Some Obituaries of Recently Deceased Major Leaguers Part Three

[Big Klu]

3/10/2023: Former Giants, Astros, A's, Mets OF Jesus Alou; age 80.

[mth123]

Watching Jesus Alou hit was always a trip. If he took the pitch, he'd let his body go limp sometimes to the point of falling down. He'd drop his bat behind his back and make all kinds of crazy movements. He looked like he was break-dancing while standing up. But when he got his pitch, he usually hit a line drive somewhere.

[Big Klu]

The 2023 club signs a right-handed hitting outfielder to compete for a starting position.

Transactions:
Signed OF Jesus Alou.


Roster:
LHP Gary Peters
LHP Brian Dubois
LHP Carl Duser

RHP Bill Campbell
RHP Ron Tompkins
RHP Dave Elder
LHP Dan McGinn
LHP Alex Herrera

C Tim McCarver
C/INF/OF Pete Koegel

1B Nate Colbert
1B Bill Davis
1B Fred Marolewski
2B/SS/3B Ron Campbell
3B Sal Bando
SS Bert Peña

OF/3B/1B Frank J. Thomas
OF Jesus Alou
OF Roman Mejias
OF Dave Nicholson
OF Albie Pearson
OF Ted Savage
OF Lee Tinsley
OF Sandy Valdespino


The 2023 club signs a right-handed hitting outfielder with extensive major-league experience. Jesus Alou, the youngest of the three Alou brothers, is a 13-year major-league veteran. Alou is an excellent contact hitter (.280 career BA), but doesn't have much power. (His career-high in HR's is 9, and only twice did he hit 20+ doubles in a season.) Alou is also incredibly walk-adverse -- in 1380 games and 4577 career plate appearances, he walked only 138 times, with a career-high of 21 BB's in 1970. On the other hand, Alou is also incredibly difficult to strike out (only 267 K's in his career). Alou definitely subscribed to the philosophy of, "You can't walk off the island."

Defensively, Alou has a strong arm and is comfortable at either corner OF position -- especially RF, where he is a leading candidate for a starting role. Alou is not really an option in CF -- he made only 5 career appearances at the position, all in 1964 at the age of 22.

The club nearly has its 25-man roster filled, with only one roster spot still open, and it is very heavy in the OF and at 1B. The biggest needs are pitching (especially starting pitching), and middle infield depth.

[cumberlandreds]

Watching Jesus Alou hit was always a trip. If he took the pitch, he'd let his body go limp sometimes to the point of falling down. He'd drop his bat behind his back and make all kinds of crazy movements. He looked like he was break-dancing while standing up. But when he got his pitch, he usually hit a line drive somewhere.

Right on target about Alou. He was the most flamboyant of the three Alou brothers for sure. I remember him well just for the facts you state about him. A fun player to watch and a pretty good one too. RIP Jesus Alou.

[mth123]

Joe Pepitone, Age 82. RIP.

[50YrRedsFan]

Joe Pepitone, Age 82. RIP.

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2023/...sses-away.html...

Another player from my youth gone.



..

[Big Klu]

3/13/2023: Former Yankees, Astros, Cubs, Braves 1B/OF Joe Pepitone; age 82.



https://nypost.com/2023/03/13/yankee...ne-dead-at-82/

[Number_Fourteen]

"Hey! Ya hear the game last night? Joey Pepitone, tree RBI's!" RIP

[cumberlandreds]

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2023/...sses-away.html

Another player from my youth gone.



..

Yes, I remember hearing a lot about him when I was growing up. He was with the Cubs when I first started keeping up with baseball. A lot was always expected of him but I think he never quite lived up to the hype. He did put up some decent numbers. His 1963,64 and 66 seasons were his best. RIP Joe Pepitone.




https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/13/s...tone-dead.html

https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/P/Ppepij101.htm

[westofyou]

Just reread Joe's autobiography last summer. I first read it in 8th grade. It was salacious; it still is.

I'm blushing now thinking of it.

That and Ball Four destroyed the MLB myth for me early on.

[Big Klu]

The 2023 completes its 25-man roster by signing a three-time All-Star 1B and three-time Gold Glove winner.

Transactions:
Signed 1B/OF Joe Pepitone.


Lineup (8)
C Tim McCarver
1B Nate Colbert
2B Ron Campbell
3B Sal Bando
SS Bert Peña
LF Frank J. Thomas
CF Albie Pearson
RF Joe Pepitone

Bench (9)
C/INF/OF Pete Koegel
1B Bill Davis
1B Fred Marolewski
OF Jesus Alou (platoon starter with Pepitone)
OF Roman Mejias
OF Dave Nicholson
OF Ted Savage
OF Lee Tinsley
OF Sandy Valdespino

Rotation (4)
LHP Gary Peters
LHP Brian Dubois
LHP Carl Duser
LHP Dan McGinn

Bullpen (4)
RHP Bill Campbell
RHP Ron Tompkins
RHP Dave Elder
LHP Alex Herrera


Probable Batting Order vs. RHP:
Pearson cf
Pepitone rf
Bando 3b
Thomas lf
Colbert 1b
McCarver c
R. Campbell 2b
Peña ss
<pitcher>

Probable Batting Order vs. LHP:
Pearson cf
Alou rf
Bando 3b
Thomas lf
Colbert 1b
McCarver c
R. Campbell 2b
Peña ss
<pitcher>

vs. RHP (with DH):
Pearson cf
Pepitone 1b
Bando 3b
Thomas lf
Colbert dh
McCarver c
Alou rf
R. Campbell 2b
Peña ss

vs. LHP (with DH):
Pearson cf
Alou rf
Bando 3b
Thomas lf
Colbert 1b
McCarver c
Mejias dh
R. Campbell 2b
Peña ss


The 2023 club completes its 25-man roster by signing a three-time All-Star 1B and winner of three Gold Gloves. Joe Pepitone is a left-handed hitter with good power, but a sometimes inconsistent OBP. Pepitone is a slick-fielding 1B who is also a solid defensive outfielder with over 500 career outfield appearances, with the majority of them in CF. Pepitone is the best defensive 1B on the club, but due to his versatility he will also see significant action in the OF.

As is often the case, the initial 25-man roster is rather poorly constructed. The '23 club comes out of the gate with only an eight-man pitching staff and 17 position players -- including 8 OF's and 4 1B's. The pitching staff consists of only three starting pitchers and five relievers. Two-time All-Star LHP Gary Peters headlines the rotation, and is backed up by two other lefties with limited big-league experience -- Brian Dubois and Carl Duser. LHP Dan McGinn, a reliever with only 28 career starts, will be pressed into duty as the fourth starter in the four-man rotation -- giving the club an all left-handed pitching rotation.

The bullpen is headlined by former All-Star right-hander Bill Campbell, who will handle all closing and late-inning duties. McGinn would serve as the bullpen's top lefty, if he wasn't filling in as a starter. The other three relievers have limited big-league experience -- RHP's Ron Tompkins and Dave Elder, and LHP Alex Herrera. 3B Sal Bando is the only position player with any pitching experience (one game), so he currently serves as the emergency fifth reliever. Acquiring additional pitching (preferably a right-handed starting pitcher, but really any pitching at all) is the club's top priority.

Catching is currently in capable hands. Two-time All-Star and 21-year veteran Tim McCarver is the unquestioned #1 C, and he is backed up by versatile minor-league slugger Pete Koegel, who can also play 1B, 3B, and both corner OF positions. The club is looking to upgrade the #2 C spot, but there are other needs that are higher on the wish list.

3B is also in capable hands, as the roster boasts a four-time All-Star in Sal Bando. Three-time All-Star Frank Thomas (primarily an OF) is also a capable 3B who provides depth.

The rest of the infield depth is somewhat problematic. The club is drowning in first basemen, but have almost no depth at the middle INF. The club has a pair of three-time All-Star 1B's in Nate Colbert and Joe Pepitone, and they will attempt to find a way to get both of them into the lineup. The left-handed hitting Pepitone is the superior defender, but he is also the more versatile player, and is capable of playing all three OF positions. The right-handed hitting Colbert has more power, but is more limited defensively, so he will be at 1B. (Colbert can play LF in an emergency, but that will be unnecessary with the army of OF's on the roster.) Bill Davis and Fred Marolewski provide additional depth at 1B, as does backup C Pete Koegel and OF/3B Frank Thomas.

The lack of depth in the middle infield is alarming, and addressing it is probably the club's #2 priority after starting pitching. Ron Campbell -- a utility INF who is comfortable at 2B, SS, or 3B -- is penciled in as the starter at second base. Bert Peña, a glove-first SS with minimal major-league experience, will handle shortstop.

The club is very deep in the outfield, with a wide variety of skill sets and talent levels. They have former All-Stars in Albie Pearson, Frank J. Thomas, and transplanted 1B Joe Pepitone. There are fourth OF/marginal starter types in Jesus Alou, Roman Mejias, and Ted Savage. There are also 5th OF/AAAA types in Lee Tinsley, Dave Nicholson, and Sandy Valdespino.

Thomas and Pearson will start in LF and CF, respectively, while Pepitone and Alou will platoon in RF. When playing with the DH under AL rules, Alou will start full-time in RF, and Pepitone will move to 1B with Nate Colbert handling DH duties. Against LHP, Colbert will move to his customary 1B position with Roman Mejias as the DH.

Strengths:
Depth at OF, 1B, and 3B
All-Star quality talent at C, corner INF, and the OF
An TOR lefty who can also hit
A reliable late-inning righty reliever

Weaknesses;
Extreme lack of pitching depth (especially starting pitching)
Lack of middle INF depth

[50YrRedsFan]

3/30/2023...ex White Sox: Fred Klages, age 79. https://www.pioneerleague.com/sports...20230403l672oc

[cumberlandreds]

3/30/2023...ex White Sox: Fred Klages, age 79. https://www.pioneerleague.com/sports...20230403l672oc

In his obituary it mentions he started his career with the Harlan Smokies. Harlan was the county seat of the area I grew up in. I remember over the years when looking on the back of baseball cards I would from time to time see where a player came through Harlan on his way to the big leagues. It's hard to imagine a town as small as Harlan being the beginnings of a MLB career. But that was once part of the enchantment of minor league baseball.

[Big Klu]

The 2023 club addresses a major need by signing a right-handed starting pitcher.

Transactions:
Signed RHP Fred Klages.
Optioned 1B Fred Marolewski to AAA.


Lineup (8)
C Tim McCarver
1B Nate Colbert
2B Ron Campbell
3B Sal Bando
SS Bert Peña
LF Frank J. Thomas
CF Albie Pearson
RF Joe Pepitone

Bench (8)
C/INF/OF Pete Koegel
1B Bill Davis
OF Jesus Alou (platoon starter with Pepitone)
OF Roman Mejias
OF Dave Nicholson
OF Ted Savage
OF Lee Tinsley
OF Sandy Valdespino

Rotation (4)
LHP Gary Peters
RHP Fred Klages
LHP Brian Dubois
LHP Carl Duser

Bullpen (5)
RHP Bill Campbell
LHP Dan McGinn
RHP Ron Tompkins
RHP Dave Elder
LHP Alex Herrera


The remainder of the 40-man roster:
1B Fred Marolewski


Probable Batting Order vs. RHP:
Pearson cf
Pepitone rf
Bando 3b
Thomas lf
Colbert 1b
McCarver c
R. Campbell 2b
Peña ss
<pitcher>

Probable Batting Order vs. LHP:
Pearson cf
Alou rf
Bando 3b
Thomas lf
Colbert 1b
McCarver c
R. Campbell 2b
Peña ss
<pitcher>

vs. RHP (with DH):
Pearson cf
Pepitone 1b
Bando 3b
Thomas lf
Colbert dh
McCarver c
Alou rf
R. Campbell 2b
Peña ss

vs. LHP (with DH):
Pearson cf
Alou rf
Bando 3b
Thomas lf
Colbert 1b
McCarver c
Mejias dh
R. Campbell 2b
Peña ss


The 2023 club addresses its greatest need by signing a right-handed starting pitcher. Fred Klages is a hard-throwing righty who had a couple of successful cups of coffee with the White Sox in the late 60's, where he was a teammate of Gary Peters. Unfortunately, a rotator cuff injury derailed a promising career for Klages. It was an injury that could easily be repaired with today's medical advancements, but was something that he couldn't recover from back then.

Klages will be installed into the rotation as the #2 starter behind his White Sox teammate Gary Peters. He will replace LHP Dan McGinn in the rotation, who will move his more natural role in the bullpen as the club's top lefty reliever and primary setup man for Bill Campbell.

To make room for Klages on the 25-man active roster, the club options 1B Fred Marolewski to AAA. Marolewski was a modern-day Moonlight Graham, having played one inning in the field in his major-league career, and never having a plate appearance.

[50YrRedsFan]

4/6/2023...ex Red, Cub, Cardinal, Giant, Met, Oriole, Senator: Hobie Landrith, age 93. First Met in team history in 1961 expansion draft. https://cremation-obituary.com/2023/...-away-aged-93/