Swear to God Cubs, if my mom gets another stroke tonight because of your ninth-inning bullshit… 🤬

Carlos Lezcano's star turn on a Puerto Rico American Legion team led him to Florida State University, which led to a pro contract. His career nearly ended after a gruesome finger injury, but he played for the Cubs in 1980-81. Lezcano also managed in the minors for years. He died Sept. 6 at age 69.

Jim Marshall first entered pro ball in 1950 and retired in 2021. In between those 71(!) years, he was a 1B/OF for for 5 MLB teams plus the Chunichi Dragons in the 1950s & '60s, a scout, a manager for the Cubs & A's, and Arizona's Director of Pacific Rim Operations. Marshall died Sept. 7 at age 95.

Buddy Bailey, who managed for 35 years in the minors, has died at the age of 68. He started his managerial career with the Pulaski Braves in 1983 and worked in the Braves, Red Sox & Cubs organizations. His last post was managing the Myrtle Beach Pelicans last year. www.mlb.com/news/buddy-b...

The Dallas Cowboys defense is only the second-biggest atrocity taking place in a football stadium today.

Brian Dayett was a baseball lifer. A power hitting outfielder for the Yankees & Cubs, he traveled to Japan and spent 4 years with the Nippon Ham Fighters. Then he managed and coached in indy ball and the minor leagues before Parkinson's disease took him off the road. Dayett, 68, died on September 7.

There’s a song for every occasion. youtu.be/B2rygAhcgcI?...

You might best remember Davey Johnson in a host of different uniforms -- Orioles, Braves, Phillies, Cubs, Mets, Reds, Dodgers, Nationals. If he was on your team as a player, he was going to play as hard as he could. If it was as a manager, then your team was going to win more often than not.

Ordinarily I’d be fine with the MLB app blacking out Pittsburgh Pirates games, but tonight’s matchup with Paul Skenes & Cade Horton would be a really fun one to see. But at least I can see the Colorado Rockies play the Miami Marlins, which is almost as good, right? 🫠

In the baseball world, Randy Moffitt was a dependable reliever who played for 12 seasons & saved nearly 100 games. The rest of the world knew him best as the brother of Billie Jean King. Not that it seemed to bother him, as he was supportive of his big sister. Moffitt died Aug. 28 at the age of 76.

Went to Facebook where my cousins are mourning the loss of a Good Christian Who Died For His Religious Beliefs, and I’ve never been more aware that some people are living in a completely different reality than the one I’m in.

Everything is terrible, but my family and I are going to see The Pogues in Philadelphia tonight, and if that can’t drive every worry out of my head for a few hours, nothing will.

Happy 112th birthday to Clydell “Slick” Castleman. He pitched from the New York Giants from 1934-39, winning 36 games. After 6 years pitching for manager Bill Terry, Clydell settled for something less frustrating: trying to teach Nashvillians how to drive properly. ripbaseball.com/2021/04/07/g...

Brian Dayett, former Yankees and Cubs outfielder, died Sept. 7 at the age of 68. He’d battled Parkinson’s for several years, and his health had been in decline lately. The news was posted on a GoFundMe page that had been created to help cover Brian’s medical expenses and equip his house. RIP Bama.

Earl Weaver was a Hall of Fame manager. But Earl Weaver the ballplayer? Well... he drew a lot of walks, and he could hit a home run if his bat was properly corked. Check out the other side of Weaver's baseball career in the latest Weird Stats column from Al Doyle.

Davey Johnson has died at age 82. He was a 4-time All-Star second basemen who hit 43 home runs in 1973 - 1 of 3 Braves players to reach the 40 HR mark that year. He also won 1,372 games as a manager, won the 1986 World Series with the Mets & was a 2X manager of the year. nypost.com/2025/09/06/s...

Daryl Patterson's 5-year pitching career in the majors included some poorly timed Army deployments, odd injuries, and a love/hate relationship with rain delays. But during the Detroit Tigers 1968 championship season, he was one of the best stoppers in baseball. Patterson, 81, died on August 28.

Aw man. The Dodgers announced that press box security guard James Mims has passed away. He was in his 45th year working for the team and was a kind and decent man. A press box legend. Farewell, friend. 💔

This week, my mom suffered a severe stroke, and I came to Chicago to be with her. Yesterday, rehab attempted to help her stand with a walker. She flopped around but managed to do it, and then she looked at us and said “Weekend at Bernie’s.” Yeah, my strong, independent smartass mom is still there.

Marc Hill carved out a 14-year career as a backup catcher with superior defensive skills and throwing arm. "Booter" then became an award-winning minor-league manager, big-league coach & catching instructor. Hill died on August 24 at age 73.

If you could spare a prayer or a kind thought for my family today, it would be much appreciated.

The Detroit Tigers have announced the death of pitcher Darryl Patterson. He was a reliever for the Tigers, A’s Cardinals & Pirates from 1968-74 and had a 2.12 ERA & 7 saves for Detroit in the 1968 championship season. Patterson was 81.

‘Boy, what a life’: A visit with Bobby Shantz, MLB’s oldest living MVP, as he nears his 100th birthday www.nytimes.com/athletic/657...

Righty Phil Meeler spent 8 seasons in baseball, including 7 games with the 1972 Detroit Tigers. During 1969 with the Rocky Mount Leafs, he was one of the best closers in all of professional baseball. Meeler died on August 19 at the age of 77.

Marc Hill, a backup catcher for 14 seasons(!) in the majors, has died at the age of 73, his son reported on Facebook. Between 1973-86, Hill, nicknamed “The Booter,” played for the Cardinals, Giants, Mariners & White Sox. He batted .223 in 737 career games. www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/hi...

Longtime scout Roy Clark has died. The Braves posted their tribute to him on Threads.

Fletcher Manson “Sled” Allen was born on this day in 1886. He’s one of my favorite finds since I’ve been doing RIP Baseball. He was a backup catcher for the St. Louis Browns in 1910, a wrestling promoter & a music promoter in Lubbock, TX, and he’s Terry Allen’s dad! ripbaseball.com/2019/02/24/g...

Emil Kush’s chance to star for his hometown Cubs was stalled first by short stays in the majors and then by World War II. For a brief time, though, he was one of the game’s top firemen and a favorite of Cubs manager Charlie Grimm. Kush played for the Chicago Cubs from 1941-42 and 1946-49.

Longtime Met John Stearns was born on this day in 1951. He was nicknamed “Bad Dude,” and it was completely appropriate. Stearns was an All-Star catcher and a tough competitor who played until an accumulation of injuries led to the end of his 11-year career. ripbaseball.com/2022/09/20/o...

I have completed my 1979 Topps set, thanks to @aldonadi.bsky.social being kind enough to send me this Jim Rice card. So glad to have this one done and headed for a binder!

Lefty Bill Hepler joined the New York Mets as a 20-year-old rookie and pitched in 37 games, with a 3-3 record & 3.52 ERA. He was just starting to solve his control problems when a shoulder injury led to an early retirement in 1970. Hepler died on Aug. 12 at age 79.

We’ve had a few days in Philadelphia & visited Eastern State Penitentiary. This area was the athletic field. You can see the backstop for baseball also had poles for field goals during football season. The fences on top of the wall were put up to keep home runs from flying over the prison walls.

Felix Torres spent 17 seasons in the Puerto Rican Winter League. A bad experience playing in Georgia for an allegedly racist manager kept him away from Major League Baseball for several years, but he returned as a 30-year-old rookie & played with the Angels from 1962-64. Torres, 93, died Aug. 8.

We have a new Grave Story! Lenny Yochim pitched briefly as a Pirates southpaw, and he then spent 37 years with the team as a scout, special assistant to the GM & director of player personnel. Then management offered to demote him & cut his salary. Way to treat your senior employee, Pittsburgh.

Were you a fan of the Atlanta Braves because their games were always on TV & radio? You have Ernie Johnson to thank for it. The ex-pitcher was tasked with assembling the Braves broadcast network when the team moved to Atlanta, making them a regional favorite. (1/2) ripbaseball.com/2020/02/07/g...

Haven’t been playing Immaculate Grid lately, but I’m going to use it like my mom uses crossword puzzles - to stimulate the gray matter. I finally completed one after a few near misses. ⚾️ Immaculate Grid 861 9/9: Rarity: 25 IMMACULATE! 🟩🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟩 ➡️ See my grid: immaculategrid.com/share/ksuAX9h

Jeff Bittiger's MLB career lasted 33 games with the Phillies, Twins & White Sox in the 1980s. However, he pitched until he was 40 & was named Baseball America's Independent Player of the Decade for the 1990s. Bittiger, 63, died of cancer on July 19. He was a scout & team exec right up to his death.

Mike Ivie was born on this day in 1952. He had a pretty successful 12-year career, battling anxiety issues for most of it. During his time anyone with emotional problems was called a “flake,” & Ivie battled a string of unsympathetic teams. He died in 2023 at age 70. ripbaseball.com/2023/08/07/o...

Jim Clancy, a 12-year Blue Jay, flew under the radar most of his career by choice. So the baseball world outside of Toronto never really appreciated hm during his career. But he was one of the most dependable pitchers of his era & is one of the Jays' best all-time pitchers. Clancy, 69, died July 12.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen both starting pitchers have to exit a game in the second inning due to injury, but that’s where we’re at in the Cubs-Reds game. Soroka for the Cubs and Lodolo for the Reds are out.

Lee Elia may be most remembered for a 3-minute tirade about Cubs fans in 1983, but don't overlook his 55+ years in baseball as a player, manager, coach, scout & more. It was a long, successful and colorful career, and you can read more about it on RIP Baseball. ripbaseball.com/2025/08/04/o...

I’m assuming the Cubs are going to conclude a massive, game-changing detail at 4:59 PM and everything will be alright.

Swear to God if the Cubs biggest trade deadline deal is extending the general manager…

Great Sandberg tribute written by my friend Sam, with whom I had many conversations about Ryno and the Cubs (along with a few visits together to Wrigley Field) back in our high school days. I'm with you, buddy - this loss hurts.

Ryne Sandberg was my first baseball hero, and if you are a GenX Cubs fan, the odds are pretty good that he was yours, too. And you never forget your first hero, which is why this one hurts as much as it does. RIP, Ryno, and thank you. ripbaseball.com/2025/07/30/o...

18-year-old Joe Coleman looked like a batboy when he threw a complete-game, 136-pitch win in his major-league debut for the Washington Senators in 1965. He won 142 games over 15 seasons and was part of a 3-generation baseball family. Coleman died July 9 at age 78. ripbaseball.com/2025/07/25/o...

That time Ozzy Osborne did the worst version of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” in recorded history. RIP, Ozzy. youtu.be/0TPYI_Y3pWw?...

Bobby Jenks went through a lot before he reached the majors. Once he did, he became a World Series hero for the 2005 White Sox. His MLB career lasted for 7 seasons, but he was one of the AL’s top closers for most of that time. He was only 44 when he died on July 4. ripbaseball.com/2025/07/21/o...

Taking a quick trip to Lawrence, KS. Naturally, I had to pay respects. Rock Chalk.