R.I.P. Celebrities(Non Wrestlers) 2022

[jimsteel]

Curt Simmons, a former MLB pitcher, passed away at the age of 93.

Simmons played for the following teams during his long career in MLB:
Philadelphia Phillies (1947–1960)
St. Louis Cardinals (1960–1966)
Chicago Cubs (1966–1967)
California Angels (1967)

In 1947, then Philadelphia Phillies owner Bob Carpenter arranged for an exhibition match between his Phillies and a team of all-star high school players from the Lehigh Valley. The game was played on the opening day of Egypt Memorial Park in front of a crowd of 4,500. Simmons struck out eleven, and the game ended in a 4–4 tie (a late-game error was the only thing that prevented the high school team from winning). The 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m), 175 lb (79 kg) lefty was signed by the Phillies, and awarded a $65,000 signing bonus (one of the highest ever awarded at that time). That spring, Simmons also pitched and played outfield in an All-American high school game between teams managed by Babe Ruth and Ty Cobb. In 1949, Simmons returned to the Lehigh Valley, pitching for the Phillies in an exhibition match (a game won by a 10–3 margin) against the Allentown Redbirds, in front of a record crowd of 4,590 at Whitehall's Breadon Field.

Simmons won 17 of 25 decisions during the 1950 season, playing a role in bringing Philadelphia its second National League (NL) championship of the 20th century. Following the outbreak of the Korean War, however, Simmons was called to active military service in September 1950, with only a month remaining in the campaign. The Phillies managed to hold off the Brooklyn Dodgers in the 1950 season's final contest (on Dick Sisler's 10th-inning home run) to win the NL flag by two games. Simmons was stationed at Camp Atterbury as requested and was granted leave on October 4, 1950 to attend the Series. The Phillies chose not to request that the Commissioner of Baseball Happy Chandler rule Simmons was eligible for the Series, but Simmons chose to attend to support the team. Simmons' place on the Series roster was taken by pitcher Jocko Thompson. Without Simmons, the Phillies were swept in four games by Joe DiMaggio and the New York Yankees.
Simmons missed the entire 1951 season while in the military, but he returned in 1952 to win 14 games, posting a 2.82 earned run average (ERA) and leading Major League Baseball with six shutouts. The team would never again contend for a championship during his tenure there, although Simmons continued to pitch into the late 1950s. In 1959, he was struck with a sore arm, and in 1960, the Phillies, then in last place and in rebuilding mode, released him on May 17, 1960, after four mound appearances. Simmons signed as a free agent with the St. Louis Cardinals three days later and began a comeback that culminated in 15- and 18-game-winning seasons in 1963 and 1964, respectively, while in a pitching rotation that included Bob Gibson and Ray Sadecki. In 1964, he appeared in the World Series against the New York Yankees. He started two games for the eventual world champion Cardinals, losing his only decision but compiling a 2.51 ERA.

Simmons’ last winning record was in 1964; he lost 15 games for St. Louis in 1965, then finished his career with the Chicago Cubs and California Angels in 1966 and 1967. His final record, over 20 years, was 193–182 (.515). In 569 games pitched and 3,348 1⁄3 innings, Simmons allowed 3,313 hits and 1,063 bases on balls. He recorded 1,697 strikeouts, 163 complete games, 36 shutouts and five saves. Along with Smoky Burgess, Simmons was the last player to formally retire who had played in MLB in the 1940s (not counting Minnie Miñoso, who would later un-retire, twice). MLB Hall of Fame hitters Hank Aaron[4] and Stan Musial[5] each separately named Simmons as the toughest pitcher they had to face in their careers.

[jimsteel]

Walter "Buddy" Harris, a former MLB pitcher, passed away at the age of 73.

Harris was selected by the Houston Astros in the first round (15th overall) of the secondary phase of the June 1968 Major League Baseball Draft. He had three outstanding seasons in minor league baseball leading up to his first trial with the Astros in September 1970. He led the Rookie-level Appalachian League in strikeouts (1968), posting a sparkling 1.84 and 2.02 earned run averages in the Class A Carolina League (1969) and Double-A Southern League (1970). On his MLB debut on September 10, 1970, he worked two innings against the San Francisco Giants and surrendered a two-run home run to Willie Mays.

Harris made 20 appearances for the 1971 Astros, with one relief appearance in April and 19 from June through September, sandwiched around 14 games with the Triple-A Oklahoma City 89ers. He split two decisions for Houston that year, giving up 33 hits and 16 bases on balls, with 21 strikeouts in 30 2⁄3 innings. In his penultimate MLB game, on September 1, 1971, he pitched 3 1⁄3 innings of hitless relief against the Los Angeles Dodgers at the Astrodome, notching six strikeouts. He was traded with Rich Chiles from the Astros to the New York Mets for Tommie Agee at the Winter Meetings on November 27, 1972. Arm problems curtailed his career, and he retired after the 1973 minor league season.

[TTX]

Curt Simmons another name I saw frequently in my old sports research time. RIP.

[jimsteel]

Stephen 'tWitch' Boss, known for his appearances as the DJ on the Ellen DeGeneres Show has died aged 40 by suicide

[on_the_edge]

I had seen he had died but did not realize it was suicide. That is such a shame.

[WTIC]

Dec 9, 2022 17:24:50 GMT -5 neilybob said:

wouldn't hurt to check WTIC.

Hey neilybob!

Sorry it took me so long to look for that... I never did make a card for Kirstie. Sorry.

Maybe I will have some other Celebs for the pile soon though?

Todd C
WTIC

[jimsteel]

Award-winning singer-songwriter Shirley Eikhard dead at 67

Eikhard won 2 Junos in her own career and penned Something To Talk About — a major hit for Bonnie Raitt

[jimsteel]

Over the weekend, television presenter Erin Jayne Plummer “suddenly” passed away at the young age of just forty-two. Plummer was best known for her appearances hosting advertorials on Studio 10 as well as programs on the shopping channel TVSN.

[jimsteel]

Louis Orr, a former forward in the NBA, passed away at the age of 64.

The cause of death was cancer per a statement released by his family. Orr attended Withrow High School, where he was coached by Charles Cadle. Orr played at Syracuse from 1976 to 1980 and was part of the famed "Louie & Bouie Show" with teammate Roosevelt Bouie. The duo were named so after the student newspaper The Daily Orange, who ran a caricature of them heading up the basketball court in tuxedos and top hats. After graduating from Syracuse in 1980, he was the 28th pick in the 1980 NBA draft, selected by the Indiana Pacers. He played two seasons with the Pacers, which included one playoff appearance. After that, he moved on to the New York Knicks and played for six years with three playoff berths. Orr averaged career highs in both rebounds and points for the Knicks with 12.7 and 4.9, respectively, in the 1984–85 season. He scored over 5,500 career points as a pro. After his playing career he became a coach. The following are stops in both his playing career and coaching career:

As a player:
1980–1982 Indiana Pacers
1982–1988 New York Knicks

As a coach:
1991–1994 Xavier (assistant)
1994–1996 Providence (assistant)
1996–2000 Syracuse (assistant)
2000–2001 Siena
2001–2006 Seton Hall
2007–2014 Bowling Green
2017–present Georgetown (assistant)

[jimsteel]

Hip-Hop Legend Grand Daddy I.U. Passes Away At 54