Sports obituaries

[sox83cubs84]

Mario Henderson, an OT who spent 2007-10 in an Oakland Raiders uniform, died 10/21 at age 35.

Dave Miedema

[sox83cubs84]

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

[sox83cubs84]

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

[sox83cubs84]

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.

Dave Miedema

[sox83cubs84]

[sox83cubs84]

Floyd Little, a HOF RB who starred for the Denver Broncos both before and after the NFL/AFL merger, died on New Year's Day at age 78.

Playing for Denver from 1967-75, Little was named to 5 Pro Bowl teams, and was an NFL All-Pro once. In 1971 he led the AFC in rushing yards (1,133). He also placed first in touchdowns in the AFC in 1973 (12).

Dave Miedema

[sox83cubs84]

Mike Sadek, who spent his entire MLB career of 8 seasons as the backup catcher for the Giants, died on 1/20 at age 74.

Sadek caught for San Francisco in 1973 and also 1975-81.

Dave Miedema

[sox83cubs84]

Pro Basketball HoFer Paul Westphal, best remembered as a star player for the Phoenix Suns, died on 1/2 at age 70 due to brain cancer.

Over 12 seasons in the NBA, Westphal had two tours of duty with the Suns (1975-80 and again in 1983-84, his final year as an active player.) His rookie season was in 1972-73 with the Celtics, spending 3 season in Boston Garden and winning his only NBA championship as a player there. He spent 1 season with Seattle and the two after that with the Knicks between his two stints with Phoenix. He wore jersey #44 for his entire NBA playing career.

Over his playing career, he was an All-Star 5 times, and a member of the all-NBA team 4 times.

After his playing career, he spent roughly 2 decades as an NBA coach, with head coach gigs with the Suns, the Sonics and the Kings. His first season as a head coach was also his most successful. That was 1992-93, when he coached the Suns to the Western Conference Championship before being beaten by the Bulls in the NBA Finals.

Dave Miedema