Sports obituaries

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Jerry Sloan, a Pro Basketball HoFer who had a decades-long love affair with pro basketball, died on 5/22 at age 78.

One of the top defensive players of his era, Sloan's playing career began in 1965-66 with the Baltimore Bullets. The following season found him taken by the Bulls in the expansion draft, and he spent the next 10 seasons playing rough and tough defense for the team which, for most of his time there, was a perennial contender

Sloan began his NBA coaching career with the Bulls, starting in 1979-80 and staying on the job until the team fired him in the middle of the 1981-82 season. After a few years off, he came aboard with the Utah Jazz, taking the role of an assistant coach beginning in 1985, and filling it until early in the 1988-89 campaign, when he was promoted to Head Coach. There he stayed through the 20110-11 season, and, near the end of his career, was named to the Pro BSKB HoF for his coaching career in 2009.

The saddest factor of his career in the NBA in both roles was that he never played on nor coached a team that won the NBA Championship. His closest chances ended in the NBA Finals in 1997 and 1998, where his Jazz team was defeated in the Finals by the Chicago Bulls, with the two Bulls Finals wins capping off their second Three-Peat.

Dave Miedema

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[QUOTE=sox83cubs84;412932]Jerry Sloan, a Pro Basketball HoFer who had a decades-long love affair with pro basketball, died on 5/22 at age 78.

One of the top defensive players of his era, Sloan's playing career began in 1965-66 with the Baltimore Bullets. The following season found him taken by the Bulls in the expansion draft, and he spent the next 10 seasons playing rough and tough defense for the team which, for most of his time there, was a perennial contender

Sloan began his NBA coaching career with the Bulls, starting in 1979-80 and staying on the job until the team fired him in the middle of the 1981-82 season. After a few years off, he came aboard with the Utah Jazz, taking the role of an assistant coach beginning in 1985, and filling it until early in the 1988-89 campaign, when he was promoted to Head Coach. There he stayed through the 20110-11 season, and, near the end of his career, was named to the Pro BSKB HoF for his coaching career in 2009.

The saddest factor of his career in the NBA in both roles was that he never played on nor coached a team that won the NBA Championship. His closest chances ended in the NBA Finals in 1997 and 1998, where his Jazz team was defeated in the Finals by the Chicago Bulls, with the two Bulls Finals wins capping off their second Three-Peat.

Dave Miedema[/QUOTE

I couldn't get a photo to take on the original post, but am adding this one here.

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Harry Glickman, the man who founded the NBA Portland Trailblazers, died on 6/10 at age 96.

As the team's GM, Glickman oversaw the crew from Rip City as they battled thei way to the 1977 NBA Championship.

Before this, he founded the Portland Buckaroos minor league hockey team in 1960.

Dave Miedema

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John Zook, a DE who played from 1969-79 in the NFL, died on 6/6 at age 72.

Zook, who appeared in 1 Pro Bowl, spent his first 7 years in the NFL with the Falcons, and the last four with the Cardinals.

Dave Miedema

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Horace Clarke, a 2B for 10 MLB seasons, almost exclusively with the Yankees, died on 85 at age 81.

Clarke had the misfortune of playing for the Yankees when they basically sucked, never being part of a team that made the postseason. Born in the Virgin Islands, he played in The Show from 1965-74, with his only other team being the Padres, where he appeared in the final 42 games of his MLB career.

Dave Miedema

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Hall of Fame pitcher and Mets legend Tom Seaver died at age 75 on 8/31, the result of a form of body dementia and also implications from COVID19.

His list of career accomplishments is long and detailed:

1967 NL Rookie of the Year
3 Cy Young Awards
3 NL ERA titles
12x NL All-Star
Ace of 1969 World Champion Mets

Seaver came within one out of throwing a perfect game against the Cubs at Shea Stadium in 1969. It was broken up by Cubs PH Jim Qualls.

His arrival with the Red Sox came during the 1986 season after a trade with the White Sox, where Boston sent Steve Lyons to the Pale Hose in exchange for Seaver. One clever sportswriter termed the swap as "Cy Young for Psy-cho".

Career totals:

W-L record: 311-205
ERA 2.86
IP 4,783
SO 3,640

Dave Miedema

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Fred Wenz, a relief pitcher in the Majors for 23 years, died on 10/6 at age 79.

After brief stints with the Red Sox (1 game in 1968, 8 games in 1969), Wenz joined the Phillies in 1970, appearing in 22 contests. All of his appearnces during his MLB career were out of the bullpen.

Dave Miedema

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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.

Dave Miedema

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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