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Post by Jason Giambi on Dec 20, 2008 14:54:39 GMT -5
RIP Doc.
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$heriff Tom
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Post by $heriff Tom on Jan 1, 2009 20:11:20 GMT -5
Here's one I missed, and only found leafing through a recent Baseball America, where they run a regular obit column in the back of each issue. Good old Steve Mingori, of those pain in the ass KC Royals, that had at it with the Yankees in the mid to late 70s. I remembered him well from the playoff games, where he was a good sturdy relief man. He died this past July, just over the age of 60 years old. Poor guy's death is not even recognized on BaseballReference.com yet, but his grave can already be found on findagrave. RIP!
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$heriff Tom
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Post by $heriff Tom on Jan 10, 2009 14:16:34 GMT -5
Ex-Astro Dave Roberts dies of cancer at 64 Pitcher was with Pirates for 1979 World Series win over O'sMORGANTOWN, W.Va. — David Arthur Roberts, a lefthanded pitcher who played for eight Major League teams including the 1979 World Series champion Pittsburgh Pirates, has died of lung cancer. He was 64.
Roberts appeared in 140 games for the Astros from 1972 to 1975, starting 121 and going 47-44. His best year in Houston was 1973, when he was 17-11 with a 2.85 ERA.
"Dave was the consummate pro,” Astros president of baseball operations Tal Smith said. “He averaged 35 starts and 12 wins a year for the club during his four years as an Astro, but he’ll really be remembered and missed for the leadership he provided and for being such a good guy. Our condolences to his family and friends.”
Roberts died at his home in Short Gap, according to his wife, Carol, and stepdaughter Kristy Rogan.
Rogan said Roberts had developed lung cancer from asbestos exposure as a young man. During the off seasons, he worked as a boilermaker and was regularly exposed to the cancer-causing material.
Roberts went 103-125 with a 3.78 earned-run average in 13 seasons, beginning in 1969 with the San Diego Padres and ending in 1981 with the New York Mets. The Pirates acquired him from the San Francisco Giants in a five-player, midseason trade in 1979 that also brought Bill Madlock to Pittsburgh.
Roberts also played with the Detroit Tigers, Chicago Cubs and the Seattle Mariners.
Born in Gallipolis, Ohio, he had lived in West Virginia for more than a decade. Short Gap is about 120 miles southeast of Pittsburgh.
Roberts is also survived by stepdaughter Melaney Lloyd of Short Gap and three sons, Chris Roberts of Richmond, Texas; Rick Roberts of Katy, Texas; and Kyle Roberts of Cresaptown, Md. He also had seven grandchildren.
Roberts was last hospitalized about a week ago but wanted to die at home, Rogan said.
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$heriff Tom
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Post by $heriff Tom on Jan 14, 2009 13:11:30 GMT -5
Baseball ambassador Gomez dies Cuba native filled many roles during distinguished careerThe game of baseball lost a pioneer and lifelong ambassador Tuesday when Preston Gomez passed away in Fullerton, Calif., at the age of 85.
Gomez, a former Major League player, coach, manager, scout and executive, had been working for the Angels for the past 28 years, most recently as a special assistant to the general manager.
He died as a result of complications from injuries sustained when he was hit by a truck while walking to his car during Spring Training in Arizona last March.
"The Angels family has lost one of its invaluable members, and one of baseball's truly great ambassadors," Angels GM Tony Reagins said.
"His influence and impact on so many throughout the industry is impossible to measure. Though he will be missed, Preston's legacy will forever remain a part of this organization."
Gomez made baseball history in 1969 when he accepted the job as the first manager in San Diego Padres history, but he had a long relationship with the game before that.
"The Padres are deeply saddened by the passing of former manager Preston Gomez," San Diego CEO Sandy Alderson said. "Preston made an initial impression in San Diego as the first manager of the expansion Padres. But his lasting impression throughout baseball will be as a dedicated and accomplished lover of the game.
"His professional success was matched by his personal warmth. He had a kind and generous spirit and will be greatly missed."
A native of Havana, Cuba, Gomez began his playing career in 1944 as a 21-year-old shortstop for the Washington Senators, getting a callup when Major League rosters were depleted because of World War II.
Gomez batted .286 in eight games before spending the rest of his playing career in the Minors. His best season in the Minors came in 1951, when he hit .268 with nine home runs and 58 RBIs for Three Rivers (Penn.).
Gomez's managerial career began in the Mexican Winter League, and he then joined the Dodgers' organization, taking a Minor League coaching position.
After that, he spent eight seasons as a Minor League manager in the Cincinnati, Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees farm systems, guiding clubs such as Fresnillo, Mexico City, Havana, Spokane and Richmond. He led the Dodgers' Spokane club to the Pacific Coast League pennant in 1960. Gomez also spent time coaching with Houston and St. Louis.
In 1965, Gomez became the third-base coach for the Dodgers, where he served through four seasons, earned two National League pennants and a World Series title, and touched the lives of many of his colleagues, including legendary former Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda.
"The man spent his entire life in baseball," Lasorda said.
"He came from Cuba and got the opportunity to work for the Dodgers. Al Campanis gave him an opportunity to be in professional baseball. He managed at least three Major League teams and was a credit to the game. We are very sorry to see him pass away. He wore the Dodger uniform with pride and dignity. He has helped a lot of people in our game and he will be missed."
Gomez left the Dodgers in 1969 to take the helm of the expansion Padres, joining former Dodgers vice president Buzzie Bavasi, and managed the Friars for four seasons. He later managed the Houston Astros (1974-75) and Chicago Cubs (1980), compiling a 346-529 (.395) managerial record in seven seasons.
He joined the Angels' organization in 1981 as third-base coach, a position he held for four seasons (1981-84) before becoming a special assistant to the general manager, the position he held until his death.
"Preston had an incredible passion for baseball and was a mentor for all of us who were fortunate to spend time with him," said Angels manager Mike Scioscia, who invited Gomez to take an active role in instructing during Spring Training every year.
"He will certainly be missed, but I know his presence will be felt every time we take the field because of the knowledge and wisdom that he imparted to us."
Gomez is survived by his wife Elizabeth, brother Jose Gomez, sisters Rachel Valz and Sara Raspall, son Pedro, daughter Elia, step-daughter Claudia Astorga, adopted son Carlos Becerra, and grandchildren Sergio Jr. and Eliana.
Per Gomez's request, there are no funeral or memorial services planned.
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$heriff Tom
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Post by $heriff Tom on Jan 23, 2009 9:35:45 GMT -5
May he rest easy, but I find it odd the "oldest living ballplayer" was just 100. FOXNEWS.COM HOME > U.S. Oldest Ex-Major Leaguer, Teammate of Babe Ruth, Dies CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Bill Werber, who was the oldest living ex-major leaguer and a former teammate of Babe Ruth, died at age 100.
Werber's son, Bill Jr., said his father died Thursday morning of "old age" after moving into an assisted care facility three weeks ago.
A career .271 hitter who led the American League in stolen bases three times, Werber played with Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Jimmie Foxx and Lefty Grove in stints with the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox.
Werber also was a member of the 1940 World Series champion Cincinnati Reds, and Duke's first All-American basketball player.
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$heriff Tom
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Post by $heriff Tom on Mar 3, 2009 13:32:38 GMT -5
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Post by $heriff Tom on Mar 25, 2009 14:27:43 GMT -5
Yankees' 'Super-Sub' Blanchard dies Was member of five World Series teams in New York
Johnny Blanchard, a member of five New York Yankees World Series clubs, died Wednesday of a heart attack in Minnesota. He was 76.
Nicknamed "Super-Sub," Blanchard spent most of his career as a backup catcher, debuting with the Yankees in 1955 and serving as a regular member of New York's roster from 1959 into 1965.
His best season came with the 1961 World Series championship team, when Blanchard batted .305 with 21 home runs and 54 RBIs in 93 games. On July 21-26 of that season, Blanchard hit four straight home runs over a three-game period, tying a Major League record.
Blanchard was also a presence in October, holding a World Series record with 10 pinch-hitting appearances. He hit .345 in the Yankees' five straight Fall Classic appearances from 1960 through 1964, including slugging two home runs in the Yankees' five-game victory over the Cincinnati Reds.
Appearing in 516 games over eight big league seasons, Blanchard hit .239 with 67 home runs and 200 RBIs. His Yankees tenure came to a close on May 3, 1965, when he was traded with Rollie Sheldon to the Kansas City Athletics for Doc Edwards.
Blanchard played in 52 games for the A's before finishing the 1965 season with the Milwaukee Braves, retiring after the conclusion of the campaign. He resided in Minnetonka, Minn., and was a regular presence at Yankee Stadium for Old Timers Days in recent seasons.
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Post by ajfreakz on Apr 9, 2009 10:38:29 GMT -5
22 yr old nick adenhart who pitched 6 scoreless innings for the halos last night.. was KILLED this morning in a hit & run car accident...
TMZ. com
TMZ has learned Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Nick Adenhart was killed in a felony hit-and-run car accident in Fullerton, California early this morning -- hours after he pitched in a game last night.
Cops say someone driving a minivan blew through a red light, causing the Mitsubishi that Adenhart was riding in to hit a light pole. Three people were killed in the crash, including Nick.
Cops say the person driving the van fled the scene -- but was later caught and charged with felony hit-and-run. The suspect is currently being treated for injuries in a local hospital.
We're told one of the other men killed in the crash was also affiliated with the Angels organization.
Nick was 22-years-old.
FYI -- Nick pitched his butt off last night, striking out 5 guys in 6 scoreless innings. His performance was hailed by sportswriters as a "brilliant effort by a 22-year-old right-hander making his fourth Major League start."
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$heriff Tom
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Post by $heriff Tom on Apr 9, 2009 10:48:23 GMT -5
Holy crap!
I watched most of that game! That friggin blows ass.
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Post by Lindsey on Apr 9, 2009 12:08:55 GMT -5
So horrible. He was definitely one of the old school, hard working kids, fighting his way to the show. and it really sucks that someone's quick, stupid decision ended that.
If there is a bright side to this, it's that I'm sure he was in a fantastic mood up until the second this happened; having pitched such a great game in one of his very first major league start.
RIP buddy.
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Post by MSBNYY on Apr 9, 2009 12:10:37 GMT -5
The other driver was arrested. Hopefully he'll get thrown in jail for a long time.
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$heriff Tom
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Post by $heriff Tom on Apr 9, 2009 12:58:12 GMT -5
Balls, your joke was deleted. Sometimes you need to think before you post things. Im not in the mood to see that sort of stuff.
Im pretty sure Adenhart made the club this year simply cause no one on the Angels staff can stay healthy. This is one of those things. Bad news seems to follow the Angels around, no?
Terrible story.
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Post by Chris on Apr 9, 2009 13:08:39 GMT -5
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$heriff Tom
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Post by $heriff Tom on Apr 9, 2009 13:20:37 GMT -5
Here was the report on Adenhart coming into 2009 - he was the # 1 ranked prospect in the Angels system by Baseball America. 1. Nick Adenhart, rhp Born: Aug. 24, 1986 • B-T: R-R • Ht: 6-3 • Wt:185 Drafted: HS—Williamsport, Md., 2004 (14th round) • Signed by: Dan Radcliff Background: Baseball America's Youth Player of the Year in 2003, Adenhart rivaled Homer Bailey as the top high school pitching prospect in the 2004 draft until he blew out his elbow that May and needed Tommy John surgery. Undaunted, the Angels drafted Adenhart in the 14th round and signed him for $710,000. Adenhart began 2008 by going 4-0, 0.87 in his first five starts at Triple-A Salt Lake before Los Angeles whisked him to the big leagues and asked him to pitch on three days' rest against the Athletics. The experiment bombed, as he lasted just two innings and gave up five earned runs on three hits and five walks. After he continued to struggle with his control in subsequent starts against the Royals and White Sox, the Angels returned him to Triple-A and he never found his April groove again. Adenhart won just one of his next 10 starts and went 5-13, 7.08 the rest of the way.
Strengths: Despite his struggles, Adenhart continued to show quality stuff. He works off a 90-95 mph fastball that rides in on righthanders. He also has two promising secondary pitches, a hard curveball and a rapidly improving changeup. He has good arm speed, fade and sink on his changeup, which is more reliable than his curve. He uses his size to throw his pitches on a downward trajectory that makes it difficult to drive the ball against him. Adenhart has topped 150 innings in each of the last three seasons, burying any concerns about his health, with his only missed time coming with a minor sore shoulder in 2007. He's a good athlete, which allows him to repeat his delivery and should result in at least solid control and command.
Weaknesses: An inability to execute his pitches hampered Adenhart in Triple-A. When he got into jams, he couldn't pitch his way out. He nibbled too much and became too predictable when he fell behind in the count. He had trouble throwing his curveball for strikes, and the pitch lacks consistent depth. His struggles with his curve are part of the reason righthanders handled him more easily than lefties, batting .314/.388/.497 against him. Adenhart's command deserted him at times in 2007 as well, and Los Angeles has tried to get him to understand that he doesn't need to pitch away from contact. The Angels believe he might have gotten lost trying to please his coaches rather than pitch to his strengths.
The Future: The Angels still believe in Adenhart, but general manager Tony Reagins has commented that Adenhart needs to start putting things together from a mental standpoint. It's likely that he could spend much of 2009 in Triple-A, as Los Angeles will have at most one opening in its rotation. If the Angels don't re-sign free agent Jon Garland or import another veteran, Adenhart will compete with Nick Green, Dustin Moseley and Anthony Ortega for the No. 5 starter's job in spring training. As stunning as his struggles were in 2008, Adenhart is still just 22 and has a chance to become a frontline starter if he does a better job of using his quality stuff.
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Post by Chris on Apr 9, 2009 13:26:43 GMT -5
Odd thing is that they were STILL investigating this accident, on the scene, at about 8AM this morning....as I got stuck in some of the traffic due to it.....I was driving out to meet with an attorney and I usually don't go that direction.
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Post by Jackass on Apr 9, 2009 13:28:58 GMT -5
I am feeling exactly the same way that I felt when I heard about Lymon Bostock. I watched Lymon play the night before, and then the next morning, gone. It's weird how quickly a sensation that you have experienced before can come right back.
Granted, Adenhart was not in the same category as Bostock was, in terms of talent and contribution, but he is a guy that I've watched on the depth charts in SLC for a number of seasons and it was cool to see him get his first win last May when the rotation was similarly in need of healthy arms. As I mentioned to Tom earlier, he had been hopped over by guys like Santana, Saunders, and Mosley in recent seasons, and was never going to see much time in the show with a 4+ ERA in the PCL, but I always thought I would end up seeing him on some other team as a servicable long man, mop up guy, and spot starter as the result of an Angels trade.
By the way, I watched the game last night (as I do every Angels game), and the idea that he pitched anything more than a decent game needs to be stopped. It was a quality start and yes, he struck out 7 in six, and gave up no runs, but let's not forget that he was in trouble in virtually every inning, and was going long in almost every count.
That said, I am extremely bummed out. Extremely bummed out.
Tonight's game has been canceled, but I will be wearing my Bees jersey anyway.
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Post by Chris on Apr 9, 2009 13:37:16 GMT -5
Welcome back.
Please stick around.
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Post by Jackass on Apr 9, 2009 13:52:56 GMT -5
Welcome back.
Thank you.
Please stick around.
No, thank you.
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$heriff Tom
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Post by $heriff Tom on Apr 9, 2009 14:01:34 GMT -5
The best thing I read about Adenhart's performance last night was that he "pitched his ass off." I had the game on and watched most of those first 6 innings, but I was also peering at my Hockey News and the Clemens book I am reading at times. I would look up and see the bases loaded, and watch him get the Hell out of it. Being not an Angel fan, it did not bother me too much, but I shook my head as someone who had followed Adenhart, as he was doing the same things that got him into the projections Jackass and the scouts pegged for him, after initial hopes he could be a stud.
While the story would have stunned me in any fashion, the fact I watched him pitch mere hours before this happened adds to it. Josh Hancock had the same thing happen, when he was killed in his wreck, he came in and pitched hours before as well.
Its a sad story, Ill drink to him tonight.
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Post by Jason Giambi on Apr 9, 2009 15:18:24 GMT -5
Welcome back.Thank you. Please stick around.No, thank you. Please, your humor is needed.....
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Post by Lindsey on Apr 11, 2009 8:35:39 GMT -5
Did anyone watch the game last night with Boston? I DVRed it, but I haven't watched it yet...
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$heriff Tom
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Post by $heriff Tom on Apr 11, 2009 10:53:09 GMT -5
I watched it. Well, 7 innings anyway - then I made the mistake of rolling over on the couch, and I was done. Fell asleep. Nice intro, some Adenhart talk mixed in, I was simply happy it was the Anaheim feed and not the Boston feed.
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Post by ajfreakz on Apr 11, 2009 11:09:07 GMT -5
just found out a buddy of mine who plays in the angels organization was very close to nick.. def. taking it very hard of course. can't believe the driver will only get a max of 55 years for that
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MSBNYY
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Post by MSBNYY on Apr 11, 2009 13:22:15 GMT -5
The fact that the driver has a history of drunk driving speaks volumes for what his punishment should be. Death penalty.
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Post by jwmcc on Apr 11, 2009 13:27:19 GMT -5
Sure, that'll really solve everything. ... Jw
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MSBNYY
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Post by MSBNYY on Apr 11, 2009 13:29:53 GMT -5
It would make sure that guy never gets behind the wheel again. And while it won't bring the people he killed back, it would be some justice and a message about driving drunk.
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Post by Domi on Apr 11, 2009 17:07:14 GMT -5
just found out a buddy of mine who plays in the angels organization was very close to nick.. def. taking it very hard of course. can't believe the driver will only get a max of 55 years for that "Only" 55 years. How awful.
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Post by Lindsey on Apr 11, 2009 17:14:48 GMT -5
It would make sure that guy never gets behind the wheel again. And while it won't bring the people he killed back, it would be some justice and a message about driving drunk. I'm with him on that, acually. he's only 22. killing 3 people and having the possibility of getting out? nah, bro.
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Post by Jason Giambi on Apr 11, 2009 18:30:37 GMT -5
just found out a buddy of mine who plays in the angels organization was very close to nick.. def. taking it very hard of course. can't believe the driver will only get a max of 55 years for that "Only" 55 years. How awful. Dude, if it were someone you loved, you'd think 55 years was lenient..... 3 people.
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Post by MSBNYY on Apr 11, 2009 19:13:26 GMT -5
55 years later, Adenhart and friends will still be dead.
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