Baseball Passings, 2008

[DocTee]

Couldn't find the original, and not sure if mentioned elsewhere.

John Marzano: http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/mlb/news/tributes/obit_john_marzano.jsp

Lived every Met fans dream when he slugged Paul O'Neill.

[stevejrogers]

Ex-Met Jeremi Gonzalezexits this world in a very tragic way.

Translation from Google's translator

]The baseball player, Venezuelan, Geremi Gonzalez has died today in Zulia state when he was on a beach in the company of a friend and was hit by lightning, according reported the director of Civil Protection of Zulia to channel Globovision. The director of Civil Protection Zulia, Herm�n Bracho, confirmed the death of baseball player of the Magallanes Navigators Geremi Gonzalez, after a lightning fell on him in the town of Punta Palma Miranda del Zulia state. After the 9:30 at night this Sunday, the police forces of the municipality and Civil Protection Miranda approached a beach in the Punta Palma and found the body of Gonzalez in a spring. Those accompanying Gonzalez withdrew his body from the area and did not allow the authorities would approach, according to the version offered by Bracho. The body was removed in a boat sporting aimlessly known. It is assumed that it moved towards the town or township Mara Maracaibo.

Wow, two years to the day of his last Met apperance

[Benjamin Grimm]

Huh! He's the third Met to die outside the United States, the second to do so in Venezuela.

And one of the youngest, too. He was 33 years old. (Danny Frisella was 30 when he died. I can't think offhand of any others who died younger than 33.)

[metirish]

That's shocking , poor guy.

[DocTee]

]Geremi Gonzalez has died today in Zulia state when he was on a beach in the company of a friend and was hit by lightning

Irish:

] That's shocking

A tip o' the hat to Irish.

[G-Fafif]

AP Story in English.

]CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) � A government official in Venezuela says former major league pitcher Geremi Gonzalez is dead after being hit by lightning in the South American country. Emergency management official Herman Bracho says the 33-year-old pitcher was at the beach in western Venezuela and was on a pier when lightning struck him on Sunday night. Gonzalez started in the major leagues for the Chicago Cubs in 1997 and later played with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, the Boston Red Sox, the New York Mets and the Milwaukee Brewers. He last played in the major leagues in 2006 with the Toronto Blue Jays and also pitched last year for the Yomiuri Giants in Japan.

[seawolf17]

Holy schmoleys! What a way to go.

[Guest AG/DC]

So, do any English reports mention Gonzalez's remains being kept away from the authorities? That's strange.

[Valadius]

I had to be made even more scared of lightning? Damn, RIP Jeremi.

[DocTee]

Someone over on ESPN reported that Gonzalez is the third ex-Tampa Bay pitcher to die in the last 19 months-- Cory Lidle and Joe Kennedy being the others. Damn.

[Guest OlerudOwned]

="DocTee":2n77a5r7]Someone over on ESPN reported that Gonzalez is the third ex-Tampa Bay pitcher to die in the last 19 months-- Cory Lidle and Joe Kennedy being the others. Damn.[/quote:2n77a5r7]Victor Zambrano, watch your back.

themetfairy May 26 2008 03:07 PM

Wow - that's very sad!

AG/DC Oct 14 2008 07:59 AM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Oct 16 2008 12:12 PM

Kevin Foster's career highlight was perhaps beating the Mets to end a Cubby streak in 1997 opening the season with 14 straight losses. It was the second game of a double-header, and Turk Wendell damn near coughed it up in the ninth. KEVIN FOSTER 1969-2008 Cancer takes 'nice, humble' ex-Cubs pitcher By Paul Sullivan | Chicago Tribune reporter October 14, 2008 Former major league pitcher Kevin Foster, who fulfilled a lifelong dream by playing for the Cubs, died Saturday at the age of 39. The former Evanston High star died in an Oklahoma City hospital after a six-month bout with renal cell carcinoma, his brother, Mark Foster, said. Kevin Foster spent five seasons with the Cubs after being acquired from Philadelphia for Shawn Boskie in 1994, going 32-28 from 1994 to '98. Kevin Foster in 1994. (Tribune / Nuccio DiNuzzo) Foster grew up playing all sports in Evanston, and even lived at home with his family early in his Cubs career. "Kev was just a nice, humble kid," Mark Foster said. "Just a regular guy. It was like a dream for him when he got to play for the Cubs. We used to come down on the L to watch games at Wrigley Field as kids, and now he's pitching there. "But he never got starry-eyed. He'd just come home after playing in a game, just the same as he did when he played in high school. Everything was just normal to him." Foster was selected by Montreal in the 29th round of the 1987 amateur draft after being noticed by Expos area scout Stan Zielinski. Originally signed as an infielder, Foster became a pitcher in '91 and was in the majors with the Phillies briefly in '93. Foster advanced quickly through the Cubs' system before going 12-11 in '95, his first full season in the majors. In 1997, starting for a team that had set a National League record with 14 straight losses to begin the season, he beat the New York Mets in Shea Stadium to end the streak. Foster went 10-5 in 17 first-half starts in '97, becoming the first Cub with 10 wins at the All-Star break since Greg Maddux in '92. Foster battled arm injuries after '97, and made a brief comeback with Texas in 2001. Recently, he was living in Oklahoma City, where he had once pitched in Texas' farm system, and drove a truck for a living. Foster had four children and was engaged to be married, Mark Foster said. Services in Evanston are pending. psullivan@tribune.com

Frayed Knot Oct 16 2008 12:08 PM

1960's Yank Tom Tresh, 71

G-Fafif Oct 16 2008 03:22 PM

First Yankees cards I ever had, via inheritance from my baseball-disinterested sister who collected them briefly because it was the thing to do in fifth and sixth grade: 1967 Elston Howard, Ruben Amaro and Tom Tresh. I also have a real strong memory of hearing on the radio that Tom Tresh had been traded to the Tigers. My sister and I had had some fun with his name, so any mention of Tom Tresh was good for a juvenile laugh.

Frayed Knot Oct 16 2008 03:30 PM

He was RoY in '62 but had a relatively short career after that. He was the son of a big league player and I seem to remember some talk that his kid was on the road to maybe becoming the first third-generation player. The kid never did make it all the way - and the Boones, Bells, and Hairstons eventually broke that ground.

MFS62 Nov 11 2008 08:37 AM

Preacher Roe: http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3694998&campaign=rss&source=MLBHeadlines Usually not one of the first names mentioned as one of the "Boys of Summer" but I remember him on those Brooklyn teams. Later Mods - this probably should have been in the Baseball Passings thread. Did a search and couldn't find it. (Merged from Preacher Roe, 11/11/2008)

John Cougar Lunchbucket Nov 11 2008 09:01 AM

Great photo of him in the Snooze today: (Merged from Preacher Roe, 11/11/2008)

Edgy DC Nov 11 2008 09:13 AM

Moyjd.

Frayed Knot Nov 11 2008 10:31 AM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Nov 11 2008 10:35 AM

Herb Score[/url:8i4h1m8a], 75. 1955 AL RoY as a LHP for Cleveland. He was a two-time All-Star before his career was cut short by a line-drive off his face. Later was an announcer for the Indians for 30+ years.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Nov 11 2008 10:33 AM

I'd guess many of us first heard of Herb Score when Dwight Gooden arrived breaking all his rookie records.

Edgy DC Nov 11 2008 10:47 AM

The idea that there hadn't been a rookie pitcher like Dwight Gooden since Herb Score is incredible. I guess Mark Fydrich, but he didn't really strike people out. I think we still are unreasonably disappointed when pitchers don't arrive as completed products.

Frayed Knot Nov 11 2008 10:55 AM

Tim Lncecum (possible CY winner before the day is out) might have the case for best 2nd-year pitcher since Gooden. 18 wins, 265 K in ~220 IPs, mid-2's ERA, etc The main difference is that he's 24 y/o, a relative senior citizen compared to Score/Gooden.

G-Fafif Nov 11 2008 12:34 PM

Vida Blue's first full year was 1971: 24-8, 301 K, 1.82 ERA, 8 SHO, set the world on its ear. That would make him rookie of the year material to whoever voted for Edinson Volquez but it was the most amazing breakthrough season I can recall (if we count Gooden's 1984 as his "breakthrough").

TheOldMole Nov 12 2008 05:22 PM

Preacher Roe was one of my favorites, and this has made me very sad.

batmagadanleadoff Nov 12 2008 05:34 PM

="G-Fafif"]Vida Blue's first full year was 1971: 24-8, 301 K, 1.82 ERA, 8 SHO, set the world on its ear. That would make him rookie of the year material to whoever voted for Edinson Volquez but it was the most amazing breakthrough season I can recall (if we count Gooden's 1984 as his "breakthrough"). When I was a kid, I once won one of those Sports-Phone Challenges by being the first caller to correctly answer "Vida Blue". I forgot the question, though. Vida did set the world on fire in 1971.

Edgy DC Nov 12 2008 05:47 PM

Don't let the goofball uniform fool you. That's what a baseball god looks like.

seawolf17 Nov 12 2008 06:33 PM

Didn't he once have "VIDA" on the back of his uni in the mid-80s with the Giants?

John Cougar Lunchbucket Nov 12 2008 06:43 PM

When I was young I used to get Vida Blue confused with John "Blue Moon" Odom. An inexplicable failure to come up with dynamic thrilling magazine covers like that SI above is only the beginning of the reasons that sorry rag has completely jumped the shark, but a big one.

batmagadanleadoff Nov 12 2008 07:27 PM

="John Cougar Lunchbucket":1m8sle9e]When I was young I used to get Vida Blue confused with John "Blue Moon" Odom. An inexplicable failure to come up with dynamic thrilling magazine covers like that SI above is only the beginning of the reasons that sorry rag has completely jumped the shark, but a big one.[/quote:1m8sle9e] Boy do I agree with you about SI. By the way, I think that SI's photography is still great. It's just that the rest of the world's caught up with them over the last 30 years or so. Their covers suck these days, though. It's not so much that the photography's gone downhill, but that the covers are now cluttered with so much more text promoting other inside features, ruining the aesthetics. Look at how clean those 1971 Vida Blue covers are. I'll end here, without straying from the topic of SI covers, which was the point of your post. But you're right -- SI has jumped the shark (years ago, I might add) and for many other reasons. Edgy DC Nov 12 2008 08:06 PM Seeing the byline "John Heyman, Sports Illustrated" is about as telling as it gets. It's like Ted McGinley took up sportswriting. Check out how the energy stored in his coiled up left arm has warped the time-space continuum around the ball. ="batmagadanleadoff"] Edgy DC Nov 12 2008 08:26 PM Roe is an interesting case. A weak 1954 ended his career right before the gilded year of 1955. I wonder if he retired outright or lost his job in camp. Maybe it was Koufax --- a similar model then at 19 of a hard-throwing wild lefty --- who knocked Roe off the roster, the Dodgers forced to carry him under bonus baby rules. Met Hunter Nov 12 2008 08:45 PM I remember as a kid seeing a picture in a yearbook of the A's scoreboard. It read: The Oakland A's colors are California Gold, Kelly Green, and Vida Blue. John Cougar Lunchbucket Nov 12 2008 09:01 PM At some point in the early 90s I guess they started phasing out action covers in favor of portraits, and as you said trying to cram the entire table of contents onto the cover. The whole thing became less about moments athletes provided us and more about marketing of their personailities. G-Fafif Nov 13 2008 05:54 AM Finley wanted Vida to change his name to True, Vida has said. "The newspaper boys will call you True Blue." Because Vida wasn't an interesting enough name. Benjamin Grimm Nov 13 2008 06:48 AM And Vida said he'd do it only if Finley changed his name to "True O. Finley." G-Fafif Nov 13 2008 06:57 AM Or perhaps True Lee Insane.

[Guest themetfairy]

Wow - that's very sad!

[Guest AG/DC]

Kevin Foster's career highlight was perhaps beating the Mets to end a Cubby streak in 1997 opening the season with 14 straight losses. It was the second game of a double-header, and Turk Wendell damn near coughed it up in the ninth.

KEVIN FOSTER 1969-2008

Cancer takes 'nice, humble' ex-Cubs pitcher

By Paul Sullivan | Chicago Tribune reporter

October 14, 2008

Former major league pitcher Kevin Foster, who fulfilled a lifelong dream by playing for the Cubs, died Saturday at the age of 39.

The former Evanston High star died in an Oklahoma City hospital after a six-month bout with renal cell carcinoma, his brother, Mark Foster, said.

Kevin Foster spent five seasons with the Cubs after being acquired from Philadelphia for Shawn Boskie in 1994, going 32-28 from 1994 to '98.

Kevin Foster in 1994. (Tribune / Nuccio DiNuzzo)

Foster grew up playing all sports in Evanston, and even lived at home with his family early in his Cubs career.

"Kev was just a nice, humble kid," Mark Foster said. "Just a regular guy. It was like a dream for him when he got to play for the Cubs. We used to come down on the L to watch games at Wrigley Field as kids, and now he's pitching there.

"But he never got starry-eyed. He'd just come home after playing in a game, just the same as he did when he played in high school. Everything was just normal to him."

Foster was selected by Montreal in the 29th round of the 1987 amateur draft after being noticed by Expos area scout Stan Zielinski.

Originally signed as an infielder, Foster became a pitcher in '91 and was in the majors with the Phillies briefly in '93.

Foster advanced quickly through the Cubs' system before going 12-11 in '95, his first full season in the majors.

In 1997, starting for a team that had set a National League record with 14 straight losses to begin the season, he beat the New York Mets in Shea Stadium to end the streak.

Foster went 10-5 in 17 first-half starts in '97, becoming the first Cub with 10 wins at the All-Star break since Greg Maddux in '92.

Foster battled arm injuries after '97, and made a brief comeback with Texas in 2001.

Recently, he was living in Oklahoma City, where he had once pitched in Texas' farm system, and drove a truck for a living.

Foster had four children and was engaged to be married, Mark Foster said.

Services in Evanston are pending.

psullivan@tribune.com

Edited October 14, 2008 by Guest

[Frayed Knot]

1960's Yank Tom Tresh, 71

[G-Fafif]

First Yankees cards I ever had, via inheritance from my baseball-disinterested sister who collected them briefly because it was the thing to do in fifth and sixth grade: 1967 Elston Howard, Ruben Amaro and Tom Tresh. I also have a real strong memory of hearing on the radio that Tom Tresh had been traded to the Tigers. My sister and I had had some fun with his name, so any mention of Tom Tresh was good for a juvenile laugh.

[Frayed Knot]

He was RoY in '62 but had a relatively short career after that.

He was the son of a big league player and I seem to remember some talk that his kid was on the road to maybe becoming the first third-generation player.
The kid never did make it all the way - and the Boones, Bells, and Hairstons eventually broke that ground.

[MFS62]

Preacher Roe:

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3694998&campaign=rss&source=MLBHeadlines

Usually not one of the first names mentioned as one of the "Boys of Summer" but I remember him on those Brooklyn teams.

Later

Mods - this probably should have been in the Baseball Passings thread. Did a search and couldn't find it.


(Merged from Preacher Roe, 11/11/2008)

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Great photo of him in the Snooze today:




(Merged from Preacher Roe, 11/11/2008)

[Guest Edgy DC]

Moyjd.

[Frayed Knot]

Herb Score[/url:8i4h1m8a], 75.

1955 AL RoY as a LHP for Cleveland. He was a two-time All-Star before his career was cut short by a line-drive off his face.
Later was an announcer for the Indians for 30+ years.

Edited November 11, 2008 by Guest

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

I'd guess many of us first heard of Herb Score when Dwight Gooden arrived breaking all his rookie records.

[Guest Edgy DC]

The idea that there hadn't been a rookie pitcher like Dwight Gooden since Herb Score is incredible. I guess Mark Fydrich, but he didn't really strike people out.

I think we still are unreasonably disappointed when pitchers don't arrive as completed products.

[Frayed Knot]

Tim Lncecum (possible CY winner before the day is out) might have the case for best 2nd-year pitcher since Gooden.
18 wins, 265 K in ~220 IPs, mid-2's ERA, etc

The main difference is that he's 24 y/o, a relative senior citizen compared to Score/Gooden.

[G-Fafif]

Vida Blue's first full year was 1971: 24-8, 301 K, 1.82 ERA, 8 SHO, set the world on its ear. That would make him rookie of the year material to whoever voted for Edinson Volquez but it was the most amazing breakthrough season I can recall (if we count Gooden's 1984 as his "breakthrough").

[Theoldmole]

Preacher Roe was one of my favorites, and this has made me very sad.

[batmagadanleadoff]

="G-Fafif"]Vida Blue's first full year was 1971: 24-8, 301 K, 1.82 ERA, 8 SHO, set the world on its ear. That would make him rookie of the year material to whoever voted for Edinson Volquez but it was the most amazing breakthrough season I can recall (if we count Gooden's 1984 as his "breakthrough").

When I was a kid, I once won one of those Sports-Phone Challenges by being the first caller to correctly answer "Vida Blue". I forgot the question, though. Vida did set the world on fire in 1971.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Don't let the goofball uniform fool you. That's what a baseball god looks like.

[seawolf17]

Didn't he once have "VIDA" on the back of his uni in the mid-80s with the Giants?

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

When I was young I used to get Vida Blue confused with John "Blue Moon" Odom.

An inexplicable failure to come up with dynamic thrilling magazine covers like that SI above is only the beginning of the reasons that sorry rag has completely jumped the shark, but a big one.

[batmagadanleadoff]

="John Cougar Lunchbucket":1m8sle9e]When I was young I used to get Vida Blue confused with John "Blue Moon" Odom. An inexplicable failure to come up with dynamic thrilling magazine covers like that SI above is only the beginning of the reasons that sorry rag has completely jumped the shark, but a big one.[/quote:1m8sle9e] Boy do I agree with you about SI. By the way, I think that SI's photography is still great. It's just that the rest of the world's caught up with them over the last 30 years or so. Their covers suck these days, though. It's not so much that the photography's gone downhill, but that the covers are now cluttered with so much more text promoting other inside features, ruining the aesthetics. Look at how clean those 1971 Vida Blue covers are. I'll end here, without straying from the topic of SI covers, which was the point of your post. But you're right -- SI has jumped the shark (years ago, I might add) and for many other reasons.

Edgy DC Nov 12 2008 08:06 PM

Seeing the byline "John Heyman, Sports Illustrated" is about as telling as it gets. It's like Ted McGinley took up sportswriting. Check out how the energy stored in his coiled up left arm has warped the time-space continuum around the ball. ="batmagadanleadoff"]

Edgy DC Nov 12 2008 08:26 PM

Roe is an interesting case. A weak 1954 ended his career right before the gilded year of 1955. I wonder if he retired outright or lost his job in camp. Maybe it was Koufax --- a similar model then at 19 of a hard-throwing wild lefty --- who knocked Roe off the roster, the Dodgers forced to carry him under bonus baby rules.

Met Hunter Nov 12 2008 08:45 PM

I remember as a kid seeing a picture in a yearbook of the A's scoreboard. It read: The Oakland A's colors are California Gold, Kelly Green, and Vida Blue.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Nov 12 2008 09:01 PM

At some point in the early 90s I guess they started phasing out action covers in favor of portraits, and as you said trying to cram the entire table of contents onto the cover. The whole thing became less about moments athletes provided us and more about marketing of their personailities.

G-Fafif Nov 13 2008 05:54 AM

Finley wanted Vida to change his name to True, Vida has said. "The newspaper boys will call you True Blue." Because Vida wasn't an interesting enough name.

Benjamin Grimm Nov 13 2008 06:48 AM

And Vida said he'd do it only if Finley changed his name to "True O. Finley."

G-Fafif Nov 13 2008 06:57 AM

Or perhaps True Lee Insane.