2025 In Memoriam (Part 4) – RIP Baseball

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Bill Pleis, 88 (d. October 17): Pleis had a 6-year career as a Minnesota Twins reliever, and his best year came during the pennant-winning 1965 season. In 41 games that year, he had a 4-4 record with 4 saves and a 2.98 ERA in 41 games, including 2 spot starts. He pitched in 190 career Twins games and had a 21-16 record with 13 saves and a 4.07 ERA. Pleis worked for more than 40 years as a pro scout before retiring in 2006.

Hosken Powell, 70 (d. June 27): An outfielder for the Twins and Blue Jays in the 1970s and ’80s, Hosken Powell was a lifetime .259 hitter in 6 seasons in the majors. He hit .293 in his sophomore season of 1979, and he smacked a career-high 6 homers for the Twins in 1980. Powell had a varied post-baseball career that included time as a high school football coach and an athletics director for the Boys and Girls Club of Escambia County, FL.

Tommie Reynolds, 83 (d. March 19): Reynolds was an outfielder between 1963 and 1972 for the Athletics, Mets, Angels and Brewers. He hit .226 in his career and then became a minor-league manager. Reynolds was, for a time, the only African-American manager in all of professional baseball. He then spent several years as a part of Tony LaRussa’s coaching staffs in Oakland and St. Louis.

Rich Rollins, 86 (d. May 13): Rich Rollins was a 2-time All-Star third baseman for the Minnesota Twins in 1965 (back when there were two All-Star Games each season) and finished 8th in the MVP vote. He slashed .298/.374/.428 with 16 home runs and 96 RBIs in what was his first full season in the majors. Rollins’ 10-year career also included stops with the Pilots/Brewers and Indians. He had a career .269 batting average with 77 homers and 399 RBIs.

Ryne Sandberg, 65 (July 28): Ryne Sandberg was simply one of the greatest Chicago Cubs and one of the best second basemen in baseball history. There are countless GenXers who are Cub fans to this day because they got to watch Sandberg regularly on WGN TV. His death from July 28 from prostate cancer was a blow that Chicago sports fans hadn’t experienced since Walter Payton’s death in 1999. Sandberg, originally a Phillies third baseman who was thrown into a Larry Bowa-for-Ivan DeJesus trade, blossomed into a star during his 1984 MVP season. Over the course of his 16 years in the majors, he was a 10-time All-Star, 9-time Gold Glove winner, and a 7-time Silver Slugger. He won the NL home run title with 40 in 1990 and topped .300 5 times. Sandberg was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2005 and then had a brief run from 2013-2015 as Philadelphia manager.

Frank Saucier, 98 (d. March 3): The last surviving connection to the Eddie Gaedel game was Frank Saucier. He was the rookie outfielder who was due to lead off the game on August 19, 1951, for the St. Louis Browns before the 3’7″ Gaedel pinch-hit for him. Saucier played in 18 games what ended up being his only season in the majors. He had 1 hit in 14 at-bats. Saucier’s own major-league career only came about because of some cajoling by Browns owner Bill Veeck, so he never held any ill will toward Gaedel for the publicity stunt.

Scott Sauerbeck, 53 (d. February 18): Sauerbeck was one of the busiest left-handed relievers in baseball during his 7-year career with the Pirates, Red Sox, Indians and Athletics. He debuted in the majors in 1999 and pitched 65 games for Pittsburgh, with a 2.00 ERA and 55 strikeouts in 67-2/3 innings. He then pitched in 70 or more games for each of the next four season until shoulder surgery cost him the entire 2005 season. Sauerbeck’s major-league career ended in 2006, with 471 games pitched and a 20-17 record and 3.82 ERA. He struck out 389 batters in 386-1/3 innings.

Art Schallock, 100 (d. March 6): Schallock was baseball’s oldest living ballplayer and one of 27 baseball centenarians — two of whom are still living. The former Yankees and Orioles pitcher played from 1951-1955 and pitched in a total of 58 major-league games. He never spent a full season in the majors with New York but was a part of some championship teams, with numerous legendary teammates. Schallock’s busiest year was 1955, when he pitched twice for the Yankees and then appeared in 30 more games with Baltimore. He had a combined 3-5 record and 4.15 ERA. In his career, Schallock had a 6-7 record and 4.02 ERA, and he also pitched 2 innings during the Yankees’ 1953 World Series win over Brooklyn.

Don Secrist, 80: Lefty Don Secrist pitched for the Chicago White Sox in 1969 and ’70, appearing in a total of 28 games with a 5.93 ERA. He also won 53 games in a 9-year minor-league career, pitching primarily as a starter. After baseball, Secrist worked in the Illinois coal mines until his retirement.

Diego Segui, 87 (d. June 24): Segui, called “The Ancient Mariner” late in his career, was the only person who played for both the Seattle Pilots and Mariners, and he pitched in the inaugural game for both teams. Segui spent 15 years in the majors and won the 1970 AL ERA title with a 2.56 mark while with the Oakland A’s. In addition to both Seattle teams, he pitched for two different incarnations of the Athletics (Kansas City and Oakland) and the Senators, Cardinals and Red Sox. His major-league career ended in 1977 with 92 career wins, but Segui pitched until 1985 in Mexico. His son David is a 15-year major-league veteran who also played in Seattle in 1999.

Bart Shirley, 85 (d. November 19): Shirley was an infielder who played for the Dodgers and Mets between 1964 and 1968. He appeared in a total of 75 games and went 33-for-162 for a .204 batting average. Shirley played for 9 seasons in the minors and also 2 seasons in Japan before he retired in 1972.

Bernie Smith, 84 (d. October 18): Outfielder/third baseman Bernie Smith reached the majors in 1970 with the Milwaukee Brewers, and he spent 2 seasons with the team. He batted .276 in 44 games as a 28-year-old rookie in 1970, going 21-for-76 with a home run. He had a career .232 batting average in 59 major-league games. In an 11-year minor-league career, Smith had 1,202 hits, including 78 home runs, for a .290 average.

Billy Smith, 70 (d. April 5): Smith joined the Houston Astros just ahead of the 1981 players strike, appearing in 1 game before the work stoppage and 9 more after it. He won his only major-league start against the Philadelphia Phillies and put together a 1-1 record and 3.05 ERA in 20-2/3 innings. Smith also faced one batter in the 1980 Division Series against Los Angeles and got Dusty Baker to ground out. Smith was released after the 1982 season but found some success while pitching in Mexico for 2 years.

Horace Speed, 73 (d. May 26): Speed played for San Francisco in 1975 and Cleveland in 1978-79, and yes, he was used as a pinch-runner frequently. In 113 career games, the outfielder had 135 at-bats, and his 28 hits yielded a .207 batting average. He stole 4 bases in the majors, but he had 127 home runs and 141 steals in 11 minor-league seasons.

Ron Taylor, 87 (d. June 16): Ron Taylor had two distinct baseball careers. First, he was a reliever for 11 seasons in the majors and contributed to 2 championship teams, the 1964 St. Louis Cardinals and the 1969 New York Mets. He made 401 major-league appearances in his career with a 45-43 record and 74 saves. After his playing days were done, Taylor earned his medical degree from the University of Toronto in 1979 and had a lengthy career as the team physician of the Toronto Blue Jays. The native of Toronto is a member of the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame.

Otis Thornton, 79 (d. May 3): Thornton played in 2 games as a catcher with the 1973 Houston Astros. He played in both halves of a doubleheader in Montreal on July 6 and was 0-for-3 with an RBI. He is reportedly the first major-leaguer to have his entire career take place outside of the United States. Thornton spent 10 years in the Astros organization with a career .232 batting average in the minors.

Verle Tiefenthaler, 87 (d. May 28): Verle Tiefenthaler was finishing his tour of duty in the Army in 1962 when he learned that a.) he had been sent from the San Francisco Giants to the Chicago White Sox to complete an earlier trade, and b.) the White Sox wanted him in the majors right away. Freshly discharged, Tiefenthaler joined Chicago and appeared in 3 games, with 4 runs allowed on 6 hits in 3-2/3 innings. He returned to the minors and played until 1963, and he had a 60-54 record in the minors, including 13 wins and 16 saves for the 1961 Tacoma Giants.

Tom Timmermann, 85 (d. November 14): Right-handed pitcher Timmermann debuted with the Detroit Tigers in 1969 and had a good season as a reliever, with a 2.75 ERA and a complete game win in 31 appearances. The following season, he set team records with 61 appearances and 27 saves, and he was voted as the “Tiger of the Year” by Detroit sportswriters. Timmermann was traded from Detroit To Cleveland in 1973 and pitched until 1974. He had 35 wins, 35 losses, and 35 saves in his career, along with a 3.78 ERA in 228 games. Decades later, he learned that a child he had fathered and who was given up for adoption became a major-league pitcher himself. Timmerman and his son, Phil Leftwich, reunited and enjoyed several years in each other’s lives.

Jim Todd, 77 (d. February 3): Jim Todd pitched in nearly 300 games in the majors with the Cubs, Athletics and Mariners in the 1970s. His best season came in 1975 with Oakland, as he pitched in 58 games with 12 saves as a backup closer whenever Rollie Fingers was too tired to pitch. Todd also won 8 games and had the best ERA in the Oakland pen at 2.28. He had 24 career saves and 25 career wins in 6 seasons.

Jeff Torborg, 83 (d. January 19): Jeff Torborg spent 10 years in the majors as a catcher and had a career .214 batting average. His greatest successes came during his 11 seasons in the majors as a manager for five different teams. He guided the Chicago White Sox to back-to-back second-place finishes in 1990 and 1991 and parlayed that success into a large contract with the New York Mets. While that team underperformed, Torborg worked steadily in baseball, on the field as a coach and manager and off the field as a broadcaster. His last managerial stint came with the Florida Marlins in 1992-93. Torborg was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2010.

Angel Torres, 72 (d. February 1): Torres pitched for the Cincinnati Reds in 5 games as part of a 10-year career in professional baseball. A September 1977 callup, Torres pitched 8-1/3 innings and allowed 7 hits, 8 walks and 2 wild pitches. He allowed just 2 runs — a pair of Cesar Cedeno solo homers — and struck out 8. He was also an 11-year veteran of the Dominican Winter League.

Felix Torres, 93 (d. August 8): After establishing himself as a hitting star in his native Puerto Rico, Torres’ breakout in the United States was delayed due to racism he experienced while playing in Savannah in 1955. He was later claimed by the Los Angeles Angels and played for the team from 1962-64. In 3 seasons as a third baseman, Torres had a career slash line of .254/.297/.381. He had 61 doubles, 5 triples and 27 home runs among his 302 career hits.

Bob Uecker, 90 (d. January 16): Never has a ballplayer gotten so much mileage out of so little success. A career .200 hitter as a catcher in 6 big-league seasons, Uecker utilized his natural comedic timing into a career that lasted the rest of his life. Between his memorable, self-deprecating appearances on The Tonight Show, his acting roles on television and the movies, and his broadcasting work, Uecker was one of the most recognizable and beloved people in baseball. Health problems and personal tragedies late in life could not keep him down, and he maintained his regular job as a broadcaster for the Milwaukee Brewers right up to his death. Uecker is one of the few people who can lay claim to being a part of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and the WWE Hall of Fame.

Jose Valdivielso, 90 (d. March 4): Valdivielso left Cuba when he was just 17 years old to play professionally in the United States, and he spent 5 seasons with the Washington Senators/ Minnesota Twins between 1955 and 1961. He batted .219 in 401 career games as a shortstop, second baseman and third baseman. He also had a lengthy career as a Spanish language sports commentator for baseball and boxing.

Dave Van Gorder, 67 (d. February 4): Van Gorder was a backup catcher for the Cincinnati Reds (1982, 1984-86) and Baltimore Orioles (1987). Injuries that happened at the worst possible moment kept him from ever getting a long look as a starter for the Reds. In 171 games with Cincinnati, Van Gorder batted .212 with 3 homers, and he closed out his career with 5 hits in 21 at-bats for Baltimore.

Bob Veale, 89 (d. January 3): A lefthander with a ferocious fastball, Veale was named to the NL All-Star Team twice as part of his 11 seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He led the NL with 250 strikeouts in 1964 while winning a career-high 18 games, and he averaged 14 wins and 213 strikeouts between 1964 and 1970. He also led the NL in walks 4 times, and at his most dominant, it was about the only way opposing batters could reach base. Veale worked as a reliever during the Pirates 1971 championship season and finished his career with the Boston Red Sox in 1974. He retired with 120 wins, a 3.07 ERA and 1,703 strikeouts. After retiring from baseball, he coached for several seasons and did renovation work on Rickwood Field, a historic Negro Leagues ballpark in Birmingham that had fallen into disrepair.

Fay Vincent, 86 (February 1): Fay Vincent was the Commissioner of Major League Baseball from 1989, after the death of Bart Giamatti, until 1992, when he resigned and replaced by Bud Selig. So his term began in the aftermath of the Pete Rose betting scandal and ended with the coalition of ownership power that would lead to the 1994 players’ strike and the cancellation of that year’s World Series. In between, Vincent oversaw the league’s first expansion in decades, the 1989 World Series earthquake, a “lifetime” ban of George Steinbrenner that lasted 2 years, and the fallout from the owners’ collusion attempts in the 1980s. Vincent called his autobiography The Last Commissioner, and he really was the last person to hold the position of commissioner in the way the role was intended — to oversee the best interests of baseball. With his departure, the commissioner’s principal role as handled by Selig and Rob Manfred is to be the voice for the owners in union contract negotiations.

Carl Warwick, 88 (d. April 5): Outfielder Warwick spent 6 years (1961-66) with five different teams (Dodgers, Cardinals, Colt .45s, Orioles, Cubs) and hit .248 in 530 games. He was an unexpected hero of the 1964 World Series for St. Louis, with a record-tying 3 pinch-hits and a walk in 4 plate appearances. His pinch-hit single in Game One drove in the eventual winning run. Warwick later served as chairman of the Major League Baseball Alumni organization, overseeing golf tournaments to benefit ex-players in need.

Mike White, 86 (d. August 25): Mike White played for Houston between 1963-65, with 89 of his 100 career games coming in 1964. The outfielder, who also played second and third base in the majors, hit .271 with 27 RBIs that year. White had a lifetime .264 batting average in the majors and a .277 mark in 10 minor-league seasons. He was the son of 1930s and ’40s outfielder Jo-Jo White.

Ted Wills, 91 (d. March 7): Wills made 83 pitching appearances in his 5-year career with the Red Sox, Reds and White Sox between 1959 and 1965. Thirteen of those were starts, and he had a career 8-11 record and a 5.51 ERA. His best work came as a reliever with Chicago in 1965, after two seasons toiling in the minors. Wills appeared in 15 games for the Sox, won his only 2 decisions, earned a save, and struck out 12 batters in 19 innings.

2025 In Memoriam (Part 4) – RIP Baseball

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