RIP - Ted Savage

 

Ted Savage, an journeyman outfielder for several teams in the 1960s, passed away on January 15, 2023 at age 85.

Savage started 82 games as a rookie with the Phillies in 1962, sharing left field with Wes Covington. That was the high point of his career in terms of regular playing time. 

 

He also played for the Pirates, Cardinals, Cubs, Dodgers, Reds, Brewers, and Royals, wrapping up his MLB career in 1971. He then played 2 seasons in Mexico before retiring. 

 

RIP Baseball obituary 

 

RIP - Bill Davis

 

Bill Davis, a former Indians' prospect (at least according to Topps), passed away on January 13, 2023 at age 80. 

 

Davis probably holds the record for most appearances on a Rookie Stars card. (He never did get his own card.)

He played 33 games for the Indians in '65 & '66, and 31 games for the Padres in 1969. Acquired by San Diego after the expansion draft, Davis was their opening day 1st baseman in 1969, but was soon replaced by Nate Colbert. 

 

In May '69 he was traded to the Cardinals, who flipped him to the Twins 2 months later. Davis never played for either team, not did he play in the minors after 1969. 

 

 Minnesota Star-Tribune obituary

    

RIP - Nate Colbert

 

Nate Colbert, the Padres' first slugger, passed away on January 5, 2023 at age 76.

 

Colbert came up in Cardinals' and Astros' organizations, then was taken by San Diego in the expansion draft. 

 

He was the Pads' everyday 1st baseman for their first 5 seasons, hitting 24, 38, 27, 38, and 22 homers those years. He also made the All-Star team in '71, '72, and '73.

 

In 1972, he hit 5 home runs in 1 day.

 

In 1974 the team acquired Willie McCovey, so Colbert split his time between 1B and LF. After the season he was traded to Detroit, and played his final 2 seasons with the Tigers, Expos, and Athletics. 

 

MLB obituary 

  

2022 Re-cap

 

 

1960s' baseball players who left us in 2022 (40% fewer than last year): 

 

And from outside the baseball world: 

Sidney Poitier
Peter Bogdanovich
Michael Lang (Woodstock organizer)
Bob Saget
Dwayne Hickman
Ronnie Spector
Yvette Mimieux
Meat Loaf
Louie Anderson
Howard Hesseman
Monica Vitti
Ivan Reitman
Gary Brooker (Procol Harum)
Sally Kellerman
Farrah Forke
Tim Considine
William Hurt
Madeleine Albright
Taylor Hawkins (Foo Fighters)
Estelle Harris (Seinfeld)
Bobby Rydell
Gilbert Gottfreid
Liz Sheridan (Seinfeld)
Robert Morse
David Birney
Naomi Judd
Fred Ward
Roger Angell
Ray Liotta
Bo Hopkins
Alec John Such (Bon Jovi)
Jim Seals (Seals and Crofts)
James Caan
Larry Storch
Ivana Trump
Bob Rafelson
Paul Sorvino
Tony Dow
Pat Carroll
Nichelle Nichols
Bill Russell
Vin Scully
Olivia Newton-John
Anne Heche
Mikhail Gorbachev
Bernard Shaw (CNN News)
Queen Elizabeth
Ramsey Lewis
Ken Starr
Henry Silva
Kitten Natividad
Coolio
Loretta Lynn
Judy Tenuta
Angela Lansbury
James McDivitt (Gemini/Apollo)
Jerry Lee Lewis
Robert Clary
Irene Cara
Christine McVie
Bob McGrath (Sesame Street)
Kirstie Alley
Pele
Barbara Walters
Anita Pointer

Also: Football deaths in 2022

   

RIP - Fred Valentine

 

Fred Valentine, an outfielder for the Senators from 1964-1968, passed away on December 26, 2022 at age 87.

Valentine debuted with a dozen games for the Orioles in September 1959. He didn't return to the Orioles until the 2nd half of 1963, making 16 pinch-hitting appearances along with a half-dozen or so starts in right field. 

 

Sold to the Senators after the 1963 season, He spent 2 years on their bench, before finally getting extended playing time in 1966 and 1967, sharing CF with Don Lock and RF with Jim King in '66, and Hank Allen (CF) and Cap Peterson (RF) in '67. 

 

With the arrival of rookie Del Unser in 1968, Valentine was mired behind Peterson and Ed Stroud in the right field mix, and by June was traded back to the Orioles for pitcher Bruce Howard.

 

Except for 12 consecutive starts in late-June, Fred rode the bench in his final months as a big-leaguer, stuck behind not only Frank Robinson and Paul Blair, but also Curt Blefary, Dan Buford, and rookies Curt Motten and Dave May. 

 

After playing all of 1969 for the O's AAA team, Valentine played in Japan in 1970 before retiring.  

 

MLB obituary  

 

MSN.com obituary 

 

RIP - Denny Doyle

 

Denny Doyle, a 2nd baseman for the Phillies, Angels, and Red Sox in the 1970s, passed away on December 21, 2022 at age 78.

Doyle debuted on Opening Day 1970, as half of the highly-touted keystone combo with fellow rookie Larry Bowa. 

 

That season, the Phillies expected to christen their new stadium (Veterans Stadium), but construction issues delayed that until 1971. Still, they unveiled new uniforms, a new manager (Frank Lucchesi), and a batch of new players (Doyle, Bowa, Tim McCarver, Joe Hoerner, Dick Selma, and Oscar Gamble, among others. 

 

Doyle was the Phils' regular 2nd baseman from 1970-1973, then was traded to the Angels in the off-season. He was the Halos' staring 2nd-sacker in 1974, but then rode the bench in 1975 until a mid-season trade to the Red Sox restored him to regular playing time. 

 

He played for the BoSox for 1 1/2 seasons, including the 1975 World Series vs. the Reds. 

 

After his playing career, Doyle ran a baseball school along with his 2 brothers, who were also MLB alumni.  

 

ABC 5 (Boston) obituary 

 

RIP - Curt Simmons

 

Curt Simmons, the Phillies left-handed ace during the 1950s, passed away on December 13, 2022 at age 93. He was the last living member of the 1950 NL Champion Phillies.

Simmons made his major-league debut with the Phillies in September 1947 (and was one of the last 2 players from the 1940s still active in 1967). 

 

Although the Phillies played in the 1950 World Series, Simmons missed the 1950 post-season and all of 1951 due to military service. He returned to Philly in 1952, and remained in the starting rotation through the 1958 season, making 3 All-Star teams during tht time. Curt saw limited action in 1959 due to a sore arm, and was released in May 1960. 

 

He found new life with the Cardinals, pitching 6 1/2 seasons for St. Louis, including 2 starts in the 1964 World Series. Simmons also played for the Cubs and Angels in his last 2 years, retiring after the 1967 season.  

 

New York Times obituary 

 

RIP - Gaylord Perry

 

Gaylord Perry, who pitched for 22 seasons from 1962-83, passed away on December 1, 2022 at age 84.

Perry became a full-time starting pitcher in 1966, and remained in his team's rotation for the remainder of his career. 

 

He played his first 10 years with the Giants, in a rotation that included Juan Marichal and at times, Mike McCormick, Ray Sadecki, and Bobby Bolin, among others. 

 

Perry played for 7 other teams over the 2nd half of his career, including extended stops in Cleveland and Texas. 

 

He was a 5-time 20-game winner, and led the league in wins for 3 of those seasons. He also was a 2-time Cy Young Award winner, and led the AL in complete games twice. 

 

New York Post obituary 

 

The More You Know

 

I found a list of notable Eagle Scouts on Wikipedia. Here is a shorter list of sports figures, and others I have heard of. 

 

Most surprising is Albert Belle. It's not like an Eagle Scout to attempt running down trick-or-treaters with your car.

Name			Known for		Year
Ozzie Nelson		Actor/Band leader	1920
Sheldon Leonard		Actor/Director	        1923
William Hanna		Hanna-Barbera		1924
L. Ron Hubbard		Author			1924
Gerald Ford		Politician		1927
William Westmoreland    Army general		1930
Ewing Kauffman		MLB exec		1931
Robert McNamara		Politician		1932
Sam Walton		Walmart founder		1934
Lloyd Bentsen		Politician		1938
Bill Gates Sr.		B. Gates Jr father	1941
John Ehrlichman		Politician		1942
H.R. Haldeman		Politician		1942
Jim Lovell		Astronaut		1943
Ross Perot		Politician		1943
Ray Malavasi		NFL coach		1944
Neil Armstrong		Astronaut		1947
Michael Dukakis		Politician		1949
Donald Rumsfeld		Politician		1949
Jim Mora                NFL coach               1950
Roger Chaffee		Astronaut		1951
Pat Gillick		MLB exec		1951
Maxie Baughan	        NFL player		1952
Lamar Alexander		Politician		1954
James Brady		Politician		1955
Dick Gephart		Politician		1955
Tom Matte		NFL player		1955
Tom Mack		NFL player		1960
Steven Speilberg	Director		1961
Beasley Reece		NFL player		1967
John Tesh		TV / Radio		1968
Michael Moore		Director		1970
Ken Whisenhunt		NFL coach		1976
Mike Rowe		TV - Dirty Jobs		1979
Albert Belle		MLB player		1981
Zack Galifianakas	Actor			1986
Shane Victorino		MLB player		1996

RIP - Dick Ellsworth

 

Dick Ellsworth, who pitched for the Cubs and others from 1958-1971, passed away on October 10, 2022 at age 82.

Ellsworth played for 13 season, the first 8 with the Cubs. After a 1 game cup of coffee in 1958, he returned to the Cubs in 1960 and was a fixture in their starting rotation for the next 7 seasons. Ellsworth won 22 games in 1963, but also lost 22 in 1966. He made the All-Star team in 1964. 

 

After one season (1967) with the Phillies, he played his final 4 seasons with the Red Sox, Indians, and Brewers. He was a starting pitcher until his final 2 seasons.  

 

Bleed Cubbie Blue obituary  

 

Fresno, CA obituary 

 

RIP - Hector Lopez

 

Hector Lopez, who played for the Athletics and Yankees from 1955-1966, passed away on September 29, 2022 at age 93.

Lopez made his debut with the Kansas City Athletics in May 1955, and was a regular at 3B and 2B for the next 4 seasons. 

 

Traded to the Yankees in May 1959, he transitioned to left field that year, replacing incumbent Norm Siebern late in the season. Lopez was the primary left fielder from 1960 to 1963, except for 1961 when Yogi Berra started almost 80 games there. 

 

By 1964, Lopez had been replaced by Tom Tresh, and except for manning right field for much of 1965 (in Roger Maris' absence), Hector finished out his Yankees' career as a backup outfield. 

 

Released after the 1966 season, he played 2 seasons with the Senators' AAA team. In 1969 he managed that team, becoming the first black manager at the triple-A level.  

 

New York Times obituary 

 

RIP - Maury Wills

 

Maury Wills, the Dodgers' shortstop for most of the 1960s, passed away on September 19, 2022 at age 89. 

He was the 10th-oldest player still living who had a player card in the 1967 or later sets.

Wills debuted in June 1959, taking over the shortstop job from Don Zimmer. He was the Dodgers' starting shortstop through the end of the 1966 season. During that time he led the NL in stolen bases from 1960-65 (including a record 104 in 1962). He also led the league in triples in '62 and was named the MVP. 

 

Traded to the Pirates, he was their 3rd baseman for 2 seasons, then was selected by the Expos in the expansion draft. 

 

After a half-season as Montreal's shortstop, Wills returned to the Dodgers and his old starting shortstop job until he was replaced by Bill Russell in late-April 1972. Wills retired after the season. 

 

He famously did not have any Topps baseball cards until 1967, despite being a top-line player for 7 previous seasons.  

 

Washington Post obituary  

 

Fox News obituary 

 

RIP - Lee Thomas

 

Lee Thomas, a slugging 1B-OF for the Angels in their first few seasons, passed away on August 31, 2022 at age 86.

My earliest recollection of Thomas was as a little-used backup with the Cubs and Astros at the end of his career, but he was a significant player earlier in the decade. 

 

Thomas was a regular with the Angels from 1961 to 1963. He hit 50 homers in his first 2 seasons, and made the All-Star team in 1962. 

 

After a power shortage in 1963, he was traded to the Red Sox in mid-1964 and regained double-digit home run totals in '64 and '65. That was his last season as a regular player. 

 

He bounced to the Braves, Cubs, and Astros in bench roles for 3 years, then finished up with seasons in Japan and AAA ball. 

 

Following his playing career, Thomas worked for the Cardinals as a minor-league coach and manager, and in the front office. He was the GM for the Phillies from 1988-97, constructing the 1993 World Series team. He later worked in the front office for the Red Sox, Astros, Brewers, and Orioles.  

 

Philadelphia Inquirer obituary  

 

ESPN obituary 

 

RIP - Bob Locker

 

Bob Locker, a relief pitcher for the White Sox and others from 1965-1975, passed away on August 15, 2022 at age 84.

Locker pitched in 576 games, all in relief. His first 4 1/2 seasons were with the White Sox, where he shared the bullpen with knuckleballers Hoyt Wilhelm and Eddie Fisher, among others. In 1967 he led the AL with 77 appearances. 

 

In June 1969 he was dealt to the Seattle Pilots. A year later the Brewers sold him to the Athletics. He pitched for Oakland for the next 2 1/2 seasons, before wrapping up with the Cubs in '73 and '75. (He missed the 1974 season due to injury.)  

 

In 2010 Locker created a website promoting former Players Association head Marvin Miller, in an attempt to get him voted into the Hall of Fame. Miller was inducted in 2020.

 

Obituary 

 

RIP - Mike Brito

 

Mike Brito, a Dodgers' scout for 45 years, passed away on July 7, 2022 at age 87.

Don't know the name? Well you no doubt saw him back in the day if you've ever watched a Dodgers' game on TV. He's the guy who always had a radar gun, Panama hat, and big cigar behind the backstop. I was never a Dodgers' fan, but I saw them many times on the Game of the Week. 

 

Brito was the Dodgers' top scout in Mexico.  He signed Fernando Valenzuela and over 30 others.

 

I saw this on Twitter: “Name me another scout you recognize. Name me the second-most famous scout in baseball. You can’t.”  

 

New York Post obituary  

 

MLB.com obituary 

  

RIP - Bill Burbach

 

Bill Burbach, who pitched briefly for the Yankees from 1969-71, passed away on July 20, 2022 at age 74.

After 4 seasons in the minors, Bill played all of 1969 with the Yankees, posting a 6-8 record in 24 starts and 7 relief appearances.

 

He spent most of the next 2 seasons in the minors, only playing a total of 6 games for the Yankees.

 

He retired after playing for the Twins' AAA team in 1972.

 

Johnson City (TN) Press obituary 

RIP - Dick Schofield Sr.

 

Dick Schofield, a middle infielder for the Pirates, Giants, and others in the 1950s and 1960s, passed away on July 11, 2022 at age 87.

Schofield was signed by the Cardinals as a bonus baby in 1953, and spent 5+ seasons on their bench, until he was traded to the Pirates. 

 

His only regular playing time was from 1963-1965. He was the Pirates regular shortstop in '63 and '64, taking over for the traded Dick Groat. In 1965 Gene Alley replaced him in May, so he was traded to the Giants where he was their regular shortstop for the remainder of that season. 

 

He eventually moved on to the Mets, Dodgers, Cardinals, Red Sox, and Brewers, then retired after the 1971 season. 

 

His son Dick was the Angels' shortstop from 1983-96, and his grandson is Jayson Werth, former Phillies' and Nationals' outfielder.

 

Springfield (IL) obituary

  

RIP - Dave Wickersham

 

Dave Wickersham, who pitched for 10 seasons in the 1960s, passed away on June 18, 2022 at age 86.

Wickersham began his career in 1960 with the Kansas City Athletics, and ended it in 1969 with the Kansas City Royals. In between, he pitched 4 seasons for the Tigers and 11 games for the Pirates. He was one of four players to have played for both Kansas City teams. 

 

He was primarily a starting pitcher from 1963-65, and a reliever in all other years.

 

A native of Erie, PA, he was inducted into the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame in 1989. 

 

Kansas City Star obituary