1995 – Newly-elected Hall of Famer Leon Day dies in Baltimore, Maryland, at the age of 78. A former Negro Leagues outstanding pitcher and superb contact hitter, Day had been elected to Cooperstown by the Veterans Committee just six days earlier.
1995 – Cecil Upshaw dies of a heart attack in Lawrenceville, GA at age 53. The submarine reliever had a 2-3 record with one save as an Astro in 1973. The righthander had been a closer for Atlanta earlier in his career before tearing a finger on his pitching hand when he accidentally struck a sign while walking down the street.
On July 14, 1994, former major leaguer Cesar Tovar dies from pancreatic cancer at the age of 54. Known as a versatile player, Tovar gained fame when he became the second player in major league history to play nine positions in a single game. He also stole 226 bases over a 12-year career with…
On January 9, 1994, former major league pitcher Harvey Haddix dies at the age of 68 from emphysema. Haddix, who won 136 games over a 14-year career, was best known for pitching 12 perfect innings against the Milwaukee Braves in a game in 1959, only to lose in the 13th inning.
Johnny Temple dies at age 66 in White Rock, SC. A five-time all-star in Cincinnati, he has a .263 average over two seasons with the Colt .45s as a reserve then comes back to Houston as a sportscaster for KHOU-TV.
1993 – Jim “Doc” Ewell dies of a heart attack during surgery at Methodist Hospital. The 74-year-old trainer had been with Houston since the beginning in 1962 and had worked, before that, for the Kansas City Athletics and the New York Yankees. He did not limit himself to baseball players, working also in football, basketball, boxing, tennis and gymnastics.
On November 26, 1993, the last surviving member of the St. Louis Cardinals “Gashouse Gang” passes away. 83-year old Burgess Whitehead dies from a heart attack in Windsor, North Carolina. Whitehead served as a backup for the 1934 World Champions.
On July 3, 1993, Hall of Famer Don Drysdale dies from a heart attack. The 56-year-old Drysdale had been serving as a broadcaster for the Los Angeles Dodgers. During his 14-year playing career with the Dodgers, the hard-throwing Drysdale won 209 games and pitched 49 shutouts, earning him Hall of Fame election in 1984.
On June 26, 1993, Hall of Famer Roy Campanella dies from a heart attack at the age of 71. Campanella won three MVP awards with the Brooklyn Dodgers over a 10-year career that was cut short by a paralyzing car accident.
On January 21, 1993, Hall of Fame second baseman Charlie Gehringer dies at the age of 89, one month after suffering a stroke. During a 19-year career with the Detroit Tigers, Gehringer batted .320 with 184 home runs. In 1937, Gehringer enjoyed arguably his finest season, batting a league-leading .371. Vintage Baseball HOT…
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