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Post by jimsteel on Aug 30, 2022 22:56:02 GMT -5
Steve White, a former NFL defensive end, passed away at the age of 48. White, who played defensive end for seven seasons for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the New York Jets, also wrote about football for the sports blog SB Nation. He was originally drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 6th round of the 1996 draft out of the University of Tennessee. He was then signed by the Tampa Bay Bucs in 1996 and stayed with the Bucs until 2001. He then moved to the New York Jets in 2002 at which time he retired from the NFL. White appeared in 94 NFL games during his 7 year career.
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Post by jimsteel on Aug 31, 2022 17:41:16 GMT -5
Lee Thomas, a former All-Star player and general manager, passed away at the age of 86. Originally a member of the New York Yankees organization (1954–61), he was signed by Yankees scout Lou Maguolo. Thomas could not break into the Bombers' strong lineup despite putting up good offensive statistics in minor league baseball. He had two at bats for the 1961 Yanks (garnering one hit), then was traded to the expansion Los Angeles Angels on May 8, 1961, during the Halos' first American League season. As an everyday player with the Angels and Boston Red Sox from 1961 to 1965, Thomas topped the 20 home run mark three times and drove in 104 RBI for the Angels in 1962. On September 5, 1961, Thomas collected nine hits in 11 at bats in a doubleheader against the Kansas City Athletics, hitting three home runs and driving in eight runs in the nightcap. He became one of eight players with nine hits in a twin bill. He was selected to the 1962 American League All-Star team and popped out as a pinch hitter in that year's first All-Star game, played at DC Stadium on July 10. In the year's second All-Star game, played July 30 at Wrigley Field, he appeared as a defensive replacement in left field for the game's final two innings and did not bat. The latter three years of Thomas' Major League playing career (1966–68) were spent in the National League as a part-time player and pinch hitter with the Atlanta Braves, Chicago Cubs and Houston Astros. He compiled a career batting average of .255 in 1,027 games played with 847 hits and 106 home runs. After his big league career, he played in Japan in 1969 for the Nankai Hawks. In 1970, Thomas joined the St. Louis Cardinals as bullpen coach. In 1972, he became manager of the GCL Red Birds in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League. Then, in 1973, Thomas he moved up to Class A as skipper of the Modesto Reds of the California League. Thomas moved into the Cardinals' front office in 1975, becoming travel secretary and rising to the position of director of player development in 1980. He was a key member of the St. Louis organization during the club's run of success during the early to mid-1980s when the Cards, led by manager Whitey Herzog, won NL pennants in 1982, 1985 and 1987 and the 1982 World Series. In June 1988, Thomas was lured to Philadelphia to take command of the Phillies. He acquired players such as Curt Schilling, Lenny Dykstra and Mitch Williams, who played critical roles in the Phils' 1993 pennant-winning team, which lost the 1993 World Series to the Toronto Blue Jays. That same year, the Sporting News and Boston chapter of the Baseball Writers' Association of America both named him Executive of the Year for all of Major League Baseball. After four straight losing seasons followed the '93 pennant, Thomas was replaced as GM by Ed Wade, his assistant. He then returned to the Red Sox as a special assistant to the general manager from 1998 to 2003, where he played a key role in Boston's signing of free agent outfielders Manny Ramírez in December 2000 and Johnny Damon one year later. He served with the Astros and Milwaukee Brewers as a pro scout, and on December 4, 2011, he joined the Baltimore Orioles as a special assistant to executive vice president Dan Duquette, with whom he worked in Boston.
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Post by jimsteel on Sept 1, 2022 9:39:32 GMT -5
Classic FM presenter Bill Turnbull dies aged 66 Classic FM presenter Bill Turnbull, known for years as the face of BBC Breakfast, has died aged 66. Bill Turnbull, one of the nation’s most admired broadcasters who was much-loved by all at Classic FM, has died after being diagnosed with incurable prostate cancer in 2017. A spokesperson on behalf of Bill's family said: "Following a challenging and committed fight against prostate cancer, Bill passed away peacefully at his home in Suffolk surrounded by his family on Wednesday, 31 August. "Bill was diagnosed in 2017 and has had outstanding medical care from the Royal Marsden and Ipswich Hospitals, St Elizabeth Hospice and his GP. He was resolutely positive and was hugely buoyed by the support he received from friends, colleagues, and messages from people wishing him luck. It was a great comfort to Bill that so many more men are now testing earlier for this disease.
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Post by TTX on Sept 1, 2022 9:49:00 GMT -5
To all RIP. So many names this year. Reminds you life is precious.
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Post by jimsteel on Sept 1, 2022 22:51:13 GMT -5
Steve Courtin, a former guard in the NBA, passed away at the age of 79. The following is text from his online obituary: "Steve attended St. James High School in Chester, PA and St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, PA where he was an exceptional overall athlete and basketball player. He played for the late, great Jack McKinney at St. James High School and the late, great Dr. Jack Ramsay at St. Joseph’s University. He was then drafted in 1964 to the Cincinnati Royals, but was quickly traded to the Philadelphia 76ers where he played for 2 seasons. He later played for the Wilkes Barre Barons and Wilmington Blue Bombers in the Eastern Professional Basketball League. Some of the many highlights of his collegiate basketball career were being named the 1962 MVP for Quaker City Tournament and the 1964 Robert V. Geasey Memorial Award as the Big Five MVP. In 1980, he was named to both the Big Five Hall of Fame and the St. Joe’s Hall of Fame. Following his basketball career, he began working at WEEZ Radio in Chester, PA followed by WAMS Radio in Wilmington, DE where he was General Manager.
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Post by jimsteel on Sept 2, 2022 12:53:23 GMT -5
Another athlete Pete Burnside, a former pitcher in MLB, passed away at the age of 92. The following is an excerpt from his online obituary: "As a teenager, Pete was making a name for himself as a hard-throwing southpaw at New Trier. With counsel from Jules Herbuveaux, vice president of NBC Chicago, Pete signed a contract to play professional baseball at the age of nineteen. Herbuveaux was Pete's “Uncle Tony,” a Chicago band leader in the 1920s turned broadcasting executive. Uncle Tony was a father-figure to Pete as well as his future uncle-in-law. A condition of the deal Pete made with the New York Giants, thanks to Herbuveaux’s influence, allowed Pete to attend Dartmouth College and play baseball for the Giants during the summers. As a "farmhand" in the Giants' minor league system, Pete graduated from Dartmouth in 1952 and then served in the United States Army during the Korean War. Stationed in Missouri at Fort Leonard Wood, Pete pitched for the Hilltoppers team that won the 1953 National Baseball Congress World Series. After pitching assignments in St. Cloud, Ottawa, Minneapolis, and Nashville, Pete delivered a head-turning performance for the Dallas Stars of the Texas League and was “called up” to New York City, where he won his first major league game for the Giants in 1955 at the Polo Grounds. Pete's travels in baseball also took him to Puerto Rico for "winter ball," where he pitched for Santurce with many talented teammates, including his longtime friend, Don Zimmer. Pete was a founding member of the San Francisco Giants when major league baseball debuted on the West Coast in 1958. As a Washington Senator, lefty Pete surrendered three home runs to Roger Maris during the Yankee slugger’s record-setting season of 1961. Pete also played for the Baltimore Orioles and Detroit Tigers, before spending two seasons pitching in Japan. In October of 1964, Pete got the ball for Game 5 of the deadlocked Japan World Series and pitched his Hanshin Tigers to a 6-3 victory, perhaps his greatest moment as a pro." Burnside appeared in 196 Major League Baseball games in 1955 and from 1957 to 1963 for the New York / San Francisco Giants, Detroit Tigers, Washington Senators and Baltimore Orioles. Burnside played for the following teams during his professional career. New York / San Francisco Giants (1955, 1957-1958) Detroit Tigers (1959–1960) Washington Senators (1961–1962) Baltimore Orioles (1963) Washington Senators (1963) Hanshin Tigers (1964–1965) (NPB)
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Post by jimsteel on Sept 3, 2022 9:34:37 GMT -5
Zeno Karcz, a former linebacker in the Canadian Football League, passed away at the age of 87. Karcz played junior football with the Windsor AKO Fratmen, he went on to star with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats (from 1957 to 1966) in the CFL. He was an All-Star in 1962 and 1965, winning the CFL's Most Outstanding Canadian Award in 1965. He was a member of the 1957, 1963 and 1965 Grey Cup championship teams. After retiring from professional football, he returned to the Windsor AKO Fratmen as head coach between 1967 and 1969.The following is an excerpt from his online obituary. "He grew up in Windsor, Ontario, where he developed his athletic gifts and grit as a star athlete in multiple sports including track and field, baseball and football, ultimately being inducted into the Windsor Sports Hall of Fame. He had a stellar ten-year pro career in the Canadian Football League with the Hamilton Tiger Cats; he was a member of three Grey Cup winning teams and was named as the league’s Outstanding Canadian Player in 1965. After his CFL days, Zeno deployed his leadership, work ethic and interpersonal skills for over 30 years in the Canadian steel industry, first with Newman Steel and then with Samuel and Sons, becoming a vice president of sales and earning the reputation as a great colleague and mentor and one who would go above and beyond to serve the needs of clients."
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Post by jimsteel on Sept 3, 2022 10:33:03 GMT -5
Joel Baillargeon, a former left-winger in the NHL, passed away at the age of 57. As a youth, he played in the 1976 and 1977 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournaments with a minor ice hockey team from Charlesbourg. He was drafted by the Winnipeg Jets in the 6th round (109th overall) of the1983 NHL Entry Draft. He later played as a left winger in parts of three seasons for the Winnipeg Jets and Quebec Nordiques in the National Hockey League. He played 20 games in the NHL, 15 with the Jets in 1986-1987 and 1987-1988 and five with the Nordiques in 1988-1989. Reports stated that Baillargeon fell and struck his head between a dock and a boat.
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Post by jimsteel on Sept 5, 2022 18:47:27 GMT -5
Mark Littell, a former MLB pitcher, passed away at the age of 69. No cause of death was released however he just went through heart surgery on September3rd. Littell was a professional baseball player who pitched in the Major Leagues from 1973 to 1982 for the Kansas City Royals and St. Louis Cardinals. Littell had a lifetime ERA of 3.32 and saved 56 games from 1976 to 1981. Bone spurs in his elbow cut his career short, and Littell retired midway through the 1982 season at the age of 29. Primarily a relief pitcher, Littell served at the Royals' closer in 1976–1977, and is best remembered for giving up a walk-off home run to New York Yankees first baseman Chris Chambliss to end the 1976 American League Championship Series. It was only the second home run he allowed in more than 100 innings pitched that year. Two years later, the Royals dealt Littell, along with catcher Buck Martinez, to the Cardinals in exchange for relief pitcher Al Hrabosky. On August 10th, 1981, Pete Rose recorded his 3,631st hit off Littell to become the National League's all-time hit leader. Littell played on the following teams: Kansas City Royals (1973, 1975–1977) St. Louis Cardinals (1978–1982)
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Post by TTX on Sept 5, 2022 19:19:38 GMT -5
RIP
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