Some Obituaries of Recently Deceased Major Leaguers

[Bob Borkowski]

I try to keep an eye on this whole website, especially this department.

Included here are Larry Jansen, a former Red who killed the Reds when a member of the Giants; Brian Powell; Don Thompson; Lonny Frey (pretty sure there was a thread on RedsZone); Buddy Blattner; Jackie Collum (former Red) and others.

So many of these slip by me if I stick to the regular middle-of-the-road sources.

http://www.thedeadballera.com/passings.html

[hebroncougar]

Wow.......thanks for the info, that Larry Jansen wrote a book on pitching called "The Pitcher's Craft" that I used to use when I coached High School ball. RIP.

[Bob Borkowski]

Also, I just noticed a new page on that website that shows death certificates, interesting to me, although most of the players listed are old, OLD timers...even before my time!


http://www.thedeadballera.com/DeathCertificates.html

[cumberlandreds]

I didn't know Lonnie Frey and Buddy Blattner had died. Wasn't Frey the oldest living ex- MLB player at the time of his death.
Also saw that Mickey Mantle's widow had died. Today just happens to be Mantle's birthday. He would have been 78.

[Vada Pinson Fan]

Time to honor the Mick and watch Billy Crystal's *61.

Thanks for your updates Bob.

[westofyou]

Wednesday, September 16, 2009 - Page updated at 08:16 PM


Former major-leaguer Lonny Frey dies
By Seattle Times staff

Lonny Frey, who played 14 seasons in the major leagues and three All-Star games, died Sunday in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. Frey, who had been the oldest surviving Pacific Coast League baseball player, was 99.

Mr. Frey finished his professional career with the Seattle Rainiers in 1950, then moved his family from St. Louis to Seattle after that season. The family settled in Bellevue, then Mr. Frey and his wife Mary moved to Snohomish in the late 1960s.

When Mary Frey died in 1982, Mr. Frey moved to Coeur d'Alene.

"He was a warm, very down-to-earth guy," said Pacific Coast League historian Dave Eskenazi. "He shared a number of entertaining baseball anecdotes, mainly about his old teams and teammates. I remember him telling me that Ernie Lombardi hit the ball harder than anyone else he'd seen, and he'd seen them all.

"He was modest, but rightly proud of his terrific major-league career."

Mr. Frey played in the major leagues from 1933 through 1948, missing the 1944 and 1945 seasons while serving in World War II. He was a second baseman and shortstop who played in three World Series.

Mr. Frey began his major-league career with Brooklyn, playing four seasons for the Dodgers before he was traded to the Chicago Cubs.

After one season with the Cubs, he was purchased by Cincinnati. Mr. Frey played seven seasons for the Reds, and was an All-Star in 1939, 1941 and 1943. The Reds played in the World Series in 1939 and 1940. He is a member of the Reds' Hall of Fame.

Mr. Frey split the 1947 season between the Chicago Cubs and New York Yankees, playing in the World Series with the Yankees. He played for the Yankees and the New York Giants in 1948, his last season in the majors. Mr. Frey was the last surviving player to play for the Brooklyn Dodgers, New York Giants and Yankees.

Mr. Frey, originally a switch-hitter who began batting exclusively left-handed at the end of the 1938 season, was a .269 career hitter, with 61 home runs. In 1940, he led the National League with 22 stolen bases.

After one season with the Buffalo Bisons of the Class AAA International League, Mr. Frey played the 1950 season for the Rainiers of the Pacific Coast League. Playing third base for the Rainiers, he hit .267 with two home runs.

In 2000, on his 90th birthday, Mr. Frey threw out the first pitch of a Mariners game against the Yankees.

A memorial Mass is scheduled for 4 p.m. Monday at Sacred Heart Church in Bellevue.

[Bob Borkowski]

Time to revisit the Deadball Era website and check out these recent passings (among others):

Tom Underwood - 10 years in the majors

Danny McDevitt - the Dodgers lefty

Ed Kirkpatrick - outfielder from '62-'77

Clyde King - former Red

Valmy Thomas

http://www.thedeadballera.com/passings.html

[westofyou]

Clyde King, 1959 Reds pitching coach.

[marcshoe]

I'd heard about Clyde King. Tom Underwood and Ed Kirkpatrick are both players I remember well. Kind of strange, as much info as there is available, that I miss so many of these deaths.

[chicoruiz]

I believe that Ed Kirkpatrick was an original Kansas City Royal.

[cumberlandreds]

I didn't know that King and Underwood had passed. I remember King as a front office person with the Yankees and Underwood was a decent pitcher for a time in the NL. I also didn't know that Ed Kirkpatrick had been paralyzed since 1981 as a result of an auto accident.
I also noticed that Joe Lis had died in October. He played a short time for the Phils and other teams in the mid 70's.

[Ghosts of 1990]

Originally Posted by Vada Pinson Fan

Time to honor the Mick and watch Billy Crystal's *61.

Thanks for your updates Bob.

I love 61*

I have a tradition where I watch that movie 2 to 4 times each season after some of the biggest Reds wins. Don't know why I do it, but I do.

[Bob Borkowski]

Gil McDougald, ROY of 1951, just passed away on Sunday 11-28 and his obit has been added.


http://www.thedeadballera.com/passings.html

[Bob Borkowski]

Phil Cavaretta who played 20 years for the Cubs died on 12-18.

Walt Dropo played throughout the 50's including some time with the Reds.

Bob Feller.

These obits have been added to the list. Time marches on.

http://www.thedeadballera.com/passings.html

[cumberlandreds]

Originally Posted by Bob Borkowski

Phil Cavaretta who played 20 years for the Cubs died on 12-18.

Walt Dropo played throughout the 50's including some time with the Reds.

Bob Feller.

These obits have been added to the list. Time marches on.

http://www.thedeadballera.com/passings.html

Cavaretta played on the last Cubs team to play in a World Series and was NL MVP in 1945.
Dropo was AL Rookie of the Year in 1950 while playing for the Red Sox.