Official Baseball In Memoriam Thread

[revo]

Former Major League third baseman (and Vintage Draft favorite) Eddie Yost, who led the American League in walks six times during his 18 year career, passed away on Tuesday at the age of 86.

The New York native made his Major League debut in August 1944 for the Washington Senators. After missing the entire 1945 season while serving in the United States Navy, he returned to the Senators and spent the next 13 seasons with the club. He then played two seasons for the Tigers and another two for the Angels.

Yost finished his 18-year playing career with 1,863 hits and a .254 average. He led the AL in walks in 1950, 1952, 1953, 1956, 1959 and 1960. In 1951 he lead the league in doubles in with 36 and he was named to his first and only All-Star team in 1952. In 1959 he led the league in runs with 115 and also lead the league with a .435 on-base percentage in his first season with the Tigers. He went on to lead the league in on-base percentage again the next season with a a .414 mark.

After retiring from playing in 1962, Yost spent 22 years coaching with the Senators, Mets and Red Sox before retiring in 1984. He also served as interim manager for a game for the Senators in 1963, as Washington fell in his only game as a manager.

[madducks]

Former Pirates, Braves, and Yankees pitcher Pascual Perez was killed during a robbery at his home in the Dominican Republic. He also played with the Expos and Indians. He was 55 years old.

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/police-...8213--mlb.html

[revo]

Dave May died over the weekend at the age of 68, a victim of a long struggle with diabetes and cancer. He will forever be remembered as the man who was traded for Hank Aaron. He was also Derrick May's father.

His best year was 1973, when he hit .303 with 25 HRs and 93 RBIs.

[Don Quixote]

Former Pirates and Yankees pitcher Pascual Perez killed during a robbery at his home in the Dominican Republic.

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/police-...8213--mlb.html

His best years were while he was with the Braves. While he was known for all kinds of eccentric behavior, his best-known incident was when he missed a start for Atlanta because he got lost on I-285 heading to the ballpark.

Never mean, never malicious, but definitely an oddball.

[madducks]

The Dominican Police have arrested 3 people for the murder of Pascual Perez and have identified 2 more still at large. Murdered for his $2400 monthly MLB pension. Sad.

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/dominic...2301--mlb.html

[Skrappy1]

Former Pirates, Braves, and Yankees pitcher Pascual Perez was killed during a robbery at his home in the Dominican Republic. He also played with the Expos and Indians. He was 55 years old.

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/police-...8213--mlb.html

I kind of remember Pascual Perez being like a real life Shooter McGavin from the Happy Gilmore movie in that he would often use his fingers as handguns to "shoot" down opposing hitters after he would strike them out. Kind of funny that everyone freaked out about Joba's fist pumping a few years back, but I don't remember that big an outcry over Perez shooting guys down from the mound. I don't remember him pitching all that many games for the Yankees, but he was sure entertaining and a pretty decent pitcher. I also think he was somehow related to former Yankees and White Sox pitcher Melido Perez (don't remember if they were brothers or cousins or what). Shame.

[BubbaJack]

Being an old Brave fan, I remember Pascual fondly. He loved to wear almost a Mr. T assortmant of necklaces and it seems in one game he beaned a player or two and started a benches clearing brawl. Someone from the opposing team came after him in the dugout and big Bob Horner grabbed the guy up with a cast on his arm, which put an end to the whole ordeal. The Bravos were not good at the time but Pascual was a pretty good pitcher and worth the price of admission, if only for his antics on the mound.

[Don Quixote]

Former Red and Twin Frank Pastore died yesterday after four weeks in a coma, caused by his motorcycle getting hit on the freeway.

http://nbchardballtalk.files.wordpress.com/2012/11/frank-pastore.jpg?w=278

He wasn't GREAT, but he was pretty good his first couple of years. A good-sized piece of the Reds' 1979 division-winning team as a rookie.

[Grinch]

Per Rotoworld:

Former major league outfielder Ryan Freel has died at the age of 36, with the cause of death ruled as a suicide.

A shame, RIP Ryan.

[virgonomic]

Awful news. He had been out of the game less than 3 years. This was posted on the deadspin.com news article:

"Freel retired after being hit in the head by an errant pickoff throw in '09. Given the NFL's recent spate of concussion-related tragedies, you've got to wonder what effect these injuries had on his mental state."

RIP to a former Blue Jay.

[Trader Mac]

A shame, RIP Ryan.

A real shame to take your life at so young of age. I used to love having him on my fantasy teams.

[revo]

Per Rotoworld:



A shame, RIP Ryan.

Wow, WTF? It's hard when you're just a fan and have no idea what these players are going through, but this is unreal -- I mean, he was on my teams, and not so long ago. Rest in peace, Ryan.

[Erik]

That's awful. RIP.

[Judge Jude]

another suicide, apparently - ex-Padres SS Enzo Hernandez. he was 62.

http://www.prorumors.com/2013/01/rumors/former-major-leaguer-enzo-hernandez-dies-at-age-62

[Don Quixote]

Fred Talbot, major league pitcher in the Sixties (Yankees, A's, White Sox, Pilots) and prominent figure in Jim Bouton's Ball Four, passed away last week.

http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/01/16/fred-talbot-1941-2013/

He wasn't very good by Sixties standards, but he put in a reasonable amount of time in the majors, and that's something.