Lamar Gary 'Jake' Jacobs

WindyCity.com August 30, 2010

PALMETTO, FLA. – Lamar Gary “Jake” Jacobs, 73, died on July 26, from Dementia.

He resided in Palmetto, leaving his birthplace, Youngstown, in 1987. Lamar was born in 1937, and his parents, were Lamont B. Jacobs and Mildred Jane Freed. His surviving siblings are, his twin brother, Lamont Jacobs, Tad Jacobs, Darla Kent, Candy Spitzer and Wendy Johnston.

Lamar attended Boardman High School and graduated from Ohio University. He signed “Bonus Baby” with the Washington Senators “aka Minnesota Twins” in 1959. While playing for the Indianapolis Indians he met his wife, former Miss Indiana, Janice Oliver. They were married in 1962 and had four children, Jamie Lamar, Jodi Kay, Jason Guy and Justine Marie.

After leaving professional baseball, Lamar spent the next 25 years, as an Insurance Salesman for Ohio National Life and attained numerous awards such as a repeated member of the, “Million Dollar Round Table.” Lamar was also heavily involved with the YMCA in Youngstown. His family resided at 9711 New Buffalo Road in Canfield and was a member of the Old North Baptist Church and prior to that a Deacon at the Boardman Christian Church.

Lamar Jacobs always was passing out his “T Bird Testimonies,” while driving his classic 1960 Thunderbird, that spoke of his career as a professional baseball player and more importantly, his faith over the years. Lamar passed out over 6,000 of these testimonies out and can be found on the website, www.TailFinsandChrome.com. Being a big supporter and trainer for Sports World Ministries,Lamar dedicated much of his time to his church and the well being of our youth in America.

Lamar chose to work with ACH of America up until his final days. The family asks for no flowers to be sent, however any tributes should be sent to www.sportsworld.org.

Lamar is survived by eight grandchildren, Devyn, Dylan and Jacob Chadwell, Joy, Jana and Joshua Hahn and Presley and Canaan Lamar Jacobs.

A celebration of life memorial service will be held on Sept. 5, 2010, at 4:30 p.m., followed by a reception after the service at the Old North Church of Canfield, 7105 Herbert Road, Canfield, OH 44406.

Oklahoma native, former Major League Baseball player Cal McLish dies at 84

Cal McLish, an Anadarko native who played 15 seasons in the majors and had the longest full name in MLB history, died Thursday morning. He was 84. His full name was Calvin Coolidge Julius Caesar Tuskahoma McLish.

BY RYAN ABER, Staff Writer, raber@opubco.com NewsOK.com
Published: August 26, 2010

Cal McLish, an Oklahoma native and former Major League Baseball player, died Thursday at the age of 84.

“It's amazing what he was able to accomplish,” Edmond Memorial athletic director Mike de la Garza said Thursday. “We are so honored to have known him, and he'll be greatly missed.”

De la Garza had grown close to McLish in the last decade, regularly playing golf with him at KickingBird in Edmond.

McLish was inducted into the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame last August, but his health had deteriorated since then.

It was de la Garza who gave McLish's presentation during the Hall of Fame ceremony.

“He was the most genuine, humble guy that I've ever met that had the opportunity to be the exact opposite,” de la Garza said.

His full name was Calvin Coolidge Julius Caesar Tuskahoma McLish. His father chose the name after McLish's mother told John McLish he could name their son.

“There were eight kids in the family, and I was No. 7, and my dad didn't get to name one of them before me. So he evidently tried to catch up,” Cal McLish told The Oklahoman in 1999.

Cal McLish was born in Anadarko in 1925 but grew up in Oklahoma City. He attended Central High School.

He didn't play organized baseball growing up, instead hanging out at local parks just to be around the sport.

“I worked my way up from picking up rocks in the infield to hanging scores on the scoreboard to shagging balls in the outfield to the ball boy,” McLish told The Oklahoman's Berry Tramel in 2007. “The only thing I wanted to think about or do when I was growing up was baseball.

“I didn't have any other interests. It just seemed like that was it. I just loved it so much. I couldn't wait to play.”

He broke into the majors as an 18-year-old in 1944 with the Dodgers. It was the first time McLish played organized baseball.

“I didn't belong, and I knew that,” McLish said in 2007. “I had to learn my skills against the best players.”

After a year with the Dodgers, McLish spent 1945 in the Army. He returned to baseball in 1946.

McLish won 92 games in 15 major league seasons with seven teams. His best season came in 1959.

That year, he went 19-8 with a 3.62 ERA with Cleveland.

McLish made his only All-Star team and earned the save for the American League just two days after pitching a complete game.

McLish started the two-inning, All-Star stint by retiring future Hall of Famers Hank Aaron, Willie Mays and Ernie Banks in order.

McLish also played for Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, both the Chicago Cubs and White Sox and Philadelphia.

He spent parts of eight seasons in the minor leagues, never playing below Triple-A.

McLish set a major league record with 16 consecutive road wins over the 1958-59 seasons. The record stood for 36 years until Greg Maddux surpassed it over the 1994-95 seasons.

McLish later spent 16 seasons as a major league pitching coach before becoming a scout and an instructor. McLish was a member of the Milwaukee Brewers coaching staff from 1976-1982.

David 'Satch' Davidson, Major League Baseball umpire, dies at 75

WashingtonPost.com
Thursday, August 26, 2010

Satch Davidson, 75, the home plate umpire when Hank Aaron and Carlton Fisk hit two of baseball's most famous home runs, died Aug. 21 at his home in Houston. The cause of death was not reported.

In his first month in the majors in 1969, Mr. Davidson worked no-hitters that Jim Maloney and Don Wilson pitched on back-to-back days at old Crosley Field in Cincinnati.

He was on the field for five no-hitters, plus a pair of World Series, three National League Championship Series and the 1976 All-Star game.

Yet there were two at-bats that topped them all, moments in which Mr. Davidson still appears on the highlight reels.

The clip from April 8, 1974, shows Mr. Davidson coming out of his crouch as Aaron launched his 715th home run, breaking Babe Ruth's record. While Aaron's teammates on the Atlanta Braves waited to greet him, Mr. Davidson stood a few feet in front of the plate, mask in hand, making sure the Hammer touched home plate.

The next year, Davidson was down on his right knee in the 12th inning, ready to call the pitch that Fisk hit at Fenway Park in Game 6 of the 1975 World Series. As Fisk frantically tried to wave the ball fair, Davidson lined it up.

The drive hit the foul pole in left and Mr. Davidson signaled it was a fair ball. He always said he had a better look at it than the umpires at third base and left field.

A bad back forced Mr. Davidson to retire after the 1984 season.

In the offseason, he was a police officer in London, Ohio, where he was born. He also worked in the winter as a college basketball official, sometimes doing Big Ten games.

Mr. Davidson, whose given name was David, got his nickname from a character in the "Bowery Boys" films of the 1940s.

Bobby Thomson

The Savannah Morning News
August 17, 2007

NEW YORK (AP) - Bobby Thomson, whose "Shot Heard 'Round the World" in 1951 has echoed through baseball history as perhaps the game's most famous home run, has died. He was 86.

Thomson had been in failing health for several years. He died at home in Savannah, Ga., on Monday night, the Fox & Weeks funeral home said Tuesday.

Thomson connected off Ralph Branca for a three-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning in the decisive Game 3 of a National League pennant playoff, lifting the New York Giants over the Brooklyn Dodgers.

The drive into the left-field stands at the Polo Grounds and broadcaster Russ Hodges' ecstatic call of "The Giants win the pennant!" remain one of the signature moments in major league history.

A three-time All-Star as an infielder and outfielder, Thomson hit .270 with 264 career home runs and 1,026 RBIs from 1946-60 with several teams.

Yet his drive into the left-field stands vaulted "The Flying Scot" to a place of almost mythic status. There have been plenty of historic home runs over the years - Bill Mazeroski, Kirk Gibson, Carlton Fisk and Joe Carter, to name a few - but Thomson's shot remains remains the giant among them.

The tall, lanky and self-effacing Thomson, however, was stunned that in a lineup that included future Hall of Famers Willie Mays and Monte Irvin, he would hit the pennant-winning homer. He called himself "the accidental hero."

Thomson's home run decided one of baseball's most memorable pennant races, and later led to one of its most-debated questions: Did he know Branca was going to throw the high-and-inside fastball that Thomson hit out of the park?

More than a half-century later, it was revealed the Giants during the season had used a buzzer-and-telescope system to steal the signals from opposing catchers. Helped by the inside information, the Giants overcame a 13½-game deficit to the Dodgers, won 37 of their final 44 games and forced a playoff.

Thomson steadfastly claimed he did not know what pitch was coming when he connected. Branca was never quite so sure.

For years, Thomson and Branca appeared together at functions of all kinds, a modern-day Abbott & Costello act, their retelling of the moment filled with fine-tuned comic touches and playful jabs.

And long after the Giants and Dodgers left town and moved West, Thomson remained a recognized figure on New York streets. Taxi drivers, office workers and pedestrians of a certain age would stop him or call out his name - the old Giants fans cheered, the Dodgers crowd, not so much.

Former Pirates GM Joe L. Brown dies at 91

By ALAN ROBINSON, AP Sports Writer Mon Aug 16, 6:08 pm ET

PITTSBURGH – Joe L. Brown, the general manager whose shrewd trading and expert rebuilding of the Pittsburgh Pirates' farm system resulted in two World Series championships, died after an extended illness. He was 91.

He died Sunday in Albuquerque, N.M., the team said Monday. Less than two months ago, he attended a reunion of the 1960 Pirates.

"As the architect behind the 1960 and 1971 World Series teams, we were honored that Joe was able to return to Pittsburgh in June to help us celebrate the 50th anniversary of the 1960 team," team president Frank Coonelly said in a statement. "The ovation he received prior to the game was a special moment for Joe and his family."

Brown, the son of famed comedian Joe E. Brown, succeeded Branch Rickey as the Pirates' general manager following a last-place season in 1955. He stayed on the job through 1976, a span in which the Pirates won the 1960 and 1971 World Series and five NL East titles after division play began in 1969.

Brown traded for 1960 Pirates standouts Don Hoak, Smoky Burgess, Bill Virdon, Harvey Haddix, Dick Schofield and Vinegar Bend Mizell — deals that helped reshape what was the majors' worst club during much of the 1950s into a champion.

His best move might have been bringing in Danny Murtaugh, who managed the 1960 and 1971 World Series teams despite retiring briefly during the 1960s. Murtaugh is the only manager in Pirates history to oversee two World Series winners.

Murtaugh died of a stroke in 1976, two months after he and Brown retired together.

Brown also promoted to the majors Hall of Famers Willie Stargell and Bill Mazeroski as well as Al Oliver, Dave Parker, Steve Blass, Richie Hebner and Manny Sanguillen. By constantly identifying, drafting and signing strong prospects, the Pirates were a contender for much of the 1960s and all the 1970s before Brown retired.

"To put it quite simply, he was one of the classiest guys that I ever ran across in the game," said Blass, who pitched the Pirates to a Game 7 victory over Baltimore in the 1971 World Series. "Straight up, straight-on honest with you, a very good judge of talent. ... I was not a big bonus baby, I was not a big prospect. But he cared about me from day one, and that never ended."

The 1960 team upset the heavily favored New York Yankees in one of the most unpredictable World Series, overcoming losses of 16-3, 12-0 and 10-0 to win Game 7 on a ninth-inning home run by Mazeroski — one of the most storied games in major league history.

Despite his success, Brown wasn't popular among some players. He also negotiated contracts during the time before free agency, when salaries weren't high and even a modest drop in production could mean a pay cut. Still, the players recognized his organizational skills and his passion for maintaining a strong farm system.

"I tried to hold out one year, and I made the fatal mistake of going down to spring training, kind of hanging on the fence watching the guys work out," Blass said. "He came over and said, 'You know you're done.' I said, 'Give me a pen, let's go. Let's sign.' "

Brown's talent gathering was greatly aided by the Pirates' Caribbean scout, Howie Haak, one of the most successful scouts in baseball history.

Brown returned as general manager early in the 1985 season amid a clubhouse cocaine scandal and began overhauling a 104-loss team before Syd Thrift was hired full time later that year.

For the reunion trip to Pittsburgh in June, Brown was in a wheelchair. Former players said he was talkative, enthusiastic and up to date with the game. He spent much of his time talking to Vera Clemente, the wife of the late Hall of Famer.

After retiring, Brown served as the longtime chairman of the Baseball Hall of Fame Veterans Committee. The committee was restructured after Mazeroski was chosen in 2001.

Brown resided in Newport Beach, Calif., but had been staying recently in an assisted living center in Albuquerque near his daughter Cynthia's home. He would have been 92 on Sept. 1. He also is survived by a son, Don. Funeral arrangements are incomplete.

Former Pirates pitcher/broadcaster Nellie King dies

Wednesday, August 11, 2010
By Colin Dunlap, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Nellie King, former Pirate pitcher and broadcaster at the last Pirates game at Three Rivers Stadium in 2000.Nelson Joseph "Nellie" King, a former Pirates pitcher and broadcaster and Duquesne University sports information director and broadcaster, died today.

His death was confirmed by Duquesne University athletic spokesman Dave Saba. He was 82.

In recent years, Mr. King, who was born on March 15, 1928, battled colon cancer and pneumonia.

Mr. King pitched for the Pirates from 1954-57, constructing a 7-5 record as he was used largely as a relief pitcher, playing alongside Pittsburgh greats Roberto Clemente, Dick Groat and Bill Mazeroski -- but that's not where he made his most indelible mark in baseball.

It was in the broadcast booth where Mr. King is remembered most, first working for smaller stations in Latrobe, Kittanning and Greensburg from 1960-67, covering mainly high school sports.

In 1967, his biggest break came, as Mr. King joined the three-man Pirates broadcast team alongside veterans Bob Prince and Jim Woods, and he announced Pirates games on radio and television until 1975. That position had opened when Don Hoak, a former Pirates player and Pittsburgher, moved from the broadcast booth to the dugout to take a position as a coach.

During his tenure in the booth for the Pirates, Mr. King was behind the microphone for some of the Pirates' brightest days, as he described action for teams that won the National League Eastern Division championship five times and, most notably, a 1971 World Series dominated by his former teammate, Clemente.

Mr. King, who graduated from Milton Hershey High School in Hershey, Pa., in 1945, also put together morning sports reports on WWSW and KDKA and weekend sports on local television stations WTAE and KDKA.

He served as color commentator for one final game in the nostalgia-filled 2000 season for the Pirates, the final year before Three Rivers Stadium was imploded.

After his experience in the Pirates booth, Mr. King moved into a sports communications role at Duquesne University in 1975, undertaking those duties until his retirement from that post in 1992. In addition to his sports information director position at Duquesne, Mr. King served as publicity director for the Eastern Eight Conference (now the Atlantic 10) and coached Duquesne's men's golf team for almost two decades.

But, even as he was the sports information director and golf coach, Mr. King still found a way with that hectic schedule to keep a part of him involved where he felt most comfortable -- behind the microphone. For 24 seasons, he was the color commentator for Duquesne men's basketball games alongside play-by-play man Ray Goss.

"My initial impressions, when he first got the job, was 'OK, here's a professional athlete, rebounding from his career and he's just going to be here for awhile and then move on,'" Goss said today. "That initial impression could not have been further from the truth. He worked so hard at his craft, at being both a public relations man and a radio man. And for that I admired him, I always admired the way he dug in and worked hard to learn new things."

"Just like some of the old time ballplayers, he was a regular guy," aid Mr. Goss, who will begin his 42nd year behind the Dukes microphone this year. "There were no airs about Nellie. It was never, 'Hello, I'm Nellie King, a former professional baseball player' when he introduced himself. There was none of that. He was just a regular guy; you'd walk up and talk to him and he was just like every other guy." Most recently, Mr. King wrote the 2009 book, titled "Happiness is like a Cur Dog: The Thirty-Year Journey of a Major League Baseball Pitcher and Broadcaster" in which he spins numerous yarns that only a man who made the voyage from a minor leaguer, to a major-leaguer to a big league broadcaster can tell.

The book's visibility spiked in popularity when television personality and noted baseball lover Keith Olbermann, who hosts Countdown on MSNBC, made mention of it during a telecast.

Mr. King is survived by his wife, Bernadette, and three daughters, Laurie, Leslie and Amy.

Gene Hermanski, longtime Brooklyn Dodger, passes away at 90

August 10, 2010
Baseball History Examiner
Nicholas Diunte

Gene Hermanski, the former Brooklyn Dodger outfielder who suggested that they all wear number 42 to confuse the alleged snipers threatening Jackie Robinson, died Monday afternoon in Florida. He was 90.

His death was confirmed by his wife Carol, after a brief phone interview from their home in Homosassa.

Hermanski was born May 11, 1920 in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, but spent his formative years in Newark, New Jersey where he would become a standout at East Side High School. After graduating, he signed in 1939 with the Philadelphia Athletics and later moved on to the Brooklyn Dodger organization in 1941 after his Pocomoke City team disbanded.

He served in the Navy and the Coast Guard during World War II, spending most of his time stationed at Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn. During his military service, he was granted a two-month leave in 1943 which allowed him to make his major league debut with the Dodgers. He hit .300 in 60 at-bats before returning to the Navy.

While stationed at Floyd Bennett Field, Hermanski would play with the legendary semi-pro Brooklyn Bushwicks. Hermanski explained in this 2009 interview why he had to play under the name "Gene Walsh." "I had to change it [my name]; it was the smartest thing I ever did in my life. If my commanding officer ever found out that I was playing ball in some ball park, he'd ship me overseas."

Upon his return to the Dodgers in 1946, Hermanski made the club as a reserve outfielder. It was there with the Dodgers that he witnessed baseball's integration happen before his eyes. Hermanski was the starting left fielder on April 15, 1947, the day Jackie Robinson made his major league debut. Ralph Branca, along with Hermanski, went over that day to greet Robinson with a handshake while Robinson was largely ignored by the rest of his teammates.

He played in two of the Dodgers' World Series appearances (1947 and 1949), batting .308 in their loss to the Yankees in the 1949 classic. He played with Brooklyn until 1951 when he was traded to the Chicago Cubs for Andy Pafko. He would spend two more seasons with the Cubs before becoming part of the exchange between the Cubs and Pittsburgh Pirates that sent Ralph Kiner to Chicago. Hermanski would play one more season in 1954 with the Oakland Oaks of the Pacific Coast League, reuniting with former Dodger manager Charlie Dressen before retiring from baseball. He finished with a lifetime batting average of .272 over nine major league seasons.

After his playing career was over, he worked as a sales representative for Tose Incorporated. At the time of his passing, he was the last living player from the starting lineups of both teams for Robinson's debut. Ed Stevens is currently the last surviving player that participated in that game.

Former OU Baseball Player Keith Drumright Dies

okblitz.com
Posted Monday, August 9th, 2010

NORMAN, Oklahoma -- Former University of Oklahoma baseball player Keith Drumright died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound on August 5. He was 55 years old.

Drumright was an All American in 1974 and 1976 and a three-time All-Big 8 second baseman.

The Springfield, Missouri native was a 4th round selection of the Chicago Cubs in the 1976 amateur draft. He went on to play two Major League seasons -- one with the Houston Astros in 1978 and one with the Oakland Athletics in 1981.

Known for his speed and defense on the field, Drumright was described by former teammates and coaches as a quiet, hard-working player who always arrived to the ballpark in a good mood.

Billy Loes, Quirky Pitcher for Dodgers, Dies at 80

The New York Times
By RICHARD GOLDSTEIN
Published: July 27, 2010

Billy Loes, a leading pitcher for three pennant-winning Brooklyn Dodgers teams of the 1950s with an image as an eccentric that seemed a perfect fit for a franchise long known for its colorful characters, died July 15 at a hospice in Tucson. He was 80.

His death was confirmed by his wife, Irene, who said he had diabetes for many years.

In his four best years with the Dodgers, from 1952 through their World Series championship season of 1955, Loes, a right-hander from Queens, won 50 games and lost 25. His best season was 1952, when he was 13-8 with four shutouts and a 2.69 earned run average.

When the Dodgers faced the Yankees in the 1952 World Series, Loes became a modern-day incarnation of the Dodgers’ Daffiness Boys of the 1920s, when they once had three men on third base at the same time.

On the eve of the 1952 Series, Loes was asked how the Dodgers would fare. He picked the Yankees to win in six games.

Then came Loes’s misadventures in Game 6, at Ebbets Field.

Pitching in the seventh inning with a 1-0 lead, Loes gave up a home run by Yogi Berra and a single by Gene Woodling. Then he balked by letting the baseball slip from his hand while he was on the pitching rubber, sending Woodling to second base. With two out, Vic Raschi, the Yankees’ starting pitcher, hit a ball off Loes’s leg, and it caromed into right field for a single, scoring Woodling. The Yankees went on to a 3-2 victory, tying the Series at three games apiece.

Afterward, Loes had an explanation for failing to snare Raschi’s comebacker: he said he had lost the ground ball in the sun.

The Yankees won the World Series the next day.

The aura of Loes the loopy Brooklyn Dodger gained national exposure with an August 1953 article by Jimmy Breslin in The Saturday Evening Post titled “The Dodgers’ New Daffiness Boy.” But the article pointed out that Loes was possessed of a basic shrewdness, having talked the Dodgers’ famously penurious general manager, Branch Rickey, into signing him to a $21,000 bonus in 1948 when he was just out of high school.

As for that World Series prediction, Loes was quoted in the article as saying the news media did not get it exactly right: “I never told that guy the Yanks would win it in six. I said they’d win it in seven.” (Which they did.)

As for losing the grounder in the sun, Loes’s explanation was backed up by his fellow Dodger pitcher Carl Erskine, who told Peter Golenbock in his 2000 oral history “Bums” that the sun peeked through from between the two decks behind home plate for a few minutes on October afternoons at Ebbets Field.

“When Loes said he lost it in the sun everybody laughed, and the fact is, if you ever pitched in Ebbets Field, you know that’s possible in October with a ball that’s hit with a little bounce on it,” Erskine said.

William Loes was born on Dec. 13, 1929, in Queens and became a star pitcher there for Bryant High School. He made his debut with the Dodgers in 1950, then rejoined them in 1952 after serving in the Army.

He was sold to the Baltimore Orioles during the 1956 season and pitched for the American League in the 1957 All-Star Game. He pitched for the San Francisco Giants in his last two major league seasons and retired after 11 seasons with an 80-63 record.

His wife, Irene, of Chapel Hill, N.C., from whom he was separated, is his only survivor.

Over the years, Loes’s reputation for making strange comments grew. He was said to have expressed little ambition to be a 20-game winner, figuring management would always expect him to reach that milestone.

Asked about his flaky aura in the sports pages, Loes told The New York Times in 1957, “When they asked me a question, I answered them honestly.

“But most of them turned it around because they knew it would make better copy that way. It got to the point where I told a few writers, ‘Go ahead, write what you want about me and say I said it. You’ve been doing it right along anyway.’ ”

Laurence Joseph Fritz

Published in The Times from July 26 to July 27, 2010

Laurence Joseph Fritz, age 61, of Highland, IN and formerly of Whiting, IN, passed away at Munster Community Hospital, with his family by his bedside, on Thursday July 22, 2010 after a long battle with numerous lingering illnesses.

Zeb, as most people knew him, was born on February 14, 1949 to John and Angeline (Stefek) in Whiting, IN.

He is survived by his beloved wife of 27 years, Jean (Benko) Fritz; cherished father of Natalie Ryann (fiancé, Thomas (TJ) Fusner) Fritz and Douglas John (DJ) Fritz, all of Highland, IN; brother, Edward (Liz) Fritz of Whiting; sister, Nancy (JR) Battista of Schererville, IN; sister-in-law, Arlene (late Henry/Hank) Hart of Granger, IN: nieces: Lisa (Charlie) Remmers, Jonelle (John) Noffsinger, Traci (Milford) Hale, Kelly (Angelo) Cicco, Amber (Matthew) Dittoe, Andrea and Krystin Hart; nephews: Edward (Lianne) Fritz, Todd (Laura) Battista, Mike (Penny) Battista and Justin Hart; great-nieces: Anastasia and Isabelle Noffsinger, Lilliana Hale, Violet Cicco, Kaitlyn Battista and Ryan and Alex Dittoe; and great-nephews: Clarke Remmers, Clayton Hale, and Jacob Dittoe.

He was preceded in death by his parents: John and Angeline Fritz; mother and father in-law, Emil and Martha (Ciesar) Benko; brother-in law, Henry Hart and numerous aunts, uncles and cousins.

Funeral services will held on Wednesday, July 28, 2010 at 10:00 a.m. at the Baran Funeral Home, 1235-119th St., Whiting with Pastor Kevin Bergmann of St. Paul Evangelical Lutheran Church, Whiting, officiating.

Interment, Concordia Cemetery, Hammond, IN.

Family and friends are invited to meet with the family at the funeral home on Tuesday from 3:00 to 9:00 p.m.

Larry was born and raised in Whiting, IN. He attended Sacred Heart Elementary School. He graduated from Whiting High School in 1967 where he was an outstanding athlete in baseball, basketball and football.

Zeb played on the Whiting American Legion Post 80 baseball team when it won the state championship in 1965. He continued his education by attending Arizona State University for three years before he was drafted by and signed for the New York Mets.

He was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies. Then he went to play in the Mexican League where he won the batting title in 1976 with a batting average of 355.

After he stopped playing baseball, he went on to play softball for numerous local teams. Larry served in the Indiana National Guard, Company C 113th Engineer Battalion.

He was employed as a truck driver by Metro Intermodal Trucking of Lansing, IL, Calumet Coach, and Bulkmatic Transport. He retired in 2004 from Metro Intermodal due to a disability.

As his children were growing up, he loved and enjoyed coaching them and others in baseball, basketball, soccer and softball. He was an devoted Chicago Bears, Blackhawks, Bulls, and Cubs fan. He was an avid collector of antique cars and his "baby" was a 1967 black GTO convertible.

During the winter, he loved sitting by the pool and looking at the gulf out of the condominium window in Fort Myers Beach, FL while everyone else was freezing up north.

Larry was a loving and wonderful husband and father. He will be deeply missed by everyone who knew him, especially by his best and most faithful friend, Barney (our Basset Hound).

In lieu of flowers, memorials in Larry's name may be made to the Calumet Area Humane Society, St. Paul Evangelical Lutheran Church, Whiting, or the American Diabetes Association . (219) 659-4400

Ralph Houk, Yankees Manager, Dies at 90

By RICHARD GOLDSTEIN
The New York Times
Published: July 21, 2010

Ralph Houk, a third-string catcher for the Yankees who went on to win three straight American League pennants and two World Series championships in his first seasons as their manager, died Wednesday at his home in Winter Haven, Fla. He was 90.

Ralph Houk, awaiting a game in 1966, won a Silver Star in World War II and was known in baseball as the Major.

His death — coming soon after the deaths of George Steinbrenner, the principal owner of the Yankees, and Bob Sheppard, the team’s former public address announcer — was announced by his daughter, Donna Slaboden.

As he got ready to manage in a World Series game for the first time, against the Cincinnati Reds in 1961, Houk was asked if he was nervous. “Why, is somebody going to be shooting at me?” he replied, according to “The Man in the Dugout” (Crown, 1992) by Leonard Koppett.

Houk had displayed his courage as an armored corps officer in World War II, winning the Silver Star. Upon returning to baseball, he was known as the Major, a tribute to his commanding presence, whatever the uniform.

When he became manager of the Yankees in October 1960, Houk stepped into a pressure-filled situation: he was replacing a man who had won 10 pennants and 7 World Series.

“There’s only one Casey Stengel,” he said. “I’m Ralph Houk.”

Managing for 20 seasons — with the Yankees, the Detroit Tigers and the Boston Red Sox — Houk’s strong point was building the morale and confidence of his players with an optimistic outlook and a refusal to criticize them publicly.

“I don’t think you can humiliate a player and expect him to perform,” he said.

Ralph George Houk, a Kansas native, was born on Aug. 9, 1919, the son of a farmer. He was a star athlete in high school, then was signed by the Yankees as a catcher in 1939.

After playing in the minors for three seasons, he enlisted in the Army as a private but received a lieutenant’s commission after officer candidate school.

He took part in the invasion of Normandy in June 1944 and the Battle of the Bulge that December, when he received the Silver Star for exposing himself to enemy fire as he drove off German tanks near a village in Luxembourg. When he was discharged as a major at war’s end, Houk took home a souvenir: a helmet he wore at Omaha Beach with holes in the front and back, a bullet having narrowly missed his skull.

In his first game with the Yankees, on April 26, 1947, Houk got three hits against the Washington Senators, and he went on to hit .272 in 41 games. That was his best season. With Yogi Berra en route to the Hall of Fame as the Yankees’ catcher, Houk appeared in only 91 games and had 158 at-bats over eight seasons, never hitting a home run.

He spent most of his time in the bullpen.

“I used to sit out there with pitchers who weren’t in the starting rotation, and I learned exactly what went through their minds,” Houk once told the sportswriter Lee Allen.

In 1955, Houk was named manager of the Yankees’ top minor league team, the Denver Bears of the American Association. In three years at Denver, he managed such future Yankees as Tony Kubek, Bobby Richardson, Don Larsen and Johnny Blanchard.

After the Yankees lost the 1960 World Series to the Pittsburgh Pirates, Stengel was forced out, at age 70, in favor of Houk, and General Manager George Weiss was replaced by his aide, Roy Hamey.

Houk made his debut as manager in an epic season: Roger Maris hit 61 home runs to break Babe Ruth’s record. The Yankees defeated the Reds in a five-game World Series, then captured the Series again in 1962, beating the San Francisco Giants in seven games. They repeated as pennant winners in 1963, but were swept by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the Series.

Houk and Hughie Jennings, who managed the Tigers to American League pennants from 1907 to 1909, are the only managers to finish in first place in each of their first three seasons.

After the 1963 season, Hamey retired because of health problems, Houk was elevated to general manager and Berra was named manager. The Yankees won the pennant again in 1964, but lost to the St. Louis Cardinals in seven games in the World Series.

Berra, never having enjoyed the players’ respect the way Houk had, was fired after the 1964 season and replaced by Johnny Keane, who had managed the Cardinals to the Series championship and then quit.

The Yankees’ stars were getting old, and the team finished sixth in 1965. When the Yankees got off to a 4-16 start in 1966, Houk fired Keane and returned to the dugout. The Yankees fell to 10th and last place, and during the season CBS took over complete ownership.

In January 1973, a syndicate headed by Steinbrenner bought the team. Under CBS, Houk had a free hand on the field while Lee MacPhail handled the front-office duties.

Houk quit on the final day of the 1973 season as the Yanks finished fourth in the Eastern Division. He said that he had not accomplished what he hoped for, and “I blame no one but myself.”

Houk managed for five years in Detroit, never finishing higher than fourth place, then retired to his Florida home. But he returned to baseball in 1981 as manager of the Boston Red Sox and had modest success over four seasons. He had a career record of 1,619-1,531, and upon retiring as a manager for a second and final time, stood 10th on the career list in games managed. He became a vice president of the Minnesota Twins in November 1986 and helped build their World Series champions of the following season.

In addition to his daughter, of Westerville, Ohio, Houk is survived by his son, Robert, of Bainbridge Island, Wash.; 4 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren. His wife, Bette, died in 2006.

When Houk was named manager of the Yankees, he affected no false bravado. As Clete Boyer remembered: “At his first meeting, Ralph said we knew how to play the game better than he did. So if we wanted to bunt, bunt. If we wanted to hit and run, then hit and run.”

But his players never forgot that Houk was in command. As Kubek put it in his remembrance of the 1961 season: “None of us questioned Ralph. He was the Major.”

John H. Van Cuyk — Rochester

www.postbulletin.com 2:45:02 PM

ROCHESTER — The funeral Mass for John Henry Van Cuyk will be 11 a.m. Thursday, July 15, 2010, at St. Pius X Catholic Church in Rochester, with the Rev. Thomas Loomis and Rev. Charlie I. Collins officiating. Visitation will be held from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday, July 14, 2010, at Macken Funeral Home, and one half-hour prior to services at the church on Thursday. Burial will be Friday in St. Agnes Cemetery in Kellogg.

Mr. Van Cuyk, 89, of Rochester, died Saturday, July 10, 2010, at Golden Living Center West.

John was born on July 7, 1921, in Little Chute, Wis., to Henry and Anna Van Cuyk. He grew up in Kimberly, Wisconsin, where he attended school. John served stateside in the United States Army during WWII from 1941 to 1945. He pitched in Major League Baseball for the Brooklyn Dodgers and later played for the Saint Paul Saints. After John's baseball career ended, he went into real estate and car sales.

John married Josephine Fiers in 1941 in Kimberly, Wis., who later passed away in 1988. On December 9, 1989, he remarried to Kathryn R. Ellison in Cleveland, Ohio.

John was a member of the Knights of Columbus and the Elks.

Survivors include his wife; sons, John Jay (Lila) Van Cuyk of Phoenix, Ariz., and Lonnie P. (Linda) Van Cuyk of Schaumburg, Ill.; step-children, Judy (Chris) Canney of Bloomington, Minn., John (Diane) Ellison of Lewiston, Idaho, and Liz (Michael) Yochum of Rochester; 6 grandchildren, 6 step-grandchildren, and 8 great-grandchildren. John is preceded in death by his parents, Henry and Anna Van Cuyk; first wife, Josephine; brothers, Joseph, Frank and Chris Van Cuyk; and sister, Delores.

Memorials are preferred to Lourdes High School or the American Cancer Society.

Macken Funeral Home in charge of arrangements. Online condolences are welcome at www.mackenfuneralhome.com.

Kenny Kuhn, four-sport star at Male in 1950s, dies at 73 in Utah

The Courier-Journal.com • July 16, 2010

Kenny Kuhn, one of the most versatile and accomplished high school athletes in Louisville history, died Friday. He was 73.

In 1955, The Courier-Journal's Johnny Carrico called Kuhn "possibly the greatest all-around athlete ever to come out of Louisville."

Kuhn died at his daughter's home in Layton, Utah, after a two-year struggle with pancreatic cancer.

Kuhn excelled in baseball, basketball, football and track at Male High School in the 1950s.

"He was Mr. Male for a long time," his brother Charley said Friday.

Kuhn, a 5-foot-11 guard, was Mr.Basketball in 1955, scoring 25 points in the Kentucky-Indiana All-Star Game in Indianapolis. He was a Courier-Journal All-State player three years in a row. He averaged 24.9 points a game as a senior and 22.6 for his career.

In football, with brother Charley as his coach, Kuhn was an All-State quarterback with scholarship offers from several local schools, including Indiana.

Bernie Crimmins, IU's coach at the time, said, "If he decides to come to Bloomington, I'll give him a police escort."

He didn't have much time for track, but it didn't take much.

"He never was in track until it came state tournament time," Charley said, "and he won the broad jump." (In 1954, he missed the state record by a quarter-inch.)

But baseball was his choice. Kuhn was one of baseball's "bonus babies," signing with the Cleveland Indians for an estimated $40,000 in 1955.

Hank Greenberg, the Indians' general manager, called the 18-year-old shortstop "the finest young infielder I've seen in a long time." But Greenberg lamented the rule that kept bonus babies in the majors for two seasons before they could be sent to the minors.

Over three seasons, Kuhn played 71 games in the majors, batting .210 with no home runs and seven RBIs.

"He practiced and practiced," his brother said. "He got up one morning, and he couldn't raise his right arm up."

Doctors found damage to his tendons and ligaments, Charley said. The Indians switched Kenny to second base, but he never found his way back to the majors. He retired in 1963 rather than accept an assignment to play in the Mexican League.
After baseball, Kuhn spent most of his career in development for food companies, including Kentucky Fried Chicken and Mister Donut. His last corporate job was in California, with Children's Discovery Centers. In 1999, he and his wife, Peggy, retired to Truckee, Calif., where they worked at a Lake Tahoe resort. She was a concierge; he drove a van, occasionally delivering VIPs to the resort.

"All the kids that worked at the resort loved Kenny," Peggy said. "They ran his baseball card up to $1,700 bidding on it on eBay. Then one of the drivers that he worked with bought his glove (for about $2,300). They loved him, and they loved hearing his stories. What they loved most was he carried their bets into Reno for them."

Betting -- especially on horse races -- was one of Kuhn's leisure pursuits.

"He was never good at it," Peggy said. "He loved it, though. My daughter (Carrie) just said a while ago we should save some of dad's ashes and take them to Churchill Downs and throw them on the finish line."

Kenny and Peggy had four children -- Carrie, Amy, Scott and Stan. The family plans a private memorial service in California.

Steinbrenner dies from heart attack
'Boss' rejuvenated Yankees, saw them win seven titles
By Bryan Hoch / MLB.com

07/13/10 9:50 AM ET

George M. Steinbrenner, the principal owner of the New York Yankees since 1973, died Tuesday, reportedly after suffering a massive heart attack. He was 80.

The Steinbrenner family confirmed his death in a statement issued by the Yankees.

Steinbrenner was the longest tenured owner in Major League Baseball. Through his purchase of the Yankees, Steinbrenner became one of the game's best-known personalities; a demanding type who earned the long-standing nickname, "The Boss."

He had endured a pair of public health scares in recent years, limiting his public commentary mostly to statements released through publicist Howard Rubenstein.

In October 2006, Steinbrenner fainted while attending his granddaughter's play in Chapel Hill, N.C., and was removed by paramedics; he also fainted at a memorial service for football player Otto Graham in Sarasota, Fla. in December 2003.

Born on July 4, 1930, in Rocky River, Ohio, Steinbrenner grew up in the Cleveland suburb of Bay Village and established his connections to the sports world at an early age.

Steinbrenner was a multi-sport athlete at Culver Military Academy in Indiana, where he was inducted into the school's Athletic Hall of Fame, and at Williams College, where he graduated in 1952.

Steinbrenner served two years in the Air Force before launching a coaching career, first at Aquinas High School in Columbus, Ohio, before accepting football assistant coaching positions at two Big Ten schools: Northwestern in 1955 and Purdue in 1956.

He followed those experiences by assembling championship basketball teams in both the National Industrial and American Basketball Leagues.

Preceding his purchase of the Yankees at age 42, Steinbrenner had also assumed control of his family's shipbuilding business and bought into the American Ship Building Company, amassing the fortune that would one day lead him to professional sports ownership.

He briefly owned the Cleveland Pipers of the American Basketball Association and flirted with acquiring both an NBA franchise and the Cleveland Indians baseball club before ultimately landing his treasured prize in the Bronx.

"Owning the Yankees," Steinbrenner once said, "is like owning the Mona Lisa."

On Jan. 3, 1973, a group headed by Steinbrenner purchased the Yankees from CBS for a net of $8.7 million, re-injecting funds -- and more important, hope -- into a franchise that had experienced a period of dormancy in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

At a press conference announcing the deal, Steinbrenner famously told reporters that he did not intend to be a hands-on owner, a statement that Steinbrenner himself would later laugh at.

"We plan absentee ownership as far as running the Yankees is concerned," Steinbrenner said. "We're not going to pretend we're something we aren't. I'll stick to building ships."

Instead, Steinbrenner helped the Yankees build a dynasty through heavy utilization of the free agent market. Though once critical of free agency, saying that it could "ruin baseball," Steinbrenner soon became one of its biggest proponents. Pitcher Jim "Catfish" Hunter received a record-setting $2.85 million contract in 1974, and slugger Reggie Jackson soon netted a five-year, $3.5 million deal.

Under aggressive leadership, it took Steinbrenner just five years to turn the Yankees into World Series champions once again.

Steinbrenner's ownership of the Yankees spanned six championships, 10 American League pennants and a pair of dynasties, one of which - the team's run of two World Series victories and three appearances from 1977-1981 - is remembered as one of baseball's most controversial clubhouses and has been called "The Bronx Zoo" era.

In that time period, Steinbrenner became famous for his headline-grabbing frequent changes of managers and general managers, all in relentless pursuit of a victorious Major League club.

"Winning is the most important thing in my life, after breathing," Steinbrenner once said. "Breathing first, winning next."

In his first 23 seasons, Steinbrenner switched managers 20 times -- including hiring and firing Billy Martin on five occasions -- and went through 11 general managers in 30 years.

The early payoff came in the form of back-to-back World Series titles over the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1977 and 1978, the Yankees' first consecutive titles since 1961 and 1962.

The Yankees also appeared in the 1981 World Series against Los Angeles, though the end result was unacceptable to Steinbrenner, who issued a public apology to the city of New York for the seven-game defeat. The Yankees did not win a World Series championship throughout the 1980s, the first decade since the 1910s that they failed to do so.

The Yankees' more recent dynasty of four World Series championships from 1996-2000 was constructed behind Steinbrenner's decidedly more hands-off approach. A blossoming farm system allowed the Yankees to reap the rewards of developing players like Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada, Mariano Rivera and Bernie Williams to great success, while still adding free agents to round out talented rosters.

Steinbrenner's ownership of the Yankees was by far the longest of any owner in the storied franchise's history, exceeding the stewardship of Colonel Jacob Ruppert -- who purchased the club in 1915 and served as owner for 24 years until his death in January 1939.

Steinbrenner's reign endured its share of controversy, too. In 1974, Steinbrenner was suspended by Commissioner Bowie Kuhn for two years 15 months after pleading guilty to a felony crime of making illegal contributions to Richard Nixon's presidential campaign. The suspension was later reduced to nine months.

In July 1990, Steinbrenner was handed a lifetime ban from baseball by Commissioner Fay Vincent for paying $40,000 to a gambler named Howie Spira in exchange for damaging information about Winfield.

Steinbrenner's ban was lifted by Vincent in March 1993, allowing Steinbrenner to resume his role as general partner of the club.

"I don't begrudge either commissioner that suspended me," Steinbrenner told the Sporting News in 1998. "I have no ill feelings for either Bowie Kuhn or Fay Vincent. They did what they felt they had to do. I'm not saying that they were right, but they felt they had to do it and they did it. I put that behind me. I've moved on."

Continuing his interests in sports outside the Yankees, Steinbrenner had a well-documented fondness for horse racing. His ownership of the 850-acre Kinsman Stud Farm near Ocala, Fla. influenced manager Joe Torre's own passion for colts.

In 2002, Steinbrenner was honored with the Gold Medal Award from the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame for a lifetime of "outstanding commitment, dedication and dynamic leadership in both his business and personal lives." It is the highest and most prestigious award bestowed by the College Football Foundation.

Steinbrenner was also known for his support of the U.S. Olympic Committee. Steinbrenner had served on the NCAA Board of Trustees since 1990, was Chairman of the U.S.O.C. Foundation from 1997 through 2002 as well as the Olympic Overview Commission in 1988 and 1989, which was created to evaluate the structure and efforts of the United States Olympic program.

He also served as the Vice President of the U.S. Olympic Committee from 1989 to 1996 and was honored with both the General Douglas MacArthur USOC Foremost Award and the Dom Miller U.S. Olympic Award.

In 1997, Steinbrenner was honored as "Outstanding New Yorker" and was named Tampa's "Citizen of the Year" for 1998. He was also named the Number One "Most Powerful Man in Sports" for 2002 by The Sporting News.

"In the end," Steinbrenner was quoted as saying, "I'll put my good acts up against anybody in this country. Anybody."

Steinbrenner was a part of mainstream pop culture, hosting Saturday Night Live in October 1990 and appearing on NBC's "Seinfeld" and HBO's "Arli$$" as himself. He also appeared in television commercials and was a regular character on "Seinfeld," though his likeness was voiced by Larry David.

Steinbrenner's final legacy was completed in 2009, when the Yankees opened a new ballpark in the Bronx.

Steinbrenner is survived by his wife, Joan, and their children, Hal, Hank, Jennifer and Jessica.

Yankees longtime public address announcer Bob Sheppard passes away

newyork.yankees.mlb.com
07/11/2010 12:10 PM ET

It is with deep sadness that the New York Yankees announce the passing of longtime public address announcer Bob Sheppard - "The Voice of Yankee Stadium." Sheppard passed away this morning at his home in Baldwin, N.Y., with his wife, Mary, by his side.

He was 99 years old.

A wake will be held on Tuesday and Wednesday at the Fullerton Funeral Home located at 769 Merrick Road, Baldwin, Long Island, from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. each day. The funeral will be held on Thursday at 10:45 a.m. at St. Christopher's Church at 11 Gale Avenue in Baldwin.

Born in Ridgewood, Queens, Sheppard began his tenure as Yankees public address announcer on April 17, 1951-Opening Day of Joe DiMaggio's final season and Mickey Mantle's Major League debut. Among the approximately 4,500 baseball games he worked over his tenure with the Yankees were an incredible 121 consecutive postseason contests (1951-2006), including 62 games in 22 World Series.

"Most men go to work, but I go to a game," Sheppard said. "How many men would love to do that?"

Sheppard's incredible career behind the microphone started when he volunteered his services for a charity football game in Freeport, Long Island, in the late 1940s. An executive from the Brooklyn Dodgers football team of the All-America Conference was at the game. He liked Sheppard's style ("clear, concise and correct") and hired him. The football Dodgers folded after only one season at Ebbets Field (1948), but one of their opponents-the New York football Yankees-heard Sheppard's booming voice and offered him their PA job at Yankee Stadium. Baseball's Yankees then heard him and offered him the same role for them for the 1950 season. Though his teaching schedule could not accommodate the 77-game home schedule for baseball (plus World Series games) and he turned down the offer for 1950, he reconsidered the next year.

In addition to his baseball duties, Sheppard was the public address voice for the football Giants for 50 seasons-from their move to Yankee Stadium in 1956 until his retirement after the 2005 season. Sheppard also served the New York Titans of the American Football League at the Polo Grounds, the New York Stars of the World Football League at Downing Stadium, the New York Cosmos (soccer) and St. John's University basketball and football. Sheppard also handled PA duties for five Army-Navy football games in Philadelphia.

Some of the events he listed as the most memorable of his incredible career were: Don Larsen's perfect game in Game 5 of the 1956 World Series on October 8, 1956; Roger Maris' 61st home run on October 1, 1961; Reggie Jackson's three home runs in Game 6 of the World Series on October 18, 1977; and the Giants-Colts overtime NFL Championship Game on December 28, 1958.

In one of the game's truly memorable moments, Sheppard introduced President George W. Bush before Game 3 of the 2001 World Series (on October 30) as Mr. Bush became the first sitting President to throw out a ceremonial first pitch at Yankee Stadium.

Sheppard attended St. John's College, which eventually became St. John's University. Always a talented athlete, he received a full athletic scholarship to the school, playing quarterback on the football team all four years. He later enrolled at Columbia University, where he received his master's degree in speech and worked his way up from teacher-in-training to substitute teacher to permanent teacher to department chairman. In order to supplement his teaching salary, Sheppard played semiprofessional football on Sundays in Long Island with the Valley Stream Red Riders and the Hempstead Monitors, earning $25 a game.

In 1998, Sheppard was presented with the prestigious William J. Slocum "Long and Meritorious Service" Award by the New York chapter of the BBWAA as well as the "Pride of the Yankees" award by the ballclub. Yankee Stadium's media dining room was named "Sheppard's Place" prior to the 2009 season to commemorate his legacy.

On May 7, 2000, a plaque was dedicated to Sheppard in Monument Park of the original Yankee Stadium to commemorate his 50th anniversary season.

The native New Yorker was elected to the St. John's University Sports Hall of Fame, the Long Island Sports Hall of Fame and the New York Sports Hall of Fame. He was awarded honorary doctorates from St. John's University (Pedagogy) and Fordham University (Rhetoric), and in 2007, received St. John's' Medal of Honor, the highest award that the university can confer on a graduate.

Sheppard also made cameo appearances in numerous motion pictures and television shows, including 61*, It's My Turn, It Could Happen to You, Anger Management, Seinfeld and Mad About You.

Sheppard announced his final game at Yankee Stadium on September 5, 2007, a 3-2 Yankees victory over the Kansas City Royals.

At the request of Derek Jeter, a recording of Sheppard announcing his name has been played prior to each of his at-bats since Sheppard's absence in 2007.

On September 21, 2008, Sheppard provided a valedictory in the bottom of the seventh inning of the final game at the original Yankee Stadium. Unable to say goodbye in person as he continued to recover from illness that had kept him away from the Stadium since the final weeks of the 2007 season, Sheppard gave his tribute through a taped segment played on the video board. He recited, "Farewell, old Yankee Stadium, farewell / What a wonderful story you can tell / DiMaggio, Mantle, Gehrig and Ruth / A baseball cathedral in truth."

Former Binghamton Triplets manager Verdi dies at 84

PressConnects.com, July 13, 2010

Frank Verdi, a four-time Binghamton Triplets infielder and the franchise's fiery manager in two later seasons, has died in New Port Richey, Fla.

He was 84 when he died on Friday.

Verdi was inducted into the Binghamton Baseball Shrine in 2004. He played for the 1949 and 1952 Eastern League champions, and for the 1950 playoff finalists. He managed the 1966 (NY-P League) team here, and was the 1968 (Eastern) team until late-season promotion to Syracuse.

In 2008, Verdi was inducted in the International League Hall of Fame. He managed Triple-A league's championships in three cities-- Syracuse in 1969 and 1970, later Columbus after being reinstated in the Yankees organization when George Steinbrenner became owner, and finally the Mets' Tidewater (Norfolk) club.

In Verdi's first three seasons here, the Triplets twice won the Eastern League championship (1949, 1952) and reached the playoff final in 1950. Playing primarily third base, the Brooklyn native's two .300 batting seasons included the league's third-best, .313 in 1952.

He also managed the Oneonta Yankees in 1967, first season of their long New York-Penn League stay.

Compared to playing 1,916 games in the minors, his only appearance in the majors lasted less than two innings. He had replaced Phil Rizzuto at shortstop in a 1953 game in Boston, and manager Casey Stengel pinch-hit for him after he had stepped into the batter's box. Verdi managed in the minors for 24 years, the last in Sioux Falls, Iowa, where he returned to the dugout after being hospitalized by a heart attack.

Despite his decades in the minors, his monthly pension was $142.60.

Survivors include his wife of 59 years, Binghamton native Pauline (Pasquale) Verdi, and four sons.

Clint Hartung, ex-Giant dies, 87

By Greg Rajan
Corpus Christi Caller Times
July 12, 2010

CORPUS CHRISTI — Clint Hartung was on hand for one of baseball’s iconic moments.

However, the former major leaguer was remembered as someone who chose to shun the limelight in his later years.

Hartung, a former pitcher and outfielder for the New York Giants who made his home in Sinton, died on Thursday. He was 87.

Hartung was the 11th player in major-league history whose first home run came as a pitcher and later homered as a position player. He was the last to achieve the feat until St. Louis’ Rick Ankiel in 2007.

Hartung’s brush with baseball history came in the third game of the 1951 National League playoff between the Giants and Brooklyn Dodgers. He had entered the game as the pinch runner at third base and scored when Bobby Thomson hit his famous “Shot Heard ’Round the World” to win the pennant.

After his pro baseball career ended in 1955, Hartung moved to Sinton to work for the Marathon Oil Company, for whom he was a foreman. He also played for the Sinton Oilers, the company-sponsored baseball team.

He lived in Sinton until his death.

“His presence was there and everybody knew he was there,” said longtime Sinton High School baseball coach Gene Kasprzyk. “In my opinion, he didn’t feel real comfortable being in the public eye.

“He lived right across the street from the high school and would ride his bicycle every afternoon. Every once in a while, I would stop
practice and every year I’d say to the kids, ‘Let me tell you who this man is.’”

Hartung, a Hondo native, was signed to play minor-league ball out of high school, beginning his pro career in Eau Claire, Wis., before he was drafted into military service and spent the next four years in the Army.

Hartung was purchased by the New York Giants in 1946 for four players and $25,000. It was with the Giants that he spent his major-league years from 1947-52.

He spent four seasons as a pitcher, going 29-29 with a 5.02 earned-run average, before being moved to the outfield in 1951.

After his time with the Giants, Hartung played for a variety of minor-league teams before finishing his baseball career in 1955.

Hartung was preceded in death by his wife Carolyn. Hartung’s funeral was held Saturday, and at his request, the service was private.

Harry Lorn Brown
(September 18, 1938 - June 24, 2010)

GetzFuneralHome.com June 27, 2010

“Heaven’s my real home; I’m just here on a visit” was a favorite saying of Lorn Brown, 71, of Las Cruces, NM who returned home on Thursday, June 24 when he passed peacefully in his sleep at Memorial Medical Center.

He was born in East Chicago, Indiana on September 18, 1938 to Harry and Dalene (nee Moore) Brown.

Lorn spent his childhood on the South Side of Chicago in the home of his mother and the company of his aunts Iva, Nina, Mary, Kathryn, Noreen and cousins Buddy, Peggy and Mary Jo. Following the death of his mother, he was welcomed into the family of Jack and Joy O’Brien, who had five teenage boys of their own whom he considered brothers. He remained lifelong friends with the boys from the neighborhood and looked forward to seeing them at their annual reunions.

He attended Mt. Carmel High School in Chicago, IL before joining the Air Force at the age of 15. Following stints in the Army, Coast Guard and Merchant Marine, he returned to Chicago where he worked in the steel mills while attending Midwestern Broadcasting School. After beginning his broadcasting career, he completed his Associates degree at Illinois Central College and took additional coursework at University of Illinois – Chicago. He furthered his craft by studying at the Ted Liss School of Performing Arts.

In June of 1961, he married Patricia Stein in Springfield, IL. They had two sons, Bonner and Richard. He often spoke proudly of their achievements; particularly Bonner’s linguistic abilities and Rich’s military service. On October 26, 1984, he married Elizabeth Burke in Hinsdale, IL. They had one daughter, Jacqueline. He was so proud to see the capable young women she has become and was excited for her future.

With his easy recollection of names and dates and his gift for storytelling, he found his calling as a sportscaster. Lorn’s early career was spent in downstate Illinois, where he covered both high school and Illinois State University athletics. His excellence led to his 1973 induction into the Illinois Basketball Coach’s Association Hall of Fame. While downstate, he worked as a precinct captain during the 1960 election campaign of President Kennedy. Although his career choice excluded his continued involvement in politics, it remained a vital interest throughout his life.

Lorn’s first love was baseball and he had the opportunity to pursue his dream of becoming a big league announcer with the Iowa Oaks AAA farm club before making it to “The Show” with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1974.

In 1976 he returned to his hometown and became the radio play-by-play announcer for the Chicago White Sox.

He had fond recollections of being hired by Sox owner Bill Veeck, who advised him “Have Fun!”

Over the years, he cherished the time spent with his partners in the booth including Mike Shannon (St. Louis Cardinals); Harry Carey, Del Crandall, Don Drysdale, Joe McConnell, Jimmy Piersall and Early Winn (Chicago White Sox); Johnny “Red” Kerr (Chicago Bulls); Bob Uecker (Milwaukee Brewers); Ralph Kiner (New York Mets).

One of his most exciting moments was calling the game in 1983 when the White Sox clinched the division title.

One of his favorite events to call was the annual charity softball game between the Chicago Blackhawks and the Oak Brook Police.

Additionally, he announced for the Chicago Blitz; Chicago Cougars; Big Ten, ACC, Metro and Missouri Valley conferences, as well as Bradley, Drake, Notre Dame and DePaul universities.

In 1994, he was delighted when he received a call from Mike Veeck, asking him to do the television coverage of the St. Paul Saints and returned to baseball for two years.

Since arriving in Las Cruces in 2005, Lorn enjoyed working on the NMSU Coach’s Show (radio) and doing public address for the Aggie women’s softball team.

A member of AFTRA and the Screen Actors Guild, he did many commercial and industrial voiceovers and appeared in the films Damien Omen II and Grumpier Old Men. He enjoyed sharing his knowledge with aspiring broadcasters and taught broadcasting modules at Illinois State University, Columbia College, Illinois Central College, Illinois Broadcast Center, National Sportscasters Camp and Seneca High School.

Lorn was a proud member of the Frank Leahy American Legion Post and supported the Red Cloud Indian Mission and Valentine Boys & Girls Club. He was awarded the USMC Iwo Jima Award for his work with wounded veterans. With his gift of gab, kind heart and ability to put those around him at ease, Lorn never met a stranger.

He is survived by his wife Elizabeth, sons Bonner (Craighton Cooper) Brown of Dallas, TX; Rich (Evelyn) Brown of Arlington, WA; daughter Jacqueline Brown of Las Cruces, NM; granddaughter Toni Marie Brown (Scott) Meek of Oceanside, CA; great-grandson Brendon Meeks of Oceanside, CA; brothers Bruce (Pam) Brown of Farmington Hills, MI; Earl (Bonnie) Brown of Ypsilanti, MI; David (Roxanne) Brown of Atlanta, GA; John (Kay) O’Brien of Libertyville, IL: Jim (Mary Ellen) O’Brien of Peru, IL; Mike (Linda) O’Brien of Crestwood, IL; Paul (Jane) O’Brien of Land o’ Lakes, FL; Bill (Mary Jane) Ryan of Lambertville, MI; his beloved aunt Noreen Moore of Alexandria, VA; mother-in-law Marylea Burke of Las Cruces; cousin Buddy Keay of Calumet City, IN, as well as numerous in-laws, cousins, nieces and nephews.

Lorn is preceded in death by his brother Pat O’Brien; cousins Judy and Mary Jo; father-in-law Ned Burke and nephew Tebr Rothrock.

Services will be held at 10 am at Getz Funeral Home on Monday, June 28 with Father Sean Garrity presiding. Burial will be at sea.

Memorial gifts or donations may be made to the athletic program of the Red Cloud Indian Mission or your favorite charity.

Hartman, former pitcher with Braves, Indians, dies

(AP) – Saturday, June 17, 2010

KENOSHA, Wis. — The family of former Major League pitcher Bob Hartman says he has died of an infection following a cancer operation last year. He was 72.

Audrey Hartman says her husband died Wednesday in Kenosha. She says he was having trouble speaking at the end but that he managed to find the strength to tell her he loved her.

Bob Hartman had brief stints with the Milwaukee Braves in 1959 and the Cleveland Indians in 1962. The left-hander appeared in 11 games, going 0-1 with a 5.21 ERA.

After his playing days, Hartman served for more than 20 years as a sports director for a Kenosha youth baseball league. In the early 1970s he was the Clerk of Kenosha County Circuit Courts for six years.

Hartman is survived by his wife, three daughters and six grandchildren.

William "Willie" Pope / Negro Leagues pitcher for the Grays, Crawfords
Dec. 14, 1918 - June 10, 2010

Wednesday, June 16, 2010
By Malik Smith, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

William "Willie" Pope, a valued pitcher for the Homestead Grays and one of Pittsburgh's last links to part of its storied baseball past, died Thursday in the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in O'Hara. He was 91.

Mr. Pope, born in Birmingham, Ala., was the oldest of 11 siblings born to Jackson and Mary Pope. He also had one adopted sibling.

One of his brothers, Dave Pope, also played baseball and made it to the major leagues in the 1950s. Mr. Pope's younger brother, Charles, said William also was a heavyweight boxer with the Pittsburgh Golden Gloves during the early 1940s.

The 6-foot-4 Mr. Pope began his career as a pitcher with the Pittsburgh Crawfords in 1946 but was mostly known for playing with the Grays during the 1947 and 1948 seasons. During the 1947 season the right-hander notched a 6-7 record, but pitched a no-hitter against the New York Cubans.

In the 1948 season he was major contributor to the Grays team that won the last Negro National League Pennant and won the Negro Leagues World Series against the Birmingham Black Barons of the Negro American League.

The Negro National League folded after the 1948 season, partly because Jackie Robinson's move to the major leagues caused a decline in interest for Negro Leagues teams.

"Black baseball was in dramatic transition at the time," said Rob Ruck, a University of Pittsburgh professor and Negro Leagues expert.

Although Mr. Pope never made it to the majors, he never lost his love for baseball. He played in the Canadian Leagues from 1949 to 1951, and then in the minors from 1953 to 1955.

After his playing days were over, Mr. Pope managed a baseball team in the Hill District and owned a restaurant on Centre Avenue. Mr. Pope also ran for the position of ward chairman and worked for the city of Pittsburgh for 25 years as a surveyor.

Much of Mr. Pope's life after sports was dedicated to bettering the city of Pittsburgh.

In 1988 Mr. Pope was invited to be honored by the Pittsburgh Pirates along with other remaining members from the Grays' last championship team.

Along with Clarence Bruce, a former Negro Leagues player with the Crawfords, and Al Gordon, the first black front office employee for the Pirates, Mr. Pope did his best to revive the history of Negro Leagues baseball in Pittsburgh.

"Mr. Pope's death marks the end of an era; virtually everybody who played for the Grays and Crawfords and then made his life in Pittsburgh is gone," Mr. Ruck said.

Mr. Pope is survived by his wife of 59 years, Ethelia Pope; nine siblings, Evelyn Pringle (Oscar) of Newark, N.J., Charles Pope (Delores) of Wilkins, Howard Pope (Ruth) of Pittsburgh, Calvin Pope of Pittsburgh, Doretha Beatty (Eugene) of Pittsburgh, Aretha Dooley of East Orange, N.J., Mary Thompkins of Pittsburgh, Robert Jones (Grace) of Bridgeville and Virginia Pope of Murrells Inlet, S.C.; and a sister-in-law, Naomi Davis of Detroit.

A memorial service will be held Saturday at the Kingdom Hall East End Congregation at 8890 Frankstown Road, Penn Hills

Former major league outfielder Oscar Azocar dies at 45 of heart attack in Venezuela.

By Associated Press

June 14, 2010

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Former major leaguer Oscar Azocar, a free-swinging outfielder when he debuted for the New York Yankees in 1990, died Monday. He was 45.

The native Venezuelan died at a hospital in Valencia, said Diogenes Nazar, press spokesman for one of Azocar's former teams, the Navegantes del Magallanes.

Azocar hit .226 with five home runs and 36 RBIs in a three-year career. Promoted from the minors by the Yankees in July 1990, he got a pinch-hit single in his first big league at-bat, then homered, doubled and singled in his next game.

In lasting Memory of "Freddie Thomason Burdette"

MathewsFuneralHome.com, June 3, 2010

The graveside service of Freddie Thomason Burdette, 73, of Albany, GA who died Tuesday, June 1, 2010 at Palmyra Nursing Home will be conducted, Friday at 2:00 PM at Riverside Cemetery. Dr. Ronald Baxley will officiate. Visitation will be held from 1:30 PM until 2:00 PM at the cemetery.

A native of Moultrie, GA and born to the late Horace A. Burdette and Aline Morris Burdette, Mr. Burdette had resided in Albany, GA since 1955. He was a 1954 graduate from Moultrie High School and played professional baseball for the Chicago Cubs from 1954 until 1964. He pitched thirty games for the major league Chicago Cubs from 1962-1964.

Mr. Burdette was employed with United Parcel Service and retired in 1992. He loved the outdoors and was an avid fisherman. He was preceded in death by a brother, Kenneth Burdette.

Survivors include three brothers, Ricky Burdette and Jackie, of Pelham, GA, Randy Burdette and his wife, Jenny of Lawrenceville, GA and Christy Burdette and his wife, Sheila of Tucson, AZ, a sister and her husband, Vickie and Tony Amorose of Sugarhill, GA and two sons, Marty and Brett.

Those desiring may make donations to United Hospice of Cordele, 407 E. 16th Ave., Cordele, GA 31015.

Jerry Stephenson, longtime Dodgers scout, dies
He also pitched for the Dodgers and the Red Sox.

The Los Angeles Times June 8, 2010

Jerry Stephenson, a longtime scout for the Dodgers and Boston Red Sox who had a seven-year pitching career in the major leagues with the Red Sox, Seattle Pilots and Dodgers, died of cancer Sunday at his Fullerton home, publicist Steve Brener said. He was 66.

Stephenson was part of the 1967 Red Sox team that reached the World Series. He won three regular-season games after being called up from the minors in August and appeared as a relief pitcher in one game during the World Series, which the Red Sox lost to the St. Louis Cardinals.

Stephenson was raised on baseball, the son of longtime major league scout Joe Stephenson, who also played in the big leagues. "I've been in baseball since birth," Jerry Stephenson told The Times in 1983. "I've got a picture of myself at 6 weeks cradling a ball and bat."

He was born Oct. 6, 1943, in Detroit but grew up in Southern California. A right-handed pitcher, he was signed by his father for Boston for about $85,000 in 1961 after graduating from Anaheim High School.

Stephenson was 8-19 during his major league career. He reached the majors with Boston in 1963 and also played there from 1965 to 1968. He played for the expansion Seattle Pilots in 1969 and the Dodgers in 1970. He pitched in the Dodgers' minor league system until he started scouting in 1974.

He worked 25 years for the Dodgers and 14 years for the Red Sox as a major league and advance scout before retiring last year.

Stephenson graduated from Cal State Fullerton in 1978 with a bachelor's degree in physical education.

He is survived by his wife of 43 years, Yvonne; his son, Brian; his daughter, Shannon Smaldino, three grandchildren; his mother, Dorothea; his brothers, Tom and Joe Jr., and his sisters, JoAnn and MaryLou.

A funeral is scheduled for 10 a.m. Friday at St. Boniface Catholic Church, 120 N. Janss St., Anaheim.

Exeter High standout, former major league baseball pitcher Jeriome Robertson killed in motorcycle crash

By Damian Marquez
visaliatimes.com
May 31, 2010

Jeriome Robertson, a former Exeter High School baseball standout and Major League Baseball player, died late Saturday night after crashing his motorcycle in Exeter.

Robertson, 33, lost control of his 2007 Yamaha Warrior while making a turn at 70 mph, according to a California Highway Patrol report.

The CHP report did not include Robertson’s name, but his former high school baseball coach Steve Garver confirmed his death.

Smith Family Chapel in Exeter is taking care of the body. A date for the viewing has not been set.

“It is an unfortunate thing, anytime a young person dies,” Garver said. “ He always had a fire for baseball as long as I knew him. Even when he’d come back, he would always stop by and come out to practice. He was great with the kids. He always wanted to help out and do whatever he could for the high school kids.”

Robertson, who helped lead Exeter to a Central Section championship and was named the Times-Delta co-player of the year in 1995, was drafted by the Houston Astros in the 24th round of the 1995 amateur draft.

He made his major league debut on Sept. 2, 2002.

During his first full season with the Astros in 2003, Robertson compiled a 15-9 record and was seventh in rookie of the year award voting.

In 2004, Robertson was traded to the Cleveland Indians after the Astros signed Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte in the offseason.

He made his final major league appearance July 21, 2004.

Robertson finished his major league career with a 16-12 record in 51 appearances.

He was released by the New York Mets on July 31, 2006. He also spent time playing pro baseball in Taiwan, Mexico and in the Atlantic League — an independent baseball league.

“He was such a competitor,” Garver said. “That was one of the lasting impressions he left. He always said ‘you have to compete, compete, compete.’”

Rogelio “Limonar'' Martinez
A legend of the Cuban baseball passes away

By SAILOR MARTINEZ PERAZA
elnuevoherald.com 5/25/2010

The ex- thrower Rogelio “Limonar '' Martinez, a glory of the baseball Cuban amateur, passed away Monday in Connecticut.

Martinez, who shone in the Antillean ball with the Sport club Slaughters, passed away to the 91 years.

During his race amateur he accumulated 49 victories and 22 defeats with 2,62 of effectiveness with the matancera novena, helping this equipment to gain the title in the season of 1943.

Martinez dressed the uniform the Cuba equipment in the World-wide Series of 1941, 1943 and 1945 and finished with record of five victories and one defeat with 1,37 of effectiveness.

In that one ball amateur of the Forties, - the best one of the world existed a trio of serpentineros that defended the colors of the Sport Club Slaughters directed by Pipo of the Noval, that to him the Three called “Mosqueteros ''.

They were: Sandalio “Potrerillo'' Consuegra, Angel “Catayo'' González and Rogelio ``Limonar'' Martinez. These three colossuses of lomita followed in sport version the example of Aramis, Athos and Porthos: “One for all and all for uno''.

One of the feats of “Limonar '' in the amateurismo happened in the World-wide Series of 1943, celebrated in Havana, when it painted from target to Mexico just by 63 launchings, obtaining an average of seven shipments by entrance.

After having a shining personnel record in the amateurismo, Martinez decided to happen to the professional baseball and acted in six seasons in the Cuban ball with the Scorpions of the Almendares, Tigers of Marianao and Leones of the Havana.

He added 16 triumphs with 3,09 of effectiveness.

He participated in two Series of the Caribbean (1952 and 1953), both with the Havana, obtaining two triumphs without defeats and with an average of clean races of 1.53.

Rogelio sent with the Havana Cubans between 1947 and 1950 and reached an excellent mark of 38 victories with 17 reverses and 1,83 of effectiveness.

It arrived at Great Leagues to the 32 years of age and its action was limited the season of 1950 with the Senators of Washington, where it finished with a victory without defeat.

It rests peacefully, Rogelio “Limonar'' Martinez.

Former Cardinal Martin dies

By Dan O'Neill
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
05/26/2010

Morrie Martin, a lefthanded pitcher who appeared in 21 games for the Cardinals during the 1957-58 seasons, died Monday at his home in Washington, Mo.

Martin, 87, who was diagnosed last summer with lung cancer, was a native of Dixon, Mo.,He was signed by the White Sox in 1941 and pitched for seven teams during 10 seasons in the major leagues (1949-59) and compiled a 38-34 career record, with a 4.29 earned-run average, in 250 games. His best season was 1951, when he was 11-4 for the Philadelphia Athletics. He also won 10 games for the Athletics in 1953.

He had a record of 85-58 with a 3.09 ERA over 10 minor league seasons, as well.

Before he made it to the big leagues, Martin served on the front lines of the European Theatre of Operations in World War II. A member of the 49th combat engineers, he was among the first wave to land at Omaha Beach during the Normandy invasion.

He also participated in battles at Sainte-Mere-Eglise, Bastogne, the Battle of the Bulge and the Ludendorff Bridge at Remagen, Germany.

When he was discharged in 1945, he was decorated with an EAME ribbon with five bronze stars, as well as the Purple Heart with oak leaf cluster, signifying he was wounded twice in battle.

Former big leaguer Lima dead at 37
Thirteen-year veteran died of massive heart attack

By Bailey Stephens / MLB.com

05/23/10 2:14 PM ET

Former Major League pitcher Jose Lima died of a massive heart attack at his California home early Sunday morning. He was 37.

Lima's wife, Dorca Astacio, told ESPN Deportes' Enrique Rojas that she thought Lima was having nightmares, so she called the paramedics, but their efforts to revive him were unsuccessful.

According to Astacio, Lima was not experiencing any health problems prior to the heart attack.

Lima, a native of the Dominican Republic, pitched in the Major Leagues for 13 seasons, from 1994-2006. After breaking into the big leagues with the Tigers in 1994, Lima went on to compile an 89-102 career record to go with a 5.26 ERA. His best season came in 1999 as a member of the potent Houston Astros rotation. Lima posted a 21-10 record that season, along with a 3.58 ERA.

Astros Chairman and CEO Drayton McLane remembered Lima in a statement released by the club.

"It saddened me greatly to hear of Jose's passing. He had an outstanding career with the Astros and won 21 games in 1999 on one of our greatest teams ever. He was truly a gifted person both on the field and off of it. He could dance, he could sing, but his best gift of all was that he was an extremely happy person. He just lit up our clubhouse with his personality, which was his greatest asset. Jose was not shortchanged in life in any way. He lived life to the fullest every day."

The fiery right-hander also spent time with the Royals, Dodgers, and Mets. In his final year in the big leagues, 2006, Lima went 0-4 for the Mets.

In 2004, as a member of the Dodgers, Lima fired a five-hit shutout against the Cardinals for L.A.'s only win in the National League Division Series. Lima remained a beloved figure in Los Angeles, often attending Dodgers games. He took in Friday's Interleague game against the Tigers with his son Jose Jr.

Dodgers owner Frank McCourt spoke highly of Lima in a statement released by the team on Sunday.

"We are shocked and saddened to learn of the tragic loss of Jose Lima. Though he was taken from us way too soon, he truly lived his life to the fullest and his personality was simply unforgettable. He had the ability to light up a room and that's exactly what he did every time I saw him. His memorable contributions to the Dodgers in 2004 and throughout baseball will always be remembered. Our deepest condolences and prayers go out to his family during this extremely difficult time."

Lima continued to play baseball after his departure from the Majors, appearing in 22 games in 2007 for the Saltillo Saraperos of the Mexican League and making 11 appearances with the Camden Riversharks of the independent Atlantic League in 2008. He also pitched in the Golden League in 2009, playing for the Long Beach Armada before being traded to the Edmonton Capitals.

Lima never gave up his hope of returning to the big leagues.

"I'm just waiting for that phone call," Lima told MLB.com while playing for the Armada last season. "I know that break is coming."




JayD Schlueter

Published in The Arizona Republic on May 19, 2010

Schlueter, JayD
Our loss was heaven's gain as JayD Schlueter passed on May 13, 2010 (his dogs and Uncle Bill impatiently awaited him at heaven's gate).

JayD was survived by the love of his life Gail, his three children and best friends Christopher (Therese), Kelly (Jeff) and Bryan (Kat), his brothers Doug (Lynda), Randy (Janie), sister Kandy, his four grandchildren and an infinite amount of friends who loved him.

He was one of a kind and will be missed and cherished by all.

JayD passed quietly from complications from the disease Ataxia. During his last days, he was surrounded by those who meant most to him-his family and close friends. In the last few years, Ataxia took his physical gifts, but could not touch his heart of gold or his unrelenting soul.

A true role model and loyal friend to anyone who came in contact with him, JayD was a superb physical athlete, from his days at Central High and ASU to playing professional baseball from 1966-1975 (St. Louis Cardinals and Houston Astros).

The love and passion for sports never left JayD as he was an avid and dedicated coach and supporter of all youth and High School Sports (North Scottsdale Little League and Chaparral), he was an unwavering fan to both ASU and the Dbacks, and was a dedicated member of The Major League Baseball Alumni Association and the Sigma Chi Fraternity.

JayD was a commercial real estate broker, but he certainly was not defined by his career. It was simply a means to enjoy his true passions-his friends, business colleagues, friends and most important, his family.

He was an extremely proud member and activist of the Phoenix Thunderbirds (he glowed with pride when he had his blue velvet jacket on). The Thunderbirds were truly a second family to him.

He reveled in others' successes and wanted to help anyone and everyone, never wanting anything in return.

JayD was an extremely proud father, husband, grandfather, and friend. His love for all had no boundaries. He fought his disease with the same passion and zeal he lived his life with. In the end, it was time for JayD to dance again. He will be missed more than he will ever know, but certainly will never ever be forgotten.

Services will be held 1:00 PM on Friday, May 21st at St. Patricks Catholic Community Church - 10815 N. 84th Street.

In lieu of flowers, please make any and all donations to The Baseball Assistance Team, 245 Park Ave. 31st Floor, New York, NY 10167.

George D. Susce

Published in The Boston Globe on June 6, 2010

SUSCE, George D. Age 79, of Matlacha, FL, formerly of Needham, MA passed away May 8, 2010.

He was the Beloved husband of Joanne Marchetti Susce for 53 years: Devoted father of George Susce of Matlacha FL, Elizabeth Lambert and husband Ted of Medway, MA, Margaret Guiney and husband Steven of Natick, MA; Loving grandfather of Ted and Rae Lambert and Paul and Michael Guiney; Brothers, Paul and John, and sisters, Dolores and Helene; He was preceded in death by a brother, Michael.

George was a retired Major League Baseball player with the Boston Red Sox and the Detroit Tigers.

He was a veteran of the Korean War.

A Memorial Mass will be held at 10:00 AM Sat., June 19, 2010 at St. Paul's Catholic Church in Wellesley, MA.

Burial will be private.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations may be made to the Jimmy Fund of Boston, MA, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital or a charity of one's choice.

Robin Roberts Dies at 83; Led Phillies’ Whiz Kids to Pennant

The New York Times
By Richard Goldstein
May 6, 2010

Robin Roberts, the Hall of Fame right-hander who won 286 games and pitched the Philadelphia Phillies’ 1950 Whiz Kids team to the National League pennant, died Thursday at his home in Temple Terrace, Fla., near Tampa. He was 83.

The Phillies announced his death, saying it was of natural causes.

Throwing from a smooth, seemingly effortless motion through 19 major league seasons, Roberts displayed an outstanding fastball and extraordinary control and stamina.

He won at least 20 games every season from 1950 to 1955 and led National League pitchers five times in complete games, five times in innings pitched, four times in victories and twice in strikeouts. He was the winningest righty in Phillies history with 234 victories over 14 seasons, usually pitching for mediocre teams. He was a seven-time All-Star and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1976.

“He had the best fastball I ever faced,” Ralph Kiner said.

Monte Irvin once remarked, “It’s unbelievable how fast the ball comes at you for so slow a motion.”

Roberts took pride in powers of concentration so strong that when he delivered pitches out of his 6-foot, 190-pound frame, he was often unaware of even the noisiest crowds.

“I stood out there in total isolation,” he told Donald Honig in “Baseball Between the Lines“ (Coward, McCann & Geoghegan, 1976). “Nothing bothered me. I would concentrate to the point where I would not even see the batter; I would only see the bat as he swung. When I was pitching well, I saw only the catcher.”

Robin Evan Roberts was born on Sept. 30, 1926, on a farm outside Springfield, Ill., one of five siblings. (One brother was later killed in World War II.) His first bat was a cricket stick brought to America by his father, who had been a coal miner in Britain.

Roberts entered Michigan State on a basketball scholarship, but he also pitched in college and honed his talents in a Vermont summer league. He was signed by the Phillies for a $25,000 bonus, pitched for half a season in the minors, then made his debut for Philadelphia in June 1948.

He became a star in 1950 when the Phillies, losers for three decades, put together a young ball club known as the Whiz Kids, led by Roberts, Curt Simmons and Jim Konstanty on the pitching staff; Richie Ashburn, Del Ennis and Dick Sisler in the outfield; Eddie Waitkus at first base; Mike Goliat at second; Granny Hamner at shortstop; Willie Jones at third; and Andy Seminick at catcher.

On the final Sunday of the season, the Phillies held first place by one game over the Brooklyn Dodgers when the teams met at Ebbets Field.

Roberts, making his third start in five days, dueled the Dodgers’ Don Newcombe in a 1-1 game. In the ninth, the Dodgers’ Cal Abrams was thrown out by a wide margin trying to score from second base on a single to center. In the 10th, Sisler hit a three-run homer, giving the Phils a 4-1 victory and their first pennant in 35 years.

That complete-game victory brought Roberts’s record to 20-11, and he became the first Phillie to win 20 games since Grover Cleveland Alexander won 30 in 1917.

Roberts was beaten by the Yankees’ Allie Reynolds, 2-1, in Game 2 of the World Series, yielding a 10th-inning home run to Joe DiMaggio at Shibe Park, and the Yankees went on to a four-game sweep.

Roberts’s best season was 1952, when he was 28-7 for a fourth-place team and completed 30 of his 37 starts. And his rising fastball was always finding a corner of the plate. Pitching at least 300 innings in each of his six straight 20-victory years, Roberts never walked more than 77 batters in any of those years.

Roberts was sold to the Yankees after the 1961 season, but was released by them the next April without appearing in a game. He later pitched for the Baltimore Orioles, the Houston Astros and the Chicago Cubs. He ended his major league career after the 1966 season with a career record of 286-245 and an earned run average of 3.41.

He did have some unenviable statistics, his remarkable control and his reluctance to brush back hitters coming at a cost. He yielded 46 homers in 1956, a major league record at the time, and the 505 homers he gave up in his career are still a record.

Roberts was active during the 1950s in the formation of the players union. He served as the players’ National League representative, then was instrumental in the hiring of Marvin Miller as executive director of the Players Association in 1966.

After leaving baseball, Roberts was an investment executive, a baseball coach for the University of South Florida in Tampa and a minor league instructor for the Phillies.

Roberts’s wife, Mary, died in 2005. He is survived by his sons Robin Jr., of Blue Bell, Pa., Dan, of Temple Terrace, Rick, of Athens, Ga., and Jimmy, also of Temple Terrace; a brother, John, of Springfield, Ill.; seven grandchildren; and a great-grandson. Praise for Roberts’s talents was not confined to his teammates and opponents. The writer James A. Michener, a native of Bucks County, Pa., paid tribute to Roberts after the Yankees’ Whitey Ford was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1974 and Roberts was passed over.

“When he won, he was gracious,” Michener wrote of Roberts in The New York Times. “When he lost, so often in extra innings with his teammates giving him no runs, he did not pout. Day after day he went out there and threw that high, hard one down the middle, a marvelously coordinated man doing his job. If he had pitched for the Yankees he might have won 350 games.”

Roberts said he stuck to the basics.

“You don’t have to make a big study of batters beforehand,” he told Time magazine in 1956. “When I have good stuff I throw four fastballs out of five pitches. When you take up a hitter in a clubhouse meeting, no matter what his weakness is, it’s going to end up low and away or high and tight, and the curveball must be thrown below the belt. That’s the whole story of pitching. Keep your life and your pitching real simple and you’ll get along.”

Ernie Harwell, Homespun Baseball Broadcaster, Dies at 92

By Richard Sandomir
The New York Times
May 4, 2010

Ernie Harwell, the neighborly Georgian who delivered Margaret Mitchell’s newspaper in the 1930s and then delivered the play-by-play of more than 8,500 major league baseball games over 55 years, died Tuesday at his home in Novi, Mich. He was 92.