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***Official RIP Dead Ballplayers Thread -- Yer Out! (1 Viewer)

Roger Craig gone at 93. Humm baby.

He was a part of three WS winning clubs as a pitcher in Brooklyn, LA and St. Louis. His career record is distorted by a couple of seasons toiling for the expansion Mets but he had an excellent year finishing 13th in MVP voting as a swingman for the title-winning '59 Dodgers.

Craig is remembered fondly around these parts for managing the Giants during their late 80s turnaround. He also managed the Padres for a couple of seasons.

Player comps:
  1. John Buzhardt (960.6)
  2. Lew Krausse (954.6)
  3. Bill Voiselle (947.5)
  4. Ken Heintzelman (946.8)
  5. Larry McWilliams (946.8)
  6. Vern Ruhle (944.8)
  7. Rick Langford (944.0)
  8. Steve Hargan (943.3)
  9. Jim Colborn (942.9)
  10. Al Hollingsworth (942.5)
 
Eephus said:
Roger Craig gone at 93. Humm baby.

He was a part of three WS winning clubs as a pitcher in Brooklyn, LA and St. Louis. His career record is distorted by a couple of seasons toiling for the expansion Mets but he had an excellent year finishing 13th in MVP voting as a swingman for the title-winning '59 Dodgers.

Craig is remembered fondly around these parts for managing the Giants during their late 80s turnaround. He also managed the Padres for a couple of seasons.

Player comps:
  1. John Buzhardt (960.6)
  2. Lew Krausse (954.6)
  3. Bill Voiselle (947.5)
  4. Ken Heintzelman (946.8)
  5. Larry McWilliams (946.8)
  6. Vern Ruhle (944.8)
  7. Rick Langford (944.0)
  8. Steve Hargan (943.3)
  9. Jim Colborn (942.9)
  10. Al Hollingsworth (942.5)
Click to expand...
also one of the underrated running backs in nfl history...
 
A couple of interesting players who passed over the weekend. Pete Ladd, pretty good relief pitcher for the early 80’s Brewers. Passed away from cancer, 67.

Tom Walker - he was a relief pitcher for the early 70’s Expos, and father of Pirates 2B Neil Walker. Tom’s claim to fame was playing winter ball for Roberto Clemente in 1972. He was supposed to fly with Clemente to help
distribute supplies after the earthquake. On the runway, Clemente told him to stay behind, and the rest is history.
 
B-R comps for Washington

  1. Kevin Stocker (970.2)
  2. Adeiny Hechavarría (960.9)
  3. Ernie Johnson (959.1)
  4. John Wathan (957.4)
  5. Adam Everett (952.5)
  6. Cliff Pennington (951.6)
  7. Kurt Stillwell (949.8)
  8. Heinie Sand (945.6) - what happens when you sit on the beach?
  9. Pokey Reese (945.5)
  10. Chico Fernández (944.9)
...and Ott
  1. Red Wilson (969.4)
  2. Earl Grace (969.0)
  3. Lenny Webster (965.8)
  4. Joe Nolan (965.6)
  5. Ronny Paulino (965.3)
  6. Brook Fordyce (964.7)
  7. Bob Stinson (962.9)
  8. Josh Bard (958.8)
  9. Duane Josephson (958.3)
  10. Hal Smith (955.7)
 
Eephus said:
B-R comps for Washington

  1. Kevin Stocker (970.2)
  2. Adeiny Hechavarría (960.9)
  3. Ernie Johnson (959.1)
  4. John Wathan (957.4)
  5. Adam Everett (952.5)
  6. Cliff Pennington (951.6)
  7. Kurt Stillwell (949.8)
  8. Heinie Sand (945.6) - what happens when you sit on the beach?
  9. Pokey Reese (945.5)
  10. Chico Fernández (944.9)
...and Ott
  1. Red Wilson (969.4)
  2. Earl Grace (969.0)
  3. Lenny Webster (965.8)
  4. Joe Nolan (965.6)
  5. Ronny Paulino (965.3)
  6. Brook Fordyce (964.7)
  7. Bob Stinson (962.9)
  8. Josh Bard (958.8)
  9. Duane Josephson (958.3)
  10. Hal Smith (955.7)
Click to expand...
The career and the age comps are two of my favorite things on BR.
 
We had to do a research paper in 6th grade and I wrote it about Willie mays.

I did the research but also made up of a few of the articles in the bibliography.

One was “A-Mays-ing, Sports Illustrated, 1957”

Another was like “the Say Hey Kid, New York Times, 1956”.

In like 3rd grade we had to do a project on a historical figure and dress up like them. I did ty cobb. I didn’t play up the racism.

this concludes my tribute to Willie Mays.
 
Eephus said:
Don Wert (1938 - 2024)

Reliable third-baseman for the 60s Tigers including the 68 championship club.

Wert's top comp is a contemporary who like Wert suffered an offensive drop-off after getting beaned.
  1. Paul Schaal (961.2)
  2. Wayne Garrett (943.4)
  3. Ed Kirkpatrick (938.2)
  4. Max Alvis (929.1)
  5. Alberto Callaspo (928.9)
  6. Bob Aspromonte (925.4)
  7. Tom Brookens (925.1)
  8. **** Green (923.6)
  9. Rich Rollins (921.5)
  10. Bernie Allen (921.3)

ETA: **** Green lol
Click to expand...
His comparisons look like half of the cards in my packs of topps.
 
Bill Melton (1945-2024)

White Sox third baseman of the late 60s-early 70s. He had a couple of good years and led the junior circuit with 33 HRs in 1971. A back injury the following year sapped his power and eventually ended his career prematurely.

A bunch of interesting names are in his B-R comps.
  1. Ed Sprague (951.9)
  2. Scott Brosius (951.4)
  3. Tom Tresh (946.1)
  4. Jim Hickman (946.1)
  5. Wilmer Flores (942.8)
  6. Pedro Feliz (938.1)
  7. Vince DiMaggio (933.1)
  8. Scott Spiezio (930.8)
  9. Jeff King (927.7)
  10. Avisaíl García (927.5)
 
Too young for Rickey Henderson - such a great player and was at his peak when I really got into baseball. There has been no one else like him that I have seen. The thing that always shocked me with him was how many walks he drew given he would just go steal bases. Who would want to walk that guy.
 
Three takeaways from the top B-R comps for Rickey.

1. His most similar player is in the low 700s which is really low (most players' top comps are in the 900s) which shows the uniqueness of his profile and his longevity.
2. Eight of the top ten are in the Hall of Fame.
3. Johnny Damon had a very nice career.

  1. Craig Biggio (713.4) *
  2. Johnny Damon (710.3)
  3. Paul Molitor (686.4) *
  4. Lou Brock (679.8) *
  5. Rusty Staub (677.0)
  6. Joe Morgan (667.0) *
  7. Robin Yount (663.7) *
  8. Steve Finley (660.0)
  9. Tim Raines (648.8) *
  10. Al Kaline (646.4) *
 
Last edited:
Bob Uecker (1934-2025)

A better broadcaster than a player and a better man than a broadcaster.

He somehow managed to lead the NL in catcher errors and passed balls in 1967 in spite of only appearing in 80 games. Phil Niekro must have been a handful that year because the Braves' primary catcher Joe Torre finished 2nd in passed balls.

B-R comps
  1. Doug Camilli (980.9)
  2. Rob Johnson (979.8)
  3. Orlando Mercado (974.7)
  4. Tom Nieto (974.2)
  5. Tom Egan (972.1)
  6. Bob Davis (970.5)
  7. Ron Tingley (970.1)
  8. Koyie Hill (969.4)
  9. Bill Plummer (967.5)
  10. Walt Tragesser (967.4)
 
Jeff Torborg (1941-2025)

As a hitter, he was worse than Uecker but was solid enough behind the dish to have a ten year MLB career. He was doubly unfortunate to play in the late 60s when offense was at a nadir. It's rarely a good thing for a modern player to have his B-R comps list include a guy named Gabby.

He was more successful as a manager although he had the misfortune to be the skipper of the Mets when the wheels fell off in 1992.

B-R comps
  1. Ray Berres (981.3)
  2. Gabby Street (974.2)
  3. Terry Humphrey (972.1)
  4. Sam Agnew (970.6)
  5. Tom Needham (967.6)
  6. Clyde Manion (966.5)
  7. Merv Shea (965.4)
  8. Walter Blair (964.4)
  9. Red Kleinow (964.0)
  10. Mike Kahoe (963.8)
 
Scott Sauerbeck (November 9, 1971 – February 19, 2025) -pretty young dude had a heart attack. I enjoyed watching him pitch. Pirates, Red Sox, and others.
 
Eddie Fisher (1936-2025)

A reliable knuckleballer who was one of the top relief pitchers of the 1960s and a WS winner with the 1966 Orioles. Relievers were used differently in those days which is illustrated by his 1965 season where he made 82 appearances and pitched 165 innings while leading the AL in WHIP. I'm sure he got tired of jokes about the similarly named singer who was married to Debbie Reynolds, Elizabeth Taylor and Connie Stevens during the pitcher's major league career.

Nine of his ten B-R comps were contemporaries
  1. Bill Campbell (952.4)
  2. Grant Jackson (947.5)
  3. Phil Regan (933.9)
  4. Al Worthington (932.3)
  5. Bob Miller (927.4)
  6. **** Hall (925.8)
  7. Bobby Bolin (924.9)
  8. Ellis Kinder (922.4)
  9. Clay Carroll (921.7)
  10. Clem Labine (914.4)

www.newsweek.com

Former American League All-Star, World Series Champion Passes Away

A knuckleballer for the 1966 World Series champion Orioles who made his only All-star team with the White Sox the year prior has died at 88.
www.newsweek.com www.newsweek.com
 
Art Schallock (1924-2025)

LHP Schallock appeared in 58 games for Yankees in the early 50s. His first roommate was Yogi Berra. He had been the oldest living major leaguer, an honor that now passes to Bill Greason who was the Cardinals' first Black pitcher.

The Pedro Martinez in Schallock's B-R comps is the lefty reliever from the early 90s.
  1. Bob Smith (987.1)
  2. Terrell Wade (987.0)
  3. Gordie Richardson (986.8)
  4. Lefty Wallace (986.6)
  5. Ron Cook (985.3)
  6. Dave Geisel (982.6)
  7. Pedro Martínez (982.5)
  8. Bill Miller (981.7)
  9. Forrest Thompson (981.1)
  10. Kevin Wickander (980.0)

 
Eephus said:
Art Schallock (1924-2025)

LHP Schallock appeared in 58 games for Yankees in the early 50s. His first roommate was Yogi Berra. He had been the oldest living major leaguer, an honor that now passes to Bill Greason who was the Cardinals' first Black pitcher.

The Pedro Martinez in Schallock's B-R comps is the lefty reliever from the early 90s.
  1. Bob Smith (987.1)
  2. Terrell Wade (987.0)
  3. Gordie Richardson (986.8)
  4. Lefty Wallace (986.6)
  5. Ron Cook (985.3)
  6. Dave Geisel (982.6)
  7. Pedro Martínez (982.5)
  8. Bill Miller (981.7)
  9. Forrest Thompson (981.1)
  10. Kevin Wickander (980.0)

Click to expand...
Too young.
 
Northern Voice said:
Eephus said:
Art Schallock (1924-2025)

LHP Schallock appeared in 58 games for Yankees in the early 50s. His first roommate was Yogi Berra. He had been the oldest living major leaguer, an honor that now passes to Bill Greason who was the Cardinals' first Black pitcher.

The Pedro Martinez in Schallock's B-R comps is the lefty reliever from the early 90s.
  1. Bob Smith (987.1)
  2. Terrell Wade (987.0)
  3. Gordie Richardson (986.8)
  4. Lefty Wallace (986.6)
  5. Ron Cook (985.3)
  6. Dave Geisel (982.6)
  7. Pedro Martínez (982.5)
  8. Bill Miller (981.7)
  9. Forrest Thompson (981.1)
  10. Kevin Wickander (980.0)

Click to expand...
Too young.
Click to expand...
He wasn't in the top ten when I started this thread.
 
Don Quixote said:
Chet Lemon

sports.yahoo.com

Chet Lemon, 1984 Detroit Tigers hero, dies at age 70

Former Detroit Tigers center fielder Chet Lemon, key member of 1984 World Series champions, died May 8 at his home in Florida. He was 70 years old.
sports.yahoo.com sports.yahoo.com
Click to expand...

Lemon was a player who would have been much more highly regarded if he played in today's more analytically inclined game. His Triple Crown stats never jumped off the page which explains why he never earned a single MVP vote. But he would take a base on balls, got hit by a LOT of pitches and played a solid CF with excellent range. In spite of above average speed, he was a terrible base stealer with more CS (76) than SBs (58).

A high "remember some guys" factor in his B-R comps:
  1. Johnny Callison (928.2)
  2. Bobby Murcer (917.3)
  3. Jeff Conine (916.3)
  4. Amos Otis (915.2)
  5. Gus Bell (913.4)
  6. Dusty Baker (913.3)
  7. Felipe Alou (910.6)
  8. Devon White (910.2)
  9. Richie Hebner (907.7)
  10. Gary Matthews (903.9)
 
Encyclopedia Brown said:
Eephus said:
played a solid CF with excellent range.
Click to expand...
More putouts than Mantle/Pinson/Snider/Puckett.

500+ in 1977.
Click to expand...

During the 2019 Hot Stove league, some reference to Lemon sent me down a B-R rabbit hole


As a 22 year old in 1977, Lemon set the AL record for putouts by an OF with 512. There's no data available that explains exactly why. He mostly shared the outfield with noted non-fielders Ralph Garr and Richie Zisk and the Sox pitchers were presumably fly ball pitchers. But the Sox were also better than league average in both HRs allowed and strikeouts and the range factors of Garr and Zisk were right around league average. Lemon led AL OF in every defensive category (including errors) but the Gold Gloves that year went to Juan Beniquez, Al Cowens and 37 year old Carl Yastrzemski.

Lemon's extreme range and decent triples numbers indicate he had great speed. But he was a terrible base stealer with a career 58-76 mark (third worst all time for players with more than 100 SB attempts). He somehow managed an 0 for 7 season as a 28 year old in 1983.
Click to expand...
 
Eephus said:
Encyclopedia Brown said:
Eephus said:
played a solid CF with excellent range.
Click to expand...
More putouts than Mantle/Pinson/Snider/Puckett.

500+ in 1977.
Click to expand...

During the 2019 Hot Stove league, some reference to Lemon sent me down a B-R rabbit hole


As a 22 year old in 1977, Lemon set the AL record for putouts by an OF with 512. There's no data available that explains exactly why. He mostly shared the outfield with noted non-fielders Ralph Garr and Richie Zisk and the Sox pitchers were presumably fly ball pitchers. But the Sox were also better than league average in both HRs allowed and strikeouts and the range factors of Garr and Zisk were right around league average.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Jimmy Piersall used to say that the sign of a great outfielder is the ability to play shallow, and that is because it is much easier to come in on a ball than chase it over your head.

Maybe in 1977 Chet played so shallow that he took a lot of popups away from the immortal Alan Bannister and Jorge Orta at 2B/SS and that doesn't show up in the data.
 
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