2025 In Memoriam (Part 3) – RIP Baseball

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Carlos Lezcano, 69 (d. September 6): Carlos Lezcano was a great tennis player in his youth but ultimately turned to baseball, like his cousin Sixto. After losing (or nearly losing, depending on reports) part of a finger, he made the Chicago Cubs roster in 1980 and ’81. He played a total of 49 games in those two seasons and batted .186 with 3 home runs, and then he spent more than two decades coaching and managing in the minor leagues and in Puerto Rico.

Bobby Malkmus, 93 (d. February 23): Malkmus played 6 seasons in the majors, including the World Champion 1957 Milwaukee Braves. He was a 25-year-old rookie who played in 13 games as a second baseman and pinch-hitter for the champs. Malkmus also played for the Senators and Phillies through 1962. He received a single MVP vote in 1961, when he batted .231 with 7 home runs for Philadelphia. Malkmus hit .216 in 268 major-league games and became a minor-league manager scout, retiring in 2018.

Rob Mallicoat, 60 (d. October 19): A former First Round pick of the Houston Astros, lefty Mallicoat pitched in parts of 3 seasons with Houston in the 1980s and ’90s. Injuries continually interfered with his progress and eventually ended his pro career. In his best season with the Astros, he had a 3.86 ERA in 24 games as a reliever in 1991. Mallicoat had a long post-baseball career in the IT world before dying of colon cancer in October.

Felix Mantilla, 90 (d. January 10): Infielder Mantilla played for the Milwaukee Braves from 1956-61, and while he closed his career with the Mets, Red Sox and Astros, he was forever connected to Milwaukee. He was active in the Little League community there and in his native Puerto Rico for decades. Mantilla was versatile enough to play almost everywhere on the field, and he batted .231 in 6 seasons with the Braves. His best offensive performance came in 1964 with Boston, when he clubbed 30 of his career 89 home runs. He was a lifetime .261 hitter.

Jim Marshall, 95 (d. September 7): Marshall spent more than 70 years in baseball, as a player, manager, scout and executive. He spent most of his 5-year playing career, from 1958-62 with the Orioles, Cubs, Giants, Mets and Pirates, as a first baseman and pinch-hitter. He batted .242 in 410 career games. He also played for 3 seasons in Japan. Marshall later became a manager for the Cubs and Athletics in the 1970s, with a 229-326 record. The Arizona resident then became involved with the expansion Diamondbacks and ran the team’s Pacific Rim operations until he was 90.

Chito Martinez, 59 (d. April 20): Chito Martinez is the only major leaguer ever born in Belize, but he grew up in New Orleans and was drafted by Kansas City in 1984. After some up-and-down seasons in the minors, he ended up reaching the majors with the Baltimore Orioles in 1991. A quick start earned him the right field job, and he batted .269 with 13 home runs in 67 games. He was unable to duplicate that success and ended his major-league career in 1993 with a career .259/.330/.445 slash line and 18 homers.

Brian Matusz, 37 (d. January 6): Brian Matusz, a left-handed pitcher, made a total of 279 appearances with the Baltimore Orioles from 2009-2016 and 1 spot start for the Chicago Cubs in 2016. He had some good seasons for Baltimore as a reliever, averaging 62 appearances between 2013-2015. In 2015, he had a 2.94 ERA in 58 games, with 56 strikeouts in 49 innings. The Orioles made him the team’s Roberto Clemente Award nominee that year for his charitable work in and around Baltimore.

Mickey McGuire, 84 (d. October 19): In his 15-year career in the U.S. and Japan, McGuire was a frequent .300 hitter in the minor leagues, including a .349 mark with Tucson in 1971. McGuire played a total of 16 games for the Baltimore Orioles in 1962 and 1967, with 4 hits in 21 at-bats.

Yoervis Medina, 37 (d. October 30): As a rookie, Medina pitched in 63 games for the 2013 Seattle Mariners, with a 4-6 record, 2.96 ERA and 71 strikeouts in 68 innings. He was even better in 2014, with a 2.68 ERA in 66 games, including 5 wins. He was traded to the Chicago Cubs midway through the 2015 season, struggled there with a 7.00 ERA in 5 games, and was sent to the minors. Medina had a career 3.08 ERA in 146 big-league games, all in relief. He was killed in a car accident in Venezuela after suffering a heart attack behind the wheel.

Phil Meeler, 77 (d. August 19): Meeler pitched for 8 seasons professionally and appeared in 7 games with the Detroit Tigers in 1972. He had a 4.32 ERA in 8-1/3 innings, as well as one brawl against the Milwaukee Brewers when Billy Conigliaro didn’t appreciate getting tagged out on a slow roller in front of the mound.

Ed Mickelson, 98 (d. June 27): Ed Mickelson was the second-to-last surviving St. Louis Brown, dying about a week before Billy Hunter. Mickelson played for the Cardinals in 1950, the Browns in 1953, and the Cubs in 1957. In a total of 18 games, he had 3 hits in 31 at-bats for an .081 batting average, 2 runs scored and 3 RBIs. He has the distinction of driving in the last St. Louis Browns run, with an RBI single in the team’s 2-1 loss on September 27, 1953. Later, as a high school baseball coach, he tutored Ken Holtzman and later watched him pitch for Oakland in the World Series.

Randy Moffitt, 76 (d. August 28): While he was famously known as the brother of Billie Jean King in his playing career, Moffit was an excellent athlete in his own right. He put together a 12-year career as a reliever from 1972-83, mostly with the San Francisco Giants. He also pitched for Houston and Toronto before closing out his playing career. Moffitt reached double-digit save totals from 1973 to 1978, despite never really being a full-time closer. He pitched in 534 games, with all but 1 coming out of the bullpen. He had a 43-52 record, 96 saves, and a 3.65 ERA.

Felipe Montemayor, 96 (d. February 4): His major-league career amounted to partial seasons with Pittsburgh in the 1950s, but Felipe Montemayor was a star in his native Mexico and is a member of that country’s Hall of Fame. His fame was on the rise in Mexico before the Pirates bought his contract from Mexicali. Montemayor appeared in a total of 64 games in 1953 and 1955, with a .173 batting average and 2 home runs. His stats from Mexico and winter ball are incomplete, but he is probably close to 2,000 career hits and 300 home runs.

Jesus Montero, 35 (d. October 19): A highly regarded catching prospect, Montero debuted in the majors in 2011 with the New York Yankees and slashed .328/.406/.590 in 18 games, with 4 homers. He was part of a major trade with Seattle in the offseason that sent prized pitching prospect Michael Pineda to the Yankees. Montero batted .260 for Seattle in 2012 with 15 home runs, but he appeared in just 73 games after that, due to injuries, PED suspensions and weight problems. He was a lifetime .253 hitter in 236 games, with 28 home runs. Montero died of injuries sustained in an October 4 motorcycle accident.

Dave Morehead, 82 (d. November 23): Morehead pitched in 177 games for the Boston Red Sox and Kansas City Royals from 1963-1970. He won 10 games twice for the Red Sox and led the AL with 18 losses in 1965, when Boston lost 100 games. One of his 10 wins that season was was a no-hitter against Cleveland on September 16. He walked just 1 batter and struck out 8 in the 2-0 gem. It was the last no-hitter by a Red Sox pitcher until Hideo Nomo accomplished the feat in 2001.

John Morris, 84 (d. October 15): Morris pitched in 8 seasons with the Phillies, Orioles, Pilots, Brewers and Giants between 1966 and 1974. He was a part of the expansion Seattle Pilots for 6 games but was sent to the minors to make way for Jim Bouton — inadvertently making Ball Four possible. Morris stuck with the franchise as it moved to Milwaukee and appeared in 43 games for the Brewers in 1971, with a 3.72 ERA. He retired with 132 major-league appearances, earning an 11-7 record and 3.95 ERA.

Matt Murray, 54 (d. June 22): Murray overcame reconstructive elbow surgery as a minor-leaguer and pitched in 6 games for the Atlanta Braves and Boston Red Sox in 1995. He earned a championship ring for his 4 appearances with the World Series-winning Braves. He had an 0-3 record and a 9.64 ERA in those 6 games, including 2 starts. Murray also pitched in China and independent ball before retiring. He died of complications after surgery.

Rod Nichols, 60 (d. May 14): Nichols pitched for Cleveland, Los Angeles and Atlanta over 7 seasons in the majors, and he won 3 World Series rings as a player and coach. His best season came as a hard-luck swingman for the 105-loss Cleveland team in 1991. He had a 2-11 record, but he had a 3.54 ERA and a 119 ERA+; he was the victim of some of the worst run support in the American League. Nichols had a 11-31 record in 100 major-league games, with 214 strikeouts and a 4.43 ERA. He made 5 appearances with the 1995 Braves, earning his only championship ring as an active player. He also coached in the minors with the Phillies and Cubs, working with pitchers who contributed to World Series wins in 2008 and 2016.

Johnny O’Brien, 94 (d. June 13): Twins Johnny and the late Eddie O’Brien were part of the Pittsburgh Pirates infield in the 1950s. O’Brien also played for the Cardinals and Braves in a career that lasted from 1953 to 1959. He was normally a second baseman and batted .299 in 84 games with Pittsburgh in 1955. He also pitched in 25 games for the Pirates, with a 1-3 record and 5.61 ERA. In 6 seasons in the majors, O’Brien had a career .250/.306/.320 slash line. His 204 career hits included 35 doubles, 5 triples and 4 homers, and he drove in 59 runs while scoring 90 times. A long-time Seattle resident, O’Brien later was the assistant director for the Kingdome.

Bob Oldis, 97 (d. September 21): Oldis played in the majors for 7 seasons, though he never once appeared in more than 50 games in a single season. The former Senators, Pirates and Phillies catcher was popular with fans and teammates alike, which kept him on rosters. He played in 22 games for the 1960 Pirates and was 4-for-20 as a hitter, but his value was as a cheerleader who helped inspire the team to overcome the powerhouse Yankees in the World Series. Oldis batted .237 in 135 big-league games and then became a coach and scout into 80s.

Nate Oliver, 84 (d. April 5): The son of a Negro Leagues pitcher, Nate Oliver reached the majors as an infielder with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1963. He stayed in LA until 1967 and then played with the Giants, Yankees and Cubs before ending his major-league career in 1969. Oliver played on 3 pennant-winning Dodgers teams, 2 of which won the World Series, and was a pinch-runner on a 1969 Cubs team that almost reached the postseason. He batted .226 in his career. After a time away from baseball, he returned as a hitting coach and once pinch-hit for singer Ella Fitzgerald, singing an excellent national anthem when the singer missed a 1990 appearance at an Old-Timers’ celebration. in Los Angeles.

Dave Parker, 74 (d. June 28): Dave Parker learned in December 2024 that he had been elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee. Sadly, Parker died in June after a long battle with Parkinson’s Disease, and his son David II delivered the induction speech. Parker was an NL MVP, 7-time All-Star, 3-time Gold Glove winner, 3-time Silver Slugger and 2-time batting champ. In his 19 seasons, he batted .290 and slugged .471 while racking up 2,712 hits that included 339 home runs and 526 doubles. He drove in 1,493 runs and even stole 154 bases. He was a part of World Series-winning teams with Pittsburgh in 1979 and Oakland in 1989. Parker had an occasionally stormy relationship with the fans and team management in Pittsburgh, which led to his departure and to stops in Cincinnati, Oakland, Milwaukee, California and Toronto. But Parker was part of the Pirates’ first Hall of Fame class, and he became part of the team’s beloved alumni. Likewise, Parker may have been overlooked by Hall of Fame voters due to drug use reports during his playing career, but that oversight was amended just in time for him to enjoy it.

Daryl Patterson, 81 (d. August 28): Patterson joined the Detroit Tigers in 1968 as a 24-year-old rookie and was immediately thrown into the thick of a pennant race. He became a late-inning stopper and picked up 7 saves and 2 wins in 38 games. He had a 2.12 ERA on the year and then threw 3 scoreless innings in the Tigers’ World Series win over St. Louis. Patterson’s career lasted until 1974 and included brief stops with Oakland, St. Louis and Pittsburgh. For his career, he had a 11-9 record and 11 saves in 142 games, with a 4.09 ERA.

Tom Patton, 90 (d. September 8): Catcher Tom Patton failed to make the Baltimore Orioles out of spring training in 1957, but he joined the big-league team when Gus Triandos was injured. He appeared for 5 innings of 1 game, against Chicago on April 30. He was 0-for-2 at the plate and handled 6 chances flawlessly. He never appeared in another major-league game but played in the minors until 1961. Injuries to his throwing arm led to his retirement, but he batted .261 in 9 minor-league seasons.

Rick Peters, 69 (d. March 9): In his one full season in the majors, Detroit outfielder Rick Peters slashed .291/.369/.373 in 1980 with 13 stolen bases and finished sixth in the Rookie of the Year Vote. He never appeared in more than 63 games over the rest of his five-year career with the Tigers and A’s. A bad right elbow contributed to his shortened career. He managed briefly in the minors before working for the Parks and Recreation Department in Tempe, AZ.

2025 In Memoriam (Part 3) – RIP Baseball

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