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

[jimsteel]

Denny Doyle, a former Major League Baseball second baseman who played for the Philadelphia Phillies (1970–1973), California Angels (1974–1975) and Boston Red Sox (1975–1977) passed away at 78 years of age.

He batted left-handed and threw right-handed. He was considered a good-fielding second baseman but a weak hitter, finishing with a career batting average of .250 and 16 home runs. Doyle enjoyed his best season in 1975, when, after being traded from the Angels to the Red Sox in June, he batted .310 in 89 games for the Red Sox, including a league-best 22 game hit streak. He was the starting second baseman for the Red Sox in the 1975 American League Championship Series and World Series.

Doyle has the distinction of having the only hit in three one-hitters in his career, getting the only hit, a lead-off single in the first inning, against Nolan Ryan of the New York Mets on April 18, 1970, and hitting a two-run home run in a game versus the Cincinnati Reds pitched by Gary Nolan on May 24, 1971.

Then, on July 18, 1972, against the San Diego Padres, Doyle broke up Steve Arlin's bid for a no-hitter by singling out with two outs in the ninth inning.Padres manager Don Zimmer pulled in his third baseman to guard against the possible bunt.

Doyle then placed the ball over the third baseman's head and Arlin's date with destiny was over. No pitcher tossed a no-hitter in a Padre uniform until Joe Musgrove in 2021; this is the closest any came to pitching one until then.

Doyle's major league career is perhaps best known for his role in the famous Game Six of the 1975 World Series versus the Cincinnati Reds, which featured Carlton Fisk's dramatic twelfth-inning home run that has become one of baseball's most iconic highlights. Doyle was involved in a ninth-inning play that baseball fans still discuss. The score was tied 6-6 and the bases loaded with no outs and Doyle at third base when Fred Lynn lifted a fly ball to short left field.

After Reds left fielder George Foster made the catch, Doyle tagged up and attempted to score the winning run. He was thrown out at home plate, which inadvertently helped set the stage for Fisk's subsequent game-winning home run. After the game, Red Sox third-base coach Don Zimmer told the press, "I was yelling 'no, no, no' and with the crowd noise, he (Doyle) thought I was saying 'go, go, go.'" In a World Series that included five future Hall of Fame players, Doyle was the only player on either team to hit safely in all seven games.

[tystates]

Really crushed over the passing of Franco Harris.

[jimsteel]

Ronnie Hillman, a former NFL running back, passed away after a valiant fight against cancer at the age of 31.

As a freshman for the 2010 San Diego State Aztecs football team, Hillman gained 1,532 yards and scored 17 rushing touchdowns. On September 18, 2010, he gained 228 rushing yards against Missouri in his third college football game.

As a sophomore in 2011, Hillman rushed for 1,478 yards and 15 touchdowns during the 2011 regular season. He ranked fourth among all players in the NCAA Football Bowl subdivision with an average of 5.5 rushing yards per carry. He ranked sixth in total rushing yards. He gained over 100 rushing yards in eight of San Diego State's 12 games in 2011. On September 17, 2011, the San Diego State Aztecs faced the 2-0 undefeated Washington State Cougars at Qualcomm Stadium. Hillman scored on four touchdown runs, leading the Aztecs to a 42-24 victory and their first 3-0 start in 30 years. On October 29, 2011, he gained a season-high 224 yards against Wyoming for 2 touchdowns, including a 99-yard touchdown run.

Hillman was drafted in the third round with the 67th overall pick by the Denver Broncos, signing a 4-year deal with the team. In week 11 against the Carolina Panthers,

Hillman scored his first career touchdown on a 5-yard run. Hillman earned the starting job in the season opener against the Baltimore Ravens, where he had 4 carries for 15 yards and 2 catches for 27 yards. On September 23, he had a rushing touchdown against the Oakland Raiders. On October 20 against the Indianapolis Colts, the Broncos were down by 9 on the Colts' 2 yard line and needed a touchdown to stay alive. Hillman took the carry and fumbled as the Colts recovered. The Broncos reached Super Bowl XLVIII, but lost 43-8 to the Seattle Seahawks. Hillman was inactive for the Super Bowl.

After teammate Montee Ball went down with a groin injury, Hillman was announced the starter. In his first career start, Hillman had 100 yards rushing in a 31-17 win over the New York Jets. He would have 74 yards and two touchdowns (from 37 yards and 1-yard out) in a 42-17 rout over the San Francisco 49ers.

Hillman had the most productive season of his career in 2015, rushing for 863 yards and seven touchdowns that year. In week 4 against the Minnesota Vikings, Hillman ran for a 72-yard touchdown. The Broncos finished the season 12-4 and earned the AFC's #1 seed. The Broncos defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Divisional Round and the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship to advance to the Super Bowl. On February 7, 2016, Hillman was part of the Broncos team that won Super Bowl 50. In the game, the Broncos defeated the Carolina Panthers by a score of 24–10. Hillman had five carries for no yards in Super Bowl 50 with his longest rush in the game being for three yards.

On April 18, 2016, Hillman re-signed with the Broncos on a one-year, $2 million contract. On September 3, 2016, Hillman was released by the Broncos. Then on September 21, 2016, Hillman was signed by the Minnesota Vikings after Adrian Peterson suffered an injury in Week 2. He was released by the Vikings on November 21, 2016.

On November 22, 2016, Hillman was claimed off waivers by the San Diego Chargers, which was his last stop during his NFL career.

[TDalton]

Dec 21, 2022 16:16:41 GMT -5 jimsteel said:

Denny Doyle, a former Major League Baseball second baseman who played for the Philadelphia Phillies (1970–1973), California Angels (1974–1975) and Boston Red Sox (1975–1977) passed away at 78 years of age.

Doyle probably had more impact after his playing career, starting a baseball academy with his brothers Brian & Blake (both MLB alumni).  A lot of great players passed through their program.

[on_the_edge]

That really sucks for Hillman, his family and friends. Many athletes do stupid stuff and keep on living. He lost his life due to something he could not control. Gone too soon. RIP

[jimsteel]

Veteran Australian actor Tony Barry died on Wednesday aged 81.

The esteemed performer has appeared in over 100 Australian films and TV shows including Australia with Hugh Jackman and Halifax f.p. with Rebecca Gibney.

[jimsteel]

R.I.P. Mike Hodges, director of Get Carter and Flash Gordon

Hodges also directed Clive Owen in the surprise hit Croupier

He was 90

[jimsteel]

Al Smith, a former point guard and a small forward in the ABA, passed away at the age of 75 due to a domestic violence incident.

He was given offers to attend USC and Notre Dame, but he chose to attend Bradley University as a basketball and baseball player. Smith spent four years at Bradley, though his time in college was interrupted by a two-year stint in the United States Army. As a college basketball player, he scored over 1,000 points for Bradley and was named first-team All-Missouri Valley Conference in 1971 during his senior season. His college success was honored in 2004 when he was selected to Bradley's All-Century team. In 1971, Smith was drafted by the National Basketball Association's Chicago Bulls in the 11th round of the NBA Draft; previously, he was also drafted by the Bulls in the 10th round of the 1969 draft. He was also a 4th round draft pick of the American Basketball Association's Denver Rockets (now the NBA's Nuggets) in a separate draft. Smith chose to sign with the Rockets, and he would go on to play for the club for three seasons. In his first season, he served as the backup to point guard Larry Brown while averaging nine points and three assists per game.
Smith became the Rockets' regular point guard during the 1972–1973 season after Brown took a job as head coach. He scored a career-best eleven-plus points per game in his second season, while averaging five-and-a-half assists per game.

His scoring decreased slightly in the 1973–1974 season but he went on to average eight assists per game, and would lead the ABA in assists. Before the 1974–1975 season, Smith was traded to the Utah Stars in exchange for a draft pick and cash. In his first season with the Stars, he averaged a career-low eight points per game, while also averaging four-and-a-half assists per contest.
His second season with the Stars lasted only fifteen games before the Stars folded in December. A persistent knee injury eventually ended his career after five seasons. He retired having scored over 3,200 points and having dished out over 1,700 assists.

[jimsteel]

Influencer Rachel Mee dies aged 25, just days before her baby's first Christmas

Social media influencer and OnlyFans model Rachel Mee has passed away aged 25, just days before her newborn's first-ever Christmas.

Rachel Mee - also known as Rachel Kaitlyn - was an influencer from Newcastle, United Kingdom, and had over 40,000 followers on Instagram, which she often used to advertise her OnlyFans and Playboy pages.

[jimsteel]

Mike Macaluso, a former NBA small forward, passed away at the age of 71.

Macaluso played college basketball at Canisius and averaged 15.9 points a game as a varsity player. Macaluso was one of 39 players in school history to score 1,000-career points, Macaluso was later inducted into the Canisius Sports Hall of Fame in 1989. After college he was drafted by the Buffalo Braves in the 6th round of the 1973 NBA Draft. He played in 30 games for the Braves during the 1972-1973 NBA season.