Jarrín, Doucet died on August 27, 2026, at age 86, leaving behind a legacy as the iconic voice of the Expos and one of the people most responsible for establishing baseball as a fluent part of French-Canadian culture.

Also ...

Shosuke Doi (1937-2026) was a Japanese professional baseball player who spent eight seasons in Nippon Professional Baseball from 1956 to 1963, playing primarily shortstop for the Kokutetsu Swallows, Yomiuri Giants, and Daimai Orions. After retiring as a player, he enjoyed a long coaching and managerial career in Japan, Korea, and Taiwan, including roles with the Orions, Lotte Giants, Brother Elephants, and Kaoping Fala.

[Edgy MD]

Call your Red Sox pals and offer condolences on the passing of former skipper Joe Morgan.

Morgan had the thankless task of taking over mid-season for pennant-winning John McNamara.  A manager without MLB playing experience was such a rarity at the time, more than a few outlets ran pictures of his Hall of Fame-bound secondbaseman namesake.  As such, he was widely considered to be a placeholder, but ended up lasting three and a half years, always finishing above .500 despite playing in baseball's most competitive division, and having a veteran team changing the guard on his watch, and he ended up joining the Sox Hall of Fame.

[whippoorwill]

On 8/29/2026 at 5:45 PM, Frayed Knot said:

Better than Robert Leon Huskey? (his given name)

Oh much better!

[Cowtipper]

Who was Joe Morgan?

Joe Morgan, nicknamed “Walpole Joe,” was a Massachusetts-born baseball lifer whose greatest contributions came as a manager and coach rather than as a player. Born in Walpole in 1930, he attended Boston College, where he played both hockey and baseball, before signing with the Boston Braves in 1952. He reached the majors with the Milwaukee Braves in 1959 and also played for several other clubs, but struggled to establish himself. In parts of four major-league seasons, he appeared in just 88 games and hit .193. His minor-league career was considerably more successful, however, and he won the 1964 International League MVP award with the Jacksonville Suns.

Morgan began managing in the Pittsburgh Pirates' farm system in 1966, steadily advancing from Class A to Double-A and Triple-A. His teams frequently posted winning records and developed numerous future major-league players, and his 1973 Charleston Charlies won their division. He subsequently joined the Boston Red Sox organization and managed the Pawtucket Red Sox from 1974 through 1982, becoming the longest-tenured manager in that franchise's history. Among the players he managed were future Hall of Famers Jim Rice and Wade Boggs. Morgan was also Pawtucket's manager during the famous 33-inning game against Rochester in 1981.

After serving as a Red Sox scout and Major League coach, Morgan unexpectedly became Boston's manager in July 1988 when John McNamara was fired. The struggling Red Sox immediately caught fire, winning their first 12 games under Morgan and 19 of their first 20, producing a remarkable turnaround dubbed “Morgan's Magic.” Boston won the AL East that year, although Oakland swept them in the ALCS. Morgan subsequently became the permanent manager and led the Red Sox to another division championship in 1990, but they again lost the ALCS to Oakland. After the 1991 season, he was fired despite finishing with an overall Major League managerial record of 301–262 (.535).

Morgan remained a beloved figure in New England baseball, known for his colorful personality, folksy expressions, and the nicknames “Walpole Joe” and “Turnpike Joe,” the latter referencing his offseason work driving a snowplow on the Massachusetts Turnpike. He was inducted into the Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame in 2006 and the International League Hall of Fame in 2008, and the Red Sox honored him with “Joe Morgan Night” at Fenway Park in 2013. Morgan died in September 2026 at age 95, leaving behind a legacy centered not on his brief playing career but on decades of managing, coaching, developing players, and his unforgettable role in the 1988 Red Sox turnaround.

Also, Rollie Sheldon died.

https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/kansas-city-mo/roland-sheldon-13022029

Who was Rollie Sheldon?

Rollie Sheldon (1936–2026) was an American right-handed pitcher who spent parts of five seasons in Major League Baseball, best known for his time with the New York Yankees in the early 1960s. A Connecticut native, Sheldon attended Texas A&M briefly before serving four years in the U.S. Air Force and then playing baseball at the University of Connecticut. The Yankees signed him at age 23, and he immediately impressed in his first professional season, going 15–1 with 15 complete games in Class D ball. He reached the majors in 1961 and had an excellent rookie season, going 11–5 while appearing in 35 games, including 21 starts.

Sheldon remained with the Yankees in 1962, although his performance declined to a 7–8 record and 5.49 ERA. The Yankees won the World Series in both 1961 and 1962, making Sheldon a member of two championship teams, though he did not pitch in either World Series. After spending much of 1963 and part of 1964 in Triple-A, he returned to New York in June 1964 and contributed to another pennant-winning club. He appeared in Games 1 and 7 of the 1964 World Series against St. Louis, pitching 2⅔ scoreless innings in relief, although the Yankees ultimately lost the series.

Sheldon was traded to the Kansas City Athletics in 1965, where he went 10–8 with a 3.95 ERA despite pitching for a team that lost 103 games. He began 1966 with Kansas City before being traded to the Boston Red Sox in June. His time in Boston was unsuccessful, as he went 1–6 with a 4.97 ERA, and he never returned to the majors after the season. He continued pitching in Triple-A through 1970 before retiring. Overall, he appeared in 160 major-league games, compiling a 38–36 record, 4.05 ERA, 371 strikeouts, 17 complete games, four shutouts, and two saves.

Sheldon's career was ultimately defined by a promising beginning with the Yankees followed by a gradual decline that ended his major-league career after only a handful of seasons. Nevertheless, his story was unusual: he reached the majors relatively late after military service and college, became a useful pitcher on two World Series championship teams, and even appeared in the 1964 World Series. He died on August 31, 2026, at age 89, leaving behind a career that, while relatively short, included several memorable seasons during one of the Yankees' most celebrated eras.

Also ...

Les Novak (1933–2026) was a Minnesota softball umpire who briefly entered Major League Baseball history as a replacement umpire, working five American League games during the regular umpires’ strike at the beginning of the 1979 season. He was far more distinguished in softball, serving as Minnesota’s umpire-in-chief for roughly four decades, officiating national, NCAA, and international competitions, conducting umpiring clinics worldwide, and earning induction into the International Softball Congress Fastpitch Hall of Fame in 2002.

Kenny Marrero (1970-2026) was a professional baseball player who began his minor-league career as a catcher in the Detroit Tigers organization before converting to pitching in 1994, where he enjoyed several successful seasons in the Tigers' system. He later pitched in the Arizona Diamondbacks' organization, Taiwan's CPBL, and independent leagues, retiring after the 2001 season following a career marked by both strong minor-league performances and struggles at the higher levels.

Hilario Soriano (1955-2026) was a long-time minor-league catcher who reached Triple-A during a career spanning several organizations, including the Dodgers, Expos, and Blue Jays, before finishing his playing career in Mexico. After retiring as a player, he became a manager and scout, working for several MLB organizations and signing multiple players, while also being the uncle of MLB All-Star Alfonso Soriano.

[MFS62]

Quote

Who was Larry Christensen?  His debut was impressive, as he threw a complete-game five-hitter against the New York Mets in a 7–1 victory, 

What I remember about him was later in his career. He came off the Disabled List, threw something like a two hitter against the Mets, and then went back on the Disabled list. He was definitely on my list of players who did well against the Mets and not as good against other teams.

Later

[Edgy MD]

Big ginger American League corner infielder, originally drafted by the Mets.

He apparently died two weeks ago, but it is only being reported as of yesterday.

Supposedly (and this is hard to believe), was the first player from southwest Florida in the bigs, and opened up the territory for the players that would follow.

[Cowtipper]

Who was Pat Putnam?

Pat Putnam (1953-2026) was a left-handed-hitting first baseman whose professional career included seven seasons in Major League Baseball with the Texas Rangers, Seattle Mariners, and Minnesota Twins, followed by two seasons with the Nippon-Ham Fighters in Japan. A highly regarded prospect, Putnam won the Western Carolinas League Triple Crown and was named Minor League Player of the Year in 1976, but his promising major-league career never fully developed; his best MLB season came in 1979, when he hit .277 with 18 home runs and 64 RBIs and earned a spot on the Topps All-Star Rookie Team.

Putnam remained a productive hitter in 1983 with Seattle, hitting a career-high 19 home runs, but twice lost his starting job to highly touted rookies—Dave Hostetler with Texas and Alvin Davis with Seattle. After a brief stint with Minnesota in 1984 and a season in Triple-A, he continued his career in Japan, hitting .286 with 25 home runs and 78 RBIs in his first season before declining in 1987 and retiring from professional baseball, aside from a brief 1989 comeback in the Senior Professional Baseball Association.

[Edgy MD]

The Japanese flag hangs still today with news of the passing of NPB legend Isao Harimoto.

Born in Hiroshima to Korean immigrant parents, it was a minor miracle that he made it to professional baseball at all, first badly damaging his hand in a childhood accident that forced him to become a lefty and use a specialize glove for his right hand, and then surviving the atomic blast that has become synonymous with his native city, as he and a sister were shielded from the explosion by his mother.

Known as the only Hiroshima attack survivor to play professional ball, he — like Ty Cobb and Rusty Staub — debuted as a teenager and continued to play into his 40s, a tenure that allowed him enough years to compile more hits than any other player in Japanese professional baseball, and clobber 500 homers along the way.