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Kim Batiste, a back-up 3B-SS for five seasons in The Show, died on 10/7 at age 52.
Batiste played for the Phillies from 1991-94. He didn't play in MLB in 1995, but returned for one final season in 1996, playing for the Giants.
He appeared in both the NLCS and World Series for the '93 Phillies, smacking a double in the NLCS in his only at-bat in both playoff rounds.
Dave Miedema
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Hall of Fame 2B Joe Morgan, part of the MLB playing landscape for 22 seasons, died on 10/11 at age 77.
His first tastes of The Show came in 1963-64, when Houston's team was known as the Colt .45s. He continued playing for Houston through 1971, and was traded to the Reds in the '71-'72 offseason, only to return to the Astros in 1980.
Of course, those years with the Reds are what made him a legend. Playing for back-to-back World Series winners in 1975-76, he also won 2 MVP awards, played in 10 All-Star Games, won 5 Gold Gloves, and led the NL in walks 4 different times.
In his final 4 seasons, he played for the Giants (1981-82), Phillies (1983) and Athletics (1984).
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Another former pro athlete has succumbed to COVID19.
HOF DE Fred Dean passed away on 10/14 at age 68.
Dean played on 2 Super Bowl winners with the 49ers. He was an All-Pro twice and was named to 4 Pro Bowl squads.
Dean came to the NFL in 1975 with the Chargers, remaining there until mid-1981. He then joined the 49ers and stayed there until his retirement after the 1985 season.
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J.W. Porter, a C-OF who played for 5 different ballclubs in the 1950s, died on 10/11 at age 87.
Porter broke in with the St. Louis Browns in 1952. After serving in the military for the next 2 years, he returned to The Show in 1955, remaining there through 1957. He spent time with the Indians in 1958, and called it a career in 1959 after splitting the season between the Senators and the Cardinals.
Dave Miedema
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Mario Henderson, an OT who spent 2007-10 in an Oakland Raiders uniform, died 10/21 at age 35.
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Matt Blair, a LB who played his entire NFL career with Minnesota,died on10/22 at age 70.
A defensive star from 1974-85, Blair was part of 6 NFC Pro Bowl teams and was named to 1 All-Pro team. He is among the Vikings greats who are remembered in the team's Ring of Honor.
Dave Miedema
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Bill Mathis, a RB in the old American Football League, died on 10/21 at age 81.
While Mathis was originally drafted in 1960 by the Houston Oilers, he was dealt to the New York Titans (later the Jets) prior to the season opener. His career with New York's AFL team ran from 1960-69, and he played for the Jets in Super Bowl 3.
Dave Miedema
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Tom Yewcic, who played in 1 game for the Tigers in 1957 and was a member of the NCAA 1952 National Champion football team at Michigan State, died on 10/21 at age 88.
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Jack McMahan, a LHP who split the 1956 season between the Kansas City A's and the Pittsburgh Pirates, died on 10/16 at age 88.
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Jimmy Orr, a receiver who played in the NFL from 1958-70, died on 10/27 at age 85.
Orr's career began with the Steelers, for whom he played through 1960, after which he joined the Colts until retirement. He was named to 2 Pro Bowl squads.
Dave Miedema
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Herb Adderley, a HOF DB who played for 2 teams over 12 season in the NFL, died on 10/30 at age 81.
Adderley spent most of his career (1961-69) with the Packers before finishing up with the Cowboys (1970-72). He was on 3 different Super Bowl winners, as well as 5 NFL Championship teams. Selected to 5 Pro Bowl squads, he was also an iron man, not missing any regular season games from 1961-70.
Dave Miedema
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Julio Becquer, a 1B-PH for three different AL ballclubs from 1955-63, died on 11/1 at age 88.
Becquer was called up to the original Washington Senators in September 1955, and came up to the bigs to stay in 1957, staying with the Nats through 1960. He split 1961 between the Angels and Twins, and did not play in The Show in '62, but played in one last game for the Twins in September 1963, getting on base and scoring a run.
Dave Miedema
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Jim Hicks, a reserve OF who played for 3 teams over 5 MLB seasons, died at age 80 on 10/29.
Hicks played for the White Sox from 1964-66, left The Show for 2 seasons, and returned with the Cardinals in 1969. Dealt midseason to the Angels, he finished the year there and, in 1970, finished his MLB career.
Dave Miedema
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Howie Meeker, a post-WW2 right wing for the Maple Leafs, died on 11/8 at age 97.
Meeker played for Toronto from the 1946-47 season through 1953-54. He was part of 4 Stanley Cup Championship Maple Leafs squads.
Dave Miedema
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Tommy Heinsohn, a lifelong Boston Celtics great who played, coached and also was a game announcer, died on 11/9 at age 86.
Heinsohn is the only man to be associated with the Celtics for all 17 of their NBA Championships. He is also one of only 4 basketball HoFers to be inducted as a player and a coach.
Dave Miedema
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Ray Daviault, a RHP from Canada whose only season in The Show was with the 1962 Mets, died on 11/6 at age 86.
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Rick Baldwin, an RHP for the Mets for 3 seasons, died recently at age 67.
Hurling from the mound for the Mets from 1975-77, he appeared in 105 games...all in relief.
Dave Miedema
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Terry Duerod, a small forward/shooting guard, who played for four seasons in the NBA, died 11/13 at age 64 after a bout with leukemia.
Drafted by Detroit in 1979, he spent that full season as a Piston. In 1980-81, he started the season with Dallas, but then joined Boston and was part of their 1980-81 NBA Championship team.
He stayed with the Celtics for 1981-82, as well, before wrapping up his career in The Association with 5 games for Golden State in 1982-83.
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Johnny Paredes, a utility infielder who had short stints with the Expos and Tigers, died 11/4 at age 58.
A native of Venezuela, Paredes spent time with Montreal in 1988 and 1990, and after that Detroit in 1990-91.
Dave Miedema
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Foster Castleman, a utility IF who played in The Show for 5 years, died 11/9 at age 89.
Castleman came up with the New York Giants during the 1954 season, and remained with the team for the remainder of their time in the Polo Grounds. He called it a career after spending 1958 with the Orioles.
His best season was his busiest season (1956). Playing in 124 games, he smacked 14 HR and drove in 45.
Dave Miedema
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Hi dave, Was wondering if you could email me at gosox59@msn.com. Been trying to reach you with a question on a game used cap item. Thanks
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Lindy McDaniel, a RH pitcher who primarily came out of the bullpen for 21 seasons, died at age 84 on 11/14.
McDaniel took the mound in a whopping 987 games, beginning in 1955 with the Cardinals and ending in 1975 with the Royals. He finished his career with a record of 141-119 with 174 saves. Between his tours of duty with both Missouri ballclubs, he also took the mound for the Cubs, Giants and Yankees. He led the NL in saves 3 diiferent times and was the leader in games finished in the last of those 3 seasons.
Dave Miedema
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Jake Scott, a DB for the undefeated 1972 Dolphins, died 11/19 at age 75.
His Super Bowl performance in the Dolphins 14-7 victory over the Redskins at the end of that historic season earned him game MVP honors. He was also part of the Miami Super Bowl winners the following season (against the Vikings), as well as the 1971 AFC Champions, who were bested in that Super Bowl by Dallas.
Jake played for 9 seasons in the NDFL; 6 for the Dolphins (1970-75) followed by 3 with the Redskins (1976-78).
Dave Miedema
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Dan Pfister, a RHP whose 4-year MLB career was saddled by playing all 4 seasons with a perennial cellar dweller, died 11/9 at age 83.
Pfister's 4 seasons in the Bigs (1961-64) were all spent with the Kansas City Athletics.
Dave Miedema
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International soccer legeend Diego Maradona (from Argentina) died of a heart attack on 11/25 at age 60.
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Bob Miller, a RHP who was a member of the Whiz Kids (1950 NL pennant-winning Phillies) died on 11/28 at age 94.
Miller went 11-6 with a 3.57 ERA during that memorable season. His entire 10-year MLB career (1949-58) was spent in Philadelphia. A 1959 Topps card pictures him as a St. Louis Cardinal but never appeared for them in a regular season game.
Dave Miedema
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Marv Marinovich, a guard who was the captain of the 1962 NCAA Champion USC Trojans, died on 12/3 at age 81.
Marv played in one AFL game for the Raiders in 1965. His son is Todd Marinovich.
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Dick Allen, a major slugger for most of the 1960s and 70s, died on 12/7 at age 78.
"Crash", as he was sometimes know, played from 1963-77, mostly with the Phillies (1963-69, 1975-76) and the White Sox (1972-74). He was the NL Rookie of the Year with Philly in 1964 and AL MVP with the Chisox in 1972. He also spent single seasons with the Cardinals (1970), Dodgers (1971) and A's (1977). He was also selected for 7 All-Star Games. Over the course of his MLB career, he slammed 351 HR and drove in 1,119 runs.
Dave Miedema
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Tommy Sandt, a utility infielder who played 1 game with Oakland in 1975 and 41 more in 1976, died at age 69 on 12/1.
Dave Miedema
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Bill Spanswick, a LHP who appeared in 29 games for the 1964 Red Sox, died on 12/2 at age 82.
Dave Miedema
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Denis Menke, an infielder who played for 3 NL ballclubs over a 13-year career, died on 12/1 at age 80.
Menke played with the Braves (1962-67), the Astros (1968-71, 1974) and the Reds (1972-73). He was part of 2 All-Star Game teams, and played in one World Series (1972) where he was active in all 7 games and, while only collecting 2 hits, one of them was a solo HR.
Dave Miedema
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Phil Linz, an infielder for 7 years in The Show, died on 12/9 at age 81.
Linz first played in the Bigs with the Yankees (1962-65). He appeared in both the '63 and '64 World Series for the Yanks, and also during his tour of duty with the 1960s version of the Bronx Bombers earned the wrath of manager Yogi Berra when, after a tough loss, Linz began playing his harmonica on the otherwise silent bus.
Linz spent 1966 and part of '67 with the Phillies. A mid-season deal sent him back to the Big Apple, but with the Mets, for whom he played until his retirement after the 1968 season.
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Charley Pride, a one-time Negro League and Minor League ballplayer who went on to a lucrative career in country music, died on 12/12 at age 86.
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Billy DeMars, a back-up infielder in 3 seasons in The Show, and who later become a longtime coach with the Phillies, died on 12/10 at age 95.
DeMars first appeared in the Majors with the Philadelphia A's in 1948. Not in the Majors in '49, he came back to MLB with the St. Louis
Browns for 1950-51, with his '51 ledger indicating that he only played in 1 game that season.
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Lorenzo Taliaferro, a RB out of Coastal Carolina who played for the Ravens for 3 seasons, died 12/16, a week before his 29th birthday. Cause of death appears to be a heart attack. His NFL career ran from 2014-2016.
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Kevin Greene, a HOF LB/DE who played for 4 different NFL over 15 years, died on 12/21 at age 58. Cause of death has nott yet been announced.
Greene spent 8 seasons with the Rams (1985-92), after which he played for the Steelers (1993-95), and for the 49ers (1997), sandwiched between 2 tours of duty with Carolina (1996, 1998-99).
The Auburn alum, who wore #91 for his entire NFL career, was named to 5 Pro Bowl squads and was named to the HOF All-1990s Team.
Dave Miedema
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Billy Harris, a backup infielder with short tours of duty with 2 AL teams, died on 12/20 at age 77.
Harris appeared in 38 games for the 1968 Indians, and was also an original Kansas City Royal, albeit for only 5 games.
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