Sports obituaries

[sox83cubs84]

Elgin Baylor, a Hall of Famer who excelled as a player and GM, and also spent 4 seasons as a head coach, died on 3/22 at age 86.

Baylor's entire NBA playing career was spent with the Lakers, beginning in 1958-59 when the Lakers played in Minneapolis, to 1971-72 when they called Los Angeles home as the team does now. In his rookie season, he took home both the NBA Rookie of the Year award and the trophy for All-Star Game MVP. He also made 10 All-NBA teams and was named to11 squads for the NBA Al-Star Game.

After his playing career was over, he spent 4 seasons as the head coach of the New Orleans Jazz and afterwards spent 20 years in the front office of the Clippers, mainly as GM.

Dave Miedema

[sox83cubs84]

Phillip Adams, a DB for Oakland and 5 other NFL teams from 2010-15, died on 4/8 as the result of a self-inflicted gunshot wound after killing 5 other people. He was 32.

It's suspected that his abnormal and criminal behavior may have stemmed from brain damage caused by multiple concussions during his NFL career, and studies are being done to determine any connection between the two.

Dave M.

[sox83cubs84]

Pete Lammons, a TE who spent 6 of his 7 years in pro football with the New York Jets, died on 4/29 at age 77.

Drafted by the Jets in the 1966 AFL Draft after a college career at Texas, Lammons was part of the fabled Super Bowl 3 Jets Champions, and also appeared in 1 Pro Bowl. His career ended in 1972 with Green Bay.

Over his 7 seasons in the NFL and AFL, he only missed 3 gams.

Dave M.

[sox83cubs84]

Jerry Burns, head coach of the Minnesota Vikings for 6 seasons, did on 5/12 at age 94.

Burns was the field boss for the Vikings from 1986-91, and took his team to the NFC playoffs in 3 straight seasons (1987-89).

Dave M.

[sox83cubs84]

Joe Altobelli, best remembered as the manager of the 1983 World Series winning Baltimore Orioles, died on 3/3 at age 88.

Altobelli's best season was also his first go-round managing the O's through mid-1985. Before that, he was the field boss for the Giants (1977-79) and afterwards served as an interim manager for the Cubs for 1 game in 1991.

Joe's MLB playing career as a LF-PH-1B was sporadic, with stints with Cleveland in both 1955 and 1957 and his last hurrah as a player with the Twins in 1961.

Dave Miedema

[sox83cubs84]

Al Naples, a SS whose MLB career was limited to starting two consecutive games for the 1949 Browns, died on 2/26 at age 94.

Dave Miedema

[sox83cubs84]

Mike Bell, the current bench coach for the Minnesota Twins, died on 3/26 due to cancer. He was 46.

Part of the third generation of the Bell family in MLB (son of Buddy Bell, grandson of the late Gus Bell), his playing career in The Show was limited to 19 games at 3B with the 2000 Reds.

Dave Miedema

[sox83cubs84]

Tom Robson, a PH-DH-1B who had brief playing stints with Texas in 1974 and '75 died on 4/20 at age 75.

After his retirement, Robson had coaching stints with both the Rangers and the Mets.

Dave M.

[sox83cubs84]

Ray Miller, a longtime coach in MLB who managed both the Twins (1985-86) and the Orioles (1998-99) died earliert his week at age 76.

Miller's minor league pitching career spanned 10 seasons, mostly in the farm systems of Cleveland and Baltimore, although his initial season in pro ball was spent in the Giants organization (1964). Although his final 5 seasons of pitching were at the Triple-A level, h nver pitched in the Majors.

Dave Miedema

[sox83cubs84]

Joe Cunningham, a 1B for 3 MLB teams in a 12-year career, died on 3/25 at age 89.

After being promoted by the Cardinals to the Majors during the 1954 season, Cunningham returned near the end of the '56 campaign after spending most of that season and all of 1955 in military service. Being named to the NL All-Star team for both of the games held in 1959, he remained with St. Louis until after the 1961 season, when he was traded to the White Sox.

The South Side of Chicago remained his MLB home through mid-1964, when he was dealt to the Senators, ending his playing career there after appearing in 4 games in April 1966.

Dave Miedema