Those We Lost In 2021

Sam Jones, 1933-2021

In addition to such non-sports legends as Cloris Leachman, Christopher Plummer, Michael Collins, Charlie Watts, Jean-Paul Belmondo, Stephen Sondheim and Desmond Tutu...

And Betty White...

Paul Westphal, November 30, 1950 - January 2, 2021. Basketball Hall-of-Famer played for the Boston Celtics' 1974 NBA Champions. For the Phoenix Suns, led them to the NBA Finals as a player in 1976 and as head coach in 1993.

Colin Bell, February 26, 1946 - January 5, 2021. Midfielder starred for the great Manchester City soccer team of the late 1960s.

Tommy Lasorda, September 22, 1927 - January 7, 2021. Managed the Los Angeles Dodgers to 4 National League Pennants, including the 1981 and 1988 World Series.

Don Sutton, April 2, 1945 - January 19, 2021. Pitcher was a member of both the 300 Wins Club and the 3,000 Strikeouts Club.

Hank Aaron, February 5, 1934 - January 22, 2021. Baseball's legitimate all-time home run leader.

George Armstrong, July 6, 1930 - January 24, 2021. Hockey Hall-of-Famer was Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs' Stanley Cup winners of 1962, 1963, 1964 and 1967.

John Chaney, January 21, 1932 - January 29, 2021. Longtime basketball coach at Temple University.

Tony Trabert, August 16, 1930 - February 3, 2021. American tennis legend, won the U.S. Open in 1953, the French Open in 1954, and fell the Australian Open short of winning the Grand Slam in 1955.

Leon Spinks, July 11, 1953 - February 5, 2021. U.S. boxing Gold Medalist at the 1976 Olympics, was briefly Heavyweight Champion of the World in 1978.

Yury Vlasov, December 5, 1935 - February 13, 2021. Soviet weightlifting Gold Medalist at the 1960 Olympics.

Leopoldo Luque, May 3, 1949 - February 15, 2021. Star striker at Buenos Aires soccer team River Plate, and a member of the Argentina team that won the 1978 World Cup on home soil.

Ian St. John, June 7, 1938 - March 1, 2021. Scottish soccer forward, starred for Liverpool FC in the 1960s.

Marvelous Marvin Hagler, May 23, 1954 - March 13, 2021. Middleweight Champion of the World from 1980 to 1987.

Peter Lorimer, December 14, 1946 - March 20, 2021. Scottish midfielder remains the all-time scoring leading at Leeds United.

Elgin Baylor, September 16, 1934 - March 22, 2021. Basketball Hall-of-Famer for the Los Angeles Lakers, named to the NBA's 50th Anniversary 50 Greatest Players.

Bobby Brown, October 25, 1924 - March 25, 2021. 3rd baseman was the last surviving member of the New York Yankees' World Series winners of 1947, 1949, 1950 and 1951. Served as President of the American League from 1984 to 1994.

Bobby "Slick" Leonard, July 17, 1932 - April 13, 2021. Played for Indiana University's basketball National Champions of 1953, and coached the Indiana Pacers' ABA Champions of 1970, 1972 and 1973.

Tamara Press, May 10, 1937 - April 26, 2021. Soviet athlete won the Gold Medal in the women's shot put at the 1960 Olympics, and both the shot put and the discus throw in 1964. Suspiciously retired before the next Olympics, when steroid testing began.

Del Crandall, March 5, 1930 - May 5, 2021. Catcher for the 1957 World Champion Milwaukee Braves, he was the last surviving player from the Boston Braves.

Rildo da Costa Menezes, January 23, 1942 - May 16, 2021. Defender known by his first name, starred at Brazilian soccer teams Botafogo and Santos. At Santos, was a teammate of Pelé. Played with him again on the 1977 North American Soccer League Champion New York Cosmos. Stayed in America as a coach.

Lee Evans, February 25, 1947 - May 19, 2021. American sprinter won 2 Gold Medals at the 1968 Olympics, including the 400 meters, setting a world record that lasted for 20 years.

Tarcisio Burgnich, April 25, 1939 - May 26, 2021. Defender was a member of the "Grande Inter" team of the 1960s, and the Italy soccer team that won Euro 68.

Mike Marshall, January 15, 1943 - May 31, 2021. Pitcher set each league's record for appearances in a season, and became the 1st relief pitcher to win either league's Cy Young Award, in 1974 with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Giampiero Boniperti, July 4, 1928 - June 18, 2021. Forward helped soccer team Juventus win 5 Italian league titles, and was once considered the team's greatest player ever.

Paul Mariner, May 22, 1953 - July 9, 2021. Forward helped Ipswich Town win the 1978 FA Cup and the 1981 UEFA Cup. Later played in America, in the dark years between the NASL and MLS, and managed MLS' Toronto FC.

J.R. Richard, March 7, 1950 - August 4, 2021. Houston Astro was one of the best and most intimidating pitchers in baseball until his career was ended by a stroke in 1980.

Gerd Müller, November 3, 1945 - August 15, 2021. Forward led West Germany to the 1974 World Cup, and Bayern Munich to the 1974, 1975 and 1976 European Cups.

Rod Gilbert, July 1, 1941 - August 19, 2021. Right wing remains the all-time leading scorer for the New York Rangers, and a member of the Team Canada that beat the Soviet Union in the 1972 Summit Series.

Jacques Rogge, May 2, 1942 - August 29, 2021. Sailed for Belgium in 3 Olympics, and served as President of the International Olympic Committee from 2001 to 2013.

Francesco Morini, August 12, 1944 - August 31, 2021. Defender starred for the Juventus teams of the 1970s.

Ivan Patzaichin, November 26, 1949 – September 5, 2021. Won Gold Medals in canoeing for Romania at the 1968, 1972, 1980 and 1984 Olympics.

Sam Cunningham, August 15, 1950 - September 7, 2021. USC All-American running back credited with shocking the University of Alabama into finally racially integrating their football team. Became the all-time leading rusher for the New England Patriots.

Yuriy Sedykh, June 11, 1955 - September 14, 2021. Won the Gold Medal for the Soviet Union in the hammer throw in the 1976 and 1980 Olympics, and has held the world record in the event since 1986.

Jimmy Greaves, February 20, 1940 - September 19, 2021. Forward starred for North London soccer team Tottenham Hotspur, becoming the all-time leading scorer in England's top division under any name. Member of the England team that won the 1966 World Cup. Teamed with the aforementioned Ian St. John for the popular soccer TV show Saint and Greavsie.

Roger Hunt, July 20, 1938 - September 27, 2021. Forward starred for Liverpool FC in the 1960s, winning 1964 and 1966 League titles and the 1965 FA Cup. Teammate of Greaves on England's 1966 World Cup winners.

Eddie Robinson, December 15, 1920 - October 4, 2021. 1st baseman was the last surviving player from the 1948 World Champion Cleveland Indians.

Walter Smith, February 24, 1948 - October 26, 2021. Managed Glasgow soccer team Rangers FC to 7 straight Scottish League titles from 1991 to 1997, then 3 more in a row from 2009 to 2011.

Jerry Remy, November 8, 1952 - October 30, 2021. 2nd baseman for the Boston Red Sox became a beloved broadcaster for them.

Ron Flowers, July 28, 1934 - November 12, 2021. Midfielder starred for the Wolverhampton Wanderers team that dominated English soccer in the 1950s, and was the last surviving player from their 1960 FA Cup winners. Was another member of England's 1966 World Cup winners.

Sam Huff, October 4, 1934 - November 13, 2021. Linebacker for the New York Giants' 1956 NFL Champions was the 1st football player known primarily for his defense.

Bertie Auld, March 23, 1938 - November 14, 2021. Midfielder helped Glasgow soccer team Celtic FC win 5 Scottish League titles and the 1967 European Cup.

Ray Kennedy, July 28, 1951 - November 30, 2021. Midfielder was the leading scorer on North London soccer team Arsenal as they won the Football League and FA Cup "Double" in 1971. Later starred on the Liverpool team that dominated England in the 1970s.

Horst Eckel, February 8, 1932 - December 3, 2021. Winger starred for German soccer team FC Kaiserslautern, and was the last surviving member of the West Germany team that won the 1954 World Cup.

John Madden, April 10, 1936 - December 28, 2021. From coaching the Oakland Raiders to a Super Bowl win, to broadcasting NFL games on all 4 networks that do so, to writing books to creating the most popular sports video game in American history, he achieved something that may well be impossible: He made himself admired by fans of every NFL team.

Sam Jones, June 24, 1933 - December 30, 2021. Guard was a 5-time All-Star, and won 10 NBA Championships with the Boston Celtics, 2nd only to teammate Bill Russell. Named to NBA's 25th, 50th and 75th Anniversary Teams, Number 24 retired.

Eddie Robinson, 1920-2021

This is an update of the post I wrote for his 100th Birthday.

Believe it or not, there are 4 men named Robinson in the Baseball Hall of Fame:

* Jackie Robinson was the man who reintegrated baseball in 1947, and became an all-time great above and beyond his pioneer status. In his 10 seasons in the major leagues, all with the Brooklyn Dodgers, he led them to 6 Pennants (just missing 2 others) and a win in the 1955 World Series. 

* Frank Robinson remains the only man to be named the Most Valuable Player in each League, and he also became the 1st black manager in each League.

* Brooks Robinson became one of the best 3rd basemen ever, and reminded fans just how important, and how spectacular, defense can be. Together, he (white) and Frank Robinson (black) turned the Baltimore Orioles into winners of 4 Pennants and 2 World Series. 

* And Wilbert Robinson was a very good catcher who became a great manager, winning National League Pennants in 1916 and 1920. He was so admired, the team was sort-of named for him while he was its manager, from 1914 to 1931: The Brooklyn Robins. Afterward, it resumed its former name: The Dodgers. 

In comparison, the Hall has 2 Johnsons, Walter and Randy; 2 Jacksons, Travis and Reggie; 2 Gibsons, Josh and Bob; but only 1 Smith, Ozzie; and no Joneses. And 2 Wrights, the brothers Harry and George; 2 Waners, the brothers Paul and Lloyd; and 2 MacPhails, Larry and his son Lee. But it has 4 Robinsons.

*

Eddie Robinson will never be in the Hall of Fame. But he is an important figure in baseball history.

William Edward Robinson was born on December 15, 1920 in Paris, Texas. A 1st baseman who batted lefthanded and threw righthanded, he made his major league debut on September 9, 1942, with the Cleveland Indians. 

He would miss the next 3 seasons serving in the U.S. Navy in World War II. In 1943, during his service, he married Elayne Elder. They had 2 children, and divorced in 1951. He later married Bette Farlow, and had 3 more children.

He returned to the major leagues in 1946, and, wearing Number 3 (which the team would later retire for an earlier star, Hall-of-Fame outfielder Earl Averill), helped the Indians win the 1948 World Series. 

After that season, he was traded to the Washington Senators, and in mid-1950 to the Chicago White Sox. He was named an All-Star in 1949, 1951, 1952 and 1953, starting at 1st base for the American League in the 1949 and 1952 All-Star Games.

He was traded to the Philadelphia Athletics in 1953, and to the Yankees in 1954, helping them win a Pennant in 1955. As a Yankee, he wore Number 36.

In 1956, they traded him back to the Athletics, who had moved to Kansas City. His last season in the majors was 1957, with the Detroit Tigers, then back with the Indians, and closing with the Baltimore Orioles. He finished with a lifetime batting average of .268 and 172 home runs.

Having played under manager Paul Richards, a fellow Texan, in Chicago and  Baltimore, he became one of Richards' Oriole coaches, and then followed him to the 1962 expansion team that would become known as the Houston Astros.

He left Richards to become the farm system director for the A's, but they were now owned by Charlie Finley, and, like so many men before him and so many of them after him, Robinson got tired of Finley's nonsense, and left.

In 1968, Richards gave Robinson another lifeline, with the Atlanta Braves. He succeeded Richards as their general manager in 1972, held the job when their Hank Aaron became the all-time home run leader in 1974, and left in 1976, growing tired of another business tycoon who had bought a baseball team and thought he knew more than "baseball lifers" like Eddie Robinson: Ted Turner.

In 1977, Eddie returned to his native North Texas, serving as GM of the Texas Rangers through 1982. His last job in baseball was as a scout for the Boston Red Sox, the only one of the 8 founding franchises of the AL for whom he hadn't played.

In 2011, at the age of 90, he published a memoir: Lucky Me: My Sixty-Five Years in Baseball.

Don Larsen, Bobby Brown and Eddie Robinson,

at Old-Timers Day at Yankee Stadium, 2015.

By the time the Indians won the Pennant in 2016, Eddie Robinson was 95, and the last living former player who had played on one of their World Series winners. They had also won in 1920, and had played in the World Series but lost in 1954, 1995 and 1997.

Having become the last living player who had played at their League Park, and had also played for them at Cleveland Municipal Stadium, the Fort Worth, Texas resident was invited to Progressive Field for the 2016 World Series, and attended Game 6, with the Indians looking to end their 68-year drought that night, against the Chicago Cubs. 

But the Cubs won, and also won Game 7, to end their 108-year drought. The Indians' drought is now the longest.

When Val Heim died on November 21, 2019, Eddie became both the earliest and the oldest living former MLB player. On December 15, 2020, Eddie reached his 100th Birthday. When Bobby Brown of the 1947 Yankees died on March 25, 2021, Eddie became the earliest living World Series winner.

Eddie Robinson died on Sunday, October 4, 2021. He was a baseball lifer who had an amazing life.

With his death:

* The earliest living World Series winner is Art Schallock, 97, of the 1953 Yankees.

* There are 3 living players who played during World War II: Chris Haughey, Eddie Basinski and Tommy Brown.

* There are 8 living veterans of both World War II and Major League Baseball: Haughey, Carl Erskine, Larry Miggins, Ed Mickelson, Bobby Morgan, Frank Saucier, Bobby Shantz and George Elder.

* There are 8 living players who played in the 1940s: Haughey, Basinski, Brown, Erskine, Miggins, Shantz, Elder and Curt Simmons.

* There are 3 living men who played for the Philadelphia Athletics: Shantz, Bill Wilson and Bill Harrington.

* The oldest living former MLB player is now (somewhat appropriately, giving his name) Elder, age 100, who played 41 games for the St. Louis Browns, all in the 2nd half of the 1949 season.

* And the earliest living former MLB player is now Basinski, age 98, who debuted in 1944 with the Brooklyn Dodgers. He is also the last surviving player from the "Tricornered Game" between the Dodgers, Yankees and Giants at the Polo Grounds in 1944, played to raise money for war bonds; and the last surviving player mentioned by Dave Frishberg in his song "Van Lingle Mungo."

Happy 100th Birthday, Eddie Robinson!

Believe it or not, there are 4 men named Robinson in the Baseball Hall of Fame:

* Jackie Robinson was the man who reintegrated baseball in 1947, and became an all-time great above and beyond his pioneer status. He led the Brooklyn Dodgers to 6 Pennants (just missing 2 others) and a win in the 1955 World Series. 

* Frank Robinson remains the only man to be named the Most Valuable Player in each League, and he also became the 1st black manager in each League.

* Brooks Robinson became one of the best 3rd basemen ever, and reminded fans just how important, and how spectacular, defense can be. Together, he (white) and Frank Robinson (black) turned the Baltimore Orioles into winners of 4 Pennants and 2 World Series. 

* And Wilbert Robinson was a very good catcher who became a great manager, winning National League Pennants in 1916 and 1920. He was so admired, the team was sort-of named for him while he was its manager, from 1914 to 1931: The Brooklyn Robins. Afterward, it resumed its former name: The Dodgers. 

In comparison, the Hall has 2 Johnsons, Walter and Randy; 2 Jacksons, Travis and Reggie; 2 Gibsons, Josh and Bob; but only 1 Smith, Ozzie; and no Joneses. And 2 Wrights, the brothers Harry and George; 2 Waners, the brothers Paul and Lloyd; and 2 MacPhails, Larry and his son Lee. But it has 4 Robinsons.

*

Eddie Robinson will never be in the Hall of Fame. But he is an important figure in baseball history.

William Edward Robinson was born on December 15, 1920 in Paris, Texas. A 1st baseman who batted lefthanded and threw righthanded, he made his major league debut on September 9, 1942, with the Cleveland Indians. 

He would miss the next 3 seasons serving in the U.S. Navy in World War II. In 1943, during his service, he married Elayne Elder. They had 2 children, and divorced in 1951. He later married Bette Farlow, and had 3 more children.

He returned to the major leagues in 1946, and, wearing Number 3 (which the team would later retire for an earlier star, Hall-of-Fame outfielder Earl Averill), helped the Indians win the 1948 World Series. 

After that season, he was traded to the Washington Senators, and in mid-1950 to the Chicago White Sox. He was named an All-Star in 1949, 1951, 1952 and 1953, starting at 1st base for the American League in the 1949 and 1952 All-Star Games.

He was traded to the Philadelphia Athletics in 1953, and to the Yankees in 1954, helping them win a Pennant in 1955. As a Yankee, he wore Number 36.

In 1956, they traded him back to the Athletics, who had moved to Kansas City. His last season in the majors was 1957, with the Detroit Tigers, then back with the Indians, and closing with the Baltimore Orioles. He finished with a lifetime batting average of .268 and 172 home runs.

Having played under manager Paul Richards, a fellow Texan, in Chicago and  Baltimore, he became one of Richards' Oriole coaches, and then followed him to the 1962 expansion team that would become known as the Houston Astros.

He left Richards to become the farm system director for the A's, but they were now owned by Charlie Finley, and, like so many men before him and so many of them after him, Robinson got tired of Finley's nonsense, and left.

In 1968, Richards gave Robinson another lifeline, with the Atlanta Braves. He succeeded Richards as their general manager in 1972, held the job when their Hank Aaron became the all-time home run leader in 1974, and left in 1976, growing tired of another business tycoon who had bought a baseball team and thought he knew more than "baseball lifers" like Eddie Robinson: Ted Turner.

In 1977, Eddie returned to his native North Texas, serving as GM of the Texas Rangers through 1982. His last job in baseball was as a scout for the Boston Red Sox, the only one of the 8 founding franchises of the AL for whom he hadn't played.

In 2011, at the age of 90, he published a memoir: Lucky Me: My Sixty-Five Years in Baseball.

By the time the Indians won the Pennant in 2016, Eddie Robinson was 95, and the last living former player who had played on one of their World Series winners. They had also won in 1920, and had played in the World Series but lost in 1954, 1995 and 1997.

Having become the last living player who had played at their League Park, and had also played for them at Cleveland Municipal Stadium, the Fort Worth, Texas resident was invited to Progressive Field for the 2016 World Series, and attended Game 6, with the Indians looking to end their 68-year drought that night, against the Chicago Cubs. 

But the Cubs won, and also won Game 7, to end their 108-year drought. The Indians' drought is now the longest.

He is 1 of 12 living veterans of both Major League Baseball and World War II, 1 of 4 living men who played in MLB during World War II, 1 of 15 living players who played in the 1940s, 1 of 5 living former Philadelphia Athletics, 1 of 24 living former "old Washington Senators," 1 of 17 living men who played for the Yankees under manager Casey Stengel; and, since succeeding Val Heim as each at Heim's death on November 21, 2019, both the earliest and the oldest living former MLB player. 

One distinction he does not have, however, is that of the earliest living World Series winner. That one belongs to Bobby Brown, the 96-year-old former 3rd baseman and retired cardiologist who is the last surviving member of the Yankees' World Series winners of 1947. He is also the last survivor of the Yankee title teams of 1949, 1950 and 1951.

Don Larsen, Bobby Brown and Eddie Robinson,

at Old-Timers Day at Yankee Stadium, 2015.

Happy 100th Birthday, Eddie Robinson. He is a baseball lifer who has had an amazing life.

Last Survivors from World Series Winners

Bobby Brown, last survivor of the

1947 and 1949 World Champion New York Yankees;

and Eddie Robinson, last survivor of the

1948 World Champion Cleveland Indians.

I will include pre-World Series "World Champions."

1869 Cincinnati Red Stockings, the 1st openly professional baseball team, undefeated that year: Hall of Fame shortstop George Wright, who lived until 1937.

1870 Brooklyn Atlantics, who dealt the Red Stockings their 1st loss: 1st baseman Joe Start, who lived until 1927.

1871 Philadelphia Athletics, Champions of the National Association, no connection to the later American League team of the same name: Right fielder Al Reach, founder of the A.J. Reach sporting goods company, who lived until 1928.

1872 Boston Red Stockings, forerunners of the Atlanta Braves: George Wright.

1873 Boston Red Stockings: George Wright.

1874 Boston Red Stockings: George Wright.

1875 Boston Red Stockings: George Wright.

1876 Chicago White Stockings, forerunners of the Cubs, the 1st Champions of the National League: Hall of Fame catcher James "Deacon" White, who lived until 1939.

1877 Boston Red Stockings: Pitcher Tommy Bond, who lived until 1941.

1878 Boston Red Stockings: Tommy Bond.

1879 Providence Grays: George Wright.

1880 Chicago White Stockings, forerunners of the Cubs: Pitcher Fred Goldsmith, who lived until 1939.

1881 Chicago White Stockings: Fred Goldsmith.

1882 Chicago White Stockings: Fred Goldsmith.

1883 Boston Beaneaters (again, forerunners of the Braves): Outfielder Paul Radford, who lived until 1945.

1884 Providence Grays, NL Champions, who beat the American Association champion New York Metropolitans (no connection to today's Mets) in a postseason series: Infielder Charley Bassett, who lived until 1942.

1885 St. Louis Browns, forerunners of the Cardinals, Champions of the AA, who beat Chicago: 3rd baseman Walter Arlington "Arlie" Latham, a.k.a. "The Freshest Man On Earth," who lived until 1952.

1886 St. Louis Browns, who again beat the proto-Cubs: Arlie Latham.

1887 Detroit Wolverines, NL Champions, who beat the proto-Cards: Deacon White.

1888 New York Giants, who beat the Browns: Pitcher Ledell Titcomb, who lived until 1950. He's often been called "Cannonball Titcomb," but the nickname never appeared in public during his playing days.

1889 New York Giants, who beat the AA Champion Brooklyn Bridegrooms: LedellTitcomb.

1890 Brooklyn Bridegrooms (4 players had gotten married in an offseason), forerunners of the Dodgers: Pitcher Harry Howell, who also turned out to be the last surviving original 1903 New York Highlander (Yankee). He lived until 1956.

1891 Boston Beaneaters: Hall of Fame left fielder Hugh Duffy, who lived until 1954.

1892 Boston Beaneaters: Hugh Duffy.

1893 Boston Beaneaters: Hugh Duffy.

1894 Baltimore Orioles (no connection to the later AL team of the name): Catcher William "Boileryard" Clarke, who lived until 1959.

1895 Baltimore Orioles: Boileryard Clarke.

1896 Baltimore Orioles: Boileryard Clarke.

1897 Boston Beaneaters: Hugh Duffy.

1898 Boston Beaneaters: Hugh Duffy

1899 Brooklyn Superbas (again, forerunners of the Dodgers): Shortstop Bill Dahlen, who lived until 1950.

1900 Brooklyn Superbas: Harry Howell.

1901 Pittsburgh Pirates: Right fielder Tommy Leach, who lived until 1969.

1902 Pittsburgh Pirates: Tommy Leach.

1903 Boston Americans, forerunners of the Red Sox: Shortstop Freddy Parent, who lived until 1972.

1904 Boston Americans: Freddy Parent.

1905 New York Giants: Bill Dahlen.

1906 Chicago White Sox: Pitcher Guy "Doc" White, who lived until 1969.

1907 Chicago Cubs: 3rd baseman Henry "Heinie" Zimmerman, who lived until 1969.

1908 Chicago Cubs: Heinie Zimmerman.

1909 Pittsburgh Pirates: Pitcher Albert "Lefty" Leifield, who lived until 1970.

1910 Philadelphia Athletics: Center fielder Amos Strunk, who lived until 1969.

1911 Philadelphia Athletics: Amos Strunk.

1912 Boston Red Sox: Pitcher Smoky Joe Wood, who lived until 1985.

1913 Philadelphia Athletics: Amos Strunk.

1914 Boston Braves: Shortstop Jack Martin, who lived until 1980.

1915 Boston Red Sox: Smoky Joe Wood.

1916 Boston Red Sox: Pitcher Ernie Shore, who lived until 1980.

1917 Chicago White Sox: Outfielder Harry "Nemo" Leibold, who lived until 1977.

1918 Boston Red Sox: 3rd baseman Fred Thomas, who lived until 1986.

1919 Cincinnati Reds: Hall of Fame center fielder Edd Roush, who lived until 1988.

1920 Cleveland Indians: Hall of Fame 3rd baseman Joe Sewell, who lived until 1990.

1921 New York Giants: Hall of Fame 1st baseman George "Highpockets" Kelly, who lived until 1984.

1922 New York Giants: Highpockets Kelly.

1923 New York Yankees: Center fielder Lawton "Whitey" Witt, who lived until 1988.

1924 Washington Senators: Outfielder George "Showboat" Fisher, who lived until 1994.

1925 Pittsburgh Pirates: Shortstop Glenn Wright, who lived until 1984.

1926 St. Louis Cardinals: Infielder George "Specs" Toporcer, who lived until 1989.

1927 New York Yankees: Shortstop Mark Koenig.

1928 New York Yankees: Mark Koenig.

1929 Philadelphia Athletics: Outfielder Walt French, who lived until 1984.

1930 Philadelphia Athletics: Left fielder Jimmy Moore, who lived until 1986.

1931 St. Louis Cardinals: 3rd baseman Ray Cunningham, who lived until 2005. His 74 years as a living World Series winner is a record. Ed Mierkowicz of the '45 Tigers would have to live until at least 2019 to catch him.

1932 New York Yankees: Pitcher Charlie Devens, who lived until 2003.

1933 New York Giants: Left fielder Joseph "Jo-Jo" Moore, who lived until 2001.

1934: St. Louis Cardinals: Pitcher Clarence Heise, who lived until 1999.

1935 Detroit Tigers: Pitcher Eldon Auker, who lived until 2006.

1936 New York Yankees: Shortstop Frank Crosetti, who lived until 2002.

1937 New York Yankees: Right fielder Tommy "Ol' Reliable" Henrich, who lived until 2009.

1938 New York Yankees: Tommy Henrich.

1939 New York Yankees: Tommy Henrich.

1940 Cincinnati Reds: Center fielder Eddie Joost.

1941 New York Yankees: Tommy Henrich.

1942 St. Louis Cardinals: Hall of Fame left fielder Stan Musial, who lived until 2013.

1943 New York Yankees: Pitcher Hank Borowy, who lived until 2004.

1944 St. Louis Cardinals: Stan Musial.

1945 Detroit Tigers: Left fielder Ed Mierkowicz, who is still alive.

1946 St. Louis Cardinals: Hall of Fame 2nd baseman Albert "Red" Schoendienst and left fielder Bill Endicott, who are both still alive.

1947 New York Yankees: 3rd baseman Bobby Brown, who is still alive.

1948 Cleveland Indians: 1st baseman Eddie Robinson, who is still alive. If the Indians can finish the job, he may just live long enough to have seen them do it again.

*

The earliest surviving member of...

* An NFL Champion: Charlie Trippi, running back for the 1947 Chicago Cardinals.

* An NBA Champion: Carl Meinhold, guard for the 1948 Baltimore Bullets.

* A Stanley Cup winner: Milt Schmidt, Hall of Fame center for the Boston Bruins, the last survivor of their 1939 and their 1941 Cup winners.

* An FA Cup winner: Reg Harrison, a winger for the 1947 Derby County team.

* A European Cup/UEFA Champions League winner: Francisco Gento, an outside left for the 1956 Real Madrid team.

* A World Cup winner: Halfback Horst Eckel and left winger Hans Schafer of the 1954 West Germany team.

I can't find a record of who the earliest surviving Olympic Gold Medalist is. I know there's one who was born in 1917, but he won his Gold in 1964, making him 47 at the time, so that's not him.

September 28, 1955: Jackie Steals Home... Or DOES He?

September 28, 1955, 60 years ago today: Game 1 of the World Series, at the original Yankee Stadium. Yes, a World Series game was played on a September 28. This was also the 1st World Series game broadcast in color, on NBC (as were all World Series from the 1st telecast of one in 1947 until 1975), although hardly anyone has a color TV set at this point, and no TV recording of it, in color or otherwise, is known to survive.

There is film footage, though. That footage shows Jackie Robinson of the Brooklyn Dodgers, his increasing weight (in part due to diabetes) having cut down on his speed, but not his daring, stealing home plate against the New York Yankees.

Home plate umpire Bill Summers rules him safe. Yankee catcher Yogi Berra says Jackie was out, and has a fit.

To the end of his life, Yogi insisted that he wouldn't have argued that strenuously if he wasn't sure, or if Jackie was definitely safe, as Monte Irvin of the New York Giants was when he stole home on Yogi in the 1951 World Series.

Whitey Ford was pitching, and he insists to this day that Jackie was out. But Phil Rizzuto claimed that Jackie was safe, and he knew because he was playing shortstop and had the best view of the play.

Whitey didn't like that, so he looked it up. The steal was in the top of the 8th inning -- and in the bottom of the 6th, manager Casey Stengel had pinch-hit Eddie Robinson for the Scooter! In the top of the 7th, a new shortstop took the field: Jerry Coleman (normally a 2nd baseman). Coleman was playing short when Jackie stole home.

So who was right? Judge for yourself. Here's the film. It's hard to tell from there. But this photo makes it obvious: He was out!

And if the Yankees had lost the game, and the World Series, because of this, there would have been an uproar -- or, as the Dodgers' legendary broadcaster, ironically now with the Yankees, Red Barber, would have put it, a rhubarb.

But the Yankees did not lose the Series, or even the game, because of the steal. The Yankees won the game, 6-5. Left fielder (and backup catcher) Elston Howard, a "rookie" at age 30, hit a home run off Don Newcombe in the 2nd inning, while 1st baseman Joe Collins hit 2 homers off Big Newk. Carl Furillo and Duke Snider hit home runs off Ford.

Like Carlton Fisk's home run in Game 6, 20 years later, Robinson's steal of home was a spectacular moment, but, ultimately, had no effect on the result of the Series.

Still, stealing home plate became Jackie Robinson's signature, along with his grace under more pressure than any American athlete has ever faced. He did in 19 times in the regular season, plus this time in the World Series -- still the last steal of home in a World Series game. (One of the many records that Ty Cobb set, and one that he still holds, is the most steals of home in a career: 54.) It even became a point of reference in Buddy Johnson's 1949 song about Jackie, with the Count Basie Orchestra having made the best-known recording:

Did you see Jackie Robinson hit that ball?
Did he hit it? Yeah, and that ain't all.
He stole home.
Yes, yes, Jackie's real gone.

"Gone" meaning "cool." Not as in "left the vicinity" or "gone in the head." No player ever kept his head -- or had to -- as much as Jack Roosevelt Robinson of Pasadena, California (and Stamford, Connecticut).

With the recent deaths of Yogi and Dodger 2nd baseman Don Zimmer -- Jackie was usually playing 3rd base by this point, not his standard 2nd -- the starting pitchers, Newcombe and Ford, pinch-hitter Eddie Robinson, and Yankee left fielder Irv Noren are the only players from this game who are still alive, 60 years later.

This Series was a classic, and it went to 7 games. In the end, as would be said in the Brooklynese accent, the Dodgers finally dooed it. After World Series losses in 1916, 1920, 1941, 1947, 1949, 1952 and 1953 (the last 5 of those 7 against the Yankees), losses in Playoffs for the National League Pennant in 1946 and 1951 (the latter against the hated New York Giants), losing the Pennant on the final day of the regular season in 1942 and 1950, and finishing 2nd to the Giants in 1954 -- 10 close calls in a span of 14 years -- 1955 turned out to be the "Next Year" that Dodger fans from Williamsburg to Coney Island, from Morristown to Montauk, from Poughkeepsie to Point Pleasant, had waited for.

*

September 28, 1932: Game 1 of the World Series. The Chicago Cubs score 2 runs in the 1st inning, but the Yankees outscore them 37-17 over the rest of the Series. Lou Gehrig hits a home run, and the Yankees win, 12-6.

September 28, 1959: Game 1 of the National League Playoff. It was the Braves' move to Milwaukee, with is (then) modern stadium and its huge parking lot, that made Walter O'Malley want a better ballpark for the Brooklyn Dodgers, and ultimately made him move the team to Los Angeles. Now, after the Braves have won the last 2 Pennants, there is a tie for the flag, and these 2 teams, representing cities that didn't even have teams 7 seasons ago face off at Milwaukee County Stadium.

Dodger manager Walter Alston starts Danny McDevitt, who pitched a shutout in the last game at Ebbets Field, 2 years and 4 days earlier. But he doesn't get out of the 2nd inning this time, as he falls behind, 2-1. Alston brings Larry Sherry in to relieve, and he goes the rest of the way. John Roseboro hits a home run off Carlton Willey, and the Dodgers win, 3-2, to take a 1-0 lead back to L.A.

September 28, 1998: The Chicago Cubs and San Francisco Giants, having finished in a tie for the NL's Wild Card berth, face each other in a Playoff game at a raucous Wrigley Field. Former Minnesota Twins World Series winner Gary Gaetti hits a home run, and Rod Beck holds off his former team to save a fine performance by Steve Traschel, and the Cubs win, 5-3.

Sammy Sosa goes 2-for-4 for the Cubbies, and scores 2 runs. Barry Bonds goes 0-for-4 for the Jints. I guess Sammy's steroids were working that night, and Barry's weren't.