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Dick Tomanek Passes Away

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The Guardians announced that former big league left-hander Dick Tomanek recently passed away. He was 92 years old. They also announced the passing of Alex Cole, who you can read about here.

Tomanek was born in 1931 in Avon Lake, Ohio, a city about 17 miles west of Cleveland. He joined his local club and made his major league debut with the Indians in 1953, tossing a complete game in his only appearance that year, allowing two earned runs. Despite that strong debut, he made just one appearance in the 1954 season and missed the next two campaigns entirely.

He was able to carve out a larger role starting in 1957, working primarily as a reliever. He tossed 69 2/3 innings over 34 games, posting a 5.68 ERA in that time. The year after, he logged 130 innings over 54 outings, registering a 4.50 ERA. Midway through the season, he was traded to the Kansas City Athletics alongside Roger Maris and Preston Ward, with Woodie Held and Vic Power going the other way. Tomanek made another 16 appearances in 1959, which ultimately proved to be his final big league season.

Over parts of five big league seasons, he got into 106 major league games and tossed 231 innings with a 4.95 ERA. He threw four complete games, recorded seven saves and struck out 166 batters.  We at MLB Trade Rumors extend our condolences to his family, friends and loved ones.

Longtime Reds’ Beat Reporter John Fay Passes Away

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Longtime Reds’ beat reporter John Fay has passed away at age 66. Fay covered the club for more than three decades while working for the Cincinnati Enquirer until retiring three years ago.

Reds’ CEO Bob Castellini released a statement this afternoon via the club’s Twitter account:

“We are saddened and heartbroken to hear about the passing of long-time Reds beat writer John Fay. John had a no-nonsense and direct approach to reporting on the club. He was a thoughtful writer with a good baseball mind and was always well-prepared and honest. It was clear how deeply he cared about the team and its fans. John made a lasting impact with his coverage of the Reds and the entire organization will miss him dearly.”

Dan Horn penned the Enquirer’s obituary, recapping both Fay’s career and his decades-long relationship with his wife Laura, who passed away in January after a battle with breast cancer. Countless former colleagues of Fay’s throughout the industry — including C. Trent Rosecrans and Mark Sheldon — offered their remembrances. MLBTR joins them in sending condolences to Fay’s family, friends and loved ones.

Bobby Morgan Passes Away

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Former big leaguer Bobby Morgan recently passed away, per Berry Tramel of The Oklahoman. Morgan died June 1 but his family preferred not to make an announcement, which is why the news is only coming out now. He was 96 years old.

Morgan was born in Oklahoma City in 1926. He became a professional baseball player in 1944, signing with the Dodgers and getting some experience in the minor leagues. But he was then drafted for military duty in World War II, spending 1945 and 1946 in the European Theater as a member of the Army.

He returned to baseball after that, eventually making his major league debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1950. He got into 67 games that year, hitting .226 while serving as a utility infielder behind players like Jackie Robinson, Pee Wee Reese and Gil Hodges.

Morgan didn’t play in the majors in 1951 but got into 136 games over 1952 and 1953, playing all three infield positions to the left of first base. He walked in 16.7% of plate appearances over those two seasons, leading to a .381 on-base percentage. The Dodgers won the National League pennant in each of those years but were defeated by the Yankees in the World Series both times. Morgan got one plate appearance in each series but lined out in both instances.

He was then traded to the Phillies and carved out a larger role, getting into 271 games over the 1954 and 1955 campaigns, bouncing around the infield. He then spent some time with the Cardinals and Cubs later in his career as well.

Overall, Morgan got into 671 regular season contests, notching 487 hits, including 96 doubles, 11 triples and 53 home runs. He scored 286 runs, drove in 217 and stole 18 bases. After his playing career ended, he did some minor league managing and scouting. We MLB Trade Rumors send our condolences to his family, friends, loved ones and fans.

Jim Price Passes Away

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The Tigers announced this afternoon that longtime radio broadcaster Jim Price has passed away. He was 81.

“All of us with the Detroit Tigers are deeply saddened to learn of Jim Price’s passing,” said CEO Chris Ilitch as part of a prepared statement. “Jim was a champion on the field, in the broadcast booth, and throughout the community. That Jim was with the organization for much of his life, doing what he loved, is such a powerful sign of his dedication and loyalty to the Tigers and the city of Detroit.”

A Harrisburg native, Price began his playing career with the Pirates in 1960. A right-handed hitting catcher, he spent parts of six seasons in the minor leagues in the Pittsburgh system. Going into the ’67 campaign, the Bucs sold his contract to the Tigers. Price debuted that year and would spend parts of five seasons with Detroit.

The presence of 11-time All-Star Bill Freehan didn’t give Price much of a path to playing time. He never appeared in more than 72 games in a season and tallied 261 contests overall. Through 678 career plate appearances, he was a .214/.287/.341 hitter. While not the longest playing career, Price was a member of the 1968 Detroit club that won the World Series in seven games over St. Louis. He got into two games off the bench during the Fall Classic.

While he was a role player during his MLB days, Price remained associated with the organization long past his playing career. He was a fixture on the club’s radio broadcasts as a color commentator for more than three decades. Price paired with Hall of Famer Ernie Harwell for a few seasons and had spent over 20 years working with current radio broadcaster Dan Dickerson.

MLBTR joins countless others around the game in sending our condolences to Price’s family, friends, loved ones and former teammates/colleagues.

Mel Roach Passes Away

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Former major leaguer Mel Roach recently passed away, per an obituary from a funeral home in Virginia. He was 90 years old.

Roach was born in Richmond, Virginia in 1933. He played baseball at the University of Virginia before signing with the Milwaukee Braves in 1953. He got a brief start to his big league career by getting into three games that year and five more the next. Military service prevented him from appearing in either the 1955 or 1956 seasons, but he was able to resume his baseball trajectory in 1957.

He spent most of that year in the minors but was called up and appeared in seven games for Milwaukee. The club won the National League pennant and faced the Yankees in the World Series. Roach didn’t appear in any games in the series but Milwaukee was victorious, defeating the Yanks in seven games.

He was able to carve out a part-time utility role in the majors after that. In 1958, he hit .309 in 44 games, playing first and second base as well as the outfield corners. Unfortunately, a hard slide from Daryl Spencer injured Roach’s left knee on August 3. He required surgery that kept him out of action for the rest of that season and part of the following year as well.

He would continue in that part-time utility role through the 1962 season, eventually spending some time with the Cubs and the Phillies. He finished his career with 227 major league games played, notching 119 hits, including 25 doubles and seven home runs. He scored 42 runs, drove in 43 and retired with a .238 batting average.

After his baseball career was over, Roach got a job with the Bank of Virginia Trust division and stayed with that company for 25 years. He is survived by his wife, two children and five grandchildren, among other family members. We at MLB Trade Rumors extend our condolences to his family, friends and loved ones.

Ken Suarez Passes Away

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Former major leaguer Ken Suarez recently passed away after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease, per an obituary from a Texas funeral home. He was 80 years old.

Originally from Tampa, Suarez was a catcher at Florida State University in Tallahassee during the 1963 season, when the team went to the College World Series. The following year, Suarez was signed by the Kansas City A’s as an amateur free agent as a member of the last class of prospects to sign prior to the implementation of the MLB draft in 1965. Suarez made his big league debut for the A’s in 1966, appearing in 35 games before heading back to the minor leagues. 1967 marked perhaps the best year of Suarez’s career in the majors, as he slashed .238/.388/.413 with two home runs in 82 trips to the plate.

Prior to the 1968 campaign, Suarez was drafted by Cleveland in the Rule 5 draft thanks in part to his connection to new manager Al Dark, for whom Suarez had played for in Kansas City. Across two seasons in Cleveland, Suarez slashed a respectable .274/.378/.358 with more walks (16) than strikeouts (15) in 113 trips to the plate as the club’s backup catcher. Suarez did not appear in the majors in 1970 but played in 50 games in 1971 before being dealt to the Rangers ahead of their inaugural season in Texas.

During his age 30 season in 1973, Suarez became the Rangers’ primary catcher, slashing .248/.334/.299 while playing quality defense behind the plate. That increase in playing time led him to seek a raise from Rangers brass, and when the sides were unable to reach an agreement, Suarez became the first player in Rangers history to send a contract to arbitration.

That decision prompted the Rangers to trade him back to Cleveland, though Suarez ultimately decided to retire from professional baseball rather than report to camp that spring. In all, Suarez played parts of seven seasons in the majors, batting .227/.330/.297 across 785 plate appearances. Following his playing career, Suarez did color commentary and scouting work for the Rangers.

MLBTR extends our condolences to Suarez’s family, friends, and loved ones.

Mike Ivie Passes Away

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Former Padres, Giants, Astros, and Tigers first baseman Mike Ivie passed away on Friday, as noted by Tom Krasovic of the San Diego Union-Tribune. He was 70 years old.

Selected first overall by San Diego in the 1970 MLB draft, Ivie made his MLB debut at just 18 years old in 1971, slashing a phenomenal .471/.526/.471 in a six-game cup of coffee that season. Initially drafted as a catcher, Ivie developed the yips early on in his professional career, an issue that forced him to move to first base shortly after his debut. He spent the next two seasons in the minor leagues before returning to the majors in 1974. From 1975 to 1977, Ivie served as the Padres’ regular first baseman, slashing a roughly league .271/.322/.393.

Following the 1977 campaign, Ivie was traded to San Francisco, where he would have the best seasons of his career. In 1978 and 1979, Ivie stepped to the plate a combined 807 times, slashing a phenomenal .296/.361/.515 that was 41% better than league average at the time by measure of wRC+. Ivie slugged a combined 38 home runs, 32 doubles, and six triples across those two campaigns, and even chipped in eight stolen bases.

Ivie struggled to replicate that strong production in 79 with the Giants during the 1980 season, and was traded to the Houston Astros early on in the 1981 campaign. Continued struggles led Ivie to request his release from the Astros, which was granted early in the 1982 season. He finished his career as a member of the Tigers, for whom he slashed .232/.299/.448 with 14 home runs and 12 doubles in 80 games during the 1982 campaign before retiring from professional baseball in 1983 at the age of 30. Overall, Ivie’s major league career spanned 11 seasons and saw him record 724 hits including 81 home runs in 857 career games. He finished his playing days with an above average career slash line of .269/.324/.421.

MLBTR sends our condolences to his family, friends, former teammates and loved ones.

Eddie Bressoud Passes Away

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Former major leaguer Eddie Bressoud recently passed away due to cerebellar ataxia, per an obituary from Thomas Gase of the Vallejo Times-Herald. Bressoud was 91 years old.

Bressoud was born in Los Angeles in 1932 and signed with the New York Giants in 1950. He spent the next few years in the minors and also served in the Marine Corps during the Korean War, eventually cracking the big leagues in 1956. He got into 49 games with the Giants that year and another 49 the year after, hitting a combined .245/.290/.345 in those two seasons.

Prior to the 1958 season, the Giants moved across the country to San Francisco. He stuck with them for that move and spent another four years with the Giants after, hitting .237/.301/.376 in 345 games, mostly playing shortstop but also bouncing to the other three infield positions.

After the 1961 season, there was an expansion draft held for two new franchises in the New York Mets and Houston Colt .45s, the latter of whom would later change their name to the Astros. Bressoud was selected by Houston but then was quickly traded to the Red Sox. He would spent four years in Boston, hitting 57 home runs and producing a batting line of .270/.337/.435 in 558 games for the Red Sox. He was named to the American League All-Star team in 1964.

He was traded two more times in his career, joining the Mets in 1966 and the Cardinals in 1967. Bressoud only had a part-time role with that St. Louis team, getting into 52 games, but they went 101-60 and won the National League pennant. Bressoud entered two games in the World Series as a defensive replacement but didn’t get to make a plate appearance, though the Cards emerged victorious over the Red Sox in seven games.

That ultimately proved to be his final major league season as a player. He appeared in 1,186 regular season games and made 4,106 plate appearances. He recorded 925 hits, including 184 doubles, 40 triples and 94 home runs. He stole nine bases, scored 443 runs and drove in 365. He finished his career with a .252 batting average and .319 on-base percentage. He was both an All-Star and a World Series champion.

His post-playing days saw him serve as a minor league manager and as a scout for the Angels. He also served as a faculty member, coach, and dean of athletics at De Anza College in Cupertino, California. We at MLBTR send our condolences to his family, friends and loved ones.

Mario Guerrero Passes Away

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Former major league infielder Mario Guerrero has passed away, his family told reporters over the weekend (relayed by Enrique Rojas of ESPN). He was 73 years old.

Guerrero, a native of the Dominican Republic, started his professional career when he signed with the Yankees in 1968. The right-handed hitting infielder spent four seasons in the New York farm system, playing his way to Triple-A. Midway through the 1972 campaign, he was dealt to the Red Sox as a player to be named later in the deal that saw New York acquire future Cy Young winner Sparky Lyle.

Within one season, Guerrero made his MLB debut in Boston. A light-hitting middle infielder, he played in 66 games with the Sox as a rookie. Guerrero was entrusted with the Opening Day start at shortstop the following season, ultimately appearing in 93 games and hitting .246/.282/.282.

Going into the 1975 campaign, Boston traded Guerrero to the Cardinals for a player to be named later. He spent a season-plus bouncing on and off the St. Louis roster before being traded again in May ’76 — this time to the Angels for a pair of players who never reached the majors. Guerrero played in just over half of California’s games the next two seasons, hitting .283/.298/.342 over 540 trips to the plate.

Guerrero signed with the Giants over the 1977-78 offseason. Before he could play a game, they moved him to the A’s as a player to be named later in the trade that sent Vida Blue to San Francisco a month prior. Guerrero got Opening Day nods at shortstop in Oakland in two of the next three seasons. He had arguably the best year of his career in 1978, hitting .275/.302/.345 in a personal-high 143 games.

His MLB career came to a close when he was released by the Mariners going into the 1981 campaign. Guerrero played in parts of eight big league seasons, logging a little more than 2400 plate appearances across 697 contests. He hit .257/.285/.312 while playing for four different franchises. Guerrero never posted particularly strong offensive numbers, but clubs trusted him enough as a defender to give him nearly 4600 innings of shortstop work in the big leagues.

MLBTR sends our condolences to his family, loved ones, friends and former teammates.

Bobby Bolin Passed Away

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Former major league pitcher Bobby Bolin passed away earlier this month, as noted by the New York Post’s David Russell. He was 84.

A South Carolina native, Bolin entered the professional ranks in 1956 when he signed with the Giants out of high school. He reached the majors four years later, debuting in April ’61 not long after his 22nd birthday. The 6’4″ righty worked mostly in relief over his first few seasons.

Immediately effective, Bolin posted a sub-4.00 ERA in each of his first six campaigns. San Francisco increasingly entrusted him with rotation work midway through the decade. By 1966, he’d make 34 starts and log a personal-high 224 1/3 innings while pitching to a 2.89 ERA. Bolin rebounded from an uncharacteristic 4.88 mark to allow only 1.99 earned runs per nine over 176 2/3 frames in 1968.

Even in the colloquial “Year of the Pitcher,” that was standout run prevention. Bolin ranked seventh among qualified hurlers in ERA that season. He remained in San Francisco through the end of the decade. After the 1969 campaign, San Francisco traded Bolin to Milwaukee for outfielders Dick Simpson and Steve Whitaker. The Brewers wound up flipping him to the Red Sox later in the season.

Bolin closed his career with three-plus seasons in Boston. Moved back into exclusive relief work, he finished with another pair of sub-3.00 ERA campaigns.

Altogether, Bolin pitched in parts of 13 big league seasons. His peak came with the Giants, for whom he worked to a 3.26 ERA in just shy of 1300 innings. He tallied 1576 frames over 495 appearances (164 starts) overall. Bolin had a career 3.40 ERA, won 88 games, struck out just shy of 1200 batters and collected 51 saves. He never won a World Series but was on a San Francisco team that claimed the NL pennant in 1962; Bolin pitched twice against the Yankees in that year’s Fall Classic.

MLBTR sends our condolences to his family, loved ones and friends.

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