Those We Lost In 2019

I paid tribute to some of these people with obituary posts.

In Memoriam:

* Larry Weinberg, January 23, 1926 - January 1, 2019, a founder owner of the NBA's Portland Trail Blazers, his tenure including their 1977 World Championship, the team retired Number 1 in his honor.

* Jumping Johnny Wilson, Date Unknown, 1927 - January 11, 2019, played for the Negro Leagues' Chicago American Giants and the Harlem Globetrotters in the late 1940s and early 1950s.

* Mel Stottlemyre, November 13, 1941 - January 13, 2019, won 164 games and made 5 All-Star teams as a Yankee pitcher, helping them win the 1964 American League Pennant; served as pitching coach for the Mets, helping them win the 1986 World Series, and for the Yankees, helping them win the 1996, '98, '99 and 2000 World Series along with the 2001 and '03 AL Pennants; honored with a Plaque in Monument Park at Yankee Stadium.

* Eli Grba, August 9, 1934 - January 14, 2019, relief pitcher helped the Yankees win the 1960 American League Pennant, was an original 1961 Los Angeles Angel.

* Emiliano Sala, October 31, 1990 - January 21, 2019, Argentine soccer star for French team FC Nantes, killed in a plane crash on the way to sign with Welsh team Cardiff City.

* Gerry Plamondon, January 5, 1924 - January 26, 2019, left wing was the last surviving member of the 1946 Stanley Cup Champion Montreal Canadiens.

* Dale Barnstable, March 4, 1925 - January 26, 2019, basketball player won 1948 and '49 National Championships with the University of Kentucky, got caught up in the 1951 college basketball point-shaving scandal, was banned from the NBA for life, later won some golf tournaments.

* Bob Friend, November 24, 1930 - February 3, 2019, pitched for the 1960 World Champion Pittsburgh Pirates, but held dubious distinctions, such as leading the National League in ERA in 1955 despite pitching for the last-place Pirates, and finishing his career at 197-230, making him the only pitcher to lose 200 games without winning 200.

* Matti Nykänen , July 17, 1963 - February 4, 2019, Finnish ski jumper, won a Gold Medal at the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo, and 3 more at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary.

* Frank Robinson, August 31, 1935 - February 7, 2019, Hall of Fame right fielder, the only man to win Most Valuable Player awards in both Leagues, with the 1961 National League Champion Cincinnati Reds, and winning the Triple Crown with the 1966 American League and World Champion Baltimore Orioles, won another World Series with the Orioles in 1970; became the 1st black manager in each League, with the 1975 Cleveland Indians and the 1981 San Francisco Giants; President of the American League 2015-19, Number 20 retired by the Reds, the Orioles and the Indians, each team also dedicated a ballpark statue of him.

* Gordon Banks, December 30, 1937 - February 12, 2019, one of the greatest goalkeepers in soccer history, starred for English teams Leicester City and Stoke City, played every minute of every game in England's 1966 World Cup win.

* Don Newcombe, June 14, 1926 - February 19, 2019, pitcher from Elizabeth, New Jersey was one of the last surviving stars of the Negro Leagues, playing for the Newark Eagles; a 4-time All-Star with the Brooklyn Dodgers, won 5 National League Pennants; named 1949 NL Rookie of the Year, helped Dodgers win 1955 World Series by winning 20 games and hitting 7 home runs, won the NL Most Valuable Player award and the 1st-ever Cy Young Award in 1956; oddly, was not included .

* Carl Meinhold, March 29, 1926 - February 23, 2019, last surviving member of the 1948 NBA Champion Baltimore Bullets.

* Eusbeio Pedroza, March 2, 1956 - March 1, 2019, Panamanian boxer, Featherweight Champion of the World from April 15, 1978 to June 8, 1985.

* Ted Lindsay, July 29, 1925 - March 4, 2019, Hockey Hall-of-Famer, won the 1950, '52, '54 and '55 Stanley Cups with the Detroit Red Wings, they retired his Number 7, made 11 All-Star Games, won the Art Ross Trophy as leading scorer in 1950, an early activist in the NHL Players' Association, named to the NHL's 100th Anniversary 100 Greatest Players.

* Dan Jenkins, December 2, 1928 - March 7, 2019, sportswriter was one of the greatest authorities on college football, especially in his native Texas; wrote the novel Semi-Tough, which became one of the most popular football-themed films; also a golf expert, played collegiately at Texas Christian University, and wrote one of the most popular books about the sport, The Dogged Victims of Inexorable Fate; he and his daughter Sally Jenkins both wrote for Sports Illustrated.

* Harry Howell, December 28, 1932 - March 9, 2019, Hall of Fame hockey player, played more games for the New York Rangers than any other player, 1,160, Rangers retired his Number 3; won the 1967 Norris Trophy for best defenseman, won the 1990 Stanley Cup as a scout for the Edmonton Oilers.

* Leroy Stanton, April 10, 1946 - March 13, 2019, right fielder was traded by the Mets, along with Nolan Ryan, to the California Angels for Jim Fregosi after the 1971 season, one of the worst trades in baseball history; also an original 1977 Seattle Mariner.

* Johnny "Lam" Jones, April 4, 1958 - March 15, 2019, track star at the University of Texas, won a Gold Medal with a U.S. relay team at the 1976 Olympics in Montreal; also played football, but drug problems and injuries derailed his career as a receiver with the New York Jets.

* Cal Ramsey, July 13, 1937 - March 25, 2019, perhaps the last great basketball player at New York University (NYU), played just 13 games for the New York Knicks, in the 1959-60 and 1960-61 seasons, broadcast for the Knicks from 1972 to 1982, and worked in their community relations department from 1991 until his death.

* Joe Bellino, March 13, 1938 - March 27, 2019, running back for the Naval Academy, won the 1960 Heisman Trophy, played for the Boston Patriots in the AFL after serving his naval commitment.

* Myer "Whitey" Skoog, November 2, 1926 - April 4, 2019, basketball star at the University of Minnesota, who retired his Number 41, won the 1952, '53 and '54 NBA Championships with the Minneapolis Lakers, coached basketball and golf at Minnesota's Gustavus Adolphus College.

* Scott Sanderson, July 22, 1956 - April 11, 2019, pitcher won 163 games; reached the postseason with the 1981 Montreal Expos, the 1984 and '89 Chicago Cubs and the 1990 Oakland Athletics; was a 1991 All-Star with the Yankees.

* Tommy Smith, April 5, 1945 - April 12, 2019, soccer defender helped Liverpool FC win the Football League in 1966, '73, '76 and '77; the FA Cup in 1965 and '74; and the European Cup in 1977.

* Forrest Gregg, October 18, 1933 - April 12, 2019, Hall of Fame offensive tackle, from 1961 to 1972 won 5 Super Bowls with the Green Bay Packers and a 6th with the Dallas Cowboys, coached the Cincinnati Bengals to their 1st AFC Championship in 1982.

* John MacLeod, October 3, 1937 - April 14, 2019, coached the Phoenix Suns to their 1st NBA Finals in 1976, and the New York Knicks in the 1990-91 season; named Big East Coach of the Year at Notre Dame in 1997.

* Chet Coppock, April 30, 1948 - April 17, 2019, Chicago-based sportscaster.

* Billy McNeill, March 2, 1940 - April 22, 2019, captained Celtic FC of Glasgow to the 1967 European Cup, making them the 1st British team to win it; between playing for Celtic and managing them, won 31 major trophies.

* John Havlicek, April 8, 1940 - April 25, 2019, member of the Ohio State basketball team that won the 1960 National Championship, helped the Boston Celtics win 8 NBA Championships from 1963 to 1976, an All-Star in 13 of his 16 NBA seasons, Most Valuable Player of the 1974 NBA Finals, his Number 5 retired by Ohio State and Number 17 by the Celtics, named to the Basketball Hall of Fame and the NBA's 50th Anniversary 50 Greatest Players.

* Gene Stephens, January 20, 1933 - April 27, 2019, outfielder played in MLB from 1952 to 1964; in a 1953 game with the Boston Red Sox, he collected 3 hits in 1 inning, the 1st player to do that in the modern era.

* Gino Marchetti, January 2, 1926 - April 29, 2019, Hall of Fame defensive end captained the Baltimore Colts to the 1958 and '59 NFL Championships, they retired his Number 89.

* Josef Šural, May 30, 1990 - April 29, 2019, Czech soccer player, killed in a car accident while a player for Turkish team Alanyaspor.

* Leonard "Red" Kelly, July 9, 1927 - May 2, 2019, 1st player to win the Norris Trophy as the NHL's best defenseman, in 1954; won the 1950, '52, '54 and '55 Stanley Cups for the Detroit Red Wings; converted to a center by the Toronto Maple Leafs, with whom he won the 1962, '63, '64 and '67 Stanley Cups; both teams retired Number 4 for him; the only player ever to win 8 Stanley Cups without playing for the Montreal Canadiens; 1st head coach of the Los Angeles Kings in 1967, named to the NHL's 100th Anniversary 100 Greatest Players.

* Bart Starr, January 9, 1934 - May 26, 2019, Hall-of-Famer quarterbacked the Green Bay Packers to the 1961, '62, '65, '66 and '67 NFL Championships, named Mos Valuable Player of Super Bowls I and II, Packers retired his Number 15.

* Bill Buckner, December 14, 1949 - May 27, 2019, outfielder helped the Los Angeles Dodgers win the 1974 National League Pennant, converted to 1st base with the Chicago Cubs, National League batting champion in 1980, a 1981 All-Star, collected 2,715 career hits, helped the Boston Red Sox win the 1986 American League Pennant, but committed the most famous error in baseball history to end Game 6 of the World Series.

* José Antonio Reyes, September 1, 1983 - June 1, 2019, Spanish soccer player was a member of Arsenal's "Invincibles" Premier League Champions of 2003-04, and later starred for both Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid, and Portuguese team Benfica, before returning to original team Sevilla; killed in a car crash while playing for Spanish team Extramadura.

* Erzsébet Gulyás-Köteles, November 3, 1924 - June 16, 2019, Hungarian gymnast, won a Gold Medal at the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne.

* Thalles Lima de Conceição Penha, May 18, 1995 – June 22, 2019, Brazilian soccer player known by just his first name, played for Rio de Janeiro team Vasco da Gama, helping them win league titles in 2015 and '16, killed in a motorcycle crash.

* Tyler Skaggs, July 13, 1991 - July 1, 2019, pitcher for the Los Angeles Angels, died of an accidental drug overdose.

* Jim Bouton, March 8, 1939 - July 10, 2019, pitcher helped the Yankees win 3 Pennants including the 1962 World Series; wrote Ball Four, a diary of his 1969 season with the Seattle Pilots and the Houston Astros, which became a revelatory (but not as much as people thought) best-seller; became a sportscaster, leaving to make a comeback with the 1978 Atlanta Braves, co-invented Big League Chew gum.

* Ernie Broglio, August 27, 1935 - July 16, 2019, pitcher won 21 games for the 1960 St. Louis Cardinals, but hurt his arm, and was traded to the Chicago Cubs in 1964 for Lou Brock, one of the most lopsided trades in baseball history.

* Elijah "Pumpsie" Green, October 27, 1933 - July 17, 2019, reserve infielder became the 1st black player for the last "Original 16" team to integrate, the 1959 Boston Red Sox.

* Don Mossi, January 11, 1929 - July 19, 2019, relief pitcher won an American League Pennant as a rookie with the 1954 Cleveland Indians, was an All-Star with the Indians in 1957, and nearly helped the 1961 Detroit Tigers and the 1964 Chicago White Sox defeat the Yankees for the Pennant; but may be best remembered for his big nose and sticky-out ears.

* Egil Danielsen, November 9, 1933 - July 29, 2019, Norwegian javelin thrower, won the Gold Medal at the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne.

* Max Falkenstien (that's right, "stien," not "stein"), April 9, 1924 - July 29, 2019, broadcast football and basketball for the University of Kansas from 1946 to 2006, including 24 Conference Championships, 11 Final Four berths and their 1952 and 1988 basketball National Championships.

* Mike Troy, October 3, 1940 - August 3, 2019, American swimmer won 2 Gold Medals at the 1960 Olympics in Rome.

* José Luis Brown, November 10, 1956 – August 12, 2019, Argentine soccer player, helped La Plata team Estudiantes win league titles in 1982 and 1983, a member of the 1986 World Cup winners.

* Jim Hardy, April 24, 1923 - August 16, 2019, quarterback for Southern California, Most Valuable Player of the 1945 Rose Bowl, backed up Bobby Layne on the 1952 NFL Champion Detroit Lions, was the last surviving member of that team.

* Al Jackson, December 26, 1935 - August 19, 2019, pitcher was an original 1962 New York Met.

* Truman "Tex" Clevenger, July 9, 1932 - August 24, 2019, pitcher for the last "old" Washington Senators team in 1960, an original Los Angeles Angel in 1961, and a World Champion Yankee in 1961 and '62.

* Wally Westlake, November 8, 1920 - September 5, 2019, reserve outfielder on the 1954 American League Champion Cleveland Indians that won 111 games.

* Tom Phoebus, April 7, 1942 - September 5, 2019, pitcher won the 1966 and 1970 World Series with the Baltimore Orioles, pitched a no-hitter against the Boston Red Sox on April 27, 1968.

* Charlie Silvera, October 13, 1924 - September 7, 2019, backup catcher to Yogi Berra, won the World Series with the Yankees in 1949, '50, '51, '52, '53 and '56.

* Fred McLeod, September 1, 1952 - September 9, 2019, broadcast for the Detroit Pistons from 1984 to 2006, seeing them win NBA titles in 1989, '90 and 2004; and the Cleveland Cavaliers since 2006, seeing them win the 2016 NBA title.

* Rudi Gutendorf, August 30, 1926 - September 13, 2019, German soccer player for TuS Koblenz, went on to set records managing 55 different teams, in 32 countries, on 5 continents, including 18 national teams, and the St. Louis Stars of the North American Soccer League in 1968; 1st non-Japanese manager to win their national league, with Yomiuri SC in 1984.

* Alex Grammas, April 3, 1926 - September 13, 2019, reserve infielder in the 1950s, briefly managed the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Milwaukee Brewers, won the World Series on the coaching staff of Sparky Anderson with the 1975 Cincinnati Reds and the 1984 Detroit Tigers.

* Howard "Hopalong" Cassady, March 2, 1934 - September 20, 2019, running back helped Ohio State win the 1954 National Championship, won the 1955 Heisman Trophy, Ohio State retired his Number 40, was a member of the 1957 NFL Champion Detroit Lions.

* Isaac Promise, December 2, 1987 - October 2, 2019, captain of the Nigerian soccer team that won the Silver Medal at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, played most of his professional career in Turkey, was with Austin Bold FC of the USL when he died of a heart attack at age 31.

* Andy Etchebarren, June 20, 1943 - October 5, 2019, catcher for the 1966 and 1970 World Champion Baltimore Orioles.

* Jacinto "Jackie" Hernández, September 11, 1940 - October 12, 2019, shortstop was an original 1969 San Diego Padre, won the 1971 World Series with the Pittsburgh Pirates.

* Al Bianchi, March 26, 1932 - October 28, 2019, played for the Syracuse Nationals/Philadelphia 76ers, 1st head coach of the Seattle SuperSonics, 1971 ABA Coach of the Year with the Virginia Squires, general manager of the New York Knicks from 1987 to 1991, helping to build their 1994 NBA Eastern Conference Champions.

* Ron Fairly, July 12, 1938 - October 30, 2019, 1st baseman won the 1959, '63 and '65 World Series with the Los Angeles Dodgers, an original Montreal Expo in 1969, and All-Star as an Expo in 1973; in 1977, he became the 1st man to play for both of MLB's Canadian teams, the Expos and the Toronto Blue Jays, named the Jays' 1st All-Star; later served as a broadcaster for the California Angels, the San Francisco Giants and the Seattle Mariners.

* Edmund "Zeke" Bratkowski, October 20, 1931 - November 11, 2019, Bart Starr's backup quarterback on the 1965, '66 and '67 NFL Champion Green Bay Packers.

* Sigvard Ericsson, July 17, 1930 - November 2, 2019, Swedish speed skater won a Gold and a Silver Medal at the 1956 Winter Olympics at Cortina d'Ampezzo.

* Norbert Eder, November 7, 1955 - November 2, 2019, soccer defender won the Bundesliga with Bayern Munich in 1985, '86 and '87, and helped West Germany reach the Final of the 1986 World Cup.

* Jacque Dupont, June 19, 1928 - November 4, 1929, French cyclist, won a Gold Medal at the 1948 Olympics in London.

* Frank "Pep" Saul, February 16, 1924 - November 7, 2019, won 4 straight NBA Championships, in 1951 with the Rochester Royals, and in 1952, '53 and '54 with the Minneapolis Lakers.

* Antaoly Krutikov, September 21, 1933 - November 8, 2019, Russian defender helped Spartak Moscow win the Soviet Top League in 1962 and the Russian Cup in 1963 and '65; helped the Soviet national team win the 1st-ever European Championship in 1960 and reach the Final in 1964; but achieved infamy in 1976, becoming the 1st manager ever to get Spartak relegated from the Soviet top flight, and remains the only one ever to get them relegated from either the Soviet or the Russian top flight.

* Cyril Robinson, March 4, 1929 - November 9, 2019, the last surviving member of the Blackpool FC team that won the 1953 FA Cup, the Final that included a hat trick by Stan Mortensen and the starring role of Stanley Matthews.

* István Szívós Jr., April 24, 1948 – November 10, 2019, Hungarian water polo player, won medals at 4 straight Olympics, including a Gold in 1976 in Montreal; his father, István, won Gold Medals in 1952 and '56, and his son Márton has won a World Championship, but, as yet, not an Olympic Medal.

* Harrison Dillard, July 8, 1923 - November 15, 2019, won 2 Olympic Gold Medals each in 1948 in London and 1952 in Helsinki, becoming the only man to be the "World's Fastest Man" (Gold in the 100 meters in 1948) and the "World's Greatest Hurdler" (Gold in the 110-meter hurdles in 1952).

* Irv Noren, November 29, 1924 - November 15, 2019, reserve outfielder was the last surviving player from the 1952 World Champion New York Yankees (Whitey Ford and Bobby Brown are still alive, but both were serving in the Korean War at the time); also won the 1953 and '56 World Series with the Yankees, an All-Star in 1954, served on Dick Williams' coaching staff and won the 1972 and '73 World Series with the Oakland Athletics.

* Jim Coates, August 4, 1932 - November 15, 2019, All-Star relief pitcher for the Yankees in 1960, helped them win the 1961 and '62 World Series.

* Pat Sullivan, January 18, 1950 - December 1, 2019, quarterback won the 1971 Heisman Trophy with Auburn, played in the NFL with the Atlanta Falcons and the Washington Redskins, later served as head coach at Texas Christian University (TCU).

* Bob Willis, May 30, 1949 - December 4, 2019, cricket fast bowler currently stands as England 4th all-time wicket taker.

* Jorge Hernández, November 17, 1954 – December 12, 2019, Cuban boxer, won the Gold Medal in the Light Flyweight division at the 1976 Olympics in Montreal.

* Karin Balzer, June 5, 1938 - December 17, 2019, hurdler won a Gold Medal for East Germany at the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo; despite competing for East Germany in the 1960s and '70s, and later working as a chemist, she has never been credibly accused of cheating.

* Roland Matthes, November 17, 1950 - December 20, 2019, swimmer won 8 Olympic Medals, including 2 Golds each in 1968 in Mexico City and in 1972 in Munich; had a 7-year winning streak in backstroke competitions from 1967 to 1974; despite being East German, he always denied having used doping or any other form of cheating.

* Martin Peters, November 8, 1943 - December 21, 2019, English soccer star for West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur, won the 1966 World Cup.

Red Kelly, 1927-2019

How do you win 8 Stanley Cups? These days, it can't be done. Since 1979, the last 40 years, only 4 teams have won as many as 4: The New York Islanders (4), the Edmonton Oilers (5), the Pittsburgh Penguins (5) and the Detroit Red Wings (4).

Up until 1979, pretty much all you had to do was play for the Montreal Canadiens for 10 or 12 years.

Red Kelly never played a shift for the Canadiens. But he won 8 Stanley Cups.

Leonard Patrick Kelly was born on July 9, 1927 in Simcoe, Ontario, Canada. A defenseman, he starred for St. Michael's College Majors, a Toronto-based team in the Ontario Hockey Association. When a player stars for St. Mike's, he usually gets scouted by the Toronto Maple Leafs. But in 1947, the scout that Leafs president Conn Smythe sent to scout Kelly told him that Kelly would not last 20 games in the NHL.

Kelly, already nicknamed Red because of his hair, was 19. The Leafs did eventually sign him -- when he was 33.

The Detroit Red Wings, across the Detroit River from Windsor, Ontario, pounced on the Leafs' sin of omission. He played all 60 games in the 1947-48 season, and perhaps should have received the Calder Memorial Trophy as NHL Rookie of the Year. However, it went to his teammate, center Jim McFadden.

Led by the "Production Line" of right wing Gordie Howe, center Sid Abel and left wing Ted Lindsay, the Wings reached the Stanley Cup Finals in 1948 and '49, losing to the Leafs both times. In 1950, they faced the Leafs in the Semifinals, and a now-mature Kelly was a big reason why they won, despite a head injury that nearly killed Howe. The Wings beat the New York Rangers in the Finals, and swept all 8 games in the 1952 Playoffs, taking both the Leafs and the Canadiens in 4 straight.

The 8 games led to the fan idea of throwing an 8-legged octopus onto the ice, one of the NHL's best traditions, but also one of its most disgusting.

In 1954, the James Norris Memorial Trophy, named for a former owner of the Wings, was introduced, to be awarded to the season's outstanding defenseman. Kelly was the 1st winner. He also finished 2nd in the voting for the Hart Memorial Trophy for the League's regular season Most Valuable Player. It went to Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Al Rollins, 1 of only 3 players to win the Trophy and to be currently eligible for the Hockey Hall of Fame, but not in it. (The others are Tommy Anderson, defenseman for the 1942 Brooklyn Americans; and Jose Theodore, goalie for the 2002 Canadiens.)

The Wings won the Stanley Cup in 1954, and again in '55, defeating the Canadiens in contentious Finals both times. By the 1957 season, he had already been named an All-Star 8 times, and won the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy, for "most gentlemanly player," 3 times.

He and the Canadiens' Doug Harvey were the first true "rushing defensemen" or "offensive defensemen" in the NHL. Lots of people say Bobby Orr "changed the game" by becoming an offensive threat, by Kelly and Harvey paved the way for him, and for Paul Coffey, and for any other defenseman who's ever felt like making a run at a goal.

In 1959, he married Andra McLaughlin, and they were married for the rest of his life. They had 4 children, and he lived to see 8 grandchildren. He was a first cousin of 1950s Chicago Blackhawks player Lou Jankowski, and thus the great uncle of current Calgary Flames player Mark Jankowski; and a distant cousin of longtime player and executive Jack Riley and later playing star Rob Blake.

Also in 1959, Kelly broke his ankle. Much like the Yankees with Roger Maris' broken hand a few years later, they kept the extent of the injury a secret, even from the player. It would be the Wings' 1st time missing the Playoffs in 21 years.

Owner Bruce Norris even kept the injury a secret from his general manager, Jack Adams. When he found out, he traded Kelly to the New York Rangers. Kelly, then 32, said he would rather retire than play for the Rangers. George "Punch" Imlach, general manager of the Maple Leafs, stepped in, and made the Wings a deal.

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Kelly not only forgave the Leafs for snubbing him earlier -- after all, this was new management -- but switched positions, deciding that center would be easier on his ankle than defense. He won his 4th Lady Byng Trophy in 1961.

Imlach was building a team around veteran players like Kelly, George Armstrong, Johnny Bower, Tim Horton, Bobby Baun, Allan Stanley, Eddie Shack, Don McKenney, former Ranger star Andy Bathgate, and, eventually, Kelly's old Wings teammates Terry Sawchuk, Larry Hillman and Marcel Pronovost. Imlach was far more successful with "overage destroyers" in hockey than the later George Allen would be with them in football.

But he also had younger stars, like Frank Maholvich, Dave Keon, Jim Pappin, Ron Ellis and Mike "Shakey" Walton. Together, this team won the Stanley Cup in 1962, 1963, 1964 and 1967.

Frank Mahovlich with his 4th Stanley Cup,

and Red Kelly with his 8th.

Kelly retired after that 1967 Cup -- and the Leafs haven't been back to the Stanley Cup Finals since, 52 years. Curse of the Redhead? No: As with most teams that haven't won a World Championship in a long time, it's due to perennially bad management. There's no supernatural force at work.

Kelly's final totals were 281 goals and 542 assists, for 823 points -- very good totals for a guy who was a defenseman for 2/3rds of his career, especially then. At the time, he was 7th all-time in points, 5th in assists, and his 1,316 regular season games were 2nd behind his former Wings teammate Gordie Howe, then still active.

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While still playing, in 1962, Kelly stood for election to Canada's House of Commons, as the Liberal Party candidate for the York West riding (Americans would say "district") in Toronto, and defeated the Conservative Party incumbent, John Hamilton. There was another election the next year, and his Conservative opponent was Alan Eagleson, a man whose effects on hockey would turn out to be both tremendously positive and tremendously harmful. Kelly won again, and remained a Member of Parliament (MP).

At the time, there was a debate about replacing Canada's flag, known as the Red Ensign, because of the British Union Jack in the canton. Leafs owner Smythe, who had fought under that flag in both World Wars was vehemently opposed to replacing it.

Smythe was something of a hypocrite: He once had a large portrait of Queen Elizabeth II of Britain, then as now Canada's head of state (and the granddaughter and daughter of his commanders-in-chief, Kings George V and VI), removed from one of the ends of Maple Leaf Gardens, to make way for more seats, and thus more money. He said, "She doesn't pay admission, does she?" (No. In 1951, still Princess Elizabeth, she visited the Gardens and saw a Leafs game on a tour of Canada.)

In spite of Imlach's stubbornness, MP Kelly supported the move for a flag more easily identifiable with the nation, and on December 15, 1964, the Red Ensign was replaced with the Maple Leaf Flag that is known and admired throughout the world. Kelly chose not to run for another term in the 1965 election, and never ran for public office again.

The Red Ensign, and the Maple Leaf Flag.

Note the coat of arms, including English lions, a Scottish lion,

an Irish harp, French fleurs-de-lys, and Canadian maple leaves.

With the NHL's Great Expansion of 1967 came 6 new teams, and the Los Angeles Kings wanted Kelly as their 1st head coach. The Leafs still held Kelly's rights, but a deal was made to send a player chosen in the expansion draft to the Leafs in exchange.

With former teammate Sawchuk in goal; defensemen Bill White, Bob Wall and Dale Rolfe; and forwards Bill Flett, Lowell MacDonald, Ted Irvine, Bryan Campbell and Brian Kilrea, the Kings had a good 1st season, as Kelly guided them to 2nd place in the NHL West Division, and got them into the Playoffs in 1968-69 as well.

He was hired away by the Pittsburgh Penguins, another 1967 expansion team, for 1969-70, and got them into their 1st Playoffs. He also served as general manager from 1970 to 1972, but was fired in 1973. He returned to the Leafs, coaching them from 1974 to 1977, making the Playoffs all 4 years. His NHL coaching record was 278 wins, 300 losses and 134 ties. Many other good players fared far worse as head coaches.

He was elected to the Hockey and Ontario Sports Halls of Fame, and named a Member of the Order of Canada. In 1998, The Hockey News ranked him 22nd on their list of the 100 Greatest Hockey Players. In 2017, he was named to the NHL's 100th Anniversary 100 Greatest Players.

Oddly, it took a long time for his teams to honor him. Not until their 100th season, 2016-17, did the Leafs change their number retirement policy. While his 4 was previously an "Honoured Number," along with 1920s and '30s star Clarence "Hap" Day, it, and all the other Honoured Numbers, weren't retired until a ceremony on October 15, 2016, before the team's 1st home game of the season. They also dedicated statues of him, and the other retired number honorees, at Legends Row outside the arena now known as the Scotiabank Arena. The Wings waited even longer, finally retired 4 for him this past February 1.

It was just in time: Red Kelly died this past Thursday, May 2, 2019 -- the 52nd anniversary of the Leafs' last Cup so far -- at the age of 91.

Red Wings CEO Christopher Ilitch: "Red Kelly was one of the most accomplished players in the history of the Detroit Red Wings, a tremendously impactful figure to the game of hockey, and a wonderful person and family man... Red was a true hockey legend and had the remarkable distinction of being considered one of the best at his position as both a defenseman and a forward during his career. His on-ice achievements speak for themselves, between eight Stanley Cup championships and his collection of league awards and honors. Beyond that, he was a gracious and humble person, and he will be sorely missed by all who knew him."

Steve Yzerman, Wings legend, now back with them as general manager after serving in the same post with the Tampa Bay Lightning: "Red Kelly was one of the most dominant players in the history of the game. He truly redefined how people viewed the defense position, and how it was played for decades to come. Being a former captain of the Red Wings during an era that featured numerous Hall of Famers demonstrates how well-respected he was within the organization, which is a sentiment that I know is still true today. Red was a great man and the hockey world will sorely miss him. The Red Wings organization would like to offer its deepest sympathies to Red's friends and family."

Dick Duff, a Hall-of-Famer who won 3 Cups with him on the Maple Leafs, 5 more with the Canadiens, and an original 1970 Buffalo Sabre: "Some guys just understand the game, whether they were defense or forward... Red was also a sound person who represented the Leafs and the game."

From the Johnny Bower Foundation (Bower himself died in 2017): "He and JB had a lot of great times together. A champion on the ice and in life."

Leafs President Brendan Shanahan, himself a Hall of Fame player (including 4 years with the New Jersey Devils and 3 Cups with the Wings): "The entire organization mourns the passing of Red Kelly. He was a gentleman, but a fierce competitor. Above all, he was a family man, and he will be missed by his hockey family."

Toronto Mayor John Tory, despite his name matching his party (members of a "Conservative Party," anywhere in the world, are called "Tories"), and thus politically opposed: "Red Kelly was one of the stars I idolized, Number 4 anchoring our beloved Leafs in their Stanley Cup winning ways. He was a role model as an athlete and his decent, humble, respectful way took him to the House of Commons as a popular MP."

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, a fellow Liberal: "Red Kelly was a powerhouse defenseman and a true gentleman who cared about the game, his community, and all of Canada – he's leaving an unforgettable legacy. We'll miss you, Red."

And whoever writes the Twitter feed for the NHL Public Relations office called him "a man whose hockey career is so storied and distinguished that it may never be duplicated."

A player would have to be not just an exceptional player, but an exception person, to make a serious run at it.

Red Kelly was an exceptional player, and an exceptional person.

UPDATE: His final resting place is not publicly known.

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From Kelly's 8 Stanley Cup teams, the following players are still alive:

* 1950 Detroit Red Wings, 3: Marty Pavelich, Pete Babando and Doug McKay.

* 1952 Wings, 4: Pavelich, Glenn Hall, Alex Delvecchio and Vic Stasiuk.

* 1954 Wings, 4: Pavelich, Delvecchio, Stasiuk and Dave Gatherum.

* 1955 Wings, 5: Pavelich, Delvecchio, Stasiuk, Marcel Bonin and Larry Hillman.

* 1962 Toronto Maple Leafs, 9: Hillman, George Armstrong, Frank Mahovlich, Dave Keon, Eddie Shack, Bobby Baun, Dick Duff, Bob Nevin and John MacMillan.

* 1963 Leafs, same 9.

* 1964 Leafs, 10: Hillman, Armstrong, Mahovlich, Keon, Shack, Baun, Duff, Nevin, Don McKenney and Jim Pappin.

* 1967 Leafs, 12: Hillman, Armstrong, Mahovlich, Keon, Shack, Baun, Pappin, Pete Stemkowski, Mike Walton, Brian Conacher, Ron Ellis and Larry Jeffrey.

Top 10 Uniform Numbers That Should Be Retired

Maurice Richard, Number 9: Retired.

Elmer Lach, Number 16: Retired.

Toe Blake, Number 6.

The Yankees have announced that they will retire Andy Pettitte's Number 46 on August 23, the 1st Anniversary of the retirement of Number 6 for Joe Torre. Presumably, he will also get his Monument Park Plaque on that day.

UPDATE: Jorge Posada's Number 20 and Bernie Williams' Number 51 will also be retired. They will also get Plaques. So will Willie Randolph, although his Number 30 will remain in circulation.

Here are the Yankees' Retired Numbers, as of now:

4 Lou Gehrig, 1st base, 1923-39, number retired on July 4, 1939
3 Babe Ruth, right field, 1920-34, June 13, 1948
5 Joe DiMaggio, center field, 1936-51, April 18, 1952
7 Mickey Mantle, center field, 1951-68, June 8, 1969
37 Casey Stengel, manager, 1949-60, August 8, 1970
8 Bill Dickey, catcher, 1928-46, coach 1949-60, April 18, 1972
8 Yogi Berra, catcher, 1946-63, coach 1975-83, manager 1964 & 1984-85, April 18, 1972
16 Whitey Ford, pitcher, April 6, 1974
15 Thurman Munson, catcher, 1969-79, August 2, 1979
32 Elston Howard, catcher, 1955-67, coach, 1969-80, July 21, 1984
9 Roger Maris, right field, 1960-66, July 21, 1984
10 Phil Rizzuto, shortstop, 1941-56, broadcaster 1957-96, August 4, 1985
1 Billy Martin, 2nd base, 1950-57, manager, on and off 1975-88, August 10, 1986
44 Reggie Jackson, right field, 1977-81, August 14, 1993
23 Don Mattingly, 1st base, 1982-95, August 31, 1997
49 Ron Guidry, pitcher, 1975-88, August 23, 2003
42 Mariano Rivera, pitcher, 1995-2013, September 22, 2013
6 Joe Torre, manager, 1996-2007, August 23, 2014
46 Andy Pettitte, pitcher, on and off 1995-2013, August 23, 2015.
20 Jorge Posada, catcher, 1995-2011, sometime in 2015.
51 Bernie Williams, center field, 1991-2006, sometime in 2015.

In addition, Monument Park Plaques have been given to Miller Huggins (Monument) and Joe McCarthy, who never wore a number (even though McCarthy managed in the major leagues until 1950); to Lefty Gomez, Red Ruffing, Paul O'Neill, Allie Reynolds, Tino Martinez and Goose Gossage, without their numbers being retired (11, 15, 21, 22, 24 and 54, respectively); and to George Steinbrenner (Monument), Jacob Ruppert, Ed Barrow, Mel Allen and Bob Sheppard, who were nonuniformed personnel. Randolph's Plaque will be added.

There are also Plaques in honor of the Masses delivered at the old Yankee Stadium by Popes Paul VI, John Paul II and Benedict XVI; presumably, Pope Francis will also come to Yankee Stadium on his U.S. visit next year, making it "Four ex-Cardinals with Plaques in Monument Park at Yankee Stadium," as the old joke goes. And there are tributes to the 9/11 victims and rescuers, Jackie Robinson and Nelson Mandela (who gave a speech before a sellout crowd at The Stadium in 1990).

Removed from circulation, but not yet officially retired, is O'Neill's Number 21. Presumably, the 2 of Derek Jeter will also be retired. The 13 of Alex Rodriguez? As Pete Rose would say, Don't bet on it.

Other uniform numbers retired in major league sports in 2014 or, already, in 2015:

MLB: The Colorado Rockies retired 17 for Todd Helton.

NFL: The Jets officially retired 90 for Dennis Byrd, after merely removing it from circulation since his career-ending injury in 1992; the Pittsburgh Steelers retired 75 for Mean Joe Greene, after keeping it and several others (such as Terry Bradshaw's 12) out of circulation, but only retiring, to that point, Ernie Stautner's 70; the San Diego Chargers retired 55 for the late Junior Seau; the Chicago Bears finally made peace with Mike Ditka and retired his 89; and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers retired 55 for Derrick Brooks. The Green Bay Packers have not yet set a date, but have announced that they will retire 4 for Brett Favre.

NBA: The Philadelphia 76ers retired 3 for Allen Iverson; the Sacramento Kings retired 4 for Chris Webber and 16 for Peja Stojakovic; the San Antonio Spurs retired 12 for Bruce Bowen. The Dallas Mavericks have announced that they will retire 12 for Derek Harper.

NHL: The Montreal Canadiens retired 5 for Guy Lapointe; the Detroit Red Wings retired 5 for Nicklas Lidstrom; the Dallas Stars retired 9 for Mike Modano; and the Calgary Flames retired 25 for Joe Nieuwendyk (who helped them, and the Devils, each win a Stanley Cup). Already in 2015, the Los Angeles Kings have retired 4 for Rob Blake, the Buffalo Sabres have retired 39 for Dominik Hasek, and the Anaheim Ducks have retired 8 for Teemu Selanne. Since Martin Brodeur's experiment with the St. Louis Blues has now come to an official end, presumably, the Devils will soon retire his 30.

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Top 10 Uniform Numbers that Should Be Retired

Note: The Washington Redskins (33, Sammy Baugh) have retired just one number, but have removed several others from circulation. The Toronto Maple Leafs have only 2 retired numbers -- Bill Barilko's 5 and Ace Bailey's 6 -- but they have (Canadian spelling) "Honoured Numbers," including Tim Horton's 7, Darryl Sittler's 27 and Doug Gilmour's 93.

UPDATE: At the start of the 2016-17 season, to celebrate the 100th Anniversary of both their team and the NHL, the Leafs retired all their Honoured Numbers.

From February 2015, when I first did this list, through January 2018, 3 years, none of the honorees I suggested have been honored.

10. Joint Entry: Several players for the Philadelphia Athletics. Across the Bay, the San Francisco Giants have retired numbers for players from their New York era.  The A's do hang banners for their 5 Philly-era World Championships, but they don't recognize their retired numbers from there.

They should have the following: 2, Mickey Cochrane, catcher, 1925-33; 3, Jimmie Foxx, 1st base, 1936-42; 7, Al Simmons, left field, 1924-32 with comebacks in 1940-41 and '44; 10, Lefty Grove, pitcher, 1925-33; and 32, Eddie Collins, 2nd base, 1906-14 and 1927-30, also coach 1931-32, which is when he wore the number.

Because Connie Mack lost a lot of money in the "Federal League War" of 1914-15, and lost his life savings in the stock market crash of 1929, he had to sell off both the dynasties he built. As a result, all of these guys spent some productive years with other teams: Collins and Simmons with the Chicago White Sox, Cochrane with the Detroit Tigers (where he wore 3, and they should retire it for him and for Alan Trammell, instead of merely removing it from circulation as they have), and Foxx and Grove with the Boston Red Sox.

None of them have had their numbers retired with any team, and that, along with the fact that the Philadelphia Athletics no longer exist in their present form, is why, unlike a lot of long-ago legends, they tend to get forgotten.

9. Joint Entry: Several players for the Oakland Raiders. The Raiders do not retire numbers. Nor do they have a team Hall of Fame. They should retire 16 for George Blanda (quarterback/placekicker, 1967-75), 12 for Ken Stabler (quarterback, 1970-79), 32 for Marcus Allen (running back, 1982-92, which Al Davis would never have done while he was alive even if he did retire numbers, due to their nasty falling-out), and 75 for Howie Long (defensive end, 1981-93). If others should be packed away, don't tell me, tell them.

8. Joint Entry: Several players for the Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys don't retire numbers, either. But they do have a Ring of Honor, which was set up at their new stadium after having been established at Texas Stadium.

Five numbers ought to do it: 74, Bob Lilly, defensive tackle, 1961-74; 12, Roger Staubach, quarterback, 1969-79; 33, Tony Dorsett, running back, 1977-87; 8, Troy Aikman, quarterback, 1989-2000; and 22, Emmitt Smith, running back, 1990-2002.

7. Joint Entry: Two quarterbacks for the Philadelphia Eagles. 11, Norm Van Brocklin (1958-60); and 7, Ron Jaworski (1977-86). The Eagles have retired McNabb's 5, and he's 1 of 2 quarterbacks to lead them into the Super Bowl. Jaworski is the other. But Van Brocklin is the last quarterback to lead them to a championship, so even though he was only there for 3 years, he should be honored. (Yes, there are players who've been with some sports teams for less who've had their numbers retired — some, even without dying young.)

6. 1, Frank Brimsek, Boston Bruins, goaltender, 1938-49. In his rookie season, he helped the Bruins win the Stanley Cup, while posting 10 shutouts, earning him the nickname "Mr. Zero." He also helped them win the Cup in 1941. He's in the Hall of Fame. But while the Bruins have retired every other single-digit uniform number except 6, they haven't retired 1.

Brimsek's predecessor in goal, Clarence "Tiny" Thompson, who helped them win the Cup in 1929, is also in the Hall of Fame, but 1 hasn't been retired for him, either.

5. 8, Gary Carter, New York Mets, catcher, 1985-89. Met fans who chose Mike Piazza as the team's all-time catcher in a 50th Anniversary poll in 2012 forgot 3 things: 1, The greatest catcher in your team's history has to actually be able to play the position of catcher, and Piazza, couldn't play it worth beans; 2, A Hall of Fame catcher who helped you win a World Series should be ahead of a catcher not in the Hall of Fame who didn't help you win one; and, 3, Carter had just died, so remembrances of him would have been fresh.

Carter was elected to the Hall in 2003, and he lived until just before spring training in 2012, so they had 9 seasons in which to retire his number — 8, if he would have been too ill to attend in 2011. The Montreal Expos retired his 8 (although it was unretired when they became the Washington Nationals), but while the Mets have taken it out of circulation, they haven't retired it.

4. 4, Leonard "Red" Kelly, Detroit Red Wings, defenseman, 1947-60. In 1954, he was awarded the 1st Norris Trophy as best defenseman. He helped the Wings win the Stanley Cup in 1950, '52, '54 and '55.

They traded him to the Toronto Maple Leafs, who converted him to a center, and he helped them win Cups in 1962, '63, '64 and '67. This made him the only man to win as many as 8 Cups without ever having played for the Montreal Canadiens. He then retired, and became the 1st head coach for the Los Angeles Kings.

If you think Nicklas Lidstrom was the best defenseman in Detroit history, then you at least have to put Kelly alongside him in the all-time starting lineup. The Leafs have made his 4 an Honoured Number, but the Wings haven't given him the equivalent honor. They should, while he's still alive. (He's 87.)

UPDATE: The Wings retired 4 for Kelly on February 1, 2019. He was on hand for the ceremony. He died 3 months later.

3. 43, Tris Speaker, Cleveland Indians, center field, 1916-26; manager, 1919-26; coach, 1947-49. Speaker retired before uniform numbers were introduced, but, like Eddie Collins, and like Honus Wagner with the Pittsburgh Pirates (who retired his Number 33), he returned as a coach, to aid Larry Doby in his transition to center field, which he hadn't played before.

Since he was their greatest player, and 1 of only 2 managers to lead them to a World Championship, he should receive the honor. (Though I have no idea why they gave him 43.)

2. 99, George Mikan, Los Angeles Lakers, center, 1947-54. True, he only played for them in Minneapolis, but the league never would have lasted long enough for them to move to Los Angeles in 1960 if Mikan hadn't been the face of the league from 1948 to 1954.

The Lakers have a banner honoring Mikan and their other Minneapolis-era Hall-of-Famers, but that's not the same thing. (UPDATE: In 2022, they finally retired Number 99.)

1. 6, Hector "Toe" Blake, Montreal Canadiens, left wing 1935-48, head coach 1955-68.  He won a Hart Trophy as NHL MVP in 1939, and the Stanley Cup with the Habs in 1944 and '46. But his true contribution was as head coach, winning 8 Cups, including 5 in a row, then 4 in 5 years: 1956, '57, '58, '59, '60, '65, '66 and '68. Until Scotty Bowman came along, he was the greatest coach in NHL history. Yet, for all their retired numbers, the Habs have never given him the honor: 6 and 8 remain their only single digits in circulation.

If you're wondering why a hockey player was nicknamed "Toe," it's because, when he was a boy, his baby sister couldn't pronounce "Hector," and it came out "Hec-toe."

Top 10 Uniform Numbers That Should Be Retired

Last month, the Yankees retired Mariano Rivera's Number 42.

Here are the Yankees' Retired Numbers, as of now:

4 Lou Gehrig, 1st base, 1923-39, number retired on July 4, 1939
3 Babe Ruth, right field, 1920-34, June 13, 1948
5 Joe DiMaggio, center field, 1936-51, April 18, 1952
7 Mickey Mantle, center field, 1951-68, June 8, 1969
37 Casey Stengel, manager, 1949-60, August 8, 1970
8 Bill Dickey, catcher, 1928-46, coach 1949-60, April 18, 1972
8 Yogi Berra, catcher, 1946-63, coach 1975-83, manager 1964 & 1984-85, April 18, 1972
16 Whitey Ford, pitcher, April 6, 1974
15 Thurman Munson, catcher, 1969-79, August 2, 1979
32 Elston Howard, catcher, 1955-67, coach, 1969-80, July 21, 1984
9 Roger Maris, right field, 1960-66, July 21, 1984
10 Phil Rizzuto, shortstop, 1941-56, broadcaster 1957-96, August 4, 1985
1 Billy Martin, 2nd base, 1950-57, manager, on and off 1975-88, August 10, 1986
44 Reggie Jackson, right field, 1977-81, August 14, 1993
23 Don Mattingly, 1st base, 1982-95, August 31, 1997
49 Ron Guidry, pitcher, 1975-88, August 23, 2003
42 Mariano Rivera, pitcher, 1995-2013, September 22, 2013

In addition, Monument Park Plaques have been given to Miller Huggins (Monument) and Joe McCarthy, who never wore a number (even though McCarthy managed in the major leagues until 1950); to Lefty Gomez, Red Ruffing and Allie Reynolds, without their numbers being retired (11, 15 and 22, respectively); and to George Steinbrenner (Monument), Jacob Ruppert, Ed Barrow, Mel Allen and Bob Sheppard, who were nonuniformed personnel.

Removed from circulation, but not yet officially retired, are the 6 of Joe Torre, the 20 of Jorge Posada, the 21 of Paul O'Neill, and the 51 of Bernie Williams. Presumably, the 2 of Derek Jeter and the 46 of Andy Pettitte will also be retired. The 13 of Alex Rodriguez? At this point, who knows.

(UPDATE: As of the 2023 season, 2, 6, 20, 21, 46 and 51 have been officially retired. 13 remains available.)

Other uniform numbers retired in major league sports in 2013: The Atlanta Braves have retired the 10 of Chipper Jones, the Philadelphia Eagles the 5 of Donovan McNabb, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers the 99 of Warren Sapp; in the fall, the Brooklyn (formerly New Jersey) Nets will retire the 5 of their player, now coach, Jason Kidd; the Colorado Avalanche the 52 of Adam Foote; and, finally, mending fences with their greatest living icon, the Chicago Bears the 89 of Mike Ditka.

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Top 10 Uniform Numbers that Should Be Retired

Note: The Pittsburgh Steelers (70, Ernie Stautner) and the Washington Redskins (33, Sammy Baugh) have each retired just one number, but have removed several others from circulation. No Steeler will ever again wear, among others, Terry Bradshaw's 12 or Mean Joe Greene's 75; no Redskin will ever again wear, among others, Joe Theismann's 7 or John Riggins' 44.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have only 2 retired numbers — Bill Barilko's 5 and Ace Bailey's 6 — but they have (Canadian spelling) "Honoured Numbers," including Tim Horton's 7, Darryl Sittler's 27 and Doug Gilmour's 93.

(UPDATE: At the start of the 2016-17 season, as part of their 100th Anniversary celebration, the Leafs officially retired all of their previously Honoured Numbers. The Steelers also retired Greene's 75.)

10. Joint Entry: Several players for the Philadelphia Athletics. Across the Bay, the San Francisco Giants have retired numbers for players from their New York era. The A's do hang banners for their 5 Philly-era World Championships, but they don't recognize their retired numbers from there.

They should have: 2, Mickey Cochrane, catcher, 1925-33; 3, Jimmie Foxx, 1st base, 1936-42; 7, Al Simmons, left field, 1924-32 with comebacks in 1940-41 and '44; 10, Lefty Grove, pitcher, 1925-33; and 32, Eddie Collins, 2nd base, 1906-14 and 1927-30, also coach 1931-32, which is when he wore the number.

Because Connie Mack lost a lot of money in the "Federal League War" of 1914-15, and lost his life savings in the stock market crash of 1929, he had to sell off both the dynasties he built.  s a result, all of these guys spent some productive years with other teams: Collins and Simmons with the Chicago White Sox, Cochrane with the Detroit Tigers (where he wore 3, and they should retired it for him and for Alan Trammell, instead of merely removing it from circulation), and Foxx and Grove with the Boston Red Sox.

None of them have had their numbers retired with any team, and that, along with the fact that the Philadelphia Athletics no longer exist in their present form, is why, unlike a lot of long-ago legends, they tend to get forgotten.

9. Joint Entry: Several players for the Oakland Raiders. The Raiders do not retire numbers. Nor do they have a team hall of fame. They should retire 16 for George Blanda (quarterback, 1967-75), 12 for Ken Stabler (quarterback, 1970-79), 32 for Marcus Allen (running back, 1982-92, which Al Davis would never have done while he was alive even if he did retire numbers, due to their nasty falling-out), and 75 for Howie Long (defensive end, 1981-93). If others should be packed away, don't tell me, tell them.

8. Joint Entry: Several players for the Dallas Cowboys. The  Cowboys don't retire numbers, either. But they do have a Ring of Honor, which was set up at their new stadium after having been established at Texas Stadium.

Five numbers ought to do it: 74, Bob Lilly, defensive tackle, 1961-74; 12, Roger Staubach, quarterback, 1969-79; 33, Tony Dorsett, running back, 1977-87; 8, Troy Aikman, quarterback, 1989-2000; and 22, Emmitt Smith, running back, 1990-2002.

7. Joint Entry: Two quarterbacks for the Philadelphia Eagles.  11, Norm Van Brocklin (1958-60); and 7, Ron Jaworski (1977-86). The Eagles just retired McNabb's 5, and he's 1 of 2 quarterbacks to lead them into the Super Bowl. Jaworski is the other.

But Van Brocklin is the last quarterback to lead them to a championship, so even though he was only there for 3 years, he should be honored. (Yes, there are players who've been with some sports teams for less who've had their numbers retired -- some, even without dying young.)

6. 1, Frank Brimsek, Boston Bruins, goaltender, 1938-49. In his rookie season, he helped the Bruins win the Stanley Cup, while posting 10 shutouts, earning him the nickname "Mr. Zero."  He also helped them win the Cup in 1941. He's in the Hall of Fame. But while the Bruins have retired every other single-digit uniform except 6, they haven't retired 1.  

Brimsek's predecessor, Clarence "Tiny" Thompson, is also in the Hall of Fame, but 1 hasn't been retired for him, either.

5. 8, Gary Carter, New York Mets, catcher, 1985-89. Met fans who chose Mike Piazza as the team's all-time catcher in a 50th Anniversary poll in 2012 forgot 3 things: 1, The greatest catcher in your team's history has to actually be able to play the position of catcher, and Piazza couldn't play it worth beans; 2, A Hall of Fame catcher who helped you win a World Series should be ahead of a catcher not in the Hall of Fame who didn't help you win one; and 3, Carter had just died, so remembrances of him would have been fresh.

Carter was elected to the Hall in 2003, and he lived until just before spring training in 2012, so they had 9 seasons in which to retire his number -- 8, if he would have been too ill to attend in 2011. The Montreal Expos retired his 8 (although it was unretired when they became the Washington Nationals), but while the Mets have taken it out of circulation, they haven’t retired it.

4. 4, Red Kelly, Detroit Red Wings, defenseman, 1947-60. In 1954, he was awarded the 1st Norris Trophy as best defenseman. He helped the Wings win the Stanley Cup in 1950, '52, '54 and '55.

They traded him to the Maple Leafs, who converted him to a center, and he helped them win Cups in 1962, '63, '64 and '67.  This made him the only man to win as many as 8 Cups without ever having played for the Montreal Canadiens. He then retired, and became the first head coach for the Los Angeles Kings.

If you think Nicklas Lidstrom was the best defenseman in Detroit history, then you at least have to put Kelly alongside him in the starting lineup. The Leafs have made his 4 an Honoured Number, but the Wings haven't so honored him. They should, while he's still alive. (He's 86.)

UPDATE: The Leafs retired Kelly's 4 in 2016, and the Wings did so in 2019.

3. 43, Tris Speaker, Cleveland Indians, center field, 1916-26; manager, 1919-26; coach, 1947-49. Speaker retired before uniform numbers were introduced, but, like the aforementioned Eddie Collins, and like Honus Wagner with the Pittsburgh Pirates (who retired his Number 33), he returned as a coach, to aid Larry Doby in his transition to center field, which he hadn't played before.

Since he was their greatest player, and one of only 2 managers to lead them to a World Championship, he should receive the honor. (Though I have no idea why they gave him 43.)

2. 99, George Mikan, Los Angeles Lakers, center, 1947-54. True, he only played for them in Minneapolis, but the league never would have lasted long enough for them to move to Los Angeles if Mikan hadn't been the face of the league from 1948 to 1954.

The Lakers have a banner honoring Mikan and their other Minneapolis-era Hall-of-Famers, but that's not the same thing.

1. 6, Hector "Toe" Blake, Montreal Canadiens, left wing 1935-48, head coach 1955-68. He won a Hart Trophy as NHL MVP in 1939, and the Stanley Cup with the Habs in 1944 and '46. But his true contribution was as head coach, winning 8 Cups, including 5 in a row: 1956, '57, '58, '59, '60, '65, '66 and '68.  Until Scotty Bowman came along, he was the greatest coach in NHL history. Yet, for all their retired numbers, the Habs have never honored him with the honor.

If you're wondering why a hockey player was nicknamed "Toe," it’s because, when he was a boy, his baby sister couldn't pronounce "Hector," and it came out "Hec-toe."