RIP - George Thomas

 

George Thomas, a backup outfielder for the Angels, Tigers, and Red Sox in the 1960s, passed away on October 23, 2026 at age 88.

Thomas made his major-league debut with the Tigers, playing one game each in 1957 and 1958. 

 

After 2 full seasons in the minors, he returned to Detroit at the start of the 1961 season, until he was acquired by the Los Angeles Angels in mid-season. 

 

In June 1963 he was traded back to the Tigers, where he played through the 1965 season. 

 

Thomas was acquired by the Red Sox after the 1965 season, and played for Boston (although spending much of 1968 in triple-A) through June 1971. 

 

After his release, he was picked up by the Twins for the remainder of the 1971 season.

   

RIP - Jerry Koosman

 

Jerry Koosman, the Mets' top lefthanded starting pitcher from the late-1960s to the mid-1970s, passed away on November 1, 2026 at age 83.

Koosman made his major-league debut with the Mets in 1967, pitching 22 innings over 9 games. 

 

He pitched full-time for the Mets from 1968 to 1978, and made the All-Star team in both '68 and '69. 

 

In 1976 he notched career highs in wins (21) and strikeouts (200), and finished 2nd in the Cy Young voting. 

 

After the 1978 season he was traded to the Twins, playing there from 1979-81, before moving on to the White Sox (1981-83) and Phillies (1984-85). 

 

Koosman finished with a record of 222-209 in 612 games (527 starts) and 2556 strikeouts. He was inducted in to the Mets Hall of Fame in 1989, and his number was retired in 2021, the 3rd Mets number retired (after Tom Seaver and Mike Piazza).

  

RIP - Rollie Sheldon

 

Rollie Sheldon, who pitched for the Yankees and Athletics in the 1960s, passed away on August 31, 2026 at age 89.

Sheldon played for the Yankees from 1961-62, and 1964-65. His best year was his rookie season, going 11-5 in 35 games (21 starts). After spending all of 1963 in the minors, he returned to the Bronx midway through 1964.

 

He was traded to the Kansas City Athletics during the 1965 season, and to the Red Sox during the 1966 season. His final major-league game was in September 1966. 

 

Sheldon played in the minors for various teams from 1967 to 1970, before retiring.

 

Although he had a baseball card in the 1969 set depicting him with the Seattle Pilots, he never played for them in the majors or minors. (He had played for the triple-A Seattle Angels in 1968.) 

     

RIP - Sam McDowell

 

Sam McDowell, the ace of the Cleveland Indians' staff in the mid-to-late 1960s, passed away on October 5, 2026 at age 84.

McDowell played for the Indians from 1961 to 1971, and was an All-Star 6 times between 1965 and 1971. 

 

He led the American League in strikeouts 5 out of 6 seasons from 1965 to 1970 (and was 10 strikeouts behind the leader in the other year). You can see all the cards commemorating those achievements here. 

 

Given the sorry state of affairs that was the Indians team in the 1960s, McDowell only won 20 games once (1970). After the 1971 season, he was traded to the Giants for pitcher Gaylord Perry and shortstop Frank Duffy. 

 

McDowell spent 1 1/2 seasons each with the Giants and Yankees, before wrapping up his career with the Pirates in 1975.

 

He finished with 2,453 career strikeouts and an average of 8.86 strikeouts per nine innings pitched. At the time of his retirement, his strikeout rate was bested only by Nolan Ryan and Sandy Koufax. 

 

RIP - Bill Giles

 

Long-time National League executive Bill Giles passed away on September 25, 2026 at age 92.

Giles was the son of Warren Giles, the Cincinnati Reds' President from 1937 to 1951, and the National League President from 1951 to 1969. 

 

Bill started his career working in the Reds' front office. 

 

In 1961 he was part of a group that formed the expansion Houston Colt .45s, and remained with them through 1968.

 

He joined the Phillies in 1969, first as traveling secretary, before working his way up to VP, then President, then Chairman. Giles rounded up a few other investors to buy the Phillies from the Carpenter family in 1981. 

 

From 2001 until his death, Giles was the honorary NL President.

    

RIP - Larry Christenson

 

Stretching the era of this blog, but... 

 

Larry Christenson, a member of the Phillies' starting rotation from 1973 to 1983, passed away on August 28, 2026 at age 72.

Christenson played for 11 seasons, and all with the Phillies. He is one of less than a half-dozen players to have played at least 10 seasons, and only for the Phillies. (Comment below if you want to know the others.) 

 

He was the Phillies' 1st pick (3rd overall) in the 1972 draft, one day after his high school graduation. Christenson played A-ball that season, and made his major-league debut with the Phillies the following April, with a 7-1 complete game victory over the Mets. At age 19, he was the youngest player in the majors. 

 

Larry split the '73 and '74 seasons between the Phillies and their AAA team, then made the majors for good in 1975. 

 

He was a part of the rotation that, depending on the season, included Jim Lonborg, Jim Kaat, Dick Ruthven, Randy Lerch, and Bob Walk, all obviously slotted behind Steve Carlton. 

 

In 1977 he won a career-high 19 games, and struck out a career-high 145 in 1982. 

 

He was troubled by injuries in his last few seasons, and was released after the 1983 season, after missing most of the year following elbow surgery.

   

RIP - Gil Blanco

 

Gil Blanco, who pitched briefly for the Yankees and Athletics in the mid-1960s, passed away on July 9, 2026 at age 80.

Blanco played in the minors every season from 1964 to 1971, mostly for the Yankees and Athletics. 

 

His only major-league action was 17 games for the Yankees in 1965, and 11 games for the Kansas City Athletics in 1966. 

 

In mid-1966, the Yankees included him in the Roger Repoz for Fred Talbot trade. He finished his pro career with the Astros, Expos, and Oakland A's from 1969-71. 

    

RIP - Tommy John

 

Tommy John, who pitched for 6 teams over his 26-year career, passed away on August 15, 2026 at age 83.

John began his career with the Indians in September 1963. He also pitched for the tribe in 1964. 

 

After the season, he was part of a 3-team 8-player trade that landed him with the White Sox. John was a key member of the Sox' rotation for the next 7 seasons. In 1968 he fashioned a 1.98 ERA and was named to his first All-Star team, but it seemed like he could never get out of Gary Peters' and Joel Horlen's shadows. 

 

Following the 1971 season he was traded to the Dodgers for Dick Allen. He played for Los Angeles for 6 seasons, while also missing the 1975 season after having Tommy John surgery. In 1977 he won 20 games for the first time, and finished a distant 2nd to Steve Carlton for the Cy Young award. 

 

John was granted free agency after the 1978 season, and signed with the Yankees. He pitched there for the better part of 4 seasons, winning 20 games twice along with two more All-Star games.

 

He was traded to the Angels in late-August 1982, and pitched there until he was released in June 1985. The Athletics picked him up for the rest of the season. John did not have the success with the Angels and A's that he found with his other 3 teams. 

 

Granted free agency once again after the 1985 season, he returned to the Yankees for his final 4 seasons, until they released him in May 1989. 

 

John appeared in 760 games over 26 seasons, making 700 starts and compiling a 288-231 record while striking out 2245 batters. 

   

RIP - Derrell Griffith

 

Derrell Griffith, an outfielder and 3rd baseman for the Dodgers in the mid-1960s, passed away on June 25, 2026 at age 82.

Griffith played parts of every season from 1963 to 1966 with the Dodgers, with most of his playing time coming in 1964. 

 

In the 1966/67 off-season he was traded twice: to the Mets with Tommy Davis for Ron Hunt and Jim Hickman, then to the Astros for Sandy Alomar. In mid-1967, he was traded to the Braves in the Wade Blasingame for Claude Raymond deal. 

 

With all that traveling, he never played again in the majors after 1966. 

     

Julian Javier is 90

 

Happy 90th birthday (8/9) to Julian Javier!

Jerry McNertney is 90

 

 Happy 90th birthday (8/7) to Jerry McNertney!

RIP - Hector Valle

 

Hector Valle, a backup catcher for the Dodgers in 1965, passed away on July 11, 2026 at age 85.

Valle played minor-league ball from 1960 to 1971, for the Dodgers ('60-'67), Mets ('68), Tigers ('69-71), and Royals ('71). 

 

He also played in Mexico from 1972 to 1981. 

 

His only big-league action was 9 games for the Dodgers in 1965 (mostly in June).