RIP Baseball

Oh hell yes.

Obituary: Gary Blaylock (1931-2026) RIP to Gary Blaylock, whose nearly 50-year career in professional baseball included a season in the majors as a pitcher and a World Series Championship earned as a pitching coach. He died on February 7 in Clarkton, MO -- in the same home where he was born, according to his family. He was 94 years old. Blaylock played for the St. Louis Cardinals and New York Yankees in 1959 and was a pitching coach for the Kansas City Royals during their championship season of 1985. Gary Nelson Blaylock was born in Clarkton on October 11, 1931.

Gary Blaylock spent 1 season in the majors -- 1959 with the St. Louis Cardinals & New York Yankees. He spent nearly 50 years in baseball as a player, scout, minor-league manager and coach, and he won a World Series as the Royals' pitching coach in 1985. Blaylock died on Feb. 7 at age 94.

An old school, fireman style closer, Wayne Granger saved 108 games across 9 seasons, including 19 with the #MNTwins during his only season with the team (1972). He was the first pitcher to appear in 90 games in a single season (1969, w/the Reds). He died Wednesday at the age of 81. RIP Wayne.

Obituary: Mickey Lolich (1940-2026) The 1968 World Series between the Detroit Tigers and St. Louis Cardinals, held during the Year of the Pitcher, was supposed to be a showcase between the two most recognized pitchers of the era: Bob Gibson and Denny McLain. But it was Mickey Lolich who stole the show, propelling the Tigers to a World Championship with three complete game wins. Postseason heroics notwithstanding, he ranks as one of the best pitchers in Detroit history. Lolich died in Sterling Heights, MI, on February 4, at the age of 85. He pitched for Detroit from 1963 to 1975 and wrapped his career with the New York Mets (1976) and San Diego Padres (1978-79).

Since Mickey Lolich all too often played second fiddle to a flashier pitcher, let's give him his recognition as one of the greatest Detroit pitchers ever, the hero of the 1968 World Series, and the maker of many a tasty donut.

Chris Krug isn't a household name, but he played a key role in Sandy Koufax's perfect game and literally built the Field of Dreams. He died on Jan. 16, which had not been reported outside his family's social media pages.

We don’t even have a definition of what “ultra-processed” even means, and you’re reporting on how kids can identify them…

The Pirates announced that Bill Mazeroski has died. RIP to a Hall of Famer and the man who hit the most dramatic home run in World Series history.

Obituary: Ron Teasley (1927-2026) Major League Baseball's decision in 2020 to acknowledge various seasons of the Negro Leagues as "major leagues" did a lot of great things and righted some long-standing wrongs. But it was not without its frustrations, too. Statistics from that era are so difficult to find and require extensive research, and it's not done yet. There are games yet to be accounted for still out there, and we may never get the same comprehensive statistics like we have in the American and National League. And the numbers we have don't reflect the realities of Black baseball.

The late Ron "Schoolboy" Teasley may have just 2 games with the 1948 New York Cubans on his major-league register, but his baseball career lasted most of his life. Teasley played on Detroit sandlots, set records in college, was a Dodgers minor-leaguer & spent decades as a high school teacher/coach.

If Steele screws up his season because Grok tells him that raw milk and horse dewormer can speed up recovery time from Tommy John surgery, then fire Musk’s next rocket into the sun with him on it.

The original Baseball Immortals cards were some of the first cards I ever owned. That was how I learned baseball went back to the 1800s. It would be a beautiful thing to see this series resurrected.

Obituary: Rick Renick (1944-2026) RIP to Rick Renick, who followed up a 5-year stint as a major leaguer with an extensive career as a coach and manager at the minor- and major-league level. Renick, a resident of Sarasota, FL, died on January 31 at the age of 81. He played for the Minnesota Twins from 1968 to 1972 as a versatile bench player. Warren Richard Renick was born in London, OH, on March 16, 1944. His father owned a cattle farm, and Renick was expected to help with chores as a child, even if it meant getting up at 4:00 AM to milk cows.

Rick Renick began his big-league career with a bang, homering off Mickey Lolich in his 1st at-bat. Injuries limited him to 5 years in the majors, all of which were spent with the Twins. But he had a lengthy career in pro ball as a major-league coach & manager in the minors. Renick, 81, died Jan. 31.

Grave Story: Frank Betcher (1888-1981) Frank Bettger was successful in several careers, but baseball was not one of them. As Frank Betcher, he was a light-hitting infielder who played with the 1910 St. Louis Cardinals. Using his birth n…

Happy 138th Birthday to Frank Bettcher, who played in 35 games for the 1910 St. Louis Cardinals & hit .202 with a .500 OPS. So that career didn’t go so well, but he made up for it by becoming a renowned salesman and best-selling author. Read more here:

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Grave with inscription STAFFORD ROWLAND THY WILL BE DONE

Inscription at the foot of the grave that reads CLARANCE H ROWLAND MAY 17, 1969

Clarence “Pants” Rowland managed the White Sox from 1915 to 1918 and led the 1917 Sox to a victory in the World Series. He also worked as a minor-league manager, umpire, scout and team executive in a career that lasted into the 1950s. He died on May 17, 1969 at age 91.

Headstone with inscription ONLY AMBIDEXTROUS PITCHER IN MAJOR LEAGUE HISTORY (edit: he isn’t, but you can’t edit a headstone) ANTHONY JOHN “THE COUNT” MULLANE FEB 7, 1859 April 26, 1945 BORN IN COUNTY CORK, IRELAND

Born in Ireland, Tony Mullane won 284 games from 1881-lp94. He was a right-handed pitcher who also pitched left-handed. Mullane won 30+ games 5 times and threw 63 wild pitches in 1884 with Toledo, probably because he hated his catcher, Fleet Walker, who was African-American, & ignored his signals.

A tall marker with the inscription MELILLO-MAHER-LEONARD. Below that are many names, including HUSBAND OACAR MELILLO 1899-1963

Oscar “Ski” Melillo. Ski Melillo had a 12-year career in the majors, 1926-37, with the Browns & Red Sox. He was a lifetime .260 hitter & one of the best defensive 2Bs of his era. He also managed the Browns for 10 games in 1938 and coached into the 1950s. He died on Nov. 14, 1963, at age 64.

A grave with the inscription of BRENNAN HUGHES

An inscription on the grave with the words HUSBAND JAMES R 1923-2001

Jim Hughes was a reliever for the Brooklyn Dodgers from 1952-56 and led the NL with 60 games & 24 saves in 1954. He finished his career with brief stays with the Cubs in 1956 and White Sox in ‘57. After arm injuries ended his career, he was a fireman. Hughes died at age 78 on August 13, 2001.

A field in Holy Sepulchre Cemetery that has the unmarked grave of Ike Fisher.

Somewhere in this field lies Ike Fisher. He was a catcher & third baseman for 9 games with the 1898 Phillies. He had 3 hits for a .115 batting average. Ike, nicknamed “Newt,” played and managed the Nashville Vols in the 1900s. He died on Feb. 28, 1947, at age 75.

Headstone with inscription FATHER LEO M DIXON APRIL 11, 1984

Leo Dixon. He was a catcher for the St. Louis Browns from 1925-27 and the Cincinnati Reds in 1929. As a 30-year-old rookie in 1925, he played in 76 games and hit .224 with his only career homer. He retired with a .206 average in 159 games. The Chicago native died on April 11, 1984, at age 89.

Grave with the inscription FISKE

Headstone with inscription HUSBAND MAX FISKE. Grass has covered up his birth and death years.

Max Fiske was born in Germany in 1888 and pitched for the Chicago Chi-Feds of the Federal League in 1914. He was 12-12 with a 3.14 ERA in his only pro season. He pitched semipro ball around Chicago as well. He died at age 39 on May 25, 1928.

Headstone with inscription 1882-1951 A STANDOUT CENTER FIELDER WITH A RIFLE ARM JOHN PRESTON “PETE” HILL NEGRO LEAGUES GREATEST DEADBALL ERA HITTER. ELECTED INTO THE NATIONAL BASEBALL HALL OF FAME IN 2006.

Pete Hill started in the Negro Leagues in 1899 & is a .303 hitter in the 5 years in which we have stats — 1920-21 with the Detroit Stars, 1923 with the Milwaukee Bears, and 1924-25 with the Baltimore Black Sox. He died in Buffalo at age 69 in Nov. 19, 1951. He was elected to the HOF in 2006.

A row of reddish headstones mostly covered by undergrowth. They belong to the McNamara family.

There are several graves here belonging to the McNamara family, but George McNamara’s grave is unmarked. He played right field for 3 games with the 1922 Washington Senators & had 3 hits in 11 ABs. He later was a Chicago fireman and worked at horse tracks. He died at age 89 on June 12, 1990.

Headstone with inscription JOSEPH L BENZ SR 1886-1957

Joe Benz won 77 games while pitching for the White Sox from 1911-19. He won 15 games in 1914 and 1915 and also led the AL in losses with 19 in 1914. He had a career 2.43 ERA, which is 33rd best all-time, & was part of the 1917 team that won the 1917 World Series. Benz died on April 22, 1957, at 71.

Headstone with inscription THOMAS P MCGUIRE TP FEB 1, 1892-DEC 7, 1959

Tom McGuire pitched for the Chicago Chi-Feds of the Federal League in 1914. He was a 2-way player who won 5 games and also batted .271 with a home run. He then pitched in 1 game for the 1919 White Sox. He worked at the Chicago Board of Trade for decades. McGuire died at age 67 on Dec. 7, 1959.

Headstone with inscription KEVIN JOHN HICKEY FEB 25, 1956-MAY 16, 2012 LOVING FATHER, SON, BROTHER GRANDFATHER AND FRIEND “HIC MAN” CHICAGO WHITE SOX #45

Kevin Hickey. He reached the majors in 1981 as a reliever with the White Sox. After 3 years, he toiled in the minors before resurfacing with the Orioles in 1989-91. He was a batting practice pitcher for the White Sox and worked with the team through his death on May 16, 2012, at age 56.

Grave with inscription CONROY MY JESUS MERCY

Headstone with inscription 1899-1970 FATHER WILLIAM E CONROY

Bill Conroy. Conroy played minor-league baseball between 1919 and 1931 and played in 18 games with the 1923 Washington Senators. He hit .133 with 2 doubles & 2 triples among his 8 hits. He died at age 71 on Jan. 23, 1970.

Ornate grave with a cross and the inscription of REILLY

Headstone with inscription of HAROLD J REILLY 1894-1957

Hal Reilly was the left fielder for the Cubs on June 19, 1919. He went 0-for-3 with a strikeout in his only game. His only minor-league games came in 1916, so I’m guessing his career was interrupted by WWI. He later worked in the Cook County Treasurer’s Office and died on Dec. 24, 1957, at age 63.

Grave with inscription MEE MY JESUS MERCY

Headstone with inscription: SON THOMAS MEE 1890-1981

Tommy Mee. The 20-year-old had spent a few seasons in the minors in Wisconsin when he joined the St. Louis Browns in 1910. He batted .158 in 8 games. He later owned a medical supply company. He died on May 16, 1981, at age 91.

Grave with inscription: LOVING HUSBAND FATHER & PAPA CLAIR BARTH JOHNSON JAN 3, 1950-APR 22, 2020 MLB PITCHER - SCOUT

Bart Johnson. He debuted with the White Sox in 1969 when he was 19 years old and pitched until 1977. He had a career 43-51 record in 185 games, split pretty evenly as a starter & reliever. I wrote about him when he died on April 22, 2020, at age 70.

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Grave with the inscription of IRWIN

Charlie Irwin. He spent 10 years (1893-1902) in the majors with the Colts (Cubs), Reds & Superbas (Dodgers), mostly at 3B & SS. He was a career .268 hitter. His best season was in 1894 with Chicago; he batted .296, drove in 100 runs & hit half of his career 16 HRs. He died Sept. 1, 1925, at age 56.

Grave with inscription: KANE-RAFF and MY JESUS MERCY

Grave with inscription: MOTHER KATHERINE KANE RAFF 1878-1942

John Kane. He played 14 games with the 1925 Chicago White Sox, batting .179. He had a few decent seasons in the minors as a 2B/SS between 1922-31. He died July 25, 1956, at the age of 55. He doesn’t have a headstone of his own; Katherine is the only one with a stone.