Sports obituaries

[Steve D]

Dan Walters, a catcher who played for the Padres in parts of 1992 and 1993, died on 4/22 at age 53.

Dave Miedema

OK, I don't know what happened above, so let's try it again.

Dan Walters' story is a sad one.

Retired San Diego Police Department (SDPD) Officer Dan Walters died in the line of duty on Thursday April 23, 2020, due to complications associated with being shot in the neck and hit by a car in 2003.


Officer Walters had been on the force for five years when he and his partner responded to help a fellow officer with a traffic stop at approximately 10:30 p.m. on Nov. 12, 2003. They later learned that the officer they went to assist had interrupted a domestic disturbance in progress, and that the suspect had opened fire on him, hitting him in his handcuffs. At the time, all Officer Walters saw when he arrived at the scene was a terrified colleague scrambling for cover, he told the San Diego Union-Tribune in a 2013 interview.

“As we rolled up, I saw this officer on his hands and knees, desperately crawling for cover with this frightened look on his face and with his gun drawn,” he recalled. “I immediately thought, ‘Oh, s--t!’ and jumped out of the car.”

He ran to the frantic officer just as the suspect closed in on him. “Here’s this gunman coming directly at me from about 12 to 15 feet with a gun pointed directly at my face,” Officer Walters told The San Diego Union-Tribune. “He didn’t shoot immediately. He kept advancing and stopped at about arm’s length.” Officer Walters essentially had no time to react. “In that moment, I decided I wasn’t going to let him just stand there and shoot me in the face, so I lunged for the gun, missed, then grabbed him, attempting to get him to the ground and wait for help,” he recalled. “He put the gun to the back of my neck and fired.”

As he collapsed onto the ground in the middle of 43rd Street, Officer Walters believed that he was going to die. “I felt nothing,” he said. “I was looking straight up and I again thought: ‘I can’t believe I’m dead.’ Then, it all went black.”

As Officer Walters fell unconscious, his partner opened fire on the shooter, killing him. Just then, a motorist passed by and inadvertently struck the wounded officer as he was lying in the middle of the roadway. “They found me with my feet sticking out from under the car,” Officer Walters told The San Diego Tribune. Two of his cervical vertebrae were crushed, among other injuries.

He regained consciousness just as additional officers and medical personnel arrived at the scene, and immediately realized that he couldn’t get his body to move. “I remember them putting me in the ambulance, and I thinking if I can survive this, do I want to live being paralyzed?” Officer Walters told The San Diego Union-Tribune. “I was breathing OK, but I couldn’t feel anything below my neck. I couldn’t move a muscle."

Officer Walters, who was just 37 years old at the time of the attack, never regained use of his legs or his right arm. He had only minor use of his left arm and hand. Despite the severity of his injuries, Officer Walters said he still would have run to his fellow officer’s aid if he had it all to do over again. “I certainly don’t regret being at the scene that night,” he told The San Diego Union-Tribune. “Perhaps people were saved because I happened to be there.”

Prior to his career in law enforcement, Officer Walters had a 13-year baseball career as a catcher. He was drafted by the Houston Astros in 1984, and was later traded to the San Diego Padres in 1989. His baseball career ended in 1996 after suffering a spinal injury in spring training.

He underwent successful spinal surgery and embarked on his goal of becoming a police officer. Dr. Steve Albrecht said he first met Officer Walters in 1996 when they worked out together in El Cajon. “I loved him dearly,” Albrecht said. “He came on the PD with two steel rods in his spine from his baseball injury. He chose to start a tough job that causes most people to retire. It’s so sad and ironic that he made his living with his body, as a pro ball player and a cop, to then get paralyzed.”

Officer Walters, 53, lived in constant physical and emotional pain over the course of the 16-plus years since the shooting. “He lived through so many serious infections, had to take so many medications…” Albrecht told The San Diego Union-Tribune. “I know that he is no longer in pain.”

Although he would never admit it, Officer Walters was “a hell of a motivational speaker,” Albrecht added.

“His best friend on the PD was Chris Wilson, who was killed on duty in 2010,” he said. “He spoke at Chris’ funeral and you could have heard a pin drop.”

Officer Walters never married and had no children, The San Diego-Union Tribune reported.
His parents have passed away. Officer Walters is survived by his sister, Trisha Turner.

On a personal note, Dan Walters and I both went to the same high school, Santana High, in Santee, CA. I graduated in 1980, and Dan graduated in 1984.

Steve

[sox83cubs84]

Bob Watson, a quality 1B and corner OF from 1966-84, and who went on to success in both team and league front offices, died 5/14 at 74.

After very brief call-ups in 1966 and '67, Watson was up to stay in 1968 with the Astros, remaining one of their key ballplayers through 1979, when he split the season between Houston and Boston. Joining the Yankees in 1980. he remained in the Bronx until early 1982, when he was dealt to the Braves, finishing his career with them in 1984.

Two oddball trivia facts about Watson:

1) He was credited with scoring MLB all-time one millionth run, and

2) He made a cameo appearance in full uniform during a scene at the Astrodome in "The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training.:

Dave Miedema

[sox83cubs84]

Reche Caldwell, a WR who caught passes for 3 different NFL teams over 6 seasons, died at age 41 on 6/6.

Caldwell played for the Chargers from 2002-2005 before spending 2006 with the Patriots and finishing his career in 2007 with the rEDSKINS.

Dave Miedema

[sox83cubs84]

Reche Caldwell, a WR who caught passes for 3 different NFL teams over 6 seasons, died at age 41 on 6/6.

Caldwell played for the Chargers from 2002-2005 before spending 2006 with the Patriots and finishing his career in 2007 with the rEDSKINS.

Dave Miedema

Caldwell died due to a gunshot wound after two men ambushed him outside his residence. The police do not believe that this was a random act.

Dave M.

[sox83cubs84]

Tootie Robbins, an OT who played in the NFL for 12 seasons, died on 8/2 at age 62.

Robbins' pro career began in 1982 and lasted until 1993. Except for his last 2 seasons, in which he performed for the Packers, his career was in the uniform of the Cardinals (both St. Louis and Phoenix).

Dave Miedema

[sox83cubs84]

Tootie Robbins, an OT who played in the NFL for 12 seasons, died on 8/2 at age 62.

Robbins' pro career began in 1982 and lasted until 1993. Except for his last 2 seasons, in which he performed for the Packers, his career was in the uniform of the Cardinals (both St. Louis and Phoenix).

Dave Miedema

Unintentionally omitted from initial post: cause of death was COVID19.

Dave

[sox83cubs84]

Larry Wilson, a DB who spent his entire Hall of Fame career with the St. Louis Cardinals, passed away on 9/17 at age 82.

Among his many accomplishments were going to 8 Pro Bowls, being named to 5 All-Pro teams, and being named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 1966.

He coached the Cardinals for 3 games in 1979, going 2-1, and then moved to the front office, where he was Director of Pro Personnel from 1980-87, and then took the role of VP/GM from 1988-93.

Dave Miedema

[sox83cubs84]

John Thompson, longtime basketball coach for the NCAA Georgetown Hoyas, died on 8/30, 3 days before his 79th birthday.

Thompson took Georgetown to the NCAA basketball championship in 1984, the first African-American basketball head coach to win it all. He also lead the Hoyas to three Final Fours.

Dave Miedema

[sox83cubs84]

This weekend has not been a good one for Dodger fans, as 3 ex-Dodgers were reported as passing away over the last few days:

Lou Johnson, a well-traveled outfielder in the 1960s who is best remembered as a Dodger, died 9/30 at age 86.

Johnson's stint with the Dodgers was only for 3 years (1965-67), but his most notable accomplishments came in Dodger Blue, particularly in '65. He hit a home run in Game 7 of the World Series to help L.A. win the World Series in seven games against the Twins. During the regular season, he smacked the only hit and scored the only run in Sandy Koufax's 1-0 perfect game against the Cubs. The losing pitcher, Bob Hendley, threw a 1-hitter.

Sweet Lou, as he was known, had two tours of duty with the Cubs (1960 and 1968), two with the Angels (1 game in 1961 and a lot more in 1969). He also had brief stints with the Braves (1962) and the Indians (1968).




Ron Perranoski, a great Dodger bullpen star in the 1960s,, died on 10/2 at age 84..

Ron pitched for the Dodgers from 1961-67,and had one of the best seasons any relief pitcher has enjoyed. In 1963, Ron finished the season with 69 appearances (all in relief), a record of 16-3, 21 saves and a 1.67 ERA, all of which placed him 4th in NL MVP voting for the season.

Traded to the Twins in the 1967-68 offseason, Ron pitched for them from 1968 to mid-1971, when he was dealt to the Tigers. While a Twin, he led the AL in saves in both 1969 (31) and 1970 (34).

Ron remained a Tiger until late 1972, when he briefly returned to the Dodgers before calling it quits after one season with the Angels (1973)

Ron also was a longtime Dodgers pitching coach on both the MLB and MiLB level, and later did the same for the Giants.
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Charlie Haeger, a pitcher who performed for 2 season with the Dodgers (2009-10) was found dead near the Grand Canyon. He died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound ,while police were tracking him down as a suspect in the murder of his ex-girlfriend. He was 37.

Haeger's MLB career began with the White Sox (2006-07) followed by the Padres in 2008, and after that his 2 seasons with L.A.

Dave Miedema

[sox83cubs84]

Chadwick Boseman, the actor who played Jackie Robinson in "42", died on 8/28 after a 4-year battle with colon cancer. He was 43.

Boseman also played the role of the Black Panther in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Dave Miedema