Ted "Double Duty" Radcliffe, baseball player

July 07, 1902 - August 11, 2005

Former Negro Leagues baseball star, Ted "Double Duty'' Radcliffe, has died at the age of 103, from complications after a long bout with cancer. He was the world's oldest living professional baseball player.

Radcliffe was a both a player and a manager and played for 15 teams during his career. His career spanned more than twenty years and he showed his talent both as a catcher and a pitcher. Radcliffe's nickname, "Double Duty", was given to him by sports writer, Damon Runyon, in the 1932 Negro League World Series after catching Satchel Paige in the first game of a doubleheader and pitching a shutout in the second game. He was playing for the Pittsburgh Crawfords at the time. Radcliffe was named a Negro League All-Star six different times - three times as a pitcher and three times as a catcher.

Radcliffe's love of the game never wavered and he was frequently in the crowd at US Cellular Field. In recent year, he made it a tradition to throw out the first ball on his July 7th birthday.

``Double Duty shared such a love for baseball and a passion for life,'' said White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf. "We all loved to see him at the ballpark, listen to his stories and share in his laughter. He leaves such a great legacy after experiencing so much history and change during his long life. He will be missed by all of us with the White Sox.''