RIP - Larry Yellen

 

Larry Yellen, a reliever for the Houston Colt .45s in 1964, passed away on July 18, 2023 at age 80.

Yellen was signed by Houston before the 1963 season, and made his pro debut with their double-A team. There, he posted an 8-5 record in 18 games (15 starts) while striking out 74 batters in 99 innings. That earned him a 1-game cup of coffee during a September call-up. 

 

He began the 1964 season with the Colt .45s, but only pitched 21 innings over 13 games before he was sent down in mid-July. (His 6.86 ERA may have been a factor.) He returned in September to pitch in 2 games. 

 

Yellen spent all of 1965 with the Astros' AA and AAA teams, and retired after the season. 

 

Interesting obituary 

   

RIP - Ed Bressoud

 

Ed Bressoud, a shortstop for the Giants, Red Sox, and others from 1956-67, passed away on July 11, 2023 at age 91. 

(At the time, he was the 8th-oldest living player to have played after the 1965 season.)

Bressoud made his debut with the New York Giants in June 1956, making most of the starts at shortstop in June and July after taking over for the departed Alvin Dark. By late-July, he lost the job and was relegated to the Giants' bench until June 1959. 

 

He regained his old job, and was the Giants' primary shortstop until losing it again, this time to Jose Pagan (essentially a rookie) in April 1961. 

 

After the season he was drafted by the expansion Colt .45s, but was quickly flipped to the Red Sox. Bressoud was Boston's shortstop for the next 3 seasons, then shared the position with rookie Rico Petrocelli in 1965. 

 

In 1966 the Mets began the season with veteran Roy McMillan as their shortstop, and ended the season with rookie Bud Harrelson. In-between, Bressoud started half the games there as the team transitioned from McMillan to Harrelson. 

 

On April 1, 1967 he was traded to the Cardinals and spent his final season backing up Dal Maxvil and collecting a World Series ring. 

 

Bressoud is the 4th nonagenarian among MLB alumni to have died in the past 3 months. (The others were Dick Groat, Roger Craig, and Dick Hall.)  

 

New York Post obituary  

 

Obituary