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

[jimsteel]

Dick Ellsworth, a former MLB pitcher, passed away at the age of 82.

He played in Major League Baseball for the Chicago Cubs (1958, 1960–1966), Philadelphia Phillies (1967), Boston Red Sox (1968–1969), Cleveland Indians (1969–1970), and Milwaukee Brewers (1970–1971). In a 13-season MLB career, Ellsworth posted a 115–137 record, with 1140 strikeouts, and a 3.72 ERA, in 2155.2 innings.
Ellsworth made his major league debut with the Chicago Cubs in 1958. His most productive season came in 1963, when he won 22 games (after losing 20 in 1962), with a 2.11 ERA. Ellsworth set the record for the largest ERA improvement in consecutive seasons of at least 150 innings pitched when he lowered his ERA from 5.09 in 1962 to 2.11 in 1963, improving his ERA by 2.98 runs per game. He won the NL Player of the Month award in May, with a 4–1 record, 1.29 ERA, and only 13 SO.

A popular player at Wrigley Field, Ellsworth made the National League All-Star team in 1964. His career faded after that, except for one year with the Boston Red Sox, when he was 16–7 with an ERA of 3.03. He was traded along with Ken Harrelson and Juan Pizarro from the Red Sox to the Indians for Sonny Siebert, Vicente Romo and Joe Azcue on April 19, 1969.[3] He retired in 1971 after playing for the Phillies, Red Sox, Indians and Brewers.
Ellsworth won 84 games, the most by a Cubs pitcher in 1960s. He also led the team in starts for the 60s with 235, complete games with 71 and innings pitched with 1,611. He also led the Cubs in strikeouts three years in a row, with a high of 185 in 1963. The pitcher spent much of the 1969 and 1970 seasons with the Indians.
In 1963, Dick Ellsworth was inducted into the Fresno County Athletic Hall of Fame.

[jimsteel]

American Idol runner-up Willie Spence dies in car crash at 23, fans pay heartfelt tribute
The 'Never Be Alone' crooner was in Nashville, Tennessee on October 11 when he was involved in the accident

[TTX]

Dick Ellsworth's name came up once in a while in my reading various baseball books. RIP.

[jimsteel]

R.I.P. Michael Callan, star of 'Cat Ballou' and original 'West Side Story' on Broadway at 86

A versatile entertainer, Callan could be seen on the stage and on various forms of the screen

[jimsteel]

David Birney, Meredith Baxter’s Ex & Dad of Her 3 Kids, Dead at 83

David Birney, star of “St. Elsewhere,” passed away at 83.

The actor was married to Meredith Baxter, and they were both stars of “Bridget Loves Bernie

[jimsteel]

Luke Jackson, a former NBA power forward and center, passed away at the age of 80.

Jackson played college basketball at Pan American College (now known as the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley) and was a member of the U.S. Olympic basketball team that won gold at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. He also played for the United States men's national basketball team at the 1963 FIBA World Championship.The 76ers drafted Jackson with the 4th overall pick in the NBA draft. He would go on to play eight seasons (1964–1972) with the Philadelphia 76ers in the NBA. A 6-foot, 9-inch power forward who played center occasionally, he was named to the NBA's 1964–65 All-Rookie Team after averaging 14.8 points and 12.9 rebounds per game. He played in the NBA All-Star Game that same rookie campaign. A teammate of Wilt Chamberlain, Jackson was a starter on the 1966–67 Philadelphia championship team that scissored the Boston Celtics' string of eight straight NBA championships. After the 1968 season, Chamberlain was dealt to the Lakers, and Jackson was asked to fill the void. However, Jackson suffered a major injury in 1969 and was never the same player after that, missing a total of 66 games in his last three years in the NBA. He played in 522 NBA games totaling 5170 points.

[jimsteel]

Phillies minor leaguer Corey Phelan passes away from battle with cancer

Philadelphia Phillies minor leaguer Corey Phelan passed away Thursday after a battle with cancer, the organization announced. He was 20 years old.

Phelan who signed with Philadelphia after the shortened 2020 MLB draft as an undrafted free agent, battled an aggressive form of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

Phelan played for the Class-A Phillies organization and allowed one run in 9 2/3 innings last season, but never returned to the mound after his diagnosis.

[jimsteel]

Jon Brittenum, a former AFL quarterback for the San Diego Chargers, passed away at the age of 78.

He was an All-Conference QB at the University of Arkansas, twice earning all-SWC honors and might have led Arkansas to a second national title had he not separated his shoulder at halftime of the Cotton Bowl against LSU. Former Arkansas coach Frank Broyles wrote in his autobiography Brittenum was “the best passer on the move that I’ve ever seen. He could throw it like a frozen rope. He was the perfect passer-runner for the system that we played at the time.” Brittenum went undrafted by the pros but was signed to the Dolphins' practice squad in 1967. In 1968 he was inked to a contract by the San Diego Chargers, where he saw limited action and suited up for 14 games.

[jimsteel]

Robert Pennywell, a former NFL and USFL linebacker, passed away at the age of 67.

Pennywell went to Grambling State University where he starred. The San Francisco 49ers drafted him in the 6th round of the 1976 NFL Draft, and he ultimately was signed by the Atlanta Falcons where he played from 1977-1980. After playing semi-pro, the USFL came calling, and Pennywell played for the Michigan Panthers 1983–1984. His cousin Carlos Pennywell also played in the NFL for the Patriots.

[jimsteel]

Louis Denis, a former right wing for the Montreal Canadians, passed away at the age of 94.

Nicknamed "Lulu" he spent 14 seasons with the professional Quebec Senior Hockey League’s Montreal Royals. When he retired in 1961, he was captain of the team and his number 16 was retired along with him. He was loaned to the Montreal Canadiens in 1949-50 and again in 1950-51. He played a total of three games with the Habs. Lulu loved to share stories about his days playing with Maurice Richard, Jean Béliveau, Hugh Currie and Doug Harvey. Another man that fulfilled a boy's dream.