Rest in Peace, Mike Sandlock

I just saw on Facebook that former player, Mike Sandlock has passed away at age 100.  According to a post on the Baseball Player Passings page, his son confirmed that Sandlock had passed away at 11:18 PM last night, April 4.  At the time of his passing, he was the oldest living former baseball player.  I had just recently received a TTM success from Mr. Sandlock on March 18, and posted it here.  From everything I have read, and from my own experience of getting him TTM twice, Sandlock was a really good guy.  While you mourn his passing, he had a really full life and gave back to so many.  He definitely will be missed.

Rest In Peace - Monte Irvin

Over the course of the last two days, two huge names have left this world and have moved on to the next one.

I was shocked and blown away yesterday morning to hear that music icon, David Bowie had passed away sometime Sunday.

Today, when I was checking on some Oriole news on Twitter, I saw that Hall of Famer Monte Irvon had passed away at age 96.  Irvin wasn't necessarily a shock, since he was 96, but it still stung nonetheless.  He was a baseball pioneer, one of the last remaining players of a bygone era.  He was also very good to fans and a great TTM signer.

The above baseball was one I got TTM back in 2010, which I have since flipped to my good friend, Andrew.  I had replaced that ball with a PSA one from Historic Autographs Ball of Fame.

Irvin was one of the oldest living baseball players at the time of his passing, and was the second longest tenured Hall of Famer (Sandy Koufax is the longest tenured living Hall of Famer, having been elected in 1972).

Irvin was a great ball player in his time and is regarded as one of the best to have come out of the Negro Leagues.  It was widely speculated back then that he would be the player who would break the color barrier, but Branch Rickey went with Jackie Robinson instead.

Rest in peace, Monte Irvin.

Rest in Peace, Ernie Banks

The world lost Ernie Banks last night at the age of 83, just days shy of his 84th birthday.  I had talked to my friend, Max a few days ago.  He was set to meet Banks at Cubs Fest, but Banks cancelled due to illness.  He was upset that he didn't get to meet him, and I was upset for him.  My good friend, Drew, met Mr. Banks a few years ago at the White Plains show, and had a memorable time.  I know it is something Drew will never forget.

Banks was one of my favorite non-Oriole Hall of Famers.  You never heard a bad thing about him.  He symbolized what is right about baseball.  Enjoying playing the game you love, regardless of playing a league record 2,528 games without reaching the post season.

I was happy that Banks was one of my biggest TTM successes.  It was also really cool that he appeared on stage with Pearl Jam during their concert at Wrigley Field in July 2013.  I have my ball signed by Banks which is inscribed "Pearl Jam Rocker - 7/19/13".  Also, since Pearl Jam records every concert and makes them available to fans, I have the bootleg saved on my computer.  Just the other day, I listened to Eddie introduce Banks to the rain-soaked crowd.  Banks speaks for a bit on the recording, which is really cool.

I'm sad to see Ernie Banks pass away, but I'm even sadder for the friends I have that were Banks and/or Cubs fans.  He was a legend in the sport, and he will be missed.  Where he is now, I hope the sun is shining, it's a beautiful day and hey, Let's play two...

Rest in peace, Ernie Banks.

Rest in Peace, Tony Gwynn

Today, the baseball world mourns the sudden loss of one of the greatest hitters of all-time, Hall of Famer, Tony Gwynn,  Gwynn had been batting mouth cancer since 2010, when he underwent surgery to remove a tumor from his cheek.  He underwent a second surgery in 2012 to remove another tumor that had become wrapped around a nerve in his face.  It appeared that Gwynn was on the road to recovery, until he took a leave of absence from his coaching position at San Diego State University in February.

A smokeless tobacco user for decades, Gwynn felt that he developed the cancer due to his habit. Ultimately, his life was claimed this morning at the age of 54 by salivary gland cancer.

From the folks I have talked to today, including a friend of mine who works for the Padres, Gwynn's passing is a great shock to the baseball community.  Outpourings of grief and emotion have have inundated social media applications such as Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

The City of San Diego will be in mourning for a long time, I'm afraid, as Gwynn was the face, the heart and the soul of the Padres franchise.  I do believe they have been rocked to the core by the news.

Gwynn played for the Padres from 1982 to 2001 and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2007.  He was an 8-time NL batting champion and a 15-time All Star. He appeared in both of the Padres World Series.

I never got the chance to meet Gwynn, but I did see him during last year's Hall of Fame parade.  I remember telling Drew that Gwynn did not look good at all, but little did I know the cancer would claim him almost a year later.

I've been really sad all day long.  Gwynn was one of the players I follwed as I was growing up.  Not nearly as much as Cal, but I always respected Gwynn because of his superb batting skills and I (and others) thought he had a legitimate chance to surpass the .400 batting mark before the players' strike of 1994 ended the season prematurely.

I now will close by offering my prayers and condolences to all of Gwynn's family, friends, fans and colleagues.  He leaves behind a huge legacy and I doubt I will see another hitter like him in my lifetime.  God bless and rest in peace, Tony Gwynn.

Rest In Peace, Ralph Kiner

Today, another Hall of Famer was lost when Ralph Kiner passed away this morning at the age of 91.  He was really nice to Chris, Drew, Adam, Joe and I this summer when we met him during an autograph signing. I have to commend the guy for getting out of the house at 90 (at that time) and meeting and greeting fans.

Kiner took the time to painstakingly sign the two baseballs we had and was nice enough to speak to Chris. I'm really sad to see him go, but he leaves a legacy as one of the greatest power hitters of all time.

So, I leave you all with this overlong video of Mr. Kiner signing autographs for us.  Special thanks to my good friend, Drew, who shot the video.

I'll be back on later tonight hopefully to resume my Fan Fest posts. If I don't get one on tonight, I'm sure you understand why.

Yet Another Oriole has Passed Away

They say it comes in threes.  Well, today, I found out that 'Bullet' Bob Turley passed away today at the age of 82.  First, Mr. Trucks, then Gus Triandos and now Bob Turley.  Jeez.

Turley played for both the Browns and Orioles, and also the Yankees, Angels and Red Sox.  His best season was in 1958 with he won the Cy Young Award and finished second in the MVP voting.  He went 21-7 that season and 2-1 during the 1958 World Series against the Braves, winning the championship with the Yankees.

Turley was a great TTM signer, as seen by the signed baseball I got from him shown above.  It's really sad to see these guys passing away.  I guess it's up to us to keep their memories alive by continuing to tell their stories.

Another Oriole Gone

Former Oriole catcher Gus Triandos passed away today at the age of 82.  He was the first true star of the Orioles.  Traded by the Yankees to the O's for Bob Turley and Don Larsen  (among others) in November 1954, Triandos had some very good years for the Birds.  He caught Hoyt Wilhelm's no hitter for the Orioles in 1958 and then caught a perfect game for Jim Bunning while with the Phillies in 1964.

RIP Sophie Kurys

I found out that former AAGPBL player, Sophie Kurys, passed away yesterday at the age of 87.  She was one of the greatest female players to ever play the game of baseball.  She stole 201 bases in 1946 as a member of the Racine Belles.

More and more players from the AAGPBL, and Negro Leagues as well, are leaving us.  It is greatly important that we remember these folks and their contributions to the game because, soon, they will only live on in our stories and photos, etc.

I got a signed ball TTM from Ms. Kurys back in June and I sure am glad that I took the time to write her a letter and request that I have my ball signed.  I remember being really excited when I got the ball back and it still stands as one of my top 5 TTM successes.

Rest in peace, Ms. Kurys.  You will definitely be missed!

A Sad Day for Baseball

I was at Orioles Fan Fest this morning when my wife sent me a text message "Sorry to hear about Earl Weaver."  My response to her was "Huh?  What are you talking about?"  It was then that I went by the MASN booth at Fan Fest and learned that the Orioles' legendary manager had passed away this morning while on a Carribean cruise.

After that moment, my son and I went to the Fan Forum and watched a tribute video about Earl and listened to Gary Thorne break the news to the capacity crowd at Fan Fest.  It was a really tough moment.  I shed some tears, that's for sure.

After we left Fan Fest today, we made our way to the retired numbers and paid our respects to Earl, then made our way to the statues that had just been dedicated last season and paid more respects to Earl.

Unfortunately, Earl Weaver's passing wasn't the only bit of terrible news for baseball today.  Baseball lost one of its all-time great players this evening.  Stan Musial passed away with his family by his side at the age of 92.  Oft overshadowed by the likes of Joe Dimaggio and Ted Williams, Musial was one of the greatest hitters ever.  He is also regarded as the greatest Cardinal to ever play, and that distinction was cemented when Albert Pujols left St. Louis for Anaheim last offseason.

So, I am really sad this evening.  Baseball lost some legends.  I, as an Oriole fan, lost the first Oriole Hall of Famer.  Luckily, I was able to watch Earl at Brooks' statue unveiling last summer and I will always have that memory.

My prayers go out to both of their families.

On the Passing of Lee MacPhail

I know I'm late on this, but I did want to weigh in on the passing of Lee MacPhail.  MacPhail had been the oldest living Hall of Famer until his passing at age 95. He was a former executive for the Orioles and Yankees and also served as the American League President.

MacPhail was very gracious and generous to collectors.  He would sign TTM for free and return very quickly.  I knew things were't looking good when his son, Andy, stepped down from his role as Orioles' GM to spend more time with his family and friends' of mine having mail they had sent to MacPhail come back RTS.

MahPhail was my 4th TTM success, way back on October 26, 2010.

It is really sad to see some of the guys that I have sent TTM to start passing away, but I suppose that is the case, since most of them are nonagenarians.

TTM Signer Les Mueller Has Passed Away

Former Tigers pitcher and one of the few remaining players from the 1945 World Series Champion Tigers, Les Mueller, passed away today at the age of 93.

I received the above baseball as a TTM success earlier this year on January 17.  You can read about it here. 
Mueller played only two seasons in the majors, but was able to take home a ring after the 1945 season.  Following his passing, only 4 players remain living from that team:  Virgil Trucks, Milt Welch, Ed Mierkowicz and Billy Pierce.

A TTMer Has Passed Away

On Friday, September 21, 2012, Tom Umphlett passed away at the age of 81.  He had played for the Red Sox in 1953 and the Senators in 1954 and 1955.

I discovered that Mr. Umphlett was from a small NC town that I visit frequently, as I do a lot of my environmental consulting work there (that is where two of our clients have their home offices).  I thought it was cool to send a ball off to a former player that I had the possibility of bumping into at a gas station or Wal Mart, etc.

I don't know the cause of death, but at 81, it probably could have been a multitude of things.  It is sad, however, no matter the cause.  I never knew the guy, but I appreciated his generosity when it came to taking the time to sign my ball.  I will say a prayer for his family and be thankful I had this small interaction.

I haven't really thought about it until now, but given the age demographic of the players I have been sending to, and the 64 TTM successes I have received, only two have passed away so far.  It is inevitable, for sure, but I don't like to think about it.  I'm not one of those guys who likes to dwell on that type of thing nor do I entertain the thought of selling my ball, just because the player had died in hopes of cashing in.  I intend to keep my baseballs as long as I am around and probably will pass them on to my son later on.

For a more positive look at Mr. Umphlett, here is a link to my TTM success from January 11, 2012 and here is a link to Mr. Umphlett's obituary.

Remembering Gary Carter

Another Hall of Famer was lost today when Gary Carter lost his battle with brain cancer at the age of 57.

Carter is historically regarded as one of the greatest catchers to ever have played game.  From 1974 to 1992 he collected 2,092 hits, 324 home runs and a lifetime average of .262.  He won the World Series with the 1986 Mets.

Here, Carter can be seen on his 1975 Topps Rookie Card.

Here is an example of a ball signed by Carter that I picked up late last year.

I would like to extend my condolences to Gary Carter's family, fans as well as Expos and Mets fans.  Baseball lost one of its all time greats today at too young an age.

Marty Marion Has Passed Away

I got a text message a couple hours ago from my good buddy Drew informing me that former MLB player and manager Marty Marion had passed away. Apparently, Mr. Marion died last night from a heart attack. He was 93. I got a TTM success from Mr. Marion on January 30. I'm sad that a lot of the older players are passing away, but that is part of life. Mr. Marion lived a full life, for sure, but one still can be sad because another part of the game's history has faded back into the annals of time. Check out Drew's post for his tribute to Mr. Marion's passing.